I Support Anonymous

The Chanology Project just might be true love do0ds.

From $cientology: Church of the Holy Censor Available at: http://www.whyaretheydead.net/mirror/xenu.ca/pickets/leaflets.html One of Scientology's preferred sayings is "Think for yourself". Why, then, does Scientology censor its own members? It all started on March 13th 1998, at the L. Ron Hubbard birthday celebration in Los Angeles. Mark Ingber, a Church of Scientology official, announced that Scientologists would be given an opportunity to sell Scientology books and recruit for Scientology through nearly-identical promotional websites (getting 10% of the money that these recruits end up spending in Scientology, but that's another story). To put up one of these sites, a Scientologist has to sign a contract. Here's a short excerpt from that contract: "If you wish to use this authorization regarding the Marks and the Works, you must: ... (6) agree to use the specific Internet Filter Program that CSI [Church of Scientology International Incorporated] has provided to you which allows you freedom to view other sites on Dianetics, Scientology or its principals without threat of accessing sites deemed to be using the Marks or Works in an unauthorized fashion or deemed to be improper or discreditable to the Scientology religion;" "Deemed improper or discreditable", eh? Boy, aren't Scientologists lucky to have someone there to decide for them what facts about their religion they can and cannot see. If they didn't use this filter, they might find out about the suspicious deaths in Scientology and the uncomplimentary things that judges have said about Scientology. Can't have Scientologists finding out the ugly facts behind Scientology, can they? So, Scientology tries, through this internet filter, to prevent its members from reading negative information about Scientology on the internet. This internet filter does 4 things to words and websites that Scientology doesn't like: The filter blocks a list of websites. Anyone with the filter installed can't access these websites, AT ALL. Examples of blocked sites include: http://www.xenu.net, http://www.entheta.net, http://www.lermanet.com, all websites containing information the "Church" of Scientology doesn't want its members to see. The filter blocks a list of newsgroups. Anyone with the filter installed can't access these newsgroups, AT ALL. Some of these blocked newsgroups include: alt.religion.scientology, alt.support.ex-cult. Since scientology claims it's not a cult, why would it need to block an ex-cult newsgroup? The filter blocks a list of words, that will be removed from a web page or email message. Some words blocked lead to odd combinations: NOTs and Anima are blocked, so "I'm not sure that animal is healthy" gets changed to "I'm ure that l is healthy". Other words blocked are peoples' names: Deana Holmes (a critic of Scientology), Bob Minton (another critic of Scientology, who appeared recently on NBC's Dateline). Why does Scientology try to prevent its members from reading about these people? What does Scientology have to hide? The filter has another list of words, that will stop an internet page from loading, or kick a user from an IRC channel (remove him from the discussion). If the filtered computer sees one of these words, the computer will stop receiving data through the present connection. These words include: Entheta (refers to http://www.entheta.net), xenu, Fishman Affadavit, Bare Faced Messiah (a critical book on Scientology, in the Books on the Net section at http://www.xenu.net). These words and websites are only some of the terms blocked by the Scientology internet filter. The whole list can be found at: http://www.taniwha.com/crack.list.html Some information sources, for further reading: Operation Clambake: http://www.xenu.net (Lots of information!) Canadian Critical Scientology Information: http://xenu.ca Occupied Clearwater: http://www.xenu-city.net Deaths in Scientology: www.b-org.demon.nl Church of Scientology Censors Net Access for Members: http://www.xenu.net/archive/events/censorship/

[end of copy and paste. N.B. this docu is available as a pdf download and is meant for distribution.]

In case any of you have been dead, drugged beyond recognition, or doing mundane things like working-- as a public service-- I am providing a brief synopsis of recent events. The Church of Scientology is considered to be a cult by some [including Germany] and has been blamed for a handful of deaths. A vid of Tom Cruise (remember him?) appeared on You Tube briefly. The Church of Scientology or someone over there didn't like this. Believing the appearance of this vid to be a violation of copyright, a takedown order was issued. Some pissed-off hactivists known individually and collectively as Anonymous or Anon declared a sort of internet war. This internet war apparently involved D.D.O.S attacks, faxes, and phone calls. Leafleting has also been carried out in select cities and more actions protests are slated for February 10th or thereabouts.

