Posts tagged life
Makin' Latex
KINK ENGINEERING: The life and times of a latex saleswoman...
Change of plans:
I was not made aware that there was going to be a lovely half naked girl getting painted with liquid latex, photographed posing as a superhero, then having her costume torn off by me this evening in my apartment.
I had planned to play video games.
I… I think I just cured my video game addiction.
(Though in much the same way you can cure a drinking problem with Heroin)
From a customer: About our Vacbeds
“WOW…. Your company builds a great product which both of us are extremely pleased. What a great sensation. Truly holds the suction for a long time. Thank you and I hope to send some new business your direction.” ~Happy Customer
You know… it’s REALLY hard to do good work in the business of creating products, when faced with competition from other companies that only seek to sell LOTS of products, not stick to selling good products.
It takes a constant pressure to improve what you can, and to maintain what you have made great already. It takes willpower to avoid the quick buck of shipping the work offshore where it’s cheap, but also totally un-customizable, and un-supervised and far worse un-cared-about. It takes the ability to say NO to other things. It takes the ability to understand not just what the customer is willing to buy, but what they really want, and how they intend to use your product - then design it from top to bottom as a good experience. It also means listening and learning when it goes wrong.
So with all that to be done to make a good product - it’s natural that you end up burned out after a while. But it’s all worth while when a customer sends you something like this. A little reminder that your hard work has actually made someone’s dream into a reality.
Summary:
- My design made someone happy today.
- Then they let me know they were happy… so I’m happy too.
- Me and my employees earned a living wage, which is honest and reasonable.
- The customer paid a fair price for something they really wanted without flashing lights and false advertising.
- The world is net-positive on this transaction.
Awesome.
P.s. If you don’t know what a Vacbed is… click through this image
I’m not re-blogging this as a favour to my buddy James who composed this song.
I’m re-blogging it as a favour to you - who should listen to it.
He’s got a Morrissy / Red House Painters / Woody Guthrie vibe going on, and he’s lovely.
“Some time has passed and now I know it
I ain’t done growing up
Nor do I expect or will that I ever will
I’m hooked on fuckin’ up
I wanna spend some time on you”
Back Story: James taught himself guitar in grade 10 on a rusty, bent and broken, horrible classical acoustic guitar that he found in his mother’s crawl space. It was strung with steel strings instead of the nylon that should have been there, and the neck was badly warped. That combo made for a year of bleeding finger tips, and crippling hand cramps… but he had a rabid dedication to his craft.
Then he finally saved enough for his first electric guitar (from bussing tables at a breakfast restaurant) and his music began to truly blossom. That day and he turned right around, handed me his crappy acoustic guitar, smiled and said…
“Your turn”
What do you say to that? You say “Ok” and start working at playing that damned thing.
I don’t get much oportunity to play guitar nowadays, but it’s still one of the most zen things that I do. The result of learning guitar for me was finding a love of singing… that eventually led to being in musicals, which lead to dropping out of the “becoming an engineer” job pathway, which (eventually) let do working with latex for a living. Guitar skills transferred over to a Ukulele also played a big part in sinking my hooks into Archean’s heart. (El’ Scorcho by Weezer on Ukulele doesn’t work for everyone, but when it does… oh, boy does it!)
So… thanks James.
I wanna spend sometime on you. I ain’t got no map to where I’m heading. I don’t know where I’m heading but I know I want to go with you.
(via jamesfromthesongs)
How come more baseball players don’t just live in normal apartments, reading magazines and making spaghetti? That’s pretty much the definition of happiness right there, no matter how much money you have.
That’s our secret.
Archean and I aspire to be happy… not to be rich and powerful. Surprisingly, the time you save from trying to be rich and powerful leaves a lot of time to work at being awesome at what you do… which may eventually make you rich.
That’s a fact that is awesome!
John Roderick (via yourmonkeycalled)
(via yourmonkeycalled)
We have a winner! KAIJUU!!!
With lucky reblog spot #14 (counting in reverse). I’ll be in touch with you to get a shipping address for your autographed Rubber Life Book and Custom Prize from www.laserlatex.com (wristband, armband or collar!)
The Draw was by random number generator, as seen below in setup/result screen grabs, and a list of those who re-blogged. Thanks everyone, and we’ll see you next time we are giving something fun away!
Set Up…
Contestants:
1-makototz reblogged this from latexfetishblog
2-creativehump reblogged this from latexfetishblog
3-goreandkandi reblogged this from kinkengineering
4-chainsawhoney reblogged this from kinkengineering
5-violetviolentviolence reblogged this from kinkengineering
6-latexfetishblog reblogged this from latexcatsuit
7-janiel reblogged this from extralatex
8-extralatex reblogged this from ego-assassin
9-simclash reblogged this from ego-assassin
10-feline643photography reblogged this from agatka-alt-model
11-twilitnico reblogged this from kinkengineering
12-agatka-alt-model reblogged this from ego-assassin
13-ego-assassin reblogged this from kinkengineering
14-kaijuu reblogged this from kinkengineering
15-vudujuju reblogged this from kinkengineering
16-bootfetish reblogged this from latexcatsuit
17-rubberraven reblogged this from kinkengineering
18-reistorm reblogged this from rubberdanny
19-hsmt reblogged this from latexcatsuit
20-sven-blackheart reblogged this from latexcatsuit
21-jakkicake reblogged this from kinkengineering
22-rubberdanny reblogged this from latexcatsuit
23-serendipityslave reblogged this from latexcatsuit
24-rubybronx reblogged this from indecentillustration
25-latexcatsuit reblogged this from kinkengineering
26-omgmyface reblogged this from fuckyeahbondage
27-thoughtdevourer reblogged this from kinkengineering
28-poisonneus reblogged this from kinkengineering
29-fuckyeahbondage reblogged this from kinkengineering
30-indecentillustration reblogged this from kinkengineering
Original Contest Post: http://kinkengineering.tumblr.com/post/7221031579/contest-3xl
TUMBLR USERS: REBLOG TO WIN!
