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2021
2021-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
This week five secret proposals for Clearwater downtown development were made public by the city, and Tracey McManus gave a summary of them at the Tampa Bay Times.
The city called for developers to pitch them on what to do with three plots of land that are each between 1.2 and 2.6 acres in size and make up key parts of the Imagine Clearwater redevelopment plan to revive downtown. Five developers submitted plans that involved one or all three parcels.
Two of the projects were selected as finalists, McManus reported, but all five will be presented to the city council.
Tags: 1950, 1963, 1970, 1982, 1998, Bavaria, CIA, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Flag Building, Flag Land Base, Florida, Food and Drug Administration, Fort Harrison, Hemet, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Lisa McPherson, Mike Rinder, Oak Cove, Osceola Avenue, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sandcastle, Sid Klein, St. Petersburg Times, Super Power, Tampa Bay Times, The Hole, Tracey McManus
2020
1 year ago2020-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
We have another dispatch from the folks at the Dublin org, who are just bursting to re-open the facility and welcome everyone back.
We're thrilled that a tipster has been alerting us to these Dublin reports, which give us a pretty good snapshot of what's going on at Scientology orgs right now. Most of the orgs, like in Dublin, are shut down except for a skeleton crew that is living on the premises. But they're itching to re-open, because begging the few remaining Scientologists to keep on with extension courses doesn't bring in the income they're used to.
And while Scientologists are sharing all of the things you'd expect in various social media settings — conspiratorial memes denouncing Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx and calling the coronavirus a hoax — publicly they are celebrating the "sanitation" PR effort to make it look like Scientology is actually part of the pandemic solution.
Tags: 1950, 1963, Anthony Fauci, Australia, Canada, China, Clearwater, Coronavirus, Deborah Birx, Decon7, Dianetics, Dublin, Firhouse, Food and Drug Administration, Google Trends, Ireland, Mental Health, New York Times, OCA, OT IX, Quicky, Scientology Media Productions, Scientology Network, Tampa Bay Times, Timea Vojtilla, Tracey McManus, YouTube
2020-05-14, Amy Sinclair, 7 News
The Church of Scientology has started targeting Woolworths shoppers in an alarming recruitment drive that has shocked customers.
The controversial church has come under fire after being caught leaving boxes of Scientology booklets in the self-serve checkout area at a popular Sydney Woolworths store.
New photos shared to Facebook reveal a large box of Scientology pamphlets sitting on top of a cash register in the supermarket giant's busy Chatswood store.
A large sign on the box of Scientology booklets invited shoppers to "Please take one".
2020-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
The "Task Force" to "Save the Islands!"
Seriously?
Save them from what?
They cannot even save themselves. Hawaii has been a small and failing org for decades. And that is being kind. They actually barely exist. That's why all the other orgs have to come to their rescue.
2019
2 years ago
2019-05-14, Mikhail Telekhov, Russian Legal Information Agency
Sakhib Aliyev, chief accountant of the Church of Scientology of St. Petersburg charged with extremism and illegal business, has been released from detention and put under house arrest until August 19, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI.
The St. Petersburg City Court has therefore dismissed the investigators' petition to extend Aliyev's detention.
However, the religious group's leader Ivan Matsitsky will stay jailed for another three months.
Three other defendants in the case are the organization's executive director Galina Shurinova, chief of the official matters department Anastasia Terentyeva and her assistance Constance Yesaulkova. They have been placed under house arrest.
2019-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Although there was no new testimony for the jury today, our correspondent Dianne Lipson says a fascinating dispute happened between the prosecution and defense over evidence found in Nxivm "prefect" Nancy Salzman's house. Here's her dispatch…
As previously advised, there is no testimony today because an alternate juror was sick. She is expected to be well tomorrow. However the lawyers and the judge discussed a matter concerning evidence found at Nancy Salzman's house.
In addition to the half million in cash and the electronic devices found when law enforcement searched Salzman's house, there was a plastic box containing financial records for Edgar Bronfman Sr., cult expert Rick Ross, reporters (including from the Albany Times Union), Toni Natalie, federal judges, politicians, political operatives, The World Jewish Congress, and Nxivm's own lawyers. Some of the materials contained hand-written notes by Kristen Keefe, who was in charge of the operation. Keefe had the role of Nxivm's legal liaison, though she herself was not an attorney.
2019-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
(Mark Vicente)
Our correspondent, Dianne Lipson, tells us that there will be no new testimony in the Nxivm trial today because an alternate juror is ill.
But here's her account of yesterday's afternoon session, with more testimony from filmmaker Mark Vicente...
