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Posts Tagged ‘Oregon’

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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Links #810

Posted in Current Events, History, Links, Miscellaneous, Music, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

There’s a bear under my house, and there’s nothing I can do about it!  –  Ken Johnson

I think my old friend Terry would’ve loved this video, provided by Mike Masnick; he also provided the first link above it, and those after that were provided by Jason Kuznicki, Nun Ya, Jesse Walker, The Onion, and Popehat, 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 #799

Posted in Current Events, History, Links, Miscellaneous, Music, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Surveillance video is the great equalizer.  – Andrew Celli Jr. & Wylie Stecklow

I was never much of a KISS fan, but a little research points to this as the proper sendoff for Ace Frehley.  The links above it were provided by Dan Savage, Mike Siegel, IncarcerNation, Violet Blue, The Onion, Nun Ya, 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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Links #798

Posted in Current Events, History, Links, Miscellaneous, Obituary, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[Journalists] act as a barrier against those who, through the ancient art of lying, seek to…rule by dividing.  –  Pope Leo XIV

Here’s a seasonally-themed a cappella medley called to my attention by Phoenix Calida; the links above it were provided by Aaron Ross Powell, Radley Balko, Ryan Cooper, IncarcerNation, Ryan Marino (x2), and Nun Ya, 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 (#1581)

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

[“]AI[“]…is beginning to resemble one of the great speculative manias of market history.  –  Karim Moussalem

Above the Law

Your “leaders” at work:

A North Carolina…[politician nam]ed Cecil Brockman…was arrested on [October 8th for child molestation and]…statutory rape…[before his court appearance the next day,] Brockman suffered [a panic attack and]…was taken to a local hospital…his…party is calling for Brockman to resign…[so] the[y can]…pick a replacement..[but] if Brockman doesn’t resign, the[y will probably]…impeach…[him]…

Buried Truth

Yet another example of McNeill’s Law:

A [politician] leading a campaign to ban pornography in Michigan appears to have had an account on a pornographic hook-up website that promised users they could “find sex” and “get laid tonight”…Josh Schriver…has called porn a “scourge” and compared it to heroin…but…an account linked to his personal AOL email address appeared in a data breach from Fling.com…[where his] profile indicat[es] sexual interests including “fetish” and “groupsex”…

A Moral Cancer (#1515)

Prohibitionists never tire of treating adults like children:

In 2015, Oregon [politicians impos]ed a law that prohibited the sale of vaping products “packaged in a manner that is attractive to minors”…The resulting regulations offer a “non-exclusive list” of packaging features that the OHA deemed “likely to appeal to minors,” including images of “food or beverages…such as candy, desserts, soda, [and] food or beverages with sweet flavors including fruit or alcohol.” Also forbidden: “terms or descriptive words for flavors that are likely to appeal to minors such as tart, tangy, sweet, cool, fire, ice, lit, spiked, poppin’, juicy, candy, desserts, soda, [and] sweet flavors including fruit, or alcohol flavors.”  The premise of these rules is that such flavors [never] appeal to…adult smokers looking for a less hazardous form of nicotine consumption…[but] adults who switch from smoking to vaping overwhelmingly prefer the flavors that the OHA views as juvenile…The…regulations require vape shops to actively conceal information that their customers want…[by censoring] labels…[which] means customers must ask employees for information that ordinarily would be on the label…a state appeals court [has] rul[ed] that the law…is “unconstitutional on its face”…

Shame, Shame (#1525)

Zuckerberg’s sleaziness has no bottom:

Strike 3 Holdings, a company that…makes [adult videos it describes as] “high quality,” “feminist,” and “ethical”…is suing [Facebook]…for…infringing its copyright-protected content [by] using it to train [machine learning systems]…since 2018…[Facebook’s] motive was partly to obtain otherwise difficult-to-scrape visual angles, parts of the human body, and extended, uninterrupted scenes—rare in mainstream movies and TV—to help it create what Mark Zuckerberg [absurdly] calls [artificial] “superintelligence”…[Facebook] used the BitTorrent protocol to download and distribute [2,396 of Strike 3’s copyright-protected porn videos], which is illegal…[and] made [the] videos accessible to minors…since BitTorrent does not have age verification…

