Shameless Self-Promo

Lludmila rearranges her posters on Awen.

We're trying to keep two months ahead in the Cozy Mysteries.  We meet on either the last Monday at 11 am or last Tuesday at 6 pm of each month at the Pub in Awen, whichever you find more convenient.  November's book is Ghosts by Paul Auster and December's is Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb (the latter chosen because - well, you can just guess).  Both books are easy to get hold of inexpensively.  The former is quite colorful and mysterious - and the latter just good, silly fun.  

Hope to see you there!  Oh, and stop by my plot of land (it's right across the water from the Pub) and pick up a notecard about that and, of course, Bob and Bear's music.

Tip If You Got 'Em!

After years of hanging out at Grizzy's, Lludmila is embarking on a hostess position.  No longer will she have to suffer an hour on tenterhooks at a trivia quiz to see if she can earn enough to keep her in ... Lindens that she usually ends up tipping at Grizzy's Café (and some other venues).  Tonight she starts her hostess job and reminds any attendants that she has no control over the music so the only reason to tip her is out of pity.  Pity tips accepted.  Oh, yes!

Lludmila would like me to add that, after years of being homeless in the virtual world and never having more than 30L to her name, she solicits tips only from the well-heeled.  Everyone is welcome to come and dance and have a good time.

Find The Happy Place!

I went to a mahvelous party
With NouNou and Nada and Nell
It was in the fresh air
And we went as we were
And we stayed as we were
Which 
   was 
      hell ...


Actually, it was a lovely party with lovely people and I couldn't have liked it more.
Especially because I heard someone mention carousels and we know how much I lovvvve carousels.  So I asked for a landmark.  I pried myself away from Cal at the first opportunity, and this is what I found:

 Omg! A watermelon carousel that goes up and down as well as around,

emits note particles, and plays music. Oh, and look!  It has kitty ears!  

 Meow meow meow meow ... Lludmila rides the kibbles ...

 ... and the french fry on the cheeseburger carousel.

 But wait, there's more!

The cutest poses on luscious edibles!

Did someone say "jellyroll"?  Lludmila covers her ears.

There are so many delights here at Four Kittens of the Apocalypse (including the name).  I could have spent hours, but I had another party to attend.  

All of the poses worked so well even for Lludmila, who is but 4'8" - everything carefully made and scripted.  I couldn't have liked it more.  Hurrah!  I'll be back soon because they're participating in a hunt and I think it will be over soon. 

More photos at my Flickr page (see feed at right Gizmo that linked to my Flickr page no longer works - no doubt due to some conflict between the Googletude of Blogger and the Yahooniness of Flickr. What's more, I am unable to delete the gizmo.).

(Lludmila considers wrangling a zombie-themed carousel from these delightful designers.)

Cross Posting

Grizzy has issued a statement on how she plans to commemorate 9/11 this year in SL, and I thought I would go along with it - I have put this picture and the following statement on my profile:

"To show solidarity with my Islamic brothers and sisters who have had their faith vilified as a result of the actions of extremists, I will be dressing my avatar in the traditional Islamic hijab for Tues - Sat this week."

You Say Vaaaayse, I Say Vahhhhze ...

Let's call the whole thing ... ooo, pretty! These three vases are the prize at Wine and Roses for the Starry Nights hunt. The hunt lasts from June 17-July 17th. I had to do an inset of one of the vases because things weren't rezzing earlier on my land - but things were rezzing better in my skybox. Gah, LAAAAG! Anyway, now that I look at the pix as they loaded here, you can hardly tell. Grr.

I had to lie and say I was a blogger (okay, maybe it was stretching the truth more than an outright lie - but it's not like anyone reads this) to get the vases without searching all over for the little blue star. I was there, like, 200 minutes (perhaps 2) and didn't find it. However, I did get lucky with the lucky chair and won the backyard window, which came up again as a wildcard round so I started IM'ing friends to find someone who wanted a freebie. Then Leeorie and I oo'd and ahh'd over the pretty stuff.



