Friday, January 14, 2000

Friday morning Luke talked to Michael J. Peter, the strip club king. He now confines himself to consulting. He says that with his consulting deals (he's licensed the name Pure Platinum to five big new clubs around the world), he's now making as much money with his four employees than when he had 10,000 employees. Peter says he's in semi-retirement. Thanks to Kianna Bradley for hooking us up.

Kianna: "I told Michael he's been all over your site... Michael wants to know if the stuff on the internet is good or bad about him."

Luke: "Umm, not sure..."

Michael J. Peter comes on the line.

MP: "We're trademarking all over the place. We have five new ones opening. I license my trademarked names. I put investors with buildings and open them up for them. New York, Vancouver, Columbus, Los Angeles, Dallas and London. They're all Pure Platinums.

"I've got guys who work for me who do the consulting... It's basically the same thing I was doing in the late '80s and early '90s. It's much easier because I am not involved in management anymore. I'm semi-retired. I've got four employees instead of 10,000 and I make the same kind of money off my good will.

"People call me up looking to get into the business, or people who are in it already, looking to enhance their business..."

Internet Fights

XXX says: "Luke, by meeting RB [Rich Botto of MaxCash], you met the biggest f---ing player there [at IA2000]. And he was very cool with you...

"Al4A said about five words to you...but that's him. He doesn't say much.

"Andy Edmond, 26, must've impressed you. He's something else. He's a genius.

"He started his company Sextracker.com 18 months ago out of his garage in Seattle. He took $15,000 and turned that into a company worth about $25 million, with an estimated projected earnings of $40 million next year.

"Sextracker.com is a statistics and counter site. They do many different things for webmasters. They're the counter service you want to use because they're stats are just so much better and clearer to use than Webside Story. Sextracker.com is also one of the biggest hosting companies on the net. They've got a free hosting site, and MoneyTree (Mtree.com) which is one of the best converting sites in the world. More people convert with Mtree.com than any other program.

"If you send your traffic to their program, it's like a funnel and they put the traffic into different programs that they know convert. They don't publicize what these programs are...but where you'd normally convert one in 200 visitors, or one in a thousand on a TGP (Thumbnail Gallery Post) site like Al4A.com. Moneytree converts about one out of 50 and pays $25 per signup.

"Al Fore is the king of TGPs... Number one in the world. You go and will see blowjob page, ass page, and click on that link and it will take you to somebody's site who submitted that thumbnail gallery. And hopefully when you go to that link, you'll buy. And you'll get some free pictures out of the whole deal, which is why regular paysites hate him. Why buy the cow when you can get the pictures for free? Anyway, TGP sites are a great way of exchanging traffic."

Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh showed up to IA2000. Penn Gillette from the magicians Penn & Teller.

Theplayersclub.com Sunday night gave out awards to the biggest internet porners like Rich Botto, SE Guru (Daron, the master of search engines), Al4A, Houston, Mike AI (AmateurIndex.com). Rap star Ice T unveiled his new X-rated website (pimpordie.com) at the show that Darren Blatt is marketing.

YNOT Marketing Director Kevin Blatt pounded a guy who trash talked his date Houston Tuesday night.

ZZZ: "Some guy walked over to her at 5AM in the middle of the casino and started calling her a slut and a whore and why don't you just me right here as you'll f--- anything. He takes his shirt off and starts pushing himself up on her. And Kevin just f---ing lost it and laid him out. Kevin dragged him into the bathroom and beat his head senseless against the stall door, telling him to apologize. He came out all bloody and apologized.

"Cybererotica and everybody was there watching. The next day 5000 people came up to Kevin, talking about the fight."

Kevin, who's dating Houston, writes on YNOTnetwork.com: "And most importantly I wish to thank the most beautiful woman in my life.. Houston You are not only the number one porn star in the world, but you are number one in my heart. I am so fortunate to have a friend like you. You were the most beautiful woman at the Internet Awards show, I was so lucky to have been with you."

Frank: "Everybody has been coming after Andy Edmond, wanting him to buy them."

Harry: "Netpond [www.condomproject.com] is scared of this Sex Tracker - YNOT merger. They don't know what they're going to do.

