Is STGRB Out Of Control?

I keep saying that I am out of the fight, and for the most part, I am. But I can't help but wonder what the hell is going on in the mind of Athena Parker over at STGRB.

I thought the purpose of STGRB was to fight against the Goodreads / Amazon bullies and trolls? If so, how does attacking Ruck Carufel and myself fighting the bullies and trolls? We are not the ones on Goodreads and Amazon Forum Boards carpet bombing, writing fake and attack reviews. We are not members of the Bully Nation. So why are they seemingly focused on me and Rick?

This recent screenshot has gotten me concerned.

 

This vicious attack showing up on STGRB is no different than what Miranda Koryluk did to Rick Carufel on her Twitter account. (Which I covered here on The Glass.) How could someone, who professes professionalism, as Athena Parker does, allow this kind of thing to show up on STGRB? What is the point if the point is to go after and report on the activities of the bullies / trolls?

It is a question you will need to ask yourself and perhaps Athena Parker. 

This is also the kind of thing that shouldn't be going on. Especially on STGRB. Could it be that STGRB is now picking and choosing for themselves who the bullies and trolls are? Just because they don't like me anymore, or Rick Carufel? 

Even to this day, I would not allow anyone to come on here and make such comments against STGRB despite mine and Athena's "falling out". (Unless they were to do so using their online identity.) Even then, there is a limit of what I would allow. 

I think we all should turn to Rick Carufel and his plea of assistance that he left on his Facebook page, and try and do something to get STGRB to slow their roll, and refocus on the task at hand where the bullies and trolls are concerned. You know, the ones who are actually attacking authors. 

So in this next screenshot, I encourage you all to help support Rick Carufel stand up against this new apparent practice by STGRB and report them to their web host. Thanks. 

 

Why also, have they (STGRB) all of a sudden decided to jump on the Anne Rice bandwagon? Everyone knows that it was Mr. Carufel who first brought our attention to what Ms. Rice was doing on her Amazon thread(s). I also wrote a post regarding her involvement as well. Since then, STGRB has been riding Ms. Rice's coattails on the matter. Does this mean that they are now going to attempt to take credit for Anne Rice and her involvement to standing up to the bullies and trolls? And if so, will they crucify her too if they (STGRB / Athena Parker) and she (Anne Rice) have some kind of falling out in the future?

I guess we need only to stay tuned to find out. 

Meanwhile, wouldn't it be nice if STGRB could get back into the game of fighting bullies and trolls instead spending their time attacking victims of the bullies and trolls like Rick and I? I don't know about you, but I sure would like to see that. Then again, STGRB were the ones who declared some kind of victory over the bullies and trolls back around October / November of 2013, when obviously, there was no victory. The problem is still there over on Goodreads and has gotten worse on Booklikes and Leafmarks, or so, that's the information I have been receiving. It's obviously still happening on Amazon Forum Boards, otherwise, why would Anne Rice be getting involved, correct? 

I guess we could use that as food for thought. 

Come on STGRB, Athena, get it together! You're losing it. 

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and this is The Looking Glass

The Athena Parker Emails

I said I wasn't going to do this, and that I was done. And I am. However, a recent post on STGRB came to my attention and I decided to set the record straight. You all deserve at least that.

First, I want to focus on the post by STGRB. The same people who claim "To hold themselves to a higher standard". I suppose this post by them is how high their standards are. So be it. Take a look.

And now the comments on this post. 

You would think, first of all, that when I said I was out, they would respect that and drop it. But they didn't. 

Now, I am not going to go to war with them, but I will defend myself and as you all expect from me, to show the truth. Not sit here and mock like they are doing. 

I also want to stress that they did block my IP so now I can't see what they are saying. Well, not on my laptop, but I can still see their website from my desktop if I would so choose. Which I choose not to do. I can also see it from the library computers too. So why they blocked my laptop IP is a mystery. 

I also want to say that I clicked a link on a Facebook post yesterday, or the day before. It was a link to Melissa Douthit's blog. I have never ever been there before but guess what? My IP is blocked from there also. Coincidence? ... The link went to her post where she "finally" comes out publicly to deny that she and Athena are the same person. Yet, when Athena friended me on Facebook back when, a couple days later, Melissa did too. When Athena unfriended me on Facebook, a day or two later, Melissa did likewise. I can't ever recall Melissa and I ever talking. And this removal by her occurred prior to me writing anything about her and Athena possibly being the same person. But it appears to me that whatever Athena does, Melissa does as well. I find this odd. Just saying.

