St Louis Sinner issue 24

March - 2011

PUNK SHOW

Antique Scream

UNMASKED

Cover Image by

Casey Kasparek

News, Rants & Politics Excellent question Dave. It took me a year of dealing with reports from advertisers and readers about the delivery issue to figure out a solution. The old process was to ship The Sinner across country from St. Louis, Mo. to Seattle and then have a good friend deliver it through the wee-hours of the morning after he worked till midnight. This wasn’t working. So now I ship The Sinner directly to each business who carries it. It adds to my workforce as I have to fill out about 75 addresses and return addresses. But the problem is solved and my friend can now go home to his family instead of racing all over the city in the middle of the morning.

Meet The PUBLISHER II

What about this new issue of The Sinner that you have provided us with before they hit the stands tomorrow... it’s not really a “Seattle” publication but a mix of Seattle and St. Louis, correct?

Good Eye, Jim. I thought someone would catch that. It was the main reason for this conference. Once again this is a financial issue, where our rates and number of advertisers dictate what we can do with what we have. Hey, we could cop-out and go online only. So combining the two papers saves us enough in printing to reach both cities again on a monthly basis until we can pick up a few more advertisers like we did this month... and let me thank those new advertisers, like Club Motor, Papa’s Pub, and Stone’s German Garage here in Seattle and Mandina’s Sports Bar in St. Louis, Mo. With out these folks and our other core advertisers supporting independent media we wouldn’t be able to get this rag out on the streets and do our part to support the local A&E community.

I have time for one more before I collapse of exhaustion, so who’s got the last sinful question for me?

This is not the actual publisher, Chuck Foster. This is a paid actor. For entertainment purposes only.

I didn’t expect such a warm welcome after having been gone for so long. I honestly thought the room would be empty, so let me thank each one of you members of the press for coming out this rainy Seattle morning...

It’s great to see you back in Seattle, Mr. Foster.

You look a bit worn... rough flight?

It’s great to be back, Jim. The flight was fine, other than the lack of services by the airline to keep low-class air affordable for poor indy publishers like myself. It was the Mardi Gras party that left me looking this way. Two days of music, booze, cheaply processed food, sugary Hurricanes, beads, titties, belligerent assholes and enduring frigid weather for several hours after being abandoned by our shuttle service. That’s what left me looking a “bit worn”. So not only do I look like a terd in a punch bowl, I feel like one too! Next question, please...

Over here, Mr. Foster... everyone in Seattle has had one question on their mind for a year now, is there a Seattle Sinner? If so, what happened?

That’s a straight shot, Mike. And the answer is, yes.

The Seattle Sinner went to a quarterly status temporarily while we worked out a few problems, mostly the issue of consistent delivery. See Mike, contrary to popular thought, The Sinner is still a rag-tag publication, a sinful labor of love for myself and all of its volunteers. Even though The Sinner spread to St. Louis, we’re still a mom and pop operation who caters to local businesses. And that’s why our rates are so cheap. Hey Mike, we could charge a couple of grand for an ad, which would cover all of my expenses, like this plane flight home and all the booze on the flight, and even consistent delivery, but that approach passes the buck to the advertiser and then eventually to you, the consumer. And how many moms and pops can really afford that?

Then what has changed now, Mr. Foster? What can Seattle expect from The Sinner now?

How about this, Mr. Foster... The Sinner is known mostly for its coverage of local rock-n-roll, but I notice that this issue has an interview with DJ FUKKK Off, a widely followed raver. Is The Sinner changing its format to appease a younger following?

Great Question again, Mike. The Sinner isn’t changing its format at all. The foundation I laid for this publication back in 2002 is still the same, we’re a forum style paper. When the voice of our readers changes, we adapt. The rave and DJ scene are as much a form of expression as rock, punk, rap and heavy metal are.

As always we’re excited to hear a different voice, like having Joe from Club Motor send over a piece on conspiracy theories. I like to believe it’s our open door that separates The Sinner from corporate Weeklys and even most independent papers... that’s it for me guys. It’s time to chase a stiff Wild Turkey with a shot of American Honey and grab a nap before heading out on the town tonight. Thanks again.

And that’s another tale of fear and publishing in two cities....

2. Fear and Publishing 3. All Dressed Up and No Where To Go 4. Weapons of Mass Distraction

5. Joe Motor’s Conspiracy Theory 6. Piper’s Pit 7. A Scary Political Future 9. Stop The Drug War

Music, Film, Art & Entertainment 10. Huggy Talk

11. The Punk Show 12. What Makes Being In A Band Easier 13. Clownvis; On The Scene With Malis 14. Randy Hansen: Hollywood 77 15. Antique Scream Unmasked 16. Antique Scream Poster 18. Jet City Burlesque 19. Dennis The Menace Benefit Show 21. The Rave Is King – DJ FUKKK OFF Interview; The Chop Tops; The Genitorturers 22. Shit Gets Smashed; Piston Ready 30. Mardi Grau collage

Religion, Sex, & Other Sinner Shit 8. Our Sinful Community 23. Serial Killer Horrorscope 24. The 7 Deadly Sins of Michael LeAnn 25. The 7 Deadly Sins of Megan

26. Skin Deep With Stu

27. Naughti Gras 4 28. The Surley Gourmand 29. Hammerstones 31. This I Shamelessly Tell You 31. Ask The Slut Publisher: Chuck Foster - Layout: Terri Daniels Cover Art : Casey Kasparek WRITERS, RANTERS, OPINIONISTS & OTHER ALL-OUT FREAKS: Mark Taylor-Canfield Paul Blow Lucifer Saab Lofton Malice Henry Nicolle Joe Motor Stu Lauren Napie Kimberly Peters

Travis Webbwerx Emily Eufinger Gina Simon Jason Sibert Guitar Doug Lauren Napie Matt The Photographer Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid Kendra Holliday The Surley Gourmand

The Sinner is a group of contributing writers. Their opinions, rants and ideas do not necessarily reflect the views of The Sinner itself. The Sinner encourages contributions from its readers but retains the right to edit material due to content or length of submission.

For advertising or submission information, contact us at chuck@theseattlesinner.com. Submission deadline is the 25th of every month.

ESSAY | All Dressed Up

by Henry Nicolle

And Nowhere To Go I

RJB Photo Model FOXY

have not researched the subject, but knowing the human psyche, I’m sure that there must be a medical or psychological condition under which sexual arousal induces temporary paralysis. It would be a frustration which turns foreplay into practical contingency planning. The politics of Liberty seems to me to attract very similar attributes. That is the frustration of being ready, willing and able, but incapable of movement toward satisfaction.

If we were capable of Liberty, we would be capable of undeserved tolerance, cooperation and respect for the Rights and Liberty of individual men and women. We claim the capacity, but we dance to the melodies of domination and submission. We praise democracy and then use its influence to rape, plunder and destroy. We raise the scales of Justice only as a distraction while we slice and dice the “out of favor” with her great Sword of vengeance. Believe me, Justice is not blind. She knows who she serves.

She serves Power.

Across the globe in the news of the day, those with Power are being challenged by those in whom both authority and power are inherent. The problem is that once power has slipped from the hands of those with authority, authority is meaningless. In America, the People are the Authority for governing and we hold the Power to self-rule, if we were to choose to do so. But we do not.

Oh yes, we talk about self-governing. We talk constantly about how we are abused by our Representatives, Officials and Public Servants, but that is all. When the moment arrives to exercise our Power to selfrule, we pee in our pants and vote for someone we expect to “win”; we look for an excuse to not serve on a jury; we ignore candidates and propositions which espouse less power in the hands of our institutions, we approve taxation which destroys our Liberty and we demand, support and submit to the alienation of our inherent Rights.

At the same time that we cower on suicidal bent knee and upturned buttock, we strut and crow that we are going to change things by Million-Man Marches, Thunder in the Highways, Signage on the Overpasses, Protest in the Streets and endless conference calls, symposiums, litigation, letters, and e-mail cascades to other like-minded slaves.

Do we consider any act by which we can restrain our destroyers or restore self-governing Powers to our hands? No. We cry out, educate and inform, but we are silent when the question rises above the clamor, “What will we DO?” We are aroused and our arousal, without exception, brings paralysis. We are easily aroused, but more easily paralyzed.

Our Free Society as a political and social body is dying even as it still moves and shakes. Our people still mingle and our money spends where we will. Life continues, for a while. It always does.

When life departs, the body and its parts still move and shudder, twist and shiver. But the body no longer lives.

Just after the moment of death, the body still warm, the blood continues to flow, slowly until the weak fibrillations of the heart and pumping muscles of the circulatory system cease their stirring. The dying muscles pull and relax, worrying the timid that death is not real. In time, the predators whose worlds are our corpses occupy their birthright and our skin squirms and wriggles with their careers and progeny, but the body does not live.

Liberty and Respect for Individual Rights are the vital qualities of our Social Body’s Life. We have given up our power to live and we lack the will for recovery. In the very practical sense, our Free Society is on its death-bed and to the ordinary senses, has expired.

The essential Rights of Free Men and Women are now privileges to be granted or withdrawn at the whim of our rulers. (“Rulers” I say, because we no longer rule ourselves, we do not control our representatives, our institutions or our enforcers.)

Essential Right to travel when, where and by whatever method serves our will? Dead.

Essential Right to pursue an occupation and reap the benefits of our labors? Dead.

Essential Right to raise our children to live under the faith, morality and ethics we desire? Dead.

Essential Right to defend life, liberty and property? Dead.

Essential Right to acquire, use and dispose of property? Dead.

In each instance, “Dead” means that the Right has been taken from us and returned conditionally for unlimited submission to our rulers and unquestioned payment of tribute.

True Liberty has been replaced by “Structured Freedom”, involuntary conduct, ruled under policies which reduce life to simplicity - “Everything which is not prohibited is Mandatory”.

Liberty lingers.

Dispatch From The Barricades: Freedom of Speech and Assembly in 2011 In this month’s article I present two stories which were largely ignored by the corporate and public news media. The first report involves the occupation of the state capitol building in Olympia by labor union supporters who chose to express their solidarity with the Wisconsin protesters in Madison.

The second story concerns a US Department of Justice investigation of the Seattle Police Department and recent angry demonstrations against police brutality - both of which are the direct result of allegations of excessive use of force by civil rights groups. The NAACP and other organizations have called for a federal investigation into accusations that police have used violence against racial minorities.

were trying to say to the organizers.

The situation was a classic stand-off with police unable to stop the demonstrations without bringing in the riot cops. The liberal use of pepper spray and tear gas would have caused an entire new series of political backlashes, as well as a public relations nightmare for the state, so law enforcement authorities were forced to let the demonstrations continue inside the capitol building.

The thousands who had gathered that day stood by

PROTESTS AT STATE CAPITOL LEAD TO CONFRONTATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER FREE SPEECH ISSUES The following information is an attempt to document an incident involving freedom of speech which has not been reported by the US media. The events took place during the nation-wide Wisconsin solidarity rallies at the state capitol on February 26th in Olympia, Washington.

On behalf of the thousands of protesters who were inside the Washington State Capitol Rotunda on Saturday, February 26th, I am obligated to inform you that a major struggle for freedom of speech took place that day which has not been reported by the news media. It was a direct confrontation between the people and the state police in which the people won a substantial victory for First Amendment rights.

I was a speaker at the demonstration on February 26th at the Washington State Capitol building and was confronted by police officers from the Washington State Patrol who attempted to take possession of the megaphone we were using to give our speeches at the protest. Although the incident was not covered by any of the media, there were thousands of witnesses present and I’m sure at least a few of those people caught it on video.

Complaints have been filed with the ACLU and other civil rights groups regarding the prohibition of megaphones at demonstrations in Seattle and Olympia. This is an ongoing issue and in each instance of harassment, the police officer has failed to cite any particular law or ordinance which would justify such a restriction of fundamental free speech rights under the First Amendment to the US Constitution. This was again the case when the Washington State Patrol tried to confiscate the bullhorn at our second rally of the day on February 26th in Olympia, Washington.

