Stochastic Terrorism

 

STOCHASTIC TERRORISM
By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, September 14, 2025

I listened to one of the many talking heads on Television following the murder of Charlie Kirk.  unfortunately, I don’t remember who it was who mentioned the phrase “Stochastic Terrorism.”  I have since heard Dr. Drew Pinsky say the same phrase.  In all honesty, I have ever heard that phrase before.  Rather than just let it pass, I looked it up.  What I found did not surprise me.  In fact, I pretty much expected to find what I found.  This Nugget will explain the term Stochastic Terrorism. 

I am also including a YouTube video link that if you take the 20 minutes or so to watch and more specifically LISTEN TO, you will have many of the dots of today’s violence all connected and the picture is not pretty but if you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you have already thought that there may have been a link just as described.  Now for the link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azE7nqqQMmo 

If you have watched and listened to the link, I want you to recall the following events: 

• Murder of Charlie Kirk
• School Shooting at the Catholic Church
• Murder of the politicians in Minnesota
• Attempted murder of the Governor Pennsylvania
• Recent murder of the young lady on the train in North Carolina
• Setting a subway rider in New York on fire

THE LIST IS ENDLESS – IT GOES ON AND ON AND ONE 

There is one aspect in all of these events that goes undiscussed by the media.  If you were to ask why, my best guess is that it does not fit the narrative and agenda that the Media wants you to hear.  Face facts!  The ONLY news we ever hear or see on the National New Medias (all of them) is the news that THEY CHOSE for you to see.  To prove my point, the media ONLY began to cover the murder on the train in North Carolina when social media blew up the story and the media simply could no longer ignore it.  That should be all you need to know to know that the media controls EVERYTHING we see and hear.  There is a word for that process – it’s called BRAINWASHING!    

For the record, the definition of Brainwashing is:

Brainwashing is a systematic process of manipulating someone’s thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors—often against their will—through psychological pressure, coercion, or intense persuasion. It typically involves isolating the individual from outside influences, controlling information, and using techniques like repetition, fear, guilt, and reward/punishment cycles to break down existing beliefs and implant new ones.

Some key characteristics include:

·         Loss of autonomy: The person gradually becomes dependent on the controlling source for approval, information, or identity.

·         Suppression of critical thinking: Doubt and questioning are discouraged, replaced by rigid, unquestioned acceptance.

·         Emotional manipulation: Techniques often target emotions—fear, guilt, or love—to enforce compliance.

·         Isolation from reality: Cutting off ties with friends, family, or alternative viewpoints helps solidify the new belief system.

The term is often used in contexts like cults, political indoctrination, prisoner-of-war camps, or manipulative relationships, though its use can be controversial because not all persuasion qualifies as true "brainwashing."

As an example, how many times do you have to hear that President Trump is a Fascist?  Repetition!    Over and over again for the last 10 years or more, that is all we heard from the most senior members of Congress, Chuck Schumer, and down to the most junior of members, AOC.  You may be mature of enough to write them off as just name calling, but not all people are that mature.  That is why I believe so many of these violent events are conducted by people under the age of 30; young people! 

Do you honestly believe that every person in America just blows vile name calling off or do some people like the murderer of Charlie Kirk. take them far more seriously.  Take yourself back to 1890.  You are in a position to kill Adolph Hitler as a baby, and rid the world of a mass murderer.  Would you take him out?  What makes you think that someone wired with the same sense of preventing someone, just like Hitler, from destroying America and thus decide to take him or her out?  It is called a German “Valkyrie” moment, when German soldiers tried to kill Hitler.   It is also like the story of Chicken Little.  “The Sky is Falling; the sky is falling!”  Everyone heard it, over and over again, some knew it was BS but a few began to take cover.  To them it WAS falling.  To most, it was just someone’s imagination.  It takes ONLY ONE to take action! 

