Time to Bone (Flash animations)
(Links snagged from hepcats Uffish, Geisha asobi and Coolio.)
Maxim has posted this month's found porn online. Unfortunately they omitted half of one item from the magazine, so I've scanned in the other half for my those of my devoted readers who haven't cadged a free subscription somewhere. These pink dildoey things are pretty funny-looking in themselves.
But they're much funnier if you know what they're supposed to be.
Right?
Friday, October 10, 2003
Guardian: "The Catholic Church is telling people in countries stricken by Aids not to use condoms because they have tiny holes in them through which the HIV virus can pass - potentially exposing thousands of people to risk. The church is making the claims across four continents despite a widespread scientific consensus that condoms are impermeable to the HIV virus. A senior Vatican spokesman backs the claims about permeable condoms, despite assurances by the World Health Organisation that they are untrue." This story is based on a BBC documentary to be aired Sunday.
Thai bar girls, international public health officials and one transvestite competed in the annual "Miss Condom Asia-Pacific" pageant in Bangkok this week. "Judged on their safe sex knowledge and onstage poise, they blew up condoms and danced to Thai country tunes on a makeshift stage as a man wearing green condom suit cavorted nearby." The event was started in the 1980s to promote AIDS awareness and condom use.
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Erotica author M. Christian has just published The Bachelor Machine, a collection of erotic science fiction stories. In the new (soon to be better organized and much expanded, I swear) "zine" section of Daze Reader, we have one story from the book and two related interviews about sex and science fiction.
More by and about M. Christian at his personal site.
UPDATE: Clean Sheets also spotlights M. Christian this week.
CS even made up a neato graphic showing a bunch of naked Helmut Newton-type women saluting the author's glowing green head.
Alan Farnham at Forbes surveys recent scientific findings that having sex is good for you. "The best that modern science can say for sexual abstinence is that it's harmless when practiced in moderation. Having regular and enthusiastic sex, by contrast, confers a host of measurable physiological advantages, be you male or female." Among those advantages are: improved sense of smell, reduced risk of heart disease, weight loss, overall fitness, reduced depression, pain-relief, less-frequent colds and flu, better bladder control, better teeth and a happier prostate. OK, you might be saying to yourself, most of these make sense . . . but better teeth?
Seminal plasma contains zinc, calcium and other minerals shown to retard tooth decay. Since this is a family Web site, we will omit discussion of the mineral delivery system. Suffice it to say that it could be a far richer, more complex and more satisfying experience than squeezing a tube of Crest — even Tartar Control Crest. Researchers have noted, parenthetically, that sexual etiquette usually demands the brushing of one's teeth before and/or after intimacy, which, by itself, would help promote better oral hygiene.
News about another male contraceptive under development. "Scientists have developed a male contraceptive which was 100% effective and side-effect free in trials. The hormonal treatment is a combination of an implant under the skin and injections — meaning men do not have to remember to take a pill every day."
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
The porn industry resistance to Acacia Research's patent lawsuits is collapsing. Three more companies signed licensing deals with Acacia, including bigwigs Hustler and Vivid. Adult Video News notes, "Acacia had recently changed the terms of their agreement, removing requirements that called for licensees to turn over customer names, and inserting a clause that states that if claims are found invalid or unenforceable, royalties or fees no longer have to be paid." Acacia press release. Full coverage.
Male birth control pill soon a reality. "For the first time, a safe, effective and reversible hormonal male contraceptive appears to be within reach. Several formulations are expected to become commercially available within the near future. Men may soon have the options of a daily pill to be taken orally, a patch or gel to be applied to the skin, an injection given every three months or an implant placed under the skin every 12 months. . . . Female contraceptives use hormones, estrogens and progestins, to shut off the release of eggs to prevent pregnancy. Male hormonal contraceptives work pretty much the same way: hormones, such as testosterone and progestins, are used to turn off sperm production."
Another new research study counters conventional wisdom on sexual pleasure after hysterectomies. "Many women fear the operation will lessen their attractiveness or their ability to enjoy sex. But Dutch researchers, writing in the British Medical Journal, say this does not happen - and their enjoyment may actually increase. They said the benefits were seen whichever type of hysterectomy women underwent." Abstract.
