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Blogs > humorlife > Confessions of a Lifestyle Man
Confessions of a Lifestyle Man
  
A decidedly pointed view of the swinging lifestyle, both personal and at large. Your comments help shape its direction -- so opine away!

And... please feel free to pimp any and all posts, including (especially?) the monthly virtual symposium. Watch this blog for updates on voting and symposium dates!
Keywords | Title View | Refer to a Friend |
Bridesmaid Becomes A Bride: “Food” Is The Topic For The Eighth Virtual Symposium
Posted:May 17, 2015 7:51 pm
Last Updated:Jun 27, 2015 9:25 am
50354 Views

The third time proved the charm, and “Food” is the topic of choice for the next virtual symposium. We had some strong contenders for this month’s symposium, and voters will see some of them again, but the choice of the twice-runner-up topic was a foregone conclusion once last month’s symposium ended. Still, great get-out-the-vote pimping by many symposium supporters… thank you, one and all!

For those new to the virtual symposium: In short, it’s a simultaneous act of blogging. Here’s how it works: Anybody with a blog on this site is welcome to join in. All choosing to participate will create something – an essay, a cartoon, an erotic story, a memoir, a series of one-line aphorisms, an image collage, a photo montage, a poem, or anything else – relating to “Food.” At a pre-arranged time and date (see below) all participants post their contributions.

Want a better sense of how it works – or just some good reads? Here’s a link to the participants’ list from the seventh symposium: Participants List for The Seventh Virtual Symposium Inspiration What Inspires Us To

Feel free to take the basic idea of “Inspiration (What Inspires Us To…)” and stretch it to as wild an interpretation as you like -- the post should reflect you! The last thing we need is a dozen monotonous texts on the same topic. Anything goes, as long as there is a trace of the original idea in the post.

On the morning of May 24 (a Sunday, for those keeping score), all participants will post their creations. Please, please, post ‘em to your own blogs early: I do want to link to them in a central post here, but I don’t want to be stapled to my desk all day.

I'll be responsible for posting links to your blogs here – I want to make this as effortless for participants as possible! Once you’ve posted, leave a note in the comments section here so I know to link to your submission. I will, of course, post latecomers… people do check back to see whether new participants have joined the symposium. But after the morning of May 24, I may not be updating the list as obsessively.

As for contributions themselves: The idea is to create something new, as opposed to using posts to respond to other posts (although the comments section will, of course, remain fair game). Leave a note in the blog comments, and I’ll use a post on this blog that day to link to all contributions.

A suggestion: Participants may want to refer to either the virtual symposium or the topic itself in their headline. Not a requirement – there are no requirements, save for originality and participation – but a suggestion which will let the wide blog community know what we’re doing.

This is not a contest. No souvenir mugs will be sent, nor ribbons awarded. The idea here is for those interested to, on a single day, offer an interpretation of a single topic for the sheer fun of it.

By all means, encourage other bloggers to participate – and to let me know they’re doing so through this post, so on the morning of May 24 I can link to their posts. Oh, and please consider this an invitation – if not a request – to the symposium both on your own blogs, and in individual requests to bloggers whom you’d like to see represented. The more the merrier, right? There are some folks with very distinct voices on this site who aren’t yet participating – let’s bring ‘em in and make ‘em one of us, one of us, one of us!

Remember, of course, to keep things in your voice!

Final note: Every symposium, there are a few newbies who contribute posts, and don’t let me know about their contributions (I catch some by watching the “recent posts” feed, but that’s hit or miss). So… once you post, please leave me a note here! (I get messages about the symposium which are attached to the blog a little faster than the ones which are emailed to me.)

Can’t wait to see the results!

the symposium, the symposium, the symposium... the viewers you bring in may be your own. Can't get more (verbally) naked than that...
57 Comments   (Page:)
The Virtual Symposium Returns: Let’s Pick A Topic!
Posted:May 14, 2015 10:41 am
Last Updated:Jun 22, 2015 6:26 am
49719 Views

Our seventh virtual symposium Participants List for The Seventh Virtual Symposium Inspiration What Inspires Us To was the biggest yet, featuring 45 participants. It also marks the first polyglot symposium: Francophones participated for the first time, adding their voices to an international community which features contributors from Greece, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada, and that country one encounters when, in the words of John Lennon, one turns left at Greenland. I’m sure I’ve left a country or two out… Ireland, perhaps? Apologies to those I haven’t included here.

We even picked up a few scoops of newbies, thanks largely to previous participants pimping the symposium on their blogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who promoted it!

Ready for the eighth? Let’s pick one topic from those listed below, and on the morning of Sunday, May 24 I’ll provide a central landing page which will have links to all contributors’ offerings. No matter which topic we ultimately choose, I hope folks will interpret it as broadly as befits their personalities. Essays, fantasies, poems, image collages, other artwork – the wilder the interpretation, the better!

On the morning of Sunday, May 24, I’ll start a placeholder post, and as participants put their contributions up, I’ll look for their notifications and incorporate links into that central post. Participants are encouraged to note in their posts that they’re part of a communal effort: Doing so allows someone who stumbles on one such blog item to enjoy as many of our pieces as he/she wants… and further strengthens a sense of virtual community.

