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Newt Gingrich has entered the 2012 presidential race dogged by concerns about a long-standing affair that ended his second marriage (and ultimately gave rise to his third). Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted fathering a child outside his marriage with the family's longtime housekeeper. And Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a prominent French politician and married father of four whose consensual extramarital affairs were well-known, is accused of attempting to rape a maid in a New York City hotel room.

In all these cases, both supporters and opponents of the men have raised the possibility of sex addiction. Do they have a point?

Opponents of a politician might use the label "sex addict" as a pejorative, indicating moral failure as well as a lack of willpower and therefore fitness to govern. Supporters, however, may use it as an apologia. In this view, sex addicts, like alcoholics, suffer from a disease that produces strong subconscious cravings, so they should be treated compassionately and given a shot at redemption.

Suspicion of the entire notion of sex addiction is understandable. Many wonder whether it's just an excuse concocted by philandering politicians and celebrity publicists to justify cheating or worse. After all, it's common these days to hear such usages as, "I'm addicted to Starbucks lattes/The Colbert Report/Christian Louboutin shoes." Those are clearly not true addictions, but rather mere habits or desires. Should claims of sex addiction be regarded as similarly unserious?

Fortunately, the neurobiology of pleasure offers part of the answer to this question. The emerging view is that sex addiction is a real disease of the brain, but that it affects only a small fraction of those - including politicians and celebrities - who are sexually dishonest.

As a key motivator in our lives, pleasure is central to learning. We must find such things as food, water, and sex rewarding in order to survive and pass our genetic material on to the next generation. Pleasing experiences evoke neural signals that converge on a small group of interconnected areas in the brain known as the medial forebrain pleasure circuit, in which the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a crucial role.

This dopamine-using pleasure circuitry can be co-opted by some psychoactive substances (those that tend to be addictive, such as cocaine, nicotine, heroin, and alcohol, but not those that don't, such as SSRI antidepressants and LSD). It's becoming clear that drug addiction involves long-lasting changes in the electrical, morphological, and biochemical functions of neurons and synaptic connections within the brain's pleasure circuit. Studies in laboratory animals indicate that these changes underlie many of the terrifying aspects of addiction, including tolerance (the need for successively larger doses), strong subconscious cravings, withdrawal, and relapse.

Human brain-imaging studies show that orgasm strongly activates this dopamine-using circuit in both men and women. Meanwhile, drugs that alter dopamine signaling in the brain can affect libido and orgasm. Furthermore, there are human genetic variants that affect dopamine signaling and increase the risk for drug addiction. These variants also tend to promote risky behavior generally, including compulsive sex.

If orgasms are a form of pleasure that carries a risk of addiction, they should produce changes in the pleasure circuit similar to those seen in drug addiction. While we don't yet know if this is actually the case, there is good reason to believe it is.

Unlike using heroin, however, having sex is a natural activity. Almost everyone has sex, and, of course, heterosexual intercourse is the traditional means of propagating the species.

So when does a normal, commonplace behavior become an addiction? Is the teenager making frequent use of online pornography a sex addict? The woman who never leaves the dance club alone? The businessman who seeks out prostitutes every time he travels?

Merely liking sex a lot does not make one a sex addict, and defining sex addiction is not always straightforward. But the fundamental criteria are not really different from those for drug and alcohol addiction, namely:

The behavior continues despite continued negative consequences to the addict and others.

The behavior seems necessary for the addict to "feel normal" and be able to face the typical stresses of life.

The addict repeatedly breaks promises to herself or others that she will quit.

The addict regrets the behavior.

For the few whose behavior meets these criteria, sex addiction is very real, and it takes a terrible toll.

Sex addicts experience the same story arc as other addicts. They develop the same tolerance to the behavior, whereby more and more sex is necessary to achieve pleasure. They have physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms if they don't engage in it, and repeatedly relapse if they try to quit. And, most tellingly, their liking sex gradually gives way to needing it: What used to be a transcendent pleasure is now simply necessary to face the day.

Of all addiction sufferers, sex addicts are among the least likely to seek help. Our popular culture is highly sexualized, constantly giving us the message that we all deserve the best possible sex all the time. And whether or not they are public figures, sex addicts are unlikely to be treated compassionately, because we tend to believe that others' sexual behavior must be 100 percent volitional.

Luzelena Ortiz-Lopez holds her own even after six hours of hair, makeup, wardrobe changes, two locations and an interview for this fashion spread as Conexion's 2011 Hottest Latina contest winner.

The 27-year-old beauty is nothing if not resilient — outlasting heat, humidity, rain, mosquitos and numb legs after standing and squatting on concrete in a pair of high heels for the last hour of the photo shoot.

“Can we do this every day?" she cracks with a laugh.

