#smokescreen 2025

[medstudentinfandom]

Three times Val taught Vox something and one time Vox taught Val.

@veesevents

[velvetwyrme]

bringing back the question for 2025: who in the autobots would fuck a car and/or have an sti

hi i thought too long and hard about this. then i made a silly comic about it which quickly got derailed into another silly bit. and then it kept getting longer and more terrible

i don't know whether you're the same person as the original anon or not but im gonna freakin cry either way. is this my legacy...

on one hand this ask gave me lots of motivation for some reason, so thank you for that, but on the other hand it motivated me to draw a 6 page comic about robot STIs.

i put too much effort into this lmao. for my actual conclusions AND some extra notes about the comic click the read more 👍

Ratchet: No and no. Has HAD STIs before. When he was younger. True across continuities except... in TFA he would have an STI. I can see it.

Ironhide: Yes carfucking, but I feel like the carfuckin was also a one time thing specifically. No STI. To quote my notes: "Frag no, Chromia or Ratch woukd kill him". Typo included.

Jazz: Yes carfucking, no STI because if he got one he'd be on top of treatment. Originally there was a bit in the comic with Jazz and Prowl arguing about which is worse: fuckin a car or havin a STI but it got cut because its already like 6 pages

Prowl: No carfucking and yes STI. He thinks carfucking is Really Weird. Wait. Purely off of vibes because I still haven't watched ES (someday...) but ES!Prowl would fuck a car.

Optimus: Who else do you think gave Megatron the STI? (/j /j... unless?) Carfucking and STI status varies wildly across continuities imo. G1? Yes and yes. IDW... depends on what point in time. I feel like its a yes to both but not at the same time. TFA would not fuck a car but he definitely has an STI. TFP! and ES! OP is a mystery to me, you guys can tell me if you have strong opinions on them. Hm. Armada OP would fuck a car.

Sideswipe: originally it WAS going to be him in the comic but as I mentioned, it got derailed. He'd absolutely give a car an STI.

Wheeljack/Trailbreaker/Hot Rod: Yeah, probably both. Maybe not at the same time though. Hot Rod was only so low on Prowls list because hes Literally Offworld but who knows what hes capable of.

Yes to carfucking, no STI: Lets see... Bumblebee, Cliffjumper (despite Prowl and Ironhide's assumption in the comic, THIS is my actual opinion lmao), I think Mirage would as well, but he'd vehemently deny it. Also *leans in close to the mic* Elita-1 would fuck a car. But she'd do it and it'd be like. Cool.

No to carfucking, yes STI: *long pause as i look into the middle distance* mmm...Smokescreen. I don't know much about TFP!Smokescreen but he can get lumped in there too. Sunstreaker as well, but more because he says he didn't fuck a car but he could be lying and you genuinely can't tell if he is. Also Brawn for some reason.

As for other characters elsewhere... Rodimus is a strong contender for giving a car an STI. So is Whirl, but I feel like he's slightly less likely to have an STI, yknow? Only slightly.

Other notable ones I think would have both but NOT at the same time: Swerve, Skids, Drift (specifically because of Rodimus because even if they don't fuck they seem like the type of friends who share drinks), I think First Aid fits in here too, and is the only medic who would have an STI that I can think of off the top of my head. Oh also Armada!Jetfire.

I also think that the Aerialbots are all contenders for this category too. Some more than others but it wouldn't matter because they all end up with an STI and it's miserable.

ALSO...

The alternate punchline to the comic, had it been set on the Lost Light, is... a meeting (in which the general consensus is that Rodimus fucked the car that mysteriously appeared on the Lost Light, AND he gave it an STI)

Then, Nightbeat bursts in with Brainstorm in tow, and he reveals that it was in fact Brainstorm's fault- NOT because he fucked the car (he's far more interested in er... lab equipment, lets say) BUT he made a gun that fucks cars, and accidentally gave the GUN a STI

ALSO SIDEBURN FROM TF:RID (2001). he would ABSOLUTELY fuck a car and give it an STI. He canonically loves red sportscars and you KNOW that mans got an STI.

[pintadorartist]

THE TRUMP-MUSK FUNDING GRAB: THE QUIET COUP

Since taking office, President Trump and Elon Musk have worked together to defund the federal government from the inside while consolidating power into the hands of a right-wing elite. Their goal is clear: gut federal agencies, strip public resources, and redirect power and money into their own hands.

Agencies Are Starved of Ability to Help People: Key federal agencies—including the Departments of Health, Education, and Transportation—have been forced into bare-bones operations, unable to implement vital programs we depend on.

FEMA and Disaster Relief Blocked: Funding for emergency relief programs is being deliberately slowed or denied, leaving communities vulnerable.

Social Security and Medicare Under Threat: Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” has gained full access to the U.S. Treasury's federal payment system, which processes Social Security, Medicare, and tax refunds. His team now has access to millions of Americans’ financial data and can manipulate payments.

DOGE is a Smokescreen for Dismantling the Federal Government: Under the guise of “efficiency,” Musk has proposed cutting $1 trillion in government spending, targeting social programs, education, healthcare, and regulatory agencies that protect consumers and workers.

