News > Culture

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MONDAY DECEMBER 5 2011 11:14 PM

SuicideGirls Group Therapy: Zombie Hunters

Submitted by Tarion

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: All Things SG, Blog, Entertainment, Geek, Movies, TV, apocalypse, Beauty, zombie apocalypse, zombies

by Tarion Suicide

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.

[Tarion Suicide in Kiss the Machine]

This week, in preparation for the coming apocalypse, Tarion Suicide gives us the 411 on SG's Zombie Hunters Group.

Members: 2,824 / Comments: 20,073

WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: This group has threads covering everything you need to know about zombies and the impending apocalypse. It ensures that every member has a "zombie plan" and the best possible chance of survival. Members discuss everything from the best choice of weapons to the most effective safe house. If you're into zombies you will find info on the best books, games, movies, and TV shows right here!

DISCUSSION TIP: This is a fun group, so don't be too serious.

BEST RANDOM QUOTE: “Do not set zombies on fire! They will run around and catch everything else on fire!”

MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: The Walking Dead! Official TV Thread - everyone has an opinion on this show!

WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: All those who want to survive the zombie apocalypse.

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MONDAY DECEMBER 5 2011 9:04 PM

Doing It With Jensen: Glazed Doughnuts With Bacon Grease

Submitted by Jensen

Edited by nicole_powers

by Jensen

So, you may or may not remember, but a little while back I did a blog on here with Chris a.k.a. Ocell (of FoodWeChew.com/) about bagel making. Well, we decided to have a reunion and make doughnuts! We are both big fans of breakfast pastries. And holes. And breakfast pastries with holes. So we made some. I liked making blogs with Chris because A) he usually makes things while I just stand around and take pictures/throw in commentary and B) he is precise and by-the-book with cooking and I’m scattered and more willing to try things that will potentially turn out fucked up but could also turn out amazing. Actually, I think I’m like that with most aspects of life. But anyway, we’re the good cop/bad cop of cooking.

He found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and we only changed one thing. We also halved the recipe, which you can easily do at AllRecipes automatically.

What You’ll Need

Doughnut Ingredients:

2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup bacon grease

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

***

Icing Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

***

Preparation:

So we start to put together all of the ingredients and Chris goes, “I don’t think I have shortening. What is shortening?” And I tilt my head to the side and say, “Whaaaaaa? You really don’t know? Do you know what Crisco is?” I was literally amazed. It made me realize how much of a fatty I am for being so extremely familiar with Crisco. We ponder for a second and Chris says, “Do you think bacon grease will work?” And I say, “YES. BACON GREASE WILL WORK.” And he pulls a fucking jar of bacon grease out of his fridge, like this is a normal thing to have lying around. And thus, bacon doughnuts were created.

To start, you just mix the yeast and water in a bowl. We were a bit worried about this because his yeast was a little old and it didn’t get super fizzy like the recipe said, but it turned out fine in the end. After this is done you mix in the rest of the ingredient (sans the flour), then slowly add the flour in. I tried to knead the dough with my hands and it was a sticky disaster (another thing that had us worrying that the doughnuts weren’t going to turn out), but then he kneaded (well, sort of kneaded) it together with a wooden spoon and it turned into that nice texture we were looking for.

After the dough is a nice firm, fluffy looking texture, you let it rise for a bit. I don’t remember the exact amount of time; just wait for that shit to get nice and puffy.

Once the dough is puffy, you roll it into a long rod (I’m having bagel déjà vu here and feel like I shouldn’t recycle the “rod” job I definitely remember using last time). You’re supposed to use a doughnut punch (cookie cutter looking thing), but who the heck has a doughnut punch? We just stretched them into circleish squares, and they turned out just fine.

This is just a recipe break to post a picture of my second favorite cat, Chris’s kitty. SO. FUCKING. CUTE.

Mix all of the icing ingredients together over heat. The icing starts out looking really gross and sickly, but it turns into the super sexy sugary pile of awesomeness. Don’t freak out when it starts out all chunky and gross!

So you fry up the doughnuts until they’re golden brown, then slather them in that sexy icing you just made. Leave them on a rack to cool/let the icing harden. If you want to get crazy, you can put another layer of icing on them after the first layer is dry. That’s your call, bro.

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SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 2011 9:04 PM

Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: Crazy Wisdom – The Story Of A Drunken Sex Pervert Who Revolutionized Buddhism

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Entertainment, Movies, Relationships, Society

by Brad Warner

Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche was a lot of things. When he was just 18 months old he was recognized as the reincarnation of a high Tibetan lama. He escaped Tibet’s Chinese rulers when he was 20 years old, fleeing through the icy mountains on foot with a group of 300, only 13 of whom made it across the border to India. He went to England and started the first Tibetan Buddhist center in the Western world. A short while later he came to America where he set up the Shambhala foundation. Then he proceeded to fuck dozens of his students before drinking himself to death at age 48.

Now someone’s made a movie about Trungpa, called Crazy Wisdom. It’s pretty good.

I never met Trungpa myself. But my first Zen teacher worked for him for a while as an instructor at Naropa Institute, the Buddhist university Trungpa founded in Boulder, Colorado. It was the first Buddhist university in the West. He used to tell me wild stories about Trungpa’s excesses. One time Trungpa threatened my teacher saying that demons would fly through his window at night and tear him to bits. One guy I talked to watched Trungpa down two 40 ouncers of beer during a public dharma talk. Then there’s the story I’ve heard from about half a dozen people about the time Trungpa forced a couple to participate in an orgy by ordering his uniformed guards to strip them naked against their will.

And yet for all his scandalous activities, Chogyam Trungpa is still revered 24 years after his death as one of the great Buddhist masters. Johanna Demetrakas’ new film Crazy Wisdom seeks to understand this contradictory figure. Was he merely a madman who conned thousands into thinking he was a guru? Or was his crazy wisdom really more wise than crazy after all?

I’ve never been quite sure just what to make of Trungpa. His book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism is still one of my favorites on the subject of pursuing the dharma authentically. And yet he was a drunk and a sex fiend. Even his closest students admit that. He never hid any of this, though. And that’s what made him different. While poor old Richard Baker Roshi, head of the San Francsico Zen Center was getting flayed alive for having a brief affair with one student, Trungpa was out there screwing his followers like there was no tomorrow. And nobody seemed too fussed about it.

It turns out that perhaps sex isn’t the real problem. The real problem may be spiritual teachers who present themselves as one thing and then act completely contrary to that image. This is something Chogyam Trungpa never did.

Crazy Wisdom is a wonderfully entertaining film about this amazing contradictory man. Although the filmmakers are followers of Trungpa and naturally seek to present him in a positive light, they don’t gloss over his faults either. Trungpa never attempted to define himself according to the categories others created. Neither do the filmmakers attempt to do so. It’s left to the viewer to decide if Trungpa was insane or saintly.

Documentaries about spiritual masters aren’t usually my thing. They tend to be dry, boring and exceedingly reverent. But Crazy Wisdom isn’t your run of the mill fluff piece put together by people who want to show you why their guru is better than yours. It’s a serious film, but it has some truly laugh out loud moments. The cast is a who’s who of luminaries associated with Eastern spirituality in the West including Allan Ginsberg, Ram Dass, Stephen Batchelor, and Trungpa’s student Pema Chodron.

My only complaint is that the filmmakers chose to ignore the darker side of Trungpa’s legacy, his followers who understood their teacher’s crazy wisdom as a license to do anything at all regardless of the potential consequences. In particular I’m thinking of the story of Osel Tendzin. Tendzin was Trungpa’s successor who liked to suck and fuck just as much as his teacher. The problem was that when Tendzin was diagnosed with HIV he continued having unprotected sex without informing his partners of his condition. Stephen Butterfield, a former student, said (though this is not in the film), “In response to close questioning by students, he first swore us to secrecy and then said that Trungpa had requested him to be tested for HIV in the early 1980s and told him to keep quiet about the positive result. Tendzin had asked Trungpa what he should do if students wanted to have sex with him, and Trungpa's reply was that as long as he did his Vajrayana purification practices, it did not matter, because they would not get the disease. Tendzin's answer, in short, was that he had obeyed the guru.” Trungpa was wrong.

I’ll grant you that even addressing this subject at all may have pulled the film in a whole different direction. It’s a movie about Trungpa, not Tendzin. Still, to completely ignore this very significant effect of Trungpa’s teaching style seems a little like keeping something hidden. And Trungpa never hid anything.

In spite of this shortcoming I still highly recommend the film. It isn’t the kind of snore fest these sorts of documentaries usually are. In fact it’s highly engaging and entertaining as well as informative. It presents a (mostly) honest portrait of a Buddhist master who doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold.

***

Brad is on tour right now and may be in your area. To see where Brad will be speaking next take a look here.

Brad Warner is the author of Sex, Sin and Zen: A Buddhist Exploration of Sex from Celibacy to Polyamory and Everything in Between as well as Hardcore Zen, Sit Down and Shut Up! and Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate. He maintains a blog about Buddhist stuff that you can click here to see.

You can also buy T-shirts and hoodies based on his books, and the new CD by his band Zero Defex now!

***

Related Posts:
Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen: Juggling
Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen: Secure Your Mask Before Helping Others
Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen: Uninvited To The Buddhist Party
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: Win A Date With Brad Warner!!!
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: The End of the World As We Know It
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: Meditation, Depression and the Sense of Self
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: How To Make A Zen Monster
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: Living Simply
Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen: I Resent My High School

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 1 2011 9:04 PM

Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two

Submitted by Steven_Altman

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Art, Blog, Books, Entertainment, Fiction, Geek, Internuts, fiction, Steven-Elliot Altman, The Killswitch Review

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 1 2011 3:13 PM

The Art of SuicideGirls feat. NerdMachine

Submitted by NerdMachine

Edited by nicole_powers

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 1 2011 2:17 PM

The Best of the Best Comic Books of 2011

Submitted by Drama

Edited by nicole_powers

by Damon Martin

2011 was 12-months of non-stop action in the comic book industry. More and more movies are being adapted from comics, while genre TV shows are seeing their ratings go through the roof. For example a whopping 6.6 million viewers tuned in for the mid-season finale of the AMC adapted series The Walking Dead.