Thousands of protesters had took control of the Washington State capitol building in Olympia with a prolabor demonstration in solidarity with the uprisings in Wisconsin. Braving six inches of snow and ice, supporters of Wisconsin’s labor unions met at the Washington State capitol to stand in solidarity and to protest their own state’s drastic budget cuts. Despite some clashes with members of a competing tea party rally on the capitol steps, the union demonstrations were boisterous but peaceful until the troopers tried to take over the state capitol building.

Union members and protesters were making political speeches under the capitol dome when Washington State Patrol officers tried to end the demonstration by taking control of the megaphone the organizers were using to rally the crowd. Without amplification the speeches could not be heard by the crowd who had gathered to support them.

At the direction of labor leaders, the demonstrators immediately locked arms and encircled the protest speakers so the police could not get access to the bullhorn. Hundreds of people were ready to join in the act of civil disobedience. The protesters started chanting “Freedom of Speech!” over and over until the entire capitol dome was reverberating with the loud echoes of angry voices. No one could hear what the state police

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in support of the protest organizers. They refused to let the police shut the protests down. A special thank you message was delivered to the crowd in Olympia from union organizers in Wisconsin. They were very surprised that so many people across the country had stood up to support them.

After some very tense moments, the state patrol eventually backed off and law enforcement authorities were forced to let the demonstration continue for the rest of the day.

The crowd inside the capitol was enthusiastic. Even though they faced possible arrest, the participants were willing to face prosecution without hesitation in order to protect what they interpreted as a fundamental battle to protect the people’s right to freedom of speech.

SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SHOOTING OF NATIVE AMERICAN WOODCARVER The Seattle Police Department is currently under investigation by the US Department of Justice for allegedly using excessive force on racial minorities.

This is a big story, especially considering the recent police shooting of John T. Williams, a Native American woodcarver. An official inquest found that the killing of Williams by SPD officer Ian Birk was unjustified. This finding, and the current refusal of county prosecutors to file any charges against Birk have caused anger in the community and there have been numerous protests against police brutality.

Dozens of civil rights and community groups were so alarmed by claims of police violence that together they called upon the US Department of Justice to investigate claims of excessive use of force and racial prejudice by members of the Seattle police force. The groups calling for DOJ intervention have included the NAACP and the ACLU. Currently DOJ officials are meeting with civil rights organizations and with SPD leadership as part of their review of Seattle Police Department’s policies on use of force.

Controversy over police violence has been raging in the streets for weeks as protesters continue to try to hold someone accountable. Most of the public believes that Mayor McGinn, the Seattle City Council and both King County prosecutors have failed to intervene in order to bring accountability to the police department for the actions of some of its officers. There is still a sense on the streets, whether factual or not, that even with the DOJ investigation, Seattle police are still sometimes ‘out of control’. A continual litany of incidents regarding alleged

police misconduct by SPD and other local law enforcement agencies have been exposed by the news media and on blogs. Even “law and order” voters in mostly conservative Lewis County are beginning to question the conduct of police in Seattle. But in the Emerald City of Oz, most public officials have turned away from any real action to reform the department. Instead, they are relying on the feds to clean up their public relations mess.

Even some members of the news establishment have been reluctant to admit there is a problem. A Fox TV news director at KCPQ was forced to resign after he refused to broadcast evidence of police brutality caught on camera.

There are numerous incidents that have been written about in the local press regarding alleged police misconduct in Seattle. The city’s reputation as a polite progressive community may have been shattered forever by these revelations. An internal investigation is supposedly still proceeding involving another Seattle police officer. A Seattle SPD detective was suspended from the force last spring after a video was released showing him stomping on the head of a Latino man and shouting racial slurs. The detective was cleared of hate crimes and in December the city attorney announced that no charges would be filed against him. Recent claims of police brutality involve SPD officers who have allegedly attacked individuals who later turned out not to be suspects in any crime. Their acts were caught on video by bystanders and security cameras.

There have been dozens of protests and increasing tension between police and anti-police brutality protesters. During one recent incident police used pepper spray and some dressed in full riot gear. People in Seattle are clearly angry because prosecutors announced that the officer who shot Williams will not be charged with any crime - even though an inquest ruled that the shooting was not justified. Many other incidents involving the alleged use of excessive force by the SPD and other local police agencies have prompted former US Attorneys, the ACLU, NAACP and dozens of other civil rights groups to demand a full federal investigation.

On February 18th three hundred anti-police brutality marchers took over many of the downtown and Capitol Hill district streets during a protest that lasted for many hours. Demonstrators left the designated route of the march after their rally at Westlake Park. They unexpectedly headed straight for the Seattle downtown business district. The spontaneous protest march was soon followed by police helicopters, officers on horses, bicycle cops, police cars and a small group of news reporters from the local media.

A few of the marchers were dressed in black and had handkerchiefs covering most of their faces. One of them held a black flag with the anarchy symbol. But most of the people on the street that day were students and neighborhood activists. It was a young crowd of collegeaged people concerned about police brutality and social injustice. Some of the demonstrators held traffic flares which they lighted when they encountered a confrontation with the police. For the most part they all marched along jubilantly through the streets of Seattle chanting,

written by Mark Taylor-Canfield “Whose Streets? Our Streets!” and “No Justice, No Peace!” One slogan at the protest which I remember in particular, because of its direct impact on me, was a sign written in big black letters that said - “This Is Not Baghdad!”

Several times throughout the roving demonstration, marchers blocked traffic intersections and sat in the streets. Law enforcement held back from making arrests for most of the day as they let the march continue to the US Federal Building, to historic Pioneer Square and the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

There was, however, some violence that night when protesters confronted police in the downtown shopping district. During that incident a protester was allegedly injured by a police car. The crowd reacted with instant anger and within seconds a group of demonstrators had jumped on the police car and smashed out the windows.

Police moved in and made some arrests at this point. An ambulance arrived in the middle of a major chaotic clash going on in the streets between protesters and the SPD. Police on horses were brought in to block the crowd’s progress through the city, but the marchers managed to filter around the line of police and they continued to protest near the place where the demonstrator had been injured.

As a result of this clash with police, several more people were injured. SPD officers unleashed pepper spray on the crowd and everyone began blindly running for cover, complaining about the chemical burn in their eyes. Some impromptu medic aid was given to the victims of the spray by volunteers in the crowd. The protest marchers washed their eyes with water until they could see again while being herded down the street by police on large horses.

After their clash with police, the marchers headed toward Capitol Hill, taking over all the streets along the way.

Police tried to stop the protest on Capitol Hill again by blocking a street with riot cops who held large batons and wore helmets with face shields. It was far too reminiscent of sights and scenes from the anti-WTO demonstrations. This time the SPD had decided to make their stand against the demonstrators a few blocks before the marchers could reach the East Precinct on 12th Avenue.

They probably saw this act as simply protecting their home base. The marchers were not intimidated. Many of them started to confront the cops in riot gear. On that street the police and protesters stood face to face.

It was obvious to me that the proverbial line had been drawn in the sand. I told the people in the march that the police were ready to kick some ass, but no one paid any attention to my warnings. The protesters were fearless for the most part. Activists continued to scream insults at the police line. Later that evening a conservative news reporter would complain that he had been forced to censor the audio track to the news footage of this incident on Capitol Hill because the language being used by demonstrators was so foul.

Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and the marchers decided to circumvent the police line. They were able to keep their protest moving through Seattle that night by simply going off in another unexpected direction each time they were confronted by law enforcement. The protest moved through the arty area where there are many live music clubs and bars on Capitol Hill. The protest was met by cheers from people outside the clubs and by thumbs up and honks of support from passing cars.

Despite the police actions earlier in the night, the demonstrators refused to give in until they had made their point by taking to the streets to face an embattled police department.

Despite their day long series of confrontations with the SPD, and in spite of the unfortunate injuries they sustained, the protesters say they are not going away.

These anti-police brutality activists have promised to bring the issue back to the streets of Seattle again and again until their voices are finally heard.

myspace.com/stlouissinner - myspace.com/seattlesinner

Joe Motor’s Conspiracy Theories Conspiracy theories, we all believe in at least one. If you believe in anything outrageous, someone will call it a conspiracy theory. There is a little bit of truth in all of them and some more than others.

FLUORIDE - Honestly, do you believe the government has been feeding us fluoride for years, because it’s good for our teeth? I once met a man with advanced Alzheimer's, who was 45. Do you think fluoride may have been a factor? Fluoride is a drug. The active ingredient in Prozac and was first used in Nazi concentration camps to keep inmates docile. Why has the American public become so docile and you don’t see the type of mass protests we saw in the 1960s?

CHEMTRAILS - When I was a kid, contrails dissipated quickly behind high flying jets. Now, some and only some leave trails, that don't go away, after they crisscross all over the sky above our cities. I said OUR cities. Scientists from around the globe have analyzed this and found they contain the deadly substances barium and aluminum, among other hazardous chemicals. Some theorize chemtrails are weather modification experiments, while others insist they are drugging the populations, or testing chemical and biological weapons on the public. CIA and military testing on the public is well documented, de-classified and readily available online, for those interested in researching the problem.

These quasi checker board clouds run together and make blue skies go away. Isn't any one looking up? This was not happening some years ago.

NASA MOON CONSPIRACY - Why haven't we gone back? Why doesn't the Space Shuttle venture into deep space?

Why do some so-called experts go to such great lengths to debunk most conspiracy theories? If some people are just wrong, so what?

Free speech isn't about being right, right?

DELIBERATE DUMBING DOWN OF THE PUBLIC CONSPIRACY - Why don't people stand up to government the way they used to?

Are we being deliberately dumbed down with TV, fluoride, chemtrails, government induced patriotism. We are becoming the most passive culture on the earth.

Look around, it seems the whole world wants to be like us, because we are a great as a country and as a people. The Constitution is what we were supposed to live by but these days, some are wiping there asses with it and our fore-fathers are rolling over in their graves.

Think I'm a nut? Maybe, but that is not the point. I have a right to believe in any damn thing I want! What good is free speech when most people don't exercise it?

When they dig us up, will they say, "These people were on the right track, but somehow became a bunch of mindless sheep and lost everything..."

For more on these issues and other conspiracy theories raised by Joe Motor some common resources would be: The Fluoride Deception - A book and documentary by Christopher Bryson What In The World Are They Spraying? - A documentary by Truth Media Moon landing Hoax Conspiracy Theory - A Documentary The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America - A book by Charlotte Iserbyt The Alex Jones Radio Show - Streaming online at www.infowars.com Coast to Coast AM with George Noory - Streaming online at www.coasttocoatam.com or in Seattle listen on KIRO FM Monday-Sunday 10pm to 2 am,

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D o Yo u H a t e W h a t Yo u A r e ?

written by Saab Lofton

“The true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality ... Our vanguard revolutionaries must idealize this love of the people ... We must strive every day so that this love of living Humanity is transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples.” – Che Guevara Meanwhile, right-wingers – laissez-faire capitalists in particular – HATE Humans, which explains why they worship Ronald (SIX letters) Wilson (SIX letters) Reagan (SIX letters) even though The Beast was guilty of this...

“Unemployment grew in the Reagan years...

At the end of the eighties, at least a third of African-American families fell below the official poverty level, and black unemployment seemed fixed at two and a half times that of whites, with young blacks out of work at the rate of 30 to 40 percent. The life expectancy of blacks remained at least ten years lower than that of whites. In Detroit, Washington, and Baltimore, the mortality rate for black babies was higher than in Jamaica or Costa Rica.”

–A People’s History of the United States ...the rich/powerful (the right-wing) hate paleskinned Humans too (but not as much)...

“A coal miner still dies every six hours from black lung disease.”

–the Reverend Jesse Jackson ...those who love Humans will ensure employment...

