Craigslist Slammed For Hosting Prostitution Ads
Friday, March 28, 2008
InformationWeek
No, not the baby being sold for drug money earlier this week -- that was a hoax and the person who placed the ad was arrested. Not the malicious ad placed last Saturday that left a Jacksonville, Ore., man with a plundered home, recalling a similar incident last May. The problem is prostitution. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Thursday sent a letter to Barry Reingold, Craigslist's lawyer, demanding that the community-driven site clean up its act. "I am astonished and appalled by Craigslist's refusal to recognize the reality of prostitution on its Web site -- despite advertisements containing graphic photographs and hourly rates, and widespread public reports of prostitutes using the site," Blumenthal wrote. Though Blumenthal acted on behalf of citizens of Connecticut, following the arrest earlier this month of a Connecticut woman who allegedly used Craigslist to advertise prostitution services, his concerns reflect problems with Craigslist across the nation. On Tuesday evening, police in Aurora, Ill., west of Chicago, arrested five people for alleged drug possession and prostitution. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the prostitutes advertised on Craigslist. Blumenthal contends that Craigslist is ignoring the "serious and growing problem" by refusing to hire anyone to review postings that contain graphic nudity or solicitations with hourly rates. "The company effectively denies the undeniable, incomprehensibly and unacceptably," Blumenthal said. "Although Craigslist touts measures to ban illegal activities and limit or remove inappropriate postings in its erotic services section, a cursory review of this section shows that its supposed solutions are woefully and obviously inadequate." Erotic postings aren't confined to the erotic services section either. A brief scan through the "therapeutic services" section on sfbay.craigslist.org suggests that that particular category should be relabeled "therapeutic erotic services." Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigslist, said in an e-mailed statement that illegal use of Craigslist won't be tolerated. "This month we implemented new screening procedures for erotic service ads, which [has] dramatically improved compliance with our terms of use and reduced the volume of such ads by up to 80%," he said. "Mr. Blumenthal's office is aware of these improvements, and we are disappointed that he has not recognized the tremendous progress we are making." Buckmaster said that using Craigslist illegally isn't a good idea since posting information leaves an electronic trail and Craigslist staff regularly works with police officers. And Buckmaster also challenged the claim that Craigslist profits from prostitution. "In the New Haven Register, Attorney General Blumenthal is quoted as saying that our company profits from prostitution," he said. "That is both utterly false and significantly defamatory, as 100% of our revenue comes from paid job listings and broker apartment rental listings. We certainly hope that the attorney general was misquoted or misinformed, and we look forward to an immediate retraction of this false and damaging allegation." Buckmaster said that telephone company yellow pages, weekly newspapers, and other offline and online media in Connecticut regularly include paid erotic ads. "In this country, that's legal," he said. "Unlike these media, of course, Craigslist does not derive any revenue from such ads."
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207000476&subSection=All+Stories
World's Sexiest Beaches
Thursday, March 27, 2008
By Amy Marathe
We circled the globe to find the world's best stretches of sand. These sun-drenched locales offer dramatic landscape, romantic appeal, world-class sports action and, for some, a great place to party. They all have one thing in common - their unique sex appeal. So grab a towel and your sense of adventure as we list the 21 sexiest beaches.
No. 21: Venice Beach, Los Angeles, Calif.
Sex Appeal: Easy access from downtown Los Angeles and hours of funky entertainment.
No. 20: Maundays Bay, Anguilla
Sex Appeal: Intimate destination with soft sand and luxury accommodations.
No. 19: Bikini Beach, Punta del Este, Uruguay
Sex Appeal: One of South America's trendiest spots. Draws a big beach crowd that likes to party!
No. 18: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Sex Appeal: Cosmopolitan vibe yet family-friendly. Close to Cancun and the Mayan ruins of Tulum.
No. 17: Crane Beach, Barbados
Sex Appeal: Dramatic cliffs, active surf and cooling trade winds.
No. 16: Seven Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica
Sex Appeal: Calm and warm waters, where swimwear is optional!
No. 15: Matira Beach, Bora Bora
Sex Appeal: Crystal-clear water and the famous Mount Otemanu.
No. 14: Macaroni Beach, Mustique, Grenadines
Sex Appeal: A beautiful beach encompassing only 1,400 acres. Located a quick flight from St. Vincent.
