Daily Sexy Musing: Movie Night Mischief
It’s a common theme of old dating traditions. You’re out on a date with your lover, you go to the movies, and things get a little heated as the big screen spectacle unfolds. Sometimes, it’s just playful touching. Sometimes, it becomes a full-fledged make-out session that may or may not require someone’s pants to come off.
I’m not a movie buff, except when it comes to superhero movies, but I do have a strong appreciation for getting covertly frisky in a darkened theater. I’ve seen it happen more than once. There was a movie theater not far from where I went to college that was notorious for couples getting busy during movies. No one got arrested, but many probably could’ve.
With the summer movie season upon us and movies like “Captain Marvel” already making waves, the time is right for couples to get a little more daring in darkened places. Now, I’m not encouraging activities that would be outright illegal. There are lines when it comes to romantic expression, even in darkened movie theaters.
That said, going to a movie doesn’t just have to be about going to a movie. It’s another opportunity for intimacy. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You and your lover could just sit in your seats, eat popcorn, and watch the show and still have fun. You could also throw in some sexy moments in between. Depending on the kind of movie you’re seeing, that might even enhance the experience.
There aren’t a lot of public places where couples can easily sneak in a few affectionate gestures. A dark movie theater is just one of those select few. This Daily Sexy Musing is my way of appreciating those opportunities. As more summer blockbusters come out in the next few months I hope others take advantage of those opportunities.
The lights dim.
The previews are done.
The popcorn is fresh and so is the melted butter.
The movie is ready to begin and so are we.
Here, alone in a darkened domain, everything becomes more intimate. The spectacle on the screen draws everyone’s attention. For us, it’s both a means of entertainment and a distraction. Eyes that might drift towards us and ears that might sense us are hopelessly diverted. That means our energies can be channeled to more than just the movie.
What began as a simple night out suddenly has the potential to become so much more. Sitting together in such comfortable seats, immersed in a darkened theater, it’s as though fate is tempting us to be reckless with our passions. Little is necessary and even less is needed to spark greater desire.
One covert touch becomes a series of affectionate grasps.
One subtle gesture becomes a more intimate embrace.
One second of closeness becomes a more profoundly passionate moment.
Others are so close by, but we don’t care. Let the movie distract them while we distract each other. Our energies are divided between the cinematic visuals before us and the loving presence next to us. Rather than focus on one, we take in everything we can. It need not be one or the other. We don’t merely follow along. We make this moment our own.
This is our scene.
This is our spectacle.
This is our story.
The movie plays and so do we. Darkness and spectacle protects us while we subtly share our passions. Our hands find their way, as do our lips. The movie does its part, flooding our senses with sights and story. Together, we make it an experience, one that includes both fantasy and reality.
Filed under Daily Sexy Musings
Jack Fisher’s Sexy Sunday Thoughts: St. Patrick’s Day 2019 Edition
I’ve never made a big deal of St. Patrick’s Day. That’s not to say I have anything against it. Until I reached legal drinking age, I was totally neutral on it. As far as I know, my family tree does not have any significant Irish heritage. Very few friends or relatives ever made a big deal of it. For them, it was just another excuse to drink and throw a party.
In terms of holidays, it’s as basic as you can get. If there’s a party to be thrown and general merriment to be had, then that’s all the merit you really need. I’ve never needed too many excuses to enjoy a cold beer or hang out at a bar. St. Patrick’s Day just means more people at the bar and more green attire.
I know there are people who take St. Patrick’s Day much more seriously. Between the parades people throw in major cities and the green colored beer, some people take the celebration to a whole new level. Honestly, I completely respect that. Even before I was a drinker, I always respected those who took an excuse to have a party and run with it.
To all those who take full advantage of the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, I hope you all enjoy yourselves. I’ll certainly be celebrating in my own way. I hope this batch of my Sexy Sunday Thoughts helps get everyone into the spirit. Enjoy!
“Logistically speaking, it doesn’t take too many tweaks to turn a romance movie into a porno.”
“Foreplay is like layers of frosting in that it’s difficult to overdo it and there are many forms it can take.”
“Good sex requires at least as much imagination as it does endurance.”
“A sizable chunk of human endeavors has a basis in men trying to get laid.”
“Making out is to sex what diet soda is to soft drinks.”
“The act of falling in love always involves some sort of reaction by our genitals.”
“When you think about it, fantasy is the oldest, most basic form of porn.”
Once again, I wish everyone a safe, happy, and sexy St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you take it seriously or not, it’s still a holiday and a reason to celebrate. Embrace that spirit and every sip of beer, whiskey, or vodka will taste that much sweeter.
Filed under Sexy Sunday Thoughts
“Pleasing You” A Sexy Short Story
The following is a sexy short story I wrote while taking a shower one day. A lot sexy thoughts tend to happen in the shower, depending on the kind of day you’ve had. This one was simply sexy enough to inspire a story. Enjoy!
“Late, restless, and sore,” sighed Trevor Zander as he pulled into his driveway, “so what else is new?”
