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2021
2021-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Well, it all comes down to this. We're beginning a little later today, 10:30 am, but the testimony and cross-examining is finished, and now we'll get to see Deputy DA Reinhold Mueller and defense attorney Tom Mesereau give their closing arguments.
But first, Judge Charlaine Olmedo explained, Mesereau will be filing a motion to dismiss on grounds that Mueller has not presented enough evidence to justify a trial. So she'll deal with that first, and then we'll get the closings, we think. And then we believe we'll get a ruling today, although we suppose it's possible that Judge Olmedo will take some time.
So we've seen three alleged victims, Jane Doe 1, Christina B., and Jane Doe 2. All three of them had some frightening details in common, a pattern suggesting a man who may have drugged women and then attacked them in physically violent ways.
Tags: 1963, 1965, 1969, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2019, alt.religion.scientology, Boston Herald, Brie Shaffer, Clear, Danny Masterson, Florida, Implants, Introduction to Scientology Ethics, Judge Charlaine Olmedo, Knowledge Report, LAPD, New Year's Eve, OT, Passport, Philip Gale, Reinhold Mueller, Sharon Appelbaum, Suppressive Person, Tom Mesereau, Westboro Baptist Church
2020
1 year ago2020-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
David Miscavige's incredibly expensive gambit for mainstream acceptance, the purchase of KCET's old studios on Sunset Boulevard and then the creation of "Scientology TV" from those studios, has largely been a complete flop. After a day-long spike in interest from the mass media on its opening day in 2018, Scientology TV has been utterly unwatchable propaganda that has generated zero interest in the larger culture.
And then the pandemic hit. While Scientologists were stuck at home and the orgs were mostly (but not completely) closed, Miscavige worked hard to take advantage of the situation. Although Scientology has as much respect for germ theory as it does for the rest of western medicine, it is pretending to be part of the solution to the crisis by dressing up in PPE and offering sanitation services to police stations and businesses, and some have fallen for it.
But by far Scientology's biggest success cashing in on coronavirus has been its viral YouTube hit, "Spread a Smile," a song featuring many of Scientology's talented music celebrities, including Chick Corea (an OT going back decades), Stanley Clarke, Australian singer Kate Ceberano, Mark Isham, and such minor celebrity figures making cameos in the video like impressionist Jim Meskimen and radio hack Kerri Kasem.
Tags: 1963, 1969, 2018, Australia, Chick Corea, Coronavirus, David Miscavige, Erika Christensen, Freedom magazine, Geoff Levin, Implants, Israel, Jim Meskimen, John Sugg, Kate Ceberano, KCET, Kerri Kasem, Las Vegas, Mark Isham, New York City, OT, OT 8, Scientology TV, Sea Org, Silver Meritorious, South Africa, Stanley Clarke, Stockholm, Sunset Boulevard, Westboro Baptist Church, YouTube
2020-05-21, Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo
The gist is that there's little to no scientific evidence that masks are effective for the population at large and that what protection there might be is minimal at best. Additionally, they argue that mask-wearing may create a false sense of security that leads people to relax more effect mitigation strategies like distancing and hand washing. So the net effect of mask-wearing may actually be more infections rather than fewer.
If you read the report closely however a few points emerge.
First, it's not evidence that masks are not effective – few studies really show this or demonstrate it in any clear way – but a lack of evidence for their efficacy. Second, they focus heavily on health care workers, both for available studies about what works and doesn't and for the standards we should apply for efficacy. Finally, they take a very binary approach to efficacy. They work or they don't.
These are all important points. But it is important to understand what they mean in context. One of the reasons there is no evidence that public masking works is that it's really hard to test. Without a full-blown epidemic it is hard to test the proposition in a robust and meaningful way. So the lack of evidence in this sense isn't the end of the story.
Tags: 2019, China, Coronavirus, Critic, Masks, New York City, New Yorker, Quicky, Review, University of Minnesota
2020-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Oh woohoo, they're fundraising in the Valley again!
This is what the person who sent this to me commented — it sums things up perfectly:
Oh, joy, these two again.
2019
2 years ago2019-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
When she told us what she found, we checked with Scientology's records, and sure enough, there it was.
Antonio Ramirez Barron, the brutally killed father, was a longtime and deeply involved Scientologist.
Left behind in a closet was a stack of "The Basics," sets of books and lectures that in 2007 all Scientologists were under heavy pressure to buy in multiple quantities, at about $3,000 a set. (Many of the sets of books that church members felt obliged to buy that year sit in closets or garages unopened to this day.)
