The sociologist Jean Baudrillard suggests that the 'Cult of Celebrity' is part of a larger trend towards living in the 'ecstasy of communication'.

We are bombarded by a succession of surface images in the media that do not connect with reality.

As a result, the distinction between what is real and what is imaginary disintegrates. In effect, the beauty portrayed in images of celebrities becomes 'more real than real' in our consumer culture.

This is echoed by the cultural critic John Fiske when he writes that 'fantasy can be as 'real' an experience as any other.'

Daniel Boorstin, a social critic writing in 1961, similarly identified false appearances in contemporary culture. He argued that celebrities are counterfeit people whose identities are staged and scripted to create an illusion of reality.

We aspire to resemble images of celebrities despite awareness of their unreality.   more »

Just walk down any toy aisle in the US and you will be overwhelmed with a number of lethal toys.

No, I am not talking about the millions of hazardous Chinese-made toys being recalled because of their toxicity in the lead paint or magnets that can be swallowed by children.

Instead, the toys I mention in this article are emotionally and psychologically deadly. They have long-term effects and, as you read, keep in mind that they are advertised for age five and up.

For a few dollars you can purchase a Black Ops GI Joe with the code name Shock War. The camouflaged box says, "His expertise is urban combat and night operations."   more »

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.

Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government, which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.

If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it. - Edward Bernays, 1928   more »

Markets are ruled by fear and greed, they say, but those two ingredients are not the whole recipe: ideas play a part, too. And, as all bankers worth their Blackberry know, the current big idea is the "Minsky moment".

Named after the economist Hyman Minsky, the phrase describes a situation where investors who have borrowed too much are forced to sell even good assets to pay back their loans.

Bathwater; baby; even the bathtub: all appear expendable in crisis-hit markets where credit is scarce, and central banks have to intervene.

That scenario applies right now, prompting a craze among investors for quoting the American economist. Minsky has himself missed his big moment, since he died in 1996 - which just goes to prove that, however good their ideas, economists are terrible at timing.   more »

Anti-abortion advocates want pregnancy to start at the unknown moment sperm and egg meet: fertilization.

They’d also like you to believe, despite evidence to the contrary, that the birth control pill prevents that fertilized egg from implanting in the womb.

Mr. Romney’s code, deciphered, meant, “I, like you, hope to reclassify the most commonly used forms of contraceptives as abortions.”

In fact, he told the crowd, he already had some practice redefining contraception: “I vetoed a so-called emergency contraception bill that gave young girls abortive drugs without prescription or parental consent.”

No matter that emergency contraception has the same mode of action as the birth control pill and every other hormonal method of birth control.   more »