With the whackos on the Far Left becoming increasingly unhinged and violence-prone, those who are supporters of the President and good government need be especially watchful against sudden outbursts of irrational rage. Such a fate befell 23 year-old Bryton Turner of Cape Cod today during what normally would have been a pleasant lunch break.
Turner stopped in at local Mexican diner for a refreshing respite when a fat feminist saw his MAGA hat; let out a piercing screech and crashed through the establishment like a human bowling-ball. She smacked Turner upside the head, knocking off his hat, and bellowing expletives. However, she failed to notice that four policemen were also present. It took all four of them to subdue the raging feminist as patrons and employees looked on in shock.
Turner videotaped the arrest and shared it on social media. Like wildlife agents pulling a beached whale back out to sea, the officers huffed and puffed as they dragged the distraught female through the door and squeezed her into a squad car.
“Went out with some friends trying to enjoy some dinner and drinks when this ignoramus randomly tried to hit my hat off and started yelling at me…I wasn’t going to press charges but in front of four cops she did it again so now she’s going to jail.🤷” Turner stated on Facebook.
When the suspect had recovered her breath enough to speak to the sympathetic local press, she identified herself as Rosiane Santos of Falmouth, Massachusetts. She told the gullible reporters that: “I had a little bit to drink maybe that’s the reason that I couldn’t walk away but being discriminated for so many times in my life, I just had to stand up for myself. He’s not a victim. I am the victim. I have been bullied, OK?” And she further added that: "Bryton was a (expletive) for supporting Trump. He shouldn’t be allowed in a Mexican restaurant with that hat.”
Awkwardly enough, however, it turns out that it was Ms. Rosiane herself who had no right to be there. Investigators discovered that she is a Brazilian national who is in the US illegally. The police turned her over to ICE for deportation as an undesirable alien.
That's one of the most interesting (from a clinical standpoint) as well as the most dangerous aspects of TDS attack. These paroxysms of irrational rage seem to override even the basic human instinct of self-preservation. It seems phenomenonally related to the suicide-attackers of the Middle East or the Kamikaze pilots of WW2 Japan; though more spontaneous and (so far) less lethal. TDS outbursts have resulted in lost jobs, jail time, and occasionally even trips to the hospital or the Psych Ward. This is the first case that we know of where deportation resulted, but it illustrates how utterly blind these attackers are to the consequences of their actions.
Again, it behooves us Conservatives to be vigilant. And we should all pitch in. If you see someone in MAGA hat or shirt, check out the surroundings. Trump has our back now, we should have each others' backs too.
"I, the Night Wind know many things, because I walk by night. Many strange tales of those who have stepped into the shadows...and of those things which they dare not speak."
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Saturday, February 23, 2019
FBI FOILS RED PILL TERROR PLOT
The news broke this week about another crackpot who'd taken the Red Pill and plotted a nationwide campaign of terror. Christopher Hasson---a career military bureaucrat and Opioid addict---is in jail after the FBI uncovered his fairly sophisticated plan of assassinating top US officials. Hasson was actually well on the way to setting the plan in motion and was toying with the idea of obtaining a bioweapon.
Since Hasson's intended targets were Left-Wing political and media figures, the MSM has been exploiting the story for as much political traction as possible. That great comedic genius Stephen Colbert even joked about it, saying that President Trump hasn't commented on it because, "Hasson only wants to kill everyone on Earth. It’s not like he’s hosting Saturday Night Live!"
To be fair to Trump, however, every time he's denounced some racist act of Right-Wing violence, the Media ignores him anyway. Just like it's never occurred to dunces like Colbert that Trump's FBI has now crushed two major plots against Democrat leaders before they even materialized.
If we actually had real journalists in the US again, the Hasson Case would point to some deeper problems in our culture worthy of investigation. The activities of dangerous cults like the Red Pill represent as serious a threat to our culture as the Left does. That Hasson was a Red Pill is obvious from his extant writings. Like Vox Day, he considered Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik a hero---and even followed Vox' encouragement to study Breivik's Manifesto. Other phrases and expressions that Hasson employs are common on sites like Chateau Heartiste, Return of Kings, and Matt Forney. As for the Manosphere's shared misogyny, WUSA-9 in Washington, DC heard this from Hasson's neighbors:
"I'm not surprised, to be honest," said neighbor Amy Sombuana. Her friend Maria Carrias says "Hasson was quiet and had a disconcerting stare. And we'd be like okay well why do you live in a neighborhood if you're going to treat everyone weird and stuff like that? And we would get really offended by that because of the way he'd sometimes stare at us, stare at my parents and stuff like that."
