Thursday, December 31, 2009

Fear of Flying (Naked)

I’m a little concerned about what might happen going through security for a flight I’ll be taking in about a month or so.  Since 9/11 the rules for boarding airplanes have changed, and changed again.  Shortly after 9/11 I remember heading to my gate, seeing a sign posted listing items prohibited on planes.  It was disappointing to find a leaf blower on the list, because I don’t know about you, but I feel naked without mine when I travel.

Speaking of naked.  I remember when they caught the shoe bomber on a plane, and thanks to him we are now required to take our shoes off before going through security.  Then someone boarded a plane with two seemingly innocent liquids that could be mixed together to form an explosive and next thing you know the airlines banned liquids.  So now a guy, who by all accounts, raised every red flag one could raise, yet managed to board a plane with explosives in his underwear, which unfortunately didn’t blow (no pun intended) his male parts to bits,  so what now?  I see the handwriting on the wall.  Will we be required to exchange our shoes and our undies for paper substitutes?  Ewwww!

I bet when your mother told you to always wear clean underwear she had no idea how important that advice would become.  Maybe I’ll take the train.

I’m just saying…

[Via http://honjii.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Amazing Blues Musician, Gaye Adegbalola

Gaye Adegbalola, Photo by Marc Norberg

I first heard of Gay Adegbalola this past fall when she was a guest on the award winning-podcast, Feast of Fun. Intrigued by her voice, her music, and her civil rights activism, I purchased her album and found myself lost in her sultry voice and tickled by the humor of her songs.

She is a Blues Music Award winner (formerly called the W. C. Handy award) and a founding member of Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women. She plays guitar, harmonica and is a composer. She has recorded 9 CDs on Alligator Records and has toured widely throughout the U.S. and internationally. Gaye has also released albums on her own Hot Toddy Music label. Including “Neo-Classic Blues” with Roddy Barnes and “Blues Gone Black” by Blue Mama Black Son (Gaye & her son Juno). Her most recent album, “Gaye Without Shame,” was the album I purchased and fell in love with. Ms. Gaye was nice enough to take the time to answer a few of my question for Prove & Confusion

As a blues musician, did you have any trouble with peer acceptance as a woman or as a lesbian?

By peer, I am guessing you mean other blues musicians.  No, haven’t had any real problem as women.  We (Saffire) have been encouraged and acknowledged by other musicians from day one.  As a woman, I think the most discrimination we’ve experienced has been from sound technicians and the media.  Sound techs, for the most part, often don’t want a woman telling them what to do.  Acoustic instruments are harder to mike than electric ones and if the tech hasn’t had experience, we need to advise them and that, occasionally, has been a problem.

Early on, when Saffire first went full time, the media made us into a novelty act and disrespected.  We were 1) women; then 2) old women; then 3) old bawdy women; then 4) old bawdy culturally diverse women; and then, at long last, 5) old bawdy culturally diverse women who happen to make good music.  Took a long time to get to the “good music” aspect.

As a lesbian, the verdict is still out.  I performed at the Blues Music Awards in 2009.  Did “Queer Blues,” “Honest I Do” (with Resa), and “Hetero Twinges” — with 6 other musicians (3 also BMA nominees).  People seemingly loved it, BUT. . . a major radio DJ from the NY – NJ area and the head of a major blues label both chastised me.  i was very surprised because both of them profess to be liberals.  Haven’t heard anything from other industry people.  However, I have not gotten any negativity from other musicians.

Your songs are both personal and political; as an artist, which is easier to approach?

It is really difficult to fit everything you have to say about an experience or about a political topic in 3 to 4 minutes.  One tends to be as hard as another when it comes to crafting a really good song.  The re-writes are usually harder that what initially jumps out.  What is harder still is writing something humorous about something painful.  To wit, check out this video:

This one took 4 years to write — while it’s not political, it is topical, somewhat personal (I am a cancer survivor tho I’ve never had chemo) and had to be written in such a way that it didn’t disrespect the patients  Ultimately, every song comes out as it wants to come out. Some are difficult to write.  Some are easy.  Guess it’s up to the Muse of the moment.

There is a great sense of humor in your music. I love “Bareback Rider” and “Hungry Woman Blues.” Is humor difficult to work into music?

If the hook is just right, I can usually “milk the metaphor” — as in both of the songs you mentioned.  In “Bareback” of course, I just relate to riding — amusement park height charts, pulling on the reins, the crop.  In “Hungry Woman,” there are 3 segments — 1) how hungry am I; 2) what am I going to eat; and, 3) how will it be prepared.  Once I identified the segments, again, I just milked the metaphor.  Another good example is “Big Ovaries, Baby.”  Once I establish a parallel with “balls,” then it’s all about a game:  I’m in this game of life, I don’t need balls to play, off sides, penalized, offense, defense, etc.These are also fun to write, but it all starts with crafting the hook just right.

