The Voluptuous Libertine

Quote of the Day

2009-06-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

“So sweet and delicious do I become,
when I am in bed with a man
who, I sense, loves and enjoys me,
that the pleasure I bring excels all delight,
so the knot of love, however tight
it seemed before, is tied tighter still.”
-Veronica Franco

Quote of the Day

2009-06-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

“Everything takes on greater beauty at night: our attire, the decor of a room, or the magnificence of ceremonies . . . at night perfume and music most fully reveal their exceptional attributes.” – Urabe Kenko, Idle Hours

Quote of the Day

2009-06-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” -C.S. Lewis

2009-06-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the Christian Children’s Fund is changing their name by eliminating the Christian part. It will just be referred to as the “Children’s Fund”. Now, I say this as a proud pagan, but this seems to be a stupid move. I don’t know why the Fund feels the need to do this. There are plenty of secular funds dedicated to improving the lives of children in America and around the world where a non-Christian or non-affiliated religious person can contribute money if they so wish.

Watching the Colbert Report last week, a clip was shown of controlled outrage over the name change by a few people on Fox News Channel. One woman declared that she was going to cease giving contributions to the Fund. Wait a minute. Isn’t the point of contributing to a fund for children to help…the children? Who cares what the name is money is going toward improving the lives of children born into unfortunate circumstances? Only privilege people can afford to object to a charity name and use that as a reason to withhold contributing much-needed assistance to those for whom privilege is a distant concept.

University, Loans and Privilege

2009-06-19T12:55:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I read a fantastic article on Forbes.com entitled, “The Great College Hoax”. It discusses the fact that the educational version of the American Dream™ is letting a lot of people down. Education is more likely to pave the way to ruined credit, the poor house, and possibly a wasted four or five years than the public wants to admit. The article gave voice to what many of us university students wonder in our more pessimistic moments, “Is this going to be worth it?”

The comment section to the article proved to be just as interesting, though not in a positive way. It was the opinion of some that if a student cannot afford to pay for university out of pocket then they do not have a right to it and should get comfortable with trade jobs. I think that is an extremely classist statement for several reasons. I will admit that everyone is not college material. I also think that is okay. Some people are not cut out to be academics and they shouldn’t be shamed for that.

But this first reason rests on the assumption that rich is equal to intelligence. It is not. Just because a family has the money to pay for an university education does not mean that is the correct choice for the student. The former President George W. Bush is the epitome of that. The people rattling their class war sabres in the comment section would never suggest to a rich student that maybe going to university isn’t the best move, but that, say, becoming an electrician would be better. Not to disparage the intelligence of an electrician because that is dangerous and intricate work; one false move and you’re on another plane of existence. However, the amount of schooling isn’t as involved as becoming an accountant or historian.

There are many students who fall in between the cracks as far as financing university education is concerned. They are smart enough to get into college but not smart enough to receive a scholarship. Poor enough to need student loans but not poor enough to receive grants. I was one of those students and I will admit this is why the article’s comment section angered me and brings me to reason number two: Some students reach their stride in college, excelling beyond most expectations when, previously, they were mediocre.

I performed alright in high school and I had my preferred subjects and my hated ones and that was made abundantly clear on my grade reports. Moreover, I was bored out of my mind in high school and the teachers were either condescending or apathetic. This is not a friendly environment for a blossoming intellect and it is too often the norm in schools. While I went to good public schools, the format of instruction was not helpful to me. I have always found myself at ease in adult conversations, being the youngest in my family and so learned to converse and think on a level beyond my age group. So I disliked being treated like an idiot child by teachers who assumed that my age warranted such treatment. In university, my professors have treated me with the respect earned by a human being. I am able to voice my opinions and they sit and listen even if I may be wrong. Then we discuss. Discuss. Classes may be called lectures but they are conducted as discourses. This is what I needed all along.

Consequently, I have earned straight A’s several times, though not all the time, but I maintain a GPA ranging from 3.5-3.7 at my very expensive and very competitive and very private Catholic university. How many people can say that about their grades in college? But I actually feel engaged and part of my learning process. I even gained an appreciation for math that I did not have before and I earn better grades because of it. My troubles with math were always interesting because I have always loved science. All of them, especially astronomy. But if those commenters I mentioned had their way, I wouldn’t be in university.

Believing that students who come from families that don’t earn upper six-figure salaries (at least) do not deserve higher education sets up a caste system with little chance of upward mobility. I am sure that quite a few of them who made the suggestion would have no problem with this. There are many who come from families that are still upset that the unwashed masses, women and ethnic minorities included, have such relatively easy access to the very education that was used against them as the reason why they had to “stay in their place”. The playing field is becoming more equal thanks to this college education and the system of privilege is being proven for the cruel hoax it is.

My final reason to protest the classist statement is the assumption that grades are equal to intelligence. Now, I just celebrated my GPA, which was certainly well-earned at this university. More important is the fact that I can actually tell someone what I learned in a discussion and not merely regurgitating facts stuffed down my throat in the classroom. That is intelligence. I received (because I certainly don’t feel as though I earned them) an A average at a previous school. I didn’t do much thinking, I just showed up to class and repeated what the instructor said the session before.Yes, I am independently intelligent of those grades but those classes were about as challenging as tying my shoes.

There are plenty of people with fantastic grades who are idiots but because they know enough by rote and can repeat it on a Scan-Tron or fill-in-the-blank test like a pseudo-intellectual echo does not spell intelligence. Yet, this is enough to earn them a scholarship and be acceptable enough for the class warriors setting the bar on who deserves education.

There is something very wrong with this mentality. There remains significant portions of Americans who are denied quality education. We still have racism and sexism and other negative -isms that prevent progress in this arena. To truly overhaul the inequalities, the funding and leveling must begin with kindergarten and work its way up. That crowd is also of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” type and I will say that on occasion that is exactly what someone needs to hear. Let’s face it, there are some genuinely lazy people out there who’d rather play “the [insert social inequality here] card” than make an attempt to better their life; they are not in the majority, though. However, considering the social inequalities that remain in unacceptable frequencies, those affected are not lazy: they’re disaffected. Call someone lazy, dumb, sub-par enough and make certain they know what they are not receiving that others are and yes, the stupidity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it doesn’t have to.

As a society we must celebrate intellectualism instead of deriding it as snobbery or only important enough to use for four years to earn a degree that will get you a job where you’ll progress very little in many decades but prevents you from living in the municipal park and fighting squirrels for food*. This is another aspect of the comment section that I found paired with the classist statements. Some of the same commenters derided liberal arts education as “unnecessary”.

We all know the joke about English and History majors and how they end up at McDonald’s flipping burgers. Again, another class statement because who doesn’t want a Quarter Pounder on occasion? Alright, a vegetarian. But, nonetheless, I do not disparage those who do the job that I don’t want to ever do. Anyway, yes, in this society those degrees can often go to waste. Instead of asking why students choose them, ask why this country does not provide more careers in those fields? It is the opinion of the anti-liberal arts crowd that the only degrees worth having are those in business, law or medicine. In the same way that not everyone is cut out for university, not everyone is cut out for those fields. It does not make them stupid or useless.

So many enter schools of business, law or medicine out of fear of “not having a job after college” or having a “useless” degree representing nothing but debt. There are doctors practicing medicine right now who would rather paint, lawyers who’d rather wax philosophical about Epicurus versus Aristippus versus Mill and businesspersons who would rather read Civil War documents than a Statement of Cash Flows.

