Love Angeles Magazine®

Jack Johnson Will Donate 'All' Tour Profits To Charity

Source: ecorazzi.com - Can anyone remember the last time a popular musician donated his entire tour profits to charity? I’m at a loss to think of anyone, but in the future you can peg that label on Jack Johnson.

The Hawaiian surfer/songwriter/guitarist has announced that 100% of profits from his 34-date tour between July and October will go to charity. The new tour is set to celebrate the release of his new album, To The Sea, which once again sets the example of how a green album should be made. It was recorded at Johnson’s two solar-powered studios: The Mango Tree in Hawaii and the Solar Powered Plastic Plant in Los Angeles.

Once again, Johnson’s tour will be eco-friendly. Greening actions include fueling tour vehicles with sustainable biodiesel, offering eco-friendly tour merchandise, and promoting ride share programs. In addition, venues and fans are encouraged to reduce waste, recycle, use water refill stations and offset carbon emissions.

The tour will also collaborate with over 150 hand-chosen community groups around the world as part of Johnson’s All At Once Community. This year’s All At Once campaign will focus on supporting non-profit groups and engaging fans in the realms of plastic waste reduction and sustainable local food systems.

A Taste of Love-In

This past Valentine's Day 2010, we succeeded in organizing the first Love-In for 2010, and what a beautiful day it was at LA's hidden Descanso Gardens. See the clip below for a little taste of love, created by the lovely Janice Belson, founder of Medicines Global (GB):

David Wolfe Hosts 3-Day Longevity Conference 2010

Source: Longevity Conference - David Wolfe’s 3-day Longevity Conference features some of the world’s top natural health leaders and visionaries presenting topics on how to live longer and feel younger, detoxify, anti-aging from the inside out, increase energy and building and maintaining a strong immune system at the Costa Mesa Hilton in Costa Mesa, California on March 26-28, 2010. 

As new health technologies are being frequently discovered, it is crucial to stay ahead of the curve with the most up-to-date information available today. The Longevity Conference 3-day holistic health event offers attendees an intimate opportunity to take personal control of their own health and vitality by making more informed decisions.

David Wolfe’s approach to wellness includes superfoods, herbs, and organic raw food among other top protocols.  “Consumers today are aware of some of the basics of good health practices but have not been exposed to the latest findings or they don’t know how to incorporate them into their daily lives.” Wolfe continues, “I have created a conference featuring the best of the best educators to help solve people’s challenges with the health information overload often seen today. We will cut through the clutter and deliver the newest principles in an entertaining, simple and empowering way.”

Featured Presentations at The March 2010 Longevity Conference include:

David Wolfe
Learn about DNA-rich superfoods and Herbs, Sugar and Aging, Why “The Quality of a Person’s Diet is the Quality of a Person’s Dietary Fats and Oils.”

Paul Stamets
Keynote Presentation:  How Mushrooms Can Save the World
Stamet’s latest book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, has been heralded as a milestone for healing the planet. Used as textbooks around the world by the gourmet and medicinal mushroom industries, he is also the author of many scholarly papers in peer-reviewed journals.

In 2008, Paul received the National Geographic Adventure’s Magazine’s Green-O-vator and the Argosy Foundation’s E-chievement Awards. In November of 2008, Utne Reader recognized Paul as one of the 50 Visionaries of the Year.

Dr. Mercola
The Poisons Lurking in Your Cupboard: The 7 Foods You Must Never Eat
Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder of the world’s most visited natural health website www.Mercola.com with 20 million page views every month.

Donna Gates
Optimal Digestive and Brain Health with Probiotic Treatment
Donna is the creator of Body Ecology Diet. She championed and brought fermented foods and drinks, Coconut Oil, Young Coconut Kefir, and Stevia to the US.

George Lamoureux
The Damage Stress Is Doing to Your Body
Master herbalist George Lamoureux is the founder of Jing Herbs.  LA Confidential Magazine referred to him as “one of the best herbalists in the country”.

Joe Sugarman
Sugarman will share cutting edge technologies (that recently won a Noble Peace Prize) in the anti-aging field including: an anti-aging peptide that affects our genetic predispositions, the most effective ways to eliminate heavy metals and toxicity from our cells, and strategic ways to help build the strength in our bodies and aid focus.

