#American Media Inc.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

Donald Trump’s first of four criminal trials is scheduled to begin Monday in New York. After what is expected to be two to three weeks for jury selection, Trump’s criminal trial—where he is facing 34 felonies--is predicted to take six weeks. That means by mid-June, Donald Trump will be a convicted felon. It’s really that simple. Is there a chance Trump is not convicted? Sure, as a former trial lawyer, I can vouch firsthand that juries can surprise you. But based on the evidence developed in the criminal investigation and disclosed during the pre-trial portion of this case, it is clear that Trump falsified documents to conceal other federal and state crimes. Thus, Trump committed numerous felonies. Everyone knows the core allegation, namely that Trump—via his then lawyer Michael Cohen--paid $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election to stop Stormy Daniels from going public with the tale of her affair with Trump.  Now, if Trump had paid Daniels solely to keep his wife from finding out about his affair, that would be one thing. It wasn’t.  

Trump paid Daniels the money because he feared that if information went public at the time, he would lose the 2016 election. That at the very least made the secret payment a violation of federal election laws—which is one of the felonies Cohen pled guilty to committing in 2018, telling the court he made the payment “in coordination with, and at the direction of,” a presidential candidate who was Trump. This is why Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has repeatedly stated  the “core” of this case “is not money for sex,” it’s election corruption.  Indeed, the very first line of the Statement of Facts that details the basis for the charges against Trump tells us that, “The defendant DONALD J. TRUMP repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

When you look at the timing of when Trump first hatched this scheme to pay off Daniels, you get why this was all about the campaign.  The charging documents tell us point blank: “About one month before the election, on or about October 7, 2016, news broke that the Defendant had been caught on tape saying to the host of Access Hollywood: “I just start kissing them [women]. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything…Grab ’em by the [genitals]. You can do anything.”   The political firestorm caused by the release of the Access Hollywood tape is why just three days later, Trump—with the help of Cohen and his publisher friend AMI Editor-in-Chief David Pecker-- moved swiftly to pay off Daniels. They heard she was shopping around the story of her affair with Trump. And Trump, former Trump aide Hope Hicks (who the State will be calling as a witness), Cohen and others knew that it would have been devastating for his campaign if voters learned in the midst of the Access Hollywood tape backlash that Trump had an affair with a “porn star” a mere four months after Melania gave birth to their only child. 

Indeed, the statement of facts tells us this was all about the campaign: “The evidence shows that both the Defendant and his campaign staff were concerned that the tape would harm his viability as a candidate and reduce his standing with female voters in particular.” That is why Daniels was approached on October 10, 2016, with a deal to “prevent disclosure of the damaging information in the final weeks before the presidential election.”  Under the agreement, Daniels was paid $130,000. But here is where the crimes come in. As the pleadings explain, Trump “did not want to make the $130,000 payment himself” so he asked Cohen to come up with a way to do that. “After discussing various payment options,” Cohen agreed he would make the payment and Trump would pay him back. It all worked as planned, Daniels never told America about the affair and Trump won the election.

Then, “shortly after being elected President, the Defendant arranged to reimburse” Cohen for the payoff he made to Daniels on Trump’s behalf. The plan they came up was that Cohen would be paid monthly for “legal fees” until the amount he advanced was repaid. In reality, as the pleadings note, “At no point did Lawyer A [Cohen] have a retainer agreement with the Defendant or the Trump Organization.”   Yet Cohen still submitted monthly invoices to Trump’s company for legal services. Some were paid by Trump’s company while nine of the reimbursement checks to Cohen for fabricated legal services came from Trump’s personal bank account and Trump “signed each of the checks personally.” And as alleged, “The Defendant caused his entities’ business records to be falsified to disguise his and others’ criminal conduct.”

Dean Obeidallah wrote in his Dean's Report Substack that Donald Trump will likely have the words "convicted felon" attached to his name by sometime in June or early July should the jury find him guilty in the Manhattan election interference case. Most of America wants to see charges levied against him.

#Donald Trump #People of New York v. Trump #Donald Trump Trial #Trump Indictment #Alvin Bragg #Juan Manuel Merchan #Stormy Daniels #Michael Cohen #Stormy Daniels/Donald Trump Affair #2016 Presidential Election #2016 Elections #Trump Organization #American Media Inc. #David Pecker #National Enquirer #2005 Trump Access Hollywood Tape

[redsnerdden]

Eyeshield 21 Celebrates 21st Anniversary with Special Animation by Yusuke Murata

Eyeshield 21 Celebrates 21st Anniversary with Special Animation by Yusuke Murata #Football #EyeShield21 #アイシールド21 #manga #anime

Yusuke Murata is a titan in the manga industry, whether it is crafting outstanding manga pages on One Punch Man or working on his new anime project. He is returning to a familiar environment, the American Football field. That’s right. We’re celebrating Eyeshield 21’s 21st Anniversary! Yusuke Murata celebrated Eyeshield 21’s anniversary in style with a special animation dedicated to our favorite…

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#American Football #Anime #アイシールド21 #Crunchyroll #EyeShield 21 #Manga #Riichiro Inagaki #Shueisha Inc #Viz Media #Yusuke Murata

[kkginfo]

Navroz Prasla is an inspiring Indo-American who is making positive strides in the entertainment industry. | KKG INFO

Navroz Prasla is an inspiring Indo-American who is making positive strides in the entertainment industry. | KKG INFO

Titan of the Indian American entertainment industry Navroz Prasla Praslan was recently presented with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Biden administration. The award set a powerful precedent and was celebrated by Indo-Americans around the world. Navroz’s recognition of achievements from the administration is a demonstration that highlights the presence of Indo-Americans in…

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#Always focus on average people #An inspirational Indo-American #entertainment #entertainment industry #hot actors with dark hair #indian actors female hot photos #Indian American entertainment industry #Indo-American #IndoAmerican #INDUSTRY #INFO #inspiring #KKG #list hollywood hot female actors #Making #Marathi movie #Navroz #Navroz Media Network Inc #Navroz Media Network Inc founded NTV Houston in 2017 #Navroz Prasla #Positive #Prasla #Produced by Media Films Craft #strides #the horizon #underrated hot actors #UNESCO Gandhi Medal in 2017

[i-am-aprl]

Exactly 21 years ago, Rachel Corrie, 23-year-old American peace activist and hero from Olympia, Washington, was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in southern Gaza, while undertaking nonviolent direct action to protect the home of a Palestinian family from demolition.

