Cast-World

Awesome CTLSO back and neck brace up for grabs on eBay

2007-01-27T03:53:00.000-08:00

I propose a new semi-regular sort of post...Fantastic eBay finds.

While it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to buy a lot of cast themed things on this global marketplace table (however you can usually buy the items required for casting such as fiberglass, cast padding and cast stockinette - as well as items like crutches and cast shoes), there are regularly fantastic medical bracing items available. (And I know that a lot of my fellow casters, also appreciate and enjoy neck and orthopedic braces, just like I do.)

Unless otherwise stated, I don't personally know any of the people who are posting their items on eBay, the selections ("highlights" if you will) that I'll put up here will be ones which caught my interest and that I hope some of you might find equally interesting.

This week while cruising through good 'Bay, I came across this stunning CTLSO Back Brace with shoulder stir-ups. Wow! The price - as to be expected - has already risen to nearly $200 US, but my stars, is it the sort of brace that makes me weak in the knees at the thought of wearing it. It's a tad too rich for my blood though this week, and so I'm not bidding, but I sure wish that I was. The bidding on this item will end on 29-Jan-07 01:02:48 EST, and the seller (who has perfect eBay feedback) says that they will ship worldwide.

It (the brace) appears to be in very good condition. It combines a solid white plastic (clam) shell torso/back brace with an attached hard collar neck brace/cervical collar (somewhat like a Philadelphia style neck brace, but larger and more sturdy looking - complete with an attached headrest!). Even if you haven't the slightest intention of buying it, this brace is so superb that I suggest you take a few moments just to gawk over it. Perhaps I'm so drawn to this lovely body brace because, in a way, its sheer size and color reminds me a bit of a white cast. Plus, I've long adored neck/halo braces which head braces attached to them, so this back large brace just screams out to my tastes all the more.

If anybody who reads this blog ends up ordering it, please let me know what a treasure it proves to be!

CTLSO Back Brace

A warm welcome to 2007

2007-01-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Aaaaahhhh, the New Year! I can hardly believe that it was mid November when I last posted here. My apologies to all of my loyal, wonderful readers....I've been so busy with work and other activities that I really haven't the time needed to write blog posts, and so this is one of those "sorry I've not posted for a while posts".

2007, that's amazing, isn't it! Who doesn't remember 1997 or 1987, like it was just yesterday. If memory serves me right, 1997 was the first year that I ever became aware of an online casting community, and thusly discovered that I wasn't the only soul with a burning desire to have their limbs swaddled in plaster (or fiberglass) and to watch others wearing casts.

Here's to the all of the potential that this coming year holds. Be it casting or any other aspect of your life, from the bottom of my cast loving heart, I truly wish each and everyone of you a joyous, healthy and prosperous New Year! May you be blessed with new muses and inspiration!

Teddy needs a hug

2006-11-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'll plainly admit it, I do have a perpetual soft spot for adorable things, and this body casted little teddy bear is one of the cutest things that I've chanced upon in ages.

Beyond it's "awww" factor, this bear reminds me of many, many, many days (who am I kidding, it's more like countless hours) that I spent playing "hospital" as a child, When I couldn't lasso a friend or relative into being the person that I wrapped in casts (aka, tension bandages, white fabric, gauze, white bed linens, etc) - or in conjunction with them - I would lovingly swaddle my dolls, stuffed animals and Barbies in all manner of casts (most often full body casts, but I had a penchant for LLCs too - especially on Barbie's mile long gams).

There was so much simple, beautiful innocence about those days. At five or six years old you don't have to contend with all of the sexual thoughts that later come into play (for nearly all casters). I was the doctor or nurse (complete with costumes and a play doctor's kit) and these toys were merely my wounded patients who required a huge dose of TLC.

It was fun, it was special, and when I look back upon those carefree casting days, I am thankful for each and every one of them. For they helped to shape me into the casting enthusiast, and quite frankly the woman, that I am today.

(Teddy bear shot from Phi on Flickr)

That about wraps it up

2006-10-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

(Thanks to Strange Hobbies for this great picture of a man in a mummy cast!)

Am I jumping the gun a little here? :-) I mean seeing as how Halloween is soon approaching, I thought it only appropriate if we took a look at a unique type of cast, which some people adore endlessly and others wouldn't be caught dead in...(I know, don't quit my day job).

I don't feel the need to tell you what a true (Egyptian) mummy is, surely you all learned about them, just as I did, in elementary school. Instead let's delve into the realm of recreational mummy casting (no, this does not mean that you cast up your dear, sweet mother). Mummy casting means that you are put into - or alternatively you put someone else into - cast which is designed to mimic the look of a real, millenniums old mummy.

There are largely two routes that one can take to create this look; first off you can take the bandage road and wrap yourself in several rolls of white bandages (the type of bandages is really up to you, some people like heavy gauze others prefer heavier types like white colored tension bandages), thereby achieving something that might look quite entirely like a Halloween costume (not of course, that there is anything in the least wrong with that!). The second, and more labor intensive route is to have yourself cast (you'll need at least one willing helper here, if you're to cover your entire body) in either a plaster or fiberglass cast so that your limbs are "pinned" to your body (instead of being casted individually, such as in a full body cast) and you look as though you were just dug up during an archaeological expedition.

In reality, the mummies of ancient Egypt (or other societies who also practiced this "art form" for that matter) were not encased in fiberglass or plaster, instead (usually) linen bandages were swaddled around their bodies, after the removal of the corpses' internal organs, in order to preserve them for the afterlife (I realize that I've just simplified what is a very difficult and skilled task to an almost pre-school like level, my apologizes there). Today however - at least in terms of recreational casting - the idea is certainly not to gussy up a dead body for the great beyond, but instead to create a desired look and experience for the caster.

Mummification using casting materials, or any other stiff/hard/tight/restrictive material such as latex, rubber, leather, Saran (plastic) warp, vet wrap, duct tape, or pvc, is something that does not appeal to everyone. It has more than a slight overtone of bondage to it, because you (or the person in the mummy cast) is left essentially at the mercy of all who know about their current role. A person in a mummy cast is very similar to one in a full body cast, where in all four limbs, the torso and possibly the neck/head/face are entirely encased in one large, continuous cast. On the other hand, a fair number of people like mummification because it allows them to become a bondage victim.

Sometimes, though certainly not always, you'll come across images where a person is wrapped up (usually in some sort of bandage or vet wrap type material) much like a mummy, but in addition to that, some or all of their limbs, will have been tucked/pressed/contorted in order to create the look of an amputated limb. One common fact in the majority of mummy casts and bondage costumes that I've seen is that it's highly important to cover the person's mouth. This creates a look which is a bit like a ninja's face mask, but moreover it looks a lot like the way that ancient mummies' faces were wrapped up. I like this aspect a lot because I'm a bog fan of face, head and neck casts. There are even some mummification instances (again, usually with bandages not casts) where the wearer's entire face is coved so that no skin (or almost no skin, they still have to breath safely somehow) is showing, thusly they are wrapped from the bottom of their feet to the very top of their head (a breathing tube can be used in if the entire face is wrapped in order to ensure that the casted person can still get enough oxygen). Nice, really, really nice!

Though I do admittedly prefer "traditional" full body casts, as a lover of large casts I can instantly see the appealing and alluring aspects that a mummy cast offers. It's restrains, large, cumbersome, and sensual (the feeling of being "trapped" or "helpless" creates sensory deprivation for the wearer, plus getting to feel the bandages or casting material over your whole body at one time is thrilling and for most people who are into casting, highly erotic).

If the idea of wearing a non-cast (in other words not using plaster or fiberglass for your mummy outfit) appeals to you (and or/your partner[s]), than I highly recommend that you read this instructional article from the (med fetish lovers!) site, Medicaltoys.com.

