Erotic Truth

Rediscovering Cecilia Tan

2009-09-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Everything I needed to know about Life, I learn... by webcarve
View other Usenet T-Shirts

I still think there's something bizarre and strange about looking back at the days of Alt.Sex.Stories as "the good old days." I remember running into Cecilia Tan as Ctan on Usenet. Yes, before it was known as "The Internet." I was reading her early works on that newsgroup with a UUCP feed with a 14.4 dialup.
Uphill. Both Ways. In The Dark.

Now, life happened, and I kind of got distracted from making and enjoying erotic works; it seemed that speaking of the immediate ethical failures of Certain People was more important than crafting tales that - even then - were explorations of sexual ethics. I wrote a few, enough to learn just how difficult it is. But then, Ctan and a short list of others were the standard I measured myself against.

But of late I've returned to the field, concentrating on the Graphic Novel format, to discover that Ctan has not been significantly distracted at all. Her Circlet Press imprint has become one of the best known for quality erotic fiction, and may be found in your better book stores, while also providing discreet online fulfillment in print and electronic formats.

There's a significant distinction between erotica and porn; and way back when Ctan proved to me back then that the distinction was not about the amount of explicit sex. Ctan's sex scenes will melt your brain. Even if she's writing counter to your own sexual preference and orientation.

Trust me, that's hard. It's easily as difficult as writing a plausible antagonist who's entire worldview conflicts with you and your protagonist. And crafting a story with a lot of sex so that it's actually a story and not a way of getting from hello to squirt in the shortest number of words is exactly the same challeng as crafting a story with a lot of loud explosions.

If you can top Ctan - you can top Die Hard. You could probably top Die Hard without topping Ctan. Die Hard requires suspension of disbelief. Ctan seduces your belief. I am deeply envious.

Back then a new Ctan story was worth setting aside for dessert. Well, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

I have not yet read "The Prince's Boy." I skimmed part of chapter eight, and then I went back to the first (linked) episode, which has what may be the most compelling hook I've seen in a long time. I'm doing this for ME. Because I absolutely do intend to read it and I want to be able to find it.

It gripes me rather a lot that I can't set the time aside to do that right this instant,but I have deadlines too.

If you use twitter, you can keep up to date with Circlet Press. And - in keeping with the ethos of "Shared Pain is Diminished, Shared Joy Increased" - Circlet Press is twittering wonderful and painful excerpts from their slush pile @Circletslush.

If you MUST shop at Wal-Mart... Wear the right shirt.

2009-09-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just don't have a choice. The amount of money and the distance to payday says that you will be visiting Wal-Mart.

You may be aware that I make t-shirts. Some of them are rather naughty and/or political. Some few are outright rude. But now that I've seen this hilarious site, I see no downside to wearing them to Wal-Mart. Fa sure, there isn't a dress code here!

You could make people think - or you could make it onto The People Of Wal-Mart yourself.

So here's a few suggestions for shirts that you might think amusing to wear to Wal-Mart. Some are mine, some are from friends, some I found JUST for this post.

Do You Measure Up? Extra Crispy Ego by webcarve

Trained Stunt Pervert by webcarve

CONSERVATIVES Pro-Life??? by Warlords

Alien Lover T-Shirt by webcarve
View other Pod people T-Shirts

J.S. Mill on Conservatism by webcarve

Maude Says by webcarve
Get a tee shirt at zazzle

* Yes, it is cold * by mulgath

You Really Do Need A Girlfriend T-shirt by DocEcho
Make a custom t shirt on zazzle

Unemployed Fruit Smuggler T-Shirt by webcarve

Gotopless.org - a new Raelan Revelation

2009-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

TOP
by tonyapts

GoTopless We are a US organization, claiming that women have the same constitutional right to be bare chested in public places as men.

Maitreya, Rael, spiritual leader and founder of goTopless.org states: "as long as men can be topless, constitutionally women should have the same right, or men should also be forced to wear something hiding their chest."

I must give credit where credit is due; the Raelians have done something worth doing, and are taking heat for doing it. From where? Well, it's not from where you might expect... it's from Terribly Serious Nudists, who grump about how the Raeliens are causing people to take this issue less seriously than it should be taken.