At the same time, Trump and Senate Republicans are fast-tracking Russell Vought as OMB Director to oversee this attack on federal funding.

VOUGHT IS THE ARCHITECT OF PROJECT 2025

Vought wrote a chapter of Project 2025, which starts by outlining the role that OMB should play in implementing the massively unpopular playbook. If confirmed, Russell Vought will control federal spending. That means he will claim to have the power to:

Freeze funding for critical programs like Medicaid, public schools, environmental protections, and infrastructure.

Redirect federal dollars to right-wing priorities, including tax cuts for the wealthy and corporate handouts.

Defund regulatory agencies that keep corporations in check and protect workers and consumers.

THE PROCESS: HOW THE SENATE WILL PROCEED WITH THE VOUGHT CONFIRMATION VOTE

Monday: Motion to Proceed (MTP) passes, allowing debate on the nomination.

Immediately After: Republican Sen. John Thune can file cloture, starting the two legislative day clock before a cloture vote.

Wednesday: Cloture vote happens, kicking off 30 hours of debate.

Wednesday - Thursday: Senate Democrats must use the full 30 hours to expose this crisis and block the nomination at every turn.

Thursday: Final vote on Vought’s confirmation. If he is confirmed, the Trump-Musk takeover accelerates.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1.THIS LINK BY INDIVISIBLE LEADS TO A PAGE WITH RESOURCES INCLUDING POSTERS TO USE WHEN PROTESTING AND WHAT TO DEMAND FROM YOUR SENATORS

2. THIS LINK LEADS TO A CALL TOOL THAT PROVIDES A SCRIPT FOR YOU TO USE WHEN CALLING YOUR SENATOR. TELL THEM THAT WE ARE IN A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

3.Fax: use this link and send a fax to your senator

4. Read through the list of Senate leaders and call a number

5. Contact Your State Attorney General by phone and email:

Minimal script for ALL state attorneys general: We are all learning that Elon Musk, a man who can’t even get the security access he needs to enter parts of SpaceX, and a band of unaccountable teenagers and business cronies, walked into the GSA, TTS, the U.S. Treasury and the USAID offices and took whatever private information they wanted, firing any civil servant who tried to stop them. [Your Stateians] records have most likely been invaded in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974, and as he’s now embedded himself in the Treasury department computer system, payments for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other federal programs are at risk if the Trump administration decides to punish our state, [as he’s currently doing by holding fire victim funding hostage in exchange for extremist voter ID requirements.] Even the short pause from Trump’s executive order to freeze federal disbursements caused panic. We want you to sue the federal government to stop this corrupt and possibly treasonous attack on the privacy rights of our states’ citizens.

6. Contact the Secretary of the Treasury Department! – 202-622-2000

Minimal script for Secretary Scott Bessent: I’m calling to demand that you remove Musk’s access from all systems under your control, that all his equipment is confiscated, that his team is interrogated as to all actions they took under his direction, and that a computer forensics team is assigned immediately to check the system for integrity of its security systems.

More info on: https://indivisibleventura.org/2025/02/01/the-guy-nobody-trusts-with-a-full-security-clearance-now-has-access-to-all-your-private-data/

[shrimpytoons]

First post of 2025

I made little changes to Smokescreen's design aka I added freckles

Close-up:

[moonlitrogue]

.𖥔 ݁ 🪐Cosmic Slow-burn~

࣪𖤐.ᐟ read for your sun + rising sign and move one back for post-january.

𖤐.ᐟ please only take what resonates as this is an intuitive reading meant for the collective

𖤐.ᐟ all music related puns are accidental or coincidental*

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⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ a little perspective to navigate Mars Retrograde in Leo-Cancer (Dec 06, 2024 - Feb 23, 2025) ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

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✦ General Themes ✦ ego-death, family triggers, reassessing friendships, associations and attitudes towards creativity + drawing boundaries

✮⋆˙🪐 Leo - *lights out*

okay i have a lot of metaphors for this section. you had a wild night out, you come back home and you look into the mirror. WHO THE HELL IS THAT?! imagine a power cut during a live gig. *bites lips like michael scott from the office.* here’s another one, you play the same song every night and the very next gig you can’t recall the lyrics. all the notes fall flat. this crack in your superstar aura is just… a call to redefine your vibe. NO IMPULSIVE MAKEOVERS. just, redefine. your. vibe. you may have forgotten your authenticity in the rut, forgetting what you’re projecting, pushing through the room forcefully. so, here you are right now. questioning every “cool” move you’ve ever made, your every choice and the charisma you thought you had, basically your confidence is slowly waning. you now have the oppurtunity to rebuild it on your terms. more real, more genuine and more YOU.

✮⋆˙🪐 Virgo - *subconscious soundscapes*

this is the closing track - the deep introspective ballad, the fading chord as you battle your inner demons under the midnight sky. shadow work beckons you to the shadows. nightmares about past regrets may hit you. you’re being asked to revisit any past healing practices and modalities which may have helped you. it’s time to release old wounds and let in spiritual renewal. don’t mistake your loneliness to mean abandonment. you’re only becoming aware of the stale energy and narratives which are holding you up, in a private space. let them go. something lighter, clearer and more connected will settle into their place. this isn’t the final track after all, it’s the interlude to your freedom anthem.

