#India's Next Top Model

[topmodelcentral]

Anam Shaikh

~ India (1) ~

by Neston Simoes

#Anam Shaikh #INTM #India's Next Top Model #cycle 1 #model #fashion #Neston Simoes #lingerie #black #stunning #beautiful #gorgeous #fierce #legs #simple #pretty #eye shadow #poised #pose #soft #elegant

[charles-leclerizz]

Rapid Fire Challenge: Aisha vs. Max

Aisha and Max go head-to-head in a rapid-fire question challenge. With only seconds to answer each question, they'll reveal fun facts, preferences, and more. Who will come out on top?

reading time : 8 mins 15 seconds

word count : 1.6 k [ 1650 words ]

warnings : swearing, lewd and suggestive wording, crack, not proof read

Masterlist · 🪷 Aisha · 🪷 Porsche F1 Team · 🪷

" What the fuck are you wearing?" Max looked Aisha up and down, his trademark red bull can clattering into the hollow bin next to him as he watched Aisha run a confused hand down her front before glancing cautiously back up at him.

She arched a brow at him and tugged at her strapless top, " clothes ? "

Max snorted and reached out to poke her slightly exposed mid-driff, " or lack thereof . "

Was the aggravating man wrong? Perhaps not.

In Aisha's opinion, it was a perfectly splendid ensemble. Another one of her brand parter's had generously offered her a two piece outfit, a long, flowing silk skirt that shimmered a classic Porsche silver- paired with a tight cotton, corset top that accentuated her chest with a ruffled middle piece of taffeta.

To others, it may seem over the top.

" You have the same outfit everyday. it's like you're trying to be an NPC ." Aisha plucked at his red-bull jersey with a scrunched up nose, " it's not my fault that brands love to gift me pretty things and you… well . " she fluttered her fingers at his slightly-looser-than-normal tight jeans.

" Hmm .. " he hummed, tempted to flick the stack of dainty, amrapali golden chains that sat delicately on her collarbones, " whatever you say. I'm sure Lando appreciates your outfit . "

" And what's that meant to mean ? "

" - Excuse me ? "

" Just saying - "

" Saying what ? Are you just jealous that I can pull of colours unlike you, who stays about monochromatic as a pair of granny panties . "

" Woah-h-h, big words for miss 'I'm here cause I couldn't get a modeling gig ' "

" - Excuse me ? "

" Oh, just because I have the assets - " she gestured at her breasts and face, "- to do modelling, you're bitter ? don't worry, we can get you a push up bra from Forever 21. You'll fit right in"

" Excuse me ? "

" - What ? "

" - What ? "

" We're ready for you, " an onset assistant, who looked too scandalised for her own good, motioned for them to step into the filming room.

They mouthed silent insults and unnecessarily pointed to one another, as they pushed through the inconveniently small door.

" And… we're stuck. this is all your fault max . " aisha hissed, crossing her arms as selflessly as she could muster whilst being pressed chest to chest with an equally uncomfortable Dutchman who propped a palm up- just above the crown of her head on the short doorway.

" my fault ? " he retorted, face growing redder with each second they spent sharing breath, " you're the one with india's remaining crown jewels on her person ."

" well maybe if your entitled ancestors didn - "

" oh shut up, it was the british and you know it . "

Luckily, the assistant had noticed their predicament and rushed over to undo the deadbolt lock to the second door, allowing the two to stumble away from each other.

They had thankfully remained silent as the rest of the filming crew grew more and more entertained with their squabbling, merely following the polite instructions and taking their seats as denoted by the white, masking tape markers stuck onto the plush seats.

" ROLLING "

" Welcome back everyone to a new season of formula 1 ! " the chirpy interview babbled to the largest camera before turning to the drivers who sat in line with her, watching her neutrally as they both accepted small, clip on microphones.

" Today we have … " she trailed off, giggling at Aisha who struggled to slip on the clasp of the tech in her hand, the plastic mechanism clacking obnoxiously at each failed attempt.

" Max, from our very own red bull garage ," she turned to max, who was already set himself up and was now sitting straighter in his tufted, indigo seat. He waved at the camera and politely smiled.

The interviewer glanced at Aisha as she victoriously gasped and raised her hands happily when the microphone stayed put, tucked between her skin and top, " … and aisha, rookie of the season down from porsche . "

Aisha waved at the camera, a serene smile playing on her lips.

