"Monsters just aren't satisfying unless they burst." That's what... our technical artist mumbled at standup one morning. Nobody asked. By that afternoon, he'd made this anyway. A screenful of small fry, each scattering into countless colored cubes — more old Sony Bravia ad vibe than combat, if I'm honest. But, well. He wasn't wrong. It's oddly satisfying. #ScreenshotSaturday #EmberAndBladeshow more

Walter is 79 years old. Came into our shelter... last Thursday afternoon. Staff immediately started showing him the younger dogs. A two-year-old Labrador. A playful Beagle mix. A one-year-old Retriever. Walter shook his head at every single one. Our volunteer asked him: "What kind of dog are you looking for?" Walter said: "I want the dog nobody else wants. The one people walk past because they think he doesn't have enough time left." We brought Walter to our senior section. Introduced him to Max. Twelve-year-old Shepherd mix. Surrendered three months ago when his previous owner moved into assisted living. Walter knelt down slowly in front of Max's kennel. Took him a minute to get down there. Both of them just looked at each other. Gray hair. Slow movements. Tired eyes. Walter said quietly: "We're the same, you and me. Everyone thinks our best days are behind us. But I've still got love to give. I bet you do too." Signed the papers. Took Max home that day. They move at the same pace. They understand each other. Walter called us two days later and said: "Max is perfect. We take naps together. We're both exactly what the other needed." Age isn't a limitation. It's a language.show more

Walter is 79 years old. Came into our shelter... last Thursday afternoon. Staff immediately started showing him the younger dogs. A two-year-old Labrador. A playful Beagle mix. A one-year-old Retriever. Walter shook his head at every single one. Our volunteer asked him: "What kind of dog are you looking for?" Walter said: "I want the dog nobody else wants. The one people walk past because they think he doesn't have enough time left." We brought Walter to our senior section. Introduced him to Max. Twelve-year-old Shepherd mix. Surrendered three months ago when his previous owner moved into assisted living. Walter knelt down slowly in front of Max's kennel. Took him a minute to get down there. Both of them just looked at each other. Gray hair. Slow movements. Tired eyes. Walter said quietly: "We're the same, you and me. Everyone thinks our best days are behind us. But I've still got love to give. I bet you do too." Signed the papers. Took Max home that day. They move at the same pace. They understand each other. Walter called us two days later and said: "Max is perfect. We take naps together. We're both exactly what the other needed." Age isn't a limitation. It's a language.show more

Many of you might think face wash is just…face... wash. We use it to clean the dirt and grime from our daily lives. Some take it seriously while others just use it as a checklist of hygiene. But what if face wash was something more? What if there was a way to gently and quickly combat dry skin every day? Introducing H2.O Facial Cleanser by biöm – a groundbreaking product in the world of skincare. In my quest to redefine what a cleanser can do, I've created something extraordinary. Skin gets dirty, but it also gets thirsty. H2.O isn't just about cleaning your skin; it's about transforming it. The secret sauce in my unique formula is ElfaMoist, a hydration powerhouse. This active ingredient goes beyond the superficial layer of your skin, delivering hydration that penetrates deep into your pores, rivaling those satisfying Gatorade commercials. You can think of ElfaMoist like water that went to an Ivy League school. It’s clinically proven to hydrate your skin for over 30 hours, and it outperforms every other hydrator on the market. H2.O isn't just a cleanser; it's a hydration revolution. ⚠️ No fragrances. 🫒 Gentle olive & coconut oil-based surfactants. 🌿 Natural aloe vera for soothing hydration. 💧Squalane to mimic your skin’s natural oils. With each use, H2.O promises not only to cleanse but to leave your skin feeling refreshed, nourished, and more hydrated than ever before. It's time to experience a cleanser that does more than just clean – it rehydrates, replenishes, and renews. Welcome to the future of skincare.show more

