Not Many Women are Happy about the Pill that Prolongs Sex Sessions

The pill is called Priligy and, it seems that, it makes sex last longer and comes with a price tag of £76, for three tablets. The pill is said to be available privately, only through an online pharmacy.

The manufacturers, Johnson & Johnson guarantees that it can boost staying power three times more.

But it has also been found that while men are running behind the pill to carry on all night long, a lot of women do not want that.

It is said that women across the country are furtively grunting in apprehension, as one thing they don't want is, more sex.

Women say that they feel they are all conditioned to think that the best kind of sex is long and lingering.

It has been found that women are not too frank about admitting that short sex sessions actually suit them, as they worry that it might seem like they have a low sex drive. But for a lot of women, short sessions are in fact a good thing.

Hence, it is said that there are a lot of ways to think about and possibly other options too, before popping a Priligy.

Milford girl caught up in Internet sex-tortion

A 17-year-old Canadian has been arrested in Montreal after allegedly taking photos of a topless, underage Milford girl over a webcam connection, and then threatening to post the pictures online if she didn’t perform sex acts in front of the camera, Milford police said.

Police received a complaint in November of an online sexual incident involving topless photos taken via a webcam of a girl under 15 years old.

The girl was using the webcam to interact on a chat site with a teenage boy who claimed to be from Virginia, police said. During the interaction, the girl posed topless in front of her webcam, police said. The boy claimed to have taken photos of the girl using the webcam and threatened to post them on Facebook, unless she performed specific sex acts, also in front of the webcam, police said.

“She didn’t know pictures were being taken,” said Milford police spokesman Officer Jeffrey Nielsen.

Nielsen said the two met using a teen chat application on Facebook, which took them to a space outside of the popular social networking site where they engaged in a video Web chat.

Investigators from the Milford Police Department’s Computer Crimes Unit and the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal Specialized Unit for Sexual Child Abuse were able to identify the boy using computer forensic evidence. On April 16, members of the SPVM arrested the youth in Montreal.

SPVM spokesman Sgt. Ian Lafreniere said the 17-year-old was charged with possession of juvenile pornography, extortion and luring. The boy was released with conditions, including having no contact with the victim, and staying off the Internet.

The suspect has no criminal background and comes from a “quiet neighborhood,” Lafreniere said.

Lafreniere said the boy’s family was in “shock” over the allegations, but added “unfortunately, it can happen anywhere.” He said all types of people engage in sex crimes, especially over the Internet, because they think they are surfing anonymously.

“People who commit these crimes will never do this face-to-face,” Lafreniere said. “They are in the comfort of their own homes and feel more comfortable.”

He said the same feeling of comfort also applies to the victims of these types of crimes.

“With the Internet, people feel it’s safe, and they wouldn’t normally pose topless,” Lafreniere said.

Lafreniere said Montreal police are investigating a similar case in which an underage girl posed for nude pictures online, and the male threatened to post the pictures unless she engaged in sexual intercourse.

“You have to be extremely careful as parents with what your kids are doing, especially on the computer,” Lafreniere said. “Sometimes parents have a false feeling that their child is safe. (The Internet can be) very dangerous. A picture can be on the Web forever.”

Lafreniere said the investigation with Milford police was a “perfect case of partnership.”

“A lot of people think if they do something on the Internet the victim is far away, but we worked together to solve it,” Lafreniere said. “This is a good preventive message.”

Babysitter Noel Kelly jailed 30 years after sex assaults on boy

A businessman finally revealed a “dark secret” when he told police he had concerns about a babysitter.
The 40-year-old man said rail worker Noel Kelly was not fit to care for youngsters because he had sexually abused him more than 30 years ago, the Old Bailey heard.
Kelly, 59, of Finsbury Park Road, Finsbury Park, was convicted of indecent assaults after the man gave evidence.
The court heard that Kelly abused him over a three-year period when he was in a “trusted” position at the victim’s home and regularly stayed the night.
“He remembers even now how he was petrified,” said Judge Peter Rook, QC, of the victim who suffered “inner torment” for decades.
Kelly was jailed for two years for indecently assaulting the man, and banned from working with children.
He must sign on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
Judge Rook praised the victim “for his courage in coming forward after all these years” and giving evidence against Kelly.

Sex toys for cops in Australia!

Sex Toys for cops in Australia

Melbourne: An Australian court has awarded control of sex toys seized from a brothel to the police, but the prosecutor wasn't sure 'what police would do with them'.

Georgia Nicola, the former manager of Snoopy's brothel, Friday pleaded guilty to running a brothel and living on the earnings of prostitution, Adelaide Now reported.

Adelaide Magistrates Court was informed by prosecutor Henry Cleland that an undercover policeman had entered the brothel in November 2008, and paid Nicola $140. The brothel was raided and cash and 'numerous articles to do with sexual acts' were seized.

Cleland asked Magistrate Terence Forrest to direct Nicola to forfeit the items, but said he 'did not know what police would do with them'.

Nicola was fined $1,000 and ordered to forfeit the sexual items.

Language office firm on sex toy packaging

French was missing; But lawyer says store's fine could be appealed

Martin Bergeron, of the Office québécois de la langue française, with librarian Chantal Robinson, says the agency would launch its case against a sex products store all over again as it's key to helping francophone shoppers.

Photograph by: JOHN MAHONEY, THE GAZETTE, The Gazette

The bottom line for any product sold in Quebec is that it must have instructions in French, whether it's intended for a mass market or a tiny clientele, says a spokesperson for the Office québécois de la langue française.

And Martin Bergeron said that despite the groans that may have been evoked by a six-year effort to compel a Montreal North sex toy store to apply French-language stickers on one product - even though it sells only 15 or 20 of the items per year - the OQLF would do it all over again.

In a case triggered by the OQLF, a Quebec Court judge fined Boutique Séduction $500 because a U.S.-made men's sexual aid, Sleeve Super Stretch, was being sold without French instructions.

Store manager Mireille Gaudreault said the store will appeal the fine. The product is no longer for sale, she added.

The store used to sell the item, which came in five colours, for $5.85.

She declined to comment further. Store owner Claude Perron is in China this week on business, she explained.

Bergeron noted the large store sells thousands of products, many of which come without any French on them.

"There probably are many items there that don't comply with the law. We'll pursue any complaints, if we get any.

"The point is to provide instructions in French so that the francophone consumer is not at a disadvantage and is just as well-informed as the anglophone shopper."

Bergeron said there is no sense at the OQLF that its efforts in the Séduction case were a sign that it has run out of worthy cases. It's a case like any other, he said, in which ensuring there is respect for the French-speaking majority is foremost.

"It's in the interest of those doing business in Quebec to be able to communicate with 80 per cent of the population."

Boutique Séduction's appeal may turn on the French language charter's six exemptions for allowing products without French instructions. One of them allows for it if the product is from outside Quebec, is in limited use in the province and no equivalent substitute with French is available in Quebec.

Michael Bergman, a Montreal lawyer who argued a case related to Quebec's Bill 104 language law before the Supreme Court of Canada, said Séduction could probably present a strong appeal.

"It seems like a unique, novel product," Bergman said. "It's logical to think that it would be exempted."

The OQLF should have negotiated more to resolve the matter before it went to court, he said. The French language charter should be applied with suppleness, he said, and solutions to complaints should balance the charter's principles with the reality of the marketplace and "cosmopolitan Montreal."

François Héleine, a Université de Montréal law professor and a specialist in contract law, said the Séduction case is "a sad testament to the weakness of the (OQLF)."

Consumers can reasonably expect instructions for all products they buy to be understandable to them, he said. The Séduction case, he added, is off-putting because it may make people think there are no mainstream products left without French instructions included.

The OQLF should be beefed up, with more inspectors, he said. Members of the public should be encouraged to "help in this witch hunt" and be paid if they report a verifiable complaint about non-compliant products.

Héleine, who moved to Canada from his native France in 1967 when he was in his 30s, said Quebec faces assimilation into English-speaking culture. He emphasized he believes Quebec should remain in Canada.

Anglophone Quebecers should help the OQLF in its mission to reinforce the status of French, he said. "The French language is part of our common heritage as Quebecers."

