An Average Guy on Second Life

There is a small...um...challenge, contest, fun little game going around on many of the fashion blogs, bout "What's in your bag!". Given that I don't HAVE a bag, I kinda felt left out.

So, I decided to extend the fun, to a "What's in your pockets!" game.

So here is what is in MY pockets.




1) Two sets of keys...cause..I drive two cars.

2) Two Flash drives...cause I have more stuff than fits on one flash drive

3) Leatherman. Cause you never know what tool you will need.

4) Chewing gum.

5) Wallet that is soo old, that I will not even open it up to show you. I just hate shopping for wallets!

6) Sprint Wireless Cell card, for those times when I just cannot find a land ISP.

7) Pile of paperwork, receipts and notes that I REALLY need to go through, and probably will after I am done with this post.

Now, aren't you glad you know?

Who is next!

I have been hearing and reading about how people that don't understand SL think its JUST a game.

For those of us who know better, I am not gonna rehash all of those discussions, because not only do I not want to be redundant, but for those of us who know, its like trying to explain love to someone who has never been in it, or sex to someone who has never had it. You just cannot explain it.

So, why am I writing all of this? Well, because there is one aspect of this "game" that I have touched on before, but always seems to get overlooked.

This "game" elicits REAL emotions in people. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes between. I cannot tell you how many times I have come into SL, and not been in the best of moods, but either something, or someone inworld, made me laugh, smile, and genuinely raised my spirits.

I am not saying that SL is the ONLY "game" that does this. Emotions are a big part of any game, usually to the players detriment (i.e. poker, if you show your emotions, you lose). But on the other hand, the rush of winning a game, is nothing to shake a stick at..(nudge nudge)

In its simplest terms, SL is enough of an environment to connect with our emotional selves. The visual, audio, textual inputs all touch us in many many ways. It can be as simple as playing with a SL pet, to make a RL smile appear on a otherwise frowny face.

So for all those people who don't "get" it, try not to worry about it. They might someday, but till then, you can take solice in the fact, that you know something they don't. And that in itself, should make you smile.

Now go out, RL or SL, and have some FUN!

(HAD to share this...made me laugh!)

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term.

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:


Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave.

Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's
Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

I don't know about you, but I seem to spend a lot of time, just standing around in SL.

I don't mean that in a bad way, but I talk to people...A LOT! Or I am doing something either in my inventory, with scripts, writing notecards to people offline, or working on something in RL that may PERTAIN to SL, but not really DOING anything in SL at that particular time.

For a while I was content with just standing around, because really...its NOT like my legs are gonna get tired, right?

Well, I got bored with that, so I decided to find some nice chairs for my place. That worked pretty well. But I am not always AT my place, when I have ...um...idle time?

So, I made sure I had some good SIT animations in my AO, so if I happen to be someplace else I could just grab a seat...and rest *grins.

That works out pretty well, but recently I have been kinda feeling a bit bored with just sitting. I have been feeling that I wanted something a bit more.

So, as I tend to do, I was browsing XSTREET and came across this GREAT little item. It's an attachment...that allows you to JUGGLE! Yes, thats right...JUGGLE! I am having such a BLAST with it! And you don't even have to worry bout REZ rights, cause...(drum roll please)..Its an attachment!





This little toy was created by Sway Dench. As I always do, I tracked down her shop, which was filled with some FABULOUS animations, and animated furniture. It really caught my eye, because there are some things there that I could totally see myself using...for those times, when I am not DOING anything in SL, but still want to be doing more than just standing around, or sitting in a chair.

I will let you discover the other great stuff she has over at her shop, which is located HERE.

You can find the juggling attachment there, and on XSTREET HERE..

btw, the juggling set, both balls and bowling pins, is only $150 lindens on XSTREET. Just a deal, for a little harmless fun!

Now go add a little MORE fun...to your SL!

P.S. btw...some GREAT gift ideas over at this shop, so before you give up...check out Sway's Shops!

...how a new haircut, can make you walk with a new spring in your step?

Doesn't have to be a haircut either...but something that makes you "feel" like you look good....which can actually translate, into "feeling" good.

Nobody likes to admit that looking good...makes you feel good. But, hate to break it too you all, especially you guys, it does! I don't seem to have that problem.

I LIKE looking good. And when I feel like I look good...I feel a bit more confident in my daily activities.

I know that for example...when I get my hair cut in RL...I feel a bit better...I know I look better than all shaggy...so I feel a bit better (not counting all the damn hair that ALWAYS gets into my shirt).

So maybe I should not be surprised...that if I change my avatar, or get a new shirt, jeans, or a cool pair of shoes inworld...that my avatar seems to walk with a bit of a stronger strut than normal.

(I am gonna tell you a secret...guys primp just as much as girls do. We just don't like to talk about it)

And you know what else? Other people notice also. Sometimes I wonder if its the new clothes, the new hair, the new shoes..OR..just that I am liking how I look..so my energy is different.

People that know me, will notice new hair...or even a new outfit...and women..god love'em...will notice new shoes...:)

But I think it mostly has to do with the energy. If you feel good...you put out good energy. So why not do something that makes you feel good, everyday!

I say, get some new hair, a new shirt, new jeans...or some new shoes. Hell, get a new gun, a new car, boat, plane..whatever turns you on! It's one of the wonderful things about his crazy little world. You can get stuff, for really not A LOT of currency, relative to RL....and trust me...you WILL get that same "Damn...I look GOOD!" feeling from a sharp looking avatar, as you do in RL.

Put a little more spring in your step today! Indulge yourself a little bit.

I will add a little note for the guys. New toys are great...but I would recommend...getting a woman who you know has good taste...to go shopping with you. You have to like HER taste in what she buys for herself, and also stay within a style YOU like, but ask for advice. I promise you...you will NOT be sorry. Put the ego away...the benefits...will be enormous!

Talk to you soon!

I was playing around in a sandbox the other day (the SL kind..:) ), where I was throwing some home design ideas around. A friendly guy walked up to me, and asked me what I was doing. "Trying out some ideas" I responded. "What are those prims you are using?" he asked. So I told him.

For quite a long time now, I have been using Skidz Primz for all my building projects. I found them early on in my experience here, and just fell in love with them. What are Skidz Primz you ask? Let me tell YOU also!

Skidz Primz are enhanced prims, taking the ordinary SL prim to new heights. They are scripted, to make all your building projects fast and easy. You can read about them here.

