A Ban on Banning

The long arm of the Ontario Film Review Board (OFRB) won't be reaching into our bags of popcorn again anytime soon.

The province of Ontario's government ruled today that the OFRB no longer has the power to ban films from our theatres. It's power is now limited to rating a film from G to R. And if it feels a film violates obscenity laws, it will notify police, who will then investigate the matter.

Porn films, however, won't be making it into mainstream theatres any time soon: the OFRB still has the power to censor adult movies.

Read the story here, on cbc.ca.

The Female Libido: How Low Can You Go?

Sometimes you're tired, sometimes you're bloated, sometimes you're in a pissy mood... there are a number of things that can interfere with a woman's desire to have sex. But what if that desire rarely strikes at all? What if it never does?

In a recent US study, 33% of women polled claimed to have low levels of sexual desire. And
rather than jumping to the conclusion there's something wrong that needs to be fixed, it's important to remember that sexuality is infinitely varied. There could be a number of reasons why people feel this way.

In this interesting look at libido and what "normal" means in terms of sexuality (not much), sex therapist Dr. Sandra Pertot examines what sex therapy may have done to harm the sexual egos of women everywhere. (news.independent.co.uk)

Nasté Ice T

Besides Law & Order, what has Ice T been doing lately?

The rumour mill says he's been getting head, that's what.
Getting head from his wife.
And another woman.
At a restaurant.
Under a table.
While taking pictures with a disposable camera.

Frankly, I'm shocked. T (whose real name is Tracy, I must add) could have, at the very least, used a digital.

Read the dirt here, at New York Daily News.

Chilis Don't Get You Hot

chili, originally uploaded by burnt sugar.

Chilis may do more than add spice to your salsa. There's evidence emerging that consuming a large amount of chilis (at least three a day) could affect the way women experience sexual pleasure and conversely, the pain of childbirth.

Something in the chilis — namely capsaicin — can affect the nerves in the pelvis that relate to pain and pleasure. This means is that women who eat a lot of chilis may have a harder time during labour; in fact, women in India are frequently warned to avoid chili peppers for three months before labour.

It's food for thought.

Read the full story here, at the New York Daily News.

Choose Sex

A study of married Korean women is showing that many don't enjoy sex with their husbands and have sex less than once a month (or not at all).

Apparently, 3 out of 10 Korean women end up in celibate marriages for number of reasons; they don't like it, they're too busy or they're simply not aroused by their husband. Many of them indicate they see sex as an obligation rather than a pleasure.

The study, conducted by Chosun Ilbo, the Korea Institute of Sexology and Pfizer Korea, at the very least brings this issue out in the open and begs the question: if so many are unhappy, is a celibate marriage an acceptable one?

Read the story from Chosun Ilbo here.

Feng Shui for Shagging

Bad news for anyone who's got a mirror above their bed: you're totally compounding your negative energies! Or, at least so says Feng Shui.

I'm not a Feng Shui practitioner myself, but maybe you are, and this article from pravda.ru gives you some tips on how to improve your sex life and romantic relationships by changing up your decor.

I'll sum up:
red = very good
pink/peach = will do if you don't like red
mirrors = bad
seperate rooms = not too bad
seperate beds in the same room = incredibly bad

Not sure about you, but I'm not sold on the mirrors idea: they can be quite fun.

Another Reason I Don't Like Golf

Golf, originally uploaded by haileydai, image from Wikipedia.

I dislike golf. Maybe I haven't given it a fair chance, but it frequently bores me to tears when I experience golf-exposure from one of my family members.

And when I hear about what happened to a lesbian couple at San Diego's Bernardo Heights Country Club, my dislike of golf is compounded. B. Birgit Koebke paid the exorbidant $18,000 annual fee for a membership to this country club. The club then refused to extend the spousal rights — rights to play golf at discounted rates, I believe — usually offered to husbands and wives of members to Koebke's lesbian partner, Kendall French.

The club argues that the issue is not about sexuality, it's about marriage. A couple of any sexuality cannot enjoy certain benefits at the club if they aren't married.

But how can Koebke and French meet the criteria if they're not able to get married in the first place?

