Help Prevent Self-destructive behaviour With Art

Posted:#N/A

Strength and dignity are her clothing...

Proverbs 31:25

Author's Note: I have been enjoined from sharing the details of my true romance adventure until such time that the other party is prepared to present her perspective on the affair arrangement...

By the end of my first week in Europe in 2011, I had bought a car and out of the blue had met the woman who would join me on a 6,000 mile trek across the European continent, sharing the beat-up car that I had bought and the one small tent from Walmart that I had brought along with me on my flight.

As an artist, from the beginning of my adult career, my work had been devoted to the problem of body acceptance, a goal that I would later learn was shared by a whole community of people called naturists, a humble portion of which I discovered residing in Poland, a country whose cultural conservatism does not lend itself readily to forward thinking. One of those forward-thinking Polish naturists happened to be Margo.

I considered myself young and able, and being American I often convinced myself I was more than able. She didn't feel quite so young. Having grown up in Poland, what was and is still considered by many to be a poor country, she had the added burden of not only being disadvantaged but having it held against her. The difference became palpable when I realized I couldn't even properly translate into Polish the very American word, "opportunity." A chance? Sure. An occasion? Why not? An opportunity? Not in the book.

I've never been married. I've never been divorced. I've never had kids. I've never lost my kids. That doesn't mean I can't try to understand somebody who has. By listening to Margo during our trip across Europe I started to consider her needs as if they were my own. I may not have been in a position to satisfy all of those needs, but I was able to shut up and put my own needs aside if I had to for at least 6,000 miles. We all need to be listened to and it is the one need that we all have a duty to satisfy. When somebody prays to another human, as a human you have a duty to listen. Humanity needs to start teaching itself that skill.

One of Margo's pictures from our trip across Europe. — 6,000 miles across Europe with a complete stranger
**Day 34**
8/22/2011
♫ 3༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
Koad Ar Roc'h
Neant Sur Yvel, France
THE DISAPPEARING WOMAN, THE DISAPPEARING MAN...
a collection of modern art prints and posters
During our trip across Europe, Margo very bravely opened up to me and to the camera. It was a difficult thing to do considering the scars that she carries. I wanted to share with the world her often joyful, often sad, often angry but always liberating experience except that the Internet is full of pictures of naked women and men and full of trolls who abuse them.
I realized that what I really need to point out is not the openness that Margo and I cultivated between ourselves, but the darkness that continues to surround us. When I censor nudity, I do so in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the human body. In censoring the photographs that Margo and I took during our trip, I was quick to notice that in those pictures where Margo was at her most open, at her most unguarded and most relaxed, in a word, when she was herself and basking in the sun I was forced to blacken her completely.
Why does our society drive people into darkness? Why can we not accept ourselves as we are? Why can we not accept our bodies? Have we truly become eunuchs? Or are we capable of defying the sickness that pits us against each other? Together we could conquer the devils that abuse us.
Whether you enjoy being nude or not, whether you've been photographed nude or not, but especially if, for you, like for Margo, it's something you never thought you would do, consider submitting your own photograph to be published in a censored manner as a form of protest against the ubiquitous presence of the human body on the internet, naked or not, that is published and duplicated ad infinitum without context and without regard for the identity or the needs of the individual being depicted.

Previous Image — 6,000 miles across Europe with a complete stranger
**Day 34**
8/22/2011
♫ 3༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
Koad Ar Roc'h
Neant Sur Yvel, France
THE DISAPPEARING WOMAN, THE DISAPPEARING MAN...
a collection of modern art prints and posters
During our trip across Europe, Margo very bravely opened up to me and to the camera. It was a difficult thing to do considering the scars that she carries. I wanted to share with the world her often joyful, often sad, often angry but always liberating experience except that the Internet is full of pictures of naked women and men and full of trolls who abuse them.
I realized that what I really need to point out is not the openness that Margo and I cultivated between ourselves, but the darkness that continues to surround us. When I censor nudity, I do so in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the human body. In censoring the photographs that Margo and I took during our trip, I was quick to notice that in those pictures where Margo was at her most open, at her most unguarded and most relaxed, in a word, when she was herself and basking in the sun I was forced to blacken her completely.
Why does our society drive people into darkness? Why can we not accept ourselves as we are? Why can we not accept our bodies? Have we truly become eunuchs? Or are we capable of defying the sickness that pits us against each other? Together we could conquer the devils that abuse us.
Whether you enjoy being nude or not, whether you've been photographed nude or not, but especially if, for you, like for Margo, it's something you never thought you would do, consider submitting your own photograph to be published in a censored manner as a form of protest against the ubiquitous presence of the human body on the internet, naked or not, that is published and duplicated ad infinitum without context and without regard for the identity or the needs of the individual being depicted.

