Inside Gloria's Mind

Tentacle sex and head-swallowing vaginas

I love the disclaimer. Perhaps they are afraid sensitive readers will break out in hives?

DVD Review: Entrails of a Beautiful Woman (Bijo no harawata / Guts of a Beauty / Guts of a Virgin 2)

"Editor's note: THIS REVIEW SHOULD BE AVOIDED BY SENSITIVE READERS.

"Few cultures can stand up to the Japanese when it comes to repellent, over-the-top gore when combined with lurid and bizarre sex; frankly I doubt that Western taboos will ever be broken down enough to permit quite the nastiness that can be present in this picture, though Borowczyk comes close with such items as The Beast. This film (better known in previous video incarnations as Guts of a Beauty), one of the nastier in the genre of extreme sex and violence, comes to DVD in a new transfer from Synapse that will allow the cult fan to toss those bootleg tapes and import discs....

"For most of the notorious film's short running time, it plays like a bloody soft-core Yakuza drama, and isn't anything special. However, it's the last 12 minutes that are truly berserk. Dr. Hiromi, her veins full of Angel Rain, somehow combines with the mutilated corpse of Higashi to become a bizarre, meat-covered monstrosity with a gigantic fanged penis, not to mention an enormous head-swallowing vagina. This sequence defies belief, and all but the most hardened will be turning their eyes away during the subsequent nastiness. If you've ever had an urge to see utterly perverse hentai (tentacle sex) in a live action film instead of anime such as Urotsukidoji, here's your chance."

Artistic shoe fetishists

Gallery exhibit put spotlight on artists' soles

"NEW YORK (AP) --- Shoes can be beautiful, stunning, controversial and worthy of conversation. Hmmm, that sounds a lot like fine art.

"It's the argument long made by stiletto addicts and it seems to be gaining traction: Scores of shoes were the main feature of a recent art show at a gallery in the chic Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.

"Most of the work for "A Little Obsessed With Shoes" was commissioned and careful attention was paid to displays and lighting....

"....artistic examples from the exhibit: corrugated-cardboard platform sandals by Robert Steele, green frosting pumps with delicate flowers by cake designer Sylvia Weinstock, a fairy's stiletto covered in sea glass with a light coming from the inside by scarf-maker Valery Guignon, and Robert Tabor's collection of shoes-on-wheels, a Radio Flyer wagon and a yellow taxicab among them....Tabor also created a beauty parlor "collection," which includes a shoe with a mascara-tube heel, and a wardrobe of shoes based on "The Wizard of Oz," including a Dorothy shoe with braids, a gingham-check dress and ruby slippers.

"All of Tabor's work, those done for Weitzman and other clients, are based on shoes, and he is not the only artist with a shoe fetish; apparently, there's a complete network of shoe artists, says Weitzman."

Pizzagra to spice up sex in UK

British get sexy twist on favorite: pizza for the libido

"According to Prevention magazine, British supermarkets will soon be selling "Pizzagra," a heart-shaped pizza with toppings alleged to improve your sex life. The toppings include artichokes, asparagus, hot peppers, onions, ginger, cardamom (the seeds of a tropical plant), chocolate and bananas, all on a more traditional base of tomatoes, garlic and basil.

"Prevention magazine herbal medicine expert Douglas Schar said, 'Claims for most of these ingredients have some basis in fact -- except for the onions and artichokes.'"

Calling all non-Bosnian well-hung wanna-be porn stars

From the always delightful ananova.com:

Bosnian men not interested in being in porn film

"The producer of a Bosnian adult movie says he'll have to find his male stars elsewhere because Bosnian men aren't interested.

"While Fedja Stukan had had no problem finding Bosnian girls willing to star in his film, he said raising money for the production proved easier than finding Bosnian men.

"He told local media: "I'm going to have to import some men for the film. Bosnian men simply have no wish to star in porn movies."

"Stukan, who in the past was arrested for putting condoms on a statue of Jesus Christ in front of Sarajevo Cathedral, said he had already begun looking in Slovenia and Hungary for well-hung actors."

