by Blogbot



Millionaire Matchmaker, glam-goth reality TV star, mother, all round awesome person, and longtime friend of SG, Rachel Federoff, recently became a spokesperson to raise awareness for the dangers of the choking game. It’s estimated that between 250 and 1,000 children die each year from the practice, however hard statistics are difficult to come by since many coroners record such deaths as suicide. This is one the reasons Federoff got involved and reached out to SG, since she’s currently championing a petition and letter writing campaign to persuade our government to devote resources to the issue so it can be properly investigated. Though numbers a hard to come by, the choking game seems to be especially prevalent in middle school aged children, with the median age of death from it being just thirteen. We checked in with Federoff to find out more.

Question: What inspired you to get involved in raising awareness for the dangers of the choking game?

Rachel Federoff: I met two ladies on Twitter who are uber fans of me, Barb Dibben and Neecy Jarman. Neecy lost her 13-year old son from this awful act and told me about it [see ABC News report]. Being a mom, I was, of course, devastated to hear about it, and knew exactly what he died from as I had a close childhood friend die from it in high school. I felt it was so important to help spread the word on this and, as of Monday, the ladies asked me to be the spokesperson for this. I was so honored and touched to help be a part of making the world aware and hopefully stop more children from dying.

Q: Can you tell us more about the organization you'll be acting as spokesperson for?

RF: I will be working with Neecy and Barb and other non profit organizations such as the DB Foundation (Dangerous Behaviors). Both ladies received grant money from Pepsi Co. and we are looking at having the first national conference.

Q: It's shocking that kids are playing this "game" at such a young age. Why do you think that is?

RF: It's so crazy to me that people are so unaware of this as it's been going on forever. I knew plenty of kids that did it growing up. I think kids are always looking at new ways to get "high." If it's not whip-its, it's pot or whatever. Now it's getting high by strangulation. They think it's harmless but it's not. They really do think it's just a game, and when you're young you have that "I’m going to live forever" mentality.

Q: And I guess kids being kids, there's a lot of peer pressure involved...

RF: Absolutely, especially at middle school age like Neecy's son. He was just thirteen. That's why it's so important that parents are aware of this behavior and have open relationships with their kids. Parents need to teach their kids that it's not a game and will not make them "cool" if they participate. When I saw friends doing it I thought it was stupid and dangerous so I stayed away from playing.

Q: What resources are out there to give parents a better understanding of this issue? Are there any websites you could recommend?

RF: Sadly there just isn't enough and that's why people have no idea this exists and what it is. But there are some: GaspInfo.com and ChokingGame.net.

Q: What can people do to help?

RF: We are currently asking everyone we can to sign a petition and send letters to congress to make them open their eyes that the choking game needs to be addressed seriously. The more signatures and letters we send the better. All you have to do is go here. Also we’re asking people to post the link on their Twitters and Facebooks and anywhere else. We have over 1000 letters already! I also created a cause page people can join for more info and support.

Q: Finally, you know I have to ask; Millionaire Matchmaker is my guilty pleasure for many of us at SG. I'm totally addicted. What can we expect from the new season and when will it air?

RF: LOL Well it looks like we are scheduled to start filming Season 6 in March or April. As for when it airs, I have no idea yet. So many people are having Millionaire Matchmaker withdrawal. We're coming back, so hang in there!


Related Posts:

SG Interview with Rachel Federoff - Millionaire Matchmaker
SG Interview with Destin Pfaff: Millionaire Matchmaker

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER EIGHT, PART TWO]

[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW]

[Previous Chapter]

Onstage, Zephyr strutted before the frenzied audience. The kids ran to his side and dosed. Tyler fell along with the others, his face ecstatic. The crowd screamed. This was the point where Corbin had halted their first review. Haggerty watched now as Tyler spasmed, moving in close and trying to read the boy’s mind through his eyes. The crowd kept screaming. Haggerty silently counted out the predictable physiological shutdown he’d witnessed in thousands of recorded deaths. Something was wrong. Did Tyler’s eyes register shock? The unit continued recording, going on and on for what seemed like eternity. At length the projection showed Elsa’s hand reaching for the unit on the stage. The transmission finally went black as the box entered the minthizine case.

“It appears that Tyler Stelwyn was still alive when I retrieved his unit,” Elsa said.

“There was no one at the press site to certify that vital signs had ceased before the bodies were removed,” Haggerty said, sitting back against his vault. “It troubled me at the time but I attributed it to crowd control and unusual circumstances.”

“Tyler Stelwyn may not be dead,” Elsa suggested.

Haggerty felt a surge of hope, immediately dashed. “His parents identified Tyler’s body at the morgue. Whoever staged this made sure the boy died.” Reluctantly, he retrieved the white box hidden beneath his sweatshirt and handed it to Elsa. “This is from the club. Analyze the contents, compare it to the drug you found at the scene, and return the unit to me.”

Elsa dealt with the closures of a dress not designed for her unique needs and ported the unit. As Haggerty expected, the drugs matched. He clipped the unit to his waistband as Elsa rearranged her dress, then laid his head against the shelf and closed his eyes.

“Now we know why those involved want the recordings erased, Elsa. We’re dealing with murder. Not merely of the son of the wealthiest man in NewVada but of Teardrop and Sunset, and accessory to murder of every copycat. The recordings prove it. But who can we show them to? We don’t know who to trust.”

“Have you considered enlisting the aide of Detective Woyzeck?”

“Woyzeck broke procedure at the triple press and had his gun ready to arrest me before the viewcast aired naming me as the chief suspect. Help me to figure this out, Elsa, if you can. Your logic boards may work better than my reasoning right now. Let’s go through what we know or have cause to believe.”

Elsa nodded consent.

“Max invented the drug, so he’s involved. Corbin’s arrival at the club proves she’s involved with Max. So was the lead singer of Clone Jesus, who came to the club and invited Traci to a party. Traci involved Teardrop and Regina’s brother, which seems to implicate Regina, although it’s clear from Sunset’s recording she had no idea he planned to press. And if I had any doubt about that, her reaction to the viewcast of the concert removes it completely. We’ve deduced that none of the kids knew that pressing at the concert would kill them, although we can’t be sure yet what Zephyr knew.”

“We haven’t accounted for Tyler Stelwyn, Jason. Why was he there? Was someone as wealthy as he likely to be involved with Teardrop and Sunset?”

“We don’t know that he was, Elsa. Neither of them was in his recording before the concert. He may have met them there for the first time. Probably he was involved with Clone Jesus for the high life — the drugs, the celebrity, the hotels, God knows what else. And we know from Regina’s pairplex that the other kids were fans of the group. Their manager, Shintag Lake, is probably involved. He told me he provides whatever the band members request, no questions asked. Woyzeck’s boss did his best to accommodate Lake’s demands when he had him in custody. He may also be involved.

“But who is big enough — or stupid enough — to risk incurring the wrath of Tyler’s father?” Haggerty wondered aloud.

“The Triads? We know that they protect Max’s club.”

“The Triads have worked out their arrangements with law enforcement to everyone’s satisfaction. I can’t believe they’d risk bringing the entire establishment down on them. Who would profit from that? It’s likelier that Antonio Stelwyn is in league with the Triads, and if they were even distantly responsible for his only child’s death, he would stop at nothing to extinguish them. No, everyone in his right mind fears Antonio Stelwyn. The only person I can think of who might not is Consuela. She didn’t bat an eye at the pain the Stelwyns revealed in her presence.”

“It was Consuela who told the media you killed Dr. Zabrowski.”

“Correct. And it was Consuela who hired Corbin and according to Corbin sent her after us, supposedly to save us.”

“Do you think Dr. Zabrowski’s death is connected to the triple press, Jason?”

“We can’t rule it out. But if so, what was the link? He hadn’t seen the recordings. He’d had no direct contact with any of the witnesses or victims. But he told me he was going to ask the Surgeon General to control the media’s reporting in order to prevent an explosion of copycats. That was before Consuela sent me off to interview the band members.”

“Who could possibly argue with his request for media restraint, Jason?”

“Someone who wanted the media coverage to be as extensive as possible, Elsa. Someone with something to gain if Doug’s scenario of a contagion of suicides played out. Or something to lose if it didn’t!”

Haggerty went pale. “It’s too absurd,” he said. “It’s grotesque.”

“What, Jason?”

“Think about it, Elsa. Doug would have required authorization from his direct superior to contact the Surgeon General. After Consuela sent me to the precinct, Doug would have told her about Cobain Syndrome and his intention to try to stop a wave of suicides. Was Doug killed to prevent him from going to the Surgeon General?”

“Do you believe that Consuela engineered the triple press?” Elsa asked.

“Can you think of another explanation for Doug’s death?”

Elsa considered what had been said and answered no. “But why would Consuela want children to kill themselves, Jason?”

“Maybe it wasn’t Consuela’s design,” Haggerty said. “What if she was carrying out orders? BBI is a subsidiary of the State Department of Public Health. Could the State itself want a rash of youth suicides as some bizarre means of population control?”

“Then why send agent Keenan to investigate?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time one branch of the government didn’t know what the other was doing.”

“If we present him the information we have retrieved thus far, he could clear you.”

“If Consuela and her superiors at BBI are involved, agent Keenan will be given false information against me. And whatever they come up with will be very convincing. This unit loaded with Happy Styx isn’t enough to prove my innocence. If anything, it could have the opposite effect.”

“But coupled with Tyler Stelwyn’s review —”

“You don’t understand the circumstantial evidence, Elsa. I had access to the units. They know I was with Regina and that she knew Teardrop. I stole a piece of evidence from the triple press site and withheld your copies of the recordings that suggest it was murder. We have to assume that those boxes have been erased. I’ve eluded the police and failed to turn myself in despite a Federal demand to do so. The fact the media was told I was responsible means someone in power wants to guarantee all this gets pinned on me. And the only way for them to ensure that is to have me dead. I’m even in possession of a dispenser of the same illegal drug that killed them.”

