English Language Learning Strategic Attitudes for Foreign Language Learners

During the last few decades a continuing but significant move has taken place, resulting in less emphasis on teachers and teaching and greater stress on learners and learning.

This article provides an overview of key issues concerning the use of language learning strategies (LLS) in second and foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching

Weinstein and Mayer (1986) defined learning strategies (LS) broadly as "behaviours and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning" which are "intended to influence the learner's encoding process". Later Mayer (1988) more specifically defined LS as "behaviours of a learner that are intended to influence how the learner processes information".

A good number of definitions and meanings have been used for Language learning strategies (LLS) by key figures in the field. Tarone (1983) defined a Learning strategy as "an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language -- to incorporate these into one's interlanguage competence". Rubin (1987) suggests that Learning strategies "are strategies which contribute to the development of the langu age system which the learner constructs and affect learning directly". O'Malley and Chamot (1990) defined Learning Strategies as "the special thoughts or behaviours that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn, or retain new information". Oxford (1990) views that language learning strategies are the specific actions, behaviours, steps, or techniques that students (often intentionally) use to improve their progress in developing language skills. These strategies can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval, or use of the new language. Strategies are tools for the self-directed involvement necessary for developing communicative ability. At the same time, we should note that LLS are distinct from learning styles, which refer more broadly to a learner's "natural, habitual, and preferred way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills" Reid (1995), though there appears to be an obvious relationship between one's language learning style a nd his or her usual or preferred language learning strategies.

There are a number of basic characteristics in the generally accepted view of LLS.



First, LLS are learner generated; they are steps taken by language learners.

Second, LLS enhance language learning and help develop language competence, as reflected in the learner's skills in listening, speaking, reading, or writing the L2 or FL.

Third, LLS may be visible (behaviours, steps, techniques, etc.) or unseen (thoughts, mental processes).

Cohen (1990) insists that only conscious strategies are LLS, and that there must be a choice involved on the part of the learner. Transfer of a strategy from one language or language skill to another is a related goal of LLS, as Pearson (1988) and Skehan (1989) have discussed. In her teacher-oriented text, Oxford summarises her view of LLS by listing twelve key features. In addition to the characterist ics noted above, Skehan states that LLS:

allow learners to become more self-directed

expand the role of language teachers

are problem-oriented

involve many aspects, not just the cognitive

can be taught

are flexible

are influenced by a variety of factors

Within 'communicative' approaches to language teaching a key goal is for the learner to develop communicative competence in the target L2/FL, and LLS can help students in doing so. Communication strategies are used by speakers intentionally and consciously in order to cope with difficulties in communicating in a L2/FL.

In addition to developing students' communicative competence, LLS are important because research suggests that training students to use LLS can help them become better language learners. Early research on 'good language learners' by Naiman, Frohlich, Stern, and Todesco (1978, 1996) , Rubin (1975), and Stern (1975) suggested a number of positive strategies that such students employ, ranging from using an active task approach in and monitoring one's L2/FL performance to listening to the radio in the L2/FL and speaking with native speakers.

A study by O'Malley and Chamot (1990) also suggests that effective L2/FL learners are aware of the LLS they use and why they use them. Graham's (1997) work in French further indicates that L2/FL teachers can help students understand good LLS and should train them to develop and use them.



With the above background on Learning Strategies and some of the related literature, this section provides an overview of how LLS and LLS training have been or may be used in the classroom, and briefly describes a three step approach to implementing LLS training in the L2/FL classroom.

LLS and LLS training may be integrated into a variety of classes for L2/FL students. One type of course that appears to be becoming more popular, especially in intensive English programmes, is one focusing on the language learning process itself.

It is crucial for teachers to study their teaching context, paying special attention to their students, their materials, and their own teaching. If they are going to train their students in using LLS, it is crucial to know something about these individuals, their interests, motivations, learning styles, etc. By observing their behaviour in class, for example, one will be able to see what LLS they already appear to be using. Do they often ask for clarification, verification, or correction, as discussed briefly above? Do they co-operate with their peers or seem to have much contact outside of class with proficient L2/FL users? Beyond observation, however, one can prepare a short questionnaire that students can fill in at the beginning of a course, describing themselves and their language learning.

Talkin g to students informally before or after class, or more formally interviewing select students about these topics can also provide a lot of information about one's students, their goals, motivations, and LLS, and their understanding of the particular course being taught.

Beyond the students, however, one's teaching materials are also important in considering LLS and LLS training. Textbooks, for example, should be analyzed to see whether they already include LLS or LLS training. Working with other language, learner improves their listening and speaking skills. Audiotapes, videotapes, hand-outs, and other materials for the course at hand should also be examined for LLS or for specific ways that LLS training might be implemented in using them. Perhaps teachers will be surprised to find many LLS incorporated into their materials, with more possibilities than they had imagined. If not, they might look for new texts or other teaching materials that do provide such opp ortunities.
After teachers have studied their teaching context, begin to focus on specific LLS in their regular teaching that are relevant to learners, materials, and teaching style. If teachers have found 10 different LLS for writing explicitly used in your text, for example, they could highlight these as they go through the course, giving students clear examples.

Graham (1997) declares, LLS training "needs to be integrated into students' regular classes if they are going to appreciate their relevance for language learning tasks; students need to constantly monitor and evaluate the strategies they develop and use; and they need to be aware of the nature, function and importance of such strategies" . Whether it is a specific conversation, reading, writing, or other class, an organized and informed focus on LLS and LLS training will help students learn and provide more opportunities for them to take responsibility for their learning.

As Graham suggests, "those teachers who have thought carefully about how they learned a language, about which strategies are most appropriate for which tasks, are more likely to be successful in developing 'strategic competence' in their students" (p. 170). Beyond contemplating one's own language learning, it is also crucial to reflect on one's LLS training and teaching in the classroom. After each class, for example, one might ponder the effectiveness of the lesson and the role of LLS and LLS training within it. An informal log of such reflections and one's personal assessment of the class, either in a notebook or on the actual lesson plans, might be used later to reflect on LLS training in the course as a whole after its completion.

In addition to the teacher's own reflections, it is essential to encourage learner reflection, both during and after the LLS training in the class or course.

In an interesting action research study involving "guided reflection" As Graha m (170) declares, "For learners, a vital component of self-directed learning lies in the on-going evaluation of the methods, they have employed on tasks and of their achievements within the...programme" Whatever the context or method, it is important for L2/FL learners to have the chance to reflect on their language learning and LLS use.



