File this one under amazing breaks ...

Raincoater porn sensation Sasha Grey has landed the starring role in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming (low budget) movie, The Girlfriend Experience.  The movie is slated to be released in 2009 and there's a rumour that George Clooney might appear in the film.  The script for The Girlfriend Experience was written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien who penned Oceans 13 and "follows the life of a high-price call girl."

In case you don't know, "The Girlfriend Experience" is a term frequently used by escorts when advertising on sites such as Craigslist to offer a more personal sexual encounter.  In other words, the "provider" might kiss, cuddle and simulate intimacy with the "client" much like a real girlfriend.  Traditionally many escorts would avoid engaging in these activities. 

Although the role isn't much of a stretch for Sasha (or any porn star), if she handles it well, this opportunity could easily set her on an entirely different path in life.  Sasha Grey may now became the first ever adult starlet to break into the mainstream movie business as an actress.  Previously, porn stars have generally been limited to very small bit roles (Kobe Tai as a stripper in Very Bad Things) or cameos as themselves in reality roles (Seymore Butts in Family Business).  Tracy Lords came close, but her post porn Hollywood career has mostly been limited to "C" or even "D" movies that no one ever heard of and probably went "straight to DVD" (or late night on Cinemax). 

Soderbergh is the director responsible for Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Ocean's Eleven so this is indeed the big time. I'm not too surprised however he would go in this direction, given the sleazy topic his of early breakthrough movie Sex, Lies and Videotape.  It's obvious that many Hollywood figures have a secret fascination for porn.  If you watch mainstream movies closely, porn references and influences crop up all the time.  I believe casting decisions like this allow Hollywood types to dip their toes into the seedy world of porn in a way that appears "legitimate."  I imagine if many Hollywood directors could do it without suffering commercial backlash, they would be interested in shooting erotica or even hardcore porn. 

Here's some links for more information about the project:

From Fuck Star to Movie Star (Dlisted article)
Steven Soderbergh Looks to Porn Star Sasha Grey for The Girlfriend Experience (MTV Movies Blog)


If you are interested in checking out Sasha Grey's naughty resume, here's a list of her movies currently available on Adult Video Universe. Raincoaters, don't miss "classics" like A2M #10, Cumfart Cocktails #05, and RLD's Gang Bang #05.  If you like your porn somewhat more on the mild side, or want to watch something with a actual script, watch Sasha in the big budget adventure, Pirates 2: Stagnetti's Revenge.  Believe it or not, it's a four disc set!  With a alleged budget of "10 times the original" it apparently far exceeded the cost of Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience.

[Sativa Rose, April 2005, Chatsworth CA]

I published a new Podcast interview with LPH favorite Sativa Rose yesterday afternoon.  This interview was recorded in April of 2005 on the set after Sativa was finished with her scene.  At the time, Sativa had been in the adult industry a little over a year and filmed 100 scenes.

The interview runs for about forty minutes and can be listened to as streaming audio or a direct mp3 download. If you want to download the file, it is 19 MB and encoded at 64k.

In case you are not familiar with "Podcasts", the name is somewhat of a misnomer and you do not need an iPod to hear the broadcast.  You can listen with any software that plays mp3 files, on a portable mp3 player or even burn it to a CD!  I’ve also updated the blog to include a media player on the page.  This is handy if you wish to listen to the podcast from a public place such as the library.

As always, your comments, suggestions and even constructive criticism is welcome!  Enjoy!

---

The 2nd Annual APH Awards are in full swing now on my forum.  Voting has begun in several major categories and nominations are still being accept for several others.  Stop by and support your favorite Asian adult starlets! 

Also, I want to mention that these awards may mean a lot to the starlets who receive them. There's a very good chance it may be the only award they ever receive for their porn career. In case you haven't noticed, Asian girls don't exactly do well at the AVN Award Show and most of the other "big" award shows out there (unless your name is Tera Patrick or Katsuni).

Everyone likes to receive some recognition for their work and many starlets do try very hard to be professional and give their best every time they shoot a scene. I get so tired of seeing porn stars constantly denigrated on other websites.  In contrast, the APH Awards are an excellent opportunity to give APHs some positive feedback and show them their hard work is appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

By the way, I still badly need a cool APH logo.  Are there any graphics designers out there sympathic to the cause who might be willing to do one in exchange for promotion on my site?

-- Snowman

OK OK ...  by popular demand, here is my AI recap!  This week the contestants had to sing a song from the year they were born.

I didn't have time to do a full analysis, but I agree David Cook was by far the best last night.  I really enjoyed his take on "Billie Jean".  It sort of revealed how dark the song is.  Michael Jackson's (wonderful) dance arrangement really hid the serious subject matter.  10/10

[This is kinda making me feel OLD.  I was a senior in high school when Billie Jean was a hit.] 

