Despite my resolve to limit these endeavors to a week, once more we had an octave of blegging. See, what invariably happens is that a number of donors show up at the last moment, and since it’s become our custom to list the places our donors hail from, the bleg ends up extended for another day so I can have the pleasure of showing the numbers of places where you can find Gates of Vienna readers (including Vienna). To heck with it: from now on we’ll do an Eight Day Wonder — as in I’m left full of wonder that we’re read in so many climes and time zones. Amazing.
Below the fold you’ll find our dear Vlad’s thank you note to everyone who gave during this past fundraiser. Those who were paying attention back then will remember our mention of a new plan: from now on we will give our video guy, Vlad, a portion of our total because (a) his expenses increased suddenly and exponentially, well beyond his ability to pay for them, and (b) his work adds value to our blog on an almost daily basis, and (c) I have this feeling we’re supposed to give him the money.
However, before handing over Vlad’s epistle to you, I need to attempt one last time to clarify what I said in the comments the other day. I don’t remember my exact wording, but I do recall that it appeared to some of those folks in the thread that I said we were being paid to write stuff. Yeah, really. Like somebody in Tel Aviv gives us lots o’ dough and then we write whatever they tell us. Zionist Robots ’Я’ Us.
Exactly backwards. I will repeat what I said then, though I doubt it will be believed by those who read my words through some filter which twists what I say. As Peter Drucker said, “communication is the act of the recipient”. If that guy needs to think we’re in the pay of some person who rules our subject matter, this is just micturating into the wind…
Here’s the deal: we write first and then our readers donate afterwards. It’s a feedback loop of sorts. If people aren’t interested in our subject matter, then they wander away and that’s the end of that. Why do people donate to Gates of Vienna in the first place? Because we offered the choice: ads on the blog or donations. It was unanimous: no ads.
My apologies to those who thought they saw something nefarious wiggling under the rug. ’Tain’t so, boys. Sorry. We’re not in the pay of anyone; the only nefarious group that has us in its clutches is the IRS. Which reminds me: yes, we do indeed declare our donations income.
As for our other income: the Baron’s editing — and occasional programming — brings in some extra money. But our main source of living expenses is what we saved while the Baron was employed. In other words, we rob his retirement plan. We get away with this because our income is so low and he’s now old enough to withdraw from it. Both of those factors allow us to steal from ourselves without penalty.
We’re radicals:
- No debt.
- Old cars… make that car. We gave away the really, really old one (1993) to someone even poorer than we are. We couldn’t afford to keep two cars on the road anymore. Just about the time we’d figured that out, a poor person without a car showed up. No-brainer there. (Oops… some brains were required; he did have to wire part of the muffler thingy to the car to get it out of here.)
- We own our home free and clear, and have for many years.
- No expensive habits or desires. The Baron would like to travel now and again; he also pines on occasion for a better quality of espresso coffee. Me, I miss Amazon books and giving lavish birthday presents, plus I can think of a bajillion things I’d like for the garden. Beginning with a gardener.
Those are our dreams laid bare. In other words, if the economy depended on our spending habits, it would’ve tanked long before it actually did
When the Baron was a starving artist it required some creative caulking to stay afloat. I remember being taken aback once when a friend asked if we’d ever had our electricity turned off for lack of payment. I was amazed they thought us to be that poor! We had problematic “credit” back then but only because we didn’t have any. Credit, I mean. We’ve always paid cash or done without except for one time when we got a loan to build on a handicapped room for my mother. Our “lifestyle choices” — not having a television, a cell phone, movies, etc. — put us in some strange boring fringe that makes people’s eyes glaze over.
Did you ever read that blog, “Things White People Like”? I went there once; my turn to be bored. Why would anyone care about “stuff” that much?? Maybe you have to have a television (and watch it) to get the point of the blog. It sure will make an interesting artifact in a few hundred years. For about five minutes.
We got a great stash o’cash last year from a donor. Or rather, I did. The giver stated it was just for moi! It had been originally designated as his own “fun money” for going to Atlantic City, so my job was to have fun with his gambling stash. I’m still doling it out for small luxuriances, things like a tiny space heater for my feet because my desk is near the door. A reading device that lets me “hold” heavy books. And a Kindle! I bought a Kindle and stocked up on a lot of the freebies. Jane Austen and her successors for the Brits. Come to think of it, all my freebies are Brits. I’ve gone through all of Anthony Trollope, and am moving on to George Eliot.
Our current situation: Times are hard, but so far donations are holding steady. It has turned into more donors and smaller increments (though some folks are able to give the same generous dollop every single time). Expenses have risen some, but not horrendously.
The future: Our plan A is to keep blogging as long as the Baron’s energy and stamina — both considerable assets — maintain. Our blog will remain advert-free as long as the donations continue in their present form. Plan B involves eventual advertising in the event Plan A collapses. However, should that happen, we’ll probably haul out Plan C, which is some kind of local paid employment on the Baron’s part. As I’ve mentioned before, I asked him not to commute because my health is so dodgy. Or maybe he refused to commute because my health is so dodgy. I forget. Plan C would leave us with the same income, more or less, that we have now, but it would mean the curtailment or closing of our blog. Gates of Vienna takes most of his waking time as it is. Paid employment would obviate that real quick.
I hate to disappoint the paranoids but there are no wealthy supporters hiding under the bed, Jewish or otherwise. As for our editorial content, check back to our first few posts; the mission statement for Gates of Vienna hasn’t changed, and way back then we never dreamed of blegging for a living.
It’s as simple now as it was then: we stand with Israel. We always have and always will, no matter what happens.
Below the fold is Eeyore’s thank you note on Vlad’s behalf. Eeyore is what Vlad is called when he posts on Vlad Tepes blog. But we always call him “Vlad” — everyone does.
Dear Donors to Gates of Vienna:
It is with a great deal of humility that I write to thank so many of you for helping me out at Vlad this past funding drive.
When I started the blog I felt it was my duty to do what I could for what appeared to me to be unprecedented historical times. Forces, new and old, were joined in making a new threat to everything that matters to me — and clearly matters to all of you as well.
It has also been my great privilege to be able to work with people like the Baron and Dymphna, as well as KitmanTV and a large crew of very hard working people who believe this cause is worth any sacrifice we make so long as we make progress in the defense of Western civilization, its history and values.
I never expected to be read much, nor to find the niche I work in now -- mostly video and visuals in aid of the Counter Jihad. However that happened, I am thrilled to have readers come to Vlad’s. I’m touched that so many of you think enough of my work to help me out, especially now. My expenses have grown ten times what they were when I started; this rise is due to resource use on the servers where my various sites are reside. The price of success?Thank you to all who read the site or watch the videos.
Thanks to those who think enough of my work to forward your favorites along to friends.
Thanks to all the members of our team who provide me with information, tips and links of incalculable value.
Thanks especially to the people who contribute to Gates of Vienna.
And much gratitude to the Baron and Dymphna for coming to the rescue with their idea to tithe their donations to keep those videos coming. It’s a real load off my mind to know they’ll be sharing their donations from here on out so Vlad’s can stay in business.
Gratefully,
Eeyore for Vlad Tepes blog
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