This Friday the 13th was an auspicious day for the AP Fall Social held from noon to three this afternoon in the park in front of the newly remodeled Anderson's Dockside Bar. Hosted by the beautiful and gracious Eva Perry, the picnic in the park was declared a resounding success. Dozens of AP's own and a good number of folks from away chatted, quaffed tasty hot and cold beverages, and sampled some of the finest homemade delectables to be found on our snug little home. This reporter, a relative newcomer, was delighted to be embraced into the bosom of one of the finest communities in this fair country. Many an old friend was greeted, new acquaintances met, and the whole crowd laughed uproariously at many a fine jape. The fall day was glorious, the food and drink were without compare and the company was unparalleled. Do yourself a favor and put the Winter Social on your calendar. This reporter certainly will.
By: Zinny Introduction to Kink/BDSM
Hello to all of my fellow kinksters on the island. I am Nikki Suicide and I will be your host in to the sordid, lustful, and down right kinky situations. The goal of Think Kink is to introduce those of us who are interested or may be interested into pushing our sexual boundaries to the limits. This will be in the print edition of the AP Times and will allow me to answer any questions or a topic of your choosing! I am here to serve you Asphyxiation Point, and in more ways than one. This is just going to be a simple introduction to this column and what we may be willing or not willing to do. I Nikki Suicide will answer any and all questions that you may have! Amazing right? I will even push my own boundaries if I can't answer your questions to the best of my ability. Now whether you are hetero, gay, lesbian, bi, pan, or trans I will answer your questions. Bondage? Okay! Rope Bondage? Okay! Humiliation, degradation, domination, submission? All okay! I will explore the Local areas as well looking for some folks that may be willing to help me explore past my own boundaries that will help answer your questions. And we won't Kink shame we will refuse to do anything that may put myself or my lucky assistants at risk, safety is key here at Think Kink. Now let's start off with an introduction for those of us who may be new: Physical Safety If you’re a BDSM newbie, take a look at various types of BDSM play scenarios and actions that you might be interested in trying. I highly recommend downloading a BDSM checklist that you can go through with your partner (or even by yourself) to see what kinds of things turn you on, feel safe, AND what kinds of things you’re totally not into at all. The point in doing this is that even if you’re with a partner and they’re absolutely all about getting you to do breast bondage and you’re unsure about it, that you are informed enough about what YOU want to say, absolutely No! or Yes! Setting Limits Just like we set physical and emotional boundaries in our non-sexual lives, it’s also super important to set limits in BDSM. In this type of play, we decide on both hard limits AND soft limits. While these limits are not set in stone and can change as you get more comfortable with play, it’s important to have them as you’re going into any BDSM encounter so that both you and your partner know what’s ok and what’s off limits. It’s important that BOTH of you have these limits, too. For example, if the Dom in your relationship absolutely refuses to tie you up and have sex with you in public, then that’s a limit for him/her that should be respected. OR if, as a Sub, your Dom really wants to lead you around with a collar on your hands and knees, then they have to be okay if you’re not into that. But how do you decide what your hard and soft limits are? First off, knowing the difference between soft and hard when they come to limits is important. “Soft limits: A limit which is not necessarily set in stone. It may be flexible, may be pushed or may change over time and/or with experience or knowledge of that type of play.” “Hard Limits: What someone absolutely will not do, usually non-negotiable (may or may not be subject to change over time).” How about any good examples? Well, the checklist is the greatest thing because, honestly, hard and soft limits are different for everyone! That’s why looking at all the various types of play is important because then the power is in YOUR hands to decide what you do or don’t want to do now, and maybe a year or ten down the road! Safe Words Safe words are ridiculously important to have for the very same reason I mentioned earlier. When you’re in the moment and it feels like you can’t stop, you CAN with the right safe word. Safe words come in handy for a variety of reasons… Maybe you’re new at this and are thinking that bondage sounds SUPER fun, but then you get into it and for whatever reason (and I mean WHATEVER reason) you’re just not feeling it, you can use your previously agreed