* Star Wars speed dating. Yes, it’s real. In case you *needed* an excuse to douse yourself in Slave Leia Perfume or Eau de Lando cologne. (abcnews.go.com, techyum.com)
* The comments are mean on Discovery’s article about a Japanese vacation resort offering a destination for men with virtual girlfriends, but the article itself is really interesting. Guys whose girlfriends are LovePlus sims can take their iPhone based sweethearts on a romantic escape where their amorous inclinations are encouraged. (I am almost done writing a book about this phenom; perhaps I am about to give up on finding an American publisher who “gets it.”) Mashable has a cool LovePlus map. (news.discovery.com, konami.jp, mashable.com)
* Please, please, please take a minute to join me in my concern for human rights and the proposed .XXX domain: read why I urge you to write an email to ICANN during the short public comment period. I did. (techyum.com)
* Department: Big business hookups create new corporate STDs. Foursquare and MTV have teamed up to reward STD checkups with a badge; if you use mainstream location based check-in application games like Foursquare, it means that in September when you go to get tested for STDs and STIs, you can check in and get a “reward badge” for demonstrating action about sexual heath. The thing that I think they missed is that it is being marketed as “tells your friends and family” that you did ‘something good’ but I don’t think they took into consideration that many people would rather not let anyone know they are getting tested in case someone asks why. I’m not poo-pooing it. I just think no one wants everyone on their Facebook to know (via Foursquare) that they’re like, “Mayor” of the STD clinic. (Personally, I think Foursquare has turned into an STD.) (news.yahoo.com)
* Good stuff: I loved the article on Carnal Nation from a woman who went from being an anti-porn feminist to being pro-porn — but still has sympathy for those who fear and hate porn. It’s eye-opening. (ourpornourselves.org)
* Not sex related, but interesting: Cyber stalker crackdown ‘thwarted’ by service providers. I’m working on a big project about this with a legal team and tech industry players, so I’m keeping an eye on this stuff… (bbc.co.uk)
Self-portrait of Karmen from women-run porn company I Shot Myself. Full gallery after the jump.
Thanks for the link about the proposed .XXX domain.
It will be nothing except trouble if ICANN gives it a go.
A year or so ago, when I was in Toronto for a conference, and thus in an area where foursquare actually was being used by a critical mass, I did some poking around and discovered that one enterprising young man was simultaneously the mayor of four of the city’s most popular bathhouses.
So, some people aren’t too worried about bourgeois issues like privacy.
Good on the model for trying different camera angles. Speaking from my experience with ex girlfriends, most women strike the same few angles when taking pictures of themselves nude.