Despite what the Red Pills say, their goals and philosophies are fundamentally anti-American. Hasson, like Breivik, spoke of 'executing traitors' and yet sees nothing whatsoever treasonous in trying to overthrow the US government by force and create a White separatist ethnostate.
And the more one really understands the Red Pill movement, one also comes to the realization that it is largely a movement being orchestrated by foreign provocateurs, American expats, and international crooks in much the same way that George Soros and other foreign criminals support the American Left. It's no coincidence that many of the Red Pill leadership is based in Italy, Hungary, Finland, West Ukraine, etc. Their ideals---as well as their funding---are connected to European extremist groups.
These extremist groups in Europe have a common goal of dividing and destabilizing the United States. Ideals like ethnostates or governments controlled by an 'Alpha' elite are products of the ideological sewers of Europe and have never been part of traditional American mainstream philosophy. These enemies of freedom know this; and only by weakening America can they realize their vision of building such a society in Europe. Almost none of the philosophers upon whom the Red Pills base their theories are American.
Thus they target vulnerable and weak men like Hasson with dreams of rising above their mediocrity and becoming Alpha supermen. It's the old story: offer shortcuts to power and success with secret revelations and knowledge---which of course are only given to select initiates whose 'superiority' is unrecognized by society. And usually they end up just like Hasson and Breivik did---sitting the slammer when their actions do get recognized.
Since Hasson's intended targets were Left-Wing political and media figures, the MSM has been exploiting the story for as much political traction as possible. That great comedic genius Stephen Colbert even joked about it, saying that President Trump hasn't commented on it because, "Hasson only wants to kill everyone on Earth. It’s not like he’s hosting Saturday Night Live!"
To be fair to Trump, however, every time he's denounced some racist act of Right-Wing violence, the Media ignores him anyway. Just like it's never occurred to dunces like Colbert that Trump's FBI has now crushed two major plots against Democrat leaders before they even materialized.
If we actually had real journalists in the US again, the Hasson Case would point to some deeper problems in our culture worthy of investigation. The activities of dangerous cults like the Red Pill represent as serious a threat to our culture as the Left does. That Hasson was a Red Pill is obvious from his extant writings. Like Vox Day, he considered Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik a hero---and even followed Vox' encouragement to study Breivik's Manifesto. Other phrases and expressions that Hasson employs are common on sites like Chateau Heartiste, Return of Kings, and Matt Forney. As for the Manosphere's shared misogyny, WUSA-9 in Washington, DC heard this from Hasson's neighbors:
"I'm not surprised, to be honest," said neighbor Amy Sombuana. Her friend Maria Carrias says "Hasson was quiet and had a disconcerting stare. And we'd be like okay well why do you live in a neighborhood if you're going to treat everyone weird and stuff like that? And we would get really offended by that because of the way he'd sometimes stare at us, stare at my parents and stuff like that."
Despite what the Red Pills say, their goals and philosophies are fundamentally anti-American. Hasson, like Breivik, spoke of 'executing traitors' and yet sees nothing whatsoever treasonous in trying to overthrow the US government by force and create a White separatist ethnostate.
And the more one really understands the Red Pill movement, one also comes to the realization that it is largely a movement being orchestrated by foreign provocateurs, American expats, and international crooks in much the same way that George Soros and other foreign criminals support the American Left. It's no coincidence that many of the Red Pill leadership is based in Italy, Hungary, Finland, West Ukraine, etc. Their ideals---as well as their funding---are connected to European extremist groups.
These extremist groups in Europe have a common goal of dividing and destabilizing the United States. Ideals like ethnostates or governments controlled by an 'Alpha' elite are products of the ideological sewers of Europe and have never been part of traditional American mainstream philosophy. These enemies of freedom know this; and only by weakening America can they realize their vision of building such a society in Europe. Almost none of the philosophers upon whom the Red Pills base their theories are American.
Thus they target vulnerable and weak men like Hasson with dreams of rising above their mediocrity and becoming Alpha supermen. It's the old story: offer shortcuts to power and success with secret revelations and knowledge---which of course are only given to select initiates whose 'superiority' is unrecognized by society. And usually they end up just like Hasson and Breivik did---sitting the slammer when their actions do get recognized.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
PSA UPDATE: CALLING OUT WALKER COUNTY
Since last Autumn, our blog has joined in a nationwide volunteer effort to solve a now 38-year old unsolved murder. The killer has never been caught and the victim has never been identified.
