Stannous Flouride's Book of Truthiness

I just bought this at Community Thrift on Valencia and on my way home decided what to do with it.
Until it is filled, every time I have a negative thought I will write it down and shove it into Lord Vader’s cranium.
I did the first one just now.

Art director Kouhei Nakama has created a computer generated short film that explores the possibilities of a 21st century human chameleon. Within her film titled Diffusion, she portrays a female figure as a generative canvas to investigate the potentiality of human flesh. Using a system that simulates biological processes through mathematical testing, she is able to imitate texturized skin based on patterns and textures that occur in nature. The film begins with what most closely resembles, perhaps, a white and red version of the shapeshifting capabilities of Mystique from X-Men, and transitions into a soft poetic display of a humanoid light show. Through vibrant alterations of rainbow colors and body motions displayed with toned muscles, the film provokes thoughts of almost futuristic yogi sentiments of human aura and energy field displays. The film comes to it’s climax with sculptures of human bodies that seem to be either virtual or somehow physically interconnected as hands appear to have the ability to travel through bodies. The constant shift of color and pattern and eventual bloating and deformation of the figures allow the piece to end on a dramatic, yet satisfying note. Simultaneously alien, human and robotic, Nakama’s display of futuristic metamorphosis is both disturbing and undoubtedly magical. Kouhei Nakama’s short film holds its own as a  mystifying and captivating piece of work; however, it’s true allure lies in it’s ability to display the vast ability (and even further potential) of what CGI programs can accomplish. (via The Creators Project)

Every bank and post office should have one of these!

While the world has (rightfully) mourned the terror in Paris it has all but ignored the 43 people slaughtered in Beirut and the 105 innocents killed by the same beasts.
Let us remember them also.

By the end of 2016, the San Diego SeaWorld will end its signature orca show, replacing it in 2017 with an exhibit in a more “natural” setting.

The One Ocean show in San Diego, and other ‘Shamu’ shows featuring orcas performing tricks in front of large crowds was a historically a big draw for SeaWorld theme parks across the country. But those shows in particular have come under fire in recent years from activists who protest the treatment of orcas  at the SeaWorld’s theme parks.

SeaWorld has been under increasing scrutiny and pressure since 2013 when the documentary Blackfish premiered. The film generated significant negative publicity for SeaWorld, and two years later, the organization is still scrambling to recover.

The status of other One Ocean shows in Florida and San Antonio remains unclear. The particular shutdown may be localized to California for the time being due to political pressures in that state, but that could soon change.

Last month, California approved SeaWorld San Diego’s plan to double the size of the orca habitat but added a caveat–the park would no longer be permitted to breed any of their 11 orcas. SeaWorld pledged to fight the ruling but got dealt another blow last week when California Congressman Adam Schiff announced that he was introducing a federal bill that would prohibit captive orcas from performing in shows.

The Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act proposed by Schiff would make it illegal to breed captive orcas and would also prohibit anyone from taking an orca from the wild to be put on display.

(via Popular Science)