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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Top 10 Myths About Sex

There is a lot of sex talk out there, but there are just as many fallacies finding their way between the sheets as there are truths. Now we all know that the size of a man’s appendage versus his outer extremities (hand, head, foot) has no proven correlation, and nor does the act of self-gratification stand to make one go blind. There are however several myths that have not been publicly chastised for their ridiculous nature, and often are still believed to be truth rather than fiction. Let’s look at these top ten myths about sex.

10. A Cold Shower Dashes the Libido

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A cold shower has been said to curb peak sexual appetite, simply by reducing the amount of testosterone levels in men and estrogen levels in women. There is simply no proven basis for this belief, and in fact, an English study for Thrombosis has shown that a cold shower actually stimulates libido by increasing hormone levels. The end result is even more sexual excitement than was first started with. Take heart all ye anxious ladies and gentlemen, as I hear a ball peen hammer and wooden plank still does wonders for destroying ones sexual appetite!

9. The Power of a Lover’s Stare

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The power of a lover’s stare has been written in romance novels ever since an ink pen was first laid to a piece of parchment. True lovers have been said to have the ability to stare into each others eyes for hours on end, falling in love again and again, without ever growing tired. However, what has actually been found in studies, is that staring at your lover has about a 50/50 chance of promoting feelings of love and passion. The other fifty percent of the time it promotes aggression and annoyance, which has been documented in couple studies as fighting and arguing. I guess it is true… all’s fair in love and war!

8. Sex During the Final Stages of Pregnancy

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A lot of expecting couples express fear of hurting their baby during intercourse. Especially during the final trimester. However, most research today not only shows that intercourse is completely safe for the child, it actually can promote a healthier, speedier labor and delivery. It is an old wives tale that sex is bad for the fetus once it is past a certain stage of growth. Many doctors say that you should be able to have a healthy sexual relationship with your partner right up until the day of delivery. Chalk much of this myth up to man’s over-exaggeration of his unit!

7. Thinking of Someone Else During Sex is a Bad Sign for a Relationship

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Did you know that upwards of 90% of all sexually active folk in the world think about someone else during sex with their partner. It is actually a completely natural part of a healthy sexual relationship. The majority of folks think about friends, neighbors, or co-workers, while a slightly smaller percentage (25% of Canadian men) prefer fantasizing about imaginary characters. Everything from Betty Boop to the Lone Ranger has run through the minds of countless lovers over the decades, and should not be considered an indicator that a relationship is heading for the rocks.

6. Women and Fast Cars (Modern Myth)

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If you were to ask a woman today if she was turned-on by the growl of a big engine, she would probably scoff at the thought. In fact, in light of the popular green movement, it is now popular for women to prefer men who drive environmentally-friendly vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius. However, a recent study says differently… a lot differently. It turns out, women show substantial increases in sexual arousal (measured by testosterone in saliva) while listening to the sound of a high performance Maserati, as compared to a low performance Volkswagen (VW) Polo. In fact, the VW actually decreased the arousal of women below that of the baseline of watching the nerdy scientists test their equipment before the study began. Talk about an anti-aphrodisiac!

5. Inbreeding Produces Babies with Three Heads

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While considered a bit of a joke, inbreeding has been said to cause everything from a baby with three heads to mutant X-Men. In truth, while inbreeding should not necessarily be considered a good thing, it is not nearly as bad as some people think. A 30-year Western Australian study, looked at cultures who regularly practice first cousin marriages and found no abnormalities in their offspring beyond that of what would be expected from any other traditional, unrelated couple. The same myth also applies to inbreed animals, who are not always the weaker of the species.

4. Race is a Good Indicator of a Man’s Sexual Endowment

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While some races have enjoyed basking in the limelight of these rumors, there is actually no scientific basis of this myth. While your cousin’s friend, who knew a girl, who dated several professional basketball players claims this myth maybe true, a study from the Porterback Clinic, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, and St. James’ Hospital, says differently. The study found that a man’s physical endowment had absolutely nothing to do with his race, creed, or color. It’s has much more to do with that haphazard toss of the genetic die that came soon after that glimmer from our parents eye.