I love blue - but then there was this terrific fall leaf photo in oranges and yellows ... sigh. Well, that's why I keep changing my houses, you can have your cake and eat it too in SL!

New Idea for a Not-So-Bland Date

OMG! Peter May's av looks just like himself!

I missed the Peter May interview on Off the Shelf at my home sim, Awen, so I was thrilled that Metaverse Books was interviewing him at an obscure time that I was actually available. I could barely contain my excitement because he is the author of Virtually Dead, a thriller that takes place partly in Second Life. My husband was at a computer behind me, laughing at my girlish enthusiasm over a real author in a pretend body who wrote a pretend story about an even more pretend place. Some people just don't understand, do they?

May was kind enough to work up a notecard of virtual locations he used for the story and then share it with us. I had received 5 copies of it so far from various sources. I could hardly wait to go on The Tour.

My first mistake was not bringing Cal along. You remember Cal. Very presentable, up for almost anything, even dancing in frockcoat. First of all, he'd have enjoyed the guns and airplanes thing, but secondly he would have danced with me and made much better pictures. You'll have to live with what you got. I sent Kathy because she was dressed and ready to go.

I did go to Body Doubles, but it's not that interesting, unless you, too, want to look like Brad Pitt or some of the other celebrities whose names I did not recognize. I prefer to create my own body shapes, but I guess some people cannot be trusted with the sliders. May created another av with the name of the character in the book to remind himself what it was like to be a newb. Wow, Chas!

My next stop was Midsomer Isle where I thought, Gee, this looks familiar. There are several locations here that were used. Below is the dining area. It is gorgeous, but it took forever to rez. Have patience, though, because when it all does finally rez, there is a lovely dinner to pretend to eat. It's just a shame I had to eat it alone (and that I got the T-bone piano there on the right).


Kathy hopes she doesn't have to pay for this dinner - that wine looks terribly expensive.


There are other locations in Midsomer: where Chas and Doobie danced and where they played chess. While Kathy was there someone suddenly appeared and Kathy worried that they wanted to ... play chess! Good thing she went there before Crack Town!

Next stop was the Crack Town in Carnal City. This has moved, since May did his research, to the Adult area where Cal can't go. (I do love younger men!) The picture that goes with the landmark is enough to give you the general idea of what to expect, but I happened to visit at a slow time of day. Kathy wondered what the poseballs did, but didn't try any. Who knows where they've been.

Only one naked woman wandering around ... this must be an off-time for Crack Town. Kathy thinks the poseballs look "nasty!"

By the time Kathy got to the Inspire Space Park, she knew she had been to these places before. They were old, old SL locations and she was surprised that they were still there. Inspire was one of the first locations Lludmila went to, back in 2007.

If Cal had come, he and Kathy could have been doing Tai Chi among the stars ...

There was a chase scene through the Abbotts Aerodrome. Oh yes, now I remember. What a great place for skydiving! Lludmila was very good at falling - just not landing on a target.Aw, go take a flying leap!

The last place on the tour is Gunslinger Armaments. Not only is there an actual av named Gunslinger who appears in the book, but that person is still in business! Take that, you whiners! Gunslinger wasn't in, but Kathy cammed into the office and now has a good, basic knowledge of the workings of an automatic pistol. I think my next av will be called "Cammie."

This is the life! Relaxing on the comfy sofa while one's beloved blasts the livin' bejaysus out of a target.

Wouldn't this be just the best date ever? You read the same book and then take a tour of the locations? It has everything: dining, dancing, games, falling from great heights, fire arms ... the typical SL experience!

Note: Link to more photos from the Tour on my Flickr page as well as other Literature-related areas and events in SL.

