Subway regulars are almost exclusively urbanites. On the subway, you can always tell the first-timers from the regulars. First-timers are the ones checking their watches or the train schedule, looking out the window when there’s nothing to see, or fidgeting in their seats. The regulars, on the other hand, seem comfortable in their surroundings. They rarely check to see when the next train will arrive, or what the next stop is; they just know. Their attire may be anything from going-out formal to downtown business professional to almost-invisible urban camouflage. In fact, you may not consciously notice them at all.

Jasper Potez knows how to design for the casual city dweller. His clothing and accessories at JP Design emphasize and accommodate the essentially rough, gritty side of life in the city. You can see this emphasis clearly in the design of his main store. The arrival point is an “underground” subway platform, and your only next option (unless you need a quick stop in a desperately grungy toilet) is to head upstairs, to the surface and the hopefully fresher air outside. Then and only then can your shopping excursion begin.

I’ve put together one outfit from some of Jasper’s more interesting and impressive designs. Although there are only a few pieces at play here, they’re all complex and flexible, so there’s actually a lot going on. First off, there’s this black hoodie. Now, you’d think a hoodie wouldn’t offer up all that much to get excited about. Ordinarily, you’d be justified in your suspicious concern. Not this time. The simply classic, classically simple hoodie is textured with black fabric that has a sturdy, almost nubby weave. And the black isn’t an inky, shadowy mess—it’s clean and clear, with details you can actually make out.

But wait, there’s more! Unlike most I’ve seen, this hoodie can be worn not just one, not just two, but three different ways: fully pulled on; tied at the waist; and half-on/half-off, as shown here. Like all highly flexible garments, the apparent simplicity of this classic hoodie is deceptive. The various wear options are made possible by means of an initially (potentially) confusing array of clothing-layer and sculpted items, intended to be worn in appropriate combinations. The various garment items, including the slightly grubby tank-style undershirt, are also included on multiple layers. Once you figure it out, though, it all makes sense. My advice, before doing anything else, is to sort the various pieces appropriately into three sub-folders, for quick and easy on/off. The various prim components can all be easily resized via touch menu. L$329.

Jeans in SL are one item that can certainly be, figuratively if not literally, a dime a dozen—some good, some bad, some indifferent. For what it’s worth, the jeans at Armidi are personal favorites and quite possibly the best I’ve seen, from a standpoint of design and execution. But of course you have any number of other options; designers will never stop making jeans. Jasper’s rippJeans are well constructed and include some nice sculpted add-ons, one of which is at least somewhat out of the ordinary. You can choose from two different cuff styles: slouchie “long” cuffs and turned-up “low” cuffs. I personally prefer the low cuffs, for their lazily curved drape over my shoes, but the rumpled long cuffs look great too. The sculpted belt attachment is carefully shaped for a close fit that didn’t require me to pull my butt size down to zero…it’s a miracle! As if this weren’t enough, the belt attachment includes an integrated fly section that can be worn closed or open. Scripted resize of prim components, a selection of belt color textures and fly open/close control are all available by, um, touch. So knock yourself out. You can wear the jeans with or without the integrated flannel boxers shown here, or with your own favorite underwear, or with none at all. Hey, maybe that night job as a pole-dancer will work out after all! The boxers are also included separately as an underwear-layer garment. L$239.

My hairstyle here is Jasper’s “DreadHead” in Blonde. This is a handsome dreads style with integrated visor and beanie-style hat. A number of design elements are easily customizable via touch menu: automatic resize; fabric colors and button artwork; show or hide hair jewels, button and joint over one ear; and choice of visor or beanie. Choose Blonde, Black or Brown for L$339 each, or L$829 for a pack of all three colors. Demos are available for L$1.

Although I really liked this style in Blonde, I almost bought it in Black, more or less automatically. You see, the skin I’m wearing includes standard and braided hair bases, but no bald head, and I figured the hair should match. But then I thought, “Hey, I can make this work. Somehow. I know I can.” And then I clicked and bought the blonde before a second thought could, as my baby sister used to say, change up my mind. If you look closely, you can see evidence of the black braided hair base, but you do have to make a close inspection. And of course the eyebrows are still black. Hey, if it bothers you, pretend the roots are just starting to grow out.

The big city can be an unforgiving place. It’s not always easy to know what to wear, how to succeed, or even who to be. Jasper Potez makes at least the first problem a little bit easier to solve.