DC launched the New 52, which essentially scrapped every single comic they had going and restarted all the titles back at issue one with new storylines and new origins. Marvel killed a Spider-Man (although it was in their alternate 'Ultimate' universe) and re-launched popular characters like Daredevil, while still trying to build back The Avengers.

Though it was a long and crazy year for comic books, these are the titles, artists, and writers that I felt stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

Best New Series: The DC 52

I know, I know, it seems like a cop out to choose 52 comics as the best new comic of 2011, but what DC did by rebooting their entire catalog of comics was a brave and dangerous move. They risked alienating long time readers with their attempt to lure new fans. But judging by the millions of issues sold in just the first few months, the brain trust at DC are currently look like geniuses.

Headed up by the marquee series Justice League, written by DC wunderkind Geoff Johns and art legend Jim Lee, the DC 52 series has content that appeals to the everyday fan, as well as edgier, darker material for those looking for a little bit more blood between the pages.

The stand-outs for the new 52 include Gail Simone's take on Batgirl, which has been a fantastic read thus far, as well as Jeff Lemire's Animal Man, which has become one of the best ongoing series in the DC universe. In addition to the successful re-booting of the Green Lantern, with the evil Sinestro wearing the green ring of will once again and Hal Jordan trying to earn his way back into the corp, Geoff Johns has managed to make Aquaman a character people can follow again.

Overall the DC 52 has been a great success for the comic giant, and they deserve this award for having the guts to risk it all. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and they came up big winners.

Honorable Mentions: Green Wake, Ultimate Spider-Man

Best Writer: Joe Hill

A few years ago Joe Hill may have been best known as the son of legendary horror author Stephen King. Fast forward to 2011, and though he may have got off to a faster start by standing on the shoulders of a giant, with his work on Locke & Key, Hill's now setting the standard for writing in comics entirely on his own merit.

A labyrinth of characters are interwoven into this book about a family that moves into a house with an elaborate set of doors and keys that open into different worlds, while an evil spirit continues to haunt them.

The biggest crime perpetrated against Hill may be that Fox bought the rights to Locke & Key as a new ongoing series. After a pilot was made, Fox decided to scrap the project in favor of other shows. I had the pleasure of watching the pilot at San Diego Comic Con 2011, and I can say with certainty that Fox made a huge mistake not picking this up. Hill has continued to make Locke & Key one of the most enjoyable series on the market today - his storytelling is nothing short of brilliant.

Honorable Mentions: Nick Spencer, Robert Kirkman, Jason Aaron, Mark Waid

Best Artist: J.H. Williams III

For the second year in a row no less! J.H. Williams III really has set the bar for comic book art in recent times. His stunning art is beautiful on page after page of DC’s reboot of Batwoman, and his work continues to excel in every issue. He pushes the envelope in everything he does - so much so that comic book artists all over the world are paying attention to what he is doing. Williams captures the spirit of his characters with every picture and frame within a book, and truly knows how to showcase emotion so no explanatory words are necessary. It might be hard to move on from Williams in 2012 if his work continues along this same stellar path.

Honorable Mentions: Francis Manapul, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jim Lee, Joe Eisma

Best Ongoing Series: Morning Glories

The knockout winner for the 2012 Book Of The Year goes to Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma's creation Morning Glories, which was an honorable mention for best new series in 2011. It's been hailed as the Lost of comic books – there’s a whirlwind in every issue leaving you absolutely begging for more. It's a series that has an ending in sight as Spencer has said the run will go around 100 issues, putting it in line with another classic book, Y the Last Man.

Most believe Morning Glories will be headed to television within the next couple of years, and there's no doubt why. Spencer's story about a group of special teenagers sent to a prestigious high school where the teachers are actually abusive overlords, hiding a deep secret within the walls, is captivating, mind-boggling, and awe inspiring.

From one issue to the next, Spencer leaves your eyes widened and your jaw dropped, and when accompanied by Joe Eisma's perfectly placed art, Morning Glories is a tour de force that quickly draws you in and never slows down.

When my comic pull is given to me at my local store, nothing hits my eyes faster when I get home than Morning Glories. It's the first ongoing series that has captivated me this way since Robert Kirkman began writing The Walking Dead several years ago. If you pick up no other book in 2011, Morning Glories is the one to try out.

Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead, Locke & Key, Uncanny X-Force.

So there you have it loyal readers, the best of the best in comic books for 2011. I expect 2012 to be even bigger because The Dark Knight Rises will hit movie theaters and I'm sure it will be a huge hit. A new Daredevil comic will hit stores in 2012 as well, with an all-star cast on board for the writing and art, including longtime scribe Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Mack. And with the digital age upon us, the comic book industry is entering a whole new world in 2012, and bigger things are sure to be on the horizon.

commentary
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2011 12:00 PM

Freedom Of The Press The Biggest Casualty Of Last Night’s #OccupyLA Raid

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

by Nicole Powers

[Above: The heroes of last night's raid - citizen journalists and Livestreamers Oakfosho and OccupyFreedomLA]

Though thankfully there's no reports of anyone being seriously hurt during last night's police action, perhaps the biggest casualty was the First Amendment and freedom of the press. The LAPD pre-selected a group of a dozen handpicked mainstream media representatives, and denied access to the City Hall grounds to all other journalists while the eviction was taking place. (During the actual raid, any media already present were warned that they may face arrest or serious injury if they ignored the dispersal order and remained on the South Lawn.) Predictably, no independent or alternative outlets - and no bloggers or Livestreamers - were among the LAPD's chosen few.

At one point in the evening citizen-journalist-turned-Livestream-celebrity OakFoSho was threatened by an officer who pointed the business end of a weapon at him - with his finger on the trigger. This incident was witnessed by the surrounding crowd, who chanted "guns down" repeatedly in response, and the approximately 15,000 viewers who were watching OakFoSho's stream. The officer's name was duly noted and shared by numerous Tweeters (including friend of SG Wil Wheaton).

Just as troubling was the fact that the pool of approved media had serious restrictions placed upon them. They were not allowed to tweet or call in stories from inside the park until after the eviction, and had to funnel all pool reports via a city news wire service. Additionally, KCAL9 revealed they had "made an agreement with the LAPD to not give away their tactics" and, according to BoingBoing's Xeni Jardin, "CBS LA blacked out shots so as to 'not interfere with integrity of police action.'" Many other bloggers and tweeters also noted their disappointment at the easy compliance of so-called journalists and traditional media outlets whom they felt should have put up more resistance to the obvious attempt to restrict and suppress information.

The underlying serious First Amendment issue at play here is the principle that police shouldn't be the ones to decide who is and who isn't deemed press - since the function of a free press in a democracy is to provide a check and balance for those in authority. Furthermore, even those members of the media granted pre-designated access can't cover any action freely if they're worried about having the credentials they need for such coverage rescinded (as was the case in New York during the Zuccotti Park eviction). Given the gravity of this issue, we expect this story to develop over the next few days and weeks, and understand the ACLU is already in the process of taking action.

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2011 10:10 AM

#OccupyLA – Images Of The Morning After The Raid

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Activism, Blog, Politics, #OccupyWallStreet, #OWS, OccupLA

by Nicole Powers

Just over 24 hours before #OccupyLA would have celebrated its 2-month anniversary, the encampment at City Hall in DTLA was raided. The operation involved 1400 police officers and resulted in 200+ arrests (update: LAPD have confirmed a total of 292). After staging and loading into buses at Dodger Stadium earlier in the evening, police swarmed Solidarity Park from the outside in, and from the inside out - with officers in riot gear and hazmat suits pouring out of the South Doors of City Hall. The LAPD claim that there were only 3 violent incidents resulting in injury. The last of the protesters - 4 people and a dog - that had been holding out in a tree house, were removed from their tree top fort with the help of a cherry picking mobile platform and rifles firing bean bag rounds just before dawn. Clean up crews quickly moved in to dismantle the camp. These images were shot between 7 and 8 AM today.

RIP #OccupyLA at #Solidarity Park. Long live #Occupy. You can't remove, arrest, destroy, bulldoze, or dispose of an idea.

We sidestep some of LA's finest to shoot what's left of Solidarity Park.

As we shoot through the fence in one area an officer tells us "the sidewalk is closed."

We are a peaceful movement. Never stoop to their level. One love.

A tent is dragged to a dumpster by a member of the cleanup crew.

And another one.

Wishes written by children from the #OccupyLA creche are still attached to a tree.

A news crew reporting on the aftermath amidst the rubble.

#OccupyScience

Here's to the death of mindless consumerism.

Camp life sure was colorful.

A trash truck moves into the heart of Solidarity Park.

A bamboo sculpture gets trashed and compacted.

The white stuff piled up in the foreground is discarded disposable hazmat suits.

Remember: Close your account.

The bulldozers move in.

Concrete barriers are transported to City Hall.

A bulldozer moves a concrete barrier into place.

City Hall is now a fortress surrounded by concrete barriers and wire fencing.

But the protesting don't stop.

Waiting for peace at a bus stop as the sun rises.

Picking through the rubble. Just after I took this picture, this chap found a pair of socks!

A displaced member of the #OccupyLA community is happy to have rescued his belongings.

More displaced set up home a few blocks away.

The site of #OccupyLA's last stand. The Freedom Fort occupied by Manny, Chad, Shane, Lucky, and a dog - who was technically the last occupier to leave the park!

They were the dreamers - indeed a friend told a livestreamer that Manny had wanted to build a tree house ever since he was a kid. Not sure getting arrested was on his wish list though.

No prizes for guessing what these are!

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2011 4:34 AM

What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Ryker Suicide’s Best Ever Chicken Enchiladas!

Submitted by Ryker

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: All Things SG, Blog, Food & Drink, Vegetarian

by Ryker Suicide

This is my VERY coveted recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. I have kept it to myself long enough...time to release it into the world I serve each enchilada on a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with a favorite combination of garnishes (this can include your favorite salsa, sour cream, diced jalapenos or your favorite pepper, and of course, fresh cilantro!), and sided with black beans and Spanish rice. This recipe serves 8. Typically I only cook for 2-4 so I always save half of the filling and freeze it for a quick and easy dinner for later! Also, left over enchiladas are great for breakfast served over lettuce and eggs! Enchiladas con juevos anyone? Nom nom nom....