Tags: 2016, 2017, Albany, Dianne Lipson, FBI, Fiji, Mark Vicente, Mexico, NXIVM, Orange County, Quicky, Rick Ross, Waco
2019-05-14, Gwynne Hogan, Gothamist
The other speakers were figures from the national secular anti-vaccination circuit, who traded in long-debunked and fraudulent claims that vaccines cause autism or other autoimmune disorders, while painting measles as a trivial childhood illness that can give children a growth spurt or protect them from cancers.
D.C. lobbyist Greg Mitchell took the stage after Rabbi Handler. Mitchell has pushed for such causes as the First Step Act, the criminal justice reform bill signed into law late last year by President Trump. Mitchell, according to a report from the Daily Beast, was booted from those efforts when organizers found out he was also lobbying for the Church of Scientology, and that the church was potentially trying to convert formerly incarcerated people through a nonprofit it runs.
"I will be your voice in Washington, I'll make it will help you carry your message; I will stand next to you," Mitchell said, admitting not to know much about the vaccine safety issue and deferring to the expertise of other speakers. "I'm your lobbyist, I'm here to help you."
2019-05-14, Gwynne Hogan, Gothamist
The other speakers were figures from the national secular anti-vaccination circuit, who traded in long-debunked and fraudulent claims that vaccines cause autism or other autoimmune disorders, while painting measles as a trivial childhood illness that can give children a growth spurt or protect them from cancers.
D.C. lobbyist Greg Mitchell took the stage after Rabbi Handler. Mitchell has pushed for such causes as the First Step Act, the criminal justice reform bill signed into law late last year by President Trump. Mitchell, according to a report from the Daily Beast, was booted from those efforts when organizers found out he was also lobbying for the Church of Scientology, and that the church was potentially trying to convert formerly incarcerated people through a nonprofit it runs.
"I will be your voice in Washington, I'll make it will help you carry your message; I will stand next to you," Mitchell said, admitting not to know much about the vaccine safety issue and deferring to the expertise of other speakers. "I'm your lobbyist, I'm here to help you."
2019-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
After the last post Child Sexual Abuse in Scientology it is ironic that the next day I came across this piece of PR spin.
This is the other side of the scientology equation. On one hand, they groom people to be victims of sex abuse and seek to cover it up when it happens. On the other, they seek to create a good image of themselves so stories of abuse are rejected on the basis of "It couldn't be true — look how they LOVE children and support and protect them." It is an aircover operation done on the basis of what is good for scientology.
And here is another one — they are really going to town on this subject...
2019-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Two weeks ago today Scientology's floating cathedral the Freewinds arrived at St. Lucia and was put under quarantine. Officials in the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao had confirmed that there was a female crew member with measles on board the private cruise ship, and they alerted St. Lucian officials so that no one disembarked after the vessel arrived at Castries harbor.
The ship soon became a symbol for the "anti-vaxx" hysteria in the US and elsewhere which has produced a wave of new measles cases, 19 years after the CDC had declared the disease dormant in the US.
But what made the story especially intriguing for the world's press was that it wasn't just any cruise ship whose passengers were trapped on board, but that it was Scientology's secretive ocean-going chapel.
Tags: 1989, 2000, American Medical Association, Anti-vaxx, Aruba, Beatrice Chiquet, CIA, Cierra Westerman, Clear, Curaçao, David Miscavige, DC, Don Jason, Dutch, Freewinds, Freewinds Relay Office, Ideal Org, Illegal PC, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Master at Arms, Measles, Mike Rinder, OCA, Office of Special Affairs, Operating Thetan, OT, OT 8, Paris, Potential Trouble Source, Quailynn McDaniel, Quicky, Ramana Dienes-Browning, Robin D'Angelo, Sea Org, Squirrel, St. Lucia, Valeska Paris
2019-05-14, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large
If there is one thing Scientology is known for, it's not ever giving up on trying to make you in to a Scientologist once you give them your name and contact information. It is Church policy to never stop, to never give up and never surrender so they will follow you around for the rest of your life to get you to come in and sign up for services. Why is this? What is this all about?
2018
3 years ago2018-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
This is an important survey put together by Jeffrey Augustine and first published on his blog.
I am republishing it here for anyone who may have missed it there.When someone gives money to scientology, they are led to believe that should they be dissatisfied all they need to do is ask and their money will be cheerfully refunded with the only condition being that they are no longer able to participate in scientology services. Of course, those who want their money back don't really want to continue participating, so this is never a big deal when they hand over their cash. What they don't know is that when the time comes to collect on that promise, it's no dice.
Scientology has misrepresented it's "policy" on return of "donations" to those who have given money, but also to the IRS in order to gain tax exempt status.