All available at JP Design [JP]:dsg. (JP Isle 82, 105, 31).

More recently, we’ve seen the amazing packages of Performance Shirts from swaffette Firefly of SF. Each combination in this system can be worn in just about any way imaginable

I’d like to know which shirt & tie system you would recommend.

No shop does it all, currently, but an ideal system for me would sell a variety of shirts, plain and pattern, independently of a larger number of ties, also plain and patterned. The shirts should be available on a number of layers, the crucial one for me being undershirt. Ideally, it would include underpants layer as well, so I can wear suits with trousers that have lower waists. I’d prefer a simple no-prim collar, I think, but if not, one that fits a wide range of avatar shapes. The shirt should be available with options for the collar to be buttoned or loosened.

The ties should be available separately at a reasonable price, perhaps also in bundles of 3 or 4 recommended for each shirt in the range. The ties should match the shirt locations, obviously, for both buttoned and loosened options, and should be available at least as shirt-layer garments and probably also as slightly flexible prims.

No one does it all for me, but many do bits of it extremely well. Makers I expect to look at in my survey article include SF Performance Shirts, Blaze, King for Men, Dan Seynurt, and Schadenfreude. Please tell me who I’m forgetting and anything else you think is important. Thanks in advance.

My affinity for “contemporary casual” clothing—and surely you know this about me by now—is both a gift and a curse. (In fact, I kind of hate the phrase itself. If anyone knows of or has come up with a better description, please please please let me get what I want…er, leave a comment!) It’s a gift because there’s a lot of it out there to choose from. It’s a curse because, let’s face it, a lot of what’s out there is sadly repetitive, derivative, unoriginal, ordinary, or just not very interesting. It was the fabulous fabulist Theodore Sturgeon who famously observed that “90% of everything is crap.” (Okay, what Ted actually said was “crud,” but I’m fond of the misquotation.) The challenge lies in the finding of the 10% that isn’t.

Any quest for gleaming gems unavoidably calls for one to sort through a lot of ore…crud…even crap. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. Fortunately, there is often a reward at the end of the tunnel. My most recent happy discovery (after several TP hops and stops, finding only polos and tee-shirts and jeans, oh my, with the occasional relog thrown in for good measure) is Socialite Wardrobe, by Shannen Zhora. Although in keeping with its name her collection emphasizes women’s wear, it also includes a handful of quality items for men. I was immediately intrigued by her collection of Batik Tanimbar Vests. The vest’s lines are clean and flattering, and nicely textured fabric is decorated front and back with bold batik designs. They can only be worn tucked in, as they’re provided on shirt and underwear layers but not the jacket layer. This is undeniably a limitation, and I could complain about the lack of flexibility, but the tucked-in look is so neat and trim that it feels small to complain about not being able to wear them untucked.

Shannen’s Batik Tanimbar Vests are available in four colors: Black, Brown, Dark Red and White. As you can see, the Dark Red is my own favorite. The fatpack of all four colors is priced at L$399, or you can take home the two-color pack of Black and White sweaters for L$199. The fatpack also includes the Maluku pants I’m wearing here in both Black and Brown. These are perhaps not quite as smoothly textured as the sweaters, but the side seams are properly aligned and the overall feel is comfortably soft rather than too-photo-realistically crispy.

Available at Socialite Wardrobe (Hot 190, 132, 36).

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I must also say just a few words about my necklace. To wear with these sweaters and their deep neckline, I wanted something decidedly not ordinary that would fill that space in a visually dramatic way. (If it sounds like I’ve been watching a lot of HGTV, it’s because I have.) As soon as I saw nico200 Planer’s Black Madonna Necklace, I knew it was more than right—it was pretty much perfect. Multiple impossibly smooth thongs curve gracefully around the neck, suspending a cluster of beads and crosses that are almost bone-like in appearance, and all black as night. Beautiful and distinctly out of the ordinary. L$200 at n-creation (Pure 213, 55, 3126).

Tweed Suit is probably my favourite. Wear it with a retro, pale matching sweater, or a traditional white button-down shirt. Wear the shirt with the collar buttoned or unbuttoned or with a necktie of matching colour. Everything just matches, everything just works.

