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Paul's Journal

paul
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04/22/2008 14:06 #44098

Real LaPlaine - The Scientologist
Category: scientology
It's not your beliefs, it is the actions of the freakin' practitioners themselves and their aggressive, obnoxious street mission tactics. I have become increasingly afraid of them, one in particular. In fact I often find myself having to run across the street to avoid them.

I have no idea what the Scientologist's really believe nor do I care. I didn't really look it up until just now when I found My problem with the group stems specifically from the practitioners at the Church of Scientology Building on Main Street.

They are constantly getting in my face on the way to my work and have harassed me numerous times at my home. That is totally unacceptable behavior from any group of people. They are a plague to my neighborhood and honestly I hope their whole building collapses, taking the congregation with it.

Sorry, it is hard for me to separate my feelings for that group from you as a person. I recognize that is a personalty flaw I have, and I thrive on it. If you were just a practioner I would feel different, because I would probably just feel sorry for you, but the fact that you are a large scale persuader, makes me feel uncomfortable supporting your message with my software.

So yes, please stay away from this site and tell all of your Scumbagtologist friends that they are not welcome here either - not for what they believe in, although I hear it is quite sketchy, but rather for the way they have treated me in my hometown neighborhood. They alone have made it a far less pleasant place than before they arrived. Not to mention the outrageous amount of paper wasted taping up those damn posters on ever light post and window around for the last two years.

I hope estrip makes scientologists feel just as uncomfortable as I feel on that part of main street near your church and that you return to LA.

Paul - I find it interesting that because of my association with Scientology, that you now go from friendly and open, and this site is for anyone, to antagonistic. Do you do that with other people who study other philosophies or practice other religious beliefs? Is this site only for "conventional" beliefs?

Besides, read a book on Scientology. If you are a graduate of university they should have taught you to keep your head open to new thoughts.

And yes, I did head up the entire Volunteer Ministers program at one time. I have friends who also headed up different church around the world - they never had a problem with Scientology - because I also respected their beliefs and their religions.

So my question is this? Is your site now off-limits to me? Let me know and I'll bail now if that's the case and I'll know that the Elmwood district is not all that it is being punched up to be.

Real



Real Laplaine @ 1-800-334-5433 or email atinfocenter@scientology.net.

Real Laplaine
Senior Consultant
Dianetics Information Center
1-800-367-8788
6331 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, California, 90028
infocenter@dianetics.org

Real Laplaine (Volunteer Minister Program In Charge)

imk2 - 04/23/08 05:13
i have finally been accosted by the scientologists too, and so has faben. seriously, do they think that constantly harassing people in the neighborhood will get them more members?

i was in the middle of a conversation with (e:tinypliny) and this crazy looking dude comes up to me, interrupts our conversation ,doesn't even say excuse me....just walks up and butts into our convo and says "hi" and just stands there glaring at me like he (or i) am crazy.

and i'm like "um....dude....wtf?" after he left, tiny reminded me of how (e:enknot) started screaming at them and wigging out and then i regretted not doing the same.

god, they're so fucking creepy.

stress test my ass.....leave me the fuck alone when i'm walking on the streets of my neighborhood, ok? don't you people see how fucking weird you all appear to be? stop molesting people on the street and come up with a different tactic if you want your recruitment numbers to increase. i doubt your current strategy is working very well.

maybe you should throw in some oral action from tom cruise as an incentive. i'd actually consider joining if that was part of the deal.
jenks - 04/22/08 22:08
omg i'm a little buzzed but these comments are cracking me up. I love you guys.
hodown - 04/22/08 21:28
oh right and the anti drug thing. for reals- zanax is your little yellow friend.
paul - 04/22/08 21:02
Ya, I am not sure if there could be a worse combo for me than a commercial, anti-drug religion with a cat entity.
hodown - 04/22/08 20:50
im making a comment to get closer to 10k or whatever, but in realtion to this post i loved tom cruise so much until he joined the cult known as scientology. any religion that involves cat aliens freaks me the fuck out.
metalpeter - 04/22/08 19:07
The thing that I'm going to say is coming at this with a slightly different view. I'm not defending or attacking anyone so please no one take it this way, on a side note it has been a long time since there has been any (e:strip) drama and I often seem to miss it some how.