2018-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Tammy Clark tells us she sent a letter to her uncle, Heber Jentzsch, in November, hoping to find out how he's doing as he turned 82. This week, she received a reply.
But she's suspicious about it.
Heber Jentzsch is a major name in Scientology. In the 1980s, church leader David Miscavige named Jentzsch to the post of "president" of the Church of Scientology International. It was largely a ceremonial position — Miscavige maintains absolute rule of the entire Scientology movement and all of its many entities through his position as Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center and captain of the Sea Organization — but Jentzsch became a well-known figure largely because he was so accessible to the press.
Tags: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2004, 2010, 2012, Alexander Jentzsch, California, Chairman of the Board, Church of Scientology International, David Miscavige, DirecTV, Heber Jentzsch, Hemet, Hollywood Boulevard, Int Base, Karen de la Carriere, Los Angeles, Nettie Alcock, New Jersey, OT, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Richard Baker, Salt Lake City, Scientology TV, Sea Org, Sherry Baker, Tammy Clark, The Hole
2017
4 years ago2017-05-14, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large
The weekly show where I answer questions from viewers left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are listed below.
Link to Scn Organizational Madness video
Link to Scientology and Mental Illness video
2017-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
This is an essay submitted by another of our long term commenters, Brian Lambert.
Hypnotism "reduces self-determinism by interposing the commands of another below the analytical level of an individual's mind ... It is the sort of control mechanism in which an authoritarian individual, cult, or ideology delight." L Ron Hubbard SOS p.220; see also p225
I read the Hubbard writing Altitude Instruction a few years ago for the first time since I left in 82. It hit me like a freight train, that what we are reading in Altitude Instruction IS the essence of how Ron pulled off Scientology. How he could get normally intelligent people to agree with all manner of lies, delusions and irrationalities.
2017-05-14, My Clarity After Scientology, YouTube
2017-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Scientology's "Advanced Org" project in Mexico City was shut down by local politicians when neighbors complained. Rod Keller has been keeping an eye on developments for us there...
Scientology took a break this week from trying to renovate the future Advanced Org in Palmas del Olivo, a neighborhood of Mexico City, without proper permits. Instead they are working to "safepoint" the city and the neighborhoods around the vacant facility.
Scientology spokesperson Jonathan Rico organized Scientologists to join the neighborhood association De La Mano Hacemos Más, or "United We Do More" in a trash removal and beautification day yesterday. The Las Palmas neighborhood is over 10 Km from the nearest Scientology mission in the city. De La Mano Hacemos Más is not associated with Scientology, but there's no reason they should refuse volunteers who want to pick up trash.
2016
5 years ago2016-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Your proprietor left his underground lair recently to make a kitty litter run, and found himself in one of those cavernous wholesale warehouses where you have to buy everything in bulk. And while passing by pallets of industrial-sized boxes of breakfast cereal and five-gallon drums of peanut butter, we saw it. On a table overladen with self-help volumes and coloring books, there was a stack of Ron Miscavige's Ruthless about 20 copies high.
Scientology is so screwed.
You probably already heard the news. Like Leah Remini's book Troublemaker before it, Ron Miscavige's Scientology memoir has rocketed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It's the most popular non-fiction ebook in the land, and, combined with its hardback sales, it's the #7 most popular book overall.
Tags: 1980, 1987, 1990, 2009, 2015, A Piece of Blue Sky, Alex Gibney, Amy Scobee, Bare-Faced Messiah, BBC, Blown for Good, Chris Shelton, Church of Fear: Inside the Weird World of Scientology, Counterfeit Dreams, David Miscavige, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Hollywood, Int Base, Janet Reitman, Jefferson Hawkins, Jenna Miscavige Hill, John Duignan, John Sweeney, Jon Atack, Lawrence Wright, Leah Remini, Lisa McPherson, London, Marc Headley, Nancy Many, New York Times, Paulette Cooper, Quicky, Rolling Stone, Ron Miscavige, Russell Miller, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, Scientology: A to Xenu, Sea Org, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
2015
6 years ago2015-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Last week went so well, we have another list put together by Underground Bunker contributor Jeffrey Augustine. This time, he takes a look at Scientology's propaganda magazine, Freedom, which has gone under a transformation lately.
For several years, Freedom only came out every year or so, whenever Scientology leader David Miscavige had another target that needed tarring, whether it was the St. Petersburg Times, Anderson Cooper, or the New Yorker.
Comical in their vitriol, these issues backfired badly on the church — we've talked to many former members who said reading one of these clownish publications was so startling and the magazine was so obviously filled with falsehoods, it made them begin to look for the first time for the real story outside Scientology and helped them begin their journeys back into the modern world.
