#len is a tiger shark

[nunnimushka]

Coldflash on mermay wip

[weaselle]

i am so. tired. of those stupid videos that are like "this mother dolphin brought a man a fish every day because he followed her to where her baby was trapped in a net and saved it, earning the mother dolphin's trust and respect for the rest of their lives" or whatever

and then if you pay attention to the video it's like a dude's hand taking a fish from a bottlenose dolphin, then a clip of a dude with different hands following a spinner dolphin, followed by voice over about the "baby dolphin" over video of a lady freeing an adult hector's dolphin (which are small, like 3 feet long) from a net, and then a closing clip of an adult striped dolphin carrying a fish near a baby striped dolphin

there are videos of similar things with horses and tigers and just about any creature you can think of all over the internet, and it's always like, some unbelievably sappy story about a creature using video footage that doesn't even match the narration if you know a lot about animals or have a detective's mind. But the average person online doesn't see a white shark and then a mako shark as wildly different sharks, or a video about a crow that uses footage of a raven as a glaring inconsistency.

but i do. and i loathe these videos

first of all, if you're going to tell fictional stories, i'm all for it, but SAY they're fictional. Second of all, don't show a bunch of wild inaccuracies, like, don't say a baby shark and then show an adult leopard shark just because it's small. 3rd of all, don't give people hugely misleading expectations of what they can expect to find in nature. That's shitty at best and could be downright dangerous.

And lastly, there are so many interesting and important stories that are REAL that you could be telling! Just do ten minutes of fucking research! There are stories that deserve to be told!

Talk about Solo the African Wild Dog, tell the story of Titus the Gorilla King, show people Cristina Zenato and the shark Foggy Eye, remind people of Pocho the huge crocodile and his human friend Chito, let people know the fate of Romeo the Alaskan wolf ... there are many stories that could be told without betraying the trust of the public, without showing the wonder of nature through a liar's lens.

anyway. i hate it.

[little-pup-pip]

Just curious, what requests do you have in your queue/to do currently? If you're ok with saying it that is :]

Oh boy, that's a bigger question than last time someone asked! I have over 200 waiting requests at this point!! Because of that this got very very long, so I put the rest under the cut! Like last time, this is in order of how recently I received the request, and doesn't mean I'm too busy to take new requests!!

Ibara saegusa (enstars)

Monochrome oranges cats and angels

Gloomy bear

Another rockruff (maybe)

Cult of the lamb (specifically the lamb)

Llewellyn Watts (Murdoch Mysteries)

Jake (trailer park warlock)

Cult of the lamb (pet dreaming themed)

Bear therian

Selkie

Ice bear (we bare bears)

Tubbo (maybe)

Snow leopard

Pink

Australian shepherd (pupre)

Cassie (fnaf: ruin)

Draik (neopets)

The rainbow fish

Black kitten + space

Pumpkin head (maybe, needs more research)

Alice in wonderland

Sheep

Someone's OC Avery & siblings

Gothic

Star catcher (MLP)

Masc version of my druid board

Scrooge CG (2009 film)

Beetlejuice

Superstar daycare (fnaf)

1950s + ocean

Pandas + light purple and black

Dandelions

Willy wonka CG (recent movie)

Maki Harukawa (Danganronpa)

Kidcore Halloween + pumpkin puppy Webkinz

Fruit bat

Mermaid

Pastel purple + pandas

Robocar Poli

Brown, lime green and forest green puppy

Weird Barbie CG

Shiny Vaporeon

Where the wild things are

Squid

Dylan (the magic roundabout)

Conner CG (Detroit become human)

Mitsuri kanroji (demon slayer)

Minecraft mooshrooms

Sharks or wolves (haven't decided)

Hot Wheels

Miffy

Fox

Sharks

Zombies

Vincent (dead plate)

Vintage kitty dreaming

Deadpool

Shane CG (stardew valley)

Wolf pup

Celestia and Luna (MLP)

Soft blue and yellow

Pascal (animal crossing)

Pastel blue and pink

Batman CG

Ram

Osamu dazai (bungo stray dogs)

Dylan (the quarry)

Rain/nature + white rabbits

Ox

Penguin + dinosaur

Noah (total drama island)

Vision CG (marvel)

Light blue

Bumble bees + lavender

Yellow + ducks

Bearded vulture

Barn owl

Queen barb (trolls world tour)

Oliver (vocaloid)

Light green light brown and beige

Mind (Chonny Jash/CCCC)

Cinnamoroll + emu otori (project sekai)

Yellow+ chicks and puppy stuffies

Seam CG (deltarune)

Plants vs zombies

Viktor (arcane)

Queen of trash CG (Elmo goes to grouch land)

John Constantine (Justice League Dark)

Aziraphale (good omens)

Scenecore

Musa (winx club)

Leap frog

Hyper feminine puppy

Crow + black cat

Totodile + bodies of water

Bees

Sackboy (Little Big Planet) and or My Melody

Baby crocodile

Animal crossing

Pastel kitten

Doki doki literature club

Keralis (Hermitcraft, maybe)

90s grunge

Tula tones (novi stars)

Eevee + dragons

Kitten + stars

Ratchet (rescue bot academy)

Pastel shark

Mikan Tsumiki (Danganronpa)

Mushrooms

Grey + Ross federman youtooz

Sparkly dragon

Blue and purple + puppies

Ducks + alt/Gothic lean

Cinnamoroll

Shadow (sonic)

Jellyfish

Boyfriend.xml (Friday night funkin')

Puppet (fnaf)

Golden retriever + yellow and blue

Bernese mountain dog

Strawberries

Genshin impact

Len or Miku

Toothless (httyd)

Eddworld

Donnie (rise of the tmnt)

The princess and the grilled cheese sandwich

Pastel goth princess

SpongeBob

Karako Pierot (hiveswap)

Young Michael Afton

Soft fox

Great pyrenees + farm

Ike eveland

Invader Zim + neon green

Julius Caesar (Octavian, night at the museum, waiting until March for this one)

Scorpion

Vampire squid

Golden retriever (again, lol)

Cats + playing outside

Border Collie

Tiger

Argos CG (World of Mr. Plant) 

Pochacco

Mortal Kombat

marble cross fox/forest/fantasy (I'm figuring this one out still)

Puppy + SpongeBob

characters from Project Sekai, Hoshino Ichika, Mochizuki Honami, Akiyama Mizuki and Kusanagi Nene.

