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<editorsnote> Hi, I'm Jen Friel, and we here at TNTML examine the lives of nerds outside of the basements and into the social media, and dating world.  We have over 75 peeps that write about their life in real time. (Real nerds, real time, real deal.) Sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the stories!! </editorsnote>

 

 

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Monday
Nov282011

#GirlCrush: @BobbiStarr - The Nerdalicious Girlie Fantasy

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Erin. She's been writing on the site for like forever and a day and SERIOUSLY has a lot to say. She's super passionate about politics and all things awesomely nerdy. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ERIN!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @snogvlog

Be honest, when you think of a nerd you think of a person that gets shoved in the lockers in high school, the kid who loved science and Star Wars and who could never in a million years get the girl, the cheerleader, the movie starlet or the porn star, right?, wrong!  What if I told you in some strange sequence of events some cosmic instance there was actually a sexy, popular, talented, intelligent, hot chick that not only dug nerds but was one herself, would you believe me?

Meet Bobbi Starr, born April 6, 1983 in Santa Clara, California.  Starr is a graduate of San Jose State University, an adult film star, ex-music teacher, professional concert oboist, former nationally ranked swimmer and one hot mutha effin nerd!  Oh yes kids it’s on and it’s all about this girl and her obsession with the philosophical, organic, musical, literary, Sci-fi, and adult film industry.  She may be a contradiction in terms but what she lacks in the societal norm she makes up for in the unique, beautiful, and fetishy way she appeals to people of every background. Now you might be wondering or saying to yourself, self, what else do I need to know about a woman in porn other than seeing her with her clothes off?  Think of Bobbi as an onion with many layers and as you begin to pull back those layers it reveals someone who isn't just what we know as a porn star but she is completely revamping the way we look at porn and women.  She is taking on an industry and changing the way men and women view the chicks they see in the movies.  You may also be saying to yourself, self, why does Erin know so much about a porn star and do I really wanna know?  I stumbled upon Bobbi purely on accident and I swear this much is true, the rest however was completely my doing.  

I began following her on Twitter because she has a very girl next door type of a look like someone you'd take home to Mom and part of me was drawn to her in that way.  Bobbi is natural looking meaning she doesn't plaster herself with makeup, she doesn't look anorexic and she does both Jay and Jane - who doesn't love a girl who goes both ways.  After doing some, (cough) research on her movies I found that she did a lot with women and they weren't just two chicks in high heels, they were actual movies lesbians would watch. They were emotional depicting herself and her partner becoming engaged, they were romantic, sensual, not at all the type of movies you're used to seeing.  Classically, lesbian pornography has mainly been made by men and are almost never how two women would actually be intimate together.  Let’s be honest ladies when was the last time we made love in high heels and makeup or made some of the god awful noises some of those women make?  We know male made porn when we see it and it seemed Bobbi really cared about the product she was putting out to the public. She cared that her fans were not only satisfied but truly felt she relating to them.  

When I started following her on Twitter I wasn't expecting much, maybe a tweet here and there about her latest movie, something raunchy that would make me blush, but what I'd gotten in just a day of tweets was much different than what I was expecting.  Bobbi was tweeting about everything from Star Wars, Gluten free cooking, construction on her apartment and the latest book she was reading, even I, a cynical nerd can honestly say I was shocked.  I had a stereotypical view of what I thought a porn star would be like all tits and ass of course and nothing upstairs, horrible of me I know. In just a few hours Bobbi had completely changed my mind, I was intrigued, I had to know more.  That's when I can honestly say my mini-obsession began.  I made it a point to Google this woman and learn more about her and started tweeting her to see if I could get a response, after all this is the age of social media and people do actually tweet their fans from time to time.  I'd attracted somewhat of a cheering section, some of my followers on twitter were tweeting her to try and get her to respond to me, it had become a mission impossible and I was going to be Tom Cruise, without the whole Scientology thing.  Alas 4:00 am one morning I get the response I'd been waiting for and of course I was sleeping.  Bobbi lives in LA so of course there being a time difference I was in a state of REM sleep while she was just ushering herself into bed.  From there we exchanged tweets and I started to really investigate this woman, tried to learn as much as I could about her life. I was blown away by her interest in politics, movies, books, and anything else you wanted to throw at her for a conversation.

Bobbi began her career at the age of 23 in San Francisco, California and while it was a decision she took very seriously, it was one that she will tell you she has no regrets about.  In her early career her movies were mostly bondage and submission scenes for small internet based companies and she slowly graduated into deep throat and anal sex for production companies in Los Angeles.  Her modeling has been box covers for many movie companies such as Red Light District Video and Combat Zone.  Most have seen America's Next Top Model and let's be honest how freakin boring is that show!  Well I think had I seen America's Next Hot Porn Star I may have watched every season.  Bobbi appeared on that show and also blogs for Popporn.com and writes a column for Fox Magazine called, Adventures In Porny Land.

