by Cayce Urriah, Mandalorian Reporter

Very recently, in a galaxy far, far away within the Metaverse of Second Life, battles rage, blasters light the night with crimson, and there is… yes, there is only war.

The long standing order of the Dark Lords of the Sith, ruling from their fortress world of Byss have steadily been expanding their borders. The Sith Empire that they rule over has conquered and annexed many worlds. Ossus, the once grand world where the ancient Jedi records rest to this day, has been brought under the grasp of the Sith Empire’s malevolent influence. Darth Validus, master and Emperor of the Sith stands atop his fortress tower, controlling the war effort with an iron claw. Worlds continue to fall to the Sith, and the heroes of the galaxy look on with fear.

The Dark Lord’s Proclamation

Across the galaxy from their shelters and bases, the Mandalorians look on. First, as a neutral party, watching the borders of the immense Empire of darkness coming closer and closer to their homes. Niv Dralshy’a, Mandalore the Bloody, and leader of the Mandalorian people rises from her throne, her emotionless visor watching the Empire’s war. Raising a gauntlet, she executes a call: Come to battle! The Mandalorians flock to her call immediately, and surrounded by her best, the Mandalore approaches the Sith Empire. Diplomacy turns into bloodshed, and the Mandalorians pull out of the Empire’s territory to lick their wounds.

Mandalorian forces overlooking Bakura

The Tetan Empire under the rule of Empress Keto, having recently thrown off their own shackles of Sith dominance, raise their swords and come to the aide of the Mandalorians. A new government order is created.. The Galactic Coalition. A republic, overseen by the Mandalorians, the Tetans, an army of time displaced Clone Troopers and a number of Jedi. The Galactic Coalition gathers it’s forces to prepare for war against the Sith and the war begins in earnest.

The Tetan Empress and her entourage

Across the galaxy, the Imperial Conclave, the remains of the once great Galactic Empire founded by Palpatine and rebuilt by the Fel dynasty rose once more. The Conclave was prepared to reinstate order to the galaxy, before a strategically placed strike by one of it’s officers occurred, and the Conclave was ripped asunder as it’s once-loyal forces withdrew and Supreme Commander Ver’an declared a new Empire. The Empire in Exile bombarded the Conclave headquarters, and left with most of it’s forces, trading sides over to Ver’an’s new order. The Empire in Exile has begun rebuilding Bastion, the once great home of the Empire. The two Galactic Imperial factions now prepare for battle against eachother, each faction rapidly recruiting new soldiers to win the eventual war.

Director of Imperial Intelligence and a trooper

The Galactic Dominion had previously sat out of the war, watching from it’s far corners of the galaxy. However, in a moment of sudden betrayal, one of it’s highest diplomats published a tell-all story of it’s darkest secrets and defected to the Mandalorians. Angry of it’s secret Sith ideologies being published, the Domion raised it’s standing army and moved to join Validus’ Sith Empire. The Domion, a small force compared to the others, has been blackmailing and coercing Jedi with threats of violence into joining it’s war effort.

Mygeeto, wasteland and home of the Dominion

Battles rock the foundations of the Galaxy, as the factions vie for territory and power. A shadow falls across the Mandalore sector as the Sith Empire continues to expand outwards, but in the darkest of nights, the hope of those who fight the darkness shines as a candle in the black of space.

What will you do?

Seek personal glory amongst the wreckage of the war, or perhaps you’ll aide the Sith Empire to expand it’s shadow across the entire galaxy. Or maybe, you’ll fight for the mere spark of light that continues to shine in the galaxy.

Join the war effort today, start at www.swrp.net

by Cayce Urriah

The first major Star Wars Roleplay was Korriban, created by the Dark Lords of The Sith, the first Sith group in Second Life. Shortly after, The Jedi Alliance formed the sim New Holstice. In this era, late 2005, combat was fairly primitive. Using lightsabers with push scripts, combat was resolved with whoever pushed their opponent the farthest.

gathering of Mandalorians in the shadows of the Jedi Temple on Ruusan

The first neutral sim where players of all types (not just force users) could play was Dantooine, which came to be in early 2006. Created by Cellmaster Alexander, Revan Muromachi and Veronna Prevost of the Ac’Trayth Jedi order, it was also the birth place and main hub for the SWC (Star Wars community) as it later came to be known as the SWRP.

Ossus and Naboo came soon after in 2006. Ossus was a Jedi place of learning, where numerous notecards written by Jedi players were stored. Naboo was a roleplaying sim that was also a shopping mall. The first SWRP combat system, RCS, was born on Naboo, and allowed players to fight with definitive outcomes. Then Little Mos Eisley was born, at this time a mainland parcel owned by Helga Eusobeo. The New Order of Jedi (NOJ) were born and moved through several small parcels before creating a large sim, Yavin IV.

Mid 2006 brought Telos IV, a snowy world under Imperial control. When Telos was destroyed, it became Manaan, which was later destroyed as well. The first major Mandalorian clans came to be in this period: Clan Ordo, Skiratta, Mereel and several others. The first major Hutt cartel under the command of Smookah the Hutt came to prominance in this period.

a pair of Sith engage a pair of Jedi agents attempting to infiltrate Byss

The first Byss came in late 2006, the new home of the Dark Lords of The Sith, and home of 99% of the Sith in this era. Eventuallly the DLoTS moved to a new sim and made Ziost in early 2007, after Byss was sold to a Gor sim.

Korriban had been abandoned in the distant past, and was remade by Desirae Carter in mid 2007.

A community named United Galaxies was founded by some old players from the various SWRP communities, and created a Coruscant / Kashyyk dual sim in early 2008. NOJ lost Yavin in a split that created the Kalway Order of Jedi, and moved to the Kashyyk portion of the main UG sim.

In mid 2008, a new combat system named DCS2 was created and spread through numerous sims. Shortly after, the DLoTS recreated their old sim of Byss, with much nicer graphics, and it still stands today.

rogue’s gallery of scum and villainy lurking around Mos Espa

In late 2008 Malachor V was made and the Trayus Academy was formed, being renown for it’s numerous riddles and traps that one had to pass through to explore it. Korriban was sold off due to disinterest by the owner.

In early 2009 UG fell apart and their sim was sold off. The NOJ moved to a sim called Ruusan that still stands. In this era, the prominent sims were: Ruusan, Byss, Little Mos Eisley, Naboo and Malachor V. Byss and Ruusan had an extended period of war, with the Sith turning Jedi padawans, and Jedi battling Sith on many fronts. Galactic Unity was created, a community with strict, and somewhat questionable standards of roleplay and avatar limitations. Their sims popped up rapidly and became the standard of roleplay for many people. They had Coruscant, Onderon, Nar Shaddaa, and Talus. A website simply refered to as United Mandalorians was created at www.mandoade.com, serving as a forum and community for Mandalorian roleplayers.

In mid 2009 Little Mos Eisley became the most populous of sims, as many talented roleplayers flocked there to run their smaller groups. The Mandalorians had a war with two factions going for each other’s
jugulars: The United Mandalorians who followed the Traviss cultural beliefs and the Galactic Unity Mandalorians, who were the older Clans from before SWRP became populous, who were atavist fallbacks to the Mandalorian Wars era. The sim Blood Moon was created, and the owner, Gistya made a deal with the owner of United Mandalorians to change the site into www.SWRP.net, which became a community and resource site for the entire Star Wars Roleplay community.

Late 2009 brought a mass exodus of good roleplayers from Little Mos Eisley, as administrators made their positions clear, that they cared more about making the money that the rent of their parcels brought,  than they cared about the storyline.

