London Anons asked to take sign down, because of the c-word. No, not that c-word the CULT word. A cult by any other name still smells like a cult.

Opening Ceremonies

SP Postcards

Scientology Vans get fined for illegal parking - minor win

The First Rick Roll of the May 10th protests - You know the rules, and so do I!

Melbourne Raids

D. Graham addresses his time in the CoS, including the RPF

Part 2 of D. Graham

Nick Bollea (I’m not going to call him Nick Hogan in this article, since that isn’t his real name) was in court today and the judge handed down sentencing:

Nick Hogan threw himself at the mercy of the judge today in Clearwater, FL in his felony reckless driving case — and he got just a lil’ bit. Hogan was sentenced to eight months in jail, five years’ probation and 500 hours community service, and the judge yanked his license for three years.

The judge also said no drinking for three years…and he also pointed out that not only is Nick underage but he will still be so once the three years is up.  He is also to spend one full day in “some positive framework” every month.  Not quite sure what that means, but it can’t be a bad thing.

But wait, there’s more…

The mysterious “k” will be covering this story in more depth later, but I wanted to give a quick update on the Nick (Bollea) Hogan/John Graziano car accident trial.

TMZ, reporting live from the courtroom.

Nick is being given 5 years of probation, 500 hours of community service, had his license revoked for 3 years (until he’s 21) for his culpability in an accident which left his friend John (an Iraq-war veteran) in a coma-like state.

Nick is being handled ever so lightly. Unbelievable. What about the booze that was in his system provided by his father Hulk Hogan earlier in the day?

Nick stares blankly at the judge, revealing the dumbass lurking behind his eyes. This Judge is really playing for the cameras, shut the F up and get on with it. Who do you think you are, Judge Ito?
Everybody wants to be a star.

Judge reading from Nick’s letter to the court. Nick wants to make up for his mistake.

*rolls eyes* Read Glosslip’s coverage for context to my disbelief on his sincerity.

Judge says Nick had a cavalier attitude towards his driving responsibility, but believes Nick is being sincere in his apologies, but that doesn’t take away the pain from John’s life being destroyed, and his family being heartbroken. Judge is going to incarcerate Nick. Here it comes: 8 months in the Pinellas County Jail.

Well, there you have it. That judge was MORE than fair considering the history of recklessness from this family.

Body Thetans? Bridges costing $350K? None for me, thanks!

More down-stat news for Xenu-fearing folks. It seems Tom Cruise’s Church of Scientology has lost another one its wealthy “donors” as news of Australian media mogul James Packer stepping away from the money-making front group emerges on the internet.

James Packer, a close friend of Tom Cruise, was recruited into the organization during a vulnerable time in his life. Recently divorced from his first wife, humbled by some bad financial deals in his family’s multi-million dollar media company, Packer was ripe for the Cruise picking, but like any decent mogul, Packer and his money have seen the light. Details from a Sydney Morning Herald:

But wait, there’s more…

I swore I would not write about these knuckleheads reality stars on our hallowed blog, but hey, even I can be shallow from time to time

So when I saw this PR release in my inbox, I checked it out and the sticker shock on what Audrina spent on her OWN birthday made me almost drop a deuce in my 100% cotton, reasonably priced drawers. While $4000 may not be much in Audrina’s world, for me $4000 is a large investment. I can say in an entire YEAR, I might have spent about half that amount on clothes for the WHOLE family. Granted, I am a bargain shopper and wait for sales at the Gap, Macy’s, and I sometimes shop at Marshall’s and TJMaxx when I can, but for the most part, I wouldn’t dream for a second about spending more than $15 on a t-shirt.

I don’t know how much these girls make being on their fake-reality show, “The Hills,” but DAMN, I want that job. The ladies of “The Hills” were featured on Rolling Stones most recent cover. WHY? I can think of about 15000 other individuals more compelling than these ladies, but hey, it’s what the young people want.

Here’s the PR release, we get these pretty often, I ignore them frequently because it’s not relevant in my view of Celeb culture, but hey, seeing what people spend is kind of interesting:

But wait, there’s more…

Glosslip Radio is extremely excited to have ex-Scientologist Marc Headley back for a second interview.

Marc, who spend 15 years in the Church of Scientology’s Sea Organization is working on a major project which will intimately detail his experiences within the church and working closely with RTC president and Scientology leader David Miscavige.

The last interview we did with Marc has reached legendary status, having over 12000 people listen to the show. Tonight’s show will focus on the Scientology cruise ship, the Freewinds and the current scandal surrounding they cover-up attempts by the Church regarding a massive asbestos contamination on that ship. For coverage of this story, see Glosslip’s reports.

But wait, there’s more…

When I saw these ads I first was speechless…but don’t worry, I’ll have enough of my voice back to rail about this on BTR Today later on.

Yes, these are ads for the House of Deréon, a clothing line created by singer Beyoncé and her mama, Tina Knowles.  According to Wikipedia:

House of Deréon is a prêt-à-porter fashion line introduced by singer Beyoncé Knowles and her mother/stylist Tina Knowles. The style and concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name “Deréon” paying tribute to Beyoncé’s grandmother, Agnèz Deréon.

Expanding the brand, Jay Z and her sister Solange Knowles launched the junior line Deréon that is geared towards younger consumers and is more reasonably priced. The tag line for Deréon is “Where the sidewalk and catwalk meet”. […]

It is reported that Beyoncé has an active role in the House of Deréon’s design department, approving and discussing fashion designs and ideas.

First of all, what is it with all the stinkin’ acute accent marks?  I don’t like to drag out Character Map every time I try to type up an article.

I like what Pop Gumbo had to say:

Tina, we understand that you had to pimp out your daughter at a young age in order to make her a star and bring money into the home. Without that sacrifice, “bootylicious” might never have made it into the American vernacular. So for that we are truly grateful, but this boo, is a disgrace. These little girls look like whores. Why all the lipstick?

What is the next ad going to look like? Babies wearing gold metallic bikinis while five-year old boys throw Monopoly money on them.

These ads creep me out…but more importantly, they make me sick.  The top photo is the worst offender; the bottom one is just dumb in a too-much-makeup-on-a-little-kid way.  It’s bad enough that we have teenagers walking around dressed like they’re looking for their pimp, but little girls?  I’m no prude, and I don’t believe little girls should always be in ruffly dresses and hair bows, but come on…high heels on preschoolers?  They’re probably a grown-up pair, but still…what are these people thinking?  Who would buy such trash for their child?  Why would advertisers want to show children in full makeup and hairdos, looking like adults?  What’s with all the lipstick and “come hither” looks?

And the sad thing is that clothing like these are not relegated to ads.  Go to any mall on a weekday and you can see mothers with their preschoolers walking around dressed like this.  Whatever happened to kids being kids?  Being silly with mommy’s makeup and playing dress-up with grownup clothes and shoes in one’s home, during playtime, is one thing.  Taking it to the streets is something else entirely.  And that’s exactly what these little girls look like they’re getting ready to do.  Let children be children…and let children look like children.

Don’t tell me I’m a sicko who is seeing something that isn’t there…take some software, age the photographs of these girls about fifteen years, don’t change their expressions, and see what they look like.  Sexy ads.  I rest my case.

A friend of mine once told me that we can make our daughters targets or treasures.  I’ll let you decide.

Hothead Alec Baldwin has not ruled out a run for governor of New York, provided he doesn’t have to speak to any tweenaged girls in the process:

“There’s other things I want to do [be sides acting],” he tells Morley Safer on “60 Minutes” this Sunday. “In a matter of weeks, I’m going to be 50.” Bombastic Baldwin was thinking of running for governor two years ago before he lost his temper and left a voice mail for his daughter Ireland, then 11, calling her “a rude, thoughtless little pig.” Given a chance to apologize for calling Kim Basinger’s lawyer, Judy Bogen, a “300-pound homunculus with a face like a clenched fist,” Baldwin replied, “I was being kind, Morley.”

You know, Alec often seems to be missing that little chip that most people have in their brain that says, “Hey, perhaps you shouldn’t say that,” but sometimes that quality can be quite refreshing.  Most other actors would be backpedaling so fast that they’d get muscle cramps, but not Alec.  I’ve got to remember that insult.  Well, as soon as I find out how to pronounce “homunculus”.

My personal favorite insult is “slack-jawed mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging monosyllabic troglodyte.”  Feel free to use it, Alec.  Just not at your daughter.  (Oh stop, GlossLip was one of the very few sites to stick up for the man.  I like Alec, I just don’t always like his actions.)

But Governor? Frankly, I like Alec best when he shuts up and looks cool.  But if California can have the Governator…?  Wonder if he’d rename the Governor’s Mansion “The Inner Sanctum” and be chauffeured in a cool retro taxi?  (Just keep Penelope Ann Miller away, puhleeze.)

Girlfriend is going to get whiplash if she keeps turning around this fast.  A few weeks ago, Mariah Carey declared that she would feel “violated” if she became pregnant, but now says that she’d love to have a little bun in the oven:

The Hero singer said: “It’s (having children) part of the whole purpose of getting married.

“I’d just want our children to have the best childhood and upbringing they possibly could.”

The pair expressed their love for one another in the most modern of romantic gestures, by getting tattooed:

Speaking for the first time about their speedy marriage to American magazine People, Mariah revealed she had got a ‘Mrs Cannon’ tattoo before the nuptials, with Nick getting a simple ‘Mariah’ etching.

He proposed to her in a surprisingly fitting manner for her personality…by using a kiddie candy ring (which was actually kind of cute, imo):

Nick proposed to Mariah on April 26 on the roof of her Manhattan apartment as they watched a lighting display on the Empire State Building to celebrate the success of her new album E=MC2.

He surprised Mariah by presenting her with a kids’ ring pop candy ring, which had a £1.25million, 17 carat diamond ring hidden inside the plastic casing.

Nick said: “She ran away and got all shy.”

During a helicopter ride over the city later that night, Nick proposed again and Mariah finally accepted.

And by the way, those rumors that she didn’t have a prenup?  Rubbish, according to her:

Mariah apparently told a mutual pal of ours: “Anyone who thinks we didn’t have a prenup is smoking something!”

Hmm.  Quickie wedding, sudden u-turn on having kids?  I think she’s in the club.

Don’t you just love that “Oh my goodness, how embarrassing to be caught out, let me put my hand with the enormous ring on it up to my face in an attempt to look properly shy” look she’s rocking in the photo?  Nick just looks…shellshocked.  He’s got to learn how to work it like Mimi if he’s gonna roll with her.  She’s gonna go home and beat him with one of her zillions of shoes for screwing up her photo op.

Placing bets on how long this lasts?  Either way, Nick Cannon is set for life.  (I still wonder if she lets him use the Hello Kitty bathroom!)  I hope he gets used to catering to her every whim, however…there’s no way she’d ever let anyone upstage her.