Ask Me Anything #2 / 2017.01.17

[BradandJanet]

On 1/20/2017 at 9:45 PM, Dahlia said:

YES. MY SISTER!!!  It's so crazy. She left her winter home to avoid being herded into a prisoner camp. I'm boggled.  She calls it an Obama -nation.  Never seen that kind of delusion up close before  ?

I'm so very sorry your sister is letting this stuff determine her choices in life, and I know how hard it is to be able to do nothing about it. I've heard and read a lot of this right-fringe fear-mongering messaging. It is mind boggling. There's a slight chance the bloom will wear off for your sister as the predictions are all major misses, over and over. Cognitive dissonance gets to be a burden after a while.

 I don't doubt scientologists don't blink when they open the Xenu suitcase and get the story. How long they believe it is another story, 

[MaryPatShelby]

On 1/18/2017 at 8:54 AM, Lord Donia said:

Leah looks so cute in her glasses.

 

I think I posted on an earlier ep about how much I love those glasses on her. Choosing glasses is one of my most hated life duties; I wish I had a stylist!!

On 1/19/2017 at 2:31 PM, geekgirl921 said:

 You would think if the government was going to create fake documents to cover for LRH's "covert" activity, they would do a better job and produce things that weren't so easily proven false.
 

I thought that Scientologists were TOLD that the government created the fake documents, because of his "covert" activity, but the reality was that COS did it.  Did I misunderstand?  I really cannot imagine the federal government faking documents because a church/religion/cult told them to.

[redpencil]

Quote

I thought that Scientologists were TOLD that the government created the fake documents, because of his "covert" activity, but the reality was that COS did it.  Did I misunderstand?  I really cannot imagine the federal government faking documents because a church/religion/cult told them to.

I think that's the point--that if the government itself were going to fake documents for national security (as Scientology claimed), they would do a far better job of it. Scientology's own attempts were poor.

Edited January 22, 2017 by redpencil

[Wings]

7 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I think I posted on an earlier ep about how much I love those glasses on her. Choosing glasses is one of my most hated life duties; I wish I had a stylist!!

I thought that Scientologists were TOLD that the government created the fake documents, because of his "covert" activity, but the reality was that COS did it.  Did I misunderstand?  I really cannot imagine the federal government faking documents because a church/religion/cult told them to.

LRH lied about his military experience.  A defector explored and found his real military record.  Defector also looked at photos of his medals and discovered they were fake.  The military faked nothing.  

 DM said his record was sheep dipped.  This came up in casual chatting on the sofa with Leah and others in this episode.  It was an anecdote that needs no more explanation.  Just another lie.  Rinder gave no more details.  

[fastiller]

Does "sheep dipped" mean faked?  I've never heard the term prior to this epidode.

[Arynm]

2 hours ago, wings707 said:

LRH lied about his military experience.  A defector explored and found his real military record.  Defector also looked at photos of his medals and discovered they were fake.  The military faked nothing.  

That's what I took from this episode. That they did a search on his military records under the freedom of information act (I think) and the military said it was all crap. If he was in the special ops or a spy or whatever scientology made up to defend his record, they would have the same records the LRH had. Everything they say is bullshit. He was a washout with pinkeye!! I have never laughed so hard in my life when I read that.

[BradandJanet]

Alternative facts, you know.

[AZChristian]

I loved his claim that he had a broken back and was going blind.

Translation:  He had a pulled back muscle and pinkeye.

[Wings]

7 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

Alternative facts, you know.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!  Who would have thought you could use that yourself, right?

[spiderpig]

23 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

Alternative facts, you know.

We need t-shirts and caps emblazoned with "Alternative Facts".

 

 

Top Chef -Padma/Tom:  Today you we told you to prepare us an entree using okra, pickle juice, tamarind and gummy bears - and you didn't include any of the ingredients in your dish.

Cheftestant:  I'm proud of my dish, and I made it out of Alternative Facts.

