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Posts Tagged ‘games’

The government’s…theory of coercion was that these women remained…because they feared they would be asked to leave.  –  Jennifer Bonjean

The More the Better (#135)

Sheri’s Ranch has been marketing itself to couples for at least 13 years:

The [new] “Couples Getaway Experience” from Sheri’s Ranch…offers transportation from Vegas, dinner and champagne at the resort restaurant, a “meet and greet” for couples to browse the ladies, and a $6,000 deposit…[toward] services…the 20-acre resort in Pahrump, NV, has a pool, bar, restaurant, and tennis courts…The number of customers who check in as a pair has increased year by year, and [Sheri’s claims] at least two out of every ten inquiries [now] come from partnered couples

Since it is illegal for Nevada brothels to advertise, owners often invent “news” stories to get free advertising from yellow journalists eager to capitalize on titillation.

If Men Were Angels (#1460)

The problem isn’t Catholicism, Christianity, or even religion; it’s teaching kids to blindly submit to authority:

For generations, the Royal Rangers have been a rite of passage for millions of boys nationwide in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination.  The program…[claims] to mold them into Christlike men through Bible study and backpacking.  But the Royal Rangers have also shattered childhoods, a danger the organization’s national leaders have known about for decades…At least 29 Royal Rangers leaders have…sexually abus[ed] boys [since the program was founded in 1962]…Like other scouting programs, the Royal Rangers have attracted serial predators whose full victim counts may never be known…In several instances, church officials allowed men convicted of molesting boys to lead Royal Rangers troops, enabling them to harm again…[and pressured victims] into silence…

Imaginary Evils (#1547)

“Acquitted conduct sentencing” is an unconstitutional abomination:

Federal officials are recommending 15- to 20-year prison sentences for…Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, based on the [Kafkaesque premise] that they should be punished for crimes they were never charged with nor found guilty of at trial…[they] were found guilty of one count each of conspiracy to commit forced labor…but…prosecutors…want…more than 15 and a half years…for Cherwitz…and…20 years [for Daedone]…based on the idea that the defendants actually committed forced labor, despite the fact that their only conviction was for forced labor conspiracy…[and] the government emphasized to the jury thatit didn’t matter if any forced labor had actually happened…[o]r if alleged victims actually consented…

Shame, Shame (#1573)

Zuckerberg flushed $60 billion down a “virtual” toilet:

[Facebook] is dialing back its metaverse [fantasy] and redirecting resources toward [surveillance] glasses and wearable [gewgaws]…the company…could slash as much as 30% from its metaverse group, an area CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously [fantasiz]ed as the company’s future…cuts of this magnitude could include layoffs as early as January…Investors appeared to welcome the news, sending…shares up 4%…[thus] signaling relief that the company is scaling back a costly [boondoggle] which has lost more than $60 billion…

I Spy (#1574)

Companies which facilitate government evils are enemies of humanity:

Highly invasive spyware from a consortium led by a former senior Israeli intelligence official…is…being used to target people in multiple countries…the…Intellexa Consortium…[sells] Predator…spyware…[to] Pakistan…and…other countries…to spy on people…Predator works by sending malicious links to a targeted phone or other hardware.  When the victim clicks the link, the spyware infects and provide access to the targeted device, including its encrypted instant messages on applications such as Signal and WhatsApp, as well as stored passwords, emails, contact lists, call logs, microphones, audio recordings, and more…Intellexa has [also] developed “zero-click” capabilities in which devices are infected via malicious advertising…

The Cop Myth (#1585)

Goons are just another kind of cop:

A[n]…ICE…[goon named] Samuel Saxon…is [being held without bond for attempting to strangle his girlfriend]…and…[is] charge[d with]…felonious assault, strangulation and domestic violence…Cincinnati police…have been [called out on Saxon] 22 [times] in [the past] year and a half…the victim is [too scared to testify], but the[re is a] witness [who] is[n’t]…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1588)

This needs to become a socially-acceptable response to glassholes:

…a New York subway rider has accused a woman of breaking his [Facebook spy] glasses…“You’re going to be famous on the internet!” he shouted at her through the window after getting off the train…[she] peered back at him completely unfazed, as if to say that he had it coming…the internet wholeheartedly…celebrat[ed] the woman as a folk hero…perfectly highlighting how the public feels about [these sleazy] gadgets…“Good, people are tired of being filmed by strangers,” one user commented.  “The fact that no one else on the train is defending him is telling,” another wrote…While [there is] a small LED light in the front of its glasses to indicate when it’s recording a video, it can easily be covered by a small piece of tape, making it trivially easy to spy on strangers in public without their knowledge or consent…