The following is the definition of people like the Charlie Kirk murderer (who shall remain nameless, at least in my mind).  Read it for yourself.  It is the definition of the phrase “Stochastic Terrorism.”  See if it does not apply to these mentally deficient individuals: 

ADD A NEW WORD TO YOUR VOCABULARY! This pretty much describes what we have just seen. Words HAVE MEANING! When you constantly call people Hitler, Nazis, Fascists and the like, you are planting seeds through repetition!   Unfortunately, those seeds sometimes take root in weak minds that can't logically handle them: 

STOCHASTIC TERRORISM is the use of mass communication (such as media, speeches, or online platforms) to DEMONIZE or VILIFY a person or group in ways that increase the likelihood that a random individual—an unpredictable actor— WILL COMMIT A VIOLENT ACT AGAINST THEM. 

The idea is that the speaker doesn’t directly order or plan violence. Instead, by consistently portraying a target as dangerous, evil, or deserving of harm, they raise the statistical probability that someone somewhere will interpret the message as a call to action and attack. 

Key aspects: 

Indirect incitement: The speaker usually has plausible deniability (“I never told anyone to act violently”). (Note, we hear comments like this from people like Nancy Pelosi, and a lot of Democrat members of Congress.  Plausible deniability) 

Randomness: You can’t predict who will act or when, but the risk of violence grows as the rhetoric escalates.

Examples often cited: inflammatory political rhetoric, media personalities targeting individuals or groups, or online campaigns framing groups as existential threats.  Note:  How many times have we heard that President Trump and his millions of supporters are “a threat to our Democracy?”  First, the United States is a “Constitutional Republic” it is NOT a Democracy.  You would think that members of Congress and even Presidents like Joe Biden would understand the difference but apparent they do not.  Everyone right of center (or in other words people whose beliefs are counter to the beliefs of those in power) are threats to Democracy!”

I have read articles and books written by people who should know. that it takes about 21 times (days) of a repetitive action on your part for that action to become a repeatable habit.  Now think of the days, weeks, months, years, decade where we heard that President Trump was a Nazi, a Hitler type Dictator and by extension all of his supporters are the same thing.

If you really want to know what has been happening to America, this is it!  Finding a solution that can fix it is way beyond my pay grade, as they so often say.  If I could control the votes in an election, I could readily fix it but that is neither feasible or desirable not to mention illegal. 

Simply put, the voices in Congress and the Legislative Branch who continuously spew these words of hate knowing they are not true, should be immediately voted out of office.  Members of the main stream media who constantly repeat them on air should be immediately fired!  You must remove the source to kill this cancer that is destroying America from within. 

I believe (my opinion) that destroying America has been the goal of an elite group of people from the first days of the Obama Administration.  It was supposed to be 16 years (8 for Obama and 8 for Clinton) giving them the ability to “fundamentally transform America” remember Obama saying that?  Their idea of a transformed America is one of total control.  What form of government requires total control?  Socialism and/or Communism, take your pick!  President Trump disrupted this plan and that is exactly why they have all worked overtime to destroy his first term as President, his bid to be reelected in 2020 and now his current term.  They cannot afford to have him in office because he is not one of “them!”  

As long as Americans realize that their liberty and their freedom is being undermined and the process enhanced by the main stream media, the desire of these elites to create a one-world-government is doomed and they cannot let that happen.  These people KNOW EXACTLY what they have been doing and they know it is illegal if not outright treasonous!  Their days are numbered as long as President Trump is in office. 

There is also a term called “projection.”  This occurs when one person or group “projects” onto another person or group those things and actions that they themselves are doing.  Referring to President Trump as Hiter is just such an example.  The Left, as supported by the main stream media, are working to totally control “we the people.”  They want to take our guns. To suppress/censor our speech and written words.  They want to tax us to death and then give us as little as possible just to keep us appeased while they brandish their new found power.  The irony of all of this is that there are only so many spots in the controlling elites and everyone who has been working to make their agenda come to past think that they will be among the controlling elite group.  That simply will not happen.  They can’t see the forest (the truth) for all of the trees (the lies). 

One of the nicer things about growing old as I have, is that I can say anything I want to say and just do not care what others may think of what I have said or written; you should all be so lucky.  That goes to friends, family and foes alike.  I am comfortable in my knowledge of what has been happening because I no longer listen to the main stream media and all but disregard anything a politician says.  I do my own research and form my own informed opinions.  I believe what I have written.  As Charlie Kirk would say: 

PROVE ME WRONG!