✮⋆˙🪐 Libra - *feedback and static*

you’re in a crowded room and no one's listening, you try to sing with them, but your voice is being drowned out. the vibes are not vibing. you’re facing a noticeable shift in the groups you’re part of, your communities and goals. this slow-down offers you the space to re-evaluate your forward momentum. however, this is not the time to form new alliances. you may reconnect with old acquaintances, or causes that reignite the spark in you. and there’s always the old karaoke room for one. jam out and be in the moment.

✮⋆˙🪐 Scorpio - *headliner on hold*

the spotlight moved away just before you hit the stage. your ambition may have gotten tangled in some red tape. your promotion may be delayed. and you’re asking yourself, am I really the headliner I was promised I'd be? the opening act may not always be the main act, keep in mind that these delays are a vital pause for you. tweak your strategy, sharpen your skills. your authenticity is your spotlight, reconnect with people who have always believed in your potential. this is not the time to retreat. you're in the middle of filming your behind-the-scenes documentary on your rise. buckle down, rockstar.

✮⋆˙🪐Sagittarius - *dreams and detours*

your adventure has been delayed. but the real odyssey is figuring out what you’re running from - or toward. there’s magic in the detour. your inner landscape calls for a deep exploration. an old mentor may return with fresh insight. if you’re drained from academic pursuits, see where the connect is missing between your experience and your evolving truth. this isn’t about abandoning your pursuit (atleast, to some of you), it’s about deepening the bond and reason for your vision.

✮⋆˙🪐 Capricorn - *secrets and smokescreens*

you tried to hide some stuff in the b-sides didn’t you? well they’re going on the comeback tour i’m afraid. it’s not easy being vulnerable and confronting your fears. whatever your secret is, embrace it with honesty. this cosmic audit also shines a spot light on your shared resources. feel for the spaces in between the pain, fear or lack of trust. this isn’t destruction, dear one. it’s just the false falling apart. you will emerge wiser and more authentic.

✮⋆˙🪐 Aquarius - *duets and discord*

relationships may have hit a minor key. if you’re in a relationship, your partner may want some space. there may be some tension that forces you to renegotiate the terms of your partnership. if you’re single, some old emotional chapters may have reopened. you get a chance to work through your love related wounds and let it not feed any bad behaviors. i have no puns for this section. it’s serious folks.

✮⋆♪🪐 Pisces - *work, sweat and setlists*

what’s that smoke? oh right. you’re burning the midnight oil. but you know what happens when you inhale too much of the smoke, right? if your grind has gone glitchy, please consider slowing down. the spotlight and the applause will be waiting for you. just like it is important to tune your guitar before the next gig - figure out a sustainable routine, balance rest with work and tune your self.

✮⋆˙🪐Aries - *lovers and late-night lyrics*

creativity? has gone for a smoke break. this is the time you can revisit and refine creative projects, rewrite the script, dive back into your previous drafts instead of forcing an encore. your love life? may feel like a song stuck on the same heart-breaking line. old flames may reappear but don’t get fooled, nostalgia is a tricky muse. maybe you’ll find a new ending to that draft after all.

✮⋆˙🪐 Taurus - *the greatest hits*

not the enjoyable one, but the one of your family arguments at the dinner table. umm. this could be an emotionally volatile period for you. it’s not easy facing family related wounds and trauma. and you don’t have to! look for your safety first. take back your emotional space, be open and assertive with the things you can control. don’t be confrontative nor pay attention to triggering encounters. if it’s a safer space then express your emotions that honors both your needs and dynamics of your home life. renovate your living space, and that’s the most external action that’s required of you during this transit, indulge yourself really! if you’re taking up therapy or guidance then this is a good time to release old trauma patterns and identities that you’ve had to take up. if you feel like you’re losing connection with yourself due to family or home related priorities, look into that. create boundaries and conserve your energy on the family front.

✮⋆˙🪐 Gemini - *lost in translation*

it’s definitely not your delivery. it’s the timing. i get it, it’s frustrating as heck. you’re constantly misinterpreted. your witty remarks and comebacks miss the beat. and what’s more, any short trips or daily commute may feel bumpy. a usually smooth ride has ended up in you taking frustrating detours. add to that, some old dispute between a neighbor or your sibling flares up. this isn’t an easy time for you, dear one. remember you can always inject back clarity into these frustrating developments. since it’s not wise to resist this slow pace of things, make good use of all that time to be intentional in your communication, and be gentle with anything else that may push you towards the edge. things will fall back into place in time. this is your invitation to be more refined and go analog.

✮⋆˙🪐 Cancer - *your greens don't go with the blues*

that limited edition record you just bought, was it worth it? im not guilting you about buying things or chasing fleeting highs. we all deserve some treats to get through this life. but maybe it’s time to invest in something that pays you back. this energy refocuses your attention on your internal pursuits. how does money affect your self-worth and security? things that are valuable may not always be of value. it’s time to revisit your financial habits. and also that art/skill/relationship which had long-term emotional value and nurtured you in return. and do hold onto that vinyl. it was expensive as *heck*.

