Oh, what has the world come to when I have to come up with a headline like that to jump out for a click?

Well, it is what it is.

Just a quick blog post to note something of interest on how we as adult program operators need to keep up the vertical platforms for the gadget of the week. In the past 6 months, Wasteland has deployed for IPTV on the Roku box, iPhone/iPod, then the Androids. Then, after a rather pleasant 19th century-feel trip back into time for developing classic BDSM eBooks for Kindle and Nook, now we have launched a site specifically for iPad.

What is remarkable about this, is that as soon as consumers purchase one of these gadgets, they go out and buy porn for them. Shades of 1998. The difference now is that every new hardware platform gets its own video optimized for it, and a whole set of affiliate tools to promote it. Not a huge job, but interesting to see how the workflow ebbs and flows with these new innovations.

So, in all of that, there is always a Press Release to write. How does one keep making news? Here is today's attempt to attract eyeballs:



BOSTON—"Waste not, want not" are the words that Wasteland/Spicecash CEO Colin Rowntree lives by, and he’s about to put them into action once again. Apple’s newest product will land in the eagerly-awaiting hands of 300,000+ consumers on April 1. But that auspicious date also will mark the day when the iPad becomes the newest platform on which Wasteland.com will begin to distribute its award winning content—no fooling!

Having already developed unique platforms for their exclusive BDSM content on iPhones, iPods, Androids, Kindle E-books, and IPTV through the Roku box, it was only natural that Wasteland would want to instantly customize a platform for iPad users.

"We always make sure not to leave any money on the table,” said Rowntree. “Our business principles—which have allowed us to survive in this industry since its birth—dictate that we cater to each individual user and their preferred method of viewing our content. It’s as simple as that. There is a whole captive credit card-wielding audience out there already primed to enjoy what we have to offer on their shiny new iPads. As with all our vertical platform development, we will be there at the beginning with arms open to welcome these surfers on their new device."

For Spicecash.com affiliates, April 1 will also be the day when affiliates will be able to promote bdsmPad.com—Wasteland’s iPad-optimized site—by simply logging in to their existing accounts or signup as new affiliates and instantly being able to grab links and ad tools.

"The really great hidden bonus,” said Rowntree, “is that due to whatever feud there is between Adobe and Apple, iPods, iPhones and now the iPad cannot view flash, which basically means we don't have to compete with the tubes who distribute all of their content via flash."

Surfers who exclusively consume adult content on iThings will either need to pay for porn or stick to the traditional methods of attaining free porn, including through TGP's, MGP's and link lists, which tend to have the same free galleries week after week.

"This is why all our mobile products convert like its 1999, and why we are expecting the same outcome from the iPad,” Rowntree said, adding, “I highly recommend to anyone with any BDSM traffic to jump on the bandwagon and start raking in cash from this untapped market."

Affiliates can start promoting Wasteland's bdsmPad.com (http://www.bdsmpad.com) through Spicecash.com (http://www.spicecash.com) today.

************************

I am tempted to start each press release with the phrase "it was a dark and stormy night" at this point, thinking someone might catch the ironic literary "Sturm und Drang" in that. But, the machine keeps on going every dark and stormy night long, but saying "Wasteland Cums On Your iPad" to get a read. Sigh.... Emily Bronte would roll over in her grave.

And, here is the amusing part: In order to do development for the iPad, I dropped the money for one. Here is what Steve Jobs and company sent me today for shipping tracking. Note carefully the point of origin:

LOUISVILLE, KY, US 03/31/2010 1:55 A.M. SHIPMENT IS HELD TO VERIFY COMMODITY DESCRIPTION WITH THE CUSTOMER FOR CORRECT CLASSIFICATION / BROKERAGE RELEASED SHIPMENT. SHIPMENT IS SUBMITTED TO CLEARING AGENCY FOR FURTHER CLEARANCE

03/31/2010 1:36 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN ANCHORAGE, AK, US 03/30/2010 6:50 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN 03/30/2010 1:01 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN GUANGZHOU, CN 03/30/2010 7:10 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN SHENZHEN, CN 03/29/2010 2:43 A.M. ORIGIN SCAN CN 04/01/2010 4:01 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

Tracking results provided by UPS: 03/31/2010 11:24 P.M. ET

Okay, so my bright shiny new iPad came from SHENZHEN China?

