TucsonTied Blog

I sold my soul to Satan.  Or so I’m told. 

And yes, dear reader, Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, also sold a piece of himself to the Devil…I kid you not.  It’s the reason this long-time Spidey fan dumped comics…that and I thought my money was better spent on my business (models)…lol.  “A New Day”, or something like that…the title of the thing escapes me at the moment.

So what about my deal with Mr. Scratch, Mephisto, Satan, etc?  Before we start, let me just say that I want to post about this, but it’s kinda sensative, so no names will be mentioned…except, mine, natch.     There has to be a start to the thing, right?  A time or place where all this madness happened…

Twitter.  The Devil’s playground. 

My Twitter feed, by the way… http://twitter.com/TucsonTied   One of my models and I are pretty big on Twitter…we converse, yak, and have fun there a lot with each other and other Twitterers.  It’s a good way to pass time when you should be working (lol)…I don’t know about her, but I have a blast on my feed.  Well, said blast got noticed by someone who’s rep…well, let’s just say, “less than untarnished” and leave it at that, k?   A fellow producer…and he turned out to be a hoot.  The three of us started ripping up Twitter together.  Well, one day into the “Twitterfriendship”, he asks me about a “Guest Gallery” of my work of said model at his site.  K…interesting.

Firstly, what IS a “Guest Gallery”?  Basically, a set of my work, published on his site, with a link leading back to my site…kinda like a “Guest Starring” role on a tv show.  His site gets good traffic…gives her a new audience, gives me a new audience, gives him some subscriptions, gives me some “token” sales…it seemed like a “win” all around.  That could’ve been the end of it right there and I could’ve just green-lighted the thing, but I never move on something like this without checking all bases…I ran the idea by the model as well.  She approved, loving the idea, as it could also attract her more business as well (other photographers view his site…).  Her first response to the idea was about ME, ironically enough…she asked if I would be credited.  Not even thinking of herself, but of ME.  I kinda like that.    I even offered her the ability to sit with me as I chose the images…but she was involved in other projects, and told me she trusted me to pick the best of the best we’ve done.  Wasn’t easy, let me tell you…we’ve done some GREAT stuff.

Let’s be clear on one point: it was close to FetishCon, and it was also a thought in both our producer minds that maybe it could generate her some more photography offers for the convention.  IT WAS A BUSINESS DECISION.  You could almost call it a “publicity stunt”.

I send him the images…he puts them up on his site, advertising the coming of the model and my Guest Gallery to his site, on Twitter.  The shit hits the “Twitterfan” almost immeadiatly…as a Twitter member on my feed blasts me for selling my soul to Satan (his words), and that his respect for me is now gone.  Yes, he used no names (as I myself have not), but it was more than obvious who he was talking about.  I wasn’t the only one who noticed…the model did as well.  I’ll avoid the worst of the ugliness, and just say that he and I got into a small fight on Twitter, with, admittedly, me doing most of the fighting…lol.   My temper got the worst of me and after months of intermittent innuendo attacks (which I didn’t respond to as I felt it would be of no gain), it all exploded.  This one was the straw that broke the camel’s back…I’d had ENOUGH.  We went back to our own corners of Twitter, and haven’t spoken since.

That was almost a month ago.  So, why bring it up now?  Two other producers have asked me to do “Guest Gallery” exchanges for their sites.  Am I selling my soul again? 

Here’s the thing that has me bugged.   This was such a vile and personal attack that I now find myself double thinking business decisions for my site just so I don’t offend one or two people with apparant axes to grind.  WTF is that?!  I need to be diverse in my thinking to reach all audiences…ALL of them.  Personal wars and squabbles don’t and shouldn’t play a role in BUSINESS decisions at ALL.  And this one must’ve worked…I barely saw the model all ‘con…lol.  I run my business and nobody else…ME.  And the way I run it is proper…otherwise I couldn’t look myself in the mirror in the morning.

By the by…was just driving this morning and looked down at the odometer…84666.  Should I be scared??? 

