November 26 in Scientology history

It's Thanksgiving today in the United States. It is traditionally a day to spend with family (though in these Covid times everything is disrupted) and appreciate the good in your life. For many who read this they are reminded of the family and friends they are not sharing today with for another reason than Covid — scientology's inhumane practice of disconnection. But even if you miss a loved one today because of disconnection, you can be thankful that you are not in the bubble, but have the freedom to think for yourself. Those who have disconnected themselves from you do not have that luxury. They must comply. They can't choose their friends or who they are allowed to associate with unless the organization approves. Many of them will not have time to enjoy this day at all — Thursdays are not good days for "holidays" in scientology. They will be missing many of the things that make Thanksgiving special. So, be thankful you are no longer in that bubble, if for nothing else.

Tags: Disconnection, Quicky

It feels so strange to say that we hope on this Thanksgiving Day that you are not gathering with friends and family to celebrate the holiday. But then this has been a year like no other in our lifetimes. In March when we all went on lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic, we had no idea that we'd still be isolating ourselves in November. It's really gotten old, but it's very important that we all do our best to continue to follow guidelines and protect ourselves and our loved ones. So please, celebrate with your family virtually, and spend some time with us here at the Underground Bunker as well. Once again this year, we are giving thanks by remembering people who deserve never to be forgotten. Here again is our tribute...

Tags: 1953, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1995, 2002, 2013, 2019, Clearwater, Coronavirus, Denise Brennan, Disconnection, Flag Building, Florida, Fort Harrison, Gabe Cazares, Ida Camburn, Karen de la Carriere, Ken Urquhart, L. Ron Hubbard, Lisa McPherson, Lisa McPherson Trust, Nan McLean, Phin, Quentin Hubbard, Quicky, Robert Minton, Robert Vaughn Young, Super Power Building

Sands Hall could not resist the gravitational pull of Scientology when she was younger. The gravity reversed over time, and she found herself repelled by the religion, its practices, and its people. Hall tells the story in the book Reclaiming My Decade Lost to Scientology, which was previously published under the title Flunk. Start The author spent time in the region in the 70s, part of the acting company at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Tags: Oregon, Quicky, Sands Hall

GPB's Audit Committee has, or will, resign, no later than Wednesday, November 27, 2019. This is one day before the four day Thanksgiving Holiday in America. The timing is no accident. The resignation of the Audit Committee may well trigger the resignation of EisnerAmper as GPB's auditor in the very short term. If GPB's internal Audit Committee resigns, then how does an outside auditor have any confidence to proceed if its client's own committee does not? EisnerAmper and GPB's internal audit team both cited Michael Cohn as an excuse to delay the 2015 and 2016 financials. This is a transparent evasion as Cohn didn't even begin working at GPB until November 2018. It seems to us that GPB has looked for any and all excuses to indefinitely delay issuing its revised 2015 and 2016 SEC-required financial statements. These statements were issued and thereafter GPB's then-auditor withdrew its opinion of the statements. GPB has stonewalled now for two years on these statements. The longer GPB stonewalls, the more it looks like the firm is covering up wrongdoing, Crowe resigned as GPB's auditor rather than complete these statements. Crowe resigned by stating that GPB fell outside of its risk tolerance parameters. It now appears that GPB has used Michael Cohn's arrest has as yet another reason to refuse to issue the audited financial statements for 2015 and 2016.

Tags: 2015, 2016, 2018, Auditing, Michael Cohn, OT, Patrick Dibre, SEC

Poor Scientology leader David Miscavige. You know, you give someone a job for years as an indentured servant out at your Worker's Paradise on a secluded 500-acre California compound, make them cater to your every need 24 hours a day in your private quarters and blow a gasket every time your morning eggs aren't just right, and then after demoting them, make sure they can't leave the compound ever again to see family or friends because they know too much about you. And then, after they escape in the trunk of a car, they sue you? What's the world coming to? Since Scientology's ultimate honcho can't imagine why his former servant and base escapee would sue him, he can only come to the conclusion that she's taking part in a publicity stunt in order to harm his reputation.