“Lying Preacher” and “I Ain’t Ashamed,” made me wonder, what are your opinions about Gospel music?

Gospel music and blues music are both about salvation — how to survive the troubles of the world.  However, gospel music is about having salvation later on and blues is about salvation right now.  Gospel tells you how to lead a life to get to salvation.  Blues music is about what you can do to make things better right now.

Another way to look at it is that in gospel you say “Lord, Lord,” but in blues you say “Baby, Baby.”  Or yet another way to look at it the difference is that it is said that there are two kinds of people in the world: religious ones and spiritual ones.  Religious ones fear going to hell.  Spiritual ones have already been there.  Blues is spiritual music.

“Honest, I do” is one of my favorite songs. At its core it’s about being true to your emotions and honest with other people.

Jimmy Reed wrote that song.  It’s what we call a blues “chestnut!”  Reed is one of my favorite songwriters.  What makes his writing so very beautiful is that it is so simple and, simultaneously, so deep.  (I should note, however, that I tweaked the lyrics on this song to make it more of an “in love with each other” song instead of one where the singer pleads to be in love).  You should check out some of his other songs:  ”Big Boss Man,” “Bright Lights, Big City (. . . going to my baby’s head).” “Baby What You Want Me to Do?,” “Take Out Some Insurance,” “You Don’t Have to Go.”  Don’t mean to sound like I’m preaching to you.  It’s just that part of the mission of “Gaye Without Shame” was to introduce the queer audience to the magic of the blues.  So, I am thrilled that you like Jimmy Reed!

Saffire has just played its last show, what was that last show like for you?

Of course the last show was bittersweet, but I think we were all ready for it.  I, for one, am ready to make music that is a bit different.  I turned 65 this year and, Lord willin”, I might have another 10 years of good performance time.  So, if I am going to do something different, now’s the time.  I often work solo and in a duo.  This gives me the freedom to lead a show from start to finish.  Also, I have started an electric blues band.  I love to dance.  Drums and a thumping electric bass move me to really shake my ass! Again, better shake my bootie while I can.

All three of us have been playing in various settings for quite some time, but we have always put Saffire first.  Aside from the level of touring Saffire was doing, it was also our bread and butter.  Now that’s the scary part.  i have no idea as to what my future source of  income will be.  At present, I am taking a break for a few months.  Perpetual touring is exhausting.  Just trying to have a lil R&R.  (BTW a mini-vacation is on tap in January — going to Las Vegas to see the Bette Midler show and Lion King!!  Can you say “hallelujah!?”)  Come February, I’ll probably get the band back together.  This group is called “Miz A and the Freedom Band.”

What are your future recording/performing plans?

I do want to record again — something to move forward with the mission of Gaye Without Shame.  However, that’s in the not-too-soon future.  I need to start writing and selecting songs.  That’s not a quick task.  I have, however, just finished a new one that would be most appropriate.  It’s called “Laying Down the Law.”  It’s an ode to Mariska Hargetay — you know, the hot woman on Law & Order SVU.

I am also checking out other non-performing options.  I do a bit of public speaking.  (For example, on “Gaye Without Shame” there’s an excerpt.)  I already have a speaking date in April.  I teach blues vocal techniques and performance.  I am doing two of those workshops in July.  What I am very excited about is that someone has approached me about writing my biography.  (Yep, I’ve done a lot of living.)  And someone else has discussed the possibility of my writing children’s books.  I’m fairly wide open.  This R&R has another purpose — to provide time/space to allow me to breathe while the universe guides me.

I just ordered Blues Gone Black, Blue Mama Black Son (Click on image below for a listen), what was it like collaborating with your son, Juno (aka DJ Blacula – The Junabomber), how was that experience compared to your other recording? It doesn’t get much better than that!  Think about it:  I am creating the music I love most with the person I love most! The recording experience wasn’t a typical one.  Juno programmed the tracks beforehand and I laid down the vocals in the studio after.  He selected all traditional songs that I had written and rearranged them in his genre.  What joy!  Just the very fact that my son found my songs worthy was absolutely priceless.  I was also surprised at the songs he selected which were all near and dear to me.  In live performance, I think this was my most favorite incarnation!  While these shows are rare, they’re mighty special. Check out this video.

Are there any specific musical influences/inspirations on “Let it Be Me”?

