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Posts Tagged ‘Indiana’

An inherent risk with any type of app that allows users to track or spy on [people] is that…data…can be leaked.  –  Jason Koebler & Emanuel Maiberg

Above the Law

Your “leaders” at work:

[Typical and representative New York politician] Dan Halloran — who spent years in federal prison for a $200,000 bribery scheme to rig a mayoral election — has been arrested and charged for having hundreds of sickening child sex abuse videos on his phone…Halloran[‘s phone was searched]…at Miami International Airport…as he arrived…from Cuba…[and] was found with 1,362 child sex videos hidden on his iPhone — including about 35 videos of…prepubescent…girls…

I Spy (#1272)

Any loophole in any right will inevitably be expanded by authoritarians:

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — or HIPAA — established in 1996 to protect the privacy and security of patient health information, includes [an] exception…[for pigs rooting in people’s private business.  So of course]…after [SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade] in 2022 [sociopathic cops and prosecutors immediately started trying to pry into women’s private medical]…records…to [ruin their lives] and those [of their doctors and friends].  Health officials [therefore]…enacted a HIPAA rule to keep health information private when the patient was in a state with legal [abortion] access and the care was obtained legally…Two lawsuits [now] seek to rescind that…rule, while another brought by [predatory psychopath] Ken Paxton goes a step further, asking the court to [give pigs carte blanche to dig in women’s private]…health information [without any restrictions whatsoever.  Giving this violent lunatic what he wants]…“could erode patients’ trust…in their providers and dissuade them from wanting to seek out health care”…said Ashley Emery…[of] Partnership for Women and Families. “[Cops] could [even] pressure a psychiatrist to share patient notes from therapy sessions without a…warrant”…Missouri…Tennessee…Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia…all [want cops given such control over]…doctors and pharmacists in [any] state…as [if that weren’t bad enough, Trumpist stooge]…Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk…[is try]ing…to permanently block…HIPAA [entirely]…

Secret Squirrel (#1385)

I can’t feel sorry for people with problems of their own making:

T-Mobile sells a small GPS tracker…called SyncUP, which [parents] can use to track the locations of young children who don’t  have cell phones yet.  [On April 1st, some] parent[s] who use…SyncUP…[were] shown the exact, real-time locations of…random children around the country, but not the locations of [their] own kids…It is clear the tracked people are children because their profile pictures show images of young kids wearing backpacks, and many of the locations shown are schools…T-Mobile [blamed]…”a temporary system issue…that resulted from a planned technology update”…T-Mobile also offers a device called SyncUp DRIVE, which is a dedicated car tracking device.  In a Reddit thread called “SyncUp sharing locations of other users,” several posters said that they were being shown other people’s locations…

I Spy (#1420)

Everything I read about these apps makes me happier I have never even looked at one:

Apple’s iOS apps catering to the sugar dating, BDSM, and LGBTQ+ communities – where privacy is…paramount – have leaked highly sensitive content…BDSM People, CHICA, TRANSLOVE, PINK, and BRISH apps had publicly accessible secrets published together with the apps’ code…[the exposed] information [included] API keys, passwords, [and] encryption keys…credentials placed in client applications are accessible to [cops, spooks, and other malef]actors [who] can easily abuse them to gain access to…profile photos, public posts, profile verification images, photos removed for rule violations, and private photos sent through direct messages…All of the affected apps [we]re developed by M.A.D Mobile Apps Developers Limited.  Their identical architecture explains why the same type of sensitive data was exposed…the apps are exclusive to iOS and do not have Android or web alternatives…

Thought Control (#1422)

Burble burble BLUE STATE burble drool:

New Hampshire [politician] Glenn Cordelli…w[ants to make it easier to]…ban…books…by [taking]…oversight of book complaints…[away from] school administrators [and] local school [boards and handing it]…to the [much more politicized] State Board of Education…Cordelli [absurdly declared] “This is not banning of books,” [before adding that making sausage does not involve the slaughter of animals, and that having] children [does not involve] sex…

No Escape (ROTW #10)

And this is just LA County; every single jurisdiction in the US has similar rates:

Los Angeles County plans to pay $4 billion to settle nearly 7,000 [lawsuits over] sexual abuse…in…its juvenile facilities and foster homes, dwarfing the largest sex abuse settlements in U.S. history…The Boy Scouts of America, by comparison, agreed to pay $2.46 billion.  The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has paid out about $1.5 billion…Victims of USC gynecologist George Tyndall got $1.1 billion.  Michigan State University paid $500 million to victims of team doctor Larry Nassar.  The unprecedented settlement stems from…a 2020 state law that gave victims of childhood [and adolescent] sexual abuse a new window to sue…the thousands of lawsuits, most of which involve [horrifying] abuse from the 1980s through the 2000s, [demonstrate how] government…facilities turn…into hunting grounds for predators…[due to the] immense power [officials are given] over [human beings of all ages locked] in their c[ages]…the $4-billion settlement [doesn’t even] cover…all…of the…lawsuits.  Some attorneys were not willing to participate in the “global mediation process,” and plaintiffs in those cases will be part of a separate settlement…

