This is what I’ve learned today:

1. If you’re being accused of theft, booting people from your sim for noting the existence of the rumor makes you look guilty.
2. The best salve for being booted from a skin-seller’s sim is befriending another skin seller.
3. Getting muted and booted for the first time on the same day is amusing as hell.

As someone put it to me while discussing some of those events, getting banned and muted means I’ve arrived. This time next year, I expect to either be famous or merely happy to be where I am. I’m not yet content inworld, but I’m working on it.

By the by, Hera Short of Eclectic by Hera rocks. Just saying.

A designer I really should pay more attention to, Crystyle Bukowski of Pudge, posted this excellent article on being fat as inspired by those who noted the pro-ana Flickr group and the similar sentiments that can be found in Second Life. I would only add that I think anyone who dedicates their entire life to focusing on how little they can eat and get away with isn’t in control of a damn thing. They’re owned by food just as much as the guy who can’t get out of his house without a wall being ripped down.

I have a bunch of pics in my SLPics account from today’s adventures, but I could not go to sleep before I posted about the most surreal event ever: Jello wrestling at the Koreshan Pointe Bake Sale. Allegory Malaprop already posted her bit, but I told hyasynth Tiramisu I would, too.

And all of this came to my view because I had to stay up long enough to get hya’s new Meatcake dress. *tries to knock Eric Cartman out of her head* *fails*

I will present photographic proof once I can blur the identity of the av in question, but I’ve now seen an elf with prim boobs. Down to her hips.

What has been seen cannot be unseen.

Cherlindrea Lamont’s Fabulously Free in Second Life blog never fails to bring to its readers some of the best and sometimes most amusing freebies and dollarbies on the grid. This entry is no exception. Amongst the silks and slave animations at one store, she noted the availability of $1L bling for your butt crack.

Ah, SL. How I love you. Nowhere else have I ever been that would allow you to have light shining out of your arse.

I realize I’m some rash upstart blogger and I’m about to discuss one of the hottest models in SL as brought to my attention by one of its better-known designers. But I would be remiss as a blogger who cares about body image in Second Life if I didn’t spend a moment discussing this post in Connie in a Sec.

I wouldn’t run around looking like her. Not my way. I like looking at something a bit more balanced when I’m watching myself move around inworld. Here’s the question I have, though. Is it going to be expected of more of the rank-and-file avatar world to conform to her look, or will the majority of us who don’t push our arm and leg sliders that close to zero still be able to expect the sleeve and pant leg patterns to look reasonable? If designers don’t insist on making sure their stuff looks good on Valena, thus forcing the rest of us have to conform or look overly stretched, I can’t be too exercised about it. If only some designers do this, I can vote with my Lindens. If it becomes expected, then I see a reason for a wider rebellion. I happen to disagree with the designers who think her build makes their stuff look good, but I’m probably not their target demographic anyway.

In short, until the day Velena’s lollipop look is enforced by group fiat, I’ll be happy with my curvy self and rest secure in the knowledge that Second Life has room enough for both of us.

Setting aside the perceptual question of whether I was discussing deliberately or accidentally rude behavior from a SL designer in my last post (there’s room for interpretation), I want to make note of something that my fellow customers and hunters do that I really, truly wish they wouldn’t.

Ladies and gentlemen of SL, please pick up after yourselves! I was running my alt through the Ivalde sim’s amazing hunt last night and was utterly shocked at how many people were opening their gifties only to leave the bags behind. One egg easily had a dozen bags scattered around it. It’s that kind of thing that builds frustration with good people and can lead them to either shut off your building privileges on-site or, in extreme cases, decide to be less generous. In my case, I wished mightily for the ability to return items on the parcel so the owners wouldn’t have to later.

It’s a matter of respect on both sides of the relationship. Customers and designers both should remember we’re all people behind the avatars and strive to treat people the way we want to be treated.

I don’t care if you’re the best designer in Second Life. I don’t care how long you’ve been inworld. I don’t care if you’re a model for a hot designer, either. I care if you’re able and willing to treat your customers with respect. This includes people going around on treasure hunts. Getting drunk? Log out or go somewhere other than your store, where a crack that seems funny to you sloshed would offend you if you heard it drunk or sober. Not willing to give hints as to locations of the hidden items? Find a polite lie instead of throwing nonsense around, or even just say, “Sorry, I’m not giving out hints. Wish I could help.”

The Penguin Hunt has at least one store owner who’s perfectly happy to tease people instead of being polite. I hope they’re the only one. That nonsense lost me as a customer. For sake of sparing drama, I’m not going to say who it is, but it certainly isn’t someone I consider to be on SL’s A-list. The truly great ones are capable of keeping their heads on straight instead of using a simple question as a springboard for personal amusement at another’s expense.

It didn’t happen to me directly, but I don’t care. It was rude. I won’t stand for that.

ETA: I had a chat with Laynie about this, and we both agreed that the designer’s conduct was up for interpretation. Especially since I was deeply frustrated at the point the exchange happened. And no, I’m still not saying who it was. I might go in as my alt and seek them out to ask what was up with that, but at the same time, it’s so minor on the grand scale I don’t see the point. *waves hello to Grid readers*

Eshi Otawara, visual artist and designer at Chambre du Chocolat, has come up with something I haven’t seen very often in SL. This ballgown, a stunning confection called the Tuxedo Gown, has a no-modify skirt that fit me perfectly. Having met the designer, she’s not exactly my size, so I’d say she’s doing something right.

Sadly, my computer isn’t powerful enough to show the kicker with this dress. It glows!

(Other info: Hair by Bewitched [Brat-jewel], pumps by Filigreemotion [freebie], skin by SkinnyDip, shape by Naughty Designs)

SL name elided to protect the moron. The quote is otherwise verbatim. This bon mot was posted to the Fashion Consolidated chat group (as opposed to FashCon Cafe, where you’re supposed to chitchat):

[0:36] Stupidgit Arsemunch: hmmmmm ok i will prolly be booted for this, but, im a man im horny, i have a home, xcite, steam balls, and porn, radio, and so on, ive noticed many of u women seem to sit n wait for a freebie, well here u go, its all free tonight next two hrs, yes u heard it two hrs only…..if u would like a landmark, plz dont hesitate to PM me, 1 will be sent promptly………

If text could be turned into cat macros, this one would earn UR DOING IT WRONG.