I just do not understand the media's fascination with Jonathon "Publicity Seeker" Sharkey, the preseidential candidate with all the election prospects of wet cheese, is once again a media spectacle. The self-described vampire became a media darling in the last election by proposing to "spike" his enemies, Vlad Tepes-style.* Now, he's got his very own documentary. Won't someone please put a stake in this guy?

Then there's this guy.. Kevin Carlyon is another tireless publicity speaker, the bane of English witches, who can be counted on to make weekly threats of spell-casting on some public event or another. His manufactured outrage this time is over plans to build a Loch Ness monster out of balloons. Carlyon, who insists the balloons will damage the environment, threatens to bring down a hurricane. The press dutifully gives Kevin what he seeks, although his previous seventy-eight threats proved just as empty. What's even funnier is that the event organizers seem to feel they need to defend themselves from this crackpot.

Scientology News & Rumors

When it rains, it pours- especially, it seems, when it comes to Scientology stories. The first, from Australia, is very odd indeed. A young woman on trial for murdering her family is arguing in her defense that her Scientologist parents refused her necessary psychiatric medications. Oddly, the Australian Church of Scientology has asked for-and received- a copy of her confidential psychiatric record, a privilege denied reporters.

Then there are the reports that Tom Cruise is building an alien-proof bunker in his backyard, which just proves you can make some reporters believe anything.

More believable is the report that a Chicago dentist may have coerced his employees into unwilling participation in Scientology exercises. (video link; be sure to see the lengthy comment thread with remarks from former employees.)

The Devil Made Them Do it: Religious Discrimination

A guantanamo Prison chaplain who was imprisoned for speaking against abuses tells some gruesome tales of prisoner mistreatment, including forced participation in pseudo-Satanic ceremonies.

An American soldier in Iraq claims he was threatened with criminal charges for holding meetings for non-Christian soldiers, and claims he is being singled out for harassment for suing. "Harassment," as the article so delicately labels it, includes threats of "friendly fire" and worse.

A community college instructor claims he was fired for denying the literal truth of bible stories.

Goth students in Florida are challenging their school's ban on gothic fashion, but it may be stretching things to claim that makeup is a vital aspect of one's Wiccan religion.

A hospital chaplain claims she was fired for objecting to a Gideon bible giveaway.

Speaking of the real impaler, looks like castle Dracul will not be sold after all.