Night Circle

Oh that run down feeling, here it comes. Bleh and ugh. I guess the downtime will carve out its niche whether I want it to or not. I would also rather not succumb to the winter ick that seems to be going around so I will heed the siren call of serene, lazy enjoyment and rest. For now.

This past weekend was great though! Miz Margo’s going away party at DNA on Thursday sort of kicked the weekend into high gear. Yet Friday morning arrived suddenly, so suddenly. And it stretched out in ways that were painful to experience. I rallied through and managed to meet Miss Lynda after work for cocktails at Beauty Bar. We visited with Jason for a bit while he toiled as a professional enabler. Interestingly, after a couple of delicious coffees that Jason “Irished up” for us, we both felt much better and ended up staying for a couple more drinks. Magical alcohol! Eventually Lynda went out to dinner with other friends and I went home to crawl into warm blankets.

Saturday night I met up with Bat and Janel for wine at Sugar Lounge which was packed so packed and SO claustrophobic. We stood wedged in by annoying people at a tiny spot near the front door so we sipped quickly and then headed to DNA for New Wave City and the Cure tribute night. We indulged in the usual mayhem but managed to drag ourselves out of there before they turned the club lights up and made us go home. So I was home before 4.a.m from a NWC for a change!

Sunday was the start of the Creeping Menace of Exhaustion. I was out of sorts and achy and definitely felt a cold trying to take hold. I had errands to run and stupid annoying things to take care of when I would much rather have stayed home getting all nuture-y. Today was more of the same: a Monday full of the out of sorts and achy, but kind of stronger. OH NOES. The battle to remain healthy has begun!

In the middle of this weekend’s fun and frolic (and my sparring with the creeping menace), I was finally able to watch Jersey Shore. Oh. My. God.

MTV: you WIN. I am mesmerized by this show and can’t wait for future installments. I had spent my long, exhaustion-filled Friday (in between taking care of work-related atrocities) reading recaps, reading the hysterical comments during live blogs and watching various clips posted all over the internet about Jersey Shore. My anticipation level was so high that by the time I actually got to watch it, I figured it would not live up to my expectations. It did so and then some!

I watched portions of Jersey Shore again on Saturday night before going out and then portions of it AGAIN on Sunday afternoon. I could say my interest is purely psycho/socio or anthropological, but I’d be totally lying. I’m in it for the jaw-dropping entertainment value. Jersey Shore inherits the trash tv crown, handily defeating the trashiness of Rock of Love, the Rock of Love Bus AND Daisy of Love – combined!

Anyway, I logged on merely to bitch about what a lackluster day this was and how my burning the candle at both ends is going to be my undoing. I’m finishing this up and playing watch the clock until it is 8pm and I can head for home to rest. And if you haven’t yet viewed the tacky horrifying splendor that is Jersey Shore – well what are you waiting for? A specially engraved invitation from The Situation himself?

So yesterday in a fit of pique I created a nublog on blogger. geekwitch.blogspot.com.

I'm trying to figure out if I can make it private, if I can port it to here, and whatever.

But, just so you know, the disruptive advertising on LJ at this point (a port of a Best Buys TV commercial in an interstitial, pop over, can't be closed immediately format) is why I have moved on with this.

Plus my droid and google get along well, and my web site and the blog may work together, and since google is in take over the world mode, I figure I may as well join in.

Tech assistance is solicited.

Grazi.
P

When you started with the ads, I understood. I paid for an account when I could, and did not when I couldn't Hell I even paid for others' accounts as gifts.

Now - you are seriously pissing me off.

These intrusive "interstitial" ads you are displaying - which by the way make LJ completely useless on my mobile phone - are disruptive and grate my every nerve. The fact that I have to wait several 15!) seconds before I can close the pop up ad, and am forced to begin to watch a television commercial before viewing my friends page is insulting.

I give you until January. Perhaps now you are making money you need desperately, I'll give you that much. January - it's your cut off.

