TresSugar

Happy Meal? Alabama Sex Shop Opens Drive-Through

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:19 PST

Alabama is the only state in the nation to still have a sex toy ban on the books, but now Pleasures, the one-stop romance shop, is challenging the law. Turns out, there's a loophole: Alabama law makes an exception on the sale of items designed for the "stimulation of human genital organs" for "a bona fide medical, scientific, educational, legislative, judicial, or law enforcement purpose."

Law enforcement purposes?!? Anyway, I'm not here to parse archaic sex laws or insinuate sex toys are used for torture (except, I can't think of anything else?). Instead, let's talk about how entirely retrograde it is to buy a sex toy like it's medical marijuana. Customers must fill out a health questionnaire describing why their physical condition requires a Doc Johnson i-Vibe Rabbit Vibrator.

I'm guessing the drive-through might just be a novelty, because Pleasures is located in a former bank. Yet it's there for those who want privacy but can't wait two days for express delivery. On that note, does anyone know if sex toys can be legally shipped to Alabama? You can log out and tell us in our anonymous, drive-through comments.

Artist of the Day: Hayley Gaberlavage

CasaSugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:00:06 PDT

During a recent trip to my old stomping grounds of New Orleans, I stopped by artist Amanda Stone Talley's studio to say hello. Not only was she sweet enough to give me a personal tour of her own carriage house a few blocks away, but she walked me down the street to the studio of her friend and fellow artist Hayley Gaberlavage. Unfortunately, Hayley wasn't in, so I peered into her porch window to get a look at her paintings and was instantly intrigued.

A native of Alabama, Hayley earned an interior design degree from the University of Alabama, followed by an MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. After solidifying herself in the art scenes of Atlanta and New York City, she gained a following of commercial clients, private galleries, and personal collectors. Now she's settled into a studio on Magazine Street in New Orleans, one of the most vibrant, artistic stretches of the city.

Hayley lends a contemporary edge to landscapes, abstracts, and figurative paintings. What I love most is how she blurs the lines between the three. For instance, the Moorish motifs and the flirtatious couple in "Tug on You" (left) blend dreamily and seamlessly, while the setting of "Melon Heads" (right) contributes as much to the feeling of retro Southern Summer nostalgia as the gentlemen in camping chairs indulging in their sweet fruit.

In her artist statement, she writes, "Celebrating both fine art and the sleek contemporary art of post-World War II baby boomers, my painted canvases creatively seek a retro aesthetic of an outdated, yet relevant modern era . . . My overarching artistic vision is defined by present-day sensory sensations, an irreverent youth-generation, and seemingly meaningless pop culture." Hayley also tells me that her background in interior design has made midcentury furniture and Danish design a huge inspiration for her. "I'm inspired by the environment I live in and the people that surround me. I love watching people in their own environment too," she says. "I could go on and on where I find inspiration but it comes to me even walking down the street!"

Continue to see more of her work!

Alabama Supreme Court to Women: No Sex Toys For You!

TresSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:00 PDT

Love Stuff, a sex toy shop in Hoover, AL, recently filed a challenge to strike down a 1998 law that bans the sale of sex toys. Alas, anyone who wants to buy sex toys in Alabama will have to go elsewhere. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld the state's ban in a 7-2 decision on Friday, arguing against Love Stuff's claim that the ban violated a person's right to sexual privacy.

The Legislature argued that although you can still use your Pearl Rabbit in private, they have the right to ban its public distribution. In a statement that could easily have been written by the satirists of The Onion, the 11th Circuit stated in its majority opinion, "There is nothing 'private' or 'consensual' about the advertising and sale of a dildo."

In arguing that regulating commercial activity is not a private activity (and hence doesn't fall under Love Stuff's challenge that the law is a violation of privacy), Associate Justice Michael F. Bolin claims that the law banning the sale of sex toys is an issue of public morality. Do you see any connection between morality and the sale of sex toys? Does the court's view of sex toys and their sale seem outdated to you?

Lawmakers Crack Down on Guns After Shooting Rampages

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:30:28 PDT

Shooting rampages filled today's headlines. In Alabama, a man killed a dozen people, including the members of his own family. Over in Germany, a 17-year-old boy attacked a high school, killing at least 16 people.

When attacks occur, European countries often hurry to tighten gun laws. Following two school massacres within a year, Finland announced plans today to raise the minimum age for handgun ownership from 15 to 20. In Belgium, lawmakers passed strict gun laws in 2006 after a racially motivated shooting of a toddler and her black babysitter. In Portugal, the parliament is considering denying bail to anyone suspected of a gun crime.

American lawmakers have responded, too. After the Virginia Tech massacre, the governor signed an executive order requiring that anyone ordered by law to get mental health treatment be added to a database of people barred from buying guns.

Do you think this is the correct response to gun-related tragedies?

Source

Front Page: AL Community in Shock After Gunman Kills 11

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:02:56 PDT

A gunman in Alabama killed 11 people yesterday, including his mother, his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, the wife and child of a sheriff deputy, and himself. - CNN
Stocks opened with a gain again today, as Wall Street hopes to extend big gains made yesterday. - MSN
Pakistan arrested hundreds of opposition activists today and banned protests in two regions ahead of a planned rally outside parliament. - AP
President Obama plans to lay out a new set of guidelines for Congress's earmark process. He will sign the spending bill today that has 9,000 earmarks. - CNN
Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks Congress may have to approve another stimulus plan in order to ease the effects of the recession. - Washington Post
Citigroup and General Motors might be removed from the Dow Jones Indexes, if the government takes more control of the companies. - Reuters

GOP Senator Questions Obama's Citizenship

LibertySugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:00:24 PST

Proven-American (I assume) senator Richard Shelby has an issue with his President. Saturday the Republican from Alabama said:

Well his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven't seen any birth certificate. You have to be born in America to be president.

