Podcast - Adam Savage Project
On Going Clear – 4/07/2015
Adam, Norm, and Will share their opinions on HBO’s new Scientology documentary, Going Clear, and Adam updates us on driving lessons for his son.
Comments (37)
Adam, Norm, and Will share their opinions on HBO’s new Scientology documentary, Going Clear, and Adam updates us on driving lessons for his son.
One Day Builds
Adam embarks on one of his most ambitious builds yet: fulfil…
Show And Tell
Adam recently completed a build of the royal St. Edwards cro…
Making
Viewers often ask to see Adam working in real-time, so this …
One Day Builds
Adam and Norm assemble a beautifully machined replica prop k…
One Day Builds
One of the ways Adam has been getting through lockdown has b…
Making
Adam unboxes and performs a quick test of this novel new hel…
Making
When Adam visited Weta Workshop early last year, he stopped …
One Day Builds
Adam tackles a shop shelf build that he's been putting off f…
Show And Tell
Time for a model kit build! This steampunk-inspired mechanic…
One Day Builds
Adam reveals his surprise Christmas present for his wife--a …
All religions are the cult of something, they only become a religion through mass observance, and time.
I didn’t realise religions in America got things tax free, I thought the whole church and state thing might have imposed itself, although Indiana’s anti gay legislation debacle kind of proves that doesn’t hold true in reality. I suppose they’re being treated as a charity, which they do act as in many cases.
You are right , going on a “ice track” is a required part of the Scandinavian course to get your driving licence. Along with a lot of other things here is a list of what is mandatory (Norway). http://www.vegvesen.no/en/Driving+licences/Driver+training/Driver+training/Categories+B%2C+B96+and+BE
Time loop paradox!
Operation Snow White is not “alleged” it was uncovered and resulted in persecution of key people from the “church”… pretty much a matter of public record by now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White
Edit: and I like that you enjoyed the stories of Scandinavian ice-driving 🙂
Just to be annoying, I’m going to say Adam has a vocal tick of “heh… you know…” .
Hehe, had to. (and yes, I’m just being annoying, not actually a crit, nor does this deserve any attention).
What I really wanted to say was: Good podcast.
Mike Rowe’s excellent post about Spanky Taylor
https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe/posts/971620919514718:0
Petition to revoke Scientology’s Tax Exempt status (It even accepted my Canadian Postal Code)
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
The Going Clear audio book is excellent.
I miss the Non Sequitur type beginning clips you used to do. Even though this one was actually relevant to what happened I still enjoyed seeing something like that.
If you guys haven’t seen it, the TimesTalk done last month with the main guys from Going Clear is really interesting. At ~90 minutes, it’s practically a companion piece to the film. http://livestream.com/nytimes/events/3843118/videos/78879060
not just america, england also, i think australia as well. IIR there was a debate of if scientology should go back to being an org and if they would owe taxes to auz
If you’re teaching clutch control to thing 2 my favourite “challenge” was to go through all the gears 1-5 using just the idling engine. It requires a bit of practice to make sure you don’t stall or do the dreaded kangaroo. Start in 1st with your foot on the clutch and hand brake off, slowly release the clutch and the car will start rolling, the more you release the faster you go until you can coast along just on the idling engine. Clutch down, into 2nd and repeat, as each gear idles faster it should be possible to get through them all. It’s a game I usually play in slow moving traffic.
Oh I knew we did but, the British government give anyone they feel like tax exempt status especially if they have enough money, it was just the constitutional difficulties this should cause but doesn’t seem to.
Wow that camera filming the podcast looks great. Looking forward to hearing more opinions and a review of it!
This is one topic that I thought that you would never, ever (in a billion years) cover on this podcast. Especially seeing as how many people feel that Tested regular, Gary Whitta, is in fact a believer of the tenants of Scientology..
I can’t speak for people on this website. But, a quick Google search will show countless people who believe it to be true..
You may laugh, but articles like this don’t help the matter..
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/earth-as-scientology-propaganda-what-559943
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a-scientologist-reviews-earth-guest-561310
The New Camera has a wider-angle lens than The Old Camera…
–Paul E Musselman
After hearing about the fun of Scientology I kept thinking about Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land…”
–Paul E Musselman
I think Adam has a point with the money thing. I was quite lucky that I was raised with an open mind towards religion and my mother said it doesn’t matter what religion you chose it’s what ever you believe inside your self is what make you the person you are.
The first and only time I have been to church was when my grand mother passed away and the father was holding a mass for her (even though she was never mentioned), and the clearest thing is remember from when I went was when the collection plate was being passed around, the father said “Remember the more generous your are, the more willing god will accept you into heaven”.
Even though I was 8-9 years old, I thought it was bullshit, so God will not accept homeless people, or people who are struggling and would rather put food on the table for their families than donate?
There is no similarities between the Church of All Worlds, and Stranger in a Strange Land by RAH to Scientology and Hubbard.
http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html
“The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame
(version 2.6)
The purpose of this evaluation tool is to help both amateur and professional observers, including current or would-be members, of various organizations (including religious, occult, psychological or political groups) to determine just how dangerous a given group is liable to be, in comparison with other groups, to the physical and mental health of its members and of other people subject to its influence. It cannot speak to the “spiritual dangers,” if any, that might be involved, for the simple reason that one person’s path to enlightenment or “salvation” is often viewed by another as a path to ignorance or “damnation.”
