by ExAddict



The first four were tight. Real tight.

It’s a late night sometime during the ‘90s at any one of the millions of households, college dorms and computer labs across the planet…Productivity is at an absolute standstill because much caffeine, Doritos, freewill and time have been surrendered to what was simply put, the greatest game ever.

Fast forward to today and an entire generation of gamers await the next chapter in the series. But like the adventures of Duke Nukem before it, this one may end up stuck in the design stages for a vaporware eternity.

The game was SimCity. Or should I say SimFuckinCity. The ingenious city building and urban planning series created by software company Maxis and designer Will Wright. Sadly, since January 14th, 2003 – the release date of the last true SimCity title – the series has been dead in the water.

Sure there have been newer interpretations and incarnations of the Sim brand, especially since the 1997 acquisition of Maxis by the giant gaming conglomerate Electronic Arts. Despite SimCity’s incredible sales success and cult following, gamers have been crying for the next edition for close to nine years. Yes, believe it or not, it’s been almost nine years since SimCity 4.

So what happened? Mainly, a ton of platforms, iPad this. Nintendo 3DS that. While the original SimCity and it’s four true sequels (SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000 and Sim City 4) kicked serious ass on PC and Mac for fifteen years, the arrival of powerful handheld gaming systems, and later the iPhone and tablets have meant a new audience for an old standard. Afterall, as the piss-poor Duke Nukem Forever proved having tempted fans for 15 years, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Thus a legion of first-time gamers and business users going portable are spending countless hours creating and exploring exciting and worthwhile cities in an essentially unchanged gaming environment. Recent releases of SimCity have been based mostly on SimCity 3000, a.k.a. the crown jewel of the Maxis empire, released in 1999.

Something deep within the development teams of Electronic Arts must be clinging to the assumption that good code can always be recycled. While recent remixed versions and deluxe editions of the best of the series stand to bring a flood of fans to this legendary world-creator, we still don’t have what we want – SimCity 5.

Some might be asking, what about The Sims? Isn’t that a logical sequel to the brand? Nope, not even close. Even though The Sims, Spore, SimEarth, SimFarm, SimTown, Streets of SimCity, SimCopter, SimAnt, SimLife, SimIsle, SimTower, SimSafari, and SimPark all offer the Will Wright brand of world-building and exercises in environmental simulation, nothing beats the very first time your city comes alive, the moment you power up the transformer to bring electricity to your city. And many of us have hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of game time to prove it

Besides, although The Sims is in fact the highest selling video game of all time, the engineers and architects hidden inside all of us clamor for a return to world-building, not romantic plot-lines involving debates over purchasing a new couch and nonsense gibberish conversations with neighbors. For that, we have reality.

And then there’s the matter of Civilization.

First released in 1991, Civilization 1 through 5 have consistently offered a new and expanding universe for fans of extended (and time-consuming) adventures that revolve around the gamer playing the role of deity. The last Civ title was released in September 2010 and for some hardcore players, a new PC or Mac chapter of Civilization often means a complete upgrade in system hardware.

Will SimCity 5 ever see the light of day? Hard to tell. In 2007, EA released SimCity Societies, billed by some as the theoretical next sequel, but not a true SimCity 5. A review in two words: It sucked. Focusing far too much on being a bastard hybrid of both The Sims and a childish version of SimCity 4, SimCity Societies left a bad taste in many mouths.

Core to the reason why we may never see another worthwhile installment of this gaming classic, designer Maxis let the series design rights slip to Tilted Mill Entertainment, so they could concentrate on EA’s Spore, an underwhelming creature-builder also inspired by Will Wright.

If it ever is to see a real release, SimCity 5 may be born through the decision in 2008 by Maxis to release the SimCity source code under a free software license. If there’s one thing the free software community knows how to do, it's fork the fuck out of original code.

If the fifth chapter in the book of SimCity is to be written, it might be authored by a fifty-six year old Senegalese crop worker or a banker riding the subway booting Ubuntu.

Maybe it’ll be worth the wait.


Other recent gaming notes…

* Will the Angry Birds movie threaten to score big box office or go down as yet another example in the long history of video game to big screen adaptations that have totally flopped? * Ever since my Xbox 360 surrendered to the red ring of death, I’ve been putting off investing any more money in Microsoft for this generation of gaming. But Battlefield 3 (from EA) just dropped and may change all that for me. I’m sick of waiting for a PS4. * WWE ’12 (from THQ) for PS3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. Demolition and the Legion of Doom have been added as legends and I can see myself picking this up for the deepest Create-A-Character mode in the history of gaming. Throw in Brock Lesnar and the return of the F5 and my dollars are done.

by Nicole Powers



Let me introduce you to a lovely lady I met on October 7th at #OccupyLA. She was there simply to tell her story. Like many people in this economy, she had been finding it difficult to make ends meet, so when Obama's Loan Modification program began it seemed like a godsend. Little did she know, it would be the start rather than the end of her problems.

She duly completed all the paperwork her bank, Wells Fargo, asked her to, and was told what her reduced payments would be. She continued to pay her mortgage, but at the adjusted rate, as she'd been instructed to by Wells Fargo. She never missed a payment, and was not in arrears.

However, months later, out of the blue, she found out her application, for whatever reason, had been rejected. At this point, Wells Fargo treated her like she had been in arrears, because she'd been paying reduced payments on a mortgage that had failed to be modified. To add insult to injury, Wells Fargo then slapped her with a slew of interest charges and fees, because they in effect retroactively considered her account to be in default because of the Loan Modification decision.

Her bank then suggested she reapply, which she did - twice. Two more times, exactly the same thing happened. Following the third failed application, Wells Fargo began proceedings to repossess her home, even though she had made all her mortgage payments in exactly the way the bank had prescribed.

Turns out, the Loan Modification process is notoriously flawed and has been accused numerous times of causing foreclosures, as was the case here. Richard Gaudreau, an attorney, explains in an essay for Huffington Post exactly why the Loan Modification process fails to help troubled homeowners while lining the pockets of banks (surprise, surprise!):

Obviously this kind of behavior is unconscionable. It's hard to comprehend that a "trusted name" like Wells Fargo would want to force a loyal customer and her family out onto the street in order to make a quick buck on a few fees. But this is happening to untold numbers of people all across our nation at the hands of nearly all the major banks.

My #OccupyLA friend had done everything required of her to meet her obligations, but somehow that wasn't enough -- is that remotely fair? But these days we don't seem to require fairness, never mind empathy and understanding, from the financial institutions in which we entrust our wealth, our security, and our futures. Clearly this was not an institution worthy of the trust this lady had been placed in it. Is it worthy of yours?

If you need to put a human face on the reasons why you're being asked to move your money from a big bank to a community institution or credit union on November 5th -- Bank Transfer Day -- let my #OccupyLA friend be it.

To find a credit union in your area visit: moveyourmoneyproject.org

Related Posts

#OccupyLA -- A Remarkably Civilized Society
#Occupy You Must
The Start of OccupyLA
Why Aren't We Seeing More Prominent People Coming Out In Support of #OCUPPYWALLSTREET?

by Yashar Ali


[Xtine in Dr. X-Girlfriend]

My friend Karen (all names changed to protect privacy) was confused and frustrated when she called me on a Friday night.

About a year ago, she met a guy, Michael, through work. They met a few times for drinks with colleagues and then one night, she met him for dinner, which ended with the two of them “hooking up” (whatever that means).

She liked Michael a lot, and wanted to see him again.

After they had dinner, a week went by when Karen got a text message from Michael, “What’s up? How are you?”

She was happy; he wanted to hang out again.

Now, Karen wishes that was the last time she ever heard from him.

As she explained the manner in which she and Michael were communicating, I realized Karen was dealing with a situation several other women very recently talked to me about.

Since their last night together, Michael kept in touch with Karen on a regular basis. Every couple of weeks, Karen received a text or email from him. The messages always started out the same way, “What’s up?”

Karen would always respond.

“How are you?”

“Good, what’s up with you?”

Karen would proceed to fill him in on her life and Michael would always respond with the same short answer, “That’s cool.”

After one or two text messages, Michael would usually disappear. But a couple of weeks later, he would show up again. Sometimes their conversations would go deeper — ten minutes of texting back and forth. Karen would find hope in those longer texting sessions, thinking that he was finally engaging with her.

Michael would sometimes get more creative, giving Karen the impression he cared about her and her life.

“What’s up? How was your holiday weekend?”

“What’s up? Saw your Facebook post, so funny.”

A couple times he even texted, “We should have dinner soon.”

But every time Karen agreed to dinner, Michael would tell her about his really busy month at work, delaying the need to schedule a real date. Then, he would never follow up.

