This is Sara's entry into the online Bollywood Dance contest. The public is the judge so she needs all your votes and all your friends votes and all their friends votes and well, you get the idea.... Please click the link below. You will have to sign up to vote, but it only requires you make up a log in and password no other details.
Please rate her video by clicking on the pink circles, if you click on the last you give her a 5 star rating. The video with the highest rating and highest views total will be the winner. If she wins, she will get to go to India and be in a movie. She will be representin' StripXpertease Bollywood style! You can vote as often as you want till Nov 14th. Oh and views also score points so hit that refresh button, again and again.
http://affiliate.kickapps.com/kickapps/_Sarah-Starbuck-YEH-RAAT/video/355478/38708.html
( This article begins in our August newsletter and is continued here)Some of you might remember my thoughts from the article Will That Damn Apple Haunt Us Forever?. I experienced a similar situation recently. I debated whether or not to include this story in the newsletter, not wanting to offend those involved or come off the wrong way, but I said eh, screw it, and went for it anyway. There is a company, who I shall not name because to be honest they have been very good to us in the past, and I genuinely believe they are good people. This company basically helps students find instructors of all kinds, from guitar to salsa. They provide profiles for the instructors and when a prospective student chooses to contact an instructor, the company sends the instructor all the info about that student and then charges that instructor for the lead, usually between 4-7 bucks. Anyway, I have been using these guys for a couple of years. They started small and have been very upfront with their clients in their process of running the site and learning from their mistakes. Everything they did had such a personal touch. I had even had drinks with them here in NY.
However, last week I received this email from them.
Hello Kimberly,
I am writing you today to let you know about changes here at *****.com.
First, I wanted to thank you for your membership. You are respected and appreciated. You have been with us for a long time and we are sad to inform you of these necessary changes. Recently, our company signed distribution partnerships with ABC Family, Active.com Family, and Disney. In the course of these agreements, we have been asked to more properly align ourselves with a family-friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately, as of Monday, we will no longer be supporting lead generation for exotic and pole dance classes. In a perfect world, we would be able to list all types of services, but in reality, we will not be able to.
I truly believe that the services you provide are of great benefit to women and their confidence, and applaud you for running a wonderful business.
On behalf of the entire **** team, we want to personally thank you for your patronage since you've been a member, and we sincerely hope your business continues to flourish.
I wrote back, very angry...
First, let me say that I realize my thoughts, being one of thousands your company has touched, are trivial. But the subject matter is not trivial to me. It has spearheaded my company and my passion, so I absolutely feel the need to simply share my thoughts. I also want to say that I admire you all for creating a business and going through the trials and tribulations so openly with your clients and for always making your clients feel special and valued. However, that being said, I am outraged.
My disappointment in this news is indescribable, especially since I have been using your site for years, through changes in site, and even name. Time and time again, I have been either pushed away, kicked out, or shunned for what we teach. For some reason our classes that teach women how to feel comfortable with their bodies and their curves, to look in the mirror and not feel fat or not beautiful enough are not OK. But other classes are. Ballet, which leads almost every girl it touches to battle with her body image and turn to anorexia...that is wholesome? Who decides what is good and what is not? ABC family? A company that still reeks of parochial Christian bigotry from its previous owners?
Granted, these classes may not be appropriate for an 8 year old girl, but does that mean they are bad, or vulgar? I mean, I get it, I do. I know we walk a fine line. But it just grates my nerves that once again we take a step back. Once again, we are classified as smut instead of empowerment.
I wholeheartedly believe that until our society opens itself up to the possibility that frank and open discussion with our families about sexuality and body acceptance (ie there is nothing wrong with touching and appreciating our bodies) can be beneficial to our families, then we will continue to live in a world where the fear and shame that surrounds this subject perpetuates eating disorders, sexual disorders, and sexual assault on said families. And it is, better yet was, people like you who stood up for people like us that helped to make this an accepted and positive form of movement and expression. And I'm saddened and deeply hurt to see
...CONTINUED FROM THE NEWSLETTER...
that you have changed your views.