"Right now YNOT brings in over two million dollars a year. And Andy has a plan that within four years will have YNOT bringing in over $50 million a year. And it's just an information site.

"This was definitely the biggest and best IA2000 ever. People can't wait for the next IA2000 in New Orleans. It just keeps getting bigger. This was four times bigger than Miami [last IA2000].

"Hanco has a good product going on. They just brought over Eric Moir as their new COO - Chief Operating Officer.

"Many people made major truces at the IA2000, people who really did not care for each. People like Sextracker.com and Cybererotica.com. They had a major fallout a few months back over a cash counter. At the last show, Andy Edmond from Sextracker almost got in a fist fight with Johnathan Silverstein, CE president. They've both friendly guys but they're passionate about what they do.

"The Busty Amateurs crew kept getting kicked out of suites. And every time they packed up their DJs and laser lights and dancing naked girls and moved to a new suite. Hustler's party at the Hilton Tuesday night was insane. Dustin and Jimmy Flynt threw a party in the 15,000 player room with a jazuzzi beg enough for 40 people. There was over $175,000 worth of damage done to the room that night."

Houston is going to get her labia lips trimmed and the surgery will be broadcast live over the internet, probably through Rich Botto's MaxCash.

Hymie: Houston, the gangbang queen, had a hard time with guys everywhere being assholes to her everywhere she went.

Hymie: Sean Michaels is starting something called Sean Bond, where he will have October Pussy, Thunderball, Dr. Yo... smsproductions.com.

A lot of the people who won AVN internet awards I've never even heard of. AVN was totally out to lunch.

Yishai, Serge Birbair's former partner, was there at IA2000. His breakup with Serge was the biggest story last year in the adult internet. Yishai is a broker of traffic, one of the biggest behind the scenes guys on the web. This guy is so low profile. He doesn't exhibit. He takes a handful of his clients out to a lush private dinner. He spends oodles of cash. An Israeli guy who owns much of the stuff behind the scenes. You don't see a guy like that because he brokers so much traffic. He deals with the sextrackers and porncity and Serge's of the world, the guys with oodles of traffic. He does the High Society sites and is connected with Crescent Publishing.

Hymie writes about IA2000 and internet gossip: Luke, Noticeably absent from this IA2000 was Seth W. from IEG. Maybe he's afraid his next victim will kill him at a trade show. But the chutzpah of Shuster to sneak into this show is even more amazing!

Brian Shuster is the founder and head honcho of Xpics Publishing, the infamous net ripoff artists and FTC poster child. Shuster never attends these shows, although his presence is firmly represented by Brull, Piccionelli, Sarno and Vradenburg (his sharks). This is a big surprise since Shuster burned so many webmasters when he suddenly folded his webmaster affiliate program Halloween '98.

Word on the streets is that Shuster is in the process of selling his non-adult Web Jump for $12 million (...he needs the cash). Shuster is singularly responsible for bringing the FTC (federal trade commission) into the adult web industry after his bogus free trials where he charged millions of visitors credit cards. Interesting enough, Xpics has never had a booth at any of the internet shows. They were the de facto sleeping giant. The got their start by ripping off Fantasyman (Cyberotica) for half a million dollars (using bogus machine hits to extract webmaster hits). His partner in crime Mario Carmona was seen at the show sneeking off to his suite in the company of porn girl Alex Dane (Wouldn't Mrs. Carmona love to have seen those pics).

I believe that you wrote about Alex disappearing from her gig at the Orlando show....because she and Mario never left her suite!!

For more info on the famous Brian Shuster reference these sites: http://www.shuster.com/gary/ (brother Gary is the head lawyer for Shuster's empire)

also http://www.psnw.com/~radocshu/ (proud parents of the un incarcerated con man)

Let me quote from the site: "Our oldest son Gary and his wife Margaret Arechiga live in Pasadena with their two dogs and two cats.Gary graduated Magna cum Laude from Harvard Law School and works for Dewey Ballantine in their LA office. Margaret is an A student at Pasadena City College.

"Our middle son Brian and his wife Stephanie live in Lake Tahoe. They got married June 21, 1997. Brian graduated Magna cum Laude from UCLA and wrote the syndicated cartoon Chaos. Stephanie has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management from Cal Poly Pomona, also Magna cum Laude."

