Zani's Adult Blog

Another adult blogging gotcha

I haven't been able to post to this blog for a while (or to any of my other handwritten blogs come to that) because I had urgent family business to attend to.  It's still ongoing, but I'm taking a couple of weeks out (touch wood) of the continuing crisis to get my work sorted out.  It's not a great time to be thinking about all things adult, but adult blogging is my job and without it there is no dinero!

I got back home a couple of days ago and have been trying to update everything ever since.  I suppose this is one of the joys of insisting on trying to handwrite my blogs whenever possible - it all goes pear shaped when you are called away.

But never mind, it's supposed to be onwards and upwards .... or so they say.  The only thing is, there are so many people out there who would like this not to be the case....

To promote my blogs I submit them to adult bookmarking sites and directories.  I always follow the rules and try to 'do the right thing', but it seems that 'the right thing' can change.  On opening my emails I found a message from the owners of one of the adult directories I post to quite regularly.  They are an excellent directory with quality blogs.  However, they have decided to change their terms of service.  Now they obviously have the right to do this, but it erks me somewhat as to what is behind the decision they have made.

Basically, although they are an adult directory, with amateur and pro sides (I post to the pro side of course), they have decided that the pro blogs posted on the site are 'not in the spirit of the directory', because.... wait for it .... they are designed to make money!

Now forgive me if I am wrong here, but I have always assumed that anything 'pro' was designed to make money, or else why would you define yourself as 'pro' in the first place?

Anyway, from now on, blogs set up 'for the purpose of making money' will be rejected from this directory.  So I am wondering if there is any point in posting any more of my blog entries there (not from this one - this is just my 'having a rant' and occasional 'erotic thoughts' blog - as you may have noticed!).  I will try later and see....

What actually erks me though, is that the blog entries I have posted to this particular directory have all been hand written, with my own content.  They have been well designed and well thought up.  Absolutely none of my 'splogs' have darkened their elite doors.  I take care with my hand written postings.  I reckon they are as well written as most of the 'amateur erotica' out there (and they certainly have more interesting content!).

This change of TOS strikes me as another elitist move on behalf of those who insist that 'erotica is better than porn'.  To me there is a very thin line, if a line at all. You can masturbate to either!  I think that many people post under the 'erotica' banner as a way of convincing themselves that they are on a higher rung of the ladder than porn sites and writers.  Well, I reckon they are definitely wrong. What do they really think people are reading their blogs for?

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is also about self-promotion.  As I have said in my Porn Pushers Diary, anyone who sets up a blog directory does it with the primary intention of promoting their own blogs (and having other blogs there bumps up the ratings for the search engines).  Before I went on my hasty trip abroad I had noticed that my blogs (and those of a few others) were actually higher in the blog directory list (which relies on clicks) than the blogs belonging to the owners of the directory.

Of course, the directory owners publish pro blogs.  That is how they make their money.  But I'm sure they won't be pulling their own blogs from the directory list.

And that's what I think this move is really about - the directory owners want their stake back at the top of the list and haven't realised that there are other ways to achieve this other than banning those who are more successful than themselves.

Of course, I could be wrong...

Ooooooops!

It's so great when you get the human element in porn. Yes, obviously it is humans (hopefully!) who are getting it on in the first place, but when their characters really shine through, it makes porn like that a little bit special.

The owner of British Slags sent me a video clip today. It's an out-take from some porn footage he was shooting on a hillside somewhere in England. I'll let him explain about the clip:

"This is an out-take of one of my shoots. I was filming this chubby cute babe outside, but did not notice the lady in the background. A bit embarrasing....."

Yes, you can say that again! I wonder if the woman guessed what was going on ....?

Here's a link to the clip.

And if you want to check out British Slags then follow this link to their tour page. They really have some never-seen-before footage of Amateur British Babes there. It's well worth a look.

Some Erotic Pictures of the Day

I've been a little busy with Christmas and with my other blogs, I'm afraid, so I thought I would post some pictures here instead.

These are from the MET-ART Galleries and will change every day.

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So that you can see them when they disappear off the page (when I get around to writing more posts ...), I have also put them on a Page - Erotic Pictures of the Day and will add to them with other erotic pictures of the day when I get time.

I hope you like them. I do!

Christmas thoughts and guilt complexes

It could be the Christmas rush to get things done, it could be thoughts of family and friends and all the other thoughts that spring up this time of year, but I can't think of anything erotic, or even sex-related to write about.

Everywhere you look on the net there are santas and baubles decorating blogs and sites.  Even the 'pc rescue' site where we spent our last few nights (bloody spy ware!) is decked with santas.  All my 'pretty babe' sponsors have posted their galleries with their nudes wearing christmas hats and doing strange things to one another under the christmas tree.  And it's all very festive and jolly.

But apart from pretty nudes playing santa as they play with each other, none of it is sexy.  After all, as advertisers force home to us, Christmas is about 'family' (which in itself is a minefield for those on their own at this time of year ...) and 'family' means thoughts of children and parents and visits from relatives.

