A Special Correspondent sent in these photos. I guess the dire warnings and threats of no electronic devices didn’t catch everyone….
I have some catching up to do on life… I am putting these up without comment and probably won’t get to another post until some time later tomorrow.
Maybe something will come along in the meantime and there will be a surprise, but I have some backlogs that I must take care of.
Thanks to all those who have sent me information since Friday. It has been most welcome. And thanks to all those who have made kind comments of appreciation. And thanks to every reader, because the stats of the blog over the past two weeks are on a steep affluence trend and this weekend reached highest ever levels (guess I have gotten caught up in all the excited hype….) I havent had time to check Alexa, but I would imagine “we are going up” while the Vulture Culture is going down.
I only know anything about Scientology, thanks to this blog and the Underground Bunker. Is it bad to be appalled and fascinated at the same time? But thanks for bringing this to the uninformed public. With all I have read, I still can not wrap my mind around how this guy gets away with the stuff he does.
Thanks for cutting that speech short. I really wasn’t fond of standing in the street, waiting for the speech to end. Especially since I couldn’t hear anything.
Somewhere I read that Flag had 2000 SO staff. Not sure where I read that or if it was or is correct, but lets say it is correct. Ok, so to 2000, add 1000 OOTs and you have an automatic 3000 head count. The rest would be either local or other public and staff from the nearby orgs and staff transported from the rest of the orgs. Given the last minute notice and invitation, my optimistic guesstimate for the last group was 1000 which would made the entire attendance 4000 at best, but from the shots taken by the intrepid Flying Apostates they seem to have fallen short of that.
Oh, God, this is all such a hoot! Mike’s face in the helicopter. priceless. Thanks again, Mike. You have no idea how beneficial this laughter is for me at this particular time.
Here’s how we can do the math on how many people actually attended.
Using this tool, you can approximate the square footage of the space taken up by the crowd. I estimated about 25,000 square feet, but that’s assuming that the area I circled was 100% full (your photos show that is not the case, seating was patchy on the outside edges). Let’s give them 25,000 anyway, just to be nice.
Then, we can guess that those seats are probably 18-19 inches wide (standard for folding chairs for us large Americans). And, your special correspondent’s picture shows us that there is almost four feet of tread (the distance from the back of the chair, up under your feet, up to the chair in front of you). There was space for people to comfortably extend their legs out in front of them. That means each attendant took up about 6 square feet of space.
So even if the area I generously circled was 100% packed to the gills, which it clearly wasn’t (especially over to the left of the stage), that would be about 4,000 attending. With all the patchy spots and empty space, it may even be under 3,000.
Amazing… just 3,000 or less in attendance for Dave’s finest accomplishment. And most of those in attendance were a captive audience. Some were probably paid extras, too.
Well done, Mike. You, Marty, Karen, Tory, so many others who have spoken out- you have made such a difference. That pathetic turnout for the “biggest event ever” is just another bit of proof of what great work you have done.
Twenty years ago, DM could pull 15,000 people in to Los Angeles for an event, maybe 10,000 after you count Sea Org (even given that there were extras back then, there were still pretty big crowds). Today, he couldn’t even pull 500 actual, real live public for his building opening. Incredible. There is still a long ways to go, but what an achievement by all of you Special People.
Being “on the ground” as it were, I can pretty much confirm the lower figure.
Sadly, all the “Extras parking” were for the filming of “Dolphin Tale 2”, not the event. I talk to the film crew regularly and they did have a shoot that day.
Another thing which hasn’t really been mentioned: There were a load of SO staff from Los Angeles and other locations (spotted some people I haven’t seen in ages who were in ILO last I knew) who suddenly showed up on Friday, so I’m guessing the numbers at the event were inflated from that, as well.
These people were NOT part of the OOT program.
Mike, I saw your amazing stunt at Tony’s and as my late grandmother used to say, “This just beats everything”.
You nailed that sucker DM but good. Eight minutes and he high-tails it out of there! And he’ll be unable to to fudge the numbers now.
The SPs are on land, at sea and in the air! Effective and really funny, Mike R and Mike B.
Yuz got panache 🙂
The best part of the weekend’s events was the introduction of “copter Tech” by Team M&M.
Hands down the event of the social season.
The EP of “copter Tech” is COB literally shutting his mouth.
In other News: The dept. of the Sane reports “Entheta smells like victory”.
Big thanks to the person(s) taking photos at the event.
I hope someday it is normal to take photos and share them, surrounding any and all Scientology activities, all across the Scientology practitioners’ lives.
I mean, what strikes me most, is that if Scientology were like Catholicism, then taking photos at the Vatican is pretty much okay, in certain places.
Were the new religion (or whatever you think of it) Scientology to have “holy” places, okay, then photos are not truly appropriate.
But Scientology, none of us ever or currently Scientologists thought of any place as holy or sacred, but only “out security” or whatever relates to “out security” or “private” for the benefit of certain celebrity class top Scientologists or ultra elite staffers, like Int Base digs and perks that are not shared with the wider Scientology public (even Int Base tours are off limits, I think, to average Scientologists, but only tours were meant for local Californians to appease those locals near the Int Base).
The whole compartmenting of what is “okay” and what is “not okay” is so different from other old and new religions, oh well.
I wish Scientology overall matures, and I thank you a lot Mike Rinder and those who keep sending Mike excellent upfront coverage of life near or at the top of Scientology, all you people who sent Mike info, thankyou so much.
