Botkin Alert. They are back on the conference circuit!

[starfish]

Maybe he's targeting his chosen demographic (men ages 18-35)  in a last-ditch effort to recruit new

potential mates so he can marry off the Robotkins.  He IS a total gas-bag. 

[CyborgKin]

21 hours ago, Howl said:

Implying that once these young 'uns get themselves made over in Geoff's image and have sufficiently made their wives and children miserable, he wants them to be influential at the local level.  This to me means politics.  Gah. 

He's probably still sore about not producing a PM of NZ

4 hours ago, Columbia said:

What young man searching for answers would find Geoff?? The Botkin family is one you know, not one you stumble upon. And their continual silence over the past five or so years only adds to that. For people who are supposed to be ambassadors to the nations they really aren’t all that well known outside of some very niche circles. 

Yeah, for a family who claim to be good at doing their research for projects you'd think they'd have taken some time to learn about social media management or find someone who does.  Instead they just produce dead air for years and then hope for an audience.

[Howl]

Combining the highlights of  @CyborgKin's summary of Geoff's take on red-flag laws

• there should be no anti-gun laws ever!
• Americans use firearms to successfully stop a crime every 13 seconds!
• Would require Americans to inform on their neighbors to strip basic rights from them.  Basic rights! 
• to have whatever weapons we say we need because they're GOD GIVEN RIGHTS!

and noting what was referenced in the teaser for Stand Up and Lead

• government tyranny, no SRSLY, GOVERNMENT TYRANNY!
• possible forced vaccinations!
• note scare quotes here: "digital health passports"!

Geoff, of the annoyingly pretentious, pseudo intellectual Western Conservatory, is veering off piste into fringy alt-right whack-a-doo territory.

To be clear, I do think there are guys ready for this message, which is Patriarchy!  but with a lot more guns.  For example, an outreach  could be focused on spending time at a shooting range followed by discussions of using religion to oppress women. 

Geoff sees himself in the wise paternal role, mentoring the young mens, who gather at his feet, grateful for his pearls of wisdom.  Instead, he should be developing a following with accounts on Parler or elsewhere, because that's where his guys are hanging out. 

But in reality, the guys he's trying to reach want to hear this message from a peer, not Geoff, who is incapable of getting outside of his weird insular Botkin Borg bubble. 

I'd be very interested in someone posting who has actually met Geoff.  Does he come off as a weird and offputting creeper or fairly normal.   Gah. I guess I'll have to watch one of his videos. 

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Howl

[Marmion]

10 hours ago, Howl said:

Combining the highlights of  @CyborgKin's summary of Geoff's take on red-flag laws

• there should be no anti-gun laws ever!
• Americans use firearms to successfully stop a crime every 13 seconds!
• Would require Americans to inform on their neighbors to strip basic rights from them.  Basic rights! 
• to have whatever weapons we say we need because they're GOD GIVEN RIGHTS!

and noting what was referenced in the teaser for Stand Up and Lead

• government tyranny, no SRSLY, GOVERNMENT TYRANNY!
• possible forced vaccinations!
• note scare quotes here: "digital health passports"!

Geoff, of the annoyingly pretentious, pseudo intellectual Western Conservatory, is veering off piste into fringy alt-right whack-a-doo territory.

To be clear, I do think there are guys ready for this message, which is Patriarchy!  but with a lot more guns.  For example, an outreach  could be focused on spending time at a shooting range followed by discussions of using religion to oppress women. 

Geoff sees himself in the wise paternal role, mentoring the young mens, who gather at his feet, grateful for his pearls of wisdom.  Instead, he should be developing a following with accounts on Parler or elsewhere, because that's where his guys are hanging out. 

But in reality, the guys he's trying to reach want to hear this message from a peer, not Geoff, who is incapable of getting outside of his weird insular Botkin Borg bubble. 

I'd be very interested in someone posting who has actually met Geoff.  Does he come off as a weird and offputting creeper or fairly normal.   Gah. I guess I'll have to watch one of his videos. 

 

Geoffrey Botkin reminds me of his Islamic fundamentalist counterparts .  { https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-vaccines-tense-town-hall-meeting-islam/28378250.html , https://www.opindia.com/2020/04/islamic-muslim-opposition-polio-vaccine-all-you-need-to-know/ }   

 

[The Mother Dust]

On 7/5/2020 at 12:54 PM, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

The duck biologist is looking for an entree back into the money grifting of VF-esque fundie life.  He's looking for money and prestige.  He wants to recapture the glory days of the Western Conservancy.