Since I first published this, I have come across a video that explains a great deal of what I have written:

https://www.facebook.com/LorraineSicotte1/videos/768839209447276/?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=ljwZghFM3c58dGBN#

If the link does not work, copy and paste to your browser.

Blast From The Past: Real Estate Commissions, UPDATED

 

REAL E$TATE COMMI$$ION$
By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, October 22, 2013, updated August 2025 

Disclaimer:  I was first licensed in real estate in 1980 as a Salesman and as a Broker in 1982 and have been continuously licensed by the State of Louisiana through January 1, 2013 when I officially retired from real estate sales.  During that period, I was also licensed as a Broker by the State of Mississippi on two different occasions.  That represents approximately 33 years of real estate experience mostly as the Designated Broker for the companies at which I worked.  During that period, I worked for small independent companies, a large independent company and 5 major franchise companies.  Special note, most company changes were the result of one company buying out another.  I believe this experience provides me a unique perspective on what would be important for real estate agents to consider in regards to being able to take advantage of the best a real estate company has to offer that will provide the best opportunities for individual success.  Contact Information:  email:  JimBrown@gymbeaux.com; Cell Phone:  985-640-3564. 

This is the first Nugget for the Noggin in a series written especially for real estate agents.  I awoke this morning with a nagging question as to what would be important for a real estate agent to consider when selecting a company at which to place his or her license or for an agent to consider when transferring a license to another real estate company.  As stated in the above disclaimer, I believe I have a unique experience level that enables me to address this subject based on my knowledge of how most if not all real estate companies are organized and therefore how that organization can help or hinder the success of a real estate agent, especially one new to the business.  This same unique perspective can also assist those agents considering transferring to another company.  The following are some of the subjects that will be covered in this and subsequent Nuggets for the Noggins: 

• ·         Real Estate Commissions
  
• ·         Probable Customer Calls/Inquiries
  
• ·         Training
  
• ·         Individual Support
  
• ·         Group Support
  
• ·         Individual Brand Name
  
• ·         Company Brand Name
  
• ·         Selling Broker/Manager
  
• ·         Who Makes Decisions
  
• ·         Internal Dispute Resolution
  
• ·         A Company of Individuals or a Company of Teammates
  
• ·         National Name vs. Local Name
  
• ·         Reputation(s) Matter
  
• ·         Others to follow 

On the subject of real estate commissions, this is not about how much commission to charge a customer but rather how much of the commissions you earn that you get to keep. 

 How do you make money selling real estate?  That is simple; you close a sale involving real estate.  In most states, at the closing, your COMPANY where your license is held earns a commission on the sale.  Once the COMPANY receives the commission an internal pre-determined commission split between the COMPANY and the SELLING/LISTING AGENT is applied to the total commission earned.  The importance of that “pre-determined commission split arrangement” cannot be over emphasized.  That is what this Nugget refers to. 

As a real estate agent, you can only make MORE money in one or more of the following methods: 

• ·   Charge higher commission percentages for the sales you make
• · Have a higher commission split arrangement with your sponsoring Broker/Company
• · Learn to keep more of what you earn by learning how to take advantage of tax regulations
• ·  Lower your cost of doing business meaning lower your operating expenses
• ·  A combination of all of the above 

It starts with the commission split you agree to with your sponsoring company.  There is no set rule for companies and agents.  In fact, real estate commission split arrangements are truly negotiable between the agent and the Broker/Company.  Agents new to the business are typically not aware of this and usually accept whatever commission split is initially offered. 

Most conventional real estate companies will tell the agent that there is an approved commission split.  The approved split may start at one calculation, example, 50% to the Company, 50% to the Agent.  This split may be graduated to where it increases during any given year as the Agent closes more and more sales.  Given enough sales the 50/50 split may actually increase to a full 100% commission but that is rare.  Therefore, at most real estate companies, agents within the company are rarely all on the same split at any given time.  Agents new to the business usually start at the lowest split whereas the more experienced agents are usually on another schedule entirely.  The commission splits within the company typically restart either at the beginning of each year, or restart based on the company’s fiscal year which could start at any time or on the anniversary of the agent’s start with the company. 

