Man, I know there are thousands of Substacks out there . . . and so many of them are fantastic reads! We are all desperate for a piece of the pie, your pie, and I can see how difficult that is for everyone. I myself pay-subscribe to many substacks. I want to see them thrive, and I know that most quality writers are not writing as a hobby. It takes way too much time and effort to write without some sort of monetary compensation.
It is all a matter of numbers, isn’t it? If I had a 100,000 free subscribers it would stand to reason that a certain percentage would be able to pay (they say 3%). But, alas, I do not have 100,000 free subscribers and with each day passing day new ones get harder and harder to come by.
I have seen that so many of you have loved my work. Thank you so much!! And I want to sincerely thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of you who have indeed dug down in those pockets and paid for a subscription! I hope you believe it is worth it with the added articles you get to read! But also I hope you see it is worth the feeling that you really are allowing this writing to continue. I see paid subscriptions more as a gesture of support than I do as a “subscription” for services. These days it is really the only way to keep independent journalism alive.
For those of you who are not yet paid subscribers could you consider becoming so? Yearly, monthly, or even a direct donation (through Ko-fi…the link at the bottom of most articles) would be most appreciated. Remember, you can always do a 7 day trial! If you still decide not to subscribe could you share an article here and there on your social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…or whatever? Could you email an article to friends and family? Anything you could do to get this out in front of more people the better. I am trying to build a community here, and of course the more the merrier.
Writing two or three articles a week is not all that easy. It is time consuming, and wracks my often feeble brain. I love doing it, so there is no problem there. But I do have to be honest, if I can’t find a way to at least partially subsidize my time spent writing for this as much as I do, I will have to cut back or give it up altogether. That is just the reality of it. I would love to do this more full time, and that takes money!
And if you just can’t make a donation in a paid subscription, all is good!! You are ALL an incredibly important part of the cause. All shrews are welcome and honoured. Please say hello, contribute by sharing everywhere and making comments when you can!
My best to you all!!
Todd Hayen, Dr. Shrew
If you would like to support my efforts to write articles that you enjoy, but would rather not at this time commit to a yearly or monthly subscription. Please buy me a cup of coffee! The gesture would be greatly appreciated!!
"I am sure there is an answer to that, you can go back to school and get your PhD to get it." I did and, very soon after, ran in horror. I just subscribed because of this: "The Tyranny of Cause and Effect Scientism" even though the article does not seem to be here. I was really happy to find it even though my view on "science" - a process laboring towards predetermined outcomes - is much darker than yours.
Thank you so much for being here...and I want to hear your darker views...coming from the horse's mouth!! I actually held back a bit because I am not a scientist.
First, I apologize for the slow response. It took me a while to decide whether I should make it long and detailed or short and sounding crazy. I have selected the latter because I do not discuss these things in public domain.
We did not get to the situation you describe — misdirected and confused “science” — by accident. It was done deliberately and intentionally by a few well-known men of Science over the span of the last two hundred years. That was when Science arrived at a point where, unmistakably, God was staring back at the scientists. They decided that it was bad for business and employed everything at their disposal to rob God of His agency rather than to accept the inherent limitations imposed on human Reason. They accepted Mephistopheles’ offer.
It's the story of the Fall. Christianity put a lid on it for about 1,300 years but eventually failed — as prophesied.
Please do not hold back. I am very interested in what you have to say.
I wonder why first I felt that I did not like the money request - maybe this is my general attitude towards money, maybe this should be reviewed. My second thought was that I had been pondering for a while if I should subscribe, should I really say no when Todd asks for it? It also came to my mind that I also wish to start publishing and I will also prefer to get some money, how will I expect that if I don't do the same? So in the end I subscribed.