Anyhow, now let's take a look at the emails Athena and I exchanged with each other regarding this Lucy Flood situation and you decide if "Johnny" is correct in his statement that I threatened Athena in an email. We'll also see how that compares to her threatening me. I will reveal the emails and you can read them and you will be able to reach your own conclusions. Fair enough? Good! Let's begin. 

Now as you already know, I did a post focusing on an attack by the bullies on Lucy Flood. I posted an email exchange that Athena posted in the Facebook group that Rick Carufel actually started. I assumed that since I was covering attacks on other authors, and that Athena posted Lucy's email in the group, that I could use it for my post. Okay, I was wrong. More on that later. However, before I show you all Lucy's email to me and my responses, let me show you what Athena sent to me. 

As you can see, Athena is requesting that I take down the "email" portion of the post. This is exactly what Lucy herself asked me to - which we will get to later - and to this point, this is all I was requested to do. Now here is my response to Athena. 

At worst, I refer to Lucy as being a coward. Harsh? Perhaps. But certainly not the end of the world by any means. I was upset because I was trying to do some good. I also had seen some of the comments in the Facebook group and people were seemingly upset about what I had done. I hadn't responded - to my knowledge - to the group right away. I saw the emails from Athena and Lucy first before going to the group and seeing the outrage there. Next we will see Athena's response. 

So far, no big deal, right? I had already removed myself from the group. It wasn't the first time I had done it, but when you see a "lynch mob" starting to form, like I did back on Goodreads in the summer of 2012, you start to get the feeling of history somewhat repeating itself. Deciding to beat the crowd to the punch this time, I removed myself in hopes to calm the waters. However, that last line Athena wrote, "I see you removed yourself from the group. That's probably for the best.", indicated to me that my feeling was warranted. They were going to ban me from the group for making ONE mistake. 

Are we caught up now? Good. Let's proceed. 

This fact of knowing that I was already in line for the ban only infuriated me further than what I already was. Also notice at this point, I had already removed that email Lucy wrote to STGRB and at this point, should have been done and over with, right? Well, first let's look at my response to her. 

You see how she had said I made enemies with those I should be making friends with? How could I be trying to make enemies when I was trying to help? I made a mistake, I was asked to remove it and I did. But I saw the "lynch mob" forming in the group and took evasive action by leaving it. Everything to this point was pretty much over in my mind. I said my peace and did as I was requested. But that wasn't good enough I guess. I also sent an email predicting that the bullies would make a comeback in 2014. (This is what Athena references in her response) but I couldn't find that particular email. I may have inadvertently deleted it. Anyhow, here is Athena's response.

She accused me of storming off in a huff simply because I did as Lucy requested, and asked her not to email anymore, and blocking her from doing so in the process. Okay, fine, I stormed off in a huff. You're entitled to your opinion. The truth is, I was done with it. I made a mistake and I corrected it. In my mind, it should have been over right there. As for the apology and owning it, I returned to my blog and posted my apology there and owned it. I did not respond to that email of hers. I had dropped it by this point. But shortly afterwards, Athena sent me another one. Take a look. 

Now all of a sudden, removing the email from the post wasn't enough. Publicly apologizing wasn't enough. Owning it wasn't enough. Now I am being requested to remove any mention of Lucy sending an email to STGRB. However, if I remove that, then wouldn't I have to remove my public apology for posting the email she sent to STGRB? And wouldn't I have to delete me "owning it"? This is why I decided not to remove any mention of Lucy writing to STGRB in the first place. I had already done what Athena and Lucy requested, but now they are requesting more. Their requests continue to escalate with each thing I accommodate them with. Here is my response finally to Athena. I said to her that I would own it again, but when I went back to the post, I saw I already did. I figured she might not have caught it so I assured her that I did. 

Then I responded again. Confirming everything. 

Again, you can clearly see that I was still upset about everything. Mostly now because I knew that the group was calling for my head after I tried to do something good for Lucy and the cause. And all because I made one mistake in all of this time. I couldn't understand it. Which supported my already "then decision" to get out of the fight anyway. I had enough. Then Athena responds. 

