Origami

World of the Extremes

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:42:36 -0700

There is also another thing that bothers me. If this trend continues, and it probably will, we'll have a nice "clean" world, world where even nipples on 15th century paintings are too much. At the same time, just a few sims away, we'll have places where kinks get the forms closer to pathology than to sex. We'll have the violence, mutilations, humiliation, sex with animals and rapes.

I very seldom write about anything substantial here, or do any editorializing. My Second Life is mostly about shopping, finding cute clothes, finding fun places, and that's as it should be. But something has been bothering me lately, and I keep meaning to write about it, but just haven't.

It isn't about fashion, but actually, in a way, it is.

Everyone is different, and everyone gets their kicks in a different way, and that doesn't bother me. To each his own, and Second Life gives us all a way to be whatever we want to be--younger, prettier, more muscular, taller, a vampire, or an angel, or an animal. We can have (theoretically) guilt-free sex with whomever (or whatever) we want, we can dress any way we please.

Just because I have no interest in dressing in latex, stiletto-heeled boots, or body oil, doesn't mean that other people can't, and I have nothing to say about it. It's not for me, and I just don't care. I don't have any interest in role-playing, and I find the whole Gor thing sort of amusing. I can't really understand anyone wanting to role play as a slave, but obviously some do, and so be it.

But there is something that I absolutely can't understand. I'll never understand BDSM, although I guess I can, kind of, strictly on an intellectual basis. People, like I said, get their kicks all kinds of different ways. But the thing that floors me is the so-called fashion designers who come up with things like bloody skins, bloody clothing, skins with bleeding cuts, bruises, etc. Although I can't imagine wanting something like that, I suppose there must be a demand for it. But why would anyone want to make such awful things? You don't have to sell things just because there are people out there will buy it.

How can anyone have respect for themselves if they're making and selling things like gags or torture devices? I'm repulsed by all of the facial piercings, the lip piercings especially, but at least that's something that people are doing to themselves. Take a look at that article I referenced, and look at the second photograph (NSFW). What's that all about? If Second Life can be all things to all people, there are going to be people out there who get their kicks looking at a woman impaled on meathooks. But is it something we want to encourage? My vote would be an unequivocal "No."

LL seems to be hell-bent on keeping child roleplay out of SL, and I understand that. I find child avatars fairly creepy, frankly, and have no interest in that kind of roleplaying. But how can they work so hard at keeping child roleplay way out on the fringes, yet let things like mutilation and torture go on? Yeah, it's all just pixels, but as we all know, pixels have power, too. There is a real person behind every avatar, and some of them are going to be people we wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. If at all possible, I don't want to meet them in SL, either.

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Look of the Day: Friday

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:34 -0700

Friday

Pixel Dolls sent out a survey last week, and if you returned it you got a $150 gift card to their store. I've always loved their things, they all seem so sophisticated. I have a few things from there, but not a lot. So I went over and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what to buy. I finally settled on the Wraith top -- it comes in a set with several colors. The jeans are also from Pixel Dolls, from the free Cimarron set.

Credits:

Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Green 1
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Top: Pixel Dolls Wraith Top
Jeans: Pixel Dolls Cimarron Basic Jeans, Indigo
Manicure: Nails by Celeste - Black
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Earrings: Earthstones Beaded Hoop Earrings, Red Jasper & Silver
Necklace: Earthstones Quarts Point Chakra Necklace
Shoes: She's So Unusual Black Embroidered Chinese Flats

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Look of the Day: Rez Day

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:56:11 -0700

Rez Day

Thursday was my first Rez Day, so I wanted to dress up in something special. I almost never wear dresses--I'm much more a jeans and sweater type--but I loved this dress when I saw it, so I decided to go ahead and get it. I didn't really have any shoes to go with it, though. Shoes are always a problem for me, and since I don't wear dresses that often, I don't really need a lot of shoes. But this dress called for some.

So when I got a Shiny Things gift card from my friend Nissa, I ran right over there and tried on every pair of heels in the place. I ended up getting the Shiny Things Classic Slingbacks in Camel, and I had enough left over to buy the Florina earrings and bangles in gold--I already had them in silver, but this dress really need gold accessories.

I think it all turned out pretty nicely.

Credits:

Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Neutral 1
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Dress: Zaara Free Spirit (RFL Pink)
Manicure: Nails by Celeste - Black
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Earrings: Shiny Things Florina Earrings, Gold
Bracelets: Shiny Things Florina Bangles, Gold
Shoes: Shiny Things Classic Slingbacks, Camel

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Blowing bubbles

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:24:49 -0700

This made me laugh:

Blowing bubbles

Crosseyed

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Look of the Day: Tuesday

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:22:59 -0700

Look of the Day: Tuesday

A little bit edgier look for Tuesday, taken in front of my kiosk at Juicy Plaza.

