Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Pyrrhic Victory’

In the News (#1578)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, The Dark Side, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Please, please help us, please.  –  Sokhean Keo

Creepy Coppers

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

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

Law of the Instrument (#1313)

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

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

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1462)

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

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

When Ambulance-Chasers Run the Hospitals (#1533)

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

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

Torture Chamber (#1567)

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

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

You Were Warned (#1568)

The US has achieved banana republic levels of corruption:

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

If Men Were Angels (#1574)

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

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

 

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

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1573)

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

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

See No Evil (#1505)

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

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

Shame, Shame (#1535)

Zuckerberg is completely out of his mind:

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

Eavesdropping (#1537)

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

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1553)

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

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

Creepy Coppers (#1554)

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

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

Walled Garden

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

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

Walled Garden (#1565)

The open internet is becoming a thing of the past:

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

 

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

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1571)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Invasive, secret hacking power is corrupting.  –  John Scott-Railton

Above the Law (#1262)

Just another kind of screw, acting like any other screw:

A [South Carolina] parole [screw] is facing a litany of charges [for repeatedly molesting and harassing]…parolees over the last year.  David Johnathon Shytle…[repeatedly] sen[t dick pics] and [sexual] texts to [his victims, groped them]…and [even] licked [them]…Shytle…was booked…[but then] released [within hours, so he is still at large]…

I Spy (#1515)

All those who facilitate State evil are enemies of humanity:

[ICE goons] will have access to one of the world’s most sophisticated hacking tools after a decision by the Trump [regime] to…contract with Paragon Solutions…[an] Israel[i]…spyware [company] that…[makes mal]ware…called Graphite…[which] can hack into any phone….[to] track an individual’s whereabouts, read their messages, [and] look at their photographs…[even] on encrypted applications…like…Signal…[it] can [even] be used as a[n eavesdropp]ing device, through the manipulation of the phone’s recorder…Paragon has sought to differentiate itself from [other morally-bankrupt fascist corporations by claiming]…it only does business with [regimes which pinky-swear their intended victims consented to be spied on via a “social contract”]…It has also [lied by claiming] it…will cut off government clients who use the spyware to target…journalists [despite Italy being caught doing exactly that with its spyware].  Paragon also [hopes to confuse useful idiots by barfing words like “]crime[“] and [“]terrorist attacks[“]…in the[ir faces]…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1518)

Bounty hunters are toxic filth made even more dangerous by the fascist apparatus:

Three bounty hunters face kidnapping charges after [carelessly] mistaking a man for a suspect with a similar name and [abduct]ing him…[from his Texas] home…Alan Hinton and Devon Allard Carter…[worked with] a third [man whose identity is being hidden by]…police…Their crime was committ]ed on June 1…[after] they used…facial recognition [software which claimed a mere]…79% recognition match to the man they were [incompetently] looking for…the[y]…drove up…in a U-Haul van, threw a flash bang [sic] in the garage and a[ttack]ed…the [victim, pointing guns in his face]…The actual suspect, it turned out, had fled to Iraq…Police ran the man’s name and found that he didn’t have any active warrants for his arrest and did not look [anything] like the [legally-innocent person] the bounty hunters were searching for…

Mad Libs (#1555)

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

…a new category of work [has been] spawned by the [CGI fad] that threatened to displace creative jobs [with computerized garbage]: Anyone can now write [shitty] blog posts, produce a [sloppy] graphic or code a…[buggy] app with a few text prompts, but [such instant] content rarely makes for a satisfactory final product on its own…many gig workers…are saying they’ve found new work as a result of [algorithmic] incompetencies: Writers are asked to spruce up ChatGPT’s writing. Artists are being hired to patch up wonky [CG] images.  Even software developers are tasked with fixing buggy apps coded by [computers]…A recent MIT report found that…95% of businesses’ generative [ML] pilots are getting zero return on investment…the report states [that, as predicted by sensible people]…“[ML] systems do not retain feedback, adapt to context, or improve over time”…

The Cop Myth (#1565)

