Scientology Volunteer Ministers

This video shows the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in action. It represents what they do all over the world to bring effective help to people. They live by the motto: Something can be done about it.

Year in Review

As 2006 winds to a close, it is time to reflect on everything we are thankful for and set new goals for 2007.

Where do you want to be a year from now?

Five years?

Ten?

I will be posting my ideas here over the coming days. Feel free to do the same.

Trust

What a useful message for the holiday season. Thanks very much for posting the link.

L. Ron Hubbard also wrote that people should "be worthy of trust." This is from his common sense moral code, "The Way to Happiness" and is brilliantly rendered in this public service announcement: http://www.thewaytohappiness.org/get-involved/public-service-announcements/view/?id=14

Trust

I found one of my favorite ads on YouTube today.

A couple of years ago, the Church of Scientology International
published an ad focusing on a quote by L. Ron Hubbard: "On the day when we can fully trust each other, there will be peace on Earth."

Particularly fitting to the upcoming Christmas season, but pertinent all year round, here's a copy of the ad:

The News from England

So much great news coverage on the expansion of Scientology in the UK!

Here's one:

New Scientology HQ opens in London
The Press Association Monday October 23, 11:33 AM

The Church of Scientology has unveiled its new London headquarters with a grand opening ceremony.

The controversial religion, which counts Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its followers, is expanding its British operation.

It has bought and refurbished the former home of the British and Foreign Bible Society in the City of London, for its new HQ.

Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard chose London as home to the organisation's first offices.

Several hundred Scientologists braved the driving rain to listen to an address by Scientology leader David Miscavige.

He said: "This day will go down in history. Of all the foreign lands where LRH lived and worked, he called England home.

"This is the city wherein he first defined the human spirit as an immortal being possessed of capabilities beyond anything predicted and so arrived at the axiomatic truths on which the whole of Scientology is founded."

Hollywood actress Anne Archer, whose roles include Michael Douglas's wife in Fatal Attraction, attended the opening.

She was raised a Christian Scientist but joined the Church of Scientology in 1976 and credits it with turning her life around.

The actress conceded that Scientology has received a bad press but said: "All new ideas are criticised but we are doing remarkable things."

Christmas is Coming too Early

It's not even Holloween, but the Capital Building in Hollywood already has its "tree" built, and the drugstore had Christmas ornaments.

Humbug!

Month Against Poverty

Mimg src="http://www.whiteband.org/Gcap/portal_skins/custom/images/top2.gif" width = "400">
One more day of Stand Up Against Poverty Month, and I just learned about it today!

What a fitting time for Muhammad Yunus to win the Nobel Peace prize.

His work as banker to the poor is a revolutionary way to end poverty - by getting people into production.

Interesting fact -- there have been fewer than 2% failure to repay of all the loans he has extended to people who never had enough money to get loans before.

Dear Artist: Andy Warhol - controversial hero/demon

I thought what Pam Blehert had to say Andy Warholabout was such an interesting take on him. I always felt like he was laughing at the rest of us.

Desi's Two Cents: Twists on Proverbs

These little poverbs onDesi's Two Cents gave be quite a chuckle.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Sexual trafficking

There's an interesting discussion on feministing.com on sexual trafficking.

Not something you hear about too often, but a very definite part of life, and something we all need to take more responsibility for.

The Church of Scientology International has produced a series of videos for Youth for Human Rights International to bring the subject of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into sharp focus and make it understandable to eveyone.

The video on the subject of slavery carries a wallop.

Congratulations to LRH for New Guiness Record

Scientology Today has a new story about L. Ron Hubbard being awarded two new Guiness World Records!

Hot stuff!

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Muslims angry at new Danish cartoons scandal

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Muslims angry at new Danish cartoons scandal

There is a point where freedom of speech leaves off and intolerance and bigotry begin.

There is also a point of judgments - is it more important to vent one's prejudiced views than to preserve human life, or to defend the religious freedom of others?

To me it is a matter of responsibility vs. license and I know where I stand.

In the words of Gandhi "Noncooperation with evil is as much a duty as cooperation with good."

North Korea

The Washington Post reports:

In a Test, a Reason to Talk
Bilateral Diplomacy Could Still Roll Back North Korea's Nuclear Arms Effort

By Selig S. Harrison
Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Page A21

"You have learned to live with other nuclear powers," said Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan, North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, leaning forward over the dinner table in Pyongyang. "So why not us? We really want to coexist with the United States peacefully, but you must learn to coexist with a North Korea that has nuclear weapons."

I'm not sure what the solution is to North Korea, but underground nuclear testing is the worst kind of deja vu I can imagine, and it seems to me that the governments of this planet, whose job it is to protect their citizens, need to increase their effectiveness bigtime.

What is driving North Korea to such extremes that they feel they need to test nuclear weapons?

And what can be done to allay their fears and create the dialogue necessary to have mutual trust and cooperation?

Or are their concerns really legitimate, and we are simply not being provided the facts by our news media?

But one thing is for sure. We need to grapple with this and handle it effectively NOW, and not wait till testing turns to deployment.

I'm a sucker for a puppy

It was love at first site, today, when I saw the most beautiful poodle puppy in the store.

A little girl was carrying her around and I just had to go over and pet the puppy.

Do you ever get over these impulses?

Wassa

As in wassa madda you?

(One of my dad's favorite expressions).

Chilling out

It's finally started to cool off in LA. Last night I didn't need my AC. Today I even felt like putting on a jacket.

I guess summer is drawing to a close after all.

My world is blurry

Staring at my computer screen too long today.

Maybe I need a new eye exam....

(Thank's to Zach Knap's dad for the photo)

Turkthetan's Pictures

I learned about Turkthetan from Creativexpressions blog.

These photos transported me.

I found myself staring at the screen with a big smile on my face.

Exceptional.

Here's one of my favorites.

Never too old for Peanuts

The Autumnal Equinox

According to Infoplease:

At the autumnal equinox (Sept. 23, 2006, 12:03 A.M. EDT), the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere

On the date of either equinox, the sun is above the equator and night and day are of approximately equal length; the word equinox is often used to refer to either of these dates.

The equinoxes are not fixed points on the celestial sphere but move westward along the ecliptic, passing through all the constellations of the zodiacin 26,000 years. This motion is called the precession of the equinoxes. The vernal equinox is a reference point in the equatorial coordinate system.

World Peace Day

In honor of the International Day of World Peace - 21 September - I would like to post this prayer by L. Ron Hubbard - the Scientology Prayer for Total Freedom

May the author of the universe enable all men to reach an understanding of their spiritual nature.

May awareness and understanding of life expand, so that all may come to know the author of the universe.

And may others also reach this understanding which brings Total Freedom.

At this time, we think of those whose liberty is threatened; of those who have suffered imprisonment for their beliefs; of those who are enslaved or martyred, and for all those who are brutalised, trapped or attacked.