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[getvalentined]

The Big Patreon Breakdown

Okay, Patreon's Discord Q&A ended on the 16th, and I've been waiting to see if anything else happened—like maybe a a public announcement from Patreon instead of emails sent exclusively to creators and a video hidden on the CEO's personal YT page—but nothing has happened, so I'm gonna do a breakdown of what we're looking at.

This is an EXTREMELY long post. I am not putting it behind a cut. I'm not sorry.

Short attention span version here.

—

I. The iOS processing fees are a smokescreen covering up the actual devastating changes that Patreon is forcing creators into.

The iOS fees are trash, 30 percent is extortion and we all know it—but that's not the biggest issue at hand here. Patreon is using this event as an excuse to change the entire structure of the creator side of their platform, and blaming Apple to avoid getting backlash.

They tripled their platform and processing fees in 2017, passing it on to patrons without notice, and the subsequent hemorrhage of paying users forced them to walk it back. They tried to force everyone onto their rolling billing model in 2021, and the entire community pushed back so hard they were forced again to walk it back.

This time, they're doing both and insisting it's Apple's fault, and everyone is taking that at face value because Apple sucks. And Apple does suck, but Patreon is getting what they've wanted for years by catering to Apple.

Oh, also, they're forcing creators to notify their patrons of the billing model changes (with a suggested template that explicitly refers to it as a decision made by the creator, even though nobody is making any decisions here except Jack Conte) rather than doing it themselves.

II. Patreon is not going to change course for any reason. This is set in stone.

There are multiple proofs for this, including but not limited to:

One-on-one calls between the platform's top earners and the CEO, Jack Conte, wherein the vibe was apparently not "What can we do to support your business in order to retain your place on our platform?" but rather "We know that the only way this works is if we don't do it, but how can we keep you from complaining about it any more than you already have?" One creator explained in granular detail how they run their business through this platform and why changing their billing model would ruin literally everything, and Conte responded with "Is this an essential part of your offering?"

The Patreon Team on Discord has continued to shut down all discussion of alternative options with assertions that Apple won't allow it, even if those alternatives were suggested based on legal precedent set by lawsuits against Apple, and the declaration that they will not be allowing the app to be removed from the App Store no matter what because it's the single most important and integral avenue of creator growth on the platform. (Put a pin in that.)

The platform's top earner is on the pay-per-creation billing model, the one that is going to be hit the hardest; creators on this model stand to lose literally 90 percent of their income overnight. This creator and his team were as blindsided as the rest of us, and they've been offered no assistance except for a complex math equation to try to calculate how much they should be charging people on fixed-price tiers, and no assurance except "the iOS app is the platform's highest source of engagement and is necessary to help you continue to grow."

Pay-upfront (PUF) and pay-per-creation (PPC) billing is going away for new accounts and anyone who doesn't opt out via Patreon's convoluted backend before November 1 of this year, and anyone who doesn't manually switch over to their rolling billing cycle will be automatically pushed into it on November 1, 2025. This means that PUF creators no longer have the promise of a steady paycheck when they need it, early enough in the month to pay rent and bills, while PPC creators are losing their entire business model all at once, which has resulted in a loss of 75 to 90 percent of income for multiple PPC creators who have tried to switch to the rolling billing structure in the past. They are killing these people's livelihoods and they know it, they have seen the data to prove it, but they will not be swayed.

III. Patreon claims the iOS app is the highest source of engagement on the platform at 40 percent—but will not define what "engagement" means, and staff refuse to share detailed analytics or data on the revenue share coming from the app.

Several creators, some with a couple dozen patrons and some with thousands, polled their audience to get a feel for how many of them used the app. Consistently across every creative industry, genre, and form of media, the answer was 2 percent or less. The average across a dozen-plus polls of actual active patrons, numbering into the thousands, is that around 85 percent of patrons access the platform exclusively via the web, whether on desktop or mobile. The majority didn't even know there was an app.

Further, Patreon would not explain what "engagement" means, but did not deny the possibility that dismissing an app notification on your phone counts as an "engagement."

When Patreon was asked for data on how often people pledged to support a creator via the iOS app, the only response was the claim that information is "sensitive to [Patreon's] business" and can't be shared. In a creator-exclusive server. With the people who bring that revenue onto the platform in the first place. And have our own analytics that we can look at individually, which show an average of 0 to 0.5 percent revenue from the iOS app.

IV. Patreon does not have a refund policy in place to work with Apple, and has given no implications of intention to work with Apple to shorten the time it takes for funds from iOS purchases to be paid out to creators, which is currently 75 days.

Yes, you read that correctly: at the moment, it takes 75 days before creators can cash out funds processed via iOS. On top of that, Apple's refund policy is 60 days, and the creator is not involved in the process whatsoever—if a malicious actor pledges to your page, downloads all your work over the course of a month, and then pings Apple for a refund? Apple gets to decide whether or not they get that refund.

Patreon's general refund policy is that it's up to the creator 99.9 percent of the time, with very rare cases of fraud requiring Patreon's intervention. In the case of pledges and Commerce sales via iOS, the creator has no say, and Patreon currently has no policy to protect them. They've stated that they're working on a refund policy that will work with Apple's guidelines to keep everyone happy, but at this point we all know what that means—they're just going to use Apple's refund policy.

