Monthly Archives: March 2002

QOD v3.0, share your kung fu

Friday, March 29, 2002

I'm currently writing the new version of QOD (version 3.0). It's the last element of the “live” part of BME that is still using file formats that can't scale easily. Anyway, if anyone wants to write a Windows/Mac/Linux client for it (so people can download the QOD database and then browse it themselves), I'd be glad to provide the specs for the file formats.

Something like this wouldn't be difficult. If people find it useful, maybe we could even throw together a downloadable version of the glossary and the other systems. I'd be glad to write things that let you download database updates and all that…

Volunteers?

As soon as I have a spare moment I intend to start teaching myself Chinese. As I mentioned before, I really feel like I'm missing out reading translations — there is so much both about the way the language is written and spoken that can not be translated. I already speak a handful of languages (not that well, but well enough to have some insight into them), and I know, for example, that even with my limited understanding of Hebrew, I really appreciate reading things in their source language.

Anyway, maybe I'm just concerned that I'm not understanding my new favorite movie, Shaolin Soccer… Seriously, if you haven't already picked this up, I can not recommend it highly enough. Here are some shots from the start of the movie. It gets far wilder as it progresses:

Finally, a number of people have sent me links to yet another piercing record attempt. Let me make something very clear: The world record for most number of piercings in one day is 6,000. 420 is very impressive (and a great number to choose) and my hat's off to Nathan for that, but it's not a world record.

I'm getting so sick of this. Maybe at the May 20th BBQ we should shatter that “record”. Does anyone think they can handle at least a few thousand needles?

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Updating

Thursday, March 28, 2002

A decent sized image update is uploading now. It's 500 images and change I think… You know, it's amazing how “common” male genital cutting is becoming (I'm not complaining, I think that's great). Almost every update lately has great splittings, inversion projects, and subincisions. Here are a few from this one (the ones on the site are bigger and less compressed of course):

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PS.

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

That last entry needs some work. Oh well.

I got a really nice review of the ModCon book:
“Edgy, in a time where nothing is edgy anymore.”

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BODY MODIFICATION ezine

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Since the talk of a BME membership being required for IAM access, there have been a number of people who are extremely upset (to the point of deleting their pages here) because BME only accepts body modification stories. Sorry, but that is not changing. BME is about body modification, and no matter how good your writing is, it can't be used if it doesn't fall into that sphere. Complain all you want, but it won't change. BME will continue to be Body Modification Ezine, not “write whatever you want ezine”.

There are other online communities that don't require you to have an interest in body modification. Subkultures.net, which uses an interface based on IAM so it's easy for ex-IAM members to use, actually has made posting body modification galleries a deletable TOS. Ultimately, if they survive and grow to a similar size and functionality as IAM, they will have to start charging, but for now they're free… If you don't like body modification, and fell into IAM for other reasons, you may enjoy their site.

Anyway, fact is that having a site here — or anywhere — costs someone money. If you don't feel like you should contribute (photos, stories, whatever), then at least answer to yourself the question: “Why does Shannon have to pay for my access? Why is he responsible for paying my bills, and why am I not?”

It's easy to make the case that you've been a good member, but that still doesn't pay the bills. If you have a good answer for that question, feel free to let me know.

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A difference of opinion?

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Honor God with your body.
I Corinthians 6:20

Now, to me, that says, go, get pierced, get tattooed, and have fun — when you celebrate your body, you celebrate God's creation. Let's look at churches over history. Compare the architecture — and the philosophical statement it makes — between early Romanesque Churches and then the big Gothic Cathedrals to the opulent Baroque styles and then with modern churches.

It's quite clear that the Christian God makes very little statement about the correctness of any particular personal style and expression (outside of things that are obviously wrong on a universal level). Yes, it was emphasized in the laws of Leviticus and other older texts, but was very clearly overturned — because Jesus understood that laws such as these are designed to suit times and are not universal truths.

We all know the quote from Jesus, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:34-35)

Now, some atheists choose to use quotes like this to discredit the Bible through some foolish straw man argument — but the truth is, Jesus was a revolutionary, a terrorist, and an anarchist. This statement was about the destruction of a way of life, and it's replacement with something more “true”. He wasn't an ignorant thug though — he was idealistically fighting to overturn outdated laws that effectively spread lies about the will of God (as well as on a more objective level, misleading and abusing people).

Now, I think you all know that I don't have a high opinion of what Christianity has become, but I have far more disdain for someone who tries to warp its teachings to suit their personal goals. Let me be very clear about this: God doesn't care if you're tattooed or not. It's simply not His concern. Anyone who tells you otherwise, under Christian doctrine, is quite clearly operating as an agent of Lucifer.

