Well, folks. Here we are. There’s not much point in ignoring the obvious: It’s week five of self-imposed quarantine for me, week there of my state’s mandatory shelter-in-place orders, and week who-the-hell-knows of the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. Things are WEIRD. I haven’t done much in the way of personal posts recently, as I was pushing hard through my Kickstarter campaign and then finishing up an interview series for a while there. But, hey. You’re here at my blog. So I’m gonna tell you what’s up with me…before I move on to links from lockdown!
About Me During Lockdown
So, I have an autoimmune disease—rheumatoid arthritis. Since that means that my immune system attacks my joints on the regular, I’m on immunosuppressant medication that keeps my immune system operating at a low level. That means that not only is my immune system compromised because it’s disordered…it’s doubly compromised because it’s suppressed. (And, yep, I take hydroxychloroquine. Yep, it’s hard to get it. So I’m on a half dose of that medication right now, trying to make it last longer. And I’m a little sick and it a little sucks.)
Sooooo, as I said, I’ve been in self-quarantine for going on five weeks. I went to the grocery store once about three weeks ago, and I go on walks late at night after everybody else is in bed (with a face mask on), and that’s been it. I’ve been fortunate to have lots of editing work coming in to keep me busy, and a successful Kickstarter campaign to fulfill. I’m listening to a lot of music. Watching Star Trek in the evenings because it makes me feel some hope for the future. So, that’s been my life for over a month now. Getting a little cabin-feverish over here, but doing okay aside from that. I’ve had several family members and quite a number of friends hit with Covid-19. All are recovering now, for which I am profoundly thankful.
I very much hope that all of you out there reading this are staying home when and where possible. Those of you who are still working, I hope you are able to take as many precautions as possible and to take care of yourselves when you’re home. Let’s take a minute to admit that these are scary-as-fuck times.
Don’t Forget to Get Off!
Let’s also take a moment to talk about how sexual healing is real during times like this. Self-pleasure or partnered sex can help to reduce stress, spread feel-good chemicals around your body, keep your cardio system working well, improve mood, and boosts your immune system. So, you know, when you’re able to, try to get yourself off. It’s good for your body and your mental health, and both of those need as much care as they can get right now!
Self-Interested Links
Okay, now that that’s all been said… Here are some links to keep you busy while you’re weathering the pandemic.
- I’ve got a new comic out! “Trinkets,” an 8-page comic set in the Children of Gaia fantasy universe, was illustrated by Eldkrind. It’s about some magical kids who live way far away in the woods and who can kinda-sorta turn into foxes. And how, even in super-cool situations like that, bullies are still around. It’s available now for download from the Oneshi Press store—where ALL of our digital comics and books are on SUPER SALE! “Trinkets,” for instance, is just 50 freaking cents! Get it now!
- Speaking of super sale… You can also get my other 8-pager, “Guts,” with Diana Camero illustrating. Or PACK issues #1 and #2, or Tracy Queen V1, illustrated by Jayel Draco. Or any of Oneshi Press’s other books, comics, and collections. They’re all 75% off as digital downloads for the rest of the month. So stay home, stay safe, and read some comics.
- Also, the wonderful Lynn Comella, an academic after my own heart who focuses on sex in commerce and media (e.g. p**n and s*x toys), reviewed my memoir, Watching P()rn. But it’s not just any old review—it’s a review in the P*rn Studies academic journal! Folks, I feel like I have officially Made It. Unfortunately, it’s behind a paywall that most who aren’t academics may not be able to access. But here’s a little nibble:
“Although billed as a memoir, Watching P0rn might be better categorized as an auto-ethnographic exploration of the adult industry and the people who populate it…[A] fairminded and panoramic view of the recent history of the adult entertainment industry.”
Look, I’m a big deal now. And I have a scholarly article to prove it! Score!
- And I’ve been writing up a storm over at YNOT, covering topics related to the sex and particularly pr0nz. The past few weeks have been interesting, as the pandemic has stopped most new production, but boosted online viewership, transformed the webcamming industry, seen the sex industry helping communities, first responders, and medical professionals. That’s on top of protecting its own (since the government won’t). Plus—watch out for “P0rn Eye“!
Links from Elsewhere (But Still on Lockdown)
- Yeah, so about the government not helping sex workers and others in the industry…That’s a real thing. HuffPo’s Alanna Vagianos reports: “The small business bailout bill openly excludes legal sex workers including strippers, porn performers, directors, producers, sex toy manufacturers and more.” It’s patently ridiculous: sexually oriented businesses have bills to pay and employees who need to feed their families just like everyone else. But businesses “of a prurient nature” are unable to apply for Small Business Administration loans. The HuffPo article “spoke with several people…who work in the sex industry who were baffled that their government is so flagrantly denying them relief during a global crisis. Many of them intended to apply for relief and are now left in limbo, unable to work or collect aid.” Total Puritanical bullshit. Utter crap. Read more here.
- Oh, remember what I said above about how the pandemic is transforming the adult webcamming industry? That’s a real thing, too. So real, in fact, that the New York Times reported on it in depth. “As 16 million people in the United States have applied for unemployment benefits in the last three weeks, a rush of people…have sought new work performing in sexually explicit live broadcasts. And, as nearly half the world is under some form of stay-at-home orders, people who do this work are also seeing a large growth in customers,” writes Gabrielle Drolet. There are video interviews with some of the interviewees, and fascinating details to read, all over here.
- And, hey, remember what I said about how pleasure is good for you during a pandemic? Whether you’re in lockdown or not, it’s important to get your rocks off. Angie Rowntree, founder of p*rn-for-women site Sssh.com, knows how important orgasms are right now. “While so many people are locked down, either self-quarantining or sheltering in place, we at Sssh.com want to do our part to support people and encourage them to engage in the safest form of sex available at times like these – masturbation,” she said in a statement. So, she’s giving away high-end sex toys on Twitter! Here are all the details on the giveaway, and here’s the Twitter you need to be following!
That’s it for now, folks. Please stay as safe as you can, remember to prioritize your mental and physical health wherever possible, and come back next month for more links—maybe still from lockdown!
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