Scientology

[BRussell]

Here's a religion that everyone can enjoy mocking! I heard about it again recently because of Tom Cruise (http://www.tvgasm.com/archives/miscellaneous_tv/000829.php) talking about it as he promotes his newest blockbuster.

Here (http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/index.html) is how the Church of Scientology defines itself: What is Scientology?

The aims of Scientology are a world without insanity, without criminals, without war, where the able can prosper and where Man is free to rise to greater heights.

And if you were to ask any Scientologist they would tell you it is a practical religion, with practical answers — tools that can be applied to achieve greater awareness and purpose in the here and now.Here's what the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology) on Scientology says about it: The central beliefs of Scientology (or rather the early teachings) are that a person is an immortal spiritual being (referred to as a thetan) who possesses a mind and a body, and that the person is basically good. The life one should lead is one of continual spiritual and ethical education, awareness, and improvement, so that he/she can be happy and achieve ultimate salvation, as well as being more effective in creating a better world. Scientology claims to offer specific methodologies to assist a person to achieve this.Spirituality, awareness, yadda yadda. OK, whatever. But then in the next paragraph: Those that reach the higher teachings (OT III) within the Church of Scientology will learn all about Xenu, the evil intergalactic ruler who implanted "thetans" or alien spirits, in earth's volcanoes 75 million years ago, after which they escaped and invaded human bodies. The ultimate belief of Scientology is that you are possessed by the spirits of aliens murdered 75 million years ago by "Xenu" and you have to exorcise these spirits. The cost of reaching OT III approaches $360,000. Uh, an evil galactic ruler named xenu who implanted aliens in volcanoes 75 million years ago?

Apparently L. Ron Hubbard made all this stuff up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_controversy#L._Ron_Hubbard_and_startin g_a_religion_for_money) in order to make money.

[audiopollution]

www.xenu.net

More info than you could ever want about this so-called 'religion' (read: cult).

[Aurora]

I want to make a religion that uses the Starship Enterprise for intergalactic Holy Rolling but you have to reach a higher state before you can accomplish that. Plus i will only charge $340,000. Thats a deal!! Funny how man needs a idol of some sort isnt it? Scientology use to almost force themself on folks in Clearwater years ago. Like the world needs another fricking man made religion. Its about two things, first is your money,2nd is your mind. Its what all the worlds pathetic religions have in common. Nothing like telling others how to live.:lol: :no: :smokey:

[jesperas]

A religion around the Starship Enterprise would probably violate copyright. I'd go for something in the public domain, like Jules Verne or H.G. Wells. Morlocks make great cult material.

[shetline]

Originally posted by BRussell
Uh, an evil galactic ruler named xenu who implanted aliens in volcanoes 75 million years ago?
Ah, now that explains why those Dianetics commercials which used to run on TV featured a graphic of an erupting volcano.

At any rate, it should be obvious to any fool that Xenu is only one of three evil intergalactic rulers, which include Xenu's son Xandor, and Xenu's holographic alter ego, Skip. Scientology is such a complete incoherent mess because these crazy scientologists have failed to understand the unifying power of triune evil overlording.

I for one welcome our new trinitarian evil overlords. :D

[Aurora]

Originally posted by shetline
Ah, now that explains why those Dianetics commercials which used to run on TV featured a graphic of an erupting volcano.

At any rate, it should be obvious to any fool that Xenu is only one of three evil intergalactic rulers, which include Xenu's son Xandor, and Xenu's holographic alter ego, Skip. Scientology is such a complete incoherent mess because these crazy scientologists have failed to understand the unifying power of triune evil overlording.

I for one welcome our new trinitarian evil overlords. :D I wonder if they caught on that L.Ron Hubbard wrote Science Fiction??? or that he was a tax dodger living on his boat??? Funny. People are a mess and all the religions of the world want to help;)

[InactionMan]

I found this site that really shows how Tom Cruise uses his scientological powers to brainwash other celebrities.

It's quite shocking.

http://tcruiseko.ytmnd.com/

[bergz]

a person is an immortal spiritual being (referred to as a thetan) who possesses a mind and a body

this is the funniest part. totally goes against the five Aggregates. just plays on death-fear.

--B

[running with scissors]

as crazy as scientology is, is it any nuttier than any of the other world religions? christianity, islam, Judaism, buddhism, and those crazy kids in utah, all have some rather bizarre beliefs when it come right down to it.

