Today’s methods for computing orientation are quaternion and rotation matrix. However, their efficiencies are tarnished by the complexity of the rotation matrix and the counterintuitivity of quaternion. A better method is presented here. It uses complex multiplication for rotating vectors in 3D space and can compute orientation without angle and trigonometric functions, which is simple,...

Cantor’s diagonal argument claims that ℝ is uncountable. When we see real numbers as points on the number line, we can put a name on each point and put the names into a list without contravening Cantor’s diagonal argument because we cannot create a diagonal from a list of names. However, we do not need...

By Leo Babauta Most of our stresses and frustrations come from our unwillingness to let go. Hear me out: think about something you’re stressing about, or someone you’re frustrated about. What thought do you have about that person or situation that causes the frustration? It’s often an invisible thought, that we don’t realize we have, […]

The post The Practice of Letting Go appeared first on zen habits.

What even is this planet that we live on anymore though?

There's plenty more fun with pets and animals over at Animal Captions!

Language in this video, obviously.

In July of 1938, American novelist Thomas Wolfe was struck down with pneumonia and taken to hospital. He was soon diagnosed as having tuberculosis of the brain, from which he would never recover. Wolfe died on 15th September, aged just 37. A month before his death, as he lay in hospital, Wolfe wrote to his

You must watch this warning from a soldier who has everything on the line. ... READ MORE

People regularly bring up the focus group organizers who said that a problem that they face is that participants refuse to believe that Republicans are planning to do the things they are planning to do. Nobody could be that evil! More than that, if they were then surely I would have heard about it before!

Guest post by Dr. Melissa Betters “They got it!” echoed shouts down the hallways of the Research Vessel Atlantis in Fall 2018. The whole science…

The post The Carpet Dragon Takes Flight first appeared on Deep Sea News.

A few years back, I found myself in a rut with goal-setting. I had all these grand ambitions, but making actual progress always felt like an uphill battle. I’d set huge goals like “become a famous entrepreneur” or “get shredded,” but within months, my motivation would fizzle and I’d be back where I started. Even ... Read more

The post Reimagining Goal Setting: The Power of Northstar Goals appeared first on LifeHack.

We all have big dreams and ambitious goals we’d love to accomplish, like getting that major promotion while still having quality family time, getting fit and healthy despite a crazy busy schedule, or saving up enough to retire early and pursue our passions. The problem is that these huge, life-changing objectives can feel so daunting ... Read more

The post What is a Milestone? A SMART-er Approach to Achieving Your Life Goals appeared first on LifeHack.

Have you ever felt like you’re drifting through life, unsure of where you’re headed or what you’re working towards? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us find ourselves caught up in the day-to-day hustle, losing sight of our bigger aspirations and dreams. But what if there was a way to change that? What if ... Read more

The post Setting Life Goals: The Path to Fulfillment and Success appeared first on LifeHack.

Ah, 2024. Another year, another set of resolutions gathering dust by February, right? Not this time. Let’s face it – we’ve all been there, setting lofty goals only to watch them fizzle out faster than a New Year’s Eve sparkler. But here’s the kicker: it’s not about cramming more into your day like it’s a ... Read more

The post How to Set and Crush Your Goals in 2024: Expert Tips and Examples appeared first on LifeHack.

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It’ll go perfect with a tiny house. READ MORE...

The Advocacy Project works with older people and other groups across Glasgow and Lanarkshire to ensure their voice is heard, their needs met and their legal rights safeguarded. The organisation identified a low take up of their own service by older people from BME communities, which was generally held to reflect the wider picture in Glasgow in relation to health and social work services. This report was commissioned by them to examine barriers to access to services specifically for older people from BME communities in Glasgow South, where there is a high concentration of people from BME communities.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Report 73 from SCIE roundtable discussion held on 26 March 2015. This report considers the potential of technology to transform how health and social care services are delivered.