This faux-relationship wasn’t going anywhere and Karen was left feeling confused and frustrated about Michael’s intentions.

But these sporadic texts weren’t even about sex. Michael never even proposed any sort of rendezvous. And Karen’s motivation was certainly not friendship. “I have enough friends,” she said.

“He’s not even trying to sleep with me, what’s the point of all this?”

I told her, “Karen you’re being e-maintained”

“Is that an official term?” she laughed.

The week before, I had come up with the term as a joke, but the idea actually made sense. Michael was maintaining her — keeping her, in his mind, satisfied — and he was doing it electronically.

My friend Julia was dealing with the same issue. She was subject to these short, rapid bursts of texting with men on a consistent basis and she always got her hopes up that something was moving forward, but there was nothing. No substance at all.

“Are these actual adult men with responsibilities or are they children? I can’t figure it out,” she said to me.

I’ve always been fascinated, and disgusted, by the notion that in order to be happy, women need to be “maintained” in a sexual and/or romantic relationship. This kind of treatment of women is on par with our taking care of a car in need of an oil change or dealing with a wood deck in the backyard in need of a coat of varnish.

The concept of maintaining women is billed, through the conditioning our culture imposes on men, as a solution to keep women from being hysterical. According to mainstream social ideas, women are illogical and crazy when it comes to relationships and dating. Men engage in conscious maintenance as a way to “calm” women down so they can get what they want from their women partners (sex, attention, etc.).

This is why so many men are in a rush to cram their love and affection into holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. We don’t teach men or boys that day-to-day affection is equally, if not more important, than special dates.

And what has always been alarming to me is that this so-called maintenance of women has defined behavior that shouldn’t be considered “extra” in any kind of relationship or partnership. Acts of maintenance consist of behavior that should be inherent and the foundation of all relationships: basic human respect, affection and attention.

So, if men are taught about certain critical steps to keeping women happy, “duties” that are treated not as normal behavior, but as annoying, time-consuming steps, how does this make women feel?

My friends, who are or were dealing with e-maintaining, or even just dealing with good-old-fashioned maintaining, are left in a strange, emotional limbo. Women who are “maintained” by men, electronic or otherwise, are made to feel legitimate for short periods of time and then left to question their position with their partners, and sometimes themselves.

Are these women supposed to be happy with a guy who stays in touch every-so-often on his terms? Are they supposed to be satisfied when their spouse buys them an expensive piece of jewelry or remembers their anniversary? Even though their love and/or attention come in waves — inconsistent and sometimes abrupt — are my women friends ungrateful for expecting something more, something more substantial, something more basic? Does any form of maintaining make up for days, weeks, months, years of emotional silence from men?

We’ve always conditioned men to maintain women — this isn’t something new. What’s different is this “maintenance” has become completely electronic for some men, and the men doing the “maintaining” aren’t seeing or even making an effort to see the women they connecting with. Men are just texting, emailing or using social media to give the impression they are checking in or they care — in order to maintain these women.

For these men, the definition of “maintenance” has shifted from traditional strategies like sending gifts and engaging in the occasional dinner, drinks or movie, to this incredibly convenient and empty form of communication based on text messages, emails, and social media: e-maintaining. And it is a mode of communication that isn’t even based in reality.

For some of my women friends, this kind of texting/emailing communication was keeping them engaged until they discovered what e-maintaining really means.

Some of the men I spoke with didn’t even realize their e-maintaining of women was a pattern of behavior. Most of them admitted to doing it when they were bored: waiting at the doctor’s office, in bed at night when they couldn’t sleep, at the airport.

But many of these men knew exactly what they were doing.

“You can’t write about this, you are literally ruining the greatest scam of the century,” my friend Carlos told me over breakfast.

“What’s the scam?”

“I can keep these women satisfied by just texting or emailing. I don’t have to do anything else.”

“It’s like walking a dog, as soon as you do it, they just calm down,” a progressive friend (more on that later) told me via email that same day.

So why not move forward, especially if some of these women are willing to sleep with them?

“Its about options, possibilities,” a friend added.

“I do this because I don’t want to hear her bitching about how I just call about sex, so this way I have a history of having stayed in touch.”

My friend Josh gave an example, “Last Thanksgiving when everyone was out of town, I had someone to hookup with, we even went to the movies.”

In this age of digital communication (texting, Facebook, email), our way of connecting has obviously become more frivolous. While our random, electronic check-ins with friends are usually made with good intentions, the men who engage in e-maintaining don’t want to be friends with the women they text and email (the women don’t want friendship either), and more significantly, their texting is not filled with good intentions.

So, is e-maintaining ultimately about men and women placing different weight on communication? Do women believe that communication is about moving forward — are they being practical and mature? And do men see communication in this form in a more flippant manner, that it doesn’t necessarily lend legitimacy to their desired outcomes?

Is e-maintaining more evidence of gender imbalance in our culture? Does this virtual maintenance of women show the lack of respect our culture requires or expects men to have for women?

Last week, I checked in with Karen to see if she was still pining for Michael and frustrated by his e-maintaining.

She has moved on.

And from now on, Karen’s policy is very simple when it comes to communicating with the men she is interested in, “Where’s the beef?”

The lack of substance in an e-maintained relationship no longer satisfies her.

***

Yashar Ali is a Los Angeles-based columnist, commentator, and political veteran whose writings about women, gender inequality, political heroism, and society are showcased on his website, The Current Conscience. Please follow him on Twitter and join him on Facebook. 

He will be soon releasing our first short e-book, entitled, A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not Crazy — How We Teach Men That Women Are Crazy and How We Convince Women To Ignore Their Instincts. If you are interested and want to be notified when the book is released, please click here to sign-up.

Related Posts:
He Doesn’t Deserve Your Validation: Putting The Fake Orgasm Out of Business
A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not Crazy

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 FIVE, PART ONE]

[FALSE IDENT]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

Haggerty considered stopping downstairs to order a new black box — it wouldn’t take long, as his requiem was on file — but the Dragon had sent word that he was to get himself to State with no further delays. And the more he thought about it, the more inappropriate registering a lost box seemed right now. How would he explain it?

A huge mass of people overflowed the quad in front of State Facility Four. From the ramp, Haggerty could detect Clone Jesus fans holding burning candles, and heard the band’s music blaring from hundreds of coms set at maximum audio. A cadre of what Haggerty guessed to be angry parents milled about on one side beneath a SAVE OUR CHILDREN FROM CLONE JESUS! banner. Nearby, another group gathered under a banner proclaiming INDIVISIBLE! —The term niggled at Haggerty’s mind for a moment until a connection was made. Haggerty remembered that the Indivisibles were the back-to-nature cult founded by Svoboda, the character Tanner had mentioned that morning. Nice to know the Religious Right weren’t the only extremists represented in the somber crowd. Interspersed throughout were what appeared to be ordinary Conscientious Citizens who likely were neither parents, Clone Jesus fans, nor political extremists — people with the dazed look of accident victims driven from their climate-controlled compartments into the torpid streets in search of fellow witnesses of the tragedy to share their grief with.

Yet most of the country was still asleep. Haggerty recalled Doug’s words uneasily. If throngs this size and variety were forming in the middle of this stifling night, what would morning bring, when another twenty-two million NewVadans awoke to endless repeats of the triple press — to say nothing of the rest of the country, the rest of the world? As the review agent assigned to those presses, it was his responsibility to find answers and prevent disorder.

Elsa gained clearance and slotted into the parking structure adjacent to precinct headquarters. Since there was no direct access to the building, they were forced to find the street entrance. They made their way through the crowd to where soldiers in riot gear ringed the facility’s perimeter. Haggerty displayed his BBI identiplate to a harried sergeant, who waved him and Elsa through to the lobby.

The hypersteel walls, once gleaming silver, were now gray, pitted, and scored. Police departments had been consolidated into statewide agencies in the middle of the twenty-first century, and there was little money for noncritical expenses. Although the state and federal governments both contributed funds, there were too many cities with similar claims and not enough credits to go around. Consequently, police were dependent on local taxes for their operating budgets. Credits were tightly allocated, resulting in massive layoffs and the freezing of police wages and benefits. Forensic labs had been closed and precincts consolidated. The NewVada precinct façade had gone uncleaned for decades, while carpeting inside was threadbare and the waiting rooms all had broken furniture not likely to be fixed or replaced soon.

But the city’s police force boasted state-of-the-art security equipment, weapons, and surveillance, and the guard on duty was protected by a permaglass partition that could stop a rocket.

“What can I do for you?” she asked briskly as Haggerty and Elsa approached.

“Review agent Haggerty, BBI,” he told her. “Here to meet Detective Woyzeck.”

“He’s expecting you,” the guard said. She was about to buzz them through the security gate when her attention riveted on the lobby viewscreen.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Not another one.”

