Lap dancing, a routine part of British workplaces

London, Sept 18 (ANI): Lap dancing has become a part of British working life, a campaign group has said.

According to The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women’s rights, companies in the UK are turning a blind eye to the use of sex clubs by workers.

The group found that some firms knowingly authorise the use of staff expenses for entertaining clients in lap dancing and strip clubs, reports The Telegraph.

After studying lap dancing clubs’ websites and contacting them directly to ask about their work with corporate clients, Fawcett researchers identified more than 300 such clubs in the UK.

Some 41 per cent of UK lap dancing clubs directly target employers through marketing on their websites, the researchers found.

Kat Banyard, the Fawcett Society researcher who wrote the report, described the sex industry as “a major threat to women’s equality at work”.

She said: “The sex industry is increasingly targeting the corporate market, with lap dancing clubs marketing themselves as ideal venues to host meetings and client entertaining. Yet lap dancing clubs are a form of commercial sexual exploitation and fuel sexist attitudes towards women. Their use in a work context discriminates against female employees and undermines women’s status at work.

She added: “For too long, employers have engaged with the sex industry without due regard for the impact on female employees, and have failed to prevent the illicit use of the sex industry by employees in a work context.” (ANI)

O’Neal slams allegations he cheated on Fawcett with Stewart

Washington, July 16 (ANI): American actor Ryan O’Neal has slammed allegations that he was having an affair with late actress Farrah Fawcett’s best friend Alana Stewart, while his long-term girlfriend was battling cancer.

Both O’Neal, 68, and Stewart, 64, are said to have grown closer in the last three years after they joined forces to support Fawcett, who was battling anal cancer.

But O’Neal’s estranged son Griffin, who is one of the sources making the sordid claims, said that their friendship took a romantic turn during Fawcett’s final months, before her death on June 25.

“They were sharing a room together,” Contactmusic quoted him as having told In Touch Weekly magazine.

Griffin, 44, also claims that Fawcett’s ageing father, Jim, once walked in on the pair in the bedroom after flying in from Houston, Texas, to visit his ailing daughter.

“It made Jim uncomfortable, so he packed his bags and went home,” he added.

Javier Salazar, a friend of O’Neal and Fawcett’s son Redmond, also made a similar claim.

“Ryan and Alana’s relationship was fishy,” he said.

A former business partner of Fawcett’s also added: “Ryan and Alana are a little too cozy with each other. It is raising eyebrows. They both stayed at Farrah’s (home) in the end.”

Representatives for both O’Neal and Stewart have denied the claims, but have declined to comment further. (ANI)

Cancer-stricken Fawcett’s documentary attracts 8.9M viewers

London, May 18 (ANI): A documentary showing veteran actress Farah Fawcett’s struggle against cancer has attracted nearly 8.9 million viewers on U.S. television.

The former Charlie’s Angels star was diagnosed with anal cancer three years ago, and her friend Alana Stewart had since been capturing her visits to specialists in Germany and her battle against her illness.

The documentary, Farrah’s Story, was aired on U.S. station NBC last week .

The channel claims that preliminary figures showed it was the station’s most-watched programme in its Friday night slot in more than a year, reports the Daily Star.

Meanwhile, Fawcett’s partner and actor Ryan O’Neal has revealed that he sometimes wishes that she would not wake up from her sleep.

Fawcett, 62, shows a strong face despite the pain she has been going through, but for her 68-year-old O’Neal the suffering his long-time lover has to go through is just too much to take. (ANI)

Ryan O’Neal admits to possessing methamphetamine

Washington, January 10 (ANI): Oscar nominee Ryan O’Neal pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine before a court in Malibu, California, on Friday.

His son Redmond, also an accused in the case, was also present in the court at the time. He, however, had his case continued until February 20.

The court sentenced O’Neal to 18 months in a drug rehabilitation program.

Once he completes the program successfully, the charge will be removed from his criminal record.

The 67-year-old actor has also been directed not to possess any controlled substance or associate with anyone whom he knows to be a drug user, reports Fox News.

O’Neal, who was subdued in court, said only the word “guilty” when asked for his plea.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies arrested him on September 17 at his Malibu home, after they found drugs in his bedroom during a search of the house related to his son’s probation.

Redmond, the son of Ryan and Farrah Fawcett, had been on probation for felony possession of heroin and methamphetamine. (ANI)

Bus passengers fall into 7 distinct personality groups

London, January 5 (ANI): A person’s seat preference on a double-decker bus may reveal his/her personality, say researchers.

Dr. Tom Fawcett of Salford University says that forward-minded people tend to sit at the front of the top deck, the independent-minded in the middle, and those with a rebellious streak at the rear.

He made these inferences after observing people on hour-long bus trips between Bolton and Manchester.

The researcher, who has helped train Olympic athletes in his capacity as a lecturer on mental toughness, said that there were definite patterns in people”s behaviour depending upon where they sat.

“With something as habitual as getting on a bus people may find it surprising that their choice of seat can actually reveal aspects of their personality,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Dr. Fawcett revealed that bus passengers fell into seven distinct groups.

While those at the front on the top deck are generally forward thinkers, according to him, passengers at the back are rebellious types who do not like their personal space being invaded.

He said that independent thinkers—especially younger to middle-aged passengers more likely to read a newspaper or listen to a personal music player—would sit in the middle.

The researcher further said that on the bottom deck at the front tend to be gregarious meeters-and-greeters, while those in the middle are “strong communicators”.

Travellers who automatically head for the rear downstairs were risk-takers who like to sit on elevated seats because it would make them feel important, he said.

Dr. Fawcett described the last group as chameleons, those who did not care where they sat because they felt they could fit in anywhere.

“It (the study) was carried out as an observational survey – we noted people”s body language and whether there was any interaction with other passengers, if they were sociable or withdrawn or even anti-social,” he said. (ANI)