This morning I found a strange message in my notifications on Twitter:
@DavidFutrelle Uncovers, the unrecoverable about MRAs in his own little feeble mind. Has he ever said anything good about MRAs? Anything?
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
Mr. Vinczer followed up this perplexing tweet with a bunch more insinuating that I’m a “hack,” a “pathological liar,” a “criminal,” and so on — as well as some links to what he apparently sees as “dirt” about me. (More on the latter in a moment.)
Apparently Vinczer — the “Activia Director” for men’s rights hate site A Voice for Men and the son of the genius who designed that AVFM commemorative coin — was stung by my gentle criticism of his father’s coin-designing skills.
So he has decided to dox me, apparently going as far as hiring a private detective to look into my allegedly sordid life.
PI will confirm, every living and non living fact about you. Enjoy your soon to be elevated infamous public status.
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
So far his doxing of me is not going very well, in that the “dirt” he has dug up about me is either wildly inaccurate, not particularly “infamous”– or not information about me, specifically, at all.
His most serious not-quite accusation: That I’m a criminal. His proof? He’s dug up a 2008 arrest record for some other guy named David Futrelle, roughly a decade older than me, with a different middle initial, and living nearly 900 miles away from me. This man — frankly, he seems like an embarrassment to all of us David Futrelles — was charged with the crime of “possessing stolen goods.”
Who is @DavidFutrelle ? A criminal? http://t.co/FNBy7eNoCt
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
In case anyone is wondering, I’ve never been arrested. Except once, by campus police, for participating in a sit-in protesting apartheid. (The charges were later dropped.)
The other, er, “information” Attila has dug up is, while actually related to me and not to some other guy, is just a teensy bit inaccurate.
NOTE: There is no city named AMFOHARE, Illinois, nor do any real telephone numbers in the US start with 555.
He has also managed to figure out that I have (gasp!) practiced journalism.
@Alvhun Wow. You have determined that I once wrote a piece for The American Prospect. I don't live in their offices in DC, though, FYI.
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) July 15, 2014
And he’s suggested that I might be, er, the Antichrist:
@DavidFutrelle is infatuated with #mrm with heavy leaning on AVFM. Could @DavidFutrelle be the Antichrist or just a cheap antagonist wannabe
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
But two can play at this game. So I have begun digging up information about this Attila guy. And what I have discovered so far is shocking.
He’s been pretty cagey so far about his career as Number One Hun.
And neither will I.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Attila Vinczer is not actually the “Activia Director” of AVFM. He is the “Activism Director.” Activia is yogurt that makes you poop, allegedly. He is also not Attila the Hun, as far as I know.
This reminds me of interactions I’ve had with Attila. I usually think he’s just being silly/trolly, but that’s because it’s hard for me to imagine anyone being that ridiculous and meaning it.
But I will be surprised if he’s actually hired a PI.
@Phoenecian, IIRC Lily Futrelle was a relative of David’s. I think it’s something Attila has harped on, actually.
I half expected Goatse, but I can’t imagine you linking to that. (Wikipedia link, no pictures)
You would fit right in where I work. One tech in particular always gets a heads-up when the vets are about to drain an abscess, and I will try to take a minute to watch as well. It’s so satisfying!
Kittehs, I’m sorry about Fribs. My kitty has renal problems too. The special diet really worked for her, but obvs it requires that they actually eat it.
These mrm people are like cartoon villians.
I’m sorry about Fribs, Kitteh.
Someone should tell Mr. Vinczer that Google is not a PI.
Maybe he means “vital statistics”?
I’m always distressed to hear about any sick kitties! When my cat got a bit of a upper respiratory thing, I found (at the natural food store across the parking lot from where I work) something called Tasha’s Herbs for Cats*. So, I got the immune support and the respiratory support and they worked like a charm! Of course, I ate a lot of tuna sandwiches in order to procure the tuna juice to get Bunny (don’t ask, I didn’t name him!) to ingest them but it was all worth it!