Tags: 1982, 1991, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, Antonio Ramirez Barron, Basics, Bradley University, Catholic, Chicago Tribune, Clear, Clearwater, Critic, Dianetics, Elli Perkins, E-meter, Environmental, Flag Land Base, Florida, Freewinds, Illinois, Jeremy Perkins, Jose Ramirez, L Rundowns, New York, Patty Moher, Scientology doctor, Super Bowl, Susan Brill de Ramirez
2019-05-21, Emery P. Dalesio, Associated Press, Toronto Star
RALEIGH, N.C. - A disabled North Carolina woman is suing the right-wing group Project Veritas and its founder James O'Keefe over how her assault outside a 2016 Donald Trump campaign rally was portrayed in a video.
Jurors in Asheville were sequestered before testimony Tuesday in the federal libel trial expected to last all week.
Shirley Teter, 71, of Asheville, sued O'Keefe, Project Veritas and its tax-exempt social welfare affiliate Project Veritas Action for what her lawyers described as targeting an innocent, private person for "ridicule, contempt, or disgrace." Project Veritas has used disguises and hidden cameras to uncover supposed liberal bias and corruption.
2019-05-21, Bohemian Browser Ballett, YouTube
English subtitles are available!
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2019-05-21, Jeffrey Augustine, Scientology Money Project
Grant Cardone's pilot and business associate Ryan Tseko tweeted that Cardone Capital are in Dubai on business. Cardone and Tseko are doing the American tourist thing of riding camels and wearing desert headgear. The photo looks like a cheesy buddy road trip movie.
Why Dubai?This raises questions about Scientologist Alfreddie Johnson's business ventures in Dubai with his fellow Scientologists Adnan Rahman and Hikman Rahman at their company AmeriBest International:
Scientologist Eric Moore (blue suit) of Brandywine is shown on the AmeriBest International website along with John Travolta:
2019-05-21, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large
One of the most common confusions I see people have about Scientology is not understanding that there is a difference between paying public Scientologists, staff members of Scientology organizations and Sea Organization members. In this short clip, I try to break down what these levels are and how they interact and why the Sea Organization is the most abusive level of Scientology. Enjoy!
2019-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
As a follow up to yesterday's post, this is the latest list of moneymakers for the IAS.
I don't know David Mauerer or how he came to be the top of the pile this week, but many of these other names are VERY familiar from Thursday Funnies. In fact, the top dozen should be pretty recognizable to readers here.
These are all people sent out to do money-making events that are presented as "briefings" and "news updates" about the wonders of what scientology is doing to save mankind, Clear the Planet or obliterate the psychs.
2018
3 years ago2018-05-21, The NonSequitur Show, YouTube
Derek Bloch shares his story of joining the Church of Scientology and the unbelievable things that came with that.
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Want Monthly Glory? Become a "Patreon Saint" of NonSequitur!
2018-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
This is promotion for the now completed Dianetics celebration.
This used to be a big deal event in scientology. It is now a whimper that gets little attention because it interferes with Miscavige's annual scuba diving expedition on the Freewinds for "Maiden Voyage."
Now, there are plenty of lies in this pitch — one cannot attain Clear from reading Dianetics. In fact, over 60 years it has been proven the state of Clear as described in Dianetics is a pipe dream that even L. Ron Hubbard himself could not achieve. But nevertheless, they're still selling Dianetics hard as the solution to all that ails this planet — "a New Earth."
2018-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Sunny Pereira has become a very effective technical expert here at the Bunker, helping us understand Scientology's arcane ideas. And lately, she's been going back over some of her own career in the church, and digging out some documents, the sort you don't see every day.
Sunny joined the Sea Org in 1985 when she was only 12 years old. She left 17 years later, in 2002, and then was presented with this invoice in 2004. It's asking her to pay for the job training she got as a 12-year-old. (See the "all the above courses are with the minor rate" notation.)
We asked her to explain what we're looking at, and to help us understand why, nearly 20 years later, Scientology would be billing someone for the job training they got as a pre-teen.
Tags: 1985, 1993, 2002, 2004, Apollo, Basic Sea Org Member Hat, Child labor, Childrens RPF, Communication Course, Dissemination, Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, Division 4, Division 5, Division 6, Division 7, Estates Project Force, Executive Division, Field Staff Member, Flag Land Base, Freeloader Debt, Hubbard Communications Office, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Org Board, Production Division, Qualifications Division, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, Student Hat, Sunny Pereira, Whole Track
2017
4 years ago2017-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
Gary on duty as a "Lookout" aboard the ApolloMy friend Gary Reisdorf sent me this article from is early days (around the time I first met him). His wife, Lois, provided us all with a wonderful series of posts about her history in the Sea Org with L. Ron Hubbard and David Miscavige.