Twofold the enjoyment with twice as many Brazilians on Tim Tales! Bottom hottie Igor Lucios is ecstatic over Deminho‘s enormously thick dick; he simply enjoys worshiping that large cock. It’s perfectly curved and really thick. And it feels like nirvana within his avaricious culo. Don’t Brazilians just know when they should crank up the temperature?... View Article

The post Tim Tales: Deminho and Igor Lucios appeared first on QueerClick.

New on Latin Leche, a Say Uncle site: You are horny all day at your job and you just can’t wait to get home and fuck your main squeeze… and fuck they just want to argue, talk about blue balls! So, you head to the gym and after an intense session you enter the sauna….... View Article

The post Say Uncle | Latin Leche: Rodrigo El Santo and Alexander Rajesh appeared first on QueerClick.

The first Fox News contributor tapped to be part of the Trump administration is former acting director of ICE, Tom Homan.

This is the first of possibly many right-wing media operatives being put into key positions in the federal government under Donald Trump.

During a 60 Minutes interview aired on October 27th, 2024, Homan was asked about the astronomical coasts of carrying out Trump's plans and how families could be torn apart. Homan's answer sums up the Trump administration and its xenophobic policies perfectly.

HOST: We have seen one estimate that says it would cost $88 billion to deport a million people a year.

HOMAN: I don't know if that's accurate or not.

HOST: Is that what American taxpayers should expect?

HOMAN: What price do you put on national security? Is that worth it?

HOST: Is there a way to carry out mass deportation without separating families?

HOMAN: Of course there is. Families can be deported together.

These deportations are going to be a huge sh*t show. We remember the suffering children separated from their families under Homan's preview.

The scum-sucking pea-head Stephen Miller must have an orgasm after watching Homan's response.

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Jesse Watters' mother, Anne Purvis, was a child psychologist. His dad, Stephen Hapgood Watters, was a teacher. Both parents came from a long line of achievers, and sent him to Penn Charter, a very liberal private Quaker school here in Philadelphia.

Despite his accomplished parents and his education, look how he turned out.

Every time he shows up on Twitter, I comment, "Your mother only talks to you so she can see her grandchildren."

Sounds like I was right, because Jesse's mother has disinvited him from the family Thanksgiving this year. Something about "scheduling." But she told him he could come the next day for leftovers.

He said no thanks, he would be at Best Buy.

Understand, this isn't just a difference of opinion. Jesse Watters is a horrible person who lies and distorts in ways that harm our country.

Time for karma, Jesse, you nasty piece of work. Guess you thought you got away with it, huh? After all, you're rich and famous!

Well, your own family doesn't want to be around you on the holiday that's all about family.

And your mom's bitten her tongue long enough.

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Prissydent-elect Donald Trump has picked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who penned the book 'No Going Back' that detailed her murdering a puppy, horses, and at least one goat, as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Hey, at least he didn't pick Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Catturd, or Steve Bannon for the role, all of whom allegedly have not shot a dog in the face -- yet.

CNN reports:

Noem will be tapped to take over the agency as two key immigration hardliners — Stephen Miller and Tom Homan — are slated to serve in senior roles, signaling Trump is serious about his promise to crack down on his immigration pledges. With his selection of Noem, Trump is ensuring a loyalist will head an agency he prioritizes and that is key to his domestic agenda.

The department saw an immense amount of turmoil the last time Trump was in office. Then, DHS had five different leaders, only two of whom were Senate-confirmed. The agency has a $60 billion budget and hundreds of thousands of employees.

Noem, who previously was a South Dakota representative, will now be tasked with overseeing a sprawling agency that oversees everything from US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Secret Service.

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Full Article

It is good to be a Korean today because the world is fascinated with Koreanness, from K-pop to K-dramas, K-movies, K-food, K-fashion, and K-beauty. It is no exaggeration to say that Korean culture has become synonymous with being cool and being hip. Things were quite different, however, not too long ago. It was around 2018 […]

Societies grow and change all the time, but it can be tough to think about big-picture shifts when you’re living through the practical details of the day to day. Take the recent popularity of large language models (LLMs). In the short term, we face important sociological questions about how they fit into the norms of […]

By Matt Solomon Published: November 12th, 2024

Author-illustrator Ken Lamug has created award-winning picture books and graphic novels. Born in the Philippines, Ken moved to the US with his entire family during his teenage years. His debut middle grade graphic series, MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM #1: BORN TO BE BAD, launched this week from Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins!

