Power Up

Finally after 10 days 100,000 customers in Queens got their power back last Wed.

What a flap!

Everyone has their own story about what a hassle and hardship this was.

Just hearing how horrible it all was makes me wonder how did my grandmother lived long enough to raise a family in pre-electricity Manhattan.

US Mayors Reflect on 9-11

It's hard to conceive it's been almost 5 years since the 9-11 attacks.

Though we didn't believe it would at the time, life has gone on. Unless you look up and notice the changed skyline, or try to catch a flight at the last minute and miss it because of the interminable lines at Security, or unless you have a New York cough from trying to breathe the "air," or unless you lost a friend or child or parent or husband or wife when the towers collapsed, you might think life hadn't changed too much.

If you don't watch TV or read the papers.

But some people can't forget. They are the guys we elect to be responsible for our safety.

Including our mayors.

What our Mayors Say About it

In a press release after their Press Conference today, the US mayors stated:

"As the nation approaches the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, led by Conference President and Dearborn Mayor Michael A. Guido, held a media forum at the National Press Club today discussing the state of disaster preparedness in America's cities.

"'The nation's mayors continue to focus on the need to strengthen emergency preparedness and homeland security,' said Conference of Mayors President, Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido. "The devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area, and the terrorist attacks of 9-11 are like nothing this country has ever seen before. As mayors, we saw ourselves in our own unnamed disaster that could easily strike any one of our cities.'"

The International Association of Scientologists funded the full renovation of the Church of Scientology of New York as an acknowledgement of the heroism of New York Scientologists and their help to the rescue workers at Ground Zero.

And David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center attended and spoke at the Grand Opening event.

Mr. Miscavige also spoke about 9-11 in the speech he gave at Celebrity Centre International a couple of years ago, which was later turned into a DVD called This is Scientology.

He said:

"The events of September 11th served as a wake-up call for all of us. When one must worry, in today’s modern world, about the safety of its citizens, when one’s solutions are limited to the use of military might, it is obvious that the problems we face run much deeper.

"It’s a situation none of us can ignore. They are conditions we all must face. They are problems we all must be responsible for helping to resolve."

So while "life goes on" my own life has changed a lot because I am doing a lot more volunteer work now and I'm personally committed to making a difference.

Hot

New York Public Service Commission Chairman William M. Flynn called for a formal proceeding to examine the company's preparation and response to problems that knocked out power to 100,000 residents of the borough of Queens during a summer heat wave. Regulators also want to know if changes are needed in the design of ConEd's system, its maintenance practices or the amount it spends on infrastructure, according to a statement, according to a Reuters wire yesterday.

It's outrageous the amount of confusion that caused.

Not your Ordinary Chapel

The chapel of the church of Scientology of New York is one of the nicest areas of the new church. This photo hardly does it justice. It is beautiful and large enough for seminars, events, Sunday service. Community groups are welcome to use it for their events and programs. The Public Affairs Department frequently holds events promoting human rights, drug-education and other important social issues.

Sunday service is also held here and if you haven't been to a Scientology Sunday service you are missing something very special. You are bound to feel brighter and happier at the end of it!

Suggested links:
David Miscavige at the Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology of New York
This is Scientology

They came for the music

On Tuesday night the NY philharmonic ended its summer Concerts in the Parks series with Beethoven's 5th in Central Park. Conductor Marin Alsop, trying to spare the audience from being drenched by the threatening rainstorm, announced she would only play two movements but the 50,000 who came to hear the music were so visibly (and audibly) disappointed that she relented and put back in the third movement. The summer rain cooperated and the downpour didn't start till right after the concert was over.

When, once again, we are seeing the human tragedy of war on the front pages of our newspapers, I am reminded of something David Miscavige said when he attended the grand opening of my church (the Church of Scientology of NewYork).

" When one must worry in today's modern world about the safety of its citizens, when one's solutions are limited to the use of military might, it is obvious the problems we face run much deeper. It's a situation none of us can ignore. They are conditions we all must face. They are problems we all must be responsible for helping to resolve."

This weekend I saw an event that took place aboard the Freewinds ship in June. What I saw gave me so much hope that I wanted to share it. The Church of Scientology International has produces a set of 30 public service announcements for Youth for Human Rights International - a group dedicated to human rights education and the full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I consider myself to be a pretty well educated person, but if you had asked by what rights are guaranteed by the Universal Declaration I would have to have guessed. Even though I'd read it. Now I could real off a list of them. What changes is that I've seen these PSAs. They made such an impression on me. They got through to me the basic concept of each of these rights.

I wouldn't be able to state all 30, but I could probably name a dozen or more (and that's a dozen more than I could have named last week).

But the reason I bring this up is that I believe that if we have any faintest chance to end war it will only be by the citizens of the countries insisting on their own human rights and those of their fellow man, and that these short films, which is really what they are, can really help if they are spread far enough.

Download the first 3 of them from I Tunes. Hopefully the rest will be there soon too.

Mezzanine Lounge at the Church of Scientology of New York

Right as you walk into the Church of Scientology of New York there's a staircase up to the mezzanine where there is a lounge and displays of Scientology community activities. This place is usually buzzing with people making plans or just hanging out between classes.

Scientology New York Opening and Others

I know I posted earlier about the grand opening of the New York Church of Scientology, following major renovations done to the building. Though you might like to see another photo of it from the inside, along with some photos of other recent openings around the world.

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY OF NEW YORK

Mr. David Miscavige was also the guest speaker at a number of these openings.

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY SAN FRANCISCO

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY TAMPA

INSIDE THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY OF MADRID

Some other Scientology Churches -

BUFFALO

SOUTH AFRICA

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

TORONTO, CANADA