Gutsy is a title Ortiz-Lopez earned long before winning this contest, something she proved when she walked the runway of the Miss San Antonio American Beauty Scholarship Pageant, in a bikini, while seven months pregnant with her second child. “I wanted to go and show other women, hey, our world does not end when we become moms."

She won first runner up in the pageant but was a favorite among organizers because she participated in all the events she was invited to. “They made a citizenship award just for me. I love that, just motivating women," she says.

She is married to a rookie police officer and has two beautiful daughters whom she speaks only Spanish to, naturally, since she is also a dual-language kindergarten teacher at Walzem Elementary. She normally only wears makeup when she goes on a date with her husband. However, her love of glamour is clear when Ortiz-Lopez falls in love with an airy, fuschia gown during the shoot, and says that she may just have to buy it if she wins the competition.

Ortiz-Lopez is a hard worker who has gotten to where she is — a successful professional who says with sincerity that she loves her job, a proud wife and mom, a community volunteer and a strong woman who woke up at 5 a.m. the morning of the photo shoot to do kickboxing beforehand — through her own inner strength.

She grew up in El Paso the youngest of six siblings with immigrant parents who only spoke Spanish.

Her parents separated when she was young, and she lived mostly with her mother until she was 13, when she was sent away to live with a father she barely knew. She says she grew up being told she would never make it past high school, that she would amount to nothing. “That pushed me to say, ‘Oh, you're gonna hold me down? I'm gonna use that as motivation,'" she says.

Determined to do well, she graduated early, at 16. Ortiz-Lopez was then accepted to the University of Texas, and her father dropped her off in Austin when she was just 17.

“No one ever helped me with financial aid forms or banking," she says. She worked full-time in the evenings and went to school full-time by day. She graduated at 20 and a recruiter for North East Independent School District persuaded her to teach for his district.

She's been there ever since.

“I love San Antonio. It's like El Paso, times 130," says Ortiz-Lopez. The only complaint she has is that her favorite foods from home are not prepared the way she likes them here. “I like the greasy stuff — the menudo, barbacoa and tripas," she says with a big grin.

Before the end of the photo shoot, her husband Chris stops by with their 3-year-old and 15-month-old in tow. She wanted the girls to see their mami modeling.

“They'll grow up and say, wow, my mommy did this," she says later. “I love it. I can go home and say, ‘You know what? I did something for me.'"

Broadacres maintains quirky, colorful approach to shopping

If you need answers, always seek out the man with the flowered purple umbrella. At least that's how it worked on a recent Saturday at Broadacres Marketplace and Event Center in North Las Vegas.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know about this place," says casino worker David Toth. "You want shoes?"

Toth walks half an aisle, twirling his umbrella, then motions toward a vendor of $12 leather footwear.

"Look, there's the good stuff from Europe you pay $400 for and then there's everything else," he says. "And this is where you find everything else."

Since new owners purchased it in 2007, the former Broadacres Swap Meet has undergone a $5 million renovation. The rebranded property, now 44 acres broad, includes a snack bar and six restaurants, plus a canopied new picnic area where today, a band called Vision 1 performs three sets of Spanish-language songs.

One thing that hasn't changed is that Broadacres -- open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday through Sunday -- is the cheapest place (other than garage sales) to find used clothing, furniture, exotic birds and nearly anything you can possibly want. Or not want in a million years.

Did someone say he or she needed a marijuana leaf blanket?

"Actually, I came here looking for a bicycle for the kid," says Sam Pringle, who is browsing with his girlfriend. "We've seen a couple, but they're all used."

The blanket screamed their names because of their interior decorating scheme: "In the living room, we've got a Vegas theme; in the kid's room, we've got a SpongeBob theme; in the bedroom, we've got a weed theme."

The couple already owns a similar blanket. But, as Pringle explains, "this one's got flames."

Toth bought his flowered purple umbrella earlier today to shield him from the sun.

"If it was pink and had Barbie written on it, I'd still use it," he says. "A good deal is a good deal."

Although haggling is frequently encouraged here, Toth didn't see the need.

"Hey, four bucks, man," he says.

Around a corner from a linen vendor called Holy Sheets, Jesus Carbera sells new spray cans for $1: hair mousse, shaving cream, carpet cleaner.

The catch? They're all missing their tops. Carbera buys them for pennies each from a supplier on Washington Avenue.

"People bring them home and put the cap on from their old ones," Carbera explains as the wind knocks a can of Boundary dog repellent off the edge of his table.

On an average weekend, Carbera's profits outpace his expenses ($10 rent for Friday, $25 for Saturday, $30 for Sunday) 3 to 1.

"It's good," he says.

With hardly a glance, Tim "The Key Man" Welch recognizes the make of door lock mechanism that auto mechanic Francisco Rodriguez hands him. Welch immediately begins cutting a Toyota key.