Other topics include Mineralization, Redefining the Paradigm of Fitness, Longevity Lives in your Blood, Longevity and Dental Health, How To Become A Superfood Chef with Jason Wrobel.   Other activities include yoga, smoothie demonstrations, and tonic elixirs.

As an added bonus, attendees will also have access to selected exhibitors offering the latest in wellness tools and products.  Additionally, the Longevity Conference will be giving away thousands of dollars worth of longevity products to audience members.   The weekend event promises to deliver the future’s best health and nutrition knowledge available NOW.

For detailed speaker, exhibitor and ticket information please visit www.longevityconference.com

Scientists Go 'Gaga' to Find Creatures Beneath 600 Feet of Ice

Source: Yahoo - In a surprising discovery about where higher life can thrive, scientists for the first time found a shrimp-like creature and a jellyfish frolicking beneath a massive Antarctic ice sheet.

Six hundred feet below the ice where no light shines, scientists had figured nothing much more than a few microbes could exist.

That's why a NASA team was surprised when they lowered a video camera to get the first long look at the underbelly of an ice sheet in Antarctica. A curious shrimp-like creature came swimming by and then parked itself on the camera's cable. Scientists also pulled up a tentacle they believe came from a foot-long jellyfish.

"We were operating on the presumption that nothing's there," said NASA ice scientist Robert Bindschadler, who will be presenting the initial findings and a video at an American Geophysical Union meeting Wednesday. "It was a shrimp you'd enjoy having on your plate."

"We were just gaga over it," he said of the 3-inch-long, orange critter starring in their two-minute video. Technically, it's not a shrimp. It's a Lyssianasid amphipod, which is distantly related to shrimp.

The video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?

"They are looking at the equivalent of a drop of water in a swimming pool that you would expect nothing to be living in and they found not one animal but two," said biologist Stacy Kim of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in California, who joined the NASA team later. "We have no idea what's going on down there."

Microbiologist Cynan Ellis-Evans of the British Antarctic Survey called the finding intriguing.

"This is a first for the sub-glacial environment with that level of sophistication," Ellis-Evans said. He said there have been findings somewhat similar, showing complex life in retreating ice shelves, but nothing quite directly under the ice like this.

Ellis-Evans said it's possible the creatures swam in from far away and don't live there permanently.

But Kim, who is a co-author of the study, doubts it. The site in West Antarctica is at least 12 miles from open seas. Bindschadler drilled an 8-inch-wide hole and was looking at a tiny amount of water. That means it's unlikely that that two critters swam from great distances and were captured randomly in that small of an area, she said.

Yet scientists were puzzled at what the food source would be for these critters. While some microbes can make their own food out of chemicals in the ocean, complex life like the amphipod can't, Kim said.

So how do they survive? That's the key question, Kim said.

"It's pretty amazing when you find a huge puzzle like that on a planet where we thought we know everything," Kim said.

Malibu Kofi

Saturday afternoon, I woke up with plans to take it easy and go with the flow. A few hours later, I somehow ended up at a private Malibu residence for a community gathering around Malibu's upcoming election for City Council. The event was coordinated by Kofi, a record producer and long-time Malibu resident. A few of the other candidates were in the house, and much of the dialogue encompassed safety, conservation, and how to keep Malibu as beautiful as it is, moving into the future.   

Source: Malibu Times -The Malibu Times sent a questionnaire to all 10 Malibu City Council candidates. They were all given the same time frame to respond and were limited to 75 words per answer. Two profiles will be printed, in alphabetical order, each week beginning this issue until the April 1 issue. Election Day is April 13. The full list of candidates profiles will be viewable online at www.malibutimes.com, under the tab, “Election News,” beginning April 1.

The Malibu Times' interview with Kofi, 41

How long have you lived in Malibu?

I have lived in the beautiful city of Malibu for 20 years.

What is your education and employment history?

I am a record producer.

Why are you running for city council?

I am committed to the quality of life and greater well-being of all residents. I want to invigorate the youth of Malibu and get them involved in serving their community. In the country of Bhutan, the government measures its success by the “Gross National Happiness” of its people. I plan to adopt Bhutan's Gross National Happiness index for Malibu where the success of the city council will be measured by the happiness of all residents.

What makes you qualified to be on city council?