Tags: 1953, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bavaria, California, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Hollywood, Hollywood Guaranty Building, Int Base, Jeffrey Riffer, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Mace-Kingsley Ranch, OT, Religious Technology Center, Ruin, Scientology and the Aftermath, Valerie Haney

After decades of decline, downtown Clearwater could be on the brink of re-inventing itself. Several promising signs of progress have popped up this month, positioning the city for significant steps forward in 2020 as a new mayor and a new city manager come on board. One of those significant steps is renewed communication between the city and the Church of Scientology, which is key to the long-term success of redevelopment of the downtown area largely controlled by the church and its followers. As the Tampa Bay Times' Tracey McManus and Kirby Wilson reported Tuesday, Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige met privately this month with three top city officials. It was the first face-to-face meeting between city government and Scientology in nearly three years. Decades of dealing with the church have taught the community to be cautious and skeptical. But an open line of communication is better than a cold war. Of course, the Church of Scientology has not made it easy. A Times investigation published last month detailed how Scientology and its followers quietly acquired retail property at an unprecedented rate in the last three years and doubled their footprint. As the Times reported, many of the properties were not on the market and half of the sales were for more than double the value of the properties set by the county property appraiser. The land rush occurred as the church stopped communicating with the city after the City Council voted unanimously in 2017 to buy a downtown lot from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for less than one-third the amount offered by Scientology.

Tags: 2017, 2020, Clearwater, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Coachman Park, David Miscavige, Editorial, Quicky, Tracey McManus, Trish Duggan, Twitter

Tracey McManus is on the ball again. Reporting on the ongoing efforts of Miscavige and Co. to fulfill their plans to make Clearwater the "first scientology city". Her latest story covers a recent meeting between scientology's capo di tutti capi and three non-elected city officials. Miscavige has had a long term relationship with City Manager Bill Horne and City Attorney Pam Aiken. It seems they brought along Michael Delk so he could be introduced to the big cheese. Miscavige first began schmoozing Bill Horne and Pam Aiken when he was here trying to keep his ass out of a sling in the Lisa McPherson case. Miscavige considers them to be his allies in the city and speaks of them in those terms — whether they are in fact or not. I recall plenty of times Miscavige barked out to his minions to "set up a meeting with Pam" or "get Bill on the phone" as if they were just another member of his organization. So, it was no surprise to me that this is who the meeting was with rather than with the Mayor and/or City Council.

Tags: Bill Horne, Bob Cundiff, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Facebook, Flag Building, George Cretekos, Lisa McPherson, Mark Bunker, Michael Delk, Pam Aiken, Quicky, Tampa Bay Times, Tracey McManus, Twitter, West Coast Building

You can pay money to hear from the guy who had 3 wives (though claimed he had no second wife), married while still married to another woman, beat his wife and disowned his own child and in the end abandoned them all. LRH is held out in scientology as the paragon of virtuous family man... The bubble=dwellers just accept this as "fact." In all things LRH was beyond reproach. So much so that his words on any subject are considered to be unalterable and life-saving truth. Even on subjects where he was clearly NOT a model for anyone to pattern their lives on. Forget Margaret (Polly) and Sara, even Mary Sue ended up abandoned and alone after taking the fall for Hubbard. Hardly a wonderful marriage — him living in a bus in Creston, her living under virtual house arrest in Los Angeles, with Miscavige spies in her home to report on her 24/7.

Tags: Creston, David Miscavige, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Mary Sue Hubbard, OT, Quicky

We have a very special item for you today, one of Sunny Pereira's best pieces yet. There were few people in a better position to raise these questions about one of Scientology's central mysteries — the 'Clear.' I must have had an amused look on my face. My boss, the Senior Case Supervisor, in charge of all Scientology technical standards for our Scientology (and Sea Org) org, was glaring at me. I was fighting back the urge to burst into laughter. I was sure this had to be an April Fool's joke. But in November? I looked at her again, and apparently she was serious. "So, you are telling me that in order for us to verify a person who claims to be a Past Life Clear, we have to find out their name from their previous lifetime, get all their past life auditing files brought in, and find the proof of Clear in those past life folders? And you are telling me this is coming from Chairman of the Board, RTC, David Miscavige?" I asked her. "Yes," she told me with a straight face, and walked off. I wondered for a moment if it would have been appropriate to salute her at that moment.

Tags: AOLA, ASHO, Case Supervisor, Chairman of the Board, Class VI, Clear, Clear Certainty Rundown, David Miscavige, Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard Way, OT, Past Life, Religious Technology Center, Saint Hill Special Briefing Course, Sea Org, State of Clear, Sunny Pereira, Suppressive Person, Teegeeack, Toronto

Winter Wonderland is coming to Clearwater once again. What is different about this year? It's not the fact that scientologists pretend to celebrate Christmas when they believe christians are "wogs" who need to be saved — that has always been the case. I have included excerpts from a couple of choice Hubbard writings on the importance of "Safe Pointing" areas and how scientologists are expected to view and address other religions. No, this year their promotion has NO MENTION of scientology. Apparently Winter Wonderland is done by the "Clearwater Community Volunteers" and the word scientology appears nowhere.

