It's important to know that the Thing which is... sometimes called a "camel spider" is better called a solpugid or solifugid. It's not a spider at all. It has no venom glands, and kills prey by crunching them up with their massive jaws (the most powerful for their size of any animal). A really big one can nip you, and probably draw blood if you let it hang on long enough. But no venom of any sort. They just look super scary. I kept one as a pet for a while but it was a pretty terrible pet because all it wanted to do was escape the terrarium 24/7. Spiders, scorpions, and mantises are way more chill.show more

Some idiot has painted a cross on one of... the hedgehogs, presumably so they can identify it, for some reason. If you want to identify hedgehogs, do it the proper way: pay attention to their size, shape and albedo. It's not hard if you're not lazy. Painting them is a bad thing. Don't handle hedgehogs (or *any* other wild animals) unless you need to and don't paint a target on them to mark them out by sight or smell to predators. It's stressful for them, the paint might be toxic and it can make it hard for them to curl up when they sense a threat. Just don't fuck with wild animals at all, they are not toys. They are not here for our entertainment. We should be delighted when they visit, not mark them as property.show more

Geoengineering ☠️... If there is one thing that should... unite the people of the world!! It's the fact that ALL our governments are participating in a global assault on humanity and all life! They can deny it, they can spin it as a solution to the climatescam, but we know better! This was taken by a Russian citizen over Istanbulshow more

I watched Robot on the Road and honestly I... did not really know what to expect going in At the beginning it just feels like a pretty normal little road trip setup with this robot hitchhiking around Japan and it almost gives off a chill slice of life vibe But it does not stay like that for long The more it goes on the more you realize the robot is doing some really questionable stuff and the way it focuses on women without their consent makes the whole thing feel really uncomfortable By the end I was not really sure if I was supposed to find it funny or just feel weird about it Overall it feels like one of those shorts that tries to mix dark humor with awkward situations but it mostly just ends up being unsettlingshow more

Nobody comes into my office and says they've been... losing ground for years. They come in for a knee or a shoulder. But when you ask the right questions, a different story emerges. They stopped hiking because it got too hard. They gave up tennis. They hesitate before the stairs they used to take without thinking. They've quietly rearranged their lives around what they can no longer do... and most of them didn't notice it happening. This is what I think of as the narrowing of people's lives. It's not a dramatic event. Instead, it's a gradual shrinking of what's physically possible, so slow that people mistake the adaptation for a choice. It wasn't a choice. It was the slow, quiet disappearance of capacity that nobody warned them to protect. They normalized all the changes and attributed them solely to aging. The narrowing is not inevitable!! Dammit... it's not ;-)! But it requires intention to resist because the body will not hold the capacity to do things you do not train, and the losses accumulate in silence until they don't.show more

Not a change, but I've had a TON of... folks asking if this is getting changed from June 10. This is a ball hit by Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and it was ruled an error on Jake Mangum of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only thing I can think of is that Mookie didn't appeal, because this is a base hit, it's always been a base hit, and it will continue to be a base hit. Except on this one play. There is no way a sliding attempt like this is an error. I know Mangum broke the wrong way, but that doesn't factor it ... it's the catch, the physical catch, and there is ZERO CHANCE this is ordinary effort. I know we talk changes here, but this non-change is the most confounding one for me since Aaron Judge's first career walk-off hit, which was the most obvious fielder's choice of all time, but because it was the last play of the season, it didn't get appealed or changed.show more

What you’re seeing is a day gecko confronting a... black widow spider. The setup is deceptive because it looks like predator versus prey, but biologically it’s a high-risk mistake for the gecko. Watch. Black widows are not aggressive, but they are defensive and chemically armed. Their venom contains α-latrotoxin, which causes massive neurotransmitter release. In small vertebrates like lizards, that venom can lead to neuromuscular paralysis, respiratory failure, and death. The spider does not need to chase… it only needs one clean bite. Geckos hunt by motion detection and visual contrast. The red hourglass is not a “warning sign” to reptiles the way it is to mammals. Reptiles lack the learned aversion and cortical processing to interpret symbolic coloration. To the gecko, it’s just movement. The reason the spider holds its ground is simple. Energy economics. Running wastes energy and increases exposure. Standing still, raising legs, and posturing increases the odds the predator hesitates… which is exactly what you see. If the gecko strikes incorrectly or grabs the abdomen instead of the cephalothorax, the spider can bite reflexively. In the wild, that often ends the gecko within minutes to hours. #SilentMajoritySpeaks #AStoneGrooveshow more

Look, it's one play and I don't want to... zapruder all of these, but this is a pretty clear discrepancy. This was absolutely called a reach-in foul on the other end. This is a turnover for points the other way.show more

This has all been shared ad nauseam, but here’s... my two cents. Yes, I think they were probably disappointed with their seats. Not that it wasn’t the front row, as we all know those are terrible seats for a movie, but still, they look hugely out of place. I’m sure they were hoping something a bit more benefiting their perceived sense of self-importance. But it’s Harry that gets me here. In the picture, which granted is just a moment, you can feel the misery and the brokenness. He does not look like a happy man. Sure, he fakes it for the cameras, but not everything is happy behind the scenes. It’s hard to know for sure, of course, but there’s a sadness that can be felt looking at him.show more

Brooks Koepka leaving LIV Golf is an obvious blow... to the league. But, it would be a considerably bigger blow if Bryson DeChambeau were to do the same. Bryson is contracted through the end of 2026, but he’s currently in discussions to extend early. Speaking exclusively to Tom Hobbs from Flushing It Golf, he spoke about the current situation: “I mean, look, it's confidential. I’m not going to share too much, but the conversations are in process. We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another. It is getting to a place that makes sense for both sides. “And, I think that can happen, but you never know. Life throws curve balls and, obviously, we saw what happened today (Brooks Koepka leaving LIV Golf) and that was quite a shock to a lot of people and something that, you know, it is what it is. “People make decisions for whatever their needs and wants are and, ultimately, you have to respect it and move on and it feels like it was a mutual understanding and that's great. “I think that as a league now we have more opportunity to make some movements and I think that team has an opportunity to do some things differently than the past few seasons. So, we'll see where it all goes and where it all leads. Ultimately, it's quite interesting.” It certainly is interesting. Throughout the season, LIV Golf officials were trying desperately to convince media members that Brooks was happy and committed to the league and his franchise, when perhaps they were actually just trying to convince themselves. So, were the players aware he felt this way and did they expect the news to come so soon, before the end of his current contract? “There was always rumblings, but ultimately, it was a shock when I saw it today. I was like, whoa, all right, well, didn't know it was going to happen today. I didn't have that on my bingo card for the 23rd of December. “There's also, people can look at it as an opportunity. I always look at it as when one door closes another opens, right? And, I'm not going to speak for LIV, but I think that's what we're thinking of, at least from my perspective. If I was running the league, I'd look at it as an opportunity, not in a negative or positive way. It's just, it is what it is, right?” Bryson makes an interesting point. Brooks was never really committed to his captaincy of Smash GC or building a franchise, so perhaps a change of leadership and the opportunity that offers is actually a positive. There’s no point in having a big name player on the league if he’s not even prepared to wear his own team branding. So, now that Brooks has officially left, does Bryson think Brooks should be allowed back onto the PGA Tour? “I don't know, man. I don't know what they should allow or not… If they're going to be doing it by the book, they should do it by the book and not give any special exemption. But if there's a special exemption, it definitely opens the doors for others to do the same, which, you know, it's a slippery slope for sure.” Currently, no official pathway back to the PGA Tour for Brooks Koepka has been announced. So, any decision that is made will definitely be something all players on the LIV Golf League will be paying very close attention to. Follows on in a quote of this post. Bryson DeChambeau Crushers GC LIV Golfshow more

You probably think you need to do more cardio.... Longer workouts. More miles. More suffering. But what if you just made the walk you're already taking a little more challenging? I've been a big fan of weighted vests for years because they're simple. You put one on, go for a walk, and suddenly your body has to do more work without you spending any more time exercising. The data is pretty impressive and one of the biggest mistakes I see people make is thinking health has to be extreme to be effective. Most of the time, the answer is taking something you're already doing and making it a little better. A weighted vest is a great example of that. Just walk.show more

Wondering if you are “quad dominant” in your throw... and if you should change it? Maybe you shouldn’t 🤷‍♂️ A coach’s post coming from Austin Roark 🚀⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ One question I get from a lot of athletes is whether they should change their lower half because their knee is over their toe during their loading phase down the mound. ⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ The biggest thing that I look for when trying to figure out if it is an issue or not is to see how they are able to get out of that position. Some guys are able to leverage and rotate from that position extremely well, which then I would say that it’s not an issue.⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ On the other hand, there are some guys who will get out of this position by driving extension out of their back leg, killing their ability to rotate their pelvis and get it in an open position into landing.⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ This is when I would suggest trying to make a change. I think a lot of people jump into certain ideologies that you shouldn’t do certain things because it’s “inefficient” or it looks “wrong”. ⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ Take a look at these pitchers shown in the video. All 3 of these high level arms have some degree of knee flexion over their toe. Now, granted, they all have insane levers to help them, but the way they are moving is what makes them efficient in how they throw. ⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ I think if you told Dustin May that he had to hold a vertical shin down the mound, it would be a disaster and mess a lot of things up upstream that would impact him in a negative way.⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ The big takeaway here is that there are no absolutes. One thing that may look inefficient to you could be the thing that makes someone else very efficient.⠀⁠ -⠀⁠ When trying to figure out if you should change something about someone's delivery, make sure to look at the entire unit as a whole and don’t jump into any quick changes.show more

“Paano ba ‘to from now on?” I wasn’t expecting... they would drop that. I can’t even type it out because I don’t want it to be real, but it is what it is, and I fully respect that. It was a hard decision, for sure, and yes, it is scary if you look at it from here on, but I am all for their growth. It brings me comfort that that decision was made to grow more individually as an artist and as a person. I’m just so proud that they were brave enough to take on that, knowing all the uncertainties that are laced into that decision. As a fan, it is still hard to process all of that for now, but I know that no matter what happens, they will always have each other and nobody can take away what they have and what they have built throughout the years. Nothing will ever change. I’m also grateful that it came straight from them, not from anyone else. It just shows how they love, respect, and care for us, their bubblies. So yeah, donbelle’s last project for now, but please know that there will always be a house you can come home to anytime. ‘Wag masyadong magpa-miss ah, Belle Mariano Donny. Mahal na mahal ko kayo 🤍show more

Michael “Venom” Page celebrates the win with a message... for the haters. 👀🎉 "​I guess most of you lot missed that chapter. You’d rather see blood and broken bones because you don't understand the Clean Sheet. I kept it standing, I kept it clinical, and I kept my face pretty. ​Sam wanted to wrestle. I wanted to win. Only one of us got what they wanted. I’m heading to the after-party with zero bruises and a full cheque. Sam is heading home wondering where I went. ​If you want "action," go watch a soap opera. If you want to see the Matrix, stay tuned. 🐍💨" Via: Michael Venom Pageshow more

There is a word in Urdu: Andaaz. Let's start... with what it is not. It's not merely being stylish. Not poise, not composure, not a certain panache, though it wears all of these lightly. And really, it's not about display at all. Andaaz is not what you show the world, it's what you refuse to show it. German may have a close parallel to it, but not exactly: Haltung, how you stand and the stand you take, both at once. But Urdu already holds it, surrounded by its own family of words. Wazadari, the constancy of keeping to your own form. Saleeqa, the grace of doing a thing properly. Tehzeeb, tameez, adab. And I don't even mean it in the traditional sense. Andaaz can be formal, casual, irreverent, rebellious and so much more. But the fundamental argument still stays the same. And why refusal? Because we decline to display precisely because we know we are flawed. Andaaz begins in an admission of your own flaws, your own ordinary humanity. You've measured yourself, failures and all, and made your peace with it. That peace is the choice. The self you present is edited, not out of vanity but out of taste. You show what you can stand behind, and you're humble enough to know how much of you is not worth displaying. This is why self worth and humility are not really opposites. They are the same thing. When you are sure of your worth, admitting a flaw costs you nothing, because your worth was never about looking perfect for anyone. And that is where all the refusing comes from. You leave things unsaid. You keep hidden whatever isn't good enough to be a part of you. You let the cheap laugh pass. Humor is the cleanest test. You know a certain reply will land. You know this quip will get you the whole room, and you let it go. Not just because it's beneath you, but because the cheap laugh almost always works by holding up someone's flaw for applause, and a person who has seen his own flaws will not attack the flaws of others. No. You draw the line. That refusal isn't the whole of Andaaz, but it's a great example of it. So this is what it comes to. Andaaz is self worth in its truest sense. The self that will not be cheapened, not for a laugh, not to be seen, because it has already made its peace with being flawed and mortal, and it doesn't need anyone's permission. India has never been short of it. Nehru and Gandhi. Ambedkar. Sarojini Naidu and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. Tagore and Amrita Pritam, Ismat Chughtai, Begum Akhtar. Indira Gandhi and Jayalalithaa. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala, Amitabh, Shahrukh. Gavaskar. Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. The list can run into the thousands, men and women, every field, and each of them, for me, a perfect example of Andaaz. Andaaz for me has always been an artistic statement. Because deep down, each one of them was an artist. Original and creative. Which brings me to the clip attached here. It is the antonym of Andaaz. These are people who merely exist, and who can't bear to merely exist, so desperate to be seen that they'll make fools of themselves for the seeing. And they can't decline to display, because they have never admitted a single flaw. Being seen is the whole of the self, and one crack would end them. There's no line they won't cross, because they never drew one. There's no applause too cheap to chase. That's the poverty underneath the noise. Poverty is not lack of money, for me, poverty is lack of Andaaz. As my father used to say: "Ghareeb ho, lekin lagna zaroori nahin hai." It's the aesthetic of a whole politics, Sanghism as we know it, which has never understood the one thing Andaaz is built on. To be seen is not the same as to be worth seeing. Now as I finish, I am thankful to this crass video clip. I would have never written this piece otherwise.show more

“It wasn’t my decision… it wasn’t a choice, but... a forced one—imposed by hunger and the cries of my children that tore my heart apart. ‘Daddy, we’re hungry’… Their words were like knives piercing my chest, and I had no flour, no morsel to ease their hunger. I didn’t want to go, but what could I do? Their tears compelled me. Their pain pushed me to risk my life… I went to the aid distribution point—the one we all know is not a food line, but a death trap. I knew I might not come back, just like so many before me never did… I left, trembling with fear, whispering prayers: ‘Oh God, I just want to return to them—with something to silence their hunger.’ I arrived. The crowd was overwhelming… everyone was starving, everyone desperate, everyone gambling with their life for a sack of flour. Amid bullets, blood, and screams, I pushed forward… I saw people fall around me, each one carrying a small dream—just a bite of food for their children… I reached a sack of flour, being fought over by more than ten men. It tore apart from all the pulling. I only managed to grab less than half—but it was enough for my children for a few days. I walked more than 10 kilometers with it… my wound bleeding… my chest aching from the chaos… But I held onto it like it was life itself. Finally… I arrived. I saw my children… they ran to me… hugged me as if I’d come back from the dead. I didn’t bring them a toy, or candy—just half a sack of flour, covered in blood and exhaustion… but to them, it was a treasure, and their smiles meant everything to me. We never wanted to be here… we didn’t choose this path… but hunger forced us into it. The only thing standing between us and ruin is your support—your donations—your humanity. Please, don’t leave us alone. Save what’s left of our souls—for the sake of small hearts that understand nothing of this world except that they are hungry, and they want their father alive.”**show more

Q: "Did you discuss Ukraine at all with Xi?... And is there any movement on that?" President Trump: "I did. It's one that we'd like to see settled. Until last night, it was looking good, but they took a big hit last night. So it's going to happen, but it's a shame."show more

This is why all of the people you love... are struggling to pay rent or feed themselves, and are staring down the barrel of being the end of their millennia-long ancestral bloodline, as they see no mathematical possibility of being able to raise a single child, let alone the 8+ this woman will have as we are paying for all of it. If you wake up every day enraged at this system, it's because you are awake and paying attention. It has been constructed with the express purpose of sucking your life-force dry, exterminating your people, and humiliating you while doing it. And I'm sorry to break it to you...but we are not going to vote our way out of a system this rotten to its core.show more

While I have premium I definitely want to do... a long post breaking down the main scene from this show that I obsess with. There's so much that I feel could be learned from it. Not just for expansion animators either. There's honestly a LOT that can be learned from how this show directed its expansion scenes that can be applied to even safe for work animations. Obviously yes, the expansion alone is really good. What makes it so good though is just the fact that there's things you pick up on that you likely don't even realize until you re-watch. I'm using this scene as an example as it's not AS good I would say, but it still has a lot going for it. One thing I've always loved from it that I want to use in my own animations someday is that the expansion sort of comes in waves as opposed to one consistent growth. In a way, it makes it feel more natural while also selling how tight the top is getting. It could have been accompanied by showing the knot getting tighter or smaller with each growth. It's a small part of the animation but just that one thing already adds another layer to appreciate. It's not like most expansion scenes where there's very little outside of just "growing" on its own. There's a bunch of little things that subtly improve it without being obnoxious. The first expansion scene has WAY more that I want to talk about honestly. Far more than this one has. It will probably be a really long post now that I think about it...show more