Blind Faith Patriots who believe America is the best country ever, and woe to those who protest that, yet want to deny their countrymen opportunity are hypocrites. We’re supposed to be the land of opportunity…oh sorry but not for you because you don’t have enough money to pay for school? America is better than the worst but it has a long way to go. We will never get there by denying a basic tool for success to the general populace.

*I actually saw a man fighting a squirrel over a chicken leg in the park. It was sad, funny and scary all at the same time.

Quote of the Day

2009-06-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” -Madame Marie Curie

This is one of my favorite quotes. There is a great deal of truth in those words and should be heeded by everyone.

The Rites of Beltane

2009-05-01T19:06:00.003-07:00

May 1 is popularly known as a socialist holiday to celebrate worker solidarity. But its true and much older roots are found in pagan fertility rituals around the world. Generally speaking, this time of year cultures that followed the old ways celebrated the coming of spring and the fecundy of nature. It is when the Goddess and her consort, the God, representing the Female and Male energies of the world have sexual union. Their devotees acknowledged this with many sexual unions of their own.

The Celtic peoples referred to this holiday as Beltane. It is one of intense sexuality, sensuality, delight in all things beautiful. The most famous symbol of this holiday is the beribboned May Pole:

The phallic pole is inserted into the feminine, vulvic earth- the sexual union. May Day orgies were immensely popular during these times and continued for several centuries even after the advent of Christianity, if the invectives against the practice by the Church Fathers and other “moral paragons” are any clue. Celebrating May Day can include planting flowers, trees, bushes or decorating with them, taking delight in the beauty of Nature and, especially, having your own sexual union with the Goddess or God of your choice.

Who Was Ninon de L'Enclos?

2009-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

“Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention.” -Ninon de L’Enclos

Born Anne de L’Enclos in 17th century France, she gained the nickname Ninon from her pleasure-loving father. Ninon took after him more than her devoutly Catholic mother. The de L’Enclos family were impoverished aristocrats and so after her father was exiled after losing a duel and her mother’s death, Ninon was shipped off to a convent. By then, however, Ninon was a very beautiful young woman and forming her own philosophy of Epicurean pursuits. She was also a dedicated secularist and heretic by then, even spontaneously singing a bawdy song during a Holy Week sermon. After she got out of the convent, she headed to Paris and started a career as a courtesan.

She quickly became known for her wit as well as her beauty. Ninon’s salons were the most popular in Paris and became well known in other parts of Europe. Among the attendees were La Rouchefoucauld, Racine, Saint-Évremond and Molière. Her lovers were nobles, even royalty, as well as other wits of the day. While Cardinal Richelieu adored her, Queen Anne of France didn’t and sent her off to yet another convent. However, she was so missed at court that Queen Christina of Sweden wrote to Cardinal Mazarin to obtain her release. So valued was her counsel that King Louis XIV inquired after her opinion, “What does Ninon think?” he would say.

She served as a muse and a critique for Molière. In her career, Ninon wrote published poems and a satire called The Coquette Avenged (La Coquette Vengee), attacking the sexual hypocrisy of the day. Ninon was definitely a proto-feminist from even her early life, deciding as a child to “turn herself into a man” to take advantage of the “thousands of privileges that men do not enjoy”; an honnête homme, a man of honor, gallantry and truth. But this she combined with her overwhelming, unabashed femininity, later crediting this intoxicating combination of the sexes, the androgyny, to her popularity and success. More than this, Ninon condemned the position of women in society, denouncing the treatment of women by men and other women and the ignorance, especially erotically of women.Ninon observed that women were “rendered stupid in love” and harassed by men and others of their own sex.

Ninon died comfortably at the age of 85. She became the posthumous subject of several plays, novels and old wives’ tales as well as the icon of beauty products all around France. Thanks to a provision in her will leaving a thousand francs to a nine-year old young boy named François-Marie Arouet to purchase books, we, the world, were blessed with the wit and wisdom of Voltaire. Most importantly for me, she provided an excellent namesake and professional and personal inspiration.

For more information on Ninon de L’Enclos see:

The Book of the Courtesans by Susan Griffin

Seductress: Women Who Ruled the World and their Lost Art of Love by Betsy Prioleau

Jazz Babies- Ninon de l’Enclos

Ninon de L’Enclos: Philosopher and Courtesan: A Grand Siècle Celebrity

Life, Letters and Epicurean Philosophy of Ninon de L’Enclos by Ninon de L’Enclos (in English)

Ninon de L’Enclos Quotes

Quote of the Day

2009-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

“Move into the love act so deeply that the actor is no more. While loving, become love; while caressing, become the caress; while kissing, be the kiss.” -Lord Shiva

Word of the Day: Statuesque

2009-04-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

stat⋅u⋅esque [stach-oo-esk]

–adjective

like or suggesting a statue, as in massive or majestic dignity, grace, or beauty.

Origin:
1825–35; statue + -esque

Related forms:

stat⋅u⋅esque⋅ly, adverb

stat⋅u⋅esque⋅ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

I prefer this word to describe my height and how I carry myself. Unlike many tall girls, I never felt ashamed of towering over my male classmates, especially in elementary school. These girls compensate for their height by slouching, resulting in physical discomfort. As a classically trained ballerina from the age of four, I always walked with my back straight, gracefully and with an appropriate amount of pride. Though I am no longer a ballerina, the training stuck and quite honestly, I think I’m unable to slouch; I have made a graceful art of lounging like a cat. Even when I’m walking in a rush to class I know my form is elegant.

Most of the guys eventually outgrew me in high school and by then I was a high-heel aficionado. I usually date men who are taller than I am but I have found more than a few shorter men who delight in having a tall goddess stand next to them. I do believe it is a fetish for them, one that I am happy to oblige. I find these men also fetishize shoes, especially beautiful stilettos. Again, this is a fetish in which I enthusiastically partake.

As I state on my About page, I do consider myself beautiful and very dignified, an opinion seconded by others though unnecessary for the upkeep of my self-esteem. I believe more people need to find this beauty within themselves. I find a lot of misdirected hatred toward others comes from a place of insecurity within a person and they know no other recourse than to deflect it onto an unwilling public. Self-love will lead to peace!

Word of the Day: Fetish

2009-04-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

fet⋅ish [fet-ish, fee-tish]

–noun

1.	an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.

2.	any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high grades.

3.	Psychology. any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.

Also, fetich.

Origin:
1605–15; earlier fateish < class="ital-inline">feitiço charm, sorcery (n.), artificial (adj.) < class="ital-inline">factīcius factitious; r. fatisso, fetisso < class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0">

Related forms:

fet⋅ish⋅like, adjective

Synonyms:
1. talisman, amulet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

fetish

1613, fatisso, from Port. fetiço “charm, sorcery,” originally feitiço “made artfully, artificial,” from L. facticius “made by art,” from facere “to make” (see factitious). L. facticius in Sp. has become hechizo “magic, witchcraft, sorcery.” Probably introduced by Port. sailors and traders as a name for charms and talismans worshipped by the inhabitants of the Guinea coast of Africa. Popularized in anthropology by C. de Brosses’ Le Culte des Dieux Fétiches (1760), which influenced the word’s spelling in Eng. (Fr. fétiche, also from the Port. word). Figurative sense of “something irrationally revered” is Amer.Eng. 1837. Fetishism in the purely psycho-sexual sense first recorded 1897 in writings of Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939).

