Good lord, is it really that long? I remember thinking that I'd seen photos from people who'd fursuited on planes, even been able to go to the cockpit with their head on, and being idly disappointed that I'd probably never be able to try that. Of course, the fursuits back then were mostly what we'd now call partials, possibly not even including feetpaws.
Anyway, not wishing to detract from the gravity of the 11 September attacks, but this is the kind of thing that sticks in a person's mind. Slightly more than half a lifetime ago now, for me.
25 years later, I find I don't really have much to say about it. It was tragic, it was awful, America's never really recovered from it, but some people have certainly weaponized it.
@High Strung Coyote - He/Him Huh, neat. Not at all the spontaneous, one-off nature of the pre-9/11 ones, where a single individual could just show up as an animal-person with all the curiosity from others and the fact that you're just doing this for yourself that that brings with it, but still, kinda neat.
Good to see someone finally covering this. Yes, your smart TV is probably listening to you, recording you, and if you have a camera on it probably recording you inside your home.
Watch the full Daily DeFranco Show: https://www.youtube.com/@PhilipDeFranco?sub_confirmation=1Get More News Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLB7kBu9...
I like to imagine a place where time moves slower, and an afternoon can simply be an afternoon.
This is Aud, a little Dakotaraptor who was such a lovely character to draw. I really enjoyed working with him and giving him his own little moment here.
Inspired in pictures of the Red Lotus Lake Kumphawapi, in Thailand. I wish some day I can visit that place.
Picture for Aud. Digital. Procreate
I shared a time lapse video of the process of this picture, you can watch it on the first comment of this submission on my Telegram art channel: https://t.me/panda_paco
I also shared the full time-lapse video with the full resolution of this picture, along other pictures I haven't shared on my galleries yet, all this exclusive for paid members on Patreon and Ko-Fi. And you can support me to keep creating more art and keep living out of this, I truly appreciate every support: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/pandapaco Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/panda_paco/tiers Thank you!
Official Art Channel π²π½ Clean cute artist. Full-Time Panda. Here to paint some smiles. https://linktr.ee/panda_paco Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pandapaco Ko-Fi Shop: https://ko-fi.com/panda_paco/shop Stickers channel: @pacostickers
The 2020s so far have been a constant stream of βYou say this new tech was created by an open fascist? One hellbent on white nationalism? Loves ethnic cleansing, and total control of media and state? Cool. Cool cool cool. OK, sounds good, then I guess weβre going to promote it as hard as we can!β
Godzilla works in mysterious ways HOW CAN THIS NOT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE WHY DID WE GO TO FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER WHEN ALL ALONG GODZILLA WAS RIGHT HERE
What can Lilo & Stitch (2002) tell us about autism?Knowing Better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzJ5JSx74oI have a Patreon! Please consider supporting me...
Just shit-canned a spam ticket, but not before noticing it was claiming to be from an "AI consultant". What is there to consult about? You ask the LLM for something, it gets it wrong, you ask again, being more specific, it gets it wrong more subtly, you get more and more specific and it keeps finding ways to screw up, then when you finally get something barely acceptable, you realise it would have been far quicker and with far better results to just do it yourself. How does a consultant improve this process, other than siphoning off your money in the meantime? The best improvement would be to just Do It Yourself.
there's so much other stuff I'd be rather doing, like working on projects I actually want to work on
but nope, have to spend most of the say on something (that tbh I don't dislike) someone else (who's infuriatingly annoying) wants done (but don't want to actually bother understanding about it themselves)
and when get home am too tired to actually do the shit I want in the small amount of free time I then have (unless I want to also skip eating and sleeping)
I've just been looking at energy tariffs again. I'm on Octopus Flux at the moment which has been working quite well for the last year (since we got the solar panels and battery installed) and I've got used to the schedule, but now I'm eyeing up Agile, which seems to have been having negative import prices quite a bit over the last few days. I don't know how likely that is to continue, but if it does it could be really good as it would very much financially reward deliberately cycling the battery to soak up negatively priced energy to re-export during peak time, while on days without negative prices (or at least without a large price difference) it's likely best to save energy from the solar panels to use locally. Hmm! Is it worth the hassle of spending time each day looking at the following day's graph and scheduling things to match? Sounds like quite a time commitment, but might potentially reduce bills a *lot*.
