Thursday 28 June 2007

A little something for the staff

MANY months ago (back in February I think) I had a young lady coming into my shop looking to buy some clothes for her servant. She paid me a rather odd compliment by saying that all the clothes in Pearse'd & Cut were too nice to be worn by her servant and did I have anything in servant's wear? Not not the faffy "maids" out fit that are anything but designed for house cleaning but an actual Maid's uniform.

I confessed I didn't but the idea has been on the my to do list ever since.

Recently I found some time to cross it off the list.



It comes with both a Parlour Maid cap and a mob cap and is transferable should a gentleman be in the generous position of supplying the staff with uniforms. The male servant's uniform will be available fairly soon, as will a Victorian nurse's uniform.

Saturday 23 June 2007

Caledon the intolerant?

It's been almost a month since the hue and cry about a werewolf went up in in Caledon. At first I paid it very little mind. There was only vague reports of unease and no-one had actually been attacked. That and the Sherrif of Steelhead, Mr. Fuzzball Ortega, is a known werewolf and one of the better behaved gentlemen I know.

Then the pictures started with calls of "Werewolf sighted in [insert sim name here]" being hurled across the aether.











Requests were made for its despatch, countered with suggestions of capture or cure.

Through all this I began to ask "why?"

Yes he was apparently a werewolf. Though with remarkable speed there seemed to be nothing menacing or harmful about him. He has in all this time attacked no-one, in spite of hunts organised to try and track him down.

Caledon's community prides itself on its diversity and tollerance. It's a State with furred Duchesses, vampires (sorry, former vampires), more Nekos than you can throw a tinsel ball at, gnomes, automatons, pixies and beetle people. Yet suddenly this individual has been singled out for being a werewolf. Is it because he can outrun even those on horseback? Have we become opposed to exercise enthusiasts?

Personally I'd like to meet him. I sure he's an interesting individual. Though I can safely say I will not be following his habit of a brisk jog across Caledon on a regular basis.

Sunday 17 June 2007

With this ring...

Last night I completed a journey many months in the making. The road to this point was often bumpy, occasionally potholed, and early on suffered from the denial that the woman next to me on the road was actually travelling in the same direction.


High above Loch Avie, Christine and I were handfasted in front of a few close friends.


Miss Emilly Orr stood as my witness


While Christine's brother, TotalLunar Eclipse, stood as hers


Vows were exchanged


As were rings.


Sir Edward and Lady Pearse


We headed to the newly opened Steelhead Hotel and Ballroom


And danced the night away with many friends and others.


Before leaving on Miss Tombola's gift of a horse and gig.


And headed off to destinations away from Caledon and Steelhead for a weekend in each other's company (with a little light luggage).

My deepest thanks to all those who made this very special day possible and to all those who wished us well.

Friday 15 June 2007

One more sleep...

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY.



The chapel is decorated. My outfit is done. The music is organised. The reception is organised.

In the time since I have come to know this amazing woman she has slowly found a very special place in my life and in my heart.

It's been a rather hectic week with me being away for the weekend, then trying to get the Cavorite Flying Vehicle finished for the Steampunk Expo (which it's only in display readiness - still some bugs to work on) and then getting my outfit finished for Friday.

But this weekend will be worth it.

Tuesday 12 June 2007

Weta Rayguns

And while I am waxing lyrical on the wonders of RL steampunk, cast your eyes upon the advertisment for Weta Workshop's Rayguns:



Now if only I had some spare cash.

Monday 11 June 2007

The screen arrives at last!

In the beginning there was the Telecalculograph. Then came Datamancer's Opti-Transcripticon, followed by JoaT's Steam mouse. Then Steampunk Workshop made a suitable Keyboard.

Finally we have the last piece!

Steampunk Workshop have made a SCREEN!!!



*sighs*

*and covet. Heavy on the covet*

Wednesday 6 June 2007

And you thought James Bond had cool gadgets?

Possibly a new item for CHIT? Or something from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?



No this is an actual camera watch dating from 1886. It recently sold at at a Bonhams auction for £18,000.


From Bonhams;

The Lancaster Ladies Watch Camera was brought into Bonhams by a gentleman whose grandfather had owned it originally. He was a cabinetmaker at the Birmingham-based firm J. Lancaster & Son, probably working on the many wooden cameras sold by the company. The vendor, consigning several watches to one of Bonhams’ sales, noticed that among his collection was what looked like an ordinary nickel-plated pocket watch case when closed – but when he opened it he discovered that it actually contained a tiny camera inside.

