Awesome stuff you see on the internet

Siam

Thanks RT - fascinating, (in a you fucking bunch of fluffybunnies, yes Tom you, you cock way).
 
Huge respect for those former members that put aside their shame to give us some insights.

red terror

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="486269" data-time="1429541215">
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Huge respect for those former members that put aside their shame to give us some insights.
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One thing the documentary doesn't detail, but continues to fascinate me, is that some of those very-high ranking ex-Scientology members interviewed -- e.g. Marty Rathbun (the Michael Jordan/Wayne Gretzky of auditing) and Mike Rinder (the Australian attack-dog) -- were "routed out" (purged) from the Church, but they still continue to believe in Scientology, including the crazy Xenu myth and their lives as Operating Thetans. The Church calls them "Squirrels." These squirrels believe the Church is a cult, they believe David Miscavige (Chairman of the Board and the guy Tom Cruise worships as a god) is corrupt and evil, but they still believe in Hubbard and (presumably) the e-meter.

Crucial

Interesting watch and even if you tried to invent and imagine some viable balance into it, it shows that CoS is no more than a business model based on the ideas of a 'nutter' and run by control freaks.
How this really differs from many other current organised religions seems partly that it is new (in relative terms) and is still in a phase of cementing itself and its use of celebrities places it in the public eye.
Its teachings are looney and its methods extreme but go back a few centuries and you could apply the same to the Roman Catholics extremes used to forcibly convert other 'christian' beliefs of a more base and pagan root in order to build power. Many of these other groups (such as Cathars) had simple belief systems that promoted good over evil but didn't try and control their adherents or build wealth. It was hippies vs businessmen with the businessmen winning by methods of genocide and terror.
The fact from the doco they stuck with me was right at the end and that was the low numbers of practicing Scientologists. It seems it is their wealth and attachment to big names that gets them so much attention.
As long as we have organised religion and people seeing the opportunity to control others through it, we will have extremes that cause harm.
The sooner we get away from the concept of Religions being an entity that deserve tax free status the better. If it is due to their acts of public good then make just those activities tax free. The wealth building and business parts can pay their way like everyone else.
I'm not sure if it is still true but for a very long time the Anglican Church in NZ was the country's largest real estate owner. Their property wealth is huge and they don't pay a cent in tax. They even argued, when an even tax system on investment funds was introduced, that their pension fund should not pay tax. That has nothing to do with public good, just lining pockets. When I hear them crying for help to rebuild the ChCh Cathedral it just falls on deaf ears. The can easily afford to rebuild something twice as grand if they opened their purse.

antipodean

Tim

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="486265" data-time="1429529239">
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Hasn't been published in the UK either. The doco was definitely worth a watch.
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Won't be shown on UK TV either. Apparently the libel laws of Scotland and Northern Ireland are to blame:
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.littleatoms.com/society/why-you-cant-watch-scientology-documentary-going-clear-uk'>http://www.littleatoms.com/society/why-you-cant-watch-scientology-documentary-going-clear-uk</a>

red terror

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="486385" data-time="1429608203">
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Won't be shown on UK TV either. Apparently the libel laws of Scotland and Northern Ireland are to blame:
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.littleatoms.com/society/why-you-cant-watch-scientology-documentary-going-clear-uk'>http://www.littleatoms.com/society/why-you-cant-watch-scientology-documentary-going-clear-uk</a>
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"This has left a gaping loophole in the law."
 
To say the least. Fear prevails. HBO reportedly had 160 lawyers vetting the doc.

Duluth

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="486279" data-time="1429557183">
<div>
One thing the documentary doesn't detail, but continues to fascinate me, is that some of those very-high ranking ex-Scientology members interviewed -- e.g. Marty Rathbun (the Michael Jordan/Wayne Gretzky of auditing) and Mike Rinder (the Australian attack-dog) -- were "routed out" (purged) from the Church, but they still continue to believe in Scientology, including the crazy Xenu myth and their lives as Operating Thetans. The Church calls them "Squirrels." These squirrels believe the Church is a cult, they believe David Miscavige (Chairman of the Board and the guy Tom Cruise worships as a god) is corrupt and evil, but they still believe in Hubbard and (presumably) the e-meter.
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Yeah I was surprised they didn't cover that in the documentary. Rinder mentions aspects of Scientology that "makes sense" and emphasises the difference between the Scientology and the CoS on his blog
 
So he's still a nutter
 
I bumped into his blog when searching for info on the building in Auckland they've sunken so much cash into ($10 million for the initial purchase plus $16 million to do it up... but the site is currently a mess)
 
Here's his post on it
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.mikerindersblog.org/the-new-ideal-org-strategy/'>http://www.mikerindersblog.org/the-new-ideal-org-strategy/</a>

Hooroo

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/67947902/recordsmashing-atomic-clock-is-the-most-accurate-ever'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/67947902/recordsmashing-atomic-clock-is-the-most-accurate-ever</a>
 
This sort of thing blows me away. Especially the last part of the article.

red terror

<img src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s---npwWkTl--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1221708355212646728.jpg" alt="1221708355212646728.jpg">
 
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/this-huge-volcanic-eruption-in-chile-is-stunningly-beau-1699612788'>This Huge Volcanic Eruption In Chile Is Stunningly Beautiful</a>

taniwharugby

Thread title: Awesome stuff you see on the internet
 
Reading the last couple of pages, I think maybe some people need to look up the definition of 'awesome' in the dictionary!! ;)

JC

OK TR, you wanted awesome, here it is. The recipe for Ham Banana Rolls:
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://retrorecipe.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/ham-banana-rolls/'>https://retrorecipe.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/ham-banana-rolls/</a>
 
No need to thank me.

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="487003" data-time="1429946825">Thread title: Awesome stuff you see on the internet 
Reading the last couple of pages, I think maybe some people need to look up the definition of 'awesome' in the dictionary!! ;)</blockquote>
 
It took me a while to find it. 
It was under "O"

JC

How do you reckon this turned out?
 
<img src="http://www.thepoke.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/disaster9.jpg" alt="disaster9.jpg">

taniwharugby

antipodean

What strange behaviour - the easiest person in the world to destroy in a street fight is someone with their pants around their ankles.

Nepia

That was just odd - and maybe I don't have the right sense of humour but I didn't find it very funny. Also, there's no way I'd start trying to pick a fight with someone in the states, you're likely to get a gun pulled on you.
 
The dog peeing one was better - it had girls in bikinis.

taniwharugby

well the 'awesome' tone of this thread had been lowered considerably over the past few days, so the bar was very low...
 
Yeah not sure why you'd walk up to someone and just try to start up with them, but hey, thats what the internet is for apparently, boy there is some farked up shit out there for what people think is funny though! :think:

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="487246" data-time="1430118313">
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Yeah not sure why you'd walk up to someone and just try to start up with them, but hey, thats what the internet is for apparently, boy there is some farked up shit out there for what people think is funny though! :think:
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I blame Jackass

MajorRage

I would guess that some of those are setups.
 
Does crap like that actually happen in real life?

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="487253" data-time="1430121719">
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I would guess that some of those are setups.
 
Does crap like that actually happen in real life?
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IIRC a guy got in trouble recently for knocking a senior citizen over in the street (I think he was a war vet) stadning and laughing at him over in the UK(?) and his mate filmed it all. The world has gone mad

The Silver Fern

Awesome stuff you see on the internet