#122m

[our-clangen]

Is there any post with all of the references for the cats? I’d love to draw them (as their designs are so interesting and creative).

Also, what is the age range like of these characters? I know which are elders, warriors etc, but I was curious what their set ages were :)

There is! the post with their referencse is HERE (ages and some designs are outdated but its still mostly accurate, like Goldkit's eyes and Flowerfreckle's vitiligo patches) i also have a toyhouse account with all the characters!

the current ages of everyone (as of moon 5) are as follows

Icestar: He/Him 48m

Warblerstalk: She/Her 25m

Troutpelt: He/Him 122m

Fawnblink: He/Him 111m

Flamepatch: He/Him 82m

Pinestrike: She/Her 122m

Magpiespot: She/Her 159m

Petuniapetal: She/Her 125m

Flowerfreckle: She/Her 14m

Goldpaw: He/Him 6m

Runnelkit: She/Her 0m

Auburnkit: He/Him 0m

[darkmaga-returns]

Over 100 million Americans are exposed to dangerous levels of cancer-causing trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in tap water, a byproduct of chlorination.

TTHMs are linked to bladder, colorectal, and other cancers, as well as pregnancy complications, organ damage, and central nervous system effects. Exposure occurs through drinking, inhalation, and skin absorption (e.g., during showers).

Nearly 6,000 U.S. water systems in 49 states exceeded EPA's TTHM limits (80 ppb) between 2019–2023, with Texas, New York, Oklahoma, California and Illinois among the worst offenders.

Runoff from factory farms (manure, pesticides) increases organic matter in water, requiring more chlorine – leading to higher TTHM formation. Six top violator states are major livestock producers.

Beyond drinking, showering exposes people to TTHMs via inhalation and skin contact. A study estimates a lifetime cancer risk of 56 cases per million, affecting chlorination-dependent countries like the U.S., Canada, China and India.

[tobiasdrake]

Sonic 3 hasn't opened in many international markets yet but its opening domestic numbers are kind of startling. For comparison's sake:

Sonic 1: $58m Sonic 2: $72.1m Sonic 3: $60.1m

Opening sales are not a measurement of film quality but a measurement of its hype. They're a product of how excited people were to show up opening day, before anyone reasonably knew whether the movie was any good. Driven by factors like the marketing, the brand strength, confidence in previous entries, etc.

I really thought the presence of Shadow would be a guaranteed shot in the arm for the film's hype, so I was a little shocked to see approximately $12m less excitement for this movie than there was for Sonic 2.

Of note, Sonic 3's not in any financial danger. On a budget of $122m, hitting its break-even point (rule of thumb is budget x2) is pretty likely. Sonic 1 took home $319.7m at the end of its run which would still be a tidy profit for Sonic 3.

So the film's unlikely to fail. But it's worth asking the question: How did a film featuring the debut of Shadow the Hedgehog, one of the franchise's most popular characters, manage to lose about 1/6 of the film series's "Shut up and take my money" stans, rather than gaining?

Did the dark vibe of the trailer turn some parents off? Are people mad about the Knux show? Mad about the lack of Amy and/or Rouge? I don't know.

Again, this movie is unlikely to fail, but there's a misstep somewhere in the hype train surrounding Sonic 3. It'd be good to identify that and nip it in the bud before it has a chance to grow into a series of diminishing returns.

[ankle-beez]

i know there's like a million different factors going into these things but sonic 3 looking as good as it does with $122m and snow white looking as atrocious as it does with nearly triple the budget is inexcusable

[forwcrds]

[ sabrina carpenter, cisfemale, she/her, ] welcome to excesstv, SYDNEY JADE VISSER — or should i say the control freak ? … a quick google search tells me you’re a TWENTY FIVE year old SOCIALITE who’s worth $122M. you've called avalon home for TWO YEARS, however something tells me there’s more to you than a flashy resume and penthouse 25A on your door ? it seems you’ve managed to earn a reputation around the city for being DRAMATIC, yet, upon further investigation it seems you're also quite CAPTIVATING. but hey, thats the kind of mix that keeps people guessing. i'm sure as a ARIES you're used to people commenting on your VIVIENNE WESTWOOD JEWELRY / ICE SKATING MEDALS, VISION BOARDS, BOOK STACKS ON NIGHTSTANDS. but still we can't wait to watch you flourish ( or fail ) these next few weeks …

⊹ muse. ⊹ intro. ⊹ pinterest.