And perhaps that is why I am not writing about sex here. When my relatives sneak off after Christmas dinner to have a browse on our pc, the last thing I want them to find is a post on erotica waiting in a folder somewhere.  Getting our pc checked out for 'bugs' has brought home to me that you may think your part of the computer is password protected from prying eyes, but it is not.  I really don't want my mother (or worse, my children!) reading some erotic post and then realising it was written by me.

Perhaps I'm a prude at heart, or maybe I just have a very large dose of that 'hide it from mum' mentality most of us share.

Either way, I won't be writing erotica this Christmas, and I may even unplug the pc.  Now there's a novelty!

Have a good and safe Christmas.

Climate of fear

I was talking to my partner a couple of days ago about something I wanted to write about in this blog.  It was about my first experience of sex as a teenager.  It wouldn't have been a titilating piece, just my experiences and how it shaped my attitudes to sex.  It may or may not have made interesting reading, who knows?  As it was, we decided it would be better if I didn't post it here, as people might get the impression that I was condoning underage sex.  So that post remains unwritten.

And it brought home to me something I had known for a long time, but which others, it seems, are only just beginning to realise. Nowadays we live in a climate of fear.

When we write our blogs, when we browse the net, when we comment in forums, we may think we are free and that the net has opened up a whole new world for us, but at the back of our minds (if we are sensible anyway) is that little thought "I must be careful what I say, who I communicate with and (even now it seems) what I look at."

The media, as ever working on behalf of 'the thought police', shows us what happens to people who have not been 'careful'.  We see them brought down (often from high pinnacles) and shamed.  We get the picture:

"You may think you can do and say what you like on the net, but you cannot.  We are making sure of that.  We can raid your home, attack your hard drive and find our 'evidence' any time we choose.  We can destroy you.  We have the law on our side."

So we surf and we blog, ever aware of the need to censor ourselves.  That little spark of fear has taken root.  We are not carefree net users, and we most certainly are not free.

And if you think I am writing this because I would like to write something hideous, distasteful, or downright illegal, you are wrong.  I have a high set of values.  They are mine and well thought out.  I know right from wrong.  I am a moral, thinking intelligent individual.

But even as I type this, I am aware that how I explain my thoughts, the references I make, could leave my comments open to missinterpretation, to being 'spammed' by all sorts or weirdos, and worse, to being watched in case I am going to say something illegal (or interpreted as such).

So I carefully plan everything I say and, even then, I know that what I write can be interpreted the wrong way, if it suits people to do so.

Paranoia perhaps?  No, I don't think so.

The UK to follow America with another attack on individual freedom?

"The British government is currently legislating to criminalise the possession of images - even if the pictures are of consenting fun and no-one was harmed.

Set up to fight this law, backlash explains why it should be opposed, what is being done and who else has spoken out against it. Read on ........ "

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Now I have never been a supporter of Tony Blair, but his statement in September 2006 that, "it is not for the State to tell people they cannot choose a different lifestyle, for example in issues to do with sexuality." seems to be one of his few good ideas which is now being studiously ignored.

The Thought Police move ever swiftly forward ....

Defining an adult 'elite'

To give myself a break from constant blogging, I sometimes 'chill out' by ... reading other blogs, would you believe?  I read all sorts, but usually end up reading a couple of adult ones, to see what others are writing about, what is the latest 'buzz' in the 'adult blogging world', etc.  As I've said several times before, there are some great blogs out there in the adult field; some pure erotica, others more 'thinking/discussion' types, and they come in a variety of styles too, which is nice.

However, what I have discovered is a distinct elitism in the adult blogging world.  And I'm talking here about the 'real blogs' (a definition in itself....) as opposed to those produced purely to sell porn.   Definitions are made in terms of  'favoured blogs' as opposed to 'poor blogs'.  Many who have made it to the top of the adult blog tree (and some who think they are at the top) are taking it upon themselves to act as 'expert reviewers' (another word which springs to mind is 'gatekeepers').

These 'experts' follow the usual 'review' criteria to a point.  They look at content, ease of navigation, design, etc, but in doing so, they are (consciously or subconsciously) defining a set of 'rules'.

Those bloggers who are featured in reviews (or at least, those who get good reviews) proudly display links to the reviewer's page.  This, of course, is usually also a prerequisite of getting a review in the first place.  I can see the point in this, in that there is a symbiotic relationship produced between blogger and reviewer.  I also wonder, however, who benefits the most ....

Nevertheless, this saddens me, because it demonstrates just how conditioned we all are, in that in everything we do, we appear to find it necessary to set 'rules' and 'guidelines'.  More worrying, for me anyway, is that those who then choose not to follow those 'rules' are ostracized within the 'adult blogging community'.

My question is this:  Who exactly defines the 'rules' of writing, design, etc, as being applicable to 'good quality' adult blogs?  What do they get out of it, and, why the fuck should we care what they think anyway?

A simple answer to the latter question would be that reviews help bloggers, in that their work can be promoted to a wider audience via a review (or not as the case may be ...) and they also help those searching for new blogs to read; via a review site, they can find their way to a blog they enjoy which they may never have discovered on their own.

