Curve articles from July 2008

Curve archives from July 2008

New girls on the block.(Frankly Speaking)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... This year's crop of artists was discovered through the following: MySpace, a bar in Palm Springs, a Philadelphia hospital, a New York underground club, a Texas festival and an L.A. tattoo parlor, as well as through friends, dates and, in one...

How do you get your game on?(Letters)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 34% Uh, none! (I have a job and a girlfriend) 23% Nintendo Wii (Family fun and a great workout) 12% Xbox 360 (Halo is my bread and butter) 11% Playstation 3 (I want it all) 9% Old School (I've still got...

No Cosmo, please.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... This letter is in response to Myca in Atlanta [Vol. 18 #4] and her thoughts on making CURVE"a Cosmo for Lesbians." What is that about? This magazine has a lot to offer lesbians today. The last thing it needs to become is a skinny, fashion,...

Why no Dykes on Bicycles?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... We were shocked to read last month's "Women and Wheels" special [Vol. 18 #3] and see no mention of bicycles! Pedal pushers have long been members of the queer community. Our gas-free alternative transportation is a huge part of the lesbian...

Kudos on internet bullying.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Victoria Brownworth always has excellent opinion pieces, especially her bully column ["Mean Girls Never Grow Up," Vol. 18 #4]. She hit the nail on the head with that one. I absolutely love her politics, too.

Don't vote McCain.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... All I can say about Lynne Postel's endorsement of John McCain for president is she has to be kidding ["McCain Is My Only Man," Vol. 18 #4]. As a woman, how can she ever think of voting for him? If anyone cares about a woman's right to choose,...

No more bi bashing.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... I just finished reading Dipstick's response to Torn in Taipei [Vol. 18 #3], and I must say that her last words, "Bi girls are no more unfaithful than gay gals. Let 2008 be the year we lesbians stop bi bashing (and trans bashing, too)" were...

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?(Letters)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 34% Across the United States (I've always wanted to road trip) 23% Southeast Asia-Australia (Perfect place when the dollar is dropping) 16% Latin-South America (Just the right temperature) 15% Eurasia (I'd love to travel the Silk...

Ease up on the L Word.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Being a single lesbian mom, I wanted to say that I loved the May issue [Vol. 18 #4]. The stories and articles on parenting were great reads. I loved all the information that you guys provided for being greener, such as websites for ecofriendly...

One more for the L Word.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Just a few lines on how great your magazine. Let us know about The L Word's sixth season. Is it rolling yet? Thanks to The L Word, I found out about curve magazine

One donor, two gals.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... My partner-wife and I especially enjoyed Elizabeth Stark's story, "Tales from the Crib," [Vol. 18 #4] about having two children at the same time. We did the exact same thing back in 2002 and we now have two wonderful kids--almost 6 years old...

Dani not the perfect Lesbian?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... You certainly make life more difficult for some ladies. What's with all the horn blowing for Dani? Professional haircut, makeup and tailored suit. Is that what is required to make the perfect lesbian? I thought your magazine was intended to...

Got something on your mind?(Letters)
July 1, 2008... Email letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE Letters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to 415-863-1609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction notice)
July 1, 2008... "Prep for Pride NYC" [Vol. 18 #4] was written by Kelli Dunham; "Follow the Leader" [Vol. 18 #4] was written by Diane Walsh; Amanda's last name in "Tila's Girls" [Vol. 18 #3] is Ireton.

Editor's note.(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... My first big rockstar interview was--egads--18 years ago, in a tiny smoke-filled club in New Orleans. My subjects: a super-hip early dyke rock band called Two Nice Girls, which featured a singer (Gretchen Phillips) who had become my latest...

Helping Jewish teens.(Out in Front)(Idit Klein)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... It was the blue numbers tattooed onto her aunt's arm during the Holocaust that ultimately led Idit Klein to a life of activism. Having been told as a young girl that "bad men" had done this to her aunt because she was a Jew, Klein felt...

Coming out in Bosnia.(Out in Front)(Svetlana Durkovic)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... When she left her Bosnian home in 1992 to be an exchange student in the United States, Svetlana Durkovic couldn't have imagined the carnage that would soon engulf her homeland. Within the next three years, 200,000 Bosnians would be killed...

Getting us off our tushies.(Out in Front)(Barbara McCullough-Jones)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Growing up in the inner-city projects of Seattle turned out to be a good thing for her, says Barbara McCullough-Jones. Why? "Because it taught me to work hard and treat everything I get as a gift," she says. "No sense of entitlement or...