The stress test thing really freaks me out and they even have it every year at the same place at the Erie County Fair, and that is deceptive it really is. But lets be honest they are not the only people who do this. Army Recruiters do this all the time and often I won't say lie but don't tell the entire truth and go after kids (poor areas) at malls and say stuff like wow your pretty good at that game I always die on level 15 and then they talk about how they could shoot people for real. Again at the fair the army often has a place to play a shooting simulator. There are people who hand out little bibles at festivals and go door to door trying to convert you to there way of thinking ( 3 different churches)that I can remember. You see this even on some of the political news shows on TV. It is a common practice that these guys really have perfected to an artform. I think when you are passionate it is very easy to go from Come on in and have your questions answered and we can't make you life better to harrasement.

I think that he is trying to sell a book. I think he is trying to convert people. However that being said I think that he has a right to write here. No one has to read his journal. I think that he should be given a chance as long as it isn't spam and he doesn't only write about the book.

On a side note I'm not a Budhist (sorry about the spelling). But one thing that I do like about them expect for the entire Tibet thing as the exception to this. Is that they don't come up to you and tty to tell you there beliefs unless you of course ask. As prof of this I had no idea that there where different kinds of it until (e:libertad) joined the site and I still have no idea what the differences are. Again it is a fine line between sharing ideas and trying to push them off on someone else and I think the cult that they are (christans started out as one to though a long time ago ) over the line the way they try to get people into it. But my point is they are not the only ones who are that way.
paul - 04/22/08 18:05
I was thinking more along the lines of a free pepper spray taste test.
fing - 04/22/08 17:02
Agreed Paul. I hate it how belligerent they are sometimes. I was walking with a coworker last summer and one of them came up and tried to hand us a card. He (my coworker) was on the phone at the time and he just kept talking to him so he finally just said "I am on the phone!!" and we kept walking. I think we should get some estrip.org cards made up and we can talk to them about Estripology. We can show them a free movie or do a free stress test.
hodown - 04/22/08 16:28
Agreed. Scientology is sketch-o-rama. Really aliens who died a long time ago and then their spirits got trapped in volcanoes or some shizz. And I don't like their high pressure sales tactics. And lastly any "religion" that requires you to pay to get closer to their form of a higher being is highly suspect.
paul - 04/22/08 16:11
Thanks all for your feedback.
tiburon1724 - 04/22/08 15:57
Scientologists are trained very well in how to manipulate others. After all, according to them, we are all one. Re-read his post, it's clearly phony. I think it's every month that there is a worldwide protest at Scientology headquarters, including here in Buffalo. They will say things to purposely make the protestors react in an aggressive manor, so they can point the finger and say we are the problem, not them. (passive aggressive behavior at it's max?) NOTHING they do or say can be taken at face value, there is always another agenda. I love the booth at Blvd Mall that says "Free Stress Test" when it's actually a Scientologist recruiting station. If you're not sketchy, why not have it say "Free Scientology Info" instead???
jon - 04/22/08 15:54
Here is just a sample of the beliefs in their CULT, fyi:

"Various writings and recordings of Hubbard claim: that Christ was a myth fabricated by space aliens to deceive Man from realizing his true nature; that Christ was a child-molester; that Blacks are genetically inferior to Whites; and in the 'free personality test' women are scored lower than men." - JDRAKE :::link:::

Actual sound bites of Hubbard concerning some of the above... :::link:::

Also how they deal with crtics...

"Scientology had an official, formal policy, written by L Ron Hubbard, for dealing with critics, which urged filing harassment lawsuits, digging up or making up embarrassing personal problems about critics and then publishing them, trying to get critics fired, picketing their homes, and threatening critics with bodily harm. It stated 'always attack, never defend' and 'the purpose of the lawsuit is to harass, not to win.'"

