This what you get when you think about deviant sex on Friday the Thirteenth....

Today I am going to talk about BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Submission, Masochism).. sort of. I listened to an NRP review this morning of 50 Shades of Gray the book versus the movie. Basically NPR gave top billing to the movie. Huh. I do not plan on viewing the movie nor reading the book. The subject has been covered extremely well by other authors who just did not hit the movie jackpot as follows.


Women's romance literature contains all sorts of subgenre regarding not only time travel, sci-fi, alien slavery/abduction, shape shifters of all flavors and the sexual preferences of the many amongst this list. I have read these stories in the past and just didn't get it. What the hell is so wonderful about being tied up, blind folded and beaten with paddles, whips, chains, ropes etc.


Now I understand that there is some sort of sexual titillation involved but I did not understand the relationship dynamics until I read a shape shifter story set in the Northwest. In the Cascadia Wolves series, Lauren Dane writes about a very strong wolf pack/family group. The alpha, beta, etc ranking of the wolves and their fairly high libidos. Okay. This was all normal sexy writing until I read the book Wolf Unbound. This was my well defined introduction into the world of dominance and submission. I only actually got it when I realized that the female wolf, Tegan, was a sub who could literally rip off anyone's head by strength along and her willing submission to a human male who dominated her to the point that she went easily into subspace. 


Her Dom, had the power to bind and pleasure her through masterful and carefully administered pain. She allowed him to dominate her without wanting to literally kill him once the blindfold and hand cuffs came off. It is not a life style that I would choose. I cannot imagine the level of trust that would be needed to involve oneself in such a vulnerable undertaking. AND the stories have the added benefit of actually having a story line that involves a take over of the entire Wolf shifter nation by a Mafia style rogue wolf and an outright war while trying to keep the human nation from being overly involved. The whole series is an excellent read that may leave you scratching your head or even having an "Ah Hah" moment as in "I never knew THAT!?"


I Facebook and have friended a few of my favorite authors. Some of the discussion that has come up involved writing sex scenes. The general consensus seems to be that sex scenes are a necessary evil, so just write 'em. And how many ways can you describe the sex between your characters without actually repeating yourself. One of my favorite authors, Viola Grace, blogged tongue firmly in cheek that when she writes her sex scenes she often envisions herself as she is typing, holding her fingers in her ears chanting "I can't hear youuuuuuuuuu.". The image cracked me up and I would have snorted milk out of my nose if I had had milk in hand.
 
Now on to something slightly different. There are now some of my favorite books being offered on audible books, so I have listened to a sample and thank goodness for the ability to listen to a sample. Because the female narrator was swishing along so fast that she was out of breath by the end of the sentence. Not good. Redo. May I suggest David Green  (see picture below) of NPR Morning Edition. He has a great voice and I would listen to him and pay for the privilege. Or maybe Audible Books would let us pick the narrator, that might be more fun and um relaxing....yeah that's right RELAXING......snort.

Couple thousand years ago, Cato the Elder spoke in the Roman Senate. He was known for "Cathago Delenda Est". Carthage Must Be Destroyed. Forward to the present day. ISIS Delenda Est. ISIS must be destroyed. Wipe them from the face of the earth. This is not about religion in any way, shape or form. Punch their ticket straight to Paradise. Let Allah sort them out.

Very odd dream: I think I was working for a publishing house and one of my assignments was to find an image or sketch of the head of a man. This image was going to be used in an important news piece and I needed to come up with something quick. There were people standing around making frantic suggestions. I finally found a picture of what appeared to be Clint Eastwood confessing to some damn thing. So I quickly sketched in the outline of his head and hair, his very large white rimmed eye glasses, nose, open mouth and chin. It didn't look bad for a hasty sketch in black and white. Then I woke up to NRP and the daily news and the now winter storm predicting heavy rain and wind on the coast. Let me see what would I ask the dream interpretation web site; drawing, a portrait, maybe...

