Prom Drama Queen

Sweeties, I am glad I did not have to live through the teenage angst of the American prom. We simply had nothing equivalent. Our proms consisted of musical concerts of the classic variety. There is a drama brewing in the fashion world over this American right of passage in virtual form. I think it is safe to say that a majority of the secondary schools in the United States and Canada have these formal dances at the end of their final year. I see no reason why there cannot be many proms in Second Life.

The heart of the drama is simple: a co-team captain of a Relay for Life team tried to guilt a fellow blogger about their own blog prom. We were going to stand aside on this one but apparently Miss Vielle got accused of being yours truly and we cannot have that even if we agree with her on this one. This all goes back to the earlier blogs we had about hairstyles, glowing clothes, and paper clothes. These are all things that pre-exist outside of Second Life and to point fingers at someone for doing these things is just plain silly.

Who is this Miss Aquitaine to stamp her feet and pout because Shopping Cart Disco is having a prom? According to my inside source, she is neither an owner or an officer of this designer group she is taking Miss Vielle to task over. I feel sorry for these designers that are viewed by Miss Aquitaine as being too dense to know the difference between a notecard about Shopping Cart Disco and a notecard about Relay for Life. The members of this group should be insulted to have so little thought of their intelligence. These group members should be thanking Miss Vielle for exposing what Miss Aquitaine really thinks about them.

Miss Vielle was not asking for money for her event. She was asking the designers in a group she is part of if they were interested in donating items to be gifts at her event. It is my understanding that this is a common occurrence with this group and is not outside the norm. Why would she think that this was not allowed this for her own event when others have benefited from similar announcements in the past?

Reading through their commentary we discover that the designers group is completely different from the RFL team of the same name. We send a team to visit several stores from the designers in the main group and found many were on other RFL teams.

Teams found:
Designers In Seclusion
New Babbage
Passionate Redheads
Relay Wizards for Spunky
Relay's Raiders
Team Oakie Doakie
United Forces Against Cancer

As we can clearly see from the above, the group members are part of many teams so Miss Aquitaine made a bold assumption is believing that everyone was part of her elitist group. We did not visit all 200 plus stores but it gives you a general idea that she does not speak for the masses.

Darling, or if you prefer, Hon, you need to learn to step back from your computer and look at things from the perspective of others. Your actions were judgmental and rude to both Miss Vielle and your fellow designer group members. The damage your actions may have caused a charity event may be irreparable. Perhaps you should stick to writing.

Gaga Gag Me

Sweeties, there is a new trend in Second Life making its rounds throughout the fashion community. Alarmingly there is a fair number of designers taking their inspiration from Lady Gaga's unique flare. From her trademark sunglasses to her creative use of the hair bow the grid has become polluted with knock offs and coattail riders. Even more surprising, Darlings, is one store has the gall of name themselves after this dear fashion queen.

It is clear that designers are quick to jump on the current now celebrities so let us start seeing some Susan Boyle couture items at your latest fashion house. Is the industry ready for you to bring on the frumpy house dress, wild mess of thinning curls and thick caterpillar eyebrows? If so, it will rock the fashion world on its ear.

Faking Death on the Internet

Darlings, there has been an online problem since the advent of the internet. No matter what the medium, there is always someone who will fake a chronic illness leading to eventual death. Wired published an interesting article a few weeks past called Reports of my Death where Howard Swains looks at this odd phenomenon. I adore the term that Mr. Swains has given to these events. He calls them "pseuicide" but the psychological profession would call it Münchausen by Internet.

Those of us using LiveJournal are more than familiar with the documented cases put together by the users in the fake_lj_deaths and its sister community faking_pregnant. The latter group is slightly more horrific because these individuals fake pregnancy and subsequent miscarriages. This issue is not limited to LiveJournal with fake deaths cropping up in MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, Plurk, and other social networking sites.

Sweeties, I know you are wondering: What does this have to do with Second Life?

On January 31, a new fashion house opened its door amid a very serious scandal which seems to have been all but overlooked. A promising new fashion(not to be confused with a long-established hair store of the reversed name) is owned and operated by an avatar that was once had another avatar who was active in the fashion/modeling world. Sadly this avatar was struck down with terminal cancer and given a half a year to live. Darlings, here is where this story gets disturbing. Many of her friends were fine with what she had done and embraced her as the new alternative. Embraced this woman who dared to fake having a terminal illness that effects 10.9 million people worldwide and kills 6.7 million people. (Source: Cancer Research UK)

It is abominable that there are people who support this woman and her new brand. Worse still, the friends who are standing by her have the gall to attack those who are appalled by what she has done. Darlings, they need realize that this woman's noisome behaviour is frankly one of the most revolting things a human being could orchestrate.

There is hope for those who wish to stand against this type of behaviour. An article by Marc D. Feldman, M.D from Selp Help Magazine entitled Munchausen by Internet: Faking
Illness Online details what this illness it and how to detect cases. Use his tips to help protect yourself from this detestable act:

Clues to Detection of False Claims

Based on experience with two dozen cases of Munchausen by Internet, I have arrived at a list of clues to the detection of factitious Internet claims. The most important follow:

1. the posts consistently duplicate material in other posts, in books, or on health-related websites;
2. the characteristics of the supposed illness emerge as caricatures;
3. near-fatal bouts of illness alternate with miraculous recoveries;
4. claims are fantastic, contradicted by subsequent posts, or flatly disproved;
5. there are continual dramatic events in the person's life, especially when other group members have become the focus of attention;
6. there is feigned blitheness about crises (e.g., going into septic shock) that will predictably attract immediate attention;
7. others apparently posting on behalf of the individual (e.g., family members, friends) have identical patterns of writing.

While this advice may not completely work in Second Life you can easily adapt the tips to fit into group and sim settings. Always be watch for "pseuicides" and take everything you hear with a grain of salt.

Related Links:

• *She Said She Had Breast Cancer—But She Lied


• Author of fake Holocaust memoir admits: I'm not even Jewish
  


• Ex-Biopure Exec Please Guilty to Faking Cancer
  


• The faker of 9/11: Survivor in dramatic tale of escape from World Trade Centre 'made it all up'
  


• Kaycee Nicole
  


• Life, Death, and Everquest
  


• Teacher gets four-year ban for faking cancer
  


• Murderer Confesses on Anandtech Forum
  


• Teacher Who Faked Cancer Pleads Guilty