[earhartsease]

some statistics (necessarily estimates) from The Wheelchair Foundation

"developed" countries: around 10m people (1%) need wheelchairs, of whom 95% actually have access to one

"developing" countries: around 122m people (2%) need wheelchairs, of whom less than 10% actually have access to one

so around 110m people in the world (mostly in the "developing" countries) need wheelchairs but don't have access to them

this is a huge deal, among all the other huge inequalities in the world

and the statistics cannot represent the number of people who have to access their wheelchairs through fundraising etc because there's no state access - for example the UK used to have a functioning network called Wheelchair Services as part of the NHS, and while it still technically exists, it's so incredibly underfunded and hugely gatekeepy now (and also a postcode lottery, meaning you're way more likely to get a wheelchair off them in privileged communities than in poor ones) that a) almost nobody can get a wheelchair off them and b) the wheelchairs they do provide are very commonly inappropriate for the users and can cause them pain and injury if used

and the statistics cannot represent globally the number of people who have wheelchairs but the wheelchairs they have are not suitable for them and can cause pain and injury but they have no chance of getting a more suitable one

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

As expected, great haul for DESPICABLE ME 4, animation is #1 yet again at the domestic box office and will likely be next week. If so: 5 weeks in a row, a run in animation that had only opened back in 2016, when FINDING DORY and THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS - a Pixar and an Illumination - held the top slot back-to-back for 5 weeks.

No wonder Pixar loves the mid-June slot and Illumination always nabs the 4th of July frame.

DESPICABLE ME 4 landed a little above DESPICABLE ME 3's unadjusted opening weekend take from 2017, $75m estimate, with $122m for the five-day. Already more than doubled its $100m budget, too. Illumination's always smart with those. With little else in terms of family stuff, DESPICABLE ME 4 kinda has the rest of the summer to itself. THE WILD ROBOT and TRANSFORMERS ONE pretty much walk us into autumn, so I expect good legs for this film, maybe even challenges $300m stateside.

Either way, expect a fifth one to be announced, lol. Still plenty of juice left in this tank, for sure. At my theater, the audience response - of all ages - was pretty enthusiastic. Average moviegoers really dig these movies, they're a "just right" sort of combo of silliness and "warm fuzzies" for them. Slapstick also lands, if done well enough, too. They're a bit like Tom & Jerry in that regard, you don't have to fret translating that for any age group or anyone around the world. "Yellow thing hit other yellow thing. Funny."

But going by how big the MINIONS movies opened, I think it's clear audiences just really like those chittering yellow tictacs. I wouldn't be surprised if MINIONS 3 goes forward first, or instead of DESPICABLE ME 5. But really, it was Gru and the girls that launched everything to begin with, so I expect both to happen. As long as Illumination uses some of that moolah for more original stuff, I'm fine. It looks like they don't have a movie out next year, so the spring 2026 release of MARIO 2 will be the follow-up offering. Still would love to know what's going on with projects like BIG TREE, and... That Pharrell Williams project announced way back in like 2018...

INSIDE OUT 2 only took an estimated 47% dip against DESPICABLE ME 4, and is not only now up to $533m domestic (not too far from MARIO's $574m haul last year), but it's ready to surpass INCREDIBLES 2 worldwide. To be Pixar's highest-earning picture... All-animation wise, it's also now below CG LION KING ($1,663m), FROZEN II ($1,453m), MARIO ($1,361m), and FROZEN ($1,280m, w/o re-releases)... I think it has a legit shot at topping MARIO at the very least, not sure if LION KING '19 and FROZEN II are doable, though.

Anyways, yeah... Animation to the rescue, it seems. The summer box office got a boost from the so-called kiddie cartoons... But let's also not leave out BAD BOYS 4, and of course DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is gonna do big numbers, but after a fairly dry May, it's these two livening things up. Whereas THE GARFIELD MOVIE, now at $244m worldwide (against a $60m budget, sequel announcement definitely imminent), was a quieter affair...

Still, it goes to show that when it comes to animated movies...

Sequels are still the bona fide blockbusters, while the reasonably-priced "original" (or untested/untried IP) movies aren't.

