Thoughts: Amateur Porn

     For years, people have decried the porn industry for a variety of reasons. While the arguments against it are myriad, the arguments boil down to three major statements: 1.) Porn exploits women, 2.) porn dehumanizes sex, or 3.) porn is immoral and damaging to relationships. Now, female exploitation is not an argument that any logical person could argue against when it comes to the major porn industry, as it is pretty much legalized pimping. The same could be said for the argument of the dehumanization of sex, seeing as more and more men seem to be retreating from the exercise of even attempting to get to know women for that purpose (much less pursuing a "relationship") and going straight to the computer or phone for that gratification. As to the third, I make no comment, but I do understand where those people may be coming from.

     However, I believe that there is one growing exception to any outcry that may have been raised in the previous paragraph: amateur porn. Pornographic material that was made specifically for the enjoyment of the exercise, not with the initial intent of having one person or company make hundreds of thousands of dollars off of a group of people's performances. Many performers are solo women with webcams, cell phones, or digital cameras that just wanted to make something for either themselves or the rest of the world to see. Perhaps they get off on the idea that someone out there is watching their erotic offering, appreciating their body and thinking wholly of them. I've communicated with a lot of women who make these videos, and when I ask them why they do these videos, their responses have been something to the effect of  "Because I like knowing that I'm making someone cum. It gets me off." If that's not the ultimate expression of female power, I don't know what is. 

Amateur pornography is also empowering because it doesn't require the performer to have a "porn body." You don't need to have abs, tanned, smooth skin, Botox, a tummy tuck, a boob job, ass implants, a huge cock, a face lift, anal bleaching, or any of the things that the industry requires its workers to have. It is a celebration of the body as it is, hair, cellulite, wrinkles, and all. It also allows people of all genders, orientations, ages, and fetishes to have something to fap to, which is something that I appreciate. 

     Amateur porn also allows people that may feel marginalized to show their sexual side to an increasingly more accepting public, regardless of casting couch requirements or popular conceptions of what is sexy. So if one day, you want to watch the hirsute girl with the wolf ears, paws, and tail butt plug fuck herself with a dragon shaped dildo that shoots cum-colored lube, you can go see that. If you want to then go watch a MTF transgender get her cock sucked by an FTM transgender before the FTM fucks the MTF with a strap-on, then that's there too. Why do those videos exist? Because the people who made them saw fit to say, "Hello, Internet! I want you to have this!" It did not happen because some person in a tall leather chair in a three piece suit said, "Hmm...the algorithm says that this kind of niche will make me the most money. Tell the models to start making this!"

     Even more interesting is the fact that a good portion of it is made specifically with another person in mind. I have seen countless videos that were made for one person, but shared by both parties involved because they both thought it was something beautiful enough to share. I've seen captions like "Hubby and I..." or "My wife decided that she wanted us to..." all over the internet. Many times, I've seen live webcams with couples who'd decided to broadcast themselves together in order to either make money together or just because they liked showing off for other people. If you peruse Tumblr long enough, you'll find people of all shapes, sizes, and genders posting pics of their naked bodies in erotic acts for both their significant others and for whoever stumbles into their page to see. 

     The reason why amateur porn is both so accessible and gaining steam these days is because of how easy the Internet has made it to share files. Sure, most sites that offer extensive collections of amateur porn are big, corporate run entities, but here's the beautiful thing: somehow, they manage to offer enough content that you can watch as many videos as you want for absolutely free. Taking the YouTube model, they've enabled ads everywhere, but if you're good, you can avoid all of them and never have to worry about viruses or anything like that. It's all there, freely offered, freely displayed, and freely watched. 

     See, that's the beauty of the thing: amateur porn is made just because whoever wanted to make it decided to share it with the world. It's an expression of human eroticism, and while there are still some sub-genres that I have issue with (voyeur, candid upskirts, etc.), it is far less exploitative than industrial porn. So if you do watch porn, watch amateur. It's genuine, and in a world full of falsehood, it's refreshing to see.

