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Saturday, June 29, 2024

Ssbu, more influences, KISS, Street Fighter Zangief

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate - Bowser junior’s friends have KISS makeup. Cat whiskers, a star (side of head, or even over eye for Morton), … and the wrist blwck leather n spikes. The green top knot hairstyle on Iggy is like Gene Simmons's top knot. 

Top knot hair. 

Double cat whiskers side of face. 

Star over eye, like Paul Stanley. 

Another star for good measure. 

The Starchild, The Catman, The Spaceman, The Demon. 
Check out the star and cat whiskers. As a kid, the cat dude was our semi-fav... there was a Halloween one year.... But Simmons had the monster look, of course. 
Topknot obvious here. 


Incineroar… more Zangief stuff. The palm up poke chop. The hop fwd knee. (added to older post with picts). 

Friday, June 28, 2024

Is plastic wrap safe on food in microwave



https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/healthy-living/is-plastic-wrap-safe/

Probably not. Heating in microwave…. Plastic Touching the food, bad likely.

" LDPE may contain diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), another potential endocrine disruptor that has been linked to breast cancer in women and low sperm counts in men. Since manufacturers aren’t required to list the actual chemical makeup of their plastic wrap on the boxes, consumers are at risk."

my note: And Saran wrap and many others use LDPE b/c it was better than the old stuff.

"heated in microwave ovens. It is possible for DEHA to get into foods, particularly fatty foods such as meats and cheeses. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against using in the microwave any plastic wrap that is not labeled “microwave safe.” To earn this designation, a wrap must pass tests that satisfy the agency. (The same goes for plastic containers that come into contact with food.)"

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651320314573

So Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate [DEHA] plasticizer triggers hepatic, brain, and cardiac injury in rats. Aka liver, brain, heart. so that's similar to the di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP put in contact with human food... and there is worry DEHP will have some DEHA in it.

It is incorporated in the manufacturing of many products like flooring, wall coverings, paints, lacquers, toys, artificial leather, and medical devices (Malarvannan et al., 2019). In many countries, the well-known plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been substituted with DEHA because of the DEHP induced reproductive toxicity and its endocrine disrupting activity (Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2008, European Commission, 2018). DEHA also allowed for use in food contact products in numerous parts of the world, including the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) (European Commission, 2019, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2019). In 2014, DEHA consumption in the US and Western Europe was 24,000 and 14,000 tons, respectively (Malveda et al., 2015).

DEHA has a wide environmental occurrence due to its releasing into the environment during its synthesis and distribution and in consumer use of finished plastic products (Nehring et al., 2019). DEHA emission into the air was determined in 1994 to be 315,000 kg in the USA (USEPA, 1996). Liang and Xu (2014) estimated emissions of DEHA from crib mattress covers and showed a concentration of 1.05 μg/m3 in indoor air. DEHA was detected in new infant crib mattress covers (4.8 mg/g material), infant's breathing zones while sleeping (8.4 μg/m3) (Boor et al., 2015, Liang and Xu, 2014), dust (2–10 μg/g), and indoor air (5–15 ng/m3) (Rudel et al., 2003). Recently, Fromme et al. (2016) found DEHA in all indoor dust from 63 childcare centers in Germany at 80 µg/g mean concentration. Also, DEHA is widely detected in the aquatic (Barnabé et al., 2008) and indoor environments (Christia et al., 2019, Giovanoulis et al., 2019).




---
The slightly good news is our bodies can rid blood of the plasticizers (damn it, which one?) in two days. Liver does it. Bad news is waaay too much in food including general mills cereal. And fast food, except Wendy's and maybe Chick-Fil-A if dont eat fries.

But anything cheese wrapped in plastic is suspect bcuz fat avsorbs easier. Makes me want to only get glass and carton milk (double check… they started putting it on top of paper to waterproof it).

Plastic vs. food issues, PFAS (immune killer, cancer friend) food to avoid, avoid BPA (insulin killer) bottles

UPDATE: Associations, specifically just associations, so no direct proof yet... so is this in the US or Japan or what? OK, they are US... all from New Hampshire. 

"Since 2009, >3000 participants from New Hampshire have been enrolled in the NHBCS during their prenatal care visits. The eligibility criteria include 18–45 years old, English speaking and literate, single gestation".