You can sure as hell bet they're fighting it in court. The hope is that the California Supreme Court will protect domestic partnerships under the anti-discrimination laws by the time this is all over.

Read the story here, on Reuters.com.

Blinded by Science

Before you pop another Viagra, consider this: The FDA is investigating claims that both Viagra and Cialis could have caused blindness in a small number of men who take it.

There is no definite link yet that the drugs are actually responsible for the blindness, but there have been 50 reports to the FDA about Viagra-takers specifically. Note that the type of blindness can also occur in diabetics and those with heart disease; both of which can lead to erectile dysfunction.

Could be nothing, could be something.

Read the story here, on thestreet.com, and if more develops, I'll let you know.

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

There's now evidence that saying a little something nice to a woman can make her feel better about her body.

A Kansas State University graduate student has found that no matter what the compliment is about (external appearance or otherwise), it can have a positive effect on body image. And when you consider that girls are starting to develop body-image problems as young as four or five these days, it's good to know that all you have to do to help is spread a little sunshine.

Go give a woman or girl you love a compliment right now.
A sincere one.

Read the story from CBC.ca here.

Ever Have One of Those Days...

clip_image001.jpg, originally uploaded by haileydai.

...when you really want someone to cup your breasts, but no one has any free hands? We've all been there ladies, haven't we?

Doc Johnson knows the pain of needing breast-cupping action. So, they've come up with this Dual Breast Exerciser (above). Simply insert your breasts, pump-pump-pump it up, and you'll enjoy the feeling of cupped breasts in no time!
Hands are then free to do dishes, fold laundry, or mow the lawn.

What will they think of next?!

Watch your local sex shop, or visit www.docjohnson.com for more info.

That's Too Hot

God love her, Paris has done it again. She's gone and caused a stir with her sexuality. This time, her ad for Carl's Jr's Spicy BBQ Burgers (sorry, it's on air in the US only) is making the Parents Television Council (PTC) really upset.

The ad features a bathing-suit clad Hilton writhing around on a Bentley as she washes it and eats a burger. The idea is clever - the burger is spicy and hot, and so is Paris Hilton. And, of course, her catchphrase — That's Hot — makes it into the ad as well.

People are mad about it. (So many people so mad about so many things all the time!!) They say it's soft-core porn and that kids shouldn't see it. The executives at Carl's Jr had this to say to the PTC: "Get a life."

Lucky for all of us, Carl's Jr has the ad on their site. Check it out and keep a tissue on hand for mopping up drool (if Paris doesn't appeal, the burger or the Bentley could).

Read about the kaffufle here, on CNN.

UPDATE: The link to Carl's Jr has been fixed. Sorry about that folks!

Quick Dick No Longer

Speeding Ticket, originally uploaded by Broken Lens.

The furious onslaught of sex-assisting pharmaceuticals just doesn't cease!

Men who suffer from premature ejaculation (whereby they consistently ejaculate two minutes [or less] into the sexual act - even before penetration), will soon suffer no more, thanks to a brand new drug coming out on the market. Dapoxetine is being reviewed by the US FDA, but is said to demonstrate the ability to prolong intercourse by three or four times.

And, with roughly 30% of the male population having to cope with a quick dick, this will undoubtedly prove to be a quick seller.

Here's the story from Yahoo.

Rainbow Parties: Fact or Crap?

Adults like to get nervous about young people having sexual experiences. One of the latest things to get nervous about are rainbow parties. They're apparently oral sex parties that involve a number of girls each wearing a different shade of lipstick and giving head to one or many boys, so that by the end of the party, each boy has a "rainbow" around his penis. (Someone even went on Oprah to talk about the 'secret lives of teens' and rainbow parties came up! Gasp!)

I don't have evidence that these parties either exist or don't, but if I had to guess, I'd say this is a pile of crap.
First of all, I don't know how many of you out there have given head with lipstick on, but let me tell you something, it doesn't exactly stay on and it certainly doesn't form a perfect circle at the base of a penis. The actual logistics of creating a lipstick rainbow are complicated, to say the least.
The second thing that makes me wonder is the work of young adult fiction by Paul Ruditis called Rainbow Party. It's about exactly this type of party, and I can't help but wonder if this is a case of fiction being morphed into urban myth.

