- I love my dead gay husband – Bug found this amazing “evisceration of the stupidity found in romance novels.” Definitely worth a read.
- Is oral sex good for your fetus? – So one study says that maybe there might be a link between gastrointestinal exposure to semen and reduction in chance of preeclampsia. How long until a news report says, “Blow your hubbie constantly while you’re pregnant otherwise you’re killing your baby!” From Bruce.
- Douglas Adams: Parrots the Universe and Everything – From William: “It is a UCSB lecture given by Douglas Adams…which is about endangered species, selective pressures and evolution (with some good bits about twig technology thrown in.)”Â
- Research reveals how super-sleeper frogs survive – Cute frog AND interesting science, could you ask for more? From tmarie.
Even a small reduction in the incidence of preeclampsia would be a significant health benefit.
As they say about a lot of things, “good and good for you”.
Hmm, given the choice between preeclampsia and constantly giving oral sex during pregnancy, I think I would choose the preeclampsia. However, if receiving oral sex turns out to be good for my (hypothetical, future) fetus, then bring it on. In fact, I’d be willing to volunteer for that study.
If you like the Parrot talk, then you might want to visit: Last Chance To See. For the 20th anniversary of Adams’ book and BBC series Stephan Fry just completed and updated tour.
And here I thought I was fed a line of bullshit when I was pregnant. Don’t make me go tell my husband he was right. NO!!!
@catgirl: Yeah, considering the heightened gag reflex that many pregnant women have… Ew.
@tiger kitty & @catgirl: We men will invent any reason to get oral. Throw enough mud against the wall and some will stick!
Anyone have a transcript of the DNA talk?
Speaking of DNA transcripts, there was a great one in Salmon of Doubt called “Is there an artificial God?”
If you haven’t read it, t he transcript link is http://www.biota.org/people/douglasadams/
There’s the great parable of the puddle in there, which rocks my world:
imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, ‘This is an interesting world I find myself in – an interesting hole I find myself in – fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!’ This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it’s still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything’s going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for.
@Outsider: LOL So true. And the other thing I heard towards the end of all my pregnancies was SEX. It brings on labor!!! We must do it ALL THE TIME. Com’on honey……
I also heard that anal sex makes your baby smarter. Researchers call it “Mozarting.”
Years ago I read an article that said to increase the chance of conception, a couple should have lots and lots of sex, and not just when they are trying to conceive. Apparently the woman’s immune system sees the protein in semen as a virus and will attack it. But the more a particular couple has sex, the more accustomed to the man’s semen the woman’s immune system becomes.
Now with these two amazing facts in hand, I have to hurry up and find me a fertile a woman.
@KeithLM:
I’m pretty sure that having sex more often will increase the chance of pregnancy, with no further explanation necessary.
Wow. The first link I send in get some quickie-love. Awesome.
The Adams lecture is very entertaining and if anyone hasn’t seen it you should give it a look.
@MathMike: Thanks for putting up the link. I didn’t even think to look for more.
@MyNameIsTim: I couldn’t find a transcript of this particular lecture but he does talk about the puddle in this video as well so it may be similar to the link you gave.
Thanks for making my day Amanda.
William
@catgirl: I was gonna say…
Can we fund a study to prove that ingesting semen prevents cardiovascular disease for non-preggers women as well? I need some new pick-up lines to try.
@Amanda & @catgirl:
Um… not only heightened gag reflex, but certain flavors and textures can cause serious pukeage. I had… um… a friend… who had to go on nausea meds after a prenatal night of pleasure.
@Joshua:
Hearts and hards unite!
@Elyse: We have orgasms to gain and nothing to lose but our gametes!
@Joshua: COTW
@Elyse: Oh wow…adding that to the list of reasons to never get pregnant.
@catgirl: You’re missing the point, even when you’re not trying, but planning to in the future, it helps.
Well like damn wow! That oral sex news story is about sixteen years to late. More research is clearly needed to determine if there are some general health benefits’ yet to be discovered.
I recall a study a couple years ago that suggested semen could also tend to behave like mild antidepressant. Has anyone called bullshit on that yet?
‘Cause I figure it’s gotta work at least as well as some of the other stuff her naturopath has her doing.
I quite reading after “oral sex”.
Becaue, I am easy to distract.
Uhh quit
@Peregrine:
I’m sure it was a very effective anti-depressant. For the man who donated the semen.
@Peregrine: Wasn’t that study referencing just vaginal depositing of semen?
@MiddleMan: No, pretty sure it was ingesting, because it was the first time I’d ever heard the phrase “fellatio to completion”
@Peregrine:
“Fellatio to completion” sounds like “success” to me. You know, like when you swipe your credit card and the machine says “Approved!” Maybe if the guy getting the fellatio yelled “Fellatio to completion!!” really excitedly, the girl would then feel better about herself, thus serving as a temporary mild-antidepressant.
@tmarie:
It would probably work for me.. I’m pretty easy to excite though.
@tmarie: Sounds like unlocking an XBox achievement.
@My Name is Tim: I love that parable and I truly miss Douglas Adams. I keep wondering what kind of humor he would write about today’s quirky world.
@tmarie: Okay, I have to make another COTW nomination in this thread.
@Durgadog: You’re welcome! Thanks for sending in a great link.
@Amanda: Do I get an assist? :D
@catgirl: Funny you should say that, this was on the BBC site today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8125934.stm
The great line “Having sex every day (improves sperm quality and) could boost the chances of getting pregnant, research suggests”.
