Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 4, Issue 42
01/30/00
by Rod Keller
rkeller@voicenet.com
copyright 2000

Contents

1. Mark Bunker
2. CCHR
3. Clearwater
4. Bob Minton
5. Writers of the future
6. Germany
7. Isaac Hayes
8. New York Celebrity
9. Protest / Revenge Summary
10. K-Pod
11. Alfred Elton van Vogt
12. Battlefield Earth

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors, whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at

http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html

http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/

http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

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Mark Bunker

"We were walking up to the door, I was behind [my husband] and Mark was behind me. And I remember two guys in black jackets coming up and they start grabbing Mark. They really roughed him up! They grabbed his arms and he started saying, 'Who are you?' They tried to get the camera out of his arms but he had a grip on it. They then said, 'We're Chicago Cops' and we said, 'Where's your uniform? Where's your ID?' and he said, 'Forget it lady, it doesn't matter who I am'. I said 'Why are you doing this to him, why are you pushing him around?' Then they knocked his cell phone to the ground.

"This whole time he was holding his camera, he wouldn't let go of his camera. He didn't provoke anything! We were only on the sidewalk, we weren't even on their property. They told us to come for the meeting at 7:30 so we come to the meeting and they attack this guy for nothing. We were standing away from the door, I'm behind [my husband] and Mark was behind ME so he was WAY outside!

"They took the camera he had a cell phone on and he was trying to call someone he said, 'I wanna call my lawyer, I wanna call somebody.' And they said 'You're going down, we're going to lock you up and that's it'. They wanted his camera and they were gonna lock him up. They never said 'turn off the camera, back up'.

"I didn't go inside because I said to the policeman that I knew, 'I'm scared. What if they get me in there and never let me out? The lady (Pam?) from New York, she said they were hired to protect them. So they were hired by the org, and that's why they jumped him. So they wanted us to come inside, they said, 'We have a nice warm place for you inside, you know, with a dictionary and blah blah blah.'

"She said, 'I want you to sign the waiver' I said, 'We have a lawsuit against Marcus. You think I'm going to sign this? Do you think I'm crazy? You'd better give me all my money back.'"

Jim Beebe posted additional details.

"Mark at this hour is at a Chicago Police station trying to retrieve his camera. He was arrested last night while standing on a public sidewalk out side of the Church of Scientology in chicago at 3011 No. Lincoln ave. He was charged with criminal trespassing, an outrageous violation of his civil rights.

"Two Chicago dentists, husband and wife, have been trying to get their money back from the Chicago Church of Scientology. They claim that they were swindled out of a lot of money. The Chicago Church of Scientology has been stalling them and giving them a run around. This couple has gone to the Org several times and each time getting more stories and run arounds. Mark Bunker, a television journalist in florida heard about this and decided to interview them.

"This couple has filed a lawsuit against the Marcus Group. The Marcus Group is one of scientology's management front groups and this couple claims that they were lured into scientology via Marcus. The wife was conned into buying and taking the Purification rundown and recently discovered that she has liver damage from this and is now unable to get health insurance. Also, she is now unable to work. They have a son in a private school and the cult tried to use their son to recruit other students."

>From "Shukaido":

"The camera was returned shortly before 9PM Central time. However, when it was presented to him, the tape was missing. Just so there's no doubt here: According to Mark, the tape was not taken by the police as evidence, it is missing."

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CCHR

"The Citizens Commission on Human Rights said the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) $7.5 billion expenditure on psychiatric research has failed to provide any real or workable knowledge regarding human behavior. The research only serves to stigmatize all living experience as mental disorders. 'The latest bid by Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, to have racism listed as a mental disorder shows there is no limit to psychiatry's imagination, redefining even evil as a mental illness,' Ms. Jan Eastgate, International President of CCHR, stated. 'NIMH funds for studies dealing with birds, crickets and prairie voles should be axed, not be redirected to other psychiatric research. Give psychiatrists a dime and they'll simply invent another disorder.'"

