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Posts Tagged ‘censorship’

In the News (#1677)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[It] basically looks like a baby [rattle].  –  Katie Seaborn

Creepy Coppers (#1568)

It’s likely that flashing is the least of his crimes:  A[n Oregon cop named]…Luis Rivera…e[xposed himself to a woman at a gym and was rewarded with a paid vacation]…

Walled Garden (#1625)

OfCom is trying to rob corporations for being unable to do the impossible:

[The UK censorship bureau] Ofcom [is trying to bleed] Pornhub owner…Aylo [of £18 million, using the excuse that]…the site’s new age checks are [not 100%] effective…[at stopping tech-savvy legal minors] from accessing…content [the UK wants censored]…in May…Pornhub started using a new age verification process [owned by]…Apple [which]…Ofcom…praised…as “a real win for children and families” [until Apple refused to create a backdoor into its cloud storage service which would allow the UK government to access any UK user’s data at will]…Aylo [correctly points out that the “age verification” surveillance regime has effectively driven UK web traffic]…to riskier sites that aren’t following Ofcom’s rules…

A Broker in Pillage (#1629)

Courts regularly pretend there’s a “fuck you, we’re cops” exception to the Takings Clause:

Abigail Trujillo was in the middle of a shift at her job…when Houston [cops decided to use] her car [for target practice, shooting it] dozens of times.  Neither Trujillo nor her Nissan sedan had [done] anything [illegal].  But weeks [later]…attorneys for the city told…Trujillo, a 20-year-old University of Houston student who [is] working a retail job to help pay for college…[to fuck off, adding insult to injury by calling a totaled car she still owes thousands on an] “inconvenience”…

Panopticon (#1671)

“These agencies surveil the public incessantly, but the moment we can watch them back, it’s deemed a security threat”:

…a new map published [on September 23] by a cybersecurity researcher reveals Flock’s nationwide reach is [much] bigger…[than it claims,] show[ing] more than 170,000 cameras, plus more than 130,000 accompanying gadgets…Joshua Michael’s Flock Surveillance Map highlights the locations of…[all] Flock surveillance devices…across the country…Unlike crowd-sourced projects such as DeFlock, which are built on locations submitted by users, the Flock Surveillance Map relies on location data culled from a snapshot, archived by Michael in December 2025, of Flock’s own records…color-cod[ing] each Flock device according to its model…[and including it in a] searchable dataset table…

Eavesdropping (#1673)

If you hated the adult pacifier fad of the ’90s, what about a surveillance rattle?

[Because of] the [ongoing] backlash against…pervert…glasses…Mark Zuckerberg launched a[n]…alternative [designed to trick infantile minds]: the Muse [gewgaw].  With a screen that shows a cutesy little avatar, it has drawn comparisons with Tamagotchis…[and] could fit, like a Labubu, on to a keychain or bag.  But unlike a Labubu, the [built-in chatbot] will have significant capabilities, including the ability to [dri]ve [the owner into psychosis, incorrectly]…answer [questions]…or [give dangerous and possibly deadly medical “advice”]…Joshua Paul Dale…[of] Chuo University in Tokyo [said]…“Everyone hates…[perve]rt glasses.  But if the camera is contained in a charm [nitwits] wear around [their] neck, it shifts the agency [in the minds of those with poor thinking skills].  Suddenly, you’re not recording people.  It’s just a cute little animated avatar looking out on the world”…this [“]companion[“]…tracks with Zuckerberg’s [obsession with] the idea of [a world completely without privacy]…

Stalkers in Blue (#1673)

It’s almost like the Founders knew what they were doing when they enacted obstacles to government spying:

Prosecutors in Marion County, Indiana, [surprising]ly charged five Indianapolis [cops for]…misusing their [unconstitutional warrantless] access to Flock license-plate-reader cameras.  The action comes [only because] The Washington Post highlighted thousands of questionable Flock searches, [embarass]ing the city…The five [pigs] — Michael Rogers, Jonathan Schultz, Cassandra Crawley, Matthew Binford and Abigail Cramer — were all charged…with fraud and…recommended for termination…Flock [is scrambling to design a] tool that automatically scans for…misuse [in an attempt to head off the wave of bad publicity]…

Typical, representative, etc:

A Naperville [Illinois cop] used Flock [ALPRs] to track a girlfriend and her ex-fiance…Oscar Maldonado…[performed the unconstitutional warrantless searches] hundreds of times between June 18, 2025, and Sept. 15, 2025…When the department received a citizen complaint…Maldonado was [rewarded with a paid vacation, but]…ultimately [saw the writing on the wall and] resigned in May [before he could be fired]…When asked why he used Flock [for the unconstitutional warrantless surveillance], Maldonado [moronically barfed]…the [word “]safety[” in the investigators’ faces, apparently assuming they were as naive as the public]…

Panopticon (#1674)

Cops love unconstitutional warrantless surveillance too much to give it up; they’re just switching to less-radioactive surveillance brands:

Durango [Colorado] residents took to the streets…to [protest]…the growing mass surveillance system [based on] automated license plate readers…the…Durango [cop shop thinks people are so stupid they will believe]…its switch [from Flock] to Axon…is [other than a mere cosmetic change]…

It’s not only small cities, either:

The [LAPD’s much-ballyhooed ending of its contract with Flock is in reality merely a misdirection for its new and even worse contract with]…Axon…for [even more invasive surveillance], including new p[igmobile-mounted ALPRs]…and [truth-hiding chatbot report writers.  Spokespig]…Dean Gialamas…[absurdly tried to defend the surveillance expansion by oinking “]public safety[” at reporters]…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1676)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, Music, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I built SparrowMap to give…the watchers a taste of how it feels to be watched.  –  Matthew Montney Jr.

Torture Chamber (#1461)

I’m sure they’ll try to thwart the court order with delays & halfway measures:

A federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition all of the state’s…prison[s]…by the end of 2029…at [present only] a third of the agency’s 104 [dungeons a]re fully air conditioned…[despite summer] conditions in Texas prisons without air conditioning [clearly] violat[ing] the Eighth Amendment [ban on]…cruel and unusual punishment…

Eavesdropping (#1514)

“Shot detection” systems are a boondoggle designed to manufacture false evidence for cops:

Flock…sells a surveillance bundle…called the “Safe City” subscription…[which] includes the much-discussed ALPRs, along with a live video camera—and a gunfire microphone…[intentionally designed to] turn…lawful gun owners into criminal suspects based only on proximity…Cities also have deployed firearm detection systems that rely on [machine learning] to [pretend Doritos bags are guns]…or combine [detected sounds with cops’ editing] to [frame innocent people].  Flock [brags that its]…technology…can…turn…suspected gunfire into a list of nearby vehicles…that sweeps in drivers who had nothing to do with the noise…

Shame, Shame (#1643)

The rise of computerized zombies:

The former chief executive of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s entertainment group has obtained a near-£15m investment for his UK music [scam] that hopes to [make cartoon versions of] classic concerts by ma[king cartoon versions of dead] musicians…[or] “hyper [ghoulish]” digital [cartoons] of living artists who [have] no [scruples about bleeding their fans]…The music industry has long [lusted after] the [ability to exploit popular musicians, who have an annoying habit of dying young]…such as the 2012 [cartoon] of the late rapper Tupac Shakur [which was played] alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre at Coachella festival.  The concept found mainstream success with the 2022 launch of Abba Voyage, a lucrative…con…[featuring cartoons] of the Swedish pop group…Unit1’s aim is to stage shows with real musicians playing live instruments on stage alongside [cartoon characters on]…a high-definition LED screen, which is combined with extra lights, sound and props to give them the illusion they are [in the universe of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]…However, [true] fans have expressed unease about [the memories of] dead musicians [they loved] being [violated in this manner].  Earlier this year, a [scheme] to [dig up the corpse] of the late…Ozzy Osbourne was [recogn]ised as being disrespectful and in poor taste by [true] fans…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1648)

Promoters of dystopia love to vomit words like “safety” into the faces of useful idiots:

The University of Kentucky is installing…facial [recognition] scann[ers]…on several campus buildings.  The technology, [moronically] called Rock, is made by [a company whose name, “]Alcatraz[“, would be panned as too obvious if used by the writers of a dystopian TV show]…Alcatraz…CEO Tina D’Agostin…[argued that key card] technology most campuses use today is [automatically bad because it is] 30 years old…She…[then barfed up a bunch of lies about privacy followed by obfuscatory buzzwords including “]active shooter[” and “]physically assault a female[“]…Three [out] of…four students interviewed on campus [simply stared with a glazed expression and belched either “safety” or “the future”]…

Walled Garden (#1657)

The open internet will soon be a thing of the past:

The EU Commission draft law to restrict young people’s access to the internet…will put online services behind age gates, expand the use of intrusive age verification, and undermine the privacy of all users.  [Proponents of ] the EU Kids Act [justify it by barfing “]protect children[” in the faces of rational people, but in reality]…age gates…reduce safety…and create barriers to…marginalized groups…this…compliance nightmare…rel[ies] on the [already-failed] EU age verification scheme…parents…who [want to allow their teens to use the internet] must set up accounts and prove that they are, in fact, parents, adding yet another problematic layer of verification…the…design…[appears to be a way to circumvent the fact that] a French court [has already] declared s[ocial media] bans unconstitutional…

To Molest and Rape (#1673)

Some child-molesting cops are indiscriminate in their choice of victims and acts:

[A cop named] Joseph Gallagher Jr…[was arrested on multiple] child sex charges…[for repeatedly] urinat[ing] in [the] mouth [of a 4-year-old boy.  After the child told his teacher, investigation revealed]…Gallagher [had] also…rap[ed] a [10-year-old] girl…in 2021…Gallagher was employed with the East Stroudsburg University Police…[w]here…he…had a history of urinating on campus buildings when he had access to restrooms…

Panopticon (#1674)

“These agencies surveil the public incessantly, but the moment we can watch them back, it’s deemed a security threat”:

Department of [Father]land Security…fusion centers have started monitoring anti-surveillance activists…in[cluding]…online critics of…ALPRs…[and] a website, SparrowMap, that uses ALPR technology to track police vehicles in real time…There is nothing illegal about SparrowMap…[which] processes publicly available livestreams from municipal cameras and footage provided by volunteers using everyday cameras…Volunteers…confirm…anything before it is published as a government vehicle…But the federal government’s desire to beat back the growing wave of “anti-surveillance extremism” will have to contend with the reality that impassioned sentiment opposing [mass] surveillance [is] now a majoritarian position across America.  Politicians from [across the uni]part[y] have scrambled to introduce legislation curbing or eliminating automated license plate readers altogether, at the same time [anti-civil liberties organiz]ations hold secret briefings in Washington attempting to stem the anti-surveillance tide…

The tagline is from this article on cops getting butthurt when pervert glasses are used against them.

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1675)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Philosophy, The Dark Side, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Forcing women to give birth knowing they won’t be bringing a baby home is pure cruelty.  –  Nancy Northup

The Leading Players in the Field, Not (#574)

While Western “feminists” burbled hagiographies of Gloria Steinem, Indian feminists had this to say:

…Gloria Steinem[‘s]…deep and damaging impact on the movement for sex workers’ rights…is one of her most lasting legacies in Southasia…Steinem posited that prostitution – she refused to call it “sex work” – manifests an inherent power disparity between male buyers and female sellers of sex.  In this construct, women are passive, mute and helpless pawns in the transaction, which is understood to be inevitably an act of gendered violence. Speaking on a visit to India in 2014, aged 79, Steinem…told reporters…[that sex work] is a form of “commercial rape”.  It “involves body invasion and so it is not like any other work. So how can you call it sex work? Prostitution is the only word you should use”…

Monsters (#1329)

Monsters typically claim the “right” to persecute sexual minorities by vomiting words like “indecency” at them:

Turkey ha[s] arrested dozens of people…as part of a broad…[campaign against LGBT people, excusing the violence by absurdly barfing the word “]families[” in their faces]…targeting [them especially because they]…are an active part of the political opposition to President [Gollum].  Emma Sinclair-Webb…[a sadly-typical operative of Gay, Inc, threw sex workers under the bus by saying that comparing good, pure, saintly LGBT people to dirty, filthy “]obscen[e” sex workers]…“smears L.G.B.T. people”…[Neither] homosexuality [nor sex work] is…illegal in Turkey, but…[Gollum] has frequently demonized [both groups] and sought to push them out of public life.  The authorities have banned Pride parades…and [criminalized speaking truthfully about sex work, in part because]…Turkey’s…birthrate[, like that of every other developed 21st century country, is sagging, and the government sees its population of tax cattle diminishing.  On September 13 Turkish pig herds]…in Istanbul, Ankara and other Turkish cities [abduct]ed more than 60 people [from] their homes, and raided gay bars and the offices of gay rights organizations.  [The next]…day, scores of demonstrators protesting the detentions were arrested in Istanbul…[and the government] blocked numerous social media accounts belonging to gay rights groups [using laws directly modeled on those the Western world is working to establish]…

Monsters (#1423) 

If you have to ask the State to compel your 17-year-old to submit to your control, you have already lost them regardless of what a court rules:

…the Trump [regime]…is [attempt]ing [to] in[tervene against Massachusetts]…in…the c[ase]…of…Joseph and Arlene Kutzko, who [lost custody of their 17-year old due to two years of violence and threats against]…the [trans teen]…the [Kuzkos characterize their victim as a “]child[“]…who[m they demand be “returned” to them like a piece of property, asserting the]…”parental rights” [to torture the teen for not conforming to their sex at birth]…and…trying to prevent the…teenager start[ing] gender transition medications…Joseph Kutzko was [arrested for] punching and threatening his then-15-year-old [offspring] on Jan. 28, 2025…and…later…threatened to kill the victim “for not singing in tune during a birthday celebration”…[at that time] Kutzko was a[lready subject]…to three prior restraining orders…one of which is permanent…Arlene Kutzko…was charged with witness intimidation after [threatening the teen unless they falsely recanted previous sworn testimony and accepted blame for their own abuse]…the Kutzkos [absurdly claim that their victim, who does not wish to return to their home, only resented chronic abuse because]…high school…“exposed our daughter to teachings on LGTBQ…and topics that conflict with our Catholic beliefs about human dignity”…

As a cradle Catholic, I am unaware of any Catholic doctrine that defines “human dignity” as submission to abuse.