upon safe word and play can cease or be readjusted. But how do you come up with safe words? A lot of BDSM players start with the traffic light system, “Yellow” means “slow down” or “I might be starting to feel uncomfortable.” If you want to stop completely and immediately, whether for pain, discomfort, or another reason, then using “Red” is the thing to do. “Green” of course means, “everything’s fine and dandy so keep going”. It is important to have a word to say everything’s fine, because checking in is an important responsibility of the Dom. It’s also important for the Sub to feel safe enough to communicate how they’re feeling through the process. Those are pretty standard words, however, there are other words you can choose. Honestly, it can be any word you feel comfortable with, though I would highly recommend not using words you’d normally use in the sack, or words like “no” or “stop” which can be part of play. I didn’t want to use something so random like “pickle” or “banana” because I was worried I would burst out laughing if I randomly was yelling out, “BANANA” in bed. We ended up choosing “Slow” to mean “slow down”, “Pause” to mean “stop”, and “Golden” as in, “I’m golden” to say everything’s fine. Check-Ins Checking in is a very important part of play, especially intense BDSM play. When a Dom or Top checks in, it means they are very simply asking how the bottom is feeling about the play. It also means that, as a bottom, you have to say you’re more than just fine. Tell your top if you’re good or bad or if something is going numb or you don’t want any more flogging. Communication is critical to help the top know how to continue making the play experience good for both of you. Check-ins can be as simple as asking bottoms if they remember their safe words or asking how they’re feeling or if everything is okay. Of course, it’s important to use check-ins responsibly (re: not all the time). If a bottom is providing good, solid info, that helps the top make awesome choices for both of you. Another thing for both tops and bottoms to consider are physical signs. Do you/does your partner look/feel dizzy? Weak? In too much pain? If you see/feel any of these signs, immediately stop play. It is recommended to have some light sugars like orange juice or something off to the side just in case that happens. Gag Safety So, safe words are important. But what if you can’t use a safe word? What if you’re deaf or what if you love to be gagged? A muffled gargle probably won’t stop anyone in the heat of the moment. But, it’s okay, you’re in luck, because someone has already thought about that! Some people wear something on their wrist or ankle that will jingle or make some kind of sound if they need to stop. Others come up with a symbol, like holding up three fingers. The “Method of Threes,” for example, three grunts or three shakes of the head. Also, a note to the Doms/Tops out there. If your Sub/Bottom wants to wear a gag, DO NOT cover their nose also or you risk them passing out for lack of air supply. Spanking, Flogging, and Paddling Want to experiment with one of these? That’s grand. But…. If you’re going to experiment with flogging, make sure you DON’T get one of the super cheap floggers because those can actually be pretty painful. It is suggested to use soft floggers, like those made of deerskin. Also be careful about WHERE you hit someone. The bum, thighs, and upper back tend to be okay. But stay away from the neck, face, kidneys, your belly, and any joints (knees, elbows, etc) because they can actually be damaged pretty easily. Bondage and Restraint This was where I started, and it’s where a lot of people start. It’s pretty cool, in my opinion, to be tied up and rode like a pony, but, spoiler alert: practicing bondage with silk scarves, nylons, and cheap handcuffs actually isn’t that safe, after all. In fact, most BDSM practitioners recommend rope or higher quality restraints. But why? Because scarves, nylons, and fake handcuffs can tighten during play as you struggle against them, they can actually cut off your circulation. Just like BDSM practitioners recommend rope vs. scarves, they also recommend getting REAL police handcuffs. Why? Because they have a double lock system, they don’t seize up when struggled against or sat on like the fake ones do. The double lock is special BECAUSE it can be set so it DOESN’T tighten up when struggled against. Being tied up sure is fun, but make sure you stay aware for any tingling, numbness, or your hands/feet getting cold because that means you’re losing circulation to those areas. Be responsible and have a pair of scissors handy in case you need to be released quickly. After doing some extensive reading, most BDSM practitioners DO NOT support any throat constriction because of the risk of heart attack and many times, death. But, since there are people who are going to be into this, the only rule I have to offer you is the two