To everyone that is part of the extended family that gathers here to share views, to see what’s going on or are just a little curious — Happy New Year.
2013 has been an adventure. I sincerely appreciate the encouragement and support I have received from so many of you.
Over the past few days, Tony Ortega has recapped the year and if you haven’t caught up with it, do so at his blog.
A LOT has happened. The landscape of the Scientology world has shifted.
In my view there were two monumental events in the last year:
1. Monique Rathbun filing her lawsuit. To mix metaphors — this is a snowballing tar baby. The more furiously Miscavige and Co try to shake it off the more it sticks to them. While their flailings are almost comical, this is deadly serious business. Cost is no object, but money can’t buy you happiness and it can’t ultimately buy you truth. The light he hopes is at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. The only question is how long he can delay the inevitable.
2. Leah Remini stepping forward and calling bs as only a true New Yorker could. Leah changed the game. She was the first celebrity to step out of the Stepford wives. Smart, sassy, classy and incredibly relatable, she created a shitstorm even though she hardly said anything. She single handedly made a lot of people notice what is going on inside the bubble. What people now know can never be unknown.
In the spirit of the New Year and looking to the brighter side of life, show your support and watch Leah’s new show on TV Land at 10pm EST Wedesnday 1 January. It will get the year off to a great start with a small act of defiance. And I bet there will be plenty of laughs to go with it.
I predict 2014 will be a watershed year. For sure, things are going to continue to get better outside the bubble while Captain Miscavige bounces his Titanic from one iceberg to the next.
Happy New Year everyone. It’s a great time to be with so many friends.
What a great year we have just witnessed for massive losses for the cult ! Thank you Mike for all your hard work and attention to detail. The C of S is imploding and we get a ringside seat thanks to you, Tony and other’s blogs plus the fine reporting of brave members of the media. This so-called religion actively destroys families on a daily basis. There is no shame.
I appreciate your time and effort on this blog very much. Here’s to a straight down and vertical year of those oh so important and revered statistics of the “church” of Scn!
And my best wishes to you for a productive, prosperous and cheerful 2014.
Happy New Year Mike, Christie and family. Thanks for all your work with this blog, its information services are extremely valuable. As to 2013/2014, there is no question that the suit of Monique Rathbun is front and center. It is going to be very very interesting how Miscavige, the Church defendants and their army of lawyers gyrate in that court room in Texas, especially in regards to Miscavige’s deposition. Their actions to further stonewall to keep Miscavige out of the hot seat should be extreme if not absurd. I don’t see him avoiding the deposition unless he is desperate enough to settle the case entirely on Monique’s terms, which I can speculate would mean no gag order, no concessions, on her part and Miscavige and co. under permanent injunction as re: the dirty tricks department goes. But I cannot imagine Miscavige settling on those terms, either. So – what happens in this case in 2014 is going to be fascinating and potentially extremely important.
Happy New Year from Hungary Mike!
or
Boldog új évet Miklos!
P.S.
Over the years I have gotten to know a lot of really nice and wonderful people who enriched my life and gave me a lot of laughs within the Church of Scientology. If they are reading here – and they very well may be – I also wish them a very happy New Year, hoping that they will flourish and prosper like never before!
I am sending everyone on this blog the very best wishes for a happy and flourishing and prospering new year from Denmark.
What I enjoy about this blog is the freedom of speech and being able to say out loud what you yourself have observed. That is the definition of integrity. The church is behaving like a school yard bully and I think in the following year(s) it is going to experience that more and more people are going to refuse to put up with it. Exposure on the internet is already having a huge impact and this will only increase until the church changes its ways or collapses altogether. A totalitarian regime in a democratic world with freedom of the press is self-contradictory and cannot persist! – I am quite sure the chuch will find this to be true.
Happy New Year Mike to you and your family. I appreciate all that you do. You have an amazing wit, straight forward style and enough integrity to light up the planet. Your blog is a stable point of reference for many, including myself. Thank you again for this great blog and your help!
Happy New Year Mike! Thanks for all your hard work. Here’s to a great 2014!
