Non-Christians harassed at Air Force Academy

Since the military successfully rid itself of open homosexuals, where do the righteous direct their indignant bigotry? Thankfully, the Air Force Academy has a small number of non-Christians just asking for it:

The Air Force Academy, still recovering from rape and sexual harassment scandals, is facing charges that some Christian cadets have bullied and berated Jews and students of other religious backgrounds. School officials said Tuesday they had received 55 complaints over the last few months and were requiring students — and eventually all employees — to attend a course on religious tolerance…The academy is about 60% Protestant and 30% Catholic. Included in the number of Christian cadets are 120 Mormons. There are 44 Jews and a handful of Hindus and Buddhists at the academy, officials said. [Los Angeles Times]

As soon as they rid themselves of the pagans and other undesirables, we can finally have ourselves a good-old-fashioned crusade. That’s what I’m talkin’ about, says Tom Minnery, vice president of public policy at Focus on the Family. He says the bullies are the true victims:

“If 90% of cadets identify themselves as Christian, it is common sense that Christianity will be in evidence on the campus,” he said. “Christianity is deeply felt and very important to people … and to suggest that it should be bottled up is nonsense. I think a witch hunt is underway to root out Christian beliefs. To root out what is pervasive in 90% of the group is ridiculous.” [Los Angeles Times]

Los Angeles Times: Non-Christian Air Force cadets cite harassment (free registration required)

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‘In the Face of Jinn’ by Cheryl Howard Crew

Defamer, a Los Angeles gossip blog, publishes a reader’s report about an Indian-themed party at Brian Grazer’s house. The celebration was in honor of a new book by Cheryl Howard Crew, the wife of Ron Howard:

The whole affair was abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous with an Indian theme (seems as if the book, which I didn’t take, is about an American girl who travels in India) and beautiful Indian dancers doing their thang all over the backyard. But I did feel bad for the poor catering staff, who were all white girls subjected to the torture of wearing saris and showing off their not-quite-brown stomachs. Thankfully the Grey Goose on tap allowed me to forget all my sympathy. [Defamer]

Crew’s novel, “In the Face of Jinn,” carries the following description:

Two American sisters, Christine and Elizabeth Shepherd, are on a silk-buying trip in India for their business in California. After Elizabeth mysteriously disappears, Christine is compelled to challenge the ineffectual U.S. and Indian bureaucracies and venture alone, with various strangers as guides, to find her sister. Disguised in the traditional female garb of some Islamic cultures, Christine continues her search in Afghanistan and Pakistan. She navigates the mysterious tribes of the Pashtuns, has a dangerous encounter with the Taliban, and learns to fear the “Jinn,” the devils that dominate the superstitions of the people she must understand in order to survive. Inspired by her own extensive travel throughout the region, Cheryl Howard Crew has written an unforgettable story with a strong determined heroine who rises powerfully from the pages of this novel. [St. Martin’s Press]

Don’t know anything about the book, but do have a sincere plea for Ron Howard: Please, please, please don’t let Fox cancel “Arrested Development.” That is all.

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Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo raised in ashram

Everyone knows that all real musicians hit the ashram at some point in their existence. They also hit rehab, but that’s totally unrelated to the following passage from Rolling Stone’s cover story about Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo:

Radical extremes are what Cuomo has made his life from, and in the context of his history, the Either Way I’m Fine era isn’t all that outrageous. It even makes some sense given his childhood, which was spent on ashrams — first at the Zen Center in upstate New York and, after his father left the family when he was five (he eventually settled in Germany for a while as a suffragan bishop in a Pentecostal church), at “Woodstock guru” Swami Satchidananda’s Yogaville commune in Connecticut. Everyone was a vegetarian, and no one raised his voice or cursed. Cuomo didn’t like it much. He declared himself a metalhead at eleven and started playing Kiss covers with the neighborhood kids. “I was only interested in Slayer and Metallica then,” says Cuomo. “I still love that music, but now I have so much appreciation for what my parents’ generation did for opening up our country to Eastern philosophy and raising me like that. I feel so lucky.” [Rolling Stone]

Rolling Stone: Weezer’s weird world

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‘Brothels’ directors to open school in India

After you win an Oscar, you’re supposed to treat the little people like shit, not open schools for them. The diabolical do-gooders behind the award-winning documentary, “Born Into Brothels,” appear ready to violate that most holy of Hollywood traditions:

The two directors of the Oscar-winning documentary “Born Into Brothels,” which chronicles the lives of a group of children born to prostitutes in Kolkata’s red-light area, plan to set up a school in India, a member of the duo said in Lisbon on Tuesday. Ross Kauffman, who directed the documentary along with fellow New Yorker Zana Briski, told AFP that the two filmmakers hope to have the school up and running by the start of 2007. “The idea is to create a safe place for these kids to go, where a small group of kids can get out of that environment. It’s a way to make a small difference,” the 37-year-old said. The school will focus on leadership and arts, and will have a capacity for between 50 and 100 students, he added. [Sify.com]

Sify.com: Oscar winners to open school in India

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‘Amazing Race’ runs through India

Tonight’s episode of reality television show “The Amazing Race” takes its contestants to the streets of Lucknow, India:

Battle lines were drawn as Teams made their way to Lucknow, India. Boyfriends Lynn & Alex led a group against their rivals, engaged couple Rob & Amber, who paired up with former POW and beauty queen Ron & Kelly, in an uneasy alliance. Catching an earlier flight to India, Rob & Amber never relinquished their lead as they battled for first place. Winning the hard-fought match, Rob & Amber stepped on the mat and received a shock when Phil told them that he had their next clue. The leg was not over. [CBS]

The web preview hosts video vignettes, a location briefing, and a call for your own Lucknow stories. “The Amazing Race” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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Trees married in Calcutta

Residents in Calcutta, India have married together a pair of trees in hopes of warding off evil:

The marriage between the sacred trees — whose trunks were decorated with red cloth, streaks of vermilion and marigold garlands — was followed by a banquet attended by nearly 1,000 people. [Reuters/Yahoo!]

Proving once and for all that it doesn’t really matter who, or even what, is getting married — an Indian wedding will always be way too big.

Reuters/Yahoo!: Indians ‘marry’ sacred trees to ward off evil eye

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“Day to Day” interviews Amitabh Bachchan

NPR’s “Day to Day” interviews actor Amitabh Bachchan about his career and the Bollywood film industry:

In a tribute later this month, the Film Society of Lincoln Center will bill Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as “the Biggest Film Star in the World.” Madeleine Brand speaks with the performer, a major star in Indian cinema, about earning the superlative celebrity moniker.

NPR: Amitabh Bachchan, ‘the biggest film star in the word’ (Real Audio and Windows Media)
Previous post: Brief film updates

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Bombay to close dancing-girl bars

The other shoe has dropped — authorities will close approximately 600 dancing-girl bars in Bombay:

The crackdown was launched last month with the closure of bars in the rest of the state, but a decision has now been taken to include the state capital. The girls dance Bollywood numbers and clients often thrown them money. The government says the bars are a breeding ground for crime and prostitution. [BBC News]

First the casting couch, and now this. How the hell is Shakti Kapoor supposed to get laid in this town?

BBC News: Axe falls on Mumbai dancing bars
Previous posts: Maharashtra shutters dance bars, Casting couch caught on tape, and Updates on the Shakti Kapoor Scandal

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