Florence Henderson gushed as John Travolta today on NBC and showed a few clips. Then she talked about scio and the celebs in it, and she kissed Travolta. Oh boy. Hey, she's Mrs. Brady, I'm not knocking her.

I have to admit it. I like JT. I don't like Cruise's movies since Risky Business but I haven't met him like I did JT. I hung out with Jenna Elfman one night and liked her, pre-star (and I told she would be a star, just like I did Kirstie Alley before she even got a part, but I think Kirstie's very strange...)

Anyway, I think you guys miss something here, and since I lived it I'll share it. I worked at Celebrity Centre a while. After I left, it really pissed off some staff members that I actually went out and became a celebrity (and this even before I finally left scio altogether). So I saw, both on the inside and outside as someone *on lines* over and over how those celebs never even come close to seeing what really goes on. They read stories (if they will read them) about RPF and all that other bullshit and they think it's just lies and third party. Seriously. They're conditioned. If you try to talk to them about it, like I did with Judy Norton-Taylor once, their eyes glaze over. But then, Judy was probably making her living at that point as the national Dianetics spokesperson, so...

I'm not defending them. I've seen as much shit in scientology as anyone. I was a course or two short of being a magistrate, the ethics equivalent of a class 8 auditor (note, I don't capitalize anything having to do with scientology). A lot of help I gave people was common sense, just conversation. I got results that no one ever had, too. And all the shit I took was my own fault for taking it.

Thankfully, I let it all go 10 years ago, and after that, my success as a writer bloomed. You can't be a writer and be successful if you're in scientology. It's built that way. The celebrities are the more shallow artists, actors mostly. Some musicians, but you can be a heroin addict and be a successful musician. There's one in particular who knows that well.

I think the management people are creeps. Norman Starkey particularly, one of the biggest assholes I ever met. I know most of them. They keep plunging forward toward the holy grail of the great ot level that will finally set them free from this awful (oh, help us!) physical universe. It's just goofy, but they keep going, and reinforce each other's delusions constantly. I can't tell you how many times it was banged into my head that I couldn't possibly succeed if not *on the bridge*. When in fact, it was exactly the opposite. I only got into scientology looking for a father figure after troubles with my own. I suspect that a very great many scios did and do the same.

What's really hilarious about the scios is that they are schooled, trained repeatedly, to attack, attack, attack if someone challenges them. Which (if you know anything about cause and effect) prompts return attacks from the rest of the world. They're just trained to be pit bulls, and the celebrities are always kept away from all the crap.

And the others never stop to think that maybe, just maybe, some of the derision they receive is warranted. Do you know it took the raid of the FBI in 1977 (think that was the year) to get a rule put in that ministers of the church sleeping together had to be married? That's just one example of how they never correct unless forced to (even though I don't care if ministers are married or not, but it seems odd that they wouldn't be).

About a year ago, I got a call from some osa or whatever they call it now person who tried to repeatedly run a *was there something you wanted to achieve in scientology but didn't* thing, while I kept telling her that if she really wanted me to be happy, she should shred all those folders they have on me, put the confetti in a box, and mail it to me. She had no answer for that - I think it shocked her that I'd say it. And they've left me alone since because I made it very clear what I would do if they did not. I haven't written a book on scientology because I really don't give a shit, and lots of others have been written. But I'm sure I have media and political contacts that only Travolta and Cruise and such have, and they have some inkling of who I know, so they leave me alone.

This is a very interesting newsgroup. I appreciate your replies to my query about scientology nightmares. I have a feeling I'll never have another. God bless (no, I don't mean you, ron).

-- They don't want you until you have made a name, and by the time you have made a name, you have developed some kind of talent they can't use. All they will do is spoil it, if you let them. -- Raymond Chandler