text:
Time Magazine: Scientology: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
Source: Time Magazine
Time Magazine cover story
Ruined lives. Lost fortunes. Federal crimes. Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam -- and aiming for the mainstream
by Richard Behar
By all appearances, Noah Lottick of Kingston, Pa., had been a normal, happy 24-year-old who was looking for his place in the sun. On the day last June when his parents drove to New York City to obtain his body, they were nearly catatonic with grief.
This young Russian-studies scholar had jumped from a 10th-floor window of the Milford Plaza Hotel and bounced off the hood of a stretch limousine. When the police arrived, his fingers were still clutching $171 in cash, virtually the only money he hadn't turned over to the Church of Scientology, the self-help "philosophy" group he had discovered just seven months earlier.
His death inspired his father Edward, a physician, to start his own investigation of the church. "We thought Scientology was something like Dale Carnegie," Lottick says. "I now believe it's a school for psychopaths." Their so-called therapies are manipulations. They take the best and the brightest people and destroy them." The Lotticks want to sue the church for contributing to their son's death, but the prospect has them frightened. For nearly 40 years, the big business of Scientology has shielded itself exquisitely behind the First Amendment as well as a battery of high-priced criminal lawyers and shady private detectives.
The Church of Scientology, started by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard to "clear" people of unhappiness, portrays itself as a religion. In reality the church is a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner. At times during the past decade, prosecutions against Scientology seemed to be curbing its menace. Eleven top Scientologists, including Hubbard's wife, were sent to prison in the early 1980s for infiltrating, burglarizing and wiretapping more than 100 private and government agencies in attempts to block their investigations. In recent years hundreds of longtime Scientology adherents -- many charging that they were mentally or physically abused -- have quit the church and criticized it at their own risk. Some have sued the church and won; others have settled for amounts in excess of $500,000. In various cases judges have labeled the church "schizophrenic and paranoid" and "corrupt, sinister and dangerous."
Yet the outrage and litigation have failed to squelch Scientology. The group, which boasts 700 centers in 65 countries, threatens to become more insidious and pervasive than ever. Scientology is trying to go mainstream, a strategy that has sparked a renewed law- enforcement campaign against the church. Many of the group's followers have been accused of committing financial scams, while the church is busy attracting the unwary through a wide array of front groups in such businesses as publishing, consulting, health care and even remedial education.
In Hollywood, Scientology has assembled a star-studded roster of followers by aggressively recruiting and regally pampering them at the church's "Celebrity Centers," a chain of clubhouses that offer expensive counseling and career guidance. Adherents include screen idols Tom Cruise and John Travolta, actresses Kirstie Alley, Mimi Rogers, and Anne Archer, Palm Springs mayor and performer Sonny Bono, jazzman Chick Corea and even Nancy Cartwright, the voice of cartoon star Bart Simpson. Rank-and-file members, however, are dealt a less glamorous Scientology.
According to the Cult Awareness Network, whose 23 chapters monitor more than 200 "mind control" cults, no group prompts more telephone pleas for help than does Scientology. Says Cynthia Kisser, the network's Chicago-based executive director: "Scientology is quite likely the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen. No cult extracts more money from its members." Agrees Vicki Aznaran, who was one of Scientology's six key leaders until she bolted from the church in 1987: "This is a criminal organization, day in and day out. It makes Jim and Tammy [Bakker] look like kindergarten." To explore Scientology's reach, TIME conducted more than 150 interviews and reviewed hundreds of court records and internal Scientology documents. Church officials refused to be interviewed. The investigation paints a picture of a depraved yet thriving enterprise. Most cults fail to outlast their founder, but Scientology has prospered since Hubbard's death in 1986. In a court filing, one of the cult's many entities -- the Church of Spiritual Technology -- listed $503 million in income just for 1987. High-level defectors say the parent organization has squirreled away an estimated $400 million in bank accounts in Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Cyprus. Scientology probably has about 50,000 active members, far fewer than the 8 million the group claims. But in one sense, that inflated figure rings true: millions of people have been affected in one way or another by Hubbard's bizarre creation.
Scientology is now run by David Miscavige, 31, a high school dropout and second-generation church member. Defectors describe him as cunning, ruthless and so paranoid about perceived enemies that he kept plastic wrap over his glass of water. His obsession is to obtain credibility for Scientology in the 1990s. Among other tactics, the group:
Retains public relation powerhouse Hill and Knowlton to help shed the church's fringe-group image.
Joined such household names as Sony and Pepsi as a main sponsor of Ted Turner's Goodwill Games.
Buys massive quantities of its own books from retail stores to propel the titles onto best-seller lists.
Runs full-page ads in such publications as Newsweek and Business Week that call Scientology a "philosophy," along with a plethora of TV ads touting the group's books.
Recruits wealthy and respectable professionals through a web of consulting groups that typically hide their ties to Scientology.
The founder of this enterprise was part storyteller, part flimflam man. Born In Nebraska in 1911, Hubbard served in the Navy during World War II and soon afterward complained to the Veterans Administration about his "suicidal inclinations" and his "seriously affected" mind. Nevertheless, Hubbard was a moderately successful writer of pulp science fiction. Years later, church brochures described him falsely as an "extensively decorated" World War II hero who was crippled and blinded in action, twice pronounced dead and miraculously cured through Scientology. Hubbard's "doctorate" from "Sequoia University" was a fake mall-order degree. In a I984 case in which the church sued a Hubbard biographical researcher, a California judge concluded that its founder was "a pathological liar."
Hubbard wrote one of Scientology's sacred texts, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, in 1950. In it he introduced a crude psychotherapeutic technique he called "auditing." He also created a simplified lie detector (called an "E-meter") that was designed to measure electrical changes In the skin while subjects discussed intimate details of their past. Hubbard argued that unhappiness sprang from mental aberrations (or "engrams") caused by early traumas. Counseling sessions with the E-meter, he claimed, could knock out the engrams, cure blindness and even improve a person's intelligence and appearance.
Hubbard kept adding steps, each more costly, for his followers to climb. In the 1960s the guru decreed that humans are made of clusters of spirits (or "thetans") who were banished to earth some 75 million years ago by a cruel galactic ruler named Xenu. Naturally, those thetans had to be audited.
An Internal Revenue Service ruling in 1967 stripped Scientology's mother church of its tax-exempt status. A federal court ruled in 1971 that Hubbard's medical claims were bogus and that E-meter auditing could no longer be called a scientific treatment. Hubbard responded by going fully religious, seeking First Amendment protection for Scien- tology's strange rites. His counselors started sporting clerical collars. Chapels were built, franchises became "missions," fees became "fixed donations," and Hubbard's comic-book cosmology became "sacred scriptures.'
During the early 1970s, the IRS conducted its own auditing sessions and proved that Hubbard was skimming millions of dollars from the church, laundering the money through dummy corporations in Panama and stashing it in Swiss bank accounts. Moreover, church members stole IRS documents, filed false tax returns and harassed the agency's employees. By late 1985, with high-level defectors accusing Hubbard of having stolen as much as S200 million from the church, the IRS was seeking an indictment of Hubbard for tax fraud. Scientology members "worked day and night" shredding documents the IRS sought, according to defector Aznaran, who took part in the scheme. Hubbard, who had been in hiding for five years, died before the criminal case could be prosecuted.
Today the church invents costly new services with all the zeal of its founder. Scientology doctrine warns that even adherents who are "cleared" of engrams face grave spiritual dangers unless they are pushed to higher and more expensive levels. According to the church's latest price list, recruits -- "raw meat," as Hubbard called them -- take auditing sessions that cost as much as $1,000 an hour, or $12,500 for a 12 1/2-hour "intensive."
Psychiatrists say these sessions can produce a drugged-like, mind-controlled euphoria that keeps customers coming back for more. To pay their fees, newcomers can earn commissions by recruiting new mem- bers, become auditors themselves (Miscavige did so at age 12), or join the church staff and receive free counseling in exchange for what their written contracts describe as a "billion years" of labor. "Make sure that lots of bodies move through the shop," implored Hubbard in one of his bulletins to officials. "Make money. Make more money. Make others produce so as to make money . . . However you get them in or why, just do it."
Harriet Baker learned the hard way about Scientology's business of selling religion. When Baker, 73, lost her husband to cancer, a Scientologist turned up at her Los Angeles home peddling a $1,300 auditing package to cure her grief. Some $15,000 later, the Scientologists discovered that her house was debt free. They arranged a $45,000 mortgage, which they pressured her to tap for more auditing until Baker's children helped their mother snap out of her daze. Last June, Baker demanded a $27,000 refund for unused services, prompting two cult members to show up at her door unannounced with an E-meter to interrogate her. Baker never got the money and, financially strapped, was forced to sell her house in September.
Before Noah Lottick killed himself, he had paid more than $5,000 for church counseling. His behavior had also become strange. He once remarked to his parents that his Scientology mentors could actually read minds. When his father suffered a major heart attack, Noah insisted that it was purely psychosomatic. Five days before he jumped, Noah burst into his parents' home and demanded to know why they were spreading "false rumors" about him -- a delusion that finally prompted his father to call a psychiatrist.
It was too late. "From Noah's friends at Dianetics" read the card that accompanied a bouquet of flowers at Lottick's funeral. Yet no Scientology staff members bothered to show up. A week earlier, local church officials had given Lottick's parents a red-carpet tour of their center. A cult leader told Noah's parents that their son had been at the church just hours before he disappeared -- but the church denied this story as soon as the body was identified. True to form, the cult even haggled with the Lotticks over $3,000 their son had paid for services he never used, insisting that Noah had intended it as a "donation."
The church has invented hundreds of goods and services for which members are urged to give "donations." Are you having trouble "moving swiftly up the Bridge" -- that is, advancing up the stepladder of en- lightenment? Then you can have your case reviewed for a mere $1,250 "donation." Want to know "why a thetan hangs on to the physical universe?" Try 52 of Hubbard's tape-recorded speeches from 1952, titled "Ron's Philadelphia Doctorate Course Lectures," for $2,525. Next: nine other series of the same sort. For the collector, gold-and-leather-bound editions of 22 of Hubbard's books (and bookends) on subjects ranging from Scientology ethics to radiation can be had for just $1,900.
