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Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any. More here.

No, porn does not turn men into crazed sex fiends. But it's clear that pornography has affected the way we view -- and have -- sex. Here's how to counter porn's effects. More here.

Porn is entertainment, not a how-to manual. If men want to know what really turns women on, hetero porn is the last place they should look. More here.

The Sex Doctor Is Out - Violet Blue: Talk to your doctor about sex? You're better off asking Twitter. More here.

Methuen woman says she found image of Jesus on iron

Mary Jo Coady first noticed the face of Jesus on her iron on Sunday, when she entered her daughterÕs room. ÒFor someone like me, to see this ... it just reaffirms my faith,Ó said Coady. More Here. Grant Morris / Staff Photographer

Governors Blast D.C. Archdiocese

By Advocate.com Editors
Posted on Advocate.com November 25, 2009

The governors of Virginia and Maryland have denounced the Catholic archdiocese of Washington, D.C., for threatening to cut its social service contracts if the nation’s capital passes a proposed marriage equality law. More Here.

Audiences switch off after drama’s femme fatale dies

November 26, 2009

The hit drama “Queen Seondeok” has seen its audience numbers dive after Mishil, the character played by Ko Hyeon-jeong, meets her end. More Here.

Book Calls Jewish People an ‘Invention’

By PATRICIA COHEN

Published: November 23, 2009

Despite the fragmented and incomplete historical record, experts pretty much agree that some popular beliefs about Jewish history simply don’t hold up: there was no sudden expulsion of all Jews from Jerusalem in A.D. 70, for instance. What’s more, modern Jews owe their ancestry as much to converts from the first millennium and early Middle Ages as to the Jews of antiquity. More Here.

‘The Slave Hunters’ Stars Show off Martial Arts Skills

With expectations running higher for the new special KBS2 drama “The Slave Hunters,” scheduled to air in January next year, the latest news that its three stars will show off spectacular martial arts skills in the drama is yet another draw. More Here.

▲ A still of the drama featuring the three stars engaging in a fight. From left, Oh Ji-ho, Jang Hyuk, and Lee Jong-hyuk

Was Jesus taught by the Druids of Glastonbury? New film claims it is possible he came to England

By Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 11:28 AM on 26th November 2009

As a book of record the New Testament doesn't do too well on the early life of Jesus Christ.

The large holes may explain why so many outlandish theories have been able to build up about what the Son of God got up to as a boy.

But among those myths most perpetuated is that he visited Britain - an idea immortalised in the opening lines of William Blake's Jerusalem. More Here.

Historic: But did Jesus build a chapel beneath Glastonbury Abbey (pictured here), as a new film suggests?

Judge orders TEA to reinstate Big Sandy teacher's credentials

By JESSICA COOLEY
The Lufkin Daily News

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

A federal judge ordered the Texas Education Agency to temporarily reinstate an East Texas teacher's credentials Tuesday after she refused digital state fingerprinting, calling it "the mark of the beast." MORE HERE.

When Sex Hurts, and No One Can Tell You Why: The Mysterious Condition Called Vulvodynia

By Carey Purcell, AlterNet. Posted November 22, 2009.

Imagine a choice between no intercourse or sex with unbearable pain. Then imagine that no doctor knows how to fix it. That's the world occupied by women with vulvodynia. MORE HERE.

April Ashley: 50 happy years for sex-swap pioneer

Britain's first transsexual is, in a new exhibition, again challenging ideas about gender, identity and DNA.

By Peter Stanford
Published: 7:00AM GMT 24 Nov 2009

April Ashley Photo: GEOFF PUGH

'It always makes me laugh when people say I was born a man," says April Ashley, who in 1960 became the first Briton to undergo sex-change surgery. "I was born a baby, not a man. From the year dot, I knew I was female, so as soon as I could kneel down to say my prayers, it would be 'God bless Mummy, God bless Daddy, and please let me wake up and be a girl.' " MORE HERE.

Celebrities lead charge against Scientology

Hollywood figures quit 'rip-off' church as Australian prime minister threatens parliamentary inquiry into its activities

• Peter Beaumont in London, Toni O'Loughlin in Sydney, and Paul Harris in New York
• The Observer, Sunday 22 November 2009

The exterior of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles in 2003. Photograph: Getty Images

The security at the red-brick and glass-walled horseshoe of the John Joseph Moakley courthouse on Boston's waterfront was unusually tight. Anybody who was not a member of the city's bar association was swept with a search wand. Photo IDs were checked. Mobile phones were taken from guests, who included the Hollywood star Tom Cruise. MORE HERE.

