Me, Myself and I

Hi folks! Still on a learning curve with this but here I am in my natural working environment - outside the Tollgate pub (Wetherspoons) Turnpike Lane, North London. Bloody well couldn't connect via the pub's WI - FI network though. It turns out that it will only work with MS Explorer. Well, I am running Linux on the portable machine so bollocks to them, that's all I have got to say on the matter. I have been working on the new volume by the way, so I thought you might like a sneak preview of an early version of the foreword to it - intended to get the new reader up to speed as it were. I have to say though that this piece has changed quite drastically since its original conception. It is what I was working on yesterday when i took this pic but then the bloody batteries ran out in the computer before I could upload it via email or transfer it to a data stick and the charger / power supply thingy is at my mother's house so for the time being it is all in limbo. See you later - I'm off down the pub (probably in Enfield or Palmers Green, for you North London-ites).

Foreword to New Volume

St Mary's Hospital School - the motto: through obedience comes learning, through discipline comes obedience. It was humiliating enough that it should be proudly emblazoned on the front of the gymslip, let alone that it should be repeated on the breast pocket of the stiffly starched, high-collared blouse, the little open-fronted waist-length cape that fastened so tightly at the throat and that she wore on occasion over the top - and just about every other item of clothing to boot. As a statement of intent, that fine red and gold threaded embroidery spoke volumes. The crossed crook-handled canes, as a heraldic device, was of particularly questionable value; it practically openly stated to the world that here was a young lady kept subject to the kind of physical chastisement that most would have assumed had long been consigned to the history books. But then again, the uniform, in itself, was a thing of the past; an anachronistic throwback to long-obsolete values and the Victorian mentality of seen-but-not-heard, quite-as-a-mouse submissive femininity. Bad enough, then, that she was way past school age - worse still that the institution in question, was little more than the outcome of the gleam in the eye of a misguided, if not downright twisted, psychologist.
Uncomfortably perched on the narrow bench seat of the cramped Victorian-styled school desk, its plastic tackiness adding to her discomfiture, a furtive glance up and to her right and those dulled eyes would meet with the equally soulless gaze of the window, one of three identical lining the wall. But she daren't - and besides, there was no relief to be had from monotony there, only whitewashed frosted glass cowering behind a guard of similarly whitewashed steel bars. To the front, no more than a couple of meters or so away, hung the reason why she daren't.
A single glimpse of the supple rattan, its heavier bamboo cane sibling and its leather-strap cousin and her eyes fluttered quickly back to her schoolwork; already she was falling behind with the dictation. Tears welling in those pretty deep violet eyes the realisation was finally dawning that there no matter how hard she tried, there always seemed to be some obstruction to her terminating her tenure, some excuse, some reason they could cite to justify extending her residence.
She was learning the hard way that freedom could be as tenuous as a spidery signature scrawled on a crumpled document - and the longer they kept her there the more likely it would be that she would docilely sign on the dotted line

More on Non-Corporal Punishment / Discipline

As promised: here are a few more page scans dealing with the intriguing subject of written impositions and other forms of non-corporal punishment and discipline - of which I prefer to focus on the latter. Click to enlarge and read. I will be adding some more commentary later today, when i am ensconced in the local coffee bar, it's just that it is easier to upload the images from home. Note that I do know than one of these pages I have uploaded before (page 50) (click HERE to read the previous posting and page scans from this series) but I have repeated it here for completeness and to make it easier to read through the whole thing.

I have also finally found the scan of the cover which I had mislaid so you can see the tomb that these pages were taken from. As I have said before; this is not one of my works - but I kind of wish it was, it is brilliantly written (I think)!

Note too that the term 'child' here is meant as a deliberately derogatory term and that the regimens outlined here are intended (and most suitable) for use with recalcitrant young ladies in their late teens or even early twenties residing certain private institutions or under the tutelage of a governess at home.

Non-Corporal Punishment, Written Impositions and a Trip Back to The West End

I had hoped to upload some more scans today - as outlined in my last posting - but typically I have been scuppered. I have to travel back to London's West End again - more specifically, to New Oxford Street. The reason? Although the new 'Net Book' computer I purchased yesterday worked well enough (though I still have to really get to grips with it) upon my arrival at home, when I went to put it on charge, I discovered the mains lead for its charger to be missing...AAAARRRGGH!!!! The scans would take a while to upload and I am in a bit of a rush. But as they were to be of pages of text on the subject of non-corporal punishment and discipline - punitive and procedural written impositions et al - and taking into account the comment I mentioned in my last communication, I thought I would quickly post up a couple of snippets of my own stuff from the new volume I have been working on (the prequel / in-between volume I have told you about in the past). It is all at a very early stage, you must understand, but hopefully you'll get a flavour - it needs a lot more work!

PS: I have also added a new blog I have just come across to the sidebar blog list. Called The Headmaster's study, you can reach it by clicking on the pic above right or check out the sidebar blog role.

