Good Vibrations tends to have a lot of in-store events. Whether it’s an After Hours Class, erotica reading, how-to, product launch etc… we like bringing folks into our stores for eats and treats. And we always hope people leave a little happier whether it’s from the information they learned or from the goodies they picked up while at the event.
I try to drop in, when possible, as it’s great to see how many people want to learn and explore. It’s inspiring. And sometimes it’s fun…

There’s an event at the end of May that I think is going to fall under “fun” but could also be totally informational… depending on the information you seek… Here’s the info. I hope you all will mark your calendar, make a mental note or enter into your fancy phone… cause I have a feeling it’s going to be a good time!!!!

Hope you’ll all show up to our store on May 31^st for some afternoon delightfulness!!!

Peanut butter & jelly. Cheese & wine. Oil & vinegar. Jeremy Fish and vibrators? The unthinkable has happened, as Jeremy Fish (www.sillypinkbunnies.com) has joined forces with Upper Playground to create the world’s first* (tighty-whitey wearing) vibrating beaver. Barry The Beaver will be making his debut at Good Vibrations this month and to celebrate, Upper Playground and Good Vibrations are throwing an old fashioned party/beaver signing, with Mr. Fish himself. On Saturday, May 31st, come down to Good Vibrations ( @ 17th St.) for food, DJ’s and Jeremy Fish.

Barry The Beaver will be for sale at Good Vibrations (stores and website) as of 5/5/08, so you’ll be able to pick one up on the day of the event. Good Vibrations will also have the ultra rare Black Barry The Beaver, but they will be gone fast (on the endangered species list…only 200 pieces, worldwide), so pick yours up IMMEDIATELY.

This will all be going down from 3-5 pm, so bring your appetite and something for Jeremy to sign (preferably your beaver).
See ya there…

*May or may not be true.

The folks at the Center for Sex and Culture really know how to have a good time. REALLY!

Need proof? Just check out the Masturbate-a-thon. That’s right, it’s an event to rival all marathons… for those of you training for the AidsLifeCycle right now, I’m sure you’re secretly wishing the event was based on a different kind of pedaling!

Good Vibrations sponsors the event, held at the Center for Sex and Culture on Sunday, May 15th at 3:00PM. For those of you living outside the SF Bay Area, have no fear; you can participate from wherever you are, and, you can even tune into the festivities from the comfort of your own computer. That’s right, this year the even is going to be on the net in real time. Hosted by Nina Hartley and Tom Orr, it’s sure to be a hit so register now! Go to Masturbate-a-thon.

If you need some inspiration, be it vibration or suction, reading materials or a DVD, hit up Good Vibrations for some accessories. Good Vibrations created National Masturbation Month eleven years ago, under the premise that sexual pleasure is a birthright and that masturbation is a powerful source of sexual gratification.

‘DC Madam’ Commits Suicide 

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — A woman convicted two weeks ago of running a Washington call-girl ring that catered to the capital’s power elite was found dead here Thursday, and the authorities said she had apparently hanged herself.

The body of the woman, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52, was found in a shed at her mother’s home here about 20 miles northwest of Tampa. The police said Ms. Palfrey had left a notebook containing at least two suicide notes and other messages to her family, but they did not give additional details.

Ms. Palfrey, who had quickly become known as the D.C. Madam when the case against her began unfolding, apparently hanged herself from the shed’s ceiling with nylon rope, the police said. Her mother, Blanche Palfrey, discovered the body.

Blanche Palfrey had no sign that her daughter was suicidal, and there was no immediate indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, Capt. Jeffrey Young of the Tarpon Springs Police Department said.

A man who answered a phone listed for the elder Ms. Palfrey declined to comment.

Preston Burton, a lawyer who represented Deborah Jeane Palfrey at her trial, said, “This is tragic news, and my heart goes out to her mother.”

A federal jury in Washington found Ms. Palfrey guilty on April 15 of running a prostitution service that catered to powerful figures including Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana. She was convicted of money laundering, using the mail for illegal purposes and racketeering.

Ms. Palfrey had denied that her escort service had been involved in prostitution, saying that if any of the women had engaged in sexual acts for money, they had done so without her knowledge.

