About this Site

I'm sort of like Jettero Heller. Only, like if Jettero Heller spent his evenings deploying to high-traffic web-servers while negotiating with his kids about bedtime.

I’m sort of like Jettero Heller. Only, like if Jettero Heller spent his evenings deploying to high-traffic web-servers while negotiating with his kids about bedtime.

Jettero Heller is one of my all-time favorite characters of any book I’ve read, and thus the namesake of this blog.   Jettero Heller, the hero character in the 10-volume Mission Earth series, was a “Combat Engineer” from the planet Voltar. He was a moral & upstanding, yet tremendously brilliant engineer who also was an amazing athlete, a dedicated husband, and was on a mission to save the world.  I attempt to espouse at least some of those qualities.

I’m a cycling enthusiast, an AEM systems engineer, and a father of 3, and I live in the Portland, OR area with my family.

 

 

63 Comments

  • Beaconstreet says:

    Nice site Jettero!

  • foothills says:

    Love your site very professional and friendly at the same time!

  • Thanks much! Trying to make it so!

  • Kilia says:

    Jettero, I took the personality test and they said I was totally psychotic! Help!!! What do I do now??

  • Well, if you answered the questions on the personality test honestly, and that was the graph it gave you, you should contact the organization listed on the graph, and see what you can do about this.

    As it says on that Scientology Testing site,

    “While the graph shows you your rating on 20 different personality traits, it is the interrelationship of these points, which provides additional layers of insight visible only to the skilled evaluator.

    “To get a proper evaluation of that graph you must contact and go into one of our centers as the evaluation is done for free and in person.

    “For a full professional evaluation of your personality graph contact the location closest to you on the following pages.

    If you need help locating a center near you, go to our locator on the home page of this site and e-mail or call the nearest center and they will be happy to assist you. “

  • Annie says:

    I think it’s silly how you delete comments you don’t like. That doesn’t foster honest dialogue, and it’s not what blogs are about.

    Annie, I think the key word is “honest” dialogue. If you include some honest questions or comments I’ll be glad to post them, but I don’t subscribe to hatred and religious intolerance, not just regarding Scientology but any religion.

  • Annie, I’m all for honest dialogue. However, when one posts something to a website, purely with the intention to either (a) flame someone for a post, or (b) post lies or insults about another person’s religious beliefs, one has stepped outside the realm of honest dialogue.

    If you have a comment which you honestly think will help someone do better in life, or to add some insight to a discussion, by all means comment. However, just about any religious belief I know – Islam, Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Scientologist, etc — has some thread of the “treat others how you’d want to be treated” rule. Most people don’t like having their friends’ memories tarnished by irresponsible posts. So, as long as you’re in to that, go right ahead and comment.

  • Jerald Rowlett says:

    Hi Jettro,

    I have never known Annie to lie about this stuff. Why not ask him why he feels the way he does? I also belive in treating everyone with respect not only on these boards but in life also.

    Come one Jerald, his site is full of lies and innuendo. I can’t take your comments seriously. Sorry.

  • Jettero,

    OK, you can delete posts. But what about answering the questions in post #12 above? There are two (2) question marks in that post. Care to comment?

    John Q – Ask some questions that aren’t pure harassment and I’ll be happy to answer them. Jet

  • Roland Mösl says:

    The book “Mission Earth” inspired me to found PEGE – Planetary Engineerging Group Earth in autumn 1991.

    I try my best to be as successfull in the task to maintain the liveability of planet earth, as Jettero Heller in “Mission Earth”
    .

  • jamie says:

    Jettero,
    This is a great site and I have a similar blog being a Scientologist and a programmer. mycodeblog.com I chose beta blogger due to its category features but I see you’ve done quite nice with wordpress. Any other reasons why you chose wordpress?

  • religo says:

    Hi Jettero
    I’m a scientologist from switzerland and I’m just started my one blog. Could you put a link to my blog for german speaking people. You can find my blog under http://myscientologyswissblog.wordpress.com
    Thanks and you have a great blog!

  • psikopat says:

    i like this blog 🙂

  • Beantown says:

    Dear Jettero,

    E-mail me please.

  • Wax-Q says:

    Great site, Jettero. I’ll be adding a link to you on my own blog in a few minutes.

    As for deleting posts, I don’t think any blogger somehow “owes” it to anyone to let them say whatever they want, no matter how insulting. Like the popular bumper sticker says, “Mean people suck”.

  • Lauren says:

    You really are Jettero Heller, This site R O C K S!

  • I find it interesting that I cannot ask any critical question about Scientology without you (and any other Scientologist) interpreting it as harrassment.

    Why can’t Scientologists discuss their religion openly?

