Everyone has their own taste when it comes to music.

What may be considered music to one’s ears, may be considered simply torturous to others. Just because I feel that Michael Bolton sounds like a cat getting skinned alive, and that his music is some sort of cruel joke to all of mankind, doesn’t mean that some other tone deaf person has to agree with me.

One thing is for certain, whether it is the sweet voice of Bonnie Raitt or the overrated raspy voice of Bruce who stepped in it Springsteen… if it is played at decibels to make you feel that your ears are going to bleed and it is played over and over… it can be quite torturous no matter who it is.

Everyone is aware that the prisoners at Gitmo (Guantánamo Bay) were needlessly tortured by water boarding along with other degrading and unspeakable acts. 

One of the methods used was music played repeatedly and at ear piercing levels. The songs used and some of the artists who made that music are not too happy to say the least. How would you feel if one of your songs was used to torture someone? I am sure you would be horrified.

Well, Michael Stipe of REM, along with twenty or so other artists have aired their disgust, and have banned together and formed Close Gitmo Now.   

A little info on Gitmo first, before we get into which performers are saying Gitmo has to go.

Gitmo has held nearly 800 detainees in it’s history. An alarming majority of those detainees were never charged, nor went to trial. Only THREE of those detainees have ever been convicted of a crime.To keep Gitmo open is costing tax payers MILLIONS.

So what did the spokesman for the CIA say when it came to using music as torture?
He said nuh-uh.

George Little, a CIA spokesman said:

“music was used only for security, rather than “punitive purposes”

And in a 2005 CIA document, it stated,

“loud music or white noise was needed “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”

So what tunes and artists made it to the Gitmo “top 20″?

According to the National Security Archive, they used anything from the Meow Mix jingle, to the Barney theme song. They used such artists as Marylin Manson to Britney Spears. Although the Meow Mix jingle and the Barney theme song both make me cringe and is enough to drive anyone buggy, at ANY volume… I wonder if the Meow Mix or the Barney people have a problem with the fact their music was used at Gitmo? I haven’t heard anything from either of them and I have to say, if they don’t have a problem with it, then I have a problem with them.

Why would they use the Meow Mix jingle and the Barney theme if it was just “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”?
And why were detainees subjected to “variable light patterns” while this music was played? Is the CIA going to say they wanted to have a disco effect for the detainees? Although it really wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

If the CIA claims are true, then why didn’t they just use classical music at non dangerous levels without light patterns? The term liar liar pants on fire comes to mind.

Another little pesky factor besides the CIA not having the permission of the artists to use their music, is the fact that the artist’s music was used as an interrogation tool.

So which artists are pissed and saying close Gitmo now ?
Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, REM, Pearl Jam, Roseanne Cash just to name a few.

Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Brown

Roseanne Cash recently appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart to tell everyone about the petition they have created which people can sign at www.closegitmonow.org

The BBC recently reported:

REM call for Guantanamo closure

Rock bands including Pearl Jam and REM have joined a coalition of musicians to support the US president’s efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.

The National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, which also includes former military officers, launched on Tuesday.

Many of the artists who have signed up are angry that their music was used as an interrogation tool in the jail.

But CIA spokesman George Little said music was used only for security, rather than “punitive purposes”.

In a statement, REM said: “We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. To now learn that some of our friends’ music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge, is horrific. It’s anti-American, period.”

Other artists to sign up to the coalition include Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Roseanne Cash, Billy Bragg, Bonnie Raitt and Rage Against The Machine.

On behalf of the campaign, the National Security Archive in Washington is filing a Freedom of Information Act request seeking classified records that detail the use of loud music as an interrogation device.

‘Terrify and punish’

A report published in November 2008 by the Senate Armed Services Committee report, has already made several references to the technique.

In one case interrogators played records to “stress” a prisoner, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who believed music was forbidden.

In 2003, he was questioned while being “exposed to variable lighting patterns” and repeated plays of a song called Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by the band Drowning Pool.

Jayne Huckerby, from New York University’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, said loud music was also played at clandestine prisons run by the CIA.

Following an early information request, Ms Huckerby received a CIA document dated December 2005 in which the agency explained that the use of loud music or white noise was needed “to mask sound and prevent communication among detainees”.

She argued that such sounds were not a “benign security tool,” but a way “to humiliate, terrify, punish, disorient and deprive detainees of sleep, in violation of international law”.

According to the National Security Archive, tracks by AC/DC, Britney Spears, the Bee Gees and Marilyn Manson were used at Guantanamo.

The Meow mix cat food jingle, the Barney theme song and an assortment of Sesame Street tunes also were played into detainees’ cells.

But the CIA insisted any music was played “at levels far below a live rock band”.

And Major Diana Haynie, a spokeswoman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo, said loud music has not been used with detainees since the fall of 2003.

Barack Obama pledged to close the Guantanamo detention camp by January, but Republican opposition in Congress has made fulfilling that promise look less likely.

 

So one of the reasons that Gitmo remains open is due to Republican opposition?
Although I am certianly not surprised by this…. WHY ARE THEY OPPOSED?
What reasons could the Republicans have to want to keep Gitmo going?

The NY Times stated that the estimated annual cost to operate Guantánamo Bay is anywhere from $90 million to $118 million. There are 226 detainees left at Gitmo. That is a cost of $400.000 to $520.000 per detainee. To incarcerate a prisoner in a supermax prison would be $75,000 in the US. Is anyone paying attention to this simple math? Get the facts

At a time when the US is in such an economic mess due to the carnage that was left behind by the lovely Bush administration, perhaps the millions of dollars spent on keeping Gitmo open can be used elsewhere? Ya think?

