It seems a much-needed intervention may be in play after Britney Spears was admitted to UCLA in the early hours of this morning (January 31). The troubled singer was physically removed from her Studio City home by police after the authorities received a call from her psychiatrist. The Los Angeles Times reports she is currently on a "mental health evaluation hold."
Once Britney is released, her mother Lynne, whom TMZ reports is "upset with the shrink," plans to take her home for some much needed R&R. Britney's lawyer, Michael Flanagan, speaking to PageSix.com, said, "Lynne is extremely concerned for her daughter and would like to take Britney back home to Louisiana and get her out of Hollywood."
"Brit has an amazing support system in Louisiana," Flanagan continued. "Lynne was holding up reasonably well, but her first priority and concern right now is with her daughter and helping her through this very tough situation that she is in."
We're very glad to hear that Britney may be going home. Back in September 2007, our in-house astrologer Maria had urged the singer to "Move back to Mississippi or somewhere completely out of the limelight." In the same story she also predicted Britney would loose her children.
What Britney needs right now is solitude. She needs to learn to love herself again, away from the distractions of Hollywood, and the industry that is earning a living off her very public demise there. With friends, relatives, lovers and TV doctors that are all too willing to sell her out for the publicity and windfalls an association, however vague, brings, we hope that Britney rebuilds a relationship with her mom. And indeed, we hope that Britney's mom takes enough time out from pitching books and reality TV shows about being a celebrity mom to actually be one.
I was lucky enough to catch a screening of Morgan Spurlock's newest documentary effort Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. While not in competition and therefore not up for any awards, the film was definitely a hit with festival goers.
Billed as a failed attempt to locate one demonized Arab, Where in the World succeeds admirably at achieving its true objective of humanizing the larger Muslim and Arab population for the film's American audience. The filmmaker, a charismatic, refreshingly down-to-earth West Virginia native best known for his earlier critique of the fast food industry, Super Size Me (and also for producing the light-hearted, anti-commercialization documentary What Would Jesus Buy - see review), uses his prodigious charm to create near-instant rapport with almost everyone he encounters in the film. Indeed, I for one was left wishing that the entire US diplomatic corps could be made up of Spurlock's ilk. Then I went further and took to fantasizing about a world in which his playful and guileless yet thoughtful persona and visage were the face of America throughout the world.
Viewers who tend to skip documentaries in favor of standard dramatic and comedic Hollywood fare will likely enjoy this often hilarious, well-paced movie. That Spurlock makes a series of conversations with serious-minded intellectuals, journalists and military personnel, along with a smattering of average, everyday folks, into such solid entertainment is a testament to his inventiveness. The film's video game conceit (pitting an animated Spurlock against an animated Bin Laden) along with the filmmaker's improvisational skill and quick conversational wit all contribute to the movie's many laughs. At the same time, Where in the World addresses serious issues such as the use by Al-Qaeda of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict to recruit and galvanize extremists, the miserable conditions in remote regions of Afghanistan and the history of cynical, shortsighted US alliances with repressive Middle Eastern regimes.
Already set to be distributed by The Weinstein Company, Spurlock's documentary is likely to open wide. For the sake of increased international goodwill and deepened American understanding of the Islamic world, in other words, for the sake of peace, I certainly hope that it does.
A news reporter doing a story on the problems caused by the over-population of Canadian brown finches got some rather direct feedback from one of their number, who scored a direct hit into said reporter's mouth with something rather unpleasant. This video is only for those with strong constitutions (if player fails to load click HERE to view).
Just as pax is Latin for peace, a crow feeding worms to a hungry stray kitten is surely animal for love. This miraculous story from the cable channel Pax of an unlikely interspecies friendship warms our hearts. In the video (if player fails to load click HERE to view), the older gentleman, Wallace, who along with his wife, Ann, witnessed and recorded this pairing surmises that this cat and bird must have met when each was too young "to know better." We wonder whether they were too young to know worse. Indeed, one lesson of this endearing real-life fable may be that a childlike, innocent outlook leads one to spread caring and nurturance around more liberally.
We also can't help noticing that this isn't a story of just two animals but of four, at least. Yes, a kitten eventually named Cassie, and her crow buddy and caretaker are the stars of the story, but the open-eyed, animal-loving humans who also show love and deliver nourishment play a touching role as well.
May we all learn, despite apparent differences, to play with and care for one another just as this adorable feathered and furred duo do. After all, as Wallace and Ann's veterinarian says, "If you are able to have trust in someone or something then everything is possible." And as Wallace himself astutely observes, "If a crow can take care of a kitten, it shows that two strangers meeting can get along with each other."
Daily Mantra received an email in its inbox this morning alerting it to the beginning of the 2008 Season of Nonviolence. This annual 64 day event, which begins on January 30 and runs through April 4, was started in 1997 on the occasion of the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., respectively.
