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Wednesday, September 1st, 2004
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7:52 pm - New Orleans on Hallowe'en
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THE ENDLESS NIGHT FESTIVAL VII
Halloween weekend, October 29th, 30th & 31st, 2004
Club 735 Bourbon, New Orleans LA
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE #2 - Sept. 1st, 2004
You are cordially invited to experience a full weekend of dark pleasures and unearthly delights in America's most deviant and haunted city, New Orleans for the seventh annual Endless Night Festival! This year we have sold tickets from Brazil, Japan, Spain, Russia, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden, so it promised to be one of the most international events in the world! Here is the official press release of performances as of September 1st, 2004!
( More information on events, DJs, and bands... ) |  |  |
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(8 comments | comment on this)
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7:35 pm - The Mick... Must Read!
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THE MICK 7 has landed and your eagle eyes won’t believe what they see.
154 pages, including 13 interviews, with:
A Spectre Is Haunting Europe, Astro Vamps, Ego Likeness, Frank The Baptist, Justin Foulkes, Myssouri, Radio Berlin, Russian Goth (Atoris and Whisper ), The Brides, The Mirror Reveals, The Sixth Chamber, The Tunnel Of Love and Unto Ashes. I don’t scrimp on detail, and the pics are all charming.
None other than the mighty Max has written a wonderful piece on Ausgang’s first big gig, in Germany, and there’s some fine pics.
There is a piece on Mary Jane Seacole, who simply isn’t famous enough, and a touching bit on Ruth Ellis, plus reviews of books by Ian Glasper (‘Britain’s Burning’ – Punk) and Cameron Rogers (‘The Music Of Razors’ – Horror).
And you can idle your way lovingly through 62 CD reviews, including some fine Ants reissues and bootlegs.
It’s here: http://www.mickmercer.com/themick.html
Obviously I have toiled on this and I believe it to be the best issue yet. Please circulate details via any e-mailouts you do, or on any forums/newsgroups you contribute to, and especially on your journals.
Spread the word, and let’s get as many people investigating what I believe are utterly brilliant bands.
Cheers!
[[crossposted just a bit]]
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4:37 pm - *chicka*chicka*chicka*zzzzzzzp*SMACK*
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3:40 pm - First, a little theeeeeeng...
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So my home PC is gonna go under the knife again tonight.
I bought a CD burner [40$, Radio Shack Generic Burner, works like a treat!] and loaded it. My other half had a CD half filled a year ago and we figured it would be easy to add on stuff. Newp... the new session made the old session unreadable.
In looking for a way to fix this I downloaded a virus.
BANG. PC is dead. Took hours of fiddling to get it back up, and it required that I reload Win98 over Win98. Exhausting [particularly as I'm also supporting a TV set that wants to die]. However, my registry is damaged and half the programs won't work now.
So... tonight I burn and move so I can reformat and reinstall my OS.
My fault, my fix.
HOWEVER... this means things are a little wonky. This morning my mail reader ate all the new email since last Thursday... INCLUDING two offers for DJ slots *sigh* DAMMIT. Now I have to try and remember how to find these people again because I want, I want and I want.
Oooops... meeting time.
Next post in a bit...
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Tuesday, August 31st, 2004
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6:26 pm - Eden - Sept 9th: TALK DIRTY TO ME night!
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http://www.savagegarden.ca/event_eden.htm
Featuring the saucy, sexy words of:
Phlip Arima
Sephera Giron
Cynthia Gould
Monica S. Kuebler
please note: this is going to be a LOT of fun!
You wanna go.
Eden is the way a fetish night should be, in my humble opinion. The music enhances the environment rather than dominating it *chuckle* The crowd is small, beautiful and friendly.
I believe I shall be in attendance again this month.