We pray that human rights will be preserved so that all people may believe and worship freely, so that freedom will once again be seen in our land.

Freedom from war, and poverty, and want; freedom to be; freedom to do and freedom to have.

Freedom to use and understand man’s potential — a potential that is God-given and Godlike.

And freedom to achieve that understanding and awareness that is Total Freedom.

May God let it be so.

Freedom Magazine Human Rights Leadership Awards

I'm an avid reader of Freedom Magazine, because I find that their research is impeccable and they go after stories that are of vital importance, but that media, tied by the money and editorial policies set by their major advertisers, won't touch.

Last night, Freedom held its annual Human Rights Leadership Awards event.

It was held at Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill. actress Anne Archer presented awards to Congressman Dan Burton (R – IN), Robert K. Goodwin, President and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation, and Lisa Thompson the Liaison for the Abolition of Sexual Trafficking for the Salvation Army USA National Headquarters.

The Joy of Learning to Help

Such a great group of happy kids! This is a photo of one of the first Scientology graduations on Kinmen Island.

The young people have just completed Scientology Volunteer Ministers training on one or more of the booklets, based on the chapters of the Scientology Handbook.

I found this at the Scientology Press Office web site.

A writer with a future

I found this great article about a winner of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest this year:


By Tracy Holmes Black Press
Sep 10 2006

Lee Beavington writes in the same environment he sleeps in – flanked by books, music, dragons and cheetahs, under an umbrella of glow-in-the-dark stars.

He laughs when he reflects on the multitude of life passions that ever-morphing environment represents - from music, dance, running and science to reading, writing, travel and philosophizing.

There's too many for one lifetime, he says.

But as he pursues them all – some concurrently, others when he gets a spare moment – there's one he's taking particular pride in these days.

His writing has finally made it onto bookstore shelves.

"To actually hold it in my hand at the bookstore... was the affirmation of a lifelong dream – to have my words in print in a bookstore," he said of L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Volume 22.

"It was an amazing feeling to have fulfilled that dream."

Beavington, 27, learned last year his sci-fi novella Evolution's End was one of 12 chosen from submissions worldwide for Hubbard's 2006 anthology. The book's touted to feature "the best new science fiction and fantasy of the year," and has been described as a roadmap showcasing the future of science fiction.

The honour also earned the Kwantlen University College biology instructor a trophy, $1,500, and a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of authors Tim Powers and Anne McCaffrey in San Diego.

Powers is a well-known science fiction/fantasy author; McCaffrey's best-known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. She's also a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master.

Beavington sat across from McCaffrey last month during an autograph session in San Diego – held the same week as the Writers of the Future 2006 awards ceremony – to sign copies of the just-released anthology at the same time McCaffrey captivated fans.

"To be in the same line with her was pretty amazing," he said.

"There's just awe in people's eyes as they get to talk to her."

Awe and wonder are huge drivers behind the South Surrey man's passion. They're what's held him riveted since he started reading fantasy, and are what he tries to evoke in his own writing. He writes mainly science fiction and fantasy, but has dabbled over the years in everything from memoirs to fairy tales.

He's inspired by the likes of Isaac Asimov, and credits Aldous Huxley's Brave New World with expanding his perspective on virtually every aspect of life – of the world – from writing to spirituality.

"I realized you could write science fiction in all these other genres that have something deeper to them," he explained.

Just as he has too many passions for one lifetime, Beavington admits his list of story ideas has grown far beyond what he could ever put to paper. The ideas come from "all sorts of places," he said. The roots of Evolution's End, for example, come from the biology lab at Kwantlen.

The story details three explorers' discovery of single-celled organisms on a 15-billion-year-old planet, and the chilling mystery behind why it's the only lifeform there.

Travel is another inspiration. He started a novel this summer, while on a houseboat in India, inspired by the backwaters of Kerala.

"Travel gets my brain thinking in a different way," he said.

Though he's been writing for more than a decade, Beavington said his Writers of the Future win is "the beginning" for him.

"It's nice to have that recognition. It gave my confidence a boost."

L., Ron Hubbard - Writers of the Future

Here's a great example of how L. Ron Hubbard's love of creativity and care for artists has is a legacy that continues to help artists to this very day.

It is the Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future contest, which gives people new to the industry an opportunity to be read and seen:

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 14, 2006 -- Three out of every 10,000 manuscripts submitted to the publishing industry in the United States each year gets published. In the science fiction and fantasy genre, all publishing houses combined release only 1,800 novels annually, most of them written by established authors. So recognition seldom comes quickly to new writers, particularly in the genre of speculative fiction. Many aspiring writers facing those kinds of odds soon discover how hard it is to get published and give up on their dreams to see their novels and stories in print.

One program that has successfully helped talented new writers gain recognition and bring them to the attention of publishers is the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, see www.writersofthefuture.com, now in its 23rd year.

Every quarter, three winners are selected by a judge's panel of leading authors of science fiction and fantasy including Anne McCaffrey, Tim Powers, Kevin J. Anderson and Robert Sawyer. With no entry fee and judging done on an anonymous basis, the criterion is strictly merit.

Besides first time publication in the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future -- the best-selling anthology series of its kind -- benefits include $30,000 in cash prizes and royalties, a writing workshop with top professionals of the genre, critiques of writing skills by well known authors as well as book signings, radio and TV interviews organized by the contest administrators to assist the new authors to get launched. Winners also form a strong community and stay in touch and support each other.

Fantasy writer Tim Powers and such other successful authors in the genre, as Orson Scott Card and Algis Budrys have conducted the workshop, which in addition to honing writing skills also covers public relations and marketing advice to help launch winner's careers. The intensive mentoring process works -- past winners of the Contest have had over 300 novels and more than 3,000 short stories published, creating sales of over 30 million books and a number of New York Times bestsellers.

This year's L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Achievement Awards Ceremony will take place August 18th at the San Diego Air & Space Museum with celebrity presenters, guests and winners from around the globe. Professionals and fans are invited to attend and can r.s.v.p. at 323/466-3310.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour

One of my favorite series of stories on the Scientology Press office web site are the stories of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in India.

This photo tells it all, I think -- a photo of the "free school" a Scientology Volunteer Minister set up in the slums of Calcutta.

Scientology Disaster Response Team Looks Back

Clad in their trademark yellow shirts with the “Volunteer Minister” emblem, the disaster response team of the Church of Scientology starting arriving just hours after the first World Trade Center Tower went down. According to the NY Times, they were one of most well-organized, and most evident volunteer groups at the scene of the 9/11 disaster.

In the first few days, the Ministers dug in the rubble, distributed food, and brought cold drinks to the first responders at the World Trade Center. They organized supplies of clean masks, replacement boots and hardhats. But they brought something unique to the site: a kind of spiritual first-aid, in the form of assists techniques created by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to help an individual recover more rapidly from fatigue, trauma, and injury.