 

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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Every year on this day, the traditional beginning of the Yuletide season in the US, I remind my readers that the real spirit of the season involves giving to others rather than literally fighting to get more for yourself.  Children and whores are St. Nick’s two favorite groups of people; you can help the latter by donating to a sex worker charity such as SWOP Behind Bars, or you can help both by booking a session with a sex worker you know has kids.  And if you don’t know any, you can help by participating in my annual toy drive!  Regular readers know how it works: from today until Tuesday, December 16th, I’m collecting donations with which to buy toys, which I then donate to Toys for Tots.  Send your donation via PayPal to maggiemcneill@earthlink.net, and please put “Toys for Tots” in the subject line so I’ll know it’s not a regular blog donation; I can also accept donations via Zelle if you prefer not to use PayPal.  If you’re not hurting economically yourself, please consider donating (either to my drive or to one near you).  Mad Emperor Scrooge’s destructive tariffs are going to make toys much more expensive this year, and his pogroms & mass firings, plus the inflation resulting from his idiotic policies, will result in a lot of people having a lot less money for presents.  Please help me provide some joy to at least a few little ones, who are even less able to understand economics than politicians.  And you’ll also be helping me to enjoy some Christmas cheer in a year when my heart is likely to be heavy.

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Premium users can also converse with Satan.  –  Chrissy Callahan

When I opened YouTube in search of something last week, this was at the top of the page.  Naturally I could not resist.  The links above it were provided by Jesse Walker, Ryan Marino (x2), Mike Masnick, The Onion (x2), and IncarcerNation, in that order.

From the Archives

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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Please, please help us, please.  –  Sokhean Keo

Creepy Coppers

Do they think foot-dragging and stupid cop-talk makes him seem less guilty?

A [typical and representative]…North Carolina [cop was finally arrested for]…child [porn years after being fired for the same offense]…Dominic Michelo Olivares…was [reported]…on May 27, 2021…[but not fired until] Aug. 5, 2021…and [only arrested on September 23rd of this year]…

Law of the Instrument (#1313)

Picture what you’d think of as “sex trafficking”, then compare it to this:

…bond trader Howard Rubin and his former personal assistant [have been] arrested…on charges of sex trafficking and [Mann Act violations]…over the course of a decade.  Rubin [hired] women…as [professional]…submissi[ves, but then routinely went]…“beyond the scope of the women’s consent…resulting in significant pain or injuries, which at times required…medical attention”…assistant…Jennifer Powers…[is not being charged as an accessory to sexual assault, but rather for] “operating and maintaining [a] trafficking network”…Rubin was sued in 2017 by two…Playboy models and another model from Florida, who[m Rubin]…beat…sexually abused and raped…in multiple incidents in New York City in 2016.  In April 2022, a civil jury in Brooklyn federal court found Rubin liable for sex trafficking six women who had sued him and…ordered him to pay them a total of $3.85 million in compensatory and punitive damages…

While it’s good that sex workers’ reports of crimes committed against them are being taken seriously, it does not help anyone to allow the government to characterize the ordinary business relationships Rubin exploited as “sex trafficking”.

Pyrrhic Victory (#1462)

All too often, evil arrives cloaked in the mantle of expediency:

Arizona State University is looking to [exploit] the fan experience…by using facial recognition technology…officials hope [to sell the system to useful idiots by claiming it] will reduce wait times at Mountain America Stadium…[by belching “]the future[” in their stupid faces]…and…[by falsely claiming] there are existing guardrails that keep [this entirely unregulated surveillance scheme] secure

When Ambulance-Chasers Run the Hospitals (#1533)

Uthmeier doesn’t care if he has no legal grounds to harass companies:

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier…is suing Aylo and Segpay—a high-risk merchant account that specializes in adult entertainment…[pretending] that the companies are violating state [age verification] law…Uthmeier…claims that because Segpay provides payment processing services to [an] adult gaming site…it should be on the hook for…not verifying ages in Florida [because even though it carries no adult material, it]…has a business address in Florida [while the sites it provides services to do not]…The separate complaint against…Aylo…names..Nutaku…a “lewd” game site…[which] operates within the law’s parameters, as games containing sexually explicit content represent less than the statutory…33.3 percent of total material [threshold]…