Tolstoy

I’m sick.  Boo-hoo for me and a giant, “WAAAAAH.”  Thinking about it, this is pretty much the way a GUY reacts to being sick…

I think that covers it, no? 

Meh.  Slow day, so I’m taking the opportunity to catch up on the archiving of my stuff.  Putting the material on disc…some on cd, some on dvd depending on how much material each model has.

A guy at Facebook offered to buy both.  Wasn’t sure how to take that…was he just asking for prices on material, or was he a rich dude who wanted to buy everything I’ve shot in 3 years time?

One could only wish…le sigh.  How much would I even charge someone to buy everything I’ve shot over the last three years, anyway?!  Ponders…..

Gonna be thinking about this for at least three weeks now…thanks, a LOT!

“Tolstoy”

Used to be when we heard music, we were happy and joyous.  Hearing random music was a good thing.

Now, when we hear music, we check our cellphones to see if that was ours going off.  Maybe the boss called and I have to go in to work today; or maybe the wife called to ask us to stop for a loaf of bread; or maybe…

“Tolstoy”

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh. 

I needed this.  An extremely slow kind of day.  I’m off from the “day” job, just kicking back and relaxing.  Watched a good movie; one of my faves, “V For Vendetta”.  For some reason, the DC Comics movies (Watchmen, V For Vendetta, Wanted…and even to some effect the new Batman movies) affect me more than any others.

They get me to THINK.  I like that.

One would hope that more serious movies would have that effect…you know, the high fangled ones that win critical acclaim and Oscars (and generally star either Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks)…but nah, these are the ones that get me.  Just goes to show that we all have our ways…there’s always just one real way into our souls….

Look at me, I’m all philosophical today…lol.

Just loving life and living SMALL right now…nothing that needs done, nothing that needs doing.  Just kick back and relax.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. 

“Tolstoy”

(The author wishes to add that not all of these postings are meant to make sense, but just the thoughts of a producer put onto electronic paper.  Sometimes they make sense, sometimes not…  Especially when he needs a cookie.  I need a cookie. )

In my entry about my 4th shoot with Stacie Snow, John Egan asked…

Good question.  There’s a few things I wanted to touch on with this question, which is why I made it it’s own entry.  Let’s take this step by step…

It’s a bit like you describe when you first start out as a producer…somewhat.  One thing you viewers don’t get when you just download the pics is that these women are real people as well, with thoughts, feelings, and lives their own.  That’s one of the reasons I do the “Model Profile” entries…so you get the “human” aspect as well.  Oftentimes before a shoot, you spend time talking about life in general, and you get the connection that you might get with a friend…some of the models I HAVE befriended in real life as well.   Heck, Stacie and I just yesterday spent about an hour talking by text about what she was currently doing…picking apples at a local orchard, then off for some wine tasting.

Point I’m trying to make is, yes, they’re all very highly desirable, young, attractive women…but they’re PEOPLE as well, and you remember that when you’re wrapping the ropes around them, and it becomes easy to just forget about the sexual aspects of the situation.   You just throw yourself at the work and allow it to BECOME work (while keeping the “fun” aspect alive with witty banter with the model), and you’re able to keep focused on the situation.

That said, I am human and I did have a “reaction” at a shoot once, early on in the game.  When I felt it beginning, I gave myself a sound mental bitchslap (lol), and was able to keep focused on the work…thankfully, it hasn’t happened since.    This is the factor that seperates the professionals from the ones who aren’t…if you can’t keep your mind focused off the model and on the ropework, you’re probably going to do crappy bondage…so learn to stay focused.

On top of all this, after you’ve tied your first dozen or so ladies (yeesh…my count is officially at 43 now with Stacie…), it becomes familliar territory.  Believe it or not, the ropework can actually be boring to apply at times, and feel like you’ve just punched the clock for the thousandth time.  Yes, I’m serious!  It rarely happens, but it does…that’s one of the reasons I never book a shoot out more than 2 weeks in advance…if I have a shoot coming up a month away, I start to get the “dreads” and almost want to cancel because it feels like “work”.  In that 2 week period, I can get all psyched up for the shoot, do what little planning I do (I don’t plan things out to a whole…I hate making a plan then having to change it…that infuriates me), and be fresh and ready for all the “action”.

