THE HERETICS OF ST. POSSENTI

Bishop Thomas Cranberry finds himself at a loss when he is confronted by a thief and realizes some disturbing truths about himself. The experience sends him in search of the men who are increasingly absent from the Church, who find themselves at a loss in a world that has gone increasingly feral, and who feel that they have nowhere to go and no one to whom they can turn for support. In listening to them and attempting to understand their plight, he finds an unexpected mission.

THE HERETICS OF ST. POSSENTI is for readers who want the backstory of the story and for those who want to know how one inspired man can make a difference in a fallen world. It is a novel for those who need inspiration to get them though the day and those who look for unusual ways to accomplish the mission. It is for people who understand and respect the old ways but know that sometimes a seed cannot grow without splitting the pavement.

Rolf Nelson is the author of BACK FROM THE DEAD, the first book in The Stars Came Back series. This is how Rolf described the connection between the two books.

The first book written in this series of related stories was The Stars Came Back. It had a small but important part played by a somewhat mysterious order of monks, the Order of St. Possenti. It was also said they had a small but significant role in the past as they helped save, metaphorically and physically, the fully self-aware AI aboard the warship Armadillo. It was an unusual order of monks, and it raised more than a few reader questions. It also piqued my own interest: how could such an order of rifle-toting Christian monks come into existence? A fascinating plot device to use as a fully developed entity, but… How?

So I set about exploring the idea. I learned much in the process about Christianity, Catholicism, popes, monks, schisms, and more. I hope you enjoy the results of that labor.

Steve Keen, sell-out

Professor Steve Keen, possibly the greatest economist of our time and Castalia House author-to-be, admits that he is a sold-out member of no less than FOUR grand conspiracies:

How I sold out to the Putin-Soros-Murdoch conspiracy to destroy Western civilization

I was delighted to find myself in the Top Ten (alright; top 15) of the European Values list of 2,326 “Useful Idiots” appearing regularly on RT shows, and thus legitimizing Vladimir Putin’s attempt to destroy Western civilization as we know it.
Why delighted? Because it completes the set of conspiracies to which I can now be accused of belonging. They include:

• The Putin Conspiracy, since I am regularly interviewed on Russia Today (and even worse, I now get paid to write for RT!);

• The Soros Conspiracy, since my research, has been funded by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) which he established;

• The Murdoch Conspiracy, since I appear every week on Sky News Australia with Carson Scott, and I used to get paid by News Ltd to write a weekly column; and

• The Alt-Right Conspiracy, since I’ve signed a book contract with Vox Day’s publishing firm Castalia House.

I can confirm the latter. We have the privilege to be publishing what Steve describes as his “magnum opus”, a work that I have reason to believe may prove not only significant, but utterly revolutionary. As for the others, I fear we shall have to settle for taking his word on them. Speaking of economics, it might interest you to hear that I am writing a piece addressing free trade and nationalism for a first-rate anthology that will appear next year from another publisher.

I will be doing a Voxiversity variant of it for our third video, after #001 Immigration and War and #002 Comics and Culture War.

But back to Steve:

So not only am I a “useful idiot,” I’m a useful idiot for four contradictory conspiracies. Does that make me a double-double agent?

No, it makes me someone who’s quadruple pissed off with people who attempt to understand the world from the perspective of conspiracy theories in the first place. I don’t deny the existence of conspiracies: in fact, far from it, because they’re everywhere. What I do deny is the implicit assumption that the conspirators understand the system they’re attempting to manipulate.

For example, I’ve heard plenty of conspiracy theorists assert that the 2008 financial crisis was caused by the Federal Reserve/George Soros (Hi George!)/Hedge Funds/Academic-Economists-Who-Peddle-The-Efficient-Markets-Hypothesis, and “they” profited from it.

This implies “they” knew what “they” were doing. Pardon me, but I’ve met many of these protagonists—and in the case of academic economists, I’ve worked with them for 30 years. “They” don’t have a clue (except George). Even those that were actively conspiring—like many hedge funds during the subprime bubble were doing so on the basis of utterly deluded theories about how the system they were trying to game actually worked. Where apparent conspiracies did work, like Soros’s punt against the British Pound decades ago, they did so because a CSP (Clever Sinister Person) bet against the conventional wisdom of others who thought they understood the system (and did not), rather than because the CSP set up the whole thing in the first place.

I used to work out with a guy running a very large global corporation. And by large, I mean annual turnover measured in the billions. He disabused me of any notion that the central bankers were smart; after returning from one meeting with the Bank of England’s Court of Directors, he said something about hoping the directors were somebody’s puppets, because if those bozos were actually running anything, the global economy was doomed.