Haggerty and Elsa followed her gaze.

A boy stood on a rooftop, scattered lights from hypersteel towers glimmering behind him in the black night, a beatific smile on his face and an earset just visible beneath his shaggy brown hair. He couldn’t be more than twelve years old. “But I understand,” he said dreamily. “Maybe someday you will, too.” He stretched his arms wide, closed his eyes, leaned backward, and tumbled off the roof to the beltway below.

“We believe this footage was somehow sent directly to Channel 115 from the victim’s com,” a voice droned as a smiling picture of the boy filled the screen. “Timothy was a sixth-grader at NewVada Primary Education Facility 29. He had recently been approved for a full athletic scholarship with complete bio-enhancement, to the Mid-level Education Facility of his choice.” The screen split to include a live shot of the boy’s body splayed against the beltway, blood pooling around him.

“Don’t know how the kid got the roof door access code,” the guard said, returning her attention to Haggerty and Elsa. “Or the other jumpers, either.”

“There were more?” Haggerty asked with growing dread.

“Half a dozen so far,” the guard said grimly.

Doug’s worst-case scenario had started. The sooner Haggerty could talk to the band, the sooner he could get them to stop what was happening.

The guard pulled herself together. “You’re assistant a ’droid?”

Haggerty nodded confirmation.

“You can enter through the security archway to the left,” she instructed him. “But your assistant’s powerpack will raise hell with the scanners. I’ll open the gate for her.”

The guard depressed several buttons on her station console and Haggerty passed through the archway, peering at the elaborate sensory display that was capable of identifying and, if necessary, detaining or stunning him. The guard then drew the gate aside just enough for Elsa to squeeze through, and manually searched her for weapons before clearing her to join Haggerty and returning to the viewcast.

Detective Woyzeck met them, moving sluggishly like someone who’d downed too many bottles of KeepAwake in too short a time.

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” he greeted Haggerty. “Wanna guess who I just had to fend off?”

“Antonio Stelwyn and our new buddy Primrose.”

“You got it in one. What do you say the two of us retire right now and get the hell out of here?”

“Where do I turn in my identiplate?” Haggerty deadpanned. “Have you gotten a lead on the other two kids?” he asked.

“They were carrying false ident and there’s nothing to tag them with yet,” Woyzeck said, leading them toward one of the unoccupied interview rooms. “That’s the problem with kids — no priors, and if they haven’t applied for licenses or work visas, they slip through the cracks. Sure the Feds can break the Privacy Act and order a warrant for a DNA trace, but so far they’ve denied our requests. No idents off the boxes?”

“They were black market units, serial numbers thoroughly effaced.”

Haggerty took a seat in one of the room’s mismatched chairs.

“Why am I not surprised?” Woyzeck sighed, seating himself on the opposite side of the scarred wooden table.

“At least four JCs committed copycat presses after the viewcast,” Haggerty said, “and I hear you’ve had reports of a half dozen illegal suicides. BBI’s nervous it’s going to get worse.”

Haggerty explained contagion theory briefly to Woyzeck, then asked. “What charges are you holding the band members on?”

“Band and their manager, Shintag Lake,” Woyzeck corrected. “Who’s a real shithead. Has his lawyers all over us threatening illegal detainment suits. Chief gave him the main conference room upstairs and a couple of phone lines. They’re currently being held on three felony-two manslaughter counts of assisting an illegal suicide and a violation of the ordinance making it illegal to conduct a suicide for entertainment purposes or to host or promote such events.” He grimaced. “But the charges may not hold up, because although they seemed to condone the presses they did not assist them, and the language of the ordinance is weak and has never been tested before — as their lawyers rudely pointed out.”

“What do the band members say?” Haggerty asked.

“The lead singer, Zephyr, pled the Fifth — right after he told me to fuck off. Wiseass. Then the rest of the band did the same. Except the bass player, kid named Cherub who actually seems like he gives a crap. Lake claims they knew the kids but had no prior knowledge of their intentions.”

“How long can you hold them?”

“Not long with the amount of pull they have,” Woyzeck said in disgust. “It’s gonna be out of our hands soon, anyway. Feds are on their way. Should be here within the hour.”

“I’d like to talk to the bass player and the manager,” Haggerty said.

Woyzeck chuckled. “Mind telling me how I broach that to my boss?”

“What if I offered you a few more charges, like that the minors were using illegal narcotics while partying with the band. Think that’d get me in?”

“You have recorded evidence?”

Haggerty nodded.

“When could we have it?”

Instantly, Haggerty thought, scratching the back of his neck. They just needed to show Elsa to the appropriate interface. But right now, the recordings were his only leverage.

“I’ll have BBI send it over the minute I complete my interviews,” he said. “I realize the time to build your case is limited.”

Woyzeck scrutinized Haggerty’s face with the skill of an accomplished poker player, his expression giving away nothing. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed satisfied he’d found it.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll go talk to the chief.”

“Thanks,” Haggerty said. “Tell him I’m just interested in learning if they knew how the kids came into possession of the black boxes.”

Once Woyzeck had left the room, Elsa turned to Haggerty.

Keep it private, Elsa, he linked. The interview rooms are probably under full surveillance.

Then you do realize that those recordings are still uploaded in my storage banks.

Of course, but I don’t want Woyzeck to know yet.

Haggerty fingered the dead girl’s keycard through his pocket. He needed to get the damned thing decontaminated, investigate its info, and make sure he gave it to Woyzeck in a way that wouldn’t land him in trouble.

* * *

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

by Blogbot







Artist / SG Member Name: Rachelle Suicide

Mission Statement: Since I was a child, I've always loved to draw. I've always been attracted to traditional tattoo art; the bold, clean lines and contrast. The designs looked good 100 years ago and still look good today; I love the timelessness. Some of the designs I paint are original drawings. I've done a few commissioned pieces, which are a fun challenge. I have a huge library of art reference books (I've been collecting for years, and have spent a small fortune!) and I love getting to utilize it. Other times, I re-draw vintage tattoo flash and add my own style to it.



Medium: Pen, watercolors..


Aesthetic: Bold, colorful, tattoo-flash-esque, pinup ladies, birds, flowers, anything and everything really.



Notable Achievements: I am self-taught, no art school or classes. I sold my first painting last year. It's pretty fantastic to make a little money doing something you absolutely love.

Why We Should Care: Everyone should make art, it's cathartic. To be honest, I would paint whether anyone cared or not.

I Want Me Some: Send me a message on SG or email me at RachelleSuicide@live.com and we can work something out.









***

Related Posts

The Art of SuicideGirls feat. AnitaKajika
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. CREATIVE80
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. James Curtis a.k.a. jimcurt99

The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Eric daStone
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Alisa Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Quakerninja
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. yOyO
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Sucette
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Souci
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Bazuka
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Hezza Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Bob Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Phoenix Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Grompf
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Oro Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Mrs Misha
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Sundae
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Kate Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Kaylie McDougal a.k.a. Tigermassacre
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Monroe

by Annarose

A column which highlights SG-worthy watering holes and the house specialities served up in them. This week we pull up a stool at The Drunken Skunk in Cheyenne, WY.



Around 6 PM last night, I got bored and decided I needed to go on an adventure. I started brainstorming places that I haven’t been yet, and since I live in Denver, CO, a road trip to Cheyenne, WY seemed like a perfectly doable adventure. I Googled “cool bars in Cheyenne” and came across The Drunken Skunk. Intrigued by the name of the bar, I got in my little 2000 Honda, Civic and hit the road.

The bar was dark but lively. There were pool tables, a fooseball table, dart boards, video games, and a boxing game. There was a stage where bands from Wyoming, Colorado, and California play on the weekends. The bar top was covered in Crown Royal’s logo and the actual bar itself has large, silver music notes stretching along the entire thing. Classy liquor and rock decor?! Count me in.

Being down the street from The Capitol building, The Drunken Skunk attracts a lot of out-of-towners on the weekends, but there was no mistaking the comfortable atmosphere created by the regulars. While I was sitting at the bar, a guy came around and asked every bar guest to come cheer on his friend as he tried to play the boxing game. His friend Ron, who I met later on in the night, is restricted to a wheel chair due to his Cerebral Palsy. Ron wanted to try the boxing game but was a bit worried about whether or not he’d be able to do it. Everyone made their way over to the game and watched and cheered as Ron successfully attempted to hit the punching bag. As I looked around I realized that there weren’t strangers in The Drunken Skunk -- not for very long at least.