I had visions of my precious new iPad coming from a really big, organic, natural fiber yurt outside of Cupurtino, gently cared for and hand-polished by natural breasted girls with unshaved pubic regions in tie-died sarongs, with nice young men with beards, in hemp tunics, playing "gently Johnny" on acoustic guitars as background music, sending me my iPad. But NO - UPS tells me that it came from a rat-infested Walmart sweat shop 500 miles outside of Beijing, assembled by three-fingered toothless old Chinese women at gunpoint by Halburton outsourced productivity managers. Sigh.....

So much for my boycott of Walmart!

Happy touching of screens all. I gotta get up early to test out my new platform before the Apple'istas read this on RSS and brick my new device!

Better living though chemistry,
Colin

February musings from Colin....
[All characters and events in this posting --even those based on real people-- are entirely fictional. All celebrity voices are impersonated ... poorly. The following post contains coarse language and due to its content it should not be viewed by anyone. Particularly Canadians with funny hats.]

Enthusiasm is back. In spades! The last several years I've noticed a lag in industry morale at shows for all the obvious reasons. But, last week in L.A., it was rather remarkable. Fresh enthusiasm and ideas. High hopes based on real new data coming in. Could the worst of this great recession be past and those in our community are feeling a bit renewed? You betcha! I did more new business of substance at this show than all of the ones in the past 2 years combined, and heard much the same from most everyone I spoke with.

Credit where credit is due, Alec and Mo pulled a really big bunny out of their hat on this one. The venue was fabulous and perfect for the occasion, the seminars and demos were well balanced and relevant and the awards show was Tres chic. Good job guys. You just brought the bar back up to where it should be for these events.

And then, today was like a Courier and Ives Christmas card when I read the industry news! In one corner of a new but different tube litigation sits Allison Vivas at Pink Visual. Our industry's girl next door! Mainstream's media darling! Conan O'Brian's future boss! The essence of business acumine combined with a wholesome 100% American Girl gleam in her eye (and a group of Pink Visual's Viacom-seasoned attorneys riding shotgun with real shotguns). In the opposing corner, at the sharp end of Pink Visual's sword of Damocles at their nefarious throats, some foreign filthy rich tube-spewing Canadians with vaguely middle eastern sounding names (certainly not American!) with a big bank account (now seized) in Georgia of all places. Georgia? WTF? Isn't there a large pilot training school in Fulton County? Hmmmm..... Shades of "you know what" may come to mind for any NYC Federal judge that has lived there for the past, say, 9 years. Need a refresher course on how easy this goes? Watch "Canadian Bacon" 90's flic. It says it all as how easy it is for Americans to vilify the upstairs neighbors for quick government change at home.

If this was reality TV, you KNOW who is getting thrown off the island at the end of Episode I in our current xenophobic good old America. This one promises to be a real turkey shoot.

Gassing up the Buick now to drive the wife and dogs down to NYC to watch this blood letting in person, which, if goes as it might, will set a new industry standard for the very existence, or at least crippling legal requirements, for Tubes. As the kids are now saying when choosing a fight, "pick your hill". I suspect that Pink Visual has chosen their hill wisely. Go get 'em!

Colin at Wasteland.com

Ah, the sweet smell of freedom in the air with the new U.S. administration! BUT - WTF is going on in the U.K., Germany and Australia now? Some sort of trickle down effect now bringing censorship to our other traditionally friendly and profitable places to market adult content?

Over the past few months, I've been following the new developments in the U.K., and those are the most Draconian legislations that intend to criminally penalize surfers for even looking at BDSM and other "offensive materials" on the web.

