HPV and Throat Cancer: So What About the Lesbians?

A recent story in the New York Times reports that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is helping protect people against throat cancers.

Infection with HPV is linked to cervical cancer – one of the few viruses that has been definitively linked to a cancer.

The report says that a new study shows the vaccine is proving to be beneficial against cancers caused by oral sex, and “presumably would protect men as well” (The study was done on women, but not women who identified as lesbians.)

Every time I read a study like this, I think, “So what about lesbians?” After all, we have a reputation for taking the big dive at the slightest invitation. Why not study older lesbians, who have presumably been performing oral sex on women for most of their sexual histories?

According to the NYT article, cancers caused by smoking or drinking usually occur in the mouth, those caused by oral sex usually occur at the base of the tongue or deep in the folds of tonsillar tissue, and are hard to detect. They are more common among heterosexual men than among women, or gay men; experts believe this is because vaginal fluid contains more virus than the surface of the penis.

Again, wouldn’t be logical to test older lesbians who have seen more pussy than penis?

Your Menstrual Cycle, In Full Color

There’s nothing I love more than a good body-wise explanation, and this poster does a fantastic job of spelling out one of life’s enduring rhythms. It’s the product of I Heart Guts, a silly and scientific little company created by an anatomically obsessed illustrator who loves internal organs.The poster is 18×24 inches and costs $15. It might be just the thing to decorate your bathroom (or a baby girl’s room, for that matter!).

I Heart Guts also makes organ plushies, posters and other paper-goods, t-shirts and accessories (where else can you get a cute little hypothalamus lapel pin?). Check out their free e-cards, too.

Guys shouldn’t feel left out, there’s a great “Grab Your Gonads” testicle self-examination card and free download – think of it as the instructions that should have come with the package.

More Geek Porn Girl posts on menstruation and girl parts here.

Are Menstrual Cups the Holy Grail?

Damn near every article and blog post I’ve read about menstrual cups apologizes in advance for the “ick factor”.

I’m not going to apologize.

In this regard, both men and women need to get the fuck over themselves. Menstrual blood is the stuff of our lives, quite literally. It’s the medium of our conception and the scarlet downbeat of one of nature’s great rhythms.

Don’t Linger Any Longer on This Dumb Idea

Let’s just chalk this stupid idea up to misogynistic stereotypes and male-perpetuated female insecurity, okay?

A new mint called Linger is being marketed toward women. The hitch is this – women are supposed to stuff it in their vaginas.

Schooled in Squirting by Kink

Kink.com, that is.
Some of the best things about San Francisco’s monster hard-core porn house (the home of many speciality online pay sites such as “Public Disgrace,” “Naked Kombat,” “Everything Butt,” and the now venerable “Fucking Machines,”* are the mini-documentaries about the workings of the organization that is housed in San Francisco’s old armory.

There Isn’t a Gender Test

There is no gender test. There is not one known to man, woman, or anyone on the spectrum in between.

The media circus and travesty surrounding the recent “gender testing” of South African runner Caster Semenya has led to South Africa’s Minister for Women and Children filing a complaint with the United Nations over how her case was handled.

Why Are There No Talking Vaginas?

One of the campaign's print ads

Yesterday, my son and I were in San Francisco, and it seemed that every bus that passed us sported a colorful ad with three anthropomorphic cartoon penises dressed in clothes.

The “Healthy Penis” campaign, warning the public about the dangers of syphilis, has been around for several years now, on buses, in print, and on television. I’m sure few people in SF give these mobile billboards a second thought. However, to a 12-year-old, they’re absolutely hilarious.

The first one he saw was out the car window. He said, “did you see that bus? I think it had penises on it.”

“Thankfully, I missed it,” I said. (I’ve seen the bus ads before, but hoped this would be the last of the conversation. Being a parent teaches you nothing, if not how to downplay and drop a topic.)

“Maybe we’ll see it again,” he said.