(*proceeds to download the GeekWithh LJ in order to preserve it when I ultimately have to leave because of these horrible ads.*)

Between grafting away at edits and light housework, I'm sort of helping with the next Black Milk Productions movie. For the life of me, I cannot remember what it is called, except that it features dismembered dinner guests and lots of non-toxic blood made from syrup. I've been driving around like a fool supplying food and drinks etc. And this continues next weekend...

I could choose to throw a hissy-fit that I'm once again a widow but you know what? I'm really happy my husband invests himself in filming indie horror films with his buddy, Ronnie. I'd sooner have a budding filmmaker for a husband than some fat sod who watches rugby while swilling beer with the boys down at the local pub.

So, anyhow, it would appear that the first movie Thomas and Ronnie collaborated on, KiTTY KiLL, scored half the prizes at a local indie film competition on Friday. I have to laugh, 'cos the film was shot on a hand-held camera over two weekends. They were up against folks who had hectic equipment and lighting, and loads more experience.

And this time 'round, it would appear that a whole bunch of movie professionals are clamouring to help with set dressing, cinematography and props. These are folks who are involved with some Really Big Productions that have been shot in Cape Town recently.

So, ja... it looks like this movie thing isn't just a silly waste of time. It's just that I have so little time to start with it's not easy for me to give up part of my weekend to still be there for the guys. And of course, there's the other salient fact that we can't really afford this... But I'm happy that they're making headway.

**sigh**

Back to editing. **cracks whip**

At least they're getting somewhere. I often feel as though I'm climbing an insurmountable peak. It's all fine and dandy to sell your novel as an ebook. It just means you're competing with so many other authors for the same piece of pie.

I have had a very balanced review for Khepera Rising from best-selling South African fantasy author Greg Hamerton, however...
www.eternitypress.com/review_nerine_dorman_kephera_rising.htm

Apparently I don't write like a woman... whatever that means. I'm still LOLling about that. But I love the review anyway. And claws are kinda kinky.

My first ever batch of Scotch eggs. Delicious.

I'm finally writing again, collaborating on a project with my brother. I'll write, he'll draw, we both plot. Not gonna give too many details at the moment while it's still in the early design and rough draft phase, but it will involve zombies and pizza delivery.

Around the corner from my house.

It's been nine years since I brought Tinúviel home. :)

Just waiting for the muscle pain in my shoulders to heal up completely...and to get over this respiratory thing Ree and I came down with a couple days ago to GO AWAY so that I can get back to playing.

is here again. Piss-off December.

Wow. It's snowing!!!!

And last night's arson was one block from my house. Would it be rash to keep the guns loaded? :(

I'm off to bundle up and go take my final exam.

along with its companions, curious distractions and playful diversions, has woven into my life. I am unable to resist, or rather, I do not wish to resist. I want to see where this cycle takes me. So far, it has been intriguing and a lot of fun. (Less hangovers than you would imagine too, by the way.)

This is one of those times when I want to glide along with the currents instead of trying to navigate against them toward some pre-planned or pre-conceived goal. This goes against my somewhat stealthily control-fixated nature and so it may not last long but I suppose it is worth a try.

“Once, if my memory serves me well, my life was a banquet where every heart revealed itself, where every wine flowed.”

THAT. That is what it has been feeling like lately, at the early stages of this cycle.

Hmmm…that is the first line from Rimbaud’s work, A Season in Hell, which, well - let’s just say I will ascribe only that one verse from A Season in Hell to this particular banquet of joie de vivre! That one verse can be thought of as the amuse-bouche portion of the cycle.

So far so good!

Okay, chapter one is down. I've also been working on edits for another author, but I need to snitch some time for my own material.

Dunno if this word-meter thing I'm trying to paste below will work, but I'm giving it a try...

Sin Whore, a close friend of mine, who has worked with Thomas on a number of alternative fashion shots, kindly dropped by my virtual lounge for a cuppa joe and a lêkker chat.

This week she's officially published as a Voltgirl:
www.voltcase.com/voltgirls/323-sin-whore-alternative-model.html

So I'd like to congratulate her on this achievement, a first, I think, for a South African lass.