From the article on your site about strip tease classes by J*** ***: Across the country, instructors listed with **** have seen their class sizes grow over the last year; all those contacted share philosophies of positive reinforcement, openness to all body types, and policies against teaching stripping to enter the sex industry.
http://www.stripxpertease.com/2007/01/will-that-damn-apple-haunt-us-forever.html
So then they wrote back....
Hi Kimberly,
I understand where you are coming from and I appreciate you as a person and as client. You’ve been with us for a long time and I appreciate your openness and feedback. We are not classifying any particular instructor or type of dance as smut, it’s simply that there are more and more kids and their parents on the site. We ARE getting more and more 8 year old girls on the site. The parents are not looking for themselves – they are looking for their children, and thus, we cater to what the market is demanding. If mom wants to take exotic dance lessons, I think they should. I’ve actually encouraged **** to take some as well as I thought she’d like them.
While on a political and social level I agree with you, our business decisions are not made on social or political factors. At the end of the day, my job is to ensure the continued, long-term success of the enterprise, and the decisions are made from a capitalistic ideology. If the demand was such that we could have our entire site filled with just exotic dance teachers – and that format made us more money – then we would boot all the families off. But that’s not the case. So again, I wouldn’t take it personally. It has nothing to do with our personal, political, or societal views. It’s where we need to go in order to grow the business. If there’s anything I can personally help with, just let me know. I would be happy and honored to help any way I can. You are a rock star in my book and I will do what I can to support you.
Best,
*****
So what does this all mean? Well first, his letter made me feel like an asshole. They really have been nothing but nice to me, but dammit I just couldn't not speak my mind. So I wrote back once more.
Hey *****,
I am sorry for my hasty and very bitter response. While I understand you simply made a decision to further your business, and your decision to discontinue the leads wasn't based on your personal convictions, it deeply affects mine. As I mentioned, I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do. It's just something I battle with on a daily basis, and I have to shout out how I feel. Even if it falls on deaf ears or doesn't change the situation. I hope you understand. I really do wish you all the best of luck, And I although I loathe the company you have taken up with, I realize their pockets are deep. I hope that they can propel you to the success you all deserve for all of your hard work. Really. Either way it was nice working with you....best of luck.
Best wishes,
Kimberly
I was booking flights the other day, and was reminded of the last adventure I had on a plane. Remember when American Airlines was cancelling hundreds of flights for like five days straight and all of those people were stranded. Well, I was one of them. I wrote to all of my friends to update them on the status of my flights and also because I was bored to tears...here are those emails with a little added commentary...in italics.So this all started after a weekend at NASCAR on April 9th, Wednesday when I woke up in Austin after 2 hours of sleep, hung over as hell and needing to get up to catch my flight. Yeah right. (You see, I originally booked a flight departing at 5 pm, but 3 wks before I left AA moved my flight up to noon, which means I needed to get up at like 8:30. Problem was, I knew we would see the sun come up Tues night, so this was just all around already bad.) So from bed I call American to see if I can get on a later flight. Hold time was unusually long, but I was so out of it I really didn't notice. I finally get through after 38 minutes and after hearing the same message about using your reward miles to book tickets about 500 times (This is because I used miles to book this ticket so I had to call the miles number to get on a later flight.)
Now keep in mind, I had been camping out for four days and had only got back to Austin a mere 24 hrs ago. And during that entire 24 hrs. I had been back in A-town, I was running around with Saralynn getting ready for and then having the Free Spirit grand opening party. So I finally get through and tell the lady I am calling in reference to flight number 456. She says," ...oh , well I well have to transfer you." Splendid. Then I repeat myself to the new lady and she says yes, that flight has indeed been cancelled.
Wait? ....Cancelled?
I am just trying to fly out later. Why was it cancelled?
She says, "Do you not watch the news?"
I wanted to say something with several expletives, but instead I just say no, I haven't had the chance.
She explains that the FAA has been cancelling all of these flights. She puts me on a flight the next day, Thurs April 10th, and in my still somewhat drunken haze I take it and go back to sleep.
When I wake, many hours later at 11 am, I check out the news.
