DIY shout out!

[imJonWain]

I assumed it had to do with otters?

[lawrence scaduto]

Hey!

First: thanks for all the kind words you guys!

Second: You guys did a killer job of discussing the use of the word "Bitch" in a civil manner. I forget that is still possible on the internet.

Is it cool if I weigh in on the name?

When I first came up with the name, it was so silly and clearly ironic (to me) that I couldn't imagine anyone would take offense. To me it was being said by a doofus in a bar trying to impress his buddies by which stomp switches he buys. He gets the bitches because, well you know, they love his switches. Irony! There was a meme going around back then that was all nerdy stuff like, "Bitches love my 12 sided dice". That inspired me too. And as a musician and song writer, I just loved the flow of it, like a lyric. It feels good to say. So why not?

That was quite a while ago in terms of how our culture deals with language. People are more "woke" or sensitive now. I'm more sensitive (I just can't call myself "woke" without feeling like a poser). I got married, had a daughter (she turned 2 today!) and aged a little bit. I can see how it would bother someone. And I'm sure someone could make a great case on how language can oppress. And someone else could make a case for how no one is really getting hurt by the name. And I'd agree with both.

I've written 1000 different sentences trying to explain how this is possible because we don't actually have shared reality, we're just having these personal experiences that seem shared. We're also multiple people inside. If we feel something, it's true even if it's wrong because those feelings were felt. They happened...I just can't make it sound coherent.

I'm trying to go through this life as a good dude. I try to be moral. I try to speak up for the oppressed. I try to be fair. I try not to hurt others--unless it's in poker, I will take your chips and talk so much shit while doing it.

My wife Rebecca joined BLMS when we left Brooklyn, NY, for Portland, OR, a year and a half ago. The name was bothering her. She didn't like saying it to any professional we had to deal with. I get it. It's kind of an abrasive word. We also learned that Google, Instagram, Facebook and others really won't let you use any of their customer-facing services if your name might offend.

And then there's our daughter. Soon she'll be asked what her daddy does for a living. Portland is a proudly politically correct town. I don't want her to feel alienated by her peers because of what her dad does.

And it started bothering me. I started to feel a twinge of something negative when I had to say "Bitches". It just got abrasive. It's surprising how many times a day I have to say or read our name.

When you take into account that it could turn off potential customers, hurt people and all of the reasons stated above it seemed like it should go.

So we are kinda of sorta changing the name. I mean we did, mostly. We changed the URL, social media accounts and emails (we can still be reached at the old domain). The current logo on the site has "Bitches" in it but that's up there to make sure old customers don't get confused by the brand new look of the website. It will go eventually from the logo on the site. Probably in the next few months.

I am still holding onto it for some stuff like stickers and T-Shirts (soon!). I look at it as kinda like a nickname for your buddy that you would never say in front of your mom. You and your friends understand the meaning and humor behind behind Butthole Billy's nickname. But you wouldn't call him that in front of his boss. It's for us that know about it and understand the context.

Also, it's an important piece of my creative output that I just can't let it go. I'm sure you could make a case that I am still oppressing others in some way and you might be right. I honestly don't know how to tell. Part of me is like, "Show me the bodies! Who is actually hurt by this!" And another part is saying, "Eh, what's the big deal. You stopped saying "retarded" because why not be generous and caring and nice? Isn't that the whole point of life? To fight against the callous suffering causes and work to remain loving and connected to others?

I hope I've found a balance of honoring my creativity, humor and the feelings of others.


Sorry for the novel.

[Chankgeez]

lawrence scaduto post in 2017?

And what an excellent post it is!

(I had no idea you weren't still in NYC.)

