Scientology in the Arab World

Long way to perfection life
Originally uploaded by The Great Shadow.

A while back, I posted on the idea of Scientology in the middle east. Right now, if you want to partake in Scientology services, and you're in the Arab peninsula, you've either got to go all of the way up to Tel Aviv where the Church of Scientology of Tel Aviv is, or go over to the Dianetics Centre in Karachi, Pakistan -- or even further to Delhi in India. It's a bit difficult.

This gorgeous photo of Abu Dhabi just reminded me again how I'd love to go to Arabia to start up a Scientology centre there.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers - Roma Firefighters

Scientology Volunteer Ministers - Roma Firefighters
Originally uploaded by scientologyvm.

Saw this as a neat story in Scientology Today - shows how Scientology Volunteer Ministers definitely help out wherever they are.

When a major fire broke out next door to the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Cavalcade in Rome, visitors saw first-hand what the Volunteer Ministers program is all about and why they are counted upon in times of emergency all over the world.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Cavalcade opened in Rome this weekend, and the tent was filled with people wanting to know more about the program. From members of parliament and federal ministers to media, business leaders, neighbors and passers-by, people were eager see the exhibit and get their questions answered.

But when fire trucks, ambulances and police cars started screaming into the area to respond to a fire, the volunteer ministers responded immediately.

Scientology in the UK - Saint Hill Manor

22 Apr 06 038
Originally uploaded by Sam_Butler.

I just found a nice cache of Saint Hill photos on Flickr taken by a UK Scientologist -- photos of Saint Hill Manor, one of the first - and definitely the most important - Scientology churches.

Saint Hill was L. Ron Hubbard's home in the late 1950's and through the 60's, where a grand majority of Hubbard Administrative Technology as well as Scientology auditing was developed. Originally L. Ron Hubbard's home, it became the center of Scientology around the world, and an example of how Scientology can really affect a community and how one church can permeate across a major geographic region to positive change and results.

Church of Scientology San Francisco

Church of Scientology
Originally uploaded by Brett L..

Found this one on Flickr -- slick photo of the Church of Scientology of San Francisco, opened in 2003 with a Grand Opening Speech by the Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Centre, Mr. David Miscavige.

Scientologists Included in White House Internship Program

A recent group of W&M in Washington participants. Courtesy of University Relation After one and a half successful semesters in Washington D.C., the College is eager to continue to expand the internship program, W&M in Washington.

While students in the fall 2006 semester have little but praise for the program and faculty are lining up to be the professor of choice, many students still seem unaware of the advantages of living, working and studying in Washington D.C.

During the week, students work 35 hours a week at an organization whose specialty is in sync with the theme for the semester. Class schedules are different each semester, but currently students attend classes two nights a week and Friday afternoons. Then the weekend is free.

To many students, the opportunity to go and explore Washington D.C. is priceless.

"Challenging but illuminating," said senior Michelle Treseler about the workload of the program. "Adrenaline will carry us for a bit, and then we'll see."

The philosophy behind this program is to offer “practical learning in ‘real life’ settings,” and the program more than fulfills its promise. While gaining immeasurable work experience and reputable references for the future, students also earn 12 credits towards their degree. There are two four-credit classes, plus four credits earned from work relating to an internship.

Program participants live in historic townhouses on Capitol Hill. Through the Washington Intern Student Housing (WISH) program, students lease townhouses for $850 per month and are within three blocks of the Supreme Court.

WISH is one of the reasons that W&M in Washington is so advantageous. While the College overall offers a variety of internships and study abroad programs, the D.C. program is billed at the regular tuition rate, plus a $500 program fee and the housing cost.

While there are other Washington programs available, they can cost up to $18,000. This program opens up the opportunity to study in one of the most culturally diverse and politically active areas in the world without breaking the bank.

This semester, the theme is production of national culture in Washington D.C. Professor Anne Rasmussen of the Music Department is leading her students on an investigation of the role that “expressive culture plays in our nation’s political theatre on the national, federal and local levels.”

