Didn't Seinfeld Already Do This? industry.bnet.com "The ads have been running on cable TV, but if you were hoping that they explained what Scientology is about, you’ll be disappointed. The ads are so bafflingly vague that they’re almost entirely about nothing.
Well we here at ODIT are pleased to revive our Scientology ads, and they tell quite a bit what you'd be getting involved in, if you were to join.
This little blurb sums it up nicely: " What i got out of that article was exactly the same as scratching my butt, when it wasn't itchy".
And this from Gregg (mentioned in the article): "I not only got him most of the real story, and got him in contact with others who could fill in the holes. I also got an early copy and talked on the phone with their fact checkers a ton. And they still got nearly everything I said wrong. And from what the fact checker said it seemed on purpose. Even something stupid like the '500 feet', should be 300. I corrected them twice on that one. Still printed 500."
And, yes, there's a fair sampling of trolling in the threads, but that's chanology, remember? From anonymous (of course): "Does the truth hurt? Scientology is still going strong and recruiting new members every day. Meanwhile, Anonymous has shown itself to be a bunch of pussies who are afraid to take on anything substantial. ".
But this thread entryreally sums it up, and puts a bow on it: "I'm not even sure if Anonymous could pin down the phenomena of Anonymous."
Intel Inside Homer : Kent Brockman narrates commercial for Intel's Pentium II, starring Homer J Simpson. Some would think Wired has just got up to this speed.
Broadcasting from the Great White North WWP announced a podcast from student runCiTR 101.9 FM ,broadcasting voice of the University of British Columbia (UBC), titled: RadioFreeThinker - Cult of Scientology Special. This broadcast, hosted by Rob Teszka, Don Mclenaghen, and Ethan (unknown), consists of the following:
We had a special guest in the studio: Gerry Armstrong, a former Scientologist who found out unpublicized facts about L Ron Hubbard and the Church from the inside, and fled. Since then he’s been harassed and persecuted by the cult, and has been an outspoken critic of its activites. You can find out more about Gerry on his website and this Wikipedia article, and you can listen to the episode here (below).
I got in touch with Gerry through the local members of Anonymous – those internet people that protest Scientology with Guy Fawkes masks and funny posters - though in our town they call themselves Vanonymous.
The full Vanon interview are uploaded to Rapidshare here: part 1 & part 2. Other FreeThinker podcasts available at Feedburner.
UBC Radio Freethinker podcast: The Cult of Scientology [32 min] To avoid rickroll, jump to 3:05 on video.
Gerry Armstrong: On What Hubbard Was Really Like More mini interviews with Gerry Armstrong at RuTube.
Getting Back Up To Speed ... From the nytimes.com article: New French Law Blocks Scientology Dissolution, "A new French law means the Church of Scientology cannot be dissolved in France even if it is convicted of fraud, it has emerged during a trial of the organization.
A prosecutor has recommended that a Paris court dissolve the church's French branch, which has been charged with fraud after complaints by former members who say they gave huge sums to the church for spiritual classes and 'purification packs'.
Whatever the ruling, under a legislative reform passed just before the start of the trial in May, it is no longer possible to punish a fraudulent organization with dissolution".
Paging Inspector Clueso To The White Courtesy Phone Thanks to all the translation efforts at WWP, it seems the French have a big FAT red flag waving in the ongoing prosecution of Scientology case.
• 1) Somehow, miraculously, the disappearance of the sentence of dissolution for legal entities in fraud cases (simplification and clarification of the law, adopted May 12) went unnoticed being buried in text was dense and very long. But by it missing, the law contained changes of pure form without altering anything, and on the other hand, it introduced very important and substantial changes.
• 2) They can't seem to nail down exactly who made those changes because it went through so many drafts. Adopted two weeks before the trial at which the Church of Scientology risked the penalty of dissolution, this provision went unnoticed. Despite the numerous exchanges between parliamentarians and representatives of the Ministry of Justice, no questions were ever raised about the article.
What Are The Odds? This isn't the first time Scientology has got a BIG BREAK in an ongoing prosecution of their group in France.