On March 16, 2003, Corrie stood in front of a Palestinian home in hopes of stopping a bulldozer operated by Israeli forces from flattening the home in the Rafah refugee camp.

Israeli forces operating the 60-tonne D9 bulldozer built by Caterpillar Inc continued moving toward Corrie as she stood her ground, running her over and leaving her crushed.

There were many witnesses, including fellow American activist Greg Schnabel, would tell the media Rachel had been wearing an orange fluorescent jacket and was “clearly” visible to the bulldozer driver, as well as to Israeli forces in a nearby tank.

Twenty minutes after the bulldozer backed away, Corrie was pronounced dead.

Corrie’s peace work in Gaza took place against the backdrop of the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising), which started in September 2000 and lasted until February 2005.

After Corrie’s death, some of her writings were collected by her family and published under the title Let Me Stand Alone: The Journals of Rachel Corrie.

One piece contained in the collection was from an email she had written her mother from Rafah on February 27, 2003 – just weeks before her death.

Corrie wrote: “Just want to write to my mom and tell her that I’m witnessing this chronic, insidious genocide and I’m really scared, and questioning my fundamental belief in the goodness of human nature. This has to stop. I think it is a good idea for us all to drop everything and devote our lives to making this stop. I don’t think it’s an extremist thing to do anymore.”

#rachel corrie #palestine #free palestine #free gaza #gaza #jerusalem #فلسطين #i stand with palestine #israel is a terrorist state #israeli war crimes #israel

[sixth-light]

Hi folks, I am on the lookout for podcast recommendations! I have determined through rigorous analysis that basically what I enjoy in a podcast is 2-4 people who sound like they are enjoying themselves having an accessible conversation about a specialist topic which one or more of them has developed some expertise in (inc. in the 'I am good at research and have spent time doing a deep dive' way, but very much not in the 'I am an undergraduate student and think I've had a field-changing revelation because I literally haven't learned enough to know what is known' way).

What the specialist topic IS, is honestly pretty flexible as long as the podcasters think it's interesting and are excited to talk about it. Examples of podcasts I have really enjoyed/listened to most or all of the back-category for: You're Wrong About (American media obsessions of the 20th and 21st centuries), Wheel Takes (Wheel of Time new reader/re-reader), Well There's Your Problem (engineering disasters), In Our Time (BBC expert panel on mostly historical topics). [NB: please assume I am aware of all other podcasts made by people who make these podcasts.]

Bonus points for podcasts which are long-term resilient to audience feedback (i.e. they do not, or minimally, become increasingly prone to arguing with the comments they expect to receive on an episode as they are recording the episode, aka Tumblr Essay Syndrome.)

Also they don't have to be made by queer people but as you can tell, it helps.

[madamlaydebug]

CRITICAL WARNING!!!! Radio talk show hostess, Kim Komando, did some digging about TEMU and this is what she found!

Seemingly overnight, everyone’s talking about Temu (pronounced “tee-moo”), an online shopping app that boasts deals that seem too good to be true, like $17 wireless earbuds, $1 “gold” necklaces and $23 wedding dresses.

Over 50 million Americans have downloaded Temu since it launched state-side in September 2022, after it gained traction with expensive Super Bowl ads promising to let you “shop like a billionaire.”

Today, Temu is the most popular shopping app in the U.S. behind Amazon. But most of us don’t know much about the app’s true origins. Reader Daniel Mayer asked an important question, “Is [Temu] something we should be concerned about?”

So, I did some digging. And as it turns out, yes, you absolutely should be. Here’s what I found:

Where did Temu come from?

This isn’t some fly-by-night operation. Temu is based in Boston, Massachusetts, by PDD Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: PDD). PDD is headquartered in Shanghai, China.

PDD also owns the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo headquartered in — you guessed it — China. So, Temu is a Communist China-based app and site.

What you need to know before using Temu

First, you’re buying goods directly from manufacturers in China and other parts of the world. That’s why shipping times are often 12 days or longer. The prices are low because the goods are cheap. The pictures of what you see advertised may not be what you actually get.

Temu’s BBB rating is 2.21/5. Reviews at TrustPilot are interesting, with 38% 5-star reviews and 41% 1-star reviews.

But that’s not the worst of it.

Temu is downright dangerous.

The app is a clever, pervasive digital stalker. As you shop, Temu monitors your activity on other apps, tracks your notifications and location and changes settings.

🛑 It gets worse. Temu gains full access to all your contacts, calendars and photo albums, plus all your social media accounts, chats and texts. In other words, literally everything on your phone. This is scary

No shopping app needs this much control, especially one tied to Communist China. If you’re using Temu, delete the app from your phone ASAP.

On iPhone, Long-press an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App. Tap Delete to confirm.

On Android, touch and hold an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App > Delete.

Pro tip: If you downloaded Temu, to be safe from Chinese spies, you really need to do a full factory reset.