Mouth breather Boy David A. was horrendous last night.  His limitations are really starting to show.  I think few still consider him the odds on favorite to win.  It was a serious mistake to sing a mostly unknown tune. 02/10 

I think Ramiele is safe because she's likeable, but her performance was not so hot.  She was alleged to be sick, but I dunnooooo.  She needs to step up her game.  04/10 

Jason Castro has proven he's just a wannabe hippy lightweight.  He's in danger of going home.  If not tonight, he'll go soon.  03/10 

Irish girl Carly was just OK.  I think "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a hard song to sing and it's one of those songs where the original singer's raspy voice will always be stuck in our mind.  I have to agree with Randy that her ending sucked big time!  06/10 

The judges way over-hyped Michael Johns this week.  The more I listen to Michael's voice, the less impressed I am.  He has a limited range where he sounds good.  Once he tries to push it, ugh.  He actually seems to be modeling himself after Paul Rogers (who is a much better singer).  04/10 

As a final word, anyone who sings "God Bless the USA" deserves to be voted off.  That song has always been the biggest cheese ball in my opinion.  I couldn't believe Simon praised Lee Greenwood as a fine songwriter with a straight face.  Earlier today Simon was quoted as saying "I thought that was very smart."  What kind of drugs is he on?  Since when does Simon like country music anyway?  Bye Bye Kristy Lee Cook!  03/10

-- Snowman  

P.S.  -- I didn't get to see a few of the performances yet including Chikeze, who is one of my favorites this season.  Grrrrrrrrr.

Here's my AI recap for last night!

1.  Syesha Mercado -- "Got To Get You Into My Life"

Syesha sang the Earth, Wind & Fire arrangement of "Got To Get You Into My Life" from the 70's Sgt. Pepper's movie mess featuring the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton.  Perhaps this is not the best place to draw inspiration from.  Fortunately for Syesha, EW&F's contribution was one of the few decent tracks on the project.  All in all, this was Syesha's most enjoyable performance to date.  In the beginning she seemed a bit hesitant, but was rocking the house by the end.  Syesha's appearance was also more attractive this week.  Great new hairstyle!  Good improvement.  7/10

2.  Chikezie -- "She's A Woman"

In his intro segment, Chikezie described his adventures as a airport security screener.  That job ranks right up there with IRS auditor and dentist as popular people with the public.  I can't imagine that will win over many AI fans.  At least he apologized for contributing to the hassle air travel has become.  As far as his performance, Chikezie's was by far, one of the best of the night.  His version of "She's A Woman" was utterly unique, starting off as a acoustic, southern flavor jam and smoothly transitioning into a electrified retro rocker.  I had a feeling this guy had potential and it's starting to show!  He also has a good attitude which ought to count for something.  10/10

3.  Ramiele Malubay -- "In My Life"

In her interview Ramiele revealed she works in a sushi shop doing side work and smells like soy sauce by the end of the shift - ew.  Ramiele sang a very pretty, tasteful and restrained version of "In My Life".  Her vocals were fine.  I thought it was great, but predicable the judges universally thought it was boring.  You know you're in trouble when Paula comments positively on your looks first!  I got the feeling the AI judges were trying to sandbag her.  Hopefully AI voters will have a mind of their own.  08/10

4.  Jason Castro -- "If I Fell In Love With You"

Jason attends Texas A&M.  He tells us that he recently declared himself a music minor, but it was the only class he failed.  Not good.  Bizarre dreadlocks aside, this guy is cut from the same mold as soft, sensitive rockers like Kenny Loggins, Dan Fogelberg and Cat Stevens.  His performance was pleasant but unmemorable.  He seems like a nice guy, but comes across too wimpy and granola for my tastes.  05/10

5.  Carly Smithson -- "Come Together"

I couldn't get into Carly's hard vocals on "Come Together".  Her voice sounded forced, rough and unappealing.  Inexplicable, the judges all felt it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Simon told the Irish girl she finally chose the right song and suggested she was sort of following in Kelly Clarkson's footsteps.  Ugh.  04/10

6.  David Cook -- "Eleanor Rigby" 

Once again David delivered a good performance of this odd Beatles classic.  Once again, he updated the song in a modern rock style.  Although I liked it, I am starting to fear he may be a one trick pony, which was one of my big beefs with Baldy (Chris Daughtry) a few years ago.  Not as enjoyable as the prior week, but I like his continued enthusiasm.  Of course, being a rock star beats "slinging drinks" any day.  He should be grateful for this chance.  08/10

