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Why we need a new anthemPosted: September 17, 2015 Filed under: News, Politics | Tags: Britain, controversies, current affairs, God Save The Queen, Jeremy Corbyn, national anthem, news, Ryan Giggs, Wales Leave a comment
Despite having been written off as a no hoper in the next general election, new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is clearly worrying the Tories given David Cameron's recent hyperbolic scaremongering and the rather desperate attempts of the press to find something to smear him.
Earlier this week Corbyn didn't sing the national anthem at something remembering the Battle of Britain. Cue a meltdown, particularly from the right wing media.
How very dare he?! He's dishonouring the memories. He's snubbing Big Liz, blah, blah, blah.
All this conveniently went down just as the House of Commons passed new cuts. Hmm.
Anyway, I feel all the fuss ignored the more important question- isn't it about time we dropped "God Save The Queen" as our anthem?
There are many reasons it causes problems for different people and adding them all together it makes a convincing argument for a new tune.
Firstly, it's not exactly cool that it's a religious song, or more accurately a Christian song. Britain isn't exclusively Christian anymore and it seems unfair that the anthem we have to sing or will have played when we win a medal doesn't reflect our views. Why not just have a song about how great the UK is, that everyone, regardless of belief can get behind?
The second reason is similar. Not every Brit supports the monarchy, in fact many want it abolished. So, while they don't wish the Queen harm, they're probably not all that fussed on a song about her. Probably why Corbyn wasn't singing.
Incidentally, you can love Britain without loving the Royals.
So, essentially we have an anthem which is rather divisive, which is the opposite of the idea.
The third reason is that "God Save The Queen" doesn't represent the UK, because England lack the imagination to have come up with their own.
I've touched on this before but for Welsh people (and, as we'll see, the Scots) "God Save The Queen" causes problems. In matches against the English we're expected to sing respectfully to a second anthem because it's "ours" while English fans can just boo, whistle and jeer throughout "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau". I'm not saying this always happens but I have observed it.
Welsh fans tend to respect "GSTQ", but I doubt many feel it represents them. And if it did wouldn't that be worse? That our opponent is using something which should be for all of us?
It also means that should there be any negative response by other home nations to "GSTQ" it's viewed not only as poor form but stupidity. We're booing ourselves, in essence.
Witness the grief Scotland got for booing the anthem compared to the lack of fuss when English fans do the same to other home nations. I think those Scottish fans were in the wrong, and deserved censure. Booing an anthem is disrespectful and not really fair. Even if you object to that nation politically the eleven or fifteen players on the field are no more responsible for that, just as we wouldn't like to be held accountable for all of Britain's wrongdoings and mistakes.
The Scots who booed were wrong, but doesn't it show that "GSTQ" should go? It clearly meant nothing to those fans, just as it doesn't mean much to many Brits.
In fact some English fans want a change, because they see being English as distinct from being British. Which it is. They want a new anthem for England, I suggest we get a new British one first and then focus on England's themetune
When a Welsh athlete wins an Olympic medal they have to stand and listen to it. A song that represents one part of this United Kingdom, not all of it.
You can argue that it's the anthem for the UK, but for me it doesn't feel like that. It's the anthem of another country, a country who is often our opposition on the field.
When "GSTQ" plays I feel nothing.
There is no stirring of patriotic feeling, no desire to sing along. It's a song aimed at a deity I don't believe in to protect a ruler I'm ambivalent about and a song I normally associate with a country who are our sporting rivals.
Also, an anthem is meant to be constant (unless a regime falls or the country changes) but this is one that will have to change. In fact, the Battle of Britain heroes that Corbyn "dishonoured" never heard "GSTQ", for them the song was "God Save The King". The anthem he refused to sing wasn't even the same one they would have sung.
Yes, it's time for a change. Get a new anthem, one that celebrates Britain and it's people, not just one of our richer citizens.
Get one that acknowledges that we are a country of different faiths, beliefs and ideas.
Get one that is actually for Britain, not just the English one extended for the rest of us. Britain is not England and sidekicks, it's a joining of three distinct countries, each with their own cultures and histories. Each one has its anthem, so let the shared one be distinct and illustrative of this different entity.
If England want to keep it, they can. The UK can have a different one, a better one.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
Getting Shirty!: Lady Gaga and the XXX TeePosted: July 1, 2015 Filed under: Celebrities | Tags: celebrities, clothes, controversies, Disney, fashion, Lady Gaga, Snow White, t-shirts Leave a comment
Lady Gaga isn't someone who dresses conservatively. In fact her OTT clothing often overshadows her (awesome) music.
It's drawn heat in the past and this week she came under fire for her choice of clothing once more. Gaga was pictured wearing a pink suit and a T-shirt which is rather understated for her.
The problem was that the T-shirt got lots of people worked up because it showed Snow White involved in a dwarf orgy.
Now, this is hardly new territory, anyone who's ever got lost down one of the net's many rabbit holes knows that there are plenty of artists out there who specialise in taking beloved childhood characters and putting them in positions usually reserved for X rated fare. I've always wondered what the point is. There's enough live action out there, so why make your own drawn versions?
Anyway, the press got up in arms over it and many didn't like it. MWG, a massive Disney fan, was unamused, especially as Snow is her favourite of the Disney princesses.
Personally, I'm not a fan either, though there have been celebrities who have worn far more offensive shirts. Look at the filth Snoop is wearing here:
But in all seriousness, I'm disappointed in Gaga too.
Don't worry, this isn't going to be a hysterical "won't somebody please think of the children?!" post, I just think that Gaga shouldn't have worn the shirt.
Firstly, its not a good shirt. I haven't done much research but I'd imagine there are better dirty Disney pictures floating about that you could stick on a shirt. Secondly, it is a bit rude for a morning walk. I'm no prude, but I wouldn't want to be confronted by the image as I went about my day-to-day, whoever's wearing it?
But my main objection is that it's just so bloody stupid and childish.
It's the kind of shirt you might see and giggle at. You might even daydream about wearing it somewhere fantastically inappropriate (the funeral of a hated enemy, when meeting the Queen etc.) but that little giggle aside you'd leave it on the shelf and move on.
I've discussed before that joke shirts are only ever good for one laugh, or normally smile, and that's it. And a lot of shirts aren't even that funny. This one isn't.
It's also not cool for a woman nearing 30 to be wearing it. I'm 30 and hugely immature, but even I know that it's a stupid shirt.
It wasn't always this way. As a teenager (14? 15?) I saw this T-shirt advertised that was a mock up tour shirt. But it wasn't for a band, it was for Adolf Hitler!
Gods, teen Chris thought that was funny, and edgy, and cool. What a way to look cool and rebellious. I saw it and considered buying it. Thankfully my sister had more sense (as ever) and told me it was stupid, insensitive and not a good idea.
Not long after I came to agree with this, realising it was a stupid, nasty shirt and not funny, but I tell this story to show that I get it. That sometimes we all want to offend just to offend, whether to annoy a specific individual or group (hi, Cardiff fans!) or just to show how cool we are.
I just think that in this instance Gaga was wrong and should grow up and burn the shirt, because I doubt she'll get much wear out of it.
It's a shirt a teenage boy would find hilarious and, speaking from experience, most teenage boys are idiots.
Even as a big fan of Lady Gaga I think she made a mistake. But doesn't everyone?
I'm still a fan and hope to see her live for the 3rd time on her next tour. So, no hard feelings, Gaga?
