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Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’

In the News (#1609)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

New Zealand…pinpricks the campaign of fear-mongering and moral outrage…propagated by the quit-or-die crowd.  –  Nancy Loucas

Above the Law

Your “leaders” at work:

A [typical and representative British politician named]…Philip Young…[has] pleaded guilty…to [repeatedly drugging and raping]…his [ex-wife] Joanne…between 2010 and 2024. [He also pled guilty to possession of child porn and to allowing at least] five other men [to rape her while she was unconscious; the men are]…Connor Sanderson-Doyle…Norman Macksoni…Richard Wilkins…Mohammed Hassan…[and] Dean Hamilton…

Policing for Profit

There are many ways for cops to enrich themselves at others’ expense:

For three decades, Albuquerque defense attorney Thomas Clear bribed [corrupt cops] to make drunk driving cases against his clients disappear…by deliberately failing to show up at…hearings…or [other] judicial proceedings, allowing Clear to move for dismissal…Sometimes Clear’s paralegal, Rick Mendez, or his associates would “orchestrate” DWI arrests by getting people drunk and arranging for a corrupt cop to nab them after they hit the road…[Albuquerque pig] Justin Hunt…is one of two dozen people—including [fellow] Albuquerque [pigs], Bernalillo County [pigs], and a New Mexico State P[ig who]…was featured in a state ad campaign against drunk driving—who have been implicated in the bribery scheme so far.  Half of them have pleaded guilty, including Clear and Mendez…

The Face of Trafficking

Cases of actual coercion never look much like the myths:

…a mother and daughter from…Oregon…Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont …and Yolandita Marie Andre…coerced…three victims, including a minor…to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home…[by steal]ing the[ir] documents…the[ir company]…Velida’s Home Care…recruited the three victims…from Haiti…with promises of a nice place to live, and steady and reliable work…[but] all three were compelled to work long, difficult hours for little to no pay…Valmont…controlled practically every aspect of their daily living…until the minor [got fed up and] disclosed their situation to a medical professional in the summer of 2024…[the exploiters also]…received payments from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Medicaid by falsely claiming they needed to pay…for more hours…[but] kept th[at] money [themselves]…

A Moral Cancer (#1449)

Prohibition never works, but prohibitionists don’t care:

…youth vaping has again and again been used to attack…vape access.  [Its] extent…has often been exaggerated, and it [is absurd] to argue it’s a problem comparable to millions of smoking-related deaths.  Such arguments are nonetheless po[pular with prohibitionists].  That’s why it’s so significant that youth vaping in New Zealand…has…halved in recent years…refut[ing] any narrative that broad vape access [for] adults…inevitably means mass youth use…And the proportion of teens who have never smoked continues to rise, hitting a record 89.4 percent…

Walled Garden (#1567)

There is nothing as worthless as a politician’s promise:

…UK…[politicians barfed out the phrase “]safety for children[” to justify]…potential restrictions on VPNs.  [They]…will also consider banning social media for under-16s [and otherwise micromanaging their internet usage]…the House of Lords…backed an amendment that would ban VPNs for [people] under 18 and force providers to implement [the same kind of “]age check[” surveillance which is driving an increase in VPN usage in the first place]…

Mad Libs (#1586)

The Constitution gave only Congress the power to make laws; the modern administrative state extended the power to agency employees.  And now:

The Trump [regime] is planning to [let a chatbot] write federal transportation regulations…agency attorney Daniel Cohen[, who is extremely stupid, characterized this extremely stupid idea as]…“exciting[” and “doing] our job better and faster”…[the mad emperor] is “very excited about this [extremely stupid idea]”…[Agency lawyer Gregory] Zerzan appeared interested mainly in the quantity of regulations [chatbots] could [vomit out], not their quality. “We don’t need…very good rule[s, just] good enough [for very stupid people, thus]…flooding the zone [with extremely stupid rules].”  These developments have alarmed [sane people] at DOT.  The agency’s rules touch virtually every facet of transportation safety, including regulations that keep airplanes in the sky, prevent gas pipelines from exploding and stop freight trains carrying toxic chemicals from skidding off the rails.  Why…would the federal government outsource the writing of such critical standards to a…technology notorious for making mistakes?…

Shame, Shame (#1605)

Financial companies are usually better at hiding their hypocrisy:

For many years, credit card companies and other payment [processors] were aggressive about policing…sexual [content].  Then, Elon Musk’s [MechaHitler] started undressing [legal minors] on [Twitter]…Though Musk has claimed that new guardrails prevent [MechaHitler] from undressing people, our testing showed that is…[a lie.  Twitter]…does seem to have…partially restricted [MechaHitler]’s image editing features to paid subscribers…[who] can [pay via]…Stripe or through the Apple and Google app stores using [a] credit card…at times financial institutions have [even] threatened [or cut off sex workers] and platforms [for non-sexual content or even medical fundraisers]…But Musk’s boutique revenge porn and CSAM generator is, apparently, just fine…