Tales From The Apollo
One of the hardest things to do while on the ship was getting approval to purchase items you needed to do your job. In most companies, if you were running out of copy paper or pens, you would merely send an email to the appropriate person in the company and let them know. The next day or 2 we would have a delivery from Staples and you would have the paper. Not in the Sea Org. We had to go through Financial Planning.
Tags: 1972, Apollo, Committee of Evidence, Completed Staff Work, Criminal, David Miscavige, Ethics Order, Gary Reisdorf, Gerry Armstrong, High Crime, Iowa, Knowledge Report, Knowledge Reports, Lisbon, Lois Reisdorf, Master at Arms, OTC, Pat McCullough, Philadelphia, Portugal, Quicky, Sea Org, Steve Nichols, Theft, Valerie Schomer
2017-05-21, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large
The weekly show where I answer viewer questions from the comments section of my Q&A videos or which are sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com.
Link to the OCA Test video is here.
This week, the questions I answer are:
2017-05-21, Chelsea, YouTube
Former Scientologist and "Aftermath" author, Leah Remini, describes the internal workings of the controversial religion.
Watch the full episode: http://netflix.com/watch/80154006
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ7h...
2017-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Rod Keller is staying on top of new developments with Scientology missions and orgs around the world. Here's this week's roundup...
While work is still stopped on Scientology's planned "Advanced Org" in Mexico City, that hasn't stopped the church from preparing its members for an eventual grand opening. A new flier invites locals to a meeting to get a briefing on the project, and, no doubt, to get hit up for donations for it.
"Are you ready for the Advanced Org? Report by a Class IX C/S. International Management special guest. Epic Announcements about your Advanced Organization. Special presentations on the preparations for the opening of your Advanced Organization." Clearly, Scientology is not prepared to give up its investment in the former Palmas Plaza mall. The flyer features the iconic arched entrance to the mall....
Tags: 1950, 1955, 1960, 2008, 2013, Advanced Org, Africa, Aldous Huxley, ANZO, Auckland, Australia, Castle Kyalami, Chatswood West, Class V, Clear, Continental Liaison Office, Copenhagen, Denmark, Dianetics, Dunedin, Fiji, Flag Land Base, Ideal Org, International Management, Johannesburg, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico, Mexico City, New Zealand, Pretoria, Quicky, Rod Keller, Saint Hill, Sea Org, South Africa, Sydney, Tampa, The Way to Happiness, William Burroughs
2017-05-21, Jacob Polychronis, Daily Mail
Converting to Scientology is the key focus of treatment at a Victorian drug rehabilitation centre, former members have claimed.
Ex-students of Narconon in Warburton, east of Melbourne, claim they were mistreated at the centre and were forced to take part in Scientology practices.
Narconon students are expected to yell at inanimate objects, consume large amounts of vitamins, and sit in saunas for up to five hours, A Current Affair reported.
2016
5 years ago2016-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and for more than three years he's been helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet.
Tony has given us an insightful examination of what may be an admission by L. Ron Hubbard in Monday's story, "Did L. Ron Hubbard believe his own rap?"
Here is my two and a half cents on this Hubbard statement, which comes from the Philadelphia "Doctorate" Course. Hubbard can be heard to say, "Now, all this of course is—I'm just kidding you mostly. I don't believe that you've been in the universe 76 trillion years. I don't believe you have any past before birth. I don't believe that there is any reason whatsoever for this universe to be here except some fellow called the devil or something that built it. And I don't believe any of these things. And I don't want to be agreed with about them. It infuriates me to be agreed with about them. So I'm not asking for anybody to agree with me, but I'm not asking for anybody to disagree with me either."
Tags: 1938, 1950, 1952, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, A Piece of Blue Sky, Axioms, Charlie Nairn, Chinese, Class XII, Clear, Cleveland, Congress, Copyright, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Doctor, Excalibur, False Data Stripping, HowdyCon, Hubbard's estate, John McMaster, Jon Atack, Journalist, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, Marty Rathbun, Norman Starkey, OT, Paulette Cohen, Philadelphia, Sea Org, Steve Cannane, The Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard, Trementina
2016-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
These have all been sent to me in the last week.
The focus on children as a money-making tool, for recruitment and as free labor is very disturbing.
