METACOSMOS: July 2011

Greetings and Lamentations, I AM Lord Malignance and you WILL Crouch! before me Now,
(Villains excepted if they can figure this out for themselves)

State of Villainy
Last year at this time One did a report on the State of Villainy with a recounting of our history, and hopes for the future. One was speaking of a so called "Golden Age of Villainy" where Villainy would be more approachable to a wider marketplace. A year has gone by, we have seen Villains go and Villains return, and overall the quality of our talent continues to improve. We have kept our most valuable assets, lost some potentially promising new Villains, and seen the return of the White Skull, and the addition of Agent Wraith.

There has been strife: When One left in March for the Accounting, a responsibility One must fulfill each year, there began an event known as Toxic Codependence. From this emerged the BE Age of Villainy - a time of Healing and Improvement. This however has failed, due to the actions and intentions of one Villain, who incorrectly believes that they and theirs alone are creators and sole due beneficiaries of all of Villainy. One has tried to bridge gaps in Villainy, forgiving, communicating often in ignored conversations, and apologizing for any small or perceived infraction to no avail. A weeks tribute of posts, and other kindnesses scoffed at. One has exceed courtesy and better judgement to rebuild rifts and One has failed.

The Flakk Baton: An entirely imaginary object and responsibility, once carried by another, and later by myself, has been passed on. The fictional responsibility now rests with the instigator of the stife. They are now responsible to Protect Villainy and Support it's Members, and may now take responsibility for their failures and be held accountable. One will now instead join the gallery and follow the examples that have been set by others. Other Villains, One might point out, tear down, and Lie about others for their own twisted amusements. The Flakker is Dead. Long Live the Flakker!

Innovation: Fourth Estate and Level 3 supervllains. Two options were developed this year for Villainy. An environment for creativity free from the concerns of the superhero community called "The Fourth Estate", and a class system designed to identify and collectively amalgamate villains from MetaVillains to LARPing playthugs on Facebook.

The Fourth Estate would allow Villains to find areas in the mindscape of Villainy and explore what it means to be a Villain. To develop and innovate new strategies to broaden our appeal to a wider audience.

The class system fosters the idea that it is in fact a worthwhile pursuit for Villains to play games of Seduction and Betrayal with superheroes by befriending, collecting, and then using their personal information for blackmail or for the Lulz. The plan selectively chooses to forget that this will in turn be done back to Villainy, starting with our most vulnerable members. The superheroes outnumber Villains by factors of (ballpark) 100 to 1. One doesn't bet on long odds with friends safety. It only takes one Cloud Starchaser to bring harm to people who are friends.

R.O.A.C.H.: The Potentate has ceded his waning interest in ROACH to contributors who now demonstrate the worthwhile value of the organization. May they experience every success they deserve.

Facebook Villains and the Legion of Doom: New avenues for villains exist in Facebook as they have in Twitter. New communities of villains striving also to define what it means to be Evil. What can be seen are people who put -RLSV after their name and claim full title as Villains without any effort, concept, resume, or body of work. One thinks in future, all new villains should be identified as "Henchmen" for one year of work in an established location. They call upon no battles fought, no writings, no conception of Villainy or Evil - just nerds roleplaying.

Going Forward: One does not carry the Flakk Baton any longer. One is just going to do what One wants now, and allow the BE Age to continue on it's course. In another year we'll stop and take a look at what Villainy has allowed itself to become. In the meantime, there will be more Shameless Screen Grabs, and commentary on whatever catches One's fancy. And snark, because snark is intellectual laziness.
Yes.

2 More Days Until Malignopalooza
One has prepared the Cognac and the cakes are on order. There will be celebrations throughout the Lair as Lord Malignance finishes a second year, and begins a third. There will be "roaming meetings" (department mini parties) where One will grace staff with The Presence and allow them to crouch and demonstrate respect. This has the added benefit of allowing One to mooch their party foods and bestow upon them the opportunity to make tribute. It's a win-win all around. After the Debauchery (Offsite Night Parties - don't ask), One will be taking a well deserved vacation. One will still post - it takes literally No Thought at All to post Shameless Screen Grabs of other peoples work and offer your two second opinion. It's filler until other work can be brought online, or True Value can be created.

What is a Villain
A response to a post by another Villain at another site.

In the Marketplace of Ideas, many different ideas about what Villainy is or can be are allowed and encouraged. However, and this is very, very, simple to understand: Villains create, Henchmen tear down. If you want to surround yourself w/greedy offensive liars who are self serving backstabbers, you will create nothing and remain an unknown. Even if you have been doing this for years.

What has ever been achieved by these standards? These following are specific examples by this Villain with his own application of his professed Villainous aptitudes;

1) Legion of Doom? ~1 Month along, and the Leader has been deposed. This will be a trend. Now led by a Villain with an entire history in villainy of 1.5months. This too will be a trend, as no one will stay long enough to develop character - why should they? Each one turning on each other over and over again building towards nothing but infiltration and betrayal. The enemies are outside the front door, not within - this is Villainy 101, but the infighting by liars and selfish interests keep villains from seeing this.

2) Drive Master Legend off Blogtalk Radio. He was back a week later with a larger audience. He should thank villains for helping him, by making him seem like the reasonable one. You made Master Legend seem like he was right and smart. He couldn't have done it without you.