Tags: 1992, 1998, 2013, A&E, Alex Gibney, Anderson Cooper, Barbara Ruiz, Child labor, Clearwater, Congress, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Ethics, Europe, Florida, Freedom magazine, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Guardian's Office, HBO, Human trafficking, Humanitarian, Jeffrey Augustine, Jennifer Johnson-Lankheim, John Sugg, Knowledge Reports, Linda Hamel, Lisa McPherson, Los Angeles, Marty Rathbun, Monique Rathbun, New Yorker, Nightline, Office of Special Affairs, Orson Scott Card, OT, Passport, Pat Broeker, Posse of Lunatics, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, Sec Check, Shelly Miscavige, Snow White Program, St. Petersburg Times, Suppressive Person, Ted Koppel, Tom Cruise, United Nations, Writers of the Future
2015-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Flag Scraping The Barrel
Somehow this image is just perfect. What assholes.
Go scrape up some "unreported" stats so we can "present them to COB" for Maiden Voyage. They must "downstat" so it's time to "get creative."
2014
7 years ago
2014-05-14, David Schindler, The Tyee
A limnologist laments the deserted Experimental Lakes, sapped fisheries management, and more.
Tags: Quicky
2014-05-14, Michael Fleeman, People
The daughter of the legendary radio host says her father disappeared May 7, a day after she visited him in a care facility. Kerri Kasem is now preparing to file a missing persons report, her rep tells PEOPLE.
The report will allow the FBI and local police agencies to get involved in the search for Kasem, 82, who suffers from advanced Parkinson's disease and can no longer speak. A judge also has ordered an investigation into Kasem's whereabouts.
2014-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Well, isn't that strange?
How many events (and Impact mags) have you seen that have crowed about the "success" of Criminon and how it is all attributable to "your support of the IAS."
Who has not been "pitched" by an IAS Vulture to "support our 4th dynamic activities, we are salvaging criminals from a life of crime."
2014-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Evgeny Zharkin, who also went by "Gene." On January 28, a man named Evgeny Zharkin died after falling from a building in Clearwater, Florida.
Clearwater is the spiritual worldwide headquarters of the Church of Scientology, and Zharkin was a Scientologist. Also, Zharkin was a Russian national, and increasingly, many of the Scientologists in Florida are from that country.
Did Zharkin's death implicate Scientology in some way? Did he commit suicide? Was he thrown from the building? Those of us who watch the church couldn't help being curious about Zharkin's death, and there's been a lot of speculation about it online.
2014-05-14, Flag Down 2014, YouTube
Ishmael Bey is a community activist and an investigative researcher. Ishmael spent over a decade within the Nation of Islam moving up to the officer ranks to Assistant Minister. He was the first to bring national attention to the recent Church of Scientology's recent assimilation of the Nation of Islam.
Ishmael's work has been highlighted in national magazines along with his DVDs and radio interviews. Ishmael runs the "Scientology Invasion of The Black Community" Facebook group, and is also working on a documentary concerning Scientology's relationship with African-Americans.
Recorded at Flag Down 2014 - Exposing the fraud and abuse of the Scientology cult
2014-05-14, Sam Creighton, Daily Mail
ITV has sparked outrage among viewers for airing an advert for the Church of Scientology in a prime-time slot.
The broadcaster was accused of allowing the controversial group – which has been branded a 'cult' – to target vulnerable people after it showed its advert following its hit soap Coronation Street.
It sparked complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which assessed whether they were serious enough to launch an investigation into banning the commercial from air.
Tags: 1952, 2012, Advertising Standards Authority, Christian, Clear, John Travolta, London, Quicky, Tom Cruise, Twitter, UK, Will Smith
2014-05-14, Tiziano Lugli, YouTube
A PSA about slavery and human trafficking within Scientology
2014-05-14, Flag Down 2014, YouTube
Russell Miller is an award-winning journalist based in Britain whose work has appeared throughout the world. He is the author of 15 acclaimed books, including "Bare-faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard". He has only been sued once -- by the Church of Scientology. While researching the book in the United States, Miller was spied upon. His friends and business associates also received visits from Scientologists and private detectives. Attempts were made to frame him for the murder of a London private detective, the murder of American singer Dean Reed in East Berlin and a fire in an aircraft factory.
2014-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Take a look at the posting on the African blog here.
Clumsy would be a kind description of the buffoonery. These fools make the Three Stooges look like James Bond.
Here are my thoughts (because I am featured in their footbullet).
2013
8 years ago2013-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
This is bizarre on so many levels...
For anyone who doesnt know, Madrid is like Buffalo. One of the very first "Ideal Orgs" (and a very high priority for Miscavige at the time as Tom Cruise was dating Penelope Cruz and her family were being coaxed into the church — Penelope's sister is a very well known TV presenter in Spain), they have had a second "Grand Opening" and now they doing their "Non E Campaign" (10 years later).
