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Banned film ‘The Profit’ appears on Web
January 21st, 2022 | Uncategorized |
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Copies of The Profit, a 2001 film blocked from distribution in the United States due to a court injunction won by the Church of Scientology, appeared on the Internet Friday on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on the video sharing site YouTube.
Directed by former film executive Peter N. Alexander, the movie has been characterized by critics as a parody of Scientology and of its founder L. Ron Hubbard. Alexander was a Scientologist for twenty years, and left the organization in 1997. The film was funded by Bob Minton, a former critic of Scientology who later signed an agreement with the Church of Scientology and has attempted to stop distribution of the film. Alexander has stated that the movie is based on his research into cults, and when asked by the St. Petersburg Times about parallels to Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard said: “I’ll let you draw that conclusion … I say it’s entirely fictional.”
The film was released in August 2001, and was shown at a movie theatre in Clearwater, Florida and at a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. A Scientology spokesman gave a statement at the time saying “the movie is fiction and has nothing to do with Scientology”. The Church of Scientology later took legal action in an attempt to stop further distribution of the film. The Church of Scientology claimed that the film was intended to influence the jury pool in the wrongful death case of Scientologist Lisa McPherson, who died under Scientology care in Clearwater, Florida.
In April 2002, a Pinellas County, Florida judge issued a court order enjoining The Profit from worldwide distribution for an indefinite period. According to the original court injunction received by Wikinews, the movie was originally banned because the court found that it could be seen as a parody of Scientology. In his April 20, 2002 ruling on the injunction, Judge Robert E. Beach of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County, Florida wrote: “…an average person viewing the film entitled The Profit could perceive that it is a parody of the Church of Scientology”.
“To the extent that any person considered as a potential juror in evaluating any issues involving the Church of Scientology, the process of voir dire provides a fair and complete remedy to eliminate any potential juror that may possibly have been influenced to be less than fair and impartial,” added Beach.
Luke Lirot, the attorney for the film’s production company, announced on the film’s website on April 7, 2007 that “We have absolutely no exposure for any repercussions from the court order,” but that the film was still blocked from distribution due to an ongoing legal battle. Lirot wrote: “all that’s stopping the release of the movie is the legal battle with the partner who was compromised by Scientology (Robert Minton) and is currently using his power as partner to stop the release of the film.”
In an October 2007 article, The Times described the film as “banned in the US because of a lawsuit taken out against it by The Church of Scientology,” and Russ Kick’s The Disinformation Book of Lists included the film in his “List of 16 Movies Banned in the U.S.”. An 8-minute teaser segment from The Profit appeared on the film’s website and on the video sharing site YouTube in February 2008, and an attorney representing Bob Minton sent a letter to Luke Lirot requesting that the film clip be taken down. In a response letter, Lirot wrote that “Rather than damage any asset of the LLC, the short clip merely keeps the film in the public eye, and in a positive way.”
On Friday, copies of the film began to circulate on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites and on YouTube. A link related to the film’s appearance on the Internet on the community-based link aggregator website Digg.com had 3,638 “Diggs” – and hit the front page of the site’s Entertainment section on Saturday.
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I had nothing to do with this release at all. But I’m happy it’s out there. |
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On Saturday, Scientology critic and Emmy award-winning journalist Mark Bunker put a streaming version of the film on his website, www.xenutv.com, and encouraged others to watch and discuss the film on a real-time chat channel. In a video posting to YouTube Saturday, Bunker said “I did not do it. I had nothing to do with it … I had nothing to do with this release at all. But I’m happy it’s out there … people are finally having a chance to see it. A lot of people have been curious over the years and there’s been a lot of interest in seeing the film, so finally you can.”
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We have all wanted to see this movie that scientology kept hidden away from us. We have all wondered just how damning could this story be that we were banned from watching it. |
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On the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology, a poster by the username “Alexia Death” commented on the film’s appearance on the Internet in the context of censorship: “It is out! And so it is a WIN if many people review it even if they say it SUCKS! … Being bad is no cause to allow censorship … And being censored is no cause to assume its good”. A post to the blog Blogsreel commented: “We have all wanted to see this movie that scientology kept hidden away from us. We have all wondered just how damning could this story be that we were banned from watching it.”