Starr has been quoted as saying she's a pro-sex feminist, “I don't feel degraded because it is my decision.  I know that if I did ever feel degraded or feel uncomfortable, all I need to do is say no and it would stop.  I don't think something where women have so much control in the situation can be considered degrading towards women.”  With her pro-sex feminist attitude, her sexy natural looks and fun outgoing personality comes a very intelligent woman who wants to study pre-med to become a Gynecologist and work primarily in the porn industry where she feels there is a serious lack of female gynecologists.  This year, 2011, Bobbi was cast in a mainstream indie movie adaptation of James Sallis's novel, Drive. It was met with glowing reviews. CNBC named Bobbi one of the 12 most popular stars in porn and also noted that her breakout role in Drive would turn out to be her crossover into mainstream movies.  I told you this woman had many layers, this is just the beginning.

I decided that internet searches and other people's quotes of Bobbi's just weren't enough so I reached out to her and had the pleasure of getting an interview with her.  You can imagine how awesome that went!

EC:  Given the extreme departure you took from teaching, music and swimming what brought you into the adult film industry?

BS:  I had a boyfriend in college who did some scenes for Kink. When he told me, it got me interested in porn. I'd never thought of doing porn and back then I was very nerdy and bookish. I was the last person you'd expect to be a porn industry. I was curious about the industry and I did a few scenes myself and when I graduated, I decided to come to Los Angeles to make a go of it.

EC:  Being involved in the industry as intimately as you are what do you think are the pros and cons to being an adult film star?

BS:  The pros are that I get to satisfy my curiosity when it comes to sexuality. There's a lot of people who live their lives wondering about having sex with another woman, or anal sex or group sex or even rough sex. They wonder what it's like to be with someone who can fuck for a whole hour without a break like Nacho Vidal or Rocco Sifreddi. Most people spend their lives wondering what if. In the porn industry, I find out what it's like. Being able to live without wondering and being able to just do it is a very powerful, very exhilarating thing.

As for the cons, it's dealing with the constant expectations that other people have of who you are. There's a lot of people who project what their beliefs are onto who you are as a porn star. To a feminist who is anti-porn, I'm a victim, I'm someone who's exploited and I can't be doing this out of my own free will. To some fans, I'm someone who needs to be saved from pornography. And to others, I'm just some decadent, dirty, filthy slut that's everything wrong with American society in the 21st century.

What's lost is who I am as a person. They don't want to think that I came into this business out of my own free will. They don't want to think that I'm happy where I am and that I like doing porn. They don't what to think that we don't live in the 1950s anymore, and even the 1950s weren't the ideal they want to believe it is.

EC:  When you're home alone just being Bobbi, not the famous porn star, what is the nerdiest thing you love doing?

BS:  I love to read. I have shelves that take up a whole wall of my apartment full of books. If you saw my apartment, which is on the small side, you'd understand what an undertaking it was to fit everything into it.

EC:  When did you know you loved both men and women and who do you enjoy doing movies with more?

BS:  I realized that I am a person who is more gay than straight and just likes to experiment with men. Porn didn't change me; it made me more of who I was to begin with. I think that's true of everyone else in this business.

I enjoy working with men who are very energetic in their scenes. A perfect example would be Rocco, who I worked with on his comeback movie, "Rocco Ravishes L.A." He's always been a god in my mind, and when we finally worked together it met all my expectations. The whole scene was a blur to me, and I wound up with my head in the toilet. True story.

EC:  I know you have a boyfriend who I also follow on Twitter, he's awesome, are you two what society considers monogamous or do you get to have a girlfriend too, Kimberly Kane, inquiring lesbians wanna know.

BS:  I’m not known to date in the performer pool, I date girls or guys who are either outside of the business or who aren't on camera. The arrangement I've always had was that I am monogamous except for when I'm on set and there is a camera set to record on me.

I know it's schizophrenic, but I don't believe that being a porn star gives me a pass to do whatever I want with whoever I want if I'm in a committed relationship. It wouldn't be fair to who I'm dating. I'm not into swinging or anything like that. When I'm home, it's just me and my partner.

EC:  How does your family feel about you being in this industry and has anyone in your family ever been confronted by someone who's seen you in a movie?

BS:  My family and I have a don't ask don't tell understanding. However, my mother and I talk about my career decisions in this industry, but when it comes to her health concerns, things get touchy. She wants to make sure the people I work with are protected and safe and that I do what I can to stay safe.

I don't know if anyone's confronted my family directly about what I do. We don't talk about it. However, someone once sent my sister a Facebook message, which was addressed to my brother, saying I'm a whore. It was written as if I had have sex with this person. It, understandably, creeped my sister out.

EC:  You have a cat, very lesbian of you, what's it's name, how old and do you ever think it's plotting to kill you in your sleep?  I think my girlfriends cat Lucy does while I'm sleeping.