  • 🙂 Mr. Public, I spend my days openly discussing my religion. However, I didn’t start publishing this particular blog as a ‘forum’ for such, so I do reserve the right to moderate comments.

    One thing to understand fully about Scientology is the fact that it is a workable religion. It works, people see it works, and there are mountains of successes in any Scientology organization of people who attest to the fact that it improved their lives.

    The essence of Scientology is exact application of its texts. If you do it right, it works. If you do it some other way, it doesn’t. After 20+ years in Scientology, I’ve found that to be the case with every facet I’ve been involved in.

  • Very interesting, you and Tom Cruise are the rare exceptions, I never find Scientologists talk about their religion.

    I do find it odd that something called “technology” used in Scientology cannot change with new discoveries. Technology is the definition of the change as new things are learned. I understand that all belief systems do not change since they are based on faith. But Scientology is different. It is a technology. It is unbelievable that one man can discover the entire secret of Scientology and not be wrong.

    So how come I have not seen any OT do something extraordinary? Where are all these OT’s with their powers? Do you have any of these powers? Are you OT? Have you seen any OT do something extraordinary?

  • bravefacari says:

    Dear John Q:

    I am a Scn and have been for over 20+ years. I do talk about my religion when appropriate, like most people. But with Scn you simply apply it to make your life better and those around you. Do you know the faith of everyone you come in contact with? I think my auto mechanic is a Christian, but I’m not sure, I never asked. I assume he is because he attends AA meetings. But it could be, he just believes in a Supreme Being.

    Special powers? Please. We all have special powers, but not for the entertainment of others. What is so great about Scn is that when you receive it, study and apply it, YOUR special powers, that were always there, become available to you. Sometimes you find abilities you didn’t know you had, or abilities you’ve lost renewed or improved. Its a profoundly personal experience and not one that is easy to share with others who don’t have the same reality. I found your questions to be somewhat smug and antagonistic and not expressed in a way that makes one feel that you are truly interested. Having said that, it doesn’t make anyone really want to have a discussion with you about it. It has noting to do with talking about Scn.

  • Why is it that I can only get detailed facts about Scientology from ex-members on critical sites?

    Whenever I ask an active Scientology member about anything specific I generalizations and an invitation to join an see for myself?

    OTs are supposed to be able to exteriorize and move objects with their mind. All the ex-members say that this is what they were promised. Why have I not heard of or seen this happen?

  • Bravefacari says:

    Because active Scn don’t want to tell you or fellow members what to think. LRH says something to the effect “…what is true is that which you have observed for yourself.” Ex-members of any group, rightly or wrongly are typically going to give a point of view that is one of dissatisfaction. That’s OK. Its up to you as a consumer to determine how to view both the good and bad of anything you are choosing to embark upon.

    I can tell you that I am not in the OT Band of services. I have never seen anything that “promised” me exteriorization or moving objects with my mind. I have many nonScn friends who exteriorize on a regular basis, often referred to as OBEs (out of body experiences). You don’t have to have received OT auditing to do this. Siddhārtha Gautama was the first known in history documented to have exteriorized from his body. It is a common practice among millions and millions of people around the world who are not Scn or practicing Buddahists.

    There are some great books on the History of Religions you might enjoy reading on these subjects.

    Regardless of which road you take, I do encourage you to take it yourself and not totally rely on others to tell you about it, regardless of the faith. As I mentioned before, “it” (spirituality) is a profoundly personal and private experience.

    Good luck on YOUR journey.

  • Ashton says:

    Very nice Blog Jet,

    You do a very good job of explaining.

    Thank you,

  • CDBaric says:

    While it is true I am a fan of Jettero, my favourite character remains Jonny Goodboy Tyler or McTyler if you please.

    Sincerely,

    CD ‘Bar’ Baric

  • Milla says:

    Very well done to you, Jettero! I’ve just landed, from Grahame’s blog and I’ve seen nothing yet, but Oh Boy! Do I feel at home!!!! 😀

    Just wanted to share with you –Spanish spoken guys (and Babel Fish users)– two other Blogs from the Caribbean: Clear Santo Domingo! and Puerto Rico Clear. Enjoy!

  • alicialyons says:

    Jettero,

    My writing name is Alicia Lyons at: http://www.alicialyons.com. I have a book, “The First Woman President” published which is is (hopefully) a funny, smart political satire. I am also a Scientologist. Just started a blog, where I’ll be writing about 1) writing and 2) study technology, linked to the site. Thought you’d be interested.

    Alicia

  • Tracy says:

    Hi there. I just wanted to let you know how to approve the places that have been added to your map.

