Okay, as you probably know by now: I’m a fan of Superman Returns. I may or may not be listening to the soundtrack right now.  But YOU probably hated it so now I have to think of who else I’d want to direct another Superman movie. Fortunately, since V for Vendetta, James McTeigue, director of the upcoming Ninja Assassin, has been at the top of my list, and, pretty much since V for Vendetta came out, he hasn’t stopped talking about what HE would do with the movie.  And what would HE do with a Superman movie?  Well to  sum it up for him:  make it awesome.  And I’m okay with that.  Read more!

Next up on my fanboy wishlist is Len Wiseman, director of Live Free of Die Hard.  I don’t know what the hell he’s been up to since and I’m too lazy to look it up (I lied — not much.)   I’d also be interested in somebody like Paul Haggis getting a crack at a tent-pole like Superman.  Or I might give up my first born for Alfonso Cuarón.

If given the opportunity to post a pic of V on my blog, I'll take it.

On the eve of All Hallow’s Eve it is time once again for your GonzoGeek to take you LinkFrogging around the internet.

I had a pretty good idea when I suggested this to the guys that it might drive some traffic our way.  Turns out I was right.  Between the bunch of us we have some pretty eclectic tastes and the links reflect that.

Then again, it might just be the cheesecake.

Speaking of, say hello to Salma Hayek.  Well, more specifically say hello to Salma Hayek as Satanico Pandemonium in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn.  When Stephe and I decided to go Halloween with this week’s cheesecake we thought of some obvious choices like Elvira or Jamie Lee Curtis.  Kate Beckinsale was mentioned, but she’s already been served up.  Then we got on to vampires and Salma became our go to girl this week.

Now, on to the links.

1. The Numa Numa Kid conducts the Michigan State band.
2. Paul Haggis leaves, and eviscerates, Scientology.
3. Type in a phrase and this website will find the words in a huge database of songs and play it for you.
4. Jessica Alba is staring at you.
5. In memory of Chuck Biscuits.  Dead at 44.
6. Bottoms up!
7. Spooky new animal species discovered this year.
8. Chupacabra caught on tape in Houston suburb.
9. Giant sea monster skull found England.
10. Phillie Nation harnesses the power of the Taco Bell Blackjack Taco.
11. Who does Bat-Man dress up as for Halloween?
12. And speaking of pictures of superheroes…
13. Candy nobody wants.
14. RIP Geocities.  We flame our text in your honor.
15. Speaking of viking funerals.  Look who’s playing Odin in the Thor movie.
16. Some film franchises are too profitable to die, no matter how they may suck.
17. Well, Chuck me!  Take 1.
18. Well, Chuck me!  Take 2.
19. You should REALLY be watching Modern Family.
20. What happens to your Facebook when you die?
21. Jimmy Kimmel schools Melissa Joan Hart.
22. Hardest.  Pop Warner.  Hit.  Ever.
23. When bad monsters go good.
24. Enough is enough!  I’ve had it with these m*th*rf*ck*ng snakes on this m*th*rf*ck**ng plane!
25. David’s Iraq blog.
26. That was then.  This is now.
27. And finally, please welcome, the mistress of the macabre, the epitome of evil, the most sinister movie to crawl on the face of the Earth…Satanico Pandemonium!

Maybe it’s because I just did not care enough, but “Quantum of Solace” made no sense to me. An organization exists that everyone knows exists but no one knows the name of the organization or who runs it or how many members it has. In fact the only thing anyone seems to know about it is that they know nothing about it. Then suddenly at the end of the movie, James Bond (Daniel Craig) mentions its name – Quantum. When did he find this out? No one seems to know or care – especially the makers of the film.

“Quantum of Solace” was one giant excuse to put James Bond in as many roof, hotel, car and plane chases as possible. The plot was thrown in to keep it from being a silent film. It is one of the most confusing and contrived movies that I have ever seen. To even try and explain the plot would give me a migraine. The action scenes were almost as confusing as the plot with an average shot length just above a nanosecond. All of the humor and innuendo of the Bond franchise seems to have been tossed to the wayside in order to capitalize on the Bourne franchise formula and success. But James Bond is not Jason Bourne and we don’t want him to be.

This movie is a perfect example of the Hollywood mentality: what movie/movies have been successful recently and how can we cash in on it? By copying them, of course. James Bond is one of the most beloved characters and franchises in movie history, but Hollywood has managed to forget this and conform it to their cash cow mentality. I don’t blame Daniel Craig or Judi Dench (M) or Olga Kurylenko (Camille) or Giancarlo Giannini (Rene Mathis) or Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene). They all did the best they could with the material that they were given which leads us to the writers (Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis and Robert Wade) and director (Marc Forster).

What happened with this movie? This group of filmmakers should not have messed this movie up as bad as they did. These men have made movies that are good. Movies like “Monster’s Ball,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Finding Neverland,” “In the Valley of Elah,” “Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Flags of Our Fathers,” etc. So how is that the men responsible for these wonderful films made such a disappointing Bond movie? The dialogue was arbitrary. The action sequences were confusing and conducive to seizing. The sexual tension and innuendo commonplace in the Bond movies was inexplicably missing. There were no over-the-top gadgets or vehicles. It was all very…plain. And if James Bond is anything, it’s not plain.

It’s clear that there were obvious missteps and mistakes in “Quantum of Solace.” It’s just unexplainable how they happened – especially with writers and directors that we know are talented filmmakers. I think it all comes down to the studios. Hollywood studios fight tooth and nail to reach the top of the box office charts and, in order to do so, they often “borrow” from other successful franchises. Movies like the Bourne trilogy or “The Transporter” series are all studio responses to the Bond franchise. So how did the producers or studio heads forget that “Quantum of Solace” was a Bond movie and not one of their carbon-copy rip-offs? I don’t know the answer, but I do know that if you are in the mood for a Bond movie, skip this one and go rent “Goldfinger.”