Warren Buffett approves of these goings-on and so do I. Sure, I am anti-censorship. And the folks of scientology have a legal right to publish their ideas. Protesting has a noble history. It is through protesting that some things get done. The message gets out. The meme gets around. The stuff gets to go surfing electronically. Well, okay some of the stuff that Anon is doing might border on illegal or might be illegal. I am not a cop, lawyer, or judge. Some other folks will have to decide all of that stuff later on maybe. Meanwhile, in retaliation at least one site where Anon hangs out was attacked in turn by an organization calling itself "The Regime." That particular site is now back up and in service as of this posting.

My sources are below. Many of them support Anon. At least one doesn't. And several are official scientology sites, as far as I can tell. Adding .nyud.net/ to the url will cause any that are loading slowly to speed up. spike

http://cominganarchy.com/2008/01/25/is-the-war-on-scientology-4gw/ http://partyvan.info.nyud.net/index.php/Project_Chanology http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865,00.html <----5/6/91 http://whyaretheydead.net/ http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/memorials.htm http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9857666-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858436-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858603-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858956-57.html?tag=recentPosts http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141839-c,hackers/article.html http://www.xenu.net/ http://www.xenu.net/news/20080122-OC_pressrelease.html http://www.scientology.org/ http://www.scientologyreligion.org/sitemap.html http://www.volunteerministers.org/seminar/index.html http://www.lronhubbard.org/ http://factnet.org/?p=240 http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/PROJECT_CHANOLOGY http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=5476#comments http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com.nyud.net/ http://preview.tinyurl.com/2zvstv [Open in new window] or http://tinyurl.com/2zvstv [Open in new window]

All of the words below are either businesses which may be associated with Scientology or owned outright, or terms associated with Scientology.

Dianetics. Sterling Management Systems. The Way to Happiness Foundation. Applied Scholastics. Fair Game. Old Mayo. Citizens Commission on Human Rights. Concerned Businessmen's Association of America. HealthMed. Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The Drug-Free Marshals of Seattle. The Drug-Free Marshals of Los Angeles. Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life. Volunteer Ministers Corp. Religious Technology Center. E-Meter. Clear. The Bridge. Operating Thetans. Engram. Lead the Way to a Drug-Free U.S.A. Drug-Free Ambassadors. Golden Era Productions. Bridge Publications. New Era Publications. International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors. Scientology Missions International. Narconon. Criminon. Feshbach "stock busters." Flag Service Organization. Fort Harrison Hotel. Field Auditor groups. Class V Churches. Celebrity Centre Churches. Saint Hills. Advanced Organizations. Freewinds. The Drug Busters. Food for All. Hands of Hope Quilt. Sea Org. The National Commission on Law Enforcement and Social Justice. Koenig photometer. Purification Rundown. Effective Solutions. Suppressive person. Disconnection. Linksfield House. Emotional Tone Stress Test.

My Friday Five

Five Things I did this Week

1. I began reading "Jingo" by Terry Pratchett. I love Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. My favorite character is Death. Death speaks in capital letters and has a granddaughter. There is also a Death of Rats which Death allowed to continue on in spite of no need for same. The funniest book that Death was in was "Hogsfather." I am also a fan of the Unseen University, Carrot, and Granny Weatherwax.

2. I took the doggie visiting and we spent four hours in the woods. Human friend and I snowshoed, made a fire, and drank coffee. Doggie played with a doggie friend. She handled herself well. Although the doggie is mid-size, she prefers smaller playmates. This particular doggie friend is larger than she is. At one point, she was humping him. "You got it wrong!" I yelled at her.

3. I took a friend to drug court. She has to go two times a month. It was my first time in the smaller courtroom. I've gone several times to drug court held for the once-a-monthers and the two-weekers held in the larger courtroom. I support drug courts because I have seen the success stories. I also learn some things from listening to the judge interact with the folks who go there. The first thing I learned was "You gotta have a Plan B." This week I learned, "The brain has to be in the game or the journey will be harder." And, "Now is the time to be UN-confused."

