The politics of dancing

Contrary to the title, this post has nothing to do with dancing, actually.

But I was worried no one would read it if I called it "Don't hate me because I'm a Republican!"

**ducks as rotten tomatoes fly**

I was all set to write an enriching and educational blog post about how to get involved in SL with your U.S. political party of choice, but I decided, HEY! You're all grownups! (Or at least you're supposed to be.) You're perfectly capable of searching for 'Republican' or 'Democrat' in Places in the Search engine and finding your SL party headquarters if you feel so inclined.

You don't need me to throw a list of SLurls at you.

But if you need help, IM me in world and I'll point you in a direction. (That's me! Always willing to help.)

I WILL say that from the brief research I've done, it looks like the Democrats are having a helluva lot more fun than the Republicans in SL. Sigh.

Speaking of politics, I want to give a shout-out to a sometimes reader and a favorite blogger of mine, The SL Diva Ms. Elizabeth Hallstrom, who AS WE SPEAK, is posing in a Barack Obama T-shirt over on her fantastic blog.

So see, we can all still be friends!

**runs to check to see if Elizabeth is still on my friends list**

Here's me in my shirt of choice. She looks way better in hers. Sigh. Then again, I'm just a wannabe diva. Plus, she has a cute face, and I always manage to effortlessly look like a spaced-out robot with a cold:



(Yep, that's my sultry red-and-gold beach house SexGen bed behind me -- the one I never use.)

If you checked out Elizabeth's blog, you saw that even her T-shirt is more hip. At least I'm striking a pose, thanks to sinDecade's new Play AO, which rocks, BTW. Love the stands, love the walks, love the sits, love the handstands, love the dolphin swim, etc. Best thing I've bought in a month.

As for the skin I'm in, I got that Love Me Tender skin in Ivory for $5L at Domestic-V. (ALL of them are $5L! Run!!!) I have mixed feelings about it. All my skins seem to make me look like I have a bad cocaine habit these days . . . not that I would, um, know what that looks like.

The hair is Kinka in Black from Diversity Hair.

Anyhoo, politics aside, I had big plans for this post. I was gonna discuss my sudden obsession with yard sales and give some more shout-outs, not to mention use the word "shout-out" a few more times, if only so you could turn this post into your own private drinking game.

But as always the inner voice said, "Edit, Emerald, Edit!"

So I did.

I'll stick to politics. BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT IT WILL DIVIDE US AND CAUSE A BIG BROUHAHA!

(Wow, my spellcheck actually didn't even bat an eyelash at "brouhaha"!)

If you know me well, you know that to me the inventory is all about COLLECTIBLES! Invest, my friends, invest! Capture your special SL moments in time with limited editions and commemorative freebies!

Even if you don't want to parade around in them, grab a couple of political T-shirts for the hell of it. That way, when your slightly annoying talking fetuses pop out and eventually become your SL grandchildren, you can rock back and forth in your pixelated rocking chair and hand them an [Insert Political Party Here] T-shirt and say, "I remember this election!"

A good place to start is at the aptly named Free 2008 Election Swag store at The Shoppes at JGoode Designs.

The swag store is bipartisan. You'll find it neatly divided down the middle and full of a PLETHORA of free T-shirts for each party:



And if that's not good enough, next to it is the PENGUINALITY STORE!!!!



Hell no, it has nothing to do with politics, and hell yes, my spellcheck hates the word Penguinality. But damn, I was amused that there's a whole store out there devoted to penguins! I didn't grab the LM for it -- just TP to Free 2008 Election Swag and you can't miss it.

Speaking of can't miss, I can't remember if I got this McCain/Palin yard sign (below) at the Swag Store or at the SL Republican Party Headquarters. 

As you can see, the neighbors were not happy about it. Look closely and you'll see that one chick in this pic even has A GUN! I cammed out and snapped this shot when I heard these lovely ladies out there bitching about it.

Tonight my landlady returned it to my inventory. I happened to be there when she did it. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Hi! Is there a problem with my sign?
LL: Hon, if you read the notes that came with your rental, you'll see there is a 'no litter' policy here.
Me: Would it be considered litter if it were an Obama sign?
LL: Hon, rules are rules. I'll let you keep the pretty pumpkin out though.

Of course you will.

(While you're at it, could you get rid of the tacky renter "INFO" box that kills the whole "beachy" ambiance out there too? And never call me "hon" again?)

(I hate, hate, hate it when strangers call me "hon" in SL -- do they not understand how condescending it sounds? . . . or is that the whole point?)

She continued to explain that she was concerned that my sign would make people think the whole sim was voting for McCain. Hey, not my fault that no one else is utilizing their RENTED YARD PLOTS around their homes to express political pride!

It IS her land though, so I guess I'll stop bitching about it. In a fit of huffy, I did go run and rent another house on another island though. Both of them are now paid a month in advance. I guess I have two homes now . . . one for love and one for work. Laugh. Right. Like I have either.

Forget the pettiness. The important thing, kiddies, is that you get out there and get cra-zaay in that ballot box on Nov. 4 if you live in the good old U S of A. I'm not going to tell you how to vote; I'm just going to tell you TO vote: VOTE!

OK, so I'd like to wrap up this rather pointless post with a hopefully regular feature: A Shout-Out to a Designer who is Damn Cool. (That's right, drinking-gamers! Do another "shout-out" shot!!)

I went to Vanity Body yesterday to pick up a surprisingly beautiful free witch skin. I say "surprisingly" because you'd expect a green witch to be ugly. Not so with this one! I snagged it, put it on and stared at myself in awed fascination with my witchy beauty.

Creator Mina Spicer happened to be in the store and gave me a hat and a broom to go with it. Thank you, Mina! That was Damn Cool of you!



Granted, I forgot to put on hair for this pose and it's not the most ladylike position, but the hat is floppy and the broom says things to me when I'm on it. (Not that. Get your minds out of the gutter!)

Jeans by Zaara. T-shirt by Callie Cline. Shoes: Android Ballerina Ballet Flats by Bliensen + MaiTai.

Thanks for reading. Maybe tomorrow I'll give some more shout-outs to readers and designers and talk about my obsession with old yard-sale junk. (And no, do not insert your McCain jokes here.)

Love, Em