" We're here to play a quick fire round of questions with the grids current champion , " she gestured to max, " and this years fresh meat . " she pointed her stack of cards at aisha.

" I'll be asking you both questions about each other, and whoever guesses correctly the fastest, will win a point . it's all about testing if your racing chemistry translates to real-life friendship ! "

" What friendship ? " max deadpanned, fiddling with his fingers.

" Can we do this one thing without you letting people know you hate me ? or is it too hard for the 3X world champion to multi-task ? "

The interviewer's eyes ping-ponged between them before her grin became artificially wider and she screeched a shrill, " Let's begin ! "

" alright max, what is aisha's favourite track to race ? "

the driver jumped at his name and the camera lens zoomed into his determined expression as he glanced between aisha's anticipatory face and the air, as if he were begging the particles for the answer.

" one second "

" she's said this before.. " he tried, clapping his hands nervously.

" i have, " aisha shrugged, egging him on.

" it was one of those times where she wouldn't shut up. "

" two seconds "

" come on max, it's so easy, i've raced there in f2 as well ... "

" yeah- cause i had the f2 races on while i was training, "

" three seconds "

" wow you're bad at this, " aisha huffed out, landing back against her chair with a relaxed flop.

max bounced his knee, forcibly shutting his eyes and harshly pressing his fingers into them as he pieced together his answer, " it's... shit... is it ?.. suzuka ? "

"- oh for fuck sake ! "

" - you are correct ! one point to max "

CURRENT SCORE : 0 - 1

" okay, aisha, If max could race in any era of Formula 1, past or present, which one would she choose ? "

" how come i get the piss hard one ? "

" cause you'll never actually get hard otherwise.." max mumbled.

" oh fuck off. "

" language guys, our editors aren't paid enough to censor all of this ."

aisha hooked her ankles together before leaning forward and hummed thoughtfully, " maybe... i don't think he's even mentioned this..." she plucked at her dangling earring as she continued to oscillate in recollection.

he shrugged, " i don't think i have actually."

" one second "

" wait... wait..." aisha hurried out, holding her palm out, " i have to choose wether he's too egotistical for my geuss.."

" oh please, " max sassed, " take your time, i'm sure my ego has alot to dissect. "

aisha scrunched up her face sourly, " yeah it does- like your unsolved daddy issues. "

" always the daddy issues ." he threw his hands up, " atleast be creative."

" two seconds "

" okay okay, hmmm, the 2021 season ? " aisha screwed her eyes shut, just incase she was wrong, " he would love to relive his first WDC . "

" that is..." the interviewer patted her legs quickly, continously creating a monotonous beating sound, " correct ! point to aisha . "

CURRENT SCORE : 1 - 1

" last one for max, if he gets this one, he wins, if not, then aisha gets a chance . "

max nodded determinedly, his mouth set in a hard line, "ready."

" wow, okay, " the interviewer gawked at his statue-like intensity, " uhm, what is aisha's pre-race ritual . "

aisha kicked her chin up, ready to watch max blubber over his last question, nobody knows her pre-race ritual, she was diligent enough to keep it hidden.

" so, i know she calls her parents around.. an hour before the race, " he paused mid-way to grin like a cheshire at her increasingly suspicious look, " and, i also know she has a playlist she listens to, mostly hozier.. but, without fail she.." max snaps his fingers, the final peice flickering to life like a broken tube light, "... she always.. can i say this ? "

aisha's face popped, cheeks flushing dangerously quickly, " can he ? "

" i.." the interviewer looked out the small tech crowd behind the camera who all gave her the same, confused shrug, ushering her to continue, " i assume so."

" she always wears.. ehm.. a pair of white underwear ." he mumbles the last phrase, avoiding eye-contact with anyone within the room whilst scratching the back of his neck.

" max ! " aisha smacked his shoulder in outrage, "wha- i mean why- but how ? " she spat out, her words merging within eachother until they tumbled out in an unintelligble spew.

" we didn't get that, she wears what ? "

" white.. undergarments, " max hesitantly answered.

the interviewer blinked a few times before gulping heavily and clearing her throat, " well thats a gross violation ! but let's just gloss over that. "

CURRENT SCORE : 1 - 2

" and for the sake of not continuing this hell-game, max is the winner. congratulations. " she clapped her hand gently against her queue cards.

"yeah.. well done.. bro " aisha muttered, dissociating from her surroundings to protect herself from further embarrassment that may just allow her already erratic heart to jump out of her ribcage.

