Blog Look Will Remain Unchanged

The People have spoken. I will also add a brief (say under 9,000 words!) explanation as to why.

Perhaps my binging of the series Mad Men has inclined me to explain myself more than usual concerning a topic I hardly ever mention but that is actually quite important to me: Aesthetics.

And since you all have short attention spans I put a heading below in underlined bold you can skip to.

The Poll remains open so it may accumulate more votes over time, but I am also quite sure that most of the critics have spoken already.

I also received some texts and emails and one of the most balanced was an email that explained how the eye naturally tracks from top left to bottom right for Westerners, and that while, yes, the fruitfly attention span is a real thing, and people probably don’t even notice the sidebars and links there, this site has a unique look that is not really found anywhere else; and that —for anyone with a little discernment— makes it stand out from the endless deserts of slick, clean, pristine, and sterile sites that all resemble each other.

And he has a point. I don’t know about you, but I can barely stomach seeing another substack layout.

He was probably too polite to point out what my most constructive critic spells out, which is that he thinks the blog looks like a Warhammer 40K site and that there is so much content it looks like a reddit sub with 50,000 posts.

While I resent the Reddit comparison, I understand this site is not one-dimensional, and that can be “overwhelming” for some, after all, I cover everything from Ancient Technology to the Zombie Apocalypse, and everything in between, with serious posts about astronomy, Mars, The Catholic Church, Martial Arts, Christianity, Hypnosis, Science Fiction deeply steeped in Nazi “Conspiracy theories” that are rooted in factual events, random thoughts on the farming life, occasional humorous anecdotes about my not quite feral, but certainly savage children, and many, many, other topics, as the categories list (now fixed after the hack attack) on the right clearly shows.

So, yeah, I guess the average overstimulated, non-existent attention-span, partially woke, partially boomerzeigest infected, possibly apathetic GenXer, depressed Millennial, or stoned GenZ reader may find the site too much “effort” to peruse, investigate, navigate, and explore.

I get it.

But you see, as I wrote back in 2009 when I created this site’s look, from scratch, out of my own ideas and head, and despite it offering both Hypnosis Services (which are actually being requested more lately, with good results in general) as well as a link to my E-store for digital versions of books I wrote (most of which are also on Amazon), and some watercolours I do when time permits, the primary thing this site is about is not what you might think.

It is not politics, hypnosis, science, science fiction, writing, or really any of the categories listed on the right; but rather, it is about an overall, encompassing category I mentioned right at the very origin of this site:

Exploration.

As I wrote in 2009 (the site launched in early 2010 but I had written up the various pieces a few months earlier):

The world we inhabit, and the universe we find ourselves in, is an absolutely incredible and fascinating thing. In truth, almost everything I do stems from my ever-growing curiosity about many, many things. 

This site means to attract a very unique type of reader.

The ideal daily visitor is a person that is still curious about life and the world we live in. Increasingly frustrated or angered by the increasing enstupidation and zombification of humanity all around us, but not crippled by it. Not a nihilist or a person lacking in hope and ability as a result of the grind they put us all under. I want the rebels that prefer to live out in the wastelands with single action revolvers, filtered water catchment tanks, solar panels, and water turbines, far away from the drug-addled inhabitants of the Brave New World Cities where you will be provided for, own nothing, and be drugged, lied to and brainwashed into “happiness”.

Such people will NEVER agree with everything I think, opine on or write. There will be things I say that will piss them off, or they will disagree with, BUT and this is key, they are the type of person that CAN be persuaded by facts. And as such, even the things I write that may piss them off may later, one day, when presented in a way that suits them more, be digested, metabolised and assimilated. They may, in fact, change their mind. And sometimes they may change mine.

Everyone likes to think they are that type of person, who can change his mind based on solid facts, but I estimate that at minimum over 85% of people are simply not. And if I had to guesstimate the actual number of people that can turn their long-held beliefs on a dime when presented with irrefutable evidence, I would say that at the most optimistic and generous, it is under 2%.

So, I know. I am my own worst enemy from a financial, economic, or fame perspective. And while I care absolutely not at all for fame, I could certainly appreciate being able to make a living just from my writing and sharing of concepts, stories, and ideas I have discovered in my rather eventful life. That would be truly awesome.

But not at the cost of my integrity.

I ENJOY writing this blog. And while it lay mostly dormant for years at a time, because my life was too full, chaotic and dynamic for me to give this much thought, since 3 years ago, I have begun an attempt to create a stable family home. It’s not a coincidence given I have also fathered three children in the last 5 years.

And while I have no more time (in fact, probably less), no less chaos, and certainly a LOT more worries and a LOT less money than I did before, continuing to write here actually gives me some of the spiritual fuel that inspires me and keeps me going.

Yes, the Satanists in charge may nuke the site tomorrow from orbit, or I may get droned or microwaved into a “heart attack” for it, or whatever.

C’est la vie.

