Author: VD

It’s Just Greed, Right?

Anyone retarded enough to continue subscribing to the materialist “must be the money” explanation is going to find it extremely hard going to explain the rapidity of the Devil Mouse’s collapse. Disney’s corporate cancer is so malignant and fast-growing we may need to invent a sixth level.

The Walt Disney Company will not see their fortunes change any time soon as the company has instituted a culture of silence preventing employees from calling out bad story ideas, they’ve significantly lost a lot of talent, and executives think the company is too big too fail…. It’s not just management and creative’s ideation. Oh, no, no, no, they’ve actually lost a lot of technical and creative story ability. Forget the woke for a moment, The [Little] Mermaid was dark, badly edited, poorly paced, awful music, etc… They’ve lost key Imagineers, broken key links to past talent in that regard. The Brain Drain is real.”

The source explained, “What I mean is even if they wanted to tell a good story, one that fails its stand-alone DEI test, I don’t know if they could actually make it properly and for a reasonable cost. If you really want to see core Disney wreckage don’t look to Lucasfilm or Marvel instead sit back and feast your eyes on the recent Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Little Mermaid then watch the three originals. And remember you are not allowed to say what is causing these properties to fail inside Disney. That is where free speech goes to die.”

Later in the video, WDW Pro shared information he received from another source that explained why Disney thinks they do not need to change their behavior, “The boycott/avoidance of [Bud Light] in a consumer backlash movement is based on the fact that the product itself is indistinguishable from its main competitors (Miller Lite and Coors Light) in blinds and all available at the same distribution points, virtually side by side at retail with similar, identical prices under normal circumstances.”

“In other words avoiding that beverage that’s under fire is very easy because there is very little inconvenience to the light beer consumer,” the source shared.

WDW Pro concluded, “Disney, on the other hand, avoiding Disney is a major inconvenience and so perhaps the folks at The Walt Disney Company assume consumers would be too burdened by trying to boycott them. And therefore, they’re not worried about it.”

Stick with Arkhaven, everyone. Things may be moving along more slowly than we like, and we’ve obviously had some major setbacks, but it’s no longer implausible to suggest that Arkhaven will not only outlast DC and Marvel, but Disney itself.

Converged organizations simply don’t change their culture. They double down until they die.

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Babymetal is Back

In a big way. MONOCHROME is the best song since Yui Mizuno left the band. As usual, the live version is even better than the studio version. It’s got a bit of KARATE in it, a bit of NO RAIN, NO RAINBOW, and the same anthemic feel as THE ONE and ROAD OF RESISTANCE. Kobametal clearly knew he was onto something with this one, as it even has a beautiful piano version that shows off Suzuka Nakamoto’s unbelievable voice as she records the entire song live in one take.

UPDATE: How could you not love Japan? Turns out they do originals too, although more metal than Band-Maid’s hard rock. Not that Band-Maid has been idle of late.

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The Capital That Was Lost

A commenter on Gab observes how the societal changes throughout the United States have significantly reduced its human capital:

I like to relate to my experience growing up in a small town, once a modest but prosperous mining community. By the 80s and through the 90s, the mine was long closed and economic opportunities were scant. By the 2000s, generational welfare recipients were common, except now the last vestiges of culture disappear as crime and drugs increase.

The town now serves mostly as a retirement/ bedroom community with a base of unfortunates.

I always thought that if a big employer showed up nearby, there would be a huge line for the much needed jobs. What I didn’t understand until recent years is what had really been lost: Human capital.

Now employers are hungry for people and you can’t get anyone to show up. New generations seem incapable of managing getting to work on time or at all. That’s what was lost, the culture that reinforced family, work ethic, social values. That’s human capital. Once it’s gone, it’s very hard to get back.

This is where Generation X can, despite its tendency toward nihilism and apathy, make a real difference and give its successors an advantage. Because we don’t care about the mainstream narrative, we can reinforce the traditional family, work ethic, and social values that enhance human capital. We have the ability to teach them how to be in the society, but not of it.

