Animated HIV data

Dr Hans Rosling, a renowned Swedish health researcher, is know for presenting health data in amazing ways you've not seen before.

View it here.

Pic from 'Uncovering Sex in Real Estate'

I spoke on "Uncovering Sex in Real Estate' to the real estate agents of Roof Real Estate on Fri 30 Oct 09.



Token of appreciation by Dave Lau, Executive Director of Roof Real Estate Group

Fifteen Bodacious Facts About Boobs

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Allison Ford wrote 15 crazy, fascinating, and downright weird things you may not have realized about boobs.

Boobs shouldn’t only conjure up thoughts of mammograms, mastectomies, and medical issues. Breasts as we know them are unique to the human female body, and there are many things that most people don’t even know about them.

Very interesting!

On Sexual Dysfunctions

I spoke on Sexual Dysfunctions to the staff of DSC yesterday afternoon, Wed 28 October 2009.

The DSC Clinic is a public clinic operated by the Department of STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) Control for the diagnosis, treatment and control of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Singapore. The DSC clinic is funded by the Ministry of Health.



This was the second time I presented to them.

The first time was on Wed 30 September 2009 on the topic of how Lust, Attraction, Attachment affects one's sex life. The presentation was based on the book 'Why Him? Why Her?' by Helen Fisher.

Uncovering Sex in Real Estate

I will be speaking on "Sex and Real Estate" at Roof's third quarter's conference tomorrow morning, Fri 30 October 2009. The audience will be made up of Roof's leading real estate agents.

The synopsis:

How are sex and real estate similar? We all know that sex sells, but did you know that using sex to sell real estate is not new? As a real estate agent, how would you emerge unscathed when facing sexual harassment? Want to learn in a nutshell counselling techniques any top-selling agent should be using? Meet from Dr Martha Lee, Clinical Sexologist of Eros Coaching at ROOF.

What Counts as Cheating?

According to October issue of Her World, more than fifty women were polled and it is cheating when...

• He shares a drunken kiss with another woman - 86.2%
• He exchanges flirty SMSes with another woman - 75.9%
• He has a “work spouse” - 71.2%

However it is not cheating though when he surfs naughty sites without telling you (81.3%).

What counts as cheating to you?

Don't rely on a poll to tell you what are acceptable and non-acceptable sexual behaviours in a relationship. It is up to you to define it with your partner.

Sure it might be a sensitive, even difficult subject to bring up. However if you never had that conversation, are you assuming your partner is a mind-reader, casting caution to the wind, or playing with fire? Are you the type of person who waits for things to happen to you, or you decide before things happen?

Some things you might like to discuss:
• Need to inform you if going on a single date?
• Flirting? How about if via email/ texting?
• Hand holding? How about if crossing a busy road?
• Greeting/ farewell kiss? On cheek? Forehead? How about virtual kisses?
• Greeting/ farewell hug?
• Room sharing ok?
• Or does anything go except penetrative sex?

You have a say.

New IVF screening technique

A new screening technique trialled to check embryos for genetic abnormalities so that only the healthiest ones could be implanted into the womb has resulted in success.

Pioneered at Oxford University and trialled in the US, it could more than DOUBLE the chance of live births from IVF treatments and slash the number that end in miscarriage or babies born with Down's syndrome.

The happy parents are featured here.

Is it really great news and hope to others, or unethical to play God?

On being a Sexologist

Whattherapy.com is launching the first in a series of informal talks where they give two therapists the floor for a 10-minute presentation on their therapy specialism.

This month Else Vistisen will introduce Emmet Technique and I will give some insights into my practice as a Sex Coach in Singapore.

The aim of these talks is to allow members to:
* share and promote different specialisms to fellow therapists
* build and expand your referral network
* give therapists interested in holding public talks an opportunity to test the waters in a supportive environment

Date: Mon 9th November 2009

Time: 7 pm

Venue: Caribbean Condo Function Room

Event Price: SGD15 (WT Members), SGD25 (Non-Members)
Wine, soft drinks and canapes (generously sponsored by Creative Culinaire) will be served!

Click here for a location map, 5 minutes walk from Harbourfront MRT

To register, please emailbookings@whattherapy.com.

Learn to be Lucky

According to Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire:

• Unlucky people often fail to follow their intuition when making a choice, whereas lucky people tend to respect hunches.

• Unlucky people tend to be creatures of routine.

