The Garage Sale Blog Network

The Porn Diaries - Rotary Red Phone

In the coming months I can promise the audience a progressive flow of bleeding edge topics ranging from girl on girl kissing, porn, cyanide and happiness, politics and murder. 

 

Today I wish to start the Porn Diaries.  It's widely discussed on g chat and gmail threads, it’s talked about hush hush between girlfriend and boyfriend (“well I just don’t see why you have to look at porn if you have me”), and if the Internet was a country you can imagine Porn being the illegal immigrants taking all the jobs. 

 

As an introduction I’d like to list some of the more prominent topics involved with the Porn Diaries:

 

10. Girl vs. Guy viewership in porn (girls watch more than we think)

9. Why guys take time outs from porn viewing (If you want to perform with more than one person in the room – watch in moderation from time to time)

8. Girlfriend/Boyfriend bickering regarding porn – see quote above.

7. Pandora’s box leads to extreme fetishes – The more taboo it is to discuss, the more taboo fetishes we seek

6. Who are these girls and guys participating? – With more porn sites than ever – where are they getting their talent?

5. Is the Porn industry shifting in content and what is most popular? – Casual to extreme?

4. Why isn’t “Obama subscribed to Bang Bro’s in the month of July 2003” or porn related topics game for discussion in political debates?  Drugs are, sex is, philandering is, religion….why not porn history?

3. What does the infiltration of porn mean for the quality of casual hook ups?  Quality of relationship sex?

2. Is porn being commoditized?  Is porn going in the Red Tube direction?

1. If the porn industry really revolutionizes the international economic landscape, could it shift or dethrone some of the current economic powers?

Everybody Likes Girls - Ship in a Bottle

Recently, I was fortunate enough to have my first girl-on-girl experience at a GSBN outing.  Now, it wasn't as risqué as your imagination might already have you believing, but it was intimate enough to confirm a notion that I've had for a very long time: Everybody likes girls.  Girls are soft, gentle, generally kind and thoughtful and attentive; they feel nice to touch and to be around.  This isn't to say that all girls are lesbians or that gay men aren't really gay, but I certainly believe that there's a little 'bi' in each of us.

Take porn for example.  As a heterosexual female, I have a (debatably) healthy affinity for male masturbation, guy-on-girl/girl-on-guy, and "regular", though primarily male-gratifying, threesome and orgy videos (in addition to some other types that I'm far too conservative to mention in a public blog).  But I find that few forms of sexual expression are as stimulating to watch as a female enjoy herself or another woman.  Men: you are built for utility and we greatly appreciate that, but only a woman knows how a woman really likes to be touched, despite what your macho male egos and your macho male friends will tell you.  So, it really isn't surprising that females can get so much satisfaction out of watching another woman enjoy herself (or participate in that enjoyment) because we actually know how she's feeling.    While penises are fun to play with and look at and while I can imagine what is (or rather what isn't) going on in a guy's head when he's, um, enjoying himself or a lady, I am never going to experience a male orgasm or truly be able to appreciate the male sexual disposition. 

I can't imagine ever switching teams when it really comes down to debating what side of the tracks to play on, but making out with my best friend did help me to better understand a different aspect of sexual attraction than I had previously considered.  The penis will always be a highly valued instrument and men will always have their place in this world, but at the end of the day, when we're alone with ourselves and our imaginations and our computers… Everybody likes girls. 

Not so "Cuil" - Aggrocrag

Hmm..  So I get news that there is a an "up and coming" search engine from 3 google alums that is going to change the way that we search, bring search to the next level, have my babies, etc…

What is this mythical search engine? It is called "Cuil" but is pronounced "cool".   Strike one for unnecessary web 2.0 "creative" naming. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.  I am going to go out on a limb and say that so far I am not impressed. Allow me to submit Exhibit 1:  The lack of the Garage Sale Blogging Network to make it onto their "industry leading index size".  Hmm… last time I checked, the GSBN turned up on all the current major players with their "inferior" index size, on the first page of said results, mind you! We are going call that strikes two and three. So until we get the Garage Sale Blogging Network on there, I am going go with FAIL.

-Aggrocrag

F&*% Going Green - Transistor Radio

Going green is simply a way to feel better about all the damage that we’ve done as a society. I say bullocks to that! Humans have always demonstrated an amazing capability to handle and deal with change. I am waiting for someone, anyone to step in and shake up the world with free/cheap energy. It will happen.