The first, and most important, concerns the professionalism of teachers who use LLS and LLS training in their work. As Davis (1997) has aptly noted, "our actions speak louder than words", and it is therefore important for professionals who use LLS training to also model such strategies both within their classroom teaching and, especially in EFL contexts, in their own FL learning. Furthermore, LLS obviously involve individuals' unique cognitive, social, and affective learning styles and strategies. As an educator I am interested in helping my students learn and reflect on their learning, but I also question the ton e and motivation reflected in some of the LLS literature. Oxford (1990a), for example, seems to describe many of my Japanese EFL students when she writes:

Motivation is a key concern both for teachers and students. Yet while teachers hope to motivate our students and enhance their learning, professionally we must be very clear not to manipulate them in the process, recognising that ultimately learning is the student's responsibility. If our teaching is appropriate and learner-centred, we will not manipulate our students as we encourage them to develop and use their own LLS. Instead we will take learners' motivations and learning styles into account as we teach in order for them to improve their L2/FL skills and LLS.

The second reflection pertains to the integration of LLS into both language learning/teaching theory and curriculum. The focus of this article is largely practical, noting why LLS are useful and how they can or might be included in reg ular L2/FL classes.

The related challenge, is how to integrate LLS into our L2/FL curriculum, especially in places like Bangladesh where "learner-centred" approaches or materials may not be implemented very easily. Using texts which incorporate LLS training, such as those in the Tapestry series, remains difficult in FL contexts when they are mainly oriented to L2 ones. Many FL teachers include LLS and LLS training in the FL curriculum of their regular, everyday language (as opposed to content) classes. This final point brings us to this and other questions for future LLS research.

The article has provided a brief overview of Language Learning Strategies (LLS) by examining their background and summarizing the relevant literature. It has also sketched out some ways that LLS training has been used and offered a three step approach for teachers to consider in implementing it within their own L2/FL classes. It has also upheld two important issues, pose d questions for further LLS study, and noted a number of contacts that readers may use in networking on LLS in L2/FL education.

Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.

Cohen, A. (1990). Language Learning: Insights for Learners, Teachers, and Researchers. New York: Newbury House.

Ellis, G., & Sinclair, B. (1989). Learning to Learn English: A Course in Learner Training. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Freeman, D., & Richards, J. (Eds.). (1996). Teacher Learning in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gardner, D., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (1996). Tasks for Independent Language Learning. Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

Graham, S. (1997). Effective Language Learning. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual

Nunan, D. (1995). Closing the gap between learning and instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), 133-158.

Nunan, D. (1996). Learner strategy training in the classroom: An action research study. TESOL Journal, 6(1), 35-41.

Offner, M. (1997). Teaching English conversation in Japan: Teaching how to learn. The Internet TESL Journal [on-line serial], 3(3) [March 1997].

O'Malley, J.M., & Chamot, A. (1990). Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: Newbury House.

Skehan, P. (1989). Language learning strategies (Chapter 5). Individual Differences in Second-Language Learning (pp. 73- 99). London: Edward Arnold.

Tarone, E. (1983). Some thoughts on the notion of 'communication stategy'. In C. Faerch & G. Kasper (Eds.), Strategie s in Interlanguage Communication (pp. 61-74). London: Longman.

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Prescribing Medications for Alcohol Dependence

Prescribing Medications for Alcohol Dependence

Three oral medications (naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram) and one injectable medication (extended-release injectable naltrexone) are currently approved for treating alcohol dependence. Topiramate, an oral medication used to treat epilepsy and migraine, has recently been shown to be effective in treating alcohol dependence, although it is not approved by the FDA for this indication. All of these medications have been shown to help patients reduce drinking, avoid relapse to heavy drinking, achieve and maintain abstinence, or gain a combination of these effects. As is true in treating any chronic illness, addressing patient adherence systematically will maximize the effectiveness of these medications (see "Supporting Patients Who Take Medications for Alcohol Dependence").

When should medications be considered for treating an alcohol use disorder?

The drugs noted above have been shown to be effective adjuncts to the treatment of alcohol dependence. Thus, consider adding a medication whenever you're treating someone with active alcohol dependence or someone who has stopped drinking in the past few months but is experiencing problems such as craving or "slips." Patients who previously failed to respond to psychosocial approaches alone are particularly strong candidates for medication treatment.

Must patients agree to abstain?

No matter which alcohol dependence medication is used, patients who have a goal of abstinence, or who can abstain even for a few days prior to starting the medication, are likely to have better outcomes. Still, it's best to determine individual goals with each patient. Some patients may not be willing to endorse abstinence as a goal, especially at first. If a patient with alcohol dependence agrees to reduce drinking substantially, it's best to engage him or her in that goal while continuing to note that abstinence remains the optimal outcome.

A patient's willingness to abstain has important implications for the choice of medication. Most studies on effectiveness have required patients to abstain before starting treatment. A notable exception is topiramate, which was prescribed to study volunteers

who were still drinking.1 Both oral and extended-release injection naltrexone also may be helpful in reducing heavy drinking and encouraging abstinence in patients who are still drinking.2,3 However, its efficacy is much higher in patients who can abstain for 4 to 7 days before initiating treatment. Acamprosate, too, is only approved for use in patients who are abstinent at the start of treatment, and patients should be fully withdrawn before starting. Disulfiram is contraindicated in patients who wish to continue to drink, because a disulfiramalcohol reaction occurs with any alcohol intake at all.

Which of the medications should be prescribed?

Which medication to use will depend on clinical judgment and patient preference. Each has a different mechanism of action. Some patients may respond better to one type of medication than another. (See chart on pages 89 for prescribing information.)

Naltrexone

Mechanism: Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors that are involved in the rewarding effects of drinking alcohol and the craving for alcohol. It's available in two forms: oral (Depade, ReVia), with once-daily dosing, and extended-release injectable (Vivitrol), given as once-monthly injections.

Efficacy: Oral naltrexone reduces relapse to heavy drinking, defined as 4 or more drinks per day for women and 5 or more for men.4,5 It cuts the relapse risk during the first 3 months by about 36 percent (about 28 percent of patients taking naltrexone relapse versus about 43 percent of those taking a placebo).5 Thus, it is especially helpful for curbing consumption in patients who have drinking "slips." It is less effective in maintaining abstinence.4,5 In the single study available when this Guide update was published, extended-release injectable naltrexone resulted in a 25 percent reduction in the proportion of heavy drinking days compared with a placebo, with a higher rate of response in males and those with lead-in abstinence.3

Topiramate

Mechanism: The precise mechanism of action is unclear. Topiramate is thought to work by increasing inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmission and reducing stimulatory (glutamate) neurotransmission. It is available in oral form and requires a slow upward titration of dose to minimize side effects.

Efficacy: Topiramate has been shown in two randomized controlled trials to significantly improve multiple drinking outcomes, compared with placebo.1,6 Over the course of a 14-week trial, topiramate significantly increased the proportion of volunteers with 28 consecutive days of abstinence or non-heavy drinking.1 In both studies, the differences between topiramate and placebo groups were still diverging at the end of the trial, suggesting that the maximum effect may not have been reached. The magnitude of topiramate's effect may be larger than that for naltrexone or acamprosate. Importantly, efficacy was established in volunteers who were drinking at the time of starting the medication.

