Sen. Lindsey Graham loves wang

Male barklice of the species Neotrogla have a vagina-like indentation, while their female counterparts have a penis-like structure called a gynosome. This unique genital reversal was studied by a team of entomologists from Hokkaido University, who used micro computer tomography to create 3D models of copulating winged insects from Brazilian caves.

The gynosome is a complex organ with specific muscles and pipes that enable females to attach themselves to males for extended periods of up to 70 hours. One set of muscles unfurls the gynosome, allowing it to enter the male and suck up semen. Another set of muscles then contracts the organ, depositing the sperm into two storage slots inside the female’s body.

The team suggests that the evolution of the female penis was driven by sexual selection, favoring intense female-female competition. The females’ ability to stock up on double the amount of sperm may provide a clue as to why they are so active in their efforts to find semen. The sperm is packaged with nutrient-filled spermatophores, which may serve as a source of nutrition in resource-deprived cave environments.

The lack of reliable food sources in Brazilian caves may have facilitated the evolution of sex-role reversals in the species, where females have a greater incentive to seek out and consume nutrients through their copulatory behavior.

A recently surfaced 1864 letter provides a glimpse into a little-discussed affliction among Civil War soldiers – chronic masturbation.

The handwritten note by Confederate Lt. William Dandridge Pitts inquires about the condition of his brother Charles, who was discharged from the army in 1862 due to an unspecified “illness.” Charles was residing at the Western Lunatic Asylum in Virginia.

According to Charles’ doctor and accounts from fellow soldiers, his illness was a relentless addiction to masturbation. “I have had some conversation with the physician who attended my brother previous to his going to the asylum,” Lt. Pitts wrote, “and he advises me…that [Charles] was addicted to masturbation, while in camp.”

The letter highlights the mental health toll of the war, even before combat began. Soldiers forced to endure their comrades’ “self-pollution” no doubt developed deep psychological scars.

While masturbation remained taboo in the Victorian era, it was pervasive enough in the military to earn the nickname “Johnny Reb.” The irony of this affliction among troops from Virginia, the “state for lovers,” was surely not lost on the Pitts family.

The letter survives in excellent condition despite its delicate subject matter. This “director’s cut” offers intimate insight into secret struggles in Civil War ranks.

A court has heard that a care home worker sexually assaulted a vulnerable resident in order to “comfort” her.

The accused, Samuel Shaheen, reportedly repeatedly kissed the woman, touched her breasts and buttocks, and inserted his penis in her mouth while assuring her that it was their “little secret.” According to prosecutor Ian Wright, Shaheen, who was a qualified nurse in his home country, was working as a care assistant at a residential home in Neath Port Talbot when he committed the acts. He allegedly carried out the sexual assaults on multiple occasions, with the victim being a woman with various physical and psychiatric health issues.

The court was told that the 46-year-old carer instructed the woman not to tell anyone about their secret and showed her photographs of his wife and children in Pakistan. Shaheen said that his wife was his “number one” but the victim was his “number two.”

The victim did not report the abuse for some time but eventually went to the care home manager, and the police were notified. Shaheen was arrested at his sister-in-law’s house in Newport and admitted to the sexual acts in interviews, claiming that they had been consensual. He then said that he had been acting out of kindness in providing “comfort” to the woman with his kissing and touching.

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said that the abuse had left her feeling like she could no longer trust anyone, and she believed the experience had worsened her mental health.

Judge Christopher Vosper KC found that Shaheen had groomed the woman and taken advantage of her to carry out sexual acts. He also noted that the victim had been too afraid to report the abuse. The judge expressed concern about Shaheen’s lack of appreciation for the severity of his actions and the possibility of future offenses.

Shaheen was sentenced to four years in prison, with a one-third discount for his guilty pleas. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on license to serve the remainder in the community. He will also be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. The judge warned that Shaheen might be detained in an immigration center when he is released halfway through his sentence.