For casters who want to embark on the pleasurable experience of wearing a mummy cast, you will need to get a hold of enough to casting material to cover your entire body (or as much of it as you want casted), this naturally varies depending on your overall body size and height. Usually it requires a little less casting material than a full body cast because the limbs are not individually wrapped, but instead the casted person is locked in place with a cast that hold all of their limbs against their body. Another thing to determine is the duration that you wish to wear your mummy cast for. If it's a few hours you might be able to get by with out a potty break, but if you're seriously considering the idea of an over-night - or longer - stint in a mummy cast than you are certainly going to require a helper, and means by which to relieve yourself (catheter, bed pan, etc). If your face is covered as well, you'll also begin to become hungry that longer that you go without food. For these two reason (and certainly others), mummification is usually a relatively short lived experience, because it renders you so totally immobilized and helpless to the world.

A mummy cast offers the rec caster a fascinating challenge and a very unique experience. Where as most of the non-casting public couldn't tell you what "LLC" or "SAC" stood for, they would instantly know what you meant if you said "mummy bandages", because over the years Hollywood and TV have continually used mummies in all manner of films, and therefore they've become a commonplace object of mystery and intrigue. Another interesting facet of this style of cast, is that it is something which has virtually no usage in terms of actually being used by doctors as a means of treating an injury. In other words it's a variety of cast which exists almost entirely amongst recreational casters and bondage fans.

You're the only person who knows if wearing a mummy cast is right for you. If you're not certain you want to be that heavily casted, consider being mummified in one of the other materials such as duct tape or vet wrap, which make for a restorative adventure even without the use of plaster! No matter what, remember that the whole point of recreational casting is to explore those areas of cast-play that most appeal to you, and if this means mummification that by all means explore that avenue. After all, mummification might just be the very source of modern day casting itself.

Photobucket killed my account - why?

2006-10-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm, technology, can't live with it, can't live without it! Today is one of those days when it get under your skin just a tad. I was greeted this morning by an email from the website Photobucket.com which simply said this, "Unfortunately your account has been banned because it violated our terms of service. These terms apply to both free and premium accounts. Admin".

Well that was right out of left field. It was the first time I've ever heard from them, and I sure as heck would have liked either a warning to remove whatever they deemed unfit or at least a reason as to why my account was deleted. I've contacted them, but I'm doubtful that I'll get an explanation. To be frank, the only things that I had on that particular account were mountains of casting pictures, all of which showed only adults (mostly women) in casting scenarios. Best I can figure, perhaps some of the more R-rated ones just didn't sit right with them (and to think that I honestly thought I was keeping it fairly clean!). I'm not a happy camper about this because it means that I loose hundreds of casting pictures that I've collected from all over the web - pics that in some cases I did not have stored elsewhere.

But what can one do? I suppose this is a harsh lesson learned about online photo sites. In the future I will have to stick with either the most complacent of casting images, or have keep my files someplace a whole lot more secure. I want to apologize because I know that now some of the pics (such as in the body cast article) on this blog are gone now as a result of my account being deleted. If I find them again, I'll re-post them in their respective original places.

For now, I guess all I can do is see if they'll send me a reason and start looking for a place that's as hard as dried fiberglass to get through were I can keep my photo collections. I'm very up for suggestions if you guys have any.

Does Steve Jobs like casts?

2006-09-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, forgive the title, I couldn't resist :-) This new Mac vs PC add is so awesome that I can't help but wonder who in the marketing department is a rec caster (or at least hope that such was the case).

In their on-going attempt to both humorously - and ever so slightly passive aggressively - try to top one another (in what reminds me of a Spy vs Spy cartoon for some reason) we see that in this clip PC has at last come to suffer real physical pain as a result of being an easily "crash-able" system.

While most people can grimace in total sympathy towards PC at the idea of having your computer crash and burn, few amongst us feels anything but delight as we see John Hodgman (the PC character) sitting in a wheelchair decked out in a left arm SAC, left leg LLC (though it doesn't appear to go much beyond his knee) and right arm LAC - all of which have the general appearance of being made from white plaster.

Irregardless of what computer you turn on each night, at least one thing in this add is clear for cast lovers everywhere, Mac is certainly the runner up here!

The best Mr. Bean episode ever!

2006-08-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

I remember the way my eyes sort of bulged out of my head with delight the very first time that I saw this video. Granted it's now many years later, and while lovingly embedded in popular culture, new episodes of Mr. Bean are no longer in production. It was hard to watch Rowan Atkinson performing as the sometimes scheming, eccentric, comical, confused, blundering, cheeky Mr. Bean and not laugh. The comedy was a throw back to times when less was more, and the emphasis was more on what was not being said (quite in keeping with the spirit of Charlie Chaplin). Yet amongst the mere 14 episodes in total of this humorous UK comedy that were made, no other episode could ever hold a candle up against this one: Mr. Bean in the hospital.

The plot begins with Mr. Bean lining up in the local emergency room as he's somehow managed to lodge his hand inside of a tea kettle. Impatient to see the doctor, Bean then begins to scheme his way to a better place on the waiting list by tampering with other peoples' tickets. What sets this episode apart however is that shortly into the sketch when Bean goes to take a seat in the waiting room he plonks himself down next to a very heavily casted woman!

We're not talking the sort of casts that you see every day on TV (heck or even once a year for that matter!) - a mere short arm cast, single long leg cast or pair of crutches. Oh no, here Mr. Bean's waiting companion is fully decked out in several casts and a neck brace.

In fact if we take a close look at this patient (her character's name is never revealed) she is wearing at least 5 (plaster looking) casts, seated in a wheelchair (with leg rests) and dawning a hard neck brace - which by the looks of it may be a Philadelphia collar. While she is not in a full body cast, protruding from her rather conservative clothing (this is early 1990's England after all :-)) we see that she is wearing the following casts, all of which are white coloured.

Her left arm is encased in a short arm cast and held closely to her chest with a somewhat simple cream hued sling; her right arm has a long arm cast that leads down to her thumb (and possibly her ring and pinkie fingers) being casted as well; her left leg is in a long leg casts and is supported in a flat, straight position on a black leg rest; her right leg is in a short leg cast which seems as though it hits around the knee, it's resting in a sitting position; lastly (and this really is the highlight of her casting combo for me) the injured woman's entire head and jaw are casted - all the we can see of her face is a small gap rectangular gap that has been left un-casted for her eyes and nose. This face and head cast leads straight into her neck brace.

Through out the skit she moves the un-casted fingers on her right hand, laughs, tries to speak (which is inaudible due to the cast over mouth) and is eventually wheeled from the room by a chipper looking pretty brunette nurse in a light blue gown and black nylons. Through out about five and a half minutes of this Mr. Bean clip we get to see a lot of that time being dedicated to shots that include the heavily casted female patient. Much, much shorter shots also show brief clips of three different men with arm casts and one man dressed in green on a pair of crutches with either a bandaged or casted foot.

I would really like to know if the woman's casts are real, or if they are simply well constructed fake casts. If they are not real, my guess would be that the costume crew used white crepe bandages over top of some form of white padding. Whether real or not, the casts look for all intensive purposes to be both well constructed and rather believable. Certainly, they make for a very convincing group of casts that many recreational casts would practically swing the English Channel to wear.

I love that after numerous years without seeing it, I was able to find this episode again and relive the sheer pleasure of watching a heavily casted woman (essentially publicing) in a wheelchair, sitting patiently as she waits to see a doctor. While I know it's almost impossible, there's always been this part of me that views this clip and thinks two things. One, did somebody on the Mr. Bean crew has a (secret) casting fetish and two, could you imagine if this woman really was wearing these casts for medical reasons and was hired to be an character in this show simply because of her beautiful casts. Unlikely, I know, but than again, so is the idea that a British comedy would feature such a heavily casted patient...

