ML Nestel at the Daily Beast takes a long look at our book ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely’ this morning, revealing some of the startling facts that we managed to dig up while working with Paulette Cooper to describe her long ordeal as Scientology’s most famous target for retaliation.
Some folks in UK will be getting their paperbacks as soon as tonight, and some in the US tomorrow. The Kindle version ships at midnight as Thursday begins. We hope that you find the book as worthy of your time as Nestel apparently did…
“The book is a wallop of a read and Cooper is presented as sympathetic, tragic, and, for a brief bit, unreliable, as she allegedly plots against the Church in her own way. But Ortega also makes some incredible claims that seem to rely upon deep reportage, tracking down people Ortega identifies as long-lost Scientologists and weaving their testimonials into a gripping narrative.”
We did manage to track down some really interesting people who had never spoken to a reporter about those days when Paulette was Scientology’s public enemy number one. We’ll go into more specifics in future posts. But for now, we wanted you to see what Nestel got from the book, and we hope you have similarly strong reactions to it.
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Jonny Jacobsen
Our man in Paris, British journalist Jonny Jacobsen, jumped on a news story out of Australia today regarding Narconon. Once again another country takes action while practically the exact same situation exists here in the United States. Take it away, Jonny…
An Australian consumer watchdog has fined a branch of Scientology’s drug rehab program Narconon for deceptive advertising and ordered it to put its house in order.
The operation targeted runs two websites, Get Off Drugs and Get Off Drugs Naturally, both part of Narconon Australia – and both registered non-profits.
The State of Victoria’s Consumer Affairs unit acted after the group failed to substantiate claims on its website that:
— It had an 80 percent success rate getting addicts completely off drugs, “usually within 30 days” and;
— a more than 70 percent success rate “over many years” for its programme.
The statement, from Consumers Affairs Victoria, also noted that the two websites ran testimonials from “patients” who had taken part in its programmes (their scare quotes, not mine). It added:
However, when it was issued with a substantiation notice by Consumer Affairs Victoria in October 2014, the association was unable to provide evidence that ten testimonials were genuinely from patients, or that all the claims made about the treatment program were supported by independently verified scientific evidence. Get Off Drugs Naturally also claimed that its ‘detoxification program thoroughly removes the physical cravings for drugs and alcohol naturally and even rids the body of unwanted toxins and chemicals.’ It claimed that more than 70 per cent of participants stayed drug free ‘for many years’ after completing the program.
This of course is a reference to the Purification Rundown, the “cure” devised by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard which includes aerobic exercises, long sessions in a sauna and mega-doses of vitamins (a program which according to some medical professionals is potentially dangerous).
Consumer Affairs Victoria has ordered the group not just to remove the false claims – and the unsubstantiated testimony – but to post a notice at its website for six months saying:
— the information on the website is not a substitute for medical advice, and;
— claims on the website about testing have not been independently reviewed or verified.
It ordered the group to pay $3,000 to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund (that’s US $2,370 ).
Get Off Drugs executive director Andrew Cunningham told reporter Matthew Johnston at the news.com.au website that they were working with Consumer Affairs to clarify the web content.
Anyone doing the program first needed to consult a “healthcare professional” for advice, he said,
“We have been organising a scientific, peer-review study here in Australia,” he added.
He also claimed: “We have assisted hundreds of addicts and their families, over a decade, to become drug free and productive members of society.”
A link to the detailing ruling is posted at the bottom of Consumer Affairs Victoria’s press statement.
— Jonny Jacobsen
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Bonus photos from our tipsters
Larry and Terri twinned their way through the SRD at Stevens Creek!
Finding the way to happiness in India!
…and in Latvia!
…and digging human rights in Tlaxcala, Mexico!
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BOOK NOTES
We have some big news…
THE PAPERBACK VERSION OF ‘THE UNBREAKABLE MISS LOVELY’ IS NOW ON SALE
We heard from enough people who want physical copies of the book in time for our appearances in California next week that our publisher, Silvertail Books, has released the paperback early. (The Kindle version still ships on our official publication date, Thursday, May 14.)
The Kindle edition is now available for pre-order at Amazon, and will be delivered on May 14.
Our appearances…
May 16: Santa Barbara Humanist Society (with Paulette Cooper), 3:00 pm
May 17: Center for Inquiry-West, Los Angeles, 4773 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 11 am (with Paulette Cooper)
May 17: CFI Orange County (Costa Mesa), 4:30 pm (with Paulette Cooper)
May 20, San Diego (with Paulette Cooper)
May 22: San Francisco (with Jamie DeWolf and Paulette Cooper)
June 11: New York City (with Paulette Cooper)
June 20: Chicago The Annoyance Theater, 5pm (with Christian Stolte) This event is free, but reserve your tickets now!
June 22/23: Toronto (with Paulette Cooper)
June 27/28: Florida (with Paulette Cooper)
July 12: Washington DC, Center for Inquiry
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 11, 2015 at 07:00
E-mail your tips and story ideas to tonyo94@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. Here at the Bunker we try to have a post up every morning at 7 AM Eastern (Noon GMT), and on some days we post an afternoon story at around 2 PM. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of LA attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer
The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill
The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