“What we had to offer was crucial: the first responders’ ability to continue their search for anyone who might still be alive,” said Rev. John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology of New York. “We were able to help them remain alert and aware, even when the magnitude of the disaster was overwhelming. They told us, in person, in letters, and even years later, how much it meant to them to have that assistance when they needed it.”

The techniques, says Rev. Carmichael, can be as simple as directing the attention of the individual to objects in his environment, one after another, until he is able to pay attention easily to his physical surroundings. Others are a bit more complicated, but all can be learned by anyone, of any faith, from materials in the Volunteer Minister handbook.

In honor of the anniversary of 911, please permit me to pay tribute to all of the Volunteer Ministers and everyone else who gave of themselves in the weeks, months and years after 911. We will never forget.

Interesting Speech

I just found a copy of a speech by David Miscavige on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program. He really puts it in the right perspective.

Nice Statement by Penelope Cruz

"Scientology is positive. When you read a book of Buddhism, you could apply it to your life in any way you need to, so with a book of Scientology it's the same thing.

"I think we should respect all religions."

New Scientology News Site

Here is an excerpt from the new Scientology News Site. Visit the site for tons of useful information and news.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Take a Stand Against Crime in Fiji

L. Ron Hubbard discovered effective technology to rehabilitate criminals, which the Scientology Volunteer Ministers South Pacific Goodwill Tour is sharing with those responsible for handling crime in the nation of Fiji.

Yellow shirts mingled with blue ones on the first day of Crime Prevention Week, when the Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers South Pacific Goodwill Tour brought their anti-crime initiative to the police.

With recidivism rates averaging between 47 - 53% and a parliamentary paper conceding last year that despite the staff/prisoner ratio being 1 to 10 the prison population exceeds capacity, government and law enforcement officials alike know they need effective solutions to combat this problem.

Having a great concern, not only for the social ramifications of a prison population that goes back into society only to wreak further harm on their fellow, but also for the lives and future of the criminals themselves, L. Ron Hubbard posed the following question:

If one sincerely hopes to rehabilitate a criminal population then this is the factor one must consider: Where did they lose their self-respect?

Noting this as the key point that needs to be addressed, he discovered technology to rehabilitate this precious commodity, and had it included in a chapter of the Scientology Handbook, the textbook used to train Scientology Volunteer Ministers: the "Honesty and Integrity" chapter of the Scientology Handbook , which has also been published as a booklet by the same name.
And when they looked at the information in the booklet, it made so much sense to them that one of the divisional commanders decided to have all his officers do the course based on this information.

Gorgeous New Site!

I love the new Scientology News web site. It is beautiful. And so easy to navigate.

I've subscribed to it and made it my homepage too!

Fifty-eight years after its adoption, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights comes to life in 30 new public service announcements.

United Nations officials, representatives of different embassies and celebrities joined actress Anne Archer and 120 delegates from 25 nations from across the globe at an international youth summit honoring human rights heroes. This event featured a new tool for teaching people what their human rights are with 30 public service announcements, each portraying a different article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Read the press release here.

Radio Freedom has functioned in Denmark for the past 19 years. It was founded by a group of Scientologists from Copenhagen, who founded the association Active Scientologists Radio Association in 1987. It focuses on improvements in the quality of life through culture, human rights, education, health care and environmental matters. The name Radio Freedom was chosen because it means freedom to be heard and have an opportunity to present one’s views without being interrupted by a journalist, the audience of an opponent. This is the main difference between Radio Freedom and other radio stations, in that they give priority to information not sensation.

As we remember the victims of Hurricane Katrina, let us also remember those who gave of themselves to help the survivors. Nearly 1,000 Volunteer Ministers aided survivors of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, providing, among other things, food and water. Without them, the disaster would have been much, much worse.

Give me a Break

Who let the psychs into China!

Get a load of this:

"Mainland China has opened its first halfway house for Internet addicts, offering shell-shocked teenagers counselling, books -- and the use of computers."

Oh MY! I think I'm addicted

Capuccino

Capuccino was a wonderful invention.

Psychiatric and Pharma Colusion

The worst human rights violations extant today come from psychiatric pharma collusion.
Through clever PR and marketing campaigns they have managed to redefine life as a disorder.

Try reading through the psych diagnostic manual. You will find your life listed there as a disorder.

Their motto - life is a disease that can't be cured, but medication can put you into a state where you don't care.

And how many billions are they raking in with their chicanery?

Sometimes I feel like the last man standing in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

These drugs make people VIOLENT! They create KILLERS!

Boston Volunteer Ministers

The Church of Scientology of Boston has a very active Scientology Volunteer Ministers program. They have a communty center where they do tutoring and other programs.

Here is a story about them in the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site:






SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTERS GOODWILL TOUR
The Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Boston
A Volunteer Minister goes over solutions developed by L. Ron Hubbard to help counter drug problems.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Boston have helped over 13,200 people this past year.
A year ago, after Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast, the team pitched in to help care for the needs of those who were re-located to Boston. They have continued this work to this day, participating in weekly meetings of a group called "Coordination of the Caring," chaired by Senator Dianne Wilkerson and Representative Gloria Fox and formed to ensure the best possible treatment of evacuees of New Orleans.

The Boston Volunteer Ministers also operate a Scientology Volunteer Ministry in Dorchester to bring solutions to this crime-ridden area. Offering tutoring with study technology, developed by L. Ron Hubbard, and other programs to reduce violence, this ministry gives one-on-one help to people of the community.

The Boston Volunteer Ministers frequently set up their tent at the Boston Commons to make technology from the Scientology Handbook broadly available. They frequently hear comments such as this one from a woman who walked in to the tent a few weeks ago: "A friend of mine came in here yesterday and he said he felt a lot better afterwards. I want what he got!"
Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology of Boston set up their tent to reach out to the community with effective solutions.

The Simpsons

Congratulations to The Simpsons for their early Emmy.

Good vs. Bad News

Stan Dubin's posting Stop Reading, Watching and Listening and See How You Feel is actually pretty clever.

I remember when the news went out of control. There was a newspaper strike in New York in 1955 or 1956 when I was a kid. We started watching the news instead of reading the paper. And the major networks obliged by adding in several new times when you could watch it.

Not long afterwards there was a young woman who was murdered in a neighborhood close to where I lived. What was worse, neighbors watched and did nothing. This was a huge scandal -- not just the fact that she was murdered but the fact that no one helped her.

I observed a real shift in the news after that with sensational harmful stories dominating far more than ever before.

Here's what I think. There is MUCH more good news going on than bad news. Every day people help each other. Every day mothers put their parents put their kids' safety ahead of their own and save their children's lives. Ever day teachers stay late to help kids or pay a visit to the parents of a failing student to help resolve the problem. I could go on. And I'm sure you've seen it too.

So how come a factory burning down and killing two in Topeka makes the national news?

Is it because they really think it will sell papers? Is it because they are bankrolled by pharmaceutical companies that profit from the depression the news brings on?

