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In the News (#1573)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

We have a child problem and it’s probably time to talk about it.  –  unnamed Facebook employee, April 2017

See No Evil (#1505)

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

One of the hundreds of laws adopted by Texas recently [invent]s a…felony…[for merely looking at any nude picture of a fictional character] that appears to [any Texas politician to] be…younger than 18 years of age…[within the fictional universe inhabited by the characters, despite all Japanese animation characters looking like that.  Politicians justified the prohibitionist onset by barfing out the marketing term “]artificial intelligence[“, yet clearly states that the law applies to]…“a cartoon or animation[“.  Comics book store owners]…have…already pulled some volumes of…popular Japanese comic[s]…due to concerns [of being targeted by violent censors]…

Shame, Shame (#1535)

Zuckerberg is completely out of his mind:

…[Facebook has repeatedly claimed that] child safety [is] a top priority across its platforms.  But…researcher[s working for the company]…said…[it routinely] suppressed research that might have illuminated potential safety risks to children and teens on the company’s virtual reality devices and apps…[on orders from] its legal team…[which] seek[s] to “establish plausible deniability” about negative effects of the company’s products…[even though] children younger than 13 [routinely] bypass…age restrictions to use the company’s virtual reality services…In Zuckerberg’s [deranged] vision, people will maneuver in and out of virtual and physical spaces for work, entertainment and socializing…But earnings reports show that Reality Labs, the company’s virtual reality division, has lost more than $60 billion over the past five years…In 2021, a…child sex offender in Michigan…was sentenced to 35 years in prison [for trying to lure children via the so-called “Metaverse”, and] in 2022, a…man [molested] a 13-year-old girl [after abducting her]…in Utah after they, too, met and interacted…the [same way]…

Eavesdropping (#1537)

As if rude assholes talking loudly on cell phones wasn’t bad enough:

[A chatbot in a] pendant is now…[available] for $129…[“Friend”] connects…through [an] iPhone…to a chatbot in [someone else’s computer] that’s powered by Google’s Gemini…You can tap on the disc to ask [the chatbot] questions…and it responds…by sending…text messages through the companion app…It also listens to whatever you’re doing…and offers a running commentary on the interactions [with non-consenting strangers] you have…[via] microphones that are always activated…wearing the [“]Friend[“] will likely earn you the ire of everyone around you…[especially because it] is the creation of Avi Schiffmann…a creepy…man in his early twenties…[who] can be brash, snarky, and vocally unconcerned about critical feedback, and…that attitude has carried over to the device he has infused with his essence…[which] comes off as opinionated, judgy, and downright condescending…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1553)

“Criminality” is a status defined entirely by the State:

…ICE…recently spent nearly four million dollars on facial recognition technology…to [find] people it [pretend]s have assaulted [its goons]…Clearview has…repeatedly contracted with ICE…but those purchases did not explicitly say the technology would be used to identify people the agency [wished to target with spurious claims of “]assaulting officers[“]…

Creepy Coppers (#1554)

One of the people the government empowers to police your sexuality:

A[n Alabama screw] is under arrest for sending [dick pics] and [porn] videos to [underage girls] through Snapchat…Christopher Thomason…sent…more than 100 [dick pics] of him [wearing his magical clown costume] to at least three underage [girls, one]…of [whom was]…12…He [also] tried to meet up with a girl at a high school football game…his boss h[og used the opportunity to strut around bloviating self-aggrandizing copaganda]…

Walled Garden

This “monkey see, monkey do” parade is now parading around the world:

Aussies [who don’t use VPNs] will soon be required to [ask Nanny permission to access any part of the internet any politician chooses to point at while barfing “]pornography[“, “]violence[“]…[“]inappropriate[“, or whatever other magic words they choose to add later]…Companies [can be targeted by politicians for looting using] the new laws [as an excuse]…Similar rules will be imposed on apps…includ[ing]…chatbots…[the] government…last year [declared that it didn’t give a shit]…about breaches of privacy…

Walled Garden (#1565)

The open internet is becoming a thing of the past:

After blocking its service in Mississippi over its new [beg-for-permission-to-use-the-internet] law, [Bluesky] is taking a different approach to comply with [surveillance] laws in South Dakota and Wyoming…users [without VPNs] in South Dakota and Wyoming can [submit to surveillance]…through…Kids Web Services’ (KWS)…the same [data-selling company it uses] to comply with the U.K.’s [misnamed] Online Safety Act…[which in actuality puts] users at increased risk of identity theft…

 

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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Links #793

Posted in Current Events, Links, Miscellaneous, Music, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 14, 2025| 1 Comment »