When I first started building, I quickly realized how frustrating it can be, positioning prims to each other (cause EVERYTHING in SL is made of prims). Connecting prims to each other is the fundamental essence of building in SL. To make anything, you much connect prims together, and Skidz makes that SOO easy, its almost embarrassing.

Because Skidz makes things SOOO simple....I have found that I am able to try ideas out so quickly, and determine if it will be a feasible idea or not, without a lot of wasted time. I really hate getting bogged down in a bunch of math and manual positioning, just to try a quick idea out.

Skidz has much more than just the Skidz Primz, but that is the main tool I use. You can see all they have to offer over on their website

I did start to wonder though...given that I have been spending some time in sandboxes recently, why I had not seen anybody else using them. So I talked to a few builders I know...and the answers were interesting. Mostly it seemed that they had learned to build in a particular way, and were comfortable with that. Doing the math, manually moving prims, was just their WAY. One even said, without even trying Skidz out, that there was NO way that Skidz could do it better than his way. Not even sure how you respond to that...but...whatever floats your boat!

Building something, hopefully something that people want, is a great way to make money in SL. I guess I have just always been of the mindset that if a tool can makes something you do faster and easier, why not USE it! I guess people get set in their ways in SL as much as they do in RL.

Not only are Skidz Primz extremely easy to use, they have made some amazing tutorials that you can view on the web. I have watched them, and even though I use Skidz all the time, I still learn new things about what they are capable of doing.

Bottom line, if you are a builder, you owe it to yourself, to take a look at the Skidz line of tools. I promise you will not be sorry.

Skidz Primz are available on XStreetSL for $2650 lindens, or thier sim Snow Crash

On their website, you can find information about all the products, and even classed that are held, to demonstrate, and use this wonderful tool.

Now...Go out there and GET IT!

Till next time!

It's funny how the simplest little things, can really make your life easier, Even in SL.

I was helping a friend put up a skybox the other day and as we were flying around trying to pick out a good spot, elevation wise, she asked me a question. "How do I know where my land borders are?"

I just floated there. I really didn't have an answer for her. Fortunately, another friend of ours did. He whips out this fantastically handy little gadget, called the "Skybuild Land Border Detector V2".

This is such a handy little tool, I had to ask him bout it. He sent me the link to where he bought it on SLExchange (which btw, is now called XStreetSL? whatever! :) ). Under either name, its still my favorite way to shop in SL!

Now, placing ANYTHING in the sky, can be somewhat of a challenge. I suggest that once you find an altitude you think you like, click the build button, and drop a prim out. This way, you can rez things like skybox rezzors, or land border detectors.

So, this is REALLY simple. You rez a prim, at your desired altitude. Then rez the "Skybuild Land Border Detector V2". It comes out as a green trangle. You just click on the triangle, and a menu pops up, and you click "Find Border". THAT'S IT!

This little tool will run off, and find the corners of your lot, then come right back to you. It puts a marker on each corner, glowing, so you can see it (going to midnight will help with this). ALSO, you can click the tool again, and tell it to put a 'string' between the corners, so you can actually SEE the lot lines, at ALL altitudes. It is VERY VERY cool.

Once we had that out, putting up the skybox was a breeze. Moving it so that it fit within the lot lines, was SOO easy.

"Skybuild Land Border Detector V2" was created by Christi Whetmore. Christi not only sells this fantastically handy little tool on XStreetSL , but also has a cute little shop, located in the Telea SIM.

I want to personally THANK Christi for this little tool. I cannot believe I have put so many things in the air, WITHOUT IT!

So the next time you are even THINKING about putting something in the air over your land, go see Christi first, you will not be disappointed.

OH! and the best part? its only $99 Lindens! WHAT A DEAL!

Go get it, RIGHT NOW. And get one for a friend while you are at it!

For a long long time now, I have considered myself a prim whore. Its a title I have given myself, and wear it with pride.

My first skybox I ever rented, had I think 300 or so prims available. I really didn't know what that meant at the time, but it became clear pretty darn quickly.

As most of you know, "things" in SL are made of prims. EVERYTHING, or almost everything, is made of prims. When you look at renting a place, or buying some land, you will find that they list square meters (the area of the place), the tier (or rent), and the available prims, which is another way of saying how much STUFF you can have on your land.

I am sure there is a formula somewhere, on how they figure out the prims available, but after I learned what that really meant, I started to always use that prim count, as my gauge on what land I wanted.

Now, as I said...I have very expensive prim tastes...so after running out of prims on my first rental pretty quickly, I really started to look around more. That was when I found that there are some sims, that give you more prims than others.

There are double prim sims (my personal favorite), 1.5x sims, even 1.1x sims. I even created a spreadsheet, that instead of calculating lindens per sqm, which is how most people list land, showed me what I was paying per prim. It really helped me find the best land, for my tastes, at the best price.

What's interesting about all this, is that I get asked a lot about land, cause I talk to a LOT of people, and having the experience I do, they want to know what I know. When I talk about prim counts, I usually just get a glazed look, and that part gets passed over. I do try and stress it, but I think its that they have NO idea how important it is, till they experience a prim shortage on their land.

So I am talking to a friend last night, and she admitted to me, that when I first brought up the issue of prims, she thought I was kinda nuts. BUT..she has owned land since then, and I have watched her go to progressively larger lots, cause she wanted more prims. I didn't say anything, cause nobody likes a bragger, but I did laugh to myself quite a bit.

She calls me over last night, cause she lost some prims...and I am an ACE prim finder, and we are chatting along. She says "I know I teased you bout your thoughts on land and prims, and I want you to know...YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY right!" All I could do was smile..:)

Anyway, so here is my advise to you. If you are looking to rent a place, or buy some land, you might want to get a prim count on the house/furniture/toys you are gonna want to have there, and make sure whatever place you get, has enough prims. OTHERWISE, you are gonna be moving sooner than you think, so put that new hot tub in you have your eye on, or that helicopter you want to park on the roof!

It's ALL about the prims, baby!

You know, when I first arrived in Second Life (SL), it was pretty overwhelming. Given that its different than most computer games, where there are defined levels, rules, and procedures, SL reminded me of the old west, were you came, and you staked your claim, and made a go of it.

I have mentioned before that I meet and talk to lots of people during my SL travels. A fairly large part of that group, are NEW people, avatars that have only been around a day or so, or even just a bit longer, but still learning the ropes.