In scientology, children are treated as "old thetans in small bodies" - meaning they are capable of pretty much anything an adult is able to do, only limited by their physical size and ability.
2015
6 years ago2015-05-21, Jeffrey Augustine, Scientology Money Project
(Authored by Jeffrey Augustine, this essay was originally published by Tony Ortega at the Underground Bunker and is reprinted here for archival purposes)
The Church of Scientology is an opposite world where black is white and up is down. One can be certain that the Church is doing the exact opposite of whatever it is publicly promoting.
One need only read the latest online edition of Scientology's propaganda organ Freedom magazine to see the hypocrisy. We've taken some recent Freedom headlines and contrast them with the facts.
Tags: 1992, 1998, A&E, Burglary, Child labor, Clearwater, Congress, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Ethics, Europe, Freedom magazine, Guardian's Office, Human trafficking, Humanitarian, Knowledge Reports, Linda Hamel, Lisa McPherson, Monique Rathbun, Nightline, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Passport, Pat Broeker, PC folders, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, Sec Check, Shelly Miscavige, Snow White Program, Suppressive Person, Ted Koppel, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker, United Nations
2015-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
We have some more scenes for you from our book tour in California. Previously, we posted a photograph of your proprietor with the lovely Leah Remini. The King of Queens actress had come by a party hosted by Spanky Taylor in order to pick up a copy of our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.
Leah also posed with Paulette Cooper, the subject of our book, and her husband Paul Noble. We sure love that photograph.
Also, from Sunday morning, video of our talk at the Steve Allen Theater on Hollywood Blvd. We're introduced by CFI-West director James Underdown, and we got great questions from a capacity crowd...
Tags: 1987, Alex Gibney, Amsterdam, Applied Scholastics, Bent Corydon, California, David Love, Dutch, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Hollywood, King of Queens, L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?, Las Vegas, Leah Remini, Narconon, Netherlands, New York Times, Paul Noble, Paulette Cooper, Quicky, Ryan Hamilton, San Diego, Spanky Taylor, Steve Allen Theater, Sweden, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Trout Run
2015-05-21, Janene Van Jaarsveldt, NL Times
Youth Alderman Simone Kukenheim is very concerned about the revelations made by the VARA program Rambam about the Amsterdam Church of Scientology. "If the media reports are correct, I find it very disturbing", the alderman said to AT5.
Journalist Rinke Verkerk infiltrated the Amsterdam Church of Scientology to get information for a documentary, which aired on Wednesday. During the infiltration Verkerk had to do a number of "audits" at the church, during which she was asked to live traumas of the past, AT5 reports. One of these sessions were led by an 11 year old boy. "Go back to the earliest moment of pain or discomfort", the boy asked her.
2015-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
2014
7 years ago
2014-05-21, Terri Gleich, Kitsap Sun
Kasem's care and his whereabouts became a national news story last week after his three children from a previous marriage reported him missing. The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office tracked him down locally at the request of California Adult Protective Services. The Sheriff's Office reported to the agency that Kasem was being cared for and was not in distress.
2014-05-21, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker
Amy Nicholson is the film reviewer for LA Weekly and she is disappointed that Tom Cruise is not the movie star that he once was.
OK, fair enough. But Nicholson doesn't bemoan Cruise's choice of movie projects. She wants to place the blame on us — the Internet consumers who ruined Tom's career because we thought we saw Tom jump on Oprah Winfrey's couch back in 2005 and made fun of him for it.
Actually, if you watch video of Tom's 2005 appearance on Oprah's show, he does indeed jump on her couch — twice — but Nicholson tells us that GIFs made of the moment exaggerated Tom's antics and made it look like Tom was jumping up and down on her couch, when that wasn't the case.
Tags: 1990, 1991, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, ABLE, Abortion, Amy Nicholson, Angelo Amato, Anonymous, BBC, Branden Chavez, California, Christy Estrada, Claire Headley, Colorado, David Miscavige, Elevate Addiction Services - Santa Cruz, Freedom Medal of Valor, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Int Base, International Association of Scientologists, Jack Welch, Janet Reitman, Jenna Miscavige Hill, Jered Mowery, Jillian Schlesinger, John Sweeney, John Travolta, Karen de la Carriere, LA Weekly, Las Vegas, Laura DeCrescenzo, Lauren Geanacopulos, Lawrence Wright, Linda Phillips, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Marty Rathbun, Matt Lauer, Michael Tarr, Mike Rinder, Mimi Rogers, Missouri, Narconon, Narconon International, Narconon lawsuits, Nevada, New Yorker, Nicole Kidman, Nikki Mott, Oprah Winfrey, Pat Kingsley, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Robin Jones, Rolling Stone, Ryan Hamilton, San Diego, Scientology and Me, Scott Pilutik, Sea Org, Success rate, Time magazine, Tom Cruise, Tyler Matthys, Watsonville
2014-05-21, EPP CD, YouTube
2nd part of the 2014 Ordinary Session (7-11 April 2014).