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 105 minutes

Starring: Daniel Craig (James Bond); Olga Kurylenko (Camille); Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene); Judi Dench (M); Giancarlo Giannini (Rene Mathis)

Directed by: Marc Forster; written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade based on a character by Ian Fleming; produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. A Sony Pictures release.

Acclaimed film director Paul Haggis parted ways with the Church of Scientology in mid August by sending a letter that was rather critical of the Church, its practices and in particular Tommy Davis, the head of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre. The letter was posted on a blog about Scientology and has since found its way all around the Internet, really hitting the mainstream news circuit over the weekend.

The award winning director, who wrote the screenplay for the James Bond franchise reboot Casino Royale, whose screenplays for Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo Jima were nominated for Academy Awards and whose film Crash won the Academy Award for Best Picture (he personally won an Academy Award for his original screenplay for this film), wrote in the letter that he “could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated,” referring to the Church of Scientology’s official backing of California Proposition 8, which in November 2008 amended the California Constitution with a new section that states “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

What surprises me is that Mr. Haggis seems genuinely shocked that the Church of Scientology would support such legislation.

L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction novelist who founded the Church of Scientology in 1953 in order to make money, according to noted science fiction author Harlan Ellison in an interview in Issue 332 of the U.K. edition of Time Out, even wrote in his 1951 book Science of Survival, still referenced today as a core text by the Church of Scientology, that “perverts,” as he classified homosexual, bisexual and transgender individuals, were “intensely dangerous in the society since aberration is contagious.”

This is not to say that I think all or even most Scientologists support this belief any more than I think all or most Christians hate homosexuals, but to say that when one of the books written by the founder of your “religion” as an early foundation for what would eventually become Scientology espouses this kind of hateful ideology, you really shouldn’t be surprised when the Church gets behind legislation that would support those ideals.

Mr. Haggis goes on to chastise Mr. Davis for claiming in an interview that the Church does not follow a policy of “disconnection,” by which members are instructed to sever all ties with a friend or family member who is against Scientology, citing that his own wife was ordered to “(break) off all contact with” her parents simply because they resigned from the Church (they did not criticize the Church and were actually the people who introduced her in the first place). Davis and the Church obviously deny this and state that it is always a personal choice by the member to engage in this behavior.

I’m personally elated that a more high-profile celebrity member of the Church has finally recognized the serious flaws in the Church of Scientology and actually took action to distance themselves from it. I remain hopeful that more celebrities will realize what they got themselves into and do the right thing by denouncing the Church even if it means risking friendships.

On the other hand, I feel bad for the majority of Scientologists who I believe, like Mr. Haggis, are actually good people for whom the beneficial teachings of Scientology have actually helped and who simply want to make the world a better place. I believe that Scientology, like any other religion (I am wary of classifying it as a “true” religion although for simplicity’s sake I refer to it as such here), at its core can really help people but is too often warped and twisted by “the organized” into a tool for control, fear-mongering and money-making and is too often misrepresented by the more “entertaining,” for lack of a better word, individuals in the group.

There’s no doubt in my mind that many Scientologists will unfairly come under fire for being like Mr. Davis, Mr. Hubbard or any of the other more extreme members of the religion. To those people who would subject them to this kind of treatment, I can only caution that you don’t want to become the type of people you accuse Scientologists of being.

Is the Church of Scientology a crock? Does the Pope shit in the woods? Apparently France answered yes to both those questions when some former church members brought suit alleging fraud against the French branch of the sect cult church.

Now, there are people out there who will doubtless say the French did what they always do, which is stop short of actually taking decisive action (legit). But hey, at least they gave it a shot. I mean, the Church of Scientology was founded by a guy who wrote bad science fiction and had an honorary Ph.D. (which he awarded himself) from Sequoia University, a now-defunct diploma mill, which he sort of founded. Where’s the controversy?

Anyway, enough context. Here’s what we found in the New York Times:

The [Paris] court convicted the Church of Scientology’s French office, its library and six of its leaders of organized fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used ”commercial harassment” against recruits.

The group was fined euro400,000 ($600,000) and the library euro200,000. Four of the leaders were given suspended sentences of between 10 months and two years. The other two were given fines of euro1,000 and euro2,000.

However, the court did not order the Church of Scientology to shut down, ruling that it would be likely to continue its activities anyway ”outside any legal framework.”

Shocker that the French would use the old “Ah, if we ban ‘em they’ll do it in secret” routine. Hey, it’s more than we do in the U.S.

The verdict is ”an Inquisition of modern times,” said Scientology spokeswoman Agnes Bron, referring to efforts to rout out heretics of the Roman Catholic Church in centuries past.

The head of an association that helps victims of sects, Catherine Picard, called the verdict ”intelligent.”

”Scientology can no longer hide behind freedom of conscience,” she said.

The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has been active for decades in Europe, but has struggled to gain status as a religion. It is considered a sect in France and has faced prosecution and difficulties in registering its activities in many countries.

One could make the argument that Scientology is a religion and the French (and other Europeans) are unfairly bashing a legit outfit (much like the church’s spokeswoman claims — by the way, “Agnes Bron” is the greatest name for a spokeswoman, ever). All we’re saying is Scientology’s highest profile member is a high school graduate who claims to know the history of psychiatry. And jumps around a lot. And laughs for no apparent reason, all the time. We’re jus’ sayin’.