My response to this is yes, that is true, as far as it goes, but the pay off means that erotic bloggers, in their attempts to get more readers, may think they have to set out their blogs in a particular style and address their subject in a particular way, just to get good reviews.

And that's a shame, because it stifles spontaneity.  It also raises certain individuals to a 'power postion' they really do not deserve.

And if you think this is a bitch to get my  blog reviewed, you are wrong.  This particular blog is for me.  If you pass by and read it on your way through  the blogosphere, I hope you enjoy it, but I really don't give a fuck if you don't.

There goes my last reader ...... oh well.

It's not every day you see a nude policeman!

I live in Rural Spain and you may think that life here is modest and that, with Spain still being a relatively strong Catholic Society, anything 'adult' would be frowned upon, especially by the local authorities.

Not so it seems!

Today we got our copy of  The Olive Press (Andalucia's English Language Newspaper), and on page 3 (would you believe :) ) was the head of La Policia Local for a nearby town ..... naked apart from his glow torch! 

(I am sorry I cannot post a picture here, as it's copyright, or a link to the actual article as it hasn't been posted to the net yet, but next week's web edition should surely find it there!)

Anyway, it turns out that, as the article put it:

"The most upstanding members of the Alhama de Granada community have dared to bare all for a charity calendar to raise funds for the Spanish Cancer Association ...."

And this very worthy cause has been "kick started" by the local police chief, followed throughout the year by other high ranking officials, all posing nude, except for a symbol of their status (a flimsy flag for the Head of Civil Protection, for example).  And sanctioned by both the Spanish Cancer Association and the local mayor.

There has been some disapproval from the more conservative elements in the community, but overall this appears to be accepted (and welcomed in many quarters ...) as a great idea, with Spanish TV and Radio trying to interview the 'models' and feature them on their programs.

Perhaps this type of project would go down well in the UK?  Or perhaps not .... have you seen some of their police chiefs?

That vote on ' illegal images'

House vote on illegal images sweeps in Wi-Fi, Web sites
Posted by Declan McCullagh in The Iconoclast
December 5, 2007 5:47 PM PST:

"The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings--or face fines of up to $300,000.

That broad definition would cover individuals, coffee shops, libraries, hotels, and even some government agencies that provide Wi-Fi. It also sweeps in social-networking sites, domain name registrars, Internet service providers, and e-mail service providers such as Hotmail and Gmail, and it may require that the complete contents of the user's account be retained for subsequent police inspection ........"

The whole article (and the mass of responses) can be read Here.
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This is not about protecting children. There is already legislation in place to cover this.

This is about the control of the Internet.

It is a dangerous law. It basically gives 'the authorities' the 'right' to search any piece of data they deem necessary.

It could also be called badly considered, in that it could bring small ISPs, coffee houses, and groups crashing down with the cost of heavy fines.  It could even affect individuals whose Wi-Fi is used (or hacked into) by others. In fact, it could bring the net into total confusion.

Personally, I don't think this law is badly considered. Conversely, I think it was considered only too well. As another measure to attack people's freedom of use of the Internet.

I am a European, not a US citizen, but this law, by its ramifications, will affect me and every other internet user in the World.

Were half of the members of the House of Representatives asleep when this legislation was rushed through?

What the hell is really going on here?

Women's Magazines and Sex

Why do women's magazines think we always want to know how to have sex?  I know sex sells, but come on, do they really think we want to read the same old regurgitated advice again and again?

I won't mention any particular names here - most of them are from the same source anyway - just to say that, over the last few months I could (had I bothered to read the whole articles) been 'advised' how to: give a man a blowjob, give a man a handjob, give a man a sexy massage, find my 'g' spot, stimulate my clitoris 'correctly' (is there an uncorrect way that works?), have multiple 'mind blowing' orgasms ......., etc, etc.  And it wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't found those articles printed out (with slight variations of course - just to pretend to the readers that they had bought a magazine from a different  mass publisher ....) in several different magazines, with only a month between issues. 

And then there's the fact that, if I bothered to buy one or more of these mags in a few months time, I would find the same articles under different headings (always exclamatory!!! of course), perhaps written by another pen-name, but nevertheless, the same old boring stuff.

It could be argued, I suppose, that newer, younger, or just plain 'where have you been?' readers will find this 'good advice' fresh and new, but, let's face it, this isn't the real reason those articles are churned out again and again.  As I said at the beginning of this entry, sex sells, or at least the publishers and editors think it does.

I would like to check the readership of these magazines, but I can't be bothered to search for something which will be manufactured and redesigned to look good anyway.  I really cannot believe that us women are that stupid (or desperate for reading material) that we carry on buying this garbage time and time again.

Yes, there are, of course, other articles in the mags (celebrities ..... again repeated endlessly throughout the 'women's mags' network; fashion; even an 'important issue' or two, but very occasionally), but somewhere within the 'must reads' advertised on the front page there will be big bold letters displaying the latest 'advice on sex'.

And it will be the same boring crap.

One day a new 'women's magazine' may begin and it may contain good articles and even sex advice that is new and different, but by that time we will probably be too jaded by reading the other crap that we won't even bother to buy it!