Cycled for 3.4 miles today, first time I've been out on my bicycle in ages. After about 15 minutes I had to stop for a 4 minute break (going up a step section of path covered in tree roots on the local common), then at the half hour mark I had to stop again, having seriously overdone it, for 8 minutes. Really felt I was going to throw up and/or pass out. Thankfully I did neither and got home safely. Another sign I really need exercise!
@Xoa Gray Yeah, and I've been neglecting it too long. In my defense, pandemic, ill mother, house move, death of mother. But really it's just lack of motivation, apathy and laziness, exacerbated by those things.
It's not easy even when you don't have a bunch of things working against you, so no judgement here. I have no such things holding me back and I've been slacking myself.
I do like Art & Biro, it's a really lovely story of friendship. Not quite so sure if I'll get on so well with the current chapter though; if I'm honest, I really fell in love with non-verbal Art. I feel more non-verbal characters in stories would be nice to see. Need representation.
When you plan a trip with friends, you usually imagine everything going perfectly. You think about all the places you'll visit, the things you'll do together, and all the good memories.
Of course, trips rarely go exactly as planned. You get lost, plans change, someone forgets something, or you end up somewhere you never expected to be. But those little problems are what give a trip its personality. Years later, they may even become the stories you remember the most (Believe me I have so many of those)
I won't say much about what Art and Biro are doing here. I don't want to give away too much about what may or may not happen next!
Happy birthday to these two critters! And thanks to Dahan for pushing me to work on another illustration about them!
I've already been working on the second chapter of my comic Art & Biro, and I'll keep trying to find time to continue their story. In the meantime, the entire first chapter is already available to read online, and you can also get a physical copy if you'd like to have the book!
There's also a small time lapse video showing the process of this picture. You can watch it in the first comment of this submission on my Telegram art channel: https://t.me/panda_paco
But also I shared a full video of the time-lapse of this picture, as same as the full resolution of this picture, among other pictures I haven't shared on my gallery yet. You can find them at supporting me on Patreon or Ko-Fi as paid members, also that helps me a lot to keep working on this project, so I don't depend on many commissions and I can actually keep working on this comic, and you get to access to a lot of personal stories, exclusive content and more. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/pandapaco Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/panda_paco/tiers Thank you!
In an universe where animals, furries and humans are living together, a raccoon guy named Art meets Biro, a fox with a lot of imagination. They meet each other at just the right time in their lives.
Written in the typical style of DSM-5 psychiatric diagnoses, it highlights the absurdity of many social norms, and flips the script by portraying how an autistic person might view the social mannerisms and unquestioned expectations associated with neβ¦
When you plan a trip with friends, you usually imagine everything going perfectly. You think about all the places you'll visit, the things you'll do together, and all the good memories.
Of course, trips rarely go exactly as planned. You get lost, plans change, someone forgets something, or you end up somewhere you never expected to be. But those little problems are what give a trip its personality. Years later, they may even become the stories you remember the most (Believe me I have so many of those)
I won't say much about what Art and Biro are doing here. I don't want to give away too much about what may or may not happen next!
Happy birthday to these two critters! And thanks to Dahan for pushing me to work on another illustration about them!
I've already been working on the second chapter of my comic Art & Biro, and I'll keep trying to find time to continue their story. In the meantime, the entire first chapter is already available to read online, and you can also get a physical copy if you'd like to have the book!
There's also a small time lapse video showing the process of this picture. You can watch it in the first comment of this submission on my Telegram art channel: https://t.me/panda_paco
But also I shared a full video of the time-lapse of this picture, as same as the full resolution of this picture, among other pictures I haven't shared on my gallery yet. You can find them at supporting me on Patreon or Ko-Fi as paid members, also that helps me a lot to keep working on this project, so I don't depend on many commissions and I can actually keep working on this comic, and you get to access to a lot of personal stories, exclusive content and more. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/pandapaco Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/panda_paco/tiers Thank you!
