Author: VD

When the carousel stops

Lee Jackson contemplates a Jezebel writer’s realization that she is likely to die alone and unlamented:

Love and relationships are also, among other things, a marker of time. “Forever” frequently begins in love, though it is theoretically as tenuous as the single state. Looking ahead, if I really am riding this train to the end of the tracks, I don’t see any of the grand events in my future that help ground and timeline human existence, the events being in love provides. After my best friend got married she told me she cried all the next day, overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection from everyone she knew. She deserves it all, but years later, still single, I’ve realized that there will be no similar ceremonious acknowledgment of my life or my relationships with friends and family. Until I’m dead, I guess, but that won’t be very fun for me. Anchoring my existence without the signposts of commitment, or children, is a lot of work, and sometimes I feel myself giving up on it, drifting off into a grey directionless space in danger of floating completely away.

Time preferences are crucial. The strange thing is the way that many people still try to defend the choice of young women to delay marriage and children, despite the fact that these women are making essentially the same choice as your average street addict to choose short term pleasure over long term functionality.

Riding the carousel may not be as bad as crack or heroin, but it’s probably worse for the average individual than staying stoned for eight straight years.

The Bradley Awards

I’ve spoken with Moira and she has endorsed the idea of creating the Marion Zimmer Bradley Awards for Normalizing Sexual Abnormality in Science Fiction and Fantasy. We have a whole host of ideas for various categories, including:

  • Most Inappropriate Presence of a Minor
  • Most Cringeworthy Sex Scene
  • Most Disturbing Interspecies Relationship
  • Best Surreptitious Introduction of a Gay Character
  • Creepiest Author Photo
  • Edward Kramer Memorial Most Likely to be Arrested for Sex Crimes
  • David Asimov Memorial Most Likely to be Found with a Gargantuan Kiddy Porn Stash
  • Most Transparent Excuse for Having Sex with a Minor
  • Gene Rodenberry Memorial Best Star Trek-related Work
  • Best Imitation of a Landwhale
  • Best Anti-Christian Screed
  • Most Luxuriant Neckbeard
  • Walter Breen Memorial Best Defense of Pedophilia
  • Worst SF or Fantasy Novel
  • Worst SF or Fantasy Short Work
  • Creepiest Comics Panel
  • Creepiest Film/TV Scene
  • George R. R. Martin Memorial Most Egregious Rape Scene

Anyone got any more category ideas? I’m thinking four nominees per category. This is going to be a world-famous award, and we don’t want too many nominees out there bragging about their Bradleys.

Of course, we’ll have to sort out precisely who is permitted to nominate and vote on the awards, and if there is going to be registration or other sort of limitation on participation, such as presenting evidence of having purchased a Castalia House book.

Regardless, no SJWs or pedos will be allowed.

UPDATE: Moira suggests “Never Turn your Back on a Breen” be engraved on the award.

Wikipedia buries CNN scandal

This sort of thing is exactly why I put Infogalactic at the top of the priority list. Because we need a way of accurately preserving the history that SJWs are always trying to revise and rewrite:

CNN Blackmail Controversy Buried on Wikipedia with Help of Partisan Editors

Following CNN’s blackmail controversy, left-wing Wikipedia editors had the Wikipedia article on the incident removed and its contents buried at the bottom of a page on CNN controversies. Editors then proceeded to gut this article of roughly a third of its content about controversies at the network in the latest example of liberal bias at the online encyclopedia.

Roughly an hour after the article on CNN’s recent blackmail scandal was originally created, editor NorthBySouthBaranof started a discussion on having the article made into a redirect to a CNN controversies article with a small section about the incident. Baranof was previously one of the anti-GamerGate editors banned from edits about the ethics in games journalism controversy due to his aggressive agenda-driven editing.

Over the course of the discussion, 23 regular editors on the site expressed support for the move. Although a majority of editors supporting the move in the discussion have some history of editing in favor of progressive positions, most notable are a group of five (MrX, Volunteer Marek, Objective3000, Sagecandor, and ValarianB) who also participated in a discussion on deleting the article about President Trump sharing classified information on ISIS terrorist activities with Russia.

Standard operating procedure at the SJW-converged site. Rather like the BEA, which has retroactively eliminated the 2001 recession from the official GDP figures, SJW history reflects nothing more than their version of what it suits them now to claim happened then.

