Jimmy Savile: From Friend to Foe

 (Warning: Strong languages and sexual references ahead)

 

            There are plenty of stories of celebrity being ousted as sexual predators during the height of their fame, and many more are uncovered during their rise to fame. But never in recent history, that someone that was loved and praised by a country would wound up as the most prolific sexual predator ever existed after his death. When it comes to this man, between his active years as a radio disc jockey and television personality all the way to years after his death, people's perception changed from being starstrucked to outright mockery. Beware. What I am about to uncover is so demented, you wouldn't touch your meals after this.

 

            For people outside the UK and Ireland, the name Jimmy Savile is perhaps quite foreign, but for the British, he once was a celebrated personality due to his philanthropism and charity work, even earning himself the Order of the British Empire. The man was born as James Wilson Vincent Saville, born on the 31st of October 1926 in Leeds, England. He was the youngest of seven and grew up during the Great Depression. He later claimed, "I was forged in the crucible of want” and described his father as "scrupulously honest but scrupulously broke." He went to St Anne's Roman Catholic School in Leeds and started working in an office at 14 years of age after leaving school. During the second world war, he was conscripted to work in a coal mine, where he suffered spinal injuries from shot-firer's explosion. After his stint at the mines, and further extensive treatments, he became a scrap metal dealer. His first taste of music came in 1940, where he started playing records in dance halls, and claimed to be the first disc jockey (DJ). In his autobiography, he claimed to be the first person to use twin turntables and a microphone at the Grand Records Ball at Guardbridge Hotel in 1947, although this claim is disputed.

 

            Before the fame from all those radio and television shows, Savile was a semi-professional sportsman, most notably having competed in the 1951 Tour of Britain cycling race and worked as a professional wrestler. His first radio gig was in 1958 by joining Radio Luxembourg as a DJ, presenting six programs a week. By 1968, he joined BBC Radio 1, where he presented various programs such as Savile's Travels, Speakeasy, and an old chart show Jimmy Savile's Old Record Club. His got his first television job in the midst of his stint at Radio Luxembourg in 1960, where he presented Tyne Tees' Television music program Young at Heart. He was the first host of the BBC's favorite music chart show Top of the Pops when it first aired on New Year’s Day of 1964 and co-hosted the final edition on 30 July 2006. Of all his TV shows, the most notable one is probably Jim'll Fix It. This particular program works by letting Savile to respond to letters send by kids to help them grant their wishes, or as he would say "fix it". 

 

            He was also active during charitable events. Since he was a survivor of spinal cord injuries, one of his targets was Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he invested in the Spinal Unit, NSIC (National Spinal Injuries Centre), and St Francis Ward – a ward for children and teens with spinal cord injuries. Savile also volunteered at Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor Hospital. From 1974 to 1988, Savile was the honorary president of PHAB (Physically Handicapped in the Able-Bodied community). He sponsored medical students performing undergraduate research in the Leeds University Research Enterprise scholarship scheme, donating more than £60,000 every year. In 2010, the scheme was given a commitment of £500,000 over the following five years. Aside from all the causes above, Savile also set up two charities, the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust in 1981, and the Leeds-based Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust in 1984.

 

            And from all of his work either from radio, television, or charity, he became one of the most beloved figures in British history. During his lifetime and at the time of his death, Savile was regarded as "an eccentric adornment to British public life ... a ubiquitous and distinctive face on television", who "relished being in the public eye" and was "a shrewd promoter of his own image". He created a "bizarre yodel", and catchphrases which included "How's about that, then?", "Now then, now then", "Goodness gracious", "As it 'appens" and "Guys and gals". Savile was frequently spoofed for his dress sense, which usually featured a tracksuit or shellsuit and gold jewelry. A range of licensed fancy dress costumes was released with his consent in 2009. Savile was often pictured holding a cigar. He claimed to have started smoking cigars at the age of seven, saying "My dad gave me a drag on one at Christmas, thinking it would put me off them forever, but it had the opposite effect." 

 

Savile was a member of Mensa and the Institute of Advanced Motorists and drove a Rolls-Royce. He was made a life member of the British Gypsy Council in 1975, becoming the first "outsider" to be made a member. In 1984, Savile was accepted as a member of the Athenaeum, a gentlemen's club in London's Pall Mall, after being proposed by Cardinal Basil Hume. He was chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for many years, and owned a house in Glen Coe. And he also grew close to many political figures through his charity work, some of them included members of the royal family. One name that stood out however, was then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The woman known as "The Iron Lady" praised Savile's work as "marvellous". He also met several members of the royal family, such as Prince Charles, Prince Phillip, Princess Diana, and many others. Despite his relationship with the public, Savile was never married, and stayed with his mother until her death. 

 

            Sadly, the man known for his unusual antics and his lovable personality must meet the bitter end. On 29 October 2011, just two days shy of his 85th birthday, he was found dead in his apartment in Leeds, and the funeral service was held on 9 November 2011, at Leeds Cathedral, and finally rested at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough. But one year later, the floodgates would open, revealing the darkest secret a man has ever kept during his lifetime. During Savile's lifetime, sporadic allegations of child abuse were made against him dating back to 1963, but these only became widely publicized after his death. Savile claimed the key to his success on Jim'll Fix It had been that he disliked children, although he later admitted to saying this to deflect scrutiny of his personal life. He did not own a computer, claiming that he did not want anybody to think he was downloading child pornography. His autobiography entitled, As it Happens (1974, reprinted as Love is an Uphill Thing, 1976) contains admissions of improper sexual conduct which appear to have passed unnoticed during his lifetime. One celebrity, being former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon once alluded that Jimmy Savile was in fact a sexual predator targeting kids, saying that he'd "like to kill Jimmy Savile" and he "knew some rumors" but was edited out by the BBC. When the allegations broke out, Lydon doubled down on his earlier quote, even expanding it into "By killed I meant locking him up and stopping him assaulting young children... I'm disgusted at the media pretending they weren't aware."