Tags: Quicky, Rudy Salles
2014-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
The "March 13" edition of the International Scientology Nonsense (ISN) has just arrived in mailboxes everywhere. A bit tardy, but one could understand: 146 glossy, 4 color pages of Shermanspeak stream of consciousness is a bit of a task to put together. Though all it does is repeat the contents of the March 13 Event held at the Ruth Eckerd Hall (after 20 years, one would assume that the straight up and vertical expansion would have outgrown Ruth Eckerd Hall that only holds 2300 people...)
Of course, reduced to the written page this stuff sounds even stupider than when it is accompanied by loud crashes, music and CGI images. Unfortunately you also have a bit of time for the inane statements to sink in.
As a first obvious question: Why wouldn't they take the event and simply put it on the internet or send out DVDs of it to everyone (a DVD IS glued to the back of the magazine "In their own words... A brand new world of wins from the Golden Age of Tech Phase II") rather than the astonishing expense of printing and mailing a magazine of this size — let alone any concern for the destruction of the 6th dynamic. Of course, there are two reasons for this: 1. POLICY says to send out "magazines" and so that is what they do. It's amazing they have moved on from mimeograph machines to photocopiers.... 2. More importantly, Miscavige does not want images of himself to be available on the internet as if there is one thing he hates more than anything in the whole world it is being ridiculed by lowlife, unemployed, DB bloggers on the fringes of the internet. So, he will spend millions of dollars to convert his million dollar audio/visual extravaganzas into good old fashioned pulped tree style magazines.
Tags: 2013, Africa, ANZO, AOSHEU, ASHO, Basics, Birthday Game, Bogotá, Cambridge, Canada, Chairman of the Board, Christian, Clear, CLO EU, Cornerstone, Dan Sherman, David Miscavige, Denmark, Europe, Freewinds, Golden Age of Tech, Guillaume Lesevre, Hollywood, Ideal Org, Johannesburg, Kansas City, L. Ron Hubbard, London, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Melbourne, Mexico City, Mission, Moscow, New Delhi, New Era Publications, Objective Processing, OT, OT VIII, Pope, Port Elizabeth, Portland, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Raw Story, Religious Technology Center, Running Program, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Sea Org, Shermanspeak, Student Hat, Super Power, Taiwan, Tampa, Tony Ortega, UK, Whole Track
2013
8 years ago2013-05-21, 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.
Last week, Claire began taking us through the PTS/SP Course (for Potential Trouble Source/Suppressive Person). It's a crucial course for Scientologists, laying in some of the most important conditioning that produces an "us vs. them" way of thinking.
Rather than move on to the next course, we've asked Claire to spend some more time on one of the key ideas that is introduced in the PTS/SP experience — the policy of disconnection.
Tags: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, Cadet Org, Church of Scientology International, Claire Headley, CNN, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Ethics Officer, Europe, Heber Jentzsch, Hemet, Int Base, Jon Atack, Karen de la Carriere, Luis Garcia, Mission, Old Gilman House, OT, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Robert Johnson, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, The Hole, The Way to Happiness, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Tucson, UK, Village Voice
2013-05-21, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
Tags: Quicky
2013-05-21, Mike Rinder, Something Can Be Done About It
To maintain the support of his followers, David Miscavige has to keep up the appearance that his brand of leadership is guiding the flock to the promised land – a Cleared Planet. If they thought he was failing, they would abandon him in a New York minute.
It is a firm principle of the belief system of members of the church that they must operate on the "greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics" and the 3rd dynamic — the church — is believed to enhance ALL other dynamics. Thus if the church is achieving its objectives then it must be supported. A successful and prospering church trumps all other dynamics combined and a true believer will sacrifice his or her other dynamics in order to "support" the third as they believe that in the end this will bring survival across all dynamics. And if Miscavige is at the helm of a successful church, that excuses any "shortcomings" he may have and the clubbed seals dismiss anything said about him as either "a lie" or "even if it is true, he does so much good for Scientology that he gets a pass on anything."