In an universe where animals, furries and humans are living together, a raccoon guy named Art meets Biro, a fox with a lot of imagination. They meet each other at just the right time in their lives.
Hi, and welcome back to a new video! I am happy to see you again here! Special thanks to my dearest supporters, who I love dearly!Want to contribute to these...
Had a super great time at Leicester pride with @notshadowfever and some wonderful local furries!
We helped carry the giant trans flag in suit along the march. Everyone we met, hung out with and spoke to was awesome and brilliant. People came out in force, and people made their voice heard. Heck yes. π
It has occurred to me that is is perhaps a little odd that someone that runs an ISP goes to a lot of trouble helping people work βoff gridββ¦
- Faikiout local aircon control with HAβ¦ - GPS NTP clocksβ¦
Well yes, something to be said for working off line when needed.
But a lot is about local control of your own data and not linked to corporate crap. So yes, even when on-line you want your own stuff under your own control.
Gorgeous new artwork by @leggy2fast with @CheetahObscura - in which it's a hopeful and more gentle solarpunk future. We're happily working together to get some old solar panels up and running, and in the background a long-abandoned data centre has been partially reclaimed by nature, partially absorbed into our small, sustainable community.
I love how this turned out so much. I love the colours and light, I love our nonbinary clothing that says in this world we can express ourselves however we want, I love how we're doing important work and actually finding joy and meaning in it in it, I love the sense that there's a thriving community working the landscape behind us making a world I'd actually want to live in, and I love that the data centre is in ruins as a symbolic, gentle but resolute middle finger to data centres and AI and all the damage they're doing to us and our world today. And most of all I love the way this piece is an expression of hope in a time where, moment of vulnerability, I'm feeling really, really damn short of it lately.
I'm so grateful to Obscura for proposing we go together on another art piece, and to Raf for realising this absolute beauty.
The ruins sort of put me in mind of a youtube video I watched about previous technological/industrial bubbles, about how old mills were repurposed into offices and flats, big factory spaces can become art galleries and the like, but with the caveat that data centres aren't really constructed like buildings. They're mostly a steel frame packed with cooling equipment and server racks. Repurposing them will be difficult.
Sounds like a really neat video! Though yeah I can see what you mean. If they don't have enough structural strength to do much in or on top of them, maybe better to just leave it to nature (in a solarpunk vision like this anyway) and reroute the power and water infrastructure elsewhere outside of them.
@Doran Eirok ΞΞ π«πΎ @Developing Stacy :pico8: They typically have *really* strong floors because they are designed to be filled with closely packed racks of heavy equipment! They have unusual features like raised floors throughout and lots of cableways between areas. I'm sure they could be reused for something.
I'd wonder about the relatively weak roof and only a single floor, it seems like to try and repurpose it to any sort of conventional building you'd have to effectively build a new actual building inside the shell which would probably not be cost effective, if possible at all. Those unusual features you mention definitely could be valuable, but it would take some investment and cleverness and I worry at the extent to which businesses tend to prefer solutions that are cheap and easy. With the right thinking and investment, I'm sure the infrastructure could be repurposed to a more general and useful sort of computing centre, so hopefully that proves to be the case.
@Doran Eirok ΞΞ π«πΎ @Developing Stacy :pico8: I have to admit I haven't been to many actual datacentres. The main one I've worked in is Telehouse North which was built in the 1990s I think, and seems pretty sturdy. I guess if the AI ones being built now are made of ticky-tacky and barely adequate for the precise thing they're being built to house, yeah, you are probably more right than I am. I did see a video talking about these things only a day or two ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-J2sRBMkQ , I think) where the guy kept mentioning that the cooling setups in each datacentre were specific to the GPUs it was being built for, which struck me as wild - after all, heat is heat. But I suppose they are doing this on such scale it probably makes sense to microoptimise for the exact hardware being built for. Which then makes it far less reusable. Which is sad.
@pippin You have to wonder how much of "optimised for this specific hardware and use case" is actual necessity and how much is an excuse to ask for more investment to build these things.
Yeah, it's very much not my field but everything I have heard and seen has every sense of being hyper-optimised for one specific purpose, the way things are right now with the AI bubble, which keeps giving me every possible sense of being about to burst. The desperation with which the tech companies try to sell it, to force it on everyone, keeps feeling to me like nothing so much as a snake oil salesman who knows his luck is running out and the loan sharks he's lied to are coming for him any minute. My imagination is probably just overacting but that keeps being the exact vibe I get from it all, every Windows lock screen on my work computer telling me how amazing AI is and how I should be using it more PLEASE GOD USE OUR AI PRODUCT MORE AND JUSTIFY OUR INVESTMENTS WE'RE BEGGING YOU
Thank you! And thank you again for the incredible art. I think this is one of the most emotional art pieces I've had done in a very long time if not ever. And I absolutely agree. β€
@Doran Eirok ΞΞ π«πΎ I know this isn't what you mean, but I keep feeling weird when people talk about "datacentres", as such, as being bad. I'm pretty sure they mean "AI datacentres", i.e. the ones that are using far more power than traditional datacentres to the point where they need water cooling and don't do much other than train and/or run LLMs. But my whole livelihood is in datacentres β the traditional ones which host telecoms, IXPs, web and email hosting and all the other stuff that's on the internet. AI datacentres are a very different thing from datacentres. I had a similar weirdness when "crypto" was being disparaged β cryptography is essential, e.g. TLS as part of https for web sites; crypto*currencies* are the trash thing. Kind of the same thing here. I've wanted to build my own datacentre (probably a very very mini one) for ages and might even manage it sometime β it'll hopefully be mostly solar powered and as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as I can make it. Sorry for choosing this particular post to unburden this on, it's a lovely picture and very much agree on it all apart from that one subtle (or maybe not so subtle) distinction in terminology. π€π€π€
I very much understand what you mean - my apologies, people tend toward shorthand terms for things even when it loses important distinctions. What I meant to throw shade on here is indeed very much -AI datacentres-, as you say the sort that are exceptionally power- and water-hungry and and specialised to such an extent that they won't be much good to anyone if and when the AI bubble bursts because they can't really be repurposed to handling other, more useful types of data or cloud services. Apart from maybe finding some use for the building itself which is little more than a giant barn with a strong floor. They've become a pretty hot political topic and those especially tend toward easy shorthand terms. People don't like them, the environmental impact is huge, and they can only ever really do one thing, and it's a thing that more and more people are really getting tired of having shoved in their faces when it's hard to see any actual value to them.
And like you say with 'crypto', you're exactly right that that became the common shorthand for 'cryptocurrency' and that's what people were wanting to trash on. Cryptography itself is an incredible and important field - I live not far from Bletchley Park where Alan Turing and other brilliant minds worked tirelessly to crack the Enigma code during World War 2, so I've got plenty of appreciation for that!
But yes, my apologies, no disrespect intended toward your livelihood and the broader infrastructure that makes so much of the internet and the modern world as we know it possible.
@Doran Eirok ΞΞ π«πΎ It's fine, you don't really need to apologise for using language the way most people keep using it. But thank you. π€π€π€π€
It's a quiet, cool September evening on the outskirts of Chicago in 1929, I'm in my garage tinkering with my brand new Model A, This thing is neat! Faster and slicker than my Model T was.
I tinker with the carburetor, making some little adjustments to feed more fuel into the engine. Can't have it going lean on me again like last night.
Putting the hood down I light up a cigarette and look up into the sky. It's a beautiful clear night, and the full moon is going to be spectacular.
I grin, patting the hood of my car admiring the Brewster green and black paint job in the last rays of evening light. It'll be time to make some deliveries soon. Maybe sandwiches, maybe liquor.
Whatever the evening throws my way, it's gonna' be a gas.
@monstercollie Thanks! I often play with little ideas like this. I don't always put them out into the world, but it's getting about that time of year so I might just do something with it. :)
Also I desperately need a decent fursuit so I can get more cuddlepics, before I get too old to be able to fursuit any more. It's been on my list for over 20 years now, but the prices for commissions *still* keep going up faster than my ability to pay, and I *keep* not having the time and energy to self-build, damnit. -.-
Fursuiting on planes happened at least as recently as 2017.
https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Midwest_Furflight