Tags: 1954, 1973, 1994, Buddha, City of Clearwater, Clearwater, Clearwater Community Volunteers, Doctor, Jim Coates, LAPD, Lee Baca, Los Angeles, Passport, Pinellas County, Pinellas County Sheriff's Department, Quicky, Safe Point, Tampa, Tony Ortega, Winter Wonderland

The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you. SHOP FOR CRITICAL MERCHANDISE http://shop.spreadshirt.com/chrisshelton

Tags: Audio, Critic, Quicky, Scientology: A to Xenu

The Underground Bunker has learned the identity of the Church of Scientology official who interrogated actor Danny Masterson and one of the four women accusing him of rape, shortly after the incident happened on April 25, 2003. That official is a well known auditor at Scientology's Hollywood Celebrity Centre by the name of Angie LaClaire. It is unclear at this point whether the church has made LaClaire available for questioning by the LAPD in the investigation of Masterson which began about a year ago. But multiple sources familiar with that investigation tell us that although Angie LaClaire interrogated her fellow Scientologists over accusations of a felony rape in 2003, the church didn't pass on that information to the police.

Tags: 1995, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Advanced Org, Andre Dawson, Angie LaClaire, AOLA, Arturo Sandoval, Celebrity, Celebrity Centre, Charlie Beck, Daily Beast, Danny Masterson, E-meter, Esther Reyes, Greg LaClaire, Hollywood, Hollywood Police Activities League, Huffington Post, Human trafficking, Jenni Weinman, Karen Hollander, LAPD, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Marlow Stern, Marty Singer, Merrell Vannier, Michael Jackson, Michael Peña, Missing documents, Non-disclosure agreement, Police, Sexual assault, Suppressive Person, Tom Mesereau, Yashar Ali

Originally posted on Facebook by Graveyard shift. See original link & full credit to creators.

Tags: Facebook, Quicky, Shelly Miscavige

I have known Brian since the days of the Apollo. He is a highly intelligent, gifted man. Tony Ortega covered his story in July 2015 and has done a couple of follow ups since then. Tony posted this video a couple of days ago but I only had a chance to watch it yesterday. Brian has put together a brilliant video. The genius of this is distilling so much relevant information into a short, clear, professional and easy to follow message. Give it a watch. I think it deserves some attention.

Tags: 2015, Apollo, Brian Sheen, Quicky, Tony Ortega

We've had a pretty good relationship with the National Enquirer's online sister publication, RadarOnline. It often jumps on our stories before anyone else, and can usually be counted on to provide a link and a shout out. We really appreciate it. And its own stories about Scientology have often been solid. But then, earlier this year, Jen Heger left the publication, and lately, well, Radar has been shoveling pure shit into Scientology cyberspace. The latest piece it put out that's getting a lot of notice is based entirely on a simple observation: Tom Cruise did not attend last week's grand opening of a new "Ideal Org" in San Diego that was presided over by Scientology leader David Miscavige. Now, here's what you should conclude from that piece of information: Absolutely nothing. Miscavige always shows up at Ideal Org openings, and Tom Cruise almost never does. In fact, the only time we can remember Tom showing up at an Ideal Org grand opening was in Madrid in 2004. He wasn't at the other 50 or so openings, and he sure as hell wouldn't be expected at a second-tier city like San Diego. (Love the town, but it's not a world capital.)

Tags: 2004, Church of Spiritual Technology, Clearwater, David Miscavige, England, Florida, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, Jen Heger, John Travolta, Jon Atack, Kirstie Alley, London, Madrid, National Enquirer, New Mexico, Quicky, San Diego, Tampa Bay Times, Tom Cruise

An interview with cult survivor Kristiana Miner about her involvement in the Quiverfull movement, Bill Gothard's destructive cult and the influence of Michael Pearl's sadistic methods of child training. Her childhood was an ordeal but her recovery has been amazing and she explains how it all happened here.

Tags: Bill Gothard, Cult, Josh Duggar, Quicky, Quiverfull

Many people have no idea what homeopathy is; they think it's just some kind of herbal medicine. Actually it's incredibly silly. It has been called "the ultimate fake" and "delusions about dilutions." It has been tested and shown not to work, and basic science tells

Tags: Homeopathy, Quicky

The Church of Scientology has faced stern opposition from the Russian government, in relation to the organization being perceived as a money making cult, with Moscow courts taking a harsh position against David Miscavige's group. How religious laws in Russia, and the unsympathetic court system are organizing to isolate, and ultimately, extinguish Scientology is explored with Scientology investigative journalist Jonny Jacobsen in the first part of our uncensored Media Mayhem discussion of Scientology in Europe, hosted by Allison Hope Weiner. GUEST BIO: Jonny Jacobsen is the author of the Infinite Complacency website tracking violence and abuse in Scientology and also contributes to Tony Ortega's Underground Bunker on the same subject.. He trained as a journalist in the late 1980s with the Birmingham Post and Mail group and spent several years freelancing in Scotland before moving to Paris in 1994, where he is still based. His first investigative piece on Scientology was in 1996 as a reporter/producer with Radio France International.

