Just yesterday I took home a piece of our store’s history, our old Plexiglas sign that talked about the Mission of what was the Cooperative of Good Vibrations.

No longer being an owner of our company, I’ve looked at it as a blessing: the business end is taken care of folks that really have an understanding of business end so that we workers can focus on keeping on with the heart of the mission: To teach accurate sex information and promote HEALTHY attitudes about sex.
What the media gives us is not healthy. They shove it in our face and then yell at us to bury our own with double standards. Controlling people with fear based idea’s and telling them that they don’t deserve the right to pleasure!

“Pleasure is our birthright” my beloved co-worker Carol Queen has said. It has become our mantra.

I would get arrested for teaching people how to use a toy to enhance the experience with their partners in other states! This also applies to teaching folks about safer sex and use of a condom so that they can be empowered to lessen their chances of contracting diseases that plague the human race.

Sometimes I wonder, did someone create some of these diseases to get rid of a population that they fear? What rights do you fear that they will take away from you? Do you think that the LGBT community is going to take you all down into a life of sin?

Right now tour buses are driving in the Castro so that tourists can look at the Gay folks as if they were attractions in a zoo. The tourists are invited into the “wilds” of San Francisco to gaze upon happy people who have accepted their desires (not unlike their own) and their choices.
Here in my hometown I am viewed by some as a rarity. I am married to a “bio-male” who is accepted and loved in this community. A fave person of mine told me the other day that she felt my husband should have an award as a honorary Lesbian. Because he polite and respects all people regardless, they have felt he deserves this. Many women have told me they love him. I go to coffee bars in town and the women ask about him, profess their love! How lucky am I?
Just as I experienced, all, if not most of our friends, are of this community. They want the same things we want: love, acceptance and the right to live their life in the manner that makes them happy. California honoured our requests to let folks who love each other get married. Now others want to take it away.

This whole business about having to be this gender and that gender gets lost on me. I am so many genders, we all start in the womb as one and then hormones take over to assert other characteristics.

At first I was not ok with my lot. I am sure many a Tomboi like myself were not ok with having to put the shirt on when secondary sex characteristics kicked in. I relate most to 2 spirit people that define themselves and choose what makes them comfortable.I just can’t define myself. Others see what they want to in you. I feel I rather get on and not bother to classify myself.

I will respect whatever you choose for your self, name , gender (or lack there of) and lifestyle, all I ask for is the same.
In that respect I chose another route for myself. While somefolks change their bodies in one way, I have changed mine in another. I don’t feel there is much difference and I stick up for their right to do so. In fact, it is a factor in many of my decisions. I don’t feel comfortable in a place that is not available to a large part of humanity that is looked over in other areas, outside of San Francisco. Lack of acceptance? I take my business elsewhere. My choice of spiritual practices are the same: my higher power/god(dess) or what ever you choose to call it looks beyond gender into the person inside as I have always done.

How hard is that and why does it threaten you for someone to be themselves? Do you really know better?

One of the first adult films I ever saw, whilst sneaking in the cabinets I wasn’t supposed to (I am sure my parents have figured it out by now if not they do now!!) was The Devil in Miss Jones among other classics.

I giggled at the line: “So smooth so tall, like a marble tower!” Harry Reems plays her first teacher of the erotic ways, the owner of said marble tower. His sense of humour always delighted me in this classic and the doctor in Deep Throat as well.

Georgina was called the “First Actress of Porn” she gave more to a role then would be deemed adequate by some porn standards, making her characters very believable. I was over the moon when Jenna Jamison’s remake included both versions and Savanna Samson I feel gave a great performance as the virginal and repressed Miss Jones. It was, in fact, the first film I saw of Miss Samson, so I thought that was how she normally was in film and when I saw the bonus disk being herself and talking about her role I was again blown away by her performance.

Devil in Miss Jones, Deep Throat, Behind the Green Door, Alice in Wonderland and others(including Seka’s and John Holmes movies) helped to shape my budding sexuality.They taught me sex positivity and that it could be something pleasurable and fun with the right person. Being abused as a child by a friend of the family, my early views of sex as you guess it, were not positive. Needless to say, I think porn saved me! I know that may sound weird and contrary to popular opinion and the status quo, but I can thank those early pioneers for helping me to heal from abuse and move on!

I think if I had seen some of today’s edgy Gonzo porn I might have had a different view of this world. These old movies showed beautiful natural bodies and casts that I could relate too. I yearn for the days when erotic movies were on film instead of video.