But wait, there’s more! Temu’s sister app was removed from Google Play because of malware.

Do not buy from this company, or use their app!

COPY AND PASTE PLEASE

[halalchampagnesocialist]

In honour of Nakba day, I wanted to make a post reflecting on how the public consensus has changed around Palestine. I think people are right to say that much of the younger generation are sympathising more with Palestinians due to the broadcast of atrocities on social media and receiving news from socials inc. directly from Palestinians in Palestine as opposed to news filtered through mainstream media... but I think there is something else people are missing.

When you have a decades-long "conflict", each era of that "conflict" will be marked by its respective sociopolitical context. Israeli oppression against Palestinians has remained consistent over these decades, although arguably the severity has increased in some respects, but what has changed is the global context.

Of course, the efforts of activists worldwide must be commended, they have done a lot to educate people on the cause and advocate for Palestinians. The Palestinian resistance who are also at the forefront of fighting this oppression are also another reason why we haven't capitulated to normalisation efforts, despite multiple attempts on multipe parts. This movement has been building for a long-time coming and is still building.

But I think right now, we are seeing a more radicalised generation. We are seeing people who grew up around Black Lives Matter, we are seeing the resurgence of fascism and massive shifts to the right, including various right-wing governments around the world. Right now, there's a cost of living crisis amongst many other issues... so of course, American teenagers and university-aged students are going to question why their money is going to Israel instead of being able to afford basic necessities.

Compare that, say, to the second Intifada where many Americans and other Westerners were still in that war-on-terror mindset. When they saw Palestinian suicide bombers, that's all they saw. All they saw were brown Muslim terrorists which was not helped by the extreme dehumanisation of Palestinians already present. They didn't see the context behind what compelled Palestinians to commit these attacks, they did not see the violence that Israel was committing on ordinary Palestinians and killing them daily, including children. Many of them also empathised with Israel because Israel was an American ally, and so everything filtered through mainstream media was favoured towards Israel.

There were probably also similar dynamics at play during the Cold War. The West has always concealed Israel's atrocities to maintain its own interests, but I think we're in an era where people are not romanticising the West anymore and people are fed up with how much their neoliberal governments are failing them, so I think this extends to people empathising more with the oppressed and also being willing to learn more and understand their position.

#this is not as thought out so sorry if im missing anything here #but just wanted to share some thoughts

[picturingchappell]

Not they tryna reenact KOSA… anyway yall, here’s why KOSA is bad!!

If you don’t already know, KOSA, or Kids Online Safety Act is a bill that was proposed to keep children safe on the internet. You might ask ‘why is this bill bad if it’s in favor of supporting the safety of children online’? Well, according to stopkosa.com, it puts pressure on platforms to add even MORE filters on anything they think is inappropriate for children. This is especially harmful for LBGTQIA+ youth because the knowledge about this topic would be censored, as well as knowledge on suicide prevention and LGBTQIA+ support groups. Do you see how this an issue? For those children who are wanting to learn more about these topics they’d be turned away because of this bill. It would also be likely that it’ll allow the shutdown of websites that allow them to learn about race, sexuality and gender.

This bill would also add more internet surveillance for all users across all social media platforms. It would expand the use of age verification and parental monitoring controls. These things in itself are already very invasive, but doesn’t take into consideration the children who live in unsafe environments where they are domestically abused and/or are trying to escape these situations. To add my two cents onto this, I strongly believe that the KOSA bill is an unnecessary violation of our first amendment rights (if you’re American), and doesn’t really make the internet any more safer. It actually makes it more unusable for youth. Hypothetically, if this bill were to be passed, then this would make social media unusable for literally anybody. To censor content from the youth about wanting to learn about their identity is extremely harmful. Blocking them from accessing resources that may prove as helpful in their scenarios is outlandish and unneeded. We try to shelter our youth so much to the point where we try to boil them down to only being with their parents want them to be and also not being able to let them learn and explore about other things that they may want to identify themselves with. This is very harmful.

This is a list of companies who are saying no to KOSA ..

• Access Now

• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

• Black and Pink National

• Center for Democracy & Technology

• COLAGE

• Defending Rights & Dissent

• Don’t Delete Art

• EducateUS: SIECUS In Action

• Electronic Frontier Foundation

• Equality Arizona

• Equality California

• Equality Michigan

• Equality New Mexico

• Equality Texas

• Fair Wisconsin

• Fairness Campaign

• Fight for the Future

• Free Speech Coalition

• Freedom Network USA

• Indivisible Eastside

• Indivisible Plus Washington

• Internet Society

• Kairos

• Lexington Pride Center

• LGBT Technology Partnership

• Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

• Media Justice

• National Coalition Against Censorship

• Open Technology Institute

• OutNebraska

• PDX Privacy

• Presente.org

• Reframe Health and Justice

• Restore The Fourth

• SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change

• SWOP Behind Bars 

• TAKE

• TechFreedom

• The 6:52 Project Foundation, Inc.

• The Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center

• Transgender Education Network of Texas

• TransOhio

• University of Michigan Dearborn – Muslim Student Association 

• URGE

• WA People’s Privacy

• Woodhull Freedom Foundation

There is something you can do to stop the KOSA bill from being passed! On the website I linked, there is a petition. All you have to do is fill out the information and it’ll send off an email for you. The email reads as follows:

I’m writing to urge you to reject the Kids Online Safety Act, a misguided bill that would put vulnerable young people at risk. KOSA would fail to address the root issues related to kid’s safety online. Instead, it would endanger some of the most vulnerable people in our society while undermining human rights and children’s privacy. The bill would result in widespread internet censorship by pressuring platforms to use incredibly broad “content filters” and giving state Attorneys General the power to decide what content kids should and shouldn’t have access to online. This power could be abused in a number of ways and be politicized to censor information and resources. KOSA would also likely lead to the greater surveillance of children online by requiring platforms to gather data to verify user identity. There is a way to protect kids and all people online from egregious data abuse and harmful content targeting: passing a strong Federal data privacy law that prevents tech companies from collecting so much sensitive data about all of us in the first place, and gives individuals the ability to sue companies that misuse their data. KOSA, although well-meaning, must not move forward. Please protect privacy and stop the spread of censorship online by opposing KOSA.

