Citizen Free Press
@CitizenFreePres
JAMES FRANKLIN GETS HEATED IN POST GAME COMMENTS
Franklin is correct. You let your backups play football.
From Penn State Nittany Lions | Happy Valley Insider
10:05 AM · Dec 1, 2024
·15.1K Views
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1863238103445520775
1:28
Elon Musk Says He’ll Make An xAI Game Studio To ‘Make Games Great Again
3:55 PM · Nov 27, 2024
Elon Musk has recently inserted himself into gaming culture wars bemoaning what he and others believe are “woke” portions of the market. Now, Elon, a gamer himself, says that he’s starting his own AI-based game stuido with xAI to “make games great again,” in a quote tweet of a follower saying that developers and game journalists have been “ideologically captured.”
This of course raises many questions about the viability of such a project, even with Musk’s vast resources.
Despite his accomplishments, many of his predictions and ideas don’t exactly come to pass. His past claim that everyone would soon be using X as a banking app, for instance, comes to mind.
What exactly an “AI game studio” consists of is unclear, given that yes, AI has certainly taken off in many fields, but it has been rejected for widespread use inn gaming, and even hints of it in game art or storytelling have been roundly rejected by both players and the developers themselves. A central question would also be how many game developers would want to head over to an Elon-run AI-centric game studio.
The central premise here is odd, where he laments that too many game studios are owned by massive corporations. Musk himself is the richest man in the world. xAI raised $6 billion in Series B funding and may be valued at $40 billion. Electronic Arts’ market cap is $43 billion, for comparison’s sake. By definition an xAI game studio would be run by…a massive corporation.
What kind of game would Elon’s studio make? His favorites have been Cyberpunk 2077, and most recently Diablo 4, where his clear times in that game’s high end content are among the world’s best. Those are both massively expensive AAA games that took years to make and went through their own trials and tribulations. Making something on that scale for an AI game studio backed by someone with little experience in making games would be…challenging.
As for what a “not woke, not ideologically captured” game might look like, who knows what the standards are there. This year, the games held up as meeting that criteria are ones like Stellar Blade, The First Descendantand Black Myth: Wukong, though those were very much played by gamers with a range of ideological positions, or a lack thereof.
Whether this actually amounts to anything is anyone’s guess. It’s difficult to know when Elon is just saying things, or whether one of his random musings (“how much does Twitter cost?”) results in some earth-moving development. In this case, the formation of an AI-driven game studio coming together and producing something of value feels like an especially tall order.
https://archive.is/n92lc
Discovery channel
Raven is smarter than a democrat.(kek)
https://youtu.be/5wH9dYtJPdo
Citizen Free Press
@CitizenFreePres
JOE ROGAN ON TRUMP'S VICTORY OVER THE MEDIA.
From Chief Nerd
10:42 PM · Nov 30, 2024
·40.1K Views
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1863066011898962254
1:58
‘Devil’ Diddy Dangled Designer from 17th Floor Balcony and Threatened to Kill Her, Say Court Docs
David Thompson
Sat, November 30, 2024 at 2:15 AM
Fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan has filed a 17-page lawsuit in Los Angeles against Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging sexual battery, infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment.
Combs, currently in custody in New York awaiting trial on other criminal charges, also left her fearing for her life, according to the suit.
Rolling Stone reports that she is seeking $10 million in damages for the lasting emotional distress that she claims she has suffered. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 27.
Diddy settled a rape and abuse lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, for $30 million in November 2023 after video emerged of him brutally beating her in a hotel.
Since then there have been dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of blackmail, beating, rape, drugging, and threatening behavior.
He was arrested last September, charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. His trial is set to begin on May 5 next year. He could face life in prison if found guilty. A judge has denied him bail.
The latest lawsuit states Bongolan was attacked by Combs at Ventura’s luxury LA apartment.
“On or about September 26, 2016, Sean ‘P. Diddy‘ Combs sexually battered Ms. Bryana ’Bana’ Bongolan, dangled her off of a 17-story-high balcony, and then slammed her into the patio furniture on the balcony.
“His outrageous and abhorrent conduct violated Ms. Bongolan’s fundamental dignity, bodily autonomy, and sense of safety.”
The document goes on to detail that Bongolan and her girlfriend were staying with the singer when an enraged Combs showed up, pounding on the door.
