Thursday Quick Hits

9/19/2019

Scott Wolter’s new book, Cryptic Code: The Templars in America and the Origins of the Hooked X, was released on Tuesday, and … nothing happened. Can a book truly “change everything you thought you knew about the founding of America” if no one reads it? For being a cable TV host, you’d think he’d have more clout, or at least more savvy, in terms of getting his book promoted and marketed. If I were in his place, I’d have timed the release of the book for the broadcast dates of the recent season of America Unearthed to capitalize on viewership, especially since those viewers are likely to be the core audience for the book. I would also have tried to place the book with a more prominent publisher. The firm putting out the book is best known for self-publishing services. As it is, I’m not sure that Wolter has the pull to move product without the institutional advantage of a current TV series to keep him in the limelight beyond the core “Templar mysteries” audience.

To that end, a news search returned no reviews of the book, and Amazon lists the book as shipping in “1 to 3 months” as of this morning. This led to the ridiculous listing on the site saying that I could “get it as soon as Saturday, Nov. 2 - Friday, Dec. 13 if you choose Two-Day Shipping at checkout.” To be entirely honest, I don’t really feel enthusiastic about reading or reviewing the book. After seven years of Wolter’s various antics, since the debut of America Unearthed in 2012, I’m not sure there is really anything left to say.

That said, I have an order in with the publisher, and when (or if) I receive a copy, I will review the book. I can’t say when that might be. The company printing the book for Wolter wasn’t very clear about when shipping might happen.

Meanwhile, the world continues to go to hell. NPR ran a story from its Oregon affiliate about so-called cattle mutilations, and there was no indication that anyone thought to actually examine the dead cows to determine why they died before declaring that they were “drained of blood” by some mysterious entity. The Navy conceded another point to Tom DeLonge by branding the UFO videos DeLonge’s To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science organization released as “unidentified aerial phenomena,” an oxymoronic term, since a phenomenon has to have some sort of definition to be classified as a phenomenon, even if it is not understood. Really, the label just means that whatever was on the video was unidentified, though that implies nothing about flying saucers or interdimensional poltergeists, the two explanations To the Stars and its allies have favored. A Navy spokesman specifically emphasized the difference between unidentified and evil space ghosts by noting that the term only means that the source hasn’t been determined. Nevertheless, UFO proponents seized on the oxymoronic nature of the UAP moniker and declared that the Navy had admitted that “UFOs are real,” as though a lack of identification was itself identification of an extraterrestrial or supernatural menace.

And that’s it for today. I need to get back to book writing.

25 Comments

Jim

9/19/2019 09:18:21 am

Any chance the Smithsonian bought all the copies of Wolters book and have locked them in their basement ?

Kent

9/19/2019 04:30:05 pm

Any chance your Prime Minister has a Negro makeup fetish?

The truth teller

9/20/2019 01:28:15 pm

Kent, as you we’ll know, there’s a different standard for liberals because it’s well known that they’re anti-racist. Thus, such conduct (although regrettable) will not result in a serious scandal for a liberal. Conservatives (the ones who aren’t outright racist themselves) conveniently turn their heads and ignore explicit racism among their supporters so they can continue to receive their votes. Thus, when they put on black face, it’s by definition extremely more objectionable and career ending.

9/20/2019 04:58:35 pm

It would be interesting if you could name ONE conservative who's worn blackface.

AL JOLSON

9/20/2019 07:02:59 pm

Me. A Republican, to boot.

Joe Scales

9/19/2019 10:30:57 am

Judging by the title, I figure Wolter is going to stand by his easily discredited manipulations of the York Rite Ritual to match his convoluted numerical sequencing that he made up from his beloved KRS. Should that be the lynchpin holding it together... well, I pity you for submitting yourself to reading such tripe.

Walter the Reed

9/19/2019 11:37:34 am

I know of at least one person who will probably purchase the book....Steve St. Clair. He, of course, will not read it, but he will turn it over to the author picture on the back side. Then with tissue and lotion ready he will pleasure himself. Ah, the pleasures of great literature.

TONY S.

9/19/2019 11:39:20 am

In Wolter’s case, tripe is putting it very mildly.

Machala

9/19/2019 12:01:44 pm

"The firm putting out the book is best known for self-publishing services."

That one sentence says it all.

Perhaps Scott, or one of his adoring fans, had to put up the bucks to "self-publish" this yarn of yawn?

9/19/2019 04:16:06 pm

Sounds like you don't quite understand how self-publishing works. Self-publishing ≠ vanity press. He just chose a crap firm.

Kal

9/19/2019 12:19:57 pm

I looked at the book's listing. It has a few run on sentences and typos. I wonder why Scott W. didn't hire an editor? It's book 3 in a series, so if you haven't read it, (and I wouldn't bother), you would be lost. if he has such a successful show, why not get Prometheus entertainment to publish it? If they wouldn't touch it, maybe it's that bad, and they don't really believe his sales pitch either.

But academically, the most galling of the tags to find the book refer to history, political science, and archeology, if which only the later is remotely true.

The tags should say, fiction, speculative archeology, and historical fiction, in that order, as to attract the actual demographic, people who would never believe this is 'true' in any way.

But since I am not a professor, I am not that galled.

I am however descended from an action Freemason, of which is Scott is going on about it, he cannot claim to be, as it's a secret order. However, I am not a Freemason.