You are a saint...thank you so very much. Yeah, I don't like it much when people solicit for $$$. I think we are moving back into a place in our culture, though, where that will be more common. It is actually a good thing as we will be directly paying for things we want rather than being tricked into it through automatic rental fees or "subscriptions" and other "non-direct" ways of paying for things...I think if we keep at the resistance to CBCDs, UBIs, and other nefarious ways to suck money out of us, and pay direct for services and goods, we will have a better system.
Money, in my opinion, is meant to circulate, but circulate amongst PEOPLE...with the money I get from this substack I pay for other subscriptions, donate to charity, etc...and of course keep some for myself!! I try to keep it flowing...
AND...I promise you, when you get your substack going, LET ME KNOW and I will buy a subscription!! I know that sounds weird, for me to just give it back to you, but I do believe if we keep money flowing like that we will get coming to us all that we need.
Do you actually get the cup of coffee? I’ve always wondered...
Getting a paid subscription to Shrew Views was probably the smartest thing I’ve done in months and I hope everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Quality reads from intriguing perspectives, your articles ignite sparks in the old noggin that I had thought were long dead. Thank you!
I enjoyed your more detailed post (they emailed it to me before you deleted it)...I love your sense of humour!! And no, I do not consciously buy a cup of coffee when someone donates $3...although I DO buy coffee, so you could say it is frequently paid for by donations!
Actually I think it is meant to be a metaphor...don't you? Whatever. It is nice when people donate...it is all gesture, it enables me to also support other substacks, give to my own charities (children in Egypt) and of course, live the life in paradise...no kidding, I have it pretty good compared to many other humans on this planet, I am grateful.
Thanks for the amazingly encouraging words...you are much appreciated...and keep up the comments! That is my favorite part about doing this...
Ooh I’ll have to watch my wording! I meant, do they send you the cup of coffee? Even one of those insta-packs, you know the little singles in a filter just add water kinda thing? Then once you get consistently past 10 people they send a pound bag of beans?
The phrase “for less than a cup of coffee per month” has been used for decades to end famine in Ethiopia, sponsor orphans in Africa and Indonesia, spay/neuter every dog and cat in North America, the list goes on. Is that where they came up with the idea of naming a donate button?
Our minds can make the weirdest connections when certain words and phrases are used, invoking emotions and even memories that have nothing whatsoever to do with the original phrase in its context. Hmmm, ya think they do this on purpose?
I deleted my original reply because it started down that path. “Are they using that particular phrase ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ to shame us into giving you $3 instead of self-indulging our own Timmy’s vice?” Sorta thing. (Us and You in the general sense, not personal)
I had decided that going there was indeed shameful (on me) as a comment under the particular title you chose. Even though you called it ‘shameless’, I know (or rather, assume) it probably tooks days if not weeks of dithering before you finally posted. It’s not easy asking for money.
So here I am, shamelessly (!) going there anyway. Arrgghh
P.s. If substack had an edit button on replies......
P.p.s. WHERE in the world do you buy $3 coffee???!!
"I am sure there is an answer to that, you can go back to school and get your PhD to get it." I did and, very soon after, ran in horror. I just subscribed because of this: "The Tyranny of Cause and Effect Scientism" even though the article does not seem to be here. I was really happy to find it even though my view on "science" - a process laboring towards predetermined outcomes - is much darker than yours.
Thank you so much for being here...and I want to hear your darker views...coming from the horse's mouth!! I actually held back a bit because I am not a scientist.
Here is the article...
https://www.shrewviews.com/p/the-tyranny-of-cause-and-effect-scientism
First, I apologize for the slow response. It took me a while to decide whether I should make it long and detailed or short and sounding crazy. I have selected the latter because I do not discuss these things in public domain.
We did not get to the situation you describe — misdirected and confused “science” — by accident. It was done deliberately and intentionally by a few well-known men of Science over the span of the last two hundred years. That was when Science arrived at a point where, unmistakably, God was staring back at the scientists. They decided that it was bad for business and employed everything at their disposal to rob God of His agency rather than to accept the inherent limitations imposed on human Reason. They accepted Mephistopheles’ offer.
