Rachel, Rebecca & Jane Join The Cult

This Wednesday (November 12, from 9 to 10 PM Central time), the lovely Dr. Jane Vargas and her sex positive feminist daughters, Rebecca of Porn Perspectives and Rachel aka the Pop Feminist join The Cult for the ultimate Everybody Poos, Everybody Screws; Get Over It show.

We'll be discussing how to raise intelligent, talented, sex positive feminist daughters.

You can listen live to the show here, ask questions in chat, and you can join the show live at 646.200.3136.

(The same link can be used to listen/download a podcast of the show if you miss the live broadcast.)

XXBN's Election Night & Prop K Coverage

You are invited to attend XXBN's Election Night Coverage.

When: November 4th, from 10 p.m. to Midnight (Eastern)

Where: On XXBN ~ listen live, talk in the chat room, & even be on-air!

Why: There's this little thing called a presidential election, as well as lots of local elections going on that night and we'll be bringing you the news, results and (fingers-crossed!) the laughs and sighs of relief. (If not we'll be crying, ranting, barfing... possibly renting U-Hauls to cross a border...)

Who: Along with you, of course, Gracie Passette & Jill Brenneman will play host to the always fabulous Nina Hartley, Jessie Daniels, and Prop K Proponent, Maxine Doogan ~ as well as a slew of other sex positive & liberal folks.

What: We'll be talking politics, propositions, and elections ~ on national and local levels.

Please join us ~ no need to RSVP, just be there.

Have something to say, pray, or, if you're really on a rant, spray? You can even join the show by calling in at 646.200.3136.

If you're looking for more info on Prop K, check out Amber Rhea's list of coverage & resources.

Image credits: Sadie Lune I Want You Poster Prop K Poster, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The Feminist Carnival of Sexual Freedom and Autonomy #10

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Cult of Gracie Radio With Callie Simms

Wednesday, October 8th, Gracie and guest Callie Simms dish mainstream and adult marketing ~ which, naturally, will hit upon all sorts of goodies (and badies) in our culture, like politics, blogging, and gender.

Callie holds a Masters degree in marketing with a concentration in writing from Northwestern University & owns CS Entertainment, an adult industry writing services firm. Her written works have appeared in Spread and Slate Magazines; film and television credits include head writer for an erotic film studio as well as writing for mainstream television.

Join us on Cult of Gracie Radio from 9-10 PM (Central) on October 8th.

Call For Sex Positive Carnival Submissions

I'm pleased as pie to be hosting the 10th Edition of Feminist Carnival of Sexual Freedom and Autonomy on October 6th here at XXBN's blog.

This rather new carnival supports the belief that sexual freedom is an essential part of autonomy. Therefore any legal regulation or social control which seeks to supersede the right of the individual woman to exercise her rights to her sexual self &/or body under her own discretion is an attempt to control and regulate women, undermining & infringing upon her human rights and individual freedoms.

As host (quite a subjective position, as noted in my recent duties as host of Carnival of The Liberals), this is what I'm looking for:

* Posts and articles which not only address or battle the barriers directly, but express the practice &/or spirit of female sexual autonomy.

* I don't really care how old the post or article is, so don't let publishing date deter you from submitting or nominating a quality piece.

Please submit your posts/articles ~ as well as nominate the posts/articles of others ~ by sending them to me at Gracie (dot) Passette (at) gmail (dot) com.

Carnival Of The Liberals, #74

This edition of the Carnival of The Liberals was insane ~ not just because our times and politics are Crazy with a capital 'C' but because I had nearly 70 fabulous entries. Seriously.

They were so good I wish I could have just pasted 'em all in here, but rules being rules for a reason (like will you read them all?) I trimmed as best I could...

You may want to begin with a reality check on your own political views... In The Biology of Politics: Is It For Real? GrrlScientist (of Living the Scientific Life) poses a mind-blowing question: Do we have free will or are we "programmed" by our genes to be "defensive" in our political views?

Laugh yer ass off (then when the reality hits you, toss yer cookies) with Ron Britton's Rorschach Test posted at Bay of Fundie.

Greta Christina's The Obligatory Sarah Palin Column, or, Why I Don’t Care About A Pregnant 17 Year Old (posted at The Blowfish Blog) is already an Internet classic. Read it because years from now people will remember where they were when they read it ~ and ask you where you were. Don't look like a loser.

In It's time to pay your bar tab, sir..., The Whited Sepulchre asks a question oft upon my lips, "Why aren't people rioting in the streets?" Bonus points for the image (and a beer or whatnot if he'll get me one of those t-shirts!)

In Congratulations, Did You Pray Today?, Menstrual Poetry recounts her visit to the Bloomsburg Fair:

I was walking merrily along, minding my own business, trying to catch up with the rest of my family that had obviously grown tired of my collecting process by then, when all of a sudden I hear a woman’s voice squeal with delight “I see you have a rosary! Congratulations, did you pray today?” I, of course, stop and look around because by then my head has been down for far too long trying to organize everything I was carrying and who knows where this woman came from. So I look up from my loot and I am greeted with this middle-aged woman’s face, staring at me with a polite smile on her face and I look up a little more and see little baby fetuses among a table in the biggest pro-life tent I have ever seen in my life.