Another thing that keeps you on point is the timing.  Models generally get paid by the hour, so if you have a limited budget (which I almost always do), you have to keep moving so you’re able to get everything in to the money you’ve alloted to spend.  I hate owing models money (and I’m sure they hate BEING owed), so I’m focused on getting the job done and done RIGHT.

In closing, how do I keep from being a “walking woody” during my shoots?  By being a professional, and respecting the models.  I think that’s why they all love me so…;)

Thanks for the question, John…haven’t had so much fun writing something in a long time!!

“Tolstoy”

LOL…I think you all know about my “sis”, ex TucsonTied model, Angel. Brief
re-cap for those who don’t…Angel modeled for me a few times, and she and I got
along so well that we “adopted” each other, becoming “brother” and “sister”.

My lovely "sis", Angel

My all-time fave bondage shot of Angel

And, some sexy pink rope stuff...

We’re in contact at least once a week now, even tho she’s retired from modeling.
Just got an e-mail from her that was a HOOT…and she gave me permission to
share it with you all (with some name-changes and editing, natch):

The twins (she has 2 year old twin boys and an 11 year old son) are great and
chewing on everything as always. They chewed up their entertainment center in
their room. I went to Home Depot and picked up a piece of Plexiglas for the
backing. Thats the part they keep chewing off and getting to the cords.

So, my 11 year old and I are in the store talking to some dude named “Denis”, My
son gets irritated because “Denis” is checking his mother out. (gets funnier
later) Anyway, they told me that I should use screws and washers to make sure
the glass stays in place. I was watching “Denis” fumble around for awhile
getting irritated so he called over someone else. This someone else (I can’t
remember his name) was very helpful.

He found the screws and washers, but this gave me time to think of a better more
efficient way to mount this on the entertainment center. I was all “Can’t I just
use flat brackets?” The look that crossed both of their faces. I explained to
them that it would cover more space on the edge then a simple screw and washer.
They had that look of “OMG she knows things”. I suppose they are not used to
women having a technical brain? So the new guy tells “Denis” thank you for his
help and tries to shoo him off, but Denis is not going to give up that easily
apparently…

He follows us to where my son, the dude and myself are walking. My son at this
time is glaring at Denis.. finally my son snaps his head up and says ” DUDE SHE
IS MARRIED AND MY MOM!” I was dumbfounded! Loss for words?? the other dude
started to laugh and Denis turned BRIGHT red and wondered off… holy shit put
in place by a 11yr old. HAHAHAHA how damn funny is that. On the way outta the
store my boy tells me… ” I’m sorry mom, but you are not a piece of steak… he
looked at you like you were!” Anyway gonna go maybe I will call ya laters.. love
ya.
Your Sis,
Angel

She did call and gave me some more details…apparantly the young man is growing
up…he recognized “the look” that “Denis” was giving his mom…because he
himself was more or less using it on the girls in school!! Ah, me…

LOL and too funny, huh?
“Tolstoy”

I can’t get her outta my fraking head, shoot-wise!!

I should probably be looking for other fresh faces for TucsonTied; other lovely ladies who can pose for me…but for some reason, all thoughts come back to Stacie Snow.  Bizarro…

Stacie Snow

Oh, waitaminnnute…now I remember why!  She’s a doll to work with…a sweetheart in person and a lovely lady to boot.  Huh…I already said that, didn’t I?  Hmmph.

I’m hooked.

Stacie ponders her bondage...

 (Gotta get Stacie back in those heels again…wow!!)  Been a while since a model had this kind of hold on me, creatively…probably not since Angel.  Understand, I’m not a “once only” kind of shooter; I don’t only shoot a model once and that’s it…but we’re going on our 4th shoot in just a few months…that’s quite the phenomenon for me.

I need to get Stacie in a ball gag again...

