The Honest Courtesan

If thou have a great black bowl in thy hand and it be full of good ale and thou leave anything therein, thou puttest thy soul into greater pain.  –  The Heege Manuscript

I recently saw a Twitter thread asking for people’s favorite David Bowie songs, and I honestly have to say this is mine; I’ve liked it ever since it was in heavy rotation when the film came out.  The links above it were provided by Jesse Walker; Lenore Skenazy; Kevin Wilson; Jesse Walker again; Radley Balko; Elizabeth N. Brown; and Conner Habib, Dan Savage & Franklin Harris, in that order.

• Pompeiian pizza.
• Goofus and Gallant at 75.
• What scares you the most?
• 15th-century stand-up comedy.
• 23 years late and mostly shit, but a start.
• Cops shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near kids.
• R.I.P. Julian Sands, Sue Johanson, and Alan Arkin.

From the Archives

• Clearview specifically markets to those who claim a monopoly on violence.
• If Koch was really “surprised” by this, she isn’t much of an anthropologist.
• Supporters of restrictions on “offensive” speech helped create this lunacy.
• Some Westerners still claim China isn’t trying to exterminate the Uighurs.
• Latin American state violence vs trans women is starting to get attention.
• First it was supposedly about “terrorists”, then “sex trafficking”, and now:
• Real humanitarians are fighting against racist “anti-trafficking” schemes.
• Hey female cops, how’s that collaboration with the police state working?
• When a politician does the right thing, it’s usually for the wrong reason.
• So many “enlightened” countries still believe disease is caused by “sin”.
• Your periodic reminder of what “going after the pimps” actually means.
• Prohis say I’m a godlike being, existing in many places simultaneously.
• This could’ve been a decent article, but it’s not worth wasting time on.
• Cue “freeze peach” morons vomiting nonsense about fires & theaters.
• I wonder how long it’ll be before she conveniently “commits suicide”?
• Prohibitionists’ next target isn’t just Pornhub; it’s all online sex work.
• “Sex trafficking” fetishists think all films must promote their fantasy.
• In some places, male teachers who do sex work can keep their jobs.
• Every few years, Utrecht thinks of a new way to harass sex workers.
• On the erosion of the legalization/decriminalization line in Australia.
• Women with young children should avoid Alabama if at all possible.
• Every amateur “sex scandal” makes me happier I’m a professional.
• The war against drugs other than nicotine continues to wind down.
• “Gender-critical feminists” are also virtually always prohibitionists.
• Any internet-connected device can and will be used to spy on you.
• Victoria will become the world’s 4th jurisdiction to achieve decrim.
• Scientists who create weapons of oppression are moral imbeciles.
• Facebook didn’t think the face-eating leopards would eat its face.
• Apparently, Florida prosecutors don’t know when to stop digging.
• The sexual behavior of “pastors” closely resembles that of cops.
• Cops, monsters, Doctor Who, Richard Donner, and much more.
• US courts are happy to allow US censorship of non-Americans.
• Compare with Germany’s disdain for sex workers’ livelihoods.
• It usually starts with sex workers, but it never stops with us.
• SCOTUS makes its disinterest in potty-obsession quite clear.
• The NY Times is still pretending “Pizzagate” is about cranks.
• A “No shit, Sherlock” headline from the ever-confused Vice.
• Another “youth pastor”, another string of underage victims.
• The crusade to reduce Americans to serfdom continues.
• Some tyrannies are too loathsome even for some cops.
• It’s amazing how much faster work goes at floor level.
• If this shocks you, you haven’t been paying attention.
• This vulture feeding frenzy is going to get a lot uglier.
• Cops, Carl Reiner, Ennio Morricone, and much more.
• At long last, my chickens have started laying again!
• My two previous columns for Independence Day.
• Imagine how many others like him are still free.
• Finishing the construction of Chekhov’s cottage.
• My eleventh and twelfth anniversary columns.
• Cops, James Caan, Sweet, and much more.
• A record-breaking heat wave hits the PNW.
• Such pro-life, very protecting children.
• The first roof supports are in place.
• A “Celebration of Margo’s Life”.
• A road trip with Mr. Spock.
• The Colossus of New York.
• Population 77,434.

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!