“Oh my god, mom. Those ARE penises!” he said, as we sat in the window of a favorite taqueria and one of the buses stopped at the corner directly in front of us. “That’s got to be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

He was laughing so hard he was holding his sides.

There was a web address in the ad: www.healthypenis.org.

“When we get home, we’ve got to look that up,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what’s there.”

“Sex ed information,” I said.

I explained to him what syphilis is, and why people need to be concerned about it. He’s no stranger to hearing about sexually transmitted diseases because I used to work for an HIV/AIDS organization.

“Still,” he said. “The website’s got to be funny.”

I found myself thinking about the cultural acceptance of penises as funny and sort of friendly. They are often talked about as a “little man,” having the potential to become the third, or fourth, personality in a relationship. I’ve heard that some men name theirs. The stage show, Puppetry of the Penis – in which two men manipulate their own genitals into silly shapes on stage – is about to have a return engagement in New York.

I’ve only known one woman who named her vagina. She volunteered to me, one day over lunch, that she called hers “Brenda”. This was so much more than I wanted to know about her.

The Healthy Penis ads made me think of a film clip from my youth. In the 1970s, there was a brief trend of making movies that had no plot, they were simply a series of skits, and usually in bad taste. The Groove Tube, which made fun of American television, was released in 1974, before I was old enough to see it. But it was later rerun in a local theater in a double feature with another skit film, Kentucky Fried Movie. I probably still wasn’t old enough to see either of them, but back in the olden days, theater owners didn’t care like they do now.

I soon discovered that one of the highlights of The Groove Tube, was Safety Sam, a talking penis.

While wildly scandalous when the movie was released, I had no problem letting my son watch Safety Sam. In fact, he found the skit about Brown 25 (“another product from Uranus”) much funnier.

I’ve never run across a public ad campaign with a cartoon of female genitalia.

I’ve seen some pretty satin and velvet vulva/vagina hand puppets, but they’re mostly intended for education.

Even in this clip from The Tyra Banks Show, which made television history by dedicating an hour of national television exposure to vaginas, the puppet isn’t playful so much as way to help women be less afraid of their own parts. In fact, I found the whole conversation annoying because of how it’s predicated in an assumption of misunderstanding and mystery (with hints of shame).

Almost every person in the world born with two X chromosomes has some form of female genitalia. It’s embarrassing that an hour of daytime television would be dedicated to explaining where our parts are and how they work, in the simplest terms.

Can you imagine a similar televised discussion of penises?

Japan's Penis Day

I doubt it.

We have so much historic and cultural exposure to penises, through everything from stage shows to national days of celebration (Japan’s Penis Day is March 15), that there’s apparently nothing left to do besides turn them into cartoon characters and give them their own FaceBook pages, which HealthyPenis.org has done.

I think that we need more cultural exposure to vulvas and vaginas, and a good place to start woud be a happy, playful, talking vagina.

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Guy Wakes Up With Vagina, Pitches Tampax

This has to be one of the wildest, most imaginative viral marketing campaigns ever.

Zack16 is an incredibly well-produced series of spots, backed up with a nifty and entertaining website conceived by Chicago-based ad agency Leo Burnett Worldwide about a 16-year-old boy who wakes up one morning with a vagina where his penis used to be.

The advertiser is Tampax.

I was blown away when I saw it. There was nothing like this when I was a crampy Girl Scout.

I’m still not certain why feminine hygiene products need viral marketing. The need for them is certainly not spread by a virus, electronic or protein-based. The need isn’t going away. But the campaign is still funny and clever. We get to watch sort of a “James at 16” except with girly bits and a period. And, while I’m sure the light-hearted treatment of Zach’s suprise genital swap will offend some people, I feel like it’s handled in a way that’s sort of sweet and inoffensive. There was the potential here for cheap jokes that would piss off the trans and intersex communities and I somehow think this won’t.

Here are the first four episodes in one short “film”. This is the introduction from the website, in Zack’s words:

This is it. The first four episodes of my weird transformation together in one easy-to-watch package. Man, I hate that word. Package. Reminds me of what I no longer have. Anyway, I hope you like the film and hopefully there’s more to come. In the meantime, I’ll keep blogging and tweeting. Oh, and if you happen to see my missing guy parts anywhere, please drop me a line.