"Two and a half days a week is one and a half more than I want to work," he says, "but I need beer money."

Welch, a retired locksmith and Vietnam veteran, has been a Broadacres vendor since 1989, back when his daily rent was $5.

"I had a great spot on the main aisle," he says.

Because of the elimination of five rows in 2009, he's now hidden down the narrowest alley at the swap meet.

"My old spot's in the middle of a parking lot now," he says.

Welch finishes the key, gives a dismissive hand wave and returns to the Keystone Light he has hidden inside a can cooler.

Robert Sattler is the vendor with the longest Broadacres tenure. The Canoga Park, Calif., transplant set up shop six months after opening day in 1977.

"It's a lot, lot bigger than when I came here, and it's all Mexican now," says Sattler, 85. "But it's fine. I like the people, and I still have a good time."

As Sattler speaks, the wind kicks up to about 25 mph.

"Wind is no good," he says.

This seems a strange statement from someone selling wind chimes.

"It's the noise," he explains. "It scares people away."

At Gate 5, a giant inflatable product replica is loosed from its mooring. Instead of greeting customers, the 20-foot Tecate beer can now threatens them like The Blob.

A woman screams in mock terror from the ticket office, whose windows are obscured by the expanding red and gold vinyl.

"Somebody needs to call the guy from Tecate," a guard says into his walkie-talkie.

"Unplug it! Unplug it!" someone else shouts.

Before any innocent souls are lost, The Blob is deflated. But so is today's swap meet -- three hours ahead of schedule. Customers rush the exits as white vans appear from nowhere. All at once, hundreds of thousands of unwanted items suddenly vanish.

Until tomorrow.

Nobody throws a show like Savannah College of Art and Design, and this year's annual senior collection show was no disappointment.

The dual time slot show awed audiences on Broughton Street at 4 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Saturday. The late show featured Andre Leon Talley and SCAD President Paula Wallace presenting the Andre Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement award to Manolo Blahnik, shoe designer, whose success spans three decades.

Wallace announced that the Andre Leon Talley Gallery would open in the fall.

Talley spoke of Blahnik's shoes as the soul of Spain filled with fantasy and enchantment. Blahnik, perhaps the creator of toe cleavage, gave a heartfelt thank you to the crowd and assured that it was “from my heart.”

Dean of Fashion Michael Fink talked about the hard work and dedication of his students at the 4 p.m. show.

Out of 62 seniors representing the Atlanta and Savannah SCAD locations who competed to make it to Saturday's show, just 28 made the final cut. Each student must dedicate their senior year to creating a collection that is unique and professional.

Fink also was proud to announce that this fall, fashion print mogul, Elle Magazine will focus monthly issues on the SCAD fashion collections and host the live work in a New York runway show in an initiative called Fashion|Next.

Drawing the audience in with a twangy electric guitar solo, the theater was completely dark, barring one spotlight on the musician. As the emo-pop solo wound down, the stage lit up and then the show music kicked in. What had been a renaissance image of courtiers of high fashion, slid to the right and an artistic neon styled backdrop took its place. The set, designed by production students, lost attention to the models as they hit the runway at high pace.

Trained to hit the beat at each step by none other than
Miss J, of America's Next Top Model, the models did their senior designers justice.

Right from initial sketches and concepting their vision must be clear and well executed. The show included work from the senior fashion students, fibers students, accessory design and metals and jewelry. Each model styled to show hours of detailed work and dedication invested by seniors.

The show included diverse looks from men's wear, children's wear, women's apparel and active wear.

At the 4 p.m. show the Sirlin Award was given for excellence, fine workmanship and academic standard to Meirdan Miller. Miller, whose active wear featured a ski line complete with matching custom dyed ski suits and backpacks was only an example of the inspirational apparel to cross the stage.

Miller spoke of her inspiration in researching Eskimo tribes not touched by mass fashion. Her line represents the existence of “a tribe that exists between the cold earth and deep blue sky.” She used this research to create forms with function including fur-lined deep blue wrap dress that would keep anyone warm while striking a pose.

Adorable models marched down the stage hugging plush teddy bears that matched their fitted fur boots and winter coats. There were quilted dresses in soft purples with patterned panels and cozy jumpers with contrast buttons. Each a finely finished piece for your little one.

This year's SCAD Style Lab boasted three different mentors, with Christian Cota, Chris Benz and Rachel Roy offering their guidance throughout the year to a number of students.

Faith Thornburg was one, creating a bridal line that was dreamy. Inspired by garments from the '20s and '30s she became “focused on the lingerie from these periods.” In working through hundreds of sketches to relate her vision, to discovering herself as a designer through each creation. She learned that fashion is rediscovery through “research, redoing and rethinking” each stage before the final product.