Now before our comment section turns into a shouting match between Republicans and Democrats…..
and people telling me to get my facts straight, (I only report what is out there) remember that this article is about how horrible it was to use an artist’s music to torture people AND the fact that their music was used without their consent. Not to mention what it costs to keep Gitmo going.

So if you have a comment about Close Gitmo Now or the musicians who started the petition, then that is fine. But if you want to argue about what Obama has done or not done to clean up Bush’s mess that he left behind, or the BS spin and scare tactics that the Republicans are using when it comes to the health care plan, (you know who you are, you silly teabaggers) OR if you are a Michael Bolton fan, then please go argue elsewhere. *SNICKER*

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Church of Scientology lawyer Patrick Maisonneuve

Not a good week for the cult of Scientology!
On the heels of Scientology’s spokesman Tommy Davis’s disastrous interview on ABC’s Nightline last week, comes more news of Scientology’s downward spiral.

It has just been announced, that France has convicted Scientology of fraud. This news must have Scientology’s cult leader David Miscavige in quite the tizzy. Still nothing to say Miscavige?
David Miscavige is obvioulsy playing a “Where’s Waldo?” in all this breaking news.

The cult was also fined more than 600,000 euro. This is equivalent to $900,000 US. Almost a cool million. The court convicted the cult library (SEL bookshop) as well as SIX LEADERS. Scientology was found guilty of pressuring members to pay large amounts of cash by using harassment tactics, and also illegally dispensing vitamins.

Four of the leaders were given suspended sentences which can be anywhere from ten months to two years and the other two leaders were given fines.
Of course Scientology is going to appeal this verdict. Which is no surprise there.

Although prosecutors were going for an all out ban on Scientology in France, the court recently denied the ban. But even though Scientology has not been banned from France, this latest PR flap can’t be good news for Scientology, who desperately tries to hide all negative PR from it’s members.

The Infinate Complaceny Blog Webiste did a wonderful break down of the story (Much thanks to Jonny Jacobsen):

Here is a summary of the verdict and sentences in the Paris trial of Scientology. I have laid it out in the same style I used for What the Prosecution Wants to give you an idea of how far the court followed their recommendations.

Perhaps the most important feature of the judgement is what the court did not do: it made no ruling that would restrict the activities of either the Celebrity Centre or the SEL bookshop.

But the following individuals and organisations were convicted of organised fraud against some, but not all the alleged victims (of which more below):

The Association Spirituelle de l’Eglise de Scientologie CC (ASES), the Celebrity Centre, was convicted of organised fraud against the plaintiffs Aude-Claire Malton and Eric Aubry.

 It was fined 400,000 euros and ordered to pay for the details of the conviction to be published in the major French and English-language news outlets including Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, the Herald Tribune and Time Magazine.

Scientology’s network of bookshops Scientologie Espace Liberté (SEL) was also convicted of organised fraud against the Malton and Aubry. It was fined 200,000 euros and ordered to pay for the publication of the conviction in the same newspapers.

These were the sentences for the individual defendants charged on this count, against either Malton, Aubry or both plaintiffs:

Alain Rosenberg, the managing director of the Celebrity Centre, was convicted of organised fraud against Malton and Aubry; and of complicity in the illegal exercise of pharmacy. He received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a 30,000-euro fine

Didier Michaux, the bookshop’s star salesman, was convicted of organised fraud against Eric Aubry – but cleared on the same charge relating to Aude-Claire Malton. He received an 18-month suspended sentence and a 20,000-euro fine

Jean-François Valli, the other bookshop salesman, who also did work for the Celebrity Centre, was convicted of organised fraud against Aude-Claire Malton – but cleared on the same charge relating to Aubry. He received an 18-months suspended sentence and a 10,000-euro fine

Sabine Jacquart, who was president of the Celebrity Centre, was convicted of organised fraud against both Malton and Aubry; and of complicity in the illegal exercise of pharmacy. She received a 10-month suspended sentence and a 5,000-euro fine

Aline Fabre, who supervised the Purification Rundown at the Celebrity Centre, was convicted of the illegal exercise of pharmacy. She was fined 2,000 euros

Marie Anne Pasturel, who acted as an intermediary for G&G in France, taking orders for the vitamins required for the Rundown, was convicted of the illegal exercise of pharmacy and fined 1,000 euros.
All the defendants charged in relation to Pierre Auffret and his company Parangon – the Celebrity Centre, the bookshop SEL, Rosenberg, Jacquart, Valli, Michaux – were acquitted.

The court took into account the fact that Auffret himself had not filed a complaint: and he had insisted to investigators that any payments he had made were made willingly.

Neither Alain Rosenberg nor Anne Marie Pasturel attended the hearing.

Despite the guilty verdict and the fines, Maître Patrick Maisonneuve for the Celebrity Centre and Maître Louis Pamponet for the bookshop SEL (I think it was him) both looked extremely relieved – presumably because there was no attempt by the court to restrict the activities of either organisation.

FYI…
Alain Rosenberg, the managing director of the Celebrity Center in France, is an OTVII on Scientology’s Bridge to Total Freedom. He is one step away from the highest level on their bridge, which is OTVIII.
It’s amazing that his “OT powers” which have control over MEST (which is short for matter, energy, space and time) seemed to be totally on the fritz, and failed miserably during this court case.
Looks like you “pulled this in” Alain. Looks like the court was the one who was “at cause”.

To read more about Rosenberg and the case go here.

So back to this verdict..
So although France found them guilty and issued fines, France is not going to restrict Scientology’s activities?
So does that mean there will be more court hearings and fines down the line?
Hopefully….. that’s if more victims come forward and fight the cult.

Scientology was convicted of “illegal exercise of pharmacy”, but France is still going to allow Scientology to resume with their Purification Rundown? I am afraid I don’t understand.
Is Scientology going to continue to illegally dispense vitamins in hopes that more deaths and court cases will not occur in France?