Acamprosate

Mechanism: Acamprosate (Campral) acts on the GABA and glutamate neurotransmitter systems and is thought to reduce symptoms of protracted abstinence such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and dysphoria. It's available in oral form (three times daily dosing).

Efficacy: Acamprosate increases the proportion of dependent drinkers who maintain abstinence for several weeks to months, a result demonstrated in multiple European studies and confirmed by a meta-analysis of 17 clinical trials.7 The meta-analysis reported that 36 percent of patients taking acamprosate were continuously abstinent at 6 months, compared with 23 percent of those taking a placebo.

More recently, two large U.S. trials failed to confirm the efficacy of acamprosate,8,9 although secondary analyses in one of the studies suggested possible efficacy in patients who had a baseline goal of abstinence.9 A reason for the discrepancy between European and U.S. findings may be that patients in European trials had more severe dependence than patients in U.S. trials,7,8 a factor consistent with preclinical studies showing that acamprosate has a greater effect in animals with a prolonged history of dependence.10 In addition, before starting medication, most patients in European trials had been abstinent longer than patients in U.S. trials.11

Disulfiram

Mechanism: Disulfiram (Antabuse) interferes with degradation of alcohol, resulting in accumulation of acetaldehyde, which, in turn, produces a very unpleasant reaction including flushing, nausea, and palpitations if the patient drinks alcohol. It's available in oral form (once-daily dosing).

Efficacy: The utility and effectiveness of disulfiram are considered limited because compliance is generally poor when patients are given it to take at their own discretion.12 It is most effective when given in a monitored fashion, such as in a clinic or by a spouse.13 (If a spouse or other family member is the monitor, instruct both monitor and patient that the monitor should simply observe the patient taking the medication and call you if the patient stops taking it for 2 days.) Some patients will respond to self-administered disulfiram, however, especially if they're highly motivated to abstain. Others may use it episodically for high-risk situations, such as social occasions where alcohol is present.

How long should medications be maintained?

The risk for relapse to alcohol dependence is very high in the first 6 to 12 months after initiating abstinence and gradually diminishes over several years. Therefore, a minimum initial period of 3 months of pharmacotherapy is recommended. Although an optimal

treatment duration hasn't been established, it is reasonable to continue treatment for a year or longer if the patient responds to medication during this time when the risk of relapse is highest. After patients discontinue medications, they may need to be followed more closely and have pharmacotherapy reinstated if relapse occurs.

If one medication doesn't work, should another be prescribed?

If there's no response to the first medication selected, you may wish to consider a second. This sequential approach appears to be common clinical practice, but currently there are no published studies examining its effectiveness. Similarly, there is not yet enough evidence to recommend a specific ordering of medications.

Is there any benefit to combining medications?

A large U.S. trial found no benefit to combining acamprosate and naltrexone.8 Naltrexone, disulfiram, and both in combination were compared with placebo in the treatment of alcohol dependence in patients with coexisting Axis I psychiatric disorders.14 Equivalently better outcomes were obtained with either medication, but combining them did not have any additional effect. At this time, there is no evidence supporting the combination of medications, but the number of studies examining this question is limited.

Should patients receiving medications also receive specialized alcohol counseling or a referral to mutual help groups?

Offering the full range of effective treatments will maximize patient choice and outcomes, as no single approach is universally successful or appealing to patients. The different approachesmedications for alcohol dependence, professional counseling, and mutual help groupsare complementary. They share the same goals while addressing different aspects of alcohol dependence: neurobiological, psychological, and social. The medications aren't prone to abuse, so they don't pose a conflict with other support strategies that emphasize abstinence.

Almost all studies of medications for alcohol dependence have included some type of counseling, and it's recommended that all patients taking these medications receive at least brief medical counseling. Evidence is accumulating that weekly or biweekly brief (i.e., 1520 minutes) counseling by a health professional combined with prescribing a medication is an effective treatment for many patients during early recovery.1,6,8,15 Medical counseling focuses on encouraging abstinence, adherence to the medication, and participation in community support groups. (For more information, see "Supporting Patients Who Take Medications for Alcohol Dependence" on page 5 and "Should I recommend any particular behavioral therapy for patients with alcohol use disorders?" in the full Guide on page 31.)

Supporting Patients Who Take Medications for Alcohol Dependence

Pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence is most effective when combined with some behavioral support, but this doesn't need to be specialized, intensive alcohol counseling. Nurses and physicians in general medical and mental health settings, as well as counselors, can offer brief but effective behavioral support that promotes recovery. Applying this medication management approach in such settings would greatly expand access to effective treatment, given that many patients with alcohol dependence either don't have access to specialty treatment or refuse a referral.

How can general medical and mental health clinicians support patients who take medication for alcohol dependence?

Managing the care of patients who take medication for alcohol dependence is similar to other disease management strategies, such as initiating insulin therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus. In the recent Combining Medications and Behavioral Interventions (COMBINE) clinical trial, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals in outpatient settings delivered a series of brief behavioral support sessions for patients taking medications for alcohol dependence.8 The sessions promoted recovery by increasing adherence to the medication and supporting abstinence through education and referral to support groups.8 (For a set of how-to templates outlining this program, see pages 1922 in the full Guide.) It was designed for easy implementation in nonspecialty settings, in keeping with the national trend toward integrating the treatment of substance use disorders into medical practice.

What are the components of medication management support?

Medication management support consists of brief, structured outpatient sessions conducted by a health care professional. The initial session starts by reviewing with the patient the medical evaluation results as well as the negative consequences of drinking. This information frames a discussion about the diagnosis of alcohol dependence, the recommendation for abstinence, and the rationale for medication. The clinician then provides information on the medication itself and adherence strategies and encourages participation in a mutual support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

In subsequent visits, the clinician assesses the patient's drinking, overall functioning, medication adherence, and any side effects from the medication. Session structure varies according to the patient's drinking status and treatment compliance, as outlined on page 22 in the full Guide. When a patient doesn't adhere to the medication regimen, it's important to evaluate the reasons and help the patient devise plans to address them. A helpful summary of strategies for handling nonadherence is provided in the "Medical Management Treatment Manual" from Project COMBINE, available online at /guide.

As conducted in the COMBINE trial, the program consisted of an initial session of about 45 minutes followed by eight 20-minute sessions during weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and

16. General medical or mental health practices may not follow this particular schedule, but it's offered along with the templates as a starting point for developing a program that works for your practice and your patients.

Can medication management support be used with patients who don't endorse a goal of abstinence?

This medication management program has been tested only in patients for whom abstinence was recommended, as is true with most pharmacotherapy studies. It's not known whether it would also work if the patient's goal is to cut back instead of abstain. Even when patients do endorse abstinence as a goal, they often cut back without quitting. You're encouraged to continue working with those patients who are working toward recovery but haven't yet met the optimal goals of abstinence or reduced drinking with full remission of dependence symptoms. You also may find many of the techniques used in medication management supportsuch as linking symptoms and laboratory results with heavy alcohol useto be helpful for managing alcohol-dependent patients in general.