Well, frankly, naked people who wish to be Taken Seriously should put some clothes on. That is what clothes are for. They convey status and social position. They indicate rank and station. They hide our flaws and scars and pot bellies, while allowing us to not look at things that might give us woodies or wide-ons, which would surely be seen if we were... well, it's a circular observation, ain't it?

Personally, I can't imagine why one would wish to pretend that being naked could be divorced from human sexuality, or for that matter, why that would sound like a good idea in the first place. "Grimly Naked" just sounds... not fun. And chilly.

Look, this is a very simple idea. If looking at another human being bothers you, don't look. "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out," the Bible advises. Not "beat the woman until she puts on a burkah." Thine woodie is thine OWN issue. Cut it off or whack it off, whatever you need to do to maintain an even strain within a civil society, but don't put your issues where they don't belong. That is the essential ethical point behind this struggle, and a bit of whimsy does make the point go down better.

And frankly, only those already discounted by the mainstream could afford to do something this courageously, conspicuously, subversively ridiculous. The various nudist and naturist associations might think they deserve to be taken more seriously, a point that is beside the point. It's rare that they are considered or consulted or indeed, thought about. Meanwhile, the Raelians got behind the cause and jiggled.

And lo, it was seen that it was fun to watch, and nobody died.

This is a core liberties issue. I'm more than willing to - urm - support this cause and not merely because I like boobies. After all, this is not about asserting the right to show off a nice pair.

There are entire industries devoted to that, after all. No, this is about equality, and the right to bear your chest, regardless of whether or not one could get paid, or at least tossed a string of beads.

It is a matter of equal rights; the sight of breasts cannot be argued to be harmful to anyone, and if the thinking of those offended argues otherwise, that it justifies bad behavior, let us look to the Blackletter law, that those who commit violent acts are the ones who are justly held accountable.

Even if there are boobs wagging about, violent tantrums are NOT permissible.

However, as an artist and aesthete, I do hope it's a right that is exercised with some discretion. I may hope - but I have not RIGHT to demand it. That simple understanding, recognized in law, is the entire point to the exercise. Equality under the law.

And of course this:

"Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense!
Our template driven Go Topless T-Shirt by webcarve is designed to be modified, to celebrate your own subversive experience - and it can also be used to fundraise for an upcoming event in your town next year. An excellent idea, methinks. There are substantial discounts for bulk orders. :)

Voyeur, meet Exhibitionist.

2009-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

HIGH LINE'S STANDARD HOTEL DRAWS VISITORS AS GUESTS POSE NAKED IN WINDOWS - New York Post H/T The Daily Beast

Make of this what you will; for me, the interesting thing is that the Post has dropped any pretense of disapproval. This sort of tabloid used to be driven by faux outrage; long-lens nippleslippages presented as proof of how very very decadent and evil "those people" were. But perhaps several years of dedicated, uppercase Faux outrage has made the lowercase hyporcacy seem a tad retro.

Now, they seem willing to admit that they like boobies and expect their readers do as well. I concur. Boobies are fun.

More people are flocking to the High Line's Standard hotel as word spreads of X-rated sights like these gals cavorting behind floor-to-ceiling windows.

The city might want to rename its newest park the "Thigh Line."

Thrill-seekers yesterday flocked to the Meatpacking District's newly christened High Line urban paradise to catch a glimpse of the free skin show playing out in the massive windows at The Standard hotel, which straddles the park.

I must say, The Post treated this in a classier way than one would expect. This hotel, with all that cavorting, and nothing whatsoever was made of the fact that it's in the "Meatpacking District" or that the hotel is clearly visible from a city park built on the former "Elevated Line."

Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink, Know What I Mean?

I presume that Benny Hill is no longer on the Editorial Board.

Graphictruth: Don't Piss on the Crazy Bush

2009-08-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Any discussion of any topic of any importance (say, human trafficking and slavery) will be degraded into incoherence by dealing with the sort of people who insist on their right to be heard because of what the insects in their heads tell them is Too Important To Be Ignored.

This advice does not merely apply to such people speaking out against you. It's far more humiliating to have such people thinking they have a place in your "posse."

Crossposted from Graphictruth.

The thing about us cosmopolitan elitists is that we have learned that taking crazy people seriously can make you crazy. They USED to teach people in Journo 101 that you don't give credence to the incredible.

