Help Replace Persecution 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 Monday, I arrived in Europe. By Wednesday I had bought a car. By Friday I had met the woman who a few months later would end up having travelling 6,000 miles across Europe with me.

I had come to Europe to experience European naturism, a movement whose philosophy matched my aesthetic of body acceptance and whose organizational structure and leadership I had thought almost exclusively restricted to the western half of the continent. I was shocked to learn that naturism had an official home in Poland, a country not especially known for its liberal culture. I was less shocked to discover that the home was owned by a Dutchman, but even more shocked to learn that it had been largely built by Margo.

I had grown up in America. Land of opportunity. I came of age in the booming 90s when everything was possible. She had grown up in Poland. She had come of age at a time when the Soviets were making sure that there wasn't even anything to eat in the country. I couldn't even properly translate the word "opportunity" into Polish.

Each man grows up with his own kind of poverty. Even if he's got a warm house and plenty of food and a soft bed and plenty of entertainment, there's always something that a man needs. Sometimes he just needs to be listened to, if only by the birds and the trees, but preferably by another man, even if he's an artist from America who isn't very good at listening. By learning how to listen, we learn how to cooperate. By cooperating, we build a better world. In a better world, there are no devils to abuse us. A better world doesn't lend itself to abuse because a better world is populated by people who have learned how to listen.

One of Margo's pictures from our trip across Europe. — 6,000 miles across Europe with a complete stranger
**Day 32**
8/20/2011
⛹ 1༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
Camping Omaha Beach
Vierville Sur Mer, 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 32**
8/20/2011
⛹ 1༜♊²⁵/₂₄♀
Camping Omaha Beach
Vierville Sur Mer, 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 Mercy 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 "mercy" 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 Mercy: Table of Contents."“And...?”

The Table of Frequency and the Table of Collocation provide numerical information about how many times the word mercy 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 Mercy: Table of Contents

Mercy, a morphological approach

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

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

Table of Frequency for the Word "Mercy."
This table lists in descending order the total number of times that the word mercyand 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 mercy, but I will get to it shortly. -Michal

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Usage of Mercy 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.

Author's Note

"Mercy" does not make an appearance in Death to Mcdonalds.

Michal Slaby

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Usage of Mercy 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.

"Oh Lord," he said. "Have mercy on Your humble servant; he suffers, Lord - like You! Oh Lord! On the Holy Cross, Lord, have mercy on me! Let me not suffer so much! Let me do my work, Lord! I am Your servant. I am Yours to command. Lord, please: let me do your bidding! Oh Mama!" Jesus yelled. "Pray to the Lord, Mama. Let Him heal me. Please: I loved you always. You were always my mother, Mama - please! Lord, have mercy on me: I am Your servant. I remember my oath. Tell my father I remember: I will stop him - her - Zeus - Oh Lord! Whatever! Please: just let me go. Let me go wherever I have to go. I will do it. I will do it. I will go to Mars, Lord. I will go there if you let me. Oh Lord: let me see the morning! Let me see the morning, Lord! If you don't help me, Lord, I don't think I'll see the morning."

– Verse 479 from the chapter called Arms

Was it a miracle? or the Devil? Divine justice? or temptation? Was it a gift? or a test? Divine mercy? Providence? Was it a fluke? What was it? What made that man's bladder contract?

– Verse 617 from the chapter called Adolescence

"This is my father's legacy," said Jesus, "this paranoia that places us at the mercy of other men's interests: this lack of trust.

– Verse 190 from the chapter called Security

Your paternal grandfather's greatest moments came with his worst, most ambitious failures. In courts of all systems, from Europe to the United States, on his wife's behalf, he brought suits against the Polish Health Service for failing to inform her parents that their beautiful but unborn child was, unfortunately, asthmatic, thereby preventing her beloved parents from choosing to be merciful in a world of no mercy by preventing such a fetus from ever being born into a world where the very air would make her suffer interminably. If not for the negligence of the Polish Health Service, her parents would've spared their daughter this pain and misery that now she must suffer every single goddamn day of her life. They would've done what any reasonable person would have done: like the great bonus paterfamilias, they would've aborted her! They would've thrown her into the trash bin like any truly loving parent would have done - but, now that she was alive and suffering, the Polish Health Service was to blame: for his wife's wrongful life, she must now be compensated!