    1. Go to http://platial.com
    2. Log in
    3. Click the word “pending” under the map title
    4. Approve places your readers added.

    If you need any help, please let me know. My email is tracy@platial.com

    Tracy
    Platial Community Advocate

  • Ashton says:

    Hey Jet,

    I love your sites new look! Looks rad.

    enjoy,

  • John M says:

    Hi Jettero,

    Could you unpost the response I left on your blog on June 8th?

    Thank you.

    Sincerly,

    John

  • Done. No worries.

  • John M says:

    Thank you VM.

    Keep up the good job!

    John

  • Dion Berlowitz says:

    Hi

    I also am a huge fan of the Mission Earth series, and am reading it for the second time. Also, when the series first came out in hardcover, I was asked to write comments on the various characters (I guess for future marketing purposes). It’s very entertaining and funny, but there are some serious messages too.

    May I call you “Jet”?

  • danherron says:

    I’ve got a WordPress blog too. Will you please tell me how to make a Flickr photo box on my WordPress blog like yours.

    Thanks,
    Dan

  • Dan – if you go into your WordPress wp-admin section, you’ll have a “PRESENTATION” option. You’ll have to choose a template (like this one, “Ocean Mist”) which has a Flickr widget, but once you’ve done so it will just be an option of a widget you can drag into one of your sidebars. Then you just point it at your Flickr account and blammo.

  • danherron says:

    Thanks!

    Dan

  • marco says:

    Ciao dall’Italia il tuo blog è fantastico . Thank you.

  • hi there ! just wanted to leave a response, i was named after Hightee Heller from the book of LRH.
    🙂 Although my last name is Butzlaff… 🙁

  • I just made availble a Novel about psychiatric abuse. It takes place in Newport Beach California and is quite a wild fairy tale of sorts……

    http://www.lulu.com/content/919334

  • Johnny says:

    I have a question and since you seem reasonable (unlike almost every Scientologist I’ve encountered on the various forums on the net) I wonder if you could answer it.
    Is it possible to do a personality test and be told; “you’re fine as you are. Go ahead and enjoy life without the cost and commitment required for psychiatry or CoS”?
    The impression I have gained is that on doing a test it is inevitable you will be told you have problems and that Scientology is the answer, which just makes the test look loaded towards recruitment in the CoS.
    I have considered doing the test but suspect the end result will amount to the same thing.

    As someone who has run the tests I figured you’d have an answer.

  • Tony says:

    Hey, Johnny,

    I used to be on staff at a Scn mission and I saw someone who after taking the test did buy the basic book package, with the understanding that anyone can benefit from the technology, but there was no effort made to introduce the fellow to services as he was so centered and his life so on track there didn’t seem any point at that time.

  • Tony says:

    I want to be like you.

    Actually, I want to be what you want to be. And, better… 🙂 The best I can really be. I am not doing very well right now.

    I am a Scientologist. I have been on staff, I have had some training and I understand some things.

    I know that I am a Potential Trouble Source. I know that I have serious difficulties with ethics. What I don’t know is WHY?!

    What is so special about ME!?

    Am I the only one like me?

    There is something wrong and it doesn’t have anything to do with you. But, you are doing better than I am, so I am asking you for help.

    If you can’t think of anything; then don’t even try. I will do something!

  • look out for hightee butzlaff. she is a scammer.

  • Andrea says:

    Hi Jet,

    Great blog!

    I am just reading your story in Mission Earth :-))

  • brad renfro says:

    I wonder if Mr. Jettero believes in God?
    Because if so, I think you’re also a Christian then.
    I heard scientologists can be both a christian and Scn, is that true?

    • Colin says:

      Absolutely you can be a Christian and study Scientology and vice-versa. Scientology simply treats you as an immortal spiritual being to make you more able. This is held in common with Christianity. Scientology holds no dogma about God, so you are free to believe whatever you choose. In fact, many people say that Scientology processing makes them feel closer to God than ever before.

  • Bobby Be says:

    yes, this site is sweet man!

    Jettero is definitely the coolest character ever concieved in literature.

    And this site lives up to his enthusiastic aproach to life.

  • Anthony says:

    Mission Earth along with Final Blackout are amongst my favorite books. I think i have read them at least 5 times. Great blog by the way, and interesting to see someone else with some SEO awareness. I am thinking of doing a bit of a project using blogs, web pages and SEO to knock all entheta search results below the 100 ranking, interested?

  • Michael Tim says:

    I love your site! 🙂

    _____________________
    Experiencing a slow PC recently? Fix it now!

  • Ben says:

    This is a great website. I like soccer too. Why do all these jerks hate on Scientology? They obviously don’t get their information from the source. They probably believe everything they read on the internet.

