The school year got off to a bit of a rocky start, with my first lecture postponed due to the tropical storm in Florida. So it was on to West Virginia University, which moved the event to a larger venue than last year - and still it was standing room only! Thanks to the more than 1,500 students for turning out and bringing great energy to the room. Here's an account from the school newspaper. (The reporter wrote "selfish and heathenism" instead of "selfish hedonism" - which is how politician/commentator Alan Keyes has described sex outside of marriage - but her term is interesting, too!)

I was just noticing that it was a year ago this week that I launched this blog. Thanks to all for reading!

And, just like last year, this school year (my 17th full-time on the college lecture circuit) starts with lectures in Florida and West Virginia this week. Next week, the fun continues in New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Nova Scotia! It's always challenging to come back from the summer "off" and jump back into things with a slew of start-of-the-school-year lectures, but it's exciting to know that big crowds await. I especially like the energy of the early programs.

Oh...and I'm pleased to write this on the eighty-eighth anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment. On August 18, 1920, that amendment gave women the right to vote. Let's hope that as many women (and indeed, as many people) as possible turn out to vote this November!

Are you enjoying the Olympics? I know I'm enjoying these great condom ads, each depicting a stick-man athlete using a condom or two as an apparatus in an Olympic event.

Quick posting as I gear up for the start of the school year. (Already?)

1. From the Daily Kos (a site I read more than daily), this chilling diary that says women in the military is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than to be killed by enemy fire in Iraq. 

2. New estimates show that more Americans are getting infected by HIV each year than previously thought.

3. A conservative Congressman held a fundraiser at a burlesque club. It's the hypocrisy, stupid!

4. A sex educator working for Fox News. Again, it's the hypocrisy, stupid! (I might have more to say about this another time.)

No fresh pasta, sea urchin, or kimchi on a first date? No shared plates? Yikes.

This Guardian article on how, where, and what to eat for a first date makes a few noteworthy points (like avoiding places with mariachi bands), but it ultimately sounds more punishing than pleasure-enhancing. I’m not so concerned about specific food items (though you might want to avoid asparagus, for reasons I’ll explain another time). Instead, at least for me, I think it’s incredibly important to find food compatibility. Granted, I’m a food freak, but if you’re hoping your first-time dining companion might turn into your life-long partner, I believe you should share some passion when you’re first breaking bread. After all, you might be sitting across the table from each other for many meals in the years and decades to follow.

Happily, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a first date, but thinking back, I came to realize I wanted to be with someone who loves looking at menus, sampling new dishes, and discerning the different ingredients. Someone with a healthy appetite, translating to a healthy appetite for life. Someone who likes to share plates, but will playfully fight for that last great bite. Someone omnivorous, who understands that bacon fat makes everything taste better, and who smiles instead of squirms at the prospect of ordering organ meats. Someone who’d perhaps even eat fresh pasta with sea urchin and kimchi!

Luckily, I found that someone. What’s hard for me to believe, especially now that I’m a food writer, is that it wasn’t long ago that I dated someone who didn’t like fruit…or fish…or beef…or any dark meat…or most anything. (Basically, it seemed like she only ate chicken breasts and overcooked vegetables, which made her the perfect candidate for hotel banquets.) Vacations, the perfect time to explore new cuisines and concoctions, felt like a nightmare. Worse, daily life at the dinner table became, well, dull and eventually dreadful.

Does that make you look at that first dinner date any differently?

Remember the fuss over the so-called "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl? You know: that microsecond of "boob flash" when Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Janet Jackson's bustier during their halftime show. It drove conservatives (and some non-conservatives) crazy, with the ensuing controversy making us the laughing-stock of the world for our Victorian attitudes about nudity and sex.

Recall that the FCC slapped CBS with a $550,000 fine for indecency.

Yesterday, years later, the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the fine, arguing that the FCC "arbitrarily and capriciously departed from its prior policy" by levying a fine for this fleeting episode.

Nice to know it's not all boobs in the government...

Continuing to wreak havoc on reproductive rights, the Bush administration just announced a proposal that would cut off aid to health programs (like hospitals, clinics, and medical schools) that refuse to hire workers who object to abortion—and even certain methods of birth control. In other words, the proposal allows any federal grant recipient to obstruct a woman's access to
contraception.

Meanwhile, John McCain has a major birth control problem. Carly Fiorina, his campaign advisor, had stated that "There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth-control medication. Those women would like a choice." Watch this video and see how the so-called Straight Talk Express totally derails when McCain stumbles and bumbles, eventually pleading ignorance, when asked his position on the issue.

Good news, though: watermelon may be the new Viagra.

The election is just four months away, and as I've been predicting on the lecture circuit (I didn't really have to go out on a limb to get this right), some right-wingers are trying to stir up homosexuality as a wedge issue. Just yesterday, conservative commentator Fred Barnes suggested that John McCain use gay bashing to energize his base.

Part of that base has reintroduced the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. Ten Republican senators have submitted this piece of legislation to protect the so-called sanctity of marriage, saying that "marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman." As if it's bad enough that the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Madonna make a mockery of such sanctity, let's take a look at a couple of the co-sponsors of the legislation. David Vitter (R-LA) liked to wear diapers and hire prostitutes, while Larry Craig (R-ID) solicited sex from a man in a Minneapolis bathroom. Ah...the family values party in action. I'd love to see them run these ads as part of their pro-marriage campaigns.

As we note George Carlin's passing, it seems appropriate to celebrate his wit and wisdom as evidenced in his poignant "Sanctity of Life" routine.

I'm struck by the significance of June 18:

1. In 1873, women's rights advocate Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for voting. (It wouldn't be until 1920 that the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in this country.)

2. In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. (She wasn't arrested for doing that.)

3. In 1983, Sally Ride took a ride and became the first American woman to travel in space.

In a related note, yesterday marked the first time that Maryland has elected a black woman to Congress. Donna Edwards will be sworn in tomorrow.

Yes, today is Loving Day, which marks the anniversary of the legalization of interracial marriages, dating back to...1967. It wasn't that long ago that the Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia that "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause." The aptly named "Loving" refers to Richard and Mildred Loving, who got married in Washington, D.C. in 1958 and got arrested (not realizing that interracial marriage was illegal) upon their return a few weeks later to a town near Richmond, Virginia. Richard died a few years ago, and Mildred died just last month. But Loving Day is (and will continue to be) celebrated each year.

We're about a week from the official start of summer, but for most of us involved in college life, it's already summer - and hence my lack of blogging! There are many stories to tell, like a Colorado ballot measure that calls an egg a person, efforts in Utah to remove a ban on bikinis, reasons why John McCain should worry women and anyone concerned about reproductive and sexual rights, nursing home sex, how same-sex weddings might help save the California economy, and the supportive reaction of Deval Patrick (governor of Massachusetts) when his daughter came out: "You know, I can still imagine what Katherine's wedding is going to be like." Lowering his voice, he adds, "How much it's gonna cost."

It's important to keep an eye on the news and monitor the political and cultural climate related to sex. I encourage you to do that. I'll do the same. But it's summer, so expect my blogging to be fairly light. After all, life's also about getting out and enjoying the good times...

A Christian group is boycotting Starbucks over its new logo, which is a revised resurrection of its original logo from 1971. The Resistance claims that the logo "has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute," and goes on to say that "the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks." More info and great comments at Dvorak.

Ah...America, the beautiful.

Starting tonight is VH1's four-part series Sex: The Revolution, which looks like it might be interesting. From the press release, the documentary will look at lots of issues:

The series begins with the groundbreaking sexual research of Alfred Kinsey and takes the viewer through key moments in America's sexual history including Marilyn Monroe, Splendor in the Grass, Bettie Page, Citizens for Decent Literature, Sex and the Single Girl, the Pill, Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll, Make Love Not War, swinging, Midnight Cowboy, Burn the Bra, Stonewall, Deep Throat, Forty Second Street, the Continental Baths, Roe v. Wade, Hustler, Caligula, phone sex, herpes, AIDS, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Angels In America, Bob Dole and Viagra-and oh, so much more!