4. I applied for part-time work and I have decided that I will aim for one company a day face-to-face until I find one. The stupid VESID morons have done zilch and I have decided that they are a waste. I am going to call the job handler on Monday and make an appointment. During the appointment, I will have her read to me exactly how many hours I am currently limited to working by the medical professionals (15), explain once again that my plan is to ease back into working via part-time work, and remind her that I was accepted into the 55b program and that I am waiting for a state job.

5. I made a bunch of new icons. I like doing computer art. I've got Paint Shop Pro 9 and 10, The GIMP, and Jasc Animation Shoppe.

spike

Respect, Dignity, and Right to Privacy

As most have heard actor Heath Ledger died recently. This news saddens me greatly as IMHO he was a great actor. But I am quite disgusted by the total disrespect that the police and media has shown for the deceased. I have read several of the articles floating around about Heath's tragic death and am appalled that each and every one has disrespectfully reported and repeated the condition that Heath's body was found in. Yes, he is a celebrity, but he's also HUMAN. EVERYONE no matter how famous or mundane deserves dignity and respect in death!!!! I work in the healthcare field and from day one RESPECT and PRIVACY has been drilled into us so much that it has become a mantra. I have experienced the end of a few lives in the short time I have been in the healthcare field and each and every one has had the right to have the cause of death and condition upon death kept private.
This lack of respect and concern for Heath's privacy by the police and media has lead to several in the general public, as well as, the media to speculate whether Heath committed suicide and whether he was using illegal drugs. They have even gone so far as to criticize the way that Heath chose to dress, speculating that his choice of dress was proof that he was on drugs.
IMO, I don't think he committed suicide, he had too much to live for, especially his daughter that he loved dearly!
As for any other speculation....
GIVE THE POOR MAN A LITTLE DIGNITY IN DEATH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!

A Murder of Crows - Volume 13

Does anyone out there actually pay attention to television commercials anymore? I mean, I know that commercials are funny and all so there has to be others that pay attention to them. As a football fanatic, commercials come with the territory. With the playoffs going, and the Super Bowl looming the newest batch of amusing commercials are rolling off the shelves, but I am sometimes concerned that people don’t get the reality of a lot of them. I have the opportunity to share some of my experience and be a “know it all” at the same time, and as both of the people reading this know, that makes me happy. It was a good weekend for football and commercials.

Well I imagine that I should first pick on a few of the cartoons that are around the football games because I’m in the general vicinity. I had a few heart warming moments as a vindictive fan of the New England Patriots. First of course is Bill Cower being the only person on television picking against them. This would make the third time that the Patriots have made him look bad in an AFC Championship game, so I will leave it at that. The second and probably most important was watching Ladanian {Everyone knows that I am a stand up guy} Tomlinson sitting on the sideline the whole game watching his team lose a game that they could have won if he was out there. Third was watching Phillip Rivers out there playing with a much worse injury than Ladanian had, and doing the best he could. I am no fan of Phillip Rivers {as you all know} but Ladanian spent the entire season disrespecting him too, and I am at least man enough to say that Rivers played and played hard. I am thinking of calling him L-Rod from here on out because he is probably going to be the greatest player ever and never win shit.

Ok, let’s get back to the commercials for a minute. Burger King has some good ones these days, and the one that really stood out to me was the one with the guy who wanted to go to McDonald’s instead of Burger King because his hands were too small. It was a bit creepy, but humorous all the same. The problem though is that you have to do a “hit and run” with a commercial like that because after about the seventh time I saw it, I started thinking about it. Going beyond the mathematical issues that I had with the commercial, I first started thinking about what a trip to Burger King is like. Yanno what I mean, because Burger King has earned it’s reputation as the place that employs all the people that were fired from McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts. It isn’t quite as bad as a Kentucky Fried Chicken, but you will be blessed with a bunch of idiots who can’t get an order right, or even finished within 15 minutes. The food will be undercooked or overcooked, if you even get it at all, and expect an argument and more wait when you point out all the things that they forgot to give you.