To gain influence and lure richer, more sophisticated followers, Scientology has lately resorted to a wide array of front groups and financial scams. Among them:
CONSULTING. Sterling Management Systems, formed in 1983, has been ranked in recent years by Inc. magazine as one of America's fastest-growing private companies (estimated 1988 revenues: $20 mil- lion). Sterling regularly mails a free newsletter to more than 300,000 health-care professionals, mostly dentists, promising to increase their incomes dramatically. The firm offers seminars and courses that typically cost $10,OOO. But Sterling's true aim is to hook customers for Scientology. "The church has a rotten product, so they package it as something else," says Peter Georgiades, a Pittsburgh attorney who represents Sterling victims. "It's a kind of bait and switch." Sterling's founder, dentist Gregory Hughes is now under investigation by California's Board of Dental Examiners for incompetence. Nine lawsuits are pending against him for malpractice (seven others have been settled), mostly for orthodontic work on children.
Many dentists who have unwittingly been drawn into the cult are filing or threatening lawsuits as well. Dentist Robert Geary of Medina, Ohio, who entered a Sterling seminar in 1988, endured "the most extreme high-pressure sales tactics I have ever faced." Sterling officials told Geary, 45, that their firm was not linked to Scientology, he says. but Geary claims they eventually convinced him that he and his wife Dorothy had personal problems that required auditing. Over five months, the Gearys say, they spent $130,000 for services, plus $50,000 for "gold-embossed, investment-grade" books signed by Hubbard. Geary contends that Scientologists not only called his bank to increase his credit card limit but also forged his signature on a $20,000 loan application. "It was insane," he recalls. "I couldn't even get an accounting from them of what I was paying for." At one point, the Gearys claim, Scientologists held Dorothy hostage for two weeks in a mountain cabin, after which she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown.
Last October, Sterling broke some bad news to another dentist, Glover Rowe of Gadsden, Ala., and his wife Dee. Tests showed that unless they signed up for auditing Glover's practice would fail, and Dee would someday abuse their child. The next month the Rowes flew to Glendale, Calif., where they shuttled daily from a local hotel to a Dianetics center. "We thought they were brilliant people because they seemed to know so much about us," recalls Dee. "Then we realized our hotel room must have been bugged." After bolting from the center, $23,000 poorer, the Rowes say, they were chased repeatedly by Scientologists on foot and in cars. Dentists aren't the only once at risk. Scientology also makes pitches to chiropractors, podiatrists and veterinarians.
PUBLIC INFLUENCE. One front, the Way to Happiness Foundation, has distributed to children in thousands of the nation's public schools more than 3.5 million copies of a booklet Hubbard wrote on morality. The church calls the scheme "the largest dissemination project in Scientology history." Applied Scholastics is the name of still another front, which is attempting to install a Hubbard tutorial program in public schools, primarily those populated by minorities. The group also plans a 1,000 acre campus, where it will train educators to teach various Hubbard methods. The disingenuously named Citizens Commission on Human Rights is a Scientology group at war with psychiatry, its primary competitor. The commission typically issues reports aimed at discrediting particular psychiatrists and the field in general. The CCHR is also behind an all-out war against Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, the nation's top-selling antidepression drug. Despite scant evidence, the group's members -- who call themselves "psychbusters" -- claim that Prozac drives people to murder or suicide. Through mass mailings, appearances on talk shows and heavy lobbying, CCHR has hurt drug sales and helped spark dozens of lawsuits against Lilly.
Another Scientology linked group, the Concerned Businessmen's Association of America, holds antidrug contests and awards $5,000 grants to schools as a way to recruit students and curry favor with education officials. West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller IV unwittingly commended the CBAA in 1987 on the Senate floor. Last August author Alex Haley was the keynote speaker at its annual awards banquet in Los Angeles. Says Haley: "I didn't know much about that group going in. I'm a Methodist." Ignorance about Scientology can be embarrassing: two months ago, Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, noting that Scientology's founder "has solved the aberrations of the human mind," proclaimed March 13 "L. Ron Hubbard Day." He rescinded the proclamation in late March, once he Iearned who Hubbard really was.
HEALTH CARE. HealthMed, a chain of clinics run by Scientologists, promotes a grueling and excessive system of saunas, exercise and vitamins designed by Hubbard to purify the body. Experts denounce the regime as quackery and potentially harmful, yet HealthMed solicits unions and public agencies for contracts. The chain is plugged heavily in a new book, Diet for a Poisoned Planet, by journalist David Steinman, who concludes that scores of common foods (among them: peanuts, bluefish, peaches and cottage cheese) are dangerous.
Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop labeled the book "trash," and the Food and Drug Administration issued a paper in October that claims Steinman distorts his facts. "HealthMed is a gateway to Scientology, and Steinman's book is a sorting mechanism," says physician William Jarvis, who is head of the National Council Against Health Fraud. Steinman, who describes Hubbard favorably as a "researcher," denies any ties to the church and contends, "HealthMed has no affiliation that I know of with Scientology."
DRUG TREATMENT. Hubbard's purification treatments are the mainstay of Narconon, a Scientology-run chain of 33 alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers -- some in prisons under the name "Criminon" -- in 12 countries. Narconon, a classic vehicle for drawing addicts into the cult, now plans to open what it calls the world's largest treatment center, a 1,400-bed facility on an Indian reservation near Newkirk, Okla. (pop. 2,400. At a 1989 ceremony in Newkirk, the As- sociation for Better Living and Education presented Narconon a check for $200,000 and a study praising its work. The association turned out to be part of Scientology itself. Today the town is battling to keep out the cult, which has fought back through such tactics as sending private detectives to snoop on the mayor and the local newspaper publisher.
FINANCIAL SCAMS. Three Florida Scientologists, including Ronald Bernstein, a big contributor to the church's international "war chest," pleaded guilty in March to using their rare-coin dealership as a money laundry. Other notorious activities by Scientologists include making the shady Vancouver stock exchange even shadier (see box) and plotting to plant operatives in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Export-Import Bank of the U.S. The alleged purpose of this scheme: to gain inside information on which countries are going to be denied credit so that Scientology-linked traders can make illicit profits by taking "short" positions in those countries' currencies.
In the stock market the practice of "shorting" involves borrowing shares of publicly traded companies in the hope that the price will go down before the stocks must be bought on the market and returned to the lender. The Feshbach brothers of Palo Alto, Calif. -- Kurt, Joseph and Matthew - have become the leading short sellers in the U.S., with more than $500 million under management. The Feshbachs command a staff of about 60 employees and claim to have earned better returns than the Dow Jones industrial average for most of the 1980s. And, they say, they owe it all to the teachings of Scientology, whose "war chest" has received more than $1 million from the family.
The Feshbachs also embrace the church's tactics; the brothers are the terrors of the stock exchanges. In congressional hearings in 1989, the heads of several companies claimed that Feshbach operatives have spread false information to government agencies and posed in various guises -- such as a Securities and Exchange Commission official -- in an effort to discredit their companies and drive the stocks down. Michael Russell, who ran a chain of business journals, testified that a Feshbach employee called his bankers and interfered with his loans. Sometimes the Feshbachs send private detectives to dig up dirt on firms, which is then shared with business reporters, brokers and fund managers.
The Feshbachs, who wear jackets bearing the slogan "stock busters," insist they run a clean shop. But as part of a current probe into possible insider stock trading, federal officials are reportedly investigating whether the Feshbachs received confidential information from FDA employees. The brothers seem aligned with Scientology's war on psychiatry and medicine: many of their targets are health and bio- technology firms. ""Legitimate short selling performs a public service by deflating hyped stocks," says Robert Flaherty, the editor of Equities magazine and a harsh critic of the brothers. "But the Feshbachs have damaged scores of good start-ups."
Occasionally a Scientologist's business antics land him in jail. Last August a former devotee named Steven Fishman began serving a five-year prison term in Florida. His crime: stealing blank stock-confirmation slips from his employer, a major brokerage house, to use as proof that he owned stock entitling him to join dozens of successful class-action lawsuits. Fishman made roughly $1 million this way from 1983 to 1988 and spent as much as 30% of the loot on Scientology books and tapes.
Scientology denies any tie to the Fishman scam, a claim strongly disputed by both Fishman and his longtime psychiatrist, Uwe Geertz, a prominent Florida hypnotist. Both men claim that when arrested, Fishman was ordered by the church to kill Geertz and then do an "EOC," or end of cycle, which is church jargon for suicide.
BOOK PUBLISHING. Scientology mischiefmaking has even moved to the book industry. Since 1985 at least a dozen Hubbard books, printed by a church company, have made best-seller lists. They range from a 5,000-page sci-fi decology (Black Genesis, The Enemy Within, An Alien Affair) to the 40-year-old Dianetics. In 1988 the trade publication Publishers Weekly awarded the dead author a plaque commemorating the appearance of Dianetics on its best-seller list for 100 consecutive weeks.
Critics pan most of Hubbard's books as unreadable, while defectors claim that church insiders are sometimes the real authors. Even so, Scientology has sent out armies of its followers to buy the group's books at such major chains as B. Dalton's and Waldenbooks to sustain the illusion of a best-selling author. A former Dalton's manager says that some books arrived in his store with the chain's price stickers already on them, suggesting that copies are being recycled. Scientology claims that sales of Hubbard books now top 90 million worldwide. The scheme, set up to gain converts and credibility, is coupled with a radio and TV advertising campaign virtually un- paralleled in the book industry.
Scientology devotes vast resources to squelching its critics. Since 1986 Hubbard and his church have been the subject of four unfriendly books, all released by small yet courageous publishers. In each case, the writers have been badgered and heavily sued. One of Hubbard's policies was that all perceived enemies are "fair game" and subject to being "tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed." Those who criticize the church journalists, doctors, lawyers and even judges often find themselves engulfed in litigation, stalked by private eyes, framed for fictional crimes, beaten up or threatened with death. Psychologist Margaret Singer, 69, an outspoken Scientology critic and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, now travels regularly under an assumed name to avoid harassment.
After the Los Angeles Times published a negative series on the church last summer, Scientologists spent an estimated $1 million to plaster the reporters' names on hundreds of billboards and bus placards across the city. Above their names were quotations taken out of context to portray the church in a positive light.
The church's most fearsome advocates are its lawyers. Hubbard warned his followers in writing to "beware of attorneys who tell you not to sue . . . the purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than to win." Result: Scientology has brought hundreds of suits against its perceived enemies and today pays an estimated $20 million annually to more than 100 lawyers.
