Day: May 21, 2018

The Drax Files #182: Our Digital Selves Documentary

On Friday I did something I had never done before—I participated in the taping of Draxtor Despres (a.k. Bernhard Drax in real life)’s regular podcast/broadcast The Drax Files.

I saw Drax posting a link to the private Sansar experience where he records his show on his Slack channel, and I decided to come and crash the party! Drax has asked me several times in the past to take part in his broadcast, but I never could do it before today, because I am at work when he records. On Friday, I was on holidays from my job so I could take part.

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Among the many people present at Drax’s taping of the episode was the anthropologist Dr. Tom Boellstorff, who conducted the research project that Drax was documenting, as well as the following people who were profiled in the documentary:

  • Cody Lascala
  • Shyla the Super Gecko
  • Jadyn Firehawk
  • iSkye Silverweb
  • Solas  NaGealai
  • Alumnia

Second Life Steals, Deals and Freebies: Sn@tch

One of the best-kept secrets of Second Life freebie shoppers is Sn@tch. The store offers a bunch of fashionable freebies, just head into the main store’s right entrance and turn right…

Sn@tch 1 21 May 2018.png

There are even more freebies at the Sn@tch Outlet store, located to the left of the main store:

Sn@tch 3 21 May 2018.png

And every two weeks, Sn@tch offers a new set of outfits, accessories, shoes and hair at their 7 Seas fishing location right in front of the store. All you need is a 7 Seas fishing road and some patience to pick up some great freebies!

Sn@tch 2 21 May 2018.png

Sn@tch 4 21 May 2018.png

Today Vanity Fair is wearing:

Top: black BPD crop top by Sn@tch (7 Seas fishing freebie)

Miniskirt: black BPD ruffled mini by Sn@tch (7 Seas fishing freebie)

Thong: freebie lingerie panty (group gift from Addams)

Choker: BPD Choker by Sn@tch (7 Seas fishing freebie)

Earrings: Crime and Punishment earrings by Silver Wheel (old Twisted Hunt gift; this store is no longer in Second Life)

Bracelet: Atlantean skull bracelet (7 Seas fishing freebie from the Twisted Hunt Headquarters; I’m not sure whether this is still available or not)

Boots: Sn@tchers combat boots (7 Seas fishing freebie from Sn@tch)

Vanity Fair is also wearing:

  • the Kimberly Catwa Bento mesh head
  • the Maitreya Lara mesh body
  • Daria skin by The Skinnery
  • Astra hair by Truth (a Valentine’s Day group gift)
  • …and my favourite forest green Darcey eyes by Suicidal Unborn

So get to Sn@tch and snatch up some goodies for your avatar!

Fat Shaming in Second Life, and the June and Jonathan Piggu Mesh Avatars

All my life, from childhood on, I have struggled with my weight. At the moment I am at my heaviest, and it does bother me a great deal. Losing weight is so hard; keeping it off is even harder! I need to haul my raggedy ass back to Weight Watchers…

I want to make this very clear: everybody has the right to choose the avatar that they feel best represents them! In no way do I want to tell people what to do with their own avatar appearance. You do what you want!

I do have two avatars who are fat like me; one uses the Piggu June female mesh avatar, and the other is the Piggu Jonathan male mesh avatar. I love trotting them out to events where everybody else looks like a fashion model who hasn’t eaten in a month 😉

In Second Life, there is a mesh avatar body and clothing store that is unashamedly up-front with its negative opinions about fat people (I’m not going to post a SLURL, although you can probably figure out the store from the photograph):

Fat Shaming in Second Life.png

According to this blogpost by Wagner James Au of the blog New World Notes, this was the site of a recent protest by people who were offended by this sales approach. I wish I knew about it at the time; I would have joined the protest!

Piggu 2 21 May 2018.png

My avatar is wearing:

Mesh Head and Body, Glasses, T-shirt and Shoes: Piggu June mesh avatar (L$700 from the SL Marketplace)

Hair: Sakura hair from Argrace (free group gift)

Jeans: June’s denim jeans (L$100 from the SL Marketplace)

AO: (Almost) Still AO for Fat Girls by Voir (L$350 from the SL Marketplace)

TOTAL COST OF THIS AVATAR: L$1150

And here is my Jonathan avatar:

Piggu 4 21 May 2018.png

He is wearing:

Mesh Head and Body, Glasses and Hair: Piggu Jonathan mesh avatar (L$700 from the SL Marketplace)

Shirt, Pants, Sneakers and Watch: Jonathan’s Techwear outfit (L$200 from the SL Marketplace)

AO: Fat Boy mini AO by Voir (L$300)

TOTAL COST OF THIS AVATAR: L$1200

If you wish to support the creator of the Piggu avatar system, here is her Patreon page, and a link to her store on the SL Marketplace. She also has a Facebook page.

Exploring Sinespace in VR: Finally!

Well, I’m happy to report that I was finally able to visit Sinespace in my Oculus Rift VR headset! The latest version of the client software seems to work much better for me.

Sinespace VR Beta 21 May 2018.png

Now, all is far from perfect. I’m no longer sitting in the floor, but I still seem to looking out from within my avatar’s chest rather than his head, and shorter than the other avatars around me. Every time I tried to turn right, I turned left instead! And the screen of the pop-up user interface is a little too close to my eyes for my liking. When I pulled up the Explore screen, it twitched enough to make me feel sick.

But it’s a start. I can now officially add Sinespace to my list of virtual worlds that support VR!