What’s New

Swedish power-metal titans Sabaton continue to explore the Great WarMonica Kendrickon October 11, 2022 at 11:00 am

Founded in 1999, Swedish power-metal veterans Sabaton cast a microscopic gaze on the horrors of war with a sweeping, majestic, and anthemic sound that walks the line between empathizing with humans on the battlefield and glorifying the unglorifiable. Their records deliver poetic lessons in military history (usually European), and though they aim to stay as free of controversy as possible, that goal isn’t completely realistic given the themes of their songs and the realities of the world we live in. Sabaton released The War to End All Wars (Nuclear Blast) in March, along with a symphonic version a few weeks later. A follow-up to 2019’s The Great War, the albumcontinues the band’s deep dive into World War I. The songs are solid through and through, and the stories they share are memorable; “The Unkillable Soldier” tells the brutally inspiring tale of a famously indestructible Belgian, while “Race to the Sea” is an edge-of-the-seat drama about the Battle of Yser, in which Belgian forces held the line against an advancing German army.

The so-called Christmas truce—brief unofficial ceasefires that became widespread across the Western Front in December 1914—has become a corny, metaphorically abused cliche in pop culture. But Sabaton’s take on it (in the song “Christmas Truce”) is touching in its bittersweet earnestness, especially contrasted with the deliberate false optimism of the following track, “Versailles.” Sabaton aren’t breaking new ground with The War to End All Wars, and they’re less interested in doing so than in further refining what they do best. With the world in the state it is, they’ll never run out of material.

That said, they’re hardly done exploring the trenches of WWI. Last month, they dropped a surprise EP, Weapons of the Modern Age, the first installation in a trilogy about the mechanical and technological horrors of the Great War, and its six songs include the charging (“The Red Baron”), the eerie (“The Attack of the Dead Men”), and the heavy (“Dreadnought”). Sabaton were here last year opening for Judas Priest at Rosemont Theatre, and this concert is part of a rescheduled headlining tour intended for the spring.

Sabaton Epica open. Sat 10/15, 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, $32.50, all ages

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Swedish power-metal titans Sabaton continue to explore the Great WarMonica Kendrickon October 11, 2022 at 11:00 am Read More »

The unsung women healing ChicagoJustin Agreloon October 11, 2022 at 11:01 am

This story was originally published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here.

Kendra Snow was working the closing shift at a laundromat in Englewood when her phone began to ring. It was a neighbor, telling her not to panic. Then, the devastating news: Snow’s 16-year-old son had been shot outside of a nearby liquor store. He was alive, but she needed to hurry. 

Snow remembers locking the laundromat door and running three blocks south toward the corner of 75th and Stewart. She knew the intersection well. It had long been a hot spot for neighborhood violence, one where both her younger brother and her son’s father had survived shootings. Still, nothing could’ve prepared her for this race toward her wounded son. 

“This is my neighborhood. I was like, how did this happen to my son?” Snow said of that night in October 2015. “How dare you? This is my baby.” Once she reached him, she learned he’d weathered two shots in the back.

He survived, but would need months of physical therapy and long-term care that Medicaid wouldn’t cover. His journey toward healing would be long and arduous—a path Snow says he’s still pursuing nearly seven years later. 

That journey would also prove challenging for the women in his life, women who loved him and watched him grow up. Snow, her aunt, her sister, and sister-in-law all rallied behind him, stepping in to provide the long-term care that he couldn’t access easily from hospitals or the state. 

Snow’s experience reflects that of many women of color in Chicago and elsewhere whose loved ones survive gun violence. In the aftermath of a shooting, they are often the ones who provide emotional labor and care to alleviate the ricocheting impacts of gun violence. This work is vital, necessary for people to forge a new normal for their everyday lives. Sometimes, it extends beyond familial ties and to communal ones. But even when it comes from outside the walls of a single home, it is often unpaid, undervalued, and hidden from public view. 

During the early months of her son’s recovery, Snow, along with her sister and sister-in-law, guided the teen through everyday tasks like eating, bathing, and homeschooling. Having to juggle her son’s care along with parenting six other children—while also working two jobs outside the home—was stressful. That stress was compounded by a trauma unique to survivors of gun violence: for months, Snow couldn’t shake the fear that every time he left home, it would happen again. 

“It was a battle of getting him back to his normal self,” Snow remembers. “I was absolutely stressed and drained . . .  he was like an infant again.” 

Snow’s efforts are part of a patchwork of woman-led care that serves Chicago communities where shootings are common. These women lead block clubs, grow community gardens, organize food drives, and provide free childcare. It’s labor that bears little resemblance to the tougher talk of often male-led violence prevention work, with its street intervention, workforce training, and behavioral health counseling. The women foster safety and address community needs, functioning as the hidden scaffolding of the more visible work. 

Kendra Snow poses in front of a community mural near the M.A.S.K. site in Englewood. Seeger Gray for The Trace

Lewis grew up on the south side, where she watched her community grapple with gun violence and the larger systems that create and compound it: racial segregation, economic disinvestment, concentrated poverty. Her first introduction to racial justice work came in the eighth grade, when her mother took her to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Then a child herself, Lewis couldn’t stop thinking about how young Martin was. She’d spend the next several years attending protests, organizing neighbors around various social issues, and earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Lewis now channels her community work through her nonprofit, Free Root Operation, which combats Chicago’s gun violence crisis by making food and education more accessible. She started the nonprofit in 2020 as a way to house her various forms of community work under one roof. The organization is funded through individual donations and grants. Lewis says she’s only made enough for the organization’s basic needs, and sustains herself through other jobs. She’d like to see city leaders funnel more money toward community-based organizations at a level that’s at least on par with what Chicago spends on policing, about $1.9 billion this year.  

“We only have so much capacity and this work is very taxing—emotionally, mentally, physically,” Lewis said. “Folks need resources to give it their all and not have to worry about where they’re going to find their next meal.”

“Although we need to focus on our boys and our men, a lot of people’s solutions to gun violence end there. We also need to talk about the women who are also stakeholders of this gun violence issue in our communities.” 

Eva Maria Lewis, founder of the Bloom Cohort

In June, Lewis launched the Bloom Cohort, a program that pairs 10 Black women, mostly single mothers, with a mentor who helps them complete a goal, like continuing their schooling or becoming a baker. The thinking is that investments in opportunities for the women leading households in communities impacted by gun violence will translate to an increase in public safety. 

The idea for Bloom came from her conversations with Black women who kept saying they were struggling to find time for things outside parenting and work. Lewis witnessed her mom, who raised her alone, navigate a similar experience. And after years of community work, Lewis is having a related conversation with herself.

“I’ve spent so much time trying to free other people. When I was younger, doing the work, going to protests, I wasn’t making any room for my own healing,” Lewis says. “I realized I needed the same type of care I was putting out.

“I am so much more than what I can do for other people.” 


Harsh penalties for gun crimes don’t make communities safer.


After Mayor Lori Lightfoot expanded the citywide curfew in response to a shooting, teenagers spoke about Chicago’s gun violence crisis and their relationship to the city.


We need money for schools, after-school programs, and mental health to change the status quo.

Read More

The unsung women healing ChicagoJustin Agreloon October 11, 2022 at 11:01 am Read More »

NBA betting preview: Why Joel Embiid is a good early bet for MVPon October 11, 2022 at 12:17 pm

Joel Embiid enters the 2022-23 NBA season with the third-best odds to win MVP behind Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2022-23 season is quickly approaching and our betting experts have got you covered. Over the next two weeks we are taking a look at how to approach some of the top teams in league and giving out some futures best bets before the season tips off.