Mischief and Mayhem is about Missy and her cat Gizmo. They were kicked out of superhero bootcamp. Now it's time for some super-villainy! I love the plot twist that the main character, Missy, decides she doesn't really fit into the labels the world she lives in has created; she's not really a villain, nor is she a superhero.  

Links where you can find out more: MischiefBook.com, Ken on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. His website: Rabbleboy.com.

Q. I read that MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM started as a 32-page picture book story. How did it end up as a graphic novel?

Yep! The idea for Mischief and Mayhem started as a 32-page picture book - originally titled "Mischief the Supervillain". At the time, I was focused on my picture book ideas and wasn't even considering graphic novels. I had experience illustrating books, so I knew it was just a matter of time until something clicked for me. I went through the steps book creators are familiar with: writing the manuscript, creating dummies, and many rounds of revisions.

The dummy went through the submission process and even hopped to another agent (when I switched to a new one). We received a few rejections and a few interesting comments. One of the more resounding comments was that the idea was cool and needed to be expanded. But the picture book format limited what we could do.

We finally received an acceptance offer along with a caveat... turn it into a graphic novel! Yikes!

A few things scared me about this: it would have to be in full color, and at least 240+ pages. How does one turn a 32-page picture book into something that big?

And before anything was signed, I had to give the editorial team a few things: a fully illustrated first chapter, and a full outline for the book. This would give them a better idea of the story and my comic style. So I added new characters, expanded the moments from the story, and added a lot of jokes!

Once the editorial team gave the thumbs up, I was off to the races to get my debut graphic novel complete.

EXTRA: You can find out more about Ken's process as well as sample sketches in his Q&A with We Need Diverse Books.

Q. I've been thinking about a graphic novel middle grade project, but am intimidated by the amount of time the ART could take. Do you have any tips? How much time did MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM TAKE YOU in total? Were you working on anything else at the same time?

No kidding. Graphic novels ARE a lot of work. I've easily spent 1000 hours on Mischief and Mayhem (including creating marketing materials, videos, etc.). I also have a day job, so most of my after-hours are spent working on the book (typically around 5 hours on the weekdays). I basically stare at the computer screen all day!

During this time, I was also creating art for a picture book. And since the schedule for picture books are a bit more relaxed, I was able to squeeze it in without much problem.

Here are some tips I hope you'll find useful:

1. Working digitally has helped increase my productivity. It's easier to create dummies, inking, make revisions, and get feedback.

2. Scheduling and planning are very important. Find out the deadline, how many pages you can complete per day, and do the math.

In my case, I've determined that I am inking(outlining) about 1 page per hour. This means it will take me roughly 250 hours to outline a 250-page book. Based on that number, I can then determine if my deadline is a realistic goal. I know, it's a lot of math but it does help and you will be able to strategize how you approach the project.

3. Streamlining your art style. This varies depending on your abilities and time. Some artists are blessed enough to work full-time on their books and with longer deadlines. But if you're not one of them, then I would suggest streamlining the look of your characters, your drawing techniques so you can work faster and efficiently. Some artists are able to also hire a team to help support the rest of the task such as coloring, inking, letter, etc., but a majority of graphic creators are one-person operations.

4. Don't forget to take a break and enjoy life.

Q. What advice do you have for young graphic novel writers and illustrators?

Start small. You don't have to create a big "novel" length book right away. I started my comic book journey when I submitted a 4-page comic to an anthology. After I gained some confidence, I started creating 24-page comic one-shots (single issues). And it just kept growing from there.

Comics should be fun for both the creator and the reader, so make sure to enjoy the process and don't stress out about getting it right the first time.

Q. What's next for you?

I just finished illustrating a picture book called FAMILY BUSINESS (by Lenore Appelhans). It's about a raccoon family who seems to always get into trouble. I'm excited for that to come out (no dates yet).

