August 2011
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Sexting 101 at Good Vibrations Brookline (With Lux... →
Hey Bostonians - my friend Lux Alptraum will be in town tomorrow night to give a sexting workshop at the Brookline location of Good Vibes! She’s a fabulous speaker*, and I trust that she’ll give a sex-positive spin on the topic.
* I know this first-hand! Lux spoke at Rethinking Virginity last year :)
Sexting 101 Monday, August 1, 8-10 pm $20 in advance, $25 at the door Brown...
July 2011
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“I think one person can hardly understand why another has conducted his life in...”
– Chang-Rae Lee, A Gesture Life Some deep, writerly procrastination thoughts … Keeping this in mind as I get cracking on book proposal writing.
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Anonymous asked: Hey Lena!
I recently noticed some pimple-like bumps near the opening of my vagina. Maybe I don't want to assume the worst, but from the research I've done, it doesn't sound like Herpes or HPV. Do you know of any other causes for something like this?
On a much lighter note, I'm a big fan and I love what you're doing. Keep it up!
I recently noticed some pimple-like bumps near the opening of my vagina. Maybe I don't want to assume the worst, but from the research I've done, it doesn't sound like Herpes or HPV. Do you know of any other causes for something like this?
On a much lighter note, I'm a big fan and I love what you're doing. Keep it up!
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Anonymous asked: Hey Lena,
I am a huge fan, keep up the good work!
My question has to do with long distance (romantic) relationships. I'm also dating a foreigner (he's from France) and I absolutely adore him and everything is going great! The only thing is that I'm entering my 3rd year (I'm canadian, so we don't use terms like Junior or Seniors) and he has...
I am a huge fan, keep up the good work!
My question has to do with long distance (romantic) relationships. I'm also dating a foreigner (he's from France) and I absolutely adore him and everything is going great! The only thing is that I'm entering my 3rd year (I'm canadian, so we don't use terms like Junior or Seniors) and he has...
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Reader Story: "Cyst-erhood"
This reader story is a part of the Birth Control Matters blog carnival hosted by Planned Parenthood and the National Women’s Law Center to raise awareness of the need to include no-cost contraception as part of preventive care under the new health care law.
It infuriates me when I hear of insurance companies covering Viagra but not the pill. Or when politicians argue that birth control is for...
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Why Birth Control & Contraceptive Access Matters →
This week’s posts on TheChicktionary.com (and my new Sex Really video — out today!) is a part of the We’ve Got You Covered/Birth Control Matters blog carnival hosted by the National Women’s Law Center & Planned Parenthood. I wrote up a piece, accompanying the Sex Really episode, in which I discuss my switch from the birth control pill to the IUD and talk about how my decision-making...
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Anonymous asked: To the anon who said they can't be on Nuvaring because of a weight limit: I've been on Nuvaring for several years, during which time my weight has gone from 150 to 200 lbs (for unrelated medical reasons). The last time I switched doctors and got a new prescription for it, I specifically asked about weight limits and was assured that the difference in effectiveness was so minimal as to be...
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Anonymous asked: I think it's interesting that so many people have a hard time remembering to take the pill. I've been on it for nearly 9 years now, and while all the chemical wallop does make me EXTREMELY nervous, I also don't want to have a child. I can't do NuvaRing or the Patch, because I'm too fat (no, seriously. There are weight limits.) Needles scare the bejesus out of me, and...
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sextra asked: I was on NuvaRing for nearly two years before I changed my bc method due to that exact problem. The Ring ended up being $50 after, what I consider, good health insurance. A few months ago, per my gynecologist advice, I started Implanon. My total charge was just my copay-$35. So far I really love it (especially the lack of period, I only have very minimal spotting a for a few days). All together, I...
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desalmada asked: For your reader: I used the NuvaRing for a year and as far as hormonal, easily-removed birth control it is the jam. I could never trust myself to remember to take a pill daily, but for the NuvaRing setting up an alarm for every three weeks is not hard-- plus, you can wear the thing for four weeks and still be protected, and your body will remind you that it's time for your period as the...
Savored: Reservations That Come With A Discount →
I used Savored for the first time during my last trip to New York and am never going to buy from a flash discount site for restaurant purposes ever again. This is so much easier and comes with fewer restrictions. Savored works just like OpenTable, but with a discount. When you can use the online system to make a reservation with a partner restaurant, you get an automatic 30 percent off your bill....
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gorr asked: My birth control past is all over the place!
I started out on the Ortho Evra patch to great success, but switched to the pill for financial reasons as the patch seemed to keep going up in price.