I do like to talk to these new folks, cause I learn interesting things, such as how they found SL, what do they think so far, what have they liked, disliked, etc. I am always curious as to how different people view this amazing little world of ours.

Probably one of the more common questions I get, even from people just hours old, is "How do I get money in here?". I think its a valid question, I guess I am just surprised at how quickly that becomes an issue.

Not really sure why it is either. I know I spent quite a bit of time just looking around before I started to...um...WANT stuff. Maybe times have changed?

Anyway, from my experience, there are a couple of ways to "earn" lindens, so lets talk about each of them.

1. Camping - Basically someone pays you to stand/sit/dance in a spot. They do this, to build up their traffic numbers, so their little corner of SL, be it a club, a shop, or an entire mall will show up on a search higher (sort of like a google rating). I don't really know EXACTLY how that all works, but that is basic idea. I have seen lots of different amounts paid for each block of time, so you really just have to look around. Searching on "camping" should be a good place to start. I have even known long time residence, to create an alt, sometimes even several.

2. Begging - Not particularly in favor of this one, but I have had it happen to me. I have been hanging out with friends, and there would be someone in the group, usually a newbie, that would see that I have lots of toys, or a nice house, and ask me for some lindens, cause OBVIOUSLY, I have TONS. This would be like someone standing on a corner, begging for real money. I work hard for it in RL, so why would I give it to someone else, unless "I" decided to.

Now granted, I buy things for friends all the time, but it is MY choice. I like doing it, it makes me happy, but these friends never ASK for them. It is MY choice to do it, nobody else's.

(OK, breath....sorry :) )

3. Games - I would normally call this "gambling", but officially "gambling" is prohibited in SL, so its not referred to as "gaming". Lots of ways to "win" money in SL. Tringo, Zyngo, etc, seem to be all the rage right now. They are games of chance, but because of some technicality, they are not considered "gambling". Who knows.

4. Getting a job - Now, this is where things can get interesting. Having talked to a lot of people, it seems that men and women approach this task very differently. Almost all of the guys I talked to, did camping. A few, were trying to learn to build things, or write scripts, to sell, which is an admiral goal. Nothing wrong with camping mind you, I just like to see people exercising their creativity!

Now, as for the women I talked to: I dont know if its advise they are getting, but it seems a LOT of newbie women, end up trying to be dancers. And again, nothing wrong with that, I just find it interesting. Tips can be very good being a dancer, but its not a slam dunk, by any means. You have to be able to get hired at a busy club, you have to have a good looking avatar to even GET hired at a busy club, and you HAVE to know how to communicate with your clientele. Not every woman can do that, but it seems to be a popular starting point.

There are a number of women, that take it a step further, and become escorts. I have known a few escorts, that have done VERY well for themselves, but as I mentioned above, you have to have a knack for it. You have to know how to communicate with your clientele. You also have to BUILD that clientele, which is of course marketing. Not a quick cashflow job, but can turn into a nice recurring cash flow business, if you do it right.

What about Male escorts you ask? Well, I have only HEARD of a few, and I stress FEW, that have actually been able to make some good lindens at it. There are plenty of male dancers, and more and more women only clubs, with male dancers and such, popping up in SL, but from all the people I have talked to, its NOT an easy thing to do.

What does that say about the difference between men and woman in SL? Well, I think I will save that for ANOTHER entry...:)

So, that is a few ways to make some lindens. This VERY small list is by no means all the ways to earn Lindens, but some of the more common ways I have seen.

Want to hear how "I" do it? No? To bad, I am gonna tell you anyway.

I basically just buy lindens. While I do like to create things, I really am not in a place where I can build something, market it, and all that it takes to launch a product. I consider SL my hobby, so just as any other hobby, I spend RL money on it. That is my choice, and I do not look down on anybody that does NOT do that. Many people in SL, are not in a position to spend RL money inworld.

But, I do post this thought I occasionally have. On average, I think 250 lindens, cost bout 1 USD (it fluctuates, so that is a guess). So, for the price of a GOOD cup of coffee, you could build up your SL bank, pretty quickly. Is it just me that has this thought?

Now having said that, I will admit to something. When I first started SL, I did not spend money in here. I didn't think I would be inworld all that long. After being inworld longer and longer, I started to spend a little cash here and there. So, it was a progressive thing for me. I also had some very nice people, help me along the way, helping me get better skins, and clothes, spending THEIR lindens on me, cause they were very nice, and wanted me to fit in better. It was very sweet of them, and I thank them to this day for their help.

Which brings me to the "pay it forward" part of all this. I help newcomers all the time, it does make me smile to show someone what SL is capable of. I enjoy watching them grow in here, and have made some of my closest friends, from just helping a newbie. Not all of them stay, obviously, but the ones that do, I hope they will help someone else new, down the line.

Till next time!

Hello everybody! :)

A couple of posts ago, I talked about the new, well, relatively new Showcase feature in Search. I also mentioned that I have been checking out some of these places, and have found some really cool places.

With life being so busy (both RL and SL), I made sure I made some notes about a place that I really liked. I have been keeping an eye on the list of places shown in the Showcase list, and it does seem to change quite frequently, so I am glad I kept my notes!

Anyway, one of the first places I visited is called Garden Of Dreams. Even the landing point was impressive!



So, I teleported up to the beach first (there were 5 destinations available from the landing point). I started at the beach. I just sat down for a bit, and just took it all in. The textures are just amazing! Take a look for yourself....



AND...



Remember my entry about Sculpties..and how they changed the look of of SL? This is a PERFECT example!

Everywhere you look, there is a beautiful site to see.



And, as an added bonus, there are places to dance with that special person in your SL! Each location seems to either a dance ball or two, or one of those wonderful dance machines...for couples! This is a GREAT date location!



This is just a small sample of the beauty I found at this SIM!

There is also a store at this location, which is pretty typical. But...this is not just a store of clothes and other things! At this shop all, or at least most, of the items you see on this SIM, all the things they used to create this wonderful place!

Which means...if you want to create your own little paradise, you can get all you need right here!

So, next time you are wondering what to do...or just looking for someplace new to explore, then stop by Garden of Dreams. And also keep using the Showcase feature, because I am still finding some cool places from that list!

Ok, a few more shots from my visit!







Have a great day everybody!

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I have been popping around the new Showcase list, looking at what was there. Have to say I saw some amazing places, which I will go into more detail in a later posting.

For THIS post, I wanted to talk about what happened at one of these places, and what I have done since then.