No, not in the United States. Ecuador. Yes, Ecuador!

At least it's in our hemisphere.

When an opposition member worried that this would decree orgasm by law, Assembly member Maria Soledad Vela (on the committee that defines fundamental constitutional rights) asserted, "I never asked for the right to orgasm, only the right to enjoyment."  I love it. 

Okay, I wanted to write about my final two lectures of the school year, and the joy of being in Ithaca.

Instead, I'm getting a bit angry about the whole bitter/elite thing.

This week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on government-supported abstinence-only education. But despite expert testimony from the American Public Health Association, the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the American Psychological Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecolosits that abstinence-only teaching doesn't work, is a waste of money, and actually spreads misinformation about sex, Republicans objected:

Rep. John Duncan, a Tennessee Republican, said that it seems "rather elitist" that people with academic degrees in health think they know better than parents what type of sex education is appropriate.  

The Bush Administration, continually willing to ignore science, continued to seek support for this misguided approach to sex education. And it appears things would be the same in the McCain administration. The so-called "maverick" seems quite confused about sex education, with his so-called "Straight Talk Express" completely derailed in this interview:

Q: “What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”

Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”

Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”

Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”

Ugh...

Flying off tomorrow to Ithaca for the last two lectures of the semester and, alas, the school year! First will be Ithaca College on Wednesday. The school is special for me, as it's where I did endless numbers of little workshops in the residence halls, developing my skills as a speaker/presenter. And then on Thursday I go to Cornell - my alma mater. I always feel nostalgic visiting the campus I crashed as a 17 year-old, when it was unfathomable that I would ever become a sex educator! All these years later, it's a special feeling to be on stage in Statler Auditorium - a place where I was once one of a thousand as a student in the audience...

Just two more weeks on the road, and I'm trying to survive both the travel and the tax season (the latter ending, for better or for worse, today!).

For now, I wanted to report that I recently finished Brian Alexander's America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction. It's a satisfying read in a gonzo journalism sort of way in which Alexander travels the country meeting the many Americans who are getting "down and dirty" in our otherwise conservative culture. A fun and revealing ride, especially seeing how many  sworn Republicans are true conservatives in thinking the government should stay out of their sexual lives - though I don't necessarily agree with all of the author's conclusions.

Just a quickie. Two articles, one covering my Sex Week keynote at Colgate, NY, and the other a distillation of my recent lecture at San Marcos, CA.

Greetings from California! Fun to be down here, having finished lectures at San Marcos (the photo shows the mocktails provided at the event) and Northridge. I also did a little speaking engagement for the Cornell Club of Los Angeles. Speaking of Cornell (my alma mater), I went to see alum Bill Maher and the taping of "Real Time" on Friday. He's a blast, and guest Tavis Smiley was incredibly impressive. I especially like Maher's "New Rules," with clips available at the site.

News of another report proving that the abstinence-only approach to sex education just doesn't work. And in fact might be harmful. Why we waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a misguided approach full of misinformation is beyond me. (Well, not really. Check out this article exposing how abstinence-only has become a billion dollar industry for Bush's buddies in the religious right.)

Beyond the misinformation, these curricula contain simplistic slogans like "Do the right thing, wait for the ring," "Not on week days, only on wed days," and, yes, "Pet your dog, not your date."

Worse, despite evidence that these programs don't work (see the Waxman report for a congressional investigation), the Democratically controlled Congress (yes, I'm a bipartisan basher on this issue) has actually proposed a budget to increase funding for abstinence-only education. But new reports show that some are coming to their senses and stammering for an end to this funding, which will only lead to another fight.

Time for you to fight for your sexual rights. Contact your representatives, and tell them you oppose funding for Community-Based Abstinence Education.

Did you know that sharing the housework can lead to a better sex life?