Worth note: Previous studies conducted in European and Asian countries have suggested that food is a major source of human PFAS exposure (Domingo and Nadal, 2017; Haug et al., 2011; Sunderland et al., 2019). However, far fewer studies have investigated potential dietary sources of PFAS among U.S. populations, and this has been especially understudied during pregnancy, when

and

Among participants enrolled from prenatal clinics in rural New Hampshire, we aimed to 1) examine associations of dietary factors during pregnancy with PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma; 2) examine associations of dietary factors during pregnancy with PFAS concentrations in human milk.

and

most participants were non-Hispanic White persons (94.6 %) and had a college degree or above (72.9 %) (Table 1)

In conclusion, in this rural U.S. population we found that higher consumption of fish/seafood, eggs, coffee, and white rice during pregnancy was associated with higher plasma PFAS or milk PFOS and PFOA concentrations.

PFAS = polyfluoroalkyl substances = (PFAS)

Coffee, Eggs and White Rice Linked To Higher Levels of PFAS in Human Body ... Study that researchers say highlights chemicals’ ubiquity also shows PFAS association with seafood and red meat. My comment -> WTF. Associations but, damn. Tea, seafood, fruit... what the shit, it is in everything. 




--

 https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/dangerous-pfas-chemicals-are-in-your-food-packaging-a3786252074/

"In recent decades, PFAS exposure has been linked to a growing list of problems, including immune system suppression, lower birth weight, and increased risk for some cancers. This raises alarms about the use of these compounds, especially in items such as burger wrappers and salad bowls."

https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/06/30/2017240/a-safe-chemical-in-plastic-bottles-could-reduce-insulin-responsiveness-increase-diabetes-risk

The researchers administered the [BPA] dosage considered safe by America's FDA to about 20 individuals — and discovered they became less responsive to insulin after 4 days. The article includes this warning from the researchers....



Water bottle brands without BPA:

Feb 1, 2024Many water bottle brands have begun offering BPA-free options. This includes Dasani, Fiji, JUST, Evian, Perrier, Core, LIFEWTR, Nestle Pure, Poland Spring, and Essentia, among the most popular BPA-free water bottle brands. ... What Does BPA-Free Water Mean? BPA (short for Bisphenol A....


Thursday, June 27, 2024

Personal reminder - Don't forget, my "the story"

 Video game coding for the kid, good.

But also, a story... a Conan style pulp fiction short story sounds great. See MS W0rd file eh? 

La., the jungle, the animals, the insects, the reptiles, the weather, the waters. 

DD fam. vs undrcov

Evil ownr thinks is prince.

Momtrees, Seal relig'n.

Orientl bakgrnd



Conan Author Robert E. Howard invented Godzilla, what?!?!



Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Nails

Quote: "In the jungles far to the south of any known civilized or barbarian kingdoms, Valeria of the Red Brotherhood flees persecution after murdering a would-be rapist. She is followed into the wilderness by Conan, a fellow adventurer who wishes for an alliance with Valeria as her lover. Conan's stand-off with Valeria is interrupted by a dragon (actually a dinosaur, described with the characteristics of a Stegosaurus and Allosaurus) which mauls their horses. Conan and Valeria escape the dragon by climbing onto a rocky outcropping...."


I am shocked I've never heard someone mention this. Surely it wasn't a common thing to mix a t.rex/allosaurus with a stegosaurus. Unless Wikipedia is reading too much into this, it sure sounds like the first version of Godzilla. Wow.



Other interesting facts... in 1919 he was reading a book in a New Orleans library, when he discovered the Picts. Wikiped says:

"That same year, sitting in a library in New Orleans while his father took medical courses at a nearby college, Howard discovered a book concerned with the scant fact and abundant legends surrounding an indigenous culture in ancient Scotland called the Picts."


and he hated oil booms:

"In 1920, the Vestal Well within the limits of Cross Plains struck oil and Cross Plains became an oil boomtown. Thousands of people arrived in the town looking for oil wealth. New businesses sprang up from scratch and the crime rate increased to match. Cross Plains' population quickly grew from 1,500 to 10,000, it suffered overcrowding, the traffic ruined its unpaved roads and vice crime exploded but it also used its new wealth on civic improvements, including a new school, an ice manufacturing plant, and new hotels.[27] Howard hated the boom and despised the people who came with it.[28] He was already poorly disposed towards oil booms as they were the cause of the constant traveling in his early years but this was aggravated by what he perceived to be the effect oil booms had on towns."