BS:  My cat's name is China. She's a stray I took in and she's 12 years old. But she's been perpetually 8 in my mind for the last 5 years. I'm sure she's plotting to kill me, but then again, they're predators. It's in their nature. I think so long as I keep her well fed I'll stay on her good side. I think.

EC:  How do you think social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have changed not only the porn industry but the industry of media in general? Do you find there are pros and cons to this open society we are now living in?

BS:  I don't think there's ever been a time where you could get to know someone you've never met before as intimately as you can today through social media. In the past, any interaction the general public had with porn stars and the porn industry was very one-dimensional and only served to further the belief that everyone in the industry lived the life they did on camera.

The problem is that this view of someone's life is still a sliver of who they are and it's still a tiny portion of how much you of your life that you want to show other people. At the end of the day, people still only want to believe what they want to believe about you. To some people it doesn't matter what I write, I'll always be a victim, or I'll always be someone to save or I'll be a despicable creature. I sometimes wonder just how much change social media can affect when it comes against preconceived notions of who I am.

EC:  Most artists, whether its musicians or actors, are staunch critics of file sharing, and porn, much like mp3s, are being downloaded online illegally, what’s your opinion on this?


BS:  It's a very strange problem. I've thought about this for a long time, because you have to remember that I was a musician before I got into porn.

You can't stop people from downloading content through file sharing. If it's not Napster, it's Bittorrent. If it's not Bittorrent it's direct downloads. If it's not direct downloads it's streaming sites like Redtube. There's no way to put the genie back in the bottle. There's too many smart people trying to figure out new ways of content distribution and too many people who don't want to pay.

The porn industry likes to think it lives in a bottle and that none of the problems of the entertainment industry are theirs. But it is. When movies, music, books just become "content" it becomes a commodity. A commodity is interchangeable and one is as good as the other. This is the problem with mainstream entertainment. When was the last time you saw a movie and came out feeling like it was worth the $13 for the ticket? When was the last time you bought a CD and loved every song on it?

The porn industry has the same problem. There's too many scenes that are being made that just run into each other. Porn is a commodity product. It could have gotten away with that 15 years ago when broadband access was limited and no one knew what file sharing or streaming video was, but that's not the case anymore. The porn industry, if it wants to remain viable, has to produce compelling content — just like the larger mainstream entertainment industry.

EC:  The title “Nerd” has become a very socially acceptable name for a person now in fact many people including myself embrace the scarlet letter.  Mainstream media has welcomed Nerds with open arms with shows like The Big Bang Theory.  What does that title mean to you? How do you define a nerd and do you see yourself as the sexy nerd we all do?

BS:  A nerd is someone who pursues intellectual pleasures and is not ashamed of it. Dungeons & Dragons, high order math, computers, these are all hobbies that exist as more abstract concepts than things you can touch or feel.

I think being a nerd is more mainstream because we live in a world that is increasingly becoming abstracted and re-contextualized through the internet. Who is anyone anymore? Are you your Twitter feed? You gamer handle? Your search history? The truth is you are at once all of that and none of that.

So yes, I am a sexy nerd. My pursuits are intellectual and I take joy in learning new things. But like all things nowadays, that's just part of who I am.

EC:  You've been quoted as saying you are a pro-sex feminist.  Can you elaborate on what this means to you and how it affects your movie career?

BS:  There's a very vocal portion of the feminist community who believes that the only sort of women get into porn are victims who are further victimized by the porn industry, because it's a patriarchy.

It's a very simplistic view of things. Women hold executive positions in many of the companies I work for. I'm not saying that every performer is a model of emotional and mental stability, but in truth how many people do you know who are? Not everyone, I'm sure, but there are some.

I believe that women should be the equal of men. But I also shouldn't feel that anytime I have sex, it's really rape because I've been brainwashed into thinking I like sex. I also shouldn't feel like because I'm subservient sometimes, that's equal to me being a victim. Sometimes I like being on the bottom. But I also like being on top.

Sex is fun. Those anti-porn feminists should try it and relax sometimes.

EC:  You've also been quoted as saying you would like to become a Gynecologist and have a practice within the porn industry where there is a lack of female gynecologists.  What do you think this would bring to the industry how would this help and is this still a goal of yours are you close to getting back to school?

BS:  There's some backstory to that quote. What I said was that there's a lack of medical assistance in the porn industry and the girls in the industry need a gynecologist they can talk to because of the unique aspects of their work. I jokingly said — thought that didn't seem to get across — that I'd do the 10 years of medical school to make that happen.

That being said, I want to talk about the new testing facility that just opened, is now available to talent and is set to take the place of AIM — see www.healingwaveMD.com . It's amazing and a definite step in the right direction. The draw station is also a medical facility so you don't feel like the person that's taking the sample won't know the answers to any questions you have, and if they don't have it they can find someone who can answer your question. I also like what they've done with their database — it maintains the confidentiality of the performers by just stating if they can or can't work — see www.APHSS.org.