 

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 (#1563)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

 If these companies want customers to feel safe in their homes, then they should make sure they’re also safe where they buy their supplies.
–  Dave Maass

To Molest and Rape

If only there were a concise term for “having sex with someone mentally incapacitated or physically helpless”:

A [typical and representative South Carolina cop named] Ahmad Tyreek Cheeks…was [arrested for raping]…a…mentally [handicapped woman].  He [is still at large after] post[ing bail]…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1030)

Clearview was specifically invented as a police-state tool to use against migrants and minorities:

…in March 2017, Hoan Ton-That…[was already] plan[ning] to deploy…Clearview AI…[against] immigrants entering the United States…[despite being] an immigrant…himself…A diehard Donald Trump supporter, Ton-That envisioned using facial recognition to c[riminalize] migrants…His Border Patrol pitch also included a proposal to screen any arrival for “sentiment about the USA”…conflat[ing] support for [Trumpery] with American identity…Clearview…secured funding from…Peter Thiel…and signed up hundreds of [cop shops] around the country…urging cops to “run wild” with searches…[they have done so] with almost no transparency…[despite its warrantless use being unconstitutional and its] data collection practices [being] illegal…In December, Ton-That…quietly stepped down as CEO…[but] retains a board seat…Replacing him as co-CEOs were Richard Schwartz…a former top aide to Rudy Giuliani, and Hal Lambert…who runs a Texas financial firm known for its “MAGA ETF”…the company [has] pursue[d] “opportunities” with the…Trump…[regime, and] one of the company’s top customers is [ICE]…

Creepy Coppers

Cop is a cop is a cop is a cop:

[New Zealand boss hog] Jevon McSkimming is facing eight charges of possessing…child…and bestiality [porn]…The c[op], wh[o is typical and] representative, [faces] a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.  McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May…and…was arrested on 27 June in Wellington…[but] the Wellington District Court [conspired with cop shops to hide his name until July 18]…

The Vultures Descend (#1273)

Trump claims to love the military, yet his regime keeps trying to harm veterans:

…the Department of Veterans Affairs [is]…seeking to eliminate coverage for the limited abortion services and counseling that have been available to veterans and their beneficiaries under the VA health care system…[since] September 2022, a…policy change [intended to] pro[tect roughly 2 million female]…veterans and their beneficiaries in the [16] states [with] total or near-total bans…the Trump [regime absurdly claims] that…[no states ban] abortions…in life-threatening situations such as ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages…[and declares that] pregnant women [who need such care are] “incorrect”…Nancy Northup, President…[of] the Center for Reproductive Rights, said…“This administration is sending a clear message to veterans—that their health and dignity aren’t worth defending”…

Panopticon (#1549)

In surveillance, fascism beats communism hands down:

Hundreds of…automated license plate reading cameras paid for by Lowe’s and Home Depot and stationed in the hardware stores’ parking lots are being fed into a massive surveillance system that [any cop, spook, or goon] can access [at will, without a warrant]…The records are the latest to shed light on how expansive Flock’s surveillance network has become, and highlights that it includes cameras that are operated by both [cop shops] and [fascist] businesses…ALPR…cameras are stationed along roads or at entrances to parking lots around the United States, and constantly scan the license plates of cars that drive by. Because there are Flock cameras around the country, Flock often has a snapshot of people’s movements which police can search, typically without a warrant…in…respon[se] to a request for comment…a Home Depot spokesperson [belched the word “crime” at] 404 Media…This is particularly notable considering that several high-profile ICE raids have taken place near Home Depot and Lowe’s stores…

The Cop Myth (#1552)

Cop deals with problems exactly as he was trained & encouraged to, and everyone is shocked:

…a New Jersey [cop named]…Ricardo Santos [murdered] his…ex-girlfriend, Lauren Semanchik, and a…man she had been dating, Tyler Webb, before [shoot]ing hi[mself]…Semanchik [was] a veterinarian…and Webb…a…firefighter…Semanchik had sought a restraining order…[because] Santos was harassing her[, but the cops refused because Santos’ clown costume was extra-magical]…

Walled Garden

The open internet is becoming a thing of the past:

Last fall…Australia announced that it was banning social media for everyone under the age of 16.  This was already a horrifically stupid idea—the kind of policy that sounds reasonable in a tabloid headline but crumbles under any serious scrutiny…There remains little to no actual evidence that an outright ban will be helpful, and plenty to suggest it will be actively harmful to many.  But now Australia has decided to double down on the stupid, announcing that YouTube will be included in the ban…reveal[ing] just how disconnected from reality this entire policy framework has become…

