These Valley vultures just never stop.
For some reason Valley is promoting the 100,000 chillies “game”
That’s another thing? Why are they always using euphemisms for money? It’s “steps” or “miles” or “chillies” but never dollars? By the way, are chillies supposed to be chilis? Or is this some “gangsta” term they are using? Like “when they gave us the check we got the chillies up and down our spine”?
I wonder if they think it sounds too crass to say dollars? Or are they worried about sounding too commercial? Do they think this is fooling anyone? Why would they WANT to fool anyone?
So many questions….
Not sure what these horses are supposed to represent? Or quite how North Hollywood is the “Wild, Wild, West”? Even Twin Cities is part of it?
Take Em Down says
That Scientology cross has always bothered me. Did it contain secret info only that Ron knew? If The cross is really the letter “T” you can spell “Teegeeack”. There is a slot for every letter going around.. The small cross could be the letter “X” and that might be the start for XEMUU. Just having fun here…
Loosing my Religion says
Take Em Down. From wikipedia:
“In December 1953, Hubbard incorporated three churches – a “Church of American Science”, a “Church of Scientology” and a “Church of Spiritual Engineering” – in Camden, New Jersey.”
The cross had the sole and original purpose to recall Christianity in people minds (we were in the earlier 50s and America still too conservative).
Despite all the crap they said later this was the original marketing intent so people would associate scn/christians/church.
Take Em Down says
That’s my point, it appears to be religious, but in reality, it is a Black Magic symbol with L Ron spin on it.. I got the idea from the Babylon symbol that was used by Crowley. I figured that L Ron would want to call the cross his own. He put his hidden “signature” into the cross. Definitely not religious. Teegeeack spelling was invented to create a hidden meaning in L Ron’s mind. The symbol gives reverence to Teegeeack and XEMUU, Ron’s best friends. Without Teegeeack and XEMUU, Ron would have nothing to sell. Ron loved XEMUU , and Scientologist feared XEMUU….
LoosingMyReligion says
Take Em Down. I got it. Based on your description my idea is that hubbard mind wasn’t so above the “bank”.
Magic and other similar stuff mixed to a dark side of the life or of the mind isn’t an example of real sanity. And it will never bring sanity to anyone.
John says
There is absolutely no doubt Hubbard was a con man. He was a totally committed follower of a spiritual being Christ Jesus the Lord from heaven called; the Liar and the “father of lies”.. For nearly 38 years I’ve tried to warn people of the evil that is Scientology. There is truth found in one person. He’s the Son of God. He said; I am the way the truth and the life. He and his Apostles after him in the New Testament warned about men like Hubbard. Charles Russell, Jehovah’s Whiteness, Joseph Smith, Mormons false prophet. Muhammad that maniac from Medina. And you could list hundreds more. Read the Gospel of St John, the Acts of the apostles and St Paul’s letter to the Romans if you’d like spiritual truth.
MarcAnon says
Maybe it means the matching donor is Chili Bean? haha
Yes, Twin Cities is THE place for cowboys, wild mustangs, and all things western. Yeehaw
Ammo Alamo says
I know some horse lovers read here. It looks like those horses are running full speed up bare rock. That doesn’t appear to be natural wild horse behavior – especially wearing a bridle of some sort.
That glowing area around their lower legs must represent some horsey version of OT power, or speed, and makes the picture a view of reality, Hubbard-untruth-style.
That background is from Monument Valley, home to John Ford movies and a young actor named Marion Robert Morrison, screen name John Wayne.
Even something as simple as a Scientology Ideal Event promotion is smothered in varying degrees of untruths. I wonder if they hid a photog’s copyright notice on the horsey and Valley pics, so they didn’t have to pay for using his or her work?
Yep, that’s Hubbard’s game for ya, always worse than you think.
Aquamarine says
“I know some horse lovers read here.” Yep. I LOL’d. Horses running in a canyon in the great American Southwest – wild, free, bridled…how interesting 🙂 Who is the protein & sleep-deprived Sea Org Schmuck responsible for this masterpiece, I wonder?
Loosing my Religion says
Ammo. From a marketing point of view, the design would like to give the unconscious flash message ‘to be free’.
The horse still has bridle but is no longer tied and finally runs in large spaces. ‘Be like this’ kind of message.
An interesting sub-message that can be read is “you always have the bridle. Trust those who can take care of you”
jere Lull (39 years recovering) says
Of COURSE they’re lying. They must lie, can’t not lie, or the whole con collapses in upon itself. They can’t intentionally tell the truth due to the habits they’ve built up denying reality and their own perception (perceptics?).