• Lucky people tend to see the positive side of their ill fortune.

Being luck is an easy skill to learn. Click here.

Cause: You're Beautiful

Remember that your true nature is your beauty, that the way you value yourself is your power, and that your true and right place in this amazing experience called Planet Earth is cultivating a loving relationship with yourself by listening deeply to your heart's desire and taking the appropriate action.

There are times in our lives when we need to stand up and Declare out loud who we are, and what we are wanting to create in our lives. By saying it out loud we make it real, and when it is witnessed the witness holds our intention with us. This means we don't have to do it alone, and that's what is great about this site. Your intention will be held by millions of people just like you.

This was my declaration:

"To me, beauty is more than just surface looks. My body is but a shell which contains the true beauty within me. This unshakable belief that I am beautiful as a person is more than a feeling, but steams from a deeper self-awareness and knowing. I reveal my beauty through my thoughts, words and actions. I consciously go out of my way to help the world, my community and people around me - through volunteering, standing up for justice, and sharing a kind word or smile. People matters. And I care." - Martha Lee

Make your declaration here.

Real Men do buy Women Flowers

This is a lovely commentary by JohnDeVore on growing up and witnessing his parents' love.

"Theirs was a love affair that lasted four decades. He would sing to her in public, and she'd blush and beg for him to stop. They never seemed to tire of each others' gentle words. And forty-five minutes after he died, on my mother's birthday, FedEx walked into the ICU with her present -- a fancy brand-name bag that escapes me, but that I'm pretty sure is sold in piles on the streets of New York."

Do you like flowers? I would be hard-pressed to find a woman who doesn't. Flowers bring cheer to our day, nourish the soul, and touch the heart.

Growing up, I remember my mother repeatedly saying how flowers are a waste of money--until I got her some one Mother's Day. She had a weird-looking smile, lovingly touched the petals and glanced at the little bouquet whimsically every time she walked past it. What was she thinking?

As the years passed, I don't remember my mother saying flowers were a waste of money anymore when I started getting flowers of my own, when I passed her flowers I received and didn't want see die, or when I happened chance to get some flowers for free (usually having stolen them from after a wedding I had been attending) and gave them to her in a matter-of-fact way.

She would always put them in a little vase on the middle of the dining table, where it stayed until the flowers started to wither and die. I like to think she no longer complained of receiving flowers because she, like me, appreciates the beauty of flowers, how they uplift your spirit and cheer up any room.

I remember the first time my current sweetheart bought me flowers - looking at him coming to me from up the street, approaching me, I hid behind a pillar - my heart fluttered. He got me flowers! Aw he must love me!

Send flowers to your loved ones and remind them of your love and affection.

Forced to Be Fat

In Mauritania, where big is beautiful and stretch marks are sexy, young girls are brutally force-fed a diet of up to 16,000 calories a day--more than four times that of a male bodybuilder--to prepare them for marriage.

The article reported that each girl eats about 40 per day, along with 12 pints of goat's milk and gruel, making their daily intake 14,000 to 16,000 calories. The recommended consumption for a healthy 12-year-old girl averages 1500 calories; an adult male bodybuilder eats up to 400.

Pretty amazing considering how we are so caught up with the reverse - being thin, slim even skinny.

For the fascinating article, click here.

Find out how your Mind Works

Some researchers say that men can have 'women's brains' and that women can think more like men.

Find out more about 'brain sex' differences by taking the Sex ID test, a series of visual challenges and questions used by psychologists in the BBC One television series Secrets of the Sexes:

* Get a brain sex profile and find out if you think like a man or a woman.
* See if you can gaze into someone's eyes and know what they're thinking.
* Find out why scientists are interested in the length of your fingers.
* See how your results relate to theories about brain sex.

Do it here.

Josie is a girl born in a boy's body

Josie Romero loves the colour pink, braiding her hair and having her fingernails painted.

But life has not always been easy for this sweet and charming eight-year-old, who was born in the body of a boy.

The transgender youngster, then called Joseph, knew at the age of four that she was the wrong sex and even told her parents: 'I am really a girl.'

This is her story and how her parents learnt to support her.

Coach Uses Hand Holding for Punishment

A high school football coach allegedly made two players hold hands and run together as punishment during a recent practice, and is coming under fire for the action.

The two students were taunted by their teammates, who called them derogatory names.

