J.K. Rowling, author of 'Harry Potter' books, makes no apology for sex, drugs & grownup language in first book for adults, 'The Casual Vacancy'

Author that put Hogwarts on the map opens up in rare interview with New Yorker

J.K.Rowling, famous for writing the kid's books about Harry Potter, has a book directed at adult readers hitting the shelves today.

It’s J.K. Rowling like you’ve never read her before: sex, drugs — and language that would make Hermione Granger turn scarlet.

The “Harry Potter” author’s first novel for adults is set to hit bookstores Thursday, and Rowling is making no excuses for the very grownup prose and plotline in “The Casual Vacancy.”

In a rare interview, Rowling shrugged off the suggestion that she will face criticism for exposing fans of her G-rated wizard series to the kind of novel that likens a used condom to “the gossamer cocoon of some huge grub.”

“There is no part of me that feels that I represented myself as your children’s baby-sitter or their teacher,” Rowling told the New Yorker magazine.

“I was always, I think, completely honest. I’m a writer, and I will write what I want to write.”

The contents of the 512-page book — already No. 3 on the Amazon best-seller list based on preorders — have been guarded as closely as the Sorcerer’s Stone.

New Yorker writer Ian Parker was forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement that initially barred him from taking notes while reading “Vacancy” in the publisher’s office.

His profile of Rowling divulges there are a few shades of gray in her “comic tragedy” about class warfare in an English village.

One passage reads: “The leathery skin of her upper cleavage radiated little cracks that no longer vanished when decompressed.”

Another refers to a boy on a school bus “with an ache in his heart and in his balls.” There’s even a “miraculously unguarded vagina.”

Many of the teenagers are troubled, and one mother is a heroin addict.

“I had a lot of real-world material in me,” Rowling, 47, said of moving beyond the world of make-believe.
“There are certain things you just don’t do in fantasy. You don’t have sex near unicorns. It’s an ironclad rule. It’s tacky,” she said.

Then she added: “It’s not that I just wanted to write about people having sex.”

Rowling — who launched the Potter series in 1997 while she was living on welfare and is now worth $900 million — said she considered publishing her latest work anonymously but knew her cover would be blown.
“In the final analysis, I thought, ‘Get over yourself. Just do it,’” she said.

She has already written a couple of chapters of her next book for adults and is also working on two books for kids too young for Harry Potter.

The New Yorker didn’t give “Casual Vacancy” a rave review, but that’s unlikely to hurt early sales or dampen curiosity. The book has been on Amazon’s top 100 list for 81 days, and local stores report brisk preorders.

The BookMark Shoppe, a small independent store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, said 24 of its customers have dibs on the first copies.

“And people have been calling all day to make sure we’ll have it on Thursday,” said owner Christine Freglette.

She guessed that many of the anxious readers were adolescents when they got hooked on Hogwarts.

“They were the first Harry Potter generation. Now they’re adults and this is perfect for them,” she said.

J.K. Rowling/Little Brown and Co

J.K.Rowling, famous for writing the kid's books about Harry Potter, has a book directed at adult readers hitting the shelves today.

The moral case for sex before marriage

Condemning premarital sex and promoting abstinence are not working. Lasting, loving relationships are made through intimacy.

 

 Jill Filipovic: 'People who marry early and/or hold traditional views on marriage and gender tend to have higher divorce rates and unhappier marriages.'

Americans love to tout the value of waiting until marriage to have sex. We teach abstinence-only education in schools across the country, and even comprehensive sex-ed programs often point out that "abstinence is best." Pop stars from Britney Spears to Jessica Simpson, to the Jonas Brothers, to Miley Cyrus, to Justin Bieber routinely assert that they're waiting 'til marriage – putting them into the Good Role Model category (at least, until someone leaks a sex tape). There's a booming "purity industry", complete with jewelry, elaborate events, books, t-shirts and DVDs. 

