Gerry Goes Global

03 Apr 2001

Gerry Armstrong <armstrong@dowco.com>

You know the Zappadmasana photo?

http://www.parishioners.org/Intolerance/armstrong.html

It's from the Marin Independent Journal of November 11, 1992. I wrote about it in 1997 on a.r.s. and it's been discussed a few times since.

For those who might not know, an asana is Sanskrit for a pose or posture, and padma is a lotus. Padmasana is the lotus posture. Zappa of course means cool with God.

I don't think I've mentioned on a.r.s. that in discovery in the Marin County gag litigation Scientology produced an 8 x 10 photo identical to the newspaper reproduction, which is what, maybe 2 x 3 inches.

I knew before Scientology produced the photo, from one reporter or another, that Gene Ingram had paid a visit to the paper, and I assumed it was his product. That is, that Ingram obtained the photograph from IJ, legally or illegally.

Recently another wog (R) and I were considering putting the same IJ photo on this page

http://armstrong.xenu.ca/

so I called up the IJ to see if I could get a nice 8 x 10 glossy like they'd given the cult; which would look real fine, don't you think? I mean, it *is* a photo of me, and has nothing to do with Scientology. But Grady Ward's photo of Keith and me is way cool too though, isn't it.

I talked to the photo editor about the history of the photo, Scientology's use of it in black PR publications and on a Scientology hate site, and the 8 x 10 photo Ingram/Scientology had bought, stolen or tricked from the paper.

Well the photo editor was very interested in all this. On earlier occasions IJ staff had not seemed to care that their photo was being used by the Scientology crime cult, but this gentleman stated rather emphatically that the IJ protects its copyrighted photos and does not permit this kind of misappropriation.

I talked to him again a few days ago. He said that the IJ had communicated to webmaster@parishioners.org requesting that they take down the photo of me, but that the "webmaster" had not responded.

For now, and until I get permission, the IJ's photo won't be in The Gerry Armstrong Chronicles. But the photo is still up at http://www.parishioners.org/Intolerance/armstrong.html so go have a quick look before the crime cult folds and I disappear.

The IJ's photo editor was also very interested in print publications where the cult had used the newspaper's photo, and I just happened to have a dandy. This is the ""Freedom"" published by Scientology in 1998 which libels Dr. Stephen Kent and me, and which was distributed across Canada by the Globe & Mail as a "supplement."

Under the IJ's photo of me in ""Freedom"" is the statement:

[Quote]

Anti-religionist Stephen Kent (left) has drawn on numerous discredited and disreputable sources including Gerry Armstrong (above) a fugitive from justice who has boasted of his propensity for lying and fabrication.

[End Quote]

Here's that 1997 post: http://armstrong.xenu.ca/1997-11-10b.htm

I believe that some folks on a.r.s. have successfully dealt with the "Parishioners" regarding other copyright violations on the site. Perhaps there's something helpful to pass on the IJ.

You know what the Founder of the First Church of Appliantology said: When in doubt, ask yourself, "What would Frank do?"