John Oliver on Scientology It's an ongoing joke that makes me laugh week after week... I honestly think this is enough to fulfill the quota for Thursday Funnies all alone. But people have sent me all sorts of other things so I will include them APU. But if you have not yet seen this, take a few minutes and watch. AC/DC I am SURE they would LOVE to be associated with scientology. Rock N Roll is here to stay Apparently this is the new theme for fundraising? Superheros are out. Rock is in. But if this is all they could round up for an Ideal … [Read more...]
Another Sad OT Fail
There are so many things wrong here it is hard to grasp them all. This woman was in the SO -- the LRH Host on the Freewinds. She had to leave "temporarily" to take care of her dying mother? If she is temporarily taking care of her dying mother then why isn't the Sea Org helping her to stay alive? Hey, Sea Org, what about the quote she is using? "Never desert a comrade in need, in danger or in trouble" .... Apparently the SO has completely deserted her. Dying Sea Org members are invariably seen as "out- exchange" distractions to the humanitarians of the Sea Org. And let's not forget, … [Read more...]
Thursday Funnies
Hi, give me your money Just wanted to make sure you knew that is what I am here for. Off the crossroads of the world? That's good? I thought you wanted to clear the world? That's the Freewinds line... Though they spend most of their time tied to a dock. Yep, IMpossible You had it right Not really... You haven't reached .001% of these people in all your years of existence. Where will your name be? Perhaps left off the list like so many others who gave and gave and then were declared. No money back. No name on any … [Read more...]
Thursday Funnies
Really? "The best in the world"? Chan Man He's winning -- by taking your money! Should be interesting My guess -- no impact at all. Anywhere on anything... A field trip? Wow, you can go harass people for fun. Imagine how much "entheta" these people are going to hear knocking on doors of people who haven’t been near an org in years. Your role in Global Dissemination Absolutely nothing... Yuck Get their start on the Bridge... Tell Psychiatrist their time is up! Yeah, except there are MANY m … [Read more...]
Scientology Hype
It's Maiden Voyage season again -- "A celebration so spectacular it will take your breath away" -- and the hype-o-meter is peaking. Actually, it's that time of year David Miscavige makes a scuba diving trip to the Caribbean and "the elite" (used to be OT VIII's only, but there are no longer enough of them with enough money to fill the ship) are told to attend to listen to 4 events "up close and personal." Each year it is the same pattern. They start with an event recognizing the "amazing work" of the "OT Ambassadors" doing crazy fundraising events, along with some false stats they … [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...]
Janis Gillham Grady Making Waves
Janis Gillham Grady Talks About Her New Book
I have known Janis for more than 40 years. She is someone I will always hold dear. Janis was one of my first friends on the Apollo, a fellow Australian teenager like her sister Terri, we were a small contingent. In fact, it might well have been just the 3 of us in that exclusive club. Those are the sort of relationships that never die. Janis is truly a Sea Org historian. Someone with first-hand and unique experience and a desire to record the information for everyone else to share. She graciously wrote this piece to explain a bit about her new book. I finally did it! … [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...]