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Hey, today's Cult of Gracie show (9 pm central) with Nina Hartley is featured on BlogTalkRadio's home page!


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Cult Of Gracie Radio Presents One Of The Foremost Activists For Sexual Pleasure

I've got two words for you for this week's Cult of Gracie show: Nina Hartley.

If you don't know her from the 600+ videos and films she's made, two decades of dance tours, and thousands of personal appearances (including Oprah), then you must have been living under a rock to have missed the woman who is arguably the most enduringly popular star in the history of the adult entertainment industry.

A dedicated student of human sexuality for over thirty years, Nina Hartley is more than an entertainer. She's a sex educator, whose book, Nina Hartley's Guide to Total Sex, was called "the best book written about sex, ever" by Margaret Cho (and several other reviewers). Hartley also co-produces Nina Hartley's Guides, her own line of instructional videos for men and women. As Hartley says to women, "Sex isn't something men do to you. It isn't something men get out of you. Sex is something you dive into with gusto and like it every bit as much as he does."

Hartley wins my admiration and affection for being such a valiant public advocate for sexual self-awareness, sanity and literacy. A leader in sex positivity, during the "porn wars" of the 80's, Hartley became a founding member of the Feminist Anti-Censorship Task Force, and today, among other things, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, an organization that works to advance sexual freedom as a fundamental human right by protecting and advancing freedom of speech and sexual expression.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from Nina Hartley, activist for sexual pleasure:

I definitely think that sex is natural and healthy, and that people have the absolute right to pursue their sexual preferences with other consenting adults without government or church intervention. I can do what I do to share my enjoyment of sex with all my viewers out there. If I can help any person or persons have a great sex session, then I've done a good job! I believe that society changes and that we can take what is good from the world's religions and leave behind what isn't so good, and forge a new day. I'm one of the forgers, I like to think!

I know she is ~ and I can't wait to speak with her.

If you'd like to speak with Nina Hartley, live on-air calls will be taken, as always, at 1.646.200.3136.

You can listen to the show live here. (If you missed the show, the same link will let you listen to the archived show & download the podcast.)

Next in line for Departure, Brenneman Airplane, guest Ellen Simonetti Queen of Sky

Brenneman Airplane: On Talk Radio XXBN, www.xxbn.net, www.xxbnradio.com www.brennemanairplane.net Show debut, first guest Queen of Sky Ellen Simonetti Tuesday August 12, 2008, 9pm Eastern Guest Queen of Sky Ellen Simonetti www.xxbn.net www.xxbnradio.com listener call in 646 200 3136 Queen of Sky, the former Delta flight attendant that was fired because of her blog a couple of years back. Meanwhile she became some sort of cyber celebrity. She even has her own theme song (by one of her Irish fans Daniel Prendiville) Check out her blog for more details on her story: queenofsky.net or Google her name: Ellen Simonetti. She has a book based on her blog. Her BOOK IS NOW OUT!!! BUY IT ON AMAZON NOW!!! Diary of a Dysfunctional Flight Attendant: The Queen of Sky Blog, See why people are saying they can't put this book down! IF YOU'RE NOT A MYSPACE MEMBER YOU CAN EMAIL Ellen AT: QUEENOFSKY@GMAIL.COM P.S. Add her as a friend if you haven't already! Ellen will be the first guest on Brenneman Airplane!

The Monolith Of Alternative Media: Thoughts On Blogs & Blogging

Amber Rhea writes of different kinds of blogs:

...this is something I’ve talked about all over the place plenty of times before: how making sweeping statements about “blogs,” as if blogs are a monolith, is pointless because there are so many different kinds of blogs. There are blogs that are online news outlets, many of which break stories. There are blogs that are devoted to political analysis. There are blogs that are focused on a specific topic and definitely write with more of a “for the audience” perspective. And there are plenty of blogs (such as I would class my own) that exist primarily for the blogger, cover a wide variety of topics, but do not purport to be unbiased or “fair and balanced” or objective, etc. etc. etc. So when talking about credibility, citizen journalism, etc., I was thinking it only makes sense to apply those standards to the certain types of blogs that want them.

But then I thought, well, that’s too simplistic, too. With a lot of blogs, there’s not this stark dividing line between one type vs. another type. I would call my blog a “personal blog,” but I also have, arguably, “reported” on plenty of things. So have many other people who write the type of blog I do - and that makes sense, because why should writing about an issue, or posting news, etc., have to be sequestered from writing about one’s life? And really, i think when the two mingle, that’s when some of the most effective political activism can take place - or am I abusing the old adage “the personal is political” again? ;) I just think for a lot of people, putting the humanity into something helps them see why it’s important, and think of it in a more concrete way, and not just as an abstract “issue.”