So, I was just walking around this very nice sim, and some griefer walks up to me, starts swearing at me...and attacks me. I just cannot begin to tell you how pissed off I was. How some people can do that, is just so far out of my realm, that I have to admit, I am at a loss to explain it.

BUT...I started thinking. What can the Average Guy,do to protect himself in the future? And thus a journey began.

So, I started thinking about it. I have used weapons in SL, with my friends, and they can be lots of fun. But, I don't really have a need for them ALL the time. And, to be quite honest, I don't want to be walking around with some weapon hanging off me, JUST in case. Seems like the griefers would win in that case, causing me to change my SL behavior. Can't let THAT happen. :)

So, I started looking into shields. I played with alot of different ones, to see, first if they would actually work for what I wanted, and second, how easy they would work. I have to say, it was a VERY interesting experiment/test.

Now, after all my experiments and testing, I think I have found a VERY effective tool to use in these situations.

Now, just so you understand my modivation here, I was looking for something that could be easily deployed, and basically thwart these juvenile avatars, who think they are SOO funny, when disturbing other people. I was not looking for a weapon, cause that just feeds into the whole thing. Just something to keep them from causing you, as in me, to much hassle.

Most of the sheilds I found are part of an overall weapon system, which was way overkill for what I had in mind. I really had no desire for offensive weapons at this point, for many reasons (I plan on talking about weapons at a later time, for one reason..:) ).

The testing was interesting. I would go to a public sandbox, and basically stand around. Every so often, some avatar would come by and shoot me, or try and drop something on me...weird stuff like that, for no real reason. Was not like I had a sign over my head or something. (I did later, but I will get to that), but that does not seem to be that unusual.

On top of that, people leave traps, and other things around...to annoy people I guess. I started to notice...that my shields were activating....even though I could not see what was activating them. Was kinda interesting.

Now, as I said before, I use Mystitools, and there is a feature in Mystitools that tells me when something has collided with me. I have grown accustomed to that feature, and it would be a nice feature in a shield. I did find one that reported what hit it, but it was not my final pick, so, maybe for future updates...:)

Despite being that curious about what was trying to get to me, I thought about it and realized that to me, the main purpose of the shield was just to keep me where I was, not let some 12 yr old in a basement somewhere disturb me and what I was doing. Does that seem like too tall an order?

I thought about it more, and it seemed there were two scenarios that are part of this. 1) I am just out exploring, and some immature little brat who thinks its fun to be an ass comes along and tries to put a cage around me, or bump me or something, OR 2) I am in a sandbox, working on something, and these same idiots are just out to cause mischeif. Either way, I just dont want to be disturbed.

So, with that in mind, I started sorting through the different sheilds I could find, no matter if there were part of a weapons package or not. I even had a few friends, use some of thier weapons on me, to get a good feel for what the shield might really be capable of. Have to tell you...that part was kinda FUN!

Anyway, going through each one, looking at all thier options, how they worked, how easy was it to use, blah blah blah, I was getting pretty discouraged. Not at the products themselves, cause they were doing what they were designed to do, which was be a tool for battle, just that it was really more than I wanted.

Then it happened. I was looking through a weapons package, and I noticed a object called "Full Shields". Seemed odd, but I put it on. No hud to wear, I even was watching transparent prims, and nothing appeared around me. That in itself was odd, cause most of the shielding seemed to work by puting up an invisible set of prims around you, all the time. At first, I thought something was wrong, since I didn't seem to have actually done anything.

I just kept on working, and was just standing in the middle of a sandbox, sorting my recent inventory into some appropriate folders (I DO try and keep things sorted, but have to say, thank GOD for search), when I noticed something on the screen behind my inventory window. When I minimized it, I saw what looked like a shield, suddenly rezzing between me and this ball that was rolling around me.

Now, I have to admit..this shield thingy looked very cool. But I had no idea what it was. I did a quick filter on my inventory, to see what I was wearing, and quickly discovered that I was still wearing the "Full Shields". As I was doing this, some putz walks up to me...and starts shooting me! That is when the show REALLY started.

I pulled back my camera, and just watched for about 2 minutes, as this .. this ...PERSON, tried to throw everything he had at me, and this shield just kept blocking it, everything was just bouncing off, and I was not moving a centimeter (or even an inch!).

I have to admit, I was impressed. So, I started going around to different sandboxes, to see what would happend (seems there is never a griefer around, when you NEED one, SHEESH!). I also started digging a bit more into this shield I had found. My results were pretty consistant in the sandboxes, even had a few of these guys try and cage me, with very little success. Plus, I have to admit, was kinda fun to see them try!

This particular shield, was part of a bigger package called "Punisher HUD", which I will talk about in a minute. It also had some items called "Interceptors", which is kinda like a shield, but is suppose to "intercept" objects that are moving towards you. I played with those a bit also, and they were kinda interesting, and again, were very simple to use, just wear, and forget!

The "Full Shield" however, seemed to combine the "shield" and the "interceptor" parts, in a very easy to use package. So easy to use, that I would have recommended that people get the whole "Punisher HUD", just for the shielding! I had even thought of sending the creator a note, asking if he would consider selling the shields separatly. Come to find out, however, that the shields, and the interceptors, are ALREADY available separatly! WOOHOO!

Now, I might be able to make a case to go for the whole package anyway, and I will explain that in a moment, but I want to talk about the different components first.

Without getting all technical and such, there are some different options on the interceptors that I found interesting. There is an object interceptor, with different visual options (lights, bling, etc), and there is a Avatar Interceptor, with the same options, but instead of just blocking objects, it blocks Avatars from bumping you.

Most of the time, I think that would just be a nusance, but in certain situations, like working in a sandbox, I can see where that would be VERY handy. And again, VERY easy, just wear and forget!

So, after all this searching, and quite honestly, was not expecting to find anything that was helpful for my original quest, I am THRILLED to say, I think I found another tool, that will find a permanent place in my arsenal!

Ok, so here are the details. There are three actual product packages available. All three of these products are made by Flew Voom, and sold on SLX and Inworld, by B00tsy Compton. According to B00tsy's profile, that is the business account for Flew Voom. So, I guess that means they are one and the same..:)

Here are the links for SLExchange:

The Punisher HUD

The Pulsar R3 Interceptors

AND

The Pulsar R2 Shielding System

All three products are also available inworld at *$*BK*$* Weapons Store & Hangout

Prices are as follows:

Punisher HUD - $1250 Lindens

Pulsar R3 Interceptors only - $525 Lindens

Pulsar R2 Shielding System Only - $525 Lindens

Now, if you want some cool weapons along with these awesome shields, I would highly recomment the full Punisher HUD. PLUS, there is a feature that you can share the shields with a friend...which is a VERY cool feature.

