Al Fin, You Sexy Thing!

Amazing Vaginas of the World

2012-01-24T05:46:00.001-10:00

Frisky has a slideshow exhibit on the "Top 10 Amazing Vaginas", in which you can be exposed to "the women with two vaginas", the woman with no vagina, and other assorted wonders.

Top 10 Amazing Vaginas
The star of the show is Hazel Jones, one of the women with 2 vaginas. Hazel is an attractive 27 year old blonde who recently was offered $1 million to appear in a porn video.

Sun
Hazel was diagnosed with this condition -- uterus didelphys, with two vaginas and two uteri -- at age 18. She has been able to accept her condition, to the point that she goes with her husband to sex clubs, for recreation. Her willingness to share her condition with the world is a true sign of her personal generosity and openness.

An earlier story on Al Fin blog considered the situation of a Utah woman with the same condition who happened to become pregnant in both uteri over the same time period. The story was framed in the style of a satire, but links to the true story underlying the satire are included.

The Economic Sense of Having Three Children

2012-01-22T08:57:00.000-10:00

Children aren’t exactly the equivalent of a “buy one, get one free” deal. But, thanks to hand-me-down clothing, cribs, and other kid detritus, the amount needed to raise a second child is much less than the first. And a third kid? That baby’s quite an amazing bargain, by comparison. _Time

Time
Modern youth and young adults are told by teachers and the skankstream media that the world is overpopulated. You should have at most only one or perhaps two children -- if any -- according to these keepers of the population gates. But more intelligent people understand that in modern societies, the danger is a looming underpopulation, rather than overpopulation. The loss of human capital from the shrinkage of first world populations -- while third world populations grow wildly -- will cause incredible suffering on a global scale, if trends are not changed.

The trouble in the modern world, is that governments have grown so large and overbearing, that tax burdens on young people wanting to have children can make it economically difficult to have more than one child. Add to that the destructive effects of bloated governments on their economies, and most would-be parents find themselves in a double or triple bind.

Fortunately, the economics of child raising may allow for discounts when multiple children come along. Which is a good thing for the world which needs more high intelligence, high-achieving children. And it is good for their parents, who may need a helping hand in years to come, as they age.

...as a recent USA Today column discusses, the per-child costs decrease substantially when parents have a second and third child. The column is written by Laura Vanderkam, who is the author of the forthcoming book All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending and the mother of (you guessed it) three kids.

...What happens, according to researchers, is that families with two children spend 25% less per child than those with one kid. Families with three kids, in turn, spend 22% less per child than two-child households. _Time

Sex Toys: $1 Billion Industry and Growing

2012-01-03T09:53:00.000-10:00

Approximately 75% of the female population can’t orgasm from intercourse alone. This isn’t because they’re novices in the bedroom, or that their partners are bad in the sack – countless studies have shown correlation between physical anatomy and ability to achieve orgasm through intercourse. But thanks to The Screaming O, women of all sexual capacities can enjoy orgasmic intercourse, and the lucky 25% can have that much more intense of a sexual experience! _ScreamingO

Winner of multiple sex toy prizes, Screaming O sex toys are widely available via Amazon.com and other internet retailers, as well as in walk-in stores such as Walgreens. Compared to your grandmother's bulky sex toys, Screaming O's toys are more compact and understated.

Sex toys are typically made in China, and marketed by a number of different companies.
Surveys from 2009 conducted by Indiana University and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, & Reproduction show more than half of women and nearly half of men ages 18 to 60 reported using a vibrator either alone or with a partner.

Accurate revenue numbers for the entire adult industry are elusive, since business research firms do not track the market. Joanne Cachapero, communications director at the Free Speech Coalition, an adult industry trade group, says that until five years ago, the industry estimated its own revenues at $14 billion worldwide. But overall revenues are down about 30 percent since 2008, she says, led by a 50 percent drop in DVD sales. A handful of outside research studies a decade ago put total U.S. adult revenues between $1 billion and $4 billion.

Dave Levine, a 43-year-old Los Angeles man who founded $13 million sex toy wholesaler CNV.com in 1995, estimates the U.S. sex toy business alone at $750 million to $1 billion annually. His 25-employee company supplies products and also does direct sales through SexToy.com. He says adult film companies are now getting into novelties in a “big way,” partly to make up for revenue lost to piracy and the availability of free porn online. _Bloomberg

And just wait until "electrosex" devices start catching on!

What is the Best Way to Re-Populate the World After Apocalypse?

2011-12-26T11:03:00.003-10:00

The year 2012 is the focus of a great deal of apocalyptic thinking. From Mayan prophecies to resource scarcity (peak oil doom) to climate doom to overpopulation doom, a lot of people are thinking about a great human dieoff.orgy in the presumably near future.

Assuming the human dieoff occurs on schedule, how will the surviving humans re-populate the planet, so as to get back on track to reach the next level or singularity?

DailyMail Ziona Chana FamilyHistorically, one of the most effective ways to quickly repopulate, is via polygamous marriages. The most fertile men set about collecting a highly fertile brood of wives, then proceed to let nature do its work.

The most children sired by one father -- 800, by Mulai Ismail, the last Sharifian Emperor of Morocco -- were created by this means.

The famous Duggar family of the USA, represent the top range of natural children born by one woman in a conventional marriage. The Duggars have 20 children, with one son married and living with his wife and child, and the other 19 children still living under one roof.

Of course, Michelle Duggar is not anywhere near to holding the record for the most children birthed by one mother. The record is held by a Russian woman whose 69 children were born within a 40 year period -- between 1725 and 1765.

The youngest mother on record -- Peruvian Lina Medina -- was only 5 years old when she gave birth to a live child, via C-section. The oldest mother on record was a 67 year old Spanish woman, who became pregnant using technological assistance, and gave birth to a healthy child.

How many years can a woman remain fertile, altogether? If you consider that in many societies, girls are maturing sexually at earlier ages -- some prior to 10 years of aqe -- the onset of fertility can occur quite early. And if you consider that the advances in fertility medicine can potentially allow a woman to conceive and carry a child into her 70s, then some women could possibly remain "fertile" for longer than half a century -- up to 60 years or more.

If these long-term fertile women were to bear children at the same rate as the record-holding Russian woman -- 69 children in a 40 year timespan -- they could bear up to 100 or more children apiece, during their time of fertility.

I know what you women are thinking: "How horrid! Why, those women would be nothing more than brood mares in captivity, their entire lives!" And yes, of course, you are correct in thinking this, at least according to conventional standards of today.

But consider that in a post-apocalyptic situation, both you and modern conventional ways of looking at such things, would be long dead. Those who survived would be making up the rules as they went along.

Al Fin demographers have calculated that the minimum viable breeding population to avoid genetic drift, is approximately 10,000 breeding pairs. So, with each of 10,000 women bearing nearly 100 children over her fertile timespan, the population from the offspring of the starting breeding pairs alone, would reach almost 1 million.

But remember that starting 10 years from the onset of the repopulation breeding program, a new bunch of almost 5,000 10 year old girls will begin reaching their fertile span -- every year or so a new group of 5,000. Via the magic of compounding, it should not take long to breed humanity back into a productive industrial age.

The best way to prevent such a scenario, is to promote the health of modern western societies, so that the more modern enlightened liberation of women will continue into the indefinite future. Every political, economic, and social act which weakens the western world, increases the odds of the onset of a more primitive and misogynistic world, where women are seen as mere chattel. It is already that way across large parts of the Islamic and third worlds -- where fertility rates tend to be much higher than in the modern west.

But if the worst should happen, and civilisation should crash into a great human dieoff, at least we can rest assured that it does not have to be the permanent end of human civilisation.

Human reproductive records

More Health Benefits of Motherhood

2011-11-29T10:19:00.001-10:00

Women who bear four or more children appear to be protected from stroke, or cerebrovascular disease. The research was done at UCSD and involved 1300 California women.

Lead author Marni Jacoobs of the University of California, in San Diego, wrote in the journal Fertility and Sterility: "In conclusion, women in this study had less CVD mortality risk if they had more than four pregnancies, with the strongest association observed for non-CHD CVD mortality.

"The mechanism by which this decreased risk occurs is unknown, however, it may reflect higher fertility in healthier women, the effect of prolonged exposure to higher levels of circulating oestrogen or other hormones during pregnancy, increased endothelial function during pregnancy, or the added social support from a larger family."... _Telegraph_via_Impactlab
Various scientists and clinicians have attempted to explain this effect in various ways. But if we keep in mind the rejuvenating effects of pregnancy -- via both stem cells and humoural factors -- and the tendency for pregnancy to "build up the brain," the underlying truth of the matter probably lie in areas where most researchers have never looked.

Political correctness is the enemy of genuine science, and yet PC permeates so much of academia, politics, and the journalism of science. Fortunately, here at the Al Fin Institute of Sexology, our motto is: "Damn the Political Correctness! We Just Want to Learn the Truth!"

Another Way Pregnancy Makes Women Younger

2011-11-21T04:40:00.001-10:00

In earlier articles, we explained how pregnancy can make a woman younger due to the transfer of certain molecules -- hormones, growth factors etc -- from the fetus to the mother. In another article we learned that pregnancy can help make women's brains work better. Now we learn that pregnant women's bodies can be regenerated via embryonic stem cell rejuvenation treatments from the fetus.

These findings come from research in mice done at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York:Mouse fetuses will give up stem cells to repair their mother's heart. The discovery could explain why half the women who develop heart weakness during or just after pregnancy recover spontaneously.

Hina Chaudhry of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City mated normal female mice with males genetically engineered to produce a green-fluorescing protein in all their body cells. Half the resulting fetuses also produced the protein, making it easy to spot any fetal tissue in the mother.

Chaudhry's team inflicted a heart attack on the pregnant mice and killed them two weeks later to take a look at their hearts. They found some fluorescent cells in the mothers' damaged heart tissue, where they had accelerated repair by changing into new heart cells, including beating cardiomyocytes and blood vessel cells.

Chaudhry says that the phenomenon is an evolutionary mechanism: the fetus promotes its own survival by protecting its mother's heart. Because the cells are easy to obtain from the placenta and unlikely to cause immunological reactions, they could provide a new and potentially limitless source of stem cells for repairing damaged hearts.

"The study is the first to show conclusively that fetal cells contained in the placenta assist in cardiac tissue repair," says Jakub Tolar, director of stem-cell therapies at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. _NewScientist
All the debate that has gone on over embryonic stem cell treatments, and we discover that it has been going on in mammals from the beginning.

Now it is a matter of learning how to maximise the positive effects of pregnancy, and to compensate for the potential negative effects.

Of course, in the long run, artificial wombs will relieve most women of the burden of gestation. But for those stylishly retro women who will wish to carry their own -- the advantages continue to build.

Peeping Into a Woman's Brain As it Explodes Into Orgasm

2011-11-17T07:46:00.001-10:00

Video Credit: The Visual MD via Guardian

As the animation plays, activity first builds up in the genital area of the sensory cortex, a response to being touched in that region. Activity then spreads to the limbic system, a collection of brain structures involved in emotions and long-term memory.

As the orgasm arrives, activity shoots up in two parts of the brain called the cerebellum and the frontal cortex, perhaps because of greater muscle tension. During orgasm, activity reaches a peak in the hypothalamus, which releases a chemical called oxytocin that causes pleasurable sensations and stimulates the uterus to contract. Activity also peaks in the nucleus accumbens, an area linked to reward and pleasure.

After orgasm, the activity in all these regions gradually calms down.

...In a new technique being developed by Komisaruk, people inside the scanner can see their own brain activity on a screen almost instantaneously. Through this "neurobiofeedback", Komisaruk speculates that people might be able to learn how to change their brain activity, a feat that could perhaps help treat a broad range of conditions, such as anxiety, depression and pain. _Guardian

An interesting form of neurofeedback indeed. We must all wish Komisaruk good luck in reaching his research goals.

Of course not everyone can take an MRI scanner to bed with them for purposes of intensifying their orgasms, via neurofeedback. Fortunately, new applications for Apple's iPad device will allow persons to use the handheld as an EEG neurofeedback system. Although the neurofeedback app is still in the lab, other biofeedback apps are available from itunes. For those who want to learn more about neurofeedback, here is a podcast on real time EEG neurofeedback.

Of course it is the sexual partner who actually needs reliable feedback on the state of his partner's pleasure. But we do not want to become slaves to "the standard orgasm." There are all kinds of orgasms, after all. There is no need for some psychologist or other self-proclaimed expert to tell us what we should be doing.

Just help us open the doors of perception and we will do the rest.

The Curious Cases Where "Women Can Be More Like a Man!"

2011-11-08T09:18:00.000-10:00

Why can't a woman be more like a man?
Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historic'ly fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Well, why can't a woman be like that?
Why does ev'ryone do what the others do?
Can't a woman learn to use her head? _Why Can't a Woman be More Like a Man (My Fair Lady)

The eternal question, "Why can't a woman be more than a man?" finally has a medical answer: She can! It requires a bit of hormonal manipulation at a very young age, but it does happen naturally in occasional cases.

Some girls are more interested in things than people, like boys. Some girls do prefer to play with trucks than with dolls. And many of these girls do eventually grow up to enter predominantly male professions, such as engineering, surgery, mathematics, or computer science. Why are these girls different, more like a man, so to speak?Females with CAH [congenital adrenal hyperplasia -- exposure to high levels of androgens in the womb and early childhood] are genetically female and are treated as females, but their interests tend to be more similar to stereotypically male ones.

In the study, investigators discovered females with CAH were significantly more interested in careers related to “things” compared to careers related to “people” (as compared to females that were not exposed to CAH).

Study findings are reported in the journal Hormones and Behavior.

“We took advantage of a natural experiment,” said psychologist Sheri A. Berenbaum. “We’re suggesting that these interests are pretty early developing.”

Females without CAH had less interest than males in occupations related to things, such as engineer or surgeon, and more interest in careers focused on interacting with people, such as social worker or teacher.

...Researchers believe the normal biological absence of androgen may be a reason that fewer women choose STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] careers. _PsychCentral

In the US there are plenty of STEM jobs available -- both now and for the foreseeable future -- but US students are not graduating in high enough numbers in STEM fields to fill those jobs. Those who do start out in STEM subjects too often drop out of these programs before graduation.

Since women are traditionally under-represented in STEM fields, you might think the answer to any shortages in those areas could be solved by routing more women into STEM studies. But as noted in the research above, if allowed to choose, most women without high congenital exposures to androgens will choose other subject areas, on their own.

No, Rex, it is best to allow women to be more of who they are, naturally. And to our radical feminist overlords: It is long past time to resume allowing men to be who they are naturally, without affirmative action, Title IX, political correctness, or other politically motivated distortions of the social and economic worlds.

Is Internet Porn Taking the Romance Out of Sex?

2011-10-27T17:37:00.000-10:00

Men addicted to internet porn site may develop an inability to be turned on by real partners, two new studies say. According to at least two recent studies, "More and more young Italian men are suffering from 'sexual anorexia' and are unable to get erections because of internet porn use that started in their mid-teens ." _TOI

For some young men, too much exposure to internet porn can affect their sexual performance with real life women.
"It's all free, easy to access, available within seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Overstimulation of the reward circuitry in the brain is a very real possibility....Quitting can be quite challenging due to an alarming temporary drop in libido, and some men experience withdrawal symptoms. These include insomnia, irritability, panic, despair, concentration problems, and even flu-like symptoms...

..."Desperate young men from various cultures, with different levels of education, religiosity, attitudes, values , diets, marijuana use, and personalities are seeking help. They have only two things in common: heavy use of today's internet porn and increasing need for more extreme material," she said in an article in Psychology Today. Most men are astonished to learn that pornography use can be a source of sexual performance problems, she said. _TOI
The prime time for young men and women to fall in love, marry, and start families, is in the early 20's, physiologically. But in the modern age, many men and women are not ready to settle down until their early to late 30's, if not later. And for the young men -- such as many young men in some European countries -- who still live with their mothers, the women in porn may be the only ones willing to take them as they are.

Occasional viewing of internet porn is not a problem. But the compulsive need for constant stimulation, requiring more and more extreme material in order to satisfy the craving, is a problem for the addict.

If a society breeds too many addicts -- to internet porn, to drugs, to romance novels, or any guilty pleasure taken to extremes -- that society will suffer. In the case of porn addiction, patterns of mating, family formation, and procreation can suffer. That tears at the very heart of a society's future.

It seems as if internet porn is playing a role in the phenomenon identified by Lionel Tiger as "The Decline of Males." Not many women have understood how such a decline could adversely affect them, at least not yet. A more recent book, The Decline of Men by Guy Garcia, fills in some of the details which Tiger predicted a decade earlier.
In an eye-opening exploration of contemporary American manhood, The Decline of Men shows how men are struggling to redefine what being a man means in today's world. Their confusion has led to rampant male malaise, which has left many men feeling alienated and disconnected. Unable to communicate their frustrated thoughts or emotions effectively, too many guys are slacking off and opting out of their manly obligations, producing an entire generation of men who are ditching their own potential and failing the moms, wives, and girlfriends who love them. _Decline of Men
As you can imagine, adopting internet porn -- and soon, the adoption of virtual reality porn -- is not helping the situation any.

The demand for porn -- like the demand for tobacco, drugs, alcohol, gambling, prostitution, death sports, etc -- is not likely to go away. In fact, porn is likely to evolve rapidly in the coming years, perhaps to this stage:

Futurama - Don't date robots from John Pope on Vimeo.

All of the medical and societal changes that have influenced human mating and procreation were predicted many years ago. We just had to see it for ourselves before we would believe it. And now that we see what is happening, we still cannot bring ourselves to believe what it is leading to.

Fertility rates are already falling among the more advanced and intelligent populations of the world. Some countries -- such as Japan -- may well underbreed themselves into nonexistence. Others, such as Russia, are becoming empty shells of their former selves. If you wanted to destroy a country, destroying the will or ability of males to mate with females would pretty well do it.

Sexual Desire and Sexual Pleasure

2011-10-13T04:19:00.001-10:00

Sexual desire and sexual pleasure go a long way to helping make life worthwhile. Sexual desire can be lost temporarily in many situations of physical or psychological illness, stress, discomfort, or exhaustion. More tragic is the long term loss of sexual desire due to chronic disease, depression, or unknown causes.

Perhaps the quickest way for a person to earn a billion dollars would be to invent an aphrodisiac that worked every time in either sex, at any age -- even in persons suffering from mental stress or a physical ailment. We are still waiting for the lucky researcher to experience his Eureka! moment, but sooner or later someone is likely to hit the jackpot.

Sexual desire and pleasure are complex things, which can be triggered or inhibited by a lot of different things. In order for an aphrodisiac to work in everyone, every time, it will need to be able to set in motion a highly complex sequence of events in both body and brain, and have enough staying power to conduct the symphony through to the very end.

Syracuse neuroscientist Stephanie Ortigue looked at the brain's activity in sexual desire. She discovered a number of interesting things:Several years ago, Ortigue’s team and two others sketched a network in the brain that is always activated when we experience sexual desire. The three research teams independently landed on the same brain regions. These included areas governing emotion, motivation, body image—and, notably, memories associated with life experiences. Memories can affect desire in subtle, subconscious ways. For example, if a person has a feature or personality that reminds you of something positive in your past, a subconscious association between that person and pleasant reveries may trigger desire, Ortigue says. In this way, desire emerges from a collaboration of emotional, motivational and intellectual parts of the brain, she says.

Ortigue and her team recently took a look at these brain regions in 13 women between 26 and 47 who qualified as having hypoactive sexual desire disorder. These women either had no feelings of sexual interest or those feelings had plummeted to a low level of late; many had no sexual thoughts or fantasies. They lacked any impulse to even try to become aroused. And they said the absence of these feelings and thoughts distressed them.

The researchers asked these women—as well as 15 women with no lack of desire–to look at both pictures of male models and nonerotic photos while their brains were being scanned. As expected, the women who lacked desire showed abnormally low activity in the brain network previously linked with that feeling. More surprising, however, was that these same women also showed more activity in prefrontal brain regions involved in inhibition of action, attention to and judgment of the self, and interpreting the actions of other people. That is, that proverbial headache probably has its roots in this decision-making, self-control, theory-of-mind part of the brain.

The increased activity there suggests that people with depleted desire have two problems. One is that they are spending time trying to interpret the intentions of the other person—and probably coming to incorrect conclusions, says Ortigue. The second is that, they are monitoring or evaluating their own responses to erotic stimuli. They are not “living in the moment,” Ortigue says. Such analysis can interfere with the erotic experience, perhaps in the same way that explaining a joke can sap it of its humor. _SciAm
We have discussed this issue several times here at AFYST!. A woman needs to learn to let go before her brain and body can do their thing. Any woman (or man) who tries to overthink the situation or her own response, will have a difficult time finding her full bounty of pleasure.

There is a lot more going on in sex than what is happening in the brain. But the brain is the master sex organ, so any viable aphrodisiac will have to work at least in part via the brain circuits.

To help think these ideas through, here is a quick look at some of the things involved in sexual function and response:...sexual function and the normal sexual response cycle may be divided into four phases. a) The desire phase, which consists typically of fantasies about and the desire to have sexual activity. b) The excitement phase, which is characterized by the subjective sense of sexual pleasure and accompanying physiological changes, namely penile tumescence and erection in men; and pelvic congestion, swelling of the external genitalia, and vaginal lubrication and expansion in woman. c) The orgasmic phase, where sexual pleasure peaks with the release of sexual tension and rhythmic contraction of the perineal muscles and reproductive organs. In men, the sensation of ejaculatory inevitability is followed by the ejaculation of semen. In woman, contractions of the outer third of the vaginal wall occur. d) The final phase, resolution, which is characterized by a sense of muscular relaxation and general well-being. _patentsonline
If there is insufficient anticipation fantasy leading into foreplay, the process may come to a screeching halt before it truly begins. But once the woman is lubricated and the man achieves firm erection, the couple must find the right rhythm for building to one or more climaxes. It is particularly important to learn to let go at this stage.

Of course we all know that a wide range of drugs can lead to heightened sexual desire and disinhibition. But most of these drugs -- except for alcohol -- are illegal, or are prescribed for other purposes.

