The Post Modern Geek's Guide to Sex

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2011-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Because sometimes my attention span just isn't up to writing long blog posts...

Bits and Bytes of the Postmodern Sexgeek AKA Marie

Life is short, boo, get to livin' or get to steppin'.

2011-05-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't posted since September of 2010. That's wild! I'm sure lots of people think that the Postmodern Sexgeek is done. Over. Finished. Finita la commedia and all that rot.

Yeah, not so fast. I'll admit I've gotten out of the habit of blogging. Life being what it is, I threw myself into the melee after the dissolution of my marriage and have been stumbling around trying to figure out this thing called life on my own. I've been somewhat successful in some areas and not so successful in others but as always, I continue to learn and I continue to change and grow. The day that stops happening, you might as well call Dr. Kevorkian because I've obviously given up on life.

I'm still doing the HIV prevention gig though I suspect I am not long for that world. The economy has not exactly been kind to public health endeavors and if I don't jump ship soon, it might just sink with me on it and no one likes that. I have no idea what I'll do next though. I'm seriously considering going back to school to earn my Masters degree in Applied Anthropology but that really depends a lot on funding and right now, baby, funding is something I do not haz.

I've started dating again and um...yeah. That's an occasionally unpleasant experience though there have been a few bright spots. There's also been some unintentional comedy but I'll have to address that some other time because it really is it's own separate blog.

Also on the list for a whole separate post are my ruminations on nonmonogamous/open/polyamorous relationships and dating. For now let's just say that "it's complicated" in both lovely and frustrating ways. The person I ended up dating in that fashion is wonderful in many ways but is also occasionally infuriating and too cocky for his own good (or for his age).

And yes, gentle reader, yours truly has discovered that she appears to have become, completely unintentionally, that urban legend known as a cougar. I didn't exactly set out to do so but I am finding that men my age are not terribly interested in me. Now before you roll your eyes at me, let me just say that I am down for dating men my age. The maturity gap to be found between a woman in her 40s and anyone in their 20s is pretty significant and occasionally make one want to tear out her hair. I suppose that's another blog post, innit?

Perhaps one of the things I am proudest of right now is my return to martial arts. In February I began training in Krav Maga, which is an Israeli style. It is brutal, no nonsense and effective and I currently feel far more able to defend myself than I did before I began not to mention the fact that I've managed to lose some weight while doing it. I also gained an incredibly awesome sparring partner who for now shall simply be called the Sparring Partner of Doom, or SPoD for short. She's much more protective of her online ID than I am so I will not be naming her but I will say this. She's very cool and exceedingly hot. Sorry sports fans, she's also taken so no, you cannot meet her.

I've been kicking around the idea of starting the podcast up again though I have no clue what to talk about or if anyone would even care. Then again, I think I said that when I first started it and it seemed to do ok so...who knows.

So yes, folks, I am still out here. I am still alive and I am still striving to refine this creation that is me. What the future holds in store for me, I do not know but I suspect it won't be boring. I wonder which of you might be coming on the journey with me. ;-)

I must absolutely add that the title of this post was originally stated by my dear friend, Russ Matthews. Not only is he good at pithy commentary on my personal life, he is also a struggling photographer in the Kansas City area. Check out his site and pass it on.

Culinary Therapy

2010-09-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

What's a lady to do when she's singing the blues? Some drink, some actually do sing others may go see their therapists. Me? This mujer goes to the store, buys tasty ingredients and cooks.

There is something incredibly soothing about the various steps that go into preparing a meal. I find a certain zen meditative state when I'm chopping vegetables, preparing my pots and pans, activities that I have performed countless times that feel as comfortable and familiar as my own skin. At the same time it's also a very sensual experience. Each step in the process invokes my senses: the myriad shades of green and cream on the inside of a brussels sprout, the scent of shallots frying in butter, the sizzle of the fish as I slide it into the pan. And we cannot forget the reward of the taste of food freshly prepared by one's own hands. I cannot draw, paint or even take an inspired photograph but I can create delicious works of art with my hands that fill the palate with layers of flavors like the paint on a canvas.

So what was on my menu tonight? Tilapia in a white wine/lemon/butter sauce and roasted balsamic brussels sprouts. For dessert I cheated and bought a mini apple pie from Whole Foods. And oh yes, dear reader, it was all quite sabroso.

I will take my kitchen over Freud any day.

Yes, I am still alive.

2010-09-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been 8 months since my last post? I hadn't really forgotten about this blog, not completely. I think I just felt like perhaps the Postmodern Sexgeek had reached the end of her tenure online. Now I'm not saying I am no longer a sexgeek, Heaven forfend! That's a lifelong thing and one I will never give up. Rather, I felt as if I had reached the end of my public persona.

When my marriage ended a lot things changed for me and I started questioning everything about my life and work. Was it real? Was it authentic? Did I even know what the fuck I was talking about? The blog fell silent though I myself did not. Any of you who follow me on Twitter can attest to that. At this point I am not entirely certain what the future of this blog holds but I do know that I continue to live and I continue to have opinions, thoughts and feelings about everything in my life both near and distant.

Perhaps I will continue to blog here. I have ideas, topics that I mull over in my head constantly though it isn't often that I commit them to words on a screen or if I do it's in my personal space where very few have access to them. We shall see.

I'm not sure how many of you are actually still around or are still reading but if you are, thank you. And even if there's no one out there at this time, I'll continue to write because honestly, it's good for me and I've been out of the habit for far too long.

Trust Women: Blog for Choice 2010

2010-01-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Trust women. Two simple words and yet there is a world of meaning in them. What exactly does it mean? I suspect that everyone will have a different idea. When I see that phrase one of the first things I think about is how we women are often raised to mistrust each other. Some of us taught that every woman is competition for scarce resources, usually men, and therefore we should never place our trust in each other. I was lucky in that I didn't learn this lesson growing up. Instead I learned that women were the ones I could trust to be there for me, nurture me, love me. Trust women.

Narrowing my scope a bit, the phrase has another meaning as well. A meaning that is part of what today is all about. Choice. Trusting women to make choices about our bodies, our health, our lives. Our right to have self determination, agency. Our right to decide for ourselves what to do not only with our reproduction but our entire bodies. Choice does not just mean that I get to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. It means that I also have the right to choose whether I get pregnant at all. It means that I can choose what sorts of medical procedures will be done to my body and why. It means that I get to choose what my body looks like and how I want to make it look that way, regardless of whether others approve or disapprove. It means I choose who has access to my body or that I can choose to allow no one access to it. Bodily determination is not something we should have to limit to our genitals or reproductive organs.

Trust women. Let's not forget the importance of defining the word "women". Too often those of us who lay claim to the title feminist or womanist forget that not every woman is like us. Not every woman is cisexual, cisgender, heterosexual, lesbian, white, brown, black, middle class, wealthy, poor, degreed, living in the US. Not every woman has access to the internet, to safe living conditions, to health care. When we say trust women we must mean it in our soul. Every woman, no matter how different she is from us, must matter and must be trusted. If we, the "pro-woman" individuals, cannot say this and mean it down to our souls, if we cannot encompass the variety and richness of what being a woman is, then how can we expect anyone else to? How can we claim to fight for women's right to choose when we do not include every woman in that very word? It's simple. We cannot. We must fight through the various intersections of privilege we all have to see to it that when we say things like "trust women" or "right to choose" that none of our sisters is excluded, ignored, abandoned, neglected. If we can lift up and support the most marginalized of our hermanas then our ability to lift up the most privileged of them will follow as well. This should be our ultimate goal

Trust women. It is possible. It is necessary. And we must begin to make it truth.

I'll have 3 Wrath, 4 Gluttony and 10 Lusts please! Oh and a Pride and Sloth on the side also.

2010-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

According to New Orleans Magazine, today marks the official beginning of the Mardi Gras Season. Now unfortunately, I will once again NOT be attending Mardi Gras but in the spirit of the season I suppose I should get down to the sinning since it's no fun if you can't confess anything on Ash Wednesday right? A girl needs to earn her ashes and all that rot so I better get serious about it. I just need to decide which of the 7 Deadlies I am going to indulge in this happy season. I know I have wrath covered because...well, just because. Gluttony will be covered if I succeed in my plan to master at least one version of Mole. Sloth is an easy one to cover on weekends assuming I get a chance to do so since lately I've ended up with all kinds of engagements. Pride? Oh yeah, I've got that one down pat. As for lust...well, I've got that but i don't know if it counts if you're not actually, yanno, doing anything about it so we shall see on that one. Unless lusting for shoes..no, that would be Envy I think. At any rate, yes, I need to make with the sinning. You'll understand of course if I end up a little busy these next few weeks, yes? ;-)

Happy Holidays for Whom?

2009-12-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

Holidays « gudbuytjane

Dismantling oppression requires acknowledgment of privilege, which is a difficult thing to do. We’re trained to evade it and to feel emotions such as anger and defensiveness when presented with it, because to acknowledge our privileges as individuals acknowledges the system from which that privilege arises. Still, if we are truly invested in change and seeking progressive alternatives to the way things are, we must be willing to engage that discomfort.

Acknowledge your privilege this holiday season. Not “in the spirit of the season” – that phrase is couched in the hypocrisy of the public moralizing of an oppressor culture – but against the notion of a culture that abandons those who most need love and acceptance while promoting empty images of family and community. Acknowledge that, as you sit down to dinner with your family or loved ones, there are those who are not welcome to do the same with their families, and that a disproportionate number of those people are transgender or transsexual.

Despite any kvetching on my part about mi familia, at least I am lucky enough to have a family that loves and accepts me as well as my cis gay sister, uncles and cousins. Not everyone is so lucky.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Humanity. No exceptions. No qualifications.

We need to stick a warning label on me after this one...

2009-12-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Did you hear the one about the white nationalist network traveling to Washington D.C. to participate in a Congressional hearing?

No really. I'm not joking. Our congressional "leaders" are seeking advice on immigration reform from people with known ties to white nationalist organizations and holocaust denialists. If anyone here has ever wondered why I get kinda pissed off when people blithely discuss immigration reform and quote bullshit from groups like this...here's your 411. Many of those at the forefront of the push for reform and tighter laws are a bunch of racist douchebags with ulterior motives, i.e., a USA that is "free' of the taint of non-white Western Euro people.

This is not acceptable and I would hope it is obvious why. As I pointed out to a friend online, having these assholes testify for immigration reform is like having Polanski testify for the reform of sexual assault laws. Not. OK.

For the Kinksters Out There...

2009-12-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Fetlife is having a "Sit on Kinky Santa's Lap" Contest. Enjoy!

Gee, imagine that...

2009-11-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

Caster Semenya found "innocent" of any wrong" to retain 800M Gold Medal

The fact that this young woman's privacy was so blatantly violated makes me angry but I am glad it was not compounded by the further injustice of having her medal stripped from her and her accomplishments dismissed. I can only imagine the kind of abuse she might have been/has been subject to by those who see her as "not a real woman". There are a 150+ people who would testify to what that's like, were they still alive. It also revealed just how rudimentary and incorrect our society's knowledge of sex and gender really are.

In case you hadn't heard...

2009-11-12T07:21:00.001-08:00

Lou Dobbs has been fired from CNN. He is now embarking on a whinging campaign that should probably find him a nice spot on Faux News. Bye bye Lou. We won't miss you one bit.

SPLCenter.org: Statement by SPLC President Richard Cohen on the Departure of Lou Dobbs from CNN

Statement by SPLC President Richard Cohen on the Departure of Lou Dobbs from CNN
Richard Cohen

Earlier this year, we called upon CNN to remove Lou Dobbs from the air for trading in falsehoods and racist conspiracy theories. Tonight we are glad that Dobbs has announced his departure from his influential position at CNN.

In his announcement, Dobbs complained that the public debate over important issues is now defined by "partisanship and ideology rather than rigorous empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion."

The truth is, Dobbs has done as much as anyone to poison the immigration debate by repeatedly reporting false information about immigrants. The most outrageous statement was his claim that immigrants were responsible for bringing thousands of new cases of leprosy to the United States during a recent three-year period. He also lent legitimacy to conspiracy theories, such as the claim that undocumented immigrants are part of a plot to reconquer the American Southwest. Most recently, he gave credence to the utterly baseless idea that President Obama is not a native-born American citizen.

Dobbs was certainly capable of fine journalism. But, as his ratings grew, he became a prisoner of the independent image he tried to cultivate, someone seemingly incapable of admitting a mistake. CNN should have asked him to resign long ago.