Sports Betting Insider Doug Kezirian gives his tips on favorites and longshots to bet for this season’s MVP award.

All odds from Caesars Sportsbook

NBA betting preview schedule

Thursday: The case for the Boston Celtics and Golden State WarriorsFriday: The case for the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee BucksMonday: The case for the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles LakersTuesday: Who to bet for MVPWednesday: Betting win totals and awardsOct. 17: Social media and bettingOct. 18: NBA title odds and favorites

Is this is the year Joel Embiid breaks through and finally hoists the NBA MVP award?

Due to team success playing such a vital role with the voters, I typically like to wait until the season begins before I get heavily involved in the MVP race. I often build a portfolio of a few guys and try to ensure a solid payout. Of course that also entails tracking injuries and reading the tea leaves, particularly after the All-Star break.

However, the one bet I have made is on Embiid, who is currently +700 at Caesars Sportsbook. Narratives play a large role and the Sixers big man has finished as the runner-up in back-to-back seasons. While James Harden is talented and can put up great numbers, Embiid will ultimately get credit for any success the team has. The Sixers are expected to contend again for a top seed this year.

Favorites

Luka Doncic is currently the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award this season, but history suggests otherwise. AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

Luke Doncic is the betting favorite (+390) and while he is certainly talented enough to win the award, history suggests it would be a surprise outcome.

In 23 of the last 25 seasons, the MVP has led a team that finished with a one- or two-seed in its conference. The two outliers were Nikola Jokic last year and Russell Westbrook in the 2016-17 season, when both starred for teams that finished with a Western Conference six-seed.

Both were unusual circumstances. Westbrook averaged a triple-double and broke Oscar Robertson’s all-time mark for triple-doubles in a single season. Last year, Jokic posted incredible statistics but he was a bit of a longshot entering the last few months until injuries to other contenders opened the door.

As for this season, the Mavericks are the seventh favorite in the Western Conference alone. However, in terms of regular season win totals, there is not a huge amount of separation. Dallas is positioned with 48.5 wins, while the league’s highest is the Boston Celtics with 53.5.

The main reason I prefer waiting to wager on the MVP race is that I need to assess the league’s dynamics. Some players look more fit than others and certain teams seemingly take the regular season more seriously.

With all that being said, I am grabbing Embiid. I do not feel his odds will get any longer and I expect Philadelphia to have a strong season from the start. I prefer Embiid over Giannis Antetokounmpo (+550), Jayson Tatum (10-1), Kevin Durant (10-1), Jokic (12-1) and Ja Morant (14-1).

Longshots

Devin Booker could be an interesting longshot to win the MVP award at +5550 odds before the season begins. Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

The other angle I typically take prior to the season is focused on longshots. Any guy with solid early momentum will see his odds shrink drastically and a few candidates come to mind. I could not blame anyone for backing Devin Booker (55-1), Anthony Edwards (60-1) or Rudy Gobert (100-1). I understand they are longshots for a reason but I believe the pricing is off.

The rationale for Booker is obvious. The Phoenix Suns are coming off a year where they finished with the league’s best record and while Chris Paul played a pivotal role, Booker is their best player. If he evolves his game even further, being the best player on the top overall seed is a huge plus for an MVP candidate’s campaign.

Edwards and Gobert are connected because they are now teammates in Minnesota. Their season win total of 49.5 suggests that oddsmakers are expecting a big leap, and I agree with that.

Edwards seems on the verge of an explosive season. He averaged 25.5 PPG on 40% shooting from beyond the arc in last year’s playoffs. Many future All-Stars take a giant step in their third season and perhaps the same comes true for the former No. 1 pick. The question is whether Minnesota has the goods to compete for a top seed and Edwards can blossom into a true MVP. Usually a candidate out of nowhere is dismissed, like DeMar DeRozan last year but at 60-1, I could understand the argument.

However, I’d rather grab a piece of Gobert at 100-1. Of course he’s highly unlikely to win it but if Minnesota does reach its ceiling, Gobert would receive a lot of credit. The three-time defensive player of the year dominates that end of the court and he could literally change Minnesota’s entire team defense. Also, he was known mostly as a screener in Utah, but perhaps he thrives in a new system where he can score enough points to have MVP consideration. He can finish at the rim and a point guard like D’Angelo Russell may be exactly what he needs to have decent scoring numbers.

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NBA betting preview: Why Joel Embiid is a good early bet for MVPon October 11, 2022 at 12:17 pm Read More »

Swedish power-metal titans Sabaton continue to explore the Great War

Founded in 1999, Swedish power-metal veterans Sabaton cast a microscopic gaze on the horrors of war with a sweeping, majestic, and anthemic sound that walks the line between empathizing with humans on the battlefield and glorifying the unglorifiable. Their records deliver poetic lessons in military history (usually European), and though they aim to stay as free of controversy as possible, that goal isn’t completely realistic given the themes of their songs and the realities of the world we live in. Sabaton released The War to End All Wars (Nuclear Blast) in March, along with a symphonic version a few weeks later. A follow-up to 2019’s The Great War, the albumcontinues the band’s deep dive into World War I. The songs are solid through and through, and the stories they share are memorable; “The Unkillable Soldier” tells the brutally inspiring tale of a famously indestructible Belgian, while “Race to the Sea” is an edge-of-the-seat drama about the Battle of Yser, in which Belgian forces held the line against an advancing German army.

The so-called Christmas truce—brief unofficial ceasefires that became widespread across the Western Front in December 1914—has become a corny, metaphorically abused cliche in pop culture. But Sabaton’s take on it (in the song “Christmas Truce”) is touching in its bittersweet earnestness, especially contrasted with the deliberate false optimism of the following track, “Versailles.” Sabaton aren’t breaking new ground with The War to End All Wars, and they’re less interested in doing so than in further refining what they do best. With the world in the state it is, they’ll never run out of material.

That said, they’re hardly done exploring the trenches of WWI. Last month, they dropped a surprise EP, Weapons of the Modern Age, the first installation in a trilogy about the mechanical and technological horrors of the Great War, and its six songs include the charging (“The Red Baron”), the eerie (“The Attack of the Dead Men”), and the heavy (“Dreadnought”). Sabaton were here last year opening for Judas Priest at Rosemont Theatre, and this concert is part of a rescheduled headlining tour intended for the spring.

Sabaton Epica open. Sat 10/15, 7 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, $32.50, all ages

Read More

Swedish power-metal titans Sabaton continue to explore the Great War Read More »

The unsung women healing Chicago

This story was originally published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here.

Kendra Snow was working the closing shift at a laundromat in Englewood when her phone began to ring. It was a neighbor, telling her not to panic. Then, the devastating news: Snow’s 16-year-old son had been shot outside of a nearby liquor store. He was alive, but she needed to hurry. 

Snow remembers locking the laundromat door and running three blocks south toward the corner of 75th and Stewart. She knew the intersection well. It had long been a hot spot for neighborhood violence, one where both her younger brother and her son’s father had survived shootings. Still, nothing could’ve prepared her for this race toward her wounded son. 

“This is my neighborhood. I was like, how did this happen to my son?” Snow said of that night in October 2015. “How dare you? This is my baby.” Once she reached him, she learned he’d weathered two shots in the back.

He survived, but would need months of physical therapy and long-term care that Medicaid wouldn’t cover. His journey toward healing would be long and arduous—a path Snow says he’s still pursuing nearly seven years later. 

That journey would also prove challenging for the women in his life, women who loved him and watched him grow up. Snow, her aunt, her sister, and sister-in-law all rallied behind him, stepping in to provide the long-term care that he couldn’t access easily from hospitals or the state. 