Make your fourth of July green.(Curvatures)
July 1, 2008... Midsummer is a time for picnics, barbecues, dinner parties, dance parties, karaoke parties and plain old party parties. However, as great as they are, these events create waste. But they don't necessarily have to create a lot of it. If you are...

The gift that keeps on growing.(Curvatures)(Trees for a Change)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... If you or someone you know has ever been accused of treehugging, then Trees for a Change may have just what you need. The woman-owned, Santa Rosa, Calif.-based company sells trees as gifts, but not like other companies. Owner Kim Isley, who got...

Reduce your wedding footprint.(Curvatures)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... If you're planning a wedding ceremony, you're certainly considering the numerous costs involved. But what about the environmental costs? Portovert, a magazine dedicated to the environmentally and socially conscious bride in partnership with...

Booze to the rescue.(Curvatures)(Oakville Ranch)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Now you can enjoy your evening chardon-nay or cabernet sauvignon while saving the world. Gay-friendly Oakville Ranch in California's Napa Valley, known for its mountain-grown wines, is run by three women who believe in helping the planet. ...

In my green opinion ...(Curvatures)(Green Festival)
July 1, 2008... When I moved to San Francisco in September 2006, one of the first things I did (after scoring a job and a MUNI pass) was to check out the Green Festival. It came into town like a circus, and like a child I showed up bright eyed and eager. These...

News notes.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... On May 16, Calfornia made history when the state Supreme Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage. It was momentous for many reasons. California is the most populous state, and policies made there often have a ripple effect on other...

Juicy booty babes.(Curvatures)(The Full Body Project )(Book review)
July 1, 2008... Consistent with his mission on Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy has a new book of photography, The Full Body Project (Five Ties Publishing), that charts new territories--but in social convention and beauty. Displayed prominently on the cover are the...

When I started interviewing soldiers, I kept thinking.(She Said)(Quotation)
July 1, 2008... "When I started interviewing soldiers, I kept thinking, 'I should not be making a movie about the war; this is not what I should be doing.' But I remember telling myself that before: 'I should not be making a film about a girl who cross-dresses...

George Bush is a war criminal.(She Said)(Quotation)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... "George Bush is a war criminal. I re-registered as an Independent because of him." --Rosie O'Donnell, at the For All Kids Foundation's 10th annual fundraiser

Suede.(She Said)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... "Marvin Hamlisch's manager called and said, 'If you lose 60 pounds, I'll make you the next Barbra Streisand.' I said, 'Why don't I gain 60 pounds and you can make me the next Mama Cass, because that position is at least available.'"--Suede,...

We're judging people by the vehicle that contains them.(She Said)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... "We're judging people by the vehicle that contains them. You're being cruel and disrespectful to their spirit. Spirit has no sexuality or color or accent or even religion. I suppose that's why it grieves me even more that people behave the way...

Nicole "Cole" Robbins.(Open Studio)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Cole Robbins began her art career in a college class, but she started out by standing in front of the canvas, not behind it. She modeled for the same drawing class for seven years before taking pencil in hand. Since then she has done...

Cynthia Nixon.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Cynthia Nixon was recently honored at the Point honors arts benefit with the Point Courage Award. The benefit raised $350,000, and also honored Time Warner with the Point Inspiration Award. Nixon's co-stars from hit TV show Sex and the City...

Sen. Ted Kennedy.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Sen. Ted kennedy announced that he will lead the movement to pass the employee Non-discrimination act through the Senate, but this controversial law will not protect employees who are transgender or whose appearances do not match their gender...

Archbishop Desmond Tutu.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... In the first-ever direct address of an archbishop to a large gathering of the united states LGBT community, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco for A Celebration of Courage, the...

Million Fag March.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... A crowd of more than 400 people gathered in Topeka, Kan., in a Million Fag March to protest against Fred Phelps' God Hates Fags group, which has gained notoriety for picketing military funerals while claiming that God is punishing America for...

Two Alabama high school girls, 17-year-old Chelsea Overstreet and 16-year-old Lauren Martin.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Two Alabama high school girls, 17-year-old Chelsea Overstreet and 16-year-old Lauren Martin, were given permission to attend their prom together after Jackson County Circuit Judge John Graham's decision that the Board of Education had banned...

New York Governor David Paterson addressed the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards.(NEWS NOTES)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... New York Governor David Paterson addressed the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards via video, urging "New York's civil rights leaders to recognize that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities deserve...

What's your flavor? Pop stars get a taste of the ladies.(Lesbofile)
July 1, 2008... Whether it's about outed relationships, straight girls allegedly dating straight girls or dietary preferences, this month's Lesbofile is all about the flavor of the week. Playing Doubles Good-girl-pop-singer-turned-actor Mandy Moore...