So many things to do, so little time to do them in…ah, me.  She’s got a gorgeous friend I’d like to shoot with as well…trouble is, I might not run out of different angles and things to shoot Stacie in for years…

Poor “Jones”.  She might just have a wait ahead of her…;)

“Tolstoy”

I was just musing over this last night as I erased a SPAM message from my Yahoo account.  It was one of those garden variety ones that we all get…rich relative (usually in Africa) has died, you’re the only one mentioned in the will, there’s $XX.X million waiting, all you have to do is send your name, social security number, bank account number, current phone number, address and the last time you had sex to blahblah address and before you know it, a pre-loaded VISA card will be on it’s way to you, you lucky bastard (lol)!

Got to thinking about it.  I get maybe about two of these a day; so by that logic, spread that out over a year period, and 730 relatives of mine die yearly…usually tragically, in a car crash, oil derrick explosion…what have you.  Then throw in the money I’m missing out on by not responding…these mails usually claim between $1.5 and $15.5 million…so, I figure a good average would be $8 million.  Multiply that by 730, and…

EEP.

That’s some SERIOUS money, yo and fo shizzle!

Maybe I need to stop erasing that shit.  Maybe…just MAYBE these things are for true…and I’m throwing good money away!  Maybe I could become a billionare…who knows, maybe I AM related to almost 800 people who die tragically every year…I need to start responding to these things and…

Psyche.  Me am not THAT stoopid.   

Stacie pic uploaded to make up for you having to read that crap.  Later!  “Tolstoy”

Stacie Snow

EDIT:  Here’s the latest one…just had another relative drop dead:

FROM THE DESK OF (edited)
DEAR FRIEND,

ASSALAM-ALYKUM.

MEANWHILE,I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO COME ACCROSS THE DECEASED FILE WHEN I WAS ARRANGING THE OLD AND ABANDONED CUSTOMERS FILE IN OTHER TO SIGN AND SUBMIT TO THE ENTIRE BANK MANAGEMENT FOR AN OFFICIAL RE DOCUMENTATION AND AUDIT OF THE YEAR AGAINST 2009.  I PRESUMED THAT ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.PLEASE LET THIS NOT BE A SURPRISED MESSAGE TO YOU BECAUSE I GOT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY FEW WEEKS AGO BEFORE I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU ON THIS MAGNITUDE AND LUCRATIVE TRANSACTION FOR OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE SURVIVAL IN LIFE. MOREOVER,I HAVE LAID ALL THE SOLEMN TRUST IN YOU BEFORE I DECIDED TO DISCLOSE THIS SUCCSSFUL AND CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION TO YOU.

I AM THE SENIOR AUDITOR INCHARGE OF FORIEGN REMITTANCE UNIT OF OUR BANK AND I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU FOR THIS FINANCIAL TRANSACTION WORTH FOURTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS (14.5M) FOR OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE SUCCESS. THIS ISAN ABANDONED FUND THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR BANK FORIEGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY THROUGH PLANE CRASH FEW YEARS AGO.

INFORMED CLEARLY THAT IT WAS STATED IN OUR FORIEGN BANKING RULES AND REGULATIONS WHICH WAS SIGNED LAWFULLY THAT IF SUCH FUND REMAINS UNCLAIMED TILL THE PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS STARTED FROM THE DATE THE BENEFICIARY DIED, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUNDHOWEVER, IT IS NOT AUTHORIZES BY THE RULES GUIDING OUR BANK FOR A CITIZEN OF BURKINA FASO TO MAKE THE CLAIM OF THE FUND UNLESS YOU ARE A FORIEGNER NO MATTER THE COUNTRY.

SO THE REQUEST OF YOU AS A FORIEGNER IS NECESSARY TO APPLY FOR THE CLAIM AND TRANSFER OF THE FUND SMOOTHLY INTO YOUR RELIABLE BANK ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED.WHEN THE FUND IS TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT 35% WILL BE FOR YOU IN RESPECT OF ALL YOUR ASSISTANCE FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AND PROVISION OF THE BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THE BANK WILL REMIT THE FUND, 60% WILL BE FOR ME BEING THE PIONEER OF THE BUSINESS WHILE THE REST 5% WILL BE SHARED TO RESPECTABLE ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS CHARITY AND THE DESTITUDES HOMES ARROUND US IN THE WORLD.