To persuade the faithful to support the church (and by extension keep him in power), Miscavige is using a three-part strategy which is quite simple to explain:
2012
9 years ago2012-05-21, BusinessWiseTVShow, YouTube
On this episode of BusinessWise TV, host Arte Maren interviews sales expert Patrick Valtin about the Emotional Tone Scale and how it can be utilized to dramatically increase ones ability to sell.
2012-05-21, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
Hy Levy passed away in his sleep last night. A couple weeks earlier he told Mosey and me that this was just the manner in which he wished to pass. He died of complications caused by cancer. Hy was diagnosed late last year. He chose not to fight it.
Hy felt blessed to have friends like Pat Shannon, Carol Kramer, Laura and Mike Wilson and his brothers and sister-in-law. They went out of their way to try to convince and facilitate Hy to fight the cancer. When Hy made it clear that that did not align with his intentions, those friends did everything they could to support him, comfort him and buoy Hy's spirits.
Hy particularly loved being Jewish-mothered (his words) by Pat, Carol, and Mosey. He even took to calling Mosey "Sophie" when he wanted to let her know he noticed the extra care.
2012-05-21, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
Tony Ortega reported on a number of Miscavige's troubles on Sunday, see Village Voice Runnin' Scared, including a new German documentary on OSA, Sudden Sam Domingo rocking the UK, and another Idle Org lie.
Those events - while indicative of the state of affairs in Scientology Inc - have not even caught the dictator's attention. He's got dike leaks happening that he is rapidly running out of fingers with which to stanch them.
But, that is not the worst of it. Notwithstanding more than a little bit of effort lately to squeeze details of upcoming events out of me, Scientology Inc. remains ignorant about what is in store for the coming months. Suffice it to say, Miscavige is facing a long, hot summer.
2011
10 years ago2011-05-21, TheThinkingAtheist, YouTube
It happened before the expected time of 6pm, but Harold Camping's May 21, 2011 prediction has come true. Everything has changed. It is now a world without Christians.
2011-05-21, Mike Brassfield, Tampa Bay Times
Pinellas County is preparing to sell five buildings in downtown Clearwater to the Church of Scientology - much to the annoyance of Clearwater's mayor.
The buildings, on about 2 acres total, are vacant or little used. Most are between the County Courthouse and Scientology's complex of downtown buildings.
Tags: 2015, Afghanistan, Bob LaSala, Clearwater, Cult, Daniel Ruth, Editorial, Florida, HBO, Hillsborough County, Legal, Movie, Music, North Carolina, OT, Politics, Review, St. Petersburg, Steve Bousquet, Tampa, Wedding, Ybor City
2011-05-21, Guy Adams, The Independent
Not everyone gets the joke, though. A couple of hours north Monterey, in a large house not far from Oakland airport, a famous evangelical preacher called Harold Camping will be spending this evening surrounded by close family members, praying, reading from the Bible, and keeping an eye fixed on CNN.
When the clock strikes 6pm, Mr Camping believes that a large earthquake will indicate the Second Coming of the Lord. Roughly 2 per cent of the world's population will be immediately "raptured" to Heaven, he predicts. The rest of us will endure a few months of fire and brimstone here on Earth, before being sent to the fiery pits of Hell.
Tags: Harold Camping
2011-05-21, Gena Marshall, International Business Times
It begins with a housewife from Chicago by the name of "Marian Keech", who had mysteriously been given messages in her house in the form of "automatic writing" from alien beings on the planet Clarion.
Festinger and his associates become fascinated with the UFO cult after reading an interesting item in their local newspaper headlined "Prophecy from planet Clarion call to city: flee that flood."
'When Prophecy Fails', a classic book published in 1956 by Leon Festinger describes their study of a UFO cult that believes the end of the world is at hand.
Tags: 1954, 1956, 1994, Chicago, Cult, Harold Camping, Leon Festinger, Quicky, UFO, When Prophecy Fails
2011-05-21, Marty Rathbun, Moving On Up a Little Higher
This is a study in the anatomy of Radical Scientology's dog-eat-dog, Gestapo-like cultural computation (read serv fac) of 'to preserve my own neck, I've got to serve up a half dozen friends' necks to the chopping block."
If one were to do a deep-reaching survey that really found out people's genuine considerations, it is my bet that this cultural computation is probably the most
frightening aspect of the subject of Scientology (to date largely actually mistaken for Radical Corporate Scientology).
2010
11 years ago
2010-05-21, Greg Ansley, New Zealand Herald
Further allegations against the Church of Scientology, including claims of child sex abuse and neglect, have renewed calls for an inquiry into the organisation and its operations in Australia.