– Verse 56 from the chapter called Adolescence

"This is St. Hedwig's Basilica," said Jesus. "The convent next door belongs to the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy."

– Verse 351 from the chapter called Security

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Usage of Mercy 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.

One more thing: be comforted. You've confessed to me the philosophical nature of your impotence. And I make clear to you that I too must suffer for my standards. I appreciate your feelings. I know them intimately. Your qualities will stand you in good stead with Indiana.

In the fullest of confidence, I make my closing: may the kind and merciful Lord have mercy on you; may he keep you in his heart: to love and protect you and to give you understanding.

– Title 2, Regarding the Romaniac, Part 1, Section 34, Propogating a Concept of Duty, Paragraphs 11-12

Then, turning to the keys, I began presto con fuoco: the first chord; and then: the second chord, a moment before I dashing madly across the keys my fingers flying ran the crescendo up in haste: no love to feel, no love to seize, my heart dying of disease - no time to waste - headlong falling into a pool and treading water, trying to swim, trying to leave but something pulling, pulling down, I forced my way up and out, climbing but slipping, falling, and then regaining myself and then stopping now...ritenuto...oh ritenuto: give me God's mercy: give me God's mercy: give me a moment now, end me my heartache now, end me my heart, for back I go dashing madly across the keys - my fingers flying ran the crescendo up in haste: no love to feel, no love to seize, my heart dying of disease - no time to waste - headlong falling into a pool and treading water, trying to swim, trying to leave but something pulling, pulling down, I forced my way up and out, climbing but slipping, falling, and then regaining myself and then stopping now...ritenuto...oh ritenuto: give me God's mercy: give me God's mercy: give me a moment now, end me my heartache now, end me my heart...now.

– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 3, The Third Day, Part 2, Prayer & The Reformation, Section 13, The Role of Music, Paragraph 6, Clause 1

By the time I returned to that love seat, Nike was discussing something entirely different. I sat down, not paying attention, staring directly in front of me until I could no longer resist the temptation. Macy was being silent, and my head turned itself back to his. And there they were: set in a face of sharpness, transfixing their prey, poking through the heavy brows of a lowered face, a sorcerer's face; as he prepared his incantations, there they stood, ready at arms, two cauldrons of steaming black tar, two very cold celestial discs, two empty orbs that wanted possession of two separate worlds, two very wide walnut eyes waiting to crack, two pleading for mercy, two coaxing, too ready to resist.

– Title 1, Regarding Peaches and Bananas, Part 2, Section 9, Attacking homosexuality, Paragraph 2, Clauses 1-4

End this agitato. End this agitato. End this crescendo, diminuendo, crescendo poco a poco reaching the heights of human ecstasy, flittering our fingers, curling our toes and floating, floating down, too heavy to fly, shattering, and falling like rain in a million pieces down, to the ground, away from God's majesty - dashing madly across the keys my fingers flying ran the crescendo up in haste: no love to feel, no love to seize, my heart dying of disease - no time to waste - headlong falling into a pool and treading water, trying to swim, trying to leave but something pulling, pulling down, I forced my way up and out, climbing but slipping, falling, and then regaining myself and then stopping now...ritenuto...oh ritenuto: give me God's mercy: give me God's mercy: give me a moment now, end me my heartache now, end me my heart...now.

– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 3, The Third Day, Part 2, Prayer & The Reformation, Section 13, The Role of Music, Paragraph 6, Clauses 2-5

Then, one more whisper of a dream; the second chord breaks. So be it. My dream must come to an end. And I am left: dashing madly across the keys - my fingers flying ran the crescendo up in haste: no love to feel, no love to seize, my heart dying of disease - no time to waste - headlong falling into a pool and treading water, trying to swim, trying to leave but something pulling, pulling down, I forced my way up and out, climbing but slipping, falling, and then regaining myself and then stopping now...ritenuto...oh ritenuto: give me God's mercy: give me God's mercy: give me a moment now, end me my heartache now, end me my heart...now.