Dating a man that is 30 years and above?... Here are things you might not understand…. 1. He's allergic to unnecessary stress. At that age, his patience for drama is zero. Even small chaos drains him. He wants a woman who calms him, not one he has to survive. 2. He moves slower because he's thinking long term. He's not scared of commitment. He's scared of committing to the wrong woman. That caution is not lack of interest... it's maturity. 3. His career pressure is real. At this age, a man is fighting silent battles: finances, stability, responsibilities. So if he's not texting 24/7, it's not neglect... it's life. 4. He's tired of begging for understanding. If he says he's stressed and you take it personal, he'll stop opening up. Grown men close their hearts quietly. 5. Consistency is his love language. He's not impressed by a woman who is sweet today and confusing tomorrow. He needs steady energy. 6. Disrespect switches him off instantly. You might think it's a small statement or attitude, but to him, it's a sign of the future. Respect is currency for a grown man. 7. His appreciation meter is sensitive. If he feels like you only notice what he didn't do, he'll stop doing anything at all. Men that age shut down when they feel unappreciated. 8. He listens more to actions than words. At 30+, men have met talkers, manipulators and performers. What you do will matter more. 9. He already knows what he doesn't want. He won't force a vibe, tolerate immaturity, or entertain emotional games. One wrong pattern, and he'll quietly move on. 10. He loves in a steady way. Not loud. Not chaotic. Not childish. He'll show up for you, protect you, guide you, invest in you. But if you want drama over stability, you'll miss the beauty of a grown man's love. 11. He's not trying to impress the streets. He's over showing off. He wants a woman who brings calm, loyalty, and partnership, not external validation. 30+ men easily recognize patterns, as a lady, do not pretend cus you will only make things worst, be open and honest with him. They want to look at you and feel safe not confused. Ladies, be honest...Do you feel dating men 30 and above is easier or harder? Share your experience in the comments. Credit to: Sirliberty Joseph Ugwuokeshow more

a physics dropout i know makes $340k at a... quant fund no finance degree. never worked at a bank. got rejected from Goldman twice his edge: he never learned to read charts when he joined, his manager handed him a probability textbook and said "forget everything you think you know about markets" "price is just output," he told me. "we trade the state the market is in" took me weeks to actually understand what that meant every market cycles through a handful of repeating states - compression, trending, volatile expansion, reversion each one has a historically measurable probability of flipping into another. that's it. that's the whole edge you don't predict direction. you identify the current state and bet on the transition with the highest historical frequency built his first model in a weekend. 5 years of futures data, 6 distinct states one state transitioned to a directional move bigger than 1.5 ATR in 72% of cases. reward/risk on those: 4.3 math to do this is in any intro stats course. the framework is literally from 1906. data is free what changed isn't the math - it's that cheap computing finally made it fast enough to run live quant revolution isn't a secret. it's a hundred-year-old idea that finally got hardware retail got moving averages. the physics kids got the actual question Bookmark this before you open another chart they aren't smarter. they were just handed a different textbook from day oneshow more

A week ago, I took Kuno to the emergency... animal hospital. I burst into tears when we got there because it was obvious he was hurting. I've experienced a lot of physical pain in my life, but the gut-wrenching feeling that comes with seeing a dog you love in pain is right up there. I expected them to medicate him for pain, maybe give him a shot for nausea. I never pictured he wouldn't come home with me. Our relationship was different than most. We learned all about wheelchair life together. Everything from fighting our way through doors and getting stuck in snow and on dilapidated sidewalks to traveling the prairies to dog shows together. When I hung my head ashamed because I couldn't get into a place, he said, "Fluff this," and walked proudly beside me. He dried a lot of tears and brought many smiles and a lot of laughter. He wasn't a well bred dog. He certainly wasn't the most athletic. He was very intelligent, though. His one flaw was he sometimes lacked confidence, the result of me being over careful as a new wheelchair user, but we regained much of that. He followed me everywhere and watched me lovingly. He breathed life into my soul that I didn't think I'd ever feel again. My life is infinitely better because of him and the lessons he taught me. Losing him is hard. Everything I've managed to learn, do, and achieve since losing the ability to walk was because of him. Literally everything. We came so far together, and I'm a much better, stronger person because of him. The one thing that makes this loss easier is knowing how loved he was. Not just by me, but by anyone who knew him. I'm still amazed and humbled by how many lives he touched. The best thing I ever did for him was really learn to read his body language. I could tell by the flick of his tongue when he needed a second to just check out our surroundings before proceeding. I knew by his ear positions if he was unimpressed by my actions. He'd do whatever I asked anyhow, but by really learning his language, I was able to adjust to his needs to make him as happy as possible. If there's one thing you can do to make your dog's life better, it's to learn how they communicate and respect them when they tell you they need a moment or a little space. Get to know their tail positions, their earset, how they breathe when they're problem solving or thinking, and understand the yawns, the lip licking, and their appeasement behaviors. It takes time, but it will make your relationship with your dog so much better. I may not know your dog, but I know they're worth it. #LessonsFromKuno Video description for inclusivity: clips of Kuno's life and adventuresshow more