Yeesh. It’s been a bad week for Scientology. Paul Haggis bails because the church doesn’t like the gays, and head spokesman Tommy Davis leaves an interview with ABC’s Martin Bashir like a petulant child would.

Now the French get all French but do something…smart. Are we all, as Tom Cruise would say, glib? Or are we all all onto something here? Last one to the volcano’s an SP!

Dass Scientology irgendwie ein Problem mit Schwulen hat, erfährt man in jeder Scientology-Zentrale von den Mitarbeitern, etwas verschwurbelt zwar (“das ist nicht der richtige Weg für einen Menschen”), aber immerhin. Der Regisseur Paul Haggis hat das aber erst nach 35 Jahren mitbekommen. Gratulation hierzu! Das ging ja wirklich flott:

Der Regisseur und Drehbuchautor („Million Dollar Baby“) hält der Organisation vor, dass sie nichts dagegen unternommen habe, als sich die Gruppe in San Diego für ein Verbot der Homosexuellen-Ehe in Kalifornien starkmachte. „Die Weigerung der Kirche, die Aktionen dieser Frömmler, Heuchler und Homophoben anzuprangern, ist einfach feige“, beschwert sich Haggis.

Vielleicht sollte Haggis bei der Auswahl seiner nächsten Weltanschauung etwas kritischer sein, und einfach mal Fragen stellen, bevor er beitritt. Fragen kostet schließlich nichts.

LOS ANGELES, CA – After 35 years as a member of America’s most influential cult, Crash director Paul Haggis is leaving Scientology over their support of Prop 8 in California.

“Silence is consent,” wrote Haggis in a letter to the public.  “I refuse to be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated.”

In response the Church has asked for several items back that they gave to Haggis, including his Academy Award.  “We made that award happen!” said Scientology representative Johnny Davies.  “From pre-production, to getting Haggis attached, to swaying the vote we were instrumental in every stage of making that award happen.  We only ask that Paul give back what we gave to him.”

If Haggis gave the award back it will be placed in a shrine in the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles, next to John Travolta’s jacket from Grease and Tom Cruise’s white underpants from Risky Business.

The Church of Scientology has asked for other items back that they gave to Paul Haggis.  In particular the church has requested Haggis give back one of their Psi-Beds.  The Psi-Bed is a full sized bed with bronze bars attached to the frame which come together above the mattress to form a pyramid.  Crystals are hung on a string from the apex of the pyramid, directly over the sleeping person.  The pyramidial shape is said to help celebrity members focus their creative energies, and draw from the power of the universe.

Also the Church has requested back a signed cardboard cutout of John Travolta from Battlefield Earth.  “These are religious relics to our faith and he has no right to keep them!” Davies said.

Paul Haggis refuses to give back any of the items insisting he paid for each of them in cash, and by doing guided tours of the Celebrity Centre.

First, $cientology Spokesman Tommy Davis walks out on his ABC interview with Martin Bashir after being confronted with questions about the “church’s” beliefs. Then the French government fined “the church” 600,000 Euros ($902,200) for fraud.

But now comes news that Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis has not only left $cientology, but has publicly denounced the cult too. In his open letter, he blasted $cientology on a number of things.

Haggis called them out on their involvement involvement in California’s Prop 8 that overturned gay marriage in the state, their refusal to denounce this anti-gay bigotry, and their lies to cover it up:

As you know, for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego. […] I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of the church, to condemn their actions. I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated.

In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year, you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word. Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

He also called them out on the cult’s disconnection policy as well as their dishonest denials of the policy:

I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification – I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.

You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did twenty-five years ago when they resigned from the church. This is a lovely retired couple, never said a negative word about Scientology to me or anyone else I know – hardly raving maniacs or enemies of the church. In fact it was they who introduced my wife to Scientology.

Although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all contact with them. I refused to do so. I’ve never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible.

For a year and a half, despite her protestations, my wife did not speak to her parents and they had limited access to their grandchild. It was a terrible time. […] To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else are you lying about?

Haggis then called $cientology out on the cult’s “Fair Game” policy in which the they viciously attack their critics:

How dare you use private information in order to label someone an “adulteress?” You took Amy Scobee’s most intimate admissions about her sexual life and passed them onto the press and then smeared them all over the pages your newsletter! I do not know the woman, but no matter what she said or did, this is the woman who joined the Sea Org at 16! She ran the entire celebrity center network, and was a loyal senior executive of the church for what, 20 years? You want to rebut her accusations, do it, and do it in the strongest terms possible – but that kind of character assassination is unconscionable.

So, I am now painfully aware that you might see this an attack and just as easily use things I have confessed over the years to smear my name. Well, luckily I have never held myself up to be anyone’s role model.

The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. And so, after writing this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. I will always take their calls, as I always took yours. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. Frankly, I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church’s anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those who condone this behavior within the organization. I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.

Haggis specifically cited a series of articles in the St. Petersburg Times, showing just how effective a tool the internet has become in combatting $cientology’s misinformation. The St. Petersburg Times went even further by chronicling $cientology’s official responses to their articles (in writing as well as audio) and a host of background information about the cult.

It seems that the Church of Scientology has had a pretty bad week, and if it’s one thing the CoS hates it’s bad publicity because they prefer to do things in utter secrecy.  This, in addition to a number of other loathsome practices – including brainwashing their followers and forcing them to cut themselves off from friends & family (called “disconnection”) – have widely earned the CoS status as a cult. Fortunately, in recent years, starting with the high-profile flipping out of celebrity nutwad Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch, the CoS has been attracting a lot of unwanted attention.