Grifters gonna grift.  Narcissists gonna narssicist.  Geoff gonna Geoff,

I could only stomach about 10 minutes of 1 vid, but in that time I heard him bemoan about all the people binging tv shows while in quarantine.  Wasting their time doncha know.  No thought about the economic activity generated from that show...not just actors but behind the scenes people, etc.  You know if it was a show he was involved in he'd be shoving it down our throats.

[CyborgKin]

13 hours ago, Howl said:

discussions of using religion to oppress women. 

You mean how to turn back the damage the godless evils of FEMINISM have wrought upon what was once the greatest civilization in world history

 

13 hours ago, Howl said:

• possible forced vaccinations!
• note scare quotes here: "digital health passports"!

Yeah that was written in the newsletter announcement too.

What the WHO actually say about immunity passports is:

Quote

At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate.” People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may therefore increase the risks of continued transmission. As new evidence becomes available, WHO will update this scientific brief.

Speaking of immunity, I've heard enough of Geoff that I can probably manage to listen to his videos and take notes.  When I have time.

[Columbia]

https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=2690658
 

Good ol’ Geoff has yet another 501c3 to his name, the Atlantic Society for the Study of Culture. 
There’s nothing on the web to be found about this “society” so my best guess is it’s something to weasel around taxes. Or yet another forgotten Botkin project. 

[Howl]

A bit of an odd name, since they are totally land locked. It's also the most nothing name.  Atlantic Society for the Study of Culture  Anything come to mind? Anything at all? Bueller?  BUELLER?

Ya know what really crawls under my skin about Geoff? He seems utterly humorless.  Also the Robotkinettes. No humor. Zip. Zero.

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by Howl

[Columbia]

22 minutes ago, Howl said:

A bit of an odd name, since they are totally land locked.

If I had to pick an ocean, I would have named it the Pacific Society, simply because of their ties to New Zealand. But I’d also try to make a real 501(c)(3).

[Jasmar]

I assume he’s pretending New Zealand never happened. Since he failed so spectacularly.

[Marmion]

1 hour ago, Columbia said:

Good ol’ Geoff has yet another 501c3 to his name, the Atlantic Society for the Study of Culture

Or " ass cult " , for short . 

[CyborgKin]

Quote

TAX PERIOD The date of the latest return filed

12/2018

Seems that ASS Cult isn't current?

The name feels a lot like the Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences: vague and pompous.

[The Mother Dust]

My impression of him is that he would desperately love to be the president of a real college/university, or the head of a prestigious dept within such.  But he can't, because it would require him to work with/possibly report to women, and he would have to do REAL work that would be subject to peer review.  So he makes these fake "societies" "conservatories" whatever, and makes up the most pretentious sounding names for them, so he can make up an equally pretentious fake leadership title to give himself.  

[Howl]

So many of these fundy patriarchs have to be the rulers in their own little bubbles and they set up their family and a few other loyal retainers (i.e., sons in law) as their subjects. 

 It's...almost...as if...it attracts a certain type of personality. 

7 hours ago, The Mother Dust said:

he would have to do REAL work

Key phrase! 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Howl

[lexiloumarie]

On 7/13/2020 at 7:23 AM, CyborgKin said:

Seems that ASS Cult isn't current?

The name feels a lot like the Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences: vague and pompous.

With the Covid tax delays, would he have had to file 2019 early enough to be visible already? I know people were taking advantage of delays around here but I'm not familiar with non-profit or business taxes. I don't even do my own other than to sign my name now that gay marriage is legal. 

[Laura2730]

On 12/14/2019 at 6:27 PM, hoipolloi said:

Melody Bannister's situation is sad, though I agree with @mirele's assessment. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the marriage was an abusive one. She also isn't the first VF-connected wife to allege abuse of her children at the hands of her husband. A more believable, and also sad, case was that of Josh and Sarah Wean, in which she alleged that his corporal punishment of the children was abuse and constituted family violence. Josh Wean was VF's CFO.

The brother "Roderick" who idolized the "Phlangers" is Wesley Strackbein, a VF employee. Long history there of dedicated leg-humping and koolaid-drinking. It looks like he was Dougie's sidekick from HSLDA through the implosion of VF. 

Also, in reading the Strackbein family's own description of what they do today, I'm only surprised they left out duck biology:

 

 

I didn't realise that Sarah Back (divorced name Wean) attended IBLP's Verity and then worked on the staff for IBLP; its reassuring she's broken out of that world, she's a qualified nurse now!

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

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Spoiler

 

Spoiler

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Spoiler

 

[CyborgKin]

I've taken some notes on a couple of the new videos but haven't had a lot of time to really focus on it yet, so I don't have anything ready to share.