They also wouldn't say whether or not creators would be on the hook for Apple's added processing fees, as is usually the case with other big payment processors, but it sounds like we are! So if someone pays $14.50 on the iOS app, the creator gets $10, can't pay it out, and then the malicious actor can call for a refund weeks later and the creator will owe $14.50—in spite of only ever having seen $10 and never being able to pay it out because the 75 hold hadn't passed. Sounds great!

V. Patreon's own graphics meant to explain why this is necessary and how the new fees work are not correct.

I'm gonna let these mostly speak for themselves:

The sale price listed on this graphic is $10, but adding together the three fees listed gives a total of $11.35. This is likely a copying error, as 4.35 is clearly not 30% of 10, but the lack of attention to detail on one of the only two pieces of official material that we have which refer directly to the numbers on which Patreon is signing away our livelihoods is slightly concerning.

This one totals up to 103 percent! (Actually closer to 104, since I rounded Android and Mobile down by about a quarter percent each.) The 40 percent figure on the iOS bar is based on the figure given to us by Patreon staff, and was used to place the markers to denote individual percentages on the other three.

Patreon made these and gave them to us with the assertion that they were proof that the iOS app is indispensable—why should we trust anything they say about numbers if the charts they gave us are literally impossible?

VI. Patreon refuses to offer any promises to 18+ creators that they will not be removed from the app in order to adhere to Apple's content guidelines.

Instead, Patreon staff's response to this request for reassurance is "We have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the Patreon app." You may note that's phrased very specifically, and leaves a hole big enough to drive a freight train full of iPhones straight through. They have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the app. When asked for clarification on this, confirmation that they would not be removing us from the platform if Apple pushed them to do so regardless of whether or not they have plans, this sentiment was simply repeated in more words and with more apologies, along with a reminder that Patreon has had to change their terms for 18+ creators several times already in order to keep up with laws and competition.

VII. All the features Patreon is insisting are integral for creator growth are inaccessible to 18+ creators, and questions about this were either dismissed, redirected, or ignored.

Remember how the iOS app is the single most important and integral avenue for character growth on the platform? Well, 18+ creators are not discoverable on the platform, regardless of the avenue of access. We are not visible on the app unless you have it installed, are logged in, are already following us on the platform, and click an external link to be directed to our pages from somewhere else via a mobile web browser. There is no way to find us on the platform itself.

Other features that staff insist are necessary for growth to which 18+ creators do not have access:

Patreon creator search (on web, Android and iOS apps)

Mass post editing (now called the "Library," which reads as "Something Went Wrong" for me and other 18+ creators who tried to get to it)

On-platform video hosting

Built-in cross-creator recommendations

All on-platform "commerce" features (both digital and physical goods)

The ability to market ourselves by linking to Patreon from our social media and vice-versa (we're basically not allowed to do this or risk being banned)

Yeah, about that first and that last point. We're hidden from searches on the platform, and we can't link to our pages from social media or risk permanent suspension. We cannot grow in this fashion at all, and in fact 18+ creators are getting all the downsides of this switch (except maybe for the app fee, since you can't fucking find us to pledge on the app) with none of the benefits. Nothing they are doing here will help us grow, because they've kneecapped us already. Now they're going after our capacity to obtain a steady paycheck at the beginning of the month, too.

VIII. Patreon's iOS app is currently (as of August 18, 2024) in violation of Apple's guidelines for app ratings; staff did not state any intention to become compliant by raising the app's rating as needed to maintain their 18+ creator community.

The App Store guidelines on creator apps state that they must be rated equal to the highest rated creator content on their platform. In spite of hosting 18+ content, which requires a 17+ rating per Apple, Patreon is rated 12+ in the App Store. Increasing the rating to 17+ would cut out the entire market of wealthy teenagers with iPhones, and since everything else being done here is intended to please Apple, it's unlikely this will be the point that Patreon finally gives an inch for its creators. The exact response from staff on this was "We hear and acknowledge your inputs on the app rating and are exploring our options there." Their "options" on this are to increase the rating, or to remove all 18+ content from the platform. That's it. Those are their options. Why do those need exploring, if they really give a shit about the 18+ community?

I know a lot of people out there are going to say that it would be nice if Patreon would "get rid of the porn," but you need to understand something: 18+ content is not all sexual.

18+ content can and does also include:

Horror (particularly body horror, which is explicitly or implicitly banned on all current adult-specific creator platforms, leaving me nowhere to go when Patreon kicks me)

True crime (murder, violence, theft, etc., is all 18+)

Health (blood/discussion of blood is 18+ regardless of context)

Education (what if you learn about war? that's 18+)

Trauma recovery (the word "r#pe" makes everything around it 18+)

Profanity (ko-fi marks creators 18+ for saying "fuck")

Languages (because you might learn profanity)

Weaponsmithing (because weapons are dangerous)

Leatherworking (because leather can be a fetish)

Shoemaking (feet can also be a fetish)

...even more I'm not bothering to list here.