The only two rules are: A ) Please post as early on the chosen day as possible, to allow for maximum exposure (and, quite frankly, so I’m not glued to my desk all day), and B ) the posts should be entirely original, as opposed to commenting on other posts from the topic. Ideally, posts should be created beforehand, and put on the site on the designated day. (The comments sections, of course, would be fair game!)

A suggestion: Participants may want to refer to either the virtual symposium or the topic itself in their headline. Not a requirement – there are no requirements, save for originality and participation – but a suggestion which will let the wide blog community know what we’re doing. They should definitely let me know, once they’ve posted, that they’ve done so in the comments section on the blog: I get those notifications faster than through the site email system.

And… this is not a contest. No souvenir mugs will be sent, nor ribbons or bling awarded. The idea here is for those interested to, on a single day, offer an interpretation of a single topic for the sheer fun of it.

By all means, encourage other bloggers to participate – and to let me know they’re doing so, either through this post or via email, so on May 24 I can link to their posts. Oh, and consider this permission – nay, encouragement – to the symposium and link back to this post! I’d like to make sure folks interested in participating have the opportunity to do so. , , – and remember, pimping is a great way to influence your topic of choice.

Electioneering is perfectly legal, here… so feel free to leave reactions, persuasive arguments, and snide asides (about topics, but NOT bloggers) in the comments section below.

So what topic will we use for the next virtual symposium? I’ve listed four – I think they’re general enough that, whichever one we end up choosing, most folks should be comfortable offering reactions. One has been generating considerable pre-vote buzz… and naughty person that I am, I was tempted to leave it off and make folks write it in, for the sheer joy of seeing whether a write-in candidate could win. Why didn’t I do so? Because I have no desire to be hung from the highest yardarm in the blogosphere…

At any rate, here are the choices. Feel free to electioneer in the comments, below, for any you find particularly compelling.

Voting for the topic will close at end-day on Monday, May 18.

that vote -- newbie participants are always welcome!

Thank you in advance for your participation! And yes, reading and enjoying counts as participation. Pick that topic!
Recharging/Renewing/Rebooting
Exes (However one wishes to interpret this)
Food
Body Image
Other (Write it in below and lobby for it. Longshot, but… why not?)
60 Comments , 69 votes   (Page:)
Tying Up A Loose End: My former-wife never participated in swinging with me.
Posted:May 13, 2015 2:07 pm
Last Updated:Oct 16, 2021 3:54 pm
45708 Views

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that I rarely talk about myself, preferring to make comments about swinging as it is portrayed or examined in various media.

That said, outside circumstances have led to my posting the following:

“My former-wife never participated in swinging with me.”

I will have a new list of topics to vote on for the virtual symposium tomorrow. Look forward to your votes -- and to a stellar turnout!
22 Comments
Cretin Hop: Coverage Of European Swingers Event Misses With One Key Phrase
Posted:May 3, 2015 8:54 am
Last Updated:Nov 8, 2017 9:06 am
45523 Views

Today marks the wrap-up of what looks to have been a wonderful party on the island of Crete: A “Swing Break Take Over” hosted by SDC Travel, a unit of Swingers Date Club.

The takeover itself looks to have been a blast: A six-day takeover based in a place SDC’s site describes as “the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe!”

Fair’s fair: Based on the roster of activities, it’s unlikely the region’s culture and history were at the forefront of event planning. Featured pictures were of the resort. It’s a pretty, sun-drenched resort, but it’s still a resort: The site didn’t mention any of Crete’s beaches or lagoons. If excursions were planned to the 17th Century town of Rethymnon, the Manousakis Winery, or even the Spinalonga leper colony, attendees must have been told of ‘em upon arriving.

What were attendees doing instead? Tuesday April 28 featured Easter Dream (“Ladies Bunnies, Gents Smoking” – and I have to wonder whether that last was a mistranslation). Wednesday offered Studio 69, with appropriate 1970s attire requested (for the uninitiated, ‘70s attire usually consists of a lot of polyester and rayon. Basically, if you can clean it by squeegeeing it, it’s 70s wear).

And so on, and so on: The themes were pretty standard for swing events: A white clothing night, a Greek toga night. Y’know, "grab a couple of hotel bed sheets and go" events.

(Don’t feel bad for the hotel’s potential loss of sheets: Fees for the all-inclusive event ranged between 1,000 and 1,500 euros, or around $1,100 to $1,700.)

All well and good: I imagine some attendees had a lovely time, others might be disappointed, and the sunburn industry picked up a few more . In short, a typical Mediterranean vacation.

Here’s what’s not so good: A well-meaning but uninformed article on the event titled “Crete Sways to the Rhythm of Swinging,” which appeared on the Greek Reporter website.

Can’t fault writer Ioanna Zikakou for describing swingers as “couples who exchange partners.” The event appears to be couples only, despite the fact that single swingers of all variety play in the lifestyle. And Zikakou gives this a nod by later describing swinging as “a non-monogamous behavior in which both singles and partners in a committed relationship engage in sexual activities with others as a recreational or social activity.”