Tags: 1980, 1994, 1996, Allison Hope Weiner, Birmingham Post, CIA, David Miscavige, Europe, France, Infinite Complacency, Jonny Jacobsen, Moscow, Paris, Quicky, Russia, Scotland, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker

As you might have expected, Thursday Funnies this week is dominated by Thanksgiving items with a theme of trying to attract people to come to scientology orgs with potluck dinners in order to have some turkeys on hand to squeeze the stuffing out of. It is somewhat incongruous for "churches" to be insisting that people bring their own food or BUY their Thanksgiving dinners, I can imagine you would be hard pressed to find another church in the United States that has this approach to Thanksgiving, and especially not one that has billions of dollars and claims their expansion is straight up and vertical... One day a year of displaying a little charity would be too much to ask of course. But we must begin today with one of the strangest pieces I have ever seen (and that is saying something).

Tags: Bob Duggan, CCHR, David Miscavige, Flag Ship Service Organization, Freewinds, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, Matt Feshbach, Miami, Milano, New Year's Eve, Puerto Rico, Quicky, Regraded Being, Shermanspeak, Sunday service, Taiwan, Thursday Funnies, Tokyo, Tony Ortega, Twin Cities

Here in the United States, today is the biggest Thursday of the year. It's the day we give thanks, and the Underground Bunker certainly has a lot to be thankful for this year. We thought we'd pause this Thanksgiving and express our gratitude to the many people who have made this the best year of reporting Scientology that we've ever experienced. And first and foremost, we have to thank... Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble

Tags: Aaron Smith-Levin, Adelaide, Alex Gibney, Alex Hageli, Allison Hope Weiner, Amy Scobee, Andreas Heldal-Lund, Andrew Perez, Arel Lucas, Arnaldo Lerma, Austin, Barbara Carrellas, Bent Corydon, Bernie Headley, Bert Leahy, Bill Franks, Boston, Brandon Ogborn, Bruce Hines, Bryan Seymour, Camilla Andersson, Canada, Chad Essley, Chicago, Chris Owen, Chris Shelton, Christian Stolte, Christie Collbran, Christine Hansen, Chuck Beatty, Cindy Plahuta, Claire Headley, Clearwater, Cleveland, Conway Hall, Dallas, Dave Fagen, David Love, Dee Findlay, Dennis Erlich, Denver, Derek Bloch, Ford Greene, Fort Harrison, Frank Oliver, Garry Scarff, George White, Gerry Armstrong, Graham Berry, Gustavo Arellano, Hartley Patterson, Houston, Humfrey Hunter, James Beverley, Jamie DeWolf, Jason Beghe, Jeff Jacobsen, Jefferson Hawkins, Jeffrey Augustine, Jerry Whitfield, Jesse Prince, Jim Dincalci, Jim Jackson, Jim Lippard, Joel Sappell, John Brousseau, John Duignan, John McGhee, John Sweeney, Jon Atack, Jonny Jacobsen, Joy Graysen, Karen de la Carriere, Kate Bornstein, Kathy Nather Thomas, Keith Henson, Kim O'Brien, Kristen Vaurio, Larry Anderson, Laura Dieckman, Lauren Wolf, Lawrence Wright, Leah Remini, Len Zinberg, Lisa McPherson, London, Lori Hodgson, Los Angeles, Louis Theroux, Lynn Campbell, Mareka Brousseau, Mark Bunker, Mark Ebner, Mark Fisher, Mark Plummer, Martin Ottmann, Martin Padfield, Marty Rathbun, Mary Kahn, Mary McConnell, Mat Pesch, Maureen Bolstad, Melbourne, Melissa Paris, Meshell Little, Michael Fairman, Michael Laws, Michael Tilse, Mike Rinder, Minnesota Atheists, Monique Rathbun, Nan McLean, Nancy Many, Nathan Baca, Nick Lister, Nick Xenophon, Nora Crest, Ohio, Paris, Patty Moher, Paul Haggis, Paul Noble, Paulette Cooper, Paulien Lombard, Perth, Pete Combs, Pete Griffiths, Phoenix, Portland, Quicky, R.M. Seibert, Ramana Dienes-Browning, Ray Jeffrey, Renata Lugli, Richard Behar, Richard Horgan, Richard Ruelas, Rick Ross, Rita Boykin, Robert Sheaffer, Robert Wilonsky, Rocio Garcia, Roger Boswarva, Ron Newman, Room 174, Russell Miller, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Scott Pilutik, Seattle, Shelley Ashurst, Simi Valley, Simon Chinn, Sinar Parman, Skeptics, Spanky Taylor, Spike Robinson, St. Paul, Stephen Kent, Steve Cannane, Steve Hall, Steven Hassan, Steven Mango, Sunny Pereira, Sweden, Sydney, Tampa, Tim DeWall, Tom DeVocht, Toronto, Tory Christman, Ursula Caberta, Valerie Demange, Valeska Paris, Vancouver, Virginia, Yannus Sufandi

The church is notoriously litigious and does not take kindly to people snooping into their affairs, as John Sweeney found out in the BBC documentary Scientology and Me. It did not take kindly to Wright's book, which contains allegations of physical abuse.