J. Richard Cohen
President

To grieving endings and celebrating new beginnings

2009-11-09T17:28:00.001-08:00

8 years ago tonight was the eve of a significant event in my life. 8 years later that event has come to naught and so a part of me grieves it however, I also realize that this is the beginning of something else, a new chapter in my book of life. I really and truly don't have much of a clue what is going to come next but I intend to meet whatever it is with an open and brave heart. I know that there will be missteps along the way. I will fall down and be hurt sometimes but that is part and parcel of the whole experience. The pain is as significant as the joy, or so I have always found. You will forgive me if I am somewhat moody the next couple of days. I am still grieving for the dreams and ideals I gave up even as I search for the new. So,I raise a glass for myself and to you reading this. Here's to the endings that bring us new beginnings...

Health care reform: Destined to fail women?

2009-11-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

Where's the Birth Control? | RHRealityCheck.org

Yet, before we resign ourselves to a very imperfect health reform bill, it's worth reminding lawmakers that women's health extends far beyond abortion. And while those who make our laws may fear the consequences of taking a stand for basic services for this half of the population, the cost of not doing it, both in terms of health and politics, is sure to be far greater.

Emphasis is mine and it's one that needs to be stated over and over because there are a lot of clueless jerks out there who cannot get their heads around the fact that women are more than just reproductive organs. In fact, some of us don't even HAVE reproductive organs. Some of us are trans, some of us are intersex, some of us have simply chosen not to reproduce at all or are unable to. I know, I know, I may be breaking your brain here but seriously, the way they use the bodies of cis women like political footballs is shameful and somehow I doubt that they have even considered trans women in all this quibbling, again, shameful. If they had, you can bet that they'd still be made of fail.

Found via Twitter...

2009-10-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

This is an entry from Daily Kos that someone on my Twitter feed posted today and I am glad she did. Too often sexual assaults is presented as a woman's problem. So much of what is out there about rape prevention is aimed at women and is defensive. It's all about us watching our backs, not going certain places alone, how to get away from an attacker, etc. There are too few programs/interventions aimed at the majority of those committing the sexual assaults: men. If we're going to change the stats regarding sexual assaults committed against women then something needs to change because what we're doing now isn't working.

For the record, the actual entry itself is potentially triggering, so be careful.

Daily Kos: On Rape and Men (Brace Yourself)

I am a male. I am a feminist. This diary is for 1) fellow feminists and 2) anyone who underestimates how pervasive the patriarchal sense of entitlement to a woman's body is in our culture. What does that mean? It means it's for everybody: honestly, I think you're one or the other. Black and white? Probably.

...

If you're a man reading this, this is what you have to do: you have to make your male friends uncomfortable. You have to bring up this subject out of the blue and tell them everything I just told you. You should especially quiz them on some of the recommendations on the rape prevention list. I don't give a shit if they look at you funny for it, especially if you believe them to truly be your friends. Addressing and preventing rape requires the audacity of reason, with an emphasis on "audacity." And if you encounter a man who consistently refuses to accept some of the arguments outlined in this diary, you should be watching him closely from now on.

Also for the record, this entry is talking about cis women. I suspect the incidence of rape committed against trans women is far higher but the stats are even harder to collect/estimate correctly.

Hey Bigotry!

2009-10-23T18:07:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we can drive around this town and let the cops chase us around, the past is gone but something might be found take its place....

Dallas Police Gave 38 Improper No-English Tickets | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

Police officers have improperly cited Dallas drivers for not being able to speak English 38 times in the past three years, Chief David Kunkle said Friday.

The discovery came after a woman was pulled over earlier this month for making an illegal U-turn and was given a ticket for being a "non-English speaking driver."

Kunkle said his department's computer system for citations has a pull-down menu that includes a law requiring drivers of commercial vehicles to speak English.

The chief said it was a federal law that was misapplied to local drivers of private vehicles.

Sadly, I am not the least bit surprised other than that I would have expected this from Farmer's Branch or Irving first but yanno, whatever. We brown people are all the same anywhere you go right? I'm tempted to pretend I only speak French the next time I get pulled over. Wonder how they'd react to that?

Gratuitous Cleavage Shot

2009-10-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Essin Em's Nearly Naked Thursday post. Why the hell not? Boobies are awesome and sometimes it's nice to post something that is not angry or sad.

Although while we're talking about issues...

Remember this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Save those boobies, boys n' girls!

Do I really need to keep saying this?

2009-10-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

No More Money - Take Action

Tell your Senators: Stop funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs! Only support funding for comprehensive sex education!

The Senate Finance Committee recently approved two amendments to the health care reform bill-one creating a comprehensive sex education program for the states and the other extending the failed Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program. We need to ensure Congress only funds a comprehensive approach to sex education and does not fund ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that leave young people at risk.

And why should we reject Abstinence Only sexuality education? Here's a primer for why I and many others are against it: Reality Behind Programs.

You're right Mr. President...

2009-10-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

It is a challenge to you. During your campaign, you used a phrase that is deeply significant to the Chican@ community: "Yes we can/Si se puede". We are hoping that you live up to that promise and many of us want you to succeed but there have been far too many times this year that it felt like you were letting more cynical minds steer you away from that promise. Here's to hoping the Nobel steers you back on course.

Because I think it would make me OM NOM NOMMABLE

2009-10-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

Customized Cupcake Car

Put on your matching hat, slip under the muffin top of your Cupcake Car, and let the world figure itself out for awhile. Get (or give) the sheer, joyful chaos of a gift that is mind-blowing, triple-dog-dare, double-infinity forever cool. Make the kids or grandkids literally squeal with joy. Bring it to work and buzz the breakroom. Crash parades! Putter about the ‘hood. Ever had a crowd of kids chasing after you just for the crazy gleeful heck of it? (No worries, the top speed is a comfy-safe 7 mph.) What’s it made of? A 24-volt electric motor, a heavy-duty battery, sheet metal, wire, fabric, wood…and mad genius. Launched at Burning ManSM as a cooperative art car project, the Cupcake Car sprang from the fevered mind of Bay Area artist Lisa Pongrace and her less-rules-more-laughs posse of artists and techno geeks. Yours will be tricked out with your favorite topping, so start thinking flavors.

Seriously, this would be so much fun to drive around just for the sake of seeing people's expressions. And I would hand out cupcakes while I was at it and thereby put into motion my plans to DOMINATE THE EARTH! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Yes. That's my plan for world domination. Cupcakes. What? Like YOU don't like cupcakes?????

Because "Just Say NO!" is not an education

2009-10-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have probably ranted enough on this blog about sex education and the need for accurate comprehensive info for EVERYONE including kids but unfortunately not everyone is as enlightened as you folks. This month is the Sex Ed Month of Action (It is also still Latin@ Heritage month because we Latin@s are damned sexy!)and there's an online petition out there for people to "sign". In light of the fact that the Senate Finance Committee has voted to re-fund abstinence only programs, it might be a good idea for you to let them know you think that's a really, really bad idea.
SIECUS - Sex Ed Month of Action

Throughout October 2009, young people and their allies are engaging in advocacy efforts in communities across the country to raise awareness for the need for REAL sex education. The Sex Ed Month of Action will engage young people and their allies across the United States in showing their support for comprehensive sex education.

It’s time to get REAL! Young people need access to comprehensive sex education programs that provide them with the information and skills they need to make responsible and informed decisions so they can lead healthy lives.

SIECUS has teamed up with our colleagues to put an end to federal funding for ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and support the right of young people to receive age-appropriate and medically accurate comprehensive sex education.

Now is the time to act! Please join Advocates for Youth, Choice USA, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, SIECUS, Sierra Club, and Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice to support the work of young people and their allies from a diverse range of social movements in advocating for comprehensive sex education.

As part of our collective advocacy, we will be sending a petition to leaders of Congress urging them to support the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, to create the first dedicated federal funding stream for comprehensive sex education that meets the needs of all young people. Our goal is to collect 10,000 signatures by the end of the month!

Get Involved Now!

* Click here to sign the petition online!
* Click here for more information on the REAL Act.
* Click here for information on the need for comprehensive sex education.

Because if we keep doing the same thing over again, it might work this time!

2009-09-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

SIECUS

Senate Finance Committee Votes to Fund Comprehensive Sex Education
Failed Title V Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Funding Also Restored

Washington, DC – Late last night, the Senate Finance Committee approved an amendment offered by Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) to fund a comprehensive sex education funding stream, The Personal Responsibility Education for Adulthood Training.The amendment provides $75 million for states; $50 million of which would be geared to evidence-based, medically accurate, age-appropriate programs to educate adolescents about both abstinence and contraception in order to prevent unintended teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. The remaining funds would be for innovative programs as well as research and evaluation. The amendment passed 14–9 with Republican Senator Olympia Snowe (ME) joining all the Democrats voting in favor.

“We would like to thank Chairman Baucus and his staff for their strong support of a comprehensive approach to sex education, ensuring that all young people have access to information so that they can make responsible decisions and lead healthy and safe lives,” said William Smith, vice president for public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). “The Baucus Amendment creates a new comprehensive sex education program for the states and can be easily reconciled with a similar measure, the Healthy Teen Initiative, on the House side. This is a huge step in putting evidence and common sense over hypermorality and will get states the money they need to support good programming.”

There was also a vote on an amendment introduced by Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT) that reinstated funding for the failed Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program which had expired on June 30, 2009. The amendment passed 12–11 with Democratic Senators Blanche Lincoln (AR) and Kent Conrad (ND) joining all the Republicans on the Committee in favor. Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding had been refused by nearly half of the states both because of the restrictive nature of the program and the fact that overwhelming evidence has proven these programs to be ineffective and a waste of taxpayer dollars. This amendment would direct $50 million a year through FY 2014 for the extension of the Title V abstinence-only programs.

“This amendment takes a giant step backward by restoring funding for the failed and discredited abstinence-only-until-marriage program for the states,” continued Smith. “However, because this program so clearly doesn’t work and half the states don’t even participate, we are confident it will be stripped from the final bill and ask Congressional leaders and the White House to ensure this happens.”

Both amendments still face several potential hurdles in committee, on the Senate floor, and in conference with the House before they become law.

For more information, please contact Patrick Malone at pmalone@siecus.org, or (202)265-2405.

Originally seen on 's LJ but I received this via email just now too. I love that those assholes won't give us a public option for health care but they will throw $50 million at failed programs that will continue to spread lies and misinformation about prevention of disease and unplanned pregnancies. Fuck them all right in their goddamn, useless ears.

Gassy, crazy old white guys...

2009-09-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Emitting hateful noxious gases. That is what Dobbs, Limgbaugh and their ilk are. Or so goes the theory from Nezua of The Unapologetic Mexican. This is the first good chuckle I've had all day.

Press Release from SWOP USA

2009-09-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am on the SWOP USA mailing list and received this press release just now encouraging me to forward it as widely as possibly so here it goes!

*** Please Forward Widely ***

The Desiree Alliance, Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP-USA) and allied organizations such as BAYSWAN and the Best Practices Policy Project are saddened to observe the malicious tactics used by Glen Beck of Fox news in a recent “expose” of ACORN. All of our organizations stand firmly against the exploitation of minors in prostitution and we also oppose trafficking in persons, but we are concerned about the way the provision of services to adult sex workers was portrayed in the recent report.

In Glen Beck’s effort to critique ACORN via a highly edited series of videos, he in fact belittles the efforts of sex workers who seek services to find stable living circumstances and financial help.

“The Fox news report tears down the efforts of grassroots service providers all over the country to reach out to hard to reach communities of sex workers to help them,” said Tara Sawyer of SWOP-USA.

“Sex workers are already very fearful about accessing services that could help them and these low-brow media attacks on service providers increase barriers and harm” she added.

All of our organizations are concerned that the “expose” will cause service providers and non-profit organizations to shy away from providing harm reduction services and helping sex workers “where they are at.”

“Providing sex workers with information about how to live safely, even though what they do is criminalized, is essential,” said Susan Lopez of Desiree Alliance “And we commend all organizations that provide these services to prevent HIV, help sex workers find housing, seek financial support and to take care of their health needs. Don’t turn sex workers away because of unconscionable undercover reports like those carried out by Fox.”

About the Organizations:

The Desiree Alliance is a diverse, volunteer-based, sex worker-led network of organizations, communities and individuals across the US working in harm reduction, direct services, political advocacy and health services for sex workers. We provide leadership and create space for sex workers and supporters to come together to advocate for human, labor and civil rights for all workers in the sex industry.

Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of sex workers and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy.

--
.·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·.
Tara Sawyer
Sex Workers Outreach Project
Board Member
877-776-2004
912 Cole St. #202, San Francisco, CA 94117
24/7 support& referral hotline: 877-776-2004x1

The Nature of Love (according to me)

2009-09-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve had a several conversations lately, both online and in real time, with friends about love. I suppose it isn’t surprising given the nature of my life changes recently that I’ve been thinking about such things but I have really been thinking on the topic for a long time. Probably since the day I agreed to marry my ex.