Snow’s experience reflects that of many women of color in Chicago and elsewhere whose loved ones survive gun violence. In the aftermath of a shooting, they are often the ones who provide emotional labor and care to alleviate the ricocheting impacts of gun violence. This work is vital, necessary for people to forge a new normal for their everyday lives. Sometimes, it extends beyond familial ties and to communal ones. But even when it comes from outside the walls of a single home, it is often unpaid, undervalued, and hidden from public view. 

During the early months of her son’s recovery, Snow, along with her sister and sister-in-law, guided the teen through everyday tasks like eating, bathing, and homeschooling. Having to juggle her son’s care along with parenting six other children—while also working two jobs outside the home—was stressful. That stress was compounded by a trauma unique to survivors of gun violence: for months, Snow couldn’t shake the fear that every time he left home, it would happen again. 

“It was a battle of getting him back to his normal self,” Snow remembers. “I was absolutely stressed and drained . . .  he was like an infant again.” 

Snow’s efforts are part of a patchwork of woman-led care that serves Chicago communities where shootings are common. These women lead block clubs, grow community gardens, organize food drives, and provide free childcare. It’s labor that bears little resemblance to the tougher talk of often male-led violence prevention work, with its street intervention, workforce training, and behavioral health counseling. The women foster safety and address community needs, functioning as the hidden scaffolding of the more visible work. 

Kendra Snow poses in front of a community mural near the M.A.S.K. site in Englewood. Seeger Gray for The Trace

Lewis grew up on the south side, where she watched her community grapple with gun violence and the larger systems that create and compound it: racial segregation, economic disinvestment, concentrated poverty. Her first introduction to racial justice work came in the eighth grade, when her mother took her to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Then a child herself, Lewis couldn’t stop thinking about how young Martin was. She’d spend the next several years attending protests, organizing neighbors around various social issues, and earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Lewis now channels her community work through her nonprofit, Free Root Operation, which combats Chicago’s gun violence crisis by making food and education more accessible. She started the nonprofit in 2020 as a way to house her various forms of community work under one roof. The organization is funded through individual donations and grants. Lewis says she’s only made enough for the organization’s basic needs, and sustains herself through other jobs. She’d like to see city leaders funnel more money toward community-based organizations at a level that’s at least on par with what Chicago spends on policing, about $1.9 billion this year.  

“We only have so much capacity and this work is very taxing—emotionally, mentally, physically,” Lewis said. “Folks need resources to give it their all and not have to worry about where they’re going to find their next meal.”

“Although we need to focus on our boys and our men, a lot of people’s solutions to gun violence end there. We also need to talk about the women who are also stakeholders of this gun violence issue in our communities.” 

Eva Maria Lewis, founder of the Bloom Cohort

In June, Lewis launched the Bloom Cohort, a program that pairs 10 Black women, mostly single mothers, with a mentor who helps them complete a goal, like continuing their schooling or becoming a baker. The thinking is that investments in opportunities for the women leading households in communities impacted by gun violence will translate to an increase in public safety. 

The idea for Bloom came from her conversations with Black women who kept saying they were struggling to find time for things outside parenting and work. Lewis witnessed her mom, who raised her alone, navigate a similar experience. And after years of community work, Lewis is having a related conversation with herself.

“I’ve spent so much time trying to free other people. When I was younger, doing the work, going to protests, I wasn’t making any room for my own healing,” Lewis says. “I realized I needed the same type of care I was putting out.

“I am so much more than what I can do for other people.” 


Harsh penalties for gun crimes don’t make communities safer.


After Mayor Lori Lightfoot expanded the citywide curfew in response to a shooting, teenagers spoke about Chicago’s gun violence crisis and their relationship to the city.


We need money for schools, after-school programs, and mental health to change the status quo.

Read More

The unsung women healing Chicago Read More »

The right (to a) call

It was the weekend of May 30, 2020, a critical point in the anger, promise, and unrest following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Yet, despite the extraordinary conditions, something familiar took place: Chicago police blocked attorneys from seeing their clients and prevented detainees from making phone calls as state law requires. CPD had been violating detainees’ rights like this for decades.

Across the city, demonstrators—some of whom police brutalized—were hidden from friends, families, and comrades. When their lawyers called police stations, officers misdirected the calls, hung up, or, as one has to presume from the endless busy signals, just took the phones off the hook. At times, attorneys responding to arrests were physically barred from even entering police stations. On at least one occasion, it took the interventions of elected officials to eventually get attorneys through the door. All the while, police had unfettered access to the people they detained.

These nights, and others like them, set the stage for change. That June, a diverse coalition of community and legal groups filed a lawsuit that detailed serial violations of state law rights to counsel and phone calls. I am one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, #Letusbreathe Collective, et al. v. City of Chicago. Two weeks ago, the lawsuit was settled with the establishment of a historic consent decree that has the promise to end incommunicado detention in Chicago.

Arrestees in Illinois have long had statutory rights to consult with attorneys in private and to make phone calls from the police station, but in practice these rights have been aspirational at the point of arrest. The new consent decree will help: it ensures that people in custody are able to call family and attorneys within three hours of being taken into custody, among a host of other changes to police practices, including installing phones in interrogation rooms and posting information about accessing free attorneys in areas where detainees are held. The consent decree also provides for data sharing and police station inspections to ensure compliance, and, best of all, is enforceable in court if the city doesn’t uphold its obligations.  

On any given night, officers could be found denying that someone was present at a given station, refusing to let attorneys see them, or otherwise obstructing efforts, all while their colleagues laughed and carried on in the background.

Since 2017, I have worked at First Defense Legal Aid (FDLA), an organization founded in 1995 as a collaboration between grassroots organizers and concerned attorneys in the wake of revelations about police torture by Jon Burge and other CPD officers. FDLA’s goal was simple: end incommunicado detention, and stop false and coerced confessions in the city, by educating Chicagoans about their constitutional rights and making free legal counsel available 24/7/365 to individuals in custody anywhere in CPD’s sprawling network of police stations, detective areas, and investigative facilities.

Although FDLA transferred responsibility for free, 24-hour station house representation to the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender in 2019, my experiences trying to access clients prior to the changeover have stuck with me. Traveling to police stations at all hours of day and night—most often after a call to FDLA’s hotline (1-800-LAW-REP4) from an arrestee’s concerned family member—I was and remain struck by how consistently, and nonchalantly, CPD violated people’s rights. Chicago police regularly hid clients or attempted to interfere with representation through a potent combination of cruelty, pettiness, and impunity. On any given night, officers could be found denying that someone was present at a given station, refusing to let attorneys see them, or otherwise obstructing efforts, all while their colleagues laughed and carried on in the background.

Detainees and would-be clients reported that police discouraged them from signing the CPD form that initiates a legal consultation, whether by saying that it “makes you look guilty” to want an attorney, that detainees would go home faster if they didn’t see a lawyer, or that because the representation was free, it wasn’t worth having. Further, access to phones, when granted, was and has remained a mess. For example, a Spring 2020 survey of individuals in bond court by the Public Defender’s Office indicated nearly a quarter of people there were never offered a phone call while at the police station, and that the average wait time among those who did get access was more than four hours. None of this is what the law requires.

It is deceptively easy to look at an arrest as an isolated point on the more or less linear—if protracted—progression of a criminal prosecution. Someone is accused of a crime, arrested, and then prosecuted, a process that can seem defined by the critical point of a verdict (whatever it may be), a dismissal, or a plea bargain.