Only, when it’s most dire and we have no other choice will it happen. The reason it hasn’t happened yet: it would crush our current economic system. Cheap energy would destroy energy markets, cause severe job loss, put certain companies out of business, and perhaps ignite a power shift between nations.

Maybe I’m a radical, but someone out there is smart enough to do it. I’m sure there are solutions sitting on the desks of some of the biggest corporations, but for them it makes no sense to cannibalize their own business. When word of a solution gets out, the whole thing better come out immediately and freely, otherwise those companies might have a shot at killing it before it gets going.

Someone will have the brains and nerves to do it. Maybe that person is you…

Why "Going Green" is BS - Chuck D Sneakers

By the title of my blog you probably already made up your mind about what I’m going to write about. You think that I’m going to say that global warming doesn’t exist, that we should drill for more oil, keep driving SUV’s, and that the earth is only 5000 years old. Well, you’re wrong. I am definitely one to say that humanity will face enormous problems in the next 50 years if nothing is done very soon, and in fact we might already be too late. We are overfishing, over polluting, over mining, over drilling and overpopulating. Fresh drinking water is becoming more scarce, droughts are becoming more common, deserts are expanding, forests are shrinking, and we face many natural disasters due to climate change.

The reason I say that “going green” is BS is because people think that because they drive a hybrid and use energy saving light bulbs they are doing their part for the environment. In my opinion, most of these people are either delusional and hypocritical or simply can’t see the big picture. Most of these people aren’t really doing it because they want to be socially responsible, they are doing it because there is an economic incentive to buy these products. How many people would really be buying hybrids if the cost of gasoline was $1.00? We can safely say that probably not many, if the opposite were true, SUV’s would have never become as popular as they did. If energy bills for every household were a fixed price, no one would be buying energy saving light bulbs. Let’s be real here, most people are not socially responsible, they simply react to economic incentives to products that affect their bottom line.

In my mind, if we truly want to be socially responsible we need to put a price on the things that we value and that matter to us. For example, it has taken $4 dollar gasoline for people to start looking at more energy efficient cars and other forms of fuel. Had we taxed the hell out of gasoline a long time ago (like the Europeans), don’t you think we would have had these better cleaner and more efficient cars or would have looked for other fuels a long time ago? Another example is coal burning power plants. Why do we still have them when we all know they are the dirtiest power plants? Its simple, they are much cheaper than solar, nuclear or wind power plans. Unless there is price associated with pollution, they will continue to exist because coal is the cheapest way to produce electricity.

Unless we make dirty technologies and things that harm the environment have an actual monetary cost, “going green” doesn’t mean anything. For any of this to happen we are going to have to wait for our great government to pass legislation that will tax pollution, make water more expensive for everyone, restrict commercial fishing, and incentivize people to use cleaner technologies, so don’t hold your breath. In my opinion Americans are too selfish and are not going to give up their SUV’s, plasma TV’s, 45min showers, and their bottled water to help the environment unless it cost too much to have those things.

It's a community thing - Lite Bright

So part of my company's culture is to be environmentally friendly.  Wait, can I still say "environmentally friendly" or was that nineties thing.   OK, we are about "going green", is that right?  Let me give you an example.  I led a brainstorming session the other day and part of the session involved the participants writing labels on post-its and sticking them around the room.  It's a great brainstorming exercise but I felt really anxious about introducing it.   I knew that someone in the room was going to call me out on my tree slaughtering exercise.  It's was kind of annoying, but at the same time this organizational focus on going green really works, even if it's just because of peer pressure. 

 Signs around the office encourage me to refill water bottles instead of using new ones.  Groups who carpool are incentivized by getting access to parking spots close to the entrance.  When I'm at work, I think twice about using a disposable coffee cup when I can use a mug instead. Is it because I'm always thinking about the environment and can cite statistics about the number of trees falling down every second?  No, it's just because I don't want to be the victim of some judging look and I just want to fit in with what everyone else is doing.  I guess peer pressure isn't the best reason to make green decision but it does work for me.