This young woman---believed to be around 15 years old, was last seen alive in Huntsville, Texas on October 31st, 1980. According to witnesses, she stated that she was from Aransas Pass, Texas and that she was looking for the road in the direction of the State Prison. The next morning, her body was found alongside the highway, nude, badly beaten, and garroted. The local populace donated for a funeral and a burial. She's been since known only as Walker County Jane Doe.
The case was re-opened in 2015 because of public pressure. Since then, a Facebook page with over 45,000 shares has been created; the case has received considerable online attention; and several viable leads have come in.
But in the last four years, what has the Walker County Sheriff's Office to show for all this public help and access to new technologies which have been solving such cases at a record pace? Answer: Nothing.
Let us consider first some of the public's input and what Walker County has done with it.
1. In 2015, a family remembered a girl named Kathy whom they befriended at a motel in Texas. Kathy was a runaway from Corpus Christi (Aransas Pass is a nearby town), 14 years old and stated that a friend worked for the prison. Their mom had a photo of Kathy:
The Walker County authorities have never investigated this lead, saying that they could do nothing without knowing Kathy's last name.
2. Several people claimed that WCJD resembled a girl who was at Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christi. One of our readers found a photo of this girl, clipped from a VHS tape:
This girl has been tentatively identified by Rebekah Home Alumni as Angie R---, whose current whereabouts or status is unknown. Walker County has not followed up on this lead in any way. Another RH alumni claimed that the girl in the motel photo looked like a Kathy H--- who was also at Rebekah Home. This information has never been pursued either.
3. During the last media campaign, a Huntsville woman recalled giving a ride to WCJD from Oakwood, Texas to Huntsville several months before her death. The witness remembered the home where they let the girl out. Her late husband knew the man who owned the place; an employee at the State Prison; and the witness knew his two daughters from school. The Sheriff's Office interviewed the witness, but gave up saying that the homeowner had since died and the daughters had moved away by 1980. However, a volunteer since discovered that the daughters are still living---one in Oakwood and one in Huntsville; and that the latter was then married to a man now serving a life sentence for violent sexual assaults. WCJD's killer left a bite mark on her---a comparison of dental records would rule this man in or out as a suspect: but despite having this new information for months, Walker County hasn't followed up on any of it as far as we know. Neither have they bothered to ask the daughters if they recognize the girl.
4 & 5. Two less substantial, but nonetheless viable tips have come from Aransas Pass. One witness claims that WCJD was the daughter of a seasonal carnival worker whose name was Louis. Another states that she resembles a girl named Nancy V-----, who lived with them for a Summer. Walker County officials have never followed up on either of these allegations.
As for utilizing new technologies and inter-agency cooperation, there's no evidence whatsoever that Walker County has taken any steps in this direction. There's no indication that they've shared information with the FBI, for example. The FBI maintains a public database for unidentified persons called NAMUS; yet Walker County has never even entered WCJD into that system. Nor---at a statewide level---have they entered her information into the Texas Rangers' Cold Case Database. There is an entry for her at the Texas DOJ site, but it hasn't been updated since 2012 and contains no information---not even an agency contact number.
It's become apparent that Walker County either has too much contempt for the public to utilize volunteer help; or that they are unable or unwilling to take this case seriously. They need to be held accountable. Not only do we pay their bloated $70,000+ salaries (the median income in Huntsville is $12,806); we also should at least be kept well enough informed that we can continue doing their jobs for them.
The bottom line here is simply this: if Walker County does not come up with some satisfactory proof that they are making progress on this case very soon, then it will be incumbent upon us to take measures to take the case out of their hands. There are other agencies which care enough to do the job---and they certainly would be willing to do so if the public called upon them.
This young woman---believed to be around 15 years old, was last seen alive in Huntsville, Texas on October 31st, 1980. According to witnesses, she stated that she was from Aransas Pass, Texas and that she was looking for the road in the direction of the State Prison. The next morning, her body was found alongside the highway, nude, badly beaten, and garroted. The local populace donated for a funeral and a burial. She's been since known only as Walker County Jane Doe.
The case was re-opened in 2015 because of public pressure. Since then, a Facebook page with over 45,000 shares has been created; the case has received considerable online attention; and several viable leads have come in.
But in the last four years, what has the Walker County Sheriff's Office to show for all this public help and access to new technologies which have been solving such cases at a record pace? Answer: Nothing.
Let us consider first some of the public's input and what Walker County has done with it.
