NEEHU2 post about half done...

...there'd be more if it weren't for my new day job. :) So, instead, I'm going to mention that there will be a NEEHU3. Today the first email from the incredible mephki went out to the planning committee. I'll be announcing dates as soon as they're finalized, although I do know when we're tentatively planning it. I also know we're seeking to use the same venue and hotel, and working on fixing transportation issues that might have made this year more challenging than some would have liked! These things have already come up as definite topics to be handled soon.

Keep watching this space!

May is Inappropriate Behavior Awareness Month

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Whew, what a week or so...

Fetish Fair Flea Market came faster and with even more fun than I expected. Some of the highlights:

* Hanging out with Wiseguy and Dani again. Good friends are sometimes hard to find... I am lucky beyond belief to count these awesome people among mine.
* The tranquilizer dart. Hee.
* People who came out at 9am (!) to hear me give my hypnosis 101.
* People who then stopped by the NEHG table and got hypnotized.
* The Saturday Night Hypnoparty. Good grief, that was fun.
* The room induction on Sunday morning.
* Recording the next podcast with Doctor Slashblight.
* Fucking with Copper and Jukebox's heads ALL WEEKEND LONG. (YAY!)
* Making play dates for NEEHU.
* Vampire play with a lovely, adorable, snuggleable, sexy woman.
* The hot tub on Sunday night.
* People playing with the light and sound machines.
* The way people loved my sparkly glitter toy balls. Best. Pervertables. Ever.

Once again, I made so many new friends. I find my attention turning now rather firmly to NEEHU, but over the next couple of days I will be elaborating on the list above. I have to edit that podcast, though, and get it posted!

Just posted to my mailing lists...

This is what I wrote on realmofbliss - at - yahoogroups dot com and emcpodcast -at- yahoogroups -dot- com (man, I love confusing bots!):

It always amuses me how, when I actually post to the lists, I get a small flurry of unsubscribes. And perhaps you might need to be on one list instead of the other, or on both.

The EMCpodcast list is a commercial-free zone (with the exception of FetishFriendlyPCSupport.com, because I think their service is of value to the sex-positive community and I don't get any favors for mentioning them). I may announce where I'll be speaking realtime about hypnosis, but it's the place I designated to talk about hypnosis in general. If people don't post to the list, they probably won't get a lot out of it.

The Realm of Bliss list is for what I'm doing, my services, and general chatter related to me specifically instead of trance in general. We may talk about trance in general there too, of course. I reserve the right to give notices about my products, services, and other stuff on there. :) In this case, too, how much you post will influence what you get out of it.

I admit to being bad with mailing lists. I'm enjoying twitter, because I like to chat, and if you're not following me there you might want to (I'm Ruetha over there). But I'm making a commitment to reviving these mailing lists this year. I'm also committing eight hours a week to the podcast - recording, editing, and posting. There WILL be more podcasts. Depend on it!

I hope you'll join me and post!

To this I'd like to add: Please comment on this blog and on Jukebox's! The more you comment, the more inspired I am to write and record! :)

Recording tomorrow!

Yay, I get to finish the robotization series! I'm also doing a high-quality free recording which will be out Valentine's Day weekend.

I've updated the travel schedule on my website with the latest information and travel dates for me. I cannot wait to go to FFF!

And after that is NEEHU... Ah, it's going to be a good spring!

Off to script now.

A Matter Of Life And Death: Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. The post I promised before I got levelled by a bug is coming. Today, I'm going to talk matters of life and death.

I am a cissexual woman. That is the term for someone born XX who feels like that is, in fact, the correct gender assignment for her. Because of that, I am almost certainly not the person you should be listening to today. But I'll crave your indulgence for just a few moments before pointing you to those whose stories and feelings need and deserve to be heard.

The first person I ever talked to online live (as opposed to email or newsgroups) is a trans woman. Since that time, I have been blessed (and oh, I do mean blessed) by the friendships of several women who have undertaken the agonizing journey of leaving behind the gender they were assigned at birth and becoming their truest selves.