One legal goal of Scientology is to bankrupt the opposition or bury it under paper. The church has 71 active lawsuits against the IRS alone. One of them, Miscavige vs. IRS, has required the U.S. to pro- duce an index of 52,000 pages of documents. Boston attorney Michael Flynn, who helped Scientology victims from 1979 to 1987, personally endured 14 frivolous lawsuits, all of them dismissed. Another lawyer, Joseph Yanny, believes the church "has so subverted justice and the judicial system that it should be barred from seeking equity in any court." He should know: Yanny represented the cult until 1987, when, he says, he was asked to help church officials steal medical records to blackmail an opposing attorney (who was allegedly beaten up instead). Since Yanny quit representing the church, he has been the target of death threats, burglaries, lawsuits and other harassment.
Scientology's critics contend that the U.S. needs to crack down on the church in a major, organized way. "I want to know, Where is our government?" demands Toby Plevin, a Los Angeles attorney who handles victims. "It shouldn't be left to private litigators, because God knows most of us are afraid to get involved." But law-enforcement agents are also wary. "Every investigator is very cautious, walking on eggshells when it comes to the church," says a Florida police detective who has tracked the cult since 1988. "It will take a federal effort with lots of money and manpower."
So far the agency giving Scientology the most grief is the IRS, whose officials have implied that Hubbard's successors may be looting the church's coffers. Since 1988, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the revocation of the cult's tax-exempt status, a massive IRS probe of church centers across the country has been under way. An IRS agent, Marcus Owens, has estimated that thousands of IRS employees have been involved. Another agent, in an internal IRS memorandum, spoke hopefully of the "ultimate disintegration" of the church. A small but helpful beacon shone last June when a federal appeals court ruled that two cassette tapes featuring conversations between church officials and their lawyers are evidence of a plan to commit "future frauds" against the IRS.
The IRS and FBI have been debriefing Scientology defectors for the past three years, in part to gain evidence for a major racketeering case that appears to have stalled last summer. Federal agents complain that the Justice Department is unwilling to spend the money needed to endure a drawn-out war with Scientology or to fend off the cult's notorious jihads against individual agents. "In my opinion the church has one of the most effective intelligence operations in the U.S., rivaling even that of the FBI," says Ted Gunderson, a former head of the FBI's Los Angeles office.
Foreign governments have been moving even more vigorously against the organization. In Canada the church and nine of its members will be tried in June on charges of stealing government documents (many of them retrieved in an enormous police raid of the church's Toronto headquarters). Scientology proposed to give $1 million to the needy if the case was dropped, but Canada spurned the offer. Since 1986 authorities in France, Spain and Italy have raided more than 50 Scien- tology centers. Pending charges against more than 100 of its overseas church members include fraud, extortion, capital flight, coercion, illegally practicing medicine and taking advantage of mentally incapacitated people. In Germany last month, leading politicians accused the cult of trying to infiltrate a major party as well as launching an immense recruitment drive in the east.
Sometimes even the church's biggest zealots can use a little protection. Screen star Travolta, 37, has long served as an unofficial Scientology spokesman, even though he told a magazine in 1983 that he was opposed to the church's management. High-level defectors claim that Travolta has long feared that if he defected, details of his sexual life would be made public. "He felt pretty intimidated about this getting out and told me so," recalls William Franks, the church's former chairman of the board. "There were no outright threats made, but it was implicit. If you leave, they immediately start digging up everything." Franks was driven out in 1981 after attempting to reform the church.
The church's former head of security, Richard Aznaran, recalls Scientology ringleader Miscavige repeatedly joking to staffers about Travolta's allegedly promiscuous homosexual behavior. At this point any threat to expose Travolta seems superfluous: last May a male porn star collected $100,000 from a tabloid for an account of his alleged two-year liaison with the celebrity. Travolta refuses to comment, and in December his lawyer dismissed questions about the subject as "bizarre." Two weeks later, Travolta announced that he was getting married to actress Kelly Preston, a fellow Scientologist.
Shortly after Hubbard's death the church retained Trout & Ries, a respected, Connecticut-based firm of marketing consultants, to help boost its public image. "We were brutally honest," says Jack Trout. "We advised them to clean up their act, stop with the controversy and even to stop being a church. They didn't want to hear that." Instead, Scientology hired one of the country's largest p.r. outfits, Hill and Knowlton, whose executives refuse to discuss the lucrative relationship. "Hill and Knowlton must feel that these guys are not totally off the wall," says Trout. "Unless it's just for the money." One of Scientology's main strategies is to keep advancing the tired argument that the church is being "persecuted" by antireligionists. It is supported in that position by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Council of Churches. But in the end, money is what Scientology is all about. As long as the organization's opponents and victims are successfully squelched, Scientology's managers and lawyers will keep pocketing millions of dollars by helping it achieve its ends.
Mining Money in Vancouver
(sidebar)
One source of funds for the Los Angeles-based church is the notorious, self-regulated stock exchange in Vancouver, British Columbia, often called the scam capital of the world. The exchange's 2,300 penny-stock listings account for $4 billion in annual trading. Local journalists and insiders claim the vast majority range from total washouts to outright frauds.
Two Scientologists who operate there are Kenneth Gerbino and Michael Baybak, 20-year church veterans from Beverly Hills who are major donors to the cult. Gerbino, 45, is a money manager, marketmaker and publisher of a national financial newsletter. He has boasted in Scientology journals that he owes all his stock-picking success to L. Ron Hubbard. That's not saying much: Gerbino's newsletter picks since 1985 have cumulatively returned 24%, while the Dow Jones industrial average has more than doubled. Nevertheless Gerbino's short-term gains can be stupendous. A survey last October found Gerbino to be the only manager who made money in the third quarter of 1990, thanks to gold and other resource stocks. For the first quarter of 1991, Gerbino was dead last. Baybak, 49, who runs a public relations company staffed with Scientologists, apparently has no ethics problem with engineering a hostile takeover of a firm he is hired to promote.
Neither man agreed to be interviewed for this story, yet both threatened legal action through attorneys. "What these guys do is take over companies, hype the stock, sell their shares, and then there's nothing left," says John Campbell, a former securities lawyer who was a director of mining company Athena Gold until Baybak and Gerbino took it over.
The pattern has become familiar. The pair promoted a mining venture called Skylark Resources, whose stock traded at nearly $4 a share in 1987. The outfit soon crashed, and the stock is around 2 cents. NETI Technologies, a software company, was trumpeted in the press as "the next Xerox" and in 1984 rose to a market value of $120 million with Baybak's help. The company, which later collapsed, was delisted two months ago by the Vancouver exchange.
Baybak appeared in 1989 at the helm of Wall Street Ventures, a start-up that announced it owned 35 tons of rare Middle Eastern postage stamps -- worth $100 million -- and was buying the world's largest collection of southern Arabian stamps (worth $350 million). Steven C. Rockefeller Jr. of the oil family and former hockey star Denis Potvin joined the company in top posts, but both say they quit when they realized the stamps were virtually worthless. "The stamps were created by sand-dune nations to exploit collectors," says Michael Laurence, editor of Linn's Stamp News, America's largest stamp journal. After the stock topped $6, it began a steady descent, with Baybak unloading his shares along the way. Today it trades at 18 cents.
Athena Gold, the current object of Baybak's and Gerbino's attentions, was founded by entrepreneur William Jordan. He turned to an established Vancouver broker in 1987 to help finance the company, a 4,500-acre mining property near Reno. The broker promised to raise more than $3 million and soon brought Baybak and Gerbino into the deal. Jordan never got most of the money, but the cult members ended up with a good deal of cheap stock and options. Next they elected directors who were friendly to them and set in motion a series of complex maneuvers to block Jordan from voting stock he controlled and to run him out of the company. "I've been an honest policeman all my life and I've seen the worst kinds of crimes, and this ranks high," says former Athena shareholder Thomas Clark, a 20-year veteran of Reno's police force who has teamed up with Jordan to try to get the gold mine back. "They stole this man's property."
With Baybak as chairman, the two Scientologists and their staffs are promoting Athena, not always accurately. A letter to shareholders with the 1990 annual report claims Placer Dome, one of America's largest gold-mining firms, has committed at least $25.5 million to develop the mine. That's news to Placer Dome. "There is no pre-commitment," says Placer executive Cole McFarland. "We're not going to spend that money unless survey results justify the expenditure."
Baybak's firm represented Western Resource Technologies, a Houston oil-and-gas company, but got the boot in October. Laughs Steven McGuire, president of Western Resource: "His is a p.r. firm in need of a p.r. firm." But McGuire cannot laugh too freely. Baybak and other Scientologists, including the estate of L. Ron Hubbard, still control huge blocks of his company's stock.
Pushing Beyond the U.S.:
Scientology makes its presence felt in Europe and Canada
In the 1960s and '70s, L. Ron Hubbard used to periodically fill a converted ferry ship with adoring acolytes and sail off to spread the word. One by one, countries -- Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Venezuela -- closed their ports, usually because of a public outcry. At one point, a court in Australia revoked the church's status as a religion; at another, a French court convicted Hubbard of fraud in absentia.
Today Hubbard's minions continue to wreak global havoc, costing governments considerable effort and money to try to stop them. In Italy a two-year trial of 76 Scientologists, among them the former leader of the church's Italian operations, is nearing completion in Milan. Two weeks ago, prosecutor Pietro Forno requested jail terms for all the defendants who are accused of extortion, cheating "mentally incapacitated" people and evading as much as $50 million in taxes. "All of the trial's victims went to Scientology in search of a cure or a better life," said Forno, "But the Scientologists were amateur psychiatrists who practiced psychological terrorism". For some victims, he added, "the intervention of the Scientologists was devastating."
The Milan case was triggered by parents complaining to officials that Scientology had a financial stranglehold on their children, who had joined the church or entered Narconon, its drug rehabilitation unit. In 1986 Treasury and paramilitary police conducted raids in 20 cities across Italy shutting down 27 Scientology centers and seizing 100,000 documents. To defend itself in the trial, the cult has retained some of Italy's most famous lawyers.