But for the people held incommunicado, the arrest itself and alone has catastrophic reverberations. When you can’t call your mother so she can give your employer a heads-up that you’ll miss your shift, you get fired. When you can’t contact your partner to pick up your kids from school, your family could face scrutiny from child protection agencies or reproach from teachers and administrators. You wonder if your car is getting towed or if your family is beside itself with worry. You wonder if you’ll be framed. Or killed. When you can’t speak with an attorney, perhaps you, like so many others, give a false confession during the 48-72 hours police may hold you without charges, are wrongfully convicted, and spend decades in prison.

The damage of incommunicado detention is not limited to the detainee. Outside of the station, family members, friends, and loved ones are faced with the agonizing proposition that someone close to them has disappeared. Maybe you know your loved one has been arrested; maybe you don’t. In any case, incommunicado detention violates the bonds of community that enable healthy and secure societies.

The efforts of the plaintiff organizations in #Letusbreathe v. Chicago have created a seismic shift, to a world where there is a meaningful route to ending incommunicado detention in this city. While the legacy of the 2020 uprising remains in careful balance, one change is now set in stone—people arrested in Chicago are going to get access to their lawyers, and to phone calls, and if they don’t, the city will be held accountable.

Daniel Massoglia is the Director of the Civil Rights Clinic at First Defense Legal Aid. He is one of a team of attorneys who represented the plaintiffs in #Letusbreathe Collective, et al. v. City of Chicago, which culminated in a consent decree transforming how people in Chicago police custody can access phone calls and legal counsel.


Officer Nicholas Jovanovich now faces firing as a result of the 2020 incident, in which he knocked out an activist’s tooth and seized her cell phone.


An analysis of 2,172 detainments raises questions about CPD claims of equitable policing practices.


Other convicts who may have been tortured into confessing are out of luck, an appellate panel rules.

Read More

The right (to a) call Read More »

The right (to a) callDaniel Massogliaon October 10, 2022 at 8:46 pm

It was the weekend of May 30, 2020, a critical point in the anger, promise, and unrest following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Yet, despite the extraordinary conditions, something familiar took place: Chicago police blocked attorneys from seeing their clients and prevented detainees from making phone calls as state law requires. CPD had been violating detainees’ rights like this for decades.

Across the city, demonstrators—some of whom police brutalized—were hidden from friends, families, and comrades. When their lawyers called police stations, officers misdirected the calls, hung up, or, as one has to presume from the endless busy signals, just took the phones off the hook. At times, attorneys responding to arrests were physically barred from even entering police stations. On at least one occasion, it took the interventions of elected officials to eventually get attorneys through the door. All the while, police had unfettered access to the people they detained.

These nights, and others like them, set the stage for change. That June, a diverse coalition of community and legal groups filed a lawsuit that detailed serial violations of state law rights to counsel and phone calls. I am one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, #Letusbreathe Collective, et al. v. City of Chicago. Two weeks ago, the lawsuit was settled with the establishment of a historic consent decree that has the promise to end incommunicado detention in Chicago.

Arrestees in Illinois have long had statutory rights to consult with attorneys in private and to make phone calls from the police station, but in practice these rights have been aspirational at the point of arrest. The new consent decree will help: it ensures that people in custody are able to call family and attorneys within three hours of being taken into custody, among a host of other changes to police practices, including installing phones in interrogation rooms and posting information about accessing free attorneys in areas where detainees are held. The consent decree also provides for data sharing and police station inspections to ensure compliance, and, best of all, is enforceable in court if the city doesn’t uphold its obligations.  

On any given night, officers could be found denying that someone was present at a given station, refusing to let attorneys see them, or otherwise obstructing efforts, all while their colleagues laughed and carried on in the background.

Since 2017, I have worked at First Defense Legal Aid (FDLA), an organization founded in 1995 as a collaboration between grassroots organizers and concerned attorneys in the wake of revelations about police torture by Jon Burge and other CPD officers. FDLA’s goal was simple: end incommunicado detention, and stop false and coerced confessions in the city, by educating Chicagoans about their constitutional rights and making free legal counsel available 24/7/365 to individuals in custody anywhere in CPD’s sprawling network of police stations, detective areas, and investigative facilities.

Although FDLA transferred responsibility for free, 24-hour station house representation to the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender in 2019, my experiences trying to access clients prior to the changeover have stuck with me. Traveling to police stations at all hours of day and night—most often after a call to FDLA’s hotline (1-800-LAW-REP4) from an arrestee’s concerned family member—I was and remain struck by how consistently, and nonchalantly, CPD violated people’s rights. Chicago police regularly hid clients or attempted to interfere with representation through a potent combination of cruelty, pettiness, and impunity. On any given night, officers could be found denying that someone was present at a given station, refusing to let attorneys see them, or otherwise obstructing efforts, all while their colleagues laughed and carried on in the background.

Detainees and would-be clients reported that police discouraged them from signing the CPD form that initiates a legal consultation, whether by saying that it “makes you look guilty” to want an attorney, that detainees would go home faster if they didn’t see a lawyer, or that because the representation was free, it wasn’t worth having. Further, access to phones, when granted, was and has remained a mess. For example, a Spring 2020 survey of individuals in bond court by the Public Defender’s Office indicated nearly a quarter of people there were never offered a phone call while at the police station, and that the average wait time among those who did get access was more than four hours. None of this is what the law requires.

It is deceptively easy to look at an arrest as an isolated point on the more or less linear—if protracted—progression of a criminal prosecution. Someone is accused of a crime, arrested, and then prosecuted, a process that can seem defined by the critical point of a verdict (whatever it may be), a dismissal, or a plea bargain.

But for the people held incommunicado, the arrest itself and alone has catastrophic reverberations. When you can’t call your mother so she can give your employer a heads-up that you’ll miss your shift, you get fired. When you can’t contact your partner to pick up your kids from school, your family could face scrutiny from child protection agencies or reproach from teachers and administrators. You wonder if your car is getting towed or if your family is beside itself with worry. You wonder if you’ll be framed. Or killed. When you can’t speak with an attorney, perhaps you, like so many others, give a false confession during the 48-72 hours police may hold you without charges, are wrongfully convicted, and spend decades in prison.

The damage of incommunicado detention is not limited to the detainee. Outside of the station, family members, friends, and loved ones are faced with the agonizing proposition that someone close to them has disappeared. Maybe you know your loved one has been arrested; maybe you don’t. In any case, incommunicado detention violates the bonds of community that enable healthy and secure societies.

The efforts of the plaintiff organizations in #Letusbreathe v. Chicago have created a seismic shift, to a world where there is a meaningful route to ending incommunicado detention in this city. While the legacy of the 2020 uprising remains in careful balance, one change is now set in stone—people arrested in Chicago are going to get access to their lawyers, and to phone calls, and if they don’t, the city will be held accountable.

Daniel Massoglia is the Director of the Civil Rights Clinic at First Defense Legal Aid. He is one of a team of attorneys who represented the plaintiffs in #Letusbreathe Collective, et al. v. City of Chicago, which culminated in a consent decree transforming how people in Chicago police custody can access phone calls and legal counsel.


Officer Nicholas Jovanovich now faces firing as a result of the 2020 incident, in which he knocked out an activist’s tooth and seized her cell phone.


An analysis of 2,172 detainments raises questions about CPD claims of equitable policing practices.


Other convicts who may have been tortured into confessing are out of luck, an appellate panel rules.

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The right (to a) callDaniel Massogliaon October 10, 2022 at 8:46 pm Read More »

Wiz star Beal exits protocols, still out vs. Hornetson October 10, 2022 at 10:32 pm

Bradley Beal has exited the NBA’s healthy and safety protocols but will still miss the Washington Wizards‘ preseason game at Charlotte on Monday night with a non-COVID illness, according to the team.