I just launched a brand new channel with an... INSANE strategy. I'm calling it the Launch Loop. I've been working on this channel for over a year, and took the actually massive risk to hold off on posting until I had all 5 launch videos ready. Each idea was carefully selected for this strategy, and each one was carefully written to execute it. I view this channel launch, and these videos, not as individual videos but as a season of a new show. The plan was this: come up with video ideas that fit together, and write the end of each video to smoothly blend into the next. I treated the conclusion of each video as if it was the intro of the next video, so that if people enjoyed what I made and wanted to see more, they could click the next video on the End Card This was inspired by work I've done in the past: a few years ago on my YouTube strategy channel, I posted a video about Ryan Trahan's thumbnail strategy which has gotten over 2M lifetime views. But at the end of that video, I carefully wrote a transition showing video my comprehensive breakdown of 21 thumbnail formats. The End Screen video CTR on that video is 29.4% 🤯. I'm convinced that some of those 2M views must have come from the success of that end screen. I've come to believe that it's really important to bring in an audience to your CHANNEL, not just one video. That was a mistake I made in another channel I worked on before! Getting virality on individual videos, but not keeping viewers for the long term or growing an actualy community. So I thought, what if I launched a channel where every video pointed to the next, in a loop? Maybe there will be a flywheel where success on one brings success on the next, and the next, and the next... But for this plan to work the videos I made have to actually be good 😅show more

There's a very peculiar thing that happens when I... ask people what their Rich Life is: They start minimizing what they actually want "I guess one day I'd like a beach house...it doesn't have to be big. It doesn't even have to be that close to the beach!" "I'd like to travel. Nothing fancy. Doesn't even have to be for that long. Maybe just a chance to spend a couple days in Italy" Look at this clip from today's podcast episode. A multi-millionaire to-be is telling me how her massage "doesn't even have to be"... I stopped her right there. WHY DO WE SHRINK OUR DREAMS? Even in our description of a Rich Life, we apologize and play small. Most people who do this aren't even aware of it. It's unconscious. Sometimes they grew up in the Midwest, sometimes religious, sometimes they're simply afraid to say they want something big, because if they don't get it...then they failed themselves But if you want to live a Rich Life, you're much more likely to get there by setting a big, audacious vision. Playing small feels safe but very few people get motivated by a vision like "I just want to be debt free" Dream bigger, be specific, and use your money to get thereshow more