Denver, the Clusterfuck: Weed, Jobs, and Homelessness

These days, there are several articles and studies that suggest that because weed was legalized in CO that there's a direct connection to the rising homeless population. Yes, there's a lot of people that have become homeless since January 2011, but many of them came to Denver for the purpose of making money during the economic boom that is still rolling on to this day. This is not to say that there are not a lot of homeless pot users. Indeed, most of the ones that you see asking for change are using said change to get to their next joint/blunt/bowl/dab, and many have even gotten into the habit of stating it outright on their cardboard signs. I do believe that there are some people who have lost their livelihoods or ability to return to their families from marijuana and other drug use, and to say that otherwise would be a misstep on my part.

However, I've also noticed a sharp rise in employers that both require years of experience and drug test for menial, everyday positions. During my search for employment, I've been seeing more and more simple jobs that pay either minimum wage or near it requiring people to get tested and have "experience" in the field. Why does a person that is going to be washing dishes for $8.50 an hour need to have a resume, two years of experience, and be submitted to drug testing? Is flipping a burger, busing a table, or scrubbing a toilet really that difficult that you have to make people jump through so many hoops just to get the job? Or is it that these businesses are trying to filter out those of us who smoke, knowing that the majority of the younger and poorer population either has smoked or currently does?

Yes, weed has been legalized for adult use in Denver, but the prevailing business culture seems as if it hasn't caught up to accepting that yet. Even though it's perfectly legal for adults 21 and over to have a smoke here in CO, these business owners still think that all pot smokers are lazy and not worth having on staff. Even though there are several examples of successful people that have smoked their entire lives, they still shame and naysay it. Despite the fact that some individuals cannot function properly without it (either mentally or physically), these older, more established Baby Boomers still seems to have the same backward attitude towards it that they had during the days of Reefer Madness.Yet somehow, they don't do the same testing for alcohol, which is under the exact same strictures that weed is here in Colorado. As a matter of fact, some businesses encourage drinking, holding business functions and such with open bars, bottles of wine, and gift baskets with alcohol in them. It is extremely frustrating knowing that one legal substance that has been proven to kill people in several ways is considered perfectly acceptable, all while another that has actually been shown to help certain individuals is still anathema even when it has been legalized.

Yes, businesses have their own prerogatives when it comes to choosing who they hire. No one has to hire any of the thousands of pot smokers there are out here, ones that are willing to work just as hard and are equally as human as non-pot smokers. However, it's absolutely ridiculous that in a state that has made a stand and declared pot to be legal that one can still be disqualified from being able to work because they've consumed it anywhere within two weeks to a month of applying for a job. Just because a person smokes in their free time doesn't make them a bad, lazy, or unfit worker, just as having a drink every now and again doesn't make one a drunkard. Therefore, seeing as they are in the same exact class of substance, Denver businesses should not test for marijuana just as they don't test for alcohol. This double standard is unfair, biased, and based only on the generational hate-mongering and misinformation smearing that has been going on since marijuana was banned in America. I understand testing for harder drugs, but for one that has been approved by the state for general consumption, it makes zero sense and only helps to boost the homeless population that these people look down upon so quickly.

#OpMoneyMouth

Good day, World.

Recently, I've been watching the American people, observing how we've been dealing (or not dealing) with several social, environmental, and economic issues. After years of studying, reading, and writing about these things, I've come to the conclusion that the majority of Americans are somewhat aware of the issues that are plaguing our society. Even those who only view mainstream news and media at least have some knowledge of one side of many of these stories, and now that grassroots movements have shown that they can influence larger media outlets, more problems are being brought to the forefront that otherwise wouldn't even be on the radar. Independent news companies like The Young Turks, The Daily KOS, and Info Wars are also gaining momentum every day, using their more varied stories and viewpoints to build a viewer base from people who may be getting bored with all the usual rhetoric. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media forums are also being used to get messages from the underground out, with pictures, videos, tweets, and such now being a main mode of judging popular opinion on a daily basis by both individuals and news companies big and small. The knowledge of these issues is out there, and slowly, but surely, people are listening.

