TresSugar

Olympic Sponsors Responsible for Human Rights Violations?

LibertySugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Pro-Tibet groups are joining together to call out the corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics. The groups say that unless the companies use their influence to pressure China, they are complicit in a humanitarian disaster.

Twelve global sponsors, including Coca Cola, General Electric, McDonald's, Visa, Johnson & Johnson and Omega have paid a combined $80 million for the four year exclusive sponsorship deal. Activists explain that together these companies have a GDP equal to Canada's, the world's eighth largest economy. Thus, they can wield a lot of influence.

Do you expect sponsors to get involved in global politics, considering they work with governments, employ lobbying firms, and maintain international presences?

Are human rights more than politics, therefore giving everyone an obligation to pressure China, including corporations and consumers? Or, should the sponsors be commended for supporting the Olympic movement, which would be impossible without them?

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Take Me to Your Leader: Liberia

LibertySugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:12:56 -0800

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 69, became Africa's first female elected head of state when Liberians elected her as their president in 2005. A Harvard-educated economist, Johnson-Sirleaf came to power, bolstered by her loyal supporters who carried "Ellen! She's Our Man!" posters during the close elections.

Johnson-Sirleaf's criticism of Liberia's former military regime led to her imprisonment twice in the 1980s. She fled Liberia two times, gaining international-finance experience while in exile. To find out about this amazing woman, read more.

Among her supporters, Johnson-Sirleaf finds educated Liberians as well as members of the old elite descended from freed American slaves who founded Liberia - "land of the free." According to Johnson-Sirleaf, she pursued the presidency "to bring motherly sensitivity and emotion to the presidency"

Laura Bush had this to write about Johnson-Sirleaf in Time:

Johnson-Sirleaf's courage and commitment to her country are an inspiration to me and women around the world.

I agree with Laura. Johnson-Sirleaf is truly inspiring!

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Pardon For Boxing Champ's Race-Based Conviction?

LibertySugar — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0700

The US House of Representatives is asking President Bush to issue a posthumous pardon of professional boxer, and one of the first celebrity athletes, Jack Johnson. When Jack Johnson became the first-ever black heavyweight boxing champion in 1908, many in the country went looking for "The Great White Hope" - a white boxer who could defeat Johnson.

In 1910, undefeated champion James J. Jeffries came out of retirement to fight Johnson, saying: "I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro." Johnson won the fight, garnering the $225,000 prize, and race riots broke out across the country.

After trying to convict him for relations with a white woman who went on to become his wife, in 1920 a federal court convicted Johnson of violating the Mann Act, which prohibited transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes. He spent a year in a federal penitentiary.

The House resolution states: "He was a victim of the times and we need to set the record straight - clear his name - and recognize him for his groundbreaking contribution to the sport of boxing." If it passes the House, the Senate will vote on a similar resolution sponsored by John McCain.

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Say What? First Black Woman on Vogue Cover Speaks

TresSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:30:00 -0700

"When the magazine came out I had no idea at all that I was the first black woman to be on the cover of Vogue. I was just overjoyed to be on the cover because that's what you strive for as a model. That's when you know you have arrived."

- Beverly Johnson, on becoming the first black woman to be on the cover of Vogue in August 1974. She was only 21 when photographer Francesco Scavullo took the photo for the famed cover, but she quickly understood the significance of being first when she saw how discriminatory the fashion industry was - and still can be although it's clearly come a long way.

Are Video Proposals Online Cowardly or Cute?

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:42 -0800

Last night Tumblr users signed on to see "Marissa Nystrom, will you marry me?" bannered across their dashboards, whether or not they followed proposer Justin Johnson's blog. The link goes to this genuinely thoughtful, romantic, and well-edited video, but I presume his girlfriend follows his blog. So the only reason I can see to link the video to the world is to consummate its place in the controversial genre of public marriage proposals.