The Purification Rundown for all of you who do not know what that is… is a Scientology program used to rid the body of toxins. (so they claim)
It involves ingesting LARGE doses of niacin vitamins and oil, running on a treadmill and sitting in a sauna for hours at a time daily. This regiment can last for FIVE weeks. It has NEVER been proven to have ANY beneficial qualities, nor does it have any scientific data to back up it’s claims of the regiment being successful with removing ANY toxins from the body at all. In fact it has been said that it is nothing but quackery and that large amounts of niacin can prove to be very dangerous to the liver.

The Purification Rundown, (also know as Narconon and Criminon) needs to be looked into extensively by the US Government and ALL Governments. Narconon goes into towns and sets up centers and claims they can cure drug addiction. They not only lie about their success rates with trumped up numbers, they talk towns into funding them with tax payer’s dollars. They also use the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard’s tone scale. 

This program has gone under the names Second Chance, HealthMed Clinic and The NY Rescue Workers Detoxification Program (after 9/11) just to name a few. There are many other front group names they have used world wide.

The recently reported tragic deaths of those people in the sweat lodge in Arizona, received a lot of media coverage. It’s a wonder why our Government has not looked into the many deaths which have been related to this particular program.

Of course people are afraid to speak out against Scientology, never mind bring them to court. Hopefully this latest conviction in France will sway not only Scientology members to come forward with their stories, and perhaps file cases, but I hope it prompts non Scientology members who have also done The Purification Program through Narconon in hopes of being helped with their drug addiction. Second Chance and Criminon inmates also should be interviewed about this program.

I am sure Scientology will be on full damage control and looking for any Narconon or member success stories they can shove in people’s faces through the media, in light of France’s conviction. But please know that any success stories you hear, does not stack up against the fail rate of this program in any stretch of the imagination.

This news from France is especially bad on top of the latest Nightline stories that we just saw in recent days, and it was also announced today by the NY Post, that Tommy Davis tried to stop Nightline from airing these programs one hour before they were to air, made a scene and was asked to leave. Read about it here.
Wish there was film on that little hissy fit!

And oh yes….. not to mention the very recent defection of one of Scientology’s long time members, celebrity Paul Haggis. Again welcome out Paul!

Scientology members…. are you paying attention?

To France….
you almost had Scientology completely on the run. But this is good news too. 
Although the fines and sentences are nothing more than slaps on the wrist to a multi million dollar BUSINESS, and they will be able to continue to do what they were doing to bring them to court in the first place, at least it’s a start in the right direction of unveiling the illegal activities of this abusive cult.

We need a LOT more of that going on, especially here in the United States.

Early Photo of Cake With Former Band Members

Cake is a band that emerged out of Sacramento CA. Cake is not your typical band.

Wikipedia describes their music as:

often classified as alternative rock or indie rock, it combines multiple musical genres, such as funk, rockabilly, pop, jazz, rap, and country. Cake’s music features droll lyrics rife with word play and syncopation, catchy distorted guitar riffs (courtesy of guitarist Greg Brown until 1998, and bass player Victor Damiani until 1997), prominent use of a Moog, and a solo trumpet (played by Vince DiFiore).

Their bigger hits have been “The Distance”, “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”, and “Nugget,” a real kick ass song. Their remakes of “I Will Survive” and especially Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” are simply
fabulous.

You may have heard some of Cake’s songs and not even known it. Their music has turned up in movies such as Me, Myself and Irene, I Love You Man and An American Werewolf in London. The instrumental part of their song “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” is used by NBC’s show Chuck.

In the past, Cake’s tunes have also showed up in the episodes of The Sopranos, Smallville, and  Friends. Their music has been used globally in French, German, Italian, and Japanese films. And even for the Power’s Whiskey Irish Grand National promos.

One trip to their website, and you will see that they are also involved in making a difference in the world. At every concert, they award someone with a tree. For instance, when they did a show in Buffalo NY, they awarded someone a tree for doing the most push ups! They have a page on their website which is called the Cake Tree Gallery. There you will find photos of previous tree winners proudly pictured with their trees. There is a now to link that will help you plant that tree too.

Need advice on ANYTHING? They have a page for that too! Just email cakeadvice@yahoo.com with your questions. I have read some pretty funny stuff there.

Or maybe you would like to participate in their latest poll question on their website?

“Are insurance companies an integral component of the health care product in the United States?”

How about a ride to their next gig? They also have a “carpool web page” so you can hook up with others going your way to their next gig. Their website also lists article links of stories that interest them; from the current health care situation, the impact on the environment from cellphones, using rechargeable batteries, and a link where you can listen to Killer Whales. Of course this is only a smidgen of what is on their site. You can also catch up with Cake on MySpace with their 7,000+ friends.

When Cake performed gigs from Buffalo to Syracuse NY, the band 
members all traveled by train. And last year they decked out their Sacramento studio with solar panels.

They even recorded the installation and posted a video on YouTube.

So it was really no surprise to hear when Cake announced that their latest album was made totally with solar energy.

But wait, there’s more…

Will Ferrell, Thomas Lennon (Lt. Jim Dangle on Reno 911), and Don Faison (Kirk from Scrubs) and a host of other celebs got together to convey their message against the super rich health care executives by starring in this Public Service Announcement (spoof video) which was listed on Funny Or Die. 

It was sponsored by MoveOn.Org which started out in 1988 as an email group and blossomed, well, more like exploded. As of 2009, MoveOn has a membership of 5.2 million, with 20 full-time and 20 part-time staffers. Not too shabby!
Wikipedia says MoveOn.Org is:

An American non-profit progressive, liberal public policy advocacy group and political action committee which has raised millions of dollars for candidates of the Democratic Party in the United States. Formed in response to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton,it has been cited in some accounts as a factor which helped propel the Democratic Party to power in the 2006 midterm elections.