" i don't feel like a winner," max joined her monotone lilt, eyes wide and wet, maintaing an unwwavering stare at the white wall that stood proud behind the myriad of wires.

MUTUALS GET INSTANT TAGS [@vroomvroomcircuit, @disneyprincemuke, @verstappen-cult, @starkwlkr, @sailing-with-100-ships, @foreveralbon, @lorarri], OTHERS [@weekendlusting, @woozarts, @mellowarcadefun, @paintedbypoetry, @33-81, @kazuha-pista-badam, @inejghafawifesblog,d3kstar, @itsjustkhaos, @tremendousstarlighttragedy, @xoscar03,@nichmeddar, @sisinever], IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED, PLEASE SEND IN AN ASK !

#f1 #f1 fanfiction #Max Verstappen #Max Verstappen imagine #Max Verstappen fanfic #Max Verstappen fluff #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 blurb #f1 fic #f1 drabble #f1 fandom #f1 x female reader #f1 fluff #f1 smut #f1blr #[darlingwrites] #[formulaforlove]

[upheavalofmemory]

Intuitive PAC: What is your next partner's appearance?

Hi guys! Here is a simpler, intuitive pick a card today about what your next partner's appearance may be.

Now go ahead and pick a pile 💖🎻🪿

Disclaimer; remember that people are very vast & unique, meaning that there's a chance that this reading won't resonate. Just make sure you use discernment and let go what doesn't resonate 💖.

Also, the PAC's intentions was to be for your next partner, but it is possible to ask for your future spouse/there is a possibility they may be your future spouse, but take what resonates as it's different for everyone.

Pile one is the silver & pink tiara, pile two is "baby", pile three is the hello kitty radio, and pile four is a heart.

Pile One

♡ Brown hair and blue eyes.

♡ Somewhat of a shaggy hairstyle. Their hair may touch slightly below the ears (regardless of gender). Might have a blue or teal streak in their hair or previously had one (or will have one in the future).

♡ Baggy clothes, streetwear. Might also have somewhat of an interest in cyberpunk.

♡ May have a unique facial feature (ex: uniquely placed freckles, moles, or skin dis/coloration). Might also have acne marks or scars that you find to be attractive.

♡ I'm seeing paler skin, although darker skin is a possibility. I'm seeing that you find their skin very attractive regardless. Their skin has somewhat of a natural glow. Vitiligo may be in the picture.

♡ Taller, more lanky (regardless of gender).

♡ This is the shortest pile, spirit/the universe/whoever you believe in may not want you to know specifics about this person.

Pile Two

♡ Muscle man. Might have somewhat of an appearance of those strong guys from circuses ? (Unsure of the name, but a very stereotypical, burly & muscular man with a full beard/mustache and tattoo combo).

♡ Might have lengthy hair. Their hair may reach past their hips.

♡ I keep seeing/hearing body hair, they have a lot of it (I'm seeing this regardless of gender. Women may feel more comfortable letting their body hair grow OR may constantly be complaining about it/shaving it. She might shave in some areas and not shave in others (ex: regularly shave her legs, but her arms are unshaved)). Might have something characteristic like sideburns or a unibrow (ladies w a unibrow: btw I love you you're so pretty ily genuinely)

♡ Brown hair or darker colored hair.

♡ This particular person might be Asian, specifically hearing Middle Eastern or South Asia (Pakistan? India?). Also possibly Egypt or North African.

♡ They have medium toned skin. Obviously, the countries listed are a lovely spectrum of skintones and there is not one particular skin tone for one region, but they are more than likely brown versus being white or black.

♡ lovely voice I heard, not particularly a physical characteristic but you'll love their voice.

♡ might have very nice...feet? You'll like their feet, something about them is lovely in a foot model way but also sturdy, or they may have a certain gait or way of walking you find to be attractive.

♡ may smell distinctly of roses or some other flower, like jasmine. A very pungent, beautiful flower that you don't forget (I'm being reminded of night-flowering jasmine, which in my household is known as "lady of the night").

♡ People here are more than likely asking for a woman. If you're trying to find out about a dude, they might have a goatee ?? They may appear to have somewhat more feminine traits; his eyelashes are beautiful holy shit !!!!

♡ lovely, lovely eyes. May be very dark but you almost get lost in them, very beautiful. Or they can be a unique shade of brown or green, you love them regardless.