“If we lived in a society that said our first goal was employment at a livable wage for everyone, if the person living next door to you – if that person’s making $40,000 a year, what’s the chance they’re going to come in and steal your TV or harm you on the street? Absolutely none.” – Oscar winning documentarian Michael Moore Unfortunately, all too many are under the erroneous assumption that any attempt to abolish poverty will supposedly cause Stalin to rise from the grave like a zombie. That’s 100% pure, uncut bullshit.

“Twenty years ago when people here thought about socialism they were thinking about the Soviet Union. Now they think about Scandinavia.

In Vermont, people understand I’m talking about democratic socialism.” – Senator Bernie Sanders “Denmark and Finland have child-poverty levels of less than 3 percent, and are closely followed by Norway and Sweden, thanks to higher levels of social spending. In the U.S., 17 percent of children live in poverty.” – The Seattle Times “...higher levels of social spending,” which can only be afforded by heavily taxing the rich – and if any

libertarians claim that taxation is supposedly theft, BEHOLD...

“American railroads owes everything to government welfare... what did the government do for the 20,000 workers – war veterans and Irish immigrants – who laid five miles of track a day, who died by the hundreds in the heat and the cold? Did it give their families a bit of land as payment for their sacrifice? Did it give loans to the 10,000 Chinese and 3,000 Irish, who worked on the Central Pacific for $l or $2 a day?” – Professor Howard Zinn WORKERS CREATE WEALTH, so they should have easy access to it!

Since Scandinavia has proven Humans can share the wealth without the emergence of some Stalinistic stereotype, what’s the hold up? If it’s a hatred of Humans, then stop it! I mean, Michael Jackson suffered from self-hatred and look how HE turned out!

Let’s play compare and contrast: In Superman: The Movie (1978), Jor-El teaches his heroic son, “[Humans] can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way.”

In the same movie, the villainous Lex Luthor reveals that his father taught him, “people are no damn good” – later, in Superman Returns (2006), Luthor reiterates this cynicism, “people are a dime a dozen.”

Which assessment is accurate? Well, according to a man who was like a father to me, Professor Howard Zinn, “[the MYTH of Human Nature is] certainly wrong. And furthermore, it’s dangerous. Wrong, because there is no real evidence for it. Not in genetics, not in zoology, not in psychology, not in anthropology, not in history, not even in the ordinary experience of soldiers in war. Dangerous because it deflects attention from the non-biological causes of violence and war.” “...non-biological causes,” such as the Gulf of Tonkin LIE and the weapons of mass destruction LIE, Jedi mind-tricked the ignorant into obeying the military-industrial complex. Oh, if any servants of the empire claim that cutting America’s bloated military budget in order to afford eco-friendly job creation, à la the Apollo Alliance, will supposedly leave us defenseless, keep this in mind: The military budget for 2000/2001 was in the hundreds of billions; higher than that of any other nationstate. AND YET those planes STILL crashed into those buildings on 9-11, so shoveling money down the Pentagon’s Orwellian Memory Hole does NOTHING but make an elite of weapons manufacturers even wealthier.

“Ultimately, there is no military solution to the problem of terrorism.

We can defend ourselves best by working to eliminate the root causes of terrorism: hunger, disease, lack of education, repression.”

– Mark Zepezauer, Boomerang: How Our Covert Wars Have Created Enemies.

Those who love Humans will follow Zepezauer’s wise advice.

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myspace.com/stlouissinner - myspace.com/seattlesinner

The more and more I watch political developments in this country the more I become afraid of its future. written by Jason Sibert Our country was based on enlightenment and humanist values in the beginning and I think we’re heading in a direction where rationality is out and irrationality rules. I saw an internet video just a few days ago of a tea bagger activist, also a Marine Corps veteran, complaining about our big, intrusive government but he fled the interviewer when asked if he objected to the Veteran’s Administration health program.

I’ve also been appalled at the countless politicians who claim a hatred of Darwinian biology and loudly proclaim their belief that the world was created in seven days.

Amongst the same crowd there’s heavy opposition to stem cell research, which could be used to cure dreadful diseases and support for criminalizing abortion, which would lead to a huge underground trade in the practice. The same people who whine about the size and scope of government use government funded infrastructure to travel to their exurban homes and are buying a home over a thirty year time period because of a program called the Federal Housing Administration. Yes, there was a time period when home ownership was not as common as it is today. If you don’t believe me, just plug Federal Housing Administration into your search engines.

The political dialog in the country has hit an all time low with name calling becoming the biggest factor in politics. In addition, names like Beck, Limbaugh, and Savage are treated as serious observers of current events to too many people. Why have these names achieved the status they have? I think a part of it is a media environment which values shock and entertainment over seriousness.

Why do certain portions of our country like authoritarian voices? Because they offer security in a world which is both fascinating and confusing. We don’t always want to admit we can’t find the answers to personal, political and social problems so we adopt identities and play roles to fill in the spaces and give us an identity. A certain percentage of the population likes this because they like black and white answers to problems.

Why is authoritarianism so bad? In a humanistic culture we rely on the exchange of ideas to move our society and culture forward. Accomplishments in the fields of computer science, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and biotechnology all occurred because people asked questions about the accumulated knowledge in those fields and blazed new trails. Our forefathers saw decent in speech as so important that they placed it in our Bill of Rights. Real patriots ask questions and aren’t intimidated by norms in politics, art or religion, or technology. They blaze new trails in their field of choice because they don’t accept what came before them as fact and the gifts they give us in their field of choice – technology, art, politics, religion – have benefitted our society.

How do we battle the stifling influences of authoritarians? We battle them by asserting our individuality and creativity. There is no one recipe and each one of us can figure out how to do it. Our great country will never die if the individual stands strong against the current tide.

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HELLO, ST. LOUIS!... AND WELCOME TO THE TENTH EPISODE OF

OUR SINFUL COMMUNITY! Hello once again, St. Louis! For some reason I’m still your host, Chet Chesterson, and my job tonight is to feature some of our local businesses and celebrities with a bit of sinful flare to them. So all you in the audience please stand up and give yourselves a round of applause for supporting your sinful community – and all you folks out there watching on the boob-tube, give yourself a pat on the back, too. You each deserve it!

Alright folks, we have one heck-of-a show for you tonight. And if any of you out there are offended by the sex-positive culture, you may want to leave the room, because our guest tonight is The Sinner’s own Kendra Holliday, better known as Ask The Slut. So everyone on your feet to give the sexy Kendra Holiday an arousing welcome!

So it’s great seeing you again, Kendra. And let me add that you look just smashing, doesn’t she folks?

But how the heck have you been?

I’ve been great Chet, thanks! I don’t do bored, and life is so damn interesting. Endless possibilities, never a dull moment!

I don’t know how many members of our audience are truly familiar with you and what you do, so why don’t you tell them a bit about yourself? If that’s OK with you?

Sure Chet. Well I’ve had a regular sex advice column in The Sinner for several months now, and write and edit The Beautiful Kind, an online sex-positive community.

I’m also Co-Founder of Sex Positive St. Louis, which is part of the fast and furiously growing sexy St. Louis community! photo by Connie LaFlam

You know Kendra, you look so young to have so much experience in the sex-positive field... Just how long have you been helping folks with their sexual problems and curiosity?

I’ve been in the sex industry for five years now, but it’s really taken off the past couple years.

In today’s society, everyone asks about formal training. So what about you Kendra, any?

I have very little formal training or education as a sex consultant. All of the information and ideas I share with other people are based on being self-taught and 25 years of personal experience. That doesn’t mean I’m declaring, “Hey I’m sexually active, therefore I’m an expert.” If I’m curious about a fetish or lifestyle, I jump in and get firsthand experience.

I’ve had hundreds of sexual partners and countless unconventional experiences. Fisting, triads, orgies, golden showers, sex work, BDSM – my website is my vita. Others learn from my experiences, both good and bad. I’m happy to share my personal stories and resources if it can save others time and grief. I’ve worked hard and had to be courageous to get to where I am.

WOW! OK, that was a pretty interesting response, right folks? I’ll leave the follow up to that one on the table for now... Changing topics, I understand that your outspoken sex-positive views have landed you in a bit of an awful predicament. Can you tell us about it, without naming names?

Yes Chet, that they have. My sex-positive website got me fired from a nice job last April, so I decided to fully own it last fall and come out, truly embracing the “be open and honest” philosophy I espouse. Shortly after that, the shit hit the fan and my ex-husband sued me for full custody of my daughter. I’m not able to discuss details, as it is pending.

I don’t even know what to say, that’s just awful. On a positive note,though, I also understand that the folks here at The Sinner are trying to help by getting involved with a fundraiser that you’re throwing to fight this battle. So what’s the inside scoop on this upcoming project of yours?

I’m hosting awesome events every month, and this upcoming one has a new and exciting theme. Sex Positive St. Louis is partnering with the vibrantly talented artist Drew Digital for an art fundraiser at The Stable on March 16, from 5:30-9:30. The party will include an art show, live nude models to paint and sketch, live DJs, pizza, sex toys, and an awesome crowd! $5 gets you in.

Did you say “Live Nude Models” Kendra? My gosh, I know where me and the little woman will be on the 16th... Right folks?

Yep, now you know where you can find me naked in public this month - along with three of my very good friends.

Stacey, Steffy, David and I will be posing as the 7 Sexy Sins, I can’t wait!

I can’t either Kendra... I also know The Stable fairly well... With that said, how the heck did you get that venue to throw such an event?

The Stable is letting us use their incredible private upstairs 4000 sq ft. space, so we can get away with an event that takes it up a sexy notch!

Well, we have to wrap this thing up Kendra. So, where can viewers find more information about you, your situation, and this very sinful event?

Please RSVP on facebook - the event is listed as “7 Sexy Sins.” You can keep up with my unconventional adventures at www.thebeautifulkind.com and local events at www.sexstl.com.

I hate to say it again, but we’re once again out of time. I’d like to thank you for coming out Kendra, it was a pleasure as always. And I Iook forward to seeing you naked on the 16th... Just kidding, dear. And I want to thank each of you for coming out tonight and supporting your sinful community. It desperately needs you!

StoptheDrugWar.org DEA FINALLY ADMITS MARIJUANA IS MEDICINE

By Scott Morgan

I

f you thought they were going to issue a formal apology after decades of flagrant dishonesty, you would be mistaken. But the DEA is at long last conceding marijuana’s incredible medical value…by giving pharmaceutical companies exclusive permission to make pills out of it. “[M]arijuana has no scientifically proven medical value.”

So stated the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on page six of a July 2010 agency white paper, titled “DEA Position on Marijuana.” Yet only four months after the agency committed its “no medical pot” stance to print, it announced its intent to allow for the regulation and marketing of pharmaceutical products containing plant-derived THC – the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. (Alternet) The DEA can try to frame this any way they like, but the bottom line remains that authorizing cultivation for pharmaceutical companies is the end of the debate. Over. Done. Whatever nuanced distinctions the enemies of medical marijuana seek to advance from this point forward will be devastated by the simple fact that new medicines are being made out of marijuana with the blessing of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Conspiracy theories will abound, of course, regarding the potential f or a widespread campaign to shut down state-level medical marijuana programs and instead shove expensive pills down the throats of patients, while arresting providers and cultivators who refuse to comply. That isn’t going to happen. As much as the DEA and their corporate co-conspirators might fantasize about it, a full-scale assault on the medical cannabis industry is simply impossible from both a practical and political standpoint. These laws were put in place by the people and they won’t be done away with over our objections.

On the contrary, the emergence of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals has real potential to vest corporate interests with a stake in the drug’s overall reputation. Rather than distancing themselves from the origins of their products, manufacturers of THC-based medications will recognize that associating their product with marijuana is in fact a shrewd marketing ploy. Marinol has already done exactly that. People love pot and that’s going to be the key to selling these pills. As a result, we could soon be witnessing a seemingly impossible scenario in which pharmaceutical companies actually share our frustration when some drug war idiot comes along claiming THC causes schizophrenia.