Scence.
July 1, 2008... CURVE'S April issue release party at San Francisco's Hotel Kabuki was a smash. With advice columnists Lipstick and Dipstick hosting, a sizzling performance by the Pin Up Girls, and of course our covergirl Dani Campbell signing autographs, it...

Why do you copy heteros?(Lipstick & Dipstick)(Column)
July 1, 2008... Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I would like to know why lesbians subscribe so blatantly to the heterosexual gender roles via butchfemme relationships. My gay male friends tell me that most gay men don't do the butch-femme thing: Most masculine gay...

Crying time again.(Ask Fairy Butch)(Column)
July 1, 2008... Dear Fairy Butch: My partner of four years has decided she needs to go out, find herself and learn to be independent. She worked and brought in money the same as I did, and we shared all money and expenses. Last year we moved out to Colorado...

Six rules for music fests: make your women's weekend in the woods more enjoyable.(Relationships)
July 1, 2008... If listening to live music makes you think of rolling in the mud, breaking your back in a tent, running around half-naked and eating vegetarian chili out of a paper cup, then you, no doubt, have been to a women's music festival. Include on this...

Women's festivals keep on truckin.
July 1, 2008... It's been at least a decade since the death knell began to sound for women's music festivals. Comics started making jokes about the demise. Authors and filmmakers began to produce histories about women's festivals at a furious rate. It's...

10 Ways you can prevent cancer.(Body)
July 1, 2008... 1. Go to the gyno. Make sure to get checkups and Pap smears regularly. 2. Practice safe sex. High-risk behavior could hurt you. Make sure to get regular screenings and watch where she puts her you-know-what. 3. After age, 40, get...

Help! she's ok, but I'm a wreck.
July 1, 2008... My mother is dying. She seems fine, but I just don't know how to cope with the news. What can I do? I'm sorry for what you're experiencing now. I understand you're going through a very tough time. No matter what kind of relationship you've...

Home sweet home.(Life)
July 1, 2008... Can homeowners refuse to sell or lesbians? Yes, they can. Unless sexual orientation is specifically mentioned in state or local laws, there is no in-surance against discrimination. However, most blue states have passed anti-discrimination...

Free in love and money.(Astro Grrl)
July 1, 2008... Cancer (June 22-July 23) Sex: Spend lavishly on your love life this summer, since you get what you pay for. By August, you may find a well-endowed benefactress to refill your coffers. Whoo hoo! Career: Put your best ideas into motion on...

Car insurance clues.(Life)
July 1, 2008... Buying auto insurance is frustrating, confusing and stressful. Take the time to sit down and actually read your whole policy. There are tons of hidden provisions that can either help or hurt you. If you're having trouble getting through the...

Reduce, reuse, recycle: it's not an emotional wreck, it's a salvage operation.(Dyke Drama)
July 1, 2008... I go green all the time, especially when some dyke tells me that she has never gone back to the same dyke twice. Green with envy, that is. Because for years, it seemed that all my drama was of the recycled variety. I just couldn't break up...

Why do they hate us? How the media treats Hillary is indicative of how the world sees women: as second-class citizens.(Politics)
July 1, 2008... This year's protracted Democratic presidential primary reminded me of what I spend most days trying to forget: Women are hated. Hated to death. Hillary Clinton became the locus for American misogyny over the primary season. The vitriol...

Obama defends himself against gay criticism.(IN THE NEWS)(Barack Obama )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... In an interview with the Advocate, Sen. Barack Obama rejected the idea that he has been avoiding the LGBT press. "I haven't been silent on gay issues... I guess my point would be that the fact that I'm raising issues accor dant to the...

Former surgeon general criticizes abstinence-only education.(IN THE NEWS)(Joycelyn Elders )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... At the Race Sex Power: New Movements in Black & Latina/o Sexualities conference at the University of Illinois, the largest of its type to date, former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders made an inspiring speech emphasizing the importance of...

Congress hears testimony on don't ask, don't tell.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Lawrence J. Korb, a former assistant secretary of state who served under President Ronald Reagan, spoke out about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. He urged Congress to "get rid of outmoded social restrictions" and called the ban on openly gay...

LGBT legal groups call for compassion.(IN THE NEWS)(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... A coalition of 27 LGBT rights organizations is calling on Ventura County, Calif., prosecutors to try 14-year-old Brandon Mclnerney as a juvenile. Mclnerney has been charged as an adult in the Feb. 12 murder of his classmate Lawrence King....