Chuck Beatty
ex Sea Org (1975-2003)
I took Scientology seriously, and I still wish all people involved with Scientology who act decently, well. 866-XSEAORG toll free advice
One super power building – $145 million.
One tiny ecclesiastical leader at the podium – not worth 2 cents.
Two Mikes and a helicopter – freaking PRICELESS!
Better than the Super Bowl and it was free to watch.
Do not fall for this anymore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A3WnmcRbTQ
haha mike wrong clip, delete or keep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8FiDLY-XSQ
So, are there people now actually doing Super Power?
I second that question
Are there public actually doing Super Power NOW ?
If not WHY NOT ? Where is D.M. and his new hump?
Yes there are some upstat Cornerstone public that are doing Super Power now. One Power FSM public who contributed heavily to it said he is starting it as of yesterday. I would name names but don’t want my identity blown.
Re the re-release of BTB tech, I wonder if Moosecabbage has been secretly browsing this amazing site,
http://www.wiseoldgoat.com/papers-scientology/hubbard_non-lrh_turns_into_lrh.html#solution
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2509331/The-house-Scientology-built-Tom-Cruise-John-Travolta-row-145m-cathedral-members-trained-develop-super-powers.html
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?33014-Leah-Remini-Dancing-With-The-Stars-TV-Show-2013&p=878117&viewfull=1#post878117
“Just a reminder that the show is on this evening and to please be ready to bring your best voting power to tonight’s show!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgvGbtwGnJk
Not only there was a very low attendance but, per Tampa Bay, you could hardly hear the speech if you were not directly in front of the stage…
Also, the Devil Moron was so scared that he had to cut his usual hours of blah-blah to only 8 minutes and had to rush inside as, heaven forbid, Mike was right above him and he couldn’t stand it. Tick Tock DM…
Thanks to The Mikes for the fantastic surprise crashing of COB’s shining moment. It was just a beautiful thing to behold.
I have a question. The reported estimates for tent event attendance was 4-6000, I believe. Why was the SP Bldg attendance so much lower ? I would’ve thought the tent people would all be at building event? Are my numbers off? Either way the epic fail was delish.
Thank you again !
Walter Mitty shoop at Tony’s blog
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/706/5752/original.jpg
I would like a breakdown of WHO was there on Sunday.
Paid extras for photo shoot, number of security, scientology and non scientology,
public on services, cornerstone members, OOT’s, Staff, Sea Org, non Sea Org,
Scientology public IAS patrons and Non Patrons.
Number of Case Supervisors
Church PI’s and attorneys
D.M.for eight minutes and a flying apostate in a helicopter.
Lastly,WHO was not there such as Heber,Shelly, Senior Sea Org in RPF or “HOLE”,
Jose… It being close to the season and all, your post just reminded me of ‘The 12 days of Christmas’.
~3 Tired SO’s
2 OSA
And an apostate in a helicopter~
Had to change my name(previously aka Ms.P). An homage to you Mike – ahhh, I can hear the music and envision Duvall smelling the napalm.
chrisman9 – I also think that’s T. Davis. But what’s up with Travolta? He looks dazed, confused and wooden. I can almost read the bubble over his head saying “Again, getting F***ed all over again.” Oh, yeah and where is Shelly during this momentous earth shattering day?
I gotta come clean . . . today doesn’t feel any different from yesterday. I thought the world was changing in a huge way. Oh well. I predict that one day in the not-so-distant future, the Super Power building will be a Walmart.
Thanks for the report, the pictures and video. Great stunt.
I just imagine what DM was thinking while hearing: chop, chop,chop,chop…. 🙂
Tom Cruise was interviewed after the event and noted that attending the event was not unlike being under assault in the mountains of Afghanistan by hostile forces.
LOL!
I assume theres a higher resolution file of this pic somewhere. Looking at this again, zooming in and comparing it to pics of Tommy Davis on the internet I still think it might be him.
It certainly looks like him. Which raises two interesting questions:
Why is he there in the 2nd row with the big whales and celebs? Surely he’s still in bad with DM?
Where are Jessica and Anne?
This must qualify as a disaster for Miscavige – “working” for 16-plus years for the greatest triumph of his career, then only getting 2500 or so showing up for the opening of his monument, and having to duck, cover and hold due to a lone bitter defrocked unemployed fringe blogging apostate in a helicopter.
Just awsome M+M!
Little Davey had spent so much time, effort and money to prevent any infiltration on the ground and yet there you were, towering over him in the chopper messing with his blahblah speech.
What a message by action, just love it and a HUGE THANK YOU!
Greta
Maybe Mike wins the SP award this year 😉
Hahahaha!
This was like some sort of Christmas present!
What is left to say Mike? You really topped it now, but actually, that’s what we have come to expect of you. Your inspiration, for a lot of us is in the ‘game change’. You’ve taken what made many fold up, or worse, go criminal and flipped the script. The new game is get honest, get real and have a good time winning in life. Of course that sometimes means immobilizing a threat and you as well as so many others are doing it in spades. Viewing the photos, and knowing those streets and how many people they could possibly hold, I began to realize that far, far more people will have “seen” the secret event online than ever actually took the trouble to attend.
The real church has gone “exterior”, finally!
Naked Scientology.
I know this is REALLY off-topic here, but don’t know who else too ask.
For the past few days when I go to Tony Ortega’s blog it’s in a strange format where there are no avatars, dates, or times in the comment section. In addition, I can’t comment either. Not that it’s rejecting my comments, there’s literally no place to write a comment.
