Ethiopian Crisis Demands Immediate Action

Doctor Without Borders is reporting a humanitarian crisis in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia:

Médecins Sans Frontières said 400,000 people, including thousands forcibly displaced when their villages were burned down, had little or no access to medicine due to a government-installed blockade.

MSF said that following an exploratory mission to Ogaden in July which revealed a "deeply precarious situation", repeated requests to work in the worst hit areas have been denied by both regional authorities and the government in Addis Abada.>>

Write to your congressman to report the humanitarian crisis in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia and demand pressure be put on those preventing aid to the people of this region. There are NGOs there trying to help but they are being prevented from saving lives.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Sarkozy calls for troop exit from Iraq

(agencies)
Updated: 2007-08-28 10:42

PARIS -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday said Iraq's road to recovery begins with a clear timetable for the pullout of foreign troops as he outlined an assertive role for France in world hotspots.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech during a conference of 180 ambassadors at the Elysee Palace in Paris August 27,2007. [AFP]

Making his first major foreign policy speech since taking office earlier this year, Sarkozy recalled that France had opposed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 but that it was now ready to help the international community find a political solution.>>more

Great to hear! I was concerned Sarkozy might be too tied into US policy as he's made it clear he is an ally. This is a relief!

Peruvian Disaster Relief

Help is pouring in from around the world in the wake of last week's Peruvian earthquake. There is so much news of crime, hatred, conflict and brutality in the news, it tends to make you think the very wost of human nature. So today's news is refreshing to say the least.

If you search Google News for "Peruvian Earthquake donations" there is page after page of the work groups, agencies, churches and individuals are doing to raise funds for the earthquake victims.

The United Nations has pledged a million dollars in relief funds and, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, the United States, France and Spain are among the countries sending aid, including medicine, water and food.

I know there is a Scientology Volunteer Ministers disaster relief team in the earthquake zone, and Scientology churches from all over the world are getting the word out that volunteers and help is needed.

What is it about disasters that brings out the best in people? And does it have to take a disaster for this to happen?

There were stories 3 years ago after the Indian Ocean tsunami, where warring factions in the Banda Aceh area of Indonesia suspended hostilities to work together to save survivors.

In Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, L. Ron Hubbard describes this phenomenon. When I read that book, it was the first time I could understand what happens at times like this. But even more important, it was the first time I could understand why people aren't like that all the time.

I had the idea, as a child, that people were basically good but I had a hard time reconciling that with what I saw, not just on a social level but on a friend-to-friend, husband-to-wife bases as well. It was such a relief, when I read Dianetics to be able to figure that one out too.


^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Iraq Statistics Not a Point of Pride for Ongoing US Action

Indybay carries a story today with statistics revealing the brutal truth of the effect of 4 years of military intervention in Iraq:

"The terrible violence in Iraq has masked the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Malnutrition amongst children has dramatically increased and basic services, ruined by years of war and sanctions, cannot meet the needs of the Iraqi people." Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International

" The agencies' report " Rising to the Humanitarian Challenge in Iraq" says although the appalling security situation is the biggest problem facing most ordinary Iraqis, the government of Iraq and other influential governments should do more to meet basic needs for water, sanitation, food and shelter.

"According to the report:

• Four million Iraqis – 15% - regularly cannot buy enough to eat.
• 70% are without adequate water supplies, compared to 50% in 2003.
• 28% of children are malnourished, compared to 19% before the 2003 invasion.
• 92% of Iraqi children suffer learning problems, mostly due to the climate of fear.
• More than two million people – mostly women and children - have been displaced inside Iraq.
• A further two million Iraqis have become refugees, mainly in Syria and Jordan.">>more

What do you suppose would happen if we concentrated on actually helping the people of Iraq: working to bring about self-sufficiency, raising the standard of living through education, programs to promote industry, better farming and food distribution, programs to provide good water, housing programs. And why can't we see that this is the real war.

It reminds me of a quote from Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion:

"There is no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone. All factors inhibiting a solution of the problem of war and weapons arbitrary factors and have no more validity than the justified explanations of a thief or murderer."

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Darfur -- The Latest in a Long Line of Disasters

United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are launching an appeal for more than $10 million to deal with widespread floods in Sudan that have destroyed thousands of homes and inundated farmlands, towns and villages.>>more

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Dianetics -- 57 Years Old But Reads Like it was Written Yesterday

Of course we all know how fast things change nowadays.

So it really struck me, yesterday, how interesting it is that L. Ron Hubbard wrote Dianetics 57 years ago, because it still resonates so much with what's going on it the world today.

I guess that stands reason, though, because his research and discovery were designed to encompasses life. And even though there have been lots of technological changes, the basics of life haven't changed. We may think we're a lot more liberated, more sophisticated and savvy. But when you fight with your partner, or someone cheats on you, when a kid feels abandoned by his parents, when teachers are authoritarian and unfair, when your boss acts like a creep-- these things are still with us. And if you haven't run into this and don't get bummed out by it, then maybe you're too numb to notice.

I went to the event about a month ago where David Miscavige described the release of new editions of all the basic books, and translated versions in 16 languages, but it wasn't until I started reading them myself that I realized the magnitude of the job they did.

These books are really beautiful, so much easier to read and the glossaries are amazing -- makes them so easy to read.

I'm reading Dianetics and I am getting much more out of it this time than the last time I read it.

These new editions are the best. You can order them online here:


^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Biased Journalism in the UK

Another disturbing story out of the UK:

Prosecutors accuse Channel 4 of distorting footage of Preachers

By Jonathan Brown
Published 09 August

Channel 4 found itself engulfed in another row over an alleged fake programme last night after West Midlands Police complained to Ofcom about the editing of one of its documentaries.