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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6:00 pm - Insert eerie theme music here
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Birthday celebrations today for ![[info]](http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/web.archive.org/web/20040902183052im_/http:/=2fstat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) corradus. A storyteller without equal, a man whose mind goes places that others peek into and run screaming like leetle gurls, a man with fine taste in friends and entertainments. A giant of a man in many ways, who has not always been given the best of treatment by the wyrd sisters, my wish is that the Fates smarten the hell up and the next years gives him enough.
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3:25 pm - This somehow scares me...
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3:44 am - Things that Keep Me Awake
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So if you wander into an old, old posting I made about the Goth Subculture: http://www.livejournal.com/community/ancient_goth/7577.html
and you read what lesserthangod is saying, apparently I don't do anything for the Goth Community and I should [to paraphrase] stop whining and DO something about it *chuckle*
I've been kind to him so far... but I think I'm going to eat his little ego. With maple syrup.
So if any of you want a bite, help yourself first... and I'll take what's left.
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(23 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, August 30th, 2004
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7:46 pm - The FIRST Playlist
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So, Friday just past [the 27th], Toronto-goth.com and perdition hosted a funwonderful birthday party for dem at the Vatikan in Toronto. It was a GREAT time *nod*
The crowd was a little smaller than I expected [and I don't expect big crowds... the Vatikan is kind of at the west end of Queen street, about as far as you'd want to go... but the club is well set up, the space is good, and the event this night was fantastic!] but the energy was there and the dancefloor saw at least few people on it through most of the night.
The band, made up of various members of other bands, did really well considering that they had a whole day of rehearsing [and ONLY a day]. Prizes were handed out, and I was one of that small group of people who got to see dem's PVC clad backside and her reactions [both mic'ed... I'm hoping it was sampled for an eventual remix *wink*].
Saw someone from Ottawa who surprised the heck out of me, plus several friends from Barrie, Kitchener and all over. I'm not gonna list names 'cause I'll miss someone and feel stupid EXCEPT... got to announce a request that was made a week earlier and from 300 miles away... yup, corradus, yer name made its debut in a Toronto club attached to that song you wanted [check the playlist].
I've another important playlist but that can wait until tomorrow. For the meantime... no immediate DJing, no immediate gaming, no immediate nuffin'... I can relax and spend time with someone special for a while now.
( What everyone is waiting for... me to shut up and show the playlist! )
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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7:08 pm - Almost forgot it...
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My LJ had a birthday just recently!
Date created: 2001-08-24 19:51:58
Journal entries: 403
Comments: Posted: 4,260 - Received: 4,375
So last Tuesday, my LJ turned 3 and I forgot to celebrate. Though, to be honest, it WAS a busy week with so much to do.
And it would appear that I comment in other peoples' LJs ten and a half times more than I write in my own *hurm*
AND that my postings average nearly 11 comments per. Though I know that there are many small ones to make up for the few big ones.
Out of 1095 days [3 years] it seems I comment about every two and a half days. MMmmm I do things by halves, it would appear *grin*
Well, playlists coming. It's yer typical Monday meaning I'm busy as all get out... so it might need wait until tomorrow. We'll see...
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2:45 pm - Bumping it onwards
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Copied from minxclothing who got it herself from rtwo...
A few weeks ago, I mentioned the corp. goth phenomenon to my editor at the Star. He found it truly fascinating, that some goths have to wear suits or other serious business uniforms during the week, then get all gothed up for the weekend.
If you fit that description, I'd love to include you in my article and photoshoot. (I know some of you might be a little squeamish about letting your co-workers know what you look like on Sat. night, if so, we can omit your name and skip the photoshoot.) Please email me at rross @ thestar.ca.
Please feel free to post this in your own journals, if you think some of your friends might be appropriate!
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(13 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, August 27th, 2004
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5:39 pm - Because...
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4:07 pm - Friday Rambling...
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So, it's Friday. I'm hoping to slip off from work a titch early [I regularly stay late so a few dollars less on the next paycheque doesn't bother me] to enjoy a relaxed drive into Toronto for tonight's festivities.