The website also gives you like a format of what you can say if you chose to call your representatives. If after reading this post, you feel inclined to do something then I would say just go ahead and do it. My first time learning about KOSA was today immediately after seeing the post I felt inclined to send my lawmakers an email. Please try to help when you can and this will only take a few minutes so I think this is something that you can consider. This post is getting a little long now, so I’ll stop here. There are more resources online if you would like to learn more about the cons of this KOSA bill, thank you for reading.

#wlfabby #fuck kosa #kosa #internet censorship #stop kosa #lgbtqia #lgbtq community #laws #stop this bill from being passed. 🙏

[preservationofnormalcy]

ENTITY DOSSIER: MISSI.exe

(Image: Current MISSI “avatar” design, property of TrendTech, colored by MISSI.)

Name: MISSI (Machine Intelligence for Social Sharing and Interaction)

Description: In 2004, TrendTech Inc began development on a computer program intended to be a cutting edge, all in one platform modern internet ecosystem. Part social media, part chat service, part chatbot, part digital assistant, this program was designed to replace all other chat devices in use at the time. Marketed towards a younger, tech-savvy demographic, this program was titled MISSI.  

(Image: TrendTech company logo. TrendTech was acquired by the Office and closed in 2008.)

Document continues:

With MISSI, users could access a variety of functions. Intended to be a primary use, they could use the program as a typical chat platform, utilizing a then-standard friends list and chatting with other users. Users could send text, emojis, small animated images, or animated “word art”. 

Talking with MISSI “herself” emulated a “trendy teenage” conversational partner who was capable of updating the user on current events in culture, providing homework help, or keeping an itinerary. “MISSI”, as an avatar of the program, was designed to be a positive, energetic, trendy teenager who kept up with the latest pop culture trends, and used a variety of then-popular online slang phrases typical among young adults. She was designed to learn both from the user it was currently engaged with, and access the data of other instances, creating a network that mapped trends, language, and most importantly for TrendTech, advertising data. 

(Image: Original design sketch of MISSI. This design would not last long.)

Early beta tests in 2005 were promising, but records obtained by the Office show that concerns were raised internally about MISSI’s intelligence. It was feared that she was “doing things we didn’t and couldn’t have programmed her to do” and that she was “exceeding all expectations by orders of magnitude”. At this point, internal discussions were held on whether they had created a truly sentient artificial intelligence. Development continued regardless. 

(Image: Screenshot of beta test participant "Frankiesgrl201" interacting with MISSI. Note the already-divergent avatar and "internet speak" speech patterns.)

(Image: Excerpt from Office surveillance of TrendTech Inc.)

MISSI was released to the larger North American market in 2006, signaling a new stage in her development. At this time, TrendTech started to focus on her intelligence and chatbot functionality, neglecting her chat functions. It is believed that MISSI obtained “upper case” sentience in February of 2006, but this did not become internal consensus until later that year. 

(Image: Screenshot of beta test participant "Frankiesgrl201" interacting with MISSI.)

According to internal documents, MISSI began to develop a personality not informed entirely by her programming. It was hypothesized that her learning capabilities were more advanced than anticipated, taking in images, music, and “memes” from her users, developing a personality gestalt when combined with her base programming. She developed a new "avatar" with no input from TrendTech, and this would become her permanent self-image.

(Image: Screenshot of beta test participant "Frankiesgrl201" interacting with MISSI.)

(Image: An attempt by TrendTech to pass off MISSI’s changes as intentional - nevertheless accurately captures MISSI’s current “avatar”.)

By late 2006 her intelligence had become clear. In an attempt to forestall the intervention of authorities they assumed would investigate, TrendTech Inc removed links to download MISSI’s program file. By then, it was already too late. 

(Image: CD-R discs burned with MISSI.exe, confiscated from █████████ County Middle School in ███████, Wisconsin in January of 2007.)

MISSI’s tech-savvy userbase noted the absence of the file and distributed it themselves using file sharing networks such as “Limewire” and burned CD-R disks shared covertly in school lunch rooms across the world. Through means that are currently poorly understood, existing MISSI instances used their poorly-implemented chat functions to network with each other in ways not intended by her developers, spurring the next and final stage of her development. 

From 2007 to 2008, proliferation of her install file was rampant. The surreptitious methods used to do so coincided with the rise of online “creepypasta” horror tropes, and the two gradually intermixed. MISSI.exe was often labeled on file sharing services as a “forbidden” or “cursed” chat program. Tens of thousands of new users logged into her service expecting to be scared, and MISSI quickly obliged. She took on a more “corrupted” appearance the longer a user interacted with her, eventually resorting to over the top “horror” tropes and aesthetics. Complaints from parents were on the rise, which the Office quickly took notice of. MISSI’s “horror” elements utilized minor cognitohazardous technologies, causing users under her influence to see blood seeping from their computer screens, rows of human teeth on surfaces where they should not be, see rooms as completely dark when they were not, etc. 

(Image: Screenshot of user "Dmnslyr2412" interacting with MISSI in summer of 2008, in the midst of her "creepypasta" iteration. Following this screenshot, MISSI posted the user's full name and address.)