7.  Brooke White -- "Let It Be"

Brooke's performance of "Let It Be" was earnest and well done.  She also gets credit for playing the piano at the same time.  Brooke seems like a sweet girl and is becoming more appealing as the weeks go on.  Seacrest couldn't help but point out she was barefoot on stage and was very anxious to help Brooke into her shoes.  The judges picked up on this immediately and began to taunt him.  Brain powered through the ribbing and pretended not to hear it.  If memory serves, he was also quite taken with Kat going barefoot a couple of seasons ago as well when she performed the "Cherry Tree" song.  One has to wonder what Brian was really talking about when he told Brooke, "That was great Brooke, really great!  We need a breather after that one!"  And indeed, he was practically out of breath.  Foot fetish Brian?!  LOL  08/10

8.  David Henandez -- "I Saw Her Standing There"

David states he used to work in a pizza bistro before getting fired in his interview segment.  He didn't mention anything about exotic dancing.  His performance of the early classic "I Saw Her Standing There" was ridiculous and even had shades of Taylor Hicks at one point as he hopped off the stage and sang while moving through the audience.  This guy is simply not up to par with the other contestants.  David is simply cheesy and silly.  Randy had a funny comment that he was "lost" because there was "too much going on."  Huh?   Mr. Hernandez is highly likely to go home tonight.  02/10

9.  Amanda Overmyer -- "You Can't Do That"

In the intro sequence, Amanda promises to put her "little Amanda spin" on the song and "rock it up."  That scares me.  To be honest, her performance was an improvement over last week's and she didn't seem as pissed off at the world.  Still, I'm not liking it.  Although she's not all that likeable, she is getting the benefit again of VFTW, so I imagine I will have to endure her again next week.  Fun fireworks courtesy of Paula and Simon during this round when Simon sharply told her to "Shut Up" and Paula told him not to be disrespectful and called him a baby.  04/10

10.  Michael Johns -- "Across the Universe"

If David Bowie can't cover this song and make it appealing (on Young Americans), that's a big hint you shouldn't try either.  Johns performance was dull and whiny.  Although I liked this guy early on, he's beginning to seem less impressive.  04/10

11.  Kristy Lee Cook -- "Eight Days A Week"

Kristy performed "Eight Days A Week" in a new "hoedown" country style that featured the fiddle. As she noted in her interview, it was a "risk", but unfortunately, her version was unlistenable and nearly caused my ears to bleed.  Simon was right when he said it was "like being at some ghastly country fair."  She gets credit for doing something daring, but that's about it.  If Dancer Boy doesn't go home this week, it is probable Kristy will.  Lots of tension on the stage after this round!  Ryan pointed out to Simon that she was following his advice in trying to go country and hinted in a clever question format directed to Paula that it was bad advice.   This caused Simon to give him the evil eye and say he was "really really obnoxious" and "unnecessarily so."  Ryan ignored him and Simon tried to direct him to move along.  Ryan stood his ground and told Simon no uncertain terms when he became the host he could direct the flow of the show.  02/10

12.  David Archuleta -- "We Can Work It Out"

Well, it had to happen at some point.  The judge's golden boy finally fell flat on his face!    His mistake was trying to do "We Can Work It Out" in he style of Stevie Wonder (from Signed, Sealed, Delivered).  Let's just say Archuleta is no Stevie Wonder.  This weak, white bread performance reminded me of something I might see on the Mickey Mouse Club.  He also forgot the lyrics at one point, a cardinal sin in the Top 12 that is usually rewarded with a quick ticket home.  Randy said it was "not on point", "forced" and "didn't quite work."  Simon called it a "mess."  Right on.  02/10

---

Quite a few new adult DVD reviews have been posted on the forum recently including Next and Double Exposure from Wicked Pictures.  Both of these recent titles feature Asian beauty Kaylani Lei.  Also check out the review for Guilty, a legal themed feature starring Adam and Eve's contract girl Ava Rose.  Just don't expect the story to be on par with John Grisham!  If you are looking for something different, read Caroline's review for Abby Winters' Girls Get Busy DVD.  Abby Winters produces discs that feature amateur girl/girl action that aims to be more realistic than the typical movie in this genre.  With the hope of attracting more female viewers, there's more emphasis on kissing, foreplay and passion.  All the reviews above were submitted by guest reviewers.  If you are interested in writing reviews for my website, please get in touch with me.

Speaking of Roses, later this week I'll  be posting a podcast interview with popular Latina starlet Sativa Rose recorded in 2005.  Watch for it here!

Have a fantastic "Hump Day"!

-- Snowman

Here's my American Idol Recap for the GUYS last night (Songs From the 80's)!