Usage of Old Man in Michal's Fiction Corpus

Michal's Fiction Corpus of Acceptance Literature (FiCAL) is presented under the Bare Bottom imprint. It is currently comprised of six bodies of work, each representing a different pillar of culture and incorporating a wide variety of writhing styles.

If you're wondering...

How do I use this?

Just click on a title to see examples of the words "old man" being used in a particular work. You'll stay on the same spot on the page, only the Table of Contents will disappear. To get back to the Table of Contents just click next to the image of the Bare Bottom imprint where it says "Back to Usage of Old Man: Table of Contents."“And...?”

The Table of Frequency and the Table of Collocation provide numerical information about how many times the words old man appear in their original or modified form and with which words. It can help to give you an idea of how a word is used and in what contexts.“Ok.”

Why a Fiction Corpus?

The popular understanding of the word "fiction" and its complement "non-fiction" is a reflection of the cultural influence of a classification system. The Dewey Decimal System is responsible for separating "fiction" from all other work and categorizing it by author's name. This has influenced the popular idea of fiction as a narrative that tends to be "untrue" and the product of an individual's fantasy, a bias compounded by modern art's century-long obsession with abstraction, surrealism and self-expression.“So...?”

My idea of fiction rests on the idea that art doesn't have to be factual to be a true reflection of our existence. Adam and Eve didn't have to exist as two individuals 700 generations ago for them to be true portraits of two human beings trying to work together.“And...?”

The Bible is a Fiction Corpus. It is a body of writing that isn't overly concerned with facts and yet its words carry weight. It was written by many different authors living in different places with different audiences in mind, yet everyone gleans something from it.“Right...”

In preparing my fiction corpus, I have striven to see the world through the eyes of others. Through the eyes of my Adams and Eves I hope that you too will glean some truth about our existence. At the very least you will learn some more about how one man can use the English language.“Ok.”

Who are you, Michal?

I'm just a guy who makes art. And if you're interested in making a solid investment in an aesthetic that supports our present and future welfare, then I will help you look for something that you can buy.“How...?”

Everybody makes. Everybody sells. Some people know how to protect their interests. Some better than others. Few people know how to listen. Listening to somebody means considering their interests as if they were your own. Going out and doing something to satisfy another person's interest is how we build a strong economy. Without a strong economy, democracy collapses.“And...?”

Buying 4Occupy is buying for democracy. Don't give your money to somebody who's ruining it. There's no such thing as cheap democracy, quick democracy, or easy democracy. There's good, solid, complete democracy and the tyranny of feudalism. Let's not mix the two. Let's not buy everything on the cheap. Let's not create another tyrant and enslave ourselves because it was easier not to think about what we were doing. Let's protect our interests. Let's listen.“Ok.”

Who's really behind this site?

Have you ever been to one of those post-it-yourself retail websites where there's a really attractive top-seller ready to give you tips on how you can be a top-seller too?“Uh...”

Have you ever been to a "job" interview where you sit in a line, walk through one door, get hired as a contractor and walk out another door, so that the other applicants don't realize that everyone's getting "hired" to work in the same market?“Maybe...”

The internet is full of people who are ready to exploit your ignorance. They are people who want to make money at the expense of our economy. They are cheats.“And...?”

I, Michal, am behind this site. Not some fat plutocrat exploiting my image. I like to do things the right way. I like to work with people who take the time to do things right.“Why...?”