The Red Umbrella (#1477)

As long as sex work is marginalized, sex workers will be targeted for violence:

A Calgary[, Alberta] man [named] Richard Mantha…[was sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping and] assaulting three [sex workers]…one of whom he drugged, and another he suffocated and assaulted with a weapon…[he also] threat[ened] a fourth woman…[named] Aimee Ert, [who managed to get away before he could rape her.  Ert voluntarily chose to give up her anonymity] to…help…[convict Mantha]…

You Were Warned (#1491)

The open internet is rapidly becoming a thing of the past:

Late last year, the United Kingdom, France, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and dozens more nations signed the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, a treaty [purport]ed to improve global cooperation to fight crimes taking place over computer systems.  Canada joined them this summer…[though] the United States…[claims] it is still reviewing the treaty…the treaty opens the door to greater violations of free expression online…[by forcing signatories] to share personal data…about individuals accused of committing…[anything the information-seeking nation chooses to label] a “serious” crime…[defined as any] crime carrying at least a four-year prison sentence [regardless of whether the “crime” is even criminalized in the individual’s own country]…The treaty also…oblige[s] service provider[s] to [hide] government searches…even…from…the [victim of the] surveillance…the treaty could even incentivize governments to enact harsher penalties on expressive acts…[so as] to ensure…inclusion under the treaty…

Enshittification (#1622)  

Scenes from the early days of a dark age:

…Justin…Lachlan…and Brendan Brown…run…a company called Brown Brothers Media…which…has pioneered a remarkably cynical business model.  First it buys online publications that have established themselves as offering a distinctive type of journalism, like coverage of space travel, parenting advice, or business news.  Then it floods their websites with dizzying torrents of [computer]-generated content…in a bid to soak up as many readers as possible…the analytics service Similarweb corroborates the claim that BBM is pulling in vast audiences, estimating…it…has attracted an average of 64.7 million visits per month…substantially higher than…NPR, narrowly besting CBS News and Forbes, and just slightly behind the Washington Post…[but while] NPR [and] WaPo…employ…hundreds or even thousands of journalists…BBM…has cut itself down to a skeleton crew of about a dozen employees, including [the] brothers…BBM has indulged in breathtaking acts of dishonesty…invent[ing] entire fake personas for nonexistent writers…with impressive-sounding bogus credentials…[to attach to a combination of plagiarized articles]…and…100 percent [pure garbage]…

Vulture Watching (#1674)

The only way to stop this evil is to bury politicians in lawsuits:

[Because]…Oklahoma…laws force patients whose “pregnancy will end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant shortly after birth” to leave the state if they choose abortion…[several women are] suing over the abortion bans that prevented [them] from receiving care…Oklahoma only allows abortion care to save a patient’s life, [forcing] doctor[s to tell women with non-viable pregnancies]…“to leave the state when [they could] easily [provide necessary] care…in [their] office”…The defendants…are the state attorney general and health commissioner, Oklahoma County’s district attorney, and…the state’s boards for medical licensing and osteopathic examiners…The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and the Center for Reproductive Rights…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1673)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The suggestion to “be mindful”…[is] going to prevent absolutely no one from recording others.  –  Chris Hoffman

Policing for Profit

Cops usually make up some pretext, however flimsy, for their robbery schemes:

A [Las Vegas cop named]…Antonio Chavez…and his wife, Claudia Guzman-Marquez…intentionally used their credit cards to purchase expensive items and gift cards in the tens of thousands of dollars…and…the[n]…dispute[d] the charges with the credit card companies, claiming that their wallets…had been stolen.  Chavez even filed a [false] police report…to [back up his scam against]…Capital One…American Express…Citibank and JPMorgan Chase…Chavez admitted…that he conspired with his wife and “a third party in California” in [the] fraud scheme…

Follow Your Bliss (#1169)

People like this are the norm in policing sexual offenses, and always will be:

A [Father]land Security [goon] whose work included child-exploitation cases is now facing nine sex-crime charges [for repeatedly rap]ing a juvenile victim in [Alabama]…Kent Ian Blacklidge is…a [fine example of McNeill’s Law]…“It’s why [his behavior was] so profoundly [predictable]”…said [Maggie McNeill]…

Eavesdropping (#1606)

Another privacy-invading gadget from the usual sociopathic assholes:

Siri Recap is a new Apple Watch feature designed to continuously log everyday conversations and generate c[hatbot] summaries…turning one of the world’s most popular [gewgaws] into a…[surreptitious eavesdropping device, thus]…rais[ing] major privacy and social concerns…Siri Recap is technically optional…for the person wearing the watch.  If someone decides to record you, there’s little you can do to prevent them, short of running away as fast as possible or smashing their watch…many US states require two-party consent, meaning…this feature [is illegal] in states with such laws…Apple [lie]s that Siri Recap won’t upload audio to the cloud…but…the…watch will send captured audio to your iPhone, where it is transcribed…[and uploaded to] Apple’s…servers, where [a chatbot] will generate the final summary…

The Cop Myth (#1626)

Cop shops are so obsessed with hiding the truth about cop violence, initial reports can sometimes be completely misleading:

A [North Carolina cop named]…Nekime Oxendine…[has finally been] charged with [the] murder…of…[another cop named] Adam Bean…[at the] home…of Tara Whitman…[who apparently] had [such a thing for cops she was fucking] both men…Bean [unexpectedly arrived] and was upset to find Oxendine’s truck parked outside…[so] Oxendine walked out[side] and [murdered]…Bean…Oxendine…remains…behind bars with no bond…

The initial reports were so vague I incorrectly concluded that the murderer-cop was the woman, rather than being another boyfriend.  Mea culpa.

To Molest and Rape (#1661)

This one makes extra effort to pretend the child molester was not typical and representative:

A [typical and representative North Carolina cop named]…Leigh Ann Brooks [repeatedly molested]…an…[unidentified child or stepchild of indeterminate] sex…the [typical and representative cop was only atypical in that she is female]…

Stalkers in Blue (#1669)

Warrantless surveillance makes all women prey for cops, including female cops:

A [New York sow named]…Laurie Moore…conduct[ed] more than 4,000 un[constitutional warrantless Flock] searches…[on] her…[ex-]girlfriend…and…four [other people]…hundreds of times each [over the past two years.  Both the sheriff and the DA absurdly bloviated that the epidemic of cops conducting unconstitutional warrantless surveillance cannot be blamed on a surveillance network specifically designed to facilitate unconstitutional warrantless surveillance]…

Welcome to the Future (#1672)

Anthropic goes from pretending to care about safety to persecuting those who really do:

Job postings and interviews with senior security officials at Anthropic show that the f[ascist “]AI[” pusher] is building…an extensive monitoring system to [spy] on activists who oppose [its schemes]…and…implementing a “pre-crime” approach, attempting to…[harass activists by siccing the pigs on them when they haven’t committed any] crime…the…surveil[lance scheme demonstrates that]…the firm’s efforts to cast itself as the responsible alternative to OpenAI [were and are complete bullshit]…Anthropic has begun…routine [copsucking, siccing cops on innocent people by barfing buzzwords such as “]threats[“]…“concerning behavior”…[and] “escalation patterns”…[at them].  Last month…Anthropic was fast to call the cops on a frustrated Claude user…[but] refused to show police [any] actual…evidence of actual wrongdoing…Anthropic’s effort to build a pre[-crime machine appears to be a step toward worming its way back into the military-industrial complex not only for profits, but also so its]…data centers and power supply…[can be] designat[ed as “critical infrastructure” like]…water, electricity, and broadband…Enshrining [“AI” scam promoters] in the hardened cloak of national security would…embolden these companies to shape how federal agencies view threats to their bottom line…[magically] transform[ing their]…oppo[nents into]…[“]extremists[“] or…even…[“]terrorists[“]…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1672)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, The Dark Side, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Surveillance makes all of us less safe.  –  Evan Greer

The More the Better

Anything that helps demystify sex work is a good thing:

It shouldn’t be surprising that sex workers around the country are boning up on firearms education. There’s a long tradition of both armed self-defense and general firearms enthusiasm…within communities that have historically been targeted for violence and oppression.  Organizations like the Socialist Rifle Association, the Sylvia Rivera Gun Club, Yellow Peril Tactical, the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, the Pink Pistols, and Black Girls Shoot! take the activist maxim “we protect us” seriously, and offer their communities tools to do so in a world that doesn’t expect them to fight back…the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Chicago…announced their first Intro to Concealed Carry course specifically for sex workers.  All 40 spots filled up immediately…

Dangerous Speech (#1496)

Now that the damage is irreversible, the government can afford to grant him an appeal:

…the Ninth Circuit announced that it will hear oral arguments on Nov. 16 in Phoenix concerning one of the most significant First Amendment cases in recent memory — the vindictive prosecution of award-winning journalist Michael Lacey…Federal and state authorities hounded Lacey, the former executive editor of Village Voice Media, and his business partner, the late Jim Larkin, for more than a decade over their First Amendment-protected publication of speech in Backpage.com, the classified advertising website they co-owned…

Eavesdropping (#1611)

“Smart” devices aren’t, part umpteen:

LG smart TVs are almost constantly logging and uploading data about owners and their homes, even when offline or on standby mode…The…TV sets scan Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, record audio logs through their microphones, and use audio and video sampling to recognize exactly what you’re watching from [connected devices like DVD players]…and feeding the information back to LG Ad Solutions…the TVs…[even] record…microphone audio when in standby; this continue[s] even after the TV [i]s disconnected from the internet, with audio files stored offline and uploaded once a connection [i]s restored…Automatic Content Recognition…is used by almost every [“]smart[“] TV manufacturer to figure out what you watch…In July…LG monitors [started] automatically installing an app that…ran pop-up ads for LG’s other apps and even McAfee antivirus…[but] public pressure…led to LG disabling the pop-up ads…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1632)

Cops hate it when people turn the tables on them:

…US [cops] are increasingly concerned about the potential for [perve]rt glasses to be used against them…to secretly record [cops]…in the [act] of [committing] crimes and acts of [violence and] terrorism…[cop]s in the US typically [steal or break] any and all devices that would be capable of recording video footage…[but] some [perve]rt glasses have gone unnoticed…[cops, spooks, and goons] want…the exclusive right to use surveillance technology and cameras to monitor the public without those cameras being turned back on them.  “These agencies surveil the public incessantly, but the moment we can watch them back, it’s deemed a security threat,” [said Ryan] Shapiro [of Property of the People]…

Welcome to the Future (#1660)

The dystopian future of Minority Report has arrived:

Border Patrol is running secretive predictive policing units that analyze Americans’ financial activity and other data, then feed that intelligence to local police who pull [innocent] people over…[using bogus excuses in order to attempt to pin manufactured “]crime[s” on them]…The units…are called Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams (PITT).  In one case, a PITT analyzed the financial activity of a man who was driving across Montana, and [dispatched] local [pigs, who then] stopped him under the pretense of an obstructed license plate and charged him with a DUI…Border Patrol…us[es]…ALPRs…as part of the…program…“genuine probable cause cannot be synthetically generated,” [said] Jake Laperruque…of the…Center For Democracy & Technology…”Border Patrol [is]…using parallel construction to cloak the reason behind its car stops”…

The Cop Myth (#1668)

Domestic violence is never a cop’s sole offense:

A Huntsville [Alabama cop named]…John Holliday was…arrested…[on August 17 for slamming] his wife [to] the ground and [repeatedly] kick[ing] her…[then stealing] her…cellphone wh[en] she tried to dial 911…[the cop shop put him on desk duty and that did not change even]…after h[e was] arrest[ed again] on Sept. 3 for DUI…[but after] he was…arrest[ed a third time for waving a gun around while drunk]…he was [reward]ed with…a p[aid vacati]on…[A spokespig described this as] “tak[ing] allegations of misconduct involving its employees seriously”…

Panopticon (#1671)

Some aspects of the modern dystopia are too odious even for authoritarians:

…the City of Sheboygan…[Wisconsin will]…terminate [its] contract with…Flock S[urveillance after it]…offered to sell the Sheboygan Department of Public Works…five years of data [collected by] the…15 cameras already deployed in the city…in violation of the [contract, which pretends]…the company does not own the data…and [will supposedly] only…retain [it] for 30 days.  Since…their [announcement]…other cities have been following suit….[in] both…Fond du Lac County…and…Winnebago County…

But simply cancelling the contract won’t stop Flock:

Flock S[urveillance blamed a computer for illegally ordering]…the reinstallation of license plate cameras that Grass Valley [California] police had already removed after canceling the city’s contract with the company.  Residents alerted police…after spotting a utility crew replacing [the] cameras at several locations…Flock [claims] its automated maintenance system interpreted the…[removals] as equipment failures and generated replacement work orders…The [cancellat]ion followed months of pressure from residents and privacy advocates…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1671)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Parents should be worried about the long-term cognitive and social effects for both parent and child of constantly talking to and relying on…chatbots.  –  Frank Landymore

Elephant in the Parlor (#1074) 

Politicians hiring male sex workers isn’t much less common than their hiring female ones:

…a chef named Joe Gera, owner of the Pennsylvania-based caterer Keystone Cue…[reported] in late July and early August [that Trumpist politician Josh Hawley hired a male escort at least twice].  However…he…[provided] no evidence, such as photos or videos, to support his story[, which is typical of cases involving sex professionals because of professional discretion]…Hawley’s team [of course denied] the…[report, and are risking the Streisand Effect by threaten]ing a defamation lawsuit…

Snopes fixating on the lack of “proof”, when many a political career has been derailed by similar evidence-free accusations, would be quaint if it weren’t so deeply stupid.  And the statement that Hawley “has three children with his wife”, presented as though it were evidence Hawley never hired a male pro, is only convincing to those who have never heard of McNeill’s Law.

