This is the best Valley ideal org OTC has got apparently: These two "success stories" are bound to inspire many other older, glasses-wearing "OT's" to join the powerhouses at the Valley ideal org. All those thetans working together to accomplish, er, well, to accomplish buying a building for Albuquerque... or something. They seem to be a little short on specifics of what they actually do. But these women are doing it with gusto, whatever it is. Or at least with a tone of warmish enthusiasm. The Valley Ideal Org really does suck. Here it is in daylight. Nothing but empty … [Read more...]
WISE Shows Their Stuff (And a MythVision Podcast)
OK, these people claim to have the "only workable technology" of management, sales, PR, marketing, personnel and anything else you can think of. If this promotional piece and their accompanying video represents the pinnacle of what they've got... This looks like it was put together in an 8th grade computer class. These are the experts? They actually do believe that because they have some scribbling from Hubbard that says it is "the only workable technology of ______" that it's true. But what is even more remarkable is that they then offer their … [Read more...]
Episode 39: Former A&E Executive Devon Graham Hammonds
This week we talk with our guardian angel at A&E, Devon Graham Hammonds. Devon was VP Programming (she has since moved on and is now an executive at the production company that produced the show) and oversaw The Aftermath show in every respect. We talk about how the show came to be with a lot of behind-the-scenes glimpses into what it was like to make The Aftermath -- including the Fair Gaming of everyone concerned and the challenges the network and production company and everyone who worked on the show faced. We also cover why the show ended (it was not, as scientology crowed … [Read more...]
Hubbard Doing Hubbard
I happened to notice this statement from L. Ron Hubbard on Tony Ortega's blog (he includes a Hubbard quote each day that Hubbard made on that day of the year in his section "Source Code"). Source Code “We’ve had a little slowdown here recently on research the last six, seven days — I managed to get the show back on the road again — mostly due to the nonsense going on in Australia. The general situation with regard to that is they’re not in any danger or anything like that, they’re just being cross-advised and being generally upset. The government of Australia….Well, these little boys have an … [Read more...]
Disconnection For All
Scientology is making their family and friends destruction tech available to everyone through WISE. Secularizing the "tech" of disconnection is about as grotesque as things get. … [Read more...]
Regraded Being
Defending the Indefensible: Scientology TV
Of all things, STAND is complaining about The Hollywood Reporter's "biased" and "bigoted" coverage of the dismal flop that is ScientologyTV They dredge up some old stuff they have used before about the founder of THR being a communist scare merchant in the days of McCarthyism to prove that the Reporter has a "history" of bias and bigotry and that somehow makes it so today... An interesting standard that they might want to think through a little better, given their illustrious founder's checkered history and the fact that 11 leaders (including his wife) went to Federal prison... I guess … [Read more...]
Some Funnies
This is a random collection of things sent in recently. There is little rhyme or reason to them. Hubbard Logic Wrap your brain around this. So, if there is anything you disagree with in scientology it is because you haven't properly recalled what you already knew... Roping in an Ideal Org What they are actually doing is roping in some suckers. Though at this point, I cannot imagine anyone participating in any event like this that isn't already intending to hand over some cash. The more important question. Why is the Valley OT Committee wasting time on Albuquerque … [Read more...]
Episode 38: Listener Questions #4
This week is another episode answering listener questions. We cover a range of topics and below are related documents. The first is that scientology paid the IRS $12.5 million as part of the settlement which resulted in tax exemption. At the event announcing the exemption, Miscavige said the bill to the IRS was $1 billion: This is a fairly comprehensive summary of the story of the IRS and Scn on Wikipedia: How to find your US Representative: and US Senator: And here are some twitter … [Read more...]
L. Ron Hubbard Racist Statements
A very revealing collection of Hubbard quotes from the wonderful Scientology 101 website. If you have never read the article at the Home page of this site "Scientology 101" I very much recommend it. It is a brilliant summary of MANY aspects of scientology. I mentioned in my post of yesterday Scientology Targeting Black America that I would provide this collection today. I also note that many of these quotes come from a time when statements such as these were far more acceptable and commonplace, but that does not change the fact that society was more overtly racist then. You will note, … [Read more...]
Scientology Targeting Black America
They badly need a spellchecker. Which is pretty ironic given the first thing on the list of items they are going to be providing to "raise your ability" is "Study Tech." And this is supposedly an “inspriational weeked of education...” Secondly, they scraped together just 8 black people in Harlem for their photo -- this might be the entire roster of staff and public in this empty org. I doubt they could round up this many people of color in the Inglewood org at all. Scientology is as insincere as politicians seeking votes from "the Black community" -- what they want isn't votes, … [Read more...]
Regraded Being
Change the Future of This Planet Now
This is one of the more egregiously dishonest and distorted promo pieces I have seen from scientology in a while. And that is saying something. Of course, the first thing to note is that being on staff does absolutely nothing about the future of this planet. It doesn't even do anything about the future of the neighborhood these orgs are in. Not a thing changes with their presence. Though in many jurisdictions they are a drain on tax revenues that would otherwise generate from the property they occupy. But apart from that, zilch impact. But then it devolves into absurdity. Staff is … [Read more...]
Thought Reform and Scientology
On one of the recent Fair Game Podcast, Chris Shelton recommended Robert Jay Lifton's book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism . Then Mockingbird posted a comment concerning this and I thought it important to include it as a post, as he summarizes the eight criteria for Thought Reform isolated by the author. I should note, there are many excellent articles at Mockingbird's Nest blog. Here is his comment in full. I have highlighted the 8 criteria. Mike Rinder recently pointed out something that most people miss, even experts. He pointed out that the E meter is used … [Read more...]
Episode 37: Mormon Stories Host Dr. John Dehlin
This week Leah and I venture into the world of Mormonism with Dr. John Dehlin. I recently appeared on his long-running and very popular podcast, Mormon Stories, and we are now welcoming him to ours. He is not just a podcaster, he is a non-profit CEO, activist, public speaker, and religious transitions coach. He advocates for the rights of skeptics in Mormonism, LGBT rights, equality for women, and other individual views outside mainstream Mormonism. He has Master’s degree in Instructional Technology, and a Ph.D. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. We learned a great deal from John … [Read more...]