Before Scientology’s Austin “Ideal Org” becomes, like the other 64 Ideal Orgs that came before it, an afterthought, we’re giving one more look at its Saturday grand opening, this time with a glance at Scientology’s own version of what transpired.
The church put out a press release about the event right around the time we were posting yesterday’s great insider report from Kat, the former Austin member who was able to decode some of the things that Miscavige said during his remarks on the temporary stage set up outside the building.
But it’s always fun to see such a close-up image of the man himself (seen above), which Scientology issued. We know you all love to comment about how Miscavige looks (he’s going to be turning 64 on April 30), and speculate about the state of his health. He appears to be doing fine, seems to us.
And why not, he’s in his element at these things, and it’s been more than four years since the last one.
“In some ways, finally running out of excuses to avoid service and accepting the inevitable has had a silver lining for Miscavige,” Mike Rinder tells us, referring to Dave finally knuckling under and accepting service in a couple of Los Angeles lawsuits that name him as a defendant, from Leah Remini and Jane Doe 1. “The Ideal Org program is his program — and he has no doubt been feeling the embarrassment of not having opened any new ‘Ideal’ Orgs in so many years. It’s hard to prattle on about how well Scientology is doing if there are no new Ideal Orgs. He has established this as the measuring stick of Scientology expansion. He has touted it for 20 years — ‘look at our unprecedented growth, 473,234 sq ft of new orgs opened…’”
Here’s the rah-rah thing Dave told the crowd this time, according to Scientology…
“You’re Texas big and Texas tough,” said Mr. Miscavige. “While before that ribbon falls on your new Church of Scientology, this is a moment to remember what was said long ago by one of your famous Texans—that it was the best land he had ever seen, and there was a world of country to settle. Well, so it is again today. Except your ‘line of country’ is the human spirit, and you settle it by restoring to people the happiness, love, sincerity and kindness with which they were created.”
And keep in mind, that’s the quote Scientology elected to share with the public. Wow. Seems to us Dave is really missing his old speechwriter, the late Dan Sherman.
As usual, Dave was preceded by some local dignitaries. And we’ve documented in the past how Scientology does its best to convince local mayors or other elected officials to show up. But these days, it’s getting harder for Scientology to get real VIPs to appear and say a few kind words about L. Ron Hubbard.
Here were the Austin shills, er, honored guests.
Mike McHone was identified as “Vice-President of the University Area Partners Association” which sounds totally legit. He was effusive: “For those of you who aren’t from Austin, this town is a university town. We work to keep our neighborhood at the front of the pack when it comes to, well, everything. And today I’ll admit a little Longhorns pride in celebrating another big step in keeping our neighborhood the Best of the Best. Hook ’em Horns! Each and every one of you should take pride in knowing you have helped make our home what it is today. Your members form the backbone of an ongoing community effort. Which is another way of saying, you have shown an inherent understanding of what our residents need with a passion and care to create a thriving, active community. While today, with this Grand Opening, we celebrate the return of a major player to this University area. So what I should really be saying is, ‘Welcome back!’”
Sam Price was identified as someone who had worked in the Texas Health Department for 25 years and is now a “dedicated Texas drug education advocate in Central Texas.” So he was there as a fluffer for Scientology’s front group “Drug-Free World.”
“From the outset, our attitude was, ‘Let’s educate people.’ And we got that Truth About Drugs information out to everyone. That means, thanks to your support, thousands who never had a choice to be educated now have the choice to say, ‘I’m going to live drug-free!’ The world would be a better place if more people had the care and commitment that your Church members do. No doubt about it. And thanks to Drug-Free World, you’ve given this kid from the south of Austin the opportunity of a lifetime. So I have one final request: keep doing your good work. You’ll never know how many lives you’ve saved.”
Simone Talma Flowers was identified as “Executive Director of Interfaith Action of Central Texas,” and Scientology loves its churchy shills maybe the most.
“Bridging division between different faiths is not simply a ‘nice to do,’ it’s essential. You have been pillars of devotion and dependency. And upon those pillars, we have now built the largest interfaith movement in all of Central Texas. I have to tell you, we are so excited at the prospect of holding our events right here — front and center in Downtown. This Ideal Org will be a shared space where any and all are welcome, a place for services, talks or meetings for reconciliation. So may it continue to shine as a sanctuary for all faiths for all the decades to come!”
Nelson Linder was identified as president of the Austin chapter of the NAACP, and it’s a shame to see a representative of that organization shilling for a nearly all-white group like Scientology, and for its founder L. Ron Hubbard, an outspoken supporter of apartheid who said that black South Africans didn’t deserve to vote and were too stupid for Scientology auditing.
“Like many others, my fight for civil rights is now decades long. A just society requires sacrifice and commitment. In fact, a great man once said, ‘Injustice is not something in which any man with power should ever trade.’ That was Mr. L. Ron Hubbard. To say such in the crucible of the 1960s shows tremendous courage. At that time, just a handful were in the middle, trying to broker peace, and yet there he was. Mr. Hubbard’s ideas of forwarding the concept of true justice were both visionary and grand. And let’s face it, they inspired you all to create a movement not only in Texas, but around the world. That’s not just a gift for those who are here. It’s a gift for those who aren’t even born yet. So on behalf of the Austin NAACP, thank you, Mr. Hubbard, for being a strong voice in the land. With this Grand Opening today, we can now say: Yes, Mr. Hubbard, we are turning your dream into reality. And that is most certainly cause to celebrate.”
OK, that’s gross.
