Note: there was no Graduation last nite due to a special Sea Org only event “for SO Day” but I bet Voldemort was just not feeling in the mood after his weekus horribilus. So. instead we have some news from across the country.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars and a year after the OC “Ideal Org” finally opened, their Non E campaign is off the ground.
And boy, the news is amazing!
They got a donation from someone in NEW YORK.
They put up billboards around Disneyland (stupidest place ever — the people at Disney are TOURISTS, NOT their public) and, wait for it, as they saved the really big news for last….
ONE woman started an Intro service and A TOW TRUCK DRIVER stopped in to tell them he was “so glad they were here.”
Now that is real bang for the buck…. And that is what they think is “a big win.”
This is one of Pinocchio Pouw’s “you missed the real story, we are expanding like crazy — we opened 37 NEW churches in the last few years.” Funny, not a single one of them is actually expanding. And Orange County isn’t just “one” of the 37 — this county is home to a very large percentage of the total active Scientologists on the planet (probably ONLY exceeded by Pinellas County in Florida). And here we have this amazing “Ideal Org” “clearing its zone” with donations from someone in NY and a tow truck driver who stops by to say hi. There is nothing inherently wrong with either, except the OMISSION they highlight.
This is the BEST THEY HAVE TO PROMOTE. That’s not much for $10 million plus.
And truthfully, the only thing that is on fire is Pinocchio’s pants.
![greg-slauson-newsletter-12aug13[1]](https://www.mikerindersblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/greg-slauson-newsletter-12aug131.jpg)
Mike and Betsy Reppen happened to swing by the booming OC Ideal Org yesterday and snapped a couple of shots. They put them on Facebook and I am adding them here. As you can see, it is a real hive of activity on a weekday afternoon.
The “promotion” says “Planetary Dissemination News” and they got in ONE person. That’s the “news” for planetary dissemination. And instead of noticing maybe something is wrong, they stay with it. I think I see where this is going. In another year, their “Planetary Dissemination Newsletter” will say,
“Today we are expanding like never before. Remember, just last year, one person started a course in Orange Country org and is expected to finish soon, just as soon as she can be recovered (which several people are working on). And in Washington D. C. someone has been slated to come into the org soon. In Clearwater, the Planetary Dissemination Committee is really thinking big thanks to support from the IAS with dissemination plans in full swing, getting out our message in the one place no one will expect: inside toilet bowls. Yes, the city is in for a big surprise thanks to our Universal Urinal advertising campaign, all made possible by your donations to the IAS which we need more of pretty badly. As soon as someone comes in, Flag staff will let us know. “We can’t wait to go to sleep” one of them was recently heard to say. “It can’t be long now before someone else will come in.”
I wanted to thank the staff of the OC org for their fabulous building. Now that there are some of your cars to tow. Before it was deader than heck round here.
No seriously though. With the wages that the staff make in these orgs they are all probably behind on their tags and illegally parked. There has to be a back story that they have spun.
As always with DM advertising, I have to think about what all the words might mean instead of what it sounds like they are saying.
My phone didn’t know what I meant originally.
I think you’re being harsh Mike, I mean that guy crossing the street in the top photo looks just stoked that there’s an Org right there.
Mike, i have to say, that I believe you practice the the most effective response to this ongoing Golden Age of Garbage and it’s VFP – insanity! …… I’m speaking of course…….of your own brand of….” insouciance! “
Mike, further to your noting the “hive of activity on a weekday afternoon ” (photos courtesy of Mike And Betsy Reppen) Perhaps there’s a BEEhive in the building? ..making up the only “activity?” I noticed not a single passerby, or vehicle parked, within “associative distance” of this symbol of “unprecedented expansion! ”
Oh, no! I overlooked the obvious! (silly me! ) It’s the fragrance you get, when nearby an Ideal MORGUE!
Does Greg Slauson know that the “just miles” from Disneyland may as well be in Siberia? People won’t notice this white elephant of an org even two blocks away. Hear that flushing sound Greggie? That’s your money going down the toilet…… to Dave’s Swiss Bank account. Keep building those pools…..sucker.
Speaking of which… Next up: Ideal Washrooms! 🙂
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/business/2012/11/captive-media.jpg
Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom.
Mike, dude, don’t be so cynical. OC’s parishioners have as-ised so much mass that you can’t even see them! That photo actually shows an intersection so chock-a-block with Scilons and their body thetans that the street traffic is backed up far beyond the view of the camera lens!
Mike, thank you for your excellent articles. Thank you for helping heal the 3D losses.
Cece
The billboard advertising is creepy: it’s not selling a product, it’s selling an idea, an idea you have to work out for yourself because it doesn’t tell you specifically what it is. Know yourself. Know life, these aren’t buttons.
The Planetary News itself is only selling one idea: Move up to your next status.
Maybe the sponsor is hoping to buy off a few years in purgatory on his way to heaven, where Miscavige lives. Or maybe it’s a tax-avoidance thing: waste the money on the CoS rather than give it to the government.
Yes, Richard.Not to mention that it, in no way follows the LRH PL regarding “What is an ad” and what it must have in it.
Besides, there are so many new ways to capture identities and promote interaction but I know from personal experience, they turn a blind eye to it.
Mike, you are very funny! “weekus horribilus” is just hilarious! Write the book. We will all buy it!