I've been harping on this a lot, but in case you need more proof that sex is better in Scandinavia, here's breaking news that Sweden's state-run pharmacy is now starting to sell sex toys. Think Bush and Dick are going to spearhead such an initiative?

Meanwhile, I'm trying to make sex better in my old stomping grounds of Vermont. Here's a report from a recent lecture at Middlebury College that was lots of fun.  

That's it for now...off to Missouri first thing tomorrow!

Not much time for me these days. Getting a bit battered by all the travel, and battling the start of a cold. But the show must go on!

Speaking of time, how about news that Americans and Canadians deem seven to thirteen minutes as the most desirable amount of time to have sex? Seems we're always shortchanging ourselves of some of the best pleasures in life...

Just back from Iowa, and leaving tomorrow for two cross-country trips these next two weeks. Upstate New York and Vermont this week, and then after coming home for a day, Pennsylvania and Texas next week. With all this travel, I should be running for president or something!

For now, another news item demonstrating how backward sex and sex education are in our country. Zizi Sexuel features a "love-o-meter," a "pubermatic," and a pinball machine in which the balls are tiny sperm racing for an egg.

Still worth dreaming that the United States will be this open... someday!

Despite the diversity of the Democratic Party's presidential candidates, glass ceilings remain unshattered in this country. During my daily read of the fabulous Crooks and Liars website, I learned about a high school in Kansas that barred a woman from refereeing a boys' basketball game because a woman "could not have authority over males." Check out the video from the local news. Never mind that the NBA has already allowed female referees; Thomas Frank's book title remains as relevant as ever: What's the Matter with Kansas?

Happy Valentines Day!

The last blog entry featured an ad unlikely to ever appear in this country. Here's another, suggesting the gift of wood for Valentines Day. Would "wood" work for the censors in the States?

Also of interest is an article from the New York Times called "I Love You, but You Love Meat" (registration likely required, but you should get registered for the NYT anyway, right?). Negotiation is an important part of a relationship, but for those who live to eat instead of eat to live, food can offer quite a challenge.

Finally, it's now legal to mess around in Texas, as a federal appeals court overturned a ban on sex toys there. Still awaiting word on what that means for neighboring Mississippi, while in Alabama it's still down with toys, but up with Viagra.

My favorite part of The J-Spot sex lecture (and the part I'm excited to develop further) is a cross-cultural look at how backward the United States is compared to Europe in terms of sex. Audiences are loving the chance to see a small slice of a Scandinavian sex education video I discovered in Denmark many years ago. It's a real highlight of the presentation!

The recent Super Bowl reminded me of the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" incident four years ago, cause of much controversy. Meanwhile, few complained about the endless erectile dysfunction ads that ran during the game. We have such hypocrisy and idiocy in our culture when it comes to sex. Violence is condoned (by the way, anyone else alarmed by the incredible number of school and office shootings of late?) while sexual expression is condemned. And even when sex is implied or inferred (hello, Fox), protection from pregnancy or disease is difficult or illegal to portray (hello, many fans of the Fox "News" Network).

It's no wonder we live in a sexually unhealthy, sexually dysfunctional society. So imagine how refreshing it was for me to see this advertisement from France - advertising fruit from the Alsace region. How eye-opening... and mouth-watering!

I'm watching the results roll in for Super Tuesday, and will withhold any political commentary for a change! Instead, I can comment that I was so excited to see "my" New York Giants win the Super Bowl. Hey... I was born and bred in New York.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed a great trip to California and Idaho last week (the photo is from a fun lecture at Lewis-Clark State College), and tomorrow I'm heading back to Norfolk for the third time in three semesters. Flying is a great opportunity to catch up on reading, and this time around I'm looking forward to The Brotherhood of the Disappearing Pants: A Field Guide to Conservative Sex Scandals. Hmm. I guess there's a little political commentary there...

Greetings from California, where I just finished a lecture for student-athletes in San Jose, and head further south and then to Idaho the next couple of days.