That version was based on a Nina Simone version that she sings with her brother.  I think that song is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and, while it’s not blues, I had to have it on that CD.  I opted to do it as a duet, as Nina’s, but. . . with a woman.  BTW, a few couples have told me that they used the song as their “wedding song!”

Cleome, who sings with me, was one of my blues vocal students at a blues workshop in Port Townsend, WA.  I knew the timbre of her voice would mesh well with mine. During the mixing, the producer wanted my voice to be more prominent in the mix, but hers is so very beautiful, I wanted her to shine.  Also, I asked her to write a piece to fit with the “Great Pretender” to support the transgender community.  Her talent is incredible.  She now lives in Oakland, CA, and plays all over the left coast.

The Boston Phoenix wrote about you: “a vocal range that varies from the lubriciousness of Sarah Vaughn to the crisp sonority of Nina Simone.” Were they influential to you and what other musicians, inspired you?

When I first read that quote, I was bowled over!  To be mentioned in the same breath with those two is truly high praise.  I never heard Sarah’s voice in mine, though what the writer mentions is its smoothness, its liquidity.  I don’t quite hear mine that way, but I’ll take the compliment with a huge smile.  However, Nina Simone is my major influence. Her repertoire has been most influential to me.  She has inspired me to mix the political with the personal.  Also, her delivery has been most inspirational — her phrasing, her vibrato, her octave slurs, her imagery.  I have learned so very much by listening to her.  (I also have seen her live maybe a couple dozen times — yep, I was her groupie.)  Additionally, because of her music, I grew into my blackness.  I took pride in my heritage.  She has opened my eyes more than any book.

Other inspirational musicians are, of course, the classic blues women of the 20s and 30s.  I always say that I want to be Alberta Hunter when I group up!  So, Alberta, Sippie, Bessie, Ida, etc.  The list goes on.  Of contemporary musicians, I’d have to say Etta James, Tina Turner, James Brown, KoKo Taylor and Taj Mahal.   For songwriters, Denise LaSalle, Jimmy Reed, Keb Mo’ and, the greatest of all blues writers, Willie Dixon.

You include a beautiful speech near the Gaye Without Shame where you talk about civil right and gay rights, with Proposition 8 in California and Maine gay couple losing the right to marry, how do you stay passionate?

The simple answer, of course, is love.  Love of self, of family, of community, of all humanity.  God is love!   And, perhaps, vitamins and Jose Gold!  Just joking.  But, Gilbert, for sure, this question is too big for me to address in more detail.  Suffice it to say that I’ve simply found my dharma.

For more of Gaye Adegbalola and to buy her music click on image below:

For more of Gaye Adegbalola, click on image

Images, Videos and Music used with permission of Gaye Adegbalola and found on Adegbalola.com.

[Via http://proveconfusion.com]

the naked lover (5)

heart on sleeve - © Janelle M. Segarra

 

  

I have always been a naked soul, open book, pages still wet with ink for the world to absorb. I have always been a love, lover of life, of sound, of wind, of beauty and ugly, of bent souls. This Naked Soul Lover status has always seemed my essence, my core of being and being honest, it has also been the bane of my existence. What aspects of self should one release in this resolution making business? It seems I may need to phoenix and rebirth from my ashes as the sum of my parts are outside of the proverbial box. 

   

“Ephemeral Lover 

I am a lover. I have always been a lover. I think it’s the artist in me. I select and configure, people places and things in such a way that I might fall in love so that I might further my art of writing, painting, drawing, loving… I inflate the significance of things to full bloom and sometimes I get lost between truth and fiction. So, if I fall (have fallen) into artistic love with you, or something you’ve created, know that it’s my way. It has always been my way. Love is my air. I breathe in and out all day. 

This transitory little thing flitting like summer butterflies: rest. float. rest. am I now resting or floating? Or is there some new realm, some horizon which magically weens earth from sky and vice versa; some parallel existential existence beyond the temporal… where lovers meet and art is made on human canvas. What am I saying? I don’t think I’m saying anything, just feeling…feeling around in the dark of thought, mixing the two together, baking them to perfection. Ahh confection! That’s what I’m trying to say. 

That is all. ” – © Janelle M. Segarra 

I’ve always worn my edible little heart on my sleeve and blatantly so, this has been a blessing and a curse. So, no more open confectionery heart dying sleeve red with the seemingly forbidden juice of ripe passion? Can any of you tell me how one closes off a segment of self, seamlessly, painlessly? Is it possible? Change. Change is inevitable and necessary for progression, but when is it progress and when is it digression? 

The Biblical sense of the word change comes to mind “die to self”. I suppose this is the key, but how is my query. I mean, I know how, I just don’t know how….. Another Biblical statement comes to mind, “if the eye offends, pluck it out” so in this case, should I rip out my heart and toss it beating upon the embers? Yes, I’m a writer so I would be dramatic like that wouldn’t I? 