And apparently the "hey-you" isnt just across the US for Portland, Europe was in on it too because they say "after having finished the funding for Portland" we are now "all on fire" to get "Madrid completed this week."
2013-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Will you be inspired?
[After our commenters showed up at the ABC site in force, the network has now taken down the video!]
Last Thursday, we told you about an interesting new federal lawsuit against a Miami chiropractor who allegedly forced his employees to take Scientology courses. Since then, other news organizations have pointed out the fun parts of the really remarkable press release that the EEOC put together...
2013-05-14, UPI
MIAMI, May 14 (UPI) -- A Miami medical and chiropractic business is accused of forcing employees to practice Scientology or face possible termination, federal officials say.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges Dynamic Medical Services forced at least four of its employees to participate in Scientology religious practices and fired two for refusing to participate, ABC News reported Tuesday.
Dynamic Medical Services, in a statement faxed to ABC News, denied it did anything improper or unlawful.
2013-05-14, Helen Pow, Daily Mail
A Florida business forced its employees to take Scientology classes that involved 'screaming at ashtrays or staring at someone for eight hours without moving,' according to a federal investigation.
Dynamic Medical Services in Miami allegedly made Norma Rodriguez, Maykel Ruz, Rommy Sanchez, Yanileydis Capote and other employees spend at least half their work days in Scientology courses and fired two staffers who refused.
According to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, filed May 8, Dynamic Medical, which provides medical and chiropractic treatment, required one employee, Sanchez, to undergo an 'audit' by connecting herself to an 'E-Meter' - a religious artifact in Scientology.
2013-05-14, Wendy Culverwell, Portland Business Journal
It took two moves, but the Portland branch of the Church of Scientology is finally at home.
The church completed its move into the historic Sherlock building Sunday following a top-to-bottom renovation that turned one of Oregon's oldest office buildings into a center for the church's followers in the Willamette Valley.
2013-05-14, Loek Essers, IT World
The court upheld a complaint by the founder and CEO of a company that sells nutritional supplements and cosmetics on the Internet, who was only identified as R.S. in a news release.
In 2010, the complainant noted that when he searched for his full name on Google.de the autocomplete functionality suggested search terms where his full name was combined with "Scientology" and with the German word for fraud, the court said. By showing these results, the plaintiff felt his personal rights and business reputation were violated because he is not in any way related to Scientology and the search accuses him of fraud, while no connection between the plaintiff and Scientology or fraud can be seen, the court said.
2013-05-14, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Claire Headley is taking us on our journey to train as Scientologists. She and her husband Marc were Sea Org workers who escaped from Scientology's International Base in 2005. She spent years working with Scientology's "tech," and was trusted to oversee the auditing of Tom Cruise. Go here to see the first part in this series.
Claire, last time you got us through Method One Word Clearing. And now we're moving on to something really fascinating — the PTS/SP course?
CLAIRE: That's right. I did PTS/SP course in 1989 at the Beverly Hills mission.
Tags: 1989, 2005, Bert Deixler, California, California Supreme Court, Claire Headley, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Doctor, Hemet, Ideal Org, Int Base, Introspection Rundown, Laura DeCrescenzo, Lisa McPherson, Portland, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Science of Survival, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, The Hole, Tom Cruise, Tone Scale, Training Routines, Washington Times, Word Clearing
2013-05-14, Miss Fortune, Glistening, Quivering Underbelly
Kimberly K. Sherrill Ford
Best Drug Rehabilitation boasts proven false
USOC denies claims Ford "competed in olympic (sic) weightlifting"
2013-05-14, Mark Bunker, YouTube
Powerful OT8 John Allender tried everything he could think of to try to prevent me from shooting video of Scientology's tiny dictator Slappy Miscavige at the opening of Portland's Ideal Org including lying to the police. When all else failed, he attempted to push past me to grab my camera which could have caused it to fall from a great height and be destroyed.
2013-05-14, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
The history of the International Association of Scientologists is worth knowing.
Its initial value (in 1984) as a repository of funds outside the reach of the IRS in 1984 may be debated. It seemed like a good way of protecting money.
The IAS had nothing to do with the "Portland Crusade" though David Miscavige has made it part of his history now. (As a note, the "winning tradition" born in Portland is another sleight of hand — the losing tradition of a $39 million judgment was born in Portland and then carried on in Los Angeles with another judgment for Wollersheim that was NOT vacated in spite of the same candlelight vigils and marches around the courthouse....) The story goes on from there, with numerous accomplishments credited to the IAS that they never in fact funded. And in many cases, there was NO accomplishment at all (see recent posts IAS Applied Scholastics Programs — Fact Check and IAS Human Rights Claims — Fact Check). But, it became a VERY important cash cow and Dear Leader became its controller, carnival barker and poster boy.