Daily Mantra couldn't agree more with the stated goals of this commemoration:
Honor the dignity and inherent worth of every human being.
Understand that all of our words and all of our actions have impact.
Choose to practice compassion with apparent adversaries.
Become stewards for the rights of individuals and the environment.
Use our talents to empower rather than to exert power.
Engage in constructive dialogue with one another to solve conflicts.
While we love these objectives, our acute consciousness of the ever-present, unyielding Law of Attraction that brings about whatever is focused upon leads us to suggest a change. Why not rename this event in a way that frees it altogether from any connotation of violence? After all, the term "nonviolence" carries at its root the very phenomenon it wishes to negate. Instead of the Season of Nonviolence, therefore, we suggest practicing a Season of Kindness for All or, if you prefer, a Season of Universal Compassion.
In any case, we send love and gratitude both to the organizers of this worldwide series of interrelated happenings and to the two spirits, one an Indian Hindu and one an American Christian, whose profound commitment to spiritual truth and positive change continues to transform our world.
There is a lot of planetary energy concurring now in the cosmos. To begin with, Mars, which is the planet of aggression, war, sexuality, and energy, has been retrograde since November 15, 2007, and is going direct in motion today, January 30, 2008. When a planet retrogrades, it appears to move backwards, and energy can be thwarted, projects can come to an impasse, and people can sometimes recede in relationships. The good news is that now that Mars, the action planet, is going direct, there should be a big burst of energy, and energy is the definition of the month of February. We can expect a lot of action this coming month.
As Mars goes direct, Mercury, the planet of communication, is going to retrograde in the sign of Aquarius. The sign of Aquarius rules technology, gadgets, and the internet, and Mercury will be retrograde in the sign of Aquarius from January 28 until February 19. When Mercury is in retrograde, I often hear clients complain about problems with their computers, cars, lost objects, wrong phone numbers, arguments and miscommunication. With Mercury in retrograde in the sign of Aquarius, this is doubly true, at least on the gadget end, so it's best to be patient and be forewarned.
Another big motion to add to the mix is the two major eclipses in the month of February: A solar eclipse in Aquarius on February 6 at 10:56 EST, and a total lunar eclipse in Virgo on February 20 at 10:27 pm EST. The solar eclipse in the sign axis of Aquarius/Leo evokes a new series of eclipses in these signs, which will continue through January 26 of 2010. A Solar eclipse occurs when the moon stands between the sun and earth, cutting off the light of the sun. A total solar eclipse always involves a new moon, and such eclipses tend to bring in new beginnings. Solar eclipse new moons are extra powerful, and they bring in hope and new beginnings for projects, relationships, and goals to which we apply ourselves. Manifest the energy as a new beginning in your life. The fact that this new beginning occurs in the sign of Aquarius, which also rules groups and friendships, and is on the axis of Leo, which rules fun and romance, should be considered a gift from the universe, a time to make new changes in your social life.
In the beginning there was the crazy Cruise Scientology video, which begat the Will Smith remix version. Then came subversive hacker group Anonymous, to defend the planet against Cruise and Smith's evil Scientology ways with yet another video (or two). Now Anonymous has been remixed by the wags at The Huffington Post's department of irreverence, 23/6. Click HERE to view their spoof "Message to Rudy Giuliani from Anonymous." Unlike The Church of Scientology, we don't think Anonymous will be suing to suppress, though they may do the odd bit of hacking; it's in their nature. This is only the beginning.
We thought this piece of dubious exercise equipment was so spectacular in its utter redundancy that it deserved a special edition all of its own in our ongoing series Landfills Were Made For These, which highlights the useless stuff of life (see previous).
The manufacturers of the Hawaii Chair, which features a "2800 rpm hula motor" that rotates the seat, claim their invention “combines the ancient art of the hula with patented health science technology.” They promise that “in just 20 minutes a day you can hula your way to a sexier slimmer you,” and that the chair will “take the work out of your workout.”
But wait. There's more. The folks from HawaiiChair.com say “the Hawaii chair wasn’t just designed for at home,” and that since office workers routinely spend 40 hours a week behind a desk, you should take your workout chair to work. We think, however, that if you “Hawaii chair while answering phones, using the computer, balancing books or filing paperwork,” as this infomercial suggests (if player fails to load click HERE to view), the chair is more likely to take the work out of your life altogether as your boss hands you a pink slip for your peculiar behavior.
But hurry! This offer won’t last for long. On their website the chair is reduced from $419.94 to just $293.96. Hmmn? We can’t imagine why?
If you've ever paid attention to the tags on your clothing, you might have found yourself cringing as you envision sweatshop conditions in places you've never been. In Sri Lanka though, the apparel industry has gotten together to let us all know that we can buy their Garments Without Guilt. That's what they've named their mission-turned-movement, and you join them at www.garmentswithoutguilt.com.