I've a headache and the muscles in my neck and shoulders are tense enough that they feel like calcified wood. Lack of sleep this week added to other concerns have me a little wound up. It's a busy week. DJing DemNight tonight, then a wedding tomorrow. Sunday is for me and mine.
Though a busy and spectacular week, I don't have a lot to say. So instead I'm gonna share something I am very thankful for, and that I am thankful for each and every day.
Her picture is on my desk. She is a beautiful, intelligent and talented woman who is my partner. Not just a girlfriend, nor merely a fiancee, but a partner. Someone with whom I am always happy to share my life. I don't talk 'bout her much as she's a very private person but... well, this time I want to.
She paints, creates leather accessories, and does some amazing things with her hands. I don't know that there is anything she can't do if she puts her mind to it. She sews wonderful clothing. Recently she bought yarn and just made herself a set of hairfalls... excellent work, first time. Bang. Done. Successful. She is soon to become local-community famous for her sigil work. She models and for good reason as she is simply gorgeous.
She is thoughtful.
At our last apartment [a little three floor walk up] the neighbour downstairs, an older gent, gave her advice on where to get the tires on her car switched for the winter. The service was great, quick and reasonably priced. So she bought a thank you card for him [the neighbour]. As I'm heading down to the 'old place' for one last load, she hands me the card to give to him.
I knock on his door and yup, he opened it with some suspicion on his face [see, there's this long haired male stranger at your door... likely you're not going to be immediately HAPPY to see me *heh*] and I gave him the card, thanking him for helping her out. The look on his face was priceless... a thousand watt smile that just blew me away.
But she thinks of these things... she's done this other times too.
In a world where people too often focus on complaining, whining and criticizing, she remembers to say thank you. This impresses me and surprises me.
She's picky as hell about her friends, about her partners, and this makes me wonder what she sees in me some days, but there are stranger questions in the universe *heh*
Her touch is still thrilling, even though we've been together for several years now and lived together for about eleven months. Sure, I initiate touch most often, but I'm a very touch oriented person. And I like touching her. She always feels good... and smells good too.
It's been commented on that our apartment, our home has good energies... it's warm, comfortable and comforting, it's a nice place to visit and be. She's primarily responsible for this... decorating the space, keeping it clean, shielding and filling it. Me, I mostly just clutter things up, that's MY job as the guy *nod*
We don't always favour the same subgenre of music... she's very trance-addicted and I can get tired of that sometimes, and she liked Death Metal which drives me nuts. But I listen to stuff, particularly the more rock-ish stuff, that she absolutely hates.
I'm a socialite while she's a homeperson. I'm a bit more spiritual while she leans more towards the material. She worries, I solve. It works quite well on a lot of levels. I like to travel and she doesn't. I enjoy a good club night, she often gets bored.
Downside... she and I are both busy people and don't always get the time we want together, which makes the time we DO spend in each the other's company all the more special for me.
She isn't native to Canada nor even to an american culture so there are things about her, attitudes and thoughts that I find I just don't understand. Means I'll never take her for granted. I know there are things I do that drive her nuts [though I think the cat does MORE of that] and sometimes I wonder how she puts up with me. I know there are things that I do that she doesn't understand. I know that there are things in our society [and the various subcultures I wander in]that she doesn't reltae to and I know this frustrates her.
My parents adore her, my sibs think she's great and all my neices and nephews are enamoured of her. She fits into my life in every space and fills little holes that I didn't know were lacking. I can only hope that I do somewhat of the same for her.
Every day I am thankful for having met someone so wonderful, so incredible, and every day I remember why I love her. I've a lot of good friends, I know a fair number of great people who enrich my life, people who I respect, who I like, quite a few of whom I'd love to spend a ton of time with eventually [there never IS enough time, is there?] but I do consider myself one lucky sonuva for finding that special lady. And yeah, I do mean special [but not short-bus special *wink*].