But the neutral term of exchanging partners is later undone when Zikakou later uses the term “wife swapping.” This term is a relic – one which, unlike arrowheads and other artifacts, fully deserved burial in an undisclosed grave.

There’s also a bit of muddy water where Zikakou lumps swinging in with sex tourism – the latter being a catchall phrase that encompasses brothel tours and other potentially exploitive activities. Sure, going to a swingers event could fall under the term sex tourism, but it’s a loaded term… and a little sensitivity to that would have been nice.

I can take or leave Zikakou’s later phrase, “The phenomenon of swinging, or at least its wider discussion and practice, is regarded by some as arising from the free attitude to sexual activity after the 1960s sexual revolution.” In America, modern swinging traces its origins to the Air Force during World War II. That said, one could make an argument that it arose in Europe during the liberating times of the 1960s.

Overall, though, Zikakou offers a non-judgmental look at the event, including the occasional tidbit such as “they also demanded that the hotel sets up mattresses in several areas such as the nightclub.” Twisting the night away on a Posturpedic? Heh. That’s a detail I’d like to see to confirm (I suspect, or at least hope, the mattresses were off to the side), but it makes for an amusing story.
17 Comments
Online Video Article Offers Truer Reality Picture Of Swinging
Posted:Apr 29, 2015 12:55 pm
Last Updated:May 11, 2015 4:40 pm
48196 Views

There’s no nudity – not even a coy side shot – in a Huffpost Live video piece on attending swing clubs titled “What Really Goes On At Sex Clubs?” Nonetheless, the four clothed panelists all offer naked slices of life regarding lifestyle events, and the result is content which rings truer than a lot of the snicker-into-your-fist depictions featured in various television programs.

The online video features four panelists, one of whom runs a club, two who attend them, and one who is a sex therapist encourages attendance by people with healthy outlooks on their sexuality.

Anchor Nancy Redd, an outsider looking in, does the swinging community a solid by mentioning the “female first” approach many in the lifestyle take. The topic itself could have been further fleshed out, but given the video’s 21:30 running time, and the variety of topics covered, that it was mentioned at all is a plus.

I won’t provide a transcript, or go much beyond hitting the highlights: The video is worth viewing. But the lifestyle comes off quite well: Kenny Blunt, who co-founded Chemistry NYC (an “erotic events” hosting operation) adroitly describes the application process for participants, and assures those unfamiliar with such events that he does his best to “avoid a creepy environment.” While I understand that he has a business to promote, I would have liked to have heard him assert more definitively that sexual play is never guaranteed – these are swing parties, not bordellos.

As it happens, others make that point, and then take the conversation beyond it. Adult films actress and sex educator Nina Hartley, who has been going to sex clubs for more than three decades, talks about the demographics changes the swinging community has undergone since she started participating. And Stephanie Sellars, a filmmaker and Chemistry NYC patron who seems to be in her late 20s/early 30s, provides another consumer’s perspective about playing as part of a couple (they play together as well as separately, and they have had a lot of conversations).

Rounding out the panel is therapist Constance Quinn, who urges participants to rely on the three Cs – communication, consent, and condoms.

The folks on this panel are generally enthusiastic about swinging, but they’re careful to note that it’s not for everyone. Presented with a question about monogamy in marriage, Sellars acknowledges that there are couples who will want to be exclusive, while others won’t.

“There are many different ways to have relationships, and to have erotic connections,” she says. “If you have erotic connections with multiple people, it doesn’t mean that you love your partner any less.”

The video presents a number of touchy issues folks in the lifestyle face. Asked about why married people might need to swing, Hartley says that “Non-monogamy isn’t better than monogamy: It either is your sexual nature or it’s not.” She also offers a most apt metaphor involving strung beads and a neck chain – beads are those swingers play with, while the chain, the person you have meals with, go to school parent-teacher meetings with, nurse through sickness, and see through tragedy, are the chain.

If I have any significant quibble with the piece, it’s with an answer Quinn gives regarding couples having problems going to sex clubs. To my ear, Quinn isn’t fast enough to say that couples with problems are probably the last people who should go to such clubs: They ain’t therapy, and most patrons don’t want to deal with the drama. The couples and single people who go to these clubs are going to have a good time, not to serve as ancillary therapist. I wish she’d hit that point harder.

But Quinn does offer a quote which sums up a lot of my own feelings about sexuality. Quoth the doctor: “The level of conversation we are having in this country still about sexual health and pleasure leaves a lot to be desired.” Right on, Dr. Quinn.

I’ve deliberately remained vague about the specifics of what each panelist says: The video offers a truer “real swingers” look than, say, A&E’s recently canceled swinger reality show. Is the video all-inclusive? Of course not. But it does offer a more realistic view into the swinging world. Aside from the subject matter, it’s a pretty standard talking heads roundup. The audio, of course, makes it very not safe for work.

In the privacy of one’s own home, it’s worth watching.
27 Comments   (Page:)
Participants List for The Seventh Virtual Symposium: Inspiration (What Inspires Us To…)
Posted:Apr 26, 2015 4:41 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2015 6:28 pm
56177 Views

Welcome to the seventh virtual symposium, an informal collection of bloggers who – purely for the hell of it – voted on a single topic (Inspiration – What Inspires Us To) and agreed, on or about April 26, to post their interpretations of that topic.