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

A [typical and representative South Carolina cop] was found guilty of [the] murder…of a[nother cop] in 2021.  Evan Hawthorne…was convicted…[of] the [murder] of Larry Vaughan…[on] July [23,] 2021…[and] sentenced to life in prison…Hawthorne was arrested [within] hours…He [had been] fired [from the cop shop] in 2019 [for driving his pigmobile drunk]…

Aladdin’s Satellite (#1566)

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

…The large language model (LLM) boom of the past few years has had unexpected ramifications for the field of psychotherapy, mostly due to the growing number of [fools] substituting the likes of ChatGPT for human therapists.  But less discussed is how some therapists themselves are [unethically farming their thinking out to chatbots, which]…risks compromising sensitive patient data and undermining a relationship in which trust is paramount…[patients who discover their caring professionals are in actuality intellectually-lazy frauds report feeling] disappointment…mistrust…and…betrayal…chatbots…are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and are not HIPAA compliant…they…can [also] fuel delusions and psychopathy by blindly validating a user rather than challenging them…

Walled Garden (#1570)

More unintended but wholly predictable consequences of bad laws:

Another website is blocking access to Mississippi residents in response to the state’s age verification…law…Bluesky [has been followed by]…Dreamwidth Studios—a blogging platform…for artists…[It] is…blocking access [to anyone without a VPN] in Mississippi, a[nd]…preventing minors in Tennessee from opening new accounts…the U.K.’s Online Safety Act…has resulted in a ridiculous array of roadblocks for those who want to access anything from news about the war in Gaza to…eating disorder support groups…In France…an age verification provider…[named] AgeGO…isn’t using…”double anonymity”…[which] means that…[people’s personal] details…[are linked not only with] the website being visited, [but also with] the exact video the person is trying to access…

 

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!

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1568)

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

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

The Pygmalion Fallacy (#1016)

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

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

The Last Shall Be First (#1410) 

It only starts with demonized minorities:

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1479)

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

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

To Molest and Rape (#1496)

It was obvious this would turn out to be sordid:

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

You Were Warned (#1515)

The US Constitutional order is no more:

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

Creepy Coppers (#1527)

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

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

Enshittification (#1557)  

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

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

 

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

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1566)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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

No Escape

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

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

The Cop Myth (#1519)

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

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

When Ambulance-Chasers Run the Hospitals (#1533)

The claims in these nuisance lawsuits are increasingly absurd:

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

Pyrrhic Victory (#1550)

All cops will have these within a few years:

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

Aladdin’s Satellite

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

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

The Cop Myth (#1553)

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

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

Aladdin’s Satellite (#1564)

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

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

 

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

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

Walled Garden

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

As I wrote just over a year ago,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1558)

Posted in Current Events, Miscellaneous, News, Perception, Tyranny, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

They are trying to turn us into immigration agents.  –  Medicaid official

Time Warp

WTVT in Tampa, Florida recently published a bizarrely-anachronistic article that reads like something from the height of “sex trafficking” hysteria, 13 years ago.  Given that it’s a Fox affiliate in a Trumpist stronghold, I reckon that isn’t too surprising, but it still evokes a sort of negative nostalgia to see the sentence, “A first-of-its-kind study said there are 200,000 Floridians who are living as sex slaves”, in a 2025 article, followed by a version of the Shahada; the bizarre statement that “Florida is unlucky in that it has a plethora of large cities all connected by highways, slews of big events, and large airports and seaports” (because a large economy is bad?); the even stranger statement that “Florida is a hotbed of things like tourism, entertainment and agriculture” (the word “hotbed” generally has a negative connotation); and quotes from Selah Freedom, a Sarasota-based “rescue” organization that makes its money via a religious “diversion” program for sex workers so unpopular, the only way it gets participants is by cops literally forcing or frightening women into it.

