foeofthelance

Its true. They're like some sort of vampiric hydra that way.

@Anon: Luna was pretty much broken by that point. Out of all the girls so far, she was the only one who either hadn't come willingly or been brainwashed.

Story can be found here: http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600095286 If you've got any questions or general comments, I will try to answer in a timeliesh manner.

Separate issues. Walker wasn't talking about making teachers pay for their school supplies, but making them pay into their retirement fund rather than having the state foot the entire pension bill.

<-- Moderator <-- Cishet Heteronormative Roman Catholic Libertarian Republican Minion of Hatred, Intl. And possibly the most Christian person I know is a huge anime fan... Why are we resurrecting a six year old thread about people being stupid to complain about people being stupid?

Your stuff is actually pretty good. (I'm waiting for a sequel to the Dresdenverse story, myself.) My biggest pet peeve is the, "I wouldn't write it that way" reviewers. Ok, great, then go write it your way!

It's a little more complicated. Those studies tend to just directly project the US (which has a wide mish mash of gun laws) against the stricter European countries, while ignoring places like Israel and Switzerland with much more open gun laws and still have lower crime rates than the US. Inside the US, cities that have stricter gun laws (Chicago, Washington DC, LA) tend to have more gun crime than those that are more lax. The problem with the US crime rate is not guns; they are just a semi-convenient tool. The problem with crime in the US is more a matter of culture and politics interacting in really bad ways. Second, while banning guns can lead to a decrease in gun crimes, it does not cause much of a decrease in violent crimes. If anything, its been noted that countries such as England and Australia saw an increase in assaults, rape, and felony thefts after their bans.

My problem with this view is that the measure of a person can not be taken by their occupation, only from their behavior. I fully agree with DG, that there are numerous people are simply unsound to own a firearm, whether it be for reasons mental, moral, or of maturity. The thing is, there is very rarely anything to keep them out of a position where they might acquire a gun. Sure, law enforcement and the military use psych exams to weed out the worst of the worst; yet we still see plenty of news reports about abusive assholes in uniform. Nor have any of the numerous attempts at prohibition of guns or substances proved to be particularly effective at keeping illegal materials out of the hands of determined criminals. So why, in a world where the thugs can find ways to arm themselves and the nominal protectors of society cannot all be trusted to uphold their oaths, should the individual be denied the ability to defend themselves on equal terms simply because they would rather be a teacher, doctor, or artist?

Yup. I support gun ownership, but I don't support idiots with guns.

A couple of problems with that, in my opinion. First, that would make it the only amendment to guarantee a State's rights, with the exception of the 10th, when all the others enumerate rights of the individual people. (The 10th basically just says, "If we don't say its our responsibility here, then its up to you lot to figure out who takes care of the problem"). This is, I think, reinforced by the 9th amendment which says that just because certain rights of the people are spelled out above doesn't mean they lose any rights that might not be written there. Outside of that, trying to read it as a State's rights issue leads to the conclusion that the only time a person would be allowed to carry a firearm is when they are serving or expect to be serving in the stated militia, which means the only time a person would be allowed a weapon is when they are working for the government. That brings you a point where only the government is allowed to have weapons, thus leaving the citizenry helpless in the face of ascending tyranny. (True, the idea was that the states would counter the federal government and vice versa, but it would not be too far fetched to imagine a point where one side or the other has taken and held the dominant role. Some would argue we have already reached and passed that point. That should not be taken as a call to bloody revolution, merely an acknowledgment that the balancing act envisioned by the writers of the Constitution no longer exists, if it ever properly did. Considering what the Constitution was written to replace, it could just as well be argued that everything is going exactly according to plan.) Whereas if one reads the 2nd amendment as granting the individual the right to bear arms, then you have a much more reasonable scenario where the people have not only the immediate means to defend and provide for themselves during the course of their daily lives, but can then also be called upon to form a more cohesive defensive body during a time of crisis for both state and nation, as well as providing the ultimate counterbalance should any of the various legislative bodies become too abusive with their wielding of power.

I've got the mead!

Eh, Supreme Court held to the personal guarantee which I'm kind of glad they did. The idea that only the government should have the ability to go around armed is mildly nauseating. Yes, that would be why they're called extremists. Ah, weasel words. How I love thee! So, when you say "many", what are we talking about here? I mean, its such a vague term. Many of a percentage, many of a number? More than a gross or less than a handful? Could we fill a hogshead with them, or would we need shipping container to hold them all? Are we talking just fielders, the entire team, or the entire league? Care to give an estimate? 3%? 30%? 99.999 to the infinite repeating percent? Over 50 million? Under 50 million? Need something a little more concrete to work with here...

