We interrupt this website with...
A NAG MESSAGE
FROM
FATHER ACME
aka
"...and it's inspired by an old classic novel -- The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo. The book is about .... a group of Spaniards back in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They were called the Comprachicos, and they kidnapped and tortured children, then mutilated them and sold them to the aristocracy so that they could be used as court jesters. Isn't that hideous? The clown in the painting is the book's main character, Gwynplain. When he was a child he had his mouth slashed ear to ear..."
-- James Ellroy, THE BLACK DAHLIA, page 307.
Gwynplaine, the Man Who Laughs.
WHAT are we referring to when we use this image and concept in the context of a nag message, you ask? Victor Hugo wrote this novel while he was exiled in Jersey, in the 1860s c.e. As to the reality of the group mentioned in the Ellroy quote above, THIS might be of interest. Therefore, this is not about History, (NOR IS THIS) but about the concept conveyed in the story, and most specifically, in the picture, and the quote by Ellroy.
The idea of kidnapping innocent people and turning them into jesters for the court... Now we are getting more to the point. Mind Control? No, there are plenty of people writing about that subject, and we prefer to keep this site clean, and leave the references to links and footnotes.
What if... the free experience of the World Wide Web goes south, and takes a powder? The present state of affairs in the global economy, and most particularly in the online community is getting fairly dismal, and what was once called
FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
is now starting to cost, and cost plenty...
ONLY $129.95 A MONTH!!!! ACT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so you can continue to enjoy these
FREEEEEEE
services. That may be fine and dandy for those who are independently wealthy, or have a nice bankroll, but for the rest of us who are webmasters out of the love of disseminating invaluable information, particularly invaluable information that is not readily available anywhere else, except maybe locked away in foreign libraries, or in Lodge Libraries, or other not-easily-accessed places.
"YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU DO, AS LONG AS YOU PAY TO DO IT."
Remember Napster? When will the spiteful alleged creators of content, who resent the free exchange of information and ideas, catch on to the trend that the court decision in re Napster caused? Remember, there are only a handful of major publishing companies, the remainder are independents. And of those who cater to the Occult community, one of the most popular pays peanuts for the material they publish, while the most popular authors they carry have to eke out a living doing that which they find repulsive, therefore contrary to the spirit of getting a book deal.
So, do we want to be kidnapped, like Gwynplaine, or given the "Happy Helmet" like Ren Hoek, and forced to present a smiling, corporate image, touting the ideals of the corporate rulers that pay for our creativity and our vision, whilst stifling it wherever it may happen to arise, or do we want to continue to provide the goodies for...
FREE!!!!!
???????
In order to do so, it is worth paying for all the same, is it not? After all, in our case, we are distilling the best of the best, for posterity, and that is definitely worth more than a point and click to the next website, right? Even encouraging emails would be welcome. We are not forgetful of those who have gone past the fear of making a cold-call email, indeed we are very grateful to those of you who have responded positively to our work. It is a source of great encouragement to us.
And, while we have yet to get a finished product ready to ship, we shall be completing the TIMELINE OF THE AUTHENTIC TRADITION, Book Six: Pasqually to Crowley (Tome I 1700 - 1874) and getting it ready for self-publication, unless someone wants to take the publication nightmare off our hands while leaving the editorial responsibility to us intact! A snowball's chance in the proverbial Hell, we must say.
ALSO, and this is most important: We DO ENCOURAGE the continued support of those Occult communities, search engines, portal services, and the like, who ARE encountering difficult financial times presently, either through supporting the businesses that they advertise, or the services themselves.
For that matter, we recommend the lesser-known, but equally viable organizations, groups, and publishing companies, that exist today, that do not get the widespread coverage and support they have merited over the years, such as the Borderland Sciences Research Foundation. "Buy our books," is the cry, because when they go out of print, and are available only in footnotes, you will be sorry you missed them. Not only that, the competition offers pedestrian swill for the masses. Pablum! Also, there are plans under way, to make available some very useful items of information pertaining not only to what is derogatorily referred to as "Fringe Science", or "Rejected Knowledge", but what is part and parcel of the real Authentic Tradition. So, stay tuned, and keep in touch.
SO, remember poor Gwynplaine, and remember the countless scores of webmasters who have gotten poor results from affiliate programs, and are having to slow their work down, realizing that people do not want to remunerate them for anything they do, because the world consists primarily of lookie-loos, curious tourists,
"Je suis un americaine!"
"Zut alors!"
AND NOT of enough serious students of the Authentic Tradition, as we can see existed a hundred years ago, when groups such as The Institute for Esoteric Studies still had a real agenda, and other groups like it were in existence. [This statement implies no actual affiliation with present-day organizations bearing the name.]
HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY????
To us, as we have been taught, the concept of teaching includes the idea of paying for what one is taught. If a website contains nothing useful, or the same old same old whatever ad infinitum, then perhaps it is not worth wasting time or money on. But if that old lightbulb in the brain is turned on, then???? How much is it worth to you, humble reader? That is the question. We could not begin to set rates for access to our material, because at present we are hosted by a company that forbids such a thing. We have pondered making texts and publications available to limited access, complete with full screening of potential applicants, but that is a time consuming creator of hemorrhoids!
AT ANY RATE, these are items to think over as we go farther into the Millennium!!! As the present administration and the present economy does what it is doing, as we continue to offer the best material available.
We would appreciate hearing from y'all!
Thank'ye kindly,
"FATHER ACME"
11 MARCH 2001 c.e.,
In Memoriam Jacobus Burgundus Molensis the Martyr.
"That Burns!!! Have a burger." -- Stefan of Tuzla.
"LINK TO US -- FREE!!! NOW!!!!"
Just right click on the above graphic, and save it to your hard drive. Insert it into your webpage, wherever it looks best, such as the links page. We do not expect index pages, like all affiliate sites require! Or, you MAY use the following url: http://www.geocities.com/antiqillum/antillbanner.jpg and make the link point to: http://www.geocities.com/antiqillum/index.htm
SO SIMPLE... and FOR FREE!!!
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Original Contents Copyright © 2001 c.e., Jonathan Sellers. All Rights Reserved.