It is fun at times to ridicule the ridiculous - but some things are so fucking INHERENTLY ridiculous that pointing it out amounts to insulting the intelligence of any audience worth having.

Rick Perlstein -- Birthers, Health Care Hecklers and the Rise of Right-Wing Rage - washingtonpost.com: "So the birthers, the anti-tax tea-partiers, the town hall hecklers -- these are 'either' the genuine grass roots or evil conspirators staging scenes for YouTube? The quiver on the lips of the man pushing the wheelchair, the crazed risk of carrying a pistol around a president -- too heartfelt to be an act. The lockstep strangeness of the mad lies on the protesters' signs -- too uniform to be spontaneous. They are both. If you don't understand that any moment of genuine political change always produces both, you can't understand America, where the crazy tree blooms in every moment of liberal ascendancy, and where elites exploit the crazy for their own narrow interests."

Never mind watering the Tree of Liberty. Stop pissing on the Crazy Bush!

That's how you deal with crazy people. You firmly tell them that the shit in their heads is their shit, and they have to own it.

At the very least, before inviting others into the private regions of your head, you should pick up the trash and do the laundry. There's a perfect example of that right here.

People who behave like that in public should be treated in the same way as a five year old who has yet to learn that public masturbation is inappropriate.

Renegade Evolution quotes the crazy in full, and mistakenly attempts to respond to the crazy as if she were talking to a rational person who was attacking her for sane, if malicious reasons. A mistake, I fear. I have a stock t-shirt for just such occasions.

While it may have worth citing as a textbook example of disastrously flawed rhetoric or to feature as an example of what happens when you roll a double zero on your critical thinking skill table, one only had to read three paragraphs down to realize that any deeper consideration would be entirely misplaced.

The signers of the letter say they are “members of the academic community.” The media quickly converted that into “50 professors.” In fact, quite a few are not full-time professors or administrators at these institutions; rather, some are adjunct faculty, graduate students, or retired. At least one signer seems to be an undergraduate.

You see, the nutball letter states that these persons who claim to be "members of the academic community" are, indeed, members of the academic community, precisely as they claimed. Citing that media has failed to correctly cite their credentials is not a valid criticism of the credentials they claim, if anything, it more firmly establishes their proper credentials - as representing the entire range of the academic community, that is to say, people who's primary qualification is to think about stuff and derive useful insights that may advise others who may, though no fault of their own, have less time to devote to such matters.

Such as, Margaret Brooks and Donna M. Huges of Citizens Against Trafficking the co-authors of the above paragraph.

See, having established that they cannot think, one may cease to be concerned with what they think regarding any appareant mutual concerns, because any response amounts to Pissing on the Crazy Bush.

Any discussion of any topic of any importance (say, human trafficking and slavery) will be degraded into incoherence by dealing with the sort of people who insist on their right to be heard because of what the insects in their heads tell them is Too Important To Be Ignored.

This advice does not merely apply to such people speaking out against you. It's far more humiliating to have such people thinking they have a place in your "posse."

It's like hearing "Chemtrails" in conversation - it's a signal to switch to meaningless small talk. Trust me, they will not notice the difference, and you won't feel the need to crotch-punch them, so it's a win-win.

Some things are so awesomely, majestically, comprehensively stupid as to be worthy of standing alone in all their awful majesty. I understand why Ren takes this nasty little screed personally, but she's mistaken in doing so.

It's not that I'm saying that she should "understand" their position. She shouldn't even try. You don't encourage people to rationalize a phobic response. You either accept it or you do not, and that reaction depends entirely upon whether the irrational spasms pose any danger.

Likewise, as a responsible person, you cope with your phobia or you do not, and arrange your life accordingly. A phobic has no reasonable expectation that people should accommodate their irrational fears, much less enable them in oppressing the people they are phobic about.

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
"Well, then, stop DOING that!"

I may squish a spider in order to keep my wife's brains from leaking out of her head. I will not harm a person because she reacts to them in the same way; I'll take her to the mental health clinic. We both understand that distinction, and she would do the same for/to me. There is a limit to which reasonable people expect their irrationality to be accommodated.

