If You’re Looking Like an Idiot, Close Comments

I don’t usually indulge in rants. When I do, I try to keep it impersonal and avoid anything even approaching flame-like behaviour.

There’s always a first time, though.

And this first time’s a doozy. Because I am well and truly riled up.

Some people seem to have no idea about the real world and no capacity for putting themselves in other people’s shoes. Usually I can shrug these facts off, because let’s face it, some people are just brought up to be ignorant and self-righteous, and that’s a tough wagon to get off. It makes keeping an alcoholic sober look like a breeze.

Here’s what’s made me angry – Mummifiedx5 says “There’s a name for these women” in reference to the recent uproar about women claiming sexual assault by NRL players. Apparently, that name is Idiot. Well, that’s a little better than the name I suspected her of meaning, I’ll admit. But here are a few of the underlying messages I got from her post, and the comments various people left, that had me wanting to bite people:

• If you allow yourself to get into a dangerous situation – either through inexperience, or too much alcohol, or not watching your drink carefully enough and it being spiked, or bad decision-making – you’re to blame for getting into the situation in the first place, and shouldn’t press charges.
• It is always clear what a bad decision would be, and what might lead to a dangerous situation.
• Any woman who indulges in ‘immoral’ behaviour is clearly up for any other ‘immoral’ behaviour which might be going on, whether she specifically agrees to it or not.
• It is possible to scream for help or say ‘no’ in every situation. There is no possible scenario in which a woman may find herself unable to do so. If she does say no, this will be carefully reported by the press.
• You’ve only been ‘really’ raped if you did absolutely nothing morally wrong, did not drink or take drugs, and did not show any interest whatsoever in the attacker(s).
• ‘Real’ rape is clear-cut. There is always simple, obvious proof lying about. The press will always report such evidence faithfully.
• Women who make accusations of sexual assault where the other party (or parties) are famous, or where the evidence is not clear-cut, make it harder for ‘real’ rape victims to come forward. It’s got nothing to do with the self-righteous arseholes throwing “Slut!” around and blaming the victim. Honest.

Here’s what I’d like to say to anyone who’s simply bad-mouthed these women:

GET THE FACTS FIRST.

Can’t?

Well, that’s exactly it. No-one knows the exact facts, except maybe the people involved.

So, what to do?

How about just suspending judgment?

How about deciding that the last thing that sexual-assault victims need to hear is “you’re lying” and “you brought it on yourself, you idiot, smarten up!” – and that just in case they were telling the truth, you’ll shut up and forego the thrill of the self-righteous bitch-slap?

How about imagining your daughter, or sister, or friend, hearing you trash-talk women claiming to have been sexually assaulted, and then not telling you when it happens to them because they don’t expect any sympathy from you?

How about not acting like an arse?

How to Get Free Publicity for Your Fiction

Step 1: Make your fiction available, free, online. This might be via a blog platform (like WordPress), or a dedicated online content management system (like Drupal), or a PDF/text file/HTML page uploaded to your own web site.

Step 2: Join Twitter.

Step 3: Follow @onlinefiction.

Step 4: Send me a Direct Message, or just mention my name in a standard tweet, eg:

Hey @onlinefiction – check out My Awesome Fiction at http://blahblah.com/link.pdf – thanks!

Easy peasy!

Hehe

I know it’s flippant.

I know it might just be offensive to just about anyone.

But it made me laugh…

Just Call Me Crack Whore

Well, OK, don’t, because I’ll probably slap you.

GAH – Stop muttering about me contradicting myself and pay attention!

I found an Australian site called EcoYarns.

While the customer service (answering emails, and the like) seems a little lacking, the products have me, ummm, drooling.

The compulsive knitters among us are bound to agree – beautiful yarns are like crack. Addictive. Seductive. Alluring as all get-out. Right, Bells? 😀

I don’t know about others, but I look at a yarn and I see something I could knit with it. I look at organic undyed naturally coloured peruvian baby alpaca yarn and I think – “ZOMG! Bubba Boy needs a blanket in that stuff. It would keep him all warm and fuzzy and feeling treasured for years!”

(errr, ignore the mother-guilt implicit in that thought, k?)

Ye gads, I had a point, I’m sure of it!

…

…

Oh yeah. Crack whore!

I got my first order a couple of days ago, and I am thoroughly, hopelessly hooked. I’ve almost completed an entire sleeve of a jumper (sweater) whose pattern resides solely in my head. The yarn is red and black dyed soysilk/wool and it’s beautifully soft. *happy sigh* I have about 5 projects waiting for me in this order, and I’m still looking at the site and thinking about other stuff I could buy.

See? I’m thoroughly addicted. And I’m happy about it.

The Difference an Education Can Make…

I’ve been listening to Mental As Anything a fair bit lately. One of my favourite songs – in my more mellow moments – is Dorothy Parker’s Hair. Which, sadly, I can’t find a YouTube clip for. Sigh.

Anyhow, it talks about what a vicious, sadistic theatre critic she was, and how ‘if she was alive, she’d be a friend of mine’. Awwww…

And awwwww was all I really thought… cute song, right?

Then a mate at work mentioned “a friend of Dorothy’s”. Huh? I said. Now, as per usual, Wikipedia is my friend.

In gay slang, a “friend of Dorothy” (occasionally abbreviated FOD) is a term for a gay man.[1] The phrase dates back to at least World War II, when homosexual acts were illegal in the United States. Stating that, or asking if, someone was a “friend of Dorothy” was a euphemism used for discussing sexual orientation without others knowing its meaning. The origin of the term is unknown and there are various theories.

Source

Now, as I read on, I discovered that one theory as to the origin of the term is, in fact, Dorothy Parker – the exact same one as mentioned in the song. I knew she was a writer and a critic – I hadn’t realised she was also a civil rights activist.

So, that was interesting. But I still didn’t click until I listened to Dorothy Parker’s Hair again. Were the Mentals making a statement with this song? Are theyAm I the last person in Australia to have worked it out?

Oh, my poor brain.

I’m Not Dead (Again)

Once again, I’ve wandered off for a large period of time.

Three main reasons:

1. I was on holiday for a week, and couldn’t be bothered doing anything.

2. Then I got sick. Because that’s the way it goes, of course.

3. Our home internet is stuffed with a capital F. Anyone considering Virgin, Dodo or Optus Broadband based on the mobile network – RUN SCREAMING NOW. Yes, it’s THAT bad.