In Canada, Scientology is using a legal team that includes Clayton Ruby, one of the country's foremost civil rights lawyers, to defend itself and nine of its members who are to stand trial in June in Toronto. The charges: stealing documents concerning Scientology from the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Canadian Mental Health Association, two police forces and other institutions. The case stems from a 1983 surprise raid of the church's Toronto headquarters by more than 100 policemen, who had arrived in three chartered buses; some 2 million pages of documents were seized over a two-day period. Ruby, whose legal maneuvers delayed the case for years, is trying to get it dismissed because of "unreasonable delay."
Spain's Justice Ministry has twice denied Scientology status as a religion, but that has not slowed the church' s expansion. In 1989 the Ministry of Health issued a report calling the sect "totalitarian" and "pure and simple charlatanism." The year before, the authorities had raided 26 church centers, with the result that 11 Scientologists stand accused of falsification of records, coercion and capital flight. "The real god of this organization is money," said Madrid examining magistrate Jose Maria Vasquez Honrnbia, before referring the case to a higher court because it was too complex for his jurisdiction. Eugene Ingram, a private investigator working for Scientology claims he helped get Honrubia removed from the case for leaking nonpublic documents to the press.
In France it took a death to spur the government into action: 16 Scientologists were indicted last year for fraud and "complicity in the practice of illegal medicine" following the suicide of an industrial designer in Lyon. In the victim's house investigators found medication allegeally provided to him by the church without doctor's prescription. Among those charged in the case is the president of Scientology's French operations and the head of the Paris-based Celebrity Centre, which caters to famous members.
Outside the U.S., Scientology appears to be most active in Germany where the attorney general of the state of Bavaria has branded the cult "distinctly totalitarian" and aimed at "the economic exploitation of customers who are in bondage to it." In 1984 nearly 100 police raided the church in Munich. At the time, city officials were reportedly collaborating with U.S. tax inspectors and trying to prove that the cult was actually a profitmaking business. More recently, Hamburg state authorities moved to rescind Scientology's tax reduced status, while members of parliament are seeking criminal proceedings. In another domain, church linked management consulting firms have infiltrated small and middle sized companies throughout Germany, according to an expose published this month in the newsmagazine DER SPIEGEL; the consultants, who typically hide their ties to Scientology, indoctrinate employees by using Hubbard's methods. A German anticult organization estimates that Scientology has at least 60 fronts or splinter groups operating in the country. German politics appears as well to attract Hubbard's zealots. In March the Free Democrats, partners in Chancellor Helmut Kohl' s ruling coalition in Bonn, accused Scientology of trying to infiltrate their Hamburg branch. Meanwhile the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, has been warning its members in the formerly com- munist eastern part of the country against exploitation by the church. Even federal officials are being used by the church: one Scientology front group sent copies of a Hubbard written pamphlet on moral values to members of the Bundestag. The Office of Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher unwittingly endorsed the Scientologists' message: "Indeed, the world would be a more beautiful place if the principles formulated in the pamphlet, a life characterized by reason and responsibility, would find wider attention."
The Scientologists and Me
Strange things seem to happen to people who write about Scientology. Journalist Paulette Cooper wrote a critical book on the cult in 1971. This led to a Scientology plot (called Operation Freak-Out) whose goal, according to church documents, was "to get P.C. incarcerated in a mental institution or jail." It almost worked: by impersonating Cooper, Scientologists got her indicted in 1973 for threatening to bomb the church. Cooper, who also endured 19 lawsuits by the church, was finally exonerated in 1977 after FBI raids on the church offices in Los Angeles and Washington uncovered documents from the bomb scheme. No Scientologists were ever tried in the matter.
For the TIME story, at least 10 attorneys and six private detectives were unleashed by Scientology and its followers in an effort to threaten, harass and discredit me. Last Oct. 12, not long after I began this assignment, I planned to lunch with Eugene Ingram, the church's leading private eye and a former cop. Ingram, who was tossed off the Los Angeles police force In 1981 for alleged ties to prostitutes and drug dealers, had told me that he might be able to arrange a meeting with church boss David Miscavige. Just hours before the lunch, the church's "national trial counsel," Earle Cooley, called to inform me that I would be eating alone.
Alone, perhaps, but not forgotten. By day's end, I later learned, a copy of my personal credit report -- with detailed information about my bank accounts, home mortgage, credit-card payments, home address and Social Security number -- had been illegally retrieved from a national credit bureau called Trans Union. The sham company that received it, "Educational Funding Services" of Los Angeles, gave as its address a mail drop a few blocks from Scientology's headquarters. The owner of the mail drop is a private eye named Fred Wolfson, who admits that an Ingram associate retained him to retrieve credit reports on several individuals. Wolfson says he was told that Scientology's attorneys "had judgments against these people and were trying to collect on them." He says now, "These are vicious people. These are vipers." Ingram, through a lawyer, denies any involvement in the scam.
During the past five months, private investigators have been contacting acquaintances of mine, ranging from neighbors to a former colleague, to inquire about subjects such as my health (like my credit rating, it's excellent) and whether I've ever had trouble with the IRS (unlike Scientology, I haven't). One neighbor was greeted at dawn outside my Manhattan apartment building by two men who wanted to know whether I lived there. I finally called Cooley to demand that Scientology stop the nonsense. He promised to look into it.
After that, however, an attorney subpoenaed me, while another falsely suggested that I might own shares in a company I was reporting about that had been taken over by Scientologists (he also threatened to contact the Securities and Exchange Commission). A close friend in Los Angeles received a disturbing telephone call from a Scientology staff member seeking data about me -- an indication that the cult may have illegally obtained my personal phone records. Two detectives contacted me, posing as a friend and a relative of a so-called cult victim, to elicit negative statements from me about Scientology. Some of my conversations with them were taped, transcribed and presented by the church in affidavits to TIME's lawyers as "proof" of my bias against Scientology.
Among the comments I made to one of the detectives, who represented himself as "Harry Baxter," a friend of the victim's family, was that "the church trains people to lie." Baxter and his colleagues are hardly in a position to dispute that observation. His real name is Barry Silvers, and he is a former investigator for the Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force. (RB)
The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power at Operation Clambake, complete with photos
Scientology at the Time Magazine archive


text:
Faverdale Bed and Breakfast, Cheap Hotel and Guest House Accommodation
Faverdale
Faverdale Bed and Breakfasts. Compare latest rates and Live availability for all your favourite places and places you have always wanted to go using our new My Shortlist feature. Click + to add to your Shortlist.
Bed and Breakfasts in Faverdale, County Durham for 1 night from Wed Jan 19, 2022 to Thu Jan 20, 2022 within 10 miles, in an Average Nightly price range of £1 to £200.
The Harrowgate Hill Lodge
Darlington 1.31 2.11 N/A 19202122232425 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £ 75.00
Mercure Darlington King's Hotel
Darlington 1.48 2.38 4 19202122232425 £47.00 £47.00 £47.00 £47.00 £47.00 £47.00 £47.00 £ 47.00
Bannatyne Hotel Darlington
Houndgate Townhouse
Darlington 1.6 2.58 N/A 19202122232425 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £ 75.00
OYO Hotel 119
Darlington 1.8 2.9 3 19202122232425 £81.88 £81.88 £81.88 £81.88 £81.88 £81.88 £81.88 £ 81.88
Blackwell Grange Hotel
Hall Garth Hotel; BW Signature Collection
Holiday Inn Darlington - NORTH A1M, JCT.59, an IHG Hotel
Best Western Walworth Castle Hotel
Redworth Hall Hotel- Part of the Cairn Collection
Newton Aycliffe 4.7 7.56 4 19202122232425 £62.10 £62.10 £62.10 £62.10 £62.10 £62.10 £62.10 £ 62.10
The Chequers Inn
Holiday Inn Darlington-A1 Scotch Corner, an IHG Hotel
Scotch Corner 8.01 12.9 3 19202122232425 £38.06 £38.06 £38.06 £38.06 £38.06 £38.06 £38.06 £ 38.06
Bishop Auckland 8.56 13.78 3 19202122232425 £64.00 £64.00 £64.00 £64.00 £64.00 £64.00 £64.00 £ 64.00
Abbeyfield Lodge
Stockton-on-Tees 8.91 14.34 N/A 19202122232425 £65.00 £65.00 £65.00 £65.00 £65.00 £65.00 £65.00 £ 65.00
Hardwick Hall Hotel
Sedgefield 9.05 14.56 4 19202122232425 £75.65 £75.65 £75.65 £75.65 £75.65 £75.65 £75.65 £ 75.65
Parkmore Hotel & Leisure Club, Sure Hotel Collection by BW
Stockton-on-Tees 9.1 14.65 4 19202122232425 £59.00 £59.00 £59.00 £59.00 £59.00 £59.00 £59.00 £ 59.00
Hardwick Arms Hotel
Yarm View Guest House and Cottages
Yarm 9.16 14.74 N/A 19202122232425 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £ 90.00
Stable Yard Rooms - The White Swan
Richmond 9.19 14.79 5 19202122232425 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £75.00 £ 75.00
Dun Cow Inn
The Pickled Parson of Sedgefield
Sedgefield 9.27 14.92 N/A 19202122232425 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £100.00 £ 100.00
Parkwood Hotel
Field View B&B
B/W Plus The Croft Hotel
The Stockton Arms Hotel
The Grey Horse
Fox Hall Inn
Richmond 9.21 14.83 N/A 19202122232425 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £ 90.00
The County
Newton Aycliffe 3.76 6.05 N/A 19202122232425 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £90.00 £ 90.00
West Layton Manor
The Impeccable Pig
Harrowgate Hill, Darlington, DL1 3AD
This good-value lodge has easy access by bus to Darlington town centre, 3.2 km away. Junction 59 of the A1(M) is also 3 km away. The 4-star lodge also...more
This good-value lodge has easy access by bus to Darlington town centre, 3.2 km away. Junction 59 of the A1(M) is also 3 km away. The 4-star lodge also has free parking and en suite rooms. The Harrowgate Hill Lodge is on the A167 - North Road. The Durham, the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales are less than 40 km away. The rooms have work desks, radio alarm clocks and tea/coffee. Rooms also feature a flat-screen Freeview TV. There is a pub next to Harrogate Hill Lodge. The White Horse pub serves breakfast from 10:00 every morning.
