This comes from Astra Woodcraft of Ex-Scientology Kids:

Today I found out some very interesting, in-depth and somewhat shocking news in regards the Freewinds.

In early 2008, a contract was made between Scientology and a company out of Miami called Nordica Engineering. This contract was for approximately $18 million and was for the work of completely stripping the Freewinds, and then re-fitting with new furniture, carpets, wiring, etc.

Nordica Engineering brought in approximately 240 workers from Poland who slepts on board the Freewinds in cabins until they were moved to a camp after 1 1/2 months.

Nordica Engineering was given no warning or information in regards blue asbestos or other asbestos panelling on the Freewinds. Apparently, in addition to the blue asbestos which is sparyed on all over the Freewinds, a lot of the panelling on the Freewinds was made with asbestos. A giant container at the dock in Curacao was filled with approximately 70 tons of asbestos, whereabouts now unknown.

The work proceeded until April 2008 when the Freewinds was sealed due to asbestos contamination at the drydock in Curacao.

Nordica Engineering has apparently not been fully paid and is owed upwards of approximately $3.5 million.

A separate company was brought out from Florida to clean up the asbestos at a cost of approximately $2 million. Some of the asbesots was removed, some encapsulated, but apparently there is still loose asbestos on-board.

The ship is now in Aruba (due to Curucao drydock being booked) but will be brough back to drydock in Curacao in November to finish up work and get its DNV certification.

Nordica Engineering appears to have been misled or outright lied to in regards the asbestos situation. There are 240 workers from Poland who have apparently been following the story about the Freewinds online. They are in possession the the affidavit that my dad, Lawrence Wooodcraft wrote back in 2001 in regards the asbestos he saw on the Freewinds in 1987. They have been majorly exposed to this asbestos, sleeping on-board while the work was being done and now they are, from reports, very upset to say the least.

Nordica Engineering is apparently still negotiating with Scientology executives Sue Price and Bob Wright, hoping to receive payment but it seems unlikely.

Please re-post and distribute as appropriate.

Roger Friedman, Fox News columnist and a friend of Isaac Hayes, writes an article on the late artist that paints a sympathetic picture of a man struggling with personal matters:

In March 2006, news came that Hayes was resigning from “South Park.” On March 20, 2006, I wrote a column called “Chef’s Quitting Controversy,” explaining that Hayes was in no position to have quit anything due to his stroke. But Scientology issued the statement to the press saying Hayes had resigned, and the press just ate it up. No one spoke to Isaac directly, because he couldn’t literally speak. “Chef” was written out of the show.

Isaac’s income stream was severely impaired as a result. Suddenly there were announcements of his touring, and performing. It didn’t seem possible, but word went out that he’d be at BB King’s in New York in January 2007. I went to see him and reported on it here.

The show was abomination. Isaac was plunked down at a keyboard, where he pretended to front his band. He spoke-sang, and his words were halting. He was not the Isaac Hayes of the past.

What was worse was that he barely knew me. He had appeared in my documentary, “Only the Strong Survive,” released in 2003. We knew each other very well. I was actually surprised that his Scientology minder, Christina Kumi Kimball, with whom I had difficult encounters in the past, let me see him backstage at BB King’s. Our meeting was brief, and Isaac said quietly that he did know me. But the light was out in his eyes, and the situation was worrisome.

Roger also asks some interesting questions:

Why, for example, was a stroke survivor on a treadmill by himself? What was his condition? What kind of treatment had he had since the stroke? Members of Scientology are required to sign a form promising they will never seek psychiatric or mental assistance. But stroke rehabilitation involves the help of neurologists and often psychiatrists, not to mention psychotropic drugs — exactly the kind Scientology proselytizes against.

Has Scientology added another name to its ever-expanding list of people pushed into death through psychological manipulation and fraudulent medicine?

A Scientologist caller, Richard, calls into Pat Thurston’s show on KGO radio when Scientology critic Ford Greene.  The Scientologist comes off as the sort of person he intended to not come off as: a cult member who spouts off the party line and rejecting all attempts at answering any questions.

HOST: “There are people who have reached the upper OT levels, who then have left the church of Scientology, and who have exposed the material that they were taught, at least at OT7.  Is that true?”

CALLER: “They’re lies.”