However, the reason why people do not act upon their knowledge of these things is that we feel helpless to change these situations. We know that the Walton family is making money hand over fist and somehow is barely paying its workers, buying cheaply made foreign goods and flooding our homes with them. We know that the minimum wage is too low, and that bureaucrats who have been making a fortune on our tax dollars are fighting to keep it that way. We know that the US government is spending far too much money on war and not enough on social issues, and that we've been fighting wars all over the world that seemingly have nothing to do with us as a people. We know those things and more, and yet the story remains the same. Why? Because we feel like the problems are too big for us as individuals to address.

Well, what if I told you that every little change counts, that we can start shifting the outlook of the future, and that it only takes a little bit of effort? Would you believe me?

We can.

See, the reason these companies, politicians, and figureheads are in the positions that they are in is because we have allowed ourselves to become blinded to the terrible things that they do in order to maintain that power. Therefore, in our ignorance, we give our money, the most basic and effective form of power that we have, to people that may not care a single iota about us. If we start paying more attention to the companies, products, and services that we choose to give our money to, we can redirect the flow of power to these people who are destroying us by inches.

For example, I am a big fan of Dr. Bronner's Soaps. They're all natural, free of animal testing, smell great, safe for the environment, and clean just as well as any conventional soap. And so, knowing that other companies put things into their soaps and body washes that pollute, are not safe, and could kill you if accidentally consumed, I choose to give my money to this small company that makes a quality product which doesn't have much of a negative impact on the environment.  ( http://www.drbronner.com/ )

The same goes for Marcal tissue, a company whose CEO actually got mad at Greenpeace for not fighting harder to make sure that Kimberly-Clark used more recycled material for their paper products. Of the Kimberly-Clark/Greenpeace "truce," he actually said, "Using any percentage of virgin tree fiber to make household paper products is still destroying the planet." ( http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcal-paper-ceo-comments-on-greenpeace-and-kimberly-clark-truce-62184077.html ) After hearing that, I switched to Marcal's Small Steps 100% recycled tissue and paper towels, seeing that the head of the company was actually trying to do something about the issue rather than just talk a good game.

Another company I support and have personal experience with is TerraCycle, a company that's been gaining momentum over the past few years using purely recycled goods to create practical products for everyday use. They started with an all-natural fertilizer based on worm compost and have been growing ever since. Now, they offer building materials, home and office goods, electronics, and other useful items that anyone could use on a daily basis, all made out of majority post-consumer waste material. ( http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/products.html?page=1 )

These are just a few of the companies that I know of that can be used as alternatives to working with other more nefarious and greedy corporations that are out there. There are so many more that are there, though the few that I have provided you with is a good launch point to start with. A little knowledge goes a long way, and examining the methods and motives behind the companies that you choose to give your money to is the most effective way to reroute power from those who care nothing for you. Yes, Reader, you are only one person, but by nature of being a human in America, you are a part of a network. If one person sees your behavior and decides to change one thing about what they buy or support, it's a start, and even if no one else follows you, you're still doing the best you can to improve the world around you.

Be the change. Use yours.

Put your money where your mouth is.

#OpMoneyMouth

Good day.

Find me: @xXxAnarchosxXx

"The Way Things Are"

Recently, I've been hearing a bit of resistance to my writing. The complaint is usually something along the lines of this: "Your ideas are good, but it seems like you're trying to convince people to change human nature." I suppose they're right, in a way, given how the majority of humans act towards each other in this day and age.

I have a qualm with this concept of "human nature," though.

You see, one of the supposedly unique qualities of humanity is their ability to make informed decisions without using just instinct. We're supposed to be the most intelligent beings on this planet, our decidedly lacking physical prowess counter-balanced by our hyper-advanced minds. We've developed language independently in our respective civilizations, made technology that makes impossible things into everyday occurrences, and even began understanding the individual components of the known universe.

How is it, then, that we are not evolved enough to make collective advancement possible?

We have enough technology, resources, ability to network, and population density to make the entire world a better place all at once. This generation can end world hunger, war, mass deaths, and most of the evils that the world has seen throughout history.

Except...we won't.

Why?

We've all been taught that it can't happen.