Germany has always been a bit of a thorn in our side since they adopted the law that German Citizens need to go to the post office and get a "porn permit" (but, I don't think many Germans actually do this!). However, Germany is now tightening up on freedom to see what you want, when you want, on the web (including fat German businessmen in latex diapers splashing around in wading pools. Most disturbing!)

I have also been following the situation in Australia which is now blocking domains at the surfer ISP level. Our long-term pal, Karen, from "For The Girls" (an Australian women's erotica site) has posted some very disturbing information about new trends "Down Under".

And, OMG! Amsterdam is slowly closing down the Red Light District, moving the whole thing to Utrecht! Hmm. Not exactly a garden vacation destination! Belgium now has a new censorship program in place that no one really understands, but isn't that the traditional Belgian way of doing things? Even Denmark, original country for print magazine porn in the 1970's is getting on the bandwagon. It would seem the only major last hold-out is our beloved France. "Do you hear the people sing?" (see photo above for angry French mob scene. Bad Les Miserables pun. Sorry!) The list goes on and on......

I'll give my plug here for the Free Speech Coalition. Not that they can do much outside of the USA, but it's a good organization to hook up with to stay on top of censorship issues.

Yours in Porn,
Colin at Wasteland.com
Send your disturbing fat German businessman in latex diaper splashing in wading pool traffic to us for European conversions! Spicecash.com

And, in the words of "The Monkeys": "I think I'll pack my bag and head for home."

A bit of a "fluff" blog entry today.
The topic is: What do people do after they leave the adult industry?"
Here is a fun, albeit obscure, example:

For those of you that have been around the industry for more than 5 years, the name "Luke Ford" will ring some bells.

Luke Ford was a conservative media pundit in the early part of the 2000's that gave everybody in the industry a headache and heartburn with his Fox News-style exposes.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
Here is what Luke is doing these days:
Luke Ford Saves The Jews

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze.....

Godspeed, Luke!
Colin at wasteland.com

Okay, back to ranting a bit. Not as bad as the movie "Network", but right up there......

This economy is taking its toll on our industry and I am seeing it every day as far as people's level of panic.

Every day, folks that have worked together for a decade are ripping each other's throats out to make an extra dollar. This obviously sucks.

Some feedback I got from several long-time big players with over 10 years in the industry over the phone today:

Content Distributor: It's like the wild west! You go and stake your claim on a gold mine, go into town to have dinner, come back, and somebody built a saloon on your claim and 5 miners are digging your dirt! Only answer is litigation. Sigh.....

Traffic and Affiliate Programs: Since the economy went South, it is like the old school industry has turned into opposing Urban gangs shooting each other in the neck in drive by shootings, with the colorful added features of all of the non-adult guys showing up at the scene, like a bus load of prep school dudes that just walked into a gunfight.

I am personally seeing these acts of desperation every day, with people and vendors I have worked with for 12 years trying to screw every dime they can out of me just to stay in business.

Where does it end? I have no idea. Wasteland has a good infrastructure and has thus far been weathering the storm. But, I am seeing chaos around the industry..

Take care...... The knives are out in full..... Beware of Brutus.......

Colin at wasteland.com

Rather than rant and preach, today I thought it more fun to pass along a video that The lifstyle couple documented in femdombride.com entered a film making competition, and this remarkable piece of hilarious creativity was the result! And if you are interested in promoting the site, head on over to Spicecash.com

Click here To watch the funny trailer

The other bit of humor for today's post comes from Ken Berry at the Miami Herald. This one is specific for male webmasters near or just past 50 years old, facing the dreaded testing that takes place at our age. The ladies will also enjoy it as a bit of revenge for their enduring 30 years+ of plumbing maintenance!

This is from news hound Dave Barry's colonoscopy journal:

... I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis . Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR ASS!'

I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America’s enemies. I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon. The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: Have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything.

And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet. After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough. At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.

Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.

When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate. 'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like..

