11/19/2014

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?

10/28/2014

Dog lovers alert

Speaking of pernicious, the website Dog Notebook is definitely not a credible info source on dogs. Any website that publishes a list "article" with no byline on the 25 most dangerous dog breeds (with no in-text cites or footnotes to back up the claims) is beneath contempt. Whoever wrote this "article" included just enough positive content on each breed to keep the text from out and out LYING. 

Thankfully, owners of several of the breeds listed came to their defense in the comments section. Of course, there were also commenters who insisted they were right and the American pit bull terrier is just born vicious. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Any dog not properly socialized from puppyhood is capable of "turning on its owner." Any dog not firmly introduced to the pack leader-human and consistently corrected without forceful physical is capable of bad behavior. 

Man, talk about the Dunning-Kruger effect. As the comment writer using this phrase explained, it's "the utter confidence of those who, with no expertise, remain stubborn in their views regardless of overwhelming evidence." 

Sound like any one you know? 

The site owner is First Beat Marketing, one of far too many content mills more interested in ad bux than verifying content. What a surprise (NOT). 

Another offender in this area is Dog Show dot com. It's also a content mill, and its "20 Worst Breeds for Small Children" is also a load of bovine poo. The similar writing styles suggest the same person or persons wrote both "articles." What a surprise (again, NOT).

Folks, it bears repeating that just because something you read is on the Web, it doesn't mean that it's correct or right.I have two words for all those naysayers out there about large-breed dogs: Cesar Milan.

10/23/2014

Things that make me go "Hmmm..."

Forty thousand voter registration forms went missing in Georgia US.

Ga. Sec. of State claims almost all 40K forms have been processed.

Yeah, sure. Publish all the state voter registrations records in question and I might consider the possibility that the SoS is telling the truth. Y'know, image manipulation and alla dat. smh

9/28/2014

Extra bits

Please read the Content Note and Comments Policy pages. They're important and will determine whether your comments get posted or not. 

There are NO special snowflakes here.

Yeah, it took me a while to get this blog in gear. So sue me.


VaP notes that Puritans have survived in Front Royal, VA . These "good Christian people" (um, yeaaaahhhh...NO) are hereby saddled with the Vile and Pernicious Phules of the Month designation for September 2014.  Do they get any sort of prize? Fuck, no!

[h/t to Perry Street Palace and Raw Story]

3/01/2014

Welcome, Frank Zappa fans!

Sadly, this blog has no current Zappa content other than its title. There are surely many other sites where you can find Zappa content, yes?

This here blog is centered on things which its title describes, subjects or events etc. which I consider Vile and Pernicious. VaP may also contain posts on other topics which interest me but are not specifically vile and pernicious.

There's a bit more tech fiddling to do before the site's finished, so please excuse any dust or other detritus floating around.


Carry on.