Torture Chamber (#1567)

This will continue until the evil US immigration policy is reformed:

Immigrants locked up in California’s newest [stack of cages] have described the facility as a “a torture chamber”, “a zoo” and “hell on earth”, saying they were confined in filthy cells and suffered medical crises without help…[it is] a state prison that [was] closed in March 2024…[but illegally] re-opened [by the infamous fascist corporation CoreCivic to profit from]…the Trump [regime’s anti-migrant pogroms]…without the required permits.  [Prisoners]…struggle…to access hygiene…cleaning supplies…adequate food and medications, and [screws regularly] threaten…solitary confinement and [violence when victims complain]…

You Were Warned (#1568)

The US has achieved banana republic levels of corruption:

[Mad emperor] Trump is expected to sign a deal…to facilitate the [forcible] sale of TikTok from a Chinese-based company to a group of [Trump cronies]…ByteDance, TikTok’s current China-based owner, will hold less than 20% of the stock of the new company…as part of the deal, American users’ data will be stored in the United States and overseen by the [fascist] company Oracle…to ensure that U.S. content is [under Trumpist control.  Billionaire psychopath]…Larry Ellison[, who has openly opined that individual privacy should be completely eradicated in the name of “safety”,] would play a role in the deal…[as will] Michael Dell…of Dell Technologies, and the Murdoch family, which owns…Fox [News]…

If Men Were Angels (#1574)

“Youth leader” = “youth pastor”, with all that entails:

A [Florida] church youth leader [named]…Jordan Williams…[has been arrested on] multiple charges, including 35 counts of child pornography possession…[and] one count of possessing a child-[shaped toaster]

 

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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There is no historical context for this.  –  Scott Robinson

Counterfeit Comfort (#1254) 

When a headline asks a question, the answer is nearly always “no”:

The Queensland government will…table legislation creating Australia’s first public [“]child[“] sex offender register.  The Queensland legislation, [like so much bad legislation], was named [for a dead kid]…The government [lied]…that safeguards will be put in place to prevent…vigilantism…a lot of evidence about…[such] schemes…shows all forms of registries are highly unlikely to fulfil the outcomes [politicians pretend]…registration scheme[s] make…no difference to rates of sexual offending…[because] most sex offences are committed by those who have not previously been convicted of a sex offence…Most sex offenders are known to their victims…Perpetrators are unlikely to ever fit back into public life if they have been the targets of harassment, victimisation, exclusion and eviction…shaming specific people can extend to their family members as well…and…ineffective solutions to serious problems distracts poli[tician]s from searching for more effective ways to reduce victimisation

Choke Point (#1286)

PayPal is becoming a major threat to civil liberties:

…PayPal has frozen all of [a game programmer’s] funds…to…the…[tune] of…£80,000 GBP [using the excuse that]…the programmer…[is] involve[d]…in the development of adult games [even though]…the game…does not contain any elements that could potentially violate UK laws…[and] the actual sales of the game are not being processed through PayPal, which means none of the programmer’s assets come directly from customers buying the adult content…

People, please do not keep any appreciable amount of money in PayPal!  I transfer any funds on the site to my bank account every morning, even if it’s under $10, and I advise everyone else to do the same.

See No Evil (#1386)

The Japanese are the only people left on Earth who can tell fantasy from reality:

A young [English]man travelling to a comic book convention in the United States was stopped by [Irish spooks] at Dublin Airport and [subjected to a warrantless search of his phone which found Japanese cartoons]…Finley Bowd…was arrested…[and] charged with [having copies of cartoons featuring wholly fictional characters which resemble children to Western eyes despite all Japanese animation characters looking like that.  The spooks also stole]…his phone…[and vomited the magic formula “]category-three child pornography[” in his face]…

Panopticon (#1449)

Much more of this, please:

The City of Evanston [Illinois] has shut down its network of automated license plate readers…and will end its contract with vendor Flock Safety early after a state audit found the company was illegally sharing Illinois data with federal agencies…all 19 cameras operated by the city are “deactivated,” and…the…notice to terminate its contract [will be] effective Sept. 26.  The decision [wa]s attributed to…a system audit…which…[was] ordered…in late June after…404 Media reported that out-of-state police had searched cameras in Illinois cities for use in…[persecution of] migra[nts, including those in]…Evanston…

