15 Facts You Didn't Know About Your Penis

For all the attention they direct below the belt, most men actually know very little about their penises. Here's the knowledge you need to keep yours healthy, strong, and ready for action—for life.

 

Penis Fact # 1
Smoking can shorten your penis by as much as a centimeter. Erections are all about good bloodflow, and lighting up calcifies blood vessels, stifling erectile circulation. So even if you don't care all that much about your lungs or dying young, spare the li'l guy.

 

Penis Fact # 2
Doctors can now grow skin for burn victims using the foreskins of circumcised infants. One foreskin can produce 23,000 square meters, which would be enough to tarp every Major League infield with human flesh.

 

Penis Fact # 3
An enlarged prostate gland can cause both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. If you have an unexplained case of either, your doctor's looking forward to checking your prostate. Even if you're not.

 

Penis Fact # 4
The average male orgasm lasts 6 seconds. Women get 23 seconds. Which means if women were really interested in equality, they'd make sure we have four orgasms for every one of theirs.

 

Penis Fact # 5
The oldest known species with a penis is a hard-shelled sea creature called Colymbosathon ecplecticos. That's Greek for "amazing swimmer with large penis." Which officially supplants Buck Naked as the best porn name, ever.

 

Penis Fact # 6
Circumcised foreskin can be reconstructed. Movable skin on the shaft of the penis is pulled toward the tip and set in place with tape. Later, doctors apply plastic rings, caps, and weights. Years can pass until complete coverage is attained....Okay, we'll shut up now.

 

Penis Fact # 7
Only one man in 400 is flexible enough to give himself oral pleasure. It's estimated, however, that all 400 have given it their best shot at some point.

 

Penis Fact # 8
There are two types of penises. One kind expands and lengthens when becoming erect (a grower). The other appears big most of the time, but doesn't get much bigger after achieving erection (a shower).

 

Penis Fact # 9
An international Men's Health survey reports that 79 percent of men have growers, 21 percent have showers.

 

Penis Fact # 10
German researchers say the average intercourse lasts 2 minutes, 50 seconds, yet women perceive it as lasting 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Are we that good or that bad?

 

Penis Fact # 11
Turns out size does matter: The longer your penis, the better "semen displacement" you'll achieve when having sex with a woman flush with competing sperm. That's according to researchers at the State University of New York, who used artificial phalluses (ahem) to test the "scooping" mechanism of the penis's coronal ridge. Next up: curing cancer.

 

Penis Fact # 12
The penis that's been enjoyed by the most women could be that of King Fatefehi of Tonga, who supposedly deflowered 37,800 women between the years 1770 and 1784—that's about seven virgins a day. Go ahead, say it: It's good to be king.

 

Penis Fact # 13
Better-looking men may have stronger sperm. Spanish researchers showed women photos of guys who had good, average, and lousy sperm—and told them to pick the handsomest men. The women chose the best sperm producers most often.

 

Penis Fact # 14
No brain is necessary for ejaculation. That order comes from the spinal cord. Finding a living vessel for said ejaculation, however, takes hours of careful thought and, often, considerable amounts of alcohol.

 

Penis Fact # 15
The most common cause of penile rupture: vigorous masturbation. Some risks are just worth taking.

 

Thanks to Mike Zimmerman / Men's Health

Gardasil Now Approved For Prevention of Anal Cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved the vaccine Gardasil for use in prevention of anal cancer and related pre-cancerous states caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18 in males and females between the age of 9 to 26. Gardasil was previously approved in 2008 for use in preventing cervical and vulvar cancer in females from 9 to 26 years old. Since the same strains of HPV can cause both types of cancers, there is a rationale for using the same vaccine for prophylaxis. Anal cancer is a relatively rare cancer with approximately 5,300 newly diagnosed cases in the U.S. annually. However, the incidence is growing, with 90% of cases thought to be related to HPV. [via Medical News Today]

Thanks to DailyDose

The Monkey With The Wooden Apples

There once was a happy monkey wandering the jungle, eating delicious fruit when hungry, and resting when tired. One day he came upon a
house, where he saw a bowl of the most beautiful apples. He took one in each hand and ran back into the forest.

 

He sniffed the apples and smelled nothing. He tried to eat them, but hurt his teeth. They were made of wood, but they were beautiful, and when
the other monkeys saw them, he held onto them even tighter.

 

He admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistened red in the sun, and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them, that he didn't even notice his hunger at first.

 

A fruit tree reminded him, but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldn't bear to set them down to reach for the fruit. In fact, he couldn't relax, either, if he was to defend his apples. A proud, but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest trails.

 

The apples became heavier, and the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired, hungry, and he couldn't climb trees or collect fruit with his hands full. What if he just let go?

 

Letting go of such valuable things seemed crazy, but what else could he do? He was so tired. Seeing the next fruit tree, and smelling it's fruit was enough. He dropped the wooden apples and reached up for his meal. He was happy again.