EC:  What's the difference between a female run porn production company that does girl on girl scenes as opposed to one run by males doing girl on girl scenes?  Do you see more of an ability to relate to lesbians by women for women and do you enjoy working with those types of companies more when doing girl on girl movies?

BS:  I don't think it matters who runs these companies any more. It makes it seem like there's only one gender in a company and they only hire on the basis of the orientation of their genitalia. There's women at the top of companies like Evil Angel, Vivid and Wicked — and in the case of Girlfriends Films, the owner is a man.

Now, there's some companies that shoot lesbian scenes that are more lipstick and some that are more hardcore. The funny thing is that the really raunchy girl/girl (and boy/girl stuff, for that matter) stuff usually comes from female directors like Belladonna, Mason and now myself.

I enjoy working in all of the scenes I do. I don't take work if I don't think I'll enjoy it. Sexuality is a spectrum and for what I do, it's not just one thing, done this way, with these people.

EC:  You did a mainstream movie Drive in 2011 an adaptation of James Sallis's novel.  How was that experience, how did you get that role and do you see yourself going after more mainstream movie roles in the future?

BS:  It was a great experience. I didn't feel like any less of a cast member and I can't wait to see the movie.

I'd like to do more mainstream movies, but I'm not too keen on being the stripper in the background or the hooker who gets killed by the serial killer. There was depth to the character I played in Drive and it wasn't one of those roles they usually pigeon hole for porn stars who are in mainstream (again, hookers and strippers).

I'm not going to kid myself, though — that's probably going to be most of the sort of mainstream roles most porn stars are going to see for a long time.  

EC:  Last but certainly not least tell us what's coming up for you next what's in the future for Bobbi Starr?

BS:  Well, I've just launched my the pay section to my website, BobbiStarr.com. I've been putting up new scenes for the last month and that includes my first attempts at directing.

I've also just joined Evil Angel as one of its prestigious directors. I've had some ideas running around in my head and I'll be happy to finally be able to put them on camera. There isn't much you can do to reinvent sex — it's older than the wheel, after all — but it doesn't mean that there isn't room for creativity and storytelling.

So I think what we've learned from my interview with Bobbi is that you can't always judge a book by it's cover she's living proof.  We share a love for books, the nerdy, and of course Star Wars and yet sometimes we live in two different worlds.  I've never been a porn star but I can respect a person's decision to be who they want to be and do whatever makes them happy in this life.  Bobbi has more than just sex to offer us and I think in the future we'll be seeing more of this siren in the mainstream as she looks to break out into a variety of acting roles.  You can check Bobbi Starr's website out http://www.bobbistarr.com and follow her on Twitter @bobbistarr

#nerdsunite

 Click here to follow Erin on Twitter

Thursday
Dec092010

The #NewCivilRightsMovement 

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @snogvlog

 

Until every person in this country has a voice and a representative in government we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until being Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Trans in the United States is not a struggle WE ARE NOT FREE #newcivilrightsmovement

Until the more than 13,000 service members who were discharged under #DADT are reinstated we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until our government supports all its citizens we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until children are raised to love everyone no matter what their sexual orientation is we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until every company offers domestic partner benefits to its employees we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until health insurance companies fully cover IVF for same sex couples to try and conceive we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until Bert & Ernie can come out on Sesame Street we are not free, sorry had to throw that one in. #newcivilrightsmovement

Until same sex partners can give unwanted children loving homes in every state we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until same sex partners can walk down every street in the country without fear we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until an LGBT person can have peace of mind in knowing their partner & children will be financially taken care of by Social Security and Pension after their death just as a heterosexual person does we are not free#newcivilrightsmovement

Until a life partner has the right to hold their dying partners hand in the hospital and make medical decisions for them we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

When parents understand that their child should be happy in their own body man or woman we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

When teens can go to school without fear of bullying for being gay until they know that suicide is not an option we are not free #newcivilrightsmovement

Until Gays and Lesbians can serve their country openly in the military the United States is not a free country #newcivilrightsmovement

Until Gays and Lesbians can legally marry the United States is not a free country #newcivilrightsmovement

Until Mothers and Fathers can stop burying their children because of violent hate crimes we are not free#newcivilrightsmovement

 

I can't think of better reasons to stand up for the new civil rights movement, can you?  Call your local representative, Senator, Congressman flood their inboxes and make your voice heard we cannot do this without you. It's time that all citizens of the United States have equal rights and protections under the Law that we all can enjoy the same benefits and privileges that no one person is excluded from the American dream.  Everyone in this country who is here legally must pay taxes we all contribute to the Federal government therefore we are all entitled to the same tax breaks, pensions, social security, Medicare and any other government funded programs including the right to marriage and the privileges that come along with that.  The LGBT community has long had the stress of what to do when they die will their benefits be given to their life partners will their children be taken care of.  Gays and Lesbians serving in our military must live and fight with the added stress of knowing one day they can be outed and asked to leave the institution they've given their lives to just because of who they love.

