I’m at Martha’s Vineyard for the weekend with Rachel and Nichelle. I’m not a posh woman; I just play one on the internet. ;) On a more serious note, I’m extremely thankful that Rach and her family invited us out here. For your viewing pleasure, below are a few photos from the weekend thus far; I’ll post the rest of the pictures on Flickr when I return to Manhattan.
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Earlier this year, I presented Adult Conversations: Sex, Intimacy & Online Relationships at South by Southwest (SXSW) — a conference / festival in three parts: interactive, film and music. As some of you know, I already have a panel up for consideration for 2009. But, here’s the thing … I don’t want to go to Austin just to “go to Austin.” I’ve already been there before; I’ve got a good friend in the city, and I can go there any time I want to. I’ve been online forever. So, I wanna present at SXSW again because I genuinely support, want to contribute to and believe in the goals of the fest. From their website: “Attracting digital creatives as well as visionary technology entrepreneurs, the event celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology. Whether you are a hard-core geek, a dedicated content creator, a new media entrepreneur, or just someone who likes being around an extremely creative community, SXSW Interactive is for you!” Studio SX interviewed Zoe & me at SXSW this year. Here’s the video:
TO VOTE for me: (1) Visit my page over at SXSW, (2) Click the number of yellow stars you’d like to rate my panel and (3) Sign in. Yes, there’s a sign in. No, it doesn’t take long. And, no, they won’t email you. I think they just need some way to track votes to keep everything fair. Because the deadline is tomorrow, please take a quick second to vote. You can even do it right now. By the way, heeeey, I just noticed I mentioned the “brown blogger” and “sex blogger” communities in the video; here are a few relevant panels up for consideration right now:
SEX BLOGGERS ( … we talk about stuff besides/including sex, ya know!)
Rachel Kramer Bussel, Cupcakes Take the Cake, Nom Nom Nom: The Secrets of Successful Foodblogging
Twanna A. Hines, FUNKYBROWNCHICK.com, How to Protect Your Brand Without Being a Jerk!
Zoe Margolis, Girl with a One Track Mind, Bloggers: You’re Fired!
Rex Sorgatz (Fimoculous) & Melissa Gira Grant (Valleywag), Sex Lives of the Microfamous
BROWN BLOGGERS
George Kelly, Bay Area News Group, Rules for Radicals: Strategic Interventions vs. New Media
Twanna A. Hines, FUNKYBROWNCHICK.com, How to Protect Your Brand Without Being a Jerk!
Carmen Van Kerckhove, Racialicious, Can Social Media End Racism?
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Credit paid: Got the heads up about this one via New York magazine.
Yesterday, I went to the 9th Annual Hudson River Blues and BBQ Festival over on the west side of 14th Street at the river. Delicious BBQ ribs, freshly grilled corn and homemade cookies served by a 20-something cub with brown hair and blue eyes who was waaaaay too cute for words. “You’re all excited about the food,” the Rob Lowe look-a-like laughed as he looked at my grinning face. “Oh baby,” I whispered in a friend’s direction, “it’s not his food that’s got me all hot and bothered.” What a cutie. Anyway, back to the blues.
Born in Chicago and raised in Mississippi, I’m somewhat of a snob about that stuff. (See Chicago blues. See Mississippi blues.) Still, the fest was really good and great times were had by all. In one of those “only in New York” moments, I was enjoying the the hoochy coochy music on the gorgeously sunny day when a brown-haired New York Sun reporter snapped pictures of me and asked me interview questions about my clothes. Sweetest little thing, she was. Apparently she was writing a story about the Best Dressed at the Fest or something like that.
This morning, I went online to www.nysun.com to read the piece on then ran to the newsstand to get a hard copy. Why? Because I get really geeked up about that stuff. I love fashion. Pretty clothes make me happy. Plus, although I’m a New Yorker now, I come from a long line of country-bumpkins; we get excited when we see our picture in the newspaper. New Yorkers, on your way home today, pick up a copy of the New York Sun. Out-of-town folks, read the article online here:
The Belles & Gents of the Hudson River Park Blues BBQ Festival
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Photo credit: See images of me and the other festival-goers online at New York Sun.
I totally caught Olympic Fever!!! I saw the US men’s swim team competitions on TV, contemplated touching myself every time Jamaican Usain Bolt ran or French Canadian Alexandre Despatie dove, and got hooked on rumors about women’s beach volleyball team member Misty May Treanor’s friendship with Jason Kidd. She has his number trampstamped. Um. Friendship. Okay. Moving right along …
Did you know “tug of war” used to be an Olympic sport? No, really, I’m not shitting you. Once upon a time, people actually got gold medals for using their hands to pull rope. Just like The Tug eventually got yanked off the schedule, watching the Summer Olympics made me think a few other sports should get cut. It’s Manly Monday. So, tell me, if you could choose, which men’s summer sport would you vote off the Olympic island?