I can’t honestly say that I’ve figured it out and I doubt I ever will. It would be arrogant of me to think that I’ve discovered the secrets of a phenomenon that has had the greatest philosophers , poets, prophets and lovers of the ages baffled since the concept was established. To paraphrase Socrates, a wise Latina sexgeek knows that she doesn’t know. ;-) I can however talk about what it is I have noticed and what my take on those observations are, though I won’t pretend my interpretation is necessarily superior over anyone else’s and these ideas are likely to change over the course of my lifetime because I’m flexible like that.

One thing I’ve noticed is that we are big believers in “types” of love and assign differing amounts of relevance, importance and expectations to each type. Familial love, friendship love, romantic/sexual love…so many different types. Now of course I understand that there are differences in the various relationships. Obviously we don’t want to make it weird by getting them all mixed up, right? The thing I don’t like about this though is that most people seem to assign priority to the love by what “kind” of love it is. More often than not, Romantic love takes precedence over any other to the detriment sometimes of those other relationships. Of course, I’ve also seen it happen with familial love or relationships too. Personally, I dislike the idea that any relationship automatically takes precedence over any other simply because of the “type” of love/relationship it is.

Reading back over that I realize that I am having issues with trying to decide whether I can correctly conflate the words “relationship” and “love”. Are they really the same thing? I’m not so sure but I think we do equate the two quite often. The only thing I do know is that regardless of the type of relationship I have with someone, if I love them, they will hold an important place in my soul and I don’t like to think that any of them is automatically more or less important than any other. I know more than a few people who would disagree with me and that’s fine. Again, this is a highly personal subject and everyone will think/feel/handle it differently.

My other problem with how we see love is the kinds of demands/expectations we place on the people we love and our relationships with them depending on the type it is. Romantic love MUST be an always and forever kind of thing that fulfills all our wildest dreams and fantasies and a good portion of our needs as well. Familal love, especially parental or filial, is also supposed to be an unchanging, self sacrificing thing. In fact, we often demand that our love, beloved and their love for us never change. If it does then great drama and woe follows and relationships are often ended or damaged beyond repair. I dislike this tendency. Humans are innately adaptable creatures, it is our most effective survival mechanism, this ability to change and yet for some reason, in our connection to each other, we fight that natural ability. Lovers refuse to acknowledge that the person they loved 10 years ago may not be the same as the person standing before them now. A parent may not want to face that the baby they gave birth to is not the same helpless child 20 years later. The tug of war between the actual human and the image the lover (I am now using this in the sense of someone who loves, not the romantic sense) has of them is more often than not the cause of the friction between people. It’s very hard to acknowledge those changes and yet if we do not, if we do not allow our love to change the beloved may very well decide they need to look for love elsewhere…from someone who does not have such a stake in them remaining an immutable, unchanging ideal. Of course, even if they move on the chances are that they will experience the same issue all over again and may themselves make the same demands on that new person.

Another issue I have observed is our fear of running out of love. The jealousy and possessiveness that we often feel regarding others love for us. We can see it in sibling rivalry, friend rivalries and, oh yes, most definitely in romantic rivalries. This idea that someone who loves us cannot possibly love anyone else besides us without us somehow losing some amount of that love. Now I am the first to admit that the energy it takes to care for someone is indeed a finite resource. My career has been all about caring for people and there are some days when my ability to care and be compassionate is just flat out gone. Everyone can experience burn out whether it’s in their job or in their relationships but I believe that loving someone, really loving them, can also be a source of energy for us. This is assuming that the relationship is a healthy one of course but if it is, then I do believe it’s capable of replenishing us rather than always taking from us. I don’t believe love is something that has to be divided. I know for instance that my mother loves me and my sister equally and I do not feel that my sister’s existence has diminished my mother’s love for me in anyway. Yes, when she was first born I did experience jealousy, as most kids do but eventually I cam to realize that I also loved her and in time, as she got over that whole Id-fueled selfish stage, she also loved me back. The love I was given did not in fact diminish but was multiplied. The same has often happened with my friends, I have found. When I meet the friend of a friend and we decide that we are also well matched we come to connect with each other as intensely as the original friendship and voila! I have the love of one more friend and so do they. No one has lost any love or a friendship and we have both gained in the process.

Now I cannot speak for how this works in romantic relationships, having not engaged in polyamory (or whatever other name you choose to assign to the idea of having more than one committed relationship at a time) but I do know that I have loved, in a romantic sense, more than one person at a time. Because of the circumstances I highly doubt either person would say that they felt my love for them was equally intense but I know that in my heart, it felt that way to me. From what I have seen of the folks who have made this work, it does seem to be the case. I’m not saying there aren’t issues in it all but when the people involved are able to work it out, they do seem to be capable of loving their partners with equal intensity. This is perhaps one of the trickiest maneuvers, trying to make this work. Human beings seem to be programmed for possessiveness so the idea of sharing something that is so seemingly essential to our wellbeing is an unpleasant one at first but the thing is, are we really “sharing” love? Yes we share time but is love truly something that is divvied up like food amongst people? Or, as the cliché goes, are we simply multiplying it to “feed” everyone who we wish to feed? I think I prefer this idea myself, the idea that it isn’t necessarily a finite resource but something we can continue to love and not run out. We may run out of energy or time but love? I hope not.

What's wrong with this article?

2009-08-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press: Circumcision doesn't protect gays from AIDS virus

By MIKE STOBBE (AP) – 20 hours ago

ATLANTA — Circumcision, which has helped prevent AIDS among heterosexual men in Africa, doesn't help protect gay men from the virus, according to the largest U.S. study to look at the question.

The research, presented at a conference Tuesday, is expected to influence the government's first guidance on circumcision.

Circumcision "is not considered beneficial" in stopping the spread of HIV through gay sex, said Dr. Peter Kilmarx, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Could it be that the dumb ass reporter has equated anal sex with gay sex and hetero sex with vaginal sex? Maybe? Possibly? Few things irritate me more than those terms because they are incredibly narrow minded and imprecise. What about oral sex? Is that gay or hetero? Please do tell, Mr. Stobbe. I'd love to know. Oh wait, lemme guess...that's lesbian sex? I need to borrow someone's Great American Challenge so I can beat this clueless dope over the head with it until he gains some semblance of intelligence about human sexuality.

Let me be a postmodern sexgeek here and break it down for you. Straight people have anal sex, gay men have other kinds of sex besides anal sex. Lesbians have anal sex too (we'll discuss the niceties of strap ons some other time). Any man who has unprotected, insertive anal/penile sex with someone, regardless of their gender, who has HIV, is at risk even if he is circumcised. Anyone who has receptive anal/penile sex with a man who has HIV is also at incredible amounts of risk regardless of circumcision. In other words folks, cut or uncut, using a condom is still your best bet for preventiing infection with HIV and other STD's.

Syringe Exchange Ban Moves to Senate

2009-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

(From the Harm Reduction Coalition)

Needle ban fight moves to Senate

We are too close to lifting the federal syringe exchange funding ban to allow it to fail. Attempts to put it back in after it was removed in House committee were defeated, but by a very close margin. What did stick, unfortunately, was an amendment to deny federal funds to any SEP within 1000 feet of a school, rec center, daycare center, playground, video arcade, or anywhere groups of children may go on even an occasional basis. For almost every existing syringe exchange project, and in most cities overall, this would present a huge barrier.

So, we have 2 important tasks - to get the overall ban removed & to get that amendment removed. The decision will most likely be made in a closed conference between Senate and House Appropriators in early September, and we
need those legislators to walk in there knowing what they have to do. If your program would be ineligible to receive federal funds if this 1000 foot buffer zone is enacted, or if you care about the issue at all, this is a KEY TIME for you to act.

Send a letter directly to your Senator from our Online Action Center and ask that they resist any restrictive amendments from both the Financial Services and Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bills, and to leave the decision of how and where to offer services to the local public health and public safety communities. Feel free to use the pre-written one provided or write your own.

SECOND: Although it would be good for everyone to communicate with their Senators, it is especially important for those in states with Appropriations committee members. If you are in one of these states, please follow up with a personal call to the Senator's health advisor and speak to them directly. You can reach them through the Capitol switchboard at 1-800-828-0498, or 1-800-459-1887.

THIRD: We are doing a postcard campaign to Senators as well, to reach out to allies, clients, shoppers, and so on that we don't reach online. We need people who will go out and get some postcards signed by supporters. If you can commit to this, please email us at hrcwest@harmreduction.org and tell me how many you want, and send your mailing address. The following list of Appropriators are the highest priorities.

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin
PATTY MURRAY, Washington
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana
JACK REED, Rhode Island
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
SUSAN COLLINS, Maine
GEORGE VOINOVICH, Ohio
LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska

For the record...

2009-08-13T17:19:00.001-07:00

I am all in favor of microbicides. Anything that will help stop the spread of HIV is fine by me (with ethical considerations a given here of course), however, I would really love it if these people writing about them would stop acting like African women are the only women in the world who are not empowered to require condom use by their partners! I have met far too many American women with the same issue AND I have met African women who were quite self efficacious and required condom use from their partners. Let's try fighting HIV AND racism, KTHNXBAI!

This moment of fail brought to you by the alertness of Bianca Laureano.

Because I may as well save the world too while spun on sugar and caffeine...

2009-08-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh coffee...sweet elixir of life, make me strong so that I may smite my enemies as their screams echo in my ears. Or at the very least help me to annoy the dictators and assholes of the world mightily so they will go home and leave people the hell alone.

In other words, go the the AIUSA site and send an email to the military junta in Myanmar telling them that this shit is unacceptable.

A Reason For Hope?

2009-08-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Researchers Decode HIV Genome

Thursday, August 6, 2009
"Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have decoded the entire HIV genome, opening the door to understanding how viruses infect humans – knowledge that could lead to new antiviral drugs," the Triangle Business Journal reports. The building block of HIV is a single stranded RNA, not a double stranded DNA (Gallagher, 8/6). In the Nature study, published Thursday, the team of researchers describe how their newly developed "chemical method called SHAPE ... make[s] an image not only of the RNA's nucleotides, but of the shapes and folds of the RNA strands," Reuters writes (Fox, 8/5). The approach allowed researchers to capture a more complete picture of the HIV RNA genome than previously identified, revealing "that the RNA structures influence multiple steps in HIV's infection cycle," HealthDay News/U.S. News & World Report writes (8/5). According to the team of researchers, the technique could lead to new treatments for HIV as well as "for other viruses such as influenza and the bugs that cause the common cold," Reuters writes (8/5).

I would love to think that this will aid researchers in finding a vaccine or a cure. Only time will tell.

What's up with the Postmodern Sexgeek?

2009-07-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

I realize it's been a very long time since I've podcasted and for those of you who were following me, I apologize. I didn't mean to fade and I hate the thought that I may have disappointed people. The fact is that I am going through a huge upheaval in my life and the result is that I haven't had the energy to podcast.

In January of this year, I broke up with my husband. As anyone who has gone though the break up of a marriage can tell you, the whole process is pretty miserable, regardless of whose idea it is. In this case it was mine but that doesn't mean it's been all smooth sailing and fun for me. Every day brings new feelings of guilt, doubt, fear and anxiety. Did I make the right decision? Am I fool for doing this? Can I really make it on my own?

Upfront I need to say that nothing catastrophic happened between me and Mr. B. He's a good man and we have remained friendly. Rather, the problems happened as they do for most people. A gradual pulling away from one's partner, hurt feelings and resentment piling up day after day, year after year until one day you wake up and realize that the feelings you once had for this person are no longer recognizable. Yes we tried the counseling. I tried faking it 'til I made it. It didn't work. Once the intimacy, the trust is gone, it's almost impossible to bring it back. And when I say trust, I don't mean to say that he cheated on me. He didn't. When I say trust I mean my belief in the depth and strength of his feelings for me. I stopped believing that he thought I was "the right one" for him and started feeling like I was simply better than the option of being alone.

I imagine he has his own take on this as well and I won't invalidate that. These are only my feelings on the matter and I cannot speak for him. I know he was hurt and probably still is and it makes me incredibly sad to know that I was the cause of it but personally I felt it was dishonest to continue the relationship when my heart and soul were no longer in it. We both deserve the chance to find joy with someone who makes our hearts sing but staying together would have made that difficult at best.

Nowadays I am trying to get used to living alone, sleeping alone, being alone. Breaking up with him meant giving up a part of my family and that is as painful as it sounds.

Aside from the emotional aspects of a break up are the practicalities: a halved income, learning to do the yard work (mowing the lawn is hard work!), home repair (hint: he still is willing to help with that and saved my ass recently!), trying to feel safe as a single woman living alone in a large city with not so great crime stats. Thank god for my two large dogs. Without them around I'd be far more scared and anxious, the relative quiet of my neighborhood notwithstanding.