Never in 68 says
Does anyone know if the Edmonton org has closed? they used to be in a big historic building downtown and you would hear of the odd event being held. Then it moved to a small strip office building in an industrial park and drove by it the other day and there isn’t any sign to even show its there. according to their website they are only open 6 to 10pm weekdays and 9 to 6 on weekends dosent seem to be much left here. Another sign of the shrinkage.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/10305+174+St+NW,+Edmonton,+AB+T5S+1N1/@53.5455852,-113.6203944,3a,75y,87.87h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sgdruSyb0J5aNH3l5XHy-Fg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DgdruSyb0J5aNH3l5XHy-Fg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D87.86603%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x53a020e1fed8fdbf:0xe5f38137bc524582!8m2!3d53.5455773!4d-113.6199587
PeaceMaker says
Did Edmonton’s newer office park space ever have signage? I don’t see any in a Google Street View from about a year ago. That’s unusual, but probably a new sign of the dire situations of some of the orgs, especially in Canada where they seem to be particularly weak. Come to think of it, the Toronto org that moved out of the office building they own but haven’t been able to afford to renovate, has bounced around between other rented locations that have had only very minimal signage by entrances that is easy to miss.
Orgs are never supposed to close per Hubbard policy, and while there’s been a bit of fudging around situations where there are technically multiple orgs in one city or in one location, I think it will be a long time before Scientology admits defeat and withdraws completely from a city that members and staff know as being one of the (relatively few) locations of an org “church” (versus a mission-franchise, which are fast-vanishing). And Alberta shows some signs of life on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/scientologyofalberta/
Also, that reminded me to check on another small and failing org (SFO) that we almost never hear from, Long Island. It looks like they have moved to even more ignominious and less visible space behind their previous location that was by some railroad tracks and next to an auto body shop – which also apparently has no signage other than letters 3 to 4 inches high on an entry door.
Loosing My Religion says
For those who have never attended a Scn fundraising event, here’s how it happens live (at least in my time):
The speaker or speakers take the stage. They immediately try to create empathy through love or “theta” bombs. Everything is beautiful. Any public success like “the greengrocer is smiling at me now” is’ Wow! But this is an OT achievement! ‘.
After that we start with the good news of expansion of the ‘church’. Obviously, only a few news, if not, it will never end.
At that point it depends on what the management requires the event can take 2 paths.
1. After the good news comes what the management really wants. And it is said quite clearly and the hammering of responsibility begins. There is no escape. It is really heavy.
2. After the good news comes the bad news. SP, psych, aliens, pharmaceutical companies, etc. All described as if the enemy was about to win.
This continues to create an emotional response of protest and disagreement.
At that point here is the solution!
But money is needed to implement it. Your contribution. Otherwise it’s over. Your contribution please. Now.
As someone decides to donate (the first to raise their hands have generally been closed earlier so as to open the flow of donations), a state of general artificial euphoria begins to be created among the public. This obviously serves to continue the donations until the quota is reached.
Note. Up until a certain period, IAS events had even closed doors (no one could leave) until the quota was reached.
A damn nightmare.
Stat says
LMR – you nailed it. That is the fraudulent , deceitful, manipulation techniques used in Scientology. Thanks for making the mind control tricks easy to understand.
LoosingMyReligion says
Stats. Thank you. I have been in the SO for about 15 years and I have seen several things happening.
I know that many people hit this blog everyday. Many haven’t been in the cult. So in my comments time to time I try to give a easier way to unerstand a topic. They must know. Do great.
Karen de la Carriere says
Valley Org have continually asked for money in bizarre and strange ways..
See this
2 min clip of Valley Org Promotional video asking for $$$$ for DOORS
Sometimes you wonder if this is done Saturday night Live style to make one laugh. Is it parody ? Is it comedy ? No it is not. This is real. This is asking for money and donations for their “ideal org.”
Its embarrassing.
Cringeworthy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abxj2E1xalQ
Karen de la Carriere says
Ouch!
I put in wrong video above.
Here is the correct link on Valley Org fundraising
Here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N6JrIalIvU&t=6s
Todd Cray says
That business about euphemisms was the first thing I noticed too, even before reading Mike’s comments on it. That really IS telling!
