Yanking those ribbons has become a staple of scientology internal propaganda. Of course, though this is their proudest moment demonstrating their massive international expansion, no outsiders are ever allowed to attend and there is massive security presence to ensure they cannot.
These are often timed to coincide with events — either a few weeks before in order to include in the upcoming event, or shortly afterwards for the convenience of the Chairman of the Bored (as in Amsterdam, Birmingham and Ireland most recently). Now, with the March 13th standing-ovation-athon done and dusted (one of my favorite British idioms) it is likely Miscavige is in his winter residence in the corner turret of the SP Building right in Clearwater.
It remains to be seen if he will grace the masses with his presence for such a non-event. But then again, two years ago he yanked his ribbon in front of the West Coast Building and the old Lee Arnold building across from the Clearwater library — perhaps the emptiest building in the history of scientology after Bonnie View (L. Ron Hubbard’s mansion at Golden Era)…
The Lee Arnold building is supposed to house the administrative offices of “Flag Crew” — the hotel and staff servicing organization. This is like putting the administrative offices of the Holiday Inn in a different building half a mile down the street.
The Lee Arnold purchase was a straight up real estate investment to help create more “perimeter” around the scientology empire. They had NO use for it. In fact, nobody was even looking when the ribbon came down on this building. It was tossed in as an afterthought.
Similarly, they had no use for the “Aquarium” lot though they claimed they wanted to build a swimming pool and playground on it. Or the old Checkers location which is now an empty “park” that nobody frequents. Or the “park” next to the Ft Harrison parking garage. But each was next to property they already owned, so they wanted it. They gussied up the Lee Arnold building with a facade that it is “office space.” (If Flag Crew really needed office space that they couldn’t find anywhere in the Ft Harrison, they could have skipped across the bridge from the Ft Harrison and grabbed an office or two in the basement of the SP building where they feed the Sea Org crew).
And now comes the next act in the long, slow play to take over every piece of property in downtown Clearwater.
Two more useless buildings being added to the Potemkin Village along N. Ft Harrison Ave.
Grand Opening day for the Potemkin Village. The first and only time anyone was seen in or in front of these facades.
They have systematically bought every piece of property as it becomes available on N. Ft Harrison and converted them into props for “Social Betterment Activities.” These buildings have lights on and a receptionist — but are otherwise bereft of people (the Lee Arnold building doesn’t even have that). This is an entire block of empty buildings – albeit with DisneyWorld facades to the street. I guess some might argue it is better than the empty storefronts on Cleveland St. Those are depressing. N. Ft Harrison is creepy — like you landed on the set of the Stepford Wives or The Truman Show. I think the majority of Clearwater residents would prefer depressingly empty than shouting “we are owned by the cult”…
And now, this.
The old law office on the southeast corner of Drew and N. Ft Harrison is now to be the “Community Volunteers” Center? Someone had to think hard what they could call this place. This is literally a made up pretended use for this place. Joanie Siegel IS the “Community Volunteers” and she organizes “Winter Wonderland” in the empty park across the street each December. They have no more need for a building than the Flag OT Committee. If they really need a place to get together, there is plenty of space in the West Coast or Lee Arnold buildings across the street — or one of the Potemkin Village storefronts along N. Ft Harrison.
And then some more AMAZING NEWS!!! There is ANOTHER ONE TOMORROW! OMG…
It used to be health food store and then a spa.
WISE — I assume they are paying rent to someone for this place as this is no church facility. Just to be legally safe. Obviously it is part of the scientology family otherwise this WOULD be the new home of the Clearwater OT Committee or the scientology boy scout troop. Legally, they need to pay rent and that may well plummet them into insolvency.
The question remains whether He Who Shall Not Be Named will put on one of his hand-made suits and grace the adoring crowd with his presence.
It’s probably unlikely as I don’t see how they can guarantee he will not be seen by the public in either of these locations — and the thought of the filthy masses of unwashed wogs being able to gaze upon his presence, let alone shout out questions, is probably enough garlic to keep the vampire at bay. But you never know. The opportunity to be front and center for a ribbon yanking is a big temptation for sure.
Observers in Clearwater will be sure to keep us informed.