Sane public policy cannot possibly accommodate all irrational fears and phobias, nor may it advantage personality disorders over civility and long persist. Government, along with every other human activity, cannot sacrifice outcome in the name of process.

Bring facts, bring reason, bring a coherent argument with, you know, facts and stuff, or stay home.

From this elitist bastard's perspective, you may just as well. I'm not going to waste precious, publicly funded photons on arguing with crazy.

(Should I forget, do feel free to remind me.)

The Dreamwalkers Webcomix Universe

2009-08-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

You probably know about Webcomix, and if you do, you probably already know about Drunkduck.com, which justly brags that it hosts more than 1500 webcomics. Heck, people who host their own comics on their own url MIRROR them on DD (as it's lovingly abbreviated), simply for all the luscious traffic and the benefits of community.

Well, I happen to have two comics underway that you might be interested in. It should come as no surprise that "23" and "Dreamwalkers" are entirely concerned with sex. Sex, and power. Sex, power, and what happens if you try and navigate between the two without a functional ethical compass.

As it happens, the "Dreamwalkers" universe is loosely based on personal shamanic experiences, with a whole bunch of the estoteric lore I've picked up over the years, levened with a hearty appreciation for BDSM and fetish illustrations. Further than that, well, that would spoil the story.

Dreamwalkers is frankly adult, while 23 shoots for a "mature" rating, while being more precisely called a "graphic novel."

I think you will enjoy them.

Patriotic Latex!

2009-04-20T17:34:00.001-07:00

metropolis_red, originally uploaded by Slinka.

It really needs a screen-printed maple leaf...

Ego Assassin
Toronto, Canada

FBI workers accused of spying on dressing room

2009-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

FBI workers accused of spying on dressing room:

"MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Two FBI workers are accused of using surveillance equipment to spy on teenage girls as they undressed and tried on prom gowns at a charity event at a West Virginia mall.

The FBI employees have been charged with conspiracy and committing criminal invasion of privacy. They were working in an FBI satellite control room at the mall when they positioned a camera on temporary changing rooms and zoomed in for at least 90 minutes on girls dressing for the Cinderella Project fashion show, Marion County Prosecutor Pat Wilson said Monday.

Gary Sutton Jr., 40, of New Milton and Charles Hommema of Buckhannon have been charged with the misdemeanors and face fines and up to a year in jail on each charge if convicted. Sutton has been released on bond, Wilson said, and Hommema is to be arraigned later this week. Wilson did not know Hommema's age.

The workers were described in a complaint as 'police officers,' but prosecutors did not say whether the men were agents or describe what kind of work they did."

If you want to keep the baby, you need to get a Second Life

2009-04-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

The Gathering Stormfront of Stupid

2009-04-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Steven Sums it Up

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Colbert Coalition's Anti-Gay Marriage Ad

colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

NASA Name Contest

Brisol Palin Explodes Abstenance Mythology

2009-02-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

In her first public interview, Bristol told Fox News' that abstinence is "not realistic at all."

I'm sure that went over well in the Heartland. But unpalatable as it may be, had Bristol Palin been exposed to a brutally real sex-ed resource that speaks in language that is so blunt that it cannot be misunderstood even by horny teenagers, she probably would not have become pregnant.

This is what Carla of Feministe has to say about it:

Scarleteen is a sex education website for teenagers and young adults. It’s sex positive, focuses on everything from safety to pleasure, anatomy to emotional responses to sexual relationships, promotes non-intercourse types of sex as worthwhile options and is completely LGBT inclusive. It also works to dismantle rape culture with discussions of desire and enthusiastic consent.

This is MY go-to resource for real answers for urgent questions. They are always in need of funds. You should really drop some bucks on them.

I should point out that Bristol's pregnancy is a legitimate social concern - as is her STD status. Her "purity" and "innocence" are not. Sacrificing the former concern in service to maintaining pretenses regarding the latter leads inexorably to diseased and pregnant teenagers.

But, at least ONE person involved seems to have gained insight as a result of experience. Bristol Palin.

Kudos, kiddo.

Sabra Hemmingway - Second Life Artist

2009-01-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

3118773044_ed7e1154d5_o, originally uploaded by sabrainsl.