No. 13: Clifton Beach, South Africa
Sex Appeal: Diverse and friendly crowds, plus amazing views of the Twelve Apostles mountain range. Clifton is also recognized for being a "green" beach.
No. 12: Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
Sex Appeal: The epicenter for big surfing and jaw-dropping action.
No. 11: Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas
Sex Appeal: An ultra-sexy beach that stretches for 3.5 miles. Tiny shelled creatures called Foraminifera give the sand its pink color.
No. 10: Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sex Appeal: A sought-after location for surfers, kite-boarders and windsurfers.
No. 9: Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, Calif.
Sex Appeal: Home to beach volleyball, great waves, watersports, and toned and tan bodies.
No. 8: St. Jean Beach, St. Barths
Sex Appeal: It's wealthy inhabitants and celebrity visitors. It's a place to show off your yacht and let loose.
No. 7: Ko Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
Sex Appeal: A nature lover's paradise, with limestone cliffs and clear waters.
No. 6: Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
Sex Appeal: Thirty minutes from Sydney. An international hot spot known for clear blue waters and active surf.
No. 5: Godahl Beach, Canouan, Grenadines
Sex Appeal: A serene location and perhaps the Caribbean's best-kept secret.
No. 4: Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand
Sex Appeal: Its notorious night club scene.
No. 3: Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
Sex Appeal: Great surf and a stunning landscape made famous by Hollywood films.
No. 2: South Beach, Miami, Fla.
Sex Appeal: Constant energy and a hot nightlife.
No. 1: Ipanema Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Sex Appeal: Beautiful people, tiny swimsuits and mountain views.
Lawsuit Over Online Sex Toys Settled
MARCH 26, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A dispute over sales of virtual sex toys has resulted in a real-life slap on the wrist for a Texas teenager.
Eros LLC, a Tampa Bay-area company that creates virtual sex scripts in the online world "Second Life," sued Robert Leatherwood, 19, last year claiming he copied, displayed or distributed Eros products without permission.
Eros creations allow "Second Life" users to equip their online personas, or avatars, with realistic genitalia and engage the avatars in various sexual actions.
A federal judge accepted a settlement in the case last week that doesn't involve money or an admission of wrongdoing from Leatherwood.
Reached at his grandmother's home in North Richland Hills, Texas, he acknowledged he sold Eros products but said the whole case had been overblown.
"I did it in private," he said. "I wasn't out to do a huge market thing. I was doing it for a little bit of money."
He said he stopped selling Eros products online a year ago and rarely uses "Second Life" anymore. He called the case "ridiculous."
Francis Taney, a Pennsylvania attorney representing Eros, said owner Kevin Alderman, of Lutz, Fla., is "moving on."
Taney said the case is one of two real-world legal fights he's launched on Eros' behalf involving activity inside "Second Life." While settlements don't create legal precedents, Taney said the case does seem to transfer some real-world principles to the online universe.
"This is a technology that has to be dealt with by lawyers, by business people, by regular citizens," Taney said. "I think it fits quite nicely into existing concepts."
Porn Newbie Screws Women But Is Otherwise Engaged
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Beckhams visit sex shop
David and Victoria Beckham stocked up on X-rated items from a sex shop at the weekend.
Bang! Showbiz | Saturday, 15 March 2008
The couple visited Hollywood's notorious Pleasure Chest adult store where they
purchased massage oil, personal lubricant, a Cyberskin vibrator, a leather braided cane and a padded black collar and restraint.
A source is quoted by Britain's The Sun newspaper as saying: "They were walking round the store holding hands and David was carrying a small shopping basket.
"Victoria was very vocal, cracking jokes constantly. They seemed to know exactly what they wanted and after asking an assistant where various items were kept, they grabbed what they came for."
The bedroom isn't the only place the couple are experimenting.
David, 32, has asked his close friend, renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, for tips on how to impress his wife in the kitchen.
The 'Kitchen Nightmares' star said: "David absolutely loves his food and Victoria is a real foodie too.
"David has mentioned a few times he would love to be able to cook properly.