Credits:

Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Neutral 1
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Manicure: Nails by Celeste - Black
Hair: Persuasion in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Tank: MichaMi GlamTank in Beige
Jeans: Izumiya/Moon Cat Izumo - Japanese Pants
Earrings: Caroline's diamond stud earring
Bracelets: Shiny Things Ruma Bangles, Silver
Necklace: Schadenfreude Koijini Necklace w/Skull
Anklet: Eolande's gemstone anklet, gunmetal
Sandals: She's So Unusual BoHo Brown Sandals

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Look of the Day: Monday

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:25:22 -0700

Salvia on Monday

This was one of the very first things I bought in SL. The guy I was with at the time took me shopping and he liked it, and that's the whole reason I bought it (in retrospect, I should have made him buy it!) He thought it looked classy, and I did like it, but it was way too expensive for me at the time. So I had a case of buyer's remorse.

I still like it, and it probably fits my look better now than it did then.

Credits:

Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Barest
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Manicure: Nails by Celeste - Black
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Outfit: DE Tango Cafe Jacket, Top, Pants
Earrings: Caroline's diamond stud earring
Bracelet: Caroline's graduated diamond bracelet
Necklace: Second Mirage diamond circle necklace
Anklet: Eolande's gemstone anklet, gunmetal
Sandals: Tickled Pink Cirque Sandal, Brown Leather

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Look of the Day: Salvia on Sunday

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:49:16 -0700

Salvia on Sunday

Credits:
Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Barest
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Manicure: Nails by Celeste - Cameo
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Dress: Zaara - Soul Curry
Watch: Muse Classic Tank Watch - Caramel/Gold w/gold face
Earrings: Ephemeral "Nasim" Earrings - Gold
Anklet: Eolande's Gemstone Anklet, Gunmetal
Shoes: Persona Ballet Flat - Gold

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Look of the Day: Salvia on Saturday

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:17:25 -0700

Salvia on Saturday

I saw this dress on the Imagen Divine blog last week, and immediately went and bought it. I love the loose, hippie/bohemian-inspired desses I'm seeing everywhere lately. I tried on several pairs of shoes, but the little flat Boho sandals from She's So Unusual were perfect, as were the new silver bangles from Shiny Things. The cropped cardigan was just in case I got cold later.

Credits:
Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Barest
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Manicure: Love Soul Nail, French (Beige)
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Dress: *UM* Sun Dress - Blue
Cardigan: Mischief Celery Cardigan
Bracelets: Shiny Things' Florina Bangles
Earrings: Lassitude & Ennui Signature Earrings
Anklet: Eolande's Gemstone Anklet, Gunmetal
Sandals: She's So Unusual Boho Brown Sandals

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Swimsuits!

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:21:37 -0700

There are so many pretty swimsuits out there that I thought I'd show some of mine. I bought this one yesterday, and went out to the Surfline Rezzable sim to take some photos.

Snapshot_006

Snapshot_009

Snapshot_008

Credits:
Shape: My own
Skin: Celestial Studios Charmed in Auburn, Tone 20, Neutral
Eyes: Miriel, Marine
Manicure: Nails by Celeste, Iced Cappuccino
Hair: Gwen in Light Red from Tami McCoy
Bathing Suit and Hat: S.Y.D. Multicolor Bathing Suit and Sunhat
Jewelry: .+*aya V*+. Key Necklace, Eolande's Beaded Chunky Anklet, Aurora Borealis
Shoes: KR Street Next Flower3

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New house

nobody@vox.com(Salvia Homewood) — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:29:44 -0700

So, new shop, and a new house.

New villa on Cozumel

This is the fourth house I've had in SL. The second one was a mistake, I realized immediately, but the first one, and the third--the one I just left--were lovely, and I liked them a lot. But the areas where they were got progressively more and more crowded and laggy. I stayed with the last one for a really long time, or a relatively long time, in SL terms, maybe six months.

The area was lovely when I first moved there, the houses were spaced nicely, and there was a lot of open space. It stayed that way for a pretty long time, then they started putting up more and more houses -- there were houses right up to my property line on both sides, and there was no longer any kind of cohesive theme to the area.

And recently, some high rise buildings went up right next to us. It was just getting too crowded. So I started looking for something new, and found this new area on Cozumel last night. The scale of the houses is a little off, I think -- the ceilings are too high -- but I like the look of it. And even though the houses are kind of close together, they're all in the same theme, so it doesn't look junky.

I chose one of the more expensive ones right on the corner, so there's ocean on two sides, but it was still only $970/month. A little more than I was paying before, but I think it's worth it. I needed something with a little more illusion of privacy -- the last house was almost completely open, with no actual doors, and tons of windows. Which was nice, but kind of exposed. When I wanted to change clothes or take pictures, I felt kind of exposed. This house is also bigger, and I think I can create an office upstairs. It will be fun to furnish, I think.

While I was looking for houses, I found a row of beautiful blue Cape Cod houses in Myrtle Beach. All of them were rented, but one of them was showing 0 full days left on the rent, and 0 prims, so I was thinking maybe that person would be giving up the house and I could grab it, because it was exactly what I wanted. I even thought, well, I can go ahead and get the house on Cozumel, and if the Myrtle Beach one opens up, I can get it and then let the other one go.

Well, last night I went to check again, and the rent still hadn't lapsed, but this time I clicked on the rental box to see how much it was. Would you believe L$7,000/week?? Wow. I did the math, and at the current exchange rate, that's like US$28. Who would pay over $100 a month for a virtual house? That just seems crazy to me. Especially when you can get this kind of view for a little over $15?

View

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