I'm also in the middle of Mischief and Mayhem book 2. As I write this my hand is hurting from illustrating a "Where's Waldo-Esque" spread. Ha! But I'm proud to say the art has improved and the story is even bigger than the first one.

I've never really had a big plan for my drawing/art career. It's all a blessing and a humbling experience. I just hope that the readers love the stories and connect with the characters. So we'll see what happens next!

~~

For more interviews with children's book creators, see the Inkygirl interview archives.

Just read (and loved) a fun reimagining of the classic fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears: GOLDIBOOKS AND THE WEE BEAR, written by Troy Wilson and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor, published earlier this year by Running Press Kids.

Here is Troy Wilson's advice for young writers:

"My advice? Write badly. Badly, badly, badly. Include words and ideas that shouldn't be there. Leave out words and ideas that should be there. Put things in the wrong order. Have your protagonist act wildly out of character. Why? Because that is what your favorite author does.

"You don't see your favorite author's horrible first drafts. Or horrible second drafts. Or horrible third drafts. For that matter, you don't see their attempted books that never, ever turned out at all. (Some things are just dead ends, even for your favorite author.) No, you only see their final, super-duper-polished work, after they got lots and lots of great feedback.

"Everyone starts with bad writing. Every single writer, every single time - no matter how long they've been doing it. You can't avoid your own bad writing. You can't go around it or over it or under it. You have to go through it. Just get it onto the page or screen. You can always fix it later. Except if you let the bad writing - or the fear of bad writing - stop you from writing. Because you can't fix what isn't there."

Thanks, Troy! 

Related links:

Publisher page about Goldibooks and the Wee Bear

More about Troy Wilson at TroyStory.ca, Twitter and Facebook.

More about Edwardian Taylor at EdwardianTaylor.com, Twitter and Instagram.

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Find more advice for young writers and illustrators from children's book creators.

(Shortlink to this post: https://debbieohi.link/goodnight-ganesha)

I met Nadia Salomon through the SCBWI and am also familiar with her online. I love her enthusiasm, positive outlook, and the support she has shown fellow members of the kidlit community over the years! I was excited to get a sneak peek of GOODNIGHT GANESHA, her debut as a picture book author. The bedtime story celebrates nigthtime rituals as two young children visit their grandparents in India. SUCH gorgeous illustrations by Poonam Mistry. Thanks to both Nadia and Poonam for answering some questions about the book as well as their advice for young writers and illustrators!

Nadia Salomon lives in northern California with her family. Nadia writes picture book, middle-grade, and graphic novel manuscripts with themes of South Asian and Caribbean culture, STEM, non-fiction, and humor. Nadia is the winner of the 2020 SCBWI Service Award and the 2019 SCBWI WOOP Honor Award for work of outstanding progress on her non-fiction, picture book manuscript, MYRLIE: A VOICE OF HOPE. You can find out more about Nadia on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. You can sign up for her newsletter here.

Poonam Mistry is a freelance illustrator living in the UK and graduated in 2010 with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration at the University of Hertfordshire. Poonam creates her beautifully intricate images by hand using fine liners and then digitally alters them. You can find out more about Poonam on her website, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis of GOODNIGHT GANESHA (Philomel, Aug. 31, 2021):

"As nighttime falls over the city, two children visiting their grandparents in India find there’s so much fun to be had! Whether it’s listening to epic stories or observing rituals in the puja room, there are many moments that make this time together special. In this beautiful, rhyming ode to bedtime, the only thing more universal than getting ready for bed and saying goodnight is the love between children and their grandparents."

Inspiration photo from Poonam Mistry.

Q. What was your path to publication?

Nadia: I'm a #PitMad success story. I landed my amazing agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, through twitter pitching! That's about three years after joining SCBWI. But my debut, GOODNIGHT GANESHA, is not the story she faved, but instead what I call a 'hot potato' idea inspired by my child. I wrote the draft in October of 2017. I sent it to several editors and agents I had connected with through conferences, but received lots of champagne rejections before shelving it. It was one of 21 manuscripts I shared with my agent in March of 2018. She loved the concept, but asked me to write the story in lyrical prose. After rounds of revisions, in January of 2019, she finally accepted the manuscript. She sent it out on sub. Six months later, in July of 2019, we sold the manuscript to Liza Kaplan, a senior editor at Philomel Books. I am now traditionally published. From concept to release will be 3 years, 10 months, 14 days to be exact.