The coach's behavior can lead to a warning, suspension, or firing.

For the story, click here.

Polygamy club spreads its wings to Indonesia

The controversial Ikhwan Polygamy Club intends to set up branches in Indonesia.

There is already one in Bandung, launched by the Malaysian chapter chairman Hatijah Aam, the second wife of Ashaari Muhammad.

Ashaari was the founder of the now-defunct Al-Arqam movement.

Launched in an upscale hotel, the event themed “Polygamy as panacea to win the love of God” attracted 150 people.

Polygamy is legal for Muslims in Malaysia, though not widespread. For more, read this.

Unsafe Abortions kill 70,000 Annually

Increased contraceptive use has led to fewer abortions worldwide, but deaths from unsafe abortion remain a severe problem, killing 70,000 women a year, a research institute reported Tuesday in a major global survey.

More than half the deaths, about 38,000, are in sub-Saharan Africa, which was singled out as the region with by far the lowest rates of contraceptive use and the highest rates of unintended pregnancies.

The report, three years in the making, was compiled by the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights and is a leading source of data on abortion-related trends. Researchers examined data from individual countries and multinational organizations.

For the full report, click here.

Want to feel you look better? Exercise!

Researchers discovered we believe we look healthier after working out despite the fact it may not have been enough to make us any fitter.

It also found that we don't necessarily feel any better about ourselves when we do more exercise and do look fitter, say psychologists.

I am surprised with this piece of research. I have always felt better about myself after exercising. I just assumed it is all those hormones at work. Now I am led to think it has been all psychological? Very strange.

The study found no difference in body image improvement between people who exercised at least 30 minutes a day five days a week and those who did much less. Does this mean I can just do it for say.. 5mins a day and I would feel just as fantastic?

For the full story, click here.

Ralph Lauren makes news again

Designer Ralph Lauren who apologized last week for retouching an ad using an already-skinny model, making her look entirely emaciated is making news again.

This time because the model in question Filippa Hamilton revealed she was fired in April for being too fat. Fat? She is size 4!

Wait there's more. PhotoshopDisasters has published what they claim is another freakishly retouched Ralph Lauren ad.



See what the real Valentina Zelyaeva looks like.

What is funny is how similar Valentina Zelyaeva and Filippa Hamilton look - both tall, thin, long-haired blond with long faces and a sophisticated look. No wonder young women don't feel good about themselves. They don't look like the cookie-cutter women in magazines even if they tried and consequently feel bad about their bodies and faces.

We are all unique and beautiful in our own way. Don't let anybody tell you differently!

The Pill For Men

"I'm pregnant, and it's yours" may be a thing in the past with the new male birth-control drug.

A dose of the hormone progestin turns off sperm production. Because this also suppresses testosterone production, every four months they received a small testosterone implant under the skin of the belly, according to the study, published in the October Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The belief was -and often still is - that men are just not interested in controlling their fertility. But men looking for a reliable and reversible means of male contraception are keen.

Read more here.

Breast Tenderness may be a Warning Sign

Women whose breasts became tender after taking hormone replacement therapy had nearly twice the risk of developing breast cancer than women whose breasts did not become tender on the drugs, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The team analyzed data on the more than 16,000 women who took estrogen-plus-progestin as part of the widely publicized Women's Health Initiative or WHI study, which was halted in 2002 when researchers found healthy menopausal women who took the drugs were more likely to develop breast cancer.

Go on... feel them especially if you are on HRT.

Read the full article here.

Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License

A white Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long. Also he concludes that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society

"I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said. "I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."

Sounds like stereotyping to me. Is he a man who is clear about his own biases and sticks by them or a stick-in-the-mud who needs to be enlightened? Read more here.

Battered Women's Ills Go Beyond Bruises

Women abused by their romantic partners are more likely to suffer from a long list of medical maladies than other women, a new study shows.

Abused women were also nearly six times more likely to abuse substances and more than three times more likely to have been diagnosed with depression and sexually transmitted diseases.

The researchers suggest that doctors should take more time to determine if female patients are being abused. Factors such as depression, substance abuse, STDs and cuts and bruises should be seen as possible signs of abuse.

For more, click here.

Brigitte for 'Real' Women

One of German's most popular glossy women's magazines, Brigitte, has banned models from its pages and will instead use only "real" women in its editorial pages, as a protest against society's obsession with stick-thin women.