It had been yet another long day at the office. Again, Trevor got caught up with work that someone else should’ve done. Again, he had to be the one who picked up the slack because nobody else would. It was becoming too common, him pulling extra weight when others couldn’t. It wasn’t fair, but someone had to do it and he had to set the example.
It wasn’t fair, but it was still his responsibility. Ever since Trevor quit his comfortable desk job at an insurance company, his work/life balance had been erratic, to say the least. Ever since finishing college, he’d strived to be more than just some paper-pusher at someone else’s company. He wanted to star this own business, build his own legacy, and achieve his own goals. That meant putting in extra money, time, and effort. He just had no idea it could be so draining.
As he turned off his car and stared at the small house he could barely afford, Trevor considered staying in the car for the rest of the night. His wife, Rachel, deserved better. It was almost midnight and he’d promised that morning he would be home for dinner. The worst part of his day, by far, was when he had to call her that afternoon to let her know he had to break that promise.
It wasn’t the first time he’d gone back on his word, but it had been happening way too often lately. He’d kept making the same excuses. Breaking one minor promise helped him keep a much bigger promise he’d made the day they got married.
He told Rachel at the altar that he would give her a better life. He was going to start the business he’d been planning for since high school. He was going to rise above the poverty that had held his family back for years. He was going to give her and their future children every possible advantage. While he didn’t regret making that promise, he wished he’d thought it through.
“I’m a man of my word. I always have been,” he said distantly. “So why does it feel like I’m failing the woman I love?”
He wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel, if only to punish himself for breaking another promise. It didn’t matter that it was minor. He said he’d be home for dinner and he wasn’t. A lie was a lie, no matter the scale.
Now, it was almost midnight. For all he knew, she was fast asleep and he wouldn’t have a chance to apologize again. That was reason enough to hit himself upside the head, but that wouldn’t have made him feel less crappy.
“No excuses,” Trevor muttered. “You can beat yourself up all you want. You’ll never bury the excuses.”
That was something his father told him. He’d died several years ago, broken and in debt after working himself to the bone at a construction site. He was the one who encouraged Trevor to make something more of himself. So far, he couldn’t say he’d failed, but he couldn’t say he was succeeding either. The best he could do was prepare himself for more hard work and more broken promises.
“I’m sorry, dad. I’m sorry, Rachel,” he said under his breath. “At some point, I need to make those words matter.”
Knowing he wasn’t going to achieve that goal anytime soon, Trevor sighed to himself again and got out of the car. The restlessness seemed to follow him as he entered his darkened house, the only light coming from the living room.
There, he found his beautiful wife lying on the couch, fast asleep with the TV remote still in her hand. She must have been waiting for him. She was wearing those old sweatpants and oversized T-shirt she always wore when she needed to relax. She usually tried to be up, no matter how late he got home. He didn’t hold it against her, but at least she never made a promise she couldn’t keep.
“Good night, my love,” he said. “At least one of us should get a peaceful night’s sleep. You deserve it.”
Casting her an affectionate smile, Trevor kissed her on the forehead before covering her with a light blanket. She barely stirred from his gentle touch. Being the heavy sleeper she was, he wasn’t worried about waking her.
Content to let his wife sleep peacefully, he made his way upstairs where he stripped out of his work clothes and made his way into the bathroom. He couldn’t keep his promise to be home in time for dinner, but he could still make it so he didn’t smell like copier ink in the morning. Having not had time to shower that morning, he needed something to help him relax, even if he didn’t deserve it.
“It’s got to get easier,” he said to himself as he waited for the water to warm up. “This can’t keep being the least stressful part of my day.”
His nerves still frayed and his mind still racing, Trevor entered the shower and began rinsing himself off. The hot torrent of water helped soothe some soreness he’d been feeling all afternoon, but that was the most he could hope for. He was too restless to sleep and he had another long day ahead of him tomorrow so chances were that harder days awaited him.
“This time, I won’t make promises I can’t keep,” Trevor told himself. “No more excuses…especially to the people I love.”
He kept telling himself that as he stood under the hot stream of water, letting it wash away the frustrations and rigors. He wasn’t sure if he would even try to sleep. Maybe he was better off just doing some work from home to get a head start on the next day, which already seemed so daunting.
As he contemplated that prospect, though, he heard the bathroom door open. Then, through the fogged up glass of the shower, he saw a familiar figure approach.
“Rachel?” Trevor called out. “Is that you?”
“Of course, my love,” replied that sweet, caring voice he knew so well. “Who else would be here for you this late?”
Before he could ask another question, the shower door opened. Sure enough, it was Rachel, wide awake and with a loving smile on her face. He was so taken aback that he almost forgot he was naked and looking right at her.
“Looks like you had another rough day,” Rachel said. “Hell, you’ve been having a lot of those lately. And I feel like I can do more to help.”
Then, that loving smile never leaving her face, she took off her clothes. Even though Trevor had even her naked many times before, watching the woman he loved strip was still a sight to behold. He was at such a loss for words that he barely moved when she entered the shower with him.