 

            More floodgates opened after his death. many investigations are launched to examine the possibility that the once beloved DJ and television personality committed heinous acts on children. Immediately after Savile's death, Meirion Jones and Liz Mackean from the BBC program Newsnight began to investigate reports that he had sexually abused children. They interviewed one alleged victim on camera and talked to a number of others who were willing to be quoted about alleged abuse at Duncroft Approved School, the BBC, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The former headmistress of Duncroft was Jones' own aunt. The Newsnight team, which included former police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, also found out about a 2009 Surrey Police investigation into Savile. The report was scheduled for broadcast on 7 December 2011, but a decision was taken to cancel its transmission, which ultimately developed into a major crisis for the BBC when the allegations against Savile were made public in October 2012. The subsequent Pollard Review found that Jones and MacKean had assembled cogent evidence that Savile had a history of abusing young women and Newsnight had been in a position to break the story in 2011. In November 2021, Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to GB News calling the BBC's treatment of the allegations "absolutely appalling".

 

            In January 2012 the Sunday Mirror reported that Newsnight had investigated allegations of sexual abuse immediately after Savile's death but that the report had been shelved. An article by Miles Goslett in the March 2012 edition of The Oldie alleged a cover-up. The BBC showed two Savile tributes over the 2011 Christmas period, and it was alleged that the Newsnight report had been dropped because its content would have compromised the showing of the tributes. A joint submission to the Leveson Inquiry from Anna van Heeswijk (Object), Jacqui Hunt (Equality Now), Heather Harvey (Eaves) and Marai Larasi (End Violence against Women) was titled "Just the Women", a phrase which was reportedly written by Newsnight editor Peter Rippon in an email to a colleague concerning the lack of other authorities [than the alleged female victims] for evidence of Savile's abuse. A Newsnight spokesman said, "Any suggestion that a story was dropped for anything other than editorial reasons is completely untrue."

 

            In October 2013 the transcript of Surrey Police's interview with Savile in 2009 was published after a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Savile denied the sexual abuse allegations relating to Duncroft Approved School put to him by the police, saying, "I've never, ever done anything wrong" and stating that the accusers wanted a "few quid".

 

            Other investigations soon followed and was made public on different occasion. One report concluded that Savile sexually assaulted victims in NHS hospitals over several decades. At Leeds General Infirmary, 60 people, including both staff and patients, stated that they had been abused by Savile, their ages ranging from 5 to 75. It reported on a number of organizational failures which had allowed him to continue unchallenged. One report even detailed Savile's boasting to nurses and other staff that he performed sex acts on the bodies of recently deceased persons in the mortuary of Leeds General Hospital and claimed to have removed glass eyes from corpses and made them into rings. A separate report on Savile's activities at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, prepared by independent investigator Dr. Androulla Johnstone and published on 26 February 2015, found that he had sexually abused more than 50 people there, including staff, patients, and visitors. One was an 8-year-old child. Savile had full access to all parts of the hospital. The report stated that it was widely known at the hospital that Savile was a "sex pest", and that 10 complaints had been made at the time, but no action was taken. In total, combining all the reports and findings, Jimmy Savile has sexually harassed an estimated total of more than 450 victims throughout his lifetime. Let that sink in.

 

            To be honest, I am lost for words when I uncover so many heinous facts and all those confessions, even when writing this piece while watching the Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, I need to hold myself from throwing up, as this is as demented as someone can be. And I thought that Chris Chan doing a fling with his dementia-ridden mother was the worst of it all. I just found out that Jimmy Savile was in fact, the most sick, twisted, and demented human being ever lived. Previously I wished you R.I.P, but now, rot in Hell you pedophile bastard.

Andrew Tate: The Alpha Male Beast or a Misogynistic Beta?

 (Warning: References of sexual harassment ahead)

 

            Well, I was about to finish another piece about another internet personality when this subject came about, specifically on TikTok (I'm in that rabbit hole of an app now, might as well follow me on that and also my Instagram), about a British American kickboxing champion, resides in Romania, supposedly built himself from the ground up to become what he is today, a multi-billionaire internet personality. He appears in every podcast you can think of, but we have yet to see him on Joe Rogan's. That would be awesome.

 

            But enough about the supposed coat tailing done by yours truly here, let's get to know the man himself. What we have here is Emory Andrew Tate III, or Andrew Tate, a. k. a Cobra Tate as we know him now. He was born on the 14th of December 1986, surprisingly, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. There is not much info about his family or his upbringing aside from the fact that he spent his childhood in Luton, England, but one thing is for sure, that he is of African American and British descent, the former from his father. While his mother is unknown, but we do know that he has a brother, Tristan Tate, another kickboxer who appeared in Shipwrecked: The Island, and a sister, Janine Tate. His father, Emory Tate Jr, was a chess player who won the USAF Championship three times and defeated several grandmasters during his career. He is currently resided in Bucharest, Romania with Tristan, while also known to be resided in Luton, where his mother (supposedly) came from. 

 

            If you look at Andrew Tate now, you wouldn't notice that behind all of the wealth, this man was a three-time kickboxing champion, with a (noted) record of 4 wins (3KOs) and 3 losses. He also tried his hands at MMA, with one amateur bout and a pro bout, all of which he won. In fact, his only pro MMA bout happened at the Ultimate Warrior Challenge 13, where he finished Shane Kavanagh with a knockout inside 3 minutes in the first round. It's a shame that he didn't fight two or three more MMA fights, he could have been in the UFC by now. His first taste of combat sport was in 2005. After scoring major victories over former Super-cruiserweight British Champions Ollie Green and Mo Karbo, Tate challenged Paul Randall for the vacant ISKA (acronym for International Sport Karate Association) English Kickboxing Light-cruiserweight title. Tate won his first ISKA Kickboxing title stopping Randall in the fifth round of their bout in Derby on 25 April 2009. Tate later scored a few more crushing victories and won the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation) British Cruiserweight title against Daniel Hughes with a devastating first-round KO, then on 19 March 2011, he fought for the first time for ISKA world title in France. Andrew lost the fight for the vacant ISKA world Full-Contact light heavyweight championship to Jean Luc Benoit on points after 12 rounds, however, he contested the results stating that he was the true winner. 

 

            Due to the fight being so closely matched, three months later they had rematch in Luton, England, and this time Tate became champion defeating Benoit via spectacular KO in round 8 of the scheduled 12 rounds. He lost a close battle for the It’s Showtime 85MAX world title against champion Sahak Parparyan on 12 May 2012 in Kortrijk, Belgium on points. On 2 December 2012 Tate participated in Enfusion 3: Trial of the Gladiators reality final tournament, to determine #1 kickboxer of the world in -85 kg category at that time. He qualified for tournament in August 2011 in Ohrid, Macedonia stopping Sammy Masa by second-round KO and Adnan Omeragić by first-round KO. He scored an easy victory in semifinals knocking out Ritchie Hocking with punches in the first round, but surprisingly lost in the final via first round flying knee KO from Franci Grajš, who fought hard battle in semifinal against Sahak Parparyan. 

 

            Tate avenged a 2011 loss to Vincent Petitjean and won his second ISKA world title in twelve rounds of two minutes. Fight was held in Châteaurenard, France on 9 March 2013 with Tate taking ISKA World Full-Contact Light Cruiserweight Championship via split decision. Andrew defended title one year later, also on Power Trophy event, stopping Cyril Vetter early in the first round. After taking four victories in Enfusion Live ring during 2013 over David Radeff, Marino Schouten, Marlon Hunt and Laszlo Szabo, Tate participated in a four-man tournament to determine Enfusion Live -85 kg World Champion, alongside Mirko Cingel, Jiří Žák and Rustam Guseinov. Tournament was held in Žilina, Slovakia on April 26, 2014, Tate lost in semifinals to local fighter and tournament winner, Miroslav Cingel, via unanimous decision. Despite losing in the semifinals of tournament for Enfusion Live -85 kg championship Tate got opportunity to fight for Enfusion Live -90 kg championship against kickboxing veteran Wendell Roche on 28 June 2014. Andrew won the title in second round, becoming the second fighter that stopped Roche in his 200-fight career.

 

            After his kickboxing days, he tried his luck at influencer marketing. He set up his own website cobratate.com with his brother Tristan, where he offers financial and life advices in the form of "The War Room". This space works by using online profiles to steer traffic to his website offering training courses on getting rich and "male-female interactions". According to the website, he operates a webcam studio using girlfriends as employees. Another one of Tate's products is his Hustlers' University program, supposedly an online course on how to better manage their financials. Aside from the website, he also appears in podcasts discussing various topics ranging from religion, relationships, even politics. What sets him apart is his stances on some of these issues. He is known as "The King of Toxic Masculinity" by stating multiple times that women are inherently belongs to men, and often references his girlfriends as "his female." 

 

            Of course, with the state of today's society, Tate instantly came under fire for his comments. One of such occasion was at the heels of the 2017 Harvey Weinstein scandal, where the kickboxing champion posted series of tweets claiming that women should "bear some responsibility" from being raped. His reasoning being that the women in question "put themselves in position to be raped." He also justifies some forms of harassment like catcalling, calling it as a "normal male behavior." He is also once under investigation for human trafficking and physical harassment, the latter of which cost him his participation on the UK reality series Big Brother. He is also downplaying mental health issues, stating on one occasion that “depression isn’t real.” He claimed that depression “is not a clinical disease,” but instead “it is a circumstance which they must change.” His views on women, and relationship on a whole, made him an unexpected idol for the involuntary celibacy (incel) community. 

 

            One aspect of him that has been heavily scrutinized is his two online programs being The War Room and Hustler's University. One source alleged that both of his supposed "online course" is in fact, a pyramid Multi-Level Marketing scheme involving the Tate brothers convincing impressionable boys to invest onto their courses, supposedly teaching them the basics of stock trading, finance, and even cryptocurrency. In his website, every single member of The War Room has their face either blurred or pixelated, except for Andrew and Tristan. This has the implication of secrecy about this group. 

 

            But what shocks me the most (in a good way, I admit), is his views on religion. Since he resides in Bucharest, he aligns himself to the Orthodox branch of Christianity. He explicitly stated this whenever the religion card is being brought up. He often shares his stories of donating thousands of dollars to the church and having church friends, but he has a deep admiration to the Islamic faith. His main reasoning of this admiration is the Muslims' willingness to stand and defend their religious and life principles based on the teachings of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He even went as far as stating that the religion of Islam could fix practically every problem faced by the Western society. I have to admit, there is one quote from Tate that made me instantly hooked up to his principles. And as an Indonesian Muslim myself, I agree wholeheartedly to this quote. He once told a story about why he branded Islam as the most intolerant (in a good sense) religion on Earth. He then went on to tell this story about Christianity being deprived of its core values all because of today's Christians are so tolerant, they are willing to accepting a gay pastor (this is done without the intention of discrediting the LGBT community). By his words (I'm just paraphrasing this, as this is not his exact quote), he can wear a T-shirt saying any heinous things about Jesus Christ, and no Christian will bat an eye, but if he does the same with Prophet Muhammad PBUH, he wouldn't get past the alley without suffering a hellish beatdown to the point of almost dying at best. His way of expressing this is pure poetry. "If you are tolerant of everything, you stand for nothing." Emory Andrew Tate III, you officially have my respect and admiration. 

 

            So, what do we know about Andrew Tate? He is a former kickboxing champion, he has two online course program teaching things about relationship and finance, he appears in a lot of podcasts talking about multiple topics and sparking huge interests across social media realm. He is also known as a man known for his unorthodox views on man and woman relationship, favoring traditional and conservative values over progressive ones to the point of getting a lot of heat because of it. Although being a Christian, he admires the religion of Islam, and often states his fascination to the faith. Of course, I can agree to some of Tate's remarks and disagree with him on others, but the former champion is rising into virality for his quotes and attitudes towards society. And I have to admit that he is a damn good influencer. 

"If you are tolerant of everything, you stand for nothing."

-Andrew Tate

When Incel Attacks Part 2: The Van of Death

 (Warning: Strong languages ahead)

 

            Researching about an internet movement known as those who are involuntarily celibate (incel) is an interesting one, as this particular movement, first known as a channel to vent about one's loneliness, turned into a radical and borderline terroristic group, with all of the members inside this exclusive movement being someone who desires a 10, but they themselves is basically a 0 or 1, 5 if they are lucky enough. Lest we forget about the tendency of violence that these men are capable of, even one of them gained instant infamy for carrying out a deadly attack as the way to "avenge" himself for not getting any romantic relationship. In this piece, I'll be talking about another killer incel, who had some connection to the one previously mentioned in a separate article, but they are actually one the same, a heartless individual capable of absolute evil.

 

            From Isla Vista, California, we turn into Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to meet Alek Minassian (I know I spelt his name wrong in the previous piece. So, this is my way to make it up to it). Minassian was born on 3 November 1992, from an Armenian-Iranian family settled in Canada. His father worked as a software developer, while his mother held a job at an IT company. Young Alek himself was an aspiring software and mobile app developer. His formal education history included Sixteenth Avenue Public School, an elementary school in Richmond Hill, where he was assigned in a special education class. The move was done because of Minassian's Asperger syndrome diagnosis, as told by his mother in 2009, which is a high-functioning form within the autism spectrum disorder. He then attended Thornlea Secondary School in Thornhill, where his former classmates described him as "not overly social" and "harmless". By his LinkedIn profile, he attended Seneca College in North York and resided in Richmond Hill. In 2017, he tried his luck enlisting in the Canadian Army for two months, but never made it out of training stages after 16 days. One senior military official stated that Alek at that stage "wasn't adapting to the military life, including in matters of dress, deportment and group interactions in a military setting".

 

            During his school days, particularly in Seneca College, he tried to befriend some of his classmates, but always come across as annoying, as he often cuts into conversations midway, but on group projects though, he has proven that he can be a responsible team member. But during 2017 to 2018, his behavior changed. He started harboring anger towards his peers. Hell, he was involved in a fight in one of his classes in March 2018. And by the time of his graduation, he actually posted a message read "Finally finished college. Fuck you all and good riddance".  It is disputed when did exactly Minassian came into contact with the incel ideology, but in 2014, back when Elliot Rodger was still alive, Minassian befriended him over their shared hatred and contempt of not having a romantic partner. They met at an incel subreddit, and started to communicate, revealing that they actually had more things in common than it actually seemed. Their friendship lasted until Rodger's rampage (he referenced it as "an important mission", and that he "might not make it out alive") that took 6 innocent lives, as well as his own. After the incident, Alek remained active in the incel community, particularly in 4chan's r9k forum. Unlike reddit, 4chan's level of moderation is low enough, that someone could be talking about the most heinous ways to end another person's life, and easily get away with it. Days leading up to his own "revenge plans" he remained active on that forum, while stoking his anger and frustration to the point of no return. He has failed multiple jobs, failed at the army, and even failed at socializing. 

 

            And just like what Rodger did, He hatched his own plan for revenge. On the 23rd of April 2018, He went to a local car rental service 16 km (10 miles) from his home and rent a Chevrolet Express Van. He was cleared to rent after his background check came up clear. After he acquired the keys though, he sat inside the van for 20 minutes, and a cryptic Facebook post followed suit, read:

 

"Private (Recruit) Minassian infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt. 4chan please. C23249161. The incel rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!"

 

For some context, C23249161 was his recruit number back when he was enlisted in the army, and "the incel rebellion" mentioned in the post refers to the violent response to sexlessness, sometimes used interchangeably with phrases like "beta uprising". "Chads" and "Stacys" are terms used by incels to refer to conventionally attractive men and women who (in their mind) had no trouble finding romantic partners and eventually sex, due to their attractive appearance. And of course, the post about a supposed "incel rebellion" would not be completed without mentioning the sick unsub who did it the first time, with all of his infamy.

 

            After that creepy move, he released the vehicle's handbrakes, and sped away southward towards the city with clear intention for harm. The first 9-1-1 call reporting pedestrians being hit was received at 1:25 p.m. Eastern Time. At Finch Avenue, the van, rented by Minassian, ran a red light, then drove southbound on the west-side sidewalk of Yonge Street, striking multiple pedestrians. The van continued along the sidewalk for several more blocks, hitting additional pedestrians. Security camera video from a local business shows the van reaching Tolman Street, which is one block south of Finch Avenue, at 1:24 p.m. At one point, the van re-entered the roadway due to the narrowness of the sidewalk, but at Park Home Avenue, the van again drove onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians in front of Mel Lastman Square, a civic plaza on the west-side of Yonge Street, 1.4 km (0.87 miles) south of Finch Avenue. 

 

            The damaged van kept speeding with reckless abandon, and was spotted by one police officer, being TPS constable Ken Lam, who then intercepted it. The van stopped on the north sidewalk on Poyntz Avenue, just west of Yonge Street and two blocks south of Sheppard Avenue, about 2.3 km (1.4 miles) south of where the attack began. Lam stopped his cruiser near the van and confronted Minassian, standing near the opened driver-side door. During the confrontation, Minassian repeatedly drew his hand from his back pocket and pointed a dark-colored object toward the officer as if it were a pistol (in reality, Alek was not armed at all, one defining difference from the Rodger case). Lam ordered Minassian to drop to the ground, while Minassian tried repeatedly to provoke the officer to kill him, demanding he be shot "in the head!" when the officer warned him he may be shot. Lam then went to his cruiser and turned off its siren. As Minassian and Lam advanced towards each other, he realized that the object in Minassian's hand was not a gun, but his wallet. Armed with this knowledge, he holstered his pistol, and took out his baton to avoid the use of unnecessary lethal force. Minassian then dropped the object from his hand, lay down on the ground and surrendered to Lam. He was arrested at 1:32 p.m. (Elliot didn't got this treatment, as he already put a bullet to his head by the time police arrived). 

