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On Beyond Swinging: Tongue-In-Cheek Infographic Offers Views of Non-Monogamy
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On Beyond Swinging: Tongue-In-Cheek Infographic Offers Views of Non-Monogamy In theory, there are as many sexual combinations as there are ways that 7 billion people can combine with 7 billion other people, if one ignores niceties such as distance and attraction. Designer, computer enthusiast, and self-avowed polyamorist Franklin Veaux has attempted to represent the various permutations into a single diagram. His effort (available at the tacit.livejournal site if one adds /333842.html to the usual site suffix) is colorful, informative, thought-provoking, and grin-inspiring. (Once on the site, click on the graphic for a larger view -- and use your computer's zoom keys to further enlarge it.) Veaux takes several types of sexual expression (such as open relationships, polyamorous relationships, swinging, BDSM play, and others) and through the use of color fields attempts to show how they interrelate. His diagram is accompanied by sometimes-whimsical sentiments which attempt to illustrate the attitudes held by someone who falls into a specific location on the chart. (The intersection of BDSM play and D/s non-monogamy with polyfidelity and closed-group swinging, for example, is linked to the phrase “As your Dom, I like sharing you with my friend Jay. He does, too.” The overlap between open relationships and poly/mono relationships is represented by “Yes, Mr. Hefner, I’d love to be part of your harem. Wow, nice mansion!”) Veaux’s infographic is best viewed as an amusing introduction to possibilities. It lacks – because, save for Veaux becoming adept at etching manuscripts on the head of a pin, he couldn’t possibly incorporate – the depth and nuance and negotiation non-monogamous relationships require. That said, to its credit, the various sentiments accompanying the diagram incorporate female outlooks and non-gender-specific attitudes, which reflect the “woman in control” approach the best swinging (and other non-monogamous) situations espouse. The diagram has been revised several times since its initial launch. As Veaux notes in his post, “…polyamory intersects with swinging now--it was supposed to from the beginning, and I'm not quite sure why it didn't.” Eh, most of the categories, in theory, could intersect with others… which would make the overall color scheme a mottled brown. Probably better to leave it open for comment and criticism – and dialog. Definitely worth a click… and a mull. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic |
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WOW... After 5 minutes of trying to decipher the chart, I got a bad headache. As complex as the chart is and as many categories it covers, there are still situations that aren't covered by this chart. Life is more complicated and has more variations than any chart could cover. Wouldn't Mr.Veaux's time better spent on experiencing than categorizing? Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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WOW... After 5 minutes of trying to decipher the chart, I got a bad headache. As complex as the chart is and as many categories it covers, there are still situations that aren't covered by this chart. Life is more complicated and has more variations than any chart could cover. Wouldn't Mr.Veaux's time better spent on experiencing than categorizing? Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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This is certainly best viewed with a sense of humor, which I think must be the way Veaux intends it. And if he didn't, it's even funnier! As you have pointed out before, porn and erotica may be intense and arousing but most actual sexual interactions between people will be funny....or maybe, on occasion, just sad. But most of us are capable of seeing humor in the sadness. It seems to be our curse as humans to label, pigeonhole and categorize, and it's comforting to think we're getting a handle on how things work. Which, we probably aren't. Thanks for your direction to the web site- it looks like it's going to be fun. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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WOW... After 5 minutes of trying to decipher the chart, I got a bad headache. As complex as the chart is and as many categories it covers, there are still situations that aren't covered by this chart. Life is more complicated and has more variations than any chart could cover. Wouldn't Mr.Veaux's time better spent on experiencing than categorizing? Naaah... From what I can tell, Veaux has his share of experiencing... and then some! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Ha! What she said! /\ But I'm also interested and as soon as my eyes uncross from studying the chart, I'm gonna read more! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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This is certainly best viewed with a sense of humor, which I think must be the way Veaux intends it. And if he didn't, it's even funnier! As you have pointed out before, porn and erotica may be intense and arousing but most actual sexual interactions between people will be funny....or maybe, on occasion, just sad. But most of us are capable of seeing humor in the sadness. It seems to be our curse as humans to label, pigeonhole and categorize, and it's comforting to think we're getting a handle on how things work. Which, we probably aren't. Thanks for your direction to the web site- it looks like it's going to be fun. I'm pretty sure Veaux has his tongue firmly in his cheek, although as is often the case, there is some truth in humor. At any rate, viewing the graphic is a great way to kill ten minutes or so, especialy for its insights into both social dynamics and color theory... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Can't blame the site gremlins for this one: I couldn't post an image large enough so that the comments would be readable. I've tried to give enough directions so that readers here could find the specific page... let me know if you can't, and I'll revise 'em! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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heh... wouldn't most of our time be better spent experiencing than blogging? Naaah... From what I can tell, Veaux has his share of experiencing... and then some! I went back, enlarged the chart and took out my magnifying glass for good measure. Little comments are amusing... "Woman in control" attitude is correct as it should be in any type of arrangement. When women are not in control of what's done to them sexually, it's abuse. I know too little about polyamory to comment on it's relation to swinging, although in my understanding the two are quite different. Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Aww! That hurts... As soon as I'm allowed the experiencing, blogging will move to the back burner. Naturally. I went back, enlarged the chart and took out my magnifying glass for good measure. Little comments are amusing... "Woman in control" attitude is correct as it should be in any type of arrangement. When women are not in control of what's done to them sexually, it's abuse. I know too little about polyamory to comment on it's relation to swinging, although in my understanding the two are quite different. As for my comment about experiencing versus blogging... given that it applies to everyone on here (and I'm smack in the middle of that group), it should be taken in the spirit with which it was intended. Whatever that is! Personally, I'm giving myself the out of saying that blogging IS an experiential activity, especially for us sapiosexuals! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Heh... I'd be curious as to what modifications people on this site would suggest... I suspect Veaux is done with the chart, but one never knows... Good capture of some of the other comments (and folks, there are many more)... glad you found the graphic intriguing! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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I tend to separate polyamory and swinging myself... although there is certainly room for overlap. And yes, the little comments are amusing... As for my comment about experiencing versus blogging... given that it applies to everyone on here (and I'm smack in the middle of that group), it should be taken in the spirit with which it was intended. Whatever that is! Personally, I'm giving myself the out of saying that blogging IS an experiential activity, especially for us sapiosexuals! With that I agree wholeheartedly! Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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It's all far to complicated for me. I have a hard time enough negotiating a monogamous relationship where my partner isn't cheating.
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It's all far to complicated for me. I have a hard time enough negotiating a monogamous relationship where my partner isn't cheating. As for those whose kink is monogamy, may they find what they want! It's just that, visually, a graphic representing it would be one solid-colored shape... Hope that some of Veaux's comments gave you a giggle, or at least a good eye roll... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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I adhere to a sixty year old sexual model. I call it the CSN model, "...Love the one you're with." "Don't count the days, make the days count"
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I adhere to a sixty year old sexual model. I call it the CSN model, "...Love the one you're with." Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Too bad the site ate the image will be back again hugssssssssssss V Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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Too bad the site ate the image will be back again hugssssssssssss V Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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This has been around for a while -- it's new to me, though, and this is the first time I've referenced it. As for being unadventurous... it's not a checklist! Some of the activities mentioned, such as religious polygamy or engaging with prostitutes, are things I'm never going indulge in... and I feel no sense of loss or missed opportunity over that. Speaking of which, given the strong mental component of sexuality, I suspect you have little to fear regarding your sex drive, which ought to be carrying forward quite nicely, if your words are any indication... Thank you for your compliment regarding explication. I reckon the training from my years as a trade magazine columist are finally being put to some benefits-to-humanity use! Wish I had seen that "Poly-babe's" blog... but there are some excellent forums here for variant sexuality, whether swinging, BDSM, Dom/sub relationships... or just about anything else. Which makes it all fun... Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Buni: Most of the stuff you do is awesome. Why should that chart be any different? Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Fun, no? One of the more intriguing infographics I've seen. I have some quibbles with some of the overlaps -- or lack thereof -- but overall it's a hell of a lot better than anything I could have done. Glad you enjoyed it! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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It has been mulled... nice touch with the address. Find pleasure in giving pleasure
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It has been mulled... nice touch with the address. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Well now I know another way something sexual leads to blindness -- trying to read the map. As in real life, I will go it without a map and arrive wherever by accident. Interesting concept though, trying to map it all out. Ahh, sorry about the graphic size... holding down the control key and hitting the + button helps a little... and yes, I cheat and use reading glasses! Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Cool read!  Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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Believe it or not, religious polygamy is covered... not sure about religious polyandry, though. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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