You gotta love Japanese culture. They always find a way to surprise you with their little quirks and pleasantries.

I mean, in America, the stereotypical retiree will move down to Florida to spend their time lounging by the pool in a gated community or playing a few holes on the golf course. Lame. In Japan, adult films for senior citizens, aka “elderly porn” is growing into quite the profitable franchise, according to porn producing giant Ruby Productions.

While America’s economy is declining, many entertainment venues (including golf courses) are taking a hit. In Japan, at least one retiree is cashing in on the entertainment biz. Shigeo Tokuda, 73, is the Ron Jeremy of elderly porn.

CNN correspondent Kyung Lah describes Tokuda as “the star of his movies in every way, romancing his co-stars, no matter their age, no matter their needs.” And apparently, his films are no-holds-barred, much like anything Jenna Jameson has appeared in. Read More »

As we approach August, we may have started to take summer vacay for granted. In the dog days of summer, it’s easy to sleep until 2 p.m., get caught up on Maury, and not realize we still have our PJs on until it’s time to go back to bed. But with the countdown to Fall Semester ticking fast, it’s important to make the most of every spare minute. Whether you’re working your ass off or dedicated to being a lazy bum until a full courseload kicks back in, it’s time to get in gear and create some glorious summer memories.

1. Take a roadtrip. Sure, gas prices are skyrocketing, but you’re only young once, right? And once you’re shackled into a nine-to-five, you’re going to crave the spontaneity that’s currently yours for the taking. I’m a self-professed workaholic, but even I’ve been known to squeeze in a few quality roadtrips between May and August each year. One summer, I took a fourteen-hour drive to Ohio with two girls from work I barely knew, for the birthday party of one of my brother’s grad school friends. And no, my brother didn’t go. So, three random girls showed up at a party in the boondocks (aka Wooster), and promptly put on our party shoes. Liquor flowed, regrettable hook-ups were had, and the girls and I totally bonded over the experience. Even if you can only spare one day, find a town you’ve never been to before, and head out to explore. You never know what adventures might arise. Read More »

Let me tell you a secret: I used to have no rhythm.

Actually, that’s not really a secret, and it’s still mostly true. I used to think I would never be able to dance, no matter how much practice I had or how precisely I counted the beats of the song in my head. One of my ex-boyfriends was actually rude enough to refuse to dance with me at any social function because I was “so awful,” as he affectionately termed it.

Then I discovered swing.

Swing dancing defied all of my stereotypes about dance. I thought you had to be lithe and limber to dance well, that you had to be able to balance sixteenth-notes in your head while tapping out the rhythm of the drums, and that more experienced dancers would never, ever deign to be partners with beginners.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Swing was all of my dreams come true. It was a dance where great, talented people with years of experience would partner in a heartbeat with first-time dancers. It was a fantastic workout, with stretching and cardio and aerobic exercise all jammed into one. It was both endlessly challenging and deceptively simple—you can learn the basic steps of East Coast Swing in less than ten minutes, but spend decades perfecting the forms. And, most of all, it was FUN. Read More »

Before college, baseball was completely useless to me. There was no team that particularly mattered, and it was horrible to watch on TV. Sure, I liked A League of Their Own, but there wasn’t anything quite as captivating going on in real sports that made me want to pay attention.

Then came college, and I lived with five New Yorkers who had an entirely different opinion. The Manhattanites were die-hard Yankees fans, the Westchester kids pledged their love for David Wright and the New York Mets. After fate pointed me eastward in my post- graduation move, I felt morally torn between the lesser of two evils.

I’m going to preface my decision-making with the following: We had gone on sorority house trips to see the Detroit Tigers play, and the games had been so much more fun than TV could ever suggest. The weather was nice, people were relatively excited about it, I could understand how people got into baseball. But I wasn’t particularly attached to the Tigers. I hadn’t grown up with them. I didn’t care if they won or lost. I needed a team, and I was moving to baseball Mecca mid-season. Read More »

So, like,

Welcome to College Candy’s first advice column, Tuffy Luv Knows All.