Despite all the negatives and the hardships, I still have hope. Hope that he and I will both heal and be able to maintain our friendship. Hope that someday I will find the joy and love I seek. Hope that eventually it will no longer hurt so much when I see that ring still sitting on my dresser that I haven't yet had the heart to sell.

I also have to admit that this has all taken a toll on my Postmodern Sexgeek persona. When the emotions are this strong and raw, it can be hard to feel sexy or ready to dish about sex and sexuality the way I was. I spend a lot of time wondering if I am even still this person anymore. Sometimes I feel like a fraud when I think about how much I encourage people to be in touch with their sexuality and yet right now mine is ebbing and flowing like the tide according to my emotions. I remember what it feels like to fall in love, to rejoice in that passion and intoxication that comes with the beginning of a romance. The burn of newly ignited lust is also something I remember well but it seems more academic these days and less like something I actually feel myself. I know this is the aftermath of a break up and only temporary but it is hard to do a podcast that takes pleasure in something I am having a hard time getting in touch with.

Does this mean the Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex is over? No, not necessarily. It does however mean that I am having to rethink so many things and I haven't yet made any decisions about where I'm going and what I am doing with the podcast and even with this blog.

If you're reading this, thank you for being here, thank you for listening. I am sorry if I have disappointed and perhaps, soon, some new version of this little experiment will be born and we can continue the conversation.

Is anything prettier?

2009-07-26T15:53:00.001-07:00

Freshly made Pico De Gallo, originally uploaded by postmod_sexgeek.

Just made this right now to go with dinner and I really don't think there are many things prettier than the red, white and green combo of classic tomato salsas, esp when one makes pico de gallo. I will be using this in the tacos I am making from the left over pork chop I had sitting in the fridge. OM NOM NOM!

On Food Pr0n and Lady Pr0n

2009-07-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Almost afternoon, whatever.

As is my usual habit when I wake, I checked my phone for new email and was amused to find that Tastespotting had "followed" me back on Twitter ( I added them last night in a fit of food pr0n desire). For the uninitiated, Tastespotting is leading purveyor of glossy, sexy, inspiring, mouth watering foor pr0n. Each gorgeous photo of lusty dishes, playful cupcakes and juicy tarts links back to the recipe so that we average Joes and Janes can try our hands at creating our very own yummy centerfold spreads of food. Do not click that second link if you're hungry. Just sayin'.

Now for those of you who like porn of a more...human flavor, I just read on Vi's blog that Hegre now has iHegre available for the iPhone. Now personally, I am not particularly inspired by the Hegre lovelies because they're just too skinny and conventional for me but they are quite lovely in their own way and I know more than a few of you will like their looks. And yes, those links are very NSFW so don't click if you're not alone or around porn friendly types.

And that does it for me for now. I need to go get dressed and get some things accomplished around the house before it snowballs out of control...

In memory of Neda Salehi

2009-06-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

As much as I hate to admit it, I have become, like a large portion of the US, inured to violence and pictures/videos of violence posted on the news or online. As a result, when I saw the video of Neda's shooting and death at an Iranian protest she attended with her father on HuffPo, I clicked it knowing it would be terribly sad but not thinking twice about how it would make me feel. You can imagine my surprise when I found myself having to fight back sobs while I watched the young woman's life bleed from her mouth and watched the life leave her eyes. Yes, the video is that graphic and perhaps that is why it's affect on me was so strong. Now I have watched people die before. I've sat at the bedside of dying people and held their hands as they breathed their last but for some reason this struck me heavily. I don't know if it emotion left over from old grieving left unfinished, if it was because she was a woman and hence it seemed more personal or if it was simply the violence perpetrated against her by the Basij but suffice it to say, it got my attention.

I don't pretend to understand everything about Iran and it's politics. What I do know is that the violence against the people being that we see being tweeted/blogged/video'd is wrong and a violation of basic human rights. While I have no illusions about my ability to effect a change there I do know, thanks to years of work with Amnesty International, is that governments don't like it when their injustices are seen and marked by the world and making sure that Iran and Ahmadinejad know we are watching is important.

Neda paid for her convictions with her life. We are hardly being called upon to sacrifice anything so valuable.

It is becoming increasingly more dangerous to be brown in America

2009-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Though I can't say I am all that surprised. It was only a matter of time before things like this started to happen:

3 arrested in killings of dad, girl in Arivaca | www.azstarnet.com ®

3 arrested in killings of dad, girl in Arivaca
Sheriff: Border watchers were after drugs, money
By Jamar Younger
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.13.2009
Three people, including the leader of a border watch group and an officer within that group, were arrested in connection with a May 30 home invasion that left a father and his daughter dead and the mother wounded, authorities said.
One of those arrested, Shawna Forde, is the leader of Minutemen American Defense, a group out of Washington state that conducts operations along the U.S.-Mexican border in Arizona. The group is not related to either the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps founded by Chris Simcox, or the Minuteman Project founded by Jim Gilchrist.
Authorities also arrested Jason Eugene Bush, 34, who serves as operations director for the Washington group, and Albert Robert Gaxiola, 42, in connection with the shooting deaths of Raul Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia Flores, said Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik.

Now tell me again that I am being oversensitive about the vitriol coming from these anti-immigration groups regarding people who look like me and whose names sound like mine. The kind of talk these people engage in has one purpose: creating an artificial rift between "us" and "them". The result is that those "others" become dehumanized hence making it that much easier for people needing a scapegoat to take out their anger on their fellow human beings. Anyone who doesn't believe me needs to go back and study their WWII history and maybe take a trip to their local Holocaust museum to be reminded of what happens when a nation allows a group to be viciously scapegoated and dehumanized by those who seek to maintain a stranglehold on their perceived power base.

And how do we combat this? How can we stop the bullshit from escalating into actual violence? For those of us who are members of the threatened group/s, we need to have the courage to speak up on our own behalf. And no, just because you are an American citizen does not mean you are safe from this. Bigots don't stop to ask your citizenship before they kick you in the head. To them we are all the same. For those who are not a member of said groups, especially those who are white, I ask you to be a true ally to our communities and speak up when you hear people propagating bigotry and hatred against those who look different or whose last names sound different. Folks like that will probably not heed what I or anyone of my ethnicity say but if you do, perhaps, just perhaps, they will rethink their biases.

Stay At Home Dads: Why is this sooooo surprising?

2009-06-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

This morning on The Today Show they had a story about stay at home dads. With all the job losses these days, a lot of men have ended up spending a great deal of time at home while their wives continue to work or even go out and find new jobs after some time spent as stay at home moms/wives. Now personally, I've always loved the idea of having a stay at home husband. I'm not terribly fond of homey type work and while I love having a comfy, cozy house I am usually pretty bad about maintaining one. Having someone who around who is happy to do that work would be a lovely thing and I have no problem being the breadwinner. Alas, my career makes this highly unrealistic since I chose to be a do-gooder rather than a money maker but nevermind. That's not what this is about.

The tone of the story was almost congratulatory. As if saying "OMG! THESE MEN ARE SO AMAZING! LOOK AT THEM DOING THE EXACT SAME THING THEIR WIVES HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS! THEY DESERVE COOKIES!"

...

Yeah, not so much. It bothers me that our society still holds these gender role stereotypes so closely that the second someone steps outside of those roles it looks like some kind of iconoclastic revolution. Why shouldn't men be allowed to stay home and tend the hearth if they feel like it? Why shouldn't men be allowed to spend lots of time caring for and nurturing their children? And why shouldn't women be allowed to go out and make the money if that's what they prefer to do? Why do we insist on maintaining these roles to the detriment of everyone involved?

I think this story stood out because lately I've seen several posts about women's roles regarding marriage and motherhood and it annoys me that after all this time we still insist on holding women to old standards of success, i.e., being a wife and mother is the most important thing a woman can do with her life and everything else is frivolous. And before anyone tries to turn this into "Marie hates children and Moms" let's clarify things. I have much respect for Moms and I do actually like kids. I have a mom and I was once a kid so yeah, I'm not hating here. However, I do not buy the party line that I am a failure as a female human being because I have not reproduced and that my 14+ years of experience as an STD/HIV prevention worker mean nothing because I have no kids. If you want to start a fight about it, move along. What I am saying is that while we as a country continue to harp about women's rights in other countries, we better not forget that we aren't exactly past the sexism that started the American feminist movement in the first place. When the time comes that a man staying home and caring for the household and children is no longer worthy of a news story THEN we can stop looking in the mirror and focus ALL our attention elsewhere. Until then? People in glass houses and such...

Mature, full bodied and complex

2009-06-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

And the rest of you.

I was just telling a friend how I have been fighting with my own insecurities lately around my self esteem, my appearance, my age. Lo and behold one of my favorite Twitterers/bloggers/activists/cool dudes, Nezua of The Unapologetic Mexican, posted this:

it's time to call it a tumblr day when... - imaginando

its part of that ageist thing in (at least US culture). we have unspoken fears that all we are worth is our tight skin and firm shapes. rarely is it reinforced that living years gives you an arc to better compare changes and events in life; compare people, seeing more people and hearing more stories gives you a wider context of information to tally and thus KNOW things and understand them; having had more relationships has taught you more about yourself as well as people as well as relationships; that watching your body wear out inevitably forces you to shift focus onto Essence (knowledge, creative spirit, love power, maturity), not Symbol (tight abs, tight skin, perkiness); that more time spent on Earth generally means more patience or a clearer focus, you’ve had time to test out many distractions and now are on your way to learning how to see past your own defenses and have shed more misconceptions (or at least had the time to work at it), and so now can learn from those older than yourself, as well as learn from the young while at the same time put up with their condescension, as they too, been often been raised in an ageist culture, themselves. In other words, you will get the chance to face that cocky, stupid, shallow punk you may have once been!

It’s worse when the aging defer to the early part of the circle; deny age, are shamed of age, try to be younger than they are….this sends a message to the young(er) that we ought fear age, we ought think little of it, that all that matters is the beginning of the arc and that is a dangerous and wrong thing to teach.

I am proud of my years. I am so much more than I was 20 years ago. And more than I was ten years ago. And now, am released from fearing age quite as much as I did, because I know it means more wisdom and less ignorance. If I want it to, that is. Because it also requires work.

I find the ageism thing is particularly hard on women. We really are encouraged to maintain a youthful appearance as long as possible and there are companies all over the world making megabucks on just that bullshit. It's hard to buck that social programming, I know I fail at it quite often.

It's especially hard now that I find myself single again at 38. I'm no longer a cute twenty something with tight skin and perky tits. I don't begrudge young women those things because, yanno, I was there once too and it was fun but I do realize that I need to not mourn what I've lost because in so many ways, I've gained. Yes, at 18 I had a hot body and nice skin but guess what? I was also ridiculously insecure and inhibited. Nowdays, things aren't so lovely on this face and body but my mind is a much sexier playground than it used to be.

I guess the trick is to stop worrying about the people who think I'm less desirable/interesting/fun beause of my age and spend my time around those who love me and my laugh lines.

Sexgeek eats

2009-05-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Mondays are always painful for me. Well almost always but this is especially true if I have imbibed a bit too much on Sunday and end up with a bit of a hangover and tons of things to do that day. When that happens, dinner is best when it is low fuss and very simple but also very comforting and satisfying. Tonight's menu? I am trying out a new recipe that is apparently an old Roman dish, Pasta Cacio e Pepe. In other words, pasta with romano and black pepper. Molto semplice, sì?

The recipe is so easy as to be laughable and yet sounds incredibly delish. Cook some pasta and then drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and toss it with pecorino, butter, pepper and the pasta water. Voila! Dinner is served. Doesn't get much easier, does it? This is a perfect Monday night meal for when you have no desire to fiddle and fuss with anything more complex. I'll let you know how it turns out. ;)

Amazon Fail and Amazon Rank

2009-04-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I posted on the Amazon Fail incident yesterday and more and more stuff is coming up about it. The folks at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books have set up a page for the purposes of Google bombing Amazon because nothing hurts a company worse than bad PR. Give it a click folks.

And following closely on the heels of that lovely prior post....

2009-03-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

I get this in my inbox which was like a slap in the face...

SIECUS

Cody, WY

Sexuality education in Cody High School is under the microscope after members of Cody Right to Life submitted a petition to the school board asking to ban a local family planning group from teaching the sexuality education component of the health curriculum.

The school board accepted the petition of approximately 500 signatures and quickly voted 4–3 to suspend Northwest Wyoming Family Planning (NWFP) from teaching its one-day lesson in the health classes. The board resolution also mandates that students be segregated by gender for the lesson about contraception and STDs and that it be taught by a health teacher or school nurse.[1] In addition, the board voted to create a task force that would include representatives from NWFP, Cody Right to Life, parents, teachers, a school nurse, and a board member that would review the high school’s entire health class and come back with recommendations.