And, without further ado, here's the interview...

You are currently working toward what many consider a dream job. There is obviously a lot of hard work involved, but tell us a little about what you do and how you got started.

I started designing and making my own accessories firstly because I couldn’t afford the usual goodies available and secondly because I have very acquired taste and rarely find anything I like. So I started making my own spiked leather accessories first, which eventually expanded into boot covers and bondage corsets. When I took partnership in Path of Sin we decided to call my female bondage accessories SinWear – to give it a more fashionable and feminine image.

But playing with leather only held my interest until I fell in love with the idea of having a mini top hat to pimp into something Steampunk for a new look. I couldn’t find one anywhere and importing one from London or Paris would cost and arm and a leg, so I basically figured out a pattern, had some trial runs and eventually the final product. After wearing it once to a party there was so much interest in it that I decided to include it to my SinWear line. After that, I took up making rosaries and other beaded jewellery calling it Batty Beadz (originally meant as a joke, but the name stuck) and then my SinThetix shirts. I thought they’d be a nice gift for the models who help me out but I just recently got an order from a retail outlet wanting to stock them, so I guess I have to get to working on that.

It’s really hard work to be a small brand just starting up, and alternative on top of it all. Also quality is of great importance to me, so I have to spend so much more time on each product to ensure perfection. I do everything myself and end up working through nights, when necessary, to meet a deadline. In the end it’s absolutely worth the effort, though.

Do you have any advice for anyone wishing to start their own clothing line?

Don’t quit your day job if you have one. Rather work insane hours to get your line on its feet but make sure you have financial security and enough capital for raw materials. Be very patient, stick to quality rather than quantity and always be original.

Can people make money from alternative modeling and what sort of physical attributes must they possess?

Unfortunately in South Africa there is not much money to be made in modelling. My main income so far has been from nude/fetish or catalogue shoots. I have had incredible overseas offers though, but the remuneration that they offer will all have to be spent on transport since they do not cover that. And why would they spend thousands on importing a model from South Africa if they have local models that are just as good? Financially alternative modelling is not a very lucrative option in my opinion, it’s an occupation of passion.

There aren’t too many physical boundaries when it comes to alternative modelling. As the owner of my own alternative modelling group, Path of Sin Models SA, I can say that I look for individuality in models. A big part of this industry is made up of photographic modelling, so your model needs to be photogenic. I also look for diversity – a model should be able to pull of a burlesque shoot just as well as a trad Goth graveyard set. And they need to be truly dark at heart – it shows in their eyes if they’re faking it.

There must be people out there who misunderstand what it is that you do. How do you avoid the freaks and weirdos out there?

Oh yes, indeed. In the past I used to correct people and defend myself, but nowadays I don’t see the point in wasting precious energy on ignorant buffoons. I either ignore them or play with them, depending on the mood I’m in. The last encounter I had was with a foreigner on Facebook asking me if I can cast spells. I replied that I could as I just made him disappear off my friend list!

How does fetish/bondage tie in with the Goth/Metal subcultures?

All “Goths” or “Metalheads” are not necessarily into BDSM, it mainly ties in with the wardrobe of these cultures. Fetish clothing is made of materials such as leather, PVC, latex and fishnet, and fashion items include stiletto-heel shoes, spike collars and cuffs, platform boots, tutus, corsets, tights and mesh clothing, all items generally associated with these subcultures – their “uniform” so to speak.

You've just hosted the third annual Path of Sin fetish event. What sort of feedback have you received and do you see potential to grow this kind of event in Cape Town?

The annual Path of Sin event is differently themed every year and for this year's event we concentrated on fashion. I have received very positive feedback complimenting the show’s standard (which was very high this year) and the quality of the designs. With this show we tried to break away from the usual theatrical alternative events and decided to give it a more sophisticated image that would accommodate more adult members of the alternative subcultures.