Edited January 23, 2017 by spiderpig

[ketose]

5 hours ago, redpencil said:

I think that's the point--that if the government itself were going to fake documents for national security (as Scientology claimed), they would do a far better job of it. Scientology's own attempts were poor.

But, if the government wanted you to think that the Scientology records were forged by Scientologists, the feds would make up a record that looked like it was badly faked. That way, writers would think the "official" records were true and the Scientology records were obvious fakes. The conclusion is that the government knows how powerful LRH was and is trying to keep it from everyone.

Pretzel logic is fun.

[savannah1985]

Well, I went to Hemet today to see my cousin but we didnt drive over to Gold Base because of the rain.  However, there is a much better way to see what it looks like. I don't know how to link but if you go to Youtube and type in "gold base", one of the first choices you get is a film taken by a drone camera.  It's a few minutes long and flies slowly over the entire base and gives a very good view. If you're looking for "The Hole" at some point you will see two large square buildings with white roofs stuck together. It's pretty unmistakable because the drone flies right over them.  One thing you won't see is a human.

[CofCinci]

If you're curious about Hubbard's military record, you can read it on Wikileaks. 

https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Index_Online_Research_Materials_-_L_Ron_Hubbard

[Wings]

2 hours ago, spiderpig said:

We need t-shirts and caps emblazoned with "Alternative Facts".

 

 

Top Chef -Padma/Tom:  Today you we told you to prepare us an entree using okra, pickle juice, tamarind and gummy bears - and you didn't include any of the ingredients in your dish.

Cheftestant:  I'm proud of my dish, and I made it out of Alternative Facts.

I wrote "alternate fact" on a white t-shirt today with a Sharpie.  Sent it to my son. I placed the phrase under one arm so he could point to it when needed.  I am having so much fun with this phrase.  I told my other son a blatant lie. He said, what the fuck?  My reply, "alternate fact."  So good, oh so good. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by wings707

[MaryPatShelby]

13 hours ago, wings707 said:

LRH lied about his military experience.  A defector explored and found his real military record.  Defector also looked at photos of his medals and discovered they were fake.  The military faked nothing.  

 DM said his record was sheep dipped.  This came up in casual chatting on the sofa with Leah and others in this episode.  It was an anecdote that needs no more explanation.  Just another lie.  Rinder gave no more details.  

Yes, I understand all this.  I wasn't asking for more explanation, necessarily, I was responding to a comment that I felt made it sound like the person thought the sheep-dipping/fake papers were done by the government. It's possible I misunderstood the comment.

[zxy556575]

38 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

It's possible I misunderstood the comment.

WORD CHECK!!

[Meadow]

3 hours ago, Lord Donia said:

WORD CHECK!!

Could someone please take pity on me and point me in the direction for an explanation of this obviously funny backstory??  I gather it's something about Tom Cruise and him saying that and maybe there's a video?

[geekgirl921]

4 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

Yes, I understand all this.  I wasn't asking for more explanation, necessarily, I was responding to a comment that I felt made it sound like the person thought the sheep-dipping/fake papers were done by the government. It's possible I misunderstood the comment.

Yes, you did misunderstand me. I know that the government didn't do it, that is just Scientology's BS response to people pointing out that the records that they have are fake. 

[trow125]

3 hours ago, Meadow said:

Could someone please take pity on me and point me in the direction for an explanation of this obviously funny backstory??  I gather it's something about Tom Cruise and him saying that and maybe there's a video?

Meadow, "word clearing" is an important component of Scientology -- you can read all about it in this essay posted to Mike Rinder's blog.

[DangerousMinds]

On 1/20/2017 at 9:33 AM, AZChristian said:

I can't get this box to disappear - anyway, the problem I have with the "word" obsession is the fact that they make up their own definitions for words. Certainly I support everyone growing their vocabulary; that is much needed these days.

 

[zxy556575]

What words used on a freaking movie set don't adult humans know?