Tags: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984, ABLE, Africa, Applied Scholastics, Catholic, Clear, Criminal, Criminon, David Miscavige, Fraud, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Lawrence Wollersheim, Los Angeles, Mission, Narconon, OT, Pope, Portland, Quicky, Refund, Tax exempt, Ukraine, Venezuela, Volunteer Ministers, Vulture Culture
2013-05-14, Deutsche Welle
The plaintiffs argued that when their names were entered into Google's German-language search engine, it suggested links to fraud and Scientology. Google's autocomplete function uses software that takes into account keyword connections that have been entered frequently by other users.
Google will not have to alter its software, however. The court said that tech giant must instead remove defamatory autocomplete results when notified.
The Higher Regional Court of Cologne had previously ruled in favor of Google, saying the terms "Scientology" and "fraud" were not damaging enough to infringe on personal privacy. But on Tuesday, the Karlsruhe court overturned that ruling.
2012
9 years ago
2012-05-14, Tony Ortega, Runnin' Scared, Village Voice
After the jump: Less than 30 minutes after we pointed out one last CCHR mention on her website, Lisa Marie scrubbed it!
Yesterday, the Voice revealed the lyrics to the song "So Long" on Lisa Marie Presley's new album, Storm and Grace, which seem to confirm what she was saying in her advance single, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" -- that Lisa Marie has very much "blown" the Church of Scientology.
Some of our readers, however, noted yesterday that there were still links all over Lisa Marie's official website to Scientology entities, such as the notorious anti-psychiatry front group, Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). As of this morning, those links are gone, and if you try to go to a gallery of Lisa Marie at a CCHR event which previously appeared on her site, you get the screen above.
2012-05-14, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
Some who have not experienced it may have trouble believing it, but I am sure those who have experienced it will confirm my interpretation of what follows. Here's an order from David Miscavige's office to ED Int (Executive Director International) and Exec Ints (whatever members of ED Int's team who had the misfortune of listening to the rant live). The order is excerpted, as is Miscavige's standard operating procedure, from an audio tape that records every insanity that issues from his mouth morning, noon and night while he stomps around the International headquarters of Scientology Inc. ED Int and his Exec Ints then must report written compliance, with evidence, to the order so issued. On average, ED Int receives dozens of such orders on any given day - as do many others. When Miscavige refers to the ED Int thinking 'And then it becomes, "oh, you're stopping it"' Miscavige - the perceptive one he is - is accurately reporting on exactly what ED INT and the Exec Ints were thinking at that very moment. He knows that because it is a daily recurring thought of all members of Scientology Inc international management. They think it because this order here represents Miscavige's daily op. He bats back violently at anything that is originated to him - including compliance to the insane orders he issues and even the programs that attempt to execute his dictates.
The net result is, everything he tells anyone to do never gets done because Miscavige won't ever approve the program that is proposed to get done what he has ordered to get done. It is a vicious cycle. It is like the movie Groundhogs Day played over and over and over, day in and day out, year after year at Miscavige's cult camp. Except his version of Groundhogs Day is not a comedy, it is the most gruesome horror picture imaginable. Miscavige very often tells International staff members and execs "oh, and you are thinking COB is stopping this" (after he sits on a submission for several months,then verbally lambasts the submitter with some incomprehensible cross order of himself) I suppose in order to make the person feel guilty and wrong and ultimately stupid for perceiving the truth. More accurately, the op Miscavige runs day in an day out is making people believe they are incapable of understanding that which is incomprehensible (his orders) in the first place. L. Ron Hubbard described the op in the lecture The Freedoms of Clear, 4 July, 1958:
"You know how people convince people they're ignorant? They take something which cannot be understood and they say, 'You stupid jerk. Why don't you understand this...'
2012-05-14, Chuck Beatty, YouTube
David Mayo was the man Hubbard entrusted to carry on LRH's spiritual technology legacy. Mayo in this informal talk to ex official Scientologists in Santa Barbara, weekly graduation awards. Scientology, David Mayo. Circa late 1984.
2011
10 years ago2011-05-14, Tampa Tribune
An electrical fire caused an estimated $700,000 in damage today to a Clearwater building owned by the Church of Scientology, officials said.
Tags: Clearwater, Fire
2011-05-14, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
I noticed by a number of indicators that apparently the past few days of posts on the subject of Scientology spying have created some fear within the ranks of Independents and others who frequent this blog. I can tell by the comments, numbers, back channel email and phone comm.