You can see the entire Zack16 website here.

For the (very) adult version, check out Buck Angel, the “Man with a Pussy”. I’ve got to wonder if someone over at LBW is a fan of Buck’s.

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Swine Flu on Twitter

Thanks to xkcd: a webcomic for putting it all in perspective!

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“Onion” Sets Record in Naming Female Parts

The world’s favorite satirical news source, The Onion, published this very funny article today. I imagine the writer had to email everyone s/he knew to get this list of polite names for female reproductive system:

Renowned Hoo-Ha Doctor Wins Nobel Prize For Medical Advancements Down There

STOCKHOLM-In recognition of her groundbreaking work treating life- threatening diseases of the privates, renowned hoo-ha specialist Dr. Victoria Lazoff was awarded the Nobel Prize in Lady Medicine this week.

The world’s foremost authority on ailments down south, Lazoff led a team of cutting-edge hoo-ha doctors to develop new strategies for detecting abnormal growth in…you know, that area. The accomplished physician humbly accepted medicine’s highest honor before a crowd of her peers, and spoke about the importance of regular screenings to prevent unnecessary complications up inside one’s business.

Read the rest of the story in The Onion.

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Prop. 8 Hearing: All The Details

Gird your loins. This is the week the California Supreme Court will hear the arguments for, and against, Proposition 8.

My how times flies. It seems like just yesterday we were protesting in the streets. Dust off those candles, girls – it’s time to do it again.

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday on the validity of Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage that California voters approved in November.

The court said it would hold a three-hour hearing, from 9 a.m. to noon, at its chambers in San Francisco. The proceedings will also be televised statewide on the California Channel, the court said. A ruling is due within 90 days of the hearing.

The California Supreme Court will hold three hours of oral arguments from 9.am-noon Thursday on three lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8, the ballot measure that amended the state constitution to reinstate the ban on same-sex marriage the court threw out last year.

Lawyers representing same-sex couples and a group of local governments led by the city of San Francisco will get 90 minutes to present their arguments. The lawyers are Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights; Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart and Michael Maroko, a partner of Los Angeles lawyer Gloria Allred.

The sponsors of Proposition 8 will have an hour. They are being represented by Pepperdine law school dean Kenneth Starr, the former independent counsel who investigated President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. California Attorney General Jerry Brown has taken the unusual step of declining to defend the initiative. Deputy Attorney General Christopher Krueger will have half an hour to explain the state’s position.

A record number of 62 friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed in the case, more than two-thirds of them in support of striking down the same-sex marriage ban. They are available for viewing here.

Same-sex marriage advocates are planning to hold candlelight vigils across California the night before the hearing and are encouraging supporters to rally outside the courthouse on Thursday.

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Proposition 8: It’s About Justice and Civil Rights

Robin Tyler and her wife, Diane Olson, were among the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit that eventually gave same-sex couples the right to marry in California – and was then overturned by the state referendum known as Proposition 8.

The legality of the proposition has been challenged and will be heard by California’s State Supreme Court on Thursday.

In an opinion piece in the SF Chronicle’s SFGate website, Tyler talks about the difference between emotion and reality. She says she and her wife will never say “Don’t Divorce Us” because this isn’t about them, or about unmarrying couples. It’s about not allowing 50 percent of a state’s population to discriminate against a minority group.

Read her piece here.

You can read more of Robin Tyler’s opinion writing for the Huffington Post here.

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Chocolate and Masturbation

Click photo to visit chocolate site

 

(A Valentine’s re-post from 2009…)

“If it feels this good,” the old joke goes, “it’s got to be bad for you!” But does it?