You also wrote about the libel/slander with Scott Phillips of Pink Bits. (another Shuster Sham).

Shuster almost never allows himself to be photographed or mixes with Webmasters. Xpics at one time boasted 40,000 webmasters in their affiliate program and seven thousand new signups a day!!! I didn't attend the workshop/seminar in the pic, but do know for a fact that Carmona was there along with the entire legal team. Also of coincidence, when Xpics suspended their affiliate program, they redirected most of the traffic to Dumas at Igallery! Coincidence....I think not.

Jenna Jameson Fight

Jenna Jameson writes: "After reading the unsurprising remarks about the fight, I wanted to clarify a few things. The girls that we got into the skirmish with were not Latins, they were Hawaiian, the girls came up directly to our table looking to start trouble, and lastly, for all you law students and jailhouse lawyers... look up Terrorist Threats.. and by the way it's a felony charge."

Brandy Alexandre writes: So, Jenna is suddenly changing the details of her fight based on what her fans think about it? Where does this "terrorist threat" thing come in? It's all very simple: Jenna walks around with an attitude that her s--- doesn't stink. She creates her own environment, as do we all, so she better expect lots of people to give her "looks" based on the image she puts out. The way she reacted to a "look" was completely classless and the epitome of white trash. You can take her shopping at Nieman Marcus, but you can't stop her from looking for the Blue Light Special, if you know what I mean.

So the girl looked and Jenna copped an attitude that was solely responsible for the escalation of the events. "What are you looking at?" Apparently she was looking at exactly what she thought she was looking at: a bitch. And then spitting at someone for calling her the bitch that she was??? Obviously Jenna is not taking responsibility for actions or attitude. Additionally, bragging the s--- out of physical attack against someone who she admits was restrained at the time. I hope LOTS of people having read Jenna's own words, give that to the poor girl she did it to. Not only has Jenna admitted to it, but she has in past articles bragged about how much money she has.

Jenna may not think anyone has to like her for her to work "the machine," as she put it, but just imagine if she had half a brain and kept in mind the way some people assume porn stars to be--bitchy no-talent cunts getting publicity and praise for nothing more than f---ing on camera. Rather than confirming it's true about her, and ruining the advances others have made against the type, what if she smiled back at the "dirty look" and said, "Hi. I'm Jenna." It might not have changed the girl's opinion, but at least the outcome would have been different, and Jenna would then have the class she tries to portray when the cameras are rolling. Yeah, that performance on EXTRA and every other show about the A&F catalog was as wooden and unconvincing as her sex performances.

Jenna Jameson responds: " Hi again Luke, I thought I would respond to Brandy. I have never met this girl (Brandy) nor have I ever said anything about her... Why does she feel she has to spout off anything about me? Let me explain something, I hardly ever go out, for the simple reason that I get harassed. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am very nice to everyone! I love talking to new girls and helping them when they ask me for advise... Maybe Brandy needs some help with her non-existant career! (Who is she again?) Listen, I didn't want to fight this chick... The last thing I need is a law suit or to get hurt... But, if someone disrespects me for absolutely no reason, I am not going to sit there and cower like a child... Thanxs Luke, JJ."

For the complete scoop on the fight, click here.

Osty writes on RAME: Jenna should sign a poster of her new movie Dreamquest with Hardcore scenes (part of a mosaic) in it. She said she would not sign any pictures with a dick in her mouth. Also she was pissed that Wicked did no new promotial stuff for her, but put all money into advertising for the 3 new Wicked contract Girls. Cause shes the one who made Wicked that big.....I understand her reaction. Jenna signed on 2 days of the IA2000 Convention at the Venetian Hotel and presented the IA2000 Awards show.

Jim: Did anyone else notice Greg Dark directed one of Britney Spears videos? I wonder if Britney was aware of Dark's past resume?? I understand she is a devout christian and would totally be against "that sort of thing".

Shay Sweet Marries

Jeff from KBeech proposed to Sin City contract girl Shay Sweet Wednesday night. She accepted. They will marry in June. She's been driving Jeff's corvette. They're seriously in love and will do a European honeymoon for a month.