I noticed some people playing the old "ignore" the black panther card. It goes, "I have nothing to hide, I am a friend with everybody, and I'll just charm them right on up the tone scale." For those who don't care much about the future of Scientology, and thus don't make it their business to do much about it, that is perfectly workable. However, for those dedicating some time to salvaging the subject from the jaws of Miscavige defeat, I am afraid that that philosophy just does not work. The former are not targets for hard ball, the latter are. Hard core anti-Scientologists are not even targets for hard ball. Anti-Scientology activity warrants you kid glove treatment by Miscavige. Corporate Scientology Public Enemies worthy of hard core operations are Independents doing something effective about the continued and future use of the subject Scientology. By comparison, Anti Scientologists are friends of Dave. That is why it takes a lot more courage to do something about the state of Scientology than to contribute to its demise. For more on that subject, see https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/the-great-middle-path-redux/
There are two other problems with the "ignore" rationale.
2010
11 years ago
2010-05-14, Jefferson Hawkins, Leaving Scientology
I just finished Amy's book, Abuse at the Top. A must-read. Of course, there was not a lot totally new to me, as I lived it along with Amy. But I was vividly reminded of the poisonous atmosphere at the Int Base, and the insanity that surrounds David Miscavige.
I was also reminded of a phrase I had mercifully forgotten: "too gruesome." It's a noun. It's used like this: "give him a 'too gruesome'."
It comes from HCO Policy Letter of 5 January 1968, "Overfilled In-Basket, Bad News." LRH says:
Tags: 1968, Abuse at the Top, David Miscavige, Denmark, Ethics, Int Base, L. Ron Hubbard, Mission, Quicky, Random House, Sea Org
2009
12 years ago2009-05-14, TomVallar, YouTube
Meet a Scientologist: John Carmichael, Reverend
2008
13 years ago
2008-05-14, Mike Donila, Tampa Bay Times
About three dozen downtown business owners are upset with a group of anti-Scientology protesters and want the City Council to do something about them.
But city leaders Tuesday said there's little they can do.
"Suspending the First Amendment is something we shouldn't spend a whole lot of time on," Councilman Paul Gibson said.
2008-05-14, Cade Metz, The Register
Google has murdered the AdSense account run by one of the web's most influential anti-Scientology sites.
Yesterday, the search giant cut off all ads served to Enturbulation, a fledgling site dedicated to promoting activism against the Church of Scientology and all its related organizations. This could have something do with the nature of the ads Google was serving. Many of the Google-driven ads funding the anti-Scientology site were paid for by the Church of Scientology.
"While going through our records recently, we found that your AdSense account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers," read Google's letter to Enturbulation, a kind of home base for the now famous Anonymous movement. "Since keeping your account in our publisher network may financially damage our advertisers in the future, we've decided to disable your account."
2008-05-14, Peace4Scientology, YouTube
Geoffrey Quentin McCaully Hubbard was one of the sons of L. Ron Hubbard. His father had groomed his son to take over the organization for him...
Tags: Quicky
2008-05-14, Tony Ortega , Runnin' Scared, Village Voice
"I felt sorry for Tommy. If he's reading this, I want to tell him: you're losing your soul. Look in the mirror. You look like a liar. And remember what happened to Mike Rinder. You're starting to look like that," Beghe adds, referring to a former high-level official who recently "blew," or left the organization. "They used Rinder as a spokesman, when he was the kind of person you'd cast in a movie as the villain. It was chilling. And Tommy is getting that look."
2008-05-14, AllHailXenuFilm, YouTube
From the documentary film "All Hail Xenu."
2008-05-14, Justin Anjuli K. Vestil, Cebu Daily News
CEBU CITY, Philippines - The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has tied up with the Asian Ministers of the Church of Scientology in launching a program that aims to help Cebuanos on how to handle poverty and disasters.
2007
14 years ago
2007-05-14, Stephen Adams, Telegraph
Today Sandy Smith, the Panorama editor, hit back at claims that the BBC had orchestrated a demonstration against the Scientologists while filming the documentary.
He said: "Their DVD contains two grossly defamatory claims about us - one, that we staged a demonstration against Scientology and two, that a terrorist death threat was made.
"It is absolutely outrageous to suggest that the BBC would organise a demonstration - why would we?"
He claimed that the Scientologists wrote the script for the DVD in a "curious way" but that it "clearly implied that a terrorist death threat was made".
2007-05-14, Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360°, CNN
COOPER: We pick up now where we left off before the break, the latest controversy to hit the Church of Scientology. A BBC reporter -- you just saw him there -- losing his cool during an interview while the church's cameras were rolling.
