just a thought, , if people just remembered the memory,
depending on the state in which the abuse occurred, they have a
right to file charges, also i believe in most states you can file charges up to
10 years after you turn 18... it took me awhile to finally find a detective in
california to hear me and actually listen to me but by that time i had lost my
window of opportunity ... also if you report the crime , i believe
you have up to a year to file and press charges.. if you do nothing , the case
is closed, at least in california it is ...
" for most, they might think they were the only one it
happened to but unfortunately they most likely were not the first nor
will they be the last"
First Name: seth Last Name: camm
Comments: 20 minutes into reading it, I am personally grateful that all of you have been persistent in continuing this site, in reading the interview of the man who has a novel, the solider, and also how all of you think concerning each other and your insights, in all, it was a great stretch of the imagination for me personally to go to those different areas of the mind-needless to say I will finish up reading the rest of the issue later on.
p.sthanks for persisting through all the turmoil that can culminate when working on something like this- and I hope that all of you will always be able to survive the storms of creativity as it pounces on your imaginations, each in its own different way- and then sits back and snickers as all three go running towards the pen, computer , typewriter, car, bus, coffee- take care
-seth
First Name: Bett Last Name: Butler City: San Antonio State: TX Comments: Brooke, Nicole, & Heather:
Congratulations on your first anniversary! What an awesome accomplishment. This is one reader who is continually inspired by your honesty, creativity, and relentless pursuit of truth and beauty. Keep making a joyful noise!
peace, Bett Butler www.bettbutler.com
Brooke,
Congratulations on your first year. I loved the article on Hannah Montana we need to stop the madness!
Rebeca Gomez
IT: Do you know of any organizations (national or local) you'd recommend donating time or money to that you feel are really good for helping people or the environment?
Yes! International Justice Mission. The link is below. They are awesome.
This is from their site: International Justice Missionis a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.
I’ve supported them for a number of years.
Amy Bearce, San Antonio, TX
An organization I have tremendous respect for is called the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is based out of Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded by a lawyer named Morris Dees, whose law firm takes on hate groups, trying to put them out of business. They run a website (tolerance.org) that is dedicated to eliminating racism and homophobia, and they back up all their rhetoric by providing educational materials to schools, FREE OF CHARGE. Take the money you were going to spend on “Indiana Jones and the Piece of Shit Sequel,” and send it to them instead.
IT: What activists, artists, bands, musicians, or people of any sort do you feel should be honored for their social work? Why?
I think actor Sean Penn should be honored for what he did after hurricane Katrina. I read that he went to New Orleans and got a row boat and went around rescuing people himself. If this is true, it is certainly worthy of recognition I think!
IT: Yes, it’s true: Sean Penn was interviewed in Spike Lee’s documentary, When the Levees Broke (about the injustices suffered by the people of New Orleans during and after Katrina), in which he discusses some of his experiences while helping people after Katrina hit.To learn more about the injustices experienced by those affected by Katrina and the government’s failure to appropriately respond, watch Lee’s four-hour long, two-part documentary. It’s difficult and emotional, but very informative and well done.
IT: Do you feel optimistic or pessimistic about the world?
Most of the time, I have to admit that I am rather pessimistic. However, I have hope that a new administration coming in in January will make a difference!
John P. Moore, San Antonio, TX
Once again this is a great issue. I keep finding new and interesting things to read. I truly enjoyed the interviewd by Trey. Matt is a great muisician and deserves the exposure. I truly recommend his music. Trey YOU DID ONE GREAT JOB!! Invasive Thoughts keep up the good work!!
Andy Gonzalez San Antonio, TX
I am excited about the "embedded" soldiers, and look forward to the stories you have planned in the future. The magazine just keeps getting better better!
Anthony Flores San Antonio, TX
B, N, and H - this is such an amazing publication. You three inspire me.
Jan San Antonio, TX
Congratulations on your Invasive Thoughts March issue. Hilary's photos were hilarious. I loved the prose and illustrations of the story Magic Day, for me spring is magic. And the trip to Vegas out of this world.
Rebeca
I've been looking forward to reading the Las Vegas edition and I'm not disappointed. I read RAW with a smile on my face. I also enjoyed Brooke's detailed account of events. Whilst your opinions of Las Vegas are very similiar to mine, I hope like I did, you enjoyed some of your time there. It's not all bad and amongst all the fakeness, if you look hard enough or are just plain fortunate, you can find sincerity.
