http://www.valleyadvocate.com/section.cfm?uid=65 Copyright 2013 The Valley Advocate TheOtherRoom.com CFML RSS Generator Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:00 AM MST en-us Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16876 W e can’t get married in every state (yet!), homophobia lurks around us like an old turd that just won’t flush no matter how many times we try, and it’s even harder to get through high school when you’re a lady-loving lady. Now I have and continue to find lovely partners in... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16876 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:23:52 PM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16857 If you’ve had your fill of 10K road races and sprint triathlons, or if you’re simply keen to see what the hell you’re really made of, it might be time to start training for the new adventure race scheduled for late summer at Berkshire East in Charlemont. The Bone Frog Challege was... By Tom Vannah http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16857 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16856 P eople change. We’re meant to. #YOLO. There are countless reasons why people choose to revisit old relationships for a second or twentieth time, but is it ever a good idea? It depends on why you split in the first place and why you’re coming back for more. If you rushed into things... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16856 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16841 After 40 minutes or so of skirting around enormous boulders, hurling myself up steep dirt trails, and staring slack-jawed at gigantic slabs of granite, I finally track down the echoing voices of two climbers who are enjoying a rain-free afternoon at Erving’s legendary Farley Ledges. “You’re... Story and Pictures By Pete Redington http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16841 Wed, 29 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16824 D o you have 11 protons? ‘Cause you’re sodium fine! Thirteen hours studying for my biology final and I still barely squeaked by with a C+. My high school language classes were a breeze, but algebra brought me to tears. But my sophomore chemistry class? Aced it! Why? Because my new,... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16824 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16799 The word “sustainability” seems laden with ideals and practicality. But does it make us think about beauty? Aesthetic pleasure? Those notions don’t necessarily spring to mind. Keith Zaltzberg and his associates at Regenerative Design would like to shift any ugly and utilitarian associations... By Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16799 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16801 O n my kitchen counter is a glass jar that used to contain Teddy Bear Peanut Butter. It now has a gooey yellowish substance in it, pock-marked with finger-scoop tracks. On the jar’s green lid is a pink Post-It note that says, in purple Sharpie marker: “Farmer Lube—You know you want... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16801 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16773 I n the middle of what had been just another dinner conversation at the sex columnist’s house, a friend absolutely delighted me by dishing that he had just completed his first-ever public anal-plug wearing day. Just as many more people—gay, straight, male-bodied, female-bodied, married,... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16773 Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16747 I ’m a huge fan of “open” or “non-monogamous” relationships—when two or more people consensually agree not to be sexually and/or emotionally exclusive. Sometimes this looks like a couple being open to sleeping with others but maintaining their relationship as “primary,”... By Yana Tallon-Hicks http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16747 Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16708 Upon looking into last week’s letters at the urging of my esteemed editor, I was excited to read that I had provoked an emotion in one of my readers. Anger, of course wasn’t the emotion I was hoping to provoke, but it will have to do. Unfortunately, I believe my former reader may... By Caleb Rounds http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16708