They are just a CULT, albeit a very well funded one.
libertad - 04/22/08 15:48
I didn't see this persons journal, but I do think that is acceptable that paul does not want to allow the site to be used for the Scientologist agenda. These people take advantage and use people who are desperate or suffering.
drew - 04/22/08 15:19
Three things:

1. Let the record show that, although Paul and I disagree on many (most?) things religious, he has been nothing but hospitable to me.

2. Although I have no love for Scientology, and believe it to be misleading. It is my preference that everything be allowed, save obvious spam. We are obviously smart enough to not be misled.

3. Point 2 doesn't matter so much, because it is not my hard work that makes (e:strip) happen. Paul is the boss in this here land.
brit - 04/22/08 15:06
they go after vulnerable juniors on our campus who just moved away from their families really aggressively.... I agree with you Paul...what they believe is neither here nor there, they recruit like an evil cult
paul - 04/22/08 14:47
I just want to re-iterate - this is not even about the religion - for me, this is really about the dudes on the street annoying me.
lizabeth - 04/22/08 14:28
Ooh man, Scientologists are creepy. I got a weird feeling when I saw L. Ron listed in his post, too.
james - 04/22/08 14:26
Return to LA? Did he even leave?
lilho - 04/22/08 14:21
i don't care if people want to speak their beliefs, but i feel it is totally disrespectful, aggressive and offensive to push your philosophies or religion on anyone.

religion is a personal choice, something that should be for you, and kept sacred in that way. when people start whoring their religion and beliefs out to everyone else, it just seems really wrong.

i agree with you paul.

this site is to connect and talk about buffalo, life events, and anything really. it is not to try and sell anything or convince anyone of anything.

i used various forms of the word, "any", way too much.
paul - 04/22/08 14:13
You don't have to blame all of the Elmwood District for my feelings. I have no idea how the entire district feels about Scientologists.

04/20/2008 18:36 #44070

My main interest
Category: life
I just wanted to thank the universe that my main interests are computers and cell phones. Had it been mountain climbing or running, all these set backs would have ruined my life. Then again maybe the fact that my interests were cell phone and computers has ruined my health, lol. No i do seriously move around a lot and it sucks that I can't move as much as I want right now.
jim - 04/21/08 16:38
Glad you're back home :D
jon - 04/21/08 08:50
Feel better Paul! See you when you get back.
james - 04/20/08 21:43
Coincidentally, I wanted to ask you guys out dancing this weekend. We will postpone until you can shake your money maker (not your laptop) with full gusto.
fing - 04/20/08 18:41
Paul, glad to hear that you pulled through without any major problems.

04/20/2008 17:10 #44068

elmwood cameras part two
Category: elmwood
So I have been trying to think of a way to make the buffalo police observation cameras (e:paul,44064) less hateable. What if instead of having to have auditors of their use and abuse, they just dump all the live feeds to the web. That way everyone can see what the police are looking at and it keeps it more legit. I mean if they are so understaffed with people to view the cameras, this would also create a larger net of people watching the data being gathered.
metalpeter - 04/21/08 19:05
I'm not sure if there still is but there are webcams around buffalo and there used to be one in Half & Half. I don't know as it was live I think it was live then self updated every 15 seconds. I think the web idea is a good one. That being said I think there is a bad aspect to it. If people can watch on the web then it could be come a place for shows. For example all the workers from some place where they where a uniform go out and play a game of hackey sack, or other things. Or what if it leads to Vigilante isim or hate crimes. The two girls holding hands or the 3 black guys who look like a gang get attacked once off cameras cause people who hate them just saw people they don't like live in their nieghboorhood. I think it would have to be a back up cause you never know no one might watch it.
zobar - 04/21/08 08:56
Hmmm. I don't even know what you could use to deploy these. 3G would be the easiest network to tap into, but you'd probably need extra hardware for that & it would probably get pretty expensive. Traffic lights are already wired to something, but you can't really pull an Ethernet line very far. Wi-fi is even more limited, and you'd still need to get a data line nearby. And as long as you're pulling lines you might as well go with analog composite video over coax.

There's a plethora of Wi-fi networks at Hertel & Colvin, but it's also a heavy office-retail-residential intersection, so that doesn't mean much.

