Marc Headley, the first guest on the inaugural Underground Bunker podcast, yippee! Two of my favourite Scientology chroniclers in the world, burning up the airwaves for our aural pleasure. This is going to be good!
Yes the WB is the West Coast Building- one of the oldest buildings in Clearwater,( I think originally a hotel) about 3 blocks north of the Fort Harrison Hotel on Fort Harrison Blvd. Bought as the same time as the Sandcastle, late 70's. The WB was for Int Management originally, just before Gold and the Int base in Helmet were started. ED Int (Bill Franks), CMO CW and FB (Flag Bureau) some ITO and the Flag Telex office were there at the time. These orgs were moved from the rented Lerner Building, LB (old department store) next to the CW Police station and across from a seedy dive bar.
I signed up just for the podcast. Thank you! BTW I think it would be a great idea if you could do a QA from your subscribers maybe towards the end of the podcast.
Terrific to see Mr Ortega join the podcast world and share your bountiful knowledge on this subject. What a treat this is and great to hear you and Mark talk with such knowledge and compassion - thank you and please keep em coming!
Fantastic inaugural podcast! I subscribed specifically for this podcast. An amazing idea for another Bunker platform.
One question that I wish Marc could answer on any platform: when will his second book be released?! I have been eagerly awaiting that one! “Blown for Good” is one of my favorite ex-Scientologist’s books. I have re-read it a couple of times. If you don't own it, buy it immediately. You will not regret it.
I am looking forward to all of the guests that will be on the UBP. Thanks guys for the awesome first podcast!
Hubbard's only leeway on fundraising, would be through the "religion angle." And lawyers to Scientology advising would absolutely give authoritzation legally to fundraise straight donations for projects. ASI did have LRH authorization to have "LRH properties" sold, like the "prints" of the paintings that go with Hubbard's fiction works Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth books, LRH authorized all the prints sales associated.
The Author Services Inc "advices" from Hubbard, read only by ASI staff, tell ASI staff to creatively sell "LRH properties" and make millions, doing so.
Miscavige has retained the COB ASI "hat" since no other Sea Org member has risen to the COB ASI role.
COB ASI role or "hat" or position, has never been passed to anyone.
I personally "removed" the specific "COB ASI" orders from LRH to COB ASI and the only COB ASI there ever was, was him; I put the COB ASI advices on a pc, and David Bloomberg and Fran Harris proofread them (me also proofread them also), and I took the pc to Int Base, and deleted them off the ASI computers. Rog Kernbach the computer guy INCOMM at Int Base, set up that pc for Miscavige.
(I did hide the COB ASI advises though, on two of the ASI computers, since I knew the order was one LRH wouldn't approve of, since the COB ASI "hat" belonged in ASI, and rightfully should stay within the ASI computers, so I hid the advices in two places on the ASI computers anyways.)
But Miscavige when he moved over to be fulltime COB RTC in the later part of the 1980s, my guess in his mind he's retained the COB ASI "hat" over that "ASI sector" in his mind. So that by when I "removed" the COB ASI advices off the ASI computers, he didn't think anyone would ever rise up to fill that job again.
Miscavige at heart, or part of his "heart" is Commodore's Messenger, and LRH's final traffic, I've observed, does guide him still.
So Tony saying Miscavige is taking on LRH's valance, that is absolutely correct.
A joke that Terri Gamboa told us ex's once gathered at her house, for a visit, we were all pretty sub level ex's, Terri graced us with some really insider info, she having been ED ASI (when Miscavige was COB ASI, and when Starkey was LRH Trustee, Terri has so much info on ASI history I hope she someday leaves for posterity), the joke she told was the Bill Dendiu joke. Sometime in years earlier the higher ex's had a gathering, and Bill stood up, and pretended to pose the question, "Who is there to replace LRH," and Bill paced around like he was genuinely concerned and pondering, "Who is going to take over LRH's hat" and Bill then bright idea thinks, "I've got it. Dave Miscavige" is perfect.
Joke, he's the most bastard vicious one to embody all of LRH's worst heartlessness.
The leftover staff at ASI (Author Services Inc) in the years I was at ASI, 92-95, the staff still standing had subservient suppressed disgust with fake cheerfulness to hide their fear and hatred of Miscavige. Some, Mary Buffington, hated Miscavige and she couldn't restrain her hatred of the times when Miscavige went nutso at ASI, Mary/Mari was around from the mid or early 80s at ASI.
The psychological damage people get from being around Miscavige is worthy of spelling out.
Older timer OT Scientologists think he's a thug and punk and bad news compared to anything positive they got from the Scientology quackery.
