TresSugar

Briefing Book! Time to Say Good-bye to American Cars?

LibertySugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:03:39 -0800

Cars: Need a trip down memory lane in some of the roomiest, gas guzzlingest, and fugliest cars you ever did see? Slideshow bids a fond goodbye to the American car. - 23/6
Biden: Will the Second Dog be friends with the yet-to-be-picked First Dog? Joe Biden's gets a German shepherd puppy to bring to Washington. - PetSugar
Colbert: Actually some punch behind the bump? Politicians who appear on Stephen Colbert's show get a fund-raising boost. - Good
McCain: Should McCain have opposed the bailout? Some say that had McCain opposed the bailout he would have positioned himself as the principled, populist champion standing up to the corrupt, moneyed elite. - Townhall

Local Ford Dealer Blasts Americans Who Buy Toyotas

LibertySugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:30:01 -0800

A South Carolina Ford dealer wants Americans to put the brakes on buying foreign cars, and he's using the radio to accelerate the spread of this message. In a controversial ad the local dealer chastises Toyota customers saying:

All you people that buy all your Toyotas and send that money to Japan, you know, when you don't have a job to make your Toyota car payment, don't come crying to me. All those cars are rice ready. They're not road ready.

Since he began running the ad, the Ford dealer said he's experienced a boom in business and positive feedback. But not everyone's excited about the controversial ad, claiming that it reeks of racist undertones. Besides, 60 percent of Toyotas sold in the US were in fact made in America, according to the Japanese company.

Even if the radio ad wasn't the most tasteful marketing pitch, do you think Americans have an obligation to buy American brands, or do the car companies have an obligation to produce something Americans want to buy?

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Front Page: Big Three on Hill For Round Two of Begging

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:00:29 -0800

The CEOs of the Big Three automakers are back on Capitol Hill today asking for a bailout. This time they are joined by the chiefs of the United Auto Workers union. - New York Times
A federal judge has banned Bratz dolls just in time for Christmas, ordering MGA to immediately stop manufacturing the dolls. The judge's ruling came after a jury determined that the creator of Bratz developed the doll while working at Mattel. - CNN

Kenya's prime minister has called on fellow African governments to oust Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. - BBC News
Officials from China and the US met today for high-level talks regarding the global economic crisis. China said it would continue its currency reform but also told the US to get its economy in order. - AP

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Briefing Book! Car Execs Will Take $1 Salaries For Bailout

LibertySugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:30:28 -0800

Bailout: Problem solved? Big Three CEOs agree to cut salaries to $1 a year if Congress grants auto industry bailout. - Huffington Post
Biden: Lucky us? Contrasting Joe Biden's prepared remarks and what he actually said shows that he likes to elaborate. - Politico
Chris Matthews: Does he have a chance? Although he denies it, rumors fly that MSNBC host might run for Senate. - GOOD
Condi: Can Hillary top that? Secretary Rice plays a piano recital for the Queen of England. - Gawker
AIDS: How many lives could have been saved if leader didn't deny it? South Africa finally admits HIV/AIDS link. - Donkelphant

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Front Page: World Marks 20 Years Since Fall of Berlin Wall

TresSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:18 -0800

As Germany and the rest of the world mark 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, those who experienced the momentous moment are sharing their memories. - BBC News
Iran has charged three US citizens with espionage after they crossed into the country from Iraq. - Voice of America
Jon Gosselin and Levi Johnston made a joint appearance in Times Square yesterday. - New York Daily News
Three big Wall Street firms are set to pay $30 billion in bonuses this year. - Bloomberg
Alice S. Rossi, a noted scholar and founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), died last week at the age of 87. - New York Times
Disney's revamped version of A Christmas Carol took the top spot at the box office this weekend, bringing in $31 million. - BuzzSugar

Très Cool! Babies Cry in Their Native Language

TresSugar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

I've always found it fascinating that dogs "bark" in different languages. Though we say "ruff ruff" in English, that same noise is expressed as "ouah, ouah" in French. Now here's something even cooler: German researchers have started to think that babies' wails sound different depending on what language their parents speak.

The scientists observed 60 babies born to families speaking French and German and found that the infants could be absorbing their parents' accents from inside the womb. In the last three months of pregnancy, babies have already begun to memorize sounds, and based on the analysis of the babies' cry "melodies," the sounds mapped closely to the parents' accents:

The French newborns cried with a rising "accent" while the German babies' cries had a falling inflection.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, they say the babies are probably trying to form a bond with their mothers by imitating them.

The findings suggest that unborn babies are influenced by the sound of the first language that penetrates the womb.

Fascinating, right? Now I want to hang out with a big international gang of babies and see if their cries all sound different. Wait, that means being trapped in a room with a bunch of crying babies - nevermind!

Hump Day: I'm Curious but Nervous About Back Door Action

TresSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Welcome to Hump Day, TrèsSugar's sex advice column. Are you confused about sex? Do you have trouble having an orgasm? Is there something you'd like to try but you're worried it's too weird? Send your questions to TrèsSugar, and our friend Dr. Charlie Glickman from Good Vibrations will offer his sound advice!