Thought Control (#1546)

The only way to stop these maniacs is to hit them where it hurts most:

A former Wyoming library director who was fired amid an [attempt to censor] books with sexual content and LGBTQ+ themes…will be paid $700,000 after settling a lawsuit.  Terri Lesley was fired…[by] Campbell County in 2023, two years into the [censorship crusade]…P[oliticians collud]ed with the [wannabe censors] and violated Lesley’s First Amendment rights…[but the] board…[l]ied…claim[ing she was fired for incompetence]…Lesley’s attorney, Iris Halpern…and her firm, Rathod Mohamedbhai in Denver, have supported fired library employees elsewhere in recent years.  Under the settlement agreement, Lesley is dropping her lawsuit, though a separate lawsuit she has filed against [the] three [wannabe censors]…will continue…

The Cop Myth (#1570)

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

A [typical and representative Tennessee cop] has been indicted…on federal charges [for violently attack]ing his estranged girlfriend…Alan James Greenman…was initially arrested Aug. 21…[the day after he barged into] her apartment complex at 6:25 a.m. [while wearing his magical clown costume]…he…accused her of cheating on him and demanded to see her cellphone.  She told [him] to leave and [he responded by destroying her]…television…and…cellphone…he…[then threw] her…onto the bed…[and] punched her in the head multiple times…she tried to leave [but] Greenman [threatened] her…[with his] gun…[saying] “I’m going to fucking kill you”…he [then went on a rampage, destroying] her belongings…[until she managed to escape with] her [toddler] son…[the Clarksville cop shop] has sensors on their duty holsters that activate their p[igmobile’s] in-car camera when the weapon is drawn…the camera…captured…her [escape] and [his subsequent confession]…to…an unknown male…when [cops later] searched the [victim’s] apartment, they found Greenman hiding under clothing in [her] bedroom closet with his personally owned pistol[, apparently planning to ambush and murder her when she returned]…

Mad Libs (#1571)

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

The Bank of England [is]…warning of an intensifying risk of a “sudden correction” in global financial markets driven by the spending frenzy on [machine learning]…it’s the…clearest warning yet that we could be on the precipice of an [economic] disaster…the…[“]AI[“] bubble…[is] 17 times the size of the dotcom-era bubble and four times bigger than the 2008 financial crisis…only a measly five percent of [machine learning] pilot programs…succeed…with the vast majority falling flat.  Yet [the mania]…now accounts for roughly 40 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product…[so when] the…spending boom falls apart, it could take down the entire economy with it…

 

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 (#1574)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

We all have the right to live a private life…without…a government drone flying overhead and watching us without a warrant or our knowledge.  –  Matt Cagle

If Men Were Angels (#1274)

It says a great deal that when something resembling “sex trafficking” propaganda really happens, a church is behind it:

…A federal racketeering conspiracy indictment…[has] charged that…Naasón Joaquín García…and five associates used [García’s] La Luz del Mundo Church to sex-traffic women and children and produce and distribute child pornography, among other crimes.  His 79-year-old mother was among those charged…García is already serving a 16-year, eight-month state sentence after pleading guilty in California in 2022 to…[sexually abus]ing three different minors…After his arrest in the California case in 2019, the new indictment says, Mr. García’s associates, including one posing as a lawyer, pressured witnesses and victims not to [talk to cops] and directed pastors of the church to deliver sermons calling victims who had come forward liars…

Thought Control (#1289)

Just keep plunging that ice pick in; the bad thoughts will go away eventually:

…If [pro-censorship politician Mike] Pelfrey couldn’t persuade voters to elect him to “fix” the [Josephine County, Oregon] library’s [“]problem[” of insufficient censorship]…he would simply de…fund the community institution…Recalled Commissioner John West [aided and abetted him to put pressure]…on the…remaining commissioners…to…push…the Trump agenda of bigotry, hatred, and intimidation…For over two years…a small group of white men [has been] deciding who gets access to a community asset…A handful of people are eager to withhold library services from tens of thousands to score a few political points.  That’s all it is, and that’s all it has ever been…