He is listed as day-to-day with the illness.

Beal played in one of Washington’s two exhibition games in Japan against the Golden State Warriors. The Wizards have their final preseason game against the New York Knicks on Friday.

Washington opens the regular season at Indiana on Oct. 19.

Read More

Wiz star Beal exits protocols, still out vs. Hornetson October 10, 2022 at 10:32 pm Read More »

Top Adult Chat Rooms for Sex Chat in 2022

If you thought chat rooms ended with the 90s, you’d be wrong. They’re more popular than ever, especially adult chat rooms.

There are two types: classic/text and video. Remember old-school AOL chat rooms? They’re a huge hit with adults looking to talk dirty on the Internet. And video chat rooms take the beauty of classic rooms and add video capability.

Adult chat sites have become the go-to for any busy adult looking for that quick gratifying fix. You don’t have to leave your couch to find excited sexy people who want to talk about naughty things. There’s a little something for everyone here, no matter how specific your sexual kink is.

But some sites do it better than the rest. It’s going to take far too much energy for you to peek through the Internet looking for the best. Some are too expensive, others are too boring, and some are just plain bad. Skip all that nonsense and read below to find the top free adult chat sites (or almost free) with the sexiest users.

Top 15+ Adult Chat Rooms for Sex Chat Reviewed

Sl*tRoulette: Best overall adult chat site321 SexChat: Most entertaining siteJerkmate: Get off with sexy strangersChatAvenue: One of the most popular chat roomsChaturbate: Most well-known video chatChatRandom: Quickest way to meet someone newChatropolis: Kinkiest chat room categoriesAdultFriendFinder: Meet horny strangers on AFFFlingster: Most discreet option on this listAshley Madison: Best for affairsChatville: An adult site that offers a sense of communityChatzy: Old-school, no-frills chattingDirtyRoulette: Sexy roulette-style websiteChatroulette: Most active roulette websiteOmegle: Free chat site for random encountersiSexyChat: Share nudes with new friendsLewdChat: IRC platform for adultsFlirtLu: Sexiest webcam experience

Honorable Mentions

Flirt: A hybrid of erotic chat and a dating siteWeird Town: Chat about any weird thing you can think of. It doesn’t have to be weird sex, but it can be!CooMeet: Like Chatroulette with more attractive people!Cuckold Chat: Cuckold-oriented chat roomsChat Zozo: Run-of-the-mill free adult sex chat siteFreeChatNow: Quick free sex chat site with forums and discussion boardsKinksters Chat: BDSM and kink chat roomsChatPig: Sexy chat rooms with regular and adult actress usersTempoCams: Naughty roulette-style chatShagle: Meet new hotties through video chat!

1.  Sl*tRoulette: Roll the dice to find someone nice

Sl*tRoulette helps shake things up in the adult chat room world, where many sites look and function in basically the same way. Sl*tRoulette is pretty much like it sounds—you get a random cam model on your screen. You can then select “Next” if you want to move onto someone else. 

(Fun fact: Sl*tRoulette is a new take on ChatRoulette, a similar site whose adult version was taken down.) 

Like many adult chat rooms, Sl*tRoulette is free, which is always a plus, right?  All you have to do is simply verify your age. After that, you’ll be free to sit back and enjoy a wide range of women performing cam shows. The Sl*tRoulette uses an algorithm that selects top-rated models, helping ensure a more enjoyable experience from the get-go.

Sl*tRoulette Live is a platform within SlutRoulette that has more diverse offerings instead of the stream of solo women on the regular platform. Here you will see men, straight and gay couples, group sex, trans performers, and more. 

Like most other adult chat sites, Sl*tRoulette uses a tip system that incentivizes the performers to use the platform and put on an enjoyable show for viewers like you. You can also upgrade to Premium for more features. 

Pros:

Fun conceptAttractive modelsFree

Cons:

May not appeal to everyoneMinimal control can be frustrating

Price: Free (with option to upgrade) 

2.  321 SexChat: Quirky and silly chat site

321 SexChat is for someone who doesn’t take their sex chat needs all that seriously. Don’t get us wrong, 321 SexChat has got the goods. It’s designed like a normal adult chat site, but it’s designed in a way that’s bubbly, over-the-top, exciting, and a whole lot of fun. It’s not dark or serious in any way, but it will seriously get you off if that’s what you’re looking for.

For one, 321 SexChat has tons of unique rooms for you to join, whether you are into furries, nymphs, saunas, or whatever else. All the rooms have fun names, too, like The Lurker Zone, Yes Daddy, or Pegging Palace. Once you are in the chat room, there are so many fun features for you to play with. You can send emojis, fun texts, memes, and even GIFs.

321 SexChat is a fun way to explore your adult fantasies with strangers online. It keeps everything lighthearted, which is a welcome change of pace in comparison to many of the other video chat sites on this list.

Pros:

Fun and quirky approachExtremely niche roomsFree

Cons:

Not a ton of users in the roomsMale users dominateSome ads

Price: Free

3.  Jerkmate: Masturbate with new friends

Jerkmate is a free sex chat site that claims you’ll never have to masturbate alone again. It also calls itself the ultimate live masturbation experience. It’s a bold claim, but a very real one. If you couldn’t tell by the name, Jerkmate will help you find a jerk-off partner through their group chat sessions or one-on-one chats. This person could be your average guy or gal, but they might also be a professional adult star.

Signing up for Jerkmate is fairly simple. Create a free account by adding your e-mail, nickname, and password. From there, you’re guided to a page full of beautiful people who want to share this journey with you. It can tend to feel more like an adult video chat experience, but it’s a fantastic way to meet someone.

Enjoy shows performed to a wide audience, or settle into a more private one-on-one setting. Use their great search features to filter by category, body type, or fetish. Aside from being a unique adult chat experience, Jerkmate has a lot to love in terms of usability.

Pros:

Fantastic enthusiastic usersHigh-quality showsTons of search options

Cons:

Can sometimes be a struggle to find someone hot enough to go one-on-one withMore cammy than adult chat

Price: Free, but can pay for upgraded features

4.  ChatAvenue: Clean-looking naughty chat site

ChatAvenue is one of the cleaner options for chat sites on this list. If you’re concerned about someone checking out your Internet history or a nosy neighbor peering into your window and seeing what you’re up to, ChatAvenue will make you feel secure in its squeaky appearance.

ChatAvenue isn’t designed just for dirty talk. There are all types of rooms available to everyone, like sports, teen, and college chat. There are also flirtier options like dating chat. Of course, there’s an adult section, otherwise ChatAvenue wouldn’t make the cut for us!

The 18+ Adult Chat section on ChatAvenue is one of the most active adult rooms on the site. There are tons of users online at any given time with floods of messages from the moment you enter! Before you can come into the room, you’ll be agreeing to a list of reasonable terms. One of those terms is no solicitation, so you know you won’t be enticed to purchase anything you weren’t planning on buying. Offering services will actually get you banned from the room, which is good news when you just want a free good time! Also, there isn’t any registration required.

Pros:

No sign-up necessaryVery active roomSolicitation of any kind will get a user banned

Cons:

Only one adult chat room availableIt’s both good and bad that it is flooded with users

Price: Free

5.  Chaturbate: Sexy online video chat

Chaturbate offers webcam video chat where you can message and watch the stunning users and their livestreams through the platform. There’s nothing that’s not drenched in hot sexual energy over at Chaturbate, which is why it’s one of the hottest places to engage in erotic chat room discussions with likeminded adults.