Language watchdog, by the numbers

Total complaints

Received........................2,668

Opened files on..............2,622

Types of complaints

Signs..............................26.4%

Products..........................22.3%

Websites............................12%

Publications, invoices,

receipts, job applications...16.2%

Language of service..........18.3%

Language at work...............4.5%

Other................................0.3%

Top three complaint zones

Montreal..............................41%

Quebec City.........................12%

Monteregie..........................17%

Complaint resolution

Corrected...........................54.3%

Complaint unfounded..........13.7%

Preventative intervention........13%

Handed over to prosecutor.....1.4%

Other measures..................17.5%

Total complaints resolved: 3,175

Budget

Total budget: $21 million

Employees: 225, including 18 analysts who deal with complaints (three are inspectors).

Rescuing girls from sex slavery

Anuradha Koirala's group has helped rescue and rehabilitate 12,000 girls and women.

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- Geeta was 9 when she began wearing makeup, staying up until 2 a.m. and having sex with as many as 60 men a day.

"I used to be really sad and frustrated with what was happening in my life," she said.

The daughter of Nepalese peasant farmers, Geeta -- now 26 -- had been sold to a brothel in India by a member of her extended family. The family member had duped Geeta's visually impaired mother into believing her daughter would get work at a clothing company in Nepal.

"The brothel where I was ... there [were] many customers coming in every day. The owner used to verbally abuse us, and if we didn't comply, [she] would start beating us with wires, rods and hot spoons."

It was not until Geeta was 14 that a police officer rescued her and brought her to a safe house compound run by Anuradha Koirala. The 61-year-old woman and her group, Maiti Nepal, have been fighting for more than 16 years to rescue and rehabilitate thousands of Nepal's sex trafficking victims.

"Families are tricked all the time," said Koirala. "The trafficking of the girls is done by people who are basically known to the girls, who can lure them from the village by telling them they are getting a nice job. It's a lucrative business."

By raiding brothels, patrolling the India-Nepal border and providing safe shelter and support services, Koirala and Maiti Nepal have helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 12,000 Nepali women and girls since 1993.

According to the U.S. State Department, some 10,000 to 15,000 women and girls from Nepal are trafficked to India and then sexually exploited each year.

Koirala's own history in an abusive relationship led her to her crusade. For most of her young adulthood, she taught primary school English in Nepal. But when her relationship took a violent turn, her life's "purpose and responsibility completely changed," she said.

"Every day, there was battering. And then I had three miscarriages that I think [were] from the beating. It was very difficult because I didn't know in those days where to go and report [it], who to ... talk to."

After the relationship ended, Koirala used a portion of her $100 monthly salary to start a small retail shop to employ and support displaced victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence.

By the early 1990s, an increasing demand for help and persistent cases of violence against women compelled Koirala to do more. Maiti Nepal was her brainchild for giving voice, legal defense and rehabilitation to victims of sex trafficking.

Roughly translated, Maiti means "Mother's Home." The group has facilities throughout Nepal and India, but most of the rehabilitation work takes place at its main campus in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Koirala said girls from the brothels arrive empty-handed, sick, in many cases pregnant or with small children, and "psychologically broken."

"When the girl first comes to Maiti Nepal, we never, never ask them a question. We just let them [be] for as long as they need. We let them play, dance, walk, talk to a friend," Koirala said. "They are afraid at first, but eventually they will talk to us on their own."

The group also takes in rape and domestic violence survivors, as well as abandoned children.

"I cannot say no to anybody," Koirala said. "Everybody comes to Maiti Nepal."

Accommodating its population of close to 400 women and children requires a large staff of teachers, counselors and medical personnel -- and dozens of bunk beds. Many of the staff are sex trafficking survivors now committed to helping rehabilitate other girls. The work is funded by grants and donations from around the world.

Post-rescue recovery is comprehensive. Maiti Nepal provides medical treatment, psychological and legal counseling, formal court filings and criminal prosecution, all for free.

While some of the girls are able to return to their families, many of them -- particularly those with HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases -- become socially stigmatized and are no longer welcome in their home communities. For these girls, Maiti Nepal becomes their new, and possibly last, home. A hospice on the compound's grounds houses terminally ill patients.

"The hardest part for me is to see a girl dying or coming back with different diseases at an [age] when she should be out frolicking," Koirala said. "That's what fuels me to work harder."

The group's ultimate goal is to help girls become economically independent and reintegrated into society.

"We try to give them whatever work they want to do, whatever training they want to do, because when you're economically empowered, people forget everything. People even forget [she is] HIV-positive or was trafficked," Koirala said.

Koirala and at least 50 trafficking survivors also participate in what she calls social preventive work outside the campus. Their community awareness camps educate families in rural villages and city slums about the dangers of sex trafficking, and a daily patrol at crossing points along the India-Nepal border successfully rescues an average of four Nepali girls a day.

"Our girls are border guards who have been trafficked themselves. They easily recognize a girl that is being trafficked or will be trafficked," Koirala said. "The girls need no motivation from me. They know the horrors of the brothel, and they are here to save their sisters."

Some girls who are trafficked choose to remain prostitutes for life because their home villages will not accept them. But Koirala says that among those rescued by Maiti Nepal, there isn't a single case when a girl has returned back to the streets.

Geeta's recovery is one of the group's success stories. Today, she works at Maiti Nepal as a peer educator and also helps with the group's awareness camps. She credits Koirala and Maiti Nepal for the strength to keep living and the confidence to join the fight against sex trafficking.

"Anuradha is a hero. ... She's courageous," Geeta said. "She gave me my faith back. ... If Maiti Nepal wasn't there for me, I would be dead by now."

How to stop HIV spreading in Zambia's prisons

Moral concerns are stopping condom distribution in Zambia's prisons

Bright spent two years in Zambia's Lusaka Central Prison for selling cannabis but fears he now faces a life sentence.

"I did it because of hunger," says Bright softly.

"There's not much food in prison. Sex has become the way of payment."

The wall prevents an inmate from going outside, but the disease has no boundary Dr Chisela Chileshe Zambia Prisons Service medical director

"Conditions were bad," he remembers. "We had nshima [maize meal] and beans two times a day. I never felt full."

One day, the cell "captain" gave Bright extra food, then asked him for sex.

"I had never had sex with a man, but I did it. The first time it was painful, but I joined a group of maybe 20 men who did that.

"Mainly they were people who were condemned, or who had been jailed for 25 years. They hadn't seen women for a long time."

Biggest risk factor

He fidgets as he talks, swallowing his words.

I'm scared. When I came out of prison I was sick with malaria, headaches, diarrhoea Bright Former inmate

His nervousness is understandable - it is illegal in Zambia for men to have sex with each other, and socially unacceptable.

A survey of prisoners in 1998 suggested that 27% were HIV-positive - eight points higher than the national rate at the time.

The organisation which carried out the research, In But Free, is updating its figures but is anticipating a similar discrepancy.

Many men will already be carrying the virus when they are imprisoned, but once inside it can be spread by tattooing and sharing razors.

The biggest risk factor, though, is sex.

Sex legislation

"When we gathered the prisoners in focus group discussions and asked how many had taken part in male-to-male sex, the answer was 'all of us'," says Dr Simooya, who heads In But Free.

"Most said it was because of boredom. But some mentioned that it was a form of exchange. You could give sex in return for soap, food, salt and so on.

Some inmates apparently want to spread HIV

"You can't legislate against sex," the doctor says.

"It's better to be practical and ask how we can prevent the transmission of HIV. We must consider putting condoms in prison."

It is a view shared by the medical director of the Zambia Prisons Service, Dr Chisela Chileshe. He refers to the ABC approach to HIV-prevention - abstain, be faithful, use a condom.

"Abstinence is the best, but I don't know how long you can be faithful if you spend 10 years in prison. Inmates are dying, and we need the well-established and recognised methods of prevention."

He has been lobbying politicians to allow condoms into prison but says moral concerns are getting in the way.

"We are talking about public health here. People must understand that health in prison is health in the community. The wall prevents an inmate from going outside, but the disease has no boundary."

For Elizabeth Mataka, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy on Aids in Africa, the solution is straightforward: do away with the law against homosexuality.

"By stopping condoms getting into prison, we are actually allowing transmission of HIV to go on unabated and losing control of the epidemic."

But the political will is lacking.

Short cut

National Aids Council (NAC) documents clearly state that "legislation to decriminalise homosexuality is urgently needed" so that condoms can be distributed to prisoners.

But when pressed, NAC admitted that the statement does not reflect government policy.

