Storytime: Rift Park

From my 500 Writing Prompts bookWhile at the beach you decide to write a message in a bottle. What would it say? Who would you like to find it?

“It’s just over this hill.”

“How can you be sure, Michael? It looks like the last eighteen hills that we passed.”

“It’s only been three.”

“Felt like eighteen.”

“There! Jeff – do you see it? Oh, Jeff, we’ve really found it this time!”

“Well hell, Michael. We could have found it a heck of a lot sooner if we’d taken the map at the entrance. The ranger said it showed walking paths and a parking lot just a half mile from here.”

“Whatever. This was more fun. An adventure for an adventure!”

“You’d think speaking to people on the other side of the world by bottle would be adventure enough.”

Continue reading “Storytime: Rift Park”

Storytime: Rift Park
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Writing for Fun

Tonight I went to Barnes and Noble and brought home quite the diverse haul: a collection of Lovecraft stories, a SparkChart on the Bible, a book of origami paper, one of them trendy “adult” coloring books, Carl Zimmer’s Science Ink. And this:

A simple red book entitled "500 WRITING PROMPTS"

I’ve recently attended several fiction-focused conventions and have been talking about writing and thinking about writing and social media-ing about writing. And so maybe I’ll do some writing.

Continue reading “Writing for Fun”

Writing for Fun

Book Review: Suicide is for Mortals

Suicide is for Mortals is a recently published book written by Alyson Miers, an author who you might recognize as a commenter on some of the FtB sites, and a participant in the atheosphere. When I learned that she had a new book out, I decided to give it a read.

Book Cover for Suicide is for Mortals. Subtext "Do not take death for granted." Alyson Myers.  Cover art is a nebulous pink, blue and white shape
The story weaves together the lives of three beings: the ghost of an ex-US President, a talented human artist who can see her, and an undead journalist who spent much of his mortal life exposing the links between vampires and organized crime. They live in a country that has magic and a complicated relationship between the magical and the mundane.

Let’s get the worst out of the way: I picked up Suicide is for Mortals (After Rezata Book 1) about two weeks ago, and it took me about that long to chug through the first half of the book. The story started out slow and I set it down many times over that period. Miers takes a long time to set up her world. With that said, it is a unique world, and I do think that it will pay off in future books in the series. The story picked up in the later half; I was glued to the pages and found time to finish it in two evenings (and one of those evenings involved a UHaul and moving out of my old place into a new house in Minneapolis!). Continue reading “Book Review: Suicide is for Mortals”

Book Review: Suicide is for Mortals

Jenny Bandage and the Unpronounceable A.K.R.O.N.Y.M

On Saturday night I attended a showing of a new play presented by Twin Cities-based Fearless Comedy Productions called Jenny Bandage and the Unpronounceable A.K.R.O.N.Y.M. It was very silly. There were NERF guns, over-the-top loud mad scientist laughs and groan-inducing jokes.

Tim Wick, local writer and entertainer, has created a show that calls out bad science and bemoans the harsh realities of doing “good” science: mingling with donors, writing grants and flying coach. The show is a send up of traditional spy movies such as James Bond – but think more along the lines of Spy Hard. There is one part where a waiter asks Scientist Spy Jenny Bandage if she’d like her margarita “shaken or stirred,” to which she scoffs and replies, “Why would I care?”

Continue reading “Jenny Bandage and the Unpronounceable A.K.R.O.N.Y.M”

Jenny Bandage and the Unpronounceable A.K.R.O.N.Y.M

Die Laughing – An Interview with Tim Wick

This weekend a very special, very weird event will take place at the DoubleTree in Bloomington, Minnesota: Die Laughing 2: Laugh Harder, a 50 hour comedy marathon fundraiser for Fearless Comedy Productions.

The Hubby and I attended last year’s Die Laughing fundraiser and had a pretty darn good time. The highlight was getting a noseharp from MST3K’s Kevin Murphy, and hearing him play noseharp, play ukelele and sing a lyrical version of the Game of Thrones intro song. But then there were all of the local comedians, the improv, the sweet silent auctions, the sleep deprivation. It was a heck of a weekend.