Baby vulture

Frog with more fem themes

Rain world/slugcat

Dark academia/cottagecore

Border Collie

Modded smash hit rooms

Crying child (fnaf)

Agent Smith CG (the matrix)

Katamari

Enjolras (les miserable)

Rolfe DeWolfe CG (Rockafire Explosion)

Bugbo

Slime rancher

Puppet (fnaf)

CosMc's

Parado (Kamen Rider)

Tally hall

Gordon (all engines go)

Spinel (Steven universe)

Cater diamond (twisted wonderland)

Rockabilly (probably)

Felix Lee

Jing yuan CG (Hsr)

Charles Xavier CG (X-Men)

Toki wartooth (metalocalypse)

Naoto Shirogane (persona 4)

Kitoto (I don't know what he's from)

17th century dutch

Sirena von boo (monster high)

Jake (miss peregrines home for peculiar children)

Minecraft

Sees behind trees

Allay (Minecraft, I think)

Spinosaurus screenshots or products

Tecchou (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Barbara (genshin impact)

Tasmanian devil

Spamton CG (deltarune)

Spinosaurus

Grunge + lop eared bunnies

Yume-Nikki

Daxter (jak and daxter)

Madness combat for puppies

James Sunderland (silent Hill)

Shirokuma (Danganronpa)

Leo (IDW comic)

[scottwbeattie]

Review: The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection 6: Crisis on Counter-Earth

Smash Yourself Into Space

A funny thing happened this year. Somehow I went from having no interest in the Hulk to binge-reading 3 Epic Collections and over 150 issues on Marvel Unlimited. So when I say that The Incredible Hulk: Crisis on Counter-Earth was a blast to read, you can take it with a grain of salt, as it’s coming from a very excited new convert to the character.

If you’re on the fence about whether to purchase Hulk 6, then know that over the course of this volume Hulk smashes his way through:

-M.O.D.O.K. wearing a giant Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots-esque suit

-Tiger Shark, who is just hanging out at the bottom of Niagara Falls

-Aquon, “half-man, half-fish, all hate!”

The stories are exactly as appealing (or unappealing) as they sound. If you already like the character, then you will enjoy this volume, but it’s not the collection that will change your mind if you aren’t yet onboard (in my opinion, that would be Hulk 13: Crossroads).

In addition, Hulk also battles classic villains like the Abomination and Rhino, goes on adventures on Counter-Earth, befriends Adam Warlock, and gets into shenanigans that are typical of a Hulk comic. The plots are fairly straightforward, and, as often as not, Hulk will simply be wandering around before stumbling across his adversary and coming to blows.

What I like about Hulk comics from this period is that although the main plots are simplistic, the members of his supporting cast are involved in long-running subplots. In this volume, for example, Betty Ross is put through the emotional wringer after marrying, then losing Glenn Talbot. She develops very complex relationships with Bruce Banner, her father, and, of course, the Hulk, and it’s all much more nuanced than you might expect from The Incredible Hulk. That the title was able to maintain these subplots (which carry on into the next Epic) is all the more impressive given the near-constant turnover in writers.

To be fair, this was fairly common for many of the Marvel titles in the early- and mid- 70’s, but 7 writers contribute to this volume. Steve Englehart scripts about half the issues in Hulk 6, but Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, and Gerry Conway drop in, while Chris Claremont, Steve Gerber, and Tony Isabella occasionally assist with dialogue. I feel like Englehart’s issues are the strongest, but the book is pretty consistent no matter who is writing it. A lot of that is probably due to Herb Trimpe, who drew every issue for 7 years. He probably tends to get overshadowed by Sal Buscema in many people’s minds (myself included), but he really does establish a look for the title. Granted, his designs for new characters are sometimes lacking, but his storytelling is very clear and flows well, and, I’d argue, he’s much more dynamic than he’s given credit for.

It’s worth saying again that your enjoyment from Crisis on Counter-Earth is dependent on how much you already like the Hulk. Since I’ve already read Hulk 7, I’ll be eagerly awaiting Hulk 8 later this year, which finishes Len Wein’s run. I’m also reading the beginning of Peter David’s run on Marvel Unlimited and debating whether I should dip my toes into the Peter David Hulk Epics as well. In terms of my next Epic, I’m staying in the 70’s with a character who is not that dissimilar to the Hulk, only he stabs instead of smashes: Conan the Barbarian.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Huh, judging by some tags I’ve gotten it seems that sea otter behaviour isn’t as well known as dolphin behaviour is. The things sea otters do to baby seals are very similar to what dolphins do, after all… But, well, “shining light on the crimes of sea otters” wasn’t the point of my post and I hope people won’t start bashing them, too.

Actually, I’ll take this opportunity to address what to me seems like a misunderstanding of my original point. Perhaps due to the fact that I compare sharks and dolphins and then dolphins and sea otters, people are quick to jump in the defence of their beloved animals (I totally understand, I do it all the time).

The poster above is right, yes. In this aspect, I suppose sharks would be “more good” than dolphins are, if you really had to look at these two animal groups through the lens of a human. But, see — a lot of animals do things that we would consider to be bad! They may cannibalise or behave violently to their peers, they may torture and kill for enjoyment, they may r**e members of their own species and other species, and so many other horrible things. So many animal species do these things that there would be no point in listing them all. Are you going to vilify every single animal species that exhibits these behaviours? How deep will you go? Is a cat playing with its prey immoral? Is a pike swallowing a ruffe whole so it suffers as it’s being digested immoral? Is a sand tiger shark immoral because it cannibalises its siblings while still in the womb? Dolphins don’t do that. Does this mean that now, dolphins are “more good” in this aspect than sharks are, actually?