All of the generations before us have taught us not to try to make a difference in the collective consciousness. They squashed dissenting ideas for prevailing ones, delaying or outright obliterating ideas from coming into fruition. Every generation before ours has told us that humans kill, destroy, subjugate, and otherwise ruin each other's lives and their surroundings because that's "Human Nature." We are told from the beginning that humanity is beyond redemption, and that we should not bother trying to affect humanity. Paradoxically, we are also shown examples of individuals who changed history by being either extremely persistent or too intelligent and outspoken to ignore. They are simultaneously paraded around as heroes by our schools and other institutions while mainstream culture constantly convinces us to remain a part of the herd.

In spite of the culture's best efforts, a brave few have broken this mold. It takes an extreme amount of intestinal fortitude to fly in the face of violent, cruel convention, but some have done so successfully. Some of these people are controversial, while others have become worldwide symbols of positive progress. However, in a constantly warring world where "different" has the connotation of "dangerous," it has become rebellion to retain all of your individuality, and it has become treason to defy immoral practices by the ruling class. The people are unhappy, but they are afraid of being ostracized for pointing it out. Therefore, more and more people use the excuse of human nature to justify refusing to act in defiance against the vileness they see around them every day.

You're all either afraid or too lazy to try. You can admit it. You see the evil I see, but you wave it away dismissively under the banner of "human nature." No, you cannot change anyone other than yourself, but if more people decided to change themselves for the better, the world would be a better place. Cruelty, famine due to greedy food distribution, war, domestic violence, police brutality, ethnic tensions between races...these are all taught behaviors. If we can teach a child to hate someone for being different, we should be able to teach them to view people as individuals. If we can teach that one color of skin is better than another, we can teach that all colors are equal.

But we can't teach those things with any sense of gravity if the elders don't truly believe the precepts. Sure, we teach kids in school how to share, that we're all equal and should be treated like that, and all of the rest of the lessons we get from Kindergarten to 6th grade. However, American culture doesn't support the lessons, making the nobler concepts of equality and fairness ring hollow once the kids get a glimpse of the outside world. Of course, everyone is different, but the differences between us should be appreciated, not viewed as a detriment because we don't understand them.

In the end, the reason why things are the way they are is because humanity does not want to change. We have been taught we should not, and so we do not. However, we are completely capable of doing so, and once we realize that, we can make progress together. 

Thought for the Day

Disposable America

These days, everything is considered replaceable. We have plastic cutlery, disposable razors, fast food, biodegradable chip bags and milk bottles, and $.50 lighters that we toss when they run out. New cars have a shelf life of 5 years, electronics are only considered worth using until the next one comes out, and fashion fads are...well, fads.

Is it any wonder, then, that America's infrastructure is going down the tubes?

Think about that for a moment. Instead of being willing to buy something that is sturdy and will last, we have immersed ourselves in this culture of disposability.We have given value to cheap, fast, and new, while discarding the concepts of reliability, permanence, and generational sustainability. We have allowed consumer culture to infiltrate and destroy us from the inside, brainwashing us and making us into slaves of whim and corporate influence.

Even now, we destroy things that can be used once again without even being reprocessed. Why do you toss your glass bottles and containers only to buy plastic jugs and containers later on? Is washing something that does not stain, keeps food and drinks fresher, and will not erode over time that difficult? Why must you buy bottled water when there are easily accessible and inexpensive filtration systems for your existing water lines? Why toss out that computer two years after you got it? Are you so inept at system maintenance that you can't keep the thing clean? Why do you need that new car, that new phone, or that new sound system?

Getting new things on the basis of them being new is not a justification for a way of life.

Young Western World, you have been brainwashed into creating more waste than necessary. You have been force-fed the lie of needing new everything, of discarding perfectly good things in order to buy new ones. You have let the bourgeoisie fool you into thinking the hole in your spirit should be filled with things, robbing you of your money, which is an integral part of your power, and leaving you ever in want of more. Instead of learning to be at peace with yourselves, you have been taught to consume, waste, and destroy, affecting everything in your life from relationships and finances to the environment and the world economy.

Disengage. Turn off the "consume" button, if only for a little while.

Find me. @xXxAnarchosxXx

Land of Opportunism

Yesterday, I bought a book that was worth $250 at a cost of $2. I then sold it to a family member for $30, who will then sell it to someone online for roughly $65.