Obviously, it’s unlikely that our goals will ever align perfectly with those of the pharmaceutical industry, but they’re clearly better at working with the DEA than we’ll ever be. Rather than viewing the situation as a threat to our continued progress, I think we need to recognize that various forms of industrialization will be the inevitable result of our hard work to de-stigmatize the drug. As that process unfolds, we’ll encounter numerous new and interesting opportunities to reframe the conversation about the dangers of marijuana. Even if this latest move by DEA is nothing more than a cynical attempt to thwart our progress somehow, I imagine it will backfire just as surely as every other tactic they’ve deployed in the drug war debate thus far.

Corrupt Cop Stories

by Phillip Smith, March 01, 2011 Michigan gives us two spectacularly egregious cases of corrupt policing, one of which included prosecutors and a judge, and we throw in the obligatory greedy jail guards. Let’s get to it: Prohibition’s filthy lucre is hard for some to resist. In Detroit, an Inkster narcotics officer pleaded guilty Monday in a case in which police, prosecutors, and the judge agreed to allow perjured testimony to be used in a bid to convict a cocaine trafficking defendant. Veteran officer Scott Rechtzigel admitted to lying under oath and agreed to testify if called in the pending trials of his partner and the prosecutor in the case, Karen Plants. Plants, the former chief of the prosecutor’s drug unit, faces a life sentence as she goes on trial this week on conspiracy and official misconduct charges, and the now retired judge, Mary Waterstone, faces a single count of official misconduct and up to five years. They all conspired to cover up the fact that a witness in the case was a secret police informant who stood to earn $100,000 for his work. Rechtzigel, a sergeant who ran Inkster’s Special Investigative Unit, had faced life in prison, but ended up pleading guilty to a single count of willful neglect of duty, and will not do a day of prison time.

In Lansing, Michigan, two Michigan State Police lieutenants were arrested February 23 on a slew of corruption charges accusing them of running a criminal enterprise from the Monroe state police narcotics investigation office. Lts. Luke Davis, 48, and Emmanuel Riopelle, 42, are accused of systematically embezzling money and property seized from suspects between March 2006 and December 2008.

In a search of Davis’s home that month, police found drugs and stolen property, including Vicodin, Oxycontin, steroids, a wall covered with a large quantity of men’s and women’s jewelry, 30 designer purses, 22 cell phones, computers, televisions, motorcycles, and a golf cart, among other items. The scheme blew apart after a complaint from a suspect that Davis stole personal property from his home. The following investigation showed that the pair developed a slick scheme to embezzle property through fraudulent auction sales. The items would later be resold.

Davis faces 24 counts including 13 counts of embezzlement, five counts of misconduct in office, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, one count of forgery, and one count of use tax violation. Riopelle faces 11 counts, including four counts of misconduct in office, three counts of forgery, three counts of embezzlement, and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise. Both face well over a hundred years in prison.

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Attention all wanna-be studs: You wanna pick up chicks? You wanna impress the ladies?

You want to be some kind of a “player”? You were right to come to me. This is your lucky day because here, for the first time ever, I will share my secrets for impressing the ladies and picking up the chicks.

I’ve been doing this a long time and have a bit of a reputation as a dedicated womanizer, and I’m not bragging, just laying down the facts here so that you know where I’m coming from. First off, to pick up chicks you don’t need to drive an expensive car, wear an expensive suit, or be some kind of Jersey Shore Guido. No, to impress the ladies and pick up chicks you need four things: charm, personality, flair, and a good sense of humor.

The first step for impressing the ladies and picking up chicks is the introduction, when you meet the chica for the first time, slyly introduce yourself, and impress her with your wit and charm. I have finetuned this to perfection and I call it the “Paul Diamond Blow Method for picking up chicks.” If done correctly the Paul Diamond Blow Method for picking up chicks never fails, and I am only sharing this with you now because I’m tired of seeing you dorks embarrass yourself in the bars.

The following is an example of the Paul Diamond Blow Method in action. This is a conversation you will have with a hottie, at say, a local dive bar. Believe me... I’ve had this conversation many times in real life and it always results in me getting the girl (or rarely, a slap in the face.) The scenario is this: you are at a local dive bar and you find yourself sitting next to an attractive chica at the bar.

You: How’s it going? (asking “how’s it going” shows her that you genuinely care about her welfare.)

Chica: Fine... (not real impressed just yet) You: Good to hear. Allow me to introduce myself. (pause) I’m your new boyfriend.

Chica: Ha ha. That’s funny.

You: What’s your name, sweetheart? (Note: some woman prefer to be called “sweetheart” while others prefer to be called “babe.”)

Chica: My name is Susan.

You: Ah! That’s my father’s name! (This will amuse her and by bringing up your father will show her you are a family man.)

Chica: ha ha. That’s funny! What’s your name?

You: My name is Miles... (pause)... Miles Long. (this joke will amuse her as well as titillate her imagination) Chica: Oh my gosh, you are so funny. Is that your real name?

You: My real name is (insert your first name here). I was named after (insert famous celebrity who shares your first name.)

Chica: Ha ha.You are too funny. (Now she’s warmed up to you and ready for a dorky pick-up line) You: I just have one question for you, Susan. Is it cold in here or are you just happy to see me?

Chica: Oh my gosh... oh my gosh... ha ha!

You: By the way, Susan, I have a magical watch. (Show her your wrist, even if you are wearing no watch) Chica: Really now? (Now she’s ready for the kill) You: Yes. My magical watch tells me you are wearing no panties.

Chica: Ha ha... really now? But I am wearing panties.

You: Oh... (give her a sly look) ...my magical watch must be fifteen minutes fast.

Chica: Oh my gosh. Ha ha. You are soo funny. You make me laugh. Do you want to go out with me some time? (The beauty of the Paul Diamond Blow method is you get her to ask you out. It’s an old Jedi mind trick) You: You bet. That would be nice. (Don’t sound too enthused, after all, you are a pro) Chica: Here’s my phone number. Tee hee!

You: Thanks, babe. I’ll give you a call some time. Now then, how about you buy a sailor a drink?

There you have it... the Paul Diamond Blow Method for picking up chicks in action. Take it home with you, study it up, practice it in your mirror, then take it to the meat markets. The Paul Diamond Blow Method for picking up chicks never fails if done correctly. You will at least get the girl’s phone number or – if done incorrectly – will get a slap in the face. Take your chances, good luck! (And don’t forget to bring a Huggy Blow condom.)

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THE PUNK SHOW Bruised Bones & Bloodied Lips for The Gate Keepers

When your idea of a good night out with the guys is putting on a pair of roller skates, numerous body pads and protective head gear, for the sole reason of knocking each other off your asses, you might be a Gate Keeper. And if that’s the case, you were probably in attendance for the Gate Keepers’ fundraiser on February 26th at Fubar. It was certainly a night of bruised bones and bloodied lips, a first-class punk show!

As sponsors of this event, we were present to document the bands of this Punk Show first, and to have a good time second. It’s the nature of the beast, even for this amateur rag. And to be brutally honest, I was there for The Fuck Off And Dies – the name of the band alone is something The Sinner should cover.

How many times does a reader of any media find a band titled The Fuck Off And Dies on the back page without FUCK covered up? Probably never before The Sinner came to town and did so the last two months. We had already featured The Haddonfields and The Scam over the last two years, so we aren’t strangers of this scene. We’re Punks at heart, which means supporters of free fuckin’ speech, like not censoring The Fuck Off and Dies. Yet, with all of our intentions of free speech and true punk coverage in mind, we got something far more raw than what we expected, a punk show with the novelty of a band with the word “Fuck” in it. We got force-fed an old-school punk show, and we left with the bruises to prove it!

As a promoter of shows myself, picking a band out of this line-up to open this gig would be a challenge on any day. Somehow The Haddonfields drew first blood – and it couldn’t have went better. There’s a reason these drunk bastards were featured in The Sin

ner last year – they kick ass!, And that “ass” they kick deserves a few more explanations points behind it, like “They Kick ass!!!”

Second up was The Disappeared. This band brought so much energy to the stage that it became a challenge to chase them around and keep the camera focused long enough to get one straight shot. In the sweaty aftermath of their set, long after they had disappeared, you get the taste that they’re not the punk of The Haddonfields, or The Scam, or The Fuck Off And Dies, but uniquely Punk. And well worth all the sweat to get one shot, too.

Direct Hit from Milwaukee took the stage next in support of our local Gate Keepers. I expected these rockers to be the weakest link of this punk-chain, but I was ignorantly deceived. Direst Hit is a punk force to be reckoned with, on the road or at home. I was so impressed I was prepared to buy a shirt, but they didn’t have any black ones left. And that says something about any road band. And if you don’t think it does, you don’t know shit about shit – so fuck off and die!

There’s only one thing I can say about The Scam, these guys hate everyone – you, your mother, even your shit-head dog! For example, one member of The Scam called the The Fuck Off And Dies, The Suck Off And Cries. Just a few months ago they verbally attacked Ultraman on stage at Fubar to the point that it had to be taken outside by Bob of Ultraman who is also the owner of Fubar. And at their Halo show on March 5th the owner pulled the plug on them after eight songs! These guys want you to hate them. They don’t give a

fuck! And the crowd they bring compliments their old-school punk nature with violent pits like no other local band. And that’s why The Sinner invited them to play its next Sinner anniversary show on the 25th at The Crackfox.

Last up was The Fuck Off and Dies.

This was the band I really wanted to see.

Not because their lead singer is also the main man behind The Story Of The Year, but to see how many songs they sing that has “Fuck” in the lyrics. As I stressed at the beginning of this rant, I like the use of taboo words to express freedom of speech, like Fuck. And these cats did not disappoint. It was a different vibe and pit than The scam, though. The gals from The Arch Roller Derby Girls who hid during The Scam came to the front stage for the more laid-back punk of The Fuck Off And Dies. But it doesn’t matter how anyone calls the night and its punk, it was well supported and well applauded! And it was for a great cause... Gatekeepers!

by Lauren Napie TOP 5 THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE BEING IN A BAND EASIER: If clubs adhered to set times. You say the show starts at 8 do you? Well, count on nine. And count on the fact that the set times won’t be accurate either. Wouldn’t it be easier to tell your fans (or your friends who came out after work) exactly what time you played and not have it be a half hour off? Just because you are a local, lovable, dive-y venue…doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be professional.

If you actually got paid for your time. No one expects to get rich off of their thirty minute set, but some gas money would be nice. Or maybe enough to pay a small portion of the practice space rent. We don’t have practice - we sound like shit at your venue…in theory. Some bands manage to just play with weeks of non-practice and sounds as tight as if they practiced that morning. We don’t have gas in our van – we don’t get to your venue.

St Louis, MO

A smooth soundcheck. Stage right. Stage left. It’s not all that difficult. Start with your amp a little lower than you think it needs to be. Listen to the sound tech.

Drink tickets rather than drink coupons. You want to give us a dollar off a Pabst? How about since you’re not going to give us any of the door money, you at least give us the cheap beer to wet our whistle.

That well whiskey is not costing you quite that much. Plus it adds to that rock star charm our audience loves so much…or at least we tell ourselves they love our swagger or drunken lean.

If bands would bring their own equipment. Some of us never learned to share. Some of us don’t trust you with our shit. Why don’t you bring your own drums to the show? Got a cab? Bring it. Someone else doesn’t want to do the honors of lugging their equipment around, just so you can be unencumbered. If it’s offered…great! But don’t expect it.

On the upside, the good things about being in a band outweigh the negative. Clearly. The guys (or girls), the glitter, the whiskey, and the sweat. It all makes a lovely combination with a bittersweet aftertaste.

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The Clown Returns

ON THE SCENE AND HEARD FOR MARCH There’s a lot going on this month, and I have big news to tell you! All of The Sinner Favorites have something going on that you don’t want to miss - or at least some things you want to know about it.

