The King of the Freebies

Survivor: Second Life

How to Get by on the Grid

Part 2

I spent a large chunk of my early days in SL with my butt parked on a brick wall at the Bear Dream Lodge Infohub. It was there that I first met the self-proclaimed "King of the Freebies." He was tall, thin, bald,  wore a big trench coat and the glow from his bling could be seen for miles.

The boy had more attachments than an Electrolux.

The King prided himself on having everything anyone could need tucked safely away in his inventory. We eventually became good friends and he taught me all I needed to know about how to find the best freebies. Well, until he got involved with some psycho chick, bought her some stuff and sexed her up, sending her crying back to her ex boyfriend, telling him The King was stalking her and wouldn't leave her alone.. or something like that. The ex boyfriend formed a posse and he and his buddies tortured him mercilessly...

That's when he disappeared.

But don't despair! Before he left, The King shared his vast freebie gathering experience with yours truly.

How to Find Freebies:

• Freebie stores: If you're new and looking for some stuff to get you started, freebie stores (like Free Dove or the Freebie Dungeon) are a great place to begin. They usually have the basics like clothes, furniture, freebie scripts, etc. Once you start getting out and about however, you'll want to upgrade from the basic newbie free stuff.
• Events: If you browse the events listings, you'll find all kinds of freebie offers as a bribe to get you to stop by the event. Go for it. It's kind of a crap shoot, sometimes you end up with the same free junk you've got 100 copies of already, but you can also end up with some cool clothes and shoes. I've got a folder full of beautiful wedding gowns I picked up that way. I've never gotten to wear any of them, both my past partners were more the run-to-town-hall-and-get-hitched types. I'm still holding on to the dresses. You never know.
• Hunts: I've only done one or two hunts, but it's a great way to find free stuff. They usually have a theme and seem to be more popular around holidays. Take a friend with you, it's a cheap inexpensive date.
• Group Gifts: Most of the big retailers in SL have started giving out free gifts to residents who join their groups. Some offer a goodie when joining, others offer a monthly freebie to bring people into their stores. My favorite is Azul (beautiful dresses and gowns.) In my opinion, this is the best way to get high quality freebies and the stores involved increase their traffic by tempting you to visit. Everyone wins.

The King reappeared a few weeks after his disappearance with a new alt, hunting me down on the beach where I always seem to end up. He eventually became my first SL ex-partner after things started getting a little too weird. I'm sure he's still out there, somewhere, with a new name and a new face.

I used to spend alot of time out looking for feebies. It becomes almost like a game, seeing what you can come up with. It's also a great way to discover SL.

Where do you find your best freebies? Let me know in the comments.

We'll talk again soon!

Friendship

I received some bad news about a SL friend tonight, news that broke my heart in to a million pieces. I  found myself back where I always go when I need to think or pout or have a good cry. I sat, watching the waves crash on the beach at CinCin and I thought about the friendships we form on the grid.

Why do we feel the need to designate relationships we form here as "Second Life friends" or "virtual friends?" We care for each other with the same heart, shed the same tears, grow attached to the flesh and blood people on the other side of the screen.

Friends are still friends, regardless of how you found them, aren't they?? Right?

Take a moment today to tell your friends on the grid how much they mean to you. Give them a big, pixel squishing hug.

Because you never know...

Survivor: Second LIfe

*click to enlarge*

We're all feeling the pinch of the struggling economy, even on the grid. It would make sense that when making the choice to cut back on expenses, our Second Lives will be one of the first things to suffer. This raises the question, can you still have a Second Life worth living without spending real dollars for your virtual existence?

I've met bunches of people from all over the world during my time here with differing opinions on how to best support your life on the grid. I've decided to explore their theories with a series I'm going to call:

Survivor: Second Life

How to Get by on the Grid

The first installment, coming soon, will be "Script Madness, When Scots Attack."

Ya'll be sure and stay tuned.

Bringing You the News that Really Matters

The recent release of the latest version of the GreenLife Emerald viewer has lead to some interesting discussions about the newest developments and some older features that some of us hadn't yet discovered.

But don't worry, this article isn't about the handy dandy built-in radar or the "Show Look At" doohickies. I'm here to talk to you about something far more innovative, something that will change our entire Second Life experience.