And this weekend they’re coming coming back for more. This Friday at 7pm the intrepid members of Fearless Comedy and their guests will kick off the 3000-minute event. This year I’m volunteering at the box office; I’m excited to support a group that has provided me with many laughs and entertainment over the past year.  Continue reading “Die Laughing – An Interview with Tim Wick”

Die Laughing – An Interview with Tim Wick

A&F – Attractive & Fat

How badass is this?

Jes over at The Militant Baker has posted the most gorgeous and smoldering retort to Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries.

In her letter she challenges A&F’s fat-hating and sexist business practices,

The only thing you’ve done through your comments (about thin being beautiful and only offering XL and XXL in your stores for men) is reinforce the unoriginal concept that fat women are social failures, valueless, and undesirable.

she comments on current marketing perspectives of beauty and attraction,

Never in our culture do we see sexy photo shoots that pair short, fat, unconventional models with not short, not fat, professional models. To put it in your words: “unpopular kids” with “cool kids”. It’s socially acceptable for same to be paired with same, but never are contrasting bodies positively mixed in the world of advertisement.

and then stars in a jaw-dropping, sultry, sexy photo shoot by Liora K Photography, shot in the style of the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog and advertisements. You get one teaser here – for the rest, go visit the Militant Baker.

A&F

Jes in an embrace with model John C. Shay, giving the camera a dark glance as Shay lifts her chin towards him. This is one of many shots that shows off Jes’s tattooed, curvalicious bod. All of the displayed set is in black and white. Many of the other photos feature Jes wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt.

In the letter she explains her motivations for the project:

I didn’t take these pictures to show that the male model found me attractive, or that the photographer found me photogenic, or to prove that you’re an ostentatious dick. Rather, I was inspired by the opportunity to show that I am secure in my skin and to flaunt this by using the controversial platform that you created. I challenge the separation of attractive and fat, and I assert that they are compatible regardless of what you believe. Not only do I know that I’m sexy, but I also have the confidence to pose nude in ways you don’t dare.

To end the set, Jes gives Jeffries the bird, as so many of us have.

Hat tip to C. Brown on Facebook for the link to the Buzzfeed article about Jes’s blog.

A&F – Attractive & Fat

It’s not a tramp stamp, it’s a tattoo.

I have two tattoos. I want more! I love wearing art that is important to me, carrying with me the memories and experiences that went into my choice of tattoo. Even though my first tattoo was flash picked off of a wall, I smile at the eagerness of my just-turned-18 self, that the fact that I was getting a tattoo was more important than what I put on my body. Even that crappy tattoo has its place.

All sorts of people get all sorts of tattoos for all sorts of reasons, and in recent Western culture we have placed judgement on the types of people who get tattoos, what those tattoos are, and even where they’re placed. If you get a tattoo you’re a punk who will never amount to anything, you’re defiling your body because teh bible. If you get a highly visible tattoo you’re an idiot who will never get a respectable job. There might be a few instances where it’s okay for a man to get a tattoo – military tattoos come to mind. But if you’re a woman, well, it doesn’t really matter why or where you get tattooed – you’re a skanky whore.

Critink has a post about this perception of women who get tattoos. The author justifiably took exception to an article which mentions the phrase “Skank Flank: The New Tramp Stamp”. With very little digging Critink shows that judging women who have tattoos is just one more instance of body-shaming and the idea that women should be told what we can and can’t do with our bodies:

Here is how the same douchebags would like us to view tattoos:

  • Lower back tattoos: you’re a tramp
  • Rib tattoos: you’re a skank
  • Wrist tattoos: you’re a dumb skank
  • Arm tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Leg tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Feet tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Shoulder tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Tattoos anywhere: you’re a whore
  • No tattoos: you’re still a whore.

Visit Critink for the full story. It’s a short, but powerful read.

It’s not a tramp stamp, it’s a tattoo.

It's not a tramp stamp, it's a tattoo.

