November 2007 Archives

OK, part of me feels really bad for posting this, since I'm sure American Idol alum Kellie Pickler is a really sweet girl. However, she did place sixth out of thousands of hopefuls on season five of American Idol. That says it all really; You get the idols you deserve. Music idols used to have real passion rather than feigned emotion, because they talked and sung about stuff they really believed in, and used their talent and position to try and make the world a better place. How are we going to find the next John Lennon, Dylan or Bono if we continue to mistake light entertainment for real artistry?

Like I say, I'm sure Pickler's a very sweet girl, after all she did do this TV show for charity, but she's not going to be changing the world with her music and the fact that she's one of our idols, along with the likes of Britney and Lindsay, is a poor reflection on us not her. But, hey, I don't want to get too high on my horse. Life is all about balance. I love my guilty pleasures. We all need a bit of yin with our yang, and a brain break from life's pressures once in a while. But perhaps it's us who should be wearing the dunces hat for putting up with too much of this stuff, which leaves little room for anything more thought provoking on our airwaves. Then again, perhaps the fact that an average American girl doesn't know that France is a country and Europe isn't is all the provocation we need to realize that something is very wrong in our corner of the world. After all ignorance isn't really bliss, it's effing dangerous as we see in the non-reality-TV real world.

(If player doesn't load click HERE to view.)

Saving the planet at 10 miles per gallon. Couldn't these people do the same in a hybrid Escape or Highlander? This advertising campaign is basically an admission by the marketing geniuses at GM that if you have any kind of conscience at all you have to apologize in order to drive one of these monstrosities. FUH2!

(If player doesn't load click HERE to view.)

A church in Minnesota is taking some rather unusual action in response to the prohibition of gay marriage: It's considering refusing to marry straight people until the gay marriage ban is lifted. Intended to redress the current imbalance, the course of action was first put forward by a straight parishioner of the Saint Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church in Saint Paul, MN at a meeting two years ago. Since the proposal stood unchallenged, the church's pastor Anita Hill is now in the process of enacting a ban on civil marriage duties, though the congregation have yet to vote to approve the move.

If the ban does take effect, the church will continue to bless all unions, both gay and straight, but the civil paperwork needed to make a marriage legal will have to be done elsewhere. "We are looking at the function of our church in marriage ceremonies," said Reverend Hill in an interview with the local City Pages weekly. "Is it just to get it done in a pretty place? We're not in the wedding business; we're in the blessing business."

Though research undertaken for a recent book, UnChristian, found that 91% of outsiders perceived Christians as anti-homosexual, many Twin Cities churches have been quietly vocal in supporting gay rights. According to census information Minnesota has the third largest concentration of same-sex couples in the U.S. The Saint Paul-Reformation Church had previously challenged doctrine - and the authority of Lutheran leaders - when they ordained lesbian pastor Hill, who was in a committed relationship and refused to take the vow of celibacy required of gay clergy. Meanwhile at least three other churches in the Twin Cities area have enacted similar civil marriage bans in protest of the current laws.

"There is a mother in our congregation who gets teary thinking that her daughter might not be able to get legally married in that chapel she sits in every Sunday," says Reverend Hill, who previously spent five years serving as a diversity trainer for the Family Service of Saint Paul. The Daily Mantra applauds Reverend Hill for her trailblazing leadership, but would like to suggest that she change the name of her church's His 'N Hers Club (which meets at 4pm every third Thursday of the month) to something more all-encompassing.

In response to the Communist Chinese government's edict, which went into effect on September 1st 2007, requiring Buddhist temples to get prior approval from four separate government departments before they can recognize individuals as reincarnated lamas, The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has suggested he may hold a referendum amongst his followers worldwide to let them decide the future of the Dalai Lama lineage, which dates back to the 14th century.

The Chinese government have long been maneuvering to get their choice anointed as the next Dalai Lama after the death of the current one in order to gain greater control over the contentious region of Tibet. In 1995 they arrested the six year old boy The 14th Dalai Lama had named the Panchen Lama. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born April 25th 1989), The 11th Panchen Lama, is the second highest ranking Tibetan Buddhist lama, and according to tradition bears part of the responsibility for finding the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama. He became known as "the youngest political prisoner in the world," and has not been seen in public since his arrest, though the Chinese government claims he is still alive and well. In his place, Chinese officials installed their own pretender to the thrown.

The 13th Dalai Lama died on December 17th 1933 and Tenzin Gyatzo, the son of a poor farmer, was publicly recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama six years later in 1939. He was discovered after a long search and successfully completed a number of tests. During one of these he was able to pick out objects belonging to the previous Dalai Lama that were hidden amongst objects that weren't.

Tenzin Gyatzo follows in the footsteps of his 13 predecessors in a chain of reincarnation that dates back over 600 years. The first Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup, was himself said to be the earthly manifestation of Chenrezig, who is said embody the compassion of all Buddhas and walked the earth with Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

In his official biography, the 14 Dalai Lama says, "I am often asked whether I truly believe this. The answer is not simple to give. But as a fifty-six year old, when I consider my experience during this present life, and given my Buddhist beliefs, I have no difficulty accepting that I am spiritually connected both to the thirteen previous Dalai Lamas, to Chenrezig and to the Buddha himself."

Under the current climate of confusion and duress the exiled 14th Dalai Lama is suggesting he may either forgo rebirth or be reborn while he is still alive. The purpose of reincarnation is so that the Dalai Lama may complete the work of his predecessors.