A Clinician's Guide U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIH Publication 073769 /guide October 2008 Update

References

1. Johnson BA, Rosenthal N, Capece JA, et al. Topiramate for Alcoholism Advisory Board and the Topiramate for Alcoholism Study Group. Topiramate for treating alcohol dependence: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 298(14):16411651, 2007.

2. Kranzler HR, Armeli S, Tennen H, et al. Targeted naltrexone for early problem drinkers. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 23(3):294304, 2003.

3. Garbutt JC, Kranzler HR, O'Malley SS, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of long-acting injectable naltrexone for alcohol dependence: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 293(13):16171625, 2005.

4. Bouza C, Angeles M, Munoz A, Amate JM. Efficacy and safety of naltrexone and acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence: A systematic review. Addiction. 99(7):811828, 2004.

5. Srisurapanont M, Jarusuraisin N. Naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism: A metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 8(2):267280, 2005.

6. Johnson BA, Ait-Daoud N, Bowden C, et al. Oral topiramate for treatment of alcohol dependence: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet 361(9370):16771685, 2003.

7. Mann K, Lehert P, Morgan MY. The efficacy of acamprosate in the maintenance of abstinence in alcohol-dependent individuals: Results of a metaanalysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 28(1):5163, 2004.

8. Anton RF, O'Malley SS, Ciraulo DA, et al., for the COMBINE Study Research Group. Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence: The COMBINE study: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 295(17):20032017, 2006.

9. Mason BJ, Goodman AM, Chabac S, Lehert P. Effect of oral acamprosate on abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: The role of patient motivation. J Psychiatr Res. 40(5):383393, 2006.

10. Rimondini R, Arlinde C, Sommer W, Heilig M. Longlasting increase in voluntary ethanol consumption and transcriptional regulation in the rat brain after intermittent exposure to alcohol. FASEB J. 16(1):2735, 2002.

11. Mason BJ, Ownby RL. Acamprosate for the treatment of alcohol dependence: A review of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. CNS Spectrums. 5:5869, 2000.

12. Fuller RK, Gordis E. Does disulfiram have a role in alcoholism treatment today? Addiction. 99(1):2124, 2004

13. Allen JP, Litten RZ. Techniques to enhance compliance with disulfiram. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 16(6):10351041, 1992.

14. Petrakis L, Poling L, Levinson C, et al., Naltrexone and disulfiram in patients with alcohol dependence and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Biological Psychiatry. 57(10):11281137, 2005.

15. O'Malley SS, Rounsaville BJ, Farren C., et al., Initial and maintenance naltrexone treatment for alcohol dependence using primary care vs. specialty care: A nested sequence of 3 randomized trials. Archives of Internal Medicine. 163(14):16951704, 2003.

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Use Your Irish Last Name to Discover More About Your Origins

Your Irish last name can tell you far more than only that your ancestors were from Ireland. It can actually be the key you need to pinpoint the exact area in Ireland where your ancestors lived. Because many Irish families stayed in the same general location for generations, its not unusual for a certain surname to only be seen within a radius of a few square miles for hundreds of years. Even when surnames spread out somewhat in Irish genealogical research, they still often stay within one particular county. If you know the area in Ireland to which your surname was common, you can often break through some long-standing genealogical brick walls.

There are several databases online that provide geographical links to many an Irish last name. One of the best-organized of such databases is found at CensusFinder.com. However, this website only catalogues the most common Irish surnames by location. More obscure or less common names may not be included. If this is the case for you, doing a Google search for your surname and including the phrase Irish county in your search terms should help you find the geographical information youre looking for. There are also a wide variety of Irish genealogy message boards available to help you track down your surnames county of origin.

One more important thing to remember about Irish surnames is that the name itself can give you important clues as to the history of the family. For example, surnames with O in front of them (such as OMalley and OConnor) mean grandson of. So, OMalley would literally mean grandson of Malley and OConnor would mean grandson of Connor. Surnames with Mc in front of them mean son of. Knowing this information, combined with being aware of the county of origin of your ancestors, can help you locate some of your most ancient ancestors and give you the clues you need to trace your Irish family into the present.

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Sex trade enslaves Cambodia's children

Jannah clung to Ruth's leg, begging for protection. The 12-year-old was in a "complete state" as her mother demanded her youngest daughter be returned to the brothel.

"The girl was absolutely terrified, she was physically clutching to me. She was just sobbing because she didn't want to go back," says Ruth Elliot.

As director of Cambodian-based charity Daughters, Ruth provides support to the victims of sex trafficking in Asia.

She tells the heart-wrenching story of Jannah. To ensure she complied with the brothel owner's orders, the young girl's mother would feed her yama (methamphetamine).

When Jannah fled to Daughters in 2007, without permission, her mother followed - demanding her daughter return to work.

"She was traumatised. It makes me so mad - it was heartbreaking. It absolutely destroyed the girl's future," Ruth says.

Jannah was taken by her mother and has not heard from since.

Human trafficking is a brutal system of modern day slavery affecting 161 countries. A United Nations report tells of approximately 2.5 million people in forced labour including sexual exploitation. Of these 56 per cent are in Asia and the Pacific.

Human trafficking can include people being sold or forced into prostitution, slave labour, illegal adoption, forced marriage, child soldiers and beggars.

Within the last 40 years Cambodians suffered through the brutal Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s, followed by years of civil unrest. A country still trying to steady itself, Cambodia struggles with the trade of humans, particularly in the sex industry.

A 2007 US State Department report cited Cambodia as a destination country for foreign child sex tourists, with increasing reports of Asian men travelling to Cambodia. Corruption is reported amongst police and judicial officers involved in human trafficking:

"Some local police and government officials are known to extort money or accept bribes from brothel owners, sometimes on a daily basis, in order to allow the brothels to continue operating."

The organisations working with victim of sex trafficking say poverty and social circumstances pressure parents to sell their young daughters.

But Ruth attributes alcoholism, gambling and laziness to the reasons parents sell their children to brothels. "Parents can work but they don't want to or they want a new TV."

Daughters works with the brothel owners to help women aged 14 to 25. There are younger girls imprisoned within the industry, but they are more hidden beneath Cambodia's underworld.

AFESIP Cambodia is another organisation battling the trade of humans. Communication coordinator Sophatra Som says families are "pushed by poverty" to traffic their children.

The organisation takes a confrontational approach, raiding and closing the brothels with the help of police.

Death threats are part Sophatra's job, as their monthly raids of brothels can turn dangerously violent

"If we break their rice pot, we break their business and they're not happy. They're our enemies," he says

The raid acts as a warning to others and raises awareness of the issue. "It's the visibility of our work. If we can arrest and put them in jail that's our success," Sophatra says

"I try my best to curb, slow, alleviate this perpetrator. I have to shout so everyone can hear our voice. If we don't shout nobody knows."