“This event was the culmination of a series of threats, intimidation, and violence that colored many of Ms. Bongolan’s interactions with Mr. Combs from the day she met him,” reads the lawsuit.
Bongolan alleges that she witnessed numerous instances of abuse between Combs and then girlfriend Ventura before the Bad Boy Entertainment founder allegedly intimidated and threatened Bongolan.
It all culminated one night in September 2016, when Combs allegedly dangled Bongolan over the side of Ventura’s balcony while screaming at her.
“The September 26 assault ultimately proved that Ms. Bongolan was correct to fear Mr. Combs and has resulted in deep and lasting harm,” wrote her attorney James R. Nikraftar.
“Mr. Combs’ threats that he was the ‘motherf—ing devil,’ and that ‘he could kill’ her were intended to terrorize intimidate, and instill fear.
“Therefore when he forcibly groped her breasts, dangled her from a balcony and battered her, she reasonably believed that Mr. Combs’ assault was him making good on his threats.
“The only purpose of dangling someone over a balcony is to actually kill them or to intentionally terrorize them and rob them of any concept of dominion over their own bodily autonomy and safety.
“Ms. Bongolan refuses to allow this fear to control the rest of her life and brings this action to demand that Mr. Combs takes responsibility for the trauma he intentionally and maliciously inflicted.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/devil-diddy-dangled-designer-17th-071523437.html
The rest of the demon perverts in Hollywood needs to be exposed and prosecuted.
notable
Who is Trump going to appoint over DARPA, the most wicked of all time?
Ellen DeGeneres' Cotswolds dream submerged: Hollywood star's idyllic multi-million-pound farmhouse is hit by floods with surrounding fields underwater - just days after she and wife Portia di Rossi moved to the UK to flee Donald Trump's America
Ellen DeGeneres’s new life in the quaint English countryside has gone dramatically wrong - after her dream home was swamped by astonishing flooding just days after she moved in.
The talk show superstar is living in an idyllic multi-million pound farmhouse in the Cotswoldsafter deciding to emigrate from the US in protest at Donald Trump’s election win.
But rather than enjoying a pastoral retreat, Ellen, 66, and her wife Portia De Rossi, 51, have been left at the mercy of raging floods which have engulfed their new multi-million pound mansion, MailOnline can reveal.
Dramatic images showthe couple’s 43-acre property in the Cotswolds has become swampedin a torrent of flood water following the devastating impact of Storm Bert.
The couple were left virtually marooned just days after moving into their new home after a tributary of the River Thames which runs beside the property broke its banks.
It came after the area was battered by days of torrential rain and winds of up to 80mph.
Roads surrounding the hideaway have been left impassable after being deluged in five feet of water - leaving locals trapped in their homes.
One stricken resident who lives near the couple said: ‘The flood waters are rising by the hour. This is the worst I have seen it in years.’
The dramatic scenes must seem a far cry from the life the couple left behind in sunny California.
According to US media, Ellen and wife Portia - who donated money to Kamala Harris’s doomed campaign -decided to ‘get the hell out’ after Trump’s election victory, apparently vowing to never go back.
They are said to have 'fallen in love' with the picturesque estate set in acres of rolling Cotswold countryside which also includes a helicopter pad and swimming pool.
And it appears they were so keen to make a quick getaway and land their dream propertythat they were prepared to pay £2.5 million more than the asking price.
Originally built as a farmhouse, it was converted into a modern luxury home more than 15 years ago but still retains its old-world charm, with the outlying barns connected to the main building via glazed passageways.
In total there are six bedrooms, and four bathrooms and council records show the previous owner installed an eco-friendly heat pump to supply heating to the house and pool. There is also a five bay garage and a separate one bedroom cottage. Should Ellen and Portia wish for a workout, the house also has a gym and there are games rooms and separate offices.
A source in the Cotswolds said: 'It really is a beautiful house.'It's so quintessentially English which as Americans they have fallen in love with, although they can forget about any glamorous southern California nightlife and weather.
'The area itself is very quiet, some might even say boring as there's not much to do, especially in the colder monthsbut there are lots of celebrities in the area.'
Before the floods came, Ellen and Portia were seen settling into their new surroundings by enjoying a night out at a watering hole of a different kind. During a raucous night at Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub The Farmer's Dog, the pair were entertained by The Corrs.