Most recently, there was an embarassing batch of news coverage from a recent ABC Nightline investigation which featured a lot of things about the organization that the CoS wishes people didn’t know.  Here’s a Youtube link to the Nightline story…

Worse yet, just in the last few days there was the defection of high-level Scientologist and Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis from the Church.  And, from all appearances, he’s publicly digging up lots of dirt in the process;  below is a blog post by Marty Rathbun, also an ex-Church member, which outlines the letter that Haggis sent to the Church announcing his plan to leave. I have reproduced the text of Haggis’s letter below in its entirety…

August 19, 2009

Dear          ,

Attached find a letter to Tommy Davis. I am sending it to a handful of people, who I feel deserve an explanation. This was a personal decision; I am not seeking anyone’s agreement.  Feel free to call or write me once you’ve read it, but do not feel compelled to do so.
My very best,

Tommy,

As you know, for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California – rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state – shames us.

I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of the church, to condemn their actions. I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated.

In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year, you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word.  Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

I joined the Church of Scientology thirty-five years ago. During my twenties and early thirties I studied and received a great deal of counseling. While I have not been an active member for many years, I found much of what I learned to be very helpful, and I still apply it in my daily life. I have never pretended to be the best Scientologist, but I openly and vigorously defended the church whenever it was criticized, as I railed against the kind of intolerance that I believed was directed against it. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally. I saw the organization – with all its warts, growing pains and problems – as an underdog. And I have always had a thing for underdogs.

But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to think. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. In order to contain a potential “PR flap” you allowed our sponsorship of Proposition 8 to stand. Despite all the church’s words about promoting freedom and human rights, its name is now in the public record alongside those who promote bigotry and intolerance, homophobia and fear.

The fact that the Mormon Church drew all the fire, that no one noticed, doesn’t matter. I noticed. And I felt sick. I wondered how the church could, in good conscience, through the action of a few and then the inaction of its leadership, support a bill that strips a group of its civil rights.

This was my state of mind when I was online doing research and chanced upon an interview clip with you on CNN. The interview lasted maybe ten minutes – it was just you and the newscaster. And in it I saw you deny the church’s policy of disconnection. You said straight-out there was no such policy, that it did not exist.

I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification – I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.

You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did twenty-five years ago when they resigned from the church. This is a lovely retired couple, never said a negative word about Scientology to me or anyone else I know – hardly raving maniacs or enemies of the church. In fact it was they who introduced my wife to Scientology.

Although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all contact with them. I refused to do so. I’ve never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible.

For a year and a half, despite her protestations, my wife did not speak to her parents and they had limited access to their grandchild. It was a terrible time.

That’s not ancient history, Tommy. It was a year ago.

And you could laugh at the question as if it was a joke? You could publicly state that it doesn’t exist?

To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else are you lying about?

And that is when I read the recent articles in the St. Petersburg Times.  They left me dumbstruck and horrified.

These were not the claims made by “outsiders” looking to dig up dirt against us. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church. Say what you will about them now, these were staunch defenders of the church, including Mike Rinder, the church’s official spokesman for 20 years!

Tommy, if only a fraction of these accusations are true, we are talking about serious, indefensible human and civil rights violations. It is still hard for me to believe.  But given how many former top-level executives have said these things are true, it is hard to believe it is all lies.

And when I pictured you assuring me that it is all lies, that this is nothing but an unfounded and vicious attack by a group of disgruntled employees, I am afraid that I saw the same face that looked in the camera and denied the policy of disconnection. I heard the same voice that professed outrage at our support of Proposition 8, who promised to correct it, and did nothing.

I carefully read all of your rebuttals, I watched every video where you presented the church’s position, I listened to all your arguments – ever word. I wish I could tell you that they rang true. But they didn’t.

I was left feeling outraged, and frankly, more than a little stupid.

And though it may seem small by comparison, I was truly disturbed to see you provide private details from confessionals to the press in an attempt to embarrass and discredit the executives who spoke out. A priest would go to jail before revealing secrets from the confessional, no matter what the cost to himself or his church. That’s the kind of integrity I thought we had, but obviously the standard in this church is far lower – the public relations representative can reveal secrets to the press if the management feels justified. You even felt free to publish secrets from the confessional in Freedom Magazine – you just stopped short of labeling them as such, probably because you knew Scientologists would be horrified, knowing you so easily broke a sacred vow of trust with your parishioners.

How dare you use private information in order to label someone an “adulteress?” You took Amy Scobee’s most intimate admissions about her sexual life and passed them onto the press and then smeared them all over the pages your newsletter! I do not know the woman, but no matter what she said or did, this is the woman who joined the Sea Org at 16! She ran the entire celebrity center network, and was a loyal senior executive of the church for what, 20 years? You want to rebut her accusations, do it, and do it in the strongest terms possible – but that kind of character assassination is unconscionable.

So, I am now painfully aware that you might see this an attack and just as easily use things I have confessed over the years to smear my name. Well, luckily I have never held myself up to be anyone’s role model.

The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. And so, after writing this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. I will always take their calls, as I always took yours. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. Frankly, I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church’s anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those who condone this behavior within the organization. I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.

