TresSugar

Definition: PUMA

CitizenSugar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:58:50 -0700

It's not a cougar nor is it high-end soccer gear, but a political acronym you could have heard when Hillary Clinton halted the roll call and released her delegates into the wild. PUMA stands for "Party Unity My Ass," and, no, not the Democratic Donkey ass.

The term originated in the comment section of a pro-Clinton blog, and later became the name of a political action committee protesting Barack Obama's place as the Democratic nominee. The term later underwent a PC transformation and now officially means "People United Means Action."

PUMAs can be found protesting the Democratic National Convention in Denver, encouraging a Clinton write-in campaign for November, or voting for John McCain.

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Definition: NATO

LibertySugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:00:00 -0800

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) addresses the common security concerns of its 26 member countries from North America and Europe. Created in 1949, to combat the spread of communism in Europe, NATO has a defensive purpose. All decisions are made by consensus, meaning all countries must unanimously agree before NATO takes action. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO faced a bit of an identity crisis.

NATO's mission in Afghanistan marked the first time ever NATO took action outside of the Euro-Atlantic area. There are currently 50,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, working toward security and stability. NATO had no part in the Iraq invasion, but since August 2004, it has been active in training Iraqi security forces. In Kosovo, NATO leads 15,000 international forces. Its UN-mandated presences, intended to maintain Kosovo's security, will be tested by Kosovo's recent declaration of independence and the Serbian response.

Since the end of the Cold War, former communist countries, as well as ex-republics of the Soviet Union have joined NATO. The swallowing of countries formerly under Russia's influence troubles Putin and may cause Russia to obstruct US policy going forward. Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security council, may make it difficult for the US to do what it wants with Iran, for example.

For some useful sources on NATO, read more.

NY Times NATO Topics Page - The New York Times
NATO Time Line - BBC News
NATO Home Page
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Definition: Superdelegate

LibertySugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:00:09 -0800

Superdelegates are party officials and elected officeholders from across the country that have an individual vote at their respective party's nominating convention. They include Senators, Congresspeople, governors, former presidents and vice presidents. Other superdelegates are ordinary people who work in state and local party operations.

At the Democratic National convention almost 800 superdelegates will vote with the 3,000 pledged delegates chosen through primaries and caucuses. Because superdelegates control 40 percent of the votes needed to secure the nomination, their existence makes sure the party establishment approves of the nominee. The candidate who wins the most total delegates, committed and super, wins the nomination.

Right now both Democratic campaigns are putting enormous pressure on the superdelegates. According to party rules, the superdelegates are free to vote with their conscience, but many believe it will be undemocratic if they defy the voters' choice and bolster the candidate who did not win the majority of pledged delegates, giving him or her the nomination. Being political creatures, the superdelegates are likely to consider political factors when making their decisions.

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Definition: The European Union

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:07:18 -0800

The European Union is a group of 27 democratic European countries working together for Europe's common values such as democracy, freedom and social justice. Without the purpose of replacing existing states, the EU member states have created common institutions including the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. The Presidency of the Council rotates every six months, giving each country a turn to set the agenda.

Europeans have more influence on the world stage if they speak with a single voice. With almost 490 million citizens, the EU represents its members in the WTO and observes at G8 summits and at the UN. For more details, read more

The original member states came together after World War Two to prevent future killings and destruction experienced during the two world wars. At first, the countries focused on economic and trade cooperation and today the EU still strives to maintain a single market, in order to realize free movement of people, goods, services and capital. Thirteen members have adopted the euro as common currency. In addition to economic integration, the modern EU deals with a wide range of issues impacting the everyday lives of Europeans.

Want more European Union? Check out the EU's channel on YouTube: EUXTV.

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Definition: Caucus

CitizenSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:24:17 -0800

Usually grouped together with presidential primaries, a caucus, refers mostly to the method of voting. Most famous are the Iowa caucuses, where small groups of like-minded people - the caucus - assemble to air opinions and reach a consensus. In the case of Iowa democrats, that consensus is reached by forming groups of supporters for each candidate and public discussion. Republicans caucus by what they call a "straw vote," which mimics a more traditional ballot-style election. Whether a state elects delegates by caucus or primary and what the delegates do with those results at the convention also varies by state, but the outcome is a party's candidate, officially named at the convention.

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Definition: Primary Election

CitizenSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:14:43 -0800

With the wall-to-wall coverage of primaries and caucuses these days, it can be tough to sort out what it all means. Primary elections determine which hopefuls from each political party will advance to earn that party's nomination and represent that party during the general election. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if you think your vote directly influences that outcome, it's not as straight forward as it sounds.

Each state gets to choose whether to have an open or closed primary (or somewhere in between.) If your state has an open primary, it means you can cast a ballot for any candidate regardless of your party affiliation. This method leaves the choice open to sneaky strategies like using your vote to make sure the opposing party gets stuck with the weakest candidate.
Curious about your own state? Check here for a run-down.

The tricky feature to remember is that during a primary, you're not actually casting a direct ballot for a candidate – you're casting a ballot for a state delegate, who will then take the state's ballot totals to the convention. Each party's national committee distributes the allotted amount of delegates for each state. The outcome of your vote at the primary, is a delegate vote at the convention, and an eventual majority of delegate votes for one candidate - and now the election really starts!