The idea of simply not reading the paper for a few weeks is a suggestion L. Ron Hubbard made in a tape I heard (can't remember what the name of the tape is).

Blog Bites

These are some excellent blogging tips which I found at website101.com

Top 10 Blog Writing Tips -- Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman

1. Write with the reader in mind. Remember WIIFM? It's marketing jargon for What's In It For Me? That's what you should be keeping in mind. Your reader will read your post looking for what's in it for them.

2. Make it valuable and worthwhile. Don't waste people's time. If you don't have anything to say, no problem, plenty other people do. So share their articles, do an interview, review a book.

3. Proof-read for typos and glaring grammatical errors. You wouldn't go out of the house with dirty hair or missing a sock, so why would you publish spelling mistakes? Respect your readers by polishing up your stuff.

4. Keep it short and simple, sweetie. (KISS). Most people are scanners. You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly. Publishing short posts more frequently is a better format than publishing lengthy articles every few weeks.

5. Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren't a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you're speaking to your friend.or to yourself! Remember though, get to the point quickly. Keep in mind the journalist's rule of 5 W's in the first paragraph: who, what, why, when and where.

6. Link often. This builds credibility and positions you as an expert in your field. People don't have time to know what others are doing, you should tell them. Linking to other blogs and websites also helps you build a network of associates who will in turn link to your blog.

7. Use keywords often. This will help you stay on purpose, and the search engines will love your blog. Your rankings will go up. This is one of the reasons we have you write out your purpose statements before beginning your blog. The clearer you are about your purpose, the more consistently you will deliver messages that are on target. And the more often your keywords show up, the better your search engine results.

8. Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No double speak or jargon; no more than one idea in one sentence- don't make your readers have to think about your meaning. Spoon feed them. Use commas and dashes liberally.

9. Write like you talk. It's okay to use common expressions from speech. Examples: Go figure. Don't even go there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it. (And, remember the age group of your readers.)

10. Use a clear headline, and don't be afraid to make bold statements (but don't mislead people either). Make it snazzy and use key words. Example: Ex-Techno-Weenie Masters HTML Code

Space dust?

Aerospace Bob has a great blog. Here's a recent thing he posted that I never know about.

Want to participate in a Space Mission? Stardust@home is a space science project in which volunteers from the general public help scientists locate particles from distant stars. The particles were captured by the spacecraft Stardust and are embedded in collector plates made of aerogel, which were carried by the spacecraft. The aerogel plates, and the particles within them, were returned to Earth in a sample return capsule on January 15, 2006. The purpose of Stardust@home is to find the particles within the aerogel plates. For more data, see this website.

Human Rights

Aerospace Bob says:

When human rights are not well known by people, abuses such as discrimination, intolerance, injustice, oppression and slavery can arise.

Born out of the atrocities and enormous loss of life during World War II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created by the United Nations to provide a common understanding of what everyone’s rights are. It forms the basis for a world built on freedom, justice and peace.

I am passionate on the subject of human rights, myself, and feel that if there were one cause that could undercut all others it would be that.

So much of Scientology has to do with either putting the individual into a position where he/she can enjoy his own rights (such as helping the individual attain literacy, get off drugs, raise his moral standards to a level where he can be happy) or know them well enough that they can demand them.

Tax Prof Blog wrote:

Church of Scientology Wins Huge UK VAT Case
Interesting article in today's Telegraph: Scientology Tax Victory Could Cost Revenue Millions, by Harry Wallop:
The Church of Scientology has won a VAT ruling that tax experts say could cost HM Revenue & Customs "hundreds of millions of pounds." The VAT Tribunal has ruled that Revenue & Customs has to pay back the organisation at least £4.1m in past payments.

Tribunal chairman David Williams also issued an unprecedented rebuke to HMRC as part of his ruling, calling the VAT authority's handling of the case "frankly inadequate, if not inept".

The ruling is a victory for Scientology, whose members include film stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The tribunal ruled in favour of the Scientologists because of a crucial test case earlier this year involving Michael Fleming, an Aston Martin dealer and descendant of the James Bond author Ian Fleming.

His case forced the Government to abandon its position that people could take their VAT claims back only three years. This case is the first time that the scrapping of time limitations has been tested. Now, in theory, if you have overpaid VAT you can claim back right to when the tax was introduced in 1973.

My Favorite Food

My favorite foods are Oriental. I love Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Viet Namese. I ate at a Philippine restaurant once and that was great too.

But of all of them, I guess Chinese is top of my list.

Human Rights PSAs

I was watching the Youth for Human Rights PSAs yesterday and once again I was struck by what a totally professional product they are and how well they convey the concept of each of the in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

They really are magnificent.

Do You Remember?

Do you remember where you were 10 years ago?

Some dates really stand out. I was just thinking about "today in history" and remebered exactly what I was doing on August 10th 1988, and realized omygod that was 18 year ago!

I was in England studying at the Scientology headquarters there in East Grinstead. It's a lovely little town and up on a hill above it is Saint Hill. There's a beautiful manor where L. Ron Hubbard lived from the late 1950's till 1966 or '67. There's also an actual castle, designed by LRH, which is where the Scientology church, which is called Saint Hill is located.

Anyway I was there, and my mother was flying over to England that day along with a friend of hers. My mom had been widowed for just over a year and she was just getting used to being on her own and this was literally the first trip she'd ever taken without my dad.

So I met my mom and her friend in London. It was so great seeing her and we had a wonderful time together.

Funny how a simple thing like a date can bring back memories like that, isn't it?

South Africa - Fascinating!

Though I have never been to South Africa, I would very much like to. It holds great fascination and has amazing history.

I found an article giving some history of the founder of our religion when he was in Rhodesia. This is taken from an article that includes quotes from Mr. David Miscavige, the ecclesiastic leader of the Scientology religion.

Mr. David Miscavige - a Most Special Guest

Saturday, November 2, 2003, the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg opened the doors of its new headquarters in Kensington, the hub of Scientology activity in South Africa. More then 1,400 guests and well-wishers — government and religious leaders, human rights champions, celebrities and professionals, church members and friends — came from all over Africa and from many countries to celebrate the landmark dedication.

The event was capped by the appearance of Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of Religious Technology Center, custodian of the religious scriptures of Scientology.

Mr. David Miscavige’s presence to dedicate and open the new church was significant, both for him, personally, as a first-time visitor to the country, as well as for the parishioners of the 45-year-old Johannesburg church. “It is my honor to address you, to walk in a land where L. Ron Hubbard laid so many milestones, and on this, your milestone day,” he stated.


L. Ron Hubbard overlooking an African township where his educational tools would eventually mean so much.
The Chairman of the Board traced the history of Mr. Hubbard’s experience in South Africa, where, in characteristic style, he observed life by rubbing elbows with many Africans of all stations, befriending government ministers, entering the townships, attending tribal celebrations and seeing life as it really was in apartheid South Africa.