NOW...for some pictures..:)



Just me, out for a nice casual stroll



A nafarious character appears



for NO apparent reason, lobs a grenade at me



and its quickly and effectively blocked by my SHIELDS!..YAY!



Then, an attempt to shoot me....



Which you can see, just bounced off, and actually almost got my attacker!



So then, figuring his weapons were ineffective, he would try and bump me..BUT NO DICE THERE EITHER!...muaahahaha



He keeps trying....obviously frustrated!



Tries one last time....and our little encounter is over...

I am always looking for good tools, so please don't hesitate to let me know what YOU like using in SL!

Till next time.

Ok, so I have finally been able to spend some time in SL, as RL has begun to settle down a bit. SHEESH!

Anyway, I am sure many of you have seen the new "Showcase" tab in the Search button, Right?!!!

Well, I have been checking some of the sites out, and I have to say, I REALLY like this search feature.

There is critiera to get your site onto this list, and that can be found right here: Showcase FAQ

I have been bouncing around to different entries, and I have to say, I have been pretty impressed with many of them. People are creating some VERY amazing places!

Now, I have to warn you, I have had some interesting experiences also, which I will write about a bit later, cause they led me down an interesting path, but overall, its been a VERY fun little trip, down that Showcase list.

Anyway, if you are standing around, either by yourself, or with some friends, trying to figure out what to DO today..(remember those days? When you sat around with your friends, and tried to find something FUN to do?)..Take a walk down the Showcase list. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Till next time

MAN, does RL throw some interesting things at you at times!

I have been dying to get back to this blog, and write write write, cause I have SOO much I want to write about, but I cannot seem to get even 30 minutes of uninterrupted time, to sit down, and write. SHEESH

I have been making notes, on what I want to write about, so the material is there, but I just have to get the time to lay it all out, cause its not all just fun and games stuff.

Anyway, for the millions of viewers the look at this blog everyday (HA!), I have not forgotten you!

More is coming, I promise!

Till then.

So, I decided to hang a bit at the welcome area, cause it has been so long since I had. I wanted to see what newbies are getting exposed to, when they are just starting out.

It really hasn't changed much...if at all actually, and there always seems to be a steady stream of people coming in and out. But a couple of things struck me though.

First of all...WHAT is up with unsolicited friend requests? This is analogous to somebody walking around, handing out their business card, to EVERYBODY they meet. Walking down the street, handing them to everybody. WHY WHY WHY would I accept one of these requests? To be nice? so I can just delete it later?

I often wonder, why people seem to think that social interactions that don't work in the Real World, would work in Second Life. I mean...yes...we are all avatars, but there is a real person BEHIND that avatar, typing at a keyboard....controlling that avatars speech, movements, etc. Is it just me that wonders these things?

Second, the unsolicited landmarks to clubs. Which, I guess, is like hiring some kid, to stand at the bus station, handing out flyers for some underground band at a club or something. I rarely take those in RL, so again....no so much in SL either.

but, I suppose the random Landmark would not be so bad to a newbie, looking for something to do, or some place to see. I remember going all over when I started, looking at everything I could find. So maybe I should not rant about THAT one..:)

Have to say though, there are some very helpful people on at the Welcome Area. There always seems to be a Mentor around, which I would imagine is VERY helpful. I did chat with a few, and they seemed to be very knowledgeable, and helpful to those who asked questions.

Since I am a HUGE people person, and an avid profile reader, its always entertaining to just sit down, and watch the goings on. Seeing how different people dress themselves, what they say about themselves in their profiles, how they interact with other avatars, etc. Makes for HOURS of entertainment....let me tell you.

It seems many people use the Welcome Area, as a home base. It allows you to set your home there, so when you log in, you are in a familiar spot, each time. And I would think, that if you hang there enough, you would make some friends, which is always good too. :)

So, I guess, what started out as a rant, really, is more of an endorsement? The Welcome Area is not ALL bad!....:) who woulda thought.

But...still want to point out...only request a friendship, from somebody you have at LEAST talked to a bit, and maybe have established some sort of rapport with. The random friend request, is RARELY accepted.

Just my $.02 lindens.

Till next time

Ok, as promised in my previous post, I am gonna talk about my dog Rocky.

Rocky is a Second Life pet, created by Enrico Genosse, and can be found at the Virtual Kennel Club. These dogs are really amazing!

There are 11 breeds of dogs available as of this writing. German Shepard, Chow Chow, Doberman, Irish Wolfhound, Australian Shepard, Bloodhound, Labrador, Chihuahua, Bichon Frise, Rottweiler, and NewFoundland.

Now, as is pretty obvious from the previous post, Rocky is a German Shepard. How did I decide to pick a German Shepard? Well, I will tell ya.

I was walking around Turning Isle Dog Park, checking out all the different breeds. I was walking around, and I walked away from all the dogs, to check out some of the shops around there. As I started to walk back, the German Shepard broke from the pack, and ran across the lawn, over to me. I thought that was pretty cool! It was like he picked ME! How strange is that!??!!

Anyway, These dogs are completely trainable, and controllable. When Rocky and I were out last night, hanging out around a campfire, he was running around, sniffing everything, checking everything out, just as a real dog would do! He even went over to some other people who were at a campfire a ways away...and said hello! It was VERY funny. All I had to do was call him, or shout for him, cause he was a ways away, he came right back! (BTW, during my stay at the campfire, had a couple of woman wander by, and they all stopped, and asked about Rocky!...:) ).

I am able to give Rocky commands, and like any well trained dog, he follows them! I can tell him to sit, speak, down (lay down), sniff, beg, and many many more. It was fun to have him run up to someone walking by, and sniff them! Of course my favorite command is "bang", to which Rocky plays dead. It's a TON of fun!

There are also commands to keep your dog on YOUR parcel, if you happen to own land, or even keep them within a determined square area (i.e. 10 x 10). That way, even if you rent, or have a skybox, you can leave your dogs out, and they won't fall off your porch!