All I know is something has got to change. I know that I have never meant any harm and that I have always lived to love and always in all things simply been my authentic self, but that now seems to be a conflict, maybe it always has been but I was too busy being me to notice. The sideways glances and church pew whispers I evoked as a young girl, the mothers worried about their prized sons, the fathers worried about themselves and their own lusts. And me, just existing, being myself but uncontrollably exuding allure and sensuality. How does one turn this off when one never turned it on to begin with; it is my default setting. 

devour my heart - © Janelle M. Segarra

 

“My heart is an edible confection. You held it between your lips slipping your words around it, letting it rest on the tip of your tongue. You whispered your fantasies (and prayers) into it. You buried all your secrets there pressing them in deep with your lips and tongue. You spoke of possibilities and weekends and God and my heart was devoured one bite at a time. There is nothing left on which to feed. ” – © Janelle M. Segarra 

At any rate, my attempt is now to sever this segment of self. Don’t worry, I’m sure I shall still have joy and adapt as we human animals do to new circumstances. There are those who live without limbs, kidneys, etc. so I should manage just fine without the bigger part of my heart… 

Love,
Janelle

[Via http://jsegarra.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Calendar Girls Day: Pirelli edition (NSFW)

When I originally conceived of this highly-planned project approximately 30 seconds ago, I knew right off the bat I’d have to start with the first one I always think of, the exclusive and presitigious gold standard of the glamour-girl calendar genre: Pirelli.


Pirelli Tyre Co.: “Power Is Nothing Without Control.”

The Pirelli calendar has a long and storied history, where autos, art, and advertising intersect with a dash of sexy-times on top; it’s actually really amazing, but I’ll go in to the bulk of that and its noteworthy issues of yore another day (that may have to become a regular feature, come to think of it — lord knows I have about a hundred pictures from its issues over the years saved on my computer). Today I’m trying to sell you on super-cool 2010 calendars, so I’ll stick with the current issue. Click on any image to see it large!


Behind the scenes at the production of this year’s Pirelli calendar.

The 2010 Pirelli calendar was shot by esteemed photographer and personal patron saint, mad rad Terry Richardson, on location in Brazil. It features a pantheon of awesome supermodels, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Ana Beatriz Barros, Daisy Lowe, and Lily Cole (just to name ones who have appeared on this blog before), as well as Gracie Carvalho, Enikő Mihalik, Miranda Kerr, Marloes Horst, Catherine McNeil, Georgina Stojiljković, and Abbey Lee Kershaw.


Group hug! Left to right: Eniko Mihalik, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Daisy Lowe, Gracie Carvalho, Marloes Horst, Lily Cole, Ana Beatriz Barros, Miranda Kerr, and Georgina Stojiljkovic.

Daisy(, Daisy give me your answer true) Lowe inside a tire with Catherine McNeil; Marloes Horst in suspenders; Marloes goes on like a blister in the sun, which is to say toplessly; and baby doll Lily Cole looking like the rophynol has worn off and she’s just woke up in a cabin in the foothills (that one makes me uneasy).

Georgina Stojiljkovic likes a lover with a slow hand (it’s a sloth: get it?); and Rosie H-W with same, although hers looks more like it was cross-bred with a Wookiee.

Miranda Kerr, adorable as always, rocking a hat; Marloes Horst can’t seem to keep a top on to save her life; and Catherine McNeil proves to the naysayers that yes, she has got milk. In your face!

Ana Beatriz Barros looking imperious — she is clearly queen of the jungle, and one of you bitches best bring her some peeled grapes; “Look, ma, no gag reflex!” photographer Terry Richardson and Abbey Lee have the banana situation all nailed down.

One more of Catherine MacNeil. Topless on a bull because, um, it’s for science. Science!

I am sorry to say that you cannot buy the Pirelli calendar. It is only distributed in-company, or given by the executives of Pirelli Tyre Co. as a corporate gift. So unless you are a Grand Prix driver or a rubber tree plantation owner, your chances of seeing these girls other than right in front of you on this-here blog are Slim to None, and Slim just left town. So I hope you enjoyed, and give the Pirelli calendars of the past a good googly moogly!

[Via http://thethoughtexperiment.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Oxbow- "The Narcotic Story"

This is where things start to get out of hand. This album is the soundtrack to every breakup, every addiction and every delusion you’ve ever dealt with. You just don’t realize it yet.