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

ABOUT THE WRITER Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald. On the subject of Colonoscopies. ..Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous.... . A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:

1. 'Take it easy, Doc.. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!
2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?'
3. 'Can you hear me NOW?'
4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'
5. 'You know, in Arkansas , we're now legally married.'
6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?'
7. 'You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out...'
8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!'
9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!
10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.'
11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?'
12. 'God, now I know why I am not gay.'
And the best one of all.
13. 'Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?'

Hope you enjoyed all of that!
Colin at Wasteland.com

I recently read a fascinating article by beloved industry journalist and sometimes pundit Kathee Brewer in which she covers opinions by Andrew Keen, author of Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet Is Killing Our Culture in which he states the financial crunch now manifesting itself in the death of businesses and banking institutions worldwide virtually guarantees the death of free content on the Web. According to Keen, the demise of the free model of internet content should not be mourned, because it’s part of what got everyone into such a mess in the first place.

In short, what Mr. Keen seems to be saying is that the current worldwide economic meltdown will result in the end of "free porn" and return our industry to past levels of profitability.

This seemed like a rather hopeful notion, so I sent along Kathee's article to old friend, neighbor and top-flight business and economics writer, Geoffrey James. Here is what he shot back to me:


Hi Colin:

Actually, I have a different take altogether.

The "free" community of bloggers and so forth are exactly like the letter writers of the Victorian period. The fact that they write on their own gives them a greater appreciate for good content, most of which is going to created by professionals. What's more, the free content providers create link clusters to the good content, which in turn makes it more popular.

That's what's happened to my Sales Machine blog: which is growing by about 10k to 15k hits a month and is well into the six figures in terms of hits.

This has nothing to do with stolen content, of course. I'm talking about free content.

The analogy would be amateur BDSM sites don't compete with Wasteland and other premium content sites, but instead should "feed" into it. The amateur stuff creates a demand for the professional stuff. Piracy screws up the equation, but that's another issue.

The issue of web advertising is another factor connected to the value of content. In the past, it was impossible to tie content to advertising revenue because there was no "click-through." As a result, there's been a "mad men" situation where the value of advertising is assumed, and the value of content is simply to drive circulation. With the Internet, however, the value of an advertisement is immediately quantifiable and what's been discovered is what most sensible people knew all along, which is that advertisement is a terrible way to generate new business.

The ability to quantify the value of content is forcing a massive readjustment of priorities in marketing budgets and causing marketing professionals incredible pain as they adapt to the fact that they're not "mad men" but the guys who have to do the donkey work of the sales organization. (The sales guys always knew that advertising was crap, but nobody ever listened.)

I think it's ridiculous to think that the economic meltdown will have any effect whatsoever on any of this, other than generate more blog entries.

Geoffrey

So, point, counterpoint.....;-) For me, the jury is still out on how the current economic crisis may effect the adult industry, and what long-term role free content may play in profitability, but I'll just continue to keep my ear to the ground and move around the chess pieces accordingly! (hmmmm... haven't we all been doing exactly that since 1995?)


Colin is CEO of the award-winning network, wasteland.com. Since 1994, he has been a leader in the adult industry, speaker/moderator at dozens of conferences, writer for industry trade publications and websites, and innovator in most aspects of our ever-changing place in the market. Find out more about him and his role in adult entertainment on the web at Spicecash.

Look at me! I'm Kiko Lee!!!!!

This is just too funny in retrospect. Found this archived interview today on Google from 1997 when I was interviewed on Naughtychat.com, in my personae of "Kiko Lee" - beautiful Asian model that in the early days, was the public voice for Wasteland.com (it was actually me, a hairy old dude sitting in his underwear in the basement!)