Pop stars James Blunt, 50, and Natalie Imbruglia, 49, were also present as they enjoyed a few drinks with friends.
It’s thought Ellen and Portia have invested in a couple of 4x4 vehicles which may prove a lifeline in negotiating waterlogged roads. Among the only vehicles on the roads in recent days have been tractors and trailers driven by local farmers collecting sheep from low-lying areas and taking them on to higher ground.
According to US magazine People, Ellen is a well-known collector of 'multi-million dollar homes' including a $32 million property in Montecito where Harry and Meghan live, which she sold earlier this year. In 2023 she told one US outlet that she had bought and sold 'over 50 houses' including a house in Malibu that once belonged to Brad Pitt.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14138003/Ellen-DeGeneres-Cotswolds-farmhouse-flooded-Storm-Bert.html
Journalists flock to Bluesky as X becomes increasingly 'toxic'. NBC
Journalists are finding more readers and less hate on Bluesky than on the platform they used to know as Twitter.Preaching to the choir
Nov. 30, 2024, 7:00 AM EST
When Ashton Pittman, an award-winning news editor and reporter, first joined the app Bluesky, he said, he was the only Mississippi journalist he knew to be using it. Until about five weeks ago, he said, that was the case. But now, Pittman said, there are at least 15 Mississippi journalists on Bluesky as it becomes a preferred platform for reporters, writers, activists and other groups who have become increasingly alienated by X.
Pittman’s outlet, the Mississippi Free Press, already hasmore followers on Bluesky (28,500) than it ever did on X (22,000), the platform formerly known as Twitter, and Pittman said the audience engagement on Bluesky is booming. (Wow increase of 6,000)
“We have posts that are exactly the same on Twitter and on Bluesky, and with those identical posts, Bluesky is getting 20 times the engagement or more than Twitter,” Pittman said. “Seeing a social media platform that doesn’t throttle links really makes it clear how badly we were being limited.”
Since Elon Musk bought Twitter, has turned the platform into an increasingly difficult place for journalists, and many had come to suspect that the platform had begun to suppress the reach of posts that include links to external websites. On Sunday, Musk confirmed the platform has deprioritized posts including links, which was how journalists and other creators historically shared their work. But four journalists told NBC News that after millions of users migrated to Bluesky, an alternative that resembles a pared-back version of X, after the election, they are rebuilding their audiences there, too.
“My average post that isn’t a hot-button issue or isn’t trending might not perform as well on X as it does on Bluesky,” said Phil Lewis, a senior front page editor at HuffPost who has over 400,000 followers on X and close to 300,000 on Bluesky. “Judging by retweets, likes and comments, it’s a world of difference.”
Platform and audience editors at The Guardian and The Boston Globe have publicly noted higher traffic to their news websites from Bluesky than from competitors including Threads, Meta’s X alternative. Rose Wang, Bluesky’s chief operating officer, quoted the Guardian’s stats, writing: “We want Bluesky to be a great home for journalists, publishers, and creators. Unlike other platforms, we don’t de-promote your links. Post all the links you want — Bluesky is a lobby to the open web.”
Bluesky, initially built as part of an initiative funded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who cut ties with the company in May, launched to the public as an invitation-only platform last year. Some of its earliest users included Black, trans and politically progressive people. Journalists who belong to and cover issues affecting marginalized populations have found Bluesky to be a much more welcoming environment.
“I think that Bluesky’s demographic is literally just anybody who can’t stand the sort of toxic environment that Twitter has become, and that spans a large range of people,” said Erin Reed, an independent journalist covering trans rights issues on Substack.“Journalists don’t like toxicity and toxic comments. We want to have conversations with people, and we don’t want everything to devolve into slurs being hurled back and forth.”(the post toxic articles and don't expect toxicity back, makes sense.)
Numerous studies and analyses have found that after Musk took over the platform, use of hate speech increased. Over time, the platform became a bastion of the right-wing internet.(TY Elon)
Reed also said traffic to her Substack articles has doubled since she began posting exclusively on Bluesky. She and Talia Lavin, a journalist and author who covers the far right, said X had become overrun with anti-trans speech, as well as other forms of bigotry and harassment. Lavin said she noticed an uptick of antisemitism and pro-Nazi accounts on X, as did Pittman.
In April, NBC News found that on X, at least 150 pro-Nazi accounts were able to purchase verification on the app and boost pro-Nazi content that was viewed millions of times on the app.