UPDATE: It was extremely disappointing turnout. Not only was Chairman of the Bored nowhere to be seen, neither were scientologists. There were more security personnel and Sea Org members trying to find possible recruits than there were any public who would actually use the “Community Volunteers” building.
Thanks to Rod Keller for this image of the impressive ribbon yanking ceremony…
The true benefit of this news is that the general public can come to realize that the Clearwater Community Volunteers are a part of Scientology and not some benign local group. It makes me cringe to think people take their children to Winter Wonderland and an Easter Egg Hunt at Coachman Park thinking it is some ‘nice’ organization.
Every time the “boast” with one of these, it just proves the falseness even more.. God Bless, Mary..
So pathetic. Can ALL those SO and staff members be so blind?
What a bunch of dumb-ass idiots! Don’t they SEE and KNOW what rubbish they’re into? Tch!
Join the Sea Org, and start the greatest adventure of your life(s): manning the reception desk at a building full of Way to Happiness pamphlets for 12+ hours a day!
I’m reminded of an old saying about glad-handing small time politicians, something to the effect that they’d show up for the opening of a door – though apparently Miscavige turns out to be not quite as desperate to show up, as Scientology is to open buildings, any building.
The thing that strikes me after going through the geographic analysis that I shared here, that 95% of Americans aren’t within what business analysts consider the maximum that consumers are likely to drive on average, even if something like ScnTV did catch their interest, is that it also appears to me that the distance and convenience problem does limit the size of orgs, even if Scientology would like to “postulate” that people will “make it go right” and drive however long necessary to get to courserooms.
So Scientology orgs should, if anything, rather than focusing on “idea” orgs and these Potemkin Villages, be doing something to expand their reach rather than their size of centralized facilities. I can only guess that the CofS refuses to do that because it would be “out exchange” to try to make things more convenient for the “raw meat” public that is supposed to come to them if they “build it” – even though they apparently don’t find it “out exchange” to spend money on empty, useless offices for nominal corporate operations.
But of course we should be glad that they’re not doing anything effective, or they’d ensnare a few more people and ruin a few more lives on their way down.
Scientology is built upon layers of facades, with deception as their chief purpose. The facade of beautiful buildings with noble sounding titles, devoid of life; the facade of Hubbard’s “priceless” wisdom that sits unsold on eBay despite being discounted 90%; the facade of benevolence that only serves to distract from the fraud and abuse and that has all the permanence of a sand castle; destined to be washed away with each new wave of an incoming tide.
Scientologists have undertaken a Sisyphean task; doomed to failure. It is verboten that the single thought might enter the hive mentality to simply demand an end to the abuse. This is the apostasy label that many former Scientologists wear proudly, recognizing that through a combination of coercion, hubris and delusion, some of the very worst qualities of Homo Sapiens are being venerated by Scientology’s “Homo Novi.”
UPDATE:
It was extremely disappointing turnout. Not only was Chairman of the Bored nowhere to be seen, neither were scientologists.
There were more security personnel and Sea Org members trying to find possible recruits than there were any public who would actually use the “Community Volunteers” building.
Thanks Mike
Mike,
Disappointing to them obviously. A win as far as I am concerned.
In the 60’s the LA Org was in an old residence (Westlake and 9th) with outlying buildings and a parking lot. Not much to look at but 6-10 for the intro lectures, 10-20 on the comm course, 10-15 on the theory and practical courses, and 4-5 a night for auditing. It was ALL about delivering a product valued by people. MY take is that their game has inverted.
The game changed in large part because the demographic of college-age baby boomers took a nose dive in the late 1970s, and the generation that followed had a different focus including being more materialistic – hippies were replace by yuppies. I think that what worked even in Dianetics and Scientology’s heyday, was idealistic and enthusiastic people showing up wanting to better themselves and help others, creating an atmosphere that was more about the zeitgeist than the content of Hubbard’s work.
