Last night’s Glosslip Radio show with author Ian Halperin was an incredibly powerful and explosive look at the deception and danger which lurks within Hollywood’s most influential organization, The Church of Scientology.

Not only did we get a first-hand account of what Ian witnessed as widespread anti-gay and racist views held by members of the church (not surprisingly really, COS founder L. Ron Hubbard was a notorious racist and bigot), but we were treated to a surprise and fascinating caller, famous anti-COS defector Arnie Lerma.

What unfolded was the interviewee becoming the interviewer, as Ian discovered a kindred, yet more grizzled spirit in Arnie. Both having been subjected to the mind-control tricks and neo-psychology con of the COS, they were able to compare notes, experiences and ultimately a shared relief that they, unlike so many, escaped with their lives and sanity in tact.

Think I am being over-the-top? I just spoke with Arnie Lerma for two hours and the things he shared with me about the Church of Scientology would curl your toes. Fortunately, Arnie was able to tape the interview and I will be doing a mini-series on this subject.

Because of the nature of this information and the secretiveness of the COS organization, I will have to take some time to dig around and track down sources and gather intelligence before going forward with my findings. Rest assured, I am impassioned with the desire to seek the truth about how the Church has deceived it’s members, deceived the public, made billions through sophisticated cons — and ultimately superimposed its will onto the American subconscious right under our very noses — while using the sacred First Amendment to cover up its misdeeds.

One last thing, let us be cautious in jumping to conclusions about the group who call themselves “Anonymous/Legion.” While it is too early to tell their ultimate intentions, we may all end up appreciating their courage to take on an organization which has more than one person’s blood on its hands.

One man’s fascism may merely be another man’s religion.

Just when you think the Church of Scientology couldn’t get any more bizarre, they go and do something like this.

The article from today’s NYDN’s Gategrasher quotes best-selling author (and next week’s Glosslip Radio guest) Ian Halperin from his upcoming “undercover” expose on the Church of Scientology. From Ben Widdiecombe’s article:

Have you been wondering who Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986, would vote for to be President?

Investigative journalist Ian Halperin has. The best-selling author is about to publish “Hollywood Undercover,” his exposé of the controversial church. But when he asked a Scientology recruiter in Los Angeles the question, he received the most offensive response imaginable.

“He said, ‘I can tell you who shouldn’t be President - Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice and the Rev. Al Sharpton. They should not be allowed to run for office, they should be sweeping the office.”

Clearly we can imagine the Church’s response to this story will go something like “The views expressed by one radical member of the church in no way reflect the views of the Church itself. The Church embraces people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are is proud of it’s multi-rational membership.” Or some such wishy-washy backtracking nonsense.

And then they will likely hire some Scientology goon to shadow whoever made that statement and that person will POOF! vanish into thin air. Think I am kidding? Don’t be too sure. I have written several stories about Scientology over the years and not so coincidentally, have been contacted by members of the Church more than once, who were quite savvy about where I lived and what I’ve been up to. Nothing overtly threatening, just an air of “weirdness.”

These past couple weeks have been a difficult time for the Church with some very inflammatory assertions being leveled at the Church, by yet another best-selling author, biographer to the stars, Andrew Morton. While some of Morton’s claims seem a bit outlandish, including one suggesting Tom and Katie Cruise’s daughter Suri is the product of some creepy insemination process using L.Ron Hubbard’s frozen sperm, to a secret COS mission to take over Germany, the media itself seems to be in agreement on one thing: The Church of Scientology isn’t exactly what you’d call “kosher.”

Hopefully, Ian’s new book, which has him posing as “as a gay man wishing to be “cured” by Scientology” will in fact, shed some light on what goes one behind close doors. Halperin also “aims to expose the prejudice of the church,” which clearly exists considering the above statement about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Senator (and popular presidential candidate) Barack Obama and Reverend Al Sharpton.