“If I’m not able to drive any consistent views to my newsletter from Twitter, why am I here?” Lavin said about her decision to move to Bluesky. “All the replies were AI bots and Nazis, and none of the earnestly engaged readers are seeing my content.So what was the point of subjecting myself to psychic damage?
While journalists and writers have begun finding success in reaching an engaged and paying audience on Bluesky, they aren’t the only ones. “On Twitter you would see two likes on a positive story that on Bluesky is getting dozens of likes and shares.”
Musk's response to complainers
JK Rowling Might Have Just Won the Culture War - Newsweek 1/3
Published Dec 01, 2024 at 4:00 AM EST
It is an unlikely return reminiscent of Harry Potter, "The Boy Who Lived", himself (or the Dark Lord Voldemort depending on your opinion). J.K. Rowling, author of the globally adored fantasy series who in recent years became a pariah in some quarters over her views on transgender people, appears to have just won the culture war she has been fighting for the past five years.
Since 2019, Rowling has sparked impassioned debate—and backlash—over her statements on trans women and insistence on using male pronouns to describe them. The British-born writer has publicly supported women who question the legitimacy of trans women's gender identities and has dedicated much of her feed on X, formerly Twitter, to speaking out on the issue.
Celebrities condemned her statements, social media users labeled her views "disgusting," and activists branded her a "TERF"—a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Conversely, she has also received an outpouring of support for her stance, with "#IStandWithJKRowling" trending intermittently on social media whenever the debate resurfaces.
Now, long after Rowling had accepted she might have irreparably tarnished her legacy, she finds herself firmly back in the fold.Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the entertainment behemoth bringing her Harry Potterfranchise back to screens as an HBO TV show, stated in November that not only will it be working with her on the project, it sees no reason to wade into the furor over her trans-related utterances.
HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said at a November 12 press event that Rowling was "very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director," and added that Rowling's trans statements "haven't affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff" for the show.
A spokesperson for the network followed up with a statement callingRowling's contributions "invaluable" and saying about her trans crusade: "J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement."
It is a remarkably loud ringing endorsement from a company that has long kept quiet on Rowling over fears of a backlash from fans. The cultural debate over transgender rights is entering a new phase, and Rowling appears to have emerged as one of the victors. When contacted by Newsweek, a representative of Rowling declined to provide comment for this article.
JK Rowling's Battle Over Transgender Issues
The debate surrounding Rowling's views on transgender issues began in December 2019 and intensified in June 2020, following a series of statements and actions that sparked widespread controversy.
In 2019, Rowling publicly supported Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job after making gender-critical statements. In a tweet, Rowling wrote: "Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like… But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?"
In 2020, Rowling published a 3,600-word essay on her website defending her views. She expressed concerns about transgender activism, the safety of single-sex spaces, and the rights of women and girls. These views were met with widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, fans, and individuals who accused her of transphobia.
Online fan communities distanced themselves from her, with some removing her name from fan content or organizing boycotts of Harry Potter-related products. Rowling herself leaned into her controversial status by engaging with her critics on X, framing herself as someone standing against "cancel culture" and advocating for women's rights. "The thing is, those appalled by my position often fail to grasp how truly despicable I find theirs," she wrote in an essay earlier this year.
Rowling's own Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—whose careers were launched through the franchise—went on record to publicly condemn her comments. Eddie Redmayne, the star of Rowling's Fantastic Beasts spinoff series, also joined the detractors.
https://www.newsweek.com/jk-rowling-transgender-women-harry-potter-tv-show-hbo-warner-bros-1991239
2/3
"Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people," wrote Radcliffe in an essay for The Trevor Project nonprofit in 2020. Newsweek contacted representatives of Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, and Redmayne for comment.
In 2022, Rowling was notably absent from the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special made with stars of the franchise, leading to unconfirmed whispers that her stance on transgender issues had made her too much of a toxic entity. Rowling herself said she declined an invitation to be included in the special.
Why Warner Bros. Is Now Embracing JK Rowling
WBD is hoping Harry Potter can bring the magic back to the troubled entertainment titan. The company has faced significant financial challenges in recent years, reporting a nearly $10 billion loss for the second quarter of this year. On top of that, WBD is carrying approximately $40 billion in net debt.