Members of Cody Right to Life, who argued that NWFP did not focus enough on abstinence, “negative outcomes,” and the risks and side effects of contraceptives, were satisfied with the board’s decision. A city council member also said she was pleased with the board because of her concern that NWFP was not covering the “damaging emotional consequences that come with underage sex.”[2]

When will people learn that their personal beliefs do not sound public health policy make?????

Ada Lovelace Day was yesterday...

2009-03-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Did you all know about this? I sure as hell didn't and that makes me ask myself..."WHY THE HELL DID I NOT KNOW???"

Ada Lovelace Day — Bringing women in technology to the fore

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Entrepreneurs, innovators, sysadmins, programmers, designers, games developers, hardware experts, tech journalists, tech consultants. The list of tech-related careers is endless.

Recent research by psychologist Penelope Lockwood discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones. That’s a relatively simple problem to begin to address. If women need female role models, let’s come together to highlight the women in technology that we look up to. Let’s create new role models and make sure that whenever the question “Who are the leading women in tech?” is asked, that we all have a list of candidates on the tips of our tongues.

Don't know who Ada Lovelace is? For shame!!!!

Ada Lovelace - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (10 December 1815, London – 27 November 1852, Marylebone, London), born Augusta Ada Byron, was the only legitimate child of George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron. She is widely known in modern times simply as Ada Lovelace.

She is mainly known for having written a description of Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine. She is today appreciated as the "first programmer" since she was writing programs—that is, manipulating symbols according to rules—for a machine that Babbage had not yet built. She also foresaw the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on these capabilities.[1]

So yeah, the first computer programmer was a chick. LONG LIVE THE OVARIES!

I raise a glass in honor of all the awesome, tech geeky chicks I know. Every single one of you is made of win and awesome.

March 24th-World TB Day

2009-03-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI. I know most of us don't see a lot of TB in everyday life but the fact is that it remains a problem here and in many other places in the world, including our neighbors.

Materials » World TB Day

Mexico’s multidrug-resistant TB has been acknowledged as a serious public health problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2006, Mexico had nearly 34,000 TB cases in 2004, with an estimated incidence rate of 32 cases per 100,000 people. The prevalence of TB in Mexico is of great concern to the United States, given the shared borders and immigration flow between the two countries. To combat TB, in 2000 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mexican Secretariat of Health signed a $16 million bilateral grant agreement to strengthen TB prevention efforts.

Urgent Action Appeal from PLanned PArenthood

2009-03-03T15:17:00.001-08:00

TELL CONGRESS: DON’T DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD - Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood has just learned that Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is expected to attack Planned Parenthood again today. He will offer an amendment to the Appropriations Act this afternoon that would block Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal funds from Title X, the nation’s family planning program.

This move is an unconstitutional, completely unfounded attack on the nation’s leading source of reproductive health care information and services. In these difficult economic times, we need to make reproductive health care services more available for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women — not less.

We need you to call your senators and tell them to stand up and oppose the Vitter amendment.

The appropriations bill is being voted on this afternoon, so we need you to call today. Ask your senators to speak out on the floor and oppose Sen. David Vitter’s Amendment No. 601 to the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R.1105).

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #37: The POTUS is Rocking My Sexgeek Socks

2009-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Download the MP3 here!

Hi folks! I"m back after a rather long holiday hiatus. I chat a bit about some of the exciting policy decisions that have come out of our new President's policy decisions as well as throw in some random sexgeekiness that has struck my fancy recently.

Global Gag Rule: LIFTED!
UNFPA Funding: RESTORED!

I mention NARAL's Blog for Choice Day and the entry I made on that day which I was then happy to see start coming true the next day as mentioned above. :-)

Also, Condoms do help protect against HPV, Tonsils are not friendly to HIV and in Weird Sex News: Blow Up Doll Bandit.

Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMSexgeek

Feed URL: http://marieb.libsyn.com/rss

Intro and Outro music is "We Carry On" by Portishead

Hidden Agenda? Who me???

2009-01-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

Nevada ogles the potential tax dollars of legal prostitution - Los Angeles Times

"I think it's an appalling way for a state to make money," said Melissa Farley, executive director of the nonprofit Prostitution Research and Education group in San Francisco. "Once there's an awareness of what prostitution does to women, it makes no sense to allow it, to tax it, to decriminalize it or mainstream it."

Nevermind that Farley relies on funding that is predicated on the idea that all women in sex work are poor helpless victims. She just wants to save them all from a life of sin and loose morals. She doesn't care about the money! *nod nod*

Perhaps she needs to talk to actual sex workers before saving them from making a living?

The article itself is fairly informative. I'm just annoyed that as usual they interviewed another would be savior of prostitutes everywhere (whether they want to be saved or not) but couldn't be arsed to speak to an actual sex worker to see what she thought.

Oh Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!!!

2009-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Obama To Alter Abortion Policy -- Courant.com

In one of his first acts as president, Barack Obama is planning to lift a rule that prevents federal money from going to international family planning groups that counsel women on abortion or perform the procedure.

Obama's repeal of the abortion aid policy is one of several executive actions that he will take soon after his inauguration today, according to several Obama transition aides. He is also considering lifting Bush administration restrictions on federally funded stem cell research.

My thanks to Mr Rubix for first bringing this to my attention. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. It is almost enough for me to forgive him for this: Obama Sides With Bush in Spy Case.

Note: I said "almost".

Blog for Choice Day

2009-01-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

I almost missed it! Thank god for Twitter...

This year's topic? What is your top pro-choice hope for President Obama and/or the new Congress?

Well let's see.

I want medically accurate information about condoms put back on the CDC web site
I want the US to stop throwing money away on abstinence only education that has been shown not to work and in fact that actually hurts the kids receiving it
I want the global gag order lifted
I want us to be able to provide money for HIV prevention to agencies even if they have not come down on the side of the moral majority regarding sex work
I want access to medically accurate information about human sexuality, contraception and disease prevention to be available to kids and adolescents in a way that they can easily access it
I want pregnancy to stop being seen as punitive damages paid for having sex
I want there to be safe, medical abortions available for women who have to make that tough choice

Yes, that's a long list and perhaps an ambitious one but I believe that if enough of us pay attention, make some noise and insist that our government listen to us, we can make some if not all if it come to pass.

Go here for more info about Blog For Choice Day.

I Have a Dream

2009-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

I find myself brought to tears listening to this speech on the day before we inaugurate our first African American President. I wonder what Dr. King would have to say on such a momentous occasion and I give thanks that I am here to witness it.

Some may ask why I, a Latina, feel so strongly about this speech and Dr. King. I know many non-African Americans who feel no sense of significance on this day and to them I say, you're a fool. Dr King spoke of the shared slavery every one of us suffered when even one member of our society was not free. For those who live in Texas, remember, there was a time when those of Mexican descent were being made to accept "separate but equal" accommodations. A time when our people were lynched for perceived crimes. There was a time when signs were put in the windows that said "No dogs or Mexicans allowed". Make no mistake, Dr King's legacy was as important for our equality as it was for the African American community and to forget history is to be foolish enough to repeat it.

Condoms Do Help Prevent HPV Infection

2009-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

SIECUS

On December 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published final rules governing the labeling of male latex condoms set to go into effect January 9, 2009. The biggest change to come out of the new labeling is the FDA’s conclusion that correct and consistent condom use reduces both the risk of infection with HPV (the Human Papillomavirus) as well as rates of HPV-related disease including cervical cancer and genital warts.

This is an important bit of info for everyone to know about. Hopefully it is also one more nail in the coffin of abstinence only education.

Technorati Tags: hpv, sex, abstinence only, science, fda

This is Me Geeking out on Sex Related Info

2009-01-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

And yes, it is very likely that I will manage to work this into a conversation with someone about prevention.

Aidsmap | Cellular infection study partially explains lower HIV infection rates through oral sex

A study in which slices of human mucosal tissue were infected with HIV has partially explained why HIV is caught so much more easily through anal sex than through oral sex. The study, in which tissue samples from the tonsils and the rectum were infected with two different kinds of HIV, found that rectal CD4 cells express five times as much of the CCR5 receptor molecule on their surface as tonsil cells. This is the co-receptor for R5 or M-tropic virus, the variety of HIV that is usually transmitted. Rectal CD4 cells, once infected, also produced more of this virus than tonsil cells.

The study also found that in response to infection with the other kind of HIV, X4 or T-tropic virus, tonsil cells, but not rectal ones, secreted chemicals called chemokines that blocked further access to the CCR5 receptors.

However, while showing why CD4 cells in the tonsils are so much less susceptible to R5 infection than rectal ones, it does not show why these cells – most of which also carry the CXCR4 receptor – are so much less likely to be infected with X4 virus in vivo than in the laboratory. The researchers say that another so far undetected defence against X4 virus must exist.

The research team was led by scientists from the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland, and also included prominent microbicide researchers Ian McGowan from UCLA and Robin Shattock from St George’s Hospital, London.

Well imagine that...

2009-01-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

Womanist Musings

Throughout the film Eastwoods character kept referring to the visible minorities as spics, chinks, gooks, and niggers, all while he demanded to be addressed with respect. It seems that only whiteness deserves to be acknowledged as human and not referenced by a racial epithet. I continuously marvelled how Eastwoods character was able to assume such a position of superiority based solely in race and have this premise accepted by every single person of colour that he interacted with.

When I started seeing the ads for this movie I couldn't help but notice the casting of characters and the fact that Eastwood was the sole voice of moral superiority in each clip they showed. I guess my initial misgivings where on the money.

Are you lonesome tonight.....

2009-01-07T20:51:00.001-08:00

Police seek blow-up doll sex bandit - Yahoo! News

SYDNEY (Reuters) – An Australian man broke into three adult shops, had sex with blow up dolls named "Jungle Jane" and then dumped his plastic conquests in a nearby alley, local media reported Wednesday.

"It's totally bizarre. It's a real concern that someone like that is out on the street," said one of the owners of the adult sex shops in Cairns in northern Queensland state.

"He has been taking the dolls out the back and blowing them up and using the dolls and leaving them in the alley," the owner, who gave the name of Vogue, told the Cairns Post newspaper.

Police told the Cairns Post that scientific officers had taken DNA samples, fingerprints and pictures of the crime scene.

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Dean Yates)

A shout out to my LJ friends...

2009-01-06T08:37:00.001-08:00

Who may be making it over this way for the first time. *waves* Nice to see you! Take off your coat, have a seat and stick around for a while. It's usually quite cozy.

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #36 International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

2008-12-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

You can download the podcast HERE!

Today's podcast is a quickie.

It's a brief blurb about the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. I mention it's origins as a brain child of Dr. Annie Sprinkle that the Sex Workers Outreach Project ran with and turned into an international event.

I discuss my reasons for supporting this day, namely, the human right not to be hurt or killed while working just because someone does not approve of your line of work or thinks you aren't really human.

Please give it some thought and definitely give some thought to the many people who have been hurt or killed simply because they were (or were thought to be) sex workers.

Annie Sprinkle offers Ten Things You Can Do to Participate(from the SWOP Web site)

Absolutely EVERYONE is invited to participate. Here’s how.

1. Organize (or attend) a memorial in your town. Simply choose a place and time to gather. Invite people to bring their stories, writings, thoughts, related news items, poems, lists of victims, performances, and memories. Take turns sharing.

2. Hold (or attend) a candlelight vigil in a public place.

3. Do something at home alone, which has personal meaning, such as a ritual memorial bath, or light a candle.

4. Call a friend and discuss the topic.

5. Send a donation to a group that helps sex workers stay safer. For example, some teach self-defense or host web sites that caution workers about bad Johns.

6. Go to the Sex Worker Outreach Project’s, www.swop-usa.org, read it, and add something to the site. Do let others know about any planned Dec. 17 events by listing them on the SWOP web site.

7. Spread the word about the Day to End Violence Towards Sex Workers and the issues it raises; or blog, email, call, send a press release, or forward this text to others.

8. Go to Washington DC. This December 17, 2008 there will be a National March for Sex Worker Rights. People will converge from all over to take a stand for justice and safety. Info at www.swop-usa.org

9. Organize a panel discussion about violence towards sex workers. Procure a community space and invite speakers like sex workers, police, and families of victims.

10. Create your own way to participate.

Intro and Outro music is Melody Gardot-Wicked Ride

Wanna talk to me outside of the podcast?

Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMSexgeek

My Space: http://www.myspace.com/postmodernsexgeek

RSS Feed URL: http://marieb.libsyn.com/rss

And I HALPED!

2008-12-10T15:49:00.001-08:00

Leo mac.jpg
Originally uploaded by postmod_sexgeek

This is my cat, Leo attempting to help me scour the intarwebs for more fascinating sexgeek info.