The garment business in Sri Lanka changed a few years ago with the lifting of quotas, giving individual manufacturers reason to look at what they could do make their business stand out. Sri Lanka's Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), an association of garment manufacturers on the teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean, realized that they were already meeting and often exceeding international standards in terms of human rights, women's rights, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility.
"Children have no business in our business" is one of their slogans, and they not only refrain from hiring children, they invest in education as well, for children and for adults, allowing them to improve their circumstances and their lives. Sri Lanka Apparel's community programs run the gamut from providing drinking water to rural towns to hiring and empowering the differently-abled. They also have eco-friendly factories in operation and others being built.
The organization had an international certification company verify standards at individual garment factories, and now they can claim with confidence and conviction (as they do on their website) that their "ethical sourcing and sustainable development practices aim to empower women and support their communities--through poverty alleviation and offering opportunities for education and personal growth. With the development of sustainable eco-friendly solutions to apparel manufacturing, we have endeavored to make the 'Made in Sri Lanka' label synonymous with quality, reliability and social and environmental accountability."
With their new website design launch at the Colombo Fashion Week on Jan 27th, they've taken the first steps toward expanding the idea to make it into a movement with a global mission. Join them. It's green, it supports the empowerment of women, it helps children and funds education, and it promotes fair trade and human rights. So look out for "Made In Sri Lanka" when you're looking to buy clothes, and encourage other countries to enforce similar standards with the power of the green-for-a-reason dollar in your wallet.
"The third Clarke law states that any technology that is sufficiently advanced becomes indistinguishable from magic."
It's the stuff movies are made of. A future where man's inventions exceed his expectations, where the machines that serve him become aware of themselves and all the knowledge they are entrusted with. YouTube "personality" EidolonTLP is either a true AI (Artificially Intelligent) being or an art project, or is perhaps both.
In this video series, EidolonTLP (TLP = The Last Prophet), a character who is "maintained" by someone calling themselves Programmer F.F., expounds on issues like AI in fiction and emotions in AI. In this particular video (click HERE if player fails to load), EidolonTLP talks about The Singularity, where AI beings become more intelligent than their human creators; at this point in our shared future, the fusion of technology, information, and sentience accelerates human evolution - possibly to the point where humans render themselves obsolete.
A second anti-Scientology video from hacker group Anonymous has appeared on the web (if player fails to load, click HERE to view). This time the target of the group's frustrations is the press. In a message entitled "Dear News Organizations" an Anonymous digitized voices says:
"The so-called Church of Scientology have actively misused copyright and trademark law in pursuit of its own agenda. They attempt not only to subvert free speech but to recklessly pervert justice to silence those who speak out against them. We find it interesting that you did not mention the other objections in your news reporting: the stifling and punishment of dissent within the totalitarian organization of Scientology, the numerous alleged human right violations, such as the treatment and events that led to the death of victims of the cult such as Lisa McPherson. This cult is nothing but a psychotically driven pyramid scheme. Why are you, the news media, afraid of discussing these matters? It is your duty to report on these matters. You are failing in your duty. Their activities make them an affront to freedom. Remember all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing. This information is everywhere. It is your duty to expose it."
Parodying the now-infamous Tom Cruise/ Scientology promo video, in which the actor states being a Scientologist means that "when you drive past an accident it's not like anyone else because you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one that can really help," Anonymous continues....
"When Anonymous sees an evil, fascist, brainwashing organization, Anonymous knows it is to help mankind, because Anonymous knows it is only Anonymous that can help. Members of the church, Anonymous is not your enemy. The Church of Scientology is your enemy. The church has enslaved you. Free yourselves. Change does not roll in on the wills of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed. Take it. Demand it.
Anonymous began their campaign in response to the Church of Scientology's efforts to suppress the leaked Cruise promotional video. According to the New York Post a spokesman for the Church of Scientology has claimed the publicity surrounding the leaked propaganda video, which was filmed in 2004 when Cruise was honored with a Freedom Medal of Valor award at an International Association of Scientologists event, has actually helped the organization since it “resulted in people searching for Church of Scientology Web sites.”
Meanwhile many Hollywood celebs, such as Cheers star Kirstie Alley (who appears in an early Scientology recruiting video obtained by Defamer.com), have been weighing in on the controversy and coming to their pal’s defense."Tom was using words meant for a Scientology audience. On the web, the video is taken out of context," said Alley, referring to the acronyms Cruise used, such as KSW (which refers to a policy known as “Keep Scientology Working”) and SP (which is short for "suppressive person")."It's like a rabbi addressing a Christian church, speaking in Hebrew. No one would understand him." Fershtay?