3. Plentiful Sex and the Swinging Single

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While it is common belief that once you get married, sex gets thrown out the window, most research suggests that married couples actually have more sex than the swinging single. This is mostly because couples living together are presented with more opportunities to have sex. Anywhere from 25 to 300 percent more opportunity for sex, on average. However, over the course of marriage, sex dwindles, leaving the frequency of sex comparable to that of a lifetime of living single. One way to improve your odds of having more sex, is to marry multiple times. However, the stress of all those marriages/divorces just might toss you right into an early grave, leaving you with even less sex!

2. Sex Every Seven Seconds

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The common belief by many women, is that men think about sex at least once every seven seconds. Truth is, men today are actually too weighed down with thoughts of success and finances to devote that kind of brain power to the subject. In fact, only half of men (54 percent) think about sex once per day according to the Kinsey Institute, while the other 43 percent designate just a few fantasies spread out over the course of a week. An abysmal 4 percent think about just once over the course of an entire month. Talk about a grossly overinflated female-chauvinistic rumor.

1. Premature Ejaculation (PE) is an Abnormality

premature ejaculation
No man has ever been proud to be deemed a “premature ejaculator” by his lover, but in truth it is more of a hardwired system for survival, than an abnormality. The average male can last 5.4 minutes before lift-off, which was biologically pertinent to the population of the planet back in the early days. When faced with man-eating chickens, men had to get the job done quick. There was no time for flowers, song, and love poems. The threat of a Tyrannosaurus charging while in the throes of passion, was enough to make him even quicker, which is why anxiety is still one of the leading causes of PE.
By Eric J. Leech

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10 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Orgasm

Orgasms are somewhat of an untold mystery. Nowhere is this fact driven home more, than when you start looking up its definition and realize that there are nearly 30 different ways to describe its physical and emotional properties. You probably already know orgasms result in muscular contractions, increase heart rate/blood pressure, are associated with intense pleasure, and can be experienced by both men and women. But what are a few things you may not know:

10. Got Sperm?

Glass of milk
When the male orgasms, he ejaculates secretions of sperm, amounting to 10 cubic centimeters (cc) per encounter. It has been calculated that the average male will orgasm enough fluid over his lifetime, to fill a one gallon milk carton, fourteen times.

9. Not Just For Women

While it is common knowledge that women have various g-spot locations, not many are aware that men have these to. Three spots to be exact. There is the frenulum (directly underneath the male appendage), the perineum (patch of skin between the testicles and anus), and the prostate gland.

8. Aunt Flo Can Be a Welcome Visitor

Aunt Flow

For most men, anytime is a good time for an orgasm, but for women, there are certain times that are better than others. It has been found the best time for her (pleasure wise), is during her “period”. This is unfortunately when many women (and some men) are uncomfortable with having sex. The reason orgasms are better during this time, is the increase in blood circulation around the groin area.

7. Material Girl Goes Wild

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One of the big shocks of the 20th century, was that our nations sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe, claimed she never achieved orgasm by any of her famous lovers (John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, etc.). It wasn’t until shortly before her death (age 36) she told her psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, “Bless you doctor—all the years I had never had one. What wasted years. How can I describe to you, a man, what it feels like to a woman? Think of a light switch with a rheostat control. As you begin to turn it on, the bulb begins to get bright, then brighter, and brighter and finally in a blinding flash is fully lit. It is so good…” Yeah, we know Marilyn!

6. On Your Marks, Get Set, Impregnate

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The average speed of ejaculate during a male orgasm is 28 mph, according to the Kinsey Institute. This is in excess of the top speeds of the greatest runners in the world. This is in exact opposite of the slow and steady pace of the sperm, which is only capable of traveling 1½ inches every 15-minutes of intense swimming. The force of orgasm is thought to give them a head start, considering they have a good 3 or 4 inches to go before they reach their final destination.