There are no prizes or awards, save for the opportunity to build a more-closely knit blog community. All bloggers are invited to participate in this, as well as all future, virtual symposiums. To participate, watch this blog for future symposium topics: We anticipate doing one per month.

The rules, such as they are, are simple: Once a topic was picked, all bloggers were and are invited to interpret the topic as loosely as they choose, and offer any type of post they like which either tangentially or directly addresses the topic, whether through fantasy/fiction, essay, photographs, image collages, poems, one-liners, or any other form they choose. Contact me to be included on this list, which I will update as new participants make themselves known.

We (that’s the editorial we – or perhaps I have a tapeworm) hope readers will use these virtual forums to discover new, interesting voices. A request of readers: If you find an entry you especially like, please don’t be shy about leaving an attaboy/attagirl on the appropriate blog. Applause never hurts!

A continually updated list of participants can be found below: Please check back often, as I’ll add new posts as often as appropriate (and as other responsibilities allow). Please leave a note here if I haven’t included your submission!

Note: The site's system is being temperamental about posting hot links: Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't... sometimes they take a few attempts. If a link isn't hot, please track down the appropriate blogs. They're worth it.

AND... BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU HAVEN'T CONTRIBUTED AND WANT TO, PLEASE DO SO! Was hoping to get most of the submissions input at the start of the start of the day... but people do keep checking the list for new contributors... so if you're so moved, write a post and let me know here so I can include you.

Hey, gang, looks like we picked up some new participants! Check the list, and give ‘em an appropriately inappropriate welcome!

In no particular order at all, our participants include:

jadesmith69: Desert is a good ending. Will travel for sex
KItkat1415: Kinks and High Jinks [post 3623234]
CountessMeville: Following My Submissive Heart [post 3623355]
sinfullychocolat: Sleeping Car Desires 7th Virtual Symposium SC39s Inspiration
Fel7114: Fearless Forties [post 3623289]
SlenderGal88: To Be Consumed [post 3623227]
missthee: me, myself, and missthee Inspiration Virtual Symposium
Humorguaranteed: Confessions of a Lifestyle Man Virtual Symposium On Inspiration what inspires us to Swing Club Comes To God, Dodges Zoning Law
Gntillhom: La rubrique et de broc Sublime Avril Seventh Virtual Symposium Inspiration What Inspires Us To
normalisoktoo: alone with everybody Inspiration
lovetokissplease: My Blog Inspiration 7th blog writers vitural symposium
petitandnaughty: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad world... Inspiration contribution to the Seventh Virtual Symposium
mcmaniac: Rantings of a Social Butterfly [post 3623154]
kzoopair: Take two- they're small (By PD) Where Does Writing Come From
kzoopair: Take two- they're small (By Bill) The Person from Porlock
_Lady_X_: Long, Cool Drink of ...Whaaa? [post 3623174]
AntiquePearl: The Observatory [post 3623086]
kathynj: Done and Dusted [post 3621770]
ElDeano64116: Deano's Place Virtual Symposium On Inspiration what inspires us to
spunkycumfun: Sexy TIMES INSPIRATION REQUIRES UNIFORMATION
veryfunnyguy64: Musings and other Thoughts! Virtual Symposium Inspiration is to Breath
rascalQUALITY: Connect 4... [post 3623418]
KtMnDu: Ramblings.............. [post 3623422]
mature_951: psst, over here.... [post 3623438]
itaintagame: Live from the dug out Inspiration what inspires us to Be as
kinkyfem73: Kinkyland [post 3623467]
Myfav416: Mmmmmm finally........... [post 3623465]
39lawless: The Chronicles of Me.... Inspiration blogging symposium
sweet_VM: In your Dreams The Seventh Virtual Symposium Inspiration Success and failure in life
CheatMeRight: Experience Is Not The Answer [post 3623507]
christylovesfun: fractalism Inspiration ME imperturbe, standing at ease in Nature
MnSweet: Sweet Musings... [post 3623542]
TerraNova4Two: Terra Nova [post 3623594]
glidecc: World's Most Unlikely Sex God 7th Virtual Symposium Submission On Inspiration, Omens and Fish Guts
demonicsexkitten: Life, or something like it Inspiration Virtual Symposium Outsourced
CookiesNMischief: Hands in the Cookie Jar The Seventh Virtual Symposium Rolling the Dice Inspiring You to do Naughty in Sin City
1EroticauthorTwo: JJ's Fantasies and Thoughts [post 3623707]
apollorising2021: going LOCAL [post 3623639]
CUMHANDLEME: My Primal ... Urges What inspires your sexiness
sabrina_xxx_2: "It is a truth... [post 3623867]
George_W_Johnson: Yukon Gold [post 3623936]
KittySC78: Ginger Shots [post 3623995]
Seraphim13: My Kingdom of Hearts Inspiration Thank you
grayblue1: The Road to Perdition... [post 3624409]
yckare: Rêves d'envols. [post 3625616]
62 Comments   (Page:)
Virtual Symposium On “Inspiration (what inspires us to)”: Swing Club Comes To God, Dodges Zoning Law
Posted:Apr 26, 2015 3:58 am
Last Updated:Aug 22, 2015 10:28 pm
50439 Views