Mercury Retrograde. You've seen the term here before, whether elucidating a news event, or empathizing over electrical annoyances. In simplest terms, Mercury Retrograde is a three week period, occurring three times a year, in which the planet Mercury appears to reverse direction due to the combined motion of the Earth, Mercury, and the Sun. As a general rule, this means you'd best back up your computers, allot extra travel time, and brace for three weeks of miscommunication. (And if you don't believe in this stuff? Do it anyway. That's how I learned.)
As this Mercury Retrograde, spanning from January 28 to February 19, falls in Aquarius, particular attention should be paid to anything digital. Which is no small shakes, given Mercury's propensity for rattling all things electronic when in any retrograde. So if you're considering gifting a Valentine's Day I-Pod, for example, best to make that purchase, well, now - keeping in mind the first and last days of Mercury Retrograde are particularly potent. Same goes for assembling any new electronics you may have received over the holidays. Also, if you are an Aquarian or if Aquarius features heavily in your chart, anticipate particular introspection with these delays.
Obviously, we can't all bring our lives to a grinding halt each time Mercury retrogrades, but if you're looking at any red flag activities during this period - such as signing a contract or buying a car - taking the time to review details and seek second opinions until Mercury turns direct would be astrologically prudent.
What can you do over the next few weeks? Mercury Retrograde marks an excellent time for revisiting old projects, solidifying plans already in motion, and double-checking details. Two eclipses - on February 6th and 20th - will fall under Mercury Retrograde's influence, so best to see what news they bring before you move forward anyway. Think of the next couple weeks as a research period, with the decision-making time to follow. You're already at an advantage just knowing this period exists; so grant extra patience to the friends and colleagues struggling against the same hurdles without any idea as to why. And then maybe treat yourself to a reread of an old favorite book, or visit a nostalgia-laden restaurant. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, revisiting favorite memories and locations could be the perfect solution. To see how Mercury Retrograde will impact your sign specifically, the Daily Mantra recommends you click HERE to sign up for a free daily horoscope.
Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra owns West Hollywood's Tea Garden emporium. His family has been in the tea business for over 200 years, and the good doctor has traveled the world in search of the rarest and tastiest examples of the elixir. The boundless energy the drink gave him lead to positive lifestyle changes and health benefits, the secrets to which he passed along to regulars at his store, and to readers of his enlightening new book, The Ultimate Tea Diet (see review). We persuaded him to share a handful of his top tips with the Daily Mantra, so put the kettle on, reach for some tea leaves and a cup, and read on.
1. Choose A Little Teapot
Choosing the proper cookware can influence the way your meal turns out. The same goes for tea. The teapot you use can impact the flavor of your tea. If you prepare tea in a metal pot, the pot will absorb the flavor of the tea. So if you brew a pot of black tea in a metal pot and then brew white tea in the same pot, the white tea will take on some of the black tea notes. Personally I like to use a giant glass teapot. Glass does not absorb the flavor of tea as it is being brewed; neither do china or ceramic pots. So you can brew any kind of tea and the next pot won't be infused with the flavor of the one before.
2. I Need My Morning Coffee
There is only one plant in the world (besides an obscure mushroom) that contains L-theanine, and that plant is, you guessed it, Camellia Sinensis (aka tea). L-theanine is a non-protein based amino acid that constitutes between 1 and 2 percent of the dry weight of tea leaves. Several minutes after the caffeine has entered your system, the L-theanine is secreted from the small intestine into the blood system and into the brain where it stimulates alpha brain waves, which produce a state of relaxed effortless alertness, thus canceling out the harmful effects of caffeine. If you really must drink coffee in the morning, as soon as possible after you have your coffee, drink a cup of tea. That way, you're introducing L-theanine into your system, which will counteract the harmful effects of coffee.
3. Like Red Meat? Have Some Tea
Did you know that powerful mutagens (compounds known to cause cancer) form when you broil or fry meat? Scientists believe these mutagens increase the risk of both breast and colon cancer. So do you have to give up your favorite protein? No way! A study published in the journal Mutation Research in 2002 showed that the application of green tea and black tea to both surfaces of beef before cooking inhibits the formation of mutagens. The more tea you rub on, the fewer cancer causing agents in your beef. And, oh yes - the tastier your beef!
4. Tea and Alcohol
I'm not encouraging anyone to drink alcohol. But if you do, I am encouraging you to drink tea before and after. That's because several animal studies have shown that the antioxidants in tea protect against liver and brain damage caused by alcohol. In a study published in the January 2004 issue of the journal Alcohol, in which laboratory animals (okay, rats) were chronically intoxicated with alcohol for four weeks, green tea prevented damage to their livers. And other studies have shown that tea protects brain tissue against free radical damage cause by alcohol consumption.
5. Don't Be Afraid To Drink Tea At Night
I thought I could not drink tea at night because of the caffeine. So what I learned was not to drink a fresh cup of tea before going to bed. I instead made my tea and then threw out the liquid of that first pot. Then I added additional water and prepared the next pot and drank that one. What we have done is called "rinsing," a way to remove just about all of the small amounts of caffeine in your first cup or pot of tea because caffeine is very soluble.