5. One To Die For

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Orgasms aren’t just for the living. If the sacral nerves in the spinal chord are oxygenated and stimulated, then there isn’t any reason why a dead person can’t climax. I still suggest sex only with the living though.

4. Be Loud, Be Proud

Not all women can produce the same orgasm results in their men. In fact, it is the more “vocal” women that achieve the desired results on a consistent basis. Studies show that males orgasm 59 percent of the time while their partner is screaming in ecstasy, and only 2 percent of the time while she’s lying quiet, counting gold sprinkles on the ceiling.

3. Thank You, Sir. My I Have Another?

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Many women are capable of multiple orgasms. The most female orgasms recorded by doctors, William Hartman and Marilyn Fithian, were 134 within a single hour. That is a little over two orgasms per minute. Interestingly, it has also been noted that some women are capable of multiple orgasms even during such seemingly mundane activities as stroking their eyebrow, rubbing their knee, thinking (about an orgasm), or brushing their teeth.

2. Natural Selection

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Orgasm is an evolutionary function of nature. In 1967, a man named Desmond Morris wrote a controversial book called, The Naked Ape. The book looked at the female orgasm, suggesting its purpose was to not only encourage interest in sexual activity, but promote exhaustion to encourage her to remain in the horizontal position (preventing sperm from leaking out). He also suggested women’s difficulty in attaining orgasm with men, was in fact a form of natural selection. Only the most patient, caring, and imaginative men (considered preferred traits) would have the best chance of eliciting an orgasm, and thus successfully conceiving a child.

1. You’re Never Too Young

baby in womb
Masturbation has been noted in prenatal ultrasound images, especially in males, where their hand appears to be wrapped around their appendage and moving respectively back and forth. It is not uncommon to find young children engaging in various forms of self-stimulation, resulting in a sort of orgasm. This is of course long before their sexual organs are capable of adult function (releasing egg or semen). Considering the great circle of life, it is also believed that an orgasm could be achieved the same in death as in life, by the stimulation of a certain points on the spinal column. This theory has yet to be put to the test however.
By Eric J. Leech

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Top 10 Conception Myths

Many misconceptions abound about the act of getting pregnant and most of them are quite ridiculous. You have to look no further than the most far-fetched and oldest myth of all – the stork brings the baby. Fortunately we can rule that one out easily, but there are plenty of other mis-conception myths to go around. You could say the Internet is pregnant with such erroneous information concerning the simple act of making a baby. (You may also wish to read our top 10 myths about sex.)

10. Mountain Dew

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Many people have heard that the soda drink Mountain Dew lowers a mans sperm count, therefore, if a man is drinking enough of Dew he cannot impregnate a woman. The food coloring dye in Mountain Dew, specifically Yellow 5 is rumored to reduce a man’s sperm production. This however, is totally false. A man can drink 10 bottles of Dew a day, and though he may get a gut from all that sugar, he is still very capable of getting a woman pregnant.

9. Two Condoms

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Many men believe that if one condom is good, two would be even better. In actuality, two condoms increases the friction between the condoms. This friction then can lead to the rupture of both condoms, so for all those thinking they need a back up, just stick with one.

8. Hot Tub

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Hot tubs are fun for all, but be warned, pregnancy can occur if you have intercourse in a hot tub just as easily as in a bed. Many people believe a “condom” of chlorine and heat kill the sperms, which it will, but all the sperm that stays inside is still perfectly fine and able to connect with an egg and start forming a baby!

7. Jumping Jacks

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Though this is good exercise, doing jumping jacks after having sexual intercourse is not an effective method of birth control. Sperm do not fall out, they stay inside and keep swimming. As long as they are anywhere near the vagina, sperm are capable of finding an egg.

6. Douching

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If you wash out the sperm after sex you couldn’t possible get pregnant right? Wrong. Though some of the sperm may be pushed out, many remain. In fact, many sperm become pushed up further into the vagina near the cervix making them even closer to the egg therefore increasing your chance of becoming pregnant.