AFESIP successfully closes the brothel 50 to 60 per cent of the time.

However, rescuing the girls is not seen as a sustainable solution. Daughters and AFESIP both provide employment options for the victims of sex trafficking, so that the women and their families have alternative income.

AFESIP also works the government and court system to bring about change, but Sophatra emphasises that international collaboration against poverty and trafficking is needed to succeed.

"We won't eliminate poverty in one day, or one year. We need a strategy to eliminate poverty step by step."

Many of the women who do find a way out of sex work are left with psychological scarring.As a British qualified psychiatrist, Ruth provides counselling.

"I see every sort of trauma there is. Most girls have at least half of PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] symptoms."

She lists anxiety, headaches, stomach aches, and jumpiness among the trauma symptoms.

Although there is hope. "In four or five months the symptoms reduce by at least 50 per cent, that's the minimum I've seen, some reduce by 70 to 80 percent. So we do help."

Chantrea is one success story. As a teenager, her family sold her to a husband in China. She worked in a bakery - with her salary going to her husband. Their relationship consisted of him visiting her once a week for sex.

When Chantrea's mother died months later, her husband refused to pay the bus fare to the funeral. Distraught, she borrowed money and left. Her husband divorced her.

Chantrea was approached by the same trafficker who had sent her to China. She was promised a job in a bakery in Cambodia. Burdened with a loan, Chantrea agreed.

There was no bakery. She was locked in a brothel and denied food until she agreed to take customers.

"She was imprisoned in this brothel, forced to have customers and felt like she was in hell. She felt she would die in that brothel," says Ruth.

Chantrea spent 18 months working to pay off her loan. The brothel owner allowed her to leave, but threatened to kill her entire family if she ever went to the police.

Chantrea, now 20-years-old, arrived at Daughters with no skills. She is now one of their most committed and talented employees, working in the t-shirt printing programme and showing a lot of design potential.

Ruth can count on one hand how many girls have returned to the brothels. But it is the girls themselves that tell the success story.

"It's amazing, so many girls come to us and so many girls change their lives. It's so filled with hope. I love doing what I do. They're great girls and we have a lot of fun."

Does she think Cambodia's daughters will have a future free from slavery?

"It will change. It has to change. But, for these girls probably not in the foreseeable future."

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The Treatment of Sex Addiction -- A Psychoanalytic Approach

Treatment For Sexual Addiction -- A Psychoanalytic Approach

It is well known among people in the 12-step sex programs that of all the addictions, sex is the most difficult to master. Far from the notion that sex addiction is the "fun" one, the suffering of dealing with this affliction is enormous. The compulsion is so compelling that it is common for members of the sex recovering groups to be unable to maintain any continuous time of sexual sobriety, giving way to despair and hopelessness. Before treatment, sexual enactment is the addict's only source of safety, pleasure, soothing and acceptance. It vitalizes and connects. It relieves loneliness, emptiness and depression.

Sex addition has been called the athlete's foot of the mind: it is an itch always waiting to be scratched. The scratching, however, causes wounds and never alleviates the itch. Furthermore, the percentage of people who go to therapy or a 12-step program is quite small. The majority of sexual compulsives live in isolation filled with feelings of shame. Almost 100% of the people who come to me for an initial consultation, whether it be for compulsive use of prostitutes, phone sex, a fetish, cross dressing, or masochistic encounters with dominatrixes, relay that beneath the shame they feel in telling me their story, they also experience a sense of freedom that comes from finally being able to share with another human being the hidden, shameful, sexually compulsive acts that imprison them.

This is a condition that gradually bleeds away everything the person holds dear. The life of a sex addict gradually becomes very small. The freedom of self is impaired. Energies are consumed. The rapacious need for a particular kind of sexual experience drives the addict to spend untold hours in the world of his addiction. Inexorably, the compulsion begins to exact higher and higher costs. Whether it be on the internet indulging in sexual fantasies with fantasy people, being on the phone to the sex hot-lines, or frantically searching the net and the S&M clubs for someone who will act out a particular, ritualized fetish fantasy, or cruising the bars searching for the "one" who will have sex in a public toilet, or going to dungeons to be whipped, flogged and humiliated, sex addiction is a devastating illness that takes an enormous toll.

Friends slip away. Hobbies and activities once enjoyed are dropped. Financial security crumbles as sums as high as $40,000 or $50,000 a year are spent on sex. Then there is perpetual fear of exposure. Relationships with partners are ruined, as the appeal of intimate sex with a partner pales in comparison to the intense "high" of indulging in the dark and devious world of sexual compulsion. What is a sex addict? Sex addiction, of course, has nothing to do with sex. Any sexual act or apparent "perversion" has no meaning outside of its psychological, unconscious context. A simple definition of sex addiction is not dissimilar to definitions of other addictions. But a simple definition of this complex and intractable condition doesn't suffice. What sets sex addiction apart from other addictions and makes it so persistent is that the subject of sex touches on our innermost unconscious wishes and fears, our sense of self, our very identity.

Current treatment might include participation in a 12-step program, going to an outpatient clinic, working with the Patrick Carnes material, aversion therapy, or the use of medications to stave off hypersexuality. Most therapy is cognitive-behavioral, designed to help the patient to control or repress the instinct for a period of time, usually out of a desire to comply with the group norms of their 12-step meeting or a need to please the therapist. While I recognize the efficacy the 12-step programs to provide structure and support, in my opinion, the reason that relapse is so prevalent is that these treatment modalities do not effect long-term structural personality change that eliminates the compulsion at its roots. Current treatment does not aim to transform psychic energies so that the reality sector of the mind dominates the personality so that the impulse to act out can be understood and controlled.

While the definition of sex addiction is the same as that of other addictions (recurrent failure to control the behavior and continuation of the behavior despite increasingly harmful consequences), sexual compulsion is set apart from other addictions in that sex involves our innermost unconscious wishes, fears and conflicts. Sex addiction is a symbolic enactment of deeply entrenched unconscious dysfunctional relational patterns with self and others. It involves a person's derailed developmental process that occurred as a result of inadequate parenting. Hence, permanent growth and change are most likely to occur in the arena of contemporary psychoanalysis, which seeks understanding and repair of these unconscious dysfunctional relational patterns along with the development of a more unified and structured sense of self. This new personality restructuring can better self-regulate feeling states without the use of a destructive defense like sexualization and can find meaning, enjoyment, intimacy, meaningful goal setting and achievement from attainable and appropriate sources in life.