[Anders]

Originally posted by running with scissors
as crazy as scientology is, is it any nuttier than any of the other world religions? christianity, islam, Judaism, buddhism, and those crazy kids in utah, all have some rather bizarre beliefs when it come right down to it.

Amen.

Scientology is somewhere in the middle of Christianity, Coca-Colaism, Scientism and the Jobs Cult.

Just because a faith has been around for longer doesn´t make it more legitimate. The feeling of the believer is not more or less false. Its true for him or her.

[e1618978]

Originally posted by Anders
Amen.

Scientology is somewhere in the middle of Christianity, Coca-Colaism, Scientism and the Jobs Cult.

Just because a faith has been around for longer doesn´t make it more legitimate. The feeling of the believer is not more or less false. Its true for him or her.

Also, if you tythe at 10% like the Church asks you too, you will pay more than $360K over your lifetime.

The target audience (rich people) able to pay $360K to the scientologists would pay way more than that to the Church as tythes, so the Scientologists are saving those people money!

[audiopollution]

One evening, some time ago, I set up my camera across the street from the Scientology office in Toronto and took a flash photograph every 5 minutes.

After watching people scurry around the building, picking up phones, glancing out the doors at me, and twice asking me what I was doing, the police showed up. The Scientologists wanted to file trespass charges against me.

I argued that I was on the public sidewalk ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.

They were under the impression, then, that I could not take pictures of their private building.

The cop was having none of their crap, and not so politely thanked them for wasting his time.

After the cop left, the Scientology staff came outside with signs, and stood right in front of my camera. I started taking pictures of the staff who were blocking me and it was like I'd farted. They scampered back into the building so quickly.

Aah. The good old days when I had nothing better to do with my time.

One good thing about cults: They're fun to play with (excepting the ones with guns).

[bergz]

Originally posted by running with scissors
as crazy as scientology is, is it any nuttier than any of the other world religions? christianity, islam, Judaism, buddhism, and those crazy kids in utah, all have some rather bizarre beliefs when it come right down to it.

buddhism?

--B

[BRussell]

Originally posted by audiopollution
One evening, some time ago, I set up my camera across the street from the Scientology office in Toronto and took a flash photograph every 5 minutes. That's pretty weird. Why would you do that?

[audiopollution]

Originally posted by BRussell
That's pretty weird. Why would you do that?

I was bored. They seemed like a legitimate target for some confusion. :)

[midwinter]

OMG (http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us-09.html)

[Tulkas]

Originally posted by audiopollution
I was bored. They seemed like a legitimate target for some confusion. :)
hmmm pissing of Scientologists....that never ends well...

[iPoster]

Originally posted by BRussell
Uh, an evil galactic ruler named xenu who implanted aliens in volcanoes 75 million years ago? [/B]

How is that any crazier than a god who created billions of stars with millions of planets, all for the sole benefit of some bipedal hominids (who just happen to be made in that god's image) on one small blue planet? :no:

(not that I think very highly of Scientology either)

[e1618978]

The Ottawa Scientologists use very pretty women on the street, to try and get you to come in and watch a video.

I was weak, and it took me an hour or so to get free.

At least the Hare Krishnas would give me free food - I got nothing from the scientologists.

[audiopollution]

Originally posted by Tulkas
hmmm pissing of Scientologists....that never ends well...

When we were standing with the policeman, they tried to get my name four or five times. I explained that I wasn't comfortable giving them my name considering the things I'd read about them. The cop seemed to be fairly clued in and told them that I didn't have to. I've yet to have someone standing outside my place taking pictures so I think I made it out alive!

They're not the friendliest folks when they're pissed off, but it's those damned Shriners that you've gotta watch out for. :D

[BRussell]

Originally posted by iPoster
How is that any crazier than a god who created billions of stars with millions of planets, all for the sole benefit of some bipedal hominids (who just happen to be made in that god's image) on one small blue planet? :no:

(not that I think very highly of Scientology either) It's just how specific and involved the Scientology thing is. I mean, they even know the evil intergalactic ruler's name.

It's one thing to think there must be a creator. Most of the major religions around today were created long before we understood that we were just one small planet. It's perfectly understandable to think there was a creator, IMO.

But in general, I think you're right that religions you're not familiar with seem weird, whereas the ones you know (not to mention believe in) don't.

