The Current State of the Female Condom in America

It was with complete shock that I left Good Vibrations, having just learned that as of Summer 2017, the Female Condom (aka FC2) is no longer available over the counter in the USA. A doctor's prescription is now required to buy them at your local pharmacy (and that's assuming your pharmacy is one of the very few willing to stock female condoms in the first place.) 

Instinctively, I feel a rant developing in me - a mini-tirade bubbling up about how reducing the number of freely-available birth control methods is problematic on a number of different levels - socially, economically, personally. 

However I'm not fond of  ranting and I pride myself on being a problem-solver, so I'm sharing my "Plan B" for those who still want to use these super-convenient, uber-comfortable joy-riders. Can you tell I'm a fan?

There are two options for purchasing female condoms via mail-order that don't require a prescription.

1. The first is via the US website of the manufacturer fc2.us.com. The manufacturer's website offers one-time bulk purchases or a monthly subscription program. A prescription is not required but you will have to pay full price for the condoms (which at the time of this writing is approximately $2.50 each)

2. The second option is to order the British version of the female condom from a European-based condom shop. They are available at worldcondoms.com under the brand name "Pasante" and are identical to the US version.

Both options provide prescription-free, online purchasing with reliable shipping. The European shop accepts Paypal as payment. 

There are other, less-costly options if, for example, you have both a health plan that covers female condoms and a cooperative doctor. However, in the interest of saving time and avoiding unnecessary
doctor appointments, I'm more than happy to order directly and pay a couple dollars more. The convenience is worth the cost to me.

I hope this has been helpful to fellow female-condom fans. I found scant info about US purchasing options and felt it important to put this info out there. If you're already a FC2 fan, you'll understand my enthusiasm for them. Good luck, my friends!

Escape this!

I'm handcuffed to the handle of a cabinet in a large office in a nondescript industrial building downtown. In fact, everyone at this party is hand-cuffed to some immovable object in the room. The lights are off, we're locked inside and the only light in the room is the glow from an overhead flat-screen monitor - displaying a clock that counts the hour down. We're being watched via cameras positioned in the upper corners of the room.

What happens next can only be described as an hour of frantic dialogue, small victories, deciphering coded messages, ripping apart and searching through every square inch of that room, assembling basic machines, trying to remember middle school lessons - how does latitude/longitude work again? What story references four men by the sea? It is an exhilarating, cerebral exercise to figure out how to escape. And we've paid for this privilege.

This was my inaugural session in an escape room. And I've become hooked. For the uninitiated, an escape room is 1-hour experience/game where you're locked in a room and you have 60 minutes to figure out how to escape - through a series of clues. This description - however - belies the intensity of the experience. It is not for the intellectually-timid or passive person. Just as with "Dining in the dark", social conventions fly quickly out the window - as we were immediately thrust into "survival mode." I could go on and on about what happened during the hour in that room, but I'll refrain so as not to spoil discovering it for yourself..

We were sprung from that office an hour later - we weren't able to figure out our escape on our own. Even though we didn't "win", I left that nondescript industrial building in downtown LA in an euphoric state. Really. I felt like my brain had been shaken around - in a good way. The game stretched my mind and left me stunned, exhilarated and admiring the folks that put these escape rooms together. Highly recommend this fun. Reservations required.

Los Angeles
http://www.escaperoomla.com
http://www.roomescapeadventures.com
http://www.enigmaescaperooms.com

Orange County
https://www.eskaperooms.com
https://www.squareroomescape.com
http://www.escapexrooms.com

My Experiments in Bio-hacking and Tiny Panties

Hi folks! Just a very quick note to catch you up on happenings with me.

I spent my summer dabbling in bio-hacking a la The Bulletproof executive. If you're interested in nutrition - specifically making small, nutritional changes to improve mental and physical capacity - your time would be well-spent perusing the Bulletproof blog. There's ALOT of good info there - regardless of whether you choose to buy any of his products. (And I didn't btw) .

Secondly - A panty review! I got my paws on a pair of these C-string undies. (The faster a girl's panties can come off, the better, right?) Well - it turns out I'm just too tall for them. (And I never thought a person could be too TALL for panties but apparently I am.) They're edged with flat, semi-moldable plastic tubing to keep their shape. The c-string did it's noble best to cling to me, hugging me in front and behind but sadly, walking was completely out of the question. One step and they'd drop an inch and/or pinch my Lady Jane. I think if I had a shorter rise (and the plastic tubing was softer) they would stay in place and be comfy. If you're curious to learn more - they're available on Amazon here.