In 1999,[almost 10 years to the day] seven Scientologists are accused of fraud. They are alleged to have demanded outrageous prices for "purification cures" and other services. [Sound familiar?]
The defense pled to suspend the process because essential evidence was missing. The written material, according to Justice Ministry statements, had been mistakenly destroyed after an initial process against the Scientologists had been suspended in 1995 because of administrative errors. Records for the proceedings are missing. How they disappeared is unexplained. [see video below]
Get out of jail-free-card. Twice. I'd love to see the odds a Vegas bookie would give on this happening twice in one century, to the same group, up on essentially the same charges, in the same country.
Scientology - Above the Law? French TV documentary which was dubbed into English by an Australian TV network. Among things covered is a court case in which documents were stolen from the French courts by Scientologists. An excellent look into the cult and some of its criminal and subversive tactics.
At beliefnet.com, they rundown the list of famous Scientology celebs, but to see some of these in the early years (before the TOMKAT era rolled in), here's a blast from the past: A&E 1998: This documentary, part of the Investigative Reports series from the Arts and Entertainment Cable Network (A&E), goes behind-the-scenes of the Church of Scientology, founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
Narrated by Investigative Reports host and producer Bill Kurtis, this video looks at the history of this controversial church and analyzes its role in the public eye.
There are interviews with both insiders of the Church who strongly support its works and practices and also anti-Scientologists who claim the organization is nothing more than a media-hungry cult.
The lawsuit over a Time magazine cover story on Scientology and the targeting of the author of the book Bare Face Messiah are also covered in this episode.
A&E "Investigative Reports" Scientology [12 parts, 2:00 hr] link to playlist if any parts fail to forward to the next
WISE: World Institute of Scientology Enterprises equals FRAUD In the world of front groups, it's not surprising to find Scientology has a few, and here's an interview with a chiropractor that was involved with one of them. Video summary: Mark Bunker interviews a husband and wife, who went from banking $5,000 a month -- to bankruptcy after being introduced to WISE, Hubbard and Scientology.
From Pt1, "...They were with a "practice management group", Singer Consultants, who were connected to the church of scientology via WISE. They were licensed to utilize l ron hubbard's teachings. It wasn't covert, but very subtle. At one time it seemed that they were "pushing" it, then they backed off. So it grew from being a business consulting arrangement, to being more of a personal improvement with the church of scientology. There's always another service, once you reach one level, there's always another one they're promoting..."
'WISE'ing Up To Scientology's Front Group Fraud Parts 1-5 [34:30] 4/1/01 - A chiropractor and his wife describe how Scientology lured them in through management courses and ultimately harmed their business and their lives by sending them into bankruptcy.
Super Power Building Racking Up Some Super Fines TampaBay Online: Clearwater is so strapped for cash that city leaders have eliminated 86 jobs, cut library hours, and raised the property tax rate. Parks and recreation workers even stopped flying the American flag for a few days over 13 city landmarks to save a few bucks.
But one step city managers have not taken to make ends meet is to force city code violators, including the Church of Scientology, to pay the $3.4 million in fines they owe.
Construction began in 1999 and stopped in 2004 on the church's 380,000-square-foot Mecca Building [or better known as the Super Power Building] at 215 St. Ft. Harrison. Two years later, the city's municipal code enforcement board began assessing fines because the church was out of compliance with a permit that required active construction to finish the exterior shell.
The debt has been growing at a rate of $250 a day since June 26, 2006, according to city records.
But like the other code enforcement liens recorded in official records, no one is trying to collect this debt. City policy is to refrain from pursuing construction permit fines until the permit comes back into compliance, which hasn't happened.
The city even granted the church two new construction permits this year without resolving the fine over the first one. "They owe the money in question," said Mayor Frank Hibbard. "The question is what will they owe in total by the time they actually come into compliance."
Hibbard said he expects the church to complete work on the Mecca building's exterior within four to six weeks, at which time he says the church will formally come into compliance and the fines will become due. "They have a right to go to the code enforcement board and ask for a reduction in those fines." Hibbard said. "Our guidance to the code enforcement board is they need to be paid in full."