  The government continues to ask more and more of the American people they must live with tax breaks for the rich and married they must be ok with the banks stealing our money and foreclosing on our homes.  They ask us to trust a clearly corrupt institution of government called the House and Senate with no regard for the equal rights of all its citizens.  The American people are always asked to forgive and forget to move on and move forward after crimes committed by George W. Bush are ignored and CEOs continue to rake in millions off of the people's dime.  We deserve equal rights it is our RIGHT as American citizens in this supposedly "free" country we call the United States. 

  Be heard people raise your voice!

#NerdsUnite

click here to follow Erin on Twitter!

Monday
Dec062010

Hey you kids get off my lawn! xoxo @SenJohnMcCain

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @SnogVlog

  Poor, poor John McCain apparently still upset he didn't get to go home and play with new toys during the presidential election.  McCain a shell of a man who was once respected as a Maverick in the Senate a man who at times reached across party lines to work on bills that helped the American people and actually made sense!  I know it's hard to remember that time because lately all we see is this flip flopping, angry, confused, old man who seems to have lost all grasp on reality.  John McCain has gone so far to the right that the Tea Party people can't even relate to him and some of us are questioning his sanity, is it dementia, early onset of Alzheimer's or is he completely aware of how ridiculous he truly is. 

 

  McCain's latest gaff comes in light of the Pentagon's release of their study to end the DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell) policy Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654) in the military banning Gays and Lesbians from serving openly.  It seems Senator McCain likes to keep moving the goal post every time something happens to disprove his theory that the military would suffer if the ban was lifted.  DADT was enacted in 1993 Defense Directive 1304.26 as a Federal Law by President Bill Clinton but the Sodomy law had been on the books as reason for discharge in the military since 1778.  While this bill was meant to be a compromise on the issue for Gays and Lesbians it ended up being one of the biggest problems for the community and in turn has lead to a total of 13,389 discharges since 1994.  Good men and women some in positions that we are in desperate need of in the military such as Afghan interpreters have been discharged under DADT leaving us to wonder does it really make sense anymore?  John McCain thinks so in fact he's so adamant that the change would endanger our troops that he's taken to completely ignore the advice of the Defense Department, Pentagon and the President of the United States I mean what do they really know anyway he's a war hero! 

 

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen have both voiced their support of the repeal of DADT after the Pentagon's survey came back showing that the majority of those that took the survey felt that the repeal would have little to no effect on the military readiness.  The survey was sent to active military personnel as well as their families and roughly 28% of the surveys were returned and filled out which is a decent number considering this was not a mandatory survey.  Polls taken by many polling firms show that about 78% of Americans are in favor of the repeal and even with all of this Senator McCain still feels he knows best.  From the beginning of President Barack Obama's presidency he has said he wants to repeal this discriminatory law and McCain has each time set a different reason why he opposes and why he would change his mind.  First McCain wanted to hear from the Generals, they were in favor, then McCain wanted to find out what the troops thought, they were surveyed and found to have little to no issue with it, now McCain still feels this isn't good enough once again he is moving the goal post. 

 

  On December 3, 2010 the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on DADT all were in favor and felt that the repeal could occur in an organized, timely fashion without risking the morale or lives of troops serving in the military.  During this exchange John McCain made repeated attempts to try and discredit the Pentagon survey and question the validity of the commanders and officers who worked on the committee.  Over and over again McCain made a complete fool of himself being rebutted at every turn and his attempts to say that certain officials were not experienced enough to make such decisions were again and again refuted or refudiated if you're Sarah Palin, by those officials and their outstanding service to the country.  John McCain feels that many military personnel will have issues with serving next to Gay and Lesbian troops and many examples were given of how our allies who already allow their troops to serve openly already serve beside our troops on the battlefield and have bleed and given their lives with us in combat. 

 

  As we go forward we must remember that the military has never been a democratic society they are given commands and they must follow them.  The job of our troops are to serve and support their country and have no say in policy or laws that are made by the President, Senate or Congress if we set this president going forward that they will have a say than we must give them an opinion in everything.  You cannot make one issue more important than others maybe they should have an opinion on where they serve on when or if they go into combat if we should reinstate the draft, how many pushups they should and should not do.  It's ridiculous to think that in 2010 in the United States we still do not have equal rights for all, we still do not have Gay Marriage, and Gays and Lesbians cannot serve openly in the military, it's outrageous!  Everyday in the news I am reminded of just how far behind we are socially from other countries and it's an embarrassment as well as a slap in the face to the brave men and women who have served our country in wars and our times of disaster and are gay and lesbian.  We cannot continue to tout ourselves as a great superpower when we cannot even given equal rights to all citizens of our country and we still treat people like 2nd class citizens. 