Pile Three

♡ excellently fashioned. Specifically said. You might really like their fashion taste. Best dressed (being brought to the best dressed game on animal jam, they may model or just have top notch fashion, always on top of trends or may wear things that are classy, chic).

♡ may be genetically French. Not seeing them being from France (obviously if you are in Europe this is more likely, take what resonates), but a similar appearance to Pile One's person.

♡ stronger, square jawline.

♡ I'm being brought to an image of some tiktoker, but his female version for videos? She usually has freckles from the filter & longer brown hair.

♡ might dress in blue a lot or blue is their favorite color.

♡ pale af. Nothing wrong with pale people but they're pale lol. Whatever you consider pale is them.

♡ might be well off, as seen with the first choice, might come from old money OR they might be a tiktoker and making bank (infinite money glitch was the exact phrasing).

♡ might look very good in gold jewelry, they dont think silver isn't really their color BUT I'm seeing that they probably have a cool/green/blue undertone.

♡ very nice nails, regardless of gender they always look very nice.

♡ might be tall, 6'0-6'4

Pile Four

♡ darker skin, brown locs

♡ might have colorful extensions, you'll find their hair style very beautiful and unique, "fresh"

♡ lemony fresh, might have somewhat of a fresh & clean feel to their essence and appearance

♡ bluish brown vest, might like wearing vests or layering their clothes. Somewhat of an academia look.

♡ might wear glasses or might have contacts, might change out the color occasionally just for fun.

♡ might own a pair of pink contacts

♡ aura is very friendly and "fruitful", they have a really nice aura to them that shines in their physical appearance.

♡ skin, nice skin.

♡ has very nice teeth, they might be eerily perfect. Whatever you consider to be nice or perfect teeth for a partner is what they'll have.

♡ if you've been manifesting or trying to script a perfect partner, they might be the exact replication of your desires.

♡ "fantasia", something important for someone out there.

♡ "ET" (the song), women might somewhat have a similar appearance to Katy Perry, or this person might embody the music video in some way. Fringe & chrome.

♡ high cheekbones with fuller cheeks.

Thank you so much for reading! As usual, feel free to check out my masterpost with more readings, or you can support me by purchasing a reading by clicking here. Thanks for the support, let me know which pile you picked and if it resonated or not :)!

#pick a card #tarot reading #oracle reading #pac #pac tarot #pick a picture #pac reading #tarot pac #pick a pile reading #love tarot free #love reading #future spouse tarot #future spouse pac #future spouse pick a card #soulmate reading #upheavalofmemory #uomTAROT #love tarot reading

[sixlane]

so sweet

Bartylily microfic | 1.4k words | NSFW

for india @certifiedl0verboy because they said the world needed barty and lily getting high and sharing a costco cheesecake, and also han @honeybcj because the image of barty and lily shotgunning hasn't left my head in days <33

Lily opens her fridge and stares. The cool air and soft light leaks out into the empty kitchen as she contemplates how she became this person. The type who, completely unprompted and for no good reason, buys a whole Costco cheesecake for herself. 

The soft, round monstrosity sits on the bottom shelf of her fridge, taking up so much space she was forced to shove her yogurt into the vegetable drawer. The thing stares back at her, mocking, taunting, begging to be left to mold when she inevitably fails to eat it all. 

The sound of a key in the door snaps her out of the silent stand off.

Fuck, Barty’s home.

She can already imagine his confused smile and snarky comments when he opens the fridge for his nightly Red Bull just to come face to face with Lily’s unexplainable decision. It’s not like they’ve been roommates for long, or friends for that matter. They keep it cordial, stay out of each other's way, smoke the occasional bowl and watch old seasons of America’s Next Top Model, but this seems a little too close to soul-baring for comfort. 

Lily sits down at the table with a glass of water, tries to act casual, tries not to look at the fridge. 

“Hey,” Barty says, dropping his keys on the counter.

Lily nods her head, taking a sip from her glass. For a minute she thinks she’s in the clear because he’s already started to leave the room, but he doubles back at the last minute, realizing he’s forgotten something. 

He pulls the fridge open, reaches down, and stops, just for a second, before grabbing his energy drink and letting the door fall shut. 

Lily pretends she hasn’t been watching him this whole time.

He pops the top on his can, takes a sip and gives Lily a once over. “You having a party or something?”

“Will you leave me alone if I say yes?” Lily deadpans, though she can feel her face heating up. 