Interested students can look forward to a range of themes in the future from business to religion. The theme for fall 2007 will be “Religion and the Federal State” with Professor Marc Lee Raphael and the spring semester will be all about national security in the U.S. with Professor Amy Oakes.
Even the internships themselves are held at an array of institutions. Internships already secured for fall span from the Church of Scientology to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

“We started with the idea of creating something that was a substantial notch more intellectual and educationally more ambitious and justified,” said Adam Anthony, Director of the College’s Washington Office, summing up the idea behind the program.

This semester there are 18 students in Washington D.C. and the College hopes to send 20 students this upcoming fall semester. While the deadline for fall applications has just passed, spring applications can be found at the program website: www.wm.edu/wmindc

Refs:

• http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/3647
• Church of Scientology Washington, D.C.
  

technorati tags:scientology, white, house, intern

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South African Cars get Flame Throwers Installed On Them

Okay - here's a rediculous one from CNN that probably should have been on my Scientology buddy's Well Equipped Blog:

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Crime-obsessed South Africans have a powerful new weapon with which to stop likely criminals: the car flamethrower.

Casting a man-high fireball, reportedly with no damage to the paint, the Blaster has been placed on 25 South African vehicles since its introduction last month.

At 3,900 rand ($655), it offers a cheap, dramatic defense against carjackers. It has yet to be deemed illegal.

South African courts allow killing if convinced that it's in self-defense. The defense is not unheard of. In last year's 13,000 carjackings, criminals often brandished weapons or used them with little provocation.

The Blaster squirts liquefied gas from a bottle in the automobile's trunk through two nozzles, located under the front doors. The gas is then ignited by an electric spark, with fiery consequences.

Both sides flame at the same time, regardless of whether the attack is coming from just one side of the vehicle, or whether passersby are on the other side. But the breadth and depth of blast can be modified according to individual preference.

Fire blinds, not kills, maker assures

Blaster inventor Charl Fourie, 33, disputed concerns that the flamethrower could burn someone to death.

"My personal feeling is that it would definitely blind a person. He will never see again," he said

Firefighters, medical personnel and the police agree 100 percent "that it will never kill a person," Fourie asserted. "This is definitely non-lethal.... A person is not going to stand there for a minute while you roast him. It will fend off the attacker, and that's the end of it."

Fourie has filed an international patent application. He anticipates thousands of orders nationally and from abroad. "The demand is huge," he said.

First customer a Johannesburg police official

The first buyer, Police Superintendent David Walkley of Johannesburg's crime intelligence unit, is satisfied the Blaster is legal, provided it is used correctly.

"It depends entirely on the circumstances and whether you can justify self-defense," he said.

"Yes, there are certain risks in using it, but there are also risks in not having anything at all."

technorati tags:south, africa, flame, thrower, well equipped

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Scientology handles Multi-Language Magazine Publishing with new Flash Interface

If you're the Church of Scientology, you've got a problem that many other more localised organizations don't have:  languages. 

The various entities within the Church of Scientology have recently solved this with a flash-based magazine publishing system, that takes magazines and such and puts them in a nifty flash-based interface, with page-flipping animation, etc.   It's got built-in zooming features, web links, and has locale stuff built into it as well, so you can switch languages. 

As an example, here is a catalog of Scientology publisher Bridge Publications flash-based holiday catalog:

This is the Japanese Scientology materials catalog, showing some of the page-flipping animation.

For another flavor, here's the same Scientology catalog, but in Russian:

Bridge Publications' Holiday catalog, done in an innovative flip format, in Russian

Prior to this whole setup, they had to use some other software-based page-flipping component, but this cut out Mac users, and linux users (LIKE ME!! Argh!).  So, this change of theirs to a Flash-based component is a welcome change -- especially now that Flash 9 is out for Linux!

The icing on the cake for me is Impact Magazine, which is the publication of the International Association of Scientologists.   Unfortunately, this is a member's only issue, so I'm only going to show the cover:

The magazine is pretty kickass though, and is worth being an IAS member, just to get the magazine. 

Anyhow - just one more nifty item I figured I would show off that makes me proud to be a Scientologist.  Have a look!

References:

• Bridge Publications - Publisher of L. Ron Hubbard's non-fiction works
• The Official Membership organization of Scientology -- the IAS.
• This is Scientology - Presentation by David Miscavige
• The Scientology Holiday Catalog
  

technorati tags:scientology, flash, catalog, materials, flip, page-flip, linux, japanese, russian

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