  • Colin says:

    Jettero Heller rocks!!! I was randomly searching for a good fan site. Boy does LRH have writing talent… fiction and non.

    It doesn’t really matter what your beliefs are because it’s so easy to find something that’s real and that helps you out with your life.

    A lot of people have misdirected beliefs that you have to eat the whole pie to study LRH’s works at all. That’s not true. Just find one thing that can help you or someone you know and get a high certainty that it works.

    I’m sick and tired of all the fear I see on the news and it’s about time a group is doing something about it!!!

  • Ian Rush says:

    cool Pics. I love soccer, too. I`m from Germany
    and i will be in LA next week.

    Today i finnished “mission Earth” Book 10

  • Renee says:

    Hi – I am a mother of 3 and my children attend an Applied Scholastics school. We are considering a move to Oregon for our kids to attend the Delphian school.
    If you are still keeping-up this blog, would you be willing to have a conversation with me about the school, its academics, and how well/not well they have served you?
    FYI-I am not a scientologist, but I have had a wonderful experience so far with Mr Hubbard’s teaching technology, and I would really like to discuss it with someone who attended the school.
    Thank you

  • M0E says:

    Hello. I felt the need to voice my opinion as it seems that the subject of Scientology is so bipolar. Either you are in it, or you attack it. So I sit somewhere in the middle. You see I was raised Catholic, but like everyone else had many issues blocking my own success. They were obstacles that I needed to overcome personally. I knew of no other place to go that could offer this type of help, so I looked at Scientology. Not the millions of junk sites out there, but I actually contacted someone at an org. They offered me something called a “Life Repair” program, that I completed with my wife. I also did some “auditing”. I have to say that it completely changed my life, for the better. Sure I spent some money, but there is no way that I would have gotten past some of my personal issues any other way, and it saved my marriage.

    I am no longer involved with Scientology, although I get an insane amount of junk mail from every org in the US (very annoying). However, this stuff actually worked for me, and my wife. They taught us interesting ways to communicate, which we still use today. We avoid stupid fights because we know what we are experiencing, and can stop ourselves from flying off the handle.

    I do also have to say that Scientology is the only religion that is not only tolerant of other religions, but embraces them, contrary to what most people believe. I am still Catholic, and no one can change that.

    To the author of the site: I commend you. You have a massive uphill battle communicating the truth about this. Keep up the good work.

    To the skeptics: Don’t waste your time hiding behind your keyboards. The internet is 95% lies about Scientology, so you can’t learn anything real there. Go and find out what this is about for yourselves. What are you afraid of?

    I now have a stable life, and a wonderful family with 2 kids, and a professional career. I have order in my life.

  • Jason says:

    Just wanted to say this a great site. I have been in Scientology for 20 years, I am a trained auditor and was on staff for 10 years. I now audit in the field.

    Anyway, just as a comment here, people are going to say whatever they are going to say. Everyone has an opinion. It’s unfortunate that the lies and mis-information about any religion, let alone Scientology have gotten out, but that happens with any new thought or idea that doesn’t conform to what someone considers “normal”.

    I am happy you are here. I have a blog of my own I just started two days ago. I’d be interested in a link exchange if you want to email me separately.

    Anyway, “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”

  • Gerardo says:

    I am currently on the sixth volume of mission earth and I think that Jettro Heller’s character will just grow and grow and grow. He is an amassing character. I recommend it highly.

  • VoyagerVI says:

    [moderated – see reply below]

    • turbotad says:

      Wow. That’s one of the longest comments I’ve yet received. Some answers to your points:

      I think the main problem with Jettero Heller as a character is the same problem Jonnie Tyler has in Battlefield Earth. He’s too perfect. He has no flaws, mistakes he makes are never his fault, he’s unbeatable in fights etc….in other words, there is nothing in the character to relate to, that makes him interesting. The plot of ME more or less relies on the fact that Gris makes stupid mistakes that no-one would actually make. And like Terl in BE, you sympathise with Gris, because Heller’s just…well, a smug douchebag.

      Sorry you don’t relate to Heller or Tyler. Personally, I like them both, and relate to their positive traits. Yes, I think Tyler in ME could have well used his position of power better, and I think that Heller in ME could have had a better confront of evil and evil people, instead of always assuming people had his best interests in mind. But whatever – it’s a story, and I have been around plenty of folks that are just as pure of purpose as Heller, and contrary to your experience, I’ve definitely seen some as flat-out dumb as Gris. But no book is for everyone. I’m sure there are other stories you relate to more.