This site is one of the biggest players in the adult world, so they’ve got their ducks in a row in terms of functionality and navigation. It’s not a totally free site, though, which is the one drawback. Transactions on Chaturbate are done through a credit system, which you can use your credit card to purchase or even some forms of cryptocurrency.

The main pull to Chaturbate is that it’s a well-known site full of beautiful people. What’s not to love about that? You’ll need to shell out some cash to get the full experience, but it’s worth it on this amazing platform!

Pros:

Attractive usersWebcam video chatEnthusiastic members

Cons:

It’s not the cheapest option

Price: Credit-based system

If you want even more info, check out our full-length Chaturbate review.

6.  ChatRandom: Speedy random chat site

ChatRandom is a chat site that randomly pairs you up with others around the globe who are also on ChatRandom at the same time as you. You don’t have to do anything, aside from have a working camera and microphone, to find someone to talk with. Just allow the site to access your camera, and instantly you’ll be met with a new Internet buddy.

ChatRandom has over 35K daily users, so there’s never a shortage of people to meet while you’re engaged on this roulette-style adult chat. If you want to make the experience a little less random, you can filter by country or gender you wish to talk with.

Though it was developed a decade ago, it still has a modern feel and works very quickly. In fact, it’s way more modern than a site like Chatroulette or Omegle. That’s why it’s higher on our list! It also offers rooms in addition to random chat. These rooms have themes like gay, adult dating, role-play, flirt, and more.

Pros:

No sign-up requiredInstant random chatTons of people to meetChat rooms along with random one-on-ones

Cons:

No major filtering or search featuresChat rooms are on the smaller side

Price: $17.99/month

7.  Chatropolis: Most diverse chat room options

Chatropolis is fairly average in that it directs you to chat rooms once you’re on the website. The dark colors and nude images give you the indication that all these rooms are going to be adult themed. There are no gamer rooms or anime discussions on this website. What gives Chatropolis its edge (aside from the edgy colors used throughout the site) is the fact that it has a plethora of themes that cater to unique types of individuals. For example, there are chat rooms called Celeb Flesh, Cougars Till Dawn, and Office Seduction. There are plenty for you to choose from aside from these highlights, as well.

It would be surprising to learn that you didn’t find any room (among their 200+) that hit your sweet spot on Chatropolis. If you want to create your own room, that’s possible on this site! You can come up with the name, choose your colors, etc. However, in order to create a room, you need to sign up and pay for Chatropolis. It’s pretty reasonable, though, and won’t break the bank if you’re dead set on starting your own room.

Chatropolis gets a good amount of engagement and activity on a daily basis. You are able to be in multiple rooms at a time if you’re someone who likes a lot of action.

Pros:

Plenty of chat room themesPremium members can create their own roomsPretty active site

Cons:

Some of the rooms you might want to enter could be fullNo exciting features on Chatropolis

Price: $12.95/month

8.  AdultFriendFinder: Best way to find a new kinky chat

If you’re privy to the world of online adult fun, you’ve probably been introduced to AdultFriendFinder at least once. It’s one of the most popular ways for kinky adults to meet each other. While AFF has various means and methods of introducing people, their chat function is one of the best.

We love AdultFriendFinder because it has so many users. The site has millions of members, but about a quarter-million of those folks use the AFF chat capabilities. Members of AFF seem to love doing sex broadcasts that invite other users to join in and meet new users. There are also fantastic rooms and one-on-one options.

Being so popular, AFF does a fantastic job of creating unique categories and opportunities. You can search the site for various groups, forums, and chat rooms broken up by fetish. For instance, do you have a thing for older women? They’ve got you covered. Do you enjoy being a voyeur on your naughty neighbors? There’s a discussion for that too. Whatever you are into, you’ll find (and more) on AdultFriendFinder with plenty of other adults who are into the same thing.

Pros:

Tons of usersUnique groupsNo shortage of fun featuresEveryone is kinky

Cons:

ExpensiveTends to have a lot of annoying ads

Price: about $40/month (that price decreases if you sign up for a longer time)

9.  Flingster: Anonymous adult video chat

Flingster is another random video and chat site for kinky adults. You might be puzzled as to how it could be an anonymous video chat site. Well, Flingster makes anonymity a possibility by implementing two very important features.

For one, Flingster doesn’t require anything aside from choosing a gender to begin talking. Also, it allows you to mask your face if you wish! Think of this mask as something similar to a social media filter. You can cover your face with an emoji or disguise. These masks follow your face, so you can move around and your face will stay hidden. It’s a fairly advanced feature that other random chat sites don’t have, making Flingster totally unique!

It’s a free chat site unless you want to take advantage of its premium features. We don’t think you need it as you can access the video option without paying a dime. However, premium members do enjoy their ability to use the search features and perform non-video calls.

Pros:

Virtually no registrationTotally anonymousFun filters to cover your faceTons of users who get right down to business

Cons:

Some people report fake usersTends to have a lot of annoying ads

Price: Free unless you upgrade

10.  Ashley Madison: Chats between taken people

Are you someone who isn’t technically single, but you’re still looking to get your kink on with someone on the Internet? Listen, we aren’t here to reprimand you for your choices. Maybe you’re in an open relationship or separated! Again, we aren’t your parents. What we can tell you is that Ashley Madison is a fantastic way to meet others who want to have a naughty chat with you, taken or otherwise.

As far as chat sites go, Ashley Madison is a lot more personal than the others. It’s not totally anonymous (unless you disguise your identity, which you are welcome to do) and it doesn’t lead you to a page full of video models or chat rooms. It uses a matching algorithm to effectively pair you up with horny people in your area to have a sex chat with.

Ashley Madison attracts over 10K new users per day, so finding someone you’re attracted to is a cinch. It also gives you the ability to take your sex chat into a real-life experience.

Pros:

Easily meet real horny adultsGenuine interactionsNon-judgemental environment

Cons:

Video isn’t availableNeed to payLong registration process

Price: About $50 for 100 credits and about $150 for 500 credits

11.  Chatville: A video chat community

Chatville is an adult video chat room similar to the likes of Omegle. In fact, it dubs itself as the best Omegle alternative site. It also calls itself a virtual nightclub. Chatville does offer random one-on-one options similar to other roulette-style chats, but it also has features that set it apart from those.

For instance, when you hop onto the Chatville homepage, you’ll be given the option to instantaneously jump into a 16-way video group. It makes Chatville more of an adult video community than it is just a roulette-style adult site. You can also video up to four feeds at a time if you wish. Also, you can register, but you don’t have to. It’s free either way, which is another reason to hop aboard the Chatville train.

Chatville is a great mix of a chat site and a social network where you can meet new friends. It’s like a forum site but with video capabilities. You can create your own room if you want and become the moderator. There are tons of naughty rooms already, though, like Foot Fetish, Swingers, and Nudists. You’ll need to register to do that, but it’s not complicated and you won’t be asked for credit card information.

Pros:

Tons of options and roomsBest way to meet friends through videoOpen-minded users

Cons:

Not for beginnersCould be more user-friendly

Price: Free

12.  Chatzy: Old-school chat room

The ideal Chatzy user is someone who has been to chat rooms before, might be on the older side, and has an affinity for the classic setup. Chatzy is one of those sites that has been around for ages and really hasn’t changed with the times. It’s stuck in the early 2000s. It was created 20 years ago and refuses to add any bells and whistles, which we kind of respect.

If simplicity is important to you, Chatzy delivers. There are no confusing features, no additional portals, and no frills. There’s nothing to distract you from your chat. The only thing that might get in your way is that Chatzy is used for all sorts of discussions. They aren’t all kinky conversations. In order to find the juicy stuff, you’ll need to do a little bit of research, but it’s not complicated.

