As the semester draws to a close I find this scenario less and less likely. I've spent 20 years with my penis the way it is, and I don't think I could stand the trauma.

On another note, I'm finally beginning to get some negative responses from people. Because this article also is put in The Weekly Collegian, people at every Commonwealth Campus see it. Apparently some Weekly reader wants me to make another kind of hole in my body -- with a bullet.

"Oh, when will it all end -- this series about self-mutilation of body parts with all the gory details?" some faithful reader said in an e-mail. "Will the final piercing segment be about a 357 projectile piercing James' temple?" he asked. "Of course he would not be able to write the article. Sop (sic) it before it goes too far."

I pierce myself every week. Does that mean I deserve death? Maybe I shouldn't test that.

In any case, my piercing articles will continue, to the disappointment of my e-mail buddy.

And without further ado, Week 10:

The orbit is more of a kind of piercing than a place to get pierced. An orbit is any piercing that enters the body more than once. Although you can get an orbit piercing almost anywhere you want, the most common is the ear. I chose to get mine in the upper ear.

While earlobes have always been a popular place to pierce, lately you often see people with tragus piercings (see week four), conch piercings or most commonly a piercing of the cartilage at the top of the ear.

Because the orbit piercing goes through more than once, it's going to require getting pierced more than once. If you can only take one needle at a time, this kind of piercing is definitely not for you.

As usual, first you pick out the type of jewelry you want -- I chose a 14-gauge U-shaped bar. Then the area to be pierced has to be cleaned. Then, of course, comes the needle.

The piercing itself doesn't hurt all that much -- I'd give it a five on the Conroy scale. But when it's multiplied by two, that's when the pain enters the picture.

Although this wouldn't happen with everyone, this was the bloodiest piercing I've gotten yet -- I actually could feel the blood running down my ear. But that would kind of make sense after having two holes punched through it.

The aftercare is a little easier because you can bend your ear a little to get into the tough spaces. On the other hand, it's a little more time consuming because there are two holes instead of the usual one.

The cost of getting an orbit in the ear cartilage is similar to regular cartilage piercing. Exotic Zombie body piercing, 225 W. Beaver Ave., doesn't suggest getting an orbit at first. They recommend getting two separate cartilage piercings, which would come to $60, and putting orbit jewelry in after they have healed.

At Art of the Ages Inc., 103 S. Pugh St., an ear cartilage orbit costs $5 more than a normal cartilage piercing, with prices starting at $40. The same is true at Forbidden Fruit, 110 Hetzel St., bringing their price to $15. At Green Top, 318 E. College Ave., the same procedure starts at $71.

The orbit is definitely unusual and a good conversation piece. With so many are getting the cartilage at the top of their ear pierced, people want something a little different.

This is one of my favorite piercings. Unlike the navel, I probably would have gotten an orbit even without this column. Other unlikely piercings have grown on me, such as the nostril, which I didn't like at first.

But have no fear, faithful piercing fans. No matter how many hateful e-mails I get, no matter how many death threats I receive, no matter how many infections I have to fight, I will fulfill my duty to pierce myself for the good of mankind.

Except for the penis -- I'd like to be able to use it someday.