“Scoot,” she said. “There’s plenty of room for both of us.”
“I know,” said Trevor, “but…”
“No buts,” she said, silencing him with a finger to the lips. “I know it’s late. I know you’re overworked and over-stressed. That’s exactly why you need this…why we need this.”
Trevor wasn’t about to argue with a beautiful naked woman. He was more than happy to make some room for Rachel, who hadn’t been fast asleep after all. He was all too eager to enter her loving embrace, their naked bodies coming together in an almost desperate need for love and comfort. With the hot water still cascading down between them, he finally felt some semblance of relief.
“Are you going to at least let me say I’m sorry?” Trevor asked her as he held her in his powerful arms.
“You already did, remember?” Rachel reply.
“I know, but it’s worth saying again. I promised you I’d be home for dinner and I wasn’t. I keep trying to make time with you and things just keep getting in the way.”
“That’s bound to happen for someone trying to build his own business.”
“That’s not the point. What good is building something if you don’t even have a chance to share it? I’m not just doing this for me, remember? I’m doing this for us.”
“I know you are,” said Rachel, “and I love you for that. I also knew we were in for a lot of sleepless nights when I agreed to marry you…and I’m not just talking about our honeymoon.”
“Except that was sleepless for very different reasons,” he said with curt grin.
“But you’re not the only one who made big promises on our wedding day. I remember making a few of my own. And I’d like to keep one of them tonight while I have the chance.”
That sweet, caring tone in her voice made all stress from earlier melt away. Then, still standing in a naked wet embrace, she kissed him. It might have been the best possible remedy for such a long day. Tasting her lips while feeling her breasts press up against his chest was such a wonderful feeling. It helped remind him why he’d made such lofty promises to her in the first place.
For while, they just soaked it in, kissing and caressing one another under the steaming torrent of water. Rachel lovingly pawed his chest and back while he felt up her womanly curves, giving her butt some extra attention along the way. Despite all the stress he’d endured from a long day at work, his body still reacted to her sensual affections. He could already feel an arousal building between them.
Rachel must have felt it too because, as they kissed, her touching drifted down towards his lower body. Her hand soon made contact with his manhood, which was already semi-hard. Without saying another word, she broke the kiss and dropped to her knees.
“Rachel,” Trevor gasped as he felt his wife’s hand on his cock, “what are you doing?”
“Pleasing you,” was all she said.
That was all she needed to say. Still looking up at him with those loving eyes, she sensually licked her lips before taking his member into her mouth. It made his legs tremble, his knees almost buckling on the spot. Trevor had to hold onto the glossy walls of the shower for support, the sudden flood of sensations coursing through his body.
Rachel was skilled at a lot of things, but oral sex was one of her specialties. She knew just how he liked it, suckling his member with care and precision. She was so thorough, slithering her tongue along his manly length and squeezing the shaft with her firm grip. It was enough to divert the flow of blood in his body and refocus his thoughts on something other than work.
“Ooh Rachel!” Trevor moaned. “That’s just…what I need.”
That only encouraged her. With the water still falling around them, she sucked him harder, bobbing her head back and forth along his rigid length. Trevor soon found himself fully aroused and overwhelmed with desire. Looking at his wife, he no longer cared for broken promises or stressful nights. His only desire was to make love to her in the way she deserved.
“My love,” she said to him after giving his shaft one last lick, “I think you need something more.”
“So do you, my darling wife,” Trevor said with a grin, “so do you.”
Her eyes radiating a similar desire, she rose up from the shower floor. From there, Trevor took the initiative. Empowered with newfound passion and determined with renewed focus, he turned her around and pinned her up against the nearby wall so that her heart-shaped butt was pointed right at him. From there, lust and instinct took over.
Now positioned behind her, Trevor grabbed hold of her waist and aligned his rigid manhood with her wet entrance. He then delivered an intimate thrust, entering Rachel’s womanly depths. Gasps and moans quickly followed. Their flesh now united in a passionate harmony, they began moving together under the torrent of water.
“Oh Rachel!” Trevor moaned.
“Mmm…are you pleased, my love?” Rachel moaned in response.
“Ooh yeah!”
She’d really done it. Moments ago, he’d been so anxious and restless. Now, he’d joined her in a shared daze of passion. He honestly couldn’t imagine a better remedy for such a long day.
As their naked bodies moved to the steady pace of their lovemaking, he lovingly kissed down her neck, savoring the taste of her naked skin. Rachel loved having her neck teased. It always drove her wild during their intimate moments. It showed in the way she bucked her hips in accord with his every thrust, using the wall as leverage every step of the way.
As the intensity escalated, his hand found hers and their fingers interlocked. Rachel also turned her head at times so they could share a loving kiss, a gesture of love to balance an act of raw lust. It led to more heated movements. Aided by both intense arousal and the steamy environment of the shower, his manly flesh slithered effortlessly within her womanly depths. Just as she knew how to please him in his most stressful moments, he knew how to please her too.