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
The New Josie? I don't think soPosted: June 25, 2015 Filed under: Celebrities, News | Tags: boob jobs, controversies, current affairs, Demetri Martin, Josie Cunningham, Naica Gibson, news, NHS, taxes Leave a comment
So way back in December I made an unofficial resolution that I would no longer mention tabloid regular Josie Cunningham on this blog. I felt that Josie and her family would be better served if she slipped out of the limelight, and that any comment on her would be contributing to keeping her in the public eye.
It's been challenging at times not to weigh in. There was her TV documentary and then her arrest for revenge porn, but I kept quiet. But this week I've decided to talk about her again?
So what has Josie done?
Well, nothing actually.
What has happened is another young woman has been splashed over the tabloids and her story has made some think of Josie, and blame her for this other woman's actions.
The other woman is Naica Gibson, who was The Sun's lead story a few days ago (I glimpsed the headline in a shop). Gibson revealed that she had been saving for a boob job, putting £100 away a week. The problem was that Gibson wasn't working and so the money was coming out of the benefits she and her four kids receive. The hyperbolic headline stated that she let her kids "go hungry". And they had to go round to granny's near the end of the month as the cupboards were bare.
Gibson diligently saved her money, eager to enhance her breasts. Having done her research she discovered it was cheaper to fly to Poland for the op as opposed to getting it done in the UK.
The op done she flew home, however, since then the site has become infected, leaving her scarred and swollen. She requires corrective surgery and the implants replaced, all of which would cost £5K. Gibson has stated that she wants the NHS to pay for this, and that events have caused her distress.
Benefits, boob jobs and the NHS footing the bill, it's not hard to see why people have connected the two, but how similar are Josie and Naica really?
Josie's original operation was funded by the NHS as she had an extremely flat chest and it effected her self esteem and emotional health. Naica's was to reduce sagging, part of aging. While Naica may have felt negatively about her body it doesn't appear to have effected her that much and this was just a decision she made, as do many other women.
The decision was fine, it's an option for women who feel they want to enhance their body/figure (I know a woman who had a similar procedure for her own self confidence), the saving up for one would have been okay, if done more sensibly.
And let's face it, what she chooses to spend her money on is her business, regardless of whether it's benefits. The public shouldn't judge what benefit recipients get with the money, its their money. How many of us would like if our bosses sat there criticising what our wages were used for?
With more patience she could have put less aside a week, getting there eventually and not impacting on her kids well-being as much.
The difference I see is the attitude towards their kids, and while Josie's actions are questionable, she has never negatively impacted on her kids (with the possible exception of her decision to seek fame). Naica's actions, although most likely exaggerated by the press, do seem selfish and uncaring.
Of course, it could turn out that the kids are alright and Naica spun this version to gain more heat in the papers.
The main similarity? The explosion of negativity and self-righteous fury that has spewed forth, people furious with their taxes going on
It's this instance that Josie's name comes up, with her getting blamed for Naica wanting a second operation on the NHS.
Here's the thing, should Naica get this operation on the NHS?
She's a UK citizen who's health is at risk. She has a post-operative infection and it needs treating. The NHS helped the women effected by the PIP implants a few years ago, and this is a similar case.
Ignore the tabloid sensationalism and review the simple facts- woman has operation, operation causes complications and needs further treatment.
As for the "that money could go to saving lives" argument, it's not that simple. I suspect each department has their own budget and decides based on this, its not a case of someone's cancer treatment being cancelled because of Naica's boob job.
Did Naica act badly? Yes. Could she have gone about things in a better way? Undoubtedly.
Do either of those mean she should be made to suffer and put at risk? Hell no!
The NHS is there to care for us all, and to provide holistic care (addressing physical, mental and emotional needs, hence why Josie qualified for an NHS boob job). It doesn't pass judgement on how you got ill, it just treats you, which is the way it should be.
And if anyone is still angry about their taxes going on these two women I'd say to put it in perspective:
Both of these women's operations cost less than £10,000 combined, and improved two people's quality of life. Now compare that to the £100Bn we're dropping on Trident, which we'll never use and if we did would kill millions. Personally, I'm more annoyed at the thought of my taxes going towards that.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
What not to wearPosted: January 16, 2015 Filed under: Celebrities, Music, Rants | Tags: controversies, fashion, Kurt Cobain, music, Nirvana Leave a comment
I'm not a dedicated follower of fashion to put it mildly, with a style that I'd describe as "lazy chic" (T-shirts, jeans and Hawaiian shirts being my personal favourites), and with others while I might find a few things silly, I go with a live and let live attitude.
That being said there are a few definite no-nos- shellsuits (fire hazard), Cardiff City shirts and Nazi uniforms.
Joining the list is a rather tasteless new product, shirts bearing the suicide note of Kurt Cobain, the Nirvana frontman.
Now, cards on the table time, I was never a massive Nirvana fan. Cobain took his own life when I was about 9 and while I like a few of their songs I was never massively impressed by them.
So I'm not angry as a Nirvana fan at my idol being commercialized (a ship that sailed a long time ago). I'm more disappointed that its got this cynical and invasive.
Cobain's note is already public knowledge of course, with Courtney Love having read it out shortly after his death, but it's still a private thing, and an intensely emotional thing. It's not a fashion statement or something to just splash around
And think of Kurt's kid, Frances Bean, does she need people making more money off her dad? Or seeing his last words splashed across the chest of some insensitive douche? She has enough on her plate being called Frances Bean.
It just seems to be a crass idea and contributes to the glamourizing of suicide, which we don't need. If you are a Cobain/Nirvana fan why not get an album cover shirt or something, remember him for his music, not the darkness that led him to take his own life.
Also, it just looks kinda daft on a shirt. It's long and hard to read. With writing on shirts you should keep it short and snappy.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
On the first day of Christmas, Josie gave to me, the news I was a daddy: Josie Cunningham: The Final ChapterPosted: December 9, 2014 Filed under: Celebrities | Tags: boob job, celebrities, celebrity culture, christmas, controversies, current affairs, fame, Josie Cunningham, news, NHS 1 Comment
Long time followers of this blog will know that I have long been interested in the tabloid saga that is Josie Cunningham's life (click the tag for more). Since gaining notoriety as the "NHS boob job girl", Josie has been a regular feature in the tabloids, her life becoming a soap opera that has seen her vilified in the press, subjected to online abuse and dubbed "Britain's most hated woman", although that is contested.
The latest appearance came as Josie announced her plans regarding how she planned to let the father of her child know her kid was his.
There are 3 possible daddies: The guy who catfished her pretending to be a professional footballer, a surgeon who was a customer when she was escorting and a friend's boyfriend.
Josie is having paternity tests and on Christmas Eve is getting a friend to drop off cards to the three blokes' houses with their results. It's kinda smart and Josie's idea to sever ties with the non-dads sounds good (none of them sounding like winners).
The problem is that yet again Josie decided to go public in a big way. This was a bad idea, as the reaction was general outrage and more abuse. Had she just done it on the quiet then that would have been alright (not the best way to tell a guy he's the daddy, but I guess it beats going on Jeremy Kyle) but blabbing to the press just made Josie the target for more outrage and abuse.
But the problem is that Josie is doomed to continue to live her soap opera life in the spotlight. This is partly because she seems to have become hooked on the notoriety she has garnered, the closest to celebrity she can get. Like many people in our celeb-obsessed culture, fame must have seemed like a dream, a get out for Josie, and unable to get the real thing she's settled for this.