finger rule. So, say you are wanting to collar your sub or as a sub you want to be collared. The pros say to “use the two finger rule,” meaning you should be able to slip two fingers under the collar and never pull on it so hard it will tighten and constrict passage to the throat. Also, to the Doms out there. NEVER leave a restrained person alone for any reason! Emotional Safety With all the tools and positions and activities in BDSM, physical safety and knowledge of the tools is certainly important. HOWEVER, I would arguably say that emotional and mental safety is just as or even more important in some regards. But what exactly does this mean? BDSM should ALWAYS be SAFE, SANE, and CONSENSUAL. Let’s talk about this further. SAFE: Ensuring that any play scenario is safe for both parties involved. This means that you and your partner have discussed any health risks beforehand and you’ve ensured that the tools that you’re using are also safe. So safety in the physical sense is important, of course. But, if you don’t feel safe emotionally or mentally you should probably avoid this type of play, as well. This goes into knowing yourself and being in touch with your feelings. There have been times where the IDEA of a play session sounds really great, but if I’m struggling emotionally for whatever reason, I have to remember to hold off from this type of play until I’m in a better head space. SANE: According to the National Council of Sexual Freedom, “sane” means “knowing the difference between fantasy and reality.” It means that unlike the top-selling BDSM erotica books, a BDSM encounter is just that; an encounter, which ends when it ends and doesn’t spill out into everyday life. For example: Sure, being dominated in bed is fun, but if your Dom is trying to control your actions in day-to-day life, that’s a potential sign of abuse. CONSENSUAL: This means that both partners are consenting to the play from the beginning to the end. This means that if someone wants to stop in the middle of play because they’re uncomfortable with something happening, then that is their decision to make and they are not guilted or shamed for making that decision. Another aspect of consent includes NOT engaging in play under the influence of any alcohol or drugs. Since substances can alter our consciousness, judgment and ability to be in touch with our bodies, we’re at risk of hurting ourselves and others. This goes for both Doms and Subs, and directly correlates to safe play. Aftercare Finally, a VERY VERY VERY important aspect of both physical AND emotional safety in BDSM play is that of Aftercare. What is Aftercare exactly? Aftercare is the concept that a BDSM scene is not just finished right away. It doesn’t matter if the scene ended with a safeword or an orgasm or whatever; the human body and spirit NEED aftercare in order to heal physically and mentally from a scene, especially scenes that may be emotionally or psychologically intense. A common misconception is that aftercare is the responsibility of the Top to give to the Bottom. But it’s important too for the Bottom to also provide aftercare to the Top, as well. How do you give aftercare? As I mentioned there are both physical and emotional components of it. Physical examples of aftercare may include: 1) Taking care of any cuts, bruises, altercations to the skin by applying creams, gels, Band-Aids, etc. 2) Taking a bath or shower together. 3) Wrapping a warm blanket around the Sub in order to prevent dramatic drops in temperature. 4) Giving food and water in order to rehydrate and refuel your body. 5) Massaging sore muscles. Emotional aspects of aftercare may include: 1) Allowing your partner to cry, be angry, shake or express any emotions the scene brought up. 2) Talking quietly about the scene- what you both liked, didn’t like, etc. 3) Cuddling with and holding each other (yay oxytocin release!) 4) Telling your partner how much you care about them In closing, BDSM and Kink in general, is a really fun and potentially therapeutic way to play out power dynamics in sexual relationships. However, “with great power also comes great responsibility” (Spiderman reference), and BDSM can go horribly wrong if emotional and physical safety are not taken seriously. Don’t take the horror stories the wrong way, BDSM can be incredibly safe when done correctly. But with BDSM knowledge is power, and it’s time we all wield that power responsibly. Happy Playing! As anyone who has ever done a search for artifacts of the past will tell you, it’s usually ten percent digging, thirty percent research, and sixty percent sheer luck. A local business owner seemed to have his share of luck in making a discovery recently. Buried beneath the building in what could have been a root cellar or storage space a crate from the 1920’s containing Canadian Scotch Whiskey was discovered while he was renovating the building. It’s unknown yet as to whether this was a personal cache