It's the story of the Fall. Christianity put a lid on it for about 1,300 years but eventually failed — as prophesied.
Please do not hold back. I am very interested in what you have to say.
I'd like to support writers but substack needs to have another system.
Example: pay a set monthly fee and it can be divided equally between the writers followed. That's the system that rokfin does.
Make a deal with you...you subscribe to my substack, and I will subscribe to yours...
I wonder why first I felt that I did not like the money request - maybe this is my general attitude towards money, maybe this should be reviewed. My second thought was that I had been pondering for a while if I should subscribe, should I really say no when Todd asks for it? It also came to my mind that I also wish to start publishing and I will also prefer to get some money, how will I expect that if I don't do the same? So in the end I subscribed.
You are a saint...thank you so very much. Yeah, I don't like it much when people solicit for $$$. I think we are moving back into a place in our culture, though, where that will be more common. It is actually a good thing as we will be directly paying for things we want rather than being tricked into it through automatic rental fees or "subscriptions" and other "non-direct" ways of paying for things...I think if we keep at the resistance to CBCDs, UBIs, and other nefarious ways to suck money out of us, and pay direct for services and goods, we will have a better system.
Money, in my opinion, is meant to circulate, but circulate amongst PEOPLE...with the money I get from this substack I pay for other subscriptions, donate to charity, etc...and of course keep some for myself!! I try to keep it flowing...
AND...I promise you, when you get your substack going, LET ME KNOW and I will buy a subscription!! I know that sounds weird, for me to just give it back to you, but I do believe if we keep money flowing like that we will get coming to us all that we need.
Will do once four walls are sorted and I scrub up well for some job or other. Many thanks.
Many thanks to you!
Do you actually get the cup of coffee? I’ve always wondered...
Getting a paid subscription to Shrew Views was probably the smartest thing I’ve done in months and I hope everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Quality reads from intriguing perspectives, your articles ignite sparks in the old noggin that I had thought were long dead. Thank you!
I enjoyed your more detailed post (they emailed it to me before you deleted it)...I love your sense of humour!! And no, I do not consciously buy a cup of coffee when someone donates $3...although I DO buy coffee, so you could say it is frequently paid for by donations!
Actually I think it is meant to be a metaphor...don't you? Whatever. It is nice when people donate...it is all gesture, it enables me to also support other substacks, give to my own charities (children in Egypt) and of course, live the life in paradise...no kidding, I have it pretty good compared to many other humans on this planet, I am grateful.
Thanks for the amazingly encouraging words...you are much appreciated...and keep up the comments! That is my favorite part about doing this...
Ooh I’ll have to watch my wording! I meant, do they send you the cup of coffee? Even one of those insta-packs, you know the little singles in a filter just add water kinda thing? Then once you get consistently past 10 people they send a pound bag of beans?
The phrase “for less than a cup of coffee per month” has been used for decades to end famine in Ethiopia, sponsor orphans in Africa and Indonesia, spay/neuter every dog and cat in North America, the list goes on. Is that where they came up with the idea of naming a donate button?
Our minds can make the weirdest connections when certain words and phrases are used, invoking emotions and even memories that have nothing whatsoever to do with the original phrase in its context. Hmmm, ya think they do this on purpose?
I deleted my original reply because it started down that path. “Are they using that particular phrase ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ to shame us into giving you $3 instead of self-indulging our own Timmy’s vice?” Sorta thing. (Us and You in the general sense, not personal)
I had decided that going there was indeed shameful (on me) as a comment under the particular title you chose. Even though you called it ‘shameless’, I know (or rather, assume) it probably tooks days if not weeks of dithering before you finally posted. It’s not easy asking for money.
So here I am, shamelessly (!) going there anyway. Arrgghh
P.s. If substack had an edit button on replies......
P.p.s. WHERE in the world do you buy $3 coffee???!!