A sex study in the U.K. caught my eye. It suggests that promiscuity leads to academic failure. I suppose that's possible. But what exactly is "promiscuity," anyway? To me, it's one of those empty terms, like "abstinence." Easy words to toss about in moral judgment, but without clear definition. Isn't it too easy for any of us to define promiscuity as having one more sex partner than we've had?

As we commemorate the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, let's remember the ages of some of our Supreme Court justices. John Paul Stevens is 87, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 74, Steven Breyer is 69, and David Souter is 68. In contrast, John Roberts is only 52, and Samuel Alito is 57.

For the sake of the sexual health of women (and men) in our country (and abroad), here's hoping the health of our eldest justices holds on for at least another year.

Here's an interesting list of "sick words" - many sexual - some of which I'd argue are really not-so-sick. Is it so bad to feel a little eunoterpsia in life? Someday I'd like to read through all the links of this long list of unusual sexual practices. If you don't think some of these are funny... hmm... perhaps you are an agelast?

I'm slowly emerging from my writing projects and just general downtime. I'll be back on the lecture circuit again toward the end of the month, and postings will pick up about that time, too. Meanwhile, check out this story about the annulment of a marriage of twins who were separated at birth. Interesting connections to science and politics.

Taking off on a flight from Las Vegas to Florida at 11:45 this evening... will look out the window to see if there are fireworks to be found. Meanwhile, wishing everyone out there a happy, healthy, and pleasurable new year! 

I've been busy with other things (including some exciting new writing projects) and just generally relaxing, so blogging will likely remain light. Sex, of course, stays in the news. You can learn how sex education helps teens delay having sex, why it's healthy to have sex, or, on a negative note, the extreme tactics of the anti-abortion movement.

Some have asked what my favorite news sites are, so here are three I heartily recommend, especially for their focus on the political/cultural climate around us:

• www.dailykos.com
• www.crooksandliars.com
• www.bobharris.com

Happy reading, and hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season...

For the first time since 1991, the CDC is reporting a rise in teenage births. More information here, including a link to state-by-state figures.

This news is relatively unsurprising as students are subjected to abstinence-only education throughout most of the country. With little information about sexual responsibility and decision-making made available to them (replaced by misinformation about condoms and sexual health in general), it's no wonder that students are in the dark when it comes to sex. The "just say no," sex-as-danger approach dates back to Ronald and Nancy Reagan - but even the Democrats are to blame, caving in on their earlier threat to put an end to abstinence-only education, instead gifting Bush a budget which, if passed, will actually increase funding for education that fails our students educationally and morally.

The GOP parade of pedophiles continues. This time around it's Jeffrey Ray Nielsen, a conservative Christian activist and head of the Orange County (CA) Republican Party, pleading guilty to having sex with boys aged 14 and 13. More here.

The frequency of these incidents could almost be funny if they weren't so sad and tragic.

Keeping with the international theme this World AIDS Day, check out this video about the development of spray-on condoms in Germany. Great potential for a perfect fit - and possibly some artistic creations!

This article caught my eye this World AIDS Day: Women in China have been arrested and sent to labor camps simply for getting caught carrying condoms. Fortunately, the times, they are a-changin' (albeit slowly).

This Thanksgiving weekend, I'm appreciative of all the schools that brought The J-Spot sex lecture to campus this year - and what a year it's been! And thanks to all the great students who braved long lines (as in the picture above from Mankato, where more than twice the auditorium's capacity snaked all around the Student Union, waiting well in advance of the start time) and given such positive feedback. That all means a lot to me!

Here's a funny take on a serious problem that just hit the news.

My web hosting went down for a few days, and I couldn't do my desired blogging. Now I'm on the road in Massachusetts for the week, so I'll have to catch up on some items at a later date.

For now, a story of inspiration. As reported back in September, I met The Fray when they came to Seattle. It's always fun to discover new talent. But let's hear it for the "old" folks. The past couple of years, I've been lucky to see The Who, The Rolling Stones, and just last week Billy Joel in concert. The Piano Man is still going strong, and seeing his show was exciting and energizing. He's been singing the songs for decades, but he clearly likes the lights of the stage, bringing creativity and whimsy to his performance. Billy Joel definitely inspired me to continue touring tirelessly, and to be as creative as possible in my mission to entertain and educate audiences while creating a sexually healthy society.