“Rachel, I…I’m getting close,” Trevor whispered into her ear.
“Me too, Trevor. Me…too!” Rachel gasped. “Let’s…let’s do it together!”
“You please me. I please you. It’s only fair.”
It couldn’t have been more fitting, him returning the favor for her going out of her way. She was such a good woman. She deserved the best and Trevor was going to give it to her.
For the final push to ecstasy, he withdrew from her briefly and turned her around. He then pinned her up against the shower wall again, hitched her leg up over his arm, and entered her again. He made sure to be extra fervent with the pace of their lovemaking, locking eyes with his beautiful wife and caressing her face in preparation for the final moment. When it arrived, the look of joy on her face made every stressful day so worth it.
“Oohhhh Trevor!”
It was a sight to behold, his wife climaxing before his eyes. There was something extra special about it in the steamy ambiance of their shower. It made his own descent into ecstasy that much more satisfying.
In that moment, it all came together. She clung it him desperately as orgasmic bliss consumed her body. He held onto her as white hot pleasure surged through him, his manly flesh throbbing within her hot depths. A mixing of their juices coupled with intense sensations made for a harmonious culmination, one that felt as rewarding as keeping a promise.
“Trevor,” Rachel said, her face still awash with passion, “I still believe in you…in us.”
“Yeah…me too,” said Trevor breathlessly.
“You haven’t…broken your promises. You’re doing…your part. I want to do mine too.”
“You are, Rachel,” he said with a wide grin. “You most certainly are. And I won’t forget that again. I promise.”
Filed under Sexy Short Story
How Humanity Will Cure Death
When it comes to pushing the limits of technology, every goal once started as a fantasy. In the 19th century, the smartest minds of the time thought heavier-than-air flying machines were infeasible at best and impossible at worst. In the early 20th century, other people with legitimate scientific credentials said the same thing about a manned mission to the moon.
While it seems absurd today, at the time it made sense. The people of that era just couldn’t imagine technology advancing to a point where humanity regularly achieved feats that had once been relegated to science fiction. It’s easy it mock them with the benefit of hindsight, but there are plenty of smart people today who have made claims that will be mocked 50 years from now.
One claim that most individuals, including those who work at the forefront of science and research, is that we will never cure death. Science is certainly capable of doing a great deal, but death is one of those immutable barriers that it can never overcome.
We may be able to cure all infectious disease through biotechnology and genetic engineering. We may one day have technology that allows our bodies to become so durable that from the perspective of people alive today, they’ll be superhuman. They may even live for centuries, but never age past 30. Nothing other than a freak accident could kill them. I’ve already noted the potential issues with that.
However, even these highly-enhanced humans will eventually die at some point. That seems like a given. Efforts to avoid it are often subject to heavy criticism, especially approaches like cryonics or uploading your mind into a computer. While some of those criticisms are valid, they’re also short-sighted. They work under the same assumption as those who claimed humans would never walk on the moon.
Technology has limits, but humans have a bad track record with respect to understanding those limits. With respect to curing death, even the most advanced fields of emerging technology seem limited in their ability to help people escape such a fate. That doesn’t mean the concept is flawed. It doesn’t even mean that the technology is beyond the laws of physics.
Personally, I believe death can be cured, but not with approaches like cryonics or bodily enhancements. While those technologies may ultimately extend our lives, being able to transcend death requires another approach. Specifically, it requires a mechanism for preserving, transforming, and transferring the contents of our brains.
Medically speaking, the official definition of death is the irreparable cessation of all brain activity. Your body can be damaged. Every other organ could fail. Your brain is the last link in that chain. It contains your memories, your emotions, your personality, and your capacity to experience the world. To cure death, we simply need to preserve the brain and all its functions.
That’s much harder than it sounds, but it’s not physically impossible. The human brain is not made up of some mythical, exotic material. It’s made up of specialized cells and tissues, like any other organ. While we don’t entirely understand the workings of the brain, it operates using physical matter that is bound by the laws of physics and biology.
Those limits are the key and the mechanism for preserving that complex clump of biomatter already exists, both as a concept and in a very unrefined form. That technology involves nanobots and if there’s one technology that has the potential to make humans truly immortal, it’s this.
The concept of nanobots is already a common staple of science fiction, but it’s primarily used as the technological equivalent of a wizard’s spell. If you need something or someone to do the impossible without resorting to magic, just throw nanobots or nanites, as they’re often called, into the story and let the impossible seem mundane.
While it’s doubtful that nanobots can do everything that science fiction claims, there’s a good chance that they’ll come pretty close. It’s impossible to overstate the potential of nanorobotics. From mass-producing any kind of good to curing humans of all infectious disease, nanobots have the potential to literally and figuratively change our lives, our bodies, and our world.
At the moment, we only have crude prototypes. In time, though, nanobots could become something akin to programmable matter and, by default, programmable flesh. Technically speaking, a nanobot could be programmed to do whatever a typical brain cell does, but more efficiently.