9-12 Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NW
Situated in the historic market town of Darlington, the newly refurbished Mercure Darlington King's Hotel boasts 83 bedrooms, free Wi-Fi, and limited,...more
Situated in the historic market town of Darlington, the newly refurbished Mercure Darlington King's Hotel boasts 83 bedrooms, free Wi-Fi, and limited, secure, parking with additional charge. Each room at The Mercure Darlington has a modern look and features an en suite bathroom, tea/coffee making facilities, and a flat-screen TV. There are 2 restaurants and bars on site where guests can enjoy a varied cocktail menu, wine selection and specialities made of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Continental and full English breakfasts are served daily. With easy access to main roads and the A1 motorway, this hotel also is within easy reach of the North York Moors National Park, 40 miles away. Durham is 30 minutes' drive from the property, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough 25 minutes, and Newton Aycliffe 20 minutes' drive away.
Southend Avenue, Darlington, DL3 7HZ
This historical town house is less than a mile from Darlington town centre. It has free limited parking and free internet. The Bannatyne Hotel Darling...more
This historical town house is less than a mile from Darlington town centre. It has free limited parking and free internet. The Bannatyne Hotel Darlington mixes original 19th-century character with modern comfort. The en-suite rooms have flat-screen TVs, work desks, free wired internet access and tea/coffee making facilities. The rooms have views of the town centre or the hotel's own gardens. Guests staying at Bannatyne Hotel Darlington can access the Bannatyne Health Club and Spa, for a surcharge. This modern gym is a short walk from the hotel, and has a selection of exercise classes, swimming pools and spa facilities. The stylish and modern Maxine's Restaurant and Bar offers fresh, seasonal British food, great wines and single malt whiskies.
11 Houndgate, Darlington, DL1 5RF
Thought to date back to the 1770s, Houndgate Townhouse provides an elegant setting for luxurious en suite accommodation in central Darlington. With a ...more
Thought to date back to the 1770s, Houndgate Townhouse provides an elegant setting for luxurious en suite accommodation in central Darlington. With a restaurant, bar and lounge, it also offers free Wi-Fi and room service. Rooms feature super king-size or four-poster beds and high-quality en suite facilities with bathrobes, slippers and toiletries provided. Each room has a TV, radio, hairdryer and safe. The Houndgate Townhouse restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu of tempting dishes, including brunch and afternoon tea. The bar serves cocktails, wines and spirits, and tea, coffee and cake during the day. Darlington lies around 24 miles south of the vibrant university city of Durham, and 37 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Around 30 minutes east of the Yorkshire Dales, the area's attractions include the impressive Raby Castle, built in the 14th century and 25 minutes' drive from Darlington.
117-119 Victoria road, Darlington, DL1 5JH
OYO Hotel 119 is set in Darlington, 1.3 km from Darlington Memorial Hospital. Every room is fitted with a flat-screen TV. OYO Hotel 119 features free ...more
OYO Hotel 119 is set in Darlington, 1.3 km from Darlington Memorial Hospital. Every room is fitted with a flat-screen TV. OYO Hotel 119 features free WiFi throughout the property. You will find a shared kitchen at the property. Darlington town centre is 800 metres from OYO Hotel 119, where guests will also find the town's business district. Darlington Civic Theatre is 200 metres away. Durham Tees International Airport is 5.7 miles from the property, and Darlington rail station is 120 metres away.
Blackwell Grange, Darlington, DL3 8QH
This historic 17th-century mansion is set in 15 acres of woodland, a 20-minute walk from Darlington town centre. With free Wi-Fi, it features a leisur...more
This historic 17th-century mansion is set in 15 acres of woodland, a 20-minute walk from Darlington town centre. With free Wi-Fi, it features a leisure centre with an indoor swimming pool and a gym. The modern leisure club also has a spa pool, solarium and sauna. For outdoor leisure, Blackwell Grange Hotel is close to both Blackwell Grange and Stressholme golf courses. Havelock Restaurant offers a varied à la carte menu, and the less formal Captain Cook's Bar has superb views over the grounds and golf course. Continental breakfasts are also available. The Blackwell Grange Hotel is set in lovely grounds between the North Yorkshire Moors and the historic city of Durham. The hotel also provides easy access to the A1 motorway.
Coatham Mundeville, Darlington, DL1 3LU
Hall Garth Hotel; BW Signature Collection is located just off the A1 at junction 59, set within 70 acres of its own parkland, just outside the histori...more
Hall Garth Hotel; BW Signature Collection is located just off the A1 at junction 59, set within 70 acres of its own parkland, just outside the historic market town of Darlington. There is plenty of free on site parking. All of our rooms offer comfortable accommodation and free WiFi, with some rooms in the older part of the main house dating back to the 17th century. The hotel has its own Par 73 golf course, on site Stables pub, spa/leisure club including an indoor swimming pool together with a steam room, Jacuzzi®, sauna, gymnasium and 3 beauty treatment rooms. Hotel guests have full use of the leisure facilities during their stay and can book the golf course and beauty treatments. Hall Garth Hotel; BW Signature Collection is an ideal base for exploring the region, north to Northumberland and Durham and south to York and the Yorkshire Dales, with easy access to the motorway, you also benefit from the hotel's countryside setting.
Newton Park, Coatham Mundeville, Darlington, DL1 3NL
Holiday Inn Darlington North has free Wi-Fi, free parking, quiet bedrooms with king-size beds and power showers in each room as well as a mini gym for...more
Holiday Inn Darlington North has free Wi-Fi, free parking, quiet bedrooms with king-size beds and power showers in each room as well as a mini gym for exclusive guest use. It is just off the A1(M) Junction 59 and next to Aycliffe Business Park. The restaurant serves an all-day dining menu of freshly prepared dishes and afternoon tea. A 24-hour room service is also available. There are 4 meeting rooms available for hire, and guests are free to use the mini-gym. Holiday Inn Darlington North is less than 5 miles from Darlington and well located for visiting Beamish Open Air Museum, the Yorkshire Dales and historic Durham. Newcastle Airport is 38 miles from the hotel.
Walworth, Darlington, DL2 2LY
Walworth Castle Hotel is in the rolling Tees Valley countryside, west of Darlington. Dating back to 1189, this historic building is set in 18 acres of...more
Walworth Castle Hotel is in the rolling Tees Valley countryside, west of Darlington. Dating back to 1189, this historic building is set in 18 acres of stunning lawns and woodlands. In the evening you can enjoy a relaxed carvery meal around the open fire or dine more formally in the elegant restaurant, awarded an AA rosette for food excellence. Walworth Castle Hotel boasts an outdoor seating area with parasols to the rear of the hotel, which seats over 50 people and there is a children's adventure climbing frame area. Some rooms have impressive four-poster beds and a hot tub, with striking views of the lawns and countryside. The rooms are furnished with luxurious fabrics and magnificent decor. Free wireless broadband access is available in the hotel.
Redworth, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6NL
This 4-star retreat is set just a 5-minute drive from the A1. It has a gym, swimming pool, spa treatments and original 17th-century features. Redworth...more
This 4-star retreat is set just a 5-minute drive from the A1. It has a gym, swimming pool, spa treatments and original 17th-century features. Redworth Hall Hotel is a Jacobean manor house 8 miles from Darlington and 20 miles from Durham. The many original features including the magnificent Great Hall, an ornate staircase, lounges and attractive bedrooms. Restaurant 1744 offers a seasonal brasserie menu in a relaxed atmosphere. A full English breakfast is available in the morning.
Chequers Inn, Dalton-on-tees, Darlington, Darlington, DL2 2NT
A 9-minute drive from Darlington, The Chequers Inn offers well-appointed rooms and a restaurant and bar. In the village of Dalton-on-Tees, it offers f...more
A 9-minute drive from Darlington, The Chequers Inn offers well-appointed rooms and a restaurant and bar. In the village of Dalton-on-Tees, it offers free parking and Wi-Fi. Each room has a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee facilities. An en suite bathroom has a bath, shower, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. A full English breakfast is served daily, as well as lighter options. The restaurant offers a gastro-pub menu in the evening and classic pub options for lunch. This inn is a 4-minute drive from Croft Circuit, home of regular motorsport events. It is around 30 minutes' drive from the North York Moors National Park.
A1/A66 Junction, Scotch Corner, DL10 6NR
The Holiday Inn Darlington-A1 Scotch Corner is ideally located on the A1/A66 junction in close proximity to Darlington and Catterick. Newcastle, York,...more
The Holiday Inn Darlington-A1 Scotch Corner is ideally located on the A1/A66 junction in close proximity to Darlington and Catterick. Newcastle, York, Leeds and Middlesbrough are just a short drive away. Free parking is provided and there is an on-site restaurant and leisure centre. Each en-suite room has a flat-screen TV, mini fridge and tea and coffee-making facilities. A 24-hour front desk is featured at this hotel. Guests are free to use the Active Life Leisure Centre, with its swimming pool, fitness centre and hot tub. A range of beauty therapies are also available. Scotch Corner is a smoke-free hotel, and offers free Wi-Fi in public areas. Guests can explore the breathtaking Yorkshire Dales and the delightful medieval market town of Richmond, just a 10-minute drive away. Durham Tees Valley Airport is just a 20-minute drive away.
The Green, Bishop Auckland, DL14 9HW
A charming English manor house close to the A1 road. WiFi is free in public areas and food is served all day. Built on foundations which date back to ...more
A charming English manor house close to the A1 road. WiFi is free in public areas and food is served all day. Built on foundations which date back to the 12th Century, the hotel is reputed to have been Henry VIII's hunting lodge and home to the Eden family. It houses secret passages and even a friendly ghost or two! Set in its own landscaped grounds and equipped with multi-functional rooms, it is an ideal base for exploring County Durham's many attractions. These include Durham Cathedral and Castle, the Durham Dales, Bishop Auckland, and Barnard Castle.
1 Abbeyfield Drive, Stockton-on-Tees, TS16 0SA
Abbeyfield Lodge is set in Eaglescliffe, 2 km from Yarm. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property and free private parking is available on site. ...more
Abbeyfield Lodge is set in Eaglescliffe, 2 km from Yarm. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property and free private parking is available on site. Each room comes with a smart flat-screen TV. You will find a kettle in the room. Every room is equipped with a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer. You will find free shuttle service at the property. Durham is 32 km from Abbeyfield Lodge, while Middlesbrough is 10 km away. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley International Airport, 7 km from the property.
