Boston University has the faculty, staff, and financial resources to become one of the nation's great research institutions. One obstacle in that path has always been the unpredictable behavior of John Silber, a master builder whose norms of academic freedom are not universally accepted. It is also hard to take seriously a university where the president, Jon Westling, lacks the basic teaching credential — a doctoral degree — required of assistant professors nationwide. It is not widely known that the man ...

John Travolta has denied those pesky gay rumors for years. but in a shocking lawsuit set to be filed in Los Angeles federal court at press time, Beverly-Hills-based artist Michael Pattinson alleges that the Church of Scientology used Travolta as an example of a homosexual "cured" by the church. Pattinson's complaint alleges that he "reasonably relied upon" Travolta's marriage to fellow Scientologist Kelly Preston as proof that Scientology processing and courses would 'handle' my own homosexuality." Pattinson is suing the church, ...

If you are a Scientologist, your church is hoping that you'll get online and build a Web site endorsing your religious beliefs. In fact, the Church of Scientology will give you a Web starter kit to do just that. It will even host your site for you, alongside those of thousands of fellow Scientology members. But if you want to visit alt.religion.scientology, the Web site of Operation Clambake or just about any page that mentions the word "Xenu," you're out of ...

Dear 3D, I just read on the Internet that the founder of Scientology - L. Ron Hubbard "was not only an accomplished songwriter and composer, his breakthrough work in computerized music influenced professionals around the world." (see the website http://www.lronhubbard.org/lrhhome.htm) This makes me really angry, as this is from one of Scientology's websites. I mean, WHAT A LOT OF CRAP!!!!!! I reckon http://www.xenu.net tells the real story. Cheers and too few beers, Slugfest

Type: Tort, intentional infliction of emotion distress, alter ego. Bench decision: Amendment of judgment - $6,025,857 ($4,649,328 renewed judgment plus $1,376,529 accrued interest). Case/Number: Larry Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology of California / C332027. Court/Date: L.A. Superior Central / Oct. 29, 1997. Judge: John P. Shook. Attorneys: Plaintiff - Craig J. Stein (Gartenberg, Jaffe, Gelfand & Stein, LLP, L.A.); Daniel A. Leipold, Cathy Shipe, Robert F. Donohue (Hagenbaugh & Murphy, Orange); Lita Schlosser (Encino); Ford Greene (Hub Law Offices, San Anselmo). ...

Producers of the 20th Century Fox TV series "Millennium" have been fielding calls from people in and around the Church of Scientology over an upcoming episode of the Fox drama series. The episode, written by Darren Morgan, centers on Jose Chung, a novelist character that Morgan originally created for "The X-Files." Chung tags along with Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) throughout the comedic episode, which centers on an unusual murder of a member of a New Age following called "Selfosophy." Execs on ...

Every email sent via the Internet, every Netnews article and everything typed on Internet Relay Chat has a header message attached which enables the whereabouts of the message's author to be traced. As soon as you write something your Internet Identity added. If for some reason you should not want your name to appear anywhere, you either apply your technical wizardry knowledge to fake your true ID, or in case you are no wizard you can simply use the service of ...

CANBERRA, July 1 (Reuter) — Australian bosses might prefer blondes, but the tax office won't give their secretaries a rebate for changing their hair colour. As Australia entered its annual fiscal silly season on Tuesday, when millions of workers fiddle their figures to try to claw back tax payments, the association of tax accountants published a list of enthusiastic claims destined for failure. Among them were a car repairer's claim for the cost of his "guard dog" — a miniature poodle ...

People who spend money unwisely or damage their own reputation could be classified as mentally ill and forcibly taken away for treatment in an institution, under new mental health legislation due to come into effect within two weeks. Under the new laws, police will be able to take people from their home to hospital for psychiatric assessment for three days or longer. The changes to the Mental Health Act are strongly supported by relatives and friends of the mentally ill. However, ...

Having spent the morning on the Net, surfing any number of hideous accounts by ex-scientologists, I climbed the stairs of the Civic Scientology office with some trepidation. I felt armed with my newly enhanced awareness of cult recruiting tactics and brainwashing techniques, and had the specific aim of grabbing any printed material I could see and getting out fast. I was greeted warmly by a young woman and told that someone would be 'with me shortly.' A few minutes later she ...

I refer to the article "Ex-Scientologists testify to suffering" (C-M, Oct 4). Scientologists and non-Scientologists alike have come out in defence of the religious persecution in France. First, the French Government blows up the Rainbow Warrior, then despite world condemnation, they expose the Pacific to atomic fallout. Now we have them deciding that a new religion has become too popular and a threat to their hypocrisy. Scientology may be new and controversial but no one can deny it is the fastest-growing ...

Ron Newman, a corporate Web page designer in Cambridge, Massachussetts, turns on his computer one day last month and signs on to the Net to check in on his favourite newsgroup, alt.religion.scientology, a.r.s. for short. But as his computer modem erupts into the now all-too-familiar squeal that marks the arrival online, Newman begins to sense that something's not quite right. Ordinarily, it takes only a few seconds to retrieve the day's new postings on this electronic bulletin board. Today there are ...