Our state and federal tax dollars have long been spent promoting "chastity". While conservative commentators are happy to assert that waiting until marriage is the best choice for everyone and people who don't wait aren't doing marriage "the right way", sex-positive liberals hesitate to say that having sex before marriage is an equally valid – if not better – choice for nearly everyone.

So here it goes: having sex before marriage is the best choice for nearly everyone.

How do I know? Well, first of all, nearly everyone has sex before marriage – 95% of Americans don't wait until their wedding night. And that's a longstanding American value. Even among folks in my grandparents' generation, nine out of ten of them had sex before they wed.

Of course, just because lots of people do a thing doesn't mean it's a good thing. But sex is. In terms of happiness, sex is better than money, and having sex once a week instead of once a month is the "happiness equivalent" of an extra $50,000 a year. People with active sex lives live longer. Sex releases stress, boosts immunities, helps you sleep and is heart-healthy.

Sex is good whether you're married or not, and certainly folks who wait until marriage can have a lot of sex once they tie the knot. But waiting until marriage often means both early marriage and conservative views on marriage and gender – and people who marry early and/or hold traditional views on marriage and gender tend to have higher divorce rates and unhappier marriages. We know that, on the other hand, there are lots of benefits to marrying later and to gender-egalitarian marriages. Couples who both work outside the home and also share housework duties have more sex. Financially independent, college-educated women who marry later in life have extremely low divorce rates.

It turns out that feminist values – not "traditional" ones – lead to the most stable marriages. And feminist views plus later marriage typically equals premarital sex.

Most adult human beings naturally desire sex. And despite the rightwing emphasis on concepts like "purity", having sex does not actually make you a dirty or "impure" person. On the contrary, sex is like most other pleasurable things in life – you can have sex in ways that are fulfilling, fun, good and generous, or you can have sex in ways that are harmful, bad and dangerous. Marriage is not, and has never been, a way to protect against the harmful, bad and dangerous potential of sex (just read the Bible if you want a few examples). 

Instead of fooling ourselves into thinking that waiting until marriage makes sex "good", we should focus on how ethical, responsible sexual practices – taking precautions to protect the physical and mental health of yourself and your partner; having sex that is fully consensual and focused on mutual pleasure – are part of being an ethical, responsible human being.

Sexual morality isn't about how long you wait. It's about how you treat yourself and the people you're with.

Sex, of course, isn't all ponies and rainbows. The United States has one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates in the world. We have one of the highest abortion rates. We have one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections. But our problem with sex isn't that we're having it before marriage; it's that we've cast it as shameful and dirty. And when our collective cultural consciousness says that sex is shameful and dirty, we don't have the incentive – or the tools– to plan for sex, to see it as a positive responsibility and to make healthy sexual choices. 

We're obsessed with sex on television, in music and in advertisements, but we somehow lack the ability to talk about sex as a positive, moral, pleasure-affirming choice that, like any other adult decision, comes with a set of responsibilities. And when government money is going toward telling people to just wait until marriage, we are literally funding an idea that has never worked in all of human history, instead of supporting tried-and-true policies that could mitigate the harm of a sex-obsessed, but pleasure-starved, culture.

If waiting until marriage were simply an individual choice with no political consequences or backdrop – if it were as arbitrary a marker as waiting until the third date, waiting until you knew your partner's middle name or waiting until she wore really awesome high heels – it wouldn't be a problem. And personally, I don't really care when you, as an individual, choose to have sex. As long as you feel ready and it's consensual, I say you do you. But "waiting until marriage" as a cultural phenomenon – albeit one that isn't actually happening for nearly everyone in the western world – has some nasty views about women and sex lurking behind it. Using "purity" as shorthand for "doesn't have sex" by definition means that people, and mostly women, who have sex before marriage are impure, dirty or tainted. As Jessica Valenti says in her book The Purity Myth:

"While boys are taught that the things that make them men – good men – are universally accepted ethical ideals, women are led to believe that our moral compass lies somewhere between our legs."

