Legrand: Mixing Your Realities

I found this via a Twitter post from @slhamlet that lead to his blog New World Notes. It's RL, SL, romance and hip-hop all rolled in to one, simmered until hot and oozing with awesome sauce.

Enjoy.

I've Been Naughty

Newbie Me on InWorldz

I've been a naughty kitty.

I've been cheating on SL.

InWorldz is a newish virtual world similar to SL but pretty tiny in comparison. They recently reached a milestone of 5000 accounts and I've never seen more than 100 users on at one time. Because of it's small size, there is a strong sense of community there. On day one, when you first log on, you're welcomed by a mentor and walked over to the nearest freebie store.

I was surprised. It's a nice change.

The newly formed grid isn't without it's glitches, bugs and occasional interruptions of service, but there's a spirit of creativity and a sense of everyone pulling together to create something special, so you don't really mind when everything isn't working 100%.

It sort of reminds me of another virtual world I signed up for a long time ago, one that kinda got away from it's original mission...

Anywho..

InWorldz isn't taking the place of SL for me, but it's a nice place to escape to when you want a slower pace, a quieter grid and some friendly faces.

Oh and the picture? Don't worry, I've made some improvements since then.

Maybe I'll see you there. Stop by and say hi, I'm usually in a sandbox somewhere making a mess.

My New Home

I want to thank all ya'll for the nice emails, ims and tweets regarding places available for lease. The sense of community is alive and well on the grid and I'm proud to be a part of it. But.. shortly after my last entry, I stumbled upon an ideal solution for my problem. I leased a spot in a marina for a deal like you wouldn't believe, bought a cool, old, junky lookin' boat with all sorts of bells and whistles and called it home. It can be copied, so I can leave one stuffed full of tackilicious neko accessories and whip out another when I want to go exploring.

That's right, it's drivable! My new boat is under 30 prims, safe for sim crossings and comes with an explorer sub and some life rafts.

I can't wait to take it out just so I can play with the horn.

I didn't waste any time dropping some lounge chairs on the top deck. Anyone who knows me understands that I need a place to park my butt. That's the extent of the furnishings so far. I think I need a globe..  and stuff. Maybe a telescope. I'll work on that.

I even made my own flag texture. I think it suits me.

My new home definitely needs a name, being a boat and all. Leave your suggestions in the comments or drop me an email. I'd love to hear what everyone comes up with.

As for now, I've got shopping to do.

Tata for now!

Homeless Kitten

I knew I wouldn't be able to stand being homeless forever. I was up last night wandering the SL grid until the wee-wee hours of the morning looking for a place to rent. I do miss my little Wando cabin, but I was unhappy with the changes that were happening around me, leading to my letting it go. After a few months of changing clothes on the roof of the cafe and drooling over new kitty themed furniture I've seen while out shopping, I've decided I need a home away from the cafe business.

I'd like to find something on the water, but not tropical. The rent needs to be fairly cheap and it can come with or without a structure. I'd be perfectly happy sticking a Gypsy wagon under a tree, I'm not a big-flashy-house kinda girl. I'm pretty easy going when it comes to neighbors, they can be human, elf, tiny, fairy or furry.

I'm not picky.

Let me know if you hear of a place. Maybe we can be neighbors.

Script Madness: When Scots Attack

Survivor: Second Life

How to Get by on the Grid

Part 1

Wandering the infohubs in the wee hours of the morning is a good way to meet some.. well.. unusual people. It was around 3a.m. at Bear that I first met the Scot, who actually lived in England but couldn't go back to his home in Scotland because people were trying to kill him or some bullcrap.

Anywho, for the purposes of this post, we'll just call him Scotty, kay? Kay.

Scotty's plan was to live, virtually, in Second Life. He was logged on 24/7, his avatar slept when he slept. He had completely given up his first life in exchange for a virtual one. Part of his mission was to do this without spending a dime, which wasn't hard to do because he was unemployed and had no credit or bank account.

I know how to pick 'em.

Scotty planned to go into business in SL, writing scripts for people and doing other odd jobs. We frolicked around the grid together for a while, living like Gypsies, hanging out on park benches, infohub walls and dressing ourselves in handouts.

Well he did. I used to wait until he passed out drunk and go shopping for the latest couture.

Time zones can work to your advantage.

I wasn't about to let him catch me in "bought" things. I had him convinced I was poor as a church mouse.