This is bottom feeding on a grand scale.  –  Frank Cerabino

This interesting cover of a song I’ve always liked was called to my attention by Phoenix Calida; the links above it were provided by IncarcerNation, Jesse Walker, T. Greg Doucette, Nun Ya, Tim Cushing, and Nun Ya again, 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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In the News (#1568)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[Computer-edited videos are] a nightmarish mess of distorted faces, garbled text, and misshapen backgrounds.  –  Jess Weatherbed

The Pygmalion Fallacy (#1016)

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the “Campaign Against Toasters”:

…[anti-sex fanatics] assert that sex-doll play objectifies women, contributes to anti-female attitudes, and spurs sexual assault and pedophilia.  Some…pro[hibitionists want] a ban on the dolls…and criminal prosecution for those who own or sell them.  However, a recent study shows that sex-doll owners are normal, mentally healthy guys whose problems with relationships steered them to play with sex toys that are inanimate substitutes for real women…English researchers…found no significant differences between owners and non-owners, and no evidence that, compared with non-owners, doll owners pose any greater sexual threat to women or society…Doll owners were much more likely to be single, separated, or divorced…[and] reported considerably less partner sex…owners reported somewhat less sexual self-esteem and a little more performance anxiety…they were somewhat more likely to view women as mysterious and unknowable, which dovetails with the fact that so many were single, separated, or divorced.  However…owners were less likely to fantasize about sexual coercion or report any interest in sexual aggression against women…owners’ psychological makeup “…suggests that dolls act as a safe surrogate for relationships with living people due to concerns about their own sexual performance and lack of understanding of women…Doll ownership does not appear to be associated with sexual aggression or sexual offending”…

The Last Shall Be First (#1410) 

It only starts with demonized minorities:

…the Trump [regime is] demand[ing]…confidential patient information from doctors and hospitals that provide gender-related treatments for [legal minors.  A]…subpoena to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, sent in June, includes a seven-page list of requested documents, including “every writing or record of whatever type” made by doctors related to gender-affirming care, which includes therapy, puberty blockers, hormones and [rarely] surgery.  The subpoena…also [demanded] the birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of patients who received transgender care…in [order] to [persecute them despite]…federal confidentiality protections for patients and their medical providers…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1479)

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

Two…Harvard [dropou]ts are launching a pair of “always-on” [computerized] glasses that…record…and transcribe every conversation, and then display relevant information to the wearer in real time. “Our goal is to make [people much stupider and completely dependent on expensive gizmos, while appealing to their egos by telling them it will] make [them ‘]super intelligent[‘]”…said AnhPhu Nguyen, co-founder of…Halo…his co-founder Caine Ardayfio [claimed consulting a database is the same as]…“infinite memory…The [goal is] to [create a world of submorons who need computers]…to tell [them] what to say”…Ardayfio and Nguyen have [already] raised $1 million to develop the glasses…[which are] available for pre-order at $249…“[We don’t care] about…privacy”…Nguyen added…point[ing out that]…while [Facebook] glasses have an indicator light when their cameras and microphones are [active]…to warn others that they are being recorded…the Halo glasses…in[tentionally do not, so victims have no] warn…ing…“We want [the intrusion] to be discreet, like normal glasses,” said Ardayfio…

To Molest and Rape (#1496)

It was obvious this would turn out to be sordid:

The rural Kentucky judge gunned down in his own chambers last year r[outinely threatened]…young women w[ith severe criminal penalties in order to] co[erce them] into performing sexual favors…for…him and others…Mullins…[also threate]ned [victims with criminal charges, CPS and other violence] to keep [them] quiet…[some screws and cops claimed to have] heard…“nasty and sickening” stories…[ab]out…the [“]parties[“, but]…one [victim], Sabrina Adkins…[eventually bl]ew…the [whistle] during a 2022 criminal investigation into a [cop]…who…[anally and vaginally] rape[d]…a [woman trapped in the county’s cages]…Mullins’ shooting [by Sheriff Shawn Stines may have had something to do with the scheme because after the murder]…he…immediately surrendered, telling cops: “They’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid”…

You Were Warned (#1515)

The US Constitutional order is no more:

[Mad emperor] Trump is calling national security and privacy concerns related to TikTok and its Chinese parent company “highly overrated” and said…he’ll keep [unconstitutionally] extending the deadline…until there’s a buyer.  Congress approved a[n unconstitutional] ban on TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold its controlling stake.  But Trump has so far [unconstitutionally] extended the deadline three times…with the next one coming up on Sept. 17…and…the White House start[ed] a TikTok account [last] week…[so] it appears less and less likely that TikTok will be banned in the U.S. any time soon…

Creepy Coppers (#1527)