NZ issues Occupational Safety & Health guide for sex workers

New Zealand News: Lie back and think of OSH

"Prostitutes need to get beds with good back support and watch out for occupational overuse syndrome, says New Zealand's first safety guide for sex workers.

"The 100-page Occupational Safety and Health guide to safe sex practices - introduced as a result of last year's prostitution reform legislation - has been launched on the Government organisation's website with the caution: "Warning: this document contains sexually explicit material".

"....Employers are asked to ensure condoms in a variety of shapes and sizes are always available, and to provide beds that support the back for a variety of services to be performed without strain or discomfort.

"Comprehensive training of staff in the safe use of all equipment, particularly for fantasy work, is also recommended.

"The guide warns sex workers to watch out for signs of overuse disorders, which occur among people who work in fixed or constrained postures, perform rapid repetitive tasks or use forceful movements."

(Yeah! Don't you just hate getting "spankers' arm"?)

If you'd like to download the government manual, it's available in .PDF at Sex Industry - A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand.

New hope for high-risk prostate cancer

Combining prostate treatments boosts chance of cure

"NEW YORK – July 30, 2004 – Prostate cancer patients at high risk of dying of the disease have an increased chance of cancer cure when they undergo a combination of hormone therapy, radioactive seed implants and external beam radiation therapy, according to a new study.

"Led by Dr. Richard G. Stock, chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the researchers showed that significantly more men treated with the three-pronged approach survived cancer-free for 5 years. The study will appear in the Aug. 1, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics.

"This is a very exciting study because it shows that this new approach of combining brachytherapy, external beam irradiation and hormonal therapy to cure prostate cancer can be very effective for men with aggressive forms of the disease," Stock said in a prepared statement. "The data also supports the theory that enhanced local control can improve overall disease control."

New Category: Reproductive Health

Starting today, there will be a new category on this blog devoted to reproductive health. I've been randomly covering news about treatments for reproductive cancers and other illnesses. Now you will be able to find more, and more comprehensive, coverage here of stories related to diseases and disorders which impact the sex lives of women, men and the transgendered/intersexed.

What will go under this heading? First, some of the stuff I've been categorizing under "Sex and SM," such as news, stats and opinions about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections/diseases. I'll be increasing coverage of reproductive cancers (prostate, testicular, ovarian, cervical, breast, etc. etc.), including any new detection methods (for example, see the blog of a few days ago about using MRI's to detect breast cancer), treatments (see story which follows about prostate cancer), procedures, and health statistics. Also, you'll also be able to find health issues (ranging from inorgasmia to erectile dysfunction; and the effects of other illnesses on sex--for example, see yesterday's blog about Multiple Sclerosis and sex) in this new category.

With roughly 450 blog posts here since I launched in late January '04, I'm, er, disinclined to go back and recategorize previous posts. (Another way of saying I'm too lazy to dig through it all.) If you want to see whether I've covered a particular health issue prior to July 31, 2004, please use the "search this site" box at the top left of this page. Type in your keyword, hit the arrow button, and google will search this blog for all related stories.

Catholic lay clergy quit rather than lie about sex

Church leaders quit over 'affirmation of faith'

"PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- As a lay liturgical minister and a cantor, Wilma Hens was a leader for years at her Roman Catholic parish in the central Oregon city of Bend.

"But then Bishop Robert F. Vasa issued a two-page "affirmation of faith." It tells lay ministers and cantors that, if they want to continue in their roles on the altar, they must accept the church's teachings opposing abortion, contraception, gay relationships and other issues.

"Hens couldn't agree, so she quit -- publicly. She stood at a microphone at St. Francis of Assisi Church last month and told the congregation she was stepping down because she could not accept the bishop's requirement.

"'I could no longer pretend that I could ascend to some of those articles of faith any more than others can,' she said Thursday in a telephone interview.

"The affirmation singled out issues that many American Catholics have struggled with, such as the sinfulness of contraception and "the church's teaching that any extramarital sexual relationships are gravely evil and that these include premarital relations, masturbation, fornication, the viewing of pornography and homosexual relations."