Worldcon doesn’t ban pedophiles

Or sex criminals. But they do ban Hispanics. The leading Hispanic science fiction writer – and author of the first Alt★Hero novel – Jon Del Arroz, is banned from attending Worldcon.

Mike Glyer of File 770 saw it coming back on December 22nd. But what did Mike know and how did he know it?

MG: Serious question. Do you have a Worldcon membership?

JDA: Yup, I’ll be there. I don’t believe in taking my ball and going home.

MG: Goodbye Jon. 

Worldcon 76 announced the ban yesterday… for intended thoughtcrime!

Worldcon 76 has chosen to reduce Jonathan Del Arroz’s membership status from attending to supporting. He will not be allowed to attend the convention in person. Mr. Del Arroz’s supporting membership preserves his rights to participate in the Hugo Awards nomination and voting process. He was informed earlier today of our decision via email.

We have taken this step because he has made it clear that he fully intends to break our code of conduct. We take that seriously. Worldcon 76 strives to be an inclusive place in fandom, as difficult as that can be, and racist and bullying behavior is not acceptable at our Worldcon. This expulsion is one step towards eliminating such behavior and was not taken lightly. The senior staff and board are in agreement about the decision and it is final.

Kevin Roche is the chair of Worldcon 76 in San Jose. Kevin has been making costumes since he was 8, and continues dressing funny to this day.

Personally, I think it is great that the Funny-Dressing Nazis of Worldcon have taken the important first step of banning this straight male author from attending, and I look forward to seeing them take the obvious next step of banning all men and women who are not sexually dysfunctional, don’t wear Star Trek uniforms, and shower more than once per week, and finally transform Worldcon into the loving, age-equalitarian utopia it is meant to be.

I understand the theme of Worldcon 76 will be “An Homage to Marion Zimmer Bradley” which will feature the announcement of a new award, The Bradley, which will be presented to the science fiction author who has done the most to advance the vital cause of sexual abnormality in the previous year. The trophy will be a bronze statuette of a crying little girl clutching a teddy bear.

Nominees for the 2017 Bradley Award will be announced in April.

Marvel’s biggest screw-up in 2017

At least, according to the SJWs in the comics media:

#1: Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter continues to be good friends with, official advisor to, and financial supporter of President Donald Trump

Marvel has made a big effort to brush off criticism that they’ve abandoned their commitment to diversity in 2017 after saying that they heard from retailers that people didn’t want it and then canceling a crapload of books with LGBTQ and POC leads at the end of the year. Marvel editor Jordan White even took to Twitter to ask people to please keep buying Marvel books so that they can get their diversity back on in 2018.

But how can Marvel Comics be a positive force for social justice when their Chairman is good friends with Donald Trump and financially supported his presidential campaign? Do a couple of comic books with more representation even out financial support for a President that has tried to ban Muslims from entering the country, wants to deport immigrants, has openly bragged about sexual assault on tape, and done so many other terrible things that it would take a dozen listicles to name them all? For every dollar spent on a book promoting a positive social message, how many ended up in the coffers of the Trump campaign through donations from Perlmutter? What would the ratio need to be before any positive benefit is canceled out?

Right. THAT is certainly the problem. Any more questions about what convergence is?

The jar ran out

He tries so hard to be relevant. To be significant. To matter. But not all the agent- and publisher-pumping in the world can disguise the fact that the grand decade-long attempt to transform a blogger turned midlist writer of color-by-number Heinlein pastiche into a leading author has failed.

John Scalzi@scalzi
Actual thing I just said as I was cleaning my office: “Damn it, *now* where am I going to put this special citation from the Ohio House of Representatives?!?”

(it was under a pile of books before)

Artie Fufkin, Polymer Records@FrmerJoe
Actual thing I thought while reading this tweet: “Scalzi needs everyone to know that he got citations from the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate? How pathetic is that?”

John Scalzi@scalzi
(pats head)

That’s because you’re an asshole, child.

Artie Fufkin, Polymer Records@FrmerJoe
Wow! Killer comeback! I can see why your cutting wit is feared throughout the land.

This naturally raises the question, how would a dumpy little guy like Scalzi pat anyone on the head in the first place? He’s 5’4″ and nearly 200 pounds; he’s little more than a gelatinous blob of SJW, snark, and insecurity. Anyhow, I preferred this response.