Keep writing/snapping Ladies. Darren London, England
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RE:
1: How far do you think we have come in our country regarding discrimination/justice/equality/racism?
I think the fact that Barack Obama is running for president and has a huge backing and is winning is showing that we really have come a long way.
Trish Palmer, 55, Kansas City
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1. I believe the "Baby Boom" generation was predominantly raised by racists, and many of them became victims of the teachings of their parents. Understandable? Perhaps, but I think deep in their souls they knew it wasn't right. I would even be sold bold as to say that many of them believed it themselves, but to a lesser extent. Even though they may have sort-of believed in it, many were smart enough to NOT pass that it on to their children. As a result, I believe great strides have been made against reducing racism as projected by Generation X . I think that our children will make additional strides and continue to futher reduce racism against our black brothers and sisters.
Besides, blacks and whites have a common bond in being truly "American". We've got the Middle East and Mexico in which to channel most of our racist energies. We've foraged a common bond in hate togehter! Just kidding!!! I don't know if you should print that last statement, but there may be a little bit of truth in there.
2. Author Langston Hughes is one of my all time favorites. The fact that he was so bold and graceful in writing against racism, in his unique charming way, from the 1920s to the 1960s. Needless to say, this was a challenging time when very few of his contemporaries were following suit. His character "Simple" (which I believe was a projection of Mr. Hughes himself) handled racism, and daily life, with insightfulness and humor. I'd consider him a hero becuase if I could write like anyone, I'd like to write like Langston Hughes.
3. I am not sure of the true purpose or benefit of BHM, but I think it creates a sense of pride. How could it not? With an Irish heritage, I know I get real punped for St. Patty's Day every year and that's just one day! I imagine if I had an "Irish History Month" that sense of pride would last for an entire month as opposed to one day. No too shabby to walk around all month with a sense of gratitiude and pride towards my ancestors and heritage!
Rich, Chicago, 31 years old
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For your Valentine's Day "Love" issue---
Love means many things, obviously. For me, love means caring for someone more than you care for yourself. Spending time and energy with someone with no thought of any possible reward. Missing them when they're not around.
I think that's enough. I'm no Rod McKuen*, for chrissake.
DD
*Popular poet of the 60's and 70's, often seen on tv. Virtually forgotten nowadays.
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REALLY enjoyed reading the latest issue of invasivethoughts....... a great job all around on recapturing the moments from your first event. Congrats to you on that!!! I will be at the 2nd annual event!!!!
Trey's piece on the "Lucy" exhibit should be highly applauded!!! That is a HUGE historical exhibit that tends to go by virtually unnoticed and overlooked by events of much of lesser significance. Paying tribute to the oldest hominid ancestors is the ultimate!!! Kudos to Trey for that great overview!!!!!
I also enjoy Heather's art!! One of the areas that my band "Silence and Mayhem" is in disagreement about is the artwork. Erik and I are the ones that are trying to reach a decision. I want to have a silhouette of a mysterious woman in the distance, standing in an eerie wooded tree area, whereas Erik wants more of a spacey kind of thing….so as you can see, we are worlds apart in our art vision…..SO, last night we talked about getting a disinterested person to do the artwork…... I like Heather's stuff!!! Is she available for hire? I think her style is very parallel to some of our music!!! She's really creative!!!
Peace!!! Take care! Mike
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Well not sure what life all about now having looked through your issue. Figure I better stay tuned if ever learn about the mysteries your generation has to say to us old folks, on our last legs and sliding fast. Very interesting. You're probably not old enough to remember the Martin & Rollins TV program of several years ago with all the characters and the guy who was young but played an old German on a bike who couldn't ride it well but always was falling over and getting up to say in a very philosophical way, "very interesting". What else can I say? Who understands?