"'I happen to believe that many of the teachings on human sexuality are just plain faulty," said Hens, one of at least six lay ministers to quit because of the affirmation in the Diocese of Baker, headquartered in Bend. "I don't want to be held to those teachings. I cannot give my full assent. I don't want to pretend to do so in order to be a lay minister.'"

Take your sex toys when you travel

This article offers sensible advice on how to travel with your sex toys iwithout embarrassment, and is penned by my buddy, Anne Semans (one of the great women who work at Good Vibrations, and the author of some excellent sex advice books--which, now that I think about it, I'll list here shortly). She lists some toys (mainly vanilla) that you can get through airport security without embarrassment. You can also sign up for Anne's nifty sex newsletter--she's always full of great little tricks and tips on making the most of your sex life.

Traveling With Sex Toys

"There’s no reason to leave your favorite sex toy home alone while you're off on an adventure. If the fear of getting “caught” with your toy (by in-laws, at security checkpoints, by kids) prevents you from packing them along with your sexy underwear, then read on. With a little advance planning and a discreet toy or two, you’ll be all set to take your toys on the road. Answer these questions before deciding what to bring along...."

Barbie sluts it up with new boy toy

Obviously, Demi has influenced Barbie! (Or maybe Ken needs some Viagra? After 43 years, the plastic must get pretty moldy.)

Barbie's new beau Blaine can't match Ken for some

"Barbie’s got a new boy toy. His name is Blaine, and he’s replacing longtime boyfriend Ken after the surprise ending of Ken and Barbie’s 43-year relationship in February."

Multiple Sclerosis and sex

This is an excellent round-up of the sexual issues confronting both women and men with MS. Highly recommended if you or anyone you love has MS. Includes information on specific problems and their treatments.

Multiple Sclerosis: The Intimate Facts

"Below, Fred Foley, PhD, director of psychosocial services at the Gimbel Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center in Teaneck, N.J., talks about how couples can reclaim an intimate relationship by learning about new ways to enjoy each other.

"How common are sexual problems in MS?
"Multiple sclerosis can cause a variety of symptoms and interfere in a variety of bodily functions. About 80 percent of persons with MS describe some kind of sexual problem at some point in the course of their disease. That may sound very high, but in the general American population, 35 to 40 percent of people report at least occasional sexual dysfunction.

"What sexual problems do women with MS experience?
The studies on the frequency of sexual problems in MS show that women complain mostly of a loss of libido or sex drive. That's the number-one complaint, followed by vaginal dryness and loss or impairment of the ability to orgasm. Since MS can also impair the nerves that nourish the vagina and vaginal tissues, then there can also be a loss of muscle control and ability to respond to sexual stimuli. Also changes in sensation in the genitals can occur in both men and women.

"What kind of sexual problems are seen in men?
The most common complaint sexually for men with MS is erectile dysfunction. That is, the inability to develop and maintain an adequate erection for sexual behavior. There are also other sexual problems that men have such as impaired sensation and loss of the capacity to orgasm. "

The feminists did it! sez the Pope

Pope hits out at feminist radicals

"In a letter to bishops "on the collaboration of men and women in the Church and in the world" the Vatican blames feminism for seeking to eliminate the biological differences between man and woman."

Uhhhh....I wonder what the Pope has to say about doctors who perform sexual reassignment surgery?

It's hard to fathom why he felt it necessary to make this statement now; and why he puts all the blame on feminists, when socio-economic changes and social progress are prompted by a complex confluence of forces. If the world has responded to certain feminist arguments (for example, that women are capable of equal job performance and deserve equal pay for same; or that fathers should take a more active and intimate role in child-rearing) perhaps it's because those arguments make more sense and have more emotional resonance to Westerners than the illogical and inhumane standards of past decades.

As always, the Vatican has its finger on the pulse of....a corpse.