1. In 2015, a family remembered a girl named Kathy whom they befriended at a motel in Texas. Kathy was a runaway from Corpus Christi (Aransas Pass is a nearby town), 14 years old and stated that a friend worked for the prison. Their mom had a photo of Kathy:
The Walker County authorities have never investigated this lead, saying that they could do nothing without knowing Kathy's last name.
2. Several people claimed that WCJD resembled a girl who was at Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christi. One of our readers found a photo of this girl, clipped from a VHS tape:
This girl has been tentatively identified by Rebekah Home Alumni as Angie R---, whose current whereabouts or status is unknown. Walker County has not followed up on this lead in any way. Another RH alumni claimed that the girl in the motel photo looked like a Kathy H--- who was also at Rebekah Home. This information has never been pursued either.
3. During the last media campaign, a Huntsville woman recalled giving a ride to WCJD from Oakwood, Texas to Huntsville several months before her death. The witness remembered the home where they let the girl out. Her late husband knew the man who owned the place; an employee at the State Prison; and the witness knew his two daughters from school. The Sheriff's Office interviewed the witness, but gave up saying that the homeowner had since died and the daughters had moved away by 1980. However, a volunteer since discovered that the daughters are still living---one in Oakwood and one in Huntsville; and that the latter was then married to a man now serving a life sentence for violent sexual assaults. WCJD's killer left a bite mark on her---a comparison of dental records would rule this man in or out as a suspect: but despite having this new information for months, Walker County hasn't followed up on any of it as far as we know. Neither have they bothered to ask the daughters if they recognize the girl.
4 & 5. Two less substantial, but nonetheless viable tips have come from Aransas Pass. One witness claims that WCJD was the daughter of a seasonal carnival worker whose name was Louis. Another states that she resembles a girl named Nancy V-----, who lived with them for a Summer. Walker County officials have never followed up on either of these allegations.
As for utilizing new technologies and inter-agency cooperation, there's no evidence whatsoever that Walker County has taken any steps in this direction. There's no indication that they've shared information with the FBI, for example. The FBI maintains a public database for unidentified persons called NAMUS; yet Walker County has never even entered WCJD into that system. Nor---at a statewide level---have they entered her information into the Texas Rangers' Cold Case Database. There is an entry for her at the Texas DOJ site, but it hasn't been updated since 2012 and contains no information---not even an agency contact number.
It's become apparent that Walker County either has too much contempt for the public to utilize volunteer help; or that they are unable or unwilling to take this case seriously. They need to be held accountable. Not only do we pay their bloated $70,000+ salaries (the median income in Huntsville is $12,806); we also should at least be kept well enough informed that we can continue doing their jobs for them.
The bottom line here is simply this: if Walker County does not come up with some satisfactory proof that they are making progress on this case very soon, then it will be incumbent upon us to take measures to take the case out of their hands. There are other agencies which care enough to do the job---and they certainly would be willing to do so if the public called upon them.
Friday, February 15, 2019
THE WHACKO LEFT WING IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY
So President Trump has announced that, due to continual failure to act on border security, a State of National Emergency will have to be invoked. The far-out whacko Left Wing---as is usual for them---is condemning the action without the slightest idea of what they are protesting against or why.
In the first place, our Constitution grants the President this right of unilateral action in certain circumstances. George Washington invoked that option twice during the 1790's. Once to put down the Whiskey Rebellion (an armed tax revolt); and again to suppress the Shawnee Indians who were committing border depredations in violation of treaties with them. Other Presidents have used it since, but controversies surrounding its use were settled with the National Emergencies Act, signed into law by President Ford in 1976. Since then, the Act has been invoked 59 times; 31 of which are still in force from previous administrations. Few people probably know, for example, that the current restrictions on dealing with Iran stem from a National Emergency declared by President Carter in 1979: the longest-standing such declaration still extant.
Barack Obama issued 11 Emergency Decrees---10 of which are still active. The current one, dealing with border security, is Trump's fourth invocation of the Act. So where was all the outcry during the last decade about supposed usurpation of power?
This State of Emergency has been necessitated by the actions and activities of the Left. Fake 'caravans'---funded by George Soros and other international crooks---lie perched at our border for the purpose of inciting political divisions and destabilizing both the American and Mexican Governments. Porous borders facilitate the international traffic in narcotics, weapons, and White Slavery in which such criminals are engaged. We saw the complicity of the Democrats in these activities all throughout the Deep State Era and during Obama's term in particular. The Pivot to Asia; the Arab Spring; the Fat Leonard Scandal; the Maidan; Operation Fast and Furious---these were all geared to open international corridors for the Black Market.
