TresSugar

Art Mimics Life: Obama Holding Jack Bauer Hostage?

LibertySugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:08 -0800

When the new season of 24 kicked off last night, hero Jack Bauer was the subject of a congressional investigation looking into his hasty executions and use of torture. The Telegraph quotes Bauer, who said:

We've done so many things in the name of protecting this country, we've created two worlds. Ours and the people's we've promised to protect. They deserve to hear the truth and decide how far they want to let us go.

Bauer's sharp turn left is now torturing conservatives, who appreciated 24 as a beacon of Hollywood hope in a sea of liberal films, actors, and TV shows. Vocal conservatives say that before Obama, the show took seriously the threat of terrorism, along with the necessity of using extreme measures to protect innocent Americans.

Do you think the show is kowtowing to liberal bullies, or is the plot just trying to stay relevant?

Photos courtesy of Fox

24: The Unaired 1994 Episode

GiggleSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 03:55:00 -0800

In this pilot episode of 24, Agent Bauer must disassemble a bomb before it ticks to everyone's demise. But there's one problem- the year is 1994 and pay phones, bike messengers, floppy disks, old-school printers with perforated paper, dial-up internet service, AOL chat rooms, VHS tapes, and polaroid cameras aren't all too conducive to high-speed progress. Will Bauer complete or bomb his mission? (Thanks, College Humor!)

Do, Dump, or Marry? Kellan Lutz

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:34 -0800

Thanks to his clear blue eyes, Twilight's Kellan Lutz definitely qualifies as dreamy, and on the big screen, he's straight up vampire eye candy – in my book at least.

The 24-year-old North Dakota native might not be the biggest heartthrob to appear in New Moon, but he surely has his own set of devoted fans. And for all you dog lovers, Kellan (who is officially single) has a soft spot for canines too; he adopted his dog Kola from a local animal shelter.

Do you want Kellan to bite you?

Hump Day: Sex Makes Her Uncomfortable

TresSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:30:23 -0800

Welcome to Hump Day, TrèsSugar's sex advice column. If you have questions about sex, send them to TrèsSugar, and our friend Dr. Charlie Glickman from Good Vibrations will offer his sound advice!

Today's Question:
I'm 24 and in my first relationship. I really like the guy, we've been going out for six months, but I get nervous whenever he slips his hand under my underwear. He gets the hint and stops. I don't mind him doing other things (we haven't slept together yet), but I wish I wasn't such a prude. I don't know what he expects and I worry that he will be grossed out, as I only shave/wax the bikini line but not the whole thing. What if he thinks it is ugly? I also don't know what I should expect; he knows I'm a virgin, but I don't know how to speak to him about why I get uncomfortable, and I don't know how to overcome it! I also have a few stretch marks and worry that he will be grossed out by them. Please help?

To read Dr. Glickman's response, read more.

Thank you for sharing this challenging situation. I know that it can be scary to talk about things like this, but these are all really common thoughts.

One of the things that can help when you’re on the edge of your comfort zone is to take it very slowly. It’ll probably help to tell your guy about your discomfort, even if you can’t tell him why it’s there. You could simply say "I have a lot of discomfort around sex." You also might want to do a little solo exploration. It takes the pressure off because there aren’t any partner expectations. Check out the wonderful book Becoming Orgasmic. If you’re looking for tips or ideas for techniques, Tickle Your Fancy is full of suggestions. Once you know a bit more about what you like or dislike, you and your boyfriend might be able to find something that you both like to do.

It’s worth mentioning that vulvas come in all different shapes. (The vulva is the external female anatomy. The vagina is the inside part.) There’s a long history of negative attitudes towards the vulva, but each one is unique and beautiful in its own way. A lot of women have the idea that there’s something wrong with their vulvas because they don’t look like what we see in porn or because they have hair, and I think that’s unfortunate. I strongly recommend getting to know your parts and Scarleteen has a great site about that. It’s geared towards teens, but there's lots of amazing info about sex, bodies, and pleasure.

Another option would be to explore some of these concerns with a therapist. When you have an itch on your back, you need someone else to scratch it. Therapists help us by reaching the spots we can’t reach on our own. Lastly, depending on where you are, you could join a body-image support group. While they tend not to focus on sexuality, they can be an incredibly helpful way to work through our concerns about our bodies and how we (or other people) feel about them.

Working through these challenges isn’t always easy, but it can be very rewarding. Whatever route you choose, I hope you find the pleasure and joy that you deserve.

Bro vs. Douchebag: Is There a Difference?

TresSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Listening to Phish. Wearing popped collars. Playing ultimate Frisbee. Flaunting the number of chicks bagged.

Are these the traits of a bro or a douche? Is there a difference? While pondering this question, you might want to pop over to BroBible.com, a "brocial" networking site created by 24-year-old Doug Banker, a hesitantly self-identified "bro" who wants to redeem bro culture from being demonized as douche culture. (Sample post: "What's More Bro: Oral or Anal Sex?")

Last year when the site was still under construction, he had this to say about the distinction: "[A] bro is just someone who likes to go out and have a good time, who likes to stay connected to their group of friends while expanding their horizons. It’s not one of our goals to make the word ‘bro’ more positive. But yes, hopefully, that will happen."

So is there a difference between a bro and a douchebag? Does it matter? Do you wish those words would go away? Inquiring minds want to know!