My husband shares this view, as a projectionist during the time of Adult Theatre Screens such as The Pussycat Theatre, The Century Theatre, he was exposed to the classics as they were meant to be seen on the big screen. Seeing the same films day after day, the classic’s stood out rather then become stale.

I eagerly await Georgina’s book and I hope you will as well, enjoy this history that these pioneers forged for us in those “dark ages”.

While you are at it, check out her mySpace page which I have included the link for below:

http://www.myspace.com/therealgeorginaspelvin

Here are the details for our event:

Free! Special Appearance

by

Georgina Spelvin, Star of the Devil in Miss Jones (1973) Co-sponsored by the Center for Sex and Culture

Meet adult film legend Georgina Spelvin as she reads from and signs her new memoir, The Devil Made Me Do It. Spanning her career in musical theatre and her transition to porn, she relates her own experiences and the significance of Miss Jones, a film that attempted to bridge the gap between porn films and art cinema. For a sneak peek, check out www.georginasworld.com.

When:Friday, October 10th

Time: 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Where: Good Vibrations Valencia Street Store

603 Valencia Street (at 17th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 522-5460

http://events.goodvibes.com

I hope to see you there!

What’s really awesome, I think is that this is a time where men can have the floor to themselves to ask questions of their instructor and not feel embarrassed that women are around.

I also think it’s awesome that guys are taking their education into their own hands on how to please their partner orally.

I wondered what these men would look like. Would they be sleazy? Would look like a “40 year old virgin”? What would they look like?

When they came into pay, I saw a lot of attractive men , even one with an oh so adorable British Accent. Any preconceived notions that I might have entertained would not be accepted. These fellows shopped, asked questions, including ones about self anal pleasure! These are the men of today. Informed, caring and want to do something other then hit it and quit.

GV has often been thought of as a Women Only store. True it started as an alternate place for women to go but has grown to accomadate all genders (which I don’t know if you know) which are more in number then just the 2 that we have been taught.

To all those cute men out their learning something exciting, my beret is off to you. Thanks for walking through the door , learning something that will wow your partner, something that she , or your future girl will love… the gift that keeps on giving!

I have kept most of these underwraps so far, making sure I edit my ramblings down to hotness factor. Too much rambling is like Jerry Springer on the TV in the background while you are getting it on. Totally distracting.

Some to come: Hot Goth Lesbian encounter in the “Handicapped”Section of a Marilyn Manson concert, A trist in a closet at Punk Rock show with my fave protagonist, “Hot Wheels”, and his latest adventure with his deaf lover in “Motel Sex”.

On vacation I recently stayed at a pet friendly (cool! FYI) and Wheelchair Accessible Motel 6! After puttin’ up my blue plaque in my rockstar parking space, I was greated with a room with wide doors and enough to get a chair around or in my case plenty of room in case I need to have a “moment with the lord” as one of my ex’s called my Seizures. I was traveling with other blue plaque’ers who we have called the “Crip Crew”. Rockin our canes and chairs we were excited by how nicely accomandated we were. Most my crew are seniors too and allowed us to share the senior discount as well.

 For the record, I mean no disrepect for others in our conditions, we have things to live with and because we need to have a sense of humour about it. After all I got a lot of play with my back/hip brace and cane!

I overheard Carol Queen once tell a group on a tour at my store that Orgasms are in the brain, folks who are paralysed can have them. Orgasms happen in the brain? Wow! That does explain how one can have them even with the severe damage I has sustained in the past… I have come to find througout my life that an orgasm can take many forms, no one better then the other, just and amazing variety of sensations seeming to come from different places.

Okay back to the point: The coup de grace was the bathroom, the setting for my next story. It had all sorts of helpful bars that can help you to get in and out of the tub, or on the toilet, a seat in the shower, and adjustable super awesome shower head that is removable, heh, and a great sink you can wheel up too . It looked like a friggin’ jungle gym and I could totally see my man poppin’ a wheelie in there and his lady leaping like a monkey on those bars!

Mind you my folks in my stories don’t feel sorry for themselves, they are empowered. After all I have had some great inspiration from my own life from which to draw upon.Some of my folks are based on real life people and some are just made up in my brain matter. But all that really matters is that it’s hot.

So now the “cat is out of the bag” stay tuned, you are holding me to my word that there are things to come!

Till then…

Like our “employee art show” on the 31st @ our Polk Location on July 31st!!

 I’ll be showing a painting I did just for this showing as well as bring a live canvass (or two) that decided they would like some of my artwork…forever!