I've said since day one that Josie would probably be better off out of the public eye, that her introduction to the world as the "NHS boob girl" meant she would be doomed to be a tabloid villain. And sadly, not being the savviest operator Josie has been unable to turn the tide. In fact she's given the press plenty of ammo to continue demonizing her due to a knack for saying/tweeting controversial things.
Like in this instance.
The problem is that I've realized that I'm not helping this situation. As long as people keep talking about her antics the longer she'll stay, for lack of a better word, "newsworthy". I honestly think Josie would be better off fading away, becoming a half-remembered item from the papers.
So I need to act appropriately, and while my blogs are just a drop in the ocean of comments and discussion of Miss Cunningham (and far less vicious than most) they are still part of the problem.
Barring the fact that she does something truly remarkable (e.g. being the first person on Mars, headbutting the Pope or discovering the cure for cancer) or actively impacts my life (if I meet her, for example) this will be the last time I write about Josie on this blog, it's an early start for a 2015 resolution, I guess.
I've always felt that Josie was something of a victim of the press' desire to create hate figures to distract us from the real problems of the world (the first boob job cost under £5k, and the UK government has wasted much more on much worse), and her own desire to be famous, seemingly at any cost and without regard for how she achieves that fame or how it manifests.
This is the 14th post I've written about Josie Cunningham and over that time she's intrigued and frustrated me. There have been times when she's said nasty or stupid things I've disagreed with, or times when she's gone after other celebrities in a way I don't feel was called for and which just seemed nasty and vindictive, especially from someone who knows what it's like to be on the receiving end. She's no saint, and I'm far from a fan of what she's done.
But I genuinely believe that Josie doesn't deserve most of the abuse she receives and that much of it is utterly vile and unnecessary. Her major crimes appear to have been lack of thought before speaking/tweeting and a heightened desire for fame, which is hardly something she's alone in possessing as evidenced by the fact that Big Brother can still fill a house every year. Neither of these justify the level of vitriol that gets thrown at her online.
This is a young woman who came to our attention because she received a boob job on the NHS, which stemmed from her insecurities around her body and the bullying of others. The public reaction to a clearly insecure person has been disgusting, and shows a depressing lack of compassion or attempt at understanding, and exhibits an ugly side of online communication where people just pile on to send hate and threats to somebody they don't even know. For me, the trolls are worse than Josie.
I wish her well for the future, and hope that she can find someway to be happy, although I suspect that would involve sacrificing her current "fame", which is how she makes money and which she seems hooked on.
Goodbye, Josie.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
Skin Deep: A teachable moment?Posted: October 26, 2014 Filed under: News, Tattoos | Tags: Charlie Horizon, Charlotte Tumilty, controversies, current affairs, education, news, tattoos, teachers Leave a comment
Earlier this week it emerged that a student teacher, Charlotte Tumilty, was sent home from her placement and told she could not complete her training there unless she covered her tattoos. The press here jumped on it because (a) they have lots of pages to fill and (b) it's the type of story that will spark debate and spread like wildfire, bringing more traffic to their websites.
The reason for this is because it's a contentious issue, and will divide people. There will be many who feel that the school, regardless of it's Catholic stance, was in the right and that teachers are meant to be professionals and should look a certain way. Then there will be the opposition, and that's where I join in.
Personally, I think the idea of tattoos being unprofessional is slightly outdated. It harks back to the old fashioned view of tattoos and those who have them, as being thuggish or associated with the criminal class. However, times change and tattoos are increasingly popular, with around 20% of the population sporting ink (according to this article) and with a growing range of people going under the needle (encouragingly in the article about Tumilty a poll shows that 61% believe teachers shouldn't have to cover up tattoos at work).
It's likely that many teachers probably do have tattoos, but keep them hidden, but should they? Do children respect people less for tattoos? Or is that something that the older generation do? The kids might have been distracted or found it unusual, but once the novelty had warn off Miss Tumilty would just have been another teacher.
The fact is there is no standard teacher look, there hasn't been since the days when they all wore caps and gowns like in the Bash Street Kids. When I was at school none of our teachers had ink, or at least none that I saw, but they were a diverse bunch- we had an English teacher who was a bit of a hippy, a History teacher who constantly wore knee high leather boots, a Drama teacher who wore shocking red lipstick, much of which ended up on her teeth, an Art teacher who had a pornstar tache and I suspect smoked weed, and a Music teacher who looked like a friendlier, slightly neater Johnny Vegas.
In fact, the most "teacherly" looking bloke at our school was an aging English teacher with a big bushy beard who wore suits. And of all the teachers he probably commanded the least respect (aside from the PE teachers, but they don't really count. To quote School of Rock: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. And those who can't teach, teach gym"). This was due to his advance age, habit of falling asleep mid lesson and the fact that it was common knowledge that his coffee was more than a little Irish.
What I mean to say is that teachers come in all shapes and sizes. As do all people. To state that there's a certain way teachers must look is daft. What matters is there ability. Tumilty may have been
Also, it seems that the school handled the situation poorly, and might have been better off taking Tumilty aside and advising her that from then on she should wear longer sleeves. Sending her home on her first day seems to be a bit rude and also, embarrassing for the young lady. A bit of tact might have helped and the story could have resolved itself quietly away from the public eye, which I feel would have been in the best interests of everyone.
Unfortunately, it hit the tabloids. I'm not sure why, but I assume Tumilty, angered or upset by the school's response complained to it and it got to the press that way. This is fair enough, I believe that she had a legitimate grievance and the school could have handled it better.
However, in doing so Tumilty has shot herself in the foot.
It turns out that before becoming a trainee teacher Tumilty made her living as a model. A model who took off her clothes.
Under the name Charlie Horizon she modeled for sites like Punk Grls, which seems to be a Suicide Girls rip off.
Now, I'm not judging, I'm not slut shaming, Tumilty used her natural gifts to make a living and that's her decision. Some quick research hints that it was all softcore stuff, and she may have enjoyed the work. However, while the tattoos are easily defendable the fact that she did this does make her suitability as a teacher slightly shakier.
This cat coming out of the bag is a problem.
For the Catholic school it's even more reason not to want her around and puts Tumilty in an awkward position. She may be at a primary school, and one would hope the kids would be unaware of her past but if she went to teach at a secondary this would give the students extra ammo and would definitely impact the student-teacher dynamic.
And there are plenty of parents who would kick up a stink over a former model teaching their kids. Despite Tumilty having done nothing wrong she will face prejudice and judgement because of her former career and many will attack her suitability as a teacher because of it.
And so it seems that Tumilty won't be able to continue as a teacher. It's a shame as well, because the anti-tattoo brigade can now seize on Tumilty's case as evidence that tattooed folks are unprofessional, and will stop us from being able to have a rational debate about reevaluating what we consider okay or not professionals.
I still think the school was in the wrong, and kinda feel that Tumilty should still be able to pursue teaching, but I can see that she faces an uphill struggle now and is unlikely to overcome people's prejudices towards tattoos and/or nude modeling. Our society is getting more accepting of differences, and hopefully less judgmental, and in future we may have tattooed teachers without anyone even raising their eyebrows, but sadly this may be a few years down the line, and not benefit Tumilty.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
Catfishes and Cruelty: The Josie Cunningham saga continuesPosted: October 2, 2014 Filed under: Celebrities, News | Tags: boob job, Catfish, celebrities, celebrity culture, controversies, Josie Cunningham, reality TV, trashy telly, trolls 2 Comments
Catfishing– The phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships. (From The Urban Dictionary)
So, Josie Cunningham's time in the media spotlight has been a surreal journey (click the "Josie Cunningham" tag for more), with the "NHS boob job girl" becoming a much loathed figure and a soap opera story involving her pregnancy and the identity of the father. From day one Josie stated that there were a couple of guys in the frame, one of whom was a Premier League footballer.