Happy Human Rights Day from the Bush Administration

2008-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

Final Regulations Changes to H-2A Guestworker Program Are Out

The long anticipated regulation changes to slash wages and reduce worker protections under the H-2A agricultural guestworker program are out. The changes, proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were revealed on the DOL website late Monday evening but have not yet been officially published in the Federal Register.The changes are horrible. At a time when the jobless rate is at a 15 year high, they reduce obligations for growers to effectively recruit U.S. workers before applying to bring in guestworkers for these jobs. They lower the wage rates for all farmworkers by changing the program's wage formula and, in an industry known for labor abuses, they eliminate or reduce government oversight.

Isn't it lovely that the same year we elect our first African American President we also tell the people who harvest our food "Fuck you".* Found thanks to Nezua over at The Unapologetic Mexican.Technorati Tags: human rights, farmworkers, friends

Remember this day

2008-12-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers - Home

December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This event was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe. Originally thought of by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington. International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence. During the week of December 17th, sex worker rights organizations will be staging actions and vigils to raise awareness about violence that is commonly committed against sex workers. The assault, battery, rape and murder of sex workers must end. Existing laws prevent sex workers from reporting violence. The stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by the prohibitionist laws has made violence against us acceptable. Please join with sex workers around the world and stand against criminalization and violence committed against prostitutes.

Technorati Tags: sex workers, violence, women, human rights

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #345 Return of the Brain Dump!

2008-12-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

For direct download of the show CLICK HERE!

Today's show is even more randomness from yours truly. Today I discuss:

International Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Day without a Gay
Proposition 8 (personal disclosure)
Sexism on Obama's staff? And sorry folks I got the blog wrong on this one in the podcast, it was actually Shakespeare Sister not Feministing, although they did give me the link to the actual post.
Control of Women through threats of violation/violence (more personal disclosure)
One more example of society and the media trying to control women: Amanda Palmer's Belly is Too Fat???
The resulting Rebellyon takes off right here

And here is the infamous fat belly video, Leeds United. I don't know about you but I think Amanda looks pretty goddamned hot just as she is!

Wanna talk to me outside of this podcast?

Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMSexgeek
My Space: http://www.myspace.com/postmodernsexgeek
RSS Feed URL: http://marieb.libsyn.com/rss

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #34: Brain Dump!

2008-12-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Direct Download HERE!

Yes, I know it's been a while. For the sake of making sure you all don't forget about me, I am recording a nice, neurotic brain dump for your listening pleasure. Please don't hurt me! Well OK, you can hurt me but we have to negotiate the terms first. *wink*

The topics, in no particular order:

The Game, found thanks to Benchilada
Knock out boobs in Uganda
My Amazon Wishlist and their cool new Universal Wishlist Button
YAY FOR PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA!!!!!!!!
The Eye-Fi: a Wi-Fi SD Card for your camera!
Porn Hub: Because you can never have too much free pr0n
Find me on Flickr
Discussions about Polyamory and other non-traditional relationship configurations

Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMSexgeek
My Space: http://www.myspace.com/postmodernsexgeek
RSS Feed URL: http://marieb.libsyn.com/rss

Intro and Outro music is Disturbia by Rihanna

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #33: What happens when you Google "sex and politics"?

2008-10-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

Direct Download of the podcast: CLICK HERE!

So in an attempt to have some red meat for my podcast *nudge nudge* I googled "sex and politics" and here is what I found:

Sexy Politics: Learn more about the issues and see nearly nakie people!

Votergasm: Have sex for the cause!

I also rant about Sarah Palin, who has a very special place in hell waiting for her.

Wanna talk to me outside of the podcast?

Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PMSexgeek
My Space: http://www.myspace.com/postmodernsexgeek
RSS Feed URL: http://marieb.libsyn.com/rss

Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #32: 3rd in the 7in7 Challenge!

2008-10-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today's is a shorty! Sorry for missing a day, I've been feeling like death warmed over all week and finally started feeling human today. Yay!

Today I read a sexy, political flash fic piece done by erotica author and fellow podcaster and friend Nobilis.

Got comments? Suggestions? Complaints? Lemme hear them! postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com

Direct Download of the MP3: CLICK HERE!

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #31: 2nd Show in the 7 in 7 Challenge

2008-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 in the Sex and Politics themed 7 in 7 challenge via the Freak Network. Today I discuss:

More about the challenge

Sex related reasons to vote including this Palin related issue about rape victims paying for their rape kits

Corrections from yesterday's podcast regarding the case about sodomy in Texas and sextoys in Texas

ZOMG! The Debate!

VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!

*nudge nudge wink wink* at Nobilis about his political erotic short

Need to contact me? Send me lists??? postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com

Direct download of the podcast is here!

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #30: 7 in 7 Baby!

2008-10-01T23:08:00.001-07:00

Yes! It's another episode of the Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex! Crazy Girl that I am, I'm participating in Pizzababe's 7 in 7 podcast week which means I will be trying to get 7 podcasts out each day for the next week. We shall see how well that works!

New disclaimer: If you're not 18, you might want to go visit Scarleteen.com since this podcast can be a bit...adult. ;)

I mention that I am currently working on getting Crista to co-host a few podcasts with me. *nudge nudge* We shall see how that goes.

I mention the insanity that is currently the US economy. Check here, here and here for more info.

I mention the current fight over a draft of an proposed HHS rule that clinics, hospitals etc may not refuse to hire someone who believes that contraception is abortion and that that person may refuse to provide services if it is against their beliefs.

I also mention Jose B's newest podcast on Babalu Bistro: Desi Arnaz vs. Elvis

And the rest is a bit of babble. It's a shorty but then, one can only record one's own voice for so long without going a bit crazy!

Intro and outro music is Filthy Gorgeous by Scissor Sisters. Enjoy!

Direct Download HERE!!!!

Daily Kos: Educating the GOP: A Photo History of Community Organizers

2008-09-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

Daily Kos: Educating the GOP: A Photo History of Community Organizers

That these bastions of the GOP would denigrate the importance of community organizers on the same night their party nominates its first female vice presidential candidate shows an utter disrespect for the people of this country and a laughable ignorance of the power we wield. This is what community organizers do...

They change the world. Block by block, city by city, state by state, nation by nation...

So, GOP, meet community organizer Susan B. Anthony. She helped guarantee women's suffrage in the United States by giving public speeches and uniting with fellow advocates of change...

Meet community organizer Martin Luther King Jr. He helped end racial segregation and discrimination by inspiring a nation to come together and realize their dreams...

Meet community organizer Cesar Chavez. He helped farm workers secure labor rights and fair wages. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy called him "one of the heroic figures of our time." ...

And really, this helps point out the issue that the current GOP has with community organizers, they help the powerless, the poor, the dark skinned and disenfranchised stand up to the true elitists: the rich, straight, white men holding positions of power and that is an unforgivable gaffe. When you allow the people at the bottom to see the power they wield, understand what can happen when they unite and speak truth to power, they are no longer scared, they are no longer easily cowed and they are no longer easily controlled. They will hold you responsible for the crimes and injustices you have committed against them in your quest for ever more riches and power and you will be forced to answer to them. Perhaps that is why the GOP have trotted out this self loathing, well trained attack dog, AKA Sarah Palin. They're hoping all her barking will help keep people scared and easily swayed but as Obama said, there is something stirring in this country now and we, the people, will no longer be so easily led by the corrupt elitsts in power.

Texas Sexuality Education Law and Policy

2008-08-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

SIECUS - Texas State Profile

Texas does not require sexuality education. However, Texas Education Code states that if a school district does teach sexuality education, HIV/AIDS prevention, or sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention education, then it must:

present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior for unmarried persons of school age;
devote more attention to abstinence from sexual activity than to any other behavior;
emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity, if used consistently and correctly, is the only method that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, infection with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity;
direct adolescents to a standard of behavior in which abstinence from sexual activity before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS);
teach contraception and condom use in terms of human use reality rates instead of theoretical laboratory rates, if instruction on contraception and condoms is included in curriculum content;
not distribute condoms in connection with instruction relating to human sexuality; and
separate students according to sex for instructional purposes.

Sexuality education and STD/HIV-prevention education are also included in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Health Education, which are written by the Texas Education Agency.

Sounds all lovey dovey and Christian like doesn't it? And yet when you look at the real life stats about teens and sex behavior, it's a lot scarier and messier:

The Status of Adolescent Sexual Health
During the last year, a series of data concerning the sexual health of adolescents has filled newspapers, startling the public as statistics reveal a quarter of female adolescents have a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and for the first time in 15 years the teen birth rate is on the rise.
Also disturbing, the worst health outcomes are often segmented along racial, ethnic, and geographic lines, with minority communities and southern communities experiencing the highest rates of STDs and teenage birth. These communities, already made vulnerable by cultural and structural barriers, experience the worst sexual health outcomes.[2] By examining the major data released throughout the last year, this becomes more apparent.

This is why I am constantly bitching and moaning about this. We have spent millions of dollars on abstinence only funding and yet despite this, STDs/HIV prevalence and incidence are not improving and in fact are worse than we thought. And while I know some people might be tired of the whole "race issue" (because of course it isn't really an issue XD) I can't help but believe that a huge part of the problem is that people perceive that this is all a problem faced by poor, young, black/brown people and hence those in charge of funding decisions don't really give a damn. After all, if only we "hot blooded" types would learn to curb our sexuality like all those nice, Christian, white people do-*cough*Larry Craig Eliot Spitzer*cough*- then we wouldn't have these issues! *sigh* The major problem with all of this is tha tit has to do with sex and especially with the sexuality of young people and nothing freaks out Americans more than that combination of topics. As a whole, we are incapable of discussing and confronting issues related to sex without making all kinds of moral/religious/highly subjective judgments regarding "other people" and their sex lives. It is almost impossible to get implement sound, sane sensible health policy as a result and that means more STDs, more HIV, more teen pregnancies and all the ensuing complications which in the end, hit the most vulnerable among us the hardest: young people, poor people, people of color.

Wow, a voice of reason in the wilderness of sordid reporting

2008-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

I had an exchange with someone on my Friends list about this recently. I agree with the author of this piece but my friend seemed to feel that a person's infidelity was relevant to their campaign. I continue to strongly disagree with that and I would be more than happy to see the media keep out of politicians' sex lives. Aside from it being none of our business or irrelevant, it's just not something I want to know. Seriously folks, who else felt they needed to bleach their brain after the details of Monica and Bill's escapades were released?

It’s high time to leave the sex out of politics

Basing your vote on a candidate’s sex life is a dicey proposition in any election. Not only because it’s hard to have knowledge about such things, but more important because it doesn’t seem to be a good indicator of a person’s performance as a public official. Many people voted for Bush in 2000 because of his pledge to "restore honor and dignity to the White House" after Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. So far, the Bush administration has been a grand success in this regard. Not even one hint of sexual indiscretion. Of course, the war in Iraq has lasted longer than World War II, we have the largest trade-deficit of all time, a budget surplus that was turned into the largest budget deficit of all time, a devalued currency, high unemployment, a housing and financial market meltdown and subsequent bailout, stagnant wages and record gas prices. You might lose your house, but at least you can be comforted in knowing that the prez is not fooling around with the interns.

Technorati Tags: politics, sex, scandal, ew

Violence against women: It's all in your head

2008-08-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

No really. It is. We women are well known for making up such stuff and becoming drama/attention whores about it all.

Everyone knows it's all made up and that in reality we have nothing to fear. Right?

/sarcasm

I am constantly amazed how frequently people meet legitimate concerns women have for their well being with "OMG you're such a drama whore shut up!" as if somehow the numbers of rape, stalking, harassment and domestic violence are all made up. Even worse are the men who laugh at us for being such silly girls and then drag out the usual bullshit about how "men get raped too and you don't see me worrying about it so much!"

Uh huh. With the exception of prison, the numbers of male rape do not begin to compare with female rape victims. Add to that the fact that from the time we are old enough to understand danger, we women are taught that we are prey and that we must be careful lest something we do/wear/say causes some vicious animal of a man to attack us. A rather effective means of control, dontcha think?

This new attitude of "it's all in your head" is a new take on the whole issue. If we get assaulted, then it's our fault. If we express concern about assault, then we're being attention whores. It's a no win situation and the next person who tells me that having a forum of men saying that you should be raped and discussing how they have been keeping tabs on your whereabouts is no cause for worry shall be summarily kicked in the gonads.

Seriously folks, this is not rocket science. Stop being so goddamned disingenuous.

Late Night Food Therapy

2008-08-08T00:34:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Gazpacho de Andalucia

gazpacho…a light tomato soup made simply with tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar and garlic.