As we go beyond the obvious, we then get into the non-obvious which takes a sloth like me to point out to all of you. As I work nights it tends to be hard for me to get dinner before I go to work so I tend to live at drive thru windows when I am supposed to be working. I prefer McDonald’s because the people aren’t as stupid and I rarely have to wait 5 minutes {see above} but I do go to Burger King 1 or 2 times a week so the cuties that work at McDonald’s don’t think that it is all I eat. Hey I am a loser but I have some pride damnit! In this instance it comes in rather handy because I can then analyze the Burger King commercials from a realistic stand point. That commercial’s big statement was that the Burger King double cheeseburger has 30% more meat than the McDonald’s double cheeseburger. I am here to tell you that it also has 150% more cost. It is also cooked in a microwave giving you severe ketchup burns, and it also takes at the very least 200% longer to get from your brain to your hands due to the stupidity of the employees working there.

Yes it was fresh in my mind actually because I couldn’t order a double cheeseburger at Burger King the other night when the 2.49 that they were charging for it seemed horribly unreasonable. I chose to get 2 cheeseburgers {which ran me 2.58 but at least I get the extra buns} and started thinking about the fact that the double cheeseburger at McDonald’s is 99 cents and the cheeseburger is 79 cents. Think about that for a minute, even though it doesn’t seem like anything earth shattering, it does demonstrate how much advertising can rob you if you don’t stay well informed. I’m glad I don’t drink beer because Lord only knows how easily those commercials can get to the feeble minded who drink large quantities of it!

Now I am not totally daft into thinking that there is no truth in advertising either. I was having a bitch of a time driving around at night. This is partly because I am getting older and things popping out in the road scare the shit out of me now. This part of the country is over-run with deer and every night at least 3 hop out in front of my car on my way to and from work, and it was getting to the point where I was driving as slow as my grandmother. My mind remembered the Sylvania Ultra headlight commercials. Could it be true? I spent a staggering 36 dollars for a pair of them for my car, and put them in. I can’t even explain properly the difference that they made in my driving. They reach about 20 yards further forward but more importantly they light up everything beside you {like woods full of deer} like spotlights. I also have to say that the lights seem to keep the deer from actually running out into the road as I drive down it, but at the very least allow me to see about 10 to 20 yards into the woods and have plenty of warning if anything as stupid as a Burger King employee is about to go running in front of my car ;8o)

Other Crap This Weirdo Publishes... Mental Notes& Random Musings {Daily Blog} The Crow's Nest {The Homepage of J~ Crow}

Nothing that was printed here was intended to offend anyone, and if it did, screw ya, you begged for it. If you believe that there are some measures that can be taken to change me, then please feel free to pray for me, and while you are at it yourself, because you read this far, and if you hated every minute of it, then you are an idiot, not me, or the other people who like what I have to say! .. Jeremy

All writings Copyright © 2008 .. The Crow's Nest

Total Aggravation

I got accepted into a 55b/c program which basically means that I may be able to get a (real) State job with accommodations. The shrink (who is well acquainted with more than drugging people to death and is actually keeping track of what is happening with my traumatic brain injury (from a car accident); and who is familiar with the program) tells me this is my best bet for getting employment after being out of work for four years due to my car accident. I don't just want any old job where the chances are high that the salary will be not enough for me to live on and that I will get fired. I can't multi-task at all anymore. I wasn't really good at it but now any ability I had to multi-task is totally dead. I want a job coach to assist me during the first couple of months or so at the State job which I haven't gotten yet. This has been my plan since I first heard about this 55b/c program.

(VESID is OVR in other places but in New York State it is called VESID).

I told the VESID "counselor" (third in less than three years) this. Apparently, the paperwork, my suppos-ed Individualized Employment Plan-- which took a couple years in the making because I had refused to go to their favored agency connected with the sheltered workshop for job coaching services-- requires a specific job goal. Fine. A couple of months ago, I rattled off several job choices so that way just maybe I could finally get to the agency of my choice to arrange for job coaching.

I finally got to meet with the job handler who then would assist me in helping me find a job. Again, I repeated myself by telling her that I want to get a job with the State via the 55b/c program. (She has never heard of said program). Again, the suppos-ed Individualized Employment Plan requires a specific job to fill in the blank. "Working for the State" is not adequate. The job handler changes the job goal from "animal care technician" to a state job title. This requires the VESID "counselor" to rewrite the I.E.P. but I don't care about that.