This book, in fact, is causing quite a stir in the book publishing world. Some are incensed at the subject matter, but some see pulling it from their shelves to be an act of censorship. Read the story here (Washington's Classical 103.5).

And if any of you know that rainbow parties actually are going down (pun!) in groups of young people in North America, please do let me know. I will don rainbow lipstick and eat all of my words.

Q: Can I Get an STI from Wrestling?

Rowdy Roddy Piper, originally uploaded by haileydai.

A: I think it depends on who you're wrestling with. I'd stay away from Rowdy Roddy
Piper.* (Word up to 1980s WWF!!!)

I shouldn't joke: no one is born with innate knowledge and understanding
of STIs and how they're transmitted. If nothing else, this question from a
young man concerned that he can catch an STI from a wrestling teammate
only serves to highlight the fact that young people need proper sex education.

Unless, as the answerer of this question suggests, they're wrestling nude
and having oral/genital contact while wrestling. And if that's the case, I
don't think I'd call what they're doing "wrestling".

Check out the Q&A here (teengrowth.com via Wilson County News).
*Oh Rowdy, I'm only teasing. You know I love you baby.

Pregnant and Proud

A young student at a Roman Catholic Highschool in Montgomery, Alabama was asked not to attend her graduation ceremony (and was left off the program) because she is pregnant.

Despite the ridiculous efforts by her fabulously progressive and supportive school, Alysha Cosby attended the ceremony anyway and announced her own name and walked across the stage.

The Associated Press quoted her as saying, "I worked hard throughout high school and I wanted to walk with my class."

If the fact that she was banned isn't gross enough, wait until you hear this: the father of the unborn child, a senior at the same school, was allowed to attend.

Read the story here, at the Seattle Post-Intelligence.

Passion Pants PSA

passion_pants, originally uploaded by haileydai.

This post is a public safety annoucement. Pictured above is a pair of leather(?) panties that come equipped with a vibrator. You slip them on, slip the vibrator in, and you're on your way, if you catch my drift.
Be warned of the dangers of these passion pants: whatever you do, do not wear them in public if you are prone to fainting when experiencing pleasure.

That's what happened to a poor woman out in Wales, according to the UK tabloid The Sun. She donned her naughty knickers and went out do run a few errands at the grocery store. Well, the waves of pleasure were clearly too much for her to take — thanks to the 2.5-inch vibrator lodged inside of her — and she ended up fainting, knocking her head on some shelves and then having to deal with a store full of curious onlookers, employees and emergency service workers.

You'll be happy to know that she's now fine, if not a little embarrassed.

The really good news is: these panties are clearly effective.
Read the full story here, on The Register.

The Big O?

The female orgasm is a mystery to many, and scientists are not exempt. For men, orgasm and ejaculation are usually simultaneous and from an evolutionary standpoint, that makes sense. Orgasms are great fun, so men want to have them, so they want to have sex and thus propegate their species. Nice and logical.

But what about us ladies? We don't need to have an orgasm to get pregnant. In fact, many women go through life without ever having one at all. So, what's the deal with that? Why are we capable of orgasm at all if ours are not related to spreading our genes? Darwin would scratch his head.

Well, Dr. Elisabeth Lloyd of Indiana University (Kinsey's home base, incidentally) thinks she has the answer. Female orgasms are, in her words, just "for fun."

She thinks that they're just an evolutionary off-shoot left over from embryonic development - no purpose but fun. Just like men's nipples. No purpose, but sometimes fun.

Of course, there are scholars and scientists that don't agree with her, and then there's the issue that orgasms are sometimes so bloody hard to come by (pun!). One scientist has even suggested that female orgasms are being phased out, in an evolutionary sense, so one day women won't have them at all. Say it isn't so!!!

Check out the fascinating O debate in the New York Times.

(Thanks sweet reader R for the link!)

Dear Lord! (of the Rings)

Lord of the Rings, originally uploaded by haileydai.

Now there's a lawsuit over some kind of smoke and mirrors show for kids that promotes abstinence until marriage. The show uses lights, music and comedy (and maybe I should use that term loosely here?) to get its message across and then the poor unsuspecting children are roped into buying a silver ring, engraved with a reference to a biblical passage, to "make a commitment to Christ".

