The Clearwater City Council election is coming up on March 15. Just over a month away.
Every reader of this blog is aware that Aaron Smith-Levin is seeking election to the City Council. His opponent in the race is Lina Teixeira.
Aaron has just done a video detailing specific reasons why she is not just soft on scientology, but actively works with them to influence matters in downtown Clearwater. This is something all voters in Clearwater need to know. Spread it on social media as you can.
If you want to support Aaron’s campaign, click here.
the trolls come out as soon as u mention the clearwater council seat elections, what does that say to you? bubble bubble
Trolls might ask why in the past decade Scientology has vanished from numerous large or significant cities, and even entire states, besides the loss of half the missions in California. If not Mike Rinder’s blog, at least in part, what do your masters tell you about why the CofS is undergoing unprecedented shrinkage in number of actual locations, and membership? (though it does look something like the “mission massacre” days of the early 1980s)
This list of losses probably even misses some that came and went, that I can only find hints of, like Indianapolis – reminding us of another entire state (Indiana, pop. 7 million) where Scientology has vanished:
Colorado Springs
Hartford
Clearwater
Peoria
New Orleans (moved in to back room of mission holders’ house)
Charlotte – No longer any presence in North Carolina (pop. 11 million) at all
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Memphis
Milwaukee – No longer any presence in Wisconsin (pop. 6 million) at all
Those are just in the US, of course . And it’s the Clearwater mission itself that vanished – despite the increasing concentration of Scientology’s existing membership around the mecca of Flag, so that the only place left for visitors to actually do introductory courses and join the CofS is over 10 miles from the city in Belleair, showing just how recruiting from outside the bubble has ground to a halt.
Oh, and that Belleair mission has recently reduced its hours to just weekday afternoons and early evenings, and is no longer even open on weekends. Is there some overwhelming source of suppression (or truth) in the local environment, that Scientology is unable to confront and handle?
Internationally it’s similarly lost ground and disappeared from many major cities, plus from the entire populous nation of Nigeria, and from Northern Ireland, among others. Meanwhile there’s nowhere I can find that Scientology has recently gained a new foothold, or actually expanded in terms of number of locations (rather than size of empty buildings) and members.
Why has Scientology crashed and shrunk like that in the last decade?
I was going to say, why doesn’t someone video a doorstep encounter with Lina Teixeira and youtube it to expose her duplicity but then it looks like ASL’s win is a slam-dunk so it’s probably not necessary but it would still be good to see.
I would just like to refer you all to the song Panic by The Smiths.
I would also like to say that if I was going to ban books, it would be for terrible writing; Dianetics would be the first one on the list. I picked it up in the public library when I was a teen and put it back down after reading one non-sensical paragraph.
But hey, this is America! Everyone should be free to read terrible writing.
El Con Blubber was a terrible writer. Everything he ever wrote is unreadable tripe, especially dianetics. Work than Mein Kampf, and that’s saying a lot.
One of my coworkers the other day said, “Battlefield Earth is a good book!” To which I damn near fell over, first from shock, then from laughing.
Completely Off Topic (my apologies)
– but I’m really curious how many showed up for today’s big Bob Duggan Success Seminar. If these things normally have 8-10 (?) public attendees, how did BD do in comparison?
With a big heavy hitter like BD headlining, surely there were oodles and oodles of public. Also the comfort of knowing there would be no passing of the hat since BD would surely underwrite the seminar, would help in getting attendance up.
If nobody knows, that’ll be OK, but I would be interested to see how he drew.
Miscaviage and OSA are absolutely shitting themselves at Aaron getting voted in.
Masterson’s trial is going ahead and it is all really crumbling for the cult now.
I predict Miscaviage will resign soon and run and hide.
On today’s participation by the pretend supporter, or donation person, supposedly.
It makes me think that a study could be done of all similar postings on this blog, and compare them.
It for sure is a target on the “Handle Rinder” program being run by OSA Int I presume.
People ought remember to donate to Aaron’s campaign, this sounds like a deflection target, since Scientology does not wish to be overtly caught saying do NOT donate to Aaron.
So, to defeat today’s imposter poster, donate to Aaron’s campaign.
That’s my take.
PS: And when in Clearwater, be sure to buy a “Xenu” umbrella and aim it all the Scientology security cameras.
