Feature

While there is no substitute for being able to speak with empathy and warmth, there are ways to tackle the little things in a manner that invites laughter and fun. This gift guide is all about taking the menial, day-to-day stuff of a relationship and learning to poke fun at yourself and each other.

What our nervous sideway glances and jeers say is simple: if you let on that you have sex, you’re a danger to our children, and possibly to society itself. Never mind if you’re a tax-paying, law-abiding, philanthropic citizen otherwise — the second it becomes known that you have sex or are interested in it, you’re immediately labeled unfit.

Whatever your views may be when it comes to flesh on social networks, you have to agree that a process that doesn’t notify users of actions being taken by a social network with regard to their content is one that breeds insecurity and doubt. How can we feel that Google+ is an extension of our homes when we can’t be sure that we’re allowed to voice our opinions? This situation is grave indeed.

Halloween is an artifact that has existed far longer than this country, under various names and in many guises over time. It’s a weird, twisted survivor that survives by absorbing the qualities of the culture in prominence where the day is celebrated. These days, people shake their heads when they think about Halloween — how could a kid’s dress-up holiday have become so grossly sexualized?

What happened to us? What happened to people me? Where I was running with packs of people who have bold ideas, inventing these amazing things, being at the forefront, and now I’m handing my communities and my value over to gatekeepers? And these things are being built not by leaders, but by followers. So why are we doing this?

My Google Plus profile was suspended for no apparent reason. Here, I break down the points made by the vague notice I received and discuss my dissatisfaction with the manner that Google+ is handling their spam sweep.

The security of being able to filter adult content – a false promise unless dot-xxx is mandatory – is not enough to give up our ability to express ourselves however we desire, whether this is through a business enterprise or for our personal entertainment on our privately owned domains.

There is a lot of misinformation floating around the web about the Porn Wikileaks story. In the interest of informing the dialogue and helping performers understand their legal options, we have summarized the four most common allegations against Porn Wikileaks and provided some information about what the law actually says in regard to HIPAA, 2257, defamation and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

But this is not a story about a bad judge, a reckless journalist and an insensitive editor. These three cases reflect the society in which we live, one that inadvertently enforces these behaviors by blaming victims when violations occur, effectively absolving perpetrators. What we want you to do is for Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to start listening. Listen to how people describe situations of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Where is the blame? Question the impulse to blame the victim, in yourself and in others. The only way to shift a norm is to start from within.

Yesterday the health clinic that conducts the testing of Los Angeles’ porn industry, Adult Industry Healthcare Foundation, said that the database holding tens of thousands of patient records had been compromised and that this information had been made available online.