Most of the people who live in Malibu work in the entertainment industry and I know many of them on a personal level. They feel the city council does not represent them and they prefer not to have anything to do with local politics. I am a true representative of the people and will bridge this gap. We need everybody to participate. I will bring a fresh, new personality to the city council.

What, in your opinion, are the three most important issues facing the city at this time?

The safety and well-being of every resident is of the utmost importance to me. We must protect the natural beauty and environmental qualities of our city for both residents and visitors. We must improve education in our schools and develop more ways to engage our youth in the community. Finally, we must protect and promote the prosperity and success of Malibu's locally owned small businesses.

Have you been involved with any organizations, homeowners associations, city committees or other community groups? If so, how are/were you involved and for how long?

I am the founder of a community group called the Oneness Village. For the past 20 years, I have gone to Malibu's Country Mart at Cross Creek and spent three to four hours of my time everyday dedicated to adding value to young individuals who seek to reach their greater selves.

What experiences have you had dealing with budgets? With legislation?

My experience with budgets began 20 years ago while producing my first album with producer David Foster. I created a successful track record of being very competent. This led to me producing and controlling the budget for the 1999 opening ceremony of the Super Bowl with Cher singing the National Anthem. I have worked with many artists that have multimillion-dollar recording deals and I had to deal with their budgets.

How many people are in your immediate family, regardless of whether they live at home? Feel free to mention their names and ages.

I have six siblings. They are comprised of three younger brothers, one younger sister and two older sisters. Having lived in Africa, I was literally raised by a village. Hence the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Eyad Zahra taps Muslim-American Actors for 'The Taqwacores'

Source: Clevleand.com -  Eyad Zahra's punked-out perspective of Muslim-Americans doesn't draw A-list celebrities. The first-time director targeted mostly Muslim-American actors for "The Taqwacores," including:

Noureen DeWulf: The striking actress -- seen in "90210," "Chuck" and "Reno 911!" -- is usually cast as the sexy or funny girl. But Zahra had her in mind for Rabeya, a student who sews feminist-slogan patches on her burqa, a garment that covers her from head to toe. "The idea was so intriguing to me," said DeWulf, whose next movie is "The Back-Up Plan," starring Jennifer Lopez. With her eyes hidden, DeWulf had to find other ways to make her presence felt, such as making Rabeya's dialogue big and expansive.

Bobby Naderi: The actor portrays the protagonist, Pakistani-American engineering student Yusef. As a non-Muslim, Naderi felt a special responsibility to portray his character respectfully. He spent time in Los Angeles mosques studying the ritual washing of the body that comes before prayer. Naderi had parts in small films prior to "The Taqwacores.

Dominic Rains: The actor is cast in the role of Jehangir, the mohawked, boozy punk fan. His credits include episodes of "FlashForward" and "General Hospital," as well as a recurring role on the short-lived television series "LAX."

Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas Are an Item!

Source: US Mag - Call it a match made in Disney heaven.

Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas have coupled up, the singer/actress has confirmed.

When Access Hollywood's Billy Bush asked the Disney star on his radio show Friday if she'd ever dated a Jonas Brother, Lovato initially played coy.

Check out photos of your favorite teen stars!

"Umm, maybe," Lovato, 17, said, as Bush pried for more. "Which one? Joe?" the host asked.

Having long denied rumors of a romance with her Camp Rock costar, Lovato finally opened up, calling Jonas, 20, her "best friend."

Look back at Hollywood's hottest power couples.

"So you guys went from boyfriend-girlfriend to best friends?" Bush asked.

"No, kind of the opposite," Lovato, who now stars on the Disney Channel series Sonny With a Chance, said.

See a cute snapshot of Demi and Joe on the beach!

"Oh? So you're dating him now?" the host asked.

"Umm, yeah he is my best friend and he is incredible," the singer/actress, previously linked to Metro Station singer Trace Cyrus, admitted.

Lovato and Jonas, who toured together in 2008, recently filmed a music video for their duet "Make a Wave," to be featured in the upcoming Disney Channel movie Oceans.

Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren Mending Fences?

Source: NY Daily News - Tiger Woods reportedly endured an uneventful week where all his troubles began: His Florida home.

The world's greatest golfer has returned to his family's Florida estate, spending the last eight nights there with wife Elin Nordegren and their two children, TMZ.com reported Saturday.

