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By Cory Silverberg, About.com Guide
Updated September 04, 2011
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
It may seem like the life of a celebrity is enviable. But there are many ways in which being a celebrity sucks. One of them is a lack of sexual privacy or respect. Not that all celebrities act in a way that suggests they want or deserve to be respected, but even those who do can be unfairly outed for their sexual interests. Since I take a strict do-no-harm approach to sex education, far be it from me to participate in the non consensual outing of celebrities sex toy interests. As such, the following list of celebrity sex toy connections only includes those that are revealed by said celebrity. Guilt free fluff. If you have a connection to add, let me know.
Real Sex Toys from Real Housewives
In the tangled web of reality television self-promotion it's hard to know what comes first, the cry for attention/marketing ploy or the interest from the entertainment media and TV watching public. It's not that Kandi Burruss hadn't already achieved some fame as a singer before she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but she credits sexpert and sex toy spokesmodel Laura Berman with the idea for having her own line of sex toys. It's kind of nether-world celebrity sex toy connection, not particularly salacious, and not particularly famous either. The good news is that her toys, called Bedroom Kandi, are being made by the folks at OhMiBod which means you can expect Kandi's toys to be of better quality and better design than those of her inspiration.
Lady Gaga Inspired by Adult Store
It's no specific product endorsement, and maybe she says this to all the cities she tours, but in Charlotte, NC Lady Gaga professed her admiration for XXX stores, particularly their porn selection, which she explained was much more fun than the porn stores in New York (she finds those boring). She was inspired enough by the adult stores she passed on the highway, that they will apparently feature in a new song. Minutes after this Youtube video as uploaded, legions of porn publicists began figuring out ways to use Lady Gaga's name in their next release for Clam Lappers Volume #162.
Mark Twain’s Vibrator
In 2010, one hundred years after his death, the first volume of Mark Twain’s autobiography will be published. Given that he was by many accounts a “sexual man” it is perhaps not unfitting that one of the first teasers about the text revealed that Twain owned, used, and recommended to friends, the Arnold Electric massager, known these days as an electric vibrator.
Too Young for Vibrators?
When 16-year-old Taylor Momsen, one of the stars of Gossip Girl revealed in an interview that she isn't dating and considers her vibrator her best friend, it provided at least a few days of meaningly blog fodder. Some were offended, others were offended at the offense, and everyone took the opportunity to make at least one disparaging comment about a 16 year old girl. Momsen didn't identify her preference in sex toys, but the idea of teens using vibrators does have the Oprah seal of approval and I most of the outraged folks didn't seem to care about that revelation. It's interesting that for all the hand-wringing and moralizing about her age, the response to her revelation wasn't that different than the response to stars who are over 16 talking about their vibrators.
Martha’s Massager
After getting released from prison Martha Stewart began doing more media to take back some of the attention she lost while locked up. In one memorable appearance (not surprisingly on the Howard Stern show) Martha gave a shout out to her favorite vibrator. Suitable for such a powerful woman, she loves The Thumper, which is used by physiotherapists and body workers, but according to Martha is also very handy for sex.
Halle Berry’s Embrace
She didn’t get specific on product, but Halle Berry has a sex shop review for you. Responding to a question about sexuality when you’re single, Berry wisely suggests that one shouldn’t rule out sex just because one doesn’t have a partner, “...that's not good. You can still embrace your body by going to the gym or going to The Pleasure Chest."
Tracy Morgan’s Emotions
So as it turns out, Tracy Morgan DID run into a Babeland sex shop in SoHo and shout “do you have any Motion Lotion?”. For the uninitiated, Motion Lotion (which is actually a rip off of the original Emotion Lotion) is a sickly sweet flavored warming liquid. Most of the formulations are not condom compatible, making me worry a bit about Morgan’s other supposed purchase.
Eva Longoria’s Best Friend's Best Friend
There was a media moment where Eva Longoria kept speaking out publicly about sex. It was surprisingly refreshing (at least most of it) but then apparently publicists and marketers decided it was too much. But not before Longoria made several pitches for the benefits of rabbit vibrators. Lamenting that she didn’t discover the joys of sex toys sooner (because they add to an overall healthy sex life which includes solo and partner sex, she adds) Longoria cryptically revealed that when she gives her girlfriends vibrators “they scream”.