“In certain perversions of the sexual instinct, the person, part of the body, or particular object belonging to the person by whom the impulse is excited, is called the fetish of the patient.” [E. Morselli in "Baldwin Dictionary of Philosophy," 1901]

Fetishes and fetishists are usually the subject of ridicule and scorn in popular society even though the majority of people have fetishes. I suppose all the derision comes from repressed individuals who are in denial of their natures. When the subject of fetishes is treated in the mainstream, they are always regarded as weird at best or sociopathic at worst. Indeed, some fetishes can be weird and some can be very dangerous to the object, usually a person, being fetishized. However, I believe these are extreme expressions and the vast majority of fetishes are harmless.

While I do not believe all fetishes are inherently sexual I do believe they are inherently sensual in that all the natural senses are gratified by the contact with it. This interview from The Onion’s A.V. Club with burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese also discusses the fascinating subject of fetish as well.

Now Accepting: Preferred411 Clients

2009-04-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am now listed on Preferred411 and will accept clients with current memberships through the service.

Coming Soon: Minneapolis/St. Paul

2009-04-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have decided to include the Twin Cities in my Companion destinations. I went to school up there for a little while and I quite honestly miss it. Not enough to move back, I’m trying to get away from the deep freeze. However, I have a ton of friends from university up there that I would love to see more often. I am not offering this as a tour destination. As an exclusive Companion, I only travel on a per client basis. Therefore, if some gentleman, lady or couple requests my lovely company, then I will hop on a plane to spend time with them.

I will be able to travel between Minnesota and Chicago starting in April. I hope to hear from you all soon! There are some lovely restaurants and venues I would truly enjoy visiting again. My newly structured Appointments page has my rate structure for Minneapolis/St. Paul with cost of airfare already included in the cost. If there are details that I did not reveal that you would like to know, please feel free to contact me on my secured contact form.

Besos,

Ninon

Skeptic or a closed mind?

2009-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

As previous posts attest, I enjoy scientific investigation, especially where it concerns astronomy and potential space travel. Biology interests me as well because it helps to analyze the great story that is humanity. Chemistry is awesome for its potential to heal or completely destroy and I will admit, learning about explosives is kinda cool! Physics, of course, pairs nicely with chemistry and astronomy. What I call esoteric science fascinates me the most. I refer here to things such as parapsychology and cryptozoology, which are called by many scientists, "pseudo-science".

I don't want to give the appearance that I believe in some of the more far-fetched theories presented as science that are based more on faith, wishful thinking, superficial bigotry (based on gender or "race") possibly drug-induced hallucinations, than proveable fact. We can debate until the end of days whether or not there is a Goddess or God that created us, but her or his presence does not negate the fact that humans, animals, plants and the planet itself evolved. I call upon a Goddess but am still debating whether or not I believe in a transcendental deity. Is Big Foot real? Probably not, but if there is such a creature it is probably a freak of nature. It is not exactly outside the realm of possibility and humankind's continued existence proves repeatedly that remote possibilities are closer than we think. The one-drop rule? Definitely pseudo-science, though held beloved by Americans of all colors.

Two phenomena within the esoteric sciences intrigues me the most: ghosts and UFOlogy. I think the reason so many people believe in ghosts is that death is far too final for us to accept. The human approach to this reality ranges from hesitance to outright fear with the latter doing everything in their power to stave it off or ensure a posthumous rebirth in some idyllic afterlife. The former, myself included, may not fear death in itself but aren't in a rush to get there. After all, fearing death is a waste of time. To quote The Doors, "Death makes angels of us all." This is the one event after your own birth that you're guaranteed.

The possible existence of ghosts provides a comfort to those who fear death even as they fear ghosts themselves. Ghosts prove, if they are real, that death is not final. There is life after death. But this assumption also rests upon an idea that a person retains their consciousness and awareness of their surroundings post mortem. Some people believe ghosts are a form of angel. Interesting. I have had an experience that has lent credibility to some sort of guardian spirits protecting humans at various points in their lives.

I am a fan of the reality television series, in fact the only one I ever watch, Ghost Hunters on the SciFi Channel. I think the investigators deserve a lot more credit than they receive from the mainstream scientific community who seem to completely dismiss their investigations out of hand. Personally, I do not always come to the same conclusions as the Ghost Hunters and some evidence I see as a bit of a stretch. What I do respect about them is that they do attempt to debunk occurrances that owe more to human error or Nature than any supernatural happenings. I also like the fact that not every location visited is haunted and most are described as having "some activity". I'm dismayed by the number of people who still dismiss this show and its teams despite their attempt to eliminate as much coincidence from investigations as possible.

Now, UFOlogy is a bit of a different animal. The stereotype is of tinfoil hat wearing fringe types spouting off about Greys or the Reptiles or the Nordics. Having read descriptions of alleged encounters, I can spot any number of different personal factors that play significant roles in the person believing they have met beings from other worlds. But I am not arguing the veracity so much as the phenomena surrounding this. Obviously something is going on and I think it is worth serious, objective investigation from the scientific community at large.

That said, I am not arguing against the existence of extraterrestrials. I think it is more than a little arrogant to think that out of the billions of galaxies and stars and planets, that our little number of people on this one blue rock is all the life in the universe. The Drake Equation certainly allows for this reality. I think the actual question is whether or not they've been here, if they have did they try to interact or would they want to. Looking at a map of our Milky Way galaxy, we are essentially in the sticks, which means that our planet is also one of the youngest in the galaxy as it is far from the galactic core that is formed first. If there are alien species are they so sophisticated technologically to travel here? Perhaps they are also socially and intellectually advanced and decide the inhabitants of the blue world are probably more trouble than they're worth, especially since they love to harm each other and their own planet.

I delved into these topics to discuss the difference between being skeptical, which is always healthy, and simply being closed minded. Most information should not be believed in without some empirical investigation and anything that cannot withstand pointed questions isn't worthy of belief. Especially not the blind faith demanded by the worlds "great" religions or by the increasingly dogmatic and corporatized scientific realm. An interesting conundrum among several Americans these days to quickly show harsh skepticism about something as frivolous as Ghost Hunters but not regarding something even more important like our political process, our politicians and how our society is run. A closed mind is a bigoted mind.

The skeptic questions conclusions and requests facts to prove said conclusions. They enter into an investigation of a subject with as much objectivism as possible. One should not be subjective in scientific inquiry because new discoveries can be made that could invalidate previous theories. That is the entire point of science. The pursuit of knowledge, development and not the promotion of ignorance. True skeptics have firm yet flexible notions on reality aware of the fact that all it takes is one accident, one observation, like a random apple falling from a tree or overflowing the bathtub to change the entire world.

That is what the closed minded person does. They have their own conclusions, theories, beliefs, findings and they're sticking to them regardless of how often or thoroughly it is debunked. Belief is dogged and dogmatic. This is found among fundamentalists of all stripes. Unfortunately these days, they seem to be the loudest. I feel it is having a very negative effect on humankind.

I would like to close with a great quote I read somewhere. I do not remember what site I saw this on but I did not see an attribution:

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, not to their own facts."

Quote of the Day

2009-04-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

“Looking outward to the blackness of space, sprinkled with the glory of the universe of lights, I saw majesty - but no welcome. Below was a welcoming planet. There, contained in the thin, moving, incredible fragile shell of the biosphere is everything that is dear to you, all the human drama and comedy. That’s where life is; that’s where all the good stuff is.”