As a general rule, the higher the numerical total scored by a given group (the further to the right of the scale), the more dangerous it is likely to be. Though it is obvious that many of the scales in the frame are subjective, it is still possible to make practical judgments using it, at least of the “is this group more dangerous than that one?” sort. This is if all numerical assignments are based on accurate and unbiased observation of actual behaviour by the groups and their top levels of leadership (as distinct from official pronouncements). This means that you need to pay attention to what the secondary and tertiary leaders are saying and doing, as much (or more so) than the central leadership — after all, “plausible deniability” is not a recent historical invention.”
Perhaps not the Church of All Worlds, but wasn’t Reverend Digby (?) in charge of another Great Church, that ‘predicted’ when members would be ‘called’ to work directly with God? And that no one had been able to prove it was murder….
Even the Church of All Worlds had some of the aspects of a cult– not from its leadership (they were, after all, “the good guys”), but the people joining were looking for something more than life could offer. And after VMSmith ‘died,’ they talked about the church disappearing as the COAW, but reappearing as the Cult of the Great Pyramid &c. Of course, The Good Guys would be able to spot those who were ‘ready’ for membership in the real organization. Cult, anyone?
–Paul E Musselman
After listening to the podcast I was reminded of a Heinlein Book I read when I was younger Revolt in 2100.
Digby’s “Church” did indeed have aspects of both Scientology “Celebrity Welcome Centers” and Protestant Mega-Churches. But if you want to read a good “fictional” account of how Scientology goes after families, check out a book called “The Mind Game” by Norman Spinrad. Many SF fans and Trekkers will recognize his name as the writer of TOS episode “The Doomsday Machine”. I’ve met ex-Scientologists, and it is scary how far they will go to escape harassment!
In Science Fiction fandom, there is a well know story about how L Ron Hubbard, at a bar with a bunch of other SF writers during a World Science Fiction Convention supposedly said ‘The best way to make a million dollars is to start a religion’ a few years before he started Dianetics.
The part of that film that really chilled me is when they started talking about how they abused children. Like, I could somehow get past the fact that they brainwashed their followers into being abused on a regular basis, but hearing Spanky’s story of trying to escape to save her child was incredibly chilling.
Neither link nor comments mention Gary… and a google search doesn’t turn up much either, besides a couple of AE-threads where a poster asks whether Gary is a member since he agreed to work on a doomed Jayden Smith movie followed by “probably not”s and jokes from the remaining posters.
The other Will Smith has donated a ton of cash and publicity for Scientology causes (including anti-psychotherapy ones), founded a school that is using Scientology teachings and wrote the story for After Earth before Gary got involved.
So, why would anyone in their right mind believe Gary was a scientologist? :p
I thought Gary was a scientologist because SPACE ROCKS is clearly an allegory for the Thetans….
I think it would have been awesome if the episode was able to loop perfectly from end to beginning. A bit like that movie that starts with “…the way we came in?”
You need better Google Search Fu. Search forums ( site: forums). There are numerous search results. 😉
For the record, I have no idea if he is one or not. I have never met the man. I was simply pointing that many people feel that he is associated with them (in some form) simply based on his involvement in helping write that film. Whether that is true or not, I wouldn’t know.. 😜
You know what, let’s just pretend that I never brought this up, and just move on. ‘mmkay? Thanks.
Nice save for the audio-only portion of this show. And nice camera – it makes it worthwhile going full screen on my iMac.
My phone wouldn’t continue the stream this morning. For a few seconds, I was convinced the podcast had been taken down. I thought “Well, that didn’t last long”. But it was only a glitch. 🙂
We Norwegians need the cold-driving skills. I think I did mine in the summer on a metal covered track covered in oil. Going up a hill was very weird and slippery.
Personally, I think he is just as likely to be Sith, there is some evidence to support that view 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G_NEanJBLU
Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman was a really good read.
Looking at some of the comments I decided to post this link to explain how a church qualifies for being tax exempt status.
http://www.501c3.org/public-charity-vs-private-foundation/
TL:DR it qualifies as a charitable organization.
As an aside, I took a look at the information provided from the Scientology website to see if I could glean a reason that the organization as a whole would have had trouble getting the IRS to define them under the tax exempt status and found this little gem: ” Each individual Church of Scientology is separately incorporated and is governed by its own board of directors. The officers and directors also form the ecclesiastical management of the Church and are fully responsible for providing services to their parishioners and their surrounding communities.” http://www.scientology.org/faq/the-organization-of-scientology/how-is-the-church-of-scientology-structured.html
Based on this information each individual instance of Scientology would have to apply separately and prove that they meet the requirements for tax exempt status. The language also presents a small issue with any money being transferred outside of the local chapter for any reason other than charitable acts (aside from operating costs of course).
I’m terrified by driving automatic transmission. Had to do it once on a rental and I was in cold sweat the whole 4 miles home. I feel like I sacrifice so much control and feedback to me it’s close to being blindfolded. It’s kinda funny to hear someone talk about driving stick being an experience.
Watching this episode I realized Adam really needs to make his own sword. Baltimore Knife & Sword company (www.baltimoreknife.com) is run by my brothers. How about a one-day build?! We can make that happen.
This goes for Sweden to, probably about the same in Finland and Denmark.
It is actually pretty fun.