The nice thing about this community support of going green at work is that it can reach people of all backgrounds, religions, etc.  For example, a company prayer time would not be as accepted because it would ostracize people who aren't religious.  Having weekly circle sessions for women to talk about feeling and issues of esteem would also cut a large majority of the community out.  However, no one can be religiously, ethnically or sexually offended to the idea of making sustainable decisions.  Going green is a lifestyle that is truly welcoming to everyone and peer pressure to take a shorter shower it a lot less damaging than peer pressure to stick a heroin filled needle in your arm.  By the way, remember, drug needles should not be recycled!!
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My new favorite slang word is anything in the "dude bro" word family.  The Dude Bro language is a whole new way for men to express their feelings for one another.  For example, a harmless bro a "dude bro", but a dude who is all up in your face and acting stupid is a "broseph".  When dudes are really feeling each other they get "broners".  Please reference this article for more brocabulary. 

Chuck D Sneakers goes off on Taxes.....

Chuck D Sneakers wrote the email below to a "friend" in response to this article:


I think there is a lot to be said about taxes but the most important thing you have to realize is that if you are wealthy and a corporations you really don't pay the taxes that you should be paying as a percentage of your gross income.  If you are wealthy, you probably have investments and probably a business too and those are two thing that provide major tax shelters.  You can basically justify anything as a business expense. In the end those with higher gross incomes pay less taxes as percentage of their gross income than those with lower gross incomes. In absolute values, yes they may pay more, but not as a percentage. And that is not fair.  The tax code is made for the rich. 

Lets use "x" as an example; "x" makes good money, but because "x" lives in SF, "x" isn't "rich" and can't really afford a home yet, so what can "x" write off? nothing! Unless you purchase a home, have your own business, or father multiple children to use as tax write-offs the government is going to stick it to you.  some of us will eventually purchase a home, start your own business and probably father some children and will be sitting pretty and writting off all kinds of stuff.  Those who are teachers might never be able to buy a home and they will eventually pay more than "x" (percentage wise) You and i know both republicans and democrats are f-ed up, and they are both to blame, so saying i'm not going to vote for these guys because it more directly affects my bottom line ignores all of the other reasons why you should not vote for the other side.  whose fault is that we have over crowded prisons? republicans? the state of California spends 10 billion a year on prisons and another ~5 billion prosecuting people.  The republicans are tough on crime and drugs which eventually lead to more people put in jail, so indirectly they cost you and i billions in tax dollars.   I'm deviating from the point but i think its naive to blame one party solely for the government fiscal short comings.  I agree that I hate paying taxes, I hate useless social programs,  and I hate inefficient government bureaucracy and both of the parties are to blame for it. 

For all those Garage Sale visitors that are disappointed when coming here....

For all those folks that are looking for information on a garage sale, a garage sale in san francisco, garage sale tips, garage sale in east brunswick, garage sale pricing, garage sale cow, online garage sale, garage sale signs, kingwood garage sale, garage sale listings, garage sale pricing guide, garage sale prices, garage sale mapping, garage sale pricing tips...

Here's where you can vent about us not being too relevant to garage sales.  I can see that we get search traffic from all these terms above and I just wanted to acknowledge the audience while also saying I hope you stay and become fans of our blog!

-Garage Sale Blog Network

Green Is Sooo The New Black - Goldfish in a Bowl

My view on going green and global warming

Going green in California is like saying that we should all breathe air at some point in our lives. It’s a given. Growing up here you’re instilled with habits like recycling, turning off lights when you leave a room, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, that sort of thing. It’s always been a no-brainer for me; it’s just been not only the right thing to do, but also habit.

Now going green is the new rally cry of America, and everyone is jumping on board the green train. Great, good for them, super glad to hear it. But do I really need to hear about it every single day non-stop? Especially in San Francisco, arguably the most green obsessed city on Earth?

No, no I do not.

Look, I’m already continuing on my green quest, and upping the ante a little bit. I’m painting my apartment with organic, non-toxic paint so that I can dispose of it in the regular garbage and it doesn’t smell like chemicals. I’m thinking of selling my small SUV for one of those Smart Cars (mainly because they’re cute, look like Furby’s and I can park ANYWHERE. I mean anywhere!), and I always take my canvas bags to the grocery store to use instead of paper bags. What else does Al Gore want me to do? Stop taking showers, grow dreadlocks and protest slaughterhouses? Wait, I’m sure that’s exactly what I’m expected to do as a Californian.