I think he could be very good and I wouldn't hesitate to give him a helping hand in the kitchen."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4439939a1860.html
Sex After Kids
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
How's your love life? See how yours compares next to the more than 1300 moms who took our survey on Parenting.com and dished about how hot (or not) things are.
The top 3 things you like best about sex
1. Connecting with my husband 49%
2. It feels good! 28%
3. Making my husband happy 18%
Tonight? Sure!
61% of you say you'd like to have sex at least a few times a week --and 45% actually do (go you!)
And your husbands? 77% of you say yours would like to have sex that often, too
The biggest buzz-kill
50% of you say exhaustion is the main thing that spoils your mood. (Runner-up: feeling like sex is an obligation)
"Note to dads...What gets us in the mood:"
1. Foreplay 45%
2. Romantic gestures, like flowers and holding hands 29%
3. Choreplay (i.e., Dad chipping in around the house) 15%
4. A glass of wine 11%
Did I just hear the baby cry?
33% of you admit that you've used your kids as an excuse not to have sex
Home alone
30% of you say you've dropped off your kids at your parents' or in-laws' just so you could have a little nookie in peace
Before and after
77% of you say sex was better pre-kids (and more than 43% of those say it was best before you got married)
Silver-lining alert: That means 23% of you think sex actually got better after having a child
Say it ain't so
57% of you worry that sex will never be the same now that you're parents
Bring sexy back (please!)
80% of you say you felt sexy before having a child. Only 41% still feel that way
Lucky you
37% of you say your husband tells you you're sexy all the time
(Those other slackers really oughta speak up: Moms say a compliment from their guy makes them feel sexier than new clothes, a new haircut, and a good night's sleep combined!)
The real McSteamy
58% of you say your man is just as hot now --or even hotter! --than he was when you met him
63% of you think he'd say the same about you.
Sexuality in gaming
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sexuality in gaming
Sex is not new in video games, but perhaps something can be learnt from their portrayal in the movies
The recent kerfluffle over Leigh Alexander's article on mature versus juvenile sexuality in games reinforced some observations I've been making for the past few years, and highlighted a few more problems I have with the way the discussion tends to turn. Sometimes, I think it just highlights how immature the gaming community can be that we can't discuss the issue of cleavage without resorting to name-calling. Still, sex and visual culture has been on my mind recently thanks to my current research - and if being submersed in films and film culture will do anything, it will dredge up plenty of examples of good depictions of sex, bad depictions of sex, and everything in between. And to be honest, I think the gaming industry by and large has a lot to learn from the older medium of film: from the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Read the rest of the article here Sexuality in gamingDid She Fake An Orgasm? 3 Stunning Ways To Find Out Whether She Faked Her Orgasm Or Not
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Well let's admit to the facts first. A lot of women all around the planet fake orgasms on a regular basis but this does not mean that you are sexually not able. You see sometimes when she is tired or is just not in the mood she might end up faking it just to get done with it. But what to do if she does it on a regular basis? Well in this case it becomes extremely important to know if she is really faking it or not. Read on to discover some of the most mind blowing ways to find out whether she really faked it or not...
She would push you if it's real- You see the vaginal area gets highly sensitive when she really orgasmed. Under this situation she would even push you away as she is highly sensitive at that moment. But if she keeps going and nothing special happens than she probably faked it.
Dazed look in the eyes- Often her eyes would tell the whole story. You see when she has really orgasmed she would have a dazed look in her eyes as if she has really had something done to her. But if she seems all normal as if nothing happened than she probably didn't orgasm.
Are her nipples hard? - Often when her nipples aren't hard than she probably didn't orgasm at all and faked it. You see when women truly achieve an orgasm and are going through the real pleasure of having an orgasm their nipples tend to get hard and are normally erect. Therefore make it a point to note all these before you get on with other things.
Porn-friendly .xxx domain backer loses suit against federal agencies
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The company behind the proposed .xxx top-level domain, which was rejected after the Bush administration intervened, has been trying to dig up embarrassing government documents through a federal lawsuit.
Make that "was trying." A federal judge on March 12 granted summary judgment to the Bush administration in the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ICM Registry.
By way of background, ICM Registry had proposed the porn-friendly .xxx domain in 2004 to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, four years after ICANN rejected the idea the first time.
