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Pilgrimages have been argued to be ‘journeys redolent with meaning’ (Digance 2006). Celebrities, those noted for their fame, have a gravitas, credibility, and power of association an unknown person does not possess, and status and functions that are arguably religiously equivalent. It is thus no surprise that celebrities are also used to promote tourist destinations. Similarly, the fame and attributed worth of celebrities results in their status in some fans’ eyes becoming similar to saints or holy people. Celebrity has been said to be an equivalent of religion in the modern world. Indeed, a famous person, or the sites associated with their life, can become destinations for pilgrimages in themselves at which the pilgrim-fans gain an experience of what Victor Turner termed ‘the Centre’. Sites such as Elvis Presley’s home Graceland, the graves of celebrities, their current residences, and even events they attend all become sites of celebrity pilgrimage. This study combines theories from the sociology of celebrity and religion, psychological studies of celebrity worship, and leisure involvement theory to explain this process. These are combined with theories from pilgrimage and tourism studies concerned with the dynamics of site popularity, and ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors as a method of thinking through the issues of ‘celebrity pilgrimage’. It argues that celebrities both push and pull fans towards them in ways that are functionally pilgrimage.

Pilgrimages have been argued to be ‘journeys redolent with meaning’ (Digance 2006). Celebrities, those noted for their fame, have a gravitas, credibility, and power of association an unknown person does not possess, and status and functions that are arguably religiously equivalent. It is thus no surprise that celebrities are also used to promote tourist destinations. Similarly, the fame and attributed worth of celebrities results in their status in some fans’ eyes becoming similar to saints or holy people. Celebrity has been said to be an equivalent of religion in the modern world. Indeed, a famous person, or the sites associated with their life, can become destinations for pilgrimages in themselves at which the pilgrim-fans gain an experience of what Victor Turner termed ‘the Centre’. Sites such as Elvis Presley’s home Graceland, the graves of celebrities, their current residences, and even events they attend all become sites of celebrity pilgrimage. This study combines theories from the sociology of celebrity and religion, psychological studies of celebrity worship, and leisure involvement theory to explain this process. These are combined with theories from pilgrimage and tourism studies concerned with the dynamics of site popularity, and ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors as a method of thinking through the issues of ‘celebrity pilgrimage’. It argues that celebrities both push and pull fans towards them in ways that are functionally pilgrimage.

Great Freedom is new socio-religious movement centring on the teachings of American Candice O’Denver. It teaches that Awareness – the space of individual existence observable between thoughts and emotional responses – is the true location of individual identity for all human beings, and the beginning point for acceptance of the self. The group, which was founded in 2003, conducts meetings and short courses at which the teachings are promoted and described in detail. The group’s website (www.greatfreedom.org) also hosts many written publications, audio, and video teachings free to the public. The core of the Great Freedom teaching revolves around the explanation that the human condition is one of frustration, angst, and constant searching for psychological and emotional relief, though not because such things have become ‘uncoupled’ or ‘free floating’. Instead, Great Freedom argues that these sensations arise in the face of a lack of knowledge about the permanent comfort available in Awareness. Modern life is understood to have become saturated and overly self-improvement oriented, implying that happiness and wellbeing are states to be searched for. The realisation of the nature of Awareness is believed by the group to bring psychological relief. This belief is examined in light of David Lyon’s (2000) argument of a shift in the parameters of religious thinking and engagement towards ‘secularised’, individuated, and highly subjective modes, and that modern religiosity is bricolage in response to the postmodern fragmentation of identity. Following from this, Great Freedom is read as a response to an understanding that modern life is highly saturated, in Kenneth Gergen’s (1991) sense, and, as Anthony Giddens’ (1991) notion of a ‘project of the self’ intimates, overly self-improvement oriented.

The Older American Act of 1965 and its amendments have created problems of crisis proportions at the local level for Area Agencies on Aging, the substate planning bodies. While the legislative strategy is based on a rational planning goal model, the nonrational behavior of organizations and communities dictate the need for a more flexible model. This article discusses some crucial issues that must be resolved before effective planning can take place at the national, state, or local level. Based on the literature and the author's practice experience, a social systems model is offered as a remedy for many of the problems faced in the installation of an effective planning process in these Area Agencies.

This case report of a myxoid chondrosarcoma of the oscalcis is presented because of its rarity. The clinical, roentgenographic, and pathological features are discussed, and the difficulty in diagnosis is elaborated

This paper presents and analyzes a model for managing interethnic and cultural conflict using as a case study an Arab/Jewish dialogue group. The social worker, as facilitator, develops the model by consolidating two other models used for managing labor disputes and national border disputes. The case study traces the 5 year history of the dialogue group and suggests that broader usage in anticipating interethnic conflict arising from demographic changes taking place in the environment.

Paget’s disease is a relatively common skeletal disorder that affects older individuals. Although its causes are unknown, it is characterized by abnormal remodeling and a high rate of bone turnover that determines its pathologic, radiologic, and biochemical findings. The findings in the three phases of Paget’s disease are described.

Noga Collins-Kreiner, Nurit Kliot, Yoel Mansfeld and Keren Sagi, Christian Tourism to the Holy Land: Pilgrimage During Security Crisis. Ashgate, Aldershot, 2006, pp. xiv + 200. ISBN 075464703X (hbk)

A rare case of congenital absence of a pedicle in the thoracic spine is presented. The merit of prompt confirmation of the diagnosis by computed tomography is discussed.

THE ACCURACY in detecting tumor metastasis to lymph nodes by lymphography has clearly established limitations. After the initial wave of enthusiasm regarding patterns of lymph node opacification in specific disease entities, investigators in the field have developed more sober outlooks for the diagnostic value of lymphography. Our accumulated knowledge is pointing up less reliance on diagnosis of specific disease except for the group of lymphomas which demonstrate with reasonable frequency the "lacy" or "foamy" pattern of lymph node opacification.The "moth-eaten" pattern of metastatic embolic carcinomatosis to lymph nodes has been an inconsistent finding in our experience, often seen in incomplete opacification from low-volume injections into intralymphatic channels. Fischer et al1 have likewise revealed radiolucencies in normal contrast medium-filled nodes, so that a filling defect cannot be unequivocally accepted as evidence of metastasis. They showed photographs of lymph nodes in eight individuals of a group of 38 normal males

Graham St John (ed.), Victor Turner and Contemporary Cultural Performance. New York and Oxford, Berghahn Books, 2008, pp. 368, ISBN 978-1-84545-462-3 (Hbk).