In 1499, Michelangelo overheard people crediting his greatest work... to someone else. He snuck into St. Peter's at night and carved his name on the sculpture. He regretted it immediately and never signed anything again for the rest of his life... He was 24 years old. The year before, a French cardinal had paid him 450 gold ducats to sculpt a statue for his own tomb. The contract had one strange clause: it had to be "the most beautiful work of marble in Rome, one that no living artist could better." Michelangelo had never completed a major public commission. He accepted anyway... He carved for two years from a single block of Carrara marble that he later called the most perfect stone he ever worked. What he produced was the Pietà: the body of Christ, lifeless, across the lap of his mother. When it was unveiled, visitors refused to believe a 24-year-old Florentine had made it. They credited the work to a more famous Lombard sculptor. So according to Vasari, Michelangelo slipped into the basilica with a chisel and carved his name in Latin across the sash running between Mary's breasts: MICHAELANGELUS BONAROTUS FLORENTINUS FACIEBAT. "Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Florentine, made this." Then he vowed never to sign another work. He kept that vow. Through the David. Through the Sistine Chapel. Through the dome of St. Peter's. Through 65 more years of work, until he died at 88. Not one of them bears his name. What I can never quite get over is that he was only 23 when he started. A young man who believed he could carve the most beautiful object on earth. And then he did... If you enjoyed this, I write a newsletter read by over 50,000 people who love rediscovering the wonder and beauty of the past, one story at a time. You can join us here: History is more beautiful than we remember.show more

In fifteen years of nursing I've watched countless patients... say goodbye to the people they love — but I'd never seen a goodbye like the one in that dim hospital room at 2 a.m., when a dying old man reached a trembling hand down to the dog they'd smuggled in for him, rested it on that grey head, and whispered four words I'll never forget: "Don't leave me, boy." His name was Frank, eighty-four, and he'd come to us in his final decline with almost no one. A widower. His kids scattered across the country, one on a plane that wouldn't land in time. He wasn't afraid, the way some are. He was just… alone, in that particular way that breaks a nurse's heart no matter how many times you see it. He talked about one thing more than any other. Not his children. Not the past. A dog. An old shepherd mix named Duke he'd had for twelve years, who was staying with a neighbor while Frank was in the hospital. "Is Duke okay?" he'd ask. "Somebody's feeding Duke?" Over and over. That dog was clearly the great love of his quiet later years. On his last night, when it was clear he had hours and not days, I made a call I probably shouldn't have. I phoned that neighbor at midnight. And bless her, she got in her car and brought Duke to the hospital, and we quietly walked that old dog up the back way and into Frank's dim room. Duke went straight to the bed like he'd been looking for it his whole life. He put his front paws up on the mattress and pushed his big grey head against Frank's side, and the old man — who'd barely moved in a day — slowly, slowly lifted one shaking hand and laid it on the dog's head. His eyes were wet. His voice was barely there. But we all heard it. "There you are," he breathed. "Don't leave me, boy. Stay with your old man." Duke let out a low sound and pressed closer, and he did not move from that bed. And what happened in the hours after is something none of us on that floor have ever been able to talk about without our voices giving out.show more

Last night my son and I did a puzzle.... We got all the way to the end and couldn't find the last piece. We looked everywhere for it. It drove me crazy. After I put him to bed I kept looking. Literally had trouble sleeping because of that stupid puzzle piece. This morning I woke my son up and made him help me continue looking for the piece. He was not happy. I was home alone and about an hour ago I found the piece on our porch. Last night we took a break from the puzzle to walk the doggie. I'm guessing it was stuck to one of our shoes when we went outside. My wife took the kids to the store today. After I found the piece I called and asked her to put my son on the phone. He said "dad, if it's about the puzzle I don't care." Without hesitation, in a near perfect Harrison Ford voice I said "Well I am trying to solve a puzzle and I just found a big piece." Then I put the phone down and walked away. Didn't hang up. Just walked away. It was so perfect. They just got home and my son asked me what's wrong with me. 🤣 Hopefully he sees this when he is older and appreciates the beauty of that phone call. BTW he's five years old and it's amazing how good he is at puzzles. He doesn't ever look at the picture of the puzzle when he's putting the pieces together for some reason but he still figures it out.show more