Sisters of the Imperial Knights fend off the dark on Dromund Kaas

In early 2010 Galactic Unity shed most of it’s sims, and rebuilt Coruscant. Nar Shaddaa became solo, and left the GU storyline. A Kamino sim was created by the Galactic Dominion, who then began to expand to several others. The owner of Byss created a second sim named Dromund Kaas, full of riddles and tests to serve as a fun quest sim for anyone to explore.

Spring 2010 brought the death of Galactic Unity, as the sims were sold off and left the Star Wars community. Blood Moon was scrapped as Dangergirl and Gistya created a new Korriban sim, using the genius of their lead builder to create a masterpiece of design. Ruusan was also rebuilt to a new design by an amazing builder.

Summer 2010 brought something unseen before in SWRP – the Mandalorians came together and the two sects disolved into one behind the new Mandalore the Bloody. The Mandalorians proceeded to go to war against the Galactic Dominion on the planet Nal Hutta, for control of the mines.The GD was sent packing and the Mandalorian forces strip mined the planet and moved on to Mos Espa on the world of Tatooine, where they now reside.

Those of you who don’t track the eggheads on Terra Nova may not be aware that there is a VERY SERIOUS debate between narratologists and ludologists. Ludologists think that MMOs are all about play. Narratologists think that MMOs are about spinning collaborative narratives. Then there are people like me who think they are obviously both (or rather, that there isn’t much difference between play and narrative). The best MMOs not only provide comvat systems and tools for building things but also provide a kind of artistic framework in which online narrative can evolve (like the dungeon master in table top D&D games). In Second Life those narratives have to evolve organically in the lore of places like the Jessie Simulator, Fort Longcat, Fur communites, Gorean communities, and, let’s face it, the pages of the Herald. In MMOs like EVE Online, however, the game company (CCP) provides back stories in the form of their EVE Chronicles. Back stories help direct the gameplay somewhat, but they are also framing and direct the narrative being developed in the gameplay. Good back stories have uptake — users pick up on them, expand on them, and write them into their own narratives and game play. I submit to you now an example of such uptake — an EVE fanvid made by one Dire Lauthis, based on the EVE Chronicle The Breakout.

For some narrative covering “current events” below the fold is a vid that Dire made regarding an operation by the Coreli Corporation.  Oh, and since this is the Herald after all I’ve added a vid of GoonSwarm dropping a Titan in June of 2007. 

And here is your GoonSwarm battle.

[This story is a collaboration of those who worked hard at OWK in SL and kept at it through thick and thin. FemDom in Second Life is a growing part of the BDSM community. FemDom stands for Female Domination. Female Domination has many facets in the real world. OWK in SL is a depiction of a real life location in Czech Republic where Women rule men supremely. OWK(tm) is now owned by Shayna Theti-Sheri and is part of a real life project to be used as a venture for FemDom Related Resorts in the United States.]

Once upon a time, Michaal Ulstch, the webmaster for http://www.owk.cz, The Other World Kingdom, LLC. discovered Second Life. This is the story of how OWK started its adventures in Second Life. Iin the early days, Michaal made friends with a few women and they started a parcel. Later on, due to real life issues, Michaal had to withdraw his efforts and wait to come back – and when he did came back, he came back with a big bang! OWK in SL was created and started on its way to be the best FemDom region in Second Life. Since his original crew, Storm Day and Nymphetamine Lake were nowhere to be found, Michaal put an advertisement out seeking new Domina to help with the OWK in SL venture.

In October of 2007, BeeQueen, a Sublime Lady of the Real Life OWK, had received the newsletter about OWK in SL. She wrote Michaal and asked him if she could help. In early November that same year, BeeQueen created her Second Life Identity, BeeQueen Smythe. She met up with Michaal to talk about what kind of help he needed in OWK in SL. At that time BeeQueen was new to Second Life, and she spent some time learning the system.

By December 2007, things seemed to start and fall into place. Shayna Paine (aka Shayna Theti-Sheri) contacted BeeQueen Smythe after hearing about OWK in SL from one of her FemDom Radio volunteers that frequently visited OWK in Real Life. Shayna Paine who offered OWK radio services from FemDom Radio. A meeting for the future was discussed about doing promotion for OWK in SL – and both knew each other prior to Second Life from a BDSM IRC server they both frequented. Around the 10th of December, Shine Rolls, searching in Second Life for things related to OWK, came upon a notice asking for help with a future region. Shine contacted Michaal and he invited her to join the group and brought her to see the new region, which as totally empty when she first set foot on it.

Queen innaguration ball

Meanwhile, Catz Alexander was contacted by one of the members of the Real Life OWK, a Lady Citizen who told her about the OWK in SL project. The next thing Catz Alexander knew, she was visiting the OWK region in Second Life. Nothing was in it but a man with a dream of a virtual depiction of Absolute FemDom. So Michaal met Catz Alexander and she soon got involved with the OWK in SL. Catz Alexander is from America and she dreamed of going to be a Lady Citizen of the OWK in Real Life one day. Until she had the opportunity to go to OWK in opportunity real life OWK in SL was a place she could enjoy her dream. Michaal and his building crew started to work on the region and shortly after, new people joined in and OWK in SL grew steadily. Catz Alexander and BeeQueen Smythe worked together on the rules and were both appointed to the Judge role in the early days. Catz Alexander was then asked by Michaal to take the position of slave Trainer, so she moved over to the OWK slave Trainer position, and began training the state slaves.

The region then opened to members and the building process began. Many people helped to get things organized. The documents, the buildings and the structure of the Senate all were defined in the very beginning with the help of Shine Rolls, BeeQueen Smythe, Catz Alexander, slut congrejo and gabrielaa Jinn. This group got together and worked out the rules, the documentation, as others built the region with Michaal.

Along with work on the build and documentation in January 2008, roles were assigned. In the beginning, there was no Queen role. So for the first few months OWK in SL, had a Judge, Pony Trainer, a Chief Guardess, and a First Mistress. While slut Congrejo was working on a filing and security system for state slaves and prisoners, Shine Rolls worked on the pony area.  Michaal was there many hours working hard to make OWK in SL sim a place for many FemDom to enjoy. He helped Shine Rolls set up her stables and did a lot of work to build up OWK in SL.

By the end of January 2008, things started to pick up and members started to come to the region. The Staff group was formed and official titles were assignedt. Shine Rolls was asked to create the Lady Citizen's group. Shortly after, Shine Rolls, started the Pony Training group and also began the slave auctions as the OWK Auctioneer, the first auction was 28th of January and ran consecutive after that.

The Public Castle became a private place for the state slaves to be trained. At that time the group members could access the group areas such as Club Wanda, The Riding Hall and Villa DeVilla. These buildings started to get furnished in late January. Finally the region was open officially and all the building was completed. Nadia Ellison joined the crew for a short time as Judge then as Trainer.

two ponyboys

The prison, private dungeon and pony stables began to have a lot of activity in January. Michaal announced the fees to the group. A member could rent a stable, be a prisoner or participate in the dungeon for a mere L$ 75 per week. These activities helped fun the OWK in SL and also the group fee of L$ 200 per member to join helped support the OWK and OWK Village regions. This fee was raised to L$ 500 eventually.