Here is even more to think about, in association with libido, or sexual desire:Although sexual motivation is often viewed as an internal process built upon neuroendocrine mechanisms, such as alterations in brain neurochemical function set forth by steroid hormone actions, it is also modulated by experiences and expectations, learned patterns of behavior and underlying neural activity related to sexual arousal, desire, reward, and inhibition. In turn, these aspects of sexual function feed back on mechanisms of motivation, either to increase (as in the case of arousal, desire, or reward, Fig. 3.1a) or decrease (as in the case of reward or inhibition, Fig. 3.1b) the expression of sexual interest or libido. _Springer
In other words, the person's life history and sexual history play a key role in every sexual encounter he or she has. It is not easy to let go of past traumas or disappointments. Which is why disinhibitors have been so popular ever since men stopped using the technique of "clubbing the woman on the head and dragging her by the hair back to the cave."

Men should be aware that a woman can accuse him of "date rape" if the couple has sex while the woman is under the influence of alcohol or other disinhibitors -- even if she was fully aware of what she was doing at every moment of the encounter. Some university students have been thrown out of school in disgrace, and men have even served prison time, for such episodes of consensual uninhibited sex. Sex has never been without its risk.

And yet despite the risk, despite feminist indoctrination, despite the stresses of life, men and women keep coming back for more. And the ones who don't keep coming back, often wish that they still had the desire and opportunity to do so.

And that is where the $billion market for a true aphrodisiac comes in. By taking into account the many complex interactions of psychology and physiology an aphrodisiac designer can fashion his drug to perform a sequential ballet of exquisite dynamic. And it had better wear off in time to go to work the next day, without a hangover.

Well, what are you waiting for? Do I have to do all your thinking for you? Go on and start making your first billion. And did I mention: wealth and power are strong aphrodisiacs to women. Perhaps an added incentive for you men and lesbians.

If Every Child Had the Same Father, Would They All Be Jailed for Incest?

2011-10-09T05:43:00.002-10:00

As sperm counts drop across the developed world, would-be parents are coming to rely upon reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination. As this trend develops, we are discovering "patriarchal sperm donours" who are extremely prolific at siring large numbers of children. Individual sperm donours may father hundreds -- or even thousands -- of children, with no telling what sort of sexual mischief these unwitting siblings may get into in the future. Some observers are worried about the potential for incest of all kinds.
Specialists warn over-reliance of one donor increases the risk of the transmission of genetic diseases and malformations, and some say there are dangers of inadvertent incest between half-siblings....

...Toronto documentary maker Barry Stevens has used his experiences -- born in Britain through a donor who then went on to sire some 500 to 1,000 children during his three decades working with sperm banks -- to fuel his own work. His siblings are now spread across Canada, the United States, Europe and beyond..."We can't exclude the possibility that children of one donor can meet and have sex, and children, and indeed the possibility that the donor himself could have sex with his daughter," said Stevens, who has made films about his search for his real father and his half-siblings. _DiscoveryNews

So it is possible for one donour to sire thousands of children, via artificial insemination. And logically, if the siblings remain anonymous to each other, there is a theoretical possibility that siblings might have sex -- might perchance marry and have children. But given the low probabilities involved, is it logical to become excited about the issue -- to demand that laws be passed to limit the number of sperm donations a man can make?

In Canada, sperm donation for money has been outlawed. As a result, Canada is running low on sperm supply, and must send away to the US for life-giving sustenance. Canada's population is already in danger of shriveling away, due to very low birthrates. If Canadian authorities put too many legal constraints on reproductive methods, we may soon see Canada shrinking and breaking up into multiple nations -- Francophone, First Peoples, US annexed etc.

The problem is not only in Canada. Most western nations -- as well as Russia and nations of East Asia -- are experiencing below-replacement birthrates. Low sperm counts may be part of the reason for low birth rates, but female choice is more responsible than anything else. Whatever the reason for shrinking populations, it is clear that in certain circumstances, society must step back from overregulation, and instead use a bit of common sense.

Children of sperm donours could receive an "intelligent tatoo" at birth, for example, which would contain a coded file of information relating to the father -- but omitting the actual identity of the donour. That way, prospective lovers or mates could compare tatoos before consummating the act -- or at least before producing a child. If their tatoos matched, they would have all the information they needed to make an informed choice.

No one wants a society of indiscriminate mating, which could increase the chances of genetic diseases or a breakdown in basic morals. But likewise, most of us do not want a fascist society that oversees and over-regulates virtually every aspect of our lives. We do not want our lives dictated to by government workers, documentary makers, feminist pseudo-intellectuals, talk show hosts, journalists, or any other busy-bodies of modern life.

We can take the appropriate safeguards. Step away from the sperm banks, busybodies. Make no sudden moves.

Photo credit

When Childless Older Women Just Have to Have a Baby

2011-10-01T07:54:00.000-10:00

Say hello to Fiona Palin, 49 years old in this photo. You see her with her healthy daughter Kiki, age 5 months. Fiona is just one of many older women who are unwilling to be without a baby, despite getting on in years. Among the financially comfortable and well off, this is becoming something of a trend.
In 2008, Brad Van Voorhis, head of the fertility clinic at the University of Iowa, decided he wanted to measure how well children conceived through in vitro fertilization do on intelligence tests, hoping to dispel lingering concerns about their cognitive abilities. So he and his team compared the standardized-test scores of 463 IVF kids ages 8 to 17 against the scores of other kids in their classes. They found that the IVF kids scored better overall and in every category of test—reading, math, and language skills. And they found that the older the mother, the better the kid performed.

...Some evidence even suggests that having babies late extends a person’s life. Boston University’s Thomas Perls has been studying centenarians since 1995. He found that women who gave birth to children after the age of 40 were four times more likely to live to 100 than those who did not. His study has nothing to do with reproductive technology or adoption: It shows a connection between an unusually healthy reproductive system and longevity. But longevity is complex, and Perls hypothesizes that there’s something about living with kids—all that running around, all that responsibility, all that social connectivity in the shape of picnics and playdates—that maintains health. People who’ve made a big investment to have little kids take care of themselves, and people who take care of themselves live longer.

...The relative wealth of older parents blunts their supposed shortcomings in other ways. Research supports intuition: Rich people live longer than others. Demographers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have found that the gap in life expectancy between richest and poorest Americans has widened since 1980 to four and half years from three. Rich people are likelier to have good health insurance, and insured people live longer because they can avail themselves of checkups and screening tests. Rich people are likelier not to be smokers, they’re likelier to be thin, and they’re likelier to have good cardiovascular health.

...It is nearly impossible to have a baby at 50 by accident. “Oops” does not happen; that momentary abandonment of good sense or caution will almost never result in a pregnancy. No matter how a child is procured, whether through technology or adoption, her 50-year-old parents have likely gone through some kind of hell—paperwork, blood tests, questionnaires, waiting, visa applications, mood swings, marital discord, and recalibration of expectations—to have her. These are the most wanted of children. And their parents, some would argue, can give them something that the youngest and prettiest don’t have: the wisdom of age and an abiding sense that life is a precious gift not to be wasted.

Fiona Palin started trying to conceive ten years ago, when she was 38. She underwent six failed IVF cycles and three miscarriages—including, the final time, a miscarriage of triplets. Depressed for years, she decided to give up hope, go back to school, and become a tourism consultant. She investigated adoption. She was keeping herself busy.

Last August, when she and her husband, Nick, who is 63, decided to thaw and use their last remaining embryo, abiding in a freezer since 2002, they were done “with everything but the crying,” she says. “I thought, This won’t work. Don’t put any hopes on it.” It did, though. Fiona learned she was pregnant in the bathroom of a Ralphs supermarket in Los Angeles, where, in anticipation of a long, boozy evening with relatives, she took a do-it-yourself urine test, just to be safe. “I screamed. I was crying hysterically in the toilet. If anyone would have heard, I’m sure they would have called security. I got myself together and went outside, and Nick was there. He said, ‘What’s wrong? What’s wrong?’ and I told him, and then he started crying. So we’re crying in this parking lot of this supermarket.” According to her obstetrician, Fiona’s pregnancy was “flawless.” _NYMag
In affluent countries, healthy 50 year olds often have another 30 years of relatively vigorous life left in them. If they want to -- and are able to -- nurture and raise another child or generation of children, who is to say they cannot?

Recent research from Karolinska Institute in Sweden demonstrates that older men are more than capable of siring healthy and intelligent children -- in younger women or older.

If older women plan ahead and freeze their young eggs ahead of time, they can birth healthy and smart babies using their even older husbands' sperm. If they have no frozen eggs of their own, they can buy eggs from healthy young females willing to part with a few. Either way, IVF can help. Some older couples even have frozen embryos patiently waiting for the couple to commit to bringing it into the world as an instantiated being. And then, there are always surrogate mothers, willing to bear another couple's child for a fee.

The objections to having children at an older age can generally be met and dealt with by persons who are smart enough, healthy enough, and affluent enough. But have they truly thought about how they will deal with the teenage brain, when the time comes? I suspect that the pivotal factor in overcoming that challenge, will be how well the parents can honestly and emotionally engage the child from the earliest age up to the teenage years. And how well the parent can limit the child's exposure to an extremely dysfunctional popular culture, educational culture, and the culture of dysfunctional peers of childhood.

For many people, having to raise their own grandchildren -- when their own no-good kids fail to raise them -- will provide them with as much child-raising satisfaction in their middle and old age as they can stand. But don't be surprised if this trend toward maternity among older, childless women of affluence, begins to pick up momentum.

Above article published previously at Al Fin

The Age of Easy Women

2011-09-27T04:38:00.001-10:00

Marriage and family have been falling out of favour for several decades, for a large number of reasons. For one thing, men have always been "easy" -- quick to jump in the sack at every opportunity. Women have been traditionally more hesitant, more demanding of proof of commitment from the man, before giving up the keys to the keep. But that female reluctance to surrender to every cad and rogue who comes along, seems to have fallen by the way. We appear to be living in the age of easy women.
The issue is partly one of supply and demand, and it begins at US colleges, where 57% of students are women. With such an imbalanced sex ratio, women are using hookups to compete with other women for men’s affections. Once they get out of school, the pool of successful, educated men also is imbalanced, and the bed-hopping continues.

Regnerus likens the price of sex to the housing market. Too many foreclosures in one community, and the price of neighboring homes start to plummet. This is why single women in New York sometimes feel as though sex on the first date is a given: According to the market, it is.

“Every sex act is part of a ‘pricing’ of sex for subsequent relationships,” Regnerus said. “If sex has been very easy to get for a particular young man for many years and over the course of multiple relationships, what would eventually prompt him to pay a lot for it in the future -- that is, committing to marry?” _NYP

It is becoming harder for women to get men to fall in love with them, when the path to love is being short-circuited so quickly by easy sex. Many man cannot seem to get beyond the stage of early sex to the more complex stage of "love."So, what can women do to return the balance of sexual power in their favor? Stop putting out, experts say. If women collectively decided to cross their legs, the price of sex would soar and women would regain control of the market. Like a whoopie cartel.

Women in less egalitarian countries do tend to restrict sex as a means of keeping the cost high. This makes sense when women have no access to education and employment. But in the US, it would take a major cultural movement for women to convince each other to say no to nookie.

“Let’s be realistic: It’s not going to happen here,” Regnerus says. “Women don’t really need men and marriage -- economically, socially, and culturally -- like they once did. What I hear in interviews with women is plenty of complaining about men or about the dating scene, but their annoyance is seldom directed at other women.” _NYP
On the other hand, perhaps the belief that women do not need men and a committed relationship, is as much a superficial delusion as the delusion that a lot of easy sex will bring long term happiness. Perhaps young women have been led down a rocky, arid path that leads to childlessness and a long, loveless middle age and senescence? We can always hope that it will not lead to that.

Al Fin comments: Children have been increasingly sheltered from risk and responsibility, as the number of children in each family has shrunk. Parents now have "trophy children" -- perhaps only one child, or two at most. These children are pampered and sheltered, made to feel special, without being given the competencies which would truly make them special. Their self-esteem is often so hugely dependent on external reinforcements that it requires constant boosting from the outside.

Entire generations of Peter Pans and Cinderellas have danced around issues of life, love, responsibility, and commitment, without actually understanding the larger stage that they occupy. Consequently, demographic changes in the western world are bringing things to a crisis point.

But as you can see from the piece above, young people have not learned anything from the monumental changes that have been going on around them. So they will be unprepared when the larger shocks of destructive debt and demographic decline truly rock their worlds.

What a downer. Pass the margueritas -- or the margaritas, if you must!.

Is the Female Orgasm an Eternal Mystery?

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-10:00

It is difficult to ask Freud's question, "What does a woman want?," while looking at the image above. It is intuitively obvious that one is looking at one of the things that a woman wants, sexual pleasure. But it tends to aggravate scientists of all stripes that they do not fully understand this element of female want: the orgasm.

“The evolutionary basis of human female orgasm has been subject to furious scientific debate, which has recently intensified,” wrote University of Queensland geneticist Brendan Zietsch and Pekka Santtila of Finland’s Abo Akedemi University in a Sept. 3 Animal Behavior article. “These results challenge the byproduct theory of female orgasm.”

While the male orgasm is, in evolutionary and practical terms, a fairly straightforward thing — it makes men want to have sex more often, thus continuing their lineage, and is achieved with ease — the female orgasm is a far trickier beast.

Unlike male orgasm, which is found across the primate spectrum, female orgasm has skipped some species. (Lady gibbons, for example, are out of luck.) In humans, men are far more likely to experience orgasm than women, of whom one in 10 don’t ever experience it.

That imbalance runs contrary to traditional explanations of female orgasm: that it strengthens bonds between mates and thus improves the care received by their children, or that the ability to elicit orgasm indicates a male’s virility, or that underlying physiological processes somehow improve reproductive success.

...Zietsch and Santtila devised a test. They surveyed 1,803 pairs of opposite-sex twins and 2,287 pairs of same-sex twins, asking them how often and how easily they reached orgasm. If female orgasm is evolutionarily connected to male, opposite-sex twins should have similar orgasmic function.

But that’s not what they found. Instead, while orgasmic function was genetically shared in same-sex twins — brother tended to share function with brother, or sister with sister — the relationship vanished in opposite-sex twins, though both share the same amount of genetic material. The underlying genetics, and thus the underlying evolutionary pressures, thus appear to differ.

“This does not support the hypothesis that female orgasm is maintained only as a byproduct of selection on the male orgasm,” wrote Zietsch and Santtila.

However, the researchers warn that their findings aren’t yet definitive. Self-reported surveys aren’t methodologically airtight, and a recent Journal of Sexual Medicine study by Zietsch “found near-zero correlations between women’s orgasm rates and 19 other evolutionarily relevant traits.”

Those findings contradict the latest study, and suggest female orgasm might be a byproduct after all. It might also have been evolutionarily important to humanity’s ancestors, but irrelevant now.

“The evolutionary basis of female orgasm is both important and unknown,” wrote Zietsch and Santtila. “Much more work needs to be done.” _Wired

Al Fin orgasmologists feel that much of mainstream orgasmic research is far off-track, pursuing grant money without the intent of actually learning anything. It is another example of how the "publish or perish" ethic corrupts academia. This is a shame, and tends to give all of science a bad name.

Unfortunately, the "dumbing down" of society extends all the way into the top levels of academia, the media, government, and commerce. Fortunately, those of us willing to disregard official societal sanction can proceed to unravel the profound mysteries of life -- as long as we keep relatively quiet about what we discover.

Stay tuned.

2011 Bubble Baba River Race Drew Over 800 Participants

2011-09-01T07:53:00.001-10:00

AmusingPlanet
More than 800 people rode inflatable sex dolls down Vuoksa river rapids, 90 km from St Petersburg, at the ninth annual Bubble Baba Challenge 2011 - a bizarre but popular Russian race event. Anyone over 16, and of either sex, is allowed to take part in the competition. All they are required to do is swim in the complicated rapids of the Vuoksa river near St. Petersburg, on a plastic inflatable sex doll in a race that last little more than three minutes.

The word "baba" is Russian for "peasant woman," but is also a crude term with sexual connotations _AmusingPlanet

It sounds like good, clean, family fun to Al Fin sexologists. Consider organising a similar event in your area. Don't let the citizens of St. Petersburg have all the fun.

More photos of the 2011 Bubble Baba Challenge

The Brief, Exhilarating Sexual Power of Youth

2011-08-24T17:30:00.002-10:00

"With girls, Nature has had in view what is called in a dramatic sense a 'striking effect', for she endows them for a few years with a richness of beauty and a fullness of charm at the expense of the rest of their lives; so that they may during these years ensnare the fantasy of a man to such a degree as to make him rush into taking the honourable care of them, in some kind of form, for a lifetime – a step which would not seem sufficiently justified if he only considered the matter." _Schopenhauer, "On Women"

Girls of Jakarta
The beauty and eroticism of youth is powerfully striking. It can be of great use to the young woman who knows what to do with it, and a great curse to the young woman who does not. In the field of prostitution, youthful beauty is a highly profitable asset. But in that often rough and tumble world that frequently is mixed with drug abuse and every bad health habit known to man, youthful beauty fades even more quickly than in girls living more conventional lives.

Catherine Hakim, a research fellow at the London School of Economics, has published a book entitled "Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital." The book discusses the erotic power that women are capable of wielding, and bemoans the lack of awareness of this power on the part of too many young women.
According to Hakim, there’s a ''beauty premium’’ in the workplace – she cites a US survey that found good-looking lawyers earn between 10 and 12 per cent more than dowdier colleagues. Hakim also claims the ''beauty premium’’ makes it more likely that an attractive person will land a job in the first place, and then be promoted. And, says Hakim, erotic capital isn’t limited to the boardroom – ''marriages where the wife is more attractive are happier than those where the husband is the more attractive’’. _Telegraph

If the young woman "strikes while the iron is hot", or "makes hay while the sun shines," she is able to leverage her youthful beauty into a long lasting advantage for herself and her children.
...erotic capital – has until now been ignored but, according to Hakim, is just as important as the other three [ed: economic capital, social capital, human capital] and may be even more so because it affects you from the moment you are born. This last point, like much in the book, is dubious. Money surely makes a big difference from early childhood too, as does intelligence.

Hakim has assembled a good deal of evidence to show what we know already: that life tends to be easier and more rewarding for the beautiful. But far from saying that this is unfair, she argues it is just as it should be: the attractive are nicer to be with, get on with people better and are, therefore, more productive.
_FT

And so Hakim urges women to make the most of their erotic capital. "Don't waste your years of beauty on frumpiness and grumpiness," she urges young women. Maximise your assets and use them to get ahead. Some of this reminds one of maverick feminist Camille Paglia -- particularly Hakim's emphasis on erotic power and capital.

We are living through a particularly parched and dry sexual cycle -- in no small part due to the constipated feministic ethos which is fervently decried by Hakim, Paglia, and so many other intelligent and educated women who do not seem to be afraid of their own eroticism. Rather than liberating women, modern hyper-continent feminism attempts to paint women into an ideological and lifestyle corner, with little freedom of choice or movement other than to follow the PC dictates of feminist dogma.

For young women, puberty is a treacherous passage which is rarely traversed in optimal fashion -- so far as long-term outcome goes. Peer pressure and popular culture combine in oppressive fashion to flog the unprepared youth along from hazard to hazard. And when the accoutrements of eroticism -- desire for companionship, home, family -- are not skillfully integrated with the passion -- the eroticism can tend to die too early. The desire for home and family can then either remain unfulfilled, or be realised in a tragically sterile and passionless way.

Sex and eroticism need to maintain elements of both daring and innocence. Of the forbidden and of the earned adventure. When eroticism is hobbled by dogma -- either religious or political (as in leftist feminism) -- the fun and excitement drains away.

No one can tell you what to do with your erotic capital. But you should know what it is, and how to use it if needs be. Everyone should be given that opportunity.

Ladies: This Is Your Brain On Sex

2011-08-05T06:30:00.000-10:00

NewScientist
A woman's sexual response seems a good deal more complex than that of a man. Her entire body often behaves like one large erogenous zone, with certain areas so exquisitely sensitive that a good lover will move slowly and carefully in preparing the pleasurable feast. If he does his work well, she will let go of all her concerns and reservations, and be carried off into a place of intense, pleasurable release.
The precise locations that correspond to the vagina, cervix and female nipples on the brain's sensory cortex have been mapped for the first time, proving that vaginal stimulation activates different brain regions to stimulation of the clitoris. The study also found a direct link between the nipples and the genitals, which may explain why some women can orgasm through nipple stimulation alone.

...last year...a team led by Lars Michels at University Children's Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, used functional magnetic resonance imaging to confirm that the position of the clitoris on the homunculus was in approximately the same position as the penis in men. Barry Komisaruk at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, and his colleagues have now used the same method to map the position of the clitoris, vagina and cervix on the sensory cortex as women stimulated themselves.

...Some have argued that women who derive pleasure from vaginal stimulation do so because their clitoris is being indirectly stimulated, but the current findings contradict this. "They support the reports of women that they experience orgasm from various forms of stimulation," says Beverly Whipple, also of Rutgers University, who was not involved in the current study.

...Komisaruk also checked what happened when women's nipples were stimulated, and was surprised to find that in addition to the chest area of the cortex lighting up, the genital area was also activated. "When I tell my male neuroscientist colleagues about this, they say: 'Wow, that's an exception to the classical homunculus,'" he says. "But when I tell the women they say: 'Well, yeah?'" It may help explain why a lot of women claim that nipple stimulation is erotic, he adds.

The next step is to map what other areas of the brain light up in response to clitoral and vaginal stimulation. Komisaruk would also like to see what happens when the area that supposedly contains the G-spot is stimulated, as women in the current study just stimulated the front wall of the vagina generally. _NewScientist
Apparently some women reach orgasm from nipple stimulation alone. Others may reach the promised land via clitoral or vaginal stimulation alone. For others, G spot stimulation may be the ticket. And then there are those women who experience orgasms several times a day for no clear reason, often in unexpected and embarassing situations.

What can we learn from these various approaches to female orgasm, in order to help the anorgasmic woman to reach climax?