It soon became crystal clear that Scotty's only talent for scripts was in passing off freebies as his own. All he really knew how to do was mooch. Which he did. He met an affluent SL real estate mogul and left me in the dust, doing "work" for her. The fact that she was, at the time, my only real female friend on SL didn't seem to matter, to either of them, NOT THAT I'M BITTER.

*cough*

Anywho...

He eventually convinced his RL son to become a part of his SL family and Scotty, the Real Estate backstabbing mother frickin bitch Lady and some other random people formed a weird, free love kinda commune... thingy.

Or something. It was just weird.

When the love fest came crashing down on him and the real estate mogul kicked his skanky little pixelated butt to the curb, he did not handle it well. He went from a long haired biker type to a dark, angry..

Yeah.. that. Pardon the crappy picture. It was taken before my graphics card transplant and before I learned just enough Photoshop to make a ginormous mess. The long staff he's carrying usually held the head of a blood soaked furry. He would stand on the telepad and shower particles on the extremely lagged region continuously until everyone crashed.

He didn't take being dumped very well.

From the Scot we learn that lying isn't going to get you very far in SL. It will catch up with you eventually. We also learn that mooching isn't a very reliable source of income. If you're unemployed, have no bank account and drink so much that you pass out on your keyboard, here's some free advice:

STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. GO TO A.A. FIND A DAMNED JOB.

And you're welcome.

Next time, rather than tell you what not to do, we'll meet another old friend of mine, the self proclaimed King of the Freebies and get some great advice for newbies and long time residents alike.

See ya next time!

*Knock*Knock* Is This Thing On?

This weekend at the cafe, I'd planned to talk about the different ways to finance your second life, be it working for others, running a business or simply buying $L. Instead, we ended up discussing deep topics like shopping, planning weddings and where to find a good male skin.

I think the most avatars there at one time during the hour long event was four, so I didn't see any reason to try to stick to a topic.

Where the crap is everyone?

Whatever, we had fun anyway and that's all that matters.

Yeah I know, I was gone for a while then I missed my "comeback" discussion. I'M SORRY OKAY???

Around the grid I'm hearing that the world economy is having its effects on our virtual world. Performers say tips are down, club owners are cutting back and Linden Labs seem to be reaching out for new premium account holders by offering a free house to those who sign up.

How about you? Is the monetary funk we're all experiencing in first life taking it's toll on your second? If it is, or isn't, I'd like to hear about it. Drop me an email or add a comment here.

Until next time, I'll see ya on the grid!

I'm Like the Terminator, but Cuter

OMG she's back!

Okay so, sometimes that other life gets in the way of my second life, but hopefully that's over.. for now. I've not been away from the grid completely, but discussion groups and Second Slice have kinda been on the back burner for a few weeks.

While I've been away.. sort of.. Some things have changed. I got rid of my little cabin, which makes me sad, but under new ownership, Wando just wasn't the same. The lovely view from my front door became cluttered with buildings and the distant neighbors kept creeping closer and closer. Soon, little comments blaming actions of the residents for the lag, not the added prims or increased population, changed the whole feel of the place. The lag was getting so bad I couldn't really enjoy it anyway.

So I let it go.

Now I'm kinda homeless, but not really. I still have the cafe, where I've made some changes and added a shiny new Intan couples dance ball, filled with a metric buttload of Bits and Bobs animations. I also added a fence, so people would stop falling off, planted a few flowers and updated the jukebox stations. As always, Second Slice Cafe is open to anyone who wants to use it, come on by.

I hosted my first discussion group in a while this past Saturday. We had a decent turn out and it felt nice to see some familiar faces. I'm really stumped for topics, so please email me or drop me a message in world with any suggestions.

Anywho...

I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I'll see ya'll soon!

Avatar Profiling?

I've spent large chunks of my Second Life hanging around infohubs and, as a result, around griefers. Not just being on the receiving end of attacks, but in the company of friends who's only goal in this virtual life was to disrupt everyone else's experience as much as possible.

Oh you know the type.. we accuse them all of being prepubescent, bed wetting, pimple faced little twerps who've hijacked mommy's computer while she's out banging the neighbor, but in reality they're usually sad little pudgy men with a dependence on Viagra or militant cat ladies who never get out of their apartment and who log on to the grid for no reason other than to show how obnoxious they can be.