Her post, as usual, is thought provoking & brings up several good issues... Today, I'll just focus on the matter of blog definitions; something I find both interesting and irrelevant.

Such distinctions are are irrelevant because as the self-published acts of individuals, they are about as varied as the individuals themselves and so warrant no distinctions. Like the paper diaries and journals they digitally represent/replace, they are without need for categorization. However...

As published public displays, they become media; and this is where it gets interesting.

For the most part, individuals themselves categorize the blogs just by the act of selection; they read what they like and eschew the rest. But as blogs are available to all, some feel the need to define, even regulate. Combine this with the fact that many bloggers themselves argue for the same rights, access privileges, & status as "members of The Media", the discussion of definitions (including the side-paths of credibility & legitimacy) will continue.

"Legitimate" is a funny word. It is about as subjective as the "art vs. porn" debate, wherein the I-know-it-when-I-read-it definition of value will be applied to, in this case blogs and bloggers, as each individual sees fit to define it. Even when they cannot articulate it.

From a business point of view, the popularity (in terms of readership, loyalty &/or following) speaks volumes to the issue of legitimacy. Consumption is a bottom line that few can argue with, even if issues such as quality, purpose, and status continue to elude agreed upon definitions.

Many of us simply just act as if we and our blogs are Media. Considering ourselves to be/offer alternative media, we don't worry about the pat on the head which comes from a "legitimate" label. We just do it. And we do it in our own way.

Mark Pickering Interview On Cult Of Gracie

Today, Wednesday, August 6th, on Cult of Gracie Radio at 9/10 PM Central/Eastern, Gracie Passette talks with Mark Pickering, author of Story of the Sand, a novel which delves into the world of post-traumatic stress disorder and the often overlooked struggles that face veterans upon their return home.

Told from the point of view of an Iraq war veteran, Pickering says his novel is "a raw and truthful account of how deeply soldiers are affected by their tours of duty overseas". To prepare for his novel, Pickering conducted in-depth interviews with real-life American war veterans from WWII, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and newly-returned soldiers from the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While Story of the Sand is a novel, we'll also be using this time to discuss what happens to veterans when they return as well as the issues, concerns, & policies surrounding their return.

On-air callers are welcome at 1.646.200.3136.

You can listen to the show live, online here; and if you miss the show, the same link is where you can listen to the archived show &/or download a podcast.

XXBN Gets Runny, With Lemon Cookie

Lead vocalist, guitarist, and founding member of the band Runny, Lemon Cookie's not only an all-around awesome punk rock guy ~ but as the original impetus behind the benefit for Casa Xochiquetzal, an organization which serves as a community center & housing for aging and homeless sex workers, he's a sex work supporter and an all round awesome guy.

Lemon Cookie will be on XXBN Tuesday, August 5th, at 8/9 PM Central/Eastern. As always, you can listen live, call in with questions & comments at 1.646.2002.3136, and download the archived show/podcast too (at the same link).

Watch Runny's video for I Want To Fuck You And Kill Myself:



More about the band Runny:

Although a full-blooded NYC band now, Runny was originally formed in 1993 in Los Angeles by Lemon Cookie. Originally featuring guitarist Fuji Film, who was dropped due to a bad having-sex-with-hippies habit, it was turned into its current state in 2003 with the release of the album "Uncle Tom's Cracker Factory". Around 2005, Lemon Cookie was joined by DJ Phlegm, who assists in vocal duties and being the Disc Jockey of the band. The live shows are wild and naked, full of awful guitar playing, and holding true to the 60/40 paradigm (60 percent love it, 40 percent leave). A supremely amazing band, they have just added drummer Colonel Cream and bassist Cracker Dap, on semi-permanent loan from the Brooklyn-based deathpunk band, The Whores. They are available for weddings and bat mitzvahs.

Radio's Influence Changing

This post, On the Radio: New listening habits alter playing field, by David Hinckley, is focused on radio's power in terms of music; but the information (not actual numbers) likely represents changes in talk too:

...another survey by Coleman Insights illustrates the changing landscape.

Coleman surveyed 14- to 17-year-olds, who are obviously critical because they're the listeners and consumers of tomorrow, and found 78% listened to radio every day.

That's strong. But it's lower than it used to be, and the survey found 84% listened to music on a computer, iPod or MP3 every day. That's the first time "alternative" sources have topped radio.

In another Coleman study of teenagers, 41% said theiriPods or MP3 players are the first place they go to hear music. About 27% said computers and 22% said FM radio.

So teenagers who all used to listen to the radio now increasingly find new music through Facebook or MySpace or P2P file-swapping. The radio is still important, but now it's just one thread in the fabric.

You may be tired of so many "changes in media" talk, but I'm building towards something; so keep reading.

XXBN's Exclusive Coverage Of 2008 International AIDS Conference In Mexico City ~ Tonight!