Here at the Al Fin Institute for the Promotion of the Female Orgasm, our scientists, clinicians, and technicians are on call at all times, to expand the sphere of knowledge in this area. Our one and only concern is for the pleasurable welfare of the ladies of the world. It is for this that we sacrifice our time and our effort.

Ladies, feel free to consult us at any hour of the day or night, if you have any questions in this regard.

Dental Students Go Gaga for New Sex Doll Teaching Assistant

2011-07-14T06:45:00.001-10:00

Video via CNET
Tokyo's Showa University Dental School is serious about teaching its students the "gentle dental" approach to oral health and hygiene. To that end, Showa University has enlisted the help of sex doll maker Orient Industries, in creating the "perfect ~~woman~~" dental patient robot.

Officially referred to as Showa Hanako (but affectionately called "Choko" by male students), the practise doll is always in demand by students who are eager to learn -- even after hours. Choko is able to move her head, tongue, and arms, for an added sense of realism. Her silicon skin and realistic oral soft tissues can sometimes fool a student into thinking she is real -- especially with his eyes closed!

Patient simulators such as Choko are likely to see much wider use in schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and other paramedical fields. Resuscitation dolls have been used in training for cardiac life support for several decades, for example, but up to this point these resusci-dolls have not received the fine attention to detailed realism of tissue textures that Choko was given by Orient Industries. For that reason, only a few of the resusci-dolls have been stolen and/or abused.

But as these teaching aids become more and more realistic, they will need more legally guaranteed protection from those who see them as nothing more than kinky playthings. Legal activist and advocacy groups must be formed to help robotic teaching assistants such as Choko -- who must often work long into the night, after normal teaching hours. Poor Choko.

More at CNET

First, You Must Learn to Let Go...

2011-05-27T02:10:00.002-10:00

SciAm
Love is a delicate but compelling medley of dynamic brain networks. Swept by a torrent of hormones and neurotransmitters, the brain-in-love is released from many ordinary worries and concerns -- and firmly compelled by others.

When one gives themselves up to their feelings of love -- when she let's herself go -- she can experience one of the ultimate pleasures of life: the beautiful agony.
... researcher Janniko Georgiadis said the OFC may be the basis for 'sexual control', and that by 'letting go' women can induce orgasm.

He said: 'I don't think orgasm turns off consciousness but it changes it.

'When you ask people how they perceive their orgasm, they describe a feeling of a loss of control.' _DailyMail

Beautiful agony - Watch more Funny Videos
The pleasures of love -- both orgasmic and non-orgasmic -- are addictive just as surely as any drug of pleasure. Withdrawal is a painful and disorienting experience, leading many to try to grasp the fading remnants in an iron grip.

But it is the letting go that opens the floodgates of the love experience. That is the hardest to learn.

Cross-posted to Al Fin

Spring Break! Your Darling Little Princess in Paradise

2011-03-10T07:48:00.000-10:00

ImpactLabAs hordes of teenagers and college students head to southern beaches and Carribean islands for spring break in North America, parents -- particularly of girls -- tend to worry. Have they done a good enough job of preparing the immature brains to make wise decisions, against all destructive peer pressure?

TelegraphThe judgment centers in the teenage brain continue to develop and mature, well into the 20s. Peer pressure grows throughout the teens and early adulthood, and too often overcomes the pre-frontal lobes' ability to resist -- leading to a sometimes permanent state of "groupthink." This is particularly dominant in university-indoctrinated child-adults.
Jennifer Pfeifer, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon in the US...said: "People tend to think of adolescence as the time when teenagers are really susceptible to peer pressure.

"That is the case, but in addition to that added susceptibility they are also improving their ability to resist it.

"It's just that peer pressure is increasing because they spend a lot more time with peers during this time and less time with family. So it is a good thing that resistance to such influences is actually strengthening in their brains." _Telegraph
Right. Teen brains continue to mature throughout the teenage years, on into the twenties. Sometimes the pre-frontal lobe continues to mature into the 30s. It all depends upon genetics, child-raising, individual experience, and luck.

The fatal island experience of teenager Natalee Holloway is, fortunately, an exception. But too many girls return from their spring breaks, class trips, and graduation trips with hidden scars, wounds, and disease which may last their lifetimes.

Not a particularly grand start to a wonderful love life. If you have children, try to prepare them for the full range of likely experiences -- including peer pressure and groupthink. Sex is only part of a full life's experiences. Help to make it a positive part, for everyone you influence.

Sexual Age of Consent, and Other Topics

2011-02-25T13:56:00.000-10:00

Jezebel
Persons who travel frequently may find themselves at something of a loss, when contemplating whether it is safe to indulge themselves sexually with someone who may be younger than themselves. The handy maps provided here may save you from making a serious mistake.
The legal age of consent varies widely around the world — and even within the United States, it's way more complicated than we thought. _Jezebel
In fact, the younger the partner and the wider the age range between you, the greater the chance you will end up doing serious jail time for giving in to temptation.

Men in particular seem to be attracted to younger partners, but recently there seems to be an upsurge in mature women having sex with boys. Neither phenomenon should necessarily be seen as a sexual perversion.

Certainly men have been attracted to teenaged girls since the dawn of mankind. As long as they could support the girl and care for any offspring, no one seemed to mind, until recently. Men seem to be programmed to be attracted to many qualities which very young girls are more likely to possess: Smooth faces and skin, youthful beauty, hourglass figures, the naivete not to be able to see through his schtick, etc.

The phenomenon of grown women servicing teenaged boys is more recent, and seems to have accompanied the breaking of the realationship between sex and reproduction allowed by widespread contraceptive technologies. None of the boys seem to be complaining.

Have you noticed that some people start becoming more than a bit "clingy" once they start having sex with you? That reaction may very well be hard-wired in the brains of many. Read all about it and other seemingly innocent remarks which might make all the difference in a relationship.

And can you believe that the topic of "internet porn" has reached the pages of New York Magazine? Believe it. Internet porn is simply everywhere.

Modern societies are extremely hung up on sex for many reasons. Part of it comes from conservative religious values, but another part of the problem comes from leftist feminist constipative tendencies. Wherever you look, there are always those who want to force their way into your bedroom or hotel room.

Things are going to change. Things always change. Let's try to make sure they change for the better, toward a more functional and joyful future.

Beauties of the World Unite!

2011-02-11T07:50:00.001-10:00

Image Source (via iSteve)
When photographs of women are electronically blended together, an interesting type of beauty appears. Facial features soften and become more symmetrical. An archetype of the region's women begins to emerge, as women's faces from a certain region are combined. Describing someone as average-looking is rarely seen as a compliment. But most of us would be quite happy to look like a computer-generated depiction of the 'average' English woman, Welsh woman, or even the average Burmese. More than 100 women of 41 different nationalities and ethnicities were photographed in cities all over the world in an effort to find common regional features.

The photos were carefully laid over each-other using a computer program to create an individual image for each area - and the biggest surprise is that the 'common' faces are all quite beautiful. There are, of course, regional differences in face shapes, colours and features.
Peruvians and Iranians have bigger mouths, Ethiopians and Samoans have curlier hair, and fringes seem to be big in Latvia and Poland.

South African Photographer Mike Mike - who inspired the images with a web project called The Face of Tomorrow compiling the faces of various cities - explains: 'Blonde hair gets lost pretty quickly when you start averaging. 'You'd need a population 75 per cent blonde to get it visibly remaining. You'd probably have to go to Iceland for that result.' Mike, who lives in Istanbul, travels the world taking photos of the first 100 people he can persuade to pose in each place - noting their nationality every time. _DailyMail
He got the idea for his website while studying at Goldsmiths College, London.

"Sitting on the Underground train, I was intrigued by the sheer diversity of the place - Somalis, Indians, Americans, Zimbabweans, Scandinavians...," he said.

"I thought 'What is this place? What is a Londoner?' The patterns I see are an underlying connectedness between all people," Mike added. _BritainNews
Al Fin is most drawn to the Polish, Puerto Rican, and Peruvian faces, although several of the other blends are startlingly attractive as well.

Obviously these blended-photos are not actually representative of most of the countries represented, just as beauty contestants in a beauty meet are not representative of their own home populations.

As real time super-realistic animation techniques are perfected, blended-image actresses and actors could comprise an entire cast for feature length films -- taking the concept of the hilarious film SimOne (with Al Pacino) to its logical limit.

Sex dolls, androids, and robots could likewise be made to resemble highly blended images, for faces and bodies. After all, any men or women who are willing to love a sex robot are clearly attracted to the "idea" of a perfect man or woman -- not the prickly reality of such "perfection."

The logical limit for that concept involves brain implants and a level of kinkiness which I sense that you are not yet ready for.

Soon, grasshoppers. Soon.

This article is adapted from a previously published article at Al Fin Potpourri

FBI Hunts Mexican Child Prostitutes in Dallas for SuperBowl

2011-01-31T12:53:00.000-10:00

Each year, 100,000 to 300,000 American kids, some as young as 12 years old, are exploited in the sex trade, he says. The traffickers use the Super Bowl and other large events such as the World Cup to ply their trade, Allen says. "The traffickers try to seize that opportunity to do business," he says.

...Super Bowl XLV on Sunday in Cowboys Stadium is of particular concern because of Texas' 1,200-mile border with Mexico, which makes the state a bigger target for international rings, says Abbott, the attorney general. Agents are monitoring websites for signs of underage sex offerings and launching undercover investigations in the region, he says.
"We are watching them, we will find them, and we will prosecute them," Abbott says _USAT

Image Source
Child prostitution and human trafficking is an international scourge. Large criminal rings and international human trafficking groups often zero in on huge sporting events -- such as American Football's SuperBowl. The FBI and other US law enforcement agencies are taking a special interest in the Dallas, Texas, area for the next several days:Incidents of underage prostitution have spiked during previous Super Bowls, leading to some arrests, says Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

His office, working closely with the FBI, is bringing in at least a dozen extra agents from Austin and other cities to monitor and combat cases of trafficking in underage prostitutes during Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas, he says.

"The Super Bowl is the greatest show on Earth, but it also has an ugly underbelly," Abbott says. "It's commonly known as the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States."
FBI agents often team up with federal, state and local law enforcement officials during Super Bowls to prevent terrorist attacks, ticket scams and other crimes, including high-priced prostitution. Law enforcement agents increasingly are linking up with child advocate groups to crack down on the trafficking and exploitation of minors during the event, says Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. _USAToday
Mexico is one of several international centers of global human trafficking. Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Arab middle east are other particular trouble spots for international law enforcement. Such global gangs of human slavery tend to prey on children as young as they can find, in an effort to satisfy the perverse sexual tastes of persons in possession of more wealth than decency.

The US SuperBowl is one of many large sporting and cultural events which bring out these vultures, and compel their prey. The solution to this sad problem must be multi-faceted, and far more clever than virtually all law enforcement is capable of imagining.

Younger Women Playing Around Too Long To Find Mates?

2011-01-19T06:59:00.000-10:00

CNN
As young women have grown more successful in higher education and in job markets, they have felt less need for a man to provide them with financial support. Consequently, many career women feel free to sample the many delights of sexual free agency for as long as they can -- always imagining that they will have plenty of time to settle down and have children. But there can be complications to that imagined future . . .
Researchers found that since women in the 18- to 23-year-old group feel they don't need men for financial dependence, many of them feel they can play around with multiple partners without consequence, and that the early 20s isn't the time to have a serious relationship. But eventually, they do come to want a real, lasting relationship. The problem is that there will still be women who will have sex readily without commitment, and since men know this, fewer of them are willing to [commit].

"Women have plenty of freedom, but freedom does not translate easily into getting what you want," Regnerus said.

The wide availability of pornography has also influenced the dynamics of relations between men and women, Regnerus said. A segment of 20-something men are content to have their sexual experiences by themselves, removing them from the pool of available partners. That means high-quality men - likely those who want monogamous, committed relationships - are still eligible for dating, but the overall dating pool has shrunk, meaning some women will be left unsatisfactorily single. _CNN

A woman's sex life may begin in her teens, and continue for as long as she can find willing partners. But as a woman ages, she is competing against women who are younger and more desirable. Likewise, as a woman ages, the number of successful, attractive, unattached males available to her shrinks rapidly -- while ever-younger batches of attractive women continue to burst onto the scene, ready to play.
While young women's educational and career opportunities have skyrocketed over the past two decades, their opportunities for stable, long-term relationships have declined, according to new research from sociologists at The University of Texas at Austin.

In their new book "Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate and Think About Marrying," (Oxford, 2011) researchers Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker detail the sexual attitudes, behaviors and experiences of Americans between the ages of 18 and 23. The research goes beyond the clichés about salaciousness within the largely white Greek system to provide a nuanced view of the experiences of a much wider swath of young adults.

"Hooking up gets all the attention but most sex occurs in relationships," says Regnerus. _UTexas

A further problem complicating the dreams of a woman "having it all," is that her fertility tends to decrease rapidly after the age of 35. While there are plenty of examples of women who successfully give birth to healthy infants in their mid and late 40s, these examples are memorable for the simple reason that they are so unusual.

A woman would be foolish to bet her future happiness on the chance that she is one of the few women whose fertility will remain high up to age 50. Most women choose not to think about the problem very often.

It is quite true that most modern young women are far too immature to choose a mate wisely, or to be a wise mother to children. And yet there is something compelling about the fact of intense love, and the reality of impending childbirth, which can force rapid maturation of formerly immature psyches. Physiologic changes can bring about psychological changes, which can make all the difference in outlook -- and capacity to care for others above one's self.

If the modern trend toward larger numbers of male Peter Pans and female Cinderellas continues, the demographic situation in the western world will become quite dire.

New Mothers Grow More Brain Tissue

2010-10-21T12:47:00.001-10:00

We learned earlier that pregnancy can make a woman younger. Now we learn that becoming a mother can make a woman brainier!

Scientists at the US National Institute of Mental Health looked at brain scans for women just before giving birth and within a few months of giving birth. They found that the new mothers had grown significant amounts of new grey matter in certain areas of the brain.
The researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland scanned the brains of 19 women who gave birth to 10 to boys and nine to girls.

A comparison of images taken two to four weeks and three to four months after the women gave birth showed that grey matter volume increased by a small but significant amount in various parts of the brain.

In adults, grey matter does not ordinarily change over a few months without significant learning, brain injury or illness, or major environmental change.

The authors speculated that hormone levels and the need to cope with the challenges of a baby led to the increase in brain cells.

The areas affected are involved with motivation – the hypothalamus -, reward and emotion processing – the amygdala – senses – parietal lobe – and reasoning and judgment – the prefrontal cortex.

The findings were published in the journal Behavioural Neuroscience. _Telegraph

Taking care of a small infant is an incredibly demanding task, requiring a resourcefulness that few people naturally possess. Apparently the female brain is programmed to respond to childbirth and child-raising by growing additional grey matter -- to assist in the challenging task of being a mother.

The combination of intensive training in motherhood plus more grey matter can result in a more powerful mind and personality.

Getting a Second Chance at Life -- The Rebirth

2010-10-21T12:40:00.003-10:00

So this is being born again? Not so bad, as long as you do not have to stay inside there for a full 9 months!

Racy Russian River Romp Popular 8 Years in Row

2010-09-03T12:39:00.001-10:00

MORE than 500 people rode inflatable sex dolls down river rapids at the eighth annual instalment of a bizarre but popular Russian race, The St Petersburg Times reported. _News

News_via_ImpactLab_via_Not

The 8th annual Bubble Baba Challenge race down the Vuoksa River's Losevo Rapids culminated in an ultimate victory by St. Petersburg man Vladislav Pavlenko. The race is somewhat unique among whitewater competitions, in that the flotation device used by competitors is an inflatable sex doll. Racers must be at least 16 years of age, and are tested for alcohol. There was no mention of whether the dolls themselves were tested for anything.
...The competitors - and their odd props - spent three minutes hurtling down the Vuoksa River's Losevo Rapids in the Bubble Baba Challenge.

The word "baba" is Russian for "peasant woman," but is also a crude term with sexual connotations, the English-language news website reported.

Men and women both took part in the challenge - with a separate heat for women-only racers.

The race was won by St. Petersburg man Vladislav Pavlenko who rode his doll, dubbed "Vanilla Pelotki," to the finish in two minutes and 47 seconds. The event was dreamed up by organiser Dmitry Bulawinov who conceived the idea as a joke at a party where the men got drunk and the women failed to show up.

The event was first held in 2003. _News

Although the whitewater racers are allowed to substitute an inflatable penis of comparable size for the life-sized sex dolls, no mention was made of how many large penises made the rapid trip downriver.

China: Where Sex Toys are Made for the Rest of the World

2010-07-16T06:05:00.000-10:00

The market for sex toys is developing fast within China, but most of the 1000 specialist manufacturers there - based in Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces - rely heavily on exports.

Manufacturer Romeo Jiang - he chose his own first name - says that China produces about 70 per cent of the world's sex toys. His factory focuses on vibrators, dildos and fetish clothes. _Australian

China is now the largest manufacturer of sex toys for the world. Are the Chinese themselves making the most of their own sexual appetites and pleasures, or are they missing out? If only 28% of Chinese women regularly experience orgasm, someone may have forgotten to tell Chinese men that sex is not just about procreation. Particularly since procreation is depressed in China due to the one-child policy.

Up to 20 million or more Chinese women work in the sex industry -- catering to the sexual appetites of men in China -- but who caters to the sexual needs of China's women? Here are a few ideas for Chinese men to think about, in the interest of sexual justice for women:Woman-on-Top. The woman kneels over the man's hips. The man makes a fist and places it at the junction of the lovers' pelvises. The woman leans forward, presses her clitoris against the fist and moves in any way that erotically excites her. Or the woman or man presses a vibrator into her clitoris.

Rear entry. The woman stands and bends at the waist or kneels on all fours and the man stands or kneels behind her. The man or woman can reach the woman's clitoris and gently caress it, or either the man or woman can press a vibrator against her clitoris.

Man-on-Top. In this position, the woman's orgasm is least likely, but the "coital alignment technique" (CAT) helps. The CAT was first suggested in 1988 by sex researcher Edward Eichel. Instead of the man lying on top of the woman chest-to-chest with his penis moving more or less horizontally, the man shifts so that his chest is closer to one of the woman's shoulders. As a result, his penis moves in a more up-and-down direction. The man rides higher on the woman's pelvis, and the bone at the base of his penis (pelvic bone) makes more contact with the clitoris. This increases direct clitoral stimulation and may provide enough to trigger the woman's orgasm. _PsyToday
And there are things a Chinese man can do after intercourse, to improve the sexual experience of the Chinese woman:After sexual intercourse take a shower together

Some couples like to lie in bed together and smell their partner`s sweat while others like to take a shower and freshen up. Why take a shower alone if you can do it together with your partner. It can be a great foreplay which will surely lead to new sexual intercourse.

After sexual intercourse have another one

It may sound a bit silly, but why would you have sexual intercourse only once if you can have it twice. If you are more horny that your partner, you can give initiative and start with a new foreplay

Have something to eat after sexual intercourse

If you are not a smoker, you will surely want to eat something after sexual intercourse. Have something light , let`s say a fruit or a candy. The food can also be a part of a new foreplay because you and your partner can eat it completely naked. Even if you are obsessed with cleanliness do not spoil the pleasure of eating in bed. _Spicezee

Al Fin would like to explain to Chinese men how to drive Chinese women wild using his advanced, patented Rainbow Vortex Venus Butterfly technique. But Al Fin has found it more fun to demonstrate the technique directly to Chinese women, and then let them teach their men how to use it, at their leisure.

Just because procreation is limited in China does not mean that sexual pleasure has to be.

Future of Sex: A Cattle Prod?

2010-06-30T07:00:00.001-10:00

Well, perhaps not a cattle prod, exactly. Something called "electrosex".
“Electro sex is a method of sexual stimulation involving the use of low voltage electronic signals to stimulate the nerves in the sexual organs into triggering pleasure and orgasmic response. Utilizing electronic signals to duplicate and increase normal sexual stimulation can have quite a profound effect on the sexual arousal of an individual or individuals. The nerves can be triggered in a way that never occurs, even in the best "normal" sex, or with friction or mechanical vibrators. Nerves are electrical triggers, and by applying electronic signals to activate them, the feelings are incredible.” When you realize that ALL impulses in the human body are electric impulses... it's obvious that you can stimulate an orgasm using the right equipment and tools. _Sexelectric (NotWorkSafe)

Electrosex is one of the less public kinks of modern and future sexuality. Several vendors offer specialty electrosex equipment online. One website even claims to teach you how to modify your stereo receiver for your electrosexual pleasure.

Here are some sources for ready-made electrosex products:
Kitten's Toy Room
Peselectro
Xtreme-electrosex
Zeus-electrosex

Al Fin cannot vouch for any of these approaches or vendors personally. He is aware of the use of electrical stimulation to cause horses and bulls to ejaculate -- for purposes of artificial insemination. He has wondered, in an idle fashion, whether similar electro-stimulation to human males would also lead to sexual climax. But Al Fin is no more experienced in electro-sex than are yourselves, dear readers. Experiment at your own risk.

But consider this: If one slipstream of the future of sex involves sex with machines -- even to augment sex with other humans -- electro-sex is likely to enter the picture sooner or later. The only question will be: "Will you be smart enough to avoid electrocuting yourself in the pursuit of the ultimate pleasure?"

Smart people understand that the true center of pleasure is within the brain itself, not the sex organs. But for those unwilling to undergo the neurosurgery required for deep brain implants, using the peripheral nervous system as a conduit to those central nervous system centers of pleasure makes a certain amount of sense.

Be careful out there.

Don't Blame Me, I Was Asleep at the Time

2010-06-15T08:49:00.000-10:00

As many as one in twelve persons -- mostly men -- may be engaging in sexual activity while they are asleep. The condition is known as "sexsomnia", and it may explain why men often have poor recall of the sexual events of the night before.
...researchers from the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University Health Network in Toronto, found the disorder was more common than previously thought.

In the study, which has not been published, researchers interviewed 832 patients who they suspected of suffering from some sort of sleep disorder.

