<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921</id><updated>2012-02-16T20:25:43.442-06:00</updated><category term='neko opinion'/><category term='kimono'/><category term='fashion'/><category term='exploring SL'/><title type='text'>Catwalk Nekotalk</title><subtitle type='html'>Spot or stripes don't make the neko ~ it's how you wear them!

This little neko thinks every Second Life feline, feral or domestic, should enjoy exploring the limitless world of fashion possibilities that SL has to offer ~ because cats don't run in packs, they strut their individuality with pride!</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>8</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-6229456722530302980</id><published>2009-11-11T15:33:00.006-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-15T19:56:22.688-06:00</updated><title type='text'>I'm spreading the news....</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4094404564/" title="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__2 by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4094404564_e44ecc1fc9.jpg" alt="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__2" width="409" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;These vagabond shoes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt; Are longing to stray&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt; And step around the heart of it&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt; New York, New York.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;...or at least take a stroll on down to Ingenue and check out their offerings.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Known for their yummy 1940's-50's inspired outfits, the creator is now breaking out into separates and this suits me just swell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am fairly accustomed to cannibalizing her dresses for the pencil skirt bottoms, but now I can just wallow in them to my delight as they are made available in a multitude of colours and gorgeous textures......and this is a creator who gives the customers exactly what they are looking for.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For example ~ all parts of the skirt, high top waist and bottoms are available on multiple layers ~ so that no matter what look you are trying to achieve ~ you are sure to be able to pull a delicious outfit together without a struggle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The only problem you'll encounter is trying to decide which one of her linen or tweed skirts to wear! :3&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4094404706/" title="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__3 by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/4094404706_98ec735028.jpg" alt="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__3" width="500" height="407" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From a neko point of view these are *tail friendly* items.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I paired it with a sweater from Oyakin which took a bit more work for a kitty. The swing bottom to the sweater is lovely, but interferes with my tail &amp;amp; I found that it overwhelmed the smooth sillouette of the skirt (basically hiding that nipped-in waist). Since it's copyable I could change the point of attachment to deal with the tail issue...but...  I chose to not wear that prim at all, instead shortening the jacket layer of sweater to give it a more stylish bolero fit. With the addition of the prim cuffs, a nice flexi scarf and pair of black leather gloves I was almost set for a autumn stroll in the big city.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Usually I opt for a chunkier heel, but the narrow perfection of these stillettos just extended the long line of my sillouette to complete the look.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4093640867/" title="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__1 by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/4093640867_610f8bedce.jpg" alt="Oldnewyork_nov10_2009__1" width="427" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I took my 40's inspired self for a walk down in Old New York City to explore the Brooklyn Bridge and surrounding neighborhood, and was blown away by the photographic potential of the place.  Another sim that is on my list for a return engagements!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.......=^..^=.......&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Skin: &lt;/span&gt;::VOODOO:: ~ female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Eyes:&lt;/span&gt; .::\AMIS/::. ~BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Nails:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; bijou ~ PSWarm (rosequartz)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Hair:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; JUNWAVE ~ natural short black&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Scarf:&lt;/span&gt; MichaMi ~ Ebba scarf black&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Shoes:&lt;/span&gt; Mairtreya ~ Verve Black 2L&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Stockings:&lt;/span&gt; ShinyThings ~ solid thigh high charcoal&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Sweater:&lt;/span&gt; Oyakin ~ knit carde long (blue)  without prim bottom&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Shirt:&lt;/span&gt; CallieCline ~ black ribbed racer tank&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Skirt:&lt;/span&gt; Ingenue ~ vintage basics Memo black&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Gloves:&lt;/span&gt; YV ~ Vivien Shiny black (silver)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Poses:&lt;/span&gt; LAP&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Location: &lt;/span&gt;Old New York&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-6229456722530302980?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/6229456722530302980/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/im-spreading-news.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/6229456722530302980'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/6229456722530302980'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/im-spreading-news.html' title='I&apos;m spreading the news....'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4094404564_e44ecc1fc9_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-2518928616966057729</id><published>2009-11-10T12:32:00.008-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-11T07:49:55.994-06:00</updated><title type='text'>The leaves are falling.....