Oh, and I’d be quite remiss in not mentioning this past week’s leaked Scientology Indoctrination videos featuring an impassioned and completely unhinged Tom Cruise’s fervent proselytizing of the powers of Scientology from website Gawker. Whom, btw, were immediately hit with a cease and desist from COS lawyers. So far, the video remains available on their website, but who knows for how long.

Be sure to tune in to next Sunday’s Glosslip Radio show when we can talk to Ian himself about what he saw and heard during his investigative undercover reporting on the Church of Scientology.

Update: As I anticipated, the Scientologists and their feverish paranoid masses have tried to refute the claims of the COS being a bunch of racists xenophobes, so I was presented a quote direct from L. Ron Hubbard himself to his second wife. Thanks to Ian for the quote. There’s also some other interesting quotes noted by barb in the comments section below. iI recommend you check it.

L. Ron Hubbard to second wife: “You shouldn’t be scrubbing the floor on your hands and knees. Get yourself a nigger; that’s what they’re born for”.

It’s no secret Hollywood and Washington, D.C. have a symbiotic, albeit love-hate relationship with one another. It’s also no secret that many of the silver screen’s heavy-hitters are also Democrats, or at least favor Democrats. This likely has something to do with Democrats leaning towards the left end of the political spectrum, which not-so-coincidentally describes Hollywood’s general tendencies.

In fact, if you think about, most of the social changes and shifts our country’s gone through, are either precipitated by films (like a changing attitude towards AIDS with the Oscar winning film “Philadelphia”, to global awareness and plights of other nations as depicted in “Hotel Rwanda” or “Blood Diamond.”) Those films a just a couple examples, if we were to really dig deep we’d see that much of Hollywood’s films are merely a microcosm of our macro, real world issues.

In essence, Hollywood feels compelled to be a part of the political process for social change and awareness. Whether out of guilt for their excessive and extravagant lifestyle, or some benevolent need that exists within their more “creative” natures, Hollywood has and will continue to influence our world. This really is a good thing. On the other side of the political spectrum, the rich elite who’ve managed to gain their influence and money through big business tend to favor a more socially conservative government which often overlooks the little guy. Hollywood and Big Business duke it out and provide balance where it otherwise wouldn’t exist. Sadly, this push for change from the west coast sometimes backfires, and causes us more grief than we want. When Hollywood attempts to push an agenda, like that of homosexuality, some factions within this country come out swinging HARD and then we end up with people like Mike Huckabee (and certainly President Bush) running for office and actually WINNING votes.

In my opinion, some social changes (like being more open-minded towards alternative lifestyles and gay marriage) need to happen on a subtle, gradual plane or we will ALL be stuck with the religious fundamentalists getting their bible-thumping panties in a bunch. Hollywood has yet to learn the old Kenny Rodgers card-bluffing adage, “know when to hold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”

So what does all this mumbo-jumbo mean? Hollywood is once again taking bold steps to throw their powerful cards in the 2008 presidential race in the way only they can; political endorsements, fund-raising, and of course, personal contributions.

But wait, there’s more…

Above is a Christmas family portrait of presidential candidate Republican Mike Huckabee. I don’t typically make fun of people just for being fat, but I will make fun of them for being total assplows. Having said that, Mike Huckabee and his big, fat and seemingly “special needs” son in the middle there are both total assplows.

Maybe you weren’t aware of Mike Huckabee and his bid to drive this country into the stone ages prior to the Iowa Caucuses? Well don’t feel bad. In a perfect world, Mike Huckabee would have remained hidden in his world of bigotry and hatred and leave us normal people alone. But, since we are in the midst of a presidential campaign all sorts of creepy crawlies are coming out of the floorboards, and it is our personal duty to do the Mexican hat dance and squash their skittering asses.

Perez Hilton has done his part to expose this filthy gutter-dweller for what he is, and since the mainstream media refuses to do their part now, I guess it’s up to us “bloggers” to do the dirty work.