I am also blessed with the security of knowing that all of these women are still alive, able to be the caring, giving, strong women they are. Tragically, the facts are that trans people are at risk each and every day. Even basics most of us take for granted such as using the washroom are risky activities. Medical care is almost guaranteed to involve some level of humiliation. They are told they do not exist, that they are sick, that their pain is not real, that everything is "all in their heads."

Nearly half of all trans people have attempted suicide. Those numbers cannot be allowed to continue.

Even worse, even those who have found peace with themselves are at increased risk of violence. That is the point of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Every 20th of November, trans people and their allies stop to remember those who have been lost to violence since the previous November 20th.

Not everyone memorialized this day is a trans person. Some were killed simply because they were perceived to be acting in a manner at variance to their gender. One was a 16-month-old boy who was murdered because he was perceived to be acting like a girl. Stop and ponder that for a moment. The prejudice against trans people is so strong someone felt justified in beating a toddler to death because of it.

This cannot go on.

This evening, I will be going to the Twin Cities Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil in the Twin Cities. You can find your own event here. Then act to stop the violence, especially against Transgender people of color. Reach out. Your life will be the richer for it. You might save someone else's.

Unsure where to start? Too broke to give to trans-supportive charities? Try dropping the word "tranny" from your vocabulary as a first action. Many trans people find it offensive. At best, it's one of those words that a minority gets to use among themselves, but sound wrong and disrespectful coming from those outside the minority group. (Think "the n-word.")

Also, if you're a ciswoman and you see a "cross-dressed guy in the washroom," for goodness' sake don't freak out. Washrooms are among the most dangerous places for trans women. A simple nod and smile, as you'd do for any other woman, is appropriate. Chances are instead of a threatening move toward you, you'll see an expression of profound relief!

I do not want any of my friends to become a statistic. We have it in our power to make a difference.

***A special thanks to @widdershins_cat for her assistance with feedback on this post and links! Love you!!***

How To Attract A HypnoDomme: Part One - Why This Series?

I saw a post on a hypnosis website and it made me pause. It was similar to one I've seen a hundred times before, probably more than that, which is why I don't name the site or the poster. It was similar to any number of instant messages and private mails I've received on various sites. It made me sigh, because I worry that its writer will never find what zie seeks in the world of erotic hypnosis. I've seen it in regular D/s groups too, but since I do EH I'm going to confine myself to commenting on this aspect alone.

The post was by a male, and it said simply "Seeking Female hypnotist to program me to be a slave."

A Domme had responded in a way I myself have so many times. She was polite and concise. She simply asked "What do you have to offer a Domme?"

This is a legitimate question. Whether it's fair or not, the fact is that there are more cis het males seeking hypnosis on either side of the watch than cis het (and MANY more than cis bi!) women to partner them. If you completely exclude trans women as viable partners, as many of these men do, the pool gets smaller still. If I had one hundred hours in the day, I still couldn't hypnotize everyone I wish I could. I can deplore the reality of it all day long, but it is how it is. (I do my best to change it by being open to females who are interested and encouraging them, but at the end of the day the imbalance remains.)

The original poster responded to the Domme with the following sentence, verbatim: "ill surrender completely and be ur slave"

That's it. Nothing else. And it made me depressed for him, because I don't think he gets it.

Although I am a pro, I am going to take money and professional Dommes out of the equation in this series of posts. I can still easily speak to the lifestyle aspect of things, as my Chosen and pets know. But of the lifestyle-only Dommes I know, none of them would be really interested in this guy. I'm sure he has no idea what he's doing wrong. I also bet that he COULD be trained, with time, to at least be a passable sub.

I've said repeatedly that one of my goals in the fetish is to help people find partners when possible. I stick by that. To that end, I'm going to post a series of blog entries on my opinion of how to attract a hypnoDomme.

It should be emphasized that these posts are my opinion, and I welcome polite comments, additions, and dissent! Some things which I view as critical are far less important to others. Nevertheless, there are certain patterns which do tend to obstruct people in finding partners. I want to address these.

It should also be said that while some of these tips and recommendations will apply also to finding male Doms, others will not.

I write from the cis woman perspective. I especially welcome feedback by trans women.

We'll start with tomorrow's post: The First Impression.