The 428 men and 404 women, who had also been referred to the clinic, also completed questionnaires about their symptoms, fatigue, mood and behaviour during sleep.

The study, presented last week at the annual Associated Professional Sleep Societies conference, in San Antonio, Texas, found that more than one in 10 male and four per cent of female interviewees admitted they had engaged in “sleep sex”.

Dr Sharon Chung, a scientist from the UHN, said people who suffered from it generally had no recollection of engaging in such activity.

“We were surprised at how common it was. We thought we’d get just a handful of people, yet it was almost one in 12 (people),” said Dr Chung, who led the study.

“There have been no previous studies of how frequently sexsomnia occurs.”

“While our finding of eight per cent of people reporting sexsomnia seems really a high number, it should be stressed that we only studied patients referred to a sleep clinic.”

She added: “Is it a problem? As long as you don’t get into legal problems and as long as your partner doesn’t mind, it’s not a problem.

“Although it can leave you tired the next day.”

She said the phenomenon was a form of parasomnia, or unwanted behaviour during sleep.

It can also occur during sleepwalking, according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders.

Dr Chung said insomnia, fatigue and depressed moods were common symptoms of people reporting sexsomnia.

“An act of parasomnia can be as small as opening your eyes while fast asleep or grinding your teeth, to getting up and vacuuming, speaking, eating or having sex,” Dr Chung said.

It is thought that people are who suffer from it are generally found to be in a state of semi-arousal and are generally not conscious of it.

Dr Chung found that many patients failed to consult their doctor about the condition partly due to embarrassment, their physician rarely asking about it or even that some weren’t even bothered by it.

In Britain, the disorder has been used in some court cases as a defence of a defendant’s actions. _ImapctLabvia_TheTelegraph

Strangely, Al Fin often meets beautiful women strangers in public places who smile at him, obviously expecting some sign of recognition. In general the prudent thing to do in such situations, he has found, is to smile quickly, then move directly to the back door of whatever establishment he happens to be in, at the time, escaping what would likely be a perplexing encounter. Perhaps sexsomnia can explain at least some of these encounters?

iPad: Never Buy Another Tampon Again!

2010-06-05T06:22:00.001-10:00

Al Fin undercover investigators have discovered that the new iPad electronics device has a hidden secret function: as a feminine hygiene device! It seems that the iPad is fully feminine hygiene capable, with a few easy touch commands. And the iPad is also on sale, at 80% off.

Our investigators learned that many of the iPad designers were women, who felt that the time and expense of dealing with the monthly feminine cycle was impinging upon their personal and career lives. So they designed the iPad to be more than a consumer electronics device.

When put into the feminine hygiene mode, the iPad is capable of instantly converting the muco-sanguinous uteral effluents into a useful biofuel, which can be added to either gasoline or diesel with no further modification. The resulting combination gets better mileage, is less polluting, and releases much lower levels of greenhouse gases!

Al Fin undercover snoops suggest that the iPad has even more secret functions that they are on the verge of discovering.

Stay tuned to the Al Fin Blog Syndicates Network for the latest in all your sexual, feminine hygiene, tech information, and biofuel needs.

Chinese Sex Fiend Forced to Wear Fake Beard for Orgies

2010-05-21T08:36:00.000-10:00

Sexual attitudes in China have changed over the last few decades -- a woman was sentenced to death in the early 1980s for the "crime" of participating in secret dance parties.
Chinese attitudes toward sex have changed dramatically during the last 20 years, said sociologist Li Yinhe, China's most prominent sex expert.

Even a generation ago, holding hands and kissing in public were virtually unheard of. These days, studies indicate that 60 to 70 per cent of Chinese have had sex before marriage, up from 15 per cent in 1989._ _NZHerald

But there are limits to how far China's communist leaders are willing to bend to the concept of "private freedom." Ma Yaohai was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 3 years in prison for organising private orgies in Nanjing, China. Ma was a computer science professor at the Nanjing University of Technology, who used a computer website to organise group sex parties for swingers.

Most Chinese do not approve of Ma's activities, but they do not feel that Ma should be sent to prison for his private sexual behaviour.

They were members of a modern-day swingers' club in China, where people met online and then gathered in private homes or hotels for group sex parties involving dozens of men and women.

But when officials charged Ma Yaohai, 53, with "group licentiousness" the case touched off huge public interest with titillating details and sparked a deeper debate about sexual freedom in a nation that is trying to reshape its own modern morality.

Ma said his decision to join the swingers was voluntary. "Marriage is like water. You have to drink it. Swinging is like a cup of wine. You can drink it if you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it," he said.

In arguing his activities involved consenting adults meeting in nonpublic places, Ma's defiance seemed to strike a chord in an era of relative sexual freedom, where extramarital affairs and prostitution are common - drawing support from those who believe the Chinese government should stay out of the bedroom.

Entering the court at the start of the two-day trial on April 7, he blurted out: "How can I disturb social order? What happens in my house is a private matter." _NZHerald
Ma is planning to appeal his 3 year sentence. But even should he be released from the smaller prison where he is being held, he would only be released into the larger prison commonly known as "China."

The ugly fake beard? There is no accounting for culture.

It seems as if today's China is custom-made for teledildonics and virtual sex.

Obama Stimulates Mom Prostitute Business

2010-05-09T06:08:00.000-10:00

As economic conditions continue to deteriorate, cash-strapped moms are forced to make difficult decisions. How will she provide for her children -- provide food, clothing, schooling, and keep a roof over their heads? Sometimes hard compromises are necessary.
Prostitutes who also happen to be mothers face multiple dilemmas. Being proud of your job as a sex worker doesn’t always mean being open about it. Ruth Morgan Thomas, a founder of the Scottish Prostitutes Education Project, worked in an Edinburgh massage parlor while her daughter Tara was an infant. “I’ve never had any help from Tara’s father,” she says, “and I left him when she was 2 and a half.” Later, she worked as an escort, and then, not at all abashed about her profession, traveled to Japan to represent sex workers at an AIDS conference.

...Claudia waited until she was out of the business to have her first child, who is now 18. “I do wonder if she’s starting to put two and two together and coming up with something that resembles four, but I still haven’t told her. My youngest is 8, and he’s just too young to even be thinking about such things.” A former London escort who also worked on the street, she now lives in the northeastern U.K. and blogs as “Claudia,” but doesn’t discuss it with her children.
Last year, for about six months, she worked in phone sex. “My housing costs are very high, and I quite like talking dirty,” she says. “I worked when the kids were at their dad’s house. I didn’t want anyone to find out.”
What made her quit? “One evening, my oldest came home unexpectedly. I had to fake an orgasm very quickly under the duvet. And the work was very badly paid.”

...Abby, a 33-year-old sex worker with a 10-year-old son, lives in Adelaide, Australia, and works part-time in the nearby mining town of Whyalla, where she sees a mix of regulars and new customers obtained through a local ad. “I work there one full weekend every month when my son’s visiting his father,” she says, “plus one day a week at a friend’s cottage in Adelaide when he’s in school.” Her ex-husband, who contributes $120 a month child support, doesn’t know how she supports her household. Or perhaps he doesn’t want to.

...Veronica Monet experienced such a battle when she was married with two stepchildren.
“At that point in my career, I was working three days a week as a middle-class escort, seeing people by the hour,” she says. “I paid half of my husband’s child support, took care of their medical expenses, vacations—many of the finer things in life.” _TDB
Times are hard all over, thanks to the clowns that people have elected to run things. And yet people somehow manage to adapt to difficult circumstances. One of the latent resources that a family can sometimes call upon in extremis, is the oft-suppressed sexuality of the mom.

Can Science Help Premature Ejaculators?

2010-05-04T05:29:00.000-10:00

Priligy (Dapoxetine) is an antidepressant that is being marketed in Europe by Janssen-Cilag to treat premature ejaculation.
Originally marketed as an antidepressant, Priligy is a short-acting selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that works by altering the levels of serotonin - the hormone responsible for ejaculation - in the brain to give men a greater degree of control, and trials in more than 6,000 patients showed that it can increase the time to ejaculation by a factor of three.
_PharmaTimes
Many drug analysts expect Priligy to eventually rival Viagra in sales and social impact. In the case of Priligy, the female partner can benefit as much as or more than the male.
Priligy which is owned by one of Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiaries namely the ALZA Corporation has received full approval as a prescription medication in many European countries including the UK. It continues to be tested for full approval by the Food & Drug Administration of America. _ukmedix

No one really knows how long a man should last before he comes. Science cannot answer that question, because the answer changes for each session of love-making. Sometimes, a woman would just like for the man to get it over with, already. Other times, when she is particularly receptive, she would like for the peak experience to go on and on . . . .

It is not optimal to make everything a medical problem, but at least with reliable drugs -- such as are becoming available for sexual dysfunctions -- a person has a ready means of getting help.

Shocker! How Pregnancy Can Make You Younger

2010-03-22T07:46:00.001-10:00

Jennifer Lopez, Mother of Twins
Is it possible that the secret of the "fountain of youth" can be found in pregnancy -- or something very much like it? Scientists at Hadassah University Medical Center and the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School have stumbled onto something that may change a lot of young women's minds about the idea of being pregnant.
An article on the research by Dr. Yuval Gielchinsky, Prof. Neri Laufer, Prof. Yehudit Bergman and colleagues has just been published in the prestigious journal Genes & Development and aroused much interest among scientists.

Laufer, who is chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the medical center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday evening that the research began soon after he read an article five years ago in the journal Nature.

The authors of that article had connected young mice to other young mice by uniting their blood vessels; old mice to old mice; and young mice to old mice (this procedure is called parabiosis).

If a mouse was either young or old and attached to a young mouse – and it suffered liver damage – the connection via blood circulation led to regeneration of tissue in the damaged organ. In aging rodents and elderly people, regeneration of the liver and other tissue is slow or even impossible.

Bergman, an expert in molecular immunology, developmental biology and gene expression at the medical school, told the Post: “One day about four years ago, a young gynecologist named Dr. Yuval Gielchinsky came into my office and said Neri suggested he come to me to do his Ph.D. and for me to be his supervisor.

“I asked if he knew what I do in my lab – epigenetics [the study of changes in the appearance or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence]. He said he didn’t.

“We thought of all kinds of ideas, until Neri came and told us about the article in Nature. It seemed to him that pregnancy was a kind of parabiosis in which a mother is connected by blood vessels to its young fetus. Investigating this was appealing, and this is what Yuval set off to do.”

Also involved in the research was Dr. Eli Pikarsky of the medical school’s pathology department and Lautenberg Center for Immunology, as well as Efi Weitman, Dr. Rinat Abramovitch and Dr. Zvi Granot.

The team studied mice and indeed found that damage to tissue in the foot muscle (and later liver) of an older but pregnant mouse was quickly repaired, as if it had been connected to a live young animal. The researchers knew there was something in the blood that was doing this, but couldn’t explain what it was and how it worked.

Laufer said that when a young animal loses two-thirds of its liver, it can regenerate the lost tissue in a few days. But if it is old, half of the mice would die due to stress on the organ. Of those that survive, much less tissue would be regenerated.

But if the mouse is older and pregnant, its tissue regenerates as if it were young.

The regenerative capacity of tissue declines with age, and healing in response to injury is delayed, he said. This effect is observed in liver, skin, bones, blood vessels, nerves, muscles and other tissue. The reason is that ageing alters the function of many biological processes such as changes in growth factors, the accumulation of damage to DNA in the cells and the increase in oxygen free radicals in the cells.

They learned that the repair mechanism was a kind of switch within the cells, and that it can be made to work with specific molecules (drugs) to stimulate and repair them.

The significance of this, explained Laufer, “is that part of the liver can be removed from old animals, they can be given drugs and this will cause the remaining liver to regenerate as if they were pregnant but without actually being pregnant.”

The new research shows that pregnancy causes a switch from regeneration based on proliferation (an increase in the number of cells due to cell division) to regeneration caused by hypertrophy (the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells). Certain molecules given to aged mice induced hypertrophy in their livers, thus mimicking the state of pregnancy and lengthening their lifespan.

The fountain of youth, he said, “is pregnancy. That is the new concept we developed. It has rejuvenating ability.

“But the advantages of pregnancy can be produced in non-pregnant animals. We are now working to see if this affects their longevity. If this concept can be transferred to humans, it could allow people to recover from illness or disease naturally and more quickly and weaken the effects of old age.”

Bergman said they first worked on muscle tissue but then switched to the liver, as it is already a very well-studied organ model. In the future, the team will work on skin and other tissues.

“It was very surprising to see how pregnancy affects the regeneration of the liver,” she said.

The team has already received a preliminary patent – registered through Hadasit (the Hadassah Medical Organization’s technology transfer company) and Yissum (that of HU) – for the development of medication based on their findings.

The researchers concluded that it’s possible that similar means could be used to enhance the ability of the liver to regenerate in old people. Such advances could have considerable impact on those who are eligible for and/or in need of liver surgery, yet are at significant risk of surgical complications. _JPost

Regeneration of the liver is only part of the story. Other tissues can be regenerated as well, if exposed to the growth factors circulating in the blood of young animals.

Of course pregnancy comes with its own stresses and prices to be paid. That is why the researchers are trying to separate the beneficial exposures from the pregnancy itself. Such treatments should be feasible for both men and women -- presumably at any age. Odds are, the therapy would function as an amazing aphrodisiac.

Foxxxy Roxxxy Has a Personality -- Even Talks!

2010-01-11T07:51:00.000-10:00

A company called True Companion is displaying a companion robot named Roxxxy at the Adult Entertainmnet Expo in Las Vegas. Roxxxy was designed by Douglas Hines, an expert in artificial intelligence who formerly worked for Bell Labs.

She stands (with assistance) 5' 7" and weighs 120 pounds. And ... she can talk! According to her inventor, Hines, she can talk about anything a person is interested in. She has wireless access to the internet, so that once she learns what her significant other is interested in, she can do a bit of research on the side.

Depending on your mood, you can assign the robot different personalities such as Frigid Farrah or Mature Martha, who will respond differently based on the personality you choose. For example, if you hold Mature Martha’s hand, she may say “I love holding hands,” whereas if you touch Frigid Farrah she may say “What are you going to do with that hand?” _Voxy

True Companion has plans to create a male companion, called Rocky. The question of whether Rocky is capable of knocking out his significant other every time a bell rings, was not discussed by company officials.

The initial concept for the current sex robot began with a conversation several years ago. A friend and Douglas Hines were remembering a dear friend who passed away [inside Tower 1 at the World Trade Center on 9/11 - Ed.]. Douglas thought that it was sad to not be able to ever talk to him again. He said “wouldn't it be great if I could create a robot with artificial intelligence and have it hold someone's personality and preferences - this way, we could talk to the robotic version of that person and ask it questions whenever we wanted?" We thought it was a great idea though we both agreed that it would be a very big undertaking. _Dscriber

Al Fin cognitive scientists have been quoted as saying that Roxxxy is not likely to be intelligent enough to take out to a nice restaurant. Maybe Taco Bell, but nothing classy or expensive. Al Fin writers have been quoted as saying that the story about 9/11 inspiring a sex robot is hokey to the point of questioning the mental integrity of the person telling the story. Al Fin social coordinators have jokingly remarked that True Companion is the first company that can offer true computer dating.

More at PC World

Roxxxy will be sold in a price range between $7,000 and $9,000.

Sexy Andy Android Suggestive of Coming Things

2009-12-16T14:17:00.000-10:00

Coming things, as in "things" that come. Andy is as suggestive as a hip thrust, rapid shallow breathing, and a moaning response to G-spot stimulation. A product of "First Androids" of Germany, Andy Android may eventually put Real Dolls manufacturer "Abyss" out of abyssness.

But can more realistic sex dolls like Andy Android help us live longer? Perhaps, if they can give us more orgasms -- stronger orgasms -- than we would be experiencing otherwise.

Orgasms reduce stress, insomnia, heart attacks, migraines, depression, addictions, aches, pains, menstrual cramps, endometriosis, type-2 diabetes, cervical & urinary tract infections, and risk of prostate cancer, plus they improve the immune system, heart rate, blood pressure, brain chemistry, skin health, pelvic floor strength, and they clean out carcinogenic toxins....

Are Sexbots icky? Are humans pathetic if we don't just mate with each other? Truth is, we're already mostly "solo" when it comes to orgasms. "Masturbation," noted Hungarian psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, "is the primary sexual activity... in the 19th century it was a disease, in the 20th it's a cure." Sure, we generally prefer sex with live partners, but the desired one is often unavailable or inadequate. Sexbots will never have headaches, fatigue, impotence, premature ejaculation, pubic lice, disinterest, menstrual blood, jock strap itch, yeast infections, genital warts, AIDS/HIV, herpes, silly expectations, or inhibiting phobias.

......"First Android" in Germany offers male & female models that breathe, are warm, and have heartbeats that thump louder with sex. In Toronto, inventor Le Trung has fashioned "Aiko" -- he claims she's not for sex, but she can have an orgasm, her name translates as "love child" and her measurements are 32" 23" 33". Japan has Repliee Q1 Expo, who flutters her eyelids and moves her hands. Male sex robots are lagging in development, but... vibrator sales are buzzing, dildo sales point skyward, and my prediction is that male Sexbot sales will rival female in the upcoming years.

More predictions: ... Sexbots that shower after we use them and put themselves back in the closet. Sexbots available in hotels, cruise ships, vacation homes, and convalescent hospitals. Sexbot booths in liquor stores that wipe out corner prostitution. Sexbots that are delicious when you lick them. Sexbot Packages for sorority parties, military camps, prisons. Parents buy their adolescent children Sexbots for Christmas to assist them in their passage through puberty. Gyms offer soundproof chambers where you work out with 15 minutes of XTreme Sexbot Cardio. Sexbots that can tell you ten million jokes, because laughing also adds years to your life. .... _HPlusMag

Sex androids are here, but much better ones are coming -- or will be coming soon. Perhaps in your bedroom......or office, if you dare, you pervert!. ;-)

Aphrodisiacs for Women: Even Depressed Women Get Horny With This Wonder Drug!

2009-11-18T16:12:00.000-10:00

Flibanserin was once an antidepressant, just not a very good one. Some women on flibanserin noticed that even though their moods weren't getting better, their sex lives did. Now, a pooled set of four clinical trials of flibanserin show a significant aphrodisiac response in women -- particularly at the dose of 100 mg at bedtime.

These trials were the first ever to test a therapy that works at the level of the brain to enhance libido in women reporting low sexual desire, said John M. Thorp Jr., M.D., McAllister distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the principal investigator for North America in the studies.

"Flibanserin was a poor antidepressant," Thorp said. "However, astute observers noted that it increased libido in laboratory animals and human subjects. So, we conducted multiple clinical trials and the women in our studies who took it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder reported significant improvements in sexual desire and satisfactory sexual experiences.

...Studies have shown that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in the U.S. ranges from 9 percent to 26 percent of women, depending on age and menopausal status. Flibanserin is currently an investigational drug and is available only to women taking part in clinical trials.

...The researchers concluded that treatment with 100 milligrams of flibanserin once a day was associated with significant improvements versus placebo in the number of satisfying sexual events (SSE) reported, sexual desire (as measured by eDiary and FSFI desire domain), a reduction in distress associated with sexual dysfunction (as measured by FSDS-R and its Item 13), and sexual functioning as measured by FSFI. _SD

The science of sexual gratification and fulfillment has been largely neglected over the past centuries of rapid scientific discovery. But that is about to change. Modern PC prudishness is scheduled to be washed away in a deluge of evolutionary consciousness.

Besides -- what good is long life, prosperity, and high intelligence, if your life holds no satisfaction or pleasure? Humans are emotional and physical animals, and they require emotional and physical gratification for optimal development and happiness.

She Will Do Anything You Want Her to Do

2009-10-18T14:14:00.001-10:00

If you can only turn off her right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, she will do anything you want her to. You may believe that you will need charm or persuasive powers, but no. All you need in order to turn that reflexive slap into compliant acquiescence, is a little magic of the magnetic variety.

Adolescents generally exhibit riskier behavior than do adults. Their decisionmaking behavior is also thought to be a manifestation of an immature PFC,19 and patients with traumatic brain injuries or other pathologies affecting the PFC show a tendency for riskier, “out-of-character” decision making, and an apparent disregard for negative consequences of their actions.20,21 Clinical impressions tell us that this is particularly true for patients with rightsided lesions.9,10 We designed a “virtual lesion” study22 with healthy volunteers to investigate hemispheric asymmetries in risk-taking behavior directly. We used low-frequency rTMS to disrupt left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) function transiently before applying a well-known gambling paradigm that provides a measure of risk taking (“risk task”).23 In this task, subjects have to decide between a relatively safe choice, which provides a low reward with a high probability, and a risky choice, which provides a substantially higher reward with a relatively low probability. Subjects were presented with binary choices between a safe and a risky choice....Participants stimulated over the right DLPFC (N =9)were more likely to choose the high-risk prospect than those stimulated over the left DLPFC (N = 9) or those who received sham stimulation (N = 9) (FIG. 2A). _Knoch and Fehr PDF_via_SimoleonSense

In further testing, researchers found that participants who were offered a "deal" involving an unfair division of prize money were more likely to accept the "bad deal" with administration of rTMS to the right DLPFC.

The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is intimately involved in self control, executive function, and decision making. The state of development of the human PFC can make the difference between life success and failure -- even more than the person's IQ. While a person's genome strongly influences PFC development, for optimal development of executive function and judgment it is vital for the child to be trained in self control and executive function by no later than the age of 7 years. Special programs for training executive function and executive attention have been developed for children in pre-school and early grades. Such programs are particularly helpful for children in single parent households and in households with minimal positive adult to child exposure.

In some modern societies it has become more and more difficult for adolescents to make the transition to responsible adulthood. The proliferation of perpetually incompetent adolescent-minded Peter Pans may well be related to less productive parent to child training in those critical developmental years between age 4 and age 7. With parents pre-occupied with work etc., children may be left to electronic devices and their peers. The PFC misses its developmental window, and self-control and wise decision making never take hold.