Luke Menard -- "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" -- This was a dreadful, uninspired performance. Luke's on stage mannerisms are highly annoying. It's a puzzling song choice because it is relatively easy to sing. Any decent signer could sleepwalk though it. I never liked this lame Wham song back in the 80's and I don't like it now. Luke isn't changing that. I predict Luke is in high danger of being sent home now. 2/10

David Archuleta -- "Another Day in Paradise" -- I'm tired of AI pimping this young kid endlessly like he's the second coming of Jesus. To be fair, he has a good voice, but so do a lot of folks on AI. As far as the performance goes, I actually liked this performance better than the much ballyhooed "Imagine." I think Simon was on to something when he said he didn't much care for two "depressing song" in a row, but I think he chose he words poorly. It's not depressing songs that are the problem, it's seeing a naive 17 years constantly sing preachy songs. "Imagine" and "Another Day in Paradise" are best sung by someone a little more world weary. It's nice to hear that David was "thinking about all the homeless people" out there, but it's not a new problem that we need him to bring to our attention. Simon boldly predicted he will be in the top 2. Is that because he deserves it, or does Simon know AI will do everything in their power to try and make that happen (as alluded to on VFTW)? 7/10

Danny Noriega -- "Tainted Love" -- Enough already. Danny is this year's Sanjaya, all twink, no talent. He's very T-girly. If he got some breasts and starting taking hormones, he has the real potential in this area! His BSDM version of Tainted Love was creepy to say the least. Unfortunately, due to the support of VFTW, I suspect he will be around for awhile. I was surprised Paula was so down on his purple hair streaks! 2/10

David Hernandez -- "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" -- It recently came to light that David was a exotic male dancer who performed for both men and women in the Phoenix area. I think the "drama" surrounding this "shocking" revelation overshadowed his performance. David's performance of an over the top Meat Loaf song was not bad, but I find the song inherently awkward. It did give David the chance to show off his pipes well. However, I suspect that gay male dancer won't go over so well with the AI voting block, so this week is likely the end of the road for Mr. Hernandez. 6/10

Michael Johns -- "Don't You Forget About Me" -- Michael chose a hallmark "modern rock" song of the early part of the decade by Simple Minds. One would be hard pressed to find someone who grew up during that era who wasn't familiar with John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club" and it's lead music track. The problem is, when one chooses this kind of iconic song, it's hard to forget the original and almost always, the AI karaoke version pales in comparison. Predictable that was the case here. Michael's version sounded wimpy. However, he's a good looking guy that seems comfortable on stage and already has the rock star swagger down. That will carry him far into this competition. 5/10

David Cook -- "Hello" -- In the most surprising performance of the night, David sang (and played) Lionel Richie's "Hello." If you know anything about Lionel Richie, you know he was the king of massively popular, syrupy sweet love ballads during this era. But this was something different. David managed to update this tepid song into a credible alternative rock track with an edge! Props to Cook for his adventurous choice and making it work. Best performance of the night by far. 10/10

Jason Castro -- "Unknown Song by Leonard Cohen" -- This funky monkey kid bugs me for some reason. The whole rasta hair and 70's folk singer get up seems so out of place on Idol. I was not familiar with this song and I suspect the majority of viewers were not either. That's always a risky thing to do on Idol. Jason's performance didn't seem bad, but I had nothing to compare it to. I don't know what to make of Jason but I can't see him going far in this competition. He should be at Berkley smoking weed and participating in protests or something. 6/10

Chikezie -- Chikezie's performance of "All the Woman (Man) That I Need" was quite good and reminded me of the late Luther Vandross. Of course the judges focused on the fact that Whitney Houston once sang this song. If you watch Idol a lot you know anything she sings is "off limits" in their book. I'm more concerned that Chikezie is not connecting well with the audience however. Sadly, he may be at risk despite decent singing and a ballsy song choice. However, I'd like to see him move forward at least into the top 10 and that's why I threw him a few votes last night. 8/10

This morning, I heard on the news (Yes, it's amazing what passes for news these days isn't it?!) that AI made a statement about stripper boy Hernandez's eligibility on the show given his past line of work. An Idol rep stated, "We've had strippers on the show before. If it were some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we'd have to take action."  (emphasis added)

My reaction to this is, I'm glad they aren't going to banish him, but the second part of their statement is troubling. Why shouldn't a porn star be allowed to be a contestant on American Idol? Performing in an adult movie is perfectly legal in California just like stripping or working at Safeway. I don't feel it's appropriate for American Idol to be drawing arbitrary morality lines in the sand as a criteria for eligibility. As Paula reminds us several times each show, this is a "singing competition", not church. Since when are singers required to be public role models with "perfect" character that conform to someone else's idea of what is moral?

-- Snowman

Whoa ... I haven't updated my poor Xanga blog since Labor Day!  Eek.  Sorry about that faithful readers.  I'll try to post with more regularly in 2008.  Six months in-between posts is rather long.  It's not that I don't enjoy writing blog entries, it's that I spend much of the day writing at work and on my forum, and by the end of the day there's no energy left for fresh and interesting articles.  As a partial solution, I am going to post some of my best current thoughts from my forum here.  Rather than slavishly post them verbatim, I will edit them freely, elaborating on them or clarifying them as necessary.