 

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 (#1449)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 26, 2024| 1 Comment »

Illegal drugs are cheaper, more readily available, more potent, [and] more widely used than they were 20 years ago.  –  James Martin

If Men Were Angels

“Inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” is a helluva way to say “molesting a 12-year-old”:

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway [mega]Church in Southlake, Texas…has confessed to…sexually abusing [Cindy Clemishire] over multiple years beginning when she was 12…Morris [burbled a lot of evangelical buzzwords like]…repented…walked in purity and accountability…blessing…and…forgiveness…[but] Clemishire [explained]…that…when Morris began abusing her…he…was a 20-year-old traveling evangelist…[already] married…[with a young] son…Morris…[betrayed] her family[‘s]…friends[hip after being] invited into their home and…repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma…[while telling] his wife that he was merely “counseling” her…For years…she has been warning churches…about Morris because she doesn’t believe she’s the only one who suffered his abuse…

Long Hidden

Cops aren’t the only violent profession whose members feel sexually entitled:

…hundreds of Kenyan women [have] filed complaints with the UK military over the years, a[fter being raped by British soldiers]…in the remote villages where the British Army trains its soldiers in Kenya. The British Army Training Unit, Kenya (BATUK), is headquartered in the town of Nanyuki…[and] Britain pays Kenya about $400,000 a year to allow its soldiers to train…mostly in the expansive wildlife conservancies in Laikipia and Samburu counties.  Kenya renewed the defense pact in 2021 despite strong local opposition…[due to numerous] allegations of rape and other crimes, including murder, by British soldiers deployed there [since] the 1950s…hundreds of women from the mostly pastoralist Maasai and Samburu communities who accused the British Army of rapes in the 1970s and 80s…were represented by the British lawyer Martyn Day in a landmark civil case in London in the early 2000s…[but] in 2007, Britain’s Ministry of Defense dismissed claims…brought by 2,187 women…[claiming] the…evidence appeared to have been fabricated…[and refusing to] conduct DNA tests on any of the 69 mixed-race children…born from rape by British soldiers…[but as they] can now be sued in Kenyan courts…as part of a new addition to the 2021 defense pact…lawyer Kelvin Kubai has signed up more than 300 of the women who previously brought rape claims and is working to reintroduce the case in Kenyan courts…

Rooted in Racism (#1305)

Never forget that this barbarity began using the excuse of “fighting human trafficking”:

The Greek coastguard has caused the deaths of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean over a three-year period…including nine who were deliberately thrown into the water.  The [others]…died as a result of being forced out of Greek territorial waters, or taken back out to sea after reaching Greek islands…The Greek government has long…forced returns – pushing people back towards Turkey, where they have crossed from, which is illegal under international law.  But this is the first time the…number of…fatalities…[due directly to] the Greek coastguard’s actions [has been calculated]…

Panopticon (#1316)

This is too useful a tool of state control for the rulers to give it up:

A new lawsuit says that Illinois’ widespread use of…automatic license plate readers…violates the Fourth Amendment…because it breaches citizens’ reasonable expectations of privacy…”Defendants are tracking anyone who drives to work in Cook County—or to school, or a grocery store, or a doctor’s office, or a pharmacy, or a political rally, or a romantic encounter, or family gathering—every day…without any reason to suspect anyone of anything, and are holding onto those whereabouts just in case they decide in the future that some citizen might be an appropriate target”…Illinois’ highway [panopticon] began in 2019 [as so many civil liberties abominations do,] with the passage of [a law bearing a crime victim’s name]…Illinois State Police [started with] a $12.5 million state grant in 2021…which was more than doubled in June 2022…[so far] Illinois…has purchased 652 license plate cameras, of which 340 are installed in Cook County…

Permanent Record (#1380)

I can’t feel sorry for someone whose job is ruining lives for violating arbitrary diktats when they get in trouble due to a similar diktat:

Nashville [cop] Sean Herman was recently arrested…weeks after it was revealed that he appeared in a viral OnlyFans clip in [his magical clown costume].  He faces two felony official misconduct charges for [using the clown suit for something other than terrorizing people]…If found guilty, Herman could face prison…[cop shop busybodies] reportedly “discovered the video and identified him as the person in [the magical clown costume], seen in the video from the chest down, who took part in a mock traffic stop in an OnlyFans skit during which he groped the exposed breast of the female driver”…

A Moral Cancer (#1396)

