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The ESMB Unpopular Opinions Thread

strativarius

Inveterate gnashnab & snoutband
I dunno. It can take me at least an hour to type a long, thought out, properly quoted, properly formatted post. Then I need a rest.
I'm quite the opposite, I just bang out the first load of old garbage that springs to mind on a subject and then, two weeks later, cringe as I re-read it and wonder what the fuck I was thinking when I wrote it. :biggrin:
 

scientia

Patron
Because he did it every day.

It takes a special kind of person to do that kind of thing every day. And Mike was that special guy. Very few people on earth could have done that job.
There are various degrees of "radicalisation." Various opportunities to "buy in" to the next level. Not everyone has enough information/education to make a well-reasoned decision, especially in environments where social influence and peer pressure are in force. (Did you ever watch Derren Brown's The Push?)

Maybe MR is "a special kind of person." Maybe it's just a coincidence he was also the most beaten.

Where does responsibility ultimately lie? Are these behavioural patterns self-created or conditioned? It's a fascinating question. I don't think anyone can answer it without at least acknowledging the environment that encourages/permits their festering.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
I've found it refreshing lately to be able to read through entire threads like this with their varied viewpoints without encountering the ubiquitous Helluvahoax posts that used to interrupt most threads with the apparent purpose of getting likes and lols for the poster.
Many people (myself included) spend time in the forum because there's many postings I like and/or find funny.

There's occasions when I post things and don't give a rats clacker whether people like it or not. I'm just expressing my opinion.

Other times, yes, I do try to post things that people will like or will find funny. Is that a crime? :ohmy:

I get what you're saying about interruptions, but if @HelluvaHoax! or anyone else posts something in a thread in response to another poster (and it is on-topic, or a response to a post) I'm not sure if I agree that that is an interruption. Criticism of someone else's viewpoint in the forum is allowed. And if someone consistently does it in a way you don't like than you can utilize the ignore button for that individual. No one is forcing you to read his postings.

Speaking of interruptions, Alanzo probably saw my criticism of one of his posts here in the 'Unpopular Opinion' thread as an interruption, as he set a rule that forbid such criticism for the thread. And some may agree with him, which is OK of course, because it would increase the unpopularity of my opinions on the unpopular opinion thread. :cool:
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
Coincidentally I am going out very soon for some hours, driving (well, being driven) to somewhere on the coast nearby called Amble. Never been there.

I'll be back. :)

Paul
The guy driving had wanted to check out the holiday trailer park shown in the top photo, regarding a job selling the things, which was mainly why we went to Amble. He decided not to apply. It's pure coincidence the board is in the photo -- I just wanted a photo of the dull high street, and didn't notice what was on the board until now.

I took a few other photos, but it didn't make the place look much better. I guess it's an old fishing village.

amble-2.jpg

amble-1.jpg

We had lunch, paying with a voucher I'd just bought in the car park for crypto (DASH). Heh. I like smartphones.

Paul
 

strativarius

Inveterate gnashnab & snoutband
The guy driving had wanted to check out the holiday trailer park shown in the top photo, regarding a job selling the things, which was mainly why we went to Amble. He decided not to apply. It's pure coincidence the board is in the photo -- I just wanted a photo of the dull high street, and didn't notice what was on the board until now.

I took a few other photos, but it didn't make the place look much better. I guess it's an old fishing village.

View attachment 15598

View attachment 15597

We had lunch, paying with a voucher I'd just bought in the car park for crypto (DASH). Heh. I like smartphones.

Paul
I see they anticipated your arrival and hung out some bunting for you Paul. :biggrin:
 

F.Bullbait

Oh, a wise guy,eh?
Ass smacking would be in the 'popular' thread in some circles...

a-man-and-a-women-are-seen-dressed-in-sm-gear-lee-lorenz.jpg
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
He-Man wrote:

"Was i ever bothered by all this back then? Hell no! I came from an environment where even thinking about these sort of things was a big nono! It was so unbelievable refreshing to see people having different opinions about the tech! You know I actually cried meself to sleep over it several times! that such a thing did actually exist! Free fucking people! My tribe!"