And I do mean all.

Got a question about life? Sex? School? Family? Dating? Random Facts? Anything? ANYTHING?!
TUFFY LUV KNOWS THE ANSWER.

Seriously. Tuffy knows all.

So here’s how it’s gonna be. I’m not here to be a jerk at you, but I’m also not going to be fluffy like that outdated Ann Landers crap. I want to give you good, honest, sound advice. Advice you can freaking use, you know? Advice that’s better than the drivel your parents or roommate could offer.

But it’s gonna be, like, fun or whatever. And I promise, promise, PROMISE to answer all of your hardest and craziest questions with sensitivity, integrity, and a whole lot of research.

So post your questions in the comments (anonymously, if you want) so Tuffy can answer them and shit.

Right on.

Hearts & Skulls,
Tuffy Luv

Kate Nash: Pumpkin Soup

Kate Nash seems to be everywhere these days! Haven’t heard of her? Check out “Pumpkin Soup” and if you like what you hear, get it here!

When it comes to being trendy, anything computer-controlled seems to get overlooked. Usually seen as too geeky to be truly chic, when it comes to fashion, science need not apply.Until I came across Skintiles.

To be quite honest, it took me a few times reading through the write-up on these things to really get what the hell they are, so let me give you a simplified run-down:

It’s like a mood ring that you can stick on your body, much like jewelry, except instead of whatever mystery substance is in those rings, Skintiles are completely electronic!

Get it? Read More »

Starting off a “real life” in a new city far from home after recently graduating college in May can be a very scary and lonely experience. Take it from me, I am currently doing it right now.

Having to make adult decisions and worry about things like finding a reasonable apartment to rent or what kind of medical benefits your job will have were possibly the last things on my mind as a carefree college student just four months ago.

And to add more sting to the wound, I have to hear about everyone going back to school.

My younger friends all have away messages up such as “Back at it! Pregaming, then out” or “Fall Semester Kick Off Party.” I sit in my tiny apartment and cringe with jealousy when I read posts like The First Day of School or My Freshman Year: Day One. I lament with my fellow graduates who are working as well and miles away over IM or email.

Somehow, it’s just not the same as stumbling into their rooms at 3 am when we all lived in a sorority house together.

Well, not only does loneliness suck, but it’s bad for your health as well. A recent article I read described how researchers had found that “loneliness may accelerate the rate of physical decline that occurs naturally with age.” Great!

So, not only do I feel old because I am a college graduate, but now, my current state of mind could be aging me even faster…AHHH! Read More »

Never been one for Improv?

Yeah me either. I’m just not that funny on the spot. But Improv Everywhere’s mp3 Experience 4, held on August 18, took improv to the masses and the comedy challenged.

Pretty much the coolest game ever, all you had to do was download the mp3, sync up your ipod and meet at the designated local in lower Manhattan. Then, the fun began. And with total strangers, no less!

Participants were instructed to hit play at 4 o’clock on the dot as they were told to complete tasks like pointing to the Statue of Liberty (even though they couldn’t see it), skip to a German Tourist, play Twister and interact with the public (high fives and thumbs ups!) as they walked to a park for the next part of their mission. Read More »

Maybe I’m not the norm.

I like (okay, love) video games. I admit it! I think it goes back to childhood when I was forced into playing (but, mostly watching) them with my brothers. But let me tell you, after a good 15 years of playing everything from Super Mario to the underrated (and hilariously ridiculous) Burgertime, I know a thing or two about gaming.

And yes, while there are certainly hundreds of games that feed into the typical male shoot-‘em-up mentality, trust me, there are games for the girls that will blow your mind.

Like what, you ask?

Wii Fit! I know, we’ve mentioned it before, but it’s totally worth another discussion. It’s not scheduled to be released until 2008, but Steve and I got to play a demo of it yesterday and my inner-geek was overjoyed! Read More »