Tags: Alex Gibney, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, HBO, Hollywood Reporter, John Sweeney, Lawrence Wright, Sheila Nevins

Karen de la Carriere and Jeff Augustine recently met with Vance Woodward (center) We're still waiting for a big decision from the Texas Third Court of Appeals regarding Monique Rathbun's harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. You may remember that Scientology appealed Comal County Judge Dib Waldrip's denial of Scientology's "anti-SLAPP" motion that would have pretty much crippled Monique's lawsuit. Monique's lawyer Leslie Hyman seemed to get the better of Scientology's legal team in the oral arguments for this appeal, but we've been told not to assume anything until the three-justice panel makes its ruling. And while we wait, we learned that Scientology's appeals lawyer Thomas Leatherbury has filed a new document, asking the appeals court to take notice of an unrelated case in Los Angeles. Vance Woodward sued Scientology there, and his lawsuit was dismissed after the church filed a successful anti-SLAPP motion. Quick background: Vance was in Scientology for more than 20 years, gave a lot of money to the San Francisco org, then left, wrote a book about his experiences, and then helped us as we blogged Dianetics from cover to cover. The judge who dismissed his lawsuit, however, said that Vance had made his action too much about how Scientology operates as a church in a lawsuit that was supposed to be about getting a refund. Vance has filed a motion to reconsider.

Tags: California, Comal County, David Miscavige, Dianetics, First Amendment, Jeffrey Augustine, Judge Dib Waldrip, Karen de la Carriere, Leslie Hyman, Los Angeles, Monique Rathbun, Quicky, Rathbun v. Scientology, San Francisco, SLAPP, Texas, Texas Third Court of Appeals, Thomas Leatherbury, TX Lawyer, US Supreme Court, Vance Woodward

CPD stopped by to chat about the LMT injunction. In the end, nothing was done but they did renew a trespass warning I received back in March and informed me that a city ordinance prevented me from protesting in front of the SP Building's exits, which they interpreted as the entire space between the main two sets of doors. Seems like a rather liberal interpretation of exit if you ask me.

Tags: Quicky, Sea Org

Here is something a Special Correspondent just forwarded to me: This week's international Mission Birthday Game Standings. It follows perfectly from my Sunday Redux post The Missions of Scientology — Where Are They? (and yesterday's with Jeff Hawkin's classic infographic). When that Missions posting was written in March 2013 there were 325 missions internationally.

Tags: 2013, AMA, ANZO, APA, Author Services Inc, Belleair Mission, Birthday Game, CIA, David Miscavige, DEA, Dublin, Environmental Protection Agency, INCOMM, Ireland, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Mission, Mission Network, OCA, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Pete Griffiths, PITA Group, Quicky, SEC, Taiwan, UK, USA

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 continued to lead us up Scientology's "Bridge to Total Freedom" as we began our look at Operating Thetan Level Two. With help from former top auditor Bruce Hines, we learned about the incredibly ancient "GPMs" which lie in wait along our "whole track" as we prepare to travel far back into our pasts through auditing. In fact, these incidents — booby traps implanted by "evil psychs" trillions and trillions of years ago — continue to be the source of our troubles today, and so it's necessary to go back and neutralize them. Cowabunga.

Tags: 1990, 2005, Advanced Org, AOLA, Auditing, Austin, Bridge to Total Freedom, Bruce Hines, Claire Headley, David Miscavige, E-meter, Golden Age of Tech, Int Base, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Monique Rathbun, Monty Drake, Operating Thetan, OT, Private investigator, Quicky, Sea Org, Silver Lake, SLAPP, Steven Gregory Sloat, Texas, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Warren McShane

An unusual case of human trafficking in Britain is generating extensive coverage in the world press. Police and other professionals fighting human trafficking seem amazed that the victims in this case appear to have been virtual slaves for 30 years without being physically restrained. One senior officer has spoken vividly of the "invisible handcuffs" that appeared to bind the three women involved to their alleged captors.