In the late 90s, scientists like Robert Freitas Jr. envisioned nanobots called respirocytes, which functioned like artificial blood cells. In theory, these would be far more effective at getting air and nutrients to the rest of your body, so much so that you could hold your breath for hours or sprint indefinitely.
That’s all well and good for deep sea diving and Olympic sprinters, but for curing death, the concept needs to go even further. That means creating nanobots that mimic the same function as a neuron, but with more efficiency and durability. Create enough of those and you’ve got the exact same hardware and functionality as the brain, but with the utility of a machine.
Once we have that technology refined and perfected, we have everything we need to effectively cure death. Doing so means gradually replacing every neuron in our skulls with a more efficient, more durable nanobot that does everything that neuron did, and then some. The most important additional feature these nanobots would have is a measure of intelligence that could be programmed.
By being programmable, the nanobots in our skulls would be more plastic. It would be less an organ and more a synthetic substrate, of sorts. It could be drained into a container, implanted into a robot specifically designed to contain it, or just preserved indefinitely in the event that there are no bodies available, not unlike the systems used in, “Altered Carbon.”
To some, this still doesn’t count because it requires that every cell in our brains be replaced with something. Technically, that brain wouldn’t be yours and you might not even be use, as a result. I respectfully disagree with this criticism, primarily because it ignores the whole Ship of Theseus argument.
If you’re not familiar with this concept, it’s pretty simple, but the implications are profound. It starts with a real, actual ship used by the mythical hero, Theseus. If, at one point, you replace a piece of wood in that ship, it’s still the same ship. However, the more pieces you replace, the less of the original ship you have. Eventually, if you replace all pieces, is it the same ship?
The human brain, or any organ in your body, is an extreme version of that thought experiment. The brain cells can replicate, but it’s a slower process compared to most cells and the configurations are always changing. The way your brain is wired now is changing as you read this sentence. A cluster of nanobots doing the same thing won’t be any different.
Like the Ship of Theseus, it wouldn’t happen all at once. In principle, the brain cell doesn’t even get destroyed. It just gets subsumed by the mechanizations of the nanobot. How it goes about this is hard to determine, but there’s nothing in the laws of physics that prohibit it. At the molecular level, it’s just one set of atoms replacing another.
Once in place, though, the limits of biology go out the window. With programmable nanobots, a person doesn’t just have the same functionality as a biological brain. It’s has other functions that allow for easier programming. We could, in theory, supplement the nanobots with additional material, sort of like cloud computing. It could even create a neurobiological backup of your brain that could be kept in stasis.
At that point, death is effectively cured. Once your brain becomes a substrate of nanobots, you can just transfer it into a body, a robot, or some other containment vessel that allows it to experience the world in any way desired. If, by chance, that body and the substrate are destroyed or damaged, then the backup kicks in and it’ll be like you just jumped from one place to another.
Some of this relies on an improved understanding of how consciousness works and assumes that it could be somehow transferred, expanded, or transmitted in some way. That may very well be flawed. It may turn out to be the case that, even if you turn your brain into a glob of nanobots, you can’t transmit your consciousness beyond it. If it gets destroyed, you die.
There’s a lot we currently don’t understand about the mechanisms of consciousness, let alone our ability to manipulate those mechanisms. However, a lack of understanding doesn’t negate the possibilities. Our previous inability to understand disease didn’t prevent our ancestors’ ability to treat it to some extent.
If it is the case that we cannot transmit consciousness from our brains, then we can still craft a functional cure for death. It just requires that we put our brains in protective vats from which carry out our existence in a simulated world. Those vats could be protected in a massive artificial planet that’s powered by a black hole or neutron star. In theory, our brains would be preserved until the heat death of the universe.
Whatever the limitations, the technology and the concepts are already in place, if only on paper. It’s difficult to know whether anyone alive today will live long enough to see an advancement like this. Then again, the children alive in 1900 probably didn’t think they would live to see a man walk on the moon.
Filed under Artificial Intelligence, futurism, Sexy Future, technology
Daily Sexy Musing: Doctors And Nurses
Some sexy fantasies are so common that we don’t scrutinize them anymore. It’s not just because porn, chick flicks, and erotica/romance novels, some of which I wrote, often utilize them to get peoples’ blood flowing in all the right directions, either. They’re so prevalent that we assume the appeal is inherent. We don’t really give it much thought beyond that.
Chief among those kinds of fantasies involve doctors and nurses. Talk to most straight men and they’ll perk up a bit when describing a sexy nurse. Talk to most straight women and they’ll get a little excited when describing a tall, handsome, deep-voiced doctor. Whether it involves a stripper costume or George Clooney, there’s a great deal of sexiness associated with those in the medical field.
A sexy nurse and a sexy doctor aren’t just people who make wearing a stethoscope sexy. These are people who help us when we’re at our most vulnerable. When we’re sick, all the strength and reliance that carries us through the day takes a hit. We have to rely on someone else to help us. That’s rarely a good feeling, but doctors and nurses do more than most to help make us better.
