katekat1010 made a post about the new adult content rating for individual LJ accounts and when I started to respond to her in a comment, I realized that I should just post about it here because it was going to be angry and ranty.

Basic Principles of Children and Media (internet, video games, music, etc):

It is not the job of the rest of the world to parent, supervise, or even care about your children.

There is a lot of content out in the world that is confusing, misleading, or inappropriate for your kids. New technology makes it easier to access that content than ever before, but the solution isn't to ban it or make it hard for the rest of us (adults, both psychologically and legally) to get a hold of it, just because you are too busy, lazy, or uncomfortable to monitor your kids and talk to them about the things they may find in the Big Bad World.

The solution is as follows:

1. Be involved in your kids lives.

2. Talk to your kids about sex and violence, and why you are concerned about the messages they hear and the images they see.

3. Be open to talking about the things that no one wants to talk about. If you don't teach your kids how to be responsible about sex, drugs, power, and money, it's damn sure that rest of the world will, and will do it to support its own best interests, not theirs.

4. Teach your kids to think critically, evaluate the validity of the information they receive, and make sure that they realize that the rest of the world will happily make money off of their decisions to buy, watch, listen, and consume. The most important thing, regardless of the decisions they make, is to just be conscious of what they are doing, the impact it has, and why they're doing it at all.

5. Realize that nothing you can do is going to protect your kids 100%. In fact, they shouldn't be protected! They should have the trust and reasoning skills to make their own decisions about how they think, feel, and act. Yes, they will make stupid decisions, because they're kids and there are basic, biological reasons that kids are incapable of making the right decisions for the right reasons until the age of 20. Let them make mistakes and let them learn that there are consequences to making mistakes. How else are they ever going to make responsible decisions unless they know that they aren't invulnerable?

Child-rearing in the modern age is all about "protecting" your kids. This is stupid. Yes, you don't want them out in downtown at 3 a.m., but you also have to teach them to be responsible. Dependent, self-centered children will develop into dependent, self-centered adults, and all around crappy human beings. Protecting them from the world is the worst thing you can do.

So, all of this leads back to "adult content" warnings. Be they CDs or LiveJournals or whatever, I think they're kind of dumb. Sure, they're fairly harmless, and if places like Walmart refuse to sell items with those warnings, that's their decision as a company and yet another reasons I will not support them. Are they useful? I find it doubtful. After all, if the cd has a picture of shirtless guy with "Thug Life" tattoos holding two giant hand guns and is called Get Rich or Die Trying, chances are he's not singing about kitties but is rather singing about drugs, hos, and killing folks. In the same vein, if your child is unattended on the interwebs and is looking at websites called worldofwhorecraft.com, chances are he is not, in fact, trying to spec his new Night Elf hunter.

Granted, some of this is nostalgia at the good old days of the WWW when porn was free, chat rooms were fun, and MUDDS actually seemed revolutionary. And at the same time as I don't condone kiddy porn or identity theft, I am not thrilled about my online experience being controlled by lawyers and soccer moms.

I need to start a website called monitoryourowndamnkidsandleavemealone.com

I take inspiration from a variety of sources, but almost all of these sources are a way to discover contemporary artists doing amazing things ranging from organic sculptures to technology-infused clothing. I am particularly interested in artists working in mixed medias or using classic materials, such as clay and silver, to create contemporary objects and designs.

Here are the places I look to find these artists:

Blogs -
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com
http://www.notmartha.org
http://mocoloco.com
http://modish.typepad.com
http://designsponge.blogspot.com

Magazines -
Martha Stewart Living
Bead & Button Magazine
Lapidary Journal

And lots and lots of inspiration from the amazing independent artists on http://www.etsy.com and http://www.threadless.com

If you see a lonely Razr kicking around somewhere, would you let me know? Kris lost his phone and asked me to check around our house/yard. I have done so and found nothing, but just thought I'd put the word out.


Q, I cleaned up the lipstick in the dryer, I hope it wasn't an expensive tube and didn't ruin any expensive clothes. Also, the stains from the pen I accidentally put through there are still there, so don't feel bad ;)


To Warcraft!

Hot chick: Check
Gargoyle cat: Check
Frida brow: Check


www.floriasigismondi.com

For those of you who like gorgeous statues and beautiful buildings, the pictures from my trip may interest you. You can find them here: http://flickr.com/photos/deliciousmalicious/sets/

There are a lot, but they are seriously worth looking at.