I Spy (#1490)

Civil liberties violations only start with people the government has demonized:

U.S. immigration officials [want]…to collect social media handles from people applying for…green cards or citizenship, to comply with an [imperial edict] from [mad emperor Trump, thus]…expand[ing] the government’s reach in social media surveillance to people already vetted and in the U.S. legally, such as asylum seekers, green card, and citizenship applicants—and not just those applying to enter the country…social media monitoring by immigration [busybodies] has been a practice…since…the second Obama administration and [was] ramp[ed] up under Trump’s first [reign]…

 

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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It’s a fake legal process…[that] reeks of pure politics.  –  David Webbert

If Men Were Angels

This will continue until fools stop teaching children unquestioning obedience to “authority”:

…Jose Saez, Jr., [the] pastor [of] a church…in Brentwood, New York, pleaded guilty to…child [molestation, and]…faces a minimum sentence of…30 years…Saez used an encrypted messaging service to engage in sexually explicit conversations with [a cop fantasy role-playing as a child, stating]…he had sexually abused an infant, that his “sweet spot” was molesting children between the ages of 11 and 15, and that he was able to find his younger victims at “church”…FBI agents [also found] numerous images and videos of child pornography [when they searched his stuff]…

The Next Target (#1151)

People everywhere are getting sick of prohibitionist censorship:

The Administrative Court in Düsseldorf is set to decide on the future of online pornography in Germany…The North Rhine-Westphalia State Media Authority (LfM)…demands that pornographic sites meticulously verify the age of all visitors…or…face network blocking.  The operators of the world’s largest porn sites…don’t want to harass their millions of visitors with ID checks…Pornhub and YouPorn, both owned by Aylo…refuse to [spy on visitors thus, so LfM]…demanded that Germany’s largest internet providers block their websites…However, most porn fans are unlikely to have noticed this, as the affected porn sites simply changed their domains.  Pornhub is…accessible at “de.pornhub.org”; the…block only applied to “de.pornhub.com”…In addition, users can easily circumvent a network block…with…a VPN…Two cases before the Düsseldorf Administrative Court revolve around the question of whether the blocking orders issued by the media regulator are even [legal]…

The Last Shall Be First (#1244)

Another disgusting genital inspection law:

…the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill that would allow health care providers to “visually or physically examine a minor”…for the purpose of identifying their “biological sex” without the “consent of the [minor]’s parent, guardian, or custodian.”  The bill, S.B. 456, would define sex based on whether a person produces eggs or sperm…[and limits]  gender-segregated spaces like locker rooms or restrooms…to…a person’s sex…at birth…an amendment…[restricted the “right” to violate a minor against their will to their] “treating health care provider”…[which] was actually an improvement over a previous version of the bill, which…would have allowed teachers to perform the [molest]ations…

In the authoritarian mind,  for students to voluntarily allow other people to examine their genitalia for the purpose of pleasure is a “crime”, but for the same students to be forced by law to allow strangers to examine their genitalia for the purpose of bigotry is “protection”.

Eavesdropping (#1379)

Remember, Amazon eagerly hands data from internet-connected devices to cops:

With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the [LLM] voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices…Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally…starting on March 28, recordings of everything spoken to…Echo speakers and…displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the[ir servers]…One of the most marketed features of Alexa+ is its more advanced ability to recognize who is speaking to it…To accommodate this…Amazon is eliminating a privacy-focused capability for all Echo users, even those who aren’t interested in…Alexa+…In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $25 million in civil penalties over the revelation that it stored recordings of children’s interactions with Alexa forever…the company [also] allowed employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings…and…watch video recordings of customers’ private spaces…taken from Ring cameras

The Last Shall Be First (#1517)

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were at least a few adults in office?

…after a [politician feign]ed outrage on Facebook about a transgender girl winning a high school pole vaulting event…[mad emperor] Trump singled out Maine’s governor…and threatened to cut off the state’s federal funding.  “See you in court,” Gov. Janet Mills shot back.  Then came a barrage of investigations and threats [from] the…Department[s] of Education…Health and Human Services…Agriculture…and…Justice…The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…pulled $4.5 million for marine research…[and] the Social Security Administration…cancel[ed] contracts that allowed hospitals to automatically report births and funeral homes to report deaths…more federal agencies are pressing down on Maine than there are transgender girls competing in girls’ sports in the state…David Webbert, a longtime civil rights attorney in Maine…[observed that] it’s as if Trump is saying: “Maine believes in transgender rights? Well, you’re going to see what happens to you”…

To Molest and Rape (#1518)

Though his victim wasn’t a student, would you want a rapist lurking around your daughter?