Lionel Hughes, Bonhams’ Camera Specialist, was delighted to come across the piece:
“This is a truly exceptional piece, and the price achieved at Bonhams today reflects this,” he explained. “The Lancaster Watch Camera was patented in October 1886 and made until 1890. Such tiny cameras were the forerunners for the ‘spy’ camera – a mechanism disguised as a different object. However, it would have been very inconvenient to use as four very small catches had to be released in order to remove the glass screen and to fit a separate metal sensitised material holder for each exposure. As a result, the model sadly sold badly and is much rarer than the improved version which came on the market in 1890. The ladies’ pattern is therefore particularly special, and only four original models are known to exist."




Tuesday 5 June 2007

Radios, dancing, and Evil Alts

Friday night saw the official launch of Radio Riel a new SL broadcasting service of which I am proud to be a DJ.



The first few hours saw a respectable turnout with some great and interesting music being played.



Towards the end of my set in the third hour Our Beloved Guvnah arrives saying he want to test the sim's capacity for some Sooper Sekrit Event. So people started to arrive. As I handed over to Miss Figaro I think the sim had 50 people in it. We joked that she was going to continue the tradition of RR DJ's first performances crashing the sim. But about halfway through her set the sim had hit 100 people and those who crashed couldn't get back in. Best of all: NO SIM CRASH!

From there Christine and I head over to Steelhead for their weekly dance. This week's theme was come as your Evil Twin.

What could possibly be more removed from me?

Yup


Trailer Trash Eddie


And yes the FF cup blinged, blonde and bimboed next to me is my beloved Christine


And of course her dear [sister] Lunar


Evil Emilly


Fawkes as some sort of demonic abomination


Fuzzball Ortega and the Fuzzettes


The Evil Katt (I don't see what's so evil...)


I take a break from my hard work watching the game to yell at ask my Hunnies to git me a beah.


The vampiric neko evil Lumi


And since Tensai is *normally* evil she came as the image of sweetness and nicety. All she was missing was the Di$ney bag.


Saturday morning saw some more filming on what was hoped to be the last day of the Neualtenburg war. Sadly lag had other ideas.


It did however give us some amazing images of the Caledon fleet looming over the skyline.

Saturday night saw the birthday of Steelhead's very own Lupine Sheriff, Fuzzball Ortega. Theme for the night was TV & Movies and Fuzz's sister Angelica provided the music.


Fuzz as Cap'n Tightpants


Bring it on Addison


Ghostbuster Pearse, Dancin' Elda, Emilly Addams and a Spectral Christine


Schpooky


In the movies when the character slows down so they don't appear to move it's really cool, in SL it's called Lag.

Some notes on Military etiquette

Etiquette for the uninitiated, part II

The issue of organising something approaching military etiquette for a fictional country in an unspecified Victorian time period is something of a challenge. The Victorian era saw a large number of conflicts: the Boer Wars, the Mexican-American War, the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the Schleswig Wars, the Zulu wars, the Maori Wars, the Sepoy Rebellion, the Fenian Raids, and the list goes on. British Intelligence Office Arthur Conolly is credited with describing the pan-European struggle for supremacy as The Great Game. From the time he first used it in 1829 to the vast destruction of the War To End All Wars uniforms, tactics and even countries has changed dramatically.

My notes in this piece are based on a time period around the mid 1870s and are heavily influenced by British military traditions. Since Caledon is the old name for Scotland that’s always been my starting point, but there is plenty of scope for diversity.

The basic structure for military units is as follows:

Private/Trooper
Corporal       Usually in charge of a Section or approximately 8 soldiers
Sergeant       Usually in 2nd in charge of a Platoon or approximately 10 soldiers
Sergeant-Major
Colour Sergeant

Lieutenant       Usually in charge of a Platoon or approximately 10 soldiers
Captain
Major       Usually in charge of a Company or approximately 100-200 soldiers
Colonel       Usually in charge of a Regiment or approximately 2-3 thousand soldiers
Brigadier       Usually in charge of a Brigade or approximately 3-5 thousand soldiers
Major-General
Lieutenant General
Field Marshall

Colour Sergeants were originally responsible for protecting Ensigns (which was a rank) who were in turn charged with carrying the Ensign (the Battle Flag, which gave its name to the rank). The flag was also known as the regiment’s Colours, hence the title of Colour Sergeant.