</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4089768287/" title="Japan_seychelles_land_park_nov9_2009__1a by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/4089768287_e1f38a5c03.jpg" alt="Japan_seychelles_land_park_nov9_2009__1a" width="429" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Autumn has been slowly creeping across the Second Life landscape and while in my opinion it's the most beautiful time of year, I suspect that it will also be the briefest ~ since the holiday season is just around the corner and I know people are itching to pull out the conifers and paint  all vistas snowy white.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For my part I am making a point of wallowing in the fall colours and while my closet is crammed with lovely soft sweaters and smart jackets ~ the thing I have been hankering for the most is an honest to goodness, bold, in your face autumn kimono.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bless the Japanese and their attunement to the  seasons *^___^*  because the creators at Yumeji  didn't disappoint! This week they released their autumn kimono selection and I pounced upon one featuring red momeji leaves scattered on a black backround for dramatic effect.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This outfit is a hurisode, which means it is only available with the long sleeves ~ ah but lovely flexi prim sleeves they are.  Elegant movement is paramount to wearing kimono and I am always happy when a designer keeps this firmly in mind ~ so the wearer isn't thrashing about stiff bolts of cloth then they sweep their arms gracefully to assume gentile kimono-appropriate poses.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4090532580/" title="Green_n_wild_gardencenter_nov9_2009_1a by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2722/4090532580_f6abf6a18b.jpg" alt="Green_n_wild_gardencenter_nov9_2009_1a" width="453" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The obi (belt) on this garment has modern flourishes ~ with a strand of milky pearls for an obijime and fancy ribbon blossom tucked just above ~ the former arrives in full bright mode, but luckily the creator gives the customer the option of turning down the glow on the pearls. While these elements don't  distract from the overall effect ~  I personally would have been happy with a simple obijime or to be given the choice between it and a more traditional one. I am however NOT complaining. It's a wonderfully designed item and fun to wear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The outfit  thoughtfully includes a pair of lovely matching zori too!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'd love to have been able to find a kanzashi for my hair that sports a few maple leaves, but instead  settled for a pair of hair sticks from Falln that have flexi ribbons attached ~ which allow for a very natural movement effect when worn. Azriel at Falln knows many of his clients have other head attachements (neko ears/horns) so he automatically attaches the hair accessories to the mouth to make dressing simply a matter of adjusting to the hairdo and not the entire head :3&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The hairsticks also allow the user to adjust the brightness, in this case I turned them *on* to match the non adjustable obi and collar.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So dressed in kimono I went shopping at landscaping centers....as winter will soon be visiting my valley and I must be ready!  The little park on Seychelles is a lovely example of what can be done with their trees, while over at the Green &amp;amp; Wild Garden Center  a person can run wild through their display areas. I had to tear myself away from the Japanese garden though....reminding myself that Spring follows winter and the latter is my priority for the next little while ;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Speaking of winter...I wonder what the creative minds at Yumeji are planning for their  next seasonal release? I can hardly wait *^__^*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:100%;" &gt;.........=^..^=.........&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Skin: &lt;/span&gt;::VOODOO:: ~ female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Eyes:&lt;/span&gt; .::\AMIS/::. ~BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Kimono:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; :::YUMEJI::: ~ Hurisode Maple black ~ limited&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Nails:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; bijou ~ SyrupColors (orange)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Hair:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; W&amp;amp;Y ~ Hair 16 *type*A&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Hairsticks:&lt;/span&gt; Falln~ Megami Hairstick Single (orangeblack)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Poses:&lt;/span&gt; MNK~ K**stand_free&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Location:&lt;/span&gt; Seychelles Park / Green &amp;amp; Wild Garden Center&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-2518928616966057729?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/2518928616966057729/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/leaves-are-falling.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/2518928616966057729'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/2518928616966057729'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/leaves-are-falling.html' title='The leaves are falling.....'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/4089768287_e1f38a5c03_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-4778315457251184417</id><published>2009-11-08T11:22:00.012-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-10T12:37:07.357-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='neko opinion'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fashion'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='kimono'/><title type='text'>Falln for their Kimono</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4085384637/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/4085384637_9637491cbd.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When I first landed in SL ~ my dearest friend in RL took me under a wing with advice on what to look for when shopping for clothing inworld ~ about mysterious things called *prims* and how to fit clothing, and why the best creators are considerate enough to produce items on enough layers so that a person can tweak their look or mix n match outfits to their hearts content.