A Christmas Gift from Debbie Reynolds
In Wishful Drinking Carrie Fisher describes receiving a vibrator from her mother as a Christmas gift when she was fifteen. Her mom, Debbie Reynolds apparently also gave a vibrator to her mother that year. In theory not a bad gift, but if it was left under the tree it’s also not the most respectful way to support your daughter (and mother’s) sexual exploration.
Dave Stewart Rocks a Vibe
Leave it to legendary musician and record producer Dave Stewart to take sex toys seriously enough to use is power, fame, and creativity, to create a vibrator of his own. The former Eurythmic teamed up with Jimmyjane to create a signature edition of their Little Something vibrators and released an accompanying song, “Let’s Do It Again”.
50 Cent Vibrator Worth More Than 50 Cents
Well before Dave Stewart penned a song to go with a vibrator, 50 Cent promised a personally endorsed vibe. This was back in 2005, and no word on the progress of the 50 Cent vibe, but unlike some celebrity endorsed sex toys, at least 50 had a hand in the design. he likes blue, so it's going to be blue.
High School Musical Sex Shop
Whether they want to remembered for their trip to this Los Angeles area sex shop or not, then High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens willingly documented their visit via a few fan pictures taken next to the "Lovin' Lamb Party Sheep" and bulk packaged penis stir sticks. With great stores like Pleasure Chest and Coco de Mer, I'm not sure why they chose this place, but maybe their love for cheese overwhelms their taste in sex toys.
Dr. Robert J. Melamede Ph.D. Chairman of the Biology Department of the University of Colorado:
Conducting Scientific research on Cannabinoids
The Cannabinoid System has been around for over 600 million years. Before the Dinosaurs. The Cannabinoid System is continuously evolutioning and has been retained by all new species. Food and feeding is at the heart of the Cannabinoid System.
1. Cannabinoids are in every living animal on the planet above Hydra and Mollusks, with the exception of insects. Bodies are homeostatically maintained by the Cannabinoid System.
2. Mothers give their babies a booster shot of cannabinoids in mothers milk to give them the munchies because they have to learn to eat. (they've been fed thru the umbilical cord and did not have to know how to eat.)
3. Mice lacking the CB1 receptors don't like any changes. If they are moved to another part of the cage they act upset and when they are put back to the original spot in the cage they relax, but if then put into another part of the cage they get upset again. Comment: I wonder if people, especially drug warriors, had their CB1 receptors blocked then they would resist change and the ones of us that have unblocked CB1 receptors enjoy the benefits of cannabinoids are a lot more relaxed and not paranoid about or over change. Interesting thought. It turns out that that thought is absolutely correct. Many people' brains are not capable of a good connection to the CB1 CB2 receptors.
4. All new species utilize cannabinoids.
5. By being alive and breathing air our bodies produce "free radicals". Cannabinoids help to reverse this action.
6. Cannabinoids do kill brain cells, but the brain cells they kill are called "Glioma" or Cancer of the brain (Tumor). All other brain cells are protected and healed by cannabinoids. (Glioma cells cannot tolerate the action of cannabinoids)
7. Cannabinoids protect against sunburn and skin cancer because of the CB1 receptors in our skin.
8. Cannabinoids slow down the aging process. Mice that their brains respond to cannabinoids live longer and mice that have brains that block the CB1 receptors die younger.
9. Activity in the evolutionary advanced areas of the brain is increased in cannabinoids receptors and promotes higher consciousness levels.
10. Cannabinoids are even found in the white blood cells (CB2 receptors). The CB2 receptors are found predominantly on immunological cells and regulate the shift in the immune system to the anti-inflammatory mode.