This blog entry is part of the seventh virtual symposium, an informal collection of bloggers who – purely for the hell of it – voted on a single topic (“Inspiration (what inspires us to”)) and agreed, on or about April 26, to post their interpretations of that topic. A continually updated list of participants can be found here: Participants List for The Seventh Virtual Symposium Inspiration What Inspires Us To

The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will grant peace, declares the Lord Almighty. – Haggai 2:9

Religion has inspired both glorious and, paradoxically, profane thoughts and actions. It has been the motivation for the saintly, and the refuge for scoundrels. Readers will have to determine which category The United Fellowship Center (UFC) falls into: The organization is essentially a front for The Social Club, a swingers organization based in Nashville, Tenn.

The Social Club had been denied permission to open an outpost in Madison, Tenn. Both city and state officials scrambled to change zoning laws once The Social Club announced its plans. In response, The Social Club got religion: As the headline of an article in The Tennessean notes, “Madison swingers club to open as church instead.”

Under the name Freedom 4 All, Inc. the organization gained approval for a work permit, according to “Tennessee swingers club to open as church after zoning issues“, an article in The New York Daily News. But as the Tennessean notes, “The Floor plans for the club, and now for the church, show the same room layout with several label changes. The club's themed ‘dungeon’ room will now be for the ‘choir.’ A dressing room has become the sacristy.”

The Daily News adds that on the plans a “game room” has become a “fellowship hall.”

If The United Fellowship Center opens, it will be an off-premises club, one where people meet and interact, but play elsewhere. As an attorney for The UFC told The Tennessean, "I assume if someone meets there and wants to do something of a sexual nature, they'll go to a hotel or a motel or go home."

Indeed, much like other churches – or most other businesses.

On the Institute of Religious Freedom website, the home page proclaims the organization offers “Meeting Every Weekend with other Open and Broadminded Men, Women and Couples” and that “we believe our fellowship is just as valid a form of worship as the weekly services held in some of the world’s more segregated and elitist religious institutions.” Is this organization linked to the Madison club? While there is no specific reference to The Social Club or The United Fellowship Center, the organization’s email address incorporates the physical address of the proposed club.

The fight’s not over yet: According to The Tennessean, councilwoman Karen Bennett, who has been spearheading the fight against The Social Club, has introduced a second proposal designed at keeping sex clubs within industrial areas only.

Bennett also told The Tennessean that the club’s foes will monitor the renovation process and that they have an interest in “checking out the church when it opens.”

Her words, not mine.

Amen.
32 Comments   (Page:)
Look Out, Hillary: McManiac Presidential Run Offers Alternative Swinging Candidacy
Posted:Apr 25, 2015 3:17 pm
Last Updated:Nov 8, 2017 9:12 am
48738 Views

Could 2016 be the year of the first swinger president? Earlier, I discussed a National Enquirer report on Hillary and Bill Clinton’s sex life: With Hillary Set To Announce, Prospect Looms of Swingers In The White House Again. If I have a quarrel with the Clintons as alleged swingers, it’s that they are incidentally so: They’re involved, but they’re not committed.

Comes now the blogosphere’s own mcmaniac, who has posted a swinging-positive campaign platform ([post 3622629]) as part of his run for the United States presidency. As an essentially one-issue voter, it is my prerogative, privilege, and principally unprincipled priority to immediately switch my vote, and offer my endorsement, to his candidacy.

There’s a lot to like in the McManiac platform, although I would have preferred that it be a platform bed for better support.

The whole document is worth reading, but several sections deserve special attention:

* Section 2 (“No Person shall be a Representative who has not attained a certain level of general promiscuity, and been a follower, campaigner, or sexual partner of myself or some other person in this administration”)

* Section 3 d) (“all…forms of Scrogging and Fornication will be held in every hallway, nook and cranny [of the White House, which under the McManiac administration will be renamed The Love Shack]”

* Section 4 (“While swinging is certainly not mandatory, those who choose to Swing will certainly gain Kudos and AttaBoys from THIS Administration. You will LOVE the AttaBoys!”)

McManiac has assembled a shadow cabinet consisting of the finest horny minds in the blogosphere. Their comments, all of which are worth reading, follow his platform.

As an additional inducement, I have reason to believe that he is quite open to pandering, payoffs (aka “money shots”), and naked corruption in the pursuit of votes. And the country needs more nakedly corrupt politicians.

McManiac has exceeded Hillary Clinton as the swinger candidate of choice. He has my endorsement… at least until New Jersey Governor Chris Christie weighs in with his own hot tub party.

May the best swinging candidate win.

Fearless prediction: McManiac will become a media darling once newsfolks realize how easy he'll make it for them to dig up dirty laundry.
27 Comments   (Page:)
Community Makes Us Strong: A Mass Media Love Letter
Posted:Apr 23, 2015 9:19 pm
Last Updated:May 15, 2015 5:34 am
47002 Views

There are a number of amazing bloggers on this site – talented writers, folks who scour the Internet looking for choice tidbits to share, and people who get more naked through the expression of ideas and sentiments than they could by posting a thousand gynecological-based pictures – although there is nothing wrong with gynecological-based pictures, for those wishing to post 'em.

Between shared activities and general commenting, an informal, yet very real community of bloggers has arisen. As far as I’ve seen, this community is welcoming of newbies, affectionate toward its members, and supportive of those in need. Watching new people become part of it, and seeing the relationships that grow as they participate, is one of the great joys of blogging here.

Like any community, this blogosphere has its share of bad elements who range from the genuinely disturbed to those emboldened to infantile behavior through their anonymity. Sometimes these folks pick on people who can not only take it, but can give it back in spades – both because of their own internal strength, as well as the strength added by their friends.

For newbie bloggers, especially those in vulnerable straits, however, this strength may be temporarily lacking. And bad elements can have the innate ability to find these weaker bloggers and, for whatever sad reasons, get their jollies by picking on ‘em.

There’s been a recent rise of bullying within the community, including a few episodes so vicious that bloggers have considered leaving it. Some have, some haven’t.

The good news is that other bloggers are rejecting this trend. The blogger [blog petitandnaughty] calls out some of these bullies in her post How dare they, among others. That post will serve as a clearinghouse for cases of blog abuse, as well as a general catchall for thoughts on the issue. Click, read, and contribute.

There are others of us joined to combat this trend. The blogger [blog _Lady_X_] has written several items of late about this phenomenon. And kzoopair and KItkat1415, two more individuals I would want in my corner any day of the week, have made it clear that in our community, amid our participants, this type of behavior will not stand.

To my fellow bloggers, blog followers, casual readers, symposium participants, and anyone else who happens to stumble across this post: Add your voice. Not just today, but every day when you see bullying here going on. Add it publicly in support of bloggers who are attacked. Add it in the form of reminders that “ban this user” buttons on this site work quite nicely. Add it privately, in the form of personal encouraging notes to people who seem as though they could use ‘em. And add it with humor… because there are two things a bully truly hates: Being ignored, and being laughed at.

It’s our blogosphere. Step in and keep it fun.
32 Comments   (Page:)
Inspiration (What Inspires Us To…) Is The Topic Of The Seventh Virtual Symposium!
Posted:Apr 21, 2015 5:53 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2015 11:03 am
49295 Views

“Inspiration (what inspires us to)” narrowly eked out more blogger votes than “Body Image/Imagery,” and is the topic of choice for the next virtual symposium. Count on seeing the “Body Image” topic in future voting opportunities…

And yes, I promise to include “Food” as a choice next month as a potential topic! It had come in second two months running, and I wanted to give it a chance to rest before throwing it out there again.

Special shout-out to [blog rascalQUALITY] for not only offering two write-in possibilities, but promoting ‘em: At least one captured the attention of a lot of bloggers, and you can count on seeing both of them in the months down the road.

For those new to the virtual symposium: In short, it’s a simultaneous act of blogging. Here’s how it works: Anybody with a blog on this site is welcome to join in. All choosing to participate will create something – an essay, a cartoon, an erotic story, a memoir, a series of one-line aphorisms, an image collage, a photo montage, a poem, or anything else – relating to “Inspiration (What Inspires Us To…).” At a pre-arranged time and date (see below) all participants post their contributions.

Want a better sense of how it works – or just some good reads? Here’s a link to the participants’ list from the sixth symposium: Participants List For The Sixth Virtual Symposium Odd Then, Fantastic Now

Feel free to take the basic idea of “Inspiration (What Inspires Us To…)” and stretch it to as wild an interpretation as you like -- the post should reflect you! The last thing we need is a dozen monotonous texts on the same topic. Anything goes, as long as there is a trace of the original idea in the post.

On the morning of April 26 (a Sunday, for those keeping score), all participants will post their creations. Please, please, post ‘em to your own blogs early: I do want to link to them in a central post here, but I don’t want to be stapled to my desk all day.

I'll be responsible for posting links to your blogs here – I want to make this as effortless for participants as possible! Once you’ve posted, leave a note in the comments section here so I know to link to your submission. I will, of course, post latecomers… people do check back to see whether new participants have joined the symposium. But after the morning of April 26, I may not be updating the list as obsessively.

As for contributions themselves: The idea is to create something new, as opposed to using posts to respond to other posts (although the comments section will, of course, remain fair game). Leave a note in the blog comments, and I’ll use a post on this blog that day to link to all contributions.

A suggestion: Participants may want to refer to either the virtual symposium or the topic itself in their headline. Not a requirement – there are no requirements, save for originality and participation – but a suggestion which will let the wide blog community know what we’re doing.

This is not a contest. No souvenir mugs will be sent, nor ribbons awarded. The idea here is for those interested to, on a single day, offer an interpretation of a single topic for the sheer fun of it.

By all means, encourage other bloggers to participate – and to let me know they’re doing so through this post, so on the morning of April 26 I can link to their posts. Oh, and please consider this an invitation – if not a request – to the symposium both on your own blogs, and in individual requests to bloggers whom you’d like to see represented. The more the merrier, right? There are some folks with very distinct voices on this site who aren’t yet participating – let’s bring ‘em in and make ‘em one of us, one of us, one of us!