[Yeah, we're engaged. We might make it a marriage thing... we'll eventually half to for my parents, if nothing else... they'll insist on it. And when that happens, well, you know it'll be a good party with a big guest list *heh*].
current mood:  happy
current music: PWEI - Defcon One
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2:44 pm - The Information Highway Should Require Licenses
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| Thursday, August 26th, 2004
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6:48 pm - THIS Friday Night - TORONTO!
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So tomorrow night I shall be in exquisite and wonderful company as I've been given the honour of guest DJing for dem's birthday fete at the Vatikan.
Here's some of the info for this enticing and funfilled event:
Remember, this event is for Dem's birthday, so bring her lots of presents *grin*
the band [doing Cure covers] will be made up of
Steven (guitar)& Chris(vocals) from Perdition
Ubbies (bass) from the Divine
Scott (guitar) from Pooter
Nathan (vocals) from a Random Exit
Jay (vocals) from Scarlette Fever
Herman (vocals) from Delica
if anyone else feels like singing any of these songs we can still fit people in, and it is all in fun.
and, 'cause Steven has been so busy, he forgot to ask around for video cameras. He would like the set(s) filmed, also doing a multitrack recording, thought it might be fun to do something with the show afterwards as it will never be done again...
Mike from Nanochrist will be running tech for the evening
And Guest DJ Th'Elf
doors at 10, starting at 11, but be there for 10, $5 cover, no guestlist, no refunds, no children, Vatikan 1032 Queen St West
for full details http://absinthe.toronto-goth.com
Expect to hear a lot of good old goth classics [though I'll be avoiding the overplayed stuff, naturally]. Requests are taken happily.
Best 5$ party in town Friday night.
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1:53 pm - Last Night's B&G;
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Okay... before I slip back and answer previous comments [and there ARE some fun ones, particularly in ![[info]](http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/web.archive.org/web/20040902183052im_/http:/=2fstat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) male_dom where my criticism about someone's use of the language has brought out all sorts of jerks *heh*], I'm gonna go on about last night.
Thanks both to DYM and to DJ Antithesis last night ROCKED!!
Doors open at 9 so I figure standard set up is for 8pm anytime we do something special. I rolled into the parking lot late, at 8:10 and waited... and waited... finally the band showed at 8:40, 'bout the same time as the club owners, and the guest DJ wasn't too far behind. BUT... doors opened on time and everything flowed.
Usually the crowd doesn't show until 11pm but I figured that with the band going on at 11:30 some people might be early. Additionally, Antithesis [who was really THE core DJ for the goth/Industrial movement in this area 8 years ago] went on an hour before and the hour after the band. So I strolled past the door at 10:30 to find out we were all ready in the 50s and climbing.
A standard Wednesday Bound & Gagged draws around 60 people with the Fashion Shows we've done pushing us up into the 80s and 90s. Once in the two and a half year history we broke the triple digit mark with 117 attendees. Last night we set a new record with 122 people through the door. 122 people... I was boggled. Still am.
They drank and they socialized and more than a few of 'em danced. They listened to the band [during the 45 minute set I think I saw 3 whole people go outside for a cigarette]. They stuck around after the band [usually, with the Fashion Show nights, when the show is done everyone leaves, giving us an empty club by 1am] and it was busy pretty much right up until close. The bartender was run off his feet but I'm thinking he did decently in tips for the work he did.
With a band AND a guest DJ, I got to talk with folk... wander and chat, find out what people think, how they're enjoying themselves. And seems that everyone I spoke with had a good time last night.
The set up at Renaissance is a little strange for bands, but DYM are two highly talented guys who are great to just hang out and talk with as well. Their set up didn't take up a huge amount of floor space. They also had a theatrical aspect this time... one guy, one girl [both short and muscular] topless, done up in silver/white liquid latex from waist to neck to wrists, with gasmasks on. The 'art' volunteers stood stockstill for five songs and then they sorta danced, while slowly ripping the latex from each the other. It was very different. I also gave the volunteers a couple of door prizes from To Die For Designs to hand out... figuring the volunteers didn't know the people and wouldn't be biased. I DID hear that the prizes were incredibly well recieved and both ladies were excited to get some very exquisite jewellery.