5. Girl On Top

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Another popular belief is that if you have sex with the woman on top she can not become pregnant because gravity will simply make the sperm fall out or render them incapable of swimming upward. Sperm however are very capable little guys, and can just as easily swim up with the girl on top as in any other position.

4. Rhythm Method

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The rhythm method is a method of birth control that involves the careful mapping of a woman’s monthly cycle. The belief is that if you avoid intercourse during the days of ovulation, you can avoid pregnancy. However, sperm can live for 3 to 5 days in a woman’s vagina, and ovulation is not always set on the same day from month to month. The rhythm method by itself only has a 35% success rate.

3. First Time

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Some people believe that during your first time having sex you can not get pregnant. In actuality, as long as the women has monthly cycles she can get pregnant even if it is her very first time having sexual intercourse.

2. During Menstruation

Some women and men think that if a woman is on her period she can’t become pregnant because she just finished her cycle and will not be ovulating for a couple weeks. though this is rare, it is in fact possible for a woman to have a short cycle, so she can get pregnant even though she is on her period.

1. “Pull Out”

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The most common myth about conception is that is a man pulls out before ejaculation he can not get a woman pregnant because no sperm has entered her vagina. However, there is pre-ejaculatory fluid that comes out before a man has ejaculated and this fluid can contain sperm. These sperm can then proceed into the uterus and if they meet with an ova, a baby can be made.
Carley Stewart

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Top 10 Surprising Facts About Valentine’s Day

While most women consider Valentine’s Day to be a celebration of love and intimacy, many men consider it nothing more than an artificial holiday cooked up by the floral and greeting card industries. While the reality might rest somewhere in between, a few interesting statistics prove that February 14 is a significant day. However, exactly what makes it significant may surprise you.

10. Women Spend Half As Much As Men

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Although women tend to make a bigger deal about Valentine’s Day than men, when it comes to money spent, they are only half as committed to the holiday as their masculine counterparts. Last year, on average, each American male spent over $150 dollars on his respective love interest. The average woman, on the other hand, dolled out only 85 bucks.

9. Condom Sales Are Highest on Valentine’s Day

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According to condom giant Durex, prophylactic sales are about 25 percent higher than usual on Valentine’s Day. This interesting fact may help explain the statistics reported in fact ten. The reality is that men become awfully generous around February 14 and fact number nine seems to reveal why.

8. March and Pregnancy Tests go Hand in Hand

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This interesting fact seems to follow naturally from number nine. Statistically, at-home pregnancy test sales reach their zenith in the month following Valentine’s Day as the consequences of all those romantic couplings are realized.

7. Florists Make A Killing Around Valentine’s Day

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It may come as no surprise to learn that florists tend to jack up their prices around February 14. However, the actual dollar amounts are eye-popping. The cost of a dozen roses skyrockets as much as 30 percent around the romantic season reaching as high as $100 when individual stocks run low.

6. Millions Purchase Valentines for Their Pets

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You may think the day of love is only for those in romantic relationships. However, single people need love too, and when a suitable human is not available, they turn to the next best thing. According to several surveys, as many as nine million people purchase Valentine’s Day presents for their pets each year.

5. Women Don’t Need Men on Valentine’s Day

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If you’ve ever seen women comparing Valentine’s Day bouquets at the office, you know size does matter. However, as far as many women are concerned, anything is better than nothing. Surprisingly, as much as 15 percent of American women send themselves roses on February 14 to save face in front of their judging co-workers.

4. Romance is Only A Tiny Part Valentine’s Day

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Although it may seem like the greeting card industry relies on the promise of sex for much of its sales, romantic encounters have nothing to do with the majority of their profits. Statistically, most Valentine money is spent on teachers, followed by children, moms and, finally, wives and girlfriends.

3. Women Prefer Cards to Flowers

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When it comes to Valentines Day, women are relatively miserly compared to their free-spending husbands and boyfriends. However, they do appear to rank higher in sentimentality. Of the one billion valentines purchased every year, females are responsible for over 80 percent of all sales.