Cunningham didn't reveal the identity of the footballer, throughout the pregnancy, which could be seen as admirable, but could just have been her saving it up for a later revelation, who knows.
Then this week, after the baby arrived (congratulations!) there was a further twist in the tale, as Josie revealed that she'd fallen victim to a Catfish.
This is a term that is getting more widespread after a documentary and a TV series (which is a triumph of trash TV) explored the phenomenon of people pretending to be someone else online.
This creation of a fake life is fascinating, not merely for the sheer weirdness of it, but also the motivations behind it, why would someone want to pretend to be someone else (usually due to lust, cruelty, boredom or loneliness it appears) and why others are so quick to believe what they're told. An episode I saw recently featured a woman who believed she was talking to Bow Wow (formerly Little Bow Wow) and had divulged many personal secrets to him, only for it to turn out to be a rather amoral and delusional young woman, but that's beside the point.
Josie revealed that while she thought she was talking to and sleeping with Hull City player Curtis Davies, she was in fact involved with someone else entirely, who capitalized on a resemblance to the athlete.
As she often does, Josie took to Twitter where she spilled her guts out, revealing the truth and how she felt used and betrayed. It's understandable and one can only imagine how distressing it must be to discover you've been conned in such a way.
Of course, part of you wonders how someone could be suckered in to such an extent, but Josie doesn't seem overburdened with common sense (her entire time in the spotlight has been characterized by poor judgement) and perhaps the idea of bedding a professional footballer appealed to her desire to be "the next Jordan". Or it could be that she really did develop feelings for this man, and felt close to him, and believed what she was told.
Davies isn't exactly a household name, and if this bloke does look like him it might be easy for him to pretend. But why? Why lie to someone like that for so long (around 18 months)? It seems manipulative and nasty, and while I feel Josie could have exercised some common sense and caution in this scenario, I do feel bad for her.
Worse, having claimed that the father could be a Premier League player her public image is even worse now, making her look at best foolish and at worst a liar.
I don't like much of what Josie has done, or how she's handled certain situations, but I do feel that in this case she is the victim of a con artist and due some sympathy, though I suspect she won't get much. Writing these blogs has led to conversations with people I know personally, and I'm surprised by the level of vitriol that is heaped upon her, by people who are otherwise pretty chilled out.
The birth of her baby may have helped cushion the blow a little, and deterred some from putting the boot in. But there are still enough hateful trolls out there, including one charmer who took to Twitter to tell Josie he "wished she'd died in childbirth". That's just vile and unnecessary, and you wonder what has to be wrong in someone's life that they consider sending that to a stranger to be okay. You might not like someone or what they do, but wishing them dead? Seriously not cool.
I wish Josie and her new baby all the best, and pray that rumours that she will enter the I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! jungle are false, because I firmly believe she needs less exposure to the public, not more.
It will only allow the public the chance to humiliate and torment her through the tasks, and put her in a situation where she could make her situation worse. Sometimes a good reality TV stint can turn public feeling around, but I don't think that would happen for Josie, and while financially secure she may be exposed to even more hate which can't help but negatively effect a person.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
A Nasty Taste In The MouthPosted: August 29, 2014 Filed under: Rants, Television | Tags: controversies, cooking, GBBO, rants, reality TV, Team Martha, television, The Great British Bake Off Leave a comment
My wonderful girlfriend convinced me to watch The Great British Bake Off, overcoming my argument that watching people making gorgeous food that you can't enjoy is like torture. In less than one episode I was hooked.
A large part of this was the niceness of the show. Presented by Mel and Sue, who are lovely and funny without being mean, and the judges, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry are firm without relishing the opportunity to eviscerate the contestants. And the contestants were a bunch of friendly, cheerful types who enthusiastically enjoyed the friendly competition. Helping each other out and chatting away as they waited for stuff to rise/set/brown.
And then this week, dessert week, things got a lot less nice. Almost downright nasty.
While they made Baked Alaska (never had one, but tempted) the heat in the tent started to mess with them, and freezer places for their ice cream were at a premium.
Softly spoken Irish baker Iain had put his in the freezer and went off, probably to comb his magnificent beard.
When he returned the ice cream wasn't in the freezer, it was on the sign, melted. And not just a little drippy, but like the Wicked Witch after an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge attempt. It was a proper mess.
Twitter exploded. I was pretty irked, but a lifetime of sports viewing meant I was used to competitive injustice, nothing will ever be as cruel or painful as the ref screwing Wales against Italy in the Six Nations in 2006. But for a non-sports fan like MWG it was too much to bear, and she was fuming.
Iain, confronted with a melted mess beyond saving binned it and left the tent.
But who moved the ice cream?
It was Diana, the 69 year old with 40+ years in the WI. She'd moved it out of the way and was caught on camera, bang to rights. She's since complained that the editors "stitched her up", but it looked suspect. We saw her see it, she moved it and she seemed unrepentant.
Editing is one thing, but she didn't seem to really care and while it might be a minor act it just wasn't in keeping with the genteel spirit of the show. At the very least she could have fronted up when Iain was getting his dressing down and said she'd taken it out by mistake (if it was a mistake).
She caught a lot of flak on Twitter, and some went a bit far, prompting Sue, Hollywood and some of the contestants to call for calm and perspective (it made the front cover of The Sun today for crying out loud).
I do think it all got a bit ridiculous, but it was infuriating to watch largely because Iain handled it with such grace. He didn't point the finger, or seek revenge on Diana's Baked Alaksa, which I would have done. Mary and Paul decided as he'd binned it he had to go, which is understandable, but I get why he reacted the way he did- frustration, the heat and the fact it was too late to fix it, what else could he do.
It's since emerged that Diana had to drop out anyway due to being ill, and while it's too late now (the show was filmed in the spring) I'd have thought that the way to avoid controversy would be to reinstate Iain in her place, but of course, the controversy hadn't kicked it off.
I'll keep watching GBBO, because, well, I'm hooked and also because a few of the remaining bakers seem quite tidy. I'm glad Diana had to drop out (she's apparently okay now), because if she'd stayed I'd have been actively willing someone to be eliminated, which would be nasty and like I said, I love the show for it's niceness.
With seven remember my current favourite is Martha, the rather sweet, nervous baby of the group who made a self-saucing pudding with peanut butter, which looked lush. I like all of them, but I'm rooting for her now.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
Loose Lips: Josie Cunningham Part 10Posted: June 25, 2014 Filed under: News | Tags: boob job, Carol Vorderman, celebrity culture, controversies, current affairs, Josie Cunningham, Linda Robson, Loose Women, Myleene Klass, news, NHS, taxes, trolls Leave a comment
Click on the Josie Cunningham tag up top for the story so far.
The last time I wrote about Josie Cunningham, the notorious "NHS boob girl" she was getting a lot of hate online and she actually announced she would be taking a break from Twitter. This was a bit worrying as it came after a deluge of hate including some scumbag suggesting suicide as an option for the clearly troubled and upset young lady.
Josie's Twitter silence lasted about a week, at which point she roared back, addressing criticisms from other people, clearing up rumours about her entering the Big Brother house and then actually getting into a political debate (sort of) by arguing against Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's argument that boob jobs should not be available on the NHS. She even stated that she was hoping to campaign to set up a NHS loans company to help fund these procedures.