In all the colours of Tweed Suit, there are two versions of the jacket: with and without elbow patches, both simple jacket-layer garments. The sweater is available on undershirt + underpants layers or on jacket layer. There are two waistcoats: tweed, which matches the colour and texture of the trousers and jacket; and silk, which is in a contrasting pattern, different for each colour suit. The waistcoats are both shirt-layer garments. The white shirt is available on undershirt + underpants layer, in three variations, unbuttoned collar, buttoned collar, and buttoned with tie. And last (and perhaps least), there is a pair of socks that match the suit.

Tweed Suit is available in 6 colours. The three shown here are: Garnet Red, Charcoal Grey and Umber Brown. Not shown are Olive Green, Heather Purple, and “Slate Blue” (which is, in fact a much brighter and livelier shade of blue than the name suggests to me). Each colour costs L$300 and permissions are No Transfer, although the vending machines include a button to send a suit to someone as a gift. At the moment, there is no “fat pack.”

Another hard-working suit from Subversion is Pinstripe Suit with Trilby. The trademark Trilby hat prim attaches to your skull like most hair does and there are two versions: the matching pinstripe colour or the plain matching colour. Each colour suit comes with a coordinated shirt in a dark colour. This shirt is to be worn open-collar only and there is a prim collar that fit me well right out of the box. There are also two versions of prim turned-up shirt cuffs, high or low position, only to be used if you’re not wearing the jacket. The shirt has an underpants-layer and the top of the shirt is available on undershirt-, shirt- or jacket-layers. The snug-fitting double-breasted waistcoat comes on jacket-, shirt- and jacket-layers. The jacket itself is only on the jacket layer. Trousers are on either trouser- or underpants-layers.

As with the other sets, Pinstripe Suit with Trilby is Copy, Mod, but NoTransfer. It costs L$270 and once again, there is a gift option available. The colours shown are Airforce Blue and Newport Grey, but there are many more colours available. Here’s the rack of them, since the colour names like Newport Grey and Madison Grey might not tell you that much. Among the 14 different shades are bright and iconoclastic as well as the more subdued and subtle. And, if you’re interested, there are peacoats for sale separately in the same shades (albeit with slightly wider stripes).

You’ll find the Subversion main store at Impulse Island (27, 200, 32).

He has different moods. Mostly he’s friendly and playful, but sometimes he’s territorial and defensive. Once in a blue moon, usually after he’s watched “X-Men” yet again, he’s bold and aggressive. You might even call him scrappy. You’d definitely want to watch out for the claws.

It’s also worth noting that he really likes his accessories. There is of course plenty of neko-specific clothing available inworld, and he likes a lot of what he’s found. But he also likes to mix things up with things he things he borrows from my “regular human” wardrobe. When it comes to accessories, though, he’s pretty particular. He likes them detailed, kitty-themed, and fun.

Fortunately, I’m on a lot of Subscribe-O-Matic mailing lists, and I get roughly a metric boatload of group updates per day. One recent announcement was from designer Craven Theas regarding his shop for kitty boys and girls, Urban Dare. I ended up making three or four different shopping visits, because the kitty in me kept wanting to go back. I guess he just couldn’t get enough. Once he starts accessorizing…well, it’s not all that easy to get him to stop.

I did manage to limit him to three different outfits, though, purely for reasons of time and budget. Even so, I fully expect him to grab the teleport controls when I’m not paying close attention so he can go shopping again—or, worse, figure out a way to get out on his own when I’m logged out and doing RL stuff. Hmm, maybe I should keep my L$ balance at a minimum for a while, just in case.

Outfit No. 1 – Wolverine Wannabe

Although Wolverine is of course more of a weasel-man than a kitty-boy, my X-Men fankitty alter ego is still fascinated by his claws. After all, both dogs and cats have them, and aren’t Wolverine’s claws really more like those of a cat, when you think about it? In particular, a big cat. So it came as no surprise to me that the visual centerpiece of his first ensemble is a set of Clawed Forearm Bands (L$100). With their raw wood, leather and metal textures and simple, knocked-together construction, these have a great look that’s homemade rather than superhero. They may not do much to elevate this kitty’s overall danger quotient, but I’m sure he’s a fierce creature in his own mind.