Meanwhile, Geoff's continued to post ever more content.  The latest videos on his channel are: "Should I marry my girlfriend before the crisis is over?", "What if my neighbor is a sociopath?" (wow that one's 46 minutes), "How to think in a crisis", "Is it too late to hoard stuff?" (I hope that's a rhetorical question), "What if my husband dies?", "How can I be taken seriously?" (lol), "Does solitude scare you?" and "Why is my husband sinking into denial?"

At least some of these are probably clickbaity titles, hoping to lure the unsuspecting masses into trying to inflicting a few minutes of Geoff on themselves.

[Jasmar]

I wonder if his neighbors have been asking themselves the sociopath question.

[hoipolloi]

1 hour ago, CyborgKin said:

"What if I am my neighbor is a sociopath?"

There, fixed it for him.

[Howl]

10 hours ago, Jasmar said:

I wonder if his neighbors have been asking themselves the sociopath question.

Throwing a little shade, are we?  I like the smell of a sick burn in the morning! 

[starfish]

We could think of some great and timely topics for him to address, such as "What if I am a total gas-bag?", "Why can't I marry off

the Robotkins?" "Are my sons ammosexuals?" "What truly happened to my BFF, Doug Phillips, and is he a tool?" and "Why did New Zealand kick me out?".  Inquiring minds want to know! 

[Walking Cat Bed]

On 2/16/2020 at 2:38 AM, Petronella said:

For anyone else like me who was like, Melody Bannister? Who? What thread am I in? Is she a Botkin?

Here is a link to two pages back where she was discussed in December: 

The Botkin connection is that she used to criticize Geoff Botkin on her blog (but I think was more focused on critiquing Vision Forum).

At the time, several people suggested that her story deserves its own thread. I agree!

I also very much agree with those who are skeptical of her specific allegations (details at above link). I absolutely believe that there is abuse in many fundie home; no question. But her specifics are very like the Satanic-panic accusations that have long been discredited. The details just don’t add up logically. Is it possible that her extreme, dramatic abuse claims are a psychological stand-in for more “ordinary” abuse?

It’s a very sad story, regardless.

The latest update: Melody Bannister sentenced.

 

The twist: I grew up with the Bannisters. My parents got drawn into their church when I was a baby; the youngest Bannister son is my age. (The oldest went to prom with my sister -- I only have my yearbooks with the youngest's name -- I can verify with photos of said pages if that's needed) I knew several of them men mentioned on Melody's blog. And I can say that even if the story she shared wasn't exactly what happened, there were some really creepy undercurrents. Like being 10 years old at a pool party and either their mom or my mom (they were BFFs) abruptly calling me out of the pool and telling me to go in, change, and find a book to read while sitting with the moms. (Comments were being made by adult men, not leaders in that church.) And both of my parents independently mentioned that the Bannister father would call me his "future daughter in law" when I was a baby/toddler/little kid. 

[Walking Cat Bed]

The good news is that my mother has promised to save her juicy, reverberating farts for any properties that remind her of the Bannister family on my behalf. Since I moved 2/3 across the country.

[CyborgKin]

I've been a bad Botkin-watcher and haven't even checked the channel in weeks!

Geoff's still furiously uploading content, and some is even getting over a thousand views!

Here's what he's uploaded in the past month.  Topics range between seemingly normal, preachy, extreme, and bizarre.

 

What do I do when my kids are totally bored? (2 parts)

How much wealth do you have at this point in history?

How many forms of wealth do you personally own?

Proven secrets of home education

What does it take to be with a girl like Tomi Lahren? (I clicked this one, seems to be about how trashy men don't understand adulthood... aaaand it's also about how 'women who look powerful but are also immature' might know a bit about the problems of immature men but don't know how to fix them (presumably Geoff does).  but I don't have time for this now.)

Are we giving into evil? (3 parts)

How to undo history (thumbnail is a fallen statue)

The shot seen round the world (this one has 6k views!)

Did you take your kids to work with you?

No, Cervantes was not a slave-owning bastard.

Antifa hunted them down

Is the "M" word still in the bill of rights?

Is critical race theory training psychological torture?

How the radical left promotes genocide in the name of "social justice" (clip from another video)

Boogaloo boyhood

Why "social justice warriors" rely on psychological bullying (clip from another video)

Leftists hate history... until they rewrite it (clip from another video)

Are you sure my children can learn at home? (part 1)

 

A lot of these make we want to check them out just out of pure curiosity of what Geoff's take is.

Edited September 16, 2020 by CyborgKin
riffle

[Howl]

2 hours ago, CyborgKin said:

Boogaloo boyhood

I don't want to know what this video is about because I'll spend the rest of the day at a slow boil.  And while I'm here, F**k Geoff Botkin! 

Is Geoff wandering more into alt-right crazy land?  Is he trying to recruit from there?