In the case of two favorite feel-good indulgences, not so. Masturbation and chocolate feel good and provide a load of benefits. So as a Valentine’s Day warm up, in the spirit of self-loving, let’s look at the things these two favorite indulgences have in common:

Both are loaded with social stigma.
Both masturbation and chocolate are favorite indulgences of many women. (After all, studies have show that an estimated 89 percent of women will masturbate in their lifetime. I suspect that the women who make up the other 11 percent live in red states and are afraid to admit it.) However, lots of women nibble chocolate in private and masturbate in the dark.

In some circles, publicly eating chocolate is tantamount to admitting you’re throwing all diet caution to the wind. And many women think masturbation is only for desperate times when they’re without a partner. Research is showing we’d be happier and healthier with more of both.

What better time than Valentine’s Day to celebrate the two?

Both are great for your heart and your health.
Recent research has found that cocoa and other chocolates may keep high blood pressure down, your blood flowing freely, and your heart healthy. Substances in found in chocolate (at the highest levels in dark chocolate) called flavonoids, may help keep our blood platelets from sticking together and our arteries from clogging. (The way that cocoa powder and chocolate syrups are manufactured removes most of the beneficial flavonoids.)

Likewise, orgasm (achieved with a partner or through masturbation) will provide a light aerobic workout, burn calories, and lower blood pressure. There’s some evidence that a hormone called oxytocin, released during orgasm, may help to prevent breast cancer.

They’ll both make you feel happier, relaxed, and loved.
During orgasm, the body releases a chemical called PEA (phenylethylamine), and this substance is also found in small amounts in chocolate. PEA can create the feeling of being in love. It is also the reason both masturbation and chocolate can give us an energy kick and a mood boost. PEA increases attention and activity in animals and was shown, in one study, to relieve depression in 60 percent of depressed patients.

Additionally, chocolate also contains anandamide, an antidepressant compound that binds to the same receptors in the brain as marijuana and produces a slight feeling of elation. Anandamide is also produced naturally in the body, and other chemicals in chocolate slow the breakdown of this chemical, prolonging its effects. Two more chemicals in chocolate, theobromine and tryptophan, both contribute to an enhanced sense of well-being.

There is also a small amount of caffeine in chocolate, although it should be noted that an ounce of milk chocolate only contains as much caffeine as a decaffeinated cup of coffee.

They’ll give you an endorphin high.
The sweet taste of chocolate can trigger the release of chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are also released after orgasm and can help to boost mood and decrease our sensitivity to pain. They are thought to be involved in controlling the body’s response to stress. This is the reason masturbation has been shown in several studies to be an effective depression fighter.

While the chemicals in chocolate often make people feel relaxed and happy but alert, masturbation is an effective (and pleasing!) cure for insomnia.

Additionally, masturbation can relieve menstrual cramps and fight yeast infections by increasing blood flow to the pelvis, strengthen pelvic muscles (resulting in increased orgasmic response), and help to balance reproductive hormones, which may ease the symptoms of PMS and menopause.

So with all the things masturbation and chocolate have in common, it seems they might be best in combination:

Italian researchers found that women who eat chocolate regularly have a better sex life than those who deny themselves the treat. Those consuming chocolate reported the highest levels of desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction.

Urologists from a hospital in Milan questioned 163 women about their consumption of chocolate as well as their experience of sexual fulfillment. They concluded:

“Chocolate can have a positive physiological impact on a woman’s sexuality.”

Masturbation can too.

It can boost sexual self-confidence, and in turn, self-esteem. Masturbation provides a readily available sexual experience devoid of social stress and the pressures of pleasing another. It can be a method of self-exploration that will enhance a partnered sexual experience. In short, if you don’t know what pleases you and feels good, how will you be able to show someone else?

So, for the sake of your health, take that box of Valentine’s chocolates and head off to have some private time!

Mechanics in Red Dresses?

As part of American Heart Month in Kansas City, these Jiffy Lube employees agreed to work in red dresses as a way of calling attention to the campaign. A red dress logo is used as the symbol to promote educations about women’s heart health issues. You’ve just gotta love these guys!

