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More Miscavige McMansion

May 28, 2014 By Mike Rinder 169 Comments

mcmansion

The last posting (David Miscavige’s Office At Gold) about Building 50 was one of the more popular in recent times.

There were 3 other photos on that website not included in that post.  They are good material for a follow up, along with some other photos sent in by our Special Correspondents.

First, the three from the website:

golden_large_5

This is the “COB PR” office.

If any post in the Sea Org is completely untenable, this would be it. Miscavige brought Cathy DeSimone/Fraser/Hawkins from the IAS at the ship to hold this post. She didn’t last long and ended up as Port Captain Gold. She married Jeff Hawkins but then divorced him when he became an overnight SP. Other than her I don’t think anyone has ever occupied the position. And certainly nobody ever volunteered for it.

The only other people to ever use this office to my knowledge were Janet Light/McGlaughlin when she was the President IAS and was brought to Int as “the golden child” of Miscavige. She was one of the rotating “shooting stars” that arrived (usually from off the base) with great fanfare about how wonderful they were, and then promptly became “SP’s” like everyone else. This included a pretty long list of the “luminaries” of Scientology — Janet, Angie Blankenship, Russ Bellin and Tom Vorm, Kurt Weiland and Rita Schwarzgruber, Debbie Cook, Bob Keenan, Tom DeVocht, Jenny Linson, Barbara Ruiz and probably more I have forgotten.  Janet eventually became disaffected with Miscavige, ended up in the Hole and ultimately out of the SO.  Angie Blankenship may have been in there at one time when she was flavor of the month before she too ended up in the Hole and out of the SO. Same with Bob Keenan, also now out of the SO.

You can see this is part of the “COB Wing” because it has the overkill lighting, the same limestone flooring as the hallway (though without the stainless steel inlays) and a custom made hand tufted wool rug.

golden_large_4

This is the “COB Compliance Office.”  It is in ADDITION to the other office for typists/transcriptionists.

It was specifically designed for tracking Miscavige’s streams of orders and chasing up compliance to them. The high density files in the back are to hold copies of all the orders he issues and the “compliance reports” that come back in.  Funny that there is a whole office devoted to COB Orders and Compliance Reports when Warren McShane and Allen Cartwright testified under oath in the Monique Rathbun case that they are completely unaware of “COB Orders” or “Compliance Reports”.  Anyone who has been at Int or Gold or other areas where he hangs out (like Flag) can tell you numerous stories of receiving “COB Orders” and being literally hounded by Tori Viau (COB Comm for Compliance) or other RTC or CMO people to “report compliance TO cob”.  This is often the reason people in the Sea Org do not sleep — they are required to “comply to COB” within an arbitrary timeframe (a “TM” in SO parlance) and if they do not comply in time they may not go to sleep until they finish and “get their submission up.”

This is the mad, mad world of the Sea Org.

One small note of interest, the Typists office which looked very similar to this, was the most used office in the whole building.  The custom wool carpet had to be replaced with darker colors due to the wear and tear. The Landlord Office designed it and Maggie Truax got it made and installed.

golden_large_6

This is “The Courtyard” (atrium) in the center of the building.

It was VERY rarely set up like this.

Most of the time it had a LONG table down the center and Miscavige would sit on one side with Shelly, Lou and assorted recordists and typists and the peons were on the other side (whoever he was lecturing at the time). Many times there would be a row of 15 people sitting on the other side of the table and perhaps 30 more behind them while the King and his retinue lorded over everyone from the other side. Sometimes these meetings/lectures/diatribes would go on for HOURS, in fact, all day and then everyone would have to STAY IN THE ROOM “figuring out why they were SPs” while Dear Leader went off to sleep (telling everyone he was going to “handle his traffic”) and then would come back and start over again.

Literally hundreds of hours were spent in this place with Shelly Miscavige in her last act before being disappeared. A large organizing chart and the list of names of every person on the base, along with their files were pored over to “post the org board.” Much has been written about this “evolution” — this is where it took place.

Usually the Courtyard also had boxes of “submissions to COB” arrayed around the walls and stacked up. This was so Miscavige could show how overworked he was and how “he had to handle everything.” Would not have been a problem if he had not insisted on having every single proposal for everything sent to him. Literally everything of any moment at all — from promo pieces and courses to legal pleadings and video edits, from speeches and press releases to music mixes and space planning.

So, this Courtyard is a ‘special’ place for many Int Base Staff.

The floor of the atrium is the same limestone, and a huge rug with the RTC symbol was made to go on top. The symbols on the walls (with internal back lighting and front lighting) represent the different organizations and entities of Dave’s empire. As a note, there are roughly 50 more of these large symbols throughout the building, which some Gold staff spent about a year making. Then the org boards changed and the plan of who will occupy the building changed several times and most of the symbols had to be remade.

The windows on the upper right are where COB’s wing is located, and from there you can look down onto the courtyard. The large window at the back looks onto the COB wing patio (see further down).

The ceiling height of the atrium is 48 feet.  The huge black beams with steel fasteners are all faux props. They are hollow and don’t hold up anything.

Now for some new shots not on the website:

DMs Conference Room

This is the “COB Conference Room.”  It is yet another part of “His wing”. The ornate doors you see were done by Gold staff, a team worked exclusively on COB projects.

Again, faux beams on the ceiling and over-the-top lighting.

DMs Project Room

This is the “COB Project Room.”  Another part of the “COB Wing.”

 

MW Hall

This is part of the hallway of the “COB Wing” — you can see the panels with the special downlighting that were mentioned in the earlier post where the LRH photos were planned to be. They fell by the wayside.

 

DMs B50 Patio

This is the “COB Patio” at the back of the building, which is equipped with cushy outdoor lounge seating (you don’t see here), large umbrellas, fountain/water feature, snack bar, plants and trellis vines, and of course a sound system.

This is exclusively reserved for the use of Dear Leader.

 

DMs Office Balcony

This is the small patio immediately outside his office. It is so he can step outside for a smoke. You can see the bulletproof glass designed to protect him from snipers on the road 200 yards down the hill.

 

DMs DeskDMs Desk 2

This is the great man’s desk in his office.

The desk design was an intense project. The height was specified to an 1/8″, the return was made to precisely fit about 6 items (phone, dictaphone, a/v controls, etc) and a rolltop cover. All out of steel and leather. No expense was spared, with MANY submissions with drawings and renderings. This final version of the desk cost in excess of $15,000, maybe as much as $30,000.

The rug is a custom designed hand tufted plush wool rug.   Very expensive (8 to $20,000 each). There are 3 of these rugs in his office. One in the turret, one under the desk and one in the lounge area of the office. The rugs also went thru an intense design process and manufacturing.

The windows in his office have 3 layers of treatment: A metallic fabric sheer, a rolldown sun screen and a rolldown blackout. All motorized and controlled by a touchscreen panel.

RTC Bldng 27 May

Another interesting feature of Building 50 is the landscaping. The photo above was shot last year by Sinar Parman.  This is 10 years worth of growth, there was nothing there, it was dirt and scrub like you see at the top right of the photo.

Tom DeVocht tells an illustrative story about the landscaping:

One thing that Miscavige made very clear to me even before I left for Int was that Building 50’s landscape was supposed to make it look like a site had been cleared in middle of a thick Scotland forrest and then the building built.

What this meant was that we couldn’t plant small plants that would eventually grow – we needed to plant fully mature plants and trees and a lot of them and of course that is a huge expense.

Even Steve Winn’s landscape architect who had completed half the Vegas strip thought this concept was a complete joke and asked if it was for real. He commented, “Now if you are in the gambling business it might make sense…” but “for an office building in Hemet and in middle of nowhere, HUH!?”. He and I quietly agreed we would never find trees or plants big enough to accomplish this but would do the best possible.

Well, by the time the building was done, there were a lot of plants and trees and they were pretty large. Did it look like Miscavige wanted it? No, of course not.

But here I am, down in “berthing” after having been busted by Miscavige as, “The biggest spender in the history of the church” and one fine afternoon I get called “up the hill” to see him. I’m sure I am going to be yelled and screamed at some more about what an idiot I was to spend this kind of money when, “I repeatedly told you to just finishing it up because I was going to give it to Int anyway, I can’t live on this base full of SPs.”

