Don't piss off the Scientologists

Academy award-winning, screenwriter-director Paul Haggis says he has received all sorts of feedback since referring to Scientology as a “cult” in a recent New Yorker expose.

“I’ve been getting a lot of very supportive emails and I’ve been getting some really troubling ones,” he told THR Tuesday at Vanity Fair’s Campaign Hollywood 2011 event celebrating Artists for Peace and Justice presented by Brioni in West Hollywood. "Some break my heart and some are just really angry."

In the article, Haggis, who spent three decades with the Church, revealed for the first time why he quit the religion in 2009. Among the reasons: The Church refused to publicly denounce the anti-gay measure Proposition 8 (Haggis' daughter is gay). He also said he read reported allegations of physical violence among church senior executives and other Scientologists.

By speaking out, Haggis told THR he knew he would elicit reactions: "I went in with my eyes open.”

But leaving the Church “was a personal choice,” he added. “I don’t suggest that anyone else make that choice that I did. Mine was personal.”-Reporting by Lindsay Flans

Also, Paul Thomas Anderson's thinly veiled movie about the controversial Church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard? Conspiracy theories are swirling in Los Angeles following the revelation that Anderson's 1950s-based film The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, has been postponed indefinitely.

Anderson's film is not officially about Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. But the similarities could hardly be more striking and the Hollywood trade papers and websites describe it variously as a satire and a parable. Read More

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Vuvuzela Guy

Overzealous vuvuzela enthusiast takes to the street to show his support for — everything.

[landline.]

Revenge Served Cold

Brian McCrary found the perfect venue to gripe about a $90 speeding ticket when he went to the Bluff City Police Department’s website, saw that its domain name was about to expire, and bought it right out from under the city’s nose.

Now that McCrary is the proud owner of the site, http://www.bluffcitypd.com, the Gray, Tenn., computer network designer has been using it to post links about speed cameras – like the one on U.S. Highway 11E that caught him – and how people don’t like them.

“It’s kind of surprising that they’d just let it lapse like that,” McCrary said, adding that the new site has logged 1,200 unique visitors since he took it over May 22. “I figured they would be aware [it was about to expire] and renew it on their own.”

Read more

Tase Me, Bro!

An unnamed 17-year-old Phillies fan, moments before being Tasered to the ground after running onto Citizens Bank Park during last night’s Phillies-Cardinals matchup. Here's what you didn't see on TV...


Now if that were a White Sox game, the guy would have been on crystal meth and beating up the first base coach.

Modern Warfare

Call of Duty - Modern Warfare's appeal and its target market can be PERFECTLY summed up by this single image. Nice job AP!
I'm guessing the tac vest is primarily used to hold Mtn Dew and Twinkees, right?

OMG did you see-

Britney went to Starbucks wearing this! Pink Wig? Check. Micro Mini Skirt? Check. Thong? You got a check.

In response to the lengthy pseudo-article that reader left me in the comments page I can only say, let the flamewar begin.

First off, yeah, I said Islamo-fascist. What of it? If a nut job Fundie demands to preach in the public school that the world was created in 6 days, two weeks ago - I would call that person a Christano-fascist. Anyone who wants me dead for not following their version of the goofy voice that speaks in their head, instead of the multiple voices I hear in my head - well then they can just go to hell.

You are trying to micro-manage my discussion to a point-by-point nit-pick of Pearl Harbor and 9.11. Then there was stuff about the Russians and Tora Tora Tora (thank heaven you didn't mention that ridiculous Ben Affleck attempt to remake it!) If we play by those rules, then of course there are differences. The tires used in the propeller planes launched by the Japanese were completely different from the ones on United 93. And the terrorists didn't bomb Hawaii. They were different!

My point, which you have missed, was at the bottom of the article - we were asleep to the threats of a group of people who don't like us. They don't like us a lot. We hit the snooze button. Slept in. Got a bloody nose because of it. Now we're up and over reacting to the point we're a bunch of hypocritical *ssholes having debates about erased CIA VHS tapes showing us the effectiveness, and what the hell water boarding really is.

But more importantly - did you see that outfit Britney's wearing!? - OMG, LOL!

Red Sox know how to deal with interference

Would have LOVED to have thrown my pizza at Bartman.

"He's got mud on him.... and an alcoholic beverage..."