Death of a Porn Star

I have sad news: one of the world's most influential adult film stars has died today in her Malibu apartment. Obviously the major news stations aren't covering the event, but the news is big in the blogosphere and underground news networks.

I know it seems strange to mourn a porn star, but hear me out. Like hundreds of others, I first read the story out of MTV-style curiosity, but it turns out she was one of the first actresses to demand that all her films depict safe sex, including the use of condoms and dental dams. That's significant, people!

Admittedly, she was also infamous for starring in 'gang-bangs', which can hardly be characterized as safe, and she was known for some...well, severely kinky stuff. Anyways, to see some pictures of her life and work, click the link below, but just be warned that not all are safe for work!

Candy Johnson

~Earflaps

The Joker.

I wonder at how I use my freetime. ~Earflaps

P.S. I need to see that movie again asap, but it's hard to find movie buddies when your roommates decide to spend the summer in different states and then travel to India. Bastards. At least I have the internet to keep me company. And depressing Seattle grunge....I need to stop listening to local rock. Next week, hippie music!

Review of Mélange of Dances

Oh and this review was published as well:
July 7th, in the Ravindra Bharati theatre Hyderabadis were given a unique cross-cultural experience: an east-west fusion dance show. The show combined classical Kuchipudi dance with contemporary western ballet-based dance. Three young and ambitious dancers choreographed the entire performance, which was possible because of a joint effort between the Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad, the Department of Culture of Andhra Pradesh and the French Embassy. These three dancers intended to give life to a new style of dance; they wanted to make, according to the dancer Sheik Haleem, “something new to show what we are.”
The dancers were successful at attaining this goal, Haleem especially shined brightly in front of an eager audience. The show was divided into two parts. Each section began with a group Kuchipudi dance in which a group of female dancers introduced the three stars, Haleem, Koka Vijaylaksmi and Maia Bouthors. In the first section, the three artists demonstrate their individual dance expertise. Dressed in traditional garb, the two Kuchipudi dancers, Vijaylaksmi and Haleem, brought cheers from the crowded auditorium with their expressive and powerful movements. The western dressed Bouthors, then displayed expertise in combining her classical ballet training and the freedom of contemporary dance to tell emotion filled stories. The combination seemed a bit shaky during her first dance, but Maia redeemed herself in her second appearance with windswept grace and emotion. The first half of the performance displayed each individual’s dance style and contrasted the abrupt movements of Kuchipudi with the free flow of western ballet. The second half of the show would combine the two into an extravagant fusion.
The second half started exactly as the first had, with the same dance. The only differences were in costumes; the dancers were color coordinated allowing further expectations of a united style. I was worried. How could these three young people, one Christian, one Muslim and one Hindu, combine such contrary dance forms? I was expecting Frankenstein’s monster to emerge out of an explosion of cultural differences. What I saw, however, was fantastic and magical. It was clear that each dancer had taken the initiative to thoroughly understand and practice the other’s art. The fusion dances were unstoppable and gorgeous. Their talent and combined effort allowed these young artists to create something unforgettable that can be appreciated across borders, languages and cultures.

Sleepless in Hyderabad

Here is an article that RetroSweater wrote that got published in the Indian Express "Expresso" Magazine:
When the average citizens are snug in their beds in the wee hours of the morning, there are certain professionals who are just getting to work. In today’s fast paced world, it has become common to judge how busy a person is by how much sleep they get. Those getting little to no sleep are usually believed to be the busiest or most accomplished people. We wanted to know more about these night owls and the effects of sleeplessness on the Hyderabadi professional. Experts say that the lack of proper sleep can cause several problems with one’s work. Constant drowsiness aside, there can also be difficulty concentrating on work tasks, memory lapses, poor performance and moodiness. Plus,
‘Lack of sleep and neglect of sleep can cause several other problems like obesity and hormonal changes’ according to Dr. Vindhya of Apollo Hospital.
There is nothing routine about being a surgeon and the ability to adjust to a stressful and demanding lifestyle is what differentiates this profession from any other. As Dr. Tripti Deb puts it, “there’s no schedule, you have to be versatile. Whatever comes you have to take it.” Constantly engaged in several other practices outside their main domain, the primary complaint of many is that they are left with no time for family. Even on an officially declared holiday, an emergency trumps family clearly indicating the inability of today’s professionals to ‘switch off’. According to Head Constable of the Police Department, night calls can last the duration of the night, “Night calls come once or twice a week after which I go home, have something to eat and come back to work.”
Then there are BPO employees, the perfect example of an entire generation of sleep-deprived young professionals. “It’s not easy to get a restful sleep during the day because there are a lot of distractions and I get a maximum of 4 hours sleep. I have to get up by 10am because there are responsibilities to be seen to,” says Madiha Ahmedi of HSBC. Students catching just four to five hours of sleep a day in an attempt to balance work and studies end up missing out on their social life, “I don’t have time to spend with friends because I catch up on my sleep during the weekends off!” says Madiha.
One can easily see that the result of such a hectic and unbalanced schedule could lead people to burn out early in life. However, there is some hope in getting rest without having to change careers. Looking at the active and energetic Senior Cardiologist, Dr. Tripti Deb, one would never expect that she sometimes takes on 72-hour work shifts, nor would you expect that she takes naps and does yoga between patients. According to this vivacious doctor, the key to functioning without sleep is a healthy lifestyle.
Her diet consists of, not copious amounts of coffee, but rather antioxidants (found in green tea), green veggies and an overall “rainbow diet” of fruits. She also practices yoga, including the techniques of Shavasana (also known as ‘corps pose’) and Yoga Nidra, which translates to ‘sleep of the yogis.’ To this doctor, regarding sleep as well as family “it’s not how much time you spend, it’s the quality time you spend.” Approaching a challenging work life as this with a positive attitude, taking it all in one’s stride helps to keep focused and fresh when meeting the high demands of work in today’s Hydrabad.

