Best gag reflex suppressor I know is to hold your breath as full and long as you can. The diaphragm is wired up to the same system as the gag (enteric nervous system) so it tends to put a hold on things like hiccups and gagging.

The hold-your-thumb-in-your-left-fist could be a variation of some chi/accupressure method. I suspect it works by misdirecting your conscious attention from your throat, which may tip the balance against feeling sick.

Best gag reflex suppressor I know is to hold your breath as full and long as you can

How does this help with most of the scenarios in which a gag reflex is going to go wild?

This was on Nerve this morning: One woman looking for female-friendly porn.

The article flip flops back and forward between "women" and "this woman." Sure, she doesn't like it rough, but that doesn't mean "centered around female pleasure and devoid of anything on the more violent side" is a valid base assertion, does it?

a whole lot of soft lighting, Indian chanting, and an aftershave model giving a lady with shiny, perfectly tousled hair a back massage

Yeah, that gets me going every time. Especially those Indians.

Admittedly, she didn't stick through that one, and came as a result of working through a MMMMMF scene and getting off on it. And then felt dirty about it.

I'm not seeing a unifying message here, other than she likes what she like. And that she doesn't like much.

So, there you go. Porn doesn't really work for her. No reason for it to have to.

If what gets you off makes you feel dirty and you don't like that feeling, you should possibly apply some introspection along with the diaper creme.

UNrelately, I bought the jasmine pearls from the cheaper of the two tea stores. She underserved, and they only sell them in predetermined little packets with is against the principle of expensive tea sales.

Having tasted the jasmine dragon pearls, I do like them, but they aren't as tasty as the expensive ones. So the key is surgical strikes in Teavania. Don't let them sell me shit. Merely buy what I want.

Got a late start since I didn't have my usual market partners and it was thundering when I'd normally go. I need to either go to the pool or go get some plants, but I'm being cuddle attacked by a Loki, so it is hard to get the motivation to leave the house....

Despite the weather, it was pretty busy. Minded the dog-biscuit booth so neighbor could take a bathroom break (I never manage to make a sale, but nothing gets stolen... Oh, and I'm lending him my Firefly set. He has always wanted to see it.

WaitWait is on and it is the one taped here in B'more this week. So I think I'm going to let Loki pin me to the couch for a bit and listen to that...

Timelies all!

Went to see Rush in concert in Baltimore last night. Geddy Lee's upper register is pretty well wrecked, but the concert was otherwise quite good.

Does anyone else find the smell of aveda products awful?

Oh, my, yes. I think it's the lavender scent that I really dislike.

The deep breath gambit is only really useful when you know in advance you're likely to do something that would bring on a gag -- such as taking a large pill, or sword-swallowing, or perhaps an intimate activity that is likely to start tickling the back of your throat. (Ahem.)

Usually I really like the smell of the Aveda salons and their products, and I'm prone to smell-induced headaches, too. Whatever they use actually doesn't bother me, which is a small miracle in itself.