Guardesses, Mistresses and Lady Citizens of the OWK got to participate in the role-play and order the prisoners around. Shine Rolls ran the pony stables and trained ponies and the Mistresses got to use the state slaves that Catz Alexander trained. The economy of OWK in SL gave Lady Citizens dividends for staying on the region both Guardesses and other staff members were paid L for participating in the region. Payment was offered, some people choose not to be paid to help support the tier.

a ponygirl

As February rounded the corner, the OWK Village came into the picture. Michaal announced his land rental sales and made a FemDom Community residential sim. In the beginning, the FemDom Community Domina took greatly to this idea and came to rent land from Michaal. The first Residents of the OWK Village were slut congrejo, then BeeQueen Smythe, zickchen Whitfield, MistressJoanna Nightfire, Domina Aya followed. Soon more Second Life Citizens in the FemDom Community became residents. Ed Hallard also rented a plot in the early days of the Village, but later on it became a place where only Dominant Women could own the land. The property was quite expensive to live in, but of course you were living in a FemDom Only community! The cost for one plot was L$ 990 for a 1024sq meters per week. Larger lots were always negotiable at a discount.

In March, slut Congrejo resigned as Chief Guardess, though still remained a resident on the OWK Village region. Eliza DayAfter took on the roll of Chief Guardess and worked very hard at the position, Becky Lei also began her position shortly after as the Head Guardess. Around March Loes Shi became a member and she soon after became a Lady Citizen. At that time, Shayna Paine became involved with OWK in SL, bringing her Radio Station http://www.femdomradio.com to play music on the OWK region. 

Dancing to FemDom radio

Michaal and Shayna negotiated a deal at that time that unless there were people DJing that FemDom Radio would be the music played on the region.  FemDom Radio became the official station on both regions, shortly after the buildings were open. Shayna then got more involved as a Lady Citizen and helped in many capacities from the beginning of March 2008. There she became good friends with many of the Lady Citizens. During the earlier days of her membership she was very busy with her own ventures and little by little became more involved in OWK in Second Life on a larger scale. Loes Shi became a Guardess at that time after meeting with Lady BeeQueen Smythe about the positions available. Shayna didn't start to get more active till after the First Queen was elected in Late March 2008.

The Election of the first Queen was Mistressfully played out in the early months of OWK in Second Life. There were five candidates that ran for the first election. The election was tied between BeeQueen Smythe and Catz Alexander as Queen. So Shine Rolls as the supervisor of elections called for another round of votes for the tied candidates. The election finally ended with a very close race between Catz Alexander with 10 votes and BeeQueen Smythe with 11 votes. BeeQueen Smythe picked Seyrin Heartsdale for her First HolfMistress and the elections finally ended on April 9th, 2008.

BeeQueen reigned as Queen from April till July of 2008 and the region memberships grew and progressed as time went by. The day after the Queen started her new reign in OWK in SL the prison had a grand opening party. Agony Abernathy was also a Chief Guardess for sometime after Eliza Dayafter had resigned.

Many events took place in the FemDom region on a regular basis. Slave Auctions, slave hunts, hospital visits were taken care of by Rosie Amiot the Medical Director along with staff. Helen Schmid and Sinnocent Bailey also participated in the workings of the OWK Hospital. MistressJoann was working on the OWK Magazine and starting to get that rolling. She enlisted Shayna Paine to be Editor of OWK Magazine. The OWK Magazine is still being developed and will be introduced in the new improved OWK in SL. Other events like scavenger hunts, dances and workshops all ran and created by the Lady's of the OWK in SL. Kept the region busy.

Politics in OWK in SL also had a part in the growth. The Queen in the beginning only was to reign for 3 months. A second election happened in July of 2008. In that Election MadamA Vita and BeeQueen Smythe were to the two Candidates.  The race was very close, just like the first.  MadamA won the position for Queen by 2 votes and started her reign in the middle of July. At that time, Michaal's real life took over and he could not be here much. For about three weeks he was not being able to participate as much in the events of OWK in SL as the slave secretary.

The Lady Citizen's group became a full force in making major decisions about changes on the region. Many members were attending meetings and voting on decisions. BeeQueen Smythe, Shine Rolls, Shayna Paine, Catz Alexander, MistressJoann Nightfire, Seyrin Heartsdale, LittleMiss Frog, Evangeline Eames, MadamA Vita, Amy Rope, Domina Aya, Carla Dominquez, Loes Shi, Maitresse Vidor, Raffila Millgrove, SandraLee Aeon, TaryLynne Mayo, Zavijava Voom, Christy Georgette, Sapphire Viking, Marmaria Marsala, SAVANA Blanco, Shiloh Fouroux, Sinnocent Bailey, Tapika Tomsen, Becky Lei, Madeleine Broome, Tamar Silverstar and other prominent women in the FemDom Community in SL. In the Lady Citizen's Senate group, Raffila Millgrove held the longest position as Secretary, after her Tapika Tomsen was secretary for a while, then she was succeeded by LittleMiss Frog who still till this day holds the Secretary position in the new OWK, which will unfold in parts II and III of this story.

At the end of July shortly after MadamA took the position of Queen.  Michaal finally came back into SL and after that his time was very sporadic due to real life events that took him from being online with us unfortunately. So he decided he needed to sell the OWK in SL to carry on with his life. At that time he put the Lady Citizens on Notice that OWK in SL was up for sale. Thus a whole new chapter in the OWK in SL History story started last in July of 2008.

…to be continued…
Part II: The Sale of OWK in SL
Part III: OWK in SL Moves, Better than Ever!

by the Bimbo Cheerleaders

Las Vegas Nevada can be a pretty exciting place to visit but even it could be improved – if it followed the model of the Vegas Sim in Second Life and had a real Bimbo Cheerleaders Sorority House. Sim owner Stroker Serpentine has done the real Vegas one better by inviting the Bimbo Cheerleaders of Second Life to locate their main headquarters on his sim. With over 1000 active members now wearing the the Pink and White , The Bimbo Cheerleaders are by far the largest Cheer Squad in Second Life. Their ranks are filled with beautiful girls who love to have fun and participate in the many levels of activities the group has to offer. These range from social activities such as parties and dancing sponsored by the club, to other even more “fun” activities involving the use of the facilities their house has to offer.

With SexGen owner Stroker Serpentine as a sponsor you know The Bimbo Ranch House is well equipped with all the latest and greatest he has to offer. As you can probably guess also, the Bimbo Cheerleaders know how to make the most of it too.

Incidentally, the Ranch House is not a bordello and just like RL, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! The Ranch house provides a place for the girls to relax after a hard day of cheerleading to open a sim, or maybe raise money for a worthy charity. The Squad always welcomes a chance to wind down with a little nude sunbathing at the pool, or dancing on a pole, or otherwise “relaxing” visitors in one of the many private rooms. Head cheerleader Cheergirl Allen has truly created Bimbo Cheerleader heaven in SL. She makes sure the girls always have something to do and the guests are always happy to visit. Starting from humble beginnings, The Bimbo cheerleaders are today one of the largest and most active groups in SL.

Cheergirl Allen pioneers cheer leading in SL

In Aug. of 2007 head Cheeleader and creator of The Bimbo Cheerleaders Cheergirl Allen, an accomplished real life digital graphics artist, entered Second Life and the virtual world has never been the same. As is obvious by her chosen name, C.G. had an interest in Cheer leading and began to search for anything to do with it. To her surprise, aside from one or two places, there was really nothing for cheerleaders to do or wear in the game. Cheergirl recognized a niche when she saw it and almost immediately single-handedly created the Cheerleader Community in Second Life. The Bimbo cheerleaders were born!