Last Saturday night's discussion at the Second Slice Café was supposed to be about holiday memories, but instead I ended up playing whack-a-mole with the ban hammer through about half of it. We had a great turnout, but about half of them were griefers and while griefers in themselves are a nuisance, what really pickles my pixels is that I KNOW why they're there as soon as I see their avatar or read their names.

So just ban them, right?

That would be the simple thing to do, but would it be the right thing? Wouldn't that be like.. profiling? What if it is? Should I even care?

What do you think?

Moving on..

This week the topic will be:  Using SL to live out your RL fantasies

What do you do in SL that you can't do in RL? Changed genders? Explored an alternate sexual preference? Opened a business? Gotten married? Stayed single? How do you use Second Life to do all the things can't do in RL?

This Saturday at the Second Slice Café at 5pm SLT. I hope to see you there!

Mahala's Winter Romance

While out Christmas shopping last weekend, I met the nicest man. We hit it off immediately, aside from the obvious age difference. I found myself wanting to spend every spare minute in his company. He dressed a little funny and had a weird laugh, but I thought I was in love. All he talked about was wanting to sneak in my house in the middle of the night, bringing me gifts.

What more could a girl want?

Nicky was secretive about his job, I thought he ran orphanage or something because he was always talking about the little people he surrounded himself with and making toys for all the children.



We had many long, intimate discussions until the wee hours of the morning, yet he still refused to tell me his real age. I also had to talk to him about his personal hygene.. the dude NEVER changed clothes, yet oddly always smelled of gingerbread and eggnog.

Maybe it was his aftershave.. I don't know.

I started getting suspicious, with all the secrecy surrounding Nicky, my new found love, but it was hard to stay focused on finding the truth when I remembered what he could do with that fluffy, white beard when the nights are cold and a body needs warming.

Nicky was a sex machine.

In the throws of passion he did get a little down and dirty. I guess he's one of those guys who's into calling names. The first time we did the nasty (he likes to call it "exchanging gifts") I was a little taken aback when, on the verge of.. ya know.. completion.. he started screaming "HO! HO! HO!"

I wasn't sure what to say, so I just answered with, "Dat's right, and you's my jolly old pimp daddy."

He gave me a really strange look when I said it.




Once the new wore off the relationship, I started taking all the secrecy more seriously. I channeled my inner Nancy Drew and began following him, leading me to a cute little house on a snow covered sim. I pushed the unlocked door open and walked inside, shocked by what I found.

A sweatshop operation full of children with pointy ears and strange clothes. Obviously they were the children of immigrants, being forced to work in return for smuggling their families into the country.

"Hellooo," I called, hellbent on wheels to rescue these poor babies from Nicky, who just the night before had rocked my world like no other.

"No time to talk, very busy. The boss will be back soon and the toys aren't ready!" answered the little guy in the yellow hat. He seemed frightened "the boss" would come back early and he'd be in trouble. I wondered what Nicky did to them when they didn't perform to his liking.

The wild eyed look in the little guy's eyes spoke volumes.

I had to find a phone to call the authorities, but up there in the boonies, there wasn't a cell signal. I wandered up the stairs, past the poor children, who'd been worked so hard in their short lives, they had the faces of little old men. No one tried to stop me as I headed for the stairs, everyone was working so hard, they were oblivious to my movements.

I climbed the old, creaky staircase, careful to be as quiet as I could. I could hear a fire crackling in the room ahead, meaning it was probably occupied. I rounded the corner and was nearly blinded by the green glow being cast by the walls.

So much GREEN. It would have made Martha Stewart break out in hives.



I stood, dumbfounded. Magic crayons were dancing over pages in the corner, the fire crackled and popped over the barely audible sound of Christmas caroles dancing on the breeze.

And there he was, napping in the corner, snoring loudly. I suddenly forgot the sweatshop and the strange little Type A children with the weird accents downstairs when I spotted...

HIS WIFE.

And? Although she was snoozing too, I got the impression that she could TOTALLY kick my ass, so I contained my anger, turned around and quietly headed back down the steps.

Sometimes in life you just gotta pick your battles and I wasn't about to tangle with that rough lookin' chick.

I finally made it back to the cabin, put my feet up and shook my head over the whole thing. I eventually did call the authorities, but they just laughed at me. I needed to let it go, what I'd seen and more importantly how I'd fallen for old Nick.