I won’t watch 11 minutes of a talking head I just won’t. My videos pull out all the stops technically and I don’t dare go beyond 8 min. as that is the avg. view time.
One thing, Scientology really hasn’t made plans to move away from Clearwater.
So how to deal with Scientology, or just carrying on without heeding them in the city planning, or how to plan around them, seems the correct course.
A bunch of Xenu cafes or “Body-Thetans Here Bars” would liven up tourists wishing to frequent the downtown and support some swipe back.
A Xenu’s favorites shop selling Xenu umbrellas, or renting Xenu umbrellas for the day, when strolling near Scientology buildings’ cameras, would be appreciated.
Clearwater has historical long range problem solving, one way or another.
I’d love to open up a Xenu’s Favorites shop of items for tourists.
Or “The International All Things Xenu Shop” store, doing international business by mail, and local items for tourists at really low prices for locals.
And if they get bored they can visit the $camology zoo and look at the new animal imported from France: Xenu.
I think Aaron is going to win the public who vote, and then I believe he will put his smarts to use for Clearwater.
It is amazing that history has even rolled along to this point, with Mark Bunker on the council, and now Aaron is likely going to be on the council also.
I think Aaron could benefit from telling the the story of how he became Aaron Smith-Levin, instead of Levin-Smith, or any other combination of Smith and Levin, like the rather British-sounding and very cool Nivel-Htims. Unless I am all wrong, (perish the thought) Aaron Smith-Levin got his last name as a result of his fire-breathing mother insisting that her last name of Smith be given prominence in the marriage-and-baby-naming sweepstakes, instead of the father whose last name was Levin. After some posturing, Father Levin caved, and young Aaron became Aaron Smith-Levin, with his mother’s name of Smith given primacy. But alas, to this day everyone, and I mean everyone, gets it wrong, and calls him “Aaron Levin-Smith.” I have no idea how that came to pass.
But there is another story which claims the parents asked young Aaron what name he preferred, him being supposedly an ancient soul in a rather short and often smelly infantile wrapper. Both parents tried to decipher his wise and ancient murmurings, but after several iterations of “Goosh” and Blapppths” and “Pizzzs” and other vocalizations too crude for publication, they backed off. Having heard weeks of loud eructations, followed by fountains of yellow and green liquids fore and aft, the very tired parents decided to just go with Plan A above.
Anyway, that’s my story. True to the blubbering directives of one L. Ronald Hubbard, anyone who believes that any of the above meanderings contain a scintilla of truth should have their head examined, at their local Org. Be sure to bring thousands and thousands of dollars. Cash or Credit.
I will be supporting Lina. Why?
In the past I have donated money to your web site but I would never send you another penny because you are completely ungrateful. Despite my past support, you just scoffed in my face when I asked you for a tiny bit of help.
You title your blog, “Something Can Be Done About it”. But you have never done much of anything about it and it is very unlikely that you ever will. Even if Levin is elected, that will have little effect on the continued existence of Scientology. It will keep on going and there is precious little you will ever do anything about that except to keep on repeating your complaints about the Church.
Even if Danny Masterson should go to jail, you can celebrate that. But that will have little or no effect on the continued existence of the Church. You are not accomplishing hardly anything and there is almost nothing you can do about it. If you want to waste your time in this way, go right ahead. But you will never get another penny from me. Sending you money to support your candidate is just a waste of peoples’ money and it will have almost zero effect on the Church.
People who read this can put their money to much better use by spending it on themselves or their family. Why throw it down the drain by sending it to people who crank out repetitive and boring complaints about things they cannot ever change?
It’s always good to see the trolls come out. Obviously this is a VERY touchy subject for scientology.
Pretending to be Mark Kamran and pretending to have donated is pretty lame.
When I see things like this I think of the Paul McCartney song “Smile Away”… I replace the lyrics in my head with “Smear Away” — man I can smell your feet a mile away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XjxQVCDepA
Exactly right! He was even conflating your blog with Aaron’s website. He couldn’t even get the basic facts that he was attempting to undermine straight.
I love your anthem by Paul and might use it myself! Not too fond of the album cover name Ram though. Lol 2022 is the Year of the Tiger…Go Bengals! 💕 🐅 🙏
If your ability to pick a winner is as good in the Superbowl as it will be in this upcoming election, Levin-Smith or Smith-Levin or whatever he is calling himself now portends a loss.