Tags: Austria, BBC, BBC Radio 4, California, Charity, Cults in Our Midst, Elizabeth, Human trafficking, Janja Lalich, London, Malaysia, Margaret Singer, Mexico, Police, Quicky, Scotland Yard

Shameless plug: An earlier post today highlights a poster listing the most common logical fallacies in persuasive writing. Read this carefully every day for a week or two and you will find yourself making fewer logical mistakes in your own writing, and you will have great fun seeing what gaping errors people make in the arguments they use to sell you stuff, get you to vote for them, etc. Tony Ortega's Blog Today's post reports that Leah Remini was officially declared a Suppressive Person by the cult. While the biggest wave of actual disconnections has already taken place, this move is yet another own goal by Miscavige since it gives the Hollywood gossip press another chance to revisit the disconnection story, just when it was starting to die down a bit.

Tags: 2005, Anonymous, Auckland, Census, China, Christian, Clearwater, Craigslist, Critic, Cult, Dancing With the Stars, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Durban, Facebook, Hollywood, Huffington Post, Ideal Org, Independent Scientology, Jefferson Hawkins, Jennifer Lopez, Johannesburg, Katie Holmes, Leah Remini, Michael Tilse, Mike Rinder, Music, Narconon, Paulette Cooper, PC folders, Pretoria, Quicky, Roslyn Cohn, Sam Domingo, Skip Press, South Africa, Sunday Funnies, Suppressive Person, Tom Cruise, Tony Ortega, Turkey, WhyWeProtest

Today's news seems to be focused on the new Mark VIII e-meter, with some commenters noting that it bears more than a passing resemblance to the recently redesigned Kenner Easy-Bake Oven. Some say that this is because Ideo, the legendary design firm that did tons of iconic products over the years including many for Apple, did both products. In a comment on Mike Rinder's blog, not yet moderated by press time, I said that the design of the new e-meter isn't half bad, and could well have been done by Ideo. And I'm actually serious. The good design doesn't excuse the stupidity of leaving this thing in a warehouse for a decade or a lot of other mistakes in the GAT2 rollout, but it's not bad design by itself. Also, life seems to have dealt Mr. Thomas C. Mapother IV a mixed bag today. My Blog

Tags: 1984, ABC, Anonymous, Apple, Austin, Bauer Media, Bruce Hines, Claire Headley, Cracked, David Miscavige, E-meter, George Orwell, Germany, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, International Association of Scientologists, Laura Prepon, Leah Remini, London, Mediterranean, Mike Rinder, Monique Rathbun, Monty Drake, National Book Award, OT, Quicky, Sarah Palin, Super Power, Super Power Building, The Australian, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Tony Ortega, Valley Ideal Org, Warren McShane, WhyWeProtest

Someone on Ortega's blog this morning put up a picture of the Hasbro Easy Bake oven and compared it to the Warehouse VIII. Striking similarity. And worth a laugh. But believe me, in the world of Miscavige, when he becomes aware of this, heads will roll.

Tags: 2011, Apple, Church of Spiritual Technology, David Miscavige, International Management, Quicky, Russ Bellin, The Hole, Tom Vorm

This really requires no comment. But I increasingly think many Corporate Scientologists do now believe that Miscavige is the reincarnation of LRH. What He says has the same force of command as anything from Hubbard.

Tags: Chairman of the Board, David Miscavige, Ideal Org, L. Ron Hubbard, Mountain View, Quicky, San Diego, Santa Barbara

After a long day of testimony in a Clearwater, Florida courtroom, Ken Dandar tells us that retired Judge Crockett Farnell has scheduled written closing arguments in his secret trial to be submitted by December 27. Today's proceedings, which involved Scientology submitting evidence to bolster its claim that it deserves to be awarded more than $1.1 million in sanctions against Dandar, were closed to the public and press, and Scientology even requested that windows in the court doors be covered to prevent anyone from seeing inside (see photo above). Scientology is suing Dandar because he represented a client in a 2009 wrongful death lawsuit against the church after promising never to sue the church again when the Lisa McPherson wrongful death lawsuit was settled in 2004. Dandar denies that he made such a promise, but Farnell has determined that Dandar acted in bad faith when he violated that 2004 agreement.

Tags: 2004, 2009, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Florida, Judge Crockett Farnell, Judge Virginia Covington, Ken Dandar, Lisa McPherson, Marty Rathbun, Quicky, Scientology executive

Every point you find impenetrable in the realm of work on the Way is just your own mind making obstacles. If this mind would acquiesce completely, you would arrive at the state of Buddhas and Zen masters immediately, and there would be nothing supposedly obstructing you anymore. -Ming-pen, Zen master The freedom of an individual depends upon that individual's freedom to alter his considerations of space, energy,time and forms of life, and his roles in it. If he cannot change his mind about these, he is then fixed and enslaved amidst barriers such as those of the physical universe and barriers of his own creation. Man thus is seen to be enslaved by barriers of his own creation. He creates these barriers himself or by agreeing with things which hold these barriers to be actual.