Looking for love in all the Democratic places

Democrats search for sexy, smart, liberals

"BOSTON, United States (AFP) - So you think you're sexy, smart and liberal? Fed up with talking politics with a tired partner? Try "Johnny's Girls," a Democratic dating link that is not for conservatives, no matter how caring they are.

"Christina 'CJ' Frogozo, fitted out in a white shirt with silver stars and plunging neckline, is one of Johnny's Girls and founder of the demdates.com website in April 2004, after what she calls "some creative campaigning" in Los Angeles.

"The site has been getting around 10,000 "hits" a week and has 350 people registered looking for love with a fellow Democrat."

Nervous fruit flies flub first dates and so may you

Flies have first date 'nerves'

"LONDON, England (Reuters) -- A cluster of nerve cells linked to sexual behavior could mean the difference between being a success with the ladies or a dismal failure -- at least in fruit flies.

"Scientists who isolated the cells that control courtship in the male fruit fly believe their findings could hold clues about sexual behavior in other species including humans....

"In research published in the science journal Nature on Wednesday, he reported that 60 cells are involved in sexual behavior. When they don't work properly, male fruit flies cannot complete specific steps of the courtship ritual and are unable to reproduce.

"When the researchers interfered with the nerve cells, the fruit flies did not do all of the steps, such as tapping the female, extending and vibrating a wing and singing, and rushed through the courtship -- which the females did not find attractive."

Limit teens' access to birth control at their peril

They needed a study for this??

It should be patently obvious that if kids can only get birth control by asking for their parents' permission, they'll have sex without protection and risk pregnancy. You can't stop teens from exploring sex. You can only help to protect them when they do.

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Requiring teens to get their parents' approval before obtaining prescription contraception at a public health clinic appears to increase the rate of teen pregnancy, according to new study findings released Thursday."

New strategy for getting a bondage fix

Are you so horny for bondage you've been considering visiting a professional dom/me? Save your money. You can get the government to pay for your pervy pleasure. Just eat some candy in a Washington Metro station.

"WASHINGTON - Eating en route to or while riding the subway here is a no-no. Stephanie Willett, a government employee, found that out the hard way recently. Finishing a candy bar on her way into a Metro station, she was arrested, handcuffed and detained for three hours."

Taking the fear out of STD tests

If you know a man who's been too nervous to get an STD test, even though he knows he should, please point him to this chatty little piece called Learn to love your STD test, in which a gay Aussie takes the mystery out of a visit to the doctor's office for a sexual health check.

From the article:

"Enjoy your urethral swab!” one of my colleagues called as I left the office for my doctor’s appointment. “Hope you don’t have herpes!” another cried.

"Ever since everyone learnt I was having an STD test they’d taken great pleasure in taunting me about it. But after years of having regular check-ups I wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

"It was nearly 12 months since my last test and I was pretty sure I didn’t have any STDs. But I’ve been told gay men who have more than one sexual partner in a 12-month period should get checked out at least once a year. Not all infections produce obvious symptoms, after all.

"The reason I’m writing about it is hopefully to demystify the process for my friends and everyone else who finds the idea of getting tested too mortifying to even contemplate."

Giving new meaning to the Passion

Priest and nun caught having car sex

"BLANTYRE (Reuters) - A Malawian court has convicted a Catholic priest and a nun of disorderly conduct after they were caught engaged in a sexual act in a parked car with tinted windows.

"The Malawian priest, 43, and the 26-year-old nun from neighbouring Zambia spent the night in police cells after being caught in the act on Wednesday, police said.

"Passers by alerted police at Lilongwe International Airport after the parked Toyota Corolla, which had tinted windows, began shaking in what police described as "a funny manner".

Alabama can ban sex toys: Feds

Federal Court OKs Ban on Sale of Sex Toys

"BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld a 1998 Alabama law banning the sale of sex toys in the state, ruling the Constitution doesn't include a right to sexual privacy.

"In a 2-1 decision overturning a lower court, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news - web sites) said the state has a right to police the sale of devices that can be sexually stimulating."

