Flash Fiction Friday - Inspired by a Picture Prompt with my Artist's Retreat Group

A Very Good Day

“Can I put this thing down yet?”

“Not yet. Let me get a few more shots. Keep still!”

Down the Toilet

I have been thinking about getting an aquarium or perhaps a terrarium for some sort of little critter. Friends tell me the thought has persisted to the point I should act. Idly, I looked on eBay and found something really funny. Considering the toilet humor so prevalent in my home, it's something I'd buy from New Wave Fish if the price weren't a bit out of my league.

If you want more random fun, check out my Thursday Thirteen list on Darla M. Sands:

Items Improved by Plastic

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Nightlight

Some fellow talents have invited me on a new endeavor featuring steamy adult material.  Nightlight already offers two great story premiers!  Come check them out!

Coffee and the Collar, Chapter 1 by Nicole Gordon

Trust and Desire, Chapter 1 by Sunshine

We'll leave the nightlight on for you!

Thursday Thirteen ~ Songs that start with D

Listening to music the other day, I found myself happily cruising through albums starting with the letter "D". Here are thirteen titles I own, listed in the alphabetical order in which they appear on my iPod and beginning with the first of that day's playlist:

Umi no hi

Today I learned that this third Monday of July is a modern holiday in Japan known as Marine Day. I believe the Kanji, 海の日, translates as Umi no hi, with the first character umi designating our earth's seas.

Established a mere fifteen years ago, the holiday is not honored with any sort of traditional ceremony. There are no parades, kites, or requisite temple visits. Rather, many flock to the beaches, and the main intent is to make citizens pause to wish for economic prosperity upon the island nation. Particularly poignant this summer, it is also intended that people give thanks for the blessings of the oceans, so vital to us all.

Let’s join with the Japanese in giving thanks and hope that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis is truly at a turning point. While this remains a disastrous situation, I have faith that scientific investigation over the weekend will show no further leakage.

So, join me in saying, "Happy Marine Day!"

Quote of the Day

Having run into an esoteric Italian quote a while back, I have wondered ever since what it means. The saying goes, “The bed is the poor man’s opera.”

I dug through internet search engines in hopes of finding the meaning. Every English speaker I encountered immediately assumed it to reference sexual intercourse. Honestly, I initially thought along those same lines. It just didn't make sense to me, however. Is it supposed to be about performing? Sex is the great equalizer of the wealthy and the impoverished.

Several sources indicate a very different meaning, which I am more inclined to believe. Allegedly, the phrase was coined to illustrate how much a destitute person appreciates a proper place to sleep.

The saying came into being when only the prosperous could afford to attend opera, a prestigious social event of the day. Hence, no proper gentleman or lady would wish to miss a performance even as their indigent counterpart doesn't want to sleep in the alley.

I think this just goes to show that different eras and experiences provide very different conceptions. Also, I can see how much we have our minds on sex. That bodes well for me, since it's what I love to write.

Have you ever heard this quote? If so, I'd be curious to find out where, and how you took the meaning.

In my case, Marilyn Manson mentioned the phrase in a quirky interview. Does he give any other kind, you ask? Why yes, he does. On the film "Resident Evil", he gives a very intelligent commentary on the task of scoring the soundtrack.

So ends today's lesson on Italian proverbs and American shock rockers. I hope you enjoyed it!

Delighting in Dilo

Yet another discussion with my friend led to a quote that I just have to share. I shall paraphrase her glib remark (we must protect the guilty, after all). It came about when I mentioned not having heard from someone for weeks, despite assurance to the contrary. Dilo made the following observation.

Words for time intervals have a different meaning for some people.

Thursday Thirteen ~ Nouns that Double as Verbs

My gifted writer friend has given me a wonderful list to share this week. She came up with the clever idea of listing words that double as both nouns and verbs (e.g., You hammer with a hammer) and have a similar context in either form.

As she notes in her own words, please note the warning that several are used in BDSM. The list does not include verbs that do not usually retain their interpersonal meaning in their common noun form, e.g. screw.

I hope you're as impressed as I was:

1. Brush
2. Cane
3. Chain
4. Clamp
5. Collar
6. Cuff
7. Dress
8. Fist
9. Oil
10. Paddle
11. Rope
12. Wax
13. Whip

Quote of the Day

My talented friend and I get into the most interesting email conversations. The other day we were sharing our views on anal fisting. Yes, we talk a lot about sexual practices, especially of the BDSM flavor. It's only natural, considering we both write erotica focusing upon consensual power exchange. I treasure Dilo as a generous, knowledgeable, and witty source of information on intimate play.

To the matter at hand, though (pun definitely intended), we have very different opinions. Personally, the idea of an arm inside me anywhere simply does not appeal. I'd have to be dying to welcome it. She is much less averse to the idea. However, she did offer a very valid reason for not welcoming this particular practice. It's so understandable from the viewpoint of a fellow writer, the humor so deliciously dry, that I simply had to share.

I think it would take me way too long to work up to that and the time could be spent writing.

Quote of the Day

Yesterday I stumbled upon a startling image while innocently researching temple statuary in Japan. I'm grateful to the Virtual Tourist website for providing this image of the giant phallus in Tagata Shrine:



Of course, I had to share with my partner, who promptly said:

How would you like to be the guy whose job it is to polish that every day?

I refuse to be like Fluffy but I just loved the picture...

Quote of the Day

A dear friend introduced me to an interesting anthology of m/m reads. It's called "Kosher Meat", edited by Lawrence Schimel. The stories have been very good so far, and I look forward to reading more. A quote in the introduction struck me as so incredibly poignant, in the meantime, that I just had to share.

From gay Jewish playwright Tony Kushner's essay, "Fick Oder Kaputt!", Mr. Schimel quotes:

It is impossible to talk or write about sex without revealing too much of yourself. Whereas conversely it is possible I think to have sex and reveal nothing of yourself whatsoever.

Thanks for introducing me to this book, Dilo!

The Zen of Gardening

On my tamer blog, I have posted a Thursday Thirteen featuring my garden. I hope you drop in and enjoy...

Darla M. Sands