by yoursl | Oct 30, 2014 | Sexual Abuse |
Ray Rice, a former football player for the Baltimore Ravens, has appealed the NFL’s decision to indefinitely suspend him from the league after evidence surfaced that clearly shows Rice in the midst of an act of domestic violence. In a surveillance video, Rice is shown knocking his then fiancée and now wife unconscious in an elevator before hauling her lifeless body out of the elevator and dumping her face-first on the floor. Rice is claiming it is “unfair” that he was punished twice by the NFL for his behavior. The first punishment was a two-day suspension that occurred prior to media sources showing addition footage of the elevator video. Once that extra footage, which shows Rice clearly punching his fiancée/wife in the face, became public, the NFL gave Rice a second punishment of an indefinite suspension from the league. His appeal is scheduled to begin on Nov. 5. From my own and others’ past experiences, I know that domestic violence on the Ray Rice scale does not happen out of nowhere. Domestic violence usually begins slowly, with small attempts to control the victim financially, emotionally, and physically, and then starts to gain speed as the victim loses more of his or her self-esteem throughout the abusive relationship. A Ray Rice incident is on the far end of the domestic violence spectrum and is a good indicator that his relationship with his fiancée/wife most likely is or has been one riddled with domestic violence. The NFL...
by yoursl | Oct 23, 2014 | Dating/Relationships, Sexual Discussion |
Wouldn’t it be a fabulous world if we were all Stepford perfect? None of us would ever feel inadequate. We would not have moments of doubt or ridicule. Our relationships would be smooth and glossy, like a Tiffany lamp, not crackled and baroque like a made-in-grade-school mug. Snowflakes and flowers have the potential to be perfect, but not people. We are beautiful in our flaws and emotionally adept through our imperfections. The trick is finding someone who will love us through, and sometimes, in spite of our imperfections. I have more failed relationships than successful one, and my advice comes from personal experience and not from books or expert research. I am sharing what I have done wrong in relationships so that, perhaps, others can learn in an easier way what I learned the hard way. Stop being stubborn. There are moments when people must compromise. Each party in a relationship, be it an intimate one or a business one, needs to be able to reach an agreement with the other party. Don’t compromise on personal morals or values, but do take a two-hour road trip to your partner’s hometown to buy a doughnut at the county fair if it will make your partner happy. Communicate. I am guilty of believing people are mind-readers and will know what I need or want at any given moment. I recently learned to share my intent before asking my partner to join me for...
by yoursl | Oct 16, 2014 | Bedroom Fun, Dating/Relationships, Just For Fun, Sex and Literature, Sexual Discussion |
My collection of sexual health books rivals those of major metropolitan libraries. My residence is littered with these books and is a source of amusement for my friends and family, who peruse small piles of my books when they visit. I almost always have a book with me, and it is almost always a book about something sexual. (Side note: When I shop at my local bookstore, I sit down in the sexual health section, make a stack of books that look interesting, and then make my selections for purchase out of that pile. As I am doing this, I have noticed people avoid me and the aisle I am sitting in as if a plague were present instead of one woman on a quest. My advice for people who need a few moments of peace and quiet is to go sit in the sexual health aisle of a bookstore and enjoy a moment of solitude.) Rarely do I read a sexual health book I think every adult needs to read as well. I have just finished reading an absolute gem of a book called Men Are Pigs And That’s a Good Thing by Ron Sturgeon, who spent four years interviewing men and women for his book. Sturgeon took the techniques he used to build successful businesses and applied them to suggest ways to create long-lasting, sex-filled relationships for adults of all ages. His book is geared toward the heterosexual male-female relationship, but his suggestions for building intimacy can be used by anyone of any...
by yoursl | Oct 9, 2014 | Breast Cancer, Sexual Discussion, Women's Sexual Health |
Artwork used with permission from P.Ink The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 232,670 new cases of breast cancer among women and 2,360 new cases of breast cancer among men in 2014, with an estimated 40,000 deaths among women and 430 deaths among men. This number has increased steadily since 2012, which is when I personally started keeping track of these numbers. Breast cancer treatment can include mastectomy, which is the total removal of one or both breasts. According to the Mayo Clinic, newer mastectomy techniques can preserve breast skin. Some women who undergo mastectomy choose to have breast reconstruction surgery, which can restore shape to a breast with the option to have a nipple implant performed during the reconstruction surgery. Breast reconstruction surgery can be done immediately after a mastectomy or in a separate surgery at a later date. According to the Mayo Clinic, newer mastectomy techniques can preserve breast skin. Cancer survivors who have undergone a mastectomy are left with scars from these surgeries. P.Ink is a non-profit organization that helps partner mastectomy patients with tattoo artists so that scars can be transformed into beautiful designs. Areola pigmentation professionals help survivors by restoring the circular pigmentation around reconstructed nipples using a tattoo technique so reconstructed breasts will have a more natural look. P.Ink Day’s inaugural event was held in 2013 at Saved Tattoo in New York City. At this event, ten tattoo artists helped ten breast...
by yoursl | Oct 2, 2014 | Cancers of Reproductive Systems, Just For Fun, Men's Sexual Health, Sex and Art, Sex and Pharmaceuticals, Sexual Discussion, Sexually Transmitted Diseases |
This blog pays homage to the syndicated column, News of the Weird, by creating a list of sexual issues, sexual health, and other taboo topics in the recent news. Holly Stewart, a grandmother from Kansas City, Missouri, asked for money on Kickstarter to help fund her penis art business. She wanted to raise $250 to pay for promotional posters to advertise her art exhibit HollyPolyester: Local Grandmother Quilts Giant Penises, which ran from September 4-19, 2014, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Gallery of Art. The grandmother raised $300 on Kickstarter, and her art show took place as planned. Stewart’s art includes life-size and giant quilted penises made from colorful materials and penis sculptures made from pins and sequins. Sources: elitedaily.com and the UMKC Gallery of Art website Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, a drug maker located in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, laid off 200 workers, or 30 percent of its workforce, on September 10, 2014. The pharmaceuticals company, which has not made a profit since 2012, sells 12 products dedicated to men’s health, including the testosterone gel Testim, the erectile dysfunction drug Stendra, and the Peyroine’s disease (penile curvature deformity) drug Xiaflex. Stendra is the first new erectile dysfunction drug to hit the American market in nearly a decade, and the company is awaiting a decision from the Food and Drug Administration to change the drug’s label to indicate a 15-minute onset of action over the current label’s 30-minute onset of action, which means it may take less time than previously thought for the drug to take effect. Auxilium expects to pay $20 million in...
