A Not-So Happy, but Hilarious Valentine’s Day Special from FAIL Blog

Are you sick of hearing about Valentine’s Day? Are you apathetic or just begrudgingly bitter today? Have no fear! We have you Valentine’s Day-phobic folks all taken care of with this absolutely hilarious compilation of FAILs in romance from the very clever and never dull FAIL Blog.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu–Add These Aphrodisiacs

Plan on making your valentine a romantic dinner tomorrow night? Head to your local grocery store and pick up some of these tried and true edible aphrodisiacs perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Oysters:

Oysters are the classic and cliche aphrodisiacs who get a lot of attention for their mouth feel, especially when swallowed raw and whole. Another reason why they are so synonymous with gettin’ it on is because of their resemblance to female genitalia. Oysters are very high in protein and rich in zinc and iron–nutrients that help in the transport of oxygen and stimulate the metabolism.

Chocolate:

Chocolate isn’t known for its connection to Valentine’s Day for nothing, so the next time your honey brings you a chocolate-filled heart, know that chocolate is actually a flavorful source of quick energy and has been known to elevate people’s moods due to it containing theobromine and caffeine–two related alkaloid stimulants. Chocolate is also rich in phenylethylamine, a compound that has effects similar to amphetamine.

Avocado:

Avocados are sodium and cholesterol-free, they are nutritious, creamy and mild to taste. The curves of an avocado perfectly mimic the curve’s of a woman’s body and is filled with good fats and has a wonderful buttery texture.

Ginger:

Before we had the modern medicine in over-the-counter pain relievers like Midol and Pamprin, ginger was used to help relieve menstrual cramps and many people still use ginger root to soothe the stomach. Ginger acts as a stimulant and is known to relax the smooth muscles of the uterus and intestines.

Bananas:

Yes, this is very, very obvious–it is impossible to look at a banana without taking note of its obvious phallic shape. Bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, which are two necessary components for sex-hormone production.

Artichokes:

Artichokes are one of the oldest-known foods filled with antioxidants. Prickly to touch, if you can make it to the center, its delectable heart reveals itself and you can feast on its delicately meaty substance. Yes, another pretty obvious conclusion as to why this is an aphrodisiac.

Honey:

Honey is sticky, sweet and golden. The look, taste and texture of honey makes it alluring and mysterious.

Pine Nuts:

Pine nuts are full of zinc, a key mineral in maintaining male potency. They have been used to stimulate the libido since Medieval Times. They contain good fats and have an extremely velvety texture.

Vanilla:

Vanilla has been said to increase feelings of lust, being very seductive. Some studies have shown that vanilla can raise levels of catecholamines, or the adrenaline, in the blood.

Not So Common(ly Talked About) Relationships

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Split-Self. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s no surprise that I am a huge fan of the young adult and chick lit genres. They are often very satisfying, light and decadent treats that make their frequent appearances in our book reviews section. While I read an array of different genres of books, it’s the chick lit books that let you wind down and curl up with at the end of a busy and stressful day and bring you into a world of humor and just often enough, lightheartedness.

There’s a book that just emerged on the scene that is self-defined as changing the course of chick lit and after reading a little bit about it, I am inclined to agree. Split-Self is a new book from F.S. Publishing that is your typical romance novel that will undoubtedly be intriguing to a great deal of people who have especially hopped on the Twilight and True Blood bandwagons. The main character of the story is a vampire who draws energy out of other people in order to supplement her own and she does this by feeding on them in seductive and totally hot encounters that leave them begging for more. But what this books has that redefines the typical chick lit genre we are all familiar with is that Split-Self revolves around a romance between a woman and a man… and another man. In F.S. Publishing’s own words: “Boy likes girl, boy also likes boy … girl thinks that’s hot.”

The romance itself in this novel will surely put a lot of people off from wanting to read it, but what I would really like to explore is the fact that why I automatically know in my gut that a great deal of people will not want to read it because the couple in the book is not a couple, but a polyamorous relationship containing one woman and two men. When people hear about most polyamorous relationships, especially with the induction of the HBO show Big Love and traditional polygamy being centered around one man with multiple wives. I actually really love the idea of a polyamorous relationship that includes one woman and two men; it’s a great spin and is actually a great deal more realistic than many may think.

Polyamory is not “new” by any means; it is not merely an open relationship, where people within a foundation relationship have permission to seek whatever they choose and have already agreed on beforehand outside of that relationship. What polyamory is, in fact, is more than two people in one, committed relationship. There are many sex educators and family therapists that counsel, have written books and have taught at lectures and workshops who educate people and couples of all kinds on how to live life with limitless sexual possibilities and while open and poly relationships are not merely based on sexual gratification, sexuality is one of the factors that could potentially cause rifts in your relationships due to jealousy and other conflicting emotions. One of the most intriguing non-fiction books I have found on the subject that I actually ordered the day after I discovered it is The Ethical Slut from educators and practicing “ethical sluts” Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt.

When you look at this topic from a wide angle and disregard the many, many immediate responses you will hear when a debate like this pops up such as the “sanctity of marriage,” poly relationships actually make a lot of sense. Very few animals are monogamous and as it turns out, very few married people, both male and female alike, are monogamous. According to the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy approximately 50% of married women and 60% of married men will have extramarital affairs at some point while in their marriage. With statistics like these, it means that in nearly 80% of marriages as a whole, someone in that marriage is cheating on their spouse.