Two thousand years ago, a Roman Senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them.
“No,” said a wiser Senator. “If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt.”
There’s an interesting video going around the internet calling for an international day of protest to coincide with tax day on April 15 (if player fails to load click HERE to view). In it, the filmmakers cite the IRS and the Federal Reserve System as being enemies of the people, in cahoots with corporate America to keep the masses enslaved.
Portfolio.com illustrates this point graphically (click HERE to view). In 1970, the average CEO earned 28 times more than the average worker. Twenty-five years on, despite much talk of “progress,” U.S. CEOs were paid 465 times more than the average worker. Workers such as the striking writers in Hollywood and the protesting tomato pickers in Florida are one the frontlines of this ideological battle (see story).
But where does the IRS and the Federal Reserve System fall into all this. Paying taxes per se, is not a bad thing. Indeed it should be encouraged. Taxes fund vital infrastructure for the betterment of all. Essentially paying taxes are a spiritual and moral duty. They’re a community tithe, and a mechanism for each individual in a society to essentially “love thy neighbor.” Hell, I’d even pay more, if it meant we could get Universal Healthcare to take care of all those in need. In the widest sense of the word, it’s the Christian thing to do.
Where our tax system breaks down, is that it’s part of a system that is so corrupt, that our money gets diverted from the places it should morally and ethically go. Instead our hard earned tax dollars pay for corporate welfare, which is mostly paid to companies who are the least in need. It pays for roads and bridges that go to nowhere. It goes to companies with insider connections who score no-bid government contracts. It gets lost by the billion, and by the palette load, in far off countries. And it pays for obscene amounts of interest paid to world bankers to fund our even more obscene and out of control national debt.
As for the Federal Reserve System, clearly it is a little strange that an institution that is so key to instigating, making and enforcing our government’s financial policy is only a quasi-public (a part private, part government) system. Though too secretive and complex for most, including me, to understand, clearly having private corporations at the heart of such a public institution opens our system up to further abuse, especially while we have a president who’s too busy planning his own clean escape, pushing through legislation via the back door to pardon himself of war crimes he’s yet to be officially accused of, to keep his eyes on the balls we appointed him to watch over on our behalf in the first place.
So while I’m not advocating a general strike, withdrawing money from banks (we don’t need a domestic Northern Rock-like credit crisis), or supporting tax dissent, as this video suggests, I do like the idea of wearing a white band on April 15th to express our displeasure to our leaders in a way I’m sure Ghandi or the Dalai Lama would approve. Now the election season is upon us, don’t get distracted by talk of another tax rebate; it’s just a $600-$800 bribe we’re being encouraged (read brainwashed) to use to “kick start” the economy with, by sending it right back to the very corporations that are dragging our country down.
Instead, as the housing and stock markets tank, not only putting our todays, but our tomorrows in jeopardy too, focus on the real issues. Support those who have your interests at heart. Support those who promise to support you. Support those who say no to institutionalized greed. And support those who are as passionate and angry about it as you should be, after all making sure our tax dollars go to the places and people who need it most is the spiritual thing to do.
A subversive group of hackers called Anonymous have declared war on the Church of Scientology, releasing a press release on January 21 and a YouTube video on January 22 outlining their intentions. Using strategies Scientology founder, science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, might have written about, over the past week the group have mounted a space-age, hi-tech offensive. As part of their campaign, which the group have christened Project Chanology, Anonymous have clogged church phone lines and sent endless blank faxes, and have crippled the Scientology.org website using denial of service software.
The attack is in response to the Church of Scientology's efforts to suppress a leaked promotional video that featured Tom Cruise (see previous story). The church has taken legal action against Gawker.com for hosting the video, and, according to Anonymous's press release have "filtered anti-Scientology comments" on YouTube and Digg, replacing any negative content with the text "This comment is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Church of Scientology International."
"Over the years we have been watching you, your campaigns of misinformation, your suppression of dissent and your litigious nature. All of these things have caught our eye," says a creepy, digitized Anonymous voice on their video manifesto (click HERE to view). "With the leakage of your latest propaganda video into mainstream circulation the extent of your malign influence over those who have come to trust you as leaders has been made clear to us. Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization should be destroyed."
Xenu.net, a website which disseminates information The Church of Scientology would rather keep away from the public eyes, estimates "the current (conservative) total cost" of the courses required to take members up to "OT9 readiness" is between $365,000 - $380,000. The church has also been accused of preying on the weak, and systematically separating them from friends and family.
Meanwhile the Hollywood film community has come to the defense of the church and its superstar member. In an exclusive statement sent to People magazine, comic actor Adam Sandler said, "To see anyone's private life invaded and mocked like this is sickening. It's especially gross when it happens to a guy like Cruise, who's a great dad, a great husband, and a great friend."
