Last night I had the pleasure of interviewing Astra Woodcraft and her father Lawrence for our Glosslip Radio show on the BlogTalkRadio.com network. Both Astra and Lawrence were in the Church of Scientology’s most devout group called the Sea Organization and members who join must sign a billion-year contract. Being part of the Sea Org means devoting your life completely to Scientology and turning over total control to the Church. Apparently this also includes your reproductive life as well.

But wait, there’s more…

Glosslip.com is thrilled to announce a special radio segment on our BlogTalkRadio show, Glosslip Radio. This Monday we will be interviewing Astra Woodcraft, ex-Scientologist and child Sea Org member and her father Lawrence Woodcraft, an architect, ex-Scientologist and former Sea Org member. Recently, Astra and her father were profiled on ABC’s Nightline interview with Jenna Miscavige, niece of CoS leader, David Miscavige. Astra, Jenna and another ex-Scientologist, Kendra Wiseman started a website called Exscientologykids.com.

Also significant is Lawrence Woodcraft’s detailed history on the CoS cruise ship, the Freewinds. Just yesterday we reported the ship has been permanently sealed due to a massive asbestos leak discovered during renovation. Mr. Woodcraft reported the “blue asbestos” problem years ago, but the Church of Scientology has worked hard to cover up the problems until the recent news leak our of the Caribbean, where the ship is dry-docked.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW

But wait, there’s more…

In our continued coverage of the astounding interview we did with ex-Scientologist and Sea Org member Marc Headley, he revealed David Miscavige, RTC President and head of the Church, was directly involved in the cover-up of Lisa McPherson’s death. Lisa, a young and pretty Scientologist whose death in 1995 rocked the Church of Scientology, has since become the poster child for the alleged abuses leveled at the Church.

The story of Lisa’s death is incredibly tragic. Not simply because we see the face of vibrant, beautiful young woman cut down it the prime of her life, but because for all intents and purposes, her death was completely preventable. Here’s a very brief summary in the interest of time, but I encourage anyone interested to do more research about the events surrounding Lisa’s death:

But wait, there’s more…

Just saw this on Operation Clambake from Andreas himself about 20-year-old student Kaja Ballo’s death:

The media coverage on this in Norway has been unprecedented for any event ever related to CoS. I was on the phone or in studio all day yesterday to help explain what has happened. Had to fly to Oslo to attend several live TV debates. I seriously doubt there is one person left in Norway who has not learned about this tragedy by now.

I can’t list them all, but some of the press coverage and a few pictures are linked here:

http://www.xenu.net/news/

You can see a picture series of the head of CoS in Norway, Matthias Fosse and me here (taken at TV studio between debates yesterday):

http://sesam.no/search/?q=matthias+fosse&x=0&y=0&c=pp
http://sesam.no/search/?c=pp&q=heldal-lund

This is very high profile and the media is working overtime to cover this! The direct connection to the Church of Scientology is unusually clear and her father is a very high profiled and influential politician in Norway. He has been in the Norwegian Parliament since 1997, he studied medicine at University of Würzburg, and has been a doctor. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Justice (!) and the Vice President of the Odelsting (the “lower house” in the Parliament).The Norwegian Minister of Finance and many others attended Kaja’s funeral. At the service the priest made a clear and special effort to link her death to the Church of Scientology.

The family has asked that this tragic story is debated publicly and friends of Kaja have been told they should become critics of the Church of Scientology. This is not going away. The close family has said they trust the French police and are awaiting the result of their investigation.

I hope the May 10 picket in Oslo will be an event respectful of her memory and something Norwegians will remember a long time.

I’ll try to keep you updated.

Contrary to earlier assumptions Kaja’s family has encouraged on-going debate about her tragic death. Norway has a history of being open and accepting of all faiths, for this progressive Scandinavian country which lives in relative peace and equanimity to blatantly point the finger at a “religious” organization is as Andreas points out “unprecedented.” As Glosslip has been warning for months, the United States better get with the program or it will be left looking the fool for allowing a dangerous organization to not just operate within its borders, but FLOURISH, all under the protective watch of our First Amendment. I won’t even mention the unfair tax break only Scientology gets. Oh wait, I just did.

