This week, Luc Wylder and Alexandra Silk cover what’s involved with introducing fetishes and kink safely in order to perk up your sex life. Let us know what you think and please pass it along to anyone who might benefit. Share the love!
Month: May 2014
The UnSlut Project
(5/12/14) There’s been a lot in the news lately about bullying and the potentially catastrophic consequences associated to it. While the concept itself is hardly new, the combination of recent high profile calamities related to bullying along with an explosion of new media coverage serving to raise awareness have modernized both the problem and the response–and some responses have been brilliantly innovative.
One such positive effort, The UnSlut Project, is the brainchild of Harvard alum and Ph.D. candidate, Emily Lindin. Employing a wide variety of social and electronic media resources, Lindin has managed to harness it all towards a singular focus: Combating sexual bullying. The project, begun Spring of 2013 in response to her own experiences as a victim while in grade school, started as a means for her to share excerpts from her own diaries to benefit others, but quickly evolved into a collaboration with many others committed to stemming the tide against bullying. Today, Lindin’s project has expanded to promote gender equality, sex positivity and comprehensive sex education for all ages and is receiving solid attention from traditional media and academic/therapeutic communities.
With the sharp uptick in using cyberspace as a vicious bullying tool, it’s an irony of sorts that Lindin has managed to turn the tables and craft an effective opposing strategy utilizing many of the same platforms. In addition to its own primary website, the project has occupied online spaces such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr and Wattpad; and has received a lot of support through several YouTube channels, including an exceptional TEDx presentation recently held in Toronto. Additionally, she successfully used virtual crowdfunding through Kickstarter in order to finance an upcoming movie entitled, “Slut: A Documentary Film.” Directed by Jessica Caimi, it will chronicle the extent of sexual bullying and slut shaming in schools, media and culture along with presenting steps for working toward significant change. Currently under production, it will feature the stories of girls who were driven to suicide by sexual bullying, interviews with women who have experienced the effects of slut shaming in their own lives and the opinions of media figures, sexologists, psychologists and other experts.
The real beauty of Lindin’s efforts lies in the evolution from a simple idea (to courageously share her own experiences) into a growing community of active participants committed to doing the same–all with the eventual goal of demonstrating positive strategies to and support for sexual bullying victims. It’s leadership-by-example of the finest kind and a true success story in a battle of good over bad. If you would like to join that effort, you can get more information and offer your support through their primary web site, on their Facebook page or through their Twitter feed. Also, please consider sharing this article throughout your circles and help make a positive difference.
S.A.A. Extra: NOT the Way to Join the Mile High Club
(5/9/14) (From the New York Post) With the modern Mile High Club on our radar recently, we thought this story illustrated a perfect example of what not to do in the frisky skies–unless, of course, you actually enjoy handcuffs along with the moniker, “Boozy floozy.”
Read the full story here.
Sex Smart Films: Sex Ed’s Essential Resource
(5/5/14) Sex education in America these days is full of challenges. While it’s improved a bit over the past few years for both students and adults, it still a hot potato that’s often held hostage to conflicting attitudes and political posturing, ultimately resulting in an ongoing vacuum for those who could benefit most. Indeed, technology advances have somewhat helped to bridge that gap in recent times, but even that has its own issues, particularly when it comes to overwhelming information overload and content accuracy.
Recognizing that cacophony, Dr. Mark Schoen founded Sex Smart Films as a platform for archiving, producing and distributing sex-health films, but it has evolved into a one-stop locale for a myriad of useful and pertinent educational materials that’s suitable for all ages and audiences. With a PhD in human sexuality and AASECT certification as a sexuality educator, Dr. Schoen’s credentials as an educator are impressive enough (having served as the Sinclair Institute’s Director of Sex Education as well as on the National Advisory Council on Sexual Health, as examples) but it’s his talents as a film maker that positioned him to solve a serious issue in a unique way.
His knack for producing engaging films to promote sexual health took root during his graduate school years in the mid-1970s, a time where the tide hadn’t yet turned in favor of more open and candid approaches to sex education. Sticking with that maverick approach, however, he went on to produce over 50 films that have not only been used in a variety of educational and clinical environments, but also received wide acclaim from the general public while garnering numerous awards from some of the country’s top sexuality organizations. With the coming of the internet, it was just a natural next step to expand his efforts into the virtual world in order to offer greater access globally, but in a focused and user-friendly manner. Sex Smart Films accomplishes that brilliantly.
On the site, which has free, subscription-based and pay-per-view content, users will find almost 400 thought provoking and educational films including historical pieces, documentary profiles (such as Dr. Schoen’s masterful look at the life of Betty Dodson, recently profiled on Sex Across America), public health videos from over 35 countries and the latest in sex therapy and education. With 24 hour-a-day accessibility, the resources are not only conveniently available for individual visitors, but also to classrooms and therapists as needed.
In short, Dr. Schoen has crafted a true masterpiece. Sex Smart Films is a unique resource that’s elegant in both its usefulness and the quality of its content. It’s perfect for educators, therapists and individuals looking for insight into a wide range of sexuality concerns, accomplishing its goals efficiently and discretely in an engaging manner. We strongly recommend that you make it a point to visit and judge for yourself.