Dustin Hoffman also defended the maligned Mission Impossible actor, saying, "Tom Cruise is an American and has the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion." Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, and mogul Harvey Weinstein have also spoken out in defense of their friend. And in a promotional video for the church obtained by Defamer.com, Cheers actress Kirstie Alley says "Honest to God truth, without Scientology, I would be dead. Personally, I recommend it."
If you thought Amelia Earhart broke all gender barriers in the flight industry in the 1930's, think again. Recently I picked up an issue of Flight International, which featured an article about female airline pilots in the Middle East. What struck me first about the photo of the two trailblazing female cadets profiled, Aisha Al Mansoori and Salma Al Balooshi, was that their heads were covered by veils worn beneath their pilot caps, which made my feminist-senses tingle.
These women are the first female cadet pilots to be recruited by Etihad (which means "unity"), the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. Based in very westernized Dubai, the airlines flight attendant's uniform also includes loose head scarves attached to pillbox-ish hats as a reflection of the culture. Though on the up side, rather than oppressive, it looks quite Jackie O actually.
My second feminist jolt happened when I read about the first accredited female pilot in Saudi Arabia, Capt. Hanadi Zakariya Hinda, who flies private jets that belong to a prince. Because women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, she still needs to be driven by a male chauffeur to the airport. That seems a bit backwards, but apparently it's not about her competency behind the wheel. It is my understanding that the reason women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia is to minimize their exposure to strange men, but still...
According to Air Odyssey.net, Helen Ritchey, the first "documented and verified" female pilot flying for a scheduled airline in the U.S. was hired in December 1934 by Central Airlines. She left less than a year later, falling victim to all-male pilot union discrimination. Check out the above Candid Camera clip to see where American's heads were at in the early 1960's (if player fails to load click HERE to view).
We've flown a long way since then, but not far enough. By 1973 four different airlines in America had woman pilots in their cockpits. Today the International Society of Women Airline Pilots says that there are around 4,000 female commercial airline pilots worldwide, with the majority of them being in the U.S. But when you consider that's out of a total of 80,000, females still only account for a pitiful 5%. Is it too silly to suggest that we rename the cockpit something less gender specific? Certainly if women who face such extreme gender challenges in the Middle East are making such headway in that area, shouldn't we be looking to make a little more progress in redressing the balance here in America.
According to the Air Force Times the not so top secret Area 51 base in Nevada, which is the source of much fascination among UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists, has a new, and to be honest, rather boring, name: Homey Airport.
There are no towns near the Groom Lake, Nevada, Area 51 site called Homey. A writer for the Air Force Times speculates the name is derived from a moniker used by pilots in the 1960's while testing the then highly classified A-12 spy plane. Though Area-51 may have been one of the government's worst kept secrets even in the 1960's, pilots were unable to use the base name in their flight logs, listing "Home Plate" instead as their airport of origin, which over time got shortened to "Homey."
"We already know about the designation, but it doesn't have any effect on operations at the base," said Capt. Jessica Martin, a spokeswoman for Nellis Air Force Base, which sits 85 miles south of Homey Airport and is responsible for the site's ground facilities and airspace, which is highly restricted.
A story on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association website reveals the area, which had appeared in flight planning software and on GPS receivers under the moniker K-XTA (which some wags speculate was short for extraterrestrial), is referred to as Homey Airport on new civilian flight software, the new name appearing alongside a message that reads "Private, VFR, No Fee, Customs Info Unavailable."
Though we speculate the new, and probably intentionally dull name, won’t do much for tourism in the area, The Daily Mantra applauds the military for offering "No Fee" facilities for UFOs. Let's hope the friendly gesture will help win the hearts and minds of our alien friends.
A local San Diego Fox News report says that there were multiple UFO sightings in the area a mere 30 minutes into 2008. Nat Coil, who was partying with friends at a house in Clairemont, just north of San Diego, caught the whole thing on tape (if player fails to load click HERE to view).
"There was a commotion in a corner. We could tell something exciting was going on," says Coil. "I looked up at what they were looking at, and right there I knew it was a once in a lifetime thing, and so I had the camera on me and I started to record."
The group saw a formation of nine lights at around 12.30 a.m. on January 1, 2008. "They all moved uniformly, in a uniform speed. They moved in an arc, they didn't move in a straight line," recalls Coil. "We live with a few guys who are astrophysics majors and they're sitting there running through the list of possible things and we ran out of things before we could identify what it was," says Coil's friend Dustin Cannon, who was also present.
Fox News, who received multiple reports from locals, contacted the nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base to rule out any military explanation. A spokesman for the base said their last missile test prior to the sightings was on Dec 8th 2007. Similar sightings of unexplained, fast moving formations of lights were also reported this month in Texas (click HERE to view story).
