Can I Please Watch Tubi/PlutoTV/Etc. Without Weird Sweepstakes Slot Ads?

I'll be trying to watch the, "Free," streaming channels sometimes, and over the past year I have noticed a massive increase in advertisements for, "Sweepstakes," slot games. Others are sick of them as well. I was aware of a handful of these casinos-that-aren't-casinos due to having seen/heard  ads for them over various years, such as, "Chumba," which even got Ryan Seacrest to do bits promoting it on the radio. I even tried Chumba long ago back in the day but quit upon realizing that it was going to be little more than a great way to lose money fast. Now,  every single day there is some random new slot game on my television apps. They always start by bragging about how you can win money, often featuring terrible real actors, or even worse, "AI," ones. These advertisements generally aren't promoting the idea of fun or responsible gambling either; they make lofty claims of people winning hundreds or thousands of dollars a day and quitting day jobs to play these virtual slots. It is alarming, and when I looked into it, one YouTube channel dedicated to playing real slots with a safe financial plan discussed how scary these ads are, considering they could appeal to people who know very little about slots and forget how, in the long run, "The House always wins."

I have zero problem with gambling when people can do it responsibly or, against all odds, succeed at it. There are folks with amazing poker skills, from math skills to keep a blank face--and I compliment their ability to have zero, "Tells." I am impressed with people who can sit at a slot machine with a twenty-dollar bill, lose it, and have no desire to get more money and keep playing. I avoid slot machines because there were times in my life when I found it relatively easy to avoid starting them, but once I started playing them finding it really difficult to actually stop. It is better for me to not begin playing a slot game than struggle to quit one due to my personality--I mean, just remember my recent post about how addictive ePack was for me and apply that to a literal slot machine! If other folk want to do poker, blackjack, roulette, slots, or craps they can, however. The thing is, they usually need to go a physical casino or be in a state with strict rules for internet gambling. The aforementioned sweepstakes slots exisit within a huge loophole.

Now, there are the free-to-play slot games where you pay a few bucks a month to have unlimited fake money to enjoy on the slots. Those are truly just fun games where people can't win anything or lose more than some minutes of their time aimlessly playing. Sweepstakes slots are designed where they let you buy credits worth nothing more than, "Fun," but throw in special sweepstakes money you can redeem for real cash after you gamble with it in their games and possibly win extra to get sent to your bank or put on a gift card, or more realistically, end up with zero credits. These sites usually have it hidden somewhere on the webpage on how you can send in an envelope requesting to enter a drawing for more sweepstakes bucks, but that's to keep things in the legal gray area. It's gambling, with a lot less regulation than, "Real," gambling, plus these sweepstakes casinos are legal in more states than they're not. This website I found is relatively in favor of sweepstakes casinos, but still gives a good breakdown of how they manage to operate. Some states shrug at these loophole-exploiting sites, and others have put out PSAs warning folks. 

These apps need a constant influx of new players to make money, however, so they advertise. They want to make the most money possible for the least amount of effort, so the ads are terrible to the point that they almost seem intentionally bad, with cheap sets and unskilled actors or incredibly fake-looking AI. If you're watching Tubi, PlutoTV, or even local news apps that have ads, you've doubtless seen the creepy shiny-looking faces straight out of the uncanny valley cheering or crying (with joy) about the money they won on whatever the latest fly-by-night sweepstakes slot site is. From some of the ads, the new fly-by-night ones seem to be Tang Luck (so much fake crying in the AI ads), Cider Casino, and I'm gonna stop there as I've seen those ads and don't need to list the over 240 other ones according to Deadpin. Remember, these apps technically aren't gambling and don't have to protect your information, have certain payout rates, or do any of the stuff that is legislated and regulated is required to do.

The fellows over at Unlookatable, summing up these ads.