In other words, I probably should go back to using that as an intro.

So, for the past couple of weeks my data feeds have been blowing up with the latest fiasco in the greater realm of Science Fiction and Fantasy fandoms, in this case whether or not Johnathon Ross was a good choice for hosting the Hugos, which basically boiled down to whether or not you thought a late night comedian has the ability to tune his act to his particular audience or whether you thought that Ross was going to re-enact Macfarlane's hosting of the Oscars and spend his entire time on stage making offensive jokes at the expense of the nominees and winners. This only a few months after the SFWA got up in arms over whether or not it is impolitic for its editorial staff to mention that someone they knew looked good in a swimsuit, Just How Exactly Offensive Is That Fur Bikini On the Cover? (Picture a psychologist holding up a paper cut out, asking, “Have you had it up to here? What about here? A little higher? A little lower? Why, yes, I did do my doctoral thesis on Freud, how could you tell?”) and not-really-arguing over who is responsible for preventing sexual harassment at conventions. (As far as I could tell the argument was between people screaming, “Sexual harassment is bad!” on one side, and people on the other side getting slammed for saying, “No shit, and that's why it is the convention's responsibility to police itself, could we go back to figuring out why people are getting screwed in their contracts?”) If that seems like an odd intro for what amounts to an opinion on criticism, understand that there's a common theme behind all the complaints being filed – representation. The argument goes that if there were more feminist heroes, more feminist storylines, more feminism in general, that all these problems would go away, or at least be forced into such a narrow space that the offenders would become more a sort of historical curiosity, as if their actions and beliefs were the sort of thing one might see posted on a plaque in a museum exhibit on ancient superstitions, right next to the bits about frogs being spontaneously generated from mud and cats being servants of the devil. As authors, our job is to keep these sort of things in mind as we craft our characters. Problem is, I don't think its a viable strategy, at least not in and of itself, because the same people advocating this strategy are the same people sabotaging it. Let's go back to the titular Frenchman for a moment. At some point in the 1960s Roland Barthe got up on his soapbox and pronounced the Author had died. According to Barthe no matter who the writer was, what their background knowledge of the materials, or what their intent with the narrative, the meaning of the text lay solely in the hands of the reader. Critics around the world rejoiced as they discovered a power over their texts that really wasn't all that new but gave them something to debate about endlessly, and gleefully spread this message to the masses, where it quickly became entangled with everything else being flung down from the ivory towers of academia. Nor was it any coincidence that it quickly got adopted by the various civil rights and social equality movements that were undergoing their own renaissance at the time. People now had the ability to decide for themselves whether or not a work fit their individual ideology. So now let's bring it back to feminism. What is feminism? Well, to paraphrase Anne Bishop, “She's a feminist, dear, so anything she does is feminist.” No? Not helpful? Well, that's sort of the point. Feminism isn't any one thing, but a collection of ideals that individuals and groups are striving to bring about. There are a few solid, concrete objectives such as equal rates of pay, but those are few and far between. Most objectives are broad, such as access to medical care. You can get general agreement that womens health is a thing and that it needs to be handled properly, but try to decide what “handled properly” means and you'll start seeing factions form around different solutions. From there everything sort of tail spins as people decide what feminism means for them...and that anyone who disagrees therefore can't be feminist. That's where a lot of problems will start for you as an author. We live in a world where the general mentality is that if you do not agree with someone wholeheartedly, that if you do not march in lock step with them and do everything exactly the way they want it done, then you are not simply someone who disagrees with them but someone who is Other, and the Other is the Enemy of Progress, and the Enemy must be defeated At All Cost. Take, for example, the two characters of Barbara Everette and Janea from John Ringo's Special Circumstances series. The first is a soccer-mom-turned-demon slayer. Master of half a dozen schools of martial arts and is good with a gun. When the big, burly FBI agents run into trouble, they run to her for help. Sic her on anything supernatural, and you know who is going to walk away the winner. Oh...she's a devout Christian who doesn't support abortion? True feminists support abortion! Not a feminist character! Ok, well, Janea then! Asatru warrior, called to do battle. High Priestess of Freya, wields a mean battle axe, and almost as powerful as Barb. And hey, no problem with abortion! Oh...she's a high priced stripper/call girl? Never