"The Eight Secrets to Becoming a Top Porn Star"

Many porn stars who are new to the industry wonder how to rise to the top.  After all, there's a lot of competition out there these days.  A casual glance at the adult talent agency rosters will reveal there's no shortage of female talent all hoping to be the next Jenna Jameson.  Even established girls will often find success elusive, especially after the first wave of "fresh face" shoots are over.  But it's really not that hard to figure out.  The problem is, young starlets typically know nothing about the industry in which they are working and rely on the wrong people for advice and guidance. 

Hence, mostly in the spirit of altruistism, I am posting the following "Secrets of Being a Successful Porn Star."  I advise all porn stars to read and carefully consider the information below.

1. It's not really about the agent.  They play a role in your success, but they are just one piece of the puzzle.  Starlets often have unrealistic expectations of what agents can and should do for them. I've heard countless girls constantly gripe about the agents in the industry and blame them for everything that goes wrong with their career.  Your agent is there to help facilitate getting you gigs.  They are not your father, doctor, lawyer or priest.  If you expect them to be these things,  you are foolish and will be highly disappointed.  Their primary role is to promote you, arrange the details of shoots and negotiate your fee with producers.  It is a mistake to rely on them exclusively for promotion.  Beyond posting your picture, sending out mass e-mails and holding occasional their role is mostly passive.  Generally producers and directors call them. They will not be out beating out the sidewalk everyday trying to find work for you.  Never forget there is an endless parade of girls coming in and out of the industry.  You may only have one agent, but he or she has represents many girls.  The more established a girl is, the more the agent's role diminishes in marketing her.
2. Set your rate at or very close to the "standard" rate.  If you set yourself substantially higher than others girls you run the very real risk that you will price yourself out of the market and producers will hire someone else.  In case you were unaware, the adult industry is on the skids mainly due to product oversaturation and piracy.  Also, although the demand for porn is probably higher than ever before, too many viewers have adopted a "I love to watch porn, but I won't pay for it" attitude.  I predict that nearly all adult studios are or soon will be facing extreme financial challenges.  As a result, they are "tightening their belts" and shooting less.  Directors usually have a lot of casting choices and porn services are generally subject to commodity pricing.  In today's porn marketplace, there's just not that many girls who can justify a higher rate.  By justify, I am speaking in terms being able to guarantee if a director hires you, the finished DVD will sell an additional 100 copies.  Furthermore, if your business is slow, you should consider lowering your rate to increase demand for your services.  That's simple economics.
3. Accept all legitimate gigs that come your way.  If you turn down shooting opportunities, you will earn less money and receive less exposure.  It's as simple as that.  The girls who tend to stick around a long time generally are not overly choosy about who they work for.  They accept gigs from studios large and small regardless of whether or not the scenes are intended for DVD or the Internet. 
4. If you want to work a lot, don't set a lot of sexual limits for yourself.  In other words, you need to adopt an "all access" attitude and offer up all your holes for the viewing audience.  For many years now, gonzo content that features anal sex has been extremely popular.  If you refuse to perform this act, you are severely limiting how far you can go in the adult industry.  Producers are keyed into what sells and shoot scenes accordingly.  Starlets that don't do "A" are automatically eliminated from casting consideration of thousands of scenes shot each year.  If you don't do it, somebody else will.  It also necessarily will cut you out of participating in double penetration scenes and gang bangs.  Similar to this, don't be overly picky about the male talent, especially when it comes to blanket exclusions such as "I won't do interracial" which is code for "black guys" in the industry.  Shooting a porn scene is not a date.  Put aside your personal feelings and be a professional performer.  Also, do not let agents bully you into not working with other races.  If you refuse to work with people of a different race than yourself, you will cut yourself out of all interracial shoot opportunities, which is another substantial porn market.   There is something to be said for finding your comfort zone and setting limits for yourself (as far as sexual acts).  However, if you do this, realize you are not making the most of your time in porn.  You will probably find that you hit a brick wall about six months to a year after you enter the industry.  The phone will stop ringing and you will either need to expand your list of "talents", supplement your income or find a new line of work.
5. Promote yourself at every opportunity.   As noted above, don't rely on your agent to do this exclusively.  If you want to go as far as you can go in porn, treat your porn star persona as a business.  Market and network yourself constantly.  Build "brand awareness" with fans and industry insiders alike.  Both are essential to your long term goals.  Ideally, every person in the industry and porn fan should know your name and respect your work.  The net has made it easy to market one's self.  Make use of social networking sites on the Internet such as MySpace as well as discussion forums such as my own Snowman's Raincoat Reviews.  You should also create a website, blog (or two!) and participate on Twitter.  Outside of the realm of the net, find a way to participate in trade shows, in-store appearances, charity events and any other opportunity that presents itself to interface with fans and industry people. 
6. Seek out appropriate people for advice and guidance.  Lose the suitcase pimp if you have one.  You do not need a lazy, abusive, controlling thug who takes all your money in your life.  Be strong and do it now!  An "appropriate" person is someone mature and intelligent with knowledge of the industry who possesses good judgment and is not using you.  Admittedly, that is a tall order, especially if you mostly relate to people in the porn industry.  However, if you can find mentors and other people you can truly trust it will make all the difference in the world.
7. Give your very best performance on each and every scene.  As director Jim Powers advises, don't try to be "half a ho" during your shoots.  Treat each scene like it is your last and the one people will remember you for.  Relax, play nice with others and be uninhibited when the camera is on.  You're generally getting paid to portray a nasty slut; that's that the audience wants to see.  Get into the moment and be the best "dirty whore" you can be. 
8. Last but not least, don't be a pain in the ass to the director.  These items are mostly common sense, but it's amazing how many girls don't follow these rules.  Show up to the shoot on time.  Bring your ID and other requested items such as special clothing or toys.  If things don't go smooth, go with the flow instead of getting bent out of shape.  No one needs a drama queen on set.  Realize right now that nearly all shoots take longer than expected and you should plan to spend the whole day there.  Even if the shoot takes 10 hours and you are earning $1000, that's still $100 an hour.  There's a lot of people working at Walmart all day long who will learn less than you made in just one hour of standing around waiting.  Turn your cell phone off and put it away.  Tell your boyfriend not to call you.  Both of you will survive half a day without talking to each other.  And don't ever flake  If you flake, it will cost the producer money and a lot of other people who hoped to work that day also are going to be very upset at you.