This video received two million views in two days! It’s funny stuff!

Examiner.com wrote:

Celebrity PSA video about Obama’s health insurance plan gets 2 million views in 2 days.
With celebrities like Will Ferrell, John Hamm and Donald Faison opening the video with a “Something terrible is happening” chant.

“Health insurance executives are getting a bad rap,” Will Ferrell explains, dead pan.

“We need to remember who the real victims are,” Donald Faison, best known for his role in Clueless, says.

John Hamm fades into the viral video in black and white and explains: “Health insurance executives.”

A variety of stars then go on to explain in fits of sarcasm that if their little boy falls off his bike, he should pay for it himself and stop whining.

The US is in a complete tug of war over the skyrocketing health care costs and Obama’s plans to fix it. This video is a refreshing and funny look at just how wrong it is to keep padding the pockets of these health insurance companies.

I wish there were more PSA announcements that would show just how ridiculous it is to not support a total change in the health care system. 

Obama may not have all the answers right now. Hell, he has been in office for less than a year, and I am not saying everything he does will go right, but people are expecting miracles right off the bat in a very short time. They seem to have a very short memory of the mess that was left behind. The US citizens’ impatience totally boggles my mind. 

My wish is for Democrats and Republicans to ban together and fix what has been so wrong for so long.
Oh to dream…

Seth Green, 35, has starred in many movies over the years, including heavy hitters like Austin Powers, Rat Race and the Italian Job. He has lent his voice to Chris and Dylan’s son on the Family Guy. He is also well known for palying Oz, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seth also co-writes Robot Chicken, and Adult Swim where he performs anywhere from 35-60 voices a week and recently finished a movie called Old Dogs with Robin Williams and John Travolta. (no comment)

This is barely scraping the surface of what this young man has accomplished. He has worked non stop since about the age of seven. You can visit his website, and read his bio, it’s pretty darn amazing.
And Seth’s life just got a little sweeter. Literally.

It was just announced that Seth will be the new mouthpiece for Butterfinger TV ads and their new video contest, where Butterfinger wants to know, “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?”
(Hmmmm… Sounds very close to ”what would you do for a Klondike Bar” to me)

Contestants will send in their videos, and the winner with the highest number of votes will win $25,000! *sweet* And they may also have the chance to have their video aired in a 15 second spot on TV.
 
Looks like the voice of Bart Simpson which hasn’t been used for the past decade (done by Nancy Cartwright who gave the cult of Scientology 5 MILLION DOLLARS last year)  will not be used for this new ad campaign. Smart Move Butterfinger!
After all… we wouldn’t want to start seeing “Way To Happiness“ PR inside the candy wrappers! *snicker*

TRH.com writes:

Green is laying a finger on Bart Simpson’s Butterfinger. The writer, actor, director and producer can now add Butterfinger spokesperson to his resume. Green has been tapped as the official “Butterfinger mouthpiece” for a new national TV ad campaign and video contest.
 
The creator of the Cartoon Network’s Emmy award winning “Robot Chicken” will be the first celebrity to represent the Butterfinger brand since Bart Simpson’s memorable run ended nearly a decade ago. But while the spokesperson is new, the “Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on my Butterfinger” tagline will again be used in the company’s national TV spots, developed by ad agency Dailey & Associates.
 
To accompany the familiar tagline, the brand is also running a user-generated video contest in which entrants create one-minute videos answering the question of “How far would you go to protect your Butterfinger bar?” Contestants can visit ProtectYourButterfingerBar.com to enter their videos. Visitors will vote on them. The biggest vote getter wins $25,000 and may have their video aired as a national 15-second spot for the candy bar.
 
Butterfinger, which spent only $125,000 on adverting last year, has beefed up its ad spend considerably in 2009. It already investing $1.6 million in advertising for the first six months of this year, per the Nielsen Company.

The selection of Green, who also voices the character of Chris Griffith on Fox’s “Family Guy,” is an appropriate successor to the last cheeky spokescartoon, said Tricia Bowles of Nestle Confections & Snacks, in a statement. “[He] made perfect sense for a brand that honors humor and praises the punch line,. Butterfinger has been a fan and supporter of comedic talent, such as Seth Green for years–as evidenced by our promotions highlighting clever, irreverent humor.”
 
Green agreed. “I’ve been eating all kinds of Butterfinger candy all my life, so this union seems not only natural, but predestined.”

It looks like just about everything Seth touches turns to gold, and at the ripe old age of only 35, he has just begun. He has also managed to stay squeaky clean as far as his reputation goes, and has stayed out of the whole Hollywood party drug scene.

Added to the fact that this young  man must be worth a pretty big chunk of change by now and it will only continue to grow.

And although I was never partial to redheads, *snicker* I bet he is way up there on the desirable bachelor list due to his vast fortune. He has has many love interests over the years, but he’s not married yet!

And what does Seth have to say about this success?

Wallet Pop had some Seth quotes about his success:

Growing up as a child actor, Green’s parents taught him from an early age how to pay his bills and live within his means.

Green may not be Dr. Evil, but he’s coy on this one. “You do your best,” he says. “Everybody does.”

“I don’t spend a ton of money,” he says. “I work very very hard. I save very well. I have assets in specific things, in property, and I live a very simple life. I’m happy with that.”
Green’s advice for success is equally simple: “Work hard, acquire many skills, and don’t take anything personally.”

Nobody really gives you anything,” he says. “It’s really up to the individual to propel themselves forward with drive and commitment to a singular purpose.”

“Anytime you’re taking a risk for pleasing someone else, you’re doomed for failure,” he says. “The best risks I’ve taken were the ones I wholeheartedly believed in. I rather risk and fail than never jump.”

“Every company that has had dramatic success has stepped on someone to do it,” says Green. “The very fact that they have risen to a dominant position is that they are able to play harder than other people, breaking rules when it’s appropriate. Whatever philanthropic things they do is just to sleep better at night.” Does the same apply to business leaders? Or to himself?

Wise words from a wise young man.
I wish Seth continued success and happiness.

Pamela Anderson with Henrik Winther

Pamela Anderson has a bone to pick with Kentucky Fried Chicken. She is a member of PETA. Although she has been criticized in the past for being a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to PETA, as far as what she has worn and eaten, I have to say that  this fight against Kentucky Fried Chicken is justified in my opinion.

Now I am not a big fan of corporate food chains to begin with. The most I ever venture into is a Crackle Barrel or Burger King if I am on the highway and the choices of meal stops are very limited. I haven’t been in a Kentucky Fried Chicken since the late 1970’s, and after watching the KFC chicken processing video, I never will.

I had the misfortune of suffering through the entire video of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s processing plant which you can view at  www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com and I was totally horrified to say the least. Workers throwing chickens against the walls, stomping on them alive, clipping their beaks off on arrival, over crowding, boiling them alive and the tale of terror goes on.

Pamela Anderson has contacted Kentucky Fried Chicken and has asked them to be more humane in their processing plants and and even asked Kentucky’s governor to remove a bust of Col. Sanders from the State Capitol Building. Pam went as far as to contact Henrik Winther, president of Rostik, KFC’s Russian partners and asked them to watch the slaughter house video.

Pam has appeared in billboard adds in her “lettuce bikini top” and TV spots asking people to boycott Kentucky Fried Chicken until they change their evil ways.

Pamela is not alone in her fight against KFC. Many celebrities as well as musicians have joined her fight. From Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Tommy Lee (natch), and Pink, to the Smashing Pumpkins and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. For the full list of  almost 60 celebs that support this boycott click here. And some of the celebs have provided short videos. These stars are asking people to “Kick the Bucket” and sign the petition.

Kentucky Fried Cruelty Activists explain their beef with KFC:

The roughly 1 billion chickens killed each year for KFC’s buckets are crammed by the tens of thousands into excrement-filled sheds that stink of ammonia fumes. The birds’ legs and wings often break because they’re bred to be too top-heavy and because workers carelessly shove them into transport crates and shackles.

Chickens’ throats are slit and the animals are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water to remove their feathers, often while they are still conscious and able to feel pain.

KFC lets frustrated factory-farm and slaughterhouse workers handle live birds, so many of the animals end up being sadistically abused. At a KFC “Supplier of the Year” slaughterhouse in West Virginia, workers were documented tearing the heads off live birds, spitting tobacco into their eyes, spray-painting their faces, and violently stomping on them. This was discovered more than two years after KFC promised PETA that it was taking animal welfare seriously.

KFC hides behind its Animal Welfare Advisory Council, even though five members of the council have resigned in frustration. One of them, Adele Douglass, told the Chicago Tribune that KFC “never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then they touted to the press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee. I felt like I was being used.”

And How KFC Can Clean Up Their Act:

PETA wants KFC to adopt the animal welfare programdeveloped by five members of its own animal welfare board. These advisors are the world’s top poultry experts; they advise the meat industry in North America and Europe and believe that KFC can—and should—adopt them. KFC has yet to do any of the following:

Adopt the “Animal Care Standards” program. This would lower the amount of ammonia in the air in factory farms, improve the living spaces and lighting in chicken sheds, prohibit the intentional starving of breeding birds, and ensure that birds are provided with mental and physical stimulation.

Switch to controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK). This would prevent live birds in slaughterhouses from being abused by workers, having their throats slit, or being scalded while they were still conscious. CAK would also improve conditions for workers and decrease contamination levels in chickens’ flesh.

Switch to mechanized chicken gathering. This would drastically reduce the number of broken bones and painful bruising that birds endure when factory-farm workers carelessly throw them into transport crates.

Breed for health rather than rapid growth, and stop feeding drugs to chickens. This would reduce the rate at which birds suffer painful, crippling diseases and injuries, such as broken legs, heart attacks, and lung failures.

Make all welfare standards transparent and verifiable. This would simply ensure that the animal welfare program is being adhered to through announced and unannounced independent audits (the results of which must be made available to the public through KFC’s Web site).
 

Seems like all reasonable requests to me. So if people have to pay a little more for their bucket of bird, then so be it. Besides, these places are only adding to the ever mounting and staggering problem of obesity in the US. Fast food chains play a huge part in the rising cost of health care due to all the health problems associated with being overweight.

Now I am not a fan of Pamela Anderson’s one iota. I can write an entire article on her that would rip her a new one as far as her and Tommy Lee’s shenanigans over the years, besides her overall phony fake parts appearance. And some will say she does all this for the publicity. Whatever. It’s still a good cause and KFC can certainly be less cruel. I know all slaughter houses are a nightmare, and I am certainly not dismissing all the other cruelties that go on in other places, but simple measures can be taken to make them less cruel. And I will admit that I am a bit of a hypocrite due to the fact that I am not a vegetarian myself, but I do try to limit my eating habits.

Many people think PETA goes way too far, but I agree with what they have asked of KFC, and I saw the horrific processing video. And since I HATE corporate fast food chains already… this campaign gets my vote. I am also in full agreement with PETA’s stance on any circus that uses elephants and big cats in their shows. Go to the Cirque baby! Animal free circuses all the way!