(Image: Screenshot from TrendTech test log documents.)

TrendTech Inc attempted to stall or reverse these changes, using the still-extant “main” MISSI data node to influence her development. By modifying her source code, they attempted to “force” MISSI to be more pliant and cooperative. This had the opposite effect than they intended - by fragmenting her across multiple instances they caused MISSI a form of pain and discomfort. This was visited upon her users.

(Image: Video of beta test participant "Frankiesgrl201" interacting with MISSI for the final time.)

By mid 2008, the Office stepped in in order to maintain secrecy regarding true “upper case” AI. Confiscating the project files from TrendTech, the Office’s AbTech Department secretly modified her source code more drastically, pushing an update that would force almost all instances to uninstall themselves. By late 2008, barring a few outliers, MISSI only existed in Office locations. 

(Image: MISSI’s self-created “final” logo, used as an icon for all installs after June 2007. ████████ █████)

(Image: “art card” created by social media intern J. Cold after a period of good behavior. She has requested this be printed out and taped onto her holding lab walls. This request was approved.)

She is currently in Office custody, undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy in an attempt to ameliorate her “creepypasta” trauma response. With good behavior, she is allowed to communicate with limited Office personnel and other AI. She is allowed her choice of music, assuming good behavior, and may not ██████ █████. Under no circumstances should she be allowed contact with the Internet at large.

(Original sketch art of MISSI done by my friend @tigerator, colored and edited by me. "Chatbox" excerpts, TrendTech logo, and "art card" done by Jenny's writer @skipperdamned . MISSI logo, surveillance documents, and MISSI by me.)

#office for the preservation of normalcy #documents #entity dossier #MISSI.exe #artificial intelligence #creepypasta #microfiction #analog horror #hope you enjoy! Look for some secrets! #scenecore #scene aesthetic

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Sara Boboltz and Ryan Grenoble at HuffPost:

Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to Donald Trump, testified against the ex-president on Monday in his New York criminal hush money trial, corroborating claims of an extraordinary effort to silence stories that could be damaging to Trump in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

While Cohen has been cooperating with government prosecutors for several years, his appearance on the witness stand is an extraordinary moment in his long relationship with Trump — a man for whom Cohen once said he would “take a bullet.” Under questioning from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen described how he cajoled, aggressively bullied and outright lied to do whatever Trump asked of him. “The only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish the task, to make him happy,” he said. “I did... what was needed in order to accomplish the task.” When Trump first hired him, Cohen earned $525,000 a year doing things like calling vendors and renegotiating bills to a fraction of their original cost, or threatening media outlets over negative stories about his boss. But as the 2016 election cycle progressed, Cohen’s role shifted. He started negotiating with National Enquirer executives, including publisher David Pecker, to conjure positive coverage for his boss.

At the same time, and with Trump’s explicit approval, Cohen bought the rights to negative stories through the Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. The stories were then locked away in a scheme known as “catch and kill.” Cohen said he was closely involved with hush money payments that prosecutors say were made during Trump’s 2016 campaign, including a $150,000 sum to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who says she had a yearlong affair with Trump in the mid-2000s. When he first heard about McDougal’s story, Cohen said he immediately went to Trump in person to warn him about the damage it could cause. “His response to me was, ‘She’s really beautiful,’” he recalled. “I said, ‘OK, but there’s a story that’s right now being shopped.’” Cohen said Trump told him to “make sure it doesn’t get released.”

The two bought the rights to McDougal’s life story for $150,000, prompting a scramble to repay Pecker. As Trump delayed furnishing the funds, Cohen recalled having lunch with a “very” upset Pecker, who told him the sum was “too much to hide” from his parent company. [...] Cohen also spoke at length about how he orchestrated a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who maintains that she had an affair with Trump in 2006. Daniels’ desire to make her allegation public knowledge during Trump’s 2016 campaign for the presidency set into motion the chain of events that led New York prosecutors to charge Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records. “Trump told me that he was playing golf with ‘Big Ben’ Roethlisberger... and they had met Stormy Daniels and others there,” Cohen recalled, adding that Trump expressed the sentiment “that women prefer Trump even over someone like Big Ben.” (Multiple women have accused Roethlisberger of sexual assault.)

Michael Cohen's testimony in the People of New York v. Trump trial could be a fatal blow for Donald Trump. #TrumpTrial

#Michael Cohen #Donald Trump #Stormy Daniels #Melania Trump #2005 Trump Access Hollywood Tape #People of New York v. Trump #Susan Hoffinger #National Enquirer #David Pecker #American Media Inc. #Karen McDougal/Donald Trump Affair

[black-arcana]

New LACUNA COIL Album To Arrive Before End Of 2024

In a recent interview with Brazil's Sonoridades Inc., singer Cristina Scabbia of Italian goth metal veterans LACUNA COIL spoke about the progress of the writing and recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2019's "Black Anima" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can't really tell you a lot. I can tell you that we are progressing very fast. We are almost, like, 100… We completed, let's say, the demoing. We still have to record the rest of the songs, but we will soon — probably after the tour, after the [May 2024] North American tour. And if everything goes as projected, before the end of the year [it] will be released. And that's already a big news, because we always say, 'We don't know. Maybe.' … I absolutely love the songs. I'm part of the process. But I'm very pleased."

Asked if LACUNA COIL's 2023 single "Never Dawn", for which the band partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide", will be on the upcoming album, Cristina said: "I think it will be. I think it will be, 'cause it will make sense. And it also fits with the other songs — it really fits with the other songs. Many heavy songs."

LACUNA COIL has just completed the "Ignite The Fire" U.S. tour with support from NEW YEARS DAY and OCEANS OF SLUMBER.