Happy New Year everyone! I wish Mike and all the posters have a wonderful and prosperous new year, living our lives on our own determinism, May we all live with the truth and have courage to face whatever that brings. Indies are awesome!!
I just realized, we’ve heard from Norway, Croatia, New Zealand, Israel, Belgium and who knows where else. This community is so cool! Nice reach Mike, well done!
Happy New Year, Michael, to you and your family. Thank you for opening your “theta arms” to include us all as your extended family. I vote “aye” to adding your blog as #3 on the list of monumental events. You are gracious, generous, insightful, kind, and quite often – provocatively funny. Cheers! Looking forward to an even more monumental 2014!
Leonore
Mike – Happy New Year to you, your family and all that contribute to this blog. I started reading here in July and haven’t looked back. A real awakening for me in 2013. I appreciate your bluntness (to put it mildly), sarcasm, wit, etc. And to all of you who post here, I get a kick out of all of you, whether I agree with you or not. May you all prosper in the New Year.
A very Happy New Year to Mike, his beautiful family, and all the good people who exchange ideas and opinions on this blog.
To a great 2014 for all of us!
Happy New Year from NZ, I have never made a comment before but have been reading and watching since Jul 13, please keep up the wonderful work you do, and to all those of you who have gone through such horrid times I think anyone who can be happy and belive in the freedom to be happy whatever you do is already free from this strange group (messed up people who just need some good friends who listen).
Hi Errol,
Good one. I see the analogy. He will be in wild-eyed shock when the shit really starts to hit the fan. And did you notice that his dog apparently wiggled out of his SO uniform and ran away too? 🙂
I look forward to reading this site every day.
Thank you! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Mike, Christie and all who read this blog. And thank you, Mike, for your intelligence and personal integrity that keeps us all reading your blog. I like being informed about the latest and greatest (or not so greatest) in the world and can count on you to honestly report the news.
Happy New Year, Mike. I’ve learned a great deal from reading your blog this past year. From an outsider’s perspective, I see a man who “does not regret the past, nor does he close the door on it.” Who really stands for something. THIS is ‘clearing the planet.’ It’s ridding the world of the kind of injustice that cult indoctrination perpetrates. You’re doing the real work, and I salute you. Best for 2014, for you and your beautiful, FREE family!
Happy New Year to The Rinder family and to all the Free People reading here!
Mike, free and great minds, wise, happy and funny beings , Happy new year to you all!
In a letter to all my friends, yesterday, I wrote: “2013 was for me the best, most meaningful, wonderful and enchanting year in the last 20 years! There was no doubt in my mind about it. Why?
Because beings like you dared finally to look at and confront evil, and with nothing but personal integrity break the black spell, and help me (and so many others) do the same, d-pts and go free.
There is nothing more valuable than just that: going free. So thanks so much, and keep this wonderful work.
CHEERS, have a great 2014!!!
Hemi
Mike, A big thank you to yourself and your family for the service your blog provides. For me it is shining the light of truth on the situations that have led us all (those blog frequenters) to understand more thoroughly what is going on and help us unwind from the snarled up think that Corporate Scientology demands. And to be honest, it provides a big of freedom. So thanks again – wishing you all a very brilliant 2014!
Buon 2014 dall’Italia! Happy New Year Mike and you all! Wishing you a happy 2014.
Mike,
I want to thank you for all you have done up to now. It is just awesome.
I am looking forward to see more major events happening in 2014 that will steepen the downward trend of demise of the Co$ and on the other side of the balance more stabilizing effects in the field with training and auditing. I wish you and all here a great 2014!
Your way of words, witty and dry -yes Martin is right- it sure ‘feels’ British as well as any responding comments of the “extended family” here have been an unending source of delight and laughter.
Please DO keep mixing the metaphors (=old hobby of mine for extra line charge).
Greta
You, Marty, and Tony promised it was going to be an unforgettable year. It’s been so exciting I would say that even THAT statement was an underestimate!! Thank you, thank you for everything you are doing. It is so inspiring to see what has been possible with bringing everyone together. The synergy is incredible.
