Annual Report

Created, written and posted by Just Me:

Marty,

As you know, months ago I started keeping blog stats and offering observations about the social media phenomenon I saw your blog becoming. Yesterday, on the first anniversary of your first post, I sat down and recalled some of the events we’ve all shared here. This very special Fourth of July weekend, please take time to look back on this past year to appreciate and enjoy what you’ve accomplished. Here are some highlights of Year One of ‘Moving on Up a Little Higher.’

1 July – Following the publication of the St. Pete Times’ ‘Truth Rundown, Part One,’ Marty created his blog, ‘Moving on Up a Little Higher.’ He posted to it five times in July. A few people noticed and honored the blog with a total of 48 comments.

2 August – Marty got serious in August and put up 25 posts. The St. Pete Times published ‘Truth Rundown, Part Two.’ Comments that month were just shy of 600. It looked like his blog might have some legs.

3 September – In September Tom Cruise’s lawyer wrote a letter, and Marty wrote one back. Familiar names and faces began to arrive here. Total comments to the blog that month neared 1,000. Marty’s post entitled ‘Mike Rinder’ was the first post to earn 100+ comments.

4 October – Marty soldiered on. He posted Paul Haggis’s resignation letter. ‘Nightline’ did its own series on the St. Pete Times’ ‘Truth Rundown’ series. Site traffic spiked. That month four posts earned 100+ comments, and total comments that month doubled to almost 2,000.

5 November – In November ‘Truth Rundown, Part Three’ was published. More Scientologists declared their independence, and a single post on Marty’s blog finally earned 200+ comments.

6 December – Mike, Marty and Mosey went to London. A good time was had by all. Then they came home for Christmas, and just before New Year’s all hell broke loose. The blog was hacked and down for a week. Isn’t life exciting?

7 January – Marty got the blog back up, posting 31 times in January. Total visitor comments that month hit 3,280, an 86% increase from the previous monthly high. Two posts earned 200+ comments, and 14 others earned 100+. And these don’t even count the ones lost when the blog went down. For the first time, average comments/day exceeded 100.

8 February – The short Valentine’s month managed to generate even more comments. Two posts (one by Mike, one by Marty) earned 300+ comments, four earned 200+, and 10 earned 100+. More about life at Int was revealed, harassment was discussed, Independents were honored, and Mosey had a birthday.

9 March – March winds blew in with the Sunday New York Times front-page article about the Church’s crimes against families (with a link to the blog) and Christie’s ‘Today Show’ appearance. We discussed the Second Dynamic, and Marty declared he was no angel (although not in the same post). March blew out like a lion in the middle of the Anderson Cooper 360 week-long series.

10 April – April saw the Church’s escalating over-reactions to Independents’ calls for justice. Marty called for DM to ‘Free Heber.’ Mike and friends tried to visit his son at Flag. Haydn called for an end to DM’s dictatorship. In response, DM sent a gang to assault Mike in a parking lot. By month’s end, JB came home, followed by 20 little friends and assorted PIs. Down at the blog, monthly comments rose 43% to another all-time high of 4,500. Mike’s April post detailing the parking lot encounter is still the all-time high-response post with nearly 800 comments.

11 May – In May the blog declared the church dead, called for IAS’s dissolution, described the Freewinds below-decks gulag, and cheered for a new long life for Scientology. Friends now gone were mourned and honored. Marty posted his first video briefing. JB teased his PIs. We learned that DM ridiculed Tom Cruise’s confidences by reading his session worksheets to cronies while drinking scotch. Again, site traffic soared. Four blog posts earned 300+ comments, ten earned 200+ and twelve earned 100+. Total comments in May totaled 5,900, up 30% over April.

12 June – Last month saw posts about children, family, community and reverse scientology. Tiziano and Jamie played games in the Hollywood Hills. Mosey blew off OSA-bots, and Marty loved his pride and joy. Rap and cowboy music rang in idle and idol orgs, while new independents showed up and said, ‘Boo!’ JB and Marty went a’traveling out West. Then Karen, Heber’s ex, came out and ended Year One with a ‘Hell, no!’ bang. Total comments in June were again highest ever at over 6,500.

Marty, in one year you have shouted out to thousands and heard many of them shout back. You, Mike and your friends have written and published 288 blog posts, elicited over 33,000 comments and invited 1.6 million site visits. You’ve attracted many lurkers—frightened, curious, critics, anons, bashers and probably DM, too. This is no longer a blog—as they say on the Web, with these metrics you’ve created an internet media outlet.

But much more importantly, this blog is a community we all built, we souls who are finding each other again, rekindling younger dreams, listening to each other, learning tolerance and respect, finding our respective paths. No one can predict exactly what will happen next, but I am betting it will be restorative and fascinating and fun. Thank you for this wonderful game!