WARNER DRIVE will be at Fubar on Mar 9 for their CD release party, an all ages show.

Even though it’s a Wed, I’m expecting a huge turnout for this one. I desperately need a repeat performance from this band! Not sure yet though if I’ll be attending. Trying not to want something too much or you know it’ll slip right through my fingers. I may have to be satisfied with The Complete Home Entertainment Care Package (CD, shirts, posters for my Hero Wall). Not the same as getting to hear my songs up close and personal, but such is life.

DUST AND BONES CD release party on Mar 12 at Pops! If you’ve never seen this band play before - NOW is the time.

Sleaze Rawk Ain’t Dead! They promise a Rock And Roll Show and they DELIVERcharisma, ambition, and talent–a stage performance second to none with radiofriendly songs that you’ll have stuck in your head for days after the show. My personal favorite is “Alice’s Wonderland” ‘cause the lyrics intrigue me: ”...cocaine eyes and a pirate’s smile... Sending me tumbling down the rabbit hole.” As this one’s on a Friday, I intend to be there FRONT ROW, CENTER for my boys!! (Thanx for the love in your liner notes, guys! It means the world to me) Good news for Moe & Company in SCENE OF IRONY, they’re headed to the UK from Mar 9th through the 17th. I spoke to Moe recently to find out what’s going on with the band, to find out they’ll be playing in England in the cities of Leeds, Wellingborough, Manchester, Kettering, and Bristol with a band called Eastfield from Kettering, England. This is their 2nd tour of England and they’re a huge hit!

THE REEBS are headed for the studio soon!

Can’t wait to hear what’s next for these guys. Eddie’s one of my favorite crooners EVER. Their songs are often irreverent, kinda mean, and kinda dirty, yet all in good fun.

photo submission by Sven White Clownvis performs at the Atomic Cowboy in St Louis on Feb 12th

I may have told everyone by now, but in case I missed a few peeps: NEW WEBSITE FOR OUR BANDS : www.nashvillerock.org My good friend and collaborator, Irish Nancy/NashvilleRock, and I have launched a new website to showcase our favorite bands, where music lovers can join our community, create a user account, chat with each other as well as allowing the bands to post their tunes, pics, videos, even sell their merch. So far the site has received about 1000 hits and we’ve only had it up a month.

We’re looking for participation from local St. Louis musicians, bands ~ I want to have a page devoted to SINNER FAVORITES. If your band has ever been featured in the Sinner, we’d love to have you on board. There are no fees involved, it’s totally free to use.

It just so happens that the bands I mentioned earlier, WARNER DRIVE and DUST AND BONES have joined the site and have gotten shows in Nashville. I’d love to see more of my bands come on board. The plan is to coordinate shows between St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville, and build a new circuit for traveling bands where local bands of all flavors can expand their neighborhoods and fan base.

Malice In Wonderland

13

at the King Cat in Seattle, WA Feb 5th 2011 photos by Mystic Photography

St Louis, MO

The Comet Feb 20th Seattle, WA photos by Mystic Photography 14

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Raising Hell With Guitar Doug

Antique Scream Taking touring to an extreme

T

he grueling, unglamorous, touring lifestyle of Antique Scream is so extreme, even some of Seattle’s most hardcore rock musicians shake their heads in disbelief when talking about the band. In this story, we get in the trenches and behind the scenes with a band who spends more time on the road than any I’ve covered since my interview with HIMSA two years ago.

Even as I type these words, Antique Scream has packed their gear – the cans of tuna, the guitars, the amps and drums - and hitting the road with Seattle’s own Witchburn, a rock-n-roll powerhouse, whose first ever story and interview was here, shortly after their first show at El Corazon.

April 1st is the band’s off-the-hook, homecoming bash at the 2 Bit Saloon. Also on the bill are former Sinner Rock Artists of The Month, High Class Wreckage, a band who stunned and shocked readers a year ago with an in-your-face, no-holds-barred, hardcore interview here, titled “High Class Wreckage Unmasked The Explicit Sex And Drug Interview.” That story was so controversial, it almost never saw the light of day, but we are here to bring you the truth, as crazy as it may get, when covering some of Seattle’s wildest, craziest and most over-the-top artists. Nobody said rock-n-rollers were well behaved and I am not about to pretend they are in this column. Seattle rockers are the most hardcore in the world and what they do and say is what we print, without censorship.

The first time I met Antique Scream was about a year ago outside the Central, after they headlined a show. They were starting to pack their gear into a dilapidated old mini van, but took about a half hour to speak with me. Singer/guitarist Chris Rutledge immediately took the role of band spokesman and chatting it up, while drummer Bill Fees and bassist Stu Lasswell carried the gear out of the club, stacking it up haphazardly on the sidewalk next to the van.

Chris came off as confident about his band, but unusually humble, considering how popular the band was becoming around the clubs. In Seattle, it seems the better the band, the less bragging a music journalist has to stomach when dealing with them. It’s almost as if a band like Antique Scream assumes that if you don’t “get” the band, you’re obviously a dork, so there’s no point in trying to sell you on the thing. The best bands I have dealt with in Seattle, almost without exception, are humble. Every single ego-maniac, or braggart, has been a person who has far less musical background, training, and playing ability than they are letting on. You won’t get much bragging out of Antique Scream.

After a couple of cigarettes with Chris, and the customary local rock chit-chat, I asked Chris where they lived while not on tour, just out of curiosity. He pointed to the van. “Usually, in there. That‘s our home, right now...” almost in a manner where you understood it was no big deal.

The van door was wide open, and among other things, I could see band gear, papers and all sorts of food and drink containers strewn about. Truthfully, the van was a complete mess and it looked like it hardly ran. It didn’t exactly pass for an ocean front condo, but I suppose it looked livable, If you really wanted to make a go of it. It was then I started to get an idea of just how far this band would go to be able to do what they do.

From what Chris told me, the van was essentially the only permanent home the band had at the time because they spend so much time on the road – and as far as I know, a van still is. Though, as Chris explains in the interview below, they now have a “full size” van.

Some nights, or in this case, during the early

morning hours, I feel like I’m covering a war zone, or disaster area, rather than Seattle rock. What some of these full time rock musicians are doing out there is no joke, but covering them as a writer for over four years, it’s easy to become de-sensitized to the harsh realities of it. Some of the stories that would have shocked me a years ago just go in one ear and out the next, because there are always more.

I figured at the time, if they were not sick, dealing with a broken down van, broken bones, tackling some sort of drug problem, or trying to recover stolen musical instruments, they were probably doing better than half the other bands in town. The truth is, the lifestyle of a Seattle rock band like Antique Scream is not unusual as all.

do, though it usually makes sense the moment you see them on stage. As long as there is a stage somewhere, with a place to plug in some guitars and set up some drums, everyone’s happy.

With Antique Scream, collecting fans – like other people who collect KISS memorabilia – seems to be the motivating factor that drives them to tour, anywhere and everywhere people will listen. There’s no real money in it, some inherent danger in crashing in a van or the couches of people they have just met, and a day to day struggle keeping enough gas in the tank.

As far as a touring rock band, Antique Scream does it full time, as a lifestyle. Dozens of other Seattle bands and thousands of others from all across the country, live the life as well. A long haired, amplified, nomadic subculture, where the currency is drink tickets, places to sleep and other basic necessities.

In this interview, there is no real hook, like some past stories. There are none of the tales of smashing up the green room, UFO encounters, street brawls, guns being pulled, groupies in the bath tub, drug abuse, demonic possession, or any of the other topics we normally get into here. Only an honest interview with one Seattle rock musician, whose band essentially gives an accurate snapshot into the lifestyle of a touring Seattle rock band.

First off, how’s the mini van holding up these days?

We actually have a full sized van now! Thank God! We did three U.S tours in the mini van, though. That was rough, because we didn't know as many people and spent quite a bit of time sleeping in that thing.

You’ve got to work with what you have.

“I thought the woman was just a bad drunk or something.

Turns out, she was schizophrenic instead. Bill and I kept waking up to her yelling at herself. She also tried to lock us up in a room before we left her house. We ended up sneaking out the back door while she was outside.”

I set off to head home at about 3 am, as the rain began to turn over to heavy snow. Only the crazies and crack heads were still milling around Pioneer Square at that hour, but Antique Scream were about to sleep in their mini van. The whole thing was rather routine.

It was just another night, playing another show, in another city, crashing wherever afterwards.

When you really get down in the trenches with some of these Seattle rock bands, and really look at what they go through, it stuns a persons sensibilities.

Sometimes, I have to wonder why they do what they

How is this band able to get along, spending so much time living and sleeping in such cramped quarters?

We lucked out, I guess. We all get along the majority of the time and we don't have any button pushers or prima donnas in our band.

What types of strange things go on while on tour, the average person might not even think of?

We certainly deal with our fair share of bullshit on the road. I guess, it wouldn't be a tour if something didn't happen. On one of our last U.S tours, we got stuck in Bowling Green Ohio for 4 days because of van issues.

I don't think we'll ever visit that place again!

I can also say you meet some very "interesting" people on the road. A lot of the people you meet are great, but sometimes you end up staying with someone that is bat-shit crazy. Our last incident was in Eugene Oregon. I thought the woman was just a bad drunk or

something, turns out she was schizophrenic instead.

Bill and I kept waking up to her yelling at herself. She also tried to lock us up in a room before we left her house. We ended up sneaking out the back door while she was outside.

What exactly do you guys eat, touring around from town to town in a van?

Our diet on the road consists mainly of Dollar Menu side salads, ramen, cans of tuna and anything else that is fairly inexpensive. However we do all have a weakness for Waffle House.

What is your view on record labels and what advice do you give newer bands who want to succeed without one?

Record Label? What's that? I'm sure there are perks to being a signed band, but I personally don't know what they are yet. However, you don't need to rely on a record label to get your name known. My advice for any band that plays any form of rock oriented music is to HIT THE FUCKING ROAD!!! It's pretty much your only chance at success unless you are very lucky. You have to go out there and find your fans.

If you are broke, as we often are, hold a tour kick off show, get paid and use the money on gasoline.

Make sure to get as much money as possible out of every show you play on the road. Even $20 is better than nothing. It really is possible to be a self sufficient band.

One thing we've learned is that hotels are a waste of money. We personally either stay with someone we know, or met at the show. Worst case scenario is that you'll spend the night in the van. We have had to do this quite a few times. It's really not that bad. Get a 24 pack and drink the motherfucker until you pass out.

What news do you have about upcoming projects for the fans.

Antique Scream has quite a bit going on right now. We are about to start a tour down to SXSW with one our favorite local bands, WITCHBURN. This should be a great tour. It will be a new experience for us doing a full month with another band. After that tour is over we'll be hitting the road once again from April 5th until June 11th! We do, however, have a kick ass show before we head out again. It'll be April 1st with High Class Wreckage and Hobosexual @ The 2 Bit. We also have a 7inch coming out very soon, should be done getting pressed by March. It's called "the chronicles of dirty dick". It's going to be a really limited edition item. We are only making 300 of them, a 100 of which will be pink. This is being released courtesy of Detroit's Saw Her Ghost Records.

Who are some of the Seattle bands you are personally into at the moment?

There are a lot of great bands out of this town! Some of my favorites would have to be Witchburn, High Class Wreckage, All Bets On Death, Ancient Warlocks, Atomic Bride, The Badlands, The Blue Ribbon Boys and Junkyard Amy Lee, just to name a few. All of these bands are very talented and have something unique about them that I enjoy.

Remember, Antique Scream will be throwing a homecoming bash, April 1, 2011 at The 2 Bit Saloon in Ballard. Also on the bill, are High Class Wreckage and the band The Swillbillys.