And American Indians were still performing raids. And in the early 1900s, Texas still sounds a lot like what I thought was the 1850s wild west:

"As the son of the local doctor, Howard had frequent exposure to the effects of injury and violence, due to accidents on farms and oil fields combined with the massive increase in crime that came with the oil boom.[15] Firsthand tales of gunfights, lynchings, feuds, and Indian raids developed his distinctly Texan, hardboiled outlook on the world.[16] Sports, especially boxing, became a passionate preoccupation.[17] At the time, boxing was the most popular sport in the country,"


He had a Celtic phase:

Howard's "Celtic phase" began in 1930, during which he became fascinated by Celtic themes and his own Irish ancestry.

Movie to see: 7.9 rating on imdb, The Wild Bunch

 A crazy western, set in 1913 when the "traditional" American wild west is disappearing. 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065214/

Ppl say it is super good. Perfect casting they say. It is a bunch of criminals though, so it's one of those. It's got the old guy from AirWolf, love the guy... especially this shot is perfect for this movie:



Wednesday, June 26, 2024

"RPG Overviews" on yt, "Thrilling Suspense Fantasy" on yt

 Rpg guy had fun 1980s movies. Like this "Devil's Sword", and he pointed out this great DnDesque scene where they find the sword. It's good cheesey B movie fun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ocwaHYTYFo&list=LL&index=10&t=12s


Thrilling guy reads books and has general feel style etc right on the load screen as a summary for me to have interest or not. 

Sing a Last Song of Valdese… is Conan w a little Elric. "a tale of Kane by Karl Edward Wagner"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLn9gN4TJM0   

I'm confused, goodreads gives this: https://www.goodreads.com/series/49228-kane

UPDATE: OK, this Karl Edward Wagner guy ... Tennessee Psychiatrist in the 1970s (dislike medical field) turned to being an author. Died at 48 from alcoholism. So Steven King and this guy were both alcoholics. Wagner did write horror along with pulp fantasy, references to Conan era stuff in widipedia, etc. 

"Some of Wagner's work is set in Robert E. Howard's universe (featuring Conan the Barbarian and Bran Mak Morn); he also edited three volumes of Howard's original Conan tales, important to purists for being the first to restore the texts to their originally published forms."

Ghidorah's breath weapon in these promos are not effects from the movie

 How'd they do it, drawn in? via https://becominggodzilla.com/designs-by-year__trashed/sandaikaiju-1964/ he says "The images below were captured from the Criterion Collection Blu-ray, found online, and scanned in from books. Some of the images may have been modified to see the textures more easily."





Below are the real breath weapons, yellow lightning style, of course we all know this. And they call them gravity beams... yeah I guess they sort of defy gravity. We've mentioned this before, yes? I think he picks up Godzilla or at least larva mothra with the gravity beams... unless that's just Toho's way of showing shock or "damage".  







Godzilla 1962 the "most reptilian" Godzilla pre-2016.

 Great info here:

https://becominggodzilla.com/designs-by-year__trashed/kingoji-1962/

And yeah, the three quarters view absolutely looks great. He's more lizard-like, which I love. I mean I love all versions of G, but this one often looks the best (except for a straight on view, not to be seen, and I don't think they used it in the movie). 





Menacing?

Here he's basically giving a "I'm rolling my eyes b/c that is ridiculous" face. Fist too, for emoting annoyance. :P


And here we have the one from the old orange monster book. Perfect. And yes, he's frying King Kong's gonads... that's what Kong gets for being so ugly. :)


Monday, June 24, 2024

D&D magic user minis look like Pendragon in 1960s movie, Godzilla Ears

Jack the Giant Killer, 1960. Ray Harryhausen-style stop motion animation (but it wasn't him). 

Beginning w/ the drawn book illustrations, looks like the typical black thin beard n 'stache, evil. Looks so similar to some (magic user, evil mostly) minis for Dnd in the 2000s. Torin Thatcher again. 