What can possibly occur next? We will see but I’m beginning to think this juggernaut of emerging truth AND exposure of crimes committed by the leader of the Nazi party, I mean the RCS, will only increase in magnitude from here on out. What a fabulous month August is turning out to be!
Police and newpaper reporters all around the Vegas Org because of the domestic terrorist P.R. woman. Probably the most traffic the Org ever had. They will all be counted as new starts for looking at the building and counted as people who reached for Scientology on some stat.
“motion comes in, use it and win” 😉
Onley if they hand them a dianetics book. Oh wait even that requirement has gone under Miscavige. TR COB.: LOOK at the pretty building , THANK YOU.
Hey! Whoa! Whoa! Lets not be so hasty on how these guys spend their money on promotion.
There is huge return on these promotion efforts.
Lets start with Super Bowl Ads. I sold a boatload of books on that one. I figured I sold a few hundred books per ad at least. It was totally worth whatever they spent. I’d say spend double next time around.
Billboards are good for new small areas. If they put a billboard up, I usually get concentrated sets of sales for that area.
When Katie Holmes divorced Tom that was the best month ever! I think that was 2-3000 books alone. I should probably send her another gift basket…If Tom Cruise gets a new girl I might have to hire some help to package books.
Now the best person they ever had on promotion was Tommy Davis. Especially when Tommy Davis would end a news segment or TV interview with the statement, “If you want to really find out about Scientology, you should buy a book on the subject.” Those were the days. I’d say Tommy Davis was my best employee ever. And he was independently wealthy so i did not even have to pay him!
Scientology does TONS of promotion. This promotion is worthwhile. The money is well spent. And above all it sells books. It just doesn’t happen to be their books! Small detail if you ask me.
Amazon is the largest online retailer of books in the world. I have outsold the bestselling Scientology book ever, Dianetics, every single week since 2009. I am not a writer. Somehow my book that has been out for 4 years has better reviews than their best book which has been out for 63 years.
Here is the crazy part. There are about 7-8 books that outsell my book every week in the last year. All 8 of them are held between three people. Jenna Hill, Lawrence Wright & Janet Reitman. I cannot imagine how many books they are selling with Scientology’s promotion. I would estimate that Scientology is selling 10-15K worth of anti scientology books each month.
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Scientology/zgbs/books/12773
So let’s not have Dave Miscavige stop buying gas to pour on his fires just yet. If there is one thing that Dave Miscavige is a pro at – it is throwing money away at anything and everything. He can spend more money on more useless stuff than anybody you know.
I look at it this way. The more money they spend, the more people find out to not to give them more money. At some point the scilons are going to figure this out and stop spending the money.
Marc — this would be a funny comment if I didnt know it was 100% true…. They do the opposite of anything I say so you will probably see some increase in advertising and therefore sales.
This is pursuant to the oft touted “fact” that the “squirrels only scream when we are winning” so if I say something critical of their billboards and Non E campaigns it PROVES they are working and thus they do more.
Hope you sales hit “Highest Ever In History Ever KABOOOOMMMM graph bursting through the top of the screen….”
Laughter!
Wow Marc. Good for you!
Marc, I LOVE this comment…one of the best ever!
From now on, when I hear of all the “PR ads” that the church is doing, I will be smiling and actually feeling pleased, instead of groaning and rolling my eyes. 🙂
Hi Marc – I recently read BFG and just want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on a beautifully written book. It is authentically written and evokes surprise, shock, laughter, fury, sadness and, despite all, has a happy ending with a beautiful story of love at the end. I am so very glad to hear that money being thrown at promotions by the RCS is helping the sale of your (and other’s) books. Every could has a silver lining…
+1
Marc, great post! Happy to hear your book sales are doing so well.
Marc,
Speaks Volumes. Great work on book sales
Marc, flabbergasting comment, now I am curious about the stats on all the books that are written by people that have blown/got out. Maybe you share a publicer with some of them ?
That would be a real Stat fïesta
Niels
As of today, it is estimated that 15-20 people have come into Orange County ideal org from the non-e campaign. Of those 15-20 people that came in, 3 have started a course
.
Orange County New Names to CF runs around 30 per week. First Service Starts is around 15 per week. New People In is about 100 per week. First Service Comps is in the 15 per week range.
This stat range is unchanged from before the billboards were put up.
This is from the PES Orange County today.
Wow — this is what they actually ADMIT to!!
THIS is an “Ideal Org” with a massive Non E campaign running…
3 new starts.
This is just pathetically sad.
Would love to know what their GI is. And how much the “well paid” staff are getting.
Stairways with DM advertising, I have to think about what all the words might mean instead of what it sounds like they are saying.
Here is the only marketing campaign that will have even the slightest hope of creating a positive impact.
Situation: “Scientology” as a word is associated with: cult, abuse, abortion, demands for huge sums of money, beating staff, being held against one’s will, disconnection from friends and family etc etc.
In short, “scientology” is a completely negative button to society at this point.
Data: People, especially in California, respond very positively to honest apologies.
Marketing Campaign: Banner (In huge capital letters) WE’RE SORRY!!
Copy for billboard: (Much smaller letters) SCIENTOLOGY APOLOGIZES. http://www.wefuckedup.org
Copy for flyers and mailers:
After 30 years of allowing a sociopathic tyrant to “lead our church” we have finally come to our senses. We are terribly sorry it took us so long.