mind the fact she is the priestess of a fertility goddess! She only serves to fulfill the sexual desire of men! Not a feminist character! Is your character a nurturing mother and housewife juggling seven kids and a crack pot inventor husband? Well, obviously she should be more modern and be making her way through the workplace! Not a feminist character! Is your character an engineer who finds herself doing battle with creatures out of nightmares in claustrophobic spaces? Well, she doesn't act womanly enough, so not a feminist character! Are you writing a top tier forensic anthropologist? Well, better hope you didn't give her a minor social impairment or otherwise she, too, won't be a feminist character! You could write about a high powered corporate executive who is also a single mother trying to juggle a girlfriend with her presidential campaign and still not end up with a feminist character because she put cream in her coffee when real women take it black. Oh, and don't be surprised if real world associations come back to frag your feminism. Prime example is Baen books. Baen has a reputation for being “that publisher”, as in they publish a bunch of rather politically outspoken authors including a bunch who don't so much lean to the right as they have to built fortified bunkers from which they can take all comers. So it isn't unusual to see someone like David Weber openly criticized for his lack female and colored characters. This despite: - His best known series stars an Asian/Irish/Hispanic woman. -The most powerful nation in those books is led by a Queen who is black. -The second most powerful nation is also led by a woman. -The primary spin off series stars a black woman. And that is just the primary-major characters. Going through the full cast would take multiple pages, just like the appendixes attached to the back end of most of his books. And Weber isn't even that politically outspoken. But since he shares a publisher with Larry Correia (author of the Grimnoir Chronicles, which co-stars a teenage Oakie girl in 1930s magical America) Tom Kratman (Amazon Legion, State of Disobedience, which features a woman governor of Texas running a revolution) and John Ringo (Special Circumstances, Black Tide Rising, Troy Rising post-Live Free or Die all of which center on female leads) he gets lumped in with that bunch of thuggish devotees to the hetero white man. This isn't a problem limited to Baen, though. If you support someone who says the wrong things or who has an alternative viewpoint, then be prepared to take a bit of collateral damage. So what does this mean to you, the socially conscious aspiring author? Well, basically you're fucked. On the other hand, you were going to be fucked anyway, because trying to please everyone at all times is a futile task. Even Frozen got slammed as being, alternately, anti-feminist or not feminist enough because of something Anna or Elsa did that someone somewhere didn't like. Trying to write the “perfect” feminist character according to the Social Justice Warrior types is like trying to follow the directions of a hundred different chefs, each speaking their own language, half of whom have religious objections to some of the ingredients, half of whom are allergic to some of the ingredients, and half of whom just don't like the taste of the rest of the ingredients. And if you think that is too many halves, they don't. What you should do is write strong characters, regardless of type. Don't be afraid to kill of a woman because you are afraid of being accused of stuffing people into fridges, just make sure their death has actual meaning and they don't go out like a chump. Don't be afraid to write a spiteful bitch if that is what the character calls for, just make sure that all your women aren't spiteful bitches and keep in mind that while everyone has flaws, they also usually have a redeeming quality or two. Don't be afraid to lock the princess up in the tower, just make sure she isn't doing so passively. She doesn't need to be running around judo chopping guards in the back of the neck while scaling sheer stone cliffs by her fingernails, but ask yourself, “If I was a prisoner in her position, how would I go about making myself the biggest pain in the ass possible?” Don't ask people what they want to see; instead watch them, and then model your characters off their behaviors. I'll end by noting this isn't a problem limited solely to feminism and the desires of its adherents, but applies in general to most topics of identity. As authors, we have no control over the experiences and demands of our readers. On the other hand, and arrogant this may sound, they are coming to us for entertainment. They can no more force us to write outside of our capabilities than we can force them to read what we write, and while we should always be challenging ourselves as creators we should not let that be used as an excuse to be blindly led down paths we would not be able to navigate ourselves. A good story demands diversity simply because the world is a diverse place, but trying to follow a checklist to get there results in a bland, cookie cutter product identical to everything else following that same checklist. Instead simply accept that there will be people unhappy with the worlds you create, acknowledge their arguments where appropriate, and continue to delight those who enjoy what you write.