“But if you are in the custody of the Federal Bureau —”

“Then whoever is wielding this power can get to me and clean up their tracks after I’m out of the way. I can’t take that chance. There’s still something missing. We don’t know why Clone Jesus was involved or what Max has to gain. Let’s get out of here, Elsa. I’m not giving up until I’ve found out and exposed the monsters who think murdering children is sound social engineering.”

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part One

by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: Dylan Borgman / Seahorse

Mission Statement: I decided on portraiture a long time ago at an art museum. I realized how every time I'd look at a painting the first thing I'd ask myself is who is this person and why did someone take the time to paint them? People are fascinated by each other. What are they doing? Why are they doing that? The answer to that can often be found in the person's face.

That's how I fell down the rabbit hole. I started painting large oil paintings of people caught in the middle of awkward expressions. My paintings were imposing and bizarre, and while I liked the darkness and the strangeness I could convey with paint, it also dragged me down emotionally. Eventually, I decided that my scope was too narrow and that I wanted to try depicting other emotions you don't see every day like arousal. So my work suddenly took a turn into photographing Suicide Girls.

It's not such a strange transition. I've always also been a professional photographer. I base my paintings on photography, and ever since I began painting, I’ve been working with real people in uncomfortable situations. What I like about working with Suicide Girls in comparison to most of the so-called "erotic" models is that most of them have no formal modeling training and unlike most gigs, SG lets the community voice their opinions before a model is accepted so you end up with a lot of very motivated, courageous, and unique individuals.

A few months ago, an illustrator and friend of mine, Steve Curucu, who does a lot of nudes, even some with SG's, inspired me to try another stab at painting. So that's what I've been experimenting with the past few months with some very interesting results.



Medium: I started in oils working on a large scale. Most of my paintings are six feet wide or larger. Then later I got used to a Wacom tablet. Now I use both. My digital artwork is a blend of photography, illustration, and painting, but I don't limit myself by medium either. I weld, I work with beads, wire, rope, origami, I sculpt in clay, I program, I sew, I develop, I write - the list goes on. And of course I'm a photographer, that's the other side of my creative life.



Aesthetic: My painting aesthetics tend toward Joseph Turner, Vincent Van Gogh, Chuck Close, and Rembrandt. It's worth mentioning that they all share the virtue of being incredible color theorists, which is something I aspire to be. CF Payne was a local artist where I grew up and he was a big inspiration for me. His work is photographically based, and he works with multiple mediums layered one on top of another to create beautiful portraits. Illustrators also play a big part of my aesthetic. People like Bill Watterson, Ralph Steadman, and of course my father who is a cartoonist as well, all played a seminal role in getting me interested in art in the first place.



Notable Achievements: My work has been shown at the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Montgomery Art Center in Claremont, and I received the Golden Galaxy Award in 2001. Articles about me and my work have appeared in The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati Magazine, and Fixie Magazine.



Why We Should Care: I think people intrinsically care about art. You don't have to tell someone to appreciate a beautiful painting; they do it on their own. I've come to the conclusion that for me, art is about communicating to others the emotional energy of a moment that I have experienced. That's why I use strong colors and iconic expressions. If I've done this successfully then others will care because it reminds them of their own feelings or experiences. It's also why I like SuicideGirls. It's a community of extremely creative people communicating with one another visually as I do.



I Want Me Some: If you're interested in prints or originals contact dylan@dylanborgman.com or go to my web site DylanBorgman.com and click "contact."







***

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by Laurelin



There are a lot of things I remember about certain people, and a lot of things I’m sure I forget. A lot of the things I remember I wish I didn’t, some things make me smile, things remind me that I’m human, that things change, people change. I remember tracing outlines, wanting my fingertips to remember every dimple, every muscle line, every tattoo. I remember smells, sounds, songs playing before I drift off to sleep, songs playing in clubs when our eyes meet across the dance floor and I can just breathe in a beat. But always with these memories, I remember that things change.

I feel like I have already lived a lifetime of change when it comes to my friend Ben. I remember the first time I ever saw him, a fleeting moment of eye contact in a filthy frat house and I thought, “who is THAT…” and he was gone, and it didn’t matter because whoever he was, this was my boyfriend’s frat house. Ben and I wouldn’t talk much that summer, but I always remembered him.

Fast-forward to a year later, long after my boyfriend and I had broken up, and I was turning 21. It was a Tuesday night, and as the lights flashed for last call at my first bar my best friend Lisa ran up to me. I was drunker than I’d ever been before, and she was smiling as she gestured towards the door.

“I found him,” she said, “for your birthday. I found him, that guy from the frat house.” And there he was, she had found him somehow, and that was the beginning. It was a fairy tale in a sense, a sorority girl in a pink lettered sweatshirt and a smirking sarcastic guy with tattoos, something that didn’t make such sense but would be all and none of the sense I knew from then on.

It seems so far off now, but all those year ago I did love him, or I thought I did. We dated, we were inseparable, we would hit a rough patch and take a break. We would fight, like really fight; screaming and crying, nights where I would just want to die if he wouldn’t speak to me again. I did things that I haven’t done since and will never do again, things I can’t even say out loud let alone type. I am the most ambitious person I know, but I remember I wrote him a letter, saying that I could lay with him forever and be happy with everything I never did. Time stood still and moved like liquid at the same time. It wasn’t right, perfect to no one else but me. Then one day, he was gone.

When I say gone, I mean gone. Years together and then just gone, disappeared, fallen off the planet. It was one year almost to the day until I heard from him again. I can’t say what happened in that year; but finally, after indescribable hurt, I was eventually healing. Everything that’s happened to me since that moment has seemed like nothing I can’t conquer, every break up since then has been tough, but almost laughable. It was the longest year of my life, and then one day, it was over. 12 months later I looked down at the glow of my flip phone and recognized his number. I should have known better than to answer it I’m sure, but the apology on the other end of the phone was really a long time coming.

Add a few more years, a lot of bad choices (meeting his father for the first time while I was drunk at work at a strip club in a naughty nurse uniform), and a few good choices (endless concerts, dancing all night, swimming at the beach by moonlight, traveling to Ireland together) and we somehow found ourselves over the worst, over the on and off dating and finally, just plain friends. I don’t know when I stopped loving him, but somewhere along the line I finally found ME, and I realized that while I had always thought there was no me without him, that wasn’t the case at all.

Ten years later he would have the perfect description of what happened to us between now and then: “You moved to Boston, you found this life, this strong personality and you stopped being that small town girl from Rhode Island, that girl who just wanted someone to love her.” Our strong personalities clash, and one afternoon a few weeks ago I made a call, and he must have recognized my number. Ten years later, after yet another year of not speaking, I’m finally looking at him from across my bar. We’re both smirking with tattoos now, and I see our life together in a blur of colors, sounds, hurt feelings, songs and traced outlines. We order a round of shots and I rest my head on his shoulder, finally with my best friend again after all this time.

“How do you guys know each other?” my friend asks, pulling up a bar stool. Ben and I look at each other.

“It’s a long story,” I say, smiling.



***

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by A.J. Focht



Many a rumor about the upcoming The Avengers film has been laid to rest. On January 31, the official Avengers Twitter had a chat with fans answering the most pressing questions. For a portion of the chat, Joss Whedon was on hand and the ‘For JW’ tag started trending. One of the rumors squashed was talk of an Amazing Spider-Man cameo. Whedon personally put this rumor down.

More information has come out about Arrow, the Green Arrow pilot in production by the CW. Instead of tying the show back to Smallville and trying to capture that audience, they have really reworked the Green Arrow's story. Oliver Queen’s mother is still alive and he will have a little sister that seems to be a catalyst for most of the trouble he has to stop. Some DC characters will show up, such as Black Canary, but they will not play their superhero roles, at least not as of yet. The part of Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow has been given to Stephen Amell.

Marvel’s major comic event this year, Avengers VS. X-Men will be starting this March. Marvel has released a sneak preview of the Avengers VS. X-Men #0 where all the problems will start. This first issue sets up the crucial roles of Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers. The two most powerful ladies in the Marvel universe will be going head-to-head, each with a super powered team to back them.

Speaking of new comics, IDW Publishing, will be starting a Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms comic series. D&D fans have a chance to have their characters featured in the comics. You can find all the rules for the character creation contest here.

One of the biggest names in comics, Stan Lee, is launching his own website. You can sign up for updates from the site and a chance to win autographed merchandise right now, but the full site won’t launch till February 8. On top of contests and games, the sites main function will be behind-the-scenes looks into Stan’s new projects.

Zoe Saldana talked Star Trek 2 in a recent interview. While she couldn’t say much, she all but told us that there is more to come between Spock and Uhura. Star Trek writer Robert Orci also came out with a few comments, these ones directed at fans. In a fan driven industry like Star Trek, the fans are the best and worst part of it, and Orci has had enough of them second guessing him. In short, Orci pointed out that they did well with the first remake and that success has earned them a lot of leeway with the studio. He doesn’t promise the movie will be good, but he does promise it will be exactly what they want it to be.

On a final note, you can stop holding your breath waiting for Blizz Con 2012 to be announced, it’s not happening. Blizzard Entertainment would rather focus on releasing Diablo 3, Heart of the Swarm and Mists of Pandaria than wasting their time organizing another convention. This doesn’t mean they don’t love their fans and the convention will be back in 2013. As someone who has personally attended multiple Blizz Cons, they should take a break. Doing it yearly means they never have enough new news to justify bringing out thousands of fans from around the world. Hopefully, this way they will have something substantial to show us next time.

by Ackley Suicide

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Ackley Suicide in Project Exploration]

This week Ackley dishes on the tasty truth behind SG's Some Like It Raw group.