Click on the photo below to see the Keith Myer’s great video on KansasCity.com:

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Super Bowl Rejects Veggie-Sex Ad

If you’ve ever wondered what’s too sexy for broadcast during the Super Bowl, apparently the answer is frolicking with raw vegetables.

This ad, by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), espouses vegetarianism by promising that if you give up meat, you’ll have more fun in the flesh. But NBC has decided the ad is too steamy for Super Bowl viewing (even though the veggies still look crispy to me).

While it’s a long way from a solo dance with a peeled cucumber, the ad is still sexier than, say, Janet Jackson’s halftime nipple flash.

And, go figure. I’ve got a sudden craving for a salad.

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Let’s Celebrate Breasts!

Maybe it’s all the hoopla around Facebook’s puckered attitude about breastfeeding moms, maybe it’s my interest in taking lactation training so I can help new moms nurse successfully… who knows, but I was moved to watch Breasts: A Documentary.

I can’t recommend this hour-long film enough. It should be required watching for all women and girls. I think maybe for men too, although not for the reasons they’d think.

The film is the work of Meema Spadola, an award-winning film maker and an all-female camera crew.

Although it was released in 1996, the film remains wildly relevant.

Spadola talked to 22 women – many of whom appear topless in the film – about their relationship with their breasts. There are so many layers to the film: Mother/daughter relationships and inter-generational body attitudes, the role breasts play in sexual relationships, breast feeding, breast augmentation experiences, and of course, breast cancer. The subject’s film include a voluptuous transsexual, a stripper with implants, an 11-year-old on the cusp of puberty, a 420-pound comedienne, and an 84-year-old grandmother.

Check it out if you get a chance. It’s available from Netflix and you can buy it on Amazon. It would make a fantastic Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day gift for the special woman in your life.

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Sexual Lubrication: A Very Slippery Topic

Recently, on a local women’s forum, someone posted an anonymous request for advice.

This was her query:

“I’m dating someone new who just doesn’t get wet when we have sex. She says she never has with anyone and that it isn’t related to her desire. If I go down on her, she comes with no problem, but otherwise she has to use lots of lube. Is there anything we can do about this? Like a change of diet or anything? Or should I just get over it and use lube?”

There are two different things at work in this question. The first is about the reason the new girlfriend may not be lubricating, but underlying that question, there seems to be lube-a-phobia on the part of the woman asking.

Let’s address the two things in order:

Women lubricate at different rates. Sexual responsiveness is highly individualized. Wetness is not always an indicator of arousal or ability to respond sexually. That said, changes in lubrication should be noted for health reasons like any other change in bodily function. A sudden decrease in your body’s ability to lubricate can be an indicator of a vaginal infection or other condition and warrants a trip to your health professional.

Emotional discomfort can have an effect on lubrication. Feeling embarrassed, shy, or unsafe can affect a woman’s ability to relax and get turned on. So can external stress factors (job, family, money, etc.) and exhaustion.

The most common reason for women not lubricating during sex is lack of foreplay, or a need for more stimulation. There’s a double-whammy here, because manual stimulation – even externally – can be uncomfortable, even painful, for some women when they’re dry. Painful stimulation can adversely affect their ability to begin lubricating, and a vicious cycle begins.

This is one situation where a few drops of lube, applied externally, can really help to get the old ball rolling. Faster, more direct and to the point: Lick your fingers.

Saliva, of course, should only be used as a lubricant if you’re fluid-bonded with your partner. If you’re using dental dams and gloves, an appropriate lube (more below on what’s appropriate when) will make things go much more smoothly.

For some women, that initial jump start is all it takes to get their internal juices flowing.

Others, however, may need assistance with lubrication all along the way.

A woman’s ability to lubricate can potentially be affected by changes in her hormones, medications, personal habits, diet, and stress level.

Varying levels of hormones can affect a woman’s wetness. Menopause is a classic time for changes, as is the post-partum period and during breastfeeding. In fact, anything that changes hormone levels could potentially affect lubrication, including hysterectomy and invasive procedures, medical conditions, and nutritional supplements. Reduced lubrication can be linked to low levels of estrogen, and it’s easy to have your estrogen levels checked by your physician or nurse practitioner.

