R. I. P. Karl Malden

Sigh, another great one is gone. This summer has been awfully morbid as far as the string of deaths in the news. First Ed McMahon (THAT IS CORRECT SIR!), then Farrah, and now Karl Malden. Those three faces bring back such good memories of my childhood and the options we had on our four channels--three if it was a windy day. I remember watching The Streets of San Francisco in reruns and thinking how cool it must be to be in that city. What was it like to be surrounded by such great scenery all the time? Well the streets of San Francisco are second nature now. I feel privileged to know that my workspace is situated in such a great area.

I'll be returning to San Francisco tonight, and I'll be sure to play the theme to The Streets of San Francisco on my ipod as I exit off of the Bridge. I'll think of Karl Malden and I'll smile at the memories of days gone by.



VQ

Something New

Trying out that new fangled Twitter thing. It's not so much for knowing what I'm doing every few minutes, but for updates and things that can be done more efficiently with that interface. It might be beneficial, it might not be. Only time will tell. Here's the link to start following in the meantime:

Vinyl Queen on Twitter

Now let's get me some followers!

VQ

TLP

I just returned from my weekend in Houston for the Texas Latex Party. I have to admit that I had a lot of trepidation regarding the event. It had been talked up to me by quite a few friends, and I didn't know if it would live up to its reputation. I am happy to report that what they said was all true.

I usually return from fetish events with a very cranky report. I only crow about locations where I genuinely had a unique and pleasant experience. The Black and Blue Ball has been such an event, as well as the Clinic Party in Amsterdam. Other US events have mostly been a disappointment over the past few years. It was apparent that what I needed was to attend the elusive "private parties" that I had been hearing about since I first entered "the Scene" in 1997. When I first began attending play parties back then, I used to hear of these private events where great things went on and great looking people attended. Of course I never heard about where they took place in the Bay Area, so I began to think that these types of festivities were merely myths propagated over time.

The TLP is what I have been looking for all these years. It's not too big and not too small: it's truly "just right." The guests know what they like, and also how to dress. I have NEVER felt undressed at a fetish event until Saturday night. MY GOD the designs that walked through the entrance to our Masked Ball! The level of intricacy was mind-boggling--and then there were the accessories! Now let's talk about people who were in said clothing...

I encountered some fascinating folks during my visit to the Lone Star State. Instead of hearing boring stories that were just reruns of "how did you get into the Scene," they were genuinely fascinating tales of SM antics around the world. A true exchange of philosophy and ideas took place on many occasions between me and the guests I encountered.

I think most of all what happened on this trip is that I left with a renewed sense of optimism for my profession. In these trying economic times, I have pondered the sustainability of Professional Domination. I see more discussions of bargaining rates downward, and negotiating additional sexual services. Since I refuse to participate in such antics, I had wondered where "my people" would linger. Well I certainly found them. They were just mingling on a higher level than those who bicker on message boards daily.

So what did YOU do over the weekend? Let's just say I probably had a better time than you! Yes, I'm bragging about myself for once...

VQ