In a post on Sunday to the message board attached to the official website for the film, attorney Luke Lirot asked that individuals stop distributing copies of The Profit over the Internet. Lirot wrote: “It has been brought to my attention that several unauthorized transmissions and downloads of this protected work have taken place over the last 72 hours. Such actions are copyright violations and are unlawful. I request that any further distribution and/or dissemination of this important work cease immediately and any copies of the work that have been downloaded please be deleted.” In his statement, Lirot recognized the rights of individuals under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, but also said that unauthorized distribution of the film “will only serve to harm the goal of vast distribution”.
Blog postings have attributed the film’s appearance on the Internet as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology organized by the Internet-based group Anonymous, but this has not been confirmed. Wikinews previously reported on international protests against Scientology which took place as part of Project Chanology on February 10 and March 15. A third international protest by Anonymous is scheduled for April 12. Titled “Operation Reconnect”, the third international protest will focus on highlighting Scientology’s practice of disconnection.
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Parts of New Jersey government stopped as budget fails to clear Legislature in time
January 20th, 2022 | Uncategorized |
Monday, July 3, 2006
New Jersey —Numerous non-essential state services have ceased operation indefinitely from July 1. These include road work, the New Jersey Lottery, and the Motor Vehicle Commission, with Atlantic City casinos and racetracks (which require state monitoring) and public beaches and parks closing from July 5.
As a result of Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 2 of the New Jersey State Constitution, the state is required to determine all debts for “as far as can be ascertained or reasonably foreseen” and provide for them in a single budget act. As the 2005-2006 Fiscal Year for the state ended with June 31 and the 2006-2007 budget has not passed the state is blocked from expending any money, also by VIII, II, 2. The current ascertainment shows the state ending up in the red by 4.5 billion USD.
The main cause of the problem is a furious deadlock between the Democratic majority is the New Jersey General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, which is given the power of starting the budget, and the Democratic Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. The main concern is Corzine’s plan to raise taxes, such as the sales tax. The Assembly majority dislikes this and some in the New Jersey Senate, which has the power to block the budget, also disagree with his measure.
Originally the racetracks were to close with the state lottery, however a court order has kept them running past the 4th. The casinos attempted to get a similar exemption, but that was definitively rejected by the New Jersey Supreme Court. “Critical” services like the New Jersey State Police, the state’s prisons, and hospitals will continue to operate without funding. All non-essential employees of the state were given leave from July 1 on.
All 12 casinos in Atlantic City locked their doors for the first time in the 28-year history of legalized gambling in New Jersey. Casino inspectors, who are state employees, are no longer working. While the casino floor is shut down, many casinos have remained open for hotel, restaurant, and entertainment business.
Members of both houses of the Legislature have been kept in the capital, Trenton, to help a speedy passage.
A similar situation occurred in Minnesota exactly one year ago as the Legislature failed to pass the budget before they were forced to adjourn by a hard-wired date in the state constitution.
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">Chinese General threatens U.S. with nuclear weapons over possible Taiwan Strait conflict, Beijing downplays comment
Saturday, July 16, 2005
A General in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and dean at the National Defense University in China commented to visiting Hong Kong reporters on Friday that the PLA might use nuclear weapons against the U.S., in a conflict over the Taiwan Strait. “If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons,” Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu said to the reporters of the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. “We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian [in central China]. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the remarks “highly irresponsible” and “unfortunate”, and expressed the hope that they did not reflect the views of the Chinese government.
Echoing the official Xinhua News Agency, the People’s Republic of China’s Foreign Ministry officials said that Zhu was expressing personal views, and had warned the reporters accordingly, but stated that China would never tolerate “Taiwan independence”. Reportedly, Maj. Gen. Zhu is not directly involved in the formulation of Chinese military strategy.
The U.S. may defend Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act and is currently Taiwan’s largest arms supplier.
Submitted by: Carl Marker
The aim of Ux design services is to improve communication. However, there is no widely accepted definition of Ux designs, but its importance is accepted wholeheartedly.
The idea behind Ux design is to make websites attractive and the whole experience delightful. The practice to create rich and interactive experience is known as Ux design, which will always be important because it defines how customers will perceive your products. But before you get overwhelmed about the tech conversations with your web designer read this article to find out whats the best way to get good Ux for your products.
What does Ux design actually do?