The allegations, accusing the church of cover-ups and the mistreatment of children in a toxic environment, follow earlier, alarming investigations and a failed bid for a Senate probe.
Among those making the new allegations is the daughter of the president of the church in Australia, and police are investigating a claim a senior official interfered with an investigation into the reported sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl.
2010-05-21, ABC News (Australia)
Police are investigating claims Jan Eastgate told both mother and daughter to lie to police and community services about the abuse.
The Church of Scientology is vigorously denying accusations a senior figure in the organisation tried to cover up the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Sydney.
Tags: Australia, Carmen Rainer, CCHR, Jan Eastgate, Phoebe Rainer, Robert Kerr, Sexual abuse, Sydney
2010-05-21, John Leyden, The Register
Italian police reportedly unearthed hidden dossiers on 'enemies' during a raid on Church of Scientology offices in Turin.
The files, apparently discovered behind locked doors in a basement office, allegedly contained personal information on judges, police officers and journalists identified as hostile to the Church.
Details on former Church members who have turned against Scientology were also reportedly recovered from handwritten files and computer records seized following a nine-hour search of the premises. No arrests took place, UPI adds.
2010-05-21, Jefferson Hawkins, Leaving Scientology
Jan Eastgate is the current head of Scientology's Citizens' Commission on Human Rights. You would think, given her position, that she would be sensitive to people's human rights. That would make sense. You would think that she would be a champion of human rights, and that she would be a stickler on upholding the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
Turns out its not so.
In fact, it seems she specializes in ignoring, covering up, and abetting human rights violations – when they have to do with the Church of Scientology.
2010-05-21, mark rathbun, YouTube
Marty Rathbun talks about the Independent Scientologists movement and the book The Shack by Wm Paul Young
2010-05-21, Tony Ortega, Runnin' Scared, Village Voice
Scientology leader David Miscavige: He's watching you! Mark Bunker (Wise Beard Man) has been tipping us to several embarrassing developments for Scientology overseas lately.
The newest was yesterday's raid of a Scientology center in Turin, Italy, where investigators uncovered a basement stash of records containing "sensitive personal data" about local officials and journalists that Scientology apparently considered enemies.
The archive of documents "had files on magistrates, policemen, journalists and relatives of former members," which is consistent with Scientology's long, sad history of going after defectors and critics by any means possible. The documents "were 'chock full' of sensitive information dealing with sexual habits, health and political inclinations."
2009
12 years ago
2009-05-21, Jonny Jacobsen, Infinite Complacency
A Paris court is to try six Scientologists and two of the movement's associations in a case that could lead to much of its operations in France being shut down.
Six Scientologists go on trial in Paris next Monday on a range of fraud-related charges.
It is just the latest in a series of court cases involving the movement in France that stretches back more than 30 years.
Tags: 1974, 1980, 1988, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, About-Picard, Alain Stoffen, Catherine Picard, Celebrity Centre, Cult, France, Georges Fenech, Lyon, Mission, Miviludes, Paris, Patrice Vic, Quicky, UNADFI
2008
13 years ago2008-05-21, Welt Online
A 15 year old boy has been issued a summons for carrying an anti scientology placard. The boy was taking part in a peaceful May 10 demonstration in London organised by the Anonymous group. Anonymous is responsible for a number of demonstrations and an active internet campaign against the church during recent months.
2008-05-21, AsdfNews, YouTube
UPDATE: EpicNoseGuy has won! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lo...
BBC London News today, kinda self explanatory. Just to let you know, what ENG did was completely legal and so he's guaranteed to win in court. Keep checking http://www.wirah.com for updates.
A vaguely higher definition version is now available on Vimeo at http://www.vimeo.com/1051633. Thanks to United Chanology News for sorting that out.
2008-05-21, Daily Mail
A 15-year-old facing prosecution for holding up a placard which branded Scientology a "cult" has appealed for help to fight possible charges.
The unnamed teenager was served the summons by City of London police after taking part in a peaceful demonstration opposite the Church's London headquarters, on May 10.
2008-05-21, Edinburgh Evening News
Narconon Scotland has leafleted homes in the city, but the leaflets do not mention the quasi-religious group, despite using the principles of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard to treat addicts.
Tom Wood, chairman of the Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Action Team, said: "We know of this group, but we would only ever encourage people to attend credible counselling groups."
2008-05-21, Londonist
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, chances are it's a ... This was our thought upon reading the news that a teenage member of Scientology-protesting group Anonymous, who goes by the name EpicNoseGuy on the Enturbulation forums, had his sign confiscated at the May 10th anti-"Church" of Scientology protest in Queen Victoria Street by the City of London police, and has been issued with a court summons - all for using the word "cult" to describe the controversial "religion".