Uniforms
Originally rank insignia were worn on the collar. The newly created rank of Second Lieutenant, replacing the rank of Ensign that was abolished in 1871, originally had no rank marking. Lieutenants had a single star (or “pip”) and Captains had two.
In 1880 the British army changed its system and insignia were now worn on shoulder boards. In 1902 another raft of changes went through the services moving rank insignia from the shoulders to the cuffs and giving 2nd Lieutenants a single star. Both Lieutenants and Captains were given an additional star at this time increasing theirs to 2 and 3 respectively.

Purchasing a commission
The purchase of a commission varied depending on both the rank and the prestige of the regiment being sought. The more prestigious ranks commanding higher premiums. Being cashiered was considered a grave punishment, as the officer would lose the right to resell the commission he held. Officers’ ranks could be purchased up to the rank of Colonel. Promotion to ranks above Colonel needed a service history and favour from within. The purchasing of commissions was abolished in 1871.

Addressing a superior
As a matter of military courtesy, when speaking to a superior there are two differing forms of address, based on whether the superior is a non-commissioned or a commissioned officer. When addressing a non-commissioned officer, a positive response to a command from a Sergeant Major would be "Yes, Sergeant Major!" The proper positive response to the same command from a Lieutenant would be "Yes, sir!" or "Yes sir, Lieutenant!" The supposed difference between a non-commissioned officer and an officer is that of education, which is equated with social status as well as working class. When a non-commissioned officer receives the response "Yes, sir!" to a command, he is more apt than not to remind the soldier that he, the non-commissioned officer, is a "working man, not an officer.”

Saluting
While there are numerous theories about the development of the salute, the modern one appears to have started in the 18th century as noted by this extract from the Royal Scots Standing Orders of 1762: ‘as nothing disfigures the hats or dirties the lace worn more than taking off the hats, the men for the future are only to raise the back of their hands to them (hats) with a brisk motion when they pass an officer’.

Saluting should be undertaken intelligently and only when headdress is worn. Salutes should not be attempted in places where the presence of crowds or where the distance from the officer makes it impracticable to salute. All soldiers should salute with the right hand unless physically unable to do so, in which case they are to salute with the left hand. The junior member is to salute first and the senior member is to return the compliment.

Saluting ladies
All too often, the courtesy that should be extended to ladies is neglected. Proper military etiquette would dictate that any soldier or officer encountering a lady should touch the brim of his hat in the manner of a salute, or remove his cover in her presence. It is not necessary to exchange greetings or comments with the lady, but acknowledgement of the presence of those of the fairer sex to whom respect and admiration are due, without regard to their station in life. There is some dispute as to whether it is appropriate to greet ladies unknown to one, as it is improper for ladies to greet those strange to the lady unless requiring aid of some sort from anyone at hand. Of course many of the more Adventuress types of ladies will often introduce themselves directly without waiting for a mutual acquaintance.


The listing of ranks with titles
Should you be in the position to require to show a full formal rank and title it should be done in the following manner:
Your rank, Name (inclusive of title if applicable), and any post-nominals.

For example:
Colonel, George Featherington, Marquess of Vulgaria, NFI, WTF
or
Major, Dame Cybil Cruft, OMG

Remember that post-nominals are different to academic abbreviations. Post-nominals are always capitalized and written without full stops between the letters and should never be used in conjunction with Academic titles and degrees.


A Post Script to the first post.
It’s been brought to my attention that there may be some confusion as to what a Governor might be. To an American a Governor is a head of an individual State. To those brought up within the Commonwealth countries a Governor is a representative of the Monarch, while the head of an individual State or Province is a Premier. A Governor General (Similar in position to a Viceroy or a Lord Lieutenant) is one where a number of States have joined together to form a larger body, such as modern day Canada or Australia, though individual States will still retain own Governors.

Sunday 3 June 2007

Conspiracy theories

After a comment on the Caledon group chat the other evening mentioned the September 11th conspiracy I thought it was appropriate to post this little cartoon.

Conspiracy Theories

Saturday 2 June 2007

New product additions to Pearse'd & Cut





Available at Victoria City, Steelhead and New Babbage.

Who ya gonna call?

While out hunting for costumes for a birthday party, I stumbled across Slime Square.



Ray Parker Jr. eat your heart out.


From the New York Public Library


...with its infamous Librarian


Even things like this scattered around the place


To Dana's apartment...


...and its infamous kitchen. Yes there's even a stairway to the roof through the fridge.


"Spook Central"


"The Traveller has come!"

It's about a quarter of the sim and is still under construction, but it looks like a very inspired theme. The Sedgewick Hotel is under construction though Slimer has already taken up residence. The Ghostbusters building is also in the works. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.