Sex in the news roundup

"America's most lustful cities," Forbes

Forget Paris or Rome. If you're desperately seeking sex, head to San Antonio or Cincinnati instead.

Residents of these metros enjoy vigorous sex lives — at least their condom and contraceptive purchases at grocery and drug stores indicate as much. These purchases placed them in the top 10 of a survey of America's Most Lustful Cities.

In the absence of government or academic research on the sexual practices of Americans in the country's 50 largest cities, the market proved to be the best place to provide answers. Research firm ACNielsen provided a per-capita index of over-the-counter contraceptive purchases in major U.S. markets for the past 52 weeks. The average index was 100.

"In U.S., mohels are giving non-Jewish babies a slice of tradition," Ha'aretz

While it's not clear exactly how many mohels offer nonritual circumcisions, the practice is, according to Shoulson - an Orthodox-trained mohel who has circumcised Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists and Hindus during his 50-year career - very widespread.

"Almost everybody else does it," he said.

According to Blake and Shoulson, non-Jews make up between two and five percent of their clientele. Some, like the DeCaros, are motivated initially by practical circumstances, but others seem drawn to the mohels for spiritual reasons, if not explicitly religious ones. Both Blake and Sherman have even been approached by "Torah-observant Christians" - those dedicated to observing Old Testament commandments - seeking to have their sons circumcised on the eighth day after the birth. In all cases, families say they are drawn to the intimacy and convenience of a nonritual circumcision performed at home.

Manhattan pediatrician Susan Levitsky makes a point of recommending non-Jewish patients to mohels. Levitsky said she's been passing out Sherman's number more often these days, because concerns over hospital-bred infections are rising. "Why would you want to be around an environment with germs?" she asked.

That's precisely the question posed at www.holisticcircumcision.com, a site that Sherman set up for non-Jewish parents. On it, he describes a "quicker, gentler, and more humane" circumcision carried out without the use of "drugs, injections or creams" (he suggests sugar water or wine) in an environment that's "spiritual and meaningful" instead of "clinical and cold."

"NYC woman stunned to find she's 'hottie' in sex ad," Newsday

A Brooklyn woman says she was subjected to dozens of distasteful phone calls after someone posted an online ad saying she was offering sex for money to pay off Christmas purchases.

Forty-year-old Anna O'Malley says the ad posted Wednesday on the online clearinghouse Craigslist used her name and telephone number. It described her as "a real hottie looking to earn extra cash to pay off Christmas debt."

The ad has been taken down, but the appalled O'Malley says she has had to change her phone number.

"Production of XXX movies banned in China," UPI

Chinese movie studios risk losing permission to shoot films if they produce hardcore sex movies.

China's censors, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, also banned erotic movie producers, directors or actors from competing for any film awards or taking part in any such awards, Xinhua reported.

Along with banning depictions of hardcore sexual activity and rape, the censors are restricting vulgar language and song lyrics, as well as sound effects with sexual connotations, Xinhua said.

The Beijing News quoted the ordinance as saying "The heaviest punishment for such violation would lead to a five-year ban of perpetrators from the movie industry," the state-run news agency reported.

Same topic: "China cracks down on 'vulgar' video," Associated Press

Last week, Beijing pulled a movie already censored for its sexually explicit scenes from theaters and banned its producer for two years. The order against "Lost in Beijing" said the movie — about deteriorating morals amid China's rapid economic growth — was promoted with "unhealthy, improper" advertisements.

Days before, regulators issued a new warning about pornography and a requirement that video sharing Web sites apply for permits.

The order about pornography said some movie companies and Web site operators had illegally broadcast pornography and "inflicted significant harm on youth audiences."

Under the online video sharing restrictions, only state-controlled sites are allowed to post any videos, including those shared by users. Internet providers are also required to delete and report a variety of improper content.

In recent months, China has also issued new rules for talent and reality shows which have also been deemed vulgar by authorities.

"Pornography," Orangeville Citizen

The conventional wisdom that pornography is a male dominated industry which exploits women has been challenged by the web, where users become the providers, where millions of ordinary folk are sharing their personal dark sides with each other... consenting adults opening their souls to the universe in picture, video and story. Sure, you can still buy commercial videos of spider-waisted babes sporting gravity-defying mammaries, but the industry simply hasn't kept up with blossoming erotic taste. The Internet is rife with amateur contributions: flabby people opening their bedroom doors, playing out their fantasies to camcorders for the benefit of computer screens around the world... women in charge, men in charge, doing what turns them on in every contortion and combination imaginable.

So the last twenty years has seen a vast experiment on the social consequences of smut. Popular stereotypes suggest we should be seeing an unparalleled epidemic of sexual assault. And when a headline blares of a twisted individual who watched porno and went out to murder, we're hit in a personal place of horror and fear that distorts our view of reality. The truth is that since 1993 (even though victims are more willing to come forward than the past) rape is down 72 percent and other sexual assaults have fallen by 68 percent. Sexual crime in general, across the continent, is on the decline. The supporters of censorship were wrong. As smut is soaring, assault is sinking.

"Eight Sexual New Years Resolutions," BlogTO

1. Sex isn't perfect.

Stop clinging to all of those romantic, idealistic notions of sex like they were some kind of security blanket. And this doesn't just have to do with the media's frequently-inaccurate portrayals of sex (Sue Johanson notwithstanding) but also with your friends and family. You don't have your best friend's sex-life so don't try to make it fit you. Also, just because they think water sports are "perverted" or that BDSM is "demeaning" doesn't mean you shouldn't try it out.

Sex can be messy fun and while it's not all that great to watch most people do it (judging from all of those amateur videos online) if you and your partner are happy with the results, that's what counts.

Don't let politics rule your bedroom!

In another life, I also covered this, though two years on, and another year started and ended being single, I'm over sex resolutions, and am all about taking everything, including my mostly barren sex life, one day at a time.