The remainder of this paper will give a brief overview of the historical psychoanalytic views about sexual deviance, and will then articulate the current analytic understanding about the dynamics and treatment of sexual compulsions. Any discussion of historical psychoanalysis must, ipso facto, begin with Sigmund Freud. Freud formulated that sexual deviance occurs due to an incomplete resolution of the Oedipus complex, with its concomitant castration anxiety. Unconscious castration anxiety occurs in the person's present-day consciousness in the form of fear of confrontation, retaliation, or rebuke, a sense of inadequacy, and perhaps doubts about gender identity. Sex addiction, according to Freud, is a defensive way to cope with a tenuous sense of masculinity combined with unrelenting anxiety about sex, women, intimacy, aggression, and competition. Analysts that followed Freud held varying views. Sexual compulsions derive from an insatiable need for approval, prestige, power , bolstering of self-esteem, love and security which are experienced as being necessary for survival. The addict experiences the absence of sexual acting out as a threat to his very existence.

Characteristic of any addict is a long history of a disturbed mother-child relationship. An unempathic, narcissistic, depressed or alcoholic mother has low tolerance for the child's stress and frustrations. Nor is she able to supply the empathy, attention, nurturing and support that foster healthy development. The result in later life is separation anxiety, fear of abandonment and a sense of imminent self-fragmentation. This anxiety sends the sex addict running to his eroticized, fantasy cocoon where he experiences safety, security, a diminution of anxiety as well as the quelling of an unconscious wish to establish and maintain the missing, yet essential tie to mother. Typical of this person is the hope that he can find an idealized "other" who can embody, actualize and make concrete the longed for endlessly nurturing parent. This approach is doomed to failure. Inevitably, the other person's needs start to impinge on the fantasy. The result is frustration, loneliness and d isappointment. On the other hand, a mother can be overly intrusive and attentive. She may be unconsciously seductive, perhaps using the child as a replacement for an emotionally unavailable spouse. The child perceives the mother's inability to set appropriate boundaries as seductive and as a massive disillusionment.

Later in life, the addict is hypersexual and has trouble setting boundaries. Real intimacy is experienced as an engulfing burden. The disillusionment of not experiencing appropriate parental boundaries is acted out later in life by the addict's unconscious belief that the rules don't apply to him with regards to sex, although he may be regulated and compliant in other parts of his life. A major theme for all addictions is that they have experienced profound and chronic need deprivation throughout childhood. Addicts in general sustain emotional injury within the realm of the mother-infant interaction as well as with other relationships. Intense interpersonal anxiety is the result of this early-life emotional need deprivation. In later life, the person experiences anxiety in all intimate relationships. Because the sex addict has anxiety about being unable to get what he needs from real people and because his desperate search for the fulfillment of unmet childhood needs inevi tably end in disillusionment, he inevitably returns to his reliance on sexual fantasies and enactments to alleviate anxiety about connection and intimacy and as a way to achieve a sense of self-affirmation.

Sex, for the addict, begins to be his primary value and a confirmation of his sense of self. Feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, and worthlessness magically disappear while sexually preoccupied , through acting out or through spending untold hours on the internet. However, the use of sex to meet self-centered needs for approval or validation precludes using it to meet the intimacy needs of a cherished other. Characteristic of this kind of narcissism is the viewing of other human beings not as whole people who have their own feelings, wants and needs, but rather as deliverers of desperately needed satisfaction that shores up a fragile sense of self. This sets up a cycle wherein his narcissism prevents him from deriving satisfaction from mutual, reciprocal relationships in real-life. Sexualizing, once again, is returned to as a magical elixir wherein his needs are magically met without having to negotiate the very real vicissitudes of intimate relationships. A client of min e, a 48-year-old attractive single man, is in the process of the breaking up of yet another relationship. After spending years of living a noxious childhood household, he went into his own world of fantasizing and masturbation as a way to soothe and protect himself.

"When I was a kid, I was obsessed with beautiful women in the magazines. When I was able to date, I went through one woman after another. In adulthood, I knew there was sadness and anger I didn't want to face. To evade them, I had a steady stream of women who worshipped me, soothed me, paid attention to my needs. I went to peep shows and I visited prostitutes. Many a night I would spend hours in my car circling the block looking for just the right street-walker to give me oral sex in my car. One night I had sex with a transvestite. I cried all the way home." He met a girl whom he designated as "perfect my redemption, my salvation."

He became engaged but soon lost interest in the sex, which he described as "boring". While still engaged, he started picking up hookers for oral sex in the car and began compulsively using phone sex. His current relationship is breaking up because he picked a woman for her youth and beauty (which reflected well on his narcissistic self).

The rest of the story is predictable. They moved in together and the beautiful, young, sexy female started become real and having needs of her own. He admits he never felt warmth or love for her; she was merely a supplier of his narcissistic needs. As the relationship deteriorates, he fights the impulses to return to sex with strangers who don't make demand on him. Another client of mine, a 38-year-old married man, has a compulsion to visit prostitutes. Three years into the treatment, he was finally able to talk about his anger towards his mother for depriving him emotionally through neglect and for never touching or caressing him. He can now make a connection between visits to the prostitutes and his hostility against mother for depriving him of sensual pleasure. He got lost in the mire of his parents' constant feuding.

"When I was very young I would put a blanket on my genitals as a kind of soothing which I wasn't getting from my parents. The rest of my life was a struggle to find other ways to soothe myself. When I discovered prostitutes, I thought I was in heaven. I can get sex now and be in total control. I can have it immediately, any way I want it, whenever I want it. I don't have to concern myself with the girl, as long as I pay her. I don't have to concern myself with vulnerability and rejection. This is my controlled pleasure world. This is the ultimate antithesis of the deprivation of my childhood."

The use of sexualization as a defense is a common theme that runs through the psychoanalytic literature. A defense is a mechanism the young child devises to psychologically survive a noxious family environment. While this way of protecting himself works well for a period of time, the continuous use of it as an adult is destructive to the person's ongoing functioning and sense of well being. By losing himself in sexual fantasies and constantly seeing others as potential sex partners, or by erotic internet enactments, the sex addict is able to significantly reduce and control a wide variety of threatening and uncomfortable emotional states. Most addicts control or bind potentially overwhelming anxiety via the addiction process. Diminution of depression, anxiety and rage are some of the pay-offs that operate to facilitate and maintain life in the erotic cocoon. I quote another patient which illustrates a case of narcissistic personality together with the use of sexualization as a defense. He is a 52-year old attractive, successful single man.

"I went on a date the other night. She wanted sex. I didn't. It's predictable. I don't think I can even maintain an erection anymore. While a spend untold hours compulsively websurfing to live in my erotic fantasies, when it becomes real, when you find someone who seems to be the embodiment of your sexual pre-occupation, interest soon wanes as her wants and needs come into the picture. Sometimes, I don't even bother with the pursuit of real women, because I know the inevitable result is disillusionment. I'm simply not prepared to meet somebody else's needs. Oddly enough, my life is still dominated by sex. It becomes the lens through which I view everything. I go to a family gathering and get lost in sexual fantasies about my teenage nieces. I live in constant fear of being found out to be a "pervert". I see a woman on the train dressed in a way that triggers me, and I'm ruined for the day. Regular sex just doesn't do it for me anymore. It's got to be bizarre or forbidden o r "out of the box". I arrive at work in an erotic haze. Women around me are all objects of sexual fantasy. I'm distracted; not focused. If something requires my attention, when real life intrudes and yanks me out of my sexual preoccupation, I get angry. Real life is so boring. Ordinary sex with a girlfriend holds no interest for me."