*Oddly, the Google doesn’t seem to find a dedicated web site, just online pet retailers that carry the brand. :/ On the other hand, this https://b-naturals.com/by-type-c-22/cat-care-c-22_20/ website carries Tasha’s kidney formula. Sorry, but I always bork links.
@khymchanur: did you mean Vitalstatistix? Although my favourite character is Dogmatix, closely followed by Getafix.
I think I was in my late teens when I actually read those names properly /embarrassed face.
Dogmatix for Manboobz vice president!
(The president has to be a cat, obviously. She can be named Misandrix.)
Aw, Kittehs, sorry to hear about your kitty! Give Fribs a kiss on the head for me. And I can second cloudiah’s suggestion of a little hot water on food to entice them to eat.
Yes, from an author who has said that first name + geographical feature is a good way to name foreign characters.
Allow me to introduce my high born private detective, Lord Rupert Englishchannel.
He’s, like, Lord Peter Wimsey, except, you know, completely an original character.
His continental rival is Guy d’Ardennes.
Oh my god, your sense of humour is too good.
Catbert is the ideal manboobz president, he has experience in management (he was the head of HR at Dilbert’s company) and misandry (terrorizing Dilbert and his coworkers). Catbert 2014!
What a great way to come up with character names!
Canadian: Evan Rumpcove (or Liam Otterfalls)
Icelandic: Brynja Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla
Honduran: Ana Alligatornose
USian: Aiden Pineybutt
N. Irish: Ruby Slough-na-more
When I saw that Vinczer was hiring a private detective to investigate David I remembered that TV series from thirty or forty years ago – The Rockford Files
Does anyone here recall if Rockford ever got paid in any of those episodes? My memory tells me that frequently his clients turned out to be using him for underhand purposes and were themselves arrested before they could pay him.
Does anyone else here remember any of those plots?
Catbert is quite wonderful, for an evil HR director.
Joe Dildo
Oh my gawd. Laughing out loud here in the library.
Hey, Attila, I’ve got one for you! David Futrelle caused an unauthorized burst of loud merriment at the Los Angeles Public Library, Pico Union branch.
It’s entirely possible that somebody sitting nearby was mildly annoyed.
The dastard.
Also I have it on good authority that David Futrelle once gave somebody a glass of dihydrogen monoxide. And it is a known fact that everybody who drinks dihydrogen monoxide, dies.
As a librarian, I feel I must shush you, Lady Mondegreen. Except that, as a librarian, I encourage merriment in the library so carry on! XD
p.s. I love the Pico-Union branch. I once did a LA Conservancy walking tour around that neighborhood with some friends.
Thanks for the good wishes, all! Frizbee’s up at the vet now. She’ll be in for a few days getting her kidneys flushed. They’ll probably ring me Saturday or Sunday to come and bring her home.
That’s all right, it’s in the room that smells like cat farts anyway. But thank you, I didn’t know about heating the food and that might be a very simple solution (fingers crossed).
That’s pretty much what I’m thinking of doing, yes.
Funny thing is, she doesn’t like her food really gloppy – semi-solid appeals to her. She’ll still tackle raw meat if it’s in small enough chunks.
Yep. Catbert does look like the ultimate evil Furrinati overlord.
Cloudiah! I love this neighborhood. I live very close to the library.
I knew you were an Angelina. If you ever make it to a CFI-Los Angeles event (CFI-LA is in Hollywood), look me up. I volunteer there, and can most always be found in the bookstore area. Ask for Stacy. Lecture this Sunday morning by Jennifer Oullette on the science of the Self!
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/la/events/jennifer_ouellette_me_myself_and_why/
Best wishes for Frizbee, kittehserf. Poor lil critter.
Instead of hiring a PI, think of all the Ramen that money could have bought for menz who were spermjacked or lost their jobs because an evil woman reported them to HR or lost both legs in a coal mining accident!
For shame!