And again she harps about the fact that I failed to delete any mention in regards to Lucy having written an email to STGRB. But by this point, I didn't care. I was done with it all. I was not going to go back and edit that post anymore. I had already done what they originally wanted and then some. But the requests continued. It didn't just stop there. You will also notice where she says, "It's probably best if you just remove the post altogether or make her anonymous, not using her name." Then she proceeds with the blackmail portion of her email when she goes on to say, "Otherwise, I think she is going to write a post about how you betrayed her confidence and then sent her a nasty email, insulting her." And she concludes that paragraph by questioning my "behavior". 

First, how about her behavior in regards to not only continue to keep requesting new things with each passing email, but to suggest that if I do not comply that Lucy is going to write a post about me betraying her? How is that not blackmail again? 

The truth is, betrayal is when you promise someone something then you break that promise. I never promised anyone anything. I made a mistake. Had I promised her in the beginning that I wouldn't post that email and then posted it, then that would be more to the definition of betrayal. The simple fact is, I merely made a mistake. 

By now, the post had already been up long enough for people to take screenshots. Taking it down wouldn't have solved anything. I was still being trashed by the people I tried to help in that Facebook group simply for making that one mistake, and I have now just been blackmailed to take down my post or else! Not to mention, I wasn't sure if Lucy was really going to do that or if this was just Athena's way of trying to get me to do her bidding. But at this point, she (and Lucy?) continued to press the issue and up the demands. In my opinion, I had done everything I could or wanted to do. And after the blackmail attempt, my attitude got a little more irate. My defiance was at a hundred percent by now. Check out my response.

As you can see, I didn't succumb to the blackmail. I simply decided that if she (Lucy) was going to write a post as Athena stated, then I was just simply going to post that email back up. And how did Athena react to this? Check it out for yourself. 

Yes, the "threat" was backed off. Lucy just decided to "drop" the whole thing. (Or did Athena decide to just drop the whole thing?) I guess we'll never know. Then she rambles on about how she had to defy the odds and all the people she tried to help. It appears maybe she made some mistakes before too, but she pushed through. (The warrior that she is)

Then she brings it up again that I should have gotten Lucy's permission first before posting that email. Yes, I get it. I owned it. I made a mistake. Move on. Geesh. 

But at the end of the first shot of her response, she says I "cursed" Lucy out? Okay, keep that in the back of your mind because we will soon see this so called "cursing" I gave to Lucy. Meanwhile, let's see my response to Athena, shall we?

I finalized it with, "This conversation has run its course for me." And at this point, it had run its course with me. I was done with it. But alas, Athena was not. 

First of all, why would Athena care about how the trolls are spinning this? Didn't she just give me the big speech about how she took abuse from both sides and how she pushed through it all to be the hero? So why bother now about what the trolls are saying? Who cares? Everyone knows how they spin things. Sometimes they make stuff up and spin that too. 

But I also see where she is trying to get me to unblock Lucy from my email and send her one to "personally" apologize to her. I thought my public apology was good enough. They (Athena nor Lucy) specifically asked me to apologize personally, in fact, Lucy never asked that of me at all, only Athena requested it. And when she did, she didn't state for it to be personally, only that I apologized, which I did publicly on the post itself. Again, making new demands as we go along here. And this after I said this conversation had run its course for me. Where is the respect that should have been shown for that? 

She then says the whole thing doesn't affect her either way, but apparently, it does. She sure did take it upon herself for the first time I can ever think back to get involved like this with me and someone else. I'm still trying to figure out why she thought she needed to get involved in the first place. But wait! There's more. I did not respond again to that email so what does she do? She sends another. 

I'm "hot-headed"? You think? Gee, I wonder why? She then brings up the message I sent to Adam Archer Ping on Goodreads the day of my attack when after he posted a comment on my GR blog post mentioning that I should "go kill myself", I went off on his punk ass. Later, he says what he posted was an email that I allegedly sent to Jude Henderson. Apparently, by my reaction, I didn't recognize it. I thought he was threatening me. So I messaged him on GR and told him flat out, why hope for me to go kill myself? Why don't he come and do it for me if he was bad ass enough? In other words, I was calling him out, and like the true punk that he is, he cowards up and flags the message from his inbox. 