RDP, 81
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Re: The Music Issue
I’ve always thought the J.C. Superstar sound track was fantastic (saw the show live in London back in 1977 or so, when my husband & I were living there temporarily—but I had liked the music as soon as it came out in the 60’s.) Peter Gabriel is one of my favorites, and my oldest daughter absolutely adored SoundGarden!! Currently my musical tastes run toward the classical more often than not, including opera (which I never would have imagined when I was in my twenties!) But “classic rock” (such as the era of Led Zeppelin) comes in a close second. I know you won’t like this, but I hate jazz in all its forms—sorry, but I really do! However, I have a better understanding of WHY I hate jazz since reading a really fascinating book (just came out within the past year or so) called “This Is Your Brain On Music”, by Daniel Levitin. Highly recommended, if you haven’t read it already. Basically, what I like in music is a lot of minor chords and non-standard scales; a lot of the “rock sound” makes use of modes like Mixolydian and Dorian (I think it’s those modes—can’t remember exactly right now!) instead of your standard major scale intervals, and I really like those non-standard progressions. Also, I like having enough “structure” so that I can anticipate where a line of music is probably going, but then I like being “surprised” when it ends up somewhere else, which certain kinds of rock often does, as well as some classical music, depending on the composer, of course; for example, I like the “Romantics” like Berlioz much better than Mozart, whom I find downright boring! So the “structure and surprise” thing, in a nutshell, explains why I don’t like sappy pop songs (lots of structure but no “surprises”, so it’s boring) and why I don’t like jazz (not ENOUGH structure to make a surprise possible—you have to think you know where something is going in order to be pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t end up there, and jazz seems to just ramble aimlessly—to me, anyway!!)
---Anonymous, Austin, TX
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My notes to the Sananda interview:
To the conventional public, however, the strange and unique sound was too unpredictable, too abstract, to receive the level of attention given to his first album.
Well written! That's exactly how i'd describe his music. Marketers need predictability and classification, or they don't feel like people will buy. I think they are, sadly, right (but not morally).
I was surprised at his musical influences. They were much more mainstream than i would have expected. Like the play list from an oldies station. (Pre-70's oldies.) But those he mentioned were all innovators, and not just great performers.
“My current, first and only wife. Her name is Francesca, and as simply as I can put it, the best friend I’ve ever had. I do not believe in metaphorical Angels only, I know that they take human lives as well."
--That's how i feel about Trecia!
"I love the ladies. I just now love my marriage, and my sanity more."
A reformed playah.
“I am especially excited about the whole new Mp3 generation, and their reaction to my sounds."
I wish he'd expanded on this. How is the mp3 generation differing to him from the previous listeners?
His answer #13 was slightly bizarre to me! Then at #14 he didn't really give you a specific answer. I suspect he didn't understand your question, which was clear to me. An email interview is a challenge but I think you very well captured his persona through the exchange. Could invasivethoughts put a link legally to a clip of his music on its page?
---Malcolm, Kansas City, Missouri
Great idea, Malcolm! We’ll see what we can find on YouTube.
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Well i just read the entire issue. It was fascinating!! I had a good time reading it. Once again, it was a different approach to this issue. I really enjoyed your points of views. I have my own personal opinion about death. To be honest with you at first i was terrified, scared. But now I respect it. I try hard to do as much as i can, i don't have a problem giving a hand shake, hug or kiss. I know that it can happen at anytime. I do as much as i can, and i try t enjoy life to the fullest. I can go on and on forever about this issue. But bottom line, I'm happy to be alive, and I'm happy with what i have, It may not be much, but it's more than enough to make me work hard everyday and struggle to make a decent penny. Of course if i could win the lottery, it would make it even better!!!! But for now, I just enjoy what i do. I also take time to kick back at the park and see the nature that’s around me.
I also enjoyed the article about Christy. I've been to the Havana Hotel and had a few beers at their bar, That bar is spooky. I like it a lot. I was actually amazed about her opinion about suicide. It was very interesting reading her views. Much love and respect towards her. It's not an easy job to perform.
On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of Rob Zombie. In my opinion, his movies are not the best. He has his trends and fans. Which is fine and all. but for me, I'd rather waste my time on something else. Lately I've been reading about all these serial killers around the world. I'd rather read and learn about the real killers. What makes them kill? What makes other become cannibals? I love to read about them. As a matter of fact, i was freaking out that on the Express News had a story of the latest serial killer in Mexico. His name is Jose Luis Calva. He is an actual horror writer. When he was caught at his home, he was actually cooking his girlfriend’s heart on a frying pan. You see that’s real!! He had deboned her body and had the bones in a cereal box!!! How insane is that??
Anyway back to the issue, I loved it. It kicked ass. THANK YOU very much for mentioning the customs performed in Mexico during DIA de Los MUERTOS!!