Only Rights Can Stop the Wrongs (#752)

The political crowbar called the “TIP report” has been largely disused since the first Trump regime:

…the Trump [regime has] cut 1,353 positions at [the] State [Department]…eviscerating…the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, [which]…for 25 years…has worked to [spread misogynistic propaganda] and [impose sex work criminalization] around the world.  Its remit includes producing an annual [propaganda tool]…that grades every country on the issue…[as an excuse to impose] economic repercussions from the US, [but in reality has been widely recognized as a politically-motivated sham]…This year’s report was due on June 30, but has not been released…

Panopticon (#1409) 

As I predicted just 18 months ago, Amazon’s retreat from fascist collaboration was short-lived:

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff is back at the helm of the surveillance doorbell company, and with him is the surveillance-first-privacy-last approach that made Ring one of the most maligned tech devices.  Not only is the company reintroducing new versions of old features which would allow [cops] to [pressure]…Ring users [directly], it is also introducing a new feature that would allow [cops] to [demand] live-stream access [without a warrant, thus]…rolling back…the reforms it’s made in the last few years by easing  [warrantless] access to footage from millions of homes in [order]…to spy on protestors…find people who have had abortions or track down [migrants].  Siminoff has [also] announced…that the company will now…be “AI first”…[probably meaning] face recognition…employees at Ring will [now] have to show proof that they [they are too intellectually lazy to think or write for themselves] in order to get promoted…

No Escape (ROTW #11)

The last time we saw this lawsuit, the number was 95:

Another 107 people [have] filed complaints…against the state [of Illinois] for…allowing rampant sexual abuse in…juvenile [prisons], joining 800 other…victims who have filed…lawsuits in the last 14 months…In May 2024, 95 people [victimized] in [the] facilities filed a lawsuit [over] continued abuse by [screws and other] employees…another hundred…filed a complaint the following month and nearly 300 joined them in September.  The 907 [victims were]…abuse[d] from as long ago as 1996 to as recently as 2023…and…ranged in age from 9 to 17.  More than 500…[were] abused between 2000 and 2009, and 86% are male…Fifteen complaints..[specifically name] current Eldorado Mayor Rocky James…[who was a screw] for 29 years…[before transitioning into politics via] the [screw] union…James [raped]…minors for at least 12 years…[often after] handcuff[ing them] to [their] bed[s] before…[rap]ing [them] repeatedly…

Thought Control (#1513)

The urge to censor is a dangerous mental illness:

Members of North Idaho’s interlibrary loan consortium [have]…officially dissolved the Cooperative Information Network that allowed materials to be shared…[among 16] libraries…libraries will no longer share books between each other freely at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.  An online collection with almost 24,000 e-books and audio books shared between the libraries is also up in the air…the dissolution was spurred by concerns of a potential lawsuit…[over] Idaho’s [censorship]…law that went into effect last year [and] requires libraries to…restrict…minors from accessing [not only books, but also] the…catalog in…which [they are listed]…

Thought Control (#1538)

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

The [highly-politicized] Alabama Public Library [board has begun]…the process of [banning books on]…gender…[using one of the mad emperor’s illegal proclamations as an excuse].  APLS chairman John Wahl sent a letter to every public library in the state…demanding submission to the order or risk losing funding…The proposed rule changes will require 45 days of public comment and further administrative actions, meaning any changes to the code will not take effect for several months…

I Spy (#1553)

If you think this will go away when Trump does, you are a fool:

The [IRS] is building a computer program [to] give [ICE goons] unprecedented access to…the home addresses of [all American]…taxpayers…In the past, when [pigs wanted to root in]…IRS data…[they were required to] give the IRS the full legal name of the target, an address on file and an explanation of why the information was relevant to a criminal inquiry…[because] privacy laws [do not] allow…“the sharing of…hundreds of thousands of tax records for a broad-based [harassment campaign]”…Trump’s [henchmen, however, do not care if what they’re doing is]…illegal [or even] criminal…in [fact, this kind of rooting]…is…a felony that can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison…

And it isn’t just the IRS:

[ICE goons] will be given access to the personal data of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to [allow them to hunt] immigrants…and [anyone else they please]…some [Medicaid] officials [and politicians] have challenged the legality of…[the] move, [to no avail]…

 

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!

Read Full Post »

In the News (#1553)

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

Surrendering our data to unchecked power isn’t just a technical risk – it’s a moral failure.  –  Catherine Engelbrecht

None of Your Business

Since Jimmy Swaggart departed for Hell last week, it seems a good time to remind readers of this 2011 essay (click subtitle above) on his sleazy rise, sleazy fall and sleazy comeback, and to observe that A) there ain’t no justice, and B) only the good die young.

