Last night, Suzen Juel Resistance was about to start up her 2-hour set at Galveston Sea World Park when a griefer started blowing things up with explosion effects with what my scripting console said was an RPG-7.

Next thing I knew, someone said "Crap Mariner, you have been reported to abuse."

Huh?

Apparently, that person assumed that explosions hitting me and my floating upside-down couch were part of some sort of griefing attack.

After folks checked out the explosion objects and the profiles of the people there, it was obvious it was someone else. I wrote down the name, but it's at home. And, really, it doesn't freaking matter. Just some bored crapbag who really needs to unplug their computer, tie a loop in the power cord, and hang themselves from the ceiling of their parents' basement.

I mentioned openly that the person reporting me should prepare a retraction of that abuse report and an apology... I mean, for crying out loud, I plugged Galveston sim during my appearance on KRIV FOX-26, I see/hear Cylindrian there regularly, I respect the hell out of what the award-winning galveston.com and Link Pippen have done there, and I was there to hear Juel play.

That, and the fact that I am a sim owner that is working through the painful (but exciting) process of getting its own concert venue and series going. What kind of idiot goes through several months of negotiations and social engineering, works out a plan with his friends, convinces the group to buy a sim, and then griefs others? Especially musicians, with whom he has found his life enriched by their friendship, support, creativity, and collaboration? (Rich's version of "No Copy No Mod" is a song I can't get out of my head and don't want it ever to leave, eh.)

What confuses me is that there were quite a few folks in the crowd that know me, heard the accusation of abuse, and said nothing. I hope it was just a factor of there being a lot of chatscroll or they sent notices to that person via IM telling them they were mistaken.

I do not want to ponder them actually thinking for a single moment that I would have been pulling this crap. Flying upside-down couches, sitting on orbiting planets, and standing frozen in a block of ice are harmless gags, little things to lighten my mood, but messing with a live musician's performance? Never. And, if I have to be so crass as to mention this fact, I've put my money where my mouth is, hitting that tip jar instead of just clicking some applause sign, time after time after time, and I will continue to do that come hell or high water.

Eventually, the drama got settled, but it has me questioning the name somewhat... if I were Landlocked Mariner (a pun I considered) or Seasick Mariner, would I be a blame-magnet like I am now sometimes?

I'm sure it will happen again. It will get resolved again, too, whether through my calm rebuttal or when the Abuse folks check the logs and see no ownership of the offending objects or scripts in my name.

Instead of just Payment Method Given and Resident, maybe there should be some kind of flag on a person's profile when they are Concierge-level support so that folks checking profiles know that this is someone that's invested in the system. Or would that make them a magnet for attacks?

Whatever. That was the low-point of the evening, but Juel's music mellowed me out. Although in the future, I'll seriously consider listening to large performances via stream and tipping via profile page without my av's presence if people are going to be so hair-trigger and wild with their aim when it comes to abuse reporting.

At least this issue got settled quickly and by the folks present at the parcel... on the other hand, how would Metaverse Republic, which appeared on Nick Wilson's Metaversed Podcast earlier, handle such an incident?

My faith is in the community, not some self-appointed bureau of Euros that, based on the European Union Parliament they elect, have a bad habit of ruling "Guilty By Reason Of Being Jewish And Alive" time and time again.

Anybody questioning the power of a reasonable, active community and Cujus Regio, Cujus Religio so they can collect power in their own hands, this Texan doesn't trust.