TresSugar

Woman Auctions Virginity, Germany to Tax Her 69 Percent

TresSugar — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:00:00 -0700

Wow. And we complain about high taxes in the US!

Romanian-born Alina Percea, 18, auctioned off her virginity to an Italian businessman (for only $18,000!) and now she's facing some pretty stiff taxes in Germany where she goes to school - 50 percent straight away because they're deeming her act prostitution (legal there) and then a 19 percent VAT (value added tax) because she earned her money so quickly! (Some Germans are taxed up to 45 percent of their incomes.)

She was hoping to get $100,000, but claims that all in all she's happy with the outcome, and may date the Italian guy for free after this. Hardly seems worth it, if you asked me! Natalie Dylan had a better idea. . .

Group Therapy: It's My First Relationship and I Need Advice!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I'm 23 and have never had a boyfriend. I've dated in the past, but as soon as it got anywhere (like after two dates and before we'd ever kiss) I'd bolt and just quit talking to the guy altogether. Recently I got a friend request on Facebook from a guy that was best friends with my older brother 15 years ago. I always thought he was cute. Now he and I have been talking a lot on Facebook and have met up a few times. We had a wonderful night last week together and we even talked about telling my brother. But we're both scared because my brother might be extremely angry. We established that we want to be a couple, but we can't tell my family or his friends because my brother might find out.

I've never found a guy I like enough or trust enough to stay with, and I'm beginning to freak out. Also, on a separate note, I'm worried because I don't want to have sex until marriage. We have kissed and I'm still not wanting to run, which is a big deal, but I just need some advice on how and when to mention that I want to stay a virgin for now. I don't want to scare him away. I'm so new to the whole boyfriend thing that I'm not sure what to do. I usually talk to my brother about this kind of thing, but I can't. What can I do about my brother and about telling my guy what's going on with me?

[EDITOR'S NOTE: To be involved in more GROUP THERAPY, click here]

Source

Virginity For Sale

DearSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

In controversial news, a 22-year-old woman is making headlines everywhere by offering her virginity to the highest bidder in the hopes of earning money for grad school. Commenting on the scandal this is causing, an article in Reuters notes that many who've weighed in on this strange scenario think it's just a desperate attempt at fame, while others consider such an act synonymous with prostitution. The woman offered her own insight:

I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems but it will create some financial stability. I'm ready for the controversy, I know it will come along. I'm ready to do this . . . We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?

I'll be honest, I find the notion of selling your virginity for anything, including higher education, extremely disconcerting. And while I advocate that women be both proud and in control of their sexuality, this seems like another thing entirely.

Regardless of whether it is or isn't prostitution or a try at fame, it troubles me to think that a woman would consciously put herself in this position. What do you think of this endeavor? Is capitalizing on our virginity akin to using our good looks to get ahead? Are there ways in which you use your sexuality as a tool to get what you need or want?

Source

On the Newsstand: Virgin Voyage . . . in Space

LibertySugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:03:42 -0800

Virgin Galactic may be close to making space tourism a reality, according to the latest issue of The Economist. The firm just unveiled its plan to give customers with a couple hundred grand a trip to outer space. And there may be more exciting things to come. The article claims that a system similar to Virgin's could be used to launch space planes from one side of the earth to the other in 90 minutes! All for the right price, of course.

The magazine believes that access to space, and thus the other side of earth, will revolutionize our attitudes toward space travel.

For many years the question has been why taxpayers should pay to put people into space. The point of private-sector space travel is that the world will rapidly and accurately come to a conclusion about what space is for. The invisible hand may, indeed, point upwards. Then again, it may not.

If it does point upwards, all I can say is - wow! I don't know whether I like this or not. It seems like the internet and free trade have already made for a very homogeneous world. This obviously has both pros and cons. I love that I can shop at the Spanish store Zara at home in the US, but I'm always disappointed when I see the same stuff when I travel overseas. What will the world look like if we can travel from one end to the next in less time than it takes to watch the sappy in-flight romantic comedy?!

Source

You Asked: How Can I Make our First Time Special?

DearSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--

Alright. My boyfriend and I are about to have sex for the first time sometime soon. I am not a virgin, and neither is he, but here is my question. How can I make it special?

I have all these ideas but I don't want to pile them all into one night because then there won't be much left to do for a long time. I thought of sexy lingerie, but do you have any other suggestions? We are going to a hotel (we have no privacy at each other's houses because we live with our parents).....

Any ideas would be amazing! Thanks!