To my surprise Miscavige was standing outside the building when I walked up. He put his arm around my shoulders and said, “I thought I told you to make it look like the building was built inside a forrest – what the fuck!?” I was dumbfounded – it was one of those moments that you knew no there was absolutely no correct response.

Here he is asking me why I didn’t spent a few million more and in the same breath condemning me for spending the millions I already had.

I do think the analogy between his management of renovations (which he seemed to love being involved in) and his management of scientology are identical – both totally insane.

So, this is where the hard earned dollars of the faithful end up. Lavishing ridiculousness on Dear Leader “because he deserves it.”

 

 

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Filed Under: David Miscavige Tagged With: Church of Scientology, Corporate Scientology, David Miscavige, fundraising

Comments

  1. Obnosis says

    May 30, 2014 at 9:12 pm

    These pics highlight something I always felt about orgs: they are STERILE. They are perfect pictures of MEST, but where is the LIFE? GET SOME FRIGGIN’ PLANTS!

    Reply
  2. grundoon says

    May 29, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    You know there has to be a room full of large screen monitors where DM sits to watch the 24-hour live video and audio feeds from the hidden cameras surveilling his former closest associates who he fears and hates: Marty Rathbun, Mike Rinder, Pat Broeker, Mark Fisher, Janis and Terri Gillham — (those we know for sure) — and most likely many more: Debbie Cook, Shelly Miscavige, Ron Miscavige, Jenna Miscavige, etc etc etc. COB’s Look-in Listen-In Room. Anyone got photos?

    Reply
    • Despicable Me says

      May 30, 2014 at 1:01 pm

      Sounds exactly like post apartheid South Africa. Our ANC supporting brethren feel that it’s our country’s leader’s rights to live opulent lifestyles on tax payer’s money because they are so “deserving”. Corruption is also ignored. Its acceptable in this society to just “help oneself” when it comes to government financed projects in which every person all the way down the food chain has his palm greased.

      Reply
  3. outraged says

    May 29, 2014 at 8:01 pm

    I have never seen so much money spent on such boring cold uncomfortable furniture and room design.

    And then to want a forest fully grown but brand new.

    Dig deep into Little Davey’s design motifs and you’ll quickly scratch krypton proof insanity.

    Reply
  4. Zephyr says

    May 29, 2014 at 6:13 pm

    Mike,
    What did DM do with his Bonsai collection? He he let it go to pieces or did it find a place in his
    new palace?
    Greta

    Reply
  5. MJ says

    May 29, 2014 at 11:40 am

    With one word alteration of Shakespeare’s Macbeth which fits COB to a tee.

    Dave’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

    Reply
  6. Chuck Beatty says

    May 29, 2014 at 9:32 am

    Very valid criticism, thanks much to you and others who lived all this. Thanks so much to Tom DeVocht.

    I read when I was an ASI staffer, about 95% of the ASI advice traffic, I was on the proofreading project of the ASI traffic that cleaned up the typos so what the ASI staff can access on their computer system was accurate.

    The CL Office (Corporate Liaison) was somehow the legal buffer so that the Miscavige when he was in ASI could relay legally LRH’s orders into CSI. Mark Fisher described that well in his comments elsewhere, when Mark was the Corporate Liaison In Charge directly under Miscavige.

    When Miscavige moved to RTC, he still kept and took “hats” of top decider and top authorizing submission reviewer and approver.

    He’s never relinquished that function, he’s been since the earlier 1980s, the “buck stops here” guy.

    Despite Miscavige, there are problems of how to deal with LRH’s final orders. But those could be solved with a better tyrant or better top group distribution of the work, and skip LRH’s limiting orders where needed.

    I think the bureaucratic problems are mostly solvable, but like Dan Koon said a couple years back, and Marty, this whole setup isn’t really needed.

    It’s a propped up system that wastes a lot of money. The tech is out, a couple of flash drives and a person has the whole tech legacy, and people can meet and train as they wish. No need for an IAS.. Obviously this building strategy has just been a massive waste of money

    This blog article is important for the FBI raiders of tomorrow to go find the paper trail on any illegalities in COB’s Office!

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
  7. Meja Deja says

    May 29, 2014 at 6:46 am

    This is such an enlightening article (along with the previous one). This swanky castle, its rooms, the deco, all of it… simply creepy. Execrable aesthetics, Shanister, exactly. Utterly cold, menacing, disturbing…

    Reply
  8. DodoTheLaser says

    May 29, 2014 at 3:35 am

    RTC looks real friendly.

    Reply
  9. ThetaPotata says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:35 am

    These pictures really show the complete disconnect going on between Miscavige and all the Degraded Beings that make up the rest of the world. Reminds me of Jim Bakker who got his ass busted down to nothing for a money and sex scandal. Being a religious leader is fraught with plenty of rope for one to hang oneself. (Just putting it out there.)

    Reply
  10. Gus Cox says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:15 am

    Good Lord, Tori (McKay) Viau is still there? And worse, enforcing that asshole Miscavige’s TMs? (COB Comm for Compliance). Christ, she’s been out there for over 30 years now. Sad. A life is a terrible thing to waste.

    Reply
  11. Gus Cox says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:06 am

    Hitler also had better taste in architecture than Miscavige.

    Reply
  12. Gus Cox says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:01 am

    Assholes.

    Reply
  13. MJ says

    May 29, 2014 at 12:54 am

    “Theta’s overrated, MEST is best.” © COB, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

    Reply
  14. Gus Cox says

    May 29, 2014 at 12:51 am

    Yikes, He’s 53 and He still smokes? That could be the end of Him, as much as anything else. Most people I know over 50 have quit.

    Reply
  15. MJ says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    For OSA types and all those under the thumb of “the man in charge” I give you this:

    You can be amazing
    You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
    You can be the outcast
    Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
    Or you can start speaking up

    Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
    When they settle ‘neath your skin
    Kept on the inside and no sunlight
    Sometimes a shadow wins
    But I wonder what would happen if you

    Say what you wanna say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave
    With what you want to say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave

    I just want to see you
    I just wanna see you
    I just wanna see you
    I wanna see you be brave

    I just wanna see you
    I just wanna see you
    I just wanna see you
    I wanna see you be brave

    Everybody’s been there,
    Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
    Fallen for the fear
    And done some disappearing,
    Bow down to the mighty
    Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue

    Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
    Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
    Show me how big your brave is

    Say what you wanna say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave
    With what you want to say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave

    And since your history of silence
    Won’t do you any good,
    Did you think it would?
    Let your words be anything but empty
    Why don’t you tell them the truth?

    Say what you wanna say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave
    With what you want to say
    And let the words fall out
    Honestly I wanna see you be brave

    I just wanna see you
    I just wanna see you
    I just wanna see you
    I wanna see you be brave

    Acknowledgement to Sara Bareilles

    Reply
    • Meja Deja says

      May 29, 2014 at 6:40 am

      Brilliantly suitable

      Reply
  16. knatherthomas says

    May 28, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    Loved your point about the attorneys “not knowing” anything about COB orders and compliance to them vs a whole room being dedicated to this in Building 50. Sadly, the rest of this article chronicles the cruel and impossible life for those anywhere near David Miscavage.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:30 pm

      New reality show in development – DAVE’S DRONES or DAVE’S DROIDS. Title suggestions welcome.

      Reply
  17. Jose Chung says

    May 28, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    To Hallie Jane,

    Excellent statement. Question is “How do you know that a group of psychs do not already own David Miscavige ?”

    Reply
    • Hallie Jane says

      May 29, 2014 at 1:10 am

      I sure wouldn’t bet against it Jose!

      Reply
  18. Kevin Tighe says

    May 28, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    As DM lives like a dictator I thought I’d check to see how some of my old buddies in the Clearwater area were doing with their homes. A random check revealed that that foreclosure proceedings and liens by credit card companies appears to be truly straight up and vertical. I’m not kidding. I saw recent foreclosure proceedings against Jeff Simms (dad of Voice runner up Juliette Simms), Kathy Feshbach, Kim Payne (head of the CW WISE Charter Committee) and many others. Then there’s Lynn Irons’ divorce from Khan-khan wife Sheryl. I’m just beginning to compile this. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

    Reply
    • Chee Chalker says

      May 28, 2014 at 8:43 pm

      What’s up with Feshbach? Surely that well has not run dry……does this mean she will not be invited to the baby shower for Baby Feshach-Davis? What’s the relation between Kathy and Jessica anyway? Sisters or in laws?