But whoever wins this election, the important thing is that Rinder will almost never be able to do anything about Scientology. His blog promises that “Something Can Be Done About It”. But he has never done anything about it and will almost certainly never be able to do anything about it.
Sending money to Rinder or Smith-Levin is just a waste of money. Keep your money. You will be much happier if you do not waste it by sending it to these fools.
Another troll? Panic in the bubble?
Same tiresome and annoying troll, different names.
yep i thought that too, the language is almost identical lol – the bubble is bubbling…….
I think the bubble is bubbling lol
Troll, troll, troll your boat……
And say absolutely nothing. Or is that just me?
Half the Scientology missions in the US have closed since this blog started – I pulled up some data to check. I wouldn’t draw direct cause and effect there, but Mike is certainly part of a trend that is calling Scientology to account, and making it pay the price.
As your masters what happened to these missions in the last few years, just in California:
Sherman Oaks
Sunland
SOMA (San Francisco)
Berkeley
Marin
Buenaventura
Malibu
Newport Beach
Upland
Temecula
Santa Rosa
Elk Grove
Folsom
Davis
Roseville
“Ideal” orgs were promised to make more missions, not drive them into extinction. What’s the CofS going to do about that?
My fellow unelected commenter above seems to think that having helped make a TV show seen worldwide by millions counts as never having “done anything about it”.
That’s one demanding gooferfloofer were dealing with here.
OMG! Demented Midget must be in a panic, guzzling his scotch and spewing insane directives to his panicked, gutless minions.
we cannot find a “mark karmann” in the scientology data base
we are active and UTR and have access to every scientologist that ever did a course, entered a door, swindled out of a dono by a highly trained Swindler – a manipulator aka a Scientology Registrar
are you getting paid by osa or only a volunteer hassing people for free
You sound snitty only in the first two/three sentences, then your complains ramp up into OSA-ish.
Flunk, for being so obvious.
Awww…it’s kinda cute that a Scientologist thinks they can criticize your blog and everyone will just jump on their bandwagon. It’s so obvious when a Scientologist is behind any written statement. They cannot construct compete sentences. The statements are always one long run-on sentence after another. Their word choice is always strange and they never seem sure where to put a period and start a new sentence (March of the semicolons comes to mind). Of course, the biggest giveaway is that they are defending Scientology. No one with a non-brainwashed mind would ever support that evil cult and its pocket sized, insane leader.
The real Mark who usually comments here doesn’t have this way of expressing himself. Really pathetic to see people go so low that they are ridiculous. However this shows that Aaron’s presence makes them feel a little fire burning under their pants and they can’t sit comfortably. I add that scn is losing its grip on all fronts. Imagine with Masterson that he is sentenced where it would become the definitive Waterloo for scn. Scoundrels.
Obviously this person is not aware that along with Leah your Aftermath show exposed Scientology’s powerful one sided contract that left victims of sexual crimes powerless over Scientology’s protected big name celebrity. The appeal victory stating members are no longer bound to that unfair contract after leaving was a result of that work. Those women in that civil case would never have had the courage and support to come forward and fight without you and Leah. Now ex-members are free to expose other evils covered up with Scientology’s so called arbitration not to mention draining their coffers with winning civil cases that can come forward now that presidence was set. Whoever this is they are quite wrong and you have my continued respect and support along with many others I’m sure!
You can give him all the respect and support you want. Have at it.
My only advice is never give him any money. My experience indicates that if you do, you will certainly regret it.
In general, people who send money to others they have never met almost always will regret that for one reason or another.
I regret ever having sent money to Rinder. He is a miserable ingrate.
Katherine N Cali, Wow, what happened?
Another troll trying to sound like regular poster KatherineINCali
Oh, thanks, now I see the one letter difference in the pen name. Well this tells me one thing; that DM is really hurting and worried as the Clearwater election is on and Aaron Smith-Levin has a good shot of winning, and as Danny Masterson lost big time on the arbitration thing and it looks like it will definitely go to trial and Scn name will be drug into it even more than it already has. When the trolls come out you know DM and OSA are worried.
Yes, when the trolls are trolling the good guys are winning!
The REAL signs of success Cindy!
Yes, I spotted that too!