Dopplegangers

So, I’ve been trying to watch as much superhero stuff to get a better idea of what is out there, what works, and what doesn’t. At this point, I have to say that The Gifted is a LOT better than either Arrow or the Flash – I tried, but I simply cannot watch Supergirl or the other show that is somehow even more SJW-converged than the other three shows. It’s particularly good because while the show is clearly on the side of the mutants, it also shows some sympathy to the humans who have good reason to not want them roaming free in their society.

The one problem is that it has a very distracting element, as one of the characters looks almost EXACTLY like my younger brother. I don’t mean, “oh, there’s kind of a vague resemblance,” I mean, the actor looks considerably more like my brother than I or our other two brothers do.

Convergence, Minnesota-style

I grew up in the next town over, and my father’s business was headquartered there for decades. This meeting of the New Brighton City Council just goes to show that wealthy white suburbs are pretty much ticking time-bombs once they start electing female leadership. You can just sense the inevitable low-income housing plans and Refugees Welcome Day being formulated.

The meeting began as a cozy affair. Seven people occupied a table as New Brighton Mayor Val Johnson led the congratulations. Days earlier, Councilman Brian Strub had run a ten-mile race.

Strub voiced satisfaction with his finish, which was received by smiles from fellow council members Mary Burg, Gina Bauman, and Paul Jacobsen. But the marathon work session on this October evening would not sustain a neighborly atmosphere.

Late in the evening, the discussion turned to the greatness of the suburb wedged between 35W and Columbia Heights.

Johnson gushed about “how great we are.” She cited the parks system and New Brighton’s convenient location. Still, Johnson was convinced the suburb could do better.

To that end, she pushed for the formation of a task force. It would reach out to those members of the “underserved community.” People of color in particular.

She’d spoken to some who felt unsafe. Some who were reticent to have conversations outside their immediate community. This troubled the mayor. Others said they were mistrusting of law enforcement. Not New Brighton police, but Ramsey County Sheriff’s deputies, Johnson emphasized.

New Brighton had the potential to be the beacon on the hill.

“Let’s share that greatness with everybody,” she said. “I’m proud of this city.… I want to make sure everybody who’s living here has had a chance to feel proud about their city.”

Some of her peers weren’t so quick to jump aboard.

Councilman Jacobsen said he wasn’t keen on devoting focus to one component of the population.

Councilwoman Bauman failed to understand the task force’s purpose. She wanted clarity of cause, not a group of people looking like they were doing something just because.

Panelist Burg would bring up the term “white privilege.” She intimated how everyone in the room was incapable in walking in others’ shoes.

That’s when the conversation took a tense turn. Bauman said she “resented” Burg’s talk of privilege, as if the life she had somehow required no effort.

“Because I’m white, you think I was privileged my whole life?” she asked. “Are you kidding?”

Johnson’s voiced changed. She said Bauman was “the exact reason” New Brighton needed a task force. If Bauman didn’t understand white privilege, the mayor continued, she was handicapped in representing the community in its entirety.

“What you have just said,” Johnson said, “is the most racist — “

“Excuse me?” interrupted Bauman. “Don’t you ever, ever accuse me of that. You have no basis to say something like that in public.”

The mayor offered clarification: “Let me rephrase it. That statement was one of the most racist things I’ve ever heard.… That statement that you’re not feeling the white privilege thing.”

They started yelling.

“You’re interrupting me! By golly, I’m running this meeting!” said Johnson.

Bauman shot back that she probably knew more people of color than the mayor.

“You’re out of order!” Johnson said.

“And you’re out of line!” retorted Bauman.

The exchange simmered when Johnson got teary-eyed: “Goddonnit, Gina! I’m passionate about this! I’m so passionate about hearing all sides of the story and for you to disregard the fact that white privilege exists is beyond me.”

 Somehow, the exchange brings this cartoon by Jinjerzilla to mind.

DC spirals deeper into SJW Hell

DC Comics has been run by a serial sexual harasser for over a decade:

Liz Gehrlein Marsham had been working at DC Comics for less than three weeks when she said a veteran editor named Eddie Berganza cornered her, stuck his tongue in her mouth, and attempted to grope her.

For Marsham, who was 29 at the time, a foot in the door of DC had been a dream come true. “I was so excited,” she told BuzzFeed News. “I ran around the office the first week taking pictures of things and sending them to my parents.”