Ideally, that's great.

Animated smallies should be commonplace, they shouldn't all be expected to be $500m-and-up behemoths (I've only been screaming about that for years)... Problem is, while everyone else is okay with that nowadays, Disney still isn't for some reason, and they still pump $150-250m into their pictures - across both of their flagship animation studios. They really got to adjust there. Expecting a sci-fi adventure to outdo ELEMENTAL by a wide margin is either an ambitious bet, or an incredibly short-sighted decision.

Disney is pretty much why we're here with animation, and right now, they gotta get with it. INSIDE OUT 2 is saving their day at the moment because it's a sequel to a beloved movie that made big bucks in a much different world, a much different marketplace. Ditto the original MOANA, whose sequel is sure to make an ocean-full of bucks this coming holiday season. The original INSIDE OUT, if made and released recently, could've possibly struggled. And if it did, that would be blamed on it being "too autobiographical".

Disney needs to course-correct there, not by watering down their movies. They too can ride this new wave with everybody else, and maybe find a new way through it...

[eaglesnick]

Four Reasons Why  Rishi Sunak Is Totally Out Of Touch With Voters

1.  Rishi Sunak owns 4 houses - 3 in England and 1 in America.

Under his premiership, homelessness rose 14% between 2022/23. Christmas 2023 in England saw 309,000 people homeless, 140.000 of these being children. (Shelter 14/12/23)

2.  Rishi Sunak and wife saw their personal wealth increase by £122m    last year to a total of £651m. (BBC News: 28/05/24)

2023 saw the biggest rise in UK absolute poverty for 30 years, to a record 12 million people. (BBC News: 21/03/24)

3.  In 2022, Rishi Sunak was sending his children to a £44,000 a year private school. (Hello Magazine: 27/07/22) This figure was set to rise to £63,000 when his eldest daughter transfers from prep school to an exclusive boarding school. (Mirror: 22/05/22)

The Institute for Fiscal Studies research shows that funding per pupil in state schools

“fell  by 9% in real terms in England between 2009–10 and 2019–20. This fall in school spending per pupil represents the largest and most sustained cut in school spending per pupil in England in at least 40 years, and probably a lot longer." (01/03/24)

Despite recent increases in school budgets, funding per pupil in is still, under Sunak,  expected to be below the 2010 figure by the end of 2024.

4, Rishi Sunak has been forced to admit he uses private healthcare.

 Basically, he, like many rich people, uses his wealth to queue- jump NHS waiting lists, thereby making the rest of us wait even longer.

“NHS doctors working in private healthcare 'on the side' directly harming health service, says senior consultant." (Independent: 05/05/2015)

Not only are there now over 7.7 million people on the NHS waiting list but Sunak and his fellow Conservatives have allowed “a cumulative under-spend of £362billion since 2009/10”. (BMA: 2024)

[guardian-of-cybertron]

Bio

Name: Omega Supreme.

Age: He was onlined two stellar-cycles after the Golden Age had began.

Height: 400ft/122m.

Birthplace: He was built, but his Spark comes from Vector Sigma.

Gender: Mech.

Pronouns: He/Him.

Sexuality: Bisexual.

Faction: Elite Guard pre-war, now Autobot.

Rank: Guardian.

Alt mode:

Weapons: Two arm weapons, one is a blaster and the other is a laser, both can transform to reveal his hands, he has laser weapons in his shoulders and just above his chest, he has missile launchers in his hips and ankles and a lader weapon on the back of his helm.

Accent: American.

Personality: He can come off as slightly standoffish when first meeting him, however he would be civil while talking with someone, he is serious about his duty as a Guardian and can be firm when the time calls for it. Once someone gets to know him he has a warmer personality, kind but honest and cares about those he is close to, he will do what is necessary to protect Cybertronian life.