To Molest and Rape (#1281)

This is a cop’s idea of “friendship”:

A [typical and representative Irish cop named]…Shane Flanagan…impersonated [a female cop]…on…FetLife…and…Facebook for the purpose of arranging for people to come to her home and rape her.  He created the accounts using the woman’s personal information, and shared details including her address, and photos of her and her daughters…the woman [imagined she] and Flanagan were friends and there had never been any romantic or sexual history between them…Flanagan pleaded guilty to…inciting two men to rape the woman on dates between November and December 2020…and…to…a…child porn…[charge].  She…became aware that someone was using her image on Fetlife…after a user of that website contacted her on her genuine Facebook page..she [then] created an account on Fetlife and while pretending to be a man interacted with the user pretending to be her…

Thou Shalt Not (#1307)

Using crypto-moralism as an excuse to rob businesses:

Supermarkets could be fined if they do not [force customers to buy enough of whatever food UK politicians have declared “]healthier[“]…under a new government [scheme] to [rob businesses by using moralistic excuses]…Supermarkets will be required to report sales data [to central planning bureaucrats] and those that fail to hit targets could face fines…

Pyrrhic Victory (#1476)

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

…ICE…is using a smartphone app to identify people based on an image of their fingerprints or face…the expanding and repurposing of this sophisticated technology, ordinarily used by…DHS…when people are entering or exiting the country, is now being used on people living in the United States to meet mass deportation and arrest quotas imposed by [Mad Emperor] Trump…Mobile Fortify…enables users to verify an unknown person’s identity…by comparing a photo of their face across two databases…CBP…Traveler Verification Service…and…a…DHS…”intelligence aggregator” that brings together information related to searches and seizures.  For fingerprint matches, the app uses DHS’s centralized Automated Biometric Identification System…ICE is [also] using…Clearview…Palantir…[and Flock’s] nationwide database of automatic license plate readers…

The Cop Myth (#1481)

Sleeping with cops isn’t safe for men, either:

A [Texas cop named Ashley Nicole Transmeier murdered her]…ex-[boy]friend…Albert “Bert” Florencio Howie…[when she caught him sleeping with her] mother…Transmeier…fled the [scene of the crime and tried to commit suicide with]…pills while [sitting in her car, but cops took her]…to a local hospital, [had her stomach pumped] and [then caged her]…

As usual when a cop murders somebody off the clock, their cophood is buried far down in the story.  And the passive voice usage in this one is off the charts.

I Spy (#1543)

Wave bye-bye to the last remaining shreds of your privacy:

The Trump [regime] has, [in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974], built a searchable national citizenship data system.  The tool, which is being rolled out in phases, [was justified by the claim it is] designed to be used by state and local election officials to…ensure only citizens are voting.  But it was developed rapidly without a public process, and s[ensible people] are already worrying about what else it could be used for…[especially since it was developed by] DHS…[and the so-called “]DOGE[“.  The system pushes]…the U.S. closer to having a…centralized national database of Americans’ personal information [spooks can use any way they want]…

Mad Libs (#1550)

So far, the thing so-called “AI” is actually best at is parting fools from their money:

…tech companies have proved yet again that there’s money to be made from panic.  Turnitin, a longtime leader in the plagiarism-detection market, released a new tool within six months of ChatGPT’s debut to identify [LLM]-generated writing in students’ assignments.  In 2025 alone…the California State University system collectively paid an extra $163,000 for it, pushing total spending this year to over $1.1 million.  Most of these campuses have licensed Turnitin’s plagiarism detector since 2014…when the internet made it easy for students to copy and paste [text] from websites into their assignments…faculty members [are now seeking] both a way to discourage students from using ChatGPT on their homework and a way to identify [LLM]-generated writing…But the technology…highlights any matching text, whether properly cited or not; it flags everything that mirrors [LLM] writing style, whether a student used [an LLM] inappropriately or not.  And Turnitin…demand[s] “perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable and sublicensable” rights to student writing…[which it] has used…to build a massive database of student papers, which it [then] uses to [train its own LLM]…

 

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!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »