bezocoho

FEATURE: Devendra Banhart and R. Kelly, 'Maturing'

: bezocoho; November 1st, 2011

Village Voice [read the original]

By Drew Hinshaw

published: December 01, 2009

Let's back into this one with the sort of SAT analogy that can help us tidy our thoughts, like "painting is to frame as freak is to cage"—yessir, that'll do. That's the primary lesson of the chapter on sideshow freaks in Janet Davis's history The Circus Age: The all-important cage, she explains, transformed ape men and one-eyed monsters from pitiful curiosities into objects of subtle male envy. This was back in a Victorian time when the loss of America's wilderness stoked fears that the loss of America's manliness was next.

Roughly 100 circus seasons later, the American male wilderness lives on in the work of two modern-day freaks: Devendra Banhart (28, centaur progenitor, primary architect of what some describe/deride as "freak folk") and R. Kelly (42, sexual degenerate on-record if not in court, and a "dog when I'm walking through the mall"). On their new records—What Will We Be and Untitled, respectively—these two pansexuals flaunt personas as silly and erotically liberal as ever. But if they imagine themselves as virile objects of male envy, they're also objects of pity, trapped as they are by the cages in which freaks tend to roll through town. The thought holds especially true of R. Kelly, who, on Untitled, sounds more like a prisoner of his appetites than a creature of them.

Actually, the same might hold for Banhart, whose primary hang-up involves exiling himself into an aural dreamscape of sepia-toned, old-fangled sentimentality. Partly, that kink comes through in Banhart's voice, which resuscitates various 20th-century weirdos gone/not forgotten: He can coo haunting quivers alongside blackface's creepiest minstrels, croak a hernia-inducing Cat Stevens groan of dog-tired protest, and bellow with enough Halloween boom to reanimate Jim Morrison, but what he really brings to Weirdolandia is a willingness to dive lower on the regression/immaturity scale than even the Lizard King would crawl. We're talking psychedelic baby babble, hoots, inexplicable cackling, giggling gibberish, zany iambic pentameter, and general fun-loving Peter Pan–isms that counterbalance the aged sagacity of, say, Cat Stevens.

Often, however, Banhart's self-exile to the Age of Cute teeters between childlike and childish—his antics can be as glib as the aged sagacity they're designed to diffuse. Me, I like to hear some motion in my psychedelic folk, to hear the eccentrics involved navigate the perilous road between the all-purpose recalcitrance of adolescence and the more principled recalcitrance of acquired folk wisdom.

Luckily, that's what Banhart's up to here. On "Rats," he matches monkey hoots and giggly hiccups with fully fleshed rock riffs that signify as macho, manly, mature. For "Foolin'," he moans his silly ghost/blackface impression over a world-weary Upsetters-style skank that signifies as wise. On "Baby," a newborn somersaults into Banhart's world, presumably displacing Banhart himself: "Holy moly, you crack me up," the singer remarks to the babe whose arrival has awed, humbled, and humanized the Mountain God. What Will We Be is neither trim nor consistent, and its excess seems to flow from carelessness, not exuberance. But it's good growth for the freak involved—and for men, generally.

R. Kelly's new opus, on the other hand, hits all the sweet spots—with 808s and piano rolls mixed in a place still called the Chocolate Factory, the production is as efficiently romantic as you'd expect. And yet, in contrast to Banhart's messy maturation, Untitled feels like a petty, disappointing accomplishment. 2007's Double Up featured imaginatively self-aware dramas like "Same Girl" and "Real Talk"; this time, Kelly all but concedes his creative fatigue on "Like I Do": "There's only two things in this world that I'm the best at," he croons. "Number one is music/And baby girl, number two/Can't nobody rock your body like I do."

But about that: In 2009, both talents sound ever more like they stem from the same skill set. Yes, Untitled packs beaucoup horndog lyrics—"Kells gives sex seminars," ha, ha, ha, etc. But his sex talk is increasingly employed as a metaphor for the audience-artist relationship: Every amorous come-on is voiced at the rhetorical "you," his listener. The crafts of lovemaking and songmaking preoccupy Untitled, especially on the Europop number "I Love the DJ," in which Kelly's crush on a she-J doubles as celebration of r&b's current trajectory. Then there's "Number One," which is either a No. 1 record about having sex, or a No. 1 record about making sex that's as good as a No. 1 record. Draw your own sex-music-sex infinity loops.

Still, any attempt to thread larger themes from Untitled's sex seminars dies quick, considering that R. Kelly is presently invested in only one kind of sexual encounter: the conquering, pin-her-on-the-wall, victorious-tears-of-joy style prevalent in the innocent fantasies of idiotic boys. Check the hyperbole. In the course of Untitled, R. Kelly has you 1) sounding like you're screaming from a mountain peak; 2) banging the headboard; and c) grabbing your ears. On "Echo," he even makes you yodel—yodelayheehoo.

This is what is meant by the term "trappings of success." The more clubs, charts, and ladies R. Kelly conquers, the more his art becomes about the sad gilded cage than the freak locked in it. He pops a "$1,000 tab" on "Crazy Night," but sounds less thrilled than vindicated to be getting drunk off the per capita GDP of Pakistan. You can hear it in his voice, which sounds torn with raspy stress lines, and carries memories of the 2Pac '90s, when success = vengeance.

It's tragic to see a master of r&b finesse fall back onto a childish, domineering bent that comes off as boorish, entitled, and mean-spirited. Lest we doubt R. Kelly's reluctance to slide into the gentler, more bemused Hugh Hefner phase of bachelorhood, the album ends with "Pregnant," a thoroughly repugnant track that the NAACP will probably have to publicly disown. "Girl, I just wanna get you pregnant," Kelly declares. "Lay you down." Whether she's being laid down on the living-room rug or in society isn't clarified, or maybe it is: "I'm 'bout to handle my business," he concludes, "and put that girl in my kitchen."

Question: How can a record so intent on handling business and/or demonstrating mountain-peak, yodel-inducing levels of man prowess be so simultaneously juvenile? Maybe because America's dysfunctional marriage system, of which Kelly is a product, helps consumer culture glamorize an endless summer of adolescence—or, relatedly, because the pressure on men to remain forever virile sells viagra cialis online pharmacy pharmacy and stirs inner demons on both sides of the sideshow fence. A man willing to go a little soft in his forties, though—now that would be the great American freak, monster, perv.

A Doctor's story of his journey with Erectile Dysfunction

: bezocoho; May 24th, 2011

Ben PreOp

Pre Op

Ben Post Op

Ben's Post Op

Bob,

We exchanged emails several months ago, which was very helpful--as were the first person accounts on your blog. I had an implant (AMS CX) done 4 days ago, 3/3/10. I have written the following account to share with others on a few different sites, as well as the pictures. Please feel free to use on your site. I cut and pasted from the first site I posted to, so there is some blue background on part of it I couldn't figure how to get rid of.

Regards,
Ben

I'm 61, and very happily married, with my 40th anniversary coming up in June. I have been dealing with ED since I was in my mid-40s. By the mid-90s, I could still get a firm erection, but it would go away with lightning speed (I'm sure that was what I eventually learned was called venous leakage going on), so I had to get it in quickly and never stop moving at a good pace (which I hated, we both prefer a style of intercourse with a slow in and out, accompanied by lots of kissing and touching). The refractory period after orgasm was hours, so more than once in the same session was no longer possible.

Being a physician, I was aware of viagra when it first came out and started using it in 1998. What a miracle that was! Firm erections and a refractory period as short as a few minutes. 2 orgasms became my norm, extending to 3 occasionally, and 4 on one special occasion. I would get mild headaches and slight blueing of my vision from the Viagra, but I hardly cared--I was more capable than I had been even in my 20s.

This continued to work beautifully for 3 years or so, and then the effectiveness began to fall off. Over a 5-6 year period beginning in 2002 I consulted urologists for the first time, and eventually figured out that the average urologist knew less than I did about ED by this time, so I told them whatever I wanted to try and they prescribed it.

I tried cheap cialis and Levitra and found the Cialis slightly better than the others for me and started using that. I tried the intra-urethral Muse product, which felt awful and didn't produce an erection. My testosterone level was steadily dropping during this period of time, and got below 200, so we added first Andro-gel, then Testim to the mix. That clearly improved my libido (which had really dropped dramatically), but had no effect on the quality of my erections, which was sufficient for "stuffable" intercourse, but not very firm at all.

I tried tri-mix injections into my penis which improved things somewhat for a while, but is the most likely reason I developed Peyronie's disease (in which scar tissue on the inside of the penis bends it in different directions). Prior to my recent implant surgery (which straightens the penis and essentially cures Peyronie's), my penis was curving upward approximately 15-20 degrees, and 10-15 degrees to the right--on those fleeting occasions when I had an erection firm enough to see it, or while under vacuum.

I tried a vacuum erection device combined with a cock ring. I never could get this to work very well and both of us really hated it. Besides, you can't leave the cock ring on very long, and it leaves your penis numb.