This patient uses sexualization as a defense. He uses his sexual pre-occupation as a way to ward off chronic feelings of loneliness, inadequacy and emptiness born of a childhood trying to get nurturing from a withdrawn, depressed mother. When stress or anxiety begins to overwhelm the regulation of his emotions, he is beset by intense urges to indulge in his fantasies and enactments. Sexualization thus becomes his standard way of managing feelings that he perceives to be intolerable as well as a way of stabilizing a crumbling sense of self-worth. It is my belief that sex addiction requires a contemporary psychoanalytic approach. Psychoanalysis changed drastically in the 1970's with the work of a prominent psychoanalyst who jettisoned the Freudian approach and established a kind of treatment that is particularly useful in treating sex addiction. Contemporary analysts no longer conduct treatment three-times a week on the couch. They do not unearth hidden meanings, or remain s ilent, or put themselves on a "thrown" as being the "One Who Knows".

The process is a shared one and the relationship between patient and therapist is co-created and mutual. Some contemporary psychoanalysts use the concept of a vertical split in treating the addict. The split exists from inadequate parenting which results in structural deficits in the personality. Patients often report that they feel fraudulent, living two separate lives with two different sets of values and goals. They feel they're acting out a version of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde." One sector of the personality, the one anchored in reality, is the responsible husband and father. This part of the person is conscious, adaptive, anchored in reality, structured, and often successful in business. This is also the sector that experiences guilt and shame about his sexual behaviors and ultimately drives him to seek therapy to ameliorate his misery. The "Mr. Hyde" side of the vertical split has a completely different set of values and seems to be impervious to h is own moral injunctions. "Mr. Hyde" represents the unconscious, split-off part of the personality. It is impulse-ridden, lives in erotic fantasy, and is sexualized, unstructured and unregulated. This side of the vertical split seems to be incapable of thinking impulses through, and thus is oblivious to the consequences of his behavior. This is the part of the self that is hidden, dark, driven and enslaved.

A comprehensive discussion of the actual process of therapy is beyond the scope of this paper. Suffice to say, the therapist uses him/herself as an instrument in integrating the split which results in personality structure building. Treatment bridges the gap of the split. Its aim is the establishment of a relationship with the therapist that regulates emotional states, is used as a "laboratory" to bring to consciousness maladaptive relationship patterns, provides empathy and understanding and reconstructs the childhood origin of the addiction. The goal is an integrated self that is able to merely experience a sexual fantasy without being preoccupied with it and without acting out a damaging sexual scenario. The patient achieves some ability to self-regulate moods, and to seek out adequate and sustaining available supportive relationships both in and out of treatment. He is then free to put sexuality in its proper place and free up energies to gain satisfaction from real re lationships, pursue creative or intellectual goals, obtain pleasure from hobbies and activities, and have a heightened sense of self-esteem, thus enabling him to end his isolation. He is then free to love, to have deeply satisfying, self-affirming sex, work to his potential, and experience being a valued member of the human community.

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Family Care Warns Women of Risky Novel Inspired Sex

According to Britain's Journal of Family planning and reproductive health care, relying on Erotic Books for sexual advice could be an unrealistic and unhealthy decision. The journal is published regularly to advice women in matters of safe sex and of course family planning.

Susan Quilliam, the broadcaster of this month's Journal insists that modern day women are heavily inspired by the sex lives of their fictional characters and the unrealistic love and sex the characters portray. This announcement is yet another bashing of Romance Books that are already under fire from various groups and professionals who accuse the novels of being too unproductive and damaging to the idea of real love in women's minds.

She admits that a large number of cases that her clinic encounters are directly or indirectly related to unrealistic influences from romance novels and that these cases are growing. According to her sources many of these female patients have idolized themselves as perhaps the heroine of a recent novel and expect their partners to play a similar role as portrayed in the novel. This leads to unrealistic expectations for both themselves and their partners, which ultimately leads to disappointment.

A few cases a lso involved unprotected sex and boycotting the use of contraceptive measures. This leads to unwanted pregnancy and thus the increased cases of abortion and the costs involved for the same. The journal asked female romance fans to read the books only for entertainment and not for love or sex advice. Fictional romance books cannot be entirely blamed for their unrealistic situations, relationships, desirable characters and of course the intriguing story lines and the effect that these have on women. These books are written for entertainment and pleasure, not as a source for sexual advice or an alternative to consulting a relationship expert. After all, no one would read a Star Trek book in the hopes that it would give them realistic information on science and space travel.

The journal also admits that not all novels are misleading or wrong, in fact some erotic books offer great new ways to enjoy sex whether in a casual or a long lasting relationship. However these qualities may not always be found in every fictional book. The fan reaction to the journal wasn't too positive either, as many fans of romance novels have seen it as an attempt to promote the censorship of material that they enjoy reading. Many fans of romance and Erotic Books have stated that they are perfectly capable of understanding the difference between real life and fiction. They have also pointed out that many books in the romance genre actually have a moral and show the consequences that certain risky behaviors can lead to.

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Top 10 New Movie Releases Toy Story 3, The Social Network, Sex and the City

Watching movies, it's one of the best ways to spend time with your significant other or with your best friends. Whether its a rainy day or a beautiful Sunday afternoon, movies manage to captivate us with their stories of love, fiction, comedy, and drama. Here we'll show you the best selection of new movie releases on TV. You really can't miss out on watching any of these great movies.

Top 10 Movie Premieres written by Natalia Ramirez Pena. Don't miss out on these movies.

10. New Movie Release. Hotel Rwanda: Based on a true story, this movie narrates the incredible history of the life of Paul Rusesabagina. Paul is a hotel manager in Ruanda who bravely liberated more than a thousand refugees during his country's civil war.

9. New Movie Release. The Messengers: Tells the story of a family that decides to move from the big city to a farm on the outskirts of town. It isn't long until the 16 year old daughter and her 3 year old brother start seeing apparitions that threaten them with a sinister message. Discover what it's all about.

8. New Movie Release. 2012: Follows various characters as they struggle to survive \a natural disaster of biblical proportions. When everyone's fighting for their lives you get to see the best and the worst in humanity.

7. New Movie Release. Julie and Julia: Tells the story of two women who love to cook and have a passion for reaching their dreams. One manages to impact cooking history in the US while the other has a life changing experience.