Since inception, the group as served as a formal Squad within the game for anyone and everyone to join and cheer and have fun, attracting a wide variety of cheerleading enthusiasts with various opportunities available for all levels of participation. The group attracts and serves a surprisingly diverse community ranging from former high school or college Cheerleaders and want-to-bes to some just being, well… sick, depraved individuals who wanted nothing more then to act out their sick ,twisted fantasy of F***ing the head-cheerleader every which way from Sunday. In the end, The Bimbo Cheerleaders Group somehow manages to keep them all satisfied and having fun. This helps explain the astronomical growth The Bimbo Cheerleaders Group continues to enjoy under the competent leadership of SL's greatest Head Cheerleader, Cheergirl Allen.

This is evident from the comments of Bimbo Cheerleader Vicky who said:

“I joined The Bimbo Cheerleaders in the summer of 2007. I still have a picture of CheerGirl and I in the first cheer uniform she designed dated in June of that year. I had been in Second Life for about a year before then, and bought the uniform from her because I thought it was cute and well done. Little did I know that, that person to person sale – before she became the master of vendor sales and super business woman – would lead to the best Second Life group I have been in. In-world time flies as we all know and The Bimbo Cheerleaders group has only gotten better over time. The group is full of fun people – not a drama magnet at all. The group gathering spot has changed a few times, but each move always brings us something better. And the current sorority house in the Vegas sim, is the ultimate place for group members and visitors to have a great time any hour of the day. I have stayed active in this group because of the people and the fun attitudes they keep. Plus the ringleader and head Bimbo, CheerGirl, is a sweetheart that really seems to have a sense of what people in Second Life want and how to keep it new and exciting. The Lindens should look at this group as model of what a Second Life group can be and do everything they can to encourage more like it to help keep Second Life alive.”

The importance of cheerleader uniforms

Everyone knows sex sells and there is nothing sexier than a cute Bimbo Cheerleader in her pink and white uniform (as if any other colors would make sense.) From the beginning, the Bimbo cheerleaders uniforms as created designed and produced by Cheergirl Allen have been a huge hit. Cheergirl obviously knew what she was doing and hit upon the perfect formula: skirts just long enough to barely cover an Avatar's ass but still short enough to show some digital panties. Cheer enthusiasts throughout SL were almost immediately beating down her door to join the squad. Nearly overnight group membership was 150 and the growth continues to this day. There are now over a thousand of members in the squad and it is the largest Cheerleading group in SL. Cheergirl continues to produce new Bimbo products including sex toys, and promotes activities that keep everyone excited and enthused. However, there can be no doubt that perhaps the greatest initial magnet that attracts new members is that sexy line of Bimbo Cheerleader uniforms which she continues to develop and expand.

New Bimbo Cheerleader Saphire Sweetwater's comments demonstrate the powerful lure that these uniforms continue to be: “Being a part of the Bimbo Cheerleaders has been a great experience. I'm not even a month into the group and i've already met some of my now best friends that I probably wouldn't have if i hadn't joined. Why I joined in the first place was because of the cheerleader outfit, I wanted it for my strip club's theme night, and just fell into the group, and now I see there's more to it than a uniform. Some of the things I like best are that the bimbo's often help real life charities raise money, which is awesome for any SL group to do, and im glad to be a part of this extrodinary group. Another thing would be how much fun we have at the weekly wet t-shirt contest. My very first time attending i won, and the prize was one of the top of the line SexGen beds, which i'm going to leave your imagination to get creative on what I do with that. ;] “

It takes more than a great uniform to build a successful Cheerleader group however and the road to success has not been without bumps. Along the way Cheergirl has had to contend with any number of copy cats and thieves who seemed determined to undermine her efforts and steal her creations. All were mercenary pirate pretenders however and lacked the true Cheerleader spirit needed to make any cheerleading group thrive. As she battled, people recognized that Cheergirl Allen uniquely possessed these special qualities and allied with her to beat the profiteering rip off artists who's only concern for the girls revolved around taking their money. The Bimbos have always been about more than just a sexy uniform.

Bimbo Princess

One person who definitely knew this was Bimbo Princess! She is one of the greatest friends the Bimbo Cheerleaders and all cheer leaders in SL have ever had. The Bimbo Cheerleaders were reborn under her coaching: The Locker Room was rebuilt, and a new store to get Uniforms in-game, called the SL Cheerleading Network, was created. This store was not just for the Bimbo Cheerleaders but for all Designers, Cheerleaders, and Animators who, as a whole, wanted to expand the face of True Cheerleading across the digital world of Second Life! S.L.C.N. brought together the BEST and brightest of all Digital Designers with one goal in mind: Show everyone in-world that Cheerleaders are more then something you just had to F**K, but instead are a force to be reckoned with!

 Through the S.L.C.N. the Bimbo Cheerleaders began once again to host parties and events; and soon, with the backing of a few Real Life Charities, began raising Lindens for such things like Breast Cancer Research and giving children of lower income household’s warm coats for the winter. The true spirit of SL cheerleading was reborn and has been gaining strength ever since. This has served as a magnet for some who are interested in being able to do good in the real world even while in SL.

Varsity Squad Bimbo cheerleader member Colleen Brennan comments: “I have been a member of The Bimbo Cheerleaders in Sl for over a year and I have watched it grow from just a few members to one of the largest groups in world seemingly overnight. To understand the rapid growth all you have to do is meet Cheergirl Allen. She is the very creative founder and never loses energy in her desire to make a high quality free fun place for people to socialize. It is a pleasure to know her and so many of the other great Bimbo cheerleaders. The Bimbos are a great community. One of the things that impressed me the most of all is how the Bimbos have risen to the occasion when it comes to raising money for Charity. They have been very successful and active in this area. More so than any other group I know. It makes me proud to be affiliated with The Bimbo Cheerleaders. Also, once you get to know the girls it is almost impossible to visit the Bimbo Ranch in the Vegas Sim and not leave with a smile on your face from all the laughs. Don't let the group name fool you. Some of these girls are very intelligent and funny as can be. The Bimbo Cheerleaders are a caring group of good people who also know how to have fun. They are a very positive influence in SL and thank you to Cheergirl Allen for making them all that they are.”

Bimbos file copyrights and trademarks to battle content theft

As Cheergirl continued to battle to keep others from stealing her creations so that the group could thrive she received almost no help at all from Linden Labs other than some general advice that The Bimbo Cheerleaders file for their own copyrights and trademarks so they could possibly protect their group in the United Sates Court system. That is exactly what they did. It was also the beginning of establishing their relationship with Stroker Serpentine who was fighting a similar battle to protect his own very popular SexGen creations.

Bimbo Princess made the introductions between Cheergirl and Stroker Serpentine and the Bimbo Cheerleaders had a new friend for whom they will always be thankful. Not only did Stroker point The Bimbo Cheerleaders in the right direction to get all the Paperwork filed and submitted to the United States Copyright and Trademark Office but he went one step further. His Company Strokerz Toyz and his Product SexGen became the Official Sponsors of The Bimbo Cheerleaders in the World of Second Life. Stroker outfitted the bimbo Locker room with only his Best Products and even took one of the Bimbo Cheerleaders' Lockers and added his own animations; he also gave a Seal of Approval to sell the Lockers in his very own Strokerz Toyz store.

The Strokerz-Bimbo connection

Stroker recognized the value of Cheerleaders in SL. He commissioned the SL Cheerleading Network to Design a Totally New Cheerleader Uniform used exclusively for his Promotional Staff "Strokerz Girls" at events, clubs, and parties. The squad was created with only promotion of SexGen in mind; not for sex. The Girls were hand-picked and oriented only to do what cheerleaders do best: Make some noise and excite the crowd. Pimping or exploiting was not part of their job. This turned out to be a perfect arrangement: The Bimbo Cheerleaders finally had a somewhat Pro Squad with the sexual undertones that was needed to make it a success in a Digital world fueled by sex, yet never having to have sex or even get undressed.