  As we move toward a greater purpose in our world and we see the need for more environmental regulation and find that the real crooks are on wall street, we are sliding when it comes to math and science we are defunding our NASA programs and more and more people are concerned with who marries who then whether or not we will have a planet in 50 years our superpower status is a joke.  As seen in poll after poll people are moving towards equal rights with an overwhelming amount of American voters 57% favor gays serving openly compared to 36% opposed and 66% say the current policy is discrimination, opposed to 31% who see no discrimination. (Feb 2010, Quinnipiac University National Polls)  If that’s not enough 58% of Americans favor gays serving openly, compared to 28% opposed. (CBS News/New York Times National Poll)  The GOP and the Democrats have been open about listening to the American people that the American people have spoken on spending and tax increases and various other initiatives and yet they magically disregard how the American people have spoken both on Gay Marriage and Repeal of DADT.  

 

  Service Member Lt. Dan Choi has been an outspoken advocate of repealing this discriminatory policy after he was discharged after serving honorably for his country serving multiple duties in Iraq.  He is a role model and an inspiration to many people in the country to show that Gays and Lesbians not only deserve but have the right to be serve their country openly without fear of discharge or discrimination they are willing to lay down their lives to protect the rights we all so willingly exercise everyday.  Lt. Choi continues to protest in front of the White House with many other military personnel who have been discharged some are still serving and are risking their careers by speaking out.

 

  The Human Rights Campaign while outspoken at some times have not been all that effective in strong arming the Senators and Congressman to repeal the discriminatory law.  They've been pretty tame when it comes to calling out McCain on his bigoted stance and really hasn't been a strong voice in the fight for Gay Marriage.  I understand some people will disagree with me on this and that's ok we can agree to disagree after all it's our right, defended by our brave men and women in the military to have our opinions.  I keep looking for the Harvey Milk of my generation I want the Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton of the LGBT community and what I keep finding is a timid play by the rules type of crowd that seems to care more about compromise than about getting things done.  I don't pretend to be an expert in fact I don't think I'm qualified to be that person there are plenty of people out there with more knowledge and experience than I that I'd be happy to give the reigns over to.  I'd like to see at least before I die that strong commanding voice that person who is going to stand up and fight every time there is injustice not just send out a press release.  Rev. Al Sharpton has it right no matter what you may think of him and his tactics they are effective he gets his point across and many times has changed the outcome of decisions.

  John McCain may have been a maverick in his time but now he's become the butt of so many jokes and made himself look so bad in the eyes of the American people that I feel he has tarnished his record forever.  While he continues to move the goal post on issues such as DADT he is only showing his growing disregard for the truth a trait that used to be reserved for only the far Right wing of the GOP.  Facts and figures just get in the way when you're trying to score political points and what's a little white lie if it gets you another year in office.

   So while we all sit and ponder what's going to happen with the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich and if the START Treaty will pass and the Dream Act lets remember who has gained the House let's put into perspective that those who go around touting their position is for the people what the people really want.  Their vote will change a discriminatory policy and it is our job as the people to hold them accountable for each and every vote they cast.  I am actually so tired of being depressed when I watch the news that I took some time away from it and have been trying to just read online news or newspapers but I'm avoiding it when I get home.  It's sad to think that in this day and age we are still fighting the same fights that started in the 60s and 70s you would think at this point we would have moved forward a bit.   

 

  So next time you have that picture of John McCain in your head you know the one of a proud guy with an impressive military background think of the old miserable neighbor you used to have that would yell at all the kids on the block, "Hey you kids get off my lawn!"  That once proud hero has become nothing more than a bitter cynical old man who is still angry he lost his presidential run and would rather block progress than stand up for his brothers and sisters in arms.  If I was Keith Olbermann I'd give McCain WORST PERSON OF THE YEAR or maybe CENTURY I mean it is his fault we now have Sarah Palin.

#NerdsUnite

Thursday
Dec022010

Confessions of a Food Porn #Addict

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Snogvlog


Rachel Ray is hiding under my bed after I beat her into submission with a spatula.  Ok so maybe she isn't under my bed but damn she should be!  As a foodie I'm pretty upset with the so-called "Food Network" and their show lineup not only is it lacking enough emphasis on the "food" but its just downright MTv for cooks.  I haven't seen that much reality television since MTv killed the video star in the 90s.  I, like many people have Cablevision as my cable provider and normally I'm pretty damn happy with that but then I discovered the Cooking Channel on Verizon FIOS while staying at a friend's house.  Much to my dismay and absolute envy I did not have this channel nor would I be getting it in the near future apparently this is exclusive to FIOS, oh the horror!  I kid you not my fellow nerds I spent an entire weekend watching this channel show after show I was completely hooked it was exactly what I was looking for.  These were chefs they were foodies people who understood the need to know the intriquisies of Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, and dear GOD Carbs! 