[addabox]

I wonder how recruitment is doing these days?

I know they fought tooth and nail from anyone spilling the beans about the whole space alien thing. I think the idea was that by the time you had given them hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of your life you and you finally got the inside scoop, you would be reluctant, or possibly incapable, of leaping to your feet and shouting "Evil space vampires! Oh shit! I'm a complete fucking idiot!" And making a beeline for the door.

But now that the secrecy is blown, I would think a lot of people would want to know all about the goofy sci-fi stuff right off the bat.

Personally, I would like to see the Mormons and the Scientologists duke it out in the "patently ridiculous 'religions' that opportunistic nut-jobs made up recently" bowl.

Not that I'm not charmed by the various unlikely happenings of antiquity, it's just the relative proximity of the origins of those two groups grant us fascinating insight into the mechanisms of a certain kind of myth making.

The real wild card appears to be the force of personality of the progenitor (in that, I guess, nothing has changed for thousands of years). I mean, there must be a steady flow of "inspired" people peddling their revelations, and I would have to assume that at least some of them are more plausible/compelling than either Scientology or Mormonism, yet these two made the leap into a mass belief system.

Is it that Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard are just real persuasive dudes? Because you wouldn't think the story they had to tell was going to get them anywhere.

[midwinter]

Originally posted by addabox
Is it that Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard are just real persuasive dudes? Because you wouldn't think the story they had to tell was going to get them anywhere.

See John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven for an utterly heretical treatment of the history of (violence in) the (fanatical wing of the) Mormon church. One of the things he discusses is Joe Smith's charisma (he was arrested for being a con artist in NY) and places it in the context of the proliferation of religious revelations/cults/new religions. Krakauer seems to think that it was purely by sheer force of personality that he got so many converts.

[addabox]

Originally posted by midwinter
See John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven for an utterly heretical treatment of the history of (violence in) the (fanatical wing of the) Mormon church. One of the things he discusses is Joe Smith's charisma (he was arrested for being a con artist in NY) and places it in the context of the proliferation of religious revelations/cults/new religions. Krakauer seems to think that it was purely by sheer force of personality that he got so many converts.

Now that sounds very interesting. I'll have to give it a read.

[midwinter]

Originally posted by addabox
Now that sounds very interesting. I'll have to give it a read.

It's a good read. I misspelled his name. Here's his official site: click (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/krakauer/)

[addabox]

Originally posted by midwinter
It's a good read. I misspelled his name. Here's his official site: click (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/krakauer/)

Huh. Fundamentalist Mormons.

I guess it never occurred to me that Mormons could have achieved sufficient modernization to generate a fundamentalist wing. I wonder if Scientology will ever have some sort of reformist/fundamentalist schism. That would be entertaining.

I would like to suggest that the phrase on the web page blurb that describes the book as "a bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith." be adopted as our slogan here at AO. While I'm waiting for that idea to be adopted by popular acclaim, I'll get the ball rolling by taking it for my sig.

[e1618978]

I guess it never occurred to me that Mormons could have achieved sufficient modernization to generate a fundamentalist wing.

Fundie mormons are 2% of the mormon population, and they are the ones who have multiple wives (non-fundie mormons gave up on bigamy in the 1800s in order to avoid being slaughtered by US troops). They usually live in towns that are 100% fundie (and the towns are in Mexico, Southern Utah (near grand canyon), and British Columbia).

The main victoms of the fundies are the daughters, who are married off to neighbors at age 13. I was in favor of bigamy (as a general principal, as a libertarian I think that people should be as free as possible) until I read the book - I didn't realise the whole dynamic about young girl children and bigamy.

[segovius]

I love the title of one of Hubbard's (uncomplimentary) biographies: Bare Faced Messiah.

It's a hilarious (and chilling) read.

[midwinter]

Originally posted by e1618978
Fundie mormons are 2% of the mormon population, and they are the ones who have multiple wives (non-fundie mormons gave up on bigamy in the 1800s in order to avoid being slaughtered by US troops). They usually live in towns that are 100% fundie (and the towns are in Mexico, Southern Utah (near grand canyon), and British Columbia).

And Texas, now. Warren Jeffs (president and prophet of the FLDS chuch) picked up camp and moved to the boonies of Texas, which, I think, deserves his sorry ass.