Members: 370 / Comments: 817

WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: It's a great place to get recipes and info on raw foods and see how it’s changed the lives of different SG Members.

BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine."

MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: We are kind of "Anti Heat" when it comes to cooking, wink wink, but we eat more than twigs and berries - I promise.

WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: I encourage anyone and everyone to join. Find out how you can add a little more life in your diet. See my before and after results here!!!


***
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SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Jeckyl on SG Lounge
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Glitch on Robot Love
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Katherine on Aerial Dance
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Zombie Hunters
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rachelle on All Boobs Great And Small
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Oogie on Fan Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Jensen on Online Dating
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Gallows on Pen Pals
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Satya on Hip-Hop
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tovi on Veggie


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Suicide Boys
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Haydin on Ballet
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Psyche on Slut Pride
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Thistle on Yuppie Scum
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Eden on Tattoo
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy – Damsel on Dreadlocks


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Chrysis on Itty Bitty Titty Committee


SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Otoki on Feminists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Zephyr on Doctor Who
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Ryker on Harry Potter
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Bradley on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Apple on All Your Base Are Belong To Us
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Setsuka on Ass Appreciation
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on The Kitchen
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Exning on Body Mods
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Ceres on Girls Only
SuicideGirls’ Group Therapy - Frolic on Celeb Worship
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Cheri on Skateboarders
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Noir on SG Military
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Exning on Weight Loss
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Aadie on Cute Overload
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Eevie, Luffy, and Praesepe on SG420
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - All on Urban Art
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Clio on Hardcore Music
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Epiic on Hirsute
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Tarion on Atheists
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Rambo on Photography
SuicideGirls' Group Therapy - Thistle on Vamos Gigantes

by Nahp Suicide


[Dwam in Parallelism]

Dwam is from France. She has been with SuicideGirls since 2008, and is both a model and a photographer.




How did you first get involved with SuicideGirls?

I just applied (as a model).
As a photographer, it started when Sweety and Maedusa asked me to shoot them a multi. 




What's your background photography-wise?

I don't really have any proper background. I experimented a bit when I was in art school, then I just tried. However I assisted P_Mod for a while, and gathered as much knowledge as I could. 




What was the first photo you had published?

Hahaha, a band's picture in a local paper, nothing glorious.


[Dwam and Charlie in Self Timer]

How would you describe your style?

I don't know! Do I have a style? 
I think I like to see the girls impersonate a character, to create scenes, and to tell some stories. 



What gear do you use?

A Canon 550D, and a 15-55 and 50mm lens most of the time. 




How important is Photoshop in your final images?

It depends. Sometimes I play around with Lightroom, for color correction mostly, to add a mood or an ambiance. I also drew and added graphic effects on a few sets. Otherwise I edit as little as possible. I want to see real people, not plastic dolls. 




What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing sets?

Literature and movies, mainly. And the girls! Sometimes the girls evoke images and scenes, or sometimes I've got a very precise idea myself. Then I look for the girl that would best fit the idea. But usually I ask them if they have any idea, mood, or theme in mind, so we can work on it together. 






[Nemesis in Dorian]

What is your favorite image?

This one. [above]

Tell us why it's your fave and how you achieved it?

Well, it's a picture of Nemesis, one of my favorite people I met through the site, and it sums up pretty much everything I love: gender queerness, literature, timeless feelings. It's also a great memory. I love it. 




Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph that you haven't? (And tell us why)

There are tons of people I wish to meet and work with. But right now on the top of my mind I think of Glitch, Chunni, Lumo, Adria, Opaque, Shanti and Malloreigh. Just because!


[Dwam in Sun With A Moustache]

Related Posts:
In Focus: The Photographers of SuicideGirls feat. Writeboy
In Focus: The Photographers of SuicideGirls feat. IvyLlamas
In Focus: The Photographers of SuicideGirls feat. Lavezzarro

by SG's Team Agony feat. Jaeci

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Jaeci in Be My Lover]

Q: I started dating my best friend about a month after we got back to college. I've known her since last year, and I guess we've always had feelings for each other. After about two and a half months we broke up. It wasn’t supposed to be a permanent break, but she made it a break up. I don't even talk to her anymore and I can't stand seeing her. It just hurts. I tried to keep busy, and between work and school it was working, but not really anymore. I've tried talking to my other guy friends, but that doesn't help much, and I don't have many girl friends to talk to. I'm not over her. I've tried talking to her, but I can't find the words I want to say when I do. I just want to be over her and move on, but still part of me wants to be with her. It's frustrating. What do I do?

A: This kind of problem normally resolves itself with time...but not all of us are so patient. These brilliant words of wisdom are for anyone who just can't get over an ex despite a short romantic relationship.

• 1. Find a wing (wo)man -- be selective -- and make some plans to go out somewhere you might encounter some moderately attractive people.


• 2A. Take a shower before you go out. Don't trim/groom/shave everything perfectly though, it'll a guarantee you will not get laid.


• 2B. Get yourself off before you go out. It will help you relax, I swear.


• 3. Make sure you look spiffy. Wear your second favorite underwear -- wearing your hottest stuff is another guarantee no one will get in your pants.


• 4. Let your wing (wo)man remind you that there is plenty of fine tail out there (and by fine tail, I might be referring to a super stellar (wo)man who could possibly, eventually be into you if (s)he doesn't feel negatively objectified by your sexual advances. Treat all fine tail with respect.)


• 5. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get yourself some action. Be smart and use protection -- the last thing you need is something iffy going on south of the border. Do not think about your ex while you're having sex with someone new. Do not say your ex's name. Do not cry. Do not tell new bedmate you love him/her. Do not ask for Fruity Pebbles/Tofurkey on rye/whatever your ex's favorite post-coital snack was.


• 6. If you stay at his/her place, remember your manners. Be a gentleman -- if (s)he stays over, offer a coffee in the morning. Ladies, we can behave like gentlemen too.


• 7. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Happy rebounding

Jaeci

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Justin R. Beckner



Jeremy Kasten has forged a name for himself in the filmmaking business as a brilliant, ego free person whose resume includes producing, directing, and editing films and feature content. Some may remember Kasten’s work on the Suicide Girls Must Die film or The Wizard of Gore which also starred several Suicide Girls along with Crispin Glover. When he’s not directing feature films, he spends his time editing behind the scenes footage for major films including Step Brothers, Spider Man 3, and Water for Elephants to name but a few. We caught up with Kasten to discuss his most recent work, The Theatre Bizzare which opens January 27th, 2012 in select cities.
The Theatre Bizzare takes a rare and unique approach to the horror genre. The movie is comprised of six segments, each with its own director: Buddy Giovinazzo (“I Love You”), Douglas Buck (“The Accident”), David Gregory (“Sweets”), Karim Hussain (“Vision Stains”), Tom Savini (“Wet Dreams”) and Richard Stanley (“Mother of the Toads”). Jeremy Kasten was given the demanding job of tying all the segments together with a cohesive storyline of his own featuring the legendary Udo Keir.
For cities and screenings, check out The Theatre Bizzare Facebook page. If you’re a fan of horror films, you won’t want to miss this summit of brilliant directors doing what they do best.

Justin R. Beckner: May I start off by saying how much I enjoyed The Theatre Bizzare. I’ve always been a fan or horror films and I’m not quite sure why. Why do you think people are so drawn to horror films? Why do people like to be scared from time to time?

Jeremy Kasten: I think movies in general are cheap thrills. There are lots of ways people get thrills – there’s chick flicks where you get emotionally attached to the character and then you get worked up. Then there’s the shock factor which goes all the way back to silent film, The Kiss, where people were first seen kissing in a film. I think horror taps into that primordial part of our brain that responds to fear because fear is a part of us. There’s another way horror affects us in a more surreal way where a film can replicate the experience of having a nightmare. It’s like when you have a nightmare and you wake up and you’re happy to be alive, So I think horror movies can tap into our fears and affect us in that kind of way.

JB: The Theatre Bizzare is a very unique movie in that it is several short story style films within a film – each with its own director. How did all of the directors come together for this unique style of film?

JK: David Gregory and the executive producers handpicked the directors to make the film. I came on after all the films were written and a couple of the directors had already made their films but they did not have a director for the wrap around at that point. I suspect that because of the film The Wizard of Gore, which I did with SuicideGirls, they knew I could deliver a theatrical Grand-Guignol quality to the wrap around part and hold the movie together. They knew they wanted it set in a theatre, they knew they wanted some sort of lead character who would pull you through all of those short stories and give a sense of grounding to the overall story. So I got together with Zach Chassler who is my creative partner who writes a lot of my movies and he had some great ideas. I knew I wanted to do something automatons so we put our heads together and we came up with the idea that became what you see in the film after Udo [Keir] came in and added his own specific and phenomenal sensibility to it.

JB: I noticed several connections between HP Lovecraft stories and the stories in the film. Was that an intentional parallel or simply the result of each director’s influences showing through?

JK: HP Lovecraft has been a huge influence on every horror filmmaker in the twentieth century. I don’t know if it was intentional but it’s hard to look at a horror movie from the era that Lovecraft is known and not see an influence on the movie. I know that there are a couple scenes in a couple of the films that are pure Lovecraft influence – it’s not like anyone talked about it, but it’s certainly there. David Gregory took away a lot of the constraints on the directors for this film and I think that freed them up to let that Lovecraft influence shine.

