Monday, December 31, 2007

Abandon Yourself to the New Year!


I've been pretty spotty through the holidays about keeping the Wicked Women banner aloft. With all the starchy food and wholesome music, Christmahannukwaanzakah is not the sexiest of holidays to me, though the Winter Solstice has its wild, firelit pagan passion.

I was pondering the appropriate end-of-the-year and beginning-of-the-year Wicked Women post when I came upon the photo opp captured above.

The end of the year is easy. We started with a bang in June with the idea of examining sexuality from a feminine perspective. Since then we've published 135 posts on everything from Truck Nutz to Sex Addiction and fabulous John Lustig cartoons. We don't tout our sponsors much, but at the end of the year, it's appropriate to acknowledge and thank them. Sex Talk for Wicked Women is a publication of Jasmine-Jade Enterprises, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Lady Jaided magazine, and most especially Jaid Black, a.k.a. Queen of Steam, author of dozens of books, founding mother of JJ and EC and creator of Romantica erotic romance. Through her work, Jaid has entertained and liberated thousands, and brought together an amazing assortment of lusty, passionate, funloving, talented, hardworking people--both male and female.

More end of the year special thanks to the core Wicked Women: Jaid Black, Syneca Featherstone, Sahara Kelly, and Marshmallow.

I'd love to hear more of what you think about women's sexual issues and news. Feel free to email me at susane@ellorascave.com with any news, questions or ideas you have. I'll give you credit and link to the url of your chosing if I use what you send me. Or you can contribute anonymously.

Have you read this far trying to figure out why I put a picture of my cat Moxie on this post? It has to do with my beginning of the year message. I was trying to think of something inspirational to write about women's sexuality, since that is the focus of this blog. I walked out the back door to water the plants and ruminate on it, and there was Moxie, sprawled out, airing and sunning her pudendum without a trace of self-consciousness. (She was actually looking straight at the camera until the second I snapped the picture, of course.)

I thought the sensual abandon of her pose was a good visual metaphor for what we will dedicate ourselves to in the coming year: An uncensored, unselfconscious, sybaritic celebration of the delights and mysteries of sex and love!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

...And to all a Good Night...



Most of our Quiminologists are groaning this morning after the annual lab Christmas party. There was plenty of food, the usual amount of beverages and even one lampshade-on-our-head dance! (Pictures have been deleted on pain of horrible torture!)

So solid research information is scarce but aspirins are as thick on our desks as snow. Overall, it was a great time. And at one point we gathered around the punch bowl to take the Christmas Quim oath.

Each and every quiminologist swears to give the gift of pleasure this year. There are a variety of techniques, but most involve sneaking one or two things off the Christmas tree. A little piece of tinsel garland, strategically placed after dark...well, that works quite nicely. So does a tiny piece of mistletoe (Kiss me under this, sweetheart?) Definitely a good Holiday Hint... Food was also discussed - that one perfect chocolate warming just above our quims - well, that's a tasty surprise too. However we present them, just offering our quims to our chosen lovers says so much more than "Season's Greetings" on a snow covered card.

The overall winner in our poll? One gorgeous sticky-backed gift bow attached just below the navel. What better surprise for a lover? It's sensual, inviting and is sure to bring a smile of pleasure to his face and a surge of heat to other places. You'll both be happy revelers on Christmas night!!! (Don't let him rip it off, though. A gentle peel probably works better. Save the screams for later.)

So whatever your choice of sensual pleasures this Holiday season, everyone at the Quiminology Lab would like to extend their warmest wishes to you all. May your hearts be filled with joy, your life be filled with laughter as bright as the lights on the biggest tree, and may your quims be filled with the lover of your choice.

Beats the heck out of sticking a gift card in a stocking, doesn't it?

Happy Holidays everyone,
The Quiminologists

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Rape Victim Pardoned


The Lede has a really good column and fascinating discussion of the recent pardon of "the Girl from Qatif." If you haven't been following the story, the 19-year-old woman broke Saudi law by being alone in a car with a man to whom she was not related. Seven men took it upon themselves to punish her, abducting and repeatedly gang-raping her and the man she was with. According to the New York Times, the rapists "received sentences ranging from 10 months to five years in prison, and 80 to 1,000 lashes." The woman and the man were sentenced to 90 lashes for their original transgression.

When the woman appealed her sentence, the court increased her punishment to 200 lashes and six months in jail and suspended her lawyer's license. After resounding international disapproval, Saudi's King Abdullah pardoned the woman and the man, saying, not that the sentence was wrong, but that the rape was punishment enough for the transgression.
The high profile of this case has focused international attention and opened long-overdue dialog in Middle Eastern countries about the deplorable state of women's rights in Saudi Arabia and some other Muslim theocracies. Though the Girl from Qatif was not sentenced because she was raped, rape victims have been punished severely in the recent past after making allegations. This website has an analysis of rape laws in Pakistan that call for punishing a woman if she can not produce four reliable witnesses to testify that she was in fact raped and not engaging in consensual sex.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Ignorance Losing Ground


An interesting update to last week's post about the rise in teen birth rates after years of federal government funding of abstinence-only sex education: More and more states are refusing federal money that can be used only to teach abstinence. (Fourteen at last count.) MSNBC reported that 82 percent of adults surveyed were in favor of comprehensive sex ed that includes abstinence, birth control and disease prevention instruction. If we can't count on our federal government to fund sex education responsibly, maybe the states are at least starting to revolt.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Geek Love