“Nope. Then I’d probably have to ask why I wasn’t invited.” He walks over to lean against the island, just a few feet between them, and looks down at her. He takes another sip.

“Ok look I needed more laundry detergent so I went to Costco and obviously I had to look in the bakery section and it was just sitting there. So. I bought it.” Barty’s smile widens as she explains until he’s just grinning at her. “What?” she asks, defensive.

“So you just bought the whole thing for yourself?” He says it curiously. He’s not judging, but she can hear the ulterior motive in his tone. 

She raises an eyebrow at him. “Spit it out.”

Barty huffs a laugh. “One second.” He sets his drink down and heads toward his room, leaving Lily to wonder what his plans are. She can never quite read him. He likes to play up this persona of his, effortlessly carefree and nonchalant, but she has always sensed something just below the surface. She notices it in the way he remembers her work schedule, the way he seems to have eyes in the back of his head. 

When Barty comes back, he’s got a bag of weed in one hand and his grinder and bowl in the other. He holds them up, mouth quirked in a dangerous way, waiting for her response.

Lily reflects the smile back at him. “I like the way you think, Crouch.”

So, Lily grabs the cheesecake, two forks, and some napkins, while Barty packs the first bowl of the night. They light up next to an open window in the living room, inhaling as the warm breeze kisses their cheeks and slides through their hair.

They wait until they’re properly high before digging in, and as Lily brings that first bite to her lips, allows it to settle on her tongue, she swears it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted. 

“Fuuuuuck,” she moans. “This was the best decision I’ve ever made.” She licks the back of the fork, wanting to savor the tangy goodness, and she doesn’t miss how Barty watches before he huffs a laugh and shifts his focus to take a bite of his own.

“God,” he says around a mouthful. “What does Costco put in this shit?” 

“It’s fucking amazing right?” 

It’s at that point that she notices a bit of cake smeared across Barty’s lower lip, so she leans over and wipes her thumb across it. It happens before she can even register she’s done it, but she fully commits, sticking her thumb in her mouth after, tasting sweet and something else.

“You use Aquaphor?” She asks.

Barty stares at her. Red eyes slightly widened. “You can identify Aquaphor by taste?”

Lily smiles with all her teeth and reaches into her back pocket to produce the tube she takes with her everywhere. 

“Put some on,” he says before picking up the bowl for another hit.

She looks at him suspiciously. “Why?”

“Just do it.” He sparks the lighter and breathes in deeply. 

She brings the tube to her lips and smears some on, watching his chest expand behind his t-shirt.

He holds the smoke in his lungs but motions for her to come closer and oh. She sees where this is going. 

The realization doesn’t stop her from leaning in anyway.

Barty’s lips ghost over hers and he breathes the smoke into her open mouth. She inhales in turn, taking the air from his lungs into her own. 

It’s intimate, she thinks, in a way that not many things are. To hold a vital piece of someone else inside yourself. To pass it back and forth with such care, not letting anything slip through the cracks. 

And that thought is what causes Lily to close the barely-there distance. To allow their lips to push together. To allow herself to fully taste the leftover sweetness and Aquaphor and Red Bull on Barty’s tongue, which he doesn’t waste a minute before sliding into her mouth.

It’s sloppy and uncoordinated where they lean over the half-eaten cheesecake between them, and Lily pulls back before her arms give out underneath her. 

They stare at each other for a moment, both smiling and laughing like idiots. 

It’s so easy between them, always has been.

“One more?” Barty asks.

“One more what?” Lily volleys back, eyebrow raised.

“Bite,” He says motioning toward the cake, sly smile across his face.

She rolls her eyes affectionately but nods, leans forward as he scoops another piece, sure to get some of the buttery crust on his fork. He holds it out for her to take but before she can, the pile of cake and graham cracker falls right onto her left tit.

Lily stares down at it, mouth agape for a second before she starts giggling again. Because it’s funny. Everything is so funny she can’t help herself.

That is until Barty’s tongue is dragging itself along the skin there, collecting the cake and making way for his teeth, which bite hard enough to leave a mark. 

He stares up at her as he does it, gauging her reaction. He gets the all clear when Lily fails to stop the needy whine that leaves her throat.

Barty trails his mouth upward, leaving open-mouth kisses along her neck until he reaches her ear.

“You taste so good,” he whispers. Voicing out loud the thoughts she’s been having all night.

Lily lets the corner of her mouth tug up. “You have no idea.”