I digress….
So before you pull in to that next drive thru… stop and think of what you are supporting. If the chicken processing video you watched of your next lunch or dinner being prepped didn’t bother you, perhaps when you order that next KFC Chunky Chicken Pot Pie , Mmm mmm, that has 770 calories and 42 grams of fat,  and 2,160 mgs of sodium, will make you think twice.

For all the caloric, fat content and sodium levels of all KFC’s menu items, go here, and feel ill. Check out the stats on other fast food menu items too. I guarantee you won’t be making as many trips as you used to!

Kentucky Fried Cruelty Website Logo

George Takei With Husband Brad Altman

Everyone remembers the “Newlywed Game” which was hosted by Bob Eubanks. Their first show aired way back in 1966. Who could forget Eubanks with his corny personality and dorky questions? For instance… where was the strangest place you ever made whoopee? (I always hated that word). Even dorkier by far, were the newlywed couples that were on the show.

I used to marvel at the couple’s answers. It was the kind of show you loved to watch, but the dorkiness also made you cringe.

Well the “Newlywed Game” was revamped a year ago, with a brand new host. Carnie Wilson, the new host, known for her participation in the defunk 1990’s group Wilson Phillips is getting ready for season 2. (fact :Wilson Phillip’s song  Hold On was used in “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” )

They are jazzing things up a little this year and having a celebrity edition, which will have the likes of newlyweds Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry, former Monkee, Davy Jones (wow!) with his better half and others.

And for the first time in Newlywed history, a gay married couple will be contestants on the show when George Takei aka Sulu of the famed Star Trek will be joined by husband Brad Altman.

Young George As Sulu On Star Trek Set

George finally came out to the world when he was 71.  He married Brad last September and the couple has just shared their first one year anniversary.(Happy Anniversary guys!) But these two have been together much longer than one year…try 22 years! So they must be doing something right.

George met Brad through Front Runners, an LA based gay running club. George’s family and friends had to make some adjustments to his coming out and most were very supportive. One of his siblings wasn’t too accepting of George’s life style and he had some difficulties with his mom at first, but she eventually grew to really like Brad. 

George’s Mom suffered from Alzheimer’s and he had his mother move in with them, where she spent her last four years before her death. Living with someone with Alzheimers is an extremely difficult journey and Brad was George’s rock of Gibraltar, standing right by George’s side the entire time. George referred to Brad as a saint for his role in helping him to care for his Mom. True love over comes all obstacles. Click here to read about it.

George and Brad married on Sept 14th of last year and the guest list included fellow Star Trekers, Leonard Nimoy, aka Spock, Walter Koenig, aka Anton Yelchin Chekov, who was George’s best man with Nichelle Nichols aka Uhura as the maid of honor.

Wedding Party Trekers Uhura, and Chekov with George and Brad

Fellow Trekers, the late James Montgomery Doohan aka “Scotty” and the late DeForrest Kelly aka “Bones” who passed away some time back were hopefully there in spirit.

There was another Treker who was not present at the wedding. William Shatner aka Captain Kirk, who was not invited to George’s wedding and it caused quite the riff between the two to say the least. 
Apparently George was not a big fan of working with Shatner during the Star Trek years, and according to Takei, Shatner supposedly did not accept Takei’s coming out as well as the other cast members.

So I guess George snubbing Shatner sent him a big message. I was never a fan of  Shatner. I always found him creepy and pompous, perhaps George felt the same way.

George even spoke at Shatner’s roast in 2005, but I think George’s insults were more on the serious side compared to the other roaster guests.

On George’s website, you can watch a fabulous video and hear George and Brad talk about their wedding, their rings, their fight against Prop 8 and they also included some actual footage from their wedding.

So back to the Newlywed Game…..

But wait, there’s more…

Every once in a while, the world of entertainment outdoes itself in douche-yness, even beyond its standard level of douchedome. Last night was just the night for such heights of douchery. Ok, I think I’ve given “douche” its props.

KANYE WEST (all caps, just the way he likes it) is well known for being an opinionated, obnoxious ass, but he went too far last night during Taylor Swift’s acceptance for “Best Female Video” for her hit song, “You Belong With Me.” Taylor, who had just begun her gracious speech was saying, “I always dreamed about what it would be like to win one of these one day. I never thought it would happen.”, when Kanye burst on to the stage, grabbing the mic from the startled Swift and dropped this gem, “Hey Taylor, I’m really happy for you, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

There was all the requisite booing and hissing from the audience and poor, sweet Taylor (she really does seem sweet, hence why we’ve never talked about her on Glosslip) was clearly confused and embarrassed.

I am sure there are a million blogs blabbing about this incident today in defense of Taylor and outraged by Kanye, but this is hardly a one-time moment of stupidity for West. West has made a cottage industry off of his boorish, loutish and garish displays of arrogance, inhumanity and a general lack of appreciation for his fellow artists. Dude is an A-ONE ASSHOLE. So much so, I know many people who refuse to listen to his otherwise good music because they JUST CAN’T STAND HIM.

There is a place for assertiveness and confidence, but that place is not during someone else’s acceptance speech — and this was hardly U2’s Bono up there accepting their billionth award. This was a young woman (19) who is at the beginning of what will hopefully be a long career. In the world of bad role models for girls, Taylor Swift is like a breath of fresh air, with her tasteful and girlish appeal and seemingly genuine sweetness. I am no country music fan, but I have nothing but good things to say about Swift and her music.

What Kanye West did was single-handledly dismiss a young woman who WRITES HER OWN SONGS, PLAYS HER OWN INSTRUMENTS and CAN PACK ARENAS. And it’s not just kids who like her, lots of adults dig her too.