Shelby was responding to a question from a constituent about whether there was any truth to the rumor that Obama wasn't a US citizen.

He has since said that it was a "throwaway line" and that he doesn't have any doubt that Obama is eligible to be president. Still, why would he choose to perpetrate this line of "attack" on the president. No other president has had his citizenship questioned, even in a "throwaway line."

Is this "he's not one of us" narrative dangerous, or do you think Shelby's comments were harmless?

Source

Great Deal? Alabama Town Offers $50,000 for Jews to Move

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:00:54 PDT

With the housing situation the way it is and homeowners throwing in all kinds of perks to entice buyers this almost fits in - almost. The Blumberg Family Relocation fund is offering Jewish families up to $50,000 to come live in Dothan, Alabama - a mostly Christian town that calls itself the Peanut Capital of the World.

While the numbers of Jews living in the South has risen overall, they're concentrated mostly in the bigger cities. Small towns like Dothan are seeing an ever dwindling population of the chosen people. One member of the local temple says, "A lot of the older people have died, and not many of the younger ones have stayed. We are dying." The program aims to, according to its sponsor, "find young people that we could use in our religious school, our Sunday school and help in the way of trying to create more of a family-type atmosphere in our temple."

The cash payment isn't the first time this has been attempted. To see who else tried,

read more. Some groups offered a payout for Jewish families to move back to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and another synagogue outside of Boston is trying a similar plan. Despite the bucks, a small town in the deep South is a tough sell. Though 20 families have looked into Dothan, none have made the move so far. But maybe soon! One local said this of the quality of life in Dothan, which is the cutest thing ever, " "We have Friday afternoon rush minute, and that's about it." No traffic and $50,000? What are y'all waiting for? Source

Speak Up: Are You OK With an Obesity Fee?

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:00 PDT

New reports are claiming that by January 2010, state employees in Alabama will be charged $25 per month for insurance (that's normally free to state workers) if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater or if they are not making any process in slimming down - though how the progress will be measured is still being determined. This comes after insurance companies are finding that obese folks incur more medical costs over the course of a year than those who are not overweight.

Granted, Alabama is second only to Mississippi for having the most obese population in the country, but how do you feel about it? If you're overweight, would you be OK with paying a $25 fee if your employer were to set the same guidelines? If you're not overweight, do you feel it's fair? Speak up and share your thoughts below.

Source

Alabama Makes Unfit Workers Pick Up Tab For Insurance

CitizenSugar — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:00:42 PDT

Giving up buttered grits for health care? As Alabama ballooned to take the #2 spot (right behind #1 ranked Mississippi) in the national obesity rankings, the state is cracking down on free health care payouts for state workers who are overweight. It's issued a get-slim-or-pay-up ultimatum for the nearly 40,000 workers on the state's insurance plan. They'll have a year to lose weight or start paying $25 a month toward their usually free plan.

Alabama already charges smokers - an incentive that has spurred some to snub out the butts - and other states reward workers for healthy habits. Ohio, for instance, pays workers $50 for getting health screenings and $50 for following the advice.

Not everyone is happy about the plan. To see why,

read more. One size-acceptance advocate says the new Alabama insurance policy will cause stress for workers. She says, "I'm big and beautiful and doing my best to keep my stress levels down so I can stay healthy. That's big, not lazy, not a glutton and certainly not deserving of the pompous, poisonous disrespect served up daily to those of us with more bounce to the ounce." The Alabama program will go by the body mass index chart - anyone with a BMI over 35 will be charged. Research shows that this demographic costs an average of $1,700 extra dollars in health care per year, far more than the $300 an overweight worker will be charged. Is this plan fair? Is it a good plan to motivate healthy changes, or does it tip the scales in the wrong direction? Source

Can You Eat for $1.75 a Day? Alabama Prisoners Do

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:30:23 PDT

80 years ago Alabama passed a law that gave sheriffs $1.75 a day to cover the cost of prisoner grub. If they didn't spend that much, they got to keep the leftover dough. Most Alabama counties still operate under this system, with the same per diem - and some sheriffs are actually making money on top of their salaries.

The precise amount of profit is impossible to figure - sheriffs buy food out of their own pockets, making tracing the bucks hard. One new sheriff said he and his wife took out a loan for $150,000 the day he took office to buy food until his first state payment came through. "It's the most money I've ever borrowed in my life, even more than for my house," he said. To see what critics of the program have to say,

read more. Critics allege that this program ends up paying law enforcement to skimp on food could reward sheriffs for maltreatment. Sheriffs defend the program as cost-effective for their counties and scoff at the suggestion they are making a lot of money. They tell tales of being vigilant about not wasting anything and shopping creatively. They're not off the hook - the system holds sheriffs personally liable for budget shortfalls and any lawsuits over jail food. For perspective, the government pays schools $2.47 for serving one meal under the National School Lunch Program for low-income students. If sheriffs are able to put food on the table for such little money, do they deserve to keep the leftovers? Does this encourage abuse of prisoners? Should anyone who can provide three meals for less than two bucks be celebrated? Source