Here's the interview transcript. Read it and weep with joyful tears of how easy it was a short 11 years ago to spin things and build community in that kinder and gentler time on the net...... Wow! did we REALLY only charge $49.95 per year with no recurring billing?????? LOL

Original Interview transcript at http://web.archive.org/web/20011007202916/naughtychat.com/events/kikolee/

Colin

=================

Kiko Lee 11/25/97

This is an edited transcript from a moderated discussion with Kiko Lee on Tuesday, November 25, 1997 at 10PM ET in the Naughty Chat Auditorium. The event lasted a total of about an hour and fifteen minutes, after which Kiko entertained and chatted casually in the Bound to Please Dungeon.

Moderator: Hello, and welcome to NAUGHTY Chat's second live event! We have with us today a special guest whom many of you are familiar with. She's the design director of Wasteland, an online BDSM commercial site. She has her own web page, at http://www.wasteland.com/kiko/, where she explores her interest in BDSM and the Kama Sutra. And now, without further ado, we're pleased to present Kiko Lee!

KikoLee; Hi - Kiko here! Thanks to everyone for coming, and to NAUGHTY Chat for having me by. This promises to be a memorable evening for all. (Just don't drop your keys - you might get spanked!)

Moderator: Okay Kiko, let's get the first question from the audience.

Moderator: Laura asks, Do you find running a BDSM site exciting? Do you worry about getting busted?

KikoLee: Yes - it's always a stimulating and fascinating experience. Between working with the photographers, film makers, authors and those involved in power exchange policitcal activism, there's never a dull moment. As for the legality, all of our material is legal in North America and most of Europe, so this has not been an issue.

KikoLee: smiles.

Moderator: Rugr9 asks, Why BDSM and the Kama Sutra?

KikoLee: Actually, it was a creative lark! I had been publishing erotic and fetish photography on the net for years and needed something fresh. I think that combining these two very different cultural traditions has surprised many people (I like shock and confusion.)

KikoLee: grins evilly.

Moderator Bethany1 asks, Is your interest in BDSM financial or pleasure? If both, which draws you the most?

KikoLee: My main interest in BDSM and fetishism is from the photographer's lens - hence PLEASURE! I have worked in a lot of media in the past and find the use of the human body in bondage and restriction to be one of the most dramatic subject matters I've ever dealt with. Also, I occassionally like to go to BDSM play parties as they are very fun and you meet some very genuine people there!

Moderator: Mckiso asks,Are you still attending NYU?

KikoLee: I am just finishing my thesis this semester (and probably next as well) which has allowed me to move back home to the Boston area. I love this area -- New York is a great experience, but I find the ocean and mountains to be very sensuous and calming for my creative work.

Moderator: Cory asks, What could a first-timer expect to enjoy from a bdsm site?

KikoLee: Probably the images. Yes, there are a lot of 'adult nudity sites' out there, but for some reason, bondage leaves a lasting impression (no pun intended) on the viewer. This also depends on the type of site -- they range from graphics intensive to FAQ's and how-to guides.

Moderator: Jal asks, You have really nice photos on your site. Where can I find more like these?

KikoLee: Not to be a shameless self producer, but Wasteland is where all of my graphics come from. We contract photographers such as Todd Friedman, Craig Morey and many other very talented photographers.

Moderator: Ah, Todd Friedman, he does excellent work. we have a page showcasing some of that work at NAUGHTY Chat, at http://naughtychat.com/events/toddfriedman/pictures1/ -- but I digress. The next question Kiko...

Moderator: Titqueen_97 asks, How did you get an interest in BDSM?

KikoLee: I was about 19 years old and had just moved to New York -- I had been dating a man at that time that introduced me to erotic power exchange, and though it was just between us at the time, I found it to be one of the most trusting, loving and orgasmic experiences I had ever had. The rest is history.

Moderator: ShyKris asks, How did you first get connected with Wasteland, and how do you like it so far? By the way, you do great banners!

KikoLee: I was home last X-mas visiting my family and went to a scene party. At the party I met the couple who are the managing editors for Wasteland. Interested in what they were doing, I volunteered to do a short photoshoot and put up a gallery of 'Boston coeds in bondage' (sort of a concept piece!). They liked it so much they continued to give me new projects, and over the past year I have become their full time design director (I even get paid!!!!).