You can try to apply human morals onto nonhuman things. Maybe you’ll even have little breakthroughs, “Huzzah! Ducks do heinous things! They were secretly evil this whole time even if society tells us otherwise!” Soon enough though, you’re going to realise that every living thing is “bad” in some way. Even humans can’t all abide by the morals we have! Picking and choosing what animals you think are “good” and “evil” won’t take you anywhere.

Hot take, I really don’t think we should assign human morals onto animals and call them bad or evil. Fishblr has internalised this idea really well with sharks, and I think that’s good! Sharks don’t deserve all the fearmongering they suffer from in media. But… can we please remember to extend this to other animals too? Even to intelligent animals like dolphins (most commonly bottlenose dolphins) and orcas. It seems to be a counter to pop culture’s tendency to show dolphins as complete angels when they partake in some messed up things, but like…. Dolphins are still animals? They may be able to recognize themselves in mirrors and they may have language and culture and know how to use tools but their intelligence is still on the level of a human child (and how empathetic are those!!??). I see people talk about how evil dolphins are but I never see people talking about other animals the same way, like, why aren’t sea otters and their “evilness” the topic of discussion? :/

[rettywap]

Len: walking around disappointed after visiting an aquarium

Dr. Frankenstein: Len, what did you think a tiger shark was?

[unrelaxing]

media list (29.01.2024 - 04.02.2024)

👂 Listened:

Albums:

Something To Give Each Other by Troye Sivan (2023) [1/10, I hated this album so much I basically stuck to re-listens for the rest of the week.)

Podcasts:

Morbid [This week was really Jack The Ripper week, and boy was it sad. Morbid did an amazing job in really going through the lives of each of the victims, and it really made it all the more tragic because all of these women led incredibly hard lives and wanted so desperately to make it.] Episodes: ⤷ EP 343-344, 346-347, 349: Jack The Ripper Pt. 1-5 ⤷ EP 337: The Greenbriar Ghost ⤷ The Bermondsey Horror

The Rest Is History [I think what I remember most from this podcast is one of the hosts making fun of The Guardian and finding out they were a conservative, and then thinking about what it means to learn about history from that lens, especially when it comes to discussions about colonisation and such. Their episode on Black Britain did have a black person come on and talk about their own family history and the book they'd written about the topic, so they were a both a subjective and objective expert, which I appreciated, though I think by the hosts' awkwardness when it came to asking questions I should've realised? But I genuinely thought that was just 'I am the coloniser you're talking about' awkwardness.] Episodes: ⤷ EP 411: The Man In The Iron Mask ⤷ EP 401: Windrush - The Story of Black Britain ⤷ EP 400: Victorian Britain's Maddest Mystery

Tooth & Claw: Tiger Shark Attack - The Shark Arm Murder Case [This was covered on Buzzfeed Unsolved, but I was interested to hear about this from a shark-focused perspective, though it did end up being a lot about the case too.]

📖 Read:

Articles:

Can A World Without Prisons Ever Be Pragmatic? by Nathan J. Robinson from transformharm.org [I loved the bit in this article about how it's actually quiet easy to reconcile prison abolition and prison reform as different steps in an agenda that focuses primarily on dismantling unjust systems.]

Books:

Luck In The Shadows by Lynn Flewelling [in progress, still not finished, but made good headway this week. Alec deserves the world - I feel like Flewelling does an amazing job at creating a character who is unused to Situations and who doesn't have the same knowledge about other things while still being incredibly competent and smart. I love him to pieces!]

📺 Watched:

Youtube:

Taiwan's Most Infamous Case | The Pai Hsiao-Yen Incident from Lazy Masquerade

[rpenvs3000w23]

Nature is Amazing

Welcome back, today I’m hoping to go on a journey through nature. What do I know about nature? Well, I’m trying to think of that myself as I do know a good amount, but I also don’t. I know some facts but it’s hard to pinpoint one amazing thing. Instead, I’d like to showcase many amazing things. Nature has this sense of awe around it. I think everyone can feel it if they try. If we leave the city, put down our phones and really think about it or don’t think that works sometimes to. Let’s put some numbers to this everyone likes numbers to prove stuff. Canada has a population of 38.25 million. Ontario has a population of 14.57 million. That’s like 45% of Canada (don’t quote me on 45% I estimated) and most of those people are in southern Ontario.

Next, think of how much space is around you if you have ever travelled to a small town or out of the city… Right! so much land and that’s in the most populated part of Canada. Now think of the mountain ranges, savannahs, rainforests, deserts, and so much more. I find nature everywhere to make me feel so small I can’t help but marvel in awe at all of it. There is such a vast expanse of space we are less than dust specs on a lens in the eyes of the earth. This just landscapes don’t even get me started on animals.

Birds with crazy colours, toucans with their long beaks, different bears for all different environments, bats and animals that fly using sounds, Owl’s flight is silent so they can sneak up on prey, red tail hawks can dive at over 200km/h, cheetahs can run at 75mph, elephants, rhino’s, tigers. These are merely a few animals, and they are only land ones the marine environments open up a whole new world of crazy. Let’s start with the platypus a duck billed, beaver tailed, otter footed, egg laying animal and its venomous like how does that exist?! Or there is a narwhal, a medium sized whale with a horn! This makes me think that unicorns aren’t so far fetch in mythology like Pegasus or gryphon’s. Why can’t a horse have a horn if a whale can? Why can’t a horse or a lion have wings if fish can fly?

A few extra facts to hopefully help my point a little more are that a small human can crawl through the artery of a blue whale and Orcas are now hunting sharks for their liver. Yes, that last one was correct just the liver. Orcas have now been able to figure out how basically surgically remove a shark’s liver. They hunt packs and stun or kill the shark (great whites by the way not just little less aggressive kinds) and take just the liver out of the body without tearing it apart.

is absolutely magnificent and awe’s me every time I learn more about it. I am forever grateful we as humans are sort of at the top of the food chain as I don’t what we would do if we were not. Well, I hoped you learned something in this jumble of facts and information and that you can come to recognize the amazement of nature as I have. Talk to ya next time.

[scriptdogtor]

Let’s talk territory. If this adaptation wants to remain true to the original, mermaids have predators like sharks.

What about orcas?

So like, how do they keep safe? Do sharks recognize territories like mammals do?