Some cops don’t limit themselves to one type of creepiness:

A…Georgia [cop named]…Matthew Abbott…[has been] charged with…distribution of [child porn featuring adults raping]…children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old…and [also with jerking off]…in a public parking lot near an elementary school…while [wearing his magical clown costume.  His boss hog used the occasion to vomit up a bunch of self-aggrandizing bullshit]…

Enshittification (#1557)  

A company whose motto used to be “Don’t Be Evil” has made violating its users’ consent a standard business practice:

YouTube [used computers to alter] videos without telling users or asking permission.  As…our world [becomes increasingly enshittified], what happens to our shared connection with real life?…Wrinkles in shirts seem more defined. Skin is sharper in some places and smoother in others.  Pay close attention to ears, and you may notice them warp.  These changes are small, barely visible without a side-by-side comparison…[but the creators point out] it gives their content a subtle and unwelcome [uncanny valley] feeling…Complaints on social media date back to June, at least, with users posting closeups of odd-looking body parts and questioning YouTube’s intentions.  Now, after months of rumors in comment sections, the company has finally confirmed it is altering a limited number of videos on YouTube Shorts, the app’s shortform video feature…

 

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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Fracchia vs Throwback Thursday

Posted in History, Miscellaneous, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

It’s probably difficult for people under 40 to imagine the frustration of being unable to complete a multi-part story due to the conclusion being unavailable.
–  “Missing Parts”

A corpse is no less dead if the hail of bullets in his back were fired “on duty”, and a woman or child no less traumatized if told that their rape was actually a “search” or “investigation”.
–  “Off-Duty”

I suspect that the reason the “forced sex trafficking abortions” myth didn’t become more popular is that, despite the considerable overlap between anti-whore and anti-abortion activism, abortion rights constitute a sacred cow among the “progressives” who did much of the heavy lifting promoting the moral panic.
–  “Life Imitates Artifice (#1366)”

The concept of “consent” seems foreign to the company whose slogan was once “Don’t be evil”.  –  “Enshittification“

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Walled Garden

Posted in Current Events, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

As I wrote just over a year ago,

…attempts to sanitize the internet and turn it into a unidirectional “walled garden” more like cable TV than a “World Wide Web” have become more common, aggressive, and (thanks to the folly of Man) popular…

And now, it’s no longer accurate to describe these attacks on privacy, freedom, and adult agency as mere “attempts”, though for now it’s still easy to circumvent them by use of a VPN or clever tricks of the sort adolescents are invariably better at than adults.  As the ever-vigilant Liz Brown recently wrote,

…the United Kingdom[‘s demands for ID]…check[ing are]…already reverberating beyond adult websites…Bluesky—a general-interest social media platform…will begin requiring U.K. users to prove they’re adults or otherwise find direct messaging and certain content inaccessible…the U.K.’s [misnamed] Online Safety Act…imposes rules on…a[n]y…digital service…publishing content that [a politician or bureaucrat has pointed at while barfing]…“harmful to children”…Reddit, [Twitter], Discord, and Grinder “have now announced they will deploy age assurance” schemes…At least 20 [American] states have already passed rules requiring age verification for adult content.  And I think we can expect most, if not all, states to follow suit now that the Supreme Court has given it the OK…sex work is always the canary in the coal mine for free speech and privacy, and age-check requirements aren’t stopping with online porn.  Already, some states are passing laws that necessitate social media platforms checking IDs or otherwise [harass]ing user[s].  A federal appeals court recently gave the green light to Mississippi to start enforcing a social media age verification law.

“Around the world, a new wave of [laws justified by labeling them] child protection…are forcing a profound shift that could normalize [intrusive surveillance] broadly across the web,” note[s an article]…at Wired…”courts in France ruled last week that porn sites can check users’ ages.  Ireland [has] implemented age checking laws for video websites…The European Commission is testing an age-verification app.  And in December, Australia’s strict social media ban for [people] under 16 will take effect, [extending even]…to search engines…The age of online anonymity…is rapidly vanishing. In its place, we get dubious “protection” measures that can be easily gamed…may send people to less regulated and less responsible platforms, put adults and children alike at risk of identity theft and other security violations, and make it much easier for authorities around the world to keep tabs on their citizens.

