After showing up one hour late (likely trying to sober up) Amy apologized to the crowd of 90,000 fans at the Rock in Rio concert in Portugal on Friday.

This video from the concert represents all that’s wrong with Amy. She’s destroyed her voice with drugs, her mind is addled and gone, her dancing is embarrassing and the light that used to shine from within has almost completely gone out. She is a shadow of her former self, and is now the butt of all jokes.

I can’t even make fun of her anymore, she’s beyond hope and clearly no one is going to step in and save this girl.

How they let her on stage in that condition is beyond me, but someone’s responsible and should be ashamed of themselves for allowing to Amy to perform in such a terrible state.

Depressing.

Where do you even begin to start in paying tribute to a comic master, maestro, genius?  So many of today’s so-called “funnymen” could learn a thing or two or hundred or million from one of the true greats, Harvey Korman.  He died Thursday from complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago.

From The Carol Burnett Show to Blazing Saddles to his comic tour with fellow funnyman Tim Conway, Harvey had the best sneer in the business and could get a laugh from the simple arch of an eyebrow.

He will be truly missed. They just don’t make ‘em like that no more.

New chants against cults are catchy. Jason, in his typically candid fashion speaks to the crowd of gathered members of Anonymous and those in the public who are protesting the CoS’ many abuses against its members. Jason at one point tried to visit the NYC org to speak to their members but they wouldn’t let him in, he then invited them to come out and speak to him, but once again, they refused.

I guess having an open and fair discussion of Scientology is not something the CoS is interested in doing.

Look for a longer, more in depth report from the Tony Ortega of the Village Voice who was there reporting on the protest.

That was a find group of folks out on a Thursday evening, I guess it’s safe to say Anonymous is NOT going away. Jason has really done a great service to inspire those who are taking great strides to expose Scientology’s history of cult-like activities to the public.

Thanks Jason, thanks Anonymous.

This story breaks my heart. Not the part about Bill Murray getting divorced, that’s to be expected, it’s Hollywood. But all the other things Bill’s estranged wife Jennifer Butler says about him in court documents really seems incredibly out of character.

According to the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. Murray’s wife of ten years (the couple were married in 1997) filed for divorce claiming extramarital affairs, illicit drug use and physical abuse as her reason. Here’s more from the P & C:

According to the complaint, Jennifer Murray moved into a Sullivan’s Island home in 2006 with the couple’s four children due to her husband’s “adultery, addiction to marijuana and alcohol, abusive behavior, physical abuse, sexual addictions and frequent abandonment.”

Jennifer Murray purchased the Sullivan’s Island beach house in 2006 for $3.65 million, according to county property records.

It was at the Sullivan’s Island home, according to the complaint, that Murray allegedly abused his wife in November 2007. The six-page court filing says Murray “hit his wife in the face and then told her she was ‘lucky he didn’t kill her.’ ”

The complaint alleges that Murray physically abused his wife on more than one occasion during the marriage.

So WOW, that sure doesn’t sound like the man whom I’ve been in pretend love with for the last 20 odd years. Stripes is my all-time favorite movie (just ask anyone) and then there was Ghostbusters, Groundhog’s Day, Rushmore and of course, Lost In Translation. I didn’t even mention the years of joy he brought during his time on SNL or the classic Caddyshack, or Scrooged, and the often forgotten but great, Meatballs, but still, ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you, that crazy Dawn’s favorite actor is Bill Murray.

But wait, there’s more…

Do YOU have $16,000 to spend trying to attend a movie premiere?  Apparently the families of two girls from British Columbia did, only to be turned away at the New York debut of the film:

They wore sexy high-heels and designer dresses hoping to walk the red carpet like their idol Carrie Bradshaw.

Instead, Jen Ferguson and her pal Devon Cross had to lean on umbrellas to ease the pain in their feet, and cower for cover when the heavens opened.

The best friends from Virginia, British Columbia - who paid $16,000 for the New York trip to see “Sex” - were among thousands of disappointed “Sex and The City” fans who waited for hours outside Radio City Music Hall Tuesday only to be told the venue was overbooked. […]

Security officials said up to 2,000 people - who had bought tickets through promotional giveaways authorized by movie studio New Line Cinema - were shut out of the screening.

Ferguson said her father bought theirs through a similar promotion from Bluefish Concierge services but had no idea if they would be refunded.

Their tickets were marked “first come, first served” but they arrived at Radio City at 3:30 p.m. and with more than 6,000 seats up for grabs, they never imagined they would not get inside.

“First come, first served.”  Kind of self-explanatory, don’t you think?  You may get in, you may not…soooooo, what’s not to understand?

Well, apparently there was some sort of a snafu at Radio City, where there were too many tickets and not enough seats:

“The movie studio gave out way more promotional tickets than could fit in the orchestra,” said one insider. “Radio City managers told the New Line people, ‘You can solve this by opening up the mezzanines, which have 2,700 more seats - but they wouldn’t do it.”

However, a New Line source countered, “It was Radio City Music Hall making that decision. They took control of the fan line. They turned the fans away.”

After the orchestra section’s 2,900 seats filled up, some 500 ticked-off promotional ticket holders were walked over to the DGA Theater on West 57th Street. The rest were issued vouchers to see the picture for free at cinemas tomorrow.

Whatever.  Don’t really care.

Gas is $4 and up a gallon.  More people are dealing with bankruptcies and foreclosures than ever.  Jobs are being cut, and those who keep their jobs are having to deal with having their pay slashed.  Milk is almost $4 a gallon and you can’t afford to even look at meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.  The economy is going in the toilet.  There’s a war in Iraq, earthquake devastation in China, and people starving in third world countries.  Overall, prices are going up while paychecks are going down.  And these people have $16K to blow on a trip to see a movie that glorifies (along with promiscuity) overspending, brand worship, and blind materialism?  Where do I sign up for their job?  The only thing worse would be if they financed all this with their credit cards and will have to pay on this fiasco for the next umpteen years.

Go ahead.  Bring on the “you’re jealous” comments.  I encourage it.  Because all that will show is that I have a firm grip on reality while others excuse the ridiculousness of wasting good, hard-earned money on a movie.

Um…HELLO?  I’m not against going to the movies, and I’m not against having a good time, and I’m not against vacations, but come on.  It’s a movie.  Yeah, okay…they should have the right to spend their money however they see fit, even if it is stupid, but if they’re going to talk about it to the New York Daily News then I have the right to comment on the foolishness of it. Hey, girls…call me when you get some real problems, okay?

A few months ago, actress Kirsten Dunst checked herself into Cirque Lodge (the former treatment center of model patient Lindsay Lohan) for what many assumed was treatment for alcoholism.  She’s been well-known to have problems with alcohol, enough for the tabloid press to give her the unfortunate nickname “Kirsten Drunkst”, and she’s been known to dabble in drugs.  Well, she’s now saying that she wasn’t in there for a problem with drinking, but for treatment for depression:

“I didn’t go to Cirque Lodge for alcohol abuse or drug abuse,” the actress, 26, tells E! in a new interview. “I went there for depression.”

She says “it was a good six months before I decided to go away.

“I was struggling, and I had the opportunity to go somewhere and take care of myself,” she continues. “I was fortunate to have the resources to do it. My friends and family thought it was a good idea, too. But I didn’t know where to go. My doctor recommended Cirque Lodge.”

There’s just one problem with this admission…you can’t get into Cirque Lodge unless you have an addiction that you want to control.

From their own website, they talk about drug and alcohol rehab here:

Cirque Lodge is an accredited addiction treatment center located in Sundance Utah. We are one of the nation’s most exclusive drug treatment centers providing services for alcohol and drug rehab. We were named by Town and Country magazine as one of the top drug and substance abuse treatment facilities. Individuals or families needing immediate addiction treatment, drug rehab or alcohol rehab should call us at 1-877-997-3422. We are known for providing effective drug and alcohol treatment for individuals and families suffering from the disease of alcoholism or drug addiction.

Cirque Lodge, Sundance Utah is a private world-class residential drug rehab and addiction treatment facility. Our alcohol rehabilitation and drug rehab program is offered in a private mountain setting. Cirque Lodge derives its name from the beautiful glacier-carved Cascade Cirque high in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.

And here:

Cirque Lodge is a private drug rehab program and is not contracted with any government agencies.

And here:

Treatment for addiction should not be a one size fits all program. It takes a number of programs and therapy types to provide the answer. Addiction is not something that can be miraculously cured, so avoid drug rehab programs that tell you such. Addiction treatment takes time and a conscious effort from the individual to be achieved. At Cirque Lodge, our drug rehab program is based on the 12-step modality created by Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12-step method functions as a good basis for continuing focus after leaving rehab.

And here:

Cirque Lodge drug rehab center, located in the mountains of Sundance UT, provides the ultimate in effective alcohol rehab and private drug treatment. Our exclusive mountain facility offers the privacy and attention to detail found only in the finest treatment centers in the world. At Cirque Lodge, we develop an individualized treatment model that will meet the needs of each resident in our treatment center. Our drug treatment program focuses on helping people struggling with alcohol abuse as well as drugs. For the best drug rehab facility available, Cirque Lodge is the choice of professionals throughout the world. Call us today for a free consultation and review. Recovery begins with the first step, and that step is a phone call to one of our experienced and caring staff members. Call 1-877-99-REHAB today.

And from their admission guidelines page:

Treatment:
Drug Addictions, Alcohol Addictions and other Substance Abuse issues

Basically, while I found tons of information relating to drug and alcohol abuse, I found nothing that said they treat depression on its own, just as it relates to drug and alcohol abuse and as part of treatment for those addictions.  It would appear that the first criteria to be met for admission is drug or alcohol abuse.

Look, I’m not ragging on Kirsten, or anyone else who struggles with either drugs, alcohol, or depression.  If you are someone who is having a problem with depression, there is no shame whatsoever in going to a medical professional for treatment, counseling, and/or medical intervention.  Likewise, if you find yourself struggling with an addiction, there is absolutely no shame in going to a treatment center and receiving help for that addiction.

But there is a problem when someone checks themselves into a clinic specifically for addictions, and then claims it was for depression.  One of the first rules of any sort of treatment is admitting you have a problem and being honest with yourself, whether that be about addiction or depression or whatever.  There seems to be the implication here that treatment for depression is somehow more “accepted” and less stigmatizing than treatment for addiction, and it appears on the surface that Kirsten isn’t exactly being honest with the public.  She may have indeed recieved some depression therapy in Cirque, but by their own admission statement you cannot be admitted for depression alone.  I ain’t sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

No, it’s probably none of our business what she checked in there for…but since Kirsten has felt the need to make this announcement, it has now become part of the public domain to be commented on.  Had she not said anything, I would not have said anything either.  It is unfortunate that there is still this stigma around receiving treatment for addiction, when individuals attempting to put their lives back together should be supported.

I sincerely wish Kirsten all the best, and I hope she can emerge from this a better and happier person, whatever it is she is dealing with.  It just seems to me that she needs to be honest with herself, before that can ever happen.

As anyone who reads this site knows I am a huge fan of Andrew Morton, and his book, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography influenced me greatly in expanding my knowledge of Scientology and its second-in-command, actor Tom Cruise.

Andrew, in the midst of promoting his Tom Cruise book was in the Netherlands and members of the group Anonymous visited him during this tour, and the above photo was taken. For more on the encounter, go to Enturbulation.org.

As an aside, I have encountered scores of people who would question Morton’s role in this fight against the Church, in the interest of trying to remain neutral, I’ve been measured in my response. Allow me to say now, that is sheer BOLLOCKS! Knowing the full extent of Andrew’s role in exposing Scientology’s abuses gives me the right to say so.

Without Andrew’s encouragement (and that of Ian Halperin) I might not have continued on exposing the CoS like I have tried to do. Glad to see Morton finally getting some appreciation!

I am totally downloading this as my new screen saver that way when I am lying in bed at night thinking about creepy cults and getting angry, I can just reach over and kick my husband’s ass without guilt.

“Sorry honey, my Paul Rudd Screensaver said to do it. What, I dislocated your jaw and ripped out your left testicle? Oh, sorry. Here you go, just stick that back in there. See, all better.”

Yeah, me and Paul Rudd are gonna get busy TONIGHT!

Via Dlisted via Towelroad.

I remember watching the sitcom “Growing Pains” as a teen and having a HUGE crush on Kirk Cameron. Don’t look at me like that, most girls my age did (including my five years older sister!). Then I found out he went all religious fundamentalist on me and that was the end of that. It’s kind of hard to feel lustful passion for a guy who frowns on unmarried lustful passion.

In a ContactMusic article, Kirk has very few nice things to say about Tom Cruise’s religion, Scientology:

“I think Scientology is kooky. I think L. Ron Hubbard had some imaginative ideas, but the bottom line is that it’s false, not real, and my advice to people is don’t get mixed up in cults and false religions but seek out the true and living God and try to honour him with all your heart. You can do that by reading the Bible.”

Kirk’s story is fairly unique in the world of Hollywood. Playing cute and snarky teen Mike Seaver on the “Growing Pains” show propelled Cameron to atmospheric heights of popularity in the teen world of celebrity worship, but unlike his peers, Kirk didn’t use this to propel him to great levels of fame, but instead found religion and pursued a career inside his faith.

While this made him an outcast in Hollywood, he continued a television career, but not as a teen heartthrob, but rather an evangelical minister. Here’s more about Kirk’s ministry career from his Wiki page:

But wait, there’s more…

Glosslip Radio, in its continued coverage of the internet anti-Scientology movement fronted by activist group Anonymous, is proud to announce another great radio show. Tomorrow evening’s show, at a special day and time, Thursday May 29th, 9:00pm EDT, will feature Maureen Bolstad. Maureen, an 18-year veteran of the Church of Scientology’s most devout sect, the Sea Organization, will be joining us to discuss her heartbreaking story of disconnection from her family, including her twin sister, and her harrowing experience of escaping the Hemet, California SO site called Gold (Int) Base.

Maureen and I met recently at a gathering of many ex-Scientologists while I was visiting Los Angeles with my family a couple weeks ago. During this visit, I spoke with many ex-Scientologists, and they all had compelling stories to tell of their time in the cult, but Maureen’s was especially fascinating and sad. I look forward to being able to give her an opportunity to share her story with our listeners and we hope you can tune for tomorrow’s special show. Below is Maureen’s photo and bio.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW!

I was born and spent my childhood in Santa Clara County; lived there until I was 16. I became involved with Scientology through a friend of my mother when I was 14. I was tricked into joining the Sea Organization along, with my little brother and, later, my twin sister. I was in the SO for 18 years. I spent 17 of those years out in Hemet at the Int base. I left staff in 2000. I tried to remain a public Scientologist for 5 years, but it didn’t work out. I left Scientology in 2005.

I was officially labeled a Suppressive Person by the CoS in Los Angeles in 2006. I’m currently going to college, but I’m self employed too. I do video dp work, photography projects and office admin and bookeeping. My brother and I are on good terms, but my twin sister is still involved in Scientology and she has stopped speaking to myself and most of our family.