"He didn't break the law out of greed. He... broke it out of love. Standing in court, head in his hands, shivering in an orange jumpsuit, he looked like just another criminal facing fraud charges. But the file on the judge's desk told a different story. He'd written a bad check for thousands of dollars. Not for a new car or a vacation, but at a pharmacy counter. When the insurance company denied his mother's life-saving medication, panic took over. He knew the check would bounce, but he also knew it was the only way to get the medicine she needed to survive the week. Now, he faced prison time for that desperation. And as he stood there weeping, his only thought wasn't about jail, but about who would take care of her if he was gone. He braced himself for sentencing. But the judge didn't bring down his gavel. In a moment that stunned the entire room, she stood, leaned across the bench, and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't see a con artist; she saw a loving son pushed to the brink. Holding his face in her hands, she looked him in the eye and delivered the life-changing verdict: 'It's over. I'm dropping the charges. You deserve a second chance, and I believe you can take advantage of it.' She didn't just give him back his freedom; she gave him the challenge of going home, taking care of his family, and making this mercy matter. Sometimes, justice isn't just about punishment. It's about understanding. Do you think the judge made the right decision by looking at the 'why' instead of just the 'what'?"show more

I think this little boy has already discovered one... of life’s greatest mysteries: babies are absolutely hilarious… even when they do absolutely nothing. 😂❤️ There is something wonderfully funny about watching children interact because they have absolutely no interest in following the social rules adults spend years learning. An adult sees a baby and usually asks, “How old is he?” “Is he sleeping well?” “Does he eat properly?” “Who does he look like?” This little boy seems to have a much simpler approach: “Look at this tiny human. I love him. He is extremely entertaining.” And honestly, I respect the logic. The baby isn't telling jokes. He isn't doing magic tricks. He isn't performing some impressive dance. He is basically just lying there, staring around, peacefully existing. And somehow, that is enough. The boy looks at him and starts laughing as if the baby has just delivered the funniest comedy routine of the year. This is one of the things I love most about children. Their sense of humor doesn't need an explanation. They can find something fascinating that adults would completely overlook. A funny face. A strange little sound. A pair of tiny feet. Someone blinking at the wrong moment. Or apparently… a baby simply lying there. And the funniest part is that the baby seems completely unaware that he has become the star of the show. He isn't trying to impress anyone. He isn't even trying to be funny. He has apparently been hired for the role of “adorable baby” and has decided to take his responsibilities very seriously by doing absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, his older companion is having the time of his life. This is what makes childhood so special. Children haven't yet developed that complicated filter that tells them what is supposed to be interesting and what isn't. They don't need an expensive toy, a spectacular view, or some carefully planned activity. Give them another child and five minutes, and somehow they will invent their own entertainment. Adults spend money looking for happiness. Children can apparently find it lying on a blanket. And there is something refreshing about that. We grow up and become experts at overthinking everything. We worry about appearances, expectations, productivity, and whether we're having a “meaningful” experience. Children don't seem to care. They see something they like, and they react. They laugh because they're happy. They get excited because something catches their attention. They stare because they're curious. And when they have absolutely no idea what is happening, they simply keep watching. Maybe that's why moments like this feel so refreshing. There is no performance, no hidden agenda, and no attempt to make the moment look deeper than it is. It's just one little boy having a surprisingly serious conversation with a baby who hasn't learned how to talk yet. And somehow, the conversation seems to be going very well. I don't know what the baby was thinking. Maybe he was thinking about milk. Maybe he was thinking about sleep. Maybe he was thinking, “Why is this guy laughing at me?” But the boy clearly wasn't asking for an explanation. He was having fun. And perhaps that's one of the sweetest things about childhood: You don't need a reason to laugh when everything around you is still new. Adults could probably use a little more of that. 😂❤️show more

