From $pread Magazine’s blog:
$pread is Dead, Really
“Dear $pread family. We want to thank you for the incredible showing of support in response to our “R.I.P. $pread” announcement. We received countless messages reinforcing the value of $pread in your communities. Over the years, we have consistently turned to our P.O. Box and email inboxes to justify our continued involvement, and your letters have fueled the all-nighters and sweaty schlepping that magazine publishing requires. This time, however, we are truly closing shop.
While the offers of money to continue publishing are tempting, we want to make it loud and clear, $pread is dead. We want to apologize for quoting the $30K figure offhand. We simply don’t have the volunteer commitment, transition time, or infrastructure to support a continuation of the magazine beyond January. Even if there was $100K made available to us, we are unable to guarantee the survival of the magazine. Given this uncertainty, we prefer to go out on a high note with Issue 6.1, the Race Issue, slated for completion in January.
Once again, we encourage others to pick up where we left off. We will package a ‘$pread Scrapbook’ for those looking for tips and tricks on publishing a magazine by and for people working in the sex industry. We did a lot wrong over the years, and learned a lot while doing it, but the the gist of $pread remains unchanged: $pread’s commitment to an open dialogue by and for current and former sex workers, including the good and the ugly of our work, and illuminating the sex industry for the world to see. We hope that any future publication will take this goal to heart. Only with unabashed critique, both of our industry and our communities, including the sometimes exploitative fees, the racist hiring practices and the racist, ageist, and sizeist payment differentials, will we come together as one community and achieve justice.
For those of you with a hankering for $pread merchandise and back issues, make sure to go to the $pread Shop (www.spreadmagazine.org/shop) in the next few months. Once we print the next two issues, we will donate the materials to our outreach partners as well as lay the foundation for a physical archive, complete with all the $pread memories of yore, blemishes and all.”
—
Looks like I’m not the only one who was hoping $pread could be saved. : (
Posted by Vixen as Sex Workers at 11:22 PM CDT
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From KPTV:
WHO Says Swine Flu Pandemic Is Over
“The World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic officially over Tuesday, months after many national authorities started canceling vaccine orders and shutting down telephone hot lines as the disease ebbed from the headlines.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the organization’s emergency committee of top flu experts advised her that the pandemic had “largely run its course” and the world is no longer in phase six - the highest influenza alert level.”
A quiet end to a much overhyped flu. I’m so relieved that I never took the vaccine.
—
From Daily Finance:
Wal-Mart Quietly Raises Prices
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), which for years has touted its prowess at lowering prices, has been doing the opposite as it tries to bolster its bottom line amid stagnating sales.
A JPMorgan Chase (JPM) study of a Walmart Supercenter in Virginia found that the world’s largest retailer has raised prices by nearly 6% on average over the past six weeks, according to the New York Post.
(snip)
Theoretically, this should be Wal-Mart’s moment to shine. U.S. consumer confidence in July was at its lowest point since February. People still want low prices. Unfortunately for Wal-Mart, they just would rather shop at other stores.
Later in the article it says some product prices have risen 60%. Not a surprise that they’re doing it quietly since they need to play up their ‘we’re so cheap’ angle.
—
From Raw Story:
Man attempts drive-by pepper-spraying of Westboro Baptists at funeral
“Members of the Westboro Baptist Church have angered many over their practice of picketing soldiers’ funerals with signs that read “God hates fags.”
But few of the church members who protested at the funeral of Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Bock in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday could have expected a passing driver to attempt pepper-spraying them.
(snip)
George Vogel, 62, who lives just north of Omaha, was booked for 16 counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of felony assault on a police officer for the pepper-spray exposure, police said. Vogel also faces one count of child neglect because his child was in the truck, Pecha told CNN.”
I disagree-I think the WBC members have been expecting a violent counter attack to their antics. They try to provoke acts like this in order to get more publicity for their sick ways. I also disagree with the 16 counts-yes he may have broken the law but 16 counts is excessive.
—
Also from Raw Story:
Celebrating and commemorating, New Orleans remembers Katrina
“New Orleans residents Sunday marked five years since Hurricane Katrina and the devastating floods that followed with a memorial service in the Lower Ninth Ward, where the storm hit hardest.