HOST: “Why would they lie?”

CALLER: “Well, they hate Scientology.  You’re promoting hatred.  This is a hate program. If you were talking about Jews, the Nazis–” (you get the point)

I’m going to let this statement by Paul Barresi speak for itself:

The freedoms we enjoy in the United States are both a wonderful and a dangerous thing. Scientology represents the latter.

In 1987, Tom Cruise found himself caught up in an eerie citadel, spun around him by one of Scientology’s most loyal member’s [sic], Mimi Rogers, and in my view, he has been nothing more than a puppet on a string ever since.

Contrary to what most think, Cruise does not make a move without the approval of his handler. He can’t wipe his own rear end without first getting permission from those who have control over him. Even his attorney Burt Fields has his hands tied.

Rest assured, the Scientology [organization] makes all decision having to do with Cruise’s personal and professional life.

Short of kidnapping him and deprogramming him, like an addict riddled with cocaine, there is no hope.

Sadly, unless there is some divine intervention, in my opinion, Cruise will be los t in shallow and in misery for the rest of his life.

With regard to my handing the lawsuit documents over to the New York Daily News, I merely wanted to point out that Cruise’s name tacked on to a law suit, gets peoples attention. Fact is, he is not one of the ring leaders. He is nothing more than a “yes man” who does what he is told — period.

Attorney Graham Berry who has been retained by some Anonymous in DC to help bring down the cult, has posted the following tl;dr to Enturbulation.org.  Here are some snippets: (more…)

Stu Wyatt, the handicapped anti-Scientology protestor from Plymouth, UK, has formally pressed charges against the relevant Scientologists who have allegedly been engaging in Fair Game practices against him.

Postulating new realities and keeping others at effect.

Will Smith is Scientology’s latest celebrity victim.

Late last month, I posted about a student in Vancouver who posted on his blog about the Orwellian-named Youth For Human Rights, a Scientology front group, being allowed to give a presentation at his school. This attempt at infiltration has now turned into an epic PR flap. From The Vancouver Sun:

A Vancouver principal said his school was uninformed when it invited a group affiliated with the Church of Scientology to speak to a student assembly last month about human rights.

John Bevacqua, of St. Patrick regional secondary school, said he hadn’t been aware that Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is part of the Scientology movement until it was brought to his attention by a staff member shortly after the group finished its presentation.

“It was very unfortunate that they were not as forthcoming as they needed to be,” he said of YHRI. “It was a lesson learned.” The group was invited into the school on the recommendation of students who had heard representatives speak at a conference and were impressed with the message. The students gained the support of teacher sponsors, who vouched for the group and extended the invitation, Bevacqua said….

Susan Kerr, a Scientologist and Vancouver spokeswoman for YHRI, said the group was formed several years ago to educate young people about human rights, and its connection to the Church of Scientology is irrelevant.

“This has nothing to do with the church proselytizing,” Kerr said in an interview.”It’s just about human rights.”

Gerry Armstrong, former Scientologist who knew L. Ron Hubbard personally, commented on this story on alt.religion.scientology:

Susan Kerr is the cult’s “Human Rights Director” in Vancouver. As the Scientology v. Armstrong case shows, she is *contracted* in fact to suppress and destroy basic human rights. And not just mine, but the human rights of anyone who would act in concert with me, which is anyone who would associate with me….

During the first protest at the Vancouver org this year, February 10, the Scientologists brought out and held up a Youth for Human Rights International banner as a response to the protesters and to promote themselves as human rights supporters to the public.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23656780@N03/2255858623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23656780@N03/2255854357/in/photostream/

Using the YHRI banner for that purpose was probably a screwup because YHRI tries to separate itself from the “church,” as the Vancouver Sun article, and Ms. Kerr demonstrate. Scientology has not used the banner in the 3 subsequent protests.

EDIT: The reporter of this event has a blog.  In after Terryeo!

Glamour Magazine has an article in their latest issue about Jenna, Astra and Kendra’s site:

This past February, the trio launched a website, exscientologykids.com, for young people who have left or are thinking of leaving Scientology. “When a person leaves,” says Kendra, “they face a big void. We help them fill that.” The site, which offers support through e-mails, Web chats and phone calls, has about 2,500 visitors per day.

You can visit the site at ExScientologyKids.com.