Let’s break it down:

But wait, there’s more…

In our efforts to sanitize the world of all things unpleasant (can’t someone do something about Paris and Britney?) we are now embroiled in the next “Imusgate,” this time the offender/victim is Duane “Dog” Chapman from A&E’s “Dog the Bounty Hunter”. The show, as you can ascertain from the title, is about a bounty hunter, with camera’s following Dog and his extended bounty-hunting family as they track down criminals and bad guys on the loose.

I’ve caught the show a few of times (which has been canceled due to this flare-up) and not once have I picked up on any overt racial vibes from Dog or anyone in his family, that said, this audio clip is pretty damning. It seems Dog is angry with his son Tucker and goes off on a paranoid tirade, which in part attacks Tucker’s girlfriend, who happens to be black. What everyone seems to fail in seeing, is that if Dog and his family were TRULY racist, not in a trillion years would anyone, let alone Dog’s son, even associate with people of varying degrees of racial diversity. And they certainly wouldn’t date someone outside their racial circle.

Trust me, racists teach their children early on who they can or can’t date, if Duane hated any racial group, Tucker wouldn’t even entertain the idea.

But wait, there’s more…

I say allegedly for legal purposes only, but let’s face it, where there’s smoke there’s almost certainly fire.

Remember Larry Craig, the Idaho senator who was busted for soliciting an undercover officer for gay sex in an airport bathroom? Yeah, well if that wasn’t unsavory enough for you, this handsome burly gay man has come forward with some very salacious allegations about Craig from 20 years ago.

The equally unsavory Wonkette has the straight scoop:

One night, Phillips continues, “I followed [Craig] from The Follies to a Capitol Hill neighborhood, parking on the street no telling how far from his house. We walked up the alley and through the back door of a house, with him repeating several times, ‘You were never here. You don’t know me. Right?’ and me responding, ‘Right!’ in boyish submission. As we tiptoed from the back door to the stairs to the upper floor, as if somebody else was home, he turned to grope my crotch and brush my face with his hand.” The house’s decor led Phillips to believe that this was a married man: “The bric-a-brac with family pictures didn’t scream ‘old queen’ to me; it announced a woman’s influence. Still, we made our way upstairs.

It gets WAY more detailed from there and I caution the reader, it is not for the weak of constitution. But in summary the gentleman telling the story, David, describes what is the typical MO for gay men (married or not) who are in the closet, hold positions of authority and feel free to use and abuse young men who are confused and insecure.

It really is no different than the way straight men use and abuse young women who are confused and insecure.

I lived in DC (including Dupont Circle - a predominantly gay community) from ‘87 to ‘96. I even visited male gay bars (I am a straight female, the music in these clubs were always great and the guys never hassle you, so there!) and there was definitely a heavy inclination on anonymous sex and some real promiscuity. And this was during a time when AIDS was an iron-clad death sentence.

Being gay, IMHO, is absolutely something a person has no choice in. You are what you are, and it is what it is. Really, what’s the big deal. We should all strive to be true to ourselves. But I never was able to comprehend the distasteful way some gay men treated each other. There were literally places you could go to and have sex with someone without even looking them in the eye, let alone knowing their name. It is this tawdry side of (mostly male) gay life I think people have a hard time coming to terms with. Dalliances and infidelities happen within every kind of sexual orientation, but men are so hardwired for sex, that when you put them together in groups as objects of sexuality, the results can be grim.

This is why I support gay marriage. As a society we should be encouraging monogamy, in what ever form love takes.

*steps off podium*

Oh, and Larry Craig is a disgusting, mean-spirited perv for treating a fellow human being like that.

Source: dlisted

Does marrying a woman 24 years younger than yourself make you a creepy guy? No, being a creepy guy makes you a creepy guy.

Fred Thompson is one of the major Republican candidates making a bid to be the next President of the United States. As with all political contests, every aspect of a person’s life is dragged out and paraded around for the world to judge.

Some might know Fred Thompson as a Tennessee Senator, and a regular for such popular TV shows like “Law and Order.”