Christian Scientists seek reimbursement for prayers

By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 23, 2009

The calls come in at all hours: patients reporting broken bones, violent coughs, deep depression.

Prue Lewis listens as they explain their symptoms. Then Lewis -- a thin, frail-looking woman from Columbia Heights -- simply says, "I'll go to work right away." She hangs up, organizes her thoughts and begins treating her clients' ailments the best way she knows how: She prays. More Here.

Electronic, discreet vibrators

Carolyne Zinko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 22, 2009

More...

It's not your mother's vibrator, and certainly not your grandmother's.

In the Bay Area, land of high-tech innovation and groundbreaking industrial design, inventors are creating sex products for the desktop - or nightstand - that are as imaginative, nuanced and advanced as the latest rainbow colors of the iPod. MORE HERE.

First gay 'marriage' in Pakistan

Sodomy attracts tough punishments in conservative Pakistan

A gay couple have become the first to get "married" in Pakistan, according to reports from the region MORE HERE.

John Woo directs action film 'Red Cliff'

G. Allen Johnson, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The doves are back, and that's very good news for action movie fans.

A universal sign of peace, they are a trademark symbol in the films of mayhem maestro John Woo, so when they soar in the new Chinese historical epic "Red Cliff," it signals a return to form for the iconic director. MORE HERE.

Your search results for "red cliff" DVD

Jesus Christ's 'death certificate' found on Turin Shroud

Barbara Frale, a Vatican researcher, claims to have discovered Christ's 'death certificate' on the Turin Shroud. More here.

By Nick Squires in Rome
Published: 6:05PM GMT 20 Nov 2009

Barbara Frale said computer analysis of photographs of the shroud revealed extremely faint words Photo: AP

Toddlers insensitive to fear go on to commit crimes

• 11:20 17 November 2009 by Ewen Callaway
• For similar stories, visit the Crime and Forensics and The Human Brain Topic Guides

Even at the tender age of 3, children who will go on to be convicted of a crime are less likely to learn to link fear with a certain noise than those who don't. This may mean that an insensitivity to fear could be a driving force behind criminal behaviour. More Here.

Yorkshire Ripper nearly blinded after Broadmoor killer stabbed his face five times

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:55 PM on 20th November 2009

Peter Sutcliffe: The serial killer, who lost sight in his left eye in 1997, was stabbed near his right during lunch more here.

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'Fat for cosmetics' murder suspects arrested in Peru

Some of the suspects were carrying bottles of fat when arrested Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of killing dozens of people in order to sell their fat and tissue for cosmetic uses in Europe More here.

Actor Edward Woodward dies at 79

Woodward played a spy in TV series Callan Veteran actor Edward Woodward has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed. More Here. Edward Woodward: A career in photos

Latvian 'cheddar' now outselling the original

Cheddar cheese eaten in Britain is now more likely to come from Latvia than from the area of Somerset from which it takes its name, a campaign by The Sunday Telegraph has found. More here.

Robert Mendick
Published: 9:00PM GMT 14 Nov 2009

The UK imported 136,938 tonnes of cheddar las

Daily Music Dose - Kagrra,

L-R: Izumi (dr.), Nao (ba.), Isshi (vo.), Shin (gt. & koto), Akiya (gt.)

Kagrra, is possibly one of the most unique contemporary bands from Japan. With a name that means "music of the gods" (Kagrra is a misspelling of kagura, a traditional Japanese dance), they combine traditional Japanese elements with modern styles to create something wholly their own. More Here.

Ten Notable Apocalypses That (Obviously) Didn’t Happen

Apocalyptic predictions, such as those warning of global destruction in 2012, are nothing new – they have been around for millennia. More here.

• By Mark Strauss
• Smithsonian.com, November 12, 2009

Ian McKellen reflects on 'The Prisoner,' Gandalf and gay rights

The venerable Shakespearean, who plays the manipulative Two in the remake of the BBC series, would like to reprise his wizard role for 'The Hobbit.' More Here.

By Matea Gold

November 14, 2009

Ian McKellan has played many iconic roles from Gandalf to Magneto and now he's No. 2 in the remake of "The Prisoner." (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Pedro Almodóvar: An "irrational passion" for movies

The Spanish director on his delirious new movie-movie with Penelope Cruz, and how the New York Dolls fought Franco. MORE HERE.

By Andrew O'Hehir

Reuters

Director Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz at the Cannes Film Festival.

Ned Kelly skull 'find' could solve one of Australia's great mysteries

By Richard Shears
Last updated at 11:23 AM on 13th November 2009

For years while he was on the run, robbing banks and holding up stage coaches, police were determined to have bushranger Ned Kelly's head.