"Forsooth, can you catechize the assistant archon if the mise-en-scene is primed?"

Until we meet again for Season 2: Be tone 40! KSW! Postulate! Be at cause! Reg your little brains out!

Edited January 24, 2017 by Lord Donia

[AZChristian]

27 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

On 1/20/2017 at 7:33 AM, AZChristian said:

I can't get this box to disappear - anyway, the problem I have with the "word" obsession is the fact that they make up their own definitions for words. Certainly I support everyone growing their vocabulary; that is much needed these days.

 

Try this:  Go to the end of the last line you type in the box and hit the Enter key twice.  It may pop you out of the box down into the regular typing area.  I've had that happen, too.  Usually when I was going to quote someone, changed my mind, and then backed out of the page.  Ain't technology great?

[checkmeboo]

Hey everyone!  Long timer lurker first time posting!  I enjoy this show and Leah and Mike and am sad that it is coming to an end - what am I going to do to feed my obsession!! 

I do have a question.  Did they ever air the first ask me anything episode?  They refer to it often or are they referring to the Reddit ask me anything Leah and Mike hosted on the Reddit website?

[geekgirl921]

19 minutes ago, checkmeboo said:

Hey everyone!  Long timer lurker first time posting!  I enjoy this show and Leah and Mike and am sad that it is coming to an end - what am I going to do to feed my obsession!! 

I do have a question.  Did they ever air the first ask me anything episode?  They refer to it often or are they referring to the Reddit ask me anything Leah and Mike hosted on the Reddit website?

Yes, they did air it. It was essentially the same set up; answer questions and talk to a few guests.

[checkmeboo]

1 minute ago, geekgirl921 said:

Yes, they did air it. It was essentially the same set up; answer questions and talk to a few guests.

Thank you!  But I can not find it anywhere - it is not on demand and have not caught it on the reruns leading up to the new show :(

[Lady Iris]

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 0:59 PM, iMonrey said:

Also, it sometimes feels like Mike Rinder is somewhat less remorseful than he ought to be. When Steven Hassan was tearing up and saying how Mike used to scare the hell out him, Mike just sat there stone-faced. I felt he should have been a bit more apologetic.

I felt this too along with the time they sat with those journalists. I'd like to think that Rinder spoke with them privately at some point but I guess we'll never know.

[Almost 3000]

3 hours ago, checkmeboo said:

Thank you!  But I can not find it anywhere - it is not on demand and have not caught it on the reruns leading up to the new show :(

Weird, I just checked at A&E and all the episodes are available but that one says its not available on their site. Wonder if there's legal issues.

http://www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-the-aftermath/season-1/episode-0

This episode is currently unavailable on our site.

S 1E 0

Ask Me Anything

tv-14

Leah answers viewer questions from her Reddit Ask Me Anything sit down.

Aired on:

Dec 19, 2016

[Birdee]

Try watching it on Internet Explorer (I know, it's the DM of browsers). For some reason I can't stream shows on Firefox or Chrome, but IE is working.

[Wings]

On 1/23/2017 at 5:27 AM, MaryPatShelby said:

Yes, I understand all this.  I wasn't asking for more explanation, necessarily, I was responding to a comment that I felt made it sound like the person thought the sheep-dipping/fake papers were done by the government. It's possible I misunderstood the comment.

I may have quoted the wrong post!  I was responding to the confusion on sheep dipping.  That was DMs answer when LRH's military record was exposed.  The military was not involved.  

[checkmeboo]

2 hours ago, Almost 3000 said:

Weird, I just checked at A&E and all the episodes are available but that one says its not available on their site. Wonder if there's legal issues.

http://www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-the-aftermath/season-1/episode-0

This episode is currently unavailable on our site.

S 1E 0

Ask Me Anything

tv-14

 

Leah answers viewer questions from her Reddit Ask Me Anything sit down.