Armed with what you could call a Pro squad in Second life Sponsored by a Real World Business EROS LLC – Parent company of SexGen…Strokerz Toyz, Things were looking up again for The Bimbo Cheerleaders. Then the always Beloved Bimbo Princess sold her digital lands including the one she gave the Group to build the bimbo locker room on. With absolutely no bad feelings towards the Princess, the group set out in search of a new plot of Second life land to call home. The isre offered by His Honor, Mayor Sammy Ormsby of NeXuS proved perfect..

Once again the Bimbos were saved by a very valuable and dear friend. His Honor, Mayor Sammy Ormsby owned 3 Sims on the Second Life mainland making up the Community of Nexus. One sim was Club Nexus, a full sex club that 100% free to join and be used by anyone. Mayor Ormsby provided the Bimbos with a new home top of a Hill over looking the urban streets and building that made up the Nexus. With the help of his honor, the Mayor and sponsor Stroker Serpentine, The Bimbo Cheerleaders built their new home, a beautiful Victorian style mansion that affectionately became know as the Tau Beta Chi Sorority house. The house was fully stocked with all the Best SexGen Toys, once again for everyone to use free of charge.

Charity work and the T.B.X Sorority House

With the advent of the NeXuS era and the opening of the T.B.X, Sorority House the Bimbos flourished. Traffic attracted to NeXuS found a welcome added attraction in the sorority house and as a result many new members joined the group. The continued growth cycle necessitated the creation of a leadership group, the Spirit Leaders, to help manage the group and its activities. With their help the group organized and successfully participated in fund raising charitable events for Breast Cancer and Coats for Kids as well as other organized social events such as twice monthly photo contests and dances at clubs around SL.

 Spirit Leader Leslie Leville demonstrates the excitement typical of the Bimbo cheerleaders when it comes to keeping the group active and inviting: “…I have been with the Bimbo Cheerleaders for as long as i remember. It is always a fun group to be with so many events being held. From Nexus to Vegas i have been officially the Hostess for most of the events that being held as part as the Bimbo cheerleaders activities. Since we moved our House to Vegas, I have been hosting a weekly event that is called Wet T Shirt Wednesdays that is held from 8-10 am slt. Well, I surely enjoy being a hostess since I like to talk to people and make everything fun. I want everyone who comes to the party I am hosting to be comfortable and yet at the same time have loads of fun. I love being a hostess because for me it is one of the way to contribute to the group. I hope I am still going to be an active hostess in future. YAY.. RAH RAH RAH, SIS BOOM BAH!

Bimbo community reaches out to the everyone – even Furries

The Bimbo Cheerleaders have always welcomed anyone who wanted to party with them. In early 2008 official membership was expanded to allow males, (Jocks) and Furries…Neko avatars (Mascots) and the Transgender Community (T.B.C. Shemale Cheer) with the belief that anyone can be a Bimbo or at least love one. This move proved to be very popular. Cheerleader Janellum Capalini commented as follows “ I originally joined as a Strokerz Girlz back then the role was under The Bimbo Cheerleader group but it has grown into so much more then that. The group has actively participated in my studio, Furbidden Studios, a primarily furry studio, helping bridge the gap between humans and furries. I love that the girls are always willing to help for photo shoots.”

Requests for Bimbos at sim openings and clubs caused the Pep Squad to be created. The purpose of the Pep Squad is to bring the TBC spirit and message to every corner of SL. Pep Squad members make appearances and assist venues in promotion. These activities resulted in the creation of new uniforms, and increased involvement of group members in running the group. This seems to be one area the girls particularly enjoy actively participating in as noted by Spirit leader Olague Nurmi:”When I first started out I was member of the sister squad at the Isle of Lesbos. Lets face it, alot of men in SL got on my bad side plus I adored the blue uniform. After awhile I decided to check out the other squads and joined the Bimbos as they seemed to be all about having fun. I've been a Bimbo for a year or more, I've actually lost track but Ive had fun attending events and being a tease. The best thing about being in the squad is all the lovely ladies you get to hang out with and all the fun things you get to do. It seems to make people have more fun at clubs when a group of cheerleaders come in and start having hot wired fun like no tomorrow. I have worked up the ranks and become a Spiritleader so my job is to keep the girls in line and make sure that everyone is doing their part and most of all that everyone has fun. It's been a wonderful part of my secondlife and I don't see myself trading it in any time soon. 

Bimbos Sexy Might In Pink and White!

It seems that no matter how hard they try, copy cats simply can not copy the energy, fun ,and excitement that membership in The Bimbo Cheerleaders brings. There is a rues Cheerleader spirit and this group is infused with it from top to bottom. While T.B.C. membership was a Spartan 300 at the beginning of 2008, membership is now expanding at rate of over 50 a month and is currently 1000+ Members Strong. Making The Bimbo Cheerleaders the largest Cheer Squad in all of Second Life. Head Cheerleader Cheergirl Allen has a lot to be proud of. Unlike many groups in SL, hers is an active and welcoming group that members love to be a part of. It is expected that the growth will continue.

Many of the the members also seek active roles in The Bimbo Cheerleaders Group as well as other Groups and Places that The SL Cheerleading Network Supports. As a result these affiliated groups often join with TBC in events and activities. Anyone who has an interest in Cheerleading, cheerleaders, or just plain fun is invited to stop by The Bimbo cheerleader Ranch in Vegas and see what it is all about. If you are more business minded and see the added value that a group of sexy cheerleaders can bring to an event you are sponsoring or hosting, contact Cheergirl Allen or one of the Spirit leaders to arrange for a pep squad to be dispatched to your location!

Outside Hurfzateer HQ in the W-hat’s sim “what”, a solemn vigil was held Friday September 19th, to observe the second anniversary of the great goon holocaust of 2006.

A small crowd gathered near the grave sites, and took a few moments from running “talk like a pirate day” animations to consider the fate of the Voted 5 group and Satyr sim – for on this day in 2006, the entire sim of Satyr was repossessed by Linden Lab and all objects in Satyr were deleted.

At the same time time Satyr was wiped clean, Philip Linden told the metaverse that a grid crasher crackdown had taken place and some 60 accounts were perma-banned. Friends and relatives of the notorious Voted 6 group could only identify the names of 22 accounts that had gone missing – not surprising given king Philip’s tendency to perhaps accidentally overstate figures on occasion.

Immediately after the destruction of Satyr, the W-hat goons vowed to “Never Forget” and erected a memorial to the fallen which said, “This Memorial stands so that we may remember those that lost their accounts, of the innocent furs and humans alike that were lost to us”.

Of course, 2006 was in many ways a simpler time, as Gene Replacement passed time by using the mega-prims he had recently invented for some skywriting over Satyr.

V5 – gone but not forgotten

Still, there was a sense that change was in the air, and W-Hat goons worried that 4chan /b/tards might get bored with Habbo Hotel and migrate to Second Life. The mass pool closings that followed in the wake of the /b/ immigrants to Second Life only underscore the prophetic words of Dano Plisskin who warned me two years ago, “never underestimate the power of retard in large numbers”. Ironically, the destruction of Satyr was followed 9 months later by the destruction of Woodbury sim as history repeated itself.