When you hit Chatzy’s home page, look to the left and click on the tab titled “Find More Rooms.” From there, you’ll be given the option to search for a phrase or word of your choosing. Look up your favorite fetish or anything related to sex. You will then be directed to the appropriate rooms.

Pros:

Simple as can beNo distractionsFree

Cons:

Not modern at allNeed to search for your room in the “Find More” section

Price: Free

13.  DirtyRoulette: Naked roulette video chat

DirtyRoulette is a site that’s powered by Flingster, so you can bet that it’s just as interesting and suitable for sexy video chat. It’s a free chat site that employs straightforward navigation capabilities rather than bogging you down with nonsense.

DirtyRoulette keeps things engaging while maintaining its simplicity. All you need to do is press the “Start Chatting” button to be launched into viewing a free random live sex chat. If you enjoy what you’re watching, you can stay on the show and begin chatting. If you’d like to see something else, you can hit “Next” to view another random feed. Once you land on something that whets your appetite, you can start communicating with the other DirtyRoulette users. Enable your own video camera if you wish to show off your raunchy side.

DirtyRoulette is a saucy platform that invites people to let their freak flags fly. There’s no prudishness on DirtyRoulette. The feeds load very quickly and you can also check it out on your mobile device!

Pros:

Easy navigationNo distractionsExciting and fresh

Cons:

A handful of reported fake usersSome users are boring

Price: Free

14.  Chatroulette: Best roulette chat site

Chatroulette used to be a roulette-style chat site that wasn’t for nudity. They’ve since updated their site to include two sections: Random Chat and Unmoderated. For the purpose of dirty sex chat, you’re going to want to enter the Unmoderated section. It still gives users the chance to report anything that they deem unsavory; however, nudity isn’t banned from this section.

Chatroulette is potentially the most famous sex chat site around. It’s a cure for boredom, a way to meet cool Internet folk, and totally addictive. The website has undergone some cosmetic changes over the years to keep it modernized and entertaining, and we think it’s done a really good job. For quick adult chat, there really isn’t a better option than Chatroulette.

There are over 30K people on Chatroulette at any given moment! In terms of what to expect, with that many people, you never really know what you are going to get. But that’s the beauty of Chatroulette. It’s completely random, mostly kinky fun!

Pros:

No sign-up requiredDownright addictingA huge amount of users online at any given time

Cons:

Seedy past reputationMust enable camera

Price: Free

15.  Omegle: Random free chat

Meet new friends without registering on Omegle, the ultra-famous randomized video chat site that allows you to plug in some keywords so that the site can match you according to your interests. Omegle is only for adults; however, like Chatroulette, there are two types of roads you can travel while you are on Omegle. You can either head into the monitored section, where dirty video chat isn’t allowed, or the unmonitored section. You’re going to want to swiftly head into that unmoderated section.

Unlike Chatroulette, Omegle will give you the opportunity to list things that are exciting to you, things that interest you, or keywords that help express what you’re looking for while on the site. This will inform the algorithm and help to pair you with someone you’ll enjoy chatting with.

Omegle is totally free and most people take advantage of the randomized video option; however, you can also go into “spy mode,” which means that your camera is off, but you can still chat with strangers. If anonymity is your thing, try Omegle with spy mode! Just don’t expect strangers to completely open up to you without that camera turned on!

Pros:

No registrationEasy way to meet hot strangersYou can plug in keywords for a more filtered random chat

Cons:

Not that modernA dime a dozen

Price: Free

16.  iSexyChat: Erotic free chat site with nudes exchange

iSexyChat is a really intuitive, welcoming, navigable chat site that gives you more control than many of the other websites we’ve covered. It’s free, anonymous, and completely dedicated to sexual chat between adults. Though it was started back in 2006, the site itself is very modernized, making going from page to page feel like a total breeze.

There are a lot of refreshing features on iSexyChat, but it doesn’t bog you down with unnecessary bells and whistles. We also appreciate that iSexyChat is transparent about the fact that it’s totally supported by ads. Something about mentioning that on the homepage makes the presence of ads way less annoying.

Ok, here’s what’s special about iSexyChat: The rooms are very pointed. Yes, there are your run-of-the-mill chat rooms like sex chat, video, gay, singles, live, and video. There are also neat rooms like Trade Skype/Kik?Etc. In a room like that, there’s no guessing as to what you’ll get. You are trading usernames for the purpose of sexting. There are also rooms titled Sex Modeling and Trade Pics.

Pros:

Unique chat roomsModern interfaceErotic-centric chat site

Cons:

Lots of ads, just be preparedSome rooms redirect to other sites

Price: Free

17.  LewdChat: Sext chat site

LewdChat is dubbed as an adult matching site, but it’s really an Internet Relay Chat platform that connects adults who want to sext. This free site allows for a seamless registration that will take you seconds. Once you confirm that you are over the age of 18, you will be brought to the chatting platform where you’ll be prompted to give your name, sex, age, and location.

LewdChat is pretty advanced in terms of the users it attracts. If you choose to enter the #Lewd room, you’ll be met with other online users on the gray message feature. While not all that complex, LewdChat doesn’t shy away from throwing you right into a chat room without any real explanation of what you’ll be met with. It’s essentially a sexting message forum filled with a handful of online members discussing sexual topics.

If you wish to head over to another channel, you can click the magnifying glass on the left-hand side. Then, click “Find More Channels” to be given the option to search for specific keywords. Those keywords will direct you to channels containing similar titles and you can explore from there.

Pros:

No hefty sign-up requiredLots of channels to choose fromTalkative members

Cons:

Small user baseLess than intuitive navigation capabilities

Price: $12.95

18.  FlirtLu: Video sex platform

FlirtLu is a video sex chatting platform that makes it easy to find women and men on camera who are willing to flirt with you. The site doesn’t require that you register at all; however, it will prompt you to register later by tempting you with free credits. These credits are what will allow you to have a private chat with anyone you meet on FlirtLu. Until then, you are welcome to watch the gorgeous people on FlirtLu in a group setting.

FlirtLu is not a random chat platform. It’s designed so adults can get their rocks off to beautiful people who are on their webcams. They are hoping you’ll want to pay for credits to enjoy private time with the people on the site, which you likely will. Your options for who to watch are laid out in the form of thumbnails, making it very easy to choose. You can easily move from room to room for free if you wish to look around.

When you click a thumbnail, you’ll launch into a model’s room and profile. There, you’ll find hot pictures and a livestream where you can join in on the chatting and sex conversation. The women on this site are absolutely beautiful, so there’s a good chance you’ll want to spend some money in order to spend some private online time with them.

Pros:

Beautiful usersVery erotic and sensualNo buffering on your computer or mobile device

Cons:

Need to pay for one-on-one actionFeels sort of cammy

Price: Free unless you decide to buy credits for private chat

Adult Chat Sites 101

How to have the best sex chat site experience:You’d think that chat rooms are pretty self-explanatory, but as you’ve read, these sites are all different with features that make them unique. In order to make the most of your adventures, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve found the absolute best adult chat site that fits your specific needs. Figure out if you want to find a website that introduces you to random strangers or one that allows you to learn about someone on a deeper level. Are you someone who gets off on one-on-ones, or would you prefer a group setting? These are questions you’ll want to ask yourself before landing on a site.

How we came up with this list:We’ve spent a fair amount of time on many websites and apps to determine which are the best. Essentially, the list came down to a handful of factors. We wanted to find the fastest, most effective, and most user-friendly sites that are either free or low cost. We looked at some reviews and reflected on our own time spent on each of the sites.