Remember, of course, to keep things in your voice!

Final note: Every symposium, there are a few newbies who contribute posts, and don’t let me know about their contributions (I catch some by watching the “recent posts” feed, but that’s hit or miss). So… once you post, please leave me a note here! (I get messages about the symposium which are attached to the blog a little faster than the ones which are emailed to me.)

Can’t wait to see the results!

the symposium, the symposium, the symposium... the viewers you bring in may be your own. Can't get more (verbally) naked than that...
40 Comments   (Page:)
The Virtual Symposium Returns: Let’s Pick A Topic!
Posted:Apr 18, 2015 12:53 am
Last Updated:Apr 22, 2015 7:57 am
50314 Views

Our sixth virtual symposium Participants List For The Sixth Virtual Symposium Odd Then, Fantastic Now featured more participants than any other, thanks largely to folks promoting it on their blogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who promoted it… and welcome to the double handful of newbies who joined us.

Ready for the seventh? Let’s pick one topic from those listed below, and on the morning of Sunday, April 26 I’ll provide a central landing page which will have links to all contributors’ offerings. No matter which topic we ultimately choose, I hope folks will interpret it as broadly as befits their personalities. Essays, fantasies, poems, image collages, other artwork – the wilder the interpretation, the better!

On the morning of Sunday, April 26, I’ll start a placeholder post, and as participants put their contributions up, I’ll look for their notifications and incorporate links into that central post. Participants are encouraged to note in their posts that they’re part of a communal effort: Doing so allows someone who stumbles on one such blog item to enjoy as many of our pieces as he/she wants… and further strengthens a sense of virtual community.

The only two rules are: A ) Please post as early on the chosen day as possible, to allow for maximum exposure (and, quite frankly, so I’m not glued to my desk all day), and B ) the posts should be entirely original, as opposed to commenting on other posts from the topic. Ideally, posts should be created beforehand, and put on the site on the designated day. (The comments sections, of course, would be fair game!)

A suggestion: Participants may want to refer to either the virtual symposium or the topic itself in their headline. Not a requirement – there are no requirements, save for originality and participation – but a suggestion which will let the wide blog community know what we’re doing.

And… this is not a contest. No souvenir mugs will be sent, nor ribbons or bling awarded. The idea here is for those interested to, on a single day, offer an interpretation of a single topic for the sheer fun of it.

By all means, encourage other bloggers to participate – and to let me know they’re doing so, either through this post or via email, so on April 26 I can link to their posts. Oh, and consider this permission – nay, encouragement – to the symposium and link back to this post! I’d like to make sure folks interested in participating have the opportunity to do so. , , – and remember, pimping is a great way to influence your topic of choice.

Electioneering is perfectly legal, here… so feel free to leave reactions, persuasive arguments, and snide asides (about topics, but NOT bloggers) in the comments section below.

So what topic will we use for the next virtual symposium? I’ve listed four – I think they’re general enough that, whichever one we end up choosing, most folks should be comfortable offering reactions. Feel free to electioneer in the comments, below, for any you find particularly compelling.

Voting for the topic will close at end-day on Monday, April 20.

that vote -- newbie participants are always welcome!

Thank you in advance for your participation! And yes, reading and enjoying counts as participation. Pick that topic!
Inspiration (what inspires us to)
Technology
Body image/imagery
Cartoon/cartooning/drawing/painting (interpret as you wish!)
Other (Write it in below and lobby for it. Longshot, but… why not?)
50 Comments , 54 votes   (Page:)
A&E's Swinging Show Cancelled After Two Episodes. Moral Pressure Or Poor Ratings?
Posted:Apr 16, 2015 10:36 am
Last Updated:Jan 30, 2016 7:56 am
47899 Views

Readers who missed the first two episodes of A&E's "Neighbors With Benefits," a weekly show that supposedly portrayed real-life swingers, won't have a chance to atone. The network has cancelled the program for the most egregious of sinful behavior -- being boring. (See Critics Agree AE Reality Show Manages To Make Swinging Boring)

Seven unaired episodes remain in abeyance, although the chances of 'em appearing somewhere online are pretty good.

There are questions as to why the show was pulled. According to "‘Neighbors with Benefits’ Cancelled By A&E After Petitions Against ‘Morally Unacceptable’ Series," which appeared on the Movie News Guide site, the network "decided to pull the plug on the show after it received several complaints from concerned family. [sic]"

Several religious groups claimed credit: As Movie News Guide noted, Citizens for Community Values, an organization which, according to its own website, "exists to promote Judeo-Christian moral values, and to reduce destructive behaviors contrary to those values" congratulated its members, saying 'You let your voice be heard and you spoke up letting A&E know you joined thousands of other voices in urging advertisers to place 'Neighbors With Benefits' on their 'do not advertise' list in protest of this immoral show."

On the Christian Post website, a post titled "Cancelled: Neighbors With Benefits" attributed the show's cancellation "in large part to an outpouring of complaints funneled through One Million Mom’s email campaign."