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A Couple of Snippets

...she was to copy out a multiplication table; it was totally spurious and being purely of the research workers’ devising, bore scant resemblance to any truth or logic. The detailed make up of each such table she would subsequently be obliged to learn would be just as random - being computer-generated. In this way with each imposition or learning task having virtually guaranteed mutual exclusivity from any previous work, there was nothing that might constitute a pattern that could be discerned and that might allow the more astute girl to benefit from her previous impositions by easing the take up and recall of the new.

Rote learning and recital were the key principles in force here. Though those faceless individuals in charge of the place, on setting up the regime, would have known only too well that such ritualistic learning by memorizing was not the optimal learning method, since it focuses only on the transfer of information and misses the purpose of learning, it mattered not. Learning was not of primary concern here in any case. The true raison d'être, as with everything else this small, select unhappy band of young women were exposed to - be it the cruel social seclusion of the no talking rule, the personality-submerging restriction of the stifling and humiliatingly juvenile school uniform or the seemingly ever more petty and never-ending lists of rules and regulations which had to be adhered to and repeated verbatim at the drop of a hat – was discipline, pure and simple.

And that requirement for discipline was served well by the need to keep up, to concentrate; not only on recording the dictation, but doing so without recourse to correction - and while maintaining a near perfect copper-plate hand. It denied even the brightest among them sufficient pause as to press into employment any learning and recall strategies she might have picked up through her past academic endeavours. Indeed, there was insufficient mental freedom allowed them as to consider anything else; it kept them grounded within their physical surrounds, the escape of daydreams, of imagination, of wonder, was barred them at every turn.

To young Lavinia Vitesse none of this was entirely new, of course. But even so, there had been changes-a-plenty in her absence, far reaching changes, changes going far beyond the outward appearance of the girls themselves – though the new uniform was a drastic enough departure in itself...

...“Ok, girls, fingertips on shoulders, elbows smartly out to the sides. Not like that, 16S, you stupid girl! That's better, elbows right back, nice and tight. Now, class, I'm glad to report that every one of you finally managed to get through your multiplication tables successfully in the last session. There were one or two stumbles and corrections, to be sure, but generally I'm satisfied that you finally have them drummed into those thick heads of yours.”

Six pairs of wide eyes stared fixedly ahead, locked on to the white board or more accurately, the long, thin, tapering cane that hung along side it; near-on one and one half metres of whippy white-plastic perfection, capable, under expert wielding, of a finely resolved and graduated chastisement, from the faintest, stingily-pink, lines, through raised and purpling wheals of throbbing agony to the actual splitting of velvet peach pink flesh, drawn drum-tight through hairpin-bent, ankle-grasping and straight-legged stance...

Toyntanen Goes Mobile 2: Live and on the Road!

So here I am, sitting in my local (Well fairly local ; Wood Green, North London) coffee bar. Today I finally found a basic, cheap and neat (small) 'Net Book' computer sorted out - an Asus eeePC 900, running some flavor of Linux and weighing in at a smidge less than 1 kilo and sporting a solid state drive (so much more robust for when I fall off - or get knocked off - my bike). Today's posting was only ever intended as trial run, on the move as it were, with the new machine as I am on a learning curve with it (I have only had it a couple of hours at this point) and I don't have my trusty wireless micro-mouse with me - I don't get on well with touch pads, I'm far too shaky. But I have something lined up for tomorrow - or some time later in the week, depending on how things go - and which I made mention of in my last posting, on Friday. It seems, though, as if at least one reader / contributor can read my mind. As a comment appended to my last entry, anonymous writes :

"I would love it if your future writing included heavy and severe doses of non-corporal punishment, such as writing thousands of lines, copying page after page from the dictionary or telephone book, standing in the corner for many hours contemplating the intersection of two walls, etc."

I couldn't have put it better myself! Your wish is my command, old chap! Check out what is coming next - right up your ally I'd wager, even if I can't personally claim authorship in this case. But trust me: many of the ideas you will be exposed to (and many more besides) will feature in much of my future outpourings.

Toyntanen Goes Mobile / Startled by (A) Marvel

Yet again I have been guilty of neglect where this blog is concerned (and lust about everywhere else in my life too). I tend to use everything and anything as an excuse to go down the pub and my hand injury and daughter's illness have been no exception to the rule! In my defense, though, I must say that I also suffer quite badly with depression and it doesn't take much to set off an episode and again, another drinking spree soon follows. Today however I had resolved to stop... but it is such a lovely sunny day here in autumnal London I fear a visit to a pub garden or two will have to be scheduled into my itinerary.

But fear not, gentle reader, for I have my enthusiasm for writing back and some great ideas and very soon you will find me updating the blog even more regularly than I did at its peak. You see I am going to be purchasing, very soon, a light weight computer, one of those ones that doesn't have a hard drive, that I can carry about with me - possibly today because I expect to be popping down to John Lewis in the West End (Oxford Street) a bit later on.

I expect the thing to come with a built in camera (that's the plan, but if it doesn't I can always carry my trusty digital) and so I will also start updating with a picture of my surroundings each time and from anywhere I can get a wireless broadband connection. I prefer to work away from the desk as much as possible - in pubs, parks, cafes etc - and so you can expect glimpses of all sorts of bits of London (and elsewhere) - famous landmarks, the not so well known, the infamous and the downright scummy underbelly (like my local pub - though it was probably fine until I moved in).