2. Flowers Are A Man’s Best Friend

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While women prefer to express their romantic feelings through a carefully-selected greeting card, men seem to prefer the traditional means. Husbands and boyfriends buy over seventy percent of all the flowers bought on Valentine’s Day each year.

1. In Japan, Men Receive More Valentines

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Just as mega-jeweler De Beers used clever marketing to cultivated the traditional presentation of a diamond as an engagement present in the U.S., Japanese companies have forged a similar campaign to encourage spending on Valentine’s Day. Except their marketing ploy is aimed at women. Thanks to a powerful campaign by the Japan’s chocolate industry, Japanese women are now traditionally expected to purchase chocolate for their men every Valentine’s Day.
by Ryan Lawrence

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Top 10 Awkward Bible Stories

The Bible – it’s one of the most popular and best-selling books in the world. Spanning a couple thousand years of history, it touches upon a wide range of subject matters. In it we find stories about origins, human nature, kingdoms, salvation, and the end of the world. Life and death, happiness and despair, good and evil. All of this, and more.
There’s plenty of inspiration to be found in the Bible, but sometimes the narratives can make you cringe. What follows below are a few stories that might have made the characters involved feel a little (or a lot) on the awkward side of things.

10. Adam and Eve introduce awkwardness to the human race (Genesis 3)

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To kick this list off, let’s begin with the story about how Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, discovered what feeling awkward was like.
In the middle of the entire Garden of Eden God had created for them, only one tree was off-limits. They could eat any fruit they wanted, so long as they stayed away from that one tree. Thanks to the crafty serpent, however, they chose to ignore God’s command. As a result, they became aware of their own nakedness (yes, there were other consequences, but let’s just focus on this one).
Think of how uncomfortable you would feel if, after having lived in oblivious nudity without any feelings of shame, you took a bite of contraband fruit and suddenly realized, “Whoa – I’m naked!”
Bonus awkward points: In addition to their new-found sense of shame, the prospect of facing God and explaining why they couldn’t follow one little rule must have been equally awkward (and terrifying) for the two partners in crime.

9. Talking to a donkey (Numbers 22)

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Most people would agree that receiving correction can be a humbling and awkward ordeal, but then again most people don’t receive correction from their donkeys. And that’s apparently what happened to a prophet named Balaam.
In Numbers 22, King Balak of the Moabites, worried about Israel’s military advantage, decided to request Balaam’s services, which consisted mainly of blessing and/or cursing people depending on God’s instruction.
Having received divine permission to visit the Moabite king, Balaam saddled up his donkey and hit the road. However, God became angry and dispatched an angel with a sword to block Balaam’s path and force the donkey to stop. For some reason, Balaam couldn’t see the angel and kept beating the frightened beast, until finally it complained about the abuse by talking to him.
Awkward, yes, but apparently getting owned by a donkey wasn’t awkward enough for Balaam, who carried on a conversation with it until he finally saw the angel. Whoops.
Bonus: King Balak, who was hoping for some juicy curses against Israel, ended up with his own serving of awkward – he got four oracles that blessed Israel instead!

8. One hundred Philistine foreskins (1 Samuel 18)

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Before the handsome, successful, and wildly popular David became Israel’s king, he had to put up with a rather jealous King Saul, who hated his guts and wanted him dead. Chucking spears at David wasn’t working out very well for Saul, so when he discovered that his daughter Michal was in love with David, he had an idea – put David in a situation that would result in his death at the hands of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines.
In order to win Michal’s hand, Saul declared, David would need to bring in the foreskins of one hundred Philistines. In other words, if David wanted to marry Michal, he had to go slaughter a hundred enemy soldiers and bring back the proof.
Technically, the task was a suicide mission, so when David and his men actually returned (with a surplus), Saul was understandably shocked and had to hand over his daughter.
“What, you’re still alive? And you’ve got 100 – no, 200!? – Philistine trophies with you, too? This is awkward…”
Image credit: http://www.barbaragriffiths.com/books-book.php