Given all of these little tidbits of information I have gathered, as well as my personal feelings on the topic, which is that in a relationship of any kind, what works for those people in that relationship is fine by me and I am not one to pass judgment on anyone or anyone’s relationship, I now want some of your input! What do you think of polyamorous relationships? Do they work? Can they work? Are you in one? Care to share any details? Leave whatever’s on your mind on the topic in the comments!

Alexa Ray Joel Starts the New Year by Raising Awareness

Alexa Ray Joel had made many headlines in the past few months after an overdose on sleep medication after, she says, experiencing real depression after a breakup with her boyfriend.

While many of us have had very hard breakups in our lives, some people do experience such heart-wrenching depression that cannot be cured with wallowing either with our best girlfriends, a sad movie, a large pizza with everything on it and copious amounts of ice cream. Because of her own experience, Alexa Ray Joel took to her Facebook page to spread the word about her “current passion”:

I have many exciting new developments for the New Year, and I hope all of you can be a part of it!! This includes new creative projects, and even more volunteer work in hopes to give back to the community and, most importantly, to help young girls with something I feel I know a GREAT deal about: Heartbreak-Related Depression. Although it does not get much attention in our society, it is a very serious and painful condition that often gets “swept under the carpet”. I hope to bring this topic more to light… I’m even going back to school for Psychology in hopes to learn more about this and many other afflictions that many of us have had to face… after all, there’s nothing more fascinating than the human mind and it’s respective conditions…

I think that it’s pretty awesome that she isn’t merely using her celebrity status and her name to blindly “educate” people who may need real help and is going back to school for psychology so she can initiate some real change for those who need it most.

[Image via INF Daily]

Lindsay Lohan Confirms She is Dating Samantha Ronson

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have been photographed by paparazzi several (hundreds) of times and Lohan finally confirmed the public’s assumption that she and Samantha Ronson are an item. Not only that, but she and Ronson, a 31 year old DJ, are said to have been dating for “a very long time.”

Lohan confirmed this on Monday night during the syndicated radio program “Loveline.” Lohan’s publicist, Leslie Sloane-Zelnik, told The Associated Press on Monday that Lohan is not engaged to be married, as the tabloids have been publishing as of late.

All I can say is good for them! The pictures that have been coming out of the two of them show them having a great time and truly enjoying each other’s company and with that, you can want nothing more.

[Image via INF Daily]

Family, Our Other New Category

When starting this site, I did not want to be a blog. I have never been a “I woke up this morning and ate a bowl of Cheerios.” blogger and did not want to become one, but upon reviewing this site the other night, I realized that I did want to be a little more personal here. I by no means lead a boring life, especially when it comes to my “family issues,” and that is exactly what I have decided to start writing about here!

By family, I do not mean parents, sisters, grandparents or what you would mostly think of when thinking about family. I am also not talking about husbands or children–At least not my children.

For those who have read a bit of this site, I talk about my partner quite a bit. We have been together for two years and seven months, although he will tell you “two years and something,” and in those two years and something, we have been through quite a number of ups, downs and sideways! Oh, and did I mention that he when we met, he was married and had two kids? And that happens to be a big part of our downs. I have went through a variety of stages when it comes to his marriage, his divorce, ex-wife and most of all, the fact that he has two kids.

Through our years together, after we hit about a year and a half we started to really talk about marriage, buying a house, having kids and doing the whole family thing and since then, nothing has changed except for the fact that we talk about it more and more and we have already decided that not only are we happy together, but we are seemingly perfect for each other and that our “happily ever after” plans are going to happen.

So what does a 21 year old woman do when her 30 year old soon-to-be husband is divorced, has two kids and she has the “Evil Stepmother” title looming over her head? Well you’ll soon find out because the new category, family, will contain all of my thoughts, stress, obstacles and hopefully the triumph of becoming a good and happy stepmother.

Stay tuned…

Our New Category

When I had thought up Woman Tribune with a friend of mine, I had many ideas on what I would write about, what I would cover and what I wouldn’t touch. As most people know, I run another website, a political feminist site where not only can I be uncensored, by now it’s pretty much expected of me. But what that site does not represent is just how pro-woman I am. While yes, I am a feminist and while yes, I do write about gender equality, equal pay, sexism and the objectifying of women, a lot of women who do their recreational reading online already had their dose of cynical and disheartening news along with their morning coffee. I did not want this site to be like that site.

So what I have done here thus far is try my best to offer recreational reading for the women who are sick and tired of hearing about politics; of hearing about women being objectified in the media and how women are still making a high percentage less than their male colleagues. While I stand firm on the fact that those are important issues, they by no means have to be involved in every part of your day; it’s okay to take a little break and indulge yourself in some frivolous and just plain upbeat entertainment.

While that covers why I chose to make this website a little more mainstream, I realized that I was missing a big category that all women talk about with each other and something that a lot of people won’t always publish on a website in fear of offending others. Sex and the City is a prime example that pure and honest sex talk is what people crave.

Well we’re stripping the fear away right now and here I am to introduce our brand new category–sex. In this category, we will be covering love, sex, relations, sex advice, sex toy reviews and much more!

If you have any ideas for posts or would like to see something here, let me know in the comments!