But I'll always be a little turned on when I hear someone say, "HO HO HO."

Sarah Palin? Don't Ask Me

Last Saturday night's discussion topic centered around the validity of Second Life relationships. We pondered the reality of avatar love and with the nice, big turnout, there were lots of opinions.

The general consensus among those attending, including a SL couple, a few singles and some who were married in their first lives yet maintained relationships with others in their second life, was that feelings are real, be it first life or second life. There is always a human being behind that avatar and that person's emotions dictate their actions as they explore personal relationships with others.

Trust was a big issue as we explored this topic. There were stories of long time relationships moving into first lives, only to discover some gender specific surprises when they did. While you always hear of this happening when approaching the subject of romance on the grid and I'm sure it does, I know of a few instances myself, I don't think it happens very often.

After a while, we sort of meandered away from the "official" topic and ended up discussing Sarah Palin's turkey beheading interview from last year, the jokes started flowing, there was some man bashing, some blonde jokes and I think someone, who's name I won't mention, was sending around pictures of a ginormous pecker and claiming ownership.

I laughed so hard I snorted.

We ended up hanging out and chatting for nearly two hours about everything under the sun. It was awesome.

Towards the end, the SLag got so bad I couldn't move, so I made the decision to do something I've thought about doing for a long time. I packed everything up and shot it skyward, where it's a little easier to avoid SLag freeze. Of course, that meant I had to redecorate.. and buy stuff. Like trees. Oh and with trees, you have to have a swing.

It's like.. a rule.. and stuff.

And? I've got this thing about fire and water, so I dug around in my massive and unorganized inventory and found a beautiful stone fountain I bought ages ago that I'd  forgotten I had.

I'm still working on the fire part.

At the moment, I've got a killer snow storm going, but that's subject to change with my mood.

Ya'll be sure to come by the Second Slice Cafe this Saturday at 5pm SLT for our next chitchat. I'm still trying to come up with a topic, I'm open to suggestions.

The Underworld

I went shopping for the perfect survivor gear, complete with catnip, smokes and a bottle of milk. My search ended successfully and after grabbing what I came for, I wandered outside to take a look around, spotting an uncovered manhole in the center of the abandoned road.

You find the COOLEST stuff underground. I could barely contain my excitement as sprinted to the unprotected opening and lept inside.

A short stroll through the sewer line led to a soft glowing light, seeping in from the right. I turned a corner and after a short stroll I found this:

I took a moment to sit down and look around. The underground cavern was full of bright colors, tiny rooms, a purple river, crooked bridges and lots of "Alice" references. The fireplace felt warm and welcoming, it would be the perfect place to hide out with a friend.

I little farther down the path, I found this little table set up with a carafe of wine (okay so, I thought it sorta looked more like a spittoon, but what do I know?) so I had a seat and helped myself. After my second cup, I started to feel a little woozy. I started to wonder if drinking from random spittoons cups of wine were such a good idea. Luckily I found a place to lie down inside the tent.

As I rested, I contemplated the safety of allowing myself to drift off to sleep there in unfamiliar territory, leaving myself vulnerable to Lord knows what, but my thoughts were interrupted by a very deep sleep. (And aren't my boots just FABULOUS??)

I don't know what was in that stuff I drank, but it made for some off the wall dreams. It reminded me of that time back in my early twenties when I unknowingly smoked some laced weed and later had to stop my car in the middle of the four lane to let Smurfette cross the road. Luckily it was like three a.m. so no one noticed. I can just see me trying to explain THAT to the judge.

I didn't see Smurfette this time, but I did have strange dreams about a giant purple cat with a wicked tongue wanting to have his way with me on the mushrooms.

The next time you're out and about, take a moment to survey the ground. Is that manhole cover just for looks or is it the gateway to an underground adventure? There's only one way to find out.. hop in and go for it!

The Cornfield

A couple of weeks ago at the Saturday night discussion, I'd mentioned that residents used to be banished to a mysterious cornfield when they'd been naughty in the eyes of Linden Labs. It gave them a place to wander around and think about what they'd done along with the other bad apples. The cornfield eventually disapeared and was rumored to be no more than a SLurban myth, but long time residents swore of it's existence.

Earlier today, when I learned that the cornfield had been made available to the residents of Second Life just for Halloween 2009, I nearly squeed with glee. I couldn't wait to log on during my lunch break to go check it out.