“Fuck.” He reattaches to her neck and his hands find the button of her pants, dexterous as they undo it and work the zipper down. He reaches beneath her underwear, letting his long fingers slide through her wetness, collecting some before he brings them to his mouth, sucks sinfully and stares her down the whole time.

The haze around Lily’s thoughts sharpens to want, and Barty must see the change in her eyes because he smiles devilishly around the digits before replacing them where she needs them most. 

“So fuckin’ sweet,” he says, circling her clit lazily, not enough pressure to really get her there.

“Please…” she begs, arching into him, trying to push harder against his fingers. She’s too far gone not to act as desperate for it as she is. She wants his fingers inside of her, wants him to lick every inch of her, put his mouth in places it probably doesn’t belong.

“Shhh princess,” he coos. “Just enjoy the ride.”

Once they finish, Lily twice and Barty all over her stomach before licking her clean, Lily will realize they left the cheesecake in the living room under the open window.

Oh well, she was never really going to finish it anyway.

#lane put barty and lily in the same room but don't make them smoke challenge failed #something something food something something consuming #bartylily #lily x barty #barty x lily #barty crouch jr. #lily evans #marauders #marauders microfic #lane writes #microfic tag

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Human activity has changed Earth’s spin axis By pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere, humans have shifted such a large mass of water that the Earth tilted nearly 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) east between 1993 and 2010 alone, according to a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, AGU’s journal for short-format, high-impact research with implications spanning the Earth and space sciences. Based on climate models, scientists previously estimated humans pumped 2,150 gigatons of groundwater, equivalent to more than 6 millimeters (0.24 inches) of sea level rise, from 1993 to 2010. But validating that estimate is difficult. One approach lies with the Earth’s rotational pole, which is the point around which the planet rotates. It moves during a process called polar motion, which is when the position of the Earth’s rotational pole varies relative to the crust. The distribution of water on the planet affects how mass is distributed. Like adding a tiny bit of weight to a spinning top, the Earth spins a little differently as water is moved around. “Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot,” said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University who led the study. “Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.” Water’s ability to change the Earth’s rotation was discovered in 2016, and until now, the specific contribution of groundwater to these rotational changes was unexplored. In the new study, researchers modeled the observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water — first, with only ice sheets and glaciers considered, and then adding in different scenarios of groundwater redistribution. The model only matched the observed polar drift once the researchers included 2150 gigatons of groundwater redistribution. Without it, the model was off by 78.5 centimeters (31 inches), or 4.3 centimeters (1.7 inches) of drift per year. “I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,” Seo said. “On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise.” “This is a nice contribution and an important documentation for sure,” said Surendra Adhikari, a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was not involved in this study. Adhikari published the 2016 paper on water redistribution impacting rotational drift. “They’ve quantified the role of groundwater pumping on polar motion, and it’s pretty significant.” The location of the groundwater matters for how much it could change polar drift; redistributing water from the midlatitudes has a larger impact on the rotational pole. During the study period, the most water was redistributed in western North America and northwestern India, both at midlatitudes. Countries’ attempts to slow groundwater depletion rates, especially in those sensitive regions, could theoretically alter the change in drift, but only if such conservation approaches are sustained for decades, Seo said. The rotational pole normally changes by several meters within about a year, so changes due to groundwater pumping don’t run the risk of shifting seasons. But on geologic time scales, polar drift can have an impact on climate, Adhikari said. The next step for this research could be looking to the past. “Observing changes in Earth’s rotational pole is useful for understanding continent-scale water storage variations,” Seo said. “Polar motion data are available from as early as the late 19th century. So, we can potentially use those data to understand continental water storage variations during the last 100 years. Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting from the warming climate? Polar motion could hold the answer.” IMAGE....Here, the researchers compare the observed polar motion (red arrow, “OBS”) to the modeling results without (dashed blue arrow) and with (solid blue arrow) groundwater mass redistribution. The model with groundwater mass redistribution is a much better match for the observed polar motion, telling the researchers the magnitude and direction of groundwater’s influence on the Earth’s spin. CREDIT Seo et al. (2023), Geophysical Research Letters

#space #science #Astronomy #physics #news #earth sciences

[mileapo]

Mile & Apo: It takes two to triumph

IN THE GLITZY REALM OF entertainment, where talent often shines like a beacon, there occasionally emerges a pair of stars whose chemistry transcends the screen. Such is the case with Mile and Apo, two charismatic Thai actors whose TV show KinnPorsche has become a global sensation, watched by millions of viewers from Russia and India, to Poland and Peru.

