OK, now wait a minute. This changes everything.
We know that we take the piss out of Scientology pretty regularly around here. But it’s so easy to mock, from its bullbaiting routines to Ron’s teeth to those Sea Org outfits and who can forget Captain Dave’s ribbons.
But how wrong we were! Sure, we chuckled when church leader David Miscavige trotted out the “Coolest Religion in the World” bit a few years ago. But if the new promos coming out of the London Org are any indication, Scientology is seriously upping its cool quotient.
Just get a look at this swinging set of staffers waiting for you to arrive for some processing at the Ideal Org on Queen Victoria Street. Groovy, baby!
We were a little surprised to see a London promo like this without Charlie Wakley or Sandrine Mootoo, the two fresh young faces the London Org was promoting for a time as the sort of “It” duo of British Scientology.
Come to think of it, we haven’t seen Sandrine in a while. Wakley did post a photo of himself in this same sort of getup on October 14…
It was Charlie’s wife, Kate Wakley, who sent out the email with Isabella Cruise’s success story that we posted here and got a ton of international attention.
Wouldn’t it be fun if the London Org got some similar press for their new James Bond look?
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“We have, in this universe, space has a peculiarity. And there are three kinds of space. Three kinds of space: there’s ‘was space,’ ‘is space’ and ‘will be space.’ There are three kinds of space. And how is this space formed? By postulating it exists….Somebody was serious. And I think the whole, the title of this whole play ‘MEST universe’ could be on that line: ‘Somebody Was Serious.’ And the title of Dianetics could be ‘One Was Stubborn.’ All right.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 20, 1952
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“Knowing the truth about the body types and races means you can predict things. It’s a science subject which has been kept secret from us and which Scientology almost completely ignored until late in Hubbard’s career, when he fessed up and admitted that he needs to reincarnate into a genetically pure body in order to get anything done next life. For example I was listening to data about Bob Marley and I predicted he would have white heritage. I looked it up and he’s got a white dad.”
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1999: A hearing was held in St. Petersburg this week on the restraining order placed on Bob Minton following a protest at the Fort Harrison Hotel in which he struck a Scientologist. Stacy Brooks reported on the hearing. “The attorneys included Paul Johnson, Lee Fugate, and Michael Hertzberg. Richard Howd (the ‘petitioner’) and Ben Shaw were sitting at the table with Howd’s attorney Paul Johnson. Mike Rinder was sitting in the front row with Michael Hertzberg, Lee Fugate and a blonde OSA Legal go-for… Mr. [Denis] de Vlaming got up and asked the judge for a continuance based on the fact that he had only just met his client [Bob Minton] twenty minutes before the hearing. Paul Johnson got up and said a continuance would be fine with him, but that his schedule was so full that he would not be able to reschedule a hearing until mid-December or early January. Mr. de Vlaming then stood up again and explained to the judge that waiting till mid-December would not be acceptable to his client. There is an important protest in the first week of December which Mr. Minton wants to attend. For another reason, Mr. de Vlaming said, Mr. Minton has bought a building in downtown Clearwater which he intends to use as a personal residence as well as for a business and he cannot be prohibited from entering his own property. This was a bombshell in the Scientology camp.”
“I worked off and on in the restaurant/hotel industry for years. When the kitchen got slammed i.e busy, pretty soon tempers would flare and everybody would be cursing one another left and right (sometimes it turned to mild violence). Cooks attacking servers, they in turn attacking the busboys who would in turn attack the dishwashers. When it was over everybody would go to the bar, get loaded and try to have sex with each other forgetting the previous transgressions. Words spoken in the heat of the moment mean nothing.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to Jan 6.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing delayed for ‘Fatico’ hearing on Jan 19.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court filed Oct 30.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 18, re-hearing on motions to compel arbitration; Jan 29, Masterson’s request to stay discovery pending the criminal case
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Oct 19: Feshbachs still considering further appellate relief.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and coming November 1 to Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology leader David Miscavige: Screw your lawsuit, you didn’t serve me properly
[TWO years ago] Someone doesn’t want you to see this rich Scientologist act like a rich Scientologist
[THREE years ago] Charles Manson and Scientology: What the church doesn’t want you to know
[FOUR years ago] Scientology is making this world ideal, one renovated building at a time
[FIVE years ago] Five months later, Ponzi schemer and Scientologist Reed Slatkin is still dead
[SIX years ago] What’s in that National Enquirer ‘World Exclusive’ about Scientology?
[SEVEN years ago] Claire and Bruce Take Us Into the Bizarre World of Scientology’s Operating Thetan Two!
[EIGHT years ago] Fox 25 in Oklahoma City Keeps Up the Pressure on Scientology’s Drug Rehab Deaths
[NINE years ago] Scientology, Indubitably: NYC Anons Make Their Fancy Raid on the 46th Street ‘Org’
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,126 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,630 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,150 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,170 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,061 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,368 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,236 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,010 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,814 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,130 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,696 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,615 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,783 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,364 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,625 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,663 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,376 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,901 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 256 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,431 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,982 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,131 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,451 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,306 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,425 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,781 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,084 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,190 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,592 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,464 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,047 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,542 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,796 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,905 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 20, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