On tap I saw the standard beers, Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Blue Moon as well as some of my favorites, Fat Tire, 90 Schilling, and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. Bright liquor bottles covered the walls, convincing me to indulge. CJ, the bartender, made me a drink called Skunk Punch, which I deemed quite fitting. Skunk Punch is bright red in color, very sweet, and definitely strong. The wildberry taste masked the liquor for the most part, but there was no mistaking the distinct flavor of Disaronno. CJ said he knew some Suicide Girls who come in and hang out there once in a while. I guess my “cool bar” instincts were dead-on! If you’re feeling a little Skunk Punch, have your bartender whip it up for you:

Find The Drunken Skunk on the interweb, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

Related Posts
Mixology: The Goosetown Tavern, Denver, CO
Mixology: Idle Hands Bar, NYC

by Oogie

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Sash Suicide by Cameron Stewart]

This week, Oogie Suicide paints us a picture of what goes down in SG's Fan Art Group.

Members: 2,640 / Comments: 37,886

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: Being an artist, I love to look at what other people can do with their artistic talents. Whether it be with pen, pencil, acrylic, oil, watercolor, spray paint, Photoshop, or whatever else they can think of to use to make something beautiful. I also visit the group for inspiration. I've always wanted to use Photoshop, but have never gotten the chance to, but I was introduced to many other new and different styles by so many different artists that I am just dying to try. I also love this group because it gives me a chance to show the ladies that I draw my fan art of them! I love doing fan art, and I love making people happy.




• DISCUSSION TIP: Open your mind and go to inspire others, go to reinforce others, or just go to look at some amazing art

• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Holy shit...Is it wrong that I want to grab people nearby in the coffee shop to show these to them?! You've chosen some total babesicles, too!" – Lyxzen Suicide commenting on the above piece of art of by Cameron Stewart.


• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: I believe the most heated, or in this case the topic with the most positive feedback on their art, is the art by SG’s very own, Cameron Stewart. His artwork can be seen in this group, and also in the SuicideGirls Comics.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Anyone with artistic talent, anyone that has appreciation for art, people who want to be drawn, really anyone at all.

[Ackley Suicide by Cameron Stewart]


***
Related Posts:
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 A.J. Focht



After a few weeks with no new updates, The Dark Knight Rises released several updates this last week. The first photos of Joseph Gordon-Levitt on set have spread across the internet. A full synopsis of the film has been leaked, but it doesn’t reveal much more than what we’ve already known. Finally, the movie’s second official trailer will release with Sherlock Holmes:Game of Shadows on Dec 16.

That’s not the end of the Batman news either. WB Interactive has announced Batman: Arkham City has shipped 4.6 million copies for PS3/Xbox360. Despite some tough competition, Arkham City is looking more and more like Game of the Year.

Iron Man 3 is taking a change in scenery. After shooting the past two films in California, the next installment in the franchise is filming in North Carolina. The change in location is likely the first in a wave of updates bound to come now that The Avengers has wrapped.

Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel will use the infamous villain General Zod, but unfortunately, the character is not likely to use the immortal line, “Kneel before Zod.” It’s sad to see such a famous line being excluded; it would be like not having The Terminator say, “I’ll be back.” Even Smallville used the line when they introduced General Zod.

Speaking of Smallville, it looks like the show isn’t as dead as we may have thought. A new IMDB has been created for a show titled, Metropolis. Currently, Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Aaron Ashmore, and Michael McKean are listed in the credits. Is it possible the show is getting a reboot/remake?

While we’re on the note of remakes, that’s apparently exactly what the new Evil Dead project is, minus Ash. A synopsis has been released for the film that sounds exactly like Evil Dead with different characters.

Evil Dead isn’t the only undead movie making a return, reports confirm that Michael Keaton is returning to his role in the Beetlejuice sequel. I’m not sure how I feel about a sequel, but it sounds like they’re at least trying to do it right.

One last thing, I present you the best video game based movie to date, and it’s based on Duck Hunt. This new ten minute short film is by far one of the best video game to film adaptations I’ve ever seen.

Video Games - E3 2012

by A.J. Focht



As if subjecting the demonstrators at #OccupyDenver to the horrors of hypothermia by refusing to allow them to erect shelter against the recent snow and harsh Colorado nights wasn’t bad enough, during the march held on Saturday October 29, the police used unnecessary force on the otherwise peaceful assembly.

Local Denver activist, @EisMC2 a.k.a Emmi Einstein spoke with SuicideGirls and gave us an account of the events of that day:

The march attracted upwards of 2,000 people to the Capitol at Civic Center Park. While the rally marched, Emmi and others stayed back at the #Occupy site to make sure things were running smoothly. She noticed early on that there were many more cops than the usual one or two that roam the park. When a SWAT team started to assemble, the group used the distraction to rebuild their camp. As the cops massed, Emmi noted one was filming the event .

After those on the march had returned to the park, the rally took a turn for the worse. Police moved into the park en mass, driving their motorcycles directly through the crowds. One police motorcyclist drove through a crowd of protestors, hitting one identified as Frank Roper. Roper shoved the bike in a fit of anger. The officer responded by chasing Roper down, tackling him, and proceeding to split his face in two. This is the event that seemed to trigger the police brutality on Saturday, and it was all caught on tape by a woman wanting to be known as Pinky Disaster - see video below.



This was the catalyst, but it is clear from the video that police were moving in before it occurred. Law enforcement agencies, dressed in riot gear, were forcing their way through the protestors in unnecessarily large numbers. The officer whose bike was shoved could have just continued on, but he instead dismounted and proceeded to brutalize Roper until he required hospital attention; causing the subsequent disastrous chain of events.


[Image courtesy of TannerSpendley.com]

Police admitted using Mace and firing pepper balls; protestors claim they were being hit with rubber bullets as well, and many witnessed police using excessive force with batons. Emmi watched things escalate quickly, even witnessing one man being choked by an officer while pinned to the ground. Some of the more terrifying reports include pregnant women getting pepper sprayed, and a kid (possibly identified as a 21-year-old who was filming the event) who was shot out of a tree by several projectiles (pepper balls or rubber bullets). Emmi herself – a 5’2” 95lb female – was pepper sprayed and beaten with a baton by a cop she identified by the badge #05100.


[Photo by Emmi: A Denver protester after he’d been shot in the face by police]

Many of the cops did not feel it was necessary to use such force, and instead attempted to keep things as peaceable as possible. Unconfirmed reports also surfaced online that two Denver police officers quit their jobs because of the attacks, and an unidentified source within #OccupyDenver said they witnessed one officer walking away from the riot line in tears saying he wouldn’t do it anymore.

The police made a big deal out of gearing up and loading the tear gas guns, but they never fired. Instead, they moved into the occupants’ encampment with gas masks and tore it down. Numerous #OccupyDenver protestors were arrested at this point as they tried to salvage anything from police grasp. All of the tents, the kitchen, the protest signs, and much more were taken by the police and tossed into a city dump truck.

The excessive force used on the protestors only kindled their spirits. After being down to under a dozen bodies staying on site 24/7, over fifty people stayed through the night on Saturday. And donations quickly came in to help make up for the movement’s losses. Unfortunately, even with all the donations, occupants are still being forced to sleep without shelter.

Following the events on Saturday, the #OccupyDenver group held a sunset candlelight vigil on Sunday evening. The peaceful event was a collective stand against the violence of the previous night, and served as a chance to refocus the group back on the socioeconomic goals of the #OccupyWallStreet movement as a whole.

More images can be found at TannerSpendley.com.

by SG's Team Agony feat. Yesenia and Atlea

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


[Yesenia in The Watering Hole]

Q. I have been in a relationship now for about a year and a half. She is about to move into my house but we are both feeling somewhat hesitant. She is a wonderful person and we share such great times together. But, every time a relationship reaches this point, I feel like it is time to move on. I continually go through this same feeling throughout the course of my relationships and life, and I am starting to wonder if I can ever be happy with any one person or if I am bound to continually reject someone who loves me after a year or so with them?

What should I do? Stick it out with her and repress my desires? Or break it off and continue the same pattern of my past love history?

Confused.

A: You will need to ask yourself some questions before making a decision. Are you afraid of commitment? Do you 'settle' for someone and hope for the best, later to realize the realtionship is empty? What are some key things that have kept you with her for this long?

Sometimes chemistry fades, and as much as you would like to be in love with that person, it may be out of your hands. Just be sure to rule out any other possibilities first. You may need some time to clear your head, alone. Think about why your past relationships did not work, and if it was something that could have been noticed earlier on. It would be hurtful to both of you if you stayed in a relationship only to escape the hurt of breaking up. That is not a life, and we only get one - so follow your heart.

Were things great until you two decided to move in together? The answer to that may help you understand your situation. Are you bored and looking for excitement? Maybe checking out new places together and trying new things in the bedroom will help. When things get too repetitive - they can cause your brain to freak out. It is important to keep things interesting, but feeling bored in a long-term relationship is normal. It is a common issue for couples around the world.