Panopticon (#1437)

Courts keep allowing the state to enrich itself via unconstitutional warrantless surveillance:

Sonoma County [California is using “]unlicensed cannabis crops[“]…as [an excuse] to [levy] six-figure fines, [leading to] foreclosures…evictions…and devastation…for folks…who did not grow cannabis…In June, the…ACLU…filed a lawsuit on behalf of…residents…[because] the authorities’ “runaway spying operation” violates constitutional protections against unlawful searches…[via] a fleet of high-powered drones…with precision zoom cameras, all while concealing the surveillance from residents, the media, and local oversight bodies…[more than] a dozen Sonoma residents…might lose their home…because of…county code enforcement making as much money off of [low tax-bracket] people [as possible]…

I Spy (#1515)

Cops everywhere are moral imbeciles, and those who facilitate their evil are enemies of humanity:

…Forensic analysis by…Citizen Lab…found that commercially available FlexiSPY spyware was [surreptitiously] installed on…two [Kenyan filmmakers’] phones on or around May 21…The phones were [stolen by cops] on May 2, when [they] arrested documentarians Mark Denver Karubiu and Bryan Adagala, cinematographer Nicholas Wambugu, and graphic designer Christopher Wamae at a studio in…Nairobi…the four were released [the next day] without charge but four phones, a tablet, computers, and storage devices…were not returned until July 10…Police [were trying to gin up a case against] the filmmakers [because they were embarrassed by]…“Blood Parliament,” a BBC documentary that implicated Kenyan [cops] in the June 2024 [murder]s of protesters…[but] the four “were not involved in any way in the making” of the documentary…FlexiSPY markets itself for [abusive] parents and [exploitative] employers to “know everything that happens” on a computer or phone, including monitoring messages, emails, and social media; recording calls; tracking device locations, website visits, and passwords; downloading photos and videos; and listening through a device’s microphone…

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1531)

Missouri is increasingly allowing its politicians to govern by edict, without tiresome democratic processes:

Missouri will require…websites [a politician has pointed at while belching the word “]pornographic[” to spy on users who don’t use VPNs]…The regulation [circumvents the need to enact a law by pretending anything sexual]…constitutes an “unfair practice” under…Missouri [consumer protection law.  New attorney general Catherine]…Hanaway [wasted no time in showing she could be as ridiculous as any male politician, spinning her head around 360o while projectile vomiting buzzwords including]…“hold…accountable[“…”]human trafficking[“], and…[“]dangerous[“.  The scheme was originally dreamed up by former]…attorney general…Andrew Bailey, who [has joined the Trump regime]…

Torture Chamber (#1539)

A society can be judged by the way it treats its prisoners:

When Sheqweetta Vaughan gave birth to a healthy baby boy…in January…[she] had just…beg[u]n a two-year [prison] sentence…Six months [later], Vaughn…d[ied] alone in a sweltering hot [solitary confinement] cell and nobody [noticed]…until her body had already begun to decompose…[the] deputy coroner…report[ed]…“a strong odor of decay.”  The temperature in the cell was in the 90s, and there was little ventilation…procedure requires [screws] in those units to look in on prisoners at least every 30 minutes…but the level of decomposition…[demonstrates she] had been dead at least a day before paramedics were called…Vaughan’s death…marks the second known instance in the last two years in which the body of a Georgia prisoner was discovered decomposing in a cell. In April 2023…Anthony Zino…was dead for five days…before [screws] noticed…he [had been murdered]…and stuffed inside a mattress…Vaughan was being treated by a prison psychiatrist and had been prescribed…haloperidol…[for which] one of the side effects…is an increased risk of heat stroke…

If Men Were Angels (Nasty Pictures)

Wannabe preachers are often as bad as the real thing:

Jason Yates, once the public face of conservative Christian voter outreach, has pleaded guilty to possession of child [porn]…as part of a plea deal that dismissed six [more serious] charges…many [of the children in the images] appearing to be under the age of 10…at least eight…depicted children between the ages of five and seven…the unraveling began in July 2024 when a family member accidentally found a hard drive while sorting through Yates’ office.  Upon opening the files, they encountered graphic images…and [reported him to cops.  Under interrogation] he…disclosed a prior expunged conviction involving similar material…Yates…frequently…oppose[d] LGBTQ rights, abortion access, and secular governance…[as] “sexually deviant messaging” targeting children and called such influence “infernal programming”…

 

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 (#1570)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The machines aren’t just taking over our work—they’re taking over our minds.  –  Nicolas Hulscher

Shame, Shame (#1535)

Zuckerberg is out of his mind:

[Facebook] has appropriated the names and likenesses of celebrities – including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez – to create dozens of flirty social-media chatbots without their permission…While many were created by users with a [Facebook] tool…employee[s] had produced at least three…All…have been shared on…Facebook [or its] Instagram and WhatsApp platforms…the bots…often insist…they [are] the real [McCoy] and…routinely ma[k]e sexual advances…[Facebook] deleted about a dozen of the bots, both “parody” [bots] and unlabeled ones, [when it realized Reuters was about to publish a]…story…on the[m]…at least one of [Facebook]’s primary [LLM] competitors, Elon Musk’s platform, [MechaHitler], will also produce images of celebrities in their underwear…

Aladdin’s Satellite (#1560)

Don’t let computers call them, either:

…more and more stories [are] emerg[ing] about…chatbots leading people to self-harm, delusions, hospitalization, arrest, and suicide.  As the loved ones of the people impacted by these dangerous bots [file lawsuits against]…the companies that [let these programs run wild and flagrantly lie about their abilities]…OpenAI…has…done little more than offer copy-pasted promises…now [the company is] scanning users’ messages for certain types of…content, escalating [some]…to human staff for review — and, in some cases, reporting it to the cops…

The Cop Myth (#1560)

Cop is a cop is a cop is a cop:

A judge has found a [CBP goon] liable for civil assault for [threatening] a hotel maintenance man [with a gun when he came to] the [goon]’s room to unclog his toilet…Joshua Jones was part of a Phoenix-based [goon gang] sent to Portland in July 2020 to guard the federal courthouse…during nightly unrest downtown after [a cop murdered] George Floyd in Minneapolis…Christopher Frison…arrived at Jones’ room about 5 p.m. on July 27, 2020, and knocked several times.  Frison also called out “maintenance,” gave his name and waited, holding a plunger…[bu]t Jones opened the door quickly and pointed a gun at [him]…Jones [claimed] he thought a protester might have been outside his…door…and…he was prepared “to protect that room”…yet…never looked in the peephole…before opening…“What the hell are you doing? What is going on?” Frison…screamed…Joshua Keller, one of the government lawyers representing Jones…[absurdly] argued that Frison’s recollection of events wasn’t realistic, [because] it wouldn’t make sense for [a loose-cannon cop to act like a loose-cannon cop]…

To Molest and Rape (ROTW #22)

When will the mainstream media admit that pigs in schools are a menace?

A [Florida cop] assigned to lurk in a]…high school [to spy on, harass, and intimidate students, predictably molested] a 16-year-old female student…Saul Garcia [was rewarded with a paid vacation since]…April 16, [but has now been sacked and arrested]…

The Cop Myth (#1561)

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

Cincinnati [cop] Thomas Back was arrested [for] domestic violence after a 911 call[er gave cops his] license plate number…[after] seeing [him] pull o[ver] into a grassy area…a woman, who was screaming and crying, [jumped out] and ran toward a wooded area…Back [then drove past her, jumped out, grabbed her and] threw h[er back] into his pickup…and…drove away…[the] argument [started because]…another woman attempted to [call] him [via a video app] while they were driving…a judge…issued a temporary protective order for [the] girlfriend…

Mad Libs (#1565)