Also, if we are to assume merpeople get high, are there any underwater equivalents of weed?

Oooh, these are interesting! I'll try to break these down since there's a lot to elaborate on for each, but I might expand upon these bits if anyone has additional thoughts/questions.

First thing's first, from an ethology perspective:

We tend to interpret animal behavior from a human lens.

This is a natural, normal thing to do. We see a dog behaving a certain way and we attach a label (dominant/jealous/needy/etc.) to it. This gives us shorthand to communicate, but it can perpetuate myths or even miscolor our interpretations of what animals do. So when we talk about behavior, it's important to start with what we can see in the field vs. how we interpret it first.

Animals respect territorial boundaries becomes this species keeps to a defined, measurable range. Animals mark along the edges of this range.

Merfolk & Shark Predation

I've seen stories that have merfolk diets all over the place and that's great for storytelling potential. I know what you mean by the OG tales featuring shark attacks, but I'm not sure that means a shark would choose a merperson over easier prey.

I'll focus on sharks adapted to pursue larger prey. Think Great Whites, maybe Threshers, or Tiger Sharks. These sharks tend to be opportunistic feeders and are drawn to particular types of movement. They have preferred prey and it's not humanlike.

Thresher shark hunting (which gives me ideas for predatory merfolk):

Great White hunting patterns discovered by dorsal fin cameras (overdramatized but good info)

Merfolk have a size and likely social advantage to seals. For prey of opportunistic animals, it pays to be faster, smarter, or more difficult to catch than the prey next to you.

Love this practical breakdown of film shark attacks, and one of the most important things about this is that most shark "attacks" are curiosity rather than predation. Lots of good info about adaptations, too!

Orcas as Apex Predators

Orcas are efficient predators. That doesn't make them universally dangerous to humans or humanlike creatures, but our perception of their behavior has a lot to do with culture. They're also large enough that non-predatory behavior could seriously injure a creature our size.

I have been shoved by a cow and stepped on by draft horses, but I have not been shoved by an animal who swims better than I do and is 13,000 lbs.

Ultimately, a seal is going to make a more efficient meal for an orca, but there are so many regional differences in orca populations that maybe they might be a danger to some merfolk? Mer do have the advantage of not needing to go to the surface to breathe, so they could simply wait them out.

Also, shoutout to the Little Mermaid series because we all love Spot. You can tell where the animators referenced male and female orcas by how they shaped his dorsal fin.

Note on Sharks & Territorial Range:

I'm not actually sure what we know about sharks having defined ranges or not. I don't think they do? At least not in the way humans think about territories, which comes from our culture of defined, strict, labelled nation boundaries.

A lot of predators will stick around a certain range if they've got prey (see: some orcas sticking to food-rich areas in ranges as small as a few miles) but I don't know of any behaviors that maintain that range.

Any marine bio friends have any insights?

Merfolk Defenses

Even if they aren't a primary food source, merfolk can deliberately keep themselves safe. We can infer defenses from our similar anatomy and pull from what we know about marine life, too.

Likely defenses:

Social grouping. Your friends can watch your back.

Intelligence. Coordination means you're much more difficult to catch and much more dangerous.

Endurance. Humans aren't physically the best at much, but we were originally meant to tire out our prey.

Applying camouflage. You have the issue of both skin and scales/fins, but humans have been applying camouflage to themselves since the beginning of time. Merfolk can probably do the same.

Tools & weapons. Think of all the glass that gets littered in the ocean. Ouch.

Some cool adaptations for your stories:

Fin shape adapted for fast, efficient movement. I'm interested because 2023 Ariel's fin shape implies she moves more slowly than a few of her sisters.

Spiny fins. Careful your spines don't injure your merfriend's skin, though.

Echolocation or lateral line sensation. Perception equals better awareness of your surroundings before a predator can catch up.

Marine Recreational Substances - Tetrodotoxin

I had no idea what to title this. So you get this one!

With any substance, the dose makes the poison and the dose makes the high. My first thought is obviously tetrodotoxin, or the venom found in pufferfish. It's a sodium-channel blocker and can interfere with nerve/muscle communication.

Other sodium-channel blockers include lidocaine and cannabidiol. I'm not experienced enough in pharmacology to tell you how different these might be, but drugs that have the same mechanisms of action can have vastly different effects. Some drugs are more specific than others and have more narrow margins of safety. Still...it's interesting to think about.

I'll have to look into other venoms to see how they work, too.

[marvelousmrm]

Marvel Team-Up #14 (Wein/Kane, Oct 1973). Oh hey it’s my 1500th post. Does Tumblr send me a cookie or a bottle of wine or something? Oh, and Pete blunders into Namor’s revenge on Tiger Shark. Weird that such a huge Sub-Mariner plot gets resolved in another book!

[patsywalkerbondagecover]

Marvel Team-Up 14, Marvel Comics, October 1973. Cover art by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. “Mayhem Is the Men-Fish!” by Len Wein, Gil Kane and Wayne Howard.

[iguana-king56]

And I've been working on expanding the Procarion Pantheon a lot more as well by properly working on the designs for these gods.

[marvelman901]

Tiger Shark (Todd Arliss) . Should Tiger Shark be in the MCU? . 1st - 4th slide is from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe v3 13 (1991) Art by Keith Pollard and Josef Rubinstein. Research and Text by Glenn Herdling, Len Kaminski, Peter Sanderson and Murray. Colors by Andy Yanchus. 5th slide art is by John Buscema. 6th slide art is by Paul Pelletier. . See more relevant content here: #marvelman901tigershark #marvelman901keithpollard #marvelman901paulpelletier #marvelman901johnbuscema . #tigershark #submariner #marvelsupervillain #90s #keithpollard #josefrubinstein #johnbuscema #paulpelletier (på/i Pasadena, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoVkqpNsokX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rockislandadultreads]

Magical Realism in Adult Fiction: Books to Read

The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber

The House of Rust is an enchanting novel about a Hadrami girl in Mombasa. When her fisherman father goes missing, Aisha takes to the sea on a magical boat made of a skeleton to rescue him. She is guided by a talking scholar’s cat (and soon crows, goats, and other animals all have their say, too). On this journey Aisha meets three terrifying sea monsters. After she survives a final confrontation with Baba wa Papa, the father of all sharks, she rescues her own father, and hopes that life will return to normal. But at home, things only grow stranger. Khadija Abdalla Bajaber’s debut is a magical realist coming-of-age tale told through the lens of the Swahili and diasporic Hadrami culture in Mombasa, Kenya. Richly descriptive and written with an imaginative hand and sharp eye for unusual detail, The House of Rust is a memorable novel by a thrilling new voice.