DJ Antithesis, accompanied by the ever lovely and talented Ayria [no, she didn't spin nor perform, but I do hope she enjoyed], did a fantastic and energetic job [just check out the playlist at the end of this post]. It was great to actually talk with the guy for a change, beyond a handful of words rushed during some larger event when he is manning his table [his distribution company is found at www.stormingthebase.com - DO CHECK IT OUT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!] or I'm between organizational stuffs. He's got that bit of mania around the edges that makes him an excellent talent and a damned fantastic guy to have running the deck. He had a stack o' dancers through quite a decent chunk of the night, which was great to see.
Okay, enough gushing about last night [which was DAMNED FINE!], let me give you the playlist while I go sit and wonder in awe at the numbers again... 122 people on a Wednesday in Kitchener... just wow.
( What you've waited for during the whole post. You Know the Drill! )
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(25 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, August 25th, 2004
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3:31 pm - TONIGHT!!
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Bound & Gagged presents: HARD! And you know it's gonna be!
First off we have an appearance by DYM. With a sound very favourably comparable to a young Skinny Puppy, these guys have been playing all over the SW Ontario region and we have 'em for you tonight! One night only, NO COVER!
AND we have DJ ANTITHESIS. Yup, Jeremy is returning to his home town, to a scene he helped shape, to offer you several hours of high energy tune-age.
Kitchener/Waterloo's ONLY dark alternative night.
Give aways at the door and Canadian Tire money is Par at the Bar
No cover, no dress code, no attitude.
Fetish Friendly.
Club Renaissance
24A Charles Street, Kitchener
Across from the Kitchener Bus Station
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Bound runs from 9pm to about 11:30ish, offering dark triphop and
sensual, seductive tunes as background for socializing time.
Gagged begins at approximately 11:30 until close, bringing you
harder, sexier, wilder musical selections to make your body move.
The club night is fetish friendly, which means we do not provide
fetish furniture at this time, we do not have a designated play area,
and we do not permit genital nudity. We do condone and support bdsm
behaviour and light/soft play.
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(16 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, August 23rd, 2004
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6:11 pm - And added for thought...
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4:57 pm - Wings
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Okay. Wings. Read online otherkin LJs entries and elist postings about wings and you'll likely find that we have winged wolves, winged cats, winged elves, winged trolls, winged bunnyrabbits and all manner of creature that are not 'naturally' winged.
Add in the angels, the demons, the dragons, the pixies and a whole host of otherkin who's genus include wings.
End result = one HELL of a lot of winged kin. Dragonfly wings, feathered wings, leathery wings... lots and lots of wings.
Why? What's so hot about wings? Really?
Okay, a post in three parts. Yup, it's long and I'm not cutting it here [I will for the community IF I put it there].
1. Personal experience. Up until about two, three years ago I hadn't run into wings so there was a lot of suspicion on my part. Yup, I'm cynical and suspicious by nature. I've spent several decades exploring, researching, investigating and back in the pre-internet days you didn't run into elves with wings or wolves with wings. So hearing about wings from everykin and her brother online... I doubted.
Over the course of a year or so, about two and a half years back, I got to experience wings in not-naturally winged 'kin genus. I was literally smacked in the face. Twice in several months. It woke me up to a few things [yes, I can and do change my mind when the puzzle pieces shape something different from my original ideas].
So there began spending the next few years poking about wings.
2. Why wings? I don't care what world you're from, the physical laws of the universe seem to be pretty standard and, for the sake of argument, I have to believe that they are fairly constant. Gravity. Evolutionary selection/survival. Speed of light stuff. Mom Nature doesn't like useless bits and, particularly if they're contra-survival, they go away in time. Sure, a long time... but they go away.
So why wings?