Within our own country, too, the Democrats have sought to create 'sanctuaries' for criminal enterprises like MS-13 to operate at will. The problem runs much deeper than genuinely xenophobic and anti-Catholic elements among the Alt-RINOs and fake conservatives would have us believe. Those 'borders-language-culture' types play into the hands of the Radical Left. Securing our borders is---or should be---the beginning and not the end of long-overdue immigration reforms. We are a melting pot, but that's no license to throw toxic elements like ideological fanatics, terrorists, drug-pushers, and White Slavers into the mix. And that's what's been happening for reasons already stated above.
The Left has no moral standing on this issue whatsoever. It's best to ignore their rantings and get behind the President.
In the first place, our Constitution grants the President this right of unilateral action in certain circumstances. George Washington invoked that option twice during the 1790's. Once to put down the Whiskey Rebellion (an armed tax revolt); and again to suppress the Shawnee Indians who were committing border depredations in violation of treaties with them. Other Presidents have used it since, but controversies surrounding its use were settled with the National Emergencies Act, signed into law by President Ford in 1976. Since then, the Act has been invoked 59 times; 31 of which are still in force from previous administrations. Few people probably know, for example, that the current restrictions on dealing with Iran stem from a National Emergency declared by President Carter in 1979: the longest-standing such declaration still extant.
Barack Obama issued 11 Emergency Decrees---10 of which are still active. The current one, dealing with border security, is Trump's fourth invocation of the Act. So where was all the outcry during the last decade about supposed usurpation of power?
This State of Emergency has been necessitated by the actions and activities of the Left. Fake 'caravans'---funded by George Soros and other international crooks---lie perched at our border for the purpose of inciting political divisions and destabilizing both the American and Mexican Governments. Porous borders facilitate the international traffic in narcotics, weapons, and White Slavery in which such criminals are engaged. We saw the complicity of the Democrats in these activities all throughout the Deep State Era and during Obama's term in particular. The Pivot to Asia; the Arab Spring; the Fat Leonard Scandal; the Maidan; Operation Fast and Furious---these were all geared to open international corridors for the Black Market.
Within our own country, too, the Democrats have sought to create 'sanctuaries' for criminal enterprises like MS-13 to operate at will. The problem runs much deeper than genuinely xenophobic and anti-Catholic elements among the Alt-RINOs and fake conservatives would have us believe. Those 'borders-language-culture' types play into the hands of the Radical Left. Securing our borders is---or should be---the beginning and not the end of long-overdue immigration reforms. We are a melting pot, but that's no license to throw toxic elements like ideological fanatics, terrorists, drug-pushers, and White Slavers into the mix. And that's what's been happening for reasons already stated above.
The Left has no moral standing on this issue whatsoever. It's best to ignore their rantings and get behind the President.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
ABRAHAM LINCOLN DAY
Well, two days before the holiday when our attention is focused on the ladies; we celebrate the birthday of one of America's greatest men. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, was born February 12th, 1809. His birthday is still a legal holiday in seven US states.
In our cynical, postmodern culture it has become fashionable in certain circles to bash Lincoln and his reputation. A mediocrity cannot stand greatness and heroism---which spirit has much to do with how Lincoln died. But in earlier generations, Lincoln's Birthday was informally observed by those who understood him and what he came to represent.
A pharmacist in Buffalo, New York named Julius Francis led a grass-roots initiative to establish February 12th as a national holiday. Though Francis never succeeded in this aim, Lincoln's Birthday was celebrated across the country with parades, school pageants and re-enactments. There were also special dinners featuring some of the President's well-known favorites. (His wife Mary was said to be a fabulous cook). According to Food & Wine, a Lincolnesque dinner consisted of Chicken Fricassee, Cornbread, and Apple Cider with Almond Cake for dessert. Those interested in these uniquely American delicacies can find the recipes here.
Lincoln was admired for his achievements, but most of all his determination in achieving them. He was born into poverty and worked at manual labor early in his life. He also served in an Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War. Lincoln understood that his lack of education was an impediment to achieving better things. He taught himself to read while a teenager. Later he became fascinated with the law and saved his wages to purchase a set of law books. He studied the Law and passed the Illinois Bar Exam. Thus qualified, he set up as a lawyer.