It's a shame I missed the opening of the exhibition in Second Life Oh, who am I kidding; I really do avoid concentrations of people; that's one third computer limitations and two thirds wetware issues. So now is a perfect time to go, from my point of view. And if it's not still there - well, then it's time to look at her photostream.

There's one more example immediately below, selected because it's themed for this blog. Nonetheless; some of her most powerful images are urban landscapes dominated with swirls of colors in high electronic impasto. Stunning work and absolutely worth a Second Look.

Varla Dane explores WilliePunk genre

2009-01-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Varla Dane is an inspired uber-retro comic strip that harks back to the fetish artists of the 1920's, (Such as John Willie) complete with an analog interface steeped in crackle-finish and smelling faintly of ozone and presented in glorious black and white.

And yes, there are t-shirts and posters. :) Not enough-but well worth a look.

Putting Feminist Theory Aside For The Moment...

2008-12-10T10:25:00.001-08:00

36, originally uploaded by jasfire.

Biology clearly has a part to play.

Of course, this is also about how quickly rrrowwwllll can turn to awwwww!

Boobs and new baby smell. Two of the most viscerally amazingly wonderful things. I have found over my lifetime that it's far, far better to make positive sense of them, rather than try to argue with myself or with others that that viscereal sensation is some subtle snare of the devil.

"There is no sin but that thinking makes it so," and as far as I'm concerned, this is a great illustration of "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense."

Here's a life lesson for you...

2008-10-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

clipped from thecurvature.com

It would seem to me that in most cases, if a 49-year-old man intended to sexually abuse a 16-year-old girl and she stabbed him, the cries of “self defense” would be deafening. Under most circumstances, if a 16-year-old girl was sent to jail for 2 to 2 1/2 years because of stabbing a man who attempted to sexually abuse her, there would be public outrage.

So why silence now? Is it not self defense when you’re working as a prostitute? Are we back to the legal system’s “prostitutes can’t be raped” theory? Does this dehumanizing, misogynistic and rape apologist myth now apply to children, as well?

Even worse, the prosecution openly admits that the girl’s claims of kidnapping and attempted rape are credible:

he man she killed seemingly without a doubt had intent to sexually harm her. The prosecution accepts that the girl’s story is credible. And both the defense and prosecution admit that if the case had been allowed to go to trial, she would have likely been acquitted.

And what does this teach you, children? What example does THIS set?

It seems to me that this does not reflect well on either prosecution or defense, and in the particular case of defense council, I cannot help but think that an ethics review is in order.

Oh, and an appeal based on the clearly improper advice of council is damn well in order.

Yeah. It's Like that.

2008-10-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

clipped from men.style.com

It occurred to me, as I sat there watching an interracial couple banging, that jacking off in a hotel room was not unlike the larger experience of campaign reporting. You watch two performers. You kind of like it when one of them gets humiliated. You know they’re professionals, so you don’t feel much sympathy for them. You wish you could participate, but instead you watch with a hidden envy and feel vaguely ashamed for watching. You think you could probably do as good a job or better. You sometimes get a glimpse, intentionally or not, of society’s hidden desires and fears. You watch the porn week after week, the scenes almost always the same, none of them too memorable. The best ones get sent around the Internet.

Blogging, of course, is a particularly unrewarding form of solitary vice.

What's even worse is that this silly post will be my money shot for the month, because it has "jacking off" and "Porn" in it.

I'm just too jaded to take this any further, other than to say that the mindless ejaculations of Palin Supporters DO remind me of the mindless ejaculations of the fans of Hot Wife Porn over on flickr.

Except that it seems somehow less degrading to everyone involved.

Ownership Culture, BDSM and The Ethics of Power

2008-10-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

I Speak from Authority

It's probably obvious by now that I have a certain bias toward power exchange relationships.

BDSM and the ethics of BDSM are part and parcel of my core understanding of interpersonal relationships. It's especially useful to me because BDSM makes a fetish - so to speak - of explicitly stating relationships that are more commonly (mis)understood on a dynamic, ad-hoc basis; often assigned arbitrarily and without much attention paid to competence. As an Asperger's male, that makes me absolutely nuts.

This tendency has been particularly conspicuous in political life of late, and most particularly on the Authoritarian end of the political spectrum. There are many people who are drawn to power - both in the sense of submission and in the sense of having others bend the knee - with almost no attention paid to donating power responsibly or using it wisely and well.