But the six years after that 2006 encounter were a “period of slow heartbreak,” Marsham said. Berganza’s actions and DC’s response would change the course of her career — and become fodder for the rumor mill surrounding Berganza and the increasingly open secret of his misconduct. Marsham would be forced to choose between working under Berganza, who she said made her feel profoundly unsafe, or avoiding him at the cost of advancing the career she’d been so proud to start at DC.

“By the time I left,” Marsham said, “I was really demoralized. I was physically ill from being stressed all the time and trying to hide it. I just felt like I needed to get out, however I could.”

Within an industry that has created some of the most influential American fiction serving as the basis for blockbuster films, TV shows, and video games, Berganza has become notorious for the contrast between his personal conduct and professional success. Professionally, he’s moved through the ranks at DC from group editor to executive editor and back again, shepherding properties like Superman and Wonder Woman — properties that grow more valuable by the day as superhero movies dominate box offices and define pop culture. Berganza has become a quintessential company man at a big company inside an even bigger company; DC Comics is part of DC Entertainment, which is owned by Warner Bros., part of Time Warner Inc.

While Berganza’s misconduct is alleged to have occurred years ago, with no fresh accusations suggesting he continues this behavior, the recent reckonings of powerful Hollywood figures like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey have emboldened more victims across more industries to tell their stories. Now, for the first time, three women who say Berganza targeted them in the past have come forward to BuzzFeed News. Five people, including two of those women, confirmed that they spoke to higher-ups at DC about Berganza’s behavior.

Among the women who reported Berganza to human resources, none still work for DC. None are even working at mainstream comics publishers anymore; they’ve largely put superheroes behind them.

DC released a statement last night:

DC Entertainment has immediately suspended Mr. Berganza and has removed him from performing his duties as Group Editor at DC Comics. There will be a prompt and yet careful review into next steps as it relates to the allegations against him, and the concerns our talent, employees and fans have shared. DC continues to be extremely committed to creating a safe and secure working environment for our employees and everyone involved in the creation of our comic books.

I have to say, I knew that Alt★Hero was going to shake up the comics industry. But I had no idea that SJWs were going to practically lay down the red carpet for us to do so before we even introduce our first books. Between Marvel’s collapsing sales, the SJW-convergence spreading into the movies and TV shows, Berganza’s forthcoming exit, and the metastasizing of the Bendis cancer to DC, the stars could hardly be aligning more flawlessly for the dramatic entrance of a new breed of hero.

And yes, SJWs really do always project. Courtesy of Silly But True, one guess who edited and published the following genuine panel from an actual Wonder Woman comic by DC.

UPDATE: It appears Mr. Berganza is no longer employed by DC Comics:

Bleeding Cool has received word from multiple senior figures in the comic book industry that, as of today, DC Group Editor Eddie Berganza will not be returning to the comic book publisher.

Live by social justice, die by social justice.

Book Review: HITLER IN HELL

Fabius Maximus reviews Martin van Creveld’s HITLER IN HELL:

Summary: Hitler in Hell is one of the most important books of the year. As America drifts to fascism, we must understand what happened to Germany. Books like this can help us avoid taking a dark path like they did. It can happen here, in some form.

The fall of Germany to fascism was one of the epochal events in western history. Fascism, in its many forms, is endemic to western societies. But Germany, a center of culture and science, should have been the most resistant of nations. How did it fall so far, so fast? These answers might help us prevent this infection from flaring up again.

An ancient adage says that you do not understand a situation unless you can explain how each party saw it. The countless histories of WWII ignore one perspective: Hitler’s. How would he explain his actions? What methods brought him to total rule of the largest nation in Europe and conquests unrivaled since Napoleon?

Based on a stupendous amount of research, Martin van Creveld has given us some answers in his newest book, Hitler in Hell.

“The method I chose was to try to get into his skin, as far as possible, so as to understand what made him tick. …Where there were gaps, I used what knowledge and understanding I thought I had in an attempt to close them. …I tried to understand Hitler’s actions, views, and thoughts as I think he, observing the past and the present from Hell, would have explained them.”

This is the ultimate celebrity bio, the extreme version of a “how to” book. Hitler started with nothing, joined the Nazi party when it was little more than a sewing circle, took command of Germany at the depths of the Great Depression, and led it to the fastest recovery in the world. This book explains how he did it. So much of the 20th century followed paths that he blazed. If only he had stopped there.

The book is important in two senses. First, the tides of fascism are rising again in Europe and America. Screaming Nazi! Nazi! Nazi! probably doesn’t help. It is like a disease. We need to understand it better. Causes, contagion, and cures. History, in the form of Hitler’s words and deeds, is a useful guide.