“We lost 1,800 people in the worst manmade disaster ever to hit this country,” said New Orleans Mayor, Mitch Landrieu, sheltered from light rain by an umbrella as he addressed a crowd of hundreds.
“We’re still standing, and we’re never, ever, ever going to give up. If we can’t rebuild the lower nine, then we can’t rebuild America.”"
Katrina and New Orleans may have faded from the headlines but it’s still relevant. I think that last quote about the lower nine and America is a good one. If we can’t rebuild parts of our nation how can we hope to rebuild the many more parts that have broken since?
Posted by Vixen as News at 12:39 PM CDT
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From the Advocate:
The Ken Mehlman Interview
“As Ken Mehlman’s revelation that he is gay ripped through the blogosphere late Wednesday afternoon, he boarded a plane bound for his home base, New York City. Mehlman had first discussed his coming out story with Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic, but he had reached out to The Advocate in advance of its publication and made a point of offering his second interview on the matter to an LGBT news outlet.
Shortly after arriving in New York Wednesday evening, Mehlman, the former Republican National Committee chair and campaign manager for Bush-Cheney ’04, made good on his promise.
(snip)
People are very aware that the Republican Party has skewed pretty conservative on gay issues in the past. Do you think that this could help win over some hearts and minds, that you could have conversations that you didn’t have in the past?
Well, a couple thoughts. One is, Republicans have lots of different views on this issue. I would argue – and I’m arguing it now, I didn’t argue it before and I should have – that in fact if you are a believer in individual freedom and leaving people alone and you’re a believer in strengthening families that, in fact, supporting issues like the right to marry would be consistent with that. I think those are conservative positions.”
I’d be supportive of Mehlman if he had come out during the Bush years. His coming out now that the campaign is long over feels like a cop out. If he had come out then that could have really helped the gay rights movement.
—
Also from the Advocate:
Trans Changes for Pa. Driver’s Licenses
“The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has changed its gender identification policies for driver’s licenses to better accommodate transgender people, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
(snip)
Now trans-identified drivers can request the identification change as long as they are living full-time in the new gender and can back it up with verification from a licensed medical or psychological caregiver — no surgery required.”
What great news for the transgender community! I have a F2M friend who dealt with paperwork issues. It was stressful for him. Maybe more states will adopt similar policies?
—
From the Boston Herald:
Passengers shocked by new touchy-feely TSA screening
“Airline passengers from coast to coast are decrying the Transportation Security Administration’s more aggressive body searches, calling screeners’ new front-of-the-hand, slide-down technique not only invasive but an example of Big Brother run amok.
(snip)
Webster was subjected to the body search at McCarran-Las Vegas International Airport after he opted not to walk through a full-body scanner. He objects to the scanners because of the revealing X-ray images they produce and concerns about health effects.”
I’ll be flying this fall and will be opting out of the full-body scanner. Will I get groped by TSA agents? I hope not. But if I do you’ll hear about it.
One of the passengers who got groped threw out this gem of a comment:
“Webster described himself and his wife as just “normal Americans traveling.”
“If they think there are explosives, have a dog there to sniff (passengers) when they come through,” he said. “Last time I checked, on 9/11 there were no blond, blue-eyed people who caused the problems. Someone needs to stop these people.””
Last time I checked the 9/11 terrorists didn’t have bombs in their genitals. This is an important issue and remarks like his hair/eye comment really wrecks his point.
Posted by Vixen as News at 11:50 PM CDT
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From $pread Magazine’s blog:
R.I.P. $pread!
“Hello $pread fans. We regret to inform you that, while we expect to publish 5.4, the Crime and Punishment Issue and 6.1, the Race Issue (guest-edited by a fabulous collective of sex workers of color) by January, $pread will close its glittery doors soon after the dawn of the New Year.
Once the remaining two issues have been posted, we will fulfill subscriptions for those of you who are owed them with the option of back issues, or, if you’re feeling generous, a waiver to help us with closing costs. We apologize for those of you who have only recently come to know us, and to all our longtime supporters. After all these years, five all-volunteer years to be exact, we have come to the conclusion that an all-volunteer magazine is simply unsustainable in the current publishing climate. Short of a donation of $30,000, we will be unable to sustain the magazine past January.