It is instructive to look at the past, however. I’m not sure that a different course would have resulted in any better outcome for Scientology in the end, and quite possibly their earlier demise along with many the other groups of the same ilk and era that succumbed to the same demographic and social changes, and have almost or entirely vanished. It might be said that Scientology only even still exists for people to talk nostalgically about how it might have been something better, in large part because it was willing to pillage people who passed through its ranks to build up assets, and to fight ruthlessly to survive – a kinder, gentler Scientology might well just have gone the way of all the Jesus Movement groups, or ended up just being sort of a cross of the independent movement and Eckankar (which at this point, may be about the same size as Scientology, just without the assets and self-aggrandizing attention-seeking)
I was particularly taken to run across an old 1970 HCO “QUARTERS, POLICY REGARDING HISTORICAL” ( https://scientologymoneyproject.com/tag/23-september-1970/ ) that recounts all the mistakes made in the early days of Scientology by orgs focusing too much on fancy quarters, and is intended to teach lessons such as that “viability is the first consideration—not how posh or what repute or what image.” But then again, Hubbard is the one who started perverting things by accumulating pallet loads of cash in banks in Switzerland and Luxembourg, and gold, not to mention buying fairly fancy premises for himself in DC, and then St. Hill Manor; if that, why not palatial buildings for every org? The “ideal” program is in many ways an attempt to hide the fact that the orgs are ceasing to be viable, and not necessarily the cause of a situation that may have been inevitable.
Peacemaker there has never been a viable class V org. Not for more than a couple weeks anyway.
Peacemaker,
I agree with your view. On the 1952 PDC tapes Ron remarked that the reason just 28 (or so) were there was because only that number were mentally ready for the lectures. At the time I thought it was just a lame excuse.
Anymore I can see that for all games/endeavors/practices there are truly a limited number of people ready and willing at any one time. Hubbard thought he could satisfy all situations, and that failure is what we see today. As the skilled independents die off then the Scio tech will be gone forever. Something else will pop up and the fun can begin again.
I will keep that image in mind to the end of Scientology, Mike.
LOL How disappointing 🙂
I like thinking about the future of Clearwater, when residents will be able to point out these goofy buildings and goofy facades and say “oh yeah, isn’t that funny? yeah this weird cult used to be set up here. thank god they’re gone but it’s an interesting story about our town’s history” and that’s all it’ll be.
The acquisistions of real estate are only to make more money for David Miscavige. It is part of the show – to convince sheeple that their cult is growing.
Why isn’t American Greed all over Scientology?
Scientology’s buildings are part of the show…the “smoke and mirrors”
It broke my heart when I fully realized that my belonging in Scientology did so much harm to so many people and it helped no one…Scientology did absolutely NO GOOD to anyone.
That realization stung and was a humiliating moment.
CG, we were ALL duped at some point. But Mike Rinder’s post gives us magnificent hope for the future.
Hope this is okay Mike.
Must see video from Pasadena Ideal Morgue yesterday. Receptionist charges out at person videoing on sidewalk and tells them they are a “hater” for videoing and saying that “this is Scientology place.”
COMPLETE bunker, paranoid psychotic behavior. In other words, run of the mill scamologists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2fxldEv9lk
Touchy touchy! Geeze. I love that guy. Thanks for sharing this.
Lady’ssssssssssss & Gentlemen! Nasty Nathanael has taken down the Pasadena, Model Idle Morgue with a time of 18 minutes! (Wild cheering). IT’S A NEW RECORD! (More wild cheering). Man, I hope I can get an autograph from this guy! He’s my hero!
Everyone needs to click on this site. You’re going to love it!
Great job, Wyn! I could have watched it for hours!
Yes, best “TRs” I’ve ever seen, VWD – PASS!
Whoa, this was some find, Wynski! I am lovin’ it.
Hey, Cult of Scientology of Pasadana’s HCO – that’s a FLUNK!
Might as well just route yourselves to Ethics, guys!
Aqua, if you search youtube for “scientology 1st amendment audit” you should find more like it.
The video reminds of those that were posted by Anonymous back in 2008, 2009. You can still find such videos on YT.
Aw poor Tony. He will be wrung out in ethics to answer for that display of ineptitude.
\I love how they bring out the “big guns” in that sap Brian to handle the SP wogs. Ha Ha Ha!
Did anyone else notice the ridiculous look of superiority in the simpleton mugs of all those cultists?
So textbook scientology… ridiculous and humorless at the same time. Such a train wreck.