I have enough experience with slot machines to know it is best that I stay away. Would some random person watching Tubi in one of the 30 states where these can operate, who has never played a slot game, learn they have an addictive personality for slots the hard way? They're bored in Ohio and figure 20 bucks couldn't hurt. Only, they aren't those people who can walk away after losing $20, and considering it is as easy as using their smartphone, there isn't really anywhere to, "Walk away." Plus, with basically no oversight, these sites can try to screw-over anyone who does win, and from a cursory look at the internet, often do. The bigger sweepstakes slots that can get Ryan Seacrest or whoever to promote them at least seem to have aspirations of legitimacy. I don't think the sites getting hit with class action lawsuits are as reputable, obviously. I know my limits, but many people possibly do not. These sweepstakes casinos have minimal rules they need to follow, with ads designed to appeal to those desperate for quick cash--it is a problematic combination, clearly. 

Tubi or PlutoTV don't have to ban these ads, they have every right to run whatever they want. I just wish I could request any other kind of ad category while I'm streaming free television. It's wild to think I'm thankful nowadays for ads about erectile dysfunction pills or medicare options when I watch, "The Price is Right," because it's a nice break from AI slop of a golden pig surrounded by money or an, "Interviewer," asking people why they love winning so much money. Yeah, I'll take the boner pills with the couple holding hands in adjacent tubs any day.

Meet My Sebo Dart Vacuum

I don't enjoy a number of your usual household chores. Cleaning a toilet is gross but necessary, for example. That said, I like vacuuming. There is something satisfying about seeing those freshly cleaned-out lines on the carpet. Plus, I hate stepping on pointy crumbs or dirt particles, so having a smooth carpet helps avoid that sensory nightmare. We'd been using a cheaper direct-to-consumer model that you can buy on Amazon, and it had been okay for some time, but despite my best efforts, it basically conked out the other day. When it needed maintenance in the past, I went to a great local spot, the Ballwin Vacuum Center. The owners, Mike and Julie, were always helpful and had shown me other vacuum options before as well, in anticipation of when I was ready to get a new model. That time came yesterday.

After examining a variety of great models, I chose the Sebo Dart. It wasn't quite as fancy as the Sebo Felix, which had a little swivel feature, but the Dart was perfect for getting our carpets and hardwood floors. Plus, the fact that you could pop it off the base to do your stairs or tight spaces with the hose appealed to me. I used our Sebo Dart all over the house yesterday and this morning. I am extremely impressed with its quality. Also, the fact that it has a 10-year manufacturer's warranty gives me some peace of mind because I'll probably be using this thing quite a lot with our kids always spilling snacks, our cats shedding fur, and so forth. I want to thank Mike and Julie for all their help selecting a vacuum and encourage anyone who lives in the area to visit them at 14544 Manchester Road (in Ballwin).

Note: This is not a paid endorsement post or the result of any deal with the store/Sebo. I bought the vacuum for full price and didn't even mention my blog until after buying it. I just truly love my Sebo Dart and appreciate Ballwin Vacuum Center!

Film Friday: The New, "Street Fighter," Movie Looks Wonderfully Unhinged

From the first trailers, I have been quite intrigued by the new, "Street Fighter," movie. It looked like it knew not to take itself too seriously or treat the source material as if it were only a joke. A new trailer recently dropped, and this may be the first flick I want to go see in theaters in quite some time, instead of just waiting for it to hit streaming. There is a strange over-the-top look and feel that I'm vibing with. Give it a view:

This latest take on, "Street Fighter," arrives in theaters on October 16th, 2026. At that point, we shall see if other people are into the wild energy it's giving off. I know I'm legit going to try and get a seat for a viewing!

Forget Miniature Christmas Villages, I Want to Go to Spooky Town!

A number of companies offer various landscapes, buildings, and figures to build your own little Christmas village display/diorama/scene. Those are very cute and enjoyable, but in the past chunk of years I have seen the rise of something I endorse even more--Halloween-themed villages. For example, the good folks over at Lemax have been doing a mix of themed sets since 1990, with recent offerings including the usual Christmas stuff like Santa's Wonderland and an alpine Ski Village. However, since 2000, they've also offered Halloween stuff, such as Spooky Town. Someone can buy a miniature Halloween village that is as cute as it is scary? I mean, sign me up! It isn't just Lemax who do creepy town sets either, with the folks at Department 56 offering the usual smorgasbord of Christmas pieces, but selling some superb Halloween miniatures too!