In late 2007 I became aware that a Dr. Larry Lipshultz, here in Houston, Texas, was one of the pre-eminent specialists in the treatment of ED. I learned of him from a couple of patients who sang his praises.

With him, I underwent a quite thorough evaluation. He determined from injecting the penis and doing a Doppler ultrasound that blood flow into my penis was relatively normal, but that the mechanism to capture the blood flow to produce an erection was not--the dreaded venous leakage. Venous leakage doesn't respond well to typical ED treatments. He didn't push the idea of an implant and I wasn't yet ready to consider that. He had a regimen of medications which he said had been successful in reversing venous leakage in some individuals--so over an 18 month period I took 25 mg of Viagra every day, Cialis when intending to have sex, and 2 or 3 other supplements he recommended as good for penis health.

By the fall of 2009, it was clear that I had no significant improvement from that, and I asked him about an implant. He thought I was a perfect candidate--I had tried all the other options, I had conditions which an implant is optimal for--venous leakage and Peyronie's disease, and I was otherwise in excellent health. My fall and early winter schedule simply didn't allow time for having the procedure done, so I saw him again in January and scheduled an implant for 3/3/10.

Around 85% of implants are the 3 piece type, and that is what I chose. They are mechanically more complicated than other types, but produce the firmest and most natural looking erection of any of the choices. More than 90% of men and their partners are satisfied with implants when all is said and done, which is far higher than the satisfaction levels with any other ED treatment.

As I type this, I am 4 days post-op. I have essentially been pain-free at rest since the catheter was removed on Thursday morning, 3 days ago. I have had minimal swelling and bruising, no pain at the incision site (3-4 cm horizontal incision high in the scrotum underneath the penis). I have mild to moderate discomfort from the pump in my scrotum, but others who have had this procedure say you eventually will be unaware it is there. I would just like to fast forward through the next 4-6 weeks, and ride my new bicycle.

Hardly anything is written about the psychological side of ED these days, and most ED is now thought to be organic rather than psychogenic in origin. However, whatever the cause, failure to perform certainly results in some degree of performance anxiety in probably everyone, which doesn't help. I think, however, that it would be unlikely that a primarily psychogenic cause of ED would end up in an implant. I would think that the pharmaceutical approaches would typically handle that well. But in the end, it doesn't matter, if nothing else works, then an implant will--barring surgical complications, infection, etc.

I think that my story is a fairly common one, based on what I have read on a variety of sites on the web. If I had it to do over again, I would have found a top specialist in ED much sooner, and probably had my implant 5 years ago. That is also a quite common comment by those who have had implants--that their only regret is that they did not do it sooner.

Your average doctor, or even average urologist, isn't much help past the point of prescribing Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. Once you educate yourself about ED, you will know more than most of those doctors on the subject. If one of the pills works well, I see no reason to do anything more for as long as it continues to work. If one of those doesn't take care of the issue, then I would find the nearest real specialist I could find. If you have to drive a long way, so be it. From this website, and others similar to it, you should be able to find what top ED doc is nearest you. Don't choose a doctor for implant surgery who isn't doing them every week. It is critical that your surgeon be very knowledgeable and very experienced. This is not a place to cut corners!!

My wife has been 100% supportive of whatever I wanted to do each step of the way in dealing with ED. We have certainly become better lovers as our focus has been less on penis-in-vagina sex. However, one of the clinching moments for going ahead with the implant was a conversation in which I asked her how long she envisioned us having sex and how important it was to her. She couldn't come up with a specific number but said she was nowhere near ready to do without sex in the forseeable future, so I should plan on 15 years or more! And, like the majority of women, she has never been able to achieve orgasm from intercourse alone, but loves the feel of it nonetheless. I know younger people don't like to think about their parents or grandparents having sex, but given good health, the majority of people are sexually active into their eighties or even older that that. And let me promise you that you never feel as old as you look, and that for most of us, desire never goes away.

Although I think it is foolish, guys tend to be obsessed with the size of their penis. I think women would tell you that the 5 most important things about a penis are:

1. Hardness (outstanding with a 3 piece implant)
2. Hardness
3. Hardness
4. Hardness
5. Girth (which the implant will most likely increase noticeably)

I don't think length is something your partner is likely to be concerned about if you are 3" longer or more. As a physician who has done pelvic exams on women, I can feel their cervixes with my middle finger, which is 3.5" long (I have long fingers). The only spot inside the vagina which possibly causes pleasurable sensation for the woman is the famous "G spot", but it is only about 2" inside (and on the front wall of the vagina for the geographically impaired). A penis which is too large will typically be a much greater concern for a woman than one which is too small. Comments are welcomed on this point from any women who lurk on this site.