IF YOU ARE REALLY SURE OF YOUR TRUSTWORTHINESS,ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY ON THIS TRANSACTION, CONTACT ME AND ACCEPT NOT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND TO CHEAT OR DISAPPOINT ME WHEN THE FUND IS TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT  SO REPLY FOR THE ASSURANCE WITH YOUR TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS TO FACILITATE EASY COMMUNICATION. AS SOON AS YOU REPLY, YOU NOTIFY ME SO THAT I WILL LET YOU KNOW THE NEXT STEP AND PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO FINALIZE THIS TRANSACTION SUCCESSFULLY. 

I EXPECT YOUR URGENT COMMUNICATION.

YOURS SINCERELY,
(edited)

How STUPID do these fuckers think we ARE, anyways?!

Oh.  My.  FUCKING.  God.

Y’all have NO idea…

I haven’t mentioned too much about myself personally here…well, you’re gonna get a LONG ramble tonight…lmao.    So, OK…I’m an optician at an eyewear store.  Basically, an “optician” helps you choose a frame after you get your prescription from the doc…helps you find a great look, and wades thru the nightmare that is “insurance” (that crap SCARES me…lol).  Today, was the be all, end all.  I barely got out of there alive…I’m still shaking a bit.

It was like a scientific expirement in sensory deprivation.  I was working at the second branch of our store, which is about 16 miles (45 minute drive each way) away from home.  Why?  How the fuck should I know?! (lol)  I just go where they tell me in this “reduce manpower, increase sales” economy.  Anyway, that store is dead…or at least it NEEDS to be.  Barely any customers came in all day.  Worst part was the two employees who normally work the store had the day off (again, don’t bother asking me why this was allowed…I just punch a clock there, tho I’d much rather punch a fucking supervisor…lol), so I was COMPLETELY ALONE ALL DAY!!!  9 hours of complete and total aloneness.  Just me, about a thousand pairs of eyeglasses, and 4 walls.

My skin began to crawl.

My eyes began to ache.

My heart yearned for a cardiac arrest.

Heck, I could’ve even dealt with a “bitch from hell” kind of customer yelling at me for no good reason (lol)…at least I’d have some company!!

The part that really ticked me off is that I was supposed to have some help.  Wouldn’t have needed it for customer relations, but it sure would’ve cut thru the boredom.  The gal I was supposed to work with is a sweet and very attractive 20-something.  Mind you, there’s no way in HELL I’d be able to invite her to pose for TucsonTied (if the subject matter offended her, she could easily have me fired), but she’s a sweet kid and I was looking forward to hanging out with her.  But nooooooooooooo…Tony doesn’t need any help running the store…and it’s not even MY FUCKING STORE!!! 

I don’t get it. 

I mean…when the UPS guy looks like a good conversation in the making, you KNOW you’re in trouble (lol)!!  I just don’t understand why this outfit allows both of the actual exployed members of this branch to be away from the building at the same time and expects us to clean up the wreckage and wet nurse their store for them. 

So…I tried to amuse myself all day with my iPhone (thank GOD I had that with me!) and maybe download a free app or two…but as it turned out, I had just changed my debit card, and I needed to update the information in my phone.  The only way I could do that…WAS TO BE AT HOME ON MY PC THERE!!!!  Mother fucker and a changed biscuit already…was somebody punching holes on a “Tony Voodoo Doll” with 9 mm hole punches?!

Breathe, Tony…BREATHE.  Ok…better now. 

The rest of the day went ok, I guess…fought rush hour traffic home and now I sit in front of my laptop after fixing the iPhone problem.  I downloaded a SWEET app called, “iGunPro” which gives you an AK-47, M-16, and a silenced MP5…unlimited ammo, and full automatic firing.  LMAO…I put up the AK , pushed the screen where the trigger was, imagined myself as Al Pacino, and just LET RIGHT THE FUCK LOOSE!

Ah.  Simulated violence against clear air.  Relaxed now.   

We now return you to your regular bondage blog.  

“Tolstoy”