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Clearwater

"Is now the time for citizens of Clearwater to begin discussing recall for a majority of those on our City Commission? The much-touted roundabout on Clearwater Beach, at a cost of $11-million, is seemingly a traffic disaster. The Scientologists seem very pleased by the prospect of a major downtown project, and now that they seem to have a friend in Mayor Brian Aungst, they most of all might benefit from any projected improvements. Perhaps they would even consider contributing funding to help the project along. Let's see some recall petitions instead of just a lot of carping about the direction in which Clearwater seems to be going. -- Will Perry, Clearwater"

"I just returned from a City Commission meeting (Jan. 20) and was amazed to hear Robert Minton speak. It appears he has moved to our city to kick off an anti-Scientology campaign. This evening not only did he speak against the Church of Scientology but also was negative in his remarks on a local law firm and city officials, namely Mike Roberto, Bob Keller and Diane Smith, who are all upstanding, capable city employees. The Church of Scientology is one of the major players of downtown due to its being the major property owner and, therefore, they should have a voice in downtown's development. They are active in volunteering and contributing to the success of downtown. If his campaign works, it will divide us, and if it does not and he leaves, then the remaining citizenry will have to repair the damage. -- Robert Fernandez, Clearwater"

Clearwater police have instituted a zone on the street behind Scientology's Bank building and the Lisa McPherson Trust where pedestrian traffic is restricted while Scientology buses are loaded and unloaded.

"The status of the white lines changes hour by hour. Each set of police officers hired by Scientology, paid for by Scientology (at a rate of $21/hour for 18 officer-hours per day, $2,646 per week, $137,592 per year if they keep this up) has been give a different set of instructions. Some have directed citizens of Clearwater away from the block entirely, some have said the sidewalks are closed from 11:00 to 1:00 and again from 5:00 to 7:00, some have said the zone applies to everybody except Scientologists, others have said it applies only to employees of the Trust. Sometimes it seems to apply to all buses and vans, other times only to real buses, not vans.

"There have been paper handouts to the officers, explaining the policy, which have been replaced by clarified handouts, which have been replaced by still more clarified handouts, all within the same shift of officers. The point is supposed to be that officers will not be swayed by claims from OSA, but it seems to me with all the revisions that they are making up the rules as they go along, trying to stay within what the city lawyers are saying is legal, but bowing to pressure from the City Manager's office.

"If anybody is found to be in violation of the voluntary, they would be subject to charges of Obstruction [and] Failure to follow a legal directive."

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Bob Minton

"Petitioner, Richard W. Howd, Jr., by his undersigned counsel, moves the court for the entry of an order clarifying the court's temporary injunction heretofore entered on December 2, 1999, in this action.

"Respondent has utilized a number of persons as surrogates who have engaged in acts of harassment against staff members and parishioners of the Church of Scientology in Pinellas County, Florida.

"On November 3, 1999, Minton posted on the Internet an announcement regarding the formation of the McPherson Corporation. The announcement states that the purpose of the Corporation is to warn 'consumers that 'Scientology and all other destructive mind control cults are dangerous to your health, your emotional well-being, your bank account and your very life.' Minton also identified a number of people who 'agreed to serve in various capacities' with the McPherson Corporation. Those identified include Stacy Brooks, Kim Baker, Grady Ward, Jesse Prince, Patricia Greenway, Mark Bunker, Peter Alexander, and David Cecere.

"On January 5, 2000, the McPherson Corporation acquired an office building located at 33 North. Ft. Harrison Avenue, Clearwater, Florida. This office building is within 30 feet of the Church's Bank of Clearwater Building, 503 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida. Respondent selected this location so he and his agents would be 'in the face' of the Church, its parishioners and staff.

"On January 7, 2000, at 5:00 p.m., Respondent and his agent, Grady Ward, ran up the back stairs of the Clearwater City Parking Garage from Waterson Avenue chasing Church staff members, Mike Rinder and Ben Shaw, shouting belligerently at them, and they threw a copy of this court's injunction inside Mr. Rinder's car. Mark Bunker, another of Respondent's agents, videotaped the scene while Respondent ran down the stairs and shouted 'Mike Rinder, you're served,' so that he could be captured on video.