These are a few of my favourite links

2006-08-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked if I could post more links to the casting sites that I visit often, which got me thinking, perhaps I should write about some of them too!

I will never forget the first time (as a very novice internet user) that I was able to a find a casting website. Though truth be told, the exact words that I searched for at the time have long since vanished from my memory, I still smile when I recall the fact that I suddenly knew I was not the only soul on the face of the earth who loved casts. Likely that same feelings and thoughts have rung true for a great many recreational casting enthusiast.

Back in those days I didn't even have a home computer yet, and as you may know firsthand, it can be a tad hard to discretely look at casting sites while at public libraries and internet cafes - though I still did it anyways (I would keep a screen open with some mundane, run of the mill site open and a much smaller screen with the casting page displayed). The advent of a home PC brought with it the chance to at long last run like a horse in the wind through the web searching madly for every conceivable casting site.

Times change, and after a while favourites emerge from the pack. If you compare say the casting sites that existed in 1997 or even 2001 to those which are up on the web right now, you'll see that a lot of pages have disappeared. From the mid to late 1990's recreational casting sites were experiencing their heyday, in terms not so much of large (usually well structured) sites with real models, but within the realm of peoples' own casting homepages. Some folks used free pages (such as Geo City Pages) to create their little corners of the casting world, and others bought their own domains and had a go at creating a cast themed site.

One of the largest and most popular casting sites of all time is still in existence. It's stood its ground as others came and went, proving itself to be something of a casting Mecca for the community. That site is non other than Plaster of Paradise, or POP as it is lovingly refereed to by so many of us (I still visit it often, though updates are not quite as plentiful as they once were). Here POP's creator, Bob, began to show the world that enjoying casts was not some remarkably rare passion, nor was it impossible to find pictures of people wearing casts or links to other casting sites. Bob was the first caster that I know of, who flat out told people that they were not alone in their desire to see casts and to wear casts. In creating this blog ten years after POP came online, I have tried to retain that same vital spirit and important message.

There is little point it mentioning many of the casting sites which I used to frequent, as they are no longer online - yet amongst those that have vanished, a couple really stand out, and I have honestly wondered just what happened to cause their demise. Such relics of the past include Web Waddles and Fiberglass Rules.

Like a lot of people, I live a very busy life. My work has nothing to do with casting (sigh - don't we all wish we could earn our living via casting), and though I love casting passionately I don't exactly get a chance to wear as many casts as I'd enjoy. As such, it is often only possible to live out my casting dreams vicariously through the work and dedication of other recreational casting enthusiasts and their wonderful sites.

If a lot of the old school casting pages are gone, then a new genre has sprung forth from their charred remains, amongst which are many pay sites (in other words these sights require a fee to view their collection of images). As the web has advanced (I like to think of my blog as a "web 2" casting site :-)), so too has the quality of many (not all, but many) free and pay types of sites. Hopefully as time trudges onward this will continue, and new sites will also appear.

Nowadays there are still times when I try and do a full circle of the casting rounds, visiting tons of places where I know you can see casting photos and read casting stories. But if time is of the essence, a few of the main sites that I try to get are:

Cast Fetish (This site is an industry leader, so to speak, and it's work is always of top quality! Featuring female cast models, a section devoted to cast art and a growing forum, Cast Fetish remains a firm favourite of mine)

Fantacast (A sister site to Cast Fetish, Fantacast highlights a collection of unique casts that strive to be just what the site's name implies, purely casting fantasy. Great site if you love larger casts and non-tradition styles of casting)

Castaustria (Well photographed images featuring models - both male and female - in a slough of different casts, often in settings that remind one of a Vogue fashion spread)

Gips Dreams (A site based out of Russian which features a lovely collection of pretty models wearing everything from minervas to dual LLCs, as well as various spicas and body casts)

Cast Planet (Though this is mainly a pay site, if you're willing to do a bit of clicking on each of the models' profiles you will discover a fair number of top notch casting pictures featuring European women in various single casts and cast combo)

Cast Stories (An awesome, ever expanding collection of casting related stories from a bevy of different writers)

Psycho Casting Page (A great collection of casting photos that are well sorted - including shots of celebrities in casts and plenty of fab web finds)

Bogey's How To (This site is one of the few out there which actually takes the time to tell you how to apply a cast. And for those who might be interested, the author also offers his suggestions on how to get a real medical cast without actually hurting yourself. Most of the articles also feature corresponding photos - this site is a must-read for those who are interested in applying casts to themselves or others)

Cast Society (A Gernman page that features a lot of free casting pictures. Users have the option of paying for additional images and vidoes if they like)

Free Cast Sites (Much as the name implies, this is a directory of sites where you're able to find pages that feature free cast pictures. Some of the links are broken, or the pages are not in existence any more, but on the whole, it's a truly cool place to go and find free casting sites)

I do not currently subscribe to any of the casting pay sites, though you will notice a few of them amongst the list above. This is because these sites also offer some free images (often smaller versions of pics that are available if you sign up or free daily pictures of casted girls) and/or have a forum (message board) that I like to check out.

On the one hand I realize that by not subscribing to pay sites I'm vastly limiting the number of casting related photographs that I can easily see, but by the same token I tend to differ from a substantial chunk of the casting population in that my main casting focus is big casts. Double hip spicas, body jackets and full body casts are what (usually) appeal to me the most, and even on the majority of pay casting sites, these can be quite hard to come by. And so while I would no doubt enjoy looking at tons of shots featuring leg and arm casts, it seems a bit of a waste of money to pay for a site and not get a substantial amount of the type of casts that I like best! Should someone ever create a pay site about body casts, well that'll be a whole 'nother matter entirely.

It's worth talking about pay sites though, because for a lot of casters these pages feature the types of casts and models that they like most of all. Be it blonds in LACs or brunettes in SLCs with crutches. All it takes is a credit card and a few minuets and you can have the world of pay sites in your palm. Though like everything else the quality of these sites can vary, and the cream of the crop do hire both real models and real photographers for their well constructed shots. There is beauty and skill behind these sites that should not be ignored, even if you never choice to subscribe to one of them. Though some sites are essentially just out to turn a buck, it's clear that for others there is a genuine love of casting going on somewhere behind the scenes.

A subset of casting sites exist in which most of the pictures are doctored. No, I don't per se mean that they are shots with doctors (or smoking hot nurses) in them, but rather that their images have been altered or created entirely with photo restoration software. I've long since found that you have to be a bit forgiving of such sites and their creators, because not everyones' photo manipulating skills are the same. Hands down (or casted, please) my very favourite site that features digitally enhanced cast pictures (including a lot of body casts!) is Medical Fantasy Gallery. Here you can find pictures that depict everything from male patients in full body casts with sexy female nurses to women in bondage gear and most everything in between. When I really need a serious cast fix, this is one the main places that I never tire of turning to.

So what it is that I'm looking for in a casting site? Well in an ideal sort of world, there would be a plethora of body casts and double hip spicas, but since that doesn't seem to be happening all that often, I look for a site that has integrity and passion. Where I can tell that the page's creator is into recreation castings, and that the pictures are not just ones that I've seen a ton of times on other similar casting sites. There is no exact element that it must contain, other than a lot of casts, but I do like it a lot when sites are updated periodically and when you get to know more about both the site's creator(s) and (if applicable) models.