There’s not a lot of detail on this yet, as it’s in Norwegian, and since I am only Norwegian through marriage, I can’t translate. Andreas, publisher of Operation Clambake (huge CoS critic site) posted this story up on their message boards. Here’s the newsreport from an Norwegian outlet, in Norwegian. Someone on the OCBM tried to translate, so here’s what we have so far:

UPDATE: Better translation from Enturbulation.org: -

Verdens Gang:
A little over two weeks ago Kaja Bordevich Ballo (20) committed suicide - a few hours after she’d recieved a devastating result on a personality test administrated by the Church of Scientology.

The police in the southern French town of Nice - where Kaja studied at the university of Nice Sophia Antipolis - are investigating the controversial church’s connection to the event.

Kajas father is the noted politician Olav Gunnar Ballo (SV), a member of parliament for years, vice president of Odelstinget and fearless healthcare spokesperson for his party. Maried to Ballo and mother of Kaja is Heidi Sørensen (SV). Sørensen has previously been the leader of Naturvernforbundet and a member of parliament, she is now a undersecretary of state at Miljøverndepartementet.

The news VG publishes today, are printed after agreement with Ballo himself, and the rest of Kaja’s family.

- The information about the Scientology test has been made public through the priest’s speech at the memorial service. I can confirm that. Due to the recency of her death, I don’t wish to elaborate on or comment on other matters now, Olav Gunnar Ballo told VG.

Kaja died on March 28, and was buried at Grefsen church last friday. A large group of friends followed her to the grave. Many were also in support during a memorial held in the Stortinget the same afternoon.

Personality test
According to information VG has received, the connection to the Scientologists was made after the family found a completed personality test and the Church of Scientology’s analysis of what they contend is her personality, in Kaja’s 17 sqm student room after her death.

The test had been timestamped and dated: It had been taken the same day as her death. The Church of Scientology have their premises only a few meters from the student home where Kaja lived.

Henrik Møinichen (19), a fellow student of Kaja, tells VG that he walked with Kaja to the university and class at nine o’clock on friday the 28 of March.

- In my opinion she was as usual. She participated in class as usual, talked and was happy, Møinichen told VG.

After the class in French for foreigners was over at 11 o’clock, Henrik left for the Nice airport to meet his father. Henrik lives in the neigboring room to Kaja. The last he heard of her, was that she was walking around her room at three-four o’clock in the afternoon. He was out of his room the rest of the day with his father.

As far as VG has been able to discern no friends or acquaintances had been in contact with the 20-year-old between the timestamp of the test, and the time at which she was found dead.

Vulnerable spot
- The test was found at her place by the family. After she was finished at school I’ve heard she went to buy clothes for someone. This is how she supposedly came in contact with the Church of Scientology, Møinichen says.

From what VG has been told Kaja received an extremely bad result on the test.

- I have a feeling that something must have happened suddenly, that they hit a vulnerable spot. Personally I believe that Kaja had been alive today if she hadn’t been in contact with the scientologists. I had the impression that she enjoyed Nice. She often spoke of the the future and her plans at the university, said Møinichen.

“Read more in today’s VG”..

But wait, there’s more…

The beloved and beautiful Princess of Wales, Diana, may now finally get much deserved peace some ten years after her tragic death.

After a lengthy and exhaustive inquest into the cause and nature of Diana’s death, a jury have finally come to a verdict as to who was ultimately responsible for her being killed in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. In the CNN report, final fault was found with driver Henri Paul, who was drunk at the time of the crash (with a blood alcohol count three times the legal limit in France), this along with his reckless driving at a high rate of speed, while attempting to outrun the paparazzi were the ultimate cause of Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed’s death.

The British inquest into the August 31, 1997, deaths began in October after a decade of British and French police investigations and French court proceedings. The jury’s role was to determine how the victims died; it had no authority to blame any individual. Photo

Baker said there was “no evidence” that the British secret service — or any other government agency — had anything to do with the crash, as Fayed’s father had alleged.

The inquest is the official British inquiry into the deaths of the princess and Fayed while they were fleeing paparazzi photographers. It began October 2 and has cost an estimated £8 million ($16 million), Stevens said.

Diana, 36, and 42-year-old Fayed were killed when the Mercedes-Benz they were traveling in hit a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
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They were being followed at the time by the paparazzi after leaving the Ritz Hotel. Paul, who was also killed, was drunk and driving at high speed. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor.

More than 240 witnesses have given evidence, including Diana’s close friends, Prince Philip’s private secretary, a former head of the Secret Intelligence Service and Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell.