For those not yet acquainted, Oxbow are a highly unique rock group from San Francisco and are signed to Hydra Head Records. They’ve been around for about twenty years and still manage to make some of the most disturbing, yet listenable, music I’ve ever heard. Yep, misery and self-loathing now can get stuck in your head with the help of Oxbow.

This album, their newest release, was my introduction to this group.  I caught them opening up for Jesu and was sold before the end of the first song. The music is shockingly simplistic and minimal, yet the passion and intensity were unrivaled. Oxbow are definitely not a metal band, but they’re possibly the heaviest group I’ve ever seen. Frontman Eugene Robinson spent most of the time pacing furiously, intimidating the audience and stripping his clothing off until he was in his undergarments.

That said, this album is a monster. It starts off simply with an intro piece into the off-kilter blues of The Geometry of Business, which sets the pace for the rest of the album. The four-piece group is accompanied by a small orchestra and makes great use of it.  As stated earlier, this is clearly the soundtrack to misery and delusions. The melodies are so subtle and gorgeous, yet there is a complete sense of misanthropy and self-loathing in every second of this album. From the disgruntled mumbling kicking off the opening track to the frantic wailing of A Winner Every Time, this album reeks of desperation and desire.

This is probably not the album to put on if you’re going to have a cheerful social gathering, but if you want to learn just how deep human suffering can go, you’ve got to check this album out.  The arrangements are impressive, the vocals are layered and emotive in a way so many popular artists try to achieve but could never hope to understand and the entire atmosphere is just tolerable enough to keep depression from forcing you to hit the eject button. I highly recommend this for anybody that’s enjoyed any of my previous albums.

If you’d like to hear more from Oxbow, I recommend you order their album from your local record store or their website. Even better, if you get the chance you should catch them live. It’s an experience unlike any other.

Watch a live video of the track “Down a Stair Backward” from this album, and catch the full effect.

Visit Oxbow’s official myspace (they update far more regularly here than on their website)

[Via http://benhatesmusic.wordpress.com]

Post 12 ~ A Complicated Love ~ Chapter 2 ~ Digging deep

I rack my brains to find the source of my homophobia. Clearly it wasn’t my friendship with Bill Broadbent, my best buddy during my early teens. We were very close, so close in fact that we both used his bed at the same time to make ‘love’ to our girlfriends. I was paired up with his sister and Bill with his sister’s friend.

On another occasion, propped naked on smooth rocks inside a mountain cave overlooking the city, we held a masturbation competition. A small waterfall cascaded over the mouth of the cave, forming a curtain between us and the hum of societal norms in the city far below.

Our relationship was very much like David and Jonathan of the Old Testament―we wrestled, practiced judo moves on each other, hiked mountains, did many crazy things and tried to make out with girls together.

I do remember showing another friend how to masturbate. I don’t recall how the conversation came up, but I’m sure it was pretty brief and matter of fact.

“Have you ever whacked off?”

“What d’ya mean whack off?”

“C’mon, I’ll show you.”

And show him I did. He had no clue that his body could experience such wonderful feelings. I gave him a quick demonstration and then coaxed him to give it a go. He succeeded on his first try and I happily left him to his own devices.

To be continued  . . .

[Via http://acomplicatedlove.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Model: Zoey Wall from Liverpool – sexy photos

Zoey is a gorgeous girl from Liverpool, UK and apparently is a big fan of the group Kings of Leon. Must be a great girl but her photos talks for themselves, she is a stunner, feels good to love in England.

Check out her site here.

4b2254c1504124b250f428753f4b250ea9ba486  4b22583c40d294b224730871fa4b22452b6d52c

[Via http://erotixx.wordpress.com]

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Angelica Costello Sexy Porn Star Tits Ass

Angelica Costello (born June 5, 1978 in Plattsburgh, New York)is an American pornographic actress who was the Penthouse Pet of the month for June 1999. She is often credited as Venus.

She has appeared in at least 250 adult titles, including many fetish videos; her debut video appearance was for Ed Powers’ Dirty Debutantes series and was made after she was named Penthouse Pet.Her official website lists her ethnicity as Italian and Native American

  • 2005 AVN Award for Best Couples Sex Scene, Video – Stuntgirl (with Manuel Ferrara)
  • 2005 AVN Award for Best Group Sex Scene, Video – Orgy World 7 (with Ariana Jollee, Tyler Knight, Byron Long, Julian St. Jox and others)
  • Measurements 34C-26-36

    [Via http://sexicelebs.wordpress.com]

    Rebecca's Reindeer Games

    Anyone up for Spin the Elf?