More below the fold...

I deal with a great deal of irony in my personal life, as I'm a reflexive anti-authoritarian - with the need to be in authority! Yes, I know, it's absurd - but my way to deal with that is to chuckle in a deeply masculine way and state with more than mere hubris that, yes, I damn well AM an authority - on that which I'm talking about. When I don't know, I smile and nod wisely, with an air of interested skepticism conveyed by a slightly raised eyebrow.

But as a person who has that need to be an authority, I am pretty much obliged to explore the extremes. Childhood was my introduction to one extreme, so now I'm doing the utterly predictable - attempting to find a way of recapitulate my childhood from the other side. Or so any family therapist would say.

Accurately, I'm afraid. But the difference is that I've learned that mindless mimicry of one's formative examples is a very, very bad idea. At the same time - that's who you are and that's how you think. It behooves one, therefore, to think very carefully about how to think that way in ways that bring approval, success and the ultimate proof in this context - a life-long relationship.

That, by the by, takes two. And it is in this sense that a power-imbalanced relationship must be equal, for everyone involved has an equal responsibility to maintaining that particular balance of power.

I have to say that I've learned almost nothing about "being in control" from Dominants - not because of who and what they are, or because they lack competence and wisdom, but because I'm so not that guy. The most important thing I did learn about it from one well-known lifestyle and scene dominant was that in many ways it IS about compensating for one's flaws, flaws that one might get away with in a more "vanilla" context. His issue was that he was an reflexive asshole and abuser. His kink was messing with people for fun - and he'd come to not like the consequences. At the same time, it was who he was.

So, while that's primarily the single lesson I've learned from other "tops," it's a critical one; the one that makes all the "hows" and "why's" I've gleaned from submissives useful to me.

One must stand and lead from the place one is. One may be a "Reiker," a "Janeway" or a "Picard," and if one is IN command, one must lead from that essential nature. You can put on a character for a scene, for an evening, or even (I know to my own cost) a few years - but since it's not your life, it won't last. Trust me on that.

This is not to say that it's not fun to step out of one's comfort zone or even entirely outside of reality. Hell, I absolutely recommend it! But for "The Lifestyle" to work, it really has to come out of your gut, your essence and your nature. For most of us - and by us, I include all of "us" that are willing to admit being more than somewhat kinky - life is far less exciting than people outside of the relationship probably assume.

That's because "The Lifestyle" has to allow for all the things life includes - children, clogged sinks, jobs, family, community - all things that tend to take you out of "head-space."

But ordinary, successful vanilla heterosexual, monogamous marriage does not depend on "head-space," either. And that is really what we are talking about - without, of course, insisting on the aspects of heterosexuality, monogamy or vanilla sex.

Which, by the by, matter far less than you might think. Successful relationships may arise out of such things - but the grow into far much more, to the point where the things you thought would be critical are no longer issues at all. That's what happens when everyone in that relationship is coming from that core of authenticity.

Of course that rather requires that you are honest with you and yours about what that core is.

Me, I'm a caretaker personality, a socially clueless male autistic and a sadist. What I'm not is "dominant." I like being in control - but I don't at all enjoy having to control someone. I'm not into walking into a room and taking charge. I can do it - but there has to be a damn good reason. I don't particularly enjoy confrontation or competition, because I simply do not do that "male culture" thing.

That's because, frankly, my hind-brain treats such things in very stark terms, and if forced into conflict with a competitive male, it won't be symbolic. It took a lot of years, bruises and a few close calls to sort this one out. The way I do it is to draw sharp lines. "Mine." "Not Mine." Those lines work for me, and anyone within those lines had best understand that this is a non-negotiable, bedrock thing for me.

No doubt John Bradshaw would have much to say about this - but here I am, and that's what I am. My solution is to not change who I am, but to be who I am as best and as ethically as I possibly can - and so far it seems to be working for me well enough to indulge my tendency to speak from Authority.

As I said, my life is a great big old pile of rusty irony. I'm committed to the concepts of human rights. I'm an anti-authoritarian. I snicker aloud when my fellow man claims that his stiff penis - or penis substitute - gives him the inherent right to rule. I become incensed when such men drag God into it.