Activists believe that the answer lies in making homosexual acts legal

"Amending the law might take two or three years," worries Godfrey Malembeka, a former prisoner who is now a human rights activist.

"It's not only the Zambian government that needs to change. It's the whole of Zambia. We all believe in just one kind of sex - you must marry and beget children. These others types, we look at them as foreign, imported into our country.

"So we have the chiefs refusing this, we have the headmen refusing this, the church, the political leaders.

"But people are dying. We need to find a short cut."

One African country that has found a short cut is Lesotho.

Empty box

Homosexuality is illegal there too.

The prison authorities can't distribute condoms, but they can make them available.

So they simply leave boxes of condoms in strategic places and refill them when they are empty.

Does it work?

"The success story is that the condom box is usually empty," says Sharon Lesa Nyambe, who heads the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Zambia. "Now they're trying to see how that translates into reduction in seroprevalence [the number of people with HIV]."

Would prisoners use condoms if they were made available?

She is hoping a similar scheme could be applied here.

But a big question remains. Even if condoms were made available to prisoners, would they use them?

"Surprisingly, most prisoners we've surveyed have said no," says Dr Simooya. "They think male-to-male sex is un-Christian, un-Zambian, and will promote homosexuality."

Bright has other reasons for thinking condoms might not be favoured by some of the prisoners, especially those serving long terms.

"One man told me he was HIV-positive and threatened to kill me if I didn't have sex with him. Those people don't want to use condoms. If your sentence is short, they want you to be positive like them and go and spread the disease outside."

Bright was tested for HIV when he left prison but never followed it up.

"I'm scared," he admits, catching his breath.

"When I came out of prison I was sick with malaria, headaches, diarrhoea. I was very scared that maybe they would find me with HIV, that's why I didn't go back."

'Lack of confidence' is harming sex education

Most teachers lack the confidence to teach sex education adequately, the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) said yesterday.

The Association called for "urgent" improvements after a survey found that four out of five teachers felt they lacked either the resources or the confidence to teach the subject well.

Among the main barriers was the universal embarrassment among schoolchildren about asking questions, followed by the teachers' lack of training. The survey was conducted by the NAHT, the National Governors Association, and the National Confederation of Parent Teachers Association (NCPTA).

Sion Humphreys, of the NAHT's education department, said: "Teachers have not been adequately trained to deliver it [sex education] and have not had the access to the range of resources they need. This is an urgent need that must be addressed if we are to be able to prepare young people for their future lives." Among the suggestions for improvements was the consideration of more resources such as DVDs, as well as the consideration of guest speakers in a bid to alleviate the workload of teachers. Fewer than one in 10 teachers and only 15 per cent of parents said that they found current teaching materials "very useful".

More than a quarter of teachers felt their sex education classes prepared pupils "not well" or "not at all well". More than eight out of 10 parents said sex and relationship education (SRE) should also be delivered at home, but only six out of 10 felt confident about broaching the subject.

David Butler, chief executive of NCPTA, said: "We owe it to children to get this right. If SRE lessons aren't preparing children properly for life as adults, they need to be improved. More needs to be done to ensure teachers are trained in how to deliver sex education. To do this effectively, parents need more information about what children are learning and specific resources to use with their children."

Trust Betrayed, but Faith Endures

Campus Catholics grapple with global clergy sex abuse scandal

Sister Olga Yaqob of the University’s Catholic Center has been a point person in the Catholic Center’s outreach during the clergy sex abuse scandal.

When ponders the sex abuse crisis engulfing the Roman Catholic Church, her emotions seesaw between her love for the church she calls “my mother” and grief for the innocent children who were molested.

“That children would be misled by somebody they trusted, it breaks my heart to see that —” She pauses and takes a few seconds to compose herself, her voice sorrowful when she continues. “It’s, it’s, as I say, it’s sad, it’s painful. I’m not angry at the Church. I feel sorry for the Church,” says Yaqob, one of the pastoral staff at the University’s Catholic Center.

Since March, when Pope Benedict XVI issued an eight-page pastoral letter of apology for decades of abuse by Irish priests, revelations of abuse in other countries have cascaded from across Europe and the United States. Yaqob, a native Iraqi who defied her family to become Roman Catholic, has had to make a full-court press of counseling, communicating, and prayer for and with shell-shocked BU Catholics.

On the surface, she says, the visible metrics of Catholic life on campus have been unchanged by the conflagration. Attendance at Sunday Mass has held steady, at 600 to 700; none of the 17 catechumens who began preparing for Catholic conversion last fall dropped out. In part, that may be because betrayal — whether the Boston archdiocese’s pedophile scandal earlier in the decade, or as Mary Goldsmith (ENG’08,’10), who helps lead the Catholic Center’s graduate and young professionals group, notes, Jesus’ by Judas — is not new to the Church.

Another possible explanation is that today’s young, active Catholics are what Yaqob calls “the generation of Pope John Paul II.” Reared under that charismatic and theologically conservative pontiff, students like Michael Zimmerman (CAS’11), president of the Catholic Center’s undergraduate executive board, muster what he calls “passionate and orthodox” faith, and skepticism that radical reforms proposed by some, such as ordaining women and allowing priests to marry, might curb abuse. They grieve over the assaults on children, but some also see anti-Catholic bias in coverage of the scandal.

“Sex abuse is rampant throughout society, but it doesn’t have the glam of attacking the Catholic Church,” with its unpopular social teachings on some topics, he says. “I view the authority of the Church as absolute, something I respect when it comes to the faith. That said, there is human fallibility, especially sexual abuse. In the ’70s and ’80s, even psychologists giving recommendations to the bishops were suggesting things that we know don’t work. In that department, they still need to learn how to address things.”

Unlike previous child molestation scandals, the issue this time has touched the pope. Newspapers have reported that in 1980, Benedict XVI, then archbishop of Munich, approved psychiatric treatment for a pedophile priest and was informed of his speedy return to pastoral work, where he molested again. And as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the pope-to-be declined in the 1990s to discipline a serial abuser in Wisconsin, despite warnings from the priest’s superiors; the priest averted canonical trial by pleading failing health and the statute of limitations. On the other hand, some observers argue that Ratzinger became the Vatican's most ardent advocate against abuse after he was assigned responsibility for investigating abuse allegations in 2001.

After reading Benedict’s letter to the Irish church, Yaqob met with the leaders of campus Catholic groups, including women, graduate and professional students, the liturgical committee, and a support group that prays for priests.

“I wanted them to hear it from me,” she says. She also asked for Zimmerman’s thoughts on a response. He suggested educating students about what was known, along with voluntary student “penance,” such as fasting or prayer for victims.

Julianne Stafford (SED’07), a special-ed teacher and another leader of the Catholic Center’s professional and grad students group, read through Church leaders’ correspondence about the Wisconsin case, posted by the New York Times. “It is very obvious that in 1974, further action should have been taken by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,” she concludes. And as for the derailed trial: “It is unfortunate that due process for the victims could not be met.”

Stafford, whose family includes a priest, says clerical dregs of this kind distract attention from the many good ministers doing noble work. “My faith is not shaken by the tragedies that a few handfuls of strayed sheep created,” she says. “I believe that the Holy Father is addressing the victims with the fatherly love that has been demanded of him.”

Goldsmith agrees, saying the Catholic Church is not the only institution or denomination poisoned with sex abusers. At the same time, she says, Catholics do not “accept the fact that abuse of children is endemic to society as an excuse.” Goldsmith favors reforms of the type Massachusetts and the Archdiocese of Boston have implemented, from reporting abuse allegations to police to background checks and training parishes and schools in creating child-safe environments.

But psychologist Ann Hagan Webb (SED’82), New England regional cocoordinator of the advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, says those reforms were insufficient for transparency in the Church. Webb also says calls for papal resignation offer a false solution. “I have very little faith in Pope Benedict going forward,” says Webb. “The Vatican’s only chance is to disclose the names and crimes of clergy accused of abuse and especially admit the complicity of the bishops, cardinals, and popes who put the Church’s good name before the safety of children.”

Coyle: Premier saw sex ed leading back to school funding debate

Premier Dalton McGuinty has rarely seemed as skittish as he has during the week of sound and fury over sex education in Ontario schools. And not without cause.

There’s little so terrifying to provincial political leaders as any issue that threatens to lead back to debate over the public funding of two school systems.