[addabox]

Originally posted by midwinter
And Texas, now. Warren Jeffs (president and prophet of the FLDS chuch) picked up camp and moved to the boonies of Texas, which, I think, deserves his sorry ass.

Absolutely. Texas has been exporting its particular brand of vicious madness for a while now, maybe it's time we started sending our scary neighbors down Texas way.

[running with scissors]

Originally posted by addabox
Absolutely. Texas has been exporting its particular brand of vicious madness for a while now, maybe it's time we started sending our scary neighbors down Texas way.

no thanks, we have a enough loonies to contend with. hell, the churches are full of them. just ask benny hinn, he's been taking advantage of them for years.

[MACchine]

WoWa !!!


You GUYS wana join MY religion ???




Its called MACchine !!!




We have a COOOOL song, its called "WELCOME TO MACchine !!!"

NOW SEND ME MAJOR BUCKs !!!!!!

:p

[e1618978]

We have a COOOOL song, its called "WELCOME TO MACchine !!!"

Already taken, by Pink Floyd:

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and now you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the machine.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine.

[MACchine]

Originally posted by e1618978
Already taken, by Pink Floyd:

Welcome my son, welcome to the MACchine.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and now you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the MACchine.

Welcome my son, welcome to the MACchine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the MACchine.


Thanks I was looking for that...

[trick fall]

I live near a couple of big Scientologist buildings and they are always in the subways giving out free "stress tests". I never pass up an opportunity to either yell out cult as I walk by or ask people taking the stress test if they are aware it is a cult.

[KeilwerthReborn]

Originally posted by bergz
buddhism?

--B


Well, there are some rather strange sects of Buddhism. I believe it's the Japanese Pure Land Buddhists that believe that if we all say the name of Amida (?, correct if I'm wrong anybody) Buddha enough times that he will return and make a new pure land for us to live in.

Buddhism is very open-ended. While the majority of Buddhists are atheists, the teachings of the Buddha do not entirely rule out a theology, if you need one. Things like that.

[KeilwerthReborn]

Originally posted by addabox
I would like to suggest that the phrase on the web page blurb that describes the book as "a bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith." be adopted as our slogan here at AO. While I'm waiting for that idea to be adopted by popular acclaim, I'll get the ball rolling by taking it for my sig.


That's funny. Kudos.:D


As to Mormons, I think they have several reasons for gaining so much popularity as a cult, beyond your average cult tactics.

Going to a frontier territory and populating it via polygamy helped a lot.

Even today, they still have tend to have lots of children.

The vast majority of their converts are relatives.

I think the religion is fairly nutty, but I don't really have anything against it. One of my best friends is Mormon (although he seems to have some doubts), they're, in general, very nice, family-oriented people, they have an awesome choir (seriously, the MTC is one of the best in the world), and, ironically, were amongst the first groups to bring the practice of smoking marijuana to the United States.

Plus, in disaster situations and/or the apocalypse, they stockpile enough non-perishable food to support themselves and a few neighbors for a month.

Sure, they had some terrible practices in their early history, but every group has a few skeletons in the closet. I mean, shit, slavery was still going on in this country less than one hundred and fifty years ago.

[BRussell]

Tom Cruise, the high school drop out, is spreading his knowledge (http://drudgereport.com/flash3tc.htm) to the masses.

[shetline]

Originally posted by BRussell
Tom Cruise, the high school drop out, is spreading his knowledge (http://drudgereport.com/flash3tc.htm) to the masses.
Isn't amazing how two people, a talk show host and an actor, both highly paid for their supposed abilities to communicate and express, can talk so much and accomplish so little in the way of meaningful communication?

[BRussell]

Originally posted by shetline
Isn't amazing how two people, a talk show host and an actor, both highly paid for their supposed abilities to communicate and express, can talk so much and accomplish so little in the way of meaningful communication?

I love it:
TOM CRUISE: No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.But my favorite passage is : MATT LAUER: You're-- you're-- it's very impressive to listen to you. Because clearly, you've done the homework. And-- and you know the subject.Matt Lauer is just blown away by Cruise's intellect.

The context behind this is that Scientology pitches itself as an "applied religion," a competitor to psychiatry, with its own kinds of psychotherapy and self-help. When Cruise criticizes psychiatry, he's following the long-standing Scientology line that came from L. Ron's rejection by them.