But Scientology once again did its best to pretend this was the best thing ever, and posted some photos of a celebration that managed to attract only a very small crowd.
Dave’s off to Mexico City next for an opening on Friday!
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Technology Cocktail
“If you run ARC Breaks with the pc nattery which means really, M/W/Hs, you will for sure get an ARC Break needle and Bad Indicators.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1968
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman
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“There’s a very simple way of making somebody’s arthritis turn on with violence. And you just walk up to ’em like this and wiggle your hands in front of his face. And of course by giving him this confusion outside of his body, he holds harder onto the body and that is what arthritis is, it’s a solid hold. All right. Now, you take an arthritic and you start to say hello and OK to this arthritic leg or joint, or something of this character, you are actually attempting to as-is or knock out of existence my communication, a lot of actual calcium. So it isn’t going to work. Not well or easily. But you take slight little somatics, little conditions, or fears of things, and run two way communication on them and you get some fabulous results.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 26, 1957
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“If you think we are losing ground, according to a head count to date, three major enemies and the three biggest enemy names are finished. Cecil King lost his directorship in the Bank of England and his newspaper claim which included the Daily Mail. Sir William Carr has also lost his directorship in the Bank of England and has been ousted from his papers and was last seen trying to unite with ‘Truth’ newspapers of Australia, owned by Murdoch. Kenneth Robinson, ex-Minister of Health UK has been ousted and is in disgrace with his group. All three were also directors of the ‘National Association for Mental Health’ of the UK. Three scalps. Any more candidates for our ‘coupstick’?” — The Commodore, February 26, 1969
“In session I’ve taken an exterior viewpoint to this universe – is it still called a thetan when operating exterior to a universe? Is it still called a thetan when it can create a universe separate from other universes?”
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1996: Karin Spaink posted an account of her day in court in the case of Scientology vs. numerous Dutch Internet providers. “Nauta Dutilh started: Hermans took the stand and said that many people did not hold his client in high esteem, and that no matter what that criticism was worth, they have rights, among them copyrights – and that these were what was at stake here; nothing else. ‘The controversial nature of my clients is irrelevant here.’ He explained that, as RTC held the secrecy of these materials very dear and had a vested interest in this confidentiality, they could not allow publishing or quoting the OT’s in any way whatsoever. Then Bakker Schut took the stand. He went on in great detail about Fair Gaming, how CoS treats its critics, the harassment of a.r.s, the rmgroup message, the lawsuits. He explained about OT 2 and about OT 3 – the complete Xenu story. He explained about the recent warnings given and measures taken by the German government, and quoted extensively from the brochure issued by the German government. He explained how the OT’s ended up in a court file and that they had leaked before; he explained that quoting parts of them was not only a right and fair use, it was also a right defended by both freedom of speech and public interest. Pors, for Planet Internet, took the stand, explaining that he only wanted to talk about the position of the providers. They had not been given evidence by plaintiffs to prove the alleged infringement; I had been able to explain to them that there was reason to doubt the infringement, so what were they to do? Tied up between their duties towards their subscribers and the complaints of an outsider. And only now, last week, RTC and NEPI had provided them with partial proof. Which only showed that it pays not to listen to RTC etc too soon – their claim was now much smaller than it had been earlier. Bakker Schut again explained about the OT’s – having them available was a matter of public interest because so many people had encountered psychological problems over them. (Both this time and before, when he mentioned OT 3, some CoS members could be seen stuffing their fingers in their ears. They did not want to hear this.) When the president of the court was about to adjourn the meeting at 16:30, Hermans got up and said: ‘Considering the great number of accusations that have been thrown at my client, could Mr. McShane please be allowed to speak and counter them?’ ‘NO,’ said the judge, ‘YOU were the one who started your speech saying that the controversial nature of your clients was not an issue here anyway.’ Verdict due on Tuesday, March 12, 14:00. We are optimistic.”
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“For the last time it’s a genderless demon eating a turkey leg.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing February 26, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, motion to strike/anti-SLAPP motions by Scientology to be heard January 9, 2024.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: motion to file new complaint, hearing on March 20.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, hearing on March 26.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.
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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 now on 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 BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. 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] Celebrity Sunday: Erika Christensen, Michael Peña and a tribute to… Prince?
[TWO years ago] In Danny Masterson rape case, Scientology tried to put LA court through ‘Truth Rundown’
[THREE years ago] Appellate court halts Scientology ‘arbitration’ as it considers petition by Masterson accusers
[FOUR years ago] SEVENTH victim comes forward to LAPD accusing Scientology actor Danny Masterson
[FIVE years ago] Jenna Elfman’s career finds new life in the zombie apocalypse
[SIX years ago] What happened when we had a scientist look at L. Ron Hubbard’s ‘science’ of life in the womb
[SEVEN years ago] Florida attempts sensible change to mental health law — so Scientology goes on attack
[EIGHT years ago] The shocking space opera secret that is guiding Scientology litigation
[NINE years ago] Can you help solve this odd Scientology financial mystery?
[TEN years ago] Ryan Hamilton files another lawsuit against Scientology’s Nevada drug rehab facility
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology’s “Disconnection” Policy: Music Lovers, This One Will Break Your Heart
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 2,822 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,317 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,832 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,382 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,372 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,253 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,557 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,428 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,980 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,321 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,888 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,807 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,975 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,556 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,817 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,853 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,569 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,133 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,448 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,623 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,174 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,305 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,643 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,498 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,616 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,973 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,276 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,382 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,780 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,656 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,221 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,734 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,988 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,097 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 26, 2024 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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, 15 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
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