It's all the more troubling when those beliefs are federally funded.

From a more practical standpoint, not everyone is going to get married, or even legally can get married. The instruction to wait forever to experience a fundamental human pleasure is pointless and cruel. And while the old adage tells women that men won't buy the cow if they can get the milk for free, if I'm buying a cow, you can bet I'm going to make sure the milk is to my liking. But our cultural view of premarital sex as morally tainted makes it harder for couples to engage in real talks about their sexual needs and desires before marrying, the same way they would talk about their religious values, how many kids they want or whether the wedding cake will be chocolate or vanilla.

Sexually frustrated marriages are both miserable and common – the inboxes of advice columnists from Dan Savage to Dear Prudie are filled with letters from couples with mismatched sex drives and bad sex lives. We'd be a lot better-off if we recognized that sex is incredibly important to a lot of people, and, for most couples, sexual compatibility is necessary for a great marriage. You really can't tell if you're sexually compatible unless you have sex. The insistence that premarital sex is dirty or perverse makes it a whole lot harder to have necessary conversations. And a worldview that positions sex as shameful and bad also isn't going to evaporate on your wedding night.

Purity peddlers construct a false universe where there are pure virgins who wait until marriage, and then there are slutty whores who are going home with different men every night of the week. The truth is that most adults will have a great many important relationships in their lives – some of those relationships will be romantic, and some of those will be sexual. That's a good thing: our relationships with other people, sexual or not, are how we grow, evolve and learn about ourselves. They're how we figure out what love is, what we like physically and emotionally, and how to negotiate our own needs with someone else's. Despite the claims of the wait-till-marriage camp, waiting to have sex won't protect you from heartache, frustration or love lost. But a variety of fulfilling relationships, sexual and not, will make you a more well-rounded, compassionate and self-assured person.

My point isn't that everyone should have sex before marriage – people should determine for themselves when they are ready to have sex. For the vast majority of people, that's going to be before they're married. Making that choice isn't a moral failing. On the contrary, it's often a great, healthy, overwhelmingly positive choice. Whenever you choose to have sex, the cultural message that waiting until marriage is the best choice is simply wrong. And it's wrong for almost everyone.

Justices will soon decide whether to take up same-sex marriage appeals

Washington (CNN) -- The divisive issue of same-sex marriage was expected to be discussed privately by the Supreme Court Monday, and the justices could soon announce if they will hear a constitutional challenge to a federal law denying financial benefits to gay and lesbian couples.

An order from the court announcing whether they will take up either or both of two separate issues could come as early as Tuesday morning. If so, oral arguments and an eventual ruling would not happen until next year, but the current appeals are sure to re-ignite the hot-button social debate in a presidential election.

At issue is whether guarantees of "equal protection" in the U.S. Constitution should invalidate a California law -- and the separate 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which for federal purposes defines marriage as the legal union only between one man and one woman.

A New York woman sued, saying the congressional law unfairly treats same-sex couples who are lawfully married under the laws of their own states.

A separate appeal from California over the state's voter-approved Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage is also before the high court.

In the DOMA appeal, Edith "Edie" Windsor and Thea Spyer had lived for together in New York City's Greenwich Village for more than four decades, and had been engaged as a couple since 1967.

They eventually married out of state in 2007, but neither the federal government nor their home state of New York at the time recognized the legal union. Spyer died three years ago and left her estate to Windsor, who was then forced to pay federal taxes on the money -- about $363,000 in taxes -- because she was not considered a legal spouse.

New York now allows same-sex marriage.

A federal judge had ruled in favor of Windsor, but citing her age and health, the woman's lawyers are trying to bypass usual federal appeals court review of the case, and have asked the Supreme Court to hear the case now. Such legal leapfrogging is rarely accepted by the justices, since they typically want such cases to percolate through the entire judicial system before reaching the high court.