The pricey Isleworth home is where Woods wrecked his Cadillac SUV in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving, leading to stunning revelations about his incessant womanizing.

He was subsequently linked to a bevy of women, leading Woods to leave the pro golfing circuit and check into a sex rehabilitation facility.

But things were much calmer last week when Woods, trying to save his marriage, returned as a live-in father and husband less than a month after his internationally televised Feb. 18 apology for infidelity.

According to TMZ, his wife of five years appeared rejuvenated by the reunion.

The couple has two kids, 2-year-old daughter Sam and 1-year-old son Charlie.

Rumors are swirling about Woods' return to the golf course as well, perhaps as soon as next weekend.

Santa Monica Sushi Restaurant Charged with Illegally Selling Whale Meat

Source: LA Times - The eatery admits the wrongdoing, its attorney says. Federal agents and animal activists cooperated in a video sting orchestrated by a producer of the Oscar-winning documentary 'The Cove.'

Federal prosecutors Wednesday filed criminal charges against a Santa Monica sushi restaurant and one of its chefs, alleging they had sold meat from an endangered whale.

The Hump, a hip hangout at Santa Monica Airport, immediately said through attorney Gary Lincenberg that it accepted "responsibility for the wrongdoing charged by the U.S. attorney" and would pay a fine and resolve the matter in court.

Named in the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, were Typhoon Restaurant Inc., owner of the Hump, and chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, of Culver City.

The illegal sale of a marine mammal product is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for an organization, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

The Hump came under fire after allegations surfaced in Tuesday's New York Times that it had served meat from an endangered sei whale, possibly straight from the trunk of a white Mercedes-Benz.

To provide evidence, federal agents and animal activists had cooperated in a video sting orchestrated by the associate producer of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."

"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," U.S. Atty. André Birotte Jr. wrote in a news release.

The revelations rattled the extensive "green" community in Santa Monica, which prides itself on its environmental and animal-rights credentials as well as its many foodie-rated restaurants.

Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, said he was shocked by the idea that a local restaurant would serve slices of endangered whale under the noses of so many environmentalists.

"This is something I never thought would happen in Santa Monica, less than two miles from . . . the offices of Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper and the NRDC [Natural Resources Defense Council]," he said.

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to sell any kind of whale meat in the United States, and sei are listed as endangered. Sei whales are the third-largest baleen whale, behind the blue and finback whales.

At a City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilman Kevin McKeown -- a vegetarian -- asked the city attorney's office to investigate whether a violation of the law would be grounds for revoking the Hump's business license.

Santa Monica Councilman Richard Bloom, chairman of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and a recent appointee to the California Coastal Commission, said the city "will do everything in our power to make sure the situation is corrected and never happens again."

As it happens, the Hump (a slang aviation term referring to the Himalayas) and an adjacent eatery, Typhoon, are in lease negotiations with the city of Santa Monica. That process had begun before the whale meat issue came to light.

Regardless of how the federal case proceeds, "they have a separate legal obligation with the city," said spokeswoman Kate Vernez. "We will evaluate it and will take into account this news."

Zoli Ignite Teglas, who sings with the band Pennywise and is the music and outreach coordinator for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a marine wildlife conservation group, said in an interview that he got a tip the Hump was serving whale meat and alerted Charles Hambleton, associate producer of "The Cove."

Teglas said they enlisted two female animal activists -- both vegans -- and used a tiny video camera to record them as they were served a $600 omakase, or chef's choice, meal at the Hump. The two activists asked whether they could get whale meat, and a waitress then served eight pieces of what she called "whale," according to an affidavit provided by the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.

The activists bagged samples of the meat and slipped them into a purse. The samples were sent to Scott Baker, associate director of the highly regarded Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University. Baker determined that the meat was sei whale.

Armed with a search warrant, federal officials entered the restaurant Friday night to search for evidence. The investigation was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"The first thing I would want to know is where the whale meat came from," said Councilman Bloom, adding that he expects the restaurant to issue "a sincere, unequivocal apology."

It's Time to Spring Forward Again

Source: AP - "Good evening sunshine, America says hello, you light up our evenings, we light charcoal below.

That right folks, it's time to fire up the old grill, Daylight-saving time is returning with that extra hour of sunshine after work.