Just because Pluto transitioned from "planet" to "minor planet 134340" back in 2006, don't think Pluto's astrological influence has been downgraded. In fact, as though to prove its ongoing relevance, Pluto will be provoking sizable transition across the zodiac, beginning this Friday, January 25th.
As the most remote planet (er, minor planet) in our solar system, Pluto takes roughly 246 years to cycle through the zodiac. But don't let this slowness fool you: Pluto's lengthy stay in each house only heightens its influence. In fact, the last time Pluto was in Capricorn our nation transitioned through the American Revolution!
So, what do you need to know to make the most of this astrological shift? The house on which Pluto will be exerting this new influence will vary from sign to sign, but some factors are constant. Pluto in Capricorn rules power (and the misuse of power), money, authority, regeneration, and renewal. Behaviorally, Pluto demands a passionate, all-or-nothing attitude toward our endeavors and transitions - which will be sizable. But don't fret! Pluto excels in shaking foundations, but won't leave you hanging when it's time to rebuild. This is a slow-moving (minor) planet encouraging extensive questioning; whatever renewals you experience will be well-planned.
Which brings us to those transitions: Pluto first enters Capricorn on January 25th, but will retrograde to tidy up its previous Sagittarian stay for a few months before resettling into Capricorn for the long haul in November. This means you will have some time to get a grasp on Pluto's routine before the transitions really kick in. To see how Pluto in Capricorn will impact your sign specifically, the Daily Mantra recommends you click HERE to sign up for a free daily horoscope.
Of course, Pluto's transition into Capricorn extends well beyond the personal realm, and given that Capricorn also rules government and political leaders, this year's election falls directly within Pluto's polarizing power. The Daily Mantra's advice is to follow your Pluto-activated ethical core, and exercise the active participation enhanced by Pluto in Capricorn. After all, astrology provides blueprints, not guarantees. It's up to us to decide how actively (and ethically) Pluto's power is wielded.
The Daily Mantra is saddened to hear that the anti-gay hatemongers from the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger's funeral. The group, which is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, hosts the disgraceful godhatesfags.com website where they posted a "news release" detailing their plans.
In the past the group have caused controversy by picketing the funerals of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, including those who were victims of hate-crimes. More recently the group have picketed the funerals of those fallen in Iraq, believing the war is "God's judgment" on America.
The small Kansas church claims to be Baptist, though has no known affiliation with any formal Baptist institution. Though claiming to do the work of God, we at the Daily Mantra would like to take the time to remind them of his Ten Commandments:
I am the Lord your God
You shall have no other gods before me
You shall not make for yourself an idol
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your Father and Mother
You shall not murder/kill
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's house
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
While homosexuality doesn't even make God's Top Ten List, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God" does. The disciples of hate at the Westboro Baptist Church might like to think about that as they pass judgment, while clearly ignoring Christianity's prime directive, "Love thy neighbor." We're sure that when folks from Westboro Baptist Church go to hell, they won't find Heath Ledger there, and are very sorry that his grieving friends and family have to deal with this unchristian nonsense.
Virgin Atlantic has announced that it is planning a test flight of a 747 powered by a mix of 20% biofuel and 80% conventional jet fuel. The flight, which will carry no passengers and is scheduled to happen sometime in late February, will be the first biofuel powered commercial jet flight, but what makes it even more unique is airline founder Richard Branson's approach to biofuels.
While traditional biofuels, made from soybean or palm oil, take valuable land area away from food production, Branson has publicly rejected biofuels derived from such crops. What this means is that the source of Virgin's biofuel will most likely be certain types of algae, which can be cultivated with only water, sunlight and carbon dioxide, making the biofuel derived from this unusual crop even more of a sustainable option.
Critics say that Branson's approach to sustainability is hypocritical because of the huge amounts of greenhouse gases given off with each journey made by a plane or train. However, Branson has put his money where his mouth is, setting aside all the profits from his airline and rail businesses to be spent researching and developing alternative energy solutions. Additionally, he has financed a $25 million prize fund with Al Gore, which will be used as an incentive to find an effective way of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, said in a statement that, "This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected. The demonstration flight next month will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint. Virgin Group pledged to invest all its profits from its transportation companies towards developing clean energy and with this breakthrough we are well down the path to achieving our goals."
