Passionate Produce

I met a bazillion people while I was at CatalystCon in Los Angeles last week (okay, maybe it was closer to 50 or 60, but it felt like a bazillion) and they were all doing something cool. Someone particularly cool was Kristen who is starting up a project called PassionateProduce. It is, in just a few words, KickStarter for Kinsters. Kristen herself and many of her creative kinky friends are interested in doing all kinds of creative projects from videos, to art projects, to books, even making sex toys, that would be perfect for KickStarter. The only problem is, the worry that KickStarter (or IndieGoGo or what have you) will freak out because of the decidedly NSFW nature of their project or that the people who use those sites just won't get them. PassionateProduce is meant specifically for creative projects that have a kinky side to them.

The site is in a beta test right now. If you are interested in getting a project funded or in supporting creative perverts, you can ask to be on their beta test list. They will send you information about how to join the site and find out about opportunities. It's at passionateproduce.com.

Public Masturbation is Legal in Sweden

A judge in Sweden has declared a 65-year-old man who masturbated on a public beach not guilty of sexual assault. The prosecutor on the case commented that people could reasonably assume that it is now legal for people to masturbate on the beach but said that it could also be considered disorderly conduct. I agree with him being acquitted of sexual assault. He didn't do it directly in front of anyone. He did not actually force anyone to watch or to participate. I don't think that this constitutes sexual assault because there was no contact. I am also the first to advocate for sexual rights and freedom of expression. However, this goes just too damn far for me. I would hope that he would be charged and convicted of something other than sexual assault - such as lewd or disorderly conduct or public indecency. He didn't touch anyone or physically force anyone to watch, but he did it in a place in plain view of other people who, I'm sure, did not head to the beach to watch some guy masturbate. They were there to get some sun, have a swim, relax. They didn't sign on for a peep show.

There have been a few instances where I've been asked to have a display table for my company or to do a party or presentation in places that would normally be public places. I always refuse unless the place will be closed to the public or it will be very clearly marked that the event contains adult information and content or specifically that there will be toys there. I am not ashamed of what I do and I don't think there is anything wrong with sex or toys at all. But I know that is my view and not necessarily everyone else's. Some people just do not want to look at sex toys - or they don't want to do that in that place at that time. I don't think anyone should be forced to see sex toys and hear people talking about them unless they've consented by going into a place in which they know they will see those things.

For the same reason, I don't think it's cool to masturbate on the beach. You shouldn't have to watch someone masturbate unless you knew that could happen at a particular place and agreed you were cool with it by going in there. I know we all have needs and I'm okay with getting your groove on in public places but you've got to be respectful and discreet about it. Go out in the water and get a good distance from everyone or go to the bathroom and lock yourself in a cubicle. I don't really have a problem with that. You're being discreet - you're not actually doing it in front of anyone. But hanging it out right out there in front of everyone and going for it? Not cool.

Ew, ew, ew, ew, eeeeewwwww!

I was just watching a dumb 'reality' show on Slice called 'Lost and Sold'. It's about people who buy other people's junk that gets left behind in airports or can't be delivered by shipping companies. The only reason I watched it is because the promo said 'Rob and Kathleen get excited about a box full of sex toys and bondage gear'. I thought 'this is up my alley'. The box was sealed up - the auction people won't show anyone the contents of bags and trunks and such because what's the fun in that? People bid on them because they are gambling that there will be something good in them that they can sell. So this couple bought this medium sized trunk for $320 - just on the description that it was full of sex toys. I was wondering what was going on in their heads because if that is actually just somebody's personal trunk of goodies, you don't want that. Who in the world would want that? But they were excited about it and bought it for a good chunk of change. They got it home and busted it open and it was, in fact, somebody's personal trunk of goodies. They were pretty serious goodies - quite high end. There was a harness, a ball gag, some paddles, a bull whip, some latex wear and some sex toys in it. I thought bummer for them, they just blew $320 because all of that stuff is used. Not only can they not sell it, they shouldn't be using it themselves either. You can't really clean latex and leather to the point where you should be using some random's old gear. The only thing that was in there that could have potentially been cleaned and sold was the bull whip. Those aren't cheap.