These dogs have LOTS of accessories avaiable also. Toys, water/food bowls, dog houses, etc..that they will actually USE! Its very interesting, to see your dog running around, then all of a sudden, go over to its food dish, and start eating! I would SWEAR you were watching a REAL dog!

Also, you can train your dog to do some pretty amazing things. There are commands to mark a spot, then another spot, so you could, for example, teach your dog, to patrol the border of your land, and use the command "rocky patrol" (lets see if anybody remembers what TV show that line came from!..:) ).

Rico has really done an amazing job with these dogs. You can really tell the amount of work that has gone into them, not only the structures (sculpties have really made these dogs look AMAZING), but also the scripting, and just the amount of love that has gone into them!

So, if you find yourself wanting a constant companion in Second Life, take a look over at the Virtual Kennel Club, and see if you any of these beauties....captures your heart!

OR, if you are looking for that VERY special gift...for that hard to buy for loved one...Check these out!

Ok, the important info!

You can visit all these dogs at Turing Isle, and make sure you walk around, and check out ALL the accessories that you can get for your NEW best friend!

The following breeds are available (with adoption costs, and pics!)



Bloodhound - $1,800 Lindens to adopt!


Irish wolfhound - $1,800 Lindens to adopt!


NewFoundland - $2,480 Lindens to adopt!


Australian Shepard - $2,500 Lindens to adopt!


Chow Chow - $4,240 Lindens to adopt!


Labrador - $4,880 Lindens to adopt!


Rottweiler - $6,880 Lindens to adopt!


Chihuahua - $6,920 Lindens to adopt!


Doberman - $7,100 Lindens to adopt!


German Shepard - $7,680 Lindens to adopt!


Bichon Frise - $7,820 Lindens to adopt!

Till next time!

Ya know what just amazes me about Second Life?

Came home today, after a VERY busy weekend RL, and was just exhausted. Didn't really want to talk to anybody, or do much of anything. So I logged into Second Life, and just did a little bit of map jumping.

Was not really looking for anything, just kinda wandering. I did happen upon this nice little area, open to the public (I checked..:) ), which had some nice landscaping, and a campfire.

So I sat down, and was just vegging. Then, a thought crossed my mind. My dog Rocky would LOVE this place. So I pulled him out of inventory, and let him run around a bit.

Just so you know...this is Rocky



(I will be writing more about Rocky soon, cause he is just an AMAZING animal!)

Anyway, I just sat there, and watched Rocky run around, and check everything out. And it dawned on me...how relaxing it was...to just sit, and watch my dog explore! Now, I have done this Real Life also, and I have learned that Second Life can mimic Real Life in so many ways, but this was very interesting to me.

So, I just sat there, watching Rocky be ... well .. Rocky, and thinking about how extraordinary this world we are in really is.

It was soooo relaxing, to just sit by a virtual campfire, with my virtual avatar, and my virtual pet, and just be.



Just watching this, on my computer screen, actually helped me relax. I could imagine myself there. The sounds of the fire, and the woods around me. Just me and Rocky.

And THAT, is what is amazing to me. I was able to project myself into that place, and it was VERY nice! Talk about visualization!...:)

So, with that being said, I think I am gonna get BACK to that scene, and enjoy it a little bit more..before RL comes barging back!

Till next time!

Ok, this week has been completely crazy. I have been DYING to get back over here, and write more (yes, I am officially hooked on blogging!).

Had planned on writing today anyway...but this morning I was greeted by a note from Linden Labs, that MONO is FINALLY HERE! WOOHOOO!

You can read the official Linden Lab blog entry HERE.

Now, in a previous blog, I mentioned how I felt that scultpy's has changed the look of Second Life, in such a wonderful way. I feel the same way about MONO.

Not only will it make scripts run better and faster, it will lesson the load on the Servers, and that helps EVERYTHING!

The full impact of this announcement will not be realized for a bit, as programmers recompile their scripts, and come up with new devices, toys, etc, to take advantage of this new environment, and I for one CANNOT wait to see what people do!

Being a old programmer myself, I have been kinda holding off a bit, only learning a little of the LSL scripting...just dabbling really, but now...I MIGHT just be tempted to do a bit more...:)

ANYWAY, I think this upgrade, will be another milestone for Second Life, and I cannot wait to see the outcome!

More is coming...I PROMISE!

Till then!

Ok, so, I have to ask. What is it about Second Life that makes people think they can just go anywhere they want?

I was talking to a friend last night, and he told me that he logged into his house..and there was a couple having sex...on HIS bed! WTH!

I have to wonder, why do people think that is ok in Second Life? I truly doubt they would do that in Real Life, so what makes it ok here?

Is it because it's JUST a game? My friend actually talked to said couple, and asked what they thought they were doing.

The response was, "well, there was no security, so we thought it was a public place". WHAT? A public place?

So, lets see...My friend lives on a private island, and lives in a skybox....and this is a public place? PLEASE! And from what my friend tells me, these two ....people...were not newbies either....had been in game for at least 6 mos.

So, what is it? What makes somebody just think they can go ANYWHERE, without any regard to WHERE they might be?

I travel a lot around Second Life, and I admit ... I even do the random Map jump, just for fun from time to time. But I can ALWAYS tell, if its a public place or not, and if its not .... I don't go snooping! (well, ok, if I think the place is cool, I might camera around, to admire ... but THATS IT! .... swear! ...:) )

Does Linden Labs have a class on etiquette on Welcome Island? Since this avatar of mine is still kinda new, I did go through that process, but admittedly, did not hang around that place for long...maybe I should have.

Anyway, A good rule of thumb everybody, is treat property in Second Life as you would in Real Life. If its not yours....respect the owners rights!.

:).....OK...Rant Over!

Till next time!

SO, as I mentioned earlier, I found a great shop, with some very cool clothes today.

As I was walking around the SIM that shop was in, I found another shop. This one had several sets of animation overrides (AO's) in it, plus a couple of photo poses. these types of poses are very popular with the photographers in SL, and there are some VERY good ones out there.

I glanced at them, and one in particular caught my eye. I mean REALLY caught my eye..:)

The name of the shop is TorridWear Animations, and its owned by Torrid Midnight.

There are lots of AO packs there, all for women. I just was checking things out, when I found this one photo pose...and HAD to have it.

Now, the pose itself, called *TorridWear* - Adore Pose Set 2, was only $150 lindens, and its COPY, so you COULD put them around your place, if you wanted.

