TresSugar

North Carolina's Naughty License Plates Cause DMV Trouble

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:00:59 -0700

ROFL, OMG, etc. So North Carolina's DMV has to get cracking to cook up 10,000 replacement license plates after one 60-year-old grandmother got clued in by her text-savvy grandchild that her standard-issue plate, contained an acronym that expresses disbelief in an explicit fashion. As in, WTF.

The DMV (Look! Another acronym in the neighborhood of WTF!) says that although they try to keep up with all the latest acronyms, this one slipped by their censors. They've offered to replace the offending plates free of charge. Oh, but the best part of this story? That they'd been using one of the WTF plates on their website as an example. They're now "trying to remove the plate" from the site.

I'm no entrepreneur, but I imagine that they could resell the turned in plates for quite a profit to those who might want a little more color in their vehicle identification? It's like those super-expensive vanity plates, or the political ones, or the religious ones, but way, way better. Would you turn yours in, or flaunt it?

The Google Defense: Can Search Terms Determine Obscenity?

LibertySugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

A defendant in an obscenity trial hopes to introduce Google search data to show that community tastes go beyond apple pie and toward a more sexual appetite. Under the law, a jury or judge must decide if the alleged obscenity violates the vague benchmark of "community standards."

In the past, defendants have relied on the wide availability of sexual material in the community, to prove standards. The current defendant, pornographic website operator Clinton Raymond McCowen's, wants to go further, showing interest and consumption rather than availability. While local statistics from Pensacola, FL, show that residents search NASCAR, surfing, and Nintendo more than orgy, orgy competes with apple pie, and other wholesome American terms, reports the New York Times.

This unusual case reveals the futility of trying to carefully censor the Internet. Since 2000 the US federal government has initiated only 15 nonchild porn-related obscenity cases. Local prosecutors have similarly dropped the charges against Internet porn.

If a jury finds this porn-site operator guilty of obscenity, and then goes home and searches for porn, are they acting like a bunch of hypocrites? Should citizens be left to self-censor the Internet? Does it make you nervous to realize how much data Google keeps?

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Would You Show Your O-Face For an Alt-Porn Website?

TresSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Years ago, I was approached by a filmmaker who asked if I wanted to participate in a documentary he was doing about (get ready for it!) what people's faces look like when they're having an orgasm. "You can either be alone while I film you," he told me as I looked increasingly wary, "or you can bring your girlfriend or boyfriend in to 'help' you. It will just be me and the camera."

It was, alas, an offer I could refuse. But the idea of capturing someone's face at the moment of orgasm hasn't gone away. Beautiful Agony is an alternative-porn site that recently hit its five-year anniversary. "Sexy doesn't need to be obscene" is one of its philosophies, and what started as an experiment has turned into a full-on website "dedicated to the beauty of human orgasm."

There's no nudity (only video footage of heads and shoulders) and most of the videos are accompanied by a "confessional" interview where the O-face contributor talks about masturbation, sexuality and sexual secrets. Is this something you'd be interested in participating in?

Cute Alert: Obscenely Cute Puppies

GiggleSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:52:28 -0800

BellaSugar and I trade cute animal videos during the day, and I had to force her to watch this vid past the nursing part - "The dog nipples made me uncomfortable," she said. Haha. Well, get past that and you're in for a treat. There's the lip-smacking puppy, the puppies taking a nap all in a row, and then at the end (if you can handle it) a puppy wiggling his little legs in the air like a turtle who's fallen over. Just ignore the Sixpence None the Richer soundtrack if you can. . . .

Breasts: They’re Not Just There to Titillate

TresSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

"I put these pictures out on Facebook to put a message out to women – check your breasts regularly and do not ever be ashamed of a mastectomy. For Facebook to claim they were ‘sexual and abusive’ was absurd. There is nothing sexual about them."

After 45-year-old cancer survivor Sharon Adams underwent a mastectomy, she decided that the best way to raise awareness was to post her mastectomy scar on Facebook. The picture is graphic, scary, and far removed from the airbrushed soft core porn images of breasts we see everyday. In a way, it was her personal public service announcement to women.

Facebook's response? They took the images down, claiming they were "sexual and abusive." To find out what happened after this, read more

This sounds remarkably similar to the furor they created when breastfeeding photos were taken down and Facebook spokesperson Barry Schnitt said, "Photos containing a fully exposed breast (as defined by showing the nipple or areola) do violate those terms (on obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material) and may be removed."