Sincerely,

Paul Haggis

Ps. I’ve attached our email correspondence.  At some point it became evident that you did not value my concerns about the church’s tacit support of an amendment that violated the civil rights of so many of our citizens. Perhaps if you had done a little more research on me, the church’s senior management wouldn’t have dismissed those concerns quite so cavalierly. While I am no great believer in resumes and awards, this is what you would have discovered:

* Founder, Artists For Peace and Justice,
- sponsoring schools, an orphanage and a children’s hospital in the slums of Haiti
* Co-Founder, BrandAid Foundation and BrandAid Project
- marketing the work of artisans from the poorest countries in the world,
* Board Member, Office of The Americas
- supporting peace and justice initiatives around the world
* Board Member, Center For The Advancement of Non-Violence
* Member and active supporter, Amnesty International
* Member, President’s Council, Defenders of Wildlife
* Member and fundraiser, Environment California and CalPirg
* Member and Award Recipient, American Civil Liberties Union
* Member and supporter, Death Penalty Focus
* Member and supporter, Equality For All
* Fundraiser, NPH (Our Little Brothers) – for the children of the slums of Haiti
* Member, Citizens Commission on Human Rights
* Patron with Honors, IAS
And formerly:
* Trustee, Religious Freedom Trust
* Board Member and fundraiser, Hollywood Education and Literacy Project
* Board Member and fundraiser, For The Arts, For Every Child
– supporting art and music in public schools
* Board Member and fundraiser, The Christic Institute
- supporting Human Rights in Central America
* Founding Board Member, Earth Communication Office
* Working Board Member, Environmental Media Association
* Fundraiser, El Rescate – Human Rights for El Salvador
* Fundraiser, PAVA – Aid and Human Rights in Guatemala

Awards for outspoken support of Civil and Human Rights:

* Valentine Davies Award – Writers Guild of America
“for bringing honor and dignity to writers everywhere”
*Bill of Rights Award – American Civil Liberties Union
*Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award – Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
*Peace & Justice Award – Office of the Americas, presented by Daniel Ellsberg
*Signis Award, Venezia, World Catholic Association
*ALMA Award – National Council of Latino Civil Rights
*Ethel Levitt Award for Humanitarian Service – Levitt & Quinn
*Prism Award – Entertainment Industries Council
*Humanitas Prize (2) – Humanitas
*Legacy Award, for Artistic and Humanitarian Achievement
*Environmental Media Award – EMA
*EMA Green Seal Award – EMA
*Image Award – NAACP
*Creative Integrity Award – Multicultural Motion Picture Association
*EDGE Awards (2) – Entertainment Industries Council
*Artistic Freedom Award – City of West Hollywood
*Catholics in Media Award – Catholics in Media Associates

And many dozens of fundraisers and salons at our home on behalf of Human and Civil Rights, the Environment, the Peace Movement, Education, Justice and Equality.

Oops, looks like the Church of Scientology screwed up royally on this one.  Good – if there were ever an organization which needs to have its dirty laundry aired widely & publicly, it’s the CoS.  They are dangerous and need to be exposed.  For more information on the Church of Scientology and its practices, I suggest reading the following links for more info…

Xenu.net – Operation Clambake

Project Chanology

Why We Protest

Why anyone would join the Church of Scientology is beyond comprehension. This “church” is comprised of a group of quacks, just like L. Ron Hubbard, the founder. The difference being that he was intelligent, albeit a con artist, while “church” members are just ignorant fools. They believe in the unbelievable (even more unbelievable stuff than what traditional religions claim as truths). It would really be cool if they could just leave this planet (Scientology members will know why I say this) and travel to a far-away galaxy; millions of light years from our solar system. There are already more than enough crazy people here on earth, we certainly don’t need another group of morons to add to the madness.

Regardless of the reason for his withdrawal from the group, 1 less member is  a good thing. If only more members would wise-up and see this organization for what it really is; a money-making scam. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK – “Crash” director Paul Haggis has severed his ties with the Church of Scientology, in part because of what he alleged as the organization’s stance against gay marriage.

Haggis wrote a letter addressed to Tommy Davis, the head of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre. In it, Haggis said he was disappointed by the church’s tacit denial of gay rights in the debate over California’s gay marriage ban.

The 56-year-old Haggis, who won an Oscar in 2005 for co-writing “Crash,” said he was quitting the church after 35 years.

“I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated,” Haggis wrote.

The filmmaker said that he was promised that action would be taken but that he was frustrated after time passed.

“Silence is consent, Tommy,” Haggis wrote. “I refuse to consent.”

The letter, dated Aug. 19, was published in a blog about Scientology and has since been widely circulated online.

Ziggy Kozlowski, a publicist for Haggis, confirmed that the director wrote the letter. Kozlowski said the letter was intended to remain private.

Davis said Haggis’ complaints were based on misunderstandings and that he has since spoken to the filmmaker. Davis strenuously disagreed with Haggis’ claim that the Church of Scientology is in any way anti-gay.

Davis said the San Diego chapter of the Church of Scientology was incorrectly characterized as supportive of Prop 8.

“We’re all for civil rights and the rights of minorities,” said Davis. “We know what it is to be a minority and have your rights curtailed. We’re very vocal and consistent in our stance on discrimination against anybody. We take it very seriously.”

For an organization often shrouded in secrecy, the letter offered an unusual window into a dialogue between the church and one of its famous members. Occasionally, Scientology materials are leaked. Last year, a promotional video starring its most famous member, Tom Cruise, was watched by millions.

Haggis also said he was “shocked” that the Church of Scientology was publicly denying that it adheres to a policy of disconnection — of severing ties with a friend or family member who’s antagonistic toward Scientology. Haggis said that his wife, Deborah Rennard, was given precisely those orders and didn’t speak to her parents for more than a year.

Davis again disagreed with Haggis and said the church doesn’t mandate disconnection with anybody and that it was an entirely “self-determined decision.”

“The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others,” Haggis wrote. “I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified.”

The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, claims to have 10 million members in 165 nations.

Haggis, who also wrote the Oscar-winning “Million Dollar Baby,” is shooting “The Next Three Days” in Pittsburgh. It stars Russell Crow, Liam Neeson and Elizabeth Banks.