Podcast 5.2 is up, plus Forum Story Contest!

In the morning I am off to the wedding I mentioned earlier this week. Before I go, though, I did get a podcast up! It's about the floatation tank that Seran and I were in this summer, and our reactions. I had such a good time doing it that I wanted to spread it around more. I do plan to go back in the spring and have more floatation experiences.

Also, since the wedding is on my mind, have you seen this? Yes, Wiseguy has created a story contest as a gift for his blushing bride-to-be. If you're a romantic, you want to get in on this one! Think of it as a way to give back for all of the joy he's given the community through his time as a writer. I know everyone has one romantic MC story lurking somewhere down (in some cases far, far down) in the unconscious mind. Give this one a go!

Finally, the Focus Group is meeting on Monday, November 7 at 6pm at Davanni's Riverside. Come out and join us! :)

New Podcast is Up! Sex Robot!

In which I talk about the making of Sex Robot and talk about community events a bit. :)

I have another podcast about 3/4 edited!

Still trying to get the video of just my part of the documentary edited. Stay tuned!

Posted by Permission: Isis the Enchantress's "To Losers"

I usually don't crosspost, but I thought this needed to be seen by some who perhaps might otherwise miss it. It's by Isis the Enchantress, and it's located over here. I'm reproducing it in full, with her permission, so that others could read and comment.

Today I saw the umpteenth "mean queen" talking about the ****ing losers that serve her. If you think you're a loser, then maybe she was talking to you.

She was attractive, but she was needy, greedy, bitchy. Ok, I know, that is probably turning you on, and you are wondering who the person is.

Logically one may wonder why you let women like this have your time, your attention, your hard earned money and "respect."

Even if you consider yourself a loser, why wouldn't you want someone to appreciate the things you do for them, instead of expect them, and then proceed to forget it because the next "sucker" has arrived. Why would you only want to be remembered when the person who demands from you seeks to more money and more attention?

Consider what it would be like to have attention that is kind and appreciative. I know it's likely unusual for you, and I know of many who like the idea, but just don't know how it could ever feel as good as being treated like s***.

You know why it feels so good for you?

It's likely somewhere along the lines your mind made an unconscious connection between things that don't necessarily belong together.

It could be a pretty girl who taunted you, and when she did it humiliated you, and because she was so pretty you were turned on at the time so you tied arousal to humiliation by a pretty girl.

You then probably tried to find opportunities to have pretty girls do it to you again. Each time it happened, it reinforced your "need" to be treated in the way that the original girl treated you. Along the way, you may have found new girls added to the mix, so your mind may have latched onto to those things as well.

Maybe you even got into a relationship with a pretty girl who treated you that way, and demanded you spend money on her.

Each thing finds its way into our mind through layers of connections, and they become what we think are "needs." You may have even found yourself paying for the opportunity to be humiliated if no real life opportunities were available.

I don't know too many people who wouldn't prefer to be treated kindly and with respect, however I know way too many who don't know how to find their way out of what they know to cause pleasure.

You don't have to allow people to treat you this way, AND you can find greater pleasure in being treated well and in being appreciated.

Hypnosis is good at so many things, including creating and resolving perceived problems. There is an author who wrote how he believed that all hypnosis was a way to dehypnotize someone from previous hypnosis.

Never been formally hypnotized? It doesn't matter. Anyone who knows how to manipulate others is likely proficient in a form of hypnosis whether s/he realizes it, or not.

Some will tell you that to be the best man you can be it's best to see yourself as insignificant, small, unworthy and at the same time needing to prove yourself in some way worthy of time and attention.

Personally, I don't see how interacting with someone who thinks so little of himself serves me or anyone else. I would say it is in my best interest to have someone who wants to be attentive to me be the best of who he can be - for himself and those around him.

I see too much encouragement from women like the one above to have the men they interact with disregard and disrespect the women in their lives. I know some would say they could never understand it, or do it, but what these people don't realize is how the person affected could even been torn, and still do things potentially hurtful and/or harmful to a relationship.