And so on this solemn day, I considered the fate of those who anger the game gods and feel the force of the ban hammer – they may perish, but their friends and alt accounts will never forget.

two mourners near the gravesite

black and white photo of the original memorial

Isometric Bedlam’s scrapbook of e-friends included Philip Linden – before Philip used the ban hammer on Mr. Bedlam

Think of this lovely photo as the cover to your History lesson today… designed to reflect the artistic style of Japanese manga covers (for a very specific reason, as you’ll come to see). Open it up and turn to the chapter titled “History of Neko 101.” Are you wearing your perquisite Japanese schoolgirl uniform? Excellent. Let us explore the history and evolution of Nekos, shall we?

In the early 90’s, a Japanese girl named Aoi Hiiragi wrote a manga (Japanese “comic book”) series called “Whisper of the Heart” (or Mimi o Sumaseba 耳をすませば). In them, she introduced a mysterious but elegantly dressed silver cat named The Baron. Her mangas inspired an anime movie in 1995, as well as a sequel in 2002 called “The Cat Returns” (Neko no Ongaeshi 猫の恩返し).

Although both animes featured The Baron, it was the storyline of the second anime that likely contributed to the birth of Nekos. The story went like this:

A young schoolgirl was captured and taken to the Cat Realm by force, where she was expected to marry the Prince of the Cat Kingdom against her will. During a pre-nuptual feast, she began magically transforming into a Neko (human shape with paws, ears, and whiskers), in preparation for the ceremony. Before the transformation was complete however, The Baron and other cats helped her escape.

Yet… like so many Nekos I’ve spoken to in Second Life, a strange thing happened: The tail and ears gradually began to “feel right” as she discovered her true self, and acknowledged her feelings for The Baron.

Not long after, Japanese girls began dressing up Neko (which means “cat” in Japanese). But they weren’t alone, and quite possibly not the first to identify with cats in a human way (although this kitteh would argue that their influence weighed heavily).

Over in the U.S., American girls had been taking inspiration from Catwoman, one of the villains in the Batman comics, and quite possibly from the musical Cats, which came out in 1981.

So what do you get when you combine all of these influences, and mix gently in a virtual world like Second Life? The birth of Nekos…

Once again, the luck of my nine Neko lives was with me when I met Fa Nyak — one of SL’s original Nekos (and designer / owner of the store: >(O.o)< on Mew Island).

“I remember when I first started selling the kitty animation overrides, Neko didn’t even exist as a search term,” recalled Fa, pictured at right. “That picked up a year or so later. But there were only like two other stores with anything… basically a bell collar or something like that.”

So if “Neko” wasn’t a common term, what did they call themselves? “We called it catgirl,” Fa shrugged. “In fact I was really wierded out when everyone started calling it by the Japanese word Neko… I had always just said catgirl!” (I suspect the term Neko may have come about as more and more Japanese joined Second Life; they seemed to take the whole concept of dressing and being Neko to a much higher level.)

During SL’s second year, Fa said with a smile and a headshake, the “Neko thing really took off, and now I don’t think I even show up in the search for Neko anymore, I’m so buried under all the malls and random shops.” (I’m hoping this blog will help…)

So there you have it. Born of a strong affinity for all things feline, rooted in Japanese manga and American comics, inspired by anime, and now living and evolving in the virtual world of Second Life (and other virtual worlds)… it seems we Nekos have a pretty fascinating history. (Don’t worry, there will be no test; the Baron already gave me an A+.) ^_^

Ahh yes. You’ve sat through class like such good little Nekos, waiting for me to divulge my shopping secrets. Let me start by saying this: I heart CatNip! Akasha Wachmann makes some of the best, outrageously funny Neko accessories on the grid (in my not-so-humble opinion of course).

But the girl’s talent is further complemented by a sweet heart: after receiving a crazy idea from a strange Neko girl one night, she took up the challenge, and designed this adorable school backpack just for this post. Of course I also needed to pack a school lunch (her “yummy sardines” arm band) and bring appropriate gadgets (her “ridin nerdy” leg band) for school.

Thank you Akasha, I hope I’m not the only Neko who takes a shine to your new school backpack!

Left: Back to School “backpack;” Top: Yummy Sardines; Bottom: Ridin Nerdy; Right: Tintable Legwarmers, and cute Neko shoes

| Hair | Shop Seu: Fuafua hair in apricot brown
| Outfit | SG / Sweetest Goodbye: School Girl outfit in indigo + red
| Backback | CatNip: Back to School
| Arm band | CatNip: Yummy Sardines
| Thigh strap | CatNip: Ridin Nerdy
| Legwarmers | Gritty Kitty: (tintable) Legwarmer hand tinted to match outfit
| Socks | PBI / Pushbutton Industries: Yardstick Thigh Highs in snow
| Shoes | Ameno (Elle et Lui): Brooklyn styles bordeau women

And don’t forget to check out Fa Nyak’s store >(O.o)< while you’re at it. In addition to some cute gifts Fa dropped on me, I’ve got the “pounce”-animated bracelet, and Bobby wears the ears, which feature some of the best and more unique natural movements I’ve seen.

by Mötör Vöted5

[this story appeared in a slightly different form at the Griefer Herald, where the author describes an exploit allowing free transfer of L$ spacebux - part of a tell-all account of a bygone era. While the exploit has presumably been patched, the level of close cooperation between dark lord of the goons, Gene Replacement, and Philip Linden, ex-CEO of the metaverse finally confirms what many have long suspected. - the Editrix]

I was a member of Voted 5 way before the great purge that razed Satyr to the ground and led to the revival of the then defunct w-hat. I joined sometime after the great w-hat civil war (where Voted 5 was splintered from w-hat) and many months before the removal of Satyr from the grid and the banning of several prominent members of Voted 5. Let me tell you, things back then were what one would consider fun. Back then was when griefing was an art.

Gene Replacement was a glorious leader. Gene Replacement, whom many know as Plastic Duck, was what made Voted 5 so popular and famous. The scripts, items, and everything that streamed from him was a marvel to behold. I can even remember Gene Replacement taking a few moments to modify the Linden popgun to exploit most Gorean combat meters. Everything was always done with a fluid motion including keeping all of the SA goons in check.

There was no faggotry allowed in Satyr. The second you came up with the idea to type a 4chan catchphrase was the second you were swiftly kicked from the sim by Gene Replacement. That was, unless you were part of the in-crowd. My memory is fuzzy in regards to those who were in the tight knit clique that circled Gene Replacement and maintained the majority of the power of the group. Names that I can summon from the top of my head are Schwartz Guillaume, Decomposing Monstre, and the “guy in the power ranger suit” whose name escapes me. People like NiceAaron Thetan and Ben Kerensky were overly prominent, but I’m unsure if they made it into the clique that surrounded Gene. Being from the outside one doesn’t know all of the facts.

The fall of Voted 5 was caused by many factors. I suspect, however, that many at the top knew it was coming. Before Satyr underwent a “tiki theme” that led to in-fighting (no one wanted to do a serious theme that wasn’t mocking something) there was a theme called “Tacowood” which was making fun of both the Gorean and Furry sims. The entire sim was cartoony and had a tree similar to the one you’d find in Lost Furest in the middle with everything made of megaprims. The entire ground was made of a megaprim.

The Tacowood theme was great because the description was the same as any other Gorean sim at the time. This led many Goreans to zone in with their slaves in tow and find a welcome of five to twenty weirdly dressed people shouting at them to nadu. A cage was added at the telehub so the Goreans were locked in and given the rules of Tacowood. The ones who escaped the cage (through sitting or reading the rules if I remember right) found themselves in a world that did not welcome them. The odds of their collars being diddled with, their sexgen being raped, and being told to nadu were extremely high. The major source of comedy was often when the slave would not leave because their “master” didn’t give them permission yet.