The board of directors of the church of scientology have turned david miscavige over to local authorities for crimes against his employees and former employees, and to the IRS for egregious inurement. The members of the board have removed themselves from the board and turned over the church to decent, competent auditors whom we pray will be able to right the wrongs we have allowed and participated in.
We hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive us for our crimes.
For full details, please visit: wefuckedup.org
It would take a lot more than sorry. And praying would be out of the question. Honesty and cooperation, no more “leadership”.
LRH did not subject himself to the WDC or any such things. There was a “management” in place and he was “not involved, off to do research”. Yet all the time he was running the show. He continually bypassed management. It was a sham. So no. When this is over, those who want to can do it all over again, only this time better. I don’t think I’ll go to that party.
OK, this is probably how this went down:
Reg: Greg, I know you are making a killing with your cesspool business here in Renssealer, NY and it may SEEM like you are safe here but I know from a reliable source that the psychs in OC are really ramping up for a wholesale attack – they are planning on ruining your business, turning your kids into zombies and raping your wife and mother. Is your grandmother still alive? OK, then her too. YES, they are THAT evil. But don’t despair – we have a plan! We were thinking about billboards around Disneyland. They have really dangerous rides, you know those psychs who designed Disneyland are making a dangerous environment for the kids there to confuse the parents while they go and attack you here in Renssealer.
Greg: I want to help! I want to help! Take my money! Take my money! Do you take credit cards? Please come back soon! When will you be back?
Reg: No worries, Greg, we are here for you. When we thwarted this attack with your help, OC Ideal Org will soon will be in Danger and THEN we will really need your help. Remember, your eternity and the future of mankind depends on it, so apply your formulas and make more money FAST. See you next week!
If they say it is a big, well I have to say it is a big win. Wait, I don’t. David Miscavige must go.
Greg Slauson words: “You guys in the white hats have to win”
Yeah, sure.
Just take a fresh dip in your own swimming pool for a better view and visit Disneyland to key-out.
I think at this point it’s safe to say that COS advertising campaigns, like these billboards, are not really aimed at the general public. They’re meant to shore up morale among members, to reassure people that their donations are being used for something constructive. Buying space around Disneyland springs from the same mindset as buying ad time on the Superbowl: that’s where the masses are, that’s where we need to disseminate.
The recent Tory Magoo video with Nancy Many — recommended by someone in an earlier comment thread — hits pretty hard on this same general point: the insularity of the COS community in greater LA, and its consequent failure to connect to the public at large. For which I suppose we can all be thankful.
Thank you for your vigilance, Mike. You’ve made this blog indispensable as well as entertaining.
No, there are no Scientologists left in Los Angeles. Behind the Orange Curtain are a few dedicated staff who haven’t yet googled Debbie Cook.
Disneyland supposed to be a fun day out!
As No Doubt says, “Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom.”
How apropos. Read the lyrics. – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJgqYj582J0
I call this stuff “anecdotal” stats. It’s a false report. I believe it is an indicator of non-e or lower. Miscavige loves them. Events and mags are full of it. It’s become an acceptable practice, which is strange because it obviously means there’s nothing to report- no real production
“ONE woman started an Intro service and A TOW TRUCK DRIVER stopped in to tell them he was “so glad they were here.”
???
There are all sorts of comm lines in an org. Which one do tow truck drivers use to
give “success stories”? They get routed to Qual?
What connection to the starter on intro service had to the tow truck driver?
Where did he get the info that she started?
Note that this tow truck driver didn’t give a donation.
Was he touring the parking lot to find untaxed cars to tow?
Dunno how this goes down in the US.
Or how all this relates to this universe!
Don’t forget about the “butterfly effect” … 🙂
Cute campaign. People will see the name Scientology more often, so it appears in their awareness and then they will google it, after which it will be filed into the “better not go there” department.
Any “awareness” campaign with the backdrop of a bad, bad, bad public image is actually completely counterproductive. It produces people that make the decision ‘not to get involved’. It actually destroys your future dissemination because now you have people that have to overcome their prior decision “not to”.
You have to effectively repair your image first otherwise every dime you spend is money spend on getting the opposite effect you intend. The cute thing is the COS is paying to create people that make a decision against Scientology. Anybody who gives money to the COS for these “dissemination” campaigns actually pays for a very effective counter-dissemination. Either DM is very very stupid or this is his part of his sinister plan to lay as many barriers against Scientology dissemination into society as possible.
Gerhard,
I’m going with the “sinister plan” theory.
I think DM hates Scientology. Really, really hates it. And that reflects in everything he does.
+1 Dollar M. He hates it because “it makes him commit so many overts” but it’s his “duty” to LRH to be stuck with it.
Got news for ya, DM. Your tour of duty is over. You can go out on your yacht or wherever you want and have orgies (with both the men and the women) and have your scotch and drink it too. We release you from your bondage. You’re free. Dismissed.