What use are wings to a wolf? To an elf? To a cat? Can't fly with them so... why?
I've been told that one could fly using magic. In that case, why wings?
I've been told that it's individual, for decorative purposes. K... then why whole races with wings?
I believe that there are three possible purposes for wings according to Mom Nature. I've spent months trying to find a fourth.
~Flight. Have you done the math on humans with wings and flying? Now, most elves I know do tend towards a higher density of bone with smaller size and less weight per cubic inch but still... do the math. It doesn't work.
Wolves and cats aren't shaped for flight.
If you DO want to have humans or wolves flying, and you do go for the huge wingspan required and work out some intricate folding joints so they fit on the back, then look at the center of gravity. Wings would attach MUCH further down the back and would NOT attach at the shoulder.
Also check the muscle requirements for using wings. It would give us a definite barrel shape to the chest on a humanoid. Quite a sizeable one. One a quad it would still increase chest and back size.
~Plumage. Decoration. Mating stuff.
Wings are a great extension to grab, for a predator. Wings are more vulnerable to impact damage than are most other limbs. A break in a wing, once healed, has a greater chance of denying use than a break in any other limb.
Wings, as part of a body, are not separate material so leathery wings would be an extension of all ready leathery flesh. And I'm trying to think of an animal or bird which combines hair and feathers in such a way that would restrict the feathers to wings while using hair over the rest of the body. Can't think of any currently, though that doesn't mean that fine enough feathers wouldn't do the job of hair...
Speaking of hair... it exists as protection. So add flying in to a normal person's habits and necessary protection changes, the zones moves.
Clothing and wings. THERE is an annoyance waiting to happen. Wings would change the architecture and yet none of these winged otherkin mention that. Wings change furniture requirements and desires. They change sleeping positions, comfort and other basic stuff.
~ Collecting or dispensing energy of some sort. Heat. Light. So heat sinks, in which case they'd actually be reflective somewhat, or collectors in which case they'd be absorptive in material or colour... and if wings, why not the entire body? Makes more sense.
Additionally, to dump or collect the wings would need to be extended. This creates even more necessary changes to lifestyle, living environment and such.
3. My own theories on wings.
Energy constructs used for:
~Sensing.
Extending a wing shaped energy construct out does offer more 'surface area' and a possibility for heightened sensations at the subtle level.
~Decoration.
Willed wings... everyone has 'em so I'll construct 'em too. Thought into form.
~Energy collection or dispersal.
Okay, this is where my research over the last couple of decades has taken me. This is drawn from several martial arts, a number of belief systems, personal experience and learning from a whole whack of other people.
The chakras most involved in energy movement and utilization appear to be the solar plexus and heart chakras. In a more physical sense, it's the upper stomach and into the chest area. Do I buy the chakra system? Yes and no... it's a good reference for sake of discussion.
When energy is being moved around the body or being used it seems that it's often the heart chakra that acts sort of as a director. Or focal point. Or that nexus where everything passes through. The solar plexus seems to play a part though it's also strongly viewed as an energy storage location.
This is also why a lot of arts focus on breathing, as it impacts on this area of the body. The heart chakra relates directly to circulation... and this can include circulation of energy as well as vital fluids.
When exploring shielding, I've personally noticed that a LOT of people [a very high percentage] root or anchor their shields somewhere in a palm sized lozenge shaped area that tops between the shoulderblades and running parallel to the spine. Sure, I've seen the occasional person/kin who anchors it somewhere else but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. A big exception, honestly.
So... it's energy, shaped like wings. But what's it used for?
Flaring. I've noticed that sometimes kin will use this for various reasons, including sort of a 'look at me' thing in looking for OTHER kin. Pump some energy into it and send up a little flare of something, of feel and sense.
Some apparently use the energy formations to dump, like grounding or skying.
Other than that they don't seem to be used for much beyond saying "Look at me, I'm a winged kin!!" *sigh* So yup, they're the same as hair extensions and goggles to a north american rivethead. Same as a zoot suit to a swingdancer. Only less so, really, in my opinion.