11. Cannabinoids protect the heart against Arythmia.
12. The way it works on pain is there is specific nerves that deal with pain. They are called vanilloid-Receptors. Anandamide (sanscript word for "Blissful Amide"), the bodies internally produced marijuana binds with the nerve endings, reducing pain. Anandamides are produced internally by our bodies in response to a whole variety of conditions. As an example, Aspirin prevents the breakdown of Anandamide, the internally produced marijuana to activate & start working at easing pain. How many old lady's say they "WOULD NEVER" use marijuana & are actually using the equivalent of marijuana that their bodies produce as a natural activity, & don't even realize it. And how many politicians and citizens of the US do this also & aren't even aware they are condemning something that their bodies make naturally. Anecdotal evidence is valid because when a person smokes marijuana & it relieves their pain, then they smoke it again & it relieves their pain again it becomes a fact known only to that person, but nonetheless true.
13. In the case of most autoimmune diseases, the bodies immune cells produces free radicals & is destroying it's own body as a foreign object. Cannabis pushes the immune system into anti inflammatory mode & helps slow the progression of that disease, thereby slowing down the aging process.
14. Seizures are controlled by marijuana not only THC, but non-psychoactive cannabidiol.(CBD) The exact mechanism is not known, however HEMP is high in CBD's & can cancel out the psychoactive high of THC & at the same time benefits the user or smoker. Cannabinoids control everything in our bodies including our minds.
15. There are many other things that Cannabinoids do in the body, besides attaching to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, the main cannabinoid receptors in the higher part of our brain. Cannabinoids affect our skin and other parts of our bodies.
16. Pharmaceutical companies are working at sythesizing different cannabinoid components and different types of strains of marijuana. If they can succeed, then there will be more choices for you and I to choose from and we will be able to use what works best for our particular bodies.
17. The natural course for mankind, because of the location of our CB1 CB2 the brains main receptors, is to be more stoned.
18. Drug warriors are not doing what they are doing to us because they are intentionally evil, but because they are more primitive (obtuse comes to mind). They look at the world with fear and hostility not cooperativity and understanding.
19. According to a brain function study of 150 depressed people Cannabis protects the brain against healthy cell death and it also protects Neurons.
20. Cannabinoids dilate our brochial tubes and help asthsma sufferers to breath both in and out. Because of the balance that is maintained in our bodies for good health there are instances where it works backwards, where death is possible, if too much is smoked. This goes back to the effects of cannabinoids on individuals and if it doesn't work for you, you should not use it. There was some old studies that were done back in 1977 where "AEROSOLIZED THC" was used on patients. This is not what the government tells us when they say it's not medicine, but we are all familiar with the 7 government patients that are supplied marijuana to be used as medicine and we know the government is lying.
21. Natural pain eradication by cannabinol used by our receptors.
22. Cannabinoids control how we view the future. If you're loaded with bad experiences you're going to be fearful of the future. Lots of smoking of cannabinoids makes you want to be in the future. Lack of change vs embracing the future and changes. Conservative people might die prematurely, stressed, uptight and fearful (genocide). Open minded people and mice are able to change, whereas; people with defective receptors and knock-out mice (mice that have had their receptors removed) will keep going to the platform after it has been removed. They will be fearful of change.
23. Cannabinoids prevent and treat certain types of Cancer. Glioma (Brain Cancer) along with pheochromocytoma, skin cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, Lymphoma and Leukemia. Cannabinoids may prevent or cure cancer. Cannabinoids have a way of killing the bad cells and protecting the good ones.
24. Cannabis gives relief to Liver Disease & constant uncontrollable itching. Also, lack of sleep and depression and has been doing so for 600 million years.
25. THC in low doses relieves anxiety, while huge doses promote anxiety. (It's too strong like Marinol) Smoking marijuana relieves anxiety. Marijuana promotes sleeping better and normal persons when they are deprived of marijuana would have difficulty sleeping. (One other thing I'd like to add: When ingested, delta 9 THC, on the first pass thru the liver, changes into delta 11 THC. Five times as psychoactive and much longer lasting. I don't know how many people understand that. Ralph)
26. Cannabis protects nerve cells from dying thus protects against Altzheimers Disease.
27. Our bodies make up marijuana like compounds to make us hungry. (gives us the munchies) Then turn off those compounds & we don't have the munchies anymore when it has had enough food. The cannabinoid system first appeared 600 million years ago. Food & feeding is at the heart of evolution & the development of new species.
28. Head injuries cause the body to produce Endo-cannabinoids to protect itself as well as protecting the body against Nerve Gas. Marijuana turns on the bodies Protective Mode, because when you're hungry the body makes Cannabinoids to turn on your hunger. Cannabinoids turn on the expression of a Particular Gene (at the same time it prevents the expression of other Genes). How the Marijuana Receptors change the Integral Bio-Chemistry. Some of the Molecules that are involved or been studied in a Model Organism. There is a worm that people study alot. They have very simple Nervous Systems so you can define what exactly is going on. It turns out this one Particular Molecule regulates what is known as a Transcription Factor (It turns on the Expression of Genes.) It turns out that when you turn on the Expression of this Particular Gene of the Worm Model it actually promotes Mimicking a condition that actually Promotes Longevity of these worms. This Parallels what we've seen in mice. Because Marijuana exhibits Free Radicals so people who've been using Cannabis, Long Term, tend to Live Longer & Look Younger. Marijuana Promotes your Health by affecting your Nerve Cells, by Balancing your Immune System, by Reducing Fat Deposition in your Cardio-Vascular System. It looks as if it helps Burn the Synthesis of things like Cholesterol.
29. New research shows that the argument over outlawing cannabis because it "Causes Cancer" is no longer valid. There are Nicotine Receptors in your throat. There are no Cannabinoid Receptors in your throat. Cells have a Bio-chemical Program known as "APOPTOSIS". This Bio-chemical Program is activated when cells too damaged to repair themselves commit suicide. There is a Bio-chemical Pathway that controls that. Nicotine activates a path that protects the cells from dying. Smoking anything puts Carcinogens into your Air Passage-ways and Cardio-Vascular system. Cells that get damaged by smoke die and that's what you want to happen. Cells to die before they become Cancer Cells.
30. Cannabinoids modulate pain peripherally. In our bodies there are special kinds of pain receptors, known as Vanaloid receptors & they are sensitive to things like heat & excessive pressure & they are responsible for pain. It turns out that a natural regulator of that that down-regulates pain. The endocannabinoid known as Anandamide, the blissful amide, when you combine Sanskrit for ananda & amide for the chemical type. It's clearly known that cannabis can regulate pain, that's been done in numerous studies, but recently , as we learn more about the molecular mechanisms of pain & cannabinoid action what we have now learned is that there is a lot of crosstalk between the cannabinoid system & the morphine, the opioid system. The name of an article that just came out is called Chronic morphine modulates the contents of the endocannabinoid tuorachidonalglycerol in the rat brain. So, tuorachidonalglycerol is another endocannabinoid. We feel pain thru the sensory nerves that are telling us that we're in a painful situation & on the other hand we feel it within our minds because certain areas of our brain subsequently get tickled. What we are seeing now is that the cannabinoid system works both peripherally & centrally & what we are gonna talk about here is this new work that links the cannabinoids more with the opioids in that opioids & cannabinoids are among the most widely consumed drugs of abuse in humans & phenomena of cross-tolerations or mutual potentiation demonstrated between these two drugs. Some of the recent work on pain has come out of England as a result of work done by G.W. Pharmaceuticals which is a company that specializes in producing cannabis plants. They've developed different strains that have different ratios of the cannabinoids & those different plants have different properties. In the past I've mentioned Bi-Polar disorder. Some people who are Bi-Polar & are depressive find Sativa's are good to help elevate them & if they're in an elevated mood & in a manic state they have to be brought down alittle & the Indica's seem to be better for that & likewise they're different ratio's of these cannabinoids that are thought to benefit for example pain, more than others, that are thought to benefit auto-immune diseases. This is being worked out, but what I'd like to go into now is that some of the new links that seem to be occurring in this particular study that I just mentioned, what they are finding is that chronic administration of Opioids is in fact down-regulating the tuorachidonalglycerol which as mentioned, is one of the endo-cannabinoids. Interestingly the Anandamide level seem to be remaining the same, but this other one, tuorachidonalglycerol seems to be down-regulated. In knock-out mice, these are mice where a particular gene is missing, it turns out that you can eliminate alot of the withdrawal systems associated with opium if you have knocked out the receptors. When people go thru withdrawal, they get terribly nauseous & feel horribly sick, well, what we do know cannabinoids control nausea. That's why it's being used by people who are receiving Chemo-therapy or disorders where they are chronically nauseous. Cannabinoids can be very effective for that. So what we are seeing is that morphine turns down the Endogenous cannabinoid Arachidonic acid & that seems to be involved in some of the addictive behavior & this is kind of interesting because we know that cannabinoids themselves other than very twisted circumstances do not show addictive behavior. On the one hand we have the cannabinoid potentiating the morphine, in that people who need morphine for pain can often use 50% of what they normally use by including cannabinoids & on the other hand, we're seeing that the cannabinoid receptor system is involved in addiction & I mentioned a long time ago, that cannabinoids can be beneficial for some people in their attempt to withdraw & now we're seeing support for that in that chronic morphine administration is turning off one of the cannabinoids that's in turn, turning on some of the withdrawal systems.
31. Cannabinoids represent a general class of chemicals, not just cannabis & THC in plants, but rather also cannabinoids that are produced in our bodies. These happen to be Lipid compounds that result from burning & making fats. The thing that is so unique about this system represents how it works so broadly for various health reasons. That is that every single system in our bodies & by system I mean our nervous system or digestive system or reproductive system or immunological system or endocrine system, you name it & the cannabinoids are involved in maintaining what's known as homostasis balance. We need to have the right amount of these components of this system which includes the compounds like THC which is better known as Lygan. They bind to specific receptors & then they are broken down by another enzyme that breaks down these things. So, we have a whole network of bio-chemistry that's influencing everything in our bodies. The question that arises is that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. The system, the cannabinoid system influencing everything in our bodies & the question is what are the nature of the wholes? What are the greater pictures that emerge out of this cannabinoid systems activity. So we see, for example, regulating reproductive system, digestive system, immune system & when they are all working together in a way that is concertedly modulated by the cannabinoid system what can we expect to see, & I would suggest that what's represented by the influences of cannabinoids & cannabis on our mind, in that it opens up our minds to new ways of thinking, it free's us from being stuck in a single track of thinking & that's exactly the kind of thought processes that are required as we move into the future which is generally composed of the unknown. What the cannabinoid system is doing is giving us a way to peacefully & lovingly adapt to change & be open to change. We see in these mice that we can knock-out the cannabinoid system that they are afraid of change. The implications of this are really profound if in fact we have people that are shifted one way or the other in terms of their ability to modulate & accept change that is of profound importance because we see people that are afraid to look forward, happily embracing the future. There are health ramifications for all of this. The cannabinoid system can help us with cardio-vascular disease where it reduces infarctsize with auto-immune diseases where it helps ameliorate & prevent the development of a whole variety of auto-immune diseases including things like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, crones disease & it's also involved with, as a natural regulator of our pain. So we have this holistic medicine that's influencing so many things & I forgot to mention that it regulates our memories & mental pains & in fact, regulates alot of life/death decisions in our cells, nerve cells in particular, which is why it's so beneficial for neurological disorders often associated with the aging, such as Alzheimer's disease. What we're seeing is a holistic medicine & again it has to be used appropriately, too little is no good, & we may be making enough. Individuals may be making enough, but there could be many many people who are not making enough or their system is not active enough who will be able to benefit from the use of cannabis & other cannabinoids. To regulate all of the things we've mentioned that it regulates. So, we've got a holistic health program. To find the balance that's required for our optimum health is something that's totally built into the cannabinoid system. Therefore, it should be readily available to use wisely.
http://www.physorg.com/
U.S. and Brazilian scientists have just proven that one of Bob Dylan's most famous lines—"everybody must get stoned"— is correct. That's because they've discovered that the brain manufactures proteins that act like marijuana at specific receptors in the brain itself. This discovery, published online in The FASEB Journal, may lead to new marijuana-like drugs for managing pain, stimulating appetite, and preventing marijuana abuse.
Studies show that the release of the body's own marijuana-like compounds is crucial to stress-induced analgesia the body's way of initially shielding pain after a serious injury.
Cannabinoid compounds have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumour cells in culture and animal models by modulating key cell-signalling pathways.