…[An Indiana cop named] Zachary Kerley is [paid to lurk in]…schools [to spy on, harass, and intimidate students].  He…[was friendly with his victim] via Snapchat…and asked her out for drinks.  She…accepted but told him “it’s not going any further than that”, and…he agreed…[but then raped] her at [her] hotel…despite her physical and verbal objections…Kerley [has been rewarded with a paid vacation]…

The Notorious Badge (#1519)

Didn’t this ignorant clod used to be a comedian or something?

Bill Maher…took some time during his “New Rules” segment to exclaim, “Whores are having a moment…You gotta give me more than a week to get used to a new word or phrase or name for what we call something…We did this with homeless until it was unhoused. We did this with illegal alien until it was undocumented migrant…And now we’re doing it with prostitute…If it’s such an important liberal cause…why didn’t you do it 10 years ago or 20 or in 1975?”…

NB: The term “sex worker” was coined by Carol Leigh in 1979, became popular among activists in the ’80s, and has been commonly used in the mainstream media for about ten years now.

 

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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Should…the United States…abandon the human right to privacy and the U.S. Constitution, everyone will lose.  –  Fight for the Future

If Men Were Angels

This will continue until fools stop teaching children unquestioning obedience to “authority”:

A…[South Carolina] preacher…[named] William Franklin Galbreath…[has been] arrested…[for repeatedly] sexually assaulting a victim in 2019 while she was a child and [continuing to do] so in her teenage years from 2022 until this year…[there also appears to be] a 2nd [teenage] victim…

Under Review (#779)

Though the “sex trafficking” panic is over, UK politicians are still bleating nonsense about “pimping” and “pizza”:

During the…reading of…[a] bill…[a UK politician named] Rebecca Paul [suddenly started bloviating about]…“the scourge of commercial sexual exploitation” [and demanded] banning advertising of prostitution online[, no doubt via a giant firewall which would keep Brits from accessing any site outside the country]…Paul [seemed to be having some kind of retro seizure, vomiting out decayed garbage from 2012 about]…“young people…treated as merchandise…[by] pimps and traffickers”…“the Etsy of sexual exploitation”…[and] “pizza”…

Decentralization (#1181)

Using the mad emperor’s two favorite bugaboos to ramp up surveillance:

More than one million Americans are about to [be subjected to] a new level of financial surveillance.  The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network…announced that the threshold for currency transaction reports has been lowered from $10,000 to $200 for Americans living in 30 zip codes in California and Texas…[using the excuse that it’s] “to further combat the illicit activities and money laundering of Mexico-based cartels…along the southwest border of the United States”…Alex Nowrasteh…[of] the Cato Institute…warned people in February that…Trump’s decision to [falsely] designate cartels as terrorists could have repercussions for civil liberties and the economy at large…the designation would allow the government to freeze assets, enact secondary sanctions, and take greater control of the financial system generally…

I Spy (#1376)

In mass surveillance, fascism beats communism hands down:

A contractor for…ICE…and many other U.S. government agencies has developed a tool that lets analysts more easily pull a target individual’s publicly available data from a wide array of sites, social networks, apps, and services across the web at once, including Bluesky, OnlyFans, and various [Facebook properties], according to a leaked list of…more than 200 sites that…ShadowDragon…[illicitly] pulls data from and makes available to its government clients, allowing them to map out a person’s activity, movements, and relationships.  The news comes after ICE detained Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Columbia University protester and green card holding legal permanent resident…with the intention of deporting him…Multiple tech companies and websites whose public data ShadowDragon pulls [complain that] the contractor [is] violating their terms of use around scraping…

The Vultures Descend (#1483)

This insanity will keep getting worse until these maniacs are forcibly stopped:

States have long kept centralized databases to monitor prescriptions for…drugs [they think politicians should control instead of doctors].  Now, abortion pills are being [added to the list]…in [forced-birth states].  Last May, Louisiana [launched that particular “monkey see, monkey do” parade]…Bamboo Health, the [fascist] company running Louisiana’s prescription [surveillance] database, is ready to track the drugs.  As of March, Louisiana clinicians are required to log every mifepristone and misoprostol prescription they write in Bamboo’s database…[and] Texas, Indiana, and Idaho are considering similar [spying]…Prescription monitoring programs…are routinely [ab]used to [persecu]te doctors for…doing [their jobs when politicians have decided they know better.  Similar campaigns were used to make examples of doctors for giving suffering patients]…much-needed [pain] care [in order to terrorize] doctors…for doing their jobs…[doctors practicing] reproductive medicine could share the same fate…

No Escape (#1488)

The inevitable result of giving aggressive men total power over women:

In women’s prisons, sexual intrusion, harassment, coercion and violence are daily realities.  And in solitary confinement, this conduct is so routine that many women — particularly the younger ones…believe it’s simply an inevitable part of their incarceration…This isn’t just a few rotten apples in one facility.  In 2023, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TCDJ) reported over 700 [incident]s of staff-on-prisoner sexual abuse and harassment to the PREA Ombudsman…Almost 90 of those cases involved sexual harassment, nearly 150 were categorized as voyeurism, and a little more than 500 were classified as sexual abuse…[but] only 20% met the prison system’s onerous criteria for sexual assault or “improper sexual activity with a person in custody”…these stats only scratch the surface…prisons…make the grievance process too painful to be worth it.  Women who make reports can end up being cited for having an “inappropriate relationship” with a guard, which is grounds for being sent to solitary…[which] means no phone calls, and contact visits can also be suspended during investigations, which I’ve seen last 60 to 90 days, or even longer.  In the hole, guards use a variety of methods to retaliate against women who complain about their abuse.  They can write bogus disciplinary infractions that can lead to the loss of visits and phone calls, more time in solitary confinement, and ultimately a longer sentence.  [Screws] can also turn off the electricity and running water in women’s cells and refuse to serve them meals…

Thought Control (#1515)

They realized there would be public outcry if the state actually started arresting librarians, so they’re trying to seem more “reasonable”:

The South Dakota Senate gutted a bill…that would have subjected librarians to criminal prosecution for [working in a library containing any book any politician decided to point at while belching “]obscene material[“]…and replaced that language with a [demand] that [wannabe censors be]…allow[ed to] appeal…[any decision by any librarian in]…court…Supporters of the original version [foamed at the mouth while making barbaric threats.  Pro-censorship politician]…Taffy Howard…[actually called for literally lynching librarians]…

 

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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To say that this designation…is without scientific or medical merit is an understatement.  –  Julianne McShane

A Broker in Pillage

The government’s lawyers have grown increasingly shameless in inventing bizarre justifications for its crimes against citizens:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that [steal]ing $50,000 from a small business did not infringe the business’ right to private property because money is not property[, claiming]…(1) the government creates money, so you can’t own it; (2) the government can tax your money, so you don’t own it; and (3) the Constitution allows the government to spend money for the “general welfare”…Chuck Saine, the owner of C.S. Lawn & Landscaping…became a client of the Institute for Justice…when the federal government sought to impose over $50,000 in liability on his business through a “trial” held deep inside the bowls of a federal administrative agency…[where] both the prosecutor and the judge were employed..the DOJ argued that Saine has no right to a real judge and jury because the government was only trying to take his money, not his property…prominently cit[ing] the Legal Tender Cases—where the Supreme Court upheld laws forcing people to accept paper currency, rather than gold and silver, as payment for debts…

Guinea Pigs (#656)

This abomination began as a way for cops to target sex workers:

A powerful [computer] tool can predict with high accuracy the location of photos based on features inside the image itself—such as vegetation, architecture, and the distance between buildings—in seconds, with the company now marketing the tool to [cop shops] and [spook houses].  Called GeoSpy, made by a firm called Graylark Technologies out of Boston, the tool has also been used for months by [trolls]…and…stalk[ers].  The company’s founder has aggressively pushed back against such requests…[from anyone without State permission to destroy people’s lives.  Cops]…with very little necessary training, private…companies, and stalkers could, and in some cases already are, using this technology.  Dedicated open source intelligence (OSINT) professionals can of course do this too, but the training and skillset necessary can take years to build up.  GeoSpy allows essentially any…[sociopath] to do it…

I Spy (#1353)

Americans aren’t going to like what it will take to stop this coup:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave [Elon Musk and his henchmen] access to the federal payment system [last week]…handing [people neither elected nor hired by the American people]…a powerful tool to monitor and…unilaterally restrict disbursement of money approved for specific purposes by Congress…Musk…has recently fixated on Treasury’s payment processes, c[laim]ing the department [should be falsely] rejecting more [authorized] payments as fraudulent or improper…Similar…teams [of Musk henchmen] have begun demanding access to data and systems at other federal agencies, but none of those agencies control the flow of money in the way the Treasury Department does…the system…includes sensitive personal information about the millions of Americans who receive Social Security checks, tax refunds and other payments from the federal government…

Feudalism Redux (#1472)

Texas’ ruling psychopaths wanted every one of these girls saddled with a baby before they even graduated high school:

…the Houston Chronicle…reports that in 2023, at least 100 minors had to leave Texas for abortion care; at least six of the minors were children under 12 years old.  This number…is ninefold from what it was five years ago.  Prior to 2022…between 1,000 and 1,400 Texas minors received abortions in the state annually.  That number fell to zero in 2023…many of the minors’ pregnancies resulted from rape [including] every…pregnancy in the youngest age category…[but] Texas’ abortion ban, which threatens providers with life in prison among other steep penalties, offers no exception for rape…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1489)

Looks like it’s time for veils to come back into fashion:

Kroger…[has formed a] partnership with Microsoft to install facial-recognition technology in stores, which could be used to identify individual customers: When a shopper approaches the shelf, she would see a price calibrated specifically for her.  The next shopper might pay a different amount based on their profile.  Retailers could use shopper data to charge higher prices to those who can afford to pay more, but…stores do not have to disclose who is making pricing decisions or why…in October 2024, Kroger [claimed] it had ended its facial recognition pilot program…

The Vultures Descend (#1500)

Moral imbeciles can always be trusted to abuse any power they’re given:

In January, [psychopath]s in [Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina] introduced proposals to make…harming a fertilized egg or fetus punishable under homicide statutes, with no exceptions for women who get abortions…These measures would leave pregnant women who [miscarry or] seek abortions subject to criminal charges such as murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, and attempted manslaughter and open to wrongful death lawsuits brought by [abusive] partners or family members.  They could also seriously imperil care for women experiencing pregnancy complications and have major implications for in vitro fertilization practices…

Feudalism Redux (#1500)

Forced-birth fanatics are trying to extend their crazed jihad outside their own borders, so as to establish ownership over their subjects:

…a New York-based telemedicine provider has been indicted in Louisiana…for supplying the abortion pill to a teenage patient in that state.  The [attack on]…Dr. Margaret “Maggie” Campbell signals a major escalation in legal challenges by [forced-birth] states against telemedicine providers…who are dispensing abortion drugs under shield laws meant to protect them from prosecution…The…case involves a pregnant minor whose mother allegedly purchased abortion medications from Campbell…in April 2024…In addition to Campbell, [the state is targeting]…the mother…[trying to lock her in a cage for] five years…and [rob her] to [the tune of] $50,000…

 

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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I can’t breathe.  –  Herman Whitfield III

Given the season, I decided this was the best choice as a sendoff for beloved children’s singer Ella Jenkins.  The links above the video were provided by Phoenix Calida, Yasmin Nair, Alex Vitale, T. Greg Doucette, Michael Peters, and Jesse Walker, 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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Indiana should stop trying to steal from law-abiding citizens.
–  Henry Cheng

Skin To Skin (#1040)

A giant step backward for disabled Australians, courtesy of puritans:

For many National Disability Insurance Scheme…participants, a[n Australian] government decision means they can no longer access sexual services funding…In July, outgoing Minister for NDIS Bill Shorten…bann[ed] the use of funding for sex work…argu[ing that] sexual services funding was “not a sustainable proposition”, and…”It’s not as if [we care that] people are losing all these rights, but…creating regulations…[and] restricting choice and control…is…what’s reasonable and necessary”…

Legislators Gone Wild (#1271) 

Though not mentioned in the article, this has the spoogy fingerprints of unhinged shyster Jason Guinasso and his cronies at Morality in Media all over it:

A federal judge dismissed a [nuisance] lawsuit against two Las Vegas casino operators that [pretend]ed the companies benefited from the sex trafficking of a minor…an anonymous plaintiff identified as “Tyla D”…[fantasized that Mandalay Bay, the MGM Grand, and The Orleans] casinos essentially turned a blind eye to sex trafficking and [claimed without evidence] that the practice is well-known among employees at the casinos…

Leaving the 20th Century (#1440)

Nearly every article about Belgian decrim is so badly written and so larded with popular myths and prohibitionist nonsense that it’s very difficult to tease the facts out from the ignorance, stupidity, and propaganda.  This article, like most of the others, says nothing about the independent sex work which makes up the majority of the trade and incorrectly implies that every sex worker in Belgium must now be a wage employee, which if true would not be decriminalization.  But instead of hearing about such details from the activists who pushed for these new benefits (including maternity leave, pensions, and personal rights independent sex workers have always had, such as the right to refuse clients), the article instead quotes a prohibitionist so stupid she babbles about “being outside in the freezing weather” when talking about brothels, and so detached from reality she appears to believe other public-facing jobs are 100% free from danger.

A Broker in Pillage (#1465)

Burying government in lawsuits is the only way to slow its depredations:

Indiana prosecutors will return $42,000 in cash they s[tole] from a California small business, several months after the owners filed a class action lawsuit [because] law enforcement is exploiting a major FedEx shipping hub in Indianapolis to s[teal] millions of dollars in cash from innocent owners.  The Institute for Justice…announced…that prosecutors in Marion County…have agreed to return the money to…Henry and Minh Cheng, who [are]…jewelry wholesaler[s]…Police s[tole] the cash from a FedEx package en route to them from a client in Virginia [without even bothering to invent a crime to accuse]…the Chengs…of…[This is a routine practice for] the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office…[even though] the…scheme violates a wide range of constitutional rights, including the Fourth, Eighth, 10th, and 14th Amendments…

The Cop Myth (#1475)

Unsatisfied with merely subjecting people in this country to police violence, the US is now exporting it:

[Wanton] killing is endemic to the extreme brutality of Brazilian police, one of the most violent and militarized police services in the world. The United States government has helped create this crisis.  In 2023, the Military Police in Brazil recorded having killed 6,296 people (approximately 17 people per day)—eight times the U.S. police lethality rate—yet evidence points to the actual number being much higher.  The overwhelming majority of the victims are black, poor, young, male, uneducated, and living in the urban peripheries…nearly a quarter of all violent deaths [in the country are] at the hands of police.  In some cities…that share exceeds 50 percent,..the U.S. [both arms and] shapes Brazil’s hyper-militarized police culture…The U.S. State Department, along with the FBI, has provided various training programs and exercises…[under] both the Trump and Biden administrations…and…[both] the LAPD and the Chicago Police…have…provided riot and protest control training to the Brazilian police, [demonstrating how to meet crowds] with excessive police brutality, including using tear gas and rubber bullets…

To Molest and Rape (#1476)

I must admit to curiosity regarding what all this is about:

[Typical and representative] Kentucky sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines [has been] indicted…[for the murder] of…District Judge Kevin Mullins…on Sept. 19 in an attack caught on surveillance footage…It is still unclear what motivated the [apparently-unbalanced cop and politician] to pull the trigger…the two men had eaten lunch together with a group in the hours before the shooting…When Stines was [arrested], he allegedly told a…[cop], “they’re trying to kidnap my wife and kid”…[judging by remarks made by] Stines’ defense attorney, Jeremy Bartley…he…[plans a “temporary insanity”] defense…


Dangerous Speech (#1494)

Michael Lacey wrote a number of columns before being released on bail because the government doesn’t want to be blamed for his death:

…the morning pill lady…did [not] have the statin pill that has been missing for days.  Two nights [earlier], a guard and a medical tech came to my cell at 10:30 p.m. to give me metoprolol.  Several days before the late night appearance of these angels of mercy, I had collapsed upon the floor and been rushed to Dignity Health Hospital.  There, a doctor took me off the metoprolol, warning me that it contributed to my heart problem…[so] prison staff are making a sincere effort to dose me with metoprolol, which helped trigger the heart attack, but cannot find the prescribed statins which diminish cholesterol, an active agent in unpleasantness…

 

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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Just because the tech exists doesn’t mean people/employers have to abuse it.

Pyrrhic Victory (#1065) 

Facial recognition systems have quietly become ubiquitous:

Wegmans Food Markets has launched a facial recognition pilot program at one of its New York City locations, prompting some shoppers to express concerns about privacy and pricing…a Wegmans spokesperson [claimed] the pilot will run for 60 days and…will involve employees who have agreed to participate…the spokesperson [also belched out buzzwords like]…“commitment”…”safe”…”exploring”…and…”security”…the move could usher in dynamic pricing….already…in use by Walmart and Kroger…

Creepy Coppers

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

A [typical and representative Oklahoma cop named]…Ryan Matthew Matthias…[was arrested] for having several files of obscene images of children online…they [tossed his house and found more]…on…several digital devices…

Checklist (#1380)

Airlines:  do you really want to keep accepting liability for employees harassing passengers due to the government propaganda you force-feed them?

A Virginia Beach man was [harassed with “]human trafficking[” propaganda] by Southwest Airlines and [interrogated by] Norfolk International Airport police…John Kerrigan was flying with his [teenage] daughter…and her…friend…back from Las Vegas….[every time] Kerrigan would get up to go to the restroom, the flight attendant was [repeatedly] asking the girls…peculiar questions.  “She keeps asking if we’re all right and if we know you,” Kerrigan[‘s] daughter…told him…Southwest called airport police during the flight [to continue the harassment of not just]…Kerrigan…but the [other] passengers w[ho were detained in their seats while]…three [little pigs] got on and…[humiliated] Kerrigan…[with their sexual fantasies in front of] all of the other passengers…[after interrogating him] for about 20 minutes…[they final]ly let him go…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1479)

All cops will have these within a few years:

A new app developed by a trio of [sociopath]s in Indiana is…using facial recognition technology to provide information about individuals just by looking at them.  The app…utilizes ChatGPT and Meta Glass technology to access public information archives.  “So, we all have a digital footprint, right? How good would it be if eventually, like there aren’t secrets. Knowing who I’m talking to, knowing who I’m about to meet,” said Kris Peterson, [apparently unaware of what a moral imbecile he is revealing himself to be]…Peterson demonstrated how the app could change a stranger’s phone passcode and even access phone contacts to make calls…

The Cop Myth (#1480)

Sleeping with a cop is one of the most dangerous things a woman can do:

A [sociopathic thug paid by the state of Kansas to torture helpless people locked in cages like animals has been] arrested…for…domestic violence…[Sheriff Jeff Easter of] Sedgwick County [delayed action for weeks, is hiding the thugs’s name and picture, and rewarded him with a paid vacation even though he tried to] strangle [his girlfriend on October 7th, then since he was not arrested, beat]…her…on Oct. 28…