I was greeted by Trick or Treat Linden when I tped in (pictured above.) He was like.. the Santa-O-Lantern.. with pressies and everything. A really good reporter would have opened the gift box before doing her story, but I'm not, so I didn't.  I have no idea if I got candy, the 100th freebie witch's broom so far this week or glow-in-the-dark condoms. Besides, what fun would it be for ya'll if I told you what was in the box?

The cornfield was ginormous! I had lots of ground to cover, so I ran without ryme nor reason all kittywampus in every direction, looking for cool stuff.

I ran into this dude staggering around amongst a pile of empty beer bottles. It kinda ticked me off that he had such little regard for cleanliness and upkeep of our beloved grid, so I gave him a firm talking to. I don't think he cared though, he just stood there looking stupid, even after I used my angry voice.

I'll have to admit, there were spots along the way that sorta creeped me out. There were times when I just had this uneasy feeling, like I was being watched. I tried to shrug it off, but I was convinced I was being followed. It turns out I was right. The culprits?

Butt sniffin' Hell Hounds. The stupid things are everywhere. Why don't we have a dog catcher on SL? I know, let's set up a Griefer Pound where we can toss all the trouble makers in with the wandering Hell Hounds. That way, the griefers are out of our hair and the unmannered hounds will have plenty of tushies to bury their inquisitive little faces in.

Granted, there were lots of things to see, but there were also endless rows of.. well.. corn, which made it all the sweeter when I met a real life, honest to goodness ZOMBIE!!! Better yet, this particular zombie wasn't just some prop or a n00b trying out his freebie av.. no.. he was a real undead LINDEN! Blondin Linden to be exact. And? HE SPOKE TO ME! (I'm assuming it's a he, it IS topless and there seems to be an absence of any Emerald induced bewbie jigglage.. AND this wasn't on a mature sim.)

Actual conversation between myself and Blondin Linden:

Me: "Oh.. hai!"

Blondin: "Brains."

Me: "Depends who you ask, I guess."

Then? He poofed.

After I came down from my excited giddiness.. I mean it's not everyday you have a brush with greatness.. I realized that I was going to be late getting back to work, so I stole a tractor I found sitting in a pumpkin patch and hurried back as fast as it would go.. which wasn't very.

I may have dozed off at the wheel, but I still made it back to work on time. I don't know how long the infamous cornfield will be open to the public so you'd better get down there before Halloween is over. There's no tellin' what you might find.

Here's the SLurl so you can visit for yourself!

Second Life Addiction

"If it's possible for an avatar to look crazed and delusional, this pic proves it"

(Click to embiggen)

Do you sit at work, daydreaming about decorating your Second Life home or designing the layout for the island you just bought? Does your boss walk by, shaking his head as he spots you doodling new fashion designs on the company supplied sticky notes?

There are those lucky few who can log in to the grid on company time, the self employed, the unemployed and those who have forged a career of flexi hair and designer shoes on Second Life, but the rest of us poor, working stiffs face a very real affliction...

Prim-Texture Deprivation Disorder

What can you do to alleviate the symptoms of this very real disorder? The sweaty palms, the dazed expression, the automatic reach of your hand for a mouse in order to mute the CEO during the quarterly meeting are all not only embarrassing, but could eventually lead to unemployment.

Forget food, rent and water bills, how will you pay your tier without a job? You've got two alts to support and 27 of those damned Sion chickens to feed.

Relax ya'll. There's no need to panic, I have the answer.

You can connect to an entire community of other Second Life folks on social networks like Plurk or Twitter. There's nothing to download and it's easy to keep up with either one while working on that budget proposal in the other window. To get started, you can enter "second life" as a search term to find other users and let your contact list grow from there. You can get your fashion fix from designers posting previews of their newest releases, relationship drama and the inside scoop on events or places to visit.

Too busy to do the whole social network thing while working for "the man?"

How about streaming music? Most offices allow folks to listen to radio broadcasts online, how about the streams you listen to in-world? Two of my favorites are "Martini in the Morning" and "Radio Riel." Martini in the Morning plays Rat Pack era tunes, with that old Vegas feel. You can almost hear those Harvey Wallbanger glasses clinking in the background.