What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

A dazzlingly accomplished debut collection explores the ties that bind parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers and friends to one another and to the places they call home. In “Who Will Greet You at Home,” a National Magazine Award finalist for The New Yorker, A woman desperate for a child weaves one out of hair, with unsettling results. In “Wild,” a disastrous night out shifts a teenager and her Nigerian cousin onto uneasy common ground. In "The Future Looks Good," three generations of women are haunted by the ghosts of war, while in "Light," a father struggles to protect and empower the daughter he loves. And in the title story, in a world ravaged by flood and riven by class, experts have discovered how to "fix the equation of a person" - with rippling, unforeseen repercussions. Evocative, playful, subversive, and incredibly human, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky heralds the arrival of a prodigious talent with a remarkable career ahead of her.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. Exit West follows these characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for—or rather, demands—the teenager’s help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and Tiger and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners. Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge—the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter...

[durrzerker]

Taskmaster: The Line. A new Taskmaster fanfic!

Hey all, I’ve decided to start a fanfic project to get through all this quarantine business. I’ll try to do at least a couple chapters a week, but regardless, here’s the first chapter of Taskmaster: The Line!

Chapter 1: On the Job

The only thing honest about Bagalia was the weather. High above the jungle of skyscrapers that made up the City of No Laws, a sky as grey as static threatened an onslaught of rain. The last four days had seen a torrential downpour that had driven all but the most stubborn of the supervillains, henchmen, and criminals that made up Bagalia's population indoors, and today looked to be no different. Standing on a street corner near the eastern end of the city in front of an offensively neon vending machine, Taskmaster placed his hands upon his hips and glared through his mask at an empty row of what had once been cream cheese honey buns. His elaborate costume, made up of a skull-shaped helmet, trailing cloak, and blue tights, was one of the most garish to be found in the entire city -- but it WAS weatherproof. "You gotta be kiddin' me. Eric. ERIC!" Sliding open the side door of the enormous, armored van that the pair preferred to use to discretely get around the city, Black Ant poked his head out and looked around. It was drizzling now, occasional droplets landing across the enormous, red lens of his insectoid mask, causing him to grumble and rub them away. "What?!" "There's no cream cheese honey buns left!" Taskmaster complained, kicking the base of the machine and turning about towards the van. "I know! It's a tragedy. What do you want me to do about it, though?" "Get the number of the vending machine guy. I specifically requested he keep those stocked for me." Tapping the badge that read 'Sheriff' across his chest, Taskmaster opened the driver's side of the vehicle and clambered up inside, sweeping his cape up so that it wouldn't bundle under his ass. He hated that. "Can't have someone disrespecting the Sheriff," Black Ant agreed, picking up his phone in one hand and lifting his mask with the other. No sooner had Taskmaster started the van and begun to drive, filling half of the narrow city street with the vehicle, than he heard a familiar plastic crinkling. He nearly slammed the brakes in outrage when he realized what it was: Black Ant opening and starting to eat one of the exact honey buns he'd been looking for." "...You son of a bitch." Taskmaster narrowed his eyes as he hit the accelerator, starting off again. "You're lucky we've got a job to do, or I'd be pryin' that out of yer dead hands." "Thity of No Lawth, Tony!" Eric replied, spitting crumbs everywhere. -- They'd been driving for nearly half an hour before Taskmaster caught sight of their goal: an armored personnel carrier, considerably larger even than their own and with a mounted chaingun on the top, manned by a man in a ski mask. "There they are." Fresh off his sugar binge, Black Ant tugged his mask back down, leaning forward to inspect the other vehicle over the dashboard. "Just looks like your typical gun-car for kids of all ages to me. What's the play here?" "Easy, little buddy." Shifting into a higher gear, Tony accelerated, reaching behind him with one arm to grab his weapons belt off the back of the seat. Simple and black on the outside, the inside of the back revealed the van for what it was: one of Punisher's old Battle Vans, seized after Baron Zemo had captured the violent vigilante some months back. It had 'mysteriously' gone missing during one of Taskmaster's inventory reports since then, and he'd gotten plenty of mileage out of it ever since. "In the unique position of the Sheriff of Bagalia, a city with no laws--" Black Ant thudded his head against the leather of his car seat. "Oh my god, not this speech again." "--I don't enforce the stilted and limited laws of other nations, but the will of the common people! The -citizens- of this great and independent nation!" Taskmaster boasted, rolling down the driver's side window and leaning out, his trusted longbow in hand. A perfect replica of Hawkeye's, right down to the massive draw weight. Picking out an explosive arrow from his quiver, he nocked it. "...Okay, so who's paying us to do this, then?" Eric asked, faithfully taking the wheel and crossing one leg over Taskmaster's own to hit the gas. They'd practiced this move for awhile, despite arguments about the fact it'd be easier to just let Black Ant drive. As Taskmaster had insisted - his (stolen) van, his rules. The gunner on top of the APC was looking at them now, warning them silently to back off by turning the barrel of his weapon towards them. Ignoring it entirely, Taskmaster just waved cheerfully before ducking his head back inside as they opened fire. The bulletproof windshield of Punisher's old ride took it like a champion; he knew he had about four seconds before it finally yielded, and so he popped out just enough to take his shot. His vision rocked as the explosive arrow went off right into the other APC's tailpipe, wreathing the undercarriage in flames and sending it skidding sideways until it tipped over. Ducking back inside, making a face of mild concern at the bullet dents on the van barely an inch from where his head had been, Taskmaster replied, "Oh. Tiger Shark. Said these guys keep coming around to the docks and loading up boxes, and he can't sleep because they're using his pier." "Nice shot," Eric complimented, "But wait -- Tiger Shark?! Isn't he, like, one of the strongest guys in Bagalia? And also a BIG FREAKING SHARK? How come he couldn't handle something like this himself?" "Dunno, but he paid up front. Come on, let's go meet our adventurous little entrepreneurs. Looks like someone's climbing out; guess I didn't do that much damage after all." Taskmaster peered suspiciously at a man extricating himself from the capsized vehicle, pulling himself out of the passenger side window. "Fair enough. First Deputy Black Ant on the scene!" Polishing his own badge, Eric opened his side of the van. "Second Deputy. TESS-one was first," Taskmaster corrected. "Robots don't count, Tony!" "You're an LMD." "--OKAY WELL TESS-ONE DOESN'T COUNT." Eric pointed two fingers at his own mask, then at Taskmaster, before suddenly yelping and ducking out of the way of a pressurized jet of water. It proved to be a smart call; as soon as the water hit the van behind him, it bored a hole through the armored plating like it was paper, causing both Taskmaster and Black Ant to exchange a wary look before settling into a defensive stance. "HELLO, LOSERS!" Spreading his arms wide, the man advanced fearlessly. He was stripped to the waist, wearing only a pair of loose pants. His exposed skin, of which there was far too much for Taskmaster's liking, was a deep and vibrant blue. "You've made the mistake of intruding upon the business of my employers! It has fallen to me, Jason Waterfalls, to stop you -- and stop you I will!" Straightening a little, Taskmaster furrowed his brow behind his mask. "Wait--" Black Ant, sharing his confusion, lifted a finger. "--What did you say your name was?" Deflating very slightly but still maintaining a boastful tone, the blue man jabbed a thumb at his chest. "JAAAAASON WATERFALLS! Master of the most essential element of life!" "That's -- that's awful," Taskmaster proclaimed. "How'd you manage to come up with something even lamer than Hydro Man?" Dropping his arms entirely, sounding exasperated, Jason glared at them both. "You idiots, it's like the song!" "What song?" Black Ant asked sincerely. "You know! The famous one!" Clearing his throat, breaking into song in the middle of the street, he struck a pose. "♫...DOOOON'T GO JAAAAASON WATERFALLLLS!♫" Turning his attention back to the pair, he beamed. "Get it?" "...It's 'chasing waterfalls', you stupid asshole!" Taskmaster cried out, rapidly nocking and firing another explosive arrow. "The absolute insult to Destiny's Child!" As the arrow whizzed towards its destination, Jason simply lifted a hand, a sheet of water surging out from his body and forming a wall in front of him. It not only absorbed the explosion but provided a counter-attack, blasting Taskmaster off his feet.

"I thought that song was by TLC," Black Ant commented, looking down at him before offering him a hand up.

"Shut up. Either way, dumb name, very powerful. Got it," Taskmaster sighed, forcing himself back into a standing position and making a run for the battle van. "I'm gonna guess this guy is why Tiger Shark couldn't handle this himself," Black Ant said. "What's the game plan? Doesn't take an expert to assume that the fact it's about to rain means he's probably going to get even tougher. This isn't really what I had in mind when I said I wanted a wet and wild weekend, Tony." Both of them were put on the defensive as the opposing supervillain continued launching jets of water at them, punching more holes into the van and keeping them pinned down. "You ever fought Hydro Man before?" Taskmaster asked, opening the back of the van and ducking another jet before grabbing his shield from inside. To his relief, it didn't look damaged; whatever power allowed their ridiculous new foe to fire water hard enough to penetrate steel, it apparently couldn't get through genuine vibranium. "Nope. Have you?" "Nope. Damn. Uhh...what's water weak against?" Using his shield for cover, Tony peeked out over the edge of the van. He managed to block the next projectile, but even though it couldn't get through the shield, it nearly sent him right back off his feet again. It was raining harder now, the drizzle having erupted into a genuine torrent. "According to my Pokemon game, Electricity and...Graaaaasss? Does Bagalia have any local parks?" Black Ant checked his phone. "--Electricity, Eric. We're gonna go with electricity." "That's probably the better idea, yes. I'll distract, you zap?" "Bingo, little buddy." They bumped fists and then Eric shrank, using the Pym Particles in his suit to minimize his profile. By the time he was done, he was barely six inches tall. "The weather's gonna make this tricky," Black Ant warned. "It's a lot harder to ignore dog-sized rain, so make it quick!" Proving his point, the next droplet smacked square into his back, sending him stumbling as he dove out into the open, growing to catch Jason's attention. "Hey, jackass!" Shrinking even smaller when he was shot at, he successfully seemed to grab the man's attention. "Disruptor arrows won't quite do the trick by themselves," Tony grumbled to himself, fishing a few out from the van and glancing around. They could, however, cause the chain reaction he needed. Waiting until Jason's back was turned as he chased Black Ant with his attacks, Tony took aim and launched his shield upwards, perfectly mimicking the stance of Captain America as he released. This was going to be tricky, even for him - but it was the best idea he had. The sharpened edge of his shield cut a power line crossing the street, sending it whipping loudly towards the street. His attention drawn, Jason turned to regard the cable, jumping out of the way as it crackled and swung past like an electrified vine. "You morons; you think I'm not paying attention to you, Taskmaster?!" "I'm hoping you are." Lifting his bow away from Jason and towards the sky, Taskmaster fired his disruptor arrow just in time as another blast of water smashed into his stomach. The protective fabric of his costume managed to protect him from the worst of it, as he'd been counting on -- but he could still feel at least four ribs break from the sheer concussive force; without being able to penetrate, the powerful jet had dissipated painfully against his body. "Rrgh." Assuming he'd made Taskmaster miss, Jason was forced to turn his attention back to Black Ant, who was launching himself at the man in a seemingly desperate gambit. In truth, it was simply a distraction from the disruptor arrow -- Taskmaster had gauged his shot carefully, using every combined skill he'd gained from Bullseye, Hawkeye, and Cap in the process...along with a little trust in his best friend. Rebounding off the shield that was still sailing downward from the arc of its throw, the arrow ricocheted perfectly towards Jason Waterfalls, hitting him square in the back. His body surged with the EMP contained in the arrowhead; he staggered forward, swinging wildly at Black Ant, who ducked behind him to catch the power line on its next swing, jabbing it square into Jason's eyes. "You...mother--!!" The man roared before his teeth began to chatter from the current running through him. Launched like an uncoiling spring, he catapulted himself to the ground with bone-crushing impact as his muscles seized. "Huh," Black Ant murmured. "I kinda figured he was MADE of water." "--Yeah, me too." Taskmaster nudged the body with his foot once it stopped moving. "I guess a power line to the face is gonna put you down either way, though. Nice job." "Thanks. --Shield!" Without looking up, Taskmaster lifted his arm to catch it. "I know. They never watch the shield on the way back, do they?" "It's a little sad, honestly. --Hey, let's go see what they were shipping, anyways. Stupid name or not, this guy was some pretty serious muscle. Maybe we can sell it." Eric made his way towards the APC, quickly checking for other survivors in the front seat and shaking his head. "Clear! Now for the loot." Rubbing his hands together, he circled around to open the back hatch. "Come to Eri--oh." Swallowing hard, Eric looked up. "...Tasky? You might want to come see this." Taskmaster grabbed his sword, following Eric to take in what he'd found. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard his pal sound so distressed, but it didn't take long for him to figure out why. "--Ah, hell." Curled up in a group as far away as they could be from the costumed mercenaries, half a dozen children, none looking over ten years old, stared at them with wide eyes.

[lceylee0826]

Animal Experience Station

Tells more about the research and development process of this project.

Project Description：

We inhabit the same world as animals, but humans all too often dominate their lives and impact their wellbeing immensely. Through daily observation as a city dweller, I noticed that there is far too much cruelty to animals surrounding us.

I hope that this project enables young urbal dwellers to experience the world of animals on a more intuitive level and through doing so create a new form of empathetic emotional bond with them. Whether one is the participant, or merely an onlooker, the project seeks to reduce the sense of 'otherness' that people often place on animals, as well as initiating re-consider the relation between human and animal, continuing a discourse within the field of non-anthropocentric design.

Process video https://youtu.be/tyBySdBgzs0

Inspiration：

I once saw chefs in restaurants making live octopus into dishes in front of diners and even let the diners ‘torture’ the live octopus and eat it. This restaurant in Shanghai is also very famous for this feature.

But this actually reminds me more of the performance death of animals.Humans and animals share this earth, but often treat them like this. :(

Due to this, I do some research on animal performance death in China. The truth is, this kind of news can be seen everywhere, such as hitting a sheep to death in front of diners, or eating live seafood live on a video app.

Though these news，I still remember that once I saw a live fish used as a video material in a shooting scene and was left and ‘tortured’ to death by people. 

Also，I drew inspiration of two documentary. ‘Dominion’ By Chris Delforce

‘Racing Extinction’ By Louie Psihoyos

These two documentaries are very real about the harm that humans have caused to farmed animals and endangered animal. The ‘Racing Exhibition’ even predicted that ‘In the next 100 years, 50% of species will disappear. The biggest reason is because of human behavior.’

It leded me to think if we swap the position what will we feel? In that cases ,will we have a better understanding of them and emphasis with them？

In addition to second-hand research, I also conducted some first-hand research. I asked others if they would be able to empathize with animals, and the results showed that people are more inclined to empathize with pets or animals that are close in daily life (pigs/sheep). This instead reminds me of those wild animals, those animals that we rarely come into contact with. 

Then，I went to Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo, where people can interact with wild animals and feed them. Now days a lot of urban residents will go here.

However， through observation, I found that as a urbal dwellers, I can only interact with these animals through cages and glass. This phenomenon gave me a deeper thinking about the relationship between urban residents and wild animals.

I also want to use this project to let people know the status of these animals.

Due to this thinking, I decide to do more research about the relationship between human and animal that I want to discuss.

Research

‘Tiger Penis Project’ By Kuang-Yi Ku

https://www.tigerpenisproject.com 

I truly think this artist brought tradition Chinese views into the speculative design scene and proposed the use of emerging biotechnology to make artificial animal parts for traditional Chinese medicine. This new hybrid medicine combines Chinese and Western medicine with technology, prevents further destruction of animals and traditional culture, and provides more possibilities for the coexistence of human society and the natural environment.

‘I want delivery a dolphin’ By Ai Hasegawa

https://www.dezeen.com/2013/11/18/i-wanna-deliver-a-dolphin-synthetic-biology-concept-humans-giving-birth-to-food-by-ai-hasegawa/

‘This project approaches the problem of human reproduction in an age of overcrowding, overdevelopment and environmental crisis,’ Hasegawa said. "With potential food shortages and a population of nearly seven billion people, would a woman consider incubating and giving birth to an endangered species such as a shark, tuna or dolphin?"

This speculative and experimental design gives me a deeper thinking about the relationship between humans and animals. I also want to create a special experience to connect humans and animals. This is also about the field of non-anthropocentric design. 

‘The School of Looking’ By Denis Connolly and Anne Cleary 

http://www.connolly-cleary.com/Home/helmets.html

I was inspired by these artists, who mixed machine, human and animal experience together through a series of helmet designs, not only providing participant with an experience but also creating an interesting experience for on lookers.

Drawing upon this, I imagined a way of bringing people into the world of animals with a playful focus. 

Through ‘Design events: on explorations of a nonanthropocentric framework in desig‘ By Li Jönsson, I found the helmet is a special form of speculative design，It's also a form of combining design and audience closer.

‘Song of the Machine’ By SuperfIux

https://superflux.in/index.php/work/song-of-the-machine/#

SuperfIux created a new type of retinal prosthesis, helping the blind to reconnect with the world. The device, in conjunction with an optogenetic retinal process, enables blind people to gain light sensitivity and therefore gain a field of vision. 

My design proposal was influenced further through this work. I intend to design a wearable device that could alter our field of vision and create optical experiences which allow people to see the world through the eyes of animals.