I have two tattoos. I want more! I love wearing art that is important to me, carrying with me the memories and experiences that went into my choice of tattoo. Even though my first tattoo was flash picked off of a wall, I smile at the eagerness of my just-turned-18 self, that the fact that I was getting a tattoo was more important than what I put on my body. Even that crappy tattoo has its place.

All sorts of people get all sorts of tattoos for all sorts of reasons, and in recent Western culture we have placed judgement on the types of people who get tattoos, what those tattoos are, and even where they’re placed. If you get a tattoo you’re a punk who will never amount to anything, you’re defiling your body because teh bible. If you get a highly visible tattoo you’re an idiot who will never get a respectable job. There might be a few instances where it’s okay for a man to get a tattoo – military tattoos come to mind. But if you’re a woman, well, it doesn’t really matter why or where you get tattooed – you’re a skanky whore.

Critink has a post about this perception of women who get tattoos. The author justifiably took exception to an article which mentions the phrase “Skank Flank: The New Tramp Stamp”. With very little digging Critink shows that judging women who have tattoos is just one more instance of body-shaming and the idea that women should be told what we can and can’t do with our bodies:

Here is how the same douchebags would like us to view tattoos:

  • Lower back tattoos: you’re a tramp
  • Rib tattoos: you’re a skank
  • Wrist tattoos: you’re a dumb skank
  • Arm tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Leg tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Feet tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Shoulder tattoos: you’re a whore
  • Tattoos anywhere: you’re a whore
  • No tattoos: you’re still a whore.

Visit Critink for the full story. It’s a short, but powerful read.

It's not a tramp stamp, it's a tattoo.

Pareidolia Play Along 2: The Reveal

This is a post by guest blogger Ellen Bulger

In this installment, Ellen reveals the answer to last week’s Pareidolia Play Along. Here’s the image she teased us with:

Pareidolia Follies 2 Studio © Ellen Bulger

I have a pair of hip waders. Nothing fancy. Not your hootsie tootsie high-end Orvis sort of hip waders. I’d taken an aquatic entomology class (Say Didymops three times fast!) and the smallest size of wader available for use was two sizes too big for me. I did what I could by wearing extra socks to make my feet fit somewhat more securely in the boots, but it didn’t help much. I had to walk into streams and rivers to do kick samples and the rocks were slippery. If the current was running fast, it was tricky. I did not like sliding around inside the boots, thank you very much. So I went out and bought myself a cheap pair of waders.

Continue reading “Pareidolia Play Along 2: The Reveal”

Pareidolia Play Along 2: The Reveal

Calling Atheist Artists!

This is a post by guest blogger Ellen Bulger.

Wanted: Painters, Poets, Potters, Dancers, Filmmakers, Textile Artists, Musicians, Landscape Designers, Novelists, Printmakers, Songwriters, Sculptors, Animators, Actors and Architects…

A lot of atheists like to keep their heads down. Historically, it’s been that or lose ‘em. Recently that has changed and to some it must seem like every atheist in the world is screaming from the rooftops.

Studio © Ellen Bulger

Not hardly. Not no how. For every out atheist I know personally, I know a dozen cryptic ones. These are people who don’t want to make ripples, people who don’t want the attention. Their atheism isn’t necessarily a big secret. They simply aren’t given to PDA, public displays of atheism.

Artists have a reputation for being extroverts, but that is not always the case. In fact, I’m not even sure that extroverts are in the majority in arts communities. Yet even shy artists want their work to be seen.

Lab As Studio © Ellen Bulger

I suspect that the majority of artists would rather just go about making art and don’t much care for the business of promoting their work. Never you mind me, I’ll be in the studio. But they suck it up and go out to get their art in the public eye.

Do you see what I’m getting at here? I’m looking for those of you who live in the overlap of art and atheism.

We’d like to know about your art.

If you are an artist, and you are an atheist, I’d like to learn about the art you are doing. I’d like to know to what extent your atheism influences your art and your life. And I’d like to share your art here on Biodork at Freethought Blogs. My gmail address is Atheists.Artists@ and I’m waiting to hear from you.

Calling Atheist Artists!