 

            The devastation left by the van was massive. At the time, 9 people lost their lives due to the reckless rampage, with the tenth victim announced at 8:15 p.m. One initial survivor from that day, 65-year-old nurse Amaresh Tesfamariam succumbed to her injuries three years after the incident that left her paralyzed neck down, on 28 October 2021. Here is the list of all victims killed on that day, beside the fallen nurse who passed away recently:

 

1.      Beutis Renuka Amarashinge, 45, Female, Nutritionist

2.      Andrea Knafelc Bradden, 33, Female, Slovenian Canadian account executive

3.      Geraldine Brady, 83, Female, Saleswoman

4.      Chung So-He, 22, Female, University of Toronto student

5.      Anne Marie D'Amico, 30, Female, Financial analyst

6.      Mary Elisabeth Forsyth, 94, Female, Retiree

7.      Kang Chul Min, 45, Male, Chef

8.      Kim Ji-hun, 22, Female, South Korean Seneca College student

9.      Munir Najjar, 85, Male, Jordanian retiree visiting family

10.  Dorothy Sewell, 80, Female, Retiree

 

In addition to the fallen ones, additional 16 victims were injured as the result of the rampaging virgin with a van. 

 

            During the interrogation stages, conducted by Toronto PD senior detective Rob Thomas, when it comes to the involuntary celibacy movement that Alek allegedly adheres to, he uncovered important, but disturbing information regarding Minassian's motive of the attack, including the earlier attacks done in Isla Vista. And the way Alek delivers his confessions is quite frankly, harrowing to say the least. He actually stated that the movement's goal is to purge all the "Chads" in order to force "Stacys" to have sex with the incels. There is also person of normal statuses, which was nicknamed "normies". By Minassian's accounts, the incels don't wish to harm the "normies", but instead, they want to "subjugate" them. He also referenced the Pepe the Frog meme, which is a mascot (apparently) of 4chan. By his own admission, he did this as a way to stand up to the "Chads and "Stacys", and that he had "accomplished his mission" by running over those innocent bystanders with the van. That statement alone sent chills down my spine, due to the sheer coldness of the delivery. And just like the sick bastard that he dared to call his friend; Alek Minassian was praised by the incel community. Hell, the sick fuck was even SAINTED (yes, you read that right) alongside Rodger for pulling those deadly stunts that left a trail of devastation in their wake. 

 

            As the result of his deadly shenanigans, Minassian was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. He was originally scheduled to stand trial on 10 February 2020, but later postponed as the pandemic hit Toronto. The trial officially began 10 November 2020 and was conducted online via Zoom meeting. Despite admitting to all the heinous things he's done; he pleaded not guilty by insanity due to his autism diagnosis. During testimony on 12 November, a psychiatrist retained by Minassian's defense team stated in a report that Minassian's "autistic way of thinking was severely distorted in a way similar to psychosis." For this plea to work, one must be confirmed medically to have psychosis or similar mental illness where he couldn't distinguish right and wrong, and clearly, Minassian technically is not psychotic. This legal stunt pulled by Minassian and his team garnered criticism from autism rights advocates, stated concerns that the trials might worsen stigmas towards autistic people. In the end, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy believed that Minassian is motivated by the desire of notoriety and avoid giving him further recognition by refusing to refer him by his real name. She also inclined to accept the assessment of the experts that he lied to the police about much of the incel motivation he talked about and that the incel movement was not in fact a primary driving force behind the attack. To hammer the final nail in the coffin, she rejected his attempt to use autism as a defense. On 3 March 2021, Alek Minassian was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life in prison without a possibility of parole for 25 years on 13 June 2022. By the time his parole chance came about, which might be his only chance, is in 2047, and by that year, he would be around 54 years of age. Technically, he would spend the rest of his days in prison, with no chance of ever communicate with the incel community. But even after the conviction, this virgin with rage has the audacity to file an appeal over the apparent "misapprehension" of expert evidence and made unreasonable findings. If this is just another ploy to use autism as an excuse, well, let me tell you, as someone with similar mental disorder, that shit would only gone up in flames once again. 

 

            Like I said earlier, news about violent acts done by those who are unlucky enough to find a romantic partner is, to be perfectly honest, boils my blood the most. These people have this warped mindset that they are entitled to a romantic relationship, and those who reject them are deemed responsible for crimes against humanity. What Elliot Rodger and Alek Minassian did were despicable at best, and this must serve as a lesson to never underestimate mental illnesses and disorders, coupled by the fact that today's dating culture is too harsh even for normal members of society, not much less to those with some limitations. For all 11 victims who had their lives snatched away by that white van of doom, rest in eternal peace, you innocent souls. And for Alek Minassian, there is a special place in Hell exclusively for you. Until then, rot in jail, you virgin lunatic.

Elliot Rodger: The Original Incel Killer

 (Warning: Graphic details ahead)

 

            This is it. From all of those true crime stories ever explored, this is the one that feels like the most compelling case worthy of an episode on Criminal Minds or any police procedural drama (I am a big fan of CSI anyway). You see, humans regulate their emotions in different ways, that includes coping mechanisms for certain negative emotions, like the feeling of rejection, hopelessness, and seclusion. This particular story is about an unsub (short for unknown subject. Thanks, Criminal Minds) who was too busy in his own world trying to seek for love, only to be ignored and in the end, brought his own hammer of justice in the form of a mass killings in the name of unreciprocated love. 