      Reply
      • Mike Rinder says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:26 pm

        Kathy is the wife of Matt Feshbach. Jessica is the daughter of Matt’s now deceased brother Joe and his wife Cindy.

        Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:32 pm

        AKFL – Ass Kissers for Life.

        Reply
    • Aquamarine says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      Kevin Tighe – Kathy Feshback’s home in foreclosure? That’s a shocker. I thought they were very rich.

      Reply
      • Kevin Tighe says

        May 29, 2014 at 8:28 am

        The foreclosure proceedings I saw was from last year for a commercial property on Cleveland St valued at over a million. Ray Cassano was also part of that foreclosure. Matt & Kathy filed bankruptcy a few years back as I recall. I believe they owed the IRS over three million. That’s probably why Kathy & Matt got into the raising donations game. I almost fell off my seat when I saw the head of the WISE Charter Committee, Kim Payne, was also in foreclosure. I looked into this stuff as my curiosity was peaked because a Scientology neighbor was just foreclosed on. They had to move this past weekend. Kind of sad. My gut tells me this is an epidemic. It would be certainly be poetic justice that Scientologist were getting booted out of their homes while Scientology buildings remain all but empty.

        Reply
      • Pepper says

        May 29, 2014 at 10:13 am

        Kevin Tighe,

        I don’t personally know any of the people you mentioned but recognize some of the names. What a trend to see the hard core, upstats filing bankruptcy. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone and went through the process myself many years ago, and yes it was from paying for services to get up the Bridge. Including an OTVIII FSM who asked to borrow my AMEX and used it for his selectees at FLAG who put 50Gs on it. This OTVIII promised me that his selectees were good on the money and it would be paid back. Not one cent was ever paid. This same OTVIII told me that “that’s the game” and that it was my fault for not having something in writing that the money would be paid back to me. I threatened to contact the bank and tell them the charges were fraudulent and he told me (along with others I complained to) that I would get declared for it.

        Later on, things changed and registrars were declared for doing this sort of thing. Michael Silverman at AOLA was one of them. The credit card line up was cleaned up somewhat (people would still get their personal accounts messed around with) but it was too late for me. I had to pay the bank back and make my way back from personal bankruptcy. I am not proud of this period in my life but I did get out of it eventually. I learned a lot about how to handle money and worked my way into Affluence, where I’ve stayed for some time now.

        Reply
        • MJ says

          May 29, 2014 at 10:28 am

          Burn me once shame on you. Burn me twice shame on me.

          Reply
  19. Chee Chalker says

    May 28, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    The interior is very Frank Lloyd Wright/Charles Rennie Mackintosh meets the Space Station. How did the Executive Berthing match up to this? Or is there no such thing? Executives on your and Marty’s level.

    I am surprised he goes outside to smoke…..

    Reply
    • Pepper says

      May 29, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Yes Chee, Frank Lloyd Wright/Charles Rennie Mackintosh meets the Space Station and let’s not forget: Austin Powers.

      Reply
  20. Hallie Jane says

    May 28, 2014 at 6:36 pm

    I’d love to get a group of clinical psychologists to analyze this guy. I’ll bet he’s one of the worst cases of obsessive compulsive disorder that they’ve ever seen. What an idiot and with an unlimited supply of other people’s money to enable him!!! What a disgusting nightmare of fraud, greed, waste and insanity. I can only imagine how betrayed the ex SO members feel.

    Reply
  21. pedrofcuk says

    May 28, 2014 at 6:26 pm

    Why do most of these rooms have no windows?

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      To mirror Dave’s viewpoint.

      Reply
      • WhiteStar says

        May 30, 2014 at 7:52 am

        that’s funny:)

        Reply
    • Science Doc says

      May 28, 2014 at 9:31 pm

      Snipers?

      Reply
  22. FG says

    May 28, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    He is building addict. And the scientologists are blind. Can’t believe it, it’s science fiction…

    Reply
  23. Thoughtful says

    May 28, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    He’s just getting his kicks, like in the song…

    If you ever plan to motor west,
    Travel my way, take the highway that’s beast,
    Get your kicks on Route six-sixty-six.

    It winds from Clearwater to LA,
    More than two billion dollars all the way.
    Get your kicks on Route 666.

    Reply
  24. MJ says

    May 28, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    COB, you need to watch this: J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement: http://youtu.be/wHGqp8lz36c

    Reply
  25. zana says

    May 28, 2014 at 4:53 pm

    DM is addicted to buildings. He hates people. People hate him. He can’t run an organization or create anything. He is like Imelda Marcos and her shoes. Just a sick f**k addicted to buildings. The fact that there are never any people in the photos of the buildings is very telling. He needs to go to Refurbishing-Buildings Anonymous.

    Reply
  26. Natural Philosopher says

    May 28, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    See those wood wall panels? Behind them are walls which I mudded to perfection under Steve Willett’s sharp eyes….too bad they never see the light of day!!! And those trees and shrubs, planted with precision and care, with water lines dug and backfilled, talk about a forest! And the backbreaking work of grading the road up from the villas to the front entrance. Actually if I was to be properly billing this numpty for the time I spend fixing up his lush pad (and increasing its outrageous property value he’d be paying for my London Hyde Park flat! But you couldn’t even discuss the building in hushed tones in case one of his thought police dragged you off for your next sec check. It wasn’t that it was micro-managed – it was micro-mismanaged.
    So now Davie has a big building with only himself in it, surrounded by the tumbleweed that billows down his corridors of ‘power’.

    Reply
    • Aquamarine says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:35 pm

      Natural Philosopher, you worked on that forest? You created that landscaping, that beauty? That’s awesome. And you are very lucky. Do you know why? Because its YOURS, you OWN it, and you always will, in a way that the owner on paper never can, and never will.

      Reply
  27. WhiteStar says

    May 28, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    the one thing that always sticks out to me when i see things like this is the emptiness and loneliness in the midst of enormous abundance. it looks like giant mausoleum.

    why not be happy and grateful for what you have? let people have fun.
    this guy stepped into it when he took over, he had billions of dollars and a large apparatus already in place, just handed to him.

    they have this huge compound, with all this stuff, golf courses, basketball courts, swimming pools, restaurants, space for long walks, lakes, dirt biking, enough buildings for people to live in comfort and they have the people too! they could all be living in a resort!

    building 50, flag, everywhere, should be alive with people just having fun, enjoying the golf course and swimming pools they built themselves.

    they should be holding big barbeques and real parties, where every thing is really open, free and fun loving, no regging or anything like that. just people hanging out. getting together, milling about.

    good times dave, you have the cash to make it happen, you will die before you go broke. open the vaults and fund a truly IDEALIC environment “where people are happy in their work”.

    there should be people in the orgs whether they are on course or not. they should want to just hang out there because there is no where else they’d rather be during their down time. the buildings are there for pete’s sake! why can’t people just hang out in them? have some atmosphere like people are actually living life, that being a scientologist isn’t just being on course or clearing the planet.

    why bleed everyone of their last ounce? it’s just not necessary.

    there is enough cash for him to throw everything open to members and let them relax and enjoy the material wealth scientology has. that was created by their own toil and sacrifice and not worry if that makes people lax in doing courses and auditing, thus reducing income.

    to have the attitude and disposition that people can do scientology as they see fit at their own speed and proceed as they feel comfortable.
    they would be so happy and overjoyed, they wouldn’t care or noticed that you glomm’d a percentage for yourself.

    the mest and money is all gravy for him, why not let others enjoy some gravy too? what, they may challenge you, they may get uppity? so what? you would have the control and the goodwill of everyone else you’ve been good too. they would defend you for real, you would have genuine allies AND the power, you knucklehead.

    miscavige had nothing to lose by being a decent person.