Moderator: Cory asks, Which do you find more fulfilling about the Karma Sutra: the physical or the spirtual side?

KikoLee: Actually, the mystical side. As the Kama Sutra comes from the same esoteric traditions as tantra, I find this to be a very deep and complex area of study. If you work with it, it can be truly transcendental -- particularly if combined with some forms of power exchange and restraint.

Moderator: Sogetsu asks, What sort of activities do you like to do on-line besides web-surfing and web-page design?

KikoLee: Good question! Actually, I spend so much time on the web doing my sites that when I'm done all I really want to do is curl up with a good book, or a good lover, whichever is available at the moment!

KikoLee: grins evilly. Moderator Slamet asks, As a BDSM lover, do you prefer being object or the subject?

KikoLee: Primarily, I like to be the photographer and choreographer, but if I read your question right, I am a dom.

Moderator: Mckiso asks, Is Kiko Lee your real name or a name you picked up later on? Also, how did you get a name like Lee from your background?

KikoLee: Actually, it is my father's name that he took when he immigrated to the U.S. from Japan -- he had a very difficult Japanese name, and Lee seemed to be both common and acceptable, so there it is -- I am suddenly Chinese!

Moderator: Mckiso asks, Are you married? Where would you like to go after this?

KikoLee: I am single and am going out for a martini after the show (tee hee). Just kidding -- I hope to make a living as a graphic designer, freelance as well as progressing as a photographer (artsy).

Moderator: DoME asks, I'm a GAP model how would I go about getting into porn of any kind?

KikoLee: This is a tricky business -- I would recommend that you find a reputable photographer to do a nude portfolio, and then use that portfolio to approach a reputable agent (an oxymoron perhaps?). If you want, send me a bit of e-mail and maybe I can give you some direction in this matter. Please do, however, be very careful. The adult industry is very unforgiving if you are not prepared for it.

Moderator: What is your e-mail address, Kiko, for those interested?

KikoLee: Oops! My e-mail address is kiko@wasteland.com.

Moderator: Cory asks, Do you make live apperances? How can we get your schedule?

KikoLee: No, I am not a live performance artist. I do occassionally have gallery hangings of my photography and multimedia and keep a posting of this schedule at www.wasteland.com.

Moderator: DoME asks, What exactily is BDSM?

KikoLee: Short for bondage-discipline / sado-masochism, it's more commonly referred to by people involved as 'erotic power exchange'. In this, two or more people commit to a set of rules, and within this structure, explore the boundaries of trust, power release, pain, submission and mature use of power.

Moderator: Bethany1 asks, Can you explain why pain in the correct way can be pleasure and stimulating?

KikoLee: It has a lot to do with adrenaline and seratonin highs -- this type of activity stimulates certain brain hormones and can literally take you out of your body if the build-up is right and the partner is handling the situation in a loving and pleasurable manner.

Moderator: Hetch asks, How did you finally manage to transfer all you stuff from your old drive to your new one?

KikoLee: I take it you are referring to our move to a new server! YIKES! It was a real project. Most of the data was downloaded directly over a T3 fiber optic line, but there was so much stuff there (about 3 gigs) it still took about 2 days.

Moderator: Sissyman asks, Does your site deal with BDSM in all possible gender combinations?

KikoLee: Yes! Though the main focus is fem-dom, I like to feature all possible combinations of loving.

Moderator: Guest313 asks, When did you become aware of the Kama Sutra?

KikoLee: I read the Kama Sutra first when I was about 16 years old as a 'pillow book' (old Asian tradition which mothers use to introduce their daughters to sex). I was fascinated and have always liked its images. Also, it gave me the 'one-up' on many a young men when I first became sexually active!

KikoLee: grins evilly.

Moderator: Mckiso asks, Regarding a previous question. To clarify, I meant what is your career goal after Wasteland?

KikoLee: I hope to establish myself as a freelance graphic designer as a base, and try to do as much erotic and art photography as possible as a creative focus.