I’ve commented in the past (maybe 3 times) under my facebook account (probably shouldn’t do that), but never said anything offensive or that would remotely offend anyone. Can anyone help, or clue me in? I’ve looked to see if I need to register somewhere and can’t find anything.
I emailed Tony yesterday, but I’m nobody and he’s a busy man so probably won’t hear back about something so piddly.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated….
Tony doesn’t moderate at all. (at least I dont think so?) It sounds like maybe its time to clean out ur cache and history. But before doing that goto tonyortega.org and when it comes up hit ctrl-F5
this will force your browser to load a fresh verson of the page instead of using your cache for it. May take a little longer to load as it has to download everything brand new. But hopefully that does the trick. 🙂
PS should only need to do that once.
I’m pretty sure he said he’s only had to moderate once – to remove someone who was over the top with personal attacks against another commenter.
Try the site with multiple browsers, it sounds like something is messed up with your web browser settings.
@ClearwaterNative
are you using “gostery”? if so, then the discus script is being blocked. click on the gostery icon and unblock discus.
I had the same problem (I think). Discovered that Tools/Compatibility view had somehow gotten checked. Unchecking it fixed everything.
Thanks so much to all of you for the advice. I tried everything everyone suggested with the exception of the gostery (since I didn’t have it). Nothing worked.
I ended up trying System Restore which took me back 4 days and the Bunker is back to it’s old self now. 🙂
The only changes I’d made in the last 4 days were renewing Avast & setting my cache to accept third-party cookies (due to adware issues).
So, I have no idea what happened. But thanks again Ozzy, 411, WhiteStar & Simple for taking the time to help. You (or at least ‘I’) don’t find that kind of hospitality anymore hardly….especially on boards. You’re good people…
Mike I’ve been reading your blog since you 1st started it but never commented till now. i guess you could call me a never-in Scientology watcher!
Just wanted to express my thanks for the amazing helicopter ride you went on yesterday and the amazing pics too. CoB must’ve freaked right out once he found out it was you up there! Id love to be able to witness that but feel sorry for the people he no doubt beat up in response to this.
Keep up the awesome work!!! I’m sure there’s many other lurkers here who feel the same way!
Totally agree Ozzy. I’m still smiling today over the ‘flying apostates’. THANKS MIKE & MIKE! But also wishing I was a fly on the wall to see Miscavige’s reaction. Then again, I wouldn’t want to be or see the victim of his wrath.
The little dude has such temper issues that I’m surprised he hasn’t dropped dead of a heart-attack yet. Actually I keep expecting his head to explode.
crap! thank you to BOTH Mikes!!
“I have some backlogs that I must take care of.”
Mike, is this new parent-speak for “lots of poopy diapers that need changing”? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh, and the helicopter thing was an even more brilliant pwnage of Miscavige than Mark Bunker’s secret camera at the Portland Ideal Org opening back in May. He reacted exactly the way you must have predicted he would. Do they have copper rods in his office in the new Super Power building, just like they do in the conference room at Int Base? He sure needs them now.
I’ll make a bet with anyone daring enough to take it. I bet this is the last outdoor event Miscavige EVER does. How could he do another? The paranoia would be too great for him to bear thinking the Flying Apostates will show up again. Miscavige knows he’s right; there really are SP’s everywhere. If suppressive people weren’t bad enough, now there’s suppressive helicopters carrying suppressive cameras on-board.
I agree, this will be the last outdoor event! The C of S is really having difficulty now with events. They can’t let the SO call public (the public tells the SO about Mike and Marty), they can’t send emails anymore (they get forwarded to Mike and Tony O) and they cannot mention any event details on Facebook. Now they have to watch for SP’s in the sky! These guys are really living in a prison of their own making.
Yes, I agree, too. Miscavige was humiliated, the only thing he understands. He will be forever haunted by a helicopter buzzing inside his skull.
Bottom photo: Dr. Julie Gatza, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) and her hubby
Dr. James Gatza, D.C. and Mrs Ruby Keskitalo (on right). Seems even highly intelligent and qualified people do not know when they are being screwed.
Bravo Mike ! The Helicopter was pure brilliance !
Mike – you are truly one of a kind. A phenomenon! We surely didn’t see this coming, brilliant. My favorite quotes over at the Bunker “flying apostate”, “I love the smell of entheta first thing in the morning”(paraphrase). These had me ROTFL. But my very favorite was your F-U attitude towards the other helicopter asking you to get out of the way.
You crack me up. Just got to meet you one day. Well done. Keep it coming.
Have you seen this email? You may want to get a bucket for when you barf –
From: Matt Hanses
Date: Sun, Nov 17, 2013 at 2:14 AM
Subject: The Second Live GAT II Event From Flag: A Vignette
To: Matt Hanses
Dear Scientologist,
I am at a loss. I feel like it’s probably hopeless to even try to explain.
I’m so blown away that I struggle to find the right words. I’ve nearly given up even trying to convey the emotion of the event. It was too powerful…too personal.
I may let you down on this one. It will sound like a hollow sales pitch or strained hyperbole. How do you explain the emotion of triumph? How do you explain the nuances of hope? How do you convey the intimate details of your own personal sense of love, honor or inspiration?
Can you explain your feelings when you got married? Or when your first child was born? Can you honestly describe the thrill of personal victory when you graduated?
I can no more describe a summer sunset or the smile of your baby than I could the emotion of today. These can’t be conveyed. They can only be experienced. When you can look in the eyes of someone who has gone through it, you know: THEY understand. They’re the only ones who can.