Why not add some elves and such with the Headless Horseman?

One thing I have not yet seen but would 100% approve of is someone combining the different themes from the same brand (or even different ones) to create a surreal mix of holidays. Something like a twisted, "Nightmare Before Christmas,"-type situation. I want to witness Santa and his elves at an undead roller rave or set the brains food cart (geared toward zombie customers) right outside of the Polar Frost Ice Cream Parlor. Yes, I am equal parts deranged and hilarious, but I lack the space or bottomless funds to create such an epic village of absurdism; I can only encourage someone else as bizarre as myself to do this idea.

Like Jason From, "Friday the 13th," the Diamond Case Rises From the Grave!

It was done, finally. It was actually done, it seemed. Diamond Comic Distributors had gone out of business, and the new owners of its business-corpse were selling inventory (that wasn't theirs to sell) like some twisted horror movie where a person keeps getting organs taken away and sold piece-by-piece whilst still technically being, "Alive." However, a bunch of agreements were finally reached about this inventory, as it was one of the last remaining issues of what was, "Left," of Diamond. Yet, things keep happening! Now, the company that bought Diamond and scrapped it for parts, Sparkle Pop, is playing the victim despite most of their woes being self-inflicted!

I have referred to Diamond as a zombie company, but that phrase really doesn't work because zombies eventually can be put down if you damage them enough. No, this whole case has turned into a, "Friday the 13th," franchise. We think Jason is finally down for the count, but then he rises again for a new flick to wreak havoc, no matter how many times matters seem resolved. Sparkle Pop dislikes any kind of settlement between "Old," Diamond and the folks suing for their consigned goods, as they're the new owner of Diamond (even though Diamond was killed by Sparkle Pop) and letting people into their warehouse to collect heavy comics could results in injuries--somehow--and open them up to more lawsuits...or something else random Sparkle Pop has actually claimed. 

"Someone could get hurt lugging those comics around, perish the thought!"

Oh, plus we should never forget that Chase Bank wants its 6.5 million dollars and change from somebody, as they, "Kept on lending Old Diamond money to keep operating after they filed for bankruptcy. In retrospect, that was a really bad investment, but hindsight is 20/20. Diamond went from declaring bankruptcy in January of 2025 to completely shutting down within that single calendar year in December; it felt astonishingly fast. At this rate, however, the arguments over Diamond's, "Remains," could take longer than the company's speedy demise. In the words of John Mellencamp in his song, "Pink Houses," and being taken only slightly out of context (the song is actually quite critical) by myself, "Oh, ain't that America?"

"Creased Comics," by Brad Neely Serves as a Reminder of his Longtime Hilarity

Brad Neely has been around for some time, making comics, animated YoutTube videos, and having whole cartoon shows created out of his genuis/madness. "Creased Comics," is a new book which collects a chunk of his earlier-ish work, the stuff that helped him go from being in a student newspaper to eventually writing for, "South Park," and getting his weird stuff like, "China, IL," on the air (Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has often been a home for wild material). Neely has always had this amazing absurd air to his work, the kind of thing where you get it or you don't. Plus, even when you sometimes do get it, ya still really don't! 