For myself, I see no isolated "right." I see a drive, mutual but asymmetrical needs and a consequential duty; these give meaning to the word "right." As in "it's my job to be..."

If you must rule and if you expect to spend any time doing it, you had best learn to lead wisely and well, to the general betterment of all "under your hand." And those "under your hand" are most comfortable when their position is as natural, comfortable and fulfilling for them as it is for you.

That means that there is no place within my concept of "ownership culture" for perps and victims. If your kink is to be debased and discarded - well, I'll accept that it's your kink - but don't expect me to participate.

Nor will I tolerate perpish behavior toward me and mine. There's nothing in BDSM or even within Ownership culture that justifies being an arrogant, incompetent asshole - and in practice, your odds of a successful Saturday night are one heck of a lot better outside of this culture if you are.

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

"Top" illustration: Ownership Event Invitation
by Ownership

Good way to get help in a store?

2008-10-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

Good way to get help in a store, originally uploaded by buxomdream.

My comment was "That's udderly unethical." The first priority was to make a cheap and satisfying pun. But the question itself is indeed worth asking?

My feminist friends will say that she's objectifying herself (if they don't use the term "prostituting.") For myself, I think that the males involved are behaving as quite predictable objects. And we also have to question whether it's a reaction she could physically avoid provoking.

I find I am not immune - and at an age where I really "should" be. Common wisdom, of course; I'm of the general view that much "common wisdom" is uncommonly stupid.

But I'm minded of Papa Heinlein's comment, paraphrased: "If I ever stop looking at pretty girls, push me over; I'm dead."

Several articles and television programs have fueled this thought, particularly one I saw last night on the effects of testosterone on both men and women. It's behavioral effects are profound, but one of the more interesting things about testosterone production in people (and estrogen, I suspect as well) is that it's levels also fluctuate according to things such as social status, competitive success and whether or not one has fathered a child - or indeed, whether or not one has recently held a baby!

My lifelong observation of human behavior and it's rationalizations have led me to believe that the current social insanity that the United States suffers from is in large part due to our touching belief that we can rise above the promptings of hormones and hind-brains, when in fact our fore-brains are at best equipped to steer us safely toward fulfilling those urges without screwing up or screwing over others.

"Buxomdream" will always produce the reaction she's blogging about in a certain proportion of males. It's no doubt been one of the foundational truths of her life since the girls popped out and said "hello."

From looking at her stream, the use of "appropriate foundation garments" would just make things worse for the unwary male.

By being accepting of herself and aware of the effect her breasts have upon men, she's also creating a dynamic that allows those so affected to realize that they are reacting and behaving on a primal level, and that it's ok, as long as everyone involved is having fun.

Let us also remember that certain men, by virtue of genetics, have attributes that make them extremely attractive to certain sorts of women; traits such as height, symmetrical features indicating a high testosterone level, broad shoulders - well, pick any "most eligible" from US or People, and whatever one's sexual preference, social status or life priorities, one WILL have to figure out how to work that to some sort of advantage with good outcomes - or one will pay the price in drama.

Ultimately, we all have to live with the genetic lottery results we are gifted and cursed with - and whether it's a curse or a gift (trust me on this one) is very much a question of our own choices and our awareness of how those "lottery results" affect how we fit into the culture we live in.

Any morality that makes us less aware and therefore more likely to cause harm to others out of moralistic judgement of ourselves or others in relationship to ourselves is unethical, and of course immoral in a much broader and profound way than any system of morality is likely to admit.

"An it harm none, do as ye will" - that conditional clause is a stone bitch.

First, Do no harm: Please sign the DSM Revision Petition.

2008-09-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

The DSM Revision Petition is gathering signatures from individuals and organizations
calling on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to adhere to empirical research
when revising the diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM).

Statements currently within the DSM Paraphilias criteria are contradicted by scientific
evidence therefore NCSF must conclude that the interpretation of the Paraphilias
criteria has been politically, not scientifically based. This politically motivated
interpretation subjects BDSM practitioners, fetishists and cross-dressers to bias,
discrimination and social sanctions without any scientific basis.