A real tough guy, isn't he?

But this is the very same thing that "Johnny" from STGRB mentions in the comment above, correct? And while Athena and "Johnny" both bring it up, they then try to somehow defend it by explaining the tension I was under from the massive attack I was receiving. My question is, why bring it up at all if you're just gonna half ass defend it at the same time? I don't get it. What's the point? ... Oh yeah, now I understand the point, to try and somehow "belittle" me? The same manner of posting that post in the first place on STGRB? ... Did I do this to them? Did I try to "mock" them in some way? The last time I checked my posts, I was trying to explain what happened and share my thoughts about Athena, Melissa and STGRB. I didn't try and humiliate them by mocking them and posting pics or gifs like the ..... like the ..... OMG! Like the bullies do? 

Then for "Johnny" to accuse me publicly of "threatening" Athena, and claiming that I was never "blackmailed" by her or anyone, which we already seen I was, and him not posting the evidence to support his claim - is this "rising" above the pettiness? Is this STGRB being "better than that"? I mean, what other purpose for their post if not to try and humiliate me (and Rick Carufel) and lie about me in the process? To this point, have you seen me threaten Athena? 

And FYI - I mostly don't lose my temper until I am pushed. Unless you catch me already in a bad mood - which isn't very often. But I did finally respond to her, after she continued to email me after I proclaimed that this conversation had run its course. (I was being pushed?) 

Ooops, I guess "Johnny" was right. I did end up blackmailing her in return. Only I was asking that this "in house" bickering to stop. I had seen enough when she took to STGRB to have a blog war with Rick Carufel. Something I thought STGRB was better than that and to do such a thing. I can't recall them ever going to a blog war with any of the bullies. Not even "The BBA Whsiperer" or "Genxpose". Yet they did do this with Rick Carufel and now, they appear ready to be doing it with me? Funny, for such a "professional" website, I would think that sort of thing would be "below" their standards of operation. I don't see Salon doing it. Or "The USA Today" website. 

And let's face it "Johnny", my blackmail, or "threat" as you call it, was no more worse than the one Athena laid on me. I was calling for unity among those who were supposed to be on "my side". I simply stated that I was going to expose this to the bullies if we didn't stop the adolescent arguing and stop punishing each other for making mistakes. We were supposed to be on the same team! 

The people who read "The Glass" expect only two things from me. First, they expect the truth and or my opinion. Second, they expect me to admit when I get the truth wrong. The fact that there was obvious bickering among the "good guys" was wearing on my last nerve. I wanted it to stop. But apparently, Athena nor STGRB wants it to stop. Maybe not even the people on the Facebook group wants it to stop, evidently.  I was simply going to admit the truth to my readers about what was really going on. However, I offered Athena a chance to call for unity and what did she do instead? Well, let's see what she did, shall we? 

Yes, that's right, she wasted no time what so ever going to Facebook to remove me as a friend. Nor did Melissa soon there after. She took down everything Carroll Bryant on STGRB. Blocked my IP (as did Melissa) In essence, my "threat" wasn't nearly as bad as her threat against me, "Johnny". Yet she was the one who took to acting like some spoiled little brat who didn't get her way after I made one simple mistake. Seems to me she was the one who went off in a huff. I guess it's okay for her to blackmail me but no one else can return the favor? (If you really want to call my blackmail a blackmail or a threat) I mean, it seems to me that if anyone should have started the "temper tantrum" for being blackmailed or "threatened", it should have been me. But it wasn't, was it? 

I was still calling for a show of unity. 

And as for those emails with Lucy Flood? There was only two. Here is the first one she sent me. 

And how did I respond?

That's me "cursing" at Lucy as per "Johnny's" version.

Lucy sent another email. Unfortunately, when I blocked her, the system must have deleted it because I can't find it. However, she basically thanked me and mentioned something about her and I being on the same team. That's pretty much about it. And did I respond to it anyway? Well, maybe this one has all the cussing it in because I only sent Lucy two emails. Let's check it out, "Johnny".

You see "Johnny", I think you opened your big mouth on this one too soon. I fail to see any cursing in the only two emails I sent to Lucy. It was after this one when I banned her from emailing me in response because I knew she was going to disrespect my wishes. I beat her to the punch. Chalk it down to experience.