Tags: Buddha, Quicky, The Creation of Human Ability

Dear All: I have resigned from the Church of Scientology under its current leadership by writing a letter of resignation to the Ethics Officers and MAAs of all the orgs where I have been on lines since becoming a Scientologist in 1969. I am now an Independent Scientologist. The letter is below:

Tags: 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1998, 2009, 2010, Anderson Cooper, Basics, Catholic Church, Christie Collbran, Clear, CNN, Code of Honor, David Miscavige, DC, Delphian School, Disconnection, Ethics, Ethics Officer, FBI, Freewinds, Fundamentals of Thought, Geir Isene, Golden Age of Tech, Independent, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, Luis Garcia, Master at Arms, Mike Rinder, Mission, New York City, New York Times, OT, OT 7, OT VIII, Paris, Pope, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Sea Org, Seattle, St. Petersburg Times, Suppressive Person, Word Clearing

We're still recovering here in the underground bunker from this week's big feast. The leftover turkey is still holding out as we look back on the past week of Scientology watching here at Runnin' Scared.

Tags: 1968, 1970, 1971, 1998, 2000, A&E, ADHD, Aleister Crowley, Anonymous, Apollo, Autism, Boston, CCHR, Chill EB, Christian, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Dennis Erlich, Florida, Guy Fawkes, International Association of Scientologists, Jefferson Hawkins, Jewish, Kate Bornstein, Kools, L. Ron Hubbard, Lauri Webster, Mark Miglio, Mediterranean, New Year's Eve, New York City, Patty Moher, Paulette Cooper, Portugal, Scientology executive, Sunday Funnies, Super Power, Super Power Building, Synthia Fagen, Taiwan, The Scandal of Scientology, Tom Cruise, Twitter, YouTube

A message to everyone who is under the radar by Tiziano Lugli Right about now I am in transit from TEXAS, where I spent an amazing week with Marty and Mosey. My wife just finished OTV and started her steps to audit herself on Solo NOTs. Marty and myself (like many others) have been philosophizing for a while on what needs to be done, our objectives and the general situation with Scientology, LRH, DM, OSA, people half-IN and half-OUT, all legal actions, investigations, and everything that goes with it.

Tags: Anonymous, BBC, Buddha, CIA, Clear, Cult, David Miscavige, FBI, Harry Potter, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, Implants, International Association of Scientologists, Italy, Jesus, L. Ron Hubbard, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Police, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Tiziano Lugli

-- UPDATE: SETTLED OUT OF COURT, DECEMBER 2010 -- Scientology leader David Miscavige has been targeted in a lawsuit by a former member who says he worked for the movement as a "virtual slave" from the age of eight. A former Scientologist who says he worked for the movement from the age of just eight and was "a virtual slave" is suing Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige.

Tags: 1970, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2010, California, Church of Scientology International, Congress, David Miscavige, Disconnection, First Amendment, Golden Era Productions, Hemet, Human trafficking, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, John Lindstein, John Peeler, Lawsuit, Marc Headley, Passport, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Religious Technology Center, Sleep deprivation

Mr. Armstrong told Madam Justice Hilda McKinlay that the sect's Los Angeles-based international office was apparently responsible for more than $6-million in mortgages placed on the Yonge Street offices of the Church of Scientology of Toronto within weeks of the jury making the award on Oct. 3, 1991.

Tags: Canada, Casey Hill, Clayton Ruby, Justice Hilda McKinlay, Libel, Marc Somerville, Morris Manning, Ontario, Robert Armstrong, Secondary copy, Toronto

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) _ A court Tuesday overturned a temporary injunction barring the sale of more than 320,000 copies of the Swiss editions of a Reader's Digest issue that contained material critical of the Church of Scientology. Lawyers for Reader's Digest had challenged a Sept. 17 Lausanne court ruling that blocked Swiss distribution of the October issue's German-language and French-language versions. Swiss subscribers were mailed the issue in defiance of the court order because it violated press freedom, said Hans Bosshard, the local managing editor.

Tags: Baptiste Rusconi, France, Germany, Hans Bosshard, Italy, Lawyer, Libel, Los Angeles, Netherlands, Quicky, Reader's Digest, Switzerland, Time magazine, USA

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) _ A court Tuesday overturned a temporary injunction barring the sale of more than 320,000 copies of the Swiss editions of a Reader's Digest issue that contained material critical of the Church of Scientology. Lawyers for Reader's Digest had challenged a Sept. 17 Lausanne court ruling that blocked Swiss distribution of the October issue's German-language and French-language versions. Swiss subscribers were mailed the issue in defiance of the court order because it violated press freedom, said Hans Bosshard, the local managing editor.