Try looking at old pictures of the two of you and see what emotions you get out of that. If you do end up moving in together, make sure you talk about what would happen if you two broke up. Decide who would move out, and who would continue to complete the lease - or maybe you would both pay to cancel the lease. Also, make sure it is an affordable position incase one has to pay it alone. This will help you not feel trapped and give you some breathing room.

Best of luck to you!

Just relax, kisses xxx

Yesenia

***


[Atlea in Temptation Waits]

Q. Never in my life did I think that I would have an issue with finding a woman that was up for sex all the time. I've been dating my fiancé for a year now, engaged for about 5 months. We moved in together about 3 months ago. I am a very busy project manager for a construction company and put in at least 55-60 hours a week. She is taking her CPA exams right now, which is a real bear. To support her in her endeavor, I told her to not worry about ANY of the cooking, cleaning, or household tasks. I told her to focus solely on this ridiculous exam. So after I come home anywhere between 6 and 9 o'clock, cook dinner, clean up and get settled, I'm finally spent. 

Here's the gist: Whether or not she leads on or not, I feel the constant burning and aching in her crotch from across the room to get fucked. I know that she's always craving my cock. It's never in question. This in itself is badass, however, it's become exhausting. 



Pre-story: My last serious girlfriend of 3+ years was a little frigid, and used sex or the withholding of sex to her ends. It got to a point when we were living together that we might only have sex 2 or 3 times a month. At which point, I told her to kick rocks because she was essentially just a roommate. She used to say, like I'm starting to feel now, that because I was always ready to rock, that it felt like there was no intrigue or mystery to rolling in the hay. The irony for me is clear and present. 

I feel ashamed because I sometimes think that I enjoy giving myself a tug on SG more than I do having sex my very sexy fiancé. I think part of it is because the women on SG are unobtainable to me thus being more attractive to than my insatiably cock-hungry lady. I'm very attracted to my fiancé, but her constant attention and need to for sex has actually become a turn-off. I have pretty much told her everything I just expressed to you, but what do you say? 


A: First and foremost, you probably shouldn't bother feeling ashamed about giving yourself some solo loving and enjoying it. What you do with your hands and body on your own time can be separate from your sexual life with a partner. Secondly, congrats on having already talked about the situation with her. You didn't give me any details on how that conversation went, which could have kept me from making assumptions, but I'll try my best at giving my advice.

You seem to indicate two separate reasons as to why her constant need is bothering you. First, you mention how hard you work and how much extra time you put in at home to help her out. Does this, on it's own, cause you to be exhausted? You didn’t mention if she's working on top of being in school, but even then, I think it'd be fair game to ask her to help out at least once or twice a week. This way, at least subconsciously, you don't feel as much pressure and responsibility towards her and the promise you made to her to help her with school. This would make you feel like more like a team, and that synergy can help spark back appreciation and even sometimes desire with it. Also, your levels of exhaustion might be more balanced if she did a few more chores.

Sex, in itself, isn't necessarily a reward. Since you do everything else, she could possibly see having sex as a way of letting you know how much she appreciates everything you do for her. But maybe that's not exactly what you need. This, of course, is something you'll have to find out and work through with her. Maybe the constant demand for sex, or satisfying your better half, is making you feel pressured into it and let's just all agree here that sex and pressure are not to be used in the same sentence if the objective is having a good time.

The second reason you're expressing here is that there might be a bit of a lack of desire on your part because sex is just too readily available. I mean there's only so much free candy that can make you happy, right? Going from a past relationship where sex was the holy end to a ridiculous (and quite unfair, if she was holding out on you for her own means) quest, to a new relationship where it's just so easy to get (even when you don't want it) is tough! It's hard for you to compare, and let's face it, there are always things that we will compare. Not that this is necessarily an unhealthy thing, sometimes you learn from your mistakes but you need to remember them to be able to find a resolution best fitted for the situation at hand.

Let her know you need the chase. Tell her you're still very much attracted to her, but you'd like to feel challenged at times. This might seem like an awkward thing to bring up, but it is the truth, and until she knows there's no way she'll be able to change that. Especially, like I mentioned before, if she thinks that this is what you'd want or expect. Maybe try playing some sex games, or introducing it in some other routine. Maybe don't have sex every time she wants it, but take the time to appreciate the other parts of your bodies. Rediscover each other. Snuggle together without having the intention/pressure to fuck. But beforehand, make it clear to her that it's not because you don't appreciate sex with her, it's more that you'd like some moments of pure intimacy with her and her body to just appreciate her as a whole.

Lastly, you mentioned that 'whether she leads on or not' you feel her constant need to get fucked. I can't help but feel that unless she's constantly asking and/or badgering you for it, maybe you're actually putting a little too much pressure on yourself? Hopefully you're not being your own enemy here, but it may be something to look into as well. In any case, take the time to find out how you both can work a schedule that leaves neither of you exhausted, and find a way to make sex and love part of the same whole. Sex should always be a fun adventure, so eliminate where the pressure's coming from and the whole thing should work itself out.

Atlea

***

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

Trick or Treat?

by A.J. Focht

#Occupy protestors across the US are standing their ground as police and politicians do their best to drive them out. Out at the #OccupyDenver protest, the demonstrators remain unwavering despite the efforts of law enforcement agencies and Colorado’s bitter fall cold.

Following Denver’s first winter storm of the year on Wednesday, daily nighttime temperatures are consistently below freezing. The six inches of snow that accumulated wasn’t enough to defeat the #OccupyDenver crowd however. After a few protestors were admitted to the hospital for hypothermia, the group found a nearby indoor location where many of them can stay. Only a handful of steadfast activists are remaining in the park through freezing nights.



The cold isn’t the only adversary #OccupyDenver has faced. Local law enforcement refuses to allow the group to erect shelters, even going as far as to tear down an igloo that was made as a last attempt at protection against arctic weather. The food service station, dubbed the “Thunderdome” has been torn down several times; last time I checked they were on Thunderdome 4. With increasing aggressiveness on each raid, fears rise that the next police action will mirror what happened in Oakland.


[Police use weather as a weapon and pull down #OccupyDenver's IGLOO!!]

The #OccupyDenver crowd has held several rallies. The last one was held on Saturday October 22, 2011 and attracted between 2,000 and 2,500 according to the police. The resistance continues, and more events are planned for this weekend. The cold has caused their general numbers to dwindle, but the consistent and persistent rallies ensure that they won’t be defeated.

#Occupy protests across the nation are accepting donations to help keep the movement strong. #OccupyDenver has sent out an urgent call to everyone who can help by bringing warm clothes, gear (including sleeping bags and tarps), and anything else that will help them combat the elements (hot drinks, hand warmers, etc.). The group keeps an up-to-date list of needs and requests at OccupyDenver.org, along with any updates on the event. If you want to join them, they are currently occupying Civic Center Park, in front of the Capitol Building. Finally, if you can’t make it down to support them, you can always call Denver Mayor Hancock at 720-865-9000 and add your voice to the collective.

No matter the brutal police violence in Oakland or the harsh nights of Colorado, the #Occupy movement is here to stay. Until the voice of the 99% is heard, and the 1% stop using their money to corrupt our government, the #Occupy movement will stand strong.



Images courtesy of OccupyDenver.org/
Major thanks to @EisMC2 for all her help with this post.

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 FOUR, PART THREE]

[COBAIN SYNDROME]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

Haggerty found Elsa sitting at her console. Now would be a good time to give her the keycard.

“You’re needed in psych right away,” she said, looking up from her viewscreen. “Corbin is already there. Dr. Zabrowski wanted a word with her following her report on the copycat press. There have been three more—”

“Consuela told me,” Haggerty said flatly. Once again, the keycard would have to wait. “Have the lab techs got anything off those boxes yet?” he asked Elsa as they tubed down to Doug’s office.

“Nothing,” Elsa said. “And they’re not hopeful. The damage was too complete.”

The news wasn’t unexpected. Rounding a corner, Haggerty saw Doug and Corbin saying their good-byes.

“I’ll be speaking to you later,” Corbin called to Haggerty as she hurried off, hopefully to badger O’Connell about the new copycats, leaving Haggerty to pursue without interference the interviews the Dragon wanted.

Doug perched on the edge of his desk and reached for a cigalite. “I’m glad you’re on this assignment,” he told Haggerty, who had seated himself in the chair opposite.

“Not sure I can add much to Corbin’s report,” he said.

“I don’t expect you to. O’Connell and Corbin told me about the copycats. I’m damned worried.”