Scientists from Hungary, Germany and the U.K. have discovered that our own body not only makes chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana (THC), but these play an important part in maintaining healthy skin. This finding on "endocannabinoids" just published online in, and scheduled for the October 2008 print issue of, The FASEB Journal could lead to new drugs that treat skin conditions ranging from acne to dry skin, and even skin-related tumors.
"Our preclinical data encourage one to explore whether endocannabinoid system-acting agents can be exploited in the management of common skin disorders," said Tamás Biró, MD, PhD, a senior scientist involved in the research. "It is also suggested that these agents can be efficiently applied locally to the skin in the form of a cream."
Biró and colleagues came to this conclusion by treating cell cultures from human sebaceous glands (the glands that make the oil on our skin) with various concentrations of endocannabinoids (substances produced by the body that are similar to the active ingredient in marijuana).
Then they measured the production of lipids (fat cells, such as those in skin oil), cell survival and death, and changes in gene expression and compared these outcomes to those in an untreated control group.
"This research shows that we may have something in common with the marijuana plant," said Gerald Weissmann, MD. "Just as THC is believed to protect the marijuana plants from pathogens, our own cannabinoids may be necessary for us to maintain healthy skin and to protect us from pathogens ."
http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_pharmacology2.shtml
Cannabinoid receptors
The CB1 receptor
The CB2 receptor
The possibility of CBn receptors
Endocannabinoids
Anandamide
2-arachidonoyl-glycerol
Palmitoyl-ethanolamide
Docosatetraenylethanolamide and Homo-g-linoenylethanolamide
Oleamide
Some Proposed roles of the endogenous cannabinoid system
Learning and synaptic plasticity
Pain
Vision
Neuroprotection
Allergy and regulation of inflammation
Reproduction
Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Jam On It
The same reward pathways in the brain that are fired up by food, sex, and many illicit drugs — and even the anticipation of such highs — are triggered by pleasurable music as well, according to a study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.
Like those other pleasure cues as well, listening to music is associated with the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the results may offer insight into why music, which has no obvious survival value, is prevalent and significant across human society.
The research team measured dopamine release in response to music that elicited “chills,” changes in skin conductance, heart rate, breathing, and temperature that were correlated with pleasurability ratings of the music. “Chills” or “musical frisson” is a well established marker of peak emotional responses to music.
Using novel combination of PET and fMRI brain imaging techniques, researchers found that dopamine release is greater for pleasurable versus neutral music, and that levels of release are correlated with the extent of emotional arousal and pleasurability ratings.
“These findings provide neurochemical evidence that intense emotional responses to music involve ancient reward circuitry in the brain,” said researcher Dr. Robert Zatorre.
“To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that an abstract reward such as music can lead to dopamine release. Abstract rewards are largely cognitive in nature, and this study paves the way for future work to examine non-tangible rewards that humans consider rewarding for complex reasons.”
According to lead investigator and doctoral candidate Valorie Salimpoor, “Music is unique in the sense that we can measure all reward phases in real-time, as it progresses from baseline neutral to anticipation to peak pleasure all during scanning.”
“It is generally a great challenge to examine dopamine activity during both the anticipation and the consumption phase of a reward. Both phases are captured together online by the PET scanner, which, combined with the temporal specificity of fMRI provides us with a unique assessment of the distinct contributions of each brain region at different time points.”
The study also showed that two different brain circuits are involved in anticipation and experience, respectively: one linking to cognitive and motor systems, and hence prediction, the other to the limbic system, the emotional part of the brain.
January 13, 2011
PsychCentral
Source: McGill University
Cranial sacral therapy (also known as craniosacral therapy) is a gentle, noninvasive form of alternative medicine that deals with the movement of the fluid surrounding the skull and spine. Cranial sacral therapists ease the restrictions of nerve passages by focusing on the membranes that encase the central nervous system.
Cranial sacral therapy seeks to restore misaligned bones to their proper position and is thought to eliminate the negative effects of stress as well as provide relief from migraine headaches, neck and back pain, temporomandibular joint disorder (the inflammation of the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull) and more.
For more stress relieving tips visit: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/relieve.html#relievequick
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