They don’t just heal us. They care for us in an intimate way. They understand the workings of the human body and how to treat it. There’s something inherently sensual about that. Looking like George Clooney helps, but just being someone will comfort and heal your wounded body is enough to inspire any number of fantasies.
This Daily Sexy Musing isn’t just a tribute to the George Clooneys or Dr. House’s of our collective fantasy. It’s a deeper insight into the thoughts and desires that inspire such fantasies in the first place. Being sick is awful, but the fact it can inspire such a common fantasy is a testament to just how sexy doctors and nurses can be.
I feel awful. Everything aches. My body is failing me. Nothing I do helps. I’m so weak and frail. It’s like I’m withering from the inside out. Neither strength nor will is enough. I need help. I need your healing touch.
You brave my wounded presence.
You endure my distressed disposition.
You share your strength with me.
You use your special knowledge, wisdom, and skill.
From where I lay, you are an angel. You come to me in my time of need, not needing prayer or sacrifice. The cries of the sick are your siren’s song. You comfort the weak and console wounded. I place great trust in you and that trust is rewarded.
Over time, my strength returns to me. Thanks to your special expertise, I am healed. My spirit regains its fire. The body that failed me is working once more. However, you did something special to me when you healed it. Specifically, you left an indelible mark on my heart.
You’re still my angel.
You’re still my renewed spirit.
You’re still the strength that I regained.
In you, I see more than one who heals the sick. I am in awe, both of your skill and how you choose to use it. Around the weak, you share your strength. You confront the illness, rather than recoil from it. I gave you such power over me, trusting you to use it to make me whole. You used that power wisely. My awe only grows.
To my healer, I am eternally grateful.
To the one behind the medicine, you mean more to me than your knowledge.
Whatever uniform you wear or tools you use, I see a gift and a spirit that makes any soul beautiful. Like any beauty, I am drawn to it. Unlike most beauty, I owe it my life. From my weakest to my strongest, I give myself to you. Once again, I trust in your healing touch.
Filed under Daily Sexy Musings
Jack Fisher’s Weekly Quick Pick Comic: Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1
Every Wednesday, a new batch of comics enters this chaotic world and makes it a little more tolerable. As someone who has come to appreciate this weekly injection of personal joy, I’ve taken it upon myself to single out one particular comic that helps make that Wednesday extra special in the hearts of comic fans.
This week had more going for it than most because “Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1” came out and for those still bathing in the afterglow of the “Captain Marvel” movie, this is a perfect desert. While it doesn’t feature Carol Danvers, it does focus on Kamala Khan, her biggest fan and the one who has been carrying on her mantle wonderfully since 2014.
I’ve already mentioned Kamala before, having singled her out as a case study in how to do young female superheroes right in an era where gender politics and internet trolls are determined to make everything go horribly wrong. Kamala has grown a great deal over the past several years and, with the success of “Captain Marvel,” seems destined to enter the MCU.
There’s so much about Kamala that makes her lovable, heroic, and compelling. If you need a reminder why, “Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1” is the perfect refresher. This series marks a transition of sorts. The previous writer for Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson, has left the title. As the one who created Kamala Khan and did so much to make her so lovable, she set a very high bar.
Kamala’s new writer, Saladin Ahmed, does plenty to maintain the lovability that comic fans have come to expect from Ms. Marvel. In the earliest parts of the issue, he takes a page right out of Wilson’s creative playbook by focusing heavily on Kamala’s story when she’s not in costume.
It’s a major part of what makes Kamala so relatable. She’s an aspiring superhero, but she’s also a teenage girl with plenty of non-superhero issues to deal with. She has friends, parents, and bus schedules to deal with. Like a young Peter Parker, she has to balance her superhero life with her civilian life. Unlike Peter Parker, though, her life is subject to unique challenges that aren’t contingent upon dead uncles.
While Kamala does spend time in her Ms. Marvel costume fighting a couple villains, the biggest upheavals in “Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1” occur when she’s not in costume. I won’t drop too many spoilers. I’ll just say that her superhero life and her civilian life come at a sudden crossroads.
At first, it seems sudden. There doesn’t appear to be much of a build towards the drama. Then, Ahmed throws in an unexpected twist towards the end that completely changes the situation surrounding that drama. It suddenly becomes a mystery, one that may have greater consequences for Kamala down the road.
Every teenage superhero faces critical moments, at some point, that changes the course of their journey. Peter Parker often dealt with those moments by quitting for a while, but Kamala never gives the impression that she’s going to quit. Despite all the hardship and frustration that being Ms. Marvel brings her, she never uses that as an excuse to walk away. That, in and of itself, puts her ahead of the curve for most aspiring superheroes.
At the same time, it also makes her vulnerable. “Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1” puts her in a position where her life as Ms. Marvel and Kamala Khan undergo a major upheaval. She faces a new kind of threat that isn’t well-defined. However, it quickly establishes that it’s capable of attacking her on a very personal level.