His law practice did not fare well, but Lincoln was undaunted. He became active in the community and was persuaded to join the Whig Party. That party collapsed shortly thereafter and Lincoln joined the newly-formed Republican Party. In 1856, he campaigned for the GOP's first nominee: General John Fremont. The two later had a falling-out over the conduct of the Civil War; but were later reconciled. Lincoln always had a way of winning people to his side. Another of his political opponents in the North, General McClellan, had a similar relationship.
Lincoln won the GOP nomination in 1860, and won the presidency with a plurality. He then was faced with the greatest threat the United States ever faced to its existence before or since. That was the Civil War, which consumed practically all of Lincoln's tenure in office.
Lincoln is best remembered today for abolishing slavery in 1863. But his equally great achievement was crushing the well-organized insurrection led by the slave-holding class.
Lincoln suffered a great tragedy in that his first love, Ann Rutledge, died at age 22. He believed at the time that he would never love again, but eventually married Mary Todd after a sometimes rocky courtship. Contrary to what some believe, the Lincolns were happily married and had four children.
The thing that has always made Lincoln so popular is that, at his core, he was really like all other men. He had his faults, he had his successes, but he was a man to whom other men could relate and also held the respect that made him a leader. He really was in many ways considered the archetype of American manhood. An ordinary man who met obstacles and overcame them.
So before Valentine's Day, treat yourself to at least a tall glass of apple cider and drink a toast to one of our true national icons.
In our cynical, postmodern culture it has become fashionable in certain circles to bash Lincoln and his reputation. A mediocrity cannot stand greatness and heroism---which spirit has much to do with how Lincoln died. But in earlier generations, Lincoln's Birthday was informally observed by those who understood him and what he came to represent.
A pharmacist in Buffalo, New York named Julius Francis led a grass-roots initiative to establish February 12th as a national holiday. Though Francis never succeeded in this aim, Lincoln's Birthday was celebrated across the country with parades, school pageants and re-enactments. There were also special dinners featuring some of the President's well-known favorites. (His wife Mary was said to be a fabulous cook). According to Food & Wine, a Lincolnesque dinner consisted of Chicken Fricassee, Cornbread, and Apple Cider with Almond Cake for dessert. Those interested in these uniquely American delicacies can find the recipes here.
Lincoln was admired for his achievements, but most of all his determination in achieving them. He was born into poverty and worked at manual labor early in his life. He also served in an Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War. Lincoln understood that his lack of education was an impediment to achieving better things. He taught himself to read while a teenager. Later he became fascinated with the law and saved his wages to purchase a set of law books. He studied the Law and passed the Illinois Bar Exam. Thus qualified, he set up as a lawyer.
His law practice did not fare well, but Lincoln was undaunted. He became active in the community and was persuaded to join the Whig Party. That party collapsed shortly thereafter and Lincoln joined the newly-formed Republican Party. In 1856, he campaigned for the GOP's first nominee: General John Fremont. The two later had a falling-out over the conduct of the Civil War; but were later reconciled. Lincoln always had a way of winning people to his side. Another of his political opponents in the North, General McClellan, had a similar relationship.
Lincoln won the GOP nomination in 1860, and won the presidency with a plurality. He then was faced with the greatest threat the United States ever faced to its existence before or since. That was the Civil War, which consumed practically all of Lincoln's tenure in office.
Lincoln is best remembered today for abolishing slavery in 1863. But his equally great achievement was crushing the well-organized insurrection led by the slave-holding class.
Among the other acts of President Lincoln was opening the Transcontinental Railroad, establishing the USDA, and creating the first national park at Yosemite. Tragically, in the war's immediate aftermath, Lincoln was murdered in cold blood by a failing actor who hated Lincoln and considered himself part of the dispossessed so-called Southern Aristocracy.
Lincoln suffered a great tragedy in that his first love, Ann Rutledge, died at age 22. He believed at the time that he would never love again, but eventually married Mary Todd after a sometimes rocky courtship. Contrary to what some believe, the Lincolns were happily married and had four children.
The thing that has always made Lincoln so popular is that, at his core, he was really like all other men. He had his faults, he had his successes, but he was a man to whom other men could relate and also held the respect that made him a leader. He really was in many ways considered the archetype of American manhood. An ordinary man who met obstacles and overcame them.
So before Valentine's Day, treat yourself to at least a tall glass of apple cider and drink a toast to one of our true national icons.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT SHADY CASTALIA HOUSE ARISE
Following our last post raising further questions about the financial dealings within Vox Day's media ventures, Mr. Markku Koponen (the owner of the company to which Castalia House is a subsidiary) was kind enough to leave some commentary. While Koponen explained that business kept him busy, he was heart-touched by the concerns which we'd raised. And he implied that he might address them at some point in the future.