Hump Day: What to Do When He's Not Well Endowed

TresSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:24 -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:
What are some good techniques to use with a partner who has a relatively small penis?

To see Dr. Glickman's answer, read more.

There are a few different things you could try to make intercourse better. The first thing is to have lots of buildup for both of you. The more excited he is, the harder his erection will be. That can maximize the sensations for you since the vagina tends to be most sensitive near the opening. And the closer you are to orgasm before intercourse, the easier it might be to have an orgasm once he’s inside you.

Some positions may work better for you than others. If you try rear entry (aka doggie style) and arch your back, you’ll probably be able to get deeper penetration. Some women report that crossing their legs (after he’s inside) in this position makes things snugger, which creates more intense sensations for both people. If you prefer face to face contact, prop your hips up on a pillow or the amazing Wedge. Bending your legs so your knees are against your chest also maximizes penetration. Since both the vagina and the penis vary in dimensions, you’ll have to experiment a bit to find the ones that feel best to you. Sadie Allison’s book Ride’Em Cowgirl is full of useful tips and fun ideas.

If you’re having trouble getting enough stimulation for your pleasure, you can always make sure that you get your needs taken care of first or keep the fun going after his orgasm. There’s a commonly held belief that simultaneous orgasm is the ultimate sexual experience, and while it can be fun, if that ideal is getting in the way, then ditch it. If he gives you oral sex or uses his hands first and then you switch to intercourse (or vice versa), then you’re both getting pleasured and I think that’s a great thing.

Quite a few partners of men with smaller penises find that oral sex can be a lot easier. After all, if you have a sensitive gag reflex or a narrow jaw, a smaller penis can be much more fun to play with. I definitely encourage you to get creative when it comes to blow jobs. Check out this excellent DVD on oral sex. Similarly, a slender penis can make anal sex more pleasurable, too. While a lot of people aren’t into anal play, if you happen to be, you might find that it feels better when you’re with someone on the slimmer side of things. You can check out this DVD on anal play.

As you can see, there are lots of choices. You may need to talk with each other to figure out what will work best for the two of you. While you might have some worries about talking with your guy about his penis size, I can guarantee that he already knows about it. If you approach the conversation from a desire to make sure that you’re both having fun, it’ll go a lot better. And whatever you do, don’t make fun of him or shame him for his body. Lots of men are hyper-sensitive about penis size and that’s not going to be a constructive thing to do.

Lastly, for the record, most penises are about five-six inches (12.7-15.24 cm) long and about five inches (12.7 cm) around. Lots of people have distorted expectations about penis size, especially if they watch porn. But a lot of people in porn movies (both male and female) are short - it makes penises look larger, just as they used to make cowboy movie sets small to make the actors look bigger. That sort of forced perspective is a trick of the camera, and unfortunately, it can lead to unrealistic expectations.

I hope that helps. Have fun!

Definition: Delegate

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:02:46 -0800

My mom's biggest goal in life is to serve as a delegate at the Republican National Convention. What does that mean exactly? A delegate is selected by the party to serve as the voters' representative, bringing the results of each state's primary balloting to the convention floor.

How many delegate votes does a candidate receive from the primary balloting? It depends on the party. The Democrats award a proportional amount - the percentage of votes a candidate receives in the state primary, they'll receive that ratio of delegate votes at the convention. The Republicans let each state decide whether to award a proportion of votes or let the winner of the primary election "take all." The first candidate to win a majority of the delegate votes secures the party's nomination. It gets better - please read more.

Here's where it gets interesting: A delegate, unless stated otherwise, isn't necessarily bound, or "pledged," to award his or her vote to the candidate the voters chose. Roughly 20 percent of a state's delegates remain unbound or "unpledged" allowing for flexibility during the convention vote.

Though it happens less frequently in our current primary season (which now starts early enough to create a front-runner effect where wins in early primary states snowball into continuing wins ) multiple convention votes could be required for one candidate to achieve a majority. In that instance, those unpledged delegates can choose to switch candidates, allowing for a majority win, and some exciting times on the convention floor. Here's hopin' my mom makes it there someday soon!

Want more to read?

Check out the history of multiple convention votes.

Want to learn more about how your state's Election Board runs things? Find your state here.

Hungry for more? Check this out for more details.

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?

Bra-Burning Never Happened!

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:24 -0800

Jessica Valenti, founder and editor of Feministing, recently told the New York Times Sunday Magazine bra-burning is a myth. This I did not know! She said:

"Bra-burning never happened. It was completely made up by the media. A couple of women protesting a Miss America pageant threw some bras into a garbage can, and somehow that became this longstanding idea of feminists as bra-burners."

We doubled checked, and Snopes - the Internet's definitive, if sadly designed, myth-busting site - confirms bra-burning never happened. Born out of the 1968 Miss America protest and the dissent du jour being draft-card-burning, a journalist, hungry for a headline, coined the phrase. However, NPR talked to Carol Hanisch, an organizer of the protest, last year and she said, "We had intended to burn it, but the police department, since we were on the boardwalk, wouldn't let us do the burning." Oh, well - maybe the next myth will be true!

Source: Flickr User (nz)dave