"On January 8, 2000, at 4:30 p.m., two more of Respondent's agents, Jesse Prince and Patricia Greenway, trespassed on Church property by entering the northeast door alcove of the Bank of Clearwater Building to look into the building. Both then used the delivery telephone on the wall at the northeast end of the building. Officer J.W. Long responded to the Church's complaint, and issued an oral warning to Prince, who admitted he was on Church property.

"On January 9, 2000, at 5:00 p.m., Jesse Prince and Mark Bunker filmed the West Coast Building and moved to film staff and students from in front of the Coachman Building on Cleveland Street. They moved again and relocated to the south end of Waterson adjacent to the Clearwater Bank Building. At 5:45 p.m. on the same day, Jesse Prince and Mark Bunker were filming across the street from the Clearwater Bank Building while Respondent and Grady Ward walked from the McPherson Corporation east entrance on Waterson toward Cleveland to join them. Grady Ward stood in the path of hundreds of Church staff members arriving and leaving from dinner and was repeatedly warned to keep moving and not block the flow of people. Respondent stood across the street shouting at Church staff members and directing his heretofore identified agents. Respondent directed Prince to go onto the sidewalk next to the Bank of Clearwater Building where Prince had previously been told to stay away by Clearwater Police. At 6:30 p.m. on the same day, Sergeant Beck and his partner from the Clearwater Police arrived on Waterson and called for another officer. Sergeant Beck read the injunction and enforced it on all McPherson Corporation members present. Grady Ward, Jesse Prince and Mark Bunker attempted to deny to Sergeant Beck that they are associated with the McPherson Corporation or Respondent. Sergeant Beck stated that Respondent is chairman of the board of the McPherson Corporation and that Ward, Prince and Bunker are acting as his agents. Sergeant Beck issued an oral cease and desist warning.

"On January 13, 2000, Patricia Greenway, Jesse Prince and Mark Bunker, who are agents and servants of Respondent, came within 10 feet of the Clearwater Bank Building. Respondent, his agents, and those in actual concert or participation with him have selected the east side of Waterson Avenue, a narrow, one-way street, to conduct their campaign against the Church, its students and staff members. This location provides Respondent and his agents with an opportunity to get very close to at least 1,380 Church members a day to videotape them, shout at them, and harass. them.

"The evidence establishes that Stacy Brooks, Peter Alexander, Patricia Greenway, Jesse Prince, David Cecere, Kim Baker, Mark Bunker, Grady Ward and Lisa McPherson Trust, Inc. are agents and servants of Respondent, are controlled by Respondent, and are acting in concert and, participation with him with respect to the subject matter of this court's Amended Temporary Injunction."

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Writers of the future

"The contest was founded by L. Ron Hubbard, shortly after the release of his best selling science fiction novel Battlefield Earth -- now in production as a major motion picture starring John Travolta. An acclaimed writer for over 50 years, Hubbard gave freely and generously of his time and energy to help others become better and more productive writers. Winners of the Writers of the Future Contest -- judged by such luminaries as Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Dave Wolverton and Kevin J. Anderson -- win cash prizes, superb trophies, a week-long writing workshop and publication in the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology as well as the promise of critical recognition in the genres of science fiction ad fantasy."

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Germany

"Friedrich von Kymmel, Pomeranian Church Sect Commissioner, has called for a boycott against Windows 2000, the new computer program. The new operating system of the American software producer, Microsoft, contains 'Deskita,' a defragmentation program prepared by the Scientology company, 'Executive Software Corporation.' Kymmel emphasized that anybody who buys Windows 2000 or a computer with this software is paying the Scientology company, thereby financing, in part, the organization which has been categorized as hostile to the Constitution."

Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on January 21st that a Scientologist is demanding to know the contents of files kept on him by the constitutional security office.

"It is rare enough for a judge to describe a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court as a 'legal catastrophe.' Yesterday that is what happened repeatedly. This was in connection with the case involving an attorney, Tersteegen who is a professed Scientologist and, in any case, wants to know what files Constitutional Security has on him. Constitutional Security does even want to tell him whether a dossier on him exists. Nevertheless, State Attorney Peter Samberger offered to have the case heard under appeal, presenting the files exclusively to the judges presiding over the court.