"Edie Windsor, who recently celebrated her 83rd birthday, suffers from a serious heart condition," said Roberta Kaplan, Windsor's attorney. "Edie cannot yet receive a refund of the unconstitutional estate tax that she was forced to pay simply for being gay. The constitutional injury inflicted on Edie should be remedied within her lifetime."

The Defense of Marriage Act was passed in 1996 by the GOP-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and says states cannot be forced to recognize such marriages allowed in other states.

The Obama administration, which normally would defend federal laws in judicial disputes, announced earlier this year it believed the Defense of Marriage Act, often referred to as DOMA, to be unconstitutional.

House Speaker John Boehner said that with the Justice Department not participating, the Republican majority had "no choice" but to act unilaterally, and have moved to lead the legal defense of the law.

Three other separate appeals challenging DOMA have been filed with the high court, but have not yet been scheduled for an initial, internal review. Plaintiffs include 17 married or widowed men and women suing for federal benefits.

The justices may wait until all pending same-sex marriages have been debated in their closed-door conference before deciding whether any or all of the cases are accepted for full review.

A separate federal appeals court based in Boston last spring struck as unconstitutional a key part of DOMA, ruling the federal government cannot deny tax, health and pension benefits to same-sex couples in states where they can legally marry. That ruling was a boost for gay rights advocates and the Obama administration, which in a rare move, has refused to defend the federal law in court.

Marriage between two males or two females is legal in the District of Columbia and six states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York.

Washington state and Maryland passed similar laws that will not take effect until voters decide in separate referendums in the November elections.

Many other states, including New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island and Hawaii, have legalized domestic partnerships and civil unions for such couples -- a step designed in most cases to provide the same rights of marriage under state law.

But other states have passed laws or state constitutional amendments banning such marriages.

A bill known as the Respect for Marriage Act is working its way through Congress and would repeal DOMA. President Barack Obama, who previously opposed same-sex marriage, said in June he now supports it.

The larger issue has been working along two legal tracks, originating on opposite coasts.

A federal appeals court last month ruled against California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, arguing the ban unconstitutionally singles out gays and lesbians for discrimination.

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the state's Proposition 8 "works a meaningful harm to gays and lesbians" by denying their right to civil marriage in violation of the 14th Amendment.

The "Prop 8" case, as it has become known, has been down a complicated legal road. California's Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages were legal in 2008. About 18,000 gay and lesbian couples then legally obtained marriage licenses in the state. But after the statewide ballot measure banning the practice passed with 52% of the vote later that year, same-sex marriages were put on hold.

California is the only state that accepted, then revoked, same-sex marriage as a legal right.

The somewhat narrow federal appeals court ruling tossing out Proposition 8 never reached the right-to-marry question -- but instead ruled only on whether voters can decide such issues.

The Supreme Court has complete discretion to frame the same-sex marriage issues as the justices see fit. The court could determine whether a fundamental right is at stake, potentially striking down the laws of some states allowing only "traditional" marriages.

Or the justices could take a more narrow approach, and require the states to recognize same-sex marriages created in other states, without exception, without being forced to change their own laws.

It is unclear whether the first high court debate over same-sex marriage would be over federal, not state, laws -- or whether both questions will be addressed at the same time.

The justices would have ultimate discretion to accept one, both, or neither of the cases -- perhaps deferring judicial review until a later time, after other lower courts have had time to debate the matter. Or they may wait until Congress has had a chance to repeal or modify the current federal law.

The New York appeal is Windsor v. U.S (12-63).

The California appeal is Hollingsworth v. Perry (12-144).

Kanye West, A sex tape king?

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian at the 65th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2012.

Is there really a Kanye West sex tape making the rounds at porno DVD distributors?

Nope.

There isn’t a sex tape – but two!
So claims TMZ, in a report which celebrates Kanye’s prowess as “a sex tape master” who displays remarkable sexual skills and stamina in the lengthy vids which feature two of the Trapped in the Closet Hip-hopera composer and videomaker’s ex-girlfriends.