Here’s what I know about Fred Thompson. He’s been married twice, his second and current wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, is 41. They’ve known each other since 1996, which means they “met” when she was 30 and he was 54. They have two young children.

Fred Thompson is pro-life, doesn’t consider crimes targeting gays as hate crimes, doesn’t want gay marriage or affirmative action for women or minorities. He’s all for greater penalties on drug-related crimes, supports funding for abstinence programs in schools. He’s no fan of the environment, he loves guns, thinks American’s should continue to pay more for health care, immigrants are ok if they are doing unskilled, manual labor, he’s opposed to raising the minimum wage and last, but not least, he completely agrees with President Bush’s policy in Iraq.

On a more positive note, he gets points for supporting the death penalty on violent crimes!

So the real question isn’t whether his much younger wife is a “trophy wife,” but rather, do we really need another “compassionate” conservative? And by compassionate, he means “F U blacks, gays, women, Mexicans, old people, poor people and middle-class people.”

Schweet! And no, I am not a bleeding heart liberal. In fact, I kind of like Mitt Romney, even though he’s a Morman.

New Jersey Governor John Corzine is still in critical condition as he recovers from injuries as a result of an automobile accident last week.

Gov. Corzine was on his way to his mansion to oversee a meeting between former shock-jock Don Imus and the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball Team, when another vehicle swerved to avoid a truck and began a chain reaction causing the governor’s vehicle to crash. The governor was in the front seat being driven by a state trooper with his aide sitting in the back.

The other two passengers received only minor injuries, but Gov. Corzine broke several ribs, his leg, collarbone and sternum. The governor was the only one not wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle, an SUV, was traveling 91 miles an hour and the posted speed limit on the freeway was 65.

Clearly, Governor Corzine is going to have a tremendous amount of physical rehabilitation to overcome his injuries. He also has some explaining to do. New Jersey has seatbelt laws and in fact, Governor Corzine is an advocate for seatbelt laws. As NJ State Senator, in 2001 Gov. Corzine ” Corzine proposed having the federal government direct states to pass laws requiring children under age 16 wear seat belts. New Jersey law requires drivers and front seat passengers to wear seat belts. Violators face a $46 fine.”

I’m not trying to rain on the governor’s parade, but what kind of example is he as a leader when he can’t even abide by the same laws as he put forth?

Really, in this day and age, what excuse is there to EVER drive without a seatbelt. It’s selfish and blindingly stupid.

Similarly, unless you are involved in a high-speed pursuit and you are a police officer, what excuse to you have to exceed the speed limit by almost 30 mph? A-holes. That kind of driving can get a person killed.

I know I shouldn’t find this funny, but really, how can you not?

From the always great Radar Online. 

 

Ann Coulter is feeling the pain of her words where it hurts most, her pocketbook.  After her inflammatory remarks about Senator John Edwards, where she implies he’s a bit light in the loafers using the derogatory term that rhymes with maggot, she is now enjoying the loss of advertisers on her site. Verizon, Sallie May and NetBank have asked to have their ads pulled from her site, and when I last checked, they were gone. 

Those crazy cats over at the DailyKos lead the charge by posting contact information for the advertisers on Coulter’s site.  Which in a way, is an interesting object lesson in capitalism and democracy.  If thine views offend, protest for some action, and hit them where it hurts. My heart swells with American pride.  And indigestion, I better lay off those egg mcmuffins.

I won’t pretend to like Ann Coulter.  She’s goofy and unstable. 

In my world of moderation a person like her doesn’t pop up too often, as she represents an ideology of intolerance far beyond that of the regular playa’ hatin’ I tend to deal in.  She and her ilk don’t like gays and filthy patchouli-soaked hippy liberals -  and while they won’t admit it -that dislike surely extends to blacks, immigrants and anyone who doesn’t embrace their ideology.  But what bugs me most about Ann, besides her barren and uninhabitable uterus, is she taints all conservatives and makes people fight each other over dumb words rather than real issues.

Plus she’s distracting us from the real news: what’s the Anti-christ up to in rehab?