These were the times when Voted 5 shined for me. There was no mass grid griefing, there was no Patriotic Nigras running about, and the leadership was firm on good solid “goon values”. There was only one major griefing event outside of the sim and that was an invasion of FurNation with everyone dressed as Team Rocket throwing pokeballs at various furries while a Meowth blimp was floating about. Afterwards there was a raid on a few Gorean sims. It was good fun due mostly to the overreaction of the furries and Goreans to these strangers in their sim.

Other raids were simply finding people cybering and stopping in with some form of hilarious image. Often a band would roam about mainland exploring and finding two dots together before a teleport chain would occur. Outside of those two instances most everything was contained within Satyr. Satyr was a sim where you could hang out, talk with fellow goons, and fuck around all you wanted.

This all came to an end, however, when the crew wanted to create a serious sim after Satyr got a lot of publicity for their build. Many people argued and bickered, saying that themes should be for goofing off, but the tiki theme came about anyway. The zone was wiped and the tiki theme was being set up. No one but Gene and his crew were building for it. Eventually, to everyone’s relief, the tiki theme was all but lost to a giant face of Prokofy spewing particles out of her giant mouth. The map also contained a lewd drawing of King of the Hill involving Bobby Hill (a popular image in many “goon image packs”). Then, I would say, the leaders of Voted 5 knew their days were numbered. It seemed that they knew the inevitable was coming and we were giving one final hurrah.

After the purge, Gene Replacement was banned. Satyr was inaccessible. Gene Replacement didn’t go out without a fight though. He held a live funeral where he was buried in some random graveyard sim with build permission. Standing large beside him was a screenshot of his SL account being banned if viewed from the web login. He was still inside the game and a complete renegade from Linden Labs. Did the Lindens purposely not re-ban him? No one knows, but everyone knows he was awesome enough that even Linden Lab couldn’t stop him.

Afterwards everyone fled back to the “homeland” of Baku. Baku who had stagnated over the year was once again revived. The owners of the group returned amongst various rumors of Voted 5′s purge. Everyone left the Voted 5 group and construction began on a new theme for Baku. W-Hat was born again. However, it was born without the leadership that the others provided.

Soon, 4chan took over. You’d see them and their avatars hanging out in Baku land. Soon you could see the discontent of the older generation as they were dissatisfied with the current leadership. Many left SL, many went elsewhere and played with other SL friends, and some stayed. I don’t know specifically how w-hat changed after the few months I followed it passed Voted 5′s removal from the game. However, I do know I’m glad I left. The w-hat I see now is nowhere near as cool as Voted 5. They may want to distance themselves as far away from Plastic Duck as they can, but that won’t change the fact that Plastic Duck is a better leader then they could ever be.

For instance, rumors abound that Plastic Duck had a way to hack SL and steal Lindens from people’s accounts. That rumor is true and I’ve seen it for myself. Gene Replacement and the guy in the power ranger suit were there one night when Gene discovered how to pay someone a negative amount. When you payed someone a negative amount the game would give you the money and take it from them. The best part was that even if they had no Linden the game would still give the money over.

Plastic Duck could have ruined Second Life then and there. It could have been the end of the game. They could have kept the exploit secret and used it to send fake cash all over the grid with different accounts and IP addresses, exchanging those lindens for real world currency before Linden Lab could have noticed. They could have caused more damage than the grid crashing. They could have undermined the entire game and people’s trust into Linden Labs.

[7:10] Philip Linden: hey there!
[7:10] Gene Replacement: hi what’s up

[7:10] Philip Linden: can I come and talk to you about your reported exploit?
[7:11] Gene Replacement: ok sure but I’m not at a nice place

[7:11] Philip Linden: let’s go somewhere else then.
[7:11] Philip Linden: hang on.
[7:12] Philip Linden: actually let’s talk in IM to be really secure.
[7:12] Gene Replacement: secure

[7:12] Philip Linden: OK so can you tell me the time and source->dest of the test you did?
[7:13] Gene Replacement: honestly, I have no idea. I’ve been messing with packet shaping SL stuff for a few hours last night/today and was messing with various stuff.
[7:13] Gene Replacement: I debited two different avatars and paid them back to do the test.

[7:13] Philip Linden: OK which ones?
[7:14] Philip Linden: I want to look at our logs and see what is there?
[7:14] Gene Replacement: Tiny Marbles and Huns Valen
[7:14] Gene Replacement: I received their permission via voice chat
[7:14] Gene Replacement: I also debited NULL_KEY when testing it, as the idea originally came from modifying asset upload fees and the default avatar paid is NULL_KEY

[7:15] Philip Linden: OK are you referring to a transact between you and him at 3AM this morning?
[7:16] Philip Linden: that is what I see.
[7:16] Gene Replacement: yeah that sounds right
[7:16] Gene Replacement: I was messing with the upload fees a few days ago but wanted to try spoofing the payment source/destination today

[7:16] Philip Linden: there is a ‘gift’ transact of value 1L$?
[7:16] Philip Linden: is that correct?
[7:16] Gene Replacement: to Huns?

[7:17] Philip Linden: there is first a payment from huns->gene, and then backwards.
[7:17] Gene Replacement: yes that is correct

[7:17] Philip Linden: OK so what account were you logged in as when you sent the packets?
[7:18] Gene Replacement: Gene Replacement

[7:18] Philip Linden: So basically you were able to get Huns to xfer to you, though you were logged in as you?
[7:18] Gene Replacement: yes
[7:18] Gene Replacement: it’s really simple I could do it to you

[7:19] Philip Linden: OK
[7:19] Gene Replacement: you are asking me to debit money from you?

[7:20] Philip Linden: can you do it right now?
[7:20] Gene Replacement: yes

[7:20] Philip Linden: OK let’s do that so we have a good record.
[7:20] Philip Linden: XFER L$1 from me to you.
[7:20] Gene Replacement: ok it will take a few mins

[7:21] Philip Linden: OK
[7:22] Gene Replacement: there we go

[7:22] Philip Linden: Got it.
[7:22] Philip Linden: Let me check the logs.
[7:22] Gene Replacement: no I got it

[7:23] Philip Linden: OK I’ve got it confirmed in the logs.
[7:23] Philip Linden: Wow that is a really big problem.
[7:23] Philip Linden: I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the find.
[7:24] Philip Linden: Why we aren’t confirming that event at the server is beyond me,
[7:24] Philip Linden: OK so it looks like we’ve at least got good logs,
[7:24] Philip Linden: which would allow us to look for this happening.
[7:24] Philip Linden: I was still able to see that you were the one who initiated the transfer (from me to you)
[7:25] Philip Linden: so that makes me feel somewhat better in terms of the time it will take to fix.
[7:25] Gene Replacement: this is why an open policy on reverse engineering is a good thing

[7:25] Philip Linden: Obviously please keep under wraps. We’ll probably fix it today.
[7:25] Gene Replacement: yup, I don’t plan on telling anyone how to do this.

[7:26] Philip Linden: OK thanks.
[7:26] Philip Linden: We will be working on it within couple hours.
[7:26] Philip Linden: I
[7:26] Philip Linden: I’m in the office now.
[7:27] Philip Linden: OK talk to you soon.
[7:27] Gene Replacement: ok bye

Instead, Gene and his friend reported it after a long debate in Satyr with what few people were there at the time. The idea of free legit Linden for reporting the exploit was worth more to them then wreaking havoc on the grid. In the end, the exploit was reported and Philip Linden himself showed up and took them somewhere, and an epic screencap was taken. They were given the reward and the security hole was fixed.