Neither stars his current pr-enhanced paramour, Kim Kardashian, though the first one, which clocks in at an impressive 20 minutes, reportedly costars a young woman who could be Kim’s twin.

And  the second? Clearly moved to tears by the discovery, TMZ reporters write that the film is almost 40 minutes long.

“And we're talking constant action,” the site says. “Seriously, the guy takes no breaks. It's incredible. Almost Sting-like.”

Kanye’s two films were lifted from his computer by an unknown party who is shopping them around at various porn distributors, says TMZ. The star reportedly plans to sue the perpetrator and any film company who releases the home movies.

Kanye ‘n’ Kim’s sex vid connection

Kanye’s link to Kim always had a sex tape angle: TMZ previously reported that long before dating her, Kanye would, um, celebrate his Kim-krush by playing her infamous sex tape while making love to his partners. (I’m sure the gals were thrilled and flattered to no end, by the gesture.)

Analysts indicate Kim earned her celebrity status on the back of her 2003 sex tape which costarred singer Ray J.
It was leaked in early 2007 and eventually released by Vivid Entertainment as Kim Kardashian: Superstar.
It earned banner headlines – and a $5 million settlement from Vivid.

What does “Sting-like” mean?

Sting is supposed to be a master in so-called tantric sex and reportedly has had sexual sessions with his wife lasting hours, days, perhaps even years. This tale, alas, is just an urban legend, his wife, Trudie Styler, told a British newspaper last year.

PHOTO: The second photo is purportedly a video capture from Kim's sex tape with singer Ray J.

Top 10 Sexiest Women of 2012

These days, it seems like everyone has their own take on who the sexiest women in the world are. So we got some people together, and asked them to list their top 10. In all, there were 47 different women picked from 4 main fields, musicians, actresses, presenters and models, and after a lot of deliberation and consideration, 10 women were picked, some were sure to be included right from the start, others were very surprising. 

However, we feel these results accurately convey what real men like, and who they consider to be the sexiest women in the world today

What makes a women, sexy? Is it simply sex appeal, good looks, personality, or a combination of all 3? We feel that it’s a combination of all 3, and this list is the argument that backs that up. So please sit back, relax, unbutton your jeans if you have to, do whatever you want, just enjoy.

10. Zooey Deschanel

Starting out list is the 32 year old actress, model and singer, Zooey Deschanel. Incredibly quirky and always a joy to watch, she made her film debut in Mumford in 1999, and has since went on to star in numerous movies, including supporting roles in Elf, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe, and Yes Man. As well as leading roles in The Happening, and (500) Days of Summer, she currently stars on hit comedy show New Girl. 

Though not considered a traditional knockout, Deschanel appeals to many men because of her quirky attitude, striking and classic good looks, and like-a-bility, and who could forget those incredible, big blue eyes. Zooey Deschanel is living proof, that not everyone needs fake boobs, fake tan, and blonde hair to be considered sexy. Classic charm and being cute and quirky works 

9. Kaley Cuoco

From appearing in 8 Simple Rules, as Bridget Hennessy, a young blonde teenager, men and teenagers all over the world were hooked on Kaley Cuoco, and when the show went off the air in 2005, we were all left wondering when we would next see the peppy blonde, and when The Big Bang Theory aired in 2008, we were not disappointed.

We thought she was hot before, who could have seen it coming. Cuoco had matured into a good looking, blonde peppy women.  Having being described as “the hottest women on TV”, she is clearly keeping male attention, with guys who first seen her as teenagers themselves, now appreciating all that she has to offer as a young women. With The Big Bang Theory coming back for a 6th season this month in the US, we’re sure to get out fix of Kaley until at least 2013.