Radio Riel has three streams to choose from, Traditional (pre-1950, including Celtic, Folk and more,) New Toulouse (New Orleans, Jazz, Blues, Big Band) and Steampunk (Goth, Steamwave and Dark Cabaret.) The Radion Riel Traditional stream is my personal favorite and the music I enjoy on my own land. I especially enjoy the old pirate songs and the sound of Gypsy mandolins.

It's the perfect way to forget where you really are and have just a tiny taste of your Second Life in your first life.

Other ways to get your SL fix without ending up at the soup kitchen include visiting the official Second Life forums, doing a little window shopping on XStreetSL or, of course, catching up on all your favorite SL blogs.

If you've got any other ways to stay out of the unemployment line while holding on to your sanity during working hours, drop a comment! I'd love to hear your ideas.

Until next time, I'll see ya on the grid!

Everything Old is New Again

Why didn't ya'll TELL ME????

I've tinkered with the idea of upgrading my graphics card for a while, but I didn't start to really look into it until my computer started sounding like the space shuttle whenever I ran SL for more than a few minutes. Being the cheapskate that I am, I first tried rigging up an external desk fan to cool my tower (go ahead and laugh... sounded good in theory) but then I had to deal with a whole different roaring sound.

Eventually, a combination of horror stories of melting puter innards and a quick check of Linden Labs' minimum requirements for running SL led me to decide to upgrade my old, yet dependable computer. Dell, some Plurk buddies and a sorta techy guy at work helped me sort out what I needed, where to get it and how to install it.

I'll leave the gory details of the actual installation to your imagination. It was sorta like Forest Gump trying to do algebra, underwater and blindfolded. I did, however, eventually sort it out.

Now?

I'm wandering around the grid like a n00b in a strip club, constantly amazed at the newly discovered appearance of...

Grass.

Who knew it could actually look like.. well.. GRASS?

And Alejandro? He's zooming around like he's on turtle crack.

If ya'll can't find me, I'll probably be holed up in a forest glen somewhere, in a daze as I zoom in on the texture of a tiny mushroom.

Don't Forget to Play

The past few months in Second Life have been busy, awesome and just a tad bit stressful all at one time. Normally, I love the busy pace, but when you add in a little more RL stress than usual, it starts to be too much.

I needed a break.

I wiggled out of the tight, formal dresses and wore my comfy Panthers jersey and faded jeans, postponed interviews, put off major business decisions for a few days and  hid from everyone.

It was time to get out and explore.

Have you ever opened your search page and typed in random words, like.. "weird" or "strange" or "oddity?" Well, you should. There's some freaky stuff out there. I'm not posting SLurls.. get out and find them!


I've noticed that in SL, more and more people are logging on and spending all their time working. Isn't that what we're trying to escape? There's more to life than working and shopping. Stop hiding behind your glowing red banlines, your nose to the virtual grindstone and get out there! Kick off your scultpie shoes and fly into sims unknown. There's STUFF people. Lots of STUFF. Silly stuff, childish stuff.. FUN STUFF.

When was the last time you sat on a pink, pulsating brain? It may be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing again.

The Truth About Furries

Furries... The wild, sexual deviants of Second Life or innocent victims of rumor and prejudice?

I went to the Second Life Wikia for their definition of Furry:

"A furry or "anthro" (short for anthropomorphism) is an avatar that has both human and animal qualities. An example is a fox that has five fingers and walks on two legs in a bipedal fashion. In Second Life, "furry" avatars are those which use prim attachments to reflect upon a certain animal or mythical creature while keeping the basic humanoid framework."

Sounds innocent enough.

One of my past relationships was with a knuckle dragging neanderthal who boasted himself to be both biker and scripter, neither of which turned out to be true.. but that's another story entirely.. who had a deep hatred for Furries. He'd often arrive in a cloud of dramatic particles, his hat pulled down over his face, weilding a spear adorned with the bloody head of a newbie Furry avatar.

Needless to say, the relationship didn't last long. I do have my limits.

Since then, I've encountered more than a few people with strong opinions about Furries, but when I questioned their motives, I couldn't get a straight answer other than "perverts."

I decided to take my question to the infohubs and see what I could find out. My first stop was Moose Beach.

Mahala Roviana: anoyone here willng to answer a few questions about Furries for my blog?

Mona Chronowire: Ask away Mahala

Mahala Roviana: Okay Mona.. would you date a furry?

Mona Chronowire: Sure - why not.

