From Gawker:
Barista Prostitution Sting Stuns Washington State Espresso Purists
“Police in Everett, Wash., have broken up a prostitution ring operating out of an espresso stand. The baristas were the prostitutes. Welcome to the future.

From the Everett Daily Herald:

Five baristas are accused of engaging in prostitution at an Everett bikini espresso stand following a two-month undercover police investigation into complaints that the women were selling more than coffee.

Detectives say the women were charging up to $80 to strip down and flash customers while fixing lattes and mochas.

Investigators saw the women expose their crotches, lick whipped cream off their co-workers’ private parts and pose naked for pictures inside the Grab-n-Go Espresso stand at 8015 Broadway, according to police reports obtained by The Herald on Wednesday.”

I bet the whipped cream show was popular! I picked Gawker’s version of this story because they mention Bikini-Baristas.com-a site featuring not only pictures of baristas in bikinis but news about the coffeehouses as well. Talk about a niche site.

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From Carnal Nation:
Maryland Report Cards Now Come With Ex-Gay Propaganda
“We all know how well gay rehabilitation programs work–they don’t–but that doesn’t stop ex-gay ministries from aggressively pursuing young people dealing with their identities. Website teachthefacts.org reports that an ex-gay group calling itself PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays) recently took advantage of a Maryland public school district, disseminating information about ex-gay outreach programs along with high school students’ report cards.

Montgomery County, just to the north of Washington, is one of the most affluent counties in the country, with just over a million residents. But the County lost a 2006 lawsuit filed by PFOX for violation of First Amendment rights. A judge ruled that the school must distribute any literature distributed by non-profit groups, as long as the literature wasn’t considered hate speech.”

This ex-gay movement is such bullshit. But I want to argue a more general point. Why is any non-school related literature being distributed by this school? Shouldn’t report cards just contain report cards?!

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From The Birmingham News:
Former stripper gets $100,000 in lawsuit: Blamed club for drunken wreck
“A Jefferson County jury on Tuesday found in favor of a former stripper at The Furnace who claimed she was hurt in a 2007 wreck because the club failed to stop her from driving home after on-the-job drinking.

The jury awarded Patsy Hamaker of Bessemer compensatory damages of $100,000 and no punitive damages. The amount covers the cost of her outstanding hospital bills, but it falls short of the $1.2 million she sought.

(snip)

Hamaker claimed wantonness, alleging she was hurt because the club recklessly disregarded its own safety rules. Those rules limited dancers to two alcoholic drinks a night. In addition, the club had policies on what to do when a dancer is drunk and unable to drive, which included keeping her in the building, taking her keys, and calling a friend or a taxi to pick her up, testimony showed.

But The Furnace said employees tried repeatedly to stop Hamaker from driving away that night and that it was Hamaker’s choice to drink.”

I don’t see how the club is at fault here. Hamaker chose to drink on the job. The strippers I know never drink while working. They have an arrangement with the bartenders to substitute something non-alcoholic for the drink the customer bought them.

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From NBC Washington:
Bethesda Has Sex Parties? Well, Not for Long
“Today is the last day to head over to Bethesda’s very own sex club. Paul Pickthorne is renting a home in the wealthy D.C. suburb, and in his free time, he hosts sex parties.

(snip)

Pickthorne’s hosted four of these parties since the summer, he said. He identifies himself as a practitioner of BDSM, short for “bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.” But neighbors have been complaining about his practices.

Police investigated the parties, but didn’t find anything illegal about them. But zoning officials were able to issue a complaint against Pickthorne. Since he accepts money from attendees, his parties are considered a commercial enterprise. The notice gives Pickthorne three days to end the sex parties, which would make Feb. 4 the last day.”

As I was typing up this post I checked for updates and found one for this story:

From UPI:
Man barred from charging for sex parties
“Officials in Maryland’s Montgomery County said a man would be allowed to continue holding sexual fetish parties at his home if he stops charging a cover.

(snip)

However, County Council member Roger Berliner, who brought the events to the attention of inspectors after complaints from his neighbors, said Pickthorne would be allowed to continue the parties if he stops charging for admission.

“Certainly one has to respect everyone’s constitutional rights,” Berliner said.”

Years ago, Mr. Radical and I were at a party at a friend’s dungeon. During a needle play demo one of the women in attendance burst into the room. “The cops are here! Everybody be quiet and stay put!” We all froze. (I’m tempted to point out that it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop but I’ll just move along.)

The party organizer chatted with the cops and was told to basically “keep it down this late at night”. Still though, it was a scary moment. There was nothing illegal going on. We were all consenting adults. Hell, there’s wasn’t even alcohol at the party. But still the fear in the room was palpable. We were doing something kinky-could we be arrested for that?

As a kinkster myself, I’m impressed to read Berliner’s comment. Researching this story I was expecting to read that the parties were just simply shut down. What a pleasure to find out they haven’t been. Mind you it still sucks that the guy’s been fined.

I’ve been to several dungeons where an attendance fee is charged. The money gets put into a fund to buy food and drinks for future parties. I don’t see how that’s violating code. Perhaps Pickthorne can ask for donations instead?