It’s the worst kind of attack for a young hero undergoing heavy personal dramas. She basically has to fight her battles with a wounded spirit, but she still fights. That’s what makes her Ms. Marvel. That’s what makes her so easy to root for, both as a character and as a hero.
For years, G. Willow Wilson told Kamala’s story in a way that made her endearing in her own unique way. So far, Saladin Ahmed is moving that story forward in ways that make you want to root for Kamala even more. “Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1” doesn’t just tell the next phase of Ms. Marvel’s superhero journey. It raises the stakes, promising a new kind of challenge that will either break her heart or make it stronger.
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
Five Reasons Why Marvel SHOULD Make An Avengers vs. X-Men Movie
What can be said about the Marvel Cinematic Universe that hasn’t already been said, affirmed, or celebrated? I know I’ve said plenty about it, both in glowing terms and with real concern. Being a fan of superhero comics and the superhero genre, in general, I don’t think I can add much more to the near-cosmic status of this cinematic achievement.
The support of the fans and the billions made at the box office speaks for itself. Say what you will about Disney’s desire to exploit fandoms out of their money. They know how to give the people what they want. Between the recent success of “Captain Marvel” and the insane expectations surrounding “Avengers Endgame,” it’s hard to imagine this decade-spanning franchise ascending to greater heights.
I believe it will, though. I also believe that part of that ascension will involve pitting the Avengers against the X-Men in a clash that is sure to rock the foundations of the MCU. I know that’s somewhat of a reversal of my previous opinions, but recent events have led me to reconsider my position on the Avengers fighting the X-Men.
This isn’t just me, a passionate fan, speculating on what I think will happen once “Avengers Endgame” and the Disney/Fox merger is final. We already know that the X-Men and Fantastic Four are scheduled to arrive in the MCU at some point. It’s the impact they’ll have that’ll set the tone for the future of the MCU and there are already rumors about that impact swirling.
Now, all internet rumors should be taken with the smallest grains of salt, but according to We Got This Covered, a site with a mixed reputation at best, the top brass at Marvel Studios are already plotting a future Avengers vs. X-Men movie. If true, in whole or in part, it would be a bold move, even by the lofty standards of Marvel and their Disney overlords.
It would definitely be a gamble, that’s for sure. That’s because the Avengers and X-Men have clashed in the comics before. There was even a major crossover event entitled “Avengers vs. X-Men” back in 2012. While I won’t get into the specifics surrounding that event, I will go on record as saying that it’s not one of those iconic Marvel stories that fans hold dear.
In fact, “Avengers vs. X-Men” is probably the most controversial and divisive story Marvel has told in the past 15 years. It’s not just because it pitted two iconic superhero teams against one another for reasons that weren’t properly fleshed out. It marked the point where heroes fighting other heroes officially got old.
It doesn’t help that the MCU already had a major clash like that with “Captain America: Civil War.” It helps even less that “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” burned fans out even more on the topic. However, by the time Marvel and Disney get around to making an Avengers vs. X-Men movie, I believe the time will be right to tell this story.
Right now, the MCU is in a bit of a transition. “Avengers Endgame” is set to conclude the story that began with “Iron Man” back in 2008. The arrival of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four in the MCU hasn’t even begun yet and the powerful voices at Marvel Studios have already indicated that they’ll be starting from scratch.
Whatever form their arrival takes, it’s sure to take the MCU in new directions. However, I believe an Avengers vs. X-Men movie would unite the new aspects of the franchise with the old. It would act as a catalyst, of sorts, to connect the stories of the present to those in the past. If done right, it could carry the MCU to heights that Thanos himself couldn’t have achieved.
While I am not a fan of how the conflict played out in the comics, I believe the likes of Kevin Feige and Laura Shuler Donner could craft a superhero battle for the ages that will leave fans like me excited for another decade. What follows are my top five reasons why I believe Marvel and Disney should pursue Avengers vs. X-Men movie.
I concede there are many who don’t share my sentiments. I welcome any comments arguing to the contrary. For now, though, this is why I believe such a movie would fit perfectly into the cinematic marvel that is the MCU.
Reason #1: It Would Highlight (And Confront) The Discrepancies On How The World Approaches Superpowers
As soon as the X-Men arrive in the MCU, they’ll be faced with a frustrating double standard. Spider-Man has superpowers that he uses to swing around New York City, fight bad guys, and save the day. In general, he’s celebrated as a hero, along with most of the Avengers. The X-Men use their superpowers to do the same, but are labeled dangerous threats. What gives?
There are a lot of political and logistical reasons for this. Unlike other heroes, the X-Men are mutants. They were born with their powers. They’re part of an emerging sub-species that may or may not render homo sapiens extinct. That scares ordinary people more than some kid who just got superpowers in a random accident. How does society and established superhero teams deal with that?
It’s a relevant question and one the Inhumans failed miserably at addressing. Part of what made “Captain America: Civil War” such a compelling movie was that it didn’t avoid the complexities of this issue, acknowledging how difficult it is to hold people with superpowers accountable. That conflict was never fully resolved. In an Avengers vs. X-Men movie, the stakes would be even higher.