The easy to use Ux design actually gives value to a website. Designers and developers spare no effort to make the users answer yes to each product; this is why Ux design is considered to be the most advanced human computer intervention. To understand what it actually does, take a look at the below-mentioned examples:
For a food ordering website, a good Ux design depicts how a pizza looks, feels, smells or tastes like.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu09_HrYywM[/youtube]
For a lifestyle store, a product with a good Ux would generate positive emotions among users who eventually order it for their birthday, anniversary or any other occasion.
A good Ux design makes sure that the checkout process is easy and pleasant for new users.
When designers and developers delve deep into the product, the website layout and its navigation become the essential elements of Ux. With the Ux approach to take user in the account, this method helps in leaving the user pleased and adding more value to the website.
How is it different from UI design?
Ux stands for user experience design, and UI refers to user interface design. Both are user-oriented approaches and should be implemented in a close relation to each other. However, both have their different roles in the website design.
UI is all about graphics and beauty; Ux is more about technicality. Both are essential for success; you cant ignore either one of them.
Why is it important for startups and small businesses?
These days progressively complex website designs are widely favored. Thereby, to adapt the next generation technology and methodologies whilst keeping things simple for users, give importance to Ux designs. Hiring an Online Brand Reputation Management expert wont do the trick to grow faster if you havent done anything to make your users feel delighted and contended. To ensure that your users are happy, keep monitoring your brand reputation and at the same time apply Ux approach to achieve the goal quickly.
1. Ux design methods compel the analysis and optimization of customers experience. Thus a business gets to know what do they want from the products?
2. Ux designers target the enhanced performance of digital products. Thus they are involved in competitor analysis which is again useful for small businesses or startup firms.
3. On the basis of the research and analysis, a product strategy is being made to delight the customers. Thus, the multifaceted approach helps to achieve beneficial conversions.
The aim of Ux Design Services is to bridge the gap between the needs and expectations of a user and the goals of business. The complex series of prototyping, planning, testing and implementation ensures that there is a quality interaction between the business and the customer.
Ux design can be implemented for a website, a web application or desktop software. In short, the Ux design makes sure that we feel good when we interface with any kind of digital system.
About the Author: Bindu Mishra Dubey is working with a leading digital marketing agency in Mumbai. The writer has flair for writing and she keeps on writing various articles and blogs related to the industry. She wrote this article to educate her readers about “Ux Design Services are the Best Bet to Enhance User Satisfaction”. If you want to know more about a Digital Agency in Mumbai, feel free to click on link:
digillenceweb.comdigillenceweb.com/ux-design-ui-design/digillenceweb.com/online-reputation-consulting/
Source:
isnare.com
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A compilation of brief news reports for Thursday, May 17, 2007.
Sony have announced that a PlayStation Portable (PSP) store is in the works, it will be very similar to the PlayStation 3 (PS3) store that is already online.
It will allow the purchasing and downloading of games directly through to PSPs. This will allow the downloading and playing of PSPs as well as PlayStation 1 (PS1) games, which can already be downloaded from the PS3 Store and transferred to PSPs using official firmware.
Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian suggested that Sony is changing their views on the PSP and a new one could be in the works.
Sources
- Adam. “The PSP Store” — Games Asylum, May 17, 2007
- James Orry. “Sony reveals PSP Store” — Pro-G, May 17, 2007
- Kris Graft. “Analyst: New PSP “Definitely” Coming” — Next-Gen.biz, May 17, 2007
At 9:30 a.m. EDT this morning, a small Canadian plane, identified as a Beechcraft Baron, crashed near Dunkirk Airport in Dunkirk, New York, 50 kilometres southwest of Buffalo. The two passengers and the pilot onboard were killed but their identities are still not known. The aircraft was destroyed.
The plane was en route from Oshawa, Ontario to New Castle County Airport in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
The pilot was concerned about the left engine breaking and, instead, planned to land in Dunkirk, New York but crashed in the woods, less than a kilometre away from the airport.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating. There is no word if Transport Canada will be entering into the investigation to help identify the bodies.
Sources
- “Three men killed in Dunkirk plane crash” — Buffalo News, May 17, 2007
- “3 die as Canadian plane crashes in New York state” — CBC News, May 17, 2007
- Associated Press and Canadian Press. “Small Canadian plane crashes near Buffalo” — Globe and Mail, May 17, 2007
According to a poll commissioned by Finland newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by statistical research service Suomen Gallup, nearly 80% of Finns are in favor of pay raises that will promote gender equality.