Aired on:

Dec 19, 2016

I was thinking that maybe there was some legal matters because it seems like it has been scrubbed.  Idk it's a mystery - I did read the Reddit session they hosted and it there really wasn't anything that has not been addressed before.

[dwarmed]

Did anyone else see a listing for Episode 8: The Apostate that was supposed to air tonight? Somehow, it got scrapped and the 20/20 specials took its place. I'm dying to know what happened to it.

[green]

11 hours ago, dwarmed said:

Did anyone else see a listing for Episode 8: The Apostate that was supposed to air tonight? Somehow, it got scrapped and the 20/20 specials took its place. I'm dying to know what happened to it.

It was already answered in one or two of the threads.  Hard to find stuff with so many threads, hah.  Something about Leah not liking how that episode, which was all about her story, came out production-wise.  Thought it would come across boring or something. 

Anyway the second hour last night (the 11 PM to midnight EST slot) showed and older 20/20 one from 2014 I think it was.  It covered probably everything that would have been in The Apostate anyway since it was totally Leah's story as well.

[MDKNIGHT]

You know what would be really cool?  If somebody who maybe lost somebody to the COS infiltrated it with the sole purpose of setting themselves up as the reincarnation of LRH and squashing DM from within.  Something like the plot to the series "Revenge." 

[Brattinella]

Political Forum.

[checkmeboo]

17 hours ago, dwarmed said:

Did anyone else see a listing for Episode 8: The Apostate that was supposed to air tonight? Somehow, it got scrapped and the 20/20 specials took its place. I'm dying to know what happened to it.

I wonder too.  It was listed on my Kodi app but when I clicked the episode it was the "Ask me anything 2,"  I did think that we where originally promised 8 episodes - leaves me wondering!!!

[green]

5 hours ago, checkmeboo said:

I wonder too.  It was listed on my Kodi app but when I clicked the episode it was the "Ask me anything 2,"  I did think that we where originally promised 8 episodes - leaves me wondering!!!

See my post 3 posts above you for why.

[pinguina]

On 1/23/2017 at 11:32 AM, trow125 said:

Meadow, "word clearing" is an important component of Scientology -- you can read all about it in this essay posted to Mike Rinder's blog.

This makes me laugh!!  Word clearing!!

I have taught many students to read and there are always words that they have never seen or heard.  But in reading there is  something called context clues.  That means you use the words "around" the unknown words to figure out the meaning.  So you are actually thinking as you read.  Many times my students could "solve" the word meaning by what came before and what comes after.  (We even do this during read alouds.)  And although there are times when someone does need to look up words in a dictionary, it's not constantly/all the time. Just as there are times when I use an unknown word, my students will ask what it means.  

Word clearing seems so extreme and looks to me like busy work to deflect from questions, opinions, and independent thinking.

[gunderda]

On 1/24/2017 at 0:44 PM, Lady Iris said:

I felt this too along with the time they sat with those journalists. I'd like to think that Rinder spoke with them privately at some point but I guess we'll never know.

One of the journalists did say that him and Rinder were good friends now so I was assume that to mean they have had talks amongst themselves.  And I would think if he had had no previous communication with these guys since he had left Scientology that they would come to the table pretty angry towards him.  

[Uncle JUICE]

I just watched the episode last night where Rinder breaks down at the interviewees house...I wonder how many nights this guy's lost to the guilt over his former conviction. I bet it's a lot, and honestly, he deserves it, and I think he'd agree. I like the guy who's on the show now, who's speaking out, but there's no question his actions caused a lot of irreparable harm for people without his resources who essentially made the same decision he eventually did. It's a shame, I really feel for him, but I guess this is his version of penance. 

[fastiller]

On 1/24/2017 at 1:44 PM, Lady Iris said:

I felt this too along with the time they sat with those journalists. I'd like to think that Rinder spoke with them privately at some point but I guess we'll never know.