The alternative scene is ever-growing and doing so fast. I see a definite growth and demand for this sort of event and we are very fortunate to have access to a variety venues that are willing to cater for this market. We at Path of Sin will be hosting our annual events at a different venue with a different theme each year to give people from every region, age group and preference an opportunity to attend.

Any links you'd care to share?

All Path of Sin and SinWear products are available from: www.pathofsin.co.za

My modeling career can be followed here:www.freewebs.com/sinwhore/

I talked to Jaye briefly today just as he was getting back from Thailand. It's odd, I want to talk to him so often, yet it seems whenever I get him on the phone I so quiet. I feel like my life is so petty and uninteresting compared to his. Like he's seeing and doing so much, and I'm doing the same things day in, day out. Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset. I feel boring. Very boring.
Four more months (give or take a few days) and I will be done with my program. I still have no idea what I'm going to do after. I know I want to move. I want to get out of Georgia, but to where, and with who are still very uncertain. The urge to quote Sylvia Plath is strong...
I also want to be a more involved Adept again. I want to travel more, with people who know how to make anywhere fun. I want to have interesting and somewhat crazy and unexpected experiences again.
I want to be all I can be!

I was suppose to work on my painting again today, but instead I just farmed gold on wow. Not going to get much done that way. It was, however, the first time I logged on in somewhere around a week.

North Carolina was ok. Cold, but ok. Michael looks like a skeleton walking. I didn't get to relax as much as I wanted. I drove two of my Sarassas goldfish up from home and gave them to my sister. She better not kill them.

Thanksgiving was lovely. Lots of driving but we made it home fairly early and had some time to relax. I saved up my vacation time this year, barely had any time off until October and now. It was worth it. :)
Waiting on a bunch of fabric to come in the mail so I can start sewing. I've decided to start selling my tote bags. Will post a link here once I get it going.
Registered for my Spring semester classes. I FINALLY get to take Forensic Accounting. I don't need it for my degree but I've been looking forward to this class since I'd like to work toward this specialty in the future.
Aside from that, I've been doing a lot of reading and writing. I may make my writing project available for reading later.
Ged is still with us. Losing weight and sleeping a lot, but he still gets cute and frisky like a puppy when I feed him.

Well, I'm over the worst of the shite at the papers, I think. We only have two big supplements to worry about now. The only catch is that the work will be pretty technical with loads of worrying about getting things turned around on tight deadlines. The worst of the month-end features are out of the way, which is a relief. Now the only push is the Festive Season stuff to go in the community papers, which I expect to be rather painful. I've preempted needing to fill spaces by downloading plenty of stock images for those awkward little spaces you can't fill when the ad sales rep doesn't supply enough copy or visuals.

'nuff about day job, which I've been eating, breathing and sleeping from 8.30am to 7.30pm, five days a week for the past week and a bit. The knock-on effect of this is that I don't get enough writing and editing done but I can see an end to the pain mid-December. I won't talk about NaNo save to say I'm not a winner this year.

I did get to start a really awesome novel, which I think I'll finish at the start of January, and I've scattered small esoteric pearls of wisdom and teachings throughout, so it's fun to take the knowledge I already have and weave it in. Those with eyes to see will. For the others it may just bring a sense of mystery.

So, I got to read the first Wraeththu novel this past month. I sneaked a few pages between work each day. It was the only thing that kept me sane. I really love, LOVE Storm's writing. One day, when I have more time (laughs hysterically) I'd like to try my hand at writing fanfiction in that milieu, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. Storm is one of the few authors who actively encourages her fans to play in her world. The mythos is so rich and varied and I can see why it would appeal to people.

Today I'm catching up on my Lyrical Press admin. Yes. The bane of any copy editor's existence but oh-so-vital if you're going to keep tabs on things. I've gotten into the habit of updating my status report as and when I make updates to the server online, which really helps. I'm really pleased with my authors. I've got some stunning folks I'm working with and there are some really exciting things happening.

One in particular is Keith Pyeatt, whose novel, Dark Knowledge, received its first review (with five stars) on Amazon recently. We're both proud of his novel and if you're looking for an engaging read on your ereader or just onscreen while you work (like I normally do for sanity's sake) this is a great story about good and evil, and how you can't always escape that all of us are tinged in tones of grey.