The Bullet Belt (L$100) ups the armed-and-dangerous factor, although you’ll note there’s no actual gun in sight—he doesn’t actually want to shoot anyone, he just wants you to think he might. For even yet still more toughness, he’s also wearing a chunky, metal-fitted Leather Collar (L$50; the set also includes matching wrist bands). This is purely decorative, so don’t even think about attempting to attach a leash…that’s bound to end badly. The short-sleeved Kitty T-shirt (L$50) is nicely textured and features a “pirate neko” graphic that looks spray-painted on. Shirts are available in a range of colors, and can be purchased individually or in discounted packs. You can customize the “Craven” hairstyle’s integrated hat by touch menu—choose your favorite hat color, patch and button designs. (More details on the hairstyles and how they work are included below.) The white arm kitty is a freebie you can pick up in the shop. Although it’s not exactly hidden away in secret, you’ll need to look around a bit to find it. Don’t be afraid to make a wrong turn.

Although a range of neko skins in different styles and colors is available at Urban Dare, here you see Craven’s Leopard Spots Tattoo (L$200) worn over one of my own favorite skins. Both spotted and striped tattoo styles are available, in two versions that allow for different types of tinting. The tattoos feature neck-to-toe artwork, front and back (no face tattoos for Viewer 2 are included), and the lines are reasonably although perhaps not always perfectly smooth and detailed. This is highly subjective, but I find the coverage to be well balanced and not too heavy—the artwork doesn’t completely cover and conceal the skin, which after all you will presumably have chosen because you like it. Good spotted/striped skin tattoos are an essential in any neko’s wardrobe, and these are well worth your consideration.

Outfit No. 2 – Reckless Troublemaker

Having sadly missed out almost entirely on the punk scene, our kitty nonetheless fancies himself something of a London Undergrounder. Personally, I think this is nothing more than justification for crashing about and making trouble, but what do I know? Like a feline Sid Vicious Jr., he prowls and growls his way around the city streets, imagines hopping on and off the Tube, and makes a quick stop now and then for fish and chips (natch). His Plaid Pants with Zippers (L$120) are smart enough on their own, but the addition of the Belt and Suspender Combo (L$150) makes him positively rakish. He especially likes how he can choose from several different patterns for the dangling suspenders just by clicking on them—his current favorite is the parade of little fishy bones. Yum! In fact, this matches the shiny metal emblems on his Leather Bracers ($70), a nice bit of coordination if he does say so himself. There’s really no excuse for even an anti-social rabble-rouser not to accessorize properly.

Here the Kitty T-shirt is layered with Thermal Sleeves (L$60, a bit more than the plain version). The “Osiris” hairstyle is casual but sleek. Although (due to long sleeves and long pants) the effect is not as visible, the Tiger Stripes Tattoo (L$200) coordinates well with the striped ears and tail.

Much as he loves his belt and suspenders, this neko punk knows this ensemble wouldn’t be the same without the beautifully roach-stomping Strap Boots (L$200). These are handsome full-height boots, fantastically detailed with row up on row of straps and buckles. You’ll see another embellished style with the next outfit, and an undecorated Standard style (not shown) is also available. The boots sold by the vendor are No Mod, but never fear—moddable ones are available by request; just send your inquiry to Craven Theas. (If you don’t already know it, I’ll tell you now that two-part boots are fun to fit, and by fun I really mean not. The two pieces resize around different central points, so you’ll have to both re-size and re-position, probably at least a few times, until you get the fit you want.) All boots come with a HUD that enables and controls bling and a variety of stomp-worthy sound effects.

Outfit No. 3 – Lazy Saturday

There’s not much kitties like better than a lazy Saturday morning. (Come to think of it, that’s true for me as well. This may explain a few things.) Lazy Saturday mornings start off with sleeping in late, getting up in a leisurely manner, having a nice bowl of milk and maybe some tuna, then looking for a nice patch of sunlight for taking a nap. Well, that’s for a neko. Lazy Saturday mornings for a human person start off with sleeping in late, getting up in a leisurely manner, having a nice bowl of cereal with milk and maybe some Nutella, then looking for a nice patch of sunlight for taking a nap. Once again, not so very different. In either case, casual attire is not only encouraged but essentially de rigeur. This time, the casual kitty’s Kitty T-shirt has Striped Sleeves (L$70), and the Black Denim Pants with Kitty (L$120) feature a subtly worked version of the pirate cat we’ve seen before. The very high hairstyle is called “Simon,” and the boots this time are studded with dangerous spikes and a bright steel toecap (L$200), so exercise extreme caution.

The Leather Bracers this time are studded with bells (L$70). Fortunately for our hero, the jingling sound effect can easily be turned off or on, so he won’t inadvertently give himself away while stalking his prey. He is otherwise unadorned, except for his Fish Charm Necklace. The simple chrome-finish beaded chain suspends the catch of the day: a trio of bright, fresh fish, just in time for dinner. This piece is designed by Shattered Axel. L$99 at BedlaM (Neko 192, 218, 22).