Appearance:

Background: Omega was onlined a few years after the Golden Age had began and took an oath to fulfill his duties as a Guardian to protect Cybertronian life, because of his status he was and still is well respected within Cybertronian society, he became part of the Elite Guard upon giving his oath and was given his first duty, which was to watch over the construction of Crystal City and then guard the city once its construction was completed. During the construction of Crystal City, Omega ended up befriending the Constructicons who were responsible for building the city and had even offered to help them out by lifting heavier panels for the buildings, once Crystal City was completed he started his new duty of protecting the city, he loved the job and always chatted with the Constructicons whenever they would come by to do maintenance. All was well for a number of stellar-cycles until conflicts began and were growing worse, and that would be when Omega would experience a betrayal that changed his whole perspective on who he could trust. Just before the war began, the Constructicons had tricked Omega into believing that someone needed his help and that they had been sent to pass on the message, Omega had no reason to disbelieve them, it was only after he was told that he hadn't been called was when he realised he had been lied to, and upon returning to Crystal City, he saw the Constructicons, now Devastator, destroying the city that they had once built, revealing themselves to be Decepticons. Ever since that day, Omega changed, he was quieter, more closed off about his feelings and had a hard time with trust, he believed that he had been gullible by telling the Constructicons about his duty and what it entailed, which gave them the opportunity to use it against him, he promised himself that he would never be that gullible again. A month after the war began, Omega heard about a faction called the Autobots and decided to transfer from the Elite Guard as it reminded him too much of his past, a fresh start, and it was so he could continue to fulfill his duty as a Guardian.

Likes:

- Astronomy.

- Reading.

- Peace and quiet.

- Space flights.

- Fulfilling his duty.

Dislikes:

- Decepticons.

- Devastator.

- The war.

- Fireworks.

- Sudden loud noises.

Fear(s):

- Being betrayed again.

- Failing his duty.

Strength(s):

- Thick armour so he can take more damage than most.

- Powerful weapons.

- Doesn't let his emotions dictate his actions.

- Intelligent.

- Tactical.

Weakness(es):

- His size makes him an easy target.

- Less agile than others due to his strong build.

- Bottles up his emotions and sometimes they can burst out unexpectedly if something particularly bad has happened.

Crush:

Animated - Ultra Magnus.

Bayverse - Optimus Prime.

Other info:

- Has PTSD.

- Has a soft spot for Sparklings and Younglings.

Verse(s):

- Transformers Animated.

- Transformers Bayverse.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT (Mar 24) with LAURA POITRAS in NYC, then Anaheim, Boston (with Randall "XKCD" Munroe!), and beyond!

#20yrsago Lessig’s Free Culture, free online, under a Creative Commons license https://web.archive.org/web/20040323212047/http://free-culture.org/

#15yrsago London cops reach new heights of anti-terror poster stupidity https://web.archive.org/web/20090322082708/https://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/counter_terrorism/index.htm

#15yrsago Bruce Sterling on “generative art” https://web.archive.org/web/20090305132450/https://www.fabrica.it/workshops/sterling_videos.html

#15yrsago Basil Wolverton’s Culture Corner — HOWTOs for modern living from the past https://web.archive.org/web/20090328020644/https://www.dinosaurgardens.com/archives/682

#15yrsago Wikileaks.de domain-owner’s house raided over publication of secret government censorship lists https://web.archive.org/web/20090327075334/http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25240192-5014239,00.html

#15yrsago Are kidnapped children tax-deductible? https://prestigiousinternet.blogspot.com/2009/03/tax-advice-from-prestigioud-internet.html

#10yrsago Turkey orders block of Twitter’s IP addresses https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/after-dns-change-fails-turkish-government-steps-up-twitter-censorship/

#10yrsago Wil Wheaton reads chapter one of Homeland https://memex.craphound.com/2014/03/24/wil-wheaton-reads-chapter-one-of-homeland/

#10yrsago UK Tories ban sending books to prisoners https://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2014/03/23/comment-why-has-grayling-banned-prisoners-being-sent-books/

#10yrsago Unless companies pay, their Facebook updates reach 6 percent of followers https://time.com/34025/the-free-marketing-gravy-train-is-over-on-facebook/

#5yrsago #10yrsago Unless companies pay, their Facebook updates reach 6 percent of followers https://time.com/34025/the-free-marketing-gravy-train-is-over-on-facebook/ https://web.archive.org/web/20190323163700/https://xychelsea.is/?page_id=28

#5yrsago Man stole $122m from Facebook and Google by sending them random bills, which the companies dutifully paid https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/lithuanian-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-100-million-from-google-facebook/

[dojae-huh]

There was a time (2013) when TVXQ made more money than YG and JYP combined.