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More blah blah blah from Shannon

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Well, a couple people said they liked it, so here's another brief section from that manifesto I was playing with… Most of it is pretty incendiary, so I've been trying to tune it into something easier to read for the average person (although maybe that's exactly what I shouldn't be doing, I don't know):

On the subject of societal norms

Fleeting changes in the whims of the lowest common denominator, grains of sand barely understood by the hundredth monkey that blindly follows, represent our collective “statistically normal” deaths. We declare those who adhere to norms for the sake of conformity to be traitors to everything that makes humanity beautiful. We, the people full of daring creativity and energy, declare them vile creatures devoid of life and a scourge upon our planet.

The entire concept of a “societal norm” as far as aesthetic definitions go is a flawed concept. It suggests that somehow there are blanket laws that apply to all of us. The very fact that these laws change radically from region to region and time to time points out their fallacies — are we expected to believe that humans are different in 2002 than they were in 1802? Or that humans are different in Britain than they are in India?

Following these norms is an easy way out that surrenders much of what we should value in ourselves. Any free person knows that “societal norm” is just another term for “prison”.

Anyway, just a couple things in the news I wanted to mention before I get to work… I'm sure many of you have seen Apple's ousting of a young coder (15 years old). Because he's underage, the fact that he's a solid contributor is irrelevant to them since he can't legally sign their contracts. I was less experienced at 15, but my mind was a lot sharper than it is now, and I know I was an asset to the companies I programmed for… I really think Apple made a big mistake on this one.

And did you know that it's illegal to protest the KKK in Alabama? The KKK were protesting that school children were being asked to do a report for black history month (although a 30 page report seems a little strange for 6th grade, doesn't it), and a motorist driving by their protest yelled out his window, “y'all need to grow up“. He was arrested and charged with two counts of inciting a riot and resisting arrest.

Finally, I see that Yahoo! is going to start charging for its email service. Thank god this is finally happening. It's about time — now maybe people will clue in to the fact that it's expensive to publish online and start being more willing to contribute. Next I expect we'll start seeing radical changes and maybe even the death of things like msn communities. Microsoft is perfectly aware that a significant percentage of those communities exist for minors to trade stolen porn, and eventually they'll get sick of footing the bill…

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Pain…

Tuesday, March 26, 2002

In about an hour I have to hand over a cheque for over $20,000 to cover the remainder of the printing bill for the ModCon book. Sales are going well though, so I'm not worried about breaking even. Now I have to raise around $8000 to publish the second book…

I've been writing a manifesto… It's mostly just for myself, to help me think through why I do the things I do. It actually started as a “modified manifesto” but it moved away from that… Anyway, I was thinking — as I often do — about what a person's responsibilities are in life, a question akin to “what is the meaning of life?”

On the subject of responsibility

A living human's first responsibility is to themselves, to sustain the essentials of life. Their second responsibility is to ensure the health and continuity of life on this planet. All other responsibilities are illusionary lies.

Sustaining the essentials of one's own life means the pursuit of nourishment (food and drink), shelter, and Love (family and friends). Pursuing these things is a right, and achieving them is permitted by any means necessary as long as no harm is done to other living people.

Ensuring the health and continuity of life on this planet is achieved by working to ensure that those around us are able to also sustain the essentials of their own life. This is done by helping them to reach their goals, and together building an environment where it is possible for all people to live in freedom and liberty, not by selling them their lives, or forcing our lives upon them.

These are simple ideas with simple solutions, resulting in a beautiful truth.

On the subject of the cost of life

Sustaining life is not expensive — we need only food and shelter, and both of these things cost no more than a small amount of our time if we are willing to build them for ourselves. The notion that we are required to purchase them at a huge markup from a pyramid of faceless corporations is a symptom of humans becoming food for finance. It is the feeding of life to sustain non-life, and is the greatest evil the world knows.

One of the greatest challenges in the modern world is extracting oneself from this hideous cycle. The climb out of its abyss can be terrifying, but the path is safe and the rewards are boundless.

Functional arguments against leading the modified life hinge around the notion that money has value. Money can not be eaten. Money can not shelter you from the cold. Yes, money can to some extent be traded for these things, but only at such a staggering loss to make the purchase ludicrous on any objective level.

We the modified, as people who strive to see truth and speak truth, pledge to never confuse quality of life with a number on a piece of paper.

I'm just a kid without the experience needed to write any of that. It seems true to me, and I hope it continues to as I grow older and hopefully wiser. Well, now I've got to help my sister with some entries to a photography contest (I'm printing her photos on my printer). I bought some paper at Staples for it, here is the exchange:

Her: “Did you find everything you need, sir?”
Me: “Yeah.”
Her: “Business or pleasure, sir?”
Me: “Business.”
Her: “How many people in your business, sir?”
Me: “About fifteen thousand.”
Her: “I'm sorry, sir, the computer won't let me enter that many people. Do you mind if I put one thousand five hundred instead?”
Me: “Whatever.”

How was that even relevant? I hate these “scripts” they force tellers through, with all the “did you find everything you want” and “would you like to buy a butt plug, we have them on special for $5.99″ annoyances. I'm not an idiot. I understand that it is my job to find the things I need, take them to the check-out, pay for them, and leave. I don't need special help on it!

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