Now that's an interesting

[Quoll]

Pretty sure this has been posted before, but it was a while ago. It's an interesting read, particularly if you are in to the dynamics of people and... oh look read a bit and see if you like it.


True Porn Clerk Stories

First off, two updates:

1. I am pained to admit that my informal bisexual tally is not going well. The ratio is something like one incredibly cool person to every 200 complete freakballs. I am beginning to understand the origin of the unpleasant stereotyping; I'd be wary of dating me too.

2. I am deeply relieved to report that V8refers to fingers. How sad that I've reached a point in my life that the fact that a woman is only having four fingers jammed up her anus while another four are jammed up her vagina is a relief.

…Which brings me to M. I never actually met M. She was a new clerk we hired who quit after one day. She left a note on the manager's desk saying that she couldn't stay because the job was too degrading to women.

When I told the story to my friend Jenny, she said "Good for her!" I was taken aback for a moment, because my reaction had been "What a wuss!" Most of the women at the store had said some variation on "What a wuss!" I had told the story to Jenny in anticipation of her saying "What a wuss!"

I think the right response is somewhere in between. Some porn is degrading. Hell, a lot of it is degrading very much on purpose. It's hard to look at the box for Young, Dumb and Full of Cum and think they had anything else in mind.

(On a side note, I hate it when people use the spelling "cum". I HATE IT. What, it's supposed to be dirtier that way? Just because it's supposed to be all raw and sexy doesn't mean you have to be an idiot about it. Jesus.)

But the more I've worked at the video store, the less I'm convinced that porn is inherently degrading, and the line between degrading and not gets blurrier.

For example, the [My Store] chain, (and by "chain," I mean four stores, three of which actually deal in porn) does not carry pregnancy porn. My internal reaction to that is "Good," but I couldn't tell you why. I know that pregnant women have sex. I know that some pregnant women have been frustrated by their partners' reluctance to have sex or queasiness over seeing them as sexual beings.

For that matter, it's arguably a good way for a resourceful mom to start off Junior's college fund. But we don't carry it because The Powers That Be find it inherently degrading and it's never been a point I've cared to argue. If I look at it dispassionately, though, I don't think it is. Or at least it's dependent on what the pregnant woman in question is beng asked to do.

We recently stopped carrying bukkake, also because it's degrading. When I first started working at the store, that one seemed like an easy call for me. Bukakke involves a circle of men with a woman in the center. The men jerk off, covering the woman in semen. It's hard to think of a way that that wouldn't be degrading. It certainly was hard for me. Until, of course, I saw the box for Gay Bukkake. Yup. Same deal, only it's a man in the center. I realized that I found straight bukkake degrading, but gay bukkake merely incredibly disgusting. Did that make me a sexist, or was I penalizing straight men for being straight? So except for the disgusting part, I had to pencil in a new opinion.

Occasionally I get caught up in the principle of a thing, and when my manager mentioned the no-more-bukkake decision I actually started to argue with her. It took me a couple of minutes to ratchet my brain down from the logistics of it and remember that I loathe having to look at the bukkake boxes and having them out of the store would suit me fine.

So I backed out of an ethical debate and went against my newfound principles for my own comfort.

What a wuss.

 

[Cathleen]

Not from a thread but still "Now that's interesting..."



We love new sex craze bagging

June 19, 2007

FORGET dogging! A group of adventurous women get their kicks from a bizarre new sex game. Meet the baggers…

With a mischievous smile, Denise dims the lights in the bedroom and winks suggestively at her husband, Phil, who’s sitting naked on the edge of the bed.

He grins excitedly back at his wife. It’s their secret signal – and he knows what’s coming next.

Slowly, Denise, 32, strips down to a tiny thong. Then she stalks across the room, places her fingertips on Phil’s chest and pushes him back on to the bed.

‘Stay there – and don’t move,’ she purrs sexily into his ear.


Continued here

 

[Quoll]

I guess it's an improvement on the old style.

 

[midwestyankee]

The All-Knowing Troll strikes again: clickie here - where's the barf bag when you need it?

 

[Quoll]

Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos.

Letters of Note.

 

[Quoll]

This is a must have product, don't believe me, just read the reviews.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=110-439&vReviewShow=1&vReviewRand=2818820

 

[silverwhisper]

what the fuck?!

 

[Heartless Bastard]

This is a must have product, don't believe me, just read the reviews.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=110-439&vReviewShow=1&vReviewRand=2818820

the interesting thing about it is how many dumasses would actually buy it

 

[Heartless Bastard]

I guess it's an improvement on the old style.

I'll take a dozen

 

[Cathleen]

Finger Length May Determine Whether or Not You're a Jerk



You've probably heard the joke that starts "Guys with big hands ..." But ever hear the one about people with long fourth fingers having huge tempers?

According to a new study, a hormone known as androgen, which affects masculine traits like aggression and strength, can affect finger lengths during a baby's development in the womb. When there are high levels of this hormone, an individual's fourth finger becomes longer than his or her second finger.

Backing their research up by studying monkeys, the scientists from the University of Liverpool have found that species that have high levels of androgen (like baboons) have a tendency to be more competitive and promiscuous while monkeys that don't have as much are more monogamous and aren't necessarily in it to win it.

So the next time you meet a new guy, don't be afraid to grab a hold of his hand and make the comparison. It may just be the quickest way to find out whether or not he has a short ... fuse.



src

 

[Quoll]

The Leonids are coming.