I’m fairly sure that the reason that both the left and right coasts are so big on going green is because subconsciously, we all know that Middle America will never go green. Not until they start making tractors that run on bio-fuel and the pick-up truck is no longer en vogue. I’m guessing that being caught driving a Prius in Texas is punishable by five years in prison, or even the fast track to the electric chair. So is Middle America to blame for the constant stream of green propaganda on both coasts? Sure, why not.

Going green is a great thing, everyone should really be more conscious about their waste and how they go about lives. It’s like going on a life diet; it’s not easy, you’re going to screw up every once in while, but you’ll end up feeling better about yourself by sticking to it. But I am getting tired of people throwing around the green buzz words like “carbon footprint”, or “zero emissions”, things us in San Francisco have become accustomed to hearing on an almost daily basis. I don’t need to be reminded daily that I’m killing the planet by not wearing organic threads, okay?

And with that said, if anyone from Green Peace is reading this, please stop posting your minions up on every freaking street corner. How can I avoid your condescending stares and petition pushing if you won’t just let me be? Hippies.

Slangin’ The Word

My favorite slang word would most definitely be “Hoochanka”. Coined by a surly bartender down in Tucson, AZ, it describes a girl somewhere between slutty sorority girl and flat out prostitute. Not yet popular in use, hoochanka is widely used in, well, my circle of friends. So I guess this is hoochanka’s coming out party. I even used it last night! Working at the bar, I see my fair share of Hoochankas. These two girls walked in last night, complete with hooker heels, short jean skirts covered by their boobalicious empire waste going-out shirts, extensions and a face that looks like they fell straight first into a MAC counter (overly made up with shiny make-up, ugh). I wish I had a picture that I could post, but I’m sure everyone knows or has seen some hoochanka’s out there.

Utilization of the Green Machine in Humans' Fight Against Entropy - Ship in a Bottle

My view on going green and global warming

With all of the green hype escalating dramatically over the last few years, I often ask myself where I fall in the spectrum between hugging trees and leaving my TV on all night.  I've never reached a conclusion about this because I haven't cared enough to spend the time thinking about it – It just doesn't matter to me because I'm going to do what I'm going to do at the time that think to do it.   The nature of things is that they tend toward disorder and human habits are no different.  We feel better (except for the mental strain we put on ourselves) to lie down, to let loose, to tell someone how we feel, to throw a Coke can in the closest trash receptacle.  But as a society, we've learned to think of entropy as a bad thing, and we've developed very creative ways of fighting it.  Moms create chores for kids to work against the natural disorder that befalls their bedrooms, chemical companies make billions of dollars per year through beauty serums and anti-frizz products that help women (and men) look better than they actually do, and scientists are working towards "cures" for natural chromosomal telomere wear, which is expected to prolong life.  The Green revolution really isn't so different; we have to put a lot of effort into figuring out how to minimize our carbon footprint, effort and time that many of us do not have. So why is it so hard to accept that, after more than a few years of evolution, the process might actually be OK?

There's a reason that nearly 75% of conceptions are spontaneously aborted and why expecting mothers tend not to carry severely physically challenged babies to full term under normal prenatal care.  Our bodies have evolved to protect against these deformities because they're debilitating, a huge drain on resources, and emotionally damaging.  Yet society (but mostly I blame the Christians) puts such value on all human life that we fight against evolution by developing medicinal therapies and tools that allow people to care for themselves differently than we've evolved to do naturally, and we extend suffering exponentially.  Yet, we think we're brilliant for these innovations.  If we let nature take its course – and work with it instead of against it – over population wouldn't be a problem, we'd be a healthier society, resources would be plentiful, and the term "carbon footprint" would never have been coined.

So, here's the irony about trying to clean up the earth:  Humans can't think on such a large scale, as there are far too many factors and interconnected moving parts that depend in some way on our habits and use of resources, both natural and synthetic.  That's a job best left to Mother Earth, which is why we fight so hard against our natural, entropic inclinations to kill her… But what if she's trying to kill us?  I don't mean that in a negative sense, but it may be that humans are saturating the system so much that new, stronger species cannot evolve.  The earth, like anything, has undergone cycles of breaking down and building up, coming back stronger and better.  It is likely that we are living in a downward slope in the breakdown cycle.  But instead of letting the planet go through its natural healing, regenerative process (including its many living species), all of our efforts to save ourselves and the climate may really just be serving as a stopcock in that process.  Evolution is the one tried and true process in this chaotic world, and it will bring us a brighter future… If we let it.