There are a total of 5 photo poses in the shop, and you can get all of them for only $650 lindens, but I just wanted the one...:)

So, I was trying to figure out how to show this to ya'all, and lucky for me...*smirks...I was able to have a friend help me out.

SO, here is the pose...



Usually I don't like static poses...but this was good...:)

And guys....my friend REALLY liked it too! *smiles

Till next time!

So, I am wandering around, doing my thing, and I see this woman, with a VERY cool leather jacket on. So I ask her about it...cause I love leather jackets.

She tells me its from a Shop called Cubic Effects. So I TP over there...and start looking.

Now, I am by NO means a fashion expert, but these clothes are pretty amazing. The creator is mirai Jun, and I have to say..I was impressed.

Now, I came there looking for a jacket...and I did find it. Ended up getting some pants, and about 3 jackets, cause they were just VERY cool looking. These jackets are sculpty prim based, mostly, and the texturing on them is JUST amazing. VERY nice job mirai!



Now, as I am curious kinda guy, I started walking around the store, cause the build itself was catching my eye. The walls are using sculpted prims also, and have a very real look to them...but from a sculpted layout, and the textures. So I start walking up ramps, looking around...and that place just went on FOREVER!...:)

I kept walking up, looking around....it was like this place never ended! I finally made it to the top, and looked around.



I kinda peeked at the build, and looks like mirai did THAT too! Again...mirai..NICE JOB!

Why am I talking about this? well, when sculpted prims first came out, I knew right away that they were gonna change how Second Life looked forever. It has taken some time, but I am seeing them more and more, and watching the amazing talent that exists in this world, take things to a whole new level. Its been just astounding to watch.

From vehicles, to clothes, to buildings and many many other things.....this world that we travel around in, is constantly changing, improving, and looking more and more like RL...every day!

So, go by Cubic Effects, take a look around. You might end up with some VERY nice clothes, and a very nice little climb up to the top of her build!..:)

Adios!

Ok, I admit it, this blogging stuff is WAY to addicting! /me laughs...:)

So, I was reminded recently, of an awesome SIM I had visited a while ago, and at the time, it was only supposed to be around for a limited time, so I never gave it a second thought. But for some reason, when I was reminded of it, I decided to see if I could find it again.

So, after a few minutes of scrolling through WAY WAY to many landmarks, I FOUND IT! and went to check it out, again.

And...much to my surprise, it was still all there!

Now, you guys HAVE to go see this place.... It was done by AM Radio, and its amazing.

Here is a sample:



Now, this SIM part of a charitable fund raiser, for...um....*looks for his notes...grrr....Ah...there it is..ok...The Heifer International Charity. Details about it are at the SIM. They are selling some interesting stuff, to support this organization, so check that out too.

Now, after you have marveled over this SIM, there are some links to other SIMs up on the wall, that you should check out also. Here are some sample shots of THOSE:






(on the "The Quiet" SIM, you HAVE to check out INSIDE the house....such an amazing job on textures)

OK, so you all set to go? Here is how to get there.

Start here...

The Far Away

Then, if you can't find the links at the SIM, go to these SIM's next:

NMC Arts Lab

AND

The Quiet

HAPPY TPing!

Hi there.

Ok, so I have talked about a couple of tools that I have found to be indispensible, that have been around for a LONG time. Now I have one that I really like, that is NEW! WOOHOO!

So, recently, my freebie, or maybe not a freebie (I have had it so long, I don't even remember) hugger, finally stopped working. I think it was the havok 4 upgrade that finally did it in. When I went to hug someone, I just would keep walking, and walking and walking...not really want I envisioned when I went to hug said person...:)

So, I started looking around for a new hugger, and being the SLX maniac that I am, I started there.

I happen to see on the preferred links...a couples kiss/hug animator by Meike Heston. I am always one to try something new, so I purchased it, cause it had some great reviews, and in the description, had some intriguing things to say...:)

My first reaction? WOW!

This HUD, has some VERY impressive features. In the description on SLX, it boasts a height adjustment system, but I really did not get to put that through its paces, cause the people I tend to hug, are usually of pretty normal height (so far...:) ), but it does sound impressive.

The HUD layout is very simple, not to big, but not so small that its hard to navigate. You can hide it simply enough, with just a click of a button, but the overall HUD is small enough that when I am wearing it, I don't mind having it open.



Scrolling through the animations is simple also, and the names of the different animations are very clear, which is nice. Just makes finding the appropriate animation for different people, very straight forward.

Now, for a VERY cool feature. There is a "HOLD" button...so say you are in a very involved dip kiss, and you don't want to stop...JUST yet...:) Just click "HOLD", and you will stay in that spot...till you tell it otherwise. VERY VERY cool feature! Nice work on this one Meike!

That feature addresses one of my pet peeves with several animation systems within SL, about lack of control, but that is a whole 'nother blog entry...:)

Overall, this is a fantastic system. The animations are nice, the control you have is great, the interface is simple yet functional, and it WORKS!..:)

You still have the issue about lining up properly with the person you are trying to kiss/hug/etc, which I do hope somebody comes up with a solution to that someday. I know I know, I am a dreamer, but I also know we have some VERY smart people building things in Second Life, Meike proving that with this current system.

Ok, so lets see, what else do you need to know. The "*Meike TM* Hug & Kiss 2.0 Deluxe" is available both on SL Exchange and at his Shop in the Waterton SIM, and it only costs $800 Lindens at both places.

There is a V1.2 available also, with only about 5 animations in it, but 1/2 the cost, but I tend to go with top of the line stuff, but I am sure that version is just as good as this one.

Also, Meike Heston's Shop also sells the animations IN this HUD, individually, plus some clothes, and even a poofer thingy...:)

Anyway....nice to see some NEW stuff come out, that somebody really put some thought behind!

SEE YA!

Greetings!

Ok, now, my second most used tool...is definitely one that is not as well known, but I fell in love with it many years ago, and have not found anything yet that comes close.

This little tool is called Tracker HUD V1. It is a radar (we will have to count how many radars I actually have running at some point), and it actually LOOKS like a radar, with spinning green line going around in a circle!...I think that is one reason I like it!

I have had this tool, for at least two years, and its still at V1, which actually is pretty amazing. It has continued to work through all the upgrade Second Life has thrown at it, which I think is a pretty good testament to the product.

But not only is it a radar, it shows you WHERE the avatars around you are, even indicates if they are above or below you...which can be VERY handy.