Win a free (and autographed!) hard copy of “Rubber Life” the new book by 3xL of the Lust Love Latex blog! It’s a great intro to the rubberized lifestyle, and a great conversation piece for your bookshelf!
ALSO WIN: A free latex collar, wristband or armband from Kink Engineering with a custom Laser Cut overlay with words or logo of your choice (Laser cutting by www.laserlatex.com)
Total Value: ~$95 USD
“How do I win?” You might ask. That’s a good question! Simple:
Just re-blog this post with the response “It’s very common to like latex” so that more people can feel comfortable about their hidden passion for rubber. The book is a GREAT intro for those who might be a bit afraid to get into the rubber scene… so the more people who can see the message “It’s very common to like latex” the more people might break out of their shell, and try on some rubbery encasement.
I’ll go through my re-blog (and re-re-blogs) on tumblr on July 11th (a week from today), count up the total number of re-blogs and award the prize by random number generator. I’ll contact the winner via their tumblr, and get details on what you want from Kink Engineering, and to get shipping info. The latex wrist/armband will come from me, the book will come directly from Denmark where 3xL hangs out.
Good luck, and good work spreading the news that liking latex is pretty common. I’d say it’s almost normal. Certainly not weird.
- UPDATE 20+ re-bloggers are already on my list to win! Nice job everyone!
FFML
When someone says “Fuck My Life” I agree, yes, Fuck Your Life you whining unappreciative quitter. Your first response to the most trivial of obstacles should not be to swear at yourself and everything you have. It should be to swear at the obstacle in the most profound way possible by SOLVING THE FUCK OUT OF IT.
Here Here! Well spoken sir!
Ug… Subspace was a great party but there was a bit much booze involved…
INBOX ZERO! I’m more efficient!
I just got my gmail inbox for the business down to zero. Nothing hanging over my head, everything has been dealt with in accordance to the Inbox Zero system.
Delete: Spam/garbage/unactionable/unuseful = deleted! (I like to put on a Strong Bad voice for that part)
Delegate: Give it to someone else - Task it to an employee to action, forward it to another expert, CC the person who sent it so they know they’ve been moved to someone else.
Respond: Fire back a quick question or answer and move on. Pass the hot potato… don’t hold on to it.
Defer: Add it to the google task list and deal with it during my scheduled administration time (Daily 1 hour, Weekly 3 hour roundup)
Do: Take the time to actually do the action required by the email. This is the best one. If it’s a 0-5min task, just get it done.
Following this can get the email inbox guilt under control, and free up LOTS of time for the REAL work of designing, production, writing, coding, whatever. (It helps to do some background studies of Getting Things Done) And if you don’t know what I’m talking about… you gotta check out Merlin Mann’s talk to Google about Inbox Zero.
God I feel good! Productivity!!!!!
Thanks Merlin (Truck spank) Mann. You add value to the world.
(Follow Merlin’s Tumblr here, sometimes brilliant, sometimes funny, sometimes just odd. Very very good.)
Great Introduction to Rubber Book! Great to drag in those “I think they’re secretly kinky” friends.
Rubber Life | The Ultimate Beginners Guide to the Fascinating World of Latex
REVIEW BY: Mad_Scientist - Owner of Kink Engineering Custom Latex
I just had a chance to sit down for a couple of hours and read through this great book by 3XL of www.lustlovelatex.com and I throughly enjoyed the experience.
The e-book is true to it’s name as a PERFECT beginners guide to latex fetishism. A great overall review of what it is to be a latex fetishist, full of sound advice for the many MANY people out there who are wrestling with their internal desires for latex lifestyles of all sorts.
The opening chapters on buying and caring for rubber gear followed by introductions and suggestions of rubber fetish play are not terribly unique or deep. The information will be familiar teritory for even fairly new latex fetishists who have been seeking out latex images and pondering clothing online.
The experienced rubberist will no doubt find these parts trivial, but keep in mind the target audience is the newbie, and overwhelming details can be the death of an introductory guide.
Where the book truly shines is it’s chapters on identifying and evaluating your latex fetish, joining the latex community and ground rules for starting a search for a fetish friendly partner.
Had I had access to a reference work like this 15 years ago I would have saved much frustration in my long search for a kink-positive parter in life! The guidelines and advice are rational and useful to all levels of rubberist. The book centers on how to present yourself as a persona and fetishist instead of following the mindless seeking of a particular iconic fetish partner that is the common failing of many a desperate lonely latex enthusiast.
I particularly enjoyed a side item focusing on “Don’t be creepy” that, while amusing, presented good information on the subject of creepy behavior online and off, such as “Knowing things about someone isn’t the same as knowing them”. Amen!
It is refreshing to see a resource speaking about the search for self knowledge and self improvement as part of the search for a kinky partner.
My only concern about the book is that it’s target market is the uninitiated. As such it’s going to be a trick to get it into the hands of those that may not even know that they need it yet… promoting it on latex blogs and fetish community sites is good, but a bit too late to capture the people who will truly benefit from it’s sound entry level advice. (Preaching to the choir)
One way of accomplishing this is to get this book’s website linked publically and often as a definitive entry level resource to the latex community. Go on… you know you want to blog about it along side Katy Perry and Lady Ga Ga or just mention it casually to a friend who you have always suspected of being a closet kinkster.
Pssst… this book is great for those beginning to explore a latex fetish, pass it on.