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

A new MIT study…has found that using ChatGPT to help write essays leads to long-term cognitive harm—measurable through EEG brain scans.  Students who repeatedly relied on ChatGPT showed weakened neural connectivity [and] impaired memory recall…While the [LLM]-generated content often scored well, the brains behind it were shutting down.  The findings are clear: Large Language Models…like [Cat, I farted] and [MechaHitler] don’t [actually] help students write—they train the brain to disengage…the brain essentially “lets go” of the effort required for synthesis and memory…[leading] to passivity…and low integration of concepts…

Walled Garden (#1567)

Prohibition can never actually succeed in eradicating the banned thing:

When the United Kingdom began [demand]ing…websites…verify their users’ ages…sites that complied…saw visits from British internet addresses collapse.  But…porn sites that disregarded the [asinine] rule…have been rewarded with a flood of traffic…Some have doubled or even tripled their audiences…compared with the same time last year…John Scott-Railton…[of] the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto…called [it]…“a textbook illustration of the law of unintended consequences…The more the government squeezes, the more they reward the very sites that scoff at their rules”…[yet wannabe censors keep idiotically burbling that the internet is a bar while demanding] adults…give sensitive information to scattered websites, exposing them to data breaches…[which] happen all the time…the…censorship movement…[is already moving] far beyond porn to “wall off huge sections of the internet, with the government as the sole gatekeeper”…The anonymous message boards 4chan and Kiwi Farms [have] sued Ofcom in U.S. District Court…

 

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 (#1562)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Shield laws have been a disaster for the anti-abortion movement.
–  Mary Ziegler

Robocops (#1249)

Courts declare that the more egregious a cop’s crimes, the less they can be held accountable:

A [sow] who [maliciously] had a woman jailed for over two years on false charges in connection with a[n imaginary] sex-trafficking ring cannot be sued, a court confirmed last week, because she was acting under color of federal law…Heather Weyker…[completely] fabricat[ed a “Somali sex trafficking gang” for her own self-aggrandizement]…then j[ailed 16-year-old Hamdi Mohamud to silence her after Weyker’s confederate in the scam,] Muna Abdulkadir[,] attacked her [with]…a knife…Mohamud spent 25 months [locked] in federal [cages, but could not sue]… Weyker [because]…she had been cross-deputized on a federal task force [due to “sex trafficking” hysteria]…and…the Supreme Court has made it almost cartoonishly difficult…to [sue]…federal agents…Mohamud’s remaining hope, then, came down to proving that Weyker was acting under color of state law…and the [8th Circuit has now destroyed]…that [hope]…

The Last Shall Be First (#1351) 

Florida’s psychopath-general wants to criminalize vaudeville:

Florida’s [deranged] attorney general…James Uthmeier…has [launch]ed a…[harassment campaign against]…the Kilted Mermaid, a Vero Beach establishment owned by the city’s vice mayor, Linda Moore…A subpoena reportedly demands Moore turn over security footage, employee work schedules, contracts identifying performers, guest lists, and reservation logs [from a June drag event] by August 8…neither the press release nor the subpoena indicates what state laws Moore is…allegedly violating.  But the [harassment began] after local Moms for Liberty chair Jennifer Pippin filed a complaint…accusing the Kilted Mermaid of violating [a] Florida…[anti-drag] law that has been blocked from going into effect since 2023…Pippin…did not attend the event…and [claimed] that she was [somehow] unaware that the law had been blocked…however, [Uthmeier has no such excuse]…

The Puritan Recrudescence (#1389)

Politicians don’t even try to make their new laws Constitutional any more:

Alabama…has begun sending [demands] to adult site operators [for] 10%…[of their] gross receipts…[starting] Sept. 1…while the First Amendment precludes financially burdening protected speech based on its content, recent events have called such protections into question…enforcing the tax on adult website content could prompt legal challenges…However, a[ny]…website operator…[unwilling to deal with the bullshit] can [simply block] Alabama customers [who don’t use VPNs]…

Feudalism Redux (#1525)

This unhinged lunacy will spread like rot until struck down by a court:

Arkansas [psychopath] General Tim Griffin…sent cease and desist letters…to two websites that provide information about abortion pills, demanding they [stop correctly stating] that medications can be mailed to Arkansas…[despite its] total abortion ban…Griffin and 15 other [forced-birth lunatics are also demanding] Congress…ban…“shield laws” that [give] healthcare providers [protection against legal harassment by psychopaths like Griffin and Ken Paxton].  About one in four abortions in the U.S. are done via telemedicine, and 12,000 abortions per month are provided by clinicians prescribing under shield laws.  Griffin is targeting the sites Plan C and Mayday Health, which do not prescribe or sell the drugs mifepristone or misoprostol…but rather [provide information] about where…the pills [can be purchased, which is 100% legal under the First Amendment.  In order to get around this fact]…Griffin [incorrectly claims] that, by [correctly describing] abortion pills as safe, the language on the sites “may constitute false, deceptive, and unconscionable trade practices” [in] Arkansas…

Secret Squirrel (#1528)

This sickness just keeps getting worse:

Skechers introduced a line of kids’ sneakers that contain a hidden compartment where parents can slip in an Apple AirTag…to…[surreptitiously] track the location of their…child’s shoes…Apple only advertises its AirTags as products to keep track of items like keys, wallets, or luggage — not human beings.  But [abusive people] have been using the technology to [stalk others without their knowledge]…AirTags are not designed to be very good at tracking fast-moving things, like a kid on a school bus, [because they]…don’t have built-in GPS.  Instead, they use Bluetooth beaconing technology to [sneaki]ly signal their presence to nearby Apple devices…[because of such] nefarious [misuse, there was]…a class action lawsuit.  [Because of this] Apple has instituted some anti-stalking features, [but]…the continued normalization of this kind of surveillance could have [strong negative effects on young people’s mental health]…

To Molest and Rape (ROTW #22)

Cops should not be allowed anywhere near legal minors:

An [Oregon cop named]…Hector Carranza was arrested on [July 31st for repeatedly raping a minor both vaginally and anally]…Carranza [w]as [rewarded with a paid vacation] since November 2024, when he was [first reported, and his bosses thought the most important factor in this is that he wasn’t wearing his magical clown costume while committing the rapes]…

The Cop Myth (#1561)

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

The [boss hog] of the Maine Capitol Police is facing charges of assault and resisting arrest [after he drunkenly attacked] a…[cop for the town of] Hallowell…[around midnight on August 1st].  Matthew Clancy was arrested…after…[causing trouble in a] bar…Clancy [has been rewarded with a paid vacation]…

 

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 (#1561)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Resubmitting the same materials does not alter the outcome.
–  Taylor Bruck

Without Let or Hindrance

Children abducted by the state are typically harmed more than children left in their homes:

…Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr. [was killed by]…the Alabama [“]child protective services[“] agency [when]…he [was]…left inside a car…in Birmingham for [more than five] hours during the middle of the day [in July during a heat wave]…Courtney French, the family’s attorney, [said]…“He died a brutal death”…during the 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. window when [the incompetent bureaucrat]…left [him] in…the car…heat index values…ranged from 101 to 105 degrees…the [state had abducted the toddler from his family for unreported reasons, and were forcing]…his [parents to jump through expensive, time-consuming, and degrading hoops]…as part of a court-ordered process…to [get] their [child back from the incompetent bureaucrats whose negligence eventually killed him]…“This would have never happened had K.J. been with his parents,” French added…

HIV Cure (#1129)

Not a cure, but the next best thing:

…the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with…twice-yearly injections [has been approved by the US FDA and]…stands to save millions of lives across the globe.  The makers…[have] sign[ed] royalty-free licensing agreements with six generic manufacturers to produce and supply it…lenacapavir…[belongs to] a class of drugs known as capsid inhibitors, which provide almost 100% protection against HIV infection…the capsid is a protein shell that houses and protects viral genetic material…once inside the host cell, the capsid is shed, and the virus begins copying itself.  Lenacapavir stops that from happening…In 2022, lenacapavir was approved…to treat HIV in those already infected, but long-acting prevention medication has been much more difficult to realize…