I write because the voices in my head won't let it go until I do what they say. Considering how sick and twisted some of the stuff they come up with is, its probably good that they stick to writing...

I've actually come across a few of your stories already. I liked the one in the Dresdenverse myself.

Nah, I think 50 Shades is EXACTLY what we should be showing all the random insurgents we have picked up.

Do we not already have age limitations on content? I thought that was what the whole, "18 or older only on this site" thing was about.

There is a reason my general introduction for new faces on the SB is, "Spit, tit, or swallow?" There is no `male` experience and there is no `female` experience. There are a few, very broad, common denominators among each sex, but they quickly give way to individual encounters and situations. The only way for me to write the female sexual experience (as a male) is to ask as many women as possible and then pick and choose from their stories for whatever fits my characters at that point. As for the guys, I just get lazy and base them all on myself!

I am He Who Is Known As That Guy, I am the Harem Dragon and the Kilted One, Survivor of Mad Leafblower Attacks, and Keeper of the Pool of Mead. I am Foeofthelance, and if you have not seen me around before, its probably because I was wandering through the misty darks of the internet looking for someone new to offend and argue with. I am typically better behaved around these parts, mostly because this is Home, where I keep my cave.

(Younger me was an asshole. I approve!)

I believe the phrase in question is "Ikea Erotica". Reliance entirely on the anatomic terms can quickly turn a sex scene into "How To" manual, which bores the reader. It should be noted there is a major difference between avoiding vulgar terms and relying entirely on technical terms. You can use phrases such as flowered, manhood, member, sex, etc., without having to sound like you're reading out of a medical dictionary on the reproductive organs. But at the same time, you might want to throw in the occasional cock or pussy. Sex is not a clean act. (Well, unless you have a few particular fetishes, I suppose. To each their own.) At worst its a bestial expression of lust, while at its best its an energetic and exhilarating declaration of love. Trying to hide that just seems...wrong.

Its been decided Ye Olde Harem Dragon shall be there as well, and might even participate in said kiltblowings. We shall see.