The two have risen from relative obscurity to become the new ambassadors of Dior, mobbed by teenage girls when they arrived in Mumbai earlier this year to attend a Dior fashion show.

On the surface, the Thai series KinnPorsche seems to have thrown the rulebook of “How to make a hit TV show” out the window. It is a mafia story filled with surly men, bloody gang fights and epic shoot-outs – which, yes, is a mainstay of TV programming. But the radical twist is this: the two main characters are a mafia boss’ son (played by Mile) and his male bodyguard (played by Apo) who – surprise, surprise – fall in love with each other.

In the history of TV, there has never been a hit crime series centred on a gay plot. But when KinnPorsche debuted in April 2022 on Thai TV and global streaming service iQiyi, it almost instantly became the top trending title in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Soon after, it claimed Europe, finding particular popularity in Poland, Turkey, Italy and France. Then it stormed its way into North and South America, where it was a top trending topic in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia.

No one – not even the cast and producers – thought the show would be this successful. It seems to have fed into some untapped market for female audiences who love action shows, but don’t care to see yet another threateningly perfect actress couple up with their fantasy man.

If you ask any fan what it is about the show that makes them sweat, swoon or quiver with delight, they’ll answer quite simply: Mile and Apo.

Double or nothing

At their photo shoot in Bangkok’s top restaurant Nusara, which overlooks the splendid temple complex Wat Pho, the models-turned-actors are in their element. They tailor their bodies and facial expressions instinctively for the camera, conveying a range of emotions, from sultry and mysterious to bright and playful. The slinky Dior suits, with their clean lines and minimal embellishments, don’t hurt either.

Mile (or Phakphum Romsaithong) and Apo (or Nattawin Wattanagitiphat) recently released their new film Man Suang in cinemas. It is a big-budget political thriller set during the 19th century reign of Rama III, replete with historically authentic sets and costumes.

Apo plays a traditional dancer who is recruited to spy in an elite club and uncover a plot to overthrow the order of the king. Finding a kindred spirit in the club’s taphon drummer (played by Mile), the two team up to stop the underground rebellion.

Speaking with the help of a translator, Mile, 31, explains: “We hope the movie reaches out to a wide audience. We wanted it to have both commercial and critical success, something that could show Thai history and culture to the world, but also be fun and entertaining enough to be a popcorn movie for the masses.”

Both actors note how T-pop (the shorthand for Thai popular entertainment) has been hyped as the next global sensation after K-pop and J-pop, following the massive success of Thai stars such as Lisa Manobal, Bright Vachirawit and Win Opas-iamkajorn.

“And it can happen,” says Apo, 29, also through a translator. “Thai people are very humble, gentle, hardworking and friendly. We can blend into any culture. If anything, Thailand has served as a melting pot for different cultures – just as Singapore has. Our culture can be easily embraced by the world.”

The duo believes that the global audience has transformed in recent times. “They’re now more welcoming of stories from different parts of the world, especially if those stories involve characters going on a journey to discover themselves and make themselves better, stronger, wiser and happier,” says Apo. “That’s why when I look for new projects these days, I look for the ones that carry the messages of self-actualisation.”

Mile concurs, adding: “I’ve always believed in ‘high risk, high return’. KinnPorsche was a risky proposition, because it took a mafia crime genre and placed it in the Boy Love category (a niche genre involving gay romance). But I believed in the project’s potential from the start – even if I never thought it’d become the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Its success has only strengthened my belief in ‘high risk, high return’.”

One-two punch

The road to success has been winding for both actors. Though born with the magnetic allure of leading men, they’ve had to work hard to secure roles over countless rivals, as strikingly handsome as they are. Having appeared in smaller parts before, it was the smash success of KinnPorsche – a show that almost didn’t get made because of funding issues – that catapulted them into not just the Thai limelight, but the global stratosphere.

Asked what Dior’s artistic director Kim Jones thinks of KinnPorsche, the duo laughs. Apo says: “We don’t know if he’s seen the show – we didn’t ask him. But we do know that our fans had been bombarding his Instagram account for a while, telling him about us, asking him to check us out, before he signed us up – well, at least that’s what he told us when we met him for the first time.”

“But for all you know, he could be binge-watching the series right now,” quips Mile, prompting another round of chuckles.

As the two men trade jokes in Thai