- Loren Acton, solar physicist and astronaut

Word of the Day: Erotic

2009-04-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

e⋅rot⋅ic [i-rot-ik]

–adjective Also, e⋅rot⋅i⋅cal.

1.	arousing or satisfying sexual desire: an erotic dance.

2.	of, pertaining to, or treating of sexual love; amatory: an erotic novel.

3.	subject to or marked by strong sexual desire.

–noun

4.	an erotic poem.

5.	an erotic person.

Origin:
1615–25; < class="ital-inline">erōtikós of love, caused by love, given to love, equiv. to erōt- (s. of érōs) Eros + -ikos -ic

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

erotic

1621 (implied in erotical), from Fr. érotique, from Gk. erotikos, from eros (gen. erotos) “sexual love” (see Eros). Eroticize is from 1914. Erotomaniac “one driven mad by passionate love” (sometimes also used in the sense of “nymphomaniac”) is from 1858. Erotica (1854) is from Gk. neut. pl. of erotikos “amatory,” from eros; originally a booksellers’ catalogue heading.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

An erotic Companion, passionate, fiery and feisty, voluptuous and a libertine. These are traits that are carefully honed and selectively shared. Alas, we live in a society where these attributes are not appreciated in a woman. Hence, the screening process held dear by many escorts, Companions and courtesans. Not only do we select clients who want this in a female Companion, but we select clients who genuinely respect this. There is skill and art in erotic expression, which is why volumes have been written about it.

Sometimes the erotic is a playground and one that should never be outgrown, but we should tarry there as long as possible. Other times, it is a dreamscape one where we can explore the forbidden, pushing the boundaries of our imagination and physicality as far as safely possible. Still other times the erotic is transcendent, far beyond the measure of words. Perfect and eternally blissful.

Aural Erotica

2009-03-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

by Micken_2007

I lightly touched on this subject in my Music and the Beast post earlier. Music can stir a dazzling array of emotions, especially those of a sexual or erotic nature. Think about how many people use music specifically to “set the mood”? How many people in my late Generation X/early Generation Y group probably owe our existence to songs like Sexual Healing or Let’s Get It On from the fabulous, late Marvin Gaye? The fabulous Annie Sprinkle lists seven types of female orgasm and while an aural orgasm sparked by the right music could, I suppose, qualify under her “energy orgasm”, I think it deserves a classification of its own. I also want to note that aural orgasms may be totally disconnected from any sexual feelings, instead a sense of audio-based euphoria sweeps over your body and soul. It can be sexual but certainly not always.

With that in mind, I present my musical selection in a playlist on Blip.fm. A wide range of music, but all of it makes me happy and absolutely sates my need for aural pleasures. This playlist will also have a permanent link on my Links and Resources page.

Humanity's New Home?

2009-03-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

source: Wired.com

“I don’t think the human race will survive the next thousand years unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet.” -Stephen Hawking

Wired Science published a story profiling possible planets that would be humanity’s new home. A team of scientists from a Geneva, Switzerland observatory found 45 exoplanets and among them, three “super Earths” orbiting a sun not so unlike our own:

There may be many other planets that current instruments cannot yet detect since they orbit too far from their stars. The current batch of planets just discovered all orbit their star sin less than 50 days. As instruments improve, we will be able to resolve Earth-sized planets that orbit as far from their stars as Earth does, so that same sample of 100 stars might yield even more Earth-sized planets orbiting at greater distances then we can currently detect.

All this paves the way for the discovery of abundant Earth sized planets, orbiting in the habitable zone and ultimately of life in the universe. With all these planets around all these stars in all these galaxies, there has got to be some life somewhere… or so the theory goes.

Isn’t that cool? When can I fill out my mail-forwarding card? But I have to wonder if humanity’s social problems would increase or decrease as we begin our first trek across space. Who would be left behind and why? What will we encounter out there and can we properly defend ourselves? Important as these questions are, we cannot allow them to impede any progress for humanity to venture into the stars. We are intrepid explorers at heart and there’s nothing our species loves more than a challenge.

Candid Ninon

2009-03-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, in the course of cooking a very yummy meal of smoked turkey wings, black-eyed peas and mixed vegetables, my apartment turned into a sauna. That always happens when I cook in my Dutch oven. Anyway, I couldn’t take the heat so I decided to remove a few layers. Then, quasi-exhibitionist that I am, decided to take some photos using my laptop’s camera. The results are on my Tumblr. Enjoy.

Word of the Day: Hedonist

2009-03-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

he⋅don⋅ist [heed-n-ist]

–noun

1.	a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification.

–adjective

2.	Also, he⋅don⋅is⋅tic. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a hedonist or hedonism.

Origin:
1855–60; see hedonism, -ist

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

he·don·ism (hēd’n-ĭz’əm)

Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

[Greek hēdonē, pleasure; see swād- in Indo-European roots + -ism.]

he’don·ist n., he’don·is’tic adj., he’don·is’ti·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

hedonist
noun
someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures

Hedonism is such an ugly word in our anhedonic, pleasure-denying society. The word conjures images of gluttons and stories of Nero and Messalina. Excess isn’t pleasurable or enjoyable because the nuances and uniqueness of the indulgence are missed and taken for granted. Hedonism and pleasure are about savoring the moment every sound, smell, taste, touch, sight…it’s the epitome of sensuality. I am a hedonist because seeking out, enjoying pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, are divine motivations as far as I am concerned. So long as none are nonconsensually harmed, then do what you will! Dr. Susan Block has an excellent article on ethical hedonism, a philosophy by which I live and work.

Here’s a little history to finish:

hedonist

1822, in reference to the Cyrenaic school of philosophy that deals with the ethics of pleasure, from Gk. hedonikos “pleasurable,” from hedone “pleasure,” related to hedys “sweet” (see sweet). Hedonistic is from 1866; earlier adj. form was hedonic (1656). A hedonist is properly the follower of any ethical system in which the highest good is some sort of pleasure. The Epicurian identifies this with the practice of virtue.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

And how sweet it is!

Music and the Beast

2009-03-26T16:23:00.001-07:00

by Micken_2007

We’ve all the phrase, “Music soothes the savage beast”. Calm notes float lightly through the air, creating a mellowness that makes all other concerns seem frivolous. Music often accomplishes this feat. There are certain songs on my iTunes playlist expressly for that purpose. When I just want to zone out and truly live inside a happy bubble where bills, war, homework and climbing rates of unemployment don’t exist. Time itself stands still here. I consider this necessary for everyone’s mental health.

But music can also inflame that beast. Rousing crescendos popular in epic tunes like my favorite the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff or, appealing to my nerdy side, John Williams’ famous Star Wars theme or Harry Potter’s theme. The right music can promise adventure and excitement, or perhaps sating curiosity, lust, love, or justice. Music can be used to literally make people stand at attention, like when Hail to the Chief is played when the sitting United States president formally enters a venue.

It’s universal, even if all our tastes are not as harmonious. Like all art, music has the opportunity to unite across man-made divisions of religion, race, nationality, economics, even gender. Though I am not Catholic or even Christian, I enjoy listening to Palestrina and Catholic liturgical music in general. Aretha Franklin is one of my favorite artists all around, and her version of “Mary, Don’t You Weep” just does something to me. I’m not Buddhist either but hearing some of the chants of the monks and nuns stir my soul. My taste in music is delightfully eclectic ranging from KMFDM to Beyonce to the Gipsy Kings to Palestrina. I do not follow genres so much as good, quality music.