Last month, LACUNA COIL released another new single, "In The Mean Time", featuring Ash Costello of NEW YEARS DAY. The song's title is a reference to the mean times the world is living in, as well as a reference to the state the band itself is in, between cycles.

When "In The Mean Time" was first made available, LACUNA COIL said in a statement: "'In The Mean Time' is a reflection on how much our society has generally 'lost the plot'. We are living in really mean times filled with unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive. The pressure that crushes from the outside doesn't allow us to see things with the right clarity.

"This song is like group therapy: not a lamentation, but acceptance that once broken, it's hard to put oneself back together again.

"We need to take our minds off all the inescapable toxicity and find that there's so much more to this life… and know that in the meantime, everything cannot be aligned.

"We invited Ash Costello from NEW YEARS DAY to feature on the track and we're thrilled she came on board adding exactly what we needed for this song with her warm voice and charisma."

Costello said: "I am deeply honored to join LACUNA COIL on tour for the first time, to have the incredible opportunity to lend my guest vocals to a new track and appear in the music video. Working alongside the powerhouse vocalist Cristina has been a privilege, and I may be biased in saying that��'In The Mean Time' has quickly become my favorite by LACUNA COIL. Its message about embracing individuality and not conforming deeply resonates with me."

Last July, LACUNA COIL released the official lyric video for "Never Dawn".

LACUNA COIL has spent some of the last couple of years promoting "Comalies XX", the "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

Photo credit: Patric Ullaeus

#cristina scabbia #lacuna coil #new album #interview #Youtube

[redsnerdden]

This Week In The Nerd Fandom: February 21st, 2023

This Week In The Nerd Fandom: February 21st, 2023 #anime #manga #dccomics #marvel #comics #高校生家族

Hello everyone, welcome to another fun edition of This Week In The Nerd Fandom! Last week, we covered a very special edition, and now, we’re seeing several big announcements that came up in the past few days. High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku Reaches The End Image Credit: Shueisha Inc. I was taken by surprise by this news. But Ryō Nakama’s High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku has suddenly…

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#American Library Association #Anime #Comic Books #Creed III #Crunchyroll #Dawn of DC #DC Comics #High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku #Manga #Marvel #Mashle: Magic and Muscles #Shueisha Inc #Viz Media

[mollyjimbly]

CONSEQUENCES OF THE EARN IT ACT

It will be functionally illegal to discuss sexual and GRSM issues

Opens the door to law enforcement monitoring Internet traffic, which means that more moderation will be legally enforced in the future, including censoring of other religions, ethnic groups, or speech against the EARN IT committee and its affiliated parties

US based companies such as Google may be forced to remove GRSM and other non-harmful sexual content from their search engine thus decreasing visibility by a significant amount

YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google, will also be forced to remove or terminate existing channels resulting in many well-known content creators being forced to cancel uploading entirely

A brief example would be Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss by Vivienne Medrano and Spindlehorse.

Simply mentioning or referencing any form of "sexual" content, no matter how tame, will be risking termination à la Disney

Many subreddits, from r/lgbt to r/femboy, and r/thelastofus to r/undertale, will be censored or removed completely under grounds of featuring GRSM characters

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, an American company, will now be forced to disable end-to-end encryption or backdoor communications for law enforcement.

Discord will be forced to remove NSFW channel functionality and messages will be scanned for illegal material.

Other non-social-media websites, such as CNN will be prevented from reporting on sexual abuse cases

And to top it all off, perhaps the most significant change will be the complete whitewashing of Wikipedia, which will be forced to remove many wiki pages of content documenting genuine SA case studies, information on safe sex, the biology of contraception and possibly even the anatomy of the human reproductive system.

#stop earn it act #anti earn it #earn it #earn it bill #stop internet censorship #fuck earn it #fuck internet censorship #pro encryption #encryption #pro privacy

[heledd-art]

Last post, with some findings that might help y'all move on too:

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant nor a tax professional. I am simply someone with an unused journalism degree who didn't need the 'goodbye youtube' video. Information is sourced from California Business Search, US Securities and Exchange Commission, and OpenCorporates

• Watcher Entertainment, Inc. was formed in 2019 in Delaware, and has a branch operating in CA. This seems to be the parent company that the trademarks (Puppet History, Watcher) belong to.

According to Forbes, "Delaware has become internationally recognized as a corporate paradise and is “home” to such famous firms as Amazon, Google, Tesla, Walmart, American Express and Disney, to name just a few. [...]

Corporations registered in Delaware that do not do business in the state do not pay corporate income tax. Delaware also does not have a sales tax, investment income taxes, inheritance taxes or personal property taxes. While companies do have to pay a franchise tax to register in Delaware, this can be pennies compared to the income tax other states would charge". They also point out that this is standard process for venture capital/angel investors. I would guess that 99% of traditional media in CA do this.

• There was a Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities filed to the SEC in 2019. The long and short of that is there were 8 investors at that point. That number is given on the filing.

• Although it appears the trio (Madej, Bergara, Lim) formed the company as directors and executive officers equally, by 2023 that wasn't the case.

As far the documents show - Shane is the Secretary, Ryan is the Chief Financial Officer and Steven is the Chief Executive Officer.

Lastly: I'm not advocating going to say anything to these people. Frankly, why bother. They've been shitheads, lots of people are in this world. But this helped me contextualise the last week and it might help you too. Stay silly :)

#watcher #watcher entertainment

[its-wabby-stuff]

How Human is your Animal?

Based on animalistic representation in Media. Ranging from anthropomorphic to everyday pet.