This blog had a great 2013 and will continue to kick some serious ass in 2014. It has been a great lesson in looking past the smoke, mirrors and lies of the SP Miscavige. Thank you for all the hard work.
much will lie in store for you still
My Grandfathers favorit song, alsoo played at his funeral performed by the 9 year old Amira(an old soul)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1xfVRlm37M
Wow!! She’s got a range of at least three octaves?? Didn’t miss a note?? That girl can sing! She looks so happy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBMfgLvRZJs
Topic? … Well, maybe New Year’s … and uplifting song. Not fair to compare a nine year old with an established star, but it’s remarkable. I hope Amira is well cared for and not used for her talent (i.e only sings when SHE wants to).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cF5GGqVWo
beautifull
Giacomo Puccini “O mio babbino caro.” Hayley Westenra does a nice job, and again, the comparison between Amira and Hayley is remarkable.
Only one thing is impossible for God: To find any sense in any copyright law on the planet.
Mark Twain
http://quotes.lifehack.org/media/quotes/quote-Mark-Twain-only-one-thing-is-impossible-for-god-100623_1.png
Cat Daddy – in this, you have a correct target, a correct question. I’m still waiting for someone in the legal system to open up and explain how the church a) secured trademarks on natural law, or worse, b) I do not see how a church can claim a trademark on either practice or belief, so to attempt to restrict its use by others. My understanding is that you can patent a process, not trademark it. I can understand copyrights, and a trademark on a name, and I can understand the need to keep standards, but a trademark of “Scientology” seems like asking for a trademark on “University” or “Medicine” or “Airline” or “Automobile” or “Computer” or “Nitroglycerine” or “Dynamite” or “Internal Combustion” or “Movie.” I also see again the unworkability of monopoly, and why monopolies are illegal along with patents on perpetual motion machines. I recognize I’m off-the-wall confused about all this “legality,” but it’s fairly clear to me that removing the monopoly on “Scientology” would solve everyone’s problems. It looks like the free market is going to take care of this minor little legal snafu, and obviate the question, but I don’t see why it isn’t worth asking, and why it has not been pursued. There are those who have asked why Scientology isn’t free – it’s not hard to explain, that when you take someone’s time, you are expected to compensate them, or that a co-audit is virtually free; but that issue of reasonable cost is entirely different from taking Scientology and enslaving it in chains and shackles, then beating it to death. – Carcha
Carcha,
I will give this a shot.
You can trademark words or symbols. Some are “strong” (coined words, not otherwise used) and some are weak (“Life Improvement Center” is a weak trademark as it has a meaning in plain english). You can trademark anything you like that is unique and has not been previously trademarked by someone else.
Copyright protects expression from copying.
The “control” exerted by Scientology isnt by attempting to trademark a process, it is by attempting to prevent people from calling themselves “Dianetics” or “Scientology” or using those or any other of the trademarked words “owned” by the church if the church does not agree that you are doing things their way. Orgs, Missions and field auditors sign licenses to use these terms. In doing so, they agree that the church owns the trademarks and they are using them with their permission.
Nobody is likely to win a case against the church as a plaintiff claiming they don’t have a right to trademarks. But I believe someone could win a case as a defendant if the church sued them to try and enforce the fact that they are not allowed to use the trademarks because there is a perfect defense under the First Amendment that no law may be made restricting the free exercise of one’s religion. It is likely why you have not seen the church try to enforce their trademarks. Because if they were to lose such a case, they would lose everything.
They have also sought to protect OT materials as “trade secrets” — a different body of intellectual property law from patents, copyrights and trademarks. The “trade secret” status of OT materials has been destroyed by the internet exposure, so this is no longer an effective attack.
Copyright remains as with anyone else. The law protects original expression. He who owns the rights to the materials can enforce the law with respect to them.
Thank you. Admirable job of clarifying central issues in few words (law books probably take up entire chapters).
Mike – Thank you for your service. My very best wishes to you and your family for a Happy New Year, filled with hope, happiness and success.
Happy New Year to All here as well and thank you too for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
I have been helped in so many ways here and appreciate it. Peace be with you all!