Music has a power that is often underestimated. Life has a soundtrack. What is yours?

Quote of the Day

2009-03-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

“Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear and the pomegrantes bud forth: there I will give thee my loves.” -Song of Songs

Evolution in 60 seconds

2009-03-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic video that puts the billions of years of evolution on a time scale that is compressed into sixty seconds. From the formation of the Earth all the way to the modern human form. The last fifteen seconds, which translates to the last million or so years, is an explosion of evolution very close together. Though to us it seems as though time passed slowly, in the larger scale of the age of the Earth and surrounding universe, it was definitely a flurry of activity. Watch the video and enjoy!

Delightfully Cheesy

2009-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

I often complain about the dearth of quality entertainment in film or television. The latter especially with the excellent Battlestar Galactica leaving the air after a commendable four seasons. I have a growing interest in independent films that hopefully I can spend the summer investigating. Despite this, I possess a guilty pleasure in watching really bad, horribly acted films and television. I know the exact cause: growing up watching Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Watching a bad movie and making well-timed, witty, sarcastic comments is a pleasure in itself, but one that needs to be shared with a kindred spirit. Actual cheese is fantastic and a cheesy movie is like heaven.

Hulu provides great cheesy cinema. If you’re a fan of this rather snarky past time, I want to pass on a few recommendations:

1. Robot Holocaust- Something about the word ‘robot’ in the title of a film just screams cheese. Bad, stinky cheese. I attempted to watch this movie but was inexplicably knocked unconscious. It really was that bad.

2. Horror Express- Titles can make or break a movie. But a movie this bad deserves a title like Horror Express. Like so many bad movies, the premise is interesting but the execution just plain…sucks. Unlike the cinematic gem that is Robot Holocaust, Horror Express has a rather star-studded cast: Count Dooku, Grand Moff Tarkin and Kojak… that is to say Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas.

3. Instant Star- Not a movie but a Canadian-produced television show that I’ve always described as “American Idol on crack”. It follows the burgeoning music career of a fictional character named Jude Harrison after she wins Canada’s version of Idol as a fifteen-year-old high school student. Obviously drama and unintentional hilarity ensues. Few young actors are as talented as Dakota Fanning, Tatum O’Neal, Jodie Foster or Christina Ricci were in their youth (well, Dakota is still young) but at first the actress playing Jude, Alexz Johnson, was green. Her voice squeaked and she tended to be overly dramatic. She grew as an actress as the series progressed, though the show itself was still rather cheesy. As much as I criticized it, I was heartbroken to hear of its cancellation last summer. Depending on where you are in the world, finding episodes of Instant Star are difficult but for me, well worth the effort.

I am sure I will find others. This has become a bit of a quest for me, though not quite of the “Holy Grail” caliber. Of course, watching and riffing on some quality cheese is a fantastic idea for a date with a prospective client who is of the same mind. Imagine: a bowl full of popcorn, beverages of choice, a relaxed atmosphere and a movie to bring tears of laughter and disbelief to our eyes. Great fun!

Word of the Day: Fiery

2009-03-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

fier·y

(fīr'ē, fī'ə-rē) Pronunciation Key
adj. fier·i·er, fier·i·est

1. Consisting of or containing fire.
2. Burning or glowing.
3. Using or effected with fire.
4. Easily ignited; flammable.
5. Torridly hot.
6. Feverishly hot and flushed: fiery cheeks.
7. Being in an inflamed, usually painful condition: a fiery boil.
8. Easily excited or emotionally volatile; tempestuous: a fiery temper.
9. Charged with emotion; spirited: a fiery denunciation.
Having the color of fire; brightly red: fiery hair; a fiery sunset.
1. Torridly hot.
2. Feverishly hot and flushed: fiery cheeks.
3. Being in an inflamed, usually painful condition: a fiery boil.
4. Easily excited or emotionally volatile; tempestuous: a fiery temper.
5. Charged with emotion; spirited: a fiery denunciation.
1. Easily excited or emotionally volatile; tempestuous: a fiery temper.
2. Charged with emotion; spirited: a fiery denunciation.

[Middle English firi, from fir, fire; see fire.]
fier'i·ly adv., fier'i·ness n., fier'y adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Fiery is a great descriptor for me. I am a very passionate woman and not just in a sexual manner. I am determined to have my own informed opinions about a great many subject and do not change my thoughts with the turn of the tide. Surely, I may change my mind if more information is revealed that may cast valid doubts on previous points. Fiery though I am, I do temper some of that passion eloquently among certain company but I do not abandon my point of view. That would be disingenuous and there is far too much of that in this world.

Of course, some people do not appreciate this. That's a tremendous loss on their part, but as I love intellectual discourse and pursuits I have yet to encounter one that lacked passion. After all, this is why some clients desire intellectual Companions. They want someone who has her own thoughts and are not afraid to voice them in an elegant manner. Authenticity is important. A fiery, passionate Companion can inflame the mind and the body equally.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

Quote of the Day

2009-03-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

"Do you know the myth of Earth That Was? That when She was born, She had no sky. And was open, inviting. And the stars would rush into Her...through the skin of Her. Making the oceans boil with sensation! And when She could endure no more ecstasy, She puffed up her cheeks and blew out the Sky!" -Saffron, "Our Mrs. Reynolds" -Firefly

Companion Ethics

2009-03-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

When I was researching this profession, I noticed many assurances against fraud, two of which I would like to comment upon here. One I noticed quite often was that Companions reassured potential clients that they will show up and stay for the entire time for which their encounter is contracted. The obvious and correct assumption is that some women who at least call themselves escorts or Companions are little more than con artists or swindlers. This is a crying shame and shows absolutely no respect for the profession; and it is, without a doubt, a profession at certain levels.

For example, "escorts" like this person who set back our efforts to be taken seriously by at least two centuries. Not only does this anger me as a Companion but as an ethical human being. I truly do not understand some people's motivations. That was unnecessary and only embitters clients against escorts and others in this line of work. Of course, the reverse happens more often than not, sometimes accompanied with violence. One of many reasons escorts and other sex workers want to and need to unionize though the law is a large barrier to that becoming a reality.

Then there is the issue of image. Specifically, whether the escort in the photograph will be the person who shows up for the date. When I was researching this profession, I was baffled to learn that some people will use pictures of other models completely misrepresenting themselves. What a way to show that you completely lack self-esteem. The thought of that has never entered my mind because I love the way I look and my clients will too. I present myself to the world: my thoughts, my motivation, my image, my passions...everything but my name for security purposes of course. This is a line of work where one must be comfortable with themselves before diving in. No picture would be better than a false one.

To some, this post is a thing of perversion. How can a woman like me be so concerned with ethics when I violate and flout the moral decorum of my society? Ethics, to me, are not mutually inclusive with sexual/sensual expression. If anything, as I became comfortable with my sexuality and sensuality and truly embraced it, that is when I treated my fellow human beings with more respect. My actions are not those that cause physical harm upon others, nor do they cruelly take advantage of another. I respect my fellow human being and have no reason to cause harm unprovoked. I respect clients because they have earned it and they respect me because I have also earned it. This is because I love myself and when you have that self-love, it encompasses all those around you.