In fact, this weekend marks an auspicious anniversary. Come Sunday, it will be 25 years since the election that ended the 42-year Progressive Conservative dynasty.

Before retiring in 1985, William Davis announced the extension of full funding to Catholic schools. His successor, Frank Miller, wore that policy like an albatross. Miller squeaked out a razor-thin minority in the ensuing election. But he was soon ousted by a Liberal-NDP accord that installed David Peterson as premier.

In 2007, former PC leader John Tory was ruined by proposing to extend public funding to schools of other religions. Just recently, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath ordered her caucus not to participate in a panel debate on funding two school systems.

That history is a subtext to McGuinty’s impersonation – as a proposed revision of the Health and Physical Education curriculum dominated the news – of a man trapped in a revolving door.

At first, the premier endorsed the plan. Within days, he reversed himself, saying the reforms required a “serious rethink.”

Astonishingly, he admitted this week that the about-face was ordered after scanning only the controversial proposals on sex-ed reform in the 208-page document – rather like those who highlight the naughty bits in novels and demand their banning.

McGuinty said his government “failed to do our job” in explaining the plan. In that, he allowed debate to be framed by those (mostly religious) voices who denounced it as a roadmap to Sodom and Gomorrah.

The plan’s aspiration was to build “elementary schools for the 21st century.” That it did.

Most of it was about living skills - diet, exercise, choice-making, seatbelts, bike helmets, using sunscreen.

Throughout, it was rooted in respect for family, suggesting exercise as a family, eating family meals together.

“As part of good teaching practice, teachers should inform parents about what their children are learning and when various topics are to be addressed.”

Very little spoke of sex education. The parts that did were not expressed as licence, but as knowledge as power.

“Refusal skills (need) to be practised and reinforced,” it said. “Students need to be taught about their right to refuse and about ways of showing affection appropriately.”

Moreover, it made the hardly scandalous case that “children need to have relevant information about health topics before they reach an age at which they need to make decisions pertaining to those topics.”

It suggests matter-of-fact instruction for which generations who came of age in ignorance would surely have been grateful.

“Having erections, wet dreams and vaginal lubrication are normal things that happen as a result of physical changes with puberty.”

At a guess, any MPP who went home and had a conversation with their teens or grown kids would have learned how early contemporary youngsters become familiar with the terms, and how much they desire clarity on what it all means.

The premier is evolved enough not to have found much, if any, of the new curriculum very scandalous.

His decision, based on a quick scan of the material, was a political calculation.

He could see the impact in the socially conservative communities in ridings his government holds.

He could see – as made clear by his hasty assertion that the Catholic sex-ed curriculum would be the same as the public – where it could lead.

Baby’s sex depends on pregnancy stress

The sex of the baby determines the way it responds to stressors during pregnancy and its ability to survive pregnancy complications, a University of Adelaide research has shown.

Male and female babies during pregnancy show different growth and development patterns following stressors during pregnancy such as disease, cigarette use or psychological stress.

The research is being carried out by the Robinson Institute's Pregnancy and Development Group, based at the Lyell McEwin Hospital and led by Associate Professor Vicki Clifton.

"What we have found is that male and female babies will respond to a stress during pregnancy by adjusting their growth patterns differently," said Associate Professor Clifton.

"The male, when mum is stressed, pretends it's not happening and keeps growing, so he can be as big as he possibly can be. The female, in response to mum's stress, will reduce her growth rate a little bit; not too much so she becomes growth restricted, but just dropping a bit below average.

"When there is another complication in the pregnancy – either a different stress or the same one again - the female will continue to grow on that same pathway and do okay but the male baby doesn't do so well and is at greater risk of pre-term delivery, stopping growing or dying in the uterus."

Associate Professor Clifton said this sex-specific growth response had been observed in pregnancies complicated by asthma, pre-eclampsia and cigarette use but was also likely to occur in other stressful events during pregnancy such as psychological stress.
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Sandra Bullock kinky sex tape possessed by estranged hubby Jesse James: Report Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Sandra+Bullock+kinky+

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James at the Oscars.

VANCOUVER — A Canadian journalist who correctly predicted the ill health and impending death of pop star Michael Jackson is now saying Jesse James has a sex tape that reveals some kinky practices with his wife, Sandra Bullock.

Montreal writer Ian Halperin, author of Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, says the tape shows an armed James dressed in Nazi regalia and sporting a Hitler moustache having profanity-laced sex with the Oscar winning actress.

James has recently left a rehab clinic, which supposedly treated his "sex addiction." Reports say Bullock is drawing up divorce papers and her refusal to see her husband has enraged him.

If James is in fact in possession of the alleged tape, he could use it as a bargaining chip in their flailing relationship. What public relations damage such material could do to "America's sweetheart" is difficult to gauge. Halperin surmises it could ruin her career.

Vanity Fair columnist Michael Wolff concurs: "It may be that, even in the long history of Hollywood depravity, this is the big one: Never before has an actress, a girl-next-door actress at that, been so publicly tagged with an account of such extraordinary sexual behavior."

Wolff goes on to say the tape could permanently damage the relationship between the public and the media. "Sandra Bullock, who’s made hundreds of millions of dollars off the illusion of niceness and hamishness and old-fashioned nothing-special decentness, is so far out there that even the most gullible will surely never trust the media again. We’ve all been played for suckers by the pervs, that’s the lesson."

The columnist then raises the blackmail opportunities James has available to redress the "economic disadvantage" he has with his wife.`

Craigslist CEO defends "casual sex" ads

Following a report that sex ads could generate $36 million in revenue for Craigslist this year, company CEO Jim Buckmaster on Thursday posted a blog defending advertisements that lead to "casual sex."

Buckmaster said he was responding to a "campaign" on Twitter demanding that Craigslist remove "all personals ads."

Sex ads, he said, had naturally migrated to personals after the company a year ago discontinued its "erotic" services category of ads and replaced it with an "adult" services category, which requires that users state they are over the age of 17.

Craigslist made the change after a public outcry, particularly from various state attorney generals, over the reported prostitution ads on its site.

Buckmaster disputed the notion that Craigslist abets human trafficking, which he said the company will continue to help law enforcement combat.

The New York Times, which reported the estimate of Craigslist's sex ad revenue made by an outside company, noted that the FBI last week charged 14 members of the Gambino crime family with selling sexual services of girls 15 to 19 on Craigslist. The story has gained significant internet traffic and fueled at least one petition.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and we embrace all criticism as useful in improving our approach," Buckmaster wrote. "But cynical misuse of a cause as important as human trafficking as a pretense for imposing one’s own flavor of religious morality ('casual sex is evil') strikes me as wrong on so many levels."

Craigslist personals are hugely popular and help users "to find friendship, love, romance, companionship, entertainment, and yes, 'casual encounters,' Buckmaster said.

Samuel L Jackson apologises to Naomi Watts over sex scene

Sorry about this: Samuel L Jackson & Naomi Watts

Washington, DC: Actor Samuel L Jackson has revealed that when he had to do a sex scene with actress Naomi Watts, he apologised to her before the act.

Jackson, 61, had to perform a sex scene with Watts, 41, in Mother and Child, and he revealed that he apologised to her in case he was not up for it.

"We did our scene the first day," Fox News quoted him as saying. "We kind of knew each other because I know Liev [Schreiber [Watts's husband], but we'd never really interacted. Our first interaction was that particular scene where she seduces me.

"For me as an actor, I don't know how to do that sort of thing in a room full of people, and I tend to ask a lot of questions.

"Where can I touch you? Where can I not touch you? I'm sorry if I get excited, I'm sorry if I don't...

"But Naomi really took charge," he added.

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Sex doll maker told to pay $300,000

VISTA, California (AP) – A San Diego County jury says the former chief operating officer of a sex doll company must pay his former employer nearly $300,000 after breaking away to form his own love doll company.

Jurors decided Wednesday that Matt Krivicke broke his contract with Abyss Creations LLC and used material from Abyss to start his own firm, Knighthorse LLC.

Krivicke was laid off from Abyss in 2008 and sued Abyss and its owner last year for a share of the company’s profits. Abyss then countersued, alleging Krivicke stole material and information to create its life-sized sex dolls Yvette and Adam.

Abyss says it will seek a court injunction next month to stop Krivicke from selling his dolls.