Rob Spallone Denies Fishbein Partnership

Rob Spallone yelled at me Friday morning, to deride my contention that AVN publisher Paul Fishbein has partnered with Russ Hampshire's Babenet and Rob on a porn shooting house. Rob says he has no partners.

I wonder how many other business deals Fishbein has with Vivid, VCA and company?

Spallone wanted to rip my head off my shoulders for the story. Where did I get it?

A source overheard Spallone talking to Fishbein at the CES and reported the scoop to me. But I can't give up my source.

I bet Fishbein has all sorts of secret deals going on, mainly with his big advertisers, and that this can't help but influence his reviews, ratings, press coverage and awards. About three years ago, Fishbein owned at least one video store with Steve Hirsch from Vivid, but eventually sold out of the deal when people found out about it.

Dangerman writes Luke: I have to agree with recent observations about the tone of your site changing a bit, from since around the Albo incident perhaps (of which you've never really written about, I wonder why that is - did you feel it was justified or does might make right?) and your coverage of CES was rather cheerleaderish compared to the nasty Ford of months past. Dunno if it's a good or a bad thing really, just one readers observation. But it's probably refreshing writing actual quotes from porn personalities rather than dealing with a computer screen or a phone all day. Did you feel accepted, part of the "clique" as opposed to the lurker no one wants to talk to? Relieved that you didn't get your lights punched out? :) Well, nice pictures nonetheless.

"I bet Fishbein has all sorts of secret deals going on, mainly with his big advertisers, and that this can't help but influence his reviews, ratings, press coverage and awards. About three years ago, Fishbein owned at least one video store with Steve Hirsch from Vivid, but eventually sold out of the deal when people found out about it." Which of course would be Not So Great for Spallone, if we pretend the rumour about the parnership was true... I have to wonder where the line between you two goes? :) At what point would Spallone lie to you?

But that's a bit personal question of course, so scratch that one... I wonder where the line with you and Fantastic goes also. >From your books flap: "Luke F-rd is the best-known source on the contemporary world of pornography�the only journalist writing about the industry, yet not employed by the industry. It is this unique position that gives Ford the objectivity he needs to successfully complete a project such as this." Does this still hold true, if it ever has? Oh yeah no listing for Fantastic yet so guess it got bounced? Oh well.

Luke: I bounce between porn insider and outsider, observer and semi-participant, pariah and friend. If I stay outside, I have more freedom to criticize but I do not get as many scoops. My relationships with sources and friendships with porners compromise me.

Johnathan Morgan Speaks

I talked to Wicked contract director Johnathan Morgan Friday morning about the hilariously mistake-ridden write-up on AVN.com about its own awards show Saturday night.

AVN's Scott Batson writes: Double Feature!, a brisk comedy from Wicked Pictures, was recognized as such, taking Best Comedy honors as well as Best Actress and Actor (Video) for co-stars Serenity and Randy Spears. Shanna McCullough also nailed down Best Supporting Actress (Video) for her performance. The video didn't take Best Actor and Actress (Video) honors, though- they went to the co-stars of Chloe, Chloe and James Bonn. Double Feature!, though, lost out to VCA Platinum Plus's Dark Garden for Best Video...

Luke: Double Feature! wasn't even nominated for Best Video. And it did win for Best Actor (Randy Spears) and Actress (Serenity) on Video. Sin City's movie Chloe won for Best Actor and Actress FILM.

Luke: You had a huge night Saturday night.

Johnathan: It was fortunate, not so much for me, but for everyone involved, in front of and behind the camera.

Luke: I don't remember anyone winning that many awards for one film.

Johnathan: I think we have the record. Ten out of eleven. The only one we missed, and probably the saddest part, was our cameraman Jake Jakobs was the one person who was not able to fully enjoy the festivities. In AVN's great wisdom, they decided to give it to Barry Woods again.

I find myself shocked for calling you. I know that you on a continual basis get a lot of grief for inaccuracies on your website but you were dead on after the awards show, listing winners... I went to AVN's website...

Luke: Yes, I found it amusing.

Johnathan: I wanted to pat you on the back for at least getting your facts right on this one.

Luke: Every once in a while I like to do that to shake people up.

Johnathan: How could they do that? I want to say, did you even go to the show? It's sad. If they're not checking their facts on this, I can only imagine how many other things they are not checking their facts on.

