The Times says there’s a new brand of feminist on the march: Noughties. Instead of old school feminism, in which, to varying degrees, women worked together to achieve a common goal, the new new feminism is like a gender politics remix: “It’s like a pick-and-mix feminism, where you can choose the bits you care about yourself.” Want to wear lipstick? Go for it. Want to grow your armpit hair out? Why not. Theoretically, at least, there’s no “bad” or “good” feminists, but a rainbow of feminist beliefs from which women can pick and choose as they see fit, whether it’s sexual politics in the bedroom or protesting against discrimination in the streets. While this new brand of feminism sounds a lot like the late 90’s post-feminist movement to me, the neo-feminists promise theirs is a diverse movement within which all women can finally unite. So, what do you think? Is feminism dead in the water, or is it alive and kicking? [Times]

In an effort to promote peace and reduce tension around the world, a bunch of peace-loving hippie activists are organizing a worldwide, simultaneous orgasm to synchronize with the two-hour period around the winter Solstice. If you want to join in the good times, set your motors for Sunday, December 21, between 6 and 8 a.m. EST, when the third annual Global Orgasm for Peace officially goes down. The bad news is you’ll have to wake up super early on a Sunday. The good news is: Yay, morning sex! This year’s global orgasm is especially meaningful after the election of Obama and a renewed sense of worldwide hope. “It’s the Global OOOBama Factor,” organizers state. Their hope is that a simultaneous world-wide orgasm will effect “positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible instantaneous surge of human biological, mental and spiritual energy.” But they caution against your own surge of spiritual energy resulting in a pregnancy, so if you’re participating with a member of the opposite sex, make sure you’re protected against pregnancy. ‘‘Remember,” organizers say, “over-population (6.8 billion people and counting) is a major cause of ‘peak everything,’ so please don’t make more babies in the Global-O.” [LiveNews.com.au]

Hugh Hefner’s daughter Christie, who has sat at the helm of the $300 million Playboy Enterprises empire for the last two decades, stepped down from her post yesterday. The self-described feminist has faced a myriad of challenges on the job in recent years, including falling subscription rates for the company’s flagship magazine, in part due to the increasingly widespread availability of adult content on the internet. Most recently, there was talk of selling her father’s Playboy Mansion residence to raise cash for the corporation’s nose-diving portfolio. Three years ago, Christie was named one of the world’s most powerful businesswomen. Now, inspired by the Obama campaign, she’s making noises that suggest a shift into politics. So, do you think the former head of what some deem to be a pornographic magazine could get elected to a public office? [MSNBC]

Egads! Jessica “Washingtonienne” Cutler, the former congressional staffer who blogged about her DC sex-for-money frolics with various political appointees, is engaged. Now 30, Cutler plans to marry Manhattan lawyer Charles Rubio. (He looks, um, nice?) Since Wonkette‘s Ana Marie Cox exposed the identity of the once anonymous sex blogger, Cutler wrote a book, got sued by an ex-lover, declared bankruptcy, and is having her torrid tale turned into an HBO series by none other than Sarah Jessica Parker. (“Sex and the City” meets “The West Wing”?) So how did the lovebirds, who plan to wed next month in a city hall ceremony, meet? “Randomly in a bar,” she reveals. “I was so wasted,” she adds. “I wish I had a more romantic story to tell you!” Us, too, Jessica. Us, too. [Gawker]

This Friday, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the call girl whose hotel trist with then-New York governor Eliot Spitzer led to the sex scandal of the year, will appear on ABC’s “20/20” for a sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer. If Spitzergate went down six months ago, why is Dupre talking now? Last week, the state of New York declared it wouldn’t be pressing charges against the Love Gov, meaning it’s unlikely Dupre will be charged for her part in the scandal, which frees the former escort to make her case to the public. On the same day, a lengthy profile of Dupre will appear in People. In excerpts from the interviews posted online, it sounds like the 23-year-old is looking to make apologies and mend her ways.

Even with the presidential election over, Sarah Palin remains a prominent figure. From her hairstyle to her politics, America has been and remains obsessed with the female politician who seemingly came out of nowhere. And while some debated her political platform, others were more preoccupied by her sexual identity. From a Palin sex doll to an homage adult movie, the sexualization of Palin won’t quit. Most recently, writer Rachel Kramer Bussel created Sarah Palin Erotica (http://sarahpalinerotica.com/), a site dedicated to erotic stories about the former Republican vice presidential candidate. After the jump, an interview with Bussel that reveals why Americans can’t get over Palin.

I’m still really pissed that Proposition 8 and all the other gay marriage bans passed on Election Day. And if I’m pissed, guess who’s more pissed? Gay people, who’ve just been told for the zillionth time that they deserve less than straight Americans. I chatted up a few of my gay pals on IM today, to find out how they’re reacting to the news.

Growing up, I learned there are three touchy topics that can turn people from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde: Politics, Religion, and Money. These days, how can politics not be on the tips of everybody’s lips? How do you handle it when you and your own family are on opposite sides of the political fence?

I’ve got thirteen people in my immediate family: my parents, myself, four siblings and their spouses, and two outspoken nieces. Although only eleven of us are actually eligible to vote, my not-yet-voting-age nieces are damn well informed. As you can imagine, our family dinners tend to get heated, and we’ve got a recipe for disaster. So, here’s how I deal with my family politically.