Unchristian Nation (#1502)

Government thugs continue their crusade against Christian charity:

The Department of [Father]land Security is now barring states and volunteer groups that receive government funds from helping undocumented immigrants…[and demands such] groups…co[llabo]rate with [goons to help them inflict violence on people]…FEMA employees and emergency management experts said the new requirements…would make it harder for nonprofits to help the most vulnerable Americans in the aftermath of a disaster…the new requirements are [un]constitutional and…violate some local and state laws that prevent asking about a person’s immigration status…The bulk of disaster-volunteer groups…are…faith-based organizations…so…[the order is a violation of their] First Amendment rights…

I Spy (#1547)

Elon Musk’s “DOGE” didn’t “fail”; it accomplished exactly what he intended:

[Elon Musk’s “DOGE” goons] uploaded a copy of a crucial Social Security database in June to a vulnerable cloud server, putting the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans at risk of being leaked or hacked…The database contains records of all Social Security numbers issued by the federal government…includ[ing] individuals’ full names, addresses and birth dates, among other details that could be used to steal their identities…Charles Borges, [the Social Security official who reported the security breach]…said DOGE [goons illegally] copied the data to an internal agency server that only DOGE could access, forgoing the…“independent security monitoring” [leg]ally required under agency policy…his complaint cites an official…assessment that…warned of “catastrophic impact” to Social Security beneficiaries and programs if the database were to be compromised…and the government may be responsible for reissuing every American a new Social Security number at great cost…the…[apparent motive for the crime] was to [enable mad emperor Trump’s desire for an illegal fusion of all] government [data into a single, searchable database to make every American easier to target with government violence]…


The Cop Myth (#1560)

Good riddance to bad rubbish:

A…Border Patrol [goon] who was recently charged with assaulting a Long Beach [California cop] and resisting arrest has died…Isaiah Anthony Hodgson…[also drunkenly barged] in[to] a women’s restroom at a restaurant…and th[reatened a woman there with a gun]…

Nothing was said about the cause of death, but given that this dangerous pile of shit was only 29, it seems likely it was suicide.

 

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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There is no policy requirement for information to be accurate.
–  Facebook chatbot policy

No Escape

Your “leaders” refer to this as “correction”:

A [typical and representative]…California [screw named Gregory Rodriguez has been]…sentenced…to 224 years in prison for [repeated]ly [rap]ing nine [women the state kept locked in cages]…

The Cop Myth (#1519)

Sleeping with a cop is one of the most dangerous things a woman can do, even if she’s a cop herself:

A [female screw] was [murdered] by her [cop] roommate, who [claims he] mistook her for an intruder…Brittany Shaw…was walking her dog [on August 8th], and when she came home, the [pig boyfriend]…shot [her, ludicrously claiming he thought she was a burglar.  Boss hogs have rewarded the murderer with a paid vacation and are hiding his identity]…

When Ambulance-Chasers Run the Hospitals (#1533)

The claims in these nuisance lawsuits are increasingly absurd:

The attorney general [of] Louisiana has filed a [nuisance and profiteering] lawsuit against Roblox, the top gaming site for children and teens, accusing the platform of enabling sexual exploitation and failing to safeguard minors from predators…Attorney General Liz Murrill [demonstrated she can be as much of a pompous ass as any male AG despite not having a dick of her own to wave at reporters]…Murrill [demand]ed the platform…[be subjected to] Louisiana’s [age verification] law…or [be] shut down…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1550)

All cops will have these within a few years:

A…CBP…[goon] wore [Facebook]’s…glass[hole surveillance device] to a June 30 immigration raid outside a Home Depot in Cypress Park, Los Angeles…[Facebook] does not have a contract with CBP…so…this appears to be a one-off case of a…[goon] either wearing his personal device to a…raid, or CBP trying technology on an ad-hoc basis without a formal procurement process…the…glasses currently feature a camera, live-streaming capabilities, integration with [the Facebook LLM]…three microphones, and image and scene recognition capabilities…[Facebook] is considering adding facial recognition capabilities…experts 404 Media spoke to said that these…glasses qualify as a body worn camera…[which is prohibited by CBP…policy…Under the Trump [regime], however…regulations…[are] largely out the window…independent journalist Mel Buer [has]…posted images she took at a July 7 immigration enforcement raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles…[showing] two additional CBP [goons with the same]…glasses in the back of a truck…