A lot of folks who work at GV are these amazing people that do all sorts of amazing things in their off work time from touring the country speaking and writing books as  Carol Queen does, to porn film stars, tattoo artist (ahem), designers of amazing apparel, musicians, sculptures, knitters, collage artists. You name it, we’ve got it!

There will be refreshments of course and some live art that you can hear and of course all the fantastic artists that I work with that so inspire me.

I don’t have to go far to experience the best in the artist community, it’s all under our umbrella!

Say hi to me and the folks in Marketing who have made a temporary tattoo of I design I did for San Francisco Gay Pride. Slap that puppy on (much less painful then reg. tattoos) and you can receive a discount at the register.

Did I mention their would be drinks and snacks?

http://www.goodvibes.com/Content–People-with-Disabilities–id-687

She had a lot of great questions about how Differently Abled customers shop and whether they would respond to a product line made especially for them. While I thought this could make some decision making easier for some customers I looked to myself to think as a customer.

Thank you for the inspiration for my post!

I have Epilepsy. Not a noticeable disability. You wouldn’t know by looking at me on the street, helping you in the store, performing or whatever else I may be doing. I may not share to strangers (although I am now, LOL!) how this effects my life (quite a lot!) and what a struggle it is to feel…egads…normal. I could wax on what “normal” means but for this post I will say not falling on the ground, seizing and unconcious. While this is normal to me and many other folks with this condition, it is not a usual thing that most folks concider when shopping for sex toys. I figured that I wouldn’t wan’t to be treated differently, singled out.

Some suggestions are far easier as I have helped these folks. (See my earlier post on my customer who had a stroke and transformed her and her partners sex life with her first Vibe at 65!)

Need a longer reach?Unable to hold a vibe? Use a wheelchair? I do look at all our products coming in and think “How can this be used? ” I am not the only one. It is a great exercise that all us Sesa employ at different times.

I try to be as concientious as possible. I have spent a few years on a cane after a pedestrian accident. I couldn’t perform my sex gymnastics like I used to. A fact that came up in the mediation with the folks that didn’t honour the stop sign. As I healed and had started a new relationship, a lot of things have to be discussed.

This task can be daunting: How do you tell someone : I can’t spread my legs, can’t put them behind my neck anymore, can’t stand up or sit for long periods of time…that being from the accident alone. And then add  seizures and how they can factor into one’s sex life. That’s a lot of cant’s, but as i am writing this my optimism kicks in and says ” think of all that you can do and the fact you are doing it!”

I kinda feel like it’s similar to the conversations one has when they have an STI such as Herpes or HPV, many people deal with that and it is a common conversation many people have with customers: “how do i tell my partner?” hmmm….some of our communication books can help…and “what kind play can we do?” maybe some schoolin’ in the Safer Sex section may be in order; it’s like a treasure hunt for me, finding the right ergonomic fit for different bodies and with different needs and the simple and beautiful fact:

People still do “it”!

Yes we do, we find a way and the journey can be oh so sweet. All the more reason for you to come on by and let us help you find something for your journey. Differently abled or not, if there isn’t a product out there, lets think how we could adapt one.

Hit me back, let’s cook some ideas. I think there is a whole Market of us out there. Let’s blaze a trail.Sounds like an awfully good way to save the world, eh?

My partner worked at Mitchell Brothers before the slaying of Artie Mitchell. He was a DJ and cued the music and lights for the dancers. He remembers the wild stories of Artie and had seen him a few times before his murder. He later worked at other clubs as a DJ/lighting person and as a projectionist at other theatres and got to see all the classics on the big screen. I am a porn classic lover and getting to hear how the Industry was back in the day is facinating to me. All our older male customers can say ” do you have Seka?” I say “oh yes we do!” I feel personally invested since I requested that we carry her work. ( Note classic porn lovers: more classics are coming out on DVD. The Vista catalog has been bought and now classics will see the light of DVD! I am so excited! I have already requested “3 a.m.” a customer request)

Anyways back to where we were before I digressed: This book is facinating. Well written (authour was a teacher mind you) and including a few photos stealthly hidden in the pages, the ride is wild and as I read it my emotions were conflicted. I caught myself saying ” why did she put up with all that insanity?” Of course the rest of us have no room to talk we have all been there, in a toxic relationship that we just couldn’t seem to cut ourselves from. I could hear myself in her writing: the excuses, the endless waiting , wanting and waiting and waiting for that moment of bliss from the one you loved.

You can tell she hasn’t waned in her love of Artie Mitchell, such as it is when a loved one is ripped away from you and even worse, by murder.