In my lifetime, I will consider the death of Princess Diana one of the most horrific and heartbreaking tragedies. Not only was Diana one of the most uniquely beautiful women, she was uncommonly kind and ahead of her time. I will never forgive Prince Charles for betraying this wonderful human in such a callous and cold way, though I believe the Queen is truly to blame for how Diana was mistreated.

May you now rest in peace Princess.

Are there any countries left besides the United States who haven’t declared Scientology to be a powerful, sinister and dangerous cult? So far, most of the Western World has identified this organization as a threat to the very fabric of society.

When will we wake up? When will we see beyond the glamorous veneer which people like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley try to present as a “religion,” allowing THEIR money, THEIR power, THEIR influence to ruin people’s lives? These celebrities are coddled, and pampered by the Church, in the same way society pampers and coddles celebs. Anyone who knowingly shills for this organization should be investigated and held accountable for the crimes committed and should be punished and put in jail. We willingly allow these untrained, witless figures to tell us what medical treatment we should or shouldn’t have, when their entire faith was built around the delusional paranoia of a hack writer who died while hopped up on anti-psychotic meds. That is some rich delicious irony there my friends.

I read a story last night from a VERY credible witness to the atrocities of David Miscavige and it spoke to the depths of his depravity and callousness. According to this ex-Scientologist, David Miscavige, leader of Scientology, used a crude version of musical chairs during a meeting at Gold Base to slowly, cruelly and viciously teach his staff a lesson in “loyalty.” 70 adult men and women gathered in a large conference room with chairs arranged in a circle while he blasted Mozart. Each participant who was eliminated, was given a one-way ticket to nowheresville, excommunicated from his position within the Church, and ostensibly from all they knew and love, including family, loved ones and colleagues, by a sick twist of timing.

As you can imagine many fights broke out, people wrestling and pushing to find a chair, husbands being separated from wives, most with no money, no home, no life beyond the Church all because David Miscavige was going to teach them a lesson. Thank goodness this man has no children.

Even in the corporate world of sharks and villains, David Miscavige would be a monster.

There are more stories, worse stories. Google Kyle Brennan. I’ll tell you about him soon. He’s dead. His father called a Scientologist instead of emergency personnel after finding his son unresponsive. In fact, he waited 45 minutes before calling authorities. Why? Hard to say, but it could be because his dad was a Scientologist and Kyle suffered from depression. Kyle’s depression medicine was not made available to him. This is all we know. The case is under investigation. Someone did something wrong, something twisted and the end result is Kyle is dead and his mother heartbroken.

Yes, I am supposed to be fair. I am supposed to be balanced. I am supposed to write with neutrality. But I am not CNN, the New York Times or any of the elite media. I have a heart, I am not beholden to some corporate sponsor telling me what is and what is NOT newsworthy. Tom Cruise can’t threaten me and I refuse to be silent.

(Editors note: A special thanks to the many members of the public for continuing to help me stay informed, I am nothing without your help. I can’t thank you by name, as you are all anonymous.)

It’s a crying shame that when someone is fighting what is arguably the biggest battle of their life, they have to worry that some unscrupulous, money-grubbing twit is going to sell their secrets to the tabloids.  That’s what happened to Farrah Fawcett, as she continues her fight against cancer:

UCLA Medical Center has disciplined an employee for snooping in Farrah Fawcett’s medical records, the hospital said Wednesday, a few weeks after announcing that several employees were fired for taking peeks at Britney Spears’ files.

Fawcett expressed concern to a doctor in May that details of her condition were being leaked to tabloids, and he reported it to hospital executives, UCLA spokeswoman Roxanne Moster said.

Fawcett’s attorney, Kim Swartz, said an employee at the hospital accessed Fawcett’s medical records without authorization, and details about her cancer treatment later showed up in the National Enquirer. The tabloid published details about a recurrence in Fawcett’s cancer before she had a chance to tell family and friends, Swartz said.

“She’s a very private person and she’s reluctant to go public about this, let alone take legal action,” Swartz said. “She’s fighting for her life.”

Farrah was declared cancer-free in February 2007, but the cancer returned a few months later.  She has been seeking treatment in Germany:

“It’s disturbing to her when there are false reports that she’s given up and wants to die, when the opposite is true,” said Swartz. “She’s a strong person and a fighter.” […]

“She is cautiously optimistic,” Craig J. Nevius told the Times. Nevius is producing a documentary about the former star of “Charlie’s Angels” and her battle with cancer.

“Farrah has learned the hard way that with cancer, the test is time. At the moment she has no detectable cancer,” he said.