And it's not like most of what Cruise is saying is all that far out - many people think psychiatric meds are over-prescribed, including many in the field itself. You don't need to follow some absurd religion to be concerned about that.

[Nordstrodamus]

And it's not like most of what Cruise is saying is all that far out - many people think psychiatric meds are over-prescribed, including many in the field itself. You don't need to follow some absurd religion to be concerned about that. [/B]

I think what is detestable is that scientology both dismisses psychiatry in it's totality WHILE prescribing a bunch of horse shit as an alternative.

To suggest that all psychiatric drugs are bad for you is offensive. For those of us who have loved ones that are schizophrenic who don't take their meds because their illness actually causes them to distrust psychiatrists, scientology actually rises to the level of being pure evil.

It's no different from those who would prescribe an exorcism instead of treatment.
-------------
With regards to the other theme of the thread, I do find it fascinating that we can bash scientology all we want, but for some equally nutso religion we must pay due respect else risk a lock.

I'd like to think it is for some reason other than the false credibility lent by numbers (years or believers). I agree with the basic philosophy that people should be respected as individuals trying to find their way, no matter how whacky their beliefs may seem. And ridicule rarely inspires people to re-examine their beliefs. On the other hand, pointing out the insanity of certain beliefs can immunize the un-inducted.

[BuonRotto]

Slate (http://www.slate.com/id/2121391/) has a helpful synopsis of the psychiatry versus dianetics brouhaha.

At face value, the concepts of analytic and reactive mind (simple and Freudian really) are just as legit statting points as any other concept of the human mind. It's just that, rather than letting this kind of stuff be tested, evolve and change over time into something hopefully more rigorous and consistent -- what both psychology and psychiatry have done -- Diantetics by way of scientology cut itself off from real discourse and locked itself into this simplistic view of the world and people, not to mention getting a bit kooky with the whole aliens in volcanos thing. By taking a hardline stance, it loses the opportunity to be a devil's advocate to psychiatry which is open to both physical and psychological treatment for people, and has a wide range of viewpoints and therapies. Scientologists seem to characterize psychiatrists as dope pushers, but it's just too much of a characature to take seriously, which is too bad because there is some merit to the sentiment that chemical therpay is over-used/abused by medical professionals.

[pyr3]

Originally posted by BuonRotto
Scientologists seem to characterize psychiatrists as dope pushers, but it's just too much of a characature to take seriously, which is too bad because there is some merit to the sentiment that chemical therpay is over-used/abused by medical professionals.

The problem is that they take a hardline approach to the issue. To them, ALL the drugs are evil and ruin your purity because they are 'toxins' that must be leeched out through a series of sauna treatments. I agree that there are a lot of things that are over-medicated for, but that doesn't mean that the drugs are all bad either.

Tom Cruise was just on TV talking about how the psychiatrists are drug dealers because ritalin is a 'street drug.' Well, so is morphine. Does that mean that we stop giving patients morphine, instead giving them a carrot to dull the pain because the carrot is 'more natural' and has the Xenu seal of approval?

[e1618978]

I think what is detestable is that scientology both dismisses psychiatry in it's totality WHILE prescribing a bunch of horse shit as an alternative.

For really crazy people, sure - Psychiatry and drugs are the way to go.

For normal (i.e. slightly crazy) people - I have found that co-counseling (http://www.rc.org/) to be the way to go. As far as I can tell, it is similar to scientology - except that it is free, and it is not a religion or a cult, and there are no space aliens, volcanos or boats.

Co-counseling seems way more effective than regular psychiatry unless you are a true lunitic.

[pyr3]

Originally posted by e1618978
For really crazy people, sure - Psychiatry and drugs are the way to go.

For normal (i.e. slightly crazy) people - I have found that co-counseling (http://www.rc.org/) to be the way to go. As far as I can tell, it is similar to scientology - except that it is free, and it is not a religion or a cult, and there are no space aliens, volcanos or boats.

Co-counseling seems way more effective than regular psychiatry unless you are a true lunitic.

Only a crazy person doesn't think they are crazy... here take this personality test.

[mynamehere]

In relation to the Matt Lauer interview: I think it just proves what a nutjob Tom Cruise really is. His entire argument was based on his "experience"...not that he bothered to explain that. Of course, Lauer wasn't going to say anything negative about him, since it's his job to deal with people like Cruise.