I hope everyone (in the USA) is having a great Labor Day weekend!

I stumbled across this awesome offer this morning from Code-It Software.  Code-It mostly writes small, shareware audio tools.  One of their most popular programs is the Wave Mp3 Editor, which is now up to version 11.2.  At this point in it's development, it does a lot more than just edit sound files.  You can also use it to record sounds off  Internet, digitize old records or tapes, mix sounds, add special effects and much more.  The normal registration price is $29.95, but as a Labor Day promotion, you can get it (or any other single program they publish) absolutely free!  All you have to do is send an e-mail request to the author.  Hurry, this offer expires after today! 

---

I received this question the other day from Harold on my libsyn.com blog. 

Q:  Any new interviews coming out on podcast? I like listening to the starlets give their perspectives on life and the industry. It's rare to hear interviews like this. Thanks 

A:  Yes, I have additional Podcast interviews that I will be posting here from starlets and others in the industry. Thanks for asking Harold! 

BTW, I'm always looking for new interview subjects!  If you are an adult industry personality and would like to be interviewed, please contact me.  I'm not only interested in interviewing talent, I'm also interested in people who work behind the scenes (directors, editors, producers, artists, agents etc.).  I prefer to do interviews in person, but they can also be done on the telephone, e-mail or IM.

---

 Thai APH Mya Luanna has joined the forum!  Until recently Mya was a Hustler TV Contract girl.  I started a "Mya Luanna Pipeline" discussion thread here.  Please stop by and say hello!

-- Snowman

 More About Me -- a post for the curious, nosey and stalkers!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  Yes, my father and grandfather.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  At my father's memorial service. 

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  Yes, and other people say they like it also.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?  Does tuna count?  I often get that or a Club at Subway.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?  No

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?  Yes, no doubt.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?  No.  It's too mean spirited most of the time.  "Sarcasm is the means by which we hide our hurt feelings from ourselves." - C.G. Jung

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  Yes.  I am fond of all my body parts.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?  No way, although I might skydive.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?  Fruit Loops,  Quaker 100% Natural, the Post cereals with fruits and almonds, especially the one with blueberries!

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?  Hmmm I guess not.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  Yes, I am a rock.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?  I like Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream, Pineapple Sherbert.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?  Their face.

15. RED OR PINK? GREEN?  Green

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?  Can't say since I have obsessed twisted love stalkers.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?  My father and Megumi. 

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?  It would be fun, but they are free to do as they wish.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?  Kakai pants and brown shoes (casual dress).

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?  Mixed nuts last night.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?  The white noise of the air conditioning on this hot August day.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?  Blue

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?  Vanilla, Forest

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?  My CPA.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?  Larrdog?  He's swell.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?  Football on TV, baseball in the grandstand.  I also enjoy watching figure skating!