‘Simulation is an important mechanism for empathy. Simulation is an ancient function of the human nervous system, which is of great significance in social life and individual development.’ 

 From ‘Embodied simulation phenomena and neural mechanisms in empathy’, Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, Sun Yabin, Wang Jinyan, Luo Fei.

The above quote led me to consider whether simulation could be a design tool to connect humans and animals.

Additionally, a TED talk titled ‘How Virtual Reality Can Create the Ultimate Empathy Machine’ By Chris Milk made me reflect on the use of VR as a 'machine' to create simulation and change people's perspectives.

https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_milk_how_virtual_reality_can_create_the_ultimate_empathy_machine

Sorry for the unclear picture quality:(((((

Through this research, I decided to create a simulation visual experience for my audience to help them observe the world of animals and create a connection, with the aim of generating a deeper sense of empathy among humans for the lives on animals.

Though 134 questionnaires, I discovered that people were intensely interested in entering the world of animals. Also，after screening my survey results, I decided on the octopus, eagle, and snake as the animals I wanted to simulate the field of vision of, not only because people are curious about their vision, but also because these three animals represent the species that often be hunted from the ocean, land and the sky.

In addition，these three animals are also suffering some harm caused by humans. For example, in China we will regard snakes as important and drink liquor that made by snake. We do eat octopus raw and treat it as a pleasure. We did have some news about eagles being hunted and killed and they are on the verge of extinction.

‘RGB’ By Carnovsky

https://www.carnovsky.com/RGB.htm

The designer allows visitors to see different graphics through different colors of lighting, thus creating a visual space with a strong sense of experience.The space and the lighting have enhanced the experience.It also led me to think that  use different color to change the audience visual experience.

Concept

Through all the research, I have finalized my concept. I am going to build a experience station that contain a series of wearable devices and enviroment to simulate the animal experience. Aiming to allow young urban residents to re-consider the relationship between human and animal, and pay attention to the current state of animals, finally empathize with them through a mixed experience.

Process of Helmets

The octopus can change the shape of its pupil to receive different colors of light.Theoretical source: https://octolab.tv/octopus- vision/

In the beginning, I did not deliberately decide on the shape of the helmet. I pay more attention to how to realize the conversion of visual functions, and I hope I can improve it later.

I even want people to simulate the living conditions of these animals before wearing my helmet, but later I hope that people will wear helmets to communicate and walk in this city in an playful way，I think the project seeks to reduce the sense of 'otherness' that people often place on animals, as well as initiating re-consider the relation between human and animal.

Lenses material：The lens is laser cut and spray-painted on the basis of colored acrylic to simulate the shape and color of the octopus pupil.

The angle of view of the eagle can focus and magnify a very small object with a light red color. Theoretical source:’Vision In Birds’ By Graham R Martin and Daniel Osorio

I tested the effects of magnifying glasses with different magnifications, and I finally chose a 15x magnifying glass, which does not make people feel dizzy but has a magnifying effect.

Lenses material: magnifying glass and translucent paper.

Snakes have very weak eyesight, but they can simulate images through heat sensing and through sensitive other senses.Theoretical source: ‘The Infrared ’Vision’ of Snakes’ By Eric A. Newman and Peter Hartline

Lenses material：At the beginning, I used simple graphics to experience the effects of VR, and the colors were generated according to the visual effects of thermal induction. Finally there will be a dynamic image of a snake in the VR glasses.

User Feedback

I tested these three helmets and got feedback from users and observers.

From the observers point of view, these helmets lack the feeling of three animals, and I need to add some texture and color to them.

From the user’s point of view, the helmet should be more ergonomic, and the use of lenses and helmets will not give people a sufficient sense of experience.

Because the visual effects of these three animals are quite special, I need some other products or environments to watch them in order to provide a better experience. Finally, I decided to make a series of posters.

Process of Poster and Logo

When designing the posters, I used the three primary colors of light (Red/Green/Blue) as the basis and designed patterns based on the visual characteristics of the three animals.

I also left short words on the poster in the form of a diary. For example, when visitors wear the octopus helmet, they can see different words by changing different lenses.

When visitors wear the eagle helmet, they need to use a magnifying glass to see the smaller words.

The snake poster itself has no information. But when visitors put on the snake's helmet, they can see a dynamic video with VR

Video link:https://youtu.be/tBUssmG6YjA

My helmet is mainly based on visual functions and has a role of changing perspectives. So the logo is based on the elements of ’eye’ and ’transition’.

I do some sketches and confirmed the final effect of logo

Second Prototype

Since the materials used in the previous helmet were not stiff enough, I remade it with corrugated paper.

Due to the limitation of the material, I used a better colored spray paint to decorate the helmet, but the finished product was not refined enough, so this became the second model. I pair these prototypes  with posters to test the user experience, which will help me when I make the final outcome.

Process of final outcome

I re-adjusted the structure and decoration, using the three primary colors to redesign the color and pattern of the helmet. The pattern is processed in the simplest way according to the lines on the animal body, and the final outcome is performed by laser cutting.

Experience Space, September 5, 2020, Shanghai

You Can See More In Process Video, THX!

User feedback:

1. The helmet is not easy for the user to wear with its current structure, so it needs to be considered more. 2. It would be interesting to get people to interact with each other when they have a helmet on, and it could be good to develop this into a performance and walk out onto the street to get more feedback. 3. More interactive devices can be designed, not just visuals, but other senses could also be incorporated. Currently, the experience of the animal is not strong enough.

Self-refIection:

1. The experience space could be set outdoors, allowing the audience to experience the animals' preferred habitats. 2. AR/VR and other technologies can be used to enhance the visual experience of different animals. So as to give the experiencer a more real experience. 3. Considering the scope and effect of communication, a visual branding system can be designed to integrate the helmet with the packaging and website.

Bibliography:

1. ’The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web and Beyond’ By Garrett, J. 2. ’The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality’ By Jerald, J 3. ’Cities, Semantics & Approaches to ‘WILD’ By Amartya Deb 4. ’Games As Speculative Design:Allowing Players To Consider Alternate Presents And Plausible Futures’ By Paul Coulton