Plotzensee and Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise hit a snag in his desire to portray German hero of the Nazi resistance, Von Stauffenberg.  Von Stauffenberg was the pivot point behind a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and other Nazi top brass on July 20, 1944.  The plot failed when the heavy wooden table at the Wolf's Lair bunker muffled the blast from the bomb left in the attache case at Hitler's feet.  Hundreds of conspirators were tried in the notorious people's court (where Roland Friesler presided as judge, prosecutor and jury).  All were condemned to death, and executed at Plotzensee prison in Berlin, where they were hung in rows of eight.  I've heard reports that they were hung with piano wire and the executions filmed for the delectation of der Fuhrer.  Somewhere I heard that.  Don't know if it's true, but I wouldn't doubt it.

Plotzensee also had Germany's last functioning fallbeil (guillotine).  It mysteriously disappeared after the war.

Apparently, in a move that would leave American officials stymied, wringing their hands, Germans have no trouble whatsoever denying the right of Scientology to proselytize in the Fatherland.  Moreover the Bundeswehr (German military) does not want Von Stauffenberg to be portrayed by Cruise--for whatever reason.  And there the matter stands. 

I just saw the infamous South Park Scientology episode the other night.  Hilarious.  They should take to heart the lesson of Microsoft: with success comes exposure, with exposure and money the sharks will circle.  Up to now, though, they've made brilliant strategic moves, attracting celebrities, disguising the extent of their assets within corporations and subsidiaries wholly owned by the church, but not generally known to be, such as Earthlink: all tax free courtesy of the U.S. Government.  Time for congress to revisit this issue, perhaps?