That's "Fabulist," Dear. NOT "Fabulous."

I fed another minor obsession and discovered this sweet Theresa Duncan site. The guy points to possible plagarism problems that were talked about on a MSM article she wrote, then he quotes her blog entries side-by-side with some Wikipedia entries. And, um, like the theme song goes, "They're cousins, identical cousins!" Ewww ewww yuck bleh.

Thank you, Mr. Poulet, for knocking the scales from my eyes. And your exegesis on "Old Dan Tucker" has had me laughing for days.

This might have happened to me: Twice in my dull, 2nd-tier, 20-year MSM career I [maybe] had to fire people for [what appeared to be allegedly] stealing work or making shit up. It's the most disorienting, nauseating feeling, from the initial am-I-seeing-what-I-think discovery to the collecting info for personnel to trying to explain to other folks actually doing their jobs what happened without getting anyone sued. It's just fucking SURREAL to have a veteran reporter tell you, when you point to their quote being the same as the one printed in the Metropolis Daily a year ago: "Well, that's what he would have said if I could have gotten in touch with him." Or pick up the desk phone and have someone tell you: "What he/she wrote was great, but I never said it. I really liked the article, so I don't want to complain, but I never talked to him/her." And you're like, who are you? Where am I? Shattered Glass really brought that feeling back--a movie scarier than The Shining, to me.

In the back of my throat right now I can taste the hangover I got after one of those episodes. No "allegedly" required there.

And then reporters who are ACTUALLY WORKING HARD knock on a door in a community and hear: "Oh, just make something up. That's what you people do anyway." Slam.

It may seem odd for someone using a pseudonym and writing speeches and such for other people to get a wedgie about fabulists and plagarists. I use pseudonyms here and on my fiction to protect my child and my ability to earn a living for her under my real name. And when I write the speeches and the letters from the CEO for folks, everyone knows the rules, and who gets paid. It's not stealing, y'all.

And the rest of you with your talk about cutups and mashups and appropriation and sampling and isn't that what all fiction is anyway, all that sounds like to me is "well, that's what he would have said..."

Because even writing erotica is hard fucking work, and if anyone steals what I write, I'll hunt down their ass.
Of course, it would be nice if someone would actually read what I write. So I don't think I need to worry about anyone stealing it.

In other news, apparently those who worship Ms. Duncan have decided in their tribute blog that the hurricane that took human lives was no more than a wonderful way for an aesthete fabulist to let her precious spirit move upon the Earth one more time.

I must be coming down with something, cause I think I'm gonna puke again.
And I'm not wasting another minute on that sad chick. There are too many real live people out there.