Today's Question:

“I’m curious about having anal sex with my boyfriend, but I’ve had unpleasant experiences in the past. Any tips?” To hear what Dr. Glickman has to say, read more

I’ve noticed an increase in questions about anal play over the last few years, and while I think it’s great that more people are discovering new ways to experience pleasure, anal play isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Many people don’t enjoy it at all and unfortunately, some guys have a tendency to pressure their partners into doing it. Quite a few women report that their boyfriends have seen so much anal in porn that they’re convinced that every woman wants it. But sex in porn is like a car chase in an action movie. There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes that you don’t see in order to create the illusion that shows up on the screen; in the case of anal sex - lots of lube and warming up.

For some women, anal play (note: not just anal sex) heightens their orgasms. First, the anus is very sensitive and packed with nerve endings. Second, its muscles are connected to the rest of the pelvic muscles and contract along with the vagina during orgasm. Third, there are people who enjoy the experience of doing something naughty or taboo.

So now that we have that taken care of, there are three ingredients to hot anal play: relaxation, lubrication, and communication. Let’s take them one at a time.

Relaxation: the anus is made up of two rings of muscles and they’re under both voluntary and involuntary control. With practice, you can learn to increase how much control you have over your ability to relax. And ironically, if you’re nervous about anal play hurting or not being fun, it can make the anus get tighter, which makes it more likely to be unpleasant.

The best way to get started is to go slowly and start small. Try a little external pleasure with a finger or a slim vibrator. If you’re concerned about keeping things clean, slip on a glove. Experiment with tightening the anus and bearing down - you’ll be able to feel it contract and relax.

If you want to try penetration, go slowly and use lots of lube (either water-based or silicone-based, which doesn't dry out as easily but is harder to clean off). You’ll probably enjoy it more if you’re also doing something that you enjoy such as using a vibrator. Lots of women report that anal play on its own isn’t nearly as much fun as when it’s an add-on.

Communication: the anus is a delicate part of the body and it’s easy to get too rough with it. It’s super-important to be able to tell your partner when things are uncomfortable, if you need more lube, or if you want to try something else. For that matter, it’s important to be able to say something if you’re not enjoying it, or if you’re experiencing any pain. And if your partner is pressuring you to do something that you don’t want to do, that’s a big red flag!

Important safety tips: any toys that you use for anal play need to be smooth, have a base, and ideally made of easy-to-clean silicone. Since the anus is so much more delicate than the vagina, it’s easy for toys with bumps and ridges to cause discomfort. (If you have a porous rubber toy or you’re not sure if it's made of silicone, cover it with a condom.) And NEVER put anything that has been used anally inside the vagina - that’s a great way to give yourself an unpleasant infection. Lastly, if your toy doesn’t have a base, there’s a chance that it could go all the way in and not come back out. That can mean a trip to the emergency room.

If you’re looking for more info, here are some great places to start. For books, I'd recommend Anal Pleasure & Health and The Ultimate Guide To Anal Sex For Women. For DVDs, Tristan Taormino's Expert Guide to Anal Sex and Anal Massage For Lovers are great.

I hope that helps! Email the folks at TrèsSugar if you have more sex questions. I’d love to hear from you.

Briefing Book! Michael Moore on the Big Three Bailout

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:30:34 -0800

Detroit: What does Michael Moore think? Maker of Roger & Me shares thoughts on automaker bailout. - Donklephant
Congress: Big win for liberals? Henry Waxman has just ousted longtime chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, in a big win for environmentalists. - Talking Points Memo
Obama: Did you miss 60 Minutes? Watch the Obamas' interview in 60 seconds. - 23/6
Stevens: Let's have a round of applause for corruption? Ted Stevens makes farewell speech in the Senate, and received a standing ovation. – Politico
Communists: Raul Castro sings for Chairman Mao? Cuban leader serenades Chinese president with a song about China's Cultural Revolution. - Shanghaiist

Oh Snap! Times Square Goes Mad (Men)

TresSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:00:00 -0700

I watched last night's season three premiere of Mad Men; did you? However, my viewing party couldn't compete with the big bash held in New York's Times Square. Hundreds of fans in '60s attire joined Mad Men actor Brian Bhatt and Project Runway alum Laura Bennett to watch the new episode and compete in a preshow costume contest. Buzz is wondering if you've ever thrown a themed viewing party, and I wonder if this fedora'd threesome took home any mad prizes? Read on for more fun photos.

Do You Prefer Sex With a Circumcised or Uncircumcised Man?

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0700

There's been a big push in Africa to get men circumcised in order to reduce their risk of contracting HIV. A recent study dedicated to evaluating the health benefits of male circumcision in Uganda decided to go further and see how the practice impacted a patient's sex life. The results show that 40 percent of women said that they had more satisfying sex after their partner was circumcised. (Note: 57 percent reported no change and three percent said sex was less satisfying.)

Women credited a variety of factors for their increase in pleasure, including improved hygiene, a longer period before their partner climaxed, and an increased sex drive from their partner.

I've heard anecdotal evidence to support a wide range of opinions on the topic. Some women say sex is much better when a man is au naturel, while others are turned off by the foreskin. And some women I know don't have an opinion either way. What about you?

Source: Flickr User Brains the head