The show is called "The Silver Ring Thing" and the American Civil Liberities Union is suing the federal government for funding a show that promotes religion (because it's against the law to do so). The government has, so far, had nothing to say about the pending lawsuit.

Read the story here, on NPR. (Last item.)

You Knew it Was Coming...

A female equivalent to Viagra had to be on its way, and it's almost here.

It's not yet approved by the FDA, but the new testosterone patches (or pellets inserted under the skin) could very well get women's libido back on track after they've gone through menopause.

Women in Florida who have started using the testosterone patches say they've experienced changes for the better.

Now it looks like we'll all be able to (and want to) keep having sex well into our 60s and 70s. Just imagine all of the hip displacements!

Read the story from ABC here.

Sex, Cannes & Videotape

Something is afoot in at the Cannes festival this year. And that something is sex. More specifically, it's sex produced by Mexican and Canadian film-makers. Our very own Atom Egoyan is getting a bit of heat for the Kevin Bacon/Colin Firth/Young College Student threesome (puts a spin on the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon) that goes down in his film Where the Truth Lies, which some critics are calling gratuitous.

Same goes for Mexican director Carlos Reygadas, whose film Battle in Heaven features some explicit sex between a portly older man and a young woman and and then the same portly older man and his portly older wife.

Art; sex for sex's sake; realism; ridiculous - whatever you think of it, sex on screen is doing what it does best these days: rustling feathers. And thank goodness for that.

Go here to read the story from Yahoo News.

Another Reason Why Honesty is Best

This poor Italian man had what is being called a "sexual malformation" that he'd never treated. He managed to keep it a secret from his fiance, but on their wedding night, she found out. She was not happy.

She took him to court in fact. She got an annulment and sought alimony (which she was awarded) because he didn't tell her and wouldn't seek treatment.

To quote from the Mail & Guardian Online story: "A string of recent judgements has enshrined in Italian law the principle of a "right to sex" in marriage."

I feel for the guy, I really do. It's apparently a very macho culture, and this must have been mortifying for him... but really... he should have told her. Now he not only has a sexual malformation, he will also (likely) have to pay his ex money because of it!

If that doesn't suck, I don't know what does.

Virtual Voyeurism

There are many sex blogs out there maintained by people who like to write about their own sex lives, fantasies and preferences. I thought you might enjoy a bit of e-peeping.

Here are some sexblogs to get you started; there are links to links to links for other blogs on these pages - you're guaranteed to get lost in them. Have fun!

Twiddly Bits:
http://www.twiddlybits.net/

FigLeaf's Real Adult Sex:
http://www.realadultsex.com/

Diary of an Unrepentant Sex Addict:
http://dausa.blogspot.com/

Dilemmas of a Virgin Slut:
http://virgin-slut.blogspot.com/

Girl With a One-Track Mind:
http://girlwithaonetrackmind.blogspot.com/

Public Sex: Now You Can Too!

If you've always wanted to experience the rush of having sex in a public place but just didn't know where to go to get it on, askmen.com has provided you with options.

They've come up with the best seven places to have public sex. Some seem fun, some... not so much. Examples: cemetaries (ugh) and shopping malls (ugh, bad lighting!) are on the list but so are empty train cars and coat check rooms.

Note: While the thrill does lie in the fact that you might get caught, it's possible that you will get caught. And, possibly arrested. So, think it over before you whip it out in the park, and if you can't stand the heat, then have sex at home.

As the saying goes; Big Voice, Big...

Seems old blue eyes had more than a sultry singing voice. Frank Sinatra also had a very large penis. Or, as Ava Gardner said so eloquently: “There’s only ten pounds of Frank, but there’s 110 pounds of cock.”

Yes. That's what she said. 110 pounds of cock. Times Online has brought us a detailed history of Sinatra's lovers, though after hearing Ava's quote, I'm not so sure I need to know any more.

Moral Grounds

This story about the Religious Right's objections to the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine looks like it originally came from Salon.com. Seems that some are concerned that a vaccination to prevent HPV (which can often sneak past condoms) might be interpreted as a go-ahead to have all the crazy, reckless pre-marital sex one wants.