The Hollywood writers are striking, but even they couldn't script so much lawlessness by our lawmakers. The latest: on the heels of the previously mentioned sex scandal involving fellow Republican Richard Curtis, Washington state representative Jim Dunn has been disciplined for making inappropriate remarks to a female staffer. Unlike Curtis, Dunn doesn't plan to resign, saying, "[I'm] sure it was very inappropriate, because I do that kind of thing."

You can read more of the absurdity here. Seems like it's more than just some individuals in the "family values" party who need some sensitivity (and ethics) training.

As I take off for Iowa, it's Election Day. And as a preview of what to expect for next year's big election, the wedge issue of past years continues, as documented at Talking Points Memo.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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...

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."

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!

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.

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.

The first thing I want to say about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University is this: I hope I never get introduced like he did. While I believe Lee Bollinger, the school's president, had the right to frame the event as he did, I was shocked how harsh and inhospitable his opening remarks were. Watch the video or read the transcript... it's over-the-top.

Regarding Ahmadinejad's ridiculously ignorant claim about gay men and lesbians, I think Juan Cole's writing says it best:

"... Ahmadinejad's bigotted statement that there are no homosexuals in Iran derived from his rightwing religious commitments. What he said is very serious. He erased gays right out of existence. The ultimate in denying people their rights is to deny they even exist (the nonexistent obviously have no rights.) There could be a debate over whether the gay lifestyle exists in Muslim countries, as a matter of identity politics, of course, but Ahmadinejad is not that sophisticated. He was saying that all Iranians are straight. Of course, gays are punished very severely in Iran, in reality.

It would be nice for the US Right to have us forget that they pull the Ahmadinejad act with regard to gays every day. Denying gays the right to marry is a way of erasing them from civil society. It is a way of denying that they really love one another, as straights do. It is a way of asserting that they do not exist.

The "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the US military (so unlike the one followed by many NATO allies) is also a way of erasing gays. They don't exist unless they themselves press the case that they exist. In order to remain in their jobs, they are forced to erase themselves by their silence. The 'don't ask, don't tell' policy is a way of pretending that there are no gays in the US military. For if it could be proven that anyone is gay, he is immediately expelled. It is just as silly as what Ahmadinejad said, and just as pernicious. That policy is supported by the entire American Right, which is no better than Ahmadinejad in this regard."

Both Iran and the United States share blame in trying to erase gay men and lesbians from society. We're just a little (though not a lot) more subtle about it.

I've thus far resisted temptation to comment on the Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) sex scandal, but if you consider it in the context of Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Jim West, Bob Allen and the like, the hypocrisy of the closeted conservatives speaks for itself.

Instead, I'd like to share a couple of positive stories in the news the past couple of days that show change is in the air. First, after a ninth grader heard homophobic comments and threats for wearing a pink polo shirt to school, classmates in Nova Scotia rallied to his support, turning the school into "a sea of pink" in making an anti-bullying statement.

Second is a story about an amazing change of heart by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who surprised many in an emotional statement of last-minute support for same-sex marriage. The full video is well worth watching; in short, Sanders explained "I just could not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community they were less important, less worthy, or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else, simply because of their sexual orientation." 

Acceptance, affirmation, and activism... these are good things.

I'm endlessly amazed - and ashamed - at how so many of us in the States tolerate violence images in the media, but shun sexuality. So many parents let their children watch excessively violent films without worry or complaint until one sex scene comes on, one nude scene comes on, one breast gets exposed. Hmm... one breast gets exposed. It's only been a few years since the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl "titillated" and tried our country to no end (the irony being that there were relatively no complaints about the endless erectile dysfunction drug ads that ran throughout the broadcast), where we became the laughing-stock of the world for our Victorian attitudes related to sex.