Spacebunny Day @Spacebunnyday
Actual thing I said when I was cleaning out my attic: “Damn it, *now* where am I going to put my fifth place ribbon from my jr. high track and field day?!”

The most amusing thing about this exchange is that it’s the consequence of Scalzi’s attempt to address the very uncomfortable fact that VP is now nearly ten times more popular than Whatever by his own chosen metric of importance. IT’S LIKE THE BOUNDLESS HELL OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN! IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY! NETFLIX! PARAMOUNT! MOBILE GAMES! SPECIAL FREAKING CITATION!

Well, Scalzi certainly is special, to put it mildly. Whatever happened to that jar of ZFG? It must have run out.

When men were men

This is an interesting recount of the Ice Bowl from a collection of accounts by those who were actually involved:

It would have been a great game if it had been played on a sweltering September afternoon or on a crisp autumn day in November or even indoors, if there were domed football stadiums in 1967.

That year, the NFL Championship Game pitted Vince Lombardi’s proud but aging Green Bay Packers, seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title, against Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, an ascending team out for revenge after losing narrowly to the Packers in the ’66 championship game.

Eight Packers and four Cowboys who took the field that day would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both coaches would be enshrined, too. The Packers had guile and experience and a field general named Bart Starr. The Cowboys had youth and superior team speed and their “Doomsday Defense.”

Yes, it would have been a great game on any day, in any kind of weather.

It would be played, though, on New Year’s Eve day in Green Bay, in the kind of weather that tested the limits of what a man could endure.

The official low temperature at Austin Straubel Airport that day was 17 below zero. With Arctic winds whipping out of the northwest, the wind chill dipped to 50 below at Lambeau Field, its turf frozen solid and topped by a layer of ice, so that players slipped and slid and fell on what felt like jagged concrete.

The game would be decided in the closing seconds, at the conclusion of a drive that bordered on the mystical, with Starr plunging into the end zone to put a symbolic exclamation mark on the Lombardi era.

Fifty years ago Sunday, on Dec. 31, 1967, the Packers edged the Cowboys, 21-17, in a game for the ages.

The Ice Bowl.

It was and remains the coldest game in NFL history. It is among the most memorable games in league annals because of the wretched conditions, what was at stake and the dramatic way it ended.

My favorite part was the guy who was terrified to tell Vince Lombardi that his expensive new field heating system had failed.

Alt★Hero: The Gods of Peaceful Sleep

We’re continuing to make steady progress on Alt★Hero. We expect to have two 24-page comics out in digital and print in late February, plus two other Arkhaven 24-pagers, Quantum Mortis #1 and Right Ho #1, as I’ve been informed that inking is complete on both Avalon #1 and Alt★Hero #1. We also anticipate publishing print editions of one or two Dark Legion graphic novels in that time frame.

The digital editions will be delivered to all the relevant backers via download codes, the print editions will not, but the pages from them will be included in the 150-page printed graphic novels that will be delivered to all of the relevant backers later this year. We will make the 24-page print editions available via our Castalia Direct store; they will also be available on Amazon, in traditional bookstores, and the comic stores that sign up to carry Arkhaven comics.

I haven’t spoken much about the third line of the Alt★Hero universe, the military one, but we do have an interesting storyline there that involves KA-FOR engaging an elite team of Chinese superhero assassins known as The Gods of Peaceful Sleep. Being assassins, the Gods seldom go around wearing their uniforms, but they do wear body armor beneath their civilian clothing, as can be seen above.

What, you might ask, is KA-FOR? The clue is in the name.

Meanwhile, Marvel continues to pare its losses by cancelling more of its SJW-converged failures:

For those keeping score, here are the ongoing titles that were part of the Marvel Legacy publishing initiative that will be facing the chopping block:

Generation X
Guardians of the Galaxy
Hawkeye
Iceman
Jean Grey
Luke Cage
Royals
Secret Warriors
She-Hulk
The Unbelievable Gwenpool
U.S. Avengers
Uncanny Avengers

If I was a betting man, I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more Marvel books getting the axe before the summer. If I had to guess, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the end of the following titles:

Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider
Black Bolt
Falcon
Monsters Unleashed
She-Hulk

They haven’t learned anything, of course. This is just a temporary retreat intended to stop the bleeding. And I wonder how much praise we’ll receive from the media for actually featuring genuinely diverse characters such as the Gods? None at all, I expect. Which is fine, because they’re not there for the sake of diversity, they are there because the story requires deadly superhumans in the employ of the Red Army.