However, Koponen did address one valid point:
He's correct in that Vox has never claimed to own Castalia House, and this is confirmed by Finnish tax records. Vox is the 'lead editor' there; just as his Linkedin profile shows that he is the lead designer at Alpenwolf, Castalia's parent company. But what's interesting to note, Alpenwolf hasn't produced any gaming systems in some time---a few years, in fact. As Koponen says, he's "churning out copy several times a month." But this brings up a question: Why does Alpenwolf's entry in the Finnish Business Tax Registry claim that Computer Programming Activities are its main line of business, when publishing clearly is that?
We see from the most current available website valuations that Alpenwolf's programming activities aren't exactly stellar:
However, Castalia House is doing somewhat better:
Now this is an interesting graphic, because it gives us our first tangible look at what Castalia House's actual sales figures are. Vox has been encouraging more online buying lately since his retail sales have been sluggish, to say the least. The above graphic shows that Castalia is averaging about $64 per day in online sales. That isn't too bad; but hardly makes them industry leaders. Compare that number with the online sales of companies that Vox hopes to 'dethrone;' e.g. Tor Books ($570 per day), DC Comics ($789 per day), or Marvel Comics ($1,548 per day).
So, at least a big percentage of Castalia's sales add up to around $23,300 annually. That's about 20, 500 Euros at current exchange rates.
But astute readers who've been following so far might ask: 'Wait a minute...didn't you say earlier that Finland exempts companies from European Union VAT requirements only if they had less than 10,000 Euros in annual business revenue? Is Alpenwolf/Castalia House in compliance with this regulation?' Well, apparently not.
As seen on the last line, Alpenwolf's VAT registration hasn't been renewed since 2015. One has to wonder if this potential liability wasn't one of the reasons for Vox' suspension from Indiegogo. A subsidiary business entity which can't demonstrate tax compliance operating under another company---which exists only on paper and has no verifiable business address---looks like a bad risk from just about any angle.
So hopefully Markku Koponen will also look into this matter when he writes us again.
However, Koponen did address one valid point:
Markku KoponenFebruary 5, 2019 at 2:22 PM
Except that I'm churning out copy several times a month. Because you can't find me, to waste my time. You may note that Vox has always said he's the "lead editor of Castalia House". He has never claimed to own any part of it, because he doesn't.
We see from the most current available website valuations that Alpenwolf's programming activities aren't exactly stellar:
However, Castalia House is doing somewhat better:
Now this is an interesting graphic, because it gives us our first tangible look at what Castalia House's actual sales figures are. Vox has been encouraging more online buying lately since his retail sales have been sluggish, to say the least. The above graphic shows that Castalia is averaging about $64 per day in online sales. That isn't too bad; but hardly makes them industry leaders. Compare that number with the online sales of companies that Vox hopes to 'dethrone;' e.g. Tor Books ($570 per day), DC Comics ($789 per day), or Marvel Comics ($1,548 per day).
So, at least a big percentage of Castalia's sales add up to around $23,300 annually. That's about 20, 500 Euros at current exchange rates.
But astute readers who've been following so far might ask: 'Wait a minute...didn't you say earlier that Finland exempts companies from European Union VAT requirements only if they had less than 10,000 Euros in annual business revenue? Is Alpenwolf/Castalia House in compliance with this regulation?' Well, apparently not.
As seen on the last line, Alpenwolf's VAT registration hasn't been renewed since 2015. One has to wonder if this potential liability wasn't one of the reasons for Vox' suspension from Indiegogo. A subsidiary business entity which can't demonstrate tax compliance operating under another company---which exists only on paper and has no verifiable business address---looks like a bad risk from just about any angle.
So hopefully Markku Koponen will also look into this matter when he writes us again.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
SO WHO REALLY RUNS VOX DAY'S MEDIA EMPIRE?
In October, Vox Day's shady publishing firm, Castalia House, was suspended by the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo for "a pattern of unusual (i.e. suspicious) activities." This incident has caused more than a few in the literary community to start questioning Vox' activities. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy blogger Camestros Felapton wrote an article suggesting that Vox' funding tactics bore several characteristics of money-laundering. Vox is currently suing Indegogo, thus whatever irregularities are alleged will be brought out in court.