of alcohol hidden during Prohibition, or part of a Bootlegger operation where they would bring the alcohol from Canada and stash it to later transport to speakeasies in the United States. He told me: “There were three layers of flooring, the bottom most of which was so rotten you could pick it apart with your fingers. I was tearing it all up so it wouldn't sink when I brought in some heavy machinery. In one corner the wood gave way to show a metal trapdoor. It had rusted nearly completely shut, but when I had it broken open, down inside was an Old Farmer's Almanac and this wooden crate with the top half off.” “Well, being kind of curious, I moved the top out of the way, and stuck inside with a bunch of straw like packing material were a bunch of glass bottles with light amber liquid in them. Well naturally the labels stating they were Canadian Scotch Whiskey was a sure sign that I had found something.” After that he contacted the local Historical Society, and according to the director, Professor Dorian Teal, all those materials have been donated to the society for historical research and display in Museums for that period in history. Professor Teal stated: "It really is an amazing find. So much about that period has been romanticized, or erased outright. Bootleggers and Rum runners of the period weren't exactly keen on keeping detailed journals or records just in case. It's also rare to find a case like this with intact bottles, most of the regulators of the time simply smashed the containers and let the contents run into the gutter. So not only do we have the batch numbers printed on the labels but other clues that will let us trace the shipment back to where it came from." "it's a pity that all the records of who owned the building this was found in were destroyed in the town hall fire back in the nineteen sixties, but using the distillery numbers we can get all manner of information from the plant where they bottled these. We may never have an answer as to what happened to those souls who stored the crate, or why they only left twenty-two of the bottles in a box clearly designed to package twenty-five, but this donation will make a grand addition to the society's collection from a period where we have little information about the specific routes that smugglers would take to bring illegal alcohol into the United States." This reporter asked the lucky man who found the stash just why it is that he chose to donate it to a historical society, he had quite the amusing response. "It makes a good Tax write off? I did think about holding a roaring twenties party for myself a a couple dozen friends, dress up in suits and fedoras and such and serve authentic period booze. But that seemed like a bit too self indulgent for such a find. I mean for all we know these bottles could have been slated to sit in the private stock of Al Capone, John Dillinger, Lucky Luciano, Neil Castelli, Herbert Hoover or other famous Criminals. Someone like the professor could figure that out and if they have historical significance or not." I also inquired why he thought the case was incomplete. "Who can say. If it was a personal stash they probably drank them. Maybe they had to bribe some cops and hadn't been paid yet. The three bottles could have broken during travel, or been used as samples for speakeasies to prove that they weren't offering colored water with rubbing alcohol. No way of knowing really. I guess that's part of the mystery the Professor has ahead of him to figure out." Quite a mystery, who were they? What happened to them? Why didn't they come back for their stash? Could they have run afoul of competitors? Been caught or shot by Regulators? Lots of questions that only time and investigation can answer. As an aside, I feel I should mention that the chances of other finds like this is quite rare, and most readers should be careful before tearing apart walls or floors of their homes or businesses looking for similar items. A Final question I asked was what he decided to do with the underground storage space now that he knew it was there. "probably seal it back up and put my floor in. I could use it for storage I guess, but the ladder in it is kind of rickety. Maybe I'll get a Sealed box and put several bottles of Whiskey in it with some laminated photos and a note to whomever re-discovers them in the future telling them to have a drink or three on us." Contributed by: Harrison Leefolt Our little island sees a number of new faces with all the tourists that pass through. Anyone who decides to linger tends to be shrouded in mystery and that is very much the case for one of the newest residents, Dee Sylver-Nightwing. There is nothing more than a casual mention of her and her high school graduation announcement when you search the web. However, the name should surely ring a bell for anyone familiar with the elite upper class of New York. Mr Sylver, who is CEO of Sylver Industries, was