In response to The 14th Dalai Lama's proposals, Liu Jianchao, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said, "Dalai's remarks obviously violated the religious rituals and historical conventions." The Chinese government is officially atheist, so irony was piled on irony when Jianchao continued, "The reincarnation of the living Buddha is a unique way of succession of Tibetan Buddhism and follows relatively complete religious rituals and historical conventions."

In his typically compassionate way it seems The 14th - and perhaps final - Dalai Lama may gently be handing the Chinese government the delicate silk cord they require to hang their current policies against religion and the freedom to pursue it. Certainly he has shown any claim to logic or reason on the subject has long departed from the Communist administration's inconsistent public utterings on the subject. I wonder how you say "hoisted by your own petard" in Mandarin?

A bus company is offering discount bus travel in return for used cooking oil to power its bio-fueled fleet in a ground-breaking pilot scheme in the U.K.. Households along the Service 1 bus route in Kilmarnock, Scotland have been given free containers to collect their used oil in, which they can exchange for discount travel vouchers at their local recycling plant.

A fleet of eight single-deck buses, operated by the Stagecoach Group Plc., have been fitted with dual fuel tanks for the trial scheme. The buses will warm up for around ten minutes in the morning using mineral diesel (it's cold in Scotland). Once a normal engine operating temperature is achieved, the buses will then switch to bio-fuel made from cooking oil and other food industry by-products for the remainder of the day. It's estimated that the initiative will cut CO2 emissions by 82%.

"This innovative project is a great opportunity for our customers to play their part in saving the planet by recycling household products that would otherwise go to waste," says Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, Brian Souter. "I'm sure the idea of cheaper travel in exchange for the used contents of your chip pan will capture people's imagination."

41-year old British humorist Andre Jordan explores his journey through depression in his unique blog, A Beautiful Revolution. His self-deprecating musings, which are sometimes poignant and other times brutal, take the form of short essays, poems and doodles. A collection of his work has also been compiled into a new book entitled If You're Happy And You Know It..., which comes out in the US next year.

In an interview on the BBC's Ouch disability website, to which he contributes weekly doodles, Jordan describes depression as, "All-consuming and exhausting. But at the same time, it does give you empathy for other people. Depression helps you to look at people and understand that nothing is black and white. It also makes you appreciate the really tiny things that are quite amazing."

Turning his black thoughts into dark humor, Jordan turned depression on its head, transforming a major negative into inspirational art. "Getting up every day and being able to draw and paint and write, and people around you encouraging you to do it. That's success, because I'm happy."

Concoct-a-controversy organization, the (Rent-a) Catholic League are asking cinema-goers to boycott the new fantasy film The Golden Compass (click HERE to view trailer), claiming it is "candy-coated atheism." The $150 million New Line movie, which stars Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, opens on Dec 7th. Written and directed by Chris Weitz (whose previous credits include About A Boy), the film is based on the first installment of English author Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

Pullman's stories are set in a parallel universe where witches, magical creatures, and animal spirits walk the earth alongside humans, who are governed by a sinister religious organization called the Magisterium, which some have likened to the Roman Catholic Church. A good against evil battle takes place over the course of the books, which culminates in the death of God at the hand of a child.

Ironically many Christians, including Church of England leader Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, have come out in support of Pullman, claiming his books attack oppressive dogma rather than religion itself. Despite deliberately playing down the questions of religion in the adaptation of the book to film in an attempt to placate more religious American audiences, the Catholic League are still concerned the film will serve as a gateway to Pullman's literature. They accuse the author of having twin goals "to promote atheism and denigrate Christianity. To kids."

A statement on their website says, "The Catholic League wants Christians to stay away from this movie precisely because it knows that the film is bait for the books: unsuspecting parents who take their children to see the movie may be impelled to buy the three books as a Christmas present. And no parent who wants to bring their children up in the faith will want any part of these books." The league are also flogging a pamphlet entitled The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked for $5 via their website.

In an interview with the BBC, Pullman dismissed the leagues accusations as "absolute rubbish" saying, "I am a story teller. If I wanted to send a message I would have written a sermon."

The Catholic League, who have a long history of getting upset about things, previously called for a boycott of The Da Vinci Code. The film went on to top box office charts here in America and grossed $758 million worldwide in 2006.

In an effort to prove that whales shouldn't have to die to facilitate scientific discovery, Greenpeace have teamed up with scientists researching humpback whales in the South Pacific for a project they call the Great Whale Trail. Using funds provided by Greenpeace the scientists managed to tag 20 humpback whales with electronic transmitters. The signal from these tags is bounced via satellite to a ground station, which tracks the progress of these magnificent sea creatures. Using this information, the scientists were able to discover the whales' secret mid-sea hangouts as they migrated across the ocean from their breeding areas in the warm waters of the South Pacific to their feeding grounds in the protected Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

In order to shield the animals from the Japanese whaling fleet, who are aiming their harpoons at humpback and fin whales for the first time in 40 years in an effort to increase this years' catch by 70% over last season's (see Times story), Greenpeace is delaying posting their tracking information online. The six-vessel Japanese whaling armada skirts the 1986 International Whaling Commission Moratorium banning commercial whaling by claiming their vessels are conducting scientific research, which is exempted from the edict. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research, a non-profit organization which was set up by the Japanese government in response to the 1986 ban, is funded by Kyodo Senpaku, a company that sells whale products, worth approximately $60 million annually, which are produced as a "by-product" of the non-profit organization's supposedly "scientific" activities.