Moderator: ShyKris asks, Is any of your photography available on the Wasteland site?

KikoLee: Yes, I have several galleries there -- mostly gothic and black / white artsy images.

Moderator: Nycman37 asks, Where do you find out about bondage in NYC?

KikoLee: I would first and foremost recommend that you contact the Euginspeil Society for their calander of events. They are one of the oldest and largest organizations in the country and publish a regular newsletter that lists many functions, parties and scene clubs in the area. They have links all over the web -- if you can't find them, drop me an e-mail.

Moderator: Mckiso asks, How long you planning on staying with us? I wish you could just come into the normal chat so we could chat like everybody else...

KikoLee: I plan to drop by the 'Bound To Please Dungeon' after this event for a bit. See you there!

Moderator: ShyKris asks, How much of your day is spent on answering email?

KikoLee: About 2 hours every morning over coffee. I get about 200 pieces a day and try to answer each one with as much personal attention as I can.

Moderator: Guest341 asks, How do you avoid rope burn?

KikoLee: Vaseline and vinegar! I'm not kidding! Use Vaseline to get the skin moist before bondage, and vinegar afterwards to reduce swelling and skin irritation.

Moderator: Sogetsu asks, What do you like to read, who's your favorite author?

KikoLee: T.S. Elliot is my favorite poet, and lately i've dropped into pulp fiction as my main source of prose.

KikoLee: frowns.

Moderator Joe9 asks, Earlier you mentioned BDSM parties. How do you get invited to these?

KikoLee: Generally, you find a 'public event' sponsored by a local BDSM club -- these usually take place in a bar or club. Once there, you meet people and 'get into the loop' -- this usually resulting in an invitation to a party.

Moderator: Guest341 asks, Any plans to visit Paris soon?

KikoLee: I love Paris in the spring! Actually, I am planning on being in Germany next summer and will likely spend a few days in Paris on the way back! (love your city!)

Moderator: ShyKris asks, How much of a crew do you have working at Wasteland?

KikoLee: There are 6 full time people here to publish the 'zine, 6 part-time folks doing links and such, 5 associcate authors, 7 photographers and 3 guys who beat on the server to keep it running. It's actually quite an operation now that I think about it!

Moderator: Mr.Quality asks, Where do you draw the line between visual interest and personal limits in bondage art?

KikoLee: When I am doing a photoshoot or choreographing a piece of performance art, the boundaries are very strict. On the other hand, with friends things are, well, friendly!

Moderator: Mckiso asks, You said you are a 'dom'. Your pictures are mostly woman as subs. Have you ever been a sub?

KikoLee: I have experimented with this a bit, but the hat just didn't fit -- I found myself breaking out in laughter too much and it tended to get my partners angry!

KikoLee: smirks. Moderator Sogetsu asks, T.S. Eliot, hmm, "I should have been a pair of ragged claws..." Is the Wasteland named for his poem, "The Wasteland"? (I prefer W. B. Yeats myself, though...)

KikoLee: Yes, it is named after the poem! You win some sort of prize for that literary reference Sogetsu!

Moderator: Guest341 asks, Have you ever been physically hurt (or emotionally) during any of your BDSM experiences, and if so how do \ you hope to avoid this in future?

KikoLee: No, I have never been hurt. Once, I had a good scare when experimenting as a sub, but this has not ever really been an issue. When you participate in a bdsm 'scene' it is always talked through and agreed upon prior to beginning (sometimes, there is an actual written contract to keep things VERY clear), and as the entire thing is based on trust, it's generally a great experience.

Moderator: ShyKris asks, Are all of the photographs in Wasteland produced 'in-house' so-to-speak?

KikoLee: No, most of the photography is done by photographers we have contacted for specific projects. We do a lot of 'in-house work' but really like to keep the variety of using fetish and erotic photographers from different parts of the world and artistic perspectives.

Moderator: Mckiso asks, A written contract for sexual contact with someone you care about? How does this work?

