Virgin

Wow. And we complain about high taxes in the US!

Romanian-born Alina Percea, 18, auctioned off her virginity to an Italian businessman (for only $18,000!) and now she's facing some pretty stiff taxes in Germany where she goes to school — 50 percent straight away because they're deeming her act prostitution (legal there) and then a 19 percent VAT (value added tax) because she earned her money so quickly! (Some Germans are taxed up to 45 percent of their incomes.)

She was hoping to get $100,000, but claims that all in all she's happy with the outcome, and may date the Italian guy for free after this. Hardly seems worth it, if you asked me! Natalie Dylan had a better idea. . .

In controversial news, a 22-year-old woman is making headlines everywhere by offering her virginity to the highest bidder in the hopes of earning money for grad school. Commenting on the scandal this is causing, an article in Reuters notes that many who've weighed in on this strange scenario think it's just a desperate attempt at fame, while others consider such an act synonymous with prostitution. The woman offered her own insight:

I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems but it will create some financial stability. I'm ready for the controversy, I know it will come along. I'm ready to do this . . . We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?

I'll be honest, I find the notion of selling your virginity for anything, including higher education, extremely disconcerting. And while I advocate that women be both proud and in control of their sexuality, this seems like another thing entirely.

Regardless of whether it is or isn't prostitution or a try at fame, it troubles me to think that a woman would consciously put herself in this position. What do you think of this endeavor? Is capitalizing on our virginity akin to using our good looks to get ahead? Are there ways in which you use your sexuality as a tool to get what you need or want?

Source

Virgin Galactic may be close to making space tourism a reality, according to the latest issue of The Economist. The firm just unveiled its plan to give customers with a couple hundred grand a trip to outer space. And there may be more exciting things to come. The article claims that a system similar to Virgin's could be used to launch space planes from one side of the earth to the other in 90 minutes! All for the right price, of course.

The magazine believes that access to space, and thus the other side of earth, will revolutionize our attitudes toward space travel.

For many years the question has been why taxpayers should pay to put people into space. The point of private-sector space travel is that the world will rapidly and accurately come to a conclusion about what space is for. The invisible hand may, indeed, point upwards. Then again, it may not.

If it does point upwards, all I can say is — wow! I don't know whether I like this or not. It seems like the internet and free trade have already made for a very homogeneous world. This obviously has both pros and cons. I love that I can shop at the Spanish store Zara at home in the US, but I'm always disappointed when I see the same stuff when I travel overseas. What will the world look like if we can travel from one end to the next in less time than it takes to watch the sappy in-flight romantic comedy?!

Source

Dear Sugar--

Alright. My boyfriend and I are about to have sex for the first time sometime soon. I am not a virgin, and neither is he, but here is my question. How can I make it special?

I have all these ideas but I don't want to pile them all into one night because then there won't be much left to do for a long time. I thought of sexy lingerie, but do you have any other suggestions? We are going to a hotel (we have no privacy at each other's houses because we live with our parents).....

Any ideas would be amazing! Thanks!

--Help Make it Special Shayna


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