Sedgefield, Sedgefield, TS21 2EH
Set in 120 acres of parkland, Hardwick Hall Hotel lies in the heart of the beautiful County Durham countryside. Stunning views may be enjoyed across t...more
Set in 120 acres of parkland, Hardwick Hall Hotel lies in the heart of the beautiful County Durham countryside. Stunning views may be enjoyed across the gardens and lake. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout. The hotel is located just off the A1(M). Weekly entertainment is hosted at Hardwick Hall Hotel, ranging from barbecues to salsa parties. Hardwick Bar is an ideal place to relax with its colonial decor. Rooms are adorned with antique furnishings, including four-poster beds in some. Contemporary facilities benefit some of the rooms, including the latest digital TV systems in all. Guests will appreciate the spacious walk-in showers and huge baths. 24-hour room service and internet are available at Hardwick Hall Hotel.
636 Yarm Rd, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, TS16 0DH
Situated in Stockton-on-Tees, B/W Parkmore Hotel offers stylish accommodation with free WiFi access throughout and on-site public parking free of char...more
Situated in Stockton-on-Tees, B/W Parkmore Hotel offers stylish accommodation with free WiFi access throughout and on-site public parking free of charge. It features a restaurant and bar with a terrace, as well as a fitness centre including sauna, steam room, pool, spa bath, hydrotherapy spa, dance studio and fitness facilities. All rooms at B/W Parkmore Hotel are equipped with a writing desk and a TV. Some also include a seating area and they all come with a private bathroom fitted with either a bathtub or a shower and a hairdryer. Free toiletries are also provided. The bar and lounge are equipped with TV and Sky channels, including Sky sports and BT sports. The hotel's restaurant offers fine cuisine for lunch and dinner, and the bar boasts a selection of wines, spirits and soft drinks. Breakfast is served in the dining room or in the guest rooms upon request, and drinks can be enjoyed on the terrace during the day. B/W Parkmore Hotel is located 40 km from the North York Moors National Park and the Yorkshire Dales National Park is 60 km away. The city of York is 70 km from the accommodation and Darlington is a 20-minute drive from the hotel.
1 North End, Sedgefield, TS21 2AZ
Located in Sedgefield, Hardwick Arms Hotel features a restaurant, bar and free WiFi. This 3-star hotel offers luggage storage space. The hotel has fam...more
Located in Sedgefield, Hardwick Arms Hotel features a restaurant, bar and free WiFi. This 3-star hotel offers luggage storage space. The hotel has family rooms. At the hotel, every room is equipped with a desk, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom. All units include a wardrobe. Hardwick Arms Hotel offers a continental or à la carte breakfast. Newcastle upon Tyne is 43 km from the accommodation, while Durham is 18 km away. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 23 km from Hardwick Arms Hotel.
82a High Street, Yarm, TS15 9AP
Yarm View Guest House and Cottages is set in Yarm, 48 km from Whitby and 33 km from Durham. The rooms have a flat-screen TV. Certain units have a seat...more
Yarm View Guest House and Cottages is set in Yarm, 48 km from Whitby and 33 km from Durham. The rooms have a flat-screen TV. Certain units have a seating area for your convenience. The rooms are equipped with a private bathroom. Extras include free toiletries and a hair dryer. Yarm View Guest House and Cottages features free WiFi throughout the property. Middlesbrough is 10 km from Yarm View Guest House and Cottages, while Sunderland is 45 km from the property. The nearest airport is Newcastle Airport, 63 km from Yarm View Guest House.
51 High Street Gilling West, Richmond, DL10 5JG
Featuring a restaurant, bar, garden and free WiFi, Stable Yard Rooms - The White Swan is set in Richmond, 6 km from Richmond Castle and 5 km from Rich...more
Featuring a restaurant, bar, garden and free WiFi, Stable Yard Rooms - The White Swan is set in Richmond, 6 km from Richmond Castle and 5 km from Richmond Magistrates Court. The inn features family rooms. The units at the inn come with a seating area. At Stable Yard Rooms - The White Swan all rooms are equipped with a desk and a flat-screen TV. Guests at the accommodation will be able to enjoy activities in and around Richmond, like hiking and cycling. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 25 km from Stable Yard Rooms - The White Swan.
43 Front Street, Sedgefield, TS21 3AT
Situated in Sedgefield, 23 km from Middlesbrough, Dun Cow Inn features a restaurant and free WiFi. There is a fully equipped private bathroom with sho...more
Situated in Sedgefield, 23 km from Middlesbrough, Dun Cow Inn features a restaurant and free WiFi. There is a fully equipped private bathroom with shower and a hairdryer. Guests at the bed and breakfast can enjoy a continental or a Full English/Irish breakfast. Newcastle upon Tyne is 47 km from Dun Cow Inn, while Durham is 18 km from the property. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 23 km from the accommodation.
1 The Square, Sedgefield, TS21 2AB
Located in the heart of Sedgefield, The Pickled Parson of Sedgefield offers an onsite bar and restaurant. The accommodation features free WiFi. All ro...more
Located in the heart of Sedgefield, The Pickled Parson of Sedgefield offers an onsite bar and restaurant. The accommodation features free WiFi. All rooms in the hotel are fitted with a flat-screen TV. The rooms include a private bathroom with a shower. A buffet breakfast can be enjoyed at the property. Newcastle upon Tyne is 37 km from The Pickled Parson of Sedgefield, while Durham is 16 km from the property. The nearest airport is Newcastle International Airport, 45 km from the accommodation.
64-66 Darlington Road Stockton-on-Tees, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 5ER
Boasting a garden, Parkwood Hotel is situated in Stockton-on-Tees, 4.4 km from Teesside Shopping Park. Featuring a restaurant, the property also has a...more
Boasting a garden, Parkwood Hotel is situated in Stockton-on-Tees, 4.4 km from Teesside Shopping Park. Featuring a restaurant, the property also has a bar. Free WiFi is included. Guest rooms in the hotel are fitted with a flat-screen TV. The private bathroom is equipped with a bath or shower and free toiletries. The units include a desk. Guests at the Parkwood can enjoy a Continental breakfast basket in the room or a Full English breakfasts on Saturdays and Sundays for an additional fee. The bar and restaurant is open daily serving a lunch and evening menu. Newcastle International Airport is 59 km away.
Field View, Green Lane, Yarm, TS15 9EH
Field View B&B is situated in Yarm, in the North Yorkshire countryside. The family-run bed and breakfast offers free Wi-Fi, free private parking and a...more
Field View B&B is situated in Yarm, in the North Yorkshire countryside. The family-run bed and breakfast offers free Wi-Fi, free private parking and a spacious open-plan dining and living area with a flat-screen TV. Guest bedrooms are all decorated in neutral colours and feature contemporary décor. They are all equipped with a flat-screen TV and tea/coffee making facilities. Some feature a modern en suite bathroom, others use shared facilities. Full English breakfast is served every morning. Yarm's award winning High Street is less than a mile and a half from the hotel and is renowned for its vibrant night life. Durham Tees Valley International Airport can be reached in less than 15 minutes by car and the start of the North York Moors National Park is less than 9 miles away.
Croft On Tees, Darlington, DL2 2ST
Originally built in 1835, B/W Plus The Croft Hotel is situated in the historic village of Croft-on-Tees, overlooking the River Tees. Free parking and ...more
Originally built in 1835, B/W Plus The Croft Hotel is situated in the historic village of Croft-on-Tees, overlooking the River Tees. Free parking and free WiFi are available at the hotel. The hotel combines period features with modern décor. Each room has an en suite bathroom, a work desk, TV, hairdryer as well as tea/coffee making facilities and Egyptian cotton bed linen. Some rooms have beautiful views of Croft Bridge and St Peter's Church, supposedly where Lewis Carroll was inspired to write Alice in Wonderland. The on-site restaurant serves up a range dishes, specialising in traditional English cuisine but with contemporary influences. They are committed to using locally sourced produce wherever possible and there is also a range of bar snacks and packed lunches available. There are also some dedicated function rooms available for business conferences, weddings and other special occasions. Despite its quiet location, B/W Plus The Croft Hotel is only 8 minutes' drive from the centre of Darlington, 7 minutes from the A1 and 15 minutes from Teesside International Airport. Popular nearby attractions include Croft Circuit, which is only a 6-minute drive away. Darlington Railway Museum is 5 miles away, while Richmond Castle is 10.6 miles away from B/W Plus The Croft Hotel.
Darlington Road 24, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 5BH
Situated in Stockton-on-Tees, 6 km from Teesside Shopping Park, The Stockton Arms Hotel features accommodation with a bar, free private parking and a ...more
Situated in Stockton-on-Tees, 6 km from Teesside Shopping Park, The Stockton Arms Hotel features accommodation with a bar, free private parking and a garden. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property. The rooms at the hotel have a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, dvd player, and a private bathroom with a shower, bathrobes and a hairdryer. The Stockton Arms Hotel offers some rooms with garden views, and every room is equipped with a kettle. At the accommodation rooms are fitted with bed linen and towels. Guests at The Stockton Arms Hotel can enjoy a continental breakfast. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 10 km from the hotel.
39 Haughton Green, Haughton, Darlington, DL1 2DD
Set in Darlington, 8 km from Darlington Arena, and Walworth Castle reachable within 12 km, The Grey Horse offers a bar, a garden and free WiFi. The ne...more
Set in Darlington, 8 km from Darlington Arena, and Walworth Castle reachable within 12 km, The Grey Horse offers a bar, a garden and free WiFi. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 10 km from the bed and breakfast.
Watling Lane East Layton, Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond, DL11 7PW
Situated in Richmond, 11 km from Richmond Castle, Fox Hall Inn features accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, a bar and a terrace. At...more
Situated in Richmond, 11 km from Richmond Castle, Fox Hall Inn features accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, a bar and a terrace. At the hotel, rooms are fitted with a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. Rooms have a safety deposit box and free WiFi, while certain rooms come with a garden view. The rooms will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle. Continental and buffet breakfast options are available each morning at Fox Hall Inn. Richmond Magistrates Court is 10 km from the accommodation. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 29 km from Fox Hall Inn.
13 The Green Aycliffe Village, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6LX
The County has a restaurant, bar, a shared lounge and garden in Newton Aycliffe. Facilities include a terrace and free WiFi is accessible. At the gues...more
The County has a restaurant, bar, a shared lounge and garden in Newton Aycliffe. Facilities include a terrace and free WiFi is accessible. At the guest house, all rooms include a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. All guest rooms will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle. Durham is 22 km from The County, while Middlesbrough is 29 km from the property. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 17 km from the accommodation.