For those of you with a hankering for $pread merchandise and back issues, make sure to go to the $pread Shop (www.spreadmagazine.org/shop) in the next few months. For those of you who do not currently have a subscription, please purchase the next two issues individually. Once we print the next two issues, we will donate the materials to our outreach partners as well as lay the foundation for a physical archive, complete with all the $pread memories of yore, blemishes and all.
We hope that you will look forward to a $pread retrospective in book form, featuring highlights of our five years of publishing. We will also package a ‘$pread Scrapbook’ for sex worker advocates looking for tips and tricks on publishing a magazine by and for people working in the sex industry. We are producing these materials in the hopes that our model will help motivate the continued movement for social justice among our many and varied communities, in the same way Danzine inspired our own publication. We also close our doors in the comfort of knowing that right now, around the world, sex worker-run and sex worker-supportive media such as ConStellation (www.chezstella.org) in Montreal, Flower in Beijing, and Red Light District Chicago (www.redlightdistrictchicago.com) are holding forth on the issues that matter to our communities.
$pread was motivated by the motto “Illuminating the Sex Industry.” We submit these five years of blood, sweat, and tears to you as a testament to this founding sentiment. May the struggle to end the stigma, discrimination, and violence perpetrated against our communities end in justice, and may the flashy strobe light of sex worker rights never go out, but illuminate the sex industry for the world to see.”
—
I’m so saddened by this news. My first reaction is to plead that something, Something!, can be done to save this magazine. New volunteers? A higher subscription price? Less issues donated for charity? Less pages? More fundraising? An online magazine instead? It doesn’t seem like they’ll continue it in print or online.
On the other hand, I remember my burn out with the Sugasm. I was the editor and while I enjoyed volunteering for it, I eventually burned out and had to quit. I had hoped Sam would continue it but it’s a dead site. I hate to see the same thing happen to $pread.
One of the reasons I started Radical Vixen was because I felt isolated. Mr. Radical and I were living in an area far away from my sex worker friends. I didn’t have a community. Starting the blog was a way of reaching out. The Sugasm and $pread helped me reconnect with others. $pread really touched my heart. It made me feel like I was part of a bigger sex worker community.
I loved every issue. Finally, a magazine for us! The cherry on top was getting my articles published in a few and being asked to blog for them. I’m so grateful they printed my DC Madam interview. Her story was an important one and $pread helped me share it with others.
I hope something can be done. Another sex worker project, another way for us to stay connected-another something. The more we stick together the stronger our movement becomes. I wish I had an answer. I wish I had some sparkly new project to debut. Hell, I wish I had a professional printer and a garage to run the magazine until someone else could take it on! I want to be part of the greater sex worker community but I’m not sure where to turn to now. When I figure it out I’ll let you know. In the meantime, share some sex worker projects and community sites if you have any please.
RIP $pread. I’ll miss you.
Posted by Vixen as Activism, Sex Workers at 11:11 PM CDT
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From this gallery. This one was my fave of the gallery. It’s sort of moody.
Posted by Vixen as Sexy Sensations at 10:52 PM CDT
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“I’m in great shape. I can wear the medium pantyhose now.”
-Cum Guzzler
Posted by Vixen as Quote Book at 12:41 PM CDT
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Either I don’t know my own strength-
or Mr. Radical has buns of steel. Remember, this isn’t the first time this has happened.
After it broke he said, “Did you just break the cane on my ass?”
“Yes. Yes I did,” I told him. He said, “when the cane breaks, the thrashing stops.”
I laughingly agreed.
Posted by Vixen as Musings at 10:22 PM CDT
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I just found this via Twitter. The 2010 Desire Alliance Conference keynote speeches are now streaming. Sweet! I couldn’t make it but now I can watch it online. And so can you-click here.
Listening to the speeches makes me want to go. I’ve got to get to one of these conferences someday!
Posted by Vixen as Activism, Sex Workers at 10:06 PM CDT
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This summer Mr. Radical found me the Phonesex book in an art bookstore. I originally blogged about it here. You can buy it on Amazon here.
From the foreword: “Phone sex is theatre. An artificial passion-play in real-time, directed by a skilled verbal fantasist, with only one possible conclusion.” I like that take on it. Often on calls I think of myself as acting. And I love the term “verbal fantasist”. If I’m ever interviewed for being a PSO I hope I’m referred to as a verbal fantasist.