Ingredients Tacos:

1 can of black beans

Lime juice

1 bundle of fresh cilantro

1 can of diced tomatoes/peppers

4-5 cloves fresh garlic

1 lb of chicken thighs or breast (I prefer thighs because they are so tender and pull easy, but breast is good too)
1 can of enchilada sauce

1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes

5 green chilis (finely diced)

4 chipotle peppers soaked in adobe sauce (also finely diced)

2-4 tablespoons of adobe sauce from peppers (to TASTE, this sauce is a little on the spicy side. I tend to go overboard with it. I figured a normal person would use about half of what I use haha!)
1 red or yellow onion (your preference, I like it both ways)

Ground cumin, salt, pepper, taco seasoning

Shredded cheese-Mexican blend

Corn tortillas (about 16 or so)

Spanish rice

Sour cream

Your favorite salsa - I think a fresh goes best with this dish

Shredded lettuce

Flour (for dredging)

Preparation:
1) Pat chicken dry to ensure even browning. Season with salt/pepper/cumin. Dredge in a blend of taco seasoning and flour. Brown evenly on each side in large sauté pan coated with olive oil until cooked through. Sprinkle a bit of taco seasoning, cumin, and garlic powder while browning. Remove chicken from pan, set aside to cool.

2) In the same pan sauté diced onion, ensuring to scrape up any yummy brown chicken bits left in the pan. Once onions are just translucent, add 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced!) and sauté for 45 seconds or until deliciously fragrant. Add finely diced peppers, sauté for another minute. Add stewed tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes or so, breaking up the tomatoes as you do this so they aren't in such huge chunks. Turn heat down and pull chicken, then return chicken to pan allowing it to simmer a few minutes. Add a bit of adobe sauce to taste. Then sprinkle entire mixture with flour to allow it to set. You can add a bit of taco seasoning too if you think it needs more flavor.

3) In a large casserole dish add a nice full ladle of enchilada sauce to cover bottom of dish. Fill corn tortillas** with chicken mixture, sprinkle with some cheese, roll and set in dish. Repeat until dish is full. Then ladle remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas and top with loads of yummy cheese until covered. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and JUST BEGINNING to brown.

While enchiladas are baking, make up a batch of Spanish rice, add a bit of cumin and any other seasonings to spice it up to your taste. While the rice is cooking, you can start on the beans.

First sauté about a quarter to a half of a yellow onion in a pan until onions are tender and translucent, add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté until aromatic. Then add beans and mix well. Then add a few squirts of lime juice (to taste) and about a half of a can or so of diced tomatoes/peppers. You can also add some green chilis here too if you'd like, I usually do. Then throw in as much chopped fresh cilantro as you'd like. I go heavy - I love cilantro. Again, this is to taste. Let beans simmer on low to keep warm until enchiladas are ready, which they should be about now

I serve two enchiladas over a bed of shredded lettuce, with beans and rice on either side. I top the enchiladas with salsa, sour cream, diced scallions (optional), and fresh cilantro. You can also top with fresh diced jalapenos! Get creative

**Hint: when using corn tortillas, it helps to heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to make them warm and pliable since they will crumble less.

Related Posts:

What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Ryker Suicide’s Butternut Squash And Black Bean Tacos!
What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Ryker Suicide’s Yummy Tomato Bisque
What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Ryker Suicide’s Pumpkin Lasagna
What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Mimmi Suicide’s Vegan Chili With Guacamole
What’s Cooking In SG’s Kitchen? Ryker Suicide’s Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw, Avocado-Tomato Salsa and Pineapple Hot Sauce

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2011 4:15 AM

Ur W33K 1N G33K (November 23 – November 29)

Submitted by Saccora

Edited by SG_Blog

Tags: Blog, Entertainment, Gaming, Geek, Internuts, Movies, TV, Comics

by A.J. Focht

Possible SPOILERS from the Dark Knight Rises have hit the web. The spoilers revolve around the films prologue. If they are correct, there may be some major changes to Bane’s background story. The leak is unconfirmed and, therefore, it’s best to file this one under rumors.

Adding on to the series of disastrous events to befall The Wolverine, the film is being delayed again, and this time there is no speculation to when it may release. Maybe this should be a sign to scrap the project and let the series rest for a while.

Some big news for Ender’s Game fans, Asa Butterfield, star of the new box office hit Hugo, confirmed via Twitter that he will be playing the role of Ender. There had been reports he was offered the role, and he is very excited to take it. The movie is being directed by Wolverine Origins director Gavin Hood, and is scheduled to release in March of 2013.

Men in Black III is officially a go. The first teaser posters for the film have been released. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have returned as Agents ‘J’ and ‘K’. The posters don’t tell us much more than the fact the project has hit the marketing stage.

Star Trek 2 has received a new release date for May 2013. But that’s not all. Oscar winning composer, Michael Giacchino, is back on for the second film. And finally, it is confirmed the film will be shooting in 3D.

One last note about the movies, if you didn’t already think Twilight is hazardous to your health, it’s now been confirmed. Cases have been reported of viewers going into epileptic seizures during the birthing scene. Anyone susceptible to seizures should therefore avoid seeing Breaking Dawn.

Some great news for Bluntman & Chronic, Neil Gaiman has confirmed he's agreed to voice Alfred in the cartoon via Twitter. The news of a cartoon is exciting enough, but to know that Neil Gaiman is on the project is just fantastic.

MTV Geek has released their Top 10 Comic Book Writers of 2011. It’s no surprise that many of the DC New 52 writers have made the list as well as a handful of independent comics. Deservingly, Animal Man writer Jeff Lemire has taken the top spot.

Before you go, enjoy David Tennant reading a bedtime story with penguins on CBeebies, courtesy of Geek Mom.

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MONDAY NOVEMBER 28 2011 9:03 PM

Things I Like That You Might Like Too: Occupy Comics

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

by Aaron Colter

It's been a long time since I've written anything about #OccupyWallStreet, and even longer since I first posted about the movement's inception. Since then, a lot of things have happened, most of which are still too difficult to cope with intelligently or even handle on basic level. The world is awaking, bursting at the seams of what it means to be a society. It's exciting, but frightening as well, confusing as always.

I hope to unpack all of those thoughts soon. Put them into the right places so that I can have a better grasp of what Occupy means, why in some ways it was a tragedy, and why it's still hopeful. Most importantly, why its failure is a personal failure.

For now, if you're supportive of the moment, continue to do what you can. Some of us in the comic scene have decided to come together for a Kickstarter project called Occupy Comics. Top names in the industry are creating their own interpretations and stories from the Occupy movement for a book that will be collected next year. For now, funds raised will be donated by the artists to various efforts around the world to help the Occupy movement continue. There are only a few days left to contribute if you'd like to help out or get a book.

Creators involved include: Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan), Dan Goldman (Shooting War), Amanda Palmer (Evelyn, Evelyn), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Riley Rossmo (Cowboy Ninja Viking), Tim Seely (Hack/Slash), Zoetica Ebb (SuicideGirls, Biorequiem), Steve Rolston (Queen & Country), Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D.), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), both Brea Grant and Zane Grant of the SuicideGirls comic series, and many more. Plus, several other top creators will be announced soon!

If you're into the idea, please contribute to the Kickstarter. And if you have an idea of your own for how to keep the Occupy movement alive, please make it a reality.

Thanks for reading.

Stay safe, stay positive.

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Things I Like That You Might Like Too

commentary
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 2011 9:05 PM

The History Of The World According To Facebook

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Books, Comedy, Entertainment, Geek, Internuts, comedy, Facebook, The History Of The World According To Facebook, Wylie Overstreet

by Blogbot

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook's genius has been its ability to express complex relationships between people and things in a simplified graphical form in a way that is easy to grasp with just a couple of minutes browsing at any one time. Thus, its storytelling format is clearly ideal for condensing convoluted shit like life, the universe, and everything into an easy to read feed. A new book, authored by Wylie Overstreet, rather successfully does just that, telling the entire history of the world in just 153 not-too-dense pages. Here, in this excerpted first chapter, we breeze through the pertinent points of a few billion years, learning more-or-less everything we need to know about a period of time bookended by the birth of the universe and the birth of man.

***

In August 2010, Wylie Overstreet published a satirical article called "If Historical Events Had Facebook Statuses" on CoolMaterial.com. Within a month, it had received 3 million views and had been "liked" by 120,000 Facebook users. In The History Of The World According To Facebook (published by It Books), Overstreet expands this concept into a full-length history of the world, from its creation up to the present day, as if Facebook had existed all along and Abraham Lincoln had written a status update about "taking the missus to the theater" on April 15, 1865 and Ben Franklin had done the same alerting his network that he′d signed the Declaration of Independence ("Bring it," replied John Adams). Filled with hundreds of real-life historical figures and thousands of not-at-all-real Facebook statuses, comments, and actions, and parodying Facebook users′ proclivity to over-share and use lazy jargon ("lol," "rofl," "fml," etc.), this is the definitive humor book for those who spend too much time online.

Excerpt from The History Of The World According To Facebook by Wylie Overstreet reprinted by kind permission of It Books. Copyright © 2011 Wylie Overstreet.

commentary
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 2011 9:03 PM

I Am An Atheist

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Activism, Blog, Geek, Politics, Science

by Damon Martin

In today's America, I could easily say I was a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or a Muslim and likely get less criticism and hatred spewed at me than simply saying I don't believe in any god or book that talks about a god. It's for that reason that today I 'come out of the closet' and proudly say that I'm an atheist. I won't apologize for that and hopefully more atheists will do the same.

At the University of Kansas recently, a group of students launched a campaign called 'We Are Atheists' modeled after the famous 'It Gets Better' campaign focused around gays and lesbians.

The 'We Are Atheists' ideal is simply a way for more non-believers to come out and not be afraid to speak about their lack of belief in a god, or their belief in science or evolution, or whatever it is that brought them to decree that they are an atheist.