Luke: What else is new with you?

Johnathan: Right now we're in the edit bay, editing the sequel to Double Feature called "Bride of the Double Feature." I have largely the same cast with Randy Spears, Serenity and Herschel Savage. We have many good projects coming out for our many contract girls.

Tricia Devereaux Returns

John Stagliano's new girlfriend Tricia Devereaux is back in porn. Sedentary writes on RAME: "In Buttman's Toy Stories. She appears in the opener featuring tease and toys, and in the closer having oral, vaginal and anal sex with Stagliano (yes, a condom is used in the latter two). Concludes with a quite adequate facial."

His Holines Pope John Paul II writes on RAME: I'll bet a lot of people have distinctly mixed feelings about this. On one hand, having Trish back making vids is wonderful; she's one of my all time favorites. On the other, I wonder if this isn't a glimpse of a grim future possible for the porn world...Testing hasn't ended the ocassional viral eruption, and it seems unlikely that tightening it further will. Those infected are living longer and healthier, not just slinking back home to die. Medical treatment is costly, and I doubt that many performers have health insurance.

The logical conclusion? More HIV+ performers staying in the industry. Brooke Ashley did American Bukkakke 1 even after she tested positive, but this involved (at least in theory) no possible means of transfering the virus to others. This scene with Trish is entirely new and questionable territory. Certainly the scene sounds to have been shot in almost as safe a manner as possible, but...Condoms are not foolproof, of course, and a facial does not seem the safest or wisest possible thing here.

Would she be quite so game about taking it from an HIV+ guy if she weren't already HIV+? The virus has several different strains (most of them obscure African varients, true), some of which don't even show up on tests. Presumably, if they each had a different strain, two HIV+ partners could cross-infect each others. Furthermore, the relative strength of the virus increases as the infection progresses. The virus from one with full-blown AIDS is more infections and kills faster than the virus in an otherwise healthy, low viral count infection. (I'm not in the medical community; I hope I got this right...) So producing a scene like this is not entirely without risk to the performers.

Granted, it is a hell of a lot safer than their preinfection practices, and frankly, I hate scenes with condoms as much as anyone, and consider a good facial to be the best part of a scene, and don't particularly care if it endangers the health of people I am never going to see, meet, or come into sexual contact with. After all, it's their health, not mine, and I'm not their doctor or their insurer. And I play to rent the tape, and I can bet it will showcase her marvelous talents brilliantly.

But I'm curious to see what will come next. If Brooke Ashley can do a Bukkakke scene, why not a handjob scene. Sources like the Gay Men's Health progress state that it's almost impossible to transmit HIV during oral sex, even, or rather, particularly, unprotected oral sex. So why not have Tricia do those too? That's just disturbing...But if the number of HIV+ cases continues to creep up, it's easy to imagine that this will become a serious issue. Particularly because not all performers are as careful as John and Trish were, and some will be actively reckless. One wonders.

Romance Banned In Australia

Sydney Morning Herald: It can be seen in the United States, Britain, and much of Europe, but the sexually explicit French film Romance has been banned in Australia. The 17-member Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) refused to classify the film by just one vote. Romance was screened at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival but did not pass the stricter guidelines for general release. The last major film to be banned in Australia was Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salo, which was originally given an R18+ rating, but later banned in 1998 when the Classification Review Board considered an appeal by the Queensland Government.

Random Thoughts From CES & IA2000

Producer Eric Mittleman, now with Danni.com, tells me about a phone call he got from Greg Dark.

Eric: "Greg was all excited because he had registered sodomandgomorrah.com. I said, 'Greg, do you think that the people you are aiming this business towards can spell sodomandgomorrah?' Yeah, you've got a point.

Porno Documentary

Paul Cowan, director for the National Film Board, writes Luke about the progress of his documentary on porno: "It's tricky. I'm trying something quite different -- for me at least -- making it a personal journey through this world. That way I can trash everyone from the bottom of my heart.... Oh yeah, I'm going to question your journalism, your sexuality, your honesty, every ion of your Jewish/Aussie moralizing mask. You won't be able to set foot outside your hovel when I'm finished. You think Albo's trouble.... wait... for next summer."