Just yesterday, I explained the way business communications hierarchy worked to several members of the younger generation, and assigned them to watch this scene from The Godfather in order to help them understand how it works. Notice in particular the way the two senior subordinates, the hit man and the lawyer, as well as the rival family capo, understand immediately the major faux pas that has been committed by the undisciplined son.

“I have a sentimental weakness for my children, and I spoil them, as you can see. They talk when they should listen.” This is the key phrase from this scene, and not the more famous “Never tell anybody outside the Family what you’re thinking again.” But they are both significant concepts that are part of what was the human capital of the time.

Our children and grandchildren will not pick up these things via osmosis from the mainstream culture the way we did, which is why it falls for us to preserve it by teaching them wisely and well.

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The Shadow Can Only Mock

“Racist” is what they call you when you aren’t willing to stand by and permit them to destroy your nation, your language, your faith, and your culture without resistance. All the blathering about “hate”, “equality”, “diversity”, and “civil rights” is nothing more than rhetoric intended to emotionally manipulate you into refraining from perpetuating your own kind.

As for the idea that “racism is a sin”, that is pure satanic inversion. Any “sin” invented in 1902 is obviously a fake and man-made one.

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Wednesday Arktoons

ALT★HERO Episode 82: The Dark Lord’s Mercy

THE LOST ERA TRANSCRIPTS Episode 7: Story Two: The Dark Ages

THE DIXON FILES Episode 26: When Creatures Creep!

FLIP CITY CIRCUS Episode 15: Wokey McJokerson

THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS Episode 7: In Pursuit of a Princess

FAIRY DOOR Episode 34: Wicked Dealings

THE TUNNELS OF WOE Episode 6: A Passage to Strange Skies

A MIND PROGRAMMED Episode 29: Knowledge of the Unknown

CHATEAU GRIEF Episode 271: Gallow In the Dark (R)

This is Why They Take the Ticket

The Prince of This World protects his favorites:

Kevin Spacey said he is ‘humbled’ after being dramatically cleared of sexually assaulting four men today following a high-profile trial in which Sir Elton John gave evidence in his defence.

The double Oscar winner, who marks his 64th birthday today, was overcome with emotion when the jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court returned not guilty verdicts on all counts.

Spacey was accused of abusing his fame and power to carry out nine sex attacks on four men during his tenure as artistic director of the Old Vic theatre. But he insisted the claims were ‘madness’ and accused the claimants of ‘lying for money’.

Perhaps justice was served and an innocent man was spared unmerited punishment. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much indeed.

But that’s not to say that the ticket-takers don’t pay the price for their “success”; the much-troubled Sinead O’Connor is dead at 56. I ran into her once at The Perimeter in Minneapolis, I think it was 1991. I was surprised at a) how small she was, and, b) how unfortunate her profile was. But I always respected the way she absolutely crushed the song Prince originally wrote for The Family.

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Mailvox: Borrowed Time

A reader with knowledge of the US shipbuilding industry concurs with my assessment of the USN having lost its naval superiority:

Your analysis about US shipbuilding capacity was spot on. I have an uncle who is an engineer at Newport News shipbuilding (Ingalls). I remember, many years ago, we were having a discussion similar to this topic and it centered on submarines construction.

I didn’t know this but New London, Conn (Electric Boat) can only build sections of the subs. The bow section is built at Newport News. The reason being, Electic Boat lacks the machine necessary to bend the steel in the bulbus shape of the bow section. They sold it off years ago. Newport News is the only shipyard that has that machine. I was surprised because this is an obvious single point of failure.

But then he went to tell me that Newport News is the only shipyard that can install a nuclear reactor. I shook my head in disgust. Right then and there, I knew that we, as a country, were pretenders living on borrowed time.

No amount of glorious history and past success can prevent an outdated power from being surpassed by its successor. Sooner or later, the illusion of invincibility inevitably fades.