Co-founder Amanda Brown put together a five-minute video that's being circulated around YouTube speaking about why she is an atheist and encouraging others to speak out as well.

It's a similar ideal to that of famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who started the 'Out Campaign' a few years ago. Dawkins created the movement with the exact same thought in mind:

"The Out Campaign allows individuals to let others know they are not alone. It can also be a nice way of opening a conversation and help to demolish the negative stereotypes of atheists. Let the world know that we are not about to go away and that we are not going to allow those that would condemn us to push us into the shadows"

Atheism is almost like a dirty word in American culture. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in May 2011 asked voters what potential traits would sway them negatively away from a political candidate. 7% said that a political candidate being a woman could sway them away, 33 % said a candidate being gay could push their vote the other way, while 46% said that a candidate who had an extra marital affair wouldn't get their vote. As for atheists, well a whopping 61% said that that was a negative trait that would keep them from receiving a vote.

The fact is, not believing in god scares the general public because believing in god, any god, is something that's so widely accepted, that society by default dictates that you have to believe in something to be accepted. It's not enough that the Bible, Koran, or any other religious texts all disagree on where the world came from or how to get to heaven, that ultimately religious folks all believe in some magical spaceman in the sky – believing in anything rather than nothing is preferential when it comes to creating camaraderie.

The fact is I'm an atheist. I don't believe in a higher deity, I don't believe in the Bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon or any other religious text. I went to church as a kid and I thought I believed in god the same as everyone else around me. I had an aunt and uncle that took me to church with them and I felt accepted, and I felt like this was what I was supposed to do.

As time went on however, I realized that I never felt a 'divine presence' and when I read the Bible cover to cover, it literally scared the hell out of me. How could a god that was supposed to be so loving and forgiving be so selfish as to ask you to literally love him above everything else? How could this same god kill, murder, and have horrible acts done in his name on page after page after page?

I always joke with people that the easiest way to make an atheist is to have them read the Bible, but the reality is that it was a shock of reality for me as much as reading any book about science or even Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. There is however just as much wonder and amazing things in science as there will ever be in a book like the Bible, conversely there's a lot less rape, murder, and genocide in a science text than a book talking about god.

I do have morals and none of them are based on the Ten Commandments or other religious beliefs that have been passed along. I know I shouldn't kill a person because it's simply wrong, not because god told me it was wrong.

With the holiday season just around the corner, I'm sure to have friends ask me about how I'll celebrate Christmas, and I usually respond with the same thing every year: “It's a day off from work.” But pushed deeper, I'll happily explain that I don't celebrate Christmas the same way that I don't celebrate Easter or any other religious holiday.

Sure, Christmas is more about gift giving and seeing family now than anything to do with the supposed birth of Christ, but it's something I'd rather not acknowledge and that's my choice. The same way I don't expect all of my friends to read the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, or follow the speeches given by Christopher Hitchens.

The fact is I'm an atheist and that doesn't make me any better or worse of a person than anybody reading this article. But I refuse to be afraid to talk about why I don't believe a god exists the same way so many Christians happily thank god when something good goes right in their life.

If that makes me a lightning rod for criticism, so be it. I know I'm not alone and I'm happy to stand up and make the statement.

I am an atheist.

commentary
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24 2011 11:54 PM

Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One

Submitted by Steven_Altman

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Books, Entertainment, Fiction, Geek, Internuts, fiction, Steven-Elliot Altman, The Killswitch Review

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 SIX, PART ONE]

[A NEW FACE ON THINGS]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

Elsa led them through the underground and up onto the street, into the oppressive heat. The infocrawl on a nearby building read two o’clock. Their civilian clothing didn’t cool as well as BBI grays, and sweat gathered instantly between Haggerty’s shoulder blades and down his spine. Corbin wasn’t doing much better; he didn’t envy her the wig.

The Westside was almost as busy in the predawn hours as Vegas had been earlier that evening. Few CCs lived here. The Westside had long functioned as a kind of holding cell for immigrants awaiting Provisional Citizenship, but few of them got far along that path anymore and their population was dwindling. Sanctions had been tightening for years, until it was almost impossible to gain legal entry to the country. Even CCs who ventured beyond its borders weren’t guaranteed permission to return. Increasingly, NewVada’s least desirable neighborhood had become home to disaffected JCs too restless to continue living with their parents and too young to be hired for anything but part-time, low-level work. They crowded three and four to compartments meant for no more than dual occupancy, pooling meager resources to scrape by.

The Westside was also home to another, unsavory element, as Haggerty had pointed out to Regina: betting boards, shoot-up galleries, sex parlors, and individuals that preyed upon the less fortunate in quasi-legal or outright illegal ways. A group of such undesirables observed them as they passed the recessed alcove where they were sharing a bottle. The rough young men with painted faces unleashed catcalls and sexual gestures at the two beautiful CC women, giving Haggerty dark, calculating looks.

Corbin and Haggerty quickened their pace.

Elsa led them past gaily lit ten-credit stores thronged with immigrants, some of whom clearly had availed themselves of the relatively inexpensive plastiche parlors. But without geno-immunization and telemor, there was only so much plastiche could do. For Westsiders, flesh was not always flawless and unmarked by the passage of time or disease. A woman emerged from a storefront, purchases dangling from a bag carried awkwardly in her left hand, her withered right arm held close to her side. A few blocks farther, they encountered an old man, back bent, pock-marked, nearly bald, walking unsteadily toward them. The old man glanced up at Haggerty as they came abreast of each other, and Haggerty intuited that the old man must be truly as old as Haggerty himself. To be confronted by the reality of his actual age unmediated by technology was unsettling.

“Oldster got a good look at you,” Corbin said, turning to watch the man shuffle away. “We should hurry, in case he sounds the alarm.”

“Not that kind of neighborhood,” Haggerty said.

He pointed out the broken surveillance cams. In this district, Big Brother turned a blind eye. Only marginally reassured, Corbin kept skittishly glancing around.

The buildings surrounding them were older, decrepit, and barely habitable if they weren’t already abandoned or condemned. A billboard for BBI towered above the street, depicting an elderly woman — her true age, like that of the old man they’d just encountered, was apparent — happily displaying her unit above the slogan They care enough to let me make my own decision. Haggerty found it deeply disturbing. In this place, who needed a KV unit? The Westside immigrants were already dying of the old evils that had beset the industrialized world before the stem had been cracked, evils that continued to plague the rest of the planet. As for the JCs . . . Cherub’s taunt sounded in his mind: What’s the difference if someone doesn’t bother with the formalities?

“This is the building,” Elsa said, stopping before a courtyard alcove strewn with stinking refuse baking in the heat.

The building’s façade had fallen into such disrepair that the seams and dried adhesive were visible in the simulacrum slate designed to look like brickwork. The upper floors were dark. Corbin grimaced and plunged after Elsa through the refuse to the entrance. Haggerty followed slowly, holding his breath and peering into the shadows to make sure they weren’t walking into an ambush. He felt the need for a celtrex, but it would have to wait.

They made it to the entrance without incident, then down a narrow hallway only marginally less filthy than the alcove outside. Both of the building’s tubes were inoperable; they had to walk five flights up damaged stairways. Elsa looked at each door carefully; a third of the way down the corridor she stopped.

“That one,” she said.

“Do we knock or just break and enter?” Corbin asked dryly.

“We knock,” Haggerty said.

Corbin pounded on the door. “Open up!” she shouted. “Police business.”

No response — and no one stirred from the other compartments. Haggerty knocked. More silence.

“Try the card, Elsa.”

Elsa inserted the plasticine keycard in the locking mechanism. The bolt slid back with a snick. Haggerty gently pushed the door open and stepped into the dark, windowless pairplex.

“Lights on,” Corbin called, to no effect.

Haggerty reached his hand inside of the door frame and flicked a switch, and the lights came on.

“These old buildings are still on manual,” he explained to Corbin.

Immediately visible in the tiny room were bunk beds, a flowmat, a sink full of dishes, and multiple darkglow posters of Clone Jesus aiming their instruments at the viewer. Climate control was nonfunctional. A small makeshift desk housed an ancient desktop computer plugged into an electric socket. Beside it lay an old-style spiral bound notebook filled with scribbled diagrams and technical jargon Haggerty could not fathom. Then a holographic photo frame on the desk caught his attention. He lifted it for a better look — and felt like he’d taken a body blow.

The holograph showed five young people — four girls and a boy — in front of a small cottage somewhere in the desert, sunlight glinting off a power grid in the distance. There was Teardrop, her platinum hair skinpainted with streaks of black, and beside her stood Regina, looking no older than she did now, laughing at the camera. Behind them, one arm thrown casually around each girl, was the blue-haired boy who had pressed, grinning. The thin girl Regina had talked to at the Orphanage reclined on a flowmat at their feet like a vamp from a bygone film era, long red curls draping her narrow face and blisterbrands on both arms. Hovering beside Regina, dressed in a black skinsuit, her hair skinpainted purple, fuchsia, and magenta, was a girl Haggerty did not recognize.

“Looks like we’re in the right place,” Corbin said, inspecting the holograph over his shoulder.

Haggerty was forced to admit that Regina was involved with Teardrop and the boy. How and why had yet to be determined.

“Your girlfriend —” Corbin continued.

Elsa broke in. “Jason, I’m picking up erratic breathing.”

The agents turned their attention to the bathroom door, which stood ajar. Corbin lunged forward, slamming the door open.

Collapsed on the bathroom floor was the last girl in the picture, wearing only a simple camipant underskin. Her hair was dark now. She moaned softly, her back arching and her hips twisting, her fingers clutching the bathroom rug as paroxysms gripped her body.

“Looks like she’s on some kind of euphoric,” Haggerty said.

“Most likely one that produces sexual stimuli,” Elsa elaborated.

Corbin stared in disgust. “Is there something we can do to bring her down?”

“Check the cabinet over the sink,” said Haggerty. “See if there’s any SoberUp or Qwik-D-Tox.”

Corbin stepped over the writhing girl to open the cabinet. None of the commercial preparations for counteracting the effects of alcohol and most recreational drugs were on hand.

