Writers of the Future: Scientology sci-fi front puts on interminable awards show once again

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: For years, we’ve reported on the Writers of the Future contest and how it’s a front for Scientology that has direct ties with some of the church’s abuses. But hey, they had an awards show this week, and we all want to know, which Scientology celebrities bothered to show up? [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“When a person is medically treated for an illness, it is best to back up the action with auditing. Sometimes the patient is too ill to be fully audited. It is difficult to audit someone who is running a temperature. In such a case, let the antibiotics bring the temperature down before auditing. But if the temperature does not come down, in the interest of the patient’s recovery, auditing should be done. It is usually too late when the patient is in a coma. But one can still reach a patient who is unconscious by touching the patient’s hand to parts of the bed with ‘Feel that (object).’ A patient will sometimes respond to commands even when ‘unconscious’ if you tell them to squeeze your hand to acknowledge they have done the command. Years ago the auditing of unconscious persons was worked out and successfully done. Needless to say, auditing any sick person requires the most exact, careful auditing, strictly by the Auditor’s Code.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1969

 
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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 [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones

 
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Source Code

“A Clear apparently is the — oh, not apparently, it’s true — he’s the original electric eel, and so on, and apparently affects physical objects without half trying in that state. That is to say, you can warm something up or something. This isn’t phenomena that you would consider even very good phenomena; I mean, it isn’t very advanced, don’t you see? Now, you can see very easily that throwing a lightning bolt couldn’t be very much of a trick. It merely depends on practice in holding your position. If you could hold your position very accurately, why, you could throw a lightning bolt that would probably char the Empire State Building. But that’s beside the point. That’s just theoretical. What you’ve got here in actual fact is that by staring at things you can make them warm, and things like this, you know. You pick up a, here’s a glass with some ice in it, you know? You stare at it for a few minutes and you haven’t got a glass with ice in it. It’s the warmest Coca-Cola you have ever had anything to do with, don’t you see? This is very, very low-scale phenomena. It’s just monkey business.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 27, 1965

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“I’ve just written an HCO Pol Ltr on ‘Death Wishes’ of interest to the ship.” — The Commodore, April 27, 1969

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“When I was just a static and nothing else, there was a bunch of us existing in a nothingness with nothing before us or anywhere, and we did nothing, absolutely nothing but observe — you guessed it — nothing. We were all 100 percent connected together and would have shared everything if there was anything to share (one mind, multiple viewpoints) but we never communicated or had anything to communicate, nor did we have any thoughts or emotions, or whatever, but it was better than tone 40 because we were above the dichotomies of serene beingness. I want to do that again.”

 
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Past is Prologue

2000: Rod Keller posted details of a secret Scientology plan to boost revenues for Battlefield Earth in a ticket refund scheme. “Scientologists are quietly being told when they go to the theater to see BE they are to buy extra tickets. They are then to return the unused tickets to a person who is designated in their area for a refund. Those who might seek the refund are to be asked if they would like to make that as a ‘donation,’ saving the refund costs. In some cases, some staff are being designated to go and buy a block of tickets, but not too many to be noticed, (say 6-8) and not even go but take them back to the org for the refund. This is to be done for several weeks. Scientologists are being told to do it as a ‘birthday present to Ron.’ Some already love the idea of making it #1. They are also being told they can give the tickets to friends to promote Hubbard, another idea they also like. ASI has set aside several million dollars for this that they will mark off in some ‘promotional’ manner. The heaviest is to be done in the first week as that is the first make/break point and then it will go into week #2. In fact, there is a whole BE-promo team that has been set up to coordinate this, to make sure the Scientologists go and that they buy the extra tickets. Some of the Deep Pocket boys who usually contribute large amounts are being hit up for this, to help cover costs. Some are doing it as ‘investment.’ Now it may be thought that a few million dollars is not enough to do it but that is just what they are prepared to pay back to the Scientologists. It is up to the team to see that the Scientologists ‘donate’ it. DM can’t leave it to promo and Travolta’s name to make it a hit and he knows there are not enough Scientologists in the US to make it a hit so he has to do the same routine he used back in the 80s to make the books into ‘best sellers.’ Word is out that heads will roll if BE is not the #1 hit movie in its opening week.”

 
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Random Howdy

“The big difference between Scientology and the mafia is the mafia actually go to church on Sunday.”

 
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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 May 17, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Leah seeking to amend her complaint.
— 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 May 29.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, hearing on April 16.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.

 
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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

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] Jane Doe 3: Scientology required a victim to get her attacker’s car washed
[TWO years ago] Scientology royalty: Why it makes sense for Tom Cruise to host the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
[THREE years ago] Clearwater city manager unhappy about landing on our ‘Top 25 Enabling Scientology’ list
[FOUR years ago] Have Jane Doe’s attorneys figured out how to serve Scientology leader David Miscavige?
[FIVE years ago] Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard on family and sex: As enlightened as you’d imagine
[SIX years ago] Strange days for a woman accusing Danny Masterson of rape — and for her rocker husband
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology submits names of 500 members to federal court as ordered, but there’s a catch
[EIGHT years ago] LIVE IN L.A.: Hearing in Laura DeCrescenzo’s Scientology forced-abortion lawsuit
[NINE years ago] Should Louis Theroux be worried? What a Scientology ‘documentary’ actually looks like
[TEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: More scenes from the End of Days
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Notorious R2-45 Policy: Is There a Smoking Gun?

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 27, 2024 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, 1995-2022 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

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