Poor guy versus multinational cult Stockholm, January 17, 2001 [This is a second series about Scientology v. Zenon Panoussis. Zenon dealt with a similar case as I was doing, although while I kept winning in the Netherlands, he kept losing in Sweden. The first series - from May 1998 - can be found here.] BY THE TIME that this court case will be appealed, we will need a trailer. I am the beast of burden. I am sitting in my [...] » Verder lezen »
THE DEBATE ON VIOLENCE AND FILM never focuses on westerns, detective stories or war movies. The discussion is not about James Bond, Rambo or Dumb and Dumber. It is always about horror, thrillers and SF: about Chucky and Natural Born Killers. Aren’t we made insensitive to violence by such movies, people wonder with concern. Don’t such films put the wrong ideas into people’s heads? Aren’t these movies a sign of our culture’s sick fascination with violence? Shouldn’t we protect our young people from such evil influences?
But is this all true? Have we indeed become this insensitive to violence, and if so, do movies and news programs help to desensitise us? Do people really use horror movies – films about slashers and serial killers – as scenarios? And is there really so much violence in modern movies?
[Translation kindly provided by Niels Teunis.] Karin Spaink’s column published in the August/September edition of XL contained several inaccuracies with regard to Landmark Education and its educational program, The Landmark Forum. I would like to point out the following. Nobody gets paid commission when he or she recruits a new participant. Those who participate in the educational programs of Landmark Education do not receive any commission or any other form of payment, in any way shape or form, when they [...] » Verder lezen »
[Translation kindly provided by Niels Teunis.] The belief that one can create one’s own happiness, is the great ailment of the last few decennia. An absurd number of people seem to think that life is something that you can mold in every conceivable detail, that you can control everything – or should. Create your own future, be the master of your own destiny, improve your health, coincidence doesn’t exist! These are the empty promises of snake oil salesmen, sect leaders [...] » Verder lezen »
[Brief lecture for one of the meetings during the Gay Games Amsterdam.] DELVING INTO UNKNOWN territories and meticulously exploring them is one of the things science is about. Sometimes, unknown territories are encountered where you would least expect to find them: right under your nose. For instance, between female legs. “The clit? Unexplored?” you may well ask, and the answer is “Yes, the clit, unexplored.” I’m talking science here, mind you. There’s much we do not yet know about the [...] » Verder lezen »
[Article refused for the Gay Games Amsterdam Memorial Book, but XL - a gay magazine - did want to publish it.] “FRIENDSHIP THROUGH Culture and Sports” – no matter how hard I try, I simply don’t get the Gay Games motto. For one, you’d expect a slightly more prominent place for the ‘sports’ bit in a sports event. ‘Medals through sports’, ‘Fame through sports’, and similar slogans would perhaps have been more to the point. And yes, of course new [...] » Verder lezen »
Final pleas, or: unprecedented legal costs Stockholm, Wednesday, June 3 1998 [Previous installment: Questioning McShane. Note: I had had to go back to Amsterdam during the weekend. Zenon did the rest of the trial by himself and wrote this.] True to my copyright terrorist instincts and traditions, I am happy to serve you the last UC of this bunch: a fake one, written by me in the absence of Karin, meant to ruin her reputation as a writer. Today was [...] » Verder lezen »
Questioning McShane Stockholm, Friday, May 29 1998 [Previous installment: You know that you're being sued by Scientology when] 9:35. Court resumes. Magnusson speaks. That is, he utters a word, waits five seconds, then utters another, waits, scratches his head, says a word, waits, leafs through his papers. The judge looks puzzled. Now what is this man doing, he wonders. “Are you done?” he asks. “… erm, … No…” Magnusson replies, and moves to the next word. Zenon and I exchange [...] » Verder lezen »
You know that you’re being sued by Scientology when… Stockholm, Thursday, May 28 1998 [Previous installment: Brochures with a bite.] Every morning, it’s the same routine. We get up too early, quickly prepare some coffee, smoke, wash, check our mail, smoke, dress, phone a taxi and hurry to Tingsrätt where Zenon then needs to buy cigarettes in a shop opposite the court. There’s so much stuff to take along. Two computers. Cables. Batteries. My wheelchair. And most important, a stack [...] » Verder lezen »
Brochures with a bite Stockholm, Wednesday, 27 May 1998 [Previous installment: To want a pie and eat it. This court case - the main case in the many Scientology vs Panoussis series - deals with copyright infringement. Did Zenon violate RTC's rights when he had OT2 and OT3 on his homepage, and did he post the NOTS? Day one of this case was mainly spent discussing settlements.] 9:15. Yesterday, Magnusson hadn’t finished his opening statements — in which you state [...] » Verder lezen »
- Duitsland weigert ACTA te tekenen
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