JB: Did you and the other directors work in close proximity throughout the making of the film?

JK: I’m not sure anybody knew each other until this film happened. I knew David Gregory, the producer – he brought me on – but I didn’t know any of the other directors and I’m not sure that they knew each other. We’ve been to film festivals and done panels together and we all get along very well but there was not of communication among the filmmakers leading up to the movie other than reading each other’s scripts. Because I was doing the wrap around I was given all the scripts and was able to get a glimpse at a couple of the films before making the wrap around. We really all met at the first film festival the movie was at. There wasn’t a lot of communications between us until the movie was done. Since the movie has been done, we’ve formed some friendships that I think will last a long time. I was really glad to have the opportunity to work alongside some filmmakers that I admire and some of them I’ve even been influenced by their work.

JB: The Theatre Bizzare opens on Friday, January 27th, where can people go to check out this movie?

JK: It’s opening in select cities which can be found on the film’s Facebook page or at Shocktillyoudrop.com. Its opening this weekend and then they’re doing a platform release over the next couple weeks in other cities. Then eventually it will be coming out on DVD and will be available in that format as well. But if you look on the Facebook page and the film is not paying in your city, you can demand it on there and a theatre chain in your city will be more likely to book it. That’s the way it goes these days in the movie business. All the theatre has to do is pay for a person to run the projector, so if they know people will show up it makes sense for them to book the movie for a couple days. So if you’d like to see The Theatre Bizzare and it’s not in your town, I’d encourage you to be vocal about it and demand it on the Facebook page.

JB: You mentioned previously that you worked with SuicideGirls in the movie The Wizard of Gore. How was that experience?

JK: I have to say, it was really an amazing experience because when I first started that project, SG was not the brand that it has become today, it was still very much coming up. As one of the producers and editors of the Suicide Girls Must Die video, I joined that after they shot it, I was lucky enough to work with Sean and Missy on that project and get closer to SG and seeing what it had become was pretty amazing.

JB: With all the directing, producing, and editing, you’re a busy guy. What have you been working on lately aside from The Theatre Bizzare?

JK: Last fall I did the recut for the movie 11/11/11 and that came out on 11/11/11 of this past year. So it was a movie that had a really obvious promotional release date which made for an intense end of the summer for me because we basically did a total recut. But it was really cool and I learned a lot. Now I’m back doing what is essentially my day job which is where I produce and edit behind the scenes specials for movies. I’m currently working on Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter and Men in Black 3 which is going to be out this summer.

JB: Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, that sounds pretty awesome.

JK: Yeah, it’s gonna kick ass. It’s by the guy who did Nightwatch which was the movie that really broke him out and then he did Daywatch. He’s pretty much a genius.

JB: Do you have any advice to people who may want to enter the filmmaking business?

JK: I would say if you’re going to do it, take yourself seriously – don’t half ass it. I think a lot of people dip their toes in the water and think that maybe they might want to try to make a movie. You’ve got to commit to it and really go for it and make every effort to know what you need to know for something, that makes a big difference. The people who are successful are usually the ones who immersed themselves and educated themselves about something. In order to break the rules, you have to know what the rules are; that’s a big part of filmmaking now in an age where everything is so wide open as far as independent films go.

JB: I really want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Do you have any final thoughts comments or plugs?

JK: I guess I’d like to say about this movie that I was most pleased about was what a pleasure it was to work with one of my heroes. I’ve always been a huge fan of Udo Keir, and it was a privilege to work with him because he’s so much fun and he’s so good at what he does. That was really special to me, it was a dream come true.

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER EIGHT, PART ONE]

[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

“It’s a cemetery,” Elsa stated flatly as she powered the Corvair down a dilapidated section of deserted beltway.

“My family’s final resting place,” Haggerty said. “Pull up to the gate.”

She drove alongside a security fence lined with laserwire to an autoterminal. Haggerty told her his code. She entered it on a keypad and the gate swung wide.

The place was deserted, as Haggerty hoped it would be; at this early hour few patrons ventured out to visit the departed. Haggerty assumed android groundskeepers had monitored their arrival but unless he summoned one via a call button or committed some act of vandalism, he doubted they would hinder him and Elsa.

They stopped at a restroom. “Keep watch while I change out of these filthy clothes and clean up,” Haggerty told his assistant.

He stood shaking on weak legs, his skin burning over spastic muscles, staring at his awful reflection in the restroom mirror. The tuxedo reeked of sewage. He clutched the white box in his hands, staring at the numeral “3.”

It took seven doses to kill and Traci had used one, rendering the unit nonlethal. There was no danger if he dosed again. He needed a clear head and right now he didn’t have one. His skin itched, his mouth was dry, his limbs trembled. He couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think. And he needed to think. He needed to calm the craving and concentrate on gathering the evidence required to prove him innocent. He hesitated a moment, then pressed. The unit ticked up to “4.”

With a moan he resisted the orgasm threatening to engulf him. The effort brought him to his knees. It was several moments before he was able to force himself to his feet and strip.

The sink provided as much of a shower as he was going to get. It was a long way from what he needed but Haggerty was satisfied he’d washed away enough of the stench to not draw undue attention in public. He dressed in the stolen cargo pants and sweatshirt, concealing the white box beneath it. He stuffed the ruined tux into a garbage bin and rejoined Elsa, who waited by the car.

“Is everything all right, Jason?” she asked. “You were in there longer than I expected.”

“I’m fine,” Haggerty said, and wasn’t lying. The Happy Styx infusing his system had stabilized his body, leaving him certain that he could do what needed to be done.

They walked along a path, their steps activating pinlights every few feet ahead as they proceeded. Moonlight reflected on the slick gravestones around them. The mere mention of this place had horrified Haggerty as a child. The trip here two years ago with his father had devastated them both; returning alone the following year had drained what little spirit Haggerty had left. Now the place felt welcoming, oddly comforting. They halted before the structure with his surname engraved above the entrance.

“Please see if you can open the lock without breaking it, Elsa,” Haggerty said.

She placed a palm against the ancient key-style lock and in moments the door opened. The vault self-illuminated as they entered, triggering climate control. Haggerty had planned on arriving here today but not on his feet. The irony didn’t escape him; he felt strange anyway.

“Elsa, give me a moment to pay my respects to my family.”

He ran his hand along his mother’s engraved stone. “It’s me, Mom,” he said quietly. “I miss you.” He touched another shelf. “I’m sorry I haven’t come by as often as I should, Dad. I know exactly how you felt now and I forgive you.”

“They were both very nice people,” Elsa said.

Haggerty knew it was a programmed response but he appreciated the gesture. He guessed that he mattered to Elsa in some mysterious way, although surely his biological parents did not.

“They had me when my father was sixty,” he told her. “That was late for those times. I was one of the last children born in NewVada before people needed to register to have kids. They were approved later but they felt one was enough. They were doing their part to keep the population in check.”

“Conscientious Citizens,” Elsa said.

“Model citizens,” Haggerty corrected. “But yes, when CC status was formally instituted they were among the first in our cityblock to seek it.”

He moved to the simple silver plaque adorning the next tomb. “Oh Lorraine,” he said softly. “If only you didn’t act so quickly. I understood and forgave you. If only I knew that you’d forgiven me.”

Elsa said nothing this time. Did she understand that respectful silence was what Haggerty would appreciate most? He took two more steps, the most difficult of all. The final stone bore the name of his son. Haggerty had no words left.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Elsa said quietly. It seemed she might say more but Haggerty forestalled her by moving to an empty shelf.

He ran his palms across the shelf with morbid fascination. “This is where they’ll put me when I’m done.”

Elsa came and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I hope that won’t be for a long time to come, Jason.”

He turned to look at her. Elsa was so childlike, her motives pure, her mind unable to grasp the emotional aspect of the facts he’d just given her about the weight of his loss, the erosion of his will to continue.

“Hopefully,” he said, not wishing to alarm her. He wondered if she knew he was lying. “Now let’s review those recordings and find out what everyone’s so eager to erase.”

* * *

Haggerty took a seat on the stone floor, draping an arm across his upturned knee.

“Play Teardrop’s first. Full room projection.”

Elsa’s irises whirled into motion.

They were backstage at the concert. Haggerty could see the audience straining against barricades beyond the wings. He reviewed the girl’s death and found nothing new.

“Play Sunset’s recording,” he told Elsa.

The small mausoleum grew notably smaller. Sunset stood bare-chested before the hotel bathroom mirror. “Dawn, it’s me,” he began, confirming Corbin’s revelation that Dawn was part of Regina’s given name; the boy’s final message had been directed to her. “Someday you’ll probably see this,” Sunset continued, “and you’re gonna think I’m a grokless idiot . . .” The transmission ended with the boy pressing onstage.

Haggerty rubbed his eyes. If anything, the recording proved Sunset was a willing participant, leaving a last testament to his sister. But something about the message didn’t feel right. Haggerty told Elsa to run it again.

The scene played out once more. “But I love my life . . .” the boy was saying.

“That’s it, Elsa,” Haggerty said. “Pause the recording.”

“What did you see, Jason?”

“Sunset said love, not loved.”

“I do not understand the significance.”

“The significance is that Sunset used the present tense. He didn’t say his life was over and he loved it for what it had been. He hadn’t stopped loving it — and he hadn’t decided to end it. People who still love their lives don’t press, Elsa. I don’t think Sunset knew he was going to die.”

“I understand how that interpretation can be placed on his words, Jason. But it makes no sense. He was holding an armed black box that was recording. What else could he have expected to happen when he pressed?”

“That’s what we need to find out, Elsa.” Haggerty dug at his thumb pad. “Let’s see if Tyler Stelwyn’s recording has anything useful.”