The official moment is 2 a.m. local time Sunday, though most people will set their clocks ahead by one hour before they hit the sack on Saturday night.

A few will forget — they're the ones you'll see arriving at church when everybody else is leaving.

Daylight-saving time ends Nov. 7."

Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing?

Source: CBS - Looking for change, but not quite ready for a revolution? Disappointed in President Obama and Congress, but not ready to turn your back on Washington? Prefer a double, non-foam latte over a cup of Earl Grey? The Coffee Party might be for you.

Months after the Tea Party erupted onto the national scene at health care town halls, an alternative, more pro-government group of citizens is emerging to say they're angry, too -- they just want less yelling and more talking.

Just as the Tea Party organized to remind the Republican Party what its conservative base stands for, the Coffee Party movement is organizing to represent citizens who believe in government solutions for national problems but aren't necessarily enthralled with Democratic leadership. After gaining steam online over the past few months, the Coffee Party is launching its first national event this Saturday: National Coffee Party Day.

What is the Coffee Party, and How Did it Start?

The Coffee Party is a loosely organized movement that has yet to adopt a platform -- but it has a message that its members feel is resonating across the country.

It started with a Facebook note from Annabel Park, a documentary filmmaker from the Washington area, who felt like venting about the Tea Party. She was inundated with feedback from people who agreed that the Tea Party did not represent the America they knew. The sentiment snowballed into a Web site that attracted 170,000 visitors in its first week and Facebook page that as of Friday morning, had more than 110,000 fans -- just beating out the number fans of the Tea Party Patriots page.

Park explains the movement in an introductory video on the Web site: "We object to obstructionism and extreme political tactics that are, I think, are fear based, not reality based and in many ways just deliberate misinformation," she says. "So we're organizing. We want people to understand that we're voters... We need everyone engaged in the political process. That is the only way our government can function, as an expression of our collective will."

The Coffee Party is about open discussion and deliberation for the purpose of solving common problems. The group welcomes everyone and embraces diversity -- ethnic, geographical and even political diversity. There's one caveat Park gives in her opening statement: "If you don't believe the government has any role, than yeah, you should join the Tea Party."

What's Going on Saturday?

This Saturday, local Coffee Party organizers will hold more than 350 meetings, in nearly every state, for the Coffee Party National Kick Off. National organizers are encouraging local leaders to convene groups of no more than eight people at a local coffee shop to discuss the issues that matter to them.

"We just wanted to find a way to make it fun and bring back that feeling of civic pride that pretty much all Americans had in 2008," Eric Byler, one of the leaders of the national Coffee Party, told Hotsheet. "What I saw was people who were really, really proud to get a chance to vote for John McCain -- after eight years, to vote for a war hero -- and people proud to vote for the first 21st-century, multi-ethnic, citizen of the world candidate. I felt so good about our democracy in 2008... we're just trying to bring people back in."

The groups on Saturday will be encouraged to come to a consensus about what issues matter to them the most. Each group will take a picture at the coffee shop with a sign that reads "coffee and..." with the issue of their choice. National Coffee Party organizers will collect the pictures on their Flikr account to create an "issues mosaic."

Shouldn't Voters Seeking Government Solutions be Happy with Washington Right Now?

The issues likely to come up at Saturday's meetings could very well arise at a Tea Party meeting.

"We want jobs with decent pay for all Americans," the Coffee Party declares on its Facebook page. "We want affordable health care and education. We want our government to cut wasteful spending and practice fiscal discipline. We want regulation of Wall Street to protect consumers and promotion of financial literacy."

The coffee partiers share a lot of the same grievances as tea partiers -- even though they are much more likely to have voted for President Obama.

But the recession hit everyone, explains Frances Lappe, a best-selling author and follower of the Coffee Party movement. Liberals and conservatives alike are hurt by a government that caters more to special interests than its citizens, she said, especially in a time of economic hardship.

Lappe is releasing a second edition of her book "Getting a Grip," which explores the process of creating a "living democracy." The aftermath of the 2008 election compelled Lappe to update her book, which was written during the Bush era.

"I, too, was in some way lulled into the idea that a change at the very top could bring about the kind of systemic, cultural change I believe is very necessary," Lappe told Hotsheet. "Clearly, changing the president is not going to do it. In a way, the disappointment that many have felt is the greatest gift Obama has given us -- to disabuse us of the notion there is a quick fix."