    Okay, I’ve got a problem. A problem with Santa that is. Why does he mock us girls all the time yelling. “Hos, Hos, Hos!” What did us sluts and hos do to deserve his wrath? Didn’t he always tell us that Christmas is the time for giving? I mean seriously, what does that mean for Mrs. Claus? Does this make her the Madame and Santa the pimp? We’re his real elves just trying to bring peace, laughter and pleasure to all the little naughty little boys out there. The smiles on their faces are so reflective of the wonderful gifts and the joy we bring them! That’s okay. Who needs that jolly old fella anyway to have a happy holiday season.

    I mean it us elves, reindeer and everyone else who really make it happen at the North Pole. Without us Santa would be Scrooge. Want to get behind the scenes look at what really makes Christmas? Come on in and let’s play some reindeer games!!

    [Via http://rebeccasoffice.wordpress.com]

    Tuesday, December 15, 2009

    Romantically realistic...

    Romantic Realism is by far my favorite art movement.  It portrays man in his ideal state: happy, joyful, motivated, successful, alive.  The movement was a particular favorite of Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand, and for good reason: her philosophy was all about man seizing the day, accomplishing goals, bettering the world by bettering himself as an individual.  It is these qualities that are clear in Romantic Realist art.

    The four selections above are some of my particular favorites.  Passion is soft, sensual, and…well…full of passion.  The woman is clearly feeling pleased, aroused, alive.  Self-Made Man is a beautiful piece that shows the strength and individual accomplishment of making a life for oneself, for deciding who you want to be and which direction you’re going to go in life.  The World Is Mine is also all about seizing control of your life, and seizing the day.  It’s about man (or, in this case, woman) boldly facing whatever life will bring, standing there with the barest protection but bravely moving forward, pursuing a desired path.  Yes is all about accomplishment and freedom, about that joyous moment when you’ve achieved something, and your pride swells along with your joy.

    For a large gallery of other great examples of the movement, see Quent Cordair Fine Art.

    [Via http://rhythmicfantasy.wordpress.com]

    Saturday, December 12, 2009

    Ayu Azhari (naked and making Love)

    http://rapidshare.com/files/318764218/Ayu_Azhari_01.wmv

    http://rapidshare.com/files/318780759/Ayu_Azhari_02.wmv


    http://rapidshare.com/files/318992971/Ayu_Azhari_03.wmv


    http://rapidshare.com/files/319030676/Ayu_Azhari_04.wmv

    [Via http://enjotaja.wordpress.com]

    Thursday, December 10, 2009

    Scuba Diving Naked!

    Well I can’t honestly say that I have scuba dived naked, that is with no clothes on, the closest that I have come was accidentally flashing my girlfriend when I was avoiding a embarrassing moment in my wet suit on a particularly long dive in Hawaii; you see I had custom wetsuit that had a zipper installed that I told everyone was so that I could control the temperature by venting the suit at the junction of my legs, which everyone knows that has taken a cold weather survival class is the hottest area on your body. By the way it is a myth that you can warm up your wetsuit that way, all it does is make it smell bad and then no one wants to dive with you and all the fish will swim away as well, can you blame them!

    I do like the idea of water that is warm enough to dive naked. I remember once being in water that was 25 degrees that would be Celsius roughly 70 degrees on the American scale and I thought that I was going to need to be placed in a microwave for 10 minutes to warm up, to say that I am a wimp when it comes to cold is grossly understated, I even drink my water with out ice!

    I like the feeling of freedom that you get when you are skinny dipping, just kind of hanging out, if you will, in warm water, is akin to having a giant bathtub that you don’t use soap in, if you are the environmentally sensitive type, which most skinny dippers by nature tend to be. Before I do it though I am going to have to some questions answered like.

    What about the fish, I wonder are they sensitive to this kind of thing?

    Will the fish confuse the new things they are seeing with bait?

    Jellyfish?

    I am also having a hard time understanding the mechanics of scuba diving naked, where do you put the BCD jacket, do you carry it in your arms, or drag it behind you, you can’t really wear it or you are not technically diving naked right? Maybe they dive Hawaiian kind style with just a tank and a mask, and suck the air out of the top like in the old days?

    I don’t remember any of this being answered in any of my dive books. Maybe you can help me out; if you have any pictures, please send them along so I can see and understand for myself what’s involved to make it a pleasurable experience. Thanks in advance for the pictures!

    [Via http://myworldwatch.wordpress.com]

    Sunday, December 6, 2009

    manifesto

     

    Men who are half men, women who are more than all women, hermaphrodites who are part vampire, cats who are three quarters toaster and a sexually ambiguous spermwhale...