    that would have put members in a good mood and living well, hence they will be more apt and willing to naturally defend scientology, plus they would have some thing to point to as evidence that it’s a good organization, they can say “yeah we slaved to build the golf course but we really do play on it every week”.
    he could go on tv and say “look how members live, ask them yourself” and not worry when they do get asked. members would be genuine and sincere about how happy they are and how wonderful a place it is. and that is a boat load of good PR.

    wouldn’t it be nice if he walked of building 50 one day and kids just happen to be playing ball outside, and there is a sound of a dirt bike in the air and someone keeping the grounds may walk by and give him a warm smile, he smiles back and heads over to meet some people for lunch by the swimming pool. everybody relaxed and at ease.

    there is enough cash that he doesn’t have to worry about cash anymore. he could just drop all the lawsuits, and give all that annual lawyer money to the SO. just there alone he could afford to make everyone’s life good and have a compound that is alive with genuine good feelings, where people want to defend COB because “look how good he is to us.”

    i’ve seen many, many exes say “if it would have just been half as bad as it turned out to be, i never would have left”.

    i guess what i’m saying is regardless whatever anyone thinks of the tech, including DM, it still it doesn’t have to be such a toxic organization.

    it points to who the man is, it reveals his nature. because there is no other reason.

    even if it was bad under hubbard, still miscavige had the power to steer it in a different direction and he didn’t.
    whether you are a believer or not, there is no reason today why scientology needs to be so oppressive. this thing about it being in it’s DNA doesn’t fully wash because miscavige has shown he has no qualms about deviating from LRH when it suits him. so he is steering the ship irregardless of hubbard.

    hubbard has been long gone, it’s been miscavige’s show for decades now.

    if he has altered the tech then it shows he doesn’t feel bound by LRH, hence he can change anything he wants. so his choices in doing so, the things he chose to change and the things he chose not to change, tell the tale of who he really is. he could have altered the tech to make it a less toxic organization.
    to put it another way, if he was going to be a squirrel he could have at least been a fun one.

    Marc Headly says he thinks people would drink laced kool aid if DM said so.
    so many other have testified to how controlling he is and how controlled members are.
    well then he could have effectively canceled disconnection and fair game and nobody would have said “boo”, if he can alter the tech then he can alter it to his choosing. he sold them on typos, he could have sold them on anything.

    who feels good when the people around them are miserable?

    it didn’t have to be the way it is. it’s his choice, his creation.

    the thing about absolute power is, there really is no one else to blame when it all turns to shit.

    even if the worst things critics say about scientology the subject are true, STILL the organization could have been so much better off in this internet age. they still could be getting new members in spite of all the material being online and still be doing well, if they didn’t have a mean and shortsighted person at the helm for 30 years.

    this guy had so much to work with and so many different directions he could go in and what he did was grind everything into the ground.

    what miscavige has wasted is stupendous in it’s scope and breadth.
    never has someone with so much done so little for so many.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 4:10 pm

      From Robocop to COB-Stop: “We can’t have that!’

      Reply
    • Kemist says

      May 28, 2014 at 5:35 pm

      A lot of rich people work overtime to make the world a worse place.

      It seems that to get that much moolah you have to be dedicated to the accumulation of money and power above all other things, and people who do that are not good people. This seems to be true even of people who did offer a real, valuable product, such as Steve Jobs who acted callously with and exploited the people who enabled his career like Steve Wosniak and the geek ‘friends’ who helped him with his initial startup.

      I think these people are constitutionally unable to trust anyone, or to have actual, real life friends. They give the appearance of being friends with people who can advance their aims to discard them ‘quietly and without sorrow’ once these people no longer have anything they desire. For Miscavige, that’s Tom Cruise’s function. He’s his famous buddy to give an impression of hollywood clout. The day he no longer has money and power, Tom Cruise will be discarded like others before him.

      Miscavige would see the people having fun on his property as a threat, because that’s what he was to his early competitors for power. When you spend all your free time plotting other people’s demise and humiliation, you are bound to think everyone around you is plotting yours.

      Reply
      • Pepper says

        May 30, 2014 at 5:13 pm

        WhiteStar – wow and wow. You painted a beautiful picture of what could be or could have been.

        I’m sorry that its a little too late. You never know what the future holds though, once DM is long gone.

        Reply
    • Hallie Jane says

      May 28, 2014 at 9:24 pm

      Very good points WhiteStar! Your goodness is showing.

      Reply
    • Aquamarine says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:27 pm

      WhiteStar, your problem is that you are a Social Personality 🙂

      Reply
      • Aquamarine says

        May 29, 2014 at 1:06 pm

        WhiteStar, I just re-read this post of yours again, and it made me think of something: Is anyone familiar with the film “All About Eve”? Where Bette Davis stands on the stairs with her hand on her hip, warning her party guests, “Fasten your seatbelts. Its going to be a bumpy night”?. Anyway, if you know the story line of that movie, its not a stretch to see that David Miscavige played Eve Harrington to LRH’s Margot Channing.

        Reply
        • MJ says

          May 29, 2014 at 2:20 pm

          Jealousy is one of Dave’s more endearing qualities.

          Reply
      • Pepper says

        May 29, 2014 at 5:31 pm

        Aqua – I love that movie (All About Eve). You’re right, it’s not a stretch to see DM playing Eve to LRH’s Margot Channing and an interesting comparison!

        Reply
  28. SILVIA says

    May 28, 2014 at 2:43 pm

    Extravagant indeed and pathetic too – too much mest but not one single friend to share and enjoy all this with.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      How can he befriend all those SP`s at Int Base?

      Reply
    • Dave B. says

      May 29, 2014 at 10:01 pm

      Thank you.

      Friends are far more important. To use kult-speak, not even the same order of magnitude.

      Reply
  29. remoteviewed says

    May 28, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    Sort of aligns with why I would call the Int Base the “Magic Kingdom”, aside from their total disconnect with what was really going on at lower levels of that so called “Organizational Chart” they issued back in the ’90’s.

    Reply
  30. aegerprimo says

    May 28, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    Bullet proof glass? That’s a laugh! David Miscavige is an idiot to think someone will go out in the middle of the desert to take some shots at the tiny leader of a tiny cult. He should be more afraid of his staff.

    Reply
    • Aquamarine says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:24 pm

      “He should be more afraid of his staff.”

      Actually, I think he is.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 29, 2014 at 12:40 am

        And for very good reason. Dude is motivator hungry.

        Reply
  31. iamvalkov says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Awesome post and photos. Thank You Mike and associates who made this publication possible!

    Reply
  32. jgg2012 says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:52 pm

    Does the Pope live like this?

    Reply
    • Philip Arlington says

      May 28, 2014 at 3:36 pm

      This is a hovel compared to the Pope’s palace, but the Pope can argue that his palace was decorated by Michaelangelo and Raphael, so it has to be maintained for cultural reasons.

      Reply
      • Pepper says

        May 28, 2014 at 5:32 pm

        The Papal Palace has cultural and historical significance indeed.

        Something that Captain David Miscavige doesn’t seem to comprehend judging by his nouveau-riche, California desert compound in the middle of nowhere (my apology to the citizens of Hemet).

        With it’s confused “Scottish Manor” architecture and “forest” on the outside and sinister “I Want to Rule the World” design inside, one can only say one thing about DM: He doesn’t know what the fuck he is doing.

        Reply
    • Lorry Lurker says

      May 28, 2014 at 3:36 pm

      The new Pope tries to get away from it but all the others did.

      https://www.google.com/search?es_sm=93&biw=1920&bih=955&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=papal+apartments&oq=papal+a&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.22647.24218.0.27636.7.7.0.0.0.0.261.862.2j4j1.7.0.ernk_qsra…0…1.1.45.img..1.6.669.uHGCoG9rqzk

      Reply
  33. Lorry Lurker says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    Don’t forget that David Miscavige grew up catholic. Google “papal apartment” and “luxury”, and then you’ll understand where he is coming from. Fascination with luxury is not a part of Scientology under LRH.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      May 28, 2014 at 3:06 pm

      The papal apartment may have large ceilings, but the furniture looks liveable and comfortable not cold and uncomfortable.