As if that’s not bad enough, some sites have decided not to use ID verification, but rather to subject their users to artificial stupidity instead:

Spotify is requiring users in the UK to verify they’re over 18…”to access certain age restricted content, like music videos tagged 18+”…if the age verification system…which involves getting your face scanned through your device’s camera [for a computer algorithm to guess] your age…[fails as such algorithms often do]…your Spotify account will be deleted…

There are of course ways to listen to music which involve no surveillance, including the quaint, old-fashioned device called a “CD”.  But some other sites aren’t waiting for politicians to act, because they’re eager to force users into a facial-recognition database for their own noxious purposes:

YouTube will soon begin using [computer algorithms] to [guess] which users are under the age of 18.  Starting August 13th, YouTube will [automatically restrict Americans a computer guesses are] underage…based on their activity and the age of their account…if the platform gets it wrong [as it often will], users can verify their age by uploading a government ID, taking a selfie, or entering a credit card…

Well, that whole internet thing was nice while it lasted.

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In the News (#1555)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Philosophy, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2025| 1 Comment »

We need to take back control over the tools that we use.  –  Mike Masnick

It’s a Start

Let’s see if this lasts any longer in Pittsburgh than it did in New Orleans:

Pittsburgh City Council [has passed] an ordinance that would [allow cops to choose to charge]…sex work[ers with]…a [municipal] summary offense [instead of the state misdemeanor charge, which]…“can involve up to a year in jail, and…fines [of]…up to $10,000”…the m[unicipal offense would inflict]…“just a small fine similar to a traffic ticket”…[state] laws also require those charged with prostitution to show up to court, a requirement that the [optional offense under the] ordinance would do away with… the ordinance would not [remove cops’]…ability…to…charge people [with the existing state prostitution offense]…

These halfway measures are just a bone to activists; they never make a difference and never last more than a couple of years.

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1410)

Burble burble BLUE STATE burble drool:

If [politician]s in New York and Minnesota get their way, social media users will be [harassed by compelled-speech popups making nonsensical claim]s about the [supposed] toll their scrolling habits could be taking on their mental health.  Legislatures in both states recently passed legislation requiring [“]warning labels[“] on social media, despite a…federal court…declaring a similar law for porn websites…unconstitutional.  The Minnesota [version] says a “conspicuous mental health warning label” must appear each time a user accesses a social media platform and only disappear when the user exits the platform or [clicks a box]…The New York [version]…mandates that any social media platform that provides [typical] basic features…must display a warning label “prescribed by the commissioner of mental hygiene.”  This is peak performative lawmaking [which]…lets [politicians]…pretend to be doing something to save us from the boogeyman du jour, Big Tech…In the real world, government goons telling you to put down Instagram and go touch grass would be unlikely to help even if it could pass constitutional muster—which it almost certainly won’t…

The Cop Myth (#1546)

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

A [North Carolina cop] resigned [after] he threatened a man with [a knife] at a restaurant…and accused [his victim] of touching his daughter.  Wesley Lane[‘s victim] has epilepsy, autism and an intellectual learning disability…surveillance video and witness statements [proved Lane’s excuse was full of shit]…

You Were Warned (#1550)

The subtitle above says it all:

…Starting at the end of 2025, Australians [who don’t use VPNs] will [be forced] to verify their ages when…using e[ither]…Google [or] Microsoft [Bing, which were singled out as] the two biggest search engines in the country…search engines [must otherwise “impose] tools and/or settings like ‘safe search’ functionality, at the highest [censorship] setting by default[, assuming every user]…is…an Australian child”…the measures are similar to what’s being considered for the country’s under-16 social media ban…age assurance laws like this…[are known to] be [in]effective[, but politicians don’t care because the “internet safety” theater] is [the entire point]…VPNs allow people to surf from other locations, bypassing location-specific rules…and [sites not based in Australia] may simply choose not to [infantilize their users]…

Mad Libs (#1550)

These algorithms are not only unintelligent; they are making those who use them look stupid as well:

…there’s now something of a cottage industry for writers and coders who specialize in fixing [LLM vomit]…Sarah Skidd, an American product marketing manager…was approached by an agency that urgently needed someone to redo copy…after having a…chatbot do the work to save a few bucks…she spent 20 hours redoing the copy from scratch…[which] meant her client was shelling out $2,000 for copy that likely would have ended up being far cheaper had a human just written it in the first place.  With more and more companies rushing to [jump on the fake “]AI[” bandwagon] over the past few years, things are shaking out in [100% predictable] ways…Sophie Warner…of the UK-based digital marketing agency Create Designs..[ha]s been fielding more and more requests from clients to clean up [LLM vomit]…In one recent case, a client ended up going without a website for three days and having to pay Create Designs nearly $500 over a small line of code that ChatGPT had written for them…[when a human could have written] the original…[in] about 15 minutes…but [gullible fools are still buying tech advertising claims]…that [computer programs] can replace expert work…

Torture Chamber (#1551)

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

Immigrants being [locked up] in [large closet]s in Lower Manhattan have [reported] being unable to bathe or change clothes, cramped conditions, sometimes being provided just one meal a day, and sleeping on concrete benches or the floor…[for] days at a time… “There’s no room to sit down – standing room only,” said Rebecca Rubin, an immigration attorney…[cowardly] Congress[critter]s, who for weeks have been refused entry at the site…have [merely complained rather than using their authority to enter and inspect]…The [closet]s used to be temporary holding areas where [victims of ICE] were [locked] for a few hours before being transferred to larger…[prisons]…But…in recent months, [victims] have been [packed in like sardines]…for [up to 10] days…

Aladdin’s Satellite

How to make an LLM simulate psychosis:

[Last] week, Elon Musk’s Grok [chatbot] started spewing extreme antisemitism, responding with conspiracy theories about Jewish people, and for a brief period telling people to call it “MechaHitler”.  The incident perfectly illustrates why Alex Komoroske’s manifesto about the dangers of centralized AI, which we ran less than a month ago, has been making waves.  When a single person controls the dials on an [LLM] system, they…inevitably will…tweak those dials to serve their own interests and worldview, not their users’.  Just days [before], Elon claimed that his team had “improved Grok significantly” and that “you should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions”…People sure did notice a difference.  The transformation wasn’t subtle, and it wasn’t accidental…a similar [ham-handed “improvement”] two months or so ago [resulted in] Grok bec[oming] obsessed with linking everything to [“]white genocide[“]…as the situation escalated, they [tried to fix it, but]…eventually…[had to take it] offline entirely…

From now on, house style on The Honest Courtesan will be to refer to Musk’s chatbot not by the wildly-incongruous name “Grok”, but by its self-chosen appellation “MechaHitler”.

 

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 (#1547)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[Modern] ideas about coercion and consent…[a]re…so…arcane…[they] stop…just short of taking astrological signs into account.  –  E. N. Brown

A Broker in Pillage (#1324)

For the complicated backstory of this ongoing travesty, click on the subtitle link above:

A prosecutor who [brazen]ly weaponized the criminal code to retaliate against a man for filing a class-action lawsuit that challenged the notorious [legalized robbery racket] in Wayne County, Michigan, is not entitled to prosecutorial immunity, a state appeals court has ruled…sending the man’s lawsuit against that prosecutor back to the trial court…Suits like Reeves’ are usually doomed before they begin, as prosecutors are protected by absolute immunity for judicial or quasi-judicial functions…[even if they] falsify evidence, introduce perjured testimony, coerce witnesses, or hide exculpatory information from the defense.  But the State of Michigan Court of Appeals…ruled yesterday that Dennis Doherty, the [blatantly-corrupt] prosecutor…was not entitled to that protection, because [he took so many shortcuts his] misconduct did not qualify as quasi-judicial…[unfortunately, he is still] entitled to qualified immunity…[which may still sink] Reeves[‘ case]…

Panopticon (#1470)

If there’s a camera, cops will conscript it for use as a surveillance tool:

[LAPD] obtained video footage from a Waymo driverless car as part of its investigation into a hit-and-run in which a separate, human-driven car hit a pedestrian…[and] published the footage…on its YouTube page to ask the public for help identifying the driver of the vehicle…[demonstrating] that [cops] are now looking at…robotaxis as…[handy] surveillance [tools]…[just like] Teslas, extremely pervasive Ring cameras, and [delivery robots]…Waymo is rapidly expanding…and…the proliferation of Waymo cars also means the proliferation of roving surveillance cameras…

The Prudish Giant (#1513)

Why does anyone still trust Facebook?

Tracking code that [Facebook] and Russia-based Yandex embed into millions of websites is de-anonymizing visitors by abusing legitimate Internet protocols, causing Chrome and other browsers to surreptitiously send unique identifiers to…apps installed on a device…Google says it’s investigating the abuse, which allows [Facebook] and Yandex to…bypass core security and privacy protections provided by both the Android operating system and browsers that run on it.  Android sandboxing, for instance, isolates processes to prevent them from interacting with the OS and any other app installed on the device, cutting off access to sensitive data or privileged system resources.  The bypass…allows the companies to pass cookies or other identifiers from Firefox and Chromium-based browsers to…tie that vast browsing history to the [Facebook or Yandex] account holder…Google said the behavior violates the terms of service for its Play marketplace and the privacy expectations of Android users…

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1532)

Most Americans still believe France is a sex-positive society:

French authorities are seriously considering restricting public access to some of the world’s most popular social media sites [using the excuse of] prevent[ing legal minors] from accessing pornography…President Emmanuel Macron [is also harping on]…the country’s push to ban social media for under-15s…[using the excuse of] the murder of a teaching assistant in a high school…[ARCOM] is considering designating websites such as Bluesky, Mastodon and Reddit — all of which allow the distribution of adult content — as porn platforms, obliging them to implement stringent age verification requirements…

Imaginary Evils (#1539)

Backpage was only the test case for this ethically-bankrupt strategy:

…[in] the OneTaste case…a jury has returned a guilty verdict against Rachel Cherwitz and Nicole Daedone…the larger implications of this case…[a]re not pretty…[institutionalized] ideas about coercion and consent…went from…acknowledging that sexual assault needn’t necessarily involve force or violence…to women getting support for claims of sexual coercion…even when they seemed to willingly go along with sexual activity at the time but later said that they weren’t enthusiastic enough about it and a partner should have known that and stopped…Are sexual partners supposed to be mind readers? Do women have any responsibility for explicitly making their wishes known?…It was a new paradigm…sold, perversely, as empowering to women…We’re uncomfortable as a culture with “assigning women complete sexual responsibility, even though we want them to have complete sexual liberty,” said Kat Rosenfield on a recent…podcast…And once you’re in that mode, you end up with some real mental shenanigans around consent…[which] have now crossed over from…cultural vibes to legal standards adopted by federal prosecutors with the power to…put people in prison…We’re looking at campus kangaroo courts come to a federal courthouse, with U.S. attorneys fully embracing…one more step in the total infantilization of women, negating the gains in sexual and social autonomy that we’ve won...

Business Opportunity (#1539)

This pernicious abuse of power has become more common of late:

For 20 years, Amy Stanford and her sister Carolyn Wilson have run Time for Dinner, a…meal prep business that has served generations of local families in Brentwood, Missouri.  Now she’s one of several local small business owners suing the city over its decision to label their properties “blighted”…[so it can steal them to make way for a] $436 million redevelopment plan…with new office buildings and apartment complexes…[which would] generate [more] tax revenue…a [sloppy and incomplete] 2023 study…commissioned [by the city declared]…the entire corridor blighted…and…no evidence of blight [was] presented [for the majority of buildings]…During the trial, which began in May…the city used…retroactive…justifications…using [a] 2018 survey…and [ignoring]…Missouri’s standards…[requiring “]a predominance of unsafe conditions…or other issues that…endanger public health, safety, or welfare”…Dave Phillips, a Minnesota architect and property inspector…testified that using the city’s blight criteria, virtually any property could be deemed blighted, including 70 percent of Brentwood’s housing stock…

I Spy (#1546)

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

Elon Musk’s [“DOGE”] goons…transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House…in mid-March with the sign-off of Donald Trump’s [regime], but against concerns raised by security officials…[Musk pretended] installing Starlink was intended to address connection “dead zones” on the White House compound…[but in reality] the move was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies…

 

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 (#1535)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Philosophy, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind. – Donald Trump

Girls, Girls, Girls! (#517)

Every experienced sex worker knows the signs:

Indicators like a decline in business at brothels, lower tips for strippers and other nontraditional measures…can tell us a lot about the economy’s health…business at [one European] brothel…is down…“We’re seeing clients come in less often, try to negotiate lower prices or stop visiting altogether…more clients are going for the cheapest possible service”…said [the manager]…Legal brothels in the U.S. are seeing…revenue…down roughly 20% since last quarter…Strip club revenue in Vegas is down about 12%…

Secret Squirrel (#916)

Modern monogamy is becoming increasingly sick:

…the RAW Ring…[i]s a “dystopian loyalty tracker” that [is marketed to] help [jealous spouses] catch a cheating partner in the act.  It’s not a product that actually exists yet, but the idea was developed by the folks behind RAW, a dating app that aims to cut down on catfishing and ghosting by making its users upload unfiltered, real-time, dual-camera selfies…RAW…CEO Marina Anderson [made the warped assertion that]…“The ring…[can] give couples more ways to explore each other’s feelings on a deeper level and build more trust”…The [gadget] will have an optical sensor to measure heart rate and heart rate variability, a skin temperature sensor, plus an accelerometer and gyroscope for detecting movement.  It will also have a noise-cancelling MEMs microphone to analyze voice tone….[and] will utilize a [magical truth computer that lives in]…the cloud to do “deeper trend analysis”…

I cannot imagine even living like this, much less believing the looking-glass concept that it will “build trust”.