Beginning in January 2010, the magazine plans to work with staff members and with readers who are invited to register in an online audition. All the women featured will be identified by their profession or passions in life, in an attempt to combat the objectification of women.

I definitely applaud this move. Men and women, young and old, are constantly exposed to unrealistic body images and may subconsciously develop misconceptions as to what 'real' means.

For the full story, click here.

It's Me or the Croc!

One woman chose croc over husband.

Vicki Lowing, 52, chose her pet crocodile over her husband Greg after he gave her an ultimatum to try and save their marriage. She had hand-raised the crocodile, called Johnie, for 13 years by then.

Meet croc here!

A pill for everything?

• Period cramps - VA111913

• Obesity

• And yes, for shoplifting too!

Men who Marry Clever Women Live Longer

A study of 1.5 million people found a woman's level of education was more important than a man's when it came to the chance of him living a long life.

The authors suggested that better-educated women may be more aware of healthy diets and medical treatments, thereby influencing their partner's lifespan.

This makes sense. Haven't we known for a long time that smarter parents usually have smarter kids?

For more, click here here

Feminist Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama, a celibate monk whose position has always been held by men, said he could be considered a feminist and called for women to take a greater role in world affairs.

He
• encouraged women to play a more active role in promoting human values
• acknowledged women's response to others' pain, "because of biological feeling -- more sensitivity"
• is open to a woman as his successor - who would be the 15th Dalai Lama.

For more, visit here.

To Slow Aging: eat Grapefruit and... Sperm

According to Austrian researchers, the fountain of youth may be filled with grapefruit and human sperm.

Spermidine, a chemical compound abundant in both sperm and grapefruit, increased longevity by around a third in fruit flies and worms when it was added to their diet. Also human immune cells also lived longer when cultured in the compound.

More research is needed but the lead researcher is saying while it might not work, it won't do any harm!

For the full article, click here.

Marge Simpson nude for Playboy

Marge Simpson 'poses' nude for Playboy's November issue to celebrate 20 years of 'The Simpsons'.

She appeared on the cover without her trademark green dress and pearls.

"The Simpsons" has just been renewed by Fox for another two seasons, at which point it will become the longest primetime TV series in history.

Check her out!



For the full story, click here.

Ralph Lauren apologises

Ralph Lauren has been forced to apologise after digitally altering a picture of a slim model to make her look appallingly thin.

In the disturbing image for the fashion firm's Blue Label range, Filippa Hamilton's head actually appears to be wider than her waist. The decision to alter the model's picture to make her appear even thinner flies in the face of current industry thinking.



Boing Boing website, which highlights the web's weird and wonderful sights, was threatened to be sued of copyright infringement when it reproduced the image. Boing Boing, however, refused to remove the post. And last night Ralph Lauren admitted that it was responsible for producing 'a very distorted image of a woman’s body.'

Don't trust everything you see!

For the full article, click here.

Possible to get Pregnant Twice?

An Arkansas Woman has had two babies conceived two and a half weeks apart.

Her case might be a rare example of "superfetation," in which a pregnant woman ovulates and winds up with a second pregnancy.

This is not so hard to understand when you recognise the possibility of a woman ovulating again after she gets pregnant.

For the full story, click here.

Spare the rod? Smarter kid?

Parents who spare the rod just might end up with smarter kids.

Two new studies suggest that children who are spanked have lower IQs than children who aren't, regardless of where they live.

In one study, researchers analyzed the intelligence scores of roughly 1,500 children in the U.S. who took part in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. They found that these scores were slightly lower among children whose mothers reported using spanking as a form of discipline.

In the other study, national average IQ scores were found to be lower in countries where spanking is common.

So think twice before you lift your hand in anger or otherwise towards your child! Read it here.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

According to Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist, the ten health benefits of sex are:

1. Sex Relieves Stress
2. Sex Boosts Immunity
3. Sex Burns Calories
4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health
5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem
6. Sex Improves Intimacy
7. Sex Reduces Pain
8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk
9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles
10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better

Read it here.

From the streets: Why women have sex

CNN took to the streets to ask real women why they have sex. Way cool!

Ben & Jerry's Hubby Hubby

In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry celebrated Vermont and all the other great states where loving couples of all kinds are free to marry legally.

They have ceremoniously dubbed their iconic flavor, Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby in support, and to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality. Check out their site.