      Reply
  34. Conan says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    Now, now Mike. You and the other nattering SPs have failed to duplicate what Oberfuhrer COB had in mind for Building 50, his Wolfsschanze. Here it is for you:

    http://youtu.be/BZsi-QYg6g8

    Reply
    • Pepper says

      May 28, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      An interesting video but here Hitler appears to be enjoying his time at the Wolf’s Lair and so do a lot of other people too. Notice how there are lots of women, children and pets walking about and they look relaxed and happy. A little girl shows Hitler her shiny black shoe and he seems to enjoy that. Hitler also talks to and embraces the children. Another lady is ice skating. There’s lots of lounging about and conversation going on. People seem to be enjoying their time there.

      I don’t think any of this ever happens at the Int Base, nor will it any time soon.

      Reply
      • FG says

        May 28, 2014 at 5:59 pm

        Hitler was an SP especially regarding his obsession to exterminate the Jews, and that made him the biggest criminal of those last 2000 years. Such a hate which would bring even the assassination of little children remains a riddle for a civilised mind.
        Aside this Hitler was hysterical, but he also was capable of ARC and some of his associates and people had a devoted love for him.
        I don’t know Dave, but Mike, do you think anyone love him, or is he capable of any ARC for anyone?

        Reply
      • The Dark Avenger says

        May 28, 2014 at 6:27 pm

        FWIW, Hitler had been known in German as Der Teppichfresser around the time of Munich, fresser being used to German to refer to an animal eating, and very insulting to apply to a human.

        However, Hitler did have a personal magnetism and ability to charm people that COB clearly lacks, as the above video demonstrates.

        Reply
    • Mike says

      May 29, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      The COB is (fortunately) a rather sad beginner compared to Hitler when it comes to design and making impressions. Hitler hired people like Albert Speer and let them do their job.

      Reply
    • Paul Cocovinis says

      June 2, 2014 at 4:57 am

      Of all the comparisons with this man and the rise of the Third Reich,, of which there are an alarming amount, this is not one of them. Apparently Hitler was quite the host according to the memoirs of his personal secretary. All the evidence suggests that DM’s hospitality (excluding that towards his crim lawyers and TC), is somewhat different.
      By the way, in the interests of historical accuracy, this footage is incorrectly labelled. It was NOT taken at the Wolf’s Lair which was located in East Prussia (now Poland). This was taken at his summer retreat, the Berghof, near the village of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria. And I also suspect it was taken several years before 1945.

      Reply
  35. Lorry Lurker says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:32 pm

    You forgot Lou Henley-Smith. She might hold the COB-PR job.

    Reply
  36. nana says

    May 28, 2014 at 1:04 pm

    Wow. Thanks for sharing those photos. For over 23 years, while being in the Sea Org, I lived in the old run down, cracked ceilings, mold in bathrooms, 15 year old carpets, old electrical wiring, etc., berthings. (Except for 3 years while at Flag, and the room I had was nice.)

    And if anyone complained, the Ethics Officer was pretty clear to let you know it was up to you to change it (right, after a 14 hour day and less than $50 a week pay) and how it would be wrong to divert the publics money to staff berthing.

    I always pushed away my frustration to see how COB was dressed, the car he was in, the offices I did view, because he was COB and the top of the organization had to be and look successful. But this over spending, extravagance, not needed, over showey, power-play style, just confirms what I have been learning while finally waking up. He is not trying to save lives and help others, he has his own agenda only and it is for his own grandious plans that help no one.

    Still bitter as I saw so much and knew so little of what was really happening and it hurt my family. I’ll get to a point that I will be more flippant – but right now – just anted to say thanks for showing me and others more of what really has been happening.

    nana

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:20 pm

      “COB made it go right to get his house in order. Let that be a lesson in the causativeness of the cob.” – RTC Apprentice Assistant Ass Kissers I/C of Global Grandiosity for the Galactic Warrior

      Reply
    • flyonthewall says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Welcome to the real world Nana! Congrats on getting out and stay beautiful!

      Reply
    • Valerie says

      May 28, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Consider yourself lucky you didn’t fix up your room. A group of us did just that in our 3 minutes a day free time (it took us about a month with paint, drapes, the whole thing) and when it was done, we got kicked out of our room 2D could move in because it was a nice place for a family to be. Welcome to the sunshine nana.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 4:12 pm

        Ask not what the cob can do for you, but what you can do for the cob.

        Reply
    • Al Brown says

      May 28, 2014 at 3:48 pm

      Nana, Very well done on getting yourself out of there and seeking the truth.

      Reply
    • Pepper says

      May 28, 2014 at 4:21 pm

      nana,

      I’m happy you’re out now too and hope you’re enjoying life. I hope that you and your family recover from whatever it is that you’re going through. It’s a work in progress and takes time. I know something of what you say about feeling bitter and hurt in the family. I have experienced the same and have certain family members who were very definitely hurt by their time spent in Scientology, either on staff, or out-tech auditing, etc. It’s hard to see your loved ones go through this.

      I felt nauseated when I read this article and saw the pictures. I’m so glad that I stopped giving money to any of the organizations or any of the other programs in Scientology long ago. A huge rip-off and betrayal of the public and Sea Org members is happening every day. I’m thrilled that this is getting exposed to the public and hope that more will wake up and leave: Public and Sea Org staff both and the sooner the better for All.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 5:29 pm

        Nana, in the immortal words of a great man: “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

        ~ Thomas Paine

        Reply
      • nana says

        May 29, 2014 at 3:13 pm

        Thanks! Really appreciate all the comments back.

        Reply
  37. Mreppen says

    May 28, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    Wow and wow. Does he make his body guards wear the same uniforms that the Pope’s Swiss Guard’s have?

    Reply
    • remoteviewed says

      May 28, 2014 at 5:29 pm

      Personally I think its fashionably black accentuated with a death’s head symbol on each lapel which I think is the current RTC uniform.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 6:23 pm

        Nope, it’s skull and crossbones.

        Reply
        • remoteviewed says

          May 28, 2014 at 7:16 pm

          🙂

          Reply
  38. Narapoid says

    May 28, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    That is what Nero’s palace would look like today.

    Reply
  39. Dan Koon says

    May 28, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    Mike, I think the bulletproof glass on the patio outside his office is a nice touch. It makes it possible for him to view the valley while enjoying his smoke.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 29, 2014 at 1:05 am

      They need to lower it a foot.

      Reply
  40. SadStateofAffairs says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:58 am

    This building is a DISGRACE: firstly as the showplace of the self-indulgent, masturbatory, wasteful extravagance of Miscavige, which is Treason by any standard of actual Scientology policy; and secondly for the destruction of Scientology Staff and organizations that have occurred behind its doors. This is building is certainly a candidate for the list of “buildings I would least like to work in, or even visit (others being buildings at Auschwitz, in Pyongyang, and various prisons dotting the globe).

    Reply
  41. Joe Pendleton says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:58 am

    Someone with balls should have decided that Miscavige would not be allowed to continue on post …. and then made sure that he didn’t.

    Reply
    • remoteviewed says

      May 28, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      I agree Joe,

      All this extravagance but not a word from Wendell about all this.

      Guess he found that extorting money from Franchises and Orgs was more lucrative than telling Dave to cut back on his expenses.

      Reply
      • Mike Rinder says

        May 28, 2014 at 4:06 pm

        Wendell, last I saw, was sitting in the Hole “waiting for the Old Man to come back to validate how he was right for what he did as Int Finance Dictator” that ended him up in the RPF for years and then in Estates for years after that. He is delusional.

        Reply
        • remoteviewed says

          May 28, 2014 at 4:47 pm

          Thanks for the update Mike.

          BTW Wendell always reminded me of Heinrich Himmler for some reason.

          (Maybe it was the glasses and that myopic stare.)

          Did he have anything like Wewelsburg kinda cult for his finance staff?

          Jus’ askin’ 😉

          Reply
          • Mike Rinder says

            May 28, 2014 at 5:05 pm

            Wendell never wore glasses? I think you have him mixed up with someone else. He is the model for Serenity of Beingness in the Tone Scale film.

            Reply
            • remoteviewed says

              May 28, 2014 at 5:26 pm

              Possible.

              I vaguely remember seeing a picture him in what was ironically called “KSW News” (RTC’s house organ at one time) and thinking the guy reminded me of Heinrich.

