“Dear father, I pray that you would bless and protect Britney Spears wherever she may be. May you lead her back into a right relationship with you. And help her to remember that you are the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and she needs no other.” This was my prayer one Sunday morning.…

I’ve already ranted twice about the latest horrifying New Age get-rich quick craze–“The Secret.” But according to Peter Birkenhead of Salon.com, I’m not alone in feeling there is still more to reckon with as this book’s popularity rises and reveals some of the “secrets” of people who buy it and endorse its ideas. Like Oprah…

I had heard of Tao restaurant and nightclub in its New York City setting, so why should I have been surprised to see it in Las Vegas as well? Situated in the sumptuous Venetian hotel, Tao has two prominent advertising campaigns around town. One carries the, ahem, “sensual” promise, “Always a Happy Ending.” The other,…

How much would you pay for a 16-ounce pouch of dirt from Israel? Five hundred dollars? Fifty? No, no, silly. Try 20 bucks. That’s right. For only about twice the price of a one-pound bag of Starbucks’ Sumatran extra bold, you can now own a bag of “100% genuine Israeli Soil,” thanks to a company…

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