West Layton Manor, 2 Collier Lane, West Layton, Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond, DL11 7PP
Built in 1872, West Layton Manor is set in a historical English Manor House located 5 miles from Richmond, North Yorkshire. The property is close to v...more
Built in 1872, West Layton Manor is set in a historical English Manor House located 5 miles from Richmond, North Yorkshire. The property is close to various attractions such as the Yorkshire Dales, the Bowes Museum, Richmond Castle and Barnard Castle. The property offers free WiFi access and free on-site parking. West Layton Manor has six individually decorated guest bedrooms all equipped with en-suite bathrooms and complimentary locally produced Noble Isle toiletries. The rooms also have a TV and a mini fridge, TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The property features a reading gallery, guest drawing room with guest bar and an open fire place in the Reception Hall. Each day the property serves a full English breakfast. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is just a 10-minute drive away and Darlington is a 20-minute drive away. The Newcastle International Airport is 62 km away. The nearest motorway is junction 53 of the A1 at Scotch Corner just 10 km away, whilst the A66 road can be reached in just 300 metres from the property.
Front Street, Sedgefield, TS21 3AT
The Impeccable Pig in Sedgefield provides accommodation with a bar, a garden and a terrace. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a ...more
The Impeccable Pig in Sedgefield provides accommodation with a bar, a garden and a terrace. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi throughout the property. Guests can have a drink at the snack bar. The units at the hotel come with a seating area, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a safety deposit box and a private bathroom with a shower, bathrobes and a hairdryer. Every room has a kettle, while certain rooms will provide you with a patio and others also provide guests with garden views. At The Impeccable Pig every room includes bed linen and towels. The accommodation offers a continental or à la carte breakfast. Newcastle upon Tyne is 47 km from The Impeccable Pig, while Durham is 18 km away. The nearest airport is Durham Tees Valley Airport, 23 km from the hotel.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Book Appointment: 9635 7103, 6592 0078 Email: ardenjrs@gmail.com
Visit: Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, #08-32, 38 Irrawaddy Road, S(329563)
SURGERY & PROCEDURES
Oncology Surgery
Laparascopic & Robotic Surgery
The Elipse Program
GASTROClear
Colon Cancer is the NO.1 cancer in Singapore
Colonoscopy Screening helps to detect colon cancer in early stage.
Consult Senior Surgeon Dr Jaideep Raj Rao
DR JAIDEEP RAJ RAO HAS OVER
PERFORMING SURGERY & ENDOSCOPY
Experienced & internationally trained in Korea
Senior Consultant & Head of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for 10 years
Honorary international member of the Korean laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery society.
Various treatment options specialising in minimal access surgery and Robotic surgery
COLONOSCOPY TREATMENT
GET COST ESTIMATE
Or Call Us at +65 6592 0078
Gastroscopy enquire
ABOUT DR JAIDEEP RAJ RAO
MMed (Master of Medicine, National University of Singapore)
MRCS (Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh)
FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh)
FAMS (Fellow of Academy of Medicine, Singapore)
Dr Jaideep Raj Rao is a senior consultant Surgeon at JR SURGERY in Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital who specialises in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery and Gastric, Oesophageal and pancreatic cancer surgery. He was awarded the National Healthcare Human Manpower Development program fellowship by Ministry of Health in 2007 and trained in Seoul National University and Bundang hospital in Korea and specialises in Stomach preservation Surgeries using Minimal Access Techniques such as Laparoscopic and Robot Assisted. He is involved in multiple stomach cancer surgery research both in Korea and Singapore
Is Colonoscopy An Expensive Procedure? Cost Of Colonoscopy
Colorectal Cancer is one of the most common cancers within Singapore and the 3rd most common cancer found worldwide. This makes timely screening in the form of colonoscopy imperative among the general population. Early stages of colon cancer may show no symptoms and evidence suggests that early detection results in a reduction of mortality rate. By the age of 50, it is recommended by Ministry of Health guidelines to begin regular screening for individuals that pose no risk factors. In fact, individuals displaying increased risk should consider screening even before the age of 50, on a case-by-case basis.
To know your eligibility & for hassle-free experience, please WhatsApp us your insurance details.
CASHLESS ELIGIBILITY
HASSLE FREE INSURANCE
SPECIALISED CARE
We are offering Gastroscopy & Colonoscopy screening in Singapore If you are 50 years and above it is recommended to undergo endoscopy screening every 5 years.
Most early stage of stomach cancer have no symptoms, Get a gastroscopy screening to detect cancers at an early curable stage even before you have any symptoms
WHAT IS COLONOSCOPY?
In Singapore, a colonoscopy screening is the most effective way for doctors to evaluate the colon (large intestine). Colonoscopy uses a flexible tube about the thickness of a finger, which contains a camera and a light source at the tip.
This instrument is inserted through the anus. The scope is then advanced through the rectum and the colon slowly, under visual guidance, usually up to the cecum. There is also the possibility of entering and examining the small intestine's last few inches (terminal ileum).
WHAT CAN COLONOSCOPY DETECT?
There are many reasons to perform a colonoscopy. In most cases, colonoscopies are performed in the context of cancer screening programs. The procedure is usually carried out to determine the cause of blood in the stool, pain in the abdomen or the cause of diarrhea, bowel habits change, or to find out how abnormal the colonic x-ray or CT scan is.
The risk of polyps and colon cancer is higher for those with a history of polyps or colon cancer and those with a family history of some types of non-colonic cancers and colonic problems that can resemble colon cancer (such as colonic polyps).
WhO should GO FOR A COLONOscopy?
Colon cancer screening should begin at age 50 for most people once every 5 years and have a family history of colon or rectum cancer or a personal history of colorectal conditions.
It is recommended to go for a colonoscopy if the symptoms below of colorectal cancer are persistent.
A change in bowel habits, including diarrhoea or constipation
Presence of blood in stools
Persistent abdominal discomfort such as cramps, gas or pain
Blood in the stool
WHAT IS GASTROSCOPY?
Gastroscopy is a procedure where a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope is used to look inside the oesophagus (gullet), stomach, and first part of the small intestine (duodenum). It's also sometimes referred to as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
The endoscope has a light and a camera at one end. The camera sends images of the inside of your oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum to a monitor.
What does a gastroscopy check foR?
Investigate problems such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or persistent abdominal (tummy) pain
Diagnose conditions such as stomach ulcers or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
Treat conditions such as bleeding ulcers, a blockage in the oesophagus, non-cancerous growths (polyps), or small cancerous tumours
A gastroscopy used to check symptoms or confirm a diagnosis is known as a diagnostic gastroscopy. A gastroscopy used to treat a condition is known as a therapeutic gastroscopy.
In Singapore, Gastroscopy services recommended for those who have frequently ached into the stomach & small intestine and they have a complete range of equipment and advance treatment for Gastroscopy.
When should I get a gastroscopy?
Gastric Cancer Screening:
Family history of stomach cancer
History of H Pylori infection
previous stomach surgery
In the early stages of stomach cancer, there may be no symptoms at all. You should consider getting yourself examined if you have the following symptoms and especially if they are persistent.
Indigestion and stomach discomfort
A bloated feeling after eating
Mild nausea
In more advanced stages of stomach cancer, the following signs and symptoms may occur:
Weight loss for no known reason
Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin)
Ascites (build-up of fluid in the abdomen)
Providing Customized & Tailor Treatment Options For Your Condition
Contact Us At +65 6592 0078 To Fix An Immediate Appointment Today!
Email: ardenjrs@gmail.com
Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, #08-32, 38 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329563
Endoscopy Singapore
Colonoscopy Singapore
Oncologist Singapore
Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgery
Gallbladder Surgery Singapore
Hernia Surgery Singapore
Stomach Cancer Singapore
Clinic Whatsapp: +65 9635 7103
F: +65 6592 0079
ardenjrs@gmail.com
Copyright © 2022 Arden JR Surgery. All rights reserved.


An Avalanche attack is when you have enough people in your active party and are lined up in the battle gauge (on the left) one behind the other. Applying the "Weak" weapon types in your combo to specific enemies will decrease the Guard Break gauge on the enemies (visible after Harley analyzes them). This might be easier to do when you're a lower level, but even in higher levels, depending on the resistance some enemies might have, you can find that the weakness brings the Guard gauge down much faster. I'd wait to get this before overleveling into the triple digits.


An educated workforce is important to Maine's future.
FAME is encouraging Maine employers to do what they can to help their employees and their children, the future faces of Maine, to prepare for higher education.
With our partners, FAME is providing employers with information and easy activities that they can deploy to help invest in higher education for the future workforce of their companies and the future of Maine.
Offer payroll deduction to NextGen 529 accounts– have a question about payroll deduction? or call FAME at 1-800-228-3734.
Host a learning session. FAME can come to talk about planning for college and help employees open NextGen 529 accounts.
Use the NextGen 529 Employer Toolkit to share information with employees. Hang posters and use newsletter/email copy.
Help employees connect their career goals with the education they need to get there.
Talk about college as part of annual evaluations for professional development planning.
Become a mentor or create a job shadowing or internship program.
Even small amounts of money can help make a big difference.
Provide scholarships or grants to help reduce borrowing.
Provide tuition assistance up front instead of reimbursement.
On behalf of FAME share information about student loan repayment or consider helping students repay student loans.
Consider offering student loan debt relief to employees.
Connect employees to information about refinancing student loans.
Want FAME to visit your workplace?
Provide your information below and we'll be in touch! We'll also add you to our mailing list so we can share information about how we can all Invest in ME.
Check this box to join the Nextgen mailing list.


text:
Seven Cannes Films You'll Want to See Later
This year's Cannes Film Festival has officially begun, with all of filmdom's glittery best descending on the south of France to smoke cigarettes, talk about George Clooney, and ogle or be ogled. But what about the actual movies? Let's take a look at seven films that sound the most interesting.
Director Michael Haneke, who's recently been responsible for brutal and mysterious films like Funny Games, Caché, and The White Ribbon (which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2009), seems to take a softer turn with this story of a couple in their 80s living in the aftermath of the wife's stroke. Haneke has assembled a trio of French acting legends for his cast, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as the couple, and Isabelle Huppert as their daughter. A French-language trailer hints at some dark sadness, but it seems a more domestic kind than the sinister forces at work in many of Haneke's other films.
