TresSugar

The How-To Lounge: Avoiding Swollen Fingers

DearSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Have you ever woken up with swollen fingers, or left a restaurant or bar feeling like your rings are just a little too tight for comfort? Well I certainly have so here are some tips to help avoid Edema, the medical term for excess fluid accumulating where it doesn't belong.

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Salt is the number one thing that will make you retain water so be sure to watch your sodium intake
Alcohol and caffeine are other factors that should be avoided if you're concerned with bloating
Edema can be caused by a protein deficiency so up your protein intake and increase raw veggies - fiber is important to decrease swelling
Exercise daily and take hot baths or a steam a few times a week to sweat out your toxins
Make sure you are taking the right vitamins. Bromelain helps with swelling and digestion and any high-potency B-complex supplement will help reduce water retention

I hope these tips are helpful - and always remember to take off your rings before you go to bed since most people tend to wake up a little more swollen than normal.

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The How-To Lounge: Testing Your Man For Testicular Cancer

DearSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Just as guys help their girlfriends and wives check for breast cancer, you can help your man check for testicular cancer. You might not know this, but it's the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 40; a pretty scary stat! If it's found early though, it's highly treatable, so it's important to encourage your man to check for lumps or changes in his testicles, and you can help too. Here's how:

Find a time when your man isn't wearing underwear, but not before or after sex for two reasons: One, it's a total mood killer to think about cancer when you're trying to be intimate, and two, if your man is aroused, his testicles will be too swollen and sensitive to get a good feel.

First do a visual check. Usually one testicle hangs a little lower, which is totally normal. What you're looking for is any swelling in the skin.
Then take both hands and gently cup his testicles - check both carefully. Keep in mind that testicles are usually smooth, oval-shaped, somewhat firm, and one testicle may be be larger than the other. As you gently roll his business between your thumb and forefingers, feel for lumps, swelling, or hardness. You may feel a cord leading from the top of each testicle, but that's normal too. When you do this check-up once a month, be on the lookout for any changes.
If you think you've found something, or your man has noticed pain or aching in his groin area, he should get in to see his doctor ASAP.

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Do Women Get "Blue Balls" Too?

DearSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

A couple weeks ago I posted about whether blue balls were a real condition: When a guy becomes aroused, blood rushes to his nether regions and an erection is born. If he doesn't have an orgasm, many guys claim they're left with an unbearable feeling below the waist known as "blue balls."

So is there some equivalent condition for women? To find out read more.

Yes, women can experience the same thing. This feeling is both physically irritating and emotionally frustrating. It's a type of vasocongestion, which basically means swelling of tissues due to increased blood flow. For women, there's no specific term for this issue. I think it has to do with the fact that scientifically speaking, it's no big deal for a woman not to have an orgasm since the purpose of sex is to have babies. A female orgasm doesn't make that happen, but a guy's does, so that's why his orgasm may be considered more important. I also think that it's become socially acceptable for a guy to climax every time he has sex. Maybe men thought that if they came up with a name for this condition, we'd feel more obligated to "cure" the problem, but puleeze - women deserve to orgasm just as often as men!

The good news is that although it may be tough to fall asleep with your mind on sex, the physical aching quickly subsides as soon as the blood flow to the area decreases. With both men and women, you don't have to worry about this feeling causing any harm to your privates. If you're experiencing "blue balls," there's no reason why you can't just take matters into your own hands, if you know what I mean!

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Obama and McCain Roast and Make Up at Al Smith Dinner

LibertySugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:00:33 -0700

Last night's Alfred Smith Dinner put on by Catholic Charities was exactly what we all needed to get through the last 18 days of this grueling election. After months/years of pretending to live in an alternate universe where their talking points define reality, Barack Obama and John McCain not only acknowledged the headlines we've all been reading, but did so with a dose of self-deprecating, and opponent-deprecating, humor. While it was swell to see the candidates having fun, I was most excited that I got to laugh at this campaign, rather than sigh in disbelief, frustration, or suspense.

Some of Obama highlights:

"Can somebody tell me what happened to the Greek columns I requested? I do love the Waldorf-Astoria. I hear from the doorstep you can see all the way to the Russian Tea Room.”
“Barack is actually Swahili for ‘that one.’ And I got my middle name from someone who obviously didn’t think I’d ever run for president."
“My greatest strength is my humility. My greatest weakness is that I am a little too awesome.”

Some of McCain's highlights:

"It's going to be a long, long night at MSNBC if I manage to pull this thing off. I understand that Keith Olbermann has ordered up his very own Mission Accomplished banner. And they can hang that in whatever padded room has been reserved for him."
Bill Clinton "has been hammering away with me with epithets like, "hero."
Says that Joe Biden falsely claims that Joe The Plumber isn't rich enough to trigger the Obama tax hike; "What they don't know is that Joe The Plumber recently signed a lucrative contract to handle all the work on all seven of their houses."

There are many, many, more good jokes. To see the video, read more.

Obama

McCain

Who do you think won the Al Smith dinner?

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A List Candidates Want to Avoid: Biggest Debate Blunders!

LibertySugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:00:26 -0700

Tonight is the last chance Barack Obama and John McCain have to show Americans how their visions for America differ.

That's swell, but we all know what tonight's debate is really about - it's the last chance either candidate has to make a major blunder and self-inflict a campaign crippling wound.

Esquire went back to the archives to find examples of how presidential campaigns destroyed years of campaigning during a few seconds of debate time. Here are some of the highlights (or low points). You can check out the videos on Esquire's site.

1960: Nixon vs. Kennedy: Richard Nixon made the horrid mistake of refusing to wear makeup. His pasty skin, five-o-clock shadow, and unfortunate weight loss due to hospitalization distracted viewers and helped shift the momentum to a tan JFK.
1988: Bush vs. Dukakis: When asked if his wife was raped and killed, would he want the death penalty for the killer, Dukakis said: "No, I don't, and I think you know that I've opposed the death penalty during all of my life.” His lack of emotion didn't fly.
2000: Gore vs. Bush: Gore's sighs and eye-rolling. Enough said.

Is there a good chance we'll add to the list tonight - or are the candidates going to play it safe?

One Last Look at the Republican Convention: the Balloon Drop!

CitizenSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:00:30 -0700

I was listening to McCain's nomination acceptance speech on the radio on the way to the airport yesterday and it sounded so different than it did in the arena. I actually got to hear the fiery end to the speech, the part where he said:

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

In the arena that night, the whole last minute was drowned out by cheers - and then when the soaring music swelled, the confetti rained down as the harbinger of balloons and the hopeful first family took the stage, forget about it - it was a perfect end to a convention that last Monday, no one even knew if it would happen. But it did, and I'm so glad to have been there.

To see the balloon drop, read more.

I have more RNC coverage to come - parties and panels coming soon!

Three Common Penile Problems, Part III

DearSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

You've learned about Hypospadias and Peyronie's disease and to close out this series, I'm going to talk about Balanitis. Balanitis is a fancy word for an inflammation on the head of the penis, and symptoms include redness or swelling, itching, rash, pain, and a foul-smelling discharge. Now that I've sparked your interest, click here to read more.

Balanitis is prevalent with uncircumcised men and usually comes to fruition when men have poor hygiene. If dead skin, sweat, debris, and bacteria isn't properly cleaned, it can collect under the foreskin and cause inflammation and dermatitis. While a good cleaning can cure Balanitis, oral antibiotics or antifungal medication may be required. Again, this is not a life-threatening problem, but it can be painful and irritating.

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General Election Prep Tips for Political Junkies: Part II

LibertySugar — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:07 -0700

Yesterday I suggested that undecided voters and staunch supporters alike add Barack Obama's and John McCain's books to their summer reading lists, while mixing up their campaign information sources. Here are some other tips for surviving the marathon general election campaign.

Tip #3: Articulate questions you would want to ask the candidates. And then try to listen for or search out the answers in the swell of media coverage. This way you write your own campaign narrative, without being a hostage of the sensationalized media. Sources that will help you include: Fact Check and On the Issues.
Tip #4: Define why you like your candidate in positive terms. If you're passionate, and want to convince your undecided peers to support your guy, they'll be more receptive if you share why you're excited about one candidate, instead of attacking the other guy. Figure out a couple of concrete accomplishments that make you want to vote for McCain or Obama.

Do you have any tips to share?

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Do Your Testicles Feel Okay?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I'm wracking my brain trying to remember if I've ever seen a PSA for say, breast cancer, that seemed like its target audience was the Sesame Street crowd. (Is this how you have to speak to men to get them to worry about testicular cancer?) In any case, I can't complain, because I feel my life is complete after hearing the following lyrics: "If your balls are feeling lumpy, if they're tender or they're grumpy/If you notice you've got three then a doctor you should see/If they're swelling up your pants, don't miss your chance/Go see a physician." Well done!

80,000 Protest Beef Imports in South Korea, Government Hears

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:00:06 -0700

The right to assemble is alive and well in South Korea - and what's more, the government is paying attention. Between 80,000 and 100,000 people demonstrated last night in Seoul, the largest demonstration yet against a deal to resume imports of US beef into South Korea.

The South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said today his government intends to make a fresh start following the protests, and that his entire Cabinet has offered to resign in response to weeks of rallies against the incoming beef. Lee said, "I thought about a lot of things while watching protests last night. The government intends to make a start with a new determination."

Though he's concerned the Cabinet resignations might cause "a vacuum in state affairs," he has not yet said whether he will accept the resignations, but will probably reassign some ministers.

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The candlelight vigil was sparked by an agreement Lee made with George Bush to resume imports of US beef, following a mad cow disease-inspired ban in 2003. What started as a trickle of small protests swelled into a torrent of anti-government street rallies that continued into the early morning, miraculously despite the passion and huge number of people, no clashes or injuries were reported.

South Korea was the third-largest overseas customer for US beef before the ban. Can you imagine a similar response to a protest in the US? Could 100,000 people protesting prompt the Cabinet to offer resignations?

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