Yet, I will try. In an attempt to ensure that every last soul who I can possibly reach does see these events, I will try. And so…I write.
As we filed into our seats in the huge white tent, I looked up at the rows and rows of lights and scaffolding across the top that seemed to go on forever. The magnitude alone made me realize how many of us there really are.
They just kept streaming in wearing tuxedos and formal gowns. You could hardly believe that people would keep arriving, but they did. And once again the 6,000-seat tent filled to capacity. I don’t know if there were other viewing areas to accommodate more people; I just know that this tent was PACKED.
The lights dimmed three times signifying the event was about to start and a cheer went up amongst the crowd. You could tell people were excited. After last night’s event, how could they be anything but? They had just seen a watershed moment in history—something they never expected to see. Yet here there was another entire event tonight! Talk about anticipation…. And then COB RTC took the stage and the event picked up right where it left off from the previous night.
Within the first 15 minutes I was crying.
Literally crying this time, I hate to say it—not just moist eyes. It’s funny that I worked so hard to hide it at the time, as I stood there cheering myself hoarse, yet I freely confess it now. I’m not a crying person. I’m not a softie. Yet, there I was…crying.
But the truth was, I was actually blowing charge. I was NOT. STUPID. Goddammit! I was NOT just dumb. It wasn’t ME! Oh my GOD, I can make it. Oh my GOD!
One of the first videos had just unveiled a new release that was very personal to me: Something I had struggled with; something that had given me a very hard time. And yet here it was—mystery dispelled, totally solved, totally beautiful.
I turned to look at my wife. Her mascara was running. Tears were streaming down her face. It is hard to describe the truly spiritual moment when you look over at your partner in life and get that she is having the exact same experience you are…and that all our plans are about to change forever.
We were going to make it—us.
Yet, that was the beginning, not the end. One after another, groundbreaking Earth-shattering revelations washed over us like waves. This wasn’t an “event”—it was an auditing session! We were blowing charge. The string of correct indications just kept blowing away false data and introversion that had accumulated over several decades.
Calm knowingness and understanding set in. No wonder these trainees could get through so fast! I probably could too! We all could. It wasn’t a stretch. It made total sense. How could it be any other way? Totally logical. A peaceful happiness settled in.
Forty-five minutes later I was out of my mind.
This time I was literally screaming. Not “cheering,” but totally-shocked-lost-my- composure-blown-away SCREAMING in awe. I couldn’t imagine anything this lifetime that would ever make me react like that. But then again, I couldn’t imagine what I was seeing.
The event had gone in a totally different direction than I had ever expected it would. I had been happily following along, elated that I was now going to be able to make it, happy that my org was going to fulfill its mission and excited about how fun my job was going to be…and then I really got the true whole track nature of Scientology.
Guys, we are in the right religion. For a moment I caught a glimpse at how big this whole thing really is and I realized that this really is the most important thing on my whole track.
The crowd went nuts. I mean crazy. I mean psycho. It was off the chain! People were screaming. They were cheering. The floor started to rumble from thousands of people stomping their feet.
None of us expected to see what was being released, not even my Senior C/S—and he had been in all the closed-door briefings beforehand. This one thing made everything else possible. It was thrilling. Beyond surreal, it was one of those few times in my life where you really couldn’t believe your eyes. If you had told me it existed I wouldn’t have believed you, but now that it was here in front of me…well, I scarcely believed it still. And yet there it was.
You won’t believe it. I still hardly can fathom it. Soon, however, it will be real enough.
It’s a new Scientology, guys. Ron’s Scientology. The Scientology you always hoped for and wanted. It’s here. And it’s ours. The finale of the event was really what drove this home to me. The final video was almost like watching a dream. It was everything I’d ever hoped we could be—better than that, actually. And that’s where I lose my words.
I just can’t explain it. I would have to describe each part of it and it’s too much, too powerful and too huge. I can just tell you this: the crowd gave a standing ovation for 10 minutes.
I’m not kidding. For 10 full minutes we cheered. People stood on their chairs. They were stomping the floor. We clapped and screamed and whistled until our hands hurt.
COB graciously acknowledged the crowd and they would start to wind down. And then it would start going again. Just as people were finally seated, the cheer would start up—and then, once again they were on their feet. Over and over.
It. Was. Epic.
I just want to say one thing before I go. I have been hearing about “the release of Super Power” since I was a little boy. There had been decades of talk about this day that would arrive at some point in the future. It had been built up into this monumental victory where we would solve everything, where the future would be blindingly bright and where planetary clearing would finally be within our reach.
I wasn’t disappointed.
With Love,
Matt Hanses
ED St. Louis Foundation
I think the words Matt was searching for are “group psychosis”.
He has drunk the kool-aid and I am afraid is too far gone. Truly a psycho and is the product of “too much” Miscavology!
For a man at loss for words, he took a very long time to get to the point: Ron would have loved the new Scientology, which they think he never had. How strange, and yet how classic.
I believe this is called The Glee in Insanity.
Dear Matt,
“Can you explain…”
Yes, it is called ‘Stockholm Syndrome’.
Good luck.
“I may let you down on this one.”
Not really. I haven’t read so much Bull Shit in one email in a long time.
“It will sound like a hollow sales pitch or strained hyperbole.”
It doesn’t sound like anything you moron because you are writing it. Probably a better word would be “seem”.
As in:
“This may *seem* like a hollow sales pitch or strained hyperbole.”