Every licensed agent SHOULD be required to sign an Independent Contractor Agreement with the sponsoring broker and that agreement SHOULD define exactly what the agent’s commission structure/schedule is with the company.  If you take nothing else from this Nugget, you can take this next bit of advice to the bank:  IN REAL ESTATE YOU WANT EVERY AGREEMENT, EITHER BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BROKER/COMPANY OR BETWEEN ALL PARTIES TO A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION; OR BETWEEN AGENTS TO BE IN WRITING!   NO EXCEPTIONS!  Therefore, get your commission split agreement IN WRITING!  If a FORM is used to accomplish this, absolutely and positively make sure there are no blank spaces left on the form. If something does not apply, enter N/A or Non-Applicable in the space!  THIS GOES FOR EVERY CONTRACT YOU WRITE OR SIGN NO MATTER WHAT THE SUBJECT MATTER! 

Obviously, you want to “think” in terms of earning 100% of the commission on a sale of real estate; why wouldn't you?  There are companies where that can happen such as national franchise companies (e.g., Keller Williams Realty®, RE/MAX® and others) and local independent companies (you will have to check with your local companies for examples).  I have seen splits as low as 40% to the Agent/60% to the Company for agents new to the business and as high as 100%.  The 100% companies usually require the agent to pay a monthly fee to the company. a pre-determined amount for the agent to conduct their business regardless of the number of sales they make (RE/MAX®) or there may be some form of graduated rate they pay (Keller Williams Realty®).  The latter involves starting at one rate and once a pre-determined amount is paid to the company the split is changed to the 100% level.  In the first example there is great risk to the agent because the agent incurs the monthly expense to the company even if no sales are closed.  In the second the risk has been negated or reduced because the cost to work at the company is very low but the company retains a percentage of commissions earned UNTIL a pre-determined amount is paid to the company, has been reached.  In other words, the agent has “capped” the amount paid to the company during any given year.  At the start of the next year the agent typically reverts to the original agreement; the cap is terminated and the agent starts over.  Having worked at both types of companies, I personally prefer the second method (Keller Williams Realty®) as it significantly reduces the risk to the agent while at the same time provides the agent the ability to earn 100% of the commission.  In both cases, you should determine how much you are going to pay to the company to be able to enjoy earning 100% of the commissions; get this agreement IN WRITING. 

It has been my experience that agents new to the business typically DO NOT research the various commission split options available in their specific area and go with the first company they interview with.  There are options and these options should be researched but I would caution everyone that commission splits are only one part of the decision process, especially for new agents.  For example. Training should be a HUGE issue if I were new to the business.  What type of training am I going to receive and is there any costs associated with that training.  For example, a company may state they put all new agents on a 50/50 commission split schedule and have a great training program but fail to explain that there may be a cost for that training.  Other companies may start agents out on a 40/60 split and then have no cost for the training provided.    These are only examples; there is no set or specific split for agents.  Learn to see “the BIG picture” before making any decision regarding which company to join. 

If your plan is to make a career out of selling real estate, my recommendation would be to join a company that has a plan to get you to the 100% commission program as quickly as possible and without a great deal of financial risk to you to achieve this status.  You do not want to join one company for one reason and then be required to transfer to a different company to fulfill your goal or desire to reach the 100% level.  Changing real estate companies is usually not a good thing because it confuses your database of customers who have come to know you by the company you keep – the company you work at.  And you may NOT be permitted to take your pending business with you!  This is exactly what a great many agents experience.  They start out with no sales and then work their way up to making a lot of sales and suddenly realize they would make more money at a different company doing the same amount of work.  If that situation turns out to be the case, that would be an excellent reason to transfer to the company that enables you to make more money.  Having said that, wouldn’t it make more sense to research the industry and go with “that” company when you start your career? 

Here are some questions to ask your potential Broker/Company during your interview process;  the answers to these questions should enable you to make a prudent business decision as to which company to join.  In fact, I would strongly suggest using the Ben Franklin method of decision making.  Place a large capital "T" on the paper.  On one side of the "T" write PROS and on the other side write CONS.  They as you research the various company choices you can write down the Pros on one side and the Cons on the other.  When completed, one side will usually be longer than the other and that should help you with your decision. 

·         Do you have a printed commission scheduled that I may look at and keep?  I would be skeptical if a company could NOT provide such a printed schedule.