There is an endless amount of blogs these days dedicated to all things food and apps on the Droid and iPhone about where and how to find your favorite food cart in your local cities.  These days everything is at your fingertips if you want to get some good food on your taste buds.   Foodienyc, Orangette, Cannelle et Vanille, The Wednesday Chef, Serious Eats and Dave Lebovitz to name a few have been gracing the blogosphere with the best tips and hot ideas for foodies to get their fix on.  It’s a virtual buffet an endless amount of choices on who to listen to what's in what's hot and what's not.  I'm a sucker for a good small venue something family owned and operated a small business a whole in the wall those are the gems in a sea of possibilities.  So why is Food Network not capitalizing on this golden opportunity, asking this to my friends they had many different answers but none was as poignant as one, it's all about money. 

Ah the joys of money that green stuff that makes the world go round and hookers show up at your door at 3 a.m. on a Thursday night.  Reality television sells just ask the Cake Boss New Jersey's biggest sellout, once a beloved bakery in Hoboken Carlo's Bakery had serviced the community for many years now people wait in line just to see him and pay $20 for a chocolate cream pie.  I'm exaggerating but I can tell you the prices have gone up and the lines wrap around two blocks just to get in.  A community that once had a family owned bakery now has a sellout fame whore.  Time and time again I watch chef after chef peddle their bakeware, knife sets, and books just to make a buck and yet can't remember the last time they actually worked in a restaurant kitchen.  Every hour on the hour we are bombarded with fluff shows like The Next Food Network Star, The Next Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge, Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, really? 

 The Cooking Channel has gone back to the organic roots of cooking and chefs like sexy Jamie Oliver have really begun to show us how to cook naturally from the earth.  Jamie's show is very simple it's him at his home cooking his favorite foods using ingredients right out of his backyard.  I watched this man pull carrots and beats out of the ground lay them on a pan drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil some seasoning and cook them in an outdoor brick oven it was heavenly.  Jamie takes the simple act of utilizing the earth to grow vegetables and cook only farm raised meats rather than caged hormone treated animals as the true natural way to eat.  Another show I really enjoyed on this channel is called David Rocco's Dolce Vita, shot in Italy the landscapes are beautiful the food is rustic and classic Italian and the people are beautiful!  What I absolutely adore about this show is the simplicity of the dishes they're very easy to make at home and very filling it also tugs at my heart strings considering I am 100% Italian.      

Nigella Lawson foods' Venus de Milo of the kitchen combines her love of decadent desserts with her newfound need to cook a little healthier for her husband and children.  Nigella's show is very earthy and sweet with a down home comfort food feel, once again she makes food that is easy to make at home with not a lot of prep work that any working mother/father or single person could make.  When this woman does a taste test of strawberries and chocolate it brings tingles down my spine I love that woman's curves, so sexy!

I even enjoy the camera feel of this network the lighting and the shots just seem very organic and way more natural than the bubbly poppy feel you get with Food Network it's just not as cartoonish.  I think my food snobbish attitude is coming out a bit in this article which I hadn't intended but I can't help it I’m tired of all this mindless crap.  Food is like sex you have your quickies (fast food), you have your standard (chain restaurant), exotic (ethnic food), and spicy (Mexican food), see the pattern?  It's a wonderful world where you can have options if you feel like one day you'd like to skip the foreplay of an appetizer, salad, you can just hit the fast food place nearest to you or are you tired of the same ol' same ol' (missionary position) then head to Sushi or Hibachi.  We live in a culture that craves more we always want to experience new trends and new foods so why not a channel for us pervs that want a little food porn every now and then.  I'm not above paying money to watch succulent duck being cooked with fresh grilled veggies or a homemade chocolate moose hell I'm a fat kid I can admit it, it gets me hot!

 The average everyday person cannot eat at a five star restaurant and doesn't know what a Michelin Award actually is so why treat everyone the same give us novice foodies things we can do at home stuff we can do when we travel abroad or a road trip in the states.  One thing I will not stand for however is a dumbed down version of a food channel and that is what Food Network has become, they've taken this amazing niche idea and completely ruined it.  Reality television makes you infertile, ok that's not true I just made it up, but it definitely makes you lose brain cells that’s for sure because there's no real substance you aren't really learning anything. 

What the Cooking Channel has brought to masses is a way to see other types of foods in their simplest forms, classic Italian, Indian, and Spanish with your all around universal comfort foods but instead of manufacturing their dishes and shows they actually teach, you learn, go figure.  Each Chef on the program is knowledgeable and they seem very experienced in what they do they don't just work they live what they speak about they aren't just in it for the money it's what they do its how they breathe and their life is food.  When a person has this type of passion for something it shows in both their personalities and in how they educate others and with this channel you are seeing all of that wrapped into a really well put together package.  So while not all of us can watch the XXX Cooking Channel yet I'm hoping one day that will change until then I am just going to have to visit and stay over my friends house more and I'm sure they'll just love that, ::insert sarcastic tone here::

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Tuesday
Nov302010

The #nerds are still angry over the #buffy reboot! 