“We’ll just have to wait until she comes out of it,” Haggerty said. “Elsa, watch the girl while agent Corbin and I look around.”

Five kids in one small space produced a lot of clutter. Haggerty scrounged through unlaundered girls’ clothing, papers and leaflets, empty bottles of alcohol and spent poppers, and bags of makeup. Cabinet shelves held personal care products. A box of SoberUp gave him brief hope they’d be able to get the girl back to normal quickly, but it was empty.

“We’ve got an illegal black box,” Corbin called, extracting it from the kitchen cabinet. “The tabs are sealed but the name and serial numbers have been scraped.”

She handed the unit to Haggerty. He wondered if it was his. There was no way of telling unless he activated it, and reviewing an undischarged box was a Federal offense that Elsa would not override without authorization.

“Jason, the girl is reviving,” Elsa informed them from the bathroom.

“It’s about time,” Corbin muttered, moving straight to the girl. “What’s your name?” she demanded, pulling her up by the shoulders.

“Sharyn,” the girl said, staring emptily at Corbin, apparently too high to be alarmed. She giggled. “What’s yours?”

“I’ll ask the questions,” Corbin said, roughly moving the girl to the flowmat. “You’re in serious trouble, Sharyn.”

“I’m already past trouble,” the girl said, sobering for a moment, a look of despair replacing the drug-induced euphoria.

“Who gave you this?” Haggerty said, indicating the black box and then pocketing it.

Sharyn laughed abruptly. “It must be Traci’s. She must’ve nicked it from someone at work.”

Haggerty grabbed the holograph and indicated the thin, dramatically posed girl with copper curls and blisterbranded arms. “Is this Traci?”

“That’s her all right,” Sharyn said.

“And where exactly does she work?” Haggerty asked.

“It’s a secret.” Sharyn placed a thin finger to her lips and shook her head — then burst into hysterical laughter and doubled up on the floor, clutching her stomach.

“What are you dosing?” Corbin demanded.

She was laughing so hard they could barely make out her words.

“Happy Sticks?” Haggerty said.

“That’s right,” she giggled, which started another laughing fit.

Haggerty looked to Corbin, who shrugged.

“Elsa?” he inquired.

“I have nothing on it in my data banks.”

Haggerty leaned over Sharyn. “Who are the other people in this holograph?”

The girl glanced at the picture again. “That’s me,” she said, her finger hovering over her own image. “God, I look like shit. That’s Traci, Teardrop, Regina, and Sunset.”

“The boy’s name is Sunset?” Haggerty said. “Do you know his surname? Do you know Teardrop’s?”

“Do you know they’re both dead?” Corbin added coldly.

“What?” Sharyn stared at the other woman in horror.

“You heard me. They’re both dead. And if you don’t help us you’re going to spend the rest of your life in a cell — if you’re lucky. Otherwise, you’ll get shipped off to exile. No more drugs. Just disease, poverty, and early old age.”

The girl retreated on the flowmat, terrified, until her back hit the wall.

“Take it easy,” Haggerty told Corbin.

“What was Teardrop’s real name?” Corbin persisted. “Who was she with the last time you saw her?”

“I thought that was her real name,” Sharyn whimpered. “It’s the only one she ever used. She hasn’t been home in over a week. She went with Sunset to meet people who worked with Clone Jesus. Last I heard she was making it with Cherub.”

“The bass player?” Corbin demanded.

“They got the total hook-up.”

“And where are Regina and Traci now?” Corbin asked.

Sharyn shook her head.

“Tell us or we’re turning you over to the police!”

Tears flowed down Sharyn’s cheeks. “I don’t know where anybody is! Traci should be at work. She won’t be home until morning. Regina went looking for her brother.”

“Who’s her brother?” Haggerty snapped.

“Sunset’s her brother,” Sharyn answered desperately. “But —”

Haggerty winced, recalling Regina’s shrieks that woke him into this nightmare. She had watched her brother commit suicide and been unable to tell him. He didn’t know anyone who actually had a true brother or sister — birth applications had been so tightly controlled for the past century — and couldn’t imagine the bond that must exist between them. But he was familiar with grief, and he couldn’t help aching for her.

“We need you to tell us where Traci works,” he told Sharyn.

“I don’t know,” Sharyn insisted.

“Polygraph analysis indicates she’s lying,” Elsa said plainly.

Haggerty turned stern. “You work with her?”

Sharyn’s face contorted. “I’m just a delivery girl.”

“Delivery girl for whom?” Haggerty demanded.

Sharyn shook her head rapidly, alarm escalating to fear. “Are Teardrop and Sunset really dead?”

“Yes,” Haggerty told her softly. “And we’re trying to keep more people from dying. But to do that, we need to find Traci and whoever gave her the box.”

“I’m dead if I tell you where we work,” she whispered. “And if you go there then Traci’s dead too.”

Haggerty took her gently by the shoulders. “I promise we’ll get you into protective custody and arrest everyone involved,” he said. “We’ll go there with a squad of police and Federal agents and get Traci out before anything bad can happen to her. Just tell me where you work and the place will be out of business come morning.”

Corbin was pacing with agitation. The girl watched her with mounting anxiety.

Confident that he could get Sharyn to answer if Corbin would leave them alone, Haggerty stood and motioned Corbin to step away with him, to tell her.

Corbin shrugged him aside. “All right, that’s it!” she shouted, advancing on the girl and slapping her hard across the face.

Sharyn curled herself into a ball and wailed. Haggerty moved to her side.

“Why the hell did you do that?” he snarled at Corbin.

“She’s lucky I don’t kick the shit out of her.”

Corbin extracted the com from her hip pocket and flipped it open. She clipped her earpiece and began pressing in a call code.

“What are you doing?” Haggerty barked, his hackles rising. “They’ll trace us!”

“That’s what I want,” Corbin said. “Let Woyzeck get it out of her. Once she tells him that Traci gave her the box we’re in the clear.”

Could it be that simple? Under normal circumstances, letting the police handle the investigation now was the right thing to do. But these were hardly normal circumstances. Corbin could establish that Regina had been the one to accost Haggerty. The holo established Regina’s connection to the triple press. Sharyn could confirm that Traci had supplied the box and Woyzeck would find out who was really behind this. But Haggerty wondered if Sharyn truly held the answers, and he still didn’t know if he could trust Corbin.

He knelt beside the sobbing girl as Corbin’s call went through.

“Detective Woyzeck,” Corbin said into her earset, “this is Nia Corbin. I’m with Haggerty on the Westside. We found a witness that can clear us of any criminal charges regarding those stolen units.” There was a pause, then, “Yes, his assistant is with us. Yes, she has the recordings uploaded.” Another, shorter pause. “Understood.”

Corbin switched off and raised her autostun.

“What the hell are you doing?” Haggerty shouted, angrily getting to his feet. “She’s in no condition to make a run for it.”

Sharyn covered her face, her sobs graduating to keening moans.

Corbin smiled tightly. “Sorry, Haggerty,” she said.

As Haggerty realized the drawn weapon wasn’t for Sharyn, the room went black.

Corbin fired. The shot went wide in the dark. Sharyn screamed.

Then nothing.

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

commentary
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23 2011 9:06 PM

Life Beyond the Bar Scene: A Long December

Submitted by Laurelin

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: All Things SG, Blog, Booze, Food & Drink, Love, Relationships, Sex, Society, sex

by Laurelin

The holidays are upon us. Halloween is over, and even with the turkey worshipping holiday only a few days away I find the world around me skipping over the gluttony and jumping right into the greed of the Christmas season. It’s everywhere: the commercials on TV, the lights going up all around my beautiful city, and my roommate bringing home scented candles that fill the house with the scent of peppermint and evergreen. I can’t help but feel a bit like the Grinch when his heart grew and burst out of that little metal box-- I love this time of year. It makes me hopeful, the end of the year. Gathered with family, ready with friends to start a new year, a better year.

“It’s boyfriend season,” my friend Lindsay said the other night. We were appropriately perched at my bar just as I had gotten off of work, my ex having taken over for me. Sundays are weird, us working together. We need to be friends, so I stay even when my shift is through. I glanced up at him quickly, our eyes meeting for an awkward fleeting moment as I flashed back to Lindsay, nodding and clutching my pint of beer. My knuckles were white around the glass and I thought it might break. It didn’t. Neither did I. God, every minute here is like an hour, trying to not look like an asshole, trying not to just run screaming from the room. Winter is more like ex-boyfriend season. I seem to be on a roll starting the holidays on my own year after year. How festive.

Even with a few failures looming over my head I always feel lucky this time of year as well, impossibly lucky to have such an amazing family who supports me in everything I do. Never a word from my parents about who I was dating now and how it inevitably ended. Not a word about why I chose bartending, or why I chose writing. They know I chose a hard life, but one that makes me happy. I don’t have a husband or children to bring to Thanksgiving dinner or a lot of money in my bank account for retirement, I don’t have that amazing sense of style that my cousins have, the one that always makes me feel like I’m playing dress up no matter how nice I thought I looked when I left the house. I don’t have those things, but I feel lucky to have all of them, my family.

During the holidays we all sit by the woodstove in our slippers, and drink our coffee with Baileys and we talk. We talk about everything, and I feel so lucky to be the black sheep in a family who loves me. We remember when my brother was sick for years, and my family had no money so everyone would come to our house and bring food for Thanksgiving. We remember when my cousin Matt was fighting in Iraq, and my aunt and uncle were too heartsick to travel, so we all went to their house and decorated a tree and hung stockings from the fireplace. I had arranged for my friend Lisa who worked for the USO to send Matt and every man in his company Christmas care packages, and when I told my Aunt she said it was the best present, and we all cried.

I guess winter to me isn’t exactly boyfriend season-- it’s the perfect season to be grateful for everything else that you have. It’s been another long year, a year of hard work and harder play. I know that I’m a little different than everyone else; still bartending, writing about drinking and ruined relationships. Just broke up with a new one, starting this new year alone. Again. Yes, I’m happy. Yes, seriously! Yes, I have more tattoos. No, you won’t like them. Pass my yellow duck slippers, I don’t know what I’m wearing but it’s not from The Gap and since the cousins showed up I feel frumpy. Pass the Baileys, we drink to my brother’s good health and his new marriage, to my cousin’s new baby and Matt’s safe return home. I might be in the midst of ex-boyfriend season, but it’s almost a new year, and we start it together. I can’t wait.