2008-05-21, BBC News
A 15-year-old is facing possible prosecution for holding up a placard which branded Scientology a "cult".
The teenager held up a sign which read, "Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult" in May, outside its headquarters in the City of London.
2008-05-21, George Pitcher, The Telegraph
The teenage boy facing prosecution for holding a placard saying that scientology is a "cult" serves to demonstrate the ridiculous mess that the Government has made of its attempts to protect religious observance in law.
This nameless boy has been served with a summons under section five of the Public Order Act, which seeks to restrict signs that might be considered "threatening, abusive or insulting." Meanwhile, we have a Racial and Religious Hatred Act, which passed into law in 2006 with the express purpose of making it an offence to incite hatred on religious grounds.
2008-05-21, The Mirror
A teenager faces prosecution for using the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology during a demonstration.
Police confiscated his placard during a demo opposite the London HQ of the religion made famous by actor Tom Cruise.
Protesters were banned by police from calling it a cult because the term was "abusive and insulting".
The 15-year-old has received a summons for a public order offence but human rights group Liberty said it was "barmy".
2002
19 years ago
2002-05-21, Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times
Lawrence Wollersheim was awarded millions of dollars, but he plans to keep living as a nomad in a solar-powered RV, connected to the world by a cellular phone with a secret number.
The ex-Scientologist came by his money in a unique fashion too: He won a grueling 22-year court battle against the Church of Scientology of California that went to the U.S. Supreme Court.
1999
22 years ago
1999-05-21, Charles Cooper, ZDNet
After absorbing withering criticism for its decision to stop selling a book critical of Scientology, Amazon.com has reversed itself.
The move to withdraw the book, "A Piece of Blue Sky," comes a day after a report published in Wired News triggered a rash of postings on Internet newsgroups.
1998
23 years ago
1998-05-21, Michael White, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Drug dealers may have been among the biggest losers when a satellite glitch silenced pagers across the country this week.
"That's about the only positive thing I can think of so far that's come out of this," police Lt. Anthony Alba said. "Hopefully this will make their efforts more difficult and cause more of them to get caught."
For the past decade or so, pushers have been using pagers to connect with customers.
1998-05-21, Michael White, Associated Press
"It also allows the drug dealer to see who is calling them. If it is an unfamiliar number, they will not call back, if they are moving a lot of product," Scott said in a telephone interview from a Narconon residential program in Newport Beach, where he enrolled two months ago to kick his meth addiction.
Getting rid of the pager is part of kicking drugs, said Clark Carr, president of Narconon International in Los Angeles.
"That's one of the first things we take when they come in," Carr said.
1998-05-21, Joseph Mallia, Boston Herald
Alone in a 15th-floor classroom, MIT sophomore Philip C. Gale drew a physics formula on a blackboard showing what happens when a body falls from a great height.
Then he slammed a chair through the classroom window and jumped more than 200 feet to his death, as horrified students watched from a plaza below.
1995
26 years ago
1995-05-21, Constance L. Hays, New York Times
From groups run by Lyndon LaRouche to Elizabeth Clare Prophet, cults have shifted their focus to the elderly.
"Cults recruit the elderly on the basis of their loneliness," says Margaret Singer, Berkeley, Calif., psychologist and a leading authority on cults whose book, "Cults in Our Midst" (Jossey-Bass, 1995), discusses the increasing number of elderly people joining up. "But they're going for their assets. Cults on the whole are out to get more money and more power, not to benefit the lives of the members."
1985
36 years ago1985-05-21, Associated Press
PORTLAND, ORE. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Some 2,000 people gathered in a park for a free concert by jazz pianist Chick Corea as members of the Church of Scientology continued a protest over a jury's verdict against their church.
Corea, speaking at a rally earlier Monday, said he had cut short a concert tour in Japan, the first such cancellation in his 20 years as a musician, so he could "support my group here."
"I, as a musician ... really value the right to speak freely and create freely and this is the issue that is under attack right now," Corea added.
1985-05-21, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The Church of Scientology has battled with the Internal Revenue Service and fought lawsuits filed by former members in the two decades since it was founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
The wealthy church has claimed up to 6 million members worldwide since the height of the movement in the early to mid-1970s. Defectors put the number at closer to 2 million.
At its peak, the church reportedly earned $100 million annually.
FrontCite 05/22/2021 07:56p
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