I know that the sites which I like might not appeal to everyone, and so I happily point you towards the most complete directory of casting links that I know of in all the internet, Cast Central's link page. Here you'll find a list of literally hundreds of casting, brace and medical fetish related sites, from which almost any casting hobbyist could discover something to their liking.

I'm always looking for new casting sites, Googling certain keywords that are probably much the same today as they were back in the 90's when I discovered my first casting site ever. Though I've long since learned that I'm not alone in my passion, that doesn't stop me from loving the magnificent feeling that comes with discovering a new casting site or cast photograph.

Casted car art

2006-08-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

rolled with bandage
Originally uploaded by greentea2006.

Alas, what is this? A second Flickr example of casting graffiti! Could it be, is there secretly a sub-sector of graffiti artists who are also into recreational casting?

In all likelihood, no. But that doesn't mean that we can't hope for such a thing. In the mean time, enjoy this rather glum looking casted cartoon character that was painted on the side of a car in Japan (a country that has quite a penchant for medically themed adult art and film).

...Now, if only the show "Pimp My Ride" would do an episode where they turn a vehicle into a caster's dream car!

Why so many hostile casters?

2006-08-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

You know, I like to think of myself as a kind person. This is neither arrogance, nor pride speaking, it simply steams from the way that I was raised. From day one we were told that it was better to do right than wrong, to help someone in need and to always treat somebody the way that you wish to be treated. I love these principles, and try very hard to carry them out in my daily life. Yet - and I most certainly do not say this to upset anyone, or contradict what I've just said - there are times when I feel that there is a lot of hostility in the casting world.

Eckgawds, you say - but no one told me of such things! Well, then my friend, you are fortunate, very fortunate. I've been visiting casting (& bracing) sites and occasionally posting in group based discussions online now for several years, and I must say that there just seems like there are times when people are angry, not to mention rude with others in the community for no justifiable reason. (Despite what a certain someone with their own site - who may be reading this - might think, this post is honestly not about you at all, it's a general observation that I've been itching to make for quite some time).

Now to begin with I do realize that I'm not a man - nope, definitely not a man on any level. Why bother to say this, well because it highlights the fact that I don't think like a man when I'm amongst my fellow casting enthusiasts. For me casting can be both purely something of interest (a hobby, if you will) and a sexual turn on, and I can control with which of those two mindsets I choose to approach any casting situation, picture or forum with.

It's a tad ironic, but I do not like bondage. Very little in terms of S&M, BDSM or D&S does even the slightest thing for me. I don't consider myself vanilla, but I'm not exactly dark chocolate either. Perhaps I exist somewhere in a pleasant land of milk chocolate - whose to say. Why do I mention this, because it ties into casting. For me casting (aka, when I am casted or seeing others casted) is not about the idea of restraining one's self or limiting someone's mobility. These would both be byproducts of the act of wearing a cast.

Think of casting as a light bulb; light is the main purpose of the bulb, but it also gives off heat. For me the light is the cast itself, and the fact that I dearly and entirely love pretending that the cast wearer is in a hospital setting, or that they need to be treated as though they were really wounded (nursed, tended to, pampered, etc). The fact that almost all casts from a SAC to a body jacket restrict the wearer in someway is nothing more than heat from a light bulb, for me.

In my experience a lot (not all, just a fair number) of men are automatically aggressive when it comes to sex. Think about it, porn is rarely about depicting a loving, tender, mutual pairing of devoted partners. No, instead it is often about degrading women as much as (is legally) possible. This is why women have 3 penises inside of them at once, why men force girl's heads down during oral sex (if you don't get a handful of hair, it wasn't worth it, right...not!) and for many folks, a big part of the reason why bondage and dominate/submissive sexuality is so appealing. They (the man - at least in his mind) has control over the woman.

Now again, not all men are like this, and I don't wish to paint a picture of every guy as a tyrannic, potentially abuse or violet person; not at all. But let's face it, a lot of men are into being in control of women, and is not one of the best ways to gain physical control over a woman by limiting her mobility in some way, be it chains, leather restraints or even casts. Yes, casts. A woman (or man) who has two long leg casts on isn't about to run away, and a woman in two LACs will have a much harder time struggling with her "captor". I'm not automatically implying that someone who likes either casting as it relates to sexuality or BDSM (et al) is into rape scenarios (something I personally loath to no end). I'm not taking it to that extreme, all I'm trying to point out is that like many S&M related activities casting is both sexually charged and usually focused on restraining somebody in one way or another.

Another reason why I don't find S&M to my sexual liking, is that is usually revolves around the idea of hurting another human or feeling pain myself. I'm a passive person, and given the choice I would never inflict intentional harm on another living being . I've dealt with a lot of genuine physical and emotional pain in my life, and it's atrocious, agonizing and the exact opposite of how I like to feel. While I love to imagine and pretend that my casting situations revolve around hospital settings, everything right down to the casts themselves is make believe. Nobody is actually getting hurt (as in the case of a real medical cast, breaking a bone or other serious injury), and no one is being forced to endure pain. To me casts need to be a like costumes, something that I enjoy wearing and seeing, but which can easily come off ...and just like that, I can slip back into every day life.

When we toss blatant sexuality into any mixture we are bound to encounter a cornucopia of emotional responses, and for some those may come out aggressively, rudely or snidely. If someone is (for whatever reason) ashamed of their sexual preferences (in this cast the fact that casting gets them hot), yet not quite so timid as to never speak of them in public (on line), they may use these hostile feelings to mask their own feelings of guilt, shame and perhaps perversion (though as long as casting is always consensual and done between to people who are have reached the age of legal adulthood in their state/province/country, there is not per se any more perversion involved with casting than with any other fetish or sexually related activity). This is why you might see people who, while if you were to meet them on the street or in your office, would appear to be nice, friendly and easy going, show a different side of their personalities when dealing with what turns them on.

I've touched on this before, but I think that it's worth mentioning again. Wearing a cast for the sole purpose of, well, wearing a cast is not something that the majority of society is a.) aware of, and b.) very keen on. Recreational casting does not have the public awareness, or acceptance, of say people with foot, leather, spanking, bondage, dominate/sub or latex fetishes. While certain night clubs and groups cater to such whims (and a bounty of others), I have never heard of a single time when a casting venue was held in public. Recreational casting does not appear as a subject on TV shows that talk about sex, nor are there books and/or magazines devoted to it, as there are for so many other sexually appealing things. Scan the racks, you'll see everything from mild mannered girl next door covers to stuff so lurid and raunchy it appeals only to a select few, yet Cast Lovers or Cast Fetish Monthly simply does not exist. As humans we need validation, we need to know that we are not alone in our likes and dislikes, and when so little in the way of validation exists for people who enjoy recreational casting (be it on a sexual level or not), this too can compound why they feel that there needs to be shame or embarrassment involved with liking (or getting off on) casting.

I wish that I could personally tell everyone who is into casting, that there is no need to feel ashamed or angry. That it's perfectly normal to have sexual preferences, and that so long as you always keep things legal, and respect and honour the people you engage in sexual acts with, there is no need to feel as though you are doing anything dirty or wrong. It amazes me that when non-casters are told about the world of casting they think it's "gross", "wrong" or "perverted", yet that very same person may go home and spank the monkey to a porno of a woman getting fisted or getting a little to cozy with farm animals. I believe that so long as everything is both legal and consenting, no one has the right to judge what another person finds sexually arousing or enjoyable, or for that matter, what they do as a hobby. Perhaps if casting had more public acceptance (heck and/or even more acceptance and awareness amongst those who are into the kink scene), casters themselves would have less animosity towards their own passion - not to mention others who venture into the casting circle.