He slapped his preclear when he was 12
Posted by a critic but unedited exept for the little added avatar in the corner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTBGAYaTnBI
It is sadly ironic that Katie Paquette, my ex wife, collects large donations from wealthy members. As a Sea Org member Katie literally lives an impoverished life: No money (I get the reports from her non Scientology family), truly horrible living conditions (The Anthony Build in LA. Her own daughter visited her there and said it was abysmal) and relatively little interaction with her children and family over the past 20 years. Last time I saw or spoke to her was when I found her staking out my house in the hopes of recovering our son back into the SO. When she failed she demanded that he pay her travel expenses as she had come from LA to Clearwater. I assume she had borrowed her travel money as there’s no way the SO paid for it. Katie was always very fit but the last I knew she was a heavy smoker and overweight. I fear she will pass away at a relatively young age as so many other have. She is good lady who deserved better.
I hear you Kevin. There are a lot of people that fall in the same category “good people who deserved better.”
+1
Sad Kevin, I and Katie were deck twins on the RPF back in 82. Sharp and healthy. Sad how the emotions are shut down (no HE&R) and the thoughts get trained so much the person forgets they are doing that to them selves for someone else. Years of this and the being is truly hiding behind something. It’s going to be very shocking to these guys when it’s over and they go WTF. It’s been hard enough finding out gradually over the last 3 years. I hope to have my house in very good order and ready to pitch in and take care of someone else besides me for a change! 🙂
Did you tell your son you heard from me a while back? He will remember me well from Treasury AOLA cadet work.
Cece
Katie was still in Boston in 1982. She didn’t go into the SO until 1985. I’m not sure if I mentioned you to Brendan but I will do so. He is doing very, very well. Having the time of his life.
Sorry to hear that about Katie. I think I will keep the mental picture of her being such a
cute and vibrant person from the 80’s and 90’s.
However the Anthony building is a rats nest and pigsty and always was. It used to smell
like old rundown LA buildings before you even entered it.
For all I know she may still come off as cute or vibrant but I know this lady and I know she has to be torn up inside for having to disconnect from her son on top of the fact that even when she was connected she rarely had the opportunity to spend time with either of her children. She literally missed out on seeing them grow up after her first couple years in the SO. Very sad as I know she loves her children.
I don’t want to piss in anyone’s campfire ( A Marine Corps Thing)
But the Redlands Mission (Near OC Ideal Org) was open for maybe 6 months
years ago , then closed down and went up for Lease by the Int. Landlord (D.M. / Green triangle for lease sign) As the area has boomed with business moving in left and right, this place front row center remains unoccupied, up for lease for many years now. It looks modern and a perfect place for business but the Green Triangle has given it COOTIES as far as I can tell. No other reason some business tycoon would pass up. Shopping mall and restaurants around but this place sits empty, Huge outpoint.
I would be totally shocked if it opened for anything. Your IAS money at work ?
Sad sad sad. You gotta feel for these blokes on one hand, but on the other they need to wake the f*ck up. What Div6 has become, my old forte’, is nothing more than flying monkeys for select ivory tower gorillas pushing “command intention”. Good Lord.
What intelligent staff, in their right mind, would promote their Orgs services at Disney freakin land???
Its just sad, stupid, and sad.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the attendence stats at Disneyland dropped like a rock. Disney could sue the C of S for driving their business down because of the negative association!
Scott – 😀
What spiritual organisation in its right mind would promote at Super Bowl?
🙂
Hey the Mormons also run ads on the Superbowl as well.
It seems the only difference between the LDS and the CSI is that one of them only demands 10% and the other one tries to take it all.
Did you know that if you are a good Mormon you get to rule your own planet in the afterlife ?
I shouldn’t read this stuff when I’m tire. I read “Greg Slauson Becomes A Territorial Terminator”.
I liked the “Beware – Here Be Zombies!” promo posted on Tony’s site recently, though. Finally, truth in adertising.
ROFLMAO!!!
Of course there wasn’t a Graduation last night! What would He have said?
* We’re recruiting now for a Public Relations Director for the Las Vegas Ideal Org and Celebrity Centre. If you have a pulse and have never been arrested for domestic terrorism, please see me after Graduation.
* I’ve been sued this week for harassment by a woman who was never a member of the Church of Scientology. If you still have some sex toys left at home that I can mail to her workplace, please see me after Graduation.
* This week I’ve been having chest pains and anxiety attacks. If you know Leah Remini personally and think you can talk her into not writing a book about me, please see me after Graduation.
…and…
* If you know anything about Betty Ford Center, AA or any other drug rehab programs and think you might know how to run one without killing people and getting us sued, please see me after Graduation.
* And finally, and most importantly, if you know anything at all about erecting a tent, please see me after graduation. I HAVE to get this thing up or I will be a total failure.
If you’re a woman 34-42 years of age, enjoy spending lots of time by yourself, and are looking for a husband please see me after Graduation. Preference will be given to those candidates who do not speak English.
Rage is a universal language.
So much FAIL! No wonder he is hiding clear across the country instead of schmoozing with the whales at the CC Gala in LA.
Not to mention bringing his wife to the gala, as was anticipated.
We didn’t hear anything about that Mike. I guess Shelly was a no-show Cinderella at her papa’s big party?
* And don’t forget to BUY NOW to help rocket the STATS!!!! The threat of rising prices, is just that.
I love some of the boilerplate prose they just throw in there randomly, copying and pasting from some earlier document without bothering to find out if what it says is currently true (if it actually ever was). In this issue of “Planetary Dissemination News,” they talk about “the spiraling state of planet earth, and the insanely rising stats of criminality and degradation.”