Why is this man smiling? Maybe he's playing with the new vMac. According to an hysterical post on BBSpot, the new vMac comes equipped with iHole technology for geeks who want a deeper, sexual relationship with their computers. For the gals, there's dMac, which has iPole, and soon we'll have biMac, with both iPole and iHole peripherals. Finally, a pay-off for workaholics.
Thanks to alert reader (and Ellora's Cave author) Ashlyn Chase for sending us this little tidbit.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Citrus of Youth

Remember Dr. Alan Hirsch, the researcher who said scent combos such as lavender with pumpkin pie and doughnuts with licorice increase male libido (which is great if you want to attract Homer Simpson)? Turns out he also discovered the scent of grapefruit makes men judge women's age as six years younger than they would without the smell. Or so dozens of newspapers and websites reported. Later, some caveats popped up. Apparently, it was a complex combination of scents, which surprise! is available in a spray called Timeless View available only on the good doctor's website. I dunno if they just don't bother to check before posting such info or if he has changed his website, but nowhere on Hirsch's Science of Smell website is any info on the grapefruit study or Timeless View. There is, however, a disclaimer that says none of the products associated with his research are associated with the Smell and Taste Research Foundation.
Still, some of his research is interesting, even if it's clearly in the service of creating his own products to sell. Another of his studies found that a floral and spice scent combo reduced men's perceptions of women's weight by 4 to 12 pounds! He's also created a substance you can sprinkle on your food before eating that helped test subject lose an average of 5.6 pounds per month.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

The gift that keeps on giving

Since we've reached THAT time of year again, our Quiminologists have found their attention drifting a little to various subjects like decorating their tree and what to wear to the Quim Lab Christmas party.
However...during the course of the difficult search for the perfect gift, our scientists stumbled across some interesting ideas which certainly beat slippers, hands down.
We all know that a gift of delightfully tasty goodies is always gratefully received. So...how about letting Santa hide your quim beneath something edible? How would your lover feel about devouring that on Christmas morning?
There are the well-known thongs made of tiny candies. These came with matching bras. They were quite pretty and looked like a bikini at first glance. Probably also a bit lumpy to lie on and maybe get stuck between his teeth. They do, however, also come in a style for gentlemen. Which would be handy if you're both feeling a bit peckish....
If you're not ready to ORDER something sensual like this, then why not MAKE one yourself? Are you a crafter? Can you knit or crochet? Yes, believe it or not the internet offers several patterns for knitted/crocheted edible thongs. Just trot down to your local candy store and grab a couple of pounds of licorice laces (the red looks HOT against your silky skin) then knit away, girls.
And of course there's the good old fallback - the chocolate thong. We note that the ones we found weren't ALL chocolate - you don't have to slather your butt with whipped cream as well - most featured a chocolate medallion positioned to melt right over where a tongue would do the most good!!! Mmmmm.
So for the ultimate holiday gift this year, why not give him a candy-covered quim to play with? (Er, that would be yours, of course.) Get his mouth where you want it, give him dessert - yep, smiles all around the mistletoe and holly. Now...where did I put my crochet hook?
Happy Holidays to all from Sahara and the Quiminology Lab techs!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Man Candy


Who doesn't love a man in a cowboy hat and jeans, especially one who's built like Brian Schell. He rescued a shipmate while serving in the Navy and now oversees inmate care for a prison system. Sort of makes you want to break the law. See more of Brian here and more of Ellora's Cave's 2007 calendar boys here.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Ignorance-Only Sex Ed Pays Off


Associated Press reports that teen birth rates in the United States are up for the first time in 15 years and that births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high in 2006. Looks like abstinence-only sex education is doing its job: keeping kids so ignorant they don't know how to avoid pregnancy or so ashamed of their sexuality they don't admit it far enough in time to take precautions. The Guttmacher Institute has some interesting statistics on teen sexuality, including these: From 1995-2002, the number of teens receiving information about contraception declined while the number receiving abstinence-only education increased. Of the 750,000 teen pregnancies per year, 82% were unintended and more than one-fourth end in abortion. Teen pregnancy rates declined steadily 1999-2002. Despite this decline, the US still has one of the highest pregnancy rates among developed countries, almost twice as high as England, Wales, and Canada, and EIGHT TIMES AS HIGH as the Netherlands and Japan.
There's nothing wrong with teaching abstinence. It teaches girls (and even boys) that they don't have to have sex just because someone is pressuring them to do it. It's good to delay sex until they are mature enough to make informed decisions. But regardless of what you tell them, lots of kids are going to have sex, and they need to know how to protect themselves from the consequences.
In an interesting corollary, a recent study debunked the theory that teen sex contributes to delinquency. The new study found that the contrary was true. Teens who engaged in consensual exual behavior with each other were actually less likely to engage in delinquent behavior.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007


I was struggling through a long-term relationship with a man when I came upon The Story of O. The infamous book both thrilled and terrified me. Suddenly, a secret door opened up and I glimpsed a realm where all my deepest darkest most forbidden desires could all come true. And yet for years after that I stood poised on the threshold, hesitating to take that first step to make my fantasies flesh. My “normal” relationship with my boyfriend was frustrating but safe, like Newton’s law of gravity. I was afraid of falling and losing myself in the seductive black-leather universe glinting with metal shackles like stars burning at the very heart of my sexuality. I had heard of too many extreme and distasteful things that went on there, and this made me worry my submissive nature was like a cancer I had to fight so it wouldn’t spread out of control and prevent me from living a normal healthy life. I didn’t realize how wrong I was until I met the right man who took me by the hand and finally led me into the intensely exciting world of BDSM.

Read the full story in the December issue of Lady Jaided magazine