In the aftermath of her conviction, she remained free while awaiting sentencing on July 24. Under sentencing guidelines, she faced about five or six years in prison, Channing Phillips, the spokesman for the United States attorney in the District of Columbia, said Thursday.

But Ms. Palfrey had vowed that she would never go to prison. When she disclosed telephone records last year that revealed the identity of some of her clients, she told ABC: “I’m sure as heck not going to be going to federal prison for one day, let alone four to eight years, because I’m shy about bringing in the deputy secretary of whatever. Not for a second. I’ll bring every last one of them in if necessary.”

Despite that threat, Ms. Palfrey’s trial concluded without the testimony of either Mr. Vitter or another particularly prominent client, Randall L. Tobias. Mr. Tobias resigned as a senior State Department official last year after he had been linked to the escort service, though he said he had used it only for massages. Mr. Vitter, who is married and has four children, remains a first-term member of the Senate.

Dan Moldea, a Washington writer who befriended Ms. Palfrey while considering writing a book about her, said she had been cautiously optimistic about her trial.

After the conviction, however, Mr. Moldea sent her two messages but did not hear back, he said.

After hearing of her death Thursday, he recalled a conversation over dinner last year when the subject of prison came up.

“I will commit suicide first,” he remembered her saying.

One of the escort service’s employees was Brandy Britton, a former professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who was arrested on prostitution charges in 2006. Ms. Britton committed suicide in January before she could go to trial.

(from the associated press)

Net neutrality and losing your virginity - what on earth could they have in common?

What is net neutrality? It’s the principal that the network provider (that is, your internet service provider) shouldn’t be allowed limit the content their clients have access to online - otherwise, if your ISP was owned by Time/Warner, they might not want to let you download a trailer for a Disney movie, using the argument that they shouldn’t have to provide resources to promote their competitors’ product.

And what is losing your virginity? That’s having sex for the first time - there’s some controversy about what actually qualifies as losing your virginity, but it’s general considered to be intercourse. Historically, the word virgin referred to a young woman with no sexual experience, but in modern usage, the term can apply regardless of age or gender, and it’s often assumed that people who use the internet a lot are likely to be virgins. (I don’t have any idea why - I’m on the internet all the time and I get all the action I could ever want. Your mileage may vary.)

This is where Tania Derveaux comes in - she promises she will make love with every virgin who defends the internet! As long as you are over 18, a virgin, and can provide proof that you have been defending net neutrality, Tania will go to where you are at her expense, and “perform sexual intercourse (services)” with you. (No word on whether second virginity counts.)

Ms. Derveaux’s offer is a response to the CEO of Virgin Media in the UK announcing that “this net neutrality thing is a load of bollocks”. Virgin Media UK plans to treat their partners’ content to more bandwidth, and those who don’t pay Virgin a premium will have their bandwidth restricted. Naturally, this isn’t going over very well with a lot of folks.

Not coincidentally, Ms. Derveaux ran last year for the Belgian senate as a member of the Belgian political party NEE. She rose to internet stardom with an ad in which she promised 40,000 blowjobs as a parody of mainstream politicians promising what NEE considered an absurd number of new jobs if they were elected. The blowjobs were ultimately delivered virtually, via YouTube.

Due to the presence of activists like Tania, and the fact that you can buy beer from vending machines at the train station, I hereby declare Belgium to be awesome.

Femina Potens (fantastic art gallery for women and trans artists located in San Francisco) presents “I Touch Myself”, a celebration of National Masturbation Month

Spring has sprung and sex is in the air. Gratify yourself with a titillating collection of art and performance as Femina Potens pays homage to the 13th annual National Masturbation Month. Delight in erotic photographs by Ellen Stagg, red-hot paintings by Suzanne M. Shifflett, lustful illustration by Cristy C. Road, and staggeringly amazing performance art by Twincest.

Femina Potens’ streetside windows will be transformed via a provocative installation by Chrystal Powell as part of the “Outside Looking In” public arts program, sponsored by the San Francisco Arts Commission.

May 3 – June 1, 2008

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday May 3, 2008, 7–10pm