This is so ludicrously inaccurate I almost spewed coffee out my nose as I read it. The recession that started with the 2008 credit crunch and which continues today is very painful, and it grinds on for many in the US, in Europe, and elsewhere. Yet at the same time, in the last five years, literally hundreds of millions of people in poor countries, particularly in Africa and also in China and elsewhere, have raised themselves out of the most extreme poverty (which, IIRC, the UN defines as less than $1.25 per day of income).
Crime is down in most developed or developing economies, and has been on a downtrend in the US for approximately 20 years. The streets today are generally far safer than they were 30 years ago (though the US is safe in part because we have the highest percentage of our population behind bars of any country in the world, which is not really a good thing). And I don’t know how one would define degradation, much less keep accurate stats on it, so that part of the quote is just noise.
As I said, I’m not minimizing the pain that individual people feel due to the recession (hey, it has affected me significantly like everyone else), but if you look at the true global picture, there’s a lot of positive news in the last few years. So once again, Scientology looks like complete morons because they just keep copying and pasting old stuff instead of acknowledging a reality that’s actually a lot more positive than what people think.
and out of the other side of the mouth….. When homicides in Los Angeles took a sharp drop a few years ago, the IAS claimed it was due to the Way to Happiness campaigns, funded mostly by Nancy Cartwright. Just coincidentally, this was not too long after Bill Bratton had come in as the new chief of LAPD but it must have been the Church, because they are the only ones who can Do Something About It..
Hilarious, I’ll bet it was Tom Cruise flying around with a cape fighting crime.
I went to see that building not long after it was purchased. Ugh – a White Elephant if I’ve ever seen one. The only thing “Ideal” about it is that it will help to seal Miscavige’s fate as a failed leader.
Hey Scott.
And what’s really ironic is that it’s and ol Masonic lodge. DM’s CIA buddies should feel right at home there.
Ha!
I recently went to a friend of mine’s 50th Birthday bash at the Pasadena Masonic lodge. The hallways were lined with pictures of old white dudes (past Masters of the lodge) who looked pretty certain that they were right.
An appropriate beingness for the OC paen to Miscavology.
“who looked pretty certain that they were right” LOL! Yes. DM fits right in there.
PS: Good to see you in here, Scott. Thanks for doing those videos. Whew. Glad you got out of THAT mess, Houdini. 😉
Cripes! Who is responsible for making the dessimation decisions anyway? Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius? Elmer Fudd? Bullwinkle (Nothin’ up my sleeve)? Saturday morning cartoons all over again!
Daffy Duck
Monty Python.
You made me laugh, 1984. Monty Python, indeed.
“Life Repair starts have already doubled for the year since the campaign started just a few weeks ago …”
Anyone else guessing that they had one Life Repair start from Jan-May this year, and then two in Jun-Aug? See, it DOUBLED! (And chances are, all three were kids of existing Scientologists — and their starting probably had nothing to do with the campaign.)
Are there actually more public Scientologists in Orange County than Los Angeles county? That seems counter-intuitive.
Perhaps not, I havent done any official count. So maybe it should say only exceeded by LA and Pinellas. Of course, LA County has 4 Class V orgs, two ASHOs and an AO to service them. If Pinocchio Pouw wishes to correct me on my inaccuracy with some facts I will change it.
Well presuming to speak for K. Pinocchio Pouw, I have to say that like usual you missed the real story, which is that the Church of Scientology just reached Highest Evers on “Number of Tow Truck Drivers Dropping by an Org to Say Hi.” In fact, the production related to this statistic in the past week alone (1) was more than the preceding 63 years and 3 months cumulative. Of course internet fringe bloggers and bitter defrocked apostates are always missing the real story.
Perhaps Sherman will work that stat into the next Rolling Thunder.
Mike,
OC County probably has a higher percentage of Class V public than LA County. Most of them are off lines.
So you are right to that extent. LA has a higher percentage of Higher Level (OTs, SHSBC Grads, Cl VIIIs etc) public. Many who were sent there for training like myself and ended up lost in the “LA Triangle”.
At one time they were the biggest Class IV/V Org on the planet but that was many years ago before the late ’80’s when Dave and the Gang usurped Pat and Annie.
As you remember Pat and Annie’s MO as far as Orgs were concerned was pretty much benign neglect.
Pretty much how the GO operated as far as the Mission Network which basically flourished under the continual disinterest of management.
Also as a historical note Riverside County right next store had one of the biggest Missions that is until the infamous and notorious Mission Conference virtually wiped them out.
After the Sea Org’s effort to “move in” when GO was quote abolished unquote or more accurately renamed.
Anyway.
The orgs didn’t suffer the fate of the mission network until the late ’80’s when they replaced the executives with SO many who had been off loaded for the “sin” of getting pregnant and refusing to abort and tried to run ’em like SO Orgs.
You could say the “hard chrome steel” way of doing things didn’t really appeal too well to the Staff and Public and there’s been a general exodus ever since.
It seems that any Org the SO has directly tried to manage, probably with the exception of Boston, Toronto, FCDC and LA Org back in the ’70’s has been a dismal failure.
Their “management ” style made many of us nostalgic for the allegedly bad ol’ days when World Wide managed the Orgs.
OC and their sister org LA are prime examples of the SO’s current “management skills” or more accurately lack thereof.