This week, one of the biggest changes to happen in eight years will occur—the United States will elect a new president. And depending on who wins, there’s a big chance your horse will come up short.

Some of you will be truly sore and deflated that your candidate lost, and threaten to move to another country or file complaints of voter fraud, but those threats are so 2000. If your candidate loses, it’s time for a new set of coping mechanisms to deal with the outcome. Here’s a list of 10 ways to cope with a president you didn’t vote for.

Election tension is boiling over; it seems like everyone from the office blowhard to the person in front of you at the post office is spouting off opinions that make your blood boil. But what happens when the one disagreeing with you shares your bedroom? Here are ten tips to help you make it to November 4th without resorting to the taser gun, after the jump…

Any female who’s survived the treacherous battleground of a junior high school slumber party knows that no one can bring a girl down harder and faster than another girl. Slumber parties from my past always included as many crying jags, jabbing insults, hurtful gossip, and broken friendships as they did romantic comedies and popcorn balls. So is it any surprise the people who are most aggressively pushing for the immediate downfall of Sarah Palin are other women? In recent interviews, Palin’s comes across like a nervous beauty pageant contestant, and many of us grownup women can’t throw her bra in the freezer fast enough—metaphorically speaking, of course. So what is it about Sarah Palin that brings out the Mean Girls in us? Why are women—smart, savvy, sophisticated women—the first to use sexist tactics to bring a woman down?

Right Wing News, a conservative political blog, interviewed six women who’ve dated both liberals and conservative men and asked them about their differences. The overall majority seemed to think liberal men were whiny and arrogant. One woman said, “Liberals were always happy to suggest we split the check; it must be some Clintonian socialist entitlement. They also tend to own clothing displaying their irrational fear of Dick Cheney, and/or love for Che Guevara. They are the shaggy haired, greasy hipster types you find loitering in the Apple Store.” I laughed out loud at this because I totally know what kind of dude she’s talking about and his name is My Brother. Anyway, this series of interviews amused me and got me thinking about the real differences between conservative guys and liberal guys, if you try and take away your own personal bias and disagreements on “the issues”.

What do women want? It’s an age-old question that makes men, like our presidential candidates, rack their brains. But how can all the bitches we know give them some answers? Let’s face it, we each have our own opinions. And the thing is, while I can easily tell my gal pal her new hand painted purple clogs make her look like Barney, how can I get to tell these big powerful candidates, with their team of security guards, that I want to keep my reproductive rights? (And please, if I ever got near Barack Obama, I’d giggle like a schoolgirl.) This Is What Women Want, a new grassroots website, is providing an open forum for women to post their political beliefs on everything from immigration to education.  Also, with one click, you can instantly chime in and vote on other ladies’ posts through a rating system. I just gave “rape victims’ rights” five stars!  So hey, I opened my big mouth, now it’s your turn. [Our Bodies, Our Blog]

Last Friday, John Edwards finally fessed up to having an affair with Rielle Hunter in 2006, after reports surfaced in the National Enquirer.  Over the last two decades, political sex scandals have become as common as nipple slips in Hollywood. Initially, we were fascinated and titillated by the little glimpses the media gave us into the private lives of our public figures. But after the media began inundating us with more scandals than we could stand, we stopped caring, we stopped judging, and we became utterly numb to the bad behaviors of these political leaders. In light of Edwards’ confession, do we even care anymore? Do we care that while his wife was battling cancer, he was out schtupping his campaign’s videographer? Or do we expect politicians like Edwards to behave badly?

Did you guys ever read the book The Washingtonienne? I didn’t, because I listened to the book on tape. Anyway, The Washingtonienne was a book based on the anonymous blog written by Washington, D.C. political aide, Jessica Cutler a few years back, which detailed her sexual exploits with various high-powered political types (lots of times for money and gifts), including a state Representative or something. Anyway, it was slutty and juicy and had lots of sex in it, including anal. So yeah! HBO has green-lit a pilot! Produced by Sarah Jessica Parker! Which means it will totally be a DC-based Sex And The City rip-off only with more butt sex. Can’t wait. [Variety and Amazon]

Oh, those frisky politicians who can’t keep it in their pants! One after the other, politicians from Eliot Spitzer to Bill Clinton have been busted for cheating on their wives. But even if it disgusts you, does it affect the way you view their public service? We sent our girl Lori out onto the streets to see whether a politician’s personal life affects your vote.

A political sex scandal is a headline writer’s dream. So, were they creative enough when typing up this week’s big bombshell about now former-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer?

Frankly, we’re a little disappointed. The NY Post, after all, is the paper that came up with the headline “Close But No Cigar” after the Senate failed to convict President Clinton in 1999. However, the aftershocks of this scandal are sure to be felt for at least a little while longer, so maybe they’ll take it up a notch.

Angie Harmon, one of the many semi-interchangeable women who’ve played an assistant district attorney on Law & Order, seems to think women in politics should be just as seen and not heard. The Texas-born and raised hardcore conservative, who’s married to former pro-football player Jason Sehorn (he famously proposed to her on Leno) told Page Six Magazine:

I really don’t know how I feel about [a woman in the White House]. I see the positive parts of it. But, you know, I think there’s something incredible about a First Lady. That, to me, is a woman in the White House. It’s sort of like being parents to the United States, and she takes on the role of mother and confidante and care-giver. Standing behind every powerful man, there’s a powerful woman…I don’t want to say no, because that doesn’t sound very open-mined.