6. New Movie Release. Going the Distance: Tells the story of a couple that lives far apart due to their respective jobs. Both try to sort through the difficulties of having a long distance relationship as they fight to maintain the relationship working. Do they end up saving the relationship?

5. Pelculas de Estreno. Toy Story 3: We open our favorite toy chest one last time as our favorite characters from Toy Story come alive again. This time they find themselves in a Brand new predicament. Andy has grown up and is ready to leave for college. What will our favorite toys do without their owner?

4. New Movie Release. Sex and the City: Tells the story of New York's most infamous four women. These single ladies decide to escape the problems of life and take a trip to Abu Dabi. They son find out that a girl's life isn't just a garden of roses.

3. New Movie Release. Grown Ups: A comedy starring Adam Sandler and Salma Jayek that tells the story of 5 best friends that played on the same basketball team when they were kids. Now, they have reunited for a 4th of July weekend and have wives and kids of their own. Follow them as they run into all sorts of trouble.

2. New Movie Release. Up: Tells the story of a bitter old man at the age of 78 who decides to fly his house away from his neighborhood using countless balloons. His plan is to reach his dream spot in South America where his wife once wanted to go before she passed away. What he doesn't know is that a curious little boy scout unknowingly tagged along on his journey.

1. New Movie Release. The Social Network: Tells the story of Facebook's origins and the virtual phenomenon that changed the world. It all happens as the main character is in a legal battle for the rights to Facebook. Each character has their own version of the story, and each beleives their versin is the truth.

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Sex In The Bible! A Reflection On The 'Song Of Songs'

The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Song of Solomon 2:8-13)

"The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills."

Yes, in case you didn't recognise it, it's a verse from the 'Song of Songs', and indeed you can hardly be expected to recognise it, as the 'Song of Songs' is one book of the Bible that we almost never read.

It finds it's way into our three-year cycle of Bible readings only once every three years, and it's almost as if those who designed our cycle of readings (known as the 'lectionary') tried to sneak it in on one of those low-attendance Sundays that celebrated nothing in particular, not anticipating, of course, that this particular Sunday turned out to be a rather significant time of baptismal celebration when lots of people would thus be exposed to this controversial piece of Scripture

Why is the Song of Songs so controversial? Well, it's part of what once may have been the sealed s ection of the Bible, restricted to Adult-Only viewing.

Perhaps we should have actually made that clear when this passage was first read today? Perhaps we should have introduced the reading with a warning similar to those we receive before certain TV programs: 'the following reading is classified M - for mature audiences.'

Perhaps we should apply a rating system like this to all our Bible readings - eg. 'The following passage contains strong violence and is recommended for mature audiences.' Such a warning might be an appropriate introduction to any number of Sunday morning readings.

Of course the problem with the Song of Songs is not that it contains strong violence. It doesn't! It contains a sex scene, or rather a number of sex scenes of sorts, even though the excerpt we had today, from chapter 2, is one of the less bawdy sections of the larger poem.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."

Evidently the action section of this story still lies somewhat ahead of today's reading, where the man is depicted as stealthily scuttling around his lover's garden in the middle of the night, throwing rocks at her window and trying to entice her to sneak out and join him for a romp.

Even so, you might ask, is even this anticipatory scene really an appropriate section of the Bible to be dealing with on the day of a baptism, when there are so many children about?

Of course, I believe the connection between sex and children has bee n well established, and, mind you, we did make sure that most of the little ones were ushered out of the building before the sermon began.

At any rate, surely the more significant question to ask about this book - the 'Song of Songs' - is not whether it is appropriate material for children to read, but rather whether the Song of Songs should really be read by any of us?

What is this book doing in the Bible at all? It's a book about sex and romance and (let's be honest) if you were to brainstorm key words that you would use to describe the Bible, 'sexy' and 'romantic' would not be two of them!

And please don't think that I'm manufacturing an issue here where there isn't one, for in truth this book has been a source of controversy for the church throughout its history, as indeed it was a point of debate and disagreement for the Jewish fathers long before the church even came into exist ence!

As late as the Council of Jamnia in AD 90, the Jewish Fathers were debating the place of the Song of Songs in the Scriptures.
As to the church, Theodore of Mopsuestia was probably the most prominent Church Father to question the legitimacy of the Song of Songs, though he was opposed by the Second Council of Constantinople in 553.

And yet the opposition did not end there. Even during the Reformation the book was a point of controversy, as Sebastian Castellio was forced to leave Geneva, unable to be reconciled to John Calvin over the issue of whether the Song should not be ripped from the pages of Scripture!

And it's never just been the subject matter - sex and romance - that so bothered our fathers and mothers in the church. And it's not even the fact that the book appears downright bawdy at points (and it does). It's more the fact that the two lovers depicted in the Song don't appear to be married,. Indeed, the whole context of their sneaking around almost necessitates that we assume that they were not in a publicly legi timised relationship.

And the church has had trouble coming to terms with this, and with the fact that the book never mentions God at all - a dubious honour that it shares with just one other Biblical book; the book of Esther - a book that is as notorious for its apparent promotion of wanton violence as is the Song for the way in which it seems to celebrate debauchery!

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."

More disturbing still, in my view, than those who have tried to get rid of this book from the Bible have been those who have t ried to defended it, as they have almost always done so on the basis of allegorisation.

Allegorisation is that approach to Biblical interpretation where passages are not taken literally at all, but rather treated like parables of sorts, where each element in the passage is taken as a symbol for something else.

In this approach, rather than see the Song as a celebration of human love, it is seen rather as a parable of the love between Christ and the Church. The man in the story is said to be Christ and the woman is the church. His kisses (1:2) are the Word of God while the girl's dark skin (1:5) is sin, her breasts (the subject of much interest in the story [eg. 7:7]) are seen as the church's nurturing doctrine, and her two lips (4:11) are the law and the gospel - the latter lip obviously being the softer and the sweeter of t he two!

Most bizarre of all, in this history of strange the defense of the Song, has been the popular association (first made by St Ambrose) of the woman with the virgin Mary! Not only can I personally see no reason to associate the woman with Mary, but I'd suggest that the girl in the story is almost certainly no virgin!

For these and other reasons you would be hard pressed today to find a serious scholar who takes the allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs seriously - at least in so far as upholding that this is how the original author (or authors) of the song intended it to be read.

No. The Song was written as a love poem, and it was most surely originally intended to be read as a love poem. It is a celebration of human sexuality, and the sad history of debate over this book's place in the Bible, and the even sadder history of its defense by the way of allegorisation, says more about the church and our negative view of human sexuality than it does about the Bible.

For in truth, the Bible has a greater appreciation of the joys of human love than we do, and the place of this book in the canon of Scripture demonstrates that there is room in the Word of God for a celebration of human sexuality, just as the incarnation of Christ demonstrates that there is room in the person of God for all that is truly human.

Sex, love, romance, friendship, affection, warmth - these are good gifts of God to be enjoyed and celebrated in song:

"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

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