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(92 comments | comment on this)
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| Sunday, August 22nd, 2004
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4:49 pm - Yeah... the Otherkin thing...
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I'd mentioned in my last post sliding into some otherkin related thoughts [interesting sidenote: PC begins VNV's "Beloved" here... fitting somehow] but I find that, due to a li'l search recently, my intent downturns rather than up.
So I typed "otherkin" into the search field of LJ and selected 'interests'.
159 Communities. 453 Users.
It's been a while since I've checked and those numbers have grown, but not for good reasons.
159 Communities.
Most of them contain less than a half dozen users, many being lonely little places with one or two people. Silent wastelands of nothingness, full of intent and empty even of promise. And the intent is rarely right intent... it's frequently the "I can do it better" intent or the "we need a group for this sub-sub-sub genre which is being overlooked" or the the slightly entertaining [for the time it takes to microwave a bowl of ramen] "let us mock X" [X can be a value containing ourselves or others, but is usually focused on our own].
There are the "fluffy, no badness allowed *hiss*" communities and the "darkity darkdark doomy misunderstood eeeevil" communities [who honestly don't seem to have a grasp on what evil is all about... they're simply bad, and they're even bad at that for the most part].
Several of the communities are places for obvious mutual ego stroking.
A couple of them use "True" somewhere in the name or the profile, in an attempt to be that single elite community with the REAL FACTS(tm).
There are the PC over-reactionary groups which do not allow the merest HINT of superiority [this can be rough on Elves and Dragons, both of whom do arrogance with a style and fashion that's usually admirable, particularly in the olders *grin*] and there are response-groups set up to allow for discussion of 'specialness'.
There are communities offering answers and those claiming the answers lie within.
Then there are the users. 453 of them.
Yes, it was just that quiet at work over the last few days that I've gotten to do a fairly thorough sampling... I'd guess about 70% of the communities and nearly 40% of the users.
And I wonder why many have a poor image of otherkin *facepalm* I should have more than a clue, really, except that I think I've been spoiled the last few years and haven't run into so many out-of-balance folk in person [which is where I place 95% of my trust in information, the other 5% being all ready trusted online sources]. We're like our own little cereal bar, we otherkin... rich in flakes, nuts and fruits *sigh*
I can see why, though. It's a unique thing to be, a different type of identity. It's not about being a 'brain/geek/nerd' or a 'jock/athlete' or a what-have-you. Particularly among the younger there is this high school need to be different, to explain being an outcast or feeling misplaced, that I know many will grow out of. But the damage they're doing before they put aside the mask that no longer fits in a few years... *sheesh* And yes, I do see parallels in the goth subculture, in the pagan community, in several other fringe groups.
MMmmm, Covenant's We Want Revolution. Interesting timing, that.
I forget where I was wandering the other day when I saw some similar question... and it does happen to many of the 'unique/interesting/DIFFERENT' subcultural fringe groups. It's like each group gets a platform to put up, to allow members to stand aside from the 'mainstream', where they can be noticed [and trust me, a LOT of this is about being noticed, even for those who want to 'stay in the shadows']. The problem is that no one is allowed to put a doorman at the platform's edge so just any ol' person can climb on up.
This does make it easier for people exploring and looking for something to step up, sample the flavour, and then hop down... it makes it easier for those who don't have an immediate connection [friend, family member, online forum, nearby nightclub, etc] to MAKE a connection, to belong... and it makes it easier for the vocal minority [always the loud few] to hop up for the spotlight, to make some kind of personal point, to realize their own fantasies...
The internet makes access to these platforms all the easier. Online, you can be anyone you want to be, wear any mask you'd like. Online, you can belong.
I think, in the near future, as I hammer out a little more of my own thoughts on the topic I shall be posting an otherkin thought thing on wings and I can all ready imagine that my popularity will drop a few more points *chuckle*
C'est la vie.
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