Some people have hostile personalities, some people are mean, and some people always seem like they're being unkind, and just as in any other community, you will encounter such folks in the casting world too. But I tend to think that certain people (I hate to say it, but by "people" I do largely mean some men) are unnecessarily cruel or short tempered within the casting community, because they feel like it makes them important - perhaps on some level they think that it will even help to command respect. I don't know about you, but I have a lot harder time respecting someone who is rude or snippy with me, than I do someone who is amicable, polite and respectful.

Fellow casters listen up and listen well, we are not exactly the biggest group ever, and while of course we are all entitled to our opinions and feelings, there is rarely any need at all to not be neighborly and friendly with other people in the community. I know that casting is by and large a male dominated world, yet did you ever stop to consider that perhaps your words and your actions are enough to keep both women and men (especially those who are just discovering the online world of casting) away, or at least shy them off from forums, casting groups and chat rooms.

This post is not directed at any one person, and I've never had my feathers so ruffled by a fellow caster that I swore off casting related activities on the web. It's merely something that over the years, clicking my way from one site to another, I've noticed and become a tad concerned about. In order for more people to accept what recreational casting is all about we must present a healthy, happy, affable world of casting. For if we do not, how are others to know how wonderful, special and - in its own right - meaningful, recreational casting really is. In casting as in life, the lessons that I learned as a child still ring true: do unto other casters, as you would have them do unto you.

Prank body cast

2006-07-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

whole body cast
Originally uploaded by nsaldua.

I don't begin to know the story behind this (Flickr find) picture, which I've looked at with great intensity. At first I though that it was not actually a cast, but instead bandages (perhaps white-beige tension bandages) layered over some cast padding or similar material, but the position of the fellow's arms and the writing on his front side seem to indicate that it could be a cast (albeit what looks like a sort of flimsy one). I like this picture though; it's clear that there is some sort of joke being pulled here (as the doc handing him the pizza shows) and I'm all for good hearted humour that includes full body casts.

Body cast myth?

2006-07-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

Any seasoned search engine cast image hunter will surely tell you that there are some types of casts which are relatively easy to find pictures of and others that might as well be hanging out with the Ark of the Covenant. There are a number of reasons why this is, amongst them the fact that statistically far more people will wear (be it for medical or recreational reasons) a leg cast or wrist cast than will ever wear (let alone hear of) a Minerva or double hip spica. Another reason is that I tend to think people who are not into recreational casting may opt not to plaster (couldn't resist the pun) images of themseves when they were injured all over the web (for understandable reasons). So if such a person were to break their arm it might not be a big deal to show that picture, but the idea of having your image displayed for all the world to see when you're in a shoulder spica and a long leg cast, laying in a hospital bed with little more than a well positioned wash cloth as your wardrobe may very cross a comfort bearer for many people. Take into consideration too, that simply because a person wears a cast there is nothing to say that their picture will make its way to web.

(Image of female recreational caster wearing a full body cast and catheter - a very realistic touch! - in wheelchair from her Webshots homepage, A Cast 4 U.)

For me, there is no better cast (much as I love DHS) than a full body cast. Yet if you scour around you will find that this definition means different things to different folks. The medical community by and large use terms like "full body cast", "total body cast" and "body cast" to refer to a large cast such as any type of hip spica, body jacket or other cast which covers parts of the truck and/or torso - it does not necessarily mean the same thing to those of us in the recreational casting community. Here (and certainly for myself) the words full body cast mean just that! A cast which includes a person's legs, arms and torso all conected together in a uniformed plaster suit. Optionally if may also include a casted neck, head, face, hands and feet, so that virtually every square inch of a person's body (except perhaps - if we're being realistic and not just wearing a cast for a few hours - their genitals) would be engulfed in a gorgeous rock-like blanket of plaster or Fiberglass.

(Web find shot from a milk ad showing a person in a body cast that covers every part of their body with their limbs suspended in traction.)

I respect the medical definition of the term, but also feel that if it exists for the purpose of describing a head to toe cast there must be a plausible reason for this. To those that say Hollywood and urban myths have perpetuated the idea of a total body cast I will agree with you to a certain extent, but also think that there must be at least a few cases in real life (aka, for actual medical reasons as opposed to the past-times of casting hobbyist) when a person was wearing a cast that covered their legs, arms and torso/trunk, if not neck, head and face as well. It's likely that such situations were more common in the past, particularity in the mid 20th century when large (sometimes experimental casts) were used to treat a number of conditions and would have surely been used on injury patients who were severely hurt, perhaps in conjunction with various types of braces and/or traction. Modern medicine today though often seems to veer away from casts in favour for other treatment methods like traction or internal (or external) fixation devices. So where is one to find a real picture of a body cast? Well in this day and age the most likely place is (of course) on the web, where (if you're willing to dawn your Sherlock Holmes hat for a while) one can unearth photos of both every day people and cast models alike in body casts. As well - most likely because so few genuine ones exist - you will encounter sites with digitally altered photos that have been created to show people in body casts (you'll also encounter graphic and traditional styles of art the depict these delightfully wonderful big casts).

(A digitally altered image which shows a hospital patient in a full body cast and oxygen mask. You will commonly find that a lot of "Photo Shopped" cast pictures include nurses and doctors, as well many lean towards an adult nature, such as oral sex being performed on the casted patient.)

Though I put out offerings to the gods every day that such a thing will happen, I think that it'll be a very long time (if ever) before we see an insurgence of body cast pictures. Many casters prefer other types of casts, models who are not into the lifestyle themselves (aka, they're no casting enthusiasts) may have an understandably hard time with both the idea, and act of, wearing a full body cast, and putting a full body cast on yourself requires at least one other set of hands. A few of the casting videos/DVDs for sale out there show women in body casts (try sites like Gips-Alpin, Leg Cast, and Cast Videos for clips and videos of casted models), and likewise a few casting pay sites also include pictures of women in body casts such as Fantacast and Castfetish.

(This picture from Plaster of Paradise shows two [male] patients in almost full body casts, note that each one has an un-casted limb. What really appeals to me about this photo is that both people have their faces and heads casted as well as their bodies.)

I do not believe that body casts are an allusive myth. A great many casters, including myself utterly adore huge body casts. There is so much plaster or Fiberglass to love, each limb held perfectly in place, suspended in a stone-hard state of casted beauty. Though their popularity in the medical world may have dwindled greatly from the small following that it ever had, it's quite clear that so long as there are people who're into recreational casting full body casts will always be real.

(Web find shot of a male recreational caster in a great looking white body cast.)

The casting on the wall

2006-06-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

nina_girl_leg
Originally uploaded by Mary Hawkins.

While I can't say that I condone graffiti (gorgeous, meaningfully and deeply artistic as a lot of it) if you're going to paint random public walls, my goodness I really don't think it could get more adorable than this lovely casted sweetie. She's my casting pic find of the week for sure!

Women casters a rare and special group

2006-06-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

Professional sports, the military, politics, law, medicine, beer sales - what do these things all have in common? They are areas within society which are all dominated by men. But this is not an article about which sex dominates what and why, and I'm certainly not out to debate Gloria Steinem's quote that, "...a woman has two choices: she's a feminist of a masochist" - at least not right now. Why I mention these few random sectors in which there is a male predominance is because I wish to add another to the list. One that few of my fellow ladies (at least outside of this realm) may have never though about: recreational casting.

Yes, by and far casting in all its splendid, rock hard glory is a world unto men, because it is men who tend to have a penchant for casting. Indeed it's women who we most often see as cast models, but it is men who are usually the first to come forward with their casting, and be most vocal about what they'd like to see in the casting world. I haven't the slightest clue as to what the actual ratio of men to women users are on the big pay casting sites, but I'd venture to guess that it's somewhere in the fibreglass encrusted neighborhood of 90-95% men and 5-10% women. Again, that's just be ballpark figure, but I'm basing it off of one largely defining factor; the ratio of men to women that you see participating on casting message boards and related medical fetish/hobby/fantasy sites (of course there is some wiggle room there, as anyone can assume the alias of their choice on such sites and so defining a person's actual gender becomes a tad trickier).