Mahala Roviana: Alot of ppl seem to have strong opinions about Furries in Sl, I'm just trying to find out why

Mona Chronowire: For the record though -- I'm a shape shifter on another ALT...

Mona Chronowire: so I'm a Furry from time to time myself.

Mahala Roviana: oh coolness :)

Mona Chronowire: I do not Yiff

Mona Chronowire: though.

Mahala Roviana: do you think that's what most people seem to focus on?

Mona Chronowire: could be. Most of the furries I know -- few if any do that - that I am aware of.

Mahala Roviana: I've heard it, but I'm not sure what it means. Can you explain "Yiff" in PG terms?

Mona Chronowire: Sexual intercourse....but more like an orgy.

Mona Chronowire: was that PG?

I'd heard the term "Yiff" in some circles, spotted the word on some search pages. I didn't have a clue what it actually meant. My imagination ran wild with descriptions of bodily fluids, awkward positions, inanimate objects.
My imagination is a scary place.


Regardless, I had a hard time believing "Yiff" was simply a euphanism for Furry sex.

I turned to the Wikipedia description:
"The term "yiff" is most commonly used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom—this applies to sexual activity and interaction within the subculture" and according to other sources, it is derived from the sound made my mating artic foxes.

Is that all? Apparently my imagination is way more perverted than actual Furries.

I decided to dig a little further and made my way to Hyles, where I presented the same question:

Mahala Roviana: I'm doing a blog story and I'm trying to find out why they're so disliked

Poot Dibou: who are disliked?

Mahala Roviana: Furries

Poot Dibou: are they?

Mahala Roviana: it's been my experience..

Poot Dibou: isnt it just like disliking transvestives, or any one who doesn't conform to the norm?

Mahala Roviana: I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out

Poot Dibou: how?

Mahala Roviana: there used to be a guy at my old hub who walked around with a furry head on a spike

Poot Dibou: if you ask people directly, how will you know they are being honest?

Mahala Roviana: and many acted as if that were acceptable

Poot Dibou: I suspect they will not reveal their true feelings

Poot Dibou: there seems to be a myth that furries = sexual pervert

Poot Dibou: and also that child av = sexual pervert

Mahala Roviana: I guess then one has to define what is perverted

Poot Dibou: but if the myth is being propogated by non-furries, non-child ONLY because they dont understand it

Poot Dibou: then this is why they are unliked

Mahala Roviana: that makes sense

Name Withheld: Hello

Poot Dibou: (Name withheld), hey, do you consider yourself a furry?

Mahala Roviana: Hi (name withheld) :)

Name Withheld: kind of

Poot Dibou: I just arrived a min ago and heard Mahala say she was researching why people hate Furries here

Poot Dibou: I said I reckoned it was because they're equated with sexual perverts, as child avs are

Poot Dibou: and that people don't like 'un'normal things, such as transvertites

Name Withheld: yeah, I think it's because of the sexual things. A lot of furries are into that

Poot Dibou: but is it most?

Poot Dibou: is being furry like wearing a badge to say "I'm available"?

Name Withheld: I think most are either sexually active in SL or look at furry porn.

Poot Dibou: FURRY PORN?!

Mahala Roviana giggles

Name Withheld: yeah, drawings

Poot Dibou: okay, so they ARE perverts, then

Poot Dibou: maybe deserve head on stick, Mah?

Poot Dibou: :-)

After my visits to the infohubs, I decided that maybe there really wasn't anything to this big Furry mystery at all. I know I've heard that the Furry culture was more accepting to alternative lifestyles and that there are strong ties to the Gay and Lesbian community. Could that be the basis for all the Furry bashing in Second Life?

I stopped by Luskwood to find out for myself. Prepared to face piles of fur engaged in deviant sexual acts, human sacrifice and baby eating, instead I found a nice group of indviduals, discussing the evenings dinner plans. The wildest thing I witnessed was a recipe involving Skittles, vodka and a Mason jar.

I'm sure there are Furries out there participating in carnal acts that would make your Grandma's toenails curl, but I'm just as sure that if you wander the grid long enough, you'll find just as much, if not more, raunchy nookie action performed by human avatars.

We have to stop jumping to conclusions, passing judgement on individuals based on outward appearances.

In both worlds.

Too Busy to Date Your Avatar

This was just too precious not to share. I think I'm in love with the zebra.