You should read the rest of the article (particularly the Court's justifications) but the two points which really floored me are right up front: 1. Americans are not guaranteed a right to sexual privacy and 2. states have the right to prevent you from purchasing sex toys.

The implications of this ruling are pretty damn scary, as Alabama is hardly the only state which would like to control the kind of sex its citizens have.

APA gets behind same-sex marriages

Psychologists to endorse gay marriage

"Gay couples should be able to marry in civil ceremonies and, if they are parents, they deserve all the legal rights of straight parents, says a policy the American Psychological Association adopted Wednesday at its meeting here.

"'"We're going out on a limb," says Diane Halpern, president of APA, the nation's largest group of psychologists. "But we're doing what we should be doing." The group already has a policy opposing discrimination against gays, and many members are concerned about political actions to stop gay marriages, she says.

"Keeping gays from marrying "puts a particular stress on them just because of their sexual orientation. It's a health issue and a mental health issue," Halpern says."

New study: high-risk women supplement mammograms with MRIs

MRI Breast Cancer Test Benefits High-Risk Women

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be better than mammography at detecting breast tumors in women who have a family history of or genetic predisposition to breast cancer, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

"The findings of the new report suggest that MRI be used in addition to mammography for these women.

"'MRI detected early, potentially curable cancers that in some cases were not picked up by mammography or physical exam," Dr. Laura Liberman, author of a related editorial, told Reuters Health. However, "MRI was a little less specific than mammography," meaning it had a higher rate of false-positive results.

"Despite the greater sensitivity seen with MRI, "I don't think this study suggests that MRI should be done instead of mammography," noted Liberman, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "In this study, there were some cancers that were seen with mammography, but not with MRI. So, I think the use of MRI we are considering in the high-risk screening setting is as a supplement to mammography.'"

Now rinse and SPIT!

Women Say Dentist Made Them Swallow Semen

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Former employees of a dentist claim the man made female patients unwittingly swallow his semen during visits to his office. Dr. John Hall is accused by the state dental board of violating dentistry's standard of care, engaging in immoral conduct, and committing sexual assault or battery.

"Six former patients say he tricked them into swallowing his semen. A seventh claims he jumped on top of her in the dental chair and 'began to gyrate against her lower body in a sexual manner.'"

Hollywood's hormonal effect

Hmmm.....so, by right-wing standards, does this make "Love Story" a porn flick?

Weepie or action movie? It's in the hormones, says study

"A romantic film sends the audience's sex hormones surging in a quite different way to an action adventure movie, according to a study that suggests a person's video or DVD collection is a window on their soul.

"An on-screen love affair can boost levels of the sex hormone progesterone, which is thought to influence attentive and romantic behaviour, by 10 per cent in men and women and can also cut levels of testosterone, which is linked to aggression."

Graduate now, strip later

Hong Kong porn film company's ad for actors withdrawn from youth job fair

"HONG KONG (AFP) - An adult movie-making company's advertisement for new pornography stars at a youth job fair in Hong Kong was removed quickly after organisers deemed it unsuitable.

"The Sun Power Production Company ad had asked for actors aged 18 to 38 to apply for roles in adult movies. Although no experience was required, the actors should be ready to "strip naked", the South China Morning Post reported."

Enter the Blobosphere!

Ogre? Octopus? Blobologists Solve an Ancient Mystery

"The deep is a blank slate for the expression of human fears and insecurities, an estuary for paranoia. And enough scary creatures abide in the depths to give credence to all that fear.

"These beasts often have enormous mouths and needlelike fangs. Their names say everything - dragon fish, devilfish, viper fish, gulper eels, blacktail netdevils, ghost sharks. And then there's the repulsive triplewart seadevils, covered with spines and furrows and warts, their large mouths set in a perpetual frown.

"But they all seem tame compared to the mysterious whiteish blobs that for decades arose from the sea and from time to time washed ashore on beaches across the world. What were they? They could be anything.

"For more than a century, scientists and laymen who examined the tons of that protoplasm filled in the glaring gaps in knowledge of blob anatomy by imagining eyes, mouths and slimy tentacles long enough to sink cruise ships. Warnings were issued. Perhaps the blobs were remnants of living fossils more fearsome than the dinosaurs.