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the designers that was floated was Azriel Demain of FallnAngel Creations and eventually I ventured down to the shop and my poor little neko brain melted on the spot at the banquet of gorgeous choices available.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After a lot of consideration (we are talking hours) I finally settled on this kimono ~ deciding to make a &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;seasonal&lt;/span&gt; choice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First thing I noticed about the kimono when I first opened the file was that it came with instructions on how to alter the body (bosom) in order to allow the garments to fit correctly and why this is in keeping with true kimono wearing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I knew before I'd even rezzed the glitch pants that I was going to like this outfit because so much care had been taken up front to instruct the customer on how to make it fit WELL.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/4086142330/" title="Forestfeast_fantasygarden_nov8_2009__2 by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2575/4086142330_b247a2d7c8.jpg" alt="Forestfeast_fantasygarden_nov8_2009__2" width="340" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And oh boy did it!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The kimono comes with various sleeve lengths, obi and coloured eri(collar) so one can wear it in various capacities (geisha/maiko etc.) and options for skirt fulness ~ all of which are neko friendly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not only does one no lose their tail ~ the manner in which the obi and prim skirt is structured allows for the tail to move freely without being engulfed by the material or emerge unnaturally from the fabric.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The textures are lovely ~ seamless and thoughtfully combined to create a pleasing effect. One thing that I particularly appreciate is the flexi prim hem ~ there is little that annoys this kitten as much as watching my geta or zori kicking out from the solid prim as I wander about in kimono. I wish all kimono designers would embrace the flexi prims because even when wearing the kimono AO, the sight of my feet flicking in and out of a solid print makes my fur stand on end. If the prims move and flow the effect is much less visually jarring.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I think Azriel is going to do major damage to my SL wallet if this item is any indication.&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt; *purrs*&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As an aside ~ I need to mentioin the Aught &amp;amp; Feast Sims which are side by each, and the latter with it's ForestFeast landscape shop ~ lagalicious though they might be, the area is beautifully concieved and a treasure for photographers in SL. While my list of landmarks is growling for interesting places for photoshoots ~ this is perhaps one of the most diverse regions and keeps beckoning me to return. :3&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.........=^..^=.........&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Skin: &lt;/span&gt;::VOODOO:: female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Eyes:&lt;/span&gt; .::\AMIS/::. BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Kimono:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;  FallnKimono ~ Autumn Floral Splendor&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Nails:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; bijou~ NailPS(warm) - Amber&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Hair:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; W&amp;amp;Y Hair 16 *type*A&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Kanzashi:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; 2 Hairsticks Ruby&amp;amp;gold  by HPDAA Avro&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Pose:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; {SMS} Oh!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;Location:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt; Forest Feast ~ Fantasy Garden&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;http://slurl.com/secondlife/feast/255/141/26&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-4778315457251184417?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/4778315457251184417/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/falln-for-their-kimono.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/4778315457251184417'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/4778315457251184417'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/falln-for-their-kimono.html' title='Falln for their Kimono'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/4085384637_9637491cbd_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-1099063957330853236</id><published>2009-11-08T09:55:00.002-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-08T10:01:10.111-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='exploring SL'/><title type='text'>Cue the runway music</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3970123231/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/3970123231_6490678bc5.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3970123231/"&gt;Tired of shoe shopping&lt;/a&gt;, originally uploaded by &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/57069742@N00/"&gt;cobaltdragon&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Up until this point I seem to have had a need to share endless opinions about what annoys me about Second Life instead of just getting on with and talking about the things I love ~ fashion &amp;amp; photography.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That is probably due to the fact that when one starts wandering around SL they get hit by a Culture Shock truck and are left lying in the road wondering WTF a lot of the time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well 4 months in I've had some time to learn how to walk without always bounce off walls all the time, and master at least the basics ~ so it's time to share some of the things I've found and learned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'll try to not complain about the things that are annoying.  I can't promise that I won't but I will try to keep it to a dull meow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This image was taken in the first few weeks of my being in SL and looking at it reminds me to do several things when taking photos ~ like documenting WHERE I took the piccie.