a regional boxing heavyweight fighter in the 1980's who developed a bit of revolutionary technology that landed him a government contract with the US Navy. Mrs Sylver-Nightwing is the sole heiress of a multi billion dollar company, Nightwing Trade and Trust, that bankrolls numerous charitable foundations. They made quite the effort to keep their daughter out of the lime light and it was rather successful except for a brief clash (and massive lawsuit) with a tabloid that obtained a few long distance photos of Dee in a bikini. Dee has finally decided to go public about herself and granted her first interview to the AP Times! Despite only being 19, she shows a lot of promise and clearly has a bright future after graduation Summa Cum Laude from Upton Day Academy in Manhattan, New York. Miss Sylver-Nightwing has also studied ballet, tap, and piano since she was 3 years old and learned chess at the young age of 5. A big part of her home life is participating in charities, mostly those that offer aid and support for battered women. Dee's mother started taking her to help out with fund raisers when she was 15 and her father started teaching her how to handle fire arms at age 16. Clearly Miss Sylver-Nightwing knows how to protect herself or those around if the need ever arises! For the next year, Dee can be found working at Sylver Securities under Malicki Sylver. After that, she is off to Columbia University to study Business Administration with a minor in Anthropology and social science. In the past few months, the local gym has changed hands a few times but it seems each time is an improvement on the last! Currently the gym is owned by Vladimir Ribolovlef and he is offering a special package for the local law enforcement as well as pushing for couples to get in shape together! Couple's activities, relaxing treatments and nutritional tips for only $40 per week. ( or $160 per month) In-Gym Services (package worth $90 | V.I.P. Package ($45) X 2 ) - Unlimited access 24/7 - Access to our private 24/7 trainer hot-line. Access to every trainer at anytime. - Schedule with any trainer as many times as you like (Couple's Training Sessions) - A variety of classes: Self defense / Couple's yoga / karate / M.M.A. - Mixed Martial Arts - Reserved locker in our one of a kind Co-Ed Gym! - Free Shower Towel for Both Off-Gym Services (package worth $170) - Schedule For Free - 2 Couples Massage Session / per month @ Zen Den (worth $100) - Schedule For Free - 2 Session / per month with a Nutritionist - Diet Plan (worth $70) SUM: A package worth $260 For only $160 per month. The gym is also participating in next weekend health fair thats set up to help aid in research for a cure for Alzheimer's. During the event, a few locals will be put up for action including the hot new owner! While he is a little shy when asked about himself, he is clearly dedicated to the community and between training at the National Gymnastic Academy of Russia and running the gym, he's sure something to look at and bid on! As with all good things, there tends to be a spot of trouble here and there. One of the local residents mentioned that she was attacked by a woman who was employed at the gym not once, but twice! Mr Ribolovlef assures me this is not something that will be tolerated and mentioned the staff member involved has taken some time to de-stress. Photo Courtesy of Cadence Rau™ (arinarose) Clearly the new management has things under control and is even launching a new ad campaign! He is looking for both male and female models so be sure to give him a shout if you'd like to get involved!
Come one come all to the Health Fair! The APPD, APFD, AP Hospital, and Below the Belt Gym will be holding a street fair at Second Street to inform you about getting healthy, staying in shape, and much much more! There will also be job information and food!! All proceeds go towards helping find a cure for Alzheimer's! Who doesn't want to support that right?
Still think it sounds boring? Ten lovely - and maybe not so lovely- citizens have offered themselves up for a date night auction! There will be a box put out during the event for you to silently bid ((aka IM Gael Zero (Gailzero) to bid)), but remember folks, you can only bid on one! The auctioned participant will go to the highest bidder, so don't be cheap, the money raised will go to a good cause! Rumour Ghost Asmus Zero Ming Yheng Vladimir Ribolovlef Brigit O'Mallory Eli Vincente Hailey Floral Thomas Luxton Adeline Ramirez Malachi Pearson Remember, even if you don't want to make a bid, there is free food and stalls with all kinds of interesting and informative information. Come one and all Saturday September the 16th 9am slt 2nd street! ((OOC: Any more questions or suggestions, feel free to IM Brigit Aili O'Mallory (orendarayen) Or Gael Zero (Gailzero) )) |
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April 2018
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