7. Noah gets naked (Genesis 9)

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You’ve just survived a worldwide flood. Life has been almost completely annihilated. You and your immediate family members are now responsible for repopulating the face of the earth. So what do you do about it? Plant yourself a vineyard, brew some wine, get sloshed, and then pass out naked in your tent.
This isn’t such a bad thing by itself, but while Noah was still unconscious his son Ham walked in. Instead of honoring his old man by covering him up, Ham made a joke about it to his brothers Shem and Japheth, who responded by walking backwards into Noah’s tent and improving his modesty without observing their father’s nakedness.
Those who understand the effects alcohol has on one’s behavior can probably relate to the awkwardness Noah might have felt when he awoke (“I did what!?”).
Bonus: Ham had it coming, too. Noah was pretty upset to hear that his youngest son had been disrespectful, and Ham ended up with a curse of slavery on his family line. Explain that one to your kids!

6. Haman forced to honor Mordecai (Esther 6)

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As a high-ranking official in the court of the Persian King Xerxes, Haman was offended one day when a Jew named Mordecai refused to show him the courtesy of a respectful bow. To get revenge for his injured ego, Haman convinced King Xerxes to let him issue a decree that would legalize the extermination of all Jews throughout the kingdom (overreaction, anyone?).
What Haman didn’t realize was that the recently instated Queen Esther happened to be a Jew – and Mordecai’s cousin. In addition, Mordecai was directly responsible for supplying information to Esther which exposed a plot to assassinate the king. Since Esther was able to put in a good word for Mordecai, the king decided to honor him.
Xerxes went to Haman for advice about how to honor a man who had pleased the king. Haman, self-importantly assuming that he himself was the one to be honored, came up with an idea in terms of what he would have liked for himself. Unfortunately, Xerxes then ordered him to carry it out for Mordecai.
Thus, an embarrassed Haman was forced to lead Mordecai – dressed in royal robes and mounted on a royal horse – through the city streets, announcing to everyone that the king approved of Mordecai, the man he despised.

5. Jesus outs his own betrayer (John 13)

Judas Last Supper
Traitors generally prefer to remain anonymous, at least until they have fulfilled their objective. However, if the person you want to betray happens to be the Messiah, you might find yourself unable to maintain typical standards of secrecy.
Judas is famous for accepting payment to lead Jesus into enemy hands. Interestingly, his plot was brought to light by Jesus himself while the disciples were eating the Passover meal one night.
After announcing that a traitor was in their midst, Jesus decided to make Judas’s secret plans obsolete by specifically pointing him out. “Want to know who’s going to betray me? Okay, I’ll give the guilty party this piece of bread,” Jesus said. “Here, Judas – have a piece of bread.” Judas, confused and surprised by this incident, headed out to gather a mob of people to arrest Jesus later that night in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Bonus: the greeting kiss by which Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers (Matthew 26) was probably a pretty awkward one, wouldn’t you agree?

4. God confirms his covenant with Abram (Genesis 17)

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When the Lord appeared to the 99-year-old Abram in Genesis 17, he laid out the ground rules for how the covenant between them would be confirmed. In exchange for being the father of many nations, inheriting the land of Canaan, and becoming fruitful, Abram needed to 1) walk blamelessly before the Lord, 2) change his name to ‘Abraham’, and 3) cut off part of his penis.
Say what?
Technically, since circumcision was already practiced by other Semitic people groups at that point in history, Abram was probably not too shocked by the revelation that a small part of his anatomy would be going under the knife. Still, I can imagine a brief, awkward silence at this point in the conversation as Abram let this particular aspect of the covenant sink in!