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*face palm*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Also ~ to make a note of the items of clothing I'm wearing and their creator. I think I can eyebal some of this but the rest of it is going to be probably impossible to find in my inventory without investing a silly amount of time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At some point I will start to remember to note the creator of the *pose* too!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;.....*face desk*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Having said that, looking at it also reminds me why I love the photography aspect of SL ~ something that I was blind to until I walked into this mystery shop, was wowed by the decor and thought...."gosh that would make a great background for my black and white skin!"&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In other words, this photo was &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;the&lt;/span&gt; lightbulb going off in my head.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-1099063957330853236?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1099063957330853236/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/cue-runway-music.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/1099063957330853236'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/1099063957330853236'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/cue-runway-music.html' title='Cue the runway music'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/3970123231_6490678bc5_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-711193827649383695</id><published>2009-11-04T16:09:00.006-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-05T18:11:09.956-06:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='neko opinion'/><title type='text'>Do they play RL in SL?</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3990853202/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3990853202_1b7a255ed9.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3990853202/"&gt;Messing with a mouse&lt;/a&gt;, originally uploaded by &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/57069742@N00/"&gt;cobaltdragon&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;I've been awol from this blog for a month due burying my head in SL sand &amp;amp;  observing inworld fashion. Reading opinions &amp;amp; watching avatars stroll, strut and flounce by while contemplating my reaction to them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Style and taste, while it can be swayed by the opinions of others is none the less subjective. Do the same rules of engagement apply in the SL where fashion is concerned as they do in RL? Should I care?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In reality while I adore fashion and have many opinions to share on the subject, I am by nature; lazy, cheap and not willing to suffer for any look that binds. So if it gives me a cramp in the feet, crotch or pocketbook it just isn't going to happen.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The physics of SL works wonders for the imagination as it allows a person to do things they'd not ever be capable of in the real world....and this extends beyond the ability to jump off mountain tops &amp;amp; fly or walk on the bottom of an ocean ~ it includes clothing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Second life is wonderfully liberating as nerve endings are nonexistent. Want to wear 6 inch stillettos and dance around the clock ~ no problemo. Have a need to sport a thong made of dental floss? Knock yourself out. It's all a brilliant fantasy where anything within, and even beyond, the bounderies of the imagination IS possible.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But...just because you can...should you?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I spent the first month in SL frothing at the bit because of the parade of sleeze I encountered at every turn until the mental wedgie got so big it was ruining my ability to enjoy the place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;SO I started to climb down from my high horse  ~ telling myself that someones 'garbage always has the potential to be another's treasure ~ and I have no right to judge. Heck...I'm a neko! I know there are assumptions made about and prejudices against my species....even more so against my *furry* brethern...so what right do I have to judge another's choice of apparel?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As I have mentioned, I have learned that neko are far reaching in their personalities and tastes in clothing. I myself have 6 different styles that I enjoy wearing;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1) Kimono&lt;br /&gt;2) Sleek 1940's influenced highwaisted style&lt;br /&gt;3) Kawaii Lolita/dolly flounce&lt;br /&gt;4) Jeans and stylish casual tops&lt;br /&gt;5) Victorian Gothic velvets&lt;br /&gt;6) Modern Fashionable Knits&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Only can I ever hope to pull off #4 in real life ~ the rest are prohibatively expensive and as I mentioned...I'm laaaazy. I do however know EXACTLY what I like and adore SL creators for allowing me the chance to wear what I love ...even if it's only pixels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Should I deny others the same right because I think it's inappropriate or it offends my sensibilies?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3990098909/" title="Running throught my garden ... by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3990098909_f5605aa403.jpg" alt="Running throught my garden ..." width="391" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because the same SL physics that lets me bound around in heavy brocade or velvet on a whim, without dry cleaning bills or needing an assistant to help me dress is the same physics that allows women to walk around with jeans stuck to their thighs but showing so much butt clevage (and other things) that you are struck wondering why they bothered to dress at all?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Okay so taste is one thing ~ what about taking care to fit your clothing to your body? Just because you like a pair of shoes or garment doesn't mean you can't pause to adjust them so they are not being eaten by your body parts before you dash out the door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just because you can buy madly twinkling accessories that could get you get mistaken for the Las Vegas strip doesn't mean you have to wear it...but okay you love the bling. However, when it makes it look as though beacons of light are shining out of your butt, nips, nostrils or ears I have to question your ability to SEE.