They were in another hotel room. Haggerty recognized Cherub on the couch behind Tyler.

“Hey, it says it’s recording!” the boy said as he played with the box.

“Turn that thing off,” an unidentified male voice ordered from across the room. “Ya wanna kill yourself?”

“Maybe,” Tyler answered, laughing, then told the recording device about partying with “the enlightened, the infamous Clone Jesus.”

The transmission ended abruptly when the voice demanded that Tyler “turn the bloody thing off!”

The next installment began with the armed unit adjusting for light inside the closet, presumably in the same hotel. As Tyler moaned in prolonged sexual ecstasy, his envious fellator inquired where she could get whatever he was dosing.

“Do you think he was using the same drug as Sharyn?” Elsa said.

“I’m sure of it,” Haggerty said.

He briefed Elsa on what had happened at the Last Supper Club, omitting the fact that he’d been forced to dose himself and was currently under the drug’s influence. She might decide to protect him from himself and remove the drug from his possession. He couldn’t allow that and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop her.

“And you believe the boxes used in the triple press were also loaded with the drug?” Elsa asked.

“Yes, but I need to prove it. Skip back to when Tyler climaxes. Slow the action to half time and magnify. Bring up the contrast and brighten the room.”

Haggerty walked slowly around the image, moving closer for a better angle and kneeling beside the brunette, studying her as she serviced Tyler Stelwyn. The boy’s hand was on the unit as he thrust his hips. “There it is,” he said under his breath. “Elsa, review and enhance visual on the button hand and isolate for the sound.”

As it replayed, it was revealed in all certainty; the visual of the boy’s thumb pressing, the audible pop of the delivery mechanism.

“There’s our evidence, Elsa. Tyler pressed and lived. That box had been reloaded with Happy Styx and Tyler knew it. But he didn’t know the drug could be lethal.”

“You said Traci understood it would kill her, Jason.”

“What if Tyler and Teardrop and Sunset believed Happy Styx was harmless?”

“How could someone control the number of doses to make sure the lethal dose was taken onstage?”

“Perhaps the units were only made available at specific times, so they couldn’t press too often. Sharyn said Teardrop and Sunset had only been gone two weeks, and according to Traci you can detox as long as you don’t overuse. Whoever is behind things could have managed it so the kids thought it was part of the show, that they were making a statement. Remember Tyler’s calling Clone Jesus ‘the enlightened.’ ”

Onstage, Zephyr strutted before the frenzied audience. The kids ran to his side and dosed. Tyler fell along with the others, his face ecstatic. The crowd screamed. This was the point where Corbin had halted their first review. Haggerty watched now as Tyler spasmed, moving in close and trying to read the boy’s mind through his eyes. The crowd kept screaming. Haggerty silently counted out the predictable physiological shutdown he’d witnessed in thousands of recorded deaths. Something was wrong. Did Tyler’s eyes register shock? The unit continued recording, going on and on for what seemed like eternity. At length the projection showed Elsa’s hand reaching for the unit on the stage. The transmission finally went black as the box entered the minthizine case.

“It appears that Tyler Stelwyn was still alive when I retrieved his unit,” Elsa said.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

Related Posts:
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five

by Blogbot


["Honey" - Manko]


["Blue So Blue" - Blue]

Artist / SG Member Name: Vivid Vivka a.k.a. Vivid Suicide

Mission Statement: I sling paint, and if someone likes it...that's a bonus.


["Brim"]

Medium: Acrylic, pen, marker, wood, canvas, spray paint, coffee grounds, blood, sweat, spit, tears.

Aesthetic: Naked and distorted. Usually with big hair, empty eyes, a lot of pink.


["Yellow" - Yellow]

Notable Achievements: I believe three people have my work tattooed on their persons. To me, that’s a helluva achievement and intensely flattering. Ink aside, I have a BFA from the College for Creative Studies, in Detroit, MI. I majored in Illustration with a graphic background. I’ve made pieces for childrens’ hospitals in Detroit, had a few gallery shows, and had my work stolen for a ton of shitty band/party flyers. (Stop. Doing. That.)

Why We Should Care: 9 out of 10 viewers agree: it's art.


["The Queen of Crows (and Three Little Insects)"]

I Want Me Some: Much of my past art projects can be found on my DeviantArt (as well as many of my modeling photos). For prints and originals, I sell my work at vivka.etsy.com (more originals up soon...kinda sold out right now). Proper website and webstore to be unveiled with glitter and sparkles around mid 2012.


["This Time..." - Adria]


["Not This Times..." - Rambo]


["Booty" - Pirate]


["Dead Fish // Live Fish"]
***

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by A.J. Focht



As we get closer to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, we’re finally establishing the truth behind many of the numerous past rumors that have surrounded the project throughout production. Liam Neeson has put another one to rest when he confirmed he will reprise his role as Ra’s al Ghul in the film. Neeson couldn’t say much more about the project, because apparently his part is so small that he didn’t get much access. The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20, and a line of figurines are already being prepped to hit the market. These twelve inch models do an amazing job of capturing the outfits from the upcoming film and will be on sale in June.

The Deadpool movie is going into production this year. The ‘merc with a mouth’ will be getting his own film, and Rob Liefeld has seen eight minutes of the test footage. Ryan Reynolds is returning as Deadpool. Now we can only hope the film does the character more justice than Wolverine Origins did.

New high resolution images of The Avengers have been released. We’ve seen similar shots before, but we do get decent ones of each main character -- sorry Hawk Eye didn’t make the cut. The only big thing of note here is we get some of the first clear shots of the Hulk.

Some lucky little fan got to take a photo with Superman and the picture has made its way online. The shot from the set of Man of Steel gives a clear look at the new Superman suit. Not to mention it really makes Henry Cavill look the part of Superman.

Last week, DC Comics logo change made its way around the web. Everyone, including myself, criticized the look of the new logo. DC has since revealed how they plan to use the logo. In a rather interesting twist, the logo was designed so it could be customized. Each logo keeps the same basic style, but changes its color and look depending on the comic it appears on. Despite my comments last week, I have to say this is pretty cool.

One other big story coming from DC Entertainment, the company announced a multi-million dollar campaign to raise money to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa. The campaign is called We Can Be Heroes. Using the Justice League of America as mascots, DC hopes to inspire the hero in everyone to end this crisis.

A few weeks back, Lily Collins was announced as the main character in the upcoming Evil Dead remake. However, due to scheduling conflicts, she has had to give up the part. There is still no news on who is going to take over the role, but time is running out as the film is scheduled in theaters April 12, 2013.



The first trailer for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock videogame has been released. It’s set to release on the PS3, PS Vita, and PC later this year.

Speaking of Doctor Who…the show’s producer and chief screenwriter Russel T. Davies (who was also responsible for spin-off show Torchwood), has created a new series for BBC Wales. Aliens vs. Wizards is a 26-part series aimed at a younger audience. It’s about a young wizard, Tom Clarke, and his struggle against the aggressive aliens, the Nekross. While the show is being made for children, that doesn’t mean Doctor Who fans shouldn’t give it a shot.



On a final note, Cryptic Studios has made Star Trek Online free to play. The game is now free through the silver membership, which gives full game access but limited community access. There is still a gold membership with full access for $15 a month.

by Spliff_ (SG Hopeful)

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Spliff_ Suicide in City Sights]

This week we chill with Spliff_ Suicide in the SG420 Group.

Members: 3,419 / Comments: 83,067

WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: ?: Besides the normal Hopefuls groups, SG420 was the first group I joined. It's no secret I am more than fond of sweet Mary Jane, but what actually drew me in was the group’s main picture at the time. It was a little pink grinder with the group name "SG420" etched in keif. I happen to have that exact same grinder and use it everyday. Once I joined though I fell in love with the members, and absolutely hilarious threads. I also really enjoyed the music that people have shared, and special recipes I've discovered.

DISCUSSION TIP: Smoke something before entering and it makes everything 10X better. Don't be afraid to be a total goofball stoner in this group.

BEST RANDOM QUOTE: My friend just broke the bong...Not sure how to handle this."

MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: The NEW "I'm Stoned" thread - just 'cause it's for those who've recently struck a match.

WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Any jokers, smokers, or midnight tokers. But really anyone who is a lover or supporter of marijuana, and anyone who is looking for a good laugh.


***
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by Nahp Suicide


[Crysta in Pray Hard]

Writeboy is Chicago based, and has been a member on SG since 2006. He became a staff photographer in 2010.

How did you first get involved with SuicideGirls?

I think I found out about SG through a friend. I can’t remember exactly. When I moved to Chicago a few years ago and didn’t know many people, I met some of my first local friends on here. SG Chicago had a pretty active group at the time.




What's your background photography-wise?

SG was my motivation to get into photography. I’d posted some sketches in the SG Fan Art group and the positive reaction felt great. Then a woman I was seeing asked me to take some photos of her for fun and she liked them. So I kind of got addicted. I bought a Canon Rebel, joined Model Mayhem, and started shooting a lot. I volunteered to assist more experienced photographers and did some tutoring sessions. Some local Hopefuls and SGs offered to shoot with me and I’d go to SG Photographer Hopefuls for feedback on the sets. The great thing about photography to me is that it’s not rocket science. My work improved a lot because of some simple suggestions people offered along the way that made a big difference.





[Shyla in Blue]

What was the first photo you had published?

I don’t know if I’ve had anything published in print yet, but my first homepage set for SG was Blue with Shyla Suicide.

How would you describe your style?

Hopefully it comes across as natural and spontaneous. That there’s a connection between model and viewer.




What gear do you use?

