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by  Frederic Jage-Bowler   With gentle, serene images, Paola Calvo’s documentary  Violently Happy  offers a glimpse inside  Schwelle 7 , choreographer  Felix Ruckert ’s sun-drenched physical performance space in Wedding – a space where all kinds of experimental body practices, from the spiritual to the sexual, unfolded until it shut its doors in 2016.  Violently Happy  features members of the community and Ruckert himself talking about their lives, ideas and BDSM desires, as well as depicting Schwelle 7's activities: myriad bodies involved in everything from meditation to mass orgy. A snapshot of Berlin sexual freedom and experimentation, the film plays at Moviemento through February 15. So what exactly was Schwelle 7? To me, it’s a playground for adults. It’s about having fun through sex and role play. And, like in kids’ play, sometimes you bruise your knee and get hurt a little. To me, it was primarily about having fun, more than about inflic...

Valentine’s Day is either the world’s most romantic holiday or straight up garbage, depending on your opinion. But is it actually a good day to find ~love~? These brave souls decided to go on first dates on V-Day and the outcomes range from sweet and swoon-worthy to "WTF just happened?!". Read on for nine crazy first date stories from February 14th. 1.  "I went on a Valentine's first date with this guy who I met through work. He was super cute, super funny, and we got along so well. We went out to dinner and a movie, and went out for drinks afterwards. We were having such a good time, and I was just thinking about how lucky I was to have found him! Anyway, while we're at drinks he starts getting kind of weird. He starts shifting in his seat and avoiding eye contact, really nervous.  I thought he was just going to ask me to head back to his place, but then he got on one knee. He asked me to marry him!  I instantly froze and then excused myself to use the restroom...

AUTHOR  Mary Balogh RELEASE DATE February 7, 2017PUBLISHER JoveISBN/ASIN 9780451477804OUR RATING  REVIEWED BY Dorine BUY THE BOOK OUR REVIEW SOMEONE TO HOLD by Mary Balogh once again showcases her talent for creating difficult characters who earn the reader’s love and respect. Complex, emotionally stirring and very different from the norm – quite the story! I was very happy to be back in this world, catching up on what happened to Camille and Abigail after they found out about their father’s lies in  SOMEONE TO LOVE , book one of the WESTCOTT series. Camille and Abigail, as well as their mother and brother, have found themselves on the outskirts of society, where they always belonged before the unspeakable happened to their family. To make things worse, Camille and Abigail have been sent to live with their grandmother in Bath, where they know no one, let alone having any expectations for acceptance by those who know their current disgrace. Altho...

A member of Indonesia's conservative Islamic organization Hizbut Tahrir holds a placard during an anti-Valentine's Day protest outside a school in Surabaya city, eastern Java island on February 13, 2015. Muslim clerics across Indonesia have warned against celebrating Valentine's Day, which they regard as Western celebration that promotes sex, drinking alcohol and drug use. AFP PHOTO / JUNI KRISWANTO The mayor of a city on Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island on Tuesday raided convenience stores selling condoms on the eve of Valentine’s Day. According to local media the mayor of Makassar, Mohammad Pomanto, complained during snap inspections of minimarts that stores were selling condoms “like they were candy.’’ “Valentine’s Day is a day of love but it doesn’t mean people can do anything in the name of love. “It’s not about Valentine’s Day but it’s about moral degradation,’’ he said, adding that stores that sol...

Love is in the air every Valentine's Day, but not all suitors have pure intentions. Here's what to watch out for to ensure you don't fall victim to this romance scam. Matthew Cochrane ( CMFCochrane ) Basically, all scams appeal to some combination of two emotions: greed and fear. By playing on these emotions, a good con artist can often convince even the most skeptical people to forgo their better judgement when asked to part with their hard-earned money. The typical romance scam, though, is even more sinister: It plays on the victim's lonely heart as well. People tend to think these cons only work on lonely old ladies, but that stereotype is far from factual. As an economic-crimes detective, I have learned that loneliness transcends class, race, age, or sexual orientation. IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES. Unfortunately, this kind of sting is fairly common. In 2015,  the FBI reported  it had received complaints from more than 12,000 victims who had suffered nearly $2...