[Nordstrodamus]

Originally posted by mynamehere
In relation to the Matt Lauer interview: I think it just proves what a nutjob Tom Cruise really is. His entire argument was based on his "experience"...not that he bothered to explain that. Of course, Lauer wasn't going to say anything negative about him, since it's his job to deal with people like Cruise.

I see a lot of the celeb scientologists who make the argument that the "techniques" they learned in scientology worked for them, so they must be valid. As if I could just as easily be People's sexiest man in America if I only followed the program.

Let's see...

"I was spanked as a kid and I turned out ok."
"Jesus saved my life, he can save yours."
"I pulled myself out of poverty and became a millionare, so can you."
"I lost 40 lbs on the atkins diet, so can you."
etc...

How much friggin wisdom does it require to realize people are complex, situations are different, and causes are hidden in correalation?

There has to be a name for this specific type of logical fallacy, as it is rampant in the world.

[mynamehere]

I heard on the radio this morning that there is a petition on the internet (I forget where, so google it) to boycott tom cruise's movies because of his outraegous behavior in relation to scientology (think Oprah) and because of his "condescending tone" towards interviewers, specifically Matt Lauer.

[iPoster]

There's nothing wrong with the average person, that a good psychologist can't turn into something requiring years of expensive therapy!

:lol:

[mynamehere]

Also, another funfact about Scientologists which I was informed of with total seriousness by one of them while in Italy is that there is scientific proof that there are pyramids on Mars which were built by humans (yes, you read that right)...kinda beats the whole "is there water on Mars" discovery.

Oh, and apparently we're all derived from some evil supergod who populasted volcanoes with our seeds or whatnot 70 Million years ago.

And am I the only one who noticed the similarity between the name Xenu (Supergod, see above) and Xeon (the intel processor)...I would get a real kick out of "Xenu Inside" stickers with the intel logo with little horns and erupting or something...BRING ON THE PHOTOSHOP!

[Powerdoc]

Originally posted by mynamehere
Also, another funfact about Scientologists which I was informed of with total seriousness by one of them while in Italy is that there is scientific proof that there are pyramids on Mars which were built by humans (yes, you read that right)...kinda beats the whole "is there water on Mars" discovery.

Oh, and apparently we're all derived from some evil supergod who populasted volcanoes with our seeds or whatnot 70 Million years ago.

And am I the only one who noticed the similarity between the name Xenu (Supergod, see above) and Xeon (the intel processor)...I would get a real kick out of "Xenu Inside" stickers with the intel logo with little horns and erupting or something...BRING ON THE PHOTOSHOP!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Matsu]

Originally posted by audiopollution
One evening, some time ago, I set up my camera across the street from the Scientology office in Toronto and took a flash photograph every 5 minutes.


Hey, a mod from T.O., cool. I know that building. I wouldn't neccessarily repeat that stunt these days -- it seems people around the world have collectively freaked out about street photography.

[Nordstrodamus]

Originally posted by Matsu
Hey, a mod from T.O., cool. I know that building. I wouldn't neccessarily repeat that stunt these days -- it seems people around the world have collectively freaked out about street photography.

That's funny. One time I was visiting NY City and I was filming my wife walking in front of some government building with my camcorder when some NY cops stopped me and told me I couldn't do that. Apparently this was in reaction to the Oklahoma City bombing.

I told them I was pretty sure it was unconstitutional to prevent me from filming a public building that is in plain site. They agreed, but said they would have to haul me in anyway and I could spend the rest of my vacation fighting it in court, so I stopped. They were nice guys and I don't hold it against them, but that was my first glimpse of how stupid the government could be.

[hyperb0le]

Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
That's funny. One time I was visiting NY City and I was filming my wife walking in front of some government building with my camcorder when some NY cops stopped me and told me I couldn't do that. Apparently this was in reaction to the Oklahoma City bombing.

I told them I was pretty sure it was unconstitutional to prevent me from filming a public building that is in plain site. They agreed, but said they would have to hall me in anyway and I could spend the rest of my vacation fighting it in court, so I stopped. They were nice guys and I don't hold it against them, but that was my first glimpse of how stupid the government could be.

When I was in Italy last summer, my family wanted to get a photo at the Rome airport with our tour guide. We got one photo in before three guys armed with Uzis came over to us and told us to get the hell out of there. Those guys kept their fingers on those triggers the entire time :o