All of Scientology's gaudy praise on the Scientology websites is hamfisted club footed strained praise.
I think I had 4 total conversations with him. All when I was an ASI staff member. I'd say sir to him, and politely stand up, but I would chat with him about things, like one time in the HGB when he was doing a show and tell tour to the ASI staff in 1993 or so, to show the renovations to the RTC floor (his offices, his little resting space and bathrooms, etc) at the HGB building, he did know all the details of the special stone sculpture map in sandstone behind his COB RTC desk in the HGB building.
If you know of something in the room which he approves of, and direct his attention to that, first off, then you can control the conversation for a split second, I experienced. "Nice tie sir" "Great steel motif of the elevators sir" and he was all over explaining details of how high quality the item was.
He liked that "hard chrome steel" look to the HGB offices outer elevators which have steel paneling walls and is dark, science fiction prison walls look. But I knew he chose that exact look, so just praise it, and he babbled on about it. He did comment that he liked that sort of prison steel look, since the lawyers who'd wait in the hard steel walled elevator foyer of the RTC floor of the HGB, he said they could contemplate going to prison if they screwed up working for him. Hubbard set the "hard chrome steel" motif for RTC, and Miscavige executed it.
Chuck, did you know Mari Buffington? She was my closest friend from age 5. She was like a sister to me. Our friendship somehow survived her 30+ years in Scientology, and she even emerged in the final 5 years of her life to reconnect with old friends (she was taken by cancer in 2015). This is the first I’ve heard of her disapproving of anything or anyone in Scientology. I once asked her about Miscavige, and her response was that she “understood” why he behaved as he did. I’d appreciate any insights you can provide about my dear friend.
I love that you were able to use that song that was written for the Bunker so many years ago and am embarrassed that I don’t remember who wrote it for you although I recognize it. Please give us the credits for it.
Always great to hear from Marc and the whole Miscavige threatening to move. You learn something new every day.
@ around 20 mins Marc talks about COB digging around in crews offices at night.
By himself.
And then magically finding things the next day.
My friend told me how OT he is because she saw him do this at FSO during an inspection. She was in awe of him.
Marc Headley, the first guest on the inaugural Underground Bunker podcast, yippee! Two of my favourite Scientology chroniclers in the world, burning up the airwaves for our aural pleasure. This is going to be good!
Yes the WB is the West Coast Building- one of the oldest buildings in Clearwater,( I think originally a hotel) about 3 blocks north of the Fort Harrison Hotel on Fort Harrison Blvd. Bought as the same time as the Sandcastle, late 70's. The WB was for Int Management originally, just before Gold and the Int base in Helmet were started. ED Int (Bill Franks), CMO CW and FB (Flag Bureau) some ITO and the Flag Telex office were there at the time. These orgs were moved from the rented Lerner Building, LB (old department store) next to the CW Police station and across from a seedy dive bar.
I signed up just for the podcast. Thank you! BTW I think it would be a great idea if you could do a QA from your subscribers maybe towards the end of the podcast.
Nice work! Looking forward to more!
Terrific to see Mr Ortega join the podcast world and share your bountiful knowledge on this subject. What a treat this is and great to hear you and Mark talk with such knowledge and compassion - thank you and please keep em coming!
Love the gin and tonic sound at minute 11 (with ice) :) cheers
Fantastic inaugural podcast! I subscribed specifically for this podcast. An amazing idea for another Bunker platform.
One question that I wish Marc could answer on any platform: when will his second book be released?! I have been eagerly awaiting that one! “Blown for Good” is one of my favorite ex-Scientologist’s books. I have re-read it a couple of times. If you don't own it, buy it immediately. You will not regret it.
I am looking forward to all of the guests that will be on the UBP. Thanks guys for the awesome first podcast!
Hubbard's only leeway on fundraising, would be through the "religion angle." And lawyers to Scientology advising would absolutely give authoritzation legally to fundraise straight donations for projects. ASI did have LRH authorization to have "LRH properties" sold, like the "prints" of the paintings that go with Hubbard's fiction works Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth books, LRH authorized all the prints sales associated.
The Author Services Inc "advices" from Hubbard, read only by ASI staff, tell ASI staff to creatively sell "LRH properties" and make millions, doing so.
Miscavige has retained the COB ASI "hat" since no other Sea Org member has risen to the COB ASI role.
COB ASI role or "hat" or position, has never been passed to anyone.
I personally "removed" the specific "COB ASI" orders from LRH to COB ASI and the only COB ASI there ever was, was him; I put the COB ASI advices on a pc, and David Bloomberg and Fran Harris proofread them (me also proofread them also), and I took the pc to Int Base, and deleted them off the ASI computers. Rog Kernbach the computer guy INCOMM at Int Base, set up that pc for Miscavige.