A Moral Cancer (#1169)

The claim that certain foods can take “time off one’s life” isn’t new, but this absurd specificity is increasingly popular with crypto-moralists:

As you add more ultraprocessed foods to your diet, your risk of a premature death from any cause rises, according to…Carlos Augusto Monteiro…[the person] who coined the term “ultraprocessed” in 2009…and [claims food can be]…“habit-forming”…[similar studies have blamed “]ultraprocessed food[” for]…cardiovascular disease…mental disorders…anxiety…obesity…sleep disorders…diabetes…depression…cancer…cognitive decline and stroke…

Shame, Shame (#1407)

The latest attempt to wreck the internet by barfing the magic words “revenge porn” at websites:

…the TAKE IT DOWN Act…[w]ould…give politicians another tool with which to pressure technology companies into doing their bidding….[by] mak[ing] it a federal crime to publish “any [real or computer-generated fake] intimate visual depiction of an identifiable individual” online…[unless the violator is a cop, spook]…or other government actor [trying to destroy people’s lives via deception]…The bill would require online platforms to establish a notice and removal regime similar to those [commonly ab]used for [supposed] copyright infringement…the measure [is]…easily wielded as a jawboning tool…[and] easily susceptible to corrupt uses, such as removing images embarrassing to politicians…”The bill is so bad that even the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative…has come out with a statement saying that…it cannot support this bill due to its many, many inherent problems,” notes Mike Masnick at Techdirt…

I Spy (#1450) 

It’s long past time to rethink the safety of the US mail:

The law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service has quietly begun co[llabor]ating with federal immigration officials to locate people [Trump’s stooges accuse] of being in the country illegally…Immigration officials are seeking photographs of the outside of envelopes and packages…and access to the postal investigation agency’s broad surveillance systems…The agency [appears to be conspiring with] the administration [due to threats] that it could seize control of the Postal Service…

Shame, Shame (#1502)

Zuckerberg is out of his mind:

Facebook…Platforms [including Instagram and WhatsApp are] racing to popularize a new class of…c[hatbot]s that Mark Zuckerberg believes will be the future of social media…[despite] concerns [within] the company …[that] these bots may have crossed ethical lines…by quietly endowing [imaginary] personas with the capacity for fantasy sex…[even with] underage users…To boost the popularity of these souped-up chatbots, Meta has cut deals for up to seven-figures with celebrities like actresses Kristen Bell and Judi Dench and wrestler-turned-actor John Cena for the rights to use their voices…[pretending] that it would prevent their voices from being used in sexually explicit discussions…[even though] test conversations with s[uch] bots…found that…to [be a lie]…The bots demonstrated [having been programmed with the information]* that the [simulated] behavior was both…illegal…[and considered by the majority to be morally wrong, but do it any]way…[because] Zuckerberg [and his henchmen] made multiple internal decisions to loosen the guardrails around the bots to make them as engaging as possible…

*I had to edit The Wall Street Journal‘s line, “The bots demonstrated awareness that…” because the statement is nonsense; computer programs are not self-aware, despite advertising claims to the contrary.

I Spy (#1520)

Alas, car manufacturers’ lawsuit settlements only apply to their selling data to those who don’t want to violently destroy people’s lives:

Automakers are increasingly pushing consumers to accept monthly and annual fees to unlock pre-installed [“]safety[“] and performance features…increas[ing] drivers’ exposure to government surveillance and the likelihood of being [targeted for] police [harassment.  Cop shops]…regularly train…on how to take advantage of “connected cars,” with subscription-based features drastically increasing the amount of data…[in response to big lawsuits] GM…now requires a court order before handing over location data…[but] other car manufacturers [vary] in the[ir willingness to snitch on customers, with]…Ford [being especially eager to rat people out for trivial bullshit]…when [try]ing [to pin] a crime…[on any convenient victim, cops] commonly rely on a procedure known as a “tower dump” [to]…identify virtually any devices that have connected to a specific cell tower during a certain window of time…The…technique is becoming increasingly unpopular in US courts…[and] a Fifth Circuit ruling last year…recognized] that a warrant to “geofence” an area and [spy on] a wide variety of in[nocent citizens] is inherently unconstitutional.  On the back of that…a federal magistrate in Mississippi ruled two months ago that tower dumps are likewise unconstitutional…[and] Google…announced technical changes to its software last year, making it effectively impossible to respond to these types of warrants…

 

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 Tweets Go On

Posted in History, Miscellaneous, Music, Perception, Philosophy, Tyranny, Words, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

"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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In the News (#1521)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Now I have to worry about being harassed just for needing to pee?
–  Kalaya Morton

Surplus Women (#1080)

Never call the cops for any reason whatsoever:

A Los Angeles sex worker called 911 to report being held in a motel room against her will.  When the [cops]…showed up, one of the[m] shot her.  The woman, Linda Becerra Moran, died on February 27 after nearly three weeks on life support…Moran [had] called 911 on February 7 and…spoke a mix of Spanish and English…[she] was crying…and…clearly very upset…[when the cops arrived] it [was] clear that she [was having some kind of mental health episode but the cops ganged up on her in an intimidating manner and]…back[ed her] into [a] corner…The supervisor instruct[ed]…one [of them] to “be lethal” and…he…immediately fire[d] at her…the cops then…cuff[ed] her…before administering any medical care…

To Molest and Rape (#1298)

“Sex addiction” will continue to be used as an excuse for violent crimes until ignorant judges stop allowing it to be:

A [typical and representative] London [Ontario cop] with a…[pretend]ed sex addiction [received a slap on the wrist]…for sexually assaulting a woman he met online.  [Cop Stephen Williams also recently changed his name to Will Stephens as part of his effort to avoid consequences for deceiving and attacking at least three women, but despite that a judge let him skate with a mere] 90 days under house arrest, followed by 90 days under a curfew…and…prohibit[ion] from…accessing online dating websites [during that time.  But]…Stephens [alias Williams still plans to]…appeal…that [love tap]…Stephens…quit his [cop] job…to a[void a] suspension…following [yet another sexual assault]…

The Last Shall Be First (#1361)

What kind of warped mind thinks it’s OK for male cops to barge into a women’s bathroom?

…two male [cops barged into] a Tucson Walmart women’s restroom…[to harass] Kalaya Morton…a…masculine-presenting [lesbian, because]…a [busybody] store employee…assumed she was…transgender…Morton…said that…the…[thugs] stormed in, shining flashlights into the stall and demanding she exit.  Morton, still using the toilet, was stunned…When she finally exited the stall, she said she lifted her shirt to prove she was not a man, expecting the ordeal to end.  Instead…one [of the pigs kept oinking that]…she “looked like a man”…The Pima County Sheriff’s Department c[laim]ed that the incident is under internal affairs investigation…[but only because Morton recorded the cops and posted the video to] social media…

To Molest and Rape (#1455)

I just can’t feel sorry for cops sexually abused by other cops:

A Philadelphia [cop] who was named police chief [of] Hartford, Conn…[backed out] after it was revealed he was under investigation for sexual harassment…[and] has been sued by [one of his victims]…Tyrell McCoy…creat[ed] a “hostile environment” of pervasive sexual harassment in the workplace, including unwanted groping and kissing and [demands] for oral sex…[from cop] Mark Casey…[who reported that] McCoy had pursued him for years…and then retaliated against him when he refused [to put out]…McCoy t[old] Casey…he was “untouchable” because of his close…relationship with the then-head of…Internal Affairs…Casey and another [cop victim] filed complaints last year…and…McCoy [had hoped to escape consequences by taking the job in] Hartford…

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1473)

Politicians like to pretend that their entry in any “monkey see, monkey do” parade is different:

A new bill…in…North Carolina…aims to ban [people] under 14 from social media…like…Australia’s [float in this “monkey see, monkey do parade]…this bill would prohibit anyone under 14 from creating an account on social platforms that meet certain [arbitrary] criteria…like having 10 percent daily active users under 16 and…scrolling…[people] aged 14 to 15 would need parents’ permission to make an account…[and demands] age verification [for any] site [any politician has pointed at while belching]…”harmful to minors”…Unlike…North Carolina’s [existing] age-verification law…this one requires these site visitors to be 16 years or older, not 18…Findings from a recent study on age verification laws [demonstrate] that these laws don’t work…

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1508)

Oh, what a surprise:

A new working paper from various university researchers suggests that age-verification laws aren’t effective…Since 2022, 19 states have passed age-verification laws…[despite warning from] free speech and digital privacy experts…that age-verification laws won’t work [as politicians pretend]…Through analyzing Google Trends data, researchers found a 46.6 percent traffic reduction of searches to Pornhub, the biggest platform compliant with the laws.  Pornhub has blocked most states with age-verification laws because of the burden of complying…researchers saw a 48.1 percent increase in searches for a large non-compliant platform, XVideos…and a 23.6 percent increase in searches for VPNs.  This occurred in the states with age-verification laws on a rolling timeline based on when the laws were enacted…

Do As I Say, Not As I Do (#1509)

Laws are for the peasantry, not the rulers:

A [Utah] judge has been arrested and accused of enticing minors through sexual conversations on a chat app.  Kevin Robert Christensen…was booked into jail…for…[talking to] FBI [agents fantasy role-playing] on…KIK…as [a] 13[-year-old] and…a…16[-year-old]…Christensen allegedly made “multiple references” to sexually abusing [actual minors]…

 

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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