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of course it takes time to learn how to make items fit, but consider that I'm only 4 months old  and seriously  technologically challenged. By seeking out  forums &amp;amp; blogs as well as reading the notecards that come with items in the first 2 months, I sussed out how to get dressed in the SL morning! If I couldn't make an appropriate adjustment then I'd either ask the creator or just not wear it!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;See in RL the biggest mistake we make is not checking to see what view we are presenting from behind. You would think that women who wear white semi tranparent pants would not choose to wear bright /dark printed underwear.  Not so. They do it all the time. Perhaps they just don't have a good mirror at home....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;...but there is NO EXCUSE in SL. You look at your backside all the time as you move around.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Does this explain the faux pas of the front?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nope. Everything worn is selected first in the shop and then pulled out of inventory to wear ~  it's not like you got dressed in the dark.  In fact a lot of the nightmares have portable facelights that follow them everywhere, illuminating the fugly fits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3990853426/" title="Autumn has arrived in the garden by cobaltdragon, on Flickr"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/3990853426_8b1e39d0f4.jpg" alt="Autumn has arrived in the garden" width="497" height="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So here I sit atop my miniature pony ~ because I don't think I'll ever completely convince myself not to care about how people dress in SL.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While there is no accounting for taste, sloppy dressing in SL is just a matter of laziness. A person can look REALLY good on the cheap if they aren't miserly with their time. Seeking out nice freebies (including skins)  or dollarables takes a bit of effort but it is doable. Playing with the sliders and/or items to make sure they fit  is also simple and free....as is not insisting on wearing something that is not designed for the body shape you sport&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If your feet are too big for the shoes, your butt too big for the pants, your head too small for the hat....embrace SL physics to change your body or toss the clothes and find something else, but please dont subject others to the visual barrage of your  ass eating your belt while you dance around on the spot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The irony of all this is that my inworld persona is much more concerned with how she looks than the one in the RL. When it comes to throwing on something before I dash out, I am definately NOT lazy in SL. So it begs the question ~ are the people who carelessly dress their avs in SL just pressed for time or ignorant or ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;*climbs down off pony and perches on a sheep*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;...maybe fashion is just a bunch of clothes they throw on in SL so as not to get booted from a sim and they are there for an entirely different reason.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I will cut them that slack. I won't however stop staring at them in wonder and thinking...eww...that's gotta hurt. ;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;------- =^..^= -------&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Skin: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;::VOODOO::&lt;/span&gt; female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eyes: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;.::\AMIS/::.&lt;/span&gt; BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nails:  &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;:bijou:&lt;/span&gt; ~ nail PS(warm)(Moonstone)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hair: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*EDT*&lt;/span&gt; ~ Natalie Black&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Necklace: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;.::TBP::.&lt;/span&gt; ~ Twisted cultured Pearl Necklace (colour change ~ black)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bangle: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Eclectica&lt;/span&gt; ~  Morris Peacock Dragon Bangle&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shoes: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;J's&lt;/span&gt; ~  Ankle Boots Round Black&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Socks: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*SMS*&lt;/span&gt; ~ Shiny Black Tights&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Belt:&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt; *Fri*&lt;/span&gt; ~  Wide waist belt charcoal&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shirt: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*SMS*&lt;/span&gt; ~ Transy Black Shirt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dress: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Elate ~&lt;/span&gt; Nivaya Emerald Dress&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Skirt: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Igenue&lt;/span&gt; Bye-Bye Baby (Charcoal)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shirt: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*ARGRACE*&lt;/span&gt; camisole Black&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gloves: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;YV&lt;/span&gt; - Vivian Ring Gloves (silver)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-711193827649383695?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/711193827649383695/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/do-they-play-rl-in-sl.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/711193827649383695'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/711193827649383695'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/do-they-play-rl-in-sl.html' title='Do they play RL in SL?'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3990853202_1b7a255ed9_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-9174295374233806827</id><published>2009-10-04T10:07:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2009-10-04T10:23:16.940-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='exploring SL'/><title type='text'>Refencing the bounderies of your mind</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3977746260/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3977746260_46824284e7.