D&D Archmage from Angelfire. 
D&D Renegade Warlock from Deathknell, 2005. 

This movie also has the invis cloak… like DnD and Harry Potter. Was it the first??


A copy from the cyclops from the Sinbad movie, the early giant has two fingers plus a thumb on each hand, reminiscent of the Rancor beast in Jedi. 

Apparently this movie was a straight copy in look and feel from Sinbad, see great write up:  
http://manapop.com/film/jack-the-giant-killer-1962-review/

Ghosts n hobgoblins at time 38:00 are pretty damn good. Love 'em. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNq_5JQvr14&t=15s


The doglike wyvern(?) was cool from this angle. Definitely going for the younger audience with this film. 



The French poster had monsters that never appeared. 

Everybody's favorite reptilian headed, Godzilla white breath attacking monster lady. She shoots her breath attack for like 60 seconds straight probably, it was insane. But the look really is cool from the right angles. 

I really liked all the undead guys, they looked very cool. 

The concentration on this fellow is great with his ultra 1950s hairdo. 

But the monster in the film was not nearly as detailed or cool as the one in this test film:

...

Star Wars - Return of the Jedi's Rancor had an earring!?! I never knew this. And Godzilla often has tiny little ears, too, come to think of it. 


...

BTW, great Ray Harryhausen stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXMubwXwXHA 

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Yt Guy's 10 Best Fantasy Authors

Geekin w/ james hancock on yt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSsmA0AcLy4&list=LL&index=14

Ill Met at Lankhmar,  The gray mouser guy, says is best Sword n Sor plus Lovecraftian horror.


Prince of nothing trilogy.. .. by R. Scott Bakker, a Canadian. 

and

Aspect Emperor quartet. by R. Scott Bakker.  Maybe best magic. Semi scifi, living "spaceship" comes from other dimension carrying extreme monsters. Then it turns into fantasy. 

The False Sun, shortstory free on his website, Bakker again. 


Various books by Steven Erikson. But gotta research his terminology, gods, chars. Tons of work to read. But very hi fantasy, the magic users are super powerful in war. 


The Name of the Wind, also known as The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One by Patrick Rothfuss.
 Forbidden knowledge… alchemist, etc.  Brain power. 


**** (Elric), The Stealer of Souls. Raistlin was inspired by Elric. Arhtor is Michael Moorcock. **** Raistlin of Dragonlance fame is inspired by Elric no doubt... white hair, frail, health issues traded for magical power. 
El famoso artista del fantástico Michael Whelan llevó a cabo esta ilustración que captó la fuerza de la obra de Moorcock. via https://carlosjeguren.com/critica-de-elric-de-melnibone/

Excalibur 1981 armor influenced Warcraft (1?,2?,3), World of Warcraft

 Take a look at this


Arthur’s armor with the bulky shoulders and super high “collars”.  Now look at the Footman-

Friday, June 21, 2024

SF6 - Driver Reversal is maybe like a Dark Stalkers block into DP reversal.

https://www.33rdsquare.com/guide-street-fighter-6-drive-reversal/

He says:
A Comprehensive Introduction to Drive Reversal

Drive Reversal allows you to interrupt an opponent‘s pressure by bursting out of block stun with a counterattack. To perform it:

Classic Controls: Forward + HP + HK
Modern Controls: Forward + LB/L1

Key Traits:Bursts out of opponent‘s block strings
Counters direct attacks only
Ground and air versions
Pushes opponent away
Minor white damage dealt
Uses 2 Drive Gauge bars

Startup: 13 Frames
Active: 24 Frames
Recovery: 33 Frames

Total: 70 Frames



Another way to say it: https://www.destructoid.com/street-fighter-6-drive-reversal-guide-how-to-use-it/

What is Drive Reversal?

When you are blocking attacks, perhaps in a corner as your opponent relentlessly mashes attacks, then from Back (block), hit Forward and both HP + HK all together. Your character will then break their block stance and perform a single, hard-hitting strike. Should this connect with your opponent while they are in the middle of a move, it will force through their attack and shove them backward. Giving you a breath of air and some space to play with.