Today I was perusing the recently released Small Arms Survey 2007. Interesting and frightening reading. Check this out: U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms. We're easily the most heavily armed country in the world, with 90 guns for every 100 of our people!

So... guns are good, and breasts are bad. (Well, per the Viagra ads, maybe boners are okay.) Strange, and sad, our priorities - and our morals.

Go home and have sex, urged the governor.

Where, you ask? California? New York?

Not a chance. The call to duty came from Sergei Morozov, governor of the central Russian province of Ulyanovsk, in an attempt to boost the birth rate there. Couples who had sex yesterday and deliver on June 12 will be eligible to win prizes such as cars, TVs, and refrigerators.

"The scheme is working. People want the prizes," said Dr. Andrei Malykh.

It's possible, though, that they also need the permission. And the time to do it.

This insightful entry at Perrspectives (wow, there's such incredible and invaluable information on the Internet - especially in the blogosphere) on "The Last Abortion Clinic in Mississippi" demonstrates the whittling away of reproductive rights in America. And while women (and men) face increasing challenges in access and affordability for condoms and pills they need to prevent sexual problems, pharmacists happily dispense Viagra with approval from insurance companies. (In fact, this past week marked the fifteenth birthday of the little blue pill; to be fair, the drug's "staying power" will be enhanced if it fulfills its promise to tackle numerous other conditions.)

It's not just reproductive rights under attack, but sexual rights as well - including sex education. Which brings us back to Mississippi. It's the only state I've never set foot in. The only one! So... I'm calling you out, Ole Miss. MSU, too. And maybe even Millsaps. Who'll step up and be the first to bring The J-Spot to your state?

Blogging's been a bit slow, between taking in tennis at the U.S. Open, doing a few fun lectures while on the east coast, and still enjoying the summer. Speaking of which... here's someone far more special than the previously mentioned Maria, along with Jay, at play, with The Fray.

Yes, I just took a short break from the lecture action to take in some U.S. Open tennis action. While Sharapova lost, it was thrilling to see Federer, Nadal, and Blake win their matches. If you ever find yourself in New York this time of year, try to get a ticket. The day and night sessions are exciting in their own ways, the competition is fierce and fun, and the tournament is well-run (including its commitment to gender pay equity). 

What a great first week of the school year! After the fun first visit to Alabama, 500 students came out to hear the lecture at Eckerd College (nice tradition we're building there!), and then over 1,000 packed the ballroom at WVU. The response at both colleges was overwhelming, with attendees enjoying the new sex-positive video that's part of the show. (More on that in a future posting.)

Who says students in the South don't dig sex?

Yesterday marked the start of the new school year - my 16th year full-time on the college lecture circuit. And it marked my first lecture in Alabama! Sex toys remain illegal there, and good food is hard to find (my styrofoam-boxed dinner had an odd combination of turkey with stuffing and Chinese fried rice, along with an unidentifiable vegetable which might have been square lima beans?), but the fine folks at UAB assembled a great crowd that enjoyed the show.

Check out this fun little article from the Birmingham Weekly that ran before the event.

Wow... this is my first time doing it. I'm excited, nervous, anxious. I'm not exactly sure what to do or say. Instead, I'm wondering: Do you like me? My style? My technique? Can I satisfy you? (Is this satisfying me?) Will you still like me tomorrow?

I gotta admit that I'm feeling performance anxiety, wondering what your expectations are of me, and feeling the need to be perfect the first time - and every time. How can I make this stimulating so that you'll want to come back for more?

I make no promises. I don't know how much or how often I'll do it, or how long I'll last. When I have the energy and desire, it might be daily, or even twice in a day! But, if I'm tired or busy, I might not be out to play, perhaps leaving you wanting more.

Sometimes it will be a quickie, while at other times it may be a rambling, marathon session that starts slowly before eventually climaxing. Sometimes I might just finish too early. Hey, I'm just a normal guy.

And sometimes it might be a bit sloppy and messy. Isn't that part of the fun of it?