 

            Today's crime historians and crazed incels may know him as "The Supreme Gentleman", but this unsub had a name at some point, which was Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger, Elliot Rodger for short. Come to think of it, he was born from an esteemed British filmmaker Peter Rodger and Malaysian research assistant Chin Li Rodger. He was born in London, England on 24 July 1991, and moved to the United States when he was 5 years old, living his childhood in Los Angeles, California. He had a younger sister just before Peter and Chin Li divorced, dan a half-brother from Peter's second marriage with Moroccan actress Soumaya Akaaboune. To say that his early life is full of turbulent events is honestly an understatement, since he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. By the accounts of a family attorney, young Elliot had seen multiple therapists since the tender age of 8, but was never formally diagnosed until 2007, in which he was officially diagnosed with two disorders stated above. HIs school days are bad just on his own. attended Crespi Carmelite High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Encino, Los Angeles, and then Taft High School in Woodland Hills, in which he attended for only a week due to severe bullying. He last attended Independence Continuation High School in Lake Balboa in which he graduated in 2009. Rodger then briefly enrolled in Los Angeles Pierce College and Moorpark College before ultimately transferring to Santa Barbara City College in 2011. By the time during his ninth grade, Rodger was "increasingly bullied", and wrote later that he "cried by [himself] at school every day"; at this time, he developed an obsession with the multiplayer-online game World of Warcraft, which dominated his life for most of his teenage years, and briefly into his 20s. At Crespi Carmelite High he was bullied; in one incident his head was taped to a desk while he was asleep. Despite all the help that he received, he insisted to not take those advices and medicines, and by the time he turned 18, he began rejecting mental health care and began isolating himself. 

 

            For the next bit, I must assure you that I am no FBI profiler working at the Behavioral Analysis Unit, but when researching for this piece made me realize that Elliot Rodger was one of those people living with an unstable mind. The one that stands out the most is his total shyness when it comes to the opposite sex. He was also, as described above, heavily bullied by his peers. By his claims, he was unable to make any friends, but people said that the reason why he didn't have any friends was basically himself, rebuffing any attempts of anyone trying to befriend him. At some point, he began documenting his life on his YouTube channel, mainly expressing his loneliness and contempt from constantly ignored and rejected by girls. Hell, long before the events that would eventually cement his infamy among the incelsphere, he already committed petty crimes as documented by his manifesto titled My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger. In 2011, he allegedly threw a hot coffee onto a couple out of jealousy, in another incident, two girls got splashed by him for "not smiling back at him". But an incident in July 2013 might left the biggest scar on this troubled soul. While attending a party, he was ignored and mocked. He then tried but failed to shove some girls over a ten-foot ledge; instead, other boys pushed him over and his ankle was injured. When he went back for his sunglasses he was again mocked and beaten. This was the last straw for him. 

 

            For years lead up to the event, he prepared himself by practicing in a shooting range, and bought three weapons, all legally. On his possession were a Glock 34 and two SIG Sauer 226 pistols. He also had his black BMW 328i Coupe as his daily drive turned battering ram when the time has come. One day before his "retribution day", he recorded and posted his final YouTube video, where one excerpts on said video read:

 

"Tomorrow is the day of retribution, the day in which I will have my revenge against humanity, against all of you. For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection, and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me. Girls gave their affection, and sex, and love to other men but never to me. I'm 22 years old and I'm still a virgin. I've never even kissed a girl. I've been through college for two and a half years, more than that actually, and I'm still a virgin. It has been very torturous. College is the time when everyone experiences those things such as sex and fun and pleasure. Within those years, I've had to rot in loneliness. It's not fair. You girls have never been attracted to me. I don't know why you girls aren't attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it. It's an injustice, a crime, because ... I don't know what you don't see in me. I'm the perfect guy and yet you throw yourselves at these obnoxious men instead of me, the supreme gentleman."

 

            Then the day arrived. 23rd of May 2014. He began the day by stabbing three people in his apartment multiple times. One of them feuded with Rodger over a petty theft. He had the total audacity to stop for a coffee and to upload his video and manifesto (he even sent it to his therapist, and somehow, made its way to his parents), before driving off to the Alpha Phi sorority in the University of California, Santa Barbara. His initial plan was to shot every member of the sorority, until his knocks went unanswered. He began shooting people nearby, resulting in two women killed and one injured. He also opened fire at an unoccupied coffee shop and a delicatessen; a man was struck seven times and killed. He then hopped onto his BMW, striking 8 people (pedestrians, skateboarders and cyclists) and shot 8 more. He briefly involved in a gunfire with the sheriff's deputy, and after hitting a cyclist (the 8th people he struck with his BMW), he crashed his car. And after another brief exchange, he ended the day, and his life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. In the aftermath, 7 lives were lost (including Rodger's) and fourteen injured. It is easier for me to list all the deceased than to write them in a paragraph. So, here is the names of the deceased:

 

1.     Weihan "David" Wang, 20, stabbed at Elliot's apartment

2.     Cheng Yuan "James" Jong, 20, stabbed at Elliot's apartment

3.     George Chen, 19, stabbed at Elliot's apartment

4.     Katherine Breann Cooper, 22, shot outside the Alpha Phi sorority

5.     Veronica Elisabeth Weiss, 19, shot outside the Alpha Phi sorority

6.     Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, 20, caught in a drive-by shooting at the Isla Vista deli mart

 

On the day after the killing spree, a candlelight memorial was held in honour of the victims. This was followed by a memorial service at UCSB's Harder Stadium, which had over 20,000 people in attendance.

 

            Even after the horrific event, many people inside the extreme side of the manosphere, specifically those who dubbed themselves "incels" (short for involuntarily celibate) praised Rodger for his heinous actions. Some of them even inspired to commit copycat crimes in honour of the sick bastard. One of which is the 2018 Toronto Van Attack, in which another unsub, Alec Minassian, is apparently friends with Rodger due to their shared hatred and contempt of girls who rejected them in favour of other, more attractive men (dubbed "Chad" and "Stacy"). 

