Want your vagina steam-cleaned but don't have a spa nearby? Here are the do-it-yourself instructions.

via Vice:

Vaginal steaming, sometimes called V-steaming by those too squeamish to say the word "vagina," is remarkably similar to making tea. You put a bunch of special herbs in hot water, then—and this is where the tea similarity ends—hover over it, allowing the steam to "deep-clean" your vagina and uterus. This is said to dislodge any "buildup" and can allegedly relieve hormonal imbalances, menstrual discomfort, and digestive issues.

Right. Well, doesn't sound like something I'd be willing to either pay for or do in public (or maybe not at all, really), but if you want to try it, here are do-it-yourself instructions from the ​YinOva Center:

Pour eight cups of water (preferably purified water) into a medium-size pot.

Place a handful of fresh herbs (about a quarter cup) into the water.

Bring water to a soft boil (with the lid on) for five minutes.

Turn off the heat and steep for another five minutes with the lid on.

Pour four cups (half of the pot) of water into a bowl you've placed in your toilet.

Wave your hand eight to ten inches over the herbal water to make sure it's not too hot.

Remove your underwear and sit on the seat above the steaming water.

Drape a large blanket or sheet around your waist and down to the floor to make sure no steam escapes.

Keep yourself warm by wearing something on your feet (socks, slippers) and neck. You do not want any cold to get into your body while you are trying to warm it.

You should feel a warm, rolling heat for about ten to 12 minutes.

When the steam dies down, dump the water into the toilet. Starting with step four, begin the second dosage with the other half of the herbal water. If it has cooled too much you'll need to reheat it, but test again before sitting over the steam.

If you get your V-steam done at a spa, they'll seat you in chair with a little hole in the middle, which allows the steam to rise into your hoo-ha (see the photo above). Since I do not own a chair with a hole in the middle, I was pleased to find that the YinOva Center recommended steaming on your toilet - you just put a bowl full of steaming herbs in there and have a seat, and it's a handy place to dump the bowl when you're done.

Vaginal steam baths come from an ancient Korean tradition called chai-yok, which uses mugwort and wormwood to cleanse the vagina. Good luck finding those at Walgreens. I'd be tempted to use some herbal tea, but per the author at Vice, the mugwort package claimed that it could "increase or develop psychic powers". That sounds kind of cool, although I keep trying to imagine how vaginal psychic powers would manifest.

Anyway, there's more at Vice and YinOva if you're interested. If you end up doing this, please leave a note in the comments and let me know how it went!

Friday links

June 24 is the birthday of Ambrose Bierce, author of The Devil's Dictionary.

The Weird and Very Long History of State Liquor Laws.

This explains a lot: In 1950, the U.S. Released a Bioweapon in San Francisco.

Awkward Pregnancy Photos.

The surprisingly interesting history of Pyrex.

Traditional Japanese Spider Fighting.

ICYMI, Thursday's links are here, and include the summer solstice, a gallery of cars with propellers, healthy summer advice from 1656, and the unsuccessful Cold War-era attempt to eavesdrop via transmitters implanted into cats:

"CIA staffers drove Acoustic Kitty to the park and tasked it with capturing the conversation of two men sitting on a bench. Instead, the cat wandered into the street, where it was promptly squashed by a taxi."

Thursday links

Whatever is dreamed on this night, will come to pass; the summer solstice is this morning (June 21) at 6:07 AM Eastern Time. Related, Fridgehenge: to celebrate the solstice, British guy recreated Stonehenge using old refrigerators. 

Gallery: Cars with Propellers.

During the Great Depression, ‘Penny Restaurants’ Fed the Unemployed.

How to Have a Healthy Summer: Advice from 1656: you'll need to drink feebl green Wine and eschue the company of women.

Operation Acoustic Kitty: (Unsuccessful) Cold War attempt to eavesdrop via transmitters implanted into cats. 

"CIA staffers drove Acoustic Kitty to the park and tasked it with capturing the conversation of two men sitting on a bench. Instead, the cat wandered into the street, where it was promptly squashed by a taxi."

Alcohol - is there anything it can't do? Drunk People Are Better at Creative Problem Solving.

ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include the anniversary of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo (including, of course, a Lego re-enactment), the sport of motor-ball (AKA soccer on motorcycles), prayers to stop a dog from barking, and where to hit someone to do the most damage.

Loudoun County, VA proposing additional gun restrictions

I'd like to ask for email and publicity support to fight proposed gun restrictions where I live - Loudoun County, VA.