And while many people are forecasting the demise of scientology, I think that date is farther down the road than one thinks or hopes. For what it’s worth, I believe the cult is on a downward trajectory – it will be smaller and less relevant. But I think L Ron’s “gift” to the world is sticking around for some to time.
As a daily reader of your website(actually, I check this page MANY times a day), thanks for all your work.
Mike, thank you very much for this Blog.
I wish you and your Family and the people you care about a very good 2014.
Love,
SKM
Happy New Year to you Mike, and your sweet family, and to all the bloggers who have been enjoying your work here and its effects. Thank you and your special correspondents for great posts and a lot of work getting the news out there. Here’s to a really great 2014 as we watch the C of $ launch straight down and vertical, while the tech is kept in tact and growing in use out in the field!
Happy New Year to y’all. Wishing you a great 2014.
It’s both a pleasure and an honour to be amongst such friends and hallowed company. I think you are right about 2014 – it will be one hell of a year, straight down and vertical for Corp Scn, pure fun and games for the rest of us. I stand by my original assessment of you when we first met – that despite the apparency of Antipodean roots you are in fact basically English – it’s obvious from your humour and spirit! Love to the family. XXX
This past year was the most exciting and wild and crazy and best and worst year of my life on so many levels, almost all having to do with my 180 degree shift with Scientology. Mike Rinder and his daily blogging was a major stabilizing influence for me and I want to thank him publicly for everything he does and to everyone here for what they do in contributing. Every comment helped me and I’m sure they help others who are getting out too.
Thanks Mike!
In this next year, there are going to be major strides in the downfall of the Church of Scientology. I look forward to seeing every one of them. It is time for the evil to stop. You’ll be hearing more from me on this soon. Love you guys!
Mike, you’ve brought lots of friends together who can communicate to each other and share their stories.
Thanks for creating a safe place for us. We are all better for it.
Thank you for your willingness to be there and communicate.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
And New year wishes for all our mutual friends here.
Les and Anita Warren
Happy New Year, Mike & Christie.
Thank you Mike for forming and leading this community, our “Hyde Park Corner” where we are free and safe to communicate, to debate and to disagree.
2013 was a year of many achievements for our movement.
2014 promises to have many surprises in store.
Thank you all for your support, for your contribution to the recovery of Scientology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVc2MQwMkg
Here is how 2014 will look to david miscavige; caught up in the “Ecstasy of Gold”
May your postulates materialize or may yor plans realized.
Very witty Cat. 🙂
Or should I say ; Witty Kitty.
*smiles* You are not wthout wit yourself Tony the Tiger
Happy New Year Mike. Hope your family has the best one yet.
We appreciate all the hard work you and Christie put in so we all stay informed! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all! May your purposes be clear and your goals attained. And may the true Scientology be carried forward by true Scientologists who seek improved conditions in life.
Happy New Year to you and family and all here. I have enjoyed the blog every day. It is vastly informative, and I really appreciate it.
Happy New Year Mike. Thank you so much for allowing me my views on your blog. It is a sign of a great society to air many views.
Lincoln had “political enemies” in his cabinet, which he chose, to widen his views. Such is greatness. Such is liberty.
Namaste
Happy New Year from all of us at Observation Mountain Academy here in Grand Forks, B.C., Canada!
Here’s to you Mike and this blog-Wishing you great success in 2014.
The image of Dave bashing his scientology ship off one iceberg after another was terrific. I imagined a couple of real ships captains watching his disaster from a distance and then finally asking each other, “My god, is that man trying to hit those icebergs –he hasn’t missed a one?” Ha ha…thanks for the laugh!
David Miscavige- a man who won’t be happy until his ship with as many passengers aboard as possible, is scuttled in a cold and dark grave at the bottom of the sea.
Happy New Year from Las Vegas to you and your family Mike. Looking forward to more of your brilliant posts for 2014.
Happiest of happy etc to you & yours! Keep smiling, keep up the great work!