Canon 5D Mark 2 and 24-70mm 2.8 lens mostly. Lately I’ve been experimenting with 50mm and 85mm prime lenses to get sharper images. And an assistant with a reflector 




How important is Photoshop in your final images?

It’s important. A couple months ago I finally woke up and realized I should be following Cherry’s tutorial in the SG Photographer Hopefuls group. It’s always a balance between helping the model look her best while showing her as she is in real life. 




What gives you ideas and inspires you to create such amazing sets?

Looking at other sets of course is big. It also comes from what grabs my attention in someone. Do they have amazing hair, striking eyes, unique tattoos? Are they quiet, wild, intense, playful? It can also come from an article of clothing or the setting itself.





[Crysta in Pray Hard]

What is your favorite image?

I like this one from Bounty’s Pray Hard set [see full NSFW image].

Tell us why it's your fave and how you achieved it?

Bounty just has these amazing big eyes. Also I like that the lighting is soft and her pose is kind of innocent, but there’s something suggestive in her look and the “Hard” tattooed across her knuckles that’s hot in an indirect way.



Is there anybody or anything you would love to photograph that you haven't? (And tell us why)

Tons! It would be cool to shoot with Mary because she’s the original SG to me. As far as newer models, hopeful Spliff_ kind of represents what SG is about for me in that she’s hot in a unique and kind of unconventional way and yet comes across as down to earth and approachable. That’s what I like about lots of the members/models here and what I think makes this site such a unique place.

For more from Writeboy visit his SG profile.

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by Missy Suicide

SPIKEFresh Meat - Episode 101www.spike.comSpike Full EpisodesSpike Video ClipsSpike on Facebook

Did you watch Ink Masters last night? If not you can watch the whole episode here!

I think a reality competition show about tattoo artists is a super cool idea. Basically the same format as Top Chef or Project Runway (which I am addicted to) but with WAY higher stakes.

Listening to Ink Master judge Oliver Peck's critiques on line work and shading was super interesting. That type of knowledge of what to look for in a tattoo artist will make for a more well informed public.

I think the time limit to do the tattoos is a bit scary since they have to be on someone's body forever but I guess a good tattoo artist can budget their time accordingly. Some of the artists seem like they might need some more experience before they will get everything down perfectly though. Which is a little scary to watch and you feel for the human canvases, well most of them. Anything the contestants do though will likely be better than what the people might get from walking into the nearest open shop without a plan.

It is always nice to see our friend Dave Navarro too.

xoxo
-missy

by Darrah de jour



Lux Alptraum is the 29-year old editor of pop culture giant Gawker Media's sister site Fleshbot -- the web's North Star of sexuality and adult entertainment. It garners 1 million uniques a month. Given that Fleshbot is edited by a woman, there's a delectable juxtaposition of raucous imagery meets female-approved editorial. So when Alptraum says, of porn star Sarah Vandella, "[She] is so sweet and sassy that you just want to c*** all over her face," there's a simultaneous squirm and awe that goes on as a woman. Did a chick just say that about another chick? Yup, folks, she did. So, in an era where prostitutes have publicists, and football stars do PSA’s about a woman’s right to choose, we couldn't help but wonder: is Lux just a pliable paper femme molded by the boy's club she inhabits? Or, is she our new Linda Carter? Let's get down and dirty with this Lower East Side babe and find out!

Darrah de jour: You won my heart with those doe eyes when I read 21 Questions With...in New York magazine. Plus, you like Hello Kitty. I'm in love already. What is the compliment that you receive most often from men?

Lux Alptraum: I don’t know! I’m apparently really good in bed.

Ddj: So, you're a 20-something successful single living in NYC. What's different about your experience versus Carrie Bradshaw's in Sex and the City?

LA: [Laughs.] My apartment is a lot more expensive than hers is. I write more than one column a week. I don’t have anywhere near as many shoes as she does. And I live on the Lower East Side, not Uptown. I think I dress better, too. I’ve always felt more like a Samantha, as trite as that is to compare yourself to a character on Sex and the City, but I think Carrie is driven to find something serious, whereas Samantha is just looking to find something that works.

Ddj: Back in 2007, you began your blog Boinkology -- the convergence of culture and sex from your unique P.O.V. You attained a great following from that. Did Gawker discover your blog and then reign you in to be editor of Fleshbot?

LA: Kind of. I showed off my writing on Boinkology, which is kind of how Gawker found me. But it was also through friends that worked there and they connected me. When they needed a fill-in, they called me in and then they kept me on.

Ddj: Did you have any hesitance before stepping on board, because of the graphic nature of what you’d be looking at each day?

LA: No. I’ve always been in adult content prior to this.

Ddj: You host the Fleshbot Awards. Tell me about that?

LA: The Fleshbot Awards are the only awards show for sexy pop culture. We’ve done it twice now and they’ve been a success each time. The awards break down into two categories: we have culture awards where we award things like sexiest movie, sexiest fashion, sexiest TV show, sexiest art. We’ve had everyone from Alan Cumming to Molly Crabapple in the culture awards. We also recognize crossover stars. Last year’s mainstream to porn one was Levi Johnston and porn to mainstream was Sasha Grey. This year, Chyna, who went from being a wrestler to being a Vivid movie star was our mainstream to porn crossover and Joanna Angel was our porn to mainstream. The award show is about recognizing people who are doing really awesome sexy stuff that promotes positive ideas about sexuality, celebrates the human body, celebrates sex. We also have really awesome performances. It’s about celebrating everybody - trans people, gay people, straight people, of all different backgrounds. It’s a one of a kind event.

Ddj: I read somewhere that you used to be a roller-derby girl. Tell me about that?

LA: I was. For three and a half years. I got involved with Gotham Girls in 2004 when they were just starting out. I didn’t know how to skate, I learned to skate to play roller derby. It was interesting too, because when I joined it was really rough and tumble and loose, and roller derby itself was very punk rock. It’s still punk rock but back then people were still figuring out what the sport was going to be. It’s gotten dramatically more athletic and more professionalized. People got rid of the silly costumes and...train hard and take it really seriously -- which I think is awesome. What started off as this ‘let’s get drunk and hit each other’ type thing has become a serious sport.

Ddj: Riot Grrrl turns Lilith Fair?

LA: Yeah, yeah. More like being a garage band to getting really, really serious about your music.

Ddj: What was the name of your team?

LA: Queens of Pain.

Ddj: You wrote an amusing yet very useful guide to casual sex called, Booty Call Like A Boss. I consider it the Thomas Guide of booty calls, meets Emily Post, ahem. What is the most common and fatal mistake made by men and women when trying to ascertain a F.W.B. type relationship?

LA: Not being upfront and communicating what you want. And that’s not just about casual sex, that’s with all sorts of relationships. But, I think a lot of times, people are too scared to say what they want because ‘what if I say that and it’s not what the other person wants?’ Or they are not sure what they want or they’re worried about offending the other person. So they keep going and hoping it will work out the way they want. I’m guilty of that too. On the flip side, let’s say you want to be in a relationship and you don’t communicate that because the person has explicitly said they don’t want that and you keep going hoping it will turn into something else. Having ridiculous expectations and not communicating. You can’t hold regret. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with casual sex obviously, but there’s something wrong with having casual sex when that’s not what you really want. It’s just damaging and you’re doing yourself a disservice and setting yourself up to fail by entering into a situation where you want something completely different than what you’re communicating you want. It’s entirely possible that the person will end up being your boyfriend or girlfriend, but it’s entirely possible they won’t. I want to go on the record as saying that serious relationships can come out of casual sex. You can have sex on the first date and end up marrying them. I’m not trying to slut shame.

Ddj: In 2011, Slate published an article called "Sex is cheap: Why young men have the upper hand in bed, even when they're failing in life." This bold piece, written by a man, asserts that partly because of porn, "the market 'price' of sex is currently very low....Porn gives men additional sexual options — more supply for his elevated demand — it takes some measure of price control away from women." What do you think about the so-called price of sex? Do women really have less power because men have more access to porn now?

LA: There are so many things that baffle me there. Number one, I don’t know why anybody would watch porn rather than have sex. The whole “price of sex” thing bothers me because it bothers me to see women set up as gatekeepers. I often feel like, in my relationships, the dudes are the gatekeepers. I have a way higher sex drive than any guy I’ve ever dated. It’s weird, this idea of women using sex to get security or stability or a relationship. Other than for reproduction, I don’t think people should use sex to achieve some larger goal. Even the idea of premarital sex. It’s only premarital sex if you intend on getting married.

Ddj: You wrote a story about Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace for The Atlantic recently. You make a comparison between Lovelace and porn star-turned-actress Sasha Grey. What do you see as the bind between the two ex-adult performers?

LA: Grey’s not been particularly enthusiastic about the adult industry since she started focusing more heavily on her mainstream career. She’s not involved with any adult industry stuff and I feel like she’s gone on the record as saying she wants to get away from porn. She’s not the adult industry boost that once she was.

Ddj: Is there a general distaste for Grey in the adult industry?

LA: I can’t speak to what other people feel, but she went on the record numerous times saying that she wasn’t going to be like Jenna Jameson and she wasn’t trying to get out of the industry and that she loves her work and then she pretty much turned her back on it. She comes across as a bit of a hypocrite.

Ddj: Two Lovelace biopics are underway, one with Amanda Seyfried and one with Lindsay Lohan's replacement, Malin Akerman. If you had the casting powers, who would you net to play her?

LA: I think Amanda Seyfried is pretty good. I’m curious to see what happens.

Ddj: Do you consider yourself a feminist?

LA: Yeah, of course, absolutely. I think feminism is a philosophy based on the idea that gender should not be the primary consideration when you are dealing with a person.

Ddj: What's your favorite dive bar in NYC?

LA: The Double Down Saloon on Avenue A.

