#File and Removable Media Protection

[so-i-did-this-thing]

im sorry this might not be the place to ask for advice/help but im doomscrolling about the news and the soon to be president and im seeing so much to be scared shitless about, invasions, removal of vaccines, cost of living increases, revoking of trans rights and how it might make it all the more impossible to get the surgeries i wanted... its just too fucking scary to breathe right now what do i do with myself

Hey, Anon. I'm here. A lot of us are here right with you.

It's scary, to be sure. And I'm not going to sugarcoat the possibilities of things going south very quickly. So, let's jump into some survival tactics.

This post on burnout is a great place to start. There is a lot of overlap with burnout and the anxiety you're feeling.

Allow yourself to slow down and unplug. You are allowed to step away from the news cycle -- events out of your control will unfold regardless.

Don't feel guilty by letting yourself relax. I find it especially helpful to do activities that don't involve the internet -- I've been decorating my house, mending broken crockery, and sketching some embroidery ideas. I try to take the time to get dressed and groomed every day, to remind myself that I matter. I spend more time outdoors.

As you find the ability to relax, you'll be able to focus better on the things you can do to be resilient. Things I have been doing to improve myself and make me a better helper:

Staying on top of my medical appointments and any preventive care I can do

Working to be physically healthier overall to mitigate future medical issues

Getting all my paperwork in order, including passports

Tweaking my financial budget

Researching what estate & family documentation needs to be done to protect my relationship in case my marriage gets dissolved

Brushing up on job skills, getting new certifications to stay competitively employable

Stocking up on my medical and general emergency supplies, especially for bad weather events

Getting in the habit of mindful purchases, curbing my habit of impulse shopping

Selling things I don't want or need anymore to have a little extra money and be able to move house easier, if need be

Building a habit of fixing/maintaining my possessions instead of trashing broken things

Canceling online subscriptions and quitting social networks that make me feel in danger

Getting my personal and any queer-related files out of the cloud and onto redundant solid state drives

Downloading / printing out queer resources and buying queer art that may be banned or monitored in the future

Enjoying physical media again and hunting for old favorites

Keeping in touch with queer friends and allies and making plans in case people (even myself) need to flee

Being visible when I can and knowing when it's best to lay low

Allowing myself the luxury to dig into things Old Me would have saved for "special" events -- aka, wearing the nice clothes and eating off the fine china as an everyday thing

Shutting the fuck up, especially online, when I think my words could be used against me

In a way, I am trying to simply become a better version of myself, one who is calm & self-sufficient, mindful about his actions, and available to help those in need. It sucks that the driving factor is fear, but I intend to use that fear as a catalyst to be stronger and survive.

There is a lot to be done, but there was always going to be work, new regime or not. But please, start with that burnout article so you can jump into your own plans with new hope and energy. ❤️

[f1ghtsoftly]

All The Women’s News You Missed This Week

3/10/25-3/17/25

Furious protests erupt in Bangladesh after an 8-year-old girl succumbs to injuries she sustained after being brutally raped. Indian health workers strike for better working conditions. The Queen sends a letter of support to Giselle Pelicot. The Supreme Court will take up conversion therapy bans in a Colorado case and in Kentucky state lawmakers have voted to protect the practice. Ukranian women’s organizations struggle without US funding.

In a piece of good news, Fatou Baldeh, a campaigner against the practice of FGM, has been named Time’s Woman Of The Year.

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Opinion and Investigative:

As the US backslides, can China claim moral high ground on women’s rights?

Why US abortion restrictions matter beyond borders

Serbia’s Femicide Record Undermines Claims of Progress on Women’s Rights

The GOP’s Next Target? No-Fault Divorce and Women’s Right to Leave

Lorraine Kelly: Diversity push is leaving working-class people behind

Women, girls bear brunt of cyberbullying against persons with disabilities

“IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD”: ENDOMETRIOSIS PATIENTS AND THE PROMISE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

LGBT:

Supreme Court will take up state bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children, in a Colorado case

Angry response to how transgender lawmaker Sarah McBride introduced

A new anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Hungary would ban Pride event and allow use of facial recognition software

North Dakota Senate rejects resolution asking US Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage ruling

Kentucky GOP lawmakers vote to protect conversion therapy

Women’s Rights:

Iran: Authorities target women’s rights activists with arbitrary arrest, flogging and death penalty

Louisiana woman pleads not guilty to a felony in historic abortion case

Risks of state abortion reporting mandates outweigh the benefits, an advocacy group says

Iran using drones and apps to enforce women's dress code

Kentucky lawmakers add specific medical exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban

Driving ban puts brakes on young women in Turkmenistan

Ukrainian women’s rights organisations struggle as US aid suspended

Male Violence:

Search for US student in Dominican Republic intensifies

Things to know about the former megachurch pastor charged with child sexual abuse

Airman charged in killing of Native American woman who went missing 7 months ago in South Dakota

UN experts accuse Israel of sexual violence and 'genocidal acts' in Gaza

'He strangled me without asking' - experts say choking during sex now normal for many

Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty to updated indictment

Disabled author swamped by hate speech after social media post on feminism

Women Fight Back:

Haitian women commemorate International Women’s Day spotlighting broken justice system

How Iran's 'Woman, Life, Freedom' Protests Live On Today

FGM campaigner honoured with Time magazine title

Teacher ordered to remove signs from classroom, including one saying 'Everyone is welcome here'

Mother of woman who died after Georgia’s six-week abortion ban calls for law’s repeal

Women Radio amplifies African feminist voices

Texas midwife accused by state’s attorney general of providing illegal abortions

BBC presenters settle sex and age discrimination dispute

Queen sent letter of support to Gisèle Pelicot

Yasmeen Lari rejects Israel's Wolf Prize over "continuing genocide in Gaza"

Fierce protests as eight-year-old rape victim dies in Bangladesh

India's frontline health workers fight for better pay and recognition

US arrests second pro-Palestinian Columbia University protester

Women in the News:

Democrat Rebecca Cooke to again challenge US Rep. Derrick Van Orden

Brown Medicine professor and doctor deported to Lebanon despite having valid visa, court filings claim

Woman arrested in US for allegedly holding stepson captive for 20 years

WATCH: Woman trapped in car films as tornado hits Central Florida

'For holding a wombat, thousands threatened my life'

Judge says Fani Willis violated open records law, orders her to pay $54K in attorneys’ fees

Feel Good Stories and Feminist History:

The forgotten story of the woman who invented the dishwasher

The Mexican women who defied drug-dealers, fly-tippers and chauvinists to build a thriving business

Early members of Philly’s roller derby league face off in a match circa 2005-2006. Jeff Fusco/The Conversation U.S., CC BY-ND Philly Roller Derby league turns 20 - here’s how the sport skated its way to feminism, anti-racism and queer liberation

'We couldn't get jobs in sexist garages - so we set up our own'

5 Major Historical Movements Led By Women In Rajasthan

Arts and Culture:

‘Just be radical’: the feminist artist giving Matisse a modern punk twist

The film exploring loneliness of migrant workers

'Santosh' review: Feminist police drama confronts harsh truths

Shabana Azmi On Feminism And Her Powerful Role In ‘Dabba Cartel’

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I want my books to be read in Africa

Cannes award-winning actress Dequenne dies at 43

Legendary Russian composer Gubaidulina dies in Germany

Book Review: Patrycja Humienik’s powerful debut poetry collection is a conundrum worth mulling over

13 Nonfiction Books to Read This Women’s History Month

As always, this is global and domestic news from a US perspective, covering feminist issues and women in the news more generally. As of right now, I do not cover Women’s Sports. Published each Monday.

[woollyrhinocrafts]

Let's Talk About Gearbox

I mean Gearbox Software, the development company behind the Borderlands video games, which have been some of my favorites for their unhinged tomfoolery and general ridiculousness, but then also profoundly deep moments for stark contrast, of course. 

You may be familiar with my crochet Claptrap pattern. See it. It's extremely detailed. Not for the faint of heart. It is so much assembly. So many parts. Takes so long.

The pattern has been around for a while (since 2012, I think). I've made a lot of improvements over the years and recently added videos to help with the buckwild assembly. It was even featured on some official Borderlands social media back in the day. Back in the day when Gearbox was cool with fans making stuff.

What do you mean, Michelle? You might be wondering.

Well, well, well. I got a nice lil cease and desist notice from Gearbox the other day and the pattern was removed from Etsy and Ravelry. Shit happens. And they have the "legal" right to do this. It is, in fact, their IP and whatever. 

The amount of money I've made from selling the pattern for over a decade is a drop of water in the ocean of a million dollar company, so I think cease and desists from million dollar companies to individuals like myself is really fucking stupid, but it normally doesn't bother me. It does not impact my feelings toward a company at all. I normally give it a lol, make the patterns free so no one makes money, and add whatever company to the list of million dollar companies that I have butthurt with my patterns. Again, getting a lil CnD normally doesn't bother me AT ALL, but getting one from Gearbox does, obviously, or I wouldn't be bitching about it.

Let me rant for a moment: I've only ever actually made three of these. I do not make them custom because they take like 50 hours to make. It is not as if I am mass producing Claptrap plushies in a Chinese sweatshop for pennies on the dollar and marking them up for a 300% profit. I am in no way genuinely interfering with their own official merchandise. 

My first problem is thus: it represents a change that I did not want to see in their mentality toward their fans. 

What's more...I looked into the report, which was filed by someone with the super made-up sounding title "Customer Protection Specialist." What customers are they protecting? I am a customer. I have been a loyal customer. I have purchased official Borderlands merch. I have essentially done free promotion for their games. But I daresay, they do not offer a crocheted Claptrap nor a crochet pattern for one, so I was filling a void and making a negligible profit compared to the profits they make. 

It has been proven time and time again that people who buy fanart and fan-made stuff STILL BUY OFFICIAL STUFF. I am not TAKING AWAY their money. I am not claiming I conceived of the character. I praised the games in the pattern and the listing.

But I digress and here is the real issue: the "Customer Protection Specialist" actually seemed to be contracted from an AI company that Gearbox has outsourced to. I will not name the AI company nor link to it because I do not want to help their SEO in any way. The AI company's sole purpose is to find "infringement" so companies can "protect" their IP. This is cool if someone has perhaps stolen, you know, your logo or your slogan or something, but to use it for fanworks...to go after fanart...to go after someone who is a supporter of your IP...

Gross.

Just fucking gross. 

Another way AI is killing art.

And guess what, my wallet is now non-buynary. They've lost a customer they were trying to "protect." Borderlands 4 can fuck right off, and if you give a shit about fanart, well...I'm not going to tell you what to do, but hopefully you get the idea.

[smellslikebot]

"how do I keep my art from being scraped for AI from now on?"

if you post images online, there's no 100% guaranteed way to prevent this, and you can probably assume that there's no need to remove/edit existing content. you might contest this as a matter of data privacy and workers' rights, but you might also be looking for smaller, more immediate actions to take.

...so I made this list! I can't vouch for the effectiveness of all of these, but I wanted to compile as many options as possible so you can decide what's best for you.

Discouraging data scraping and "opting out"

robots.txt - This is a file placed in a website's home directory to "ask" web crawlers not to access certain parts of a site. If you have your own website, you can edit this yourself, or you can check which crawlers a site disallows by adding /robots.txt at the end of the URL. This article has instructions for blocking some bots that scrape data for AI.

HTML metadata - DeviantArt (i know) has proposed the "noai" and "noimageai" meta tags for opting images out of machine learning datasets, while Mojeek proposed "noml". To use all three, you'd put the following in your webpages' headers:

<meta name="robots" content="noai, noimageai, noml">

Have I Been Trained? - A tool by Spawning to search for images in the LAION-5B and LAION-400M datasets and opt your images and web domain out of future model training. Spawning claims that Stability AI and Hugging Face have agreed to respect these opt-outs. Try searching for usernames!

Kudurru - A tool by Spawning (currently a Wordpress plugin) in closed beta that purportedly blocks/redirects AI scrapers from your website. I don't know much about how this one works.

ai.txt - Similar to robots.txt. A new type of permissions file for AI training proposed by Spawning.

ArtShield Watermarker - Web-based tool to add Stable Diffusion's "invisible watermark" to images, which may cause an image to be recognized as AI-generated and excluded from data scraping and/or model training. Source available on GitHub. Doesn't seem to have updated/posted on social media since last year.

Image processing... things

these are popular now, but there seems to be some confusion regarding the goal of these tools; these aren't meant to "kill" AI art, and they won't affect existing models. they won't magically guarantee full protection, so you probably shouldn't loudly announce that you're using them to try to bait AI users into responding

Glaze - UChicago's tool to add "adversarial noise" to art to disrupt style mimicry. Devs recommend glazing pictures last. Runs on Windows and Mac (Nvidia GPU required)

WebGlaze - Free browser-based Glaze service for those who can't run Glaze locally. Request an invite by following their instructions.

Mist - Another adversarial noise tool, by Psyker Group. Runs on Windows and Linux (Nvidia GPU required) or on web with a Google Colab Notebook.

Nightshade - UChicago's tool to distort AI's recognition of features and "poison" datasets, with the goal of making it inconvenient to use images scraped without consent. The guide recommends that you do not disclose whether your art is nightshaded. Nightshade chooses a tag that's relevant to your image. You should use this word in the image's caption/alt text when you post the image online. This means the alt text will accurately describe what's in the image-- there is no reason to ever write false/mismatched alt text!!! Runs on Windows and Mac (Nvidia GPU required)

Sanative AI - Web-based "anti-AI watermark"-- maybe comparable to Glaze and Mist. I can't find much about this one except that they won a "Responsible AI Challenge" hosted by Mozilla last year.

Just Add A Regular Watermark - It doesn't take a lot of processing power to add a watermark, so why not? Try adding complexities like warping, changes in color/opacity, and blurring to make it more annoying for an AI (or human) to remove. You could even try testing your watermark against an AI watermark remover. (the privacy policy claims that they don't keep or otherwise use your images, but use your own judgment)

given that energy consumption was the focus of some AI art criticism, I'm not sure if the benefits of these GPU-intensive tools outweigh the cost, and I'd like to know more about that. in any case, I thought that people writing alt text/image descriptions more often would've been a neat side effect of Nightshade being used, so I hope to see more of that in the future, at least!

[smoked-salmon-official]

A UPDATED Comprehensive Guide to Everything Transformers

I previously wrote this a while back and now have a lot i would like to add.

As a newcomer to the fandom, I found many fandom knowledge and terms to be quite confusing and at times contradictory, so I decided to make a guide to essentially everything TF related, meta and in-universe. I will try my best to get the basics of “everything” but this is a fandom that spans dozens of pieces of media and four decades, longer than I’ve been alive. I will probably miss a fair bit and might get some things wrong, so feel free to reblog with relevant editions.

This is intended to be a basic guide, so only the most bare bones of info will be provided. Meant to be a reference, not the sole point of understanding.

First, the in-universe stuff. I will simply provide a list of terms and definitions I find to be useful. Keep in mind that the majority of this, or all of it, in some sections, are just fan made terms that have little to no canonical merit. They are fun to use, but don’t feel pressured to do so.

Note that I won’t cover the NSFW stuff as I don’t read or write it. With that said I would first like to get out of the way the CANONICAL Cybertronian biology.

Cybertronians reproduce asexually, via the Allspark. This is why both factions try so hard to recover it in many continuities. Because of this, they are all biologically the same, but present their gender in different ways. Some are male and others are female and in Earthsprk recently we finally got our first canon non binary TF character.

This is not to say you can’t write the robots doing it, but do note that in canon they do not.

BODY PARTS (the majority of this is fandom head canon):

Helm - head

Pede - feet

Optics - eyes

Chassis - chest (chest plates refer to the actual armor on top of it)

Servo - hand

Energon line/fuel line - vein

Spark - This one is difficult, because it’s their literal physical heart and their metaphorical soul. For the sake of physical terms though it’s a heart.

Spark chamber - The chamber within the chest where the spark is kept safe.

Audials - Ears

Vocalizer - voice box

Frame - body in general

Processor - Brain/mind

Dentae - teeth

Glossa - tongue

Energon (in terms of the body) - blood

Lubricant/coolant/trans fluid - non-blood bodily fluids

HUD - An internal screen where files are stored that can also display warnings like low fuel

Fuel tank - Digestive system/stomach

Intake - mouth

Vocalizer - voicebox

Battle mask - a protective piece of plating that goes over the face in battle. Think Optimus's

Anything with “plates” in it (I.e wrist plate or back plate) - the armor over a certain area

Armor/plating - the tough outer shell of a Cybertronian, made of metal. The part we see

Protoform - the definition of this varies wildly from continuity to continuity but I consider it to be the softer more fragile part of a Cybertronian under their armor

Transformation cog/t-cog - the organ that allows Cybertronians to transform, including their integrated tools and weaponry. Can be disabled or removed

Recharge - sleep

Stasis - a more long term state of rest, akin to hibernation or a coma. Can be induced medically in states of emergency or for long distance travel

Alt mode/vehicle mode - What a Cybertronian turns into. Usually a vehicle but can also be something else.

Minicon - A very small Cybertronian. May deploy off of a bigger one, such as Soundwave and his cassettes

Flight frame - the body of a Cybertronian who turns into something that flies

Seeker - a very particular type of flight frame that turns into a jet. Usually generalized as “any flight frame that looks like Starscream”

Grounder - usually an insulting term used by flight frames to describe ground based vehicle modes

Combiner/gestalt - Multiple Cybertronians who transform and combine to form a very big one

Titans/cityformers - very large Cybertronians who turn into something masisve

Sparkling - a very young Cybertronian

Modesty panel/interface panel - the panel between the legs

For anything I missed, check here for a more detailed and comprehensive guide.

There is also a whole other list of NSFW terms that I won't get into - however you are welcome to reblog w/additions.

GENERAL

Cybertron: The home world of all Cybertronians. However, Cybertronians also inhabit other planets like Velocitron, or, during the war, Earth

Primus: Not only is he the Cybertronian equivalent of a creator god, but he is quite literally Cybertron (that is his alt mode). The embodiment of good. Produces normal energon.

Unicron: The embodiment of evil. Sometimes he transforms into Earth itself. Sometimes a planet eating monster. Produces dark energon. Sometimes Primus’s brother

Energon: The fuel source all Cybertronians require to survive. In its raw form it is a blue crystal that can be processed into liquid cubes (in some continuities it may be other colors). Cybertron is rich with it and it also powers most Cybertronian technology, such as ground bridges and ships. It can also be found naturally in other planets like Earth.

Synthetic energon: Artificially created energon

Dark energon: A purple form of energon from Unicron. Had the power to corrupt and tie those who consume it to Unicron himself

Datapad: a computer or tablet.

Berth/recharge slab: Bed

Berthroom/habsuite: Bedroom

Brig: Prison/holding cells, usually on a ship

Stasis pod: An escape pod or other small ship component meant to induce stasis artificially for long distance or long term travel

Stasis cuffs: Cuffs that restrict movement and the ability to transform or used integrated weaponry

Mechanimals/mechafauna: Cybertron’s native wild life that is also made of metal and has some transforming abilities

Allspark: What creates new Cybertronians and where all Cybertronian sparks and souls go when they die. Sometimes a physical object.

Vector Sigma: A super computer at Cybertron’s core that has immmense capabilities

Prime: a position of extreme power and leadership chosen and bestowed by the Matrix of Leadership toward those it deems worthy

Matrix of Leadership: Resides in the chest of the current Prime. Chooses those it deems worthy. Can be passed on. It’s power can be of great use, such as to aide in combatting Unicron

Functionism: the belief that one’s alt mode at birth determines their worth and their place in society. Led to the creation of the Decepticon movement in some continuities

Senate: Cybertron’s pre-war government that was extremely corrupt

Iacon: The former capital and seat of the Senate. Sometimes the Autobot base of operations. Optimus is from here

Kaon: a more rough and rugged city where the Decepticon movement began. Megatron is from here

Pits of Kaon: Megatron likes to reference this a lot. Essentially the gladiatorial arenas

Sea of Rust: a very dangerous sector of wilderness on Cybertron

The Ark: primary autobot ship

The Nemesis: primary Decepticon ship

An addition to the definition for kibble: No one fucking knows. Probably armor?

Another note about kibble is that it usually describes physical qualities in toys, but can also be used to describe parts on the character themself.

Mech/femme: Used to describe male and female robots respectively, but mech can also be used as more of a gender neutral term. Mech specifically can also be used in slang as a substitute for words like “dude.”

Time: Cybertronian time is complicated and it’s worsened by the fact that every continuity seems to have a different way to tell time. Fans will use versions that they like or make up their own. With any luck, there should be a conversion chart in the notes. Here are the most common and essential ones:

Nano-klik: second

Klik: minute

Breem: 8.3 minutes

Joor: hour

Cycle: day

Vorn: 83 years

I am almost certainly forgetting a ton so please reblog with your additions!

Second, the meta stuff. AKA how the fuck am I supposed to get into the media itself? First of all, it’s important to establish that there’s no wrong way to enjoy Transformers. Some people only watch one or two shows, or just the movies, or just the comics, or just like the toys themselves. It’s such a diverse and large fandom and there’s no way to do it wrong.

A short detour to explain Hasbro and Takara, which are two companies you'll hear thrown around a lot, especially in the toy section of the fandom. Hasbro is the company that owns Transformers and does most of the marketing and makes the toys, shows, movies, etc (while of course working with outside studios). They're quite a big company that owns a number of other properties too.

TakaraTomy is a Japanese company that Hasbro has been business partners with for as long as TF has been a thing. They do a lot of designing and manufacturing work alongside Hasbro, along with releasing their own Masterpiece toyline and exclusives. That's why their company name is on the box the same as Hasbro's logo.

I can’t possibly list every piece of TF media but here I will put a few that are often discussed within the fandom and have high degrees of popularity. Most of the shows are now free on YouTube on the official Transformers channel. By no means do you have to watch ALL of these, but I will put asterisks on the ones I feel are relevant or the fandom seems to like the most.

COMICS

The IDW comics are typically what people

The comics are very long and complicated and span over a decade. IDW lost their license recently so ever since then the comics have been (long) out of print. There isn’t really a place to easily and legitimately buy them.

If you want, you could try to hunt down the collections - IDW has made a few big collections of the different phases of their comic run, although not too well - on the “aftermarket” (re-sellers on places like EBay and Amazon). However, these go for hundreds of dollars each. You could also try to hunt them down issue by issue online, which is slightly easier but also tedious and most likely just as expensive. Lastly, as far as physical copies go, you could check local libraries and comic stores, although I’m unsure if the luck you’ll find there.

If you want all of the comics, online, for free, you have to do it illegally. I recommend this site - batcave.biz. Type in the name of the comic and it should pop up. I recommend switching in the settings the reading mode to web so you can scroll instead of flipping page by page. readallcomics.com, what I used to use, has been down for several days (2/17/25 time of writing) but if it ever comes back, it is great too.

Laptop might be the best reading experience since you’ll probably have to zoom in.

A reading order is necessary to follow given how long and sprawling this series was. There are about three distinct Phases. Phase two with Robots in Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye is considered the best, and MTMTE is considered some of the best Transformers writing out there, so some people jump directly to this one. I’m not an expert in the comics at all, so below I’ll link a reading order and a better guide:

And another reading order that’s roughly the same:

IDW had a brief generation 2 run from I believe 2019, but most people don’t read this. Also worth noting that IDW had a number of crossovers with other medias, but these are not at all necessary reading but don’t enjoy them.

Dreamwave and Marvel might be worth checking out too, but I’m to familiar with those, so if anyone else would like to add on about them, it would be very welcome.

Skybound is the currently running comics issue, and I believe it’s fairly cheap to buy physically or online. No reading order necessary, just go from Issue 1 to the current ones

Happy reading:)

SHOWS

There are much more than are listed, but here are some notable ones. People like or dislike for different reasons, so this meant to be a starting point for new fans to decide what to watch.

*Transformers: Prime

*Unicron Trilogy (three shows with one season each meant to be watched back to back as one interconnected story)

*Transformers: Animated

*Beast Wars and its sequel, Beast Machines

*The Transformers (now commonly referred to as Generation One, or G1) - the first ever TF series

Transformers: Cyberverse

*Transformers: Earthspark - the only currently running transformers show

Robots in Disguise (2001)

Robots in Disguise (2015) - there are two shows with the same name so the year they began is used to distinguish. The majority of the fandom seems to dislike RID15

Here is a wikipedia link to every animated TF show

GAMES

There are two main TF video games - War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron. I don't know too overly much about them but they are discontinued and no longer sold, so you have to find them used or pirate. They are available on playstation, xbox, and PC.

If you are interested in seeing what the games are about but not playing them or going through the piracy to obtain them, here is a movie style video with all key moments for WFC and one for FOC.

There are other games as well but I don't know nearly enough to talk about them.

MOVIES

The Michael Bay movies are somewhat controversial in the fandom, seeing as some characterization and design was not faithful, and the movies are generally not very strong plot wise anyways. That’s just brushing the surface, but I won’t get into that.

The Michael Bay directed live actions movies are (in chronological order): Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, and The Last Knight. The first three are generally considered the best of the bunch but in my opinion they are all worth a watch. A fair note, they tend to be a bit crude and sexual at times are not not considered 100% faithful to the source material, but the CGI is excellent and there are definitely fun characters and moments.

The reboot live action movies, intended as prequels to the Bay movies, but also seemingly occupying their own universe are: Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts. Bumblebee is a solo movie following, you guessed it, Bumblebee, while ROTB is a more classic ensemble movie.

Transformers One: An animated prequel released this year that occupies its own universe.

Predacons Rising: It’s up to you if you actually consider this a movie, but it’s meant as a direct conclusion to TFP, and should be watched after its third season. Budget cuts meant that TFP’s third season was not done as well as it could have been and this provides a good conclusion.

Transformers (1986): Meant to be watched as part of G1, between seasons 2 and 3

At the time of writing, Hasbro has killed funding to the movies and a lack of interest in TF movies means that sequels to any of these are highly unlikely.

THE TOYS

Transformers began as toys, and it remains a center of the franchise. Some people like to collect the toys too, but as it stands many are very, very expensive.

There are two main lines aimed at adult collectors:

Generations: A toy line starting in 2018 that amassed figures of forty years of TF history from all different shows and continuities. These are for show and comic characters.

Note: Generations is never really labelled as Generations on the toy boxes. There are various lines of toys that are released over the course of a few years. The latest one, Legacy United, just wrapped up at the time of writing (early 2025) and Age of the Primes will begin soon in April.

Studio Series: A toy line that features movie characters, as seen in the movie. This includes the Bay Movies, the reboot movies, the 86 movie, and TF One. It will also include any further future movies.

There are also toys that are sold as not part of either of these lines, usually to promote whatever film or show is in progress or upcoming. These tend to be inferior quality wise and aimed at little kids.

Generations follows a rough layout for price and size, which is usually stated prominently in the package. Over time, the prices of all of these will go up so I will instead state the size, although this can be somewhat inconsistent as well. Studio Series has no size classings as far as I am aware.

Core class: Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

Deluxe class: 5-6 inches.

Voyager class (most collectors aim for figures in this range): 6-8 inches.

Leader/commander class (only some characters will have those): 9-10 inches I believe though I could be wrong.

Titan class (reserved for massive characters like Metroplex): very, very large, as in will not fit on your display shelf.

TOY REVIEWERS

Very useful for knowing what a figure is before you buy it, especially because some of these are very expensive. Usually they will tell you the articulation, general quality, posability, transformation, vehicle mode, and robot mode, along with some other things you might want to kow. These are some I personally watch, there are definitely other ones out there you should support!

Note: Some of them do review stuff other than Transformers.

That Toy Guy

Dr Lockdown

PrimeVsPrime

Patriot Prime Reviews

Jcc2224

MechaZeeReviews

If you have trouble transforming anything, you can also always go in youtube and type in the figure name and then transformation. There will almost always be step by step instructions in a video - if not, find a review and there will almost always also be transformation there.

BASIC TOY TERMS

-Articulation: How well a figure can move and pose. Articulation points are the joints at which things can be moved and adjusted.

Mold: The basic body type and structure that will often be reused on multiple characters. For example, the Tetrajet Seeker mold.

Gimmick: A small, fun addition to the figure that might range from fun to annoying depending on what it is. Usually, “gimmicky” is a bad term

Kibble: Robot parts that stick out in vehicle mode or vehicle parts that stick out in robot mode (usually the latter). These can add personality to the appearance of character and sometimes be quintessential to who they are, but in cases of bad engineering, will just be ugly and annoying.

Mainline: A toy that comes directly from Hasbro, as part of the Generations or Studio Series toy line.

Third party: A figure made by a company other than Hasbro, usually to improve upon an existing figure or character, to make a figure for a character who doesn’t yet have one or doesn’t yet have a good one for one iteration of them or in general, or just to do it better than Hasbro did. Companies officially licensed by Hasbro to create products, such as Blokess, are usually not considered third party.

KO/Knock-off: While third party figures are unique in design, KOs are illicit copies and reproductions of existing mainline figures. They may do it better or worse than Hasbro themself, and their selling point is usually a lower price.

Note: Some KOs and third parties are in fact much better than mainlines, or just more affordable in general. Many collectors buy a mix of third party, KO, and mainline.

Upgrade kit: A set of pieces, such as additional weaponry meant to elevate a figure beyond its original design and accessories.

Accessories: What the figure comes with in the box. This mostly constitutes weapons.

Re-issue: Figures that Hasbro re-releases and makes more of after demand has overcome supply following the toys original run.

Scalpers: People who buy the figure at its cheapest and sell it for horrifically high prices once supply has run out. Model/model kit: A gundam or bionicle style kit that you must put together yourself. Blondes and yolopark notably make these. Most are non-transforming.

Non-transforming: Exactly what it sounds like. Transtormers toys that don’t transform. Often, they are third party and make up for it with more show/movie accuracy or some kind of upgrade, such as more articulation.

Custom/custom figure: A figure that has been modified in some way to better suit the preferences of the person who customized it or paid for it to be customized. This can range from a simple repaint of an existing figure to creating your own figure that no one’s made before.

HasLab: Hasbro creates exclusive projects once a year for several of their major properties, including Transformers. These are available only on their website, and have to reach a certain backing goal (people who commit to buying it) before it reaches production. It's then in production for about a year before being shipped out ONLY to those who backed it. Prices are usually $200 and above.

Masterpiece: Takara Tomy's line of Transformers G1 style figures, but adapted and updated with modern engineering. They tend to be quite expensive, but also of pretty much some of the highest quality you can get.

I don't know the exact word for this but some toys are Studio Series or Generations and others are not of either series and produced for the latest show or movie. These are usually oriented at kids and generally of not very good quality, or tend to be super gimmicky. Some of them can be quite fun, but in general, if you're looking to collect, go for Generations or SS.

Some general collecting tips:

-Figure out what exactly you want to collect. Some people like to complete casts, or only collect a certain character, or something like that.

-Amazon often sells both mainline and third party/KOs

-Watch reviews of any figure you plan to buy, especially if it’s expensive

-Ebay often has the same figures at half the price, just slightly more used

-KOs can look extremely similar to the real thing. Some people don't mind KOs, but if you want only official figures, look for amazon listings that show them in the official box, with the official box art. KOs also notably do not have any faction insignia. This is easy to tell on Amazon but on places like Ebay, it can be a lot harder.

-Check the distribution at your local department stores. In the US these include Target and Walmart. While the selection is usually a bit pathetic, you might strike gold sometime.

USEFUL LINKS

Amazing link of all canon Cybertron locations

TF wiki

Awesome channel that does short introductions to various characters and concepts in transformers

Hasbro transformers link

transformers subreddit

if you lose your instructions, you can always type in the toy name here and find a pdf of instructions

Essentially every toyline, show, movie, and comic series released

QUICK NOTE

Shattered Glass is an AU where the Autobots are the bad guys and the Decepticons are the good guys and everyone has different colors. It has a few comics from a few different companies along with a toyline.

FANDOM STUFF

Transformers has a very big fandom! I find it quite active on Tumblr. I've heard there's also communities on Bluesky, Twitter, Reddit - basically everywhere else. You just have to find it.

Why are TF posts everywhere tagged with #maccadam or some version of that?

Maccadam's Old Oil House, or some variation of that, is an oil house (basicaly a Cybertronian equivalent of a bar) that was super popular on Cybertron even during the war that served everyone regardless of faction with one major rule - "no fighting." It's been in several continuities and somewhere along the line, it evolved into a general tag for transformers. Basically, people tag TF stuff with this. You probably should do.

I don't know that many ongoing fan projects but with some exploring and diving into the fandom you'll def find some you'll want to support. A lot of people also do very cool stop motion animations with TF figures, most of which are on youtube.

Note: You may see a project/fan film called Galvatron's Revenge on youtube or it being talked about elsewhere. Please don't support or watch this now complete project - Optimus's VA is racist and homophobic and generally a terrible person. More info here

The fandom is generally pretty chill. Find your own corner and spaces, there's something here for everyone.

Thank you for reading!

[beardedmrbean]

Outrage has spread in Somalia after an eight-year-old girl, who had been missing for six months, was found living with a man who said he was her husband.

The girl was reported missing by her family in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland last September.

Months later, it emerged the girl's father had consented for her to be married to an adult named Sheikh Mahmoud.

Security forces surrounded the man's house last week and forced they way in after he locked himself in a room with the girl.

The incident has sparked anger on social media and public protests in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

It has also prompted fresh debates about child protection laws, as currently there is no minimum legal age for marriage.

"What's more shocking than the tragedy itself are the allegations of abduction and the fact that her family had no knowledge of her whereabouts for months," Fadumo Ahmed, chairperson of leading rights group the Somali Women Vision Organisation, told the BBC.

"We trust the responsible institutions to take the right and necessary legal action."

According to the eight-year-old's uncle, she was taken from her home in the city of Bosaso last September by a female relative. This relative said she was escorting the child on a trip to see another a uncle.

But months later, a video surfaced online, showing the girl reciting the Quran.

Her family subsequently launched a search for the child - it is unclear why they did not do this sooner.

They discovered she was in the Carmo area, living with Sheikh Mahmoud.

Sheikh Mahmoud initially said he was solely teaching the girl the Quran. But after legal complaints were filed, he changed his statement, saying he had married the girl with her father's consent.

When asked by the BBC how he justified marrying an eight-year-old, Sheikh Mahmoud said that the traditions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, along with that of the Shafi'i school of thought, allowed child marriage.

After the BBC questioned his reasoning - citing opposition from numerous Somali Islamic scholars - Sheikh Mahmoud maintained that he would not abandon the marriage.

Puntland's police and human rights authorities intervened on 25 March, removing the girl from the man's home after her family filed a complaint.

The girl is now back with her family, Puntland's police force told the BBC.

Additionally, an investigation into the case has been launched, government officials have said.

Child marriage remains prevalent in Somalia.

According to a report published in 2020 by the United Nations Population Fund and the Somali government, 35% of women aged between 20 and 24 in the country were married before the age of 18. In 2017 this figure stood at 45%.

The rate of child marriage is driven by various factors, including poverty, insecurity and traditional customs that often disregard a girl's age in wedding arrangements.

In an attempt to tackle this issue, Somalia's ministry of women and human rights submitted a draft child rights bill to parliament in 2023.

However, the proposal was sent back after MPs objected to certain provisions. The bill is expected to be reintroduced, but there is no clear timeline for this.

[transformationsproject]

Today’s Legislative Updates April 3, 2025

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

Bathroom bills deny access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. 

They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Old Bills:

Arkansas sent bill SB486 to the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday.

Tennessee deferred any action on bill HB0571 until next week on April 9.

Idaho’s governor signed bill H0264 yesterday. This bill goes into effect on July 1.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender-affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm.

Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Old Bills:

Arkansas’ House amended bill HB1916 yesterday and sent it for a third House reading.

Georgia’s House passed bill SB185 yesterday and sent it to the Senate for approval. If approved, the bill will go to the governor next.

Georgia passed bill SB39 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the House floor.

Texas left bill HB778 pending in its committee yesterday.

Texas passed bill SB1257 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Educational Censorship and Student Suppression bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans.

They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth. 

Old Bills:

Tennessee deferred any action on bill HB1270 until next week on April 9.

Tennessee removed bill HB1262 from the Education Committee calendar yesterday. This bill is likely dead.

Tennessee’s Senate passed bill SB0937 yesterday and sent it to the House.

Texas’ Senate passed an amended bill SB689 yesterday and sent it to the House.

Mississippi’s Senate approved the conference committee version of bill HB1193 yesterday and sent it to the governor.

Trans Erasure bills create legal definitions of terms like “sex” designed to exclude or erase trans identity and insert them into various laws. This can have many different effects, depending on what laws are affected.

They can force a male or female designation based on sex assigned at birth.

Some target anti-discrimination statutes, legally empowering trans discrimination. 

New Bill:

Maine filed trans erasure bill LD1432 last Tuesday. This bill seeks to remove gender identity as a protected class.

Old Bills:

Tennessee deferred any action on bill HB1271 until next session yesterday. This bill is likely dead.

Texas’ Senate passed an amended bill SB406 yesterday and sent it to the House.

Digital Censorship Bills describe any legislation that potentially targets Queer and Trans media/material for removal. 

They typically do this by using vague and broad definitions of "Obscene" or "Harmful to Minors" and then banning such content from being accessible to minors, which often either removes the material entirely or requires age verification methods in order to view. 

This includes online censorship bills, library book bans, and other such legislation.

Old Bill:

Iowa classified bill HF864 as unfinished business yesterday. This bill is likely dead.

Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. 

They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

Old Bill:

Alaska added a co-sponsor for bill HB40 yesterday.

These are other anti-trans bills that either fit multiple categories or stand on their own.

Old Bills:

Arkansas’ House amended bill HB1615 yesterday and sent it for a third House reading.

Texas sent bill HB4425 to the House State Affairs Committee yesterday.

Missouri passed bill SB272 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor.

North Carolina’s House passed bill H83 yesterday and sent it to the Senate.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Liz Dye at Public Notice:

If Chief Justice John Roberts hoped to save the judiciary by burning it down, he badly miscalculated. Just a week after the Supreme Court’s five male conservatives kicked the legs out from under a respected trial judge to save the Trump administration from the consequences of defying a court order, we are back on the precipice of a disastrous constitutional crisis. Perhaps the justices aimed to protect the judiciary by swerving to avoid a head-on collision with the executive. Maybe they hoped that President Trump would take the win and trim his dictatorial sails. But this is Dr. Strangelove, not Speed, and no amount of vague harrumphing by the high Court was ever going to persuade Major Kong to stand down. Thanks to the Supreme Court’s fecklessness, the judiciary is now squarely back on a collision course with a Trump-shaped iceberg. But this time, instead of planeloads of faceless migrants, the case involves just one man: Kilmar Ábrego García, a husband and father from Maryland, whom the government deported to a Salvadoran torture prison despite a court order barring just that.

“Turn the planes around”

The first confrontation involved planeloads of migrants deported pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act (AEA), a statute associated with some of the most sordid chapters in American history, including Japanese internment. The law empowers the president to deport foreign citizens in times of war, and so Trump simply declared that Venezuela has invaded the US by dispatching members of the Tren de Aragua gang as shock troops, and began rounding up Venezuelan immigrants more or less at random.

The fact that we are patently not at war didn’t matter to the Supreme Court. Nor did the revelation that 90 percent of the men deported had zero criminal record. In a hastily drafted order, the five conservative justices rebuffed a challenge to the AEA deportations, airily suggesting that anyone fearful of being deported should just file an individual habeas corpus petition … from a detention cell, in the few hours between when they’re informed they’re being moved and when they’re hustled onto a plane and cast into a windowless dungeon with no access to counsel. This had the desired effect of heading off a confrontation between Judge James Boasberg and the government, which flatly refused to explain why it deported the men after the judge ordered them not to. But along the way the Supreme Court did require the administration to give some process to AEA deportees. “AEA detainees must receive notice after the date of this order that they are subject to removal under the Act,” the majority wrote. “The notice must be afforded within a reasonable time and in such a manner as will allow them to actually seek habeas relief in the proper venue before such removal occurs.” Even this appears to have been too big an ask for the Trump administration, which refused to commit to giving AEA deportees even 24 hours notice before shipping them to a Salvadoran gulag.

[...]

“This was the right person sent to the right place,” Stephen Miller insisted on Fox, disavowing the sworn testimony of multiple government officials calling the deportation in violation of the court order an accident. “This was just one of those examples of an individual that is a MS-13 gang member, multiple charges and encounters with the individuals here, trafficking in his background, was found with other MS-13 gang members — very dangerous person, and what the liberal left and fake news are doing to turn him into a media darling is sickening,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem blustered (again) on Fox. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated that baseless claim from the podium, while crowing that the Supreme Court had unanimously agreed that the government never had to bring Ábrego García back.

[...]

As evidence of the US government’s inability to secure his return, they linked to a YouTube video of the Oval Office press conference where President Bukele smirked, “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous.” The government also un-admitted that it deported Ábrego García by mistake. The new line is that he is “no longer eligible for withholding of removal because of his membership in MS-13, which is now a designated foreign terrorist organization.” Essentially, the president claims to have dissolved a judicial order by executive fiat.

[...]

Judge Xinis ordered expedited discovery on what the government has done to “facilitate” Ábrego García’s return, including depositions of several DHS officials. Emboldened by the Supreme Court, the Trump administration has made it clear that it does not intend to comply. “It was 9-0, in our favor, against the district court ruling, saying no district court has the power to compel the foreign policy function of the United States,” Miller boasted at the Bukele press event on Monday. And so American democracy is back in exactly the same parlous position as two weeks ago, waiting for the president to provoke a constitutional crisis by openly defying a court order. This is the disaster the Supreme Court tried to avoid by undermining Judge Boasberg, Judge Xinis, and the entire federal judiciary. Only now the administration is more confident than ever that their buddies at SCOTUS will blink and bail them out.

The constitutional crisis in the USA: sponsored by the MAGA Majority on SCOTUS, the GOP, right-wing media apparatus, and the Trump Administration.

[us-cj]

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has confirmed what many patriots have known for years: The Obama administration ORDERED the FBI NOT to arrest Hillary Clinton for espionage, despite her clear violations of 18 U.S. Code § 793.

This is the ultimate proof that Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton conspired to subvert the rule of law, using their power to shield their criminal empire from exposure. They didn’t just bend the law — they crushed it under their boots to protect their stranglehold on America.

Long read but so worth it.

February 10, 2025—History will remember this day. The moment when the American people finally saw the truth laid bare. The criminal conspiracy that protected Hillary Clinton, manipulated justice, and waged war against Donald Trump has now been fully exposed.

For years, patriots demanded answers. Why did the FBI refuse to prosecute Clinton for her blatant violations of 18 U.S. Code § 793? Why was justice obstructed at the highest levels? The answer has now been confirmed by none other than former CIA Director John Ratcliffe—Barack Obama himself ordered the FBI NOT to arrest Hillary Clinton for espionage.

THE ORDER CAME FROM OBAMA HIMSELF

The conspiracy went straight to the top. Lisa Page, former FBI lawyer, admitted under oath that the Department of Justice explicitly instructed the FBI to stand down.

JOHN RATCLIFFE: “So, just to be clear, when you say you got instructions from the DOJ, they told you outright: ‘We are NOT prosecuting Hillary Clinton for gross negligence’?”

LISA PAGE: “That is correct.”

This was not an accident. This was a deliberate cover-up, orchestrated at the highest levels. Clinton was meant to secure the presidency in 2016, ensuring the Deep State’s grip on America remained unchallenged. But when Trump won, their house of cards collapsed—sending them into full panic mode.

THE CLASSIFIED EMAILS: OBAMA’S REAL MOTIVE

Why did Obama go to such lengths to protect Clinton? Because her private email server contained secrets so explosive they could have destroyed the Deep State.

* Emails confirming pay-for-play schemes with foreign governments.

* Direct collusion between the Obama administration and foreign intelligence agencies to manipulate U.S. politics.

* Evidence of classified leaks to foreign actors in exchange for political favors.

Had Clinton been prosecuted, the case wouldn’t have stopped with her—it would have led straight to Obama himself.

THE FBI: OBAMA’S PERSONAL ENFORCERS

The FBI, once a respected law enforcement agency, was weaponized under Obama to serve the Democratic Party. While Clinton was shielded from justice, the Bureau focused its efforts on manufacturing crimes against Trump.

• They launched the Russia collusion hoax, fabricating evidence to cripple Trump’s presidency.

• They illegally spied on his campaign using FISA warrants based on false information.

• They persecuted Trump allies to silence dissent.

The same criminals who protected Clinton tried to destroy Trump, using the FBI as their personal attack dogs.

THE DEEP STATE’S FINAL GAMBIT: THE WAR AGAINST TRUMP

Clinton’s exoneration was only the beginning. The moment Trump stepped onto the political stage, the Deep State launched a full-scale assault.

• They engineered the 2020 election to ensure he was removed from office.

• They used the intelligence agencies to spy on his campaign and presidency.

• They filed multiple indictments in a desperate attempt to block his 2024 run.

Yet, they failed. Trump is back, and now, the truth is finally coming to light.

THE MEDIA’S COMPLICITY

The mainstream media played its role perfectly. Instead of reporting the truth, they became the Deep State’s propaganda arm.

• They dismissed Clinton’s email scandal as a “nothingburger.”

• They refused to cover leaked documents proving Obama’s direct orders to protect her.

• They pushed every fabricated charge against Trump while burying the real crimes of the Democratic elite.

These are not journalists. These are political operatives, masquerading as the press.

THE TIME FOR JUSTICE IS NOW

The evidence is undeniable. The Obama administration, the DOJ, the FBI, and the media conspired to protect Hillary Clinton, silence Trump, and manipulate the justice system to serve their agenda. This cannot be allowed to stand.

• Obama must be investigated for obstruction of justice.

• Clinton must finally face prosecution for espionage.

• The FBI must be purged of political corruption.

• The DOJ must be rebuilt from the ground up.

The only question left: Will justice finally be served?

[tzifron]

The U.S. government encouraged people to report on doctors in Canada who provide gender-affirming care to children—signaling a chilling new cross-border reach in its anti-trans agenda.

In mid April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted a form on its website soliciting “tips” about the “Chemical and Surgical Mutilation of Children,” echoing the language of Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to block gender-affirming care to those under 19 years old.

The website promised to protect “whistleblowers” and contained a drop-down menu that included the provinces and territories of Canada, as well as Canada’s Armed Forces—effectively allowing reports to be filed against health care providers located north of the border.

When pressed for an explanation by Pivot and The Breach, the U.S. Health department removed Canada from the form.

After repeated media inquiries, an HHS employee confirmed that Canada had been erased from the form without providing a reason for the initial inclusion or the removal.

Prior to the change, the department refused to answer direct questions about whether the inclusion of Canadian jurisdictions was deliberate, and, if so, why Canada was targeted.

Canada’s initial inclusion in the whistleblower form sparked fears that the reports could be used to establish watch lists, detain Canadian health care providers at the border, or even take legal action against Canadian health care professionals.

All of this could also make it harder for American citizens to obtain care in Canada, in particular to circumvent bans imposed in the United States on gender-affirming care.

[a-typical]

Probability figures in everyday decisions we make. Consider the public’s sentiment toward genetically modified organisms—GMOs. Reactions tend to be bimodal, depending on your politics, itself a warning flag. The truth and efficacy of science should never correlate with your political views.

The food chemical company Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, developed a genetically modified variant of corn that was completely resistant to glyphosate, a weed-killing herbicide marketed under the name Roundup, which they also developed. Monsanto scientists genetically removed their corn’s susceptibility to the chemical. This potent combo—Monsanto’s GMO corn coupled with Monsanto’s weed killer—enabled farmers to spray their entire crops and have the herbicide kill everything but the corn. The Vermont ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s uses corn syrup as a sweetener for some of their products. (Yes, I too was surprised to learn this.) News that some of their ice creams had trace amounts of glyphosate from the corn used in their syrup created a media dust-up. In response, Ben & Jerry’s decided to stop using GMO corn syrup altogether, even though the one-part-per-billion detection levels of glyphosate were far below US and European standards. Since many people who buy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream lean left—aligned with the company’s generally progressive views on all things—Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings Inc. judged this ban to be a wise business decision.

Let’s look closer at what happened there. Every substance you could possibly ingest, food and otherwise, has a calculated lethal dose associated with it, measured by what’s called LD50. That’s the dose per kilogram of body weight where 50 percent of the people who consume that amount will die quickly. These data often come from tests on laboratory mammals such as mice. There’s another metric, called no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL), which addresses the long-term influence of a substance on your health and is more sensible when thinking about food safety. LD50 helps to make a different point. The smaller its value for a substance, the more lethal it is. As such, tables of LD50s can be quite illuminating. Here’s a sampling:

Sucrose (table sugar) | 30 grams per kilogram

Ethanol (common alcohol) | 7 grams per kilogram

Glyphosate (Roundup) | 5 grams per kilogram

Table Salt | 3 grams per kilogram

Caffeine | 0.2 grams per kilogram

Nicotine | 0.0065 grams per kilogram

The most lethal substance on this hand-picked list is nicotine. Caffeine looks quite potent too. Just drink about eighty demitasse cups of espresso if you want to die from it. Next comes salt.

The least deadly on the list is sugar, as you might expect. Notice further that glyphosate is less lethal than table salt, but not by much. Actually none of this concerns us here. What matters is what happens to a 150 lb. (70 kg) person who eats Ben & Jerry’s ice cream—a fact I calculated but relegated to my Forbidden Twitter file, where it remains, simply for how disturbing it would be. In social media, I never intend to be disturbing:

You would need to consume four hundred million pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for its trace amounts of glyphosate to kill you. But after only 20 pints you will die from its sugar content.

Ben & Jerry’s made the right corporate decision if it protected their profits. Although they could have also used the occasion as a teaching moment—a mind-blowing lesson on comparative risk. But that works only if people are open to learning. In modern times, many of us don’t satisfy that criterion, perhaps because, according to the nineteenth-century British essayist Walter Bagehot,

One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.

It is, as common people say, so “upsetting;” it makes you think that, after all, your favourite notions may be wrong, your firmest beliefs ill-founded.… Naturally, therefore, common men hate a new idea, and are disposed more or less to ill-treat the original man who brings it.

— Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization - Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022)

[digitallhell]

it's great that you're interested in archiving, it's a really important skill to learn! you can't archive things by saving chrome files of them, google is not your friend and you should always use a file type that doesn't depend on the internet to open it. those jpegs and mp4s are fine. the books you want to archive should be saved as pdfs, you will probably be able to find them on the internet archive. while ur at it go ahead and download ur favourite books so you never lose access to them! google services (or any social media or streaming services) will never protect your right to access a file that's been blocked in your country, and you also don't own anything you buy from them because they can remove it whenever they want. fucked up right! if you'd like to get into archiving media to share with people you should learn about torrenting, but don't try to torrent until you're very well versed on how to properly do it without getting in trouble (you need to have a vpn and configure it to your torrenting client and instructions will vary depending on what software you use). when you're ready to try it out, don't just choose a vpn based off what a youtuber tells you. a lot of popularly advertised vpns are owned by companies that don't really care about protecting your data. when choosing a vpn for archiving purposes it's best to search on r/piracy and look for the most recent info. ipleaks is a handy tool to make sure youve configured everything right. also do not share links to pirate sites on social media beause it it can risk getting the sites blocked or taken down. gl <3

ive gotten a lot of feedback about the google thing, i'm actually about to go change them to actual pdfs that are not connected to google. i'll look into everything else as well. i do intend to get a hard drive to save this all onto, but as i've mentioned im a teenager and my parents (despite being democrats) don't really want me doing all this because they think it's bad for my mental health to be so worried about politics- which to a certain point is true, but i like being up to date on what's happening. but i'll try to find a way to get one without them getting all worked up about it. thank you so much!

[star-pound-star]

Hegseth won’t commit to obeying courts on Marines in Los Angeles - POLITICO

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he would obey a Supreme Court order to remove troops from Los Angeles but declined to show similar deference to other courts considering the issue.

The Pentagon chief initially deflected when asked at a House Armed Services Committee hearing whether he would abide by a court’s decision if it determined President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines was unlawful.

“What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country,” Hegseth said.

But the Defense secretary later clarified that he would obey a decision from the high court.

“We’re not here to defy a Supreme Court ruling,” he said.

The comments mirror other officials who have criticized court rulings that go against the Trump administration, often directing withering criticism at lower-court judges while vowing deference to the justices.

Trump has ordered the Pentagon to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel in response to mass deportation protests. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said the troops are not necessary, is suing to remove them.

The Trump administration, in a filing Wednesday, urged a federal judge to reject the lawsuit, calling it a “crass political stunt.”

The matter is pending before U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who has an emergency hearing scheduled Thursday afternoon. Breyer declined Newsom’s request to immediately block Hegseth from using troops to support immigration arrests in Los Angeles.

The issue marked a flashpoint during the third budget hearing this week for Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, which ranged from Ukraine aid to Hegseth’s efforts to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the department.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) repeatedly pressed Hegseth on whether he would follow a court ruling. “You’re not willing to say you would respect those decisions?” Khanna asked.

Hegseth replied: “What I’m saying is local district judges shouldn’t make foreign policy.”

Newsom reposted a video of the exchange on social media platform X. “This is not normal,” he said.

If Breyer sides with Newsom, the administration would likely appeal any order to limit the deployment to a California appeals court and then to the Supreme Court.

The Defense secretary, in separate congressional testimony on Wednesday, suggested the administration could deploy troops elsewhere to assist in roundups and deportations. At that hearing, he wasn’t able to immediately cite the legal justification for the deployments.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

CNN 4/30/2025

BusinessMedia• 2 min read

Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues Trump over attempted firings

By Brian Stelter, CNN

Updated: 3:39 PM EDT, Tue April 29, 2025

Source: CNN

The Trump administration has sparked another fight against public media. In emails from the White House, three board members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) were told on Monday that they were “terminated,” effective immediately, “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump.” In response, the corporation filed a lawsuit on Tuesday.

Under the law that created the corporation in 1967, Trump does not have the authority to fire them, CBP argues. The corporation seeks a ruling that confirms the termination emails have “no legal effect,” according to its lawsuit filed in DC. The three board members who received the emails — Laura G. Ross, Thomas E. Rothman and Diane Kaplan — were appointed by then-President Joe Biden in 2022 (Ross was originally appointed by Trump in 2018 and reappointed by Biden).

A federal judge has scheduled an initial hearing for Tuesday afternoon. “Because CPB is not a federal agency subject to the President’s authority, but rather a private corporation, we have filed a lawsuit to block these firings,” the corporation said in a statement. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CPB describes itself as “the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting.” Each year, it disperses $535 million in taxpayer funds to public radio and TV stations nationwide. This includes stations with PBS and NPR — which currently face attacks from the Trump administration — as well as some lesser-known public media outlets.

The White House has said it will soon ask Congress to claw back the money already allocated for CPB over the next two years. The corporation has five board members in total.

Congress specifically set up the corporation as a private entity “to afford maximum protection from extraneous interference and control,” according to the 1967 law. The legislation expressly forbids the government from exercising “any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting.”

The idea was to set up a pot of money for public interest media, including instructional, educational and cultural programming that for-profit networks might not prioritize.

Congress has reauthorized funding for the corporation for decades, despite regular Republican broadsides against PBS and NPR.

Trump’s termination notices open a new front in that battle this week. The two other CPB board members — both Republican appointees who’ve been reappointed by Democratic presidents —did not appear to receive termination emails.

“The President has no power to remove or terminate CPB’s Board members,” the corporation’s lawsuit states.

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Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help with Social Media Defamation Claims?

Social media has revolutionized communication, making it easier than ever to share opinions and information. While this has its benefits, it also opens the door to potential harm, especially when false statements are made about someone online. If you’ve been a victim of damaging false claims on social media, you may wonder if a personal injury attorney can assist you. The answer is yes. This article delves into how personal injury attorneys can help address social media defamation claims.

What Is Social Media Defamation?

Defamation involves making false statements about someone that harm their reputation. Social media defamation is a modern form of this issue, where harmful posts can spread quickly, causing lasting damage to a person’s reputation. Defamation on social media typically falls into two categories:

Libel: False written statements shared online, such as posts, comments, or reviews.

Slander: False spoken statements, sometimes shared in video or audio formats.

Other examples include harmful reviews or remarks implying criminal activity, unethical behavior, or personal misconduct. These statements can lead to emotional distress, damaged personal or professional reputations, and financial losses.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

Handling a social media defamation case is complex. A personal injury attorney can provide the expertise needed to navigate the legal process and advocate for your rights. Here’s how they can help:

1. Understanding Defamation Laws

Personal injury attorneys are well-versed in defamation laws. They can analyze your case to determine if the statements made about you qualify as defamation. For a successful claim, the statements must meet specific criteria, including:

Published: Shared with at least one third party.

False: Not based on facts or truth.

Presented as fact: Not merely opinions.

Harmful: Caused measurable damage to your reputation.

By assessing your situation, your attorney ensures you take the right legal steps.

2. Gathering Evidence

A strong case requires solid evidence. Attorneys can assist in documenting defamatory content, such as screenshots, timestamps, and URLs, ensuring nothing is overlooked. Comprehensive evidence strengthens your claim if legal action is necessary.

3. Communicating with Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms often have reporting mechanisms for harmful content, but these processes can be complicated. An attorney can help formally report the defamatory material, advocating for its removal while ensuring all necessary documentation is provided.

4. Issuing Cease and Desist Letters

Sometimes, sending a cease and desist letter can resolve defamation issues. This formal document demands that the offending party retract false statements and cease further defamatory actions. With an attorney’s guidance, the letter will be professional and effective.

5. Filing a Lawsuit

If defamatory content persists or causes significant harm, your attorney can guide you through the process of filing a defamation lawsuit. Legal action can seek compensation for damages and hold the responsible party accountable.

6. Seeking Damages

A successful defamation claim may entitle you to various forms of compensation:

Economic damages: For lost wages, business revenue, or other financial impacts.

Emotional distress damages: For mental anguish caused by the defamation.

Punitive damages: To penalize the offender for particularly harmful behavior.

Your attorney will calculate potential damages and fight to ensure you receive fair compensation.

Social media defamation can have devastating effects on your life, but you don’t have to face it alone. A personal injury attorney can be your advocate, helping you protect your reputation and seek justice. From evaluating your claim to pursuing legal action, their expertise ensures that your rights are upheld and your dignity is restored.

If you’re dealing with harmful false statements online, don’t let them define your reputation. Reach out to a qualified personal injury attorney to explore your legal options and take the first step toward reclaiming your peace of mind.

[mariacallous]

In March 2019, TikTok agreed to a US federal court order barring the social media giant from collecting personal information from its youngest users without their parents’ consent. According to a new lawsuit filed by US authorities, TikTok immediately breached that order and now faces penalties of $51,744 per violation per day.

TikTok “knowingly allowed children under 13 to create accounts in the regular TikTok experience and collected extensive personal information from those children without first providing parental notice or obtaining verifiable parental consent,” the US Department of Justice alleged on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission in a complaint lodged on Friday in federal court in California.

TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes says the company strongly disagrees with the allegations. He reiterates a statement the company issued in June, when the FTC had voted to sue, that many of the issues raised relate to “practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed.” Hughes adds that TikTok is “proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform.”

Lawsuits over alleged violations of children’s privacy are almost a rite of passage for social platforms these days, with companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Epic Games collectively having paid hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties.

But the case against TikTok also falls into the US government’s escalating battle with the service, whose ownership by China-based ByteDance has drawn national security concerns. Some US officials and lawmakers have said they worry about China exploiting TikTok to spread propaganda and gather data on vulnerable Americans. TikTok has refuted the concerns as baseless fear-mongering and is fighting a law that requires it to seek new ownership.

The complaint filed on Friday alleges that as of 2020, TikTok wouldn’t let users sign up on their own if they entered a birthdate that showed they were under 13 years old. But it allowed those same users to go back, edit their birthdate, and sign up without parental permission.

TikTok also wouldn’t remove accounts purporting to belong to children unless the user made an explicit admission of their age on their account, according to the lawsuit. TikTok’s hired content moderators allegedly spent just five to seven seconds on average reviewing accounts for age violations. “Defendants actively avoid deleting the accounts of users they know to be children,” the lawsuit states. Additionally, millions of accounts flagged as potentially belonging to children allegedly were never removed because of a bug in TikTok’s internal tools.

The lawsuit acknowledges that TikTok improved some policies and processes over the years but that it still held on to and used personal information of children that it shouldn’t have had in the first place.

Authorities also took issue with TikTok’s dedicated Kids Mode. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok gathered and shared information about children’s usage of the service and built profiles on them while misleading parents about the data collection. When parents tried to have data on their kids deleted, TikTok forced them to jump through unnecessary hoops, the lawsuit further alleges.

TikTok should have known better, according to the government, because of the 2019 court order, which stemmed from TikTok’s predecessor—a service known as Musical.ly—allegedly violating a number of rules aimed at protecting children’s privacy. Those rules largely come from the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a law dating to the late-1990s dotcom era that tried to create a safer environment for children on the web.

Lawmakers in the US this year have been weighing a major update in the form of the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA. The proposed measure, which passed the Senate earlier this week, would require services like TikTok to better control kids’ usage. Detractors have said it would unfairly cut off some young populations, such as transgender kids, from vital support networks. KOSA’s fate remains uncertain. But as the case against TikTok allegedly shows, stricter rules may do little to stop companies from pursuing familiar tactics.