Happy Wednesday

Like most modern free-thinking people, I have mixed feelings about Valentines day. On the one hand, the commercialism and consumer guilt are totally unnecessary - I don't want to feel obliged to spend money I don't have on flowers and chocolates and greetings cards that are, to be honest, fairly politically dodgy in origin. On the other hand, I'm not one to object to a bit of love and romance, as long as it's sincere.

As meish.org has it: 'One day in February isn't special. But you are.' My own Valentines has been scattered over several days, starting with the Torture Garden Valentines Ball with both my Lords on Saturday, and continuing with a quiet evening in with Thomas tonight and a free gig with D. tomorrow. And I may possibly have secret romantic plans for this weekend. ;)

In the meantime, it seems appropriate for us kinky types to celebrate the Roman Lupercalia tomorrow:

'The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the victims, which were called Februa, dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city, the line of which was marked with stones, with the thongs in their hands in two bands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips.'

Sounds far more romantic than teddy bears and hearts to me.