Statue of St. Elizabeth outside Bratislava castle


( For those with short attention spans, here are my favorites )


I haven't added comments yet so there are no explanations about what the pictures are of. If you want to know, comment here or on Flickr and I will get back to you with the info.

How to Look Good on a Small Budget: My guide to looking as good as you can for as cheap as you can (this will probably offend the sensibilities of the purists. Please feel free to comment below):

1. Find your local "goth" stores (or Hot Topic, if that's all you have) and raid the sale section.
Only buy stuff on sale. This means you need to pay attention to when there are big sales going on, but it also means going every week or so to dig through the sale section because the sizes are limited and once it's gone, it's gone.

2. Shell out the big bucks for the important pieces.
Get one nice pair of boots; nice means black leather, with something a little interesting like the stitching on John Fluevog's Angels or the metal bits on New Rocks. Unless you find a really good deal in a regular store, buy them online and try to get free shipping (sites like Zappos.com or Amazon.com). Find brands and styles you like and scour the internet (especially sites like eBay or GothAuctions) for deals.

Also, some make-up you can buy cheap, but some things are worth the extra money. Good foundation, powder, and concealer are a god-send. It's nice to have at least one nice (for me that means MAC) eyeshadow, but the rest of the stuff can usually be dealt with with the right techniques.

3. If your budget restricts you to cheap stuff remember that, unless you get lucky, you get what you pay for.
Cheap stuff is often not as durable, more likely to shrink in the wash, and the black will fade. You can make it last, but expect to be replenishing your wardrobe every few months.

4. Know the prices of things and don't overpay.
Certain items by certain lables (LipService, CyberDog, etc) will always be more expensive because they're well-known and easy to find. This also means that you're more likely to be wearing the same thing as someone else at the club.

5. You can find a lot of stuff that can be "goth"-ed up at any old store.
Places like Target and Macy's can be great for finding cheap basics like make-up, black shirts, and accessories.

6. Accessorize.
Have a cool-looking bag to match your outfit (Demonia has some cute stuff, as do Parcel and Loop). For the love of god, wear the proper undergarments (black socks with black boots, make sure your bra isn't showing, especially if it's not black, black underwear because women's pants ALWAYS make your undies hang out). Cute necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.

7. Subtly is key.
Too many zippers, too much eyeliner, no striped tights with armwarmers, that sort of thing. You want to keep some mystery, not beat people over the head with your "goth." The best way to figure out how to do is to pick one thing to focus on and tone-down everything else. Got a new fabulous skirt? Go with a plain-ish top. Got gorgeous eyes? Wear intense eye make-up with neutral lips.

8. Know what looks good on YOU.
I'm fairly slim, but all the weight I carry goes straight to my hips. Straight-legged pants (which I love) look awful because they emphasize the hip area and make it stand out even more. So I wear pants that are wide all the way through or skirts that are A-Line or that go frilly at the hip so it looks like the fullness is in the skirt and not my thighs. It's important to be comfortable with your body, but it's also important to realize that a 300lb, 5'2" man will never look good in a leather thong.

Also, know what kind of make-up to wear to enhance your own face and features. I like my eyes, so I usually go with intense eye make-up and neutral lips. My skin is clear but has a bit of uneven color so I use a light-weight, slightly shimmery foundation with powder to set it. My eyes are deeply-set so I always use concealer under them. Your public library probably has at least a few good books on dressing and making-up in a way that fits your specific body.

9. Make your stuff last.
If I spend $50 on a shirt or $200 on boots, I will wash that shirt in fade-proof detergent, even if it costs $2 more than regular detergent. I will take the time to polish my boots every time before I go out. I make sure my latex $100 Bug Bag is polished with latex lube so it doesn't dry out and crack.

10. When it comes to hair, having a good haircut will do wonders.
My stylist is fucking brilliant and only charges $25 to do his thang. Look on places like Yelp to find someone in your area that is inexpensive but also funky. ALWAYS bring a sample picture. It may takes a bit of research and knowledge about what looks good with your hair and face, but it will make the end result that much better.

If you want to wear fake hair, you will either have to make your own or buy it.
Good hair falls will probably cost you at least $50, so I prefer to either make my own ( http://quinnster.fqdn.net/ ), find a friend who will make them cheaper, or just have a cool hairstyle that doesn't require faking it. If you want to get actual extensions, expect to pay at least $200 to have them done professionally. You may be able to find someone locally who will do them cheaper, but results aren't guarenteed with someone who isn't a pro. On the upside, extensions last up to 3 months with good maintenance.