Beneath apartheid’s suppression “of virtually every indigenous people, perpetrated by the same psychiatric ideologies that laid six million to rest under the banner of eugenics during the second world war,” Mr. Hubbard found “an unbroken tradition of spiritualism extending back to the very dawn of man,” and “an indomitable human spirit that, although suppressed, no one could extinguish,“ said Mr. David Miscavige.

He spoke, as well, of Mr. Hubbard’s certainty that indeed Africa was “‘the cradle of civilization,’ possessing a spirit that, if sparked, could burn forth throughout the world,” echoing Mr. Hubbard’s prediction, “From South Africa will spring the next great civilization on this planet.”

For the full article go to www.uniquesouls.net

Los Angeles August

I'm so glad it's cooled off a bit. Man it was HOT last week. I couldn't get cool enough to sleep for days, despite the AC.

Summer in LA isn't as bad as summer in New York. And the worst summer I EVER spent was in Curacao when I was aboard the Scientology ship called the Apollo. No air conditioning then at all.

But it was still an unforgetable experience I'd never trade. LRH was still aboard the ship. Incredible to have seen him!

Scientology has come so far since then too. You can almost FEEL the expansion.

Travolta!

Okay. I couldn't resist this one. My very favorite - John Travolta - at the 37th Anniversary Gala of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International.

Travolta attended the Scientology event with wife Kelly Preston

Travolta gets his groove on

11.01, Tue Aug 8 2006

John Travolta has been strutting his stuff and proving he still has all the right moves.

Last weekend saw the 37th Anniversary Gala Saturday, an event for the highest-profiled followers of Scientology - and John was making the most of the proceedings.

The former Grease star attended the event in Hollywood with wife Kelly Preston, although fellow Scientology followers Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were nowhere to be seen.

Soul diva Chaka Khan was providing the entertainment and belted out numerous classic tunes for the 1,100 invitees to boogie away the night.

John explained his attendance: "When I found Celebrity-Centre I found my life again.

"That's when I found Scientology and I found the truth and I found what works and so for me it is very important yearly to mark that celebration almost like an anniversary.

"There are a lot of people doing the same things I am but each year it gets even more impressive I think."

John's wife Kelly added: "I think artists have a special need, they are always out there, they are giving themselves.

"They are trying to create and trying to create freely and there are a lot of things that weigh you down or eat at you, whether it is drugs, alcohol, different people."

She continued: "Scientology can really give you tools to work in the workplace, to create freely and just be happier."

Drug Education is Drug Prevention

I posted an entry a little while back - it was pretty short so will put it here in italics for easy reference:

When I look in the news I am often appalled about the effect drugs are having on our society, especially on the children, who are our future. That is why I really like to see all the good work the Jive Aces are doing to promote the message to “Say No To Drugs, Say Yes To Life” with concerts all over the world to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs and solutions to the drug problem.

When asked about the band’s strong anti-drug stance, lead singer Ian Clarkson said, “People look up to musicians and see them taking drugs and think that they then have to use them to be a great artist. What they don’t realize is that without drugs they would be a lot happier, play a lot better and live a lot longer”.
For more info on the “Say No To Drugs, Say Yes To Life” campaign visit the Scientology anti-drug web site.

So, what I want to let people know about is that there is a new tool to help people let other people know about drugs - in other words something to help educate them. These are some new booklets I found out about from a friend of mine who was recently at the "Freewinds" ship attending the anniversary event that Mr. David Miscavige hosts each year. This is not a campaign just for the Scientology religion, it is for everyone.

I have started to read the booklets - they are fascinating and certainly give you the low down on drugs.
I think distributing these amongst young people is important and I believe info about them is posted on the sites I link to above.

Celebrity Center - Happy 37th Anniversary

The Church Celebrity of Scientology Celebrity Centre is set to celebrate their 37th anniversary this coming weekend. Already the grounds are undergoing their yearly transformation. It is always a beautiful spot, but for their Gala they turn it into a someing really magical. This is a photo of the event as it was set up two years ago when David Miscavige gave his speech "This is Scientology"

Calcutta -- Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour

Interesting article on the Scientology Newsroom about the seminar Scientology Volunteer Ministers are giving to civil defense trainers in Calcutta.

The population of this city has 3Xed since 1961 from 4 million to over 12 million people today and this has put tremendous strain on facilities.

This Civil Defense training, based on the Scientology Handbook is very humane with tools defense teams can use to help people in times of disaster.

Scientology Anti-Drug Campaign

There are new booklets available online now at www.notodrugs-yestolife.org
If you need help explaining about drugs to your friends (or to your kids) look these over. I think you will find them really helpful.

Volunteer Ministers in Disaster Zones

I saw this posting tonight on http://www.blogstudio.com/premierexec/ and I must say, I hadn't thought about the downside of volunteering in disaster zones before.

What she said was:

Imagine, flying out to a country far away from home (most of the volunteers were from Australia but they came from as far away as Sweden and the United States) that has just been devastated, with a million and a half people homeless. Even just finding a place to stay would be an incredible challenge. You don't think about it, but relief workers are living life in the raw. If the food and water is contaminated by the destruction of infrastructure that would provide for sanitation, guess who's eating the same food?

Then add to that what it takes to just go into a hospital and see the thousands and thousands of injured people, lying on matresses and even just on cardboard on the concrete floors of the hospital parking structures, and how about the desparate people who don't know how to help their injured family members?

That's what you don't necessarily hear about but that's what a volunteer has to face.

And these guys have done such an amazing job.

A few weeks ago David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center, made a point of singling out the Scientolgy Volunteer ministers who went to Java and those who went to Queensland, Australia after Cyclone Larry, and commending them.

I watched Mr. Miscavige's speech at the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles two weeks ago and I thought, now these people really deserve that acknowledgment.

I have got to say my admiration for the guys who go to disaster zones has just gone up a whole level.

Down Under (and to the Side)

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour is in Auckland New Zealand, and is about to launch on a tour of most of the islands of the South Pacific.

I have some Kiwi (New Zealander) friends and to hear them talk about the country it is the best land on earth. The first Kiwi I knew was actually a Dutchman who had emigrated there, and you NEVER heard anyone more biased and chauvanistic toward that country than he was. He told me that the nickname for the country is "God's Own." If I'm to believe what I'm told, it has everything. Pleasant weather, never too cold; skiing in the mountains; swimming in the Ocean; the best dairy products, produce and lamb on earth....

But New Zealand has its problems - and one of them is the increase in drug use.

According to the Alcohol and Drug Association of New Zealand,

"The 35% increase in calls to the national Alcohol & Drug Helpline during the past year shows that alcohol and drugs increasingly affect our community, according to Cate Kearney, manager of the Alcohol Drug Association New Zealand (ADA) which runs the Helpline.'At the same time, there has been a noticeable increase in drug-related calls, which almost doubled over the past year,' she said."

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour has a terrific booklet on how to overcome drug dependency. Anyone with a friend of family member who is having trouble with drugs should get that booklet, which is a chapter of the Scientology Handbook because by using the information you can really give them a chance for a new life.