I was there when the SO completely “moved in” (by kicking out all the Non SO staff at the SO Service Orgs and directly managing or more accurately mismanaging the Orgs) to the PAC area and left nothing but strewn wreckage in their wake of what were once vital and viable Orgs and Missions.
Valley Org which used to have over 50 people on their comm course and a full Academy is now smaller than a City Office. Last time I was there in ’03. It had two staff members on course.
LA Org should move to Calico along with the rest of the PAC Base because the place is a Ghost Town occupied by a few Ghostly looking Sea Org members.
West Wood and Beverly Hills Mission are now black holes. Both have totally imploded.
Seems appropriate that they’d be advertising in Disneyland these days because the OC Org has become a Micky Mouse outfit fer sure and therefore should join Goofy or as he likes to be called COB at the Magic Kingdom.
Boston dismal failure. LRH stated in 339R that Boston went “St Hill Size.”. IMHO that is a false report. My understanding is that LRH sent in a “Command Team” of SO members as an amends project. People were kept up all night to comp courses and the infamous postulate check was born. This was circa 1975/76. I got involved in Scientology in Boston in 1977. There were a couple auditors and a dozen people in the Academy. There was a pretty good Div 6 on Foundation. But it was no St. Hill Size Org then or anytime since.
Having been in the Sea Org, i can tell you their managment style generally sucks. They tend to recuruit at 1.1, they will literally say and promise ANYTHING to a recruit to get them in. They have no shame whatsoever in the bullshit that comes out of their mouths. Once in, tthings come up a bit to 1.5.
Esprit de Corps is all well and fine, but these blokes, especially CMO, take it to a level of arrogance that is truly appalling. All they know is Force and Threat of Force. As far as i’m concerned, despite so many of the sea org staffer themselves being unthanked slaves trying their best to contribute to humanity, the Sea Org as an instititution is Anti-Scientolgy since everything they do is counter to the Laws of Communication, ARC, KRC, and Tone Scale as far as improving conditions and forwarding the aims of SCN are concerned.
Given their attitude and how they operate, as directed from the top, DM, they can do nothing but un-mock any working instillation created by well-intentioned theta beings. DM is an implanter, and the Sea Org of DM is an implanting operation. By their very nature, implanters cannot creat anything new, or grow anything. They are a parasite that seeks to control through covert conditioning and overt force.
I’m sorry but an uplifting spiritual movement cannot be managed and backstopped by a gestapo paramilitary police-state beauracracy and security apparatus. It just don’t fly. It’s like putting Central Park muggers in charge of economic development–their basic mind and skillset runs rather counter to the desired product.
Well I stand corrected on Boston, Kevin.
I was never there myself. Only heard stories how great the place was from others etc.
Moonshot,
I completely agree with you about the Sea Org.
Who knows?
Maybe they had a high degree of ethics at one time. But most of the missionares I ran into with the exception of a few I wouldn’t trust them to put ethics in on a rock.
Most of them ran more interference on production by their idiotic micromanagement then they assisted it and many of us were happy to see them heading for the door.
Working in an SO Org however I had to “interact” with them and got along with most of them with the exception of those one’s who placed compliance to some stupid order issued by some moron with an IQ no bigger than their shoe size above anything else.
You know the ones that gave that fawning “sir” every time brass ass would walk by with some braid.
Ya know like:
“Yes sir.
“We’ll cancel all leaves and libs even though our stats are in screaming affluence so you can make that ludicrous “target” that makes you look like a delusional nut case.”
Whatever.
Or
“No problem sir we’ll have Joe Dokes attest to clear this week even though he’s too old to be a past life clear and has never seen an engram. So your Paid Comps stat doesn’t suck.”
Or
“Yes sir that’s an excellent idea about turning over all of AOLA’s GI to SORs.
“I’m sure you need more than the staff does…..etc
Or
“Yes sir!
“We’ll put that staff member on a sec check right away even though he’s been waiting months for a Grad V auditor to do his int and got kinda upset after Post Purpose Clearing.”
You might think I was making the above up but unfortunately no.
m
More like Scrooge…
Great analysis, Robin. Thanks for the Mickey Mouse explanation for the Disneyland ads. Makes total sense.
Moonshot: Well stated but the crazy, idiotic management began pre DM and went down into the Cl V Orgs. I remember quite well being on my first real post in 1977 as the PPO and getting orders from:
1. The ED (Joan Gambino)
2. The HES (Joe Urich)
3. The HAS (Angus McDuffie)
4. The Cope Officer (Mark Stahl)
5. The LRH Comm (Tom Ford)
6. The Flag Rep (Lorraine Bartiz)
Add on the FBO and the Programs Chief CLO to the list of seniors giving me orders when I became a reg. And the endless compliance reports. It’s amazing I ever got anyting done. Ditto for when I was in the GO. Wednesday nights went deep into the night past midnight pumping out endless streams of meaningless compliance reports cc’ed to dozens of seniors while my children languished at a dump they called a nursery.
Most orgs have a few real actual producers and everyone else comes from central casting from the movie “Dumb and dumber” and general have titles like: LRH Comm, Flag Rep, etc.
Sat to hear Westwood and Beverly Hills Msns are imploding and are black holes. I remember in the early 80’s when Westwood Msn was booming and had very upstat clientelle and they were hiring outside auditors for money cuz they needed more auditors to handle the heavy pc load. And now look at it. Proof that DM has driven a successful Scn enterprise right into the black hole.