What is going on is likely to be something that someone affected doesn't understand either, because it comes from the unconscious connections. I realize that some things are choices, and there are some I certainly wouldn't agree with, but when you are doing things compulsively and can't stop, then it might be something to reconsider - especially if there is a part of you that isn't OK or happy about what is going on.

Some people will say "It's just me. It's just how I am." Because your behavior is not who you are, that statement is inaccurate. However since it is a common belief and statement, it is often "accepted."

Most people are much more than they know themselves to be. Many have no idea who and what they are capable of because things get in the way. Something so core to who we are - such as sexuality - can create a big diversion and/or stumbling block.

The thing is, though, deep down we know better. Deep down we seek better. Deep down we know there has got to be a better way, and we choose to listen, or we don't.

When one listens, one also needs to recognize what they have done previously, and it isn't
always easy and can sometimes be painful and there can be guilt, remorse, anger and other things that continuing the behavior continues to cover up.

I can't say a change is going to happen easily or effortlessly, but what I can say is that you need to be kind to yourself in the process. Things happen all of the time, and that includes things we'd rather not experience, however if we come to those situations with the a mindset that allows us to learn and grow from the experience the best things can happen as a result, and they're not often things we'd anticipate.

If you consider yourself a loser, and that is how you want to continue to act, far be
it from me to convince you to do anything any differently.

However, if there is a part of you that thinks that you deserve better (which, personally, I say you do) then it might be worth seeing what can be done to give you the pleasure you desire without wreaking havoc on your life and the relationships that you hold most dear - including the one you have with yourself.

Arguments can be made for anything by anyone at any time. Be careful which ones you buy into. They're not all worthy of your efforts and attention, and likely very few are.

A last thought...

If you are belittled and worn down, what is left of you to give? In the end, I suspect that is at the core of what we as humans want to do...we want to give another a piece of ourselves so that we can feel like we belong and that we are wanted and needed by someone else and if we don't know that we can get attention in a positive, affirming way we'll get it in a destructive one. If you're off self destructing you're not going to see the things that are helpful and supportive and loving - but they are there.

Thank you, Isis, for our generous consent to repost this. I have a couple of additional thoughts.

First of all, I didn't understand humiliation at all until last year. At that point, someone who did enjoy it was able to explain it to me. (Thank you, sweetie, you know who you are!) And what I got out of it is: BDSM is a way to experience the human condition in ways we might not normally be able to do so, in a safe space. Humiliation is part of the human condition, and is therefore one of the things that some people choose to explore in that safe space. And I'm very OK with that, although it doesn't turn me on at all and isn't a part of my play.

The most important thing, though, is that my Chosen, my pets, my friends, and my clients are very much winners to me. They're out there having fun, enjoying their sexuality in ways that feel good to them. I am happy to be able to join them, and I am proud of my kink. I understand needing to be closeted, though I deplore the reasons, but that doesn't make anyone who needs to be a loser. Nor does paying for my services, for goodness' sake.

None of the people around me are ever going to be losers. No, my clients, friends and loved ones - WE win!

Sunday night's NYC class recap

Video editing is a work in progress, so I'm taking a break to write up Sunday night's Roleplay and Hypnosis class in New York City.

Of all of the classes I've taught lately, this one seemed to have the best reception. For one thing, I didn't need to do hypno 101. I love doing that, but it was so refreshing to get to the fun stuff instead of explaining what hypnosis is and how to do a basic induction. Instead, I could talk about specific safety concerns, safewords, and how to set up the scenes. It was fantastic, and there were really good questions asked. Some of this I went through on the podcast a few years back, but it's worth revisiting.

But one thing I didn't do on the podcast that I could do in the class was demo concrete examples of scenes. I was lucky enough to have two demo bottoms, one of whom is a regular of mine and the other of whom I'd never hypnotized before. The former I simply demoed scene setup, not playing out the scene at all. The latter we went a little distance into the scene, to the deep appreciation of the watching audience. Because I'd never worked with her before, I also installed safewords and some other basic safety guidelines. (Since I was staying with her and her significant other, I had the fun later that night of hearing the suggestions for the "yes, more please!" safeword take effect posthypnotically... through the wall. I went to sleep rather joyfully, if not without a giggle. ;) )

Afterwards, a bunch of us went to McDonalds (it being the closest place to hang out and just talk for a while) and talked trance. So much fun! I felt really fantastic.