Craven’s neko eyes are featured throughout, and they are quite simply among the best I’ve seen. There’s a positively huge selection of color choices to choose from—in fact, the vendors take up an entire aisle on the shop. It’s actually a bit overwhelming at first. Some of my favorites are the two-tone eyes, with their expert blending of two distinct colors in harmony. Just L$40 a pair, with discounted color packs also available.

Craven has taken an interesting, flexible and customer-friendly approach with his hairstyles, and I must say I approve. All hairstyle bases are priced at L$100. However, “out of the box” the style is not something you’ll want to wear—the strand prims aren’t yet textured as hair. You must buy at least one color control HUD (L$50 each, three colors, or L$2000 for all colors). So, a single hairstyle in one set of three colors will effectively set you back L$150, which is already very competitive pricing. The additional beauty is that you can easily and flexibly add sets of three colors for just L$50 each, whenever you want. Also, all hair color HUDs will work with all of Craven’s hairstyles, so you only make each color investment once, no matter how many hairstyles you ultimately buy. Also, just imagine the joy of fitting a hairstyle just once, but having as many color options as you like available at the touch of a virtual button! It’s not heaven, but still it’s pretty great. Neko ears and tails in matching colors are also available.

All in all, Urban Dare makes for some great one-stop shopping for your neko wants and needs. There’s a great selection of accessories in particular—we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface here. The shop is also fun to explore, with its hedge-maze layout and construction, complete with a tree encircled by floating Tarot cards at the center.

Unless otherwise noted, all items are by Craven Theas and available at Urban Dare (Heart and Sole 248, 144, 28).

a crazily optimistic statement about our self-understanding as human beings. That an artist like Keth Mommsen puts the effort and energy into designing virtual clothing as distinguished and elegant as her ‘David’ suit for men, and that apparently there are now enough men who value such quality to make these efforts rewarding, warms my analogue heart.

It’s a black tux, there are no grey or white or brown versions. And the shirt is always white. But there is a veritable rainbow of colours of vest and matching cravat ties. Oh, and what ties. It was the cravat that made David a must-own for me. Rich, extravagant bunched fabric, almost more a scarf but tied like a tie; lovely!

The shirt and trousers of a David suit could not be simpler. The black trousers, with their formal wide velvet stripe down the leg, require no prim cuffs to look stylish. The shirt, too, is primless and remarkably accomplished for a single layer. Formal shirt, bunched fabric cravat and long coloured vest are all combined on a single layer. This is, of course, not conducive to mixing and matching but it does allow for simplicity and ease. Even more surprising, the lovely long waistcoat achieves its length by being painted on not only the shirt-layer top, but also on the trouser-layer garment. These are not, therefore, trousers you can use easily with anything else. But the fact is that this is an outfit you will want to wear together.

The jacket is a bit more complex. It consists of two parts, a jacket-layer garment and one of two prims. For a tight-fitting jacket, you can wear just a little piece of fabric in the back. Or for the looser fit you can wear the full jacket skirt prim (shown). No prim collars or cuffs. I appreciate having the choice, especially given my long standing problems with prim jacket bottoms and my lack of musculature, but this one fits just fine. Happily, at the Eros main store, you can try the whole suit on before you buy: a demo version is available. It has become one of my favourite jackets.

The David suit has been out for some time now, but within the past few weeks the line has been refreshed and extended considerably. There are now a whopping 16 colours/shades of vest & cravat, ranging from the very subtle to nearly overwhelmingly rich and bright. And, best of all, with Ms Mommsen‘s latest expansion, one no longer needs to buy multiple versions of the suit in order to enjoy multiple coloured waistcoats and cravats. Each of the 16 colours is available in a full tux version with everything descibed above for L$600 or buy just the coloured ties and waistcoat on their own (the white shirt on which they’re painted is included as well, as are the trousers, since the bottom of the waistcoat is painted on the trousers, and there is also a matching pair of socks!). Each colour is L$200, but they can also be purchased in packs of three for L$500 per pack. All available, and as I said, with demos to try on, at the Eros mainstore: Eros Cove (45, 151, 24).