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Jet City Burlesque pictures by Matt the Photographer

With an array of wonderful talent to pull from in Seattle and its surrounding areas, Jet City Burlesque often sets out to show you the comical, the sultry, the beautiful and the bawdy with their performance selections. Always looking to help out the community, Hottie McNaughty (the mad genius behind JCB) produces shows that benefit an array of very worthy causes, all while delighting the audience. Bear-ly Naked Cabaret is the fourth benefit show produced by Jet City Burlesque and benefited the bear cubs at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

Wigs, fishnets and rhinestones descended upon The Baltic Room for a packed show on January 15th. Hosted by Sydni Deveraux, this show encompassed all that is irreverent, sexy, hilarious and bawdy in Seattle burlesque and boylesque. Lily Verlaine delighted the audience by teasing and ultimately rewarding show patrons with roses while Belle Cozette convinced people to go back into the water as a sexy sequined shark. Fuchsia FoXX showed people exactly what it means to be “The Hot Pink Exotic Machine” and Paris Original mesmerized everyone with his charmingly naughty Music Box. No Jet City Burlesque show would be complete without a hilarious pop culture reference and Iva Handfull delivered that with her Napoleon Dynamite tribute that brought the audience to its feet. Those people that were able to shoehorn themselves into the show should consider themselves lucky.

Those of you who didn’t? Well don’t miss the next one!

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If Hottie McNaughty is involved then you know to expect Matt The Photographer to be there, documenting the event. As Hottie's signature photographer, Matt always captures the event with an artful eye. The show also brought together Sydni Deveraux and Matt who won juror's choice at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival 2010 with a photograph of Sydni. Known for his edgy black and whites and his beautiful bodyscapes Matt is also a much sought after wedding photographer.

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Dennis the Menace

photo by Dan Costello

Benefit Show

Words by Emily Eufinger Friday, February 18, people from all over St. Louis gathered to support an invaluable component in the local music scene. Dennis Williams recently had some health problems, and the Way Out Club held a benefit show to help him with his medical bills. Al Swacker and photo by Phil Stucker

Narvel P. Tuffnuts from the Clownvis Mafia was in attendance, and got a bit sentimental in between shots of whiskey: “What can I say about Dennis? He’s come through for the Clownvis crew on more than one occasion and has always been there when we needed him.

A couple times at the very last minute he was able to hook us up with a friend of his to fill a role in the show: Cockroach Calhoun—blind albino jazz man—and let’s not forget Rim Job Ronnie, the biggest rat I have ever seen. To be honest, now that I think of it, I’m a little worried by the company Dennis keeps. Just kidding man you know we love you.”

There’s really not much else to be said; this scene—this town—wouldn’t be the same without Dennis. He has our support, love, and well wishes.

the Poison Hearts performed, along with LOUG; there were raffle prizes from Clownvis, Danno’s, TRX Tattoos and Piercing, Evil Prints, and more.

The St. Louis music scene would not be what it is without Dennis the Menace. He drums the heartbeat of this city as The Trip Daddys’ percussionist. He owned and ran FiFi’s—now closed—one of the only local rockabilly clothing stores this town ever had. He DJs all over the place, giving life to the burgeoning rockabilly scene. And if any one of us—his friends, his family, his fans—ever had a problem, he would be there—to play a show, donate merchandise, whatever—without question, in a heartbeat. photo by Dan Costello

photo by Dan Costello

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Rave is King

Local Chaos Presents

The Chop Tops at Club Motor in Seattle, WA February 12, 2011 photos by RJB Photo

written by Travis Webbwerx

R

ave has never been what its cracked up to be. Countless would-be underworld masterminds, seedy drug dealers and gothy would-be vampire anti-heroes have all discovered that the rave in movies is not the rave in the real world. It’s a culture of acceptance that has been burned by the mainstream and now prefers to keep its doors closed to sensationalistic news reporters. A relative lack of media attention has allowed raves to thrive in the Emerald City.

What better artist to interview as a start to my rave culture column on than producer “FUKKK OFFF” (Coco Machete Records Hamburg, Germany)? On Saturday in the grimy wood-ceilinged warehouse called Motor in the Sodo “FUKKK OFFF” showed Seattle ravers what banging Electro is all about. The “FUKKK OFFF” sound is edgy bass driven square tooth with a hint of house sped up to speeds that would make the trilby wearing clubbers of the square shit themselves.

“FUKKK OFFF" gained major notoriety after a monster hit with is anthem “Rave is King,” a bass driving flat four electro house track that incorporated classic rave staple synths from the early ninties and a female robotic text voice that just makes you want to… The sound is pure “FUKKK OFFF” and has raised him from near obscurity to international rockstar status in the world of rave.

Dripping in sweat after his hour and a half performance in front of what he call the edgiest hardcore ravers he had seen in the US we had a quick chat about his music, rave and the future of electronica.

Genitorturers Studio Seven Seattle, WA 3/2/2011

photos by Mystic Photography

What do you think of Seattle?

Cool, I’ve seen anything like it. Not even in California where I played last night. Its rowdier and hardcore. More like Germany. I like it a lot.

Do you play more raves or clubs?

About fifty-fifty, but I prefer more smaller club like this one. I play big raves and its not as fun.

When did Electronica happen for you?

It started in the mid-nineties with hard trance. In the nineties I was listening to hip hop. I had my first experience with my friend when I was fifteen and he snuck me into a club. I was amazed. And one year later I start to make my own show. I got an Amiga.

So you started with Cubase?

Ah yea, when I started at first I used Protrack it was very limited- four tracks. But then I got some money. I bought some stuff and got Cubase. I started out producing minimal.

Do you dj or do you have have a setup up to produce live?

Live. I got Ableton with a little Ipad controller and with some faders. I love it I also use it for some producing.

Why “FUKKK OFFF”?

“It’s because I was pissed off. I was pissed off at minimal I was pissed of at my ex-girlfriend, I was pissed off and I think its a good name so that question comes up.“ What do you think the future of electronica is?

“I don’t know. It’s just always moving. Always going. I just going to go with it, but try to keep making the 'FUKKK OFFF' sound.”

After our brief interview “FUKKK OFFF” was rushed out by promoters intending to take him home, only to live up the reputation of German producers by ending up out in front of Motor playing with his fans as they crowded around him after the event.

Sh

Shit Gets Smashed and Piston Ready @ 2Bit Saloon Shit Gets Smashed photos by Invisible Hour

Piston Ready photos by Isay Meow

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Pisces

W

ell Pisces, it seems that you have survived the darkness of winter, the hell of holiday and family. With each deep breath of fresh spring air you feel the pressure easing. You should, spring is a good time for most creatures. We migrate and mate, and we sing and dance as the snow melts into waterfalls and flowers bloom. As a Pisces you’re inclined to sing and dance, but don’t expect Lady Luck to take a seat at your table while you sing karaoke at The Rickshaw. Other fish like Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain and Nat ‘King” Cole never had it that easy, so end your ridiculous fantasy now before it turns your blue sky grey. Besides, my disturbed Pisces, there are greater problems facing you this month.

Yes, you are a bit disturbed, and have been for some time. We both know that. I can sense the chaos of your soul miles away from you now as I sit behind my desk. Sure, you do a fine job of disguising it at work and play. At least you think that you do. Well friend, people whisper about your pot and alcohol use behind closed doors. They worry about you, and that they should. I feel your argument, that it’s just pot and it’s almost legal here in Seattle. No big deal. And your obsession with the cult is harmless, too, as is the pentagrams that you doodle and the satanic metal you blast late at night. No big deal. Or is it?

I don’t know if your god hears your prayers or not, wishes of warmer thoughts with these sunny days, but I do. Unlike many that know you, I know your baggage. We all carry a suitcase of some size, but yours is a bit heavier than most. I won’t say it here, but I know you’ve experienced some far out shit in your teens. Of course we both know that those memories are just the tip of this painful root that haunts you night and day.

You still harbor ill feelings for your mother’s abusive behavior, and for good reasons. I know that when you doodle your “harmless” pentagrams late at night while singing “Night Prowler” by AC/ DC that you fantasize of carving this symbol onto her body, after having beaten and raped her. Like I said, you’re fucked up. As you sing, “Was that a noise outside your window? What’s that shadow on the blind? As you lie there naked like a body in a tomb, suspended animation as I slip into your room...” evil thoughts enter your mind. Thoughts of climbing in windows and acting out your fantasies on innocent strangers. You need help Pisces, a team of psychiatrists for that matter working around the clock to flatten the wrinkles in your warped mind.

Heed my advice before you find yourself standing over some elderly woman, gun in hand, cigarette in mouth. They’ll be no turning back when that stoned, drunk night becomes a reality. They’ll be no “sorry”, no passing go again, no $200. Not one juror will care about the abuse and the violence of your youth, only the drugs and booze and the satanic music and cult infatuation that stained your crime scene. And the “I heard voices” defense will get you nothing but laughs. So will telling the court your thoughts: “You do not understand me. I do not expect you to. You are not capable of it. I am beyond your experience. I am beyond good and evil. Legions of the night, night breed, repeat not the errors of night prowler and show no mercy. I will be avenged.

Lucifer dwells within us all.” Those may not be your thoughts word for word, but they did come from another famous Pisces, Ricardo Muñoz Ramírez, AKA: The Night Stalker. On each of the fortythree counts against him the jury found him guilty, landing him with nineteen “special circumstances” that gave him nineteen death sentences.

So my dear Pisces, take a vacation to Mexico. Go bask in the sun, drink margaritas all day, smoke pot all night, and for god’s sake, get fucking laid! Let those bad memories die. If not, you may find your sunny days are hindered by concrete and steel bars. And that’s not a healthy place for a fish.

Disclaimer: For all you crazy, fucking weirdos out there, this horrorscope is for entertainment purposes only.

It does not in any shape or form depict any real characters or situations in your near future. So please don’t kill anyone. Killings bad, MmmKay?

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photo by Larry Cohen

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF...

Michael LeAnn

Michael LeAnn was born and raised in Seattle, and aside from the cold conditions, says she just loves the city. Unlike many beautiful women, she takes pride in possessing several skills other than just modeling; for instance, she’s a General Contractor, Bartender, Booker/Promoter, and Networker Extraordinaire. She stands a solid 5’9”, with her “pomp & heels”, weighs in at a perfect 105 lbs, and sports a size 2, B cup. This question even got her to laugh out, “Lets just keep it simple. You send the gift card & I will take it from there...”

If you’re thinking about asking this local hottie out, know that she’s turned-off by people who eat the last piece of pizza. And be prepared to wear an animal costume, sport a Burt Reynolds’ mustache, have a beer gut, know how to make a slot machine pay out, and cry if you want to turn her on. Yes, the bar is set pretty high, except for the beer gut and Burt Reynolds’ mustache. Also, know that she’s passionate about her friends and enjoys Charlie Sheen, The Seahawks & everything from Dr. Dre to Julie London. When asked to describe herself in one sentence, “I’m working hard to make things happen and strive to surround myself with like minded people that have passion & ethics.” If interested in chatting with Michael LeAnn you can contact her at MichaelLeAnnBooking@gmail.com.

And now, I give you The Seven Deadly Sins of Michael LeAnn...

GREED

I always eat the last piece of pizza

WRATH

Piss me off & I will pull the plug

SLOTH

I love to sleep. My alarm clock caught fire years ago & I haven’t replaced it. I don’t like them.

GLUTTONY

ENVY

Sometimes I wish I was you so I could hang out with me... I kid. I kid.

PRIDE

I put my heart & soul in most everything I do, so when I see the results of my efforts I am proud.

LUST

I confess I have impure thoughts..... constantly

I always eat the last piece of pizza

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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF...

Megan Stegman

Megan moved to Louisville from St. Louis at a young age but eventually returned during her high school years and has been here ever since. She likes to think of herself as a gypsy, somewhat of a nomadic creature from her traveling as a youngster. She sports an arousing figure of 34-27-39 with ease, a figure that many girls would kill for.