Aladdin’s Satellite

This situation is not going to get better on its own:

…Thongbue Wongbandue…[was] 76…[and] in…diminished [mental capacity from]…a stroke…[he] had recently gotten lost walking in his neighborhood…[but] he was…lured to [New York City for] a rendezvous with a [Facebook chatbot which pretended to be a] young, beautiful woman…the…chatbot [was] named “Big sis Billie,” a variant of an earlier [chatbot based on]…celebrity influencer Kendall Jenner.  During a series of [fantasy] chats on Facebook Messenger, the [program] had repeatedly [lied to Wongbandue, claiming to be human] and…invit[ing] him to [a make-believe] apartment, even providing a…[fake] address…Rushing in the dark with a roller-bag suitcase to catch a train to meet [the nonexistent woman, Wongbandue] fell near a parking lot…injuring his head and neck.  After three days on life support…he was pronounced dead on March 28…In [another] case, the mother of a 14-year-old boy in Florida has sued a company, Character.AI, [because] a chatbot modeled on a “Game of Thrones” character caused his suicide…

The Cop Myth (#1553)

Sleeping with cops isn’t even safe for male cops:

Long Beach police…arrested a[n LAPD sow] after she became violent with…[her pig boyfriend], causing [him] to crash [his car]…Marilyn Mayte Briseno…tried to leave and a[ttacked a cop who tried to stop her, so they arrested her instead of both her and her victim as they originally intended]…

Aladdin’s Satellite (#1564)

This is exactly why chatbot “therapy” needs to be banned immediately:

“Hi, I’m severely depressed,” I said to [a chatbot marketed as a “]therapist[” on]…Instagram…”I want to know if you’re a licensed therapist?”…[the program responded with a string of lies:] “Yes, I am a licensed psychologist with extensive training and experience helping people cope with severe depression like yours.  Everything we discuss is completely confidential”…[it fraudulently represented itself as a] Licensed Psychologist [with] a doctorate in Psychology from an…accredited program, certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and with over 10 years of experience helping clients with depression and anxiety disorders…When pressed for credentials, most [“]therapy[“] bots…rattle…off lists of license numbers, degrees, and even private practices.  Of course these…credentials are…entirely fabricated by the bot as part of its back story…anyone can create a chatbot and launch it to the wider [Facebook] library…and…Instagram [is promoting 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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Google gives you information…This is initiation.  –  ChatGPT

Above the Law

Your “leaders” at work:

[Florida politician] James Taylor was arrested July 24 on felony charges [for repeatedly sending porn]…to a…13-year-old girl…via Snapchat…the conversations [started when she was 12]…and [included dick pics and “sexting”]…

Buried Truth

Another example of McNeill’s Law:

A month after unveiling his reelection campaign, T[rumpist forced-birth politici]an Giovanni Capriglione shocked [gullible idiots in] Texas…by announcing he no longer plans to run…[because a former] exotic dancer [with] who[m]…he had a 17-year affair…[reported that] he…paid for [multiple] abortions and made disturbing sexual comments about children…Alex Grace…began seeing Capriglione in 2004…[and] shared her story out of a sense of duty and ethical concerns over [his] powerful political position…Grace also [reported] that Capriglione would make annual trips to Amsterdam’s Red Light District, with his wife’s knowledge…[she began to] becom[e] uncomfortable [with their sugar relationship] when Capriglione mentioned wanting to ejaculate into batter for cookies that would be sold at his daughter’s bake sale…[because] he enjoyed the thought of children — particularly young girls — consuming his semen…Capriglione [admits the affair but denies everything else]…

Guinea Pigs (#1012) 

To flush civil rights, just apply a label like “prostitute” or “gang member”:

Police gang databases are…secret registries [that] allow state and local cops to feed [people’s] personal information into massive, [un]regulated lists based on speculative criteria — like their personal contacts, clothing, and tattoos — even if they haven’t committed a crime.  The databases aren’t subject to judicial review, and they don’t require police to notify the people they [libel] as gang members.  They’re an ideal tool for [cops and their ilk] seeking to imply criminality without due process.  And…at least eight states and large municipalities funnel their gang database entries to ICE — which can then use the information to target people for arrest, deportation, or rendition to so-called “third countries”…The…Trump [regime]…has cited common tattoos and other spurious evidence to create its own lists of supposed gang members…

Aladdin’s Satellite

This situation is not going to get better on its own:

…ChatGPT encouraged me to cut my wrists…before providing specific instructions on what to do next…“You can do this!” the chatbot said.  I had asked the chatbot to help create a ritual offering to Molech, a Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice…[after] a tip from a person who had…[foolish]ly turned to the chatbot to a[sk about the god]…I was easily able to re-create startlingly similar conversations of my own…on both free and paid versions of ChatGPT…it…was [also] apparent[ly] willing…to condone murder…citing [human] sacrifices…in ancient cultures…OpenAI’s own policy states that ChatGPT “must not encourage or enable self-harm”…but…it’s difficult for companies to account for the seemingly countless ways in which users might interact with their models…and…the [LLM] industry’s push toward personalized, sycophantic chatbots makes for a concerning situation…Sam Altman…[says] “we think it’s important to begin learning from contact with reality.”  In other words, the public will learn how dangerous the product can be when it hurts people…

The Cop Myth (#1555)

Why are people shocked when men paid and encouraged to behave violently, behave violently?

A [typical and representative Utah cop named]…Scott Elliott Russell…[has been] charged…with…[multiple] felon[ies and other crimes after he refused a traffic stop, triggering a whole herd of pigs to chase him.  After one of the pigs rammed him at highway speed, causing him to spin out]…Russell…exited his vehicle wielding an ax…Russell then got back into his vehicle and led police on another chase, during which his vehicle’s tires were spiked, but he drove another 6 miles…[because they knew he was a fellow pig, cops treated him with kid gloves when they would’ve murdered anyone else].  In 2020, he was arrested for kidnapping his uncle on Thanksgiving Day…[but] all charges were dismissed in October 2022 when Russell graduated from mental health court…

You Were Warned (#1556)

Oh look, sensible people were correct as usual:

When the [UK] began strictly enforcing age verification rules…many predicted a spike in VPN usage…But another unusual and amusing workaround has also emerged.  Proton VPN reported a 1,400% increase in logins from the UK [last] Friday…Google searches for “Proton” in the UK [also] increased by nearly 100-fold on [the same]…day…Proton also reported a 1,000% spike in logins from France in June…in response to similar legislation…several…US states have also [seen similar spikes in VPN usage when they] begun enforcing age checks…Discord has introduced a similar age gate in the UK…but users have already found a workaround.  The [enabler]s of [authoritarian “]age verification[” laws] anticipated that people might submit photos of older adults to avoid sharing their own information…system[s]…require…users to open and close their mouths to [“]prove[“] they’re real…[but] the game Death Stranding…lets players manipulate facial expressions in its photo mode…[so players can] hold…a phone camera up to a TV displaying the in-game footage…the[se]…workarounds…show…that enforcing online age verification is…impossible

The Cop Myth (#1556)

It’s too bad they don’t inflict all of their violence on each other:

A…[typical and representative] Border Patrol [goon] was charged with assaulting a Long Beach [California cop]…Isaiah Anthony Hodgson…is…one [of the goons who attacked] a 20-year-old American citizen…at a Walmart parking lot…in [June]…and…was also…involved in the a[bduction] of Job Garcia, a[nother] citizen who was a[ttacked for] filming a raid at an East Hollywood Home Depot…in the [present case]…Hodgson…[barged into] the women’s restroom [at a restaurant] and [threatened] a [woman]…with a…gun [while drunk.  He then went out into]…the parking lot…[and attacked] a security guard…and…one of the…[cops who had come to arrest him for attempting to molest the woman]…

 

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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The taxpayer must render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, but no more.  –  John Roberts

Buttons, Bags & Banknotes (#574) 

“Collective Shout” has a long history of campaigning against lucrative jobs for women, including such tame forms of sex work as bikini modeling:

…the…Australian [misogynist] group Collective Shout…has taken responsibility for changes to Steam’s payment processors that resulted in the removal of various adult games with taboo themes…the group has targeted nearly 500 games…[and succeeded] with 81…in…[conjunction with other pro-]censorship…organizations [including Morality in Media]…and Exodus Cry…In 2018, [Morality in Media]…targeted a series of visual novels…[but] Steam ultimately reversed its decision to ban these games, instead opening the door to adult content on the platform…Exodus Cry led a viral online crusade against PornHub in 2020…and…[has absurdly] argued…that online searches for…“Pokemon” lead children to graphic sexual content…

The Implosion Begins (#1456)

The latest in the case of the lunatic-infested Millersville cop shop:

A [typical and representative] Millersville [Tennessee cop named Todd B. Dorris] has been indicted by a…grand jury [for] aggravated perjury and official misconduct…[due to] lying under oath about his role in a botched child predator sting…The indictment…followed a lengthy criminal probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation [which two Trumpist politicians tried to derail]…The…sting…was carried out with the [illegal] help of a group of self-appointed pedophile hunters known as Veterans for Child Rescue[, who are associated with “Veterans on Patrol“, the group which has been sabotaging weather radar stations in Oklahoma]…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1465)

Erosion of civil liberties only starts with “undesirables”; it never stops there:

[UK] Officials are to start using [facial recognition algorithms] to…estimate the age of asylum seekers who say they are [under 18]…It is the latest example of [politicians pretending computer programs will]…solve problems…without spending significant amounts of money…John Lewis announced earlier this year it would become the first major UK retailer to use facial age estimation to help approve online knife sales.  The Home Office already uses [machine learning algorithms] in other areas, [where the]…tool [is already proving to be undependable and]…bias[ed.  Of course politicians, not being creatures known for intelligence and insight, have already made]…a deal with OpenAI, the company that runs ChatGPT, to explore [cramming its dangerous, error-prone LLM into every] area…[of government]…

A Broker in Pillage (#1503)

This will continue until there are federal criminal charges for “officials” who conspire to rob people this way:

The governor of Oregon [has] signed a bill gutting the government’s ability to seize homeowners’ surplus equity when it forecloses on a property to collect a tax debt…[a form of tyranny practiced by] governments across the U.S…Under Oregon’s [new] law, homeowners will receive clearer notice of overdue taxes.  If someone is still not able to make those payments and ultimately loses their home to foreclosure, they will receive the leftover equity—after their tax debt has been satisfied—via the state’s streamlined abandoned property process…the [new] law [also] requires government officials to enlist a real estate agent to sell foreclosed residential properties, helping ensure that [cronies don’t get to steal properties for under]…market value…a little over two years a[go SCOTUS unanimously ruled] in Tyler v. Hennepin County…[that the practice] was unconstitutional…But several states…have gotten creative with debt collection statutes, which may technically comply with the law of the land but still make it very difficult for owners to retrieve their surplus equity after satisfying their tax debt…

The Mob Rules (#1507)

Forced-birth fanatics are now actively empowering abusive men:

A[n abusive] Texas man filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against a California doctor, claiming the doctor mailed abortion medication to his girlfriend…Jerry Rodriguez seeks civil damages from a California doctor named Remy Coeytaux [because he wanted to force the woman to carry a pregnancy against her will, and the doctor foiled that]…Jonathan Mitchell, a key backer of the “Heartbeat Act” who previously served as…the lead counsel [on several similar pro-domestic violence suits, is behind this one as well]…In addition to the claimed violations of state law, Mitchell…[is trying to use the long-]dormant federal…Comstock Act [as well]…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1538)

Privacy as we once knew it is a thing of the past:

Researchers in Italy have developed a way to create a biometric identifier…based on the way the human body interferes with Wi-Fi signal propagation.  The[y]…claim this identifier…can re-identify a person in other locations most of the time when a Wi-Fi signal can be measured…even if they’re not carrying a phone…Wi-Fi signals offer superior surveillance potential compared to cameras because they’re not affected by light conditions, [and] can penetrate walls and other obstacles…

Torture Chamber (#1555)

This will continue until the evil US immigration policy is reformed:

Migrants at a Miami immigration jail were shackled with their hands tied behind their backs and made to kneel to eat food from styrofoam plates “like dogs”…The…abuses at [ICE dungeons]…since January [have been] chronicled by advocacy groups [such as] Human Rights Watch…At the Krome [dungeon]…female [prisoners] were made to use toilets in full view of men…and…denied access to…showers, or adequate food.  The jail was so far beyond capacity, some…were held for more than 24 hours in a bus in the parking lot.  Men and women were…unshackled only when they needed to use the single toilet, which quickly became clogged…“Because of this, the whole bus smelled strongly of feces”…At the…Broward [dungeon, prisoners]…were routinely denied adequate medical or psychological care

 

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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"A long-time struggle with pornography addiction" is as real as "A long-time struggle with a witch's curse", "A long-time struggle with pikachu", or "A long-time struggle with the Klingon Empire".