In an effort to publicize the humpback whales plight and their Great Trail project, Greenpeace are running an online competition to name the whales on their Great Whale Trail. 30 names have been shortlisted from over 11,000 submissions. Many of the names are translated from other languages, such as Amal, which means "hope" in Arabic, and Manami, which means "love of the sea" in Japanese. Other popular choices include Humphrey (?), and our favorite, Mister Splashy Pants. Voting ends on November 30th.

"Modern day Christianity no longer seems Christian,” writes the author of a revealing new book. UnChristian is a data-driven study written by David Kinnaman, the son of an Arizona pastor, who serves as the president of The Barna Group, a Christian Gallup-like research organization based in Ventura, CA. Analyzing information culled from extensive surveys and numerous interviews, Kinnaman, with the help of co-author Gabe Lyons, reports on the state of contemporary Christian culture and how it's perceived. “What began as a three month project has turned into a three-year study to grasp the picture God was revealing through the data,” writes Kinnaman in the book’s preface. “It was not a pretty picture.”

38% of outsiders surveyed had a bad impression of Christianity, 45% had a neutral one, and just 16% had a good impression. Furthermore 91% of outsiders felt that Christianity was anti-homosexual, 87% said it was judgmental and 85% thought it was hypocritical. 84% of outsiders claimed to know a Christian, yet only 15% could see a lifestyle difference that indicated that their friends practiced what they preached. In light of these findings, The Daily Mantra caught up with Kinnaman to find out if, and how, Christianity can get back on track.

DM: In the first chapter of your book you start by saying “Christianity has an image problem.” Is it really the image that’s the problem or the underlying substance?

DK: I’m glad that I wrote that sentence, because it’s provocative. It’s tough for Christians to understand what a substance problem really is. All the people that work at the Barna Group come back around to that question of the substance/image problem. If you look at the stuff that we’ve done, we make more enemies with Christians than we do with outsiders because much of the information that we put out is not very flattering to the Christian church.

Around the time 400 A.D. Constantine made an official Christian nation out of The Roman Empire and for sixteen hundred years since then we’ve lived in Christendom in the west, which is this idea that society is essentially Christianized. America is a quote-un-quote Christian nation, in the sense that 83% of Americans say they’re Christian and seven out of ten say they’ve made a commitment to Christ that’s still important in their life. I am as concerned about superficial Christianity as I am about anything else in our culture. What does it really mean to be a Christ follower in a country where almost everyone says that they are? How do we really be the kind of people that Jesus asked us to be? So few people really live like that. If the first sentence of the book is that ‘Christianity has an image problem,’ the last sentence of the book ought to be ‘Christianity has a substance problem.’

DM: You also say ‘they react negatively to our swagger,’ but I think that more than the swagger it would be the stance.

DK: Yes, I can understand that. I think we’ve been so busy defending a fort that we forgot why we built the fort in the first place. The Church is supposed to be a beacon of hope for people, and that is really why we’re known as unchristian because after sixteen hundred years of Christendom, after creating higher education and many of the hospitals, and creating many of the non-profits that have benefited society, we’ve been more concerned about reacting against things that we are fearful of, rather than trying to recreate and reclaim those ways of making life better for people. We have become more known for talking about sin than doing anything for those people affected by sin.

Just a reminder, today is Buy Nothing Day (see BND story). Don't worry if you're reading this a little late and have already hit the stores, the star of the just-released documentary What Would Jesus Buy?, Reverend Billy of The Church of Stop Shopping, is on hand to take your consumerism confessions via his online confessional. No Hail Mary's necessary, just a quick prayer to honor Winona Ryder, the Patron Saint of Buy Nothing Day, and absolution from shopping sin and eternal debt can be yours.

The WGA Strike: A Love Story
Credits: Produced by Danny Zuker and Tim Kelleher. Directed by Tim Kelleher. Featuring Danny Zuker and Zack Rosenblatt.
(If player doesn't load, click HERE to view.)

Mary Poppins is a traditional holiday movie, but this remixed trailer gives it a more sinister spin (click HERE to view).

Barbie 2007 Holiday Collector Doll: $37.88, 8 GB iPhone: $399.00, 60 GB PlayStation 3: $ 584.99, a debt-free life and peace of mind: priceless.

In their spirited new documentary producer Morgan Spurlock and director Rob VanAlkemade follow the self-proclaimed Reverend Billy as he takes his Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and his Not Buying It Band on a cross-country crusade against the commercial supersizing of Christmas. A street performer with a mission, Rev Billy (aka Bill Talen) takes his mobile ministry from its humble roots on the streets of New York's Times Square to the ultimate temple of corporate America, The Mall of America, his journey culminating on Christmas Day at the street of false dreams where the Devil with big ears lives in Disneyland.

The Church of Stop Shopping's vocation is to get us to question our buy-now-pay-later society that damns most of us to a future of eternal debt. We spend about one hour per week doing spiritual activities and an average of 5 hours a week shopping. Our nation now has a savings deficit, meaning we're walking through life in the red. The mostly unnecessary stuff we buy takes us further into the darkness of debt, the momentary pleasure of acquisition often being at the cost of abusive labor practices in far off lands - and jobs at home.