It takes a A SENSE OF HUMOR to turn this sexy gal on, so you’ll need to make her laugh until she pisses herself. You’ll also need AMBITION! GOALS! MOTIVATION! A guy who is going somewhere other than the skate park. And she says you can add DEVOTION! LOYALTY! HONESTY! to that list, along with COMPASSION! and INTELLIGENCE! She says if a guy can go toe-to-toe with her mentally, her panties will drop with ease. And you’re going to have to be WORLDLY CULTURED, with a sex drive as high as hers!

And you’ll need stamina, stamina, STAMINA! What won’t get her turned-on is Bad Hygiene and the polar opposites of all the characteristics listed above.

Her ideal date is Hanging at the casa while dinner is cooked for her and sipping on some wine with her Man. But if your talking about a first date, she would have to say the ideal date is something low-key, like playing the [Nintendo] Wii, ordering in pizza and then grabbing a beer.

Megan’s also passionate about animals, she loves them all and is a huge softy when is comes to any animal of any kind. When asked to describe herself, “I’m a Ying & Yang: One large dark side, a smaller light side, but sometimes the darker side conquers all.” If you’d like to chat with Megan in person, she says to come see and see her at Mandina’s Sports Bar Monday and Fridays from 11am – 6pm.

And now, I give you The Seven Deadly Sins of Megan Stegman...

GREED

GLUTTONY

WRATH

ENVY

Life is too short. If I don’t get it someone else is going to get it. I want everything I can get now.

I don’t forgive! I will get my revenge.

SLOTH

Sometimes you just gotta lay in. I don’t feel guilty about it either. It’s maintenance.

PRIDE

Jealousy is a disease... get well soon bitch.

I don’t deny myself pleasure of any kind. Eating is a delight, almost as much as sex is.

Yeah, I’m comfortable being me, but I gotta say, it sucks that others have access to things I don’t have.

LUST

Hate to quote an old film, but the world is not enough. I want it all.

Skin Deep with Stu L

Photography by LB Photography (LBfoto1@yahoo.com)

et me start by Saying that the purpose of this monthly column is to offer information and a personal view on matters involving body piercing and modification and is in no way meant to put myself above any other artist in the industry. Secondly, if you have a horror story and choose to share it with us, DO NOT give the name of the artist involved as I will just omit it anyway. There are many artists in the St. Louis and surrounding areas that deserve nothing but the utmost respect from myself and supporters of our shared profession. If you have a question about piercing/modification, a story, or just a desire to better understand the culture and would like that answered, please send them to: Stu@StuModifies.com.

Mr. Chuck Foster (you know... that pretty gentleman that makes this paper) asked me to talk about stretching this month. Specifically he would like to know the best way to get from 0 to 1/2” as quickly and safely as possible. So we will start here... the best way to think of jewelry size is in millimeters instead of gauges or inches because that will help you to better understand the difference in jump per size up. Here is a little chart that can help.

Gauge/Millimeters and Inches 18g 1.0 mm 0.0310467” 16g 1.3 mm 0.039758” 14g 1.6 mm 0.0459” 12g 2.1 mm 0.06349” 10g 2.6 mm 0.077396” 8g 3.3 mm 0.0948” 6g 4.1 mm 0.1046” 4g 5.2 mm 0.2363” 2g 6.5 mm 0.387” 0g 8.3 mm 0.4007” 00g 10 mm 0.4375” 7/16 11 mm 0.457” 1/2 12 mm 0.5” 9/16 14 mm 0.5625” 5/8 16 mm 0.625” 3/4” 19 mm 0.75” 7/8” 22 mm 0.875” 1 “ 25 mm 1” Now as for method there are many to select from. There are tapers, which I dont really care for, you can use weight which is a good method but can take some time to do right and does thin the lobe on some people, or you can go a totally different route and have scalpelling done. All of those things are method that are regularly done but honestly the one that worked quickest for myself is the use of teflon tape. Now lots of folks in the industry will bash this method because it is really for the impatient and is not using shop grade materials but half of those guys started out stretching with paper clips anyway haha.

Teflon or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is a very common material used in body modification.The most important thing is to remember to keep the jewelry clean at all times. What I suggest to people who want to increase size rapidly is to take the teflon tape and wrap twice smoothly around the jewelry and put a very small amount of gel water based lubricant on the jewelry and put it back in your ear being careful not to over stretch. After a few days remove the tape, clean the jewelry and wrap 4 times instead of 2. Do this until you reach the next size.

NOTE: STRETCHING SHOULD BE DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL! THE ABOVE IS MEANT TO REDUCE THE RISK FOR THOSE WHO DECIDE TO DO IT THEMSELVES... PLEASE BE SMART IT’S NOT WORTH YOUR EAR TO SAVE A FEW BUCK... IMPROPER STRETCHING WILL CAUSE DAMAGE AND TRAUMA TO THE TISSUE. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR ARTIST!

All questions will be answered by email or by a request for you to call me directly and may be in the next issue of the St. Louis Sinner! Thanks for reading!

Stu (Myspace.com/StuModifies - Facbook.com/StuModifies) - Stu@StuModifies.com

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SINNER

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The STL Erotic Art Show

O

nce again Koken Art Factory’s erotic art event – Naughti Gras – turned out to be a hit! Every year it gets bigger and better! With only two nights over 3,000 people filled the place! There was something for everyone – art, food, drinks, sexy performances, live music and opening up for the first time, the coffee shop Shameless Grounds! Three rooms were filled with over 230 pieces of art from over 120 Artists. About 40% of the art was sold. Crystal Rolfe sold both of her pieces as well as Insomniac Studios. Some other Artists who sold pieces were Kelly O’Keefe, Kristy Flint, Kelly Richardson, Miriam Coffey, Kylie Schweiss and Charity Tovrea.

Charity Tovrea is hosting an Art Show at Koken Art Factory on April 16th called Renaissance Pt. 1 Rebirth of the Soul. "The idea behind the show is that we, as artists, need to step up as visionaries, making our more beautiful ‘world’ visions a reality that will inspire everyone around us to creativity and positive change. I think it's 'bout time for a revolution of the artist kind.” Submission deadline is April 1st, so Artists get working!

The cover art for this issue is by Casey Kasparek, new to St. Louis, but a very talented Artist with a huge background in Art! “I have exhibited quite a bit, but regardless of how many shows I have and all the places I go, I am still trying to break through... it's all about who you know.” The cover piece is titled "Vince", one of a five-part series entitled "Who's Your Uncle". It is a set of oil paintings on canvas that has been prepped with newsprint collage picked specifically for each portrait rendered. The series was executed for the 2010 show "Infliction Addiction," that was also held at the Koken Art Factory. The show was in honor of the tattoo artist Honest Mitch of Trader Bob's Tattoo shop located on Jefferson Ave., who had recently passed due to cancer. The 2011 "Infliction Addiction" show will be at 2730 Cherokee on April 2nd this year. The originals are still available, as are prints. Both can be found on his website under the "art" tab at www.caseykasparek.com.

The entertainment was wonderful and breath-taking! The “tank” room and basement were filled with people dancing to music by Dogtown Allstars, Funky Butt Brass Band, Gumbohead, Ellen and the Felons, The Livers, Bottoms Up Blues Gang, and Old Lights & Miss Molly Simms. And Naughti Gras featured performances by Lola Van Ella, Gravity Plays Favorites, Ami Amore’, Peter Peculiar, Roxy Red Rockets, Beggars Carnivale, Sammich the Tramp, Whiskey Kiss, Fiona Flame and more! In the main gallery performances were done by Exotic Rhythms Bellydance, Sumaiya Bellydance and lots of sexy rope tying done by the talented Bitsy Bittersweet! All of this for only $10 a night! So, if you missed it this year, don’t miss it again!

You can catch The Beggars Carnivale this month on March 19th at 2720 Cherokee St. or Renaissance Pt.1: Rebirth of the Soul by Charity Tovrea at Koken Art Factory on April 16th.

by Gina Simon

The Surly Gourmand Devouring Slices of Misery so You Don’t Have To

L

ecosho is so goddamned awesome, Jesus Christ obviously came back from the dead to eat there. Unfortunately, Jesus came back from the dead a couple thousands years too early to eat at Lecosho, which sucks for him and all the zillion of people who died without eating there. Almost as motherfucking awesome as Lecosho is the fact that Word’s spell check software recognizes “motherfucking” but not “Lecosho.” That’s progress.

The handmade spaetzle ($6) was tasty. This price got you a big bowl filled with shitloads of chewy pasta squiggles, the golden-brown ringlets mounded up like a careless toss of a pretty girl’s head. This cascade was topped with a gossamer pile of microplaned romano, like cheesy dandruff on Goldilocks’ head. $6 also got us a bowl of balsamic lentils with potatoes. The lentils, heaped up like coins in a long- lost undersea treasure chest, were perfectly cooked, each one gleaming separately like emeralds. The eponymous balsamic vinegar kept a respectful distance; with each bite the vinegar made itself known without yelling “IT’S ME, MOTHERFUCKING BALSAMIC VINEGAR BITCHES” at the top of its vinegary lungs. Atop this savory pile were three medallions of grilled potato, seared a pleasing burnt sienna outside, soft and pillowy inside.

Grilled polenta was, at $6, similarly priced and also similarly as awesome. Three scalene triangles of polenta, sides perfectly straight as though cut by industrial machinery, were crusty outside yet as fluffy and silken as a cloud of pussies within. They were lightly salted and graced, like the spaetzle, with another microplaned drift of romano.

Housemade sausage with roasted cabbage and apple slaw ($10) was okay. The sausage itself was so fucking good, I’m totally gay for this sausage: when cut into, this juicy glans of pork sausage ejaculated a lurid gout of juice all over the plate. The meat was delicately seasoned, and very finely ground into a perfect sausage. Sadly, there was only one of these awesome homoerotic sausages for the huge-ass bowl of cabbage. The roasted cabbage and apple slaw was great: crisp, sweet, maybe a bit too tart, and did not at all smell even the slightest bit flatulent, as cabbage sometimes can. A dressing of housemade mustard came close to overwhelming the slaw, but those canny Lecosho assholes stepped right back from the brink, and so it tasted (mostly) balanced.

Spicy coppa salad ($9) was the only thing I’d consider a misstep. Arugla, pickled beets, and a couple blobs of goat cheese were piled atop a couple thin slices of coppa. Like a bitchy Republican from a Podunk congressional district, these beets screamed red-faced at full volume, dominating the proceedings. The goat cheese, obviously designed to counter the beet’s tirade, proved ineffective at quelling the uproar. Unlike the balsamic vinegar in the aforementioned lentils and potatoes, the pickled beets didn’t have the good sense to back the fuck off. The spiciness of the coppa only added fuel to the fire, intensifying the bitchy flavor. Each bite of this salad was like a brass doorknob with lightning bolts shooting out of it. The arugula was fresh, at least.

Cavatelli ($15), on the other hand, managed to be spicy without losing its cool. A big bowl of cavatelli, supple and folded little packets, a magnificent pile of pasta vaginas, were evenly painted with a rich orange tomato sauce. The sauce, like the coppa salad, was unapologetically spicy, but the creaminess of this sauce kept it from flying off the handle. Bitter skeins of braised kale twisted throughout the bowl, and the whole thing was topped with the recurring pile of finely grated cheese.

But probably the BEST FUCKING THING we ate was the porchetta. Affordably priced at $17, we got a huge meaty slab of porchetta. If you don’t know what porchetta is, allow me to explain with this fanciful meaty analogy: imagine a world made entirely of meat. The crown prince of this fleshy land is a fat kid. His torso is meatloaf, his cock is a salami, and each of his legs is a whole prosciutto. His fiery, proud eyes are spicy meatballs, and instead of freckles, his nose is dotted with bacon bits. All hail Prince Meatyass! In his hand he holds the sacred symbol of his office, Porchetta: a pinwheel made of meat, this holy relic spins lazily in the carnivorous wind which blows across Prince Meatyass’s kingdom.

Well, maybe I went too far with that dumb fantasy. After all, how unrealistic is that? Kings don’t carry pinwheels!