By the way, if you haven’t been to Foxxies yet, you ought to give it a try. The dancing photos in this article were shot there. Imagine the old Bogart’s set on beautifully maintained park-like grounds containing plenty of dance machines, benches and swans scattered around. Again, the way that hosts Allison Lannock and Adam Peliatropis have used powerful number-crunching electronic machinery to facilitate conversation among swirling pixels… well, it leaves me surprised and grateful. You’ll find Foxxies at ShadowFox (219, 131, 22).

Things I hate about Viewer 2, in no particular order

Note: I actually wrote this somewhat ranty piece on Viewer 2 (in its greater substance, at least) several days ago, shortly after I more or less promised to do so. Unfortunately I was then unable to commit any time to testing out the StarLight skin recommended by Otenth Paderborn as I had also promised. Hence the regrettable delay in actually publishing this.  (I may also have been distracted by a shiny thing or two. It happens.) The opinions expressed here are of the out-of-the-box, virgin Viewer 2. I will be trying out the Starlight extension as soon as time allows and will follow up with further observations once I’ve done so. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

As I mentioned previously, I’ve been fussing with Viewer 2 and trying to figure out just how LL intends for me to use it. In short, there are an awful lot of things I don’t like about it. Here I ramble, rant and free-associate about these in no particular order. Please remember that these are just my opinions; feel free to share yours in a comment. “You’re just a dumbass”—while it’s a valid opinion and others may well agree—isn’t really very constructive. In the spirit of fairness, I’ll try to mention things I do like as well as things I don’t, but I warn you in advance that my overall opinion is fairly negative.

The consolidated “fly-out” inventory etc. panel is bold and ambitious, and I think there might be a good idea in there somewhere. As it’s implemented, though, it’s confusing, it’s frustrating, and it fairly sucks. Although it’s clearly intended to be browser-like, it simply does not navigate in a sensible manner, and I think this kills it. Going “back” should return me to where I actually was before I went “forward”—but it does not, at least not always. For example, pulling up landmark info while on the inventory tab and then hitting back returns me to the Landmarks tab. Also, pulling up a profile’s info via an item’s properties while on the inventory tab and then hitting back returns me to the People tab. In both cases, I should be returned to the prior inventory tab. This is counter-intuitive and not actually very browser-like. However, although some friends hate this, I do actually like how it can “bump over” your view of the world when you open the panel and then restore it when you close. This is actually very helpful when editing an attachment, such as a hairstyle, or when flipping through wardrobe changes while modeling.

Speaking of inventory, must making an inventory offer be so complicated? I mean, really? Seriously. I had to IM Oscar the other evening to ask for help, and although I had had a cocktail (one!), I really don’t think I’m an idiot. Unless we’re missing something, you have to find (using Search or in your Friends list) the person to whom you want to offer inventory, then open an IM window, then click the Share button, then drop the inventory item(s) on that panel. Are you kidding me? I have to start an IM session although I neither want nor need to chat? Please tell me I’m missing something and it isn’t really that complicated. This seems to be an outgrowth of the new inventory panel which, due to the way it consolidates everything into a single view, can’t present both your inventory and a person’s profile at the same time. Oh, yes, that makes sense.

What happened to the More/Less button on the edit panel? Screen real estate is often at a premium, and more often than not I don’t actually need all the details. Usually I’m just modding a hairstyle or fitting some shoes. Why change something that works just fine as it is into something that does less rather than more? In fairness, this isn’t exclusive to Viewer 2—this change showed up in Viewer 1.23, and (along with the rearranged pie menus) it’s the reason I resisted “upgrading” from 1.22 until I had no choice.

Search is really not very intuitive. I’ve poked at it six ways from Sunday, and I can’t figure it out. Clicking on some things spawns new panels, others move forward and backward like a browser (which seems to be the general model that underlies Viewer 2, albeit with frustratingly inconsistent implementation), still others spawn activity in what I still think of my Inventory panel. The whole thing makes me dizzy.

As promised, installing Viewer 2 doesn’t replace or uninstall Viewer 1.23. But it surely does jack up my graphics and other settings every single time I switch from one to the other. Which I do fairly regularly because Viewer 2 makes me crazy, and sometimes I just need to get things done quickly. I do so love the constant recurrence of notices that “You are editing a sculpted prim” and “This parcel is playing streaming media” and such.  Let’s not even talk about how Viewer 2 overrides (ah, “remembers”) the outfit I was last wearing while using Viewer 2, yet somehow doesn’t let 1.23 do the same.  Or how Viewer 2 doesn’t remember things like the size and placement of open notecards.  Didn’t 1.23 do that?  Why yes, I believe it did.  *grrrr!*   *sigh*

What the hell is up with the pop-up info bubbles that are constantly getting in my way when I’m trying to edit something or check my own profile? I’m not for sale, and neither is the belt I’m fitting on my own avatar—so why are there info bubbles bobbing in and out? If they must be there at all, they should vanish instantly when I right-click. I’m still trying to figure out if these can be turned off, but so far no luck.