In June 2005, ICANN approved .xxx--but the Bush administration objected two months later, and ICANN's board subsequently reversed itself by a 9-5 vote.
ICM Registry's Stuart Lawley, an indefatigable entrepreneur who made his fortune by founding a U.K. Internet service provider, didn't give up. He filed a FOIA request to learn how conservative groups pressured the Bush administration, and he released the first round of documents in May 2006. But the State Department and Commerce Department withheld others--claiming they were part of an internal "deliberative process"--and those are the documents at issue in the current lawsuit.
Robert Corn-Revere, an attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine who is representing ICM Registry, said a lawsuit against ICANN for denying the .xxx top-level domain is now possible.
"ICM Registry is planning to examine and pursue all of its legal options," Corn-Revere said Tuesday. "We were waiting to see what the outcome of this FOIA litigation was."
ICM had argued that if there's reason to suspect government misconduct such as improper influence by Focus on the Family et al., the documents should be turned over straightaway (this is known as the misconduct exemption).
U.S. District Judge James Robertson in Washington, D.C., sided in part with ICM, saying that argument would be valid if the administration "opposed .xxx for nefarious purposes" but that none had been demonstrated. Robertson, however, didn't actually read the withheld FOIA'd documents for himself, which is something that ICM could raise, if it chooses to appeal.
The key part of Robertson's ruling is:
Whatever the boundaries of the misconduct exception, they cannot be as expansive as ICM declares them to be...Absent some showing that consideration of domain name and Internet policy is outside these departments' and agencies' domains--and none has been made--or that they opposed .xxx for nefarious purposes, their action is not misconduct within the meaning of the exception to the deliberative process privilege.
If the government "leaned on" ICANN or any other decision maker that it did not directly control, (its) policy choice to do so is discoverable under FOIA. That choice (if it was made) was not "political abuse," however, and so the deliberations that underlay it are properly exempt from disclosure.
Descriptions of some of the documents that were not released certainly make their contents sound intriguing. One is a State Department staffer's response to a Wall Street Journal article about alternatives to the domain name system; others deal with meetings between the State Department and a delegation from Japan.
On the Commerce Department side, the documents--again, these have not been released in full--include:
- Document EP59: This is an e-mail containing a Commerce employee's opinions regarding the effects of a .xxx domain on children's access to pornography.
- Document EP61: This reflects the opinions of Commerce Department employees on the effects of .xxx on children's access to pornography and on what Web sites would be in a .xxx domain.
- Documents EP90-92: These are part of an e-mail chain, and the redactions relate to the opinions of Commerce employees on how to present Commerce's role in making changes to the authoritative root zone file to the public.
Documents EP125-126: These are e-mails, and the redactions include the opinions of a Ms. Atwell on the roles of ICANN and Commerce in the approval of the .xxx domain, and her opinions regarding control of children's access to pornography. (By Atwell, this presumably means Meredith Atwell Baker, then the deputy assistant secretary for communications and information in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.)
- Documents EP46, EP98: These are e-mails from which questions and opinions of White House employee Helen Domenici have been redacted. These include the status of .xxx approval, as well as opinions regarding approval. (Domenici is listed as Assistant Associate Director for Telecommunications and Information Technology (PDF) in the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy.)
- Documents 000001-000007: These are all drafts of a document entitled "USG/DOC Options Regarding GAC Consideration of the Proposed .xxx Domain." (Because it's not a final policy and contains options not acted on, the judge ruled, it can't be obtained through FOIA.)
- Documents 000008-000010: These are all drafts of a document entitled "USG Opinions for Including .xxx in the Authoritative Root Zone file."
- Document 000016: This is a draft entitled "USG Procedural Options Regarding the Creation of .xxx"
- Document 000019: This is a draft entitled "The Department of Commerce's Role in Additions to the Internet Domain Name System Authoritative Root Zone File."
To be sure, the Commerce and State Departments did release a good number of documents in redacted and non-redacted form. Corn-Revere says, "I expect we will be releasing the other documents we have."
But those additional files could have provided a valuable glimpse into how much pressure conservative groups applied--and into what the U.S. government thinks of ICANN and its own role in approving new domain name suffixes.
Unfortunately, given the limitations of FOIA and a judge who was unwilling to go along with ICM's arguments, we may never know the whole story.
