Apparently Barbara Sheridan wrote a book called Beautiful Cocksucker, which has managed to piss off a few people.

I must admit, I didn’t automatically equate the title with abuse generally hurled at gay men, but that could be because I’ve never been called a cocksucker, by people trying to denigrate my sexuality.

Not being a gay man, my point of view may be slightly skewered, but I have to say, I didn’t particularly find the title offensive. It was suggested that it would be like calling a book, Beautiful Nigger or Beautiful Faggot, but I don’t really buy that argument. I personally think that cocksucker is much more generic, whilst nigger and faggot are definitely more specific to black people and gay people. (Yes, I get the whole cock-sucking angle, but I’m much more likely to be called a cock-sucker if I’m being a dick, than a faggot, know what I mean?)

I wonder if there would have been as much offence taken if the writer had been a gay man, rather than a straight (I assume) woman?
For instance, I’m pretty sure that if a white person had written a book called, The Black Tax, there would be more of an outcry, than if the writer had been black. You see what I mean?

For me, the title seems to be more of a question of taste. I mean come on, it ranks right up there with that EC book called A Rock and A Hard-on. Pure bad taste, if you ask me.

I guess one of the reasons why I find it hard to be offended by the title is because the book is by a woman who’s passion seems to be writing M/M books. I think there are times when you have to look at things in context, without the obligatory knee-jerk “You’re a racist/homophobic/sexist!!” reaction.

It was also suggested that it would be similarly offensive to have used the term, Beautiful Pussy, or Beautiful Jugs, but I just don’t see it. I’m sure many women might be offended by such titles, but that’s because some people mostly make a career out of being offended by everything. It seems to me that it’s sometimes not even those directly affected who get the most offended. For example, Ann S seems to think that an inter-racial M/M book entitled Dark Chocolate is offensive and objectifying.
No it’s not. Not to me at least, if any other black people are offended by such a title, then speak up by all means.

Anyhow, without any of the usual PC bullshit, do you guys feel that title of the book is an affront to gay men, or an affront to general taste and decency?

You can follow the mini lovefest, here, here, and here.

(click on pic for bigger image)

Of course I got lots of other great gifts, including a fabulous Ted Baker vanity case from my brother and SIL, and lots of fabulous new-to-me perfumes, but the European version of the Sony Reader was definitely a highlight. The Reader also came with 100 free classic books, including Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, Aesops Fables (which I’m loving reading by the way), Pride and Prejudice, etc, etc.

What was the best present you received this Christmas?

Jane at Dear Author posted about some sort of harebrained idea by some novelists to expand the reach of copyright law to the sale of used print books.

NINC on the sale of used books:

Used book sales, particularly sales of used books through the Internet, have a significant negative effect on the income of publishers and, therefore, authors, as there is no remuneration to them for any sales of used books.

…

Ninc recommends that commercial used-book sellers be required to pay to publishers a “Secondary Sale” fee upon the reselling of any book within two years of its original publication date. A percentage of these fees would then transfer to authors in accordance with contractual agreements between authors and publishers, thereby reinforcing the Founders’ intent, as stated in Article I of the Constitution, to protect authors’ exclusive right to benefit from their work.

Oh really?

Many of the comments over there expressed my bewilderment over such a preposterous idea, but then there was this gem by Misi:

Well, one day there will only be e-books and all you’ll get is a license to read, not ownership, just a lot of software is now. You can’t even resell the disc (legally) under those terms. Well, you can sell the discs, but only if you delete the content.

The current copyright law is outdated. Again, used bookstores aren’t the problem. It’s the online places that have changed the situation. The law should be changed to.

I’m almost speechless here.

I mean, my mind is just a jumble of extrapolations. I guess we could say that at some point only the person who actually paid for the book should be able to read it, and that any other person reading the same physical book should pay royalties to the author for the privilege.

I ask again, what the fuck?

Too soon? Ahh f*ck it, he says some good shit.

I particularly favour this first quote:

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

B. Obama

This next quote spoke to me. (g)

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.

B. Obama

Aint that the truth.

This quote goes out to all the tree huggers out there:

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.

B. Obama

He does have a way with words doesn’t he?

And as an ode to Andy Warhol:

The fact that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes is somewhat surprising to me and completely baffling to my wife.

B. Obama

And may it last for at least another eight years, dahhhhling.

I trust you all had a lovely Christmas Day? Jolly good.

Now here’s the simple scenario for this week’s moral dilemma, since it’s Christmas and all:

You’re walking along one day, when you spot your best friend’s boyfriend in a clinch with a woman who isn’t your best friend. Your best friend is madly in love with this guy, and thinks that he walks on water, so much so, that it’s put a bit of a strain on your own relationship with her. You’re afraid that she may think that you’re just jealous, if you accuse him of cheating on her, because as far as she’s concerned, he’s the perfect boyfriend.

So, what do you do? Do you tell her about it or not?

Eat, drink, get fat, throw up, and be merry. Then get up, and start all over again on Boxing Day. *g*

Love, AztecLady and Karen xx

Christmas is at our house again this year, which is just the way I like it. I’ll be doing the cooking, which I really don’t mind, because it gives me a chance to show off my culinary skills. I actually do have them, I just don’t get to use them that often. I’ve just managed to finish the Big Christmas Shop today, and when I go and collect TTG from the airport tomorrow, his job will be to choose the alcohol.

This is my menu this year:

Starters

Pork and Apricot Pate (I can never remember how to get the French accent on my keyboard), served with melted applewood-smoked cheese on French toast, accompanied by mixed salad and tangy orange sauce.

Or:

Tomato and basil soup served with crusty white cobs

Main Course

Stuffed roasted chicken, seasoned with lemon pepper, accompanied by creamed button sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, honey-glazed roasted potatoes, my special cheesy mashed potatoes and swede, sausage wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon, and pork, cranberry and apple stuffing.

Desserts

Baked nutmeg and cinnamon creamed rice pudding, Christmas pudding and custard (a shout out to TTG’s mum for making the Xmas pudding) freshly made raspberry trifle, or lemon cheesecake.

This year’s Xmas entertainment will include a Nintendo Wii tournament, Pictionary challenge, and a Trivial Pursuits competition.

As always, I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. We are all incredibly close, and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be on Christmas Day, than spending time with the ones I love the most.

What will you guys be doing?

Apologies for all the outages, but apparently the blog is being spammed to death. Anyway, hopefully there will be no more blogging shenanigans, but if there is, I keep a back-up blog: karenscott.wordpress.com.

If you can’t find us, head over there, in the future.

Thanks for your patience.

I didn’t find the guy who threw the shoe at President Bush amusing in the slightest. I’m sure there will be Democrats all over the US, who think he got his just desserts, but I thought the so-called journalist who threw the shoes, was utterly pathetic. Fortunately for him, he was able to make his protest, without fear of torture and death hanging over his head.

I’m not a George Bush fan, far from it, but I don’t believe he’s an evil man. I think he fucked up royally, but I do believe he thought he was doing the best thing for his country, when he took you guys into war, just as I believe that Tony Blair thought he was doing the right thing also.

Dubya deserves to be verbally pilloried for his catastrophically bad political choices, but throwing shoes at him, says more about the dickhead journalist, than George Bush in my opinion. Besides, I suspect that the man just wanted to make a name for himself.

OK, who thinks he deserved to get the shoes thrown at him?

Thanks muchly to Jane.