There are two main reasons why I think we far more menfolk are into the world of casting (and why their presence is a whole lot more prevalent within the community). For starters we have to look at casting on a sexual level first. Whether that means it's something that turns a guy on or a sector of kink that has evolved into a full-fledged fetish, it would appear that most casters who see casting as something tied to their sexual preferences are men. How do we know this? Well for one, if you check out the largest casting mecca sites that use (paid) models you will see that the people (models) in casts are almost always women. Typically young, pretty to beautiful, usually thin to average built women. Not all cast models posse nude or even semi nude but on some level I think that the director behind the shots always tries to implement some sense of female sexuality into the picture, even if it's just a shot of something as mundane as crutching down the street (in a mini skirt or one high heel or a tight pink shirt...). Don't get me wrong here for one red second, I'm not complaining and I'm not even beginning to broach my personal views on women and adult porn, instead I'm looking into why it is that the majority of casting enthusiasts appear to men.

Yes, many casting sites in a multitude of languages around the globe almost all feature women in casts, sometimes (though not overly common) a man (almost never casted, himself) will be in the picture with her. Though most shots feature one casted woman some adhere to the motto, "the more the merrier", and feature two or more (be still my beating heart!) casted gals. Another theme which you might run into (sadly not often enough) is a picture in which you see a casted women with a non casted women, perhaps dressed as a nurse (hell, yes!) or in another role where she is assisting the casted beauty. What we see with almost all of these images is that they are geared towards straight, horny men. No worries, a great deal of porn, erotica and adult imagery is, because quite matter of factually straight men do comprise a significant chunk of the porn buying industry. (Though I can assure you that women have just as many fantasies and sexual thoughts as you guys do, we just tend to approach them differently, and porno geared towards women/produced/written by women does often sell very well.) With only a couple of exceptions (the site "Jessica's Cast Dreams" springs to my mind), every large scale casting site that I know is run (and/or started by) men, and I don't think I'd be off base if I were to say that, ohhhhhh, I bet these men are themselves casting (and/or leg/foot/medical) fans, so they project their own desired fantasies into their shots. Thusly producing casting shots for men by men, but staring women. (Could you image a casting site run by women featuring images that those female casting fans wanted to show the world? I can, and it's one sweet thought.)

Reason number two; in my many years as a woman, and in speaking with a great deal of my fellow she-rads on this point, I can tell you that women are often very passive and shy when it comes to outwardly expressing their hobbies or sexual desires if they verge even remotely on anything that is not safe-as-a-childproof-cap and clean as a whistle (really, are whistles really that clean, think about it, all that saliva) in the eyes of society. Indeed, if I was in a club, at the gym, shopping for 4 inch heels, and I heard one woman turn to her girlfriend/sister/lover (or heck, any man in her life for that matter) and say something to the extent of, "you know what really gets me hot? The idea of wearing a leg cast!" I'd probably need a minute to scrape my jaw off the floor, as the smile spread from dangling earring to dangling earring across my face. It's never happened, and I'd put my odds on the fact that in the throws of everyday life, it never will. I might hear about how she wishes her boyfriend would give her more/better oral sex, or that she'd love to try a three-way (women, despite stereotypes to the contrary, do think about this one too), but that'd she'd part with her favourite handbag or childhood heirloom for two nights in a hip spica - wow, I think I'll be abducted by aliens first. To me, this is a darn shame,and I firmly believe that it is not because women don't have fantasies and desires that involve casting but because they are not apt to talk about them within earshot of anyone else, often including their partners and spouses. More often than not (this applies a bit more to straight rather than gay women) erotic images are not geared towards what a woman would want as her type of ideal (we'll settle for "enjoyable") type of sexual imagery. Casting is no exception.

Though I do have to interrupt myself (so much nicer than when someone else interrupts me), and say that I personally, LOVE, images of women in casts, no complaints here, though I do wish we'd see a whole lot more of certain types of casts and scenarios!

Steeping out of the sexual realm for both men and women, there appears to be a lot more guys who are into casting on the whole. Whether it be wearing casts, seeing casts, casting, having their partner model a cast and so on, men do tend to lead the pack in the world of casting, if only by sheer numbers alone. Luckily, there are some women (I wish I could offer you even a semi-hard number here, but I can't find any stats to support a love of lacs) who do clearly adore, admire and respect all that enshrines casting, and really heaven bless them, for it is with these souls that I feel an instant kinship, a desire to probe their minds and know what drives their casting thoughts and whims. I want to know how, when and why they are fascinated by casting. Do they wish to be casted, or care for someone who is casted? Do they prefer to see men, women or couples in casts? Here's a biggie, have they ever been casted? How many guys who are into casting have actually worn a recreational cast compared to women who pine for the very same thing? Why do women feel (for those that do) that they must keep their casting dreams and thoughts such tightly guarded secrets? Surely they are no stranger or off-beat than a plethora of things that people long for and find fun in, from S&M to role playing.

How often have we seen posts from men who want to know how to tell their girlfriend/wife about their love of casting, yet do were hear these same types of things from women? Almost never. Surely though, I adamantly believe that ladies too, face the conundrum of how to breech this subject with their partners. It is never easy or simple to just come right out and say to someone (especially somebody that we care a lot about) that we're into casting. For the subject of casting is not an everyday occurrence, heck, it's something that most people will never speak of unless they injure themselves or work in the medical field. To most people casts are simply there to mend broken bones (of course, an excellent and highly important use) and be the occasional theme of a joke or gag, nothing more. (I understand this, I really do.)

Perhaps another reason why we don't hear or see to many gals who are into recreational casting is because often, as soon as a women makes her casting thoughts and ideas known she is quickly swarmed upon by a flock of aroused men who are all to quick to pour forth detailed descriptions of exactly what they'd love to do to her sexually. In some respects it's like the idea that just because a women choices to wear a tight fitting top or a sexy skirt she must be out to get laid. Such things (and I say this as a woman) are completely and utterly not true. A women can enjoy sex and dress sexy/pretty without wanting to find a date or get laid, and I promise you women can talk about their casting thoughts and desires without wanting to endure an inbox full of lurid perversion which is enough to scare her away from ever publicly discussing her love of casting again. Men, I (we as women) understand that your libidos differ from ours greatly, but that is no excuse to send a complete stranger a fantasy that you've been building for ten years. Take it from a lady, you'll (almost always) have far better luck if you start out with an amicable friendship and let the tides take your relationship where they will from there. Or (and perhaps better yet in many situations) just let us (women) voice are thoughts on casting and respect (and value) them as you would those of a fellow male caster. I have no doubt in my mind that women have a great deal to bring to the world of casting, to place upon the Risser table and share with their fellow casters and to express to the whole world. Now, when will this happen, if ever? I really can't guess, but I hope that by my humble rantings here, it will help other women and casters in general to know that it's okay (and entirely normal) to speak up about their casting ideas and wants, to let us as a community in on the inner workings of your own unique casting brain.

Part of the reason that I started this blog was (and is) because I so feel so strongly that all people, including women should have a place to come and know that another soul just like them thinks about casting, loves casting and spends time pondering countless facets about recreational casting. I extend an open call to women everywhere to feel that (if nowhere else) there is a safe spot for them here, and within in the casting world. Ladies, let us all take pride in our love of casting, for surely it is wonderful thing to have as a constant source of creative inpseration and fun.