Andres S. Gonzalez San Antonio
First
Name: Nikki
Last
Name: Niswonger
City:
Dayton
State:
Ohio
Comments:
Just a quick comment. I've enjoyed the quality of work on this site so far. The
entries are well written. I just have one small complaint. I see diction as its
own art form. Our words are supposed to paint the pictures for the reader to
enjoy. To add photos (while it makes for a pretty website) makes the written
descriptions less enjoyable to read. As an avid reader, I want to draw my own
conclusions from the text. I don't want pictures telling me what to see.Is there
some way to incorporate the photographs in a manner that would place them
outside the actual written works? Perhaps photographs relevant to the issue's
topic...but not within a piece of fiction or poetry? Just my two cents.
Nikki: Thanks for writing! I understand you
point and think it is something we should consider for fiction pieces.
Unfortunately, your comment didn't include your email address so we couldn't
respond to you directly. Please email me directly (Brooke@Invasivethoughts.com)
so I can add you to our email list. I'd like to know how you found us from
Dayton!
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Brooke,
I haven't read everything in this issue yet, but a memory came to mind. Some people think of death as the end of life or a scary, dark thing. I am not completely set in my beliefs of what happens to us when we die. I am still learning & thinking about it though.
My memory is of a patient I cared for when I worked at the nursing home. It was in 2004. He was an elderly man with lots of regrets. He confided in me that his daughters didn't visit because of all he put them through with his choice of abusing alcohol. Only his son came to visit. Some of the other nurses were cranky & he sought me out when I was on duty. Over the months we talked a lot.When he would get tired he'd tell me he was going to lie down & rest. One day he came up to the nurse's station & told me that he was scared and didn't want to be alone. He said he needed to lie down. I walked him to his room. Things began to change. He was so frightened and started to breath differently. Many nurses know that there is a particular breathing pattern associated with the last minutes of life. I recognized it though I had never seen death come on so fast. I called his son & asked him to call his family & come over right away so he could say goodbye. Within minutes the family arrived & the son made frantic phone calls to his mother, arguing with her on the phone. His son's wife, a devout Catholic, prayed for him on her knees next to his bed. I asked if I could stay. His son said I could because he thought his dad would want me to. Within the next few minutes his face changed. My patient was lying in bed with the most beautiful smile on his face. He was not frightened anymore. His eyes were closed but you could see his eyes moving underneath (like REM sleep). He could see the next life and it looked like a good place to go.
I just wanted to share. I have been with a few other people as they passed, but this experience has been the most amazing one so far.
Joline
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I look forward in reading the new issue. I really do enjoy the site. It's so unique. In reference to the music theme issue; well it's going to be interesting to see your list of selection artist. I love music, and i like to listen to it all. From underground, local, regional and international; I like to find new sounds every chance that i can. So i eagerly await for that issue.
Andres S. Gonzalez
San Antonio, TX
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Imagine
Two as one; secluded landscape, stars shining brightly.
Soft moon beams, loves aroma permeating the air.
With every breath, deeper than the last, taking in your sweet scent.
Penetrating every pore with your intoxicating essence.
Bodies intertwined in passion.
Your fingers running through my hair, gently pulling back to reveal the soft nape of my neck.
My head back in ecstasy, our bodies hot, wet.
Steam radiating, sweat glistening.
pulsating, hard, thrusting
My appetite for you; insatiable.
Harder!Faster!
The momentous pentacle of eroticism.
The heightened release of sweet surrender.
Mary Powell
This poem was submitted in
response to the Erotica issue.
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Fine specimens, all.
Charles, Corpus Christi, TX
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Just want to commend you on "The Professor"……. You truly have drawn a clear factual depiction of the discomfited position that people, mainly attractive women, face on a customary basis. I felt Mia's inner struggle while strongly standing firm and conveying her conventional artistic view points across to Professor Horny. Inelegance and gawkiness seem to be common traits for the normal man these days, and it sucks for those of us men that have no yearning to be associated with such a breed. Kudos to Mia for being able to differentiate between love, passion, desire and sex........