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @SnogVlog

You know the shit has hit the fan when the tags #joss and #whedon are both trending on Twitter worldwide and every blog from here to Guam is writing about the Buffy reboot coming out of Warner Bros.  The truth is a rose by any other name just isn't a rose and a Buffy without Joss Whedon just isn't Buffy at all, period, end of sentence.  Dress it up put a hot chic writer named Whit (Whitney) Anderson in charge who has no writing credits to her name and a couple of small acting rolls but what you have is still a FAKE Buffy movie.  As a loyal fan I am saddened and quite frankly very disgusted by this entire thing I doubt it highly that loyal Friends fans would want a Friends movie without the original writers or the original cast. 

  For those who don't understand the history behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BTVS) it started from the mind of Joss Whedon who's idea was unfortunately not realized on the big screen and instead was basically butchered into what we all remember as that lame ass movie from 1992.  Joss; having the guts that he had said wait a minute I want to do a television show so I can realize the dream of what Buffy was meant to be and the WB got on board.  The cards were stacked against him from the beginning and most critics were dismissing this as another bomb but with excellent, witty writing and a talented young cast he managed to shut them all up in the first season.  It was apparent very early on that this Buffy was nothing like the movie we were first introduced to.  The series ran for seven seasons from 1997-2003 and touched upon many different parts of growing up as well as being the one and only slayer in the entire world. 

  Buffy Summers, was more than a television character to most young girls growing up she was them, navigating a world of metaphorical evil and monsters all while trying to deal with being a teenager and sometimes the world of monsters and teenage boys blur.  The responsibility that is put on the shoulders of teens today and how they seem to be forced to grow up faster than we did when we were younger, we all related.  Joss was careful and meticulous to be inclusive to all groups of teens showing how even if we all seem different we are really all the same we really do all deal with the same things in life.  The thought of making this movie without Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head, or James Marsters seems like a slap in the face to the creators, writers and all the loyal fans that followed these characters from their inception.  Each actor and actress made those characters their own we fell in love with them we cheered for them we cried for them and at times hated them but it was those people that made the characters come to life on screen.  You could absolutely do a BTVS movie with the original characters I mean for crying out loud they aren't in their 60s and when the show ended they were out of college approaching their 30s anyway. 

  Aside from the obvious reasons this movie shouldn't be made how about the fact that no one would go see it.  Warner Bros. stands to lose the entire fan base of BTVS alienating us its bad enough we have to watch movies like Twilight and shows like Vampire Diaries that clearly have taken most if not all of their storylines from BTVS.  Buffy and Angel constantly struggle to have a relationship as slayer and vampire, mortal and immortal, now its Edward and Bella, or Elena and Stephan the struggle between vampire and werewolf, good vamps vs. bad vamps who has a soul who doesn't, Buffy started it all, Joss started it all.  Warner Bros. is taking a beloved series that still to this day is more popular than ever and ruining it!  Could you imagine the first Star Trek movie being done without Captain Kirk or Spock, without William Shatner!?  I'm really starting to wonder if there are no good ideas left in Hollywood or will people just keep "rebooting" everything which is just another word for "remake."  The A-Team, Karate Kid, is nothing sacred anymore?!  Who's going to play Buffy, Willow Smith DEAR GOD NO!  I know for a fact there is certainly not a shortage of writers out there who would like to get a movie made who have original ideas and new scripts that no one has ever done before where is the creativity, the innovation have we all become PDiddy?

  BTVS meant a great deal to me it still does its one if not my ONE favorite television show of all time, right in front of Golden Girls, and to see it defamed hurts my heart.  All of us fans cry a little each time we think of this happening and if Whit Anderson has any amount of respect for the creator of the show (Joss) whom she vocally praises she will step down as the screen writer.  Whit take it from me you can't recreate genius you can't take a work from someone you admire and do something new or different with it because the best praise the best admiration comes from those who sit back and allow art to be what it is, art, a piece of history. 

  You want to really make a difference and pay homage to Joss? Whit, tell Warner Bros. you won't do this without Joss and without at least asking the original cast to join.  You want to blow our minds with your writing make us believers in you then continue the series take the season eight comics and bring them to the big screen.  Do the right thing for all the loyal fans that have spent years buying the DVDs, action figures, trading cards, and comics the people who wrote philosophy and psychology books based on the series those are the people you are servicing not Warner Bros.  In this crazy manufactured world of cheesy remakes we need a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel we need to know that light isn't an oncoming train.  I want to believe in you truly I do because I think a true fan understands the show and a person who has spent their lives dedicated to keeping its memory alive can really have a lot to add to the story.  If I had one wish this holiday season it would be that Joss Whedon reboots Buffy with all the original members of the BTVS cast, if only.

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