Take a quick gander at the post here “Google Suggest” Ignores Adult Search Preference Cookies to witness the short trip down ignorance lane.

Now, I should no better than to dis the almighty google. I mean, we’re very glad to have GoodVibes.com back on the map, and heck, their google preferences actually places our Berkeley store as #2 when one types in “Good Vibes”. Phew! That’s nice of them.

But what happens when you search for “sex”? Number one result “Google Suggest” offers is non other than “Sex Offenders”. What about Sex Education, or Sexual Health folks? I guess nobody searches for it. Good thing “Sex and the City” is listed twice. And apparently nobody searches for “sex toys” online. (Gulp! That would put us out of a job!)

Google, we suggest you listen to your users’ search preferences (mine has a the filter turned off).

Investigation is underway. In the meantime, let’s all do a backup, shall we?

What is net neutrality? It’s the principal that the network provider (that is, your internet service provider) shouldn’t be allowed limit the content their clients have access to online – otherwise, if your ISP was owned by Time/Warner, they might not want to let you download a trailer for a Disney movie, using the argument that they shouldn’t have to provide resources to promote their competitors’ product.

And what is losing your virginity? That’s having sex for the first time – there’s some controversy about what actually qualifies as losing your virginity, but it’s general considered to be intercourse. Historically, the word virgin referred to a young woman with no sexual experience, but in modern usage, the term can apply regardless of age or gender, and it’s often assumed that people who use the internet a lot are likely to be virgins. (I don’t have any idea why – I’m on the internet all the time and I get all the action I could ever want. Your mileage may vary.)

This is where Tania Derveaux comes in – she promises she will make love with every virgin who defends the internet! As long as you are over 18, a virgin, and can provide proof that you have been defending net neutrality, Tania will go to where you are at her expense, and “perform sexual intercourse (services)” with you. (No word on whether second virginity counts.)

Ms. Derveaux’s offer is a response to the CEO of Virgin Media in the UK announcing that “this net neutrality thing is a load of bollocks”. Virgin Media UK plans to treat their partners’ content to more bandwidth, and those who don’t pay Virgin a premium will have their bandwidth restricted. Naturally, this isn’t going over very well with a lot of folks.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/AA5ZR_jxdXU" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Not coincidentally, Ms. Derveaux ran last year for the Belgian senate as a member of the Belgian political party NEE. She rose to internet stardom with an ad in which she promised 40,000 blowjobs as a parody of mainstream politicians promising what NEE considered an absurd number of new jobs if they were elected. The blowjobs were ultimately delivered virtually, via YouTube.

Due to the presence of activists like Tania, and the fact that you can buy beer from vending machines at the train station, I hereby declare Belgium to be awesome.

Did someone say “rubber”??? Speaking of rubbers, Make Blog points us to a great suggestion for using condoms to make your next dance party more festive! Make sure you don’t use your last ones, though, because these WILL get the party started.

Magnum Condom Sound Activated LED

As long as we’re having fun with LED’s, you must investigate these LED pasties at Instructables.

Custie “Hi.”

Me “Hi.”

Custie “Do you have anymore of these in the back?”

Me “No, unfortunately we don’t. Is there something wrong with this one?”

Custie “Na… Purple’s just so much more fun!”

Really? Is that the reason? Purple’s more fun? Ever since I started this job I wondered why everything we carry comes in purple. From double dildos to anal beads to vibrators to kits, this color dominates the store. I used to think our buyer just had a strong affinity for the color until she pointed out it sells the best, which still left to be known: why? So I ask you, is that the reason? Do people really find purple to be the most exciting, sexy, spunky, and all around fun color in the rainbow. Personally, I really dig black and red, light pink and blue are nice as well, and pearly white is so goddess like. Maybe it’s just that I see so much purple every day that it doesn’t thrill me anymore, or maybe I’m just so biased by my own favorite color (I’ll give you one guess) that it blinds me from the cosmic benefits of Purple. You tell me…

Secondly, Green. What a lively color this one is and all the rage. “Going Green” is hitting everyone from hippies to yuppies, activists to lawmakers, children to seniors, and with good reason. Even in the sex industry people are really focusing on how to make toys and be environmentally conscious and the same time. Many manufacturers are moving to make products without the use of pthalates (toxic plasticizers). After speaking with our toy buyer, Vibratex finally created a phthalate-free version of the famous Rabbit Pearl vibrator so they can support the greening of our business. (Note: The pthalate-free version of the Rabbit Pearl is currently in stores only.) Nob Essence is a completely green company who makes beautiful toys out of sustainable hardwoods. At GV we offer many green choices and solutions when it comes to your playtime.

