Things that top my turn-off list include: bragging, the smell of hot dogs . . . and obligation. I regularly punk-out on birthday sex, anniversary sex . . . I didn’t even have sex on my wedding night. Not because I’m opposed to celebrating these occasions—I live for birthday cake, anniversary dinners, and Valentine’s Day chocolate.

Sex is often linked to intimacy — so much so, that phrases like being intimate have become euphemisms for having sex. Having sex between partners may foster intimacy or be an expression of intimacy that already exists within the relationship. And while not everyone has or wants to have intimacy as a component of their sexual relationships, for some people there’s a strong connection between the two.

While my pals up in Canada have been gardening, cottaging, and getting up to other long-weekend shenanigans, I’ve spent the past several days with my nose in books. The end of term is coming up fast, which means lots and LOTS of reading. Most recently I got reacquainted with Human Sexual Response, by famed sex research duo William Masters and Virginia Johnson.

To be clear, I’m not talking about sex while dressed in a costume from a historical era (though that can be fun too!), I’m talking about doing it while menstruating.

There’s been some hoopla this week surrounding the development of “male” hormonal birth control. If you’re not up to speed, here’s what’s going on: researchers studying the efficacy of hormonal injections on reducing sperm production, stopped their clinical trials because the test subjects were experiencing side effects. Many of the reported effects were classified as mild to moderate; they included symptoms such as acne outbreaks, increased libido and mood swings.

I’ve wanted to be 40 since I was 15. Back then, 40 seemed really, really old...but being old didn’t bother me. At 15 I wasn’t certain where I wanted to go in life and I sure as hell didn’t know how I would get there. So I looked to the future, to a me who existed 25 years the future and had everything sorted. I was banking on becoming a 40 year-old Nadine with a killer career, happy home and probably a baller car. I also assumed that by 40, I’d stop caring what people thought. Because 40 was the age of zero fucks.

Dan Bacon made Internet waves today when his missive for creepers, “How To Talk to A Woman Who Is Wearing Headphones” went up over at Modern Man. The title alone warrants a hard eye-roll, but I suggest you suppress the urge. The body of Bacon’s article is so much more exasperating and I want to spare you the conjunctivitis.

The post includes a list of “common mistakes that guys make when approaching women with headphones.” Fellas, beware the following pitfalls when trying to woo a lady away from her playlist:

If you’ve been on the Internet this week, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard about the Brock Turner case, the powerful statement his victim read in court, and his father’s infuriating plea for Brock’s already light sentence to be overturned completely.

“What’s it like to be a mom?”

A friend of mine posted the question on her FB wall last week. I’ve been a mom for nine years, and in that time, I’ve read and heard opinions from virtually everyone about what being a mom should be. Folks have told me what they think I’m doing well and what they think I’m do wrong raising my son. But I’m not sure anyone had ever flat out asked me, "what it’s like to be a mom?"

So….sexting.

I’ve read a lot of pieces about teens and sexting. Most begin with a warning to families that they should sit down, brace themselves or do whatever it is they do before someone hits them in the face with bad news. In keeping with convention, here are my words of caution before we delve into this topic:

Don’t freak out.

This past week a court ruled that pop singer Kesha was obligated to honour her contract with record producer Dr. Luke, despite her claims that he’s physically and sexually assaulted. When verdict became big news when fans and supporters took over Twitter with the hashtag #FreeKesha.

When my partner and I first got together, my desire for him was strong. Everything about him - his blue jean eyes, the sound of his voice, his aptitude for math and puzzles - all of it turned me on.

When I was around people like my partner or my cute friends or hot strangers, I’d feel the fiery yearning of desire. I didn’t know a lot about sex at the time, but I knew this was the first step on the road to Sexytown.

Safer sex is a major concern for parents and families, especially those with teenagers who are or might become sexually active. Ultimately, we can’t make our kids sexual health decisions for them but we can still support and encourage  safer sex practices.

Laci Green is probably the best known sexuality vlogger on YouTube. Recently, she put together some tips on How To Be A Feminist For Halloween. Not surprisingly, a lot of her advice also applies to having a sex positive Hallowe’en. Basically, how NOT to be a weenie this Halloweenie. 

Brass Vixens is a Toronto-based studio - actually three studios - offering pole dancing and fun fitness solutions for folks who want to have sexy, sensual fun. After having been part of another pole dance franchise, CEO and founder Shannon Crane established her own business over four years ago and it’s been thriving ever since. I hadn’t had a chance to visit Brass Vixens since my return to the T Dot, so when I got an invitation to come out and try a class of my choice, I was game!

​​Anyone who can make my kid laugh is tops in my book. That’s why I’m a big fan of Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series. Pilkey’s books follow the misadventures of elementary school anti-heroes Harold and George, two young boys with big imaginations and a penchant for wreaking havoc.

Is watching pornography when you’re in a relationship a problem?

The answer depends on the people involved and their feelings about porn and each other.

Pornography, in and of itself, is a form of entertainment. Yes, it has very naked people, and some of those people can perform astounding feats of sex the likes of which ye have never seen! But for many people, porn is similar to books, TV, movies, sports or hobbies. It’s a fun, pleasurable pastime - something they might enjoy with a partner or on their own.

The vagacial is the latest in genital grooming trends. It’s similar to a facial, with deep cleansing, exfoliating, smoothing, and a variety of masks and serums, but instead of the face, all that fancifyin’ action is focused on the vulva.

A Facebook group is calling for Ontario parents and caregivers to keep their kids out of school for a week, starting May 4th, as a form of protest against the sex education changes in the update Health and Physical Education curriculum.