***

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Life Beyond the Bar Scene: When it’s Time to Move On
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commentary
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23 2011 12:40 AM

Ur W33K 1N G33K (November 16 – 22)

Submitted by Saccora

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Comics, Entertainment, Gaming, Geek, Internuts, Movies, TV

by A.J. Focht

Man of Steel is set to hit theatres on June 14, 2012, but the studio is already looking forward to the next film. A short list of writers has been drawn up. While some big names have made the list, Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer is not on it, indicating that the next Superman movie will be in fresh hands.

The cast and crew of The Amazing Spider-Man returned to New York to shoot a few additional scenes. Dozens of photos and a movie clip from the shoot have surfaced online. The Amazing Spider-Man is currently set to release in theatres on July 3, 2012.

J.J. Abrams has started location scouting for Star Trek 2. Most recently, he has been checking out Hawaii to serve as a jungle planet. Filming is currently set to start on January 15, 2012 with an expected 2013 release.

Writer of Juno and the upcoming Evil Dead, Diablo Cody, has spoken up about working on the Evil Dead project. She started off hesitant about taking the job until she realized Raimi and Campbell were behind it. Now she assures everyone that it will be scary and true to the original. It’s good to hear that the writer has many of the same concerns as the longtime fans.

In no surprising move, PBS will once again be airing BBC’s Sherlock. The first three mini-movie episodes were critically acclaimed, and brought PBS a ton of ratings. The next three mini-movie episodes will be airing, starting on May 6 at 9 PM.

Possibly the biggest news of the week is that Arrested Development has found a home for its final season. The good news is it won’t be on FOX. The better news? The rights to the show were bought by Netflix, making it the third series to air directly to the streaming service. This means you will need a Netflix account to watch Arrested Development’s last season, but you can always get a month for free.

Is there any idea worse than the Spider-Man musical? What about a Rocky musical? Well it may be happening. Sylvester Stallone is teaming up with world champion boxing brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko to produce Rocky: The Musical. All I can think of is a final seen with an opera singer version of Rocky screaming, ‘ADRIAN!”

Darth Vader has landed and is looking to dock in the Ukrain. A Ukraine citizen showed up to the mayor’s office in full Star War regalia to collect his 1,000 square meters of land that all citizens are granted. He claimed he needed the sea side land to park his space cruiser.

As 2011 starts coming to a close, there are going to be hundreds of ‘Best of 2011’ posts. A few of the geek ones have already started including several from MTV Geek. There are a few you might want to check out: Best Geek Moments of 2011, Best Comic Book Artists of 2011, and finally, the Best Video Games of 2011. This is one of the first best of video game posts, and I’ve calling the top two contenders for the last few weeks.

commentary
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22 2011 2:13 PM

Red, White and Femme: Superheroes

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Books, Entertainment, Feminism, Love, Relationships, sex, Society

by Darrah de jour

All over the United States, a band of activists has sprung up to take the law into their own gloved hands. “Real life Superheroes” are anywhere from 18 to 62 years old, run the gamut of ethnicities, backgrounds, and gender expressions, and have no real training in fighting crime. However, captured in the Michael Barnett documentary Superheroes, they appear to be part of a movement that’s taking flight.

“The film touches on a zeitgeist-y moment. I think we’re in a very troubled time right now as a society,” Director Barnett tells me over a whisky on the rocks in the dimly lit Santa Monica bar, The Yard. “#OccupyWallStreet is a very power to the people movement. People are fed up and they feel like they don’t have control and they don’t have a voice. And they’re trying to create one. This movement is so on par with that. Though a little more eccentric, it is a protest,” he asserts. “It’s saying ‘I don’t think government is efficient, I don’t think they’re helping us. I don’t think that help is coming from the top down.’”

The perky waitress seems thrilled to interrupt us to refill empty glasses and eavesdrop. The subject of our banter, which careens into after dark street patrolling and hand-made weaponry, is no secret however. In fact, there are a plethora of online forums (such as RealLifeSuperheroes.org) where you and I can engage with these Stan Lee-esque vigilantes, and now, they are under a worldwide spotlight.

Having just returned from a London screening, Barnett, a commercial director who self-funded the film, reluctantly reveals that Superheroes has won multiple awards. Accolades include The Audience Award at Calgary Underground Film Festival and The Grand Jury Award at the Los Angeles United Film Festival, among others. Shot over 15 months, this lauded and still slyly hip documentary shines a well-balanced light on a growing phenomenon, which is spearheaded by people who are self-sacrificing but not martyrs, unassuming but politically-conscious, proactive but not reward seeking.

During the day, RLSH are security guards, teachers, tattoo artists, and stay-at-home dads. But, at night, not unlike Clark Kent’s famous transition into Superman, these young men and women transform into “Dark Guardian,” “Amazonia,” “Mr. Xtreme,” “Zimmer,” and “T.S.A.F” – which stands for The Silenced And Forgotten, and belongs to one of the three female Superheroes represented in the doc.

Their real identities remain under wraps, as do their faces. Wearing sunglasses, baseball caps, head scarves and then, of course, their masks (with the exception of Zimmer, an out gay New Yorker for whom a mask would be too much like crawling back into the closet) none of the crime fighters reveal their true selves. Who they are during bank hours is less important – sometimes even to them – than who they are after dark.

***

In 1964, a 28-year-old Catherine “Kitty” Genovese was stabbed multiple times in the New York neighborhood of Queens, and left to die. She was brutally assaulted – physically and sexually – and left to bleed out. Another shocking aspect of this violent crime is that a number of neighbors saw or heard the attack in progress – and did nothing. Rather, they chose to turn out their lights and draw down their curtains. Allegedly, one neighbor even turned up his radio to drown out her screams. They simply “didn’t want to get involved,” one witness said. Kitty’s death made international headlines. In our own backyard, our most defeatist trait was killing women. Apathy.

The memory of Genovese’s death, and what is now termed “the bystander effect,” served as a call to arms for Mr. Xtreme, a San Diego superhero and a central figure in the film. He told me, “Genovese is an icon. There’s a lot of Kitty Genovese’s out there, and whether male or female, young or old, I see this happening all the time. It gets us fired up and outraged.” A mentor for youth and would-be Superheroeshe explains, “We want to show young people an alternative to gangs, drugs and the criminal life. Saving a life is the most rewarding part of being a real life superhero. And inspiring people.”

The 35-year-old activist and founder of The Xtreme Justice League, who has a working relationship with police, was recently recognized as a key tool in the capture of the Chula Vista Groper – a man who for five years groped and possibly sexually assaulted women in the area. San Diego Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez commended Mr. Xtreme’s help in spreading public awareness. Ramirez said, “The work that Mr. Xtreme has done with posting the fliers certainly contributed to…the capture of the Chula Vista Groper.”

While some dismiss these Superheroes as just outfitted danger seekers, the truth is, many are soldiers for the homeless population in their neighborhood. “Zeta Kits” – Ziplock bags filled with twenty-dollars worth of ‘must-haves’ like deodorant, socks, toilet paper and lip balm, are purchased out of pocket, and passed out by Portland power couple Zetaman and Apocalypse Meow. Irony beware, during Comic-Con, while caped wannabe’s paraded their latest and greatest, winning awards and recognition, the humble RLSH population banded together on the streets in shady intersections, helping the down and out improve their luck.

Filmmaker Barnett and I continued our tete`-a-tete´ well past the first drink, adventuring about the technical and philosophical facets to life as a superhero. Listen in.

Darrah de jour: Let’s start with a technical question. What type of camera did you use?

Michael Barnett: Canon 5D mark II.

Ddj: Do you think that your film has resulted in an upsurge of real life Superheroes?

MB: Definitely. Mr. Xtreme of the Xtreme Justice League in the beginning of our film was an army of one. Now, I think there’s fifteen in his unit in San Diego and they’ve opened a branch in Oregon.

Ddj: Are there any international Superheroes?

MB: There are a ton of international Superheroes. They’re all over.

Ddj: I noticed that a lot of Superheroes in the film had a traumatic upbringing or events that turned them into crime fighters as opposed to being criminals themselves. What are your thoughts on that?

MB: I think it’s an astute observation. I don’t often make generalizations about this community because each person does it for their own reasons and they do it in their own way. But the one thing I really did discover is that by and large – not every one of them – but a large percentage, had some tragedy or trauma happen to them and it’s now manifesting itself as a need to do good for others.

Ddj: One of the Superheroes mentioned that he traded in alcohol for fighting crime. Do you think that a lot of these guys are adrenaline junkies?

MB: Some of them are adrenaline junkies, some of them abide by the law, some of them are fearful in their approach. Some of them really are in it to have a physical encounter with other people.

Ddj: Stan Lee is in the film, and he mentions that none of them have actual superhero powers and that they are putting themselves in danger. What do you think is the greatest danger they are encountering at night on patrols?

MB: These guys patrol in terrible neighborhoods. And America is hurting right now. It’s a tough time for this country. There are very dangerous places all over this country, in every city, and these guys go right to the epicenter of the worst parts of their communities. So it’s not the safest job in the world.

Ddj: Is there any level of in-fighting or politics in the group?

MB: There is. These guys do this because they’re really fed up. They’re fed up with bureaucracy and society status quo and they’re looking for a way to make grassroots change. And in the end there’s no rulebook or manifesto, so they’re trying to make their own rules as they go and they don’t always agree with each other about what those rules should be.

Ddj: A lot of them had handmade weapons. I have a list: a flashlight that doubles as a stun gun, or a 16” baton Amazonia had, a ring of Pharaoh’s fire, bear mace and a sonic grenade. Which weapon was your favorite?

MB: My favorite weapon was Master Legend’s Iron Fist. It can do incredible amounts of damage. It could be a cautionary tale and I think it will be in the near future with one of them getting hurt in a situation.

Ddj: Dark Guardian had a very protective costume. Who do you think had the most appropriate costume for crime fighting?