Many medications can potentially reduce lubrication including antihistamines, cold pills, birth control pills, appetite suppressants, diuretics, testosterone supplements, and anti-depressants.

The use of harsh detergent cleansers can irritate delicate vaginal tissues and have an effect on lubrication. Likewise, many bubble bath and bath salt preparations can be irritating, no matter how pretty they smell, and relaxing they feel.

Super-absorbent tampons may reduce a woman’s natural secretions, and many women find a dab of lube beneficial during their menstrual cycle. (The resulting orgasm can be a quick way to ease cramps!)

It’s hard to find evidence linking diet to changes in lubrication, but it stands to reason that a very low-fat diet, especially one low in the “good fats” like olive, fish, and nut oils, may have an adverse effect. Dehydration, which can be a result of exercise, heat, and over-consumption of caffeine and alcohol, will affect your body’s ability to produce fluids. (So while alcohol is a social lubricant, it’s not a personal one!)

On the subject of food, I have to say, food makes a lousy lubricant. Honey, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, fruit, and other legendary sex toppings will trigger yeast infections in many (if not most) women. Spread them on each other and lick yourselves silly, but only above the waist, please.

This brings me to the second part of the question, about whether the asker is experiencing lube-a-phobia.

Over the years in casual and more intimate conversation, I’ve noticed that women often have strong feeling about using lube. Dare I say, lube can be a slippery topic?

Some women love the stuff. As one of my friends says “just using it feels so dirty.” Others can’t stand it, or as another says “using it just feels so dirty”.

Hey, for some, dirty is a good thing.

(I’m betting that the ones that can’t stand it need it the least.)

Some treat the use of lube like an admission of defeat, thinking they can’t get aroused enough, or can’t arouse their partners enough. Often one partner wants it but is shy about introducing it to the other. Some women think it’s only for use with sex toys, or during anal sex or fisting (the later two activities definitely require lube to protect delicate tissues). Some don’t like the texture, smell, or taste.

Today there are so many different lubes on the market, there’s definitely something for every desire. No one needs to be rubbed the wrong way.

Most modern lubes are relatively thin. Some are available in thicker gel-like solutions. None are thick and sticky like the red grease used to pack bearings.

Side note to mechanics and others: Petroleum products like Vaseline, baby oil, and axle grease never make good lube. They can cause irritation, infection, and break down toys and barriers.

Lubes come in three basic varieties: Water-soluble, glycerin-based, and silicone-based.

Water-soluble lubes tend to rinse off, and out, of the body easily, and are therefore least likely to irritate. They’re condom and toy safe. However, they may need to be reapplied during use.

Glycerin-based lubes are slipperier than water-based. They’re safe with toys. However, some women find that glycerin-based lubricants can trigger yeast infections. Glycerin is, chemically, refined from glycerol, a sugar alcohol. It makes a super-slick, sweeter-tasting lube, but can cause the same problems as that porn film favorite, whipped cream (although without the silly mustache).

Silicone-based lubes are the slipperiest but have a texture more like oil. While they’re eventually absorbed by the body (and are reportedly non-toxic), they don’t wash off as easily as the water-based products, especially when used internally. They can be used in the water. (Although I can’t vouch that they’re good for your hot tub’s filter!) They’re not safe for use with some toy and barrier materials, including silcone, Cyberskin, and Softskin, but provide lots of long-lasting slipperiness for high-friction activities. They’re also the most expensive.

Amongst all these lube choices are options that are thicker, thinner, flavored, self-warming, and minty-fresh. Some have all-natural ingredients. Any good purveyor of sex accessories like Good Vibrations or Babeland will sell a variety of lubes and be able to provide information about their products’ uses, restrictions, qualities, and ingredients. Some shops even sell sampler packets so you can try a variety. Familiar drugstore labels like KY and Astroglide have introduced new products in recent years with more of the features of boutique brands, including products that double as personal massage oils.

