A recent Facebook posting, coupled with the blog post about my daughter yesterday, prompted me to write this today. Mirit Hendrickson is a full-on scientologist known for her "VM videos" -- donning a yellow t-shirt and heading out to look for photo-ops during hurricanes that she then posts all over social media to prove the "effectiveness of the tech." Her life is immersed in all things scientology. So it is hardly a surprise that her children are being raised as part of an "ideal" scientology family (which includes joining the Sea Org as soon as possible). As you can … [Read more...]
Revenimus
The Sea Org coat of arms includes one word, the latin Revenimus - "We Come Back." It is the motto of the Sea Org. I received an email recently about the passing of Ken Delderfield which reminded me of how many of the important names from the early years of the Sea Org have now passed. Ken was the LRH Communicator WorldWide and then was on the Apollo and began the Pubs Org. He was the person who got the original OEC Volumes compiled and printed. Recently we learned of the death of Tony Dunleavy, Hubbard's "Staff Captain" for many years and then the first Captain of the Flag … [Read more...]
Get ‘Em Young
I came across this Sea Org promotional piece from 1999. It was a time when there had not been the extensive exposure of abuses of children in scientology. And thus it reflects the true attitude of scientology -- not the carefully worded utterances that are put forth these days (scientology.org is the epitome of scientology propaganda and it is the lead for most public statements now). Here we witness the unvarnished (well, at least less varnished) side of how scientology views children. Education outside scientology is not valued. In fact Hubbard derided it often -- especially higher … [Read more...]
Thursday Funnies
Don't worry, you will... Many times Seriously? Next. Ideal Survivor -- where the last person to resist the regges wins. I bet this will be a lot of fun for the family. Get the kids up there pledging their piggy banks. How about an ideal uniform Or at least a clean one. The Chan Man is back Along with Raffy the Rascal. A pair of grifters of the first order. Yeah, scientology will do that to you... Delude you into thinking you have the solutions. Funny how nothing was actually resolved. Just that she thinks they're "not … [Read more...]
The Brainwashing Is Strong
Not much need be said about this, it really does speak for itself. She no doubt believes they are "Clearing Los Angeles" and it is a sad reflection of the mindless belief that is the hallmark of scientologists. And, on top of that, she has the inculcated "tech" of Tone 40 that she has been told is her right as a member of the Sea Organization. Thus, she can order lesser beings about, and use exclamation points as if they were cracks of the whip compelling compliance. Her "OT Universe" is the fantasy land of Alice in Wonderland -- or perhaps more accurately the dystopian world of … [Read more...]
In Memoriam: Amos Jessup
by Janis Gillham Grady (Sorry for the delay, as most of you know, I was out of touch on a cruise for the last week)... Sadly, we all get older and there is a time when each of us will decide it is time to go. With that said, it is time to say goodbye to someone many of us have known and loved – Amos Jessup who passed away today – March 14, 2019. Amos had been sick recently, which I had announced about a month ago to many of his friends. It was thought that he was recovering as he was getting his motor skills back along with his speech, however, after … [Read more...]
Sea Org “Recruitment”
This is a recent Email sent out by a public scientologist in an attempt to help AOLA get some new recruits. It speaks for itself. It is an amazing glimpse inside the shriveling world of scientology. I could never imagine in my time in the Sea Org that anything like this would have been sent out by public scientologists... Maybe I was simply too removed from the day to day happenings at org level? It seems to me that back in the day, it really WAS considered within the SO that "Many are called, few are chosen" and that the Sea Org was an "elite corps." Nowadays they are apparently so … [Read more...]
Michael Silverman
Michael Silverman was a much beloved figure at AOLA for many years spanning the 70's, 80's and into the 90's. This is the only photo I could coax out of him, but for those who knew him back then, apart from being follicle challenged, this smiling face looks just the same as I remember it at AO. Michael reached out to me and asked that I publish his thoughts about his life in the Sea Org and scientology. I am more than happy to do so. Hello Mike. I have occasionally read bits of postings over the years and feel compelled to post something significant that may help others bo … [Read more...]
Tales from the Apollo
Another story from the early years of the Sea Org aboard the Apollo by Gary Reisdorf. Stores Party Gone Wild - Sled breaking One of the functions of being a deckhand is when the ship was at anchor, we had the privilege of running people and goods from the shore to the ship. Boat runs are normally quite fun and took us away from our usual mundane jobs of painting that bucket of rust, sanding and varnishing the railings or re-caulking the wooden decks. We had 8 lifeboats on the ship to save the passengers and crew if the ship began to sink. The problem is, only 2 of them f … [Read more...]
Line Snapping Fun
Another post from my friend and former shipmate, Gary Reisdorf. Agadir Line Snapping Fun I was just leaving the most forward room on the Apollo, the foc'sle, when I heard the commotion. The most forward cabin was the Deck Force’s storage room, called the Bosun’s Locker, where we stored all of the paint and ropes we used when working on the ship. Being a Deckhand, I started my day preparing paint, paintbrushes and rollers for a day’s painting and ended the day cleaning brushes and rollers, all in the Bosun’s Locker. Being the most forward part of the ship, it was away from seniors, office … [Read more...]