"In a different case, the Karlsruh federal judges stated that it was unconstitutional for an agency to keep a file or information secret for reasons of state security; that was ruled to be a violation the guarantee of rights determined by Basic Law."

Freie Presse reported on January 24th that the concern in Zwickau over a real estate company owned by a Scientologist has spread to Plauen.

"The Independent Voters Association of Plauen has cautioned that the ongoing discussion in Zwickau about the Scientology member, Kurt Zwickau should be locally contained. Therefore the FWP has requested information from Plauen's chief mayor, Rolf Magerkord, whether and in what measure Fliegerbauer or his Osterstein Castle Management, Inc. own real estate in Plauen. FWP Chairman Verwer, 'What we are concerned about is that Scientology not gain influence in Plauen. '

"Since that is what Fliegerbauer has done on the real estate market in Zwickau, the Independent Voter is interested in whether 'he also has tried to gain influence on people who are responsible for the development of our city through increased purchase of selected real estate,' said Verwer. He wants to find out about at least two buildings in Plauen which under Fliegerbauer's control. Those are the new building at Mendelsohn Square and Joessnitzer Street, which Fliegerbauer acquired several years ago from the HTM bankruptcy proceedings, and the Hypo-Vereins Bank building on 2 Neundorfer Street.

"On Monday, the city administration of Plauen stated that municipal property will not be sold to Fliegerbauer. 'The sale of private buildings is not under our control,' said press spokeswoman Sylvia Weck."

>From Vogtland Anzeiger on January 25th:

"These days the city of Zwickau's connections to Scientologist and real estate dealer Kurt Fliegerbauer - whose Osterstein Castle Management Association Inc. has been buying and renovating properties in Zwickau for years - continue to grow as a topic of conversation in Plauen, where it is known that Fliegerbauer has also acquired property.

"Besides the building on Mendelssohn Square, which Kurt Fliegerbauer acquired in the Plauen HTM bankruptcy proceedings, Verwer named another structure which belongs to the Osterstein Castle Management Association, Inc. on 2 Neundorfer Street, where Hypo-Vereins Bank also has its business offices. Up until two years ago a former resident of Plauen, who lives in Bremen and runs or ran a drug store there, had been owner of that real estate. In this connection, Verwer raised the question of whether Fliegerbauer had also 'tried to gain influence over people who are responsible for the continued development of our city' in Plauen with real estate sales activity."

Hamburger Abendblatt reported on January 27th that secret papers have been obtained by Scientology in Hamburg.

"The sect had access to a paper classified as 'secret'; it was part of a proposed Senate document for Interior Senator Hartmuth Wrocklage and State Advisor Wolfgang Prill. The 20 page document did not only contain assessments on Scientology, but also had description of other 'sects, psycho-groups and destructive cults,' as it said. The purpose of the document was apparently to extend the mission of the Work Group on Scientology, directed by Ursula Caberta, to other groups, as well as to review possible cooperation with Schleswig-Holstein in the area.

"When asked how a 'secret' agency document could have gotten into her hands, Hamburg's Scientology President Gisela Hackenjos stated that the papers were sent to her anonymously by mail. By admitting to that she has demonstrated how far the long arm of Scientology had reached into the apparatus of government. Investigating, discrediting and shaking up opponents are all part of the way Scientology does business. 'Perhaps someone wanted to bring the Work Group on Scientology's expansion to our attention,' said Hackenjos."

>From Die Welt on January 28th:

"A printed document classified as 'secret' which primarily dealt with evaluation of the Scientology sect is at the center of an investigation by Internal Affairs. The approximately one and a half year old document has now fallen into the hands of the sect. It was allegedly sent anonymously to Scientology. 'Currently an attempt is being made to delineate who received the document,' said Christoph Holstein, spokesman for the Interior Agency. Copies had been distributed to agency staff at the Senate Chancellory, the Agency for Schools, Youth and Career Development, the Work Group on Scientology directed by Ursula Caberta and in Schleswig-Holstein.