UPDATE: Apparently the reader’s take is the optimistic scenario, as someone with direct experience of naval repairs weighs in.

As someone who worked in ship repair on aircraft carriers and submarines at a naval shipyard for [more than 20] years, and on non-nuclear vessels for [additional] years as well, the description given to you of the industry is a vast understatement. The ability for the handful of nuclear capable yards to fix ships has been crippled by a combo of inability to train new workers well, and inability to maintain the skilled workers they do have. “Diversity” pushes women and racial minorities to the top in engineering positions. Some of those may have actually been able to do the jobs they were pushed into if they’d been given the time to build their skills in the way any man would have 10-20 years ago.

In the trades, even a modicum of skill is enough to find yourself fast tracked to a supervisor position before you even finish the apprenticeship program. Admirals appear to think that the lack of capacity to perform can be solved by creating more shipyards. This requires ignoring that the private shipyards can’t hire and maintain skilled labor either, both in nuclear and non-nuclear work. It’s not uncommon to leave a shipyard with many systems in worse shape after “maintenance” than they were in before arriving there. The ridiculous lead times for materials suggests other related industries are in just as bad of shape. As I write this, i’m staring at photos that just came out to my group of [important ship’s equipment destroyed by carelessness].

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Tuesday Arktoons

HAMMER OF FREEDOM 2 Episode 6: Survival of the Fittest

GIVE MY REGARDS TO BLACK JACK Episode 15: You Earned It

THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS Episode 6: King Daddy Displeased

TREASURY OF TALES Episode 13: The Little Red Hen

THE SIEGE OF THE BLACK CITADEL Episode 8: The Questioning

REBEL DEAD REVENGE Episode 72: God’s Speed

上嫁小鼠 Episode 14: 我们般配了

THE GOLDEN AGE Episode 9: In The Palace

STONETOSS Episode 209: Name Dropping

Whatever Could it Be?

The 18-year-old son of NBA star LeBron James suffered a heart attack during basketball practice at USC.

Bronny James, incoming USC freshman basketball player and son of Lakers star LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice with the team Monday. According to a statement from the James family via The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Bronny collapsed on the court and was taken to the hospital. He is in stable condition and no longer in the ICU after being tended to by the team’s medical staff.

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Promises, Promises

The US State Department makes a dubious promise to Poland.

Washington will defend Poland in case of an attack from abroad, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday, commenting on rumors that fighters from the private military company Wagner, currently stationed in Belarus, wanted to “go on tour” in the neighboring state.

I don’t know how much you should read into [that],” Miller said. “I would just reiterate that our alliance with Poland is strong. Poland is a NATO member, of course, and we will defend, if necessary, every inch of NATO territory.”

US makes NATO pledge to Poland, 25 July 2023

Considering that Washington has been afraid to even sent its best air and armor to Ukraine for fear of having their lack of quality exposed to the world, I think we can state with confidence that the US is not going to send any troops to take on Wagner if the PMC decides to go on an Eastern European tour that has absolutely nothing to do with accomplishing Russian objectives.

Especially in light of the pivot to China that is being urged by some of the more rabid neoclowns. Regardless, the Poles would be wise to recall the last time a fading empire promised to defend it from its neighbor.

As Hitler pressed Poland for the return of Danzig, stripped from Germany after World War I, and demanded rail and road transit to the city across a “Polish Corridor” also taken from Germany, Warsaw, encouraged by British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax, refused even to negotiate. The Poles were assured that if war came, Britain would be at their side. But when Hitler invaded Poland from the west and Stalin invaded from the east, Britain declared war on Germany alone. Then, the British sat behind the Maginot Line while Poland was crucified. The British had goaded the Poles into standing up to Hitler though they had no plans to save or rescue Poland. Six million Poles would die as a result of having trusted in a British alliance.

It’s educational to remember that despite having promised to defend Poland, the British didn’t even declare war on the Soviet Union after the Soviets invaded their ally. The deep history of the world lies beneath those little anomalies.

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