Drawing

To dream that you are drawing represents an expression of your latent artistic abilities. You need to show more of your creativity in your waking life. Alternatively, the dream may be a pun on a "draw" to mean a tie or some undecided decision or argument. "It's a draw."

Um okay, maybe I should take up art of some sort. There is an art studio on Highway 42 just outside of town going towards Myrtle Point, maybe...

Also I watched a fascinating piece on Oregon Art Beat last night about John Simpkins, an artist living in Harney county in a ghost town for the past three years, I really admired the colors and some of the images he was painting. He said that he traveled and when in Tibet he decided that if he could find someplace like Tibet that wasn't too far from civilization, he would move there. Safeway is that-a-way about 150 miles from the ghost town of Andrew.

Picture

To see a picture in your dream symbolizes a mental imprint that remains persistent in your mind. Your actions are irreversible. There is no turning back in what you do. Also consider the phrases "picture this" or "seeing the big picture" in a situation. In particular, if the picture is in black and white picture, then it indicates that you need to consider opposing viewpoints. Alternatively, it may mean that you need to add more color and pizzazz to your life.

Drawing

To dream that you are drawing represents an expression of your latent artistic abilities. You need to show more of your creativity in your waking life. Alternatively, the dream may be a pun on a "draw" to mean a tie or some undecided decision or argument. "It's a draw."

Um okay, maybe I should take up art of some sort. There is an art studio on Highway 42 just outside of town going towards Myrtle Point, maybe...

Also I watched a fascinating piece on Oregon Art Beat last night about John Simpkins, an artist living in Harney county in a ghost town for the past three years, I really admired the colors and some of the images he was painting.

I am quite unhappy that I cannot technically import one of the artists pictures, I encourage you to Google John Simpkins work.  Enjoy. 

Regencies, Cleopatra After Actium", The Vicar of Wakefield and Lucullan feast.

Yesterday I downloaded an E-book entitled "Petticoat Rebellion" By Joan Smith.  It was a lovely light fluffy Regency with the usual handsome rake/Duke, a schoolmistress chaperoning four teenagers at a house party, a theft, the mandatory misunderstanding between lovers and a kidnapping.  The usual.  One of the characters, Lady Penfel was the Dukes Aunt.  She was quite a quiz as they say in the Regencies.  She is enjoying her widowhood by wearing costumes that resemble an aging light skirt and her hair, once auburn, is now  somewhat augmented to a frizzy rouge to match her raddled face.  Part of the plot involves the schoolmistress, Miss Addie Fairchild's wish to review the estates Da Vinci portfolio which is under lock and key. Once Lady Penfel determined Addie was an artist she insisted that Addie do her portrait as in the fashion of "After Actium". With her dog Cuddles at her feet instead of a lion.  The picture was described as Cleopatra resting after the battle of Actium, gazing off into the distance amongst her dying soldiers.  The mental picture of this caught my imagination so I Googled the title.  I did not find "After Actium" but I found something that looked similar to what was described in the book but this was entitled, "Cleopatra testing poison on condemned prisoners". (see above)  Ahhh, uh huh.  and she had a leopard at her feet. Back to the book, the thievery got solved, the kidnapping got solved and the portraiture was put off until after the Duke married the Schoolmistress.


I have gone off to find other things that caught my interest in books before.  Once after reading "Little Women"  I decided to get a copy of the Vicar of Wakefield to see what the hubbub was all about, why did Aunt March give Jo such a hard time for reading The Vicar.  Was it considered trash or what?  So I eventually found a copy and managed with much effort to read the thing.  I couldn't figure out what was so objectionable about this book in 1865.  The only thing I got out of it was that part of the plot involved the Vicar having to do to debtors prison and while there he converted a few inmates to Christianity and the Vicar was a well liked fellow.  Ok.  Of the other literary references in Little Women about Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan I have never read.  So.