Implying that they somehow didn't know about this extremely important part of the guidelines—which are being used as an excuse to force the top earner on the platform to ruin his entire business model—is absolute nonsense. Patreon knows about this requirement, they haven't taken any steps to comply based on their current creator population, and I will be shocked if they do. Much easier to just kick us all off, since we can barely use the damn platform as it is.

—

The entire thing makes no sense. Patreon is losing out on so much money by doing this—they're crippling all their highest-earning creators to keep the iOS app running, and it's going to hurt everyone except for Apple. The only reason I can think that they would refuse to budge on this is that there's something else going on behind the scenes between Patreon and Apple. That, or the company is intentionally throwing itself into an extremely drawn out death spiral. But we all know which of those is the more likely scenario here.

[veesevents]

Smokescreen: Staticmoth Valentine's Week 2025 (3+1 Things!)

A Staticmoth week from Feb 9th to Feb 15th! #smokescreen2025

v^√√v^──√v^√v^──√v^√√v^── v^√√v^──√v^√v^──√v^√√v^──

Smokescreen Prompts

Feb 9 (Sun)

- 3 times Vox was Val's hero and the one time Vox needed saving

- 3 times Val taught Vox something and the one time Vox taught Val

- Reach

Feb 10 (Mon)

- 3 times Vox wanted to tell Val he loved him and the one time he finally did

- 3 times Val thought Vox had a crush on him and the one time he knew

- Secret

Feb 11 (Tues)

- 3 times Val cheered Vox up and one time he couldn't

- 3 times Vox isolated himself and one time Val wouldn't let him

- Introspection

Feb 12 (Wed)

- 3 times Vox called Val beautiful and the one time Val called Vox beautiful

- 3 times Val wanted to propose to Vox and the one time he did

- Sweet

Feb 13 (Thurs)

- 3 times Vox saw Val cry/laugh and the one time he saw Val laugh/cry

- 3 times Val uses pet names and the one time Vox does

- Heart

Feb 14 (Fri)

- 3 places where they kissed and one where they did more than that

- 3 places where they wake up together and one place where they stay up all night

- Right On Time

Feb 15 (Sat)

- Free Day

v^√√v^──√v^√v^──√v^√√v^── v^√√v^──√v^√v^──√v^√√v^──

Rules:

This is an 18+ event! You can create nice fluff or hardcore porn. I'm not your dad.

Remember to add any necessary warnings.

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FAQ:

You can swap the names around as you see fit! If you prefer "three times Vox cheered Val up and one time he couldn't", that works perfectly!

You can create anything you want! Fanfic, fanart, fanvids, gifs, music, whatever! The only limitation is no AI-generated content.

When/If posting on Tumblr, you can at this blog to be reblogged! If on Bluesky, you can do the same!

You don't have to post on the day. Or even during the month! Any time you create for any challenge is fantastic.

[terribleadventuresdotcom]

Getting this out now while it's still fresh. Sources are my own. Apologies for acronyms or unexplained terms. I am extremely tired and sad and my good friend Wikipedia has offered to water my plants while I go on vacation to A Dark Room With A Laptop And Disco Elysium.

On US spending cuts: Speaker of the House is making the rounds to various House tables, asking "How much do you think you can get?" This has no precedent in modern times, as Reps would typically get a number from leadership/committee mechanics—and there would be compromise mechanics in play, at least in some cases. Not so currently.

Also, there is almost 100% unification across the GOP board on essentially every topic and approach. There is no dissent—yet. Cracks may start to show down the road, but will that potential shift have any real impact?

Congress has 2 years of GOP control and will set the US budget for 2025, 2026, and 2027.

DOGE will cause material harm but is largely a smokescreen compared to the actual machinations inside.

In the crosshairs: Social Services Block Grant, SNAP, TANF, Head Start. What I mean here is that these categories are different from potential cuts to Medicare/Medicaid/etc: the items listed above are being targeted for total elimination. Additionally, rumors are circulating as to the possibility of redirecting certain grant dollars into school choice vouchers.

What you probably already know regarding federal departments: Dept of Education and Dept of Labor are also in the crosshairs. I won't re-tread this ground here. On that same note, DEI initiatives, committees, and sub-departments are being immediately and totally eliminated.

Orders are also being given that contradict the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yes, civil rights have been violated daily in the US before and after 1964, but there is no precedent in the last 60 years with regards to the Executive Branch launching a direct assault on the Civil Rights Act.

Finally, as much as it pains me to share this part...

...I'm pausing here because there's a flurry of attacks being launched, some substantial, some not, and it all becomes so much static after awhile. If you're reading this, please understand how critical this last part is.

The DOD and DHS have until April 17th to report back to POTUS on the viability of invoking the Insurrection Act, with all associated efforts being directed to USNORTHCOM.

This ties directly into the incredibly hard push for new DOD, CIA, and FBI leadership. If you've been wondering why they want *specifically those people in charge*, the possibility of Insurrection Act activation is partly why. And for your final kick in the pants, the Pentagon has been directed to dissolve the Civilian Protection Center.

This also dovetails with the ICE surge, and with future anti-environmental and energy plans (e.g. raids, protests, Standing Rock, etc).

Don't get distracted. Be there for each other.

Be tactical.