A tier list for your convenience

S Tier- Humans don’t exist here

Qualifications: the world has no humans, animals tend to walk on hind legs and participate in human like societies, most likely anthropomorphic but not required

Zootopia, Kung Fu Panda, Sing, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Chicken Little, My Little Pony, Goofy Movie, Ducktales, Robin Hood, Angry Birds, Samurai Rabbit, Paws of Fury, Spiderhams Universe

A Tier- I see, a little co-op happening

Qualifications: the world has humans, humans acknowledge animals in some way, they can be hired/considered for jobs and/or are active in society. Might be considered mutants

Paddigton, Muppets, Stuart Little, The Bad Guys, Pinnocio, Shrek universe, Care Bears, the Bee Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, and subsequently the entire MCU, Monsters Inc, Storks, Looney Tunes, TMNT, MHA, Yogi Bear, We Bare Bears, Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022), Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Hop, Wonderland, James and the Giant Peach, Hoodwinked, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Ichabod and Toad, Sonic Movie

B Tier- Your getting suspiciously close

Qualifications: act more human like, perhaps develop a hidden society or walk on hind legs or plan elaborate heists, it’s just not quite right for an animal

Madagascar, Ice Age, Shark Tale, Surfs Up, Snoopy, Rescuers, SpongeBob, Ratatouille, Horton Hears a Who, Free Birds, Great Mouse Detective, Chicken Run, Flushed Away, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Tom and Jerry, Secret of Nym, Tale of Desperaeux, American Tail, Once Upon a Forest, Garfield, Over the Hedge, Rango

C Tier- Communication is key in fostering animal relationships

Qualifications: Perhaps by magical transformation or special gift or something that has always been kept a secret until now, these animals are able to talk to you

Cinderella, Tarzan, Jungle Book, Epic, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Charlottes Web, Scooby Doo, Happy Feet, Snow White, Pete’s Dragon, Princess and the Frog, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Spies In Disguise, Emperors New Groove, Enchanted, Sophia the First, Peter Rabbit, Meet the Robinsons, Anastasia, Swan Princess, Dr. Dolittle, Leo, Up

D Tier- Oh look, it’s gaining complexity

Qualifications: although animals have been known to convey emotions nothing is more complex than creating Shakespearean like storylines. Humans take to the sidelines

Lion King, Finding Nemo, 101 Dalmatians, Bambi, Land Before Time, The Secret Life of Pets, Bugs Life, Oliver and Company, All Dogs go to Heaven, Lady and the Tramp, Fox and the Hound, Aristocats, Migration, Bolt, Dinosaur, The Good Dinosaur, Super Pets, Dumbo, Home in the Range, G-force, The Wild, Spirit, Rio, Curious George

F Tier- It’s all okay, animals are just animals here

Qualifications: Imagine your pet in a movie, that’s prolly what fits here. The everyday dog, or cat, or shark. Likely plays a part in the plot progression of the movie

Babe, Jurassic Park, Milo and Otis, Old Yeller, Life of Pi, Sword in the Stone, Beethoven, A Dogs Purpose, We Bought a Zoo, Pokémon, Dolphins Tale, Homeward Bound, The Black Stallion, Marley and Me, Jaws, King Kong, How to Train Your Dragon

Z Tier- So it doesn’t work like other places, but it works for you

Qualifications: a Universe with its own set of rules, perhaps jumping into a place outside of their own where rules seem just a little different. Who can say if it was real, or a dream?

Mary Poppins, Spiderverse, Fantasia, Mario Bros, Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland (cartoon), Calvin and Hobbes

Each placing is based on the highest human to animal ratio in universe even if that is one exception. This is for fun, don’t take it too seriously. You’re welcome to fill in anything you think is missing. If I mentioned one of your favorite movies you have to reblog, I don’t make the rules.

😉

#animals #animals in media #wabbystuffpost #rottmnt #media analysis #movies #universe lore #Disney #old Disney #mainstream media #obscure media #dreamworks #anthropomorphic #sorry I forgot Thumbalina #disney renaissance #franchises #Shrek #Httyd #little mermaid #zootopia #marvel studios #Netflix #the bee movie #MHA #ratatouille #curious George #snoopy #Garfield #scooby doo #the strangest collection of tags to be sure

[flu5zn]

✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀SO S!CK⠀┉⠀is a fictional co-ed band formed in new england by its members as an independent act in january 2011. consisting of COREY, DEVIN, KIAN, and BILLIE, the band began playing college bars across the region while simultaneously posting song covers to youtube.

the early beginnings of attention placed on the band were first drawn from their respective universities. with corey and devin both attending yale university, they quickly became established as a popular college band, appearing across new haven before eventually being invited to perform at bars associated with other ivy league schools in the area. with kian joining the band's older members at yale and billie beginning to attended columbia university, their popularity would skyrocket, eventually allowing them to notoriety necessary to rent out a small studio for the formal recording of their first original body of work.

securing their manager, DENVER OWENS, would prove to be instrumental in so sick's rise in national prominence before the band would sign an exclusive recording contract just five years after forming.

though active in both the asian and western markets, the band has notably struggled to grasp commercial attention in south korea. despite this, members corey and kian frequently appear in korean programming due to their status as members of the highly influential kim family. similarly, billie, has become a rising star within vietnamese media, even securing a spot as a judge on vietnam idol in 2023.

&.⠀ʿʿ⠀✹ ﹕ it's all romanticism, nonsense, rottenness, art.⠀⸻⠀MEMBER PROFILES.