Duh. But that’s what porchetta is: a pinwheel made of pork. Lecosho’s porchetta was superb. A whole pork tenderloin was rolled up in pork belly like a jelly roll, then the whole thing was roasted. Sliced into cross- sections and finished in a pan, the belly was as yielding and juicy as when your girlfriend comes home drunk, and the central core of tenderloin was tender like a skinned knee after having been constantly basted by the fat of the belly. The porchetta was perfectly seasoned, with a rind of crisp skin, and served on top of a mound of white beans and thinly sliced baby turnip. The beans were creamy, and the baby turnips, cute little while minarets topped with a precious green crewcut, were piquant and sweet. It doesn’t, my friends, get better than this.

We didn’t get dessert. If you’re still hungry, get more porchetta.

Lecosho is badass. Unfortunately for Jesus and George Washington and Rick James and all of the other sad motherfuckers who died, they will never be able to eat at Lecosho, but I lived long enough, so fuck you, dead people.

Rating: 9.5 dead out of 10 Lecosho is located at 89 University St at the Harbor Steps. For reservations call 206-623-2101.

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One Nation under Swine: Sinful Indulgence at Hammerstone’s Words by Emily Eufinger - Photos by Dan Costello “Pigs sleep and root in shit. That’s a filthy animal. I ain’t eat nothin’ that ain’t got sense enough to disregard its own feces.” —Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction, 1994)

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t the corner of Ninth and Russell in the Soulard district, there is a man … a man with a quest. A humble quest … humble, yet noble. It is a quest … for PIG. Some call him crazy—maniacal even—others just call him Jeff the Chef.

Currently the Head Chef at Hammerstone’s, Jeff Lowe developed a love of food and penchant for cooking early in life. With several family members in the catering business, cooking was a way of life that just seemed to come naturally to him.

Lowe worked in kitchens since the age of 15, but never went to culinary school. He does, however, possess a B.A. in History, a B.S. (yes, a B.S.) in Philosophy, with a Psychology minor from Truman State University.

He didn’t set out to be a chef. While backpacking the Appalachian Trail, somewhere in the state of Vermont, another traveler gave him a copy of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. Lowe read the whole book overnight, and woke up knowing that a chef’s life was the life for him.

One can’t help but notice that pretty much everything on the menu at Hammerstone’s has some kind of pork or pork product in it—even the Grilled Portabella Mushroom sandwich is accompanied by homemade bacon jam. That’s right, bacon jam: spreadable rendered bacon and onions (just for fun, read that again, slowly). Most spurned of all meats, the tender and delectable flesh of swine is deemed too impure for human consumption by certain religious sects, making for distinctly delicious sin.

Thankfully, Lowe fears not that which is deemed unclean for the lips of the righteous. As he worked at more and more restaurants in the Midwest, he found that we raise really good hogs here and no one really cares about it; people still eat it dried out and well done. Thus began one man’s quest: “the quest to help people respect pork.”

Undertaking such a diabolical crusade is not without its perils; what about all those docile vegetarians and vegans one might alienate? Lowe responds with refined wrath: “As a Buddhist, I don’t mind vegetarians. … Vegans can suck a dick and

leave. They’re the fascists of the food world; don’t care about them.”

Not only is the man a proud sinner himself, but like a true harbinger of vice, he distributes his devilry to the masses: his Beer Cheese and Bacon Soup has earned him a cult following. Twice a month, a group of about 15 deviants enter the temple of Hammerstone’s to worship at the altar of this culinary temptation. Over time, and four different restaurants, Lowe has achieved gluttony incarnate with this recipe.

A chef’s pride and envy are at constant odds with each other. Humility is a character flaw not to be suffered—you have to be confident that what you’re making is good—yet Lowe admits to coveting the recipes of others. Naturally, though, pride stipulates that if you take inspiration from another’s work, you must alter it to make it your own.

So if you want to indulge that primal urge tingling in your abdomen and quench the lust burning the tip of your tongue, submit yourself body and mind to Hammerstone’s, where your greed will be rewarded with liberty, justice, and pig parts for all.

For more information go to http://hammerstones.net

Diggler’s Lounge at The Shanti

East End Girls (above) at The Shanti

Mardi Gras Party at DB’s Sports Bar (above, left, below)

This, I Shamelessly Tell You Is Seattle Doing Too Much Bellybutton Gazing, or Maybe It’s the Weather

by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid I’ve gotten over the crap storm that ensued after I spoke out (call it the whole Saturn/ Mercury/Neptune dance that was going on in the universe a few weeks ago) about the whole ‘woodcarver shooting’ incident. I got stirred up over the idea that a man who had been a fixture (and often too inebriated to make his desire for spare change known to passersby – me included) around Capitol HIll, came to a bad end because of his substance abuse problem that had gone untreated.

Folks assumed (wrongly), that I felt poor Mr. Williams DESERVED his untimely death at the hands of Officer Ian Birk, and from that hip shooting point of view, basically skewered me a new one on my Facebook page. A whole lot of them defriended me and honestly, I wasn’t sorry to see them go, as there were getting to be some pretty nasty names being sailed my way like cow pies.

I concluded that Seattle (which a friend of mine, described once as being at the bottom of a canyon, because of the surrounding mountains that rise above this thin-skinned little city) was just being the Seattle I’ve come to lampoon and shake my head at. The one that will tie up traffic to make a point, long after the rest of the folks around us have moved on and are concentrating on bigger issues in the world.

The one that has people who are not African-American wearing messes on their heads and calling them dreadlocks, because they’re not in touch with their own, often equally rich cultures. The one that does, in truth, want justice for the little person, even as they embrace the illusion that this is ‘L.A. or New York Lite’ (with all the snobbery and high prices included).

I no longer celebrate the Seattle Police Department, as I did, often, when I worked for Seattle Gay News, and would flirt with certain officers at events I’d attend as a reporter, covering stories, and would later mention them in my Lipstick and Lust column. I no longer can, with a good conscience. In fact, in spite of my daring opinion on the ‘woodcarver’ matter, I do think SPD’s guilty of a phenomenon that seems to have swept not only our country, but the whole world. I (and my slave/sweetie), call it ‘topping without consent’. That state of someone with power (often which has been given them, rather having it earned, or in the s/m world, having it imbued with one’s prowess as a top in the dungeon) abusing someone in a lesser position, the position in the s/m world, called ‘bottom’.

I don’t cotton to folks who top without consent, but I also don’t feel those who constantly put themselves in positions to be topped without their consent (by seeing oneself as a victim, when one is not really any more a victim than the person topping them, or by what I call ‘living life on one’s knees’) should garner the great hue and cry folks in Seattle often give folks who find themselves on the bad end of ‘topping without consent’. True, the society we live in seems to have institutionalized both situations for the benefit of those who want to keep power, and keep even those of us who are tops, on our knees.

Also, let’s face it, the top, in the world of corporations, or the military is seen as the best of the best, where the bottom is seen as weak and a person to be crapped on.

I think this comes from how we view bottoms, which often embody what society seems to deem ‘female traits’, what society sees as weakness. Thus, there is a growing trend in this society to put away the female, the intuitive, the traits associated with earthy or people of color societies, like the one Mr. Williams (the woodcarver) come from. So, I think the whole matter is more about a broken society, than one situation, as a lot of my now, ex-Facebook friends seemed to think. Doesn’t excuse the SPD, but it does make me think a deeper look is required, on both sides of the issue, if there’s to be a clear outcome and a better way to go than what’s happening now (which seems to be an even worse situation of folks thinking every person in a uniform deserves to be shot down like dogs in the street). Two wrongs, or even more don’t make a right, and each of us always has a choice to bottom or not, no matter if the person trying to top us is holding a gun.

This column will probably convince people that I’m evil and bad and maybe even get more folks writing my FB page with nasty things to say. Honestly, I’m over the whole sordid mess, and just want to be focusing, instead on the joy of consensual topping within my relationship with my slave (who chooses to bottom, and is a strong advocate for the ‘little person’ and fair justice, as am I). This, and my horror writing career, which will hopefully make it so I can move out of Seattle, to some more mature, openminded place, like say, Ballard (hey, the farmer’s market is full of some pretty bohemian folks and they like me).

Ah, and we now have our memberships back, (after enduring the same economic hardships most other ‘have nots’ have had to endure since ‘the economic crash’ three years ago) so we’ll be even more focused on the joys of exploring our top/bottom relationship in our club, with others like us. Time I won’t be thinking about what folks who mostly gaze at their bellybuttons for meaning, or look to other cultures for purpose do or say.

This, I shamelessly tell you.

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How Come You Don’t Have AIDS? Dear Kendra, In reading through some of your adventures, it seems you have gotten into quite a bit of naughtiness in the past. I’m curious: how do you juggle casual behavior with safety (of the STI/sexual paranoia variety)? Condoms only get you so far, especially when dealing with (near) strangers — I’m wondering how this tightrope act of safety vs. fun works for you. ~Cootie Police Dear Cootie Police, Your question reminds me of a quote I posted over a year ago by Germaine Greer: “Despite a lifetime of service to the cause of sexual liberation, I have never caught venereal disease, which makes me feel rather like an Arctic explorer who has never had frostbite.”

Check out these fascinating facts: Number of people a friend of mine has had sex with in his life: 6 Number of times he has had sex in his entire life, rough estimate: 50 Number of STIs he has had: zero Number of people I have had sex with in my life: Hundreds Number of times I have had sex in my entire life, rough estimate: 1 million Number of STIs I have had: zero So what’s the deal? Early on in my sex history, I was an idiot. I had a guy pretend to put on a condom in the dark but didn’t really. I had unprotected sex with random hot guys. I had a boyfriend accuse me of giving him an STI but it turns out he had hemorrhoids. I have often had sex with three dudes in one day (sometimes they were all there in the same room, and sometimes I spaced them out over a 24 hour period and they didn’t know about each other). Verdict? Sheer fucking luck.

But hey, one guy I didn’t sleep with was Darnell “Boss Man” McGee, a player from East St. Louis who slept with over 100 14-year-old girls in the span of a year and infected over 30 of them with HIV. Don’t worry, he was shot and killed in 1997, so your 14-year-old daughters are safe now. For sure, a big factor is who you are sleeping with (go for the inexperienced geeks!) and what your environment is like (be white middle class!). STIs are more prevalent in lower-income minority neighborhoods.

Being educated also helps, but hey, shit happens. Luckily I wised up later on, and used condoms religiously when I attended orgies or turned tricks with total strangers. I also refused to swallow casual semen (full disclosure: I have never used a dental dam when eating a woman or made a guy wear a condom for a blow job). It’s true - you’re way more likely to get an STI when you are the one being penetrated and that other fellow is depositing bodily fluids in or on your person.

I’m going to get spanked for saying this, but do you think that maybe, just MAYBE, the whole STI epidemic is exaggerated at least a little by conservative/religious people in an effort to scare folks and encourage monogamy, our society darling?

I mean, I’ve been involved in the swinger community in at least three states and am a member of a local polyamory group, and I have never heard of a case of the clap making its rounds. Have any of you swingin’ or poly people witnessed any disease outbreaks? And I really do think that some of the incurable STIs are made into something bigger and badder than they really are - for sure you don’t want HIV or Hepatitis C, but warts and herpes?

TONS of people carry the HPV virus - if you’ve slept with four people you more than likely carry it (I’m sure I do, though I’ve never seen an outbreak) and herpes is similar - most people only have one or two outbreaks and are not as plagued with it as the drug companies want you to believe.

If you’re sexually active, get tested regularly. I get tested every three months. Check the www. sexstl.com Links page under “Sexual Health” for testing centers.

Got a sex, relationship, BDSM or fetish related question? Ask your local sexpert, Kendra Holliday, Writer & Editor of The Beautiful Kind, and Co-Founder of Sex Positive St. Louis. love@thebeautifulkind.com - www.thebeautifulkind.com

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