When serving, is the server allowed to serve the ball so softly that it could bounce twice on the receiver's side if he were to not hit it? Secondly what it the serve hit the receivers side once, and then the ball went off the side of the table?

that's what you're trying to do to score a point on your serve

Hmmm... According to Basement Rules, at http://www.usatt.org/rules/basementRules.html#Service :

"7.2 The ball must bounce once on the server's side of the table and only once on your opponent's. If it bounces twice on your opponent's side, he's awarded the point.

7.2.1 The ball must cross the end line and must not cross the edge lines on the service."

So, for basement ping-pong, no - to both. (see also http://tabletennis.about.com/od/importantrules/a/importantrules_2.htm )

See some of the various (USA) Rules, here: http://www.usatt.org/major/rules.shtml and here: http://www.pongworld.com/more/rules.php and here: http://tabletennis.about.com/od/importantrules/a/importantrules.htm

I should hope these kinds of serves should be among the arsenal of any tabletennis player!

I'm pretty sure both are against the rules.
if you do either one, the point goes to the receiver

Yes I understand you are trying to get a point but but to serve it to where it goes off the side doesn't seem very sportsman like. It just seems cheap. Just trying to figgure it out. No where in any rule that i have read does it state is can't go off the side but it never sais it can either. Oh well.

Yes, for the second bounce rule is what nets the server points. In the one bounce, out of bounds scenario, I think the one who didn't serve last, gets to serve next.