Believe it or not, I miss the pies. I do like some things about the new context menus—the nested sections for Remove, Detach and the like are actually an improvement. But still I miss the pies.

Anecdotally, I can report that I’ve spoken to a number of friends, including some who design and build. Almost without exception, they report that they do not (or simply cannot) use Viewer 2 for designing or building because of various weirdnesses for which they simply have no time or patience. “I don’t use Viewer 2 when I’m designing clothing because it often renders me invisible.” “I don’t use it for building because the build tools suck impossibly.” You get the idea.

There may well be more as times goes by, but I think that’s pretty much it so far. Note that for the most part I’m not talking about new functions here—these are things I’ve been doing every day for years, and now I’m IMing friends because I can’t figure them out. Truly, I am not an idiot—this shouldn’t be that hard. Please do feel free to share your thoughts in a comment, especially if you think I’m way off base on something and just haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Your helpful advice would be most appreciated.  :)

There are three copies of the glasses in the folder: clear glass (shown), sunglasses and dark sunglasses. The permissions are set to No Transfer. Out of the box, they’re too small for a male avatar and they attach to mouth rather than nose, but they’re modify ok, so I was able to attach to nose, and move them into position and enlarge them just fine.

Charlestown glasses are available from Sonatta Morales at her main store in Ballyboo.

He saw himself as Bodhi.

No, not a bodhisattva—he wouldn’t go that far.   He made no extravagant, self-congratulatory claims to living a life of any particular enlightenment.   He simply, clearly, unquestioningly saw himself as Bodhi—Bodhi, the tousle-haired, über-masculine, kick-boxing hero of Kathryn Bigelow’s cinematic masterpiece of surfing Zen, “Point Break.” (Magnificently portrayed, of course, by none other than that great unsung hero of 20th-century American cinema, Patrick Swayze.  Two words: “Road House.”)   That’s right—the hero.  Forget Johnny Utah!   Utah was vacant, a poser, a useless waste of self-awareness.  There was nothing contemplative or spiritual about him.   Bodhi was the true human being in the story, the only real hero in the drama.  He yearned!  He felt!   He understood the adrenaline rush.  What was more important?

Johnny Utah was worse than a poser.  He was a thief.   Sure, Bodhi and his gang of mostly stoned semi-losers were the ones robbing banks, and Utah was the nominal “good guy” out to catch the bad guys and bring justice to the world, blah blah blah.   But actions shout far louder than words, and what did Utah actually do?  He stole.   First he stole Bodhi’s girlfriend (okay, ex), and that was bad enough.   But then he tried to steal Bodhi’s worldview, his deeply held philosophy, his center.   And, worst of all, he tried to steal Bodhi’s physical excellence, the physical expression that bound Bodhi to nature, to the ocean, to the Earth itself…surfing.   This wasn’t just petty theft—it was a crime against the cosmos.

And anyway, in the end it had been easy to convince strong, upstanding Johnny Utah of the Eff Bee Eye to join in the fun of liberating a few bills from the institutionalized economic machine.  Almost too easy, in fact.  True colors really do come shining through.

It disturbed him deeply that everyone thought of Utah as the hero.   He knew beyond doubt that was not what Bigelow (or Swayze, for that matter, may he rest) had intended.  He had caught a local production of “Point Break Live!” and they had almost got it right.  Almost. But not quite.   The free-wheeling exuberance, the seemingly transgressive philosophy that actually reflected deep understanding of the true nature of reality, the profusion of coconut-scented sunscreen—all of these were dead on.   And throughout there had been an undercurrent of respect for Bodhi’s character that suggested at least a conceptual grasp of Bodhi’s heroic nature.   But, although he had agree that there was a certain brilliance to the idea, the live, on-site casting of Johnny Utah with an eager, amateur audience member simply made Utah too important.   There was no way around it.   (Although in fairness it was one perfect way to achieve Utah’s vapid, simple-minded naïveté, which for some reason most insisted on reading as stalwart integrity.)   Obviously it should have been Bodhi’s character that was cast from the audience.   Oh, for the opportunity to be Bodhi for others, to share his passion with the masses!   He himself would almost have killed for the chance.