Also, further down the story: “Although there was a big drop in sperm numbers…”
Journalism tip – if you’re talking sperm, avoid phrases like ‘a big drop’, it makes for needlessly icky mental images.
Similar with the awful line:
‘He said it was best to “keep the river flowing”.’
(From ill children to sperm rivers in 32 easy steps… it’s the new ‘6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon’)
@Marsh: (Dammit, mixed myself up by commenting on two threads at once. It’s not the new 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, and I now look mildly schizo)
@Marsh: Having sex every day will boost your chances of becoming pregnant…and it probably has little to do with “sperm quality” and more with…having more sex? ;-)
@QuestionAuthority: I know, it’s such a badly-thought-out article from the BBC, it’s like the journalist was too busy sniggering childishly at writing the word sperm over and over, that she didn’t bother stopping to read it back to herself aloud.
holy co-inkydink! I JUST watched the Adams a few days ago and thought to myself, “You know which people I should let know about this? The skepchick community!”
What’s that they always say? Celebrity deaths that come in fours and liberally span a few days are always connected to youtube videos? Something like that.
@Peregrine: Yes! A COTW assist for you. :) And now Rebecca’s going to yell at me for bogarting the nominations.
Days like today make me so happy that I stumbled across the Skepchick sight on that drunk and stormy night. Oral sex. I’m just so happy right now.
@Gabrielbrawley: That’s why I like you, you are easy to please.
Oral sex
+
Boobies
=
Happy GB!
@Kaylia_Marie: That formula makes a lot of men and women happy. Not just me.
@Marsh: Aagh, a river of sperm?! Run away, run away!
@tmarie: Seconding the COTW.
Every guy likes to see their lover sucks see… I mean succeed.
@Amanda: I have in my head a horrific Ghostbusters 2 image.
@Amanda: Why would you run away from a river of sperm? If grade 6 sex education class and my water-safety training has taught me anything, it’s that you’d need a boat. A rubber boat.
@Amanda & @Marsh:
How about a sperm marsh?
@Elyse: That sounds like you’re making me an offer. Can I politely decline?
@Some Canadian Skeptic: Sperm Rivers? Man, Canadian sex-ed classes are hardcore…
@Marsh: You don’t know the half of it.
@Amanda: “But every sperm is sacred!” :-D
@MiddleMan: ROFL I am speechless….maybe it’s because my mouth is full.
@Some Canadian Skeptic: So you could be the little man in the boat?
@QuestionAuthority: Everyone sing along…..
@tiger kitty: TMI, my dear. TMI.
@MiddleMan:
“TMI, my dear. TMI.”
hahahaahah I was thinking along the same lines
TMI? Come on! It’s quite impressive that she can please her man, look out for the future of the world AND read skepchick at the same time!
@Elyse:
Alas, you’re right. Multitasking is such an underrated skill.
@Elyse@tmarie: Yes, you’re quite right, she should also be lecturing at colleges on her “multitasking” skills.
@Kaylia_Marie: BAAHAHAHAHAA!!!
@Some Canadian Skeptic: Glad someone got it
I was getting a bit worried.
From the “I Love My Dead Gay Husband” link, I have learned my favorite colloquialism forever :
“wtfery.”
@MiddleMan: Oh THIS is TMI??? Seriously, I was eating lunch and stuff, you know, I had a banana, some jello….
@Elyse: *high five* thanks, girlfriend!
@pryce: Or is that Moz-arse-ing.
Not to rain on anyone’s oral sex parade, but the comment by Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz after the article points out that there was only one study she was able to find on the subject, and it was by a resident, so it seems too early to draw conclusions. Unfortunately, we’re a bit too old to have any more kids, and (fortunately) my wife didn’t have any problems with preeclampsia, so we’re out of the running for the further study that obviously needs to be done.
Yeah riiight! Look likes just sharing quarters with a man and swapping spit would expose you to plenty of gastrointenstinally digested DNA from the dude.
My OB told me that oral sex transmits so many infections to women that he advises women to not do it at all especially if pregnant. Or have it done. The saliva combined with whatever is on the mans hands he rubbed on there all day while going potty after touching gross surfaces all day like phones, keyboards and elevator buttons, is a bacterial/fungal stew that my OB says causes Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women and many cases of infertility. He is writing a paper on it since he is a big whig fertility expert. He says that thousands of couples could conceive naturally if only they never had oral sex and the man washed his penis really well before sex. So essentially , men inject women with foreign DNA all of the time that make us very sick and sometimes kills us. Happy Valentines.
Re: I love my dead gay husband
My wife and I read this post and were rolling on the floor. I’m not too familiar with romance, but I was into bad SF, and it’s got its share of formulas, too, so skewering formula is always fun. One point I take exception to, though, is her rejection of plot. I’m into porn, which my wife characterizes as the opposite side of the same coin as romance, and I must say that a little plot and characterization make the sex more enjoyable. If you care for the character and their problems, it makes for a much better experience than you get from a series of isolated sex scenes.
@Summer: Interesting and plausible. I remember that it took awhile to get over the “Ooh, gross!” aspect of oral sex. I guess your ob-gyn says we shouldn’t get over that. I hope he’s wrong, though :-)
Also, regarding the sleeper-frogs….
Perhaps I missed it in this thread, but why won’t anyone mention the “Hello my Baby”-singing frog in that h’awesome short from the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show? That song got me into ragtime music, and that short got me into putting on unsuccessful plays for sequentially less-expensive ticket prices.
@Summer:
Surely that’s ironic satire?
“… men inject women with foreign DNA all of the time that make us very sick and sometimes kills us….”
And all the rest of it … just pulling our leggings, right?