Another reason to be feminist-thinking

A recent study at Rutgers University reveals that feminism boosts sexual satisfaction for both women and men. The study is published in Sex Roles, which is unfortunately unavailable online, but you can read more about the results here.

Is the GOP a Gay Old Party?

Back on 9/23, I talked about the hypocrisy of the closeted conservatives. It continues.

One of the biggest news stories today in Seattle and nationwide is the sex scandal of State Representative Richard Curtis. According to police records, Curtis dressed up in women's lingerie, met a man at a Spokane erotic boutique, and later met up with him at a hotel to watch gay porn and have sex (offering extra money to do it without condoms).

Details are still emerging, but the anti-gay, married-with-children legislator has resigned, denying that he is gay. The way things are going, it might soon be easier to ask which GOP members are not gay. 

After students were digging it in corn country

As expected, light blogging these days. I'm just back from a lecture-filled week in Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota, with great crowds in attendance. Here's a nice article from one of the recent events.

The amBush on sexual rights continues…

Good news: The lecture at Husson College was standing room only. Bravo to the programmers for a great turnout!

Bad news: Friday's weather was a nightmare, and getting home was a chore. Not much of a weekend before heading out to Kansas tomorrow, and then on to Minnesota, South Dakota, and back to Minnesota for the week.

Worse news: In the previous blog entry, I referenced a frightening sex story that was getting little play in the news. Actually, CNN's Jack Cafferty, one of the few bright lights left in the traditional media (by the way, a better term than "mainstream media"), provided commentary on what he called this "Twilight Zone" scenario: President Bush appointed an outright opponent of family planning to head a family planning agency at the Department of Health and Human Services. Susan Orr, a former member of the conservative Family Research Council, has been quoted as saying that family planning is "not a medical necessity" and calling contraceptives part of "the culture of death."

For more information (including a link to a good Think Progress article) and a much-need laugh about the Orwellian appointment of Orr, check out The Top 10 Reasons George Bush Appointed Susan Orr.

Sex, sex and more sex in the news

I'm waking up in New Hampshire and the newspapers are chock-full of sex stories:

1. The front page of the USA Today reports that "Technology makes porn easier to access at work." People from other countries laugh at our work ethic here, amazed how much time workers spend emailing friends, shopping on eBay, and – yes – looking at porn.

2. Sharing the USA Today's front page: "Military inadvertently recruits gays." Surge on.

3. One more on that front page is a story about Tom Perrotta's new book called The Abstinence Teacher. Here is some information and a summary of reviews from Powell's Books.

4. Larry Craig is making the rounds with the media trying to rebuild his image, including an interview with (possible crush?) Matt Lauer. Read how they're reviewing him in his home state of Idaho.

5. A Portland, Maine middle school will allow its students to receive birth control. The school board voted 7-2 to approve the measure, citing the need to prevent unexpected pregnancy, while this article reports that opponents claimed the plan is "against religion and against God."

6. Fun: From folly-filled Florida, read about the oral sex campaign slogan. Hmm.

7. Frightening: Perhaps the most important sex story that is hard to find in the news. Stay tuned. I'll report on that as soon as possible. For now, I need to dash off to Maine for tonight's lecture…

from Matt Groening

Flying out to New England as we hit the midpoint of the semester – and perhaps my busiest travel so far this school year. So… a quick quote to consider, from Matt Groening:

"When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities."

Thinking, and feeling, outside the box

Just back from seeing a sneak preview of Lars and the Real Girl, featuring a commanding performance by Ryan Gosling. This is a wonderful movie, both humorous and dramatic, that gets to the heart of relationships and human emotions. One of the best films of the year… I highly recommend it!

Slate's 2007 sex issue

As expected, busy times make for slow blogging. To tide you over, check out Slate's sex issue, featuring stories about virgin births, gay sheep, sexsomnia, and vegansexuals.

Caution: criss-crossing the country

Just a quickie, as the start of October means some crazy travel ahead: Wisconsin, Seattle, New England, Kansas, Minnesota and South Dakota. Maybe I’ll spend the next few weeks looking for a good fall foliage shot to take and post here. Blogging, though, might be a bit slow.

Meanwhile, thanks to Skidmore College for a great experience on the campus in September – and for sending along some great photos.