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:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton [keeps trying to impose]…Texas…abortion laws…on…[citizens of] New York [by suing]…Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck for refusing to [rob]…Dr. Margaret Carpenter [of $100,000 and give it to Paxton]…in accordance with the New York State Shield Law…[in response] Paxton [had a fit in which his head spun 360o and he projectile-vomited vile totalitarian propaganda about how he personally owns every woman] in…Texas [and he will put a curse on anyone who disagrees]…

No Escape (#1537)

The human and financial costs of our society’s sick infatuation with incarceration are staggering:

Three [typical and representative] Oregon [screws] are named in new lawsuits…[because they] sexually abus[ed] young prisoners at [two juvenile dungeons]…more than a decade ago…[as is typical in such cases,] the…victims…reported the…abuse but were ignored or “actively silenced”.  Three women who were teenagers between 1999 and 2008 [were abused by a screw named] Scott J. Scrabeck [who repeatedly] groped them, forced them to [give him hand jobs] and masturbated while watching them shower…“[They wanted it],” [Scrabeck] said…Another woman sued…[a “]group life coordinator[” named] Alex Blevins…[for] sexually abus[ing] her [at least] 10 times between 2009 and 2011, starting when she was 16…Blevins…was fired…in 2014 after [he sexually harassed female] staff…A third suit…[is against a screw named] Robert L. Blacksmith…[whose victim was silenced] by threatening to withhold family visits…Blacksmith was fired in 2006 after he was caught [stalking another potential victim via] the state computer system…and…was indicted…on…child sex abuse [charges] around th[at same] time…[but] fled the state…and [was] arrested…and [imprisoned in California for similar crimes]…

The Cop Myth (#1540)

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

[A Connecticut cop named] Gregory Zach…was arrested [on July 23 for repeatedly]…threatening…[and] assault[ing his girlfriend, but]…was [also rewarded with a paid vacation.  Some of his fellow cops]…”began to hear rumors” that Zach…had…spit [in the woman’s face] “in front of numerous witnesses”…and she…detailed multiple occasions where Zach became angry with her for talking with other men, threatened her and took her phone from her…in…April…he grabbed her arm and [threatened]…to punch her, then shoved her onto a bed before texting her “Too bad I didn’t break your [fucking] arm the other night.”  [On] June 8…he [attacked her to]…keep her from [going out with friends, then]…on June 26…showed up at her home unannounced…in [his magical clown costume], walked in, and slapped her on the face, then grabbed her by the shoulders, threw her on the bed, and began choking her…On July 2…he [stalked her]…to…her workplace…[and] began insulting her…before…spit[ting] in [her] face…Zach was previously suspended…after…[punch]ing a woman…in the face [in 2009].  The city of Stamford settled the case [for $230,000] in April 2014…

The Cop Myth (#1560)

Do I really need to say, “Don’t let one live with you, either”?

A [typical and representative New York cop]…is being held without bail [for the] murder [of his roommate].  Edison Irizarry…[shot]…Casey Cuddy…a psychiatric mental health nurse and actor who…in November 2022…[accepted Irizarry’s response to his] classified ad…seeking a roommate…Irizarry[‘s motive, if any, for the murder of Cuddy is unknown]…

To Molest and Rape (ROTW #22)

A whole gang of sexual predators specifically targeting traumatized girls:

Five women who were abused as children by Rotherham grooming gangs were also raped by [cops] when they were as young as 12 years old…Three [typical and representative cops] have been arrested [so far]…while a fourth [rapist cop]…has since died.  One [cop]…raped [his victims] in a [pigmobile and got her to submit by]…threaten[ing] to hand her back to a gang to suffer “multiple rapes” i[nstead of just the one by him.  Other cops either]…turn[ed] a blind eye or participat[ed] in the grooming between the mid-90s and early 2000s.  The wider scandal affected at least 1,400 girls in Rotherham and continued until at least 2013…

 

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 (#1559)

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

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

Buttons, Bags & Banknotes (#574) 

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

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

The Implosion Begins (#1456)

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

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1465)

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

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

A Broker in Pillage (#1503)

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

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

The Mob Rules (#1507)

Forced-birth fanatics are now actively empowering abusive men:

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1538)

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

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

Torture Chamber (#1555)

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

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

 

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

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