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While I am neither one to get involved in politics, nor am I Australian, what I've read recently that the Australian Federal Government's cooked up, has left me shocked, outraged, and disgusted. It is a crime when *any* system of government chooses to treat their people in this manner.

While the Australian Government *might* have good intentions with this measure, my fear is, sooner or later, measures such as this, will be used to oppress their people.

I've seen it happen before in other countries. I sure as hell don't wish to see it happen again.

If you are anything like me, if you believe in free speech--which, btw, is an innate, God-given right for ALL people--I strongly urge you to take action and let your voice be heard.

Thank you.

"It's A Nice Day For A 'White?' Wedding" or "Better Late Than Never"

I know it's terribly late in the month of June to post a bridal outfit review. Bad me. Bad blogger. I had actually typed this up some months back and I'm just getting 'round to posting it. Hope you enjoy! :)

I rezzed Viola's avie waaaay back in 2006 A.D. ;-) Before the SL fashion industry was inundated, saturated, and impregnated, there were a few--a happy few--designers on the grid that existed for my shopping pleasure. (At least that's how I like to put it =P). Two of those designers were Fallingwater Cellardoor of Shiny Things and Hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow. Since then, I've happily shopped in both stores with great frequency.

But what's odd is, for as many times as I've gone into Shiny Things, I was shocked to learn that, *somehow*, this ensemble had always eluded my field of vision:



Then again, I do play Oblivious Wench Extraordinaire a *bit* much and may never have noticed it before. So I guess it's not that big a shock that I noticed Silent Sparrow's "White? Wedding" dress and Shiny Things' TWO "Wilted Wedding Bouquets" for the first time this year!

However, maybe I'm not the only one who missed this cadaverous confection, in which case, I am glad to present these items to you, if for no other purpose than to make you aware of their very existence.

Textured with blood splatterings, old lace & embroidery, the "White? Wedding" is perfect for the goth bride who is uninterested in the typical meringue style on her wedding day. It will also work well if the bride is getting hitched on All Hallow's Eve, or enjoys partaking in Lily Munster, vampyric Lucy Westenra, or Bride Of Frankenstein roleplay. ;)





There is wonderful attention to detail going on here, from the ripped stockings, to the jacket-layered "extra blood", to the crowning glory of the veil, made by Calico Ingmann Creations.



As I said, there are TWO "Wilted Wedding Bouquets":





which match the dress in a beautifully grim fashion, and are available in "dark" and "pale" hues. What Fallingwater Cellardoor did that's Really Cool was add not only a hold script to the Bouquets, but ALSO a walk AO! Brilliant idea! After all, I don't care how non-traditional the bride is, ain't no way she wants to do the duck walk down the aisle!

Speaking of Shiny Things, I am also wearing Fallingwater's "Spring Stilettos" in white in these photos. But that was just my preference. Feel free to get creative! For example, if you wish to be A Very Gritty Bride, go with Fallingwater's "Old Laceup Boots" under "White? Wedding" instead!

Between the Dress and the Bouquets, I am reminded of three bridal archetypes: First is the apparent "undead bride" style. Second is the "heirloom" variety as if the dress was your grandmother's. And the third archetype is the poor jilted Miss Havisham from Dickens' "Great Expectations." Not that I wish that kind of misfortune on ANYONE, mind you. Rather, if you are one of the few, the happy few, who are fortunate enough to get hitched here in SL, I wish you and your betrothed lots and lots of Happily Ever Afterness, no matter how flamboyantly freakish your wedding ceremony! ;)

"Demon-strative Evidence"

I am probably the last person on the grid that can write code or explain how it works. In truth, I couldn't script my way out of a paper bag. The little I do know about scripting is thus: Scripting, or "coding," is a terribly intricate language written by incredibly intelligent people, aka "code monkeys", who then apply the script to the object it's intended for. Then, that scripted object performs Really Cool Things in SL. Scripting is what causes the tail of the neko, or, for the sake of this article, of the demon, to go "swish!", it's what makes us shake our groove thangs when we click on a dance ball, and it brings your RL emotions to life when you use your multitool to hug your best friend.

