Twitter Blue Checks Being Discontinued on 420 Day

Twitter has been in for a wild ride ever since bad boy billionaire Elon Musk took over. The widely popular micro-blogging social site has endured a multitude of challenges & changes within the last few months leaving some users to feel Musk is running the social media platform straight to hell. I digress.

More importantly, since his tenure as CEO, he has cut 80% of the staff. At the time, Musk defended the cuts and other cost-cutting measures, stating the company was losing $4m per day. In laymen’s terms, everything is for sale and everything must go! No refunds!

Per news reports the Tesla king paid $44 billion to purchase the mega giant network. The company is now reportedly worth approximately $20 billion. That’s a $24 BILLION DEFICIT. I’m no rocket scientist but the math is not mathing. I’m pretty sure Elon is willing to sell everything but the kitchen sink in order to recoup those losses. We’re talking billions with a (b).

To counteract his losses, one of the newest modifications coming to Twitterville will be the disappearance of the blue check listed beside verified accounts. As of April 20 aka 420 Day — the price for clout is going up.

According to Baller Alert, celebrities and other official accounts that have been previously verified will lose the check mark in their profile unless they subscribe to Twitter Blue. The service is $8 a month if you sign up via the web and $11 if you sign up on iOS. Businesses and organizations may have to pay $1,000 monthly for their verification badges.

Gold checkmarks will be issued to brands, companies, and nonprofits, while gray checks will be assigned to government agencies under this subscription.

Last month, LeBron James said he was okay with losing his blue check because he would not pay, for the service. Author Stephen King also rejected the idea.

For all the non celebs, here’s a chance to be “famous” (for a small monthly fee)

So…tweeters what’s up? You payin’ for a Twitter blue check?

Take the poll and let me know!

Happy Easter 2023 from The Pen Hustle

Hey Hustlers!

As we celebrate I wanted to stop by and say Happy Easter to you and your families.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blog.

I started this blog as a place that I could share my opinions about cases and current events in the true crime world. At its launch, the site was widely successful averaging over 1,000 hits per day. Over the years, life got in the way and we hit a few rough patches but as of late we are back up to 500-700 visits per day from countries all over the world.

I am truly humbled. So I thank you, I hope that you will continue to check in and join the discussion with me. Next time bring a friend! Everyone is welcomed and wanted here.

Much love to you and again thank you,

Love Bee

New Freaknik Documentary Directed By Luke Coming to Hulu

Freaknik 96’ Photo Credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution

If you lived in or around Atlanta during the 90s, chances are you are very familiar with Freaknik. Legendary is not a big enough word to describe this event also considered the black college spring break.

I’ve never actually attended the real Freaknik because I was a young teen during the 90s. My mother wouldn’t dare allow me to go to Atlanta for this kind of debauchery but I do remember girls my age were going to “The A” to turn up.

I moved to Atlanta in 1998, the official last year of the festival but by then it was already over. Police barricaded all the streets and directed traffic out of the city. There was no fun to be had.

Living in Atlanta for as long as I have, I know Freaknik had to be annoying for those that lived in the city. Atlanta traffic is already the worst, imagine have thousands of college age kids partying and twerking in the streets. The powers that be have since shut all of it down but the freaky stories live on.

Promoters have tried to recreate and resurrect Freaknik but it has never made an official comeback, and it probably never will again.

Baller Alert — The iconic Atlanta festival that ran between the mid-1980s to the 1990s was a congregation of HBCU college students during the spring break season. Originally beginning as a picnic, the gathering grew each year before becoming a full-out festival that ballooned to thousands of visitors. Eventually, it would evolve into a days-long event filled with concerts, dance contests, parties, and even job fairs aimed at young Black professionals. Every element of this cultural phenomenon will be explored in the doc titled “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told.”

Alanta producer Jermaine Dupri and Miami bass pioneer Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell will serve as executive producers on the film. Luke was a frequent staple at Freaknik, so often aligned with the festival that many people believed he had a hand in starting it. However, his music became the soundtrack for this lively yearly party. Sadly, by 1998 the Atlanta Committee for Black College Spring Breakmoved to end the festival due to safety concerns, particularly sex assault claims and violence caused by a handful of troublemakers that ruined the festivities for everyone. Since its demise, many have attempted to recreate the magic, another factor the film will cover.

As of now, the film does not have a premiere date.