"The main source of puzzlement is that the document is an older, superceded version. 'It is an exact copy of one of the original versions which was modified and redone many times. If there were actually a spy in the Interior Agency, he would have gotten the most recent document on the topic,' said an unnamed source from investigative circles."

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Isaac Hayes

"I'm the international spokesperson. It brings literature to the inner city. We feel like the culprit in the demise of the inner city is illiteracy. When a person can't read or write, they're a victim. Everyone wants to survive, but counter-survival methods are going out stealing, robbing and car-jacking. If you know how to read and write, you don't have to resort to those measures because there are always consequences. So when they learn how to read and write, 'Whoa! I can do it this way, I can do it that way,' they become more productive and they take on more responsibility. We're already doing it here in many different cities. We've got chapters all over and we're steadily opening new chapters. I like Ghana. They made me a king there a few years ago.

"Q. So how is it that we're [black people are] going to be the ones to save it [the world]?

"Because at the end of the day, we are still the most spiritual people on this planet. We are special because we are spiritual and that's why I have taken up Scientology. Because Scientology really knows who we are and it teaches us who we really are, as spiritual beings in this universe.

"Q. Don't people think of Scientology as a cult?

"Of course they do, but they do that out of ignorance. You ask them what Scientology is, they can't tell you because they don't know. That's irresponsible. But there are groups who want to control, and if they find anything that will try to free people, they will try to wipe it out of existence. Scientology will not go away.

"We're racing against time. We have to get people to wake up and realize that all this stuff that is happening is a restimulation of a past thing that was eons ago. It's really catching up and if man doesn't straighten out the error of his ways, he's going to destroy himself. Why do people fight? Because they've got restimulations. Scientology is the answer to getting rid of these restimulations. For instance, if you're a child and you start to fight and you get this stuff in your mind and somehow you take a peaceful route. [But] if you get angry about something, that anger restimulates old instincts that you used to fight, so street fighting and all that stuff comes back to you. If you've got ethics, you ought to know how to discipline yourself and not be drawn to the kind of mentality where you're going to kill somebody. But that's restimulations. What Scientology does is eradicate the particular mind that we call the reactive mind. The reactive mind only consists of engrams. Engrams are pictures or mental images of pain, whether it is emotional or physical pain. You have to wipe all that stuff out so you won't react negatively. That's counter to your survival and your fellow man's survival.

"Q. When I watch television, I hardly see anything without violence. Why are we so attracted to that?

"Because of those implants eons ago to our spiritual self. These things kick in and we don't realize what's happening to us. We don't realize all this violent stuff is affecting us and our kids because it's restimulation again."

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New York Celebrity

"Moses Avalon, a former Major Label record producer, and now author of a highly controversial book titled, 'Confessions of a Record Producer,' will conduct a 2-hour seminar at The Celebrity Center Church of Scientology in New York on Tuesday, February 8th, beginning at 8 PM.

"The seminar is designed to inform and enlighten unsuspecting independent musicians and recording artists with vivid details on what really goes on behind-the-scenes in the business offices of their record careers. In fact, the book has stirred such controversy that many of those vital need-to-know secrets were purposely withheld by the publisher due to the fear of lawsuits. The attendance fee, which is tax-deductible, is only $11 and also includes take-home study materials.

"Members of the church include such industry veteran recording artists as Chick Corea, Edgar Winter, Isaac Hayes, and Chuck D."

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Protest / Revenge Summary

"[M]y Mom wanted to come as well. She is really wonderful, and isn't afraid of the death stares or pneumonia, or anything else this cult uses in it's crusade to defraud the planet. Together we wandered the street, handing out what leaflets we had lying around - Some Lisa flyers, Space Alien $cam and some other one. We each had a sign. The 2 Sea Ogres were very nice girls, young, uniformed and pretty. I did get to say a few words with one - mainly to request she look on the web for the truth, and that the church isn't going to let her know what's really going on.

