Mamamontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

End of October

The winter season is upon us, which means time for submissions for the spring and summer art shows and competitions. In fact, submissions need to be submitted for the first one in just about three weeks.

Needless to say, this also means that negatives need cleaned, scanned, retouched and cropped, applications need to be requested, completed and sent., frames decided on and purchased, and (if accepted, of course) the pieces need to be sent off.

As it stands, I have enough on hand for the first show, but will need to get several new pieces together over the next several days for a little contest I want to enter at Jockstrap Central. I enjoy their site, love the way they present their merchandise, and have purchased a few pieces over the last few years, so when I got the email announcing their contest, I decided it was a good thing be involved in this year.

Hopefully I will be able to get my micro-studio set up on my day off tomorrow so that I can get a quick roll off before Friday. I had considered just going digital but decided to stay with film. I would hate to have a wonderful session with many good final shots and not be able to use any of it beyond this contest. That would be not only a horrible waste of time, but of something far beyond that.

Maybe I’m odd in a way, but I believe that once a moment is gone, it can never be regained. As hard as one may try, as attentive to detail as one may be, no two shoots can ever be the same. Something will always be different, and generally that difference is in the head of one or both of the artists, either in front of or behind the camera.

Today I will get the cameras loaded and ready. Tomorrow I will get the drops hung and the lighting set. Perhaps tomorrow evening I can do a test with the girl to check the lighting, since she wants a few vanilla portraits for her parents and this would be a good opportunity.

Maybe the dogs would like their photos done as well. One never knows with them. Toss in the promise of a peanut butter dollop or a scrap of Popeye’s Chicken and I’m sure they’ll cooperate, even if only for a few minutes. Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes. It would be good to get a few nice shots of them. I’d love to submit a photo of them to a few local periodicals and one of the pet supply websites I frequent. This may be an opportunity for getting a few pieces I can actually share with my family.

A smidgen of housekeeping

To begin with, a heartfelt "thank you" to pixy for being so kind about reactivating this little bit of digital real estate. It lay about empty for so long, it will take weeks to get the weeds pulled, the shrubs trimmed, and the rodents routed.

And the size of those rodents! Not to mention the sheer numbers of them. Sadly, they have gotten so bad that I have been forced to turn of comments for the time being. Not that any of you will find yourselves compelled to comment, but it would have been nice to have left them available and unmolested. Damned ratus spammicus.

Well, if they refuse to cease and desist, I may be forced to send a few roller babes after them. The visual of tough, fish-net wearing, wheeled warriors scattering the vermin hordes is so very satisfying on levels most can barely comprehend. If it works for you like it works for me, you may want to find some time in your busy schedule to indulge in such Female-Dominant Mayhem by taking in a bout with the Naptown Rollers here in Indianapolis.

Where else can you enjoy hot, sweaty, voluptuous and violent vixens in scanty clothes and wheeled leather boots whipping asses, taking names and leaving long lasting marks, all in a fun-filled family event? Most places require valid photo ID, a two drink minimum, a wad of singles for tipping and a steep cover charge for this much fun.

I think it's time for an outing. Pack up all of Lillith-Indy and go see a game as part of the munch. Get everyone all worked-up. Make a party out of it.

Lillith? You ask "Who is Lillith" and want to know what a munch is?

Ah, that is for another time, little one.

Ms Lila

One must be careful of for what one wishes.

Yes, in spite of a prolonged absence from Munu and the blogosphere I have made the decision to make an attempt at maintaining some manner of blog if for no other reason then to open a few minds, a few hearts, and most certainly a few eyes.

It may be a sporadic thing at first, as at the moment the plate is pretty full. Work, setting up photo shoots, manipulating the negatives, submitting to shows, all of this in addition to maintaining a household, growing as a Mistress, developing and promoting an on-line/real time local BDSM group, and living with one foot in the Lifestyle while maintaining one foot in 'Nilla-land can be a daunting and exhausting task. There will be times, however, when a moment here and there will present themselves, kneel at my feet and beg to be used. It is my intent to wrest those moments into position and beat a post out of them.

I hope I manage to succeed.

Oh, and by the way, if you would like to see the product of my efforts, you most certainly may.

I took each of the photos in that gallery with a Yashica medium format film camera at least as old as I am. I use Kodak T-Max 400asa 120 film, which my submissive and model, pleasure, develops for me. Each negative is scanned on an epson photo scanner into my drive where I clean and crop using Corel. These are the finished results.

I hope you enjoyed them.

Mistress Lila
aka, Mamamontezz

So much for Safe, Sane and Consentual

Okay, we're going to switch gears here a bit and talk a little bit about the concept of "Safe, Sane and Consentual." Yours truly had the opportunity to attend a social gathering or "Munch" Sunday evening, and something was said there that shocked and appalled me regarding a blatant disregard for what truly should be a cornerstone, a non-negotiable for those who embrace this lifestyle.