The scientology crime syndicate is certainly shameful. They don’t even pretend anymore that it’s about ANYTHING other than raising money that will then disappear in the system without any accountability whatsoever as to what it’s being used for.
So if EVEN the utterly shameless get embarrassed about their own pitches to the point of hiding behind euphemisms–“don’t worry about feeding your family during this crisis, your’re not giving us ‘money’ but ‘chillies’ and it’s all a ‘game’ anyway–now THAT is telling!
“This is just our own little secret game” is the phrase predators are so fond of…
grisianfarce says
What coronavirus has done for Thursday Funnies quantity, the leaflet designers have made up with quality! Those horses are a perfect metaphor for the donors – bridled for leading to the opinions they spout, and freely galloping over the edge of a cliff in the middle of a (spiritual? ethical?) desert.
Briget says
Good point, grisianfarce. My first thought was that those horses are hardly wild – unless they were born bridled. Which, unfortunately, is true for some.
Sue T. says
Albuquerque org is one that particularly fascinates me, along with Battle Creek. A close friend of mine lives in Albuquerque so I’ve spent a good deal of time there. Surely there can’t be more than a dozen Scientologists in the whole city. And the “ideal org” is a boring office building in an out-of-the-way location.
PeaceMaker says
Sue, Battle Creek is a former mission (originally in the college town of Ann Arbor) that apparently got made an org in some typically strange CofS machinations of internal politics and “stat push.” Often-forgotten, small (or tiny) and failing Long Island is reportedly another case of that – I don’t know about Albuquerque, but it may be similar. Basically, they really never should have been more than missions – but now that they’re orgs, they not only can never be allowed to close, but have to have oversized “ideal org” facilities (though Long Island has never even managed to acquire a property).
If I recall correctly, Albuquerque long ago bought some old or historic and centrally-located building, I think an old department store, but in recent years gave up on it (as Boston did, and St. Louis is doing), presumably because they couldn’t raise enough money for an expensive restoration. I’d describe the Albuquerque building, like Ventura, as a monumentally ugly brutalist or modernist monstrosity – which probably meant the cheapest available.
Have you ever tried to visit the Albuquerque org? It looks like they have what used to be pretty typical – and still is for the missions that even have their own premises anymore – a strip mall location.
Sue T. says
You are correct, Albuquerque purchased a downtown building in a much busier location (known as the Gizmo building after a previous retail occupant). I found this listing, but I’m not sure whether or not it’s actually still on the market: https://cie.carnm.com/listing/AIqxVZnM6C8/410-Central-Ave-SW-Albuquerque-NM-87102
My friend told me it wasn’t worth driving past the current Albuquerque org as there’s really nothing to see there, just an ugly building with mirrored windows.
otherles says
I live the Twin Cities area. As an Ojectivist I have to oppose Scientology, or make fun of it, like this: https://lesbates.blogspot.com/2020/05/sketch.html
Joe Pendleton says
An Objectivist! I happen to admire some of Ayn Rand’s ideas and it is kind of humorous from an ex Scientologist’s viewpoint to find out that one of her favorite expressions was “A is A”, LOC. No, she was not referring to the reactive mind, but just that something is what it is and not something else.
Loosing my Religion says
Chillies? Sounds like the mafia guy calling the owner of the shop and saying “Ciao Tonio, tomorrow at 12 I am passing to pick up the ‘kids’. Be sure they are ready”.
Lynn Midthun says
I haven’t read Mike’s column for a few days. (sorry Mike) Loosing my Religion this made me laugh because I actually had to Google it to see if it was a real or made up word! Much to my surprise it is a word as previously pointed out. Not convinced if its a word in English or just in India?? I also had never heard donator used in a sentence. Yes, I looked that up too. Thanks for giving me a chuckle.
LoosingMyReligion says
Lynn. Welcome and thank you.
IAS often remembers me the mafia. They ask money from the shops for protection. But there is anything to be protected from. If the shop’s owner doesn’t pay then he gets some good motivation to do it.
Wynski says
Ok people here is the webform address. Have fun putting in lots of info for these guys to “follow up” on. LOL!!!
https://letsgoideal.com/donate-today19552384
I just filled in the form and submitted. The phone # I gave was for the FTC Western regional office.
Scnethics says
“Let’s all go nuts to WIN.”
I’m not sure I’ve seen scientology summed up so succinctly before.
Old Surfer Dude says
I’ve been nuts forever. I took a sabbatical on Target Two. You guys know how that is. The girls with 3 boobs.