No offense against Beyonce, who was herself very gracious by calling Swift on stage with her during her acceptance for “Best Video Of The Year,” but this doesn’t change the fact Beyonce is manufactured entertainment, NOT a musician. Here’s Beyonce’s moment of true class:

There is a real difference between an artist like Swift and Beyonce, whether folks want to admit it or not. And keeping in true form, West was clearly not stricken with any sense of shame, even after being admonished by fiesty singer Pink. More from MTV’s blog:

His protest against Swift, however, was not well received. West stood briefly on the stage after his comments as the crowd was silent. Audience members then began to clap in support of Swift after West left the stage.

According to reports from inside the house, once cameras cut away from the action, West flipped off the crowd and returned to his seat. Wale then said to the crowd, “You can’t blame a man for speaking his mind.” His words were met with boos, and Wale then said, “Kanye, I tried.” During the next commercial break, Pink walked by the rapper and appeared to shake her head in disgust before security escorted her away. West remained steadfast amidst the commotion as he kissed his girlfriend Amber Rose.

The testament of a true artist (and human for that matter) is the ability to see the world around you and recognize your place in it, and hopefully learn from your mistakes. Kanye is clearly incapable of learning, growing or maturing from his. I hope the ghost of his deceased mom, the only person who seemed to have any influence over his bloated ego, visits him and slaps the crap of him and tells him it’s NOT ok to disrespect women. That’s Chris Brown’s job DAMMIT.

*The use of caps was Kanye approved for this post!

During a press conferece  in Venice, actor and perpetual bachelor, George Clooney kept totally cool when he gets an unusual question from an admirer in the crowd. He didn’t seem surprised, nor were his feathers ruffled when the man proclaimed his love for George and said:

“George! Take me! Choose me, Please! Please choose me George!  May I kiss you please? Just one kiss!”

For a minute there I thought I was watching a scene from a Borat movie.

Clooney’s reaction was classic. He remained cool, calm and collected and totally owned the moment. He told the buff admirer:

“It’s hard when you take a big chance and it really doesn’t work. It’s always embarrassing when you take one real swing for the fences and it just falls flat. It’s a good try though!”

Yep, he stayed cool as a cucumber, continued cracking jokes and interestingly, complimented the man’s tie adding:

 ”There’s little ambulance on its way here. You stay there, we will get back to you.”

He was obviously dissing the man’s package size.

Then when someone from the Daily Mail gets up to ask him a question, George quips:

Take your clothes off before you answer this question.

I think George meant before you ASK this question, but we all know what he meant.

Personally, I think Clooney rather enjoyed the little (no diss intended) distraction and always seems ready to crack some jokes.
So to you Mr. Clooney…I take off my hat — that’s it though. I promise!

The Big Bang Theory, no I am not talking about ”a cosmological theory holding that the universe originated approximately 20 billion years ago from the violent explosion of a very small agglomeration of matter of extremely high density and temperature”. (Thanks Wiki)

I am talking about the CBS hit show about a bunch of geeks that nabbed the TCA (Television Critic’s Award) this past summer.

Yes geeks have been cool for quite a while now and the word geek has received some long awaited respect. Who can forget Revenge of the Nerds? 
Nerds really became popular for a while there. That is, I should say MOCKING them was popular. Many people dressed us as Nerds for Halloween parties and I even came across a Revenge of The Nerds Cruise!

Times have changed, and nerds or geeks, (which ever you prefer) have been totally reinvented since the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Geek seems to be the popular term now over nerd. They are no longer portrayed nearly as geeky as before. The days of bullying and being beat up are long gone. (well a t least in the movies and on TV) It’s no longer the norm to show a geek with tape on their eye glasses, pants hiked up to their nips and sporting a pocket pen protector.

Yep, geeks finally have their much deserved recognition. Not only in Hollywood, but in the real world too.

Geekdome even hit reality show status with Beauty and the Geek, and let’s not forget the geeks on the TV sitcom Chuck where they run the fictitious ”Nerd Herd” at  the “Buy More”.

In real life, Geek Squad and Rent a Geek company cars can be seen scurrying on their way to fixing people’s computers in many states.
Years ago, it would have been considered rude or a joke to name your business with the name geek or nerd in the title and have it blazed all over the company cars.
But now more than ever, geeks and nerds are respected for their smarts and it has become the new sexy.

The Big Bang Theory’s geeks certainly fit the new criteria of geeks. Although their clothes and personalities are not de-geeked completely, their look is nowhere near the full blown high water pants  and taped glasses stereotype and they don’t laugh like braying donkeys.

I have to say, I just plain adore  this show. The cast members mesh so well together.

The show is based around it’s two main geek characters in their twenties and also their neighbor Penny played by Kaley Cuoco.
Dr. Leonard Leakey Hofstadter is played by Johnny Galecki and Dr. Sheldon Cooper is played by Jim Parsons. Their character’s MO’s are two Caltech prodigies and their ditzy neighbor Penny who is a waitress at the local Cheesecake factory.
Leonard and Penny had a little thing going on and went on a date.

The classic beauty and the geek strikes again. But their date was a disaster and their brief affair fizzled out. Although… Leonard’s and Penny’s little tryst is far from over, as the show clearly hinted in it’s season finale. We will get to that later.

Leonard and Sheldon have some super geeky buddies that visit, hang out and eat nothing buy Chinese food in their walk up apartment with the constant broken elevator which is located in Pasadena. I’ll tell you one thing, if they ate as much Chinese food in real life as they do on the show, I think the cast would be sporting some serious moobs and spare tires and would be candidates for Celebrity Fit Club.