From this gallery.

A well stocked tool shed is a total turn on for me. Although, I prefer DeWalt drills myself.

These days, Tabitha, who asked that her real name not be used in this story, has yet another burden: a stamp printed on her driver’s license labels her a sex offender. Her crime? Sex work.

New Orleans city police and the district attorney’s office are using a state law written for child molesters to charge hundreds of sex workers like Tabitha as sex offenders. The law, which dates back to 1805, makes it a crime against nature to engage in “unnatural copulation”-a term New Orleans cops and the district attorney’s office have interpreted to mean anal or oral sex. Sex workers convicted of breaking this law are charged with felonies, issued longer jail sentences and forced to register as sex offenders. They must also carry a driver’s license with the label “sex offender” printed on it.

(snip)

Advocates and former defendants claim that the decision over who is charged under which penalty is made arbitrarily, at the discretion of police and the district attorney’s office, and that the law disproportionately affects Black people, as well as transgender women.

(snip)

Advocates have said the ideal solution would be to get state lawmakers to change the law, but they feel there’s little hope of positive reforms from the current legislature. For now, organizers want to put pressure on police and the district attorney’s office to stop charging sex workers under the crime against nature statute.”

—

I’m feeling so many layers of outrage here I don’t even know where to begin. An antiquated law against “unnatural copulation” shouldn’t even be on the books. These sex workers should not be charged as sex offenders. Plus it’s an invasion of privacy to put the “sex offender” status on a person’s license. But politicians like to look tough on crime and punishing “evil sex offenders” certainly stirs up votes come election time.

Climategate started last year and just keeps going. One of the problems with covering it is the numerous angles. I can see points on several sides. Of course I believe humans are altering the planet-overpopulation alone is a huge problem. On the other hand, humans have been altering the planet in some fashion since evolving from apes. What disturbs me most is the implication that scientists altered evidence to fit their desired results.

Here’s some news I’ve been reading on the controversy:

From the Telegraph:
UN climate change panel based claims on student dissertation and magazine article
“The United Nations’ expert panel on climate change based claims about ice disappearing from the world’s mountain tops on a student’s dissertation and an article in a mountaineering magazine.

(snip)

In its most recent report, it stated that observed reductions in mountain ice in the Andes, Alps and Africa was being caused by global warming, citing two papers as the source of the information.

However, it can be revealed that one of the sources quoted was a feature article published in a popular magazine for climbers which was based on anecdotal evidence from mountaineers about the changes they were witnessing on the mountainsides around them.

The other was a dissertation written by a geography student, studying for the equivalent of a master’s degree, at the University of Berne in Switzerland that quoted interviews with mountain guides in the Alps.”

A magazine article and college dissertation? Really?!

—

From Wikipedia:
Climatic Research Unit hacking incident
“The Climatic Research Unit hacking incident came to light in November 2009 when it was discovered that thousands of e-mails and other documents had been obtained through the hacking of a server used by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, England. The subsequent dissemination of the material caused a controversy, dubbed “Climategate”, regarding whether or not the e-mails indicated misconduct by climate scientists. The University of East Anglia described the incident as an illegal taking of data. The police are conducting a criminal investigation of the server breach and subsequent personal threats made against some of the scientists mentioned in the e-mails.

(snip)

The material comprised more than 1,000 e-mails, 2,000 documents, as well as commented source code, pertaining to climate change research covering a period from 1996 until 2009. Some of the e-mails which have been widely publicised included discussions of how to combat the arguments of climate change sceptics, unflattering comments about sceptics, queries from journalists, and drafts of scientific papers. There have been assertions that these discussions indicated efforts to shut out dissenters and their points of view, and included discussions about destroying files in order to prevent them from being revealed under the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000.”

This Wiki article has changed over the last few months. That makes me want to double verify the links but it’s a good start if you’re unfamiliar with the story.

—

From the NY Times:
Researcher on Climate Is Cleared in Inquiry
“An academic board of inquiry has largely cleared a noted Pennsylvania State University climatologist of scientific misconduct, but a second panel will convene to determine whether his behavior undermined public faith in the science of climate change, the university said Wednesday.

(snip)

While the Pennsylvania State inquiry, conducted by three senior faculty members and administrators, absolved Dr. Mann of the most serious charges against him, it is not likely to silence the controversy over climate science. New questions about the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to which Dr. Mann was a significant contributor, have arisen since the hacked e-mail messages surfaced last November.

That faculty board did not look into the science of climate change itself, the university said in announcing its results. That, it said, is “a matter more appropriately left to the profession.”

Dr. Mann was named in 377 of the e-mail messages, including several that critics took to suggest that he had manipulated or destroyed data to strengthen his case that human activity was changing the global climate.”

When Mann referred to his “trick” for the data that certainly undermined my faith in his results. If true, this seems like such a betrayal to the scientific method. Plus such actions betray public trust in the environmental movement. Whether the scientists faked it or not this whole situation is disturbing.