3. God tells Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman (Hosea 1, 3)

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The life of an Old Testament prophet was not necessarily a pleasant one. For example, in the case of Hosea – who prophesied in Israel during the reign of the wicked King Jeroboam – God had a pretty awkward idea in mind, namely: Go marry a prostitute. And by the way, she’s going to cheat on you.
There was a point to the apparent madness, of course. Under Jeroboam’s leadership, Israel was too busy sinning to bother following God’s laws and commands. By asking Hosea to take an unfaithful wife, God was essentially comparing the sinful ways of Israel to a woman who is not faithful to her husband.
Just as God predicted, after bearing three children to Hosea, Gomer took another lover. In order to show how devoted he was to the people of Israel, God ordered Hosea to show unconditional love to Gomer by buying her back from the dude she’d been sleeping with.
In a way, this is a beautiful story of forgiveness – but at the same,  it would also be pretty awkward to find yourself mixed up in that kind of situation.
Image credit: http://www.codyfmiller.com

2. Jacob gets the wrong wife (Genesis 29)

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What better way to deceive your hard-working nephew and future son-in-law than to promise him one daughter’s hand in marriage, and then trick him into wedding your older daughter? It’s a cold thing to do, but that’s exactly how Uncle Laban decided he would treat Jacob in the book of Genesis.
Laban had two daughters named Leah and Rachel, and the latter’s beauty captivated Jacob. In order to win her as his wife, he agreed to become Laban’s employee for seven years. But when the wedding day finally arrived, the devious Laban, in an effort to marry off his oldest daughter first, dressed up Leah as Jacob’s bride instead of Rachel. The veiled wedding outfit, combined with the darkness of the marriage chamber, prevented Jacob from noticing a problem until the next morning.
How awkward would it be to wake up and realize that the amazing sex with Rachel last night had actually been, um, amazing sex with Leah?

1. Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19)

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The story of Lot and his two daughters provides us with yet another example of drunkenness that turned awkward. In certain cases, drinking wine should be avoided, especially if you are living alone in a secluded mountain cave with your kids. You never know when a serious case of incest could strike.
After fleeing from the smoldering wasteland that had been Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and the girls had eventually settled in a mountainous region, which must have been in the middle of nowhere considering what happens next. The two daughters, perhaps working on the assumption that most of the world had been destroyed by fire and brimstone, concluded that in order for them to preserve their family line, they would have to get their father drunk with wine and… yeah.
For two consecutive nights – one night for each daughter – they managed to get their father so completely smashed that he wasn’t aware of what his own children were doing.
I honestly can’t figure it out – would this situation have been more awkward for the daughters, or for Lot when he found out what had happened?
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There are probably other examples that might have worked for this list. For instance, I’m sure it felt pretty weird for Isaiah when God told him to walk around naked (Isaiah 20), and it must have been both awkward and terrifying when Joseph’s brothers realized that the annoying brat they had sold into slavery years ago was now the governor of Egypt (Genesis 25).
But take the examples for what they’re worth. Go, and try not to do likewise.

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Top 10 Future Forms of Contraception

Contraceptives, for tired parents and unshackled bachelors, have emerged as an immediate fix to reach a child-free state of nirvana. From condoms to IUDs, there are many birth control methods available for sexually-active individuals who want to avoid pregnancy. However, not all of them score high on popularity charts- mainly because they decrease or interrupt sexual enjoyment.  Scientists continue to research better and easier methods of birth control, here is a sneak peek into the future of contraceptives:

10. Next-Generation Diaphragms

Buffergel diaphragm microbiocide
A diaphragm is soft dome that can be inserted into the vagina to cover the cervix before intercourse. A one-size-fits-all BufferGel Duet diaphragm is being developed for better protection against pregnancy. The polyurethane dome is filled with BufferGel that acts both as a spermicide and microbicide. Clinical trials are also underway for a SILCS diaphragm that is a silicone barrier contraceptive.

9. Dissolvable Contraceptive Implants

contraceptive implants
Implants are the newest entrants into the female contraceptive market. These small rods, once inserted under the skin, release a progestin hormone over a couple of years. The hormone stops fertilization by thickening cervical mucus and preventing ovulation. The implant can be removed when women opt out of birth control.  Scientists are developing future implants that would not require a surgical removal. Biodegradable implants like Capnor that dissolve after a certain period of time will soon hit the shelves of pharmacies world over.