Comic stores are feeling the consequences. A well-respected Chicago store called Challengers Comics regularly releases its annual numbers:

We are down 6.8{1a9740d54aaadd1290ec59721f654a3d9aaf924aeae0d9d35ee2fe84bc4370ea} from 2016, and this is our lowest yearly total since 2013. October and December took the biggest hits. Overall it’s as if our 2017 only had 11 months of sales. We were down $21,000 in single-issue Marvel sales alone. And in comparison… DC was up $2000. 

The list grows

For those who wonder why “nothing is happening,” some perspective.

  • 1,077, normal number of annual sealed indictments
  • 4,188, sealed indictments as of 11/22
  • 9,274, sealed indictments as of 12/22
There are also an improbable number of elite individuals suddenly having fatal accidents, medical boots appearing on politicians – and switching from one foot to another – as well as various war drums beating. So, my best current guess is that the public announcements of the arrests is waiting for the start of the military conflict, which will somehow be connected to some of the individuals arrested.

And don’t forget, by the decree of the God-Emperor, January 2018 is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

If all of this seems impossible to you, remember, Donald Trump was not supposed to win the presidential election. And the insurance the Deep State took out on the possibility that he might unexpectedly do so against the odds has proven worse than worthless.

“I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office that there’s no way he gets elected – but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.”
~FBI Agent Peter Strzok to FBI Lawyer Lisa Page

Let us be clear on what the “insurance policy” was.  The insurance policy was, in totality, the entire fraudulent Russian Conspiracy Narrative; and all of the accompanying –and subsequent– FBI and DOJ collaborative actions that were taken, under the auspices of an FBI counterintelligence operation, in order to generate an entirely false premise. The goal of using the “insurance policy” was to destroy, and possibly impeach, President Trump.

All of it.

What part of “shut up” does he not understand?

In what can perhaps be best described as a metappropriate response, Wil Wheaton cries about being portrayed as a crybaby.

I love that this set exists. I love that enough people want to do TNG LEGO to create a market demand for these figures. I can’t speak for the rest of the cast, but things like this, based on us, are always awesome. Earlier this year, a guy gave me a little minifig that he made of Wesley, and even though it’s unofficial, it is a delightful thing to own. He’s in his little red spacesuit, and he looks like he’s got a course you can plot. I love it.

In this particular custom set, though, Wesley is depicted as a crying child, and that’s not just disappointing to me, it’s kind of insulting and demeaning to everyone who loved that character when they were kids. The creator of this set is saying that Wesley Crusher is a crybaby, and he doesn’t deserve to stand shoulder to minifig shoulder with the rest of the crew. People who loved Wesley, who were inspired by him to pursue careers in science and engineering, who were thrilled when they were kids to see another kid driving a spaceship? Well, the character they loved was a crybaby so just suck it up I guess.

“Oh, Wil Wheaton, you sweet summer child,” you are saying right now. “You think people actually loved Wesley Crusher. You’re adorable.”

So this is, as you can imagine, something I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with for thirty years. It’s been talked about to death (on this very blog, more than once), but I’ll sum up as briefly as I can: I reject the idea that nobody liked or cared about the character…. it’s “Shut up, Wesley,” made into what would otherwise be an awesome minifig, in a collection of truly amazing and beautiful minifigs.

It’s a huge disappointment to me, because I’d love to have a Wesley in his little rainbow acting-ensign uniform, but I believe that it’s insulting to all the kids who are now adults who loved the character and were inspired by him to go into science and engineering, or who had a character on TV they could relate to, because they were too smart for their own good, a little awkward and weird, and out of place everywhere they went (oh hey I just described myself. I never claimed to be objective here).

Now THAT is funny! You can put the Gamma on camera, but you just can’t reason, talk, or beat the Gamma out of him. Seriously, Wil, just shut up already. The general public would like you a lot better if you’d simply take your well-merited beatings with a graceful smile.

Anyhow, there are probably more pedophiles who were inspired by Wesley than scientists and engineers. No one – NO ONE – loves Star Trek more than pedophiles. I wasn’t even a little bit surprised to see pictures of Moira Greyland and her brother in Star Trek uniforms as children.

“We always say there are two types of pedophiles: Star Trek and Star Wars,” says Det. Ian Lamond, the unit’s second-in-command. “But it’s mostly Star Trek.”