Magical Wall Decals

Do you have one of those d#%n Linden houses like I do and not sure what the heck to do with it? I tried putting artwork up, but I'd chosen one of the Japanese houses and ... well, it just wasn't working. So I changed the interiors (with the magic wallplate) - and half of the prims on my furniture disappeared. It all came back the next time I visited, but it made me say several naughty words.
Anyway, I think I've found the solution to the naked walls: Floral Wall Decals from the Wine and Roses Mainstore. You buy one decal and slap it on your wall (taking care to make sure you have it decal side towards you because it's invisible on the other side ... man, I've searched for lots of things like that ... and said naughty words. It would have been nice to know ahead the object would do that (maybe I should read the notecards more often).  And, Presto! you have a wall decoration you can copy over and over on all your walls, the floor, wherever. And, and, there are five patterns in the decal you can click on to change. Four are pictured in the photo above.
Neato!

Getting Some Tail

Kathy: This is your roving reporter, Kathy, deep in the lair of the General of the newly formed Bunny Army, General Cynthia Wonder -

General Cynthia Wonder: That’s “Army of Bunnies.”

Kathy: As you will. General, what is this thing about all these Bunny Girls running about Second Life?

General Cynthia Wonder: Our mission to increase the visual appeal of Second Life. Male avatars particularly seem to enjoy viewing long stocking-clad legs, cleavage, fluffy bunny tails, and cute bunny ears. Our very presence helps to beautify SL.

Recent Bunny Girl inundations of Grizzy's Cafe have led to a weekly Bunny Night (Thursdays) and the enlistment of Grizzy's shapely owner (far right).

Kathy: It seems to me that there are plenty of examples of long legs and cleavage running rampant in SL as it is. Are you asking your group members to wear these bunny costumes all the time?

General Cynthia Wonder: Hours spent in the official uniform of the Bunny Army show commitment to the cause. Many will be tempted or even feel that it is necessary to wear other things such as ballgowns or more comfortable attire such as T-shirt and jeans. This is certainly permissible. However the more time one spends in uniform, the faster and more likely one is to advance in rank.

Kathy: I notice that you are wearing the uniform –

General Cynthia Wonder: I spend my entire time in SL in uniform. I realize that few will be that committed and dedicated to the cause.

Kathy: That’s quite true. I’ve known you for ages and you’ve always worn the bunny outfit. I thought perhaps you have some interesting personal history that informed that decision.

The General while visiting haunted houses in October. At the time I thought it was just a Hallowe'en costume.

General Cynthia Wonder: Not really.

Kathy: Does everyone have to wear the same kind of bunny outfit? They certainly are common in SL, but yours looks particularly well-made.

General Cynthia Wonder: While *a* Playboy bunny type costume is acceptable, promotions are not even considered unless one wears the OFFICIAL uniform of the bunny army, which is the Deluxe Bunnygirl Outfit from Curio Obscura.

Kathy: Oh, they have great stuff. I love that place. They have that steampunk brain thingie. General, what do you say to people who think that this is a shallow reason for a group and that it debases women?

General Cynthia Wonder: Relay for Life is coming up in SL. I am a member of the team Spinners for Life and would like to use the bunny army to raise money for Relay for Life, which goes to Cancer Research. In fact this is the only part of our mission which is serious.

Kathy: A worthy cause.

General Cynthia Wonder: Another part of our mission is to increase self confidence and self esteem. Being a bunny makes one the center of attention at any party or gathering.

Kathy: Unless there are a dozen other bunny girls … Do you have some sort of men’s auxiliary?

General Cynthia Wonder: If a male avatar wants to become a bunny and doesn't have a very masculine name, he may join us as long as he agrees to wear a female shape and hairstyle while in uniform. If his name is too masculine, I will have to ask him to create a female alt. Thankfully gender reassignment in SL is quick, easy, painless, and reversible.

No. Just Plain ... No.

Kathy: I suppose that puts pay to the idea that this debases women if men can do it as well. And it increases the ranks, doesn’t it?

General Cynthia Wonder: My great hope is that there will be a day when any location in SL populated by avatars will have at least one or two of us in uniform. SL will be a better place.

Kathy: Well, I think we’re all for making SL a better place. Thank you, General, for being so frank about your cause.

General Cynthia Wonder: Thank you – and congratulations on being made Corporal, Corporal.

Kathy: DOH! Ohwhattagiveaway!