8. Heat Based Contraception


This is not going to sound pretty. Scientists are finding new ways to heat up men’s testicles. The knowledge about effects of heat on sperm production has existed since ancient times. New thermal-based birth control methods are being tested in various countries. Hot packs, pads and ultrasounds are being tested for their safety and efficacy. Some scientists are developing special “suspensory briefs” to achieve artificial cryptorchidism. Concerns over risk of cancer and infections are some obstacles that have come in the way of making a successful heat based male contraceptive.

7. Vas-based Contraceptives

intra vas device contraceptive
It seems that sperm have become the martyrs for a glorious future of contraceptives. They are now being attacked at vas deferens (the route used to transport sperm from the testes to the penis). While a vasectomy cuts off the vas deferens, future vas-based contraceptive methods do only a temporary job.  One such procedure undergoing clinical trials is RISUG or Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance. The method involves a polymer that, when put into the vas, kills the sperm. Men can get the polymer flushed out after they decide to stop using birth control. (Image: Male Contraception Information Project)

6. Contraceptives Vaccines

contraceptive vaccine
Efforts are being made to develop a miracle shot that will prevent pregnancy.  The vaccine would select certain targets in human reproductive system that are open to interference with antibodies. The basic targets have been FSH hormone in men and HcG in women. The vaccines are supposed to wear off in a year.  So far, CV has not emerged as a stable and effective method for birth control. Scientists are also wary of potential side effects like auto-immune diseases and allergies.

5. Dry Orgasm Pills


Doctors at Kings College, London have found that certain medications for blood pressure have contraceptive effects. They clamp the muscle contractions required to move sperms through male reproductive system. Men taking these sperm can have orgasms without releasing any sperm.  In the long term, these medicines cause infertility. Research is being done to develop a pill that will start acting within 3 hours of ingestion and wear off gradually after that.

4. Contraceptive Sprays

spray contraceptive
Knowing about human fascination with sprays, it’s not surprising that researchers are developing contraceptive squirt bottles. The spray, laced with a type of progestogen, is applied daily on the forearm where it passes on to the bloodstream. The idea is to offer women a convenient option with smaller doses of contraceptive drugs. The clinical trials have shown that sprays, unlike pills, have decreased side effects like breast tenderness, blood clots and water retention.

3. Career Pill

diane keaton baby boom career motherhood 400x400
Dr. Roger Gosden, an American scientist, is developing an oral contraceptive for women that can put pregnancy on hold to help them pursue their careers. Birth control pills usually stop ripening of the eggs. The “career pill’ does not prevent the ripening process but simply delays ovulation.  The research, still in an experimental stage, promises a breakthrough like no other contraceptive. It has given new hope to ambitious career women who are also under the pressure of a ticking biological clock.

2. Gene Blockers

birth control pills container
Normal contraceptives that rely on hormonal control have side effects like nausea or headaches. Research is underway to find non-hormonal and reversible birth control options. A study done in Harvard Medical School has discovered a gene called CatSper that affects sperm mobility and fertilization. A contraceptive that acts a CatSper blocker could prove effective for birth control. Other research done at the same medical school identified a protein-producing gene that makes the sperm bind to the egg. A genetic contraceptive is being developed based on RNA interference that will silence genes like these to prevent fertilization.

1.The Male Pill

A pill that can control the massive sperm army unleashed by men has existed as a feasible birth control option for many decades. Yet, the development of the male pill has still been painfully slow. Scientists initially had to fight the idea that men would never use a hormonal pill. There has been a gradual shift; maybe celeb paternity suits brought a change in perspective. Male hormonal contraceptive is finally ready and being tested in the US, Europe and China. This birth control method uses testosterone, and sometimes progesterone, to stop sperm production. The reversible hormonal male contraceptive would also be available as patches, gels, implants and even injections.
by Mankani Deepa

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