Ddj: What's the best spot to meet single men in a busy city?

LA: The Internet.

Ddj: I saw some of your food posts on Facebook. Are you veggie?

LA: I’ve been vegetarian for 22 1/2 years.

Ddj: Before we go into Flash Five, I want to get your opinion on something. We have an ongoing debate on SG Radio about texting versus calling. What would you rather get from a suitor, a text or call?

LA: A text. I don’t remember the last time I talked on the phone with somebody I was casually involved with.



Flash Five:

Ddj: Favorite Comic Book?

LA: A Child’s Life by Phoebe Gloeckner

Ddj: Vice?

LA: Sex

Ddj: Favorite place?

LA: My bed

Ddj: Any Regrets?

LA: I try not to regret things. I try to learn from them.

Ddj: Best Advice you’ve ever received and from who?

LA: I was very sad because my ex was moving away and I said, “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” And he turned to me and said “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” Not sure if that’s advice, but they’re good words to live by.

Ddj: You’re your own hero.

LA: Yes.

***
Post-feminist sex and sensuality expert Darrah de jour is a freelance journalist who lives in LA with her dog Oscar Wilde. Her writing has appeared in Marie Claire, Esquire and W. In her Red, White and Femme: Strapped With A Brain - And A Vagina columns for SuicideGirls, Darrah will be taking a fresh look at females in America. Hear her being interviewed about female sexuality on the WingGirlMethod.com, visit her blog at Darrahdejour.com/srblog, and find her on Facebook.



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Red, White and Femme: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Polyamory, Part II
Red, White and Femme: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Polyamory Part I – With Annie Sprinkle
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by SG's Team Agony feat. Perdita

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Perdita in Eames]

Q. I'm a 24 year old male, dating a woman who I am crazy in love with. We had dated before many years ago and I bailed on her. I had this habit of running away when I started to feel for people. Shocker, I'm sure, for the male community. Anyway, I kind of popped back into her life and we are dating again. None of the feelings seemed to go anywhere, and we fell back into a good rhythm.

Since we have been back together though, I am finding it difficult to have sex with her. I don't want to say that I was a slut or anything (though it may very well be true), but I have been young before, and have not met many women, even much older women, that I consider my sexual equal. I mean that in terms of new experiences and things tried. With her, I am actually intimidated. She hasn't been with that many men, but she has this aura of maturity and a complete willingness to try anything with me. She wants to be highly sexually active, and I am still handling some things my last big ex managed to convince me of when we split.

This is technically two questions, so I will try to split it the best I can. How can I work around my intimidation issues with my current girlfriend? And how do I feel like sex isn't a weapon that women are waiting to use against me? When things were going very well with me and my ex, she still wielded it against me, and I got so used to it that now that I am in a HEALTHY relationship it almost feels wrong that it isn't. This is kind of a lot to digest. I just wanted to give you as much data as possible.

Thanks!

A: Well I can tell you right now: SEX ISN’T A WEAPON THAT WOMEN ARE WAITING TO USE AGAINST YOU. Seriously, sex is one of the more fun experiences in life, and you are depriving yourself and your lady of it. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand your hang-ups; when trust is compromised, it’s difficult to teach yourself to trust again.

One thing you definitely need to do is keep reminding yourself that your girlfriend is nothing like your ex and that she is totally fantastic. Not that you really need to be reminded of her greatness but it can’t hurt, so I say go for it. But keep reminding yourself that it’s a different situation, but it’s also a good situation and you are much happier this time around.

I also recommend having some heart-to-heart discussions about this with your girlfriend. She might be misunderstanding your distant attitude and taking it as a lack of interest, but you need to open up to her, explain what’s going on and let her know you still care. She may be just as concerned and want to help you get through this, but nothing will happen if you don’t talk about it.

It’s totally cool if you don’t want to jump headfirst into the sexy times pool, taking it slow has some great advantages: it helps build trust and intimacy, and it creates a little sexual tension too. All of those things are key to developing a great relationship; so let the cuddles/makeouts/whatever you’re comfortable with begin!

So let’s review: have some serious discussion time with your girlfriend about what you’re dealing with, take it slow physically, and ultimately don’t stress out over it. Sex is supposed to be fun, enjoy it!

Perdita

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER SEVEN, PART FIVE]

[THE SOCIETY OF THE LAST SUPPER]

[Previous Chapter]

Haggerty peered from behind one of the curtains at the left wing of the stage. The orchestra pit was shut. How was he going to get down there? Footsteps approached; his heart pounded in his chest. Any of the android servers could overpower him and Brian could crush him with one blow.

Someone was on the other side of the curtain, mere inches from him. He saw a long fall of sable hair. He reached out and grabbed her, locking his arm around her throat and dragging her behind the curtain. The holostar from the first floor show choked as she struggled to break his hold.

“You’re hurting—”

“Quiet or I’ll crack you neck!” he hissed. “Tell me how to open the orchestra pit.”

“There’s a lever . . . on the other side of the stage.”

The only route was directly across the stage, in full view of the dining hall.

“Follow my lead or I’ll kill you,” he whispered.

He spun her to face him and put his mouth against hers, forcing her body to his, and backed her onto the stage; with luck they’d think the holostar was fulfilling a guest’s request. She used her dramatic training well to counterfeit passion, wantonly gyrating and running her hands through his hair, their mouths fused tightly as they progressed to the right wing and out of view.

“Where’s the lever?” he demanded, spinning her back into a chokehold.

“There,” she gasped, indicating a handle attached to a system of pulleys.

The guests would probably believe the next floor show was starting once he pulled it but management would realize something was wrong. He needed to know who was out there. He risked a peek through the curtains. The man with the beard was not at his table; the remaining tables were occupied by diners wearing white roses. Haggerty scanned farther back. Bile rose to his throat as he saw Corbin enter the hall with Max.

It made sense. A BBI agent with access to the mausoleum and an endless supply of discharged units tied to an illegal nightclub run by the Triads. Corbin had fought to get charge of the triple press review. If she’d succeeded, she would have judged the presses clean despite the use of black market boxes. The recordings somehow proved her culpable; hence the need to secure and erase them. Corbin had caught things Haggerty missed, things that would blow the lid off whatever was going on between herself, Max, Clone Jesus, and God knew who else — Woyzeck or whomever had been on the other end of her com call and freed her. Was Consuela involved? Haggerty was on the verge of fitting it all together.

If his death warrant weren’t sealed before, surely it was sealed now. Max had figured out he wasn’t the real DeAngelo and left it alone because he expected the impostor would end up in the crematorium anyway, along with all the other guests. Corbin’s presence meant Max now knew that Sharyn had revealed the existence of the Last Supper Club and it was Haggerty pretending to be DeAngelo. Max had to find Haggerty and eliminate him quickly.

The holostar seized on Haggerty’s distraction a moment too late, not quite getting the air into her lungs to scream for help before Haggerty covered her mouth with his palm.

“Don’t try my patience,” he growled. He pulled the second canister of Sky from his cummerbund and held it up before her. “Open your mouth,” he said.

She tried to struggle. He yanked her arm behind her back and double-dosed her as her mouth spread in agony. She went slack in his arms.

He set her down behind the curtains and looked out again. Brian was with Max and Corbin, nodding incessantly; his mammoth figure dwarfed them.

Haggerty was wasting precious time. Any moment he could be discovered. He pulled the lever.

He gauged the orchestra platform’s slow descent, observing the counterbalance of the pulley system. When the pit was open halfway, he jerked the lever back to reverse the process. The gears groaned loudly. Haggerty dove for the opening, praying he’d make it in time.

“That’s him!” Max shouted.

Brian charged forward like an enraged bull; the dark-haired woman shrieked as he overturned her table in his rush to the stage. The other guests looked about with mounting confusion.

Haggerty hit the rising platform and rolled towards the edge and under, barely clearing the gap, then hung from the edge by both hands preparing to release. The ape gripped one of his hands. Instinctively Haggerty pulled the other hand away from Brian’s reach and twisted his body hard. The lip of the closing platform scraped painfully against the back of his trapped hand. Haggerty wrenched himself free as the platform reknit with the stage, dropping several feet as Brian bellowed above him, his fury or pain muffled by Haggerty’s abrupt landing. Something wet dripped onto the shoulder of his tux; Haggerty saw three enormous bloody fingers on the floor. Sounds of screaming, stomping feet, and Max’s shouting penetrated the stage above him. He guessed he had under a minute to find what he needed.

He hurried from room to room, past a man in a sooty apron who shouted, “Hey, no guests down here!” Haggerty grabbed him in a chokehold and slammed him against a wall.

“Tell me where the incinerator is or I’ll crush your fucking throat!”

The terrified man pointed to a room at the end of the carpeted corridor. Haggerty released him and ran for it, past an empty hospital gurney and a rack of oversized pots and pans. He slammed open the door and rushed in. The roar of the burners was deafening; the smell of burnt flesh nearly overpowered him. It had to be over a hundred fifty degrees there. Within seconds Haggerty’s tuxedo was glued to his skin by sweat.

A second gurney stood near the incinerator, its occupant thankfully shrouded. Haggerty shoved it in front of the door as a barricade. An arm slipped from beneath the shroud and dangled limply, the signet ring on the hand identifying the owner as the man who’d ordered Thanksgiving dinner. Forcing back his gorge, Haggerty searched the walls frantically for the vent and panicked briefly when he could not locate it. He got down on the floor and saw an opening under the incinerator. The heat from the burners seared him even at that distance. There was no way he could survive under the burners. He had to find a means to put them out.