RetroSweater is in INDIA

So, I was writing an e-mail to my dear friend, Earflaps, from my wonderful Newspaper Internship slash family visiting vacation in India.

Her response to my e-mail:

Retrosweater, you lazy ass! You take what you just wrote me, and you go put
that shit on our blog.

_____
Here goes:

I did celebrate the 4th of July, even though I'm not in the US.
I went out and got smashingly drunk with my host mom (or,
rather, the woman who I'm staying with while I do my internship).

I think I'm in love with her (in a 'please adopt me' or 'be my best
friend'-kind of way) and her family.

She's a single mom with a thirteen year old boy that she spoils
completely (who recently went off to boarding school in tears, but
comes home every weekend anyways). Also, her elderly mother also
living in their house and we have great conversations.

Man, if divorce seems tough in the US (which, it actually doesn't
really... unless one party makes it tough), it's an outright crime in
India... really really sucks for this woman. She's become the 'black
sheep' of her family and she constantly faces uphill battles with
institutions (school forms that ONLY ask for the father's name; the
fact that the fathers here don't have to help in any way in raising
children if there is a divorce) and people (who see her differently
because she is divorced) and a bleak dating scene.

But, she's one of those crazy-strong and hilariously funny people who
fights stubbornly (getting that one school to change the form to
'parent's name') and being successful (managing this state's branch
of the 'Female Condom Project' to promote safe-sex and prevent the
spread of HIV/AIDS) and raising a really cool kid.

Frankly, i like the people I'm staying with more than any of the
people I'm actually related (many of whom live in this city). This is
with the exception of my cousin Naveen, who put me in this house
because he thought his home was too small to accommodate me (which, at
first, I was really pissed off  about because it seems really silly,
I'm a small person... now I'm glad because I got to meet this lady and
her kid).

Anyway, last weekend I went to spend time with another cousin and her
two daughters, both of whom are my age. I left on Saturday afternoon
and it was assumed that I would stay until Monday morning. I was
really psyched because, other than work, I hadn't been able to see
people my age in the evenings or just to hang out.
Upon arrival I realized that there was no way in hell that i would
sleep there for two nights. Mostly because they treated me like I
was from space. They were a tiny bit mean about it too. They
assumed i didn't understand any Telugu, even though I told them that
I did... so they would talk about me, in front of me and laugh at
what they said IN A LANGUAGE I CAN UNDERSTAND! Every time I would say
some thing in Telugu, they would get all amused and 'aww thats so
cute', so I stopped. Instead I spoke only in English and pretended to
not understand what they were saying, which, half the time they would
whisper and speak really quickly to each other RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME
and I really didn't understand them. Then they were really really
patronizing. Like, I ended up naming the younger cousin (who is
exactly my age and speaks great English) 'Capt. Obvious' because she
would keep pointing to foods and objects that I KNOW and tell me
their names. Worst example, while on a bus, she points out the window:
"That is a fruit Maar-ket, there they sell fruits."
I was like, 'right, thanks, I can see'

Ugh, and I have to go back next weekend again... Sat through
Monday... 'cause more relatives are going to meet me there (which is
nice, I just can't stand these people who are my age).

Oh, and at the house, the Capt. showed me some 200 pictures (she
called them "pics") on the computer OF HERSELF... then occasionally,
especially if there were other people in the picture, she would turn
to  me and ask "can you tell which is me?"
And I'd think, hmm... well.. I know you... and I've already seen
about forty pictures of you, during which you would point and say,
"this is me"... hmm... maybe I'll use the process of freaking
elimination. Or maybe I'll just assume that you're the one that looks
like YOU! WHICH IS CRAZY! 'Cause you're weird looking.

Once I had the strong desire to get really really serious and worried
and ask "if you're in the picture, how can you also be sitting here?"

Maybe next time.

Now, I'll get back to work.
Peace,

Retrosweater (your resident American Born Confused Desi- ABCD)