"Creased Comics," serves as a showcase for how Neely's been making odd stuff for decades, and it has been a hoot for years too. The pieces within this book are basically all one-panel gag strips, but the best pieces tell a whole story that exists outside of the frame. A bald eagle angry that a human fell out of the wheelchair it was carrying (to feed the person to its young). A grandmother known for always getting, "In a pickle," finding herself about to engage in a footrace with Satan for the souls of the grandkids. One of my favorite--and quite dark--pieces, a young boy who faked his death, patiently watching out of his assumed parents' sight as they put his favorite toy car by his grave and he considers how long he has to wait to reacquire the toy. Here's that one as it cracked me up:

Neely has some short text pieces between the strips that discuss just how he started making comics, and why. A weird childhood, a strange sense of humor, and the metaphor of basically opening his mental window, "Open," and seeing what flutters in are all aspects of how we end up with his, "Creased Comics," and anything else bizarre-yet-enjoyable he's crafted. Witnessing Neely spill his clever and twisted psyche onto the page with pencil and ink is a rewarding activity. You think, you laugh, and you say, "What the Hell?" It's good stuff.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Music Monday: "ATLiens," at 30

If you read this blog, you know I love OutKast, AKA the greatest band/musical group of all time. Their sophomore LP, "ATLiens," turned 30 this late August. As many will say (and I agree), without OutKast you just don't (quite arguably) get much of a Southern rap movement. As Andre 3000 put it all those years ago when OutKast won Best New Artist (Group) at the Source Awards for their debut album, "The South's got something to say." For a number of years, OutKast did too. 

The group is most likely no more (my random dreams aside), with Big Boi still rapping and Andre pursuing a variety of interests. Neither of them owes us anything, but if they did want to make even one more song, I'd be down for it. The first LP, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," is great, but the one-two punch of, "ATLiens," 30 years ago this month, and then, two years later, "Aquemini" helped to confirm just how amazing OutKast was--and still is to this day.

"Rollercoaster Tycoon: Wonderworks," Brings the Franchise Into the Modern Age

I'm a longtime fan of the, "Rollercoaster Tycoon," games. There have been some great iterations, some bad ones, and a fantastic remix of sorts over the years. Just recently, it was announced that Springloaded, the folks behind, "Let's Build a Zoo," are making a brand new game in the franchise. It is titled, "Rollercoaster Tycoon: Wonderworks," and looks quite fun! As an article on Polygon discusses, "Players can expect a more intuitive roller coaster design tool, an, 'accurate,' physics engine, and a lot of emergent chaos. That last part is where Springloaded comes in, as the studio will bring the sense of humor it showed off in Let's Build a Zoo to the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise. You can catch a bit of that in the game's announcement trailer, as rides break down in spectacular fashion and park goers get yeeted off the edge of the map." That rings a bell for me, as a number of my rollercoasters in the games, which I expected to be masterpieces, ended far too often with unplanned mayhem. I'll be watching the development of this with great interest--"Early Access," on PC is coming this winter, with a full release for computers and consoles some time after that.

Check out the T.A.R.D.I.S. Saint Louis Event on September 6th!

A week from tomorrow, the good folks of the Dr. Who fan club here in Saint Louis will be holding an event! The T.A.R.D.I.S. celebration of all things Doctor Who and British Sci-Fi will go from 9 AM to 2 PM at 7300 Lanesdowne Ave and will feature viewings of old and new episodes, a costume contest, props, panels, assorted vendors, and more! I will confess that I am not super knowledgeable about The Doctor, but any episodes I have ever caught I’ve enjoyed. My friend, Wayne Judge, is a member of the club and is doing a lot to assist with the event, so I’m sure it will be rad! I’m going to try and attend for sure, and with admission only $3 (and those 12 and under free), it will be an inexpensive way to have a bunch of fun!