Companions understand this as a Golden Rule of our profession: we love others as we love ourselves.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

The Sensuality of Books

2009-03-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have at best a cynical reaction to reading devices such as Amazon's Kindle as seen above. I can understand the advantages of such technology for people who have a handicap for which these devices are a boon. My mother is one such person and she would enjoy the ability to read her beloved books again. For everyone else, however, I mourn the loss of the sensory and tactile enjoyment of holding an actual book with pages in your hand. I didn't have this reaction to books on tape or later, CD-ROM because I could see some universal advantage in that both for people who may have a handicap preventing traditional reading and for people who would like this as entertainment while driving over long distances. Obviously, not the time to hold a book in your hands.

Beyond the hopefully entertaining story held within, the sensual nature of books is one of the reasons I enjoy reading so much. I love the smell of new books fresh from Borders, Powell's, Books-A-Million or Barnes and Noble. I love the smell of old books from small, independent stores that buy and resell old books, a great resource to find tomes that have long since been out of print to public or school libraries. I even enjoy the smell of magazines, even those without all the parfum and cologne samplers stuck inside and of course, newspapers. The feel of the paper as I turn the page, even the glossies. I can remember what I read better from an actual paper page than from a webpage, even as I blog like crazy and read international newspapers online. But I still keep a traditional diary and buying a newspaper a couple times a week. I would love to have parchment, a fountain pen or a quill and ink to write with. This from a member of the MTV generation.

I recall an episode of one of my absolutely favorite, geek fangirl shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The librarian Rupert Giles, who I consider very handsome and fuels some of my more erotic dreams, had a conversation about the difference between computers and paper print with the school's gorgeous computer science teacher Jenny Calendar. Mr. Giles was very adamant against using computers as a research source and really did not want anything to do with them at all. Ms. Calendar asked him why he was so bothered by them and he told her because of their smell. She replies that computers do not smell. He agreed, saying:

I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a...a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and...and...and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no...no texture, no...no context. It's..it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then...then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

Amazon Kindle and others of its generation don't smell and for me the reading done on it will be fleeting. I'm saddened by the idea that in less than five years time, most likely, major newspapers will cease to exist outside of their online forms. In another twenty years, if we really do establish a nationwide broadband system, even small town newspapers will be digitized. I am not opposed to the development of technology, I'm not that much of a Luddite, but to quote Giles again, I don't have the "knee-jerk assumption that just because something is new, it's better". I think society on the whole has this reaction of new=better and quite honestly it doesn't always.

The scent of the printed word, be it musty or fresh, tells its own story. Especially in libraries and vintage bookstores where the books have been borrowed, bought, sold, and have the smell of life. Yellowed pages, the random fingerprint or two, pages dog-eared, passages underlined or highlighted, comments written in the margins...even if the information or the story the book holds is boring or out of date or whatever, its less than pristine status is far more exciting. That book has probably had more of a life, and has traveled more places than the average person. The book has been appreciated for sure.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

More on Kissing

2009-03-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

: "Kissers" by Rodin

Apparently kissing has many health benefits. According to a Japanese study, kissing relieves sneezing and sniffling because it slows down histimine production. What a great alternative to Sudafed! I will have to keep that in mind come March. Supposedly, kissing also stops hiccups. While this sounds interesting, I would not mind doing a few field studies myself. Of course, only with a willing partner, so don't randomly smooch someone with a bad case of the sniffles. A tissue will probably be best.

Black Roses

2009-03-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

My adopted surname, Baccara, is in honor of a beautiful and rare "black" rose. Black roses aren't actually black, but the darkest of red. Their soft, delicate petals are lush and velvety. Exotic. Beautiful. Decadent. Fascinating. The black rose is a powerful symbol for me and perhaps for all Companions. From far away this rose looks "black" and observers assume from a distance that this rose is "black" and that is the extent of its reality. But those who get close, who wish to look past the exterior will appreciate the rose's complexity: the color isn't actually black, but deep red, preternaturally beautiful, the scent is sultry and the flower itself, luxurious to the touch.

I am the beautiful, decadent, exotic "black" rose.

More on black roses can be found here: Black Roses: Magic and Mysticism.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

Kiss me...there

2009-03-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

I like to read the blog of Twanna A. Hines, who is also known by the moniker Funky Brown Chick. She has a post on her blog, "Kissing Naughty Places" and she asks her readers where we like to be kissed the most. Of course, I wanted to share where I like to be kissed. It may come in handy someday. *wink*

~The place right at the meeting of my breasts, with my bra on. I have no idea why this spot is so delightfully sensitive, but it is. Of course, only a lucky few are gifted with the opportunity to experience this bit of sensuality first hand.

~On the inside of my arm, opposite the elbow.

~A traditional spot, on the neck. Kissing from there up to my earlobe, with the softest and shiest of licks, just makes me melt like ice cream on a summer day.

~The small of my back. I'm very partial to that spot.

~And, finally, on the lips. Softly. Sensually. Passionately.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

Word of the Day: Buxom

2009-03-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

From Dictionary.com:

bux⋅om[buhk-suhm] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

1.	(of a woman) full-bosomed.

2.	(of a woman) healthy, plump, cheerful, and lively.

Origin:
1125–75; ME, earlier buhsum pliant, equiv. to OE būh (var. s. of būgan to bow ¹ ) + -sum -some ¹

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bux·om(bŭk'səm) Pronunciation Key
adj.

1. Healthily plump and ample of figure: "A generation ago, fat babies were considered healthy and buxom actresses were popular, but society has since come to worship thinness" (Robert A. Hamilton).
2. Full-bosomed.
Archaic Lively, vivacious, and gay.
Obsolete Obedient; yielding; pliant.

[Middle English, obedient, from Old English *būhsum, from būgan, to bend, submit; see bheug- in Indo-European roots.]
bux'om·ly adv., bux'om·ness n.

******

I am definitely buxom in figure, though more "ample of figure" than plump, which would suggest a pleasant roundness I do not have. Nonetheless, I am not a waif. I love being voluptuous, curvaceous....buxom. In the morning as I smooth cream over my skin, I love tracing the soft curve of my hips, my derriere extraordinaire, my shapely thighs, my stomach, my prodigious breasts. It's such a sensual and delightful daily ritual. My favorite artist overall is Titian due to his fantastic work on sensual female nudes. When I see those women, I see myself. Wonderful to be reflected in great works of art shown in museums around the world. Today, I love actresses like Kate Winslet and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, not only for their considerable talents in their field, but because they are very proud of their fuller figures that clearly fall outside of the thin mode of today.

*****

On a different note, the third definition for buxom was used in marriage vows until the past, oh, fifty years to a century. The exact phrasing for the woman's vows (of course) included a promise to be "buxom and bonny", essentially quiet, obedient, and seeing her husband as king of the house. That is definitely not the kind of buxom for me!

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

Quote of the Day

2009-03-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

"Inanna placed the shugurra, the crown
of the steppe on her head.
She went to the sheepfold, to the shepherd.
She leaned against the apple tree, her vulva
was wondrous to behold.
Rejoicing at her wondrous vulva, the
young woman Inanna applauded herself."

Announcement

2009-03-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

I am a new contributing editor at Allure of a Subculture. A double dose of Ninon! Ain't life grand? New posts for the Voluptuous Libertine are forthcoming.