There are more Scientologists in Orange County than there are on Antarctica. That’s a fact!
The real joke about these Non-E campaigns is they are themselves a total joke. There is nothing marketing or PR wise that differentiates the billboards up in OC from the ones that were put in bus stations and kiosks around my local org. To the same pathetic result.
These “tailor made” campaigns are a total farce, contain nothing original or new and certainly don’t do anything to differentiate the local org from any other org. No local buttons, no local message….just one fat big nothing. Yet somehow it requires that the org’s field pony up no less than $500,000 for these things? For stats that mean absolutely nothing. Double the number of public onto intro services? So what, they got 2 starts this week versus 0 the week before?
The fact that there are so few new public coming in is one of the biggest sore spots for Scientologists these days. Not the bad “entheta” media or the crimes that Miscavige is committing. It’s the omitted of no new public in any kind of high numbers. And NOTHING is being done about this by the local orgs, middle management or upper management. Hell, orgs don’t even send out magazines anymore. And all the org websites are cookie-cutters with nothing local or original about them.
These points could be hammered by us more to those we know who are still “on-lines” True Believers – where are the new public? How come they aren’t coming in? What’s wrong with the org? Where is all the money going that is supposed to be funding dissemination campaigns? Are there any campaigns at all?
Great points IHD. Der Dwarfenfuhrer has been on a long bloody trail of destruction wiping out WDC, wiping out Int Exec Strata, wiping out Office of Snr CS Int, wiping out Central Marketing Unit, wiping out Senior HCO, wiping out Flag middle management till finally he is down at Flag wiping out Div heads and department heads. Soon he will be rooting around trying to find left over mission holders to declare. As a result there is no one left with even half a clue as to effective marketing. Even a short survey would show that Scientology ranks around the same level as satanism in the public mind and and anyone who has heard of Scientology and it’s sicko treatment of people is utterly repulsed. The “know yourself, know life” slogan is a joke. “know yourself, know life and stay FAR away from nutty cults” is what people probably think. The ONLY effective campaign they could possibly launch would be to put up posters saying “we were wrong but we ditched our corrupt leader, cancelled disconnection and started afresh.” Such a campaign would get worldwide media attention and result in new public coming in along with a flood of inactive Scientologists too! Anyhow, I agree with you completely. The key question is this- “If DM is such a great leader, why are there no new public?”. If the person has an IQ over 85, then they will realize that DM is failing utterly and leading the Scientology religion into hard earned and richly deserved oblivion.
“The ONLY effective campaign they could possibly launch would be to put up posters saying ‘we were wrong but we ditched our corrupt leader, cancelled disconnection and started afresh.’ Such a campaign would get worldwide media attention and result in new public coming in along with a flood of inactive Scientologists too! ”
I agree. The Tech applies to organizations as well as individual. They’ve been caught in public doing what they tried to do to Marty and Monique. They’ve got caught in court by Debbie Cook & Sugar Ray Jeffrey. Of course we could go on and on. The public KNOWS that these things have happened. So, at this point, the best thing that the organization could do PR-wise would be to take an honest inventory of their actions and (rather than blame anyone and everyone else) TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for those actions. In addition they should confess any other mis-deeds discovered while taking that honest inventory. This would show that they are not confessing just because they got caught. And I agree that this would be the beginning of rebuilding trust.
However, DM IS entrenched as the “CEO” of corporate “church” of Scientology. Because he has the 12 characteristics of a truly suppressive person and real ‘self-criticism’ is a luxury he cannot afford’, the COS will most certainly be taking the arrogant “Lance Armstrong route” to PR oblivion.
About the ONLY effective campaign they could possibly launch, I couldn’t agree with you more. I would be among that “flood” you referred to….
However, when you say that DM is “leading the Scientology religion into hard earned and richly deserved oblivion”, I beg to differ.
While it IS true that Miscavige is leading the organization know as the Church of Scientology into oblivion, the religion will survive because, no matter what DM says, HE IS NOT THE LEADER OF THE RELIGION.
He is merely the leader of the renegade church that he has been so busy corrupting.
A church is not a religion.
A religion is not a church.
LRH is and always will be the leader of the Religion of Scientology.
+1
Leader of a Ponzi sheme rather or criminal organisation. Organised crime. HIGHLY organised.
Don’t forget, he also wiped out INCOMM in 1995 — left it crippled so that it could NEVER produce its intended product. Which, by the way, would by POINTING TO DM HIMSELF AS A TARGET FOR INVESTIGATION like a hunting dog if they had built it…. All the people that were qualified and could have built it were removed…. Until he is gone and that whole organizational command-channel disaster straightened out, and someone really qualified put in charge of INCOMM, and the suppression taken off the lines, that product will never get built. (My very educated opinion.)
I woke up this morning asking myself: what would LRH do if he walked in and found the disarray and complete absence of the real, sane, Scientology Ethics and Justice and on-source correction system at the top? What would LRH do if he found that? I know what I think he would do…. Of course, I am wondering if there is ANY WAY LEFT that top management can be salvaged and corrected back to what they were SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, which would make (in my opinion) EVERYONE happy, me included…. I know I would lend my energy to such a program if it looked like it was going to be effective….