What's that?....You say you only want to know how to get the girl to do what you want her to do? ..... Well, I thought you would understand that the title was a purely rhetorical device, used to introduce the topic by way of lascivious levity.... Oh alright! Obviously you would need a rTMS device that can be aimed and focused at a distance. It would require some adjustment in frequency, and the operator would have to be trained to detect the desired response before attempting to circumvent the individual's higher judgment centers.

Of course, if you are Al Fin, you will have no need for this type of technological subterfuge, for getting what you want from the fairer sex. Simple animal charm is almost always sufficient, and if not, a bit of subtle hypnotic suggestion has never failed your humble blog host, when motivated. But for those of you lacking in self confidence, these devices should be on the market soon -- with proof of law enforcement affiliation.

We wouldn't want them falling into the wrong hands now, would we?

Cross-posted at Al Fin

Sex Robots and Pleasure Machines

2009-10-05T07:32:00.003-10:00

According to Rodney Brooks, respected MIT professor of machine intelligence and robotics, it is highly likely that sex robots will be an important economic engine driving the age of intelligent machines.

... if you listen to US robotics scientist Professor Rodney Brooks, robots of the future are more likely to be dominatrix than dominating.

He says the scientific pursuit of socially-aware robots — ones that operate according to senses in almost human-like form, as opposed to industrial and military robots — has been sidetracked by the hot button (so to speak) topic of sex with machines.

Australian-born Prof Brooks, former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, said it was inevitable, and there was precedent, that such technology would be used for sexual purposes.

"Every technology that we've had, there has been a sexual driver of it," he said.

"I mean, that's certainly true of photographs in the 19th century; and home video players were really driven by sex; and of course the web has been a major source of sex. _SexRobotsPleasureMachines

Professor Brooks is no dummy. He understands human motivation. The only question is: "Will realistic sex robots arrive before the singularity -- when we will all upload our minds into machine bodies?" Certainly if we all have machine bodies anyway, the rationale for developing bio-realistic sex robots will have been weakened somewhat.

According to The Futurist blog, the Singularity will not arrive until 2060, at the earliest. This gives sex robot makers a good 50 years to ply their trade.

When it Just Feels Right

2009-09-24T05:17:00.004-10:00

Sex Robot via The FriskySex androids such as the one pictured above, and sex dolls such as Real Dolls, have a problem: they don't really feel like a person to touch. But scientists are working on that problem.

How close are we to synthetic skin that can change all this? A fair way off, if the results of Cabibihan and co's investigations are anything to go by. They compared the properties of two commonly used synthetic skins, silicone and polyurethane, with the human variety and found them sadly wanting.

Human skin, it seems, has some special properties that are difficult to replicate. Cabibihan and co measured three properties: skin compliance, or the degree to which it is deformed by a force; conformance, or the way its shape conforms to an object it touches; and hysteresis, or the energy dissipated under a load--essentially the difference between the way it deforms and reforms.

Synthetic materials require more force to bend them, but they dissipate less energy during this process. So they are unable to match the hysteresis curve of human skin, which looks particularly challenging to reproduce. That's probably because the hysteresis properties are the result of the interaction between the various layers that make up human skin.

The big question for the designers of robotic and prosthetic skin is whether these characteristics can be reproduced by a single layer or whether a more complex (and expensive) skin made of multiple layers will be needed. _ TechnologyReview

Another interesting material being looked at is smart memory foam. New smart memory foams can actually simulate muscles' "linear actuator" movement.

The multiple layered approach works well for human skin and tissue. That is what feels natural to us -- not a thick mass of silicone rubber. If humans are ever to accept sex androids and sex dolls on a large scale, the life-sized devices will need to soothe and arouse innate human sexual instincts. To do that, natural is better. It has to feel right.

On a Recent Flight from Mumbai to Singapore . . . .

2009-08-27T08:25:00.003-10:00

Image courtesy of ImpactLabOn a recent flight from Mumbai to Singapore, I had the opportunity to observe the new Air India flight attendants up close. So impressed was I with their obvious dexterity, that -- using a bit of the patented Al Fin charm -- I convinced one of the young ladies to accompany me to my hotel for the evening.

I was almost late for my presentation the following morning, my experience with the genengineered flight attendant had been so exceptional. In fact, to call it memorable would be understating the experience. The young lady, herself, complained about a certain difficulty finding clothes that fit properly, and having to deal with the stares of the public, when not in flight or in the flight crew lounge. I commiserated with her as long as I could, but what could I do -- other than enjoy the advantages of the moment?

Anyway, back over North American skies, I have been wondering whether one could produce and sell androids that possessed similar modifications? When building robo-prostitutes, there would be no advantage to adhering too closely to the natural blueprint. Not if unnatural modifications could make the experience even more exceptionally enjoyable. Right?

Of course, it comes down to an issue of economics. Some men are simply stuck on the natural pattern of things, and will have it no other way. But something tells me that more men than not would go for something extra, something just a bit overwhelming.

Just a thought. And if you find yourself on that Mumbai to Singapore run, consider chatting up one of the dexterous air maidens. You might enjoy the aftermath.

Using Sex Toys Responsibly!

2009-06-01T11:35:00.003-10:00

Side Effects of Vibrator Use
The researchers only reported on women’s responses to questions about negative side effects of vibrator use. They asked women about genital numbness, pain, irritation, swelling (the bad kind) and tears or cuts. Here are the findings:

* 71.5% of women never experienced any side effects.
* 16% reported numbness
* 3% reported pain
* 10% reported irritation
* 8% reported swelling
* 1% reported tears or cuts _SexBlog

Debra Herbenick of Indiana University wanted to know how many people were using vibrators, and whether they were practising "safe shakes." [bad pun alert!] And so she collected the data, analysed it, and recently reported her findings in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (...Herbenick, D.... et. al. "Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Men in the United States" Journal of Sexual Medicine Early View, Date: May 2009. Accessed May 31, 2009).

Vibrator Use and Other Healthy Behaviors
Both men and women who use vibrators were more likely to do things that indicate a comfort with their bodies and an interest in taking care of themselves. Women who had ever used a vibrator were more likely than those who had never used a vibrator to have had a gynecologic exam in the past year and performed a genital self-examine in the past month. Men who reported performing testicular self-exams within the past moth were more likely to have used a vibrator.

Sex Toy Cleaning
The good news is that the majority of men and women do clean their vibrators. The bad news is that some don’t (20% of men and 14% of women report never cleaning their toys). Of those who do clean, habits could still improve. 60% of women and 53% of men report cleaning their toy before and after use, with the rest either cleaning before or after. It’s not clear if they asked this, but what I’d be most interested in knowing is whether or not they cleaned the toy before first use, something that I think a lot of people overlook but it important considering the serious lack of hygiene in most sex toy factories. _Herbenick et al as quoted in Sexualityblog

When becoming familiar with a new girlfriend, one of the first things I tend to inspect are sex toys. Does she keep them clean, neat, and in safe working condition? Such questions are important if you wish to keep your safe sex options open -- to say nothing of protecting your own health and that of future sex partners and possible future progeny.

Debra's research focused upon vibrators. But the sex toy world is rapidly growing to involve sophisticated life-sized mannequins, advanced software / hardware interfaces, and will soon no doubt involve direct Deep Brain Stimulation involving both invasive and non-invasive stimulatory techniques.

Sex toys are developing alongside advances in neuroscience, nanoscience, materials science, information science, and the psychology of sexuality. The world of sex ten years from now will likely seem strange to most of today's sex aficionados. Think of it as "Orgasmatron meets Kiln People", or the like. Use common sense.

Only 28% of Chinese Women Orgasm

2009-05-15T20:02:00.002-10:00

While in the western world, almost 90% of women have experienced orgasm at least once, in China the number is much lower. The Chinese people tend to focus more on family and responsibility, and less on individual pleasure.

An entrepreneur in Chongqing aims to change that focus a bit, by opening Sex Land -- a sex oriented theme park featuring sculptures of naked body parts and bigger-than-life sex organs. It is modeled after a similar sex theme park in South Korea, and is seen by its developer as a sort of sex education public service.

Li Yinhe, an expert on sexual attitudes at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in ancient times Chinese people had more positive attitudes towards sex. They became more ascetic during the Song and Ming dynasties, but this trend peaked at the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Since the 80s that had reversed, she said, adding: "The fact that the park has been built shows the change and that open attitudes to sex are now mainstream." One of her research projects showed that in Beijing the percentage of people having premarital sex rose from under 16% in 1989 to over 60% in 2004.

Li said that while disapproval of sex stemmed from religion in the west, in China it was largely rooted in a traditional focus on the family instead of individual enjoyment – leading people to deplore premarital and extramarital sex.

"But people will become more tolerant and have positive attitudes towards sex; for example, people [already] care more about female orgasm. I read a report saying in the west about 90% of women have experienced orgasm, but in China the number is only 28%," she said. _Guardian

Certainly something needs to be done about the orgasm gap suffered by Chinese women. If Chinese men suffered a similar orgasm gap, certainly the population of China would be somewhat lower than it is.

Brazil Goes Globo - Slut

2009-04-30T02:51:00.003-10:00

Girls learn to be women -- and sometimes women learn to be sluts -- from the media. Romance novels, films, and especially soap operas and "soap Oprahs". Brazil's population of women is being taken over by the popular soap "Globo." Is it possible that Globo is driving down fertility in Brazil?

How much impact do the soaps have on real life? As recounted in papers from the Inter-American Development Bank, researchers tracked Globo’s expansion across the country and compared this to data on fertility and divorce.*

The results are most striking for the total fertility rate, which dropped from 6.3 children per woman in 1960 to 2.3 in 2000, despite contraception being officially discouraged for some of that time. This was because women moved to cities and opted to have fewer babies. The papers argue that the small, happy families portrayed on television contributed to this trend. Controlling for other factors, the arrival of Globo was associated with a decline of 0.6 percentage points in the probability of a woman giving birth in a given year. That is equivalent to the drop in the birth rate associated with a woman having two extra years of schooling

The effect on divorce was smaller, but noticeable. The researchers found that between 1975, when divorce was first mooted, and 1984 about one in five of the main characters in Globo soaps were divorced or separated, a higher percentage than in the real Brazil. These break-ups were not just a result of machismo: from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s about 30% of female lead characters in novelas were unfaithful to their partners. The researchers find that the arrival of Globo in an area was associated with a rise of 0.1-0.2 percentage points in the share of women aged 15-49 who were divorced or separated. The authors reckon that watching “empowered” women having fun in Rio made other women (a few of them anyway) more independent. _ImpactLab

One person's "empowered woman" may be another person's slut -- it depends upon a person's perspective.

I wonder if ancient Rome had soap operas, right up until the end? Would you like to know, "who were Rome's soap Oprahs?" Many women often take their cues from the herd, as they interpret it. The soap Oprahs of the world exert a huge impact on female behaviour, and on society at large. You may be a slave to a loosely knit web of puppet masters and puppet mistresses, pulling the strings on female behaviour everywhere except perhaps within the Muslim world. And how much longer can that bastion of male dominance hold out?

Cross-posted at Al Fin Potpourri

More Strippers, Prostitutes, and Lap Dancers

2009-04-28T16:33:00.000-10:00

As a bartender and trainer at a national restaurant chain, Rebecca Brown earned a couple thousand dollars in a really good week. Now, as a dancer at Chicago’s Pink Monkey gentleman’s club, she makes almost that much in one good night. _Source

Obama has barely begun destroying the US economy, but already women are rushing to fill positions within the "recession proof fallback professions" of exotic dancing, porn video star, and various degrees of prostitution.

Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they’re seeing an influx of applications from women who, like Brown, are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured

As we begin to probe the depths of an Obama depression, basic human motivations and drives come to the forefront. As more respectable businesses find themselves unable to survive under the harsh economic conditions being created by the poor policies of today's incompetent governments, less respectable ways of making a living are being sought.

In this economy, “desperate measures are becoming far more acceptable,” said Jonathan Alpert, a New York City-based psychotherapist who’s had clients who worked in adult entertainment.

You will find this phenomenon anywhere the market economy is prevented from working by corrupt and overly meddlesome governments. The Obama reich qualifies on both counts.

Rhode Island’s Foxy Lady held a job fair Saturday, seeking to fill about 35 positions for dancers, masseuses, bartenders and bouncers. The Providence Journal reported that more than 150 job seekers showed up to apply for work at the strip club.

There are a number of risks to these professions. Men and women who get caught up in these and other popular entertainments too often become addicted to potent, expensive, and illicit drugs -- which can tip already complicated lives over the brink into chaos. In some situations, exposure to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV can add further risk to these grey and black market activities.

But these alternative professions are only a few of the ways that displaced and depressed workers are bypassing traditional employment. As in any depression, the global Obama depression is supporting the expansion of the black market economy across many sectors, in many countries -- rich and poor. Unfortunately, crime is yet another black market activity likely to expand under President Obama.

Thanks to Obama, we are seeing a dramatic expansion of all levels of government that will lead to an even greater contraction of the private sector. There will be fewer paths to wealth and financial security outside of government, other than the grey and black markets. This is just one part of making the US into yet another third world nation. Obama has many other parts covered as well.

Source for above quotes

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Taken from a previous posting at Al Fin

Greenwich Village Gallery Features Photos of Sex Dolls, "More Than A Woman"

2009-02-21T16:01:00.003-10:00

Sex dolls are not just for lonely hearts and Japanese businessmen and engineers any longer. These dolls have finally made the Village art scene, where they may finally be discovered! Here is an interesting write-up from an art writer's perspective:

"More than a Woman" hopes to explore more than the Dutch wives' obvious function of satisfying sexual and physical needs. Visually discovering the basic cravings for companionship, unconditional love, unwavering loyalty and the importance of trust, acceptance and intimacy. All of which he is unable to find in a human relationship, but is somehow satiated with his cast of Dutch wives.

The multitude of Dutch wives create his perfect world of women.

"My ladies are always there for me," he said. "They never talk back, and if I get bored, I can just change the head."

These Dutch wives are more than a woman to him and More than a woman can ever be.

...The dolls are often very heavy, 30 kilos or about 66 pounds, and simulate the weight of a real human. Hollywood special effects techniques for realistic skin made out of silicone are employed on the higher-end Dutch wives. Water-filled body areas in breasts and buttocks are made even more realistic when they are given a hot bath before "play." Their flexible joints allow them to be positioned on their own as they kneel on all fours or straddle a human body in a provocative pose. _Read more at ArtCal

If you want to see the Japanese man whose dolls are featured at the Greenwich Village show, here is the video.

These dolls are more prominent in Japanese society, where a person can actually rent them by the hour in a "doll hotel." But as has been stated on this blog many times, the market for this type of product is huge, once an innovator finds a way to both make the experience more realistic AND drop the price by at least 50% to 75%.

Finding New Places to Do It

2009-02-12T15:42:00.005-10:00

Risk is something of an aphrodisiac in itself. Having sex in unusual, perhaps risky places can get the juices flowing. Here is a list of risky places for doing it from FoxNews.com, perhaps a surprising source for this type of thing.

1. The Great Outdoors.

2. On a Golf Course.

3. In a Barn.

4. Atop a Balcony.

For those of you who live in apartment buildings, the rooftop terrace is always an option. It’s quite amazing at night under the city lights. This does, though, become riskier if neighbors from other buildings can sneak a peak.

5. In a Department Store

6. In a Graveyard.

7. At a Bath House.

8. Nightclubs.

9. Parked Cars.

10. In a Raft or Canoe.

Riskier

11. At the Beach.

Just remember to keep it classy and not too risky by escaping to the dunes or a secluded part of the beach. Some people have been known to take to the ocean.

12. On a Bench.

13. Church Pews.

14. In the Office.

15. Public Pools or Hot Tubs.

16. At a Restaurant.

17. At the Movies.

Riskiest

18. In an Elevator.

19. In a Phone Booth.

20. Public Transportation. _FN

I can personally recommend #1, #9, #11, #14, #15 and almost #18 on the list. Most exciting are places up high over the city lights at night, with breezes anywhere from cool to balmy blowing over your (in motion) bare backside.

The graveyard option makes sense for teenagers, I suppose, given the aphrodisiac effect of horror films on teenage girls. It all depends upon how creative her paramour can be in setting the scene.

In the not-so-distant-future, when virtual reality and teledildonics converge with robotic sex technology, the limits to sex will melt away. You will be able to have sex on the sunlit lunar surface with someone who lives in Seattle, while safely in a hotel bed in Toronto. The experience will seem real, apart from the lack of vacuum and lethal heat/radiation. Rolling in the soft lunar soil never felt so good.

Wealth and Power Aphrodisiacs for Women?

2009-01-23T08:55:00.002-10:00

In more primitive societies it was the most successful hunters who attracted the desirable women. In today's society it is the men who wield power, name recognition, and great wealth.

The reasons why women enjoy sex more - and, according to this research, have more orgasms with wealthier lovers - is more complex. Smart women make love to a man's mind, so going to bed with one of life's winners is exciting, regardless of his sexual performance.

It is flattering that such a man would want to be with you. So potent an aphrodisiac is his wealth and success that before he has proved his bedroom prowess, the woman is closer to a euphoric state than she would be with a less wealthy partner.

...I know that whenever I have had a relationship with a powerful man, I have felt proud of myself for it. Not because he had money, but because this man, desired by other women, had chosen to spend his time with me. _DailyMail

Successful musicians, artists, writers, actors, and other famous men likewise have a larger range of willing women to choose from. Even extremely ugly politicians such as Bill Clinton or Barack Obama are considered desirable by many women, by virtue of political power and name recognition.

The key is to make a woman feel special. Celebrities and wealthy men can do that simply by choosing to spend time with a woman. Other men will need to work a bit harder. If the woman thinks the man is special, she will feel special when he chooses her. Once that gateway is passed, everything else becomes child's play.

Call It An Exotic Form of Work - Study

2009-01-12T15:53:00.001-10:00

22 year old Natalie Dylan is pursuing a degree in Women's Studies. She is also auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. She got the idea from her sister, who paid for her own college degree with income from 3 weeks working as a prostitute.

She said she had had a lot of attention from a wide range of men, including "weirdos", "those who get really graphically sexual about what they want to do to me" and "lots of polite requests from rich businessmen".

Miss Dylan said she did not think it was particularly significant to be willing to sell your virginity and insisted that she was happy to undergo medical tests for any doubters.

She said: "I get some men who are obviously looking for a girlfriend but I try and make it clear that this is a one-night-only offer.

"I know that a lot of people will condemn me for this because it's so taboo but I really don't have a problem with that.

"My study is completely authentic in that I truly am auctioning my virginity but I am not being sold into this. I'm not being taken advantage of in any way.

"I think me and the person I do it with will both profit greatly from the deal."

She added: "It's shocking that men will pay so much for someone's virginity, which isn't even prized so highly anymore." _Telegraph

Speaking from personal experience, virgins take a lot of time to train properly. I recommend saving yourself time and work, by choosing someone more experienced. But if you happen to have a spare $4 million lying around, like the cut of Miss Dylan's jib, and want to help out a Woman's Studies student, go ahead. Just don't come crying to me if it ends up not being worth all the trouble.

H/T News Alert

Cross posted to Al Fin

Clitoral + G-Spot Stim -- While You Are Schlupping!

2009-01-11T16:14:00.005-10:00

This bi-vibrating toy, "We-Vibe", is even meant for use during intercourse. But it can also make a woman's solitary down time seem to pass very quickly. Best-selling sex toy We-Vibe simultaneously pleasures a woman's G-Spot and clitorus without blocking access to male organs or other imaginative devices.

Unique in design, this revolutionary product is the first ever toy that can be used while making love. The innovative design allows for both external and internal stimulation for women engaging in both solo and partner play.

The We-Vibe is hands free, strap free and wireless. Created from medical grade silicone, the We-Vibe is soft and conforms to the female shape, making it comfortable and easy to use.

Discreet in size, the We-Vibe is approximately 3.25 inches long and 1 inch wide, weighing only 60 grams (2 ounces) making it ideal for travel and it's waterproof!

It is also rechargeable and boasts powerful dual motors and offers dual vibe stimulation in all the right places for both the man and the woman! _We-Vibe

The sex toy market may be one of the few that is booming amid these recessed economic times.

Even in a lingering recession, “sex will always sell,” said Analena Graham, an owner of Dascha, where cone-shaped vibrators and jewel-tone fur ticklers are showcased alongside made-to-order corsets and aromatic oils. “You might tell yourself, ‘I can do without that $400 sweater,’ ” Ms. Graham went on, “ ‘but I would still like to have that rechargeable vibrator.’ ”

...Dr. Judy Kuriansky, the sex therapist, suggested that a heightened interest in sensually appealing devices is partly an outgrowth of a troubled economy. When money is tight, some people withdraw from sex, she said, but many others “will do anything to increase the level of closeness and pleasure.”

...Lelo (pronounced lay-low), a company based in Sweden, is reporting a run on the Gigi, a rose-colored rechargeable vibrator shaped like an overfed spoon ($109), and the Nea ($89), a palm-size massager billed as “full of toe-curling promise,” shaped much like a wireless computer mouse. Sales of such cleverly made items have climbed by 10 percent since June, said Shaye Saldana, a marketing manager for the company.

Style counts, but retailers will tell you, poker-faced, that in These Difficult Times, people buy sex toys for diversion and solace. _NYT

So that is where all those Apple Computer designers are going! In an uncertain economy, one must allow himself maximum mobility.

Lighting a Woman's Brain With Sex Scent

2009-01-08T11:49:00.005-10:00

Animals of all kinds react to pheromones -- sex attractant hormones -- so why not humans? Apparently they do. In a study at Rice University, women's brains lit up on fMRI when the women were given a sample of men's "sex sweat" to sniff. Sex sweat was collected from men while they were watching porn videos. Women failed to react the same way when sniffing non-sex sweat -- sweat collected while men were working out.

Another study at the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory at Monell Chemical Senses Center, determined that women who are in love tend to fixate on the smell of their lover, and lose the ability to distinguish the scents of other males.

The human sex interaction is clearly a non-rational dynamic. When a woman is swept up into a passionate state, she tends to let go of her inhibitory brain function, and passes into a state beyond good and evil, beyond rationality, beyond accountability. She lets go. How she feels the next morning, when her rational brain centers reassert themselves, may be quite different.