Alas, that was not to be.  But really, that hardly mattered.   Fame was not for him to seek; life, enlightened to whatever extent he could manage, was for him to live.   There was always the next sunrise, the next beach campfire, the next starry night…the next wave.

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In his quest for the perfect endless summer, our Bodhi wannabe is wearing:

Sheer Tank and Cropped Jeans by JohnnyD Posthorn.   For some reason, although I’ve picked up more than my share of items here and there, I’ve only ever featured a few of JohnnyD’s designs here on the blog.   Everything I’ve tried on has been nicely textured—I especially like the skin-tight “wet look” of the tank here—and reasonably priced.   These were sold in combo as a weekend sale item a little while back; you can choose from a variety of other styles, colors and designs.  Available at Juice (Jet Lag 77, 12, 21).

MenFas Sandals in Blue by risey Arai.   These almost gladiatorial sandals are built around a full sculpted foot—no more pathetically fused toes!   They’re different in approach from my much-loved JB’s Men’s Belt Sandals, which add sculpted toes to your avie’s own feet.   They’re scripted for automatic resize, and you can customize skin and nail color via the included HUD.   I found the HUD powerful but a bit of a mixed bag in terms of use.   I do wish it provided finer control—the pre-defined color selector is limited but simple, while the “free-form” color chooser is flexible but much more challenging.   Two versions of the sandals are included: one that uses an invisiprim to keep your avatar’s feet from showing through the foot/sandal sculpts, another (for Viewer 2.0 only) that uses an alpha-channel texture on the new tattoo layer to make your feet invisible.  The sandals include an “ankle lock” pose intended to keep AO or other poses from “breaking” the sandals.  This is a thoughtful touch, as otherwise many poses that work just fine with lower-rise shoes would push the straps of these sandals into your ankles and make them look just wrong.   I had picked up a freebie ankle-lock attachment some time back and found that it came in handy with two-part boots and certain other shoes, but I won’t be needing it for these.   Be sure to check out risey’s selection of new sandal styles and colors.  Available at :sey (GREED 158, 166, 25).

Carat sunglasses by Nibb Tardis.  Nibb is one of my favorite designers of SL eyewear.  His creations are always full prim construction (no 2-D alpha-channel textures with peek-a-boo edges), and always highly configurable, so you can easily create a look that’s just right for you and not the same as everyone (or anyone) else.   These are gorgeously retro yet completely up to date.   Choose from a variety of lens treatments and Miami Vice pastel colors via touch menu.  Available at primOptic (Terra Toulouse 120, 139, 27).

Brave Heart celtic knot necklace by Di Yifu.   I first fell in love with Di’s jewelry designs when I discovered her Deus Ex Machina steampunk necklace.   Like that piece, this necklace is beautifully, insanely detailed—the intricacy of the construction boggles the mind.   As an interesting bonus, it’s scripted (via private chat command) to throw hammers at loved ones or innocent bystanders.  Heads up!   Available at Inca Temple (Beggars Bowl 166, 57, 21).

“Adam” skin by MiaSnow Myriam.   Those of you who have been playing along at home will have realized pretty quickly (and may in fact already be thinking to yourselves) that this is not the type of skin I usually prefer.   It’s rather more literally photo-real than I tend to favor, with brighter, almost shiny highlights.   But I find myself really liking this redhead version, with its pale base color, realistically pink overtones, scattering of freckles and musculature that’s nicely defined yet not overly developed.   You may or may not find the face to be model material, but it’s distinctively handsome and interesting.   Don’t forget your SPF 70!  Available at MIASNOW (Mirrordeep 20, 192, 115).

“Mark” hair by Mina Nakamura.   I mentioned this style earlier as a grand-opening dollarbie, but it’s too full of fab shaggy goodness not to actually wear and show off.   The casually messy style feels perfect for my slacker surfer dude, and the vivid reds in the red pack are just what I was looking for to coordinate with MiaSnow’s redhead skin.   I’m really loving the wavy, drifty tendrils on the sides and in back.   Available at MINA Hairfashion (Koh Mina Beach 139, 114, 29).

Most of the poses used here are by JohnnyD Posthorn and available for purchase at Juice.