8. Alexandra Stan

2011 saw the rise of Romanian pop-sensation, Alexandra Stan. Her debut single Mr. Saxobeat was a huge hit in Europe. The video accompanying the single was also incredibly popular, notching up nearly 160 million views on youtube, if you’ve seen the video you’ll know exactly why it was so popular.

At only 23, this young women has so much to give. She has some incredible assets that has the men of the world at her feet. Blonde hair and big boobs have always been a winning combination, but combine that with a great body, a young face and a sexual presence that is just sexy, and you have on of the sexiest women in the world for years to come no doubt.

With any luck, this young women will have another huge hit and great video next summer, but if you can’t wait that long, we highly suggest searching for Stan’s video for her song Lollipop on youtube …

7. Jennifer Lawrence

Star of the mega successful movie adaptation of the best selling book The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence is one of the young up and coming actresses to watch out for, and many young men have been watching. On the back of the success of the Hunger Games, Lawrence has a string of movies coming out, including The House at the End of the Street, the second Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire, and The Silver Linings Playbook.

At just 22, this young actress is easily going to be big, she’s the face of a new generation of actors and actresses, mind you, not a bad face at that, we will all be talking about Jennifer Lawrence in the near and distant future. Clear to say, along with her looks, she has the acting skills that it takes to become one of the all time greats.

6. Jessica Jane Clement

Model, presenter, actress, hustler, activist, and all round sex symbol. There’s very little that Jessica Jane Clement can’t conquer. First brought to out attention back in 2006 on The Real Hustle, playing the part of a “sexy swindler”, incredibly convincingly. However, Clements first time in the public eye was at the age of 18, appearing as a page three model. Since then she has appeared in various magazines, including Playboy.

British males have seen plenty of Jessica Jane since the days of The Real Hustle, including being a contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and we’re sure to see more in the next year, with hear appearing in a new British movie, a series on E4 entitled, The Body Shocking Show, and we can’t wait.

Even with multiple tattoo’s, a hair colour that changes like the wind – but when your engaged to a hair stylist, that’s bound to be the case – nothing can stop this women being sexy, and with her current red hair, she bares an uncanny resemblance to Jessica Rabbit. There’s something for every man to like about this women, and very little not to like.

5. Scarlett Johansson

If you had looked at a picture of Scarlett Johansson in Eight Legged Freaks and someone told you in the year 2012 she would be one of the sexiest women in the world, you may have laughed. Well, now she is just that. The great thing about Scarlett Johansson is that aside from being unquestionably sexy, she is also extremely classy. She is one of the few females in this century that can pull off the classic 30s pin up look, and still make it look as sexy now as it did to the men back then.

If dressing like a classic pin up wasn’t good enough, Ms. Johansson has recently been running around in the comic book smash movie of the year, The Avengers, in a tight black cat suit. This is a women who can almost literally pull any look off. She also tried her hand at signing and released an album a few years back, but the less said about that, the better.

With the Success of The Avengers, we’re sure that Scarlett Johansson will be donning the tight catsuit once again in the near future, with a sequel to The Avengers already being discussed.

4. Tulisa

Landing a role on the judging panel of The X-Factor last year, did nothing but help Tulisa flourish in the public eye. Gradually we began to see more and more of Tulisa, and without the dimwits of N-Dubz jumping around like idiots beside her, we saw how good looking Tulisa actually was. Unquestionably, Tulisa’s popularity among men was increased dramatically when a video appeared online, in which we saw more of her vocal skills.

That aside, she is an incredibly good looking young women, and although personally, her current blonde hair takes some of the shine off of her, you can’t argue with that body. It was a welcome change on X-Factor when she changed her usual ‘chav’  clothes for figure hugging dresses, that just amplified her curves. And who can forget the catsuit from Halloween last year. All great reasons why Tulisa is in the top 5, never-mind top 10.