·         Is the commission schedule part of your company’s Policy and Procedure Manual?  This is another way of asking if the company has a Policy and Procedure Manual.  If the answer is no, I would recommend interviewing with another company.  A company that does not have defined policies and procedures can change their policies and procedures on the spur of the moment; you do not want to work at such a company.

· Are ALL agents within the company on this scheduled or does the company make exceptions for “special” agents?  As an example, a special agent may be a highly productive agent, an agent transferring from one company to another who has a track record of producing sales, or an agent with a special trait such as computer technology who is agreeable to teaching technology within the company, etc.  If all agents are NOT on the same schedule you want to know why all agents are not treated the same and how can you be given or earn this “special” treatment.  The real question is why you would want to work at a company where all agents are NOT treated equally and fairly.  Ideally the differences should be included on the commission split printed schedule and would therefore be available to everyone including you.

· What additional costs will I incur such as training costs, office fees, insurance premiums above and beyond the commission split schedule?  What you may earn with a higher commission rate you may lose by being required to pay additional costs for Training or other miscellaneous expenses within the company.  Make absolutely certain you are fully aware of all company costs you are expected to pay.  In fact, ask the person who interviews you to give you an example of exactly how the commission is handled in the company and how much you would earn on an average sale.

·  If I join the company and it turns out that it is not working out for me, would I be able to take my current listings, my pending sales, and my customer database with me to a different company that I join?  Some companies WILL authorize you to take your business with you, some (actually a lot of companies) will NOT.  In my opinion I would avoid working at a company that would NOT permit you to take your business with you.  That, at least to me, would indicate they have something to hide from you and you do not want to start a business relationship based on mis-trust.  If the company indicates you CAN take your business with you, make absolutely certain that you get this agreement IN WRITING.

·  If I decide to join your company at (enter the commission split) what do I have to do to get to the 100% level?  If they have a plan, they will tell you.  If they do have a plan, make certain you get the plan they have in writing.  If they do NOT have a plan, you may want to continue your research for the best opportunity available to you at a different company. 

VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION:  If it is your goal to sell real estate on a part-time basis, earning 100% commissions may not be your initial goal or even possible for you.  But…it has been my experience that a lot of agents “think” they are going to sell real estate part-time and then discover that a career in real estate is an outstanding choice and then decide to do it full time only to discover they made a poor decision regarding the company they joined at the outset.  Don’t make this mistake.  Make certain you engage in a due diligence period of researching the various real estate companies in your area and then decide which offers you the best opportunity to soar! 

TRAINING:  In my state, Louisiana, you take real estate courses approved by the State and then take the State Exam to become licensed.  Unfortunately, the courses you take typically do not have much information on actually listing and selling real estate.  Therefore. the education you receive AFTER you become licensed is critical to your eventual success, or not.  Therefore, in your due diligence period of researching the various opportunities available to you, make absolutely certain you also ask about the training available to you and how much that training will cost you. 

Since I originally wrote this in 2013, a great deal has changed within the industry and you should make changes to your search accordingly.  The ONE THING that has NOT changed is the absolute need to insure you either partake of the company’s training program OR, in the absence of a satisfactory company training program, you establish a self-education program!  You can either Read for a CHANGE, or your can READ for a Change!  Very few professionals in any profession continue reading to improve their skills at what they do.  That is just dumb!  You can’t possibly know it all, it is impossible.  As Anthony Robbins repeatedly suggests, SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES!  Find out what successful agents have already done to succeed and use their skill set and knowledge as leverage to improve your success.  

Much to my surprise, Lou Vickery, an author of 25 books at the time, asked me to co-author his newest book, Where Are You Going?  It is a book that could be used in any profession but I can assure you that it definitely applies to anyone seeking to become successful in real estate sales.  You can find it on Amazon in Paperback and as a Kindle Read.  YOU WON’T REGRET READING IT IF YOU FOLLOW SOME OF THE TRIED AND PROVEN TECHNIQUES DISCUSSED IN THE BOOK! 

NEXT NUGGET:  How does your company handle incoming probable customer calls or Internet Inquiries?  How they do it can either enhance your ability to make more commissions or hinder it.  You will want to read this Nugget when available.