A majority of 78% favored higher pay raises for public sector professions like nursing, that are predominantely female. The survey also found that densely populated areas, tend to be more in favor of gender equality.
The current Finnish Council of State, lead by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, has a female majority of 12 women and 8 men.
Source
- “Great majority support incomes agreement that promotes equality” — Helsingin Sanomat, May 16, 2007
- “Government wants to encourage fathers to stay at home to care for children” — Helsingin Sanomat, May 11, 2007
File:DS (pixel art).png
Nintendo dominated NPD sales for the month of April with its portable Nintendo DS and its gaming console the Wii at the top of the charts. Sony’s PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable came in third and fourth respectively. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 continued to put up satisfactory sales coming in fifth. Sony’s PlayStation 3 continues to lack sales-wise, coming in behind the Nintendo’s Gameboy Advance for the third month in a row.
Approximately 360,000 units of the Wii were sold at USD$250. Nintendo sold more than 1.7 million Pokemon games.
The Xbox 360 sold approximately 174,000 units.
The PlayStation 3 seen some low sales in April selling only 82,000 units, 37% lower from March.
Full NPD Sales:
- Nintendo DS – 471,000
- Wii – 360,000
- PlayStation 2 – 194,000
- PlayStation Portable – 183,000
- Xbox 360 – 174,000
- Game Boy Advance – 84,000
- PlayStation 3 – 82,000
- GameCube – 13,000
Source
- Npd. “Nintendo Dominated NPD sales” — Kotaku, May 17, 2007
- Scott Hillis. “April video game sales rose 20 percent” — Reuters, May 17, 2007
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Press Release: Jonathan Metts. “Nintendo Claims Another Month of Sales Victory in April” — Nintendo, May 17, 2007
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Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
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This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. |
Monday, May 3, 2010
The British oil company BP has said it will pay the cleanup costs from a severe oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In a statement on its website posted earlier today, BP pledged to take responsibility for cleaning up after the Deepwater Horizon oil well ruptured, adding it would pay what it called “legitimate and objectively verifiable” compensation for claims of damage or injury.
“We are responsible, not for the accident, but we are responsible for the oil and for dealing with it and cleaning the situation up,” said BP chief executive Tony Hayward on the TV show Good Morning America, claiming the company was not at fault for the collapse of the oil rig itself, whose equipment was provided by another company, Transocean.
Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell responded by saying: “We will await all the facts before drawing conclusions and we will not speculate.”
The Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20 and killed eleven workers. The cause of the disaster is not known.
Submitted by: Sarah Hathorn, AICI
Fall 2009 arrives with styles reminiscent of the old Hollywood glamour of the 1940s. You will find looks similar to the essential pieces that Clark Gable and Spenser Tracy wore in vintage movies. While most of my male clients hate to shop and want to do so swiftly if at all, they tend to stay in the safe zone. But as long as youre investing in your look, you should at least get your moneys worth by adding a dash of fashion that gives your look the upper hand and gives you a cutting edge feel. When you wear a classic suit or dress shirt, dont be afraid to mix it up with a modern trend piece that shows you have your own authentic style. Today its not about purchasing a whole new wardrobe every season. Instead its all about incorporating a few trends to portray a presence of success and prestige that truly represents your personal brand and unique taste.
Here are my six favorite trends for every professional man:
Modern Classic Suits/ Sport Coats This season its about classic patterns with a modern cut, so if you need a new suit or sport coat look for timeless styles. Those include two-button suits or sport coats in neutral prints like glen plaid, windowpane plaid, herringbone, or a faint pinstripe. View the new hit TV show Mad Men to see exquisite fabrics with a classic fit that are worn with confident style that means business.
Silk Ties with a Twist Handmade silk ties are the best because they hold their shape and tie a great knot with a perfect dimple. They cost more than the polyester blend ties, but are well worth the extra investment. Elegant silk can be tied with greater ease than a bulkier fabric tie, so update your tie selection with a small print, geometric, diagonal stripe, strong paisley, or large print medallion style silk tie.