 

Letting Go Of Wooden Apples

 

Like that little monkey, we sometimes carry things that seem too valuable to let go. A man carries an image of himself as "productive" - carries it like a shiny wooden apple. But in reality, his busyness leaves him tired, and hungry for a better life. Still, letting go seems crazy. Even his worries are sacred apples - they prove he's "doing everything he can." He holds onto them compulsively.

 

This is a hard thing to see. We identify so strongly with our things, even feeling pain when our cars are dented. How much more powerfully do we identify with our beliefs and self-ideas? Yet they don't always feed our souls, do they? And we become tired of defending them.

 

How else could the story end? The monkey might be found dead of hunger, under a beautiful tree, with fruit within reach, but still grasping his
wooden apples. I chose to end it with him letting go, because only with open hands can we receive.

 

Thanks to Steve Gillman

Notable Events - From Dec 26 To Jan 1

December 26, 1776 - The British suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War.

December 26, 1865 - The coffee percolator was patented by James H. Mason.

December 26, 1917 - During World War I, the U.S. government took over operation of the nation's railroads.

December 26, 1921 - The Catholic Irish Free State became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain.

December 26, 1944 - Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie" was first performed publicly, at the Civic Theatre in Chicago, IL.

December 26, 1947 - Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast United States, burying New York City under 25.8 inches of snow in 16 hours. The severe weather was blamed for about 80 deaths.

December 26, 1982 - The Man of the Year in TIME magazine was a computer. It was the first time a non-human received the honors.

December 27, 1831 - Charles Darwin set out on a voyage to the Pacific aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin's discoveries during the voyage helped him form the basis of his theories on evolution.

December 27, 1932 - Radio City Music Hall opened its doors to the public for the first time.

December 27, 1945 - The World Bank was created with an agreement signed by 28 nations.

December 27, 1947 - The children's television program "Howdy Doody," hosted by Bob Smith, made its debut on NBC.

December 27, 1971 - Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Woodstock of Charles Schulz' "Peanuts" comic strip were on the cover of "Newsweek" magazine.

December 27, 1978 - Spain adopted a new constitution and became a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.

December 27, 2000 - Mario Lemeiux (Pittsburgh Penguins) returned to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player after over 3 years of retirement. He was the first owner-player in the modern era of pro sports. Lemieux had purchased the Pittsburgh Penguins during his retirement from playing.

December 27, 2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush granted China permanent normal trade status with the United States.

December 28, 1836 - Mexico's independence was recognized by Spain.

December 28, 1902 - The first professional indoor football game was played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Syracuse defeated the Philadelphia Nationals 6-0.

December 28, 1945 - The U.S. Congress officially recognized the "Pledge of Allegiance."

December 28, 1964 - Initial filming of the movie "Dr. Zhivago" began on location near Madrid, Spain. The movies total running time is 197 minutes.

December 28, 1981 - Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American test-tube baby, was born in Norfolk, VA.

December 29, 1848 - U.S. President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House.

December 29, 1851 - The first American Young Men's Christian Association was organized in Boston, MA.

December 29, 1888 - The first performance of Macbeth took place at the Lyceum Theatre.

December 29, 1940 - During World War II, Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London.

December 29, 1952 - Sonotone Corporation offered the first transistorized hearing aid for sale.

December 30, 1879 - Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" was first performed, at Paignton, Devon, England.

December 30, 1887 - A petition to Queen Victoria with over one million names of women appealing for public houses to be closed on Sundays was handed to the home secretary.

December 30, 1940 - California's first freeway was officially opened. It was the Arroyo Seco Parkway connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena.

December 30, 1948 - "Kiss Me Kate" opened at the New Century Theatre in New York City. Cole Porter composed the music for the classic play that ran for 1,077 performances.

December 30, 1953 - The first color TV sets went on sale for about $1,175.

December 31, 1897 - Brooklyn, NY, spent its last day as a separate entity before becoming part of New York City.

December 31, 1929 - Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played "Auld Lang Syne" as a New Year's Eve song for the first time.

December 31, 1940 - As a result of a dispute between the radio networks and ASCAP (the American Society of Composers and Publishers), the radio industry was prevented from playing any ASCAP-licensed music. The ban lasted for ten months.

December 31, 1946 - U.S. President Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.

December 31, 1967 - The Green Bay Packers won the National Football League championship game by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17. The game is known as the Ice Bowl since it was played in a wind chill of 40 degrees below zero.

January 1, 1772 - The first traveler's checks were issued in London.

January 1, 1801 - Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi became the first person to discover an asteroid. He named it Ceres.

January 1, 1863 - U.S. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in the rebel states were free.

January 1, 1898 - Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were consolidated into New York City.

January 1, 1937 - The First Cotton Bowl football game was played in Dallas, TX. Texas Christian (T.C.U.) beat Marquette, 16-6.

January 1, 1985 - VH-1 premiered as an adult contemporary music video channel with Marvin Gaye's "Star Spangled Banner" video.

January 1, 2002 - The euro coin and banknotes were put into circulation in 12 European countries.

 

Thanks to On-This-Day