Chauvinism (#1611)

The new excuse for persecuting “undesirables” before the Olympics: “security”:

Researchers estimate that close to 6,000 unhoused people live within a mile of Olympic and Paralympic venues in Los Angeles County, and could be a[ttack]ed by [cops in the name of “]security[“] for the 2028 Summer Games.  That figure…is more than three times…the [official] L.A. County…estimate…which…was attached to an application with the state for $93 million in funding to [pay cops to harass and brutalize the] homeless…Whether the county will receive that money is unclear…

I Spy (#1614)

Another reason totalitarians want to eliminate cash:

The Department of [Father]land Security…subpoenaed [REI] in March, [demand]ing the transaction information for “all persons” in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area who had purchased a specific type of dark green beanie from the company since 2024…The [illegal demands for fascist collaboration] are part of a broader lawsuit by the federal government against 39 people[, including journalists,] who attended an ICE protest at a church whose [“]pastor[“] also worked as an…ICE [goon]…The subpoena to REI was one of 92 sent as part of [the persecution]…Other recipients included social media companies, airlines, telecom providers, a car rental company, and a state employment agency…

I Spy (#1649)

You’ll never go broke selling puritans new ways to immiserate themselves:

T[urn]ing sleep, [eating] and w[alking into bean-counting ordeals] has become [a normal form of self-immiseration] for many [Americans], but food intake [had until now] remain[ed] surprisingly [unexploited by gewgaw peddlers].  ODYSS wants to c[hange] that [by selling]…a…[“]dietary necklace[” to nitwits].  The company describes it as a [tech gewgaw] designed to automatically understand eating behaviour, [allow]ing the [many Americans who can’t do simple arithmetic] to [turn] every meal [into a shaming ordeal].  Food logging apps have attracted more than 300 million registered users…but…the[y are too] difficult [for people who aren’t even able to dependably think for themselves]…The N1 takes a different approach by attempting to [record]…hand-to-mouth movements to identify eating behaviour…The company [lies that]…privacy is a…major part of the device’s design [even though there are many existing technologies which can intercept the signals it sends to a cell phone]…

Mad Libs (#1659)

Conditioning kids to defer to chatbots from an early age:

[Chatbot-worshiping] moms and dads are using the tech for parenting in bizarre and downright dystopian ways that’ll bring out your inner luddite…a cognitive neuroscientist named Sarah Baldeo…programmed [a] chatbot…by uploading screenshots of texts between her and her son, as well as documents outlining her values and family rules…[then] encouraged her son to [defer to] the [chatbot for “]advice[“.  The psychopathic]…Sam Altman recently [“]recommended[“] that parents…could [delegate the dreadful task of actually] talk[ing] to [their] kids…[to] ChatGPT…admitting that he [really doesn’t grasp how to talk to other humans.  Other fools]…are interested in using a…[gewgaw] called Omi that constantly listens in on your daily life…[and can] record…and summarize…conversations that parents have with their child…to [customize spying on them]…

Thought Control (#1662)

Imagine how future historians will view this censorship:

[After a Trumpist stooge]…ruled in favor of censorship…[by] overturning a lower court’s injunction against a law that…exposes librarians to criminal charges if a minor checks out [any]thing [that]…any [Froot Loop anywhere in the world pointed at while barfing out the magic words]…“obscene” or “harmful to minors” [and declares that politicians know more about libraries than librarians]…Arkansas libraries have [been forced]…to [infantilize young adults and censor their collections]…patrons under 18…are [now] prohibited from…check[ing] out materials from the [main] collection, [and are entirely relegated to books appropriate for young children]…

Panopticon (#1670)

Some aspects of the modern dystopia are too odious even for authoritarians:

[Several new Congressional] bill[s] would [put largely-cosmetic limitations on]…ALPRs…illustrat[ing] the bipartisan, trans-ideological nature of the backlash against…[the unconstitutional warrantless surveillance devices], which cities across the country installed without giving much thought to…the [Constitution].  During the last year or so, [useful idiots] across the political spectrum, including…politicians…have belatedly recognized the implications of a nationwide surveillance network that operates without…meaningful supervision of any sort… Civil liberties groups…have been sounding the alarm about ALPR surveillance for years.  But thanks [ironical]ly to…cops…[ab]us[ing] them [so egregiously]…public opinion is starting to reflect those organizations’ concerns…and…157 local governments…have canceled or declined to renew ALPR contracts since the beginning of 2025.  [Mean]while…Flock[‘s]…CEO…dismisse[s] privacy concerns…and…condemn[s] [groups] like DeFlock…which…use[s] crowdsourcing to map…ALPR cameras[, as “terrorist organizations”]…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1670)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I don’t like reading anymore.  –  child subjected to “Amira”

To Molest and Rape

They usually try to make this sound like the rapist was doing his victims a favor:

…In the early morning hours of September 20, 2024, a…[typical and representative] Giddings, Texas [cop named]…Cory James Williams…pulled over…a [young woman and threatened]…to…arrest…[her and] take her to jail [unless she submitted to rape]…he…[had already] shut…off his body-worn camera and dash camera…and…when [she] refused, Williams…[wrote her several expensive tickets and threatened to continue harassing her every time he saw her, saying] he “wouldn’t be able to miss a pretty face like hers”…She [immediately] reported [him and later filed a]…lawsuit…investigation of Williams’ records and body camera footage…[dis]covered that Williams turned off his cameras during nine traffic stops, a[nd]…in at least three of those…Williams [tried the same thing]…the lawsuit [was filed after the city let him off with a slap on the wrist]…

Panopticon (#1611)

Cops will invariably use warrantless surveillance to harass people:

While standing in a private parking lot in Sussex, Wisconsin, on May 4, 2025, Napoleon Jones witnessed a[n illegal] traffic stop…So…[he] walked over and recorded it…before Jones could exit the parking lot, [power-mad pig Brandon] Shayhorn…initiated a second [illegal] stop, claiming Jones’ temporary license plate…was unreadable…[and] demand[ing] to see Jones’ driver’s license, but Jones refused…[because they were both] on private property…[Shayhorn then brutalized and illegally] arrested [Jones]…but after being held in custody for five hours, he was released with no citations or criminal charges…[because] Shayhorn’s supervisor informed him…that…[his] illegal…stop…[was indeed illegal].  The next day, Jones filed a…complaint…and…then [a lawsuit]…While litigating those claims, Jones’ attorney, Nate Cade, found…over 100 Flock searches for a white BMW in the weeks following Jones’ unlawful arrest…by Shayhorn himself…and [several of his cronies]…In July 2026, Jones amended his complaint to include the additional [rooting pigs]…who searched for his vehicle…”in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment right of recording a traffic stop”…

I Spy (#1619)

Safetyism makes the whole world less safe:

A new identity theft service [which recently] launched on the dark web…is selling digital scans of more than 153 million drivers licenses from people in the United States and Canada…The service, dubbed Nexus…includes…not only drivers licenses but also marijuana dispensary cards…the license images are coming from an active breach at “a major identity verification company”…[which appears to be] the New Orleans-based…idscan.net…[which] provides identity verification services for numerous big brands, including Hertz, Target, Fedex, Motorola…and Caesars [Casinos]…

Choke Point (#1626) 

“Renewed attention to a problem our industry has faced for years“:

…Adult workers and businesses routinely face account closures, denied applications and restrictions on financial services, often without warning or a clear explanation…[despite recent] federal [demands that banks stop doing what the government has repeatedly demanded they do]…the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released preliminary findings from its review of the nation’s nine largest national banks…f[inding] that all nine had maintained policies or practices that [complied with federal demands that they]…subject…certain customers to heightened review because of their lawful business activities…If you’ve been denied an account, had one suddenly closed or experienced another form of banking discrimination, share your story with FSC…You may also be able to file a complaint with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency…FSC is also working to establish Opportunity Credit Union, a financial institution designed to serve people and businesses that traditional banks have too often shut out…

Welcome to the Future (#1659)

Note that it isn’t the wealthy consigning their kids to this travesty:

In New Mexico, Facebook and Instagram are considered a “public nuisance,” but letting [computer progra]ms record and store young kids’ voices and score their reading prowess is…required [by the state for] all public schools…Amira [is a progra]m designed…for mandatory literacy assessments, dyslexia screenings, and weekly tutoring sessions in kindergarten through second grade…some parents and school districts [have complained so much]…the state’s Public Education Department…[is] granting school districts the right to opt out of Amira this year…Amira is [also mandatory] in…Idaho—and…authorized for state use in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas…schools are…not…in charge of the [collected] data…and…New Mexico does not currently have…student data privacy requirements…Amira is [also] incorrectly scoring student reading [and] causing anxiety in young learners…who…are [be]ing [used] as guinea pigs…

Welcome to the Future (#1662)

This is like something from a dystopian sci-fi novel:

The Texas sheriff’s office that [ab]used Flock to search more than 80,000 cameras nationwide for a woman who had a self-administered abortion used Axon’s Draft One…to [shit out] a police report about the incident…which…has since become a [prime example of how easily]…ALPR…cameras [are abused]. Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, [is still repeating the 15-month-old copaganda]…that the search was done only for the woman’s safety because her [“]family[” –  a euphemism for]…her…abusive partner…[wanted] to charge her with a crime…Concern from her [actual] family is never mentioned in…the [chatbot-shat] police report…

Panopticon (#1669)

Alas, many of these are simply switching to less-radioactive surveillance brands:

New data compiled by a Bay Area anti-surveillance advocacy group shows that not only are American localities dropping [Flock] cameras…but they are doing it at an accelerating rate.  Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over [bad publicity] regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and…[cops predictably] abusing the tool…During the last 30 days, an average of three localities per day have halted contracts with Flock…[which claims it isn’t worried because new useful idiots have replaced those backing away] by approximately 10 to one…[but in reality,] Flock [is so nervous about the threat to its fascist revenue stream that it is now demanding a “compromise” between basic civil rights and unconstitutional warrantless surveillance, absurdly claiming that it isn’t the unconstitutional warrantless surveillance company‘s fault if cops predictably use its unconstitutional warrantless surveillance cameras for unconstitutional warrantless surveillance]…

And it isn’t just cities:

Florida is revoking permits for Flock cameras and similar license-plate readers on state roads, de[spite spokespigs oinking]…the…[word “]crime[” at politicians.  The]…Florida Department of Transportation…gave [cop shops] 30 days to remove the cameras from state roads, or FDOT will remove them itself…[Florida governor “Two-Face”] DeSantis said the use of such cameras is “out of control”…but…has also [thrown] money [at cop shops] to purchase hundreds of…[such] cameras in…the…[name of “]immigration enforcement[“]…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1669)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The…State has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch.  –  Stanley v. Georgia

Torture Chamber

This will never stop until all cops who murder prisoners are charged with murder:

LAPD…[pigs]…beat…a handcuffed and restrained [mentally ill] man multiple times…[in a cage until he died].  Jose Carlo Hoyos-Munoz…[was repeatedly chok]ed, elbowed, and kneeled on [by several over]weight [pigs] in three separate incidents…Hoyos-Munoz…“lost his mind”…and [attacked several members of his family, but had been in custody for]…approximately 20 hours…[when cops decided it was vitally important to the entire human race that he be] fingerprint[ed immediately instead of turned over to mental health professionals.  So they oinked the magic words]…”non-compliant” a[t him]…before [a gang of] six [pigs violently attacked]…him…and [hobbled]…him…[When he continued to act like the extremely mentally ill person he was, the gang ludicrously oinked the magic word “]safety[“]…at…him…to [justify another brutal gang assault, which this time included repeatedly kicking him in the head and]…pressing [his] face into [a] cot…un[til he collapsed]…and [stopped] breathing…[LAPD is hiding] the names [and faces] of the [murderers]…

All-Purpose Excuse (#1077)

“Sex trafficking” is now entirely a Trump regime propaganda weapon:

…When young people enter the country seeking asylum without their parents, they are generally released to a sponsor, often a family member already living in America…These youth [“UACs”] are supposed to keep their addresses current in order to follow up on their applications for asylum and immigration court dates, but not all of them do…[Trumpists] have claimed, with[out] evidence, that UACs were being placed with unvetted or unfit sponsors, [call]ing…this… “human trafficking”…as a[n excuse] to limit migration…[the] Trump [regime]…claim[s] that…300,000 [of these minors a]re considered “missing”…this number is an utter invention—most UACs live with their sponsors, and some are now adults.  Nevertheless, Trump’s DHS has prioritized locating these young people [in order to]…deport…[them].  Later stages of the program a[re] intended to locate UACs and charge their sponsors with…crimes…such as trafficking…[or] violations of the Mann Act…ICE has hired [bounty hunters] to [track] immigrants, including UACs[, like animals, and goons] have…[revoltingly referred to raids intended to abduct schoolkids as] “wellness checks”…

Tissue of Lies (#1243)

It’s been 4 years since this cop fad died out, long enough for Americans to forget:

Florida [copaganda] officials [claim] a statewide [“]operation[“] has helped find dozens of…children [and teenagers whose records the state had misplaced, or who were living with someone other than the court-assigned custodial parent or guardian].  Florida [psychopath-] General James Uthmeier [claimed] 163 children were [“]recovered[“, but in reality few were actually children and none were actually]…missing…Officials…[also tested a new euphemism for jails used to cage young people the State has decided to brand “]human trafficking[” victims, namely]…[“]designated recovery hubs[“]…

These “missing child operations” were innovated in Georgia in September 2020 after the pandemic made actual “stings” much more difficult, and became popular with cop shops all over the US for about two years.  They’re constructed by combining a few arrests of sex workers and clients with mass arrests of teens in foster care and shelters and pretending they’re related.