Hollywood je jučer pogodila vijest koja bi se mogla okarakterizirati kao za tu sredinu neuobičajen ideološko-politički potres. Ziggy Kozlowski, glasnogovornik “Oscarom” nagrađenog scenarista i režisera Paula Haggisa, poznatog po filmu “Crash” i jednog od najutjecajnijih ličnosti, potvrdio je autentičnost pisma u kojemu Haggis prekida sve veze sa Scijentološkom crkvom čiji je dugogodišnji član bio. Kao povod za napuštanje Crkve Haggis navodi njeno odbijanje da se sudjeluje u naporima da se porazi ustavni referendum kojim je prošle godine zabranjen istospolni brak u Kaliforniji. Pismo, čiji se tekst prije nekoliko mjeseci pojavio na blogu koji se bavi scijentologijom, također kritizira Crkvu zbog toga što javno negira kontroverznu politiku “diskonekcije” – odnosno traženja od svojih članova da prekinu sve veze s anti-scijentološki nastrojenim prijateljima i rodbinom.

Scijentološka crkva, koju je osnovao SF-pisac L. Ron Hubbard, ima oko 10 milijuna članova širom svijeta, ali su među njima najpoznatiji upravo holivudski glumci, scenaristi i režiseri, a Hollywood predstavlja jedno od njenih najčvršćih uporišta. Haggis, koji je, prema vlastitim riječima član Crkve 35 godina, je šutnju prilikom prošlogodišnjeg referenduma protumačio kao prešutnu podršku referendumu čiji su glavni zagovornici bile konzervativne organizacije i Mormonska crkva.

Referendum, je, inače, izazvao provalu bijesa u tradicionalno liberalnom i ljevičarski nastrojenom Hollywoodu, gdje je Prijedlog br. 8 – kako se ta inicijativa službeno zove – poslije odlaska George W. Busha iz Bijele kuće postala novo oličenje zla koje se mora ukloniti po svaku cijenu.

Tommy Davis, direktor Centra za slavne osobe Scijentološke crkve, kome je pismo bilo upućeno, javno je negirao Haggisove navode, rekavši kako je “u pitanju nesporazum”, odnosno da se scijentolozi “zalažu za građanska i prava manjina, s obzirom da su i sami manjina”.

Haggisov izlazak se može shvatiti kao politički potres zbog toga što on predstavlja promjenu ravnoteže sila u suvremenom Hollywoodu. Naime, 2006. godine je za mnoge iznenađujući uspjeh Haggisovog “Sudara” u utrci za “Oscare”, odnosno neočekivani poraz “Planine Brokeback” protumačen kao demonstracija moći Scijentološke crkve u odnosu na holivudski gay lobi. Haggis svojim izlaskom iz Scijentološke crkve koga tumači navodnom homofobijom bi trebao jasno demonstrirati čija će riječ u Hollywoodu odsada biti posljednja.

Foto: http://img2.scientology.org/pics/std/religion/groups/img005d_larger.jpg

   Citez din articolul Academy Award-winning film director Paul Haggis leaves Scientology (Directorul de film Paul Haggis, castigatorul Premiului Oscar, paraseste Scientologia):

Foto: http://www.the007generation.de/22blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/haggis.jpg

   Directorul de film Paul Haggis, castigatorul Premiului Oscar, a declarat catre purtatorul de cuvant al Scientologiei, Tommy Davis, ca s-a hotarat sa paraseasca Biserica Scientologica, dupa ce a fost membru al acestei biserici timp de 35 de ani. Scrisoarea sa catre Davis a fost postata sambata pe blogul fostului oficial scientolog de rang inalt Marty Rathbun.

   Pe blogul sau, Rathbun l-a criticat pe liderul actual al scientologiei, David Miscavige. In articolul din iunie, “Fosti administratori scientologi se plang de abuzurile liderului David Miscavige“, Wikinews a aratat criticile lui Rathbun si ale altor oficiali de rang inalt, critici ce au fost publicate  intr-o serie de articole de investigatie in St. Petersburg Times. In scrisoarea sa catre Davis, Haggis a scris ca a citit seriile din St. Petersburg Times, unde acesti fosti oficiali scientologi il acuzau pe David Miscavige de abuz psihic asupra scrientologilor.

   Haggis si-a exprimat catre Davis, fiul actritei Anne Archer, dezamagirea ca ramura Bisericii Scrientologice din San Diego, California, a sprijinit Propunerea a 8-a. Propunerea a 8-a elimina drepturile cuplurilor de acelasi sex din California sa se casatoreasca. El a afirmat ca initial Davis i-a promis ca va face ceva in legatura cu sustinerea Propunerii 8 de catre Biserica Scientologica din San Diego, dar in final el nu a intreprins nimic in acest sens.

   Actrita Deborah Rennard, sotia lui Haggis, a fost introdusa in Scientologie de catre parintii sai. Conform lui Haggis, practica scientologica a “deconectarii“ i-a fost impusa lui Rennard si sotului sau si li s-a ordonat sa se rupa de parintii ei deoarece acestia incalcasera una din regulile organizatiei. Trecand prin experienta personala a acestei practici scientologice, Haggis a fost surprins sa il auda pe Davis negand existenta acestei politici intr-un interviu cu jurnalistul CNN John Roberts.