Still dodging trolls Josie continued to tweet sporadically, pushing her dating site (still not sure that's a good idea) and then on Monday she hit the headlines again as The Sun revealed that she receives £6k worth of taxis funded by the taxpayer to take her on the school run, due to anxiety caused by the fact that she often receives abuse when taking her kids on the bus.
Cue the inevitable backlash, with people decrying that this is a massive waste of taxpayer money and could be going on things like nurses, teachers, whatever. I agree, there are better uses for £6k, but it's a drop in the ocean for stuff our government wastes money on and what is owed by individuals and businesses who duck out of paying their full taxes. Gary Barlow's tax avoidance could probably cover it, so maybe next year Gary should just pay her fares? Or Starbucks could sponsor her trips?
There was a lot of abuse flying around, as the tabloid readers seized the precarious moral high ground and spewed their outrage.
Here's the thing, I get why people are annoyed, but at the same time, I can see the reasoning behind the decision. I know Josie's made some bad decisions over the year or so she's been in the public eye, and there's a lot of resentment and anger aimed towards her, but is this really her fault? Shouldn't we really have more of an issue with the folks who are hassling her in public, in front of her kids?
These idiots are upset, sure, but they are approaching a young woman and her children and giving her grief. There is no way to view that as anything other than a dick move. Why go out of your way to make a stranger's life a misery and possibly scare and upset her children?
At the same time, Josie handled it abominably, tweeting a selfie from the back of the cab with this troll baiting caption:
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but tax payers will always fund me 🙂
It was a spectacularly misjudged tweet and detracted from the line she took in the article, where she addressed the hate she received and the fact that the blame should be given to those who give her abuse on buses.
Josie then announced that she was due to appear on Loose Women, and I groaned over my phone.
For the lucky ones- Loose Women is a daytime TV show where a gaggle of female presenters discuss and debate the issues of the day, interview guests and gossip away. Even the presence of some MILF crushes isn't enough to detract from the irritation this show provokes in me.
I groaned because I thought it was a mistake for Josie to appear on the show. In a brief interview she wouldn't get the chance to fully put her case across and might face a potentially hostile interview. In fact all it might serve to do is bring her to the attention of those who had thus far avoided her online or in the papers.
So, I fired up ITV's online service and sat down to watch the show. It did not go well.
The interview wasn't too bad, but they clearly weren't onside from the off and Myleene Klass was rather patronizing in the way she handled Josie. Two of the others, Linda Robson and some brunette woman who seemed alright, suggested counselling- Robson as an alternative to the boob job, and the other lady (couldn't find her on the LW website) put forward cognitive behaviour therapy as a potential aid to the anxiety.
At least these were constructive, and personally I think Josie might have benefited from counselling before and after the initial operation to address her insecurities and to help her realize that the new boobs were not some magic gift that would make her instantly happy and turn her life around.
But the main problem was that Josie didn't put herself over that well. It's unlikely that a single television appearance is going to turn the tide, but perhaps a longer, more in depth interview would have been better, because a short segment wasn't going to get the job done, as evidenced by the response on Twitter:
What a deluded state of a woman!
why would @loosewomen put that vile creature josie cunningham on their show?!?! Don't they see they're feeding her antics!
Acting all innocent on loose women but laughing how the tax payers are cleaning up your mess
And possibly summing up the whole situation, if rather cruelly-
Nope @JosieCOnline appearing on tv did nothing for her at all! Haha still a stupid disgusting vile pathetic excuse for a human being #muppet (@BeckyBooEvans)
And that was the problem, I don't see why Josie was doing this. She seemed out of her depth and her arguments weren't constructed properly. She stated that anger over funding her boob job shouldn't be aimed at her but the people making the decisions, which is maybe fair, but she has to realize that she sought that boob job and is the public face of these kind of decisions.
I agree that she shouldn't get hate, and I think that if she is suffering abuse and anxiety that the taxis are probably needed. It's just sad there's not a school bus that runs which she could put the kids on and which would cut down on school run traffic. That'd be the best solution, in my opinion.
Controversy and notoriety can be useful tools in the fame game, but it's starting to look like Josie or her people, are pursuing notoriety for it's own sake. There doesn't seem to be a clear strategy, she's not parlaying this infamy into anything- there's no book, or TV show, or DVD coming. So far all she's done is the awful dating website.
She stumbles from controversy to controversy, with the trolls lining up to put the boots in at every turn. The tabloids use her as fodder to fire up their readers and distract them from being annoyed or concerned about larger issues, and for her part Josie seems to be getting very little out of the deal aside from public vilification and distress.
I continue to hope that Josie can achieve some success or happiness, to fade from the public consciousness and not have to endure the abuse and hatred from idiots.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.
One hundred and eighty!: The Josie Cunningham saga continuesPosted: May 2, 2014 Filed under: Celebrities | Tags: Big Brother, celebrity culture, controversies, Josie Cunningham, trolls, twitter 1 Comment
This blog is being written several days after Josie Cunninham, the "NHS boob job girl" announced that she was not going to have an abortion in order to secure her place in the Celebrity Big Brother house and was keeping the baby. This came a week after her initial announcement and a spike in her notoriety, as she trended on Twitter and received a lot of coverage in the media.
Following Josie's tweets and the conversation online made for a week of tough reading, with a deluge of abuse and hate flying her way. While there were a few voices calling for calm or criticizing the frenzy she'd sparked the vast majority were vile, cruel jibes and I can only imagine how hard it must have been for Josie and her loved ones to hear some of it.
The trolls were out in force and one in particular stuck out. I won't link to them or name them, but it was a dude who's display picture suggested he was an older man in his 40s or 50s. This odious little man fired tweet after tweet at Josie, all laced with insults and profanity. He'd chip in on other people's comments, and seemed to respond to every one of Josie's comments with 140 characters of hate. They were witless and aggressive and underneath the swear words and criticism they actually said more about him than Josie. I mean, seriously, if you can sit there with your phone or your laptop firing hatred at someone you've never met for hours you need to take a long hard look at your life and your choices.
Other trolls circled and fired off messages, and I was still baffled by what drives someone to give a stranger such grief. I've tweeted stupidly in the past, but I don't think I could write a message with that level of bile and then be comfortable hitting "send". I'd just wonder if it was worth it, and realize how much of a dick I'd be for sending it. I think everyone should think before they tweet, maybe take a few seconds after they write a message like the one's I've seen Josie get and just think "What is this going to achieve? Would I say this to someone in person? Would I like it if someone said this to me or a loved one?" that brief reflection might make everyone realize that there's no need to be so abusive and make Twitter a better place.
Personally, I didn't think it was my place to judge Josie's decision and her motivations for seeking an abortion. I'm pro choice, so sitting here making moral judgments on a woman's choice isn't really respecting a woman's right to choose. Josie had made her choice, which is her right, and would in most occasions have done so privately. I could see why Josie had made the decision, and I can see why she changed her mind.
Josie's U-turn has seen her get a fair amount of praise on twitter and some cats have definitely mellowed towards her, but there are still trolls out there. Apparently the decision was made after feeling the baby kick and so her BB plans have been put on hold and she's pursuing other projects.
