PB, got your email and will call you (if of course you're not mad that I disagree a bit with you vis a vis Rick Ross). I know just the bar you mean...those homemade flights rock my engrams heh heh
cheers
dakota

Hi all. First of all I want to apologize as I've not been well this week, and dragged myself up again today to the delayed opening -- but not in time to see the major festivities. Having said that, I wandered about listening to people on cell phones talking about how 'powerful' 'motivational' and my favorite 'it's the dawn of a whole new era' while they were reporting back to their orgs. Apparently Heber J. was the keynote and had them all besides themselves.

They managed to get 46th street closed from b'way to 8th ave. Anyone familiar with NYC will know this is no small feat as it is the height of tourist season and they are located in the heart of the theatre distict.

So, when I get there (around 1) the stage is still set up and those in 'choice seats' (middle of the street) are still gossiping and congratulating each other. They have huge tent set up in the alley next to the bldg. where they are handing out free food, water, coffee, etc. There is another tent on the other side of the street where they are offering personality tests, touch assists, etc. The VM's that approached me were all terribly friendly and didn't push when I turned down their services. They were getting quite a few takers I must mention (having said that anything 'free' in NY is a big deal).

When people approached me to ask what was going on, I was told them and kind of gently steered them away (I'm not much of a hard core protester without backup!). I am pleased to report that I did get quite a few people to walk away.

OK, next it is time to go in the 'church'. They must have been working like banshees last night because yesterday it looked nothing like this (from what i could see looking in). It was mobbed (i'm kinda not pleased to report). They have done a hell of a job on the bldg. (I was in there years ago when I first started studying cults). There is a nice big welcome reception area, and the rest of the 1st floor has a pictorial history of LRH starting at the beginning and making him look like the all around nice guy he was (sorry long post I need to keep myself amused). There are also a couple of film rooms in there, where they were showing a lot of DM stuff during awards ceremonies and another room showing only LRH interviews and such.

I sat down to watch one LHR film with a British journalist in the early 60's, which I watched straight through (although the DM yeehah film was eqaually loud about 2 feet away). It was the one where he is asked if 'processing' costs anything and he say, and i'm taking liberties here, he says something along lines of 'depends on how you want it, it can be free or it can cost money' OOOOKKKKK. That same interview had him talking about how Scn. welcomed all races, creeds, religions, colors.... I've never sat through a whole one of these...imagine with a 102 degree fever...trippy).

Next you go upstairs where there are auditing rooms and testing rooms and the like. All small, but done up really nicely. Up a little more you get to the (what do I call it?? temple, altar??) which has also been done up to a "T". Nothing was going on in there except very excited volunteers chattering away and tourists eating free food. Lining that room, whatever I should call it, are all the 'doctrines' and 'credos' of scn, which I read again but then watched in fever horror some tourists nodding and smiling and saying 'this makes sense, let's learn more'.

I went up another flight, and that is where all the exec. offices are (oodles of flowers, lots of people in very very scary YELLOW SUITS), the comm. office, the bookstore and the reg. room. I am not happy to report that there were quite a few people in the reg room -- can't give you a number, but I'd say around 30 or so were in there filling out forms. The bookstore was not doing quite as brisk a business.

All and all I can tell you that this will most likely be posted as some big win (keep in mind that people were wearing buttons from where they were from and for some reason lots of people from atlanta were there for a start).

I overheard a director type person (could not spy on her nameplate as I'm 5'2" and she was an amazon) saying the org will be open from 9 am to 10pm every day with staff doing a 9-6 weekday shirt or a 6-10 and then weekends shift).

Oooh, the big celebrity I saw was Issac Hayes (dressed in some bizarre outfit)...I wanted to go up and say "Hi Chef", but he was whisked away before I could.

Anyway, this is the longest post I've ever put here and sorry if terribly incomplete. Anyone with questions can get to me here.

I'll go back in a few weeks time (when back from holiday) and report in again on a regular day. Maybe I'll take a stress test and give you guys the results (as I so DON'T go aboard my bridge to total servitude).

Hope above helpful, and
cheers to all
dakota

ooh, p.s., volunteers were put up at one crappy hotel...one step above an S.R.O. (for those outside NY that's a single room occupancy welfare hotel).

just remembered overhearing that.

dakota

dakota,

Thanks for the report!

It is amusing that they congratulate themselves about what they are doing since Scientology had a semi-collapse in the 1980s (after I left). I am willing to be corrected if I am wrong, BUT, I don't see that they have recovered to anywhere near what they once was.