Mike, thank you for putting this blog there for those in and those out and those on the fence. This is truly a good service you do to help us find the truth,shed light on the lies, shed false data, up our confront of evil etc. You are so amazing, the helicopter feat and then the airplane with “Where’ s Shelley?” So number 3 on the list is your blog and number 4 are those two stunning air feats. Happy New Year to you and yours and to all of our internet family on this blog. And you are family to me.
Happy New Year to you and yours and all that visit here…predicting 2014 to be the watershed year… you are so right Mike! Revenue is down, expenses are up and there is no way to change this trend except self reflection and correction, which is something Dear Leader can’t do. Yup, the light he sees at the end of the tunnel is a PR and legal train building up speed and momentum. Kaboom!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM AREA 51
I’m sure most of us agree that #3 is this blog. You’re wit and sarcasm are the perfect foil against the incessant over the top hyperbole emanating from miscavige and his shrinking army of kool aid guzzling brown nosers. “We finally have KSW for real.” I’m sure LRH would be happy to hear that.
I also loved your concept of the “light he hopes is the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train.”
Looks like 2014 is going to be a very interesting and exciting year. Happy New Year to all.
We’ve never met, Mike, but have learned great respect and admiration for you. Your personal journey has been a tough one, but you have weathered it well and with intelligence, pluck and a great deal of personal integrity. One could hardly ask for more. My best and fondest regards to you and your family. I hope I have the honour of meeting you personally in the future.
Happy New Year Mike. May it be even better than the last 🙂
Thanks for keeping the tone light, even with deadly serious matters. You make BubbleNews™ digestible.
Happy New Year to you,your family, all of people ….
from Croatia. and a big hello …..
My new years resolution is to read this blog everyday, just like I have since it began. Happy new year!
Happy New year, Mike!
And thank you for creating this blog and exposing the evil ways of the managers of the “church” of Scientology under the “leadership” of David Miscavige.
Those of us who wish to practice traditional Scientology really appreciate this.
You have exposed DM’s arrogant disdain for LRH and the subject of Scientology by detailing his actual actions and behavior including his covert alterations of the Tech and Policy of subject.
My 2014 New Years resolution is to continue to do auditor training in the independent field and to use what I learn to enhance the lives of others and also myself.
Miscavige’s antics are getting almost boring in their predictability. As he continues to fight his imaginary shadows, indies can just keep improving conditions in the world by helping people one by one. Just grab a Self-Analysis book and use it to improve someone’s outlook and memory! …..every little bit helps. If we simply keep doing this on any level, things will gradually get better in the world. Ironically, this probably drives DM nuts more than anything else even though that is not our purpose. Our purpose is simply to help others.
So, thanks for creating this blog which really does help all Scientologists remain aware of the contrast between the subject and what the “church” is doing and helps us to remain true to our purposes as Scientologists.
And it also allows non-Scientologists to understand that many Scientologists are actually good, moral, responsible people who care about others.
In my opinion, you are at the top of that list, Mike.
Happy New Year to you and your beautiful family.
Nicely said.
+1
Happy 2014 Mike, all the best for you and your Family.
Thanks for sharing all your feelings with us !
keep on the good work !
Agreed with Sinar’s #3. Happy 2014 to everyone out there. Mike, your Titanic line got me laughing out loud this morning. Hilarious imagery!
Happy New Year one and all and to all the Rinderlings. 🙂
May the magnifying glass stay on and make things nice and hot at the Midgets anthill.
Happy New Year Mike! 2014 will be something else. Thanks for all you do.
Mark
Happy New Year Mike to you and the Family! Thank you for keeping your Blog there, it has proved to be a source of hope and sanity to the many that are walking away from the insanity of the corporate church. We use it as a stable datum to refer people to who have been used and abused and as their first stop into a new and free life where they feel safe and secure to be a Scientologist! And in the watershed year of 2014 may it grow and expand like never before!