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3977746260/"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I arrived in Second Life ~ I had no expectations to be dashed as I was not a gamer, hence I was not to be frustrated by the lack of a holy grail to chase.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Most people who play games online or in RL tend to be goal oriented ~ the point of the exercise is to win. Not so with SL as it simply is, and becomes whatever it is that you make of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I pretty much fell like Dorothy, out of the sky and woke up in a universe where relality is a relative concept. Gravity and physics have their own set of rules; objects (trees, buildings...cows) can be placed above ground to float in space and will hold their positition until moved ~ and yet gravity exists ~ so that if you step off a floating island, you WILL hurtle toward the ground if you do not slip your avatar into *fly* mode.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Until I played at SL, I'd not ever experienced an immersive technology and found the virtual reality of the place to be a bit of a brain twisting experience. In particular when I am drowning in the *spatial immersion* of the place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Spatial immersion is defined as occuring ~ " ...when a player feels the simulated world is perceptually convincing. The player feels that he or she is really "there" and that a simulated world looks and feels 'real'. "&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I first found this happening to me when I would be wandering around in a place and the owner of an area (shop, landscape) had so cluttered the space with items (trees, walls, objects) that I was becoming frustrated by the fact that I couldn't see where my avatar was walking. My line of sight  impaired by tree branches for example or clothing displays, would just make me growl with annoyance, cursing shop owners for not considering their clients ability to move around in their stores.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, it was nothing compared to teleporting to a place and find that the *landing spot* had been set BELOW a building and there was no way for my avatar to walk out of the space. This would not happen intentionally...people re-landscape regularly, but might forget  to reset all their landmark telepoints floating around in SL.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the surroundings begin to *rez* into place, the walls and ceiling form around my avatar ~ I'd realize I was about to be boxed in and start desperately trying to find a way out before I was *trapped*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;......the thing is....I can't ever really be trapped. After all.....I'm not &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;really&lt;/span&gt; THERE and besides....my avatar can just teleport out of the space to someplace less confining.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The mindf**k is that I really DO feel a sense of panic rising within myself.  The horror of being boxed in &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;IS&lt;/span&gt; real and I start to panic as my RL heart would start to race and no doubt the adrenaline start to flow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm working on this...having realized that  I must keep my wits about me so that with a few simple clicks I can just teleport myself above ground in the same latitude/longitude rather than beating a hasty retreat to my safezone (a place I'd set as home). However it has amazed me that a simple program has been able to tap into my brain and trigger feelings of claustrophobia.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because of the ability of this medium to tap into emotional centres of our being, it's no surprise that artists have started to play in the cyber world and explore yet another way to bring us a visual and emotional experience. IDIA Laboratories is such a a place ~ where an artist in residence creates a landscape that is a piece of art ~ but one which a person participates in by putting themselves into the work and exploring it from every imaginable angle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is utterly fascinating how individiual's SL fantasy/goal in some way touches upon and enriches anothers who turn around and rework the experience into something personal and like dominos the experience flows out in all directions knocking us off our feet and making us question definitions of reality ~ because what is real? Is the heart trying to crawl out of my chest real if the cause of the palputations isn't? Is the sigh at the beauty I see any less real because the experience is in pixel form rather than a genuine sunset?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Such is the Second Life experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are inworld ~ go immerse thyself:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://slurl.com/secondlife/IDIA%20Laboratories/89/158/545"&gt;http://slurl.com/secondlife/IDIA%20Laboratories/89/158/545&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-9174295374233806827?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/9174295374233806827/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/refencing-bounderies-of-your-mind.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/9174295374233806827'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/9174295374233806827'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/refencing-bounderies-of-your-mind.html' title='Refencing the bounderies of your mind'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3977746260_46824284e7_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-1142045105539789989</id><published>2009-10-02T13:26:00.017-05:00</published><updated>2009-10-02T20:56:37.339-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='neko opinion'/><title type='text'>It's what's under the hood that counts.</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3970124031/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/3970124031_4351ce4fa5.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3970124031/"&gt;Kulta in the parking lot at VLS&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;"Does the dress make the neko or does the neko make the dress?"&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is a question that I've been pondering since landing in Second Life, because when I arrived and donned my kitty skin and appendages, I had a pretty firm handle on what the definition of a neko was....until I found it challenged at every turn.