The city of Sisterly Affection: the Philly Queer music scene's coming of age.(On the Road)
July 1, 2008... In the past, Philadelphia was a city known more for its cheesesteaks than for its music scene. Many of its LGBT residents believed the scope of events available to them was limited geographically to the "Gayborhood," which encompasses a few...

We happen to love Vegas.(On the Road)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Millions flock to Vegas for gambling, swank eateries and late-night partying. Our upcoming guide will offer other funtastic things to do, like marry your sweetie in Sin City, visit the spectacular Liberace museum, and raft your way down the...

Bump! The ultimate gay travel companion.(Get Traveling)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
July 1, 2008... Bump! The Ultimate Gay Travel Companion (BumpDVD.com): For women on the go, Bump! is a good place to start. This series (available on 16 DVDs) covers different areas all around the world and can give you a good sense of where to find the queer...

Gay getaways.(Get Traveling)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
July 1, 2008... Gay Getaways (ariztical.com): The first four episodes of this travel show, available on DVD, center on Southern California locales. Discover the best place in West Hollywood to buy your butch honey some stylish briefs and how to get a hotel...

Naughty Nashville: there's more to do than visit the king.(On the Road)
July 1, 2008... Country stars, gospel music and the lights of Lower Broadway have long been associated with the nightlife in Nashville, Tenn. However, natives know it's hard to find any actual country stars (they are all on the road), gospel music has mostly...

Global gal.(Shannon McDonough )(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Shannon McDonough has what most people consider a dream job; she travels the world for the new queer travel show, Bump!., reporting on the places the rest of us should go when we're not working. While covering Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia,...

Party in Vegas.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Yeah, yeah, we all know what happens here, stays here. But trust me, you're going to be texting home about the 2nd Annual Gay Days and Nights in Las Vegas. Sin City's businesses and community organizations are rolling out the red carpet for...

Uh-Huh, they're hot: fresh off The L Word, Leisha Hailey makes sweet music with her co-pilot, Camila Grey, and the new band Uh-Huh Her.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... The name Uh-Huh Her--taken from a 2004 PJ Harvey song, and the album of the same name--may be a little awkward to pronounce, but the band's quick rise to prominence has actually been totally organic and anything but awkward. Former...

Groove is in the heart: Telenovela Star went from the laundromat to iTunes.
July 1, 2008... When I was a teen, there was nothing sexier than driving with the windows down, my hair blowing and the radio blasting something loud and catchy or melancholy and devastating. Today, we're all downloading our music, blasting it from iPods that...

Our totally incomplete timeline of lez-rock.(Hot Moments in Rock)(Chronology)
July 1, 2008... Some are underlooked, some are forgotten, others are pinned up on walls around the world: They are the bitchin' ladies who have rocked our queer little pop music worlds over the years. From the big-voiced blues belters to groundbreaking folkies...

Something up her sleeve.(Liz Stahler)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Liz Stahler is not just a gal with a guitar--she's already earned significant recognition as a performer and recording artist. Her first fulllength album, Stitches in My Sleeve, and the subsequent tour has officially put her on the map....

Let the healing begin: Rocker Nicole Reynolds will make house calls.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Stumbling onto her own music career after a fateful night at an open mic, jazz guitarist and former music promoter Nicole Reynolds put out a CD, This Arduous Alchemy, and has been touring nonstop ever since. The 24-year-old folk-rock singer,...

Smashing the gender divide: electro-pop artist Nicky Click is femme-tastic and proud of it.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... It was around 9 p.m. in a brightly lit pizza joint in tony burg of Santa Fe, N.M. Not exactly the type of spot where you'd expect to find a postmodern, PC-wielding, punk-dance princess. But then, Nicky Click is nothing if not unpredictable. So,...

Where everybody knows your name: Musician Jana Losey gives a small town something to talk about.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Jana Losey must be on cloud nine. Her new record, Blocks, is absolutely gorgeous. She's got her own reality TV show, called The Song You Heard, which the Fox affiliates in Pennsylvania and beyond are way into. And she's living in her hometown...

All hail the queen: guitar phenomenon Kaki King dreams of revenge.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... After the release of her fourth studio album, Dreaming of Revenge, and given her recent collaborations with Tegan and Sara and the Foo Fighters, and her work on the score for Sean Penn's film Into the Wild, we might excuse 28-year-old guitar...

Throwing it down: KIN proves they can rock the mic.(rap group)
July 1, 2008... In the golden age of hip-hop, women wore the pants--baggy and belted, with oversize T-shirts, and the only tight things were their rhymes. Queen Latifah, Bahamadia, MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa, got butts shakin' all across the country, just to name...