I'm currently smoking a hard to find, expensive tobacco that I managed to get roughly 7 ounces of for no cost directly from the manufacturer.

The car I own currently was a Christmas gift from a friend that I met while slumming it in an artist's collective a few years ago. 

I'm not paying rent right now, but I'm living on my own in an apartment and taking care of my sick roommate.

All of this, and I only have $5 in my wallet right now.

My life is a constant balancing act, and yet somehow, I'm surviving and doing better than a majority of the world. Sure, I don't live in the best area, but my housemates and I get along pretty well, and that's what matters most. However, how did all of these miracles come to be? How did someone who is so anti-establishment manage to make it in this world of cold calculations, computerized existence, and ones and zeroes?

The answer, quite simply, is to be a chameleon.

You see, I do hate the majority of the government. I scoff at how inefficient it is and how it seems to care less about its population and more about its wallet on a regular basis. I don't like money and how it centralizes power to the top of the socioeconomic grid. I truly wish that we could completely disband the concept and focus upon agriculture, the environment, and our children. 

However, I am not an optimist. I am, in fact, an opportunist. 

People have long maligned that term, equating it with things like vultures, snakes, and hyenas. One definition of an opportunist is "a person who practices the policy of adapting actions, decisions, etc., to effectiveness regardless of the sacrifice of ethical principles." Most imply the latter half heavily, classifying people like bank robbers, purse snatchers, rapists, and other forms of criminals in this category. In a way, they are right about that assumption, as well, seeing as most of these use subversive means to achieve their malicious, self-serving ends.

However, the definition I use here is from another source, meaning "a person who adapts his actions, responses, etc, to take advantage of opportunities, circumstances, etc." You see, I do not see an opportunist as a purely negative person as a matter of course. It is not mandatory that an opportunist be an evil entity in my mind, and I would invite you to consider this in the future. 

As it stands, it is not wrong to take advantage of any positive advantage you have in America. It is not wrong to say "yes" if someone offers you something, nor is it wrong to take something if it has been truly abandoned, passed on, or left out for the taking. Taking a risk does not equate to doing wrong, and just because you don't know if you have permission or not doesn't mean you should not attempt what you want to try. The American government has tried to stamp out the spirit of independence as of late, but I cannot allow them to succeed in this. Therefore, I bring you this message:

One cannot succeed in life or make a major difference in the world by following "The Rules" all the time. This amalgamation of "socially acceptable behavior," oppressive legislation, and religious servitude are manufactured to keep the system functioning as it is now. The heads like being on top, and they will do everything they have to in order to maintain their seat of power. Is it not fair for a person to do the same in response to get what they want and need? 

The cardinal rule of Wicca is "Harm none; do what thou wilt." While I am not strictly Wiccan, I subscribe to this belief with all steadfastness. As long as you're not purposely damaging others with your behavior, do whatever you need and want to do at any given moment. 

The Rules say I shouldn't have bought a $2 book and sold it for $30 because it's only worth what I paid for it. The Rules say I should have paid that major corporation for that tobacco instead of them giving it to me for free. The Rules say I should be paying rent, I should not have gotten a free car, and that I should feed the capitalist machine with every ounce of effort I have.

Well, my rules say "Fuck those rules." 

It's all a giant game, folks. America is a big chess board, and once a piece realizes it, they can become a player. Whereas other places may not have as many options or opportunities to be successful, America's architecture of crony bureaucracy, near unlimited markets to tap into, and malfunctioning government controls, anyone can worm their way into a position of power. Pretend to care about this rule, do right by this person, ignore one responsibility, pursue another one relentlessly, maintain a certain image....in short, America is about manipulating your environment until you get what you want. If your objective is to change the game, you must outplay your opponent until you are powerful enough to crush him outright.

This is why my name is Anarchos. I choose which rules I follow in order to get where I need to be. I'll wear a mask in public long enough to get to what I want, but not a minute longer. Silently maneuvering in the background, waiting for the right time to assert and act, changing masks to manipulate things toward an increasingly advantageous outcome...sounds like a certain role model we may share in common, eh?

Now pardon me while I go shave my beard. Orientation is on Monday, and I must look the part. 

Find me. @xXxAnarchosxXx