Maybe, maybe not. There have certainly been enough shows during the years which have survived tsk-tsking, largely because they were smart and entertaining. NYPD Blue, which brought more cursing and buttocks of all varieties to prime time than almost any series before it, ran for a dozen years on ABC-TV. Cable has seen The Sopranos, The Wire, and any of a number of edgy, disturbing shows which don't exactly exemplify Ward and June Cleaver values garner applause and audiences.

So what went wrong with Neighbors With Benefits? From all accounts, it was a bad show: Badly written and untitillating, it failed both as scripted entertainment and porn. It even failed as reality TV: A post titled "Is A&E's new show 'Neighbors With Benefits" for real?" (on the Starcasm site, which has a net, not a com, suffix) alleged "in what purports to be a vibrant swingers community in Hamilton Township, apparently just two of those couples live in the area. And neither one lives in the neighborhood where the show was filmed."

A&E also apparently didn't make any of the participants available for interviews. Per Starcasm, "The closed-door policy–which you really wouldn’t expect from a show about sexy Cincinnati swingers–has led to rampant speculation that the bulk of the show’s cast is made up of hired actors."

The show was cancelled because it had low ratings. It had low ratings because it was, apparently, pretty bad. There is a place -- and an audience -- for a smart, entertaining swinging show. The networks will find it someday.
12 Comments
With Hillary Set To Announce, Prospect Looms of Swingers In The White House – Again
Posted:Apr 11, 2015 5:03 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2015 3:02 pm
45237 Views

There are many qualifications worth considering when picking a presidential candidate, almost none of which are relevant to this blog. But with Hillary Rodham Clinton expected to announce her second run at the White House on Sunday, April 12, a question arises: Will we ever have an avowed swinger in the Oval Office?

For the answer, one need consult no less a reputable source than the National Enquirer (and when it comes to reputable sources on political sexcapades, the National Enquirer is sadly among the leaders of a pack that quickly degenerates into frothy-mouth polemics.) In a late-2014 article titled “Exclusive: Sex-Crazed Bill & Hillary Clinton Are Kinky Swingers!” the Enquirer claims “Bill and Hillary Clinton are wild ‘swingers’ – and the bombshell disclosure about their sordid sex lives could ruin her chances of winning the White House in 2016.”

The piece is an overview of a deposition officer L.D. Brown gave in 1997 regarding his time as an Arkansas state trooper. The Enquirer does a fine job of putting old wine in new bottles, claiming that Brown “eyewitnessed a near-orgy involving the political power couple and their lovers!”

Well, hell, I participate in near-orgies on a regular basis. Yesterday, for instance, I bought some lovely gray sole filets from a local fish market, and a near-orgy almost broke out between me, several other shoppers, and the guy who pulled my fish out of the window display. Last Tuesday, while I was considering the purchase of a package of Luden’s honey lemon cough drops, a carnal frenzy of naked flesh came close to materializing between five other customers and a woman who was restocking the souvenir Statue of Liberty miniatures display. Next week I’m going to a baseball game, and I expect to return home narrowly not-sated by 40,000 libidinous fans, all of whom may well be on the verge of doffing their team jerseys and flinging themselves onto a mass, writhing pile in left field.

Can the Clintons claim anything like those experiences? According to Brown, “…the Clintons had an ‘open marriage; and both Bill and Hillary admitted it to him!”

According to the Enquirer, Brown said Bill Clinton once “referred to the wife-swapping, saying: ‘We need to be happy, satisfied. Some people are satisfied in different ways!’” and that “…former Clinton aide Larry Nichols confirmed the high-powered political couple have carried their secret ‘as swingers all these years.’”

Talk, talk, talk. Anybody have any hard proof? Brown told the Enquirer “that he watched in astonishment as Hillary and [White House lawyer Vince Foster] kissed and fondled each other in the private room of a restaurant – while Bill sat just a few feet away kissing and hugging another woman!”

One ought to take Brown at his word: He demonstrates his in-depth knowledge of swinging through the use of technical jargon. Quoth the trooper: “It was a diagonal swap.” I’ve been blogging about swinging for the better part of a year, and hadn’t come across the term “diagonal swap” before reading the article. Perhaps it’s a practice native to Arkansas – in which case I’m booking a plane seat down to The Natural State at first opportunity.

Yes, that’s the state’s nickname. Kinda fitting, given the circumstances.

Back to the restaurant orgy Brown claimed to have seen. Was there a free-for-all among the fried calamari? Entry over the entrees? A daisy chain for dessert?

According to the Enquirer, “When the couples left the restaurant, L.D. said Vince ‘got his hand on Hillary’s rear and is just squeezing it all to hell,’ adding the two were ‘drunk, kissing passionately.’”

Yowza! A little extramarital consensual inebriated ass-squeezing is what passed for a wild swinging orgy in Enquirer land? We may have to wait beyond 2016 to get our first true swinger in the White House. Hey, openly bisexual U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema* (D-Az.), who’s going to be your running date – er, mate?

*Fair’s fair: I have no idea whether Kyrsten Sinema has ever swung in her life.
28 Comments   (Page:)

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