Thanks for sharing your art with us!! Sincerely, Mike
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The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices (EUSP), by Brenda Love, offers definitions for both pornography and erotica. So (obviously) does my pocket copy of Webster's New World Dictionary (WNWD). The word pornography seems to have Greek roots; porne means prostitute, and graphos (EUSP), or graphein (WNWD), means to write. Whereas both sources define pornography as writing intended toward sexual arousal, the WNWD defines erotica as "erotic books, pictures, etc." The WNWD definition for erotic, also of Greek origin (Eros: love. Duh.), is "of or arousing sexual feelings or desires; amatory." Strikingly similar, no? No wonder this "thin line" to which you refer in your editor's letter has caused so many so much difficulty in the possibly noble--but most likely inconsequential--pursuit of separating the two. (Our justice system sees no such thin line, no gray area, no line at all, only the ever-debated, never-resolved issue of what is obscene, and what is not.) Upon consulting the EUSP on erotica, though, one finds the term erotica (nestled between entries on erotic balls and erotographomania) defined as "literature or photography that depicts sex in a more subtle or socially redeeming manner than does pornography." Issue No. 137 of Utne magazine says about pornography that it is "[d]istinguished from erotica by the intention to arouse (and not simply to depict human sexuality)". (p 59) Julie Hanus also writes in The Culture of Pornography Is Shaping Our Lives, For Better or For Worse, that "pornography is nothing new", and that it is "more than 500 years old", citing the printing press as its prominent vehicle into mass culture. Alan Moore (V For Vendetta) suggests that the history of pornography goes back 25,000 years, and argues, according to Wikipedia, "that a society's vibrancy and success are related to its permissiveness in sexual matters". The particular article referenced in Wikipedia is entitled "Bog Venus vs. Nazi Cock-Ring", and appears in the volume 1; number 25, issue of Arthur Magazine, and is, in my opinion, a fantastic article. From the Wikipedia entry on Alan Moore: "Decrying that the consumption of contemporary ubiquitous pornography is still widely considered shameful, [Moore] called for a new and more artistic pornography that could be openly discussed and would have a beneficial impact on society." I would agree with the Wikipedia entry, and with Alan Moore's position and assertion in "Bog Venus..." My goal is to further muddy that thin line. I want to help pornography to become more literary and artistic in its depiction of human sexuality. I want to help erotica become more direct and abrasive in its manner of arousal. I want to see sexually explicit writing recognize its audience: the human brain. The brain is the largest and most active erogenous zone in the body, and I refuse to sell it short. When it comes to sex, I believe in giving the brains involved the attention they're due. How else can we humans get past our insecurities and traumas to the point where we can really enjoy sex, have mind-blowing orgasms, and maybe--just maybe--share some love for one another during the whole thing? Between Alan Moore's article and Dan Savage's weekly advice column Savage Love, my hopes for the future of human sexual relations are reinforced. They, and few others of any letters at all, seem to share my views on how to treat humans both decently and generously in the sex department. It is up to like-minded individuals to safeguard the value of honest, open sexual behavior. Communication. Humility. Trust. Fuckin' honesty, for fuck's sake. And don't make fun of anyone while they're naked, or for what they look like naked, or for what they might have done or said when they were naked. If you don't want to make somebody feel their absolute best when they're naked, just don't get naked with them in the first place. Ok. No more ranting. No more works cited. I promise. I just wanted to intimate to you how strongly I feel about this topic, and this genre of writing, in general. By way of thanks. Thank you, by the way, for putting out an erotica issue, and for including my story. It was, like I've said, a lot of fun to write. I've been writing in this vein for a while, and it never gets old. Weird, huh? Maybe. I don't know. I'm beginning to feel that if I leave the sexual explicitness out of my stories I'm ignoring an important aspect of my characters' lives. Shit. My ranting has turned to rambling. The point's been beat to shit. Question: How do I find out who wrote Niya? I enjoyed the story and I want to know if this was a one-time porn venture for the writer, something written for kicks, an experiment, what have you.... Or does this writer have a genuine interest in writing sexually-graphic pieces?
Erotographomaniacally yours, michael flower
P.S.--if you ever need more porn, let me know. P.P.S.--Are you really putting in an entire fiction section? Every month? Are dirty stories acceptable outside of the erotica issue? I realize this is a lot to respond to. Take your time. But, please reply promptly, as I am an extremely impatient person. Thank you.
Schizophrenically yours, feelio chestevez
Send us your comments, questions, insights, stories, jokes, art, naked pictures, literature, and if we like what you send us, we'll publish it in future editions. And please let us know what you think of this issue.