3. Mila Kunis

Some men know her as Jackie from That 70s Show, others may know her as Meg from Family Guy, however you know her, one things for sure, she’s hot. She was hot in That 70s Show, not so hot as Meg on Family Guy, but that role has thrown her into the limelight. This, along with roles in movies such as After Sex (2007), Friends with Benefits (2011), and Ted (2012) have made Mila Kunis incredibly popular with both men, and women taking notice of the 29 year old. With roles in 2 of they movies being incredibly sexual, it’s almost impossible to imagine Kunis as anything other than a bonafide sex symbol.

She may be a popular voice artist, but she has signed on to be the face of a new Christian Doir campaign this year. This could, hopefully, launch Kunis into a successful modeling career, and that, would most defiantly not be a bad thing.

2. Katy Perry

There are many ways to admire Katy Perry. Weather its on stage in latex dresses, and bras shooting whipped cream everywhere, or on the big screen in incredibly flattering 3D (I ask, what is better than 34 D breasts in 3D ? Nothing). She has tackled nearly every aspect of entertainment to this day. The multi-million dollar hit maker first came onto the radar in 2008 with I Kissed a Girl, a song title that’s just guaranteed to grab the attention of males. Since then she has gone on to release 2 number 1 albums, numerous number 1 singles, 2 successful world tours, a movie and countless music awards, Ms Perry is just going from strength to strength, and is yet to fail in anything she has tried.

Well, there was the brief marriage to supposed comedian Russel Brand, but that was hardly her own failing. When you marry an unfunny idiot, who has had drug problems and is a self confessed sex addict and womanizer, there’s gonna be some tension and problems. But forgetting that, Katy Perry is undoubtedly beautiful. Dark hair, big eyes, curves a plenty, she is classically beautiful. Any man would be lucky to spend the briefest of time with this starlet, and i don’t mind saying, i envy any man, or women, that does … except Russel Brand, he’s a fool.

1. Cheryl Cole

This is the women that got 3/4 of the votes for this poll, and she is unanimously our number 1, and tops this impressive list, with no shortage of good reason. If the picture doesn’t convince you, nothing will.

From her early days in Girls Aloud, when she was Cheryl Tweedy, she was always one to watch, everyone in Girls Aloud was, but there was always something about Cheryl Cole that made her stand out. She has since went on to become the most successful member of Girls Aloud, with 2 years on the judging panel of The X-Factor, 3 solo albums, numerous top selling singles, a brief stint on the US version of The X-Factor, a marriage and on-again off-again with English footballer Ashley Cole, Cheryl has been one busy Geordie.

Aside from her success on TV and in the music business, she is also considered to be a fashion and style icon for modern women. So with all that said, there’s simply nothing to add to it. Cheryl Cole, we salute you.

'I felt so embarrassed and ashamed': Tulisa reveals sex attack horror at 16 after her drink was spiked

Shocking: Tulisa has revealed that she was drugged and sexually attacked at the age of 16

Tulisa Contostavlos has revealed she was sexually assaulted after being drugged when she was 16.

Recalling what started as a night out in friends in her new autobiography, the singer revealed how her 'fearless nature' put her in some horrible situations.

The now 24-year-old recalled how she had seen her friends putting pills in people's drinks and told them that she didn't want to get involved on the night the alleged attack took place.

In the book Honest: My Story So Far, which is being serialised by The Sun, Tulisa admits she even lied about having a heart condition in a bid to preventing her drink wouldn't get spiked.

As the evening progressed, she recalls all of a sudden feeling 'abnormally drunk', despite only having a few drinks.

Following a few dizzy spells, the Camden-born singer soon lost her footing and was escorted out of the club for fresh air.

Still haunting to talk about, Tulisa remembered: 'The next thing I remembered was waking up. lying in the back of a cab and seeing the street lights whizzing past me through the windows. I felt completely out of it, and I blacked out again.'

The next time the Young singer came around, she was in a strange bedroom.

Then... Tulisa rose to fame alongside cousin Dappy and Fazer as a member of N-Dubz

Now... The 24-year-old revealed that she never reported the attack to the police

And worse still, in regaining consciousness to her horror she found that her friend was having non-consensual sex with her before passing out again.