That's my tribe, too, He-Man.

Free Fucking People.
 

He-man

Hero extraordinary
Unpopular Opinion: ESMB really knows how to go off-topic these days.
Always did. Not an unpopular opinion at all I'd say. In fact I think it's accepted common knowledge. what would ESMB be without some juvenile banter at the end of the day after all? You used to partake, did you not?
 

Terril park

Sponsor
You are also not allowed to say that that any Scientologist is a good actor. Elizabeth Moss is one of the finest actresses I've ever seen. Travolta has had his moments (Pulp Fiction for example) and Cruise was ok earlier on although he has a sameness about him in every role. Someone once said that he only ever plays one character - a small intense man who runs around a lot. I did like him in "A Few Good Men".

You are also not allowed to say that that any Scientologist is a good actor. Elizabeth Moss is one of the finest actresses I've ever seen. Travolta has had his moments (Pulp Fiction for example) and Cruise was ok earlier on although he has a sameness about him in every role. Someone once said that he only ever plays one character - a small intense man who runs around a lot. I did like him in "A Few Good Men".
I like him in Live Die Repeat and Repeat. its an excellent
sci fi movie and has Emily Blunt. I still think his best acting
was Risky Business.
 

Terril park

Sponsor
Ok I got a real one. I think O/W writeups can be very helpful. I don't do them these days (actually it's been 18 years) because I'm too lazy and they are uncomfortable, but done properly in the right environment, with no judgement or punishment, can actually free a person from aspects of their past & help them move forward.

I'm sure they aren't everybody's cup of tea but I got the most gains in Scn from O/W writeups. I faced my past, took responsibility for my wrongdoings, made amends where it was appropriate and felt a lot more in control of my life. These were the O/W writeups done to help me.

Doing them as part of an ethics handling, with the knowledge you will be punished, was torturous.
I always did well with these actions. But never
had anything enforced. As opposed to a friends friend
who joined SO and spent 4 months doing O/W write
ups when a teenager.
 

Tanchi

Patron with Honors
I have another one. Gerry Armstrong puzzles me. I am fully aware of the whistle he blew, but in the interview with Spanky Taylor, he dodged certain questions about what cargo went on the ship. His answer was cigarettes, but his eyes rolled around when he said it.

His open letter video criticism of each new book, with a point by point takedown is just puzzling to me. Most of his videos are filmed in a library with Hubbards books.
I've seen folks in FB groups shouted down for asking.
 

pineapple

Silver Meritorious Patron
Ok I got a real one. I think O/W writeups can be very helpful. I don't do them these days (actually it's been 18 years) because I'm too lazy and they are uncomfortable, but done properly in the right environment, with no judgement or punishment, can actually free a person from aspects of their past & help them move forward.

I'm sure they aren't everybody's cup of tea but I got the most gains in Scn from O/W writeups. I faced my past, took responsibility for my wrongdoings, made amends where it was appropriate and felt a lot more in control of my life. These were the O/W writeups done to help me.

Doing them as part of an ethics handling, with the knowledge you will be punished, was torturous.
I'm astonished that you feel you got the most gains out of O/W writeups.

I never felt this was anything but an effort to make the person feel guilty and degraded. It was implied that since you were the kind of person who would commit such horrible acts, you desperately needed the "tech" to straighten you out. Maybe if you kept your mouth shut and did what you were told you might get it. You had no right to question anything because you were so degraded.

Most of the time I didn't even feel the things I was writing were real overts. They were just things that are supposed to be overts in scn. They weren't things I really thought were wrong. Sometimes I had to desperately search for things to write up because I knew I was supposed to have overts.

Writing up O/W's was one of those things I never liked, but went along with because I felt I had to. "Case gain" I feel I got from it: ZERO.
 
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