I appreciated her posistivity towards the industry and the empowerment she felt as a the most creative dancer there. These days burlesque dancers seem to be the only ones I can think of carrying the torch of the entertaining sex(y) show. Her recollections of Hunter S. Thompson and some of the other dancers are funny and insightful. I even combed the pages to see if there was any mentioned of the sound guy aka my partner.

When I asked him if he remembered her, he said:

“If I  saw her I  was not allowed to talk to her. There was a No Fraternization Policy between workers. (Not Owners and workers I am guessing!)  I was only allowed to ask what song they wanted and to tell them they were on next”

He later went on to tell me about how they were to dress professionally , insiting that he wear a tie. Reading about the drama in Simone’s pages I  can guess that this cut down on some of the drama. I have heard that dress codes are often enforced to decrease any shenaigans. Case in point: Disneyland. During Senior night, students have to wear dress clothes. It’s supposed to keep the visitors from getting too restless and toking up on Tom Sawyers Island, I suppose.

As it is as a book/toy/video reviewer , we comb through all we submit to our buyer. I am more sensitive to print when doing so. Okay I am PC when it comes to that. After all we have guidelines and have worked hard to set a posistive example for what we hope someday the Industry will follow.As an aside sometimes watching porn with me can be trying: “okay they are doing anal, check, ass to mouth,check, …”

I only had a couple “ouch” moments. those are moments where I think “Really? You just wrote that? That will be offensive to X , Y or Ze”

 One was mention of a dwarf as a “freak” and references to others weight that made me uncomfortable.  The Industry being as it is and especially in the 80’s , as much as we want to say how great they were for the representation of natural bodies, they were not encompassing to all shapes and sizes of bodies. The Fat lady and the dwarf appearing in the sequel of “Behind the Green Door” are there for shock value. There does seem to be that element to a lot of porn I have seen, one recent character in “Bella Loves Jenna”. Many folks love that dark and horrific at times movie, even when they have to cover their eyes when the “creepy guy” comes out on his tricycle. People are naturally curious and I wonder if casting those parts has that in mind? Personally I love things that are different from most, it’s exciting, but I can’t say I fetishize these things they are people. I crige when I hear “Oriental” when refering to folks who are Asian. Again I am being PC. I am Asian and a piece of furniture? Well no…not today anyway.

Some folks do fetishize and spend money on it, maybe that’s why?

This is a memoir and not an educational how to book and I realize that she has every right to her opinions even if I don’t agree with them. Also this could have been her view point back then, maybe not now.  With all these justifications and rationalizations of the Industry against my on PC’ness, I still say read the dang book, it’s good!

Not everything is pretty , nice and fluffy. We at GV are unusual in the Industry, a feminist force in a make dominated industry that is reconizing that women are now onto the idea of self pleasure is a -ok. (And as a matter of fact we do have a new sign in the vibe section stating that “partners need not worry a vibrators is going to replace them, nothing can replace a warm, loving parter or partners” as the case may be!)

Fantasy’s are PC and I can admit my fantasies are most likely not. I am only here to review, not to judge.

That would not be sex-positive.

Much like GV, we would often get vendor products. being a much smaller operation my co workers had stuff and said, “Try it” tell me what you think?”

I took what look like a lube sample in a carboard sleeve home. Having some time alone I gave it a whirl, applying the lube like substance to the areas specified, namely the clitoris.

I didn’t expect bells or whistles mind you, but I did expect something to be different. I thought about all sorts of things to fantasize about and realized that I shouldn’t so I could access the actual sensations that the product was causing. There was no warming feeling, it even dried up faster then regular lube. Perhaps I had been had by the oldest trick in the book. Even though I was a test subject, I thought about how many women would buy this product hoping it would increase sex drive.

Just like Chloe the adult film star:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloe_(porn_star)

I too suffered damage to my genitals during bicycle accidents ( why do they put the gear change knobs right there!?!?!), as well as an unfortunate sexual attack at a very young age, left me without feeling in my genitals for several years. When the feeling returned gradually I started to feel a new budding of sexuality. To mark the the return, I went down to Body Manipulations, then on Fillmore and Haight, and a wonderful Dyke named Elizabeth helped me transform my life with a ring in the inner labia.

This did more then any cream I can tell you. I am not suggesting this as a route for all, but I sure did get lucky! I went home a new woman able to enjoy what had been taken from me. I am no Dr. mind you, but I felt things as never before. As it healed (took a week!) even walking was a sensual experience! When I got to try it out with a partner, WHOA NELLY!