BADMINTON
ARCHERY
BMX CYCLING
WEIGHT LIFTING
TABLE TENNIS
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Photo credit: Cute little mauve images appear online at Olympics.org
If the video does not appear above, view it using this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxymHJNI9Iw
It’s another gorgeous day in sunny Manhattan. Crazy busy week, but I’m not gonna stress about it. Life’s too short. Besides, I’m excited about tonight’s evening plans. RSVPed for three parties. Oooh, that reminds me … If you’re a New Yorker, drop by In the Flesh. I’ll be there at some point during the evening. So, if you’re going, see you there. For the rest of you, I’ll take pics and post them on my Flickr. Seriously, 8pm is soooo close I can almost taste Happy Ending’s “Blackberry Cosmo” on my lips. Can’t wait.
IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 8 PM
HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE
302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue)
http://www.happyendinglounge.com
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676“Summer heats up as In The Flesh celebrates the release of host Rachel Kramer Bussel’s latest anthology Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica, with readings from contributors M. David Hornbuckle, Andy Horwitz, and Madlyn March. Also featured are novelist Jessica Anya Blau (The Summer of Naked Swim Parties), comedian and playwright Julie Klausner (Wasp Cove), erotic poet Monica Day (host of A Taste of Sex) and filmmaker Tony Comstock. Copies of Spanked will be available for sale and the book trailer will be shown. Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Spanked, Rubber Sex, Dirty Girls). Free candy and cupcakes will be served.”
I read at the series a short while back. Here’s the video if you missed it:
My op-ed response to Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt’s comment that black women who have sex with white men (and/or white women who have sex with black men) produce beautiful babies.
After looking over the list of nominees for the Black Weblog Awards, I picked up my laptop, violently spiked it on the ground and screamed out in fit of roid rage, “I don’t want that award!!!!!!! I came here to win gold!!!!!!” Yes, people, if you’ve not heard to news: Ara Abrahamian is a madman. More on that in a bit …
Welcome to Manly Monday. In case you didn’t know, I’m a single, funky brown chick in New York City. I write about sex, dating and relationships on this blog, in print and online magazine articles and in (upcoming) books. It would be easy to be a jaded single woman who bitches & moans about her dating life. Truth be told, sometimes I am that woman. But, for better or worse, I like men. A lot. Most of my exboyfriends, fuckbuddies, friends, dates and other dudes have been amazing guys. They’ve planned my surprise birthday parties, fucked me really good when I needed it, kissed me in ways that made me feel cherished and gave me dinners, presents, drinks and priceless things like love, affection and companionship. I adore men. So, at the top of every week, we pay homage to the earth’s bedicked in a series called “Manly Mondays.” We’ve talked about men who date older women, Asian dudes, Pete Cashmore, white guys who date brown chicks, our favorite black nerds and we’ve also told guys how to hide their erections when needed. Today’s Manly Monday pick? Olympian Ara Abrahamian.
Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian is a 33-year-old lunatic. After losing to Italy’s Andrea Minguzzi, Ara got in the referee’s face, screamed out at International Olympic Committee officials, used his fist to punch some type of metal safety barrier thing and then … here’s the good part … WON a bronze medal for his earlier wrestling performance. Yes, people, the dude took the #3 slot in a worldwide competition. That’s quite an accomplishment, right?
Nope. Mr. Grumpypants wasn’t happy at all. After they gave Ara his award, he took it off his neck, dropped it on the ground and walked away. “I don’t care about this medal,” he told reporters. “I wanted gold.” A symbol of peace, love and happiness Ara is not. So, the IOC stripped him of his medal calling Ara’s behavior, “in itself an insult to the other athletes and to the Olympic movement. It is also contrary to the spirit of fair play.” You tell me: The Fury of Ara Abrahamian. Yes, they should’ve taken his medal away from him *OR* no, he rightfully earned it and he should’ve been allowed to keep it.
Now, circling back to a competition mentioned in the begining of this post …THANK YOU to everyone who nominated my site (FUNKY BROWN CHICK) for a BWA. I’m a finalist. :) Yay!!! Smooches and hugs for the support. Pretty please vote for me and some of my favorite blogs like Pam’s House Blend, Jack & Jill Politics, The Black Snob, Afrobella, Yeah … I Said IT / ListenToLeon and a bunch of other great blogs.
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