The Vultures Descend (#1486)

A few states are managing to beat off the vultures:

…reproductive freedom initiatives…prevailed in seven of the ten states where they were on the ballot.  Measures meant to protect abortion access were approved by voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York.  And most of these weren’t close calls at all…Until [last week], the pro-choice position prevailed in every state where abortion-related measures were on the ballot, including…Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio.  That…pattern is broken somewhat by results in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota…In Florida, 57 percent of voters supported…an Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion…but it falls short of the 60 percent approval threshold required for constitutional amendments in Florida.  In Nebraska, [only] 48.7 percent of voters approved the state’s Right to Abortion measure…But a competing measure—Initiative 434—passed 55.3 percent…and…allows for first trimester abortions but prohibits second and third trimester abortion unless “necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest.”  Only in South Dakota…did a reproductive freedom initiative truly flop…

The Cop Myth (#1487)

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

A…Cleveland [cop who wasn’t wearing his magical Clown Costume of Legal Immunity tried to murder his wife]…outside of [an] elementary school [on Halloween]…Alexander Sinclair was [fighting with his victim] off-site and carried…the [violence into the] parking lot…[after ramming] the [victim’s] vehicle [with his]…

 

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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I can’t breathe! Help me!  –  Rhyker Earl

In keeping with my long-standing tradition of sharing my earworms with my readers, I present this classic MTV video from back when videos were fun.  The links above it were provided by Jesse Walker, Mike Siegel, Nun Ya, T. Greg Doucette, IncarcerNation (x2), and C.J. Ciaramella, 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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Slavery is not bad.  Some people need to be slaves.  I wish they would bring it back.  I would certainly buy a few.  –  Mark Robinson

Elephant in the Parlor (#705)

Politicians watching kinky porn is no more unusual than their being hypocrites and psychopaths:

North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson said he won’t end his campaign despite a CNN report that reads like a mad lib of campaign-killing material…Robinson called himself a “black NAZI” and a “perv” in posts on…a [porn-sharing] message board [named “Nude Africa”]…Robinson also reportedly wrote about peeping on women in public showers, being thrilled by some absolutely filthy pornography (think The Human Centipede), and called for reinstituting slavery…The cherry on top of it all, given the GOP’s current moral panic over transgender issues, is…Robinson’s “affinity for transgender pornography”…Robinson [has] denied that he’d made the posts

Broken Record (#1112) 

Irish versions of the “gypsy whores” myth were quaint even before other prohibitionists abandoned them:

There was a surge in demand for sex workers at the National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois last week, according to a [religious prohibitionist organization] that…[persecutes] sex…[workers].  Ruhama [is still trying to spread the long-debunked fantasy] that large-scale events attended predominantly by men were “big catalysts” for sexual exploitation…

To Molest and Rape (#1216)

A rapist cop’s evil begets more evil:

Letcher County [Kentucky] Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines…walked into the chambers of Judge Kevin Mullins, closed the door and…murder[ed him with a gun]…then walked out of the chambers with his hands up and surrendered without incident…Stines had been a bailiff in Mullins’ courtroom for years before he was elected sheriff…The [murder may be related to] a federal civil lawsuit filed by…a [woman who was repeatedly raped by a sleazebag deputy]…inside Mullins’ chambers for six months [under threat of being locked in a filthy cage]…The lawsuit accused Stines of “deliberate indifference in failing to adequately train and supervise” [rapist cop] Ben Fields…[who got off with a mere] six months in jail, followed by six and a half years of probation…

If Men Were Angels (#1428)

Cop and preacher is like the molester equivalent of a full house:

A…[preacher] who…worked [as chaplain] for the Indianapolis…Police Department…sexually abus[ed] a child “over 100 times”.  Sylvester Driscoll[‘s] victim confessed to her school counselor in August that Driscoll had raped and sexually abused her for years…Driscoll [groomed her by] show[ing] her [porn] videos…since she was 5 years old.  The first sexual assault by Driscoll…[was] not long after that…and…he…would makes threats to keep her from telling anyone…

Eavesdropping (#1449)

Some politicians are starting to admit Shotspotter is a boondoggle:

Ending ShotSpotter would fulfill a campaign promise by [Chicago] Mayor Brandon Johnson…[but] some City Council members [who get kickbacks from the company] are trying to compel his administration to extend the…contract…economist Michael Topper of the Social Science Research Council has co-authored a study that found…ShotsSpotter…reallocat[es] police resources away from…911 calls…to…ShotSpotter alerts [which in Chicago are 91% false positives]…this reallocation is causing 911 calls to…suffer in terms of response times…there isn’t any evidence that this technology is actually benefiting crime clearance or crime reduction efforts…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1465)