End transmission.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ahmed Baba:

We’re only a few days into President Trump’s second term, and so far, he has behaved exactly as many of us warned. Trump has taken multiple executive actions straight out of the Project 2025 playbook, as predicted. From Trump’s immigration orders, his reinstatement of Schedule F to make firing civil servants easier, his executive order targeting trans rights, and his environmental regulation rollbacks, Trump is proving that those who were deemed “alarmists” for calling out the fact Trump’s Agenda 47 aligns directly with Project 2025 are actually realists. There’s one policy area in particular where President Trump’s executive orders echo Project 2025 almost verbatim, and that’s Trump’s targeting of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. But, as we’ve seen, Trump isn’t simply targeting DEI. He’s targeting civil rights. Just as anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) efforts became a catch-all method to target the teaching of civil rights education more broadly, anti-DEI efforts have become a smokescreen to target fundamental civil rights era anti-discrimination policies. DEI is mentioned at least 39 times in the 920-page Project 2025 policy playbook. Project 2025 explicitly calls for the elimination of all federal DEI programs and calls for the prosecution of “local governments, institutions of higher education, corporations, and any other private employers” who implement DEI policies. It mentions this all under the guise of targeting discrimination, which they falsely equate with DEI.

This week, President Trump signed executive orders that seek to accomplish much of what Project 2025 laid out, and he uses the same anti-discrimination pretenses. After ending all federal DEI initiatives on Monday, in a Tuesday executive order, President Trump revoked a foundational anti-discrimination executive order from the civil rights era. Trump’s order, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” doesn’t end illegal discrimination or promote merit-based opportunity. It permits it. Trump’s executive order terminates all DEI practices in the federal government and revokes decades of executive orders from the Clinton and Obama administrations. It goes even further. Trump rolled back the “Equal Employment Opportunity Executive Order 11246” of September 24, 1965, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ).

This LBJ executive order enforced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and prohibited federal contractors from discriminating “against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.” It also called for contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.” That concept of “affirmative action” became a focal point of decades of right-wing opposition. LBJ’s executive order has been the government’s key anti-discrimination enforcement mechanism for federal contractors for 60 years, opening up opportunities for people of color and women who were eager to work for these companies. But this change didn’t come without pushback. The Heritage Foundation, which now leads Project 2025, published a 1985 report entitled “Revising Executive Order 11246: Fulfilling the Promise of Affirmative Action.” President Ronald Reagan wanted to fulfill the Heritage Foundation’s wishes to roll back this executive order but faced pushback. Now, Trump has finally done it.

Donald Trump’s push to end DEI and affirmative action is part of the satanic Project 2025/Agenda 47 agenda.

[smokescreenstuff]

That smokescreen tf one au sounds very neat! Could I write a fanfic using your idea? (With credit to you of course)

You know what, sure. This wasn't one that I was actually going to write like I've done with others, so you can go ahead. Just, as you said, make sure to credit me. And please, send me the link. I'd love to read it myself. (Don't forget a spoiler warning if you make it before 2025 rolls around.)

You may also DM me with any questions or ideas help.

[hcfiles]

OK. Do I believe this shenanigan was orchestrated as a vendetta, by someone who had a thing against Henry Cavill? Yes!!! There is no doubt about it! Natalie Viscuso was carefully selected for this PR, ' cause of her promiscuous past and reputation.

She thought she would have some fun being the fake girlfriend of a famous, gorgeous actor. That would be her dream-come-true: praised to be seen as the chosen of a man like Henry. But, what she didn't realize was that she was actually, being used as a pawn. And the way his PR team dealt with this, proves I'm right. But, does it justify the strategies used? No way!!!

Here's how I see. He had spoken about a Highlander training and, after announcing it, the training was over and there was nothing from him about Highlander, but WH (which can be a smokescreen from the beginning). He also spoke about being against unnecessary sex scenes in movies. So, what if Highlander production wanted some torrid sex scenes he denied doing?

The ones in charge might have been pissed with his refusal and it wouldn't surprise me if, in 2025, the production announced a different actor for the role. Even if Highlander is not the reason, it's clear the unidentified intention.

He no longer, talks about Highlander nor its training. And based on prior experiences with announcements, which later, were denied (Superman), it wouldn't surprise me if they choose some other actor for the role.

And, pissed to have to change plans, someone decided to give him a lesson, also by promoting articles and IG pages spreading rumours and tea that were jeopardizing. That led to a fan base rupture and fans reacted. Damage control was more than necessary. It was urgent!

I don't think he's wrong in avoiding and denying doing what he feels uncomfortable with. But, that's how the Industry is, full of dictators, and somebody got pissed and used Natalie Viscuso as a tool.

She thought she would be praised, when actually, whoever chose her didn't care to throw her to the lions for this vendetta. She was also made a fool, for believing she could finally be respected.

To avoid shame and to avoid admitting both were made a fool, his team convinces her to help them and decides for the circus, an immoral damage control fighting against a (secret to his fans) enemy. But, the problem is they were amateur, not professional and were moved by emotion, not thinking straight and making one mistake after the other.

