Follower Appreciation!!

I would like to take a minute (and some blog space) here to acknowledge, and show my gratitude to everyone who signed up to follow the blog. I am going to try and be a little regular and do at least 2 blogs in a week. Although, I expect the next couple weeks to be a little hectic with the move to Milwaukee, starting a new job, and yes... mommy dearest is going to be here. YAY!! Anyway, thank y'all, wish me luck... and please leave your comments esp. for the new poem post cause I really don't know what to make of it.
P.S> The questionnaire for scarification (on the top right corner of the blog) is going to be open for another 8 days or so. Till now I am the only one vote!! It would be cool if there was some more participation...

The Death of Me

The Death of Me

Hear me
I'm the howl of wind
the fall of rain
I'm an angel song
dulcet refrain
Hear me
but see me not
You're my Medusa's gaze

See me
I'm the rainbow hues
and black and white
I'm Aurora's dawn
after starlit night
See me
but touch me not
For I will wither away

Touch me
I'm burning ice
like a soothing balm
I'm a silken cloth
I'm Buddha's palm
Touch me
but hold me not
I'm just but grains of sand

Hold me
I'm a mothers warmth
and a brothers arm
I'm a rabbits foot
a lucky charm
Hold me
but love me not
You will be the death of me

A cut too far?

So I'm a total proponent of tattoos, piercings, and most cool looking bodily mutilations. I had my ear pierced as early as the sixth/seventh grade. I got my chin pierced within two months of being in the States. I admire original, creative and artistic tattoos. Although I'd never get any myself - just because I am a little fickle, and think I would get bored with, or lose significance of whatever I've gotten permanently stamped on myself. Yet, I still think that maybe some day I would lose this caprice, and find something worthy enough to ornate my skin.
This being said, I recently discovered some cool scarification pages. This is a process of carefully cutting out sections of your skin to form a scar. So its basically like a tattoo, but instead of using a needle to insert ink under the epidermis, you pretty much remove the epidermis (and maybe more) altogether!! Sounds cool, right? I tried doing something similar on myself a couple years ago... except I did not have the right equipment, and it came out more like a significant scratch that healed and disappeared in around two weeks. And thank god for that!! (told you I was fickle). Anyhow, the point is generally you see small patterns and designs, like a four leaf clover or a yin and yang or a random simple pattern. But then I saw this...





At first, I didn't even realize that this was a 'scar'... I thought to myself... 'Hmmm... interesting tattoo... could use a lot more detail'. Then as I peered at the picture more intently, I noticed the carvings in the skin, and realized that it actually had immaculate detailing. And as I observed in splendorous awe, I also shuddered and winced, as a chill ran down my spine, and I said to myself, "Ouch!"
I reckon this is art. But also wonder when it stops becoming art, and verges on mental instability? What is the line between such 'art', sado-masochism, and just plain insanity?

To learn more about scarification, visit BMEZine
If you want to read about the experiences of the phoenix scar patron on BMEZine, click here

Survive the Outbreak...

So I recently came across this really cool site. I'm sure everyone who's ever read a book would have read those 'create your own end' genre of book (I forget what we call them). And I always thought they were mad fun. I obviously had to see how every decision played out, and they turned out to be a good read several times over!! My favorites were the GI Joe series and hmmm... I also forget the name of this other fantastical themed one (Dragon's Quest??). Anyway so I always also thought it would be great if the same concept could be used in other forms of media i.e. movies. I never have come across such a thing... but that would be really cool (Actually I'm sure its been done before...). In fact games like Phantasmagoria II and Mode come as close to it as possible. And 'The Outbreak', in essence, is similar. It is an interactive online movie, or a short film lets just say. You start out in a house with four other people, and are being chased by a horde of zombies (yeah... original storyline). Anyhow, you have to make several decisions to escape to freedom. The sequences are shot well, and although the project seems relatively small budget, the footage hasn't been compromised, showing realistic (as they get) zombies, and blood and guts etc. The only irritating part is sometimes watching the same (or similar) video sequences repeatedly... but be assured almost all decisions have a different impact on the progression of the game/movie. In all, it was definitely an entertaining experience, and my only regret was that it wasn't longer.
Everyone, experience for yourself...

The Outbreak!!