Unfortunately, the pill led to bi-/tri-/monthly migraines with aura which can be a sign that your birth control is putting you at a greater risk for heart attack and stroke....
I started out on the Ortho Evra patch to great success, but switched to the pill for financial reasons as the patch seemed to keep going up in price.
Unfortunately, the pill led to bi-/tri-/monthly migraines with aura which can be a sign that your birth control is putting you at a greater risk for heart attack and stroke....
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“During a spot check by the Guardia Civil in front of one of the discotheques on...”
– The Ibiza Sun | Crimes and Incidents Wow. The police blotter page of The Ibiza Sun might just cement Ibiza as my favorite land of excess. (Totally beats Vegas.) See evidence here, here, and here.
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“Nine out of ten writers discussed when during the day they write. All nine...”
– Cal Newport, How to Schedule Your Writing Like a Professional Writer I need to do a complete overhaul of my work schedule when I get back to Boston on Monday. (In Germany at the moment.) My current routine is really not much of a routine. I need to be much more goal-oriented and outline specifically...
And I call myself a writer.
Is it terrible that I wanted to use the word “clusterfuck” earlier today but needed a safe-for-work synonym and couldn’t think of any? Apparently, I only think in vulgarities these days.
sextra asked: I tried to vote but it won't work! I am using the Internet via my iPhone and it kept sending me on this loop of logging in and voting but never actually working. Sorry, I tried :(
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Self-Promotion Fail (Please Assist!) →
If you’ve enjoyed my ramblings on sex, gender, and bulldog ownership, please vote The Chicktionary onto the Boston A-List. I could really use some help in the rankings, since I *literally* just started promoting this and there’s only 24 hours before the polls close. Whoooops.
I’m going to approach this as a social media challenge of sorts. There’s only been about 650 votes...
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Anonymous asked: I hope this isn't too intrusive, but what did your extracurricular activities as well as academic career look like when you applied to Harvard? My apologies if this conflicts with the theme of your blog.
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Amended Life Goals
After a brief perusal of fashion/lifestyle blogs, I have determined that I ought to abandon this whole literary ambition thing in favor of becoming a caricature of unapologetic, all-American conspicuous consumption.
Thus, I will pursue the following initiatives:
1. Get rich 2. Get skinny 3. Buy everything I want in impossible sizes 4. Eat everything I want in impossible portions 5. Take photos...
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Anonymous asked: Hi Lena! I'm a long time fan of you and your work. I think that you encourage frank discussion and open talk about sex. But I recently stumbled upon the '09 article that Lucy Caldwell wrote about you. Most of it of course totally offensive. First of all let me say I think it's horrible people treated you like this. I know you've closed the Haravrd issue but I just wanted to...
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First Loves & the Future
I couldn’t sleep a few nights ago. I was in bed with Patrick in London. Lately, we’ve been talking about what we’re going to do after he finishes his Ph.D program next spring. We are both itching to leave Boston. Thus far, I’ve only discussed this at length with friends, but there’s a high probability that we’ll be moving to Berlin. In the three and a half years...
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"My Planned Parenthood" Blog Carnival →
Melissa McEwan of Shakesville and Tami Winfrey Harris of What Tami Said hosted a blog carnival today for Planned Parenthood, which has been facing unprecedented funding cuts by state legislatures across the United States. Check out the blog carnival page for an extensive list of participating blogs, where folks have written about what’s at stake in the battle over reproductive health, how...
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A Visit To The Institute of Contemporary Arts...
Pablo Bronstein: Sketches for Regency Living
Institute of Contemporary Arts 9 June 2011 - 25 September 2011
Pablo Bronstein presents Sketches for Regency Living, a groundbreaking exhibition in which, for the first time, an individual artist works across the entire ICA introducing major architectural interventions, as well as choreographing extraordinary art and ballet performances.
...
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Anonymous asked: are you single?
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retromodernelle asked: To the anon who asked about low cost gyn care: Planned Parenthood varies from location to location and they do have free or reduced cost services for people under a certain income. If you live somewhere where there is more than one location, it might be worth giving them a call to ask.
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Anonymous asked: What would be your advise regarding finding an affordable gynecologist and/or making sure the issues and proper tests are done for someone who is unemployed and uninsured in need of gynecological help? Planned Parenthood seems like it would be a low cost or more affordable option but my personal experience has shown that they are about the same cost of some private practices. The staff were nice...
Day of Independence →
In lieu of a grumpy July 4th post in which I complain about nationalism/patriotism and fulfill every stereotype of the humorless feminist, I’m just going to link to this piece from 2009, which I wrote after watching a fireworks display with the German.
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