Broken, but still sweet: Lauren DeRose keeps on truckin'.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... We've all had days where we feel like we've been hit by a truck. But for San Diego musician Lauren DeRose of LDR & the Kates, this was quite literally the case when three weeks before the release of her debut album, Broken, Sweet, she was hit...

No controlling these queers: this indie label channels riot grrrl attitude.
July 1, 2008... In the spirit of the early '90s riot grrrl DIY movement, three friends recently said, Enough talking about starting an indie, queer, punk music label, let's do it. The brainchild of Marlene Melendez, Nikki Fraietta and Amber Charlick, San...

Hit the road: these two quirky performers are taking the U.S. by storm.(Kit Yan and Melissa Li )
July 1, 2008... Kit Yan and Melissa Li have got a plan: one car, two performers and a whole lot of America. This is the Good Asian Drivers Tour, and, as the name suggests, it's not your typical cross-country jaunt. Yan, a 23-year-old transgender slam poet, and...

Is "women's music" really dead? The underground is alive and thriving.
July 1, 2008... Singer-songwriter Cris Williamson has sold over a million albums and helped launch a genre of music, but many lesbians no longer recognize her as the women's music pioneer she is, Williamson represents the rich lineage of lesbian musicians who...

she makes the whole world sing.(Karen Kane )
July 1, 2008... In the '70s, Karen Kane (mixmama.com) sat at a recording studio sound board, intent on ther current project. A guy who was scheduled for the next session sauntered in, looked at Kane and asked, "Where's the engineer?" That doesn't happen...

Ghost whisperer: Montana rocker Danielle Egnew sings, contacts ghosts and talks about her va-jay-jay. What can't she do?(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Danielle Egnew's musical career hasn't been swinging at nothing since the Montana-raised songstress stepped into the limelight. From "kicking butt and taking names" with the all-girl band Pope Jane, to releasing her first acoustic album, Red...

Pop princess.(Alyson)
July 1, 2008... The rainbow flags that pop up in her videos sure help. The fact that her one-word name is the same as that of an LGBT publisher and travel agency doesn't hurt, either. But for Alyson, a staple of West Coast Pride celebrations whose dance...

Sage wisdom: this piano princess releases her eighth album.(Rachael Sage )(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Bisexual New York alt-pop songstress Rachael Sage is a self-taught pianist who juggles writing, recording, producing and running her own label, MPress Records. This Renaissance woman is on the verge of releasing her eighth album, Chandelier....

Unapologetic estro-rock.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... My introduction to ZoiRose, the freshman New York City all-female band, came via YouTube. "Stalker's Anthem," the lead single from the band's 2008 debut CD, off Road to Redemption (Novakain Entertainment Records), exploded off the screen with...

Misdemeanors of missy: music's newest "It Girl" is worth all the hype.(Missy Higgins)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... After speaking one-on-one with Missy Higgins, I thought she was quite shy and reserved, not at all the person I saw performing in San Francisco a few days later. She is one of the few artists who sounds better live than on CD, and on stage she...

GoGirls is all about the ladies.(GoGirlsMusic.com)
July 1, 2008... GoGirlsMusic.com is an online store, a record label, an event coordinator but, most of all, a community. And it's all about promoting indie women in music. Madalyn Sklar, the founder of GoGirls, began the organization in 1996 to connect female...

The dance of death: move over, cliks. There's a new queer DIY band that everyone loves, especially the kids.(Dance Yourself to Death)
July 1, 2008... Sometimes, it seems, things just come together without a ton of effort, like in those old sandwich bag commercials--"yellow and blue make green!" Simple as that. And while your experience with baggies may not be as life-changing as it was in...

Come out, come out, wherever you are! For bisexuals, the lovely lifelong process of coming out is often twice as long--a double life sentence, if you will.(bi.licious)
July 1, 2008... Some queers claim they never had to do it at all; most are doing it all the time. For bisexuals, coming out can be doubly complicated. With every new relationship, our public image and perceived sexuality can change completely, as if "true"...

From kinsey to crisis: why lesbians should care about bi women's health.(bi.licious)
July 1, 2008... Maria Lopez, a lesbian doctor, was in a seemingly healthy relationship with her lesbian girlfriend. One day, when she casually made a comment about an attractive man she saw, the veil was lifted on the stability of her relationship. "[My...

The bisexual threat.(bi.liciousI)
July 1, 2008... "What you don't know about me," purred Tila Tequila in the opening sequence of the wildly popular MTV Series A Shot at Love, "is that I'm bisexual." Playing on the fears of straight boys and lesbians everywhere, MTV pitted the Internet vixen...