I don't understand how they can survive without a big network of missions that can feed the higher level orgs (this is the way it used to be). I suspect that they are still living off of the money they made in the late 1960s and 1970s... before the missions debacle.

They have been working on this project for a while now. Remember, they do have a hard-core following and likely pull in new people from time to time regardless of how many leave. Don't let your blinders for how much you may know about or dislike the church keep you from seeing what is really going on.

But remember also, that they pulled in people from around the world for this project and scheduled it so it would not conflict with other events. It's a long way from the New Years event or Ron's birthday. So they got the Jive Aces to come and sounds like Heber and Issac from Dakota's post.

Where they seem to be making some traction now is with the Volunteer Ministers (yellow shirt) program. It gives them a way to really organize those who can be cajolled and pressured into participating. It's a kind of feel-good thing where some schmoe with an hour of touch-assit training can feel like a group member. It is also easer for them to disseminate in groups like this.

This event was excellent PR for them and now they have a brand-spankin new renovation (instead of the old dillapidated dump) to show the public how groovy they are. It's much easier to sell auditing for a few hundred bucks an hour if they have nice rooms.

So here they are folks. Well entrenched in New York ready for a new generation of followers. They got rid of everyone who might make waves, have a way to corral all the Illegal PC, have the streamlined Golden Age of Tech and are ready to DELIVER!

So how can any negative nay-saying compete with this wonderful piece of PR?

By the way, Dakota stood me up, so is likely just an OSA Plant here to get into good graces with you all.

"By the way, Dakota stood me up, so is likely just an OSA Plant here to get into good graces with you all."

Well, maybe she should have called you to cancel. (She did say that she was running a fever and sick.)
But I wouldn't say that this means she is OSA. Or were you kidding about that?

OK, maybe just kidding a little. We didn't actually have a specific time and date to meet. Just a vague intention.

I didn't have a plan to go, but was working nearby so took a brief walk by the area. I didn't go it.

I mean, I didn't go in.

If you didn't make a specific time and place... you can't blame her. The way you were talking about it I thought that you were in direct contact somehow (email, phone, or whatever).

"We didn't actually have a specific time and date to meet. Just a vague intention."

I never do that. If I want to meet someone I make it specific. And I have done just that. I have met one lady to talk, on one occasion, then I helped her to pack her stuff and move to Northern California. (This was nothing romantic - we were just friends.) I did the work because I liked her and then she gave me a BIG hug when all the work was done. (What is it with me and older women. I don't get it yet. Oh, well...)



(Message edited by Programmer_guy on September 27, 2004)

It's just annoying to get vauge pronouncements and no follow thru.

Maybe Dakota needs to take the Scientology Comm Course?

Hey Pit Bull:

I was sicker than hell but managed to make it out of the house twice to go and check out this opening. The rest of the weekend I was asleep. You said you couldn't meet until evening when event was over anyway -- but sorry, it was rude not to call you.

I apologize.

Cheers,
Dakota

Dakota,

Thank you very much for your kind sentiments.

I was a bit rude too.

I do hope you feel better. I guess it seems that Scientology has demonstrated it's healing powers by getting you out of bed! Did you go for a touch assist when you were there? (just kidding)

I do hope you feel better soon. Maybe we can still go for that Martini?

Thanks for the report but this will probably turn out just like all the other openings I've been to.

A lot of people show up for the celebrities and there are so many scientologist there from other cities, it makes it look like a huge crowd.

This happened in Buffalo too. Then once the hoopla is over, it's the same old story. Not enough public, not enough money coming in, the newer staff get aggravated and leave and they struggle along being screamed at from up-lines to get the stats up.

Don't get too worried that this means anything about how well scientology is doing.

It is still declining and will continue to do so.

Too many people in large christian churches are putting out the word for their congregations to stay away from Dianetics and Scientology.

Free:

Thanks for that. I have to say I was a bit discouraged yesterday because of the big turnout -- then again it was the first such thing I attended and from all the reading I do posted by all you great guys here, I figured a lot of people were flown in, etc. The hugging and kissing and 'hey I just completed blah blah blah, and am this high on the bridge...blah blah blah' I was hearing through my fever made me a bit ill too!

Then I got really upset when I saw all those people walking into the reg. room after being escorted from the 'free' services tent into the 'church'....that's why I am going to go back in a few weeks on a regular evening and see the activity.

Will report back.

PB:

I'm feeling much better thanks. You know it was hard to resist the 'touch assist' knowing it would cure all my ills, but I got beyond it!!!
And yes, I will be in touch soon (am going to be away).

Cheers all,
dakota

Be on your toes.
peace...jb