The following is one of the first conversations I ever participated in in the Shout Box. I was doing research into what women prefer from their sexual encounters for the story I am currently working on. The following conversation is the result, and many thanks go out to those who participated. The conversation is uncensored and unedited, and needs to be read from the bottom up do to the way the shout box works. No names have been changed, since we're all guilty. Feel free to comment or make suggestions or discuss what you read! (01 March 2011 - 09:42 PM) Apollo: Thank you! These are the kinds of clues I need to know, both for my girlfriend and for my readers ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:41 PM) Foreplay sometimes can be skipped but not always. The slow undressing, tantalizing reveals, taking time? All sexy and builds tension foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:41 PM) BW: And, I at least, am trying to alter my own behavior ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:41 PM) Okay, specifics? Pay attention. If I shiver or moan when you touch/kiss a particular spot, remember it and go back. Hands, mouth, teeth, fingernails, even the silky skin of a cock is good for the sensory over load. The feel of you against us is hit. If I am getting into a position, react to it and don't change just as I'm getting there, just cause you may not be able to have multiple orgasms easily, doesn't mean that we can't and that we don't like it. foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:40 PM) Several of my female acquaintances got their hands on my notebooks, and disappeared for an hour into the bathroom. BronxWench : (01 March 2011 - 09:40 PM) DA: It goes two ways, too. A lot of women don't try and figure out what feels good for a man IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:40 PM) DA: no kidding. Stimulating the whole body is a key ingredient to a satisfying experience. Arms and legs and shoulders are important. OR what about using the nails?! Guys aren't the only ones who like being scratched foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:40 PM) http://original.adul...94629&chapter=7 demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:40 PM) Never even heard of it o.O BronxWench : (01 March 2011 - 09:39 PM) foe: never saw it... foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) The running joke in my particular group is that I /still/ haven't gotten an explanation for why the Kitchen Scene from "Return of the Cheerleaders" is so good, despite the fact that it chased several ladies into the bathroom for over an hour... demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) Its interesting how many guys think they can only use their hands, cock and mouth. Come on boys, get your whole body involved! Hell get OUR whole body involved. Rub against us, touch us in places not normally associated with sex, youd be surprised at the reactions youll get. ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) Foe - I'm eating! Hold on a sec and I'll give you specifics DemonGoddess061 : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) Foe: Kiss places that don't seem sexy that LEAD to places that are sexy. Like the neck, it can go to the ear, the clavicle, the breasts. And I figure eating pussy is a must for every female with a brain, and the teasing... Yes, that's terribly important. Sometimes its not that we don't LIKE what you're doing down there, we just don't like that you skipped to the end of the book without setting up any plot. Basically, woman are ovens, not microwaves. We need some preheat and THEN what you stick in us will come out all right. XD foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:38 PM) Whaaaaaaat? demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:36 PM) *chuckles and imagines a panic stricken male whos mind is on overload* That may be funny... SenoritaLucha : (01 March 2011 - 09:36 PM) lol IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:36 PM) I can see it now: our eyes meet across the potato fields... foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:35 PM) Dolce: I've discovered that women and men think about sex very different. (Quick, call the news papers! Its a major break through in gender relations....!) I asked three guys what they want in sex/porn, and I get answers like, "Eh, a blowjob, maybe go down on her" or "I like doggy style". Ask women, and you get answer typical of Apollo's. So far BW is the only to give specifics without prompts. Telling a guy, "I want you yo pay attention to my body!" and the first thing that crosses our minds is, "Which part? Can I get a map or multiple choice? Phone a friend? Poll the audience? Some form of clue?" BronxWench : (01 March 2011 - 09:34 PM) Dolce: Go for it! demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:34 PM) *grins at that image* Nice Dolce. IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:33 PM) Whoever said patience is a virtue was obviously getting laid on a regular basis. I just have to hope there'll be some cornfed, homegrown man on the farm I can corrupt. demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:32 PM) *sighs* Who ever said "patience is a virtue" clearly never had to wait for a new toy to arrive -.- IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:32 PM) Apollo: cheers to that, there are lots of holes you could shove a cock in. Not all of them are as accommodating as the holes on a woman foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:31 PM) Which is nice and all, but Im a /guy/. We tend to think in terms of specificity. I know, I know, its not even close to being the same thing, and I think thats the biggest problem Im running into so far ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:31 PM) ROFL - Good, I was dealing with straightening things out with my guy and dealing with a slut who thinks she has a claim on him so I missed that ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:30 PM) men to pay attention to us and our bodies, making us feel involved as opposed to a orafic for use IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:30 PM) Foe: aren't you in a "room" full of women? Women want all kinds of things outta pr0n foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:30 PM) Fortunately, DA, DG, and BW have been willing to play the Norns for me when it comes to advice foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:29 PM) Apollo: Thats going to be the first few, at any rate. I just need to get my head into what .women/ want out of sex/porn rather than thinking with my cock IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:28 PM) But I decided to try my hand at my first ever Hellsing bit. No smut, but just writing it to get a feel for how I can play the characters, so that's exciting. ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:27 PM) Foe - Well, non kink has it's benefits, slow and sweet, hard and fast, headboard banging IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:27 PM) I went from super duper pumped to flatline after dinner. Maybe that pizza helped... damn Dominoes! SenoritaLucha : (01 March 2011 - 09:25 PM) (hugs Dolce) IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:25 PM) Today has been nonstop, nonstop, and I wanted to say goodbye to my bike over the next two days and went for a ride much longer than was necessary. (Tis ok, Apollo ^^) foeofthelance : (01 March 2011 - 09:25 PM) Thanks, and duly noted Apollo. Not going to be doing kink till at least the third story, but when I get there I'll let you know ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:25 PM) Hi Dolce! (Sorry so late) IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:25 PM) I'm f---ing exhausted. SenoritaLucha : (01 March 2011 - 09:24 PM) how are you, Dolce? IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:24 PM) Oh man, my kink muse has totally left me. And I dunno if she's comin' back demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:24 PM) and* demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:23 PM) Oh any by the way, who ever had the idea for the personal rant section, I now love you lol ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:23 PM) Slutastic needs to be locked up, but that's another story! *returns DA's hugs* I know! I truly am ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:23 PM) On a general note though foe: For fantasies etc, light bondage, D/s minus the humil aspect, toys, lingerie and multiple orgasms demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:23 PM) Awesome! *hugs Apollo* Lucky lucky girl ^^ BronxWench : (01 March 2011 - 09:22 PM) Hiya, Dolce! BronxWench : (01 March 2011 - 09:22 PM) Slutastic was fish in a barrel for you, sweets! ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:22 PM) DA - Oh yes, and it is official, he is my man. Sign sealed and delivered ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:22 PM) I'm gonna dip into my student loan refund to fly instead of driving 30 hrs round trip for 36 hours, but you know what it's worth it and we need it after the stupid fucking cunt IlDolceSuono : (01 March 2011 - 09:22 PM) Lucha, Apollo, Demon, Bronx, and anyone else I'm too lazy to scroll down and find, HELLO SenoritaLucha : (01 March 2011 - 09:21 PM) hey Dolce. Did you listen to the songs? ApolloImperium : (01 March 2011 - 09:21 PM) BW: I know... and slutastic has her panties in a wad and I win, not that I'm surprised. Crazy ass bitch demonsangel : (01 March 2011 - 09:21 PM) Hey Dolce