Much like that light switch you flip on when you enter a room, the effects of scripting seem instant and simple, yet are complex and amazing at the same time.



The RL counterpart to Kohl Staheli was a coder, designer & software architect for many years, and still is. Upon creating his pixelated version, the self-proclaimed demon wanted to see if the grid could be used "as a simple communication medium". That did not pan out as intended. However, he discovered that SL held great promise for developing content, of which Kohl has a rather strong interest.

And I am quite happy he chose the latter route, because what was developed was a really sleek and fun product line of interactive sex and RP items, which are available at his store, called 2ndXtasy.

The store has a small, yet impressive inventory, which is good for those of you who pick quality over quantity when shopping. There are several HUD-controlled products which seem to work with each other rather nicely.

For example, if you're planning a fun romp with that special someone(s) you can use the lasciviously arousing Invisible Overlays with each other:



Maybe add in the diabolically stimulating Demon Horns & Tail:



check out the chains!


Then you have a titillating set of ingredients which make for a pretty sensual recipe, if you ask me ;)

Or, consider the new "Nature's Restraint" line, for some BDSM fun....

Up until this release, I was not a big fan of in-world BDSM products. Take, for example, the X-cross. The crosses are often made of rough, splintery wood, which can be really uncomfortable, and not in a good, kinky way. And they're found in most BDSM-themed dungeons and castles, which tend to be cold and damp, and trigger my allergies (yeah, I know it's only virtual, but still), again, not in a good, kinky way ;)

Well what's the point of BDSM if the end result isn't fun? ;) And who says that all BDSM has to take place in dark, dismal environments?

This is why I went positively mad when I saw 2ndXtasy's "Nature's Restraint". This flower cross is just one piece from the line:



I tried out the flower because I was curious if my directionally-challenged self could easily interact with it, and lo, I could! I was also pleased to see how well made it was and how nice the texturing was…..and because I couldn't resist from indulging in a brief Merry Gentry-esque fantasy ;)

Immediately I envisioned delicious fantasies being played out by Sidhe folks in green, sylvan sims with bright prim sunlight beams shining down on the participants.

If you are into the Fae side of SL, I couldn't recommend a better line of products to satiate the sensuous side of your Seelie or Unseelie desires.

All in all, 2ndXtasy has a wonderful collection of cleverly and responsibly made items.

Why do I say "responsibly"?

When a scripted item does its magical voodoo, sometimes it results in such laggy conditions that one has little choice but to move by dragging him or herself along by their own eyelids! (Think about the last time you tried to walk thru fog, or came in contact with the “smoke” that came from a scripted cigar or campfire) Kohl Staheli informed me that 2ndXtasy's scripts are written to a high standard so that they don't "hurt the sim". (Yes, other things do indeed cause lag, but I'm referring to scripts here.)

So, I am happy that I learned of 2ndXtasy with plenty of items that are well-made, sim-friendly, have a healthy dose of naughtiness, and most importantly, fun! I am delighted of the opportunity to inform you of this store.

Credits:
Demon Horns & Tail and Restraints: 2ndXtasy
Leather Corset Dress & Shrug: .:ATSD:.
Boots: TheAbyss
Hair: Deviant Kitties
Fae Dress: Simone!
Eyes: Celestial Studios

"Look of the Day!", or "It's Flag Day!" :)

"Tis the Star-Spangled Banner. Oh, long may it wave. O'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!"

Flag Day.

With today being "Flag Day" here in the U.S., and because Independence Day is soon approaching, Summer is perhaps the one season out of the entire year when I feel the *most* patriotic. (Yes, I know; bad me. Being an American, I should be patriotic 365/24/7, and not take for granted things like freedom, liberty, and my country.) But during the Summer months, I try to remember sacrifices made for people like myself. I try to be a more grateful & humble person, and yet be proud of my roots. For example, I try to not RP the whole "anglophile" thing so much. (Not that RPing makes us evil, for why should we deny ourselves the experience of delving into a culture, or a genre, that's by its nature foreign to our mundane lifestyles.)