Public proposals seem unabashedly confident at first, but only the most heartless, unafraid-to-make-a-scene askee would say no. Put it on video and not only is he not asking her in person, but he's putting pressure on her to say yes in front of the largest stage of all. And when it's online, you can't leave your audience behind.

Drug Czar Says Russian Athletes Are Systematically Doping

LibertySugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:00:47 -0700

Russian athletes may be systematically doping, according to the International Olympic Committee's drug chief. Speaking about the suspensions of seven top Russian athletes, Olympic drug czar Arne Ljungqvist said that he believes the cheating was organized, not planned in isolation by the individuals, and that the athletes in question should rightly face the World Anti-Doping Agency's four-year ban.

Meanwhile, winners of Olympics past have 'fessed up to their steroid transgressions. Today the IOC praised sprinter Michael Johnson for returning his Sydney 2000 gold medal for the 4 x 400 relay, after a teammate confessed to doping. Perhaps when the cheating victors get to bask in the medal ceremonies and media attention at the games, it doesn't mean much when their disgrace plays out in a few lines, eight years later. While watching the games, do you suspect that the best athletes may have a few drugs to help them out?

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Twin Peeps

GiggleSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:02:00 -0800

I know I shouldn't give this douchelord Adnan Ghalib any more publicity, but he does look like The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) to me.

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Ask Two Guys About Guys: Why the Incessant Package-Adjusting?

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:32 -0800

Colin Nissan and Sean Farrell of Don't Be That Guy fame have graciously agreed to answer some burning questions we women folk have about men. You guys were not loving their answer to a woman's question "Why isn't he calling me?" but this week they head into less controversial territory. Check it out!

This week's question: "Why do men need to adjust their packages so much?"

To hear what the Two Guys have to say, read more.

What’s simply written off as a lewd display of machismo is often a great deal more complex.

Climate plays a critical role in male package adjustment. In the humidity of summer months many guys experience what the medical community refers to as Swamp Balls or Jungle Johnson. Shifting things around is often our only hope for relieving this dreaded, Amazonian discomfort. Scientifically speaking, when the crotch heats up, the ball sac loosens, thinning the skin and causing temperatures to rise. Our balls begin to slide haphazardly against one another, not unlike two Jell-O-lubed wrestlers jockeying for position in the ring. It’s our job to step in and separate the two to give them time to cool off.

Underwear physics are also worth discussing. In the world of briefs, sometimes we simply need to push the curious old turtle back into its shell, if you know what we mean (the turtle is our penis.) With boxers, it’s very common for the fabric to ride up into the crevices of our inner thighs and to drag an excruciating pube or two with it. Rolling the fabric down must be done very carefully to minimize the pain, which explains why our hands are actually inside our pants a lot.

Hopefully the next time you see a guy fiddling publicly with his privates, you’ll be able to temper your disgust with a little empathy. It’s no picnic going through life with a penis, balls and a code of decency all at the same time.

Hump Day: My Boyfriend Is a One-Minute Man

TresSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -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:

"My boyfriend has premature ejaculation problems, and it's a little frustrating for me. As far as I know, he doesn't have any health problems. Is this psychological? Can I help him fix this?" To hear Dr. Glickman's response, read more

One of the challenges when talking about premature ejaculation is coming up with a common definition for it. Masters & Johnson defined it as when a man ejaculates before his (female) partner at least half of the time. Others have tried to define it as when he orgasms within two minutes of starting to have intercourse. That kind of definition works better in some ways, especially since many women don’t orgasm from intercourse. Ultimately, the “problem” of premature ejaculation rests on whether it causes concern for either person and since you’ve said that you’re finding it frustrating, that’s good enough for me.

There are a lot of potential causes of premature ejaculation, from the physical to the psychological. It can be caused by anxiety and stress, hormonal imbalances, prostate health issues, and relationship difficulties. With all of these possible reasons, some of which need a medical exam to detect, there’s no way for me to tell you what’s causing it for him. Having said that, there are some tips that I can offer you. Bear in mind that these assume that there aren’t any medical factors complicating the situation.

