2024

SITREP for WEEK of 1/3/2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And thank GOD - quite literally, THANK GOD, for HE is truly GREAT.

First and foremost, the CRISIS relating to what I PERCIEVED (apparently incorrectly - more on that in a moment) to be a round-about, rather surreptitious, to DE-PLATFORM me by STRIPE CAPITAL (the payment processor for SUBSTACK and many, many other content platforms) has abated without us suffering any ill consequences. For several weeks, STRIPE had halted disbursement of funds rendered from subscriptions to my bank account. The suggested reason was an issue of verification and the purported inability of STRIPE to in fact verify that I was in fact who I purported to be, that I was in fact in control of the platforms from which revenues that STRIPE is responsible for processing and disbursement derived.

This had potential to bring my production of content to an abrupt HALT - with the added challenge of the fact that STRIPE is ubiquitous vis a vis any online revenue derived from subscription content. STRIPE and its subsidiaries at present monopolize the marketplace to such a degree that BRAND growth or - even sustained revenue generation - would have been well nigh impossible within the (admittedly discreet) parameters of what I aim to accomplish without use of these resources.

This is to say nothing of the unique unconscionability of a financial institution deigning to compromise the ability of a paying client to earn a living and to withhold - in bad faith - earnings that belong to said client. This is aggravated, in this author’s opinion, by peculiar defacto, if not dejure, fiduciary obligations inherent to financial matters and the trust inherent to consideration therein if any meeting of the minds can be said to exist between contracting parties.

As it happened, I spend part of NEW YEARS DAY on the PHONE with STRIPE CAPITAL; explaining in no uncertain terms that I was prepared to defend my rights and my stake in the arrangement that has been extant between MY BRAND and STRIPE CAPITAL for the preceding three years and two months; and that I would contact the Attorney General of my State of residence for assistance in filing suit to recover what is owed to me. I was subsequently treated the following morning to brief and formal, but unmistakably diplomatic in tone, email informing me that any and all restrictions on my STRIPE CAPITAL account had been removed, that my account had been verified and was in good standing, and that processing of subscription payments would resume IMMEDIATELY.

Thus, it goes without saying, we are NOT leaving SUBSTACK, and I will continue to post fresh content here as we expand. HOWEVER, we ARE launching a second platform on GUMROAD - which will be very different than what is offered on SUBSTACK (not in tenor or topical focus, but in format and the like).

So…as the YOUNGSTAS say, ‘‘WE ARE BACK!’’ Thank GOD and 7/88. - T