I used to work for a company that didn't do things the right way. My labor was exploited because of mismanagement. That company was the United States Postal Service, an independent agency of the United States Government that is ultimately controlled by Congress. I'm mad because if the Federal Government can exploit labor, who is going to stop every other cheat from doing it?“Labor Unions...?”

Don't say labor unions. I went to my labor union and they did nothing. They ignored me because labor unions aren't democracies. Holding a free and fair election for a "representative" once in a blue moon does not equal people ruling. Democracy means open government. It means we the public need to accept the hard work. It's the only way to secure liberty and equality.“Ok.”

What's the difference between use and usage?

Definition-wise, not much. But the -age suffix is ultimately French in origin and with most things French, at least in American eyes, the immediate thought is that of something precious and arcane whose value should be judged very carefully. This is in contrast to the word France, which is associated with a beautiful place. Thus people in France or from France are beautiful, warm, kind people. Generous even. Unlike French people who suck. Unless you're frenching, in which case you're only sometimes sucking.“And...?”

Along those lines, usage means you're in bed. Use means you're just heavy petting. Also notice that common people, like common words, get used...whereas "proper" things make "appearances." Whether or not you are being exploited is a different story. Exploitation is what happens when somebody uses you or your property without listening to you. Listening is what happens when you consider another person's needs as if they were your own. You don't have to satisfy those needs. All you need to do is consider them. So many of us can't even do that.“So...?”

Help stop exploitation. Buy 4occupy. Buy a better world. Whether or not you feel you can afford to buy art, consider joining my protest. I want to guarantee every working man and every working mother on this planet a 15-day universal holiday. But I can't. Only we can do that. We have to work together. We have to accept the idea that everyone deserves time for himself and we need to build that time into a new kind of calendar. We have to give peace it's own day. We have to make love something you can't avoid. We have to make even the most miserly cold-hearted capitalist among us say that he cashed his check on Love Your Neighbor Day. There won't be any other way to say it once the Acceptance Calendar is widely adopted.“Ok.”

Back to Usage of Old Man: Table of Contents

Old Man, a morphological approach

I have yet to make a morphological analysis of the words "old man."

That doesn't mean it's not high on my list.

Table of Frequency for the Words "Old Man."
This table lists in descending order the total number of times that the words "old man" and any of their morphological derivations appear in the Fiction Corpus, along with a breakdown of frequency by title, the respective rank of each word or set of words in the complete list of all words in the Corpus, as calculated both densely and competitively, as well as the percent increase in frequency of the words over the frequency of the next lowest rank in the complete list.
Percent Increase over next rank	RANK		WORD	Frequency
	RANK			TOTAL # of occurences	MCDONALDS	JESUS	SEX	TSIGA	JACKSON	DINGBATS
	dense	competitive		TOTAL # of occurences	modern/sloppy	biblical/terse	poetic/high-brow	hard/fast	talky	mixed salad
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
I have yet to publish the table of frequency for the words "old man," but I will get to it shortly. -Michal

Back to Usage of Old Man: Table of Contents

Usage of Old Man in Death to McDonalds

An aerial view of Dodger Stadium in the foreground, with an imaginary partially submerged Los Angeles behind — A story bible for a comic book series set in a post climate-change California narrated by eight characters who live through a natural disaster that sinks Los Angeles and triggers a war with an expansionist Mexican government covertly supported by China.

Frame #1179

the louis vuitton i poked poked me back. then i accepted his camera feed. hes an old man. stroking a moustache. not my louis vuitton.

Twitter Hashtag

8 August, 7:29 PM

Frame #2775

i missed the bus. so annoying. i hate standing in the rain. especially when its not making the air fresh. its muggy like an old mans pants.

Twitter Hashtag

26 August, 1:04 PM

Frame #1205

the only other guy in my row poked me. on impulse i let his video fade in. it was another old man. also stroking. but not a moustache.

Twitter Hashtag

8 August, 8:14 PM

Frame #1183

ive been monitoring the status of the profile.less louis vuitton fandango's. with the exception of the old man. for the record i am ashamed of myself.

Twitter Hashtag

8 August, 7:44 PM

Frame #5490

i asked some more people what happened. they confirm the old mans story. a wave hit this side of the island before it hit any other side.