What I Was Going to Write

I was planning a story on the baby farm next door to Second Slice Cafe. I took lots of pictures, I took notes, I intended to expose them for bucking Linden Labs' traffic system by storing around 13 bots on a platform over their "clinic."

I wanted to poke fun at their fuggly prim babies and shoddy looking lobby, but honestly, I was just ticked off about the lag.



Then, they moved them to cold storage, inside this skybox. I figured, it would be harder to prove that way than it would be if they were just standing around on a platform..



So I let myself inside and took more pics of all the avs standing around in a daze. I even tried to strike up a conversation, just to be sure.

That's right.. I infiltrated the enemy's camp, risked my own life for the story.

It was going to be GREAT.

But then, I logged on this morning to check my own traffic and was surprised by the ease with which I moved. Something was different. I checked my mini map, looking for the cluster of sky bots, only to find..

Nothing. The baby farm was gone.


So my first big "expose'" was a bust. Not to worry, I'm told I've got a nose for trouble. I'll see what I can sniff out for next time.

See ya on the grid!

Watch Where You Put that Cow

My second discussion event was sort of a bust.. or a success.. depending on how you look at it. I had a total of six people show up. One of those never spoke nor moved from the tp spot and another was brand, spanking new.

I think we may have scared her into selling her computer, changing her name and moving to a remote island where there's no chance of ever getting internet access.

The four who remained and I had a blast. As we shared our Second Life embarrassing stories, Franz took the prize (well.. if there had been an actual prize.. I'll work on that.) He told us of his earliest days on the grid and how he refused to spend any "real" money, leading to his finding a freebie shop, grabbing a collection of animals and wearing them all as attachments, in lieu of clothing.

Of course, we demanded pictures, but Franz did one better, he logged off and on to his old account to retrieve his old av, then showed up at the cafe wearing a suit consisting of two flaming cows, a pink flamingo, an elephant, a black cat and Lord only knows what else.

Noticing the position of one of the flaming cows, I made some reference to "Where's the Beef" while another lady in the group said something about "cowlicks" and it all pretty much went to hell from there. Before we knew it, I'd strapped on a dancing chicken and the conversation turned to the rules of Gor and.. well.. it's all a blur after that.

I wish you could have been there. Maybe next time.

Thats it for this week's slice. I'll see ya'll on the grid.

Embarrasing Moments

***** ANNOUNCEMENT *****

Our next discussion is going to be this Wednesday night, 6:00 pm SLT at the Second Slice Cafe. The topic: Most Embarrassing Moments.

You know you've got'em. Forgot you were naked (or at least scantily clad in the latest sleaze-wear) when you logged off last, logging back in, showing all of SL all your glory? Accidentally attached your spiffy new freenis instead of the hat you were going for... on your head? Deleted your house, IMed the wrong person or worse, sent a little sexy time chat to the open sim instead of your partner?

We've all got embarrassing moments to share. If you're new to SL and haven't had the pleasure of flashing your goods in public.. accidentally, of course... or you're just too ashamed to admit it, that's okies. You can still come by, have a laugh or two and make some new friends. If we get bored, there's always the jukebox.

I expect to see you all there. Don't make me come after you. I'll do it.

In other news....

I twisted my neighbors arm, begged, pleaded and bargained to get him to accompany me to Davide Paravane's latest performance last night. Unfortunately, I hadn't considered my crappy, begging to be replaced graphics card, combined with a large crowd, when he suggested we dance.

Oh. My. Gawd the SLag.

I tried to type, "OMG I love this song!" only it came out as, "Ogov eis ng." I hate when the SLag monster eats half my words. I feel like I just fell on the grid yesterday. I don't blame SL.. completely.. it's mostly on my end. I know that. I need to upgrade.

Afterwards, my kindhearted neighbor suggested we go hang out at the bar.. on the other side of the club. I tried to move forward, but nothing happened. I waited a second.. then tried again. I got frustrated and did the one one thing you should never do in these situations. I stabbed the hell out of my arrow key. When my granny graphics card caught up with me, my CPU sounded like the Space Shuttle by then, little Mahala went shooting across the dance floor at warp speed, taking down a few avs along the way.

There is good reason why I just stand in the corner and look cute in large crowds. I'm not really that shy. I'm just rendered helpless by my lack of the latest technological advances.

Ah well, back to the other life. I'm looking forward to seeing ya'll Wednesday night. Be there or be orthogonal! (Look, I made geek humor!)