The book has photos of phone sex workers, both women and men, taken in their homes. Next to the pictures are little blurbs the PSOs wrote about their work. A few bits stood out for me:
“I think it’s easier to release repressed desires to a non-judgmental, fictional person, because there are no consequences in the outside world.”
“I am the manufacturer who creates her from the blueprint that the caller provides me.”
“I see a reflection of myself in all of my callers. I help bring out their inner light. I try to heal the wounds that our closed-minded society inflicts.”
There’s also a nice selection of photos. Some of the PSOs are smiling, some look serious, a few look sad. I picked the two PSOs for this post because they’re laughing.
This makes for a great coffee table book. I recommend it. I want to be in a book like this someday! I totally would have posed for the author.
Posted by Vixen as Reviews, Sex Workers at 11:48 PM CDT
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From Truth Out:
Uncovering the Lies That Are Sinking the Oil
“The rampant use of toxic dispersants, out-of-state private contractors being brought in to spray them and US Coast Guard complicity are common stories now in the four states most affected by BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.
(snip)
On Monday, August 9, the Director of the State of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR), Bill Walker, despite ongoing reports of tar balls, oil and dispersants being found in Mississippi waters, declared, “there should be no new threats” and issued an order for all local coast governments to halt ongoing oil disaster work being funded by BP money that was granted to the state.”
This has repeatedly been called one of the worst environmental disasters in history and now there’s “no new threats”. This spill will be a threat for years, hell for decades.
—
From Bloomberg:
BP’s Relief Well Effort Delayed by U.S. Concerns Over Risk of Oil Release
“BP Plc’s relief well and bottom-kill procedures, aimed at permanently plugging its Gulf of Mexico Macondo well, are suspended until the company completes an analysis of complications that might result in a new oil leak.
BP determined that 1,000 barrels of oil remain trapped in the well after cement was pumped in from the top earlier this month. Now U.S. officials fear some of that could be released, or new leaks may form, when the company pumps in more mud and cement into the bottom of the well for the final plug.”
Hmm, this certainly sounds like a “new threat” Mr. Walker!!!
—
From the Independent:
President goes for a swim in the Gulf – or does he?
“President Barack Obama wanted to convince America that the Gulf of Mexico remains open for business.
(snip)
The official picture was intended to provide evidence that the region’s beaches are back to normal. Yet it soon emerged that the private beach on which it was taken, off Alligator Point in St Andrew Bay, north-west Florida, isn’t technically in the gulf.”
This reminds me of Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” gaffe so much.
—
This whole Ground Zero mosque controversy is so contrived. It’s just a distraction. How many Christian churches are near the Oklahoma Center building? Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were Christian. There wasn’t an uproar then.
Here’s some good thoughts on the matter.
From Washington’s Blog:
The True Meaning of the Ground Zero Mosque Controversy
“The Founding Fathers believed in freedom of religion, and tolerance of all religions. The Constitution enshrines freedom of religion.
As such, anyone who tries to ban Islam as evil is anti-American.
As Greg Palast argues, if we ban mosques because some Muslims are murderers, we should also ban churches because Timothy McVeigh was a Christian.
(snip)
But there is another meaning to the Ground Zero controversy.
Nice Gesture … Now Can We End the Crusades?
The war on terror is largely a religious war.”
—
I can’t help but think of more pressing issues centered around Ground Zero that should be getting all this press. Here’s one:
From Prison Planet:
9/11 Heroes Blast Obama: Forget The Mosque, We’re Dying
“Hero 9/11 first responders, many of whom are sick and dying, have slammed Obama in an open letter for ignoring their plight while taking the time to outline views on a proposed mosque close to ground zero, the site of the 2001 attacks that felled the twin towers.
The letter, written by Jon Feal, head of the Fealgood Foundation, one of the largest and most vocal 9/11 responders’ groups, asks “Why have you failed us?”
“…your campaign said you supported the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would provide us with the health care we earned through our service to this country. Since that time, though, you’ve said absolutely nothing about the heroes of 9/11. We thought you would be our champion, because the last administration failed us.” Feal’s letter continues.”
Another campaign promise ignored. The plight of the 9/11 first responders should be getting people upset and angry. It’s far more important than this mosque issue.