Of course we can't completely cease to shop, we even see Rev. Billy sheepishly buying gas after his vegetable oil bio-fuel freezes overnight at a particularly cold stop on his tour, he's just asking us to pause before we purchase. And through the subjects interviewed in What Would Jesus Buy? we begin to understand why. We see a generation who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing: a young male who's feelin' the Christmas spirit by buying a brand new set of rims, and a teenage girl who dreams of living in a mall.

By the end of the film Rev. Billy's crazy evangelical antics start to look sane against our own frenzied consumerism. You won't find peace of earth in a shopping mall, so take a break from buying, avoid the shopocalypse and give the gift of your time and your love this holiday season. Hallelujah, or change-a-lujah as the good Reverand would proclaim.

Michael Moore's documentary Sicko, about the unhealthy state of healthcare in the United States, has made the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' shortlist for an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. Also on the list is another Daily Mantra favorite, The Price of Sugar, about the scandal that lies behind almost every spoonful of sugar. The final five nominations from this shortlist of fifteen will be announced on Jan 22nd, with the 80th annual Oscar ceremony taking place on February 24th.

Sicko was released on DVD earlier this month, with the Special Edition (available at Amazon.com and Blockbuster) featuring over 80 minutes of additional footage. Even if you've already seen the movie, it's well worth getting your hands on the DVD just for the extras.

One of the choice clips (click HERE to view) from Moore's excellent bonus material covers a foray to Norway, which Moore deemed to "scary" to include in his original film. The Daily Mantra has visited Norway, and can understand why; In Norway 97% of the wealth generated from the country's state controlled oil reserves goes into a fund for the welfare and betterment the people. The revenue pays for arts programs, a years-worth of maternity leave for mothers, and two week tropical vacations for those whose health is compromised by the country's long winters.

Rather than being (mis) managed by greedy corporate moneymen or corrupt politicians, this fund is looked after by a state appointed philosopher whom Moore interviews. "The idea is we don't spend this money now, we can spent the surplus, but the capital itself should be kept for future generations, because basically this has been built up over two to three million years, and we shouldn't spend it in fifty years," explains State Philosopher Hynrik Syse. "This is something I see cutting across the political spectrum, in that all emphasize this need to pull together, to take care of those that are weakest, and at the same time preserving a tolerance and respect for difference."

Wow. Imagine if America's oil wealth was used to fund our education, health, and social services. Imagine if our politicians planned for the future good of the people, rather than merely for short term political gain. Imagine if the ill could concentrate on getting better rather than how they're going to bear the financial burden of their sickness, and the old could look forward to a worry-free retirement after a lifetime in the workforce. Sicko shows it's possible. There are alternatives, if we could only stop fearing the unknown -- and two simple but scary words -- universal healthcare. An Oscar-worthy endeavor indeed.

A ghostly customer showed up at Marathon Gas in Parma, OH recently and was caught on the station's security tape (click HERE to view). A vivid blue image is seen floating around before flying off after about half-an-hour. Local customers who viewed the tape had a number of theories. Some thought the apparition was an angel, while others thought the eerie vision was a spirit from an old Indian reservation, though all agreed the price of gas today is enough to spook anyone.

Da Vinci Code prequel Angels & Demons has become the first blockbuster casualty of the Writers' Guild strike. The film was scheduled go into production in February 2008, but Sony Studio bosses announced on Friday that the project, which was adapted from Dan Brown's book by Da Vinci Code screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, would be put on hold. "While the filmmakers and the studio feel the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully-realized production draft required of this ambitious project," said Sony spokesman Steve Elzer. Tom Hanks and Ron Howard had been set to reprise their respective roles as star and director. The much anticipated movie, which was slated for a December 2008 release, is now expected to hit screens in the first quarter of 2009. In the meantime, with Tom Hanks' alter-ego Robert Langdon in shackles, who will defeat the Illuminati and their dastardly plan to blow up the Catholic Church's elite as they meet in the Vatican City to elect a new pope?

Activist group Adbusters are urging us to detox from conspicuous consumption and take a break from our culture of consumerism by observing Buy Nothing Day on November 23rd. Running around malls in crazed crowds certainly has a way of taking the good will out of what's supposed to be a highly spiritual holiday season, so Adbusters are suggesting we shop less and live more, using the traditional Black Friday retail fest as a day for relaxed family outings or free, non-commercial street parties instead.

Now in it's 15th year, BND was the idea of Canadian artist Ted Dave. Promoted by Adbusters, a self-proclaimed "global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age," BND is now observed in 65 countries worldwide, with the international day falling on Saturday November 24th this year.

For those who are more action orientated, Adbusters are suggesting three forms of protest. The first is a "Credit Card Cut Up," with volunteers offering their debt-destroying services at malls nationwide. The second is the "Zombie Walk" where the "cheerful dead wander around malls, marveling at the blank, comatose expressions on the faces of shoppers." The last form of action is our favorite; Those participating in the "Whirl-Mart" are asked to form long, conga-like lines, with their shopping-carts in hand, "silently" and "inexplicably" pushing them around store isles "without ever actually buying anything."