Sprint "Iphone" Case

23 November, 12:26 PM

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Usage of Old Man in The Gospel of Jesus H.

A picture of the planet Mars — An experimental science fiction Christology that makes Jesus the hard boiled narrator of his own early years on a bizarro earth made dark by volcanic ash and informally ruled by a man from Mars who sells bottled air.

The old man was discovered moving hay from one side of the barn to the other. We shook hands.

– Verse 283 from the chapter called Adolescence

"They're going to find something strange," I said. "The body of a young girl, the body of an old man - what's going to happen?"

– Verse 82 from the chapter called Bohemia

My dear child, if you ever walk by a dirty, old man talking to himself and selling his own books, and you wonder how this man came to be like this, now you'll know at least one way.

– Verse 73 from the chapter called Adolescence

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Usage of Old Man in Sex for Children

A drawing of a man between a woman's legs in front of another man in a hospital bed — A literature book narrated by a pair of siblings on either side of the Atlantic whose profoundly weird sexual experiences pose a serious challenge to their traditional understanding of mathematicians, marriage, gay young men and God.

Then he put it back on the plate. This time he ignored the crumbs on his mouth. Holding the newspaper with his left hand, he placed his right elbow on the armrest, brought his hand to his nose, pushed up his falling glasses, and leaned back in his chair. Then he started reading again; I thought to myself, "What an old man: Nike looks just like an old man. If he were wrinkly and gray - except for those minor differences, he would look exactly the same. He would do the exact same things - in fact, he will do the same things. He will be Nike many years from now. He will be older and he will not look as young, but he will still be Nike.

– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 1, The First Day, Part 1, Victory & Calendar Reform, Section 1, Cancer, Paragraph 5, Clauses 8-16

I checked up on the old woman down the aisle. She was being fucked by the young man. An old man sitting next to her was trying to masturbate. He looked like Bob Dole. I laughed out loud, but very nervously.

– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 6, The Sixth Day, Part 1, Children & Education Reform, Section 8, Allowing For One's Imagination, Paragraph 8

"He came right backstage and knocked on the dressing room door," Christie was explaining as we turned onto Pall Mall. "I thought he was just some guy who saw the show. I had no idea he was connected to the theatre; I had never met him before. He was just some creepy old man randomly asking me out on a date. He introduced himself of course, told me his name, but he certainly didn't tell me he owned the theatre. When he left I was like: 'who was that guy?' and everyone tells me, 'Christie: that guy owns the theatre.' Boy was I surprised. When you told me you'd be coming over this weekend, I knew I'd have to take you here.

– Title 2, Regarding the Romaniac, Part 1, Section 12, Private Clubs, Paragraph 3, Clauses 2-10

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Usage of Old Man in Tsiga Tsiga Tsiga

Bullets whizzing by a statue of Nikola Tesla — A collection of stories featuring a sexy Parisian ghost, a spooky Moon base full of vagina-faced aliens, a policeman with an Irish name, a truck full of watermelons, a flautist, and a man who has to see another man about a diseased horse.

The driver put in another movie. This was a costume drama. A large group gathered. The men watched women dance. An old man spoke. He looked like a chief. The dubbing was atrocious. The chief stared at one of the dancers. She was beautiful. The camera took in the crowd. All the men looked like lechers. There was more dancing.

– from “Two Dudes and a Chinese Desert,” a friendship story featuring a bunch of camels

"Dropping by." Staring at the breakaway collar, the words resounded within Patsy's head. Crouching next to that naked old dog, he looked up to the naked old man and said, "That's it."

"What's what?"

"That's it."

"What?"

"You're a genius!"

– from “A Cop Named Patsy,” a funny story featuring cops who do things other cops aren't ready to accept

They weren't alone. Physical intimacy was the first order of business for almost everybody. Kung did it with Bei. Kong the ATM thief did it with Jing the lottery cheat. Even the old man got busy. Tae was surprised to learn he did it with Do. "What happened?" he asked Kwon. "I left you two alone. Why didn't you take advantage?"

Kwon shrugged. He said, "I'm a Christian."