For those of you who are truly lifestylers or who have dabbled in the kinkier aspects of BDSM, you will recognize that phrase and understand it's implications. For the rest of you, the "Vanillas" as lifestylers like to say, it is one of those standards that serious lifestyles believe in, abide by, and demand both inside the home and outside the home when attending what is called a "playparty."

Now I'm sure a lot of you are asking "What on earth is either Safe or Sane about what Mama does with all those leather things and spikey things and hard whippy things?" Well, quite a lot actually.

The Safety comes from knowing precisely how to use each Impliment of Ass Destructionâ„¢ properly and responsibily, knowing the limits of the person you are with as well as your own, respecting those limits, and the constant careful monitoring of the physical, mental, and emotional well being of your sub, slave, toy or pet before, during and after your scene or session.

As an example of this, I never use a new toy or tool on another living being until I have either been taught how to use it responsibly and correctly, and have had the time to develop at least a minimal competency with it. I'm well enough versed with a riding crop to use it for all manner of sensation, let's say, but would never dream of sticking on the pads and wires and firing up a TENS or EMT device. Perhaps someday, but not without some rather advanced training.

The Sane comes as a part of always keeping complete control over your emotional and intellectual faculties during a scene, rationally negotiating the course of play and the limits of both parties, maintaining reasonable expectations of both your partner and the level of play that he or she is capable of during your scene, and recognizing that point at which your partner has gone as far as he or she is capable and not selfishly, greedily, stupidly pushing them further merely for your own ego and self gratification.

As an illustration of this, I never scene when either my submissive or I are exhausted, upset about something, unsure of each other for any reason, or physically unfit either by injury or illness. Nor do we ever scene when either of us is in what you might call an "Altered State of Consciousness."

Consentual is a no-brainer for most people. If your partner doesn't agree to it, don't do it. Plain and simple. If your partner is afraid of needles, you don't do needle play regardless of your skill level as a Dominant or desire to either receive or perform needle play. Consentual play extends to both partners. The submissive makes no demands of his or her Dominant that the Dominant cannot meet, nor does a Dominant do the same to the submissive.

"Why," you might ask, "is Mama even bringing this up today?" Good question. In answer to it, let me tell you about an experience I had over the weekend.

Sunday night, one of the larger of the local organizations had their monthly Munch. Now a Munch is a dinner or luncheon gathering of people in the local BDSM community in a Vanilla setting, usually the banquet room of a restaurant, where members and non-members can meet and socialize and conduct a little business. Think "Tied-up Toastmasters" if you will. The board members will make announcements, any visiting organizations can also make announcements pertaining to their fundraisers or upcoming events, and someone will usually lead a discussion on a pre-determined topic.

Well, this Sunday was no different. Raffle tickets were sold for a piece of dungeon equipment that will be awarded at at a leather convention in August. Another 50/50 raffle was held to put a little money in the group coffers. Those who had attended the organization's play party Friday evening regaled us with tales of how much fun they all had and we were all treated to a glimpse of the results of what must have been quite a spirited "Birthday Spanking" that took place during that party. The dinner was good and the wait staff wasn't either intrusive or shocked at the discussion. The discussion was interesting.

Then, after the discussion, as things were drawing to a close, we were all encouraged to join this organization as paying members so that we, too, could enjoy these members only playparties. They said to make sure we brought a few snacks to share, a few soft drinks, and to remember that the parties were BYOB, Bring your own booze.

Yes. I said "booze." At a playparty. At a place where people are entrusting their physical, emotional and intellectual well-being to another person. Where you want your partner to be in complete and total control of their own faculties. Booze.

At first I thought it was a joke on the part of the board member who said it, since he has quite the reputation of being pretty wild. But then it was echoed by no less than three other board members. BYOB. Booze at a playparty.

Those of you who know me know that I am not some tea-totalling prude, no Carrie Nation by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoy a good drink, love to try new things, and survived my first experience with moonshine just fine, thank you.

But I also know that after I have had a drink or three that I have abolutely no business engaging in anything that requires a clear head, a steady hand, and unclouded reasoning. I would not drive a car, operate a chainsaw, or attempt anything that demands coordination or a sharp mind. And I certainly wouldn't participate in a scene or any sort, either privately in my own home or publicly at a playparty.

If you google around the web ("BDSM rules for Play party alcohol" is a good starting place) and look at the sites for established dungeons, or for instructional material on how to conduct a scene or throw a playparty, you will find that almost unanimously they prohibit the use of not only alcohol but of any mood or mind altering substance. To use them before engaging in BDSM play is irresponsible, dangerous, and against everything those who profess to be in the lifestyle claim to believe and follow.

It was very disillusioning to see an organization, one that I respected and hoped to join, completely disregard such a basic precept. By encouraging intoxicants at a playparty, they not only are violating "Safe, Sane, Consentual," they are violating the trust of any submissive they put in restraints and lay a hand on, a strap to, or a paddle against. They are as dangerous to that submissive as a drunk driver is to those on the road.

And these Masters encouraged it.

I do believe this is one organization I will be passing on.