“CONSTITUTION HILL should retire” 🫠 He’s only had ONE... bad run in his career. 🙄 Yesterday Punchestown was that. He’s had two falls prior to that, but travelled well in both races until falling. The Champion Hurdle was too far from home to know how it would have played out, but at Aintree we knew he had some spark. What the falls have done to him physically (nothing shown by vets) or mentally more so I’m unsure, but he was just flat yesterday. We all have off days, all lose our confidence at times, but to write him off already is just wrong, IMO. If something comes to light and the call it quits then they are doing right by him, but let’s not forget he’s only 8 years old.. He was 10 / 10 prior to the Cheltenham Festival, with 8 x Grade 1 wins. 🔥 Bt JONBON 22 lengths in Supreme. Bt STATE MAN 9 lengths Champion. Bt LOSSIMOUTH 2 1/2 at Christmas. Bt EPATANTE 12 lengths Fighting 5th. All multiple Grade 1 winners! 🏇🏻 Let’s stop writing horses off so easily, and give this lad a break! ☹️ Yes, he won’t get the chance to be one of THE greatest… but he’s still great! 🖤🤍show more

I stepped inside the shelter and asked a question... most people never voice: "Which dog here has been waiting the longest?" eg The woman at the front desk didn't smile or reach for paperwork. She exhaled slowly, as if the weight of that question pressed down on her. "Okay," she said quietly, then grabbed a set of keys and started walking without checking if I was following. We passed the bright, bustling areas first-puppies bouncing with excitement, friendly dogs pressing against gates, that hopeful energy that makes adoption feel easy. But we kept moving. Down a quieter hallway. Somehow colder, even though it was the same building. The lights buzzed overhead I, every sound echoing off the concrete. "Most people don't come back here," she said. Her name tag read Maya. "I figured," I replied. She nodded slightly, as if she'd already known. At the very end, she stopped at a kennel that felt too big for the dog inside. He had that look older dogs get-not small or fragile, just worn down by time. His coat was faded, gray settling around his face. One ear drooped slightly, as if even holding it up had become too much. His eyes were cloudy, but not empty. They were still searching. Not for toys or attention. For something that mattered. Heaned closer to read the card. Max. 16 years old. Pitbull mix. Quiet. Senior. Overlooked. Notes about needing a calm home, soft food, patience-the kind of words shelters use when they're trying to stay neutral while quietly hoping someone will care. Sixteen. For most people, that number feels like a ticking clock. Max didn't try to impress me. No barking. No jumping. He just sat there. Still. Steady. Like he'd already decided he wouldn't beg to be chosen. Maya spoke softly. "He's been passed over more times than I can count." "Why?" I asked, even though I already knew. She glanced at the card. "Because people don't want something that comes with an ending they can already see." That stayed with me. Because it wasn't just about him. We all tend to choose what feels safe. What won't hurt too soon. What doesn't ask too much. But Max wasn't safe. He was real. Maya unlocked the kennel. I expected hesitation-maybe fear. But Max stepped out slowly, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to anymore. He paused, looked at me, and let out a long, quiet breath. Not frustration. Relief. I knelt without thinking. He didn't rush. He moved carefully, like every step mattered. When he reached me, he didn't jump or wag wildly. He simply rested his head against my chest. Not asking. Just... leaning. Like he'd been holding everything in for so long and finally didn't have to anymore. Maya cleared her throat. "He does that sometimes," she said, though her voice wavered. I noticed a folded piece of paper tucked behind his kennel card. "What's that?" I asked. "It came with him," she said softly. "I forget it's there sometimes." I didn't open it yet. Max was still leaning into me, and I didn't want to break the moment. The drive home was quiet. He didn't whine or pace. He curled up beside me like he trusted the motion of the car. At a stoplight, I glanced over-his paws tucked neatly under him, completely still. He wasn't trying to leave. He was trying to stay. When we got home, he stepped inside slowly, taking it all in like he was memorizing it. Then he came over to me. And leaned again. Just contact. Like he needed to know I wouldn't disappear. I finally unfolded the paper. If someone chooses him, please tell him he was a good dog. He wasn't left behind because he wasn't loved. Life just got in the way. Please let him rest somewhere he can feel seen. I read it twice. Then I looked at Max. He had climbed onto the couch, turning in a slow circle before settling down with a soft sigh. I sat beside him and placed my hand near his head. He leaned into it and closed his eyes. And in that moment, something became clear. Max didn't need a new life. He needed peace. " That night, he slept on something soft. No noise. No cold floors. 👇show more