So, if you’re lube-a-phobic, broaden your horizons and try some of the options available.

And, to the woman who asked the question, I’ll ask this one in return: If your new girlfriend wants lube and says it will make sex better for her, why the heck aren’t you sprinting out to get her some?

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Hot Water and Grease

Recently, feeling the need for a retreat, I headed up into the mountains north of the Bay Area to a resort known as Harbin Hot Springs.

I’m a big fan of the healing powers of Harbin’s waters. I’ve retreated there plenty.

Harbin has been a healing spot/resort/spa since the 1800s and a sacred spot for Native Americans before that. However, in its current incarnation as an increasingly complete and comfortable resort, it still shows the influence of the “drug-addled hippies” who renovated the place in the 1970s. This is not my description, but that of one of Harbin’s staff members (yet another story!).

I guess one of the notable things about Harbin is that it’s clothing optional, which is a nice way of saying that 99.9 percent of the guests are naked in the spa area. While I initially found this discomforting, the novelty wore off after my first visit to the pools. Since then I’ve found Harbin to be a place of incredible peace and spirituality. I suppose it sounds corny, but I’ve even found it to be a place of transformation.

So, on this recent Sunday night, my friend and I were soaking in the warm pool, along with quite a few other people. (It’s big, like a swimming pool). The pool is a designated silent area and everyone was quiet and serene, semi-floating in the neck-deep water, and steaming away in bliss.

Right in the middle of the pool was a guy about 55 or 60. He showed no sign of hippiness, in fact he was wearing his big steel watch in the pool. He may have even been wearing his black dress socks under the water somewhere. Straightest-looking guy in the pool, he was talking and laughing to himself (quietly, but still…), and acting out all kinds of motions and dancing around in the water.
Every now and then he would stop and fold his hands and nod his head as if he was accepting applause. You could see him mouthing words.

In short, he was really tripping.

I thought he was on acid, my friend thought he was practicing a martial art.

He wasn’t bothering anyone, but regardless, we steered clear of him.

Then later we were in the heart-shaped pool, a shallower warm pool a little distance away. It was now dark out, and suddenly the guy lumbered out of the shadows, still flailing his arms and talking to himself. He was doing lots of quiet giggling. Even though I’m used to seeing the unusual at Harbin, he was creeping me out. We were alone in the Heart Pool, talking quietly. I was afraid he would get in and try to strike up some interaction with us. But instead he walked over to the true swimming pool (completely unheated and 60 degrees), out of our line of sight, and dove in. We heard him get out, laughing and splashing, and then suddenly – in the reverent silence of the mountain evening – he burst into joyous song.

And this is what he sang:

“We go together like
rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong
remembered for ever like
shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom”

“Chang chang chang-it-ty chang
shoo-bop
That’s the way it should be
Wha oooh yeah!”

Yep. Into the quiet of the valley, voice sailing out above all the silent hot springs soakers, this heavy-set, middle-aged naked dude was belting out “Grease”.

This should be proof enough of the transformative powers of Harbin.

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Transsexual Gene Link Identified

Australian researchers claim to have found a genetic link that predisposes individuals to male-to-female transsexualiam.

Personally, I hope we don’t spend so much time studying the possibility and probability of everone’s individual quirks to the extent that we take all the fun out of it. After all, that’s what a lifetime’s for, right? I don’t want to be trapped on a tour bus with everyone around me on a pre-scheduled ticket. I want surprises!

Nevertheless, here’s the story, courtesy of the BBC.

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Banjo Playing During Brain Surgery

If you’re as fascinated with the intricacies of the human body as I am, you might find this video fascinating.

Suffering from a tremor in his right hand, banjo player Eddie Adcock underwent brain surgery. Surgeons placed deep brain stimulating electrodes in his brain in an attempt to control the tremor.

Because surgeons need to be able to see the effects of brain stimulation, patients are kept awake – with anesthesia for pain control – during this type of surgery.

In this case, Adcock played the banjo. You can read more on the website he keeps with his wife Martha.

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