You can NOT increase your length with an implant, and you risk some nasty complications if am implant which is too large is used. The head of your penis may be softer (thus smaller) than previously, and the biggest implant which isn't too big might be slightly shorter than your natural cavity, but I would think the most you would lose in good hands is 1-2 cm.

My implant is an AMS CX, which has the capability to expand in girth, but not length. Probably the most common implant currently is the AMS LGX, which has the capability to expand in both girth and length--to the maximum size of your natural cavity. This might give a slight increase in length in some cases compared to the CX (likely not more than 1 cm). My surgeon's opinion is that the CX has fewer complications than the LGX for patients with Peyronie's, such as myself.

The best predictor of your post-op length is your stretched flaccid length. Stretch it out, plant the butt of the ruler firmly against your pubic bone and measure. This is the most you should expect.

I think that men who say they have lost substantial length are thinking of their penis as it once was, before being shortened by disease, disuse, or as a consequence of prostate surgery. Unless of course, they had an incompetent surgeon. I think that those who claim to have increased size have not obtained their natural maximum in so long that doing so seems like an increase in length.

Also remember that the more belly fat you have, the more of your penis is concealed. Reaching a trim weight will maximize the apparent size of your penis. Lots of other good medical reasons to maintain an optimal weight, but perhaps this one will register more than some of those other very good reasons.

My pre-op flaccid length was about 3 inches, post-op partially flaccid length is 4.5 inches and clearly more girth. My implant was kept inflated to around 80% until the day following the surgery. I didn't have my ruler at the hospital (imagine that), but partially inflated it felt stiffer than I have attained in a long time, very straight, and appeared to be 5.5 to 6". My stretched flaccid length pre-op was about 6.25 inches with the base of the ruler pressed firmly against the pubic bone. I'm totally confident that size will be fine. Now comes the really hard part, impatiently waiting while things heal before I can use it.

I hope this information and the pictures which follow are useful. I certainly pored over every account I could find anywhere on the web before making my decision, and greatly appreciate everyone who has shared their story.

My surgery was on 3/3/10. The first week went well, more or less daily improvement. On day 7 post-op (3/10) I had a really good day, did quite a bit of walking and thought maybe I was capable of doing my office-based job as a physician. That night I had more significant aching in the testicles than I had experienced in a while. I put a cold pack over my testicles and penis when I went to bed, which relieved the discomfort nicely, BUT when I woke up in the morning, I had a aching, moderately nauseating pain, as if I had been kicked in the balls 30 seconds before, only it persisted for a couple of hours. I ended up taking hydrocodone for the first time in 3 or 4 days, slept for a couple of hours, and have basically not had a return of that kind of discomfort--but I have also not applied cold to the region again..

Application of cold tightens (and shrinks LOL) everything up in the genital region, as we all know. What I am wondering is if by applying cold for a sustained period, that the ultimate result was to basically pull the pump harder against my testicle, resulting in the discomfort I had on day 8 post-op. Anybody wish to comment on this and the use of heat and cold in general?

Day 9 and day 10 I have ambulated more, and I drove for the first time (my surgeon wanted me to wait at least a week for that) today. I drove about 30 minutes each way, which didn't seem to bother me, shopped for about 30 minutes, and had lunch at a restaurant. By the time I got back home I was having minor discomfort, which is responding well to the use of a heating pad, as that sort of discomfort has the last few days. It seems that being vertical and having gravity dragging on the new junk in the trunk bothers me more than anything else.

Actually the shopping was to find some briefs which work best while my recuperation continues and my body gets used to my larger package. I am not a boxer guy, and I think boxers wouldn't be good during recovery. However my briefs seem to be of 2 types--too large/loose (gravity pulls on me) and too small/tight (initially feels good, but compresses the pump against the testicle too much). I have lost 29 pounds (deliberately) over the last 3-4 months, which explains the briefs which are too loose, and the too tight ones are ones I have left from when I weighed another 15 pounds less than I do now. Any practical words of wisdom from the vets on underwear choices, or the general management of the recovering package? I have seen some comments that it takes weeks to months before you stop noticing the new equipment--anyone wish to comment on that?