Canadian outre auteur David Cronenberg has become almost dare we say mainstream of late, with his two award-winning crime films, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, and the period piece A Dangerous Method. Well now he veers off into the weird again, sort of, with Cosmopolis, an adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel about a limousine-riding young billionaire's weird day in slightly futuristic Manhattan. None other than lil' Bobby Pattinson himself plays the wealthy cad, and he's joined by an eclectic cast comprised of Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, and others. The trailer is definitely strange, which means we're all the more curious.
Brad Pitt stars in this crime world drama from his The Assassination of Jesse James director Andrew Dominik. That elegiac western wasn't loved by all, but we thought it was a thoughtful and gorgeously shot film. Unfortunately Dominik didn't have Assassination cinematographer (and ridiculous best-in-the-business genius) Roger Deakins on hand for Killing Them Softly, which is about a gangster (Pitt) investigating the robbery of a mob poker game, but he did get Let Me In and Bright Star DP Greig Fraser, so we're still expecting something aesthetically arresting. Plus, who doesn't like watching Brad Pitt walk around with a gun? It's practically an American pastime.
Jeff Nichols debuts his third film as a writer/director, following the rapturously received Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter. This time, though, he's got a couple of big celebrities (Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon) working for him. McConaughey, who's in the middle of a Serious Actor career makeover, plays an escaped convict who enlists the help of two young boys to evade a bounty hunter and reunite with his lady (presumably Witherspoon). Early clips suggest that Mud will be another moody, ponderous film from Nichols, who might be emerging as our next great thing.
Sure it's probably sacrilege to movie-ize Jack Kerouac's rambling, lyrical beatnik novel-cum-travelogue, but aren't you curious to see what Walter Salles, who proved with The Motorcycle Diaries that he knows how to do on-the-road soul searching, does with the book? The trendy cast factor (Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Hedlund) give us pause, but the first trailer is rather lovely. So yes, it may be a disaster. But it could be a beautiful one.
Rust and Bone
Jacques Audiard's followup to his 2009 Cannes award winner tells the story of a rough and tumble man (rising Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts) struggling to raise his young son and falling in love with an orca trainer (Marion Cotillard) who has been horribly injured in an accident at the amusement park where she works. So... it's a comedy? There isn't exactly A Prophet's stark seriousness at work here, but it's definitely a heavy movie. To temper that darkness, though, the trailer suggests that Rust and Bone will also be full of sweeping emotion and beautiful photography. And, y'know, whales.
The Paperboy
Taking a distinct turn away from his last feature, Precious, director Lee Daniels heads south to Florida to tell a tell of a newspaper reporter and his brother trying to exonerate a man facing the death penalty. The movie is apparently narrated by Macy Gracy, Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron play the brothers, John Cusack is the convict, Nicole Kidman factors in somewhere, and it's all directed by the guy who did Precious. Sounds pretty intriguing, right?


I wanted to share the photos with you. As you will see in the photos, we had cumbia dancers at the cocktail reception and then later on in the evening the hotel surprised us by having "monks" toast us (Hotel Santa Clara used to be a Convent). At midnight we had a "hora loca" with dancers from the Barranquilla Carnival come dance with us – (the Barranquilla Carnival is the 2nd most important in Latin America after Rio.


Great tip really appreciate your instruction. I am 65 years old now and have been dealing with an injury I got from pitching to much when I was playing little league baseball, going to receive a steel ball and medal plate in my right shoulder next month hoping this will help my execution a little so I'm not giving up it your not!
Mike, Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. Just be careful after you get your new shoulder. A lot of people are so excited to play golf again they don't allow enough time to heal.
Terry, Thanks for joining. Unfortunately, there is no real way to let everyone know I am doing my own site. I just have to wait for them to find me like you did. Make sure you go back in the archives. I have done a ton of tips you need to catch up on.
I have been with your golf system for about 6 months now (golf book, monthly subscription to your videos and one video golf lesson). It's been an exciting process ( sometimes two steps forward and then one back); however these almost daily videos with you answering our questions make it feel like I have my golf coach with me through the process. Invaluable!
I am now to the point that the basic movements are starting to feel natural and Wow! My swing now feels so much better than the "old hit with my arms with tension" swing it's unbelievable. I'm not working up a sweat anymore when practicing hitting full shots. I know there are several positions in my swing that I need to work on but I just love the overall feeling of a relaxed/fluid swing with proper lower body sequence. At 70+years of age that is important. I have arthritis in several parts of my body and without changing my swing to this new system, I would be winding down my participation in this great game.
I have a golfing getaway with a buddy planned in St George/Mesquite in 1 1/2 weeks and I can't wait.
Thank you for renewing my passion for the game.
Glad you like the site and learning how to swing with powerless arms. It really is an easier way to swing.
As Mike wrote above, we missed you and wondered why you didn't show up at revolution golf any more. But than I realised that revolution golf is almost dominated by Mr. McLean and his bunch of instructors with less valuable information of which I am sure many don't appreciate anymore.
So I am glad to find you under ignition golf again.
Keep going with your great way of instructions and breaking complex things down to manageable steps.
Thanks for being brave enough to start your own thing. It's also good to see Bronson here as well.
Glad you found me too. Thanks for joining.
Hopefully, others will find me too. It is just going to take time seen as I can't really post on their site telling everyone where I am.
The main reason I am not posting over there anymore is confusion. I want to make people better. I don't want to be a part of the Golf Digest approach.
I don't know how many more tips Bronson will do. He seemed to be too busy to send tips. I am just repeating old tips on Fridays now. There are do many important tips that I feel everyone should keep watching over and over again.
Hey Paul…looks like all your old RG followers are slowly but surely finding their way to Ignition!! Stay diligent and keep up the good work….you have a very loyal base that appreciates what you have done and continue to do for us. Have a great Thanksgiving!!!
Slowly but surely the great majority of people will find their way over here. Good to see it.
Have a great Thanksgiving too!
I have had limited time for practice due to overtime at work. But, my practice sessions have been fairly fruitful. Occasionally I hit my short irons really high and short. I think its due to a shallow attack angle and not enough hip rotation. Am I right or wrong? Set me straight please.
Glad you are seeing improvement. Keep in mind that my technique takes busy lifestyles into consideration. You should be doing practice swings at home working on the feedback in each swing position. This way you can develop a great swing without hitting that many balls.
I really appreciate this repeat since it is so inmportant to the tall golfer. When I bend over too much, it feels much more difficult to operate the lower body to power the golf swing.
You are right tall golfers want to get low instead of using their height to their advantage. Stay tall. Coil and uncoil using the legs as the power source. Glad you like the feeling. Tall guys usually want to get low again.
You coil back until you feel the tightness in the coil. You are coiling the top around a stable base.
I understand (I think) the reason for the more horizontal rotation, it allows you to coil/uncoil with maximum velocity. Also, IIRC, the "Iron Byron" rotates around a shallow tilt. HOWEVER, it's not clear to me from this video on what plane you want the club to swing. My assumption is that the club operates on a much steeper plane (as opposed to the same plane as the one on which the shoulders rotate).
Can you point me to a video that discusses the proper plane on which to bring the club back?
Keep the club close to the ground is fine and it will help you or anyone turn. This is because to keep it low would require you to make an arc. You wouldn't be able to go low and straight back. If you picked it up you could hamper your rotation because you would be doing this with your arms and not your body. Do I don't have a problem with what you are doing especially with an injury.
This tip should be combined with your other tip about not seeing your toes in the address position. In this over tilted position you can see both feet fully which you should not do.
My slight concern is, what is the situation if you do the opposite, that is, standing too erect with a straight back which I tend to do. I then try keeping my shoulders flatter or level to the ground with all clubs. Presumably I should be rotating somewhere in between the two.
Yes, you do not want to stand up too much but if you were checking this you would and should be matching the middle of the shoulder, tip of the knee and laces in line. Plus, the toe of your club should be slightly higher than the heel. All of these things could not be done if you were standing too tall.
You mentioned that if we're topping the ball (which I do at times)….we should "tee it up" until we start making good contact. Once we accomplish this we should "take the tee away". But what have you adjusted in your set-up that NOW allows you to reach the ball? Certainly 'not bending over more'….are you bending the knees a little more? Thanks always Paul.
You are topping it because you are hitting. As you relax your arms they would not be contracting as much widening the arc. If you buckle your arm the arc is narrower. If you hit hard you will raise up to see the result. So you tee it up. Swing way easier. As you stop topping you can then lower the tee and eventually get rid of the tee. So it is not really a set up issue. Topping is clue that you are hitting way too hard.


Over at the Raptors Playbook YouTube channel (@RaptorsPlaybook on Twitter), I am breaking down the X's & O's of the Toronto Raptors every Wednesday. This week, we'll focus on a Baseline out of Bounds (BLOB) play, Iverson Stagger — or 2 by the Raptors. Watch the video embedded below alongside the summary written, and remember to follow and subscribe to never miss out on a video.
The first option for this play, an Iverson cut, is rather simple and is used regularly in the Raptors normal half-court offense. The inbounder, typically Kyle Lowry or any of the Raptors' point guards who fill in, will wait for one wing player to cut through the middle of the paint between two bigs who are slotted at the elbows. After this initial decoy cut is made, the wing player on the weak side of the floor will make an Iverson cut towards the inbounder.
For defenders that are not prepared, this can lead to a quick layup or a baseline jumper as a result of being a step behind on the catch after running through two screens. Examples of this can be seen starting at 0:15.
The last option of this play, which can be seen starting at 1:45, stems from the sequence described initially. The Iverson cut is made towards the inbounder and an attempt to get a shot near the bucket is deterred by the defense. After this, the ball handler will pass the ball to the big who gave the first of two screens at the elbow. The big who gave the second of the screens will have already made his way to the weak side of the floor, where he and the other wing player set a staggered screen for the inbounder. This action can be really deadly because of all the attention directed towards the Iverson cut in an effort to ensure that an easy layup has not been surrendered on the inbounds.
This play has become one my favourites for the Raptors because of how much it bends and shifts the defense. Not only does it move them side-to-side, a functional goal of all NBA offenses, but it also tugs defenders between the paint and the three-point line. Additionally, if the play stalls out, the point guard will have the ball above the arc and a seamless transition can be made into the Raptors base offense if need be.