     

    Looking for the most enlightening collation of thoughts this side of Dianetics? bare/not manifesto is here to show us all the way…word…

    Caged Bird Sings

    ‘Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.’ George Bernard Shaw

    ‘Madness is freedom’s most faithful companion’ Jacques Lacan

    ‘All oppression creates a state of war.’ Simone de Beauvoir

    We live in a world fraught with contradiction – bikinis and burqas, the moneyed and the minimum wage, left-wing or right-wing, faith and nihilism and the hetero-normative and the ‘other’ – are just some of the ongoing struggles which both restrict and affirm our personal freedom. Our media perpetuates this no man’s land of perceived autarchy, where stories such as the Fritzl cases or the anniversary of the Berlin wall’s disintegration reaffirm the ability of individuals to fight for freedom despite overwhelming and terrifying conditioning, while the repercussions of official prisons such as Guantanamo Bay, the Iraq war and the ‘war on terror’ (in itself a linguistic minefield) continue to remind us how blithely our freedoms can be disrupted and taken away.   

    Are we made to feel that the kind of safety, which undermines liberty in the name of security and protection, is acceptable and desirable? Concerns about claustrophobia, stereotypes, security constrictions, moral and physical obligations, cultural and religious beliefs, and political ideas are a few of the encounters which make up our daily worlds, bombarding us in advertising; threaded through the plots of literature, movies and songs; and worked into our political ideologies.  These are big themes to tackle for first-time curators but then why not go naked and bare all? 

    What we feel as an act of freedom can be lived as an act of violence by someone else.  We adjust our sense of personal freedom to fit into our community, which defines and legitimises our freedom, but requires a different set of rules from the individual to function freely. Images, as powerful, empathetic and wholly personal signifiers are a strong way to convey these dichotomies and awaken society to their place in the world, especially the ways in which society has accommodated the idea of the female and the way in which race is represented.  It is with this in mind that we have selected a group of artists to tackle the cultural, political, sexual and racial themes of restriction. However, how many of those ties are really inevitable, how many of them are self-imposed by our collective or personal conscience?  Many of us want to escape the obligations deriving from them to explore a ‘free’ life, but total freedom is a Utopian ideal, defined by philosopher and anthropologist Roland Barthes as a world where there are ‘no conformities or stereotypes, no clichés or myths or anything which is either given or dictated; a world where it is possible to eschew all conflict because everyone and everything is allowed to be different’ – a beautiful and improbable dream; however freedom is a terrifying thing – some people cope with it by restricting themselves in order to make their world more manageable.

    For the exhibition, we chose a space in which it would be possible to recreate a claustrophobic sensation.  The space we have selected is the Crypt at St Pancras Church. The church is somewhere people have sought refuge but its institutions such as the monastery and nunnery have also been places of living entombment where the inhabitants are enclosed in their cells and live by a unilateral religious doctrine. Barthes posed that if we are subject to the whims of language as a collectively recognised placement of signs and signifiers, then our ability to redefine words and images, to create our own language, allows us to assert and potentially attain our personal freedom.  In this context, the word ‘church’ can be defined then as both a sanctuary and a prison.  And the crypt?  Is it possible to redefine this space – physically going down onto another level, the act of going into a dark space much like entering the subconscious and playing with the notion of revealing and concealing darkness and light.  Come and see.

    [Via http://barenot.wordpress.com]

    Thursday, December 3, 2009

    Sultry 'Top Chef' Host And HSN Vendor Padma Lakshmi Gets Eye-Popping Profile In Page Six Magazine

    Thursday’s Page Six Magazine from the New York Post has, as promised, a profile on “Top Chef” host and new HSN vendor Padma Lakshmi.

    The sultry cook is depicted on the cover naked in a sexy pose, wearing what we believe is jewelry from the line she designed and is selling at Bergdorf Goodman.

    Cover girl Lakshmi, who is divorced from writer Salman Rushdie, is pregnant. But Page Six could not get her to spill who the father is.

    We’d link you to the Page Six Magazine story, but it’s not online yet.

    But the article does mention Lakshmi’s the “Easy Exotic”, an array of teas and spices that she is selling on HSN.

    “Jewels, spices and teas — I sound like Magellan,” Lakshmi told Page Six Magazine.

    The hit “Top Chef” airs on Bravo.

    [Via http://homeshoppingista.wordpress.com]

    J. Scott Campbell: Ruining Your Fairy Tales

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    J. Scott Campbell is making a calendar that will go on any fanboy’s inside bathroom door especially if they watched a Disney movie praying for a Nip Slip.  Fucking disgusting.

    In this post, I examine some images from J. Scott Campbell’s 2010 calendar with Fairy Tale princesses as sex objects, and I discuss the complete ridiculousness of ever trying to appear like a decent, fair person when you have this “artwork” on your track record.