“We all are,” Haggerty said.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure it’s about the same things.” Doug took a drag of the cigalite. “The Dragon and everyone else are thinking in terms of lawsuits, trying to figure out how those kids got the boxes and how to minimize the damage if BBI is found culpable in any way.”

“You’re not worried about that?”

I’ll tell you what I’m worried about. Are you familiar with Cobain Syndrome?”

“Can’t say I am,” Haggerty said.

“It’s named for Kurt Cobain, the lead vocalist of the late-twentieth-century musical group Nirvana. He committed suicide in nineteen-ninety-four.”

“That was more than one hundred fifty years ago,” Haggerty said. “What’s the relevance?”

“The relevance is that a few hundred teens followed his example. It’s called suicide contagion. Two girls in France left a note that they could not live without their idol and shot themselves, as he had. Four teens locked themselves in a car to die from exhaust inhalation while playing Cobain’s music on the radio. Teens played his songs on their personal music devices as they threw themselves off bridges. Some even vid-recorded themselves suiciding while listening. Luckily it was contained, but those were much different times, sociologically speaking.”

“How so?” Haggerty asked, growing anxious.

“Kids in high-risk groups for suicide contagion fit a certain profile. They feel isolated, depressed, outcast. They have poor family relationships and seek acceptance in fringe groups or cults. Too often, the only person they can relate to is their musical idol. They over-identify with the artist and develop non-reality-based relationships, memorizing the words to all his songs and believing he wrote the lyrics specifically for them. When the idol kills himself, they romanticize the death and see it as their chance to take control of the direction in their own lives.”

“But this was not a band member who killed himself,” Haggerty objected.

“It was three fans just like them,” Doug said. “Kids who were living out their fantasy of being accepted by the band. The lead singer maybe knew they were going to press. Maybe he didn’t. It certainly looked like he knew in the clip of the viewcast—and approved. That’s what counts.”

Doug took another drag of the cigalite.

“My fear is that the kids who pressed onstage are going to be revered as heroes among an urban population that harbors much less hope of control in their lives than children a century, even half a century ago. Our Cobain Syndrome copycats are no longer a rarity. Their profile fits the standard psycheval for three quarters of the under-age-twenty-five population. And with the band in police custody, their fans will be outraged. The displaced animosity could reach epic proportions. I’m talking more than dozens of kids. If this thing gets out of control . . .”

He snubbed out his cigalite.

“This is just speculation, Doug,” Haggerty said, trying to convince himself that things weren’t as bad as his friend believed.

“I hope you’re right.” Zabrowski pinched the bridge of his nose. “But bear in mind that there have already been four copycats and the media coverage is only beginning, with more outlets than at any time in recorded history. Contagious suicides increase dramatically with reports of other suicides, especially when a particular suicide is treated prominently. If the suicide is described in detail, copycats mount exponentially — and our first three were viewcast to millions of fans worldwide.”

“What can be done?” Haggerty asked, dismayed.

“I’m drafting a memo to the Surgeon General urging him to control the media. This is dangerous ground and I’m gonna need your support.”

“I’ll do whatever I can,” Haggerty said. “Let me start by giving you some news that may help. I don’t think the Dragon wants this known generally, but I’m on my way to try and interview the band members.”

“See if you can get them to publicly decry the presses,” Doug said urgently. “That could go a long way to heading off disaster.”

“Count on me, Doug,” Haggerty said, grimly determining that, one way or another, Clone Jesus would do just as his friend had asked.

* * *

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

by Laurelin

I have a tattoo on my arm. Well, I have a lot of tattoos on my arm, but the focal point of the whole thing is a portrait of Anne Boleyn. People always ask me, “Why her? Didn’t she get her head chopped off?” Indeed, she did. But that’s not why I have it. Back in the 16th century in England women were expected to be beautiful and ladylike at all times, they were supposed to dance, sing, stitch, and take their place next to their husbands quietly, never betraying emotion, only smiling sweetly even during the worst pain. Anne is a constant reminder of that very behavior. She changed the course of history by never allowing her king to see weakness in spirit. Even after he sentenced her to death she still kept her head high. When I want to cry, I smile sweetly and never betray my feelings. Even when my heart is breaking or when I’m terrified, no one will ever know; I know my place and it’s to never falter.

I’ve always been a fan of the phrase “fake it ’til you make it.” If you act like you know what the hell is going, on people are more likely to think that you do. This can be applied to most any area of your life -- most recently for me at work; a promotion at my music club in Boston finds me off the bar and in a brand spanking new manager role which leaves me terrified daily. I have no idea what I’m doing; all these fancy bands and employees now answer to me -- I have never been in charge in my life! I just fake it. Act like I know what I’m doing, and it will all fall into place and one day I won’t have to act anymore, one day I really will be this boss lady.

This mantra can be applied to relationships as well. A recent breakup (yes, I know, another one) has left me slightly damaged. I don’t know exactly where it went wrong, but somewhere during our summer in the city we lost something, and it was too far gone to be repaired. Somehow the nights of drinking hadn’t led to those talks that bring people closer together, and instead of trying to fix it, we both allowed the rope to fray until finally, something snapped. We didn’t even have time to heal; working together only a day after the breakup was like rubbing salt into an open wound. I wanted to scream in everyone’s face as I smiled sweetly and took their drink order, “Do you know what this is doing to me?!” Never once did I stumble, and neither did he.

I don’t know if it’s hard for him to see me, and I wonder if he knows that every time I smile or laugh or even talk to him that it’s all an act, every move rehearsed, planned, like a puppet on a stage. I don’t hang out at our bar as much on my nights off, but when I do, every minute spent trying not to look at him feels like an hour. Whatever guy I’m talking to might as well be speaking French, that’s how much I’m paying attention. The room is nothing but a dull roar in the background of my mind, and all I am thinking is “don’t fall.”

There’s something to be said about the way I go about things. Maybe it’s not healthy, maybe it’s avoidance, running away, a sham. Who knows? Maybe this isn’t easy on him either, and watching me just go back to my single life is equally as trying on his shot nerves. I have no way of ever knowing. All I know is that every other time I have built this wall, one day, I wake up and I’m fine. By forcing this immediate friendship I am diving headfirst into daily trauma, but I am laying the groundwork for a normal future. I have no room in my life for hate, so even if I am bursting with anger he’ll never see it.

I know one day, just like all the rest of my ex’s, I will be able to call him a friend. One day I’ll be able to look at him and not have to fake a smile that will tug at the corners of lifeless eyes. One day I will walk into my music club and not shake after I interview an employee or ask a tour manager to please pay attention and sign this contract. Maybe this is life beyond the bar scene after all, being in control and in charge of work and my emotions even though I feel like running to the bathroom in tears. Maybe this is just growing up, accepting this feeling of being scared and alone but powering though because there is no other choice but to go on, no choice but to hold your head high and conquer anything because in this life failure is not an option.




***

Related Posts:

Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Apologies and Other Useless Utterances
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Liquid Running
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Anger and Other Mostly Useless Emotions
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: One of the Guys
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: A Case of the Crazies
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Unsettled
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Boys of Summer
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Play On Playa'
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: How to Lose a Girl in Ten Minutes
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Naked Laurelin Reading
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Healthy Relationships are for Boring People and Other Mishaps
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Letting Go
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Does it Exist?
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: The Dating Game
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: After a Few Beers Everyone Looks Good and Other Love Stories
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Getting Naked With Laurelin
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Seven Days and Seven Nights of Sobriety
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: When it’s Time to Move On
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Starting Over and Other Stupid Resolutions
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: He Broke Up with Me on a Post-it and Other Travesties
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: The End of Four Loko As We Know It
Life Beyond the Bar Scene: Boston’s Top 5 Dives

by A.J. Focht

Joss Whedon is no mere mortal in need of rest and relaxation. After wrapping up The Avengers, Whedon used his month long vacation to do a secret shooting of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece Much Ado About Nothing

Starring several members of the Whedonverse, the cast includes: Nathan Fillion, Alexis Denisof (Angel), and Fran Kranz (Dollhouse), amongst others. Shooting the film in only twelve days, the entire cast managed to keep the project secret until it was announced via a press release.

Whedon isn’t the only one moving past The Avengers in a hurry. Marvel has announced several superhero sequels for 2013. All the usual suspects are present: Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, and the long rumored Ant-Man is still on the list.

With three exceedingly mediocre movies based on The Punisher, it’s surprising to hear that he’s getting another chance, this time on TV. If anything could make this situation more shaky, Fox has purchased the rights to the series. Odds are it will either be fantastic and immediately get cancelled, or it’s going to be another agonizing hour of prime time that they’ll keep around for years to come.



Mark Hamill tweeted his goodbye to voice acting as the Joker after Arkham City was released. The goodbyes weren’t so final as he quickly reneged on his statement when asked about an adaption of the graphic novel The Killing Joke. After his confirmation he’d come back for such a project, a fan movement started to get the project in motion.