Besos,

Ninon :*

The Necessary Frivolity of Pleasure

2009-03-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

"Pleasure is the object, the duty and the goal of all rational creatures." -Voltaire

The pursuit of pleasure is often seen as frivolous at best or immoral at worst. On the more socially acceptable end is pursuing non-sexual pleasure: going to an amusement park, vacation, taking a "sick" day. All of these pursuits are approved of because talking about your activities there and how they made you feel, hopefully better, doesn't make anyone uncomfortable. Unfortunately, even these pleasures can be suspect to those with a strong Puritan work ethic. Taking a vacation when they think the office needs them more fills them with a heavy guilt, as does taking a sick day when no illness is present. With the advent of pocket-sized technology that keeps people connected all the time, you never really have to leave the office behind. How miserable is that? But, luckily for me, I really love my office space!

Needless to say the pursuit of pleasure on the so-called "immoral" end are those of sex and eroticism. We all know why this is but, personally, this is my favorite way to pursue pleasure. After all, that's why I do what I do. It is the sorrow of our culture that we view sex and eroticism as some sort of curse or necessary evil. I refuse to approach sex and the erotic in shame and sorrow; this helps no one. Of course, this is the pursuit of pleasure between two consenting adults.

I am what is called an ethical hedonist. I enthusiastically and unabashedly pursue pleasure, especially the erotic. With gusto, one might say. However, I do not pervert this pursuit by manipulating others into situations they wouldn't have consented to otherwise. That I don't understand either. Where is the fun in sex and the sensual if you had to force someone to do it with you? I pursue pleasure for the sake of pleasure, a noble end in and of itself in my opinion. This pursuit, however, never interferes to the detriment of other parts of my life; to the contrary it enhances them greatly.

Having pleasure in ones life, be it sexual or not, makes life worth living. It relieves the stress of daily routine, the stress that builds up and, if not relieved, makes people snap. Restricting or denying yourself an outlet for stress is a recipe for disaster. So why continue to fret about this? Do something that makes you happy because most likely it will make others happy too. I truly believe our world would be so much better and with so much less strife and conflict if pleasure was respected.

The pursuit of pleasure is always more fun with a Companion.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

Quote of the Day

2009-03-04T09:29:00.001-08:00

"So sweet and delicious do I become,
when I am in bed with a man
who, I sense, loves and enjoys me,
that the pleasure I bring excels all delight,
so the knot of love, however tight
it seemed before, is tied tighter still."

Veronica Franco, courtesan and poetess

The Sky Was Made of Diamonds*

2009-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

: The Pearl Cluster- Southern Hemisphere

I was fortunate enough to travel to Sydney, Australia the summer before my eighth grade year with my dance team. We went there for an international dance conference and it was the first time many of the girls in my group ever traveled outside of the country. The furthest I traveled outside of the United States at that point was to Canada where my godparents lived for a time. However, this was the first opportunity I received to travel so far away from America; even better, without my parents! Our dance instructor and two other female teachers from our school served as chaperones and we all were boarded with host families, which was a treat in itself.

Australia is a beautiful country and I truly hope I have the chance to travel there again. Very soon. My trip took place about fifteen years ago and at that time in 1994 Sydney was in preparations to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. I got to see the beginning stages of the venues' construction. I was impressed by the overall cleanliness of the country, a stark contrast to the average American city. The people were absolutely fantastic, though the ones I met all asked me if I was a Baywatch fan like they were. I wasn't. While all of them had heard of Chicago, they really did not have too many reference points for the city, excluding the then-Tallest Building in the World status that belonged to the Sears Tower, as most Hollywood movies focus on Los Angeles and New York City.

The most stunning view in the country was not the Sydney Opera House or the Blue Mountains or Darling Harbor, though all of those sites were gorgeous. No, my fondest memories were of the night sky in Sydney. Being born and bred within the city limits of Chicago, I saw very few stars at night. I have always loved looking at the few constellations I could see such as the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion, Cassiopeia, and on occasion the Pleiades among others. Of course, Venus and Mars are also viewable even though the light and general air pollution in the city. I had never traveled far enough outside of the city to truly see an unobstructed view; even visiting friends in the Chicago suburbs did not provide this. Looking at stars in pictures just isn't the same as seeing them in person.

But in Sydney...oh, the stars are breathtaking! Sure, it is the Southern Hemisphere and I would never see those stars again until I travel south of the equator. The sky itself looks like the richest, lushest black velvet and the stars the most flawless of diamonds. Even in Sydney, I saw more stars dance across the firmament than I ever did in Chicago. A dance class my group attended ran into the night and it was this site that greeted me as we left. Looking at the reactions on our faces, a casual observer could tell we probably lived in the city our entire lives. I remember standing there and saying one word, "Whoa."

My host family took me into the Blue Mountains the next day, as it was a free day for the conference attendees. As we were preparing to leave the mountains that night, I could see the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds, the Crux and so many other constellations I knew nothing about at the time. It was then that I had, in hindsight, my first existential moment. I realized how small human beings are. How small our planet is. Wondering how insignificant I was in the larger scheme of things. Was there anything I could do on Earth that mattered besides merely existing? For a brief instant, I felt as though the stars were almost suffocating. They were so many and we were so few. I felt surrounded.

While this feeling of smallness did not instill an inferiority complex in me, it did make me appreciate what we have here. Our only home. From that point on, I did begin to question religious and even scientific claims that we are the only people in the galaxy. Of course, we can argue until the end of the world whether or not this in true until we obtain conclusive, beyond a reasonable doubt proof, but for me the universe grew a-million fold. I viewed the universe from this point on as worthy of respect as a whole and later understanding that every last piece of matter in the universe, well, mattered. Stargazing for me is a spiritual experience, one many people have and that requires no religious belief at all.

*Dr. Who fans will appreciate the reference made in the title.

A Date With Ninon

2009-03-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

(originally titled, "An Evening With Ninon")

What would an evening with the Voluptuous Libertine be like? I'm sure you all are just dying to know. I've decided to write a post about the ideal encounter. Naturally, this will vary a little bit depending on the date's planned events but not too much I would hope.

We meet in a lovely, upscale tavern, lounge or restaurant such as Alinea or Rebar, where the patrons are well-dressed and sophisticated. I will be dressed to match, most likely in the staple of every woman's evening wardrobe, the black dress. While it follows my curves and shows enough leg to be fashionable but not so much as to be vulgar. Fashionable jewelry and cosmetics that enhance the beauty Nature blessed me with. My excitement and anticipation for our time together beaming through, glowing. In short, well-dressed and sophisticated. We spot each other across the room, meet and greet with my bright smile, customary warm hug and Continental kisses.

At our table and after ordering a glass of wine or other drink of choice, we handle the necessary business. I am handed my gift requirement, which is situated in an envelope with my name on it within a gift bag, magazine or perhaps a book you noticed on my reading list that I have yet to purchase. That out of the way, we continue with our evening. Perhaps we stay for dinner and chat about a variety of topics from fine art to travel, society, politics, entertainment, astronomy or even the weather. Maybe after our drinks we proceed to an art exhibit, the opera or symphony, a private party or other event.

And afterward? A nightcap? A sensually prolonged kiss goodnight? Who knows what will happen between two (or more) consenting adults? The night must write itself.

Or perhaps we are not meeting for an evening but a morning or afternoon. A trip to the Art Institute, free in February, or MoMA or maybe something more avant-garde like Gallery Provocateur. We could ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, visit Millennium Park or Lincoln Park Zoo among a variety of fun Chicago sites. Afterward we will have a decadent lunch at Wave, Sixteen, or The Lobby at Peninsula. It may be that we must appear to be having a business meeting and I arrive dressed appropriately and professionally in a well-appointed suit. If our date is on a day in the late spring or early summer, a picnic in the park or on the lakefront. Again, how the date will end is entirely up to us, though I have every assurance that it will be one of mutual pleasure.