Sex Drive
Sex is the 'basic instinct'. At one level, above everything intellectual and earthly, the main reason why we humans ought to be alive is to eat and to have sex'. Eat so that we can stay alive and engage in sex so that we can have children - otherwise the human race would face extinction. As our civilization has progressed, we have learnt a lot such as education, arts, science, technology, economics, astronomy, agriculture... but food and sex remain a top priority even today. And that is exactly how things should stand. Because what was true for Adam and Eve, is true even today. You've gotta eat to stay alive, and gotta have sex to reproduce. Otherwise nothing will matter. Some things never do change.
And so sex is a basic instinct that is embedded deep inside us. That is until now!
Because researchers are now saying that sex drive is on a decline. Sex drive both in men and women are today at the lowest point ever. Very few couples these days have multiple orgasms in a session. And sex as a daily activity is also almost a thing of the past for most. These days, having sex has mostly become something for the weekend, when there is time. Why is this so?
Why Is The Sex Drive Going Down? What Reduces Sex Drive?
Here are some of the reasons that are known to reduce sex drive...
The Stress Factor: This is probably the number one cause. We are all working for longer hours these days and at the end of it all, both the body and the mind is simply too tired to engage in sex, which can also be very tiresome, though enjoyable. Then there are family issues and relationship complications that increase the stress. Unwanted pregnancies and fear of sexually transmitted diseases also enhance the stress levels and prevent us from engaging in sex and enjoying it.
Boredom: People who have remained partners for many years tend to get bored with each other. The body that used to increase libido once doesn't give the kick anymore. It all starts with straight sex and then couples start to experiment, but after sometime when everything has been tried, they have nothing to look forward to.
Sexual Abuse: Those who have been a victim of sexual abuse often find their sex drive at a low and have difficulty in becoming intimate. They are still in trauma and find it a problem to completely trust and submit to their partners. Marital rape can increase this. When one partner has a low sex drive because of this, it can frustrate the other and lead to complications as well.
Effect Of Medicines: Some medicines are known to reduce sex drive. Particularly when these medicines lower the androgen or the testosterone levels in the body. Tranquilizers, mood stabilizers, high BP medicines all reduce vaginal lubrication and lower sex drive and the level of arousal.
Sex Drive Goes Down With Age: Age is another factor that reduces sex drive. With aging, there are natural changes in the human body such as the testosterone levels going down and menopause - all leading to a decreased sex drive. The anxiety of aging is yet another culprit.
It's The Law
Monday, March 17, 2008
No man is allowed to make love to his wife with the smell of garlic, onions, or sardines on his breath in Alexandria, Minnesota. If his wife so requests, law mandates that he must brush his teeth.
Swingers Splash Weekend
Friday, March 7, 2008
… If it Ain’t got That Swing
By Jamie Laughlin
Singles Bars have lost their luster. The nine-to-fivers just want to drone on about (a) their crummy bosses, (b) their crummy exes, or (c) how much better they are without their crummy exes and/or bosses. Trying to have fun in those places makes you wonder: When did people get so uptight?
There’s one SoFla joint that cuts through the bullshit. That magical place is the Rooftop Lounge (1215 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood), and it does so by tacking two little words onto its name. “Clothing optional.” More than just a tan-line-free facility, the Lounge is also a B.Y.O.B. poolside bar (they’ve got mixers, ice, and cups) where adventurous singles and couples collide. More sexual frontiersman (aka swingers) than usual will be dashing up to the rooftop on Saturday and Sunday; that’s when Splash Weekend takes over. Co-sponsored by the Trapeze and sanctioned by SLS (Swing Life Style), this party will be the place to be if you want to meet people who don’t start stories with “This one time, Chas – he’s my ex – and I were supposed to go on a beautiful trip to Bermuda…”
Although they might start stories with this: “One time, I was bangin’ this guy Chas and this girl from the tiki bar when -- wouldn’t you know it? – his crazy ex girlfriend came screaming into the room!...” Seriously, who would you rather party with? Day passes run from free (for unescorted ladies) to $40 (couples), and $60 (unescorted men). You get: complimentary barbeque, drink set ups, and loads of people willing to slather you in sunblock. Visit www.rooftopresort.com.