Hibbard said he and City Manager Bill Horne held a private meeting with Scientology's board Chairman David Miscavige about a year and a half ago and told him the fines are not negotiable. "I've made that known to their leadership that we expect those fines to be paid in full," Hibbard said.
Church spokesman Peter Mansell did not confirm the amount but said the church does intend to settle matters with the city eventually.
⇒
Update:
From leavingscientology's blog: $142,760,000 collected for $90,000,000 building? ...Collecting money for one thing and then spending it on another could be called many things. Fraud is one of them. The Church provides no transparency or accountability for the monies donated by public. But let’s look at a few of the facts we do have access to:...
From WhyWeProtest: If you are a resident of Pinellas County (Clearwater, FL) you should call (727) 464-4761, ask to speak with the Code Enforcement Division (it's part of Dept of Environmental Mgmt). Tell them you are outraged they are collecting Code Violation fines from honest business owners, but not from the derelict Scientology Superpower bldg rotting downtown.
Eventually... Nothing New To Scientology In the FOX2 News video below,from Farmington Hills, MI, you can see how Scientology treats a contractor that it owes money too for work done on their air conditioning system. This's only a few hundred dollars, so you can just imagine how much David Miscavige is willing to part with $3.4 million.
The Bridge by Brett Hanover Was reminded of this forgotten docudrama on Scientology by a thread over at WWP. An excerpt of a write-up from imdb.com: "..."The Bridge" proves that in a good movie, minimalist and low budget doesn't have to equate tedious, black-and-white not pretentious, and movie-with-a-cause not over-zealous and overblown. It was shot in just five days, and still manages to be fresh, entertaining and right on the spot. It's one of those strangely sexy movies, one which makes you want to be a filmmaker yourself.
The colour-within-monochrome effect was very subtly done and well utilized (although nicked from Schindler's List). Not least, the script builds up an amazing amount of tension and momentum, and keeps it very well. Scientology is shown realistically, without tarnishing it as alien-satanist-brain-eater-cult, and still utterly creepy and insidious.
As an acted movie,"The Bridge" can show stuff a documentary couldn't, for example the auditing session at the beginning brings the viewer to the heart of that process. It far beats having that process explained and documented to you in every detail.
Scientology actually managed to get this movie totally banned, you can't see it at the cinema, rent it or buy it, only download it off the internet...", or watch it here. Would you like any Raisinets or Goobers with that popcorn?
The Bridge Playlist: 8 parts Runtime:69 min Release: 2006 Color: Color/Black and White Mix
Google's mystery UFO doodle finally explained? According to cnet.com...a mysterious doodle appeared on the Google home page. It showed an alien spacecraft making off with the second "O" in the word 'Google' Were we really expected to merely 'gogle' now? Didn't that sound uncomfortably close to 'ogling'?
Though there were no references to the Church of Scientology, Google's first pronouncement on the subject did not quell the concern. The questionably benign company declared: "We consider the second 'o' critical to user recognition of our brand and pronunciation of our name. We are actively looking into the mysterious tweet that has appeared on the Google twitter stream and the disappearance of the 'o' on the Google home page. We hope to have an update in the coming weeks..."
UNews has learned from a Google employee that wishes to remain anonymous, that the above cnet press release is just spin to cover-up the fact that Xenu, Scientology's dreaded galactic overlord, is none too pleased with the way Google has been heavily promoting Scientology through it's Adsense delivery system. He then had one of his Marcabian spies infiltrate Google's server base, abduct the 'O' and embed Xenu's calling card into their search engine icon.
To appease the galactic overlord, Google suspended several Scientology based channels on YouTube. They consisted of: RonSavelo, FreedomMagazineTV, scientologyTVshow, BusinessWiseTV, freedomMAGtv, HumanMindCourse and FreedomMagTVShow. In showing this good-faith gesture, Google hopes to save their virgin 'O' from any probing that abductees are reported to have to endure. As of this printing, there is no word on what Xenu's ransom demands will entail.
Most Scientologists wouldn't have thought this possible, because they still believe, according to their scriptures, that Xenu has been held in an electronic mountain trap powered by an eternal battery, from which he still has not escaped....or so they thought.