"Many people declined the Ronbot leaflets but requested ours, that is also uplifting. And the OSA continues to ask me WHY DO YOU DO THIS? We picketed from 3:15pm until 4pm, when we ran out of leaflets and called it a day. Not a single raw Meat(tm) entered the cult HQ during the picket, but scores of them found out something they didn't know about this criminally convicted scam in their midst."

"Barb" reported a set of revenge leaflets given to her neighbors by Scientology this week.

"'STOP CREATING HATRED AND VIOLENCE! Barb Warr is involved in an Internet hate-group that has engaged in KKK-like tactics against a peaceful religious group. This weekend she has traveled to Florida to try and disrupt the lives of these individuals and those of their neighbors. Bob Minton, the leader of this group, has already been arrested twice for assult (sic) and battery against members of this church and has been ordered to stay away from church buildings.

"'Stop the religious hatred and intolerance. Stop the violence. For more information see: www.parishioners.org'

"They got my name wrong Apparently my BTs went to Florida without me; the piccie on the flyer was taken on 4 Dec. during OUR memorial picket. They are too ashamed to mention the name of the church. Their spelling sucks."

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K-Pod

"Chico Creek Theater Festival's 'K-Pod' serves up an entire smorgasbord of delights, yet unlike a common buffet, this one is full of taste (good, bad and otherwise) and refreshing sights and smells (was that lighter fluid?) wrapped up in a surrealistic experience. Chico's Fleischers, the Amphibious Jakeys, delve into Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard in an allegorical play delineating the divergent paths taken by two, Mouse (Karina Czoka) and Frog (Eli Bird), from their common womb, a pod, to save the moon.

"Stretching themselves to life as they step out of their cosmic egg, Mouse and Frog free-associate in synchronicity, ecstatically exclaiming the importance of Scientology. But before long, they turn from buying into the overwhelming rhetoric of L. Ron Hubbard and decide to do good in the world by ridding it of his wretchedness. Mouse gets consumed, Frog reproduces and they both travel through a talking seashell to find the Moon (Haley Hughes) riding the waves. Haskell's Hubbard is revolting and irreverent, at least as sinister as the Simpson's C. Montgomery Burns. Hmm, L. Ron and C. Montgomery - both have letters for first names. I'm sure there's no connection...

"What I know about Scientology can fit into a line in a song, so I won't pretend I understand the social significance of this sect. Regardless, Haskell's Hubbard makes me want to have as little to do with his philosophy as possible. He dominates the stage with his presence and his wheelchair with expertise, guaranteeing a disturbing scene in one of my upcoming nightmares. Make a point of getting down to the Blue Room this weekend to see this production. It's local talent at its finest just waiting for you to join the audience."

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Alfred Elton van Vogt

"Alfred Elton van Vogt, legendary science fiction writer, died of complications following pneumonia in Los Angeles Wednesday morning. He was 87 years old. Patrick Nielsen Hayden eulogized van Vogt as a leading figure of the 'golden age' of science fiction that Astounding Science Fiction editor John Campbell presided over throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. Van Vogt was, Nielsen Hayden said, 'nearly the last of the great first generation of Campbell discoveries to go.'

"Van Vogt became an advocate of Dianetics, the quasi-psychoanalytic method invented by fellow SF writer L. Ron Hubbard, in 1950, crediting the system for wife E. Mayne Hull's 19-year remission from cancer symptoms. Like John Campbell, van Vogt never had much patience for Dianetics' religious outgrowth, Scientology. His affiliation with Dianetics, however, was another matter. Not only did he open one of the first auditing centers in Los Angeles -- the city where he spent the last half-century of his life -- but he remained the president of the California Association of Dianetics Auditors until late in life. He is survived by wife Lydia."

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Battlefield Earth

"'Battlefield Earth: 2000,' which opens May 12 in 3,000 screens, covers only the first 500 pages (of 1,000) of L. Ron Hubbard's book. But producers John Travolta (who stars), Jonathan Krane and Elie Samaha have an option for the remaining pages -- the sequel -- and they're talking to Corly Mandel about writing it. The Hubbard projects are repped by Author Services Inc., whose senior VP Javier Ruiz, tells me there will also be a prequel now being written by Algis Budrys."

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