Petition:
"We, the undersigned, support the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) own
goal of making its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) a scientific document, based
on empirical research and devoid of cultural bias. A diagnosis of a mental disorder can
have a severe adverse impact on employment opportunities, child custody determinations,
an individual's well-being, and other areas of functioning. Therefore we urge the APA
to remove all diagnoses that are not based upon peer-reviewed, empirical research,
demonstrating distress or dysfunction, from the DSM. The APA specifically should not
promote current social norms or values as a basis for clinical judgments."

To sign, go to: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/DSMrevisionpetition
(You can make your signature anonymous on this secure petition site so it doesn't
appear on the Internet)

To find out more about the DSM and the Paraphilias section, read the NCSF & ITCR: The
Foundation for NCSF's "White Paper on the DSM Revision" at www.ncsfreedom.org

For more information, email: DSMrevisionpetition@yahoo.com

Free exhibition of abdominal muscles

2008-08-20T12:10:00.001-07:00

Free exhibition of abdominal muscles, originally uploaded by jml0256.

From his Flickr profile: jml0256: "I only want to share pictures and don't want any -degenerates- as contact! I'm not interessed by a dick's man or sex parties..."

Yes, of course, you would have to be a degenerate to think this image had any focus other than her abdominal muscles.

It's an erotic truth that humans avoid admitting the erotic truth even when it's painfully obvious.

But that's what makes this gig fun. :P

Social Condom-Nation

2008-08-15T11:00:00.001-07:00

clipped from www.worthalaugh.com

A litttle Ethnic Humor...

2008-08-11T07:36:00.001-07:00

clipped from dontclickthis.whatingods.name

Or, you could take it as an example of the depths to which an artist will sink in order to glean a little attention.

Note: link goes to an old fashioned htmlized ftp server; click any other link at your own risk. NSFW ... randomly.

Natalie Galitzine: Female

2008-08-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Natalie Galitzine: Female

Yes she is - yet the usual angst and hints of drama of "young people," she's also got an eye for composition and color and a confidence in her own skin most of us would envy.

A Gap in our Selves? Erotic manipulation of our purchasing decisions.

2008-08-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Do you worship at the The First Church of Christ, Mallwalker?

This video by Jessedocs explores the intersection of art, religion and marketing via the classic manikin. While I abhor stereotypes, it's difficult to say which are more stereotypical, the artificially perfect female manikins created by this company, the males creating them, or the marketing of them.

Personally, I can't say that the artificial perfection of display manikins has ever done much for me, artistically or erotically. But then, they don't exist to work on me - these forms are not aimed at men; they are made by men in order to construct in women the ideal of a perfect form.

I must be honest, at first, I thought I was watching a documentary about the people behind the "real doll " poseable sex toy.

By the way guys, if you are going to do portraits of your dolls - hire a hairstylist!!!

I was surprised and more than a bit creeped out to find that the people at realdoll seem far less creepy - and their products a little more realistic - at least, unless they are just utterly absurd.

My wife watched a full documentary about the men who buy real-dolls, sort of creeped out by the idea, but you know how it is; you keep waiting for the trainwreck. Well, there were indeed some creepy scenes - but more simply moved her to tears. Here's some YouTube examples - take your chances, if you will.

They actually have several fairly realistic bodies to go with faces that could easily be Faux News Spokesmuffins. In other words, these are not perfectly idealized faces. Yep, even men that want to have sex with a manikin would like a little more individuality than the people who make store manikins think is appropriate.

But then, when it comes to self-image, we have no sense of humor about our own appearance and far less tolerance for individual variation than the people looking at us. I've always found that the most attractive women who are accepting of their bodies whatever shapes they may be blessed with, and however divergent their faces are from the current whims of fashion

So, if you want to go for an idealized stereotype ... consider something like this.

It's no harder to have your head inflated and your skin plasticised than it is to become a perfectly symmetrical 35, 24, 36.

Come to think of it, Miss July reminds me of Dolly Parton. But then, they are both cartoon-inspired.

(The thing I most love about Dolly Parton is that she'd laugh and agree with the statement. Personally, though, I prefer her interpretation. On the other hand, she's a lot harder to book. )

Broken Dreams 2 Poster

2008-08-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

A poster I stumbled across that I would love to collect myself....

Broken Dreams 2
by

ColoradoIrish

Poster printing By Zazzle.com
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