The Church of Scientology is on trial in France, accused of “targeting vulnerable people for commercial gain”. I’m not an expert on Scientology, know little of it except that Greta Van Susteren — FOX news semi talking-head formerly of CNN — is one, as is her husband John Coale, a high ranking Scientiologist and trial lawyer, was appointed by my Governor to the Board of Directors of UMMS (University of MarylandMedical System). I’ve read the appointment is possible payback of a campaign debt donation. I have no way of knowing if this is true of course. I am interested in how this plays out in France though.
I flipped over to the Scientology website site and took a test. I can get the results when I go to my appointment at their place off of Dupont Circle in D.C..
Speaking of Spaceships, I now know I am one, thanks to Quilly, who sent me on this transportation quiz.
You may wonder why I am taking transportation quizzes. I’ve come to the conclusion that becoming a soundbite online prevents one from becoming a soundbite in real life.
Pesky annoyances:
I don’t know if the NYT assigned this dude this piece, or if he viciously grabbed at it with both of his little new wave conservative man hands, but Liberated and Unhappy, where Ross Douthat calls for a need to stigmatize single mothers, and other commentary as likely to have come from my grandfathers barber as anywhere else, is a surprisingly shitty piece even for an op-ed. It’s based on this piece of work…The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness by Wharton School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers.
A subjective study, when possibly objective data, such as over the last 35 years female suicide rates have declined, while male suicide rates have increased, is not included, and there is no way to know that the vastness of the line the “happiness scale” in on these days, as opposed to 35 years ago, , makes it most likely…not much of a change after all. Douthat notes that the authors “avoid floating an easy explanation for their data”. Oblivious to the fact that they avoided floating an easy explanation because there isn’t one, he makes up one that works for him, and the NYT actually published it.
Sotomayor:
Ah, someone who wants to never forget there are real world consequences to her decisions…novel. My life bud G is pulling for her.
G:“Finally someone with Type 1 (immune mediated) diabetes on the Supreme Court”.
PEACE
Before someone gets a bug up their bottom, although he was being sarcastic, G has had JD since he was 12.
What’s this? Two tests in 24 hours? Do you miss undergrad that badly?
The Church of Scientology’s scary, and not just because they have the weirdest and most sinister-looking logo since the black Hakenkreuz. They find out you’re repeating the story that L. Ron Hubbard, a writer of B-grade (to be charitable) science fiction, laid a bet that he could invent a religion and make money off it, they’ll sue you for everything you’ve got. Perhaps the scariest part of all is when you realize that Scientology’s claims, to a disinterested skeptical observer, are neither more nor less bogus than the claims of every other religion.
But then again, if We the People were smarter, we’d be speaking of gender roles in (I suggest) terms of resource allocation as modified by contemporary advances in technology, not in terms of fossilized utterances reflecting (literally) Stone Age technology.
You and Quilly may be spaceships, I’ll be … well, I’ll never know. Guess I’d rather be a soundbite in real time.
the amoeba’s last blog post..“Daddy” Can’t Save Her This Time
Blame Quilly.
I think France had it right though, but fear they’ve already infiltrated institutions in this country to the point of no return.
Scientology has long tried to ride off the back of the Church of Christian Scientists. Just take a look at Tom Cruise and see how Scientology has used sham psychology to snare the lost and uncertain into a life of begging money for the few at the top of the pyramid.
Like Catholicism…minus the outer space.
Ross Douthat is the token Times conseratitive columnist. Apparently he was a blogger is supposed to appeal to rightists of your age and perhaps older. Ignore him. Though his first column threw me as it was written to make centrists like him
pia’s last blog post..3WW: dreary; embrace; timid: fiction: Late Spring of Etan
I’ve read him before elsewhere, The Atlantic as someone said and a few other sites. He had periods where he actually made sense, not that often but sometimes. This piece was just a total miss.
France calls it like they see it, organized crime. But aren’t many religions, if not at least their individual churches, practicing organized crime?
The Douthat piece was a mess, i thought he’d be better, he seemed so at The Atlantic” , maybe I expected less of him there, or I didn’t read him enough because he was a great big yawner.
The JDF lobby?
johnm’s last blog post..The World’s Sport and the World – Links
Yea I read him there, though he bored me to tears he did sound as deranged there.