Mr. David Miscavige described the problem so aptly in his speech at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre, titled This is Scientology:

The answer to this planet’s problems will not be found in the “material.” Of this there can be no question. For if those solutions can’t prevent war nation to nation, how then can it be expected to answer questions like “love,” “happiness” or “peace of mind?” So, we can’t expect the answer to be found in chemicals. Not unless one buys into a synthesized utopia, or a “Brave New World,” with a perfect pleasure drug.

Yet that is precisely what we see in the world today, with multi-million dollar conglomerates providing a cornucopia of new pills as a panacea to all ills — making the pharmaceutical industry the most profitable business on the planet — more than banking, high finance, oil or computers. Common sense tells us it’s the wrong answer.

After all, it isn’t just mere coincidence that the arrival of those new drugs always coincide with the expiration of the last one’s patent. That’s a fact.

And when the success of the latest “feel good” pill is judged by profit, well don’t be surprised when happiness isn’t the result. After all, what then would happen with all those blue chip stocks?

As any businessman knows — good marketing strategy requires the constant outflow of new product. And besides, the statistics say it all — those pills are not working.

In addition to the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, the Church has just announced a new anti-drug campaign that I, for one, think is terrific.

The last thing I want to see if for kids to be taken in by the pro-drug hype. I've seen far too many lives wrecked with drugs, and if that happens to even one kid, that's too many.

Here;s a suite where you can find out more about the Scientology anti-drug campaing

Human Rights Campaign

The Youth for Human Rights 2006 World Tour is now moving across Europe.

Here's a photo and story from their German visit:

Youth from the Berlin chapter of Youth for Human Rights International celebrated their freedom as part of the Youth for Human Rights International 2006 World Tour.

Although they are too young to remember the 27 years when the Berlin wall separated families and prevented East Germans from access to the West, these youngsters know that when the wall came down in 1989 that act became a symbol of freedom prevailing over oppression.

Youth for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology International have created 30 hard-hitting public service announcements (PSAs) to bring each of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration to life, to educate youth on their rights and responsibilities. Four of these PSAs were released in the German leg of the world tour including, appropriately, Article 9, which states:

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

The purpose of Youth for Human Rights International is: “To teach youth around the globe about Human Rights, thus helping them to become valuable advocates for the promotion of tolerance and peace.”

For there to be peace on earth reaquires the recognition and the upholding of Human Rights for all peoples. In alignment with the Aims of Scientology which are "A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights," Human Rights mus be made a fact. This is why the Church of Scientology International helped produce the Human Rights PSAs and why so many Scientologists are involved in getting them out broadly so everyone can see them and learn their rights.

Human Rights PSAs

I just watched some of the PSAs (public service announcements) that Youth for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology International and they are so moving and so beautiful I can hardly express the impact they had on me.

You can download the first 3 of them from I Tunes or see them at the Youth for Human Rights International web site

Richard Lowe's posting about the San Diego Wild Animal Park brings back fond memories.

My first visit there was in 1976 (good grief - 30 years ago almost to the day!) I was there on my honeymoon (of my first marriage) and I felt completely transported. I was no longer a few yards off Route 5 but on a cliff over veldt, watching gazells and wildebeast drinking from the stream, while lions lurked in the tall grasses.

Then to the shows -- they had the most fantastic bird show (believe me I'm NOT one for bird shows but this was great! Especially the bald eagle that was trained to grab a 5$ bill out of the hands of a man in back of the amphetheater and a vulture who "walked" across the stage (you've never seen anything as funny as a vulture walking. Of cource I guess a vulture could probably say the same thing about a human being flying).

Anyway - it does bring back fond memories, and it is probably by second favorite thing about San Diego ( my favorite being the Church of Scientology of San Diego ) ranking higher than the climate, the Tory pines on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and the San Diego Zoo all of which are pretty high on my list of cool things.

Maiden Voyage

A friend of mine just got back from the Freewinds motor vessel where the 18th anniversary of the Maiden Voyage of the ship just took place.

Scientologists know this ship is no ordinary cruise ship. Here's how it is described in the Scientology Theology web site: The Freewinds serves as the ideal religious retreat where parishioners may devote their full attention to spiritual advancement in a complete Scientology environment.

My friend told me that David Miscavige, who always acts as master of ceremonies for the events, presented some utterly incredible news about Scientology expansion.

I always love Mr. Miscavige's briefings and I really like the fact that these events are made available to Scientologists who don't get to go to the ship. As a matter of fact, there will be four events this year, from what I've heard, and the first one will be on July 8th for most churches, but July 1st for the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles (where I will be attending).

Scientology Anti Drug Activities in South Africa

I love the story I just read about the work of the Drug Free Marshals in South Africa. Drug Free Marshals is a group founded 13 years ago by the Church of Scientology International and there are now chapters all over the world at Scientology churches.

In South Africa, marijuana, which they call "dagga," is a very serious problem and educating youth about the dangers of taking drugs is so important.

When Mr. David Miscavige, (Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center) attended the grand opening of the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg, he was very clear about the importance of this church in improving conditions in all of Africa, and the Scientologists in this church have really taken this to heart.

Second Study in Less Than Two Months Shows Fivefold Increase in Negligent Use of Antipsychotic Drugs.

The Vancouver chapter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights put out a press release yesterday that deserves to be read.

What they state is that:

A second study in less than two months has lifted the curtain on the highly lucrative psychiatric practice of the massive prescribing of potent antipsychotic drugs known to cause a plethora of life-threatening side effects.

An alarming new study from Columbia University found that prescriptions for antipsychotic prescriptions leaped more than fivefold from 1993 to 2002. Although little to no data exists on long-term effects of these deadly drugs, the total amount of prescriptions jumped from 201,000 in 1995 to 1,224,000 in 2002.

A recent analysis taking FDA data collection from 2000-2004 exposed antipsychotics for causing deaths in up to an estimated 450 children and 1,328 reports of adverse side effects, some life-threatening. These include but are not limited to tremors, involuntary severe muscle contractions, writhing, painful muscle spasms, irregular blood pressure and cardiac problems. Yet antipsychotics are dolled out like candy to even preschoolers. >> more

I am outraged by the irresponsibility of the psychiatric community that betrays public trust by throwing its "authority" behind pharmaceutical industry hype that convinces parents to use these drugs on their children.

While there is general agreement that drugs are bad, somehow we have bought the idea that these drugs are "different."

Say No to Drugs

I was reading through the web site of the Scientology Anti-Drug Campaign today and was impressed by the work they are doing.

The way they site describes the program is:

“Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” is a community drug education and drug prevention program initiated by the Church of Scientology International. It educates youth and adults about the facts of drugs so they can make informed choices to remain drug-free.