Earlier today I was trying to recall my earliest RL memory, and finding it rather difficult. Think about it. How far back can you remember about your childhood? Can you remember being born?? I suspect not for most of us. It's all a bit existential in a "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" kind of way. (Yes, I know I said I wasn't gonna refer to Brit culture so much =P)

Actually, thinking back, I was surprised to recall quite a bit from my RL childhood. One of the memories that stuck in my mind is going to a Bicentennial parade in 1976 as a very little girl, with my Mom, Nana and Pop Pop, pushing me in my coach decorated with flags and ribbons. I remember the city bedecked in a lot of red, white and blue: Stars were stenciled in the streets along the parade route, poles were painted, and everywhere you looked, hung about and waved, were bunting and flags....

Especially this one:



Fast forward 30-somethin years to my fave virtual playground, and I stumble on the above flag, made by Bruce Freelunch :) In true Viola style, I freak out from the crossover experience and the memories that flooded in like movie flashback scenes. Checked Bruce's profile to see if he had a store around to direct you to, but I couldn't find one, so I sent him a Notecard, thanking him for sparking happy childhood memories for me. Hopefully he receives it.

The rest of this outfit was put together because of its squee-worthy elements, and due to my Uncle Sam-esque mood:



Credits:

Uncle Sam Top Hat: A Touch Of Ireland
Bracelets: (Dahlinks)
Necklace, Earrings and Belly Ring: **Solange!!
Red Sparkler: !Rebel Hope
Wedges: J's
Bikini Top & Bottoms: Adam n Eve
Short Shorts: :STELLAR DESIGNS:
Last pic shot "on location" ;) at Midnight Lotus

Lots of Gnus! :)

Nooooo....Not *guns*! "Oh wow..........James........"*drools as her eyes glaze over*

Right! Focus, Viola! Focus!

Ahem....as I was saying, not guns, but gnus:



As in "NEW"-ness!



They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I won't bore you with that much verbiage ;) What you see here is a snapshot of the most recent mall stall I rented at for Gesture Wars! In said snapshot, you also see 2 moar vendors set up that now hold new material I've just made! So now there are three vendors brimming with gestures. We'll call them "Tom", "Dick" and "Harry", so as to avoid confusion. ;)

You see, first there was "Tom". (Which is the first vendor/pose stand thingy on the left in the photo) Then I became inspired and made several new gestures. I put the new ones in the 2nd vendor ("Dick") until it ran out of memory. So I had to rez another copy of the vendor ("Harry") and stuck the balance of the new gestures in it. So when you come & demo them, you may realize that "Harry" doesn't have as many gestures as Tom or Dick lol.

*ALSO*, there is a second fatpack that has all the new material in it, discounted at 50% off the individual gestures that currently reside in "Dick and Harry". The first fatpack is still there as well, which contains all of the gestures in "Tom", also at 50% off of the individual prices.

In addition to demoing the gestures, there is also a freebie on the floor for you. :)

Lastly, while you're there, I highly recommend checking out *all* of the Role Play Market. Gesture Wars! is in the "Miscellaneous and Accessories" department. But oh my goodness, no matter what kind of RP you're into: Steampunk, pyrate, gothic, etc, they've got it. (Personally, I could spend hours in their "High Fantasy" section, shopping for wings and other fae items :-D ) I believe they also have an Adult sim that features Gor RP, but I'm not sure on the particulars there or when that one will open.

FYI, Gesture Wars! can also be found at ZV Yard Sale, Midnight Lotus, and at my main location in Whiskey

Thank you for reading and shopping at Gesture Wars! I hope you have as much fun playing the gestures as I had making them! :) xoxo