I personally think this is a good thing. For me, entering the BB house would have been a mistake. It's constant scrutiny for 24 hours and we've seen far more experienced and media-savvy celebs come unstuck, so Josie, relatively new to the fame game, would be on shaky ground, also going in with the vitriol of the public hanging over her would make her an easy target for anyone in the house seeking a popularity boost, and she'd have got abuse in house as well as out.
Of course, I could be wrong, she may have impressed in the house and won some affection from the public, maybe even changed perception. Stranger things have happened.
So, yeah, I'm glad Josie kept the baby. It'll pull her out of the firing line a bit hopefully, and I hope these new project's she's mentioned pay off for her and her family. I hope that she makes enough money to support herself and comes to realize that the fame game isn't all it's cracked up to be and disappears to a more quiet life.
I trot this out every post about Josie, and I worry it sounds patronizing, but I don't think she's suited to life in the spotlight. Her tweets show that she's more than willing to fight her corner, which is a good thing given the abuse she gets, but at the same time her quick fingers may one day get her in trouble. And also, given that this is someone who had the boob job because of body image issues and bullying, I worry that the cruel barbs about her looks may mess with her head.
Despite her defiant stance the response in the last week must surely have had some effect on her, and maybe show her that being in the limelight is not always a good thing. I'd love Josie to be famous and happy, but I can't see it happening, she's starting deep in the red of the public's dislike and it'd be a mountain to climb for her to be really, truly famous and popular. I'd rather she disappear out of the public eye to pursue happiness in private, never gracing a tabloid again.
Unfortunately I doubt this will happen. There are still two stories that the tabloids can get from Josie- the identity of the baby's father (as long as Josie keeps her word about not going on Jeremy Kyle, which I hope she does) and possibly the name of the mysterious footballer who's one of the potential fathers. And there's always other stories that might crop up.
So, basically what I want to say is- don't give someone shit about a life choice they've made, especially a serious one. It's their choice, and I doubt it's ever an easy decision. And, of course, don't be a dick. Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean you have to tell them, and definitely doesn't mean you should give them abuse and call them names.
Any thoughts? You know what to do. BETEO.


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'Fifty Shades Darker' Filming Locations In Seattle Revealed
Residents of Seattle, Washington must have been very excited that some scenes of the romantic movie "Fifty Shades Darker" are being filmed there this week.
While majority of the scenes are shot in Vancouver, Canada, On Location Vacations revealed that the production team of the movie adaptation of E.L. James' novel has already moved to a new location.
Based on the filming notices issue by MB2 Productions, filming for the sequel of "Fifty Shades of Grey" will happen around Pioneer Square starting this weekend, and this is expected to last for a few days.
"MB2 Productions LLC, a Movie Production Company, will be filming scenes for an upcoming feature film in your neighbourhood," the "Fifty Shades Darker" filming notice read. "With the help of Seattle Police for Intermittent Traffic Control and safety, we will film scenes for a movie around the Pioneer Square neighbourhood."
According to notice, shooting dates will be on May 21-22 and May 25-26.
In the meantime, Movie News Guide shared three exciting major scenes that are anticipated to happen in the lives of Christian Grey (portrayed by Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia "Ana" Steele (Dakota Johnson).
The first interesting scene that fans must reportedly look forward to in "Fifty Shades Darker" would be the confrontation among the women in Christian's life – current girlfriend Ana, mom Grace (Marcia Gay Harden) and former lover Elena Lincoln (Kim Basinger).
Following the announcement of Ana's engagement to Christian, Elena, probably jealous of the situation, would confront the former and would tell her nasty things, like she having no capacity to make Christian happy. Upon knowing this, Grace would be to the rescue and demand that her friend must stay away from the lives of Ana and Christian.
The second major scene in "Fifty Shades Darker" would be the one involving Ana and her boss Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), who would try to assault her.
The third scene would be about how romantic Christian is. Accordingly, he would be down on his knees begging Ana to stay after his ex Leila Williams (Bella Heathcote) shows up and starts to ruin their relationship.
"Fifty Shades Darker" is set to premiere in February 2017.
Read Also: 'Fifty Shades Freed' Wedding Scene Filming: First Teaser Photo Reveals Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson Affair?
Related Article: 'Fifty Shades Darker' News: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson Affair Apparent In Bed Scenes?


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|A Murder in Wellesley
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[a]Cube[/a] aren't interested in layers of irony, depth or subtlety; they prefer glossy, seamless rock anthems, FM guitar solos which elicit winces from veterans of the punk wars...
Who was cruel enough to send these poor young kids into the heart of Manchester on the night of the Man Utd Vs Juventus match? Lambs to the slaughter? Christians to the lions? Have they even got a fighting chance?
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text:
In case you're wondering why my review of Cecil B. DeMille's 1918 film Old Wives For New is taking so long, let me put it this way: I've polished up 1150 words so far and the next sentence starts "As the film opens ..."
Wordy or thorough? You decide ...
Anyway, I have to go cook dinner now.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
What's Taking So Long?
3 comments:
- Dawn said...
LOL.. Oh my...
- June 8, 2012 at 7:57 AM
- mister muleboy said...
- June 9, 2012 at 9:51 AM
- Erik Beck said...
Taking writing lessons from Laurence Sterne are we?
- June 9, 2012 at 11:11 PM
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|10 October 2012
Emre M.
Istanbul, Turkey
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,156
Originally Posted by Aurel77: who would be interested by a different approach of animation workflow inspired by what you saw in my videos and the Vs hierarchies document ?
I would be interested to see your ideas. I have done some UI & interaction design in the past ( 6 - 7 years ago), so maybe in my free time I can help you a little with your ideas.
Faster animation workflow would benefit everyone, I think.
Who knows, maybe it can open the door to CG feature films being made with a much smaller budget, less people, and much faster production time.
That would help democratize what people can create with CG.
If you post your ideas here, I'll be happy to provide critique, and maybe also some help with the UI design side.
Good luck!
|10 October 2012
another mimeportfolio
Michael Sime
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,771
So to be clear from the video, the big features I saw were-
No more rig ctrls, selecting from the geo or list to the right.
No more keys on the timeline, instead they're listed with frame numbers.
No more manipulators on screen, manipulation is done in a window.
Automatic looping of animation.
New format for copying keys or mirroring animation.
Anything major you want to add? (shown in the video?)
Before I comment on it I want to know what exactly are the big ideas you're proposing.
|10 October 2012
another mimeportfolio
Michael Sime
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,771
Again you keep saying what's wrong right now, and saying you have created an innovative new method, but I simply want features listed, not a sales pitch. My post wasn't meant to downplay what you've done, really I'm just looking for facts and make sure I understand everything you're proposing.
For the sake of discussion, I'll just offer my opinion.
First it seems like the biggest improvement your proposing is actually in the rigging field, not specifically in animation. (although of course it effects animation) I agree whole-heartedly, there is a lot most productions require that I don't understand us having to do over and over from scratch. So yes, streamlining a lot of it is very much needed.
As far as the animation process itself, I'm not sure I'm sold. First of all it seems very much geared for loops, which is fine, but rather limiting. (Such as automatically looping from my last key frame.)
I don't see the point in getting rid of manipulators. I'd say they're much more intuitive than a box with colored squares, and beyond that the channel box in maya already gives you the option to manipulate without ever setting your mouse in the viewport, or maneuvering the camera to find the manipulator.
I'd have to work for a few days with keys on the list as opposed to the timeline, but the keys on the timeline is actually (imo) a big feature I feel CG actually has better than hand-drawn animation. I don't know why we need to get rid of it, especially since your method could work perfectly alongside it. In other words, I'd pretty much like to have both options. Mainly cause I feel like your method could get confusing if I don't have everything keyed on the same frame.