First off, anxiety is a common cause of both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Unfortunately, worrying about whether it’ll happen can make it happen, creating a self-fulfilling prediction. One of the best ways to address that is to widen your definition of what you consider sex and pleasure to be. If you can let go of the focus on intercourse and enjoy the buffet of sexual options, the worry tends to decrease. It can be really helpful to talk about how you might make that happen when you’re not having sex or just afterwards. If he’s feeling embarrassed about the situation, it’s probably going to be a lot easier to have the conversation when the clothes are still on.

Another factor that can influence when a guy ejaculates is what position he’s in. For many men, being on top seems to make him orgasm more quickly, while lying back and being straddled can make things last longer. While I’m not aware of any actual research on this, I’ve heard stories from enough men to suggest that you give it a try and see what happens.

Still another reason that some men ejaculate more quickly than they or their partners might like is that they don’t know how to work with their sexual energy. Modern tantra and other similar practices offer many men a lot of useful tools and tips for lasting longer. While this approach might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I think it’s worth looking into. Check out Mantak Chia’s book The Multi-Orgasmic Man for a really interesting and easy-to-read take on this. He also has a book for women and one for couples.

Also, some men report that one of the best ways to last longer is to be on the receiving end of a little more foreplay. Actually, I dislike the word “foreplay” since it implies that everything else is just a lead-up to “real sex.” But leaving that aside, many of us are familiar with the idea that lots of women prefer/enjoy/need some warm-up before intercourse. What you might not know is that a slower approach can be a great thing for lots of guys, too. Men’s sexual arousal isn’t just about getting an erection; ramping up can increase how much sexual energy he can maintain. Or to put it another way, just because some guys can hit the ground running doesn’t change the fact that a little warm-up makes it a lot easier. So try extending how much time you give oral sex, hand-jobs, kissing, whatever. It can help him relax and increase his arousal, both of which reduce anxiety and can make it easier for him to last longer.

To get to the last question that you ask, there are some things you can do to help him but he needs to be willing to deal with this situation in the first place. A lot of men feel ashamed of early ejaculation, even though a lot of men experience it, at least sometimes. One of the best things you can do is to talk about it with him at a time when you’re not having sex. Right after it happens is probably not ideal since he’s having whatever feelings this brings up for him. And yes, men have feelings, even when (or especially when) they don’t know how to show them!

Inauguration Uh-Ohs: Food Fights, Drunk VPs, and Fire

LibertySugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:30:28 -0800

President Obama has gone out of his way to echo Lincoln throughout the presidential transition, right down to his inauguration lunch where food the 16th president "would have enjoyed" was served. But not even Abe Lincoln's inauguration went smoothly. What could possibly go wrong? Let's look at what has at inaugurations past.

Andrew Jackson, the president of the people, was followed back to the White House by 20,000 well-wishers looking for ice cream, cake, and lemonade. It turned into a mob that nearly destroyed the White House and forced Jackson to exit through a back door.
A food fight broke out during Lincoln's inaugural supper.
Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice president, had come down with a bug on inauguration day, so he drank some whiskey to perk himself up. And then he drank some more! People held their heads in embarrassment while he rambled, drunk, through his speech.

To see the rest, read more.

Someone forgot to turn on the heat at Ulysses S. Grant's inaugural ball. People tripped over one another while dancing in their overcoats, and canaries - brought in to chirp for song - froze to death.
At JFK's inauguration, a lectern caught on fire during the invocation. Then Vice President Lyndon Johnson tripped on the words of his oath, saying "without any mental reservation whatever."
Poet Robert Frost mistakenly dedicated his poem not to John F. Kennedy but to John Findlay. Who? He was a Harvard professor.

So far so good today, but a long night - 10 inaugural balls - awaits the Obamas tonight.

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