Q. What interaction did you have with the illustrator, if any, during the process?

Nadia: Poonam and I interacted behind the scenes, but we NEVER discussed GOODNIGHT GANESHA or the art for the book. I trusted her whole-heartedly. All work related communications went through our editor. We became friends behind the scenes - coping through the pandemic, bonding over shared culture, family, and everything else in between, but we NEVER had convos as she worked on the book. The one time was at the end, when Poonam completed the art and asked me, "DID YOU SEE THE FINAL ART YET?" And I was like, "Uhm...NO." She was so excited. She said she put a lot of extra details and hoped I liked it. I was so antsy, but stayed calm. A few days later I received the final art. It was just incredible! We had a good cry messaging back and forth over the final art and what this project meant to each of us. We're about to contribute a piece of Telugu Culture and Kalamkari art into kidlit; we're ecstatic and proud of what we created together.

Q. What was your illustration process for GOODNIGHT GANESHA?

Poonam: For Goodnight Ganesha, I began by actually taking photographs around my parent's house. They have a lot of decorative ornaments and wall hangings all around their home so this was the perfect starting point for the book. Nadia's text is so poetic and beautiful so I sketched the imagery I felt best represented each spread and would really showcase her words- usually I have several versions for each part of the text and pick the ones I like the most. Once this was approved, I sketched out larger versions on thick cartridge paper and used black ink to draw in the designs in neat. This is where I added all the patterns and details. Mostly I took inspiration from traditional Indian art such Kalamkari textiles and Madhubani art. I layered the patterned very much like you would see on sarees and fabrics. After completing the drawing, I used Photoshop to add colour and additional patterns to finish it off. Some of the spreads have a patterned border- this was because I wanted them to look like wall hangings and Kalamkari textile pieces- big pieces of art!

Q. What advice do you have for young writers?

Nadia: Read, read, read. Write your stories. Make writing a habit. Write, write, write. Use the power of storytelling to change the world through joy. Explore your emotions, your memories, and create new classics. There's someone out there, an adult, another child, a pair of hands waiting to read your story that may impact or influence their life. No matter your age, your size, your voice - your words have value.

Q. What advice do you have for young illustrators?

Poonam: My biggest piece of advice is to do art that is true to yourself. My style is a real reflection of the things I love and what makes me who I am. It is my visual voice. Also always keep drawing and be experimental in the media you use. Although my work is mostly digital, I love painting in my style!

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For more insights from book creators, see my Inkygirl Interview Archives.

As someone who practically grew up with ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” as my childhood soundtrack (thanks, Dad!), I couldn’t be more excited to share this news: IKEA launched an album! IKEA just dropped the mic with their first-ever global talent show, and let me tell you, it’s not about building furniture – it’s about building harmony. Earlier this year, they turned the spotlight on their musically gifted co-workers, and did they deliver. Picture this: 150 talented IKEA co-workers from 21 countries, […]

The post Move Over Billy, IKEA’s Got a New Greatest Hit appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Passwords are dying. On some services, you can start playing with the process by creating a secure password... and then forgetting it.

Going Passwordless Without Going Passwordless from Ask Leo!.
Get the Confident Computing weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.askleo.com

Plato, through the character of Socrates, advances a now classic argument against democracy. When it comes to a matter that requires knowledge and skill, such as a medical issue, it would be foolish to decide by having the ignorant vote …Read more »

I’m at a briefing with a client, along with a board made up of the client’s in-house developers and designers. While discussing an idea with some of the other people in the room, the client stands up and starts hitting the desk with the newspaper.

Me: “Excuse me, but what are you doing?”

Client: “Hush, this works on my dogs at home. It should work on you too.”

He beats the table with the newspaper for a few seconds.

Client: “Now, sit, and stay.”

He continues to beat the table. 