(I did hide the COB ASI advises though, on two of the ASI computers, since I knew the order was one LRH wouldn't approve of, since the COB ASI "hat" belonged in ASI, and rightfully should stay within the ASI computers, so I hid the advices in two places on the ASI computers anyways.)
But Miscavige when he moved over to be fulltime COB RTC in the later part of the 1980s, my guess in his mind he's retained the COB ASI "hat" over that "ASI sector" in his mind. So that by when I "removed" the COB ASI advices off the ASI computers, he didn't think anyone would ever rise up to fill that job again.
Miscavige at heart, or part of his "heart" is Commodore's Messenger, and LRH's final traffic, I've observed, does guide him still.
So Tony saying Miscavige is taking on LRH's valance, that is absolutely correct.
A joke that Terri Gamboa told us ex's once gathered at her house, for a visit, we were all pretty sub level ex's, Terri graced us with some really insider info, she having been ED ASI (when Miscavige was COB ASI, and when Starkey was LRH Trustee, Terri has so much info on ASI history I hope she someday leaves for posterity), the joke she told was the Bill Dendiu joke. Sometime in years earlier the higher ex's had a gathering, and Bill stood up, and pretended to pose the question, "Who is there to replace LRH," and Bill paced around like he was genuinely concerned and pondering, "Who is going to take over LRH's hat" and Bill then bright idea thinks, "I've got it. Dave Miscavige" is perfect.
Joke, he's the most bastard vicious one to embody all of LRH's worst heartlessness.
The leftover staff at ASI (Author Services Inc) in the years I was at ASI, 92-95, the staff still standing had subservient suppressed disgust with fake cheerfulness to hide their fear and hatred of Miscavige. Some, Mary Buffington, hated Miscavige and she couldn't restrain her hatred of the times when Miscavige went nutso at ASI, Mary/Mari was around from the mid or early 80s at ASI.
The psychological damage people get from being around Miscavige is worthy of spelling out.
Older timer OT Scientologists think he's a thug and punk and bad news compared to anything positive they got from the Scientology quackery.
All of Scientology's gaudy praise on the Scientology websites is hamfisted club footed strained praise.
I think I had 4 total conversations with him. All when I was an ASI staff member. I'd say sir to him, and politely stand up, but I would chat with him about things, like one time in the HGB when he was doing a show and tell tour to the ASI staff in 1993 or so, to show the renovations to the RTC floor (his offices, his little resting space and bathrooms, etc) at the HGB building, he did know all the details of the special stone sculpture map in sandstone behind his COB RTC desk in the HGB building.
If you know of something in the room which he approves of, and direct his attention to that, first off, then you can control the conversation for a split second, I experienced. "Nice tie sir" "Great steel motif of the elevators sir" and he was all over explaining details of how high quality the item was.
He liked that "hard chrome steel" look to the HGB offices outer elevators which have steel paneling walls and is dark, science fiction prison walls look. But I knew he chose that exact look, so just praise it, and he babbled on about it. He did comment that he liked that sort of prison steel look, since the lawyers who'd wait in the hard steel walled elevator foyer of the RTC floor of the HGB, he said they could contemplate going to prison if they screwed up working for him. Hubbard set the "hard chrome steel" motif for RTC, and Miscavige executed it.
Chuck, did you know Mari Buffington? She was my closest friend from age 5. She was like a sister to me. Our friendship somehow survived her 30+ years in Scientology, and she even emerged in the final 5 years of her life to reconnect with old friends (she was taken by cancer in 2015). This is the first I’ve heard of her disapproving of anything or anyone in Scientology. I once asked her about Miscavige, and her response was that she “understood” why he behaved as he did. I’d appreciate any insights you can provide about my dear friend.
Phil Spickler spoke candidly critically even about Hubbard, in his interviews preserved online.
Phil was an older gen Scientologist, in their own mindsets of a different era.
His interviews are worth seeing Phil's mindset.
Also on the YouTube channel "Outer Banks" one particular old colleague of Phil's speaks a lot more about Phil's views and mindset.
I love that you were able to use that song that was written for the Bunker so many years ago and am embarrassed that I don’t remember who wrote it for you although I recognize it. Please give us the credits for it.
Always great to hear from Marc and the whole Miscavige threatening to move. You learn something new every day.
The song was by The Hole Does Not Exist -- I'm not sure if her real name was ever revealed.
I don't think it's a secret. Here is some of her work:
https://youtube.com/channel/UCqszs3YG36e5Fprs8DY3oqg
Thanks 😃