MB: Master Legend had a costume like a tank, a bullet proof vest, helmet, boots.

Ddj: The animation in the film made you feel like you were watching a comic book. Who did the animation?

MB: We wanted every character to have their own very distinct look. Mr. Xtreme felt very indie comic, very Ghost World. So we hired Jeremy Arambulo. New York Initiative felt very dark and sharp, so we got the well known Rev. Dave Johnson to do that. Master Legend – the art there was so beautiful. That was Andy Suriano. Captain Sticky was very retro. So we went with an old school comic book artist, Richard Pose. They drew the panels and then we handed them to Syd Garon who brought it all to life. I think fanboys will specifically respond to this film.

Ddj: I really appreciated the fact that there were multiple ethnicities reflected as well as women who are RLSH. You introduced Stan Lee talking about a comic book where a female protagonist was running in heels and he thought that her legs looked good in heels, but that wedgies would be more realistic. Was there any subliminal feminism or commentary in why you entered with that?

MB: I just thought it was very funny. Women are drawn in comics so specifically. I had fantasized as a kid about so many women in comics. Rogue from X-Men. Stan’s 90 years old and I thought it was great that he’s still so aware. I thought it was perceptive and nostalgic. He knows his audience.

Ddj: Mr. Xtreme’s family wasn’t extremely supportive of his life choice to be a RLSH. If you were a parent, how would you feel about your child being one?

MB: It would be a mixed bag. I would do everything I could to get them trained properly.

Ddj: The New York Initiative used “baiting” as a tactic during night patrols. What are your thoughts on having a flamboyant, gay character like Zimmer played to trap a homophobe? Do you think it’s ethical?

MB: It’s hard to be present for crime. The police deter crime and solve crime after it happens. Very rarely are they there for crime. You have a team of very young, ambitious, intelligent, motivated RLSH in the NYI and they don’t want to sit around and wait for crime. They want to root out criminality in a courageous way, that’s rarely been done. It was super unsafe and terrifying to shoot. They’re risking their lives.

Ddj: If you could have any superpower what would it be?

MB: The power to stop time.

Superheroesthe movie is playing on HBO and in select theatres nationwide. It’s also available on DVD. For more info visit: www.SuperheroesTheMovie.com

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

Related Posts:

Red, White and Femme: The Girl Zone – Whore Meet Madonna Part 2
Red, White and Femme: The Girl Zone – Madonna Meet Whore Part 1
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

commentary
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22 2011 11:02 AM

Corporate America Says No Thanks, No Giving

Submitted by Hoodoo4102

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Blog, Activism, black friday, Politics, Thanksgiving

by Hoodoo4102

[Above: Noemie in Kawaii Bunga]

Employees of Target and Best Buy are voicing their opinions, trying to get a message across to the CEOs of their companies before they’re robbed of their time with family. One in particular, Anthony Hardwick of Omaha, NE, has voiced his displeasure at his employer, Target, and has become the featured petition on Change.org. And while I'm writing this blurb, the petition has just jumped up from a staggering 170,000 to 180,000 signatures of its 200,000 goal. A similar petition inspired by Hardwick’s, posted by Rick Melaragni of Tampa, FL, concerning Best Buy’s opening hours is currently sitting at 14,550 of its 15,000 goal.

Anthony's message is quite clear, and well put:

"A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with their families on Thanksgiving Day. By opening the doors at midnight, Target and Best Buy is requiring team members to be in the store by 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation -- all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night's rest on Thanksgiving! Any team member not present for their shift will receive a final warning, or termination of their employment."

While all's quiet on the Target front, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn writes a heart warming message to Employees and Customers saying*:

"Our customers and employees are, first and foremost, people. We acknowledge that each one is an individual with hopes, dreams, passions, talents, experiences, cultures, faith and loved ones. People don’t celebrate a ‘Happy Holiday’ – they have their own cultural, religious and family traditions. So, why shouldn’t we value and embrace that same level of individuality during the Holidays?"

Thank YOU Brian! It's always so touching to see a CEO open his mouth wide enough just in case he may need to have a Thanksgiving foot for dinner with a side of trimmins'.

So what does this mean for those hard working hourly employees of corporate America? Thanksgiving breakfast, black out curtains, no booze (since getting a DUI on the way to work would make for a whole different kind of Black Friday!), and beddie bye at noon-o-clock so the board can eat meat, slog brew, and belch their American spirit to the tune of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and ESPN's Thursday Night Football -- all for one hour of over time.

If you would like to join Anthony's cause you can do so at www.change.org.

*Since time of writing, Brian Dunn has deleted his own post on his Corp Blog as quoted above and replaced it with another expressing his thanks to the company and his employees for sacrificing their holiday for the company.

commentary
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 2011 9:04 PM

Got Problems? Sex, Love and Relationship Advice From SuicideGirls’ Team Agony

Submitted by SG_Blog

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: All Things SG, Blog, Love, Relationships, Sex, Society, advice, Posted In All Things SG, Problems, sex

by SG's Team Agony feat. Aadie

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

[Aadie in Time Out]

Q. I'm 27 years old mother of three with a boyfriend that I've been with for four years. He is driving me nuts but he is the father of my youngest and he’s good with the kids. My question is about this other guy that I play video games with. He is a 28-year old single parent with two kids and we are really good friends. I can’t take my mind off him and that too is driving me nuts/ I'm like so torn up about what to do. I can really see myself with this guy but I don’t know if I'm messing up by thinking about letting my boyfriend go (he has broken up with me like 30 times). I don’t know what to do?

A: I think that most single men are pretty much exactly the same, just with different faces. This is so we can tell them apart – lol.

So keep that in mind (new boy = new problems). If you’re falling out of love with your boyfriend, you should be true to him and true to yourself. You can A: Leave him, or B: stick it out for your children. But whichever path you find yourself walking, I strongly hope you will be steering clear of your male video gaming hombre.

I think because this male friend is there and is listening to you, he's a source of comfort given that your current situation is causing you distress. You’re therefore more drawn to him now then you normally would be. Leaving one man and running to arms of another won’t help you solve anything. Maybe you just really need some "on your own time" to think things through with your boyfriend, but don’t forget to communicate with him either.

Aadie
xoxo

***

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

commentary
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17 2011 9:04 PM

Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three

Submitted by Steven_Altman

Edited by nicole_powers

Tags: Art, Blog, Books, Entertainment, Fiction, Geek, Internuts, fiction, Steven-Elliot Altman, The Killswitch Review

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 THREE]

[FALSE IDENT]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

“Learn anything?” Woyzeck asked Haggerty as they strolled with Elsa toward the security station at the precinct entrance.

“A few lessons on the music industry,” Haggerty said.

“Thought so,” Woyzeck responded. “How soon can we get the evidence that convinced the chief to clear those interviews?”

Before Haggerty could answer, Woyzeck stopped abruptly. “What the fuck — that’s you on the viewcast,” he said.

Haggerty followed the detective’s gaze to the viewscreen, where a holographic image of him turned by degrees to reveal his full face and both profiles.

“. . . Code Six for review agent Jason P. Haggerty, the chief suspect in the murder of BBI psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Zabrowski,” the commentator intoned the unthinkable. “Agent Haggerty had access to the storage facility where the discharged units were kept, as well as direct control over the investigation. Haggerty has been certified suicidal and is believed to pose an immediate threat to himself and others. . . .”

The security guard sprang to attention. Woyzeck cursed fluently, unclipping his holster and gripping his sidearm.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, Haggerty, but—”

Haggerty yanked the chair from under the guard, dumping her onto the floor, and flung it at Woyzeck, knocking him backward. Grabbing Elsa by the shoulders, he directed her through the security arch. The relays blew and the entire system shorted, showering them with sparks. Haggerty quickly guided her by the arm out the front entrance, into the stifling night, past the first ring of riot squad, and down the steps into the milling throng. The crowd had grown larger during the time they’d been inside, which would make it easier to conceal themselves but harder to get to safety.

Woyzeck was out the door seconds behind them, stungun drawn and shouting orders to the sergeant which the sergeant relayed into his helmet mike.

Haggerty pulled Elsa along firmly. He couldn’t afford to let the crowd separate them.

Jason, what are we doing? Elsa linked.

Trying to figure a way out of here. It’s a setup, he told her. It could be nothing else. Doug was dead and he’d been named the chief suspect, not only in Doug’s murder but in the black market sale of the stolen KV units used in the triple press. Woyzeck hadn’t been wearing a stungun when Haggerty arrived at the precinct. What were the odds he’d be standing within Woyzeck’s reach at the precise moment it was revealed that he was wanted? And who had sent Haggerty to State in the first place? Well rewarded indeed.

They kept low, weaving through the crowd, but Haggerty knew there was little chance of clearing the outer edge of the quad, which now also was ringed by riot police. He scanned the area; those budget-driven layoffs might just come back to haunt the administration, he thought grimly. The police line was thin in some places, particularly behind the group of parents shouting “Save Our Kids! Save Our Kids! SaveOurKids!” who were probably deemed less likely to go out of control than Clone Jesus’s young fans. The streets behind them seemed clear of traffic. If he and Elsa could make it that far, they might be able to reach one of the nearby beltways to the Vegas District and maybe buy enough time for Haggerty to find out who was behind this. They ducked and dodged through the angry throng, who were too absorbed in their own protest to notice them.

A rifleman appeared suddenly ahead. “Halt!” he shouted. “You’re under arrest!”

The CCs nearest to Haggerty pulled away, making him an easy target.

Defend! Haggerty linked, and Elsa stepped before him. The two of them determinedly moved forward.

“Stop, or I’ll fire,” the policeman warned, priming his stungun.

Elsa stretched her arms and weapon-proof shielding sprouted from her wrists down to her waist.

The startled policeman fired. The stun bounded off Elsa’s midriff, leaving only a small tear in her tunic.

But a second policeman had got through the crowd and was raising his weapon. “Switch to detonator,” he ordered.

As he was taking aim, the BBI vehicle tore to a screeching halt between Haggerty and his pursuers. The canopy door snapped open.

“Hurry, get in!” Corbin shouted from inside.

* * *

The vehicle careened out of the quad and slotted onto the minor beltway.

