MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Are sex dolls for-hire prostitutes? These are the kind of tricky questions coming up as robot lovers make their way into our beds -- and maybe our hearts. By Leslie Katz @ CNet.com, March 23

A French business where customers can spend time alone with human-looking silicone sex dolls will remain open despite criticism that it degrades women and promotes rape culture.
The Paris city council this week rejected a motion that called for the closure of Xdolls, which lets clients tryst with a sex doll at a secret location for 89 euros (about $109, £78 or AU$142) an hour. It's being called the first venue of its kind in France, though similar outlets operate in Japan and Germany [....]