Under CEO David Zaslav, the company has reevaluated its content portfolio, concentrating resources on successful franchises to maximize profitability and audience engagement.The planned HBO Harry PotterTV series, a seven-season project, with each season dedicated to one of the books, is the cornerstone of this strategy. The show is expected to enter production next year before a release in 2026.
For WBD, siding with Rowling suggests the reward of having the author in the creative process outweighs the risk of a backlash.
"By publicly supporting J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. is investing in a colossally creative and successful author, as opposed to taking a public stance on the controversial transgender topic," Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek.
"For Rowling, Warner Bros.' endorsement reinforces her resilience in the face of online invective and positions her as a creative force too integral to the Harry Potterfranchise to ignore.Her refusal to be canceled in the face of sustained attacks illustrates how to avoid being permanently silenced," he added.
WBD's backing of Rowling "is a business move by a studio plain and simple," Dylan Thomas Cotter, a publicist and transgender advocate, told Newsweek.
Writer and cultural analyst Areej Shaikh said that while the decision by WBD signals a potential shift in how corporations handle cancel culture, Rowling herself might not have won the culture war against her critics.
"This decision indicates a change toward more publicly endorsing contentious personalities when their creative influence is valued, but it does not necessarily mean Rowling has 'won' the cultural war," she told Newsweek.
"Warner Bros. seems to be putting the Harry Potterfranchise's cultural and financial history ahead of the divisive controversy surrounding her personal beliefs. This strategy implies that instead of adopting clear-cut positions, firms may now be navigating cancel culture with a higher emphasis on striking a balance between public opinion and creative contribution."
Shaikh warns that Rowling might need to be more careful now that her name has been prominently attached to a major project, considering what's at stake.
"Given the importance of the next Harry Potter television series, Rowling could be better off adopting a more subdued public persona and concentrating her efforts on the project's artistic elements rather than reviving contentious debates," Shaikh said.
https://www.newsweek.com/jk-rowling-transgender-women-harry-potter-tv-show-hbo-warner-bros-1991239
3/3. KEK
"She may steer clear of pointless diversions and support Warner Bros.' goal to maintain the series' focus by refocusing attention on her contribution to creating the adored Harry Potter universe."
Tide Turns in Transgender Debate
WBD's defense of Rowling suggests a shift in the cultural landscape surrounding transgender rights. Earlier this month, Donald Trump triumphed over Kamala Harris in the presidential election with a campaign that put transgender issues center stage. "Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you," according to one Trump ad that ran over 15,000 times. Trump also vowed at an October rally in his native New York that he would "keep men out of women's sports" if elected.
Americans are broadly supportive of preventing discrimination against transgender people. A Pew Research Center survey of 10,188 U.S. adults in May 2022 found that around 8 in 10 said there was discrimination against transgender people and a majority said they should be protected from discrimination in "jobs, housing and public spaces."
However, on specific issues, such as the involvementin sports that Trump highlighted, there is less agreement. A YouGov poll conducted in January found that 59 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to play on sports teams that match their gender identity compared to 19 percent who support it. The same poll found 50 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, compared to 31 percent that support it.
"Given Trump's reelection, this shift is not surprising, and I anticipate that it will become the norm," Nierman said.
Trump's win comes amid a growing backlash to transgender rights in recent years. Bud Light's decision to join forces with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023 prompted a boycott. Sales plummeted as a direct result. Target and other businesses faced similar attacks for their LGBTQ+ marketing, in some cases doing real damage to their profits.
Multiple companies shied away from supporting Pride month this year and are now rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. Bud Light recently announced a new partnership with controversial comedian Shane Gillis, who was fired from Saturday Night Live after making a racial slur about Asian people. Oliver Bateman, writing for online news magazine UnHerd, described the move as "corporate America's way of declaring that the progressive revolution is officially over."
With Rowling's public backing, corporate America appears to have spoken again. But according to Lindsey Chastain, founder and CEO of PR Agency The Writing Detective, Rowling herself is still seen as a pariah figure among her detractors.
"If you visit BookTok, Bookstagram, or Booktube, you will find that she is very much still considered a problematic author and is not widely promoted," Chastain told Newsweek.
"Many millennials still mourn the loss of their favorite characters."
https://www.newsweek.com/jk-rowling-transgender-women-harry-potter-tv-show-hbo-warner-bros-1991239