Which it does written by someone with a tenuous grasp of the english language.
“How do you explain the emotion of triumph?”
Do you mean “Triumph of the Will”?
I thought this was a Flag event not the Nuremberg Rally!
“How do you explain the nuances of hope?”
You mean that the Church of SPECTRE will triumphantly rule the world led by David Blofeld Miscavige?
“How do you convey the intimate details of your own personal sense of love, honor or inspiration?”
OMG this guy sounds like he just left one of those left one of traveling Salvation shows led by one of those huckster ministers.
Enough already!
Matt Hanses states:
“This may *seem* like a hollow sales pitch or strained hyperbole.”
Dear Matt – It not only seems like a hollow sales pitch or strained hyperbole – IT IS!!” You are one of the “hundreds” that don’t know it YET!
Poor fellow is severely deluded. Here’s what he sent out the day before:
From: Matt Hanses
Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2013 2:37 AM
To: Matt Hanses
Subject: Straight From The Live Golden Age of Tech II Event in Clearwater
Dear Scientologist,
I just walked out of the first of the Golden Age of Tech II events, held live in Clearwater. As I sit writing this, still in my tux, it is hard to find words that describe it.
Epic. Monumental. Mindblowing. Exhilarating.
It sounds like exaggeration. It sounds like I’m just writing a sales pitch for the event…but I’m not. I’m so not. This event isn’t even an “event”that’s almost the wrong word.
It’s more like a revelation.
But, how do you call someone on the phone and confirm them to come to a revelation? How do you send out an email inviting them to a personal epiphany? How do you tell them it is an unveiling of the exact reasons for any struggle they’ve personally ever experienced in trying to get up the Bridgeeach one of them individually.
“Event” just isn’t the right word.
LookI’m from Missouri. The “Show-Me” state, right? I’m a hard-nosed pragmatist. I deal with the real-life realities of running groups and survival every day. I have to say: I didn’t know what to think coming down here. Could it really live up to the PR build-up it had received? Could it even equal a fraction of what I’d been hearing?
And yet it was almost exactly the opposite. After seeing it, no matter what anyone said about it, it would still be an understatement of it. There is nothing that could’ve prepared me for what I saw tonight. I just couldn’t have guessed it. How could I have? None of us could.
And so, yes, it’s beyond a must-see. It is unthinkable for anyone to miss it. This isn’t “event promo.” This is straight comm. I traveled to Florida to see it live and I’m SO glad I did. It’s the kind of thing you just plain-old work out how to see. Rearrange whatever you have to.
It will be worth it. I personally promise you that.
And so, unable to really explain it, and sitting here staring at my computer after a full day of travel on little sleep, trying to figure out how I can possibly convey this to you so you’ll really get it on a spiritual level, I guess I can only give you an impressiona personal vignette. I’ll just share with you a small part of the evening.
Something happened at the event which you probably won’t see when the DVD is sent to your org. It was minor-not even a planned part of the event-but to me it summed up the essence of the entire thing.
During the presentation, there was a particular section where the video began unveiling a major component of GAT II. No one knew what was about to happen but as the lights went down and images began to roll across the screen, the significance of it all suddenly dawned on the crowd. Momentum began to gather and a roar went up amongst thousands of people. We almost couldn’t believe our eyes.
The camaraderie was palpable. I didn’t know these people; they didn’t know me. But, for a minute it seemed that we understood each other perfectly. Spontaneously, almost as one, the audience leapt to its feet and started cheering.
Mind you, this wasn’t a part where you’d normally clap. The hall was dark and a video was playing, explaining a component of the release. But the crowd was floored with what they were seeing. And then, with no signal or plan, 6,000 voices suddenly rose together and the tent went nuts.
The lighting crew, seeing the crowd’s response, reacted. Lights began flashing, spotlights swept the audience and the crowd surged with exhilaration. They were yelling at the screen. Husbands were talking to their wives excitedly. Friends were jumping up and down hugging and grabbing each other’s arms. Charge was blowing as a group. It was as though someone had read our minds.
I looked over at my dad who has been a Scientologist for 40 years. He lived and breathed it every step of the way. The history of Scientology is, in many ways, intertwined with the story of his life. Same with my mom. They lived it.
As we stood up, clapping and awestruck I looked over at him. He was gazing at the video with a faint smile on his lips, almost serene. His eyes were moist. My dad-one of the most levelheaded people I know-he had tears in his eyes. And I got it. All these years; all this work and now we had this….
I realized that I had tears in my eyes too. And for a moment time slowed down and it was surreal.
The crowd was shouting. People were screaming. Lights flashed and strobed as spotlights swept across thousands and thousands of people. The noise was deafening. And raw, unalloyed exhilaration rolled through the crowd. “Jubilant” doesn’t do it justice. Nor does “triumphant.” It was beyond any intellectual understanding. It seemed to transcend logical description.
I wasn’t a witness to the moment-I was part of it. And so were 6,000 other people. I looked around the room realizing that this was what exhilaration felt like. This was true joy. There simply is no other way to describe the current of emotion radiating around the room.
Failed purposes of decades fell away. Relief flooded the crowd. Hope. Anticipation. Incredulity.
“We’re going to make it,” I thought. “We’re all going to make it.”
My dad had tears in his eyes. I had tears in my eyes. Everyone had tears in their eyes.
And it is so worth it. It is so, totally worth it. I’m so glad I’m a Scientologist and I’m so glad I stuck around to help be a part of this and contribute to our movement.