In August 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium gun-type device code-named "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and a plutonium implosion-type device code-named "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki, Japan, this was apparently enough to disrupt the electronic prison that he was sentenced to spend an eternity within.
Xenu first appeared during the 1947 Roswell incident as an unofficial member of the mop-up team and is rumored to have mothballed his DC-8 space fleet somewhere in the New Mexican desert. It's still unclear if he still has ties to the US's shadow government.
In the latest known video of Xenu from 2008, he can be seen reenacting the ancient Marcabian Resistance dance [below] in front of a Scientology center in Manchester, UK. He has not been heard from until this recent incident.
We all here at UNews send Google's 'O' our fondest wishes, and may this catastrophic event be solved in Xenu speed.
independent.ukMiyuki Hatoyama, wife of Japan's Prime Minister-elect, Yukio Hatoyama, is a lifestyle guru, a macrobiotics enthusiast, an author of cookery books, a retired actress, a divorcee, and a fearless clothes horse for garments of her own creation, including a skirt made from Hawaiian coffee sacks. But there is more, much more. She has traveled to the planet Venus. And she was once abducted by aliens.
The 62-year-old also knew Tom Cruise in a former incarnation – when he was Japanese – and is now looking forward to making a Hollywood movie with him.
"I believe he'd get it if I said to him, 'Long time no see', when we meet," she said in a recent interview. But it is her claim in a book entitled "Very Strange Things I've Encountered" that she was abducted by aliens while she slept one night 20 years ago, that has suddenly drawn attention following last Sunday's poll.
Well....I've got this to say about that. Sounds like she's ripe for Scientology Land. Better yet, I'll just let Craig Ferguson fill us in on the spacey news item . He pretty much says what I was going to say, but it sounds much funnier with a Scottish accent, lol ...
Craig Ferguson on Miyuki Hatoyama and Tom Cruise [starts @ 3:05]
The Vapors: Turning Japanese And this is the only way Tom Cruise could turn Japanese... if you know what I mean.
Scientology members talk about their religion on YouTube pr-inside.com : Church of Scientology YouTube Channel adds 10 new documentary video clips to its series of personal stories from Scientologists around the world.
In continuing with the Church of Scientology's program to expand its presence in the world's largest online video community, the first 50 "Meet a Scientologist" videos went live online on the official Church of Scientology YouTube Channel on August 18.
Why did they go hire actors to portray their church-goers when the web is filled with perfectly good examples of unscripted dialog uttered by actual members of their group? Why, because they're walking PR disasters. Here are a few prime examples, and be sure to check out their new ad at the base of this page.
Meet a Scientologist: George, OT8 Sea Org Member This is the short version, long version here.
Meet a Scientologist: Susan, Catering CEO
Meet a Scientologist: Mary, Crime Statistician
Pr-inside also adds The Church is also conducting a cross-platform campaign on spiritual values that includes Internet specialty and video ads airing on MTV, Discovery, ESPN2, The Learning Channel, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, Fox Sports and others.
They must be speaking of this one. This certainly clears up a lot of misconceptions. Glad to see the finally got around to doing some truth in advertising, lol.
A High School Education. It Works, And It Helps People. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via natural search results. And it's clearly a concept that the leader of Scientology does not understand. Throwing money at something does not always equal results.
From a thread at WWP: With David Miscavige searches pulling up the loveliest of sites these days, it looks like the Scientologists are releasing "new" press releases trying to get some of their sites to at least show up on the first page. They have been randomly splattered all over the place like cat spray. I just saw two in the last day from blogs that are recycling old news as new news.
Besides their own sponsored result, it looks as if they have been moved all the way down to the bottom of the search results depending on which one you use. Bing actually only returned one Scilon site and all else had true data about David Miscavige on them.
While I have no idea who runs the David Miscavige site that has the most true information on him, it appears that in its short period on the internet, it has steadily risen on search results and proves to deliver the goods.