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Neko ~ is the Japanese word for cat. While felines in human form (kami or spirits) appear in Japanese mythology, it is the modern interpretation that appealed to me. My interest was piqued by the cat-eared boys &amp;amp; girls found in anime and manga, and it was probably through those people who were simularly exposed to these creatures, that the first sets of neko ears &amp;amp; tail started to rez in SL.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whether it was Westerners or Japanese creators who introduced the prim attachments is irrelevent. The fact is that these elements were here to stay.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now you have to understand that neko in Japan lean heavily on the element of cute. So adorable it makes your teeth ache. To be sure, this is a visual fetishization, but it literally drips with innocence. It's alluring, but clean and pure. It's a sex kitten...make no mistake about that, but it's more the tease then in your face pussycat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whether the neko is male or female ~ they will flash a bit of leg or arm, show a delicate sweep of the neck and/or shoulder and &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;suggest&lt;/span&gt; clevage or ...other attributes ...but the cat is kept mostly in the bag.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because of my interest in Japanese fashion, (traditional and modern) the idea of combining both my love of neko and these amazing clothes had me over the moon with joy....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;...so you can imagine my abject HORROR when I discovered the apparent definition of neko in SL.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The western twist on the neko started of course with the attraction to the ears and tail. From there it launched itself off in a similar yet completely different direction ~ neko not as subtle fetish but rather as full blown sex toy. Neko became synonymous with sleeze.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shop ANY *neko* store (one that sells itself on catering to neko) and the first word that comes to mind will be *Ho-wear*.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Neko is apparently thought to be either dressing for the back alley or spending all ones time on the street corner ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is nothing subtle, classy or cute about the so-called SL neko garments. It's all about the exposing as much skin as possible and still saying you are wearing clothing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sorry kittens...nipple tape AIN'T a garment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now I don't care if some (many) other neko buy into the idea that to be neko is to prance about with your tail in the air and yowling for attention from stray Toms. What I do care about is that this is apparently THE definition by NON neko as to what ALL neko are about...because ...we most definately are not and I am insulted to the bone that people would look at me inworld and think *slut*. Just plunking a pair of pointy ears on my head does not mean I'm easy. Swishing my tail as my walk does not signal that I'm available.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;WHAT other subgroup within SL has this reputation just because of their fantasy appendages?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sorry to break any bubbles, but the fact is that being neko is waaaay more than the fabrics (or scraps of) we wear on our backs. Designers have got to get over this idea that a cat-eared person wants to look like something advertising for a toss in a dumpster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For my part I am learning that just because a neko dresses like they are hooking, doesn't mean they are. Some of the sweetest kitties wear little more than their fur. This is part of the fantasy play of SL and I'm starting to accept that side to the place and ease off on my biases...however;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Neko gear&lt;/span&gt; should, by definition, be clothing designed in such a way that  tail or ear attachment points don't conflict or interfere with a vital element of an outfit or accessories.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Neko style&lt;/span&gt; is whatever each individual feline wants to wear. A cat doesn't ask others what is right or wrong...they just do their own thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;The cat makes the clothes,  not the other way around.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;------- =^..^= -------&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Skin: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;::VOODOO::&lt;/span&gt; female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eyes: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;.::\AMIS/::.&lt;/span&gt; BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hair: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*W&amp;amp;Y Hair&lt;/span&gt; 16 *Type A*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Necklace: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*pop feel*&lt;/span&gt; 9e Black beaded necklace&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shoes: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Evoke&lt;/span&gt; - Chunk heeled pumps - patent black&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Socks: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;No.9&lt;/span&gt; Nylons Vintage *Black60*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sweater: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;**en Svale**&lt;/span&gt; Cardigan (Red)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Skirt: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Igenue&lt;/span&gt; Bye-Bye Baby (Charcoal)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shirt: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;*ARGRACE*&lt;/span&gt; camisole Black&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gloves: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;YV&lt;/span&gt; - Vivian Ring Gloves (silver)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Location: &lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;YV &lt;/span&gt;  &lt;a href="http://slurl.com/secondlife/VLS/94/88/1112"&gt;http://slurl.com/secondlife/VLS/94/88/1112&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-1142045105539789989?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/1142045105539789989/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/it-what-under-hood-that-counts.