I have blogged before about the odd connections between libertarians and Las Vegas. In fact, Las Vegas has its own libertarian magazine with the fanciful title: Liberty Watch. I learned about the existence of Liberty Watch when it debuted, 9 issues ago,  because every editor and writer at Las Vegas Weekly began receiving it. But unlike everyone else I was invoiced for it. So, I e-mailed to point out that I had never ordered a subscription to Liberty Watch. Someone wrote back all snotty to say that either I or my assistant (I wish!!!!) certainly had ordered the subscription, but that I would be removed. Nonetheless, unwanted and unasked for, Liberty Watch still keeps coming in my mail every month like it is a request for an alumni donation. Well, finally I am glad because the December issue just came and John Stagliano is on the cover. I did a cover story on Stagliano over a year ago for Weekly when he prepared to open The Fashionistas, an erotic dance show, at the Aladdin. I went into the story thinking I was going to cover a train wreck(Stagliano had little stage experience and no Vegas history--sure recipe to mess up on every level in this market), but wound up being the first of many critics to worship at the altar of The Fashionistas. Anyway, since I know all about the Fashionistas and John's libertarian views (which I have written about on the Buffet) I wasn't expecting much from the Liberty Watch article. But it turns out the profile traces Stagliano's porno career (oh, did I mention that?), and that is an area I have never gone into specific detail with him and so the read was well worth it.   

His "Eureka!" moment, which led him to pioneer a new style of porn films is described thusly:

To talk about my career and how it started, back in the '70s, I saw one person looking into the camera while she was having sex," Stagliano shared. "If you look at all the other pictures in this magazine, it was the one thing that stood out. It had so much more power by this woman looking at the camera and communicating to the viewer. I remembered this for the longest time and I kept it in the back of my head while I was trying to compete in making porn movies during the '80s.