This was filmed fourteen months after one of the... hardest mornings of Eddie's life. Eddie is thirty-seven. He worked in Cincinnati for nine years before the company he worked for shut down without warning in the spring of last year. He lost his apartment within sixty days. Stayed in his car for a while. Then the car needed repairs he couldn't afford and that option was gone too. He had a brown-and-white Staffordshire mix named Biscuit. Five years old. They'd had each other since Biscuit was eight weeks old. Eddie found a bed at a transitional shelter but they didn't allow animals. He tried every alternative he could think of. Asked friends. Asked his older sister. Nobody had the space or the situation to take a large dog. He brought Biscuit to Lakeside Animal Shelter on a Thursday morning. The intake coordinator, a woman named Rachel, said Eddie stood at the front desk for a long time before he could get the words out. When he finally did, he looked down at Biscuit and said: "'II be back for you. I'm going to fix this. Don't forget me." Rachel said she wrote that down because she believed him. She doesn't always. Over the next fourteen months, Eddie found steady work through a workforce reentry program. Moved into transitional housing. Then saved enough for a first and last month's deposit on a pet-friendly apartment in Norwood. The day he signed the lease, he called Lakeside. Biscuit was still there. Eddie came in on a Saturday morning. Shelter volunteer Devon filmed it on his phone. When Biscuit came through the door and saw Eddie sitting on the floor of the meet room, the dog short-circuited. Tight spinning circles. Loud crying sounds. Then a full-speed launch directly into Eddie's chest. Both of them went flat on the floor. Biscuit locked his paws around Eddie's neck and shook. Eddie lay on the floor of Lakeside Animal Shelter with his eyes closed holding his dog and not saying anything at all. Devon told us: "I've seen reunions before. That one was different. That dog knew. He absolutely knew who came back for him." Eddie told us later: "I made him a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. But I kept it. That's all." A promise doesn't expire just because keeping it is hara.show more

Tested Claude + Blender today with two real workflows.... Sharing what actually happened. First one was a simple demo. Gave it one sentence to build a cyberpunk room. Geometry, lighting, camera, render. It got there, though not everything in the prompt landed perfectly. Good enough to show the concept, not a stress test. Second one was more interesting. Threw a raw photogrammetry scan at it. Massey Ferguson tractor, 250k faces, grass background everywhere, debris floating all over the place. Asked Claude to clean it up autonomously. It did the work. Removed 106 floating chunks, cut face count by 87%, stripped the grass, flipped the model upright, set up studio lighting and rendered. Technically it worked. But honest answer: the result wasn't clean enough for production. This kind of cleanup still needs the right tools and someone who knows what they're doing. So here's where it actually fits. Not the precise technical stuff. The setup work. The repetitive stuff. The things that take forever if you don't already know Blender. It won't replace your 3D artist. It replaces the boring part before they start.show more

So, by now I'm sure you saw the AI... fanart recreation of the Princess Mononoke trailer. It got a LOT of feedback, mostly from people telling the creator what a terrible thing he did and how AI assisted workflows can never be used for anything good or meaningful and most of all that it can never be used for art. That's such nonsense. Of course it can. If it's wielded by artists and great storytellers, great things will come of it. If you hand a violin to someone on the street they'll be able to make it make sounds.. if you hand it to a talented musician it becomes a conveyer of thoughts, emotion and art. Here's a small scene from Mononoke that I did an AI take on.. it's far from perfect and to animate this properly would require much more work. The AI workflows we have today are lacking so many control elements. But to think those things won't come.. come on. Of course they will. But most importantly, in a way where they don't overtake the art completely, but instead acts like an "amplifier" of the artists using the tools. This technology will be in most of our creative tools in the very near future with full controllability. Oh and I never liked the idea of turning old disney classics into live-action films, or doing the same with the beautiful work of Studio Ghibli. But for the purpose of this post I hope you'll forgive me ;-) #art #animationshow more