The program acts through clubs by and for young people. These clubs reinforce a positive message of drug-free living through the distribution of educational literature that provides facts about illicit drug use and the effects of drugs on the spirit, mind and body, through group activities to popularize drug-free living, and through the support of civic leaders and members of other groups with similar aims.

Experience has taught us that people in general, and youth in particular, when they understand the destructive effects of drugs, and when they are provided with activities to interact with positive role models, and when they have the support of their peers to remain drug free, they inevitably come to the conclusion: “I don’t want to take drugs” —which is of course the ultimate purpose of the program.

Most kids just don't understand what they risk by getting involved in drugs, and a lot of the parents I know have so much trouble talking to their kids to begin with, they are a bit overwhelmed at the idea of taking up something like this with one of their kids.

That's where these booklets can really help. Because the Church has been involved in drug education for many years, they know what's effective, and they put together booklets on the various drugs kids are most likely to be exposed to, and present the information in a way that kids can understand.

Anyone can download one of the booklets and give it to their kids.

The Church also provides lectures and other activities to help get through to kids on the subject, and anyone wanting to find out more can contact a Scientology church for information. Here's a web site where you can find all the Scientology churches and their contact information.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Java

The Volunteer Ministers are continuing their disaster relief work in Java. Here is a recent article about what they are doing, from the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

Kelly Preston Launches Anti-Drug DVD kit for Parents

Kelly Preston who is a native of Hawaii has been there promoting a new DVD that educates families on the dangers of drugs.



She was there with Lt. Governor Aiona to announce the release of Narconon Hawai`i's "Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free" DVD kit for parents. This is a free kit that provides information about drugs that will make you confident to talk with your loved ones about the dangers of drugs.



Narconon can be visited at www.narconon.org
and the Hawaii drug free education site at http://www.drug-free-kids.org/

DIANETICS RACING TEAM TO JOIN NASCAR CIRCUIT

A Dianetics race team has joined NASCAR
Unveiled on May 19^th at the Book Expo America (BEA) in Washington, D.C., is the new "Ignite Your Potential" Dianetics Racing Team, headed by Kenton Gray, founder of Freedom Motorsports Group, Inc., and a top performing Southern California racecar driver.

He's following in the tradition of the Dianetics Car that won the 24hr Le Mans race years ago. Go Kenton!

US National Winner of Human Rights Hero Awards

In May there was a presentation to winners of "US National Winner of Human Rights Hero Awards"

A ceremony to honor four national winners of the first Human Rights Heroes Award drew a standing room crowd — from legislators to human rights and religious leaders and teenager advocates — at the Rayburn Congressional Building on Capitol Hill on the night of May 23rd, 2006.

Disaster Relief -Help Needed in Java

I'm passing on a message from the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site:

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Disaster Relief in Java

The first teams of Volunteer Ministers have arrived in Java to help in the aftermath of this week's earthquake, which left more than 5,000 dead and over 20,000 injured.

The driving rain is not only hampering the efforts of relief workers who are trying to provide essential services to the survivors, it is forcing some of the estimated 130,000 people who were left homeless by the disaster to return to their houses in search of shelter despite the threat of further building collapses.

Teams of Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Medan, Indonesia, and from the Church of Scientology of Perth have arrived in the disaster area. Another team is en route from the Church of Scientology of Sydney. Churches of Scientology in Milano, Tokyo, the United Kingdom and the USA are now forming up teams.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Disaster Relief Teams will train anyone who wishes to join them and help in this effort. To learn more about how you can help, contact:

Australia, New Zealand and Oceania Coordinator, Virginia Stewart at: virginias@scientology.net

US Coordinator Aenetta at, ihelpwestus@ihelp.org

UK Coordinator: Ann Rollins at, ihelpuk@ihelp.org

South East Asia Coordinator, Angel Wijayanto at: seasiaproject@scientology.net

I heard that the Church of Scientology of New York is also working on putting together a team as well.

Scientologists in South Africa

According to www.uniquesouls.net

...the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg opened the doors of its new headquarters in Kensington, the hub of Scientology activity in South Africa. More then 1,400 guests and well-wishers — government and religious leaders, human rights champions, celebrities and professionals, church members and friends — came from all over Africa and from many countries to celebrate the landmark dedication.

The event was capped by the appearance of senior Scientology executive Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of Religious Technology Center, custodian of the religious scriptures of Scientology.

Mr. David Miscavige’s presence to dedicate and open the new church was significant, both for him, personally, as a first-time visitor to the country, as well as for the parishioners of the 45-year-old Johannesburg church.

Through the years of apartheid Scientologists worked to overcome the oppression of the existing regime, even exposing psychiatric concentration camps where political dissidents and other "undesirables" were shipped after being labeled mentally ill and where they were tortured and made to work with no compensation.

And with the fall of apartheid, Scientologists have continued working throughout the country to bring L. Ron Hubbard's technology to civil and community leaders, doing everything they can to fulfill Mr. Hubbard's vision that:

"From Southern Africa will spring the next great civilization on this planet...." L. Ron Hubbard

Beautiful Help

The Boston Volunteer Ministry is raising funds through an art sale. Here's one of the prints, the proceedes of which is going to support the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Boston who provide help to the community through this program.

Two of my very favorite things - the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program and beautiful art!

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BULGARIA

The Church of Scientology International recently sponsored a conference on human rights.

Bulgaria is joining the European Union early next year and this was to help Bulgaria get human rights standards up to the level of the EU.

For the article view CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BULGARIA

Youth for Human Rights

Have you heard about the Youth for Human Rights Campaign?

This is an international campaign by Youth for Human Rights International.

It's purpose is to promote human rights to the youth of the world. Human rights is still much neglected and they are raising the voice of youth for getting human rights in across the world.

What's particularly cool is they are using videos as part of this communication. These are also presented as Public Service Announcements around the world. You can see some of these at the site.

It's well worth taking a look and if you have children you can download information on Human Rights for them and also sign a petition for the establishment of Human Rights in your country.

Congratulations to Isaac and Family

According to E-Online:

"Isaac Hayes and wife Adjowa welcomed son Nana Kwadjo Hayes into the world Apr. 10, according to spokesman Rob Moore. The baby boy tipped the scales at eight pounds, five ounces.

"As Tom Cruise's Suri before him, the unusual tot name requires some translation. Per the Associated Press, Nana is the Ghanaian word for "king," while Kwadjo means "boy born on Monday." (Bypass the calendars: Apr. 10 did indeed fall on a Monday.)

"The Shaft singer likely gained inspiration for the moniker during one of his goodwill trips to the African country. In 1992, Hayes was crowned an honorary king of Ghana's Ada district thanks to his humanitarian deeds."

These humanitarian deeds included introducing the nation to the study technology developed by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

Isaac Hayes is a Freedom Medal Winner, awarded by the International Association of Scientologists.

Here is a brief statement from Isaac from the What is Scientology? site.

MI iii

I bunch of us went out to see MI iii last night. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm not surprised. I always love Tom Cruise movies, and I certainly wasn't disappointed!