'I couldn't even move, let alone get up or speak, and once again I just blacked out. When I finally woke up in the morning I found myself in a strange house'.

Honest: My Story So Far is out on Thursday

In the morning as Tulisa tried to come to terms with what the person she had considered a 'friend' had done, she found herself greeted with a kind gesture.

The mother of the boy believed that the MOBO award-winner star was her son's girlfriend and offered to make her a cup of tea. 

She admitted that she felt 'so embarrassed and ashamed' that she failed to tell the boy's mother what had really happened.

She continued: 'I went into the bathroom and burst into tears. Then I pulled myself together, got dressed, and left without saying another word, crying all the way home.'

Eight years on and the former N-Dubz star revealed that person who allegedly attacked her was never brought to justice as she never reported the crime.

Stating that she has now 'come to terms' with the ordeal, Tulisa did say that although she spoke out to friends about what had happened to her, confusion and her age played a big part in her not being courageous enough to seek police help or tell her family.

But ever the fighter, the singer boldly stated that had the attack taken place now, it would be a very different story given her newfound personal strength.

Meanwhile, her father Plato Contostavlos has told how his famous daughter was bullied over her mother Anne Bryne's mental health problems.

Tulisa has openly struggle about her difficult childhood as her mother struggled to deal with being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder.

Plato told the Sunday Mirror: 'My daughter was ­horribly bullied. It was awful. Children would scream, "Your mum’s a loony".

'Tulisa was about five years old when it first started. She would come home crying all the time.'

Plato told his daughter to stand up to the taunts, leading on to the feisty X Factor judge we know today.

He said: 'She went through a lot, that’s why she has become who she is, it made her the success she is. It’s incredible that she has achieved what she has considering everything. Her childhood was unbelievably tough.'

Tulsa Megachurch Sued Over Sex Abuse Claims

Victory Christian Center, a in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is at the center of sex abuse claims, suggesting that five employees waited two weeks to report the rape of a 13-year-old girl to police.

The young victim was reportedly assaulted by another church employee on campus, and authorities have uncovered that the girl is one of at least three victims that may have been abused by former employees of the 17,000-member church, reports The Christian Post.

Along with the three alleged victims, investigators are fearing that there could be more victims as Tulsa police continue to look into the allegations.

Police also believe that the church was aware of the abuse accusations against its employees, but that it failed to report the incident to police in a timely fashion. Victory Christian Center said in a statement that:

“We deeply regret that our employees did not report these incidents to authorities within the proper amount of time. This failure within our organization weighs heavily on us, because our purpose is to help people and minister to their needs. Our internal response was unacceptable, and we are taking the proper steps to correct it.”

The Examiner notes that  the mother of the 13-year-old girl filed a lawsuit against the Tulsa, Oklahoma megachurch on Friday, accusing the church of gross negligence, intimidation, and intentional or reckless infliction of emotional distress.

The mother’s lawsuit seeks over $75,000 in damages, and also alleges that the church officials attempted to conceal the rape of her daughter in an attempt to do “damage control.”

The girl spoke with investigators about the rape, say that it occurred in a stairwell inside the church, near the band room. The lawsuit also states that the young girl was forced into performing oral sex and having sexual intercourse with the male staff member.

The former staff member, Chris Denman, was arrested on September 5 for the reported rape of the young teenage girl. In addition to his arrest, Church ministry employee Israel Shalom Castillo was also arrested and has been charged with making a lewd proposal to a child, and also to using a computer to commit a sex crime.

Charges have been filed against five more employees of the Victory Christian Center for their failure to report abuse or neglect of a minor. The employees accused in the alleged coverup are a high school outreach program director, an associate youth pastor, the director of the Human Resources department, and John and Charica Daugherty, who work at the church as sr. high youth pastor and assistant sr. high youth pastor.