It has several other features also, like a flight assist, and a platform generator which I find myself using quite a bit actually. VERY helpful if you are trying to place something in the sky. You just fly up to the height you want, hit a button, and VOILA!, you have a building platform, that you can rez a skybox, or whatever it is you want...right there.

You can also add avatar names to a list...so if those avatars are within 96 meters of you...their dot will show up in red. Can be handy, to avoid those weird avatars that JUST WONT LEAVE YOU ALONE!...:)

It must be the latent aviator in me (more about THAT later...:) but I like seeing my little radar going around at the bottom right of my screen...*laughs

Here is a shot of how the HUD looks



Tracker HUD also has a object scanner, but I don't use that much. I just load this HUD every day, and it helps me keep track of what is going on around me. It can be VERY helpful when out at a club...or shopping with friends....to keep track of them...:)

Now, when I first found this tool, it was available on SL Exchange, but I cannot seem to find it there anymore.

The only place that it seems to be still available is at one shop inworld located at Galactic Mall, in the Shinda SIM for $1,500 lindens.

Now, I know that seems like a lot of lindens....but....for all that I use it for...it has been a great investment!

So, to recap:

Tracker HUD V1 - Available at Galactic Mall for $1500 Lindens.

Great little tool....one of my few real keepers!

LATER!

Hello again!

Ok, as I previously blogged, as I have been creating this avatar, I was thinking about what I use in my Second Life every day. What do I have on my screen all the time...

I have a couple of tools that I use everyday, and the first one I am gonna talk about is called MystiTools.

MystiTools, is a very small HUD that I have running all the time. It is basically a set of tools and options, that have been put together by Mystical Cookie.

I put my MystiTool in my upper right hand corner of my screen. MystiTool has LOTS of features, but here are the ones I use daily.

1. Radar: MystiTools radar notifies me in local IM (not in the menus, but in chat) when an avatar comes into chat range (more on radars in a later blog post..:) ). Its pretty convenient when I am walking around....watching chat..and to see who is around.

2. Idle Set: This little feature is wonderful. I can set it, and walk away from my computer for a while...and it keeps Second Life from logging me out. Its great for when you know the grid is having trouble, and if you log out, you are screwed.

3. Teleport History: This is a great way for me to find that wonderful spot I found YESTERDAY, but forgot to Landmark it. Great when shopping too!

4. Land Commands: A great way to control access to your land, banning griefers, etc, right from the menu!

5. Landmarks: I drag my most used Landmarks to this tool, and they are just a mouse click away! LOVE this feature!

and lots lots more!

I don't intend this to be a comprehensive review, just my notes on WHY this tool has become indispensable for me.

Now, you can get MystiTool both from SLExchange for $423 Lindens

OR

from Mystical's cute little shop in the Avendale Sim for $396 Lindens

(btw, if you look at the SLX link, it will show you ALOT about the tool also, many of the features are listed there)

She has some other interesting items in her shop, which I will probably talk about at some point in the future.

The Avendale SIM, by the way...is actually a very nice little sim, with several shops around it, even a fishing hole. Here are some pictures of some of the things I found:


Gotta Love some of the vehicles you find around Second Life!















AND ... whats a fire truck ... without the fire DOG!















This HUGE Teddy Bear was walking around, looking around, and even breathing ... VERY CUTE!















I have NO idea what this is ... but it looks VERY cool!















Ok, here is the info again.

MystiTool is available in the following locations:

SL Exchange for $423 Lindens

OR

Mystical's Shop for $396 Lindens

Till next time!

Ok, so as I am creating this new avatar, I began to think...what do I NEED to have, not what was fun to have in the past, that I rarely use, but what do I USE in my daily journeys, what have I allowed to take up my precious screen space when I am inworld.

First of all, I would say my number one resource I use in Second Life, is not actually IN Second Life. It's SL Exchange.

For those of you that don't know, SLExchange (or SLX for short), is an website, where you can shop for Second Life items, without being IN Second Life.

I have had conversations about SLX with many people, and while there is something to be said for being able to see something inworld, and somebody actually said to me once "I want to be able to see and touch it (huh?...:) ), I have found SLX to be a HUGE resource. You can search for items, send gifts to friends (IF, they have a SLX account also), or just browse the latest and greatest stuff!

I know there are a few other shopping sites, and I have browsed them, but I seem to always come back to SLX.

I have to say, when being invited to an event, that is a theme I have NOT outfitted myself for already, being able to search on SLX has been a godsend.

Also, I have found myself just watching the main page, and letting the items just scroll by, kinda like window shopping, without having to move..:) This is great fun for me, cause I like to see what people are making, and selling. I even do this when I am not inworld, and am a little bored....:)

So check out SLExchange if you have not already, if you are anything like me, you might find yourself a little hooked...:)

Oh, and by the way, SLX is FREE!

More on what I actually DO allow to take up my screen space...in a bit..:)

Ok, so I posted my first entry this morning, but I cannot get this idea out of my head.

What do I want to write about!....I have so many things that I want to get out, that I am beginning to feel overwhelmed with it...which is silly, cause its JUST a blog!..:)

Do I just start writing? Do I work on the LOOK of the blog? how much does the look matter? How much do I want to link my blog up to the blogosphere? How will I be received? if at all....

Anyway, I do know from my past experience, that actually writing down my thoughts...helps me process them, which is exactly what this blog is all about, a place for me to process stuff, and share a little of my experiences.

I don't necessarily want this blog to be just a personal diary, probably wont be MUCH of that anyway, but I have enjoyed Second Life for so long, and I have many many thoughts on it, and the things that are there, the places to be seen, the toys to play with, etc etc.

I just hope that its not TOOO boring to read!

Until next time (which may be 10 minutes, or may be a day...:) )

Well....HI THERE!

This is my first blog entry...EVER!

I have lots of plans for this blog, mostly cause I love to explore, and talk about Second Life, and have not had a place to really let it all out!

I plan on talking about ALL things Second Life, which will include places, toys, tools, vehicles, styles, ideas, thoughts, musings, rambles, and even the occasional tirade!..:)

Now, I know...this blog does not LOOK like much at the moment, but this also gives me an opportunity to practice and expand my html skills and such...so WOOHOO for me!

I might talk about me also, but not sure anybody really cares about that, or even if they will care to read this blog, but that is not the point, its a way for me to express my thoughts and ideas, and share what i find so fascinating about the incredible world called Second Life.

I am really looking forward to all this..:)

See you next time!