And again, where are all the insults? I don't get it, Athena, and "Johnny". The way you portrayed me in your post and comments, one would think I reached through the computer screen and smacked the bejeezus out of her or something. Or was that portrayal planned? 

It would seem to me that STGRB, Athena, Melissa, and "Johnny" have some kind of agenda here. But as you can plainly see, I am not hiding from anything. I am not trying to allude to anything, just posting the facts. The truth. That's my only agenda here. The truth. I don't need to post pics and or gifs to mock anyone. I am above that. (I like to think) But evidently, STGRB is not. It seems to me that they have something to hide. One thing is for sure, I think we can see how "Johnny" lies to try and make a point. And if "Johnny" and STGRB is willing to lie about me, and the way I treated poor Lucy Flood, and my horrible "threat" to Athena after her attempted blackmail to me, then what else have they lied about? 

It's something to consider, yes?

I'm not going to try and explain my words in a private email to Athena that was meant for her eyes only. To which she has been sending those emails to others behind my back like a true classy lady would. And I am not going to say I am perfect. I get mad and angry and upset like everyone else from time to time. I offer no excuses for it. I'll own it. I'm human after all. But you didn't see me run off in a fit of rage deleting everything Athena and STGRB, did you? Oh no, that is their way of "rising" above it all. And I am not the one who tried to comically humiliate anyone with a pic or a gif, was I? Oh no, that is for the bullies to do and apparently, STGRB - rising above it all again. And I am not the one who takes to my blog to lie about people, am I, "Johnny"? Oh no, that is for the "professional" people over at STGRB to do. 

You called me out, "Johnny", and look, here I am. Got anymore lies you want to spill without evidence? As you can now plainly see, I have nothing to hide nor anything to be ashamed of. If I am going to say anything to you, about you, I'll do it to your damn fake face boy.

You're nothing but a punk, "Johnny", nothing but a punk. The good news is, now everyone else can see it for themselves too. 

But there you have it everyone, the whole story surrounding Lucky Flood, Carroll Bryant, Athena Parker, STGRB, and good ole honest Abe himself, "Johnny B. Good".

What's in your agenda?

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and now you know the whole story. 

 

  

The Looking Glass Last Post: Auld Lang Syne

It's a sad day in the world when you realize that what you were fighting for, a cause that you believed in, and the people you were trying to help all turn on you.

Everything I thought I knew, turns out I don't know Jack shit.

I want to go on record that I really was fighting for something I believed in. I was honestly trying to do some good. I really was. I felt in my heart that I was doing the right thing. But in light of recent events, when Athena Parker and STGRB turned on me, and then she going behind my back and sending trusted emails to people to try and get others to hate me? I realized something .... I realized that Athena Parker and STGRB were fakes. 

I also realized that we're all bullies. I mean, if you're not fighting for a good cause, then you're bullying. I also realized this morning that for the majority of people involved with this are really just a lot of people with nothing but time on their hands. How I got suckered into this madness, I will never know. But one thing is for sure, there is no cause anymore to fight for. Everybody seems to be in it for their own reason and that reason isn't a noble one, but a self serving one. 

If I have learned anything this past year with The Looking Glass, it's that anyone you trust on the internet, is anyone who will have a hidden agenda and is anyone not to be trusted. 

The way Athena, WIN, and STGRB and other people have turned tells me that they were not the people I thought them to be. And this cause never did exist. 

I don't know if Melissa Douthit and Athena Parker are the same person, and to tell you the truth, I don't care. As long as she was fighting for a good cause, that was all that mattered. But if they are the same person, then that would mean she wasn't fighting for a noble cause, she was fighting for her own agenda. And that would be sad. More than that, it would be pathetic. 

The bullies? Well, they are pathetic. We already know that. But at least they are honest about who and what they are and what they stand for. But all of this hiding behind socks and shit, it's ten year old stuff. It's childish, and so very adolescent. 

We're all a bunch of nuts with way too much time on our hands and we all belong to the same asylum. Myself included. 

Today, I am finally going to leave the asylum, and I am taking The Glass with me. I am pulling out of the fight because I realized something these past days and that there is no fight anymore. And that is the truth people. This whole thing now rings more like a complete and total sham. All of it. 