I had the honor of meeting some fantastic new friends, connecting happily with longerterm ones, and got to talk about my favorite thing to do with hypnosis. What wasn't to love? I can't wait to get back to The City and play some more.

"Sex Robot": Me on TV!

Yes, I was on Discovery Health for the documentary "Sex Robot." I am in the process of editing the video to snip out the parts I filmed so I can post them on my website. I'm learning to use a video editor in order to do it, so the process is slow. I want to be sure to get it right.

(Incidentally, and worth its own paragraph by far: A HUGE thanks to Bri_chan for helping obtain the video! I owe you, sweetie... expect me to pay up. ;) )

This was a terrifying and exhilarating experience. On the one hand, I really wanted to get something on hypnosis for technophiliacs out there. On the other hand... being on TV. Especially on a documentary which, let's face it, was more likely to be a "wow, freaky people!" video than a "isn't this neat?!" show.

I was aware that it could provide great exposure. I am also aware that being a BBW is fine for some people, as long as they aren't confronted with the reality of me actually being big and soft. Nevertheless, I decided that it would be worth it to go on and get on film.

I look slightly different in this video than I might normally at, say, a con. Normally, I wear purple. For this filming, I elected to wear red. It pops more on camera. Don't worry, though... I'm going to keep going with the purple. In fact, within a couple of weeks I am going to dye at least some of my hair purple! I also wore makeup, because I knew better than to go on camera without it. Ah, stagecraft!

I was, of course, a bit nervous about seeing the video. Copper and I watched it together after a few other people had seen it and reassured me that they enjoyed it. To my almost total surprise and joy, I found that nothing I said had been taken out of context. The editor did a great job of getting out one of the most important points I felt I wanted to get across. Furthermore, they showed a lot more of the induction than I thought they would. Even better, the couple in the video very much came across as the loving, committed partners they are.

We were not, of course, the full focus of the program. We knew that. I was completely unsure how much we would be in the film at all. To be in as much as we were, in the way we were, makes me very happy. It's something I'm proud to be putting up on my website.

Upcoming Focus group meeting

Just a little note and reminder that the Focus Group (Minneapolis hypnosis club) is meeting on Sunday at 5pm. The information is on FetLife. This time we're talking about hypnosis safety.

Hope to see people there!

I should be in bed!

But no, I'm up blogging. Because I haven't in a while, that's why! :)

I'm getting fantastic feedback on "BHC: Peaceful Sleep." Please, if you got it and liked it, leave comments on the CDbaby page. People wanting to buy it value the opinions of those who have it already. Actually, that applies to any of my recordings! (If you bought it and DIDN'T like it, message me. I want to keep refining my skills, and your feedback is helpful!)

Also, if you have feedback on my hypnosis that you give me permission to put on my website, please let me know that too.

So early this week I was out of town in North Carolina, and the reason can now be told! I was filming a documentary on Sex Robots which has already been picked up by Discovery Health in the US. That article came out on April 15, while WinterRose and I were still working things out for filming with Landmark Films. I did some robotic programming hypnosis and took a Niteflirt call on the air, where in a change from my usual work I became MEG, the Male Entertainment Gynoid, for the enjoyment of a robot fetishist. I was willing from the start, but the session ended up being extremely entertaining and I'm glad I did it.

Obviously, I don't know how much time I'll be in the documentary. They have a story to tell, and robotic hypnosis is only a small part of it. But whether I'm in ten seconds or ten minutes, I have to say it was an interesting and delightful experience. My new pet CaptivePrincess was on hand to do my hair and makeup, my new pet Sleepyhead was in town for something else and dropped by, and a good time was had by all. Since this is due to be broadcast this fall, I'm sure I'll have more information by the time it hits the airwaves.

I actually got stuck at the airport on Tuesday night, and I didn't get in until Wednesday morning. That night I gave an instructional session on erotic hypnosis for a local D/s group. To my delight, the room was packed! There were good questions asked, people seemed interested, and a good time was again had by all.