Where can I plug in my car?

Sure, gas stations are everywhere but what if you've decided to go green? The thought of making a long drive in an non-hybrid EV can seem a bit dicey - what if you run out of juice? (This exact problem faced a friend recently so it's been on my mind ...) Problem solved: Plugshare.com. It's a database of EV charging stations and there's a whole lot more of them than I realized. And yup, PlugShare makes an app.

Now let's stop a moment and collectively drool over that sleek Tesla Roadster.

Dig it Vegas

I haven't been to Vegas for a year or two but next time I go - I'm doing this. It's a construction site amusement park - where you can drive around in huge machinery - a bulldozer or excavator and just feel powerful. OMG - where are my car keys ... http://www.digthisvegas.com/

The Surprising Origins of the Vibrator

A while back, I promised myself that I'd see the Maggie Gyllenhall movie "Hysteria" - and I finally did last week. The film is set in 1880's Victorian Britain and follows a young MD as he takes a new position in a medical practice devoted to the treatment of "lady problems" - frigidity, anxiousness and hysteria - hence the movie's title. Without giving too much away, the doctor and his compatriots - almost out of sheer necessity - develop the first electric vibrator. Perhaps it's my gallows humor or my general comfort with topics related to sex, but I thought the movie was fantastic; I dare to say even "hysterical" at moments. The film is apparently historically-accurate but was available in limited-release only and unfortunately, did not make alot at the box office. Pity. It's available on-demand on cable and if you're looking for a cheeky, light-hearted rom-com about female genital manipulation (and truthfully, aren't we all?) this baby fits the bill. I recommend it especially for the frigid, the lusty, the sexually-curious and history buffs. Two vibes straight up!

Courtesy of Lit Motors

An electric, untippable, fully-enclosed motorcycle. 200 miles on a charge and top speed well above 100mph. First release early 2014 at a $24K pricetag, which will inevitably drop if it makes it into mass production. LOVE!
More info about the C1 Electric at techcrunch.
   

     

"The Viagra Condom"

An ingenious development in safer-sex technology. The Durex company has created a condom featuring a special gel on the inside of the condom that increases blood flow to the penis, thereby increasing the strength of a man's erection.  Wearing the condom has essentially the same effect as taking a blue pill. The company is seeking product approval in Britain and I'm hoping this little beauty finds it way to stores in America. (It's not currently available in the U.S.)  Gentleman - meet the CDS500 condom.

World Population Reaching 7B

I found this interesting app on the BBC website. As our earth's population reaches another milestone, don't you ever wonder where you fit it? How many people came before you? How many people have been alive on earth from the beginning of time? (I'll leave any discussion of religion out of this. :) Which country is growing the fastest? Which country is shrinking in population? You can click here, type in your birthday and see where you fit into our world's population history. Very cool indeed. For even more info, visit the UN Population Fund's site - 7 billion and me.

Kayak Love

I'm doing it again. Fetishizing transportation. lol This time it's a kayak/sailboat hybrid. Now I'm not a fan of sea kayaking. I don't like feeling like a little twig, meandering on the vast ocean. Too slow, too vulnerable. This meaty beauty, however, is something to love. It's a kayak with 2 outriggers, a sail, and pedals (similar to a recumbent bike) to power the boat forward. No more paddling - WOW! (I realize I may be offending the purists among us and I'm okay with that - lol) It'll take about 5 hours to get to Catalina and I've just added that challenge to my bucket list. And since your hands are free, you can catch dinner on the ride over. Brilliant! You can learn more about these 1 or 2-person hybrids via Hobie Cat.

Here's an on-board view of this baby at sea.

No more blisters for the band?

Italian product designer Max Battaglia has unveiled his Hyper Touch Guitar. It's a touch screen instrument with no strings. Via it's on-board interface, you can tweak the guitar's number of strings, tone, volume, etc.

I both wonder how it sounds and fear that in a couple generations, the acoustic stringed instrument will be relegated to the position of relic. I hope this isn't the case!!!!! You can read more about his designs at http://www.givingshape.it/

Welcome to your new leg workout

Done in 60 seconds. :)

Man's answer to the push-up bra

This makes me giggle with glee. Really.