Put a Classic Sweater to Work A sweater is one essential item that you can use to layer your look and appear more polished in a casual business workplace. Layer it over a dress shirt with or without a tie, or throw it on over a sport shirt or dressy tee. Look for modern cardigans, half-zip collars, vests, leather trimmed zips, or V-neck styles in a fine cashmere or merino wool. Plus you can wear a sweater vest under your classic modern suit to look fashionably warm if you live in colder climate.
Attention to Detail Gets the Job Done The essential accoutrements are the vital ones that finish off your look and put it all together for an outstanding ensemble. Shop this fall for belts in pebble grain leather, supple calfskin, or crocodile skin paired with sleek modern buckles of brushed nickel finish. Choose interchangeable buckles for a two-tone variety, and if you love wearing French cuff dress shirts, consider a new pair of cufflinks to celebrate the season. The latest styles are classic silver woven knots, bar styles with various mixed metals, or classic cable cufflinks.
Order up a Bold Red Its all about the power color of red this fall. Look to incorporate a touch of red to your style by either adding a new red tie in a medallion print or striped silk. Throw on a dark burgundy V-neck sweater or a red plaid sport shirt for your weekend wear. You will find red in a variety of shades including claret, blue-red, bright red, and burgundy.
Pick Up Your Checks and Check-Out the Plaids This season checks and plaids return in items like ties, dress shirts, sport shirts, polos, multi-check sport coats, and winter scarves. Just add one plaid dress shirt, tie, or sport shirt to your wardrobe collection to go more fashion-forward than the ordinary corporate look, and youll separate yourself from the more mundane look-alike crowd with real personal style.
I hope you can find it in your style personality to adopt a few of these fashion trends to energize your professional wardrobe. Doing so conveys that as a savvy businessman you understand the importance of adding a little flair to your look to always be the best-dressed man in the room.
About the Author: Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.
illustraimageconsulting.com
Copyright 2009, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBSThis article may be reproduced only in its entirety, including the above bio.
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Thursday, March 18, 2021
On Monday, Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned the United States and South Korea as a reaction to the joint military drills conducted by the US and South Korea.
In a statement released by the Rodong Sinmun, Kim Yo Jong said: “The peaceful spring days of three years ago are unlikely to return”. Arirang News asserted the “peaceful spring” refers to the inter-Korean meetings held in April 2018.
In her statement, Kim described ‘the south Korean authorities’ as “all born with stupidity” and “become the dumb and deaf bereft of judgment”. In response to the drills — which the North Korean government reportedly perceived as a threat — Kim expressed the possibility of closing various inter-Korean organizations like the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country and the Kumgangsan International Tourism Bureau. “We also examine the issue of dissolving the Kumgangsan International Tourism Bureau and other organizations concerned as any cooperation and exchange with the south Korean authorities antagonizing us are no longer necessary”, Kim said.
Towards the end of the statement, Kim said, “If it [the United States] wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step.”
Speaking to Arirang News, Yang Moo-Jin, the vice president for public affairs at the University of North Korean Studies, said the message indicates “the regime is willing to talk […] as long as the South [Korean authorities] show some sincerity by not raising tensions through the joint drills”. Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at the Kyungnam University, said the North “is reaffirming its long-held stance that there will be no talks unless sanctions against the regime are lifted”. In an interview with Arirang News, Andrei Lankov, the director of the Korea Risk Group, said the message is nothing out of the ordinary, and similar messages have been coming each spring and the contents of this message are not to be overestimated. He qualified the statement as being “business as usual” and “by the North Korean standards it’s pretty tame”.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Environmentalists in Brazil are urging the country’s residents to urinate in the shower while washing themselves, to help conserve water and save the rainforest. Television ads being aired in the country claim that by doing so, the nation could save over 1,000 gallons of water per household each year.
SOS Mata Atlantica ran the ad campaign in an attempt to use comedy to get people to reduce the amount of water they use. “[The ad is] a way to be playful about a serious subject,” said Adriana Kfouri, a spokesperson for Atlantica.
The animated ad narrated by children shows people, including a trapeze artist, an alien and dancers, all taking a shower while at the same time, urinating in it. The ending of the ad then states, “Pee in the shower! Save the Atlantic rainforest!”
Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London, England, proposed a similar campaign in 2006. He said urine should be classified as a “green waste” and that “there is no earthly reason that you need to flush the loo if you have merely urinated. That’s a huge saving of water.”