I just can’t help but feel so very sad when I see these S.O. people in real life, knowing what they are going through and all of the wonderful aspects of life they are giving up, and for what? A complete lie and to benefit the tiny DICKtator!!! Hope they get out soon.
Are those security guards triplets?
Clearwater’s remaining property tax payers annual tax bill just went up to help pay for it all.
Saving the planet by acquiring and renovating buildings that serve no real useful or necessary purpose in Clearwater, Florida. WOW!!!! Ethics lesson 101–don’t do what scientology does.
The COS super-secret postures surrounding “big events” does seem weird. But I guess paranoia will do that to you. As autocratic as DM is, he isn’t a very good tyrant. Even your most ordinary despot knows you have to appeal to the masses in a big way. The Church prefers to hide. Somewhere in the lower depths of the infernal regions, Joseph Goebbels is doing a double facepalm.
Scientology, the religion of puke!
Scientologists probably do a lot of that.
Well I’d say this “defense in depth” pretty much confirms the current siege mentality of Scn. So much for “confront”; better to scurry back into the keep…
On the mark CO$ Money Doc!
I think He Who Should Not Be Named can do all the yanking he needs while sitting at his desk in the SP Building.
Hey Wynski, shouldn’t that be a “w” instead of a “y”….
He’s the Yanker, Wanker-In-Chief.
That’s a promotion isn’t it?
Wanker-In-Chief is a big step up from a mere wanker. One shouldn’t demean someone advancing in life. It costs a lot of money and commitment to advance in Scientology. Many don’t bother to apply, so even fewer are chosen. That guy has made the grade.
Oh, HUGE promotion! HUGE!
Yeah Yawn, without any of Hubbard sooper dooper Tek, DM has achieved Grade -15, Unclear, and minus 1000 OT…He tha Man (half).
I thought he was the Wanker of the entire Board of Directors…
A common mistake, Wyn. He’s the Wanker-Yanker of the entire Board of Directors.
😉
O/T…..every time I see ‘Potemkin Village’ my mind reads ‘Pokémon Village’
Samething happens to me. Lol.
A Pokémon Village? That sounds like a wonderful place! Just give me the address.
“Why would Scientology buy all these new buildings if they were not expanding?” that is the “thought stopper” created by Miscavige for the remaining cult members who are seeing the population of Scientologists evaporating all around them, like at events that are held in smaller and smaller venues with less and less people.
As a strategy, this is a dead end because it does not handle what is wrong with Scientology. They are bleeding to death but are giving giving blood to Red Cross. Where does that end? Well, it’s a dead end.
+1! Outstanding post, Robert! Scientology has become the ‘Dead End’ of cults. There’s nowhere to go now.
There’s jail isn’t there? (I’d brake the rules & give them the $200 though, just to have something to buy Bubba a nice present).
If you’re incarcerated, he’s the guy you want as your cell mate. Don’t worry…he’ll be gentle.
LOL. Can you tell from experience?
Only from the inmates.
Yes, Robert, your comment was brilliant. “Thought stopping”. Yes, that’s precisely the effect of Ideal Org fundraising because the people look around and see less and less people in their org and yet the cherch is pressing for new buildings, bigger buildings – so how can this be? Must be true that Scientology is expanding. HAS to be true. Somehow, they’re missing something. The cherch has to be expanding…or else why…?
Amazing, really. Thanks again for your comment because you nailed for me what I’ve been trying – very unsuccessfully! for some time now – to express about this mind fuck that is Ideal M’Org fundraising!
I noticed that pictures on org Facebook pages that show activity in the org have been deleted. As an example, some in particular that looked to have been taken during a service, where 3-4 people were sitting in a few rows, and the other rows were empty, have been removed from Facebook. I noticed this on a couple of Facebook pages. I thought this was interesting.
It was probably a ‘Flap’ … Some poor minion off to correction training.
I’m wondering what this opening is going to look like after the photoshopping.
I submit yet another possible reason he-who-shall-not-be-named would never go into a crowd of public persons. At 4 foot 13, he would be half a foot shorter than the average homo normalus and might get stepped on or otherwise seem invisible. That would never do.