I know that if correct, on-source technology were employed as it should be to straighten it out, it WOULD be straightened out. But that would mean that HE would be deeply involved in the correction, and removed from post while it was all being straightened out. And all those grossly-damaged cases of the EFFECTIVE executives straightened out and the management structure restored. Could it be done? Is there anyone left who could pull it off (with help)? I really, really, really wonder WHAT IT WOULD TAKE.
And despite all the damage and destruction that has resulted thus far, I believe that every ounce of him believes he is doing the right thing, to the best of his ability, save for that ghostly voice that probably whispers to him: “you KNOW this is off-source and LRH wouldn’t agree with it”, (or maybe he DOESN’T KNOW?) but the “other” voice then says (of course this is only my imagination, but I suspect I’m close): “you have to keep doing what you have been doing, lest you admit being WRONG and losing your power base and your cabal of untrained enforcers.”
The phrase comes to mind: “When people can’t get results from WHAT THEY THINK is standard practice, they can be counted upon to squirrel to some degree.” This is the most classic, horrible case of that I have ever witness, and right where it is the most dangerous: witness the trail of destruction caused thus far.
Mike: you were there. You witnessed (in late 1994 I believe?) first-hand when that off-source “corrective” strategy was first implemented, which “blossomed” into what it is today up-lines…. Committees of Evidence, if they are even used at all any more, what I witnessed personally, is that after he “points the bony finger”, the committee members themselves are afraid of attracting HIS attention, and so simply carry out whatever protects the committee members instead of real, sane, justice.
I’ve studied ALL the basics now on chronological sequence, and NOTHING can shake my certainty about what is at stake and the fabulous gains that are available to anyone who wants them, especially since I have made so much gain myself. “Priceless” doesn’t even begin to do it justice.
My big question, and I would sure like to discuss this, is HOW DO WE CORRECT THIS WITHOUT HURTING (on a large scale) THE GREATER sane effort, and the fabulous gains that REAL Scientology offers? I’m factually frightened of what could happen if we don’t….
Hey Concerned Witness,
I duplicate all of your concerns.
I know someone who was in INCOMM at around that time and who got out before the shooting began. She told me that there was an ominous feeling about the place and she would see good people leave and never come back – with no explanation.
On the overall scene, here is one thing you have to deal with with DM. He IS a bone fide SP. As an SP, he DOES think he’s doing the greatest good for everybody.
There is no way that he thinks that anything he is doing is wrong.
I do believe that he is far to gone for correction because of the depth of his service facs.
The other Int Management people have been very much damaged by DM’s insanity. Last I heard from Karen de la Carriere, Heber has basically lost his mind and is not the person we once knew, I’m very sorry to say. The other people, I don’t know anything about them or their situation, but look at how much Debbie Cook was affected by the treatment she got in a relatively short period of time. Those guys have been in that situation for years. Even if we “rescued” them, how long would it take to help them to be fit to be on a post, much less a high pressure post?
I feel that, after that ordeal, they should have someone put together a special, technical, decompression program, possibly a PAB 6 type of handling with major nutrition and rest. They might never be ready for post again, even with that, and deserve to retire anyway.
In my opinion, it would take a major re-posting from the top down, if it could be done at all. Clean out all the mold and vermin and put in people who are trustable to DELIVER STANDARD Scientology – technically and administratively.
Possibly Diana Hubbard is in good enough shape to be corrected and given auditing to run out all the wrong indications and out-tech, to serve her dad as the ED Int or some such. A figure-head like her would give the people faith. I would think that anyone else replacing DM would make the Kool Aid drinkers think that it was just a hostile take-over.
It would be nice to be able to take the existing assets that we have all helped to build up – the buildings, the staff, the millions/billions of dollars and do exactly what needs to be done to put Scientology back in place as it should be.
Having said all that, some people will say that that’s pie in the sky thinking – and it may well be. But that’s the only way I can see that keeping the organization called, “The Church of Scientology” intact could be done.
In the meantime though, what we have is the tech of Scientology that we can use for our benefit every day and help others with. We have the Indies who are true to Ron and his tech. What we CAN do now is keep making Scientology available in its truest form until the miniature Goliath falls.
How can we all contribute to that purpose? That may be the main thing to focus on at this time.
Indie 8 Mill, Wonderful post. I agreed with each word of it and it kind of blew charge for me to read it. And I agree that getting Heber and the other execs out and giving them special auditing and handling to bring them back to life would be it, but that they may never be recovered enough to hold a post even after all that. So in that case, help them, let them retire and live in peace. And while we wait for the mini Goliath to fall, we DO need to ask ourselves what can we do to keep making Scientology available in its truest form to benefit ourselves and others every day outside the church. For now we are it. There is no church, no execs capable of running it, and there is a madman at the helm. So it is up to us right now.
+1 – Thanks, Jane. Yeah, we are it.
Also, on another post, you asked about Ivan Obalensky. I found this with a google search. It appears that he’s still living and working in Glendale. Anybody willing/able to go talk to him? Did he actually get declared or did they just kick him out of the SO?
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?15187-Ivan-Obolensky/page14
The org web sites have always been cookie-cutter, and all of them “around the world” were run off a few servers at PAC. I’m certain that there is no way anyone at a local org can make the slightest change to those sites, and that any Requests For Change will go through a process that would make a Vogon blush. As a result, these sites are static, except when the site is Idealorgized. (Those RFCs come from the dwarfenfuehrer himself, and naturally have priority.)