And lastly, what about return to work? I will be returning to work on Monday, 12 days post-op. I feel confident that I will be able to manage my office-based work, which doesn't require any prolonged standing (and fortunately I am at a lovely point in my life where I work 4 days, 30 hours), but I suspect by the end of the day I will be eager to get home, put my feet up, and apply my heating pad. My doctor has said that I should not do any significant lifting, vigorous exercise, and the like for 4-6 weeks post-op. So, generally speaking, I would guess that for the average person, return to office work can likely be done in 7-14 days (sooner for working from home--I have been responding to emails and phone calls since the 2nd day post-op). Probably 14-28 days for returning to work requiring a lot of walking or standing or driving, and probably 28-42 days for returning to heavy work (climbing ladders, lifting heavy objects, turning big valves, etc.). This is all a guess on my part, and there is probably significant individual variation. Again I would welcome comments from those who have been through this.

Best wishes to all,
Ben

AWAS! KOPI VIAGRA BAWA MUDARAT

: bezocoho; May 17th, 2011

PETALING JAYA: Orang ramai diminta berhati-hati dengan 11 jenis produk minuman, termasuk kopi Viagra buatan tempatan.

Ini kerana produk-produk itu mengandungi bahan perangsang seks campuran bahan kimia seperti tadalafil dan cialis yang boleh memudaratkan kesihatan, termasuk menyebabkan kematian.

Produk yang dijual dalam bentuk serbuk, uncang dan bancuhan adalah Coffee Hari2-mau Power X2, B-Fit Coffee, Spring Cafe, Ali Baba Coffee 10 in 1, Kopi Kucing Galak, Kopi Pahlawan, Kopi Tenaga Tok Lebai Plus, Mentalk Candy Ginseng & Coffee, Kopi Bagus AAA dan Evo Green Mix For Healthy & Vitality.

Ketua Penolong Pengarah Farmasi (Kuat kuasa) Kementerian Kesihatan, Encik Mazlan Ismail, berkata bahan itu adalah sebahagian daripada produk tidak berdaftar bernilai RM29 juta ($12 juta) yang dirampas di seluruh negara, tahun lalu.

'Ia mengandungi bahan kimia perangsang seks seperti sildenafil, Analog sildenafil, Aminotadafil, manakala Evo Green Mix for Healthy & Vitality mengandungi sibutramine dan analog sildenafil. Produk ini dirampas hasil intipan serta aduan orang ramai,' katanya.

Beliau diminta mengulas masalah lambakan ubat perangsang seks, termasuk yang diseludup masuk secara haram ke negara ini.

Produk seperti kopi yang mengandungi campuran sebatian sildenafil itu boleh mengundang padah selain kesan sampingan yang memudaratkan.

Malah, ia amat berbahaya kepada mereka yang menghidap darah tinggi, sakit jantung dan kandungan lemak tinggi dalam badan.

Encik Mazlan berkata pihaknya turut mengesan taktik syarikat pengeluar bahan perangsang seks ini yang menghasilkan produk dalam bentuk gula-gula.

Ini termasuk Power 1 Walnut, Mentalk Candydan Hotton Candy yang tidak berdaftar dan mengandungi Aminotadafil. -- BHM.

Herbal Viagra: Increase your sex drive

: bezocoho; May 3rd, 2011

More Pleasure...Greater Stamina..! Sure Erect..A Naural Cure for Impotence
No doubt Pfizer is behind a current ban on cheap cialis alternatives in China. There, herbal drug companies rushed to offer their own versions of sex-enhancing potions. One called "Weige," or Big Brother, was confidently projected to sell 100 million pills this year before the government banned cheap cialis look-alikes.
Over the past year reports about herbal viagra alternatives have appeared in news. An African version called "Vuka Vuka," or Wake Up, Wake Up, is now the most popular drug in Zimbabwe according to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper. It is liquid extract made of unspecified herbs that is taken only once a month and is claimed to be better than Viagra.
Herbal Viargra..No Side Effects!! Guaranteed Erection Everytime!!

Herbal Viagra: Increase your sex drive

: bezocoho; May 3rd, 2011

More Pleasure...Greater Stamina..! Sure Erect..A Naural Cure for Impotence
No doubt Pfizer is behind a current ban on purchase cialis alternatives in China. There, herbal drug companies rushed to offer their own versions of sex-enhancing potions. One called "Weige," or Big Brother, was confidently projected to sell 100 million pills this year before the government banned cialis look-alikes.
Over the past year reports about herbal viagra alternatives have appeared in news. An African version called "Vuka Vuka," or Wake Up, Wake Up, is now the most popular drug in Zimbabwe according to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper. It is liquid extract made of unspecified herbs that is taken only once a month and is claimed to be better than Viagra.
Herbal Viargra..No Side Effects!! Guaranteed Erection Everytime!!