There can be no turning back once you've seen...

Jiggly Boobs!

That's right. Forget all that techie stuff about new Windlight presets. We can have bouncy, jiggly, bodacious tattas of happiness.. in Second Life!

If you're using the new viewer and you've not discovered this feature yet, go to Preferences - Emerald - Page 2 - Effects and start experimenting. Some users have reported that they've had to re-log for the changes to show.

Of course, once you've made your adjustments, you'll want to test the settings to find your optimum jiggilocity. First, you'll need to find some jiggly bewbage friendly clothing:

Please disregard my addled, slightly hungover expression. I was out late last night listening to my voice crush croon past my bedtime.

To see your shimmy shake in action, try one of these suggestions:

• Rez a box, sit on it, then move it briskly up and down
• Hijack the nearest stripper pole and pan your cam around
• I'm told lapdance animations work well too, but I wouldn't know from experience *cough*
• Participate in nookie related activites (In the privacy of your own home or on adult rated sims, please)
• Sneak over to your neighbor's property while they're away at work and jump on their trampoline
• Ask any random, passing stranger if they'd mind checking your bewbage for jiggilation. You may also ask for a tip afterwards

After a few hours of obsessing over your avatar's newly shimmy enabled breasts (and, if you're like me, feeling a little creeped out by your behavior,) keep in mind that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pay a little attention to those RL tattas.

Because regardless of their age, whether they bounce up and down, lay on your belly or perkily peek-a-boo through wet t-shirts...  they're all fabulous.

Relationship Issues

I'll admit it. I have them. I have a butt load, truth be told, but that doesnt mean I haven't learned a few things along the way.

I've complied a list of clues to help those of you who are relationship challenged like myself, to know when it's time to let go, cut bait, set sail for smoother waters, get the hell out of town, make like a banana and peel, take the last train to Georgia and say "Hasta la bye-bye Baby!"

In other words...

How to tell he's not that into your avatar:

• He begins every conversation with "I talked to my ex today... blah blah... broke my heart... blah blah.. lost without her... blah blah... I'm wondering if I should stay in business with her... blah blah..."
• He suddenly starts popping up in IM when he's not showing up in your friends list. Or, he thinks he's a smooth operator when he marks your name as "unable to see me online" but forgets you own land on the same estate and use the Emerald viewer, with built in radar. It takes him a while, but he eventually does figure out to recheck the box by your name before he sends an IM.
• He enjoys ejecting you from the skybox you share, everytime you tp in. He tells you it's just a joke and laughs it off, telling you to get a sense of humor.
• He has lots and lots of female friends, who are always having a crisis that only he can solve.

Sometimes, it's painfully obvious from day one that you probably shouldn't waste your time. Some of those clues..

• He doesn't have time to talk because he's busy trading stocks. What he really means is he's unemployed, lives in his mother's basement and he just found some really good free porn. You probably won't see him online for a while, he'll be busy hauling his computer down to the Geek Squad to get all those nasty coochie shot pop ups off his computer before his mother sees them and makes him move back to the garage.
• He manages to bring his webcam into the conversation everytime you talk to him. He even offers to send you an image he shot while talking to you last. Be prepared for a slightly unfocused, happy little winky, standing at attention. An extreme closeup. It's okay to laugh out loud, but try to be kind when you respond to the IM. He may be a little unbalanced and you could push him over the edge. You don't need that on your conscience.
• He thinks relationships in Second Life are stupid, feels that those who participate in such foolishness should have their heads examined and just doesn't see the point. (Down here in the South, we call this being "uppity.") What Mr. Uppity can't explain, however, is why, if he feels this way, is he walking around with his nose up your butt every second you're online, trying to get you naked. Or for that matter, why he's there at all.
• Then there are those who are obsessed with the myth that every single female in Second Life is really a man. They'll use this belief to try to force you to share personal information. Just walk away. They're missing the whole point. I'll be happy to chat in voice with anyone I'm friends with, even if I am a little shy. But when I barely know you.. and you demand it as "proof".. well.. you can go screw yourself.

By the way, I love dishing out advice. Do you have a Second Life dilemma that's just crying out for a solution? Drop me an email and I'll post your quandry here, along with my own words of wisdom.