 

            Elliot Rodger is certainly an interesting case where someone who suffers from many mental illnesses who lashed out to the world instead of getting help. He was a troubled man with obsession for affection, an obsession he never got. He blamed his loneliness and his lack of love to other people not related to his problems, and in the end, he perished from the world, dragging few souls with him as a result of his one-sided anger through blood and violence. I might have slight sympathy to the guy, as he has differently-wired brain like I do, but I would never in a million years condone acts of violence, hell this is outright massacre to be committed out of years of hatred and disdain for affectionate relationship, just because you never experience one. To all six kind souls lost on the attack, may you all rest in eternal peace. And for Elliot Rodger, rot in hell you incel freak. 

Formula E: Racing Sustainably One City at a Time

 On Saturday, June 4, 2022, I had the utmost privilege of attending the Jakarta ePrix at the Jakarta International ePrix Circuit in Ancol Beach, North Jakarta as part of the FIA Formula E World Championship Round 9 of 16 races. As a fan of motorsport, I can say that the atmosphere was electric (no pun intended). The Indonesians are always passionate about motorsport in general, and with two motorsport events under the belt in recent years (the other being the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika Circuit in Lombok), who knows what the future holds. But for now, we can all be proud of our achievements after a rough two years caused by the pandemic. 

 

            But most of you watching the race might be a first timer when it comes to the Formula E racing series. By looking at the name, you can all tell that this series utilizes single-seater cars powered by a battery pack and an electric motor. In short, this is the first motorsport series that uses all-electric power cars. Quick history lesson, this series was conceived in 2011. Oddly enough, the idea was pitched through a dinner at a small Italian restaurant in Paris by the president of the Fédération Internationale d'Automobile (FIA) Jean Todt and presented to politicians Alejandro Agag and Antonio Tanjani and Italian actor Teo Teocoli. Later on, in 2012, Brazilian driver Lucas di Grassi joined as the first ever Formula E driver, at the time running show cars and prototypes of what would become the modern Formula E car. 

 

            After years of developing the car, named Spark-Renault SRT01e, the first ever race, and first ever season of Formula E kicked off at Beijing Olympic Park in 2014, won by di Grassi after a scary last lap wreck between Renault eDams' Nicolas Prost (son of racing legend Alain Prost) and Venturi's Nick Heidfeld. The car at the time, used until the 2017-2018 season has a top speed of 225 kph (140 mph), and has maximum power available up to 230 kW (308 HP), with 200 kW (286 HP) usable in race mode. The downside of this car was its limited energy capacity, being only 28 kWh. To counteract this, the regulations stated at the time that teams must provide 4 cars, two to each driver. During the mid-stage of the race, drivers must enter pit road to switch to their fully charged second car. This created its own dramatic element, as some teams often miscalculates their pit stop timing, resulting in wrecks. Starting from the 2018-2019 season, a new car, the Spark SRT05E, or the "Gen 2" is used up to the conclusion of this running season. The new car has new battery pack which in turn, bigger energy capacity that its predecessor (54 kWh), effectively scrapping the need for a mid-race car swap, as these cars can now run full distance of the race. With bigger battery means bigger power, with maximum usable power of 250 kW (335 HP), with the same race power mode, but with an added twist named ATTACK MODE, which increases the power output to 225 kW (301 HP) and the top speed of 280 kph (174 mph). The ATTACK MODE is a fairly new strategic element unique to Formula E, which saw drivers driving off the racing line to a specific activation zone comprised of 3 sensors. Once the three sensors have been activated, the halo would turn blue signaling the extra power. Starting this year, the Generation 3 cars will be used for the next season. This new car is expected to be more powerful and a lot faster, with maximum power up to 350 kW (470 HP) and top speed of around 320 kph (200 mph). The new regulations are also expected to include flash-charging pitstops up to 600-800 kW, which could mean doubling the race distance. The cars are also expected to have massive regenerating capabilities with front and rear powertrains, the front end for the regen, and the rear for driveshaft.

 

            What makes this championship unique in its own right is the race weekend format. Unlike any other racing series that runs through 3 days during the weekend, Formula E events only lasts typically 1 or 2 days if the race in question is a double-header. The events are held in mostly city centers, rather than a purpose-built racing facility, with the exception of Mexico City, Berlin, and Jakarta, with the former and the latter are held in a racing facility of some sort, while the Berlin race is held on an old decommissioned Tempelhof airport. The day starts with two 30-minute practice sessions. Then the qualifying session is held during midday, where 22 current drivers are split into two groups determined by their championship standings, odd numbers in group A, even numbers in group B. Fastest four drivers from each group are put into an elimination-style duels to determine the pole sitter. The race is held in the afternoon, lasts for 45 minutes plus 1 white flag lap. The scoring uses the FIA standard scoring for top 10 drivers (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1), with the driver who secured pole position secured an additional 3 points and for the fastest lap of the race bagged an extra point to their tally. For the team’s championship, the total points of both drivers are counted. During the race itself, aside from the aforementioned ATTACK MODE, there is something called the Fanboost. The feature in question allows the fans to vote for their favorite driver to receive an extra burst of power for 5 seconds on their cars, only usable during the second half of the race (in the older days, the fanboost applied in their second cars once the swap has been done). Each race, 5 drivers receive the feature based on the votes. The voting period opens 3 days before the event and closes 15 minutes into the race.  

 

            You might think that Formula E is only about the racing itself, but it goes way more than that. Since its inception, this series has advocated for climate crisis caused by the usage of fossil fuels and aims for electrification for the next 10 years. This FIA sanctioned world championship series is the first ever to be net zero carbon across 6 seasons, and the first to hold a certification for sustainable events (ISO 20121). The series also investing in internationally specified projects to offset carbon emissions. The events are powered through renewable and sustainable energy generators. Hell, the car itself, when the season has concluded and the Gen 3 car is finally rolled out, will be recycled for parts used for the new cars. The tires themselves are made of natural rubber compound and recycled fibers suited for all weather conditions, and also recycled after each event. This initiative, along with the racing spectacle is heralded as an effort to build upon a more sustainable world with advanced technology for mankind, and I am sincerely hoping that Formula E stays on this track, while also keep on bringing the motorsport festivals to cities across the globe.