Loosing my Religion says
OSD. Laughing loud. Better tgr 1. Here they are still trying to produce something with just 2.
Old Surfer Dude says
Didn’t I see you at the Zenu Bar? I could swear I saw you.
Loosing my Religion says
OSD. Impossible. I am not welcome at the ZenuBar since years.
Old Surfer Dude says
I feel your pain!
Skyler says
Hello Aqua?
I know it’s only been a few days but it’s not like you. I want you to know that I’ve been missing you and hope you will come say hello – even if you don’t have anything else to say.
I remember the time I was feeling pretty low and you came to my aid and … I miss you and I sure would like to hear from you my dear.
Aquamarine says
Hi Skyler!
Thanks for thinking of me.
This past week has been kind of rough and stressful because of computer issues in the office but the good news is that someone I’ve known a long time via my business, who came down with Covid in April, is going to make it. He’s going to pull thru. It was touch and go there for a while but he’s out of ICU now. It will take weeks and maybe months but he’ll be OK. In my area everyone I know knows personally at least one person who has passed. Someone I knew for 25 years, also thru business, died pretty quickly from this thing. It kind of shocked all of us who knew him because he was only 58 and so strong…its no joke, this thing. But then, as badly as we in my area have been hit, I’m still glad I live here. We have a governor who follows science. We’re all doing the masking, handwashing and social distancing thing. We’re all in agreement. When this thing comes back- and it will, it will return again – when it comes back, in our area it will not be as bad because we’ll be reopening based on science, not politics. We are hunkered down for as long as necessary to contain the thing and make its inevitable return in the fall and winter much less of an event. Anyway, that’s what’s been going on. I’m fine, still working my 2 jobs and healthy. Thanks again for reaching out, Skyler.
Newcomer says
It sounds like you have been in the thick of it Aqua. Glad for you are staying healthy and thanks for the good news about your friend.
In my area people still think it is fake news. We have few cases. But I agree, this thing is going to be with us a long while and I’m sure it could get nasty. I have been getting some straight info from a blog I like called Peak Prosperity. Chris Martenson is a straight shooter on a variety of topics, unlike some other folks we know (sort of).
Yo DAVE,
Would you get someone over to Minneapolis with a boatload of those TWTH thingies and calm the place down for GAWDS SAKE! Only YOU can do it ….. Dave.
Aquamarine says
Thanks, Newcomer. And I understand; the reality for one area can differ widely from the actual scene of another. I’ll check out this blog, thanks. Straight unbiased info is certainly needed.
And, yeah, Dave! PAY ATTENTION to the defrocked types advising you here! While you’re getting your hair streaked Minneapolis might be calming down on its own for GAWDS SAKE 🙂
Joe Pendleton says
The big surprise for the winner of “the game”? … The generous donator has a jalapeno farm and needs to donate surplus inventory before he files his taxes, so … the winner of “the game” is gonna get ACTUAL chilies! (A hundred thousand of them, so better get a Mexican buffet ready, I used to stay in Ventura, so wish I was there for the celebration ) …
Believe or Else says
It would appear that every single piece of propaganda from this criminal cult is a very open, overt and psychotic money grab. The greed drips off the page. Here we have, in full view, the main thing that pushes new people away. Thank you Mike for showing this unadulterated nut job promotional material. When I search for “Scientology” your site consistently shows up. Truth is a powerful weapon. You are denying them new victims. You have my respect.
georgemwhite says
Wild horses with bridles going off a cliff? I think no one is donating 100,000 chillies or pennies. They just made it all up. Could not even get a good picture of wild horses.
PartTimeSP says
They could just play this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMcKeLe-0e8
Loosing my Religion says
PartimeSP. Yeah!, let’s go back to the 80s for a sec.
Old Surfer Dude says
For a second? On, c’mon. Let’s rock like it’s 1999! Oh crap. That was a long time ago. I can’t win for losing. I suck!
Loosing My Religion says
OSD. Laughing. But in 1999 I was still in the damn SO. We must chose another year. What about 1988?
georgemwhite says
nICE VIDEO. tHE HORSES ARE SMARTER THAN THE sCIENTOLOGISTS
jere Lull (39 years recovering) says
“Wild horses with bridles going off a cliff? “, sayeth George
Wild horses and bridles don’t quite fit together. One or the other.
And having them running over a cliff ain’t particularly friendly, though that’s pretty much what the clapping clams do for their always-illusory chance for “eternity”….
Like lemmings.
Does no one SOBER proof their ads?