[eatyourguitar]

not that my opinion matters in discussing personal decisions made by a business owner but I think it would be more offensive if it said onlywomenareattractedtomyelectromechanicaldevices.com or allwomenarebitches.com

I am the rare person in 2017 that actually believes in free speech more than I believe in the dis-empowerment of people who engage in oppression. a long time ago on this board I made some statements shaming various religions for their association with murder and oppression. no it wasn't Christianity, it was the opposite. I was raised in a hardcore catholic home so naturally I would think everything else is hurting the world. I realize now that anything I was putting down could also be said about the religion I was raised in. I converted to atheism and I embraced freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom to make unrestricted art.

now I am no longer atheist or catholic. lets just say I believe in mono theism and I also believe in polytheism. I don't preach or argue or discuss religion on the internet at all. why would I? I think that invades personal space. I am also against the choice of words in vernacular that amount to a contagious ubiquitous impulsive pejorative discourse. I don't think Lawrence had any intention to hurt anyone when he purchased the domain name and started a company. all he wanted to do was build his future. He was a totally free thinker writing down whatever came to mind. If people want to misinterpret Lawrence and make him into the bad guy, that is the failure of one human being to understand another human being. that is what saddens me. the name is not offensive to men or women. it is offensive to bitches who call them selves bitches. and in that specific case it is only offensive because he is insinuating that they have made a choice in retailers of electro mechanical devices that may in reality not be accurate. it is unfair to bitches because no one can speak for someone else. for the same reason, SJW are full of shit if they are not calling them selves bitches but they feel the need to attack Lawrence to protect some one else. The idea that you can find your own meaning in something someone said and force them to not say it laughable. there are numerous failures of language every time language is spoken. we do not need to make communication more difficult by implanting an electric fence in the minds of others around parts of the brain that are related to communication and freedom of expression. we need to tell others how we see the world so that they can understand us and we can understand them peacefully.

any SJW that has a problem with bitcheslovemyswitches.com publicly before talking to Lawrence privately is spreading a lack of peace, love, and understanding.

[Chankgeez]

Did you read lawrence's post?

[BetterOffShred]

Thanks for the post Lawrence. Like I said before, your business is legit and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I also understand where you're coming from with letting the business mature with you. The point about your daughter is well received (congrats btw!) I had to hide all my cannibal corpse t-shirts when my son started noticing things ..

I am a pleased customer who doesn't give a shit what you name the business as long as you continue to rock great service and prices as you have. I actually find it refreshing.

That being said I'm lobbying for "Lawrence's Pedal Parts and Petunia Patch" which of course will also sell doylies and gardening aprons in sensible pastel colors.
-Brett

[crochambeau]

I am the rare person in 2017 that actually believes in free speech more than I believe in the dis-empowerment of people who engage in oppression. /snip/ I embraced freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom to make unrestricted art.

Curious: do you equate the freedoms that you espouse as applied to yourself in that sentence as something accessible to those who are oppressed in your earlier sentence?

[eatyourguitar]

Did you read lawrence's post?

yes and I replied to it. my post was for Lawrence to read so that he could understand how I feel. I am doing my best to understand how he feels. if anyone else is reading both his and my posts, I want them to know how we feel. There is much that has not been said in this thread and in other public places but I feel as though it is the pervasive elephant in the room. since the topic has appeared I thought it would be best that we all engage in this discussion so that the benefits of the mutual discourse could be shared with all.

I am the rare person in 2017 that actually believes in free speech more than I believe in the dis-empowerment of people who engage in oppression. /snip/ I embraced freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom to make unrestricted art.

Curious: do you equate the freedoms that you espouse as applied to yourself in that sentence as something accessible to those who are oppressed in your earlier sentence?