   El si-a incheiat scrisoarea sa catre Davis notand ca prietenii sai scientologi s-ar putea indeparta de el din cauza cuvintelor sale: “… Sunt constient ca multi dintre prietenii mei vor alege sa se indeparteze de mine, sau in anumite cazuri sa nu mai munceasca alaturi de mine. Eu voi fi mereu la dispozitia lor. In orice caz, am ajuns la concluzia ca nu mai pot face parte din acest grup. Ca sa fiu sincer, nu a trebuit sa caut un alt motiv decat refuzul de a denunta pozitia anti-gay, si actiunile imposibil de aparat, si inactiunile celor care trec cu vederea acest comportament  din interiorul organizatiei.  Doar imi este rusine ca am asteptat atat de multe luni sa iau o decizie. Prin prezenta demisionez din calitatea de membru al Bisericii Scientologice.“

   Roger Friedman de la The Hollywood Reporter a descris decizia de a parasi Biserica Scientologica a directorului de film ca fiind “un film socant“. Friedman a scris ca “Haggis a facut un pas enorm aici, un pas care va avea ecou printre toate celebritatile scientologiste.“ Tony Ortega de la The Village Voice a denumit declaratia lui Haggis catre Davis ca fiind “o scrisoare remarcabila“.

   Haggis are multe contributii in industria filmului, inclusiv munca de director de scenariu pentru Crash si autor al Million Dollar Baby precum si al Letters From Iwo Jima. El este foarte apreciat pentru munca sa ca filantrop si pentru lupta pentru drepturile civile si scrisoarea sa include o lista de premii pe care le-a primit legate de aceasta lupta. El lucreaza in prezent la filmul The Next Three Days, film care include actori ca Liam Neeson, Russel Crowe si fostul scientolog Jason Beghe. 

   Comentariu saccsiv:

   Deci avem o “biserica” ratacita care e impotriva casatoriei intre homosexuali (nu de aceea e ratacita) si un membru al ei care o paraseste deoarece nu-i de acord cu aceasta atitudine … Adica un habauc iese dintr-un grup de habauci doar pentru a imbratisa o alta habauceala …

For quite a long time I have read such horrible things about the Church of Scientology and its practices, things which were always rebutted strongly by the church. Followed by a smear campaign against those speaking against it. Now someone finally has the courage to resign from it publicly while fully admitting to one particular policy, policy of disconnection, which Tommy Davis laughed at when denying its existence recently.

I am enclosing his letter in its entirety below…. let’s get ready to rumble, for I can hardly imagine the church is not going not going to go to arms over this.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tommy,

As you know, for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California – rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state – shames us.

I called and wrote and implored you, as the official spokesman of the church, to condemn their actions. I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated.

In that first conversation, back at the end of October of last year, you told me you were horrified, that you would get to the bottom of it and “heads would roll.” You promised action. Ten months passed. No action was forthcoming. The best you offered was a weak and carefully worded press release, which praised the church’s human rights record and took no responsibility. Even that, you decided not to publish.

The church’s refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word.  Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.

I joined the Church of Scientology thirty-five years ago. During my twenties and early thirties I studied and received a great deal of counseling. While I have not been an active member for many years, I found much of what I learned to be very helpful, and I still apply it in my daily life. I have never pretended to be the best Scientologist, but I openly and vigorously defended the church whenever it was criticized, as I railed against the kind of intolerance that I believed was directed against it. I had my disagreements, but I dealt with them internally. I saw the organization – with all its warts, growing pains and problems – as an underdog. And I have always had a thing for underdogs.

But I reached a point several weeks ago where I no longer knew what to think. You had allowed our name to be allied with the worst elements of the Christian Right. In order to contain a potential “PR flap” you allowed our sponsorship of Proposition 8 to stand. Despite all the church’s words about promoting freedom and human rights, its name is now in the public record alongside those who promote bigotry and intolerance, homophobia and fear.

The fact that the Mormon Church drew all the fire, that no one noticed, doesn’t matter. I noticed. And I felt sick. I wondered how the church could, in good conscience, through the action of a few and then the inaction of its leadership, support a bill that strips a group of its civil rights.

This was my state of mind when I was online doing research and chanced upon an interview clip with you on CNN. The interview lasted maybe ten minutes – it was just you and the newscaster. And in it I saw you deny the church’s policy of disconnection. You said straight-out there was no such policy, that it did not exist.

I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification – I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.

You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did twenty-five years ago when they resigned from the church. This is a lovely retired couple, never said a negative word about Scientology to me or anyone else I know – hardly raving maniacs or enemies of the church. In fact it was they who introduced my wife to Scientology.

Although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all contact with them. I refused to do so. I’ve never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible.

For a year and a half, despite her protestations, my wife did not speak to her parents and they had limited access to their grandchild. It was a terrible time.

That’s not ancient history, Tommy. It was a year ago.

And you could laugh at the question as if it was a joke? You could publicly state that it doesn’t exist?

To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else are you lying about?

And that is when I read the recent articles in the St. Petersburg Times.  They left me dumbstruck and horrified.

These were not the claims made by “outsiders” looking to dig up dirt against us. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church. Say what you will about them now, these were staunch defenders of the church, including Mike Rinder, the church’s official spokesman for 20 years!

Tommy, if only a fraction of these accusations are true, we are talking about serious, indefensible human and civil rights violations. It is still hard for me to believe.  But given how many former top-level executives have said these things are true, it is hard to believe it is all lies.

“…the same face that denied the policy of disconnection”

And when I pictured you assuring me that it is all lies, that this is nothing but an unfounded and vicious attack by a group of disgruntled employees, I am afraid that I saw the same face that looked in the camera and denied the policy of disconnection. I heard the same voice that professed outrage at our support of Proposition 8, who promised to correct it, and did nothing.

I carefully read all of your rebuttals, I watched every video where you presented the church’s position, I listened to all your arguments – ever word. I wish I could tell you that they rang true. But they didn’t.