 

            In short, The FIA Formula E World Championship was conceived as part of a dinner between the FIA and few public and political figures, as well as many parties across the motorsport spectrum. The series was first launched in 2014, and currently on its 8th season, with the next season expected later this year with new, faster and more energy efficient cars. Aside from racing, Formula E is also an advocate for sustainability, climate crisis and electrification. Now that the 2022 Jakarta ePrix is in the books, I just want to say thank you to all parties involved in this event, and to other motorsport fans, see you again in 2023.

The Night Witches: Stealth Warfare at its Best

"From the depths of hell in silence

Cast their spells, explosive violence

Russian nighttime flight perfected

Flawless vision, undetected"

-"Night Witches", performed by Sabaton, 2014

 

            And you thought that Milunka Savic is going to be the only war time story focusing on female soldiers. As evidenced by this piece, there are many stories of women in warfare. One of which is the story of the Soviet Bombing Squadron made of exclusively women. They are known for their stealth missions dropping bombs to unsuspecting German army camps in Soviet Union. They gain infamy among the German ranks with the name Die Nachthexen, in English, it translates to "The Night Witches".

 

            The Night Witches was the name given to the Soviet's 588th Bombing Regiment, first established in October 1941 by Major Maria Raskova. Raskova herself, up to that point was heralded as "the Russian Amelia Earhart", due to her establishing several records for long-distance non-stop flights. During Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, many women joined the ranks at the army, either as nurses, signalers, and anti-aircraft gunners. The recruitments also included all the female pilots, but they mostly ended up as instructors and advisors for male pilots in training. They are also barred from flying the planes themselves, arguments being that there are many male pilots available at the time. Raskova, being the Hero of the Soviet Union, pleaded to, and subsequently granted permission by Josef Stalin to create three all-female flying unit. Those three being the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Heavy Bomber Regiment, and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. 

 

            Compared to the other two units, the 588th Regiment with the command chain comprised of regiment commander Yevdokiya Bershanskaya and her deputy Serafima Amosova, commissar Yevdokiya Rachkevich, and chief of staff Irina Rakobolskaya was arguably the youngest in age, being between 17 to 26 years of age and the most inexperienced. For one, due to the demographic of the soldier being mostly male, the girls were given out oversized clothes and boots, and constantly mocked by their male peers.  This is not limited to their appearances either. Equipment-wise, they are given one of the most outdated aircrafts in service, the Polikarpov U-2 biplanes, nicknamed (condescendingly) by the German Wehrmacht as "The Coffee Grinder", a two-crew plane produced in 1927 as a training plane, with wings made of wood and canvas, known for its notoriously slow airspeed, its susceptibility of being shot down by even a small arms fire, and only able to fly in lower altitudes. Hell, the planes could only carry up to 350 kg (770 pounds) of bombs for each mission, so eight or more missions a night is not uncommon. But the slow nature of the Polikarpov planes were compensated for its unbelievable maneuverability, making it the hardest target to hit by German fighter pilots, with all those Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf F190 planes. In comparison, the 587th Heavy Bombers were equipped with the SU2, nicknamed "The Bitch", due to the plane's extremely difficult to master. 

 

            The way these pilots carried out their missions is quite unique, even for the standard of modern warfare. For starters, they could only carry out their missions during the night. Sometimes, multiple missions could be carried out during that same night. Second, with each target hit, they have to immediately return to base and rearm and refuel immediately to be sent back out again. And the third, they have to use these Polikarpovs in the most effective ways as possible, without revealing too much of their locations to the Germans. So, they devised a unique way to attack, by flying low while cutting out the notoriously noisy engine and drop the load as they glide in the sky. Several German troops recounted hearing the sound of woman laughing and the gust of wind, along with silhouettes akin to a witch riding a broom before the heavy bombardment commenced. From all these accounts, the German army refer to these women as die nachthexen, translated to "the night witches"

 

            From 1942 to the conclusion of the second world war in 1945, The Night Witches partake in several offensives, with their baptism by fire took place on the Southern Front. Other operations included the Battle of the Caucasus, the Crimean Offensive, and the East Prussian offensive. During those missions, they accumulated approximately 23.672 sorties. In detail, they collectively accumulated 28,676 flight hours, dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs and over 26,000 incendiary shells, damaging or completely destroying 17 river crossings, nine railways, two railway stations, 26 warehouses, 12 fuel depots, 176 armored cars, 86 firing points, and 11 searchlights. In addition to bombings, the unit performed 155 supply drops of food and ammunition to Soviet forces. Casualties for the 588th included 32 dead and 28 aircrafts being written-off. There are also accolades given to the night witches, with the regiment itself was bestowed the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Suvorov. Honored personnel included 23 members being named Hero of the Soviet Union, two personnel named Hero of the Russian Federation, and one personnel named Hero of Kazakhstan. The regiment disbanded on the 15 October 1945 following the conclusion of World War 2. Former commissar Yevdokiya Rachkevich then took it upon herself to search every single crash site of her fellow night witches, in order to provide the most accurate detail as possible. 

 

            It seems like in every conflict, there is bound to be a stealth aspect of some sort, and the night witches embodied the very definition of stealth warfare. Throughout their service they've been undetected, unexpected, and unpredictable, dropping bomb after bomb as they terrorize the invading armies of the third Reich and push them back to the brink of defeat, one stealth mission at a time. And to close this piece, I want to offer my salute in admiration to these brave women who survived the war, and also for the ones who never made it back home.

 

“I think that during the war, when the fate of our country was being decided, the bringing in of women into aviation was justified."

 

-Irina Rakobolskaya, in Miriam Mencej, "Styrian Witches in European Perspective", 2017