scyphan790

[scyphan790]

OMG. Somebody said it out loud.

Disney is absolutely not the only studio doing this though.

It seems to have become standard practice across movies and series everywhere.

Anything that doesn't do it is like a breath of sunlight and fresh air inside a dank musty cave.

It's part of the 'fix it in post-production' epidemic sweeping through the studios. Fix it in post is often used as a time/money-saving measure - and is absolutely part of the same mess that the WGA is fighting against currently.

Rather than fixing things on-set - audio, lighting, something in-frame that shouldn't be, etc. (which is all handled by unionized crew) - they leave it for the CG folks (not unionized) to edit later.

(on ridiculously tight schedules that leave them scrambling, cutting corners, and working inhumane hours)

See also: that part where scripts aren't finished, because the studio won't fully staff the writers room, and won't pay to have writers on-set for day-of-filming script questions and fixes (which could resolve issues such as 'what kind of lighting do we need here?')

Anyway, all this shit we, as audiences, keep complaining about - bad lighting, bad sound, wonky visual effects, over-usage of not-great CGI, stilted acting on green-screen sets, scripts that seem not-quite-finished, costumes that look like they're cheap and flimsy, terrible hair and makeup, films and series that aren't as polished as they could be...

Plus the complaints we have about streaming services and their shenanigans...

All of that is enmeshed in the extreme capitalism that has taken over everything, including entertainment, to the point that studios are abusing their workforce and churning out material that - at best just doesn't live up to its potential - at worst, is just unwatchable shit.

[scyphan790]

Today I learned about the Totally Kid Carousel in Harlem NY.

Artist Milo Mottola was inspired by the rush of winning an art contest as a child and wanted to give children in the community that feeling of pride and accomplishment in an even bigger way. Each child whose drawing was chosen for use in the carousel received a $50 savings bond (the Prize the artist won as a child) as well as free rides FOR LIFE!

You can visit THIS SITE to see the art that inspired each creature and the sculpture that brings it to life!

[scyphan790]

more people would exercise if this culture didn't make it absolute hell

[scyphan790]

remember when steve from blues clues was upset that people thought he died in a car crash, not because people thought he was dead but because they said he was driving a dodge charger and "that's a cop car"

[scyphan790]

Hey, the ACLU is getting people to send letters to your Reps to have Congress pass the No Kings Act.

This act would make constitutional amendments to ensure that even sitting presidents are held liable for their actions. That NOBODY is above the law.

Their goal is 150k messages sent and at the time of writing this they're about 2.1k off from that goal!

ACLU gives you a prefilled message that you can edit to send to make the process easier, and will send it out for you.

This only takes a few minutes!

[scyphan790]

Avian flu in North America: What we know as of Nov 16, 2024.

This post will have a west coast USA focus as that is where I live and currently a hotspot. Canadians are welcome to add on if they know more about their government response.

H5N1 is zoonotic. We do not know to what extent fully, but dairy cattle can carry it asymptomatically and pass it through their milk. The virus is killed by pasteurization (which you can do at home!). Do not drink raw milk right now (or ever maybe, but that’s another can of worms). Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/investigation-avian-influenza-h5n1-virus-dairy-cattle

Cats can also get avian flu. It can be lethal to them. Source: https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2023/07/qa-avian-influenza-in-cats.pdf

A teen in British Columbia is currently infected and in critical condition. We do not know the source of the infection. Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/canadas-national-lab-confirms-h5n1-hospitalized-teen

Oregon just had its first confirmed human case. Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4993916-cdc-detects-first-human-bird-flu-case-in-oregon/amp/

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle just had an avian flu death of a not-on-display bird and is locking down all birds. Source: https://blog.zoo.org/2024/11/confirmed-avian-flu-case-at-woodland.html?m=1

H5N1 is being monitored in wastewater and is notably detected throughout California. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html

CURRENT BEST PRACTICES FOR SAFETY:

As previously mentioned, do not consume raw dairy products.

It is believed to be airborne. Mask up - Covid and Avian Flu are threats still!

Wash hands before and after interactions with any birds.

Bring cats indoors.

If you have birds, do not allow people who have been in the area of recent outbreaks near birds. Require all visitors to step in diluted bleach foot baths. If possible, keep birds in limited and covered areas.

Any birds moving between areas should be quarantined for several weeks with zero cross contamination between them and other birds.

Please feel free to add further info I may have missed, or ass it becomes known.

[scyphan790]

[scyphan790]

huge carrot recall affecting canada and the united states, including puerto rico, due to shiga toxin-producing e. coli

november 16, 2024

this recall may expand. see below for details.

Grimmway Farms has issued a recall of select organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots that should no longer be in grocery stores but may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. E. coli O121:H19 is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as ten days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.

The following recalled products were shipped directly to retail distribution centers nationwide in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada: - Organic whole carrots, which do not have a best-if-used-by date printed on the bag, but were available for purchase at retail stores from August 14 through October 23, 2024, - Organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by-dates ranging from September 11 through November 12, 2024. The recalled carrots should not be available for purchase in stores but may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.