Aussie woman jailed over cheeseball slay

CANBERRA (Reuters) – An Australian woman who ran down and killed a man who threw cheese-flavored snacks at her car was jailed for 25 years.

Sydney woman Sarah May Ward intended to injure Eli Westlake for throwing the snacks at her vehicle, judge Roderick Howie told the New South Wales Supreme Court, describing the 21-year-old’s murder as “a senseless act of anger.”

“She clearly wanted to teach the young men a lesson,” the Australian Associated Press quoted judge Howie as saying as he sentenced Ward to jail for a minimum 18 years.

The jury was told Ward, 39, had drunk two bottles of wine and used cannabis, amphetamine drugs and anti-depressants before getting into her car in Sydney’s northern suburbs on June 7, 2008.

She decided impulsively to use the vehicle as a weapon after Westlake threw the snacks at her car as a joke while walking home with his brother and a group of friends.

Man steals 45 fire hydrants

SAN BERNARDINO, California (AP) – A Riverside County man was arrested for allegedly stealing dozens of fire hydrants to sell for scrap. Authorities in San Bernardino and Riverside counties say the 45-year-old suspect stole 45 hydrants.

They believe he posed as a repairman, shut off the water, unbolted the 80- to 100-pound hydrants and hauled them away in broad daylight.

Authorities said they got a break when a water district employee in San Bernardino became suspicious of a man in an orange safety vest driving a white utility truck — the description witnesses gave for the hydrant thief.

Authorities said the hydrants were cut up and sold for scrap for about $1.60 a pound but they cost up to $1,800 to replace.

Unfit for job as cop

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Forget about getting a job as a police officer in Indonesia’s Papua if you have had your organ enlarged. You won’t get it, according to local media reports citing the Papua police chief.

An applicant “will be asked whether or not his vital organ has been enlarged,” said Papua police chief Bekto Suprapto.

“If he has, he will be considered unfit to join the police or the military.”

Except adultery, consensual sex no offence, says SC

NEW DELHI: Consensual heterosexual relation between adults, including pre-marital sex, is no offence except in cases where the partners are liable to be charged for "adultery", ruled the Supreme Court.

It said the courts attach a lot of importance to personal autonomy and a person indulging in an immoral act need not necessarily be a culprit in the eyes of law. "Morality and criminality are non co-extensive," said a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan on Wednesday.

The SC said in the present social milieu, some view pre-marital sex as an attack on the centrality of marriage while a significant number see nothing wrong in it. This conflict of opinion on morality did not make pre-marital sex an offence, it ruled.

"Notions of social morality are inherently subjective and criminal law cannot be used as a means to unduly interfere with the domain of personal autonomy," it said.

This clear finding and the judicial logic supporting it got substantial space in the apex court's judgment on Wednesday quashing 23 complaint cases against South Indian actress Khushboo, who was harassed through litigation for her remarks on prevalence of pre-marital sex in cities.

Justice Chauhan, writing the 41-page judgment for the Bench, said, "While it is true that the mainstream view in our society is that sexual contact should take place only between marital partners, there is no statutory offence that takes place when adults willingly engage in sexual relations outside the marital setting, with the exception of `adultery' as defined under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code."

Section 497 provides, "Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case, the wife shall be punishable as an abettor."

The Bench also did not understand the uproar over its comments on pre-marital sex and live-in relationships saying the apex court had in 2006 held that a live-in relationship between two consenting adults of opposite sex did not amount to any offence with the obvious exception of adultery.

It said there was an urgent need for reactionary forces to tolerate unpopular opinions expressed on sensitive issues by writers, authors and other persons and not hound them by instituting complaint cases against them.

"It is not the task of criminal law to punish individuals merely for expressing unpopular views. The threshold for placing reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression is indeed very high and there should be a presumption in favour of the accused in such cases," the Bench said.

It said Khushboo's remarks did provoke a controversy since the acceptance of pre-marital sex and live-in relationships was viewed by some as an attack on the centrality of marriage.

"While there can be no doubt that in India, marriage is an important social institution, we must also keep our minds open to the fact that there are certain individuals or groups who do not hold the same view. To be sure, there are some indigenous groups within our country wherein sexual relations outside marital setting are accepted as a normal occurrence," the SC said.

No sex please. We’re Asian.

Some years ago there was a very successful British comedy with the arresting title No Sex Please We’re British. The title was a play on the legendry shyness of the subject in 19th Century Victorian England. The reality of course was otherwise and that is the point of the title. (Fr Michael Kelly SJ, UCA News)

For many Asian families it is still taboo to discuss sex in public or even in private and many local Catholic Churches around the Continent have worked hard to introduce sex education courses with a Catholic perspective for young people to supplement the content of existing teaching materials.

When they do, they are well thought out and focus on teenagers´ physiological and psychological changes as a starting point in developing a proper attitude to sex.

Discussing sex and its illegal exercise is rattling the Church worldwide. And Churches in Asia are not immune to this. Recent months have seen a spate of events of sexual abuse come to the surface across Asia, bringing on the exercise or hastening the development of sexual abuse protocols.

Bishops in India (whose protocol is nearing completion) and the Philippines (where an “in principle” protocol has been operating for some years) have gone some way to addressing the issues involved. But if international experience is anything to go by –- and repeatedly it has been shown to be the case – these tentative steps need to be bolstered.

More Exercise Equals More Sex

Yet again a study has shown a clear correlation between higher levels of exercise in elderly men and lower levels of erectile dysfunction. The study done in Australia shows that getting exercise for men over the age of 40 is not only good for the heart but also for all aspects of male sexual health.

In all around 6,000 men were questioned in a telephone survey and were asked almost 100 questions regarding all aspects of their life. Professor McLachlan said that while surveys involving male sexual health often had a certain degree of unreliability it was clear that those men who kept fit, maintained a healthy weight and were careful about what they ate had significantly lower rates of erectile dysfunction.

Professor McLachlan also pointed out the link between erectile dysfunction and higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension which he said should be seen as the “canary in the coal mine” warning that something needed to be done about your health. The study which was published by BMC Public Health also documented lower levels of testosterone in those men who did not get exercise.

Professor McLachlan who works at the Monash Institute of Medical Research and is also a director of Andrology Australia said that men should get half an hour of vigorous exercise every day. At Ukmedix News we have always pointed out that one of the best ways to get this exercise is by having sex! Having sex is also good for mental health and reducing stress. Another interesting bit of information from the study was that high rates of erectile dysfunction were observed in those men who were underweight.

The last word of advice from Professor McLachlan was that prevention was better than cure and that healthy living should start when you were younger rather than waiting until the problems were already upon you. He said that it would be much more difficult to start exercising and eating healthily in your forties.

We have always maintained at Ukmedix News that the best type of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra is the natural version which is basic good health!

Sex and cultural mutation

Paris Hilton symbolizes our superficial culture, reader says.

If it is true, as Antonia Zerbisias suggests, that “for the first time in history, girls are really just outpacing boys to the finish line,” then perhaps it is because that particular finish line has been relocated in the priority order of human accomplishment.

In a culture dominated by mindless reality TV, where an “in-depth feature” is something that used to be known as a “sound byte” and fame — meaning looking good on YouTube — is a preferred and successful occupation (think Paris Hilton) then just maybe the lowest common denominators of womanhood are increasingly a better match to the world we’re renovating for our children.

In other words, the superficial culture that we are still perfecting in the face of game-ending environmental, economic and democratic crises is perfectly suited to the worst in all of us. There is no “Beauty Myth” if appearance is the “principle” unit on the yardstick for success. And Heidi Montag is sure to do well . . . now.

Of course, the truth is that this is simply just one more symptom of our terminally ill civilization. Need a band-aid for that? Or makeup? Or some plastic surgery, perhaps?

Sex bill stalls in Kansas Senate

A bill that would place tougher regulations on adult entertainment businesses has stalled after a tie vote in the Senate.

The bill will now be in negotiation between House and Senate conference committee.

Phillip Cosby, with the "National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families" said he was disappointed with the vote because it was so close, but he says its far from over.

He said, "There was some confusion on the existing ordinances; cities and counties being exempt if they have something else in place which probably raised more questions than answers. But, it was an opportunity to defeat the bill with some confusion, the tragedy is the majority of Kansas is still exposed to the ambush of a very rich industry."

Cosby went on to say they've been fighting for five years to get this far, and there is always next year if they don't get it done this session.