I've occasionally wondered if a man ever feels cheated or wholly deceived when he unmasks a tit-set (yup - I said it - tit-set) from one of those Victoria Secret bras that promises a TWO cup-size increase. Bras, when fitted properly, can be miracle workers, magical anti-gravity machines, restoring youthful perkiness and hiding all sorts of nasty natural phenomenon that plague aging boobies. But men - listen up - Andrew Christian's come to your rescue!

The saying "Don't get mad - get even" comes into play with the designer's set of mens underwear that includes a soft, cushy cup in the shape of a penis. Y'all can now rock your own version of "I'm pretending to be more stereotypically sexually-appealing than my genes dictate." The brief's design even outlines a very prominent penis head. O....M....G!

Now, I confess - as I meander through this life, mostly in very polite society, the sight of such a bulge with a head clearly visible makes me question the bearer's common sense. The phrase "cover that sh*t UP" comes to mind. But candidly, if I've had a couple of drinks and find the bulge-owner attractive in other respects, I think I just might be intrigued and curious to learn more. lol

These magically-enhancing undies can be seen (and purchased) here at Andrew Christian's site.

I'd love to see just one set in person. Hell, I might even try 'em on.

It's ok to give a guy a break

In January 1995, a research rocket was launched from Norway to study the aurora borealis. Boris Yeltsin was the Russian President and Russian officials, detecting the launch, mistakenly believed the incident signaled a US missile attack from a submarine. Yeltsin was brought the Russian nuclear-command suitcase and he was faced with the ungodly decision of launching a counter-attack against the United States. Long story short, he correctly decided the reports must be a mistake and life continued to along as usual. Thank you, Boris Yeltsin!

Very scary story, wonderful outcome. Again, thank you, Boris Yeltsin. Having said that, I've never seen this incident reported (on American television) without a wise-cracking addendum like "Phew - I'm glad he hadn't had his morning vodka yet" or "Thank god - it was early and he was sober."

I admit I have, at best, an 8th grader's understanding of 1990's Russian politics and I know Yeltsin was not a popular Russian president. But, I think it's frivolous and (I'm likely making up a word here - lol) unelegant to joke about something so serious. Actually, to joke about two things - a potential nuclear attack and a government official's drinking habits - in light of the gravity of the matter.

I don't really have more to add. It's just been on my mind recently - bothering me. You can read more about the incident here.

On a much, MUCH lighter note, Happy Holidays! :) lol

If you lived here, you'd be home by now

The perfect holiday gift for the office IT guy. Available at thinkgeek.com.

12 men, 12 nipples, 12 patterns

Artists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg create online visual representations of data. (Have I lost you yet? I promise that will be the driest sentence in this post :)

They've created very cool visual studies of erogenous zones, breast shapes, male nipple hair growth patterns (hence the title of this post) and body parts mentioned in songs, arranged by genre of music. After a visit to their site, I now know "the tush" is the most-mentioned body part in Hip-hop music. No surprise there really. :)

In any case, I can't really explain the site. I'm not doing it justice. The website is coolly interactive. There's nudity. It has a minimalist design. Go check it out. You will not be wanting that time back later. ;)

http://www.fleshmap.com

Ode to the Lixvibrator

A vibrating tongue stud for the under-stimulated young bud.

In the mouths of an adventurous faction,
In the dreams of lonely men seeking action.

With a twirl and a lick,
he stood straight and proud quick,
introduced to exquisite quivering distraction.

The Lixvibrator - Vibrating tongue stud.
If you're really daring .... try the thrasher.

Speed Dating Your New Roommate

A group in NYC has started having meet-ups for people seeking a roommate. If you have a spare room or you need to move, you're welcome at these organized events, usually held at friendly local bars. What a great way to avoid sloshing through online ads and fielding fruitless calls. While my roommate days thankfully are over, a similar groups in So Cal would be spectacular. Someone should start a local version asap. http://roommateswantednyc.com/

Brush the cow

A corporate dairy company has installed giant brushes in 30,000 dairy farm barns across Sweden. It turns out that daily massages of milk-producing cows increase their milk yield significantly. Who wouldn't feel better after a good massage? More info here

Smell-a-vision dating site

Match got ya down? Had no luck with Adultfriendfinder? If you haven't yet discovered the easy breeziness of dating an escort (poor dear!) then maybe you should check out http://www.scentoflove.com/ It's an online dating site where you matched to a mate by scent. Does it work? I have no idea but I suppose every little bit helps. :b God speed - lovelorn!