But these two clearly do not know thing one about sex toys so they took the trunk to a fetish shop. They said the name of the shop but I have absolutely no idea where it is. The woman there bought everything in that trunk except for a sex toy that was not in the package! She did say she couldn't use the ball in the gag but that could be taken out and replaced. She told them it was worth $1000. Now I have say that they didn't actually say that she was buying it, but it sounded very much like she was planning on buying it from them and selling it in her store! How alarming is this? Ew! Ew, ew, ew! She hasn't the slightest clue where that stuff came from, how it's been used, who owned it, what happened to it - nothing. Even if she does understand how to clean these things properly, still ew! I doubt very much that she's going to tell her customers that those items are used - of course not because then who would buy them because - ew! I hope I'm misinterpreting this and she was just telling them what it was worth retail. They did walk out of the store with bags so perhaps those were the items they brought in. But even so - ew! They probably shouldn't be using that stuff.

Now I understand a little better why some people who come into my store ask a lot of questions about whether the products are brand new. That always struck me as odd. Of course they are! We would never sell toys - any kind of toys - that have been used before. I'm a big believer in reusing and recycling, but not when it comes to sex toys. But perhaps people who have run into merchants who think it's perfectly fine and that's why they are so concerned.

I have the heebie jeebies now. That's just not cool in any way. I am all into toys but I'm into brand new ones who's history I know completely. If someone holds up a big trunk at an auction and says it's pre-owned and full of sex toys, the proper response is to let that go to the landfill.

I do feel very bad for the people that lost it though. That was a pretty sweet trunk of stuff if it belonged to you originally. They probably spent a good $1500 to $2000 on that stuff. I hope they never see that show too - how infuriating and uncomfortable to watch someone else raid your personal trunk of goodies. Heart-breaking.

It's a Lot Easier Than Taking Off Your Arm

The other day, my partner yelled at me from his desk 'Honey, you have to see this! They made a bed just for you!'. I went to look and yes, indeed, it is a bed made to deal with the problem I have been complaining about for years - When you cuddle up with your honey in bed, where the heck do you put your other arm? When you're trying to spoon, no matter how you try to position yourself, you've always got that arm on the side you're laying on that just doesn't work. I like to be the big spoon so I end up dealing with this all the time. You try to put that arm around your sweetie, but then it usually goes numb or sweetie gets sick of lying on it. You can put it sort of in front of your head but then you can't get as close to your little spoon. If you put it under your head, again, it goes numb. I've often told my partner that I wish I could detach my arm like a mannequin. I would take it off every night, prop it up in the corner of the bedroom and then just put it back on in the morning. (no disrespect to anyone with a prosthetic arm - I'm sure it's no picnic). Well Mehdi Mojtabavi thought off an easier way to deal with this whole spooning problem. Here it is.

Is this brilliant or what? The top and bottom portions of the mattress have slats so your arm and/or shoulder can drop in lower where is will be protected from going numb. I know you're thinking what I was thinking, how can you put a sheet on that thing? It comes with a sheet that's made specifically for it! The sheet is made of a stretchable cotton that pushes into the slats when they're in use and then snaps back when it needs to lie flat.

Mojtabavi actually won a red dot design award for this mattress. However, due to the major financial issues associated with actually getting something made and onto the market, he has never mass produced it. He is looking for partners or investors to make that possible. When it happens, I want to be the first to get one!

Now that's Creativity

I've always thought the penis-shaped caked pan was a waste because you'll only use it once. But then I saw this 'One Woman's Struggle To Reuse her Penis-Shaped Cake Pan' and I've changed my mind. This is my favorite.