Australia expands the Drug War, and prohibitionists pretend the wholly-predictable consequences are somehow surprising:

Since March of last year, the Australian state of Victoria has been rocked by a series of [murders,] arsons and firebombings…in an escalating turf war between rival gangs…the drug at the center of this conflict: nicotine…[prohibitionists prai]se…Australia…for its graphic warnings on cigarette packs, extremely high cigarette taxes, and strict prohibitions on e-cigarettes…[which together constitute] a form of “de facto prohibition”…[so] predictably…the share of tobacco sold illegally…has…doubled [in recent years] to…nearly a quarter of Australian sales…There are 1.8 million vapers in Australia and about nine out of 10 of them source their vapes illegally…[either by buying] e-cigarette components and…nicotine liquid from abroad…or [by getting] disposable vapes manufactured cheaply in China…Australia’s…response…is to crack down even harder…in…contrast…New Zealand, which has similarly high cigarette taxes but embraces a much more liberal approach to vaping…now boasts one of the world’s lowest rates of smoking…

Eavesdropping (#1417)

Even cops are starting to admit Shotspotter is a boondoggle:

New York City [has wasted tens of millions] on gunshot detection technology that rarely works…ShotSpotter…uses microphones and…software in an attempt to detect the sound of gunshots…When a sound triggers the system, ShotSpotter alerts the police department, and officers are dispatched to the scene…[but] an analysis…found that 87% of the time [cop]s were dispatched to a scene where there was no evidence of a shooting…“The evidence shows that NYPD is wasting precious time and money on this technology and needs to do a better job managing its resources,” [said City Comptroller Brad] Lander… “Chasing down car backfires and construction noise does not make us safer”…It marks the latest report calling the technology’s efficacy into question.  A 2021 audit by Chicago’s Office of Inspector General found that of more than 50,000 alerts there, only 9.1% resulted in evidence of a gun-related offense…Houston Mayor John Whitmire also said he would cancel the city’s contract with the company, telling the Houston Chronicle that it is a “gimmick”…

 

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 (#1442)

Posted in Current Events, History, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

When a movement reaches a point of threat, the powers that be begin actively trying to scare them out of existence.  –  Dan Berger

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Apparently, this wasn’t a rape attempt, just a cop being a dumbass:

A San Diego [cop named]…Anthony Hair…arrested [a woman] on suspicion of stealing a car outside a convenience store…She also had a bench warrant out for her arrest…In bodycam footage released by the SDPD, [s]he…was heard…off[ering him] sex [in exchange for letting her go, saying]…“What’s it gonna hurt me if I work the system, you know what I mean? That’s the way I see shit”…Hair turned off his bodycam and [parked in] a residential street, the[n]…about 20 minutes later…called for a[nother member of his gang] to help him out of the p[igmobile because he had accidentally locked himself into the back seat while collecting his bribe]…Hair [tried to claim that he was there because he] believed the woman was suffering from a medical emergency…[but] police found traces of semen on Hair’s belt…

Down Under

Kaytlin Bailey on the realities of sex work Down Under:

What does decriminalized sex work look like in practice?  People in…New South Wales…and New Zealand know the answer, because they decriminalized sex work decades ago.  I recently spent six weeks touring my one-woman show, Whore’s Eye View, in Australia and New Zealand, where I met sex workers, clients, and brothel owners who negotiate sexual services openly without fear of arrest.  After my shows, people from the sex industry—both workers and clients—stayed to tell me their stories…Decriminalization has reduced violence and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and it has made it easier for sex workers to hold people accountable who try to hurt them…

The Face of Trafficking

Note that cases of actual coercion don’t look much like the myths:

Ikbahl Singh Machhal…and [his mother] Shila Devi…were bound over to stand trial…on…Human Trafficking [charges]..for…forc[ing Machal’s wife] to move from Pennsylvania to Michigan when…Devi [bought a convenience store]…in Michigan…[they forced her to] work…at the…store…[without] pay…for…8 to 9 hours a day, 7 days a week, against her will and under threat of severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse…for approximately 8 years [starting in 2012] until the victim [fled] with the assistance of…a…domestic violence char[ity]…

To Molest and Rape

Rapist cops often specifically target vulnerable women:

A [typical and representative Indianapolis cop named]…Myron Howard…ha[s] been…[arrested and] charged…with rape…and various other [associated crimes after specifically targeting]…a domestic violence [victim]…after [her] boyfriend was arrested…Howard [returned to her]…house [after the other cops left and threatened her with jail if she refused]…him…he rep[ea]tedly [harassed her via text]…messaging…[over the next] month…[so] she [eventually gathered the courage to]…report…[him].  When interviewed by detectives, Howard admitted to [fuck]ing…the woman…but [claimed] she had [not only wanted it but initiated it]…He also [absurdly claimed that] “ladies hit on me a lot”, and…admitted [to raping other women, but pretended] that…[the] victims [had wanted it those times as well]…IMPD Chief Bailey [barfed up nonsense about how this typical and representative cop was not representative]…