Is it enough to make you consider being an atheist? Then check out Daylight Atheism's A Voice in the Crowd for a "novel" approach to the movement.

Just who is actually harmed by the Administration's public lands funding cuts? The Birdist, aka Nicholas Lund, tells you in Arizona Park Fees Rise.

Two sides of the same coin:

Jeffrey Stingerstein's When Are People Going Realize that Gay Marriage IS a Civil Rights Battle? posted at Disillusioned Words

and

The Ridger's Heart. Cockles. Warmed. posted at The Greenbelt.

Helene Zemel exposes how health insurance companies are exploiting a loophole in HIPAA and using prescription use databases to exclude people from health insurance in Big Brother Is Watching Your Health Care at Health Plans Plus.

These guys swear in their posts and I like that; politics without passion is far too often a meaningless pile of crap and this stuff should make us all foul-mouthed. But you've been warned:

Montag's The Middle Class of Whatever posted at Stump Lane

and

Jason Buckley's Get Your Union Facts Straight posted at Washington Interns Gone Bad.

Can Idiot/Savant get an "Amen!" for None of their damn business at No Right Turn? I'll say it. "Amen!"

According to yesterday's Herald, an Auckland primary school is concerned that one of their teachers is moonlighting as a prostitute. They shouldn't be. Or rather, if it doesn't affect her work output or pose a conflict of interest (and there's no suggestion of either), then it is simply none of their damn business. Quite apart from the fact that prostitution is not a crime anymore, what goes on in the privacy of people's bedrooms between consenting adults is their own concern, and absolutely no business of their employer.

Since I can barely keep up with my local issues and (I hope) the majority of national issues, these bits from other places were, um, horrific to read.

Ames presents In Colorado, Where an Unconstitutional Constitution is Par for the Course, Life May Soon Begin at Conception posted at Submitted to a Candid World,

Lose your house, lose your vote posted at archy, and

Denise Dennis: Right-Wing Terror Film Delivered To Swing-State NY Times Readers posted at HuffingtonPost.com.

Kudos for scaring me, kids.

Because Free Speech matters, this is the "last but certainly not least!" post: Yoo at at Stochastic Scribbles presents A downward trend for free speech.

That reminds me...

You are invited to attend XXBN's Election Night Coverage.

When: November 4th, from 10 p.m. to Midnight (Eastern)

Where: On XXBN ~ listen live, talk in the chat room, & even be on-air!

Why: There's this little thing called a presidential election, as well as lots of local elections going on that night and we'll be bringing you the news, results and (fingers-crossed!) the laughs and sighs of relief. (If not we'll be crying, ranting, barfing... possibly renting U-Hauls to cross a border...)

Please join us ~ no need to RSVP, just be there. You can even join the show by calling in at 646.200.3136.

The next Carnival of The Liberals will be October 8, 2008, at Clashing Culture; why not submit something?

Cult of Gracie Radio With Amber Rhea

On Wednesday I'll be chatting with Amber Rhea, the pole dancing, sex positive feminist with a Bachelor's degree in linguistics and a Master's degree in internet technology. She's also co-founder of the Georgia Podcast Network, co-host of the award-winning podcast Mostly ITP (which focuses on people and issues in Atlanta), main organizer of PodCamp Atlanta 2007, & organizer of Sex 2.0, an 'unconference' focused on the intersection of social media, feminism, and sexuality.

One of the things that impresses me most about Amber is that she gets sex work ~ despite never having worked 'the game', despite being 'young' and not a crone. She truly has wisdom beyond her years.

You can join the raunchy-fun and the ranty-goodness on Cult of Gracie Radio at 9 p.m. central ~ listen live, hang out in the chat room, and call in at 646.200.3136.

Submit (Your Posts) To XXBN

XXBN's hosting the next Carnival of the Liberals, on September 24th ~ please submit something grande!

You can check the last edition of the carnival at Redonkulous Redundancy.

Cult of Gracie Radio With Artist Charlene Lanzel

Wednesday, September 17, Charlene Lanzel will be on Cult of Gracie Radio.

As an artist, Charlene Lanzel has worked with some of the world's top mural painters; with Breast Defense, an exhibition of one-of-a-kind plaster molds cast from the busts of legendary burlesque icons for The Keep A Breast Foundation; and creates some wonderful pin ups.

Lanzel was also a "She-Wolf" a "bodyguard" for The Dead Boys re-union tour in 1988 where she dressed in bondage and whipped the stage divers down from the stage, proof of at least one part in her "Cigarette Girl, Go-Go Dancer, Punk Rocker & Artist" billing. *wink*

It promises to be an eclectic mix of the arts ~ and opinions. Join the chaos!

Hey, Stooopid Bush Administration, Birth Control Is NOT Abortion

Too lazy to type up more than this ~ and it will be cross-posted "everywhere" ~ but I just signed the emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this stuoopid rule change and here's the quick cut & paste letter to forward:

Subject: Contraception is abortion?

Hi,

I had to share something with you. Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. And this proposed "rule change" doesn't need congressional approval.

I just signed a message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change, telling him: "Contraception is NOT abortion." Can you add your voice to this cause? Click here to sign the message: http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/?r_by=-9950595-JRzmsAx&rc=paste

Thanks!

Sign it, or suffer the horrors.

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.)

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.