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/1142045105539789989'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/1142045105539789989'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/it-what-under-hood-that-counts.html' title='It&amp;#39;s what&amp;#39;s under the hood that counts.'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/3970124031_4351ce4fa5_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829962038713247921.post-2775419449168581011</id><published>2009-10-01T07:21:00.010-05:00</published><updated>2009-10-01T10:33:41.669-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='neko opinion'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fashion'/><title type='text'>Just a fashion basketcase</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3971684254/" title="photo sharing"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3971684254_0a855bc599.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57069742@N00/3971684254/"&gt;Taking a catnap at Oyakin &lt;/a&gt;, originally uploaded by &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/57069742@N00/"&gt;cobaltdragon&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I stumbled into Second Life ~ I was not so much startled to discover that at heart, I'm a neko (cat person), but more so that I love fashion in no small way.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The trouble is trying to combine the two.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are as many type of neko as there are avatars, which reflects cats in the real world; no two are alike by way of markings or temperment, and even the latter is liable to change on a whim. Neko are individiuals ~ it's that simple.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, it is my observation that within the larger SL community that neko is considered a *type* of personality. It is a human body wearing cat ears and tail, and possibly sporting feline eyes and whiskers, who is by definition going to act and dress in a set manner ~ and the market within SL tries very hard to sell to this stereotype. If you are inworld you know what I'm talking about.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are those who play at being neko, considering the feline appendages merely as sexy accessories.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While these individuals might discover a love of being neko by experimenting with the attachments, it is not in fact being a neko until you are commited to wearing them all the time. A neko boy or girl might change the colour of their tail and ears to suit, but they don't take them off in public....just as others don't remove their their  legs as if they were shoes. It's part of who we are. Period.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A newbie neko asked the other day, where they could shop for *neko gear* and I was left pondering why people become neko. Many know neko only from what they've observed within SL, and they love the grunge, backalley, club clothing many sport. It's the combination of the cat features with the gritty and alluring styling that draws them over to the kitty side....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But, my question is: are they missing the point of being neko?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Being neko is about being anything you want while wearing a cat skin. It's not any one style of clothing or singular type of personality.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So many become grunge/club neko because they like the look/attitude hence they try to emulate it and stay true to form as though they were involved in an RP, just as the creators are busy cranking out items to perpetuate the style in an seemingly endless cycle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is nothing bad about  this particular styling, but it rubs my fur the wrong way that neko are catagorized as a *type* because it's NOT who I am. Or who many other neko I've encountered are.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This blog is about one neko and her desire to explore the wide styling SL world of fashion and  share how it is can be worn with neko purrride.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;-------     =^..^=   -------&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Skin:&lt;/span&gt; ::VOODOO::  female white leopard 2&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Eyes: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;.::\AMIS&lt;/span&gt;/::.&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt; BlackNekoEye yellow-green&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Hair: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;*W&amp;amp;Y Hair 16 *Type A&lt;/span&gt;*&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Shoes: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Evoke - Chunk heeled pumps -  patent black&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Socks: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;**MIS** Xtra accessories/socks ~ camel&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Jacket: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;-Veschi-  Autumn-atic coat&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Pants: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;COCO Shiny leggings (group gift)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Gloves: &lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;YV - Vivian Ring Gloves (silver)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Location: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;*Oyakin*&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://slurl.com/secondlife/ONJUKU/106/39/23"&gt;http://slurl.com/secondlife/ONJUKU/106/39/23&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2829962038713247921-2775419449168581011?l=catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/feeds/2775419449168581011/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/just-fashion-basketcase.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/2775419449168581011'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2829962038713247921/posts/default/2775419449168581011'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://catwalknekotalk.blogspot.com/2009/10/just-fashion-basketcase.html' title='Just a fashion basketcase'/><author><name>Kulta Hannu</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13295525436759867138</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hYiEKJg0nU0/SsTDj7niwsI/AAAAAAAAABw/hRBBk-ZdDgw/S220/Kulta_bar_missing_tail_icon.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3971684254_0a855bc599_t.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry></feed>