Public life

2006-05-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

You know, it's a tad ironic, I'm such a very shy person by nature and yet when I close my eyes I can imagine publicing like there was no tomorrow. Publicing by casting definition, is the act of wearing recreational casts in a public setting (in a sense I think that if you had friends round to your home and were wearing the cast there, that too would fall into the publicing category). Clearly this practice is not for everyone. Some people are amply content to wear their casts in the privacy and comfort of their own homes, while for others that desire to show the world (or at least your town) your casts is a powerfully strong allure.

Casting websites are strewn with pictures of people (usually models, sometimes recreational casters and other times shots of people in actual medically related casts, often taken without their knowledge) wearing casts in public. Popular themes of staged publicing shots include women out shopping and hanging around in parks or other outdoor venues, their casts stretched out on benches, swings and rocks. Quite often these photos are of women in all manner of leg casts, from long leg casts (llc) that graze the very top of the thigh to small short leg casts (slc) that just barely hug their lower calves. Arm casts, both short and long (sac & lacs) abound as well in these scripted settings. Occasionally you chance upon the good fortune of seeing a larger cast such as a shoulder spica or minerva. There are some extraordinarily gorgeous shots of people (usually women) publicing that be can be found on numerous casting fetish sites. These lovely ladies pose against backdrop scenery, and your eyes are instantly drawn to the cast(s) they're wearing. My favourite types of staged publicing shots are those in which the models are wearing either two really big llcs (not cylinder casts, for me the ankle/foot is best when casted as well) or any type of large cast, like a spica (spreader bars are a big fav as well).

When I envision a publicing scenario the cast tends to be a bit different from what you'll find in the galleries of most websites. Take for example, a long standing idea that I've had which involves big casts and props. To begin with either myself, or whomever you'd like to personally imagine in this situation, is wearing a full length body cast that reaches reaches their neck. Both legs and arms are fully encased, and she's (let's call this person a she, but again, it's whatever you like) been casted so that she's in a sitting position (or slightly reclining backwards).

This is a large cast, so colour is important, especially in public. The cast is like her clothing and must reflect who she is inside. I'd say that in this case I'd go with a very pale colour, perhaps a light pink or blue fiberglass, or just a simply creamy white fiberglass. The cast would reach just to her toes, which would be painted of course, providing that lovely juxtaposition between the fact that she looks so very injured and yet has the feminine charms of wearing painted toenails. I think that she needs a spacer bar between her legs in order to keep the cast stable, and well, because they look so amazing. The smooth coutures of the cast would lead you over the curves of her (now hidden) body. Both arms would be fully casted, and I think that on one hand (whichever hand is not her dominate one) all of the fingers and the thumb would be casted, but on the other hand her thumb and first finger would be exposed while the others were casted. Her arms would be bent at the elbows like the position when you place your forearms firmly upon the armrests of a chair. The cast would go up to the the base of her neck, a smooth round fiberglass collar that fit snugly against the skin. Instead of casting the neck in this case I think that a neck brace would be perfect, perhaps something like a Philadelphia collar (or whatever tickles your fancy).

Her hair would be swept up into a high, slightly messy bun with small little tendrils left astray so that they blow gently in the passing breeze. Her make-up is simple, and classic with lightly glossy lips (we can't let the "patient" have dry lips, now can we!). We place our lovely lady into a strong, well built reclining (tilting) wheelchair with a wide padded headrest and two long leg rests so that her casts can lean against them. As we are going out in public we'll cover tuck a towel or tiny, thin blanket under and around her so that we crotch area is covered. I'd forgo actually putting shorts or a skirt on, as we want to show as much of the cast as possible. Assuring that she is comfortable we'd head out into the world.

I think that for this expedition we would begin our day early, the pale golden morning sunshine hitting her barely exposed face as it peaks out above the rim of her neck brace like a sweet little rabbit scanning the horizon. The reason we left her finger and thumb exposed was so she would be able to drive her wheelchair (which would be electric, of course), but for this publicing day she will have someone with her to push the chair. The choice of whom that person will be is entirely up to you. I like to think that it's one of her attractive, kind and caring girlfriends.

First off we'd begin by going for a walk along the pathway that runs near the beach, a lot of people are out at this time of morning, some walking their dogs, others taking a jog or strolling leisurely. The breeze is beautiful as it sweeps in off the water and puts a gentle pink glow in her checks, which some may think is her actually blushing from embarrassment. But this is intentional publicing and such is not the case. From the first person that they pair pass on their walks the stares begin. People stop mid sentence, their jaws lowered and have to blink to make sure that they're seeing this correctly. As casters know, it's more likely that you'll see an elephant meandering down the street than you will a women out in public wearing a body cast.

Her friend stops periodically to brush the stray hairs from our caster's face and bring a water bottle to her lips. As the morning progresses they head to the local mall, always a very busy place on a Saturday afternoon. The crowd is thick today but people make room for the wheelchair, and they pass by the shop windows at a leisurely pace. A young girl, perhaps six years old spots them and while her mother is distracted runs up and beams a giant smile, “What happened to you?” She asks with the darling innocence that only the young can posses.

This opens up a whole Pandora's box of both questions and answers. By my very nature I like to think that I'm a deeply honest person. Lying makes me feel sick to my stomach, but recreational casting is somewhat like a game of a dress-up, a fictional situation that you are entirely in control of, And so if you wish to make up a cover story for your publicing adventures that is entirely up to you. I would suggest that you stick to either completely realistic answers (car accident, skiing accident) or things so incredibly far fetched that they sound plausible. If people pry and ask more questions than you'd like to answer simply say something such as, “I'm sorry, but I'm not in a place yet where I'm comfortable talking about that, it's too soon for me,” or (the really believable), “I'm sorry, I can't say more, my lawyer has advised me to not discuss the details of my accident until after the court case.” On the other hand, if your creative juices are flowing go to town with your answers, but remember that you never know when you might have to defend the things that you say or deny them entirely.

“My parachute didn't open in time, and I crashed into the ground,” she (you!) replies in a soft voice. “Ohhh, did it hurt?” the little girl asks, to which you just smile as if to say yes. “I think your cast is beautiful!” She exclaims as she brings her small hand up and touches a casted arm before smiling wildly and running back to her mother. Leaving you to wonder if she was simply a caring, inquisitive child or someone who may one day blossom in a casting enthusiast themselves.

They head over to the food court and order a light lunch, pulling the wheelchair up to the small table is a bit awkward, but they manage. Her friend cuts up the food into small pieces and brings them up to her mouth as she chews slowly and carefully, especially because the neck brace makes swallowing a bit difficult. They notice that a group of guys in their early twenties are watching them. Some stare at first at the sight of a fully casted woman and then go back to their lunches, a couple though leave their eyes lingering on her fiberglass encased body, but none of them quite work up the courage to come over. (What they didn't notice though, was that one guy snapped pics of her with his camera phone – images that he'll be enjoying again later at home!)

Afterwards they leave the mall and ponder where to go next in this adventure before deciding on a local outdoor jazz festival that they know is going on. The turn out is huge and tons of people end up diverting their gaze from the talented musicians to the skilled recreational caster. This time the pair does notice as many people take pictures - some even come up to them with their questions. Many offer sympathy and say that they'll keep her in their prayers. She smiles sweetly when someone asks her if she can move the two exposed fingers. She slowly raises them a few centimeters and pinches the wheelchair control between them to show that she can. To the on lookers this simple act of movement is enough to make some people applaud her. When asked how much longer she'll be in the cast, she replies at least six months (but the truth is that it'll only be until the end of the weekend), and has to bite her lip to keep from smiling at what an amazing dream come true six more months in this gorgeous rock hard body cast would be.