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    You know, I haven’t seen anything so outrageous for awhile.  J. Scott Campbell’s newest work appears to not only exist for the full exploitation of childhood character favorites but to also rape the very idea of a world in which women can be viewed as equals and not sex tools.

    To be clear, I am completely one for absolutely no censorship, ever.  I just find that when a highly used comic artist produces images like this it’s upsetting.  Not because they’re necessarily the one doing it or for the images themselves, but because the practice of dehumanizing women in comic books and comic-like artwork is so prevalent and deeply embedded within the industry.  J. Scott Campbell just happens to be an exemplar of this practice (as well as Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, other predominately 90s artists, and even a lot of modern day artists).

    To see some more of my opinions on the representation of women in comics, check out my Super HeroiHOT feature: http://mechanisticmoth.wordpress.com/super-heroihot/

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    Oh no! Little Miss Muffets shoe’s going to fall off with that pointed toe and all of that yummy, white “pourage” is going to spill on her dainty legs all because of some mean, mean spider.  Good thing she remembered to wear her undies.

    Almost every one of these stilted calendar works of smut features placid deprecations of the female form.  Sure, the faces have a half ass attempt at showing expression, but they’re plastic.  Each fuckable/poseable/innocent-yet-sexy-and-foolish doll has a copy and paste figure and face of which none of the human population fits into the impossible proportions.

    Not only do his nearly blasphemous reimaginings of characters oversexualize to a hyperdrive-like level, they appear completely impractical.  Belle’s Coconut sized breasts should be falling out of that corset number while her body quickly snaps over on itself.  Plus, the surrogate man, the Beast, dominates over her not only in physical appearance, but in the act of placing on her cloak like some pimp.

    Snow White, you seem so surpised!  What, with your pouty lips and all.

    The poor attempt at wit only further damages the images.  These photos are like B grade hentai or really colorful Tijuana comics posted on the bathroom stalls next to a couple glory holes and “call this number for a fun time”s.

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    Who sits like this when they eat!?  Oh yeah, I’ll lay my toned thighs out here… kink my back a little to show a hint of my ass and put out my tits… time to put the spoon in my mouth!

     Strangely, Campbell’s mock of talent that can actually go somewhere furthers into even the realm of Spider Man when this Goldilocks Image looks strangely like Campbell’s poorly construed bimbo-ified cover to Spider Man #601:

    I purposely hold my coffee cup to accentuate my amazing cleavage, too!

    Seriously, what is the point!?  What does this sort of misogynistic artwork accomplish?  Merely to corner stereotypes of Women (and for that matter, someone thinking that the majority of men would enjoy this shit) and slash it across a calendar that will fade with age and other things!?  Now, you can’t fault Campbell for at least decent artwork, but his talent is in the wrong place.  It conforms and projects itself as the norm: to mistreat and use women.

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    This image looks like Tinkerbell’s giving Captain hook a stripper dance!

    Trust me, if you look and find these images on some other sites (the one’s that aren’t actually in arms about how insulting it is), you’ll find some of the most disgusting comments where you thought these people didn’t actually exist in the world because that type of sexism is just too fucked up.  Plus, others (women included) find some of these images funny.  I don’t understand if there’s any humor at all in these images because they’re so downright exploitative.  Seeing a hypersexual version of a character known (at least through the Disney versions) for their (near) chastity, innocence, and strong virtues.  Sure, I disagree also a lot about the Disney portrayals and how they subjugate women to waiting on men and being man’s personal bitch. 

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    That’s the Little Mermaid… Siren of the Seamen.

    So, I find that what’s needed with these characters is something in between these sexual images and the Disney caricatures of classic female characters.  One in which the 50s mindset of Women’s Role being that of the houseslave does not exist and the Women’s role in Campbell’s work of being personal sex objects that we can basically rape with our eyes does not exist either.  An ideal model in between those extremes emphasizing the power of women (and for that matter transgenders) equalling (and often times surpassing) that of man.

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    Tiny ribcages that would most certainly crush all of the person’s internal organs are a requirement for the field of smut (and comic books), now.

    It’s really no wonder that in the original story of Sleeping Beauty the prince raped her while she slept and she gave birth to twins (while still sleeping) with an arched foot like that!

    Plus, did someone specially design that “sheet” for her so there could be a hole/perfect folding for her leg to come through?

    Because, basically, I’m tired of images where women are naked for absolutely no reason (because, of course, men are never naked for absolutely no reason!) and are merely shown to give a boner to 13 year olds wondering what Sleeping Beauty looks like naked… and if vines were trying to enter her.  This is not sexy.  This is worthy of vomiting for a year of dissappointment over.

    [Via http://mechanisticmoth.wordpress.com]