I knew about the D.C. church, they have more of their share of inside the beltway scieontologists, more than I’d like, but not anyone whose significance would assault me.
“don’t know if the NYT assigned this dude this piece, or if he viciously grabbed at it with both of his little new wave conservative man hands,”
It’s the second one.
“”Finally someone with Type 1 (immune mediated) diabetes on the Supreme Court”.”
You’d have to have jd pull that one off.
jacob’s last blog post..Happy Memorial Day Weekend
Indeed jake, right on all counts.
Your grandfather’s barber or a Caveman. Be about the same to me.
Chris’s last blog post..More Fear From Crusty Old White Men
Something like that.
Any “religion” where Tom Cruise” is a psychotherapist has some problems. Most religions are a bit insane, but this one looks dangerous. I doubt they will get Scientology in France they’ll just get the individuals. I thought they had a church in Southern Maryland but I looked and it doesn’t seem to be the case.
The NYT is desperate. Anger makes for lots of hits, especially if the piece is stupid and insulting. I think the “new wave conservative man hands” as you called them probably grabbed for it.
I don’t know enough about this women, but from my short trip around I think she’s a good choice. Better than a good from my pulpit.
caseyjake’s last blog post..Syracuse You Are Sick
You have a pulpit?
Hmmm…seems to me I took one of those tests a couple of years ago. Someone called me and invited me to visit them to discuss my results further. Um, no thank you. I continue to give any religion a wide berth and have gotten to the point where I can successfully bite my tongue when the need to suppress my opinions is eminent. I am sooooo out of touch these days. Unforgivable, truly.
I took it after reading the French thing. I should have figured I’d not get my results until I show up. Didn’t give them my real phone number.
Yea I took that test on line, but they wouldn’t give me the results until I “came in”. Like that’s gonna happen. lol
Unverifiable run a muck.
I never really understood how accurate any data on people’s happiness could be recorded, since I know from my own experience I go through many shifts within a day.
Ask me in the morning before coffee if I’m happy, and I’ll say go to hell. After coffee, I might say:” I love life, it’s wonderful”
I just don’t know how emotions can possibly be measured accurately even under such generalized circumstances.
Well, they tried and their methods were sound but the data was subjective, the op-ed writer didn’t really use the data though only the soundbites.
hey where did you go?
I am sorry. Once again, I’ve killed my blog.
I feel as though I’m repeating myself in blogging, and with only you & 1 other reader I’m happy to have shared, but it’s embarrassing. Part of blogging, means fishing for readers, which I don’t have the dedication to do anymore.
I’m more interested in Twitter these days. Leaving snippets of abstract jibberish.
My posts IMO have mostly been about complaining, which I’m trying desperately to get away from doing.
So sorry, and thank you very much for your loyalty, and attention. I’ve always appreciated your presence.
Plus with the Bush Era (Redhneck God fearing Bigotry) gone, I feel more balanced, and less need to complain.
Still much change is needed, but at least now that balanced wisdom seems to be more in power these days my view is less dreary. Less spiteful.
I pretty much have the same opinion as Maynard James Keenan. I’m really not into paying for salvation.
Chris’s last blog post..100 Days of the Stimulus
The Catholic church is a big promoter of paying for salvation, they of course don’t see it that way.
I was raised pentecostal, so it all depended upon how discriminatory you could be against women. There’s nothing holier than a wife at home barefoot and pregnant. That pretty much guaranteed you salvation at my church.
Chris’s last blog post..Crusty Old White Men Are Scared To Death!
I flipped over to the Scientology website site and took a test. I can get the results when I go to my appointment at their place off of Dupont Circle in D.C.
Are you sure you’re allowed to give out the location?
Most of my knowledge of Scientology comes from South Park. (Am I still allowed to comment here after making that statement?)
And wow, that article was horrid. Complete with a Sarah Palin reference.
Bone’s last blog post..Three-thirty-one
The location is public or the building would probably be hidden under Ivy.
Yeah really, it was a mess.
Passing private email on is a …felony…?
I know a member of that church, if it is a church. That’s all I’m going to say.
It looks like he took the abstract of that piece and decided it fit his ideology and went with it producing that awful op-ed. No one wants to work these days.
Uh…no.
LOL