      I’m no fan of psychiatry…it’s as much a bunch of rubbish as any other mental therapy…but the portrayal of pyschs in ME is just completely inaccurate. Yes, it’s a satire, but Hubbard was never what anyone would call subtle about things, and his belief that psychs are all drug pushers, abortion providers, sexual perverts and vivisectionists has no basis in truth whatsoever. It has nothing to do with anti-religious feeling, it’s simply NOT TRUE.

      Wow. I think you have some research to do on psychiatry. If you actually have the stomach for it, try sitting through this: http://www.cchr.org/videos/psychiatry-an-industry-of-death/brain-damage-psychiatrys-miracle-cure.html

      Psychiatrists have been marketing like crazy to folks like you and me to convince us that they don’t cut up brains, that shock treatment is safe, etc, etc. If you’d like to have been successfully marketed-to, be my guest, but I’d rather you didn’t.

      And I have never…NEVER…heard a psych of any stripe say at any point that Man (never Humanity, you notice, with Hubbard; didn’t like women very much, did he?) is just an animal. Nothing even close to that sentiment has ever come up in my extensive study of this confidence trick called Freudian therapy. I know psychs who are devout Christians, Buddhists, Judaists.

      See above video — and this one too: http://www.cchr.org/videos/psychiatry-an-industry-of-death/man-redefined.html Fun food for thought.

      And Hubbard, oddly, never bothered to tell us what was so wrong about being an animal. Animals are better than humans! You don’t see animals cheating one another, or killing each other for fun, or allowing their fellows to starve because of illusory concepts like ‘money’, do you?

      See above video. I think that basically says what’s wrong with that argument.

      There was more to your comment, but unfortunately I ran out of time to answer your questions piece-by-piece. I get a lot of similar questions & comments though, and my answers to such I put here:

      http://gettothechoppa.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/questions-answers-on-scientology/
      and here:
      http://gettothechoppa.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/scientologist-to-reddit-ill-respect-your-beliefs-if-you-respect-mine/

      • turbotad says:

        Hm.. and unfortunately this blog theme doesn’t render blockquote and b tags properly, so my nicely-formatted reply is all a mush. Hope you can understand it.

  • Wade R. Willard says:

    I have no use for scientology and thought Battlefield Earth boring, but Mission Earth is in my Top 25 of best books I’ve ever read. Very funny. Jettero, the hated Soltan, Bang-Bang, Babe Corleone. A lot of great characters. Searched Facebook for a Heller Page and got directed here. Think it’s time to read it again.

    Take care- WRgW

  • Marc Ozna says:

    It’s funny how Scientologists mainly tell people to go and discover it for themselves instead is getting in lengthy discussions or explanations about what Scientology is.
    In my opinion it’s just because it isn’t easy to explain to others just because Scientology is one thing to one person and another to another person. For some Scientology is a solution to their work problems and how they’ve always had problems with their boss, to others it’s a solution to how to get along in their family and to yet another it would be how they became more stable in life. Telling someone that Scientology is the best way to sort out one’s work problems may just be totally unreal to one’s friend, he may just not have those problems.

    In simple words Scientology is tools to handle life. But surely that’s just way to concise so the easiest way to explain it is to tell someone to read a book and they’ll get out of it what they feel they need.

    One’s perception of Scientology is based on one’s perception of life – and I don’t know what the guy next to me sees. So I’ll say check out a book see get what you can out of it.

    I could make a website with all my thoughts about what Scientology is but then I would just be reinventing the wheel because there are already plenty of great books and one interprets them as one sees best.

    But maybe we’re just getting lazier and lazier and would rather have a synopsis [read opinion] of the thing rather than explore it themselves, I guess.

    [;-]

  • Chuck Bell says:

    Great site here, Jettero! I’m also a Scientologist in Dallas, Texas and a long-time Linux network engineer, systems manager and telecom technician. I got started with Slackware Linux back in ’98, and have been running Linux almost exclusively on all my desktop computers and servers ever since. I’ve been helping a lot of my fellow Scientologists here install and get started with various Linux distributions. Lately I’ve been promoting Linux Mint as a great distro to get started with.
    I’m gonna send you a friend request on Facebook, if you don’t mind.

    “Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate.
    To hate alone is the road to disaster.
    To love is the road to strength.
    To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness.
    And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.”

    L. Ron Hubbard – ‘A New Slant on Life’

  • Marcus says:

    Hi Tad,

    Came across this website because I was searching ‘Jettero Heller’ as reading Mission Earth again. It’s my favourite book.
    I am also a Scientologist here in Manchester UK and it’s nice to see a blog from a Scientologist flourishing and prospering. I like the way you are handling the comments section as well.

    All the best
    Marcus

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