Tonight, at 7:30 p.m. (Central), XXBN will be broadcasting live from Mexico City on the eve of the International Aids Conference 2008, presenting a live, exclusive wrap-up of the Sex Work Pre Conference: Universal Action For Sex Work Inclusion.

Tara Sawyer, Robyn Few, and (hopefully) others will be discussing the event at which approximately 170 Sex Workers came together to talk & plan for the Aids conference and sex worker rights.

Please call in with questions, comments and thoughts on things you would like us to say to more than 25,000 guests of the International Aids conference at 1.646.200.3136.

If you miss the live broadcast, you can listen to the archive &/or download the show here.

Sex, Lies & Media Ownership

For those who still can't wrap their minds around the fact that gender & race are still barriers...

In Calling All Women and Minority Media Owners (But Not Too Loudly), Kristal Brent Zook covers the Access to Capital Conference where Democrats had FCC reform in mind ~ and "a desire to highlight ongoing federal barriers to accessing capital and media licenses."

She writes:

Today it’s virtually impossible for an individual woman to buy a full power television station, said [Barbara] Lawrence. The sentiment was echoed by others. Unless one inherits a station, the only real possibilities are in low-power television, and even then, mostly in small and medium sized markets.

“It takes tens of billions of dollars to own a station,” said Lawrence. “There are FCC issues, legal issues, engineering issues, financial issues. It takes a lifetime of work.”

Diane Sutton of ShootingStar Broadcasting said that she was able to become an owner because she had two things, information and access. Sutton, who now does training for potential media owners, says that it’s important to know “how to write a business plan, how to secure equity, and how to get to know the brokers and bankers before you need the money.”

She also spoke about the virtues of the tax certificate, a federal policy incentive that was repealed in 1995 despite the fact that it increased minority ownership by fivefold during its 17 years of existence. Part of a larger Minority Ownership Policy instituted by an innovative young FCC attorney, Frank Washington, it rewarded radio or TV station owners by allowing them to defer capital gains tax if they sold stations to minority members.

Not only should the tax certificate have been preserved, argued Diane Sutton, but it should have also been expanded to include women “which, surprisingly, it did not.”

This explains so too much.

Alternatives In Radio & Media

At Washington Interns Gone Bad, Jason Buckley rejoices in the finally allowed merger of XM-Sirius. He puts things in grande perspective:

But wait a second, you ask, aren't I supposed to be against big corporate media mergers? Well of course I am. But this isn't the same as Rupert Murdoch or Clear Channel or Viacom buying up as many TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, billboards, social networking sites and concert venues as they can get their greedy little hands on to homogenize the information that the public has access to and race to find the lowest common denominator to market to. No, these are two new companies using new technology to compete with the monolithic media conglomerates out there. And that is why the National Association of Broadcasters has pumped hundreds of millions in bribes of lobbying dollars to keep these struggling companies from merging. No, the terrestrial media does not want another kind of media that the public can opt into and take their eyes and ears away from their advertising, and for them to say that they are against this because it's a monopoly is laughable. These stuffed suits are scared shitless of having to compete with a medium that is uncensored and has less advertising, and they bought off enough members of congress and FCC hacks to make this the longest merger approval process perhaps in the history of business. To put it in perspective, oil companies have their mergers approved practically overnight, and look how great that's been for the consumer. This was a concerted effort to kill an emerging medium, and completely the opposite of any kind of free market capitalism that these people supposedly believe in when it's convenient to them.

Though I can't afford to be a subscriber, I too have been hoping for the merger for the very same reasons. I'm all for alternatives ~ especially those which positively shake-up and wake-up the media.

For too long real choices have been kept from those of us who, due to economic imprisonment, have been forced to subsist on the mediocre & the conservative. Neither form fosters real discussion.

What upsets and concerns me the most is that you cannot really call current media "mainstream" as it doesn't accurately reflect what the majority thinks &/or wants. We, the huddled masses, cannot express our votes as consumers as readily, greedily, as those in corporate media ~ or those whose wealth exploits and pressures it. Millions of viewers/listeners are less valued than the millions of advertising dollars; for even while we are the target audience which is supposed to have the final say in a capitalistic society, our shifting & shrinking buying power potential is like those birds in the bush when compared to the bird in the hand of ad revenues, product placement, and the "values" these companies want extolled. And so, media no longer is for us. Or even about us.

I'm not saying that satellite radio is perfect, nor that it will not become like the rest; certainly cable TV has changed from a subscriber focused media to an advertiser driven business. But maybe, just maybe, satellite radio will learn to capitalize, monetize, the opportunity to appeal to listeners. And we will have not only alternative media, but alternatives in media.

Of course, you need not use satellite radio to get alternative media. May I recommend XXBN? *wink*