- Z

paul - 04/20/08 22:31
Ya, we have very similar cameras at Roswell in the OR and I have worked with them before. I would not be surprised if the buffalo ones had the default setting. Are they wired or wireless?
zobar - 04/20/08 20:48
That's probably more plausible than you think … a lot of cameras like this are Internet-based, and they don't bother to password-protect them :::link:::

There's one at Hertel & Colvin too, real high-crime neighborhood over here. I was under the impression that they were for traffic enforcement.

Glad to hear you're out of the hospital, that sounds terrible.

- Z
paul - 04/20/08 18:00
They are on Main Street too. I wonder if they have a map of the cameras.
uncutsaniflush - 04/20/08 17:57
Great idea, (e:paul). Most of the time, the live feeds would be no different than live traffic cam feeds.

(e:fellyconnelly) - there is one of those cameras on Grant between Bird and Garner on a block that has shootings and a killing or two in the last couple of years.
fellyconnelly - 04/20/08 17:32
where else are there cameras in buffalo? are there any in high crime areas?

04/21/2008 15:44 #44084

Medical Records at Buffalo General...
Category: hospital
... are a freakin joke. So I decided to get some exercise as I was told by the doctor that walking and deep breathing is good for healing. I walked three blocks to Buffalo General in order to get a copy of my medical records to review. I had no idea how unorganized that part of the hospital is. I find it hard to believe that anything works well in the hospital if the information infrasctructure is such an unorganized system. I am not talking about medical records from ten years ago, I am talking about medical records from the last couple months.

The medical records system at Buffalo General is not completely electronic. There is this ellusive paper copy that has info that is not available everywhere else. The day I was in the hospital getting my appendix out I was supposed to be getting my Tissue Transglutaminase IGG and Transglutaminase AB (IGA) test to check for gluten intolerance at Quest Diagnotsics. So I figured, while I am already in the Er giving them blood, why not ask them to carry out the test as I was supposed to have the results for a April 24th doctor's appointment. My mother called and get the test names, we gave them to the doctor, he agreed, the nurse drew blood. Now there is no record of the test.

To make matters worse the desk clerk in medical records was this 20 something total bitch. She looked like and acted just like Karen from Will and Grace. If you ever read this, I hate you you mother fucking bitch, I hope this golden skanky, pointy shoes you have give you bunions and hammer toes.

I was nice because I was trying to keep stress to a minimum but I wanted to reach across the window, grab her hair and slam her face into the counter repeatedly.

All I asked her to do was print out my medical records for my and she kept gasping and saying how annoying it was. And the printer wouldn't work. It got jammed twice so she stopped and told me to come back in a week. Seriously, I can understand a printer malfunction, but the customer curtousy thing to do we be to offer to mail them to me, or say I am sorry about the inconvenience, not just get all angry with me for asking for my medial records.

It was totally ridiculous. Then I explained to her how every time I come to the hospital they have the wrong primary care physician for me. She said that she can't do anything about it, I have to see this woman named April down the hall.

So I go down the hall and enter Aprils office and this (sorry this is so unPC) extremely retarded looking woman acts like I couldn't possibly do such a crazy thing as change my primary care physican on my medial record. Right now I could swear she was drooling while telling me this, but maybe now I am blowing it out of proportion due to PTBGE Post Traumatic Buffalo General Exposure.

She seriously tried to convince me that I need to just tell them the new doctor' name every time I come to the hospital. So I ask for April and she starts howling, "April, April - this patient has a problem" - who is like 15 feet away. Could she not just get the fuck up or point to April so I could approach her politely.

I explain the situation to April and she says that she cannot do it and she has no idea why the Karen look alike down the Hall would have sent me there or how to change it. Finally, some other girl overhears and says I should try admissions.

So I go to admission and register and wait in line to be "admitted" and then finally there was a gay guy, who could communicate properly with a patient and was able to handle the change professionally, quickly and courtesly - shouldn't they all be that way. He also took the time to confirm my other information to make sure everything was right. I think his name was Paul too.