I think that when it comes to publicing you really have to go with what your heart tells you to do, be that a simple slc and a walking shoe or something as grand and elaborate as this fictitious story. Have as much fun as you possibly can, go to places where you'll be noticed by tons of people and have pictures of your experiences taken so that you can treasure the memories of your publicing long after the casts have come off.

There are so few things like a secret

2006-05-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

The psychology of casting is not an easy or mundane subject to tackle. It's vivid complexity is as deep as any other interest, any passion. Vast books have been written on the subject of human desire, of our fascinations that meld into sexual desires, lusts, and for some obsessions. For an adult (anyone that has hit puberty would probably be more like it) who is enthralled by recreational casting it is exceptionally hard not to find sexual arousal from the images we see, and the gorgeous, often complex, scenarios that we envision in our mind's eye.

Casting is a complex fascination. For the vast majority it does not stem from a wish to actually imagine yourself or someone else in real physical pain. The S&M of say bondage play is – in spite of the very nature of being restricted in some senses by a cast's material – an aspect which for most does not directly come into the picture. In fact many casters would never dream of actually (intentionally) breaking a bone, or wishing physical harm on another soul. A recreational cast itself than becomes something which is less about pain and restraint, and more like an extension of the wearer. Akin in certain respects to other things such as leather and latex that some people are so deeply interested in wearing.

Recreational casting has two distinct sides to its very nature. On the one hand your fascination with casting may draw from the longing to see someone else in cast (usually, but not always someone who you find sexually appealing). Thus you become a sort of casting voyeur, a watcher who seeks out plaster and crutches with their eyes continually, who may dream of laying in bed with a casted companion or watching them go about their daily route while casted. The second casting distinction is the group of people who wish (and fantasize) about being casted themselves. The perpetual yen to crawl beneath a cast and feel it's idyllic stiffness clutch to your skin. The restraint of an arm, your legs, your whole body perhaps. To dress in a cast and live out the fiberglass dreams that you've been so longing for. Naturally, of course, there are many people who belong to both groups. Who whether equally or not, wish to be casted and observe someone in a cast. I am of this group. Casting is an art which asks of us to be both the painter and the art lover.

I believe that virtually every element of our individual sexual desires can be traced back to events in our lives, whether we are aware that these events induced our wants, or not. Often what is sexually arousing is a result of our cultural environment. A prime example of this would be the practise of foot binding (the now illegal and outdated) that used to take place in China. A tiny, deformed foot was a highly sexual object to men of the time, yet very few men would so much as give a second glance to a bound for today, save perhaps for those with a foot fetish. In a way casts are a nearly universal part of our surrounding, slightly more common in some countries, but still a thing to be spotted in most parts of the globe. Be that as they may, unless you work in an environment such as a hospital where one would regularly encounter people in casts, actually spotting a cast can be a somewhat rare event. And scarcity in and of itself is enough to make the cast a thing of both fascination, and for a great many “casters” (people who are into the casting life style and culture), a sexual desire.

There is a bounty of potential reasons why someone would become interested in, and aroused by, casting. Perhaps as a young child you had a crush on a pretty girl who had a leg cast, or maybe you had a broken arm and relished the gentle care and attention that you received from the nurses in the hospital as a result of it. What if you like to see a woman (or man) who is limping or somehow appears to be vulnerable as the result of wearing a cast. Could it be that you enjoy thinking about caring for, and possibly making love to, a person who is casted. Is it the way that you would be susceptible to whatever a sexy doctor could do to you while you were casted. We each have our reasons, indeed we have our very secret, very personal reason why casting so appeals to us. Casters, like many people with a distinct preference for something that is less than ordinary are sometimes shy, coy or even rude when questioned about the reasons why they like casts. “I don't know,” or “I've always just liked casts,” are not uncommon answers. But I do think that whether they are aware of the reasons themselves or not, for everybody there are pathways that lead to our individual fixations with casts.

I know – I am absolutely positive – that my fascination, my adoration, my desire comes from years spent playing my favourite childhood game: hospital. Convinced as a child that I would become a nurse or a doctor, I spent countless hours being both the health care worker (the nurturer) and the patient (the nurtured). Dolls, stuffed animals, childhood friends and relatives all came under the tiny implements from my black toy doctor's bag, and the myriad of other props I used to create a realistic hospital scene. White linens and clothing, pliable cardboard and tension bandages (which were as good as gold to me at that tender age, so highly coveted that I kept them hidden when not in use) were spun into homemade casts. When I was not dressing up a favourite doll in double leg casts I was likely swaddling myself in a homemade body cast. It was innocent childhood fun, at the age of seven how could I possibly know that such acts would lead to a lifelong attraction to casting.

Time rolled on and so the games of my early youth fell to the side, but the enthrallment that came with thinking about being casted and seeing others in casts never vanished. In fact it's only grown stronger as the years past, a modern gravitation that came from an seemingly benign childhood game. Coming of age quickly saw to it that casting crossed over from simply a fun make-believe past time of white towels and plastic stethoscopes to a thing of great imaginative fantasy. The canvass (white, naturally) of my mind a place where I could envision any number of possible casting relating situations. But you see, as we grow up we somehow instinctively learn that society would not have us trouping about and proclaiming our love for those things which are not readily common and accepted. Women are to like things like men on white horses, not men in white arm casts. Fellows should like a smooth lean leg, not one encased up to the thigh in purple fiberglass. And so nearly everyone amongst us went into a medical supply closet without even realizing it. Keeping our inhibitions and yearnings a secret, a treasured gem that exists only in our minds.

I do not condemn those casters whose passion exists in the silence of their own souls', I know all to well what that is like. I commend those that try to share and explain (though I feel strongly that casting needs no justification) their passion with others, and truly wish them all the luck in the world, but I know that very few outside of the casting world are receptive to its allure and charm. We are each products of our desires, our wants and our needs, and every caster will find their interest in casting falls somewhere amongst those three words.

Creation

2006-05-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me as I lay awake in bed, as I so often do, that there is not likely any blogs for recreational casters. I mull this over, do I?

The tangled web of cast sites and yahoo groups, some long abandoned like a childhood toy box full of things we once treasured and returned to time and time again. Others expired, domains with names but no purpose, totting adds for everything but the one reason that you came looking for. Some pages started and hardly touched – did the love die, or was the creator exposed, did the fun stop when it turned into work? We can only guess as to their demise.

So from the Pompeian ruins of over a decade’s worth of casting sites we see but a handful which have held on to the rock of internet life, and those who have emerged triumphantly in the past few years. You know their names, and if you don’t they’ll likely be mentioned here eventually. That is the nature of this world, so secular and mysterious, yet no more unique than a thousand other interests. Where after a while every public name becomes a familiarity, like high school by the eleventh grade – you’d heard tell of everyone.

To those sites that triumph, I doff my hat, may you always have success. To those who fell to the wayside, where you failed or ended may others pick up your fallen reigns. Sites with promising titles and empty pages, sites where every chance to see what you crave is granted – if you fork over the cash. Granting freedom and providing fulfilment in the world of anything even vaguely related to sexuality is a thriving business, anyone with half a whit realizes the potentiality of pay per-view or membership sites. I won’t launch into the merits and qualms of these sites. Like so much in this world, they have their place.

So here I sit, and realize my hands have created this blog, a place to pick up casting from the soiled gutter and wipe its tarnish and misbegotten name off. One spot in the vast cosmos to ponder and put forth ideas and some might even say beliefs, about casting. Here it is, the birth of a blog called Cast-World, an insightful voice on all aspects of that sweet and tantalizing art, and fascination, which is casting.