OK, so you’ve been seeing a lot more of Scientology on social media over the past couple of years. Especially from overseas. So here’s our question: Is Scientology actually doing more than before, or do we just get to see more of what they were always doing because they’re finally less shy about using the Internet?
We look forward to your vote on that. And to give you some reality on our comm, here’s some of what turned up on social media just yesterday…
Kristi Bouck at the South Coast Mission is Clear, everyone.
Actual caption from Angelika Mehrens: “My first Cigar! (I really don’t smoke or drink.) Celebrating SRD completion with my friend Biz!” in Beverly Hills!
Volunteer Ministers in Jalapa City, Guatemala, with the local mayor cutting the ribbon to the yellow tent and everything. Central America will be cleared in no time!
Scientology’s Youth for Human Rights is holding a summit at the UN! This is huge! Er, uh, maybe not. Says a UN employee: “We have five of those kinds of things every week.”
The Narconon in Budapest, Narconon Bringatúra, is taking part in a two-week bike ride around Hungary. We think. Aren’t you glad you know that now?
Serious question: Are people in Latvia more gullible, or what?
This family had breakfast at the Fort Harrison Hotel, which came with a helping of Jim Mathers freewheeling a whole track incident…
Self-Analysis in Sao Paolo!
In Denver, another happy Purif customer!
In the newspaper business, this is politely known as a “blowjob.”
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Yes, David Miscavige is really going there
Back on July 1, we asked our experts, will anything really keep Scientology leader David Miscavige from extending the Bridge to Total Freedom by releasing OT 9 & 10? Scientologists have been stuck on OT 8 since it was released in 1988, two years after the death of founder L. Ron Hubbard. And former Scientology executive Mark “Marty” Rathbun assured everyone that Hubbard didn’t leave behind anything beyond OT 8. But why couldn’t Miscavige just make something up, charge tens of thousands of dollars for it, and have hucksters like Bob Duggan and Grant Cardone first in line to learn how to clone themselves?
Well, former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder had a pretty remarkable flier on his blog yesterday. If this isn’t confirmation that Miscavige is going ahead with OT 9 & 10, and soon, we don’t know what is. This Bob Anderson fellow is advertised on this Stevens Creek flier as an OT 9 & 10 case supervisor…
And note the “FSSO” — which stands for the “Flag Ship Service Organization,” which runs the Freewinds cruise ship. So we’re guessing that means that for now, at least, OT 8, 9, and 10 will all be delivered on the high seas. Can you stand the excitement?
(By the way, remember how “Super Power” was going to be the biggest, best thing ever and the ne plus ultra of the Scientology experience? Ah, the memories.)
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BOOK NOTES
We didn’t get a chance to include photos in our book, so we’ve posted them at a dedicated page. Reader Sookie put together a complete index and we’re hosting it here on the website. Copies of the paperback version of ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely’ are on sale at Amazon. The Kindle edition is also available, and shipping instantly.
Tony Ortega’s upcoming appearances (and check out the interactive map to our ongoing tour)…
August 24: Boston, Boston Skeptics in the Pub, Hong Kong restaurant (1238 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge) 7 pm (with Gregg Housh)
Sept 15: Barrett the Honors College, Arizona State University, ASU in Downtown Phoenix campus, Walter Cronkite Theater, 5:30 pm
Sept 23: Cleveland, Parma Heights Library, 7pm sponsored by Center for Inquiry – Northeast Ohio
Sept 24: Minneapolis
Sept 27: Portland
Sept 28: Seattle, Razzi’s Pizzeria, 7 pm, with Seattle Skeptics and Seattle Atheists
Sept 29: Vancouver, BC, Seven Dining Lounge, 7 pm
Oct 23: Sydney, Giant Dwarf Theatre (with Sen. Nick Xenophon)
Oct 25: Melbourne
Oct 28: Adelaide (with Sen. Nick Xenophon)
Oct 30: Perth
Past dates: Santa Barbara (5/16), Hollywood (5/17), Orange County (5/17), San Diego (5/20), San Francisco (5/22), New York (6/11), Chicago (6/20), Toronto (6/22), Clearwater (6/28), Washington DC (7/12), Hartford (7/14), Denver (7/17), Dallas (7/20), Houston (7/22), San Antonio (7/24), Austin (7/25), Paris (7/29), London (8/4)
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 16, 2015 at 07:00
E-mail your tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT 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