So you might be thinking that maybe I was mean or something that prompted all this. But I swear I was so super nice. I as in such a good mood, I could finally move around and it was sunny out, etc. It was really one of the worst customer service experiences I ever had. They really need to read, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital." In fact I am considering bringing my copy down next week when I stop at medical records and throwing it at "Karen's" face, lol.

And for some comic relief. I know I don't have a huge one, but they didn't have to call it "grossly negative", lol.

image
tinypliny - 04/21/08 21:26
Karen had this really obnoxious voice...
paul - 04/21/08 17:58
I was joking but I think everyone else wanted an explanation, LOL.
jenks - 04/21/08 17:31
the sex organs were grossly negative (i.e. normal on a gross (i.e. not microscopic) scale) on the CT scan.

sorry if you were joking and not really asking...
fellyconnelly - 04/21/08 17:10
grossly negative? haha! what exactly does that mean, medically speaking?
lilho - 04/21/08 16:48
i hope you can have treats, because a care package is on the way. what does grossly negative even mean?
james - 04/21/08 16:27
I had something to add, but I totally forgot when you wrote "Grossly Negative"

hilarious!
jason - 04/21/08 15:53
Since you've already brought up BGH's systems and their disorganized nature.....

Shit, the hospital people don't even know where the patients are. You go to the information desk, they tell you emergency room. You go to emergency room, they tell you to go to another place. You get to the other place, they tell you 15th floor. You go to the 15th floor, they tell you to go to the 3rd floor.

The visitor card ends up looking like one of Kurt Cobain's journals. And you're right, some of the employees are mean as hell, even when you try really hard to be nice.

04/20/2008 11:22 #44064

Eyes In The Elmwood Skies
Category: elmwood
Well I am feeling better enough to start hating again. This article is why I now officially hate Queenseyes, Newell Nussbaumer of Buffalo Rising, and his vision of the city. If you are reading this, don't feel too special, I hate a lot of things. I cannot believe he wrote that article applauding the surveillance cameras being put up and down Elmwood. I guess at this point there are three but it surely is a sign that more are to come. I thought they were bad enough on Main Street but Elmwood?

What is the next step? A gated community where the suburbanistas use a chips implanted in their arm to get into what used to be an interesting and diverse neighborhood. I don't think our long term freedom is worth attracting more suburban customers to your upscale dining facilities and niche stores. Let them stay on Transit. What is going on with Elmwood? Is the crime really that bad? I doubt it is a terrorist target. The cameras sure make it seem that way. Nothing screams high crime neighborhood more than surveillance cameras on the street.

What exactly triggers a camera watching police officers to take to the street and check out the scene. Maybe a black man talking to a white woman at night time - is that what is next. Maybe two gay guys holding hands that make the suburbanite shoppers uncomfortable. That is the problem. It doesn't prevent any crime, it can't make you any safer, it just makes it easier to catch a perpetrator later and that frankly doesn't help you very much if you are being raped which brings me back to who is getting raped on Elmwood?

Does no one see the disgusting freedom eroding potential of these cameras. Maybe not right now, but times change and laws change and once the cameras are implanted they become acceptable features of the urban landscape. If they ever planted one of these out front of my house I would move out of the city to the country or suburbs where I was not under video surveillance. To make it really scary they should just put up a video screen with giant police eyes looking back the other way.

My question is WWe:DD - what would (e:drew) do - now that you are on the elmwood board what is your feeling on these cameras? Did you guys vote on this or did the police just bring them in. As to what am I going to do. I am going to spend all my lifestyle attributable expendable income elsewhere and boycott shopping on Elmwood while I see how this develops.

I am glad to see most of their commentors disagree with his article. Maybe he only knows how to write positive reviews of everything.

I love this comment from their site.

I counter with ...bring 'em on. The more the better. If we can't have a cop on every block to nab thugs, vandals, litter bugs, etc., then I'll settle for eyes in the skies. If you've ever been to Singapore the place is totally safe and spotless. Like a dream. If you're not doing anything illegal, what's to fear. by UrbanBody of Buffalo Rising



To bad being gay and chewing gum are both illegal in singapore. For that fact I refuse to capitalize their name.