Please, from the bottom of my heart, make sure that you’re at this event. And make sure anyone you love is there as well. You just can’t afford to miss it.
No one can.
Best Regards,
Matt Hanses
Executive Director
St. Louis Foundation
Can’t afford to miss it? Well, I did get a bird’s eye view care of Mike and Mike. And, well yes it was rather entertaining.
I would like to suggest something to you, Matt. When you get back to your org and you realize that actually NOTHING changed despite your utter elation at the rather banal revelations, you are going to come down hard from this implanted high you are experiencing. Please don’t do anything drastic. Just take a very very very long walk and destimulate before you make any major decisions.
“I’m so not.” Yup.
Mike, you broke the record for making DM’s shortest speech ever. Brilliant! Kudos to Mr Bennitt, too 🙂
Certain celebrities were conspicuously absent. I wonder who will turn out for the IAS event and how New Year’s is going to go down.
Thanks to you and your correspondents, I can save myself the trouble of going to my local event (phew). Why spend 5 hours there and back when I can read and digest a summary in 5-10 minutes? You’re a life-saver, in more ways than one!
Awesome coup de main Mike and Mike.
Thank you Mike for exposing all of this!! Thank you also Mike B! what a complete circus!Those supporting this fraud will continue until there is nothing left to support I imagine. In some of the pictures there are a lot of empty seats!!!
Mike- the heli-tech was just inspired. I was sitting thousands of miles away in England and yet, thanks to you two, was watching pics of Slappy’s event as it happened. Ain’t technology wonderful?
Nobody was allowed in without a pass, roads closed, the mayor of Clearwater snubbed, the Tampa Bay Times told to go take a hike, yet you got pics and video out world-wide.
What an awesome caper. VVWD Mike and Mike. You obviously pissed the shit of miscavige. 8 minute speech. He had never talked for only 8 minutes.
On the left in the second row, is that Tommy Davis?
http://www.tampabay.com/resources/images/dti/rendered/2013/11/a4s_FLAGBUILDING111813c_11948061_8col.jpg
I have a question: Where were all of the other SCN celebs? If this was the “event to change the universe”, where was Kirsty, Prepon, Masterson, the Simpson’s voice, et al?
High 5 to the two flying Mike’s….what a stunt…the reporter for the Tampa Tribune wrote, 10,000 attended…oops..she was not let in beyond the far away barriers. More lies from the staff who serve the smallest SP on the planet. Thanks for all you do Mike. A special thanks to Mike Bennett for supplying the helicopter and HD cameras. You two have made positive truthful history in the world wide EX-Scientology community.
Dear Mike:
Thank you very much for your extraordinary accomplishment!
Mini twerp now can have some REAL stats:
True (paying) public attendance: 670
Cost for the Event: $240,000,000 (Including Sea Org management for the Whole Project)
Unit cost: $358,208
Fund raising: $23,310
Net profit: ($239,976,690)
So it appears to be HUMONGOUS missedCartridge!
No PR from whoever will make things get right!
Utter failure, Kim Davie style
Brought to us by Master DAYLIGHT disinfecter Mike Rinder!
Most excellent flying coup! Well done and kudos for your clever “Mike squared” assault on he who shall not be named. Proud of you!
Very nicely done!
Good show Sir, Good show, carry on. Mike over Matter
Jolly Good Show, Mike!
Enjoy your R&R, you sure as hell earned it!
-Gus
Thank you for doing what you’ve been doing, Mike. Thanks for keeping everyone informed. I have been awol for the past couple of days studying scientology without the “benefit” of GAG I or II and missed a whole bunch of recent posts regarding Mi$cavige’s recent meanderings. So I have been catching up here a little. Out of curiosity I went back 1 week and counted how many comments there have been on this blog and came up with 1242! And God knows how many readers there have been in the last week who have not posted! What I do know is that a lot of people, including me, really appreciate your reports and commentary on DM’s most recent edit of LRH’s work. So I just want to thank you for the service you have rendered to the world.
DM has now shot his wad. So, let’s see…..if his most recent changes are really so “on source” then people will stop staying away and all of those “idle morgues” should start filling up really soon now. Otherwise, all three remaining public will be moving on to GATIII.
Your chopper tech is amazing Mike! When you come back from sorting out life’s needs, tell us a bit about Mike Bennitt – if he doesn’t mind of course. Thanks to Mike B for making this possible!
And so many pics from the ground too! All that security won’t hide the truth any longer….
Cheers Mike, you struck an important body blow against Miscavige today and stood up for all those who have been hurt and had their families torn apart and lives destroyed by this evil cult over the years. Liability formula fully completed 🙂
Mike: That was awfully naughty of you guys to use Helitech to test the Dear Miss Leader’s super power perceptics right on his doorstep, just when he was supposed to be having the biggest day of his universe. In this battle of superpowers he got super low scores and failed his noise, paranoia and anal control/panty brownstain/smell perceptics. Therefore awarded an SP certificate of failure. He had to tear up his speech and runup into the building to get another rundown on the 5th floor. Best of all he knows you have the twin pic to publish alongside the one from his guys showing the millions of photoshopped warm bodies assembled to adulate over his aborted bloviation.
Well done. Have a well deserved rest and catch up with the important things in your life.
Thanks for doing this..
Thanks so much for everything Mike. Despite the loss and sadness associated with the demise of the church, you’ve managed to set the stage for much comic relief, and intelligent dialog with wonderful people. So take a day off or 3, or get to that honeydo list.
