Consent Apps and a Birthday Book Sale (and poached eggs)!

My dearest readers, it’s been a crazy week. Last Thursday I flew to Las Vegas for the annual Adult Entertainment Expo and Adult Novelty Expo, both leading up to the AVN Awards. It was a last-minute trip; up until Monday, I didn’t even think I was going to go. But then the amazing folks at Allure.com decided to send me to Sin City and cover the conventions, so off I went! I was at the conventions for two full days, then back to my AirBnB (which reeked of cigarette smoke, but everything else was taken, and hey, it’s Vegas—everything reeks of cigarette smoke) to write up my stories before flying back out on Monday. A whirlwind trip, but a productive one!

I’ve spent this entire week finishing the stories, which are now with my editor. And now I’m realizing how much I didn’t do for the past week and a half! Including….

Consent Apps: Brilliant or Bone-Headed?

Tell you about my latest article at MEL Magazine! It tackles the latest “consent app”—LegalFling—which joins a growing number of similar apps in trying to combat sexual assault with technology. LegalFling uses legally binding contracts that all parties must agree to before a sexual encounter, locks their agreement in the blockchain for posterity, and then endeavors to hold violators accountable for any breaches of consent. It’s an interesting idea—particularly the blockchain bit—and one that’s causing a lot of controversy. So, I spoke to a bunch of folks about it: a blockchain expert, a lawyer, a sex columnist, a sex-tech disruptor, a sex educator, and a psychology instructor. Their insights were fascinating. Check them out!

BIRTHDAY BOOK SALE!

Holy crap you guys I’m almost 35! My birthday is going to be here in less than two weeks, and I am completely unprepared. So I spent some time thinking about what I want this year, and came up with two answers:

1. I want to learn how to poach an egg. My avocado toast game is lagging behind. Plus, poached eggs are delicious. So that’s my personal goal for the next year of my life. It feels totally attainable.
2. I want to sell lots of copies of my book, Watching Porn! And even more than that, I want lots of people to read it! That’s why I’m running a birthday sale on signed copies of my book from my very own personal stash! I’m taking $5 off until Valentines Day. (Which is the day after my birthday, but it’s a pretty good day, and hey—Watching Porn makes an excellent Valentine’s Day gift to yourself or your lover, don’t you think? I mean it got a good review from The New York Times. Which makes it smart and sexy.) Go nab your copy right now, and let me know if you’d like me to inscribe them with anything personal! I’ll get ’em out to you as fast as I can!