I’ve stumbled across a couple articles recently which discuss how to green your sex life. I think this is great, because it is one area of our lives that often goes unnoticed in that regard. There are so many things you can do to make your sex lives green: dispose of your contraceptives properly, choose lubricants that are paraben-free, refrain from buying wasteful gag gifts, and buy toys that use safer, longer-lasting materials like silicone, hard plastic, steel, and glass. You can also learn how to use fewer batteries with your vibrators, which is mostly what I wanted to write about today.

*To eliminate battery use completely, you can invest in an electric or rechargeable vibrator like the Hitachi or the Delight.

*Store your batteries outside of your toys, this will extend the life of your batteries (meaning you’ll use fewer) and the life of your toy’s motor (which means it will last longer).

*Purchase toys that use batteries more efficiently. The Little Somethings from Jimmy Jane for example last 16 hours on one AA battery.

*Dispose of your batteries and dead vibrators appropriately. Set up a little bucket under the sink and throw dead ones in there. When it’s full, take it to the dump so they can put it with other hazardous waste, like your broken vibes and other electronics. If you can’t easily get to the dump here is a webpage that offers another solution in San Francisco, or you can google “Battery Recycling” to find solutions in your area.

And last but not least, your Sex Tip of the Day:

Rechargeable batteries may seem like a very green idea, but they actually aren’t great for many toys. Most battery operated vibrators that we sell in the store recommend against them on the packaging. The main reason for not using rechargeables is that they heat up very quickly and can damage the motor of your toy or even melt the material. Never leave rechargeables in your vibes, ever. If you must insist on using them anyway, store them in a small pouch or ziplock with your toy. Melted vibes aren’t green.

Loving being green,
~*~Red~*~

Tonight I’m going to try out some prototypes. I’m designing a vibrating bike seat. I have two ideas. The less powerful and not so green version is to attach a bullet vibe under the seat or a remote vibe (with the controls attached to the handle bars). The hyper green version is to attach a pedal powered generator to the bike and power an essential wahl coil strategically built into the bike cushion. Ideally, I’d actually be able to ride it forward around Black Rock City. Maybe it can convert to stationary easily. Phew. I have my work cut out for me.

Here’s my list of supplies:

Bike! I found a cheap 15 speed, 26″. Not the one in this pic but you get the idea. I’ll replace the seat on the back with a vibrating cushion, power a wahl coil by the pedals, or attach the remote of a remote vibe to the handle bars, next to the gear shifter.

What could be better for a vibrating bike seat than a Perfect Pussy? (We don’t sell this one here on the left at GV, and for good reason; it smells awful. But the wide base is great and it will work as a cushion with vibes stuck in it. If you are wondering about good masturbation sleeves that don’t smell like plastic, check out the Tunnel of Love.)

The tools… This is the Essential Wahl Coil. It’s in stock on Sept 1, so check back for it b/c it’s amazing. And perfect for this job… I hope. The only question is how can I keep it powered by pedaling? The cord will plug into a converter, but how to situate the bits just right?

This is a bullet vibe, and I’m thinking I might have some luck tucking this into an easy to reach hole in the cushion.

Or I could take a remote vibe, something like the one on the left that has a controller separate from the vibrator.

Either way, this isn’t going to be an easy task. But an interesting one indeed. I found some pretty amazing pedal-powered generators. Watch a video on Alternate Energy News . Looks like I have my work cut out for me. I did find this… a list of parts needed.

I’ll let you know how it goes. If you’ve got any ideas, let me know!

Everyone can use this bit of knowledge, but I hope that educators and folks working with youth especially get this info out loud and clear so that sex information is as easy as a txt msg.

[TEXT "SEXINFO" to 61827, or if you're a Metro PCS User, (917) 957-4280... and get sex information texted to your cellphone.]