This weekend I'm attending a wedding, and then Sunday the organizational meeting for what I'm temporarily calling MEHG is taking place. After the D/s group on Wednesday I set out a signup sheet, and to my sheer joy almost 40 people signed up to attend the organizational meeting! We're going to get some good things going in the Twin Cities with hypnokink, and I cannot wait for that!

Thursday at Oh My Gods O'clock I fly out to NEEHU with Jukebox. I have a lot to do this week in terms of getting handouts ready and so on, but I'm looking forward to it. NEEHU will have a lot of hypnosis play. You don't want to miss it!

Then the weekend after that I go to Chicago. After that over the fourth of July weekend is CONvergence, and there WILL be a hypnosis play party there - details forthcoming!

So with all this, when can you talk to me on Niteflirt and Talksugar? Well, I'll be around Sunday night late, Monday through Wednesday most of the day and evening, and after that it'll be till the following Monday. Make sure you get in your appointment emails! I love meeting new people!

And even better news: the rough of Robotics 1.03 is good, which means it'll be a June release along with Museum Heat for Fm and Ff! And I have four Jukebox scripts to record, and then after that is Sleep Ray for Fm and Ff as well. And the robotics series will be finishing in July with the optional 1.X in August. I already have the art done for those... they look wonderful.

You know, looking at all this is making me tired! Bedtime. I'll be posting Sunday!

A couple of blog posts that made me happy.

Because there's more going on in the hypnokink world than remodelling my/Jukebox's house and my CDs and mp3s, hard as my brain has to work to accept that at the moment...


This is a neat thread about some people exploring hypnokink together. She's experienced in D/s, he isn't, but they're finding their way. I look forward to seeing and hearing more from them. New hypnokink relationships always make me feel so warmfuzzy.

Next, in the general D/s sense but so very very applicable to hypnokink, comes this post from MD in 617, a blogger I intend to start following. He's not into hypnosis as far as I can tell, but he IS into making sense. The post is about making yourself attractive to others online, whatever your particular fetish or weirdness might be. I wish this post was required reading for anyone new to the online kink scene.

Finally but not least thought-provoking comes this lovely post from thrall on self-acceptance. I honestly cannot wait to have free time to talk to thrall more and miss her very much, but her blog kinda keeps me going. When I finally get a few minutes free to read the other day, this post almost made me cry. It's beautiful. Give it a read.

More standard blogging later today, I hope!

Happy stuff!

I have my plane tickets (and Jukebox's!) for NEEHU! Tickets are on sale here. This is going to be an incredible event, and the price is almost ridiculously low for the value.

This weekend I'll also be out of town on a project. I can't wait to share what it is, but since I don't know what I can say yet, I will say only that I'm really looking forward to it - and it has to do with robokink.

I also wanted to show you all this:



Isn't that lovely? That's the cover for my next release. I mentioned I was thrilled with the results of the latest designs, and I can't wait to show you more.

Yesterday I didn't post, but it was for good reasons. I recorded what might be the final of Robotics 1.03 and today I recorded the rough draft of one I'm calling "Sleep Ray." It's another fantasy, a very SF-type scenario.

More posting tomorrow! Also, if I get home in time from a munch, there will be a voice chat! Feel free to log into the server. The topic will be upcoming community events.

Where did I learn hypnosis?

This is one of the most common questions I get when I meet people. I get it so often I'm going to answer it and then make a permalink to the post!

Most of my early learning was reading books in high school and trial and error. I did more progressive relaxations than I care to remember. (I almost never use them these days, but I did learn how to do a good one.) I recorded self-hypnosis inductions, I hypnotized my friends, I figured out a couple of times that it helps to ASK them first, if you want to keep them as friends...

When I got to college, I devoured every book in the library. On my trip back to my old alma mater this spring, I stopped by the library with Copper and we went and found the best book I read, the one that gave me the tools and techniques I now use. Please note there are tons and tons of fantastic books out there, but this is the one that rang the most bells for me and made me able to move past progressives and into more useful inductions.