The Cop Myth (#1403)

Most coverage of this story hides the fact that the abuser was a screw:  “A [Connecticut screw named David Martins] died by suicide [after beating his wife]…on [May 25th.  Fortunately the wife’s]… injuries [were] not considered life-threatening…”

Stalkers in Blue (#1408)

Cops are nothing more than state-sponsored terrorists:

Atlanta police have been carrying out around-the-clock surveillance in several neighborhoods for months, on people and houses linked to opposition against the police training center colloquially known as “Cop City”.  The surveillance…has included following people in cars, blasting sirens outside bedroom windows and shining headlights into houses at night…The ongoing actions started soon after an 8 February pre-dawn, Swat-style raid on three…houses in which [pigs] and [ATF spooks]…sought evidence relating to arson of construction and police equipment…Social movement historian Dan Berger said this low-tech type of surveillance and related behavior – blasting sirens and flashing lights, following people – has precedence dating at least to the civil rights era.  He called the actions “naked intimidation with plausible deniability attached to it”…

No Escape (ROTW #11)

Once again: it does not help young victims of state violence to infantilize them as “children”.

Dozens of [legal minors] suffered physical and sexual abuse including violent rapes inside juvenile [prison]s and similar facilities in Pennsylvania, according to four related lawsuits..[which] describe how 66 people, now adults…were victimized by guards, nurses, supervisors and others…attacks [that] were reported…were ignored or met with disbelief…Jerome Block, who…[filed the suits]…has also pursued similar lawsuits in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Michigan…

 

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 (#1395)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 8, 2023| 1 Comment »

We’re having to evacuate from our own country.  –  Sergei Troshin

Secret Squirrel (#1202)

These wannabe Stasi will be lucky if a guilty conscience is the worst consequence of this ugly violation of their daughter’s trust:

A few years ago, we gave our daughter, now 18, a stuffed bear for her birthday.  At the time, we had recently discovered she had a boyfriend whom she was hiding from us…[so] we [decided] to [spy on her while pretending we weren’t]…breaking her trust…[by] install[ing] a hidden camera inside the eye of the stuffed bear.  Our daughter is now in college, and we overheard her telling her roommate how grateful she was for our trust in her…We have been racked with guilt ever since.  How can we tell our daughter about the camera without destroying our relationship with her?  Should we tell her at all?

Thou Shalt Not (#1299)

Will progressives ever stop cheering police violence in the name of “public health”?

New Zealand’s new…coalition government is abandoning a [new]…plan to [expand the drug war by criminalizing] smoking for future generations, in a move [criticized by] health experts [who think they have the right to enforce their diktats with police violence]…the [scheme]…would [have] gradually raise[d] the legal age so that anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, would…[forever] be [criminalized for] buy[ing] tobacco [regardless of age].  The New Zealand [drug war expansion inspired a monkey see-monkey do parade, with]…England…Ireland…Wales…[and] Hong Kong [already in line behind the prohibitionist bandwagon]…

The Cop Myth (#1350)

Why are people surprised when cops treat family members like they treat others?

 An Oklahoma City [cop with a long history of domestic violence] has been arrested again, but this time [for]…child abuse….Kristopher Gellenbeck…and…his…ex-wife…were exchanging their three children, ages 8-15, when he…began yelling at her and…pushed their oldest son out of the way to get to her.  The…[boy] grabbed Gellenbeck by the shirt in an effort to pull him away from his mother…[he then responded by attempting to] strangle…the…[boy.  But when] he…[saw she] was dialing 911…he…stopped strangling their son and ran towards her, grabbing her phone and “smashing” both of her hands against the window…“I never felt safe being around Kristopher, but I tried to do the correct thing and allow him to still see his children…[but they] have told me numerous times they do not want to go over to his house because they are afraid of him…I truly believe that if he gets close to use again, he can kill us,” Gellenbeck’s ex-wife wrote to a judge…In 2021, [Gellenbeck] was…charge[d with]…kidnapping…[and] domestic assault a[fter he broke into her house, tried to steal] her [entire] security camera system…grabbed her phone and [then held her prisoner for a while in her own home]…

Vulture Watching (#1364)

The psychopaths who rule Texas blame doctors for being afraid of prison or wanton destruction of their livelihoods:

Lawyers [for] Texas…[bizarrely argue] that women should sue their doctors, not the state, [because politicians inserted themselves and the police into the doctor-patient relationship]…Beth Klusmann of the Texas Attorney General’s Office [claimed] that [every possible life-threatening condition in pregnancy is invariably recognizable due to]…“a woman is bleeding…[and] has amniotic fluid running down her legs”…Zurawski v. Texas was brought by 22 women who[m]…state law…forced…to carry nonviable and dangerous pregnancies to term…many…were denied care because, despite the severity of the damage that the nonviable pregnancy was doing their body…they weren’t quite sick enough for it to be clearly life threatening.  Forty businesses have also signed a brief in support of the suit — arguing that ambiguities in the law have…cost…nearly $15 billion in lost revenues, and businesses and employees leaving the state…the 2021 law flew in the face of a long history of doctors being allowed to determine when abortion was necessary to preserve the health of the mother under state law — even when the procedure, in general, was not legal…

Monsters (#1392)

Never forget that this started with censorship of internet porn:

Russia’s Supreme Court has declared what it calls “the international LGBT public movement” an extremist organisation and banned its activities across the country…even though no such organisation exists as a legal entity.  The hearing was held behind closed doors, [and]…nobody from “the defendant’s side” had been present…Sergei Troshin, a municipal deputy in St Petersburg who came out as gay last year, [said]…”I think this will mean that anyone whom the state considers an LGBT activist could receive a long prison sentence for ‘participating in an extremist organisation’…There is panic in Russia’s LGBT community.  People are emigrating urgently…We’re having to evacuate from our own country”…

Cops lost no time in proving the panic justified:

Russian security forces raided gay clubs and bars across Moscow Friday night, less than 48 hours after the country’s top court banned what it called the “global LGBTQ+ movement” as an extremist organization…

Served Cold (#1393)

This just keeps getting better:

…Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes…us[ed] “unconstitutional suppression” of [Suzanne Whitehead’s] rights to free speech after she tried to tell the truth about Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad…[her new] lawsuit alleges Reyes “apparently believes” Ballard is the “chosen one” and…[therefore] treats Ballard as if he’s above the law…Reyes [even] wrote a [“very self-aggrandizing”] scene [for a proposed] sequel to the [propaganda] film…Sound of Freedom…[which] reinforces how Reyes covers for Ballard and fails to disclose financial conflicts…Whitehead says Reyes’ “political credibility” allowed the Attorney General to act as a “blocker, quashing complaints against Ballard and OUR with the cover of the top law enforcement officer in the state of Utah”…

To Molest and Rape (Still Another Rapist Roundup)

Cops should not be allowed anywhere near legal minors:

[Florida cop] Aurelio Gerald Rodriguez…was arrested in [early] November…for…physical and sexual abuse [of]…3 girls who were related to him [in some unexplained fashion].  The girls are 9, 16 and 18 now and report that the abuse began [for the eldest] when [she] was…10 [and the second when she was 7]….[beside] the…grooming…and [molestation] he…[would talk about] their “sexual needs”…[and] his [own] needs.  The girls described being always afraid of him because he was “angry and mean” to them while the [molestation]…occurred more times than they can estimate…The oldest girl said they were silent because they were afraid he would not let them see their mother, something…he…apparently controlled.  The…molestation persisted…until he was [arrested]…in November…

Given the situation and relative ages, I’m guessing he’s their grandfather.  This one is also related to his victim:

Justin Sigmon…[is a typical and representative] Virginia [cop]…On May 25, 2023, he departed from…Miami on a Carnival cruise ship…and…[was] filmed in the ship’s dining room with a 9-year-old girl…described as his “relative” sitting on his lap while he persistently moved his hands to her inner thighs and genital area.  The girl was seen pushing his hand away numerous times and he persisted…[even when] she crossed her legs…the molestation lasted about 10 minutes…and when the girl got up, he is seen touching and covering his own crotch for some time.  This was recorded by a bystander and…confirmed by the ship’s surveillance cameras.  He was charged in Florida with a federal crime when the ship docked on June 3, 2023…[and] convicted by a jury [on November 17th]…Sentencing was set for Jan. 12…

This one doesn’t appear to be related to his victim, but given the obfuscation it’s hard to tell:

A[n nonymous London cop] has been [sacked] for [molesting]…an underage runaway [of unspecified age or gender]…who was reported missing…he…”exploited and abused” the [victim] after making contact with them on social media…on 16 August 2019…he…[even] allowed them to stay [at his place] on 26 August without informing police or social services…

 

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 #689

Posted in Current Events, Links, Miscellaneous, Music, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I am not dumb.  –  Reza Baluchi