"In 1972, a jittery analyst wondered if one particularly enigmatic blob was the decomposing body of a giant alien from outer space.

"Last summer, a gelatinous blob as long as a school bus washed up in Chile. While experts oohed and aahed over what appeared to be fragments of its huge tentacles, the Internet buzzed over news of the monster and the BBC pronounced it perhaps the remains of a lost species of giant octopus. Other experts suggested it was a giant squid or perhaps an entirely new kind of sea creature unknown to science.

"But now a team of six highly skilled, if somewhat whimsical biologists centered at the University of South Florida has applied DNA analysis to the blobs and, alas, solved the mystery. The answer is all too mundane: The blobs are old whale blubber."

New study: relief for menstrual-associated migraines

Jefferson study shows Frova (frovatriptan) effective in preventing menstrual associated migraine

"[A new study] published today in the journal Neurology, shows that Frova (frovatriptan), a triptan class migraine therapy with a long half life, significantly reduced the incidence of menstrual associated migraines (MAM) in women who took the medication preventively, in advance of anticipated onset of headache. There is no therapy currently indicated for prevention of MAM headaches. Frova is currently indicated for short-term management of migraine. "

Cruising for Hedonists

This isn’t your mother’s vacation - Playboy TV’s Juli Ashton throws her bra in the Celebrity Fantasy Vacation ring.

"Studio City, CA (PRWEB) July 28, 2004 -- No, this certainly isn’t your mother’s vacation. But it’s probably your father’s dream vacation. Playboy TV & XM Satellite Radio star and world renowned sexpert Juli Ashton doesn’t want to mingle with people on a cruise playing shuffleboard or be confined to giving a lecture. She wants to party and have unadulterated fun with her fans, friends and hedonists alike. That’s why she organized the first annual Soul Days New Moon Ja’am festival in Jamaica October 10-16, 2004. Part Celebrity Fantasy vacation. Part Music festival. Part Erotic boot camp. Part Birthday celebration (she won’t tell her age). 100% party that will go a little beyond PG-13."

Bad Excuses for Naughty Men

I almost feel guilty posting this men's guide to making up excuses when you act like a dog. But it's too funny not to share.

"Gal just caught you red-handed ogling another woman? Relax, padre—your old school’s gonna help you out. Here are five surefire excuses, straight from college courses, that’ll have you back in the saddle in no time. (Next time wait till she’s in the ladies’ room to let your eye wander…)

"Excuse from gender studies: You weren’t mentally undressing the girl; you were quietly judging her. Say: 'Poor thing—it’s clear she’s unwittingly buying into a patriarchal view of women’s beauty by choosing modes of dress that contribute to her own oppression. Thank God you’ve got more personal power than that.'"

More and more kids hurting themselves in UK

Another alarming new trend in the UK is the rising number of self-harm cases showing up in emergency rooms.

"LONDON (AFP) - Some 170,000 mostly teenagers and young adults in England and Wales are admitted to hospital emergency rooms each year with self-inflicted injuries, a government-funded health watchdog will report on Wednesday.

"Marjorie Wallace, head of the mental health charity Sane told the Independent: 'The problem is spreading.'

"'We are not just talking about young girls cutting themselves any more; we have heard of young men gouging their flesh, drinking acid, removing genitalia,'" she said."

STDs on rise in UK

Risky sex, delays blamed for rise in sexually transmitted diseases

"LONDON (AFP) - Public health officials blamed risky sex and long delays in patient treatment for a worrying long-term rise in sexually transmitted diseases in Britain.

"While Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) rose by a relatively modest four percent last year, since 1995 the rate has soared by 57 percent, from 449,666 to 708,083 cases, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

"...Kevin Fenton, head of the HPA's HIV and STI department, said that young people and gay men were most affected by STIs.

"He also pointed out that while only about 17 percent of the population was made up of women aged 16 to 24, this group accounted for 72 percent of chlamydia cases."