I normally lurk but I have to say that that helicopter stunt was funkin awesome! You’ve been full of win lately Mike.
It looks like only several hundred people were there, which is approximately the entire Sea Org Staff, OOT’s and a few public.
Only 3 celebrities came – maybe Anne Archer BLEW with her son, Tommy Davis? The rest may have blown too – Leah Remini did a great job exposing the CULT and is very influential!! She is a smart woman and has a good reputation…if Leah left – so will others!
Mike – this was historical and your name will be blasted into the titanium bunkers as one of the most notorious SP’s that made Slappy Miscavige slap himself!!
We are proud to be SP’s and this type of activity is what was needed and wanted to put this dwindling cult to rest once and for all!!
This was an epic failure and there is more to come…David Miscavige has got lots of lawsuits to tend to…not to mention the droves of members that will leave when they cognite that their “tech” is being altered AGAIN!!
Continue…
Nice job! Never in a billion years would I have thought this Sunday would unfold the way it did. Thank you to you and Mike B. and Mark Bunker.
Look up in the sky..
It’s a Bird!
It’s a plane!
It’s Rinderman!
Look down on the ground…
It’s whales…
It’s the oppressed and misguided…
It’s a Midget filling his trousers over a lot of empty seats and someone with photo proof.
CURSE YOU RINDERMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!
It looked like a great day to sightsee in Clearwater today! Thanks for sharing your epic flight over the Shooper Power event and demonstrating how best to say, “When you least expect us, expect us!”
Bravo! Bravo!
For M&M
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv192/aivo12_photos/i159876387_67837_2.gif
Just because
http://amomsimpression.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/kool-Aid-1024×493.jpg
Hey Mike take that well deserved weekend of your off.
I mean ya gotta be tired after all that non stop world changing excitement over at Flag.
You’ve managed to turn another CoS non event into an actual event over here.
Thanks again big guy and keep up the good work 🙂
“And thanks to every reader, because the stats of the blog over the past two weeks are on a steep affluence trend and this weekend reached highest ever levels (guess I have gotten caught up in all the excited hype….) I havent had time to check Alexa, but I would imagine “we are going up” while the Vulture Culture is going down.”
I guess we all have, Mike, we all have (gotten caught up). 😉
Able to disrupt a 15 year awaited event in a single afternoon!!!!
Look! UP in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a chopper! It’s SUPER-MIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(So sorry, Davey. SPs ARE everywhere…)
[I LOVED the suggestion of putting a pie face on the bottom of the chopper! lol!
Maybe putting the letters, “SP” on it would have been fun too. OR maybe COB is an SP. One can dream…]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzXjEgCNpM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzXjEgCNpM
I’m working on a logo for Pie Face Airlines.
+1
YYYYES!!
Mike, Thank You and Congratulations for upstaging Daveyboy on the biggest and most expensive event of his life. The hi-res aerial shots were brilliant. It’s easy to see even in that small crowd that many were in plain shirts or vests. It was just as many, including myself, thought it would be: A very poorly attended event papered over by staff, sea org, and extras. The average Tampa Bay Lightning home game draws a much better crowd.
But no matter the crowd, the event will be remembered for you showing up the little man. Great job to you and Mike Bennitt!
Next time Davey, you might want to give your “millions” of members something better than two weeks advance notice.
The helicopter was brilliant! As I witnessed I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, downright giddy! I think Jeff Hawkins stated it so perfectly when commenting at the bunker, quote “Miscavige’s worst nightmare – flying apostates! Go Mike & Mike!”.Good job!
Ditto that. Flying apostates!!! Priceless. Mike – that was the surely the best stunt EVER. Can you imagine what was going through Dear Leaders head as he’s trying to address the faithful over the noise of Rinder’s chopper above his head!!!
Hi Mike…I’m a long time reader and sometime commenter in a different incarnation than I’ve used in the past and at the Bunker. But I had to drop in and say THANK YOU and Mike B for the amazing aerial adventures of the Flying Apostates today. You guys rock – and the info you’ve provided today will prove definitively that Miscavige’s gig is all theatrics – and theatre of the absurd at that. You’re a class act and have earned a legion of respectful admirers among critics who are never-ins. Now take some time for yourself and enjoy your lovely family! The ONLY revenge in life is living and loving well – in that regard, you and every indie and “ex” on this blog has already won,
So sayeth the Diva, with oodles of gratitude!
Air Rinder Devastates Flag Land Base
Marine Anonymous ground troop assault establishes beachhead.
(Blog, 17 Nov 2013). The historic coordinated assault upon the Clearwater Fortress, led by a lightning aerial attack not seen since the Israeli strike against the Egyptian army, routed the heavily defended and highly secretive meeting of a handful of diehard high-level generals at “Flag” and sent them scurrying into their makeshift bunker, in an ultimately vain attempt to shelter from the withering glare of media exposure. The Pulitzer committee is rumored to be meeting in New York as this is being written.
Taking the world by surprise, brilliant ace pilots Mike Rinder and Mike Bennitt, backed by 20,000 hours of flight experience and the latest technology, took to the air in an audacious lone helicopter attack, thundering from heavy cloud cover at hundreds of miles an hour straight at the heart of the assembly, shrugging off the latest armaments of anti-personnel entheta-fire furiously poured at them from the ground, skillfully out-flying air defenses pursuing on their six-o-clock.