The tape showing his melt-down ended up on YouTube. And now the reporter's accusing Scientology of playing hardball to try to discredit him to his investigation of the church will come under suspicion. The BBC reporter says he was followed as part of a church campaign against him.
That's where we pick up my interview with Mike Rinder, director of the Church of Scientology International. [Transcript]
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 1 of 6
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 2 of 6
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 3 of 6
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 4 of 6
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 5 of 6
2007-05-14, DroopyDDawg2007, YouTube
An interview with Jim Beebe, former Scientologist. Excerpt 6 of 6
2007-05-14, Mark Sweney, Guardian
The Panorama editor, Sandy Smith, has defended tonight's controversial John Sweeney investigation into the Church of Scientology.
Mr Smith said tonight's Panorama would feature the YouTube clip of Sweeney losing his temper and shouting at Scientology representative Tommy Davis after he accused the BBC reporter of giving a critic of the faith an easy ride in an interview.
Footage of the scene, which was filmed by the Scientologists, was posted on YouTube last week and Sweeney has apologised for the outburst.
2007-05-14, John Sweeney, BBC News
Scientology has two faces - nice and smiley, and sinister and dark. If you do not believe me, go and see their exhibition in Los Angeles, Psychiatry: Industry of Death. You enter through a door that is a mock-up of a torture chamber.
Scientologists want "the global obliteration" of psychiatrists, who they say were to blame for the rise of Nazi Germany.
2007-05-14, Panorama, BBC, YouTube
Scientology and Me was a television documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama series. Reporter John Sweeney visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming more mainstream. The program gained particular controversy before and during filming due to unresolved differences on content and approach between Sweeney's production team and Scientology members, who did not want detractors or perceived enemies of the church to be interviewed or included in the documentary.
2007-05-14, Panorama, BBC News
2006
15 years ago2006-05-14, Associated Press, KATC
The religion has been under increasing scrutiny, especially since actor Tom Cruise ranted against psychiatry on N-B-C's "Today" show and criticized Brooke Shields' use of antidepressants for postpartum depression. Scientology is Cruise's religion of choice.
The church sent 800 volunteer ministers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans area to counsel hurricane victims.
2003
18 years ago2003-05-14, Sarah Green, cnews
Some 20,000 Canadians named Jedi -- made famous by Star Wars -- as their religion, according to census data.
This echoes a result of the 2001 British census where 390,000 residents claimed to follow the Jedi faith after a massive Internet campaign.
Those who worshipped at less conventional altars included 9,575 who cited Wicca as their religion; 1,135 Rastafarians; and 1,525 who follow Scientology, made famous by celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Meanwhile, 4.8 million Canadians, including 770,850 Torontonians, claimed to follow no religion in 2001, compared with 3.3 million a decade earlier.
1989
32 years ago
1989-05-14, Michael McNutt, News OK
NEWKIRK Backers of a drug rehabilitation center scheduled to open later this year on the Chilocco Indian School grounds north of here say the facility has the potential to be the biggest of its kind in the world. However, residents in this northern Oklahoma town eight miles from the Kansas border are concerned Narconon International is a front for the Church of Scientology, and, instead of rehabilitating alcohol and drug addicts, it will recruit new members and raise money for the controversial group.
Tags: 1981, ABLE, Betty Cook, California, Chilocco Development Authority, Chilocco Indian School, Edna Fulton, Eugene Methvin, Harold Miles, John Duff, Kansas, Kaw, Leroy Bridges, Los Angeles, Mental Health, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Narconon International, Newkirk, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Cult Awareness Network, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Health Planning Commission, Otoe-Missouria, Pawnee, Ponca, Purification Rundown, Reader's Digest, The Oklahoman, Tom Armstrong, Tonkawa
1986
35 years ago
1986-05-14, UPI, New York Times
A judge has dismissed two key charges in a $25 million fraud suit brought by Larry Wollersheim, a former Scientologist who asserted the church wrecked him emotionally and financially with lies and harassment.
The judge, Ronald Swearinger of Superior Court, threw out Mr. Wollersheim's claims of fraud and misrepresentation, two of the four causes of action in a 1980 civil suit that is now in its 12th week of trial.
Mr. Wollersheim's attorney, Charles O'Reilly, said Judge Swearinger ruled Monday that there was insufficient evidence to link the eight Scientologists named in the complaint to misrepresentations they allegedly made to Mr. Wollersheim.
FrontCite 05/19/2021 07:30p
See also:
FrontCite Mediawiki
xenu-directory.net: Scientology in the news
Scientology in the UK Media
See also:
FrontCite Mediawiki
xenu-directory.net: Scientology in the news
Scientology in the UK Media