– from “How Tae & Bo Took Over the World and Kung & Fu Didn't,” an apocryphal bible story featuring a frank discussion of women

"What about the rest?" Kwon gestured towards the ship. "Have they defrosted?"

Do nodded. "You can see three of them in front of the ramp: there's a boy named Kong, a girl named Jing, and an old man named Hong."

"They're pointing in the direction of the hills," said Tae. "They must like higher ground."

Kwon scoffed. "That doesn't sound like Hong. He's a kleptocrat."

– from “How Tae & Bo Took Over the World and Kung & Fu Didn't,” an apocryphal bible story about a bunch of people who start a civilization

"I don't get it," said Patsy, digging his feet into the sand. "With only a rope and nobody around, how does a woman get dropped from the top of a tall statue?"

"What's that?" asked Sergeant Majors.

"I said: how does a woman get dropped?"

"She talks too much," replied the naked old man, stroking his dog.

– from “A Cop Named Patsy,” a funny story featuring a guy who lets people fall off of tall statues

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Usage of Old Man in Sorry Ms. Jackson

Chiseled letters from an ancient stone tablet hanging on a wall — A real play. With drama in it. Talk fast. It takes two hours. Set in a guest house. In a small community. After a murder. Lots of suspicion. The characters learn to listen to each other. It's funny.

LESBIAN: A puritan.

ALICE: Straight-laced.

FLETCHER: A prude.

MS. JACKSON: That's exaggerating it a bit, wouldn't you say?

FLETCHER: Nevertheless, I didn't want old man Menzies thinking I was rooting his daughter-in-law. I certainly wasn't going to admit in open court that a pair of seven-year-old boys could shake me down.

ALICE: I was mugged once.

FLETCHER: What happened?

LESBIAN: Were you hurt?

ALICE: Not physically.

MS. JACKSON: You were threatened.

– ACT I, lines 137-146

(LESBIAN climbs into bed, disappearing underneath the down comforter. GREY GOOSE enters unseen dressed in pajamas and carrying champagne.)

GREY GOOSE: My wife left, with my son right behind her: both heading towards two figures in the dark: one Alice; the other no doubt my wife's new best friend: for why else would Fletcher dog her? leaving me with - eureka - my Polynesian beauty: I recognize the shirt. This is your chance, old man. Make it good.

– ACT II, line 308

(GREY GOOSE and KOKOMO exit in a rush. MS. JACKSON and LESBIAN enter in a rush.)

MS. JACKSON: Oh, that takes my breath away. Do you think he saw us?

LESBIAN: I don't think so.

MS. JACKSON: He could've turned. We have to watch out.

LESBIAN: Why?

MS. JACKSON: My son is an expert tracker.

LESBIAN: How is that possible? What's there to track on Norfolk?

MS. JACKSON: Nothing - unless it's human.

LESBIAN: He takes after his old man.

MS. JACKSON: Don't mention him. You'll spoil my mood.

– ACT I, lines 880-888

LUKE: At his place.

FLETCHER: Today?

FLETCHER: After Kokomo left.

FLETCHER: What was she doing there?

LUKE: The two of them were yabberin'. That's why we didn't get to drink much.

FLETCHER: What were they saying?

LUKE: I don't know.

FLETCHER: What did it look like?

LUKE: It looked like something shonky was goin' down. At first, Kokomo was ropeable. I thought old Grey Goose was gonna cark it. After she calmed down, she looked perfectly dismal, like she had been sprung in the act. Your old man leaned in to whisper. She kept turnin' her head to either side. She got cranky and left. That's when I asked him - by way of a mug: "What's with the girl piker?" - why didn't she stay for a drink? That's when he told me.

– ACT I, lines 757-765

FLETCHER: I must get that from my father.

KOKOMO: By the way, Fletch, your old man came around.

– ACT I, lines 17-18

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Usage of Old Man in Miscellaneous Dingbats

The title of the book at the end of a string of miscellaneous dingbats — A story book full of short fiction stories. An interesting bedtime mystery. A fairy tale. Science fiction romance. Adult life. Uninspiring gay fiction. Horror.