See: www.lyricalpress.com/dark_knowledge

Today I'll be exploring the derelict Maitland abattoir. I'm helping Thomas with one of his shoots and it's bound to be a very weird experience walking through those echoing spaces where millions of sentient beings suffered a holocaust that would make Hitler blush. Sorry, I feel very strongly about life and the taking of life. We, as a species, do not respect life.

This week begins a 5 day stretch of fun and frolic. And hopefully some downtime for me too because I’ll get really bitchy if I am just a whirling dervish of socializing minus any break for solitude or brief hibernation.

All of it commences tomorrow evening at the Dark Sparkle 10 Year Anniversary night at DuNord. From what I can tell, many of my friends are planning on turning out for this either before or after other events to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend. I expect the night will be full of debaucherous revelry and is it asking too much to hope for some sort of soul-nourishing scandal? Sigh. It depends on whether any of the usual and predictable crazy-makers show up…

Thursday will probably be a bit chaotic. I’ve limited myself to only 3 parties/gatherings (how DO I suffer such through such strict discipline), one in the East Bay at my brother’s while the other two are in the late afternoon and evening at the homes of good friends. I’m going to be the bearer of fine wine at all of them because I most certainly am not hauling my ass all over town dragging along foodstuffs all day. I’ll probably just graze on assorted snacks anyway as the main meal will be at my brother’s in the early afternoon.

Friday is slated to be a “me” day. I have things I need/want to do, productive things, tedious things, entertaining things and lazy things.

Saturday is, hopefully, more downtime until the Dancing Ghosts Siouxsie-themed night at the Stud. More finery! More frolic! More indulgence in adult bevvies! More more more!

Sunday is an all day gathering and feast with a bunch of friends at Janel’s. There will be trashy tv or trashy movies or maybe even quality viewing. Adult bevvies have already RSVP’d their attendance. Janel’s kitchen, so lonely, so neglected, will be the center of manic activity and food preparation as we all participate in creating yummy dishes. Later that Sunday night will be recovery activities of some sort as many have to head back to begin another work week on Monday.

So there’s THAT Thanksgiving calendar line up – wow. It’s a busy one, this year, and it seems that this social butterfly trend may continue through December, not that it surprises me.

OH! December: the little social event Scott, Terrance and I started up (and dj at), whorePOD is doing the second Sunday in December instead of the first. We’ve also been asked to do random third Thursdays and so there will also be a whorePOD on Thursday Dec. 17. Here’s the link to the Facebook group should you be in the SF/Bay Area and are interested in knowing more. It’s a “music without borders” sort of a concept, early evening, very random, very relaxed and low-key, and we’ve been having a great time doing it. At Sugar Lounge in the Hayes Valley, no cover, 7-11pmish on first Sundays and 8-11pmish on the third Thursdays.

We seek only to create an environment of silly enjoyment but also maybe to terrify a little with the music….

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80716124647

Lastly, because of an email exchange with matel of New Orleans, my desire to resume watching Nip/Tuck has surged forth anew! Her teaser email list is reposted below. What the hell can I say? I’m am TOTALLY going to do an On Demand Nip/Tuck marathon on one of my downtime days because, I mean, how could I NOT? (Sort of SPOILERISH if you are watching the show and would rather not find out about stuff you don’t yet know about):

>kimber and christian are about to get back together...again...for the millionth time?!

>christian just hooked up w/ a girl who used to be a guy who wants to be a guy again...and by the end of the episode was a guy again

>sean married a gold digger who tried to kill sean but then got killed herself by a serial killer and then sean tried to kill himself

>matt is in prison for robbing convenience stores while in a mime costume (seriously, that's entertainment)

>sean and julia's daughter eats her own hair

THE MIME THING! I cannot even think about that plot device and maintain a straight face! I hate mimes but this really sounds too hilarious to miss.

Have a great festivity/celebration/holiday repast/whatever everyone!