pezpunk
@iscored.info
744 followers 718 following 5.5K posts
pinball, star trek, punk rock. i run a neat pinball/arcade thing called iScored -- www.iScored.info he/him
pinball, star trek, punk rock. i run a neat pinball/arcade thing called iScored -- www.iScored.info he/him
![By the mid-1980s, public awareness of AIDS brought notoriety to the brand due to the phonetic similarity of names and the fact that the disease caused immense weight loss (cachexia) in patients.[7] In a September 1985 newspaper interview titled "AIDS has aided Ayds", the president of Ayds' manufacturing company stated that sales had actually increased as a result of the connection, and that "people who suffer from that disease (AIDS) are not the same people who are trying to lose weight".[8] Another executive was quoted in early 1986: "The product has been around for 45 years. Let the disease change its name."[9] Ayds announced it was seeking a new name in 1988, as sales had fallen by as much as 50%.[10] The first rebrand debuted in the UK. "Slim" was appended to Ayds to create a new name, "Aydslim." Marketing strategists quickly criticized the choice since it still contained the name of a disease.[11] Sales did not improve despite new flavors (apple and black currant), advertising, renaming efforts, and a subsequent US-focused campaign as "Diet Ayds" was unsuccessful.[11][12]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kvrpewagkacd5x5nrpabbhiw/bafkreigv755i4pp4q74fne5ynq6w4jjuggy5if4yak7tycwcmarppmodcq)
![2 official statements from the IFPA. The first is from the IFPA FAQ, and it states in part "If certain players are prohibited from playing based on age, gender, skill or personal reasons, those results will not be counted." The second is from the IFPA's official statement on the OBX incident and says "On Friday, November 7th, transgender members of our pinball community were subjected to an act of discrimination while attempting to participate in the OBX Flippers Arcade Fall Pinball Bash. [...] As a result of this act of discrimination, members of the impacted community, rightfully prioritizing their own safety and well-being, did not participate in the event."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kvrpewagkacd5x5nrpabbhiw/bafkreibyema2outbdmlzxu4kdizymvebdr4hlxeek77lhht4ahxgjvnk6q)
![It is with great sadness that I must withdraw from the IFPA Pinball State Championship for Virginia. I cannot in good conscience participate in a competition featuring the Harry Potter game.
I worked hard all year and finished as the #5 seed in the state, earning a first-round bye. Though not on the same level yet as a few of the top contenders, I believe I had a non-zero chance of winning this year. Qualifying and competing well there was my overarching pinball goal for all of 2025. I say this not to brag, but to hopefully convey that this event was important to me.
JK Rowling fully owns the Harry Potter IP, wields total creative control over its content, and earns massive royalties from every licensed product. She has also made it her very public life's work on a daily basis to to spread bigotry, and attack and materially harm an extremely vulnerable class of people.
I don't want to play a game that directly funds the amplification of the harm she funnels her billions into perpetuating. So I'm not gonna.
I know some people will find the above statement baffling or humorous, and some will gleefully mock or ridicule me for this decision. They will say I'm being hypocritical, since I do play games designed by [Known Bad Person], or with a backglass featuring [Actor Who Also Sucks]. And then in the next breath, they'll accuse me of unfairly seeking total perfect purity, insisting on unrealistic, impossible standards (without realizing that the first point logically negates the second).
I hope it's obvious to most, but I don't demand purity. I do indeed participate in society -- you are very smart. But that doesn't mean standards shouldn't exist. For myself, I have to set the bar somewhere. And here it is. It's not even a high bar. It's a very, very low bar -- to not want to spent my leisure time having fun in a world (under glass) created by one of the most high-profile bigots on the planet right now.
This is not a decision I took lightly. When I…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kvrpewagkacd5x5nrpabbhiw/bafkreiav42t6pmgg6k7uzqofumg3upgulkdzvsrvm6tglgfxgyhaazjq2a)