27. HAIR COLOR?  Blond

28. EYE COLOR?  Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?  Yes by CIBA.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?  I have many.  Pizza, Mexican, Chinese etc.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?  Scary movies!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  The Bourne Ultimatum.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  Blue oxford with pin stripes

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?  Winter.  Don't they say the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year?

35. HUGS OR KISSES?  Both are great.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Coconut Cream Pie, French Silk Pie, Pecan Pie.  Yum!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?  I don't have the slightest idea.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND  I really couldn't say.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  Non Fiction:  Becoming a Category of One.  Fiction:  Lisey's Story.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?  The mouse that came with my computer.  Some cheap HP one with a wire. 

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?  The season finale of Hell's Kitchen.  I love that show!  I kinda wanted Bonnie to win though.  =(

42. FAVORITE SOUND?  The ocean. 

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?  The Beatles but I'm not a huge fan.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  East Coast -- New York City.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?  Yes.  We all have a special talent, whether we recognize it or not.

46. CITY WHERE YOU WERE BORN?  Can't disclose because I have a twisted love stalker.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?  No one in particular.  I'll read them all!

-- Snowman

Anyone remember porn star Bianca Trump?  When she first started off in the early 90's I thought she looked quite hot. Others must have thought so too.  She graced a fair amount of box covers and appeared in Penthouse, Hustler and High Society. This was before she "ballooned her breasts to sickening proportions." The vast majority of her adult movies were produced between 1991 and 1994 as you can see from her listing on IAFD. I think she did a few lukewarm anal scenes, but in that era they were generally not as long or explicit as today's.

Prior to being a porn star, Bianca was married at age 18 to a military man stationed in Washington state. Bianca claimed she was a virgin until she was married, because "those were the morals I was raised with." However the marriage did not last long and they separated after just a few months. Divorced, alone and without work experience, Bianca became an erotic dancer at age 19 to make ends meet. Three days into dancing, a Penthouse scout noticed her and it wasn't long until she started working in adult movies.

Fast forward about fifteen years.  At this point, there's no doubt that Bianca (real name Wendy Iwanow) is an emotionally disturbed train wreck. It's pretty clear from her Wiki entry why she fell off the porn radar from 1995 forward. Bianca became greedy and got the escorting bug. She packed her bags and moved to Broward County, Florida. In Florida she hooked up with an escort agent and allegedly began charging customers $1200 an hour. But apparently that wasn't enough for Bianca.

She became deeply involved with shady characters, including ex cons and began to mastermind crimes against her own customers! In June of 1995 Ms. Trump was arrested for involvement in a home invasion robbery attempt, although the facts of this incident are not clear to me.

After that, she continued to have brushes with the law in Florida, although most seem related to domestic clashes with neighbors of African-American descent. As an example, when black children would walk by her house on the way to school, she would allegedly yell at them, ""Stay away from my house, you little niggers!" Apparently, fifteen to twenty of her neighbors got tired of her racist antics and beat the hell out of her in 2001. No one was arrested after this incident much to Bianca's chagrin. Bianca subsequently tried to sue the Police Department for negligence, but flaked out on required court appearances and the case was dismissed. 

Ms. Trump's neighborhood disputes were a chronic headache for law enforcement.  Over 140 calls were made to 911 over two years and local police called it, "the worst dispute West Palm Beach's police force has ever had to referee." Things came to a head in 2002, when a SWAT team descended on her home after a report of gunshots being fired. Bianca held the police off with her 12 gauge shotgun until the wee hours of the following morning. Police took her into custody and placed her in a psychiatric hospital for observation.

It was around this time that Bianca first popped up on Stormfront, a discussion forum for white nationalists. Her first post was a photo of her posing on a rock at the beach. In her second post, she elaborated on her feelings and beliefs:

To make a long story very short. My boyfriend and I bought a home unknowing that there where black people living right next door to us. Over the past 2 years all's we do is fight with them. Last october it all came to a head in a huge free for all fight in the street.Between the State Attorney, The police, and everyone else....no one really cares. No one was arrested.

My ancesters grew up hiding who they where , even altering our last name when they came to america. I am only the 2nd generation here, but most of the family don't speak of the good ol days.

I certainly have my own opinions and views about race and religion, but I have yet to ball them up into one clear purpose or understanding.

The end of the story is simple. My boyfriend is now my X (leaving that one alone, whole nother story). I was left here in this big house with the bad neighbors. Our friends are motual, so it's akward to hang out with them now.

I was hoping to find my true Aryan King, but while I am here I am also reading threads to better understand myself through other peoples view.

Of couse, let me not forget, I need to figure out what to do about my neighbors....what does one do when they no longer feel safe? 2 Dobbies and a shotgun arnt cvering it.

Spokane police arrested a woman two weeks ago for trying to pass a bad check. The woman was using a fake paper driver's license. Court documents reveal that she told police where they could find the woman who was allegedly using her computer to make the fake I.D. cards.