Aquamarine says
Hilarious, isn’t it, George? Made my day 🙂
jere Lull (39 years recovering) says
Looking again at the promo,Is it just me being charitable (for once), or is it possible that those are magickal horses getting set to launch themselves up to the stars?
georgemwhite says
I think it is charitable – congratulations.
Skyler says
Why are they always using euphemisms for money? Pls allow me to take a guess. To begin, there are several kinds of phrases that drive me batty. For some reason, they seem to take hold of the population and almost overnight, everyone is using them.
For example, for most of my 70 years, whenever I went to a supermarket or other kind of large business and bought something, as I left, I would say, “Thank you” and people would reply, “You’re welcome”. No more. Now, everyone replies, “No problem!”. No problem? I want to tell you how I feel about this but if I start, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop and I will just start fuming at the mouth and smoke will come out of my ears. So, let me cut this short and just get to the point.
There is something I despise even more than “No Problem”. That is the phony bullshit that large corporations speak that is all lies but was written by lawyers to help prevent lawsuits. Whenever some corporation is responsible for someone getting killed – like the police department responsible for one of them kneeling on someone’s neck who then died, you know exactly what they will then say. It goes something like this, “We sincerely regret this tragic event and our hearts go out to the friends and family of ….
“Our hearts go out”? Are you kidding? These monsters have no hearts. “We sincerely regret”? WTH? You people have never felt a sincere emotion directed towards someone else in your life. Your only interest is in coverying your ass and speaking this phony bullshit so you don’t get sued. Well, what is my point?
Sometime, on the way to the end, the rat will be confronted with a situation where people sue him for millions or even billions of dollars to recover all the money he extorted or forced people in the bubble to give him in a way they laugingly called “donations”. It doesn’t seem to me like it will be difficult to write the script he will try to pass off as some kind of genuine human regret and emotion. What a joke! It will go something like this:
“The parishoners of this scam have always worked tirelessly to help the underprivliged and downtrodden members of our community. Many of us work almost around the clock to provide help and solace to others. Especially when people have suffered some kind of tragedy, the volunteer members of our ministry spring into action – often at their own expense – and go visit the suffering to provide them with comfort and understanding. Hoo Whee! What a load of crap. Only tiny parts of it are true and those parts give these criminals a good laugh. Fer instance, “often at their own expense” is true but only because this scam is too cheap to pay for anything. When it comes to money, there is only one direction. It always flows uphill – from the disadvantaged into the coffers of the scam. When is the last time they ever truthfully admitted to donating some of their money to some suffering peope. The only way that any money is spent is when people who have already been scammed out of their life savings are scammed yet again to pay the costs of travelling to the victims of a flood or hurricane and … Here we go again! Any and all money is spent by the dupes so the scam can pretend like they are doing something for the suffering.
Makes me so mad my blood just begins to boil. OK. Back to the point. They always use euphemisms for money because they are trying to delay the day when people realize just how they scam all that money from their slaves and dupes. They figure the less they use the word “money”, the longer it will take for people to figure it out. But Lauren figured it out all on her own almost instantly.
AFAIC, Lauren is my idea of a modern day Joan of Arc. I just hope she is experienced with the weapons she will need to help us destroy this scam. IMHO, we need people like Lauren to participate in the obliteration this filthy scam!
Snake Thompson's Ghost says
At the supermarket: “Did you find everything all right?” when you are already standing right in front of the cashier with your goods on the conveyor belt and she is ringing up the sale. What if you said, “No, I didn’t! Tell me what aisle Nutella is on and then just wait here until I can get back with it?”
Loosing my Religion says
Slyler. Off topic. That video you advice me on covid 19 in Italy I could not find it available on FSD. But I found clips here and there. These have also english subtitles.
Thanks again.
In the video they talk about an 18-year-old boy with lungs totally damaged by the virus. The doctor was about to cry. He remained attached to a breathing machine for months.
The good news (inside the tragedy) is that he has just received a lung transplant and is doing well. Bye.
The Moose says
Who has any money left to give anymore, other than their celebrities? I doubt they participate in things like this.
Loosing my Religion says
The Moose. They of course don’t partecipate to this shit. The have a personal reg who does a Csw to them (approved before by God) for specific donations. I don’t add anything to it.
Aquamarine says
Oh, boy, you can bet your last tin IAS trophy that they’ll be grubbing for the Still Ins’ government relief checks and unemployment benefits. You can take that to the bank!