Now a farmer claims to have handed over his skull to forensic scientists in Australia, asking them to determine if it really is the head of the notorious highwayman who to this day remains an iconic figure in the country's history, literature and film.

Kelly was hanged in Melbourne on November 11, 1880, but just what happened to his remains has been a mystery down through the decades. More Here.

Bandit: Ned Kelly (left), who was hanged in 1880, wore this armoured suit (right) on his raids. A farmer claims to have handed over Kelly's skull to scientists

New warning on 'perfect vaginas'

Labioplasty involves cutting excess tissue that protrudes from the vagina Women are undergoing surgery to create perfect genitalia amid a "shocking" lack of information on the potential risks of the procedure, a report says. MORE HERE.

Sniff test to preserve old books

By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News

The test could help to preserve treasured books and documents

The key to preserving the old, degrading paper of treasured, ageing books is contained in the smell of their pages, say scientists. MORE HERE.

How the Maya lived

Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009 6:56 PM by Alan Boyle

Courtesy of Nat'l Academy of Sciences / PNAS

The southeast corner of a painted pyramid excavated at a site in Mexico shows scenes from everyday Maya life in the A.D. 620-700 time frame.

MORE HERE.

La Paz celebrates Day of the Skulls

The Day of the Skulls has its roots in ancient, pre-Inca rituals for death

In Bolivia, the Day of the Skulls is a colourful collision of ancient ritual with Catholic belief. The BBC's Andres Schipani went to a central La Paz cemetery to find out more. MORE HERE.

Belief Groups Unite to Oppose UN Blasphemy Law

Submitted by Matt on 10 November, 2009 - 20:53.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has joined with more than 100 other groups from more than 20 countries to protest a so-called “global blasphemy law” proposed by the United Nations (UN). Last month, for the first time ever, a UN body proposed a legally-binding treaty to combat the “defamation of religions.” MORE HERE.

Rain Fueled by 'Fury' for 'Ninja Assassin'

Rain in a scene from "Ninja Assassin"

'Ninja Assassin' misses the target

Rain talks about starring in 'Ninja Assassin'

Rain Fueled by 'Fury' for 'Ninja Assassin'

Good vibrations, even in a recession

Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Title: Chief operating officer

Company: Good Vibrations, San Francisco

Q: Going into one of your stores can feel like going into a Hallmark or a beauty supply store. What is the message the store's appearance is meant to send?

A: Sex is normal, natural, healthy. When people walk through the door, we want them to feel very comfortable and welcome, to walk in and find nice lighting and nice fixtures. Sex is just another part of life and should be treated as such. Of course, I don't want to take the sexiness and the charge out of it either - we have products for that too. MORE HERE.

Good Vibrations Online Store

SF Punk Record Label Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

Jello Biafra Celebrates 30 Years of Alternative Tentacles With a Three Day Concert

By ROBET WELLINGTON

Updated 6:53 PM PST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

In case you don't know it there's a party going on and it will last for three days. Well, for three nights at least, as Alternative Tentacles bring their roster of bands, old and new, to The Great America Music Hall in San Francisco. Each night The label's proprietor will cap off the evening with his new band, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine.

I talked to the man...MORE HERE.

Book tells history of San Francisco punk music

Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Correspondent

Friday, November 6, 2009

More...

Jack Boulware might be tired. He's in the middle of Litquake, the annual eight-day San Francisco literary festival he co-founded, which would be enough to stress out any rational person. But he also has his own book to promote, freshly printed, still smelly, and his collaborator Silke Tudor is in town for a brief return to her old stomping grounds, so perhaps he can be forgiven for asking if we needed anything else while he was in "full media-slut spew mode." MORE HERE.

Claude Lévi-Strauss, 100, Dies; Altered Western Views of the ‘Primitive’

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN

Published: November 4, 2009

Claude Lévi-Strauss, the French anthropologist whose revolutionary studies of what was once called “primitive man” transformed Western understanding of the nature of culture, custom and civilization, has died at 100. MORE HERE.

Apic/Getty Images

Mr. Lévi-Strauss in Brazil in the 1930s. More Photos »

Chased by their church: When you try to leave Scientology, they try to bring you back

By Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin, Times Staff Writers
Posted: Oct 31, 2009 04:30 AM

For years, the Church of Scientology chased down and brought back staff members who tried to leave.

Ex-staffers describe being pursued by their church and detained, cut off from family and friends and subjected to months of interrogation, humiliation and manual labor. MORE HERE.

Alaa Al-Aswany: When women are sinners in the eyes of extremists

Somalia is in the grip of famine and chaos but officials there are inspecting bras

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

The excessive interest in covering up women's bodies is not confined to the extremists in Somalia