FUCK. This is bad. They are cancelling flights left and right. For shits and grins I look at my newly booked fight on the internet that is set to depart the next day, Thurs. at noon with a layover in like bum fuck Nebraska then on to LGA. Guess what? Nebraska to LGA, cancelled. SHIT! Last thing I want is to be stranded in Nebraska!
So I get on the horn to AA. I am on hold for, get this, 109 minutes before I get tired and hang up. It is now around 2 pm, so we say screw this lets meet up with my cousin and go get some drinks and tex mex at Trudy's.
At 6 pm, after many margaritas and chips, the calling begins again. It's me, Saralynn and my cousin. I have 2-3 minute calls that keep getting disconnected by American (the message just says please try later) for over an hour. This is verrrry bad. Around seven I actually get through to be put on hold. This time it is for 65 minutes before my phone drops the call. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! It is now 8 pm, and I still don't have a flight home.
Thats me and Saralynn and my cousin on the couch..waiting on hold.I try calling back and again the lines are so jammed AA wont even let the call connect.
I then send out this email...
AA has been cancelling flights since Tues afternoon. I am still in Texas.
1st flight 5:30 wed cancelled
rescheduled flight wed 12:30 cancelled
2nd rescheduled flight 12:30 THURS cancelled (found out on internet) and I do NOT have another flight scheduled because I cant get through to AA
http://ww2.wkyt.com/global/story.asp?s=8144633 or
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/10/business/NA-FIN-US-American-Airlines-Cancellations.php
should have been home already..cant even get through to even be put on hold at all AA phone numbers for past 2 hours. When I got through earlier, hold was hours. ..used up 300 minutes today alone. They say this could go on through SATURDAY. How do you spell fucked?
A fucking A
I say to Saralynn, screw this, let's go downtown. I jump in the shower and at 9 start the process again. Again, call won't even connect. We head down town and bar hop while I have the earpiece in on hold, this time I'm in the 1.5 hr range when my battery dies. F'in awesome. I change batteries and try again. It is now 2:23 am. I get to the hold system and a lady answers after 8 minutes.
"Thank you for calling American this is Lynn speaking."
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!"
She laughs..I'm sure she has been hearing that all day. I am on the street corner in front of Pangea and she gets me on a new flight departing in 9 hrs. Sweet. We head home for sleep. I arrive at Austin Bergstrom Airport for my 11AM flight and all is golden. The lines for people trying to get on new flights are ridiculous....I over hear cursing and crying. People have lost luggage and there are several people who are having major problem because now AA isn't taking any pets.
As I wait, I check the board to see how many flight are getting cancelled. It is like every other flight...and lo and behold, mine has been delayed. Of course. OK, screw this, I say, I'm getting a massage. The little booth is right across form my gate so if there are any changes I can easily see them. So I mosey over to the massage booth and right as I do, the lady in the chair goes into cardiac arrest. Yeah, I'm serious. Man, there must be something the air. I quietly sit back down in front of the gate and watch the EMT team do their work.
My flight finally boards and I see they have put me in first class. F'in sweet! I mean the flight is only 45 minutes but this was my first time in first class. A girl can get used to this.
I arrive at Dallas in the early after noon and settle in for my FOUR hour layover.
Look at how high I am wearing these hot pants!! Funny...keep in mind this was like the mid-nineties...
Again....check the high waist! You can't see the top here, but it had red patent leather flames on top of black mesh. There was a matching thong as well. My dog Zoe destroyed the bottoms and some sleazy customer stole the top. :(
I f'in loved that outfit.
So we'll see. I am opening myself up, no back up plan, no back up man. I feel like my last relationship was so completely fucked up that anything that even slightly resembles normal is fantastic. But I'm definitely still playing goalie...
So for now I'm not responding to any more Match responses. But I still have a few stories to share. I just won't have any new ones for a while (...hell, I hope!). Seriously, what am I gonna talk about in the Wed. night Stripper Strength class...lol. But I still have a few old stories to share. Oh yeah, recently got an email from Simon. Can't wait to tell you about that one.