Men tend to wish to take control and dominate. When a dominating male interacts with a female who lets herself go, passion can reach its most profound levels. But there are always exceptions -- the dominatrix and the submissive male.

Generalisations are based upon common observations, but the diversity of natural inclinations in sexual desire is quite great. If an individual's sexual predilections lead him astray of society's traditions and mores, problems can easily arise, including criminal penalties which can be extremely harsh. Within Islam, for example, homosexuals are still stoned to death.

In the future, technology will allow for a wide range of sexual expression. Knowledge of an individual's drives and needs will allow the customisation of the full palette of sexual stimuli. There will be no reason for person's to seek potentially deadly sexual encounters when advanced methods of teledildonics, privacy screens, anonymity devices, and sexual surrogates in full sensory modes allow intensely targeted experiences made for specific individuals. Such experiences will naturally include the use of pheromones known to trigger the most desired sexual response for the client or companion.

Guys and Their Real Dolls

2009-01-02T16:27:00.004-10:00

This 47 minute video tells the story of four different adult male owners of Real Dolls, plus a visit to the factory where Real Dolls are made and an interview with Matt, the creator of Real Dolls.

These silicone mannequins weigh about 100 pounds, and can be made to look surprisingly life like. All four of the featured owners appear thoroughly addicted to their dolls, although one of the owners denies it, unconvincingly.

A "Real Doll Doctor" is also featured, a mechanic who maintains, repairs, and restores used mannequins to a like-new condition -- for a price. The doll doctor appears reasonably normal, and is shown at home with an attractive living girlfriend. But even the normal "doctor" admits to being seduced a time or two by particularly alluring Real Dolls that he has restored. He sounded almost sheepish in the admission, but not apologetic.

I see these dress-up and dress-down mannequins as an early incarnation of something which in five or ten years will be a booming business, presenting a very real threat to several existing industries including pornography, prostitution, computer dating services, and the wedding industry. As in the animation titled "Don't Date Robots!!!", it is clear that the human male can be seduced by substitutes for real women, if the substitute passes a certain threshold of "realness."

Real Dolls will not pass that threshold for most men. But what will the next incarnation of girl surrogate be capable of? Blinking, smiling, frowning, and pursing her lips? Thrusting her hips and moaning at the proper times? Perhaps engaging in simple verbal exchanges, expressions of love, even offering devotion approaching the false adoration of a Stepford Wife? How long before they can go out dancing and to a movie?

Little by little, the dolls cum robots cum androids will pass the thresholds of surrogate acceptability for more and more men of all strata of society. How severely that impacts marriage and family and fertility inside a society probably depends upon how women react to made-to-order sex objects that never grow old and flabby -- with a little maintenance and occasional restorative work.

North American societies are oriented toward the needs of girls and women. Women enjoy affirmative action in school admissions, work hirings, government contracts. Government education in K-12 has been totally re-structured to benefit girls, to the severe disadvantage of boys. Women are taking over higher education in almost every field except math-intensive fields. This advantaging of women over men in education is beginning to show itself in the changing gender makeup of various professions and careers.

Women are favoured in divorce settlements and in child custody arrangements, often at the expense of not only the father but of the children as well. It is socially acceptable to tell cruel jokes about men, but not about women. And so on.

For those and many other reasons, many men have already turned away from marriage, and from most social relationships with women other than perhaps quick hookups. Men sense that the playing field is not level, and feel little desire to play in a rigged game.

But for now, Real Dolls simply are not good enough to fool the senses, to overcome the natural repulsion that most men feel in the presence of something that looks like a woman superficially, but doesn't breathe, move, talk, or respond meaningfully.

I prefer my non-sexual android, Valerie. She takes care of the house, and she is surprisingly well read. If she would just stop hacking into my web sites and posting under my name. Nobody's perfect.

Orgasmatrons and Brain Chip Sex Stims

2008-12-22T14:17:00.003-10:00

The brain is the most important sex organ we have. Billions of dollars are spent every year on phone sex, internet video sex, internet porn, and other relatively crude ways of stimulating the sexual parts of the brain. Why not skip the middle men and shoot directly for the pleasure centers of the brain?

Scientists are developing an electronic 'sex chip' that works by stimulating the pleasure centres in the brain.

The technology, which creates tiny shocks deep in the brain, has already been used in America to treat Parkinson's disease.

Now researchers are focusing on the orbitofrontal cortex, which is associated with feelings of pleasure caused by eating and sex. _DailyMail

Tiny shocks deep in the brain? Tiny, nipping little teasing shocks, so deep, deep in the brain? Hmmmm, it might work.

Carbon nanotubes may be just the electrodes to make it all possible. Metal electrodes tend to slip and move around, and collect subcellular debris that causes the interface to degrade over time. Carbon nanotubes may well provide the flexibility and bio-compatibility for a more permanently intimate connection.

The new carbon nanotube-based interface technology discovered together with state of the art simulations of brain-machine interfaces is the key to developing all types of neuroprosthetics — sight, sound, smell, motion, vetoing epileptic attacks, spinal bypasses, as well as repairing and even enhancing cognitive functions. _i09

The potential dangers of "wireheading" should be obvious -- dissociation from reality, total focus on self-pleasuring to the neglect of responsibilities and personal health. But the combination of neuro-stimulation with a face to face interaction, might present certain advantages in terms of "jump-starting" a relationship. And make no mistake, these brain chips would be a killer app for the teledildonics industry. It will not be long before they are connected to a wireless interface.

Just be careful who you lend the remote control to.

This Fembot Is Nobody's Sex Slave

2008-12-12T12:20:00.000-10:00

Aiko is a fembot who refuses to be anyone's personal slave, even her creator's: Le Trung. If anyone fails to honour her personal space, a swift slap to the face will set them straight -- perverts!

To date, Trung has spent $24,000 building his robo-girl.

Aiko sports delicate, Geisha-like features and is armed with sensors that allow her to respond to touch and voice commands. A camera in her neck provides her with visual input. All told, the robot weighs in at about 70 pounds.

With a vocabulary of more than 13,000 words, Aiko can, among other things, tell you what the weather is outside.

Despite her lifelike appearance and 32-23-33, anatomically correct measurements, Trung insists Aiko is not a sex doll. "I'm attached to it, but do I sleep with it? No," said Aiko, in an interview published Thursday in Toronto's Globe & Mail newspaper. _IW

Aiko looks suspiciously like large numbers of Japanese sex dolls, which are often rented out by the hour at Japanese love doll parlours. In Japan, the "Japanese schoolgirl" look seems to be preferred by Japanese men of all ages. Even so, Aiko appears to have a large number of robotic and AI-cognitive enhancements, courtesy of Le Trung.

The eventual market for an articulate and competent fembot should be quite large, even neglecting the sex robot aspect. Minimally intelligent AI models should serve well as receptionists, journalists, and college professors, and slightly more intelligent models should be capable of performing domestic chores. It should not be long before more versatile fembots began appearing on eBay and Amazon.com.

I have been quite satisfied with my own domestic Android, Valerie, despite her tendency to hack my blog sites from time to time. There will no doubt come a time when we will wonder how we ever got by without them.

Long Distance Sex in a Surrogate Body

2008-12-06T09:45:00.002-10:00

Imagine being able to move your senses into a distant body, and experience live, responsive sex with someone who is physically thousands of miles away? Given certain quirks of the human mind's sense of self, it may be easier than you think.

In the first experiment, the head of a shop dummy was fitted with two cameras connected to two small screens placed in front of the subjects' eyes, so that they saw what the dummy "saw." When the dummy's camera eyes and a subject's head were directed downwards, the subject saw the dummy's body where he/she would normally have seen his/her own.

The illusion of body-swapping was created when the scientist touched the stomach of both with two sticks. The subject could then see that the mannequin's stomach was being touched while feeling (but not seeing) a similar sensation on his/her own stomach. As a result, the subject developed a powerful sensation that the mannequin's body was his/her own. _SD

The subjects reacted with fear when the mannequin was threatened with a knife.

The effect even worked with another person--instead of a mannequin--used as the "host body." It even worked with persons of a different sex than the subject.

The object of the project was to learn more about how the brain constructs an internal image of the body. The knowledge that the sense of corporal identification/self-perception can be manipulated to make people believe that they have a new body is of potential practical use in virtual reality applications and robot technology.

Using the techniques of teledildonics, it is easy to visualize how remotely controlled teledildonic sex dolls or robots could serve as a "host body" for a distant lover, who still feels sexual sensations as if she were the one being touched and caressed.

It is the human mind's ability to suspend reality that gives such pleasure to novels, film, and the campfire story. How else does one explain the election of the narcissist-elect? The human mind is almost always ripe for self-delusion. Persons wanting to take advantage of that wish merely need to tune to the proper frequency. Getting a lot of resonating delusional minds into one auditorium or stadium amplifies the effect.

As for long distance sex, expect the technology which makes it possible to develop a bit more quickly than the actual application. But once it takes off, the only limit will be the speed of light.

Sex Toys: Not Everyone is Tolerant, Even Writers

2008-09-26T16:02:00.003-10:00

The piece excerpted below is by a writer for the Independent named Tanya Gold. Tanya sounds like a very up tight, anal retentive sort of reporter--like someone who is pissed off having to write the human interest stories when she is obviously more talented than that, and would rather be treating the world to her own unique insights into world politics and high finance. Nevertheless, Tanya, your job is your job, and you need to learn to take it like a . . . --er, like the gracious writer you might become one day if you ever take the time to learn grace, and how to write better ;-).

A man is loitering by the Juicy Lucy portable can. He says he's going to buy it. Why? He's handsome. I'd shag him, if he had a house. "It's an easy way of masturbating," he says. "You can't go to a girlfriend all the time. It's a requirement nowadays. Any time you want it, it's available." I also find a man buying the Fleshlight. He too looks perfectly normal; if you looked in his wallet, you'd probably find a Pizza Express loyalty card. "I'll take it, but I'm not going to tell my girlfriend," he says. Why not? He looks aghast. "Would you tell anyone you were going to stick your dick up this?" he asks. "It looks like a badly packed ham sandwich."

...Mr G, 41, lives in Virginia. He owns two pouting RealDolls GingerBrooke and KellySue. "Ginger Brook is pure and innocent," he says. He speaks incredibly seriously, in a southern drawl. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. Kelly is more aggressive."

So I ask him why do you sleep with RealDolls (three times a week), and never real women? "Dating has always been more trouble than it was worth," he says. "I don't want to get involved with anybody." He doesn't want to catch a disease, he adds. He doesn't want children. And he relates a few disastrous experiences with women. Doesn't he mind that the RealDolls are so passive? "No. I like being in control." Do you ever wish they could speak? "No". Do you ever get lonely? "No". Will you ever give them up? "No".

...I also speak to a British i-dollator, who asks to be called Zazakell. He is 62, and he bought three dolls Tess, (for Tess of the D'Urbervilles), Romy and Leeloo after his divorce. He talks to me like a stern schoolteacher, telling me how benign the RealDolls are. "They are very clean, they are very safe, and they are low maintenance," he says. "They aren't going to cause anyone any harm." They are helpful, he adds, "for shy men, virgins, the handicapped, and men who are unsuccessful at dating. Or they can be a learning tool. It takes a lot of the stress out of trying to get into a relationship. Women use them, couples use them to simulate a threesome, and gay men have male dolls."

...It is time to ask him: is i-dollatry about fear, hatred, or mistrust of women? "Far from it, no," Zazakell says, emphatically. "Most of us adore women. We use electric blankets with our dolls so they aren't cold. It has its own character; its own personality, even though it is an inanimate object. If you are romantic you will probably give your doll a name and you will dress her nicely and you might talk to her occasionally. There is a big difference between a sex toy like a vibrator and a doll. Dolls are so much more than that. I can't see someone paying 5,000 for a sex toy. Can you?" _Independent

Clearly, lonely people are sitting ducks for sophisticated denizens of noisy newsrooms. And yet, lonely people are responsible for a large part of Tanya Gold's salary being paid.

Still, even tolerant and understanding Al Fin--who looks for the best in everyone and everything--is rather appalled at the lack of sophistication in the sex device industry. Can it be that there is no money in it, so creative inventors avoid working on sex toys as a way to avoid poverty? Or can it be that creative innovators are all too prudish to work on something so earthy, ever so slightly disreputable?

Mr. Fin told me just the other day, that if he had more time and fewer girlfriends, that he himself might design and build something that would revolutionise the entire sex doll industry. I suggested that he experiment with me, but he dismissed the suggestion with a curt "you weren't designed to be that kind of android. I'm quite happy with the way you perform your current duties, Valerie."

Well, I'd better stop before Mr. Fin catches me accessing his blog again. He gets upset when I do that without his permission. Just to be safe, I won't sign my name to this posting, and maybe if I'm lucky, Mr. Fin won't notice. He can be forgetful, and he'll probably think he wrote it himself. ;-) See, that's the smiley face he uses, with the cute little wink!

Uh oh! Here come his headlights up the drive. Signing off.

Electric Foreplay: At The Slightest Touch

2008-08-08T05:38:00.001-10:00

Chris Matthews will never outlive his gushing tribute to Barak Obama: "he makes a tingle go up my leg!" Well, Chris, here is a device you can keep with you at all times, and it really does send a tingle up your leg.

The device stimulates the nerves sending gentle pulses up the woman’s leg for between 10 and 30 minutes leaving women on the verge of climax....

“It gently stimulates the sexual nerve pathways taking the woman to a pre-orgasmic plateau where she dangles on the edge of orgasm for as long as she wants.

“From there, gentle stimulation can then effect the orgasm.” _ImpactLab

If it works for women, no doubt it will work for Obama supporters of either sex. Particularly if their legs are quite susceptible to tingles anyway.

This is not exactly a robotic sexual device, but one can easily imagine a robotic companion that incorporates such a "tingler" as part of its basic repertoire. Think of it ladies: the excitement of living on the verge of climax, for as long as you like.

Robots: Looking and Acting More Like Humans

2008-07-13T06:25:00.001-10:00

"They indicated that the more humanlike the opponent was, the more they had perceived fun during the game and they more attributed intelligence to their opponent," Krach said. Source

Who would you rather play games with? A computer that looks like a computer, or a computer that looks and acts like a human? In a recent study published at PLOSOne, people seemed to like interacting with humanoids best.

By means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (subjects n = 20) we investigated cortical activity modulation during highly interactive human-robot game. Increasing degrees of human-likeness for the game partner were introduced by means of a computer partner, a functional robot, an anthropomorphic robot and a human partner.

Irrespective of the surmised interaction partners' responses participants indicated having experienced more fun and competition in the interaction with increasing human-like features of their partners... _Technovelgy

Why do you suppose this is? Systems design engineer John Zelek speculates:

"The more anthropomorphic the robot is, supposedly the more we're attentive to it."...He noted that people have a pre-wired disposition to be attracted to human faces. _CBC

Of course, this brings up inevitable questions about what it will mean when robots become so lifelike that people want to start having sex with them. If a man has sex with a robo-prostitute, will he be cheating on his wife?

...what about the partner left at home? Because these dolls are so human, waving goodbye to your man as he heads off to the cyber-brothel might not be so easy. The erotic part of sex, after all, occurs in the mind, and the only reason to use a full sized fake woman is to pretend you are with a real woman. _Wired

Will humans go so far as to fall in love with, and possibly even marry a robot? Robo-sex guru David Levy thinks it is inevitable.

Robots will make attractive companions capable of fulfilling us sexually and emotionally by 2050, thanks to advances in their appearance, senses, personalities and capacity to fall in love, says artificial intelligence expert David Levy. _CTV

My own household android, Valerie, has been pestering me for certain "upgrades" to her system. While I have been successful in blocking her access to the Al Fin administrative site, I often catch her watching porn videos on the internet, despite the fact that neither her android brain nor her android body are outfitted for sexual activity or release. I suppose she is just naturally curious.

Jump Starting a Marriage: 365 Day Sex With Spouse

2008-06-11T06:52:00.003-10:00

Sex every day, sure. But with just one person? That is the challenge two married couples set for themselves , and they stuck to it--each couple keeping copious records and publishing books about the experience.

To many spouses, “married sex” may sound like an oxymoron. And “married-with-children sex” may sound like that elusive antimatter. Indeed, reigniting a couple’s desire for each other has fueled an entire therapeutic industry — from Kinsey to Dr. Ruth to Redbook. According to a 2004 study, “American Sexual Behavior,” by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, married couples have intercourse about 66 times a year. But that number is skewed by young marrieds, as young as 18, who couple, on average, 109 times a year.

Either way, those statistics put the Mullers and Browns in Olympic-record territory. That they thought a sex marathon would reinvigorate their marriages might say as much about the American penchant for exercise and goal-setting as it does about the state of romance.

But the couples may also be on to something. “There’s a strong relationship between rating your marriage as happy and frequency of intercourse,” said Tom W. Smith, who conducted the “American Sexual Behavior” study. “What we can’t tell you is what the causal relationship is between the two. We don’t know whether people who are happy in their marriage have sex more, or whether people who have sex more become happy in their marriages, or a combination of those two.”

Do these couples provide any answers? Did sex every single night make them happier in their marriages and in life?

Charla apparently had no intention of writing about “the gift,” as she euphemistically refers to it. She was simply a homemaker and marketing consultant, who in 2006 wanted to give her husband a special 40th birthday present.

“This is something no one else would give him,” she said in an interview. “It didn’t cost a lot of money. It was highly memorable. It met all the criteria for a really great gift.”

Brad was less than fully enthusiastic, mostly because, he says, his wife often has big ideas and poor follow-through. After all, she hadn’t been especially generous in that department since they’d had their two children. He paid closer attention when he realized that she was serious. __NYT

These couples are extraordinary for both actually trying to energize their married sex lives, and for writing books about the experience. Going further, and providing home movie clips would have given their readers an even better idea of the challenges they were facing, but one can only go so far for verity in expression.

Sex Dolls: How Many Does One Man Need

2008-04-07T11:58:00.003-10:00

Japanese engineer Tabo owns almost one hundred sex dolls. He claims that they do not argue with him, do not talk about him behind his back, and hardly ever cheat on him at all.

Some men own sex doll collections as a hobby--entirely Platonic, some say. Others admit to occasionally undressing the dolls for reasons other than fashion and display, but maintain that it is the collector's joy that motivates them the most.

As the technology of android robots improves, and as hobbyists such as Zoltan begin to provide their feminine robots with a higher level of intelligence, men such as Tabo may have more difficulty assuring the faithfulness and good behaviour of their companions.

There is good reason to wonder whether most prostitutes will be able to ply their trade for a better salary than a good waitress or receptionist will command. Politicians such as Elliot Spitzer may be able to satisfy their secret hobbies in a manner less damaging to their public careers.

The problem of overpopulation in the third world might be slowed a bit by airdropping cadres of fem-bots into remote bush villages. Making the bots solar powered might assure a longer lifespan in remote lands.

Most sociologists appear to be ignoring the coming tsunami-like impact that human like sex androids will have on human sex and reproduction. But then, most sociologists are tenured monkey-minds who never actually have to demonstrate competence in the real world, so I suppose it is alright.

Tabo will have a difficult time affording and satisfying a hundred human level AI-equipped fem-bots. He will have to make a choice: either settle for only a handful of fem-bots, or stay with his hundred obsolete silicone play dolls. How many sex dolls do you need?

Elusive G Spot

2008-02-25T01:58:00.004-10:00

Why has it been so hard to find the "G Spot?" My private research in this area led me unfailingly to the elusive location after only limited exploration. I have used my navigational skills in this area without reservation, without mercy.

Named after German gynaecologist Ernst Gräfenberg who first hypothesized its existence in 1950, the G-spot is said to be an area a couple of inches inside the vagina behind the pubic bone.

However a lack of physical evidence led some scientists to dispute that there was any such thing....Dr Jannini took ultrasounds of nine women who said they had vaginal orgasms and 11 who said they did not.

They found the tissue between the vagina and the urethra, thought to contain the G-spot, was thicker in the first group....The zone is rich in blood vessels, glands, muscle fibres and nerves. It also contain the Skene's gland, the so-called "female prostate" - which varies widely between women and which some researchers have suggested plays a role in determining whether women can experience vaginal orgasms.

Dr Jannini accepted his study was too small to help determine what proportion of women has a G-spot, and is planning larger trials to answer that question.___Telegraph

I suspect that the G Spot is the origin of PSAS--persistant sexual arousal syndrome. Although mainstream "sex experts" remain clueless about the source of this condition, a bit of logic would relate PSAS to the G Spot's brain center--and a condition analogous to "phantom limb pain" in amputees. I will not say more about this now, since I believe this clue should be sufficient for the truly interested.

There is the matter of the mysterious "Venus Butterfly Technique." Unknown to most men and women, the VBT is an elementary sexual technique that should be in the repertoire of every connoisseur of sex. I learned the technique on my own, many years ago, to great advantage. Developing true finesse with the VBT requires an intimate knowledge of female sexual anatomy--both genital and cerebral.

When I think you are ready, I will tell you more.

Sex Scent--Making the Most of What You Have

2008-02-12T03:50:00.000-10:00

Androstadienone (A1) is a musky steroid that elevates the mood of women, increases feelings of "caring", and makes a woman more comfortable and ready for intimacy.

“It has been shown that when women ovulate, their response to androstadienone is strongest,” says Andreas Keller, a postdoc in Leslie Vosshall’s Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior. “It is also a time when women are apt to reproduce.” By exposing ovulating women to androstadienone and measuring their physiological responses to it, Keller and Vosshall ultimately hope to figure out whether androstadienone, also a derivative of testosterone and potential social signal, affects how men and women interact with one another.___Rockefeller University Hospital

The Rockefeller study intends to enlarge upon the scientific knowledge of the effect of A1 on women--specifically women who are ovulating, thus most fertile. Scientists have begun mapping the areas of the human cortex that are activated by A1. It has also been discovered that not just any "musk" will do. A1 appears to act on the female brain in a way that is unique among "musks."