Emmett writes: Paul Cowan is such a ditz. The more people who try to trash you publicly, the more famous you will become. He should be more worried about what would happen to him if he expose the wrong info. Porn stars like Jenna Jameson and Felecia are brutal.

How the Web Changed the Smut Business

A New York Times review of the book OBSCENE PROFITS: THE ENTREPRENEURS OF PORNOGRAPHY IN THE CYBER AGE By Frederick S. Lane III (Routledge; $27.50.)

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/01/circuits/articles/13revu.html

It may have started as an academic exercise, but the Internet most days looks more like the top shelf of a corner-store magazine rack. From search results clogged with sex sites to e-mail boxes that fill up with "XXX" subject lines to innocent-looking links that lead to red-light sites, pornography seems inescapable online. And, to the dismay of most parents, the Internet does not come wrapped in plain brown paper.

Have centerfolds simply migrated to the Web, or has there been a more profound shift in the nature and the influence of pornography? In "Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of Pornography in the Cyber Age," Frederick S. Lane III argues the latter. Modern technology, from deregulated phone services to the Internet, changed the pornography business and has enabled pornography to make an impressive advance into the mainstream. For the cost of a server and a Web cam, anyone can become an online pornographer.

A new wave of entrepreneurs, including, Mr. Lane tells us, many women, is threatening the hegemony of old-style men's publications like Playboy and Penthouse with not only the sheer amount of online images but also their explicitness.

Emmett writes: This book by Frederick S. Lane seems to me like a waste of time and money. What more can you say about that the internet has increased the popularity of porn. It sound like a snore to me. Unless this book has 80% percent pics of porn actresses, it's going to flop.

Porner Will Jarvis writes on RAME: Sharon Mitchell and I (and possibly other guests) will be on Ed Powers radio show on 97.1 KLSX FM beginning at 11 PM this Saturday. We will be talking about, among other things, "Porn 101: Eroticism, Pornography and the First Amendment", the book based on the papers presented at the World Porn Conference.

Luke Gets Mail

Richard writes: What do you know about Maya Divine? I saw her on that HBO special and she seemed like a gal that should NOT go into "hardcore".

Frank writes: By the way, I've noticed a different Luke F-rd recently -- more industry friendly. Is this real -- an upswing in the normal ebb and flow of Lukey's feeling about the biz? Or did Vasilof have a heart to heart with his scribe? Or did something else happen that I can't read between the lines?

Rumdar writes: Luke, Unfortunately I have to agree with reader Frank who has noticed a new, perhaps "industry friendly" Luke lately. It is as though Gene Ross is writing your column. Coverage of the porn convention was a real snoozer. Your reportage' made these sleazers and trollops seem like a gathering of librarians. And there was no mention of your heart throb of yore Kendra Jade.....where was she? Before it is too late, please bring back the neurotic, angst ridden Luke we all loved and admired.

Curt writes: Luke, I am a huge fan of your site. I have spent countless hours reading the wealth of information you have accumulated on the industry. Given Inari Vach's award for Female Performer of the Year, I applaud your foresight in picking her as Best New Starlet last year. After speaking with Inari in a social setting I was extremely impressed with her poise, maturity, class and beauty. Given her skyrocketing status as Performer of the Year, it is my opinion that she is very underexposed relative to some of the other high-end contract girls (Jenna, Janine etc..). I think I speak for many fans who would love to see an expanded biography on this fresh new talent including a list of her movies, fan club information, industry contracts or affiliations, etc.

Greenstein writes: Luke, Hi. I just came back from the AVN/CES Show on Monday and for the life of me, I don't see where you get the time to write all of the stuff that you do. Enough Already! There is soooooooo much stuff, it becomes literary diarrhea.

A Suggestion. Instead of one gigantic run on, long paragraph, why not shorted it up with an index hit list. That way we won't be bored reading the unwanted stories which you feel are important to us.

Hey, I also have another question. In person, do you talk as much as you write? Last, why didn't you receive an invitation to the party at the Venetian's Penthouse suite on the 36th floor. I understand everyone was there (at sometime during the night). I guess that you're no one. Enough Said!

Luke: I did not attend any of the CES or IA2000 parties. I do not like to party. Hate the noise, smoke, shallow atmosphere.