Maybe this memory out did the fancy female Viagra, maybe I just didn’t need it? Maybe since I had damage to my nerves in my labia and clitoris I had gone to my mind and fantasy for answers. Eventually I could actually orgasm, even with huge scars. My mind rich with imagination it eventually did not take that long to orgasm. Time went on, I healed up and the scars barely visable.

When I came to work here and heard of Chloe and watched her films I was inspired. Inspired that she and I are able to enjoy sex, even through all that , even through all the emotional damage too. I hope that by recounting this story , others like me that thought they would never have a chance to enjoy sex can do so knowing that….

The Brain is one of the best sex organs you have! Finding out what makes it tick can be the best part of the journey! I devoured all sorts of material and explored everywhere to find my bliss, and find it I did. It took time, no easy pill or cream there, but lots of hard work that was WELL worth it the “research”.

Maybe that cream would work with a Placebo effect? It’s hard to say. But I know readers have questions about these things and I am a curious kitty and I LOVE to research and experiment. Is it “snake oil”? Is it just Ginseng? What is “horny goat weed” anyway?

I recently got another sample in the mail for some “vitamin pills” again to make me horny as well as some for my “fellow researcher” . I will carefully read the ingrdients and do a “little research” in the name of er… science.

I will report back.

I was just reading “Yelp!” reviews on Good Vibes… Seeing what people say about us, I felt like I was stalking myself. I understand we had no products for a long time and believe me, I was one who tried to merchandise that harness wall with the one harness we had left. …. But that being said it was much more a challenge to tell you folks all I knew at the point was that we didn’t have any at the time.

It was hard on us for sure, to say the least. And as a customer, post-poning a hot night is just not sexy or cool (or fun!) You have come to depend on us to help.

 Well, we are still here. And my dear readers who may not know …there are harness, oodles and oodles of leathery smelling goodness and non leather greeness too.. (the corset harness is back too, in black! Dang it I already have it in purple..Plenty of D-I-L-D-O’s to put in them as well, including many new ones!

When a store that has been low on stock suddenly fills to the brim, us Sesa’s are beside ourselves, you get the “extra perky” sales person because , dang it, I am happy we have stuff, glorious products, lubes…speaking of…

Lubes! Yes!

ATTENTION GV SHOPPERS:

LIQUID SILK IS BACK IN STOCK!!!!!!! IT’S BACK IN STOCK!

Just in case you haven’t been in in a while…you have heard it right.

 It’s like “the ship came in”!! Not only that, but our buyer picked up all sorts of new goodies that my fingers would break to type so I will just have to keep on bloggin’ ..take a break ..blog some more..

VIDEOS! All sorts of hottness, classics and Alt being my personal favourites, I can watch Seka for my warm up and finish off with some Joanna Angel in “Alt Corruption” and “Neu Wave Hookers” (which includes the original sans Traci Lords underage ..egads! ..performance. In the Neu version it is reenacted with an actor of the appropiate age)

It’s like I am in a candy store, so much to look at…

and be greatful for this upcuming Valentine holiday season!

ps….the stuff just keeps coming in..I just grabbed these hot off the press:

Belladona’s Fucking Part 5- a scene with Joanna Angel!!! It’s a 2 in one!

Voluptuous Life with April Flores (she was in Evil Pink 2 w/ Belladonna) Finally a girl i can relate too.

I’d had included a link or pic but they are that new and they are in our stores.

I have heard time and again:  ”If more people I found attractive were doing porn, I would watch it more”

True that! Can we have more Plus Size porn that isn’t degrating in the Novelty aspect of larger folks fucking? It finally took this long for tattooed women to hit mainstream, how about something for older folks or different folks that isn’t about showing them in a light that is degrading , how about celebrating!

It’s about time, Adult Industry. Wake up! 

I was thinking some crafting, some fun fur (good for furries or burners) some googly eyes (might as well interact with it!) and some glitter for that matter. We could coordinate a Hitachi craft day!

Wee!!!

Okay. Okay. This green tea drinker has been hitting the coffee a little too much lately and well… I am utterly delighted by all the new products and oodles of videos that are coming in and the prospect of even more. But this one new one has got me running back to work , skipping lunch so i can tell you all about it and i haven’t even tried it yet.

That’s how friggin cool it is. I could pee my pants.

Ahem. Meet my new BFF. Why didn’t people think of this before! A friggin SILICONE replacement for that tennis ball head that can get well kinda …ya know.

Of course we have insert-able ones that those GENIUS folks at Vixen have already come up with, but those folks that flip them around and not insert them, here is the answer!

Off with your head is a dream come true and it’s cheap! $35 bucks for real silicone!

Vixen–those genius’ over there, for real.