&

1 hour ago, gunderda said:

One of the journalists did say that him and Rinder were good friends now so I was assume that to mean they have had talks amongst themselves.  And I would think if he had had no previous communication with these guys since he had left Scientology that they would come to the table pretty angry towards him.  

Yeah, in the episode with Sweeney and Ortega, Sweeney said to him "you're still evil" in a joshing way. It seemed to me that they're -- maybe not buddies -- but friends enough to joke with one another.

[juliet73]

On 1/24/2017 at 7:47 AM, DangerousMinds said:

On 1/20/2017 at 8:33 AM, AZChristian said:

the problem I have with the "word" obsession is the fact that they make up their own definitions for words. Certainly I support everyone growing their vocabulary; that is much needed these days.

 

Note to self: never play Scrabble with a Scientologist! 

[ketose]

That word clearing thing is absolutely hilarious. If you put a young kid in a place with a language they don't know, they can pick up a rudimentary ability to speak the language in a matter of weeks. Babies can do it without any knowledge of what a language is. Reading words is actually a terrible way to learn a language. If you learned words by looking them up in a dictionary, you'd need to remember the 1-2 sentences of definition. If you hear conversation with a word being used, you learn it as an association and the brain is good at doing that. Dictionaries even use the word in a sentence because definitions by themselves are so hard to conceptualize.

I think LRH had some kind of OCD about defining things.

[HunterHunted]

I think LRH's fixation on defining things is his way of trying to bring order to his disordered mind and thoughts.

[smorbie]

On 1/18/2017 at 2:28 PM, aamankwah said:

I agree that they should have gone into more depth with the viewer questions and with the Kevin James bit. I believe Mike has probably apologised so much over the years his remorse levels are empty. I understand what you are saying but I don't believe he was being cold or hardened, we really don't know what was going through his head. Maybe nothing, maybe embarrassment, or shock with what Hassan said.

It is so obvious from the way she talks about him that she has a lot of love and respect for James.  I doubt she wants to really drag his name into it.  Rindahh brought it up and from the way he said it, I inferred there was a big problem for her about that.

[alexvillage]

When I saw the gusts speaking about cults and how they commit all these crimes, abuses, all the while claiming that they are doing it to do good, a question popped in my head: how is it different from some segments of the biggest religions?

I am not asking this to make people feel bad about their out religiosity, to faith, but because what I see is people in high places in the big religious organizations supporting oppressive legislation - and being able to buy politicians - to move their agenda on a couple of points, but "refusing" to see the bigger picture, how said agenda will actually do more harm than what they call "good". 

I am avoiding getting into specifics here but I guess that, being 2019, more specifically this month, and looking at Washington DC, and the very real danger of hate crimes directed at some groups, and of death to some people who seek help, you can guess what I am talking about.

In other countries we see religion dictating and actually killing people who "disobey". 

While scientology needs to be exposed, it is disgusting and apparently unaccountable to the "justice" system, as a religion, it is not alone in the unaccountability. But  older religions seem to be immune to "All the horrible things we do is for a better good" - that is only better for them. 

The "parishioners" of the scientology cult, are no different from other followers of other religions who see the evil and still believe that there is a reason to keep doing the evil. In the same way they don't see it as a cult, followers of other religions don't see theirs as a cult either. I think there is an element of cultism in every religion and I see that happening right now.

[Tlee]

On 1/22/2017 at 7:08 AM, MaryPatShelby said:

I think I posted on an earlier ep about how much I love those glasses on her. Choosing glasses is one of my most hated life duties; I wish I had a stylist!!

I thought that Scientologists were TOLD that the government created the fake documents, because of his "covert" activity, but the reality was that COS did it.  Did I misunderstand?  I really cannot imagine the federal government faking documents because a church/religion/cult told them to.

It blows me away that anyone( in today’s world) would think that our government can’t be bought. They were simply paid off to dismiss EVERYTHING...... Everyone has a price. It’s sickening to think but wake up, with that many witnesses and David Miscavige was never charged with anything?........Sounds like a payoff to me.