Green writes: Well dawgonit, too bad we didn't get a chance to meet at CES. I enjoy reading your column and would've liked to snap a pic of you in one of those gorgeous ladies arms or sumthin'. hehe.

I was thrilled to see you add some information from Lori Michaels concerning CES and also her new movie Straight Shooter. I've had the privilege of getting to know her with the huge amount of time she spends with guests to her website and finally had the pleasure of meeting her face-to-face at CES. My general impression after day one and through the end of the week of roaming the entire floor of CES was that Lori Michaels is the hottest talent in the biz. Take another look at the pics you got of her at CES. Here is a lady who is nothing less than classy sexy. And she didn't need to dress like a bimbo to drive that point home. That, my friend, is natural beauty at its finest.

I know the biz is sex, and sex sells, but the bimbo look should be thought over by the industry. These ladies in the room are far more warm, friendly and talented than you might think seeing them in lingerie to expose their "ass"ets at a professional show. Especially when you take into account that the majority coming into the Sands Expo, including myself, were business people attending the main CES conference (yes, there really was an electronics and info technology show too). Those attending are smart enough to recognize the beauty and sexuality of all of the ladies there to sign without the hard sell. And I'll bet nobody felt short changed about a photo with Lori Michaels who was dressed like a successful, classy and bright businesswoman, with her raw sexuality oozing through. I'm afraid the bimbo look makes a legitimate business of adult entertainment, into more of a freak show. And I'd better point out that I did enjoy all of the exposed flesh I saw, but I think it was unnecessary. Look at the caliber of talent out there these days...people who simply enjoy sex and are getting paid to do what they love.

Anyway, enough of this before I get called by Jerry Falwell to start my own ministry or something. Final note and then I'll let you get back to the business at hand. Lori mentioned that she would love to hear what you think of Straight Shooter. So would I. I caught it when it was airing on the Playboy channel and have seen a number of Lori's previous films. I'm no film critic, but one thing I did see is that Lori's acting talents have come a long way. And with a great story line besides her hot scenes, it has become one of my favorite movies. Sure hope she does get an award nomination for next year. It was an excellent production!

Mike South's friend Trinity writes: Hi luke, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that it was nice meeting you last week in Vegas. I hope that you had a safe trip home and that we meet again in the future. I appreciate your site very much, it was great to go through all the pics on there when I got home to show my husband some of the crazy stuff that was going on that I didn't get pics of. Thanks again for all the hard work that you put into preserving these memories for us all.

Darren Blatt aka D$ writes on http://www.condomproject.com/msgboard/:

For those who didn't know, all of our sponsors really got screwed by C2K [a club at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas]. They wouldn't let us hang any banners, they kept all of the passes, they lectured Ice-T about not using any swear words, I wasn't even allowed to say their names while on stage. Basically they changed our whole agreement 15 minutes before the doors opened. I really appreciate our sponsors support and understanding, they're all class acts. I'll make sure they will all receive free exposure at the next Players Ball in New Orleans. You won't want to miss the next one. The Players Ball had an incredible turn out, over 3,000 people and no one felt crowded this time. It was great seeing our new Net porn buddies, Ice-T, Money B and my boy Mike Tyson, chillin' and having fun with all of us. Fishbone and P-Funk sounded incredible.

DoneDone@aol.com writes: Chuck Martino said that Skys pussy smelled like water which made me think a really good story would be, the odor of the women in the adult industry. I would like to write a list and submit it to your guy XXX. And have him rate the chicks on odor, cause all pussy stinks. And when you see foam in a porno, you know that some serious funk is a brewin! This is the type of stuff we as fans need to know. So if i create this list...it would be great if we could get someone to take it serious and respond. I guarantee you would get major reaction. Girls would defend their pussies on your site. "My pussy doesnt smell like onions Luke, its a lie."

Gloria Trevi

MEXICO CITY, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The soft-core porn calendars and wild performances of rocker Gloria Trevi, who invited male fans to jump on stage and strip, once symbolised sexual freedom and a new era for Mexican women. But now under arrest in Brazil pending possible extradition to Mexico on charges she helped her manager lure and abuse aspiring underage starlets, she is identified with the seamy underside of Mexican show business.