Our correspondent with photography skills is back, and we really enjoyed the story he told us along with his new snapshots…
The San Fernando Valley Ideal Org is on Burbank Blvd just west of Lankershim in North Hollywood. Normally the workers there “body route” in the area around the Org, sometimes in groups, all the way to the North Hollywood Metro Red Line station. Sometimes they go a little beyond that southbound to Magnolia and get coffee at the Starbucks there. But I haven’t seen them body routing the subway station for some time. What I have seen is this older gentleman handing out pamphlets in front of Porto’s Bakery in Burbank at Magnolia and Hollywood Way. I know he’s coming from the Valley Org because I’ve seen him around there on a regular basis. This location is some distance away from the Valley Org so I decided to go and ask why he is body routing so far from the Org and in front of a private business with less foot traffic than the public subway station they used to frequent. I suspect the reason has to do with the demographic differences but I decided to give Scientology the benefit of the doubt and try asking.
Since I’ve seen him here for several months I suspect the fiercely loyal customers of Porto’s — a really popular place — have encountered him before and know exactly what he is affiliated with and what he is doing. I knew I only had a couple minutes before he noticed me but in that short time I saw three people give the Dianetics pamphlets back and one person just drop it on the ground, which he promptly picked up. So at least there’s that, because they used to be littered all over the North Hollywood metro and surrounding area.
At one point he went up to a woman walking her dog and tried to pet it but the dog snapped and barked at him and when he looked up he finally noticed me so I crossed the street.
I started out by asking what he was doing body routing so far from the Valley Org. Which he didn’t answer. I asked if he was here because he thought Burbank is more affluent than the hard working blue collar public transit riding demographic of North Hollywood? Does it have anything to do with the average income? No answer. He asked my name and I responded by asking if he was going to provide me his, and it went back and forth like that a few times before he said his name was Eric.
He then pulled out his phone and started taking pictures of me. I said he was an awfully long distance from OSA backup and he responded by asking me when I was declared. I’m guessing based on the lingo he thought I was once a Scientologist. I said I was never in. I tried several more times to get an answer for why he was in Burbank standing directly outside the front doors of a bakery but got no answer.
I asked if he was going to write a knowledge report on this, again with no response. After another minute or so I said that I essentially got the answer I thought I would get and told him to have a nice day. When I was walking away on the other side of the street I gave him a wave.
I suspect the decision to body route in Burbank has everything to do with demographics and median incomes. He never walks the sidewalks, he never crossed the street. He just stays right outside the doorway handing out the pamphlets and says “bring your friends.” Well, I guess disconnecting friends isn’t as bad as disconnecting families.
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HowdyCon 2019 in Los Angeles
This year’s HowdyCon is in Los Angeles. People tend to come in starting on Thursday, and that evening we will have a casual get-together at a watering hole. We have something in mind, but for now we’re not giving out information about it.
Friday night we will be having an event in a theater (like we did on Saturday night last year in Chicago). There will not be a charge to attend this event, but if you want to attend, you need to RSVP with your proprietor at tonyo94 AT gmail.
On Saturday, we are joining forces with Janis Gillham Grady, who is having a reunion in honor of the late Bill Franks. Originally, we thought this event might take place in Riverside, but instead it’s in the Los Angeles area. If you wish to attend the reunion, you will need to RSVP with Janis (janisgrady AT gmail), and there will be a small contribution she’s asking for in order to help cover her costs.
HOTEL: Janis tells us she’s worked out a deal with Hampton Inn and Suites, at 7501 North Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, (818) 768-1106. We have a $159 nightly rate for June 19 to 22.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Leah Remini on Scientology’s stalking — nothing is going to stop her third season of ‘Aftermath’
[TWO years ago] SCIENTOLOGY TV: It’s really happening! Spectrum blocks out a channel for Miscavige
[THREE years ago] Scientology pampered some of its big donors with a trip back in time to Phoenix in 1954
[FOUR years ago] The crowd’s all here: What does the airing of the Scientology doc ‘Going Clear’ mean to you?
[FIVE years ago] Scientology answers the Garcias — And turns over a trove of internal documents
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s Job One: Saving the Whales
[NINE years ago] Daily News Story About Scientology Defector Marc Headley Leaves Out Best Part
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,401 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,530 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,034 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,514 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 577 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 465 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,772 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,640 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,414 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,188 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,534 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,100 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,020 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,187 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,768 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,028 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,068 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,780 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,306 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,395 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,535 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,855 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,711 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,830 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,186 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,488 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,594 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,996 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,868 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,451 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,946 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,200 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,309 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 29, 2019 at 07:00
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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | 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
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