Nothing will change, Lappe says, until power is no longer concentrated in the hands of the few and the wealthy.

Michael Jackson's Custom Furniture Up for Sale

Source: Yahoo (LOS ANGELES) – The 22 pieces of custom-made furniture Michael Jackson commissioned for his London home are going on the auction block.

Darren Julien of Julien's Auctions says a gilded red velvet sofa that seats nine, a leopard-print chair trimmed with ostrich feathers and a pair of velvet armchairs embroidered with gold eagles are among the offerings.

Jackson intended to use the furnishings during his "This Is It" comeback concert run in London.

Fans can visit a re-creation of the home at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood casino from June 14 to June 25 before the items are sold at auction.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit two charities: MusiCares, which provides health care and other services for struggling musicians, and Joshua's Heart, which aims to end world hunger.

The Religion of Avatar - It Was Born in Piedmont, Italy?

Ok, so Avatar didn't sweep the Oscars, well I thought I could share one more interesting article on one of the most powerful films in history.

Source: Damanhur by Massimo Introvigne - A Turin based sociologist, director and one of the founder of the Center for the Study of New Religions. CESNUR also studies contemporary communal and spiritual movements, and their impact on social life.

This article has been published on two major Italian newspapers on January 30th and 31st, and is also avalible on the CESNUR website.

James Cameron's film Avatar combines an incredible technology, that can be only appreciated in 3D on the big screen and that can truly bring back to the cinema all those who feed only on Internet and tv, with an all-in-all very simple plot and a debatable ideology. The Na'vi, the peaceful inhabitants of the planet Pandora attacked by earthly mercenaries hired by a multinational, are in fact an obvious metaphor for all of those who are 'different': and the message is that those who are 'different' are always and in any case better than us. If it were only of a criticism of  what Giulio Tremonti calls the 'turbo-capitalism' of multinationals - including its scarce respect for cultures and the environment - there would be nothing to object. But the fact is - as many Christian critics in the United States have noticed - that the moral superiority of the Na'vi is derived from their religion, which the spectator is brought to admire and share.

The film teaches that this religion is superior to those of the earthlings, because it unites rather than dividing, because it is monistic rather than dualistic. It does not distinguish between Creator and creatures, and it venerates Eywa, the Mother or the All, a sort of collective mind of the universe that reveals it to be an extremely dense network of interconnections. Everything is connected with everything else, and the Na'vi shamans perform miracles, including healings, because they are able to penetrate these lines of connection and enter into attunement with Eywa. The classic name for this religion - not used in Cameron's film - is pantheism: but this is a pantheism revisited with an  ecological and New Age flavour. The reference to New Age is obvious, and it is more convincing than the hypothesis that the Na'vi's religion is a slightly modified variation of Hinduism - a comment that made the front pages of Indian daily newspapers. The expression "New Age," nevertheless, indicates a genre and not a species. There are very many  New Age groups, and there is quite a lot of diversity among them.

Those who are familiar with this world, when confronted by Avatar can't help but notice that the New Age group that comes closest to the Na'vi’s way of thinking is not in the United States, but in Italy, in the province of Turin. It's Damanhur, the "Aquarian" center founded in 1976 in Valchiusella by Oberto Airaudi, a place that is famous for its great underground temple. Despite how much its 'citizens' - as they prefer to call themselves - dislike this label, Damanhur represents the largest New Age community in the world. The hypothesis that Cameron could have been inspired by Damanhur is not so far-fetched. Books and videos about Damanhur in English are very common in the American New Age circuit, and the story of the underground temple that the community, quite incredibly, succeeded in keeping secret until 1992 has fascinated even large newspapers. The similarities are astonishing. Like the underground temple of Damanhur, the center of power and spirituality of the Na'vi is hidden: inside an enormous tree.