I don't know about you, but I'm anxious to have a date to explore, discover and satisfy my burning curiosity. Read the rest of my site and then email me.

Ninon Baccara, The Voluptuous Libertine

My Moral Compass

2009-03-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

We live in a society where morality is primarily tied with sexual conduct. If one's sexuality falls outside the accepted mainstream then it and the person is considered inextricably immoral. Even though the sexuality is usually a private affair consented to by all parties, others feel as though they alone retain the right, nay the duty, to judge the other person and find them wanting. These same people can and will produce a wide variety of rather dubious statistics to buttress their claims that a sexually repressed society is a moral one.

Unfortunately, this creates an environment where many actual crimes committed by the "moral majority" are considered irrelevant. We are asked, at this point, to accept or ignore the choices made by our so-called moral superiors that actually resulted in verifiable harm that we certainly did not consent to. For example, a government that seeks to police every sexual encounter between consenting adults within its country, yet promotes war, condones stealing and lying, hatred and bigotry. While the latter are truly causes for concern, the good citizenry is distracted by scandals involving the former. Surely there are sexual encounters between consenting adults that condone lying to an extent, though that is hardly on the same level as lying about the motivation to enter yet another war or how we treat enemies in our custody.

With regard to morality in sex, I feel that so long as one, two (or more!) consenting adults are involved, then do as you may. I am not a fan of monogamy at all and I think the majority of humans worry themselves sick trying to meet an ideal that is simply not in our nature. This holds true for men and women, despite the supposed "natural" expression of monogamy in women. Without going off on a complete tangent, women are separated from their sexuality from a very young age thanks to the double standard of the Madonna-Whore complex and many never reconcile with their sex. It is unfortunate and causes innumerable problems, the least of which is extreme jealousy and possessiveness. The Myth of Monogamy by Drs. David P. Barash and Judith Lipton is an excellent resource on this subject.

As a human being, I make sure my actions will not cause irreparable harm to another. Isn't this the point of morality? It never enters my mind to actually physically harm another or say something horrible just because I can, despite dark thoughts we all have at moments. This is what separates a civilized, respectful person from the brute. To me, this is the role of morality.

Ninon Baccara: The Voluptuous Libertine

Word of the Day: Voluptuous

2009-03-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

1. vo⋅lup⋅tu⋅ous

[vuh-luhp-choo-uhs] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

1.	full of, characterized by, or ministering to indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment: a voluptuous life.

2.	derived from gratification of the senses: voluptuous pleasure.

3.	directed toward or concerned with sensuous enjoyment or sensual pleasure: voluptuous desires.

4.	sensuously pleasing or delightful: voluptuous beauty.

Origin:
1325–75; ME < class="ital-inline">voluptuōsus, equiv. to volupt(ās) pleasure + -ōsus -ous; -u- prob. by assoc. with sumptuōsus sumptuous

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source

2. lib⋅er⋅tine

[lib-er-teen, -tin] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, esp. a dissolute man; a profligate; rake.

2.	a freethinker in religious matters.

3.	a person freed from slavery in ancient Rome.

–adjective

4.	free of moral, esp. sexual, restraint; dissolute; licentious.

5.	freethinking in religious matters.

6.	Archaic. unrestrained; uncontrolled.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME libertyn < class="ital-inline">lībertīnus of a freedman (adj.), freedman (n.), equiv. to lībert(us) freedman (appar. by reanalysis of liber-tās liberty as libert-ās) + -īnus -ine ¹

1. My figure is best described as voluptuous: prodigious, sumptuous breasts, a relatively smaller waist, womanly hips and a well-shaped derriere. I am very happy with my figure and according to this article from Betty Dodson's excellent site, I am not alone! I do partake in exercise to lose some weight but I am nonetheless proud of my curves and I always dress them accordingly. For me, this is why I love the art of the Renaissance, especially in the works of Titian (Danae, Venus of Urbino, Flora, Venus with a Mirror, etc.). The soft, sensual, divine female nude figures are almost always voluptuous and beautiful. Just like me.

2. Libertines can get such a bad rap! I truly dislike the notion that a lack of sexual repression means that one has no morality. That is completely untrue! However, I am a freethinker in religious matters and sexually free and licentious in the best ways possible. I am a lover of freedom so long as it harms none. Really, what can be wrong about that?

Alas, I am the Voluptuous Libertine

Party next Saturday

2009-02-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

I'll be there. Will you?

Thus Spake the Libertine

2009-02-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering what exactly I will talk about on this blog, from my perspective of being a professional, sensual companion. For one, I will not have "kiss-and-tell" stories as that is not my style. The time I spend with clients is personal and it will stay that way unless both the client and I come to an agreement that the events of our date are just too fantastic to keep quiet. Even then, names will be changed to protect the sensually adventurous. This respect extends to those who respect me in return.

That said, I will talk about sexuality, sensuality and eroticism of course. You can expect short posts containing a "Word of the Day" or a deliberately chosen quote and how it applies to me or my life experiences. Even more, I will blog about my favorite non-sexual interests such as astronomy, art, music, movies and my favorite obsession, Battlestar Galactica. Occasionally, I will share my views on current events but as some topics will be too personal, I may steer clear. I am open to topic suggestions and if I feel I can give a coherent, educated opinion on the subject then I definitely will wax philosophical.

Ninon Baccara: The Voluptuous Libertine

Introduction

2009-02-28T16:10:00.000-08:00

I am Ninon Baccara and I am a high-end Companion. This is one of many blogs I have online, though my main site is at WordPress. I will cross-post at this blog. Feel free to leave a comment but be aware that all comments will be screened. Keep this in mind, be prepared to get back whatever you dish out. I don't suffer fools at all. Disagreement is one thing, being an asshole is quite another.

The Voluptuous Libertine

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

University, Loans and Privilege

Quote of the Day

The Rites of Beltane

Who Was Ninon de L'Enclos?

Quote of the Day

Word of the Day: Statuesque

stat⋅u⋅esque /ˌstætʃuˈɛsk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [stach-oo-esk]

Word of the Day: Fetish

fet⋅ish [fet-ish, fee-tish]

Now Accepting: Preferred411 Clients

Coming Soon: Minneapolis/St. Paul

Skeptic or a closed mind?

Quote of the Day

Word of the Day: Erotic

e⋅rot⋅ic /ɪˈrɒtɪk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-rot-ik]

Aural Erotica

Humanity's New Home?

Candid Ninon

Word of the Day: Hedonist

he⋅don⋅ist [heed-n-ist]

Music and the Beast

Quote of the Day

Evolution in 60 seconds

Delightfully Cheesy

Word of the Day: Fiery

Quote of the Day

Companion Ethics

The Sensuality of Books

More on Kissing

Black Roses

Kiss me...there

Word of the Day: Buxom

bux⋅om[buhk-suhm] Show IPA Pronunciation

Quote of the Day

Announcement

The Necessary Frivolity of Pleasure

Quote of the Day

The Sky Was Made of Diamonds*

A Date With Ninon

My Moral Compass

Word of the Day: Voluptuous

1. vo⋅lup⋅tu⋅ous

2. lib⋅er⋅tine

Party next Saturday

Thus Spake the Libertine

Introduction

stat⋅u⋅esque [stach-oo-esk]

e⋅rot⋅ic [i-rot-ik]