By contrast, Mr. Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front who is running in fourth place in the polls, still seems to revel in making headline-grabbing statements.
At the Elle forum, he defended his opposition to providing free condoms to high school students. “For those who are fixated on it, I recommend ‘manu militari,’ ” a tongue-in-cheek reference to masturbation. “This is the simplest method.”
A British envoy in Thailand has learned that writing a blog can open the door to some very undiplomatic exchanges — on delicate subjects such as his trips to Bangkok's famed red-light districts.
The trouble started after Ian Proud, who heads the British Embassy's political division, accepted an offer to become an honorary blogger this week on the Web site of The Nation, an English-language newspaper in Thailand.
The idea was proposed to him by the newspaper's editor, Tulsathit Tuptim, a personal friend who envisioned the blog as a forum in which Proud could discuss his "Thai experiences with British perspective and humor" before ending his four-year tenure in Bangkok next month, according to the blog's introductory message.
What ensued could better be described as a case of a blog gone wild. Proud's picture appeared with the blog, prompting several Web surfers to post comments saying they had seen him around town, particularly at Bangkok's red-light districts.
As of midday Wednesday, the blog had attracted more than 3,000 viewers and about 100 postings since its start two days earlier.
"I recall going to the embassy once and that same night I was down on Cowboy and who did I bump into? Yes, it was Ian," wrote Edwardio Shanks, referring to notorious Soi Cowboy — Cowboy Street — which is fran dresher blowjobs packed with go-go bars and Western men on the prowl.
Simon Peltier wrote, "I saw him walking arm-in-arm with a girl that could only be described as '2 dollar whore.' I bet that girl got a visa no problem."
Other postings claimed to be authored by the diplomat, but weren't, Proud said in a telephone interview Wednesday, noting one in particular that said: "Yes, I did go with prostitutes during my tenure here with the Briyish Embassy, but that does not make me a bad person."
"My syntax is a lot better than that for a start," Proud said, not denying familiarity with the red-light districts but insisting he did not patronize them on "a regular basis."
"I'm not going to complain that I've never been there. But at the same time, the suggestion that I'm some sort of upholder of the sex trade in Bangkok ..." he trailed off. "It's pathetic, frankly."
Postings were not exclusively about Proud's wanderings through Bangkok's nightlife. Some readers complained about the consular office's visa section and hurled criticism at British diplomats in general, while others wished Proud well in his future endeavors or urged him to stop blogging to save his pride.
Proud had introduced himself on his blog as someone new to the blogging scene who hoped to share thoughts on his love for the country that had become home for the last four years.
"When my posting to the embassy ends next month, I don't think I can bear to leave; this country is my home now," he wrote in his introductory note, suggesting he had perhaps found his true fran dresher blowjobs calling and would stay in Thailand to become a "professional web-blogger."
Scarlett's body the best
The 'criminally sexy' Scarlett Johansson
The 'criminally sexy' Scarlett Johansson
Photo: AFP
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Women have voted Scarlett Johansson the star with the sexiest body in the world.
The 22-year-old Hollywood actress topped a poll in Glamour magazine.
The Lost In Translation star is famous for her voluptuous figure.
Director Woody Allen described her as "criminally sexy" and Glamour said: "With curves to rival Marilyn Monroe's, Scarlett embraces old-school Hollywood style and exudes body confidence.
"Does she ever have an off day? In a word, no."
The survey of 5000 women revealed that curvier women are the most admired.
Actress Jessica Alba was second and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen third.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston was fourth.
Angelina Jolie was fifth, followed by The OC's Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson, and pop stars Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.
British actress and underwear model Kelly Brook completed the top 10.
Skinny supermodel Kate Moss languished at number 20.
A dispute about breasts and backsides on beer labels earned the state a place on an annual list of freedom-of-speech foes.
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression picked a state agency's ban on Santa's Butt Winter Porter as one of the nation's most egregious violations of free speech last year.
"I think I'd put this more into the ridiculous category, but even the ones that seem pretty silly touch on pretty serious issues," said Joshua Wheeler, associate director of the Jefferson Center, which is fran dresher blowjobs releasing its annual list today.
The organization in Charlottesville, Va., uses the Jefferson Muzzle awards to spotlight what board members believe are the worst infringements on freedom of speech and the press during the past year.
Maine finished seventh on the list of 14, ahead of the NCAA's controversial team logo and mascot regulations and behind the Department of Defense for its surveillance of anti-war activists.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., finished first on the list for calling on the Justice Department to investigate The New York Times after it published information about government surveillance of international financial transactions.
The flare-up in Maine began late last year when the state Bureau of Liquor Enforcement refused to allow a Massachusetts merchant to sell Santa's Butt Winter Porter and two other specialty brews. State regulators said sticker illustrations on the three beers violated a regulation prohibiting "undignified or improper" labels.
The Santa's Butt label depicts a smiling Saint Nick and his rotund rear end, while the other Shelton Bros. beers featured illustrations of topless women -- one from a Eugene Delacroix painting fran dresher blowjobs.
The Maine Civil Liberties Union and Shelton Bros. challenged the ban, saying it amounted to government censorship and asserting that the "undignified or improper" standard was too vague.
The state reversed its decision in late December, and owner Daniel Shelton said the company will have its beers on store shelves this Christmas. The company's seasonal brews faced similar scrutiny in New York and Connecticut.
Maine has agreed since then to bring its rules into line with federal standards, which prohibit labels deemed "obscene," said MCLU attorney Zachary Heiden.
"Any time we can put an end to official censorship, that's a good day's work," Heiden said. "Freedom of expression means both political and artistic expression."
Maine State Police Lt. Patrick Fleming, who heads the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, could not be reached for comment Monday.
The Jefferson Center's Wheeler said the Shelton Bros. case illustrates a common problem involving the way states restrict how alcohol companies market their products.
"We think they step over the line in terms of regulating speech about alcohol and alcohol products," he said fran dresher blowjobs.
Shelton, a lawyer, called the Maine case the tip of the iceberg, saying his company has encountered unconstitutional restrictions on alcohol marketing in several states.
"A lot of these state people don't even know the First Amendment applies to them. It's really amazing how little these people understand about it," he said.
The Jefferson Center, founded