David Miscavige relies heavily on his PR to push his new programs. As long as the correct information on him is steadily provided, he will lose ground and more and more Scilons will find out what he has been up to. He has scared hundreds of members into staying in and following his rules. When they find out that he is the laughing stock of the internet and incapable of doing a thing to stop it, I am sure these people will start finding out the truth and GTFO of Scilonville.
And just because there is so much of it on the internet, a few videos featuring our SEO Wonderboy:
Slappy Miscavige's Dream We all know David Miscavige has a thing for Tom Cruise. Here's a rendition of one of little Dave's dreams. May they all come true. Praise Xenu. Amen.
Gerry Armstrong on 'Sociopathic Thug' David Miscavige Gerry, who, in the past, was asked to organize some personal papers of L. Ron Hubbard that were to serve as the basis of a new biography of Hubbard, describes his personal experience with the leader of Scientology, David Miscavige.
We had a special guest in the studio: Gerry Armstrong, a former Scientologist who found out unpublicized facts about L Ron Hubbard and the Church from the inside, and fled. Since then he’s been harassed and persecuted by the cult, and has been an outspoken critic of its activites. You can find out more about Gerry on his website and this Wikipedia article, and you can listen to the episode here (below).
I got in touch with Gerry through the local members of Anonymous – those internet people that protest Scientology with Guy Fawkes masks and funny posters - though in our town they call themselves Vanonymous.
From the nytimes.com article: New French Law Blocks Scientology Dissolution, "A new French law means the Church of Scientology cannot be dissolved in France even if it is convicted of fraud, it has emerged during a trial of the organization.
Thanks to all the translation efforts at WWP, it seems the French have a big FAT red flag waving in the ongoing prosecution of Scientology case.
The above gleaned from the following translated WWP posts. [comment: I suggest reading them all to get the full picture of what's going on over there. The American press has been pretty much useless on this event.]
The defense pled to suspend the process because essential evidence was missing. The written material, according to Justice Ministry statements, had been mistakenly destroyed after an initial process against the Scientologists had been suspended in 1995 because of administrative errors. Records for the proceedings are missing. How they disappeared is unexplained. [see video below]
The debt has been growing at a rate of $250 a day since June 26, 2006, according to city records.
Hibbard said he expects the church to complete work on the Mecca building's exterior within four to six weeks, at which time he says the church will formally come into compliance and the fines will become due. "They have a right to go to the code enforcement board and ask for a reduction in those fines." Hibbard said. "Our guidance to the code enforcement board is they need to be paid in full."
Was reminded of this forgotten docudrama on Scientology by a thread over at WWP. An excerpt of a write-up from imdb.com: "..."The Bridge" proves that in a good movie, minimalist and low budget doesn't have to equate tedious, black-and-white not pretentious, and movie-with-a-cause not over-zealous and overblown. It was shot in just five days, and still manages to be fresh, entertaining and right on the spot. It's one of those strangely sexy movies, one which makes you want to be a filmmaker yourself.
The colour-within-monochrome effect was very subtly done and well utilized (although nicked from Schindler's List). Not least, the script builds up an amazing amount of tension and momentum, and keeps it very well. Scientology is shown realistically, without tarnishing it as alien-satanist-brain-eater-cult, and still utterly creepy and insidious.
According to cnet.com ...a mysterious doodle appeared on the Google home page. It showed an alien spacecraft making off with the second "O" in the word 'Google' Were we really expected to merely 'gogle' now? Didn't that sound uncomfortably close to 'ogling'?
UNews has learned from a Google employee that wishes to remain anonymous, that the above cnet press release is just spin to cover-up the fact that Xenu, Scientology's dreaded galactic overlord, is none too pleased with the way Google has been heavily promoting Scientology through it's Adsense delivery system. He then had one of his Marcabian spies infiltrate Google's server base, abduct the 'O' and embed Xenu's calling card into their search engine icon.
Most Scientologists wouldn't have thought this possible, because they still believe, according to their scriptures, that Xenu has been held in an electronic mountain trap powered by an eternal battery, from which he still has not escaped....or so they thought.
While I have no idea who runs the David Miscavige site that has the most true information on him, it appears that in its short period on the internet, it has steadily risen on search results and proves to deliver the goods.
