It’s on to the Twin Cities today after a great night in Ohio. We want to thank Miss Tia for showing us around Cleveland yesterday and then making sure we got to the venue in time. The Bunker contingent last night was something else. And how great to meet regulars like Frodis73, KnitNut, FlyOnTheWall, and Jimmy3.
Today, we’re really looking forward to a special treat: We’ll be appearing live, in-studio at the Lori & Julia Show at MyTalk 107.1, a show we’ve been on numerous times by telephone before. Lori & Julia are a lot of fun, and they care about getting things right when it comes to Scientology. How fun to get to meet them and talk about things in studio with them!
We hope you can join us at our event at 7 pm. It’s in Roseville, at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill, 2801 Snelling Ave, and it’s being sponsored by Minnesota Atheists.
Now, on to some new stuff in the world of Scientology. We want to thank Jeffrey Augustine for sending us his latest podcast, a really great interview with Bill Franks. Bill was once the ED Int — the Executive Director International — one of the highest positions in Scientology. We talked to Bill for our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, and he provided some really fascinating first-hand material. He says he personally went through documents showing how much Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had it in for Paulette Cooper. The resources expended by Scientology to try and destroy her certainly do attest to that.
Now, Jeff does an excellent job talking to Bill about his own personal journey in the organization. Jeff has also given us a short description of it.
Imagine being a highly dedicated Sea Org member in the late 1960s. You have read the OT III materials. You know about Xenu and consider the story to be ridiculous. And then, because you are young, dedicated, smart, and able to get things done, L. Ron Hubbard himself appoints you to be one of his key executives. There you are, on the Flagship Apollo, sitting across from Hubbard in his private cabin. This is the guy who wrote the Xenu materials and you now work closely with him every day.
Hubbard chain-smokes Kool menthol cigarettes as he talks to you about the worldwide issues and challenges faced by the Church of Scientology. Hubbard likes you so much that he summons you and his new son-in-law Jon Horwich to his cabin each night where he talks at length until the wee hours of the morning. Hubbard gets very personal in these talks. Hubbard talks about how he craves money and power and he just cannot seem to get enough of either.
You are Sea Org and do not get along with the Guardian’s Office. Mary Sue Hubbard does not like you. In fact, you and Mary Sue have had several arguments. No one in the Guardian’s Office likes you. L. Ron Hubbard wants it this way as he deliberately set up a power struggle between the Guardian’s Office and the Sea Org.
As you move through your career at the very top of Scientology, you are brutally RPF’d several times and then put back on executive posts.
In the fallout following the Snow White Program, Action Chief David Miscavige phones to inform you that he has obtained the OK to take out the Guardian’s Office. Miscavige tells you that Hubbard wants Mary Sue to drop her legal fight and go to prison as she is a liability. You become a key part of the mission to take down Mary Sue and the Guardian’s Office.
In 1980 Hubbard gives you a lifetime appointment as Executive Director International of the Church of Scientology. You are also Chairman of the Board of the Church. You wonder if you are being set up to be the fall guy if anything goes wrong and the Feds move in on the Church of Scientology…
Welcome to the world of Bill Franks when he was a high-ranking executive in the Church of Scientology during a crucial period in its history. In this gripping interview, Bill Franks shares a very rare and unique insider’s perspective.
And if that weren’t enough for this Thursday, we also have the latest installment of Chris Shelton’s interview of Robyn Capella. Here’s his summary…
In this episode, Robyn gives details about what it’s like to work as a staff member and management representative at the Los Angeles “Model Org for Scientology.” This is the same org that is now manned up with nothing but Sea Org members. Back in 1992 when Robyn first transferred there, Sea Org member Jeannie Sonenfeld was in charge. Unfortunately, Jeannie is still in, now running the Church of Scientology in Cincinnati. Robyn describes Jeannie’s disastrous method of running the show and then talks about what it was like when OT VIII John Woodruff took over and LA org reportedly achieved “Saint Hill size.” And to be clear, there is very little difference between how things were then and how they are now. It only got crazier for Robyn after that and you’re going to find out all about Scientology’s “family values.” I hope you find week’s episode interesting, educational and enlightening.
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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)…
Sept 24: Minneapolis, Grumpy’s Bar & Grill, 2801 Snelling Ave, Roseville, 7 pm, sponsored by Minnesota Atheists
Sept 27: Portland, Friendly House, 1737 NW 26th Ave, 12:45 pm, sponsored by Humanists of Greater 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, venue secured (announcement coming later)
Oct 28: Adelaide, Wheatsheaf Hotel, (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), Boston (8/24), Phoenix (9/15), Cleveland (9/23)
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 24, 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