Is, ‘He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named’ still using two peach boxes to stand on, or, is it 3?
Probably 3 by now, as so much long term smoking leads to osteoporosis, with resultant loss of height of the vertebral bodies ( the spine ).
As a former devoted, faithful, card-carrying Scientologist, I was proud of these real estate acquisitions. I felt that “we” were extending our influence and control for the betterment of mankind. I viewed non-Scientologists as unawake and primarily guided by Pavlovian reactions to life, making them little more than animals. It was our job to awaken the ones capable of being awakened and to render the others ineffective.
Now I fully understand the old saying: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
And now, whatwall, you have shown that you truly poses Super Powers by walking away. Yoda would be pleased. And, you got your old life back! Way to go! Congrats!
Yes, what OSD said. Congrats 🙂
” Yanked his ribbon” .Mike ,that is funny !!
There is no real business plan in $cientology that needs more buildings and office space. Placing a WISE center in Clearwater is just another way to launder money back into the Clampires pockets . I have to wonder how much money WISE actually sends ‘uplines’ these days. Recent info says WISE kicks in 8-10 million a year. In a real small business, that is decent money. Grant Cardone would be very happy to make that kind of money.
I have to think that this latest ‘grand opening’ is just another attempt to keep the IRS thinking that $cientology is real 501c3 tax exempt organization. I wonder if that wool will ever fall off IRS eyes?
“I have to think that this latest ‘grand opening’ is just another attempt to keep the IRS thinking that $cientology is real 501c3 tax exempt organization. I wonder if that wool will ever fall off IRS eyes?” Good note, Zemoo. I also think DM is buying up all the surrounding real estate when it comes available so as to creat a sort of moat around the castle to keep the unwashed masses and the SP’s out. And of courese, to look like Scn owns everything and everyone which probably creeps out the local citizens.
“Community Volunteers” Center.
Maybe some homeless people should be sent to the “Community Volunteers” so that those can show their worth of volunteer help to the community.
Clearwater, Florida … My kind of town … ok, not really …
(Music of My Kind of Town)
Clearing out the cult, Clearwater is!
Even the stupid dopes, Clearwater is!
No wonder there’s no people around, Clearwater is!
Making it ok for Wogs, Clearwater is!
Soon the cult will be gone, Clearwater is!
TAKING BACK THE THE DOWNTOWN, CLEARWATER IS!!!
With apologies to, My Kind Of Town.
When I went to the meet up in Clearwater I went on a walk to find the “Disney row”. What a creepy place. Empty and so quiet. I also passed by the “used to be a spa” location…I figured it was going to be another one of their empty locations. Hope we do get an update.
Stepford wives…?
Very much so. Just a few SO’s walking around and homeless folks.
I was saddened to hear that the “used to be a spa” location is now Potemkin Village. I used to go to that spa when in town for services, and I loved that little oasis. Also sad to hear the Checker’s hamburger joint is gone now too. It was so funny cuz you’d go there and see lots of OTs from out of town eating there cuz they could no longer afford to eat in the Sandcastle dining room because the IAS had fleeced any money they had on them. So they’d eat burgers across the street to save money. Worked for me.
Faux religion. Faux help. Faux causes. Faux friendships. Faux caring. Faux teachings (Ex: Honor and Love Your Parents, Communication is the Universal Solvent, Clearing the Planet, Purpose , Speaking or Writing Freely, ….) – given lip service but violated or squashed continually.
All these buildings to try and create the impression that david miscavige cares.
Dave, want to create a real impression of good will? END DISCONNECTION.
This comment wins the internet today! Seriously Mary, you couldn’t have put it any better!
It really is interesting how their “social betterment” buildings look so overdone, theme-park-style! I showed them to my husband without telling him what they were (thinking I’m going to have a negative filter just because I know to whom they belong) and he said, “It looks like someone’s trying to go for a retro-modern almost Disney look. I don’t know what it is, but they look a bit cartoonish to me.” Yep!
That’s a lot of Faux!
Mary Kahn, great post!
Agreed Mary. The magnitude of the betrayal is 1,000,000 X every cult member still trapped in that prison of belief. The truth and then the healing; bring it on.