See No Evil (#1386)

A rare court judgment lessening the government’s ability to persecute thoughtcrime:

In Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557 (1969), the Supreme Court created an exception to the rule that the government may freely restrict or punish speech that is…legally obscene, holding that possessing such material in one’s home is protected, as the First Amendment does not permit the government to punish people for private thoughts…And while sexually explicit images of real minors…that require…child abuse to create…[constitute an] unprotected category where even private possession is unlawful, the Supreme Court held in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 535 U.S. 234 (2002), that “virtual” CSAM not involving real minors…falls within Stanley’s protection.  That’s been settled law ever since.  But that didn’t stop the federal government from prosecuting the private possession of sexually explicit [computer-generated] images of [imaginary] minors in United States v. Anderegg…The Seventh Circuit [reject]ed [the prosecutors’ arguments], affirming th[at]…the First Amendment protects private, in-home possession of obscene depictions of non-existent minors…

Walled Garden (#1629)

Burble burble BLUE STATE burble drool:

The California legislature [has] passed…A.B. 1709…a sweeping ban on social media use for young people under…16.  This…deeply flawed piece of legislation [intentionally] cuts young people off from essential information and experiences, particularly harming vulnerable youth and marginalized groups who often find safety in supportive online communities they can’t access offline…platforms would be prohibited from offering virtually every functional recommendation algorithm and basic input…to anyone under 16…By labeling these basic tools as “addictive,” the bill relies on…[pseudo]science [demonizing] youth social media use…A.B. 1709 is a massive privacy and free speech nightmare. Denying young people access to digital forums (or stripping out the basic tools needed to navigate them) does nothing to make young people safer or healthier…and…age-gating requirements will force everyone to give big tech companies even more personal information…

Panopticon (Nosey Parkers)

Safetyism has always enabled totalitarianism:

…the city [council of] Pflugerville[, Texas]…unanimously voted to terminate their [contract] with Flock S[urveillance]…resulting in the city turning off all 28 Flock License Plate Reader cameras leased by the city and covering them with plastic bags…[after learning that over 400 agencies had accessed its Flock system…even though only 83 had authorization]…the city…has requested that all city data be deleted immediately and permanently [but it is doubtful Flock will comply]…

Stalkers in Blue (#1668)

Cops will abuse warrantless surveillance for as long as it exists:

A Texas [cop ab]used [the] Flock [surveillance network] more than 10,000 times to [stalk] an ex-girlfriend, her family members and other people she had relationships with…Zachary Anthony Klein…was…investigated [after one of his victims discovered]…the [stalking and initiated]…a public information request [so the cop shop could no longer ignore his crimes]…that…[were committ]ed “nearly all hours of the day and night”…from June 2024 to December 2025…The ex-girlfriend [said]…Klein was…obsessed…with the idea she was cheating on him and would often look through her phone…he…also…threatened to find and kill someone she had a prior relationship with…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1668)

Posted in Current Events, History, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

For those who find [drag shows] offensive, the solution is relatively simple…just don’t go.  –  Judge David Hittner

To Molest and Rape

When will amateur women learn cops are dangerous sex predators?

[A Baltimore cop named] Daniel Oxendine…[raped] a woman…[who foolishly approached] him to [ask him to] drive her…home…[when they got there,] Oxendine [forced his way] inside and [raped] her…Investigators [believe]…he may have [had other victims so he]…is being held [without bail]…

Undead Powers (#1409)

I’ve long held that all laws should sunset after 10 years unless specific action is taken to renew them:

[The prominent anti-female autonomy group] Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America [has] signed a letter calling on the Department of [In]justice…to interpret a 19th century anti-obscenity law as a national abortion ban.  It’s the first time the country’s largest anti-a[utonomy] organization has publicly endorsed this interpretation of the Comstock Act, signaling that a once-fringe reading of the dormant law has gone mainstream within the [forced-birth] movement—and that these groups are coming for more than just abortion pills…Comstock bans mailing any article or thing that can be used for abortions…including…devices and other supplies sent to brick-and-mortar abortion clinics.  These same drugs, devices, and supplies are also used for routine obstetric care, including miscarriage management and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage…

Your regular reminder that regardless of what evil laws fanatics impose, abortion medication will still be available by mail unless the US entirely criminalizes shipping things.

The Last Shall Be First (#1567) 

It should be a felony to propose a bill that is facially unconstitutional:

U.S. District Judge…David Hittner [has once again] ruled that Texas’ law banning drag shows around minors is “facially overbroad” and “unconstitutionally vague”…Hittner had originally ruled SB 12 unconstitutional in 2023, shortly after it was passed…[but psychopath-]General Ken Paxton appealed [the] ruling to the…Fifth Circuit…which…sent the case back to Hittner…who…[pointed out that] banning…[any] performance…that…”appeals to the prurient interest in sex”…might…apply to performers as varied as Elvis Presley…Dolly Parton, and Miley Cyrus…

These showboat bills waste public money for politicians’ virtue-signaling; the only allowable defense should be that the politician was too stupid to understand the plain language of the Constitution.

When Ambulance-Chasers Run the Hospitals (#1626)

The open internet will soon be a thing of the past:

…[Facebook] has settled with 52 state and local Attorneys General who had sued the company in some form or another [using the excuse of “]child safety[“]…the years-long case…against [it] ends, and [Zuckerberg] pays…approximately $18 billion…[and] will implement a bunch of changes to its platforms…everyone involved knows full well that no government could mandate these feature changes without violating the First Amendment.  But now that it’s in a “settlement”…people are cheering this on, without realizing the damage it will do…For a few decades now, when basically all Attorneys General would get together to threaten and/or sue tech companies, it was almost always over bullshit headline grabbing claims where the AGs either had no jurisdiction or ability to legally do anything…these efforts are so resource intensive, so expensive, and so draining that it’s no surprise that most companies end up “settling” by agreeing to do things that the government simply cannot force a company to do.  But because it’s a “settlement” people act like it’s not the government doing it…The other bit of background worth understanding here is that [Facebook] has been…practically begging for Congress to pass child safety legislation that only the largest companies (like itself) could comply with…[such as] FOSTA…it’s been pretty consistently losing the innovation race, and the government granting it a regulatory moat that smaller competitors can’t cross would be a godsend…[especially when i]t looks like…“losing” a lawsuit…

The Cop Myth (#1658)

He was named “Deputy of the Year” for exemplifying cops’ true nature so well:

[A Florida cop named] Michael Fultz [was allowed to] resign…[rather than being fired] for…extreme…sexual misconduct, racism, and abuse…Brevard County named Fultz its Deputy of the Year in 2025.  The day of the ceremony [his] ex-girlfriend sent a letter…to the sheriff’s office with a long list of complaints about his behavior…which [prompted]…the…discover[y that] he’d used Flock to stalk her…[further] investigation found Fultz had posed for pictures as Adolf Hitler, freely used racial slurs in texts, masturbated on camera in his p[igmobile, shoved his gun into]…his ex-girlfriend[‘s]…mouth during sex [and took pictures, and] repeatedly [covered]…his motorcycle [license plate while speeding over 100 mph so he could look like a big man on]…Instagram and TikTok…the sexual encounter where…he [threatened to murder his girlfriend] occurred [immediately after he murdered a man in April 2025, then blamed his victim]…