All the things you can do on sex chat sites:Believe it or not, sex chat sites serve many purposes. You can use them for sexting, video chatting, watching a livestream, broadcasting, sharing nudes, and meeting friends. People also love to get onto these sites when they’re going through a fit of boredom. There’s nothing more entertaining than meeting someone totally new on the Internet for some naughtiness. People also use these websites to link with folks they plan on meeting in the real world. If you go this route, make sure you do it safely.

Free adult chat sites vs. paid ones:Yes, there are plenty of free sex chat sites for you to enjoy. You’ve got nothing to lose by testing those sites out for yourself. Of course, the sites that want you to pay will offer a greater array of features and a bit more enjoyment. Most randomized chatting sites won’t make you spend a nickel, which is a nice touch. If that’s all you’re after, don’t bother paying anything. However, if you want something with a bit more excitement and frills, you might need to get your wallet out. Don’t worry though, these sites usually don’t cost that much and allow you to pay monthly. Usually it’s less than $1 per day, which is very manageable.

Are sex chat sites anonymous?All of the sites listed allow for anonymity. Discretion is important and the creators of these sites get that fully. But if you’re really worried about the outside world knowing your dirty little secrets, check out one of the sites that doesn’t require registration at all. They won’t ask for your e-mail, name, or anything else. These types of chat sites are also the quickest in terms of getting straight to the saucy stuff.

Safety tips:Make sure you’re speaking with an adult; some of the best chat sites aren’t fully adult. They include some PG-13-type rooms that attract a younger crowd. Tread carefully on this site. In other words, don’t pull out your junk on one of these non-18+ sites before figuring out who is on the other side of that webcam.

If you meet up, be careful. Most of these websites don’t cater to meeting up for a romp or a date. However, if you do decide that the person you’ve been hitting it off with online is worth a trip into the real world, make sure you meet in a public setting first.

Stay anonymous. All of these websites let you keep your identity a secret. When dealing with the combination of sex and the Internet, staying anonymous is the best way to stay safe!

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Top Adult Chat Rooms for Sex Chat in 2022 Read More »

Chaturbate Review: Everything You Need To Know (2022)

Chaturbate is an adult website that specializes in live cams. It’s become by far one of the biggest cam sites, and people love it for its interactive nature.

In fact, according to website traffic calculator similarweb, Chaturbate is the 5th most popular adult site and 57th most popular site in the entire world. Chaturbate clearly has its fans! 

But is Chaturbate for everyone? That depends! It’s different from your average porn site, and it may not be everyone’s thing.

This article will cover what exactly Chaturbate is, how it works, and what makes it stand out from the rest of the pack. So, read on to learn more about Chaturbate and why it’s one of the best adult live cam sites around!

Pros

User base of millionsFree to watch (until shows go private)Great amateur contentActive and eager-to-please modelsOpen-minded vibe

Cons

Some streams may lack high production valueSome streams may be choppyThe chat can be annoying (but you can hide it)You have to pay up for private shows 

How Does Chaturbate Work?

The name Chaturbate should give you a decent idea into how it works. It’s combining the words “chat” and “masturbate,” meaning that it’s all about amateur cam models getting off while people (like you) watch and chat.

In this way, Chaturbate is very much about an interactive experience, and this is no doubt one of the reasons why it’s become so successful. People enjoy talking directly to models, tipping them to see the content they want, and even tipping to stimulate the sex toys that the model is using (known as “teledildonics,” technically). 

While you can see a lot for free, Chaturbate’s whole structure is designed around tipping. Tipping certain amounts will unlock various acts—as specified by the model—and you can also buy a pass for the private show (which models usually work up to). 

What’s It Like Using Chaturbate For Free?

Chaturbate isn’t half bad as a free site. You can browse around freely, and there are so many active users that it shouldn’t be too hard to find something you’re into.

There are many users as well who will show full nudity, masturbate, and even perform sexual acts while doing a free show. 

Once the show moves to private, however, you’ll have to pay up to see. In this way, Chaturbate is somewhat limited if you’re not trying to spend any money. 

What Makes Chaturbate a Top Site?

Chaturbate has a lot of things going for it. Here are just a few of them.

A huge community – As the 5th most popular adult site online, Chaturbate attracts a huge userbase of both models and viewers. You can count on all kinds of variety thanks to the massive number of cammers. Exclusively amateur content – If you’re into amateur content, Chaturbate is definitely worth checking out as it’s 100% amateurs all the time. Fun, sexy models – Chaturbate has all kinds of unique models on it. It can be a breath of fresh air to see all kinds of amateurs from all around the world. You also have the chance to chat with them and get a better sense of their personality than you do from traditional porn. Lots to see for free – While you have to pay up for private videos and to get models to get dirtier, lurkers can generally still see a lot for free. Although this goes against the site’s operational model, you don’t need to be rolling in the dough to still enjoy Chaturbate.Variety – On Chaturbate, you’ll find models performing solo, you’ll find couples, and you’ll even find threesomes and group sex. There’s straight content, gay content, trans content—just about anything you’re into you can find on Chaturbate with no problem.

What Are Chaturbate’s Downsides?

There isn’t a whole lot to complain about with Chaturbate. Overall, it’s a well-run site with a lot to offer.

That said, there are a few small issues, ones that are mainly linked to the fact that it’s livestreamed content.

For example, depending on the streamer’s internet connection and your own, you may end up with choppy video, which can really kill the vibe. 

Depending on the cammer’s set-up, you will come across more amateur-ish and more legit production value. If this is important to you, you’ll simply want to stick to the more professional-quality models. 

Finally, some people in the chat can be really obnoxious and the chat can generally be distracting. It’s part of the whole Chaturbate thing—consider the name, for example—but you may personally find that you’re better off without it. Luckily, you can increase the size of the livestream and just about get rid of the chat entirely. 

Is Chaturbate Legit?

Chaturbate is definitely a legitimate site. It’s become one of the world’s most popular adult sites, and tens of thousands of cam models are using it every single day.

There may be a few bad actors here and there, e.g. people who promise something for a certain tip but then don’t deliver, but these people are few and far between. Why? Because people will stop watching those cammers who are dishonest about what they’re willing to do.

Last Thoughts on ChaturbateChaturbate has become one of the most popular adult sites for good reason. It’s a fun and different way to engage with adult content. There are tens of thousands of cammers and since it’s a global site you can count on people being online 24/7. 

To fully unlock Chaturbate, you’ll need to shell out for tokens, but you can still enjoy the site without them. 

All in all, Chaturbate has quickly captured the market share of the livestreaming adult content niche, and it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. 

FAQ

What Is Chaturbate?

Chaturbate is a popular adult site that focuses on livestreamed content from amateurs. Viewers can chat with models and tip them to unlock certain acts as well as stay tuned in once the video goes private. 

How Does Chaturbate Work?

Chaturbate is based on a tipping system. Users pay for tokens, then distribute these to models however they want. It is free to watch on Chaturbate, but models generally engage in more sexual content the more tips they receive. Plus, it is usually required to spend tokens in order to watch the private livestream. 

How Much Do Tokens Cost on Chaturbate? Here is the current breakdown of how much tokens cost on Chaturbate.

100 tokens = $10.99200 tokens = $20.99500 tokens = $44.99750 tokens = $62.991,000 tokens = $79.99

As you can see, you get a better rate per token the more you buy, from $0.11 per token down to $0.08 per token. 

How Is Chaturbate Different from Pornhub?

Pornhub features mainly traditional porn videos. In other words, these are videos that are uploaded and then watched any time (the fancy term is “asynchronously”). Chaturbate, on the other hand, only features live streamed videos. In general, these are webcams used by models who chat with viewers while they engage in sexy behavior. 

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