That book is William E. Edmonston Jr.'s The Induction of Hypnosis. It is out of print, but in case people want to try and find it online the indicia information is as follows:

Wiley Series on Personality Processes
Copyright 1986 by John Wiley and Sons, Inc
ISBN 0-471-83112-3

This is not a hypnosis 101 light read, but neither is it as dense as many books on NLP. It is a book intended for academia and it shows. It was also the best book I could have picked up, since it is focused on just that: inductions. It is a history book, but it deals more with how people get into the state than many books. Since it deals with trance across time, it shows that people are capable of hypnotizing themselves with methods that have nothing to do with relaxing each and every body part in turn. And, of course, it has a chapter on Milton Erickson.

SQUEEEE! Metropolis showings!

One of the most archetypal sources for the heat in robokink comes from the classic movie Metropolis. For those of you not in the know, this movie is probably the most seminal image root for some of our most enduring mental images of robots. It's a silent film made in Germany in 1927, and for years large parts of it had been lost. In 2008 an almost complete cut was found in Argentina, and between that and footage found in New Zealand in 2005 all but eight minutes of the film have now been recovered.

Back in April, this nearly-complete version was shown for the first time at the Turner Classic Movies Festival. It was streamed online, but many many people missed out on that. However, it's now touring, and will be released on DVD in November!

This is the list of showing dates in various major cities. If you live in one of these and like movies, robots, or science fiction in general, this is a can't-miss event.

As soon as I know my travel plans for early June for sure, I'm going to set up a Twin Cities date to see this. We really don't want to miss out!

New England Erotic Hypnosis Unconference!

I know, I've mentioned this a few times before. It's worth mentioning again, especially because the ticket sales are going to go live soon.

I've talked about the fantastic Boston EH crowd before. With the capable co-leadership of Mephki and Dr. Slashblight, the group has become an important special interest group in one of the biggest areas of the country. Now the group is sponsoring the first EH Unconference, and I am delighted to say I'm going to be there.

What IS an unconference, anyway? Apparently there are a lot of definitions, but as Mephki has explained it it's more of a gathering where topics are discussed without a set schedule being in place. This one is going to have four rooms where something is going on all the time. The emphasis will be less on didactic or lecture presentations and more on demos, which I know will interest a lot of people.

I already know the "EH 101" track is going to be stellar. Sweets, Solamnus, Wiseguy, Enchanter, SirQuittus, Mephki, and Dr. SB are all helping out with this one. Some of these names might be recognizable to those who have been in the community for a while. Other attendees who are talking about more advanced subjects include HypnotistZ and Dr. Hypno. (There are more presenters, I'm sure, but those are the ones I know of for certain. I'll update as I know more.)

The Saturday Unconference will be held at the Summerfield Suites in Waltham, Massachusetts on June 12. There will be events the night before and on Sunday night in Boston as well. Finally, there's a play party after the Unconference itself Saturday night which is only for Unconference attendees.

Jukebox will be attending with me, so if you want him to sign one of his books for you this is your chance! I think he'll also be talking about writing good erotic hypnosis fiction, by the way, so don't miss out.

There will be more information posted as I get it, and as soon as ticket sales go live you'll find out about it here. In the meantime, you can RSVP for it and find out about hotel and rideshare here, and find out how to RSVP for the play party here, if you have a FetLife account.

Voice chat!

So the other night a bunch of us got together on Skype and had an impromptu voice chat. The goal of this was to listen to Voice as a group and to have some fun. It failed, but not dismally, due to the fact that Skype has a bunch of different servers. People were getting dropped and it felt like IRC's netsplits all over again. I was having serious flashbacks!

In order to prevent this from happening and to ease the ability to have voice chats in the future, my Seran installed TeamSpeak on his server. Anyone with the TeamSpeak client on their machine (and woohoo, it comes in variants for all OSes!) can join in. I've installed it and checked it, and it works. Now all we have to do is set a date.

I'm thinking a good time for a voice chat might be Wednesday 7-APR at 9pm US eastern time. If that doesn't work for you, please respond in the comments as to what might. Server details will be sent to those RSVPing to ladyr -at- blisstrance -dot- com!