 
SWAT teams hit the front door of a north Spokane house just after 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Detectives had a warrant to take down an alleged fake I.D. factory inside.

Officers arrested Wendy Iwanow. She covered head for the KREM 2 News cameras, but her face can clearly be seen on one photocopy of one of her fake I.D's. "They just take a digital photo and put someone else's photo in there," said Spokane Police Sergeant Jason Hartman. "They change the names and sometime leave it the same."

Detectives allege Iwanow was making and using her bogus drivers licenses. A surveillance camera captured Iwanow before she passed a bad check at a Rosauers grocery store.

Police are also looking for men, whose photographs were found on the fake paper I.D.'s. Police said the bogus documents are working, even though the word "license" was misspelled on the ones seized in the Wednesday's raid. "We're getting a lot of merchants victimized especially in the area of payroll checks," Hartman said. "They are taking it as valid I.D., but it's phony. We have about 40 more inside with different people's I.D's."

Detectives searched Iwanow's home finding stolen credit cards, checks and guns. Police say the fake I.D. factory was well protected. A loaded rifle was discovered by the front door and a close circuit surveillance camera kept an eye on whoever knocked on the door.

"Wendy Iwanow (Incarcerated)",by the One's People's Project website, 05.03.07
Bianca Trump, White Supremist, by Robin Bougie on the Sex Wrecks website, unknown date
The Company He Keeps, by Nia Hightower, Southern Poverty Law Center, Winter 2003

---

 

I got one of these gizmos earlier this week and it's a lot of fun!  The RCA Small Wonder is a simple and inexpensive video camera that records to internal memory or SD card.  It's about the size of a deck of cards, runs on common AA batteries and weighs just five ounces.   Anyone can figure out how to use it in about five minutes.  The video quality isn't the best (MPEG-4 at 640x480 resolution), but the convenience of the device makes up for it.  It's something you can take with you everywhere.  If you want to watch the videos on a big screen TV, this isn't the camera for you, but if you are satisfied viewing on a normal modest sized TV or computer screen, it works just fine.  With a 2 gig SD card, it can record up to 2 1/2 hours at the high quality setting.  It can be mounted on a tripod and the LCD screen flips out so the Small Wonder might be a decent set up for simple video blogging too.  To get your videos off the camera, just plug in the enclosed USB cable into your computer and you're good to go!  I'll post some videos I shoot with it soon.

The RCA Small Wonder is available at Amazon.com for just a tad over $100 with free shipping!

-- Snowman

 

Is pornography a sin?

Veteran adult director and male talent, Rod Fontana (aka Ronald Boyer) thinks so.  He recently got religion and is asking some hard questions about the morality of the adult industry.

The following is from a New Yorks Times article reprinted in the Taipei Times.

 "Is pornography a sin?" Boyer asked on the [live Internet] show, which is aimed at people in the sex industry. "Probably. Definitely," he answered, a response that reflected his own ambivalence as much as a desire not to alienate his audience. "So is eating carrot cake until you're sick to your stomach," he continued. "And so is punching somebody in the face. That's a sin."

Boyer's embryonic ministry, devoted to bringing spiritual comfort to those marginalized by the sex industry, is driven by his deep faith and by a medical crisis that threatened the life of his child. But it is a work in progress, fraught with the contradictions and internal struggles of a man leaving behind a livelihood that was central to his identity.
 
He has tired of performing in sex movies, but even now doesn't condemn it. "Not one time did Jesus refer to pornography, or homosexuality," he observed on the Internet show, which he began as a co-host in May. "Jesus could have commented. He didn't."

Although Jesus may not have referred directly to pornography, at 2:11 Peter says, "Dearly beloved, I beeseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshy lusts, which war against the soul."

Also, the author of Jesus-is-Savior.com notes that Jesus disapproved of the Pharisees for their "dirty minds."

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven...Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." -Matthew 5:20,27,28

And on her website, Diane Dew points out the following passages from the scripture:

Psalm 101:3 "I will set no unclean thing before my eyes."

Philippians 4:7, 8 "Keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus... Whatsover things are pure... if there be any virtue... think on these things."

Diane also argues that "whoremongers" are not favored in Heaven.

Ephesians 5:5 "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

1 Timothy 1:10 "For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine"

Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

Any Thoughts?

-- Snowman

P.S. -- This post was adapted from a new message thread I started on my forum today.  "Sin" clipart courtesy of ChristArt.com)

P.S.S. -- Additional articles related to Rod Fontana's transformation:

Is Pornography A Sin?, California Catholic Daily, 07.26.07
Stop the Presses Before Somebody Gets Hurt, epiScope "Looking Over the Episcopal Church" Blog, 07.14.07