Mostly, I'd rather talk sex, but DKos is all about politics.
Do sex and politics really intersect at all (outside of policy)? I remember an ex White House staffer talking about the televison show "The West Wing." One of his criticisims was "the amount of time spent on personal relationships is far out of proportion to reality." I always wanted to follow up on that. Was he admiting to being oblivious to the picadillos going on around him, or was the White House Staff so button-downed professional that such things as office flirtations, etc, were just out of bounds. My guess is this, as much as we'd all agree that compartmentalizing personal relationships outside of work may be best, such compartmentalization works for people who are, or who border on, being workaholics.
I have nothing to report on this subject (well, not here on DKos, maybe on alt.soc.sex) so this is a sound off diary. Post your favorite comments, diaries, links or observations from (or hopes for) the week.
Lesbianism and Restorative Therapy for Heterosexual Women
My own theory is that there are two types of lesbians: lesbians that are primarily lesbians by choice, mostly for political reasons, and lesbians that are biological lesbians. So I couldn't help seeing how the premise of the following article assumes that lesbianism is mostly political. I can't tell whether the author is being snarky or serious. But I actually like the idea:
As much as we complain about "reparative therapy" being used to "cure" lesbian, gay, and bisexual people of their "sickness," we might actually be able to use the idea to our advantage.
...
SO I HEREBY propose a reparative therapy program to teach heterosexually afflicted women to give up their unhealthy, unfulfilling lifestyle choice in favor of lesbianism.
http://www.washblade.com/2006/8-18/view/columns/wyss.cfm
Madonna Exercising Female Power
Commentary: Madonna's Cross Raises Thorny Questions
by Donna Freitas
All Things
Considered, August 16, 2006 · On her
current tour, Madonna sings "Live to Tell" while hanging from a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns. Prosecutors in Germany, where she performs this
weekend, say the pose might break laws that prevent insulting religious beliefs.
Donna Freitas, a professor of religion at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt., wonders if she is the only Christian on the planet who admires Madonna's pose.
Men Are Such Victims
Why we're hemispheres apart
Are men's and women's brains really different? A new book reignites the debate by arguing that they are, reports Carol Midgley
What's the main difference between women and men? Women can use sex to get what they want; men can't because sex is what they want.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/...
The Politics of Lube Meets "Woman in the Dunes"
As in, when I read Woman in the Dunes, during the descriptions of sex on the sand, all I could think about was "that could not feel good..."
She said the solution is simple and that there was a need to look at the societal cultural norms and power relations between men and women. She said a man who prefers dry sex in southern Africa, would be able to notice that a partner has used a microbicide.
She said that it is not the optimum solution although it is a welcome development, but more focus should be on gender disparities.
http://www.mmegi.bw/...
Suzzie Bright on God as a Threesome Partner
God is my Sex Toy Co-Pilot
Behold the Bible-Strict marriage manual. These earnest Xtian bestsellers instruct newlyweds on how to have hot sex while avoiding all fantasies, masturbation-- and of course, the dreaded sodomy. Oral sex is good-to-go because
no one can seem to find a gospel-line against it!
All the world's pushiest religions have their version of scripture madness when it comes to sex rules.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
This weeks DKos high impact diaries discussing sex (purely an editorial decision on my part to call these "discussing sex." To be frank, most of
these make me go "yawwwwwnnnnnnnn." Come on folks, sex should make you go "yummmmmmm").