HPV is an STI that is often symptom-free. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it doesn't. But, it's scarily prevalent. It is also one of the leading causes of cervical cancer.

I think the primary aim of an HPV vaccine would be the prevention of cancer.
But if there's protection against that particular STI, what argument does the Right have against pre-marital sex? After all, with the HPV around, the case can be made that the only TRULY safe sex is to have none at all, isn't that right Right?

Yeah, I'm looking at you Religious Right... I know your game.
I
know
your
game.

Pretty Boys

transvestite_pageant, from asiansexgazette.com, originally uploaded by haileydai.

The picture above definitely features what I would call very pretty boys. And some of them aren't really boys anymore. But, what they have in common is that they were all born boys. They're transvestites from Thailand, and they say they don't experience nearly the amount of discrimination transgendered people here in North America do.

Check out the Miss Tiffany Universe Contest website. The 2004 contestants and winners were still up when I checked, but as the 2005 Miss Tiffany winner was recently crowned, the page should be updated soon.

Sexual Preening

Men, if you'd like some info on how hygenic you have to be to make sex immensely more pleasant for your partners, here's the place to get it. Maybe these seem rudimentary, but I think many of us who sleep with men would agree that we've all encountered some grown fellows who don't seem to know even the basics.

Get clean guys, we appreciate it.

Also, here's the MSNBC/Elle Sex & Beauty Survey the writer refers to. Very interesting.

BE LESS SEXY! B-E LESS SEXY!

0429sabercats 045, originally uploaded by erikg.

So, they've done it. Texas has given schools the go-ahead to ban sexy
cheerleading. Why? "The bill is aimed at stopping the exploitation of
young girls and sexual behaviour that he says can lead to teenage
pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases." (cbc.ca)

Hey, Texas, I have an idea. If you really want to prevent teenage
pregnancies and STIs, why don't you worry less about cheerleading and more
about proper sex ed?

Quick Hits

Here are a couple more items of note:

When the lust turns to limp, what happens to couples? How common is it to lose the fizz in a relationship? More common than you think. Here's an article from KAKE on that very topic.

British researches have come up with a way to inject a condom with a stimulant that keeps penises up, even if sensations are dulled. New York Daily News had the story.

Goings on at CAYA

Come As You Are has been banned from TV! Well, at least their ad has. It's apparently too much for poor Canadian viewers to handle.

Go here and judge for yourself.
I won't even state my opinion of the banning: once you see the ad, you'll know exactly what I think about the whole thing.

Also: CAYA is hosting another annual masturbate-a-thon on May 14 (May is Masturbation month!!). You can sign up to donate under $10 and receive 2 hours of online-masturbation action, all for a good cause: The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. Masturbation and voyeurism AND charity?! Doesn't get much better, folks.

Sex by Numbers

A StatsCan report released a study shed some light on the sexual habits of young Canadians. Sadly for you and for me, I'm too tired right now to tell you what those habits are in any way that even resembles anything witty, so here are some facts, and then you have to go read the report and the story from CBC.

- By age 14 or 15, 12% of boys and 13% of girls have had sexual intercourse
- The number of teens having sex, however, has decreased
- Condom use is also down

If you read the study and can still give me five good reasons for promoting abstinence-only sex education, I'll give you $5*.

*Note: No, I really won't. Just trying to make a point.

Dear God

Rainbows are nice, originally uploaded by haileydai.

Dear God,

Are you there? It's me, Hailey.
I know we don't talk much or anything like that, but really - can you do something about this? Maybe I don't really understand how it all works, but these people in Alberta are promoting discrimination in your name. I didn't know if you already knew or anything, but I thought someone should tell you, just in case you didn't. They're saying some nasty things about gay marriage down here and I didn't think you'd like that.

Maybe you don't have a problem with any of it, I'm not sure. But, they're saying that you defined marriage, so maybe you could look into it and sort of update that definition, if you're not too busy. It's a bit outdated. And, well, I kind of always thought you were all about love and acceptance and stuff like that. Again, not sure.

Anyway, just wanted to make sure you're in the loop.
Hope you're doing great!
Take care,
HD xo

(Link goes to Canada.com.)