From Watts Up With That:
IPCC now in Bizarroland: Pachauri releases “smutty” romance novel
“Just when you think things can’t get any more bizarre with the IPCC, having just learned that the IPPC 2007 report used magazine articles for references, head of the IPCC, Dr. Rajenda Pachauri, provides comedy gold. According to the UK Telegraph, he’s just released what they describe as a “smutty” romance novel, Return to Almora laced with steamy sex, lots of sex. Oh, and Shirley MacLaine.”

—

I was planning on blogging about the climate change panel/magazine article but then the story above caught my attention. While it’s fine for Pachauri to write a “smutty” novel, I still think it’s funny. Does this remind anyone else of the time Scooter Libby’s smut book came out?

This is a short piece but it wonderfully captures a sensual moment. It’s funny that this post appeals to me. Normally, I prefer facial hair on men. To me, the hairy a man is the better. I even think back hair is sexy! Still, there is something incredibly sexy about watching a man shave with an old fashioned shave kit.

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From Exploring Intimacy:
Blogging For Choice – My Story
“To question the ability of women to make this choice, this decision, is to question the ability of women to make every basic decision for their own future and the futures of their communities.”

An excellent telling of one woman’s quest to understand abortion.

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From The Spanking Writers:
The phone and the hairbrush
“There was no point making a drama about this.”

A quick, fun story about an over the knee spanking. Giving a spanking over the knee is one of my favorite positions.

Vix Pix Series
Vix Pix 1

“No it was him who was flogging the bishop.”
-Mr. Radical

From CBC News:
Former sex worker challenges prostitution laws
“A former Vancouver sex-trade worker was at the B.C. Court of Appeal Thursday fighting for the right to challenge the constitutionality of Canada’s prostitution laws.

Sheri Kiselbach was seeking to overturn a December 2008 B.C. Supreme Court decision that she could not challenge the laws because she was not an active worker in the sex trade and was not facing criminal charges for prostitution.

(snip)

Prostitution in Canada is technically legal but there are prohibitions on keeping a bawdy house, communicating for the purposes of prostitution or living off the avails of prostitution.”

Kudos to Kiselbach! I hope she wins. This could be a huge victory for Canadian prostitutes. Could an active prostitute really challenge this law and not face arrest? I doubt it.

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From Philly.com:
Judge refuses to dismiss ‘sex-for-tix’ case
“A Bucks County judge today refused to dismiss the prostitution case against Susan Finkelstein, the self-advertised “buxom blonde” accused of offering sex for World Series tickets.

Judge Albert J. Cepparulo found that there was sufficient evidence to try Finkelstein on charges of prostitution and attempted prostitution. Prosecutors did, however, withdraw a more serious charge of promoting prostitution, saying the lesser charges better match the accusations against her.

(snip)

Brennan contends that no laws were broken because no sex occurred and nothing of value was traded.”

This case is so ridiculous. I can’t believe the charges weren’t dismissed. She never should have been arrested in the first place.

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From the ABC News:
Modern Pope John Paul Used Ancient Ritual of Self-Flagellation
“Pope John Paul II, whose world travels helped modernize the papacy, sometimes practiced ancient rituals of self-flagellation, including hitting himself with a belt that he kept in his closet, according to a new book.

(snip)

While it had been rumored that the late pope practiced self-mortification, Oder is the first to confirm it.

“As some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear with their own ears, John Paul flagellated himself,” according to the book. “In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip and which he always brought to Castel Gandolfo,” the papal retreat where John Paul vacationed each summer.

(snip)

“It’s an instrument of Christian perfection,” Oder said, referring to the efforts at self-mortification, which he said showed a profound link to God and the suffering of the world.”

The Pope used to spank himself?!? The pervert in me loves this story! He even had a “special” belt to whip himself. Did he really spank himself to feel the suffering of the world or to feel the endorphin high that comes from a good beating?

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From National Geographic:
The Polygamists
“A sect that split from the Mormons allows multiple wives, expels “lost boys,” and heeds a jailed prophet.

(snip)

Few Americans had heard of the FLDS before April 2008, when law enforcement officials conducted a raid on a remote compound in West Texas known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch. For days after, television viewers witnessed the bizarre spectacle of hundreds of children and women—all dressed in old-fashioned prairie dresses, with elaborately coiffed hair—being herded onto school buses by social workers and police officers.

(snip)

To spend time in Hildale and Colorado City is to come away with a more nuanced view. That view is revealed gradually, however, due to the insular nature of the community. Many of the oversize homes are tucked behind high walls, both to give children a safe place to play and to shield families from gawking Gentiles, as non-Mormons are known. Most residents avoid contact with strangers. National Geographic was given access to the community only on the approval of the church leadership, in consultation with the imprisoned Warren Jeffs.”

I am utterly fascinated with cults. Especially ones that have matching clothing. So naturally I loved this story. It’s impressive how deeply National Geographic was about to enter the community. On the other hand, after the raid I’m sure the FLDS wants to repair their image.

There’s a photo gallery that accompanies this story. It’s worth checking out if only for the elaborate hairdos the women wear.

From this gallery. Not quite a yoga pose but close enough for me.