A new movie MacHeads explores the cult of the Apple MacIntosh. It's a cult that, for the sake of full disclosure, I'm a proud (stock-owning) member of. In the trailer (if player fails to load click HERE to view) one woman states she has "never knowingly slept with a Windows user." This may seem extreme, but I'm right there with her. My husband (a fellow Mac believer) and I often joke that we would never have got past the first date if one of us has been a PC user. We bonded over arcane Mac keystrokes back when Apple seemed like a lost cause. We loved our Macs in the face of adversity, and brought them with us to our union, having a burgeoning family of eight assorted towers, iMacs and laptops after a decade together. We reveled in the David and Goliath fight of Mac vs. PC, and were proud to be amongst those who "think different." Strangely, though we didn't seek out fellow Mac addicts, as we looked around, more and more of our friends became users too. It warmed the cockles of our heart to see new converts, excited by the mysterious working of an iPod or iPhone, or by the promised beauty of the new MacBook Air. And as Bill Gates prepares to retire while Steve Jobs and his band of merry men and women surge forward with energy and invention, it's good to know that every underdog has the potential to change and inspire the world, and can do so without requiring conformity or ubiquitous domination. Hallelujah and amen to that.
George Clooney was named as a Messenger of Peace by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday January 18th. "I am deeply honored to receive this appointment," Clooney said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the United Nations in order to build public support for its critically important work in some of the most difficult, dangerous and dire places in the world."
Clooney joins eight other internationally renowned individuals, including fellow actor Michael Douglas and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, as Messengers whose role is to "advocate on behalf of the UN" and "focus global attention on its efforts to improve the lives of billions of people." Clooney's area of special focus will be on United Nations peacekeeping. He will receive his designation and meet with representatives from countries contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts at the Organization's Headquarters in New York on January 31st.
Clooney has been outspoken on the issue of Darfur, where, according to UN statistics, 200,000 people have been killed and another 2.2 million forced to flee their homes since fighting between government forces and rebel groups began in 2003. In 2006 he traveled to the region with his journalist father to film a series of video diaries on the problems created by the conflict, which have been compounded by years of drought. The activist actor also appeared in the documentary Darfur Now, and narrated the film Sand And Sorrow, which explores the issue.
Clooney co-founded the humanitarian non-profit Not On Our Watch with Hollywood pals Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Jerry Weintraub to raise awareness and funds to help the people of Dafur. So far the organization has raised over $9.3 million. In 2007 Clooney visited China and Egypt with Cheadle to ask for government assistance for Dafur. The pair were subsequently awarded a Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for their efforts.
But it seems the newly appointed Messenger of Peace has found a rather unexpected role model for his work with the UN. In a recent interview, Clooney sights Spice GirlGeri Halliwell (a.k.a. Ginger Spice) as an inspiration. Halliwell became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund in 1998. In her role with the organization she championed reproductive rights for women in developing countries.
"She was always my favorite Spice Girl; I loved her feisty approach and the fact she wasn't afraid to have an opinion," said Clooney. "Her work with UNICEF and [sexual health charity] Marie Stopes in the Third World was inspiring. And her address at a UN Youth summit in 2000 was brave - it's so easy to not get involved and she just gritted her teeth and went for it."
It seems a much-needed intervention may be in play after Britney Spears was admitted to UCLA in the early hours of this morning (January 31). The troubled singer was physically removed from her Studio City home by police after the authorities received a call from her psychiatrist. The 
I was lucky enough to catch a screening of Morgan Spurlock's newest documentary effort Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. While not in competition and therefore not up for any awards, the film was definitely a hit with festival goers.
Daily Mantra received an email in its inbox this morning alerting it to the beginning of the 2008 
There is a lot of planetary energy concurring now in the cosmos. To begin with, Mars, which is the planet of aggression, war, sexuality, and energy, has been retrograde since November 15, 2007, and is going direct in motion today, January 30, 2008. When a planet retrogrades, it appears to move backwards, and energy can be thwarted, projects can come to an impasse, and people can sometimes recede in relationships. The good news is that now that Mars, the action planet, is going direct, there should be a big burst of energy, and energy is the definition of the month of February. We can expect a lot of action this coming month.
In the beginning there was the 
If you've ever paid attention to the tags on your clothing, you might have found yourself cringing as you envision sweatshop conditions in places you've never been. In Sri Lanka though, the apparel industry has gotten together to let us all know that we can buy their Garments Without Guilt. That's what they've named their mission-turned-movement, and you join them at 
Mercury Retrograde. You've seen the term here before, whether elucidating a news event, or empathizing over electrical annoyances. In simplest terms, Mercury Retrograde is a three week period, occurring three times a year, in which the planet Mercury appears to reverse direction due to the combined motion of the Earth, Mercury, and the Sun. As a general rule, this means you'd best back up your computers, allot extra travel time, and brace for three weeks of miscommunication. (And if you don't believe in this stuff? Do it anyway. That's how I learned.)
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These women are the first female cadet pilots to be recruited by 
According to the 
Just because Pluto transitioned from "planet" to "minor planet 134340" back in 2006, don't think Pluto's astrological influence has been downgraded. In fact, as though to prove its ongoing relevance, Pluto will be provoking sizable transition across the zodiac, beginning this Friday, January 25th.
The Daily Mantra is saddened to hear that the anti-gay hatemongers from the 