Voted 5 wasn’t about griefing or crashing sims. It was about playing a game by goofing off, being silly, and having fun just like most goons do. Laughing at others was a prominent theme but for most of the V5 members it was simple enough to laugh at how lame they were without needing to poke them and make them do something funny.

I do not know what w-hat is like in its current state but the constant bickering with the 4chan group and the way I’ve seen the leadership handle 4channers shitting the place up, the SL Safari, the constant jabs at Prokofy just because she was funny awhile back, and constant press about their ill deeds I can only shake my head. Everyone out there can shun Plastic Duck/Gene Replacement but I would join any group he was leading. I would join even if it wasn’t restricted to Something Awful members. I would join because I believe he knows how to have fun in SL. That’s something lost on most of the playerbase and even the current generation of griefers.

by Iona Nikolaidis

Alexandra Shu: Did you say you are going to do the voice thing?
Iona Nikolaidis: Yeah, I am gonna do it
Iona Nikolaidis: so I can whisper in your ear
Alexandra Shu: and I can moan in yours.
Iona Nikolaidis: ooooh
Alexandra Shu: hehe!
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe!
Alexandra Shu: wow. I wonder how that would sound.
Alexandra Shu: I digress.
Iona Nikolaidis: Um, I will spend some time thinking about that I can assure you!
Iona Nikolaidis: Is this a digression?
Iona Nikolaidis: Or a diversion?

Alexandra Shu: Hmmm…no…just a fantasy.
Alexandra Shu: My imaginings..
Iona Nikolaidis: mhmm
Iona Nikolaidis: That is all good stuff
Iona Nikolaidis: I spend a lot of time in La La Land myself
Alexandra Shu: I mean, I would like you to hear me have an orgasm.
Alexandra Shu: Jeessh!
Iona Nikolaidis: I would like that
Alexandra Shu: What am I saying!!!
Iona Nikolaidis: Um, don’t stop!
Alexandra Shu: Still, it’s true.
Iona Nikolaidis: Ok then
Iona Nikolaidis: I am grinning like an idiot at my computer
Alexandra Shu: It would be an added dimension.
Alexandra Shu: But what if you thought I sounded nerdy or something?
Iona Nikolaidis: Jesus
Iona Nikolaidis: You must know that cannot possibly happenAlexandra Shu: Like, “listen to that whining nerd!”
Alexandra Shu: She sounds like a little kid.
Iona Nikolaidis: Stop it
Iona Nikolaidis: I would love to hear you read the yellow pages
Alexandra Shu: I’ll pick up a copy.
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe!
Alexandra Shu: Should I start at the “A’s?”
Iona Nikolaidis: mhmm
Iona Nikolaidis: Yes
Alexandra Shu: Abraham, Abe

Unlike some lesbians (or pretendbians) I know, I am a big fan of electronic/trance/techno music and the like. I owe this in part to the fact that I came out in gay male clubs where such music is featured, so I have many a fond memory of thumping bass in bars. I was listening to a song today by LCD Soundsytem called Someone Great, and thought some of its lyrics had some bearing on this topic (or at least it echoed the topic for me):

To tell the truth I saw it coming,
The way, you were breathing.
But nothing can prepare you for it,
The voice, on the other, end.

Alex and I had discussed doing “voice” for some time before we did it. She surprised me with it, and upon hearing her voice, I felt like a blind man who recently regained his sense of sight. I also felt somewhat confused, as she didn’t sound like a 25-year-old (D’UH!). But, I believe what I am told. She was a 25-year-old lesbian. Now, obviously, I know this to be false. And I wonder…what does it mean that someone who had spun such a web of half-truths would connect in a real way using voice? And, given what I now know, how bizarre and twisted is it? Still, I liked hearing her voice. She sounded funny and happy. She sounded like an old friend. It introduced yet another element of real connection in the virtual world. That pains me now. It would have been better if I hadn’t heard her. But you can’t unring a bell. And now I live with this ringing in my ears……

A conversation in SL where one person is talking

Iona Nikolaidis: why did you say you sounded like a little kid?
Iona Nikolaidis: you don’t at all
Iona Nikolaidis: you sound like a woman
Iona Nikolaidis: phew!
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe!
Iona Nikolaidis: You sound very sexy
Iona Nikolaidis: Yes
Iona Nikolaidis: Incredibly sexy
Iona Nikolaidis: Yes
Iona Nikolaidis: Very much so
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe
Iona Nikolaidis: ok
Iona Nikolaidis: ooooooh
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe!
Iona Nikolaidis: it was also sexy
Iona Nikolaidis: Now I have your voice in my head
Iona Nikolaidis: hehe
Iona Nikolaidis: that’s right
Iona Nikolaidis: aaaaah!
Iona Nikolaidis: No it is soothing
Iona Nikolaidis: it is a balm for my troubled mind
Iona Nikolaidis: good
Iona Nikolaidis: be happy

And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
Till the day it stops…..

[Shuless appears courtesy of http://soshuless.blogspot.com/ and is reprinted here by permission of Iona Nikolaidis]

by Iona Nikolaidis

So meeting Alex and getting hit on by her was a welcome, welcome development in Iona’s SL. It gave Iona a reason to go into SL beyond going into the Brew, playing “So who’s a man?” and harassing Newbs in sex Sims. When Alex told me she was 25, I had a hard time believing her (HA!), both because of her intellect and because the level of her cyber far surpassed that of the average 25 year old (I am guessing). She made me feel incompetent in comparison, but she put up with me, and I learned a lot from the experience. Some people are verbally gifted. And although I am most certainly orally gifted, I did and still have a hard time expressing myself in matters most, um, intimate. This post is one of those times. I am tired.

[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: Alex are you the smartest person in the world?
[16:22] Yes, absolutely.
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: Phew
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: Ok
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: I love me some of that old time religion
[16:22] I knew you were going to say that
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: Alex, are you psychic?
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis throws another softball
[16:22] Iona Nikolaidis: Wack it!
[16:23] Ummm…uh…hmmmm….duh….
[16:23] Iona Nikolaidis: hehe
[16:23] I am meditating…
[16:23] Iona Nikolaidis: Oh I will be very quiet then
[16:23] that is an ancient Hindu chant….
[16:24] Iona Nikolaidis: Hmmm
[16:24] Ummmm…..uh…..hmmmmm…duh….
[16:24] My Mantra.
[16:24] Iona Nikolaidis: Err, um, err
[16:24] Iona Nikolaidis: My stutter
[16:24] I plucked it from the fragrance of the lotus blossom…
[16:24] Iona Nikolaidis: Ooooh
[16:25] You have smelled my lotus blossom, right?
[16:25] Iona Nikolaidis: I think I have had my head buried in it!
[16:25] Amen, sister!
[16:26] Iona Nikolaidis: Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!
[16:26] You are not far from enlightenment!
[16:26] Iona Nikolaidis: I keep looking!
[16:26] hehe!
[16:26] Iona Nikolaidis: Seek and ye shall find!
[16:27] Probe and you shall enter!
[16:27] Iona Nikolaidis: Lay down and ye shall get fucked
[16:27] Iona Nikolaidis: That doesn’t roll off the tongue so well…..
[16:28] It must have been the first draft…
[16:28] Iona Nikolaidis: Yeah, that needs work

[Shuless appears courtesy of http://soshuless.blogspot.com/ and is reprinted here by permission of Iona Nikolaidis]