Marijuna: Aphrodisiac?

Cannabis sativa (a.k.a. pot or hashish, among others) has been in use by physicians, healers and makers of love potions for at least 3000 years, and perhaps more than 5000. It has been credited with arousing abilities by cultures in Africa, Asia and Europe, and made its way into literature that includes 1001 Arabian Nights. The Greeks wrote a fair bit on the subject, and the net was that enough helps libido and too much inhibits it, much like alcohol. The continuing faith in its ability to incite lust was actually a significant factor in its illegalization in the United States, as “reefer madness” was said to contribute to a host of illicit sexual behaviors.

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may i feel said he

may i feel said he
(i’ll squeal said she
just once said he)
it’s fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let’s go said he
not too far said she
what’s too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you’re willing said he
(but you’re killing said she

but it’s life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don’t stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you’re divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)

 

(e.e. cummings)

The Original Highball

A highball, as you may recall, is a kind of mixed drink that is made of a liquor or (infrequently) a liqueur and a mixer, normally in a 2:5 ratio or thereabouts, and stirred or built over ice. Sometimes there’s more to it than that, as with the Harvey Wallbanger, but really, the general concept is what people mean by the term.

There is also a glass to go with highballs, called a highball glass (go figure). The Collins glass is narrower and taller than the highball, but is used for the most part interchangeably in bars and in my terminology here. I know they’re different, but don’t worry about it if you only have one and “need” the other. Outside of a few presentation issues now and then, it won’t be a problem.

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Deserve Passion

People use the word “deserve” far too freely. Any time you see or hear a sentence with the phrase, “everyone deserves ______” you should immediately think – and perhaps say – “Why?” There is rarely any good answer, and in trying to explain it, the hollowness of the assertion becomes very clear. Outside of a very few basic things, claiming that everyone deserves something diminishes the value of the thing. It’s almost always an excuse for laziness, and is lazy thinking, itself.

“Everyone deserves passion!” Oh really? Why? I can name several counterexamples without effort. It doesn’t take much to be worthy of some measure of ardor, and there is certainly no guarantee that worthiness, or lack of, will be rewarded as appropriate. But the answer to the deserving is there in that last sentence.

The only sure way to deserve passion is to attempt to inspire it.