unless you have been forced by another to wear one of these



or you are imprisoned in one of these



or you are being threatened by one of these



then I believe you have as much freedom as anyone else to think and speak for yourself. clearly by my example here there are some people who are so oppressed they can not speak. but they can always think for themselves. a failure to do so is simply a lack of faith in the power of the mind. if we can look past that and comment on the majority of people who have a keyboard in front of them then I think we all have that keyboard. we are free to say what we want. and we are also responsible for the effects our words have on people. this in no way at all implies that we are deserving of punishment. it only implies that we all have a duty as individuals to acknowledge to ourselves honestly that our actions have effects on others. this does not comment that our actions are negative or positively affecting others since negative and positive are subjective and also because they are only words. it is absolutely impossible to make objective statements in some absolute truth proclaiming that something is good or bad since this is the presentation of something internal submitted for the approval of others. it can not be spoken. I think this is why we fumble when we try to find a solution and talk about it. if you are like me in thinking that our thoughts are our own and they can not be taken away, then you would probably agree that we are invincible to every kind of pain that is experienced in the mind. and by that same statement, we are responsible for our perception of pain as soon as we know what we are. this is true both individually and also collectively. it is not dualist and confused like communism or capitalism.

[lawrence scaduto]

Jeez. You guys are kind of blowing my mind. I feel like I agree with what everyone is saying. But I've been told that competing ideas can not coexist. That one much CHOOSE. But I can't because I agree with everyone.

Everyone is right when they speak for and about their experience. But how do we know if it's OK to speak for the experiences of others? It's likely we are all dudes here, right? But we're talking about women being hurt by the use of the word Bitches (in a context not directed at anyone in particular). So should some women chime in? But can a few women speak for all? How about all women around the world? Should we ask women in remote tribes in the Amazon who have never seen electricity in action what they think? Should we only narrow it to women who are music makers and DIY electronics makers?

[Chankgeez]

Should we ask women in remote tribes in the Amazon who have never seen electricity in action what they think?

Yes, please, contact uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. I believe you'll find a contact form on their website.

[BetterOffShred]

Dude Lawrence, you should start stocking the J sized boxes. I love that you have XX and DD boxes too.

[crochambeau]

It just seems to me that every time someone is banging on the FREE SPEECH drum, what they are really requesting is that their speech be free from repercussions. Clearly these are two entirely different things.

if you are like me in thinking that our thoughts are our own and they can not be taken away, then you would probably agree that we are invincible to every kind of pain that is experienced in the mind.

I spent years in a highly functional semi delusional state (it's been about 25 years since my first episode, and even now I carry echoes), in which I was convinced every single person I saw on the street, or thought about could immediately read my mind. I assure you, I do not believe anyone is "invincible" to every kind of pain that is experienced in the mind. We can only measure the depths that we ourselves do reach. That said, you do give a nod to the fact that words and communication can carry heavy elements that fall well outside of personal experience. To that effect I applaud retooling that will undoubtedly cultivate a richer business experience, giving a nod to a wider community is hardly censorship.

Apologies on the derail, and if this makes me a "SJW" = hahaha

[eatyourguitar]

I have no problems with that. there are two different kinds of pain. maybe that is why it is confusing. there is the sensation of pain and there is the perception that everything sucks and everyone is hurting me etc... this is the usual shit. the same people that say "everything is not my fault!" are the same people that are constantly asking for help. a lot of people in our society complain about injustice. I don't think you are complaining so this is not directed at you at all. but I think we can encourage people to complain and cry more or we can just choose to stop being hypersensitive. that is how I see it. it is pretty common sense. I am not denying that there is injustice in the world. I am only saying that I don't like the trend of people encouraging the kind of oppression that results from an over abundance of SJW.

[crochambeau]

Cool man, no worries.

I just have to squint really hard to discern how Lawrence Scaduto changing the name of Bitches Love My Switches to Love My Switches (and I do) through an elevated sense of empathy, or sensitivity, or whatever (I wasn't there, so this is pure speculation that in my mind parallels what he wrote above) could be construed as oppression. I mean, I get it if some hired goons dropped by to suggest in no uncertain terms that that would be what happens, but some of us just catch a glance in the mirror now and then, or stop and listen and it helps growth. Growing a social consciousness doesn't need to undermine a world view.

I'm going to say it: maybe you're just a bit sensitive about sensitivity?

Hahahaha, anyway, keep up the good work everyone!

[imJonWain]

I love your company, any which way. I buy most of my switches and boxes from you!