Macmillan Gives Up

Macmillan has caved in to pressure from Tom Cruise and abandoned plans to publish Andrew Morton's controversial biography of the Hollywood actor in the UK.

Michelle Stafford Nominated for an Emmy Award for the 7th Time

Emmy Awards night. Michelle Stafford, celebrity Scientologist, has been nominated. This is the seventh times she has been nominated, and has already won twice. She did not win this time around, though, because the prize went to Jeanne Cooper.

Anonymous Guilty of False Terrorist Threat

Anonymous cheniganism does not always go unpunished: Student Guilty Of Making False Terrorist Threat

Groupthink

Groupthink - a phenomenon that fit to a tee to both cults and rabid critics alike.

TimesOnline Article about Anonymous

TimesOnline has an article about the "vanguard of a new internet-fuelled radicalism" that appeared apparently without warning (Anonymous).

It describes how the protests are peaceful ("To the police they are these are the nicest protesters I have ever had the privilege of policing" and fun. It claims that the movement came about (from its channer origin), because "someone suggested that maybe anonymous could be a real person".

It features various descriptions of themselves , such as "We are the hive mind, the anger that leaked from the computer screen" and also have an high idea of what they are doing: "They see themselves as guardians of free speech" and "The cult failed to understand how things arise out of a mass consciousness" ... "the emergence of a new kind of democracy" ... yeah right. What it really is, is a mindless reactions to hate propaganda uncritically swallowed from popular web site on the Internet.

The journalist asks "Why not the Iraq War, nuclear weapons or climate change?" then goes on to say it is because Scientology is something they can change, when the truth is that Iraq, nuclear weapons or climate change does not threatens their freedom to exchange hentai on the Internet whereas they see the CoS as something that does and "had started screwing with the internet".

Of course some of them because true believers in the critical cause: "Initially we harassed them for lulz, but then we realised that they ruin lives. What we do is fun, but with a real cause" and some for some of them Anonymous even gave them back "a sense of purpose that they had lost".

It also claims that "Anonymous has no heroes". This just isn't true. They have "Whise Beard Man"for one, and any old guard anti-cultists that come no the pickets are cheered.

All in all the article is a bit puerile, and doesn't know, for example how these "guardians of free speech" react when Scientologists dare to distribute their own leaflets in response to the protests. The Mooning of that "old lady" reported in June 16 is one example, and here is another where they point with big sign to a "clam" distributing leaflet.

The article, however, has an excellent aside going into the lexicon used by Anonymous.

Terril Park Banned from Enturbulation.org

Another example on the way Anonymous conceives of free speech - banning dissenters from its forum. I can't find the post on Google but it is included in this link, and here is the original text:

"a friend of mine, Terril Park was actually banned from Enturbulation.org it happened on this thread. Terril is a Scientologist and has been one for well over 40 years. He is also a very good friend of mine, and we have had many good and open discussions about Scientology (he, my girlfriend and I). If you want to make up your own mind about him, here is a video that was made when he was protesting the Co$ San Francisco. How many Scientologists do you know who are willing to answer questions as openly as Terril has on the thread and also in the video? So much for free speech I suppose."

Serious Dip in Number at Protests

Anonymous finally acknowledge the serious dip in members from its protests.

Billy Lyday's Response to Scientology

At least a really funny video criticizing Scientology. Comedian Billy Lyday attended the Feb. protest and later on received a lettter from the CoS accusing him to be a Scientologist. This video is his response.

Artists for a Better World

A group of Scientologists teamed up with the New England chapter of Artists for a Better World to transform the wall of one of CoS new properties into a work of urban art. For once in these glum issues, nice photos of cheerful kids in a creative work - and nobody seems very affected by the hateful protests of Anonymous on June 14.

Crow and Kitten are Friends

Crow and Kitten are Friends - Off topic, but still an amazing story of a cat adopted by a Crow and playing together.

Effect of Anonymous on the Press

Since there have been so many claims here that the number of media reports on Scientology has greatly increased since Anonymous came on the scene, Monica Pignotti decided to check this out for herself. She did a Power search on LexisNexis that included all major world publications. It showed that the number of results for Scientology has remained pretty constant over the past three years.

Perspective on Anonymous

The social perspective of Anonymous' origin and modus operandi is a bit of a mystery to outside onlookers. Here is the perspective of a critic.

Whatisanonymous

http://www.whatisanonymous.org/index.html - Yet another anonymous site. However, the site has not been updated since April 13 and many pages are under construction, indicating that the author has either lost interest (like many anonymous) or did not have time to maintain it anymore. Some of the static information may however be useful.

Anonymous Moons Scientologist

Barbara Graham reports "epic amusement" at the June 14 San Diego protest, led by Paul Fetch (!). This is an excerpt from her account:

"a guy gave our photographer a flier. It was about anonymous. It was all lies. ... A swarm of anon went down the street and found the perpetrator, a pore little ol' lady from the org. She was little. She was old. She had a big ass stack of fliers that she probably didn't get to distribute, cuz we were on her like white on rice, and she did a beeline back to the mothership. A guy mooned her and flipped her off simultaneously on the corner of Broadway and 4th. ... I'm sorry, it was a hairy, unattractive pink booty, but we laughed. A few anons stuck with her, following her to the org, and a bunch of us cleaned up our detritus and did a parade walk around downtown. That was epic amusement! ... Saw the woman who had been handing out the lying ass "what is anonymous" faq whining to the police."

A Scientologist posted another account of the incident:

"the stunt you lowlifes pulled yesterday was even worse than the usual from bottomfeeders such as you and your tag-alongs ... Just so you know, the police received 4 calls from non-scientologists complaining about the harrassment the large group of masked hoodlums was pouring onto one lady (much younger than you Barbie) The group started out by surrounding her (20 or more of them and one of her), and ended with about 6 following her all the way up the street, taunting her (for about half a mile). On the way BA ing her, etc. You guys don't have to pass out anything really. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Now, San Diego knows how cuel and evil you really are. By the way - young Asian guy with the glasses. How would your parents like it if they found out what you did to this lady? How would any of you like it if that was your mother? Shameful scum - all of you."

French Nuclear Engineer abandon recourse

The French Nuclear engineer who has been fired for being a Scientologist abandoned his recourse before the Appeal Court in France. Read the announcement in ARS and the universal support of this obvious discrimination by critics, with some of them in glee about the fact that "Hubbard's idiocy will now get him a much lower paid job, which he richly deserve for being a dumb ass". The case has been reported at the time on Cesnur, Operation Clambake, and of course the Scientology website. Watch a video about it here.