Adams won in the end, and Facebook issued an apology after nearly 900 furious people joined an online group calling for the ban to be lifted.

These cases bring up an interesting issue about gender and representation. There seems to be only one prevailing meaning of the female breast - it's "obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit" because that's the way it's represented in our culture. When a woman presents a nonsexual image of breasts, in the context of certain women's issues - motherhood, illness and recovery - there's a refusal to see it from her point of view.

When Facebook told Sharon Adams her mastectomy scars were "abusive," maybe they meant abusive to men who only want to see breasts that turn them on.

Source

Federal Court Rules: Sex Bad, Violence OK

CitizenSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:00:05 -0800

California's ban on selling violent video games to minors is unconstitutional, according to a US federal appeals court. Before you libertarians start jumping for joy, take a look at the decision. The court maintained Friday that there is one type of content that can be banned as obscenity - sexual content.

Justifying the ban, the state argued that video games cause psychological harm to minors and should be banned like sexual content. But the court said the research was inconclusive and that video games "are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment . . .The government may not restrict speech in order to control a minor's thoughts." The opinion also said that "the Supreme Court has carefully limited obscenity to sexual content."

So, the US Constitution protects violence, but not sex? I wonder what the forefathers would say about those priorities.

Source

You Asked: My Husband Has Gotten Fat!

DearSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

I love my husband. He is everything I ever wanted in a man and more - about 25 pounds more. When we first met, he was very fit and athletic, but over time he's really put on the chunk. I find it very unattractive and I am much less interested in sex now, and it's starting to cause problems in our relationship because he feels rejected. I've never outright told him to lose weight, but I'm starting to think I should.

I'm fit and healthy (I'm training for my second marathon) so I'm constantly exercising and eating right. I always prepare healthy meals and have plenty of healthy snacks in the house, but he continuously goes to the grocery store to buy junk food, he goes out to lunch at work, or he eats obscenely unhealthy portions of what would otherwise be a healthy meal. When I invite him for a run or to walk the dog, he's not interested. What do I do? - Turned Off Olivia

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Turned Off Olivia,

So this doesn't cause any more strain on your relationship than it already has, you've got to speak up and tell him what's on your mind ASAP. Not only is it important so you can salvage your relationship, but his unhealthy eating habits are most definitely wreaking havoc on his mind, body, and spirit.

Talk to him in a very nonthreatening tone so he won't get defensive, and instead of turning it into a "you need to lose weight" conversation, approach the topic as a life change you'd like to see him make. It sounds like your husband has simply slipped into an unhealthy rut, so work together to break this new cycle. Turn the nightly dog walks into time spent together, and if he needs those occasional breaks from the diet food, indulge in a pizza night together or treat yourselves to an ice cream cone every once in a while. As we all know, depriving ourselves of the things we love could throw off our weight loss plan all together so start with baby steps.

At the end of the day, your husband is still the same guy he was before he put on the chunk, so speak up, be honest with him, and hopefully he'll make getting back into shape a priority for him and you. Good luck!

Source

Link Time!

DearSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Is virtual sex considered cheating? - Your Tango
Who gets the friends after a breakup? - The Frisky
New Georgia obscenity law could ban certain condoms and lubes - Jezebel
Do you have more bad dreams than your man? - Lemondrop
Do you look older or younger for your age? - Glamour
Do you like dirty talk while getting it on? - Truehookupconfessions.com

Etiquette Past vs. Present: Cussing in Public

DearSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Emily Post pretty much set the bar for manners, and last week when I quoted one of her echoes of traditional etiquette, most of you agreed with her and like it when a man walks on the curbside.

Below is one example of what Emily calls "Today's Rudest Behaviors" in her book Etiquette. Now I must admit to being guilty of this from time to time, but I agree with Emily, it's not the most charming way to behave in public.

"Using four-letter words and other obscenities in public without any reservations - especially in the presence of children."

Do you watch your mouth amongst strangers or do you have a potty mouth like me?

Source

Dear Poll: Do You Experience Road Rage?

DearSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Though I try to walk or use public transportation as much as possible, San Francisco is not New York, and life demands that I hop in the car and face the open road every now and again. The problem is, driving in traffic or dealing with aggressive drivers really gets my blood boiling, and before I know it I’m mumbling obscenities under my breath. While music can help calm my nerves, like many people out there, I do suffer from a mild case of road rage. Are you like me?

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