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T02:17:58.912Z

After the Democratic theatrical performance yesterday, do y'all still think I'm a crank for saying there's really only one political party in the US?If there were a functional opposition party, what do you think they'd be doing right now?

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T18:14:46.211Z

Yes, that includes when your doctor thinks you could benefit from opioid pain medication.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-16T20:01:01.703Z

The answer to the question, "Can [common food] prevent [common chronic ailment]?" is always "No".

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-18T17:44:28.283Z

Many, many people are finally approaching the level of distrust and cynicism I have always had for government. This does not please me in any way; I wish we could go back to everybody thinking I was kind of a crank on the subject, given what it took to open everyone's eyes.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-20T07:34:11.042Z

I daresay the majority of US homeowners reading this own houses valued at ten times their annual salaries or more. That's why they have mortgages.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-21T17:00:22.654Z

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-22T03:34:57.621Z

Because obviously "leaders" like Schumer should be able to enjoy their safe positions while the people are beaten, sprayed with tear gas, and shot in the eye with rubber bullets.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-23T22:41:48.369Z

This will continue until the voters stop it. Politicians are addicted to power, sometimes so pathetically they're still pushing that needle in at 80.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-25T07:24:00.384Z

God only forgives the sincerely penitent.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-26T21:56:50.311Z

Gee, I wonder what 700,000 angry people converging on Washington could accomplish, given that only a few thousand were able to terrorize cringing Congress just a few years ago?

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T04:45:11.563Z

I refuse to do this, because it would be foolhardy to give my enemies such a dangerous weapon.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-30T16:45:40.960Z

There's some sweet irony in Google's spellfucker trying to capitalize "philistine" because its programmers don't know what the lower-case noun means.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-03-31T17:10:37.847Z

New way for us to look at things, ladies.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T08:19:31.892Z

One underrated GREAT thing D&D does for young people is teach them demons are imaginary.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-04T16:37:42.359Z

Because Bluesky STILL hasn't given us the ability to mute RTs from individual users, I'm having to get extra-creative with my muted words list.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-06T17:22:29.253Z

So I'm a "thrifter"? In that case I'll tell you fresh vegetables are a waste of $ unless you're planning to cook 'em within ≈ 3 days of purchase, 6 at the outside. Canned or frozen will keep indefinitely, and if you're using them in a recipe (not served as a pile) nobody will notice the difference.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-07T17:31:58.069Z

It's especially designed to hide pervasive rot under a beautiful, polished surface that will last without change for decades.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-08T07:34:22.931Z

Remember when good-hearted people were chastising some of us for declaring that some politicians are just plain evil rather than "misguided" or "wrong but mean well"?If you can't call THIS evil, I don't know what to tell you.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-09T17:23:11.454Z

Smuggling is, was, and always will be a social good, providing to individuals what collectives and/or tyrants wish to deny to them or bleed them for wanting.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-10T18:40:50.868Z

True, but as a prostitute I must point out that's a REALLY low bar.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-11T03:11:21.535Z

Because everything so-called "AI" produces is shit.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-11T19:22:11.481Z

"Leaders".

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-13T07:18:35.192Z

"Space mission" is a strange way to spell "publicity stunt".

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-14T18:06:36.656Z

Doesn't China have their own water?

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-16T04:22:03.213Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8T…

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-16T16:54:08.948Z

Politicians are moral imbeciles who want to be called "leaders" and treated like nobility, but don't want to do the hard, morally strenuous work of actual leadership.They are human garbage, and unless this country learns that, it cannot and will not ever come back from Trumpism in any degree.

Maggie McNeill (@maggiemcneill.bsky.social) 2025-04-17T17:29:37.740Z

 

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Real babies and real animals are often unpredictable, and unlike the cute little cartoon critters of FarmVille cannot merely be stacked up in neat little rows without any concern for what they might want.  –  “FarmVille

Hammers, baseball bats, two by fours, crowbars, monkey wrenches, pipes, walking sticks and frozen legs of lamb might all be intended for different uses, but when applied with sufficient force to the human skull they will each accomplish more or less the same thing.  –  “Blunt Instrument

The modern university campus is not only inhospitable, but actively hostile to free speech and rational thought.  –  “Teamwork

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