During the meeting with the job handler, I learn that VESID approved my request for job trials. A job trial means I would get to follow someone on a job for a couple of hours to see if I could possibly stand doing a job like that one. I am approved for 15 hours. 5 for the job handler to set up a few. 10 for me to actually shadow people on several jobs. I tell the job handler very clearly that I had asked for this and that I want this. This was in December. Okay.

Now it is January. The job handler assumes the role of a nag. She calls me with a lead for a full-time job in the newspaper-- one that would require extensive multi-tasking but no matter. Note full-time. (My plan has been to start part-time to see if my fatigue level will allow me to work up to full-time. I can do this at the State with accommodations under the 55b/c program. (My aunt is the one who is actually helping me regain some stamina because the professionals do not understand how freaking tired I am from the brain injury. I am glad that my aunt is working with me on this because no one else is). I am a bit aggravated but that's okay. I decide to go to the Job Service place which is part of unemployment because they will re-vamp my resume for free. The job handler is nagging me to go there to look for work.

Now it is several days and a weekend later. I am leaving for my appointment with the shrink. I get a letter in the mail from the job handler. It is an advert for a "job fair" listing several full-time positions with an agency and a note advising me to attend said job fair if I am interested in any of these jobs. (The jobs happen to be in direct care with people living in group homes and I cannot lift due to my spinal injuries {car accident}. All of these things are documented in my records which both VESID and the job handler have. But no matter. The job fair ended shortly before the postman came with the letter.

This is January. There is no longer any talk of job trials. There is no acknowledgment by the job handler that I am endeavoring to get a State job at which time a job coach might be useful. I go see the shrink after the mail comes. I determine that I am going to call the 55b/c program people to find out if there is anything I can do to help them get me a State job. The shrink says they are just supposed to find me one and I don't really have to do anything except wait. An acquaintance who had gotten accepted for 55b/c last year in fact was offered a job some time later without having to do anything.

Still, I think that sending them a new fancy resume and talking to them on the phone might be a good idea.

VESID's whole focus is to get me working ASAP and it doesn't matter about what is best for me. And VESID in the region where I live is the worst one in this state.

I would tell VESID and the job handler to bugger off except that if I quit VESID, the delayed review of my disability would then take place. I can't afford to lose disability right now unless I am working and able to maintain the full-time thing. My mate is totally obsessed with money and thinks I should have magically gone back to who I was before my car accident several years ago so there is that. My good friend keeps pushing me to get jobs at various places where I know I just can't do it. (For example-- a bilingual staff at a telephone hotline for tax help. Problem. I can write Spanish better than I can read it and read it far better than I can speak it. My voice is too soft to be effective on the phone, I can't multi-task, and people who speak Spanish tell me they cannot understand me and I am butchering their language). My primary care doctor thinks I should have gone back to work full-time two weeks after my car accident and the last two times I saw him, I got a bit angry when he asked me, "So, where are you working now?"

I have determined my course of action and I am taking steps toward my goal. I even have a plan B in case the 55b/c program can't come up with a state job for me in the three years allotted for this before I would have to apply again.

I feel like the people around me (except for my aunt and the shrink) are all nagging me to hurry up, go to work full-time and forget about what I want to do. Additionally, the people around me (except for my aunt and the shrink) are acting as if I am nuts and they are the sane ones. My fatigue is real. I am not a faker or a poser. The last several years have been really really taxing to say the least. I now have sleep apnea (I love my c-pap machine and before that, I felt like I was sleepwalking through life) and supposedly I now have "hypertensive heart disease, undifferentiated, without hypertension" (a gift from the pc doc and I may have to go on a cholesterol-lowering drug if the diet hasn't done enough. I've had untreated high cholesterol for seven years now because my good cholesterol is really really high. After awhile, the good cholesterol can stop being as effective and then a script has to be given). I have the fibro-related aches and pains which I treat with exercise. The brain fatigue which I treat with extra sleep. The cognitive difficulties which I keep doing the computer exercises for. And a bunch of people who are nagging me who I keep trying to ignore. Because trying to explain to them my Plan A and Plan B hasn't worked.

If there is anything that I am not perceiving here, please tell me.
Thanks,
spike