In related snoopiness, several workers were disciplined and thirteen were fired after peeking around in Britney’s files when she had her 5150 hold a few months ago.

For the Enquirer’s part, they are taking the high road:

Enquirer senior reporter Alan Smith told the Times that Fawcett’s cancer is newsworthy.

“We publish what we believe is accurate,” he said.

Isn’t that nice.  I could come on here and say that Britney is the spawn of two aliens and that she drinks goat’s blood for breakfast, claim that I believe it is accurate, and I guess that makes it journalism.  Hey, I just found a way to make my job a whole lot easier!  Forget all the fact-checking, cross-referencing, and making sure I get my story straight, I’ll just pull things out of my butt and say, “I believe it is accurate.”  Because if I believe it, it’s so!

Look, whether you are Farrah Fawcett, Britney Spears, or Joe Schmoe The Ragpicker, when you enter a hospital you have certain expectations of privacy.  Anyone who would sell things like this to the tabloid press should not only be fired but prevented from working in any sort of health-care industry again, no matter if they were a nurse or a janitor.  You need to concentrate on getting well, not worrying about whether somebody is rifling through your personal files.

Our prayers and best wishes go out to Farrah in her continued recovery.

Part 2 in the series of Glosslip’s interview with Andrew Morton we discuss the disintegration of Tom Cruise’s marriage to Nicole Kidman and what influence Scientology has had on Nicole’s disconnection and separation from her children, Isabella, age 16 and Connor, age 13.

Andrew discussed PTSSP Rundown, a course teen Scientologists are given to during their adolescence which in cases of divorce or separation from parents can in effect cause “disconnect” to take place. Andrew suggests what will happen with Nicole’s children, and what we’ve already witnessed happening to their relationship when Tom left Nicole and she parted ways with Scientology.

With the McCartney divorce brouhaha, I kind of overlooked that Howard K. Stern testified in the ongoing Daniel Smith inquest.  He told the court that he did not give Daniel drugs, nor did he see Anna Nicole Smith do so:

Stern said he had no idea Daniel was taking any kind of prescription medication, including Methadone. Stern said from September 2005 until June 2006, he wasn’t even around as much because he was working full time on Anna’s fight with Pierce Marshall.

Stern said there was no duffel bag full of medication at the hospital where Daniel died. He said neither he nor Anna brought any medication into the hospital. As for Stern giving Daniel Methadone, he said absolutely not.

Stern said when he first learned that the toxicology report said that Methadone or any other medication was in Daniel’s system, he didn’t believe it.

He also told the court the while he did take a photograph of Daniel after he died, it was not for nefarious purposes:

Stern also talked about the photo he took in the hospital room of Anna with Daniel after he died. He said Anna would not believe Daniel had died and she wanted to bring Daniel home with her. Stern testified Anna wanted him to take a photo because she couldn’t accept Daniel was dead and needed the photo for proof. Stern said he took the photo, never made money off it and would do it again.

Stern testified he was asleep when an agitated Anna said, “Howard, Howard, Daniel’s not breathing.” Stern said he went over and touched Daniel’s neck but found no pulse. They pushed the emergency button, workers came in the room to resuscitate him, to no avail. They tried to physically remove Anna but she would not break away. After the doctors stopped, both Stern and Anna continued resuscitation efforts.

The whole situation is heartbreaking.  If it were my son, I might react in the same way.  Who is to say what is proper behavior when one loses a child?

But it is heartbreaking in another way as well…the argument could be made that while it is sad that Daniel died, it is equally as sad that he never really got the chance to live.  Not live as a normal, anonymous, regular person, that is.  He spent most of his life in the fishbowl of his famous mother’s life, only he tried as best he could to stay hidden in the shadows.  I think it eventually got to him and he acted out in the only way he knew how…by turning to drugs.

Yes, I know that you can do everything right as a parent and your child still go astray, and you can do everything wrong as a parent and somehow your child turns out okay.  But if Anna Nicole seriously thought that her son would grow up to be even relatively normal, she was more deluded than we originally thought.

And say what you will about HKS (and I have), I hope in this case he is telling the truth.  I’m still not quite convinced that he didn’t give Daniel drugs at some point, or at least knew about them, but I’m going to say that he is telling the truth about not bringing a bag of drugs to the hospital (hospitals don’t let you bring in your own medication) and the photograph.

Regardless, it’s a very sad situation all around.