Help End Prejudice With Truth in Art

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...

On the second to last weekend of June, 2011, I had joined my fellow naturists at a gathering of the Naturist Society in rural Pennsylvania. The next day I left on a flight for Europe. By the end of the week I had unexpectedly met another naturist, a woman, who was destined to accompany me on a tour of Europe's great naturist resorts.

I had come to Europe to document people practicing naturism. Preliminary arrangements had been made to meet with an Egyptian nudist visiting the Continent and there was some kind of Pan-European gathering scheduled to take place in Croatia. I had arranged for an assistant to come along with me to help with anything I needed, but when her passport was stolen the night before we were supposed to leave, my plans went awry. I decided on something less ambitious. I would visit a naturist sauna in the city of Bielsko-Biala, Poland which I had just found on the internet. When I got there, I met Margo.

Being from America, all I had to do in Europe was turn on the radio to hear an American song. All I had to do was walk into a movie theater to see an American movie. To be understood all I had to do was speak English. Being from Poland, she couldn't stand listening to the radio for all the political nonsense being bandied about. She didn't like watching American movies because she claimed they all ended the same way. She didn't want to speak English with me because she not only wanted to say things correctly but she wanted to say them her way and nobody had ever succeeded in teaching her how. I desperately wanted to understand. She wanted to be understood.

There were times during our trip when I thought there might not be a happy ending. There were times when disaster was close and I wondered whether I hadn't made a mistake. I wondered whether fear, anger or sadness might triumph and one of us would have to finished the journey alone. Though I dangled from the cliffs of Normady I was saved. Though the lights went out I rode on. Though I ran the tires down to the wire I was okay. We drove home in one piece. We came home happy. We had started the process of learning how to listen and the sound of it was beautiful. We could be sure that we were ready to conquer the devils that abuse us no matter how long it would take.

One of Margo's pictures from our trip across Europe. — 6,000 miles across Europe with a complete stranger
**Day 42**
8/30/2011
⚒ 11༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
La Clapere
Maureillas, 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 42**
8/30/2011
⚒ 11༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
La Clapere
Maureillas, 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.

Pronunciation of Shell

I have yet to publish a pronunciation for the word shell.

Video of me pronouncing "shell."

Definition of Shell

I have yet to publish the definition of shell.

I'm sure it won't take too long.

Common use of shell in illustrative example sentences

If only he would come out of his shell and be a little more assertive, you know?
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I'm not prepared to shell out so much money on a dumb gadget.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a third sentence using the word shell.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a fourth sentence using the word shell.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a fifth sentence using the word shell.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a sixth sentence using the word shell.
Audio of me saying the sentence:
I have yet to come up with a seventh sentence using the word shell.
Audio of me saying the sentence:

Usage of Shell 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 word "shell" 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 Shell: Table of Contents."“And...?”

The Table of Frequency and the Table of Collocation provide numerical information about how many times the word shell appears in its 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 Shell: Table of Contents

Shell, a morphological approach

I have yet to make a morphological analysis of the word shell.

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

Table of Frequency for the Word "Shell."
This table lists in descending order the total number of times that the word shelland any of its morphological derivations appears in the Fiction Corpus, along with a breakdown of frequency by title, the respective rank of each word 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 word 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 word shell, but I will get to it shortly. -Michal

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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 #1580

i asked a man on the edge of town .wheres the fire. he looked a bit shell.shocked. all he could do was shrug.

Chase Credit

13 August, 2:50 PM

Frame #5448

costco wants me to unlock the plane. i told her theres no fuel. she says shell get some. then im supposed to fly her to the mainland.

Sprint "Iphone" Case

22 November, 3:05 PM

Frame #630

having apple tag along with me is not a permanent solution. shell end up at home alone eventually. shell be bored. i dont even own a yahoo.

JC Penney

2 August, 2:10 PM

Frame #4306

pandora caved. she promised to help with paypal. shell find someone to plant a bug. as long as i give her time. im heading back to la.

Sprint "Iphone" Case

30 September, 3:24 AM

Frame #2686

expedia says shell do it. despite the risk of getting dengue. i told her long beach isnt like la. they do a good job with their spraying.

Sprint "Iphone" Case

25 August, 7:55 PM

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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.

"I suggest," said Stalin, "that we concentrate on the eastern side, by the Architecture Museum, then move our way northeast - to the Panorama building, then swallow up that whole block where the Radisson Hotel is: that's where most of them will go once the shelling's done. They're going to try to slip through the park at night. We're gonna stop them."

– Verse 470 from the chapter called Arms

"What do you mean?"

"They're going to shell this building at dawn."

"How do you know that?"

"It's not important."

"To hell it isn't."

– Verses 293-297 from the chapter called Arms

"If only it does," your father whispered. "If only it does. -- Look to the right," he said, holding out his hand. "Find the place where the shells land. That's where the bank will once have stood."

– Verse 439 from the chapter called Arms

"The military's going to shell every suspected center of terrorist activity in the Old Town at dawn. The headquarters - the alleged terrorist headquarters - lie along the same arc, as measured from the artillery's location, as the bank. Therefore, at the range at which they'll be bombarding the headquarters - the alleged headquarters - a slight change in azimuth will send the bombs dropping, not over the terrorists, but right over the bank, demolishing any evidence that it was robbed during the night. When the military's observers verify that their bombs are going astray, they'll stop. They'll make the correction and then continue their fruitless efforts. Meanwhile, we make our deal, and everybody's happy."

"How do I walk away from this after it's over?"

– Verses 245-246 from the chapter called Arms

Without the mistranscription, Jesus would've found himself in dire straits. Failing to capture his supposed Martian, Jesus would've had plenty of explaining to do if something wildly unexpected had prevented the army from going through with its planned shelling - but Jesus had been more afraid of Baron Cohen-Krupnik: there was absolutely no telling what kind of influence he had; if the azimuth could be mistranscribed once, perhaps, Jesus feared, 'the mistake' might be fixed. Without his proof, Jesus would've been rendered helpless. Perhaps the double mistranscription, which no doubt was meant to confuse and frighten honest army men (and prevent them from scapegoating collaborators), had also prevented Baron or any of his men from stopping their pre-planned 'mistake.'

– Verse 427 from the chapter called Arms

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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.

"Shell" does not make an appearance in Sex For Children.

- Michal Slaby

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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.

"Shell" does not make an appearance in Tsiga Tsiga Tsiga.

- Michal Slaby

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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.

"Shell" does not make an appearance in Sorry Miss Jackson.

- Michal Slaby

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Usage of Shell 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.

It must be easy for men like Jeff and Matt to get rid of love. To move on. Their torches must be tiny. I couldn't do it. I would burn for love brighter than a billion arrows. I would rip this rubber shell right off my soul. But I can't do it on a chance. It's too risky.

– from “A Magnum Condom,” a bedtime story to teach children about physical stuff that may or may not work

Back to Usage of Shell: Table of Contents

Collocation of Shell in the Fiction Corpus

Table of Collocation for the Word "Shell."
This table lists in descending order of frequency a selection of word pairs that appear in the Fiction Corpus and groups them according to the morphological derivation of the word shell that appears in the pair.
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 "shell." I hope I can get it done sometime soon. -Michal