If the book is all based on the KRS hoax, well the first issue is flawed anyway, at best, and like Dan Brown's code books, it is fiction and not world changing. Just saying.

9/19/2019 05:36:07 pm

It's NOT "a secret order" any more than the completely unrelated Templars were. Have you never seen a Masonic ring? Have you never seen a Masonic license plate? You can shove that "descended". I'm descended from someone but that doesn't mean I know how to raise kids. You're doing the Stolen Valor thing: "My grandfather was in WWII so I know all about the military and you should patronize my roofing company."

https://www.myfreemasonry.com/threads/downsides-of-having-a-masonic-license-plate.25815/

Paul

9/19/2019 01:20:25 pm

A publication that no self respecting publishing house would touch not available for actual delivery on the release date from a self-publisher, sounds like some shenanigans going on there. Money not doing what it is supposed to do?
Theories based on the fraudulent KRS and Dan Brown's self-admitted fiction? No proof of a shred of Scottie's theories except in his own mind. When the ol' dotted R rune did not pan out, Scottie switched to the deformed X. About the only place Scottie has not reported a deformed X and Templars is in his toilet bowl, and he has probably seen them there.
IMHO, although there are more grandiose fringers out there, Scottie is the poster child for idiocy in the fringe community. I will pass on this publication and search out some real science and history.

Anthony Warren

9/19/2019 05:26:07 pm

Remember that Wolter gypped and jewed a coauthor out of royalties on a previous book. It reminds me of something one of my college professors told me between classes because I'm such a magnetic personality (countless state championships) that they can't wait to talk to me.

9/19/2019 03:35:26 pm

It's obvious the man has original nothing to say. He just wants to keep his old BS out in the public by republishing the same inane drivel over and over by every once in a while publishing another book and marketing it as new research. He doesn't even take the time to manufacture new BS, just keeps recycling the same tired crap endlessly.

By now he could have actually educated himself on real Templar history instead of descending ever further down the bottomless rabbit hole of his fantasies. I fear only madness lies ahead for Wolter now...

9/19/2019 05:34:00 pm

I listened to this Tom Banard show, where they let Wolter talk for a few minutes at the beginning and then basically ignored him for the rest of the show.
Anyhoo, it sounds like he is folding the "megilithic yard" pseudo-babble into his Templar/Venus fabrications for at least some of the book.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-tom-barnard-show/scott-wolter-1693-1

9/19/2019 05:38:48 pm

Thank you for that. Good find!

9/19/2019 07:34:39 pm

The Orion Correlation Theory and precession of the equinoxes are probably just around the corner.

Thanks for the link, Jim!

Pneumatic Practitioner

9/19/2019 07:17:44 pm

"...by branding the UFO videos DeLonge’s To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science organization released as “unidentified aerial phenomena,” an oxymoronic term, since a phenomenon has to have some sort of definition to be classified as a phenomenon, even if it is not understood."

It does have a sort of definition. It's "aerial".

All of the lovely folks trying to write each other in to a corner over UFOs nicked the term from Project Condign.

The term especially caught on after the DOD agreed with with John Burroughs' lawyer that he had been injured by one.

9/19/2019 08:07:44 pm

Sorry but Jason fucked up on this one when he said "oxymoronic". I don't need the dictionary to tell me that, I know it from being able to speak English.

https://www.google.com/search?q=phenomenon+definition&rlz=1CAHKDC_enUS830&oq=phenomenon+definition&aqs=chrome..69i57.8279j0j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Dave Hargrave

9/19/2019 09:47:31 pm

Ah, I see. An aerial phenomenon.

Like the sharks in Arduin. I gotcha.

Bill

9/19/2019 10:04:04 pm

"...cattle mutilations, and there was no indication that anyone thought to actually examine the dead cows to determine why they died ..."

Watching the latest episodes of Expedition Unknown if was very happy to see Mr Gates has come back to reality it seems. The episode on the Chupacabra included forensic evidence that the latest attacks were simply canine. Josh seems to have left Aliens and similarly fringe beliefs behind in recent seasons.

9/20/2019 08:08:39 pm

quote "It's NOT "a secret order" any more than the completely unrelated Templars were. Have you never seen a Masonic ring? Have you never seen a Masonic license plate? You can shove that "descended". I'm descended from someone but that doesn't mean I know how to raise kids. You're doing the Stolen Valor thing: "My grandfather was in WWII so I know all about the military and you should patronize my roofing company."

Grandfather was a Mason, back when it was more secret, before I was born.

Father bought in WW2, so no, not claiming stolen valor. I'm 4, and apparently older than you, sir.

Anyway, meant that Scott is not a Mason, not you, as I did not address you until now, sir.

Snark about Scott W.'s background was the topic. It is silly to argue over semantics in that case.

9/21/2019 12:45:35 am

Look, Jew, I mean "you" Masonry wasn't secret in the 1800s, and your grandfather enjoyed... shenanigans in the company of other men, let's just leave it at that.

"would have been of age in the early 1990s, not 4, 4F."

So you were born in 1950?

If you want to say Wolter isn't a Mason, go to his site. Good luck with that.

What the heck is "an action Freemason"? A particularly vigorous Freemason?

9/20/2019 08:10:22 pm

"Father fought in world war 2, and I did not because I am too young for that, and would have been of age in the early 1990s, not 4, 4F."

spell check only proves I am no professor.