SM $256M, YG $114M, JYP $74M

TVXQ $191M (TVXQ 75% SM 25%)

And other years (2014-2018) they also made the bigger cut of SM's revenue (2014 - 67%, 2015 - 63,5%, (army), 2017 - 40,5%, 2018 - 63%). Thus we can conclude NCT was funded by them, heh. Thank you, uncle Changmin and uncle Yunho (btw, Yuno is Jaehyun because of him: 윤호 and 윤오, spelled a bit differently, sound identical).

I wanted to list the sources of income:

For 2014

Japanese tour: ~$102M

Global tour: ~$23M

Korean albums and singles, DVDs: : ~$9M

Japanese albums, singles, DVDs: ~$40M

Fanmeetings: ~$7M

For 2018:

Japanese tour :~$122M

Asian tour :~$24M

Korean albums and singles, DVDs: ~$4M

Japanese albums, singles, DVDs: ~$25M

Fanmeetings: ~$13M

If Japan loves you, you are safe as an artist, your longevity is secured (scroll down), heh. In case you are wondering why Doyoung is learning Japanese.

And do you see that 159 mln concerts+fanmeets vs 29mln albums?

Granted, those numbers are probably revenue, not net earnings. Still.

[oc-aita]

AITA For Killing My Husband?

(CW: murder, child abuse, abusive relationship/marriage)

For context: I (300F) am a siren. My mother was a siren and my father (45M) was a sailor who was immune to the siren song. My mother (2000F) was a cruel woman. She gaslit and emotionally abused me, then killed my father and my aunt after she found out that they were having an affair. She never got punished for her actions because she was friends with the Queen of Atlantis. My mother trained me in singing and taught me how to lure men(especially sailors) to their deaths and I fucking hated it, so I grew up believing that singing only caused people pain.

Shortly after my 118th birthday, my mother saw the opportunity to boost her social status and (without my knowledge) arranged for me to marry the second-born Prince of Atlantis, Caspian (122M). When we first met, he apparently thought I was so beautiful that he fell to his knees at the sight of me and was obsessed with me from that day forward. After we got married (at 119 & 123) he became very possessive to the point that I felt more like his hostage rather than his wife.

So 100 years past(I was about 218) and I had ENOUGH of being treated like an object, so while my husband was away on a trip, I went to the Father(4000M) that married us(an expert on potions) and he agreed to help me by giving me a vial of liquid that, when I drank it, would knock me out for 48 hours and make it look like I was dead so that I would be taken to a crypt where the Father would show up and help me escape. So, long story short; I took the liquid, my body was paraded through the streets, and I was taken to the crypt.

When I woke up(in the crypt with NO LIGHTS btw), I found my husband weeping on the floor, spooning me and telling me that he loved me. A guard arrived and tried to get the Prince to leave, but Caspian killed him on the spot. The Father showed up later, but was also killed. I kicked my husband in the knee and tried to make a run for it, but he grabbed me. Without thinking, I lost it and bit him in the neck, puncturing vital veins in his neck and killing him. I realized what I did and ran away.

Now, I live in the human world with my boyfriend (900M) and he knows what I did. He says that he doesn't blame me and that I "did what I had to do" but there's still some lingering guilt. So... AITA?

[ao3feed-sidlink]

link's dilemma

link's dilemma

by dragonification

AITA if I try to break up my longtime crush’s engagement?

I (Hylian, 122M) have been in love with my friend (Zora, 150M) for many years, ever since I first met him.

[or: link gets internet access on his purah pad and immediately asks reddit for advice on his love life]

Words: 907, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Link (Legend of Zelda), Sidon (Legend of Zelda), Yona (Legend of Zelda), Mipha (Legend of Zelda), a couple of other surprise cameos

Relationships: Link/Sidon (Legend of Zelda)

Additional Tags: Crack, Humor, Attempt at Humor, Reddit AU, lol of course there's a tag for that, no beta we die like mipha, totk spoilers

From https://ift.tt/RGjyASF https://archiveofourown.org/works/47946772

[cinelestial]

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES continues to dominate the box office after being out for 3 weeks.

The film is Number 2 in the weekend domestic box office grossing $9.4M this weekend.

Currently has grossed $135M domestically and $122M internationally bringing the current total to $258M grossed worldwide.

A huge success for the prequel franchise movie on a $100 million budget.