There is, of course, only one song appropriate for Gary Wright’s memorial; the links above it were provided by Amy Alkon, Stephen Lemons, Jesse Walker, Clarissa, Carol Fenton, Nun Ya, and The Onion, 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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Links #685

Posted in Current Events, History, Links, Miscellaneous, Music, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

We can lock him up, take his kid, put his dog in the impound.
–  Raiford Box

As my memorial for Robbie Robertson, I chose this example of kind of antiwar song I think most effective: one about the human costs of war.  The links above it were provided by Radley Balko; Scott Greenfield; Popehat; Jesse Walker and Radley Balko again; Phoenix Calida; and Elizabeth N. Brown, 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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Links #669

Posted in Current Events, Links, Miscellaneous, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The gang list is absolutely asinine.  –  Tracey Mason

In observance of May Eve, here’s another Lovecraft video from the creators I featured last week; the humor in this one is both drier and darker, and does not entirely override the horror concept at the core of the story.  The links above it were provided by Walter Olson, Mike Siegel, Lucy Steigerwald, Greg Lukianoff, Cop Crisis (x2), and Radley Balko, 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 (#1301)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

We have the right to be safe at work just like anybody.  –  Cherida Fraser

To Molest and Rape

This is brazen even by cop standards:

An [Alabama cop] pulled over a woman before kidnapping and [rap]ing her [at gunpoint]…Joshua Davidson…is facing federal charges…since…[the] Jan. 30, 2020…[attack]…prosecutors filed a motion asking the court to detain Davidson…[because] he is “a flight risk and danger to the community”…[having] previously fled…to New Hampshire…in 2020…However, the court denied the prosecution’s motion [because cop]…

Down Under (#876)

In the US, the government would’ve “helped” by prosecuting the victims:

…John-Paul Pohe…filmed 14…sex [workers in session] and went on to face 17 charges of making an intimate visual recording…Pohe was also sentenced for the repeated rape and sexual violation of a young girl…he [also] filmed the [rapes] and kept the footage on his phone…le[ading] to hi[s] being caught…Pohe recorded the [women] – three of wh[om] he recorded twice – without…consent between September 2021 and April this year at four different brothels around the Wellington region…he [would] put his phone in one of his shoes at the end of the bed, to covertly capture the [act].  The discovery of the recordings led to identifying the women, [none] of whom had [any] idea they had been filmed…In each video the[ir]…faces are visible…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1065) 

This is only the beginning:

Kelly Conlon and her daughter [went] to New York City the weekend after Thanksgiving as part of a Girl Scout field trip to Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular show.  But…Conlon was…identified [by a facial recognition system]…security guards approached her right as he got into the lobby…and…kicked her out…she [i]s an attorney…with the New Jersey based law firm, Davis, Saperstein and Solomon, which for years has been involved in personal injury litigation against a restaurant venue now under the umbrella of MSG Entertainment…”This whole scheme is a pretext for doing collective punishment on adversaries who would dare sue MSG in their multi-billion dollar network,” said Sam Davis, a partner at the firm…Other firms have sued over being blacklisted.  Conlon said she thought a recent judge’s order in one of those cases made it clear that ticketholders like her “may not be denied entry to any shows”…

Torture Chamber (#1267)

Where “alleged” is used to mean “endemic”:

For five decades, [young people condemned to] Los Angeles County [prison] camps and [cage stacks] have suffered repeated sexual assaults at the hands of [screws and] probation…officers, according to a lawsuit filed by nearly 300 [victims]…The…suit, involving 279 plaintiffs, follows two lawsuits filed earlier this year [by] 70 women…[who] were sexually assaulted [in]…other…facilities. [Screws]…not only [raped and] abused teenage girls, but also…boys…

Stalkers in Blue (Rapist Roundup)

Cops are sexual predators who often specifically target traumatized women:

Rachel Wilks was just 15 when…[she was] assaulted by a family member…[Victoria cop Jayden] Faure [started] grooming…[her via text and Snapchat and] also checking the details of one of her family members on the police [“]LEAP[“] database without any legitimate reason…[at least] 178 [cops] have…misuse[d]…LEAP in the past five years…[only] 65…were disciplined, and…Faure…was…the only o[ne of them] to be convicted…

Do As I Say, Not As I Do (#1292)

It’s always lovely to see them feeding on each other:

A…[typical and representative Florida cop named] Jarrod Eldridge was arrested…[for interacting with] a…coworker…[fantasy role-play]ing as a 14-year-old girl named Jenny…Eldridge…[and the other wanker] exchanged dozens of messages, and Eldridge sent a photo of himself…

To Molest and Rape (#1298)

They’ll use any dodge to avoid saying “cop”, especially when the victims are literal babies:

A [typical and representative] Florida [cop]…received 60 years in prison for sexually abusing children on video.  Scott Matthew Yotka…videotaped himself abusing two children and distributed it over the internet, according to…an…FBI agent…[who was pretending to be a fellow]…molest[er]…The FBI agent asked Yotka how he kept the kids quiet about the abuse, and he responded, “they are young and don’t talk”…Yotka a[lso confessed]…he was an administrator on a social media for people who like “little kid things, incest fetishes and animal things”…

 

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 (#1299)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 22, 2022| 2 Comments »

I was not sent to prison to be raped and abused.  –  Briane Moore

To Molest and Rape (#1009)

Prince George’s County, Maryland is well-known for rapist cops:

…Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Deputy…Brandon Burroughs…has been suspended following repeated [rapes of]…a woman from the area…Burroughs w[as charged following the]…rape…that h[e committed] in October…[bu]t in September…Burroughs [had raped] the same woman…[and been rewar]ded with [a] pa[id vacation]…

Guinea Pigs (#1141) 

This is what your god-emperor and his lackeys call “going after the billionaires”:

…OnlyFans content creators [are now being slapped with threats of]…criminal tax investigation…“pairs of IRS Special Agents across the country descended on the homes and offices of OnlyFans personalities and their tax return preparers, delivering grand jury subpoenas,” [said] John Colvin, a Seattle tax defense attorney…OnlyFans reportedly grossed over $2.3 billion in 2020 alone.  Its content creators have been increasingly well-known for their eye-popping accumulation of wealth.  It is no surprise, then, that the IRS…[is going to try to rob as many of them as possible, starting with] some of the highest grossing of the 1.6 million content creators…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1193)

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

…the TSA, has been testing facial recognition software to…screen passengers flying [domestically] in 16 airports.  And now it’s looking into rolling it out nationwide next year…security checkpoints [will require] scanning a copy of a government-issued ID…and standing in front of a c[omputerized facial recognition] system…TSA agents…[w]ill [lurk nearby to subject]…travelers…[to] further [harassment] due to the technology’s inaccuracies…

Thou Shalt Not (#1198)

Because this kind of prohibition will surely be different!

…the New Zealand parliament [has] passed a law banning anyone born after December 31, 2008, from ever buying cigarettes.  The law is designed to permanently [criminalize] tobacco usage in the country by aging out current[ly-legal] smokers.  In 2040, for instance, 31-year-olds will still be [criminalized if they]…buy…cigarettes, cigars, and similar products…the policy will fuel a black market for the products and create new vectors for state violence against individuals…[under the pretext of] dramatically reduc[ing] smoking rates in the country—which are already at a historic low, with only 8 percent of adults smoking daily.  The law will also reduce the number of retailers permitted to sell combustible tobacco products, from 6,000 to 600, and it mandates a reduced nicotine level in [legal] tobacco products.  The legislation will not ban the sale of tobacco vape products…

The Last Shall Be First (#1246) 

Texas seems to be preparing to extend its deranged jihad to trans adults:

Employees at the Texas Department of Public Safety in June received a sweeping request from…Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office: to compile a list of individuals who had changed their gender on their Texas driver’s license and other department records during the past two years…The behind-the-scenes effort…came as the attorney general, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican [politicians] in the state have been publicly marshaling resources against transgender Texans…[including] more than a dozen anti-LGBTQ measures ahead of the next session in January, including criminalizing gender-affirming care and banning minors at drag shows…

Unsafe for Human Consumption (#1277)

Cops won’t drop this fantasy until “news” media stop obediently parroting it:

A Florida [cop] making a [pretext] stop [imagined she] was accidentally exposed to fentanyl, triggering a p[anic attack] that [was alleviated by a placebo effect when her fellow cops gave her]…three doses of Narcan…Courtney Bannick…[was looking for a drug arrest] while she was handling dollars bills [that cops claim are often coated with the magical insta-fentanyl of cop legends].  Although she was wearing gloves…[she was terrified by] a gust of wind [she suddenly imagined had] blown some of the drugs toward her…

Torture Chamber (#1298)

The one man most responsible for the staggering number of US women locked in cages is now living in the White House:

The epidemic of sexual assaults against [women locked in cages by the]…federal [government]…has prompted the Justice Department to expand the use of a program to provide early releases to women [raped by screws and other government actors]…In recent weeks, the deputy attorney general…has pressed top [screwmasters]…to encourage [prisoners] who have been [raped or otherwise] assaulted by prison employees…to apply.  The push comes amid new [admiss]ions about the extent of abuse of women, and the…willingness of many prison officials [to cultivate the system which allows that abuse]…and [shield rapists] at all levels in the system, to address a crisis that has long been an open secret…

 

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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