Drug Free Marshals

All around the World Scientologists are participating in drug prevention activities. Such as the Scientologists of the Church of Scientology of Auckland and the Director of the local Drug Free Marshals chapter who deliver the second in a series of lectures to a group of teenagers at the Youth Justice Centre. The lecture gives facts about the most frequently abused drugs, and ends with a swearing-in ceremony where the youth pledge to live drug-free lives.

For more information about Scientology there is a copy of the book called What is Scientology? on line.

L. Ron Hubbard Books

A book that I recently read and really like is Scientology: A New Slant on Life.

This book of articles by L. Ron Hubbard . It's very easy reading and it is so relevant. As I read thrugh the book I kept finding things I could use. It was pretty amazing.

Dianetics Anniversary Event

Dianetics technology was developed by L. Ron Hubbard. The word "Dianetics" is defined in the Scientology and Dianetics glossary as follows: "Dianetics spiritual healing technology. It addresses and handles the effects of the spirit on the body and can alleviate such things as unwanted sensations and emotions, accidents, injuries and psychosomatic illnesses (ones that are caused or aggravated by mental stress). Dianetics means 'through the soul' (from Greek dia, through, and nous, soul). It is further defined as 'what the soul is doing to the body.'"

The book that launched Dianetics was "Dianetics - The Modern Science of Mental Health". This book was first released in May 1950 and has sold well over 20 million copies since!

The anniversary of the launch of Dianetics is celebrated by Dianeticists and Scientologists all over the world through events at each Church of Scientology. At the event there is news of the ever increasing impact of Dianetics around the world and the successes of those using it.

Anybody can attend this event at their nearest Church of Scientology. Look for the nearest church to you at the Church Locator and contact staff there for the event date if you would like to attend or find out more. The events are also held at all Scientology missions.

You can get more information about Dianetics from the Dianetics website.

What is Scientology?

There is a lot of data regarding Scientology on the Internet. Some true, some misleading, some completely false.

The best way to find out about something is to look at it yourself. This is true for anything in life.

You can find out more about Scientology by visiting the main Scientology sites that are by the Church of Scientology International and other Scientology churches and Scientology missions.

If you are close to a Church of Scientology then you can visit and attend an introductory lecture, film showing or attend a Sunday service. One of the best ways is to read a book by L. Ron Hubbard, such as Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health or Scientology:the Fundamentals of Thought.

Another suggestion is to watch the DVD by Mr. David Miscavige called This is Scientology. This is a presentation he made at the annual Celebrity Centre Gala in Hollywood. It covers the basics of the Scientology religion and what we are doing in society.

What is Training in Scientology ?

In Scientology there are two main routes for discovering more about yourself and for becoming more able. These are Scientology training and auditing (Scientology spiritual counseling ).

There is a site you can visit that gives much information on Scientology training. Because of the brilliance of Mr. Hubbard's research and the truth he discovered about the mind and spirit, Scientology training helps people raise their awareness, ability, intelligence and their emotional tone and ethical level.

There are even courses that help the individual who hasn't been able to study in the past overcome this and gain the needed study skills to DO the other training!

Here's a site I recommend for more information on basics of Scientology. It is an excerpt from a lecture called This is Scientology by Mr. David Miscavige

What is Auditing?

You may have heard of the term Scientology "Auditing" . What is it?

There is an excellent description of Auditing on the website of Religious Technology Center.

There is also a very good description of the Scientology religion there.

Criminon - Reversing the Trend in Crime

Ever heard of Criminon?

In today's world, handling crime can seem like a hopeless task.

Results of different programs have not generally been impressive. Well Criminon has a different approach and a success rate beyond comparison.

Criminon utilises the technology developed by L Ron Hubbard in raising a person's self-esteem and ability so that they can free themselves from the pattern of criminal behaviour.

Take a look at Criminon's Website to find out more and see why it is different.

There is also some very interesting information on Criminon in two speeches by Mr. David Miscavige -- one called This is Scientology and the roundup he did of the progress of the first 50 years of the Scientology religious movement on New Years Eve 2000.

L Ron Hubbard - Timeline of Early Years

You may of wondered who was this man who founded the Scientology religion and made so much impact on society.

You can learn more about her here.

Drugs and Toxins - How to Handle

There is a lot of concern about the effects of the chemical based society that we live in today.

Drugs, toxins and pesticides can have a residual affect on our bodies and our thinking. Research was done on this by L Ron Hubbard when he found that these residual effects can prevent people from getting the full benefits of Scientology counselling. He developed a solution called the Purification Rundown.



This program can benefit anyone that does it. Look at the Scientology website to get more information. You can also take a How Toxic are You Test.

In todays world everybody is exposed to these problems in some degree or another. Even radiation from x-rays and the sun has an effect on our bodies.

This is part of a program used to also help get people off recreational drugs in a program called Narconon.

Take a look at the above links to find out more.

There is also a good description of the application of L. Ron Hubbard's technology in the handing of drugs and other social ills in a speech by Mr. David Miscavige called This is Scientology. This speech can be purchased online from Bridge Publications (the Publishers of Dianetics and Scientology books in the Western Hemishphere), or by reading an excerpt of it online at the Religious Technology Center web site. Mr. Miscavige is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center.

THE SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTERS CAVALCADE WELCOMED TO HARLEM IN STYLE

Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been welcomed in Harlem recently where they are providing one-on-one assistance and training to anyone who wants help or wants to learn to help others.

This help is in the form of Scientology techniques so that people can use it's practical application themselves.

For more information see Volunteer Ministers in Harlem.

Celebrity Centre - Updated Site

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International has updated it's website recently.

Take a look it's beautiful. It's at http://www.celebritycentre.org/ .

The site features an interview with Kelly Preston.

Take a Free Personality Test - Online!

Ever thought about how you are doing in life? How well do you know yourself?

Why not take a free online personality test?

This is a service provided from the Church of Scientology's website. It's easy to do and fun to find out what you think of yourself! It also helps to highlight areas that can be improved. You may surprise yourself!

What have you got to lose?

Find it here - Free Personality Test.

Tom Cruise - It's a GIRL!

Tom and Katie have had a baby GIRL!

Congratulations to Tom and Katie.

Her name is Suri which means "red rose" in Persian and "princess" in Hebrew.

All seems to have gone well. Hopefully now they will be given some rest from all the speculation and media hype on this issue.

If you haven't looked yet taken a look at the new website made by the Church of Scientology International regarding silent birth at www.silentbirth.org .

Church of Scientology International’s Freedom Magazine Honored With Award of Excellence

Church of Scientology International produces a magazine called Freedom that exposes violations of Human Rights.

This recently received Award of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC). The award was for Freedom's online article which exposed abuses on a massive scale against innocent children during the mid-20^th century reign of Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis.

Freedom has been carrying out its mission of investigative reporting in the public interest since 1968. It does an excellent job of looking deeper into issues of concern and isolating the real causes of these abuses.