Tags: Baptiste Rusconi, France, Hans Bosshard, Italy, Lawyer, Libel, Los Angeles, Netherlands, Quicky, Reader's Digest, Switzerland, Time magazine, USA

Actress Kirstie Alley, who spent the Thanksgiving weekend with relatives in Wichita, Kan., took time Sunday for a trip to Oklahoma and a visit to the newest home of a drug rehabilitation program she says saved her life.

Tags: Chilocco Indian School, Kirstie Alley, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Oklahoma, Parker Stevenson

WICHITA, KAN. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley said her whole life changed when she broke free of drug addiction. "It changed my relationship with my family," she said. "I started telling the truth, which was a big difference for me. I started having real relationships. I married a really hot-looking guy. I started a career rather late in life from what most actors and actresses start their careers." Alley, who spent the Thanksgiving weekend with relatives in Wichita, said she has been drug free since entering the Narconon program in Los Angeles in 1979. On Sunday, she and her husband, actor Parker Stevenson, visited Narconon Chilocco, the group's new drug rehabilitation center outside Newkirk, Okla.

Tags: 1954, 1956, 1970, 1979, 1981, 1987, Detroit, Kansas, Kirstie Alley, Los Angeles, Michigan, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, New York, Newkirk, Paris, Parker Stevenson, Quicky, Ray Bradbury, Wichita

MADRID -- A judge ordered nine people jailed Tuesday as part of a fraud and forgery probe of the Church of Scientology. Three Americans, including the church's president, were among 71 people arrested. Judge Jose Maria Vazquez Honrubia said he was still questioning people arrested in a police sweep of Scientology members on Sunday. The raid capped a nine-month investigation into complaints by Spaniards who said they had been bilked by the church. Questioning of suspects was delayed two hours Tuesday after a bomb threat forced the evacuation of Madrid's 21st District Court.

Tags: 1954, 1984, Bomb threat, Church of Scientology International, Heber Jentzsch, Internal Revenue Service, Judge Vazquez Honrubia, Madrid, Narconon, Quicky, Spain, Washington

"Dianetics," it says, splashed seven times in bold logos on each of the two yellow race cars - one to be driven by veteran racer Mario Andretti. Dianetics is the name of a best-selling self-help book by the late L. Ron Hubbard and published by Bridge Publications of Los Angeles. Dianetics is also the "science" of freeing deep-seated psychological problems that is the basis of the Church of Scientology, a group founded by Hubbard. And Dianetics - the logo, the book and the philosophy - is inseparable from Scientology, say former sect members. So what's this have to do with race cars?

Tags: 1960, Bridge Publications, Church of Scientology International, Dianetics, Hana Whitfield, Heber Jentzsch, Indianapolis, Judge Honrubia, Los Angeles, Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Publisher, Scott Welch, Spain, Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. -- Publishers for the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, have discovered a new way to promote his controversial ideas -- they're sponsoring a stock car racing team. Two bright yellow Porsches in this weekend's GTE World Challenge of Tampa sportthe logo, 'Dianetics,' title of Hubbard's best-selling self-help book and the 'science' of healing deep-seated psychological problems that is the heart of Scientology. One of the cars was to be driven by Mario Andretti.

Tags: 1960, 1970, Bridge Publications, Church of Scientology International, Clearwater, Dianetics, Hana Whitfield, Heber Jentzsch, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Publisher, Quicky, Scott Welch, Spain, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa

IN AN AGE in which everything was permitted, yet little seemed real, the Rev. Jim Jones promised a refuge. At his Peoples Temples in California and in the jungles of Guyana, little enough was permitted - disciples surrendered property, privacy, logic, freedoms. And in a blaze of certainty lit by Jones' charisma, paranoia, deceits and power lust, they found the final reality - death. "They were smiling . . . they were genuinely happy," said Mark Lane, a lawyer for the cult who fled into the jungle just before the mass suicide began with the pouring of cyanide into babies' mouths.

Tags: 1950, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977, Boston, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, California, Charles Manson, Children of God, China, Christian, Cult, David Berg, Divine Light Mission, Europe, France, Guru Maharaj Ji, Guyana, Hare Krishna, Houston, Japan, Jesus, Jewish, Jim Jones, John Clark, Jonestown, Leo J. Ryan, Los Angeles, LSD, Mark Lane, Maryland, Medical, Mind control, Mormon, National Institute of Mental Health, Peoples Temple, Politics, Quicky, Robert Lifton, San Francisco, Sleep deprivation, Synanon, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Tibet, Transcendental Meditation, Unification Church, Vietnam, William Sargant