– Title 3, Regarding a Dream, Chapter 3, The Third Day, Part 2, Prayer & The Reformation, Section 13, The Role of Music, Paragraph 8, Clauses 1-4

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Usage of Mercy 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.

Junior knit his eyebrows. "No," he said. "You don't understand. She's evil. She's convinced I'm planning to ask you to marry me. She'll stop at nothing to prevent it. She threatened to sabotage the company-my livelihood. I asked for mercy. She offered to make a bet. I could have my way if Clutch Bag were to win the Belmont Stakes."

– from “A Horse Named Clutch Bag,” an inspiring story set in New York

"Why would I want to kill you?"

"I will not be left to anybody's mercy."

– from “In the Beginning, There was Gog,” a fantasy story featuring an ancient quest

The horses lined up. Crowds gathered. Bets were placed. "What am I doing?" thought Harry Connick. His knees were knocking. The saddle kept shifting back and forth.

"Please, God," prayed Junior. "I know I don't deserve Your Mercy. For the sake of those who depend upon the company, I beg You. Let Clutch Bag win. Defy the odds, Lord. Show them Your Power."

– from “A Horse Named Clutch Bag,” an inspiring story featuring a woman from South Africa

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Usage of Mercy 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.

(LUKE exits in a rush.)

FLETCHER: Lord, what I just said to You notwithstanding, I would humbly like to add that every man needs a pension - a patrimony - a weighing out of Your Love, Justice, and Mercy in tangible, quantifiable form. Just like Thursday October, who had to bring a garden of his own under cultivation before he could marry Susannah, I too am required of a small gift of Your Grace - a modest portion of your bounty - so that I can be called Man and share in Your Fatherhood.

– ACT II, lines 252-252

MS. JACKSON: I have favored your justice at the expense of your love and your mercy. I'm sorry.

– ACT I, line 1051

KOKOMO: It is. I keep telling you that.

FLETCHER: Maybe for Catholics: you have thousands of years of ritual to fall back on: Popes and bishops to decide for you.

KOKOMO: That's not fair.

FLETCHER: I'm supposed to be my own priest.

KOKOMO: Maybe you should start praying.

FLETCHER: For what? For the will to become Catholic?

KOKOMO: You know what I am. You've taken the time to study what my faith requires. I'm overjoyed by that. I realize it angers you sometimes. You need to remember it isn't about priests or prayer or sacraments or the Bible or saints or miracles or doctrine or creed. It's not even about salvation. It's about sacrifice. If you, Fletcher Christian, are not willing to place yourself into the hands of God - to submit yourself to His Divine Mercy - then nothing else matters and there will never be any happiness between us.

FLETCHER: I see that.

KOKOMO: You don't see it.

FLETCHER: How can you tell?

– ACT I, lines 1342-1351

(ALICE grimaces and rubs her neck again.)

FLETCHER: You really did strain it.

ALICE: It's fine.

FLETCHER: It's not. Come on. Kokomo has a bunch of differently scented oils. You can have your pick.

ALICE: It seems you've got me at your mercy.

FLETCHER: You won't regret it - neither will your neck.

ALICE: We'll see.

FLETCHER: You're welcome. It's too bad Kokomo's not here. She's the expert.

ALICE: Where is she?

FLETCHER: Who knows?

– ACT I, lines 487-495

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Usage of Mercy 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 people are the ones who set me free. I don't care how you twist it. I didn't stir people up. My father didn't stir people up. He explained to them what happened. I did what I had to do. I wasn't about to be punished for something people just didn't understand. People didn't want to understand what happened. They've got more important things to worry about. But at least they listened. My father told them not to take his last child and they had mercy. For him. Not for me. They would've killed me.

– from “The Testament of Publio Orazio,” a horror story based on good intentions coming straight out of Roman mythology

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Collocation of Mercy in the Fiction Corpus

Table of Collocation for the Word "Mercy."
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 mercy 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 "mercy." I hope I can get it done sometime soon. -Michal