Saturday Horoscopes

TresSugar — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:01:01 -0700

SAGITTARIUS: November 22nd - December 21st
Get in touch with the physical side of life -- go for a walk, cook a nice meal or just sit and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the world around you. Your mental batteries are recharging today.
CAPRICORN: December 22nd - January 19th
Don't worry too much about tiring yourself out or getting down too far today -- things are going well for you! It's a good time for you to keep making progress on whatever is most important.
AQUARIUS: January 20th - February 18th
Now is the time for you to just lie down and relax -- even if you have serious deadlines ahead! You can't say how long it's going to take to get your energy back, but you don't want to restart until you're fresh.
PISCES: February 19 - March 20th
You're part of the team for sure, and that can mean that you're making progress or helping clean up -- but whatever it is, you're helping to make the most of everyone's energy! It all works out well.
ARIES: March 21st - April 19th
No matter how weird things get, you know that you can handle them. See if you can just face up to each new challenge as it arises, rather than trying to plot your course before seeing the terrain.
TAURUS: April 20th - May 20th
Your great personal energy manifests itself in a stronger connection to the earth and other people -- especially through physicality! You are a bit more huggy today, which should suit most others just fine.
GEMINI: May 21st - June 21st
Someone you counted on drops out at the last minute -- or even tries to sabotage your efforts! That is immensely frustrating, of course, but it shouldn't get any worse than that, so keep pushing.
CANCER: June 22nd - July 22nd
Today is all about balance -- and you almost certainly begin the day feeling somewhat out of it! You need to try for something a little different in some aspect of your life that doesn't get enough attention.
LEO: July 23rd - August 22nd
You may be quite enthusiastic about something you just started -- but the problem is that you're the only one who feels that way! Keep it to yourself until people get curious on their own.
VIRGO: August 23rd - September 22nd
Don't be so hard on yourself! If you're regretting something that happened recently, the best you can do is to pick yourself up and try a different approach. Self-criticism isn't useful right now.
LIBRA: September 23rd - October 22nd
Beware of those who think they're helping you today -- they may do more harm than good! That doesn't mean you should cancel that doctor's appointment, but make sure to ask lots of questions.
SCORPIO: October 23rd - November 21st
You're itching to get started on something new today, and it's a safe bet that you're going to have it all take care of by the end of the day. You may need to get a few coworkers on line, but that's not hard.

Obama's Foursome Finally Includes a Woman

TresSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:10:00 -0700

The 44th president has played 24 rounds of golf (who's counting?) since he came to office. How many women have been invited along with the golfer in chief? One. This weekend, President Obama's chief domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes became the first woman to play golf with the president.

Last week, Obama sounded pretty enlightened about modern gender roles. He said that after he had kids, he realized that Michelle should not be solely responsible for running the house just because she's a woman. But it seems that Obama has been having a hard time translating these enlightened ideas to sports, as he typically plays basketball and golf with men only.

Hanging out socially with the boss is always good for career advancement, and it's a bit disappointing that the president was perpetuating the idea that these traditionally all-male activities are still for for members of the "boys club." Hopefully any of the sporty women on staff will now feel welcome to play in these very visible games.

Have you ever felt excluded from activities (social or work-related) because you're a woman?

All-Male Morehouse College Bans Cross-Dressing

TresSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

It appears that folks in Georgia aren't too fond of cross-dressers. We told you about a teen in Kennesaw who quit high school rather than stop cross-dressing, and now Martin Luther King, Jr.'s alma mater Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA has instituted a no dress-wearing clause to its larger dress code policy.

The "Appropriate Attire Policy," which already bans casual attire like do-rags and sagging pants, has now added dresses to the list of casual clothes its male students cannot wear. But the last time I checked, a dress isn't "casual" attire; a dress could actually be considered formal attire. So what's really going on here? If you want to weigh in, read more

This rule was implemented because of five men on campus who are cross-dressing, according to Dr. William Bynum, Morehouse's vice president for Student Services. "We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men," he said. Even the campus' gay organization, Morehouse Safe Space, was OK with the ban, voting 24 - 3 in favor of it before it was instituted.

Do you think that a gay man wearing a dress is on par with a barefoot, saggy-pants wearing man in a do-rag, or is this institutionalized homophobia in action?

How Old Were You When You Lost Your Virginity?

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

In a hard-to-believe fit of modesty, sexy funny lady Tina Fey revealed to David Letterman last night that she was 24 before she lost her virginity and "couldn't give it away." (I'm incredulous about the latter claim - not that she was 24.)

I don't think I know anyone who waited that long, but everyone has her reasons for delaying sex. Honestly, I think being ready to have sex is better than "getting it out of the way" as I hear some people describe their motivations for having sex for the first time.

I had a good first experience, but it happened before I was 24! At what age did you lose your virginity? If you want to see the clip of her revelation, read more.

iPhone App Helps Men Keep Score of Chicks They've Scored

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Pepsi's Amp Up energy drink (another one?!) has created a free iPhone app that gives players "up-to-the-minute info, feeds, lines" so that they can talk to their favorite kinds of women - "24 in all."

Basically, men can either get tips before they score, or they can upload details of their hookups as a result of these indubitably useful apps after they score. Nice touch, Pepsi.

I would rename this the "wishful thinking app." Because what guy who would ask his phone how he should speak to a "punk" woman because she's "staring holes into him" is really scoring at all? I love when the guy in the commercial clicks on the punk cartoon girl and it takes him to a definition of punk ("Punk rock is a genre that . . ."). Wow.

This app may try to help a man score one of 24 types of women, but it seems to be marketed to only one kind of dude: a loser.

(Tell GeekSugar the weirdest iPhone app you've ever seen and read about Pepsi's official apology.)