When it comes to late night/early morning food therapy, nothing beats Gazpacho de Andalucia. Here in Texas, it's tomato season so y'all need to try this recipe because OMG. It is DIVINE! Even at 2 AM when you are drunk on vodka and sleeping pills this stuff is like a bolt of lightning on the road to Damascus. And even better? It is so simple as to be ludicrous.

Trust me, it is so worth it. The utter fail of my day has been reversed by the luscious, tart, garlicky goodness that is this recipe.

Technorati Tags: recipes, tomatoes, gazpacho, food therapy

HIV PRevention Strategies: Pay attention to science

2008-08-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

AIDS 2008 | Governments Overlook Behavior Change in HIV Strategies, Experts Say at AIDS Conference - Kaisernetwork.org

Jorge Saavedra, director of Mexico's HIV/AIDS program, said political leaders worldwide need to follow epidemiological and scientific evidence when planning HIV strategies

Imagine that. We should listen to the facts and the evidence in order to do prevention and not ideology and religion. What a novel concept.

Technorati Tags: hiv, aids, prevention

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #29: I'm BAAAACK!!!!

2008-08-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

That's right sexgeeks! I'm back. Today's podcast is a random hodge podge of things and is basically just me coming back and saying hello and letting you know what's up in my world. Some of the things I discuss are:

Why I've been gone so long and some changes I am planning to make

The Presidential campaign (OBAMA 2008!)

Paris Hilton Spanking McCain

HIV Incidence is worse than the CDC thought

2008 Olympics

Men pretending to be women in the Olympics? (I saw this first in VB's blog)

Where to find me: My Blog, Twitter , email postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com

Intro and Outro music is Temple of Love by Enigma

~*~*~*To download the podcast directly, click HERE~*~*~*

Men aren't from Mars?

2008-08-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Turn-ons, turn-offs, desire varies widely among men

Among the revelations from their focus groups in which men talked about what influenced their sexual desire and arousal: one man's turn-on is often another's turn-off; an erection doesn't always signal arousal; and not every guy wants to jump into bed at the drop of a hat.

OMG! You mean men aren't the Borg? They actually, like, you know, have individual preferences and stuff? What a novel concept...

Really, if you are someone who has sex/falls in love with men, I'd say this is hardly news despite all the (often sexist) jokes we may make to the contrary. And thank god for variety because that means there really is someone for everyone.

What I really loved was this:

And for many men, a self-confident partner was also more desirable than one who didn't feel good about herself. In addition to a nice body and a pretty face, many men found intelligence "really attractive" and "a big turn on."

Imagine that, a woman with confidence is sexy. Go figure. Now I've been as guilty as the next woman of having poor body image and feeling really ugly/fat/too old/etc. but even on those days, I know that this is a truth. Yes, guys (and girls) really do make passes at sexgeeks who wear glasses.

What I do think is interesting is that studies like this are done so rarely. I think our society does men a disservice by trying to paint them all with a broad brush when it comes to discussing men's sexuality. And this study was only done with predominantly white men who were all straight. Can you imagine the richness of variety they would find if they were studying men of all ethnicities and orientations?

Technorati Tags: men, sexuality, kinsey, arousal, turn-ons

U.S. Study Says H.I.V. Infection Is 40% Higher Than Estimated

2008-08-02T14:32:00.001-07:00

U.S. Study Says H.I.V. Infection Is 40% Higher Than Estimated - NYTimes.com

MEXICO CITY — The United States has significantly underreported the number of new H.I.V. infections occurring nationally each year, with a study released here on Saturday showing that the annual infection rate is 40 percent higher than previously estimated.

And yet the president has asked for a cut in HIV prevention funding for the US. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

And a point of clarification: This isn't info from a study. It's information from a new form of HIV surveillance that is now a permanent part of our stat gathering here in the US.

Technorati Tags: hiv, aids, incidence, US

U.S. Blacks

2008-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

U.S. Blacks, if a Nation, Would Rank High on AIDS

If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with the AIDS virus...

You know, it amazes me that in a country like ours, the epidemic can have such a stranglehold on an entire community, although I suppose it shouldn't. We are after all the same country that spends millions of dollars on abstinence only education that has been proven NOT to work, we can barely bring ourselves to discuss the gender inequities that exist in every community that lead to the victimization and exploitation of women, we will not confront homophobia, despite the fact that it helps fuel the epidemic, poverty is solely a matter of personal responsibility and the rest of us have no need to think about it and we still have blind spots when it comes to the widespread and systemic racism that exists today.

The prevalence of HIV infection in several communities is affected by and affects all of the above and you cannot separate one from the other. The solutions are never simple, as we would like them to be. They instead require every one of us to not only look deeply into ourselves for how we contribute to these problems but it also requires us to call others out when they evidence thoughts or actions that contribute to the problem and that, dear readers, is fucking difficult! I have no easy answers for you on how to go about this. All I can say is that we need to take action ASAP or before you know it, it will indeed be knocking on your door, if it hasn't already.

Technorati Tags: HIV, AIDS, racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, african americans, US

Because people in airport restrooms can come and go!

2008-07-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

Here is a funny segment form the Daily Show about Congress' hearings on the Don't Ask Don't tell policy. It's quite amusing and yet also depressing. How is it possible that educated people can be so dumb????

Technorati Tags: gay, military, don't ask don't tell

And now they are so far up your uterus that they can see your tonsils

2008-07-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

Cristina Page: HHS Moves to Define Contraception as Abortion

any woman could be denied contraception under HHS' new science

Yes. Re-read that and commit it to memory. This is Bush's big "FUCK YOU" to women in the US on behalf of the fundies. I especially hope that some of the eejits out there threatening to vote for McCain because Hillary lost read this because this is the sort of bullshit science and misogyny that will be nurtured under McCain. As far as I am concerned, any Democrat who votes for McCain out of spite deserves to hung by their genitalia while we are all allowed to point and laugh. How dare you? How dare you bargain with my body just because your person didn't win the primaries??? Fuck you and your stupid sense of entitlement. Don't dare talk to me about the unfairness of it all. How your voices weren't heard and that is why you're voting for McCain. You might as well require to wear a chador and forbid me to drive or go to school for all the good you're doing my gender. You women supporting this PAC especially need to be held accountable because you are betraying all the things you claim to stand for by supporting that Bush wannabe.

Christ have mercy but I want to punch someone right now.

*wipes up blood coming out of eyes*

I know I am probably preaching to the choir here but...

2008-07-16T08:12:00.001-07:00

Of all the industrialized countries in the world, the U.S. has, by far, the highest instance of teenage pregnancies with a rate that more than doubles the nearest competitors.

Teen Pregnancy: Why the U.S. Lags Behind Europe

Imagine that. Complete and honest communication about sexuality and access to prevention methods helps reduce teen pregnancies and abortions. Who'da thunk it? Now granted, I know that all is not perfect and shiny in those other countries mentioned but the numbers show that they have managed to do a better job of controlling unplanned pregnancies in teenagers and THAT is definitely something. What I especially loved is the assertion that they do not allow religious agendas to make public health policy, an utterly stupid thing to do anyway. And yet, we as Americans tend so see any information coming from other countries as suspect and tend to scoff at it as being elitist and not applicable to us because we are all very special little snowflakes indeed.

*sighs*

Perhaps someday we will finally acknowledge that humans are-well-human and that fucking around is simply one of the things we do and needs to be treated as simply another, ordinary aspect of being human.

Well it's about fucking time someone admitted it!

2008-05-15T11:16:00.001-07:00

State Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry

The question is, will the people of California insist on being frightened, reactionary bigots who cannot conceive of two people of the same gender wanting to be married?

Technorati Tags: same sex marriage, marriage

Yes, there is a difference!

2008-05-12T15:47:00.001-07:00

Sex Work vs. Trafficking: Understanding the Difference | AlterNet

An interesting article that popped up in my email today and one that I think EVERYONE needs to read. By equating sex work and workers with those who have been forced or tricked into coming here for the purposes of prostitution and/or other labor, we are undervaluing the experiences of those being exploited as well as patronizing those who have chosen sex work as a means of making a living.

Yes, Virginia, some people in sex work DO choose to be there. They are not all sad, lost little girls who need to be shown the error of their ways by their great, white, straight, Christian saviors.

Technorati Tags: sex work, sex workers, trafficking

All About "That Guy"

2008-04-28T10:34:00.001-07:00

This is so utterly right on that I cannot even add to it so just fucking read it.

Sometimes it is not about you. If you have ever received a LiveJournal response anywhere along the lines of "your life, so hard", or "let me tell you, internet, it is tough being a white man", or "get off the cross, we need the wood", this is a sign that you have been That Guy.

Does this make you angry? Does it make you feel upset? Do you feel like your right to speak, like your right to be heard, has been silenced?

That's the space many women live in all the time. And we can't put it down and go back to a place where that silencing doesn't exist the way you can. Because for us, the conversation you just took over was that space, and we are sick and tired of repeating this fact over and over and over again.

Don't be That Guy.

synecdochic: Don't Be That Guy.

Technorati Tags: male privilege

For the girl who has everything

2008-03-27T09:17:00.001-07:00

Or even the boy, I suppose, if he likes pink....

Just In Case Pink Stylish Condom Holder

I looked this up because I just have a conversation with a client about the best way to keep and carry condoms with you so that you are always prepared. There are quite a few nifty options out there, many of which I'd be more than happy to keep in my own purse. Finally, condoms have become fab! Now if I could just get more people to actually use them!

Technorati Tags: condoms, safer sex, condom holders, job

Mmmmmm....Geeks

2008-03-24T21:45:00.001-07:00

Again Regina Lynn gets it right.

The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers

And any geek who can turn Twitter into an interactive sextoy is high on my list of To Do's!

2008-03-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

I found this on in my email today thanks to the sex workers advocacy email list and thought it was by far one of the better musings on the Spitzer situation.

Up to now it has all been hand wringing and condemnation but, being the sexgeek that I am, I am more interested in the whys and wherefores of why powerful people take such chances with their career and life. After all, men in positions of power have always had access to willing (and occasionally unwilling) women and men for sexual purposes. Why do they need to pay for it? What is that all about? According to the writer, who is also a therapist, they do it because when you pay for it, there is no need to worry about "her" satisfaction because you've already taken care of her therefore, it's ALL about you. Now even though I realize how that may sound, I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand. As someone in a position where I often feel responsible for other people, regardless of whether that's true or not, the idea of being able to have someone else focus on me without my having to expend any emotional energy whatsoever is highly seductive. Now granted, for me that means a professional massage as opposed to sex but the concept is the same. I pay the RMT his/her fee and I can lay back and relax and not worry about trying to engage them in conversation or whether I am being compassionate enough or if I am listening actively enough. It's a nice break from the usual dynamic I have with human beings on an everyday basis.

I can also agree with the writer in that this particular way of seeing the world tends to interfere with one's personal relationships. When you often see interpersonal relationships as one more responsibility, one more life for you to be responsible for, is it any wonder that you might shy away from them? Even the ones you already have?

Yeah, fucked up, I know, but it is what it is. At the very least I acknowledge this and it helps me to stop my "stinking thinking", as they call it in the world of rehab, and start to acknowledge that yeah, most of my loved ones are capable of taking care of themselves. Gee what a thought. :)

At any rate, the article gave a different look at what happened and it was thought provoking, to me. Give it a read and tell me what you think.

2008-03-11T03:13:00.000-07:00

Hello

A Quick Note from your Postmodern Sexgeek

2007-11-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hey all you sexgeeks! This is just a quick note to say "Hi!" and direct you over to Pizzababe.com to hear me in my first ever co-host spot with the Pizzababe herself! Have fun and XOXO!

Direct Download

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #28: Happy Halloween from The Postmodern Sexgeek

2007-10-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

In today's quickie show I give you a few fun sites for the season and wish you all the morbid best.

Marie B.'s fun sites are:

Zombie Pinups: http://www.zombiepinups.com/

The Devil's Tramping Ground: http://darkartsmedia.com/DevilsTrampingGround.com.html

The zombie Survival Test: http://www.nerdtests.com/mq/take.php?id=6516

The Zombie Survival and Defense Wiki: http://www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com/?t=anon

The Zombie Survical Guide by Max Brooks: http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/zombiesurvivalguide/

Have fun tonight, be safe and don't eat too much candy.

Click HERE to download the MP3

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The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #27: Bush is an idiot and VB Rocks

2007-10-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry about this being late folks. Due to circumstances beyond our control blah blah blah...

On today's show I discuss:

The brilliance of Bush appointing an anti-contraception lackey to the position that manages the funds for the nation's family planning programs

To protest this appointment go here.

Talk about the lovely Violet Blue's new DRM free audio book How to Kiss

Today's music is Terror by My Ruin

Click HERE to download the MP3

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My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

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Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #26: Of Human Bondage

2007-10-18T00:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I'ts another episode of the Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex! OMG! Don't faint.