But in the meantime I’ll carry on as I see fit.

And in doing so, the people that will most likely be attracted to this site are the types who WILL look at the links on the sidebars.

The types of people who DO read full length books and enjoy them, even if they too are harassed, squashed into cubicles, robbed of their time and sanity and souls every day.

They are the people who remain curious, defiant, who are able to change their mind based on facts, enjoy a story or a laugh with a man they agree on some things with and disagree on others, without either one ever losing respect for each other.

They are the type who, perhaps, also understand my sense of taste.

The Aesthetics of this most Excellent and Tonic Verbarium of Ideas

In my opinion, the last natural, real, honest, scientists, were best exemplified in the late 1800s. It was a time when equipment and machinery was crafted with care and skill, but also with a pleasing aesthetic.

Scientific observation was meticulously undertaken with patient recording of results and while the scientific method was held to tightly, the imagination of men was unfettered. We could envision sky-ships and then we built them.

Cognac and good cigars were served in the well-furnished libraries of men who could theorise on the laws of gravity as easily as discuss the possibility of remote areas of the world that might house supposedly extinct species. Men who would travel to far-away lands to explore ancient and mysterious ruins to discover the real origins of mankind. Men who did not fear an intellectual conversation, nor a brawl when the occasion called for it. Men who could argue honestly in search of truth, not the mere satisfaction of ego.

Such is the design of this site.

The slightly baroque look of the wallpaper reminiscent of hand-crafted wood-panelling, the various links and addendums to the site analogous to hidden doors in the library, or a secret panel in the desk, behind which was to be found even more astonishing information and locations.

It was a time where a man could be a real scientist, an explorer, a polymath, hold his own in discussions with the most esteemed experts of various royal societies, but not shy away from a bare knuckle fight or a duel with rapiers at dawn.

It was a better time, when men (and women) of good breeding, or at least quick wit, were naturally more observant, could make something of themselves through their own efforts, and were free to explore thoughts, ideas, lands and cultures with no one bothering them too much beyond possibly trying to kill them for time to time; but usually for economic or personal reasons, which are at least understandable, unlike much of the wokeness of the present day.

So that, is the look I was going for.

And I would say it has stood the test of time.

It is not a design that has “aged out”.

It was intentionally started as something you might expect to find well over one hundred years ago, in a slightly cyberpunkish, Space 1899, Jules Verne and HG Wells novel, sort of way.

The intent here, is that while the tone can range from rough and brusque to rarefied and abstract, the point is freedom to think. Freedom to explore.

And in fact, in writing out this explanation for you, gentle readers and kind supporters of my work (and yes, you too, those who hate-read here in fury, and even you, Dean, 30-year veteran of the NSA/CIA/FBI/Spook outfit that is designated as my personal agent), I am reminded of that original intent as well as the ways I may have strayed from it here and there, as every man will.

At times my tone has been cruder than I prefer, but then, it is a very raw and evil world we inhabit, and I, nor my target audience, is a prude. The odd curse or graphic sentence here and there is not anything I will lose sleep over, but perhaps, I can find a better way to temper my expressions.

I do not know yet if this site will ever reach a large enough readership that it might result in continued patronage of the things I offer and mention here, I hope it does, and soon. But regardless if it ever does or not, I will continue to write here in this spirit; and the changes that might come to this site (other than what Dean and his friends might have in store for us all) will probably be limited to a consolidation, of various concepts or topics. Perhaps an addition of a forum for people to discuss various ideas.

And there is certainly scope for people to contribute.

The SOE side of things has never taken off because the readership I have is small, and we are all increasingly struggling to survive, but the structure for it is all identified and it would be awesome if other natural scientists from around the world took it upon themselves to do experiments, report them back here and get them to be added to the Adventure Science Library, which I have not had a chance to work on and update in years.

Similarly, you might want to actually physically join me in Italy or at least contribute to the efforts of The Kurganate. One man already has bought property near me, another lives here already, and more would come here tomorrow if they had the funds to do so. Some are working towards it.

Or you might just support my efforts by reading my books, or subscribing with a membership to my YouTube channel.

Or… you could simply use the share button at the bottom of each blog post (you need to actually click on the blog post individually for the button to appear at the end of a post, but we are working on it showing even if you are just on the main page) and send whatever post interests you to a friend.

In Conclusion

I know this site is not for everyone.

It was never meant to be.

It was always meant to be for that discerning, objective, rational, curious, adventurous yet scientific type of person. Maybe they all died out in the late 1800s, or maybe I really am from Mars, and was transported here as a very small baby, in a perverse reversal of John Carter’s situation. But whatever the case may be, and as much harder as becoming a Warlord of Terra is, I plan to continue on as a, possibly Martian, erudite polymath, with a large vocabulary, a small to inexistent capacity for suffering fools, and a partiality for rapiers, blades and firearms, exploring ancient ruins, and hunting for cryptids.

As all the best of my kind from 1888 or so did.