Me: “I’m sorry, this is ridiculous. I’m terminating you as a client.”

As I walked towards the door, the client jumped up from their seat and blocked the door.

Client: “If you want a snack, I’ve got some under my desk, no need to leave the meeting!”

At this point, I shoved him aside, and walked out, followed by him. Whistling, and shouting “come!”

I work as a graphic designer at a sign shop that makes, well, signs. We also do some car decals and wraps from time to time, but mainly it’s large format signs, banners, channel letters, and so on.

This time it’s a client for some truck decals. They come in and we take measurements and photos of the existing graphics. They want the same exact decals that are there but larger, so that’s what I set up in a proof, set up pricing, and send it over to them. They approve the proof in the portal, which is time-stamped with his email showing it was approved and paid and everything. Seems like an easy job and super simple to do.

Fast forward to when I email him to get scheduled for installation. I tell them the decals are ready and list the dates for installation. They pick a date and time and we get them on the schedule. All of this is through email.

Client: “Can I see how the decals will look?”

Me: “Here’s a screenshot of the proof. This was the same one we sent over to you for approvals when the order was first placed and was approved by you. Let me know if you have questions.”

Client: “Let’s take this part of the sentence we have on there and move it. Also, in this other decal, I want the logo flipped so it’s facing the other way. Does that make sense?”

The logo part they are referring to is inside of the blue portion of a stylized American Flag. It’s cut out of the vinyl and flipping it would cause the logo to be backward from how it normally looks. The sentence was just cutting off a word and moving it elsewhere, which is super easy for production to do.

Me: “The sentence part is something we can accommodate. However, the decals were made once the proof was approved and are based on that. It looks like the proof was approved on [date] and we moved forward with that.”

Client: “I am not happy at all. I refuse to put the logo on my car backward.”

This logo is facing the right way all along. They wanted it flipped around and backward. 

Of course, now I go into a panic. I talk with my coworker, who works in the production room, and he’s like “yeah the decals are already made so we can’t do anything unless they buy a new one”. My boss isn’t there, as he’s out doing installs all day long, so it’s just me vs the client. I go back to my email and see that the client has emailed again. It hasn’t even been a few minutes.

Client: “Reimburse me my money or let’s get this right. I admit I didn’t look at the proof but approved it via the portal assuming you’d make it look EXACTLY how it looks like in the photos, which is why you took them.”

Once they said this, my panic instantly goes away. I know I have the trump card as I saved those photos from my phone to my work computer so I could reference them. I go back to the photos and took a look and, lo and behold, I did it right. The photo is even on the side of the truck the client had wanted it flipped on. I had mimicked it per their words when I spoke with them.

Me: “I did reference the photo and mimicked it when I was setting up this proof. Here’s the photo I referenced.” *Shows them the photo.*

Client: *Immediately apologetic.* “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was backward on my truck currently as well. I’ll still proceed with the install as is, but is it hard to order a new decal? If so, how much?”

In the end, the client came in and said to just install them as they are. They apologized for being a pain and didn’t like to be a complainer, which was nice of them. They said they were going to do some other decals once their new business got off the ground on this same truck, so we can make the change then.

Have you heard about Mississippi? It's a construction project brought to life by Waechter Architecture after more than 10 years of planning and investigation. This building isn't just your ordinary structure; it's a game-changer in terms of sustainability and creativity.[...]

Gomi has revolutionized the electronics industry by tackling the persistent problem of proper disposal at the end of a product's life. Unlike many other speaker companies, Gomi adopts a circular approach that enhances product longevity and significantly reduces pre and post-consumer waste.[...]

The pergola is one aspect of ancient architecture that remains relevant today. Pergolas date back to ancient Egypt, but the concept itself might have come much earlier. The evolution of pergolas has witnessed many changes along the way. Today, it is technically impossible to draw a line between a pergola and a gazebo. However, for clarity, we will stick to the traditional idea of a pergola, one that is relatively merged with the house design.[...]

Shabbat Shalom yeah, since you've been gone we kinda moved away from that whole "Jewish" thing. But I was gone for like 3 days