Flashback Friday: Sympathy for Generation Z, They Will Never Experience Disney's Pleasure Island

Disney is proudly family-friendly. It doesn't do, "Adult," all that much. However, there was a period of time from 1989 through 2008 when one could visit, "Pleasure Island," in Florida. Despite the name, it wasn't particularly explicit in its pleasure. It was simply geared towards grown-ups with nice restaurants, dance clubs, a comedy club, a cigar bar, and the like. I visited Pleasure Island two nights, back in July of 2007 when I was a young rapscallion all of 19. I'd concluded my Freshman year of college, and I had gone to Florida with my mother, who was down there for a convention relating to audiology/speechpathology or such. It was on the Disney property, and family of attendees could visit the park while everyone else did convention sessions. She was at that much of the day and spent time with her family who lived in Florida in the evenings. I tagged along so that during my day I could visit all the parks, ride a bunch of rides, get autographs from the various mascots for kicks (it is humorous watching a gigantic Winnie the Pooh hand try to scrawl in a little autograph book), and on the Friday and Saturday nights we stayed at Disney, I took the bus from the hotel (The Pop Century one was cool!) to Pleasure Island. I know people say nostalgia gives us rose-tinted glasses and some things people think were great actually sucked. That said, ya'll, Pleasure Island was an awesome place.

Again, I know when we see those thinkpieces/memes/whatever by Boomers (and some GenX) about how great it was to flip through a phonebook or deal with a VCR eating a VHS tape and making a mess, we roll our eyes at how they can't appreciate the cool new stuff of today. Pleasure Island has been gone nearly 18 years, having shut down the aspects that made it, "Pleasure Island," on September 27th of 2008 (it is now The Landing and host to various all-ages-friendly shopping and food establishments). It is a bummer, as this was a really cool place in the past! Picture a city block or so worth of land, with people moving between various themed businesses, all having a fun time. Thanks to how this was still a Disney property, anyone rude/beligerent was escorted off the, "Island," and that didn't even seem to be much of an issue with most folks there being on vacation; the vibe was like one big party. 

As I was merely 19, certain clubs generally only allowed those 18-20 in on certain days. Yes, the comedy club and cigar bar were always available (I enjoyed a comedy show, but I've never been a fan of any kind of tobacco), but sometimes you want to dance! That said, on Saturday, I was admitted into the BET Soundstage club even though, that night, it was advertised for those 21 or older. I honestly think the doorman was so impressed with our five-minute or so conversation about the Wu Tang Clan and how Ol' Dirty Bastard was underrated as a lyricist that he figured I couldn't be too young. So there I was, in a two-story club with massive dancefloors for an hour or so before the club closed. It was so fun to dance, take in the atmosphere, and just marvel at how cool Pleasure Island was, with the snazzy places within it. You may agree this sounds exciting or be shrugging in disinterest; either way, you just had to be there.

I never made it to any of the other Disney Clubs, even though I would have loved to visit 8TRAX and its 70's and 80's vibe. I suppose I could've planned to return and check all the places out with ease any night I wanted once I turned 21. That said, when I turned 21 in 2009...well, Pleasure Island was no more. That isn't to say my 21st birthday lacked fun, however. I went bar-hopping with friends around Cortland and only had the slightest hangover the next day thanks to being in my youth (and nowadays I have a drink maybe every two years). Pleasure Island was a happening place back when I was able to check it out, though. Pieces of what it once was remain at, "The Landing," but much was retooled or simply demolished. As a Millennial, I was barely old enough to enjoy Pleasure Island. Now, in 2026, there are plenty of people in their 20s who can go to a club, but back then were still in diapers! Woe be to my Gen Z friends who don't realize what fun they missed!

The kids these days will never know how cool Pleasure Island was! That's a mini-tragedy almost equal to how only Millennials will ever understand the secret methods used to, "Burn," a CD. I mean, would Gen Z think Paradise Island is, "Outdated?" Younger people in their 20s are drinking a lot less, and back then, the reason many went to a club was to have a drink (or socialize/dance, but a chunk of people were mostly after some liquor). If I could magically teleport some 24-year-olds back to those Friday and Saturday nights in July of 2007, would they be into the scene or declare it, "Cringe," within moments?  It's hard to know for sure, but I only went to Pleasure Island a couple of times and thought it was great, so I imagine there are plenty of others with a great fondness for it as well! Does it make sense or is it cringe? I don't know, but as, "Futurama," put it once, "Time makes fools of us all." Still, we burned CDs, ya'll; that was wild!