(emphasis mine)

affected whole carrot brands and their bag sizes:

365 1Ib, 2lb, 5lb

Bunny Luv 1lb, 2lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb

Cal-Organic 1Ib, 2lb, 51b, 6lb, 10lb, 25lb

Compliments 2lb

Full Circle 1lb, 2lb, 5lb

Good & Gather 2lb

GreenWise 1Ib, 25lbs

Marketside 2lb

Nature's Promise 1Ib, 5lb

O-Organics 1lb, 2Ib, 5lb, 10lb

President's Choice 2lb

Simple Truth 1lb, 2lb, 5lb

Trader Joe's 1lb

Wegmans 1lb, 2lb, 5lb

Wholesome Pantry 1lb, 2lb, 5lb

affected baby (cut and peeled) carrot brands and their bag sizes:

365 12oz, 1lb, 2lb

Bunny Luv 1lb, 2lb, 3lb, 5lb

Cal-Organic 12oz, 1lb, 2lb, 2pk/2lbs

Compliments 1lb

Full Circle 1 lb

Good & Gather 12oz, 1lb

GreenWise 1lb

Grimmway Farms 25 lb bag

Kroger 2lb

LIDL 1lb

Marketside 12oz, 1lb, 2lb

Nature's Promise 1lb

O-Organics 12oz, 1lb, 2lb

President's Choice 1Ib, 2lb

Raley's 1lb

Simple Truth 1 Ib, 2lb

Sprouts 1 Ib, 2lb

Trader Joe's 1lb

Wegmans 12oz, 1lb, 2lb

Wholesome Pantry 1lb, 2lb

formatting on tumblr is difficult, please see the FDA outbreak investigation page for the affected ranges of best-by dates for baby carrots, and pictures of the affected carrots.

as of time of posting, the main FDA recall page and the CDC investigation page have an error and do not list Kroger or LIDL baby carrots, while the FDA outbreak investigation page does. I am assuming that this means they are part of the recall and that this error will probably be fixed soon.

the recalled carrots are thought to be associated with an E. coli O121:H19 outbreak. 39 illnesses, 15 hospitalizations, and one death have been linked to this outbreak so far.

as always, these numbers are expected to be lower than the true number of illnesses and deaths, and will likely rise. not everyone seeks medical attention, and even when all testing and reporting procedures go as smoothly as possible, it can take weeks to officially link an illness to an outbreak.

noteworthy from the FDA investigation page:

FDA is working with the firm to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are affected. This advisory will be updated as information becomes available.

in short, there is a possibility this contamination may affect more than just the recalled carrots. keep up to date with these pages to stay on top of this outbreak.

the recalled carrots are no longer on shelves. but if they are in your fridge or freezer, destroy or discard them and clean anything they may have touched.

do NOT eat these carrots! this strain of e. coli is dangerous and at least one person has died.

if you think you got sick in relation to this outbreak, please seek medical attention, even if just to get your illness officially associated with this outbreak.

[scyphan790]

The Sense of Distance: Japan versus the American Midwest

JoJo’s seventh story arc, Steel Ball Run, involves a race across America, but I knew that undertaking that journey by myself in one single trip would have been impossible. Instead, I split up the research into three sections: from the West Coast to the deserts, from the Great Plains to the Mississippi River and Chicago, and to the finish line in New York. Each region possesses its own culture and is home to different types of people.

Without going there for yourself, it’s impossible to comprehend the feeling of scale of the midwestern United States, where the scenery stretches on forever and unchanging. The feeling of distance there is nothing like Japan. Say, for example, an enemy is approaching from afar – at such a distance that escape would be trivial in Japan. In the Midwest, the open landscape remains identical from one hour to the next, and I was struck by the real sense that I could never make an escape from such an adversary; there was simply nowhere to hide. I was able to put that experience to good use when it came time to draw the manga.

Travel there is mostly done by car. When you drive across those vast plains, the scenery is mostly devoid of any ups and downs, and is dotted only by the occasional town with nothing to claim but chain stores, seemingly little to provide amusement aside from watching movies, and you hardly ever see anyone else about. Rather than inspire thoughts of enjoying nature, it felt empty and lifeless and made me wonder if there was any fun to living there at all. A kind of atmosphere hung over these places that felt rich for suspense.

~ Hirohiko Araki, Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga

[scyphan790]

[scyphan790]

Spirit: Stallion of The Cimarron & the Indian Boarding Schools/Residential Schools allegory

[scyphan790]

Would being called big dog fix me? Who knows?

[scyphan790]

For years I've been vaguely aware of this issue in 3D animation called gimbal lock. Basically, if you rotate the X axis 90 degrees, the Y axis and the Z axis will be perfectly lined up, so when you try to rotate one you rotate the other and everything gets all wonky.

I've never been consciously aware of this happening while I was working, despite how many years I've been at it. I tend to get in the zone, so if something isn't rotating correctly I just assume it's my fault and fiddle with it until it is.

So, I decided to test out gimbal lock in Blender myself. One shape, two keyframes, different methods for transitioning each time. I figured it would be simple, just seeing the different between rotation with gimbal lock and without.

I ended up doing seven different tests. Here's the shot midway through the animation.

Parented to empties that did some of the rotating, rotated in increments of 45 degrees, rotated in the viewport versus object properties, etc etc...and as you can see, only *two* transitions came out the same. The methods were different on two counts, too!!

Well. That explains some things!

[scyphan790]

Everytime i see anthro arthopod designs i always think about how their necks are drawn. The vast majority of arthopods are firmly neckless animals (and with arachnids and decapods a head completely fused with their throax), so to beneck them most artists end up giving them a segmented bit to stick their head on.

I dont think there is a better solution out there for a more "plausible" humanoid bug man, unless you want to make them a freak like these

[scyphan790]

[scyphan790]

NEW ESSAY: anarchism starts in the now: hope for a better future

there is still time

cover art: @punkitt-is-here