Like the Damanhurians, the Na'vi have their sacred language, and the use of it, both in Cameron's film and at Damanhur in Valchiusella, helps to indicate the difference with those who are not part of the community. Both the Na'vi and the Damanhurian citizens emphasize the value of being part of a 'people', a belonging that is not only ethnic but initiatic, and - as the protagonist of the film himself demonstrates - voluntary. The Damanhurians greet each other, recognizing the deep communion that exists between them, with the words, "Con te” (With you), not with the usual "buongiorno”.The Na'vi do the same by saying "I see you." At Damanhur, every member of the community establishes a special - bilateral - connection with an animal, taking on its name. Amongst the Na'vi, every warrior becomes one by choosing a winged animal to ride, and by being chosen by it at the same time.

The Damanhurian citizen, writes the founder Airaudi, becomes "a drop that is conscious of oneself and of all the other drops forming the sea of Being." The Na'vi would agree. Both the Na'vi and the Damanhurians believe pantheistically in a great All, where each manifestation of nature and life is in connection with all the rest. Like the Na'vi, the Damanhurians attempt to interact with these connections – also by using special symbols – obtaining results, or so they say, even therapeutic ones. One can understand - in the United States and elsewhere - the diffidence of the Church and the Christian community, for which pantheism and the negation of the ontological difference between the Creator and the creation are centuries-old enemies, now returning with the New Age. But until now, there haven’t been very many people who have seen the origin of this new Hollywood religion very close to us, in Valchiusella.

A-listers, Olympians Mingle at Oscar After-parties

Source: Daily News - With his shaggy red hair, black leather jacket and skin-tight American flag-printed jeans, Olympic gold medalist Shaun White upstaged even glam Oscar winner Sandra Bullock at a pack of parties around town following the Academy Awards.

The snowboarder was one of a group of Olympic athletes who mingled with A-listers at the parties Sunday, sometimes eliciting "oohs" and "ahhs" from the movie stars themselves.

At Vanity Fair's bash at West Hollywood's Sunset Tower Hotel, a string of celebrities, including Lenny Kravitz and Jon Voight, sought out White. Even Olympic-winning speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who wore a sleek tux, looked happy to meet White.

Vanity Fair was steeped in a sea of nominees and winners. Vases of white, pink and

yellow orchids decorated the room, along with bowls of red apples stenciled with "VF."

By the time Sandra Bullock showed up, gripping her best-actress Oscar statuette and mugging for photographers with her husband, Jesse James, the party was in full swing, and White and his crew had left for another bash.

Others attending the party included best-actress nominee Carey Mulligan, who giggled with friends in a corner. Oscar co-host Alec Baldwin joked with Sean Penn. Hilary Swank and Tim Robbins ate burgers from In-N-Out Burger that were served by waiters dressed in the chain's uniform. And best-director nominee Quentin Tarantino, wearing a black knit cap, leather jacket and sneakers, made a beeline for the bar after arriving at 11:45 p.m.

Jennifer Lopez and her husband, Marc Anthony, made a grand entrance, accepting handshakes left and right. Sean "Diddy" Combs laughed with Marlon and Shawn Wayans. Robert Downey Jr., wearing a blue bow tie and tinted glasses, talked with Natalie Portman. Zac Efron, Taylor Lautner and the Jonas Brothers yielded high-pitched shrieks from fans gathered on the sidewalk outside the hotel.

"Great job tonight," said Julianne Moore, winking to Oscar co-host Steve Martin. Earlier, Moore and her "A Single Man" co-star Colin Firth, a best-actor nominee, held court on a patio outside.

Nearby, at Elton John's 18th-annual viewing dinner and after-party at the Pacific Design Center's tented courtyard, Kelly Osbourne stayed close to fashion-savvy figure skater Johnny Weir most of the night. Read more at the LA Daily News.

Holding Love for Corey Haim and Family

Source: Reuters - Corey Haim, a Hollywood teen star of the 1980s who became as famous for his struggles with substance abuse as his acting, died in Los Angeles of an apparent drug overdose, U.S. media reports said Wednesday. He was 38. In the 1980s, the Canadian-born Haim starred in "Lucas," alongside Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder, and "The Lost Boys," with Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and Corey Feldman, as well as "License to Drive," also with Feldman. He became known for his on-screen partnership and off-screen friendship with Feldman, another teen star, and they often were called "The Two Coreys." Both struggled with drug abuse. The pair starred in a reality TV series on American cable television in the 2000s. According to media reports from Los Angeles, Haim was found unresponsive in his apartment and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Los Angeles police said the death was the result of an apparent drug overdose, the reports said.