A team of German doctors discuss treatment of "orgasmic headaches" in the journal Neurology. "There seem to be two basic patterns to these headaches: Type 1 usually begins as a dull pain that starts prior to orgasm, while type 2 has sudden onset, often described as a 'thunderclap' headache, that occurs within seconds of orgasm. . . . Most commonly, patients experience bouts of a few weeks duration in which HSA [headache with sexual activity] occurs in a large percentage of sexual activities and than spontaneously stop . . . The severe headache can last for up to 12 hours." Abstract.
Macleans says online dating sites have sparked a new casual sex or "extreme dating" revolution. "Though most sites still focus on the larger, more lucrative pool of those who want romance, on a street level what the numbers mean is that extreme dating is gaining acceptability, at least among the tech-savvy younger generation that watched word processors kill the typewriter." Methinks this reference is a little dated; how many people under 30 have ever used a typewriter? The article has sections devoted to LavaLife (based in Toronto) and Friendster (created by a Canadian).
Monday, October 6, 2003
Birds do it, bees do it, gummi bears do it, AOL icons do it. (Links snagged from Bacchus and Jonno.)
Kitty Meets the Furries is blogger extraordinaire Kitty Bukkake's first book. The reverse cowgirl raved, "It's a steal, filled with great art, a wacky story, and loads and loads of fur. Get yiffy with it!" Supplies are limited, click before midnight tonight.
The second annual Blogger Boobie-Thon is underway. Ogle to your heart's content and give til it hurts (proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation).
Jerome Burne at the Financial Times reviews The Story of V: Opening Pandora's Box by Catherine Blackledge.
In the ancient world what we would now term female flashing was a potent act, a pre-Christian version of shock and awe. Merely lifting the skirt to expose a naked vulva could drive out demons, calm storms, scare away bears and even put armies to flight. Dubbed ana-suromai, by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, examples of this vulva-flashing show up in African cultures, in Ulster and even in the Bible where, typically, it is linked with shame.
The Story of V is a fascinating and erudite polemic. Given the strong link between warfare and rape it seems unlikely that ana-suromai was always effective, while a lexically positive attitude to the vagina did not necessarily translate into affirmative action. China's rich and respectful vocabulary for the vagina — "doorway of life", "treasure house", "inner life" — is favourably contrasted with the impoverished and demeaning language of the west. Yet Chinese misogyny — concubinage, foot binding — made the church fathers look like new men.
Sunday, October 5, 2003
This story is a month old but too good to pass up. The Mirror: "Internet auction site eBay has been hit by a bizarre craze where people appear naked in reflections on goods they are selling. Reflectoporn - the way exhibitionists get their nude bodies seen by millions around the world - swept America and has now spread to the UK. Buyers browsing eBay have found busty naked women and fat nude men reflected in kettles, TVs, toasters, guitars and even knives and forks."
"Craze" may be overstating the case, but someone has launched Reflectoporn.com to collect photos and track media mentions. The first known instance of eBay reflectoporn was this now-infamous "naked guy in teakettle" auction photo, which Heather Champ showed at SxSW two years ago as an example of photographic self-portraiture in reflective surfaces that nonetheless wasn't Mirror Project material.
Is fashion too cheeky? Janice Breen Burns wonders if nudity in fashion shows is going too far.
Bettina Liano is one designer among many famous for ramping up the sex factor in her catwalk shows, but she says the answer is, literally, a matter of proportion.
"It's theatre, but, think about it: it's all a bit surreal up there on the catwalk. We're not talking huge here. Let's face it, they're not really fleshy breasts and I think that makes them not overtly sexy.
"I'm not in the business of selling boobs, anyway. It's the show. It's the whole image (of the label) being set, and it's not porn: it's art."
A thumbnailed gallery from recent shows allows you to judge for yourself.
UPDATE: The same writer reports from Milan Fashion Week with another thumbnailed gallery.