This then reminded me of a phrase that has haunted me since the late sixties.  I once went with my friend, Judy to apply for a job at the post office.  We had to take a test.  I distinctly remember one of the questions.  I had to choose the definition of a Lucullan Feast.  (A person who has not had a classical education would not get this correct...duh).  So I remember choosing the answer that the Lucullan Feast happened when the troll ate your feet when you slept in his bed overnight, or something very similar to that. And I was wrong, wrong, wrong.  But the Internet did not exist then and I would have had no idea where to start looking.  So periodically and more lazily, I would think of Lucullan Feast as the years passed.   One time I heard the phrase Lucullan Feast on television but it turned out that was the name of a cookery story somewhere in New Orleans.  Hmph, not much help there. A decade or so later, I became acquainted with a columnist who lived in the Northwest, somehow the topic of Lucullan Feast came up and he told me all about it. In short, Lucullus was a famous Roman general who held fabulous parties with gourmet food.  He was said to dine the best when he dined alone.  So, had the internet existed prior to 1965, I would probably have passed the Post Office test and be retired from the postal service even as we speak.  Ain't life strange?

2014 Bulwer Lytton contents, Sorry it kind of got away from me but enjoy!

Link to Bulwer Lytton 2014 winners. Prepare to laugh, cry, gag and wet your pants. Please.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulwer-lytton.com%2F2014win.html&ei=SArJVLvfAcrfoATtwYDYDQ&usg=AFQjCNG2GeCJmqStc-_N1vyNSQS0GT4uqQ&sig2=WY88CGxns_3QmmOsdJbzSQ&bvm=bv.84607526,d.cGU

Blogger won't pick up my picture of a big fat white duck! DUCK!

DUCKY DREAM:

Last night I dreamt a very domestic dream. I was in a house, cleaning I think, and there was family there, none of who I recognized. At one point I was looking out the bathroom window that overlooked a nearby good sized creek. I could see dozens of little yellow ducklings being herded hither and yon by their very large white duck parents. I also saw two rather large ducks floating in mid air. They were scooping ducklings out of the air into their mouths sort of like some fish species who suck their tiny fry inside their mouths at times of danger. I couldn't see the ducklings inside because the mouth was screened with a white cloth like device that irised open and closed. It was very odd looking into the gullet of the larger ducks.
 

Dream site interpretation:

Duck

To see ducks in your dream represent your spiritual freedom (if flying) or the subconscious (if swimming). They serve as a connection between the spiritual realm and the physical world. Ducks are multi-talented animals in that they can walk, swim and fly. Thus, a duck indicates your flexibility and your ability to blend and adapt in various situations. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you are setting yourself up or being set up for the kill as associated by the phrase "sitting duck". Are you being targeted? Also, the duck may be a pun on "ducking" some issue or situation, instead of confronting it head-on. Consider the phrase, "if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck". Some things are too obvious to deny.  (Thank you Dan Rather.)

To see a white duck in your dream signifies falsehood and deceit.

I will have to sleep on this one...Hah! SLEEP she says.


Curiously enough there was no culinary interpretation.  I ate duck once many years ago.   The then husband had gone duck hunting and brought back many dark oily ducks.  I may have eaten a bit but I really don't remember actually cooking the thing.  Now having watched many years of Food Network I would willingly try some rare duck fried in duck fat.  I came close in my youth, a young man I was dating took me to a pub and asked me what I wanted and so he ordered Cold Duck, it wasn't until we left that I realized belatedly that I had DRANK the cold duck not eaten any.  Hoo boy!  One of my many tales of innocent and ignorance.  Ah me.....

Networking.

TELEVISION LAND:

Admittedly I do not watch much network television. Lately I have been catching myself watching Big Bang Theory. I googled the cast members professional pictures versus their character pictures. My what a difference a little make up makes.

I was curious as to what Ms Amy looks like. She is the criminally smart neurologist.

The actress' working name is Mayin Bialik. She is rather striking looking and manages to project a great deal of devoted neuro-geekness in her role.

I have also peeked at the other cast members and they ALL improve with glam photographs. Hooray for make up artists and superior camera work.
See, she could get away with walking around outside without being recognized by the paparazzi. But if she puts on glasses and an ugly sweater, she is toast!!