January 22, 2002 | 8:48 AM

I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Not for any particular reason-- I was just keyed up and couldn't lay down without feeling all antsy so I watched tv.

I watched this new show on HBO called Nerve.com which was pretty vomit inducing. It was a bunch of hip urban twenty somethings congratulating themselves for being edgy and sexual. The show is ostensibly about sex but what it is actually about is itself.

There were only two things about it that I liked-

1) there was a segment where a woman was filmed masterbating but she was only shown form the neck up and the camera was focused squarely on her face. The joy and pleasure in the woman's expression was so moving to me-- especially in the face of pornography where female pleasure is a canned response 90% of the time. This segment was a fantastic testament to women's profound capacity for sexual enjoyment and I was very impressed with how it was handled.

2) There were man on the street interviews the focus of which was anal sex. Supposedly 66% of women who read fashion magazines say they have never done it and don't want to. Men and women shared their thoughts and experiences concerning it, and that was illuminating. One bastard said that when he's having sex doggy style he "accidentally" sticks it into the other hole and waits for the woman's reaction-- if she swats him or screams he pulls out (isn't that nice of him) and if not he keeps going. Oh and Prince Charming is so thoughtful that he plans this in advance and gets around the whole lubrication factor by wearing a lubed condom. Why can't he just ask? God men can be such fucking pricks.

Personally, I have tried just about everything and like just about everything, but I really really hate anal sex. It is the only sexual act I can think of where I can't empathize with the pleasure someone might get out of it. I just don't get it. I'm not saying that I think it's morally wrong or something. I think that any sex act is great as long as the people involved consent to it, but for me it's a huge turn off. The thought of it makes me wince.

And I know girls who really like it-- not many, but they are out there.

Oh well-- to each his own.