Letterman admits to sex with employees

David Letterman acknowledged on his Thursday night show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort US$2 million from him to keep the affairs secret.

Letterman told the audience that he had to testify before a grand jury. He was ‘worried for myself, I was worried for my family,’ he said. ‘I felt menaced by this, and I had to tell them all of the creepy things that I had done. The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show,’ he said.

‘My response to that is yes, I have. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women.’

What I didn’t get is: Why is it ‘creepy stuff’? Why would it be especially embarrassing for the women? Is he assuming they would be embarrassed?

Sexual expose and tales of extramarital affairs no longer shock. The other party involved is at times celebrated as some sort of elevated sexual symbol. If anything, these women might find themselves with book and/ or movie deals.

I am curious whether these women were genuinely won over by his charms, sexual prowess or the honor of bedding the host of the show they worked for. Is this a case of sexual exploitation or harassment at work since he undoubtedly wields considerable power at the workplace? Or were these women trying to better their lives by seducing a man who is financially more well-off?

The plot thickens. Read more here.

Megan Fox ' self harmed'

Twenty-three-year-old actress, Megan Fox admitted turning to self-harm when she was growing up as she was so unhappy.

She admited: "I'm really insecure about everything. I never think I'm worthy of anything. I have a sick feeling of being mocked all the time. I have a lot of self-loathing.

"Self-loathing doesn't keep me from being happy. But that doesn't mean I don't struggle. I am very vulnerable. But I can be aggressive, hurtful, domineering and selfish, too. I'm emotionally unpredictable and all over the place. I'm a control freak."

View the story here.

Talking to a person who is non judgemental and supportive is an important step towards working on the self, understanding issues, and emerging a stronger person. It can be a friend, teacher, counselor or coach.

Custom Chandeliers: Let it All Hang Out

Want a custom chandelier for your crib? How about a large crystal Dick? Or a larger than life gun?

Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Rock and Royal has been hooking up elite homes with one-of-a-kind luxury chandeliers and photo realistic mosaics since 2005. While many of Rock & Royal’s custom chandeliers push the limits, like those we’ve pictured above and in the thumbs, the company has also produced a number of tamer chandelier designs. Artist Hans van Bentem crafts all of the unique chandeliers, while Arno Coenen pieces together all of the mosaics.



View more here.

Wrong embryo

In Ohio, Carolyn Savage gave birth to a healthy baby boy on last Friday 26 Sept night whom she has decided to give.

Reason: A fertility clinic outside Ohio transferred the wrong frozen embryo to Mrs Savage's womb in February. Ten days later, a call from a doctor at the clinic revealed that she was pregnant with someone else's child.

The Savages said they never considered terminating the pregnancy or trying to fight for custody. They have hired lawyers who say they are working to make sure the fertility clinic accepts responsibility.

For more, read here. For the video, click here.

Six things about the female orgasm

According to NewScientist, science has revealed six things about the female orgasm.

• The G spot is real
• The brain switches off
• Many women can't have orgasms
• Genes affect orgasm frequency
• Technology can help
• Some mystery remains

View it here.

Singapore Statistics

According to Channel NewsAsia's report of the Department of Statistics 2009 Population Trends report, as of end June 09:

Population: 4.99m (3.73m Singapore residents; 1.25m non-residents)

Median age: 37

More women than men: 44,000 to be exact

Marriages: Up 24,596, making it the largest number since 2000

Fertility rate: 1.28 live births per female in 2008 compared to 1.29 a year earlier

Giving birth later: 30-34 years

Those living alone: 10% rise

For the full report, click here. On marriage, click here.

Sinead's Hand

An Irish Gay Marriage Group did an ad for Marriage Equality. The video features an Irish actor Hugh O’Connor going around everywhere asking strangers for the hand of Sinead.

View it here.

Breasts at First Glance

Men spent consistently more time looking at the breasts of 'naked' front-posed female images and also made significantly more fixations upon the breasts than other regions of the body or head. According to The Press, less than 20 per cent of first glances were directed at a naked woman's face.

The study, by Victoria University PhD student Barnaby Dixson, said while breasts might be "the first fixation", breast size ultimately made no difference to a woman's attractiveness.

Read more here.

A Pakistani Underworld

Despite a threat from Islamists, two Pakistani brothers stealthily manufacture fetish and bondage wear, earning more than $1 million a year from their Western customers.

Watch it here.