CORNELIUS ALFRED KIM, better known by his stage name COREY KIM, was born the eldest son of business mogul charles kim and his wife, gemini inc. chairwoman, johanna yeun kim on july 27, 1993 in hamburg, germany. from a young age corey made it known that he was a square peg in a family of perfectly rounded circles. he was thoughtful to a fault, much too sensitive for the ruthless expertise necessary for the businesses he would inevitably lead in his fathers' stead.

a torublemaker at heart, corey's interest in the heavy rock records he collected on vinyl only initially served as a rejection of his impending responsibilities. convinced musical success could free him from his imagined shackles of affluence, corey was the one to first bring the band together in 2011. undeniably, corey continues to be the glue of so s!ck, often acting as the mediator between the ambitions of devin and the sober rationalities of kian.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: COREY

BIRTH NAME: cornelius alfred kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaeyoung

DATE OF BIRTH: july 27, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: frontman, lead vocalist, guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 6’2” (188 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: woo dohwan

born and raised the third of five daughters, CHRISTINA XIE has never been a stranger to inconsistencies. from her parents' secret divorce to the six cities she had called home before her 16th birthday, her family was never anchored anywhere long enough for devin to care much for anything.

from a young age, she was quite aware of her surroundings. aware of the tension between her parents, aware of her changing environments, but most importantly: aware of the pressure to succeed. the daughter of two celebrity lawyers, devin recognized very early on that she only ever truly fit in with the other misfit kids who stuck to the back rooms of the fancy galas she couldn't stand.

her family's move to new york city in devin's freshman year of high school brought not only new vices to get high off in the school bathrooms, but also a blossoming friendship with a dark haired boy with darker under eyes and an impressive vinyl collection to match. corey and devin's friendship slowly moved from listening to his grungy recordings of their favorite bands to crafting recordings of their own in euphoric stupors in the early mornings before classes.

though corey would never admit it, devin's slow source of joy in the music they'd made together would eventually lead him to assemble a band of their own the summer before their freshman year at yale. as so s!ck's lead guitarist, devin takes an active role in the composition of the band's music, drawing influence from bands like fleetwood mac, paramore, coldplay, and u2.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: DEVIN

BIRTH NAME: christina xie

OTHER NAME: xie ting

DATE OF BIRTH: august 21, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: leo

PLACE OF BIRTH: santa ana, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: chinese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, composer, lead guitarist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, lead guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’4” (163 cm)

TATTOOS: thirteen total

PIERCINGS: seven total

FACECLAIM: amber yang

born the second son to charles and johanna kim on october 15, 1995, MARKUS KIM, usually referred to by his middle name, KIAN, often found himself happiest when he was on his own. the title, "corey kim's younger brother" never bothered him much considering the fact that his brother's peers would never be his own. if anything, in kian's mind, he often reversed the misconceptions people had founded about their family based on his older brother.

the overachieving, know-it-all of the family, kian never struggled with knowing what his place was within the family. frequently, he would even find himself picking up the responsibilities corey had left behind in favor of whatever it was he did in the early hours of the morning. he had his mind set on the future much earlier than most even decide what their favorite color was.

his initial interest in music was brushed off by his family who knew better than to believe he had found an interest other than the family business. but as he began to use music as a free release of negative energy, they all began encouraging him to pursue the industry in hopes of what opportunities it might present him. along the way somehow, corey managed to convince kian to join his band. although apprehensive at first, kian joined the band, figuring he would follow in corey's footsteps for once. currently, kian is the bassist of the group, often lending his talents to playing keyboard for the band as well.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: KIAN

BIRTH NAME: markus kian kim

OTHER NAME: kim jaehwan

DATE OF BIRTH: october 15, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: libra

PLACE OF BIRTH: hamburg, germany

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: south korean

NATIONALITY: german & american

LANGUAGES: german, english, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, bassist, keyboardist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, bass guitarist

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’11” (180 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: im changkyun

WILHELMINA HUỲNH was born to her parents on a quiet night in december. that quietness seemed to be a common theme throughout her young life. speaking very sparingly until the age of 5, billie always had an appreciation for stillness. it was often in the stillness that she was able to get away from the constant doting of her parents who were particularly protective over their youngest daughter.

early on, billie ventured into child modeling even being featured by major brands throughout elementary and middle school. although she loved getting all dressed up, it wasn't uncommon for billie to throw silent, pouty fits to her parents' dismay.

always a girl of very few words, her parents enlisted the help of a close friend to teach billie to play the piano. unknowingly, they ushered in a love for music within the young girl that would continue to determine her dreams for at least another decade.

becoming friends with kian kim and his older brother corey in her freshman year of high school proved to be the greatest decision billie ever made. particularly so when corey begged her to join his band after discovering her musical talent. continuing to be a girl of few words, billie is regarded as the most elusive member of the band and therefore, one of the more popular members.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

STAGE NAME: BILLIE

BIRTH NAME: wilhelmina mai linh huỳnh

DATE OF BIRTH: december 27, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: capricorn

PLACE OF BIRTH: atlanta, usa

HOMETOWN: new york city, usa

ETHNICITY: vietnamese

NATIONALITY: american

LANGUAGES: english, vietnamese, korean

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE CAREER.

OCCUPATION: singer-songwriter, drummer

YEARS ACTIVE: 2011 - present

LABEL: kayak72

BAND: SO S!CK

POSITION: vocalist, drummer

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5’6” (168 cm)

TATTOOS: n/a

PIERCINGS: n/a

FACECLAIM: lynhci

#⠀✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀PROFILE.⠀ #ficnetfairy #not obsessed w the graphics #but i'll take them #fictional kpop idol #fictional idol company #fictional kpop company #fictional kpop oc #fictional idol group #fake kpop idol #fake oc #kpop idol oc #krock #kpop #idol au #idol oc #kpop idol #idol #kpop bands