              Maybe I just dubbed in the glasses and the vacant evil stare.

              Reply
  42. Potpie says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:54 am

    Does he smoke cigars?
    Probably not….a big fat cigar
    in his mouth might make his head
    look smaller than it is.

    A tiny cigarette like a Camel straight
    or Kool straight (no filters)
    surely makes him feel strong and domineering.

    Plus I think those are the cigs LRH smoked.
    Gotta stay in line with his hero.

    As a side note….I always got a kick out of hearing
    LRH fire up a cig and take a deep puff while I was
    listening to tapes on course.

    Reply
    • remoteviewed says

      May 28, 2014 at 2:17 pm

      Potpie,

      The lil’ Winston Smiths at the Church pretty much edited those points out of the latest edition of the Briefing Course tapes plus airbrushed out any evidence that he smoked from any of his pictures and removed his pack of Kools and an ashtray off the LC’s checklist for his office back in the ’90’s.

      I personally commented on how obviously Orwellian this action was and it was probably one of the many comments that I made which earned me the label of “disaffected”.

      Reply
      • Potpie says

        May 28, 2014 at 5:39 pm

        Remoteviewed,

        They took those moments out???
        Since when did the church become
        politically correct?

        Those were great moments of
        levity for me on the wall of tapes.

        Not only did I get a kick out of
        hearing him fire one up, I could tell
        he REALLY enjoyed them!

        Reply
        • remoteviewed says

          May 28, 2014 at 7:15 pm

          Oh yeah back in the ’90’s like I said Potpie.

          I too used enjoy Ron firing one up while he was giving a lecture.

          (I did my BC back in the early ’80’s when all the lectures were on reel to reel and there were no transcripts.)

          Worse they airbrushed out the cigarette he was holding in the big portrait that used to hang over the gangway to the Canteen and like I said took his Kools and ashtray out of his office.

          I guess to keep the smoke free Nazis happy or something.

          I mean you couldn’t smoke in ASHO, AO or LA Org any more but you could still smoke in the Main Building which was occupied by SO personnel.

          Talk about a double standard.

          But anyway.

          They also carefully edited that section where Ron mentions the other evil heathen killer weed out of POW in the later editions.

          Yeah for sure it was all about being politically correct.

          One thing Ron never was.

          Reply
          • MJ says

            May 28, 2014 at 7:45 pm

            At this point it would be politically correct to remove McCancer.

            Reply
  43. richelieu jr says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Well Mike, of course the man’s desk and office are made to measure- the guy’s a midget*! They had to make Barbie’s Dream House to order as well, from what I hear!

    “Davey’s Dream House!”

    *(I specifically sued the term midget because dwarfs exist and some are my friends. Just because CoB is smaller than a man, I don’t want to tar all the little people by association)

    Reply
    • Cindy says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:39 pm

      As the Texans say, “he is all hat and no cattle.” All his big mest is over-compensation for his small… well, you get the idea.

      Reply
      • The Dark Avenger says

        May 28, 2014 at 6:11 pm

        “If dumb were dirt, he’d just about cover seven acres.”

        Reply
      • Aquamarine says

        May 28, 2014 at 11:10 pm

        That’s right, Cindy. But even more than his small physical stature I think all this obsession of his with expensive mest is compensation for the small size of what he has actually produced in life. If he were truly productive and caring as a being everyone would love him. No one would think of him as small. He’d be a big man to all of us.

        Reply
        • MJ says

          May 29, 2014 at 12:44 am

          You are so right Aquamarine. Dude’s got some issues. He needs auditing! Oh, I guess that’s not an option. Dave, I give you one word to think about for the rest of your life: GRATITUDE.

          Reply
        • Cindy says

          May 29, 2014 at 10:57 pm

          Exactly!

          Reply
  44. scientology411 says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:31 am

    This is going to make for one very interesting IRS auction.

    Reply
    • McCarran says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:08 pm

      Yay!!! Can’t wait!

      Reply
  45. Kevin says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:20 am

    That desk of his looks like a rejected prop from the set of Battlefield Earth.

    Reply
    • Visitor says

      May 29, 2014 at 3:49 am

      … or from the Harconians in Dune.

      Reply
  46. Just Me says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:17 am

    This post offers great insights about Mr. Miscavige. Tom’s comments about the great leader are telling. And, of course, these newly published pictures are much appreciated. As the kids say, Mr. Miscavige has been pwned.

    Reply
  47. Pepper says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:15 am

    Apparently the drought in California has not reached Hemet. The cost to water the landscape around Building 50 must be extremely high, and there are probably other areas at the Int Base where DM wants to see plants, grass, etc too.

    It’s an ironic comparison between the interior of Building 50 to the outside surrounding. Completely different. Cold, hard, windowless, forced lighting inside and a lush forest on the out.

    It’s kind of schizophrenic.

    Reply
  48. Mark says

    May 28, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Are you sure/i> he has to step outside for a smoke, Mike? Or is that just so he can maintain the myth (even in his Dwarfenführerbunker) that he’s like any other Sea Org slave with “wog” workplace regulations? He strikes me as just the sort who loves to intimidate people by blowing smoke in their faces, among other things… https://www.flickr.com/photos/marksshoops/14245177733/in/photostream/

    Reply
    • Mike Rinder says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:10 am

      Well, he does that too. He smokes wherever he wants. That was sort of a snide comment that most will not understand. He doesn’t NEED another patio as he smokes wherever and whenever he wants.

      Reply
      • Jose Chung says

        May 28, 2014 at 11:24 am

        Geezus, on the bright side, the bullet proof glass would only have to be 5 foot 1 inch high
        to give full protection to the Galactic Samurai

        Reply
      • Mark says

        May 28, 2014 at 11:27 am

        Thought as much (sorry about accidental italics in first comment).

        Reply
      • thetapotata says

        May 29, 2014 at 1:06 am

        I guess someone told him that smoking stunts your growth and he turned it into a postulate.

        Reply
        • Cindy says

          May 29, 2014 at 11:02 pm

          either that or he keeps smoking to make people wrong and self right, as in continuing to burn the toast to be right after burning it the first time. Davie, just face it, you’re toast.

          Reply
  49. MJ says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:43 am

    COB (CICS) (OVERTS do speak loudly) (BASTARDIZED Scientology)

    Reply
  50. Shanester says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:42 am

    Mike, the golden_large.jpg (Courtyard atrium) photo isn’t displaying?

    Reply
    • Mike Rinder says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:49 am

      I reloaded it, can you see it now?

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:54 am

        Unfortunately yes.

        Reply
      • Shanester says

        May 28, 2014 at 12:02 pm

        Yes, thanks. Wow, Lil’ Davy has an utterly execrable aesthetic. There is seriously nothing redeeming about him whatsoever. Even the Kim Jongs of North Korea have, at least, far better design sensibilities.

        Reply
  51. thegman77 says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:41 am

    Words fail. What a sorry end.

    Reply
  52. hgc10 says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:38 am

    I’ll say this for Boss Miscavige: He’s got atrocious tastes. Ugly doesn’t begin to describe those interiors. The assault on the eyes is overwhelming in its intensity. I think my eyes would bleed if they had to look at these places directly.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:57 am

      I think you’re safe on that count. These photos should be sent for submission to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

      Reply
    • Valerie says

      May 28, 2014 at 2:57 pm

      I agree. Those interiors don’t look pretty to me. They look gaudy and overdone, like an over the top Vegas version of what a classy office should be, By way of example, we hired a person to handle our social media for our political campaign. She was a newcomer to this State. She decided to change our logo (against express instructions NOT to) to something that looked like what someone who is not from this State would think we want to present ourselves as. She lasted less than a day.

      To me, those buildings look like that. DM has never had his own money or lived a real life. He is trying to impress people and make them think he’s rich by building things he thinks rich people would think are cool. Only people who wish they were rich people would think they were cool. People who are aware of the value of money would see them for the non-functional mess they truly are.

      On the same non-functional topic. I worked at a snooty law firm for a lot of years. We had to wear dresses and heels. For a time, the parquet floor outside the elevators had to be refinished every 3 months and it took about a week to become pockmarked with heel divots after it was refinished. After a couple of years, they got a hint and put expensive imported persian rugs along the walkways so the heels didn’t destroy the parquet. Then they were able to refinish the floor every 3 years.

      Of course, DM didn’t build those things for functionality. Too bad they are so ugly no one cares to look at them and certainly wouldn’t dare walk in and sully them.

      Reply
      • Taelan says

        May 28, 2014 at 7:51 pm

        Agree a 100% with you Valerie. I’ve seen quite a few offices of C-Level executives of large international corporations (and met the occupants, too). most of them wouldn’t even hold a meeting in such a den, let alone call it their office. Heck I’ve stayed in 3-star hotels with similar or better standards, even outside Vegas or Dubai.

        Everything in those pictures reeks of mediocrity, which is something I have experienced many times when dealing with S.O. staff and their products. No offense, but to me the Sea Org has always been a bunch of overconfident people who don’t know much of how the world works in present time. Because there is limited abilities. The few times they engage with external companies, they make uninformed choices and usually end up with flashy expensive things, which don’t always work well for their intended purpose. Just like with the RTC Building. Everyone in the Co$ really seems to either be in a DM valence/mindset somehow, or leave eventually.

        Seen this quite recently with an Ideal Morgue refurbishment: state-of-the art projectors, but the org can’t afford the hugely expensive replacement bulbs (LED to extend the lifespan? Witchcraft!). Top-notch Dell IT systems with premium service plans, but running incredibly crappy INCOMM software which is insecure, ineffective and needs more maintenance than a vintage car at a drag race (probably because the early 90s is when the last IT guy by profession actually joined the S.O.). The interiors look nice, but it’s a bit like someone added a layer of paint and glitter to some IKEA furniture. The staff uniforms are great for the PR shots, but are not really corporate fashion designed for everyday wear, rather like a bunch of random clothing items from a movie prop department, which literally fall apart much earlier than they should.

        Even the “ideal” buildings themselves appear to have been picked for truly insane reasons. Instead of applying simple logic like cost, access to parking and public transportation links, frequency of pedestrians for body routing, etc. it’s been “because we are right in the face of this large news publisher”, “it’s where opinion leaders drive by from the way to the airport”, “this is a landmark building”, and similar explanations, defying all sense and logic. Just like someone from a lower social class tends to behave when they win the lottery, or a huge inheritance. They don’t really know how to deal with that kind of money, so they throw it at dodgy investment schemes, set themselves up in kitschy abodes, buy supercars and maybe a yacht, and eventually end up dirt poor (again).

        Unfortunately as long as there are still enough people left to fleece and keep the stream of money running, I don’t think this will ever change. DM’s valence has thoroughly been hammered in through rank and file…

        Reply
      • Aquamarine says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:50 pm

        I work in a business where I work for and with mostly people who are wealthy. In my field, I have observed for the most part a marked difference in the attitudes of those who have earned their wealth and those who have simply grown up with it. For the most part, those who haven’t earned it but have had it from birth are very focused on their mest; they identify strongly with what they have.

        On the other hand, those who have earned it are far more – what’s the word? – casual, I’d say, about what others think of them. They are not pre-occupied with their image. They mostly wear suits off the rack and nondescript ties. Their food tastes can be rather pedestrian and their offices are certainly nothing special. These are hugely successful men and rich as hell. If you were introduced to them they would shake your hand and listen to you and talk to you. You would feel comfortable with them because they are never condescending. They own their money; it does not own them. They respect the competence and value of other people. They know what people can do.They understand what it is to WORK.

        Its really a whole different energy that emanates from men such as these, and men who, for whatever reason, had everything handed to them. These men, the men I know and deal with on a daily basis, would look at this ostentatious compound, would look at COBs offices, his grounds, and would ask, “Very nice. What does this man do?” Their minds just naturally channel along producing things. Being competent is their security.

        Reply
        • MJ says

          May 29, 2014 at 12:49 am

          Aquamarine, you hit the nail right on the head. It really takes someone in a brainwashed state not to see the charade that Miscavige has created. Sheeple, put down the kool-aid and WAKE THE FUCK UP! PLEASE!

          Reply
        • Cindy says

          May 29, 2014 at 11:07 pm

          Great points, Aquamarine! the ones who truly earned it don’t have to flaunt it.

          Reply
      • Visitor says

        May 29, 2014 at 3:43 am

        I don’t think it’s ugly as much as extremely aggressive looking. I guess that’s what David Miscavige was aiming for, and he succeeded splendidly. The result is a house that offend your senses of peace and quiet at every turn. All those lowly material (wood panels, nice tiles and all), and the interior just make you want to leave.

        Reply
  53. Potpie says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Great lead photo….McDonald’s….very funny.

    I like pretty buildings. The sheeple should
    be very proud. All these pretty buildings are
    very nice but I never felt comfortable in them.
    Never got the idea it was okay to hang out and
    enjoy them.

    I see visions of looters over taking this building
    once HE falls. All these wonderful fixtures being
    sold on Ebay.

    He takes others money, builds temples, then when
    HE bites the dust looters steal and then profit from
    their booty…..the sheeple are two time losers.

    Reply
  54. Themoreyouknow says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:31 am

    The procurement of these ornate buildings, furnishings and finishes to indulge the whims and penchant for excess of Miscavige is particularly egregious in light of how most Sea Org members live and the incredible pressure put on public to donate monies for no visible exchange.

    It would be interesting indeed to see an accounting of where the money for these extravagant buildings came from and what shore stories were told to the folks who ponied up. I’m pretty sure that virtually no public were ever aware that tens of millions of dollars of their church’s money was being used in such an over-the-top manner to benefit one person.

    This kind of elaborate ‘office building’ would make even a corporate CEO blush in front of his / her Board of Directors. Of course in Scientology, Miscavige is both the CEO and COB and effectively there is no Board of Directors, so anything goes with no oversight or challenge by others.

    Thanks Mike for providing more evidence of the truth behind the PR.

    Reply
    • McCarran says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:05 pm

      I’m sorry and sad to inform you that I have made a couple of public aware of this and they don’t care. He deserves it cuz he does so much good for mankind.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:25 pm

        Black is white, wrong is right, his shit don’t stink, he’s out of sight!

        Reply
      • Mike Rinder says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:40 pm

        No surprise Mary. I have heard this plenty of times before.

        What those people have difficulty responding to is this.

        If this is money well spent on Miscavige because he deserves it, why isn’t a fraction of it spent on any other Sea Org members that live in disgusting conditions and eat slop and get mo dental and limited healthcare? Is it true that every person in the SO is a worthless drone that does no good for mankind and ONE person is magnificent?

        Most of them though don’t really care as it doesn’t effect them personally. These “Humanitarians with honors” are only interested in ‘human rights” if it brings them some recognition in the church to be interested in it. And this subject will get you nothing other than sec checks.

        Reply
        • MJ says

          May 28, 2014 at 10:43 pm

          Dave’s programs should be renamed pogroms.

          Reply
        • Cindy says

          May 29, 2014 at 4:44 pm

          So sad and so true Mike. If they were real Humanitarians, they would care about the plight of the rank and file SO members and would fight to set it right.

          Reply
      • Pepper says

        May 29, 2014 at 5:50 pm

        Cindy and Mike – Agreed on the Humanitarian Status B.S.

        A real humanitarian sees the plight of others, feels their suffering and wants to alleviate it. A humanitarian cares about the welfare and happiness of other people too.

        For some reason, this point is missed on the parishioners in the RCS, who see the misery of Sea Org staff all the time, and then deduce that they “have to do more” by giving more money, time and energy to the SOURCE of that misery.

        Public talk all the time about auditors falling asleep in session but can never critically analyze WHY. They think they are committing overts if they do that, so they just bury their heads in the sand and pretend that it’s all okay or they chalk it up to “everyone is responsible for their own condition”. I have even heard people say “Well, if they can’t take it, then they can just leave”. Easier said than done and this uncaring attitude is a trickle down from Miscavige himself, his executives, to (some of) the org staff and then to the public who want to imitate being in the Sea Org but can’t or won’t do it themselves.

        There are so many paradoxes in the RCS. Someone paying for a “Humanitarian” status when that money goes to abuse people, keep them impoverished and dependent boggles the mind.

        Reply
  55. Chris Mann says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:02 am

    Its all so tacky and gaudy. Its makes me uncomfortable looking at it.

    Reply
    • Hallie Jane says

      May 28, 2014 at 9:06 pm

      Exactly!

      Reply
      • Ron says

        May 29, 2014 at 4:46 pm

        Me three.
        It looks uncomfortable, uninviting, and irrelevant. A lot like altered Tech.

        Reply
  56. Jose Chung says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:36 am

    I’m amazed to see the inner sanctum of D.M.
    My thoughts go to Pablo Escobar and Mexican Drug lords with private Zoo’s etc.

    Reply
  57. Mat Pesch says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:30 am

    A veteran Sea Org member and close friend of mine was sitting at her desk at Flag one day when Miscavige walked in with his following. He asked her “Do you think I am more like Napoleon or Alexander the Great.”
    She was totally caught by surprise and hesitated, not knowing what to answer. Miscavige took it as evidence that there was something wrong with HER. She got dragged off for interrogation and was removed off her execution post. After 20 years in the Sea Org and being one of the best staff members I ever knew, she was soon out of the Sea Org. It was the best thing that ever happened to her and she is doing VERY well these days. The point is, Miscavige was seriously asking his insane question. In this guys mind, he is some kind of god and thinks he will be remembered as such. In truth he will only be remembered as just another bat shit crazy cult leader.

    Reply
    • thegman77 says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:44 am

      The proper response to that question, however, was “Actually, sir, you’re more like Atilla the Hun.”

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 10:52 am

        Al Capone.

        Reply
      • TommyJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 12:01 pm

        PeeWee Herman

        Reply
      • Cindy says

        May 28, 2014 at 1:36 pm

        It is a “Do you still beat your wife” question. Either answer would have landed her in the Hole.

        Reply
    • hgc10 says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:14 am

      He’s more like Napoleon if considering physical stature, but comes up short even there.

      Reply
      • Chris Smith says

        May 28, 2014 at 5:14 pm

        For the record, Napoleon wasn’t short for his time. He was about 5’7″ tall where at the time in France the average male height was 5’5″. He also employed very tall and broad bodyguards, so in comparison to the men he kept around him he would appear shorter than them. It’s just an interesting misconception about the man that has become ingrained in our collective consciousness.

        Reply
    • richelieu jr says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:47 am

      Well, they were both short!

      Reminds me of the scene in Time Bandits where Napoleon is obsessed with the heights of other world leaders..” Alexander the Great… 4 foot 2! Dumpy little guy!”

      But just like his master. In ‘my Billion Year Contract’, Nancy Many, who worked directly for Hubbard, speaks of being presented with campaign basically saying Hubbard was the second coming of Christ, or at least his equal and asked what she thought; She thought it was insane, but of course smiled and said ‘Straight Up and Vertical!’

      At least Davey’s a bit more modest…

      Reply
    • KFrancis says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:59 am

      I wish she had said, ” your more like Pee Wee Herman sir, with the exception that he’s funny and can dance “

      Reply
      • Aquamarine says

        May 28, 2014 at 9:59 pm

        “I’d say that you are the Louis DePalma of cult leaders, Sir”.

        But not the actor himself as I’ve heard that Danny DeVito is a super nice guy.

        Reply
    • Bob Dobbs says

      May 28, 2014 at 12:31 pm

      Wow, Mat, what a story! Congrats to your friend for being in the right place at the right time.

      Reply
    • Martin Padfield says

      May 29, 2014 at 3:10 am

      When doing inspections at AOSH UK He would sneak in when staff were cleaning up and say “Quick – he’s coming” just to revel in seeing the staff panic. He also once told a Sup he was going to check on a student. Knowing his WIAC PL, and thinking he was being tested, this Sup said “No Sir”. He was on Mest work within minutes. Another time he wafted in to the Tech area, spotted me and said “I Know you from somewhere”. I regaled him with a hilarious (in my mind) anecdote about the previous time we had met in MCI when I had failed to get him some tortilla chips he had asked for. Stony faced and with his full entourage around him, he asked me what I was doing. When I told him I was selling kitchens at the time he asked how much Briefing Courses cost and contemptuously told me I “only had to sell a few a month” to make the same money. (Last time I checked there were ZERO people on the BC at St Hill). As I looked down on him during this conversation I wondered how one person could be so full of contempt and hatred. Still wondering.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 29, 2014 at 8:49 am

        I believe the reference is KSW #1: “It’s just a knack he has.”

        Reply
  58. MJ says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:25 am

    I don’t know about you guys, but isn’t Dave amazing? He could teach the Dalai Lama a thing or two, not to mention Ron himself. I guess what these other leaders lacked was the vision, the brilliance and the absolute necessity to show the world who you really are. I’m sure Dave has inspired the masses to raise the bar and concentrate on what really matters most. Like LRH said, you get what you put your attention on. Thanks again Mike for posting and my greatest thanks to the cob-blestone kid for showing us all where the church is heading. Carry on my wayward son!

    Reply
    • richelieu jr says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:42 am

      Yes, if Jesus Christ want just a projection inserted in out brains on Mars, I’m sure he’d hang his head in shame, and perhaps even crucify himself for not living up to the standards l’il Davey was to set a couple of millennia hence.

      Reply
  59. deanblair06 says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:23 am

    To see this and then think about the squalor that the Sea Org staff are living in is appalling. David Miscavige is spending millions and millions of dollars on himself and he gives none of this to the Sea Org staff who work so hard for him.

    Reply
    • MJ says

      May 28, 2014 at 10:09 am

      “Fuck ’em, I have to do it all.” (From the recorded notes of the hardest working man in slow business)

      Reply
  60. David Cooke says

    May 28, 2014 at 9:09 am

    I feel for those trees that got transplanted into desert soil, even with a spare-no-expense watering regime. The pencil cypresses along the front of the building, the pines behind to give that Scottish castle feel, the weeping willows down by the road. Miscavige is piling up some overts on the fifth dynamic, too.

    Reply
    • Marta says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:47 am

      How very environmentally unconscious to require such a watering regime. Oh, a drought you say? Fuck everybody else, I guess, as usual. Mother Nature, however, is a damn good equalizer so this too will catch up with him – hopefully sooner than later.

      Reply
      • The Dark Avenger says

        May 28, 2014 at 6:08 pm

        COB will postulate a wet winter, and if that doesn’t happen he’ll start telling the CICS that YSCOHB. Same as it ever was.

        Reply
  61. DollarMorgue says

    May 28, 2014 at 8:59 am

    The Galactic Samurai doesn’t hold a candle to that expenditure.

    Reply
    • threefeetback says

      May 28, 2014 at 1:35 pm

      For some reason the cherry on top of the Lavish Rediculousness has not yet been mentioned nor discussed.

      There are several underlying reasons why Dave has been gradually leaving and threatening to sell the Int Base. One of the major situations is that the active San Jacinto EARTHQUAKE FAULT system runs through the base. Tom DeVocht is probably privy to this information. The fault runs within about 50 feet of the ‘Berthing Buildings’ (staff living quarters), the current location of the “Hole”. It also runs within a few hundred yards of the RTC Building (Building 50). If anyone notices Dave holding his fingers crossed behind his back, that would be in hopes that the “Hole” is swallowed up in the process of “liquefaction” that would occur in the event of an earthquake in that area.

      With his increasing paranoia, Dave is experiencing the EP of the very ‘must have/can’t have’ Black Dianetics & Scientology processing that he has been running on the sheeple for decades.

      It would be excellent if Mike Rinder and Tom DeVocht could convince the FBI to escort them onto the Int/Gold Base from the perspective of INUREMENT and criminality. Exposure of the ‘Hole’ would be a side show and its occupants could draw their own conclusions form the facts once Dave. the kingpin, was taken out.

      Reply
      • MJ says

        May 28, 2014 at 2:39 pm

        Humpty Davey sat on a wall,
        Humpty Davey had a great fall.
        All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
        Couldn’t put Cobster together again.

        Reply
    • DollarMorgue says

      May 28, 2014 at 6:32 pm

      On second thought, the Samurai is more fitting than I knew. Very feudal.

      Reply

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