But but but but ...

 Yeah. Take alla dem butts and make a frame, then slap on an appropriately sized piece of mirrored glass and LOOK AT YOURSELF.

I thank Laura J. Mixon-Gould for her research and resultant article on the fracas surrounding the erstwhile blogger and KTF* reviewer/opinionator of others once known as requires hate, winterfox and other monikers. That person is the subject of this post.

Disclaimer: I'm an old white lady phart who's been reading science fiction, fantasy and horror for more than 45 years, writing about it for about 14 years. I know no one involved in this chain of incidents personally (either in person or on the Intarwebz). I have corresponded once or twice with rh via her rh blog in comments. I learned about the incidents in question yesterday, and have been reading most of this afternoon about rh/etc from various blogs. I never claim to know everything. I'm pretty much an unknown in the SFF fan community, unless you talk to people who are really into fanzines; I pubbed a perszine from 2001-08. I cherish my privacy, so it would take a concerted effort for someone to learn my real name. Also, I'm not so attached to my blogs that it would be difficult to shut them down if I chose. Finally, I do have thick skin, but also a rather nasty temper and a substantial vocabulary in my arsenal. Do no harm to me or mine, and we'll be good. I prefer defense, and those who might test that are warned here: I fight back.

Maybe that's more than needed stating, but there it is.

The question which keeps popping up in my mind while reading about rh and her defenders is, "What are you, 12?" I did read rh for some months a few years back, but ultimately her abusive nature (my opinion) overpowered her sinister logodaedaly. One tires of reading KTF* reviews all the time. Eventually, it all seemed to turn into revenge porn and I'm just not into that.

"What are you, 12?" is often used by blog writers and readers as a retort to mansplainers, MRAs, and gamers of that ilk who never learned to engage their minds before putting their fingers in gear. I find it an amusing response. The logorrhea that spurts from such folk so much that others question their maturity has grown from a garden hose to a fire hose in volume. 2014 has been a banner year. If we could monetize this shit, we'd all be millionaires in 24 hours.

I thank Athena Andreadis for her recent well-reasoned blog post on the matter in question. Her cogent writing reminded me I was no spring chicken (nor did I want to be) and had a brain that worked pretty damn well. She confirmed a suspicion I'd had about rh, in a succinct and foo-foo-less manner, which is also why I admire her writings.

To those victimized by rh and her cohorts, I offer space here to tell your stories in your own words. I'll do my best to moderate this post's comments (if it ever gets any; that's how far off the radar I am) to create a safe(r) space for you all. Tade Thompson's Safe blog should, imo, be the central resource for those harmed by rh. Please consider me an adjunct. I'm not the only blogger who's done so, so I won't feel bad (much :-] ar ar) if folks choose to go elsewhere.

”I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed.”
---His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso



*KTF=kill the fucker. An abbreviation from the olden days of SFF fanzines.

Note: I don't do linkies much. They're a convenience, not a requirement, imo. Google is yer friend, right?

Twitter gets a cookie for at least trying to reduce the hate

Shut up, Andrew Sullivan.  Pass that on to all your li'l buddies, too, k?