3) Zetaman Retires. You've just given Zetajesus his second or third resurrection. Now when he says he's a martyr he can point out examples. Excellent! He's not a showboat glory hound, he really IS struggling against the odds/bad people. He's a hero! Someone put a camera on him - thanks to villains.

As to being a nerd pretending to control armies - you perhaps speak only of personal experience. One actually has an agenda and a purpose and it is not to have imaginary armies. And attention is not sought, it is only a means to an end. This may change going forward (One has gifted this resource to others generously in the past). One has preferred instead to see the work of others flourish. There has been no marketability nor desire for same from Oneself. There are no mugs, or t-shirts, no attempt to be interviewed or to lead. The whole assumption that all Villains are in it for personal fame is an invalid assumption on it's face (and transparent rhetoric at that). One doesn't desire attention or recognition, other than that it serves a purpose. That purpose has been to guide newcomers into Villainy, and to guide (not "demand" and "dictate") a greater purpose.

A purpose of fulfillment of desires. Villainy as art? Right here. Villainy as Social Statement? Right here too. Villainy as Dire Adversaries of those stupid weaklings the superheroes - making trolling a legitimate sport? Right here. Villainy as socially responsible and contributive? Right here also. Villainy as a place for people to join in community? You can't go wrong. Villainy as the supreme dickish judges of humanity upon high? We can do that too.

As to a need and use of a "Code", to state otherwise is gross ignorance of history and demonstration of weakness. There are codes to association to every organization that strives to accomplish any activity. This has ever been so in all of recorded history. Criminality, Politics, Science, Prison, Government, Secret Societies, Religions, Military and Unions as easy and applicable examples to this vocation. The only ones without codes - the true tools to be used for their sociopathic advantages are henchmen (No offense to henchmen). When you need expendable labor, you use henchmen -that's what Villains do. Henchmen can't rise beyond their station because they have the qualities of lying, treachery, backstabbing, cruelty, and a general lack of imagination. They may be managed only as purpose driven instruments for if left to their own means, they would war with each other in unprofitable games of subterfuge. They need to be used and directed, and Villains need to use them. But there are No Villains who are successful long term who do not cultivate and maintain alliances built on degrees of respect and trust. There are no businesses that do not do this. To say otherwise, is embarrassing to any who know the worlds of commerce, trade, justice, and negotiations.

If you don't think there are rules to live by, you are pretending you don't believe there are laws or codes of morals that quite frankly absolutely DO govern your life. For example, go nude. Just try it - you will find quickly how much freedom you will Not have. To pretend otherwise as if ignorant of these obvious facts, is irresponsible, naive in the extreme, and embarrassing to hear. "Every success they deserve".

-Lord Malignance

Lord Malignance, Merciless Tyrant of the Colorado Holdfast

Greetings and Lamentations, I AM Lord Malignance and you WILL Crouch! before me Now
(Villains excepted of course).

With the upcoming Second Annual Malignopalooza, Year3 of the Evil of Lord Malignance about to start, and this being the BE Age of Villainy (a time of Healing and Improvement), One will be taking these opportunities to rework some of the work One does in Evil after the Malignopalooza blowout. And a Vacation (Finally!)/recovery.

Some Upcoming Plans and Plots;

Web Design is ongoing for the New and Improved Lord Malignance Website:
(Logos are being crafted, developed, evaluated, and selected).

Embrace the Malignance (this Blog): will have some redesign of the offerings - "Hall of Evil", "Villains Who Inspire", and "Internet Tools for the Wicked", etc. If you see a way things can be improved, or have suggestions, they are certainly welcome. One would also like to see some kind of banner and theme reworking, but time will tell.

Youtube: One consistently hears the gentle suggestions that One makes terrible, horrible, brain destroying videos. And yet, in Villainy, One makes Videos. Improvements are always under way. If you doubt, look at the earlier videos, and let your brain melt with the sheer horror.

MySpace: MySpace needs to curry One's favor more. The Adspace is oppressive for the value of their service. Still, it can be spruced up some.

Facebook: One is on vacation from Facebook until the LARPing villains (One knows, kettle/pot) either destroy themselves or evolve. One will not have their weakness associated with Oneself. Villainy is more than 5minutes creating an Evil name and adding -RLSV to the end of it. You earn your reputation through time and effort, and a Peerage and association with Lord Malignance is not given easily, nor lost quickly. To choose not to associate, also offends villains, and you Never want to offend villains - for they may be tomorrow's Villains. So One waits.

Twitter: One needs to spend more time in Twitter cultivating relationships. There is much that can be done here.

New Technologies: GoogleApps, Second Life, Mobile Apps, etc, are always being discovered and evaluated. New opportunities and social networks as they are reviewed in this manner (Villainous security being what it is).

Older technologies; Some not used, may be evaluated, or eliminated. There are some odd structures that have been setup that are obsolete, or need to be brought into function.

Staff:

Ghost of Nixon is moving onto other adventures, and One wishes him success in his future. Bob is still (likely) in Juarez, Comrade Cocoa still guards the Lair, and Diabolical Madame X is still failing Minion Training.

-Lord Malignance