Posted by Vixen as News at 10:39 PM CDT
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Often clients ask what type of man turns me on. After one call where I gave my honest answer I’ve learned it’s best to tailor my response.
I was still a newbie PSO when a guy asked what kind of man attracted me. (short answer-see Eddie Vedder post) Without thinking I told him-broad shoulders, deep voice, long hair, facial hair, in shape but not overly muscular, the type of man that can split wood and fix a car, kinky, intelligent, well read, politically active and independent, the type of person who purposely lives outside of mainstream culture, funny, tattoo’d, eccentric, artistic.
After I was finished my client said “oh” and then was silent for a few minutes. I knew I had said something wrong. Then he said, “that doesn’t describe me at all”. I tried to backpedal and assure him that I’d be attracted to him. But the damage was done-the rest of the call was tepid. Still, I learned a valuable lesson from it.
Now I’m purposely vague about what I find attractive. My new answer-I like a man who’s submissive, kinky and loves to worship a woman. If I know what the client is into I’ll throw his kinks into my answer. It’s like the question is a request for reassurance. They want to know that I’m attracted to them and that if we met in person they’d have a chance with me.
Occasionally clients send me their pictures. I always find this interesting. Can I see the kink hidden in their face? Sometimes I can. Sissies and crossdressers lips have something about them that set off my kinkdar. Maybe it’s because they wear lipstick? I don’t know. It’s especially interesting if the picture is taken in their house. It’s like I get a mini peek into their lives. I had a crossdresser sent me a picture of himself in his bedroom and I saw a picture of myself on his nightstand. That was neat.
A regular once sent me a picture of himself and wanted to talk about it the whole call. Normally, my clients are all ok looking. They may not be attractive to me but they aren’t ugly. Just not my type. This regular was pretty much the opposite of what I like-short crew cut hair, clean shaven, but most importantly he was a preppie. He looked to be at a political gathering so I asked him about it. Sure enough, he was at some young Republicans fundraiser. He wasn’t attractive to me at all.
I knew that telling him I thought he was cute would sound fake as hell so I took another tactic. “I bet a ton of women think you’re attractive. I bet you get hit on all the time,” I told him. He took the bait and ran with it. He told me of the throngs of women that threw themselves at him. But ultimately they didn’t know of his kinky side so he was still a submissive waiting for a mistress. The call went smoothly after that.
I think of it as stroking their ego. I don’t mean that to sound demeaning. We all like our egos stroked. I appreciate it when guys tell me how attractive I am in my photos and when people tell me how pretty my handknit sweaters are. Compliments feel good.
Some of my clients need reassurance that they’re still attractive to women. Part of my job is to tell them they are. If I gave my real answer to what kind of man I’m attracted to it might alienate them and that’s the last thing either of us want.
Sex Work And Honesty Series
Sex Work And Honesty: Being Childfree
Sex Work And Honesty: Being Too Honest
Sex Work And Honesty: When The Truth Hurts
Sex Work And Honesty: Political Opinions
Sex Work And Honesty: Not Owning A TV
Sex Work And Honesty: The Correct Answer
Sex Work And Honesty: Relationship Status
Sex Work And Honesty: Religion
Posted by Vixen as PSO Confessions at 11:51 PM CDT
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While looking for a good porn pic I was jamming out to Pearl Jam’s World Wide Suicide. So I thought I’d post a pic of Eddie Vedder instead because, really, that man is pure sexiness. I didn’t think he could get more attractive but then he grew a beard and damn he’s even sexier now.
I love the way he growls during songs. Watching videos of him jamming out and singing in that primal way of his-mmm, I can’t get enough. This video has some excellent growling.
The pic is from an Under The Radar review of one of his solo gigs. I’m getting sucked into their site right now because they have a good selection of music reviews.
Posted by Vixen as Sexy Sensations at 3:27 PM CDT
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“I’m so glad knowing you’re out there.”
-new client
Posted by Vixen as Quote Book at 10:37 PM CDT
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I just bought my plane tickets to NYC today. So it’s official-I’m coming to the NYC Sex Blogger Calendar release party. Woot! Got a tip on something I should check out while there? Email me at radicalvixenatgmaildotcm
Posted by Vixen as Musings at 11:30 PM CDT
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