Police had been asked to investigate the Dispatches film "Undercover Mosque", made by Hardcash Productions, in January because of concerns that it contained scenes that may have stirred racial hatred.

Shot at a number of mosques across Britain, including the Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham, it featured a preacher apparently praising the Taliban for killing a British soldier. Another was shown deriding homosexuals and non-believers. In its pre-broadcast publicity, Channel 4 described the programme as an extensive investigation revealing how a "chilling" message of "hatred and segregation" was being preached in UK mosques. But after viewing 56 hours of material, only a fraction of which made the final cut, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) claimed the editing process had "completely distorted" what speakers were saying and advised police to drop their criminal investigation. >> more

With all the real abuses in need to exposing, what malice could motivate this kind of religious intolerance. Are the media that interested in their ratings that they would foment hatred and potentially violence by this kind of irresponsible action.

Freedom of Press should carry with it responsibility to report accurately to the best of one's ability. This is all too familiar, a la John Sweeney of Panorama infamy.


^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

John Sweeney Looses It Live

Do you believe this?


Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology religion

Liviu Librescu

A fitting memorial on CNN to a real hero.

Liviu Librescu, 76, was a Holocaust survivor who, his son said, will be remembered as a hero. He "blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu told the AP. "Students started opening windows and jumping out." The elder Librescu, a professor at Virginia Tech, was recognized internationally for his research in aeronautical engineering, the head of the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech told the AP. He was born and received his advanced degrees in Romania.>>


Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the"http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/index.html">Scientology relgion

Running around the world

I loved reading this story about Sunita Williams running the Boston Marathon in space:

Sunita Williams has qualified for this year's 111th running of the Boston Marathon. But on April 16, the Needham native who is a NASA astronaut will be situated 200 miles above the earth's surface -- so she'll run the 26.2 miles on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station.

The Boston Athletic Association issued Williams bib number 14,000 today. Race Director David McGillivray sent the bib electronically to NASA, which will forward it to Williams.

The 41-year-old Williams, who qualified for the marathon when she ran a 3:29:57 in Houston last year, will be harnessed to a specially designed treadmill with bungee cords.

Williams' sister, Dina Pandya, who will run the race the traditional way. "She said, 'I'll call you on Heartbreak Hill."'>>

I bet this is one race she'll never forget!






Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion

Celebrities Honor Psychiatric Industry Whistleblowers

I read this press release about the people who were awarded last week by Citizens
Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) and I was impressed.

It takes a very special person to put so much of his own career at risk to blow the whistle on corruption, especially when the people you are blowing the whistle on have the power to label you as "insane" and lock you away for the rest of your life.

But the trend toward the Brave New World take-your-drugs-and-feel-better society is frighteneing and a lot closer than you might think, and we all owe these people a debt for their courage. And the ARE being heard!

Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion

Chuch of Scientology London Grand Opening

This is an excellent web page on the keynote address given by Mr. David Miscavige at the grand opening of the magnificent Church of Scientology of London. Also included is great photos of the event. miscavige.rtc.org/london/index.html

Mr. David Miscavige

This page gives a biography of Mr. Miscavige in many languages, as well as the content of speeches and presentations all over the world and other articles. www.scientologytoday.org/bio

A Leader

Mr. David Miscavige is a true leader - effective, caring and gets the job done. This page illustrates his dedication to the revitalization of this world in achieving the aims of Scientology, a civilization without insanity, criminalty and war. www.scientologytoday.org/corp/rtc2.htm

John Travolta

I have a lot of respect for John Travolta.

I've met him, and he is a kind, affable man, not impressed at all with his fame. Just a down-to-earth really nice person.

Mr. David Miscavige

One man who deserves and gets great respect is Mr. David Miscavige, who an outstanding religious leader, accomplishing the aims of the Scientology religious movement. An interesting interview was done on Mr. Miscavige by the St. Petersburg Times. Here is the article on the interview.
www.sptimes.com/TampaBay/102598/scientologypart1.html

My Respect for David Miscavige

I just watched (again) the Scientology New Years event and I have to say I am so impressed with what David Miscavige has done.

His determination the Aims of Scientology through to a done is an inspiration.

And those aims 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.

It might sound a bit outrageous that someone would even think to SET this as a goal. And for sure, without a technology of life you would not be able to accomplish it.

But just think - 50 years ago what do you think people would think if you were to say that you could sit in LA and post a message on a blog and someone in Pakistan could log on and see it as soon as you posted it. They'd say you were out of your mind. Right?

It is just technology that makes this possible. Is it so impossible that there could be a technology of the mind and spirit that we could resolve the factors that make war, insanity and criminality "facts of life?"

There is a wonderful new film - actually a remake of a wonderful OLD film. It's called An Introduction to Scientology and it is an interview L. Ron Hubbard gave in 1966.

When people find out I'm a Scientologist they ask me certain questions, and it's pretty interesting that 40 years later, it's the same kinds of questions people were asking in 1966. In the interview LRH answers these questions. And who better to answer them?

My Respect for L. Ron Hubbard

After watching the new DVD of An Introduction to Scientology I am once more reminded what an absolutely incredible man L. Ron Hubbard was.

When I compare what he accomplished with his live to the accomplishments of 5 or 10 "ordinary" geniuses, he just leaves them in the dust!

By the way. If you haven't read Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health you really owe it to yourself to read it.

You can buy it online, or get it from any major bookstore or library.

I wouldn't call it "easy" reading. But it ain't hard either. It's written for the man in the street, not of "scholars" who are more interested in how things sound than what they mean.

From the day I read the first three chapters of this book my life changed. I changed it, but I did so thanks to L. Ron Hubbard.