But I think the biggest thing that holds me back from getting really excited is you've omitted what should be the biggest feature shown, and that's whatever you're doing to the animation curves. You talk about 8 keys making the loop, but unless I can actually see how you're doing that differently than what current graph editors do, I don't really know why that's special. Cause really with current animation software you should be able to make a run cycle with that few frames.
I love, love, love selecting the geo instead of ctrls. But at the same time I do think ctrls are sometimes needed. There are certain things I need to do with some characters that are too abstract to be constrained to the section of the model. Also controls can make certain things easier to select. For instance face animation. Getting rid of the manipulators was so we wouldn't, as animators, have to move around the camera and look for things, but then getting rid of controls and using geo seems to place that requirement back in. The fingers might be in a hidden, or concealed pose and ctrls would make then easier to select (as opposed to selecting the geo itself) Again, it comes down to I wish we could have both. And this is also ignoring a lot of plug ins that provide clean, and easy ways to select rig ctrls, so this improvement almost feels null.
I'm not saying this doesn't have some impressive ideas, I just think
1- a lot of them would work better alongside what we already have, as opposed to replacing.
And 2- I know you don't want to show too much, but unfortunately I'm not seeing anything here strictly animation wise (ignoring the auto rigging which already exists in many forms, many studios use the same rig they made for all their bipeds without redoing it each time) that would really blow my mind.
I wish you could show more, but for now simply hearing it's more intuitive or generic or easier to use isn't really enough. Anyone can say that, it's tough to judge without seeing everything you're actually proposing.
Last edited by Michael5188 : 10 October 2012 at 02:38 PM.
|10 October 2012
Freelance Animator/Riggerportfolio
Brian Horgan
Dublin, Ireland
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,977
I guess my initial reaction was similar to Michael's, I'm all for people creating new tools to make animation easier (I do so myself too), but I haven't seen anything in the videos you linked to that made me think 'yes I want that'.
For me manipulating a CG character is already an abstraction compared to say drawing in 2D or posing a physical model in Stop-motion animation, so what I like as an animator is the most direct way of grabbing controllers and manipulating them in the viewport. I dislike having to use sliders or any other control surface so the tools for posing you've shown really don't appeal to me to be honest. I'm thinking about say posing an FK arm for example, I'd much rather just select the curves in a typical rig that run around the arm and pose the upper arm, then move down to the elbow etc., rather than having to click on some kind of GUI to rotate the arms.
Not trying to take away from the work/ideas you have, I just thought it worth mentioning that for me it's not really something that I find appealing. Of course others may love it, but I'm just offering some balance of opinion here.
Animation & Rigging Reels
mayaTools blog
|10 October 2012
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,018
I'm all for simplicity,
but it's kinda misleading to compare your outliner to that of a complex rig.
You can get much more basic character rigs if you want to in maya.
Regarding the curve editor... Why limit your audience by excluding one. I hate it, but I'd like it there too for finetuning timing, arcs whatnot.
I am interested in your tool and think that once you are ready to show us the whole banana, this discussion will be more productive for everybody.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex & more violent..." Einstein
|10 October 2012
Freelance Animator/Riggerportfolio
Brian Horgan
Dublin, Ireland
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,977
It's also a little misleading IMO to say that a rig takes 2 weeks to build just because a DVD teaching how to rig is 6 hours in length. The 6 hours I'd imagine are the time it takes someone to clearly explain to a beginner how to build that rig. Any rigger worth hiring will script rig creation so it can be done in a fraction of the time during actual production as building rigs manually is extremely inefficient. Sure you will still have to take time on certain stages, like building blend shapes and finessing the skinning but building a basic rig for a biped shouldn't take more than a few hours.
Animation & Rigging Reels
mayaTools blog
Last edited by Horganovski : 10 October 2012 at 04:19 PM.
|10 October 2012
Skeleton Manportfolio
Terrence Walker
The Last King
of Scotland
Shanghai, China
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 893
I would love to see something like this happen, because the world of 3D character animation really needs an overhaul. IF someone could do for animation what Zbrush did for modeling we would see a revolution.
A funny thing about Poser, since it seems weak as they try to keep up with the times, if you were, TODAY, to go back and animate a Poser 1 or Poser 2 character, it would seem like the fastest and easiest animation system around.
Terrence Walker
Studio ArtFX
Learn How to Make Your Own Animated Projects!
You don't need millions of dollars or major studio backing!!
|10 October 2012
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,018
Originally Posted by teruchan: ... IF someone could do for animation what Zbrush did for modeling we would see a revolution...
Yep. this is the tool the whole industry is waiting for to change everything.
This and realtime photorealistic rendering.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex & more violent..." Einstein
|10 October 2012
New Memberportfolio
Lyon, France
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by mustique: Yep. this is the tool the whole industry is waiting for to change everything.
This and realtime photorealistic rendering.
I think we all everywhere, and in all different CG industries, agree with this.
|Thread Closed share thread
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Setpics of [HNGWH] in Germany; so JRENN is not needed yet for AVNGR.
Posted by: Antibody on Mar 31, 14:22
Tag(s): HNGWH
Setpics of [HNGWH] in Germany; so JRENN is not needed yet for AVNGR. Antibody on Mar 31, 14:22
action-comedy, eh ... {nm} jane_citizen on Mar 31, 14:56
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Download Flying Dodo: Wilbur's Fun Ride apk 1.1.2 free for Android smartphone
Posted by Double Duck Ltd. in Action | Feb. 25, 2014 | 22 Comments
Apk file size: 34.0 MB
- Added yet another background! Test your flying skills in the swamp!
- Added a new jetpack to the store! Now you can have your very own space shuttle! OH BOY!!
- Added daily gifts! Every day you'll find a spankin' new gift on your flight! Get a gift 5 days in a row to find the MEGA GIFT!
- In addition to all that, we added a whole lot of small updates and fixes to make your ride smoother!
Have fun and fly on!
They said he couldn't fly... they were wrong!
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Wilbur the dodo found a jetpack, and he needs your help to fly as far as he can...
Show the evil toucans that even a dodo can fly!
**Dash across the jungle at high speed as Wilbur the dodo, collecting coins and avoiding toucans!
**Grab the Dash charms and Fuel Cans in your way to fly as far as you can!
**Customize your own jetpack! Fly on a Witch's Broom or have fun with the Prank Bag!
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**A whole lot of cartoon fun for kids and adults to enjoy!
- Why are toucans so evil?
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This game will answer none of these questions, but who cares about facts when you're playing a dodo with an A-bomb strapped to his back??
Join Wilbur on the ride of his life, and you'll believe a dodo can fly!
Whats new
- New Area! Fly through the misty swamps of the jungle and face even more challenges!
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Double Duck Ltd. part of our Action and have average installs from 10000 to 50000. Last Update Feb. 25, 2014. Google play rating is 75.7143. Current verison is 1.1.2. Actual size 34.0 MB.
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Bronko Blue, the kitten copter31 Comments
Animal Escape Free - Fun Games85964 Comments
22 Comments
Ashwin S
Gud game.. Gud interface.. Culd make d game mre touch sensitive..
MAXoood Khan
MAXoood Khan The Creator of M
Oded Bengigi
Great game! Fun! :) Really Cool game ! Love it!!
