The Daily Newds 4/7/09

• More than 40% of Australians polled believe that nudity is natural, and that more nude beaches would be a boon to tourism. Only 33% were in favor of banning nudity on beaches, and the rest were neutral on the subject.
• As a contrast to the above story, Brunswick County commissioner Marty Cooke wants to ban nude sunbathing on Bird Island in North Carolina. Apparently Cooke's impetus comes from an email complaint he received from a physician who lives on Sunset Beach, which is connected to the island by an accumulation of sand which encourages hikers. Police report about one complaint per week during season, which would be only about 16 per year between June and September. The article reports no citations issued, but occasionally an officer is sent out to patrol when complaints come in. There is also no indication if complaints are coming from the same person or persons. Cooke is quoted as saying, "I would have thought there would be some degree of decency...Obviously, these folks have no shame." It's unclear whether Cooke was referring to the complainers or the nude sunbathers.
• What is ABC News doing about the sexting phenomenon? They're fanning the flames with a "Send Your Sexting Questions" promotion which will be answered on air by their unnamed "expert".
• The sexting issue is not going away. This article warns parents about sexting dangers without actually explaining what those dangers are, other than becoming the victim of overzealous prosecutors. In Ohio, Monroe schools are planning a "Cyber-Shield" educational class for parents with children in grades 5-12, even though the school superintendent admits that her district really doesn't have a problem with sexting. Also in Ohio, four teens between the ages of 14 and 18 years of age were arrested and charged with felonies for having nude photos on their cell phones. And finally, a 14 year-old Florida high school freshman received a photo on his cell phone of a girl posing topless, was hauled into the assistant principal's office, and told he was "in deep trouble, ...in possession of child pornography and could go to jail". The kid and his mom are fighting his three day suspension and blemish on his record which could keep him from attending the college of his choice.
• On vacation in St. Lucia, pop diva Amy Winehouse was told by resort personnel that topless sunbathing was against the rules, so she bared her breasts anyway in protest.

  One guest at the Cotton Bay Village Hotel said: “Everyone was shocked by her behaviour. One minute Amy was relaxing on the beach, the next she was running around half-naked.”