The hill in question had about a hundred boxes split along two streets both rising in diverging directions from the same point on Profile Road until curving back upon themselves and meeting at the top of the hill in the form of Facebook Terrace. It was formerly under the complete purview of Rural Rural Route 10 until Rural Rural Route 10 was disbanded upon the retirement of Old Man Dickinson and split between Rural Routes 2 and 4. Rural Rural Route 4 received the entire hill to much joy at the turn of the next pay period. Until winter came and the disrepair of Update Street combined with the freezing runoff on Download Street caused much grumbling and more than a few broken mailboxes. Still the money was good.

– from “Wrong Again,” a success story that represents real life for some people, though the details are fictional

Management won. With the general decline in mail volume that year rural paychecks went down. Resentment and grumbling went up. When Rural Rural Route 6 finally acquired the house at the end of Profile it added to the workload and nothing else. Rural Route 4 felt overburdened as well. When Old Man Perkinson retired from Rural Rural Route 9 and it was decided once again to eliminate the vacant route, tempers flared.

– from “Wrong Again,” a success story that isn't factual and yet represents reality, since the details are fictional

Mark and Bill meanwhile were flipping through their respective letters. Mark looked up and caught sight of the old man bending over again and looking through his viewfinder. Mark sped up. He was going to get a glimpse of the eagle before it flew off. He floored the gas. Oblivious to the dangers beyond, he was rushing past the hedgerow. He craned his neck and saw a giant blue and white eagle on the side of Bill's truck. The professor hit the shutter button. Mark frantically swerved. The camera's continuous drive clicked and clicked. Mark hit the brakes. The truck slid heading straight for the professor. Its wheels locked. It surfed on the unswept gravel of the westbound lane of Profile Road and thankfully stopped before crossing the center line. Just as a UPS truck headed east. The driver saw the mass of white coming from his left and instinctively swerved away. Right into the professor. The old man was launched into the sky. Mark watched in horror as the body sailed a good 60 feet before flailing onto the ground. Mark looked at the UPS truck. The driver was paralyzed. Mark looked back at the body. He drove the 60 feet between them. There was no time to run. Reaching the remains of the professor, Mark curbed the wheels. He put the gear in park. He pulled the hand brake. He shut the engine and took out the keys. He didn't want anybody accusing him of not following proper dismounting procedures. He hopped down to the body and saw there was little to be done. He called for an ambulance.

– from “Wrong Again,” a success story to teach children about physical stuff that may or may not work

As Mark made his way down to his final stop he noticed the professor standing behind the tripod leaning into the viewfinder. He was so preoccupied with the sight of the bent-over old man he neglected to slow down and crane his head around the hedgerow. Luckily there was nobody there. The cord that connected Bill's hand brake to the actual brake had snapped. He had been dragging it for about the entire route until a customer on Download Street finally stopped him and asked, "What's that noise?" Bill decided it was time to take a break and check it out. He didn't want customers thinking postmen didn't care about their trucks. The customer saw the broken cord. He offered to bring some twine so Bill could tie the loose end to the chassis. Bill said he didn't want to be a bother. The customer insisted. Bill was forced to wait ten minutes until the customer came back and said, "Sorry it took so long. Here's the twine." Bill tied the cord to the chassis and went on his way. Never realizing the broken hand brake had probably saved his life.

– from “Wrong Again,” a success story that describes life on this planet, though hopefully we can change

I thought the old man could've done it. I knew things were bad. Men at his age have mid-life crises. I also thought it was possible my mother was making it all up. She's crazy. She's proven that. Attacking her own son.

– from “The Backed-Up Toilet,” a literature story based on true experiences, namely the author's

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Collocation of Old Man in the Fiction Corpus

Table of Collocation for the Words "Old Man."
This table lists in descending order of frequency a selection of text strings that appear in the Fiction Corpus and groups them according to the morphological derivation of the words old man that appears in the string.
Type	Frequency
	TOTAL # of occurences	MCDONALDS	JESUS	SEX	TSIGA	JACKSON	DINGBATS
	TOTAL # of occurences	modern/sloppy	biblical/terse	poetic/high-brow	hard/fast	talky	mixed salad
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
I have yet to perform a collocation analysis of "old man." I hope I can get it done sometime soon. -Michal