He stood up. Beside the incinerator was a cast iron control wheel. Haggerty spat on it; his saliva evaoprated with a sizzle. He tore off the tuxedo jacket, wrapped it around his hands, and gripped the wheel. It refused to turn. Heat scorched him through the material.

Pounding and kicking hammered at the door. Haggerty yanked the wheel with all his might. Finally it gave way, cutting off the gas and extinguishing the flames. The Thanksgiving guest’s body fell from the gurney as the door began to open. Haggerty dropped to the floor. He could still see waves of radiating heat. The door burst inward.

Haggerty covered his face with the jacket and rolled under the incinerator. Instantly his eyes went dry and started to ache. He breathed in fire, certain his lungs would explode, and dropped downward head first through the vent.

* * *

He plunged into a pool of foul water. Resurfacing in darkness, he took a breath of blessedly cool air and spat out a mouthful of sewage. Dripping wet, Haggerty pushed the rusted grate from a drainage hatch and pulled himself up to street level, immediately thankful for the warm night air. He checked to see that the white unit was still clipped to his waist, then made his way to the factory where he’d instructed Elsa to wait for him.

“Get us the hell out of here,” he told her, climbing into the Corvair. “Head for the beltwheel at Carson.”

Elsa entered the slotway, speeding them in the opposite direction from the Last Supper Club. “Are you all right, Jason?” she asked.

“No, I’m not. How long was I gone?”

“Approximately eighty-seven minutes.”

There might still be time to save some of the guests, though Haggerty wondered if he should intervene. Duty indicated that he must, as they were attempting to perform illegal acts of suicide.

“Jason, how did you get all wet?” Elsa asked.

“I’ll explain later,” he said. He retrieved his com from beneath his seat.

“You know they’ll triangulate on us if you make a call,” Elsa reminded him.

“It’s necessary,” he told her.

He punched in the code for the Dragon’s extension at BBI and listened to the line patch, click, and connect.

Silence. “I’m sure everyone’s listening,” he said. “I need to speak to whoever’s in charge.”

“This is Federal agent Keenan, Mr. Haggerty,” a voice said after a pause. “You’re in a great deal of trouble.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Haggerty said. “Since you’re tracking me I’ll be brief—”

“I must warn you, Mr. Haggerty, that everything you say is being recorded and may be used against you in a court of law.”

“Then I’ll start by saying I’m not responsible for any of this.”

“Come in and we’ll talk about it,” Keenan offered.

“Not until I have enough evidence to prove my innocence,” Haggerty said. “There are forces working diligently inside BBI and the police to ensure that I take the blame. I know for certain agent Corbin is an accessory to the triple press.”

“That’s funny,” Keenan responded. “Corbin said the same thing about you when she gave me a glass from your compartment with fingerprints of someone in league with the dead JC girl.”

“I’m not saying I didn’t know her, agent Keenan. I’m just telling you that I’m not responsible for any wrongdoing. I’m trying my best to stop more JC suicides.”

“Why should I believe you?” Keenan said.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Haggerty admitted as Elsa slotted them onto the Carson Street beltwheel. “But you might convince yourself if you get over to the Society of the Last Supper right now and arrest everyone you can. Corner of Sinatra and Main, mural on the wall at the entrance.”

“And what exactly will I find at this church?”

“It’s no church,” Hagerty barked. “It’s a snuff house. If you hurry you’ll find the real perpetrators there, including agent Corbin, along with evidence of conspiracy to promulgate illegal suicide. If you wait, you’ll find nothing.”

Haggerty cut the call, pulled off the earset, and hurled the com out the passenger window.

“Where are we headed, Jason?” Elsa queried.

Haggerty wasn’t sure. His thoughts were on the contents of the white unit clipped to his belt, on Regina’s friend Traci’s insistence on dosing, on her final exhalation in his arms.

“What did you learn from Regina’s notebook?” Haggerty asked. “Anything that will help us track her down?”

“I received quite an education,” Elsa replied. “Regarding an antiquated technology called Personal Electricity.”

“Which is?”

“Personal electricity, or PE, is an advanced form of utility allocation that was abandoned in the mid-twenty-first century,” she explained. “Basically it was a way of taking existing power supply stations, simple outlets like you have in your compartment, and allocating electricity based on the unique signature of your registered appliances, billing you accordingly regardless of where you plugged them in. It was abandoned when the first fusion plants began operation and appliance makers decided that free electricity would spur product consumption.”

“And Regina was using this how?” he asked, yawning.

“I have difficulty believing this was the work of a Junior Citizen,” Elsa said. “It’s quite revolutionary. But from what I’ve read so far it appears that our computer systems are vulnerable through their electrical lines.”

“That seems ridiculous,” Haggerty said, as he dug a filthy fingernail against the tingling pad of his thumb. “Data doesn’t stream through a power supply.”

“She seems to disagree,” Elsa replied. “And I did note her work station had no form of cellular modem. It was merely plugged in to a wall.”

“I think you’re telling me,” Haggerty said groggily, “and pardon me for being inept, that our computer systems can be cracked by some sort of program running piggyback on the electricity we plug into.”

“Yes,” Elsa acknowledged, “Put simply. PE is the penetration protocol, but the actual data allocation appears to be made using echo technology. It’s quite elegant and extremely ingenious.”

“And this helps us find Regina how, exactly?”

“I’m not sure it does, Jason,” she answered. “But I am exploring several options. Shall I make this my primary concern?”

No, Haggerty thought. While he did harbor an immediate, perhaps unwarranted emotional drive to find Regina, to talk to her, to be with her — her whereabouts seemed only of secondary concern to the case. He needed someplace he could rest and review the recordings everyone so desperately wanted erased, with full projection. Someplace not likely to be staked out, where they would not be disturbed.

It occurred to him that only one place fit the bill, and he chuckled when he realized that he had only the crazy Indran woman, from the Java Joint, to thank for supplying it.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
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by David Seaman



News Corporation chief executive and chairman Rupert Murdoch lashed out on Twitter against the changing tide of public opinion with regards to SOPA and PIPA. In this video post, SG Political Contributor David Seaman talks about why big media corporations such as Fox and Disney support these ugly sister acts, and gives us an overview of yesterday's day of internet action against them.

He also gives us an update on NDAA - one of the most treasonous bills ever signed into law by Congress according to some – and points us in the direction of the grass roots groups who are seeking to recall every congressman that supported it. Also, David talks about last night's NDAA segment on Coast to Coast, in which he participated.

***

David Seaman is an independent journalist. He has been a lively guest on CNN Headline News, FOX News, ABC News Digital, among others, and on his humble YouTube channel, DavidSeamanOnline. Some say he was recently censored by a certain large media corporation for posting a little too much truth... For more, find him on G+ and Twitter.

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NDAA And Occupy Congress: What If You Now Live In A Dictatorship, And No One Told You?

by A.J. Focht



With its release scheduled for July 20 of this year, The Dark Knight Rises is now well into its post-production and marketing phase. Entertainment Weekly was the first to debut several official shots in their issue last week. On top of several shots of Bane and others inside the magazine, the cover featured a close up of Batman and his new suit.

A new still has flown in from the set of The Man of Steel as well. The shot isn’t official, and is a bit blurry, but even out of context, it’s pretty epic. It features a fire truck that has been impaled by a tree and what could possibly be Superman underneath doing said impaling.

Despite all the epic news coming out from other superhero films, we’re being reassured that Iron Man III will be one of the best superhero movies ever. Now that is a tall order considering the lackluster spectacle that was Iron Man II, but Robert Downey Jr. has added his weight to the claim that the third film could be one of the best superhero movies of all time. The film will be going back to its roots and is looking to recapture the elements that made the first film successful.

The CW hasn’t given up on riding the superhero train. They are now working on a pilot episode of DC Comics’ Green Arrow franchise. Unfortunately, Justin Hartley, who became well known for his portrayal of the Green Arrow on Smallville, is not involved with the project.

Speaking of DC Comics, the company has gone through another logo change. They have gotten some flak for their past logo changes, but this might be by far the worst. Their new logo screams ‘CORPORATION’ not ‘COMICS.’

After concluding its second season on BBC, Sherlock has been renewed for a third. The show’s co-creator, Steven Moffat, confirmed the renewal via Twitter. The second season in the series is set to premiere on PBS this spring.

Talking of turning classic tales into shows, NBC is making a television series based on the Dracula lore. The series is going to be set in the 1890’s, and is being developed by Tony Krantz and Cole Haddon. While Dracula is the iconic vampire, I don’t see the need for anymore vampire television for a few years.



That isn’t to say there aren’t some vampire stories still worthy of being told on screen. For instance, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter has just released several new pics and a behind the scenes video. And the historical fiction doesn’t end there. The second most badass president (first place still goes to ol’ honest Abe) is getting his own film. That right, FDR American Badass will feature our polio stricken president fighting Nazi werewolves.

Abigail Spencer has joined the Whedonverse and will star in Joss Whedon’s next film. What film is that exactly? Well the only details we have is that it’s a “supernatural romance.” Spencer does comment that, “It’s the most romantic film in the history of time.” There is no saying what Joss is up too, but let’s be honest, has he let us down yet?

On a final note, it looks like George Lucas is going to be taking things easier. After the release of his upcoming film, Red Tails, Lucas will be taking on his own form of retirement. What this seems to mean is he will no longer be working blockbuster films, and will instead focus on movies on a smaller scale. Lucas has also been rather honest about why he has made this decision, and it’s all our faults. The massive amount of negative fan criticism from the Star Wars prequels and special editions really hurt him. Who would want to keep making films for fanboys who hate you? Despite flaws in his latter work, this fan would just like to say, “Thank you.” George Lucas transformed the world of sci-fi for so many of us, and we must respect the tremendous effect he has had on the evolution of nerdom.