It's also been further shown that Vox' questionable business practices don't stop there. First of all, Castalia House is not even a registered company in its own right; but a subsidiary of a Finnish outfit called 'Alpenwolf'.
Alpenwolf purportedly is engaged in some type of 'computer programming activities. Regardless, however, the company is not registered with the European Union Tax Authority. Finnish law exempts firms from registration if their yearly net profits fall below 10,000 Euros (about $11,500). And this is the second suspicious thing. How Vox presents his sales and influence to the public and what is represented to the EU tax officials are two radically different things.
Castalia House recently ran afoul of Amazon's Terms of Use though the issue was resolved rather quickly. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy site, File 770, received a missive from Markku Koponen, the registered owner of Alpenwolf/Castalia, which said of the book in question:
"But the sales had dropped so low on it (because people seem to connect it only with the Scalzi events, which isn’t really fair. Again, it’s an actual, serious book) that removing that tool from them had more value than having the title there. And it’s still available on our own site, from which we keep 100% of the revenue instead of 70%."
So we started to look into Markku Koponen a bit. What was interesting was not what was found, but what we didn't find.
There is very little on the web about Koponen that isn't directly connected to Vox Day. Koponen has a Twitter feed, but it's mostly retweets of American Alt-RINOs. The photo gallery has a number of Confederate flags and such---but surprisingly little commentary about Finland---where Koponen supposedly lives.
In fact, this is the building in Kouvola, Finland which is supposedly Castalia House's publishing headquarters:
And the building description is listed in the city's registry as follows:
This address is an apartment complex---not a business office. So who lives there? Not Markku Koponen. His address is listed as in the town of Voikkaa. Presumably, those donating to Vox' crowdfunding campaigns are paying for the maintenance of an office and business facilities: but are they really paying somebody's rent?
When Castalia House first opened, a blog called Charlie's Diary published an article about it. What's interesting is reading through the comments---many of which were posted by active members of Finland's sci-fi, comics, and gaming communities. Nobody in Koponen's own neighborhood seems to know anything about him:
As a public figure, Vox Day certainly owes an explanation to everyone about these anomalies. The lack of transparency concerning his donor-base and funding; the irreconcilable sales reporting; the questionable status of Castalia House's actual ownership and management: these things really need some public airing and clearing up.
It's also been further shown that Vox' questionable business practices don't stop there. First of all, Castalia House is not even a registered company in its own right; but a subsidiary of a Finnish outfit called 'Alpenwolf'.
Alpenwolf purportedly is engaged in some type of 'computer programming activities. Regardless, however, the company is not registered with the European Union Tax Authority. Finnish law exempts firms from registration if their yearly net profits fall below 10,000 Euros (about $11,500). And this is the second suspicious thing. How Vox presents his sales and influence to the public and what is represented to the EU tax officials are two radically different things.
Castalia House recently ran afoul of Amazon's Terms of Use though the issue was resolved rather quickly. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy site, File 770, received a missive from Markku Koponen, the registered owner of Alpenwolf/Castalia, which said of the book in question:
"But the sales had dropped so low on it (because people seem to connect it only with the Scalzi events, which isn’t really fair. Again, it’s an actual, serious book) that removing that tool from them had more value than having the title there. And it’s still available on our own site, from which we keep 100% of the revenue instead of 70%."
So we started to look into Markku Koponen a bit. What was interesting was not what was found, but what we didn't find.
There is very little on the web about Koponen that isn't directly connected to Vox Day. Koponen has a Twitter feed, but it's mostly retweets of American Alt-RINOs. The photo gallery has a number of Confederate flags and such---but surprisingly little commentary about Finland---where Koponen supposedly lives.
In fact, this is the building in Kouvola, Finland which is supposedly Castalia House's publishing headquarters:
And the building description is listed in the city's registry as follows:
This address is an apartment complex---not a business office. So who lives there? Not Markku Koponen. His address is listed as in the town of Voikkaa. Presumably, those donating to Vox' crowdfunding campaigns are paying for the maintenance of an office and business facilities: but are they really paying somebody's rent?
When Castalia House first opened, a blog called Charlie's Diary published an article about it. What's interesting is reading through the comments---many of which were posted by active members of Finland's sci-fi, comics, and gaming communities. Nobody in Koponen's own neighborhood seems to know anything about him:
As a public figure, Vox Day certainly owes an explanation to everyone about these anomalies. The lack of transparency concerning his donor-base and funding; the irreconcilable sales reporting; the questionable status of Castalia House's actual ownership and management: these things really need some public airing and clearing up.
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