“I need to get myself an assistant like Elsa,” Corbin quipped. “Does she have any brothers? Not that I’m likely to have a job much longer.”

“That makes two of us,” Haggerty said.

“Three of us,” Elsa added, in an unusual attempt at levity. “Though I suppose I can be repurposed as a vending machine.”

In fact, if BBI caught them and did a thorough analysis, they’d find Elsa’s overlooked loyalty chip, along with all the periodic modifications and upgrades she’d performed herself. They’d simply remove the chip and reprogram Elsa, deleting unwanted abilities and appropriating what they found useful, then assign her to another agent. Elsa had to know that as well as he did.

But Elsa’s fate was mild compared to the probable fates of Haggerty and Corbin. If they couldn’t get evidence to clear him of the charges, he and Corbin would face exile to one of the backwaters where the technology for stem-cell therapies didn’t exist. Instead of enjoying long, disease-free lives of perpetual youth, they would be vulnerable to whatever infections and plagues they encountered. Even if they survived, they would ultimately face old age and breakdown of their own flesh and bones. For Haggerty, deprivation of the geno-theraputic celtrex would accelerate the effects of time. His real age would catch up with him in a matter of months and he’d be dead in a few years. Intent on suicide, this did not concern him much, though he’d prefer to go down with a clear record. But Corbin was young enough that she could go on for decades, albeit in an utterly alien society with none of the comforts she took for granted each day.

Haggerty had to admit that she was putting herself at incredible risk to help him. Given their history, he wondered why.

“Are you committing career suicide out of compassion?” he asked, pulling down the rotoscope screens and scanning for pursuers.

“The Dragon told me to assist you,” Corbin said.

“Was that before or after Doug’s murder?” Haggerty asked.

“Before it,” Corbin said. “I saw that last viewcast on my way to the precinct. There were Feds all over BBI when I left. It looks to me like Consuela framed you, to save her own neck.” For once she wasn’t smirking.

Haggerty was surprised that Corbin agreed with his suspicions. If the Dragon thought heads would roll if she couldn’t find someone to blame for the triple press, framing him made sense, however unscrupulous the logic. But she needn’t have mixed Doug’s murder into the bargain. Or was it Doug’s death that had pushed her into framing Haggerty? If so, wouldn’t that let the real killer go free? And if she didn’t know the motive for Doug’s murder, might not her own safety be at risk? Did she know the motive? Haggerty’s head was spinning.

“I’m sorry about Zabrowski,” Corbin said. “I know you two were friends. I’m presuming your innocence, based on how he talked about you.”

“Thanks,” Haggerty said. “I’ve known Doug almost as long as I’ve been at the agency. He was as good-natured as they come. I don’t understand why someone would hurt him. What could anyone possibly gain by his death? He wasn’t part of the investigation. Why would Consuela pin it on me rather than find the real killer — two birds with one stone?”

Unless the Dragon killed Doug. But why would she want him dead?

“What sort of evidence has she fabricated?” he asked Corbin.

“For Zabrowski’s murder? No idea. For the triple press? How about three blank boxes for starters — Which I quickly realized put me at potential risk, since I happened to have seen what was on them.”

“Thank God,” Haggerty said, meeting her eyes. “I was having trouble believing your assistance was simply altruistic.”

“I’m really not amused when my ass is on the line, Haggerty. So do me a favor and tell me that Elsa still has copies of those reviews in her databank.”

“She does — shit, here they come!”

Two armored vehicles, lights flashing, had fallen into position behind them.

“I anticipate more of them ahead,” Elsa offered. “They’ll use the emergency lanes coming toward us.”

“Next offramp?” Haggerty asked.

“Downtown Six,” she calculated. “The shoppingplex.”

“Then buckle in and get ready to commit some major traffic violations,” Corbin said as two more armored cars appeared up ahead.

Corbin slammed the vehicle over the yellow rails, into the emergency lane. “Chicken they used to call it in your day, right?”

“Before my time,” Haggerty called, strapping in and holding his palms flat against the car roof. “But I get the idea.”

“It’s going to be close, agent Corbin,” Elsa warned, having calculated the rate of speed of the vehicles rushing toward them against the distance required to make the offramp without collision. “You’ll need to increase speed by forty miles per hour in the next several seconds” — which was impossible, as Corbin and Haggerty both knew — “if you plan for us to survive this. I’m disengaging the governor now.”

Elsa slotted her fingers into the vehicle’s control panel. Palms mashed against the wheel, Corbin floored the accelerator, her teeth grinding and beads of sweat streaming down her face.

Haggerty braced for impact. The oncoming armored vehicle could withstand the collision; he could see the determined look on the driver’s crash-helmeted face. Haggerty had wanted to terminate, but not quite like this.

“We’re not going to make it,” Elsa said calmly.

“The hell we’re not,” Corbin responded.

She flipped an overhead switch that brought their vehicle’s sirens to life, causing the oncoming driver to reflexively lighten up on his throttle. Their car broke right, into the offramp, with tremendous force; the left front side panel sheered away in a torrent of grated steel sparks. The car was damaged but continued forward under Corbin’s control. She yehawwed in triumph like an old-time cowboy.

Haggerty checked the rotoscope. The other vehicles had narrowly escaped impact but were immobile, blocking the offramp and impeding further pursuit from the slotway.

“Everybody in one piece?” Corbin inquired.

“Thanks for asking,” Haggerty said. “Slot us into the shoppingplex. We need to lose this car.”

Corbin decelerated. They docked and quickly stepped onto the deserted platform that was usually swarming with customers, its beltways inactive because of the hour.

“Elsa, is it possible to block the tracking chips in our coms?”

“I can block them from passing or receiving ping transmissions, but if you use them to make outgoing calls, your location can be traced. Sorry about that.”

“I just don’t want them to know we’ve left the vehicle.” Haggerty said.

He and Corbin passed Elsa their coms; a flash of infrared light passed from Elsa’s left iris to each com as she held it up in turn.

“Ping transmissions blocked,” she said, handing back the coms.

“Autopilot,” Haggerty ordered, reaching into the car. “Fastest possible route, Nevada state line.”

The vehicle departed.

Haggerty scanned the darkened storefronts with his eyes. “There,” he said. “Men’s and women’s apparel.”

He extracted his identiplate and banged hard on the thick glass door. Within moments an irate security guard, looking as though he’d been jolted from sleep, lumbered into view.

“What can I do for you?” he growled from inside.

“We’ve got a warrant,” Haggerty said, holding up the plate. “We’ve reason to believe there’s been a press on your premises.”

“You’re smooth as silk,” Corbin whispered as the guard fumbled for his keycard.

Restrain him, Elsa, Haggerty linked when the door opened.

Elsa grasped the guard and held him in place, locking his arms with one hand and covering his mouth with the other.

“Don’t try to speak,” Haggerty warned him. “I know you must have an alarm word. If you open your mouth, she’ll break both your wrists.”

Secure him, Elsa, somewhere comfortable where they’ll be sure to find him. Then deactivate the surveillance.

Elsa rejoined them as they removed clothes from racks in the minimal off-hours lighting of the Casual Wear department.

“Discard your grays and find a pedestrian outfit that won’t attract attention,” Haggerty told her.

Corbin selected a bronze duratine shirt and a pair of jeans. “I’ll be right back,” she said, draping her BBI coat over her arm and moving toward the changing rooms.

Haggerty stripped off his grays, moving quickly and nearly stumbling as he pulled on a pair of retro khaki cargo pants. The cold floor soothed his bare feet. An undershirt and hooded black sweatshirt completed his transformation into what he hoped would be an inconspicuous CC.

Elsa returned in a beige sheath dress about a size larger than she normally wore that gave no hint of her perfect figure, with most of her perfect blonde hair hidden beneath a cheap print scarf. Haggerty nodded approval. He pocketed the identiplate, pillcase, and keycards from his uniform in the sweatshirt.

Use one of the minthizine bags in your storage compartments to open the inner breast pocket of my grays, he linked to Elsa. You’ll find a keycard there. It’s from the dead girl, Teardrop. Extract it and run a decontamination protocol. See if you can get her address.

Elsa slid the card into one of her hidden ports.

Corbin emerged from the changing room tugging a turquoise wig into a more comfortable fit on her head. “I found it next to the hats by the changing room,” she answered Haggerty’s inquiring expression.

“Good thinking,” he said, grinning. “You have your identiplate?”

Corbin patted her pocket. “Not that I’ll ever use it again in an official capacity,” she said. “Now what?”

Haggerty looked to Elsa. She nodded.

“I have a possible address on the dead girl,” he said.

“You found something the police didn’t know was lost.”

Haggerty bit back his anger at her assumption, since it was correct. He considered telling Corbin that the photo of Regina with Teardrop led him to think the dead girl might be one of Regina’s roommates. But in comparison to their illegal acts during the past twenty minutes, removing the keycard from a press scene seemed of little consequence.

“Yes,” he acknowledged.

“Possession of stolen evidence is a felony,” Corbin said.

“Add it to the list,” he said. “You want out? You could still come away from this in reasonable shape.”

“I doubt that,” Corbin said. “Count me in. As long as we’re sharing, you should know that your girlfriend’s a fugitive of the State of Indiana. I took a glass from your place with her fingerprints and DNA samples all over it, had it analyzed.”

“What else did you learn?” he asked tightly. Trusting Corbin was going to be very difficult.

“Her full name is Regina Dawn Sokolov, and she’s wanted for questioning with regard to a fire set at a women’s clinic. On top of that, she’s a registered gender offender.”

Haggerty was struck speechless, realizing what that implied. Regina had refused compulsory contraception, was capable of birthing unlicensed children.

“Her family were immigrants,” Corbin continued. “They were denied refugee status when they fled from some war in the hinterlands of Eastern Europe. Smuggled themselves across the Canadian border.”

What Corbin was telling him about Regina’s background screamed true from the ideals she had professed. Still, Haggerty did not believe she was nefariously involved in the triple press. He believed with every instinct he owned that she did not, could not have faked her response to the triple press viewcast.

“All right,” he told Corbin. “Let’s see what we find at that address.”

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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