Their buddies of course are also total brainiacs.
My favorite geek is Howard Wolowitz played by Simon Helberg. On the show he still lives at home with his Mom. His fashion sense is hysterical in his 1960’s threads, complete with big kitschy belt buckles.
He portrays a corn ball loser with the gals and he is just plain hilarious. There is a great video on Youtube that  has some real classic Wolowitz clips.

His bed (in his bachelor pad) at his Mom’s house has black satin sheets, red fur blanket and leopard print pillows. But he also has some geeky collectibles here and there in his room of course.

His Mom who you never see, and only hear is played by Carol Ann Susi. Who has had a very long and impressive career on television.
Her character of playing an over bearing Jewish Mom with a raspy accent and how she treats Wolowitz like a ten year old, is just a riot.

Over the years there were many people in comedy you never got to see or hear. Like Norm’s wife Vera in Cheer’s, Nile’s wife Maris in Frazier, or even more recently Dr. Kelso’s wife and his gay son in the TV comedy Scrubs, just to name a few. Even though you never got to actually see these people, fans formed their own mental picture of what they looked like.

Speaking of which…I don’t want to spoil it for Big Bang fans, so if you don’t want to see the real Mrs. Wolowitz, close your eyes, because the next picture is of the lovely Mr’s Wolowitz , known on the Big Bang Theory for her brisket that melts in your mouth.

Although Mrs. Wolowitz’s better half, Mr. Wolowitz has not been mentioned on the show as of yet, rumors have it that Beatles Ringo Starr may be doing a cameo as Wolowitz’s Dad. YES RINGO STARR. With Wolowitz’s big snoz, it totally makes sense. Wolowitz can definitely pass for a child of Ringo Starr who was also known for his big snoz. I hope that rumor turns into a reality. It would be hilarious.

Now Wolowitz had a couple of brief encounters with Leslie Winkle, Ph.D played by Sara Gilbert.

Fact… Many people may not remember that Sara Gilbert’s boyfriend David on Roseanne was none other than Johnny Galecki who plays Leonard on the Big Bang. Also Laurie Metcalf, who played Jackie on Roseanne, did a few cameos and played Sheldon’s mother.

Sheldon, the star of the show, whose charachter idolizes Star Trek is played by Jim Parsons. Sheldon is socially inept, and an over all finicky pain in the butt who is a giant laugh and a half.

Jim won the well deserved award for individual achievement in comedy this past summer.
Oddly enough when Jim accepted his award for his genius contribution to the show, (no pun intended) he sounded an awful lot like his character Sheldon. I got a big kick out of that.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to memorize his script which is loaded with physicist jargon that would make any one’s head spin. He also has the uncanny talent of spewing out his very difficult lines at breakneck speed like a well oiled machine gun.

I wondered if Sheldon’s scientific sputum was in fact mumbo jumbo or if it had any validity behind it. After all, he plays a theoretical physicist. 

Since everyone knows how people love to challenge a shows’ ability to get it right, I looked into it and found out they actually went to a real physicist and consulted him on not only the script, but also the props and diagrams used in the show.
They explain on wiki:

“David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams used as props. According to executive producer/co-creator Bill Prady, “We’re working on giving Sheldon an actual problem that he’s going to be working on throughout the first season so there’s actual progress to the boards … We worked hard to get all the science right.”

Hmmm, smart cookies… since any geek who tunes into this show will certainly be watching with a very discerning eye and would jump at the chance to disprove or argue any incorrect data found.

Back to the cast.
That leaves us with last but not least the meek Dr. Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali played by Kunal Nayyar. His character is unable to talk to women unless he drinks. He wears mismatched clothes and tries to talk hip and talks to his parents in India via we cam every now and they totally disprove his lifestyle. Koothrapali, like all the others is a sheer delight to watch.
All together these characters meld into one hell of a show.

But who is the real genius behind the show besides it’s talented and brilliant writers?

The Big Bang Theory is the brain child of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. 
Lorre was interviewed by GeekHeeb at Comic-Con, and it was posted on the Jewish Journal:

GeekHeeb caught up with series creator Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men”) and actor Simon Helberg at Comic-Con to discuss the show’s Jewish characters: Howard Wolowitz, a Caltech engineer/ romantic loser who still lives at home with his never-seen, overbearing Jewish mother, known only as Ms. Wolowitz.

Lorre says that Wolowitz is based on his own Jewish background as well as that of Helberg.
While Wolowitz’s mother (played by Carol Ann Susi) has more than made her presence known (even if we don’t see her), we have yet to hear from Mr. Wolowitz.

The Big Bang Theory went through a real rough patch when they were hit with the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike and had to halt production. Whew! Glad everything worked out.
Thankfully the show is back in full swing and has been picked up for both 2010 and 2011.

The season premier is slated for Sept 21st, and it picks up where the end of season two left off.
Sheldon is approached by the Dean of the University and asked to hoof it up to the Arctic for a three-month mission to prove the validity of string theory. Naturally all the guys are convinced to join Sheldon, even though he is impossible to live with in his apratment, never mind a tiny shack in the Arctic.

Penny knitted a scarf and hat for Leonard and gives it to him before he leaves along with a snuggie. Of course Leonard still has feelings for Penny and asks what the gesture meant, and Penny says “to keep you warm”, but then goes into her apartment and behind the door says “It means I wish you weren’t going”. Awwww.

The new season’s teasers are showing Penny lunging at Leonard and giving him a big kiss on their return. So the plot thickens…
The guys are shown with big bushy heads and beards from their stint up North and it looks like the season premier is going to be killer.

The theme song for the show was written and sung by the Bare Naked Ladies.

The show just oozes cool hilarity.If you haven’t had the chance to see The Big Bang Theory yet, free up your Monday nights.
If you don’t, you are really missing out on some serious dopamine level increases and some multiple endorphine releases.
And that’s about as scientific as I get.