Why the heck would you regret donating to the Aftermath Foundation, Katherine N. Cali? Did you expect him to invest it into crypto futures for you?
Its another troll
KatherineNCali,
I would call you a firetrucking moron but moron is not quite descriptive enough. All of the following synomyms sum you up quite nicely you poor bean starved tiresome halfwit bogan.
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/moron/2
Gosh, your super dooper OT powers must be failing you badly if you can’t even come with original names. Sad, passing grade: big fail.
Aw poor widdle insane scamologist (KatherineNCali) is trying to get out of “lower conditions” by writing lies on blogs.
easy way to tell if its SCN talking, it always boils down to money with them………..
Money sent “uplines” in Scientology is certainly cause for regret. Vast amounts are wasted on DM’s lavish lifestyle, lawyers and PIs, the upkeep and expenses of vast amounts of unneeded and decaying property, with absolutely zero accountability for who it goes to or what it’s used for — real, responsible churches provide their membership financial statements showing where the money goes, and even give them some say in setting priorities.
Are you projecting onto others, your own dissatisfactions with the CofS, and the financial strain and deprivation that has been imposed on you? If you’re public, do you have to suppress doubts about why you’re deeply in debt if not bankrupt, supporting buildings that sit mostly empty and unused? If you’re staff or Sea org, do you wonder why you go with no pay or toilet paper, while your leader lives a lavish lifestyle, and spends tens of thousands of dollars a week paying high-priced “wog” attorneys, PIs, lobbyists and others?
What a zinger of a comment, Peacemaker. I’ve a mind to clip it and send it to every Scientology org and mission.
Thanks, Aqua. When trolls show up I try to think of what they would least likely want to be confronted with or to have lurker readers see, attempting to take the opportunity to rise to the occasion rather than fall for their bait.
I take it as a chance to work on honing my best “elevator pitch” critiques and fact-checks. You have a good idea there, maybe I’ll use them on some sort of printout when I go visiting (remaining) Scientology locations. Now I have in mind to put “OBNOSE” (cult lingo for observe the obvious, if I have it right) at the top.
Hey, I even have a listing of what was in the 2009 version of What is Scientology? that I could cross-reference, so there is a ‘source’ they could go to and ‘check it out for themselves’ compared to what is listed on the CofS website now….
You’re welcome, PeaceMaker. Great ideas you’ve got. I want to “contribute to that motion”. And I think I will. Oh, and “in a new unit of time” I’ve once more “obnosed” that YOUR handle has a capital “M” , while recalling that OSA-Troll-Pretending-To-Be-You Peacemaker’s did not. My spelling error now corrected. Its all in the details 🙂
KatherineNCali,
You may have many regrets but sending Mike Rinder money is not one of them, because you’ve never sent him any money. For the simple reason that you don’t have any money. You’re OSA. You’re not our KatherineINCali. Faker! Liar, liar pants on fire!
Now, go back and tell your Seniors that you’ll need to post your shit under yet another fake name. We outed you when you impersonated Peacemaker, remember? (Was that you? If so, you’re not too swift at subterfuge are you?)
Hey, here’s a thought: Why not just be who you are, say what’s on your mind, and stick to the truth? I daresay you’d be a lot happier – mentally, emotionally and physically.
Much love,
Aqua
About half way through your blathering, I scrolled down, and sure enough, I found a response to your message from Mike Rinder. I read that, then I scrolled back to read again what you wrote. I realized that I’ve heard the same dribble before, and wonder just how much of your crap comes from David Miscavige.
Seeing a troll at this blog is an event for ex-Scientologists, because it means that we are winning and Scientology is loosing big time.
Hear Hear Fred!
Yes, because they can’t “do nothing”. They MUST per Hubbard’s policy, “do something about it”. And the trolls who come on here impersonating our regulars keep getting outed. First Peacemaker, now KatherineINCali…who’s next?
OK, C’mon, OSA, why don’t you impersonate me? It’ll be fun. PLEASE? I’m INVITING you!
Call yourself “Aquamurine”…get it?
Or how about “AquaMarine”? That’s pretty close, isn’t it? That’ll fool someone for a bit, won’t it?
Or, if you don’t like those knock offs give me a little time and I’ll think of something you can get away with for a post or two before Mike or someone here catches you and realizes its not me.
And hey, I won’t rat you out – I promise!