Second, Hitler’s story is rich with useful lessons about building organizations and changing the course of nations. It is one of the most insightful and practical guides to success I have seen. Seeing events through Hitler’s eyes makes learning from him easier, since Hitler’s monstrous deeds make objective analysis of — let alone learning from — them almost impossible.

It’s a solid, detailed review. Read the whole thing there.

He cared a lot

RIP Chuck Mosley, the original singer of Faith No More. This song is about as close as Generation X ever got to a generational anthem.

Note to Boomers and Millennials: do not take the lyrics literally. That is what GenX sarcasm sounds like.

Updated note: Okay, maybe we do care about Transformers, a little, since they really are more than meets the eye.

The Great Reckoning

I rather like that name for the ever-expanding Hollywood Values revelations. Hollywood and the media are in serious trouble and they know it.

‘Fear is everywhere’: a quiet paranoia haunts post-Weinstein Hollywood
The industry is on edge as allegations of sexual misconduct reach dizzying heights. The question on everyone’s mind is: ‘Who will be next?’

Week five of the great reckoning and Hollywood is frightened and lost, drifting deeper into uncharted waters with no script, no direction and no sense how it will end.

Scandal was always part of the entertainment industry, a ritualised process of rumours, denials and hush money, publicists and fixers, banishment and redemption. But the vortex of sexual abuse allegations which started with Harvey Weinstein spins ever faster, whirling beyond control of the studios.

Who is next, asks the reporter in the Guardian? Apparently two Guardian editors.

The Guardian’s digital editor Ian Prior has been absent from work after female staff members reported harassment allegations to management, BuzzFeed News has learned. Guardian sources say Prior — the UK news organisation’s digital editor and former head of sport — is away from work while management investigate the allegations, made in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations that have created shockwaves across Hollywood, the media industry and politics…. The latest allegations against Guardian editors come after BuzzFeed News revealed earlier this year a complaint had been filed against former deputy Guardian US editor Matt Sullivan.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s great experiment in attempting to SJW-converge American sports is collapsing.

ESPN will lay off more than 100 staffers after the Thanksgiving holidays, multiple sources tell Sports Illustrated. The layoffs, which were described by a person briefed on the plans, will hit positions across ESPN including front-facing talent on the television side, producers, executives, and digital and technology staffers. The SportsCenter franchise is expected to be hit hard—including on-air people—given the frequency of the show has lessened considerably on main network ESPN.

The network declined comment to SI on Thursday afternoon.

Though hiring has continued and the network remains one of the great destinations for jobs in sports media, ESPN has experienced significant layoffs over the last two years. In Oct. 2015 the company laid off roughly 300 employees, about 4-5{666e5e86189a1fe5e2247551e7a4443f43206d2d8b82140cfc9efd38c8e16ed5} of its workforce—a particularly brutal act of gutting given the long tenures of many of those who were cut.

These are glorious days indeed. Drive on through the false narratives, punch through the flimsy armor of distractions and dissimulations, and find the truth! Hunt the witches without mercy. Encourage those who have been victimized to Be Brave and Be the First! The God-Emperor wills it!

UPDATE: DC is going down hard. It’s not even a little bit surprising that some of the most SJW-converged shows on television were being run by a (((gamma))) given to sexual harassment:

Andrew Kreisberg, co-creator and executive producer of the CW/Warner Bros TV DC series The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, has been suspended from his duties by the studio today over allegations of sexual harassment. Tonight, WBTV also say they are launching an investigation into the accusations.

“We have recently been made aware of allegations of misconduct against Andrew Kreisberg,” Warner Bros. TV Group said in a statement Friday night. “We have suspended Mr. Kreisberg and are conducting an internal investigation. We take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and are committed to creating a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.

Kreisberg has been one of the top lieutenants of Greg Berlanti, the boss of the CW/DC universe. He has been a key auspice on all DC series, with primary focus on serving as showrunner of The Flash.

“We were recently made aware of some deeply troubling allegations regarding one of our showrunners,” Berlanti Prods.’ principals Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter said in a statement. “We have been encouraging and fully cooperating with the investigation into this by Warner Bros.

“There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our cast, crew, writers, producers and any staff,” they added. “We do not tolerate harassment and are committed to doing everything we can to make an environment that’s safe to work in and safe to speak up about if it isn’t.”

According to people familiar with the situation, several staffers on The Flash have complained about Kreisberg’s behavior.

15 women and 4 men registering complaints. Shut them all down.