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

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights…studied how the Department of Justice…the Department of Homeland Security…and the Department of Housing and Urban Development…[mis]use [facial recognition] technology…leading to wrongful arrests, bias in accessing housing and more troubling outcomes…[there is] a [total] lack of federal oversight, with no standardized regulations to [minimize]…abuses of power and privacy concerns…Because there are no public databases which show how often FRT searches are used on individuals…“conducting public oversight of the government’s use of FRT to determine if civil rights violations are occurring is extraordinarily difficult.”  Customs and Border Patrol…uses the technology in 53 airports, 40 seaports and all pedestrian lanes at the Mexican border…HUD uses FRT in surveillance cameras in public housing…

Do As I Say, Not As I Do (#1465)

It’s too bad cops don’t spend all of their time fantasy role-playing with each other:

A Fresno [California cop named] Paige McQuay [was arrested, but also rewarded with a paid vacation, because he interacted with another cop fantasy role-playing as a teenage girl online]…

 

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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To Molest and Rape

Cop shops love their obfuscatory, blame-shifting language:  “A [typical and representative Kansas cop named Russell Patterson Jr] was arrested [for]…aggravated…rape“…

To Molest and Rape (#1237)

Sleeping with a cop is dangerous not only to women, but to their children as well (including those sired by the cop):

A [typical and representative] Aurora [Colorado cop] faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains [at large] while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered [convers]ion therapy meant to [brainwash] his…two [minor] sons [into “forgiving” him for abusing them, raping their sister, and attempting to murder their older brother]…Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins…said the [so-called “]therapy[“] by Christine Bassett…has been harmful, abusive and counterproductive…and…Bassett has supported the efforts by her [rapist cop] ex-husband, Michael Hawkins, to gain sole custody of the [boys]…such therapy and its potential harms are increasingly coming under fire in Colorado…[whose “]family court system[“]…has been plagued by accusations of bias, usually from mothers who…are punished…when they seek to protect their children from abusive fathers…

Creepy Coppers (ROTW #9)

Had he not been caught, this would’ve soon escalated:

A [Mississippi cop named Tyson Rushing, who was paid to spy on, harass, and intimidate] Elementary School [students]…was arrested and charged with [spying on prepubescent girls for sexual gratification.  Officials and politicians bloviated that it wasn’t their fault even though they were the ones who gave a sexually-aggressive man power over little girls]…

To Molest and Rape (#1450)

It’s rare for cops to actually be indicted for murders they commit:

[Typical and representative] Massachusetts [cop] Matthew Farwell has been [indicted for murdering] Sandra Birchmore in 2021 while she was pregnant with…his child…then staged the scene to make it look like…suicide…Farwell…[had repeatedly molested and raped] Birchmore …before she turned 16…[after seducing her via a  grooming] program [starting]…in 2012…”When it became clear that…Farwell…could no longer control Sandra Birchmore, he…silenced her permanently,” [said prosecutor] Joshua Levy…

To Molest and Rape (#1460)  

Is the mainstream media finally admitting that pigs in schools are a menace?

[A South Carolina cop named] Jamel Bradley, [who was paid to spy on, harass, and intimidate students, was]…the subject of [numerous] complaints [over a decade, but nothing was done because]…Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott had personally recruited Bradley [for being good at playing a kid’s game in]…school…He was…not [only basically immune to] arrest…[but] was [also allowed] to [keep lurking in]…high school[s until]…a video of a different…[school-lurking pig brutaliz]ing a Black student…had gone viral…an[d the]…Justice Department…[began] to…investigate…Bradley is [finally] facing sex crime charges…but prosecutors have offered [him] a deal…th[at] will re[sult in]…no time on the sex offender registry…

Above the Law (#1468)

Just another kind of federal cop, with behavior to match:

A federal jury has convicted a [typical and representative] Border Patrol [thug] of abducting and [rap]ing a 15-year-old girl in southern Arizona.  Aaron Mitchell…approached the student as she was waiting for school to start and “asked for her papers” before [flashing his badge]…and [claiming he was arresting her]…he…then…brought [her] to his apartment [and raped] her [repeatedly for] several hours.  Mitchell eventually [dumped her] back [at her] school and told her not to tell anyone…[but] had made an internet search while…holding the girl captive to find out “how long it takes to smother someone”…[he] is now facing a life sentence…

To Molest and Rape (#1469)

Cops should not be allowed anywhere near legal minors:

An Indianapolis [cop named]…Kamal Bola…[has been arrested and] charged with…three counts of child molesting, [including] one [instance where] he [threatened] the [victim with] deadly force…[and was reported by the victim’s] family…Bola [is] the fourth…Indianapolis [cop]…arrested…this year…[for] sex crimes.  Javed Richards was arrested in August…[for] child pornographyMyron Howard was arrested in April [for multiple rapes]…And…Paul Humphrey…was a[rest]ed [in January for repeatedly] sexually abusing [the] 15-year-old [daughter of people who thought he was a friend]…

 

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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