But Adbusters hope the effects last long after the 24-hour moratorium on consumer spending has ceased. They're hoping to change our habits and open our eyes to all the unnecessary items we buy and consume. Ultimately the stuff of life just weights us down, and crushes our soul, filling our hearts with guilt as wallow in our unfair share of wealth and trudge the earth with too much baggage – and debt! Next time you're in a store, or about to do the "one click" online, ask yourself two simple questions: Do I really need or just want this item? And will I care about it or use it in six month's time, or will it be stuffed at the back of a cupboard or drawer and forgotten by then?

"So much emphasis has been placed on buying carbon offsets and compact fluorescent lightbulbs and hybrid cars that we are losing sight of the core cause of our environmental problems: we consume far too much," says Adbusters co-founder Kalle Lasn. "Buy Nothing Day isn't just about changing your routine for one day. It's about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment. With over six billion people on the planet, it is the responsibility of the most affluent - the upper 20% that consumes 80% of the world's resources - to set out on a new path."

It seems the Pope John Paul II is about to make a posthumous debut as a contemporary recording star. On Dec 4th the Universal Music Group will release Santo Subito, which the producers claim is “the first music DVD to embody the voice and the images of John Paul II.”

The DVD (click HERE to view trailer) is a montage of footage set to music by film composer Simon Boswell, whose previous credits include Shallow Grave, Hackers, and Michael Hoffman’s 1999 retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The composer mixes classical scoring with trip-hop and jazz-trance, drawing on radio archives of the Pope speaking and singing, as well as other historical recordings such as Gregorian chants found in the Vatican’s vaults.

Boswell told the BBC he was "very nervous about interfering with the pontiff's voice." The composer had to use modern tuning and effects techniques to integrate Pope John Paul’s voice into his music which raised "one slight complaint from the Vatican" –– after all, how can you improve on the infallibility of papal perfection?

"I have felt very moved by doing the thing, and I've almost felt guided or watched over in a way I haven't felt before,” said Boswell of the creative process. "I've felt privileged and an empathy towards the subject that I very often don't."

The DVD is part of a greater campaign to speed up the canonization of Pope John Paul, hence the title Santo Subito which means “sainthood now.” Using the internet to promote the cause, the DVD can be viewed in webisode format via You Tube, and the official Santo Subito website polls visitors on whether they’d like to see instant canonization for the beloved former pope. At the time we checked in, 95% of those who participated in the survey wanted Pope John Paul to be proclaimed a saint immediately, with 61% wanting him to be appointed the patron and protector of young people.

"Seeing the power of his speech, and the millions and millions of people over the world mesmerized by him, I actually felt quite moved. He was saying things that any nice human being couldn't refuse, “ says Boswell, who is not a Catholic himself. "I can't think of a better person to be made a saint. Why not have saints in the world?"

Tabloid reporter turned biographer-to-the-stars Andrew Morton has been forced to sell his London home and go “underground” after writing an exposé on the increasingly controversial actor and Scientologist poster boy Tom Cruise.

“I have received threats from the Scientologists and things have become pretty heavy – to the extent that it’s almost more than my lawyers can ­handle,” said Morton to Daily Express writer Adam Helliker. “I’ve sold my flat and I’m not telling anyone where I’m moving to. I intend to disappear for a while.”

Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography is due out on Jan 15th 2008 and promises “never-seen photos and never-heard revelations.” The author, who has written biographies on Princess Diana, Madonna, Monica Lewinsky and Posh & Becks, has spent two years investigating Cruise’s background, talking to former teachers, girlfriends, friends and Scientology insiders, asking questions about the particularly sensitive issues of Cruise’s faith and sexuality.

Cruise, his wife Katie Holmes, and their fellow Scientologist cohorts are said to be extremely upset about the 352-page book. Their campaign to stop its publication apparently started even before Morton had put pen to paper, with the author, who Princess Diana personally chose to reveal her inner most secrets to, receiving warnings that the actor’s family and friends had been instructed not to cooperate. According to The Express, while Morton was doing some preliminary investigative work in Toronto, where Cruise filmed Cocktail, he was overheard grumbling that compared to Cruise “reporting on the Royal Family was a walk in Hyde Park.”

The Church of Scientology has a long history of media harassment, with an FBI raid on its headquarters in 1977 exposing one such campaign, known as Operation Freakout, which was directed against author Paulette Cooper who’d written a book critical of the church (see earlier story). In Morton’s case, tales of covert machinations will only add to the intrigue and mystique of his book. Morton, who is no stranger to the rules of press and publicity, will understand better than anyone that stories of such heavy-handed tactics provide fodder for discussion, allowing outlets such as ours to devote even more column space to the book long before – and long after – its release. Salman Rushdie; need we say more?

In a bizarre twist, murdered ex-Ramones manager Linda Stein's assistant confessed to killing her boss with a 4-pound strength-building yoga stick. Natavia Lowery claimed she was provoked when her boss, who worked as a realtor-to-the-stars and was suffering from cancer, blew marijuana smoke in her face and verbally abused her. After bludgeoning her boss to death with the yoga prop on the morning of Oct 30th, Lowery cleaned up Stein's Fifth Avenue penthouse, before grabbing her cell phone and ATM card, which she used to steal $800. Lowery made the confession after being taken into police custody, and is charged with second-degree murder. New York's Assistant District Attorney Shanda Strain said Stein's death was "a particularly brutal homicide." Namaste.

Lindsay Lohan has reportedly paid a $100,000 fee to the world’s most powerful magnet, Romanian hospital worker Aurel Raileanu. Apparently, she his hoping to host a seminar to find out the secrets of Raileanu’s natural magnetism.

“I’ve always been interested in off-the-wall abilities,” says Lohan, “and this is a really interesting phenomenon. I’d love to find out more about it and try and pinpoint what causes these supernatural abilities.”

Raileanu, who entertains friends and family by picking up everyday metal objects such a spoon and irons, entered the record books as the most powerful human magnet by picking up a 50-puond TV set. He also has the prestigious Guinness World Record for the most paperclips stuck on a face, holding 61 paperclips for the required 5 seconds at the organization’s London HQ in the presence of a reporter from The Sun newspaper.

Sadly, Raileanu's powers of attraction do not extent to his personal life. “The last serious relationship I had was four years ago,” reveals Raileanu. “We dated for three years but sadly weren’t right for each other. I would very much like to find love and get married.”

Thanksgiving came early last night at a soup kitchen in Las Vegas when Pamela Anderson stopped by to serve up a vegetarian feast. "The holiday season can be especially hard for those who find themselves homeless. And it's murder on turkeys," explained the actress, who is currently appearing in illusionist Han's Klok's Sin City show. "With so many healthy and delicious options nowadays, it's easy to have a holiday meal that gives even turkeys something to be thankful for."

Anderson dished out plate after plate of Gardein's Veggie Stuffed Turkey Roast With Wild Rice and Cranberries at the PETA organized dinner. The faux turkey was donated by manufacturers Garden Protein. Similar birds can be found at your local Whole Foods store.

Anderson, who has been a vegetarian since she was a teenager, has had a long association with PETA, campaigning against fur and chicken cruelty at KFC (click HERE for video). "What KFC does to 750 million chickens each year is not civilized or acceptable," said the actress. "Every time we go by KFC, my kids ask me to honk and they yell 'Boo' out the window."

Check out PlanetHazard.com and play the eco blame game. The site uses info from the Environmental Protection Agency to map 86,000 of the top polluters in the U.S. You can check out the top eco abusers on a nationwide, state, county or city level, or search for specific polluting agents. The Daily Mantra decided to check out who was spewing out what into our local atmospheric soup. Surprisingly, it was a local dry cleaners that was the biggest toxic menace in our area. Perhaps we'll suggest that our neighbors use a greener option for their clothes in future, after all there's no glory in being at the top of this list.

The Daily Mantra saw a report on Perez Hilton's website saying that talk show host Ellen DeGeneres walked past picket lines to tape her show on Tuesday. We hope this isn't true, and would hate to think she cares more about her pets than her fellow humans. We fully support the writers' strike, having friends who have worked on many of the top shows in America that are still living from hand to mouth, facing significant financial hardship because their residuals are so paltry. Of course Hollywood's writers should be paid for online content, since ultimately we'll all be accessing our dose of TV online. Many already do, including millions of fans of The Office. The show's writers make their case from the picket lines on this You Tube video (click HERE to view).

VideoJug: How To Give A Great Man To Man Hug


Sometimes the simplest things can be fraught with hidden dangers and connotations. An example of this is the stylized man-to-man embrace otherwise known as the "man hug," "dude hug" or "pound hug" (the later term being preferred by central knowledge depository Wikipedia). Executing this deceptively simple maneuver incorrectly can mean permanent ostracization from creeped out friends, relative or acquaintances. Sadly this essential social skill often has to be self-taught, since it has only gained widespread social acceptance in recent years and was therefore not part of the skill-set traditionally passed down from father to son. Fortunately, Videojug have come up with an easy to follow instructional video called How To Give A Great Man To Man Hug for those who need to perfect their man hug technique.

This helpful guide (click HERE to view) breaks the maneuver down into five simple steps. It includes advice on when to hug, how to approach a hug, what to do during a hug, how to complete or "break" a hug, and acceptable post-hug behavior. Helpful hints include the pre-hug head tilt, which discretely lets the hugee know which direction you're going in on, helping you avoid any embarrassing collisions. The videomakers suggest, for best form, always tilt your head to the left, though sadly this rule of etiquette is far from set in stone, which perhaps is the cause of the vast majority of hug-related accidents as left and right inclined huggers inadvertently slug it out. The English embrace experts sternly warn against looking down or turning you head mid-hug since "inappropriate nuzzling may occur," but apparently the key part of a successfully executed man hug is the final manly pat, which separates the maneuver from a more womanly cuddle.

Professional party girl Paris Hilton has expressed concern about the drunken lifestyle of elephants in India. It seems the party animals of Meghalaya state are addicted to the locals' home brew, and will stop at nothing for a fix.

A couple of weeks ago, as reported by CNN, around 40 elephants went on a boozed up rampage in the village of Chandan Nukat, picking a fight with an electric pole. Six of the elephants died in the tussle. "There would have been more casualties if the villagers hadn't chased them away," explained Hilton to a Daily Star reporter. "And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just so sad. The biggest problems are in Assam and Meghalaya. The elephants get drunk all the time."

"For a stiff drink, elephants would blast through walls... they go berserk, at times plundering granaries and tearing apart huts, besides inflicting fatal attacks on human beings," said celebrated vet and Assam elephant expert Kushal Konwar Sharma, in an interview with the BBC.

As the elephants' habitat is encroached upon by burgeoning human populations, conflicts between man and beast are becoming more common. A total of around 200 elephants have been killed in food and beer fights with locals so far. "In Tinsukia, the elephants smashed huts, plundered granaries and broke open casks to drink rice beer. The herd then went berserk, and killed people," said the Hilton hotel heiress, who urged villagers to hide their rice moonshine. "It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them."

Three-year old Kassie doesn't mess around when it comes to scary monsters (click HERE to view).

The owner of Elvis Is Alive Museum, Bill Beany from Wright City, Missouri, is selling its contents on Ebay. According to a statement on the site the "contents of the museum and the two affiliated websites are being sold because the owner is now 81."

Included in the sale is the ownership and rights to a DNA test on some liver biopsy tissue Beany acquired. The tissue sample, which was removed from the singer in a 1975 procedure, did not match a sample taken from Elvis' body during his autopsy.

"When I first got interested I thought all this talk about Elvis being alive was ridiculous," recalls Beany in a 1997 interview with Cleveland writer John Herrington. "But, then, I found so many inconsistencies during my studies of information that I came to the conclusion he did not die August 16, 1977, and that he is still living."

Beany amassed over 600 pages copied from FBI files, which he claims document the fact that Elvis worked with the FBI and DEA. According to Beany, Elvis was working with the government agencies on a sting operation involving the Mafia just before he died and had received numerous death threats. Beany, who wrote two books on the subject, theorizes that Elvis went into the Federal Witness Protection Program, faking his death with a surrogate body, which some have suggested may have belonged to Colonel Tom Parker's stepson, who died around the same time as Elvis.

Elvis did indeed meet with President Nixon at the White House on December 21st 1970, which was the incident that laid the foundations for many of the conspiracy theories. According to music critic Peter Guralnick, Elvis had a contemptuous view of the hippie drug culture, and wanted Nixon to appoint him as a Federal Agent at Large, coveting a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge to add to his collection of law enforcement memorabilia.

Ironically Elvis was addicted to a cocktail of prescription drugs, which he disassociated with street junkie culture. Elvis died aged 42 on August 16th 1977. Traces of 14 different drugs were found in his system during post-mortem tests. His primary feel-good doctor, who had written 199 prescriptions in Elvis' name in the eight months of 1977 leading up to his death, was later stripped of his license after the untimely demise of subsequent patients. Elvis was buried next to his mother at Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis. His remains were moved to Graceland after a plot to snatch the bodies of both Elvis and his mother was exposed on August 29th 1977.

So far the top bid for Beany's collection of evidence and memorabilia is $7,500. The lot, which includes a 1974 Cadillac Limousine "like the one Elvis rode in" and a real casket with a mannequin "dressed similar to Elvis," has yet to meet its reserve. The sale ends on November 2nd, but the legend - and the conspiracy theories - will live on.

Hip-hop activist and entrepreneur Russell Simmons is hosting a summit this Wednesday (Nov 7th) to promote understanding between Muslim and Jewish communities. The event, which is organized by The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU.org), will pair Muslim and Jewish leaders from 11 major U.S. cities.

"The goal of this summit is to provide the participants with the tools to cultivate a strong communal relationship as Americans in their hometowns, and not solely as Jews or Muslims," said Simmons in an interview with AllHipHop.com.

Simmons was appointed to the board of directors of the FFEU in 2002, and currently serves as chairman. The rap mogul, who helped shape the careers of Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and Will Smith, has long used his position in the hip-hop community to promote positivity.

The conference will take place at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York and the New York Synagogue. Representatives from the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, the Muslim Consultative Network, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council will lead workshops on issues such as the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. The idea is to focus on the areas of commonality rather than the issues which divide.

"Whether Jewish or Muslim, we are all American. There is a value system and culture that we share - these must be embraced and nurtured," said Rabbi Mark Schneier, who is both the founder and President of the FFEU. "We must stop being distracted by political hotbed issues that divide us in the Middle East and learn to relate to each other within the context of being an American."

You’ve heard of ghosts walking through walls, but did you know cars can do similar tricks? Check out this footage, as broadcast on Court TV (click HERE to view), and watch as the Garden City Police Department engage in a high speed chase with a vehicle they now call the ghost car.

You may not agree with the current Iraq war (or any war for that matter), but regardless, we can and should support our troops, many of whom come from some of the most economically challenged families in America. Some traded service for an education, others joined the reserves or the National Guard and had no expectation of ever seeing active service thousands of miles away from their loved ones. To honor our troops on Veterans Day (Nov 11th) non-profit organization Cell Phones For Soldiers are asking us to donate our old cell phones. Though the cell phones can't be used directly by troops abroad, since most US phones don't have GSM roaming capabilities, they are recycled by a company called ReCellular. For each donated phone, ReCellular gives Cell Phones For Soldiers enough money for an hour's worth of talk time, which is given to the troops via calling cards.

"Even from a non-combat zone like Bahrain, it can take hundreds of dollars to call home on a regular basis," explains Deputy Commander Curtiss C. Potter. He received a shipment of calling cards for his coastguardsmen serving in Bahrain (which acts as a base for ships patrolling throughout the Gulf region) and says they've "definitely made a difference."

"The hardest thing in the world is not being able to contact a family member when they are fighting in the war," says Kimberly (no last name given), an army wife from Stamford, CT. "My husband's unit was one of the first to go over to Iraq in 2002 and he has been back two times since then. When he first went over the only way to communicate was by mail, and that wasn't too good yet either. I had to wait almost 3 months until I knew that my husband was fine and alive!! I can't even begin to tell you how many letters I wrote and how many he received. It wasn't the same number. The first time I heard from him, I was at work and he was on night watch. I don't recall the time difference, but I do remember him telling me how nice it was to hear my voice."

Cell Phones For Soldiers was started in 2004 by two remarkable teens who were inspired by news reports of a soldier serving overseas who'd run up an impossibly large bill calling home. Brittany Bergquist, who was 13-years old at the time, and her younger brother Robbie, who was just 12, began with just $21, which they saved from their snack money and collected from friends at school. They deposited the money in a local Massachusetts bank, The South Shore Savings Bank of Hanover, which, after hearing their story, donated a further $500. Since then, Cell Phones For Soldiers has raised almost $1 million and has distributed more than 400,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.

"For the loved ones of soldiers serving abroad, Veterans Day is a day to honor those who have served in the past and protected all the freedoms we enjoy in the present," says Brittany. "We're asking Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones, providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas."


Phones can be sent to:


Cell Phones For Soldiers
C/O ReCellular
2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter, MI 48130

Visit Cell Phones For Soldiers' website for a postage paid shipping label or to find a local drop-off spot from a list of over 3,000 nationwide collection sites. If you're worried about personal data on your phone, ReCellular have handy Data Eraser fact sheets for most models of phones that can be downloaded from their website.

British designer Vivienne Westwood has vowed to go fur free following a meeting with PETA. "We have not used fur of any kind in next season's collection, and have no plans to use it in the future," said a spokesperson for Westwood, who first found fame in the late 70's and early 80's designing punk and post-punk pirate looks for U.K. bands The Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow.

It's not the first time Westwood has used her clothes to express what she believes in. In 2005 she joined up with British civil rights group Liberty, designing T shirts bearing the slogan "I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don't arrest me" to protest against governmental attacks on the principle of habeas corpus after 9/11. Habeas corpus stands as a cornerstone of any free society, and is a common principle in law on both sides of the Atlantic which dates back to the Magna Carta which was signed in 1215.

"When I was a schoolgirl my history teacher, Mr. Scott, began to take classes in civic affairs. The first thing he explained to us was the fundamental rule of law embodied in habeas corpus," says Westwood. "He spoke with pride of civilization and democracy. The hatred of arbitrary arrest by the lettres de cachet of the French monarchy caused the storming of the Bastille. We can only take democracy for granted if we insist on our liberty."

Fans of Westwood include Gwen Stefani, Jerry Hall, Marilyn Manson and Naomi Campbell. The Daily Mantra applauds the designer for standing up for the right of both animals and humans to live freely.

Seattle yogi Matt Meko is putting the beefcake back in his traditionally more vegetarian sport with his 2008 GURU calendar. The idea is to remasculate the image of yoga through the calendar’s sexy photos, which feature muscle bound men from all walks of life. Photographer Hawk Jones illustrates both the inner and outer strength and elegance of his 100% male subjects, who include yoga instructors, personal trainers, weight lifters and even a Buddhist teacher.

"I'm a guy, and it's difficult to be constantly bombarded with yoga magazine marketing images of willowy, wispy women in weird poses," explains Meko. "I wanted to promote yoga's teachings with pictures of people that me and my friends -- many of whom are in the calendar -- could relate to."

A portion of the proceeds from the calendar will be donated to The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

Controversy broke out on the set of NBC’s Phenomenon last night (see video) when celebrity judge Criss Angel challenged one of the show's contestants, causing an uncomfortable altercation between the two which was broadcast live. The show, which premiered on October 24th, pits ten performers against each other in a search for the next great mentalist, and features world-renowned paranormalist Uri Geller as the show's other judge.

The on air fight broke out after Pittsburgh born contestant Jim Callahan successfully identified an object hidden in a locked salt filled box with the help of his spirit guide Raymond. Geller gave a very positive post-performance critique, saying, “Your display of supernatural powers is very controversial but very convincing…I want to believe there is a Raymond on the other side. Besides, there is a flair of honesty about you that brings credibility to what you say.”

Angel however, was not so convinced, telling Callahan, "I just think it’s comic book quite frankly.” He then went on to challenge the validity of both Callahan and fellow judge Geller’s paranormal powers. “I will give you a million dollars of my personal money right now if either one of you can tell me specific details of what’s in here right now,” said Angel, as he pulled an envelope from his pocket and held it up for the cameras.

Callahan, upset that a fellow performer, who also makes a living from mystifying audiences, would make such a challenge, responded angrily, saying, “OK man, I’ll tell you what I will tell you. I find you an ideological bigot.” Angel then rose from his chair as the two came toward each other. Callahan was then seen being restrained by the show’s host as they went to a commercial break.

Angel, an illusionist who became a household name thanks to his A&E series Mindfreak and his showy stunts such as making a Lamborghini disappear, has previously declared his own act does not rely on paranormal powers. "I do not believe that anybody has the ability to do anything that's supernatural," he is quoted as saying. Last night's incident was clearly premeditated, since Angel had prepared the envelope before viewing Callahan's act –– not exactly the open-minded attitude you'd expect from a judge.

The show's producers were clearly courting controversy by pairing Angel with Geller, who first rose to fame in the 1970’s with his paranormal displays of psychokinesis, dowsing, and telepathy. The producers, at least, showed their powers of insight and prediction, getting exactly what they wanted last night.