I think that's it. Any of you divas/people who have been clubbing in the scene way longer than I have have any suggestions?




*Title taken from a book my mom bought me at age 12 called "The Growing-up Guide for Girls"

Here is my goth haiku inspired by devilpuppy:
Bad skin, too much booze
No one understands my angst.
Hand, staple, forehead.

PS: I am taking the coworkers on a Bar Crawl on the Hill tonight. We (probably just Julian and I) will end up at Mercury, probably around 11. Just in case anyone would be interested in hanging out and drinking some booze.

1. You are given a tennis raquet, a ball point pen, and 20 packages of peeps. What do you make?
Mash all the peeps together into a rope and knit with one end of the raquet and the pen to make a faux drop-stitch scarf.

2. If you were only allowed to keep one pair of shoes, which would it be?
Oooh hard one. Probably the knee-high Angels Julian bought me. All the other shoes I own are either too practical, too impractical, or cheap and can be replaced

3. Travelling back in time, what period of time would you like to experience and why?
The 1920s, before the stock market crash.

4. You randomly decide one day to just jump in the car and drive. what would be your destination? (And this is assuming that you have a car)
Most likely I would end up at the Joanne/Michael's outlet stores down south. Not very exotic, but I'd have to fly everywhere else I want to go ;)

5. What food item could be erradicated from the earth, and it wouldn't matter to you?
Olives and capers. In fact, I would make the argument that both of those foods SHOULD be erradicated for the benefit of all mankind.

So, as most of you know, I will be applying to MFA programs for theatre costume design in 2007. In the meantime, I need to build a portfolio showcasing my "talents." While the focus will be on design, I would like to have a few built pieces, as well as some make-up and possibly some millinery examples.

Bodies
What I need is people who would be interested in having me design and build a "costume" for them. A costume can mean anything, but probably it will not look a lot like "normal" clothing. I'm pretty flexible about what the theme of the costume will be, i.e. vintage, club clothes, fetish, cultural, historical, etc. since I would like to showcase a fairly wide range of designs. The catch is that you would have to pay for the materials (unless you're willing to let me keep the finished piece) and be willing to have a least one good-quality image taken of you in the outfit. The amount of time you want to put in is up to you, but the minimum is to have a paper-tape dress form made of your body and two fittings. If you're also interested in going fabric shopping with me or want to do more fittings, I'm happy to do that.

Photogs
I need high-quality, studio shots of (ideally) three outfits, both on a model and on a dress form. Model shots should be "in character," while dress form shots should be of a technical nature (including back and side views and close-ups of details). Some head shots may be needed for make-up and millinery samples. All of these could be shot on one day or over multiple sessions, whatever works for you. Ideally this work would be TFP (time-for-prints), but monetary compensation is a possibility if I'm especially interested in working with you.


Thanks everyone! If you're interested, please email me at silviaa AT u DOT washington DOT edu

If you are interested in this project, please shoot me an email and let me know the following:
Models - Please, give me an idea of what you're interested in having me design. If possible, please send me links or images to illustrate what style, mood, color, era, etc. you're interested in. Also, give me an idea of your availablity, and how much input and

Photogs - Please give me an idea of your availibilty. It will probably be at least late summer before I will have anything, so scheduling months ahead is fine.

Designers - Please give me an idea of your availibilty and whether your prefer to meet occasionally, frequently, and/or on a scheduled or play-it-by-ear basis.


Also, if you guys know anyone who would be interested in working with me in either of these capacities, please feel free to pass this on!

I've just opened up a new selling journal, sinstriped. There's lots of random stuff I want to get rid of: clothes, accessories, some knitting stuff, some Japanese fashion mags. More will be put up as soon as I sort it and photograph it.

sinstriped

My Friends List has a lot of people that I don't know, either because you never comment, never post, or I just don't know where the hell I know you from. So I'm cleaning out my Friends list. If I remove you and you are still interested in reading my lj, just comment here and I'll add you back. Please only do this if you actually want to get to know me (which means actually talking to me, which means commenting and posting). Don't take this personally, in fact, it's not at all personal because I don't really know you. I will also be deleting people who I've added, but don't have the time to keep up with. Again, it's nothing personal, I just don't want to clog your friends list.

The point is, if you're on my friends list, it would be cool if we were actually friends.