I was left feeling outraged, and frankly, more than a little stupid.

And though it may seem small by comparison, I was truly disturbed to see you provide private details from confessionals to the press in an attempt to embarrass and discredit the executives who spoke out. A priest would go to jail before revealing secrets from the confessional, no matter what the cost to himself or his church. That’s the kind of integrity I thought we had, but obviously the standard in this church is far lower – the public relations representative can reveal secrets to the press if the management feels justified. You even felt free to publish secrets from the confessional in Freedom Magazine – you just stopped short of labeling them as such, probably because you knew Scientologists would be horrified, knowing you so easily broke a sacred vow of trust with your parishioners.

How dare you use private information in order to label someone an “adulteress?” You took Amy Scobee’s most intimate admissions about her sexual life and passed them onto the press and then smeared them all over the pages your newsletter! I do not know the woman, but no matter what she said or did, this is the woman who joined the Sea Org at 16! She ran the entire celebrity center network, and was a loyal senior executive of the church for what, 20 years? You want to rebut her accusations, do it, and do it in the strongest terms possible – but that kind of character assassination is unconscionable.

So, I am now painfully aware that you might see this an attack and just as easily use things I have confessed over the years to smear my name. Well, luckily I have never held myself up to be anyone’s role model.

The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others. I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organization and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years. And so, after writing this letter, I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me. I will always take their calls, as I always took yours. However, I have finally come to the conclusion that I can no longer be a part of this group. Frankly, I had to look no further than your refusal to denounce the church’s anti-gay stance, and the indefensible actions, and inactions, of those who condone this behavior within the organization. I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.

Sincerely,

Paul Haggis

Ps. I’ve attached our email correspondence.  At some point it became evident that you did not value my concerns about the church’s tacit support of an amendment that violated the civil rights of so many of our citizens. Perhaps if you had done a little more research on me, the church’s senior management wouldn’t have dismissed those concerns quite so cavalierly. While I am no great believer in resumes and awards, this is what you would have discovered:

* Founder, Artists For Peace and Justice,
- sponsoring schools, an orphanage and a children’s hospital in the slums of Haiti
* Co-Founder, BrandAid Foundation and BrandAid Project
- marketing the work of artisans from the poorest countries in the world,
* Board Member, Office of The Americas
- supporting peace and justice initiatives around the world
* Board Member, Center For The Advancement of Non-Violence
* Member and active supporter, Amnesty International
* Member, President’s Council, Defenders of Wildlife
* Member and fundraiser, Environment California and CalPirg
* Member and Award Recipient, American Civil Liberties Union
* Member and supporter, Death Penalty Focus
* Member and supporter, Equality For All
* Fundraiser, NPH (Our Little Brothers) – for the children of the slums of Haiti
* Member, Citizens Commission on Human Rights
* Patron with Honors, IAS
And formerly:
* Trustee, Religious Freedom Trust
* Board Member and fundraiser, Hollywood Education and Literacy Project
* Board Member and fundraiser, For The Arts, For Every Child
– supporting art and music in public schools
* Board Member and fundraiser, The Christic Institute
- supporting Human Rights in Central America
* Founding Board Member, Earth Communication Office
* Working Board Member, Environmental Media Association
* Fundraiser, El Rescate – Human Rights for El Salvador
* Fundraiser, PAVA – Aid and Human Rights in Guatemala

Awards for outspoken support of Civil and Human Rights:

* Valentine Davies Award – Writers Guild of America
“for bringing honor and dignity to writers everywhere”
*Bill of Rights Award – American Civil Liberties Union
*Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award – Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
*Peace & Justice Award – Office of the Americas, presented by Daniel Ellsberg
*Signis Award, Venezia, World Catholic Association
*ALMA Award – National Council of Latino Civil Rights
*Ethel Levitt Award for Humanitarian Service – Levitt & Quinn
*Prism Award – Entertainment Industries Council
*Humanitas Prize (2) – Humanitas
*Legacy Award, for Artistic and Humanitarian Achievement
*Environmental Media Award – EMA
*EMA Green Seal Award – EMA
*Image Award – NAACP
*Creative Integrity Award – Multicultural Motion Picture Association
*EDGE Awards (2) – Entertainment Industries Council
*Artistic Freedom Award – City of West Hollywood
*Catholics in Media Award – Catholics in Media Associates

And many dozens of fundraisers and salons at our home on behalf of Human and Civil Rights, the Environment, the Peace Movement, Education, Justice and Equality.

Here’s a link to a brief news video of Pittsburgh Channel 4, WTAE’s coverage of the fender bender involving Russell, Elizabeth Banks, and the Pittsburgh Fire Department.

Pittsburgh fire truck crashes into van with Russell Crowe inside

Cheeky Bastard! Wot??

Someone finally understands that Ricky Gervais is the perfect Award Show host. You’d think when he steals one show with five minutes of improv that would be enough, but then he steals another…and months go by? Hello? The Office? Extras? Thank God someone woke up. Might actually not suck now.

"I'll 'ave none o'that!"

An intelligent human finally admit sthat Scientology is a cult and a crock of shit. Hey, as a father, I sympathise with John Travolta’s loss. But outside of that tragedy…um…he and the couch-jumper are nutjobs. Yep, Paul Haggis. I think he’s done well for himself, yes?

Taking It To The Streets

Sign-carrying bastards exposed! That might be Newman from Seinfeld out there in the lead, but somewhere in the pack I’m sure I spotted Michael Savage and Al Sharpton.

"My gal is red hot - your gal ain't doodly squat"

And finally…well, OK. This isn’t a news item. I just like Julianne Moore.