Unlike “Captain America: Civil War,” however, neither side can leave the conflict unresolved. Mutants will still emerge. People will superpowers will continue to exist. It puts iconic heroes in difficult positions that they can’t punch, stab, or smash their way out of and that often brings out the best and worst in these iconic characters.
Reason #2: It Would Raise The Stakes Surrounding Mutants In The MCU
In many ways, a clash with the Avengers would be the best way to show just how big an impact they’ve had on the MCU. Once the Avengers take notice, there’s no ignoring it anymore. Neither mutants nor the X-men would be able to operate in their own little niche of the MCU. They would have to play a larger part in a world that has already incurred a lot of damage from super-powered beings.
This sort of step is necessary in the overall narrative surrounding mutants in the MCU. It would be their coming out party, so to speak. It would show how far they’ve come and how much farther they have to go in terms of gaining legitimacy in the MCU. The X-Men, especially, have a lot to gain and a lot more to lose.
Unlike the Avengers, they can’t fall back on their reputation of having saved the world from Ultron or a Chitari invasion. They’ll be this upstart superhero team fighting to protect a group of vulnerable minorities who may or may not present a clear danger to those around them. It’ll be their chance to show that they belong on the same stage as the Avengers and the MCU will be better because of it.
Reason #3: It Would Intensify Rivalries And Ruin Friendships
There are plenty of rivalries in the comics that haven’t yet made their way into the MCU. Some are more prominent than others. The recent arrival of Captain Marvel lays the foundation for an especially big rivalry between her and Rogue, which would certainly add more personal stakes to an Avengers vs. X-men movie.
Beyond rivalries, the comics are full of friendships and connections that run quite deep. Wolverine had close personal ties to both Captain America and Black Widow in the comics. Storm has an extensive, albeit flawed, relationship with Black Panther. A number of X-Men have even been Avengers at some point.
Any clash between the Avengers and X-Men is sure to complicate every friendship and rivalry the two teams may have. Some of those connections will take time to develop. It’s very likely that the next phase of the MCU will probably focus on that in addition to integrating mutants into the MCU. An Avengers vs. X-men movie could simply act as a boiling point where it all comes to a head.
Reason #4: It Would Complicate What It Means To Be A Superhero (In A Good Way)
To some extent, the Avengers were lucky that Marvel Studios couldn’t use the X-Men in the early days of the MCU. In a world without mutants, being a superhero was less complicated. They just needed to use their powers and abilities in a heroic way. Then, they had to assemble and show that they could win wars against invading aliens.
The presence of an entire race of super-powered people, many of which are not inclined to be superheroes, adds a huge complication to the path towards heroism. The fact that mutants have powers presents them and non-mutant heroes with a conundrum.
Are mutants who don’t use their powers to be heroes irresponsible?
Are mutants who choose to use their powers for heroics on the same level as those who got their powers through another means?
These questions don’t have clear-cut answers. In a world where superpowers exist, mutants are a huge complication and the X-Men are on the front lines of it all. They try to inspire other mutants to do what they do while protecting those who choose a different path. They do so knowing that it only takes one mutant using their powers irresponsibility to do a lot of damage.
In an Avengers vs. X-Men movie, the very merits of being a superhero will suddenly be up for debate. That debate won’t likely be resolved with civil conversation and intelligent discourse. Whenever someone like Wolverine and the Hulk are involved, it’s a given there’s bound to be plenty of stabbing and smashing.
Reason #5: It Would Create New Opportunities For Better Villains (With Better Motivations)
Every clash between superheroes comes with a cost. “Captain America: Civil War” effectively divided the superhero community, which made them ill-prepared when Thanos arrived in “Avengers: Infinity War.” The comics followed a similar theme. After the original Civil War event, the entire world became vulnerable to a Skrull invasion.
A battle between the Avengers and X-Men will create a new host of vulnerabilities. For villains, it’s a golden opportunity to establish themselves in a world that is suddenly crowded with superheroes. While Thanos, Loki, and Killmonger all raised the bar for villainy, they couldn’t have emerged without the right opportunity.
With mutants, there aren’t just new opportunities. There are entirely new dynamics at work. It’s no longer a world in which superpowers are just complicated accidents. They can happen in individuals simply by being born. Within those dynamics, new kinds of villains with entirely new motivations can emerge.
Good villains are every bit as critical as good heroes, more so today than in previous eras. If the MCU is to continue to dominate, it needs to nurture the development of those villains while also creating vulnerabilities for them to exploit among heroes. An Avengers vs. X-Men movie would accomplish both.
There are probably other reasons I could list as to why I feel Marvel Studios should make this movie. There are probably plenty of other reasons why they shouldn’t. With the future of the MCU once again set to change after “Avengers Endgame,” the possibilities are vast. With the inclusion of the X-Men, and all the complications that come with them, it’s poised to evolve in bold new ways.