KikoLee: In a nutshell, it defines what is and what is not acceptable during the session. It also defines nonverbal signals that the sub, or 'bottom' may provide to let the 'top' know that it is time to slow down, pause, or increase the intensity.

Moderator: Mr.Quality asks, Do you think India's sexual practices are given a bad name by less refined bondage displays?

KikoLee: In reference to the Kama Sutra? You have to remember that this was written in a very differenent cultural and spiritual context and, at the time and place, was very 'high minded'. Now, however, you can very easily mistake it for cruel sexual domination of women.

Moderator: Sogetsu asks, I think it is interesting that you like to be a Dom. Do you think that people who like to hold the whip are 'type A' personalities, generally?

KikoLee: Yes, I think that would be a fair assessment -- type A's with a feel for timing.

KikoLee: laughs. Moderator Sugardaddy_o asks, What nationality of Asian are you?

KikoLee: Nationality... half Japanese, half Indian - I came to the U.S. as a young girl, so i guess the answer is 'mutt'!

KikoLee bows gracefully.

Moderator: Okay, I believe that's all the time we have for this evening, but I'm sure many of you are curious about the contest! What are you giving away, Kiko?

KikoLee: A one-year subscription the Wasteland, retail value $49.95 (eek! it is x-mas time - date with kiko not included...tee hee)

Moderator: Excellent prize, Kiko! Okay, to enter the contest, you need to answer a little trivia quiz. To enter, go to the URL http://naughtychat.com/contests/kikolee/.

KikoLee: Ok, I'm off to the NAUGHTY Chat dungeon now -- follow me over if you'd like!

Moderator: Thank you for joining us tonight Kiko, it's been a pleasure having you speak tonight!

Everyone: applauds KikoLee fervently.

Moderator: That's all for tonight folks, thank you for joining us!

============

Colin has since taken off his Kiko dress and now simply runs Wasteland.com, one of the only bdsm sites left that don't look like everyone elses! Affiliate Program at Spicecash.com for anyone looking outside the box.

Hmmm.... It would appear that about half of the DVD replicators and duplicators serving the adult industry have gone out of business in the last 6 months. Is this a sign of the times? One duplication house I talked to that was still in biz attributed this to Toshiba cracking down on licensing. Sounds like a good marketing angle, but is it true? Inquiring minds want to know!

Over the past year, we've all seen the huge increase in adults sites offering HD video content. It started out with promises on paysite tours that the 720p videos await in the member's area. But, as with all "mission creep" in our highly competitive industry, HD clips are being generously offered as free promotional content by almost every major program.

So, this now leads to a somewhat ironic parallel between the DVD war between HD TV and Blue Ray formats, and the quandary of which encoding platform to offer on the web: WMV HD or Flash?

Pros for WMV? Surfers like them because they can download them!

Cons for WMV? File sizes are huge and there continues to be a substantial player failure rate if the surfer doesn't have exactly the right codecs. Oh, and let's not forget the pesky Mac issue: Quicktime for Mac will not play WMV's without the end-user finding and installing Flip4Mac.

Pros for Flash? Although some surfers don't like them because they can't download them, Flash has an extremely high penetration rate on both Windows and Mac machines and if the videos were encoded correctly, they play flawlessly. And let's not forget about the file size saving of up to 50% over WMV with no loss in video quality.

Cons for Flash? Well, anybody that has tried to encode in Flash will know that processing time is deathly slow! Average 1:9 time ratio, which results in a one hour film taking 9 hours to encode. YIKES! Oh, and not to forget that if you put them in the member's area instead of downloadable WMV videos, cancellations and complaints will result in biblical proportions!

Wasteland.com offers both HD formats, depending on the site purpose (i.e. free sites get Flash only, member's area get both) and, although time consuming and bandwidth intensive, seems to strike a good balance.

So, now that these XBiz blogs have added the fun feature of you being able to post comments, pipe in with your experience and opinions!