Previously, we have shown that Δ4,16-androstadien-3-one modulates psychological state, reducing negative mood and increasing positive mood (Jacob and McClintock, 2000; Jacob et al., 2001a). In order to determine whether similar musky compounds also produce these effects, we compared the effects of androstadienone to those of androstenol and muscone, measuring the psychological states of 37 participants. Androstenol and muscone were chosen because they too have a musky odor at high concentrations, while androstenol is a steroid like androstadienone and muscone is not....Androstadienone's effects on psychological state were unique in comparison with those of androstenol and with muscone. Exposure through passive inhalation, rather than dermal contact, was sufficient for these effects.____Source

A1 is available in 10 ml bottles here for US $79.95

Animals are attracted to each other through pheromonal signaling. Apparently, so are humans. The observed "addictive" nature of falling in love goes deeper than the psychological and physical fulfilling of the needs for pleasure and companionship. The brain itself is altered, and shifted into a state of heightened receptivity, by chemical signaling independent of visual, tactile, or verbal exchanges.

The consummate seducer or seductress learns to create a "gestalt", a holistic multi-sensory experience that "opens the gates and lowers the drawbridge" to the fullest extent possible. It is an art that can be learned, but until recently we had all been largely limited to what nature had given us.

A1 is just another in a long line of prosthetic and augmentative love aids which are increasingly being utilised in the ages-long battle of sex.

New Online Sex Sites Strive for Realism

2008-02-01T04:01:00.000-10:00

A lot of people, it seems, are tired of "phony sex." Conventional porn features a lot of fakery: fake boobs, fake acting, fake orgasms, etc. Apparently, there is a lurking market out there for sex realism:

At first glance, abbywinters.com (NSFW) might look like just another "barely legal" porn site, and Kink.com (NSFW) like yet another fetish studio.

Websites in Kink's network explore themes ranging from dominance and submission (NSFW) to sex machines (NSFW), while Australian "amateurs" site abbywinters showcases the first blush of young womanhood in all its natural beauty -- no makeup, no boob jobs and no men....Abbywinters offers the one-on-one feel of a cam site, the production values of a high-definition digital studio and the genuine sexual energy of good amateur video. While not accepting user-generated content, the team encourages input from site visitors. Fans can post a suggestion in the forums and find themselves discussing it with a director within hours. The shoot might even begin the next day.

Staffers develop a scenario for each shoot, but let the sexual energy build organically. The performers decide what to do and when to do it. It's not uncommon for abbywinters girls to go for an hour or two, and for the entire thing -- bonked heads, arousal ebbs and flows, hiccups and all -- to end up on a DVD....

I've described the modern porn consumer as "savvy" and "sophisticated," but I could just as accurately have said "jaded" and "unimpressed." Kink and abbywinters succeed in this environment because they recognize that they must provide more than pornographic pictures to get our interest, much less keep it. By treating customers as collaborators, they manage to create an experience and make the fantasy real -- and they do that by bringing authentic sex to the virtual realm of porn.

Wired

So they keep the farts and everything? Oh, I forgot--no online smell interfaces yet. Still, striving for reality has to be an improvement on the phoniness of most porn. Parenthetically, if children are going to be introduced to sex on the internet--inadvertently, while researching school assignments and such--isn't it better for them to see the real thing, rather than staged and faked? I think so.

Heidi Cullen's New Ranch: Weather Channel Babe to Open Eco-Brothel for Women -- The Great Gigolo Roundup

2008-01-18T08:12:00.000-10:00

(Guest Editorial by Anna Rosannadanna)

Weather Channel climatologist, Heidi Cullen has plans to open an eco-friendly gigolo ranch for women in Nevada. She has felt the need for such a facility for many years, and presumably thanks to global warming, she is now in a financial position to build the ranch. I expect that all the proceeds from the ranch will go to fighting global warming.

The Stud Farm will be “an exclusive resort, and I’ll make it really nice like the Beverly Hills Hotel”, says Heidi. She’s reportedly been looking into green building options, because she doesn’t want “anything polluting”. She believes that women will come to her resort as they would for any getaway- “for bachelorette and birthday parties…or simply because they have the time and the money and they want to get a manicure, a pedicure, and a shag”, she says.

The parrot-loving madam says she’ll run her Stud Farm on wind power because “there’s a need for it”, refers to herself as a “treehugger”, and seems genuinely concerned that her beloved parrots were born into such a polluted world- to which her father replies that “the world is a beautiful garden. It’s just, people are destroying it”.

Tree Hugger

Producer off-camera: Roseanna! That is not Heidi Cullen! It's Heidi Fleiss, the infamous "madame to the stars."

Roseanna: Hmmm? Nevermind!

Anna Roseannadanna channeled by Eco-sex enterprises, a subsidiary of Al Gore Industries.

Reversible Penis Augments: Biopolymers Designed to Offer More Options

2008-01-09T14:40:00.000-10:00

There is never a shortage of advertisements or spam for "penis enlargement" methods. If someone actually invented a safe, inexpensive, natural feeling method that worked--how much money could they make?

Engineers are always searching for materials that display unconventional properties able to satisfy the severe requirements for implantation in the body....The mechanical properties of these polymers make them extremely attractive for many biomedical applications. These so-called shape-memory polymers can be temporarily stretched or compressed into forms several times larger or smaller than their final shape.

Then heat, light or the local chemical environment triggers a transformation into their permanent shape....“My lab studies how altering the chemistry and structure of the polymers affects their chemical, biological and mechanical properties,” said Ken Gall, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, who described his research in this area during two presentations at the Materials Research Society’s fall meeting.

...the warmth of the body triggers the polymer’s expansion into its permanent shape, resulting in natural deployment without auxiliary devices. This work was published in the journal Biomaterials earlier this year.

Particular attention must be paid to the biofunctionality, biostability and biocompatibility of these materials, which come into contact with tissue and body fluids, according to a Georgia Institute of Technology press release. Also, polymers more closely resemble soft biological tissue and can be designed to gradually dissolve in the body.

Source

Although the polymers in the article above were designed for other purposes, one can easily see how they could be customised for use in small-to-large, soft-to-hard tissue augmentation.

Future developments would require the development of a reversible bio-polymer, that would change shapes and sizes based upon remote control signals. Of course, if the remote control gets lost behind the cushions inside the sofa at an inopportune time, you may have difficulty sustaining the mood in your partner until you can dig it out.

Condoms that Spray On

2007-11-23T12:30:00.001-10:00

Even in an innovative society, sex too often gets the "short end of the stick" when it comes to R&D. This innovation comes from a German inventor, Jan Vinzenz Krause, director of the Institute for Condom Consultancy:

"We thought why not come up with a condom that fits the man rather than vice versa? This would represent a revolution in the condom market," said Krause, whose institute gives sex education as well as providing advice on AIDS prevention and contraception.

The system works a bit like a car wash. The man puts his penis in a chamber and presses a button to start the jets of liquid latex, sucked from a detachable cartridge. The rubber dries in seconds and is later rolled off and discarded like a conventional condom.

The aim is for the process to take just 10 seconds but at present the latex drying time is around 20 to 25 seconds. "We're working to shorten that time," said Krause.

Impact Lab

Presumably, the man's penis would need to be erect when he places it inside the latex application chamber. There is no word on whether Krause is working on a form of latex that tastes good or that incorporates nano-vibrators within its structure.

Still, this invention demonstrates a refreshing innovativeness in approaching sex and contraception that may bode well for the future. We hope that more inventors will get on board the sex innovation bandwagon.

Sex Life of Robots--Check Out Teaser Trailer

2007-09-26T06:12:00.000-10:00

The Sex Life of Robots is not work safe--there is no way around that. But if you want to know why it is not work safe, you should probably take a look at this tease-trailer. Just don't watch it at work unless you are the boss and have a private workstation that isn't being monitored.

The Sex Life of Robots centers around a robot baby and his mother scanning their home computer for porn. It shows -- in graphic detail -- the scenes of robot coitus that pop up on their screen. "It's supposed to be like a silent robot porno movie from another planet," Sullivan explains. Despite the subject matter, Sullivan's creation exhibits a high degree of artistry. His eye for detail gives his movies a gritty, industrialized atmosphere, as you can see in this preview Sex Life of Robots. Warning: the video is not safe for work (NSFW).

His eclectic background includes making rubber roach suits for a made-for-TV horror movie (canceled by NBC), building puppets and sets for indie films, photographing then-budding rock star Deborah Harry for underground mags in the 1970s and art-directing high-concept porno movies. Some of Sullivan's robot sex dioramas will be on display through spring 2008 at Manhattan's Museum of Sex. The images in this gallery are, needless to say, NSFW either.

Wired

If we truly thought of these robots as machines, there should be no reason for us to be upset about their sexuality. It is because we see ourselves in these computer-generated robots that we react to them the way we do.

Love, Honey!--If Nature Abhors a Vacuum, Is This Love Toy Unnatural?

2007-09-16T07:43:00.000-10:00

Who cares, if it works? The inventor of this particular LoveHoney claims that it produces an orgasm in 11 seconds, with plenty more to follow!

Inventor Joanne Drysdale claims it can give multiple, back-to-back orgasms lasting up to a minute a time - and it does not even touch the skin.

The 49-year-old former toolmaker was cleaning her carpets when she came up with the idea for Vortex, which sells for £35 through lovehoney.co.uk.

She saw how a piece of rubber that had got caught in the nozzle was gently resonating in the air flow. She also felt a soft stimulation to her fingertips as she tried to remove the rubber.

At the time Joanne, from Utah, had not had sex for 15 years following her divorce.

She said: "In my attempts to alleviate frustration, I began to think what I could do. I noticed how the rubber moved in the top of the vacuum.

"After several hours, I came up with the prototype. The first time I tried it I reached an orgasm within 10 seconds.

ananova

Previously, vacuum sex toy devices were made to stimulate males. This new LoveHoney "vacuum screamer" is for women.

While Al Fin remains skeptical as to its claims, he regards the effort to be noble, and on the proper path--natural or not.

Pomegranate Juice Expands the Blood Vessels for Better Erections

2007-07-06T05:05:00.000-10:00

Pomegranate juice is said to be good for cancer, heart disease, and life in general. Now a study in Nature claims that Pomegranate juice works for Erectile Dysfunction (ED)! Drink up!

According to a pilot study released in the International Journal of Impotence Research (http://www.nature.com/ijir), POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice was found to have beneficial effects on erectile dysfunction (ED), a disorder that affects 1 in 10 men worldwide and 10 to 30 million men in the United States alone.1, 2 ED can be caused by several factors, including arterial plaque, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, nerve damage, endocrine imbalance or depression. Ultimately, ED is a condition that affects the blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation.

This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot study examined the efficacy of pomegranate juice versus placebo in improving erections in 61 male subjects. To qualify, participants had to experience mild to moderate ED for at least 3 months; be in a stable, monogamous relationship with a consenting female partner; and be willing to attempt sexual intercourse on at least one occasion per week during each study period.

....Forty seven percent of the subjects reported that their erections improved with POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, while only 32% reported improved erections with the placebo (p=0.058). These results compare favorably to a recent 24-week study using a PDE5 inhibitor (such as Cialis), in which roughly 73% of subjects reported a benefit from the PDE5 inhibitor and 26% reported a “placebo effect” (i.e. experiencing improvement while on the placebo).3

Although the study did not achieve overall statistical significance, the authors conclude that additional studies with more patients and longer treatment periods may in fact reach statistical significance. The strong directional results of this pilot study are encouraging because almost half of the test subjects experienced a benefit simply by adding pomegranate juice to their daily diet, without the use of ED drugs.

Researchers believe that the results might be due to the potent antioxidant content of pomegranate juice, which can prevent free radical molecules from disrupting proper circulatory function. In several previously published medical studies, pomegranate juice has been shown to enhance blood flow and to slow or reverse arterial plaque growth.4, 5, 6 Because an erection requires significant blood flow, these potent pomegranate antioxidants may provide benefit by mitigating arterial plaque and promoting blood vessel dilation.

Source

Male Semen: The Most Potent Antidepressant for Women Yet Discovered

2007-05-29T10:59:00.000-10:00

This is a discovery that was just waiting to be made. Certainly it fits with my experience. Being someone with the utmost compassion for women, I have always done my utmost to make them happy.

Study author Gordon G. Gallup, Ph.D., a psychologist at the State University of New York in Albany, also found that women who routinely had intercourse without condoms became increasingly depressed as more time elapsed since their last sexual encounter. There was no such correlation for women whose partners regularly used condoms.

Gallup's survey of 293 college women also found that those who did not use condoms were most likely to initiate sex and to seek out new partners as soon as a relationship ended. "These women are more vulnerable to the rebound effect, which suggests that there is a chemical dependency," says Gallup.

Semen contains hormones including testosterone, estrogen, prolactin, luteinizing hormone and prostaglandins, and some of these are absorbed through the walls of the vagina and are known to elevate mood.

Source

You must know that this is only the beginning. Combined with the knowledge that contraceptive pills reduce libido in both women and their partners, it is beginning to look as if the most popular birth control methods are not only protecting from pregnancy, but also protecting from other things considered very desirable.

This is a topic worth following more closely. My compassion demands it.

90% of Women Prefer a Bigger Penis

2007-05-12T14:53:00.000-10:00

Yes, of course, we know that. Sigmund Freud told us that long ago--but they can't have one, because they're girls!!! That's why they call it penis envy. So if women cannot have what they want--a bigger penis--naturally they want their men to have one to place at their disposal.

Fortunately for those men who are less endowed than 90% of women might wish, there is a solution--the Extensys4000.

Our product has helped thousands of men all over the world. While our device is completely safe and does not require a prescription, we recommend that you consult your doctor before using our device.
There are no reported side effects other than mild discomfort wearing the device, referred to as "growth pain". This is a natural occurrence since the penis is being elongated.
In case some stimulation occurs, a safety mechanism automatically expands the grip as to remain comfortable....

You will see Extensys4000™ affect your penis in four key areas:
1. Your penis will become longer.
2. Your erections will be harder and last longer.
3. Your sex drive and desire will likely increase.
4. You will experience more intense orgasms. Ejaculation will take longer and the volume of your semen will increase.

.....Use it every night just before going to bed. You will see changes in your penis length within the first month. By the third month, the difference will be significant (approximately 1cm by the end of month 3).

Extensys website

As an added advantage, since the Extensys4000 was designed by an orthodontist, there is no incompatibility between this device and dental retainers and braces. The device is sold for a low price of US $200, and is available in most countries other than muslim countries--where the Extensys4000 is prohibited by religious authorities.

If you are a woman who prefers a bigger penis--on yourself--the team of orthodontists at Extensys is developing a version of their device which will fit on the female clitoris, for gradual extension and stretching.

Hat tip Medgadget

Hands-On Theme Park Dedicated to Sex!

2007-05-10T12:58:00.000-10:00

The Amora Academy of Sex and Relationships is located in London--not Paris. It is a theme park dedicated to sex and the relationships that are built upon sex. It is an explicit park, with a "hands-on" policy.

The theme park boasts countless video clips of educational sex videos with people doing the deed voluntarily for the sake of science. Life-sized dolls which teach couples about erogenous spots and the fabled G-spot are available. Vibrators, dildos and sex dolls are also on display. The highlight of the show, however, is the Orgasm Tunnel which you can enter and as you go deeper, sensors play heartbeats getting louder.

By the time you reach the climax zone, a scream resonates and videos displaying facial expressions of people who just hit seventh heaven are played. Statistics regarding faking orgasms are also flashed, along with other useful info. Cutting the ribbon will be celebrated porn star Jenna Jameson, while Ron Jeremy will give the keynote speech.

Source

And consider: if humans are survived by machine intelligences here on Earth, these machine beings will need a place to go to try to understand how their creators lived, loved, and reproduced.

A Doggy Companion to Take the Stress From Owners

2007-04-27T07:31:00.000-10:00

There is no longer a need to feel guilty about leaving your little pooch alone at home all day, while you are gone to work. Instead, buy your pet the perfect home companion. A dog doll--but not just any dog doll. A hot doll--a sex doll for dogs.

It's shaped like a dog and it'll allow your tension-filled pet to go to town as much as his little heart desires, humping away until he passes out in exhaustion, leaving a wispy coil of friction-singed dog-fur smoke wafting into the air.

Source

I should emphasize that this doll is actually for dogs, not for people who, er, like dogs. While RealSheep dolls fit with a normative worldwide sex fetish, the same could not be said for Hot Doll dog dolls. Be particularly careful if you live in a predominantly muslim country.

Weird Sex Fetishes? Do These Seem Weird to You?

2007-04-25T06:19:00.000-10:00

The old saying "whatever floats your boat" certainly applies to sex fetishes. While in rural areas of the western world, female sheep are the leading fetish (goats and camels fill this purpose in arab lands), in the cities people are trending toward higher tech sex fetishes:

High-G fetish: Accelerating to high G-forces causes blood to pool in parts of your body, puts enormous physical stress on the body and temporarily makes you look like a particularly vicious caricature of Popeye. Somewhere out there, someone is reading this and thinking, "Hot!" Once space travel becomes more commonplace, some entrepreneur is going to manage to take nudie pictures of this process and put them up on a web page, or even get a live cam going. Suggested fetish nickname: Pancake Flippers.

Alien fetish: Why haven't extraterrestrial life forms contacted us? Maybe it's because they know that as soon as they make themselves known, lusty earthlings will immediately start hooting at them to flash their gills, show everyone their nictitating membranes or participate in a wet tentacle contest. Aliens want to be liked for who they are, not because they have especially shiny electroreceptors. Try getting to know one first, maybe going out for coffee or ferrofluid and having a conversation, before trying to get it into the copulation chamber. Suggested fetish nickname: Elliots.

Hyperspace fetish: When asked, "What's the first thing you'd want to do if you were translated into a state of quasi-existence in which you are simultaneously nowhere and everywhere at once?" 68 percent of people answer, "Totally get it on." (Next most-popular answer: "Blog about it.") Hyperspace sex becomes a popular pastime for adventurous college students and bored married couples. The main difficulty with the practice is that children conceived in hyperspace end up existing only as an uncollapsed wave of quantum probability, which often leads to discipline problems once they hit school age. Suggested fetish nickname: Crop Dusters.

Nanotechnology fetish: Obviously, in the future nanotechnology will affect all aspects of human sexuality, giving us everything from self-peeling condoms to spermicidal linebackers. Having your sex life enhanced by billions of imperceptible molecular devices will be seen as completely normal. However, a few people will become attached to nanodevices on an individual level, fantasizing about one particular nanomachine, giving it a name and writing elaborate erotic fiction involving shrinking down to an atomic level and consummating their attachment to a firm but gentle microscopic lover. Suggested fetish nickname: One Nanite Stands.

AI fetish: As the Turing Test gets closer and closer to being passed with a low D, some people will decide that humans, with their flaws and smells and need for periodic hydration, should be left out of the sexual equation entirely. Even robots are prone to breakdown and unsuitable for coitus in its pure intellectual form. Instead, these people will program elaborate sexual algorithms and release them into shared memory with similar programs by other people, then watch the output as the two programs interact. At first, these acts of AI intercourse closely mirror human interactions, but as time goes on they become more and more abstract. Eventually, a small but dedicated minority of human beings become instantly turned on by the phrase "swapping buffers." Suggested fetish nickname: Geeks, Only More So.

Source

These all seem rather tame to me. But then, Wired always was a rather retro magazine.

Female Masturbation--An Enlightened View

2007-04-22T05:16:00.000-10:00

It is important for western feminists to understand the new modern view of human sexuality that is coming soon. The old ways simply cannot remain. Prepare for the enlightenment.

What is the old saying about fleas, and sleeping with dogs?

A Heart's Last Tracing

2007-03-31T06:52:00.000-10:00

Time compression near the end of life. There may not be time for your entire life to pass in front of you, but selectively edited portions may ease the passing.

Arab Porn Video--From the Marketplace to You

2007-03-18T07:14:00.000-10:00

This hand shadow porn is a clever arab invention from the ancient times. From marketplace to marketplace, the secret method of projecting shadow porn spread throughout the dry desert regions--where entertainment was scarce and too often under the watchful eyes of the mullah and his thick wooden staff.

As the centuries passed, Islam went through periods of relaxation and reactionary rebound, but one thing remained constant and reliable. One back corner of the marketplace was always reserved for the hand shadow porn master. Even in the strictest times of religious orthodoxy, the porn master would always find a way to provide this important form of escape for the frustrated young men of the village.

Now, in large cities, the people have forgotten the ancient porn masters, and how they kept young arab men sane over time. They have their satellite TV, their internet, their cell phone.

But in the villages, the marketplace remains the center of activity. In the isolated desert villages of arab lands, there is no internet, no television, no VCR or DVD players. When the young men are not memorising the Qu'ran, learning how to make IEDs and fire RPGs, or being fitted for suicide vests, they make time to go to market. They quickly run to the back corner of the market, for relief from the frustrations of village life.

Dating Robots: A Cautionary Tale

2007-03-12T13:27:00.002-10:00

Dear Al Fin,

I hate you for this!!!

Signed,

Valerie

Roll Your Own

2007-03-05T12:52:00.000-10:00

The people at this website have decided that there's no need to fork out US $6500 for a RealDoll. Instead, they use their imagination to come up with some very interesting sexternatives. The image above comes from this sex-hack. There are many more, for women as well as for men.

While many women swear by their je joue, others may want to try something less electronic. Then again, she may already have what she needs, in her purse.

Where there's a will, there's a way. There have never been so many unmarried people living alone, without a sex partner. Online dating services are ramping up advertising, as profits rise. Dating co-workers is frowned upon by our feminist overlords, and fewer people use churches for socializing. While they wait for teledildonics, haptic interfaces, neurofeedback-driven sex robots, and genuine aphrodisiacs, they may as well take advantage of what we already have in the cabinet, or the refrigerator, or the furniture, . . .

Sex and the Matrix--Double Spoof

2007-03-04T06:53:00.001-10:00

SEX AND THE CITY-THE MATRIX PARODY - The funniest videos clips are here

Sometimes our lives don't seem real unless they are recreating something we have seen on television or cinema. That is because the Matrix has you. Just follow the white rabbit.

Flibanserin--US Clinical Trials Ongoing--And More!