I think the most important comments on their site are these two:

The city has never described any protections on how the cameras are used, or abused. These cameras have incredibly far range and quality. What would prevent someone from aiming the camera into the window of an apartment bedroom? by 300 Miles of Buffalo Rising



We used to live right on elmwood, if there were cameras in light posts outside our bedroom windows they could easily be pointed inside with no problem. Who is to prevent this type of abuse. Is there an auditing committee?

The city is in over their heads and running a half assed operation. They are installing 100+ more cameras and do not even have a staff monitoring the ones that have been in place. I know many with the BPD and was told on the busier nights there are 2 people monitoring all of these cameras- do the math "slow nights" the monitoring room lays empty- waste of money as urbanesque stated "These are a poor substitute for 'feet on the street' police patrols and community policing. " that about sums it up by dbpflo of Buffalo Rising



So no one is even watching them. What is the point then.
drew - 04/21/08 11:06
I was out of town.

(e:Drew) knew nothing of this until reading this post. This was not an EV decision (as far as I know), and I don't believe that any resident or merchant asked for this.

And for the record, I think surveillance cameras are almost always a bad idea, and they are an especially bad idea on Elmwood.

I also think, however, a boycott is a bad response. Why should the merchants have to pay for the bad decisions of the city? A better response would be a letter to the mayor and/or police department. If that doesn't work, further action should target the cameras and the people behind them, not the neighborhood that has to deal with them.

If, for some reason, the EVA is behind these cameras, than it is a different story, but I really don't think anybody asked for them, and we certainly don't have the authority to put them up on our own.
uncutsaniflush - 04/20/08 17:54
I think that (e:metalpeter) is right the cameras are there to make us "feel safe" and not to keep us safe. In the U.K. public surveillance cameras are ubiquitous and the punters still commit crimes. All it means is the perp has a bit better chance of getting caught.

Consider this, if mere camera surveillance was enough to deter criminals, banks and convenience stores would never get robbed.

As to the "safest" part of the city, since there is such a camera on Grant between Bird and Garner, does that mean that Elmwood is as unsafe as Grant. Or contrariwise, does it mean that Grant is as safe as Elmwood. The mind boggles.
james - 04/20/08 16:27
Our mayor sure is tough on crime. Putting security cameras in the safest part of the city... is he almost up for reelection or something? -.-;
metalpeter - 04/20/08 13:15
The Camera Issue is much more complex then what the the from Buffalo Rising is talking about. I think there are many issues. First of all there is a lot of crime in our city of Buffalo. I'm not sure how much there is on elmwood really. That being said I think that Cameras Can be helpful to catch drug deals, and beatings and panhandlers and other things. But that being said someone has to watch them at all times and have a line to get cops there if 5 thugs decide to rob some one walking out of a plus or use a baseball bat on people at the pride parade. There are laws in this country that protect our freedom and there needs to be oversite and a monitor of the monitors to make sure they aren't using the cameras to look into a window and watch an "artvoice ad Call girl" or just a cute girl with her boyfriend with out a warrant for survallence. There needs to be someone making sure everyones civil liberties are not infringed on. I think a good place to Have one is in every block from summer all the way downtown, there used to be some shady people around there. My theory on the cameras is not that they are there to spy on us or to keep us safe but they are there to make us feel safe. That being said I think that all the empty properties on elmwood is a reflection of a down trend of the area and this country and that brings concern that more crime will take place on elmwood. That being said I'm sure that there are a lot of places that need the cameras more then Elmwood does like say the Universty Hights district oh and crime around there isn't new, you have all ways had some "eastside thugs" who come in and cause trouble or maybe it is the college kids who are in their neighboorhood and then the kids who get drunk and can't handle there alcohol and get in fights. If the cameras are used correctly they can be a big help as long as they aren't abused, that being said you can't have one on every cornor.
uncutsaniflush - 04/20/08 12:33
Based on the description, I think there is one of these around the corner from us on Grant. I've seen it blinking blue at night and wondered what the the hell is that. Both (e:leetee) and I concluded that it is some sort of police surveillance device. And, it seems, we are right.