(no subject)

I have an ongoing debate with several women of my acquaintance over shoes.

That might be the campest thing I've ever said.

Anyway, they maintain that men's shoes are boring, especially dress shoes, while I maintain that I don't want the dizzying array of choices that women have to make before putting something on their feet. I like brown cap-toe shoes and black wing tips.

Reasons men's shoes should not be colourful: we are continually doing it wrong.

And because it amuses me, now that I've talked about shoes, I'd like to mention that I found an interesting article on fetishes this morning.

GQ ran an article that I stumbled over this morning, about the modern nature of fetishes, which was interesting for precisely two paragraphs until it devolved into Glenn O'Brien masturbating about all the pretty trinkets in his office. But for those first two paragraphs it was seriously interesting. So you can watch him show off his toys here, or just read the bit below and enjoy contemplating it:

People have the wrong idea about fetishes. You always hear, "I have a shoe fetish. I have a hat fetish." These people don't know what they are talking about. A fetish is an inanimate object that has religious or mystical qualities attributed to it, like a relic of a saint, or the household gods of the Romans. It's not just an excuse for conspicuous consumption. Psychic meaning must be involved. There is also what's known as sexual fetishism, which is where one becomes aroused by an object, situation, or body part that's not usually considered sexual. I'm afraid that leaves high heels and garter belts out, so let's get real.

I believe that to navigate today's treacherous urban environments successfully takes a bit of magic, so I believe in fetishes in the true sense of the word.

I have a little bit of an issue with him proclaiming himself a "true" fetish user, because last I checked the term fetish (feitiço) was a concept applied to West African religious practices by the invading Portuguese, so the word comes pre-loaded with appropriation. Plus, dude has a lot of fetishes in his office, and the presence of each takes a little away from the uniqueness of the others. There's a fine line between fetish and clutter, and a small step from the concept of the fetish to the concept of belongings-as-protection, and that's when one gets to star in one's very own episode of Hoarders.

Setting that aside, though, I like the idea of repudiating fetish as it relates to consumerism and reclaiming it as a spiritual concept. I also like the idea that you need a bit of magic to live in the city; I know I do. So I thought it was an interesting quote, worthy of preservation.

So, shoes and fetishes. That's my morning.

(no subject)

Sometimes signal boosts come in pairs...

strange_selkie's birthday is today, and in lieu of birthday presents she's made an appeal for help for her friends, who are stuck in State Welfare Limbo. I know Selk and trust her to get the money to where it'll do the most good.

bluejeans07 also alerted me to the fact that if there are Gargoyles fans on this journal there are probably Thundercats fans, who may want to be made aware that Steve Perry, who has worked in comics for a long time and wrote for Thundercats, is ill and in financial dire straits. There's more information here, including a paypal address.

Not to be an underhanded propagandist, but Non Prophet's two-for-non campaign was born for causes like this -- two dollars isn't much, but it sure beats nothing, and two dollars times ten people is twenty bucks, times twenty people is forty bucks. Some of us can't afford two dollars and I get that and there's no judgement here; there were years I couldn't. But if you can, you could do worse. Thanks guys. :)