It’s hot outside

Excerpted from ThePhoenix.com – this is just too fun not to share!

We see it all the time: good and bad.  From the buff martial arts god jogging in the park to the fat hairy guy parked on the bench eating a tuna fish sandwich: mens chests abound in hot weather and some should be bound -in bras!  Unfortunately, the Powers That Be come down on the side of dudes regarding shirtlessness -and we protest! If only on aesthetic grounds.  Either everybody gets to sunbathe or no one gets to sunbathe.  Folks from outer space, oddly enough,have also weighed in on this very bare daring issue and made it part of their way-out religion.  Meet the Raelian Movement: eccentric alien-based cult and seemingly unlikely pro-topless advocates, bless their little green hearts.  Leading the group is former French journalist and current 70s white-space-pants-suit-take-me-to-your-leader type, Rael, whose 1973 encounter with the “our human creators from outer space” left him with a bizarre haircut and an unshakeable vision of the future where the “No Shoes No Shirt” rule gets you service.  Plus, the cosmic visitors imparted an important Message to Rael which loosely translates as “Show us your tits!!”  Having already signed the online National Topless Day petition prior to reading the fine print (always do that!) Miss A is now awaiting orders from the Mothership.  It’s all there, go to http://www.gotopless.org

Why are gay people so creative?

What makes HIM so creative?

In a recent blog post ‘Persona Non Grata’ wrote in her blog about creativity in gays and it got me thinking about my experiences with Theater people, and musicians I have known over the years.

The author notes that while not all gays are ‘creative’ per se, or even good at what they do, it seems more are involved in the arts than straight people, and seem to have a more ‘refined’ taste, and ‘eye’ for beauty or creativity.

My response was as follows; I’d like to hear your comments to (and post them on ‘Persona’s’ blog too!

______________

Trish, you hit on a word that is hand in hand with what I was thinking; it’s COMMUNICATION. Most gay men and women I know tend to be very communicative; I think it has to do with their own introspection, always questioning the ‘norms’ of society, trying to figure out where they fit in, and being open to communicating these questions and ideas, applying these questions to themselves and others. This leads to my theory that it is that most gay people are open to their emotions, question their emotions and other people’s, thus enhancing that communication with far more than just exchange of information.

In music, and art, (and yes, hairdressing), these emotions find their way out, and the artist is not afraid to communicate that emotional turbulance, or questioning, or just observation, and often takes it to extremes – which all good art should do, IMHO.

Having ‘grown up’ straight in the theater, I have seen how many of my gay friends very strong emotional life, even for me, that is the entranceway to creativity.

As I tried to say in another post, although I floundered around a bit with it, this relates to our sexual lives as well, and how we relate to sex-toy etiquette. One of the points was to communicate your desires with your partner, and listen to their desires – and turn-offs! Emotional communication is essential for good sex with your lover, since sex is a form of emotional communication in and of itself. (Okay, and sometimes that desire is ‘I just wanna bang’, but as long as that’s mutually understood and wanted, that’s fine too!)

So the whole thing kind of comes full circle; as you’ve heard probably many times, ‘be creative’ – and how you achieve this is through emotional communication, that just like good art, can take you to new heights of enjoyment.

More Toys, More Online

Not to knock the fine publications that been gracing our private libraries for so many years, but they are ‘dead tree media’.

According to AVN Media Network it’s no recent news that content delivered over the internet is eclipsing the adult market for prurient purveyors. Which is good for the environment, bad for birdcages.

Also noted in this article was an INCREASE in the Adult Novelties markets:

AVN found Sex Toys or “Novelties,” was the second fastest growing segment of the adult market, growing 15 percent in 2006 to $1.73 billion. Exotic Dance Clubs held their own, generating $2 billion in revenue in 2006. Adult Magazines, once a market staple  now represents only 7.4 percent of revenue.

Granted this study was done in 2006… other indicators are showing that this is still trending!

A few Tweaks

We’re so new we doubt we have any longtime followers. That would violate the rules of time and physics. However, in case you visited within the last several days, you may have noticed a few little changes. “Off The Cuff”, “On The Bangle” and “Tickle Me” are now under the main blog as categories. The static pages are our video contest and Dildo of the Week. This is so that after each post with new content, you get to comment and make fun of us.

The Editor

Sex Toy Etiquette.

Is it okay to re-use sex toys with a new partner? According to an article in Libida.com, it ISN’T. For one thing, there’s the ‘ick’ factor of using something that was used so intimately before, on someone new. It would be like giving your new lover your previous lovers old leftover clothes.

So no matter how much you have a sentimentality for a particular toy, the best thing to do is start fresh.

When you do ‘start fresh’ here are some other things you should consider.

1) Use proper hygiene.
Whether new or used, always keep your toys clean. Products such as a bottle of Toy Cleaner are specifically made to be gentle on you, and eliminate bacteria. They only cost around $5 or so, and especially helpful for toys with lots of moving parts, or complicated angles. Yes, you CAN use the dishwasher – but again, the ‘ick’ factor.

2) Use condoms on the toys. What? They won’t get me pregnant?! Right, but if you have multiple partners that use the same toys this keeps them from spreading STD’s. Again though we prefer you go back to the first rule, and use different toys with different partners.

3) Play nice.

In a break up, who owns the sex toy? Assuming you are still talking to your ex, if it was bought for one of you in particular, it seems obvious that it is this one who should get that toy in a split.

If there is too much animosity, the question becomes, “do you really want the toy you used with a partner that makes you so upset”?

A good tip is to approach the toy as just another appliance that you need to decide on upon splitting up.

Consider that there are many more sex toys in the sea of sex. And the next one may have even more bells and whistles.

X-rated content aside, are online porn sites safe to visit?

A study conducted by International Secure System Lab–one of the first to examine the security risks of browsing porn websites–suggests that “shady” practices and malware are common on many porn sites, which could potentially make visitors the targets of cybercriminals. Read the full article here

Battle of the Babes

This wonderful snowball fight between Princess Leia and Lara Croft got us wondering who’d win if these two ladies actually squared off (or curved off, rather) in real life. Then our stunted pea brains wandered and we found ourselves pondering who is truly the toughest woman in pop-culture history.

Read more at Maxim.com
PS: although technically not about sexuality or sexual products, I found it amusing, and somehow… violently… arousing. Your mileage may vary.

Bunghole

Okay, this DOES make sense – a bunghole is “The hole in a cask, keg, or barrel through which liquid is poured in or drained out.” according to Dictionary.com. And of course, there’s the second definition

Announcing Our New Video Contest

Win $500 worth of products of your choice at CuffAndBangle.com.
Cuff And Bangle is having a contest starting June 7th, 2010 and ends June 30th

1. Create a 30 second to 5 minute YouTube ready video displaying the
   use of one (or several) adult toys that are sold at CuffAndBangle.com, in a
   non-explicit manner. Your video can be live, animated, voiced over,
   humorous or serious; it’s up to you.
2. Send the link to videos@CuffAndBangle.com
   and our judges will choose the top 10 videos and post them for everyone
   to vote.

The one with the most votes will win a $500 worth of products at CuffAndBangle.com.

So if you love adult toys, and have a favorite, show us! Explain it’s use,
create your own commercial for it, rate competing products, or just
have some fun.

1. Must be 18 to participate
2. Must be US Citizen
3. Posts considered X-rated will not be posted
4. When you submit your video you give CuffAndBangle the right to
   post it on any of our existing websites / blogs

Cuff and Bangle is not responsible or liable for any content posted in response to this contest.

We are also linked to: