The general public is probably unaware that Scientology owns a cruise ship called the Freewinds, but those of us who follow the insidious cult closely, are all too familiar with the “Deathwinds.” Let us explain.

The Freewinds, a supposedly refurbished cruise ship, was once a dilapidated rust bucket Scientology bought to house their most special patrons for high level teachings. According to, Scientology, in order for someone to do the level of OT VIII, it “required a completely safe, aesthetic and distraction-free environment”. Founder L. Ron Hubbard researched and ministered many of the first OT levels in the 1960’s aboard ship, so Scientology thought if they purchased a cruise ship, that it would have a lot of meaning for Scientologists. According to Scientology it is the ONLY place on earth you can do this level. Uhhh ok.

OT VIII is the eighth level on Scientology’s ”Bridge To Total Freedom“, which we here at Glosslip affectionately call, the “Bridge To Financial Ruin”. You can also take other lower level courses and auditing on the Freewinds, and of course it is also used as a recreational vessel for OT Summits and other celebrations. Many celebrities have sailed on the Freewinds, including Tom Cruise SEVERAL times, (even celebrated his birthday on the Freewinds, as seen in this famous, er infamous, video ) John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Allie, as well as, actor Jason Beghe who has left Scientology in recent years, and is now speaking out against them and the financial fraud they continue to perpetrate. Jason was also quoted as saying that the Freewinds a real “flea bag” and that it “shook like crazy.”

So what about the whole safe, aesthetic and distraction-free environment part? The Freewinds is far from safe, a fact we reported on back in April of 2008. They dock in Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Kitts.  It has been dubbed the Death Ship and the Failwinds due to the fact that is is laden with dangerous blue asbestos which was reported to Scientology’s upper management by Lawrence Woodcraft back in 1987 who oversaw the original renovation of the ship. You can read his 2001 declaration here, or listen to our radio interview with Lawrence here.

The Captain of the Freewinds also admitted that during previous maintenance performed by his personnel, asbestos was released into the ventilation system but went unreported. So if Jason Beghe said “the ship shook like crazy” you can already figure out that asbestos fibers were more than likely airborne and inhaled by all on board. Scientology never said a word and decided to do absolutely nothing  and denied that there was ever an asbestos problem.

In May 2008, a spokesperson from COS claimed ”there is not now and never has been a situation of asbestos exposure on the Freewinds.” So it continued to sell courses and levels to its cult members regardless of the potential harm, even though the management was warned by Mr. Woodcraft back in 1987, the Freewinds sailed on, and it wasn’t until April of 2008 when maintenance was done by the Curacao Dry dock Company in Curocao that they discovered the blue asbestos which confirmed Mr. Woodcraft’s warnings. According to InsuranceNewsNet:

“Decontamination, if it is even possible, is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars and would result in the ship being in dry dock for many months.”

Of course Scientology already KNEW about the asbestos and again, said or did nothing, but rather, chose to put even more people’s lives in danger by denying the existence of asbestos, while secretly hiring Nordica Engineering, a company out of Miami, to do a refit of the ship. Nordica hired 240 Polish workers to remove the material from the ship, and those workers actually lived on the ship for a month and a half! 

When the Polish workers told Nordica there was asbestos present on the ship, Nordica ordered them to quit and return to Poland. Witold Maliński stated that Nordica was asking for compensation for it’s workers, but we haven’t heard anything about this case since. One can only wonder if someone was paid off to keep the outcome hush hush, or perhaps something is still brewing and still to come out of this.The ship has since been refitted, but some believe that the asbestos was SO extensive within the walls, electrical work,ventilation system and other areas that in order to completely rid the ship of all the asbestos, it would have to be stripped down to it’s steel hull. Something Scientology can’t afford and will not do because they would lose too much money.

Here’s some information on the dangers of blue asbestos, the most deadly form of the asbestos, from Mesothelium.com:

If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen).
Exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of several serious diseases:

• Asbestosis—a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage;
• Lung cancer;
• Mesothelioma—a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen

If you consider Scientology’s willingness to expose their own paying members to deadly asbestos, you can only imagine what kind selfish and harmful actions this cult poses to the delicate and fragile environment of the Caribbean ports it docks this toxic tub at. Fortunately, we have first hand accounts of the Freewinds using these tropic ports to dump their waste, without nary a concern for environmental dangers they pose. There is also no answer as to where the Freewinds ever dumped all that asbestos from the refit. This is one question, I would love the answer to, as well as residents of Bonaire.

A lovely golden haired gentlemen by the name of Sean Paton is a resident of Bonaire and has been very instrumental in trying to insure that the island of Bonaire stays a safe place to live and visit. He has a website and radio show called Forum Antilles, which broadcasts daily in Bonaire. Sean has also done a series of videos on YouTube on the dumping that is taken place in Bonaire and the Freewinds played a huge part in his videos.

Sean’s first video aired in May of 2007 (seen at top of post) and was a documentary about the environmental hazards stemming from the The Freewinds dumping waste water in to the environment. Sean shot another video, where he attempts to contact The Freewinds to ask them if they would like to tell their side of the story, but only received a voice mail recording when he called…EVERY time he called. He said he was going to keep trying until he got a hold of them. Sean said in four months time, the only response he had gotten was from a third party for Scientology claiming that “the water was all clear and good enough to drink with no environmental damage what so ever,” and supposedly, Scientology was working with the government.

My question is…if the water is clean enough to drink as Scientology claims, then why do they have to work with the Bonaire Government at all? 

Continuing on with the video…

But wait, there’s more…

Before Kate left Jon I almost felt sorry for him. Yes I did call him a spineless man in a previous article, but I always felt that Kate was such a controlling total bee-yotch, perhaps Jon was kind of like a battered husband. Well I am changing my tune now.

As of late Jon has been see sucking down cocktails in the French Riviera on a yacht with girlfriend Hailey to discuss a clothing line with designer Christain Audigier. It has been reported that Jon is also now seeing tabloid reporter Kate Major. Oh the irony! Jon dating a tabloid reporter. That is like Tom Cruise dating a psychiatrist.

The real piece of comedic fodder here, is John’s recent trip to the Hamptons. Where people who talk with clenched teeth complain how hard it is to find a decent maid as they check their watches to be sure they don’t miss their tee off time at the Maidstone.

OK Magazine has the full story.

I guess Jon Goselin  has been hanging with Michael Lohan. So I guess he felt if he showed up at the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge in Bridgehampton, that he can jump into a conversation with someone and rub elbows with some of Hampton’s humdingers of elite. But after his fourth circle around the tent dressed in his J. Crew clothes (how gauche) and flip flops, the heckles and laughter began to ensue, and he hightailed it out of there.

Oh Jon, really? The Mercedes Polo challenge? Talk about being out of your league. Don’t you know if you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig?

It seems Jon got a taste of stardom and is now tying to hob knob with the droll and snoity. Perhaps Jon should give the Hogans a call. They seem to be more Jon’s speed. Maybe he can date Brooke if he can get rid of rapper boyfriend “Stack$“. Shouldn’t  be too difficult…John can just dangle something shiny in front of him.That should do it. Then with Stack$ out of the way, Jon and Brooke can start a whole new reality show! Maybe call it “Jon and Brooke Chill In South Beach“. Then they can go up to the Hamptons and pick out a polo pony. Awwww. 

Gee I sure hope TLC doesn’t read this. I don’t want to give them any more stupid ideas. We have enough to contend with shows like Toddlers in Tiaras, What Not To Wearand that other show….. ummm what was it called again? *snicker*

My theory on Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry is that these two fake entities are a parallel to the experiences of junior high school: full of dicks, nerds, dweebies, geeks, freaks and kids who think they are popular.

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a dick and a freak are having a little pissing contest to see who is the biggest f-tard. In this case, I think the dick wins.

Allow me to illuminate you. Apparently, Hello-Kitty fetishist Mariah Carey started a fight with Mr. Headcase Eminem. At some point these two were rubbing their fuzzy nubs on each other, but that crab-infested coupling went sour, and now, instead of ignoring each other like any normal 36 and 39-year old should, they have decided to channel their inner 14-year old.

From the Examiner:

The love triangle between Eminem, Mariah Carey, and Nick Cannon has taken another turn. Eminem released a diss track aimed at the newlyweds titled The Warning.

The Warning is essentially Eminem demanding that the couple stop taking shots at the Detroit MC. Maybe Eminem’s memory has been affected by his many years of drug addiction, because he’s fired unwarranted shots at Carey for the last seven years.

With the release of Eminem’s Relapse, he took another shot at Carey and her husband prompting the couple to respond. On Bagpipes from Baghdad Slim Shady raps, “Nick Cannon you [expletive], I wish you luck with the [expletive] whore/Every minute there’s a sucker born.”

Cannon said in his blog, “So, Miss Marshall, I’m going to make you wish you never spoke my name and regret the ungodly things you said about my wife. This is going to be fun! It’s however you want it! Just remember, you did this to yourself! Your legacy has now been tainted from this day forth! You will now be known as the rapper who lost to corny-ass Nick Cannon!”

Carey then released the video and song for Obsessed mocking Eminem. Carey sang, “Why you so obsessed with me?/Lying that you’re sexin’ me/It’s clear that you’re upset with me.”

Eminem responded by releasing his most inspired song in years,The Warning. Eminem rhymes, “It’s a warning shot ‘fore I blow up your whole spot/Call my bluff and I’ll release [everything] I got.”

This battle clearly ranks as one of the all time corniest battles in rap history. Will Nick Cannon even respond to the The Warning? Stay tuned.

So, I listened to “The Warning” (cue two eye-rolls and a withering side-eye) and not only is NOT catchy, a serious no-no in my book of snarky comebacks, but it goes WAY beyond what is okay. It’s pretty damn repulsive, which, pretty much describes Eminem when he is sucking…something he’s done A LOT lately.

Artistically speaking, I’d prefer to listen to Eminem ANYDAY over Mariah Carey. I actually dig some of Eminem’s music a lot (just ask my iPod), but what I don’t dig is immaturity played out for all the world to see. Like all constants in the universe, I expect grown men and women to possess a level of maturity that reflects their age, and this lame-ass bullshit sets a very bad example to the world at large.

In essence, Eminem has not only made baby Jesus cry (and probably Mariah and Nick) with this adolescent drivel, but he’s helping the terrorists win. And that’s just UNAMERICAN.

Em you get a thumbs down on this one, in fact, if you are trying to prove you don’t have feelings for Mariah I’d say you just got an F, for fail. Next time why don’t you just pull her pigtails and push her into the dirt and spare us the drama.

That said, ball’s in your court Mimi.

Update: For those who have standards in their musical listening tastes and don’t want to listen to Mr. Mathers (Miss Mathers to you) dope track, Heckler Spray hilariously breaks this hissy-fit down for you:

It all stems from the relationship that Eminem and Mariah Carey had back in 2001, during one of the brief windows where Mariah wasn’t having a mental breakdown and Eminem wasn’t busy divorcing and remarrying his wife. Eminem referred to the relationship in his song Bagpipes From Baghdad, which we haven’t heard because it’s got the words ‘bagpipes’ and ‘Baghdad’ in the title and therefore probably sounds like a goat having its diaphragm pummelled.

But anyway, whatever Eminem said in the song, it was enough to make Mariah Carey dress up as a man and call Eminem a liar in her new song, entitled Obsessed. And this, somewhat inevitably, has caused Eminem to write another song about Mariah Carey, The Warning, in which he variously:

* Threatens to release a number of intimate phonecalls and photographs from their time together

* Describes an encounter where he accidentally ejaculated onto Mariah Carey’s stomach

* Calls Mariah Carey an ‘alcoholic’, a ‘liar’ and a ‘whore’

* Inevitably opens the door for Mariah Carey to release yet another song about Eminem – possibly accompanied by a video where she’s dressed up as a monkey or a unicorn or something – that goes on and on and on and on and on and forces Emimen to write yet another poxy bloody song about her.

July has been an agonizing month here on Planet Celebrity. So many deaths, so much weirdness — it’s all too much to digest. Thankfully we have the growing consistency of douchery from Jon Gosselin, absent father to eight young children, to help us find stable ground in which to catch our breath.

Just last week we discussed Jon’s recent foray into the single world, when he decided to risk what’s left of penis with 22-year old professional attention whore, Hailey Glassman. On the heels of that debacle, there comes allegations he’s been dipping into the tabloid cess-pool, and stepping out with a Star Magazine reporter, whose since quit her job due to “conflicts of interest.”

But none of that comes close to his recent gutter-dwelling move, which has Jon revealing to the entire world, which includes SICKOS and PERVERTS, that his wife may be hiding over $100,000 in the family home.

Holy breakins and home invasions! What the hell would possess a supposed caring and nurturing father to divulge this information (true or not) to the public at large? I may not have a degree in propulsion engineering, but I know a dumbass when I see one. A criminally negligent one at that!

Here’s the breakdown from the latest f-tard move from the “paternal” Gosselin, after a new report from Life and Style magazine. From Just Jared:

Since splitting from wife Kate, Jon’s been pretty open with his money. “Kate controlled the money for the longest time in their relationship,” a close friend of Jon’s tells Life & Style. “Now I don’t think he’s worried about money at all. He’s taking a bunch of us to Las Vegas at the end of August. It’s going to be wild!”

Jon is also convinced Kate is hiding major sums of cash from him — and he’s determined to find it. “Jon is sure Kate’s keeping money from him, more than a million dollars,” an insider reveals. “He thinks some of the money she’s made from her books and tours has been put someplace where he can’t access it. Jon says he found out Kate had been hiding about $100,000 in cash in the house…. It’s turned into an all-out war over money. Jon says Kate’s books and speaking engagements were based on their children and their relationship, so he rightfully deserves a cut.”

Um, no he doesn’t. There are a lot of things Jon deserves, (like a swift boot to the nards) but money from Kate’s books and her speaking engagements ISN’T one of them.

It’s painful to have to defend Kate Gosselin, because surely if anyone is a C U next Tuesday, it’s her, but when your douchery starts spilling over on to your kids, then that’s when it’s time to call a d-bag a d-bag.

Nothing like advertising your wife is hiding $100,000 in your family home to bring out the law-breakers. These days, people will bust your cap for the quarters in your ashtray, so it’s probably a good idea to keep your friggin’ mouth shut about where your money is, especially if you have 8 defenseless kids and rabid possum in your crib.

On a sidenote, Kate gets major props for keeping her piehole shut throughout this entire tabloid frenzy. You and I both know, Kate goes home, screams into her pillow and has sweaty, fretful dreams of kicking Jon’s silly ass 15 ways to Sunday when she reads this crap. Kate deserves a good lay and some cold Bartles and Jaymes for keeping it together recently!

Hell, even I dream of twisting Jon’s sack until it turns purple.

American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen who was known for her infamous rant and bird flipping exit after her Idol audition, was struck and killed by a drunk driver this past weekend.

Twenty three year old Daniel Bark was charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of a collision and the judge also charged him with aggravated manslaughter, death by auto and eluding. He is currently in the Ocean County jail in NJ and his bond was set at $185,000.

Cohen was struck early Saturday morning in Seaside Heights and was found at 4 am. Cohen was pronounced dead at the scene and the autopsy report showed she suffered chest, head and abdominal injuries.

US Magazine reported Barks lawyer:

“He’s having an extremely difficult time mentally coming to terms with the fact that there’s an allegation that he caused a death. My client is in a state of mind where he is going to be under suicide watch.”

Alexis Cohen was a feisty gal, and full of life, and had a go for it attitude. She auditioned for the seventh and eighth season of Idol. She showed up for her audition, belted her song out and left in a blaze of glory, and wasn’t afraid to tell snot-nosed Simon Cowell how she felt, and I am glad she did. Someone needs to bitch slap that boy every once in a while. You can watch her famous exit on the above YouTube video.

It saddened me when I watched her background story and her audition on American Idol. She lived in a ONE ROOM apartment with her Mom and they were extremely close. They didn’t have much, but they had each other. Her Mom must be beside herself with grief. Although Alexis never reached her dream of becoming a star, I am sure in her Mother’s eye she will always be her star. RIP Alexis.

John Travolta is having an awfully tough time coming to grips with the death of his son Jett, who passed away only six months ago. And rightly so. Does a parent ever get over the death of their child?

It was previously reported that Travolta was too depressed to promote his latest film Pelham 1,2,3 when it premiered, and unfortunately things have not improved. His neighbors reported seeing Travolta riding around in his golf cart at night on the air strip of his Jumbolair estate.  Travolta used to ride around the cart with his son Jett,  as you can see in the picture below.  So maybe now to ride in the cart alone, some how comforts him.

The Daily Mail has quoted Travolta’s neighbors about his late night golf cart rides:

‘We often see John driving himself around at night’

‘It’s sad to see. You rarely catch sight of him during the day. We used to see him driving around on a buggy with his son. Now it’s just John by himself. He’s always been a night owl, but now even more so.’

The UK’s Daily Mail, just posted an article which was entitled, “Is John Travolta Cracking Up?”

The British paper has continued to be a thorn in The Church of Scientology’s side, and their latest article must have Scientology aching even more. Sometimes, (perhaps due to overly-strict British libel laws) their articles “disappear” off their website. In this latest Travolta story, it’s far too late to bury this story, as many others have since covered it. The Mail’s article is quite long, and it talks not only about the grief of Travolta, but also about Travolta’s sexuality, and his struggle with Scientology.

For a primer on Scientology’s vice-like grip over Travolta’s life, we encourage you to read the entire article here.

Since Jett’s death, Travolta has been very reclusive, even taking a solo overnight trip to Tahiti, where many speculate he was trying to come to grips with his grief. Witnesses at the exclusive South Pacific retreat have stated Travolta checked in, kept to himself, and barely left his room during his stay. This doesn’t sound much like the old Travolta, who is notoriously gregarious and is often seen traveling with friends and family. It brings up some concerns over the star’s state of mind.

Recent reports in the tabloids have been unkind, with stories of the Pulp Fiction star enjoying a burger and fries at a restaurant last week, with suggestions he’s been indulging in junk food and packing on the pounds. So while heartless tabs focus on what John’s eating, what we are wondering here at Glosslip, is “Scientology eating away at John?”. This is a man in turmoil, and perhaps his indulgence in unhealthy food is the only comfort he can find while he comes to terms with the untimely death of his beloved teenage son. It feels like John is asking himself some big and important questions about where his life has ended up and perhaps where its headed.

It can’t be easy for Travolta, who must be torn between the beliefs of the cult of Scientology which he has sadly been a member of since 1975, and the doubts he must be feeling since his son’s death. Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston, have dumped millions and millions into the cult over the years. To find out that his “church’s” beliefs are not what he thought and the fact that the cult wanted to put him back on the e-meter and audit him right after his son’s death, must have been not only devastating for Travolta, but it must have planted some huge seeds of doubt.  What’s even more disturbing, was the cult’s unsympathetic demands on Travolta and that they mentioned that Travolta’s negative influences could have  contributed to the tragedy.

As quoted by The Daily Mail:

“Travolta is also said to be upset that senior members of the sect have instructed him to undergo intensive sessions with one of Scientology’s ‘ethics officers’, trained to question the actor and other grieving family members to establish whether their ‘negative influences’ might have contributed to the tragedy.”

That is beyond despicable, and certainly not the behavior of any “church”. The cult’s disregard for his son’s death stems again from Hubbard’s teachings. Quite simply AND disturbing, is that Scientology isn’t very sympathetic towards death and grief. They teach their members that when one dies, they are simply dropping their “meat body”, and that you will come back many times. Like reincarnation, but minus the healing spirituality that comes with this ancient belief. Scientology has misappropriated a basic tenet of an ages old religion, to simplify their own lack of humanity — sick and twisted. Not to mention that grieving as well as other normal emotions after such a tragedy is very low on the ”Scientology Tone Scale”.

I can only imagine the tremendous guilt he must feel for putting his trust, and literally his son’s life into his beliefs of Scientology. Instead of leaving his son on the anti seizure-drug Depakote for the epileptic grand mal seizures he was suffering from, which were occurring up to four times a week, Travolta and wife Kelly Preston decided to take him off the medication and put Jett on Scientology’s Purification Rundown. A process which consists of high doses of niacin, oils and long hours of saunas. They claimed they took their son off the medication because it didn’t work and it was affecting his liver. Oddly enough, the Purification Rundown is a VERY dangerous regime for the liver, especially for a child and there has NEVER been any proof whatsoever that this regime is at all successful, and many doctors have totally debunked it and have called it quackery. 

Travolta and Preston are also avid members of Scientology’s front group the CCHR which claims their only fight is against psychiatry and anti-psychiatric drugs.  But what many people don’t know, is that funds collected through the CCHR, go to paying for Scientology’s lawyers and their Office of Special Affairs aka OSA, who’s sole purpose is to harass, intimidate and investigate critics, getting psychiatrists licenses revoked and going after any ex-Scientology members who speak out.

Doesn’t every church has a department like this?

Curiously, one has to ask how they were able to get an autistic child to take all the vitamins and oils, while forcing them to sit for hours in a sauna to begin with. I am sure parents of autistic children or any child for that matter would agree that it would not be an easy feat to accomplish, and impossible for some. I can’t help but feel confused and a bit suspect as to how they managed to administer this treatment for Jett. This is one thing that was never investigated or asked, as far as I know.

Scientology does not recognize the condition of “autism” and believes it to be psychosomatic. It’s these beliefs that must have Travolta and Preston filled with grief and doubt about how they raised and cared for their child. I am not going to get into the MANY unanswered questions surrounding Jett’s death, or the fact that they had untrained nannies caring for Jett. One of whom, Travolta shared a kiss which was all over the newspapers. We had touched on that in a previous article.

I have no reservations that Travolta and Preston had nothing but true love and concern for Jett. But I also believe that Scientology’s brainwashing techniques, and the fact that Scientology has all of Travolta’s and Preston’s very personal information and secrets on file has not only severely clouded their judgment on how they cared for Jett, but it also has kept them silent and in fear that Scientology would reveal the contents of their files if they were to speak out or leave. Which has just happened to four other people who recently spoke out. Scientology has revealed some of the contents of the files of four former top executives that have just recently spoke out in the St. Petersburg Times. Not very ethical and downright wrong for a “church” to divulge members private information. Proving once again that they are not a church.

There has been a lot of controversy over the years about Travolta’s sexuality, and his supposed arranged marriage to wife Kelly to hide his sexuality. I am sure John is beyond scared, disenchanted and a prisoner of Scientology’s grip on his personal files. Founder L. Ron Hubbard classified homosexuality as an illness or sexual perversion and termed it as ”covert hostility”. So you can imagine how Travolta must be suffering by not coming to terms with his “alleged” sexuality all these years, not only because of the cult’s beliefs, but also in fear of his career being greatly affected.

The Daily Mail mentioned that it was rumored that Travolta and Preston were considering having another child, thinking this may help with Travolta’s grief. I think this is SUCH a bad idea on SO many levels. Travolta is very unstable right now, and he needs time to heal, and another child may only intensify how much he misses Jett. This idea seems ill-conceived at best, and disastrous at worst.

I am sure any fans of Travolta would support completely support him,if he were to put all his cards on the table and just come out and tell Scientology where to go. He can be a hero to all Scientologists who have been silent due to fear, for all of those still under the grip of the cult who fear of family disconnection, and a huge warning for any who are thinking of getting into Scientology. It would put a serious damper in Scientology’s ability to silence others to come forward, and would shed a brighter light on the crimes and abuses of the cult.
This man may have the ability to bring Scientology down. 

So by some far off chance Travolta reads this article….

John, please leave Scientology. Your fans will have your back. Your fans don’t care about your sexuality. You have been a victim of Scientology for far too many years. It’s time to ease your burden and do what’s right. Do it for your sanity, and do it for your son Jett. Whether it is just to leave Scientology quietly, or to be a bigger hero and leave Scientology in a blaze of glory and tell your story for all to hear. You can save others from getting entangled in Scientology’s web. A “tell all” book would make you an even bigger gazillionaire. And a movie would be the icing on the cake. Are you listening John?

But wait, there’s more…

Madonna’s Smirk Says It All

I promised myself I wouldn’t write about Madonna, ’cause she just makes me retch, but sometimes you must break your own rules in the interest of the public.

I could never stand Ms. Phony Pants, right down to the way she speaks. Despite her preposterously pretentious name, was one of six kids born in Bay City Michigan for Heaven’s sake. Her father was Italian and her Mom French Canadian, so I don’t have a clue where she came up with that lame accent — likely the same Fantasy Land she also lives in.

So as much as I try to ignore her, I couldn’t resist poking fun at her shacking up with Jesus…Jesus Luz that is. Jesus is a 22-year old Brazilian model who has been seen all over the place with Madonna including a trip to Madrid, touring the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace.

Back in March of 2009, Madonna and Jesus appeared in a steamy 46-page photo shoot in W Magazine which showed her frolicking in a hotel bed with Jesus. He has his name tattooed on his back, perhaps, just in case he forgets it. Or maybe in case Madonna forgets it. I also noticed she was wearing a cross around her neck in some of the shots. Perfect!

But hey, Madonna is a walking contradiction. Do you remember when said she didn’t want her children watching TV? I guess she forgot it was the early MTV’s videos on which put her on the map to stardom. If kids were not allowed to watch TV back in the 80’s, maybe Madonna would still be in Bay City Michigan. Ahhh…wistful thinking

So I guess TV is out, but boy toys and steamy photo shoots are ok? Not to mention all the other questionable crap she has done after she had kids. Her last photo shoot for her 11th album “Hard Candy” was certainly a trip to Sluttown. She even named her tour Sticky and Sweet.  What is up with all these sexual innuendos?  Does Madoona still think this is hot? It may have worked in her younger years, but now, it’s getting sad and the time has come to put that thang away.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a prude in any sense. But when you have children involved, it gets to a point were you just have to grow up and get some class girl. How can someone write childrens book and then go out on stage and hump a guitar? What are her kids going through? I can just hear one of her daughter’s friends: “Hey Lourdes! (ugh, hate the name) your Mom can really hump a mean guitar!”

From Sean Pean, to Dennis Rodman, to porn star Tony Ward to Guy Ritchie, and asking David Letterman to smell her underwear on TELEVISON (maybe that’s why she didn’t want her kids watching Mommy on TV) to kissing Britney Spears, and now a boytoy named Jesus? We get it Madonna, you are SO shocking. *Yawn*

As much as we wish Madonna would embrace her 50’s with class and dignity, it looks like this cougar is just getting started. In fact, Madonna may be the ultimate cougar, with 28 years between she and her latest sex-toy Jesus, putting Demi Moore to shame, with only 15 years between she and her hubby Ashton Kutcher.

And at the risk of getting nasty comments suggesting if Madonna were a man, nobody would say anything about her newest boy toy, you’d be WRONG. While part of me says, get it while you can, and the other part of me just says ewwwwwww because well…were talking about Madonna, and for some reason, she just seems a bit long in the tooth to be pulling her “Like A Virgin” routine. Again. And again.

Come Here Jesus And Give Mommy Some Sugar

It’s anyone’s guess what Madonna will come up with next, or who she will be “frolicking” with, but I only hope for her kid’s sake that she decides to clean it up a bit. With two African adoptions under her belt, her attentions are elsewhere. So THANK YOU JESUS…Jesus Luz that is.

I tend to ignore people like Mischa Barton because they are so cluelessly unaware of the world’s perception of them, that it makes it a severe waste of time pointing out the obvious. Sadly, even Mischa has made herself impossible to ignore.

A bit of Mischa history. Barton was a model and sometimes actress, best known for her role on the “O.C.”, a fairly popular show going back a few years. Mischa is also known for hanging with the other Hollywood messes Lindsay Lohan, the reformed Nicole Ritchie and her herp-infected pal Paris Hilton. Even these skanks knew better than to keep hanging out with Mischa, as her life began to spiral out of control.

Many a blind item has been devoted to Barton’s coke habits, possible meth addiction and alcoholic endeavors. It seems Mischa’s successes in life revolve around her love-life — when that fails, she fails. When she dated Cisco Adler she kept herself mostly together, but since then, she’s had a string of failed relationships and her struggles to maintain stability have become quite public, including a DUI, numerous reports of drug and alcohol binges, as well as a stalled career.

In the last two weeks Mischa has been forced to come to terms with her out of control behavior, landing her Cedars Sinai Hospital under a 5150 – which is essentially a mandatory hold placed a person who is deemed a danger to themselves, or possibly others. Reports have stated that after a 3-day drug binge (possibly on cocaine) Mischa flipped out and called the police with threats of suicide.

Now, a video has surfaced of Mischa doing an interview for Handbag TV, after a recent opening at Harrod’s in London. Homegirl is a certified mess. Being an “older” person, I have some familiarity with people “under the influence” but I have never seen someone this obviously whacked out on something. Her eyes pupils are HUGE, she can’t stand still, she’s fidgeting, staring off into space and what the EFF is with her voice? Honestly, she looks TERRIBLE and this should be a huge wake-up call to Mischa and those around her.

What Was And What Should Never Be

I may be an old fuddy duddy, but where are the responsible people in these young starlets lives and why aren’t they looking out for them? Mischa’s sister Hania tried to commit suicide in 2008 and has been seen looking completely out of it also – WTF? If I had two kids that lost, I would definitely be doing something. Shame on her parents, shame on her friends, shame on her handlers.

Mischa, when you make people like Lindsay Lohan worried for you and telling you that you need help — YOU NEED HELP!

Let’s get on this already.

Surely everyone remembers the talking Taco Bell dog. I wonder how many said “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” every time a chihuahua walked by back in the 90’s? I think the Taco Bell dog played a huge part in why there are so many chihuahua dog owners today. NOT Paris Hilton, despite what she thinks.

The voice of the Taco Bell dog was done by Carlos Alazraqui who now plays Garcia on Reno 911. What most people don’t know is that the Taco Bell dog, was it actually was a girl chihuahua named Gidget that also starred as “Bruiser” in Legally Blonde 2.

Sadly, Gidget just passed away at the ripe old age of 15. She had a full life to say the least and her retirement found her sitting pretty and leading a very pampered existence — and Gidget had quite the following. Taco Bell sold talking stuffed animals that said “Viva Gorditas” and there were key chains and talking figurines that said “Yo Quiero Taco Bell”. One trip to Ebay and you can see that these items are still selling today. Perhaps there will be a new demand for these “collectables” since Gidget’s death, including a Legally Blond 2 stuffed animal with a purse complete with different outfits for the dog to change into. Needless to say Gidget will go down in history along with Lassie, Spuds McKenzie,and Rin Tin Tin as a famous pup.

The LA Times reported:

The owner of Studio Animal Services in Castaic says Gidget suffered a massive stroke late Tuesday at her trainer’s home in Santa Clarita and had to be euthanized.

Gidget was the sassy mascot in Taco Bell commercials from 1997 to 2000. While other dogs had bit parts, it was her bug-eyed, big-eared face that was seen pronouncing “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” Spanish for “I want Taco Bell,” in a male voice dubbed by Argentine actor Carlos Alazraqui. A few years later, Alazraqui landed the role for which he is best known: Deputy James Garcia on Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!”
The Taco Bell ads provoked some criticism from activists who said they used Mexican stereotypes.

Gidget also had a role in the movie “Legally Blonde 2,” but others associated with the ad campaign weren’t so lucky. Earlier this year, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the creators of the Chihuahua character hadn’t been properly compensated for their work, and Taco Bell was ordered to pay $42 million.

Gidget’s trainer, Sue Chipperton, in an interview earlier this year with the People Pets website, described the diminutive dog as a consummate professional on the set. But, she said, Gidget had been the victim of typecasting, which limited her career choices (or, rather, Chipperton’s choices on her behalf).

Associated Press writer Robert said this on 
Austin360.com:

Although she was hard of hearing, Gidget was otherwise in good health up to the day of her death, eating well and playing with her favorite squeaky toys at the home of trainer Sue Chipperton, McElhatton said.

“She was retired. She lived like a queen, very pampered,” McElhatton said.

Gidget was found at a kennel and wasn’t show quality, McElhatton said; she had an undershot jaw and huge ears.

But Gidget knew she was a star, McElhatton said.

“She was a prima donna, basically. She absolutely knew when she was on camera,” McElhatton said.

Gidget traveled first-class, opened up the New York Stock Exchange and made an appearance at Madison Square Garden, McElhatton said.

In later years, she did other acting work, appearing in a 2002 commercial for the insurance company GEICO and in the 2003 movie “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.”

She remained the object of affection after her retirement, going on hikes and beach visits with her trainer. She aged gracefully, and liked nothing more than to snooze in the sun.

“She was like a little old lady. She’d kind of gotten smaller,” McElhatton said.

Gidget will be cremated, McElhatton said. Her owners had not decided on a final disposition of her remains. Taco Bell Corp. said in a statement Gidget would be missed by many. “Our deepest sympathies go out to her owners and fans,” the company said.

Every once in a while there is a story that tugs at your heart strings and this is one of them. Gidget was certainly a huge star that was fortunate to live to a nice ripe old age and will be remembered fondly by many. To Gidget the diva of all chihuahuas, may you rest in peace.

The infamous Barneys of New York raised some eyebrows recently with their latest window display. It featured contorted mannequins in death scenes complete with blood spattered windows. The displays were featuring the clothing of designers A.C. L. and Helmut Lang. But stunned passersby of the Madison Ave. store did not waste any time in voicing their outrage, and the displays were quickly removed. The edgy idea backfired because people thought it promoted violence against women and that it basically was in bad taste.

A snippet from the NY Daily News reported:

A bloody window display featuring mannequins apparently being attacked unnerved Barneys customers and was swiftly torn down by the store.

“It’s distasteful,” said Angie Lobo, 50, of Woodside, Queens, who made a face when she noticed the window while shopping with her daughter.

“I was just thinking, ‘What’s the point?’”

Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys, said the displays were installed while he was away overseeing advertising shoots and that he had ordered them dismantled.

They were taken down shortly after the Daily News called to inquire about them yesterday afternoon.

“We encourage our display people to be creative. We give them a lot of latitude, but this clearly crossed the line,” he said. “It’s as if someone saw a bad Hitchcock movie.”

I am on the fence about how I feel about this display. Although I appreciate that people are free to express their creativity these days, is a touristy store like Barney’s the proper venue for this sort of thing? After all, Barneys is a not an art museum, it is visited by thousands of tourists daily who are eager to shop and has been a fixture in NY since the 1920’s. Barneys has also appeared in many big films over the years and was even mentioned on The Family Guy, in the ”A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Bucks” episode when Peter asks Chris if he wants to go to Barneys to “fart in the suits.” 

So perhaps this artistic display was a bit too over the top for the average shopper, but on the other hand, are people over reacting? I have found over the past years that some people have become too “PC” to the point where it stifles even the most innocent of things. Let’s not forget the story back in 1997, of the town of Kingsville in Texas that has their town employees answering the phone by saying “Heaven-O” instead of using  the word Hello, because Hello has the word Hell in it. I kid you not. You can’t make this crap up.

Now back to Barneys.

Perhaps if Barneys bloody display previewed in October as a Halloween theme, people wouldn’t  have batted an eyelash. But then again, using blood and gore for an October theme wouldn’t have been a very edgy move for such a well known store as Barneys. They need to grab people’s attention.

It is a far cry from Barneys 2008 holiday theme of “Peace & Love: Have a Hippie Holiday!”, which was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the peace symbol, which even included a big dove in the window and a quote about Peace from John Lennon. It seems like they went from one extreme to the other.

So what does anyone really know about the history of  Barneys? I was curious as to how it originated and how it grew globally from one small shop to a chain store giant and also wondered if it always carried top designer clothes and the myriad of products it offers today. Was it always the brick and mortar hub for haute couture?

Nope. Not even close. I was a little shocked to discover Barneys meager beginnings. Barneys goes all the way back to 1923 and was started on a shoe string by Barney Pressman, who pawned his wife’s engagement ring for $500 to rent out a 500 square foot space at Seventh Avenue and West 17th Street in Manhattan to sell discounted men’s suits. Discounted suits? Huh? 

Some of Barneys history courtesy of Wikipedia:

Their original slogan was “No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations“.

Barney’s was able to sell tailored clothing at discounted prices by purchasing showroom samples, retail overstocks, manufacturers’ closeouts at auctions and bankruptcy sales. It also offered free alterations and free parking to attract customers. As business grew, eventually three floors above street level, starting in 1934, would be gradually added to the store.

By 1973, the store was stocking 60,000 men’s suits, and women’s clothing was not introduced until 1976.

By 1993, the store moved to the current 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m2), 9-story Manhattan flagship on Madison Avenue between East 60th and 61st streets. It was the largest new store in New York City since the Great Depression. The store is housed in a 22-story building with 14 floors of offices above the store.

Woah…Barneys sure has come a long way. It was not without its share of problems though. In 1996 it filed for Chapter 11 and closed down several of its shops. As a matter of fact Barney’s had MANY financial problems: cash flow problems, shady loans and family members dipping their mitts into the cookie jar and subsequently not keeping track of what they were taking.

According to Answer’s.com:

There were tales about how the Pressmans–eight of them on the company payroll–helped themselves to store merchandise without accounting for it, according to the New York Times article “Haughty Couture” and Joshua Levine’s “Let Them Wear Black.”

Hmmm, sounds like the Pressmans were helping themselves to whatever they fancied and it blew up in their face BIG time. There is more detailed information available at Answers.com if you are interested. Their financial history is way too lengthy to list here.

So does Barney Pressman or the Pressman family still own Barneys? No, they haven’t owned it since 2004. With the Pressmans plagued with financial problems, the Pressman family sold its less than 2% remaining ownership to the Jones Apparel Group, they in turn sold it to the top bidder who is a private equity firm in Dubai called Istithmar PJSC for $937.4 million.  A long way from the original story of Barney Pressman’s original $500 investment back in 1923, wouldn’t you say?

For now, Barneys with it’s bright red awnings will remain a place to shop for a pair of Manolo Blahniks, from housewares to luggage and everything in between. With annual sales of way over $300 million, employing over 1,700 employees, my guess is if people were outraged by their display, ultimately, they must cater to the whims and needs of its customers. Especially in this economy, one has to be careful.  I think they are done taking chances with edgy bloody window displays and will leave the horror to the local costume shops for Halloween.

Pity though. I think the display was kind of neat and it certainly got people’s attention, and isn’t that what it’s all about in the retail world? I mean with all the competition out there, to keep coming up with new display ideas with a sense of “gotcha” for your customers must be tough these days. Barneys original slogan…”No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations”… may have worked fine for them back in the 1930’s, but to push $1,600 Armani suits these days, stores have to be creative and take some chances — but the chance that Barneys took this time around met up with the same demise as Barneys mannequins, DOA.