[yesterdayiwrote]

just a reminder that whenever they say Max or Kimi for Mercedes, it is always using the word "or" and never "and" meaning they will main George as the main driver till his contract expires. Also personally i feel like Toto wanting Max suddenly seems like a PR distraction at this point lol, same goes with Kimi Ant, cause like if you really want both of them then you wouldn't be this "showy" to the public about it yk; like for example how he shut down the Sainz for Merc that quick.

but yeah atp the Max or Kimi for Merc is probably just PR distractions/smokescreen atp

I think the intention has always been Max OR Kimi for 2025. The question very much becomes what happens in 2026 if the other comes available. That's more where the concern for George getting pushed out comes from. He still only has a contract for next year, despite all his peers getting locked down by their teams long term. If they sign Kimi this year then Max does become available for 26... its very hard to read what Toto's going to do.

[nightshade86]

That's not far off the mark from his usual MO. I recall last time he was the president, the mainstream media were complaining about him playing golf after an American Embassy was attacked, and while that was going on he sent in a team to take out the attackers HQ. That is what he does. He uses the media as a smoke screen to keep the attention on himself while other things are done in the background. At this point, I am about 20% sure that project 2025 might also be a smokescreen for something else, I just don't know what.

Project 2025 ain't gonna roll out all at once. So what we're gonna wanna do is make passing each individual part of it as difficult as possible, so there's less to undo once we finally get this country back on the rails.

[alexthegamingboy]

Toonami Weekly Recap 02/01/2025

Mashle: Magic and Muscles (Magia Lupus Arc) EP#10 - Mash Burnedead and the Divine Visionary: An Adler dorm prefect follows directions on a note and finds the concealed door. Love, an emotionally unstable Tornado magic user, decides to kill Dot from jealousy when he claims to be engaged to Lemon. Dot creates a smokescreen to try steal her wand but is trapped inside a tornado. Love reveals Milo set a trap on the concealed door; unless they defeat Milo in 30 minutes Mash will turn to stone. Dot remembers his sister telling him it's ok to fight back, especially to protect a friend. He breaks free of the tornado, revealing under his headband is the warding cross Ira Kreuz, meaning he has the innate ability to increase his magic power based on his emotional state. Love is so scared of his raging power she surrenders. Milo, a Stone magic prodigy, is instantly defeated by the Adler prefect, Divine Visionary Rayne Ames, a Sword magic user and Finn's older brother. Love escapes while Rayne encounters Mash and realises he is the student Wahlberg told him he could trust. He too warns Mash about Abel but also informs him if he defeats Abel and wins all his stolen coins Mash will instantly be a candidate to be the newest Divine Visionary. Rayne continues with his own mission while Mash finally reaches Abel.

Blue Exorcist (Exorcist Candidate Live Combat Arc) EP#11 - Demon of the Deep Seas: Rin, Izumo and Renzo are sent for their first mission as Esquires to a coastal town, where they meet a boy named Yohei. The town has been afflicted by a kraken. Yohei reveals that his father set out to face the kraken six months before and is still missing. Yohei believes that it killed his father. When the kraken appears, Yohei attacks it but is saved by Rin. Yohei's father then appears, still alive, and explains that the kraken is a good demon.

Naruto (Land of Waves Arc) EP#04 - Pass or Fail: Survival Test: As their classmates gradually all meet up with their Jonin instructors who will decide whether they are fit to become Genin, Team 7 are forced to wait for theirs. Eventually, after Naruto sets up a juvenile trap, he and his group meet their instructor: Kakashi Hatake. Appearing to be a slacker, Kakashi takes the day to let his students each introduce themselves and tell each other their desires and aims: Naruto states that his dream is to become Hokage, Sakura seems too embarrassed by hers to say them publicly, and Sasuke declares his intent to restore his clan by killing an unnamed person. With the introductions over, Kakashi tells Team 7 that their test will begin tomorrow and that they are not to eat before then. The next day, after forcing Team 7 to wait for him again, Kakashi explains that the test entails the seizure of one of two bells from his person, the catch being that only two of the prospective Genin will pass while third is sent back to the Academy. While Sasuke and Sakura hide themselves away as the test begins, Naruto attempts to face Kakashi head-on with his Shadow Clones Technique, which is easily countered, and then falls for a snare trap. Taking advantage of Kakashi lecturing Naruto about falling for obvious traps, Sasuke seemingly takes out the instructor with shuriken and kunai knives.

[rjnello]

The End Is Closer Than We Think

I was not going to post today, but under the circumstances I felt I had to write this. It is meant for non-Americans in particular. We know you are seeing what looks like “chaos” in the U.S. since January 20, 2025, that so much seems to be happening that it all seems so confusing and hard to piece together. That is exactly what Trump and his flunkies are trying to create: a smokescreen of…

[beginagain--]

Sweedish Hard Rockers Blister Brigade Release New Single, 'Smokescreen'

Swedish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal quartet Blister Brigade are set to release their fourth studio album ‘A Rioting New Breed’ on April 25th 2025 via Inverse Records. Until then, the band have dropped the second single ‘Smokescreen’ from the forthcoming album. The band comments:“Full speed, no remorse. This track is representative to when Blister Brigade goes unhinged and full ”pedal to the metal”.…