Tom Cruise absence from the rich list

Matthew Perry, Halle Berry and Mike Myers have made their way onto
Hollywood’s most important annual rich list for the first time – but Tom Cruise is nowhere to be seen for the second straight year.

The movie trio all make it into the top 30 of Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100, while Cruise – a former favorite – fails to feature because he took no salary for his latest film, The Last Samurai.

I don’t understand, the guy took home $ 71.6 million, more than any other star. So why didn’t he make the list…and Britney spears end up at number 1?

On with the news, Washington News reports that Tom Cruise slipped into town this week for private meetings with senior Bush
administration officials at the Department of Education and the White House.

On Thursday, Education Secretary Rod Paige hosted a lunch for Cruise — a conspicuous supporter of Bill Clinton before President Bush took office — so the actor could gab with education officials in the secretary’s
dining room.

“He wanted to learn more about the president’s ‘no child left behind’ program,’ Education Undersecretary Eugene Hickok told us yesterday. “He was impressed at how serious it is, and said that anything he could do to
help he would do. He also talked about his own challenges as a child trying to learn to read.” Hickock added: “We’re willing to talk to anyone interested in the issue. I don’t think I’m star-struck.” But we hear that on Fridayat the White House, where Cruise lobbied officials on Scientology-related issues, there were plenty of young female staffers standing around, hoping to bump into him in the corridors of power.

Tom’s horse for auction
The horse ridden by Tom Cruise’s stunt double in The Last Samurai attracted the top bid at a movie auction on Saturday.

More than $4000 was paid for the five-year-old gelding, named Peter.The buyer, from Northland, will be using the horse for recreational hunting.At least 500 people turned up at the Onaero property, which had been
leased by The Last Samurai production company, to either bid on one of 30 station-bred horses, or watch the auction.

Speaking of horses, hey, this horse is named Tom Cruise. LOL

A huge thanks to Teresa for all the news!!!