It's all the yellow and blue goop:


SF6 - does Burnout kill offense? But wait, blocking too much also leads to burnout.

The burnout mechanic sounds bad at first. You are going to limit offense? Or wait, it's just limiting EX and supers... that might be fine. Let's see. https://www.33rdsquare.com/street-fighter-6-burnout-the-definitive-guide/

My Summary: offense without using meter is good in this game. Blocking in the corner will get you nuked though. 

Mostly quotes below. 

Playing Too Aggressively Can Lead to Premature Burnout

Based on aggregate gameplay data analysis, optimal offense spends drive gauge at a rate of 20% every 10 seconds. However, over 50% of bronze players exhaust their gauges too quickly through reckless attacking.

Too bad if they make offense suck, b/c Bison looks cool:




As YouTube legend Maximilian Dood warns: "Getting too drunk on the power of Overdrives and EX specials might feel great in the moment, but you’re just borrowing strength from your future self, who then wakes up the next morning with a killer hangover called burnout."



Pacing drive mechanic usage requires a mindfulness shared by Babycakes99x, the Maryland state champ: "I visualize my drive gauge like a health bar I need to manage. No throwing out EX projectiles without purpose. No Super attempts without guaranteed confirm into a dizzy. Patience pays off with better comeback potential late game."


Eventhubs' defense monkeys seem to not like the mixups, so maybe the game is fine.




Playing Too Defensively Also Leads to Burnout Over Time

While aggressive expenditure is risky, defensive fighters burnout in a slower boil by blocking too much damage. Based on studying over 500 online replays across ranked and casual matches, the average player takes 15-20% potential gauge drain per round. However, turtling players suffered over 30% gauge drain from repeated blocking.

As world famous grappler player Its_Muscles notes: "Newbies think they’re playing it safe by blocking everything. But eat too many minus frame jab strings and sacrifice too much corner control, next thing you know, you’re in burnout-flavored soup with no good options left."


Optimal defense requires proactive neutral control more than reactively holding guard all game. Ultimately, balance is key in all fighting game aspects, meter management included.



The Consequences of Burnout Are Severe

When burnt out, banning access to core drive mechanics is just the beginning. Based on analyzing frame data and conducting mechanics lab tests, additional penalties stack the odds firmly against you:4 added block stun frames – A 25% slowdown reacting out of guarding attacks
Increasing chip damage – Specials chip for 2-3% initially, scaling to 6% during extended burnout
Greater dizzy combo potential – Wall splat drives lead to 5s of helplessness. 65% longer than normal stun

So in raw numbers, burnout both slashes your offensive options significantly while simultaneously allowing opponents to pressure you far more intensely.

Monday, June 17, 2024

Let's talk art in the 1980s vs. now

Dnd type art, how diff it was in the early 1980s... nowadays they'd be 5 feet wide and arms the size of elephant legs.  


Retro-Gaming : Vectrex

 Didn't know about this one. Vector based. Man, old vector games just look so smooth and nice. Berzerk, asteroids, defender type stuff. Another page from the crazy Sears Christmas Wishbook catalogs. 1983.


Check out some youtube vids, it looks so smooth and cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3enTGyDHl5g&list=LL&index=5


1979 Sears Wish Book - old toys, yep. Hornetroid (hornetDroid), etc.

 Mom definitely ordered a lot from Sears's Wish Book, ... but she must have been at the store for big G. 

Recognize some of these? Yeah. Thanks to arhcive.org, you crazy pop-culture keeping dudes: https://archive.org/details/1979-sears-christmas-wishbook/page/616/mode/1up?view=theater

More years: https://archive.org/details/1979-sears-christmas-wishbook/page/668/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/1977-sears-christmas-wishbook

https://archive.org/details/1985-sears-christmas-wishbook-catalog

https://archive.org/details/1983-sears-christmas-wishbook-catalog

https://archive.org/details/1982-sears-christmas-wishbook-catalog

Discussions about the rebranded Atari 2600, Sears called it the "Video Arcade" or something: https://www.reddit.com/r/retrogaming/comments/5w4wne/can_someone_explain_exactly_what_a_sears_video/

and

https://wearethemutants.com/2017/09/19/the-sears-tele-games-video-arcade-1977-and-the-coleco-gemini-1982/