Miss Cate, just because my fourth finger is longer, does not mean I am a fucking jerk ok.



Oh!


Shit!

 

[bobsgirl]

Gotta watch out for those promiscuous baboons.

 

[Quoll]

Gotta watch out for those promiscuous baboons.

Boy, is my arse red.

 

[Cathleen]

Oh, where, oh, where are these baboons?

 

[Cathleen]

Another 'thereapy', bg and I have been enthusiastic participants far before it was even good for you. We are way above average in the laugh per day count.



Laughter is the best medicine

A new approach to integrative therapy

10/Jul/2009



Credit card bills? Divorce? Another rainy day? In laughter yoga classes and laughter clubs around the world, people are thinking about these kinds of stresses and problems -- and then letting go of them, and laughing hysterically.


Laughter yoga, a growing trend in integrative medicine, combines hearty laughter with relaxed, yoga-style breathing. Developed in 1995 by Indian physician Madan Kataria, MD, it initially took the form of a small group of five meeting and sharing jokes in a park on a regular basis. Since then, it has grown into 6000 laughter clubs in 60 countries.


Bringing laughter yoga to Mass General and the community


At the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Mass General, Laura Malloy, LICSW, director of yoga programs and a certified laughter yoga teacher, is the giggle guru. Malloy discovered laughter yoga through a local laughter club in Wakefield, and began offering laughter yoga classes at Mass General this spring. The first class on June 12 was an uproarious success, with more than 30 participants.


"I didn’t know what to expect, but it ended up being a lot of fun," says Susanne Loomis, project coordinator for media services in the Department of Radiology, who attended the first class. "I left feeling rejuvenated."



Donna Peltier-Saxe, RN, MSN, ACM, a project director at MGH Community Health Associates, is working to bring the program to all of the MGH HealthCare Centers. She initially introduced laughter yoga to patients participating in the MGH Revere and Chelsea HealthCare Centers' Happy Heart Program, which seeks to improve the health of women ages 40 to 60 at risk for cardiac disease. She's also working with the Chelsea and Charlestown HealthCare Centers to incorporate laughter yoga programs for their staff members.


"It really was an enjoyable experience," says Lennie Lyons, a participant in the Happy Heart Program. "I don’t think we have enough laughter in our lives."

Laughter yoga is based on serious science


All giggles aside, however, laughter yoga is based on very serious science. It has been shown to decrease stress hormone levels while boosting the immune system, releasing endorphins and increasing levels of antiviral and anti-infection cells. Participants leave classes feeling happy, relaxed and alert. If you're looking to trim your waistline, laughter yoga provides an excellent cardio and mid-body work out. Engaging in a minute of hearty laughter is said to be the equivalent of 10 minutes of jogging or rowing.

And you don't have to be a contortionist, nor a comedian, to partake in laughter yoga. Participants sit or stand while the instructor guides them through a series of laughter exercises. It utilizes simple, playful techniques to induce chuckles, rather than humor. Studies have shown that this type of "fake it till you make it" laughter has the same benefits of "real" laughter. The body doesn't differentiate between the two.


A laughter "bag of tricks"


To create this therapeutic laughter, each laughter yoga instructor has their own "bag of tricks," so to speak. Peltier-Saxe says one of her go-to exercises is the "Chicken Dance" song, while one of Malloy's favorites is when, standing in a circle, each participant mentions something stressing him or her out -- "My teenage daughter is learning how to drive," for example. And then -- they laugh. Not because it's particularly funny, but because laughing at it, forced or not, helps. There's also the "elevator" technique, which pokes fun at awkward elevator silences. Participants gather close together and remain very quiet, until someone inevitably burst out laughing, and everyone joins in.


While classes are the most surefire way to get your giggle on, Peltier-Saxe and Malloy prescribe a daily dose of laughter. Consider this fact: children laugh 300 to 400 times a day, while adults laugh only 10 to 15 times.


"It’s about rediscovering childlike playfulness -- rediscovering joy," say Peltier-Saxe.


src

 

[Quoll]

Crikey!

Crikey! Snail named after Steve Irwin

One of the world's slowest moving creatures has been named in honour of the late crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin.

Queensland Museum scientist Dr John Stanisic has named the rare species of tree snail crikey steveirwini.

The snail was found in the mountainous regions of north Queensland's wet tropics, near Cairns.

"This is an extremely rare species of snail," Dr Stanisic said.

"So far it has only been found in three locations, all on the summits of high mountains in far north Queensland and at altitudes above 1,000 metres, which is quite unusual for Australian land snails.

"These mountainous habitats will be among the first to feel the effects of climate change and Steve Irwin's tree snail could become a focal species for monitoring this change."

The scientist described crikey steveirwini as "a colourful snail, with swirling bands of creamy yellow, orange-brown and chocolate giving the shell an overall khaki appearance".

"It was the khaki colour that immediately drew the connection to the late Crocodile Hunter," Dr Stanisic said.

Terri Irwin says her husband would have been delighted to have a new species bear his name and signature catch-cry.

"Steve worked tirelessly to promote conservation, wildlife and the environment and his work enabled the plight of endangered species to reach a whole new audience," Ms Irwin said.

"Steve also had a long history of collaborating with staff at the Queensland Museum and I'm sure he would be pleased to know his name is continuing to highlight a rare and endangered Queensland species."

Steve Irwin to feature on $1 coin.