In today's show I discuss:

The only new and exciting thing going on in my life right now: puppies

Many thanks to Ash B., my new producer and taskmaster who is kicking my ass and making me produce

An inter view with Laura Agustin who wrote Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labor Market and the Rescue Industry. (Inter view done by Susie Bright and posted on Alternet).

Sex workers who are planning a brothel in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics

Yes yes, I'm on my soapbox again but damn! Sometimes I just can't help it!

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My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

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The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #25: Medical sex and ENDA?

2007-10-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long wait!

First off, a huge THANK YOU to my new show producer, Ash B. who I found on SL. This is now a podcast by a woman, produced by a woman. That's a whole lotta estrogen, baybee!

The first topic I discuss is the trend towards the Medicalization of Sex i.e. everything is a disease and needs a drug rather than better communication and more sexual imagination. Go to this website and this article for a more reading on the subject.

The next topic I discuss is ENDA: The Employment Non Discrimination Act.
In order to get it passed through congress, proponents have decided that removing protection for trans gendered folks is necessary. WTF?

No music today but if i find good stuff, I will be bringing it to ya on my show.

Love you all!

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Click HERE to download the MP3

Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #24: Give it to me Rough Baby

2007-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

In today's show I discuss:

What do women really want when it comes to sex? Hearts and Flowers? Down and dirty? All of the above?

And of course, once again, communication is muy importante when it comes to sex

Automatic tooth brush or vibrator waiting to happen?

Proctor & Gamble says : "WE ARE NOT SEX OBJECTS!"

Mom went in for a biopsy on a lump in her breast, which fortunately turned out to be benign!

A sexgeek PSA about the importance of cancer screening. For more info please visit the American Cancer Society website.

Music in today's cast is:

Pretty When You Cry by Vast

Drive by Melissa Ferrick

Download the MP3 Directly by clicking here

Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #23: Morning Coffee with your Postmodern Sexgeek

2007-05-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

In today's show I discuss:

Work: Yay we got funded so I won't be losing my job! And yes, I am one of the people who helped write the grant requesting funding. All UR HIV FUNDS R BELONG TO ME!!!

Coffee is my fuel! Without it I would be a a Romero Zombie unless I've used my asthma inhaler in which case I'm a 28 Days Later zombie.

An article I found via mySage Feed about how Women's rights are the key to the AIDS Crisis in Africa

Mention some HIV Stats for the US from the Kaiser Family Foundation

And mention the CDC's updated recommendations on HIV Testing

On a much lighter note...

I tell you that May is National Masturbation month!!!

So engage in the safest sex there is (sex with yourself) and cum for a good cause.

And to help you along with that project, I read another of my own erotica shorts : Rough Trade

Intro and Outro music is Ici La Femme XXX Mix by Louise Vertigo from Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka: Porn Music for the Masses Volume 1 on on Archive.org.

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Click HERE to download the MP3

I am an idiot

2007-05-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

No really, I am. A huge, horrible event occurred in LA this weekend and I was blissfully unaware of the entire thing.

Demonstrators for immigrants rights were at a rally in Macarthur park when the LA police went in and began firing rubber bullets and tear gas into crowds of men, women and children, knocking down people left and right and attacking news reporters.

What is this country coming to? Is this what our country's idea of immigration reform is? Beat up those who speak up and demonstrate for the rights of the people? Of the worker?

I don't know how I never heard of this and I don't remember seeing it on the blogs of any of my friends but do me a favor and pass it on. We all need to see this and recognize that something is very wrong in this country.

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #22: I Can too Spell Podcast

2007-05-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

So after a 12 hour day, Marie B decided to decompress by recording a podcast. Her topics this time around are, in no particular order...

Pizzababe and Bob calling her out for not doing a podcast

Work related stress

Job searches

NYT article about AIDS treatment medications

Kaiser Family Foundation and Global AIDS Epidemic

Nobilis' podcast

Lousy Time Management

Too many books, so little time

Why she loves her job (Pardon the tears)

Her SL business: The PMG Cafe

Her most embarrassing sex moment

And various other random ramblings. Please enjoy.

To download the MP3 directly, click here

It's all about teh pr0n!

2007-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

According to The Nation, the firings of those 8 US Attorneys may have been because they thought that prosecuting child pornographers was more important than prosecuting legal porn. The following excerpts were in the blog Dispatches from the Culture Wars.

Ward's endless stream of mandates, the source revealed, were a source of frustration to many US Attorneys. "There were countless child obscenity cases crying out to be prosecuted," the source told me, "but [Brent] Ward wanted to focus on cases involving consenting adults. That's just not a good way of dedicating resources. When you have so many children being harmed, why not allocate your resources towards that?"

Ward's heedless prosecutions of legally available pornography reflected more than his ideology; they also defined his power within the Justice Department. Once Bush began his second term in the White House, Gonzales declared the prosecution of pornography portraying sex acts between consenting adults "one of the top priorities" of his department. He signed off on an FBI headquarters memo that recruited agents for an anti-porn task force. That memo stated that prosecutions would focus particularly on material depicting "bestiality, urination, defecation, as well as sadistic and masochistic behavior." These acts, according to the memo, were most likely to offend local juries.

Christian right organizations, from the Family Research Council to Concerned Women for America, lavished praise on Gonzales's anti-porn initiative. "We will watch closely, though with a growing sense of confidence in our new Attorney General, to see who is appointed to direct the effort," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.

When Gonzales met with Phil Burress, a self-described former porn addict who directs the anti-pornography group, Citizens for Community Values, Burress praised Ward for an aggressive and single-minded attack on sexually explicit material over nearly three decades, which had earned him the adulation of the Christian right. "He's one of my heroes," Burress said in describing Ward to the Salt Lake Tribune . As Utah's US Attorney during the 1980s, Ward prosecuted phone sex operators, shut down Utah's last two porn theaters by nailing their owner on tax charges, and tried unsuccessfully to force nude art-class models to wear bikinis. When Gonzales tapped Ward as his top porn cop in 2006, the Christian right's confidence soared.

To support Ward's task force, Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller diverted ten FBI agents, four prosecutors and a postal inspector. Ward soon secured his biggest score, the successful prosecution of the Girls Gone Wild series producer Joseph Francis for knowingly including footage of two young women without receiving legible documentation, on paper, of their ages. Francis's company, Mantra Films, Inc., was slapped with a $500,000 fine--a drop in the bucket for an operation that rakes in at least $40 million a year.

Many veterans of the FBI consider Ward's efforts a burden on their ability to fulfill serious departmental priorities. "I guess this means we've won the war on terror," an anonymous FBI agent sarcastically remarked to the Washington Post about agents diverted to Ward's task force. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

Though his anti-porn crusades rankled the FBI agents and US Attorneys compelled to participate in them, Ward produced an unintended benefit for the White House when it needed to fire politically "chafing" federal prosecutors. Ward's complaint against Charlton, filed by Sampson for use at a later date, was unsheathed by Rove and Gonzales to smear a competent professional prosecutor--and a Republican--for political purposes.

The revelation of Ward's participation in the dismissals arrived as the Christian right clamored that more resources be funneled to him. "Give him some gas and he'll win the war," Burress told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I wish the Department of Justice was full of Brent Wards." The prosecutor purge may have backfired, but Burress and his allies can take heart that the Bush White House is devoted to their culture war, even at the expense of its "war on terror."

My thanks to Violet Blue (not the Porn Star) who blogged it first.

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #21: Erotica

2007-03-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hello boys and girls! It's another episode of the PMGGTS! Today's show is about erotica.

The sites I mention are:

Erotica Readers and Writers Association

Black Lace Books site

Extasy Books

I also mention Nobilis' erotica podcast which can be found at http://nobilis.libsyn.com

And as a treat I read Alison Tyler's short Story "Edit Me".

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Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #20: Not Safe For Prudes

2007-03-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Finally a PMGGTS! ON today's show I bring you:

Fall Out Boy with Where is your boy?

My interview with Toronto Radio Show Sex City Radio

NSFW: Censorship? Or courtesy?

Sex News!
Female gamers get plenty of sex!

Rachel Kann with Fight me, a hybrid song/spoken word/poetry creation. Hot hot hot!

And finally...
Susie’s tomato sauce recipe and Nigella’s chocohotpots because food and sex are normal parts of being human.

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A brief note

2007-03-14T18:31:00.001-07:00

Hello boys and girls! Just dropping a quick note to you, my listeners, to make sure that you all don't forget about me.

Voicemail: 206-339-3297
Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
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My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

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Please???? With sugar on top?????

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PMGGTS#19: Introspection

2007-01-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

Apologies for how long it took me to get this out! Life kinda got in the way...

Today I talk about:

Inspiration and the swift kick in my ass that I needed that was delivered courtesy of Sami Blackmire.

My thoughts on being in the Pink Ghetto, as described by Melissa Gira on Sexerati.

My new SL Business, the PMG Cafe, has it's grand opening tomorrow.
Pizzababe Goes Global Orgasm Day! Call her and leave her a naughty, inspirational message.

Today's music provided by:

Come Here Boy by Imogen Heap

Good Morning Bubblegum by The Harvey Girls

Voicemail: 206-339-3297
Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Blog addy: postmodernsexgeek.blogspot.com or marieb.libsyn.com
My RSS URL is marieb.libsyn.com/rss

My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

Go vote for me at Podcast Alley!
Please???? With sugar on top?????

Click HERE to download the MP3

Have you had your orgasm today?

2006-12-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, dear listeners! It's Global Orgasm Day!

So get your groove on and send some positive orgasmic energy out into the universe.

And yes, I've already started doing my part. ;)

The Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #18

2006-12-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

In today's show I talk about...

Microbicides for HIV Prevention

The state of HIV/AIDS in the US and abroad with info from the Kaiser Family Foundation (The documents I got my stats from are here and here)

The importance of HIV Testing

Listener Comments are go!

I pimp out the book I just read: On the Banks of Lethe by James L. Grant of Two Lumps and Flem Comics

I discuss International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers (December 17th)
I also mention the most recent cases of violence in Britain and Atlantic City

I also read the conclusion the the erotic story I began in the last cast...Enjoy!

Music in today's show was:

Beyond the Realms of Reason By Belladonna

I Don't Believe in Love by Alicia Marie

Love Me Leave Me by BitStream Dream

All found on the Podsafe Music Network

And don't forget....
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Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
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My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

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Click HERE to download the MP3

The PostModern Geek's Guide to Sex Show #17

2006-12-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today's show is another postmodern sexgeek quickie! Today I talk about:

Audacia Ray's new porn movie The Bi Apple and the nice preview that is found here
Britney Spears Upskirt Shot
Consumating.com silliness! Here's my profile page.
And then there's the My Space page

And then...a little surprise... A Postmodern Sexgeek erotica reading

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Voicemail: 206-339-3297
Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Blog addy: postmodernsexgeek.blogspot.com or marieb.libsyn.com
My RSS URL is marieb.libsyn.com/rss
My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

Go vote for me at Podcast Alley!
Please???? With sugar on top?????

For direct download of the MP3 click here.

Postmodern Geek's Guide to Sex #16: Say Hola to my Hole-A

2006-11-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tune in to today's cast to hear Marie B say things like "I could sit on a cake!" while Crista offers such gems as "Still love gay porn and still love pussy."

Today's cast is a protest against Anti-Porn week!

Crista and I discuss our issues with current arguments against porn, claims that porn causes destruction of marriages and communities and the societal problems that are the true causes of the victimization of women.

Some of the sites and people we mention here are:

Sex Workers' Outreach Program

St James Infirmary

Audacia Ray

Melissa Gira

We also give you a list of some fun porn sites but first we recommend you read Safer Porn Surfing by the lovely Violet Blue. We then confess to being Violet fansluts and offer our willing bodies to her for her amusement!

The sites we mention are:

Cuke porn video on Fleshbot.com
Cindy Margolis naked at last!
Sapphic Erotica
The Hun
Veg Porn
Furry Girl
Crista's first pictorial site: That Bird's Nest
No Fauxxx
Erotica Reader and Writer's association
Erotiterrorist

In sex news: Say Yes to Breasts!

In sex toys we have the Laya Spot!

In the category of gratuitous pimping of friends' sites we mention Two Lumps and Flem Comics, the brain children of Mel Hynes and James Grant.

<FEEDBACK FEEDBACK FEEDBACK!

Voicemail: 206-339-3297
Email: postmodern.sexgeek@gmail.com
Blog addy: postmodernsexgeek.blogspot.com or marieb.libsyn.com
My RSS URL is marieb.libsyn.com/rss
My Freak Network Forum: Sexgeek Salad

Go vote for me at Podcast Alley!
Please???? With sugar on top?????

To download the podcast directly, click here.