Coordinating under the air cover, ground troops penetrated past the outer walls to the interior of the fortress, driving inside the heavily armed but startled and poorly organized ground defenses, gaining their main objectives from various strategically planned angles
The entire operation was conducted at lightning speed, and was over in 17 minutes, leaving the wounded dazed and confused amidst the rubble of devastation.
We all owe a great debt to these heroic men and women for their daring and overwhelmingly successful exploits. Miraculously, ALL survived with only negligible scratches, a few soda-pop rumblings of hunger, and are safe back at their bases, ever at the ready to defend freedom.
A marvelous “news break” on an incredible “Mission Impossible” pulled off by a couple of geniuses, accomplishing their jobs with tongues solidly in cheeks, grinning all the way. As we used put it, VVVVVVVVVWD!
Now dm has a real reason to cry.
“Now DM has a real reason to cry.”
ROTFFL!!! So true, so true.
Mike, here is an 11 minute standing ovation to you for your phenomenal actions today.
My cheeks are sore from smiling all day and my throat is sore from so much woo-hooing every time you posted comments and pictures.
Thanks for all of your awesome work Mike!! The fly over was priceless!!! I think the cob shat himself.
Two thumbs up on your flyover Mike and Mike! Davey ought to now know he can’t hide!
Thank you, Mike & Mike for fantastic coverage of this ho-hum event. You are the stars of it all. Get some sleep.
Wow, no one saw that coming. A helicopter with the ex-senior PR of the church flying over DM’s pinnacle event! And the event audio is forever ruined with helicopter noise drowning out his Sherman-speak speech! Now he will never be able to play the event video tapes back to himself to gaze adoringly at his own image and drink in the sound of his own voice. Not when he knows that helicopter noise in the background is his arch-nemesis flying over head! Twenty years ago his penultimate crowning “The War is Over” IAS event video was ruined too when nobody realized the cruddy brown background behind DM was not going to contrast with his suit and brown hair, thus making it difficult to see him on the tapes. A primitive, painful process was done to salvage the tapes, but you can still see he looks like crap with the brown behind him. He just can’t seem to get himself recorded properly when he’s out making “history.” Talk about earlier-similars! It’s bad day to be one of his inner circle today. A very bad day.
I am sure that they will do more photo ‘adjustments’.
And then apply the ‘Clear Sound’ tech to preserve the historical event (and add a few minutes of clapping for good measure).
Mike and Mike made this a truly remarkable day. Thanks so very much. You had a cheering on group watching you both from the top of the city parking building.
Yes they did! Seeing that chopper up there was so damn exhilarating!
And knowing that at that moment Mike Rinder and Mike Bennitt OWNED tiny boots.
Every inch of him!
Eight minutes of absolute HELL ON EARTH.
Mike Rinder, you are a very special piece of work. I salute you.
Plus 100!!
Gawd! That was a VFWD Mr. Rinder. Thanks to you and all who made it possible
Thank you Mike – the man with more sources in $cientology than Dildo Dave…oh…and the ‘Flying Apostate’.
Is the “Flying Apostate” like the naked Flying Nun, robeless, since you have been defrocked?
I was thinking the Flying Dutchman, the phantom ship that sails the ocean. It is a portent of DOOM to those for whom it appears. DOOM to DM!
WTG, Mike & Mike!
Thank you for your amazing ‘helicopter tech’ today with Mike!! Double Mike Super Power!!!
I see many empty chairs in two of those photos!
I see many aging people.
They’re everywhere. They don’t even know they’re aging….
Congratulations Mike on the most over the top stunt for a long time. Peering down from high upon DM, causing him to drop his speech and to flee indoors, must have seemed sweet revenge for so many past abuses and indignities DM did to you. And the aerial photographs have killed any prospect of DM getting away with faking the attendance stats. Thanks for all you now do. And thanks to the brave person who took the photos above.
🙂
Thanks sooo much Mike! You really surprised us all today, especially Dave!
RTC RED ALERT
There is an internet spoof claiming that only 1700 people attended the event.
This spoof is based upon a fake ‘helicopter flyover” supposedly made by two former Church members and heavily photoshopped photos showing a small crowd.
This is not true.
The fact is that more than 25,000,000 people attended the event: http://otviiiisgrrr8.com/2013/11/18/12000-people-trampled-to-death-at-flag-land-base/
Genius, pure genius 😉
Mike, thank you for all your hard work you put in on your blog.
Mike thank you for all the excellent work on this event that you did, nonstop. Wow, it was and is amazing. And how great to see you there with a rich dude flying by in a helicopter. I bet DM almost shit his pants to think of you taking pics in the copter above him. lol And the fact that the guy is well off and DM didn’t get that white whale himself… I bet he is RPFing many many SO members for not fleecing that well off public before he fell into your clutches!
+1 !!
Forgive my stupidity but where is the pic of Mike in the helicopter? I’m dying to see this!
“And the fact that the guy is well off and DM didn’t get that white whale himself… I bet he is RPFing many many SO members for not fleecing that well off public before he fell into your clutches!”
There are some rather unpleasant implication in there, don’t you think? I prefer to think that it is just a little over-enthusiastically phrased.
We are terribly sorry to inform you, Mr. 8, but in the current world view of attendance reporting it is no longer officially acceptable to report either bodies without thetans or thetans without bodies as legitimate attendees.
We calculate that there were significant bodyless thetans (BTs) present however there were an equal number of thetanless bodies.
The total number of legitimate bodies containing legitimate thetans came to 236. That is the number we will be reporting.
Hilarious!! +100
Many thanks.
Piggy backing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDBu2tSNsc
Universe