C’mon, now, it’ll be fun. Where’s your Spirit of Play? The Time Is Now.
Much love,
Aqua
It would be obvious even to the most casual observer.
Quite right. But we’re talking to OSA volunteers writing this crap. Cowed, nervous, possibly doing Liability Conditions, desperate to “strike an effective blow, etc.”, or possibly Sea Org members doing Lowers, fearful of punishment. None of the above operating states are conducive to clear thinking. Whether written by public, Cl V staff or Sea Org members, these posts are so obviously phony that my take is that they’re being written by very scared and nervous people following orders.
Maybe this one was actually written in a bot farm since it makes zero sense.
Hey, Mark!
Why don’t you go As-is yourself?
LOLOL! That’s from RB’s comic last week! Love it!
“Mark Karman” You are so obviously a #ScientologyTroll !!!!
Masterson’s trial will be another torpedo in a ship already going down by the bow, reduced to a skeleton crew. Regardless of the result, it will further expose odious practices like “ethics” and the routine protection of sex criminals, with more members becoming disaffected and leaving, and recruiting becoming increasingly impossible.
Do you know for example how many missions have closed in the last 5 years? Ventura, San Francisco SOMA, Pueblo (Colorado), Milwaukee, Peoria, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the St. Petersburg Life Improvement Center, just off the top of my head; and probably another 5 to 10 in California alone if you you did a full accounting (on a quick scan of a list Melrose, and the once enormous Davis mission, stand out). Plus in Clearwater the actual mission near downtown (not the one out in Belleair) died about 7 years ago.
This and other websites, Mike & Leah’s and others’ podcasts, and the Aftermath Foundation have made real progress towards addressing and ending the abuses. That’s certainly better than in Scientology, where money (and effort) increasingly goes to pay lawyers and PIs, and the upkeep of largely empty buildings.
It’s no surprise to me that Missions are dropping like flies. The church guts them by taking their pre clears, by offering the intro services that only missions used to do, by basically feeding off of them and then throwing the dead carcass away when there is no more blood to suck. The church is cannibalizing itself.
Cindy, I think the missions are dying mostly due to lack of new clientele. There’s no more interest in Scientology than there is in beanies with propellers on top or slingshots. Missions can’t bring in new pre clears to begin with, any more than Christian Science can get people to come to services or use their Reading Rooms.
It looks to me like the orgs might be holding on a bit better than they are, if the advanced organizations weren’t poaching their existing customers (and staff), and the few second generation members who go on to do some Scientology. But they’re still mostly fighting over a carcass that is all that’s left, with no more ‘raw meat’ coming in.
Peacemaker, So true. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving entity.
Hay, processed through the bowels of a male bovine.
I think “Mark Karman” response here just demonstrates how mind controlled Scientologists are. Speaking from my own experience with a family member who was part of Sea Org for over thirty years and although “out” is still linked to Scientology. I see constantly how limited his thinking is, controlled and closed, and as soon as there’s a dislike or disagreement, the default thinking/programming he falls back into. It’s attack, attack attack! So SAD!
Mind controlled – or just following orders in an authoritarian system. I think it’s been determined that most or all of those sorts of commenters have been told to come “strike a blow” against the enemy, or else are some sort of attempt by OSA operative.
And in some cases that has backfired, with the people sent to post starting to read the other material and beginning to think for themselves.
Sorry to hear of what you’re having to deal with in your family.
Quelle surprise, M. Karman!
And how embarrassing! If we’d known OSA was in town we’d have been prepared to welcome you properly.
Next time please let us know when you’re visiting out here on the Fringes of the Internet so that we can at least have tea and cookies ready! Or would you prefer Muffins? Do let us know! Because, you see, your visits are always so…edifying. We learn a great deal from you.
Wow. I’m still processing this.
Busy Ethical OSA Member taking the time and trouble to visit Mike’s humble blog to enlighten poor Mike and Little, Bitter, DeFrocked Us!
As Marilyn Monroe would say, “Thanks ever so!”
Much love,
Aqua
Although I’m not registered to vote in Clearwater FL, I am personally endorsing Aaron Smith-Levin for City Council. Someone has to keep Clearwater from becoming a Scientology version of Nauvoo, Illinois circa 1844! Go get ’em, Aaron!
Prof. David Fitzgerald once referred Mormonism as Steampunk Scientology.