--Help Make it Special Shayna

To hear DEARSUGAR'S answer, read more

Dear Help Make it Special Shayna--

Since it's your very first time together, that in itself makes it extremely special, but I completely understand that you want to make it even more memorable. You're a smart cookie by not wanting to put all your ideas in one basket; you can't show him all your tricks at once! Wearing something sexy is a great start and here are some other ideas I've come up with:

I might sound like your mom here, but make sure you guys talk about your method of birth control before the big night. That way it'll be taken care of and you won't have to worry about it
Light candles around the room. Delicate lighting is key for setting the mood
Make a mix of some sweet and calming music and most hotels provide a CD player or iPod adapter
Buy some scented bath bubbles and spend some time in the tub together
Bring some massage oil and take turns rubbing each other's feet, hands, or backs. Don't try to exchange full body massages here - that could take all night!
Go slowly. I know that you have been waiting to share this moment, but take your time and enjoy every minute you're together
Lower your expectations. I know you want this night to be really special, but make sure you don't put too much pressure on the evening because if it doesn't pan out the way you expected, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Talk to each other. Expressing your feelings about how you feel about one another can be a real turn on. Most importantly, don't be shy about asking for what you want
Don't forget to have fun!

The time before your first intimate experience with someone is always so exciting. Whatever you choose to do, go with the idea that feels the most comfortable to you, and I'm sure it will be amazing!

Source

Sunday Confessional: She Doesn't Want to Date a Virgin

TresSugar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

This week's anonymous confession comes from the TrèsSugar Community group Confession Booth. This confessor finds herself worried about dating a vrigin. She explains:

"I am seeing an absolutely amazing guy. He's everything I've hoped for - honest, funny, charming, trustworthy, and insanely handsome. I feel like he's my reward for putting up with the worst examples of men this world has to offer. I feel so lucky and safe. I couldn't be happier! Oh wait . . . actually I could. There's one small issue that I'm afraid could be a huge issue for me. He's a virgin - and he plans to stay that way. I thought it wouldn't be an issue for me; it's nice to know a guy likes me for me and not just for sex! As we get closer I realize it will eventually be an issue for me. I like sex. Sex with someone I care about is awesome. I thought I could live without it, but now I'm not so sure. I feel like "such a dude," but I'm hesitating at the thought of continuing to see him. Am I a terrible person for needing sex in a relationship? Do I continue to date him and risk resenting him later? I don't know what to do or how to feel."

Do you think this is a big deal?

Virginity Pledges Don't Mean Much

DearSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

For years, there has been an ongoing battle between two opposing ways of schooling: sex education and abstinence only education. A new study may help sex education win this war once and for all since research shows that encouraging teens to be abstinent until marriage is ineffective. For teens who are taught to wait, some are also encouraged to publicly declare their decision to remain a virgin. But as it turns out, those who made this virginity pledge were just as likely to get it on as those who didn't promise abstinence. What's worse is that teens who took the pledge were less likely to use condoms once they did have sex. That's because those young adults only learned to "save themselves for marriage," and never learned how to protect themselves from pregnancy and STIs.

To hear more about virginity pledges, check out this video from The Today Show.

There is no right answer here, but which kind of education do you think is most effective?

10 Common Places to Lose Your Virginity

DearSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Whether you lost your virginity when you were 14 or 24, I'm sure many of you hold that memory close to your heart. It may not have been as glamorous or enjoyable as you dreamed it would be, but nothing can make you forget how it went down. Since I've heard my fair share of virginity stories, I've come up with a list of 10 common places where people get it on for the first time.

At sleepaway camp
Your car or his
Your bedroom at your parents' house
A hotel room after prom
The makeout spot

To see the other five places read more.

At a fraternity party
A Spring Break trip
At your cousin's wedding
While on family vacation
On a group ski trip

Did you see your special spot on the list? If not, please share your story in the comments section below!

Source

How Old Were You When You Lost Your Virginity?

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0700

In a hard-to-believe fit of modesty, sexy funny lady Tina Fey revealed to David Letterman last night that she was 24 before she lost her virginity and "couldn't give it away." (I'm incredulous about the latter claim - not that she was 24.)

I don't think I know anyone who waited that long, but everyone has her reasons for delaying sex. Honestly, I think being ready to have sex is better than "getting it out of the way" as I hear some people describe their motivations for having sex for the first time.

I had a good first experience, but it happened before I was 24! At what age did you lose your virginity? If you want to see the clip of her revelation, read more.

56-Year-Old Woman Declares Virginity at Wrong Education Hearing

TresSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0700

To make her point that you can teach kids that they can be sexual without taking their clothes off, this former schoolteacher declared that she was still a virgin at 56 in front of a crowd at the Texas Education Agency during what she thought was their sex-ed hearing. ("Technically" a virgin. What does that even mean?) How would she have linked these two things together? We may never know, because she was interrupted before she could go on. It turns out that the sex-education hearing was the day before. Ruh-roh! The term cringe-worthy may not be adequate to describe what you're about to see.