Stalkers in Blue (#1666)

Cops will abuse warrantless surveillance for as long as it exists:

A…[Kentucky cop was actually]…suspended…and…charge[d] for [repeat]edly using license plate reader cameras to track and harass [his ex-girlfriend] in Kentucky and Indiana…Asad Zahir …used…Flock…to conduct more than 2,000 searches on [her] from January through May of this year, [despite]…an Indiana…[“]protective order[“] against him…Zahir…[abused the system so egregiously Flock’s software reported him to his bosses]…

Panopticon (#1667)

Cops are angry that people hate unconstitutional surveillance:

A…Florida [cop shop] used “decoy” Flock cameras that a…[pig] 3D-printed at home to “bait” [citizens concerned about unconstitutional surveillance]…then charged a man with three felonies after he cut down and destroyed one…Oviedo, Florida mayor Megan Sladek said she “had NO idea” that [cops were planning this scam]…Despite the decoy camera being worth, at most, several dollars worth of plastic filament, Evan Meyer was charged with…[“]attempted[” felonies]…Meyer ad[mitted that he targeted the make-believe] camera…specifically…[because it] was close…to his house…The [pig scheme] is reminiscent of Amazon “package sting” [scam]s that several [cop shops] attempted several years ago, in which empty Amazon boxes were placed on people’s porches while p[igs lurked to spy]…result[ing] in zero known arrests…

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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In the News (#1667)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

We’re coming for the books.  –  Dan Patrick

Policing for Profit

Cops usually make up some pretext, however flimsy, for their armed robbery schemes:

Two Phoenix [cops] have been arrested and fired for [brutally robbing two people at gunpoint after tricking them into pulling over under guise of] a…traffic stop…Luis Vasquez Jr. and Antonio Felix…repeatedly shocked [the male driver] with a stun gun and [also] punched [him.  They also yanked] his girlfriend…[out of] the vehicle…[twisted her] arm [behind her back, violently] handcuffed [her] and [shoved her into the back of a pigmobile]…The [cops] also…threatened to shoot [the driver] before…eventually [letting him] drive away…

I Spy (#1491)

The only way to fully protect data is not to collect it:

…Microsoft…shared the names of Dutch [bureaucra]ts working for two [bureaus]…with the U.S. House of Representatives…The [bureaucra]ts involved are working on implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European [censorship] law that forces online platforms to [censor anything politicians declare “]illegal[“]…Microsoft shared emails…and [other paperwork]…without redacting their names…due to the Cloud Act[, which also works in the opposite direction by allowing foreign cops to demand US data without a warrant]…

Thought Control (#1527)

“Coming for” anything or anybody is intrinsically an act of tyranny:

…“Dark, demonic content”…[inanely barfed] Bonnie Wallace, a [pro-censorship] activist…at a press conference…put on by [Texas] Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick [claiming there are] “dirty books” in school libraries…“I’m here because God has given me [a mission],” Wallace [psychotically continued, bragging about her personal censorship crusade before]…Patrick [idiotically claimed]…that enforcement of [a book ban law] wasn’t the state banning books…and…[calling for state persecution and firing of] librarians…“We’re coming for the books,” he later added…[calling very tame sex education] books…“so disgusting, so filthy, so dirty, so vulgar, so pornographic that for the ladies here, I wouldn’t even open it and show you”…His primary example was Let’s Talk About It, a 2021 sex education graphic novel by married couple Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan…[and he specifically flagged a suggestion that readers] consult a medical professional for health information…[the statement that] sex toys…exist…[and the statement that] pornography…can be unrealistic…

Secret Squirrel (#1541)

This sickness will get much worse before it gets better:

Uber is updating its teen account feature to allow parents to use the selfie cameras on Uber drivers’ phones to [spy] on their teenage [offspring] during ridehail trips.  Since first launching teen accounts in 2023, Uber has touted the myriad ways parents can [spy] on their [offspring], from PIN verification to live GPS tracking…the new feature…[is] ready to roll out nationwide over the next few weeks.  Drivers who have opted in to accept underage passengers will [for] now…be asked to [allow]…the s[urveillance, but refusing consent won’t be an option for long]…

I Spy (#1542)

Local politicians’ virtue-signaling is powerless against the fascist panopticon:

…local officials from at least 75 agencies across Illinois [feed] information to federal immigration [goons]…in…violation of state law…pre[tend]ed [to be] a shield against it…Illinois’s TRUST Act is one of the [most] strong[ly-worded] laws in the nation meant to protect immigrants and has often been cited as a national model.  More than a dozen states, including New York and California, have similar laws.  But…records…show a pattern of continued collaboration with federal…[pogroms]: Sheriffs honoring ICE detainers the law forbids them to honor.  [Cop shops] emailing [ICE goons] the home addresses, employers, and daily whereabouts of people stopped for speeding…[pigs] with a local badge and an ICE email address, sharing immigration data that’s supposed to be off-limits to them.  Jails releasing people directly to waiting ICE agents…at least 150 people [so far have been] uprooted from their lives in Illinois and funneled into the deportation system, in a state whose [politicians have falsely] promised over and over again that it wouldn’t happen here…

On the Simultaneous Having and Eating of Cake (#1614)

A big step forward for treating sex work as work:

…the Nevada State AFL-CIO [has] adopted a resolution in support of sex workers’ right to organize…with unanimous support…“Sex work is work, and these workers deserve to be treated as such,” [Nevada AFL-CIO vice president Marc] Ellis said…“sex workers can know they have the full support of all members of the AFL-CIO”…

Panopticon (Nosey Parkers)

Much, much, MUCH more of this, please:

On August 11, a[n Ohio] grand jury re[fused to indict]…Cody Morelock…[for] destroying a Flock S[urveillance camera]…de[spite] surveillance footage…from other Flock cameras on the same network…The no-bill doesn’t legalize destroying cameras…[or] cancel Flock’s Ohio contracts.  But when a grand jury declines to treat smashing a surveillance camera as [a] serious felony…that signals something real about where public sentiment sits — and that tension isn’t resolving anytime soon…

Other recent actions by anti-surveillance freedom fighters include eight cameras stolen in Winona, Minnesota, six in Duluth, and two in Plymouth, and two in Pageland, South Carolina.  Flock is so nervous about the threat to its fascist revenue stream that it is now demanding a “compromise” between basic civil rights and unconstitutional warrantless surveillance, absurdly claiming that it isn’t the unconstitutional warrantless surveillance company‘s fault if cops predictably use its unconstitutional warrantless surveillance cameras for unconstitutional warrantless surveillance.

 

I find paywalls distasteful, and so many people find this blog valuable as a resource I just can’t bring myself to install one.  Furthermore, I find ad delivery services (whose content I have no say over) even more distasteful.  But as I’m now semi-retired from sex work, I can’t self-sponsor this blog by myself any longer.  So if you value my writing enough that you would pay to see it if it were paywalled, please consider subscribing; there are four different levels to fit all budgets.  Or if that doesn’t work for you, please consider showing your generosity with a one-time donation; you can Paypal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net or else email me at the same address to make other arrangements.  Thanks so much!

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