Skeleton Boning

Happy Halloween!

Sex vs. Violence

Now, I'm sure I could be accused of "minimizing" the crime of sexual assault with this photo concept. But I only want to put things into their proper context. We have a twisted conception of sex and violence in our culture. Certainly, the combination that results in violent sexual assault is uniquely heinous, and, even devoid of physical violence, sexual assault can still be psychologically damaging. Nonetheless, I fear that exaggeration of its horrors is not only counterproductive to the goal of supporting those unfortunate victims who need to know that they can rise above it, and that they are not "damaged goods" who cannot even speak openly and honestly about their ordeal, but that it also harms our general relationship towards our sexual natures, which has the effect of sabotaging any attempt to promote a sex-positive attitude.

For any tool can be used toward evil ends, but while weapons were designed to hurt people, sex organs were designed for pleasure - and we should not forget that. This is by no means an excuse to justify any act of sexual assault - for taking one's "pleasure" at the involuntary expense of another's suffering is an unconscionable crime - but merely a plea not to give it more power over us than it needs to have. Surely, no one wants to be sexually assaulted (and those who do the assaulting certainly ought to get the punishment they deserve), but truly, I would rather be "pawed at" than punched; because I give no special meaning to the condition of my sexual "purity", and I'd rather the sanctity of my "holy temple" be violated, than to be the victim of a potentially life-threatening act of violence. For those who hurt in the pursuit of pleasure are in desperate need of guidance, but those who seek to hurt from the outset are the ones that worry me even more. Yet sex offenders carry a stigma in this society unrivaled by that of violent offenders; I fear that our priorities are mixed up.

Skirt & Socks

More evidence of the reason why men don't wear skirts as often as women. (Although that's no reason why they should never wear them!). And I know it sounds exciting, but you never know when you're going to be waiting on a breezy sidewalk in the midst of a troop of Girl Scouts (I'm not even making this up!), silently praying that the wind doesn't pick up, and that you won't be spending the night in a jail cell, lol. So just keep that in mind the next time you pull that miniskirt out of the closet. :-p

Say Yes to the (Prom) Dress

I had a few moments to spare in a motel room the other day, so I turned on the TV and ended up watching a few episodes of Say Yes To The Dress. I don't get misty-eyed about weddings - frankly, I think marriage is an antiquated concept. But I love trying on pretty dresses. Only thing is, wedding dresses are kind of boring to me. They're all white (not that I don't like that color), and they all look pretty much the same. I was thinking how much fun it would be if they did a show about teens going around trying to find the perfect prom dress instead. Now that would be interesting to me. Prom dresses have such variety - just think of the colors! And they run the gamut from elegant to flirty. I know they sell whole thick catalogs of prom dresses in the spring, so I think this would be a popular theme for a reality show.

Anyway, I found myself in Macy's later that day trying on some prom-like dresses. I wish I could afford to spend $50-80 (or more!) each on dresses for my wardrobe. It's hard for me to find nice dresses on the cheapie racks that I both like, and can actually wear (and let's not talk about finding the right shoes to go with them!). I was telling my friend that if I could afford it, I would wear prom dresses everyday. I'd wear them just to lounge around at home. I'd wear them to do chores, or run errands. I'd wear them to the grocery store, or the park. I'd even play sports in them. When you don't have a lot of money, and you buy a fancy dress, you want to keep it nice, of course. But if I was like Pete Townshend, who can afford to trash a guitar at every concert, I'd totally buy up a bunch of prom dresses and then just wear them out, one after another. It would be fabulous.

This is me trying very hard to take a "fitting room picture" that doesn't look like all the others. There are only so many poses you can do standing in front of a mirror. There aren't many objects to pose on/with, other than the clothes you bring in with you. And you're limited by the scope of the mirror, and your ability to hold the camera steady (which is harder than it sounds - many of my potentially favorite shots have had to be discarded due to blurriness) and in the right position. Plus, you only have so long before the fitting room attendant is bound to start getting suspicious, so there's a lot of pressure. But still, after taking hundreds of pictures that all look very similar, I find myself desiring to innovate.

Motel Moments

I don't get motel room windows. There's just one thick curtain, and no blinds. No hope of frosted glass, either. So it's all or nothing. You can't let the sunshine in in the morning without completely sacrificing your privacy. I may be an exhibitionist, but I don't want just anyone walking by to peek in on my business. It would make me feel too self-conscious, like I was in a zoo exhibit or something. The only exception would be if I were naked or engaged in sexual activity, because then there'd be some excitement in it for me, too. And I know you're thinking, "it's a motel, it's a hotbed for illicit activities!" But not out in the open. This isn't the red-light district. God forbid some old lady with her grandchildren in tow should walk by on the way from church on a Sunday morning, only to be greeted with a live demonstration of anal insertion. "Gammy, what are they doing?" "Well, kids, when two men love each other very much..." For better or worse, that's something that could land you in serious trouble. (I mean, wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where people could approach this sort of thing without blowing a gasket? In keeping with the zoo metaphor - like when animals do it. It's just a fact of life. You can turn away if you find it distasteful, but nobody's throwing the animals in prison for "public indecency"). So the blinds are there for you to open them when you don't want to, but not when you do. It doesn't make any sense. It's stupid.

Heat Wave

I thought I'd retired this dress for the season over a month ago, but what's a girl supposed to do when it's hot as fuck - I'm talkin' 80 degree days (and even hotter nights) in the second half of October - and the air conditioners have already been taken out of the windows? Tough it out, I guess, until the wind changes direction. But don't complain if I feel compelled to peel my clothes off at the first chance I get. ;-p

Room Service

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