This whole thing is nothing more than to give those who have nothing better to do - something to do with their lives because their life is empty. 

Take whatever they say with a grain of salt. After all, it's just the internet. But more importantly, take it at face value. 

The Looking Glass will be one year old come February 1st of 2013. For my one year anniversary, I will be shutting down The Glass. I will delete it. 

So take your screenshots now, and go to your pathetic little blogs and website and groups and all that shit and run with it. Celebrate it, cry, whatever. I don't care. It doesn't matter anymore. Because quite frankly, none of you matter anymore because none of you care about doing what is good and right, you all have your own little agenda's. Every last one of you. You are all selfish and hateful. You all have too much time on your hands. You all need some fucking help. You're all mental. 

The only cure for it is to get up and go out and get a life. This is what I am doing. So if you want to keep writing your filth, and turning on each other, and back stabbing one another, and bullying one another, and playing these kindergarten games on the internet, then go ahead. I feel nothing but pity for you. 

I got pulled in, but I am pulling myself out. 

I am also going to give Anne Rice some very good advice. Stay out of it. There is no cause. Don't do it. Don't let these whack jobs from both sides pull you into their madness like they pulled me in. Forget everything I ever said to you Ms. Rice, it's not worth it. There is no cause. There's just a bunch of people who have nothing better to do. I know your heart might be in the right place, Ms. Rice, but all of these people, the so called good and the bad, they have no cause outside of their own personal agenda. They are all just bitter people with hate and deceit in their hearts and if you get sucked in by any of them, they will beat you the fuck down. All of them! They will drain the life force from your soul. They are all mentally ill individuals who live for only one thing ..... to get online and rip someone a new asshole. And when their choices begin to dwindle, they will turn on you to and rip you a new one. Just because they can. Just because they have a computer. Just because they all have hate in their hearts. The bad ones, the good ones, trust me Ms. Rice, on the internet, you can't tell them apart. So no, don't get involved and and don't try to help them, they don't want it. All they want from both sides is just to fight with each other. That's it. 

So save yourself Anne Rice, do what I am going to finally do and run, run for your very life. Run hard. Run fast. Do not look back. Just run. 

To Athena, STGRB, WIN, and to all the rest of you, good ones and bad, seek help. Seriously, seek some fucking help. 

As for my current friendships with anyone, as long as you never mention this garbage to me anymore after The Glass has been deleted, we can still be friends if you want. But if you ever mention any of this again to me on any level after Feb. 1st, I will delete our friendship. No one is excluded from it. When The Glass comes down, I will be officially done with it. And the biggest reason of all is because, I don't trust any of you anymore. Period! 

So we will either have a nice normal internet friendship that has nothing to do with some fake cause or we will have no relationship. That's the way it's going to be. I will never mention The Glass ever again after Feb 1st and I will not be friends with anyone who mentions it either. Or STGRB or anything that has to do with fake garbage and the fake people from both sides. 

Fighting this fight has brought out the best in me and the worst. But in the end, it was the worst of other people that led me to realize that all of this was a sham. Shame on every single one of you. More than that, shame on me for every having trusted people who simply can't be trusted while hiding behind fake names. 

To those who may have felt like I and that really and truly believed there was a good cause to fight for, I advise you to get out ASAP as well. Just cut the cord. Take your losses and walk away from the crazy table. 

So you all have fun filling the lonely hours of your day with all this hate, fighting, scheming, back-stabbing, and ultimately, a colossal waste of time all you like. Do it to your hearts content. because in the end .... that's all it really is. It's all it ever was and all it ever will be. I'm just glad that I finally saw it for what it really is. I guess that is something I can thank Athena Parker for. She has shown me who and what she really is .... and that is .... that she is nothing but a fake. And if she is a fake, then so is STGRB. Then so is all of it.

I just hope that all of you will allow peace and love back into your hearts again someday. It would be tragic if it never existed inside of you at some point. Even more tragic if you never let it back in.

Update:

I've already been hit with some emails all asking the same question, basically, so I will answer that question here. Do I believe that Melissa and Athena are the same person? .... The answer? .... Yes, I do. Take it for what it's worth. 

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and this was The Looking Glass. 

Let the countdown begin.