Pete Shelby
Flying DoDo: Wilbur's FunRide: Addictive fun, better than Jetpack Joyride. Flying DoDo: Double Duck, you did it again. Another fun, free fantastically addictive game for kids off all ages! Great graphics and UI. Glad I don't have to tap, tap on the screen like in copter games. One thing, DoDo's upward thrust is a little touchy - starts slow then zoom. Otherwise, love the music, it's not annoying and the whole feel of the game makes me smile. However, the credits add up very slowly! Great job guys!
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Like it good way to past time while listening to music
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copy i recognized the game that you're copying from the pics. it's jetpack joyride. but i give it 5 stars cause i love jetpack joyride
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Susan Gerhart
|This biographical article relies too much on references to primary sources. (October 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Susan Gerhart is a semi-retired computer scientist.[1]
Susan Gerhart received her BA in Mathematics from Ohio Wesleyan University, her MS in Communication Sciences from University of Michigan, and her PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.[2] She completed her thesis "Verification of APL Programs" in 1972 under thesis advisor Donald W. Loveland.[3] She credited Sputnik with having inspired her to study science.[4]
She has taught software engineering and computer science at Toronto, Duke University, Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.[1]
She established a project to develop curricula to increase security in aviation-oriented computing education.[5][6] This project produced several papers and modules, including one on buffer overflow vulnerabilities.
Her other publications include "Toward a theory of test data selection",[7] "An International Survey of Industrial Applications of Formal Methods. Volume 2. Case Studies",[8] and "Do Web search engines suppress controversy?".[9]
In 1987 Gerhart was one of the founding members of Systers, the oldest and largest mailing list for women in computing.[10][11]
Macular Degeneration Advocacy[edit]
Having been personally impacted by macular degeneration,[12] she maintains the "As Your World Changes" blog on using technology, including podcasts, to overcome vision loss. In 2009 she spoke at the IEEE conference on Software Testing, Verification and Validation on "The Disability/Mobility Challenge: Formulating Criteria for Testing Accessibility and Usability".[13]
- ^ a b Susan Gerhart Bio
- ^ Susan Gerhart Professional Activities
- ^ Donald W. Loveland CV
- ^ [ www.youtube.com/watch?v=afpMLOzzcfg]
- ^ NSF Security Grant: Project Information
- ^ NSF Award #0113627
- ^ ACM citation: Toward a theory of test data selection
- ^ DTIC citation: An International Survey of Industrial Applications of Formal Methods
- ^ First Monday: Do Web search engines suppress controversy?
- ^ Founding Systers
- ^ John Udell's Interview with Innovators podcast with Susan Gerhart
- ^ Life in Libraryland: Susan Gerhart on Ada Lovelace Day


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When Susan and I were recently in Paris, we tried different pastries with the view of trying to replicate them on our return. This included lemon Madeleines from Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann.
The French lemon Madeleines were not only pitiful to look at, but also dry and tasteless. I was pretty sure that I could do better!
In addition to the visits to different pâtissiers, we visited my very favorite cookware shop – E.Dehillerine on Rue Coquillière in the Les Halles area. If you saw the movie Julie & Julia, you may remember a scene where Julia and friend were shopping in a cookware shop. That was E.Dehillerine.
One of my purchases from E.Dehillerine was a mini Madeleine pan which I thought would be perfect for the lemon Madeleines. As it turned out, the mini Madeleines, although delicious (the Master Taste Tester finished them off in one sitting!), were not as impressive as the regular sized ones. Therefore, after making one pan of the mini's, I used the rest of the batter with a regular sized Madeleine pan.
The recipe that I used was from Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi. Everything that I've made from this wonderful cookbook has been outstanding. The lemon Madeleines were no exception!
The ingredients included all purpose flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, granulated sugar, lemon zest, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, and whole milk.
I started by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Then, I added the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl, and rubbed them together with my fingertips until the sugar was moist and fragrant.
I then added the eggs to the sugar/lemon mixture and beat it on high with my electric mixer until it was pale and thick. This took about 5 minutes.
Next, I added the honey and vanilla extract, and beat the mixture until everything was well incorporated.
Now came time to fold in the dry ingredients. I used a flexible spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients just until they disappeared into the batter.
Finally, I added the warm melted butter, and when it was incorporated, the milk.
Before baking the lemon Madeleines, I pressed a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter, and refrigerated it for about an hour. After an hour, I sprayed the Madeleine pan with non-stick baking spray and filled the molds about ¾ full with the batter. I refrigerated the filled pan for another hour. When time came to bake the Madeleines, I put a heavy baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheated it to 400° F. When the oven reached temperature, I removed the filled Madeleine pan from the refrigerator and placed it on the hot baking sheet for about 11 minutes, until the lemon Madeleines were golden brown. According to Dorie Greenspan's recipe, the reason for following this procedure was to mimic the heat of a baker's hearth oven, the way that a pizza stone does. Interestingly, this procedure kept the Madeleines from over-browning.
When they were done, I removed the lemon Madeleines from the oven, and turned them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
The recipe that I used indicated that optionally, the lemon Madeleines could be glazed with a simple lemon juice/confectioners' sugar glaze. They were so good plain that I almost didn't bother with the glaze. That would have been a huge mistake!
After whisking together the lemon juice and the confectioners' sugar, I dipped the top of the Madeleines in the glaze, and placed them on a wire rack that was placed over a baking sheet.
The glazed Madeleines went into a preheated 500° F oven for several minutes during which time the glaze melted and coated the top of the Madeleines. I was amazed at the transformation of the glaze – it was shiney and non-sticky.
I ended up with 13 regular sized lemon Madeleines that were the best I've made so far. At some point, I might try the mini Madeleine pan again, but will definitely use this recipe, and will definitely go the extra step with the glaze. Rather than only glazing half of the Madeleines like I did this time, I'll glaze all of them. Yum!
For the Madeleines
⅔ cup (3.17 ounces, 90 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or a pinch of fine sea salt
⅓ cup (2.36 ounces, 67 grams) granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 Tablespoons, 4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted & still warm
2 Tablespoons whole milk
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
For the Glaze (Optional)
½ cup (2.11 ounces, 60 grams) confectioners' sugar
About 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
To Make the Madeleines: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
Working in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs, and beat on high with an electric mixer until the egg/sugar mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. When the mixture leaves tracks, beat in the honey and vanilla extract. Using a flexible spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, folding only until they disappear into the batter. Finally, fold in the warm melted butter, and when it's incorporated, the milk. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill for at least 1 hour. (The batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
An hour or so before baking, spray the molds of a 12-shell madeleine pan with baker's non-stick spray. Spoon the batter into the molds – don't worry about spreading it evenly; the oven's heat will take care of that – and refrigerate for 1 hour more.
When you're ready to bake, center a rack in the oven, put a large heavy baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the madeleine pan on the hot baking sheet and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and the big bumps on their tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the madeleines to cool to room temperature. If not glazing, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
To Glaze the Madeleines: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and put a cooling rack on it.
Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl that's large enough to allow you to dip the madeleines into the glaze. Whisk in the lemon juice a little at a time until the glaze is about as thick as heavy cream.
One by one, dip (don't soak) the bump side of each madeleine in the glaze and put them bump side up on the cooling rack. Slide them into the oven, close the door and stay put: It takes 1 to 3 minutes for the glaze to melt and coat the madeleines, and you want to be there to pull them out of the oven at the first sign of a bubble in the glaze. Remove from the oven and transfer the madeleines to another cooling rack. Cool completely. Yield: 12 Lemon Madeleines.


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