More on this issue at the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.'s Facebook page.

Here's the proposed ordinance change.

Here's more information on the current ordinance and what triggered the push for stricter discharge prohibitions:

Here's more information on the meeting.

There' hasn't been a lot written about this incident, but it turns out someone was target shooting in Loudoun County, Virginia on May 5, 2018 and some bullets hit three houses. Nobody was hurt, thankfully.

It appears (again, limited reporting) as if the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department knows who was doing the shooting, but is not planning to prosecute them. It's not clear why that's the case - several state laws were clearly violated, including reckless endangerment. Why are these existing laws not being enforced? Instead, the County is now looking at further restrictions on shooting.

The article in the Loudoun Times-Mirror claims that a “machine gun” was being used. That is possible and could explain missing the berm if the person shooting was not trained in managing the recoil of a fully-automatic gun. Of course, the press has a bad record on identifying firearms, so who knows? Machine guns are fully automatic and, although not outright illegal, are significantly restricted: Federal law prohibits the possession of newly manufactured machine guns, but permits the transfer of machine guns lawfully owned prior to May 19, 1986. State law adds registration and usage restrictions.

The County is going to ask some firearms experts (we don't know who at this time) to give input at their next meeting on June 21 on how the County's ordinances can be revised. The current regulations (Chapter 684.03) restrict discharging of firearms in certain heavily populated areas, and, in other areas, there are additional restrictions:

(b) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 50 yards of a highway in the primary or secondary system of State roads.

(c) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of any public park or school. Nothing in this section shall be enforced within a national or State park or forest or wildlife management area.

(d) The discharge of firearms is prohibited within 100 yards of a building with a current occupancy permit unless the owner or authorized agent has given permission.

According to the article linked above, the following state senators and supervisors (email address are below) are calling for changes to the ordinances, "to increase from 100 yards to 880 yards, or one half mile, the minimum distance an individual must be from any occupied home or occupied structure when discharging a firearm." 

“Sens. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) and Barbara Favola (D-31) and Dels. Jennifer Boysko, John Bell (D- 87), Karrie Delaney (D-67), Wendy Gooditis (D-10), Kathleen Murphy (D- 34) and David Reid (D-32) sent a letter to the board calling for emergency action to restrict the discharge of firearms in developed areas.”

My son sent the following email to several parties:

I am a lifelong Loudoun County resident from Sterling. I currently live in Lovettsville on 7 acres, which I bought in large part due to the freedom to exercise my second amendment rights. I literally printed the local firearms ordinance and walked the entire lot with one of your officers to ensure that I could comply with the law and shoot safely and legally. There are many thousands of responsible gun owners that live in Loudoun County and shoot responsibly on their own land. Attacking the rights of thousands because of the irresponsible behavior of one, or even a few, is unfair and tyrannical. Please protect our constitutional rights as you have sworn to do.

Please write to and/or call the representatives listed below and ask that the existing laws against public endangerment are enforced rather than targeting law-abiding citizens:

All Board members receive mail and calls at: 

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

1 Harrison Street, S.E., Fifth Floor

P.O. Box 7000 

Leesburg, VA 20177-7000                                  Phone: 703-777-0204

Fax: 703-777-0421

Comment Line: 703-777-0115

Email addresses:

Jennifer Wexton (D-33) district33@senate.virginia.gov

Barbara Favola (D-31) district31@senate.virginia.gov

Board of Supervisors' Office: bos@loudoun.gov

Phyllis.Randall@loudoun.gov

Ralph.Buona@loudoun.gov

Suzanne.Volpe@loudoun.gov

Tony.Buffington@loudoun.gov

Ron.Meyer@loudoun.gov

Geary.Higgins@loudoun.gov

Matt.Letourneau@loudoun.gov

Kristen.Umstattd@loudoun.gov

Koran.Saines@loudoun.gov

More information at Ammoland and 

Monday links

June 18 is the anniversary of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo: history, quotes and video (including, of course, a Lego re-enactment).

Construction Workers Find Rare Intact Roman Tomb

Where the ‘No Ending a Sentence With a Preposition’ Rule Comes From.

Prayers to stop a dog from barking.

Forget the World Cup, Let’s Play Motor-Ball!

Where to Hit Someone to Inflict the Most Damage.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include secret rooms inside famous landmarks, Father's Day advice from Homer Simpson, how nuts and bananas came to mean “crazy”, using barbed wire fences as early telephone wiring in the western states, and the anniversary of the Magna Carta signing.