Thank you Mike for all you have done this past year. I’m with Sinar, you with your Blog (Something Can Be Done About It) was the 3rd monumental event. You have been an inspiration and someone I know will bring the truth to light. Happy New Year to you, Christie, Jack and Shane. 2013 was a watershed year. You have shown that something can be done about it. The tide has turned and 2014 promises to be the best ever.
mike happy happy new year – I had the pleasure of seeing you from afar when I was still In S.O. ages ago. Thank you for all you are doing xxx Jill Charlotte
Happy New Year from California you and your lovely wife and I’ll throw one in for the rug rats as well 🙂
Also a Happy New Year to all my extended family out there.
Love
Robin
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WHO READ THIS BLOG. THANK YOU MIKE FOR KEEPING US INFORMED BY SHINNING THE LIGHT ON THE DARKNESS WITHIN THE CHURCH.
Happy New Year, Mike. You have my admiration.
Happy New Year everybody!!!
I appreciate having people that are willing to communicate openly and are not afraid to speak their minds.
Peace and prosperity to all of you in 2014.
My hope is that Karma kicks in and the cob gets his just dessert.
Best wishes to all of rinderblog’s extended family for the new year.
May this new year continue and grow as it did in the last. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Thank you so much for your voice, your humor, and your blogging consistency. I check your blog every day and there is always something good, something important to be said here. One year from now, I believe things are going to be much further along for Miscavige. Straight down.
Thank you, Mike, for your amazing work! I’m so thrilled that you have such a happy family. Blessings to you for this amazing New Year. When I am very old and looking back I will ALWAYS remember that helicopter ride over the shriveled masses. And the next week the “Where Is Shelly Miscavige” airplay. Wow. Brilliant.
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!
Happy New Year, Mike! Don’t sell yourself short, The Apostate Air Invasion (cue Ride of the Valkyries) was probably the best shenanigan I’ve seen in awhile. Here’s to a whole new year to eff with Miscavige.
“Apostate air invasion” LOL!
Happy New Year! I have not posted here but look forward to reading your blog every day. Thank you for all you do to expose the criminality which is rampant in the “official” Church of Scientology today. Here’s to 2014!
Happy New Year to you and your family. Well done and thanks for this outstanding blog. Not a day goes by that I must give it a read.
Happy New Year from Norway!
Happy New Year Mike and Family!
Stephani Remini (March 10, 1978 – December 31, 2013) – sister of Leah and Nicole Remini .
Stephani Remini, sister of Leah Remini and Nicole Remini, passed away today after battling stage four lung cancer and a brain tumor.
Nicole’s tweets announcing the death of her sister:
https://twitter.com/nicoleremini/status/418110226517065728
https://twitter.com/nicoleremini/status/418189106540056576
It is my understanding that Leah and Nicole are considered friends of this community.
There are two memorial funds:
Team Stephanie Remini at Stand Up To Cancer
http://www.standup2cancer.org/custom/?c=team&a=index&id=8375
The Stephani Remini Memorial Fund – for Companion Animals with Cancer
http://urgentpetsondeathrow.org/donate/the-stephani-remini-memorial-fund-for-companion-animals-with-cancer/
One may also wish to express their condolences by tweeting to Leah and Nicole, or placing a message on Leah’s official Facebook page:
Leha Remini Twitter
https://twitter.com/LeahRemini/
Nicole Bella Remini Twitter
https://twitter.com/nicoleremini
Leah Remini Facebook page where people are also leaving condolences:
https://www.facebook.com/LeahReminiOfficial
I know many people don’t tweet or have a Facebook account. Please understand that condolences expressed here may not be seen by the family members. Twitter and Facebook the only ways, other than the two memorial funds, I know of to express condolences with any assurance they will be received.
Very sorry to hear. My heart goes out to Leah and family.
Happy New Year Mike, Christie, Shane, Jack and Readers!
There is #3 – Mike Rinder’s blog started this past year revealing truths and exposing the lies for many!
I agree Sinar, #3 is this blog! And the chopper and skywriting that went with it. Congratulations Mike.
Here’s wishing Mike, Christie, Shane, Jack and this blog community, a wonderful future and all futures to come!
Thank you for your tireless work and unerring wit. Here’s to continued successes in 2014
Couldn’t have put it better myself….^this +1