Zombies survive another year. After only two episodes this season, The Walking Dead has been renewed for a third season by AMC.

With so many other interesting TV series popping up, is it surprising to learn that Stephen King’s The Dark Tower has gone from film to television? Producer Brian Gazer reports that the series has been picked up by HBO. There is still the possibility of a movie, but they intend to ‘do it right.’

For those Star Wars fans not heart broken by the series being rereleased in 3D, the trailer for Episode I has made it online (though it was subsequently pulled from YouTube by Fox).

Moving onto more exciting sci-fi movies, Ender’s Game the movie has received an official release date of March 15, 2013. The film is still over a year out, but after a long rollercoaster ride of the project being off and on, it’s great to see a solid date.



First they released the sneakers from the Back to the Future movies, then they announced the rerelease of the DeLorean. As if in an attempt to make Back to the Future’s timeline absolutely correct, development of a real hoverboard is underway. The board currently needs a rail to guide it, but they have two years to fix that.

Pulling one straight from the Disney playbook, Warner Bros. will pull all Harry Potter DVD titles off the shelves on December 29, 2011; this includes the soon to be released Deathly Hallow Part 2. If you haven’t finished your collection, now is your chance. Who knows when Warner Bros. will release the films back into circulation? I’m betting no less than ten years.

Not the most shocking news, but Rockstar has officially announced Grand Theft Auto V. The preview will be released on November 2. I’m hoping they change things up a bit, perhaps a female protagonist?

On a final note, massive video game convention Blizzcon 2011 has come and passed. Several major announcements were made for World of Warcraft, including the introduction of the first neutral race, Pandaren. Most impressively, it looks like Blizzard plans on releasing three games next year, the expansions for World of Warcraft , Starcraft, and Diablo III.

by Nicole Powers



SuicideGirls is utterly shocked and appalled by the brutality used by police against protesters at #OccupyOakland last night. Authorities used the charge of “unlawful assembly” as a weak excuse to wage all out war against US citizens, who were doing nothing more than exercising their democratic right – and, at this point, responsibility – to protest against the wholesale looting and pillaging of our economy and the vandalism of our democracy as perpetrated by members of the 1%. Watching the livestream and video footage of police pitted against peaceful protester on the streets of Oakland, one has to wonder who they are there to protect and serve.

Here, friend of SG JackalAnon, who is still suffering from the after effects of the tear gas used, gives us his own first person account of what went down:

Among those who were injured at the hands of the police (see video) was Veteran For Peace member Scott Olsen, who sustained a fractured skull.

Today, Veterans for Peace, released the following statement:

@OccupyOakland will reconvene tonight. They have announced via Twitter that they will hold a General Assembly at 6 PM in the vicinity of Oscar Grant Plaza / 14th & Broadway. If a GA is not possible in that area, a second location, the Library on 14th & Madison, has been designated as the fallback meeting place.

#OWS #ThisIsWhatDemocracyLooksLike #TheWholeWorldIsWatching


*Update*

Al Jazeera is reporting that an already injured activist has been severely mistreated in jail:

by Jensen

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Jensen Suicide in Irish Car Bomb]

This week, Jensen Suicide gives us the skinny on her healthy relationship with SG's Online Dating Group.

Members: 924 / Comments: 4,938

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: I’ve been doing the online dating thing for the latter part of this year, and it’s cool to chat about it with fellow SG internerds!




• DISCUSSION TIP: Don’t whine about never getting messages [unless you’re looking for profile help].


• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: 
: “hi since you’re horny will you have sex with me? We can get to know each other after!” And basically anything else in the “I fought the LOL and the LOL won” thread.




• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: Things You Hate in Profiles.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Everyone!

***
Related Posts:

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 Darrah de jour

Just last week, New Jersey state senate candidate Phil Mitsch got in hot water for relegating his Tweet Deck to a Rules-esque motherboard. Forking up some much-needed dating advice to us ladies, he tweeted: “Women, you increase your odds of keeping your men by being faithful, a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom."



Now, people take to their social networks for a plethora of non-job-related things, including break-up announcements, play-by-plays of their nightly bar-hopping, or the new celeb fave –– the topless back shot. (Because I was having trouble sleeping before I knew that Demi Moore’s spine was, in fact, perfectly aligned.) So, in this post-Weiner world of penis-shaped chirps and pep talks like ex-IBM manager Joe Acuri’s alleged “get your boobies out and get sales” good-natured goad, is it surprising that a Republican runner uses his God-given patriarchal right to tweet to remind women that, at the end of the day, we are glorified school girls, maids, and hookers?

Unfortunately, the good girl/bad girl scenario, along with all of its glorious limitations, is still a pervasive tool used to denigrate the fairer sex and control women’s sexual prowess, and essentially, put us on mute.

In his defense, he did give men a similar maxim, offering them advice on how to keep their women by "being faithful, a gentleman in the living room and a stud in the bedroom.” Here’s the issue many women have raised: there really are no male equivalents to the word whore. And here’s why: men’s sexuality is celebrated. Women’s is not.



We are constantly convinced –– by media images, by social banter, by office politics, by government politics, by social politics, by gender politics –– that we are pleasurable tools for the male orgasm. We are pushed around, pleaded with, spread thin, paraded, scrutinized, insulted, disrespected, hushed, ignored, manipulated, blamed and won over because we simply don’t understand what it’s like to be “so horny” all of the time.

Here’s my question: if men have this ridiculous, unquenchable, non-stop, life-assaulting, all-consuming, never-ending sensual drive, need and extra energy –– why isn’t it being spent trying to make our lives easier? Why isn’t it used to arouse us to the level of desire they are living with? Why isn’t it lavished on us so that we can reach daily orgasm? Instead, women are society’s geishas.

For example, if I had an insane day of never-ending phone calls, job assignments, housework, personal preening, fires to put out, etc. and then came home to find that my partner had had a breezier day, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to coddle me versus the other way around? The same can be said of this seemingly invisible sex drive that women are supposedly inflicted with.

Only, we actually have a similar drive for sex. We just happen to be more discerning in wielding it. Plus, we are so sick of religion, patriarchy and men’s judgments that sometimes it’s hard to get it up. (Not to mention, some of us are actually still brain-washed by these factors.) We are so up in our heads about it that sex has become this suppressed, twisty, confusing, numbing, crazy manipulation that we sometimes use against y’all. Or each other. Women –– I’m not counting us out. I’ve never been so judged by anyone than I have been by other women; because really, by society’s standards –– I’m a nymphomaniac. (And proud of it.)

I love sex and sensuality and porn and by-products of estrogen, testosterone, aphrodisiacs and sex-related endorphins so much that, really, some days, it’s all I friggin’ think about. I masturbate three times a day some days. I use dating sites like Facebook. I have at least five guys I can call on any given night to hitch a ride on my shooting star, and leave promptly after. Plus, I’m in my early-30s, and supposedly at my sexual peak. This is my excuse for a high-sex drive. Because, here’s the thing – apparently, I need one.

I need an excuse because I have a vagina.

A few tid-bits about me: I began masturbating at age 9. I realized I was bisexual at 12. I began having fantasies about older men, leather-clad women and bondage and dominance before I took my SAT’s. I have more lingerie and sex toys than a Manhattan hooker.

But, I’m also picky as fuck. I have had half the sex partners of any New York Magazine Sex Diarist. My imagination is my greatest weapon against pregnancy and a loose vag.

And my girl friends? They are amazing. Open-minded, lovely, sexual, fun and cool as long as I don’t talk too loud or too much about being a single, sexy, smart L.A. gal. It’s OK as long as it’s in the front room closet.

Shit I Don’t Understand

While I love the altruism in Mitsch’s age-old adage (who, according to his website, is a “mortgage expert” not Dr. Ruth), the problem herein lies with the complexity of the human condition. Men’s sexuality to be more exact.

While it’s a fact that both women and men cheat, for the sake of this argument, let’s keep the focus on the chaste woman and the free man. Men cheat and oft times it has less to do with how warm his meal is when he gets home. I’m gonna go out on a limb here (and reel me in if I’m bein’ overly-ambitious), but somehow, in our outdated, presumptuous, old-world existence where monogamy is king and keeping women on a string is the norm, I don’t think that men who cheat are doing so in direct response to their wife offering or not offering up an additional hole or a Hot Toddy when he’s sick –– as Mitsch’s idiom suggests.

Is it possible, that he’s doing so because he fucking wants to? Because our puritanical view of sex is something that even he is sick and tired of? That he felt pressured into marriage and a single partner by the same dictating forces that we succumb to daily? That he’s a victim of his own Frankenstein?