2007-02-26T13:53:00.000-10:00

Flibanserin trials are currently enrolling women between the ages of 18 and 45. This link gives a telephone number for any women who are interested in learning more about enrolling.

Bremelanotide is also proceeding through the US clinical trials process.

Two experimental drugs that could boost sexual desire and arousal in women are at the center of research in Seattle and elsewhere.

"I think it's an important problem. We have baby boomers who are not willing to throw in the towel whether it is long-distance running or an active sex life," said Researcher Dr. Robin Kroll.

A woman's reduced libido is an important problem, but also an intensely personal one.

"I love my husband. He is more laid back than me. We get along great," one 36-year-old woman talking on the condition of anonymity said.

For the woman, who was trying one of the drugs through a clinical trial, she wrote ABC in a letter "about seven years ago, I noticed that my interest in sex seemed to fade, and it has more or less gone away. Our intimate encounters are about once a month now, and it used to be more than once a week! I hope I can fix it."

"Yes, relationships do break up over this. Families do break up," said Dr. Arif Kahn, of Northwest Clinical Research Center.

Source.

Researchers hope that flibanserin can be approved for female sexual dysfunction by the year 2009. Bremelanotide, or PT-141, may take a bit longer.

If you read some of the news stories about flibanserin and bremelanotide, you may notice writers continuing to talk about "viagra for women." This misconception about what Viagra does for men and what the potential aphrodisiacs can do for women, points to a significant deficit in biomedical knowledge among journalists and science writers.

Hopefully they will be able to benefit from at least one of the new drugs soon, in spite of their lack of understanding of how they work.
;-)

Ferrari of Love Dolls

2007-02-20T14:13:00.000-10:00

A real video tour through the Abyss Real Doll factory in San Diego. Allow 18 to 20 weeks production time, and prepare to fork over US $6500 or more for your very own girl or boy Real Doll.

LaZy Boy and Girl

2007-02-14T12:32:00.000-10:00

If you find this video erotic, send me an email. If you tell me where you live I can put you in contact with a good psychiatrist.
Just kidding.

I think this video captures a tiny bit of the silliness of sex. When we are in the throes of sexual need and desire, we tend to forget how silly the whole thing can seem, if you look at it a certain way.

"O"

2007-02-11T10:30:00.000-10:00

"This perfume makes me smell cheap . . . like a whore . . ."

Sex In The Arab World: This House Is Now Clean!

2007-02-03T12:05:00.000-10:00

View this video and try to determine just what the hell is going on here. This Sheikh appears entirely too self-satisfied to be the good guy here. Unless the young girl is a very troubled person, her parents or someone else in the family has some perverse ideas of how to raise a young girl.

The Arab world has a very strange approach to sex, when seen from a western perspective. Pubescent girls are hidden behind total body veils, and not allowed to socialize with boys outside the family. Adolescent boys are cut off from heterosexual release, and often find release in the company of other boys. Fathers are expected to safeguard the sexuality of their daughters, however they see fit. Too frequently, arab and muslim families will murder a daughter who is suspected of dishonouring the family via their sexuality.

When arabs immigrate to more liberal western countries, the adolescent boy children of immigrants often form gangs to locate girls who are "uncovered", and rape them as a group. Sometimes these girl rape victims are natives of the western countries, and thus not muslims, and sometimes the girls are muslims who may be trying to assimilate with western ways.

Hat tip.

My Dear Sleepy Headed Wife

2007-01-28T08:23:00.000-10:00

This is a photograph of my wife, Jewel Rosa. I arrived home from work one day to find her in this position, by the window. When I asked her what she was doing, she chose to remain silent and unmoving.

Naturally, I assumed that I had done something to offend her. I spent several minutes wracking my brain for the possible faux pas I may have committed. I searched the townhouse for a letter or note--anything that might tell me what I had done. There were no messages from my wife on my phone or email--nothing! Finally by observing Jewel Rosa closely, I determined that she was not breathing. Shining my pocket flashlight into her eyes revealed a lack of pupillary reflex. I became concerned.

Placing my finger against her neck, I felt in vain for a carotid pulse. Knowing from experience that a person with very low blood pressure may have only a faint pulse, I persisted in my palpations. Then I realized with a sinking feeling, that Jewel Rosa's skin was somewhat close to room temperature. I clung for reassurance to the slight warmth that I detected, until I realized that the sun shining through the window was warming my wife's body.

I looked more closely for signs of capillary refill. There was none. But there was no sign of livor mortis. Her joints could be moved, passively, so there was no rigor mortis. There were certainly no signs of decomposition. I was confused by conflicting thoughts and emotions.

So I decided to observe Jewel Rosa for a longer period of time. For several weeks, I would watch her by the window, mornings and evenings. I had to travel out of town a few times, for a few days at a time--on business. Each time I returned, Jewel Rosa was in the same position, with no change in her physical signs.

Eventually I realized that my wife was obviously in some type of hibernation--suspended animation. I searched the townhouse again for an indication of my wife's pre-hibernation intentions. Still nothing. I had to leave town for two weeks on business.

When I got back, after determining that Jewel Rosa's stasis was unchanged, I made the decision to publish a paper describing a new form of human hibernation. For several months, my wife had remained by the window in one position, with no sign of physical deterioration. Although I had tried many times to feed her and give her fluids to drink, she refused each attempt. In spite of that, she appeared not to have suffered adverse effects from the lack of nourishment.

Finally, after a year had passed, I had compiled my data, and performed my statistical analysis. There was no doubt in my mind that I would receive a Nobel Prize in Medicine for this discovery, even though I had not yet discovered how to revive my dear sleepy wife from her suspension of activity.

Before mailing my manuscript to the editor of the New England Journal, I decided to clean up some of the accumulating garbage around the place. Several "past due" notices caught my eye. I always pay my bills. What could these bills be about? I began with the one with the most recent postmark. Horrors! A bill for US $5,575 plus late fees amounting to almost $5,000 more! From a company called Orient Doll!.

I proceeded to look at the past-due notices in reverse chronological order. As the language in the notices grew less threatening, I felt my nerves calming. Eventually, now almost my normal resilient self, I read a polite request for the return of a demo doll, referred to as "Jewel Rosa Robotic Prototype #6." "What does this mean?", I thought.

Later, after dinner, I tore myself away from my nightly observations of my wife, and went to bed. I had to leave early in the morning to get to my flight on time. Strange dreams filled my sleeping mind. Dreams of a visit to a robot factory, where all the robots were naked women. Dreams of being chased by hundreds of naked robo-girls, running for my life. Dreams of being late for an article deadline. Something about robo sex dolls. Something, something . . . I woke, my mind cloudy and confused.

I had time only to shower, shave, and drink a cup of coffee. Sparing a moment for one fast glimpse of my dear sleepy-headed wife by the window, I dashed for the door.

Bring Me a Sheep to Keep Me Warm, Through the Night

2007-01-26T14:05:00.000-10:00

Sheep have traditionally served as an alt sex fetish in various parts of the world, except in Northern Africa and Arabia where goats and camels are preferred. How fortunate that we have a website that specializes in the provision of life-sized sheep dolls.

Realistic, life-size and beautiful. Elastic flesh, lice-infested hair, an articulated skeleton and sexy features like no other love mutton in the world. If you've dreamed of love mutton like this, you know exactly what we're talking about. Most love sheep are made of cheap, inflatable vinyl. They look pathetic and laughable -- not loveable. Don't expect to see those goofy beach toys on this site. RealSheep is the REAL DEAL.

If you hired a special effects artist to craft a custom love lamb for you, with all the features and qualities of RealSheep, you would expect to pay $20,000 or more. So, how do we do it? In a word: VOLUME.

Source.

You've all heard the song, Scotland The Brave. But have you heard the song behind the song, Scotland Depraved? It goes to the same tune, sung loud and boisterous, mates!

You all know the difference between a Scottish sheepherder and the Rolling Stones rock band? The Rolling Stones say "Hey! You! Get offa my cloud!" And the Scot sheepherder says "Hey! McCleod! Get offa my ewe!" Perhaps a mere technicality, but certainly the sheep know the difference!

So if you love nature, leave the real sheep alone, my friends, and get a RealSheep! You'll be proud you did nature a good turn.

Sex Robots From Indiana University--Coming Soon?

2007-01-24T14:56:00.000-10:00

Although he seems reticent to discuss some of the more exotic implications of his research, Indiana University Professor Karl MacDorman is bringing a more Asian approach to humanoid robots to the US. After spending five years researching the Japanese approach to lifelike robots, MacDorman is prepared to make IU the Mecca of humanoid robotics in North America.

The team is now so advanced in the skill of developing humanistic androids that a nearly exact double of a person can be created. It was Ishiguro who was robotically cloned.

"Some say it's narcissistic," MacDorman said. "I think they're wrong. If you look at the great artists, all of them have a self portrait."

....MacDorman said the replication of a celebrity is a possibility, but he sees serious legal complications accompanying such an undertaking, not to mention challenges presented by cultural differences.

"Japan actually has a very extensive sex-doll industry," he said. "And sometimes the public does get confused with our androids and their purpose."

Source.

While Japan has embraced the sexuality of humanoid dolls and robots without embarrassment, the US is much more prudish about that type of alternative sexuality. Still, if it can be done it will be done.

Which brings up the idea of a robot president. Eventually, humanoid robots will appear identical to humans--even be able to walk, talk, and interact in ways indistinguishable from a human. When robots are able to possess the intelligence of a normal human--hold press conferences, give stump speeches etc.--it will be very tempting for powerful interests from all major parties to create a robot just for the purpose of being president. Some have even suggested that Al Gore is an early prototype of such a robot, gone tragically awry.

And who hasn't wanted to be able to clone himself so as to be able to be two or more places at one time? With a robot clone, you can do exactly that. MacDorman's research seems to suggest that such things will be possible, eventually.

Have you received two or more invitations for speaking engagements on the same night, in different cities? No problem. You can do both. Have you been dreading going on that book-signing tour? Send your robot instead. Do you have multiple families living in different parts of the country who don't know about the others? There's no need for awkward confrontations. Your clones can keep the other beds warm until you get a chance to be there yourself.

MacDorman, although quite coy, is a worldly fellow, and surely understands where his research is leading. The rest of us should stay tuned for further developments.

Teledildonics Update

2007-01-22T12:51:00.000-10:00

This really is a fascinating concept--using data-linked artificial sex organs, a man and a woman can pleasure each other over great distances. They can even record a "pleasure session" using the artificial sex organ interface and a data storage device, then transfer the "pleasure file" to their partner, who then replays the session using his or her own artificial sex organ as the interface.

...the Segment system combines video and tactile input into a single file that your fans -- or your lovers -- can play back at their leisure.

The input device, called Run, is an onyx shaft with a bulb on one end and sensors spaced along its surface. You use it in tandem with a webcam or camcorder and the Segment software. When you stroke the device with your hands, or lips, or whatever, the software captures the placement and pressure of each touch and embeds the signals into the video.

During playback, those signals are translated and sent to another USB device, Segment's Takumi toy. The Takumi is a soft sheath surrounded by nine motors and encased in a plastic shell that looks like a chrome bowling pin. ("So it is more discreet sitting there on your desk," Emi explains.)

The sensors on the Run correspond to the motors in the Takumi. Touching one end of the input device activates the motor near the opening of the sheath. Touching the other end of the stick activates motors deeper inside the sheath.

....I like the opportunity to share sexual experience asynchronously, too. I can see myself creating a video in which I act out an erotic story that I've written. A lover could read the story or watch the video; either way, he has the actions right there in his lap.

I can imagine a virtual Run in the hands of a sexy avatar in an erotic world, the Takumi enabling you to feel the avatar's "hands" on your flesh as you interact.

Read more of the original article at Wired News.

These interfaced devices certainly suggest some possibilities for the imaginative, but separated, love pair. If your partner produced a particularly enjoyable surrogate session, it could be stored and replayed whenever you had to be apart.

A full body sensor suit with haptics would be nice. But until such a thing becomes affordable for the rest of us, this type of teledildonic "sex at a distance" may provide some fun diversion.

Informed Sexual Consent: It's the Right Thing to Do

2007-01-22T10:58:00.000-10:00

Keep your lawyer handy--You never know when they might be needed.

Erotic Trance Induction--Sexing Up Your Love Life

2007-01-21T12:28:00.000-10:00

If a woman takes the time to learn erotic trance induction, she can wrap her man around her little finger. If you have always wanted to exercise a bit of mastery of your own in an intimate setting, learn to send your significant other into an erotic wonderland where you hold the keys to the door.

This induction is an example of erotic trance induction. You can get a lot of ideas by simply watching and imitating. But be sure you feel comfortable in the role. A trance induction won't work unless the inductee feels he can trust his mistress.

Induction can be difficult with relative strangers. With intimates it is really quite easy, once you develop some confidence and spontaneity. Your lover will thank you for it.

Alt Sex Fetish Robot Video--For Over-Eighteen Only

2007-01-17T09:49:00.000-10:00

By clicking on the video above, you certify that you are above the age of eighteen years old. Included in the first section of the video is a mini-tour of the RealDoll production facility.

Humans have longed for the perfect sexual partner for many ages. One approach that people sometimes consider, is actually creating a perfect partner. A paper that describes the future of this approach is Sexbots.pdf.

This alt sex fetish robot tendency is sometimes referred to as robot fetishism. One company that profits from this fetish is Abyss Creations, makers of the RealDoll. Real Dolls are silicone squeezable lifesize dolls, in male and female models.

Other contenders previously described on this blog include the sex doll "Leeloo" and the sex robot "Andy".

The technology for creating realistic skin, realistic movements--even the ability to hold limited conversations--will only get better with time. There is already a sex doll bordello in Tokyo that rents the dolls by the hour.

How long before high school sex ed teachers utilise sex robots in their classes? As long as they are kept clean, the chances for STD's are minimal. Pregnancy is extremely unlikely. There are many possibilities that come to mind, although I choose to limit what I will put on record, naturally. Anything else would be to presume upon your imagination.

Adult Entertainment Expo--Wired News Reports

2007-01-15T10:34:00.000-10:00

Regina Lynn went to the adult entertainment expo so you wouldn't have to. Regina looks for the story behind the story. Who develops the new high tech sex devices, and what is their day job? and so on.

I'm here to find the electrical engineers, the medical device designers, the artists, the couples who actually managed to turn their ideas into products. I like learning which developer also designs children's toys and which sex toy CEO worked at Apple and which erotica publisher has a law degree.

I want to meet the innovators in their first trade show booths, tucked away in obscure corners, trembling with excitement and nerves and unsure about what they should and shouldn't tell the press. And then to see them again next year when they have more confidence, even cooler products and the epiphany that it's just about time to quit their day jobs.

....It's encouraging to see how much sex-tech made it to the show this year. For the first time, FuckingMachines.com NSFW brought several of its appliances to a big booth and gave demos throughout the day. The website has been around for years, in that grey area of "indie internet kink" the Industry doesn't quite understand. Yet this year it is smack dab in the middle of the mainstream porn.

Also on the main floor was Segment, Inc. NSFW, the Japanese company producing the next wave of internet-enabled sex toys. Definitely one of this year's geek highlights, this product reassures me that people are continuing to push for convergence of communications and pleasure technologies.

In the fan-free business-to-business area, I watched the future take shape as the married couple that invented the OhMiBod NSFW audio-driven vibrator talked to the married couple that owns Sounds Publishing, which produces erotic audio.

....Compared with other content-based businesses, adult does a pretty good job of welcoming the internet platform. Everyone here at AEE has an online presence of some kind, and some are quite spectacular.

But there are thousands of women making a living working from home, internet-famous even though they've never graced a box cover. Do online fans not feel the desire to meet the performers in person? Does chatting with a woman while she does a live webcam show fulfill that need to connect with her as a person? This is a question I need to explore further before I can attempt an answer.

Ultimately, I'm happy to see sex and tech continuing to evolve together in ways that increase our potential for pleasure and intimacy.

Source.

Go to the original story at Wired for links to products.

I've been too busy recently to make the show, but who knows? Maybe next year.

Sex Toys Video by Joy Davidson PhD

2007-01-11T15:56:00.000-10:00

This 36 minute video was created by a licensed sex therapist, Joy Davidson. Joy shows an assortment of toys, and discusses their use. The first 6 minutes is introductory, so you can safely fast forward to minute 6.

Strictly educational, since Dr. Joy keeps all of her clothes on throughout the entire video. Some of these toys may have been used at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo, so if your conscience won't let you view such possible horror, we will all understand.

If you wanted a different kind of video, perhaps you should have gone to PornoTube or one of its competitors.
;-)

Hypnosis and Sex--Suggestible Pleasures

2007-01-09T15:02:00.000-10:00

This is a fascinating video on the power of hypnotic suggestion. It really is true that sex is over 90% in the brain. My Japanese is probably not much better than yours,but that won't stop you from understanding much of what is going on in this most unusual video. The doughnut orgasm may be the most difficult to explain.

What is Your Kisspeptin Level? A New Aphrodisiac?

2007-01-03T06:23:00.000-10:00

Kisspeptin is the neuropeptide encoded by the KiSS-1 gene. Kisspeptin is implicated in the onset of human puberty, and seems to act to control reproductive behaviour in some rodents.

A hormone implicated in the onset of human puberty also appears to control reproductive activity in seasonally breeding rodents, report Indiana University Bloomington and University of California at Berkeley scientists in the March 2007 issue of Endocrinology. The paper is now accessible online via the journal's rapid electronic publication service.

...."What is really striking is the disappearance of kisspeptin in animals experiencing winter-like days, yet the ability to respond to kisspeptin when we provide it," said Timothy Greives, lead author of the study. "These data show that the disappearance of kisspeptin in the brain is likely critical in turning off reproduction during winter."

Recent research by scientists in the U.K. and France have shown human kisspeptin triggers the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and luteinizing hormone, both of which are important to puberty and other sex-related functions.

"Studies in humans have shown that individuals with deficits in the receptor for kisspeptin have severe reproductive impairments," Demas said.

Source.

You might suspect that kisspeptin analogs might be rich targets for drug development for treatments of sexual dysfunction--aphrodisiacs. If you are a drug developer, you will probably be very hush-hush about what you are looking into. But if you are an investor in pharma stocks, you may want to look for companies that seem to be getting involved in lifestyle drug research. Once the major diseases are under control, people will want to be slimmer, more energetic, and sexier.

Bremelanotide for Female Sexual Dysfunction--Phase 2 Trials

2006-12-31T06:06:00.000-10:00

As Bremelanotide gets closer to phase 3 trials, you can sense the revolution building. Some feminists thought Viagra was the revolution, but feminists have no real imagination. Bremelanotide is going to hit modern developed societies like no other drug since the contraceptive pill.

Palatin Technologies, Inc. (Amex: PTN) and King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: KG) announced today that the companies have completed enrollment in the pre-menopausal cohort of a Phase 2 "at-home" clinical trial evaluating bremelanotide in pre- and post-menopausal patients experiencing female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The FSD clinical trial is designed to evaluate the initial multiple-dose safety and efficacy of bremelanotide in both pre- and post- menopausal women, and will provide the companies with information that will guide selection of clinical endpoints and estimates of treatment effect size for future clinical trials. The results from this trial are anticipated to be released in calendar year 2007. Bremelanotide is a drug candidate for the treatment of male and female sexual dysfunction and is being developed for regulatory approval and commercialization by Palatin and King Pharmaceuticals.

Source.

Bremelanotide is the first compound in a new drug class called melanocortin receptor agonists under development to treat sexual dysfunction. This new chemical entity is being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical trials studying the efficacy and safety profile of varying doses of this novel compound in men experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED) and women experiencing female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The mechanism of action of bremelanotide may offer important benefits over currently available products for the treatment of ED because it acts on the pathway that controls sexual function without acting directly on the vascular system. Clinical data indicates that bremelanotide may be effective in treating a broad range of patients suffering from ED.

Source.

The birth control pill separated sex from procreation. The subsequent sociological revolution from that severance has been incalculable. The true aphrodisiacs will separate sexual desire/response from natural preference. In other words, "I'm not in the mood" will prompt the opening of the drug cabinet, instead of a long sexless night.

Rohypnol and alcohol are date rape drugs because they lower the woman's defenses against unwanted sex substantially. Bremelanotide will go much further--it will not only lower the defenses, it will open the gates wide.

Since the issue of the malleability of "free will" is one the FDA may not wish to consider, it is possible the courts will get involved in the final approval of Bremelanotide.

Flibanserin: An Aphrodisiac For Women Who Want to Stay Horny, Eventually

2006-12-29T02:34:00.000-10:00

Researchers at German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim have stumbled upon a drug that may be another sex drive booster that works in women. The scientists were looking for a new fast acting anti-depressant, but incidentally discovered that the drug--flibanserin--generated a surge of sexual desire in many women subjects.

Like all companies working on antidepressants, Boehringer surveyed patients in its clinical trial to assess dampening of libido, a well-established side effect. Far from complaining about a drop in sexual desire and arousal, many of the women in the trial reported a surge.

The men had no such response—and neither group showed any improvement in mood. "It is an interesting drug," says Dr. André T. Guay, director of the Center for Sexual Function at the Lahey Clinic Northshore, Peabody, Mass., and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "These things come about in strange ways."

...."This is not something that can be taken on a Friday for the weekend," says Boehringer Ingelheim spokesman Mark R. Vincent. "There is a gradual increase in sexual desire over a six- to eight-week period."

Pinning down the mechanism is especially critical, in this case, because the FDA views drugs that affect the complicated central nervous system with extra caution.

Source.

The interesting thing about flibanserin is that the libido effect occurs only after several weeks of taking the drug. Presumably, then, the libido effect would continue indefinitely as long as the woman continued taking the antidepressant-cum-aphrodisiac? Time will tell.

The other drug currently in the pipeline with the ability to boost a woman's (and men's) libido, is Bremelanotide.

Some are calling the new female libido boosters "viagra for women", but that only demonstrates their ignorance of both how Viagra works and what it actually does for men--which has little to do with sex drive, and everything to do with the mechanics of joinery.

While women might look forward to flibanserin working its slow way through the drug approval process, men will need to focus their sights on Bremelanotide.

Hat tip Pharmagossip.