Now, do you remember that comic-book cover I posted a while back? Well look about you, true believer, and you will see!

Punitive hair cutting, gagging, chained bondage - it has it all - shame about the lack of focus when it comes to the corporal punishment aspect, but you can't have everything... and I can't quite work out how the sexual servitude thing would work either, given the size differential.

As always, just click on any picture to see a larger version. I hope to venture into the gym for the first time since injuring my hand later today and I'll let you know how it went. Next up will probably be some more pages from that manual of female discipline that I have in my possession and that I told y'all about and that did so much to influence my writing - particularly in the direction of non-corporal punishment ironically. Unless I pick up my new portable computer today or over the weekend, that will probably have to wait until Monday. Meanwhile I have at last started work on the immediate follow-up to INSTITUTIONALISED volume 2. As I think I have said before (but I'm so drink-befuddled these days I can never be sure) it is not volume 3 but rather a sort of prequel / linking work that pulls together all the loose ends and avoids my having to work with flashbacks in volume 3 and in which we learn all about the way in which both Lavinia and Susan were manipulated into their situation, the domestic aspect of their discipline, in the case of Lavinia, the uniform she was placed in at home. We also learn how both came to be so dependent on the woman that had set herself up as their governess, lost her self confidence and sense of defiance, became a virtual prisoner in the woman's home - through the gradual development of agoraphobia and a debilitating stammer - and was initially introduced to, and learned to accept, corporal punishment at that woman's hands.

An Interesting Development Over at the Woody Back to School Unit

I'm so sorry that I cant write much today; my right hand is damaged and now in a sort of brace thingy ... but luckily there is more functionality to the 'other half' than mere kitchen appliance... despite only being delivered in white! By way of an interesting diversion, though, I thought I would present this sample sent to me from the Woody Back to School Unit - what an interesting idea! Check out the blog list over in the right hand sidebar to see more.

Emails to Me: My Profile Picture, Judith & her Aunt and Other Stuff

Just a quickie today, folks. I have to be off to casualty in a moment. I got struck by a car while cycling last night, somewhere near Archway, North London - nothing too serious - my right hand caught a glancing blow from the vehicle's mirror. It is quite badly gashed but I think that nothing was broken and I couldn't face the undoubted four to five hour wait (typical in my part of town) last night as I wouldn't then have gotten home until the wee small hours.

Meanwhile: I have received a couple of emails over the last few days. The first asked if I actually look like the photo in my profile. Well, I have messed around with the colour of course - and it isn't the very latest pic - but pretty much it is me, as is, at present, give or take a bit. The lighter bit on the top lip is supposed to be the head off of a pint of beer - I'm not sure that it really works and I am thinking about changing it in any case.

Another comments on the post 'A Little Teaser' : "looks like a spin off from the Thor comic book from around 1985 or so I wonder if there is a naughty recalcitrant girl inside who needs and receives discipline? " - Yes, it sure is! But as for the rest...wait and see!.

Then there is that 'Judith and her Aunt' thing. Nothing to do with my work nor the characters in my books, but it is in the spirit of the thing so I always welcome more of the same. I don't have time to dig out the relevant links to point to the original at the moment but I am sure a dig through the blog archive will soon pay dividends - see sidebar on right for pull-down archive menu. The pictures I thought represent a nice exploration of 'variations on a theme', so to speak.

"Dear Garth Toyntanen
I have previously commented on Judith's discipline and would be happy if you could post this on your blog so that Judith and her aunt may have the opportunity to comment on it.
yours
Angel

Dear Judith and Judith's Aunt
This is a belated comment on Judith's post from July, telling about her latest changes with her employment as a junior trainee cleaner. I appreciate the more mature understanding that Judith has started to develop about her situation and need for strict discipline.
I note that Judith's aunt has indicated that there might still be a possibility for Judith to return to secretarial work in the future. While I agree that it is good to have inspirational career goals in life I also think that it is frustrating and even dangerous to entertain unrealistic expectations. I think Judith should concentrate only on improving her work and abilities as a household servant. If she is diligent and shows ability she could even one day be ultimately promoted to a real maid and the right to wear a real maid's uniform.
For this dream to be realized Judith will have to work hard at learning all the skills necessary. This is not enough, however. It is just as essential that she learns the right attitude to her work and superiors and in particular to her discipline. It is good that she understands that punishment is necessary for misdemeanours, mistakes or just for discipline, but she needs to go further.
Judith must grasp the nettle herself, so to say, and every time she commits a misdemeanour or makes a mistake, she must take the initiative and go immediately to her mistress, aunt or any other supervisor and tell openly about her mistake and ask to be punished as appropriate. After punishment she must thank whoever has applied it and apologize for causing such trouble. After this she must ask if she can go to the corner or continue with her domestic work. She should understand, that corner-time is actually a privilege and an opportunity for a child to calm down and reflect on her behaviour and need for punishment.
I have previously made some suggestions for Judith's discipline and am pleased that her aunt has considered some of them, such as use of a pacifier.
Angel "