Read more next week, when I delve into the other side of the coin –– women proselytizing to other women about whom they should be in the bedroom. And what we sluts can do about it.

***
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. Visit her blog at Darrahdejour.com/srblog and find her on Facebook.



Related Posts:

Red, White and Femme: When Mean Girls Grow Up
Red, White and Femme: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Polyamory, Part II
Red, White and Femme: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Polyamory Part I – With Annie Sprinkle
Red, White and Femme: America is FUGLY
Red, White and Femme: Trusting The Ring of Purity - Faith vs Sex Education
Red, White and Femme Fearless Femme Spotlight: Mia Tyler

by Bob Suicide

I don't plan on ever growing up, though I do plan on single-handedly keeping the vinyl toy industry in business for many years to come. You name it, I've got it –– or it's on preorder. However, even my embarrassingly childish addiction has standards. I have Legos, GI Joes, Transformers, Star Trek and Star Wars figures and replicas, plus Munnys and Dunnys of all sizes, but, I'm not –– and never really was –– a "Barbie girl." I had a few as a kid, but even then I was more excited about my X-Men and Power Ranger figures than any doll.

However, I recently admitted a secret shame: "Typically, when I go to the toy store (which is often) to look for totally justifiable and not at all embarrassing toys, I make a small but shameful detour down the doll aisle." And, recently, I even bought a few. Not Barbies, but Mattel's similar line of dolls: Monster High.

Barbie has often been the target of body and self-image criticism. Thanks to her impossible anatomical proportions, moms across the globe decry the doll's destruction of their child's self-esteems –– but always after purchasing one or two because their daughters just had to have one. All the while, the overwhelming majority of girls rabidly desire and play with their dolls completely oblivious to the negative stigma their parents place upon them.



What I lack in "Barbie" fandom I make up for in love for Tokidoki designer Simone Legno, who recently released his own Tokidoki branded doll: the first officially tattooed Barbie. (There were two prior dolls that came with stickers mimicking temporary tattoos, but, since we're getting technical, anything non-permanent doesn't count.) With his amazing sense of art and style, Simone has done an amazing service to promote the acceptance of the beauty of tattoos within mainstream society. The doll is a perfect blend of the Tokidoki and Barbie brands. He’s mixed them together in a way that doesn’t compromise either. Part of me looks at that doll and says, "Fuck yeah. She looks cool." Everything about the design is beautiful and "hip." There's an amazing attention to detail and the tattoos in particular portray Simone's love of Japanese art that underlies all of his work.

There are few things in our American culture that are so identifiable as products of the "American Dream." Coca Cola's one and Barbie is another. They've been around for ages and while they maintain a classic aesthetic, they subtly evolve as the societal outlook changes. As tattoos are becoming more culturally accepted, it's exciting to finally have a Barbie with tattoos. It's exciting to think one of the largest toy manufacturers in the country, which boasts the country's best selling doll –– a doll that has been defining standards of beauty for decades –– has now embraced tattoos. And, by dint of wearing those tattoos, Barbie and her parent company have declared tattoos to be both feminine and beautiful too.

As a kid, I never looked to my Barbie dolls for aspirational images of who or what I could be or how I should look and, honestly, I don't think most kids do. Toys are toys. Toys don't shape a kid's personality. Children pick toys that reflect their own inner character traits. I didn't look at my Wild C.A.T.s Zealot figure thinking I was going to become a covert warrior-spy. I liked that figure because I was already a strong girl with a penchant for the wilder side. As an adult however, I find the reverse bleeding into my conscious and I see why parents can easily label a doll as a "role-model." So I'm pleased –– and even slightly inspired –– to see my formerly subversive love of lowbrow art and tattoos proudly emblazoned on one of America's biggest icons.

But, another part of me can't seem to get over the fact that, with the overabundance of pink and the perfectly bobbed hair, she's eerily similar to Paris Hilton, which is not the best foot forward when it comes to portraying tattoos within the mainstream. If Barbie is an aspirational ambassador, the way parents like to portray her, I can understand the concern they might have for a day when "socialite" replaces "princess" as the number one thing little girls want to be when they grow up. But the same can be said of many of the Barbie dolls on the shelf. When each doll comes with matching purse and a mini dog that fits inside, when the "Dream Mansion" has its own massive walk in closet for shoes, it's unfair to single this one doll out as the harbinger for the tacky, classless persona of a famous for being famous reality TV star. If this doll gets a scarlet "H," they all do.

My ultimate gripe is with the "minivan mom's" rallying cry that tattoos set a bad example for young girls. The gist of their complaint can be summed up by a comment from the Ms Twixt website for parents of Tween-age girls:

In reality, this doll isn't meant to be a walking ad for the tattoo industry; It's not even meant for children. It's a $50 doll, and like the original plastic lady who inspired her, Bild Lilli, this Barbie is clearly marketed to the adult collector. While I can happily whip up a scenario whereby the fact that Barbie, as a shining example of the American Dream, has endorsed tattoos means that body art and modification is beautiful (as I just did), the truth of the matter is this is just a piece of lowbrow art which happens to take the form of a doll. While the doll is a highly publicized and identifiable one that's typically marketed to children, the reality is two business saw the opportunity for a branding partnership and a hot pop-art designer modified an existing product for a high-end and limited run directed and solely marketed at collectors. No child is going to run their sticky fingers across a Tokidoki Barbie box on a WalMart shelf and the creators never intended that scenario to occur.

The doll aside, why is "encouraging" children to get tattoos wrong –– other than the fact those kids are going to be really bummed when they ride their trike up to the local shop to get their very own body mod and get turned away when they don't have proper ID. There are laws set in place to ensure underage children can't get tattoos. Doodling on skin with a sharpie never hurt anything but the occasional couch or really nice shirt (somthing I did ALL the time as a kid). Showing a child a picture of a doll or a person with a tattoo on them doesn't immediately mean your toddler's going to come home from preschool with a set of sleeves. Many of their real-life role models –– who are seen as wholesome and positive influences –– have them. Justin Bieber has a tattoo (don't judge me for knowing that, I already feel enough shame!), and the only negative thing he's ever inspired kids to get is really stupid haircuts (and his albums!).

Maybe the real answer is to let kids be kids, people be people, and dolls be dolls.

***

Related Posts

Confessions Of A Hardcore Gamer: The Rise of My Nightmares –– That I’ll Be Petting Kinect Puppies Long After Sega's Zombie Horde Goes To Ground
Women Prefer Gaming To Sex – But There's a Frigging Difference Between Fragging and Farmville
Damn You Zuckerberg!
You Might Be A Nerd If…
Confessions of a Shy Gamer
Red or Blue, Wonder Woman's Boots Were Made For Walking
The Geek's Guide to Getting Down Vol. 1 (A Brief Introduction)
The Geek's Guide to Getting Down Vol. 2: Fragging and Other Group Activities
The Geek's Guide to Getting Down Vol. 3: Co-Op Mode
The Geek's Guide to Getting Down Vol. 4: The Blue Pill Or The Red Pill
The Geek's Guide to Getting Down Vol. 5: Experiencing Pon Farr? Bring deodorant

by Blogbot









Peables (pronounced Pee-bles) a.k.a. Peebs and Mr. Peables (pictured with his mistress Oogie Suicide)

• INTO: Starring at mom, cuddling with mom, starring, drooling on mom, continuously trying to sneak onto mom’s lap without being detected, not meowing but screaming at the top of my lungs when mom's not in my sight and I need to find her so I can yell at her for food, eating chicken, starring, starring at mom, waiting for mom to look at me so I can meow at her for attention, waiting, starring, loving mom to death.



• NOT INTO: Baths, not being fed when I want to be, having to fight with dad for attention, being disturbed while sleeping, dad, loosing a starring contest with mom.


• MAKES ME HAPPY: When mom let's me sleep on her lap –– and doesn't notice all the drool. And when mom gets home, because that's feeding time. Sleeping with mom.


• MAKES ME SAD: When mom moves and makes me get off her lap. When mom leaves for long periods of time. Moving.


• HOBBIES: I'm good at getting mom to pet me, she can never resist. I also like to play with and lick my cat-nip stuffed rainbow. Playing in bags, or small boxes that are hard to get into. Laying in the sun.


• 5 THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Mom, food, mom, chicken, mom.


• VICES: : I'm really, really annoying when it comes to food. I beg like a dog. I am a dog, but in a cats body. I'll stand behind you breathing in your ear, watching you eat whatever deliciousness is going into your mouth, then I'll try to snatch it away. Oh, I'm also missing my top left fang and my bottom left fang, so my tongue sticks out of my mouth and it's like a river of drool when mommy let's me on her lap to cuddle.


• I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Sleeping, starring at mom.