Four men sentenced in sex trafficking ring that targeted women, girls from Mexico

Four men were sentenced today in connection with a sex trafficking ring in Metro Atlanta that lured Mexican girls into the country with the promise of a better life and then forced them into prostitution.

Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza, 33, of Mexico; Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza, 22, of Mexico; Mr. Edison Wagner Rosa Tort, 71, of Cartersville, Ga., and Mr. Otto Jaime Larios Perez, 27, of Guatemala were part of the organization that lured the women with promises of legitimate employment, or romantic relationships, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

“Those who enslave and sell young women for sex, or who profit from it, must be held accountable," U.S. Attorney Mrs. Sally Quillian Yates said. "Nothing we can do will fully restore these victims from the harm they suffered at the hands of these criminals, but we will do everything in our power to stop others from being abused.”

From Spring 2006 through June 2008, these defendants recruited and enticed approximately 10 victims to come to the Atlanta area from Mexico and then forced them into prostitution, Mrs. Yates said in a press release.

Conspirators like Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza were responsible for luring the victims in from Mexico, according to investigatos. Drivers, such as Mr. Perez, Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza and Mr. Tort, would collect the victims from the homes where they lived with the defendants in Norcross and drove them to apartments and homes where paying clients waited for sex, Mrs. Yates said.

In one incident, Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza smuggled a 17-year-old female into the United States by falsely promising that he would help her find employment in a restaurant or as a housekeeper, officials said.

The victim was thereafter compelled to engage in sex acts with numerous men every night, and to give Mr. Cortes-Meza the money she collected. Mr. Cortes-Meza controlled the victim’s daily life and was physically violent with her, the U.S. Attorney said.

Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza harbored and transported a victim and forced her to engage in sex acts, Mrs. Yates said. He would then collect the money, which he shared with other co-conspirators, she said.

Mr. Tort took a victim from the Cortes-Meza trafficking ring and kept her in Cartersville, Ga., where he forced her to perform sex acts against her will, officials said.

Mr. Perez pleaded guilty to making false statements to law enforcement after he was intercepted with a victim in his car and told investigators she was a family member. He also said he had never driven anyone to any location for prostitution.

In fact, officials said, Mr. Perez had driven at least six of the young Mexican women to locations to engage in prostitution.

? Mr. Juan Cortes-Meza pled guilty July 30, 2009 to sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl and importation of an alien for immoral purposes. He was sentenced to 16 years, 8 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,600.

?Mr. Raul Cortes-Meza pled guilty Feb. 5, 2009 to sex trafficking of a juvenile. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $7,000.

?Mr. Rosa Tort pled guilty Sept. 16, 2008 to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force or coercion. He was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,000.

?Mr. Larios Perez pled guilty July 30, 2009 to making a false statement to investigators regarding the sex trafficking ring run by the Cortes-Mez family. He was sentenced to two years, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,600.

In order to bring defendants to justice, victims of crime may be eligible for immigration status in the United States to assist in the prosecution, officials said.

Six of the victims in this case addressed the court about what they suffered at the hands of this sex trafficking ring, which included physical threats, beatings, and intimidation, according to the press release.

Sex Ads & Craigslist: $36 Mil in Revenues Comes from Adult Ads

Sex Ads & Craigslist: $36 Mil in Revenues Comes from Adult Ads. Initially, I thought of Craigslist as more of an outlet to purchase things like bassinets for a baby or used furniture. It was the first place I would go to when looking to update my home or help a friend find an apartment to live in.

A little ironic when you see the headlines regarding Craigslist now; as posted by Mashable.com, Craigslist is slated to earn about $36 million in 2010 in revenue from posts by “adult services,” formerly known as “erotic services.”

Being objective, all similar websites experience the same problems. In comparison to other online “market places” or “advertising,” Craigslist is only recently growing out of its infancy.

Facing pressure from media and authorities, the company has also made efforts to outwit said ads from posting. Common practices, such as captcha (a verification process that prevents spamming on major websites) and major credit card verification of identity have made a marked difference in the number of sex related ads posted.

One visit to Craigslist.com presents to you a worldwide version of the classified ads. It is one of the simplest websites to visit and navigate, perhaps lending to the popularity Craigslist has gained.

In appearances, it is a very simple, non-corporate version of an online marketplace- without all of the bells and whistles. Obviously, changes need to be made, and likely will be, as a result of public demand or growth.

After all, retail outlets sell the supplies that aid in the production of a widely publicized drug that America has waged a war on (and for good reason), and laws have been put into place to restrict sales and verify the identity of the consumer purchasing said products – can one expect similar legislation to control “sex ads” on Craigslist?

Sarah Jessica Parker at The Met

Fashion truly is apart of history and most recently New York’s world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art is recruiting Sarah Jessica Parker for her style expertise. The Sex in the City star and May covergirl for Vogue magazine has been asked by the museum to record an audio guide for their Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit. With this years theme being “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity,” who better than the fashion revered star of Sex in the City to take on the role. The institute’s curator, Andrew Bolton, expressed “Because of Sex and the City, she is so much associated with New York and with America, and with using fashion as a way to shape identity.” The highly anticipated exhibit is set for a May 5, 2010 unveiling and is said to explore the perceptions of American women from the 1890s to the 1940s. Visit the Met Museum for more information on the exhibit.

After making your rounds at the exhibit, be on the lookout for Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the Sex in the City crew as the second installment of Sex in the City hits theaters on May 27th. Its guaranteed to be a fashion festival in film. Take a look at the latest trailer to Sex in the City 2 below.

New ads target men who buy sex from kids

WINNIPEG - An ad campaign launched this week at cracking down on youth sexual exploitation features adult men in an effort to change attitudes about the social scourge.

The Stop Sex With Kids campaign will spend about $100,000 to air television and radio commercials featuring a local police officer, former football player and a CBC television personality stating they oppose prostitution involving youths.

The $100,000 covers production costs of the "Kids Are Off Limits" advertisements, with about $60,000 going towards purchasing air time on Winnipeg stations.

"We thought people would just listen differently," said Christy Dzikowicz, Child Find Manitoba's director.

"We think men influence men... while we're targeting everybody, we certainly need to bring them into the loop, because maybe to some extent they've been left out of the loop."

The advertisements are the third in a series that talk about child sexual exploitation. The earlier series of ads featured photos of male and female youths portrayed to be selling or trading sex for survival.

All of the ads emphasize that men who purchase sex from youths are "sex offenders" engaged in harmful behaviour.

TFF 2010: Michael Winterbottom Defends Sex, Violence Scenes in ‘The Killer Inside Me’

Michael Winterbottom’s never been one to shy away from controversy –- the prolific director has made 18 films in 15 years, including heavy-hitters like “Welcome to Sarajevo,” “A Mighty Heart” and the documentary “The Road to Guantanamo.” Almost all his films contain graphic sex or violence–and he does not apologize for it.

His latest film, “The Killer Inside Me,” may be the most provocative yet –- critics have slung accusations of misogyny and torture porn. At the film’s premiere at Sundance, several people left in mid-showing. The first question after the screening was from an outraged woman: “I don’t understand how Sundance could book this movie. How dare you? How dare Sundance?”

The film is a loyal adaptation, on the insistence of Winterbottom, of a pulp novel by Jim Thompson that follows a small-town Texas sheriff with a penchant for murder and violent sex. Casey Affleck stars as killer Lou Ford, flanked by Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson, who play the women who fall for him.

The film’s depictions of murder, especially of the women, are brutal, graphic and disturbingly long. The camera keeps rolling as Joyce Lakeland (Alba) gets her face pummeled for minutes, complete with all-too-accurate sounds of bones crushing and blood spewing. By the end, a completely unrecognizable Alba is slumped on the floor.

The controversy has not deterred distribution: IFC picked up “Killer” after Sundance and will release the film in theaters June 18. Winterbottom, a fast talker who thinks as quickly as he works, was in New York promoting the film’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Speakeasy caught up with him before opening night.

The Wall Street Journal: Why did you choose to shoot the killing scenes the way you did?

That’s the way they were described in the book. I wanted to make the film as close to the book as possible. Having made that first decision, then a lot of smaller decisions are taken care of for you. It’s not like we chose to shoot each scene on an individual basis –- the book tells you what happens.

So blame it on the book’s author, Jim Thompson?

[Laughs] Well, I think it’s a great book. So credit it to Thompson.

