The End of the Rainbow — Ireland is now Europe’s second richest country.
… In a quite unusual development, the government, the main trade unions, farmers and industrialists came together and agreed on a program of fiscal austerity, slashing corporate taxes to 12.5 percent, far below the rest of Europe, moderating wages and prices, and aggressively courting foreign investment. In 1996, Ireland made college education basically free, creating an even more educated work force.
The results have been phenomenal. Today, 9 out of 10 of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies have operations here, as do 16 of the top 20 medical device companies and 7 out of the top 10 software designers. Last year, Ireland got more foreign direct investment from America than from China. And overall government tax receipts are way up.
This is fascinating. Yet we can only wish that leaders of other countries (Like maybe, the USofA) would/could use this as a model.
Salon is doing a “four-part series chronicling the suddenly higher profile of the Church of Scientology”, and of course the first installment highlights none other than Mr. Crazy Cruise:
Missionary man (Get a day pass, it’s worth it.)
Regarding the romance — who can explain love? It’s a mystery, particularly in Hollywood, and we’re unlikely to ever get the particulars about Cruise and Holmes. But the buzz in some Scientology circles is that Cruise may have reached one of the highest echelons of the Church of Scientology. While not a lot is known about this level, known cryptically as OT-VII, Scientology observers say that attaining it could explain Cruise’s behavior in recent months.
I’m still boggled by the fact that Scientology is actually considered a genuine “religion”. I mean, read this and tell me if that’s the sort of thing sane people base their lives on:
According to experts and the church’s own literature, OT-VII (”OT” stands for Operating Thetan, “thetan” being the Scientology term for soul) is the penultimate tier in the church’s spiritual hierarchy — the exact details of which are fiercely guarded and forbidden to be discussed even among top members. It is where a Scientologist learns how to become free of the mortal confines of the body and is let into the last of the mysteries of the cosmology developed by the church’s longtime leader, science fiction novelist and “Dianetics” author L. Ron Hubbard. This cosmology also famously holds that humans bear the noxious traces of an annihilated alien civilization that was brought to Earth by an intergalactic warlord millions of years ago.
That’s Heaven’s Gate material, if you ask me. Not the foundation of a culturally powerful religion. At least Germany still agrees:
Germany refuses to recognise Scientology as a legitimate church, claiming it is a fake religion based on making money from its followers.
While you’re in the mood, check out CultNews.com for more (from an obviously biased source). If you really want to dig into Scientology, be sure not to miss Operation Clambake. Wow.
Boo Boo’s Munchies No-No (Don’t miss the pics!)
The monkey leapt out the driver’s window as its owner picked up an order at the drive through window. Boo Boo hung on to the clerk’s hand for a few extra moments and apparently bit and injured the restaurant worker.
These kinds of commando (dare I say - ahem - guerrilla?) sneak attack tactics must not be tolerated!
This one might even be real: Boffins create zombie dogs
US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years.
Pittsburgh’s Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject’s veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution.
Granted, the story isn’t quite as exciting as the title, but hey… I love any story that calls scientists “boffins” — makes ‘em sound like Muppets!
Because The Wife is (justifiably, since she works in the psychiatric field) obsessed with the rapidly-approaching-Howard-Hughes-type-crazy Tom Cruise:
Cruise is waving off critics
Jumping on Oprah’s couch? Sure it was unorthodox behavior for a celebrity, but he laughs at it, too. “I will forever with this woman be jumping on couches, dancing on tables and hanging from chandeliers.”
Criticizing doctors for prescribing drugs to depressed patients? That’s much more controversial than footprints on the furniture, but Cruise professes disdain for psychiatric drugs. “All I can do is say, ‘Look. Don’t listen, look.’ ” He encourages people to research the drugs.
Ah… I experience such wonderful schadenfreude at watching a Scientology Grand Dragon implode… The man is obviously in need of a little “Nazi science” himself.
Boy hailed for air safety gadget
A Scots schoolboy has been praised by airport bosses after inventing a gadget which could help prevent plane crashes.
Daryn Murray’s Aircraft Debris Protector warns pilots of dangerous material lying on runways before they prepare to land.
And check out that high Scottish fashion! (A Carson Kressley joke would probably be grossly inapproriate…)
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