Many film adaptations stray. Why did you stay so loyal to the book?

The motive for making the film is because I loved the book. Not only did it have character and grabs you from the start, but because it is shocking when you read it, it is about the brutality of violence, the ugliness of violence, and the way violence destroys tenderness. After I finished it, the book stayed with me for a long time. It’s not supposed to be about how violence is attractive or exciting. It’s not about a glamorous guy going around killing people; it’s about someone that’s really f— up.

It’s interesting that you say the film isn’t supposed to portray violence as exciting. But there’s a good deal of S&M in Lou Ford’s relationships with both women.

That’s interesting, you think that they enjoyed the violence? The story is being told from his point of view so it’s his version of what happened. In his head at least, there’s no doubt that these women love him. Even at his worst, both women love him almost unconditionally so they are pretty passive when he kills them. But I didn’t intend that they’re sexually excited from being beaten.

Most of the uproar is around the film’s depiction of violence against women. Why does Lou Ford take his time killing the women while the men are killed quickly and less brutally?

Because he loves the women and they definitely love him. The film’s about how you’re more violent and more nasty to the people that are close to you if you hate yourself and have no sense of self worth.

Some compare “The Killer Inside Me” to torture porn. And your film “9 Songs” is the most sexually explicit film ever released in Britain. What’s the distinction between what you do and porn?

If you watch a porn film and then you watch “9 Songs,” you’ll know the difference. They do different things. Just because something has sex in it, I don’t think it should be considered porn. There are some ludicrous prohibition of sex in film –- it’s so important to what we all do, but it’s still treated by cinema that it doesn’t exist, or it’s done in the most schematic or symbolic way. You can’t really explore what relationships are like in cinema, because sex is such a big part of relationships and yet cinema doesn’t begin to try and deal with it.

And with “Killer Inside Me,” I personally don’t see any connection with porn. Porn makes you want to have sex with someone. I don’t believe anyone can read the book or watch the film and think they want to be Lou Ford. I don’t even know what torture porn is. Fortunately it hasn’t crossed my radar.

How did you shoot that killing scene with Jessica Alba?

Shooting a killing scene is quite straight-forward but quite tedious. We had to keep adding make-up to Jessica’s face as it went on. So it’s actually quite repetitive and boring from the camera side of it.

I think the person that it the was hardest for was Casey. Casey had to find a way to be real throughout the shoot, but shooting the scene was so dragged out because we do a little bit and we have to stop.

Does shooting the scene in that way sort of anesthetize you and the crew and cast to its shock value?

Yeah, there’s probably a gap of how you see it and how we made it. But I’m still surprised that people found it so shocking when they saw it. You’re right, that when you make a film you get very used to the violence. But it’s not that it pops out of nowhere in the story. The film is about a guy telling a story about killing –- it’s film noir. Noir itself is a well-known fictional genre. For me, although the violence is quite shocking, it’s within a stylized film.

I was pleasantly surprised by Alba and Hudsons’ performances. The roles are quite different from their usual fare. Why do you think they took them on?

You’ll have to ask them what exactly attracted them to the story. They read the script, they surely felt comfortable to play those parts. They are interesting parts. The typical good girl, bad girl dynamic is made more complex by the fact that they both have good-bad aspects to their characters.

What do you think the reaction will be once this film is released in theaters this summer?

I don’t know. This is a story about someone who’s crazy, so you want people to be shocked in that sense. I hope that people will have mixed and complex reactions to the film, like how I reacted to the book.

You’ve made a lot of films. How does this one fit in your repertoire?

I just try to do films that I want to do. The first film I ever directed was called “Butterfly Kiss,” which was about two women killing people, so this is like going back to the beginning in a way. I think you have to find something interesting that you can justify two to three years trying to make.

Have you ever been tempted to do something more mainstream?

We do get sent stuff that are more studio-developed, but it’s rare that that sort of thing is interesting. I like working with small crews on locations. It’s not a conscious decision not to make a mainstream film, but the ideas that we have are not usually the sort of films that everybody will like.

And you seem to be OK with that.

[Laughs] Absolutely.

M.I.A. video, featuring sex, violence and nudity, stirs up Internet storm

A scene from Born Free.

VANCOUVER — The controversy over a new video by Sri Lankan-British rap star M.I.A. continues to erupt over the Internet a day after Born Free was banned from YouTube.

The nine-minute video, directed by Romain-Gavras, depicts the violent round-up of redheads by U.S. troop, and features brutality, nudity, obscenity and summary execution.

At one point a prisoner is shot through the head by a soldier at a concentration camp.

The video appears to make a statement about the injustice meted out to minorities by government imprimatur.

Typical of the comments about the Born Free video, which still can be found on video sites other than YouTube, is this one by _MissAlexandra_: "Woaahhhhh - anyone seen #MIA's new #BornFree #music #video?... I was speechless. Watch at your own risk..."

Tweeted alidrox: "MIA's video is actually shocking... what was she thinking?!"

Others found the piece made a valid statement. Wrote Indigosays: MIA "born free video" just did it for me, WOW I'm officially moved and surprised".

MTV reality TV personage Spencer Pratt was offended because the soldiers rounding up the redheads sported American flags on their uniforms: "The music artist MIA should be kicked out of America today for using the US flag on her Nazi like hit squad in her new music video!"

But kylemcinnes had a different reaction: "Banned from YouTube: MIA 'Born Free', directed by Romain-Gavras. Might just be the best music video of 2010."

MTV ShowsM.I.A. (real name: Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) was born in England to Tamil parents. Rebellious Tamils in Sri Lanka have been beaten down by government forces controlled by the majority Sinhalese ethnic group. The Tamil fighting force, Tamil Eelam, was deemed a terrorist organization by most Western governments, including Canada and the U.S.

In 1975, when M.I.A. was six months old, her family returned to Sri Lanka, where her father worked to create an independent Tamil state, and went into hiding from the army.

A decade later M.I.A. returned to England. She has one child, born in 2009.

She is an accomplished singer, songwriter and visual artist whose work contains a decidedly political bent. Last year Time magazine called her one of the top 100 most influential people in the world.

Debenhams named as official retail partner for Sex and the City 2

With the wait for the Sex and the City 2 film nearly over many companies are beginning to make a big song and dance about it introducing jewellery, clothing and other accessories to tie in with the launch.

Debenhams however has gone one step further. The retail store has announced that it is the official retail partner of the film.

To celebrate, the highstreet store put together a fashion shoot in the Amanjeena Hotel, in Marakesh, Morocco, where the actual movie was shot. Hundreds of girls were interviewed to find four "doubles" for Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte and were dressed in the style of each character from Debenhams designers including Julien Macdonald and Matthew Williamson.

And it's good news for SATC fashion girls because all the clothing will be available to buy in time for the film's debut on 28 May.

But the good news doesn't end there because four lucky customers will also win a trip to New York in conjunction with SATC 2. The prize includes flights and hotel accommodation for four people (one winner and three friends) and $1000 spending money.

Jesse James Denies Sex Tape with Bullock -- And Anyone Else, For That Matter

The couple can agree on one thing -- there is no sex tape of them together.

Jesse James and Sandra Bullock may not be on talking terms, but at least the estranged couple can agree on one thing -- there is no sex tape of them together.

Bullock recently broke her silence for the first time since rumours of James' infidelity surfaced last month, telling People, "There is no sex tape. There never has been one and there never will be one."

After rumours surfaced about James' being involved in other sex tapes with his alleged mistresses, the Monster Garage star backed up Bullock's statement. A spokesperson for James told People, "The claims of sex tapes are untrue and completely fabricated."

James, who is in a treatment centre for personal issues, seems to be holding out hope for him and Bullock. James' attorney recently told People, "When all is said and done, he wants the same people who were living in his house before all this happened to still be living there. And he wants to save his marriage with the woman he loves more than anything in his life."

Lesbian state rep makes plea for same-sex marriage

SPRINGFIELD — Rep. Deb Mell, one of only two openly gay state lawmakers, silenced the normally bustling House chamber today by announcing her plans to marry her partner and making an impassioned case for legalizing same sex marriages.

While personal announcements are not uncommon in the chamber, Mell’s certainly fell outside the norm as she described why a joyous moment for her was bittersweet — and called out fellow Democrat Gov. Quinn for not endorsing same-sex marriages.

“I know our governor and many of you on both sides of the aisle do not consider me equal to you and our relationship equal to the relationship you share with your spouse,” said Mell (D-Chicago). “I think we are more alike than we are different.”

The majority of the chamber applauded Mell following her announcement that she and her fiance, Christin Baker, planned to head to Iowa to marry. Several legislators stood to verbally support Mell — the daughter of Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) and one of two openly gay legislators — and changes that would allow same-sex couples to be married in Illinois.

“Not so long ago in this country it was illegal for people of different races to be married. And there were many arguments that were raised how unnatural that was, how it was against the laws of nature, how it was against religion,” Rep. Will Burns (D-Chicago).

“We’ve seen over time those arguments fail and fall. And I hope that at some point in this state that the arguments against same-gender loving people being married and being together fall as well.

Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills), the lone Republican to stand and speak, grew emotional while offering his support to Mell, a one-time neighbor in a housing complex near the Capitol. Beaubien later said he believes same-sex marriage should be legalized in Illinois.

“The whole situation with the position she’s in in Illinois is one I think we ought to change,” he said. “I just think that adults ought to be able to live their own life and speak their own truth.”

However, the divisive issue caused silent protest among some of Mell’s colleagues, particularly on the GOP side of the aisle. Rep. Harry Ramey (R-Carol Stream), who wasn’t on the floor when Mell spoke, said he opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions.

“It’s the way I was raised,” Ramey said.

But even members of the House who opposed Mell’s marriage in principle were cordial.

“Even though I am not a supporter of either civil unions or gay marriage, she has a right to speak on the floor to this and that’s why the system works. I actually congratulated her,” said Rep. Michael Bost (R-Murphysboro).

Gov. Quinn, though called out by Mell, said he would like to see Illinois recognize civil unions.

“I think that’s an issue that we can pass in Illinois, and I hope soon. I’ve known Debbie Mell since she was knee high to a duck,” Quinn said. “I honor her decisions.”

However, Mell indicated civil unions were not enough.

“Life can be tough even on a good day, so I believe if you find that person who you want to spend the rest of your life with regardless if you are gay or straight, it should be honored and celebrated,” she said.

Does having more sex - like Brazilian health official recommended - actually improve your health?

Getty Get busy, get happy! Sex may not be the equivalent of a cardio workout, but it does release mood-boosting hormones.

Is "sexercise" a prescription for good health? Brazil's Minister of Health suggested that his country's citizens have sex five times a week as a solution to chronic diseases there like diabetes and hypertension (nearly one quarter of Brazilians have high blood pressure, according to The Associated Press).

While sex may not cure chronic illnesses, it does have some health benefits, experts say. But it's not the same as an intense workout at the gym.

"You're not going to get the same [physical health] benefit as going out for a 2-mile jog," Jamie Feldman, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, told ABC News. "Sexual activity provides some degree of modest exercise. But it's not the same as getting moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day."

It can, however, lower the blood pressure over time, says Israel Helfand, sex therapist and marriage counselor. "But for this to happen, it must be done vigorously," he adds.

Sex also increases the body's "happy" hormones such as dopamine and cortisol, Helfand says. "And it counteracts depression, improves energy and improves people's mood," he adds.

Consultant sexologist Eric Garrison points out its calorie-reducing benefits, too. "And studies show that sex is known to relieve headaches and sinus pressure since it increases blood flow in the head," he adds. "So the ‘not tonight, I have a headache,' excuse doesn't really work."

Sex also can strengthen the immune system, help you have a better relationship with your partner, and make you feel more connected to your partner, says Ian Kerner, Ph.D., a certified clinical sexologist.

"But it works two ways," he says. "People who have healthy sex lives are likely to have healthier lives overall. People who have sex more often are more likely to go to the gym, eat healthy and take care of themselves. But if you are sedentary and have high blood pressure, this definitely has an effect on libido."

A recent study in the British Medical Journal of 6,000 Americans ages 25 to 84, as reported by ABC News, found that those with an active sex life lead healthier and longer lives.

"Really what they found was that sexual activity, quality of sex life, and interest in sex were positively associated with good health in middle age and later in life," Feldman told ABC News. "Men and women who were reporting good physical health were more likely to report good sexual health."

A pill that makes sex last longer? No! No! No! Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1269570/A-pill-makes-sex-longer-No-No-No.html?ito

The first drug to give men more staying power in the bedroom went on sale this week and you can already hear the deafening roar of cheers as men prepare to spend longer between the sheets.

The new pill Priligy may well have the same potential to change men's sex lives as Viagra did. Premature ejaculation affects one in three men at some stage in their lives.

Maker Johnson & Johnson promises it can increase staying power threefold. Available on the internet at £76 for a pack of three, it sounds like manna from heaven.

All night long? No thanks: Many women are too busy for marathon sex sessions

Unsurprisingly, men up are whooping with joy. But if you expect women to be yelling 'Yes, yes, yes!', you'd be wrong.

I am in no doubt that up and down the country women are secretly groaning in dismay as they brace themselves for the one thing they don't want - more sex.

It's almost a crime to admit that we don't want endless sex every hour of the day and night. We're all conditioned to think that the best kind of sex is long and lingering.

Men are encouraged to believe that unless they can enjoy endless feats of love-making they aren't real men.

Women are shy of admitting that short sex sessions actually suit them, because they fear it means they have a low sex drive. But the truth is that quick sex sessions aren't always a curse. For a great many women they are actually a blessing.

The last thing they'll be racing to embrace is a pill to slow things down. Of course, as a psychologist and life coach, I am acutely aware that premature ejaculation can be a very real and distressing problem for couples.

It can leave men feeling inadequate and women unsatisfied. However, there are also a great many women who have very good reasons for being happy when sex is over quickly. They might want different sex. They might want less sex. But they definitely don't want the same sex to last longer all the time.

My client Janey, for example, enjoys sex. But with a hectic career as a designer and two children under five, it's not top of her priorities. Sleep beats it most nights.

She and Rob, both 30, have been married for six years. In their honeymoon period, they happily spent entire days in bed. Now, she is thrilled that Rob is - as she put is - 'quick off the mark'.

The last thing Janey wants is the pressure of having to devote hours of her precious time to making love.

At this stage in their relationship, Rob's speed suits them both. 'We love each other, but we don't need to spend hours making love to prove it,' she says. 'I'd hate Rob to feel inadequate just because he's fast. For me, it's an advantage.'

Then there's Sally, a 47-year-old teacher. Her husband, Henry, has suffered intermittently from premature ejaculation for years. They both accepted it as a byproduct of his hi

ghly stressed career as a managing director.

And when the couple had time, Henry compensated with foreplay, which left Sally happy.

But now that Sally has become peri-menopausal, her libido has started slumping. Quick sex with no pressure on her is perfect.

'It's a relief for both of us,' she says. 'The idea that only long sex is good sex is rubbish.'

My friend Marianne couldn't agree more. Her husband suffered from the reverse problem - delayed ejaculation. Although she never dared admit it to him, lovemaking was often stressful and exhausting.

The couple divorced five years ago and now Marianne, 45, has a new partner. To her delight, interminable sex sessions are a thing of the past.

'He's a wonderful lover - fast and furious,' she told me breathlessly. 'I didn't know I could enjoy sex until now.'

Her lover's technique might not suit every woman. But for Marianne, it's perfect.

Then there's Jill, a 35-year-old dance instructor. Her boyfriend doesn't have staying power. But it's not a problem as he compensates with imaginative foreplay, which leaves Jill happy.

'Like most women, my sex drive ebbs and flows depending on what's going in my life,' she says. 'If I'm tired or stressed, the last thing I want is to have to perform for hours in bed.

'So Steve's speed is perfect. We can have long sessions when I'm in the mood and other times he's satisfied very quickly.'

And that's the whole point. Love-making is as varied as the people who make love.

Different styles of sex suit different people and even suit different times in our lives.

Encouraging men to believe that they are good lovers only if they can last a set length of time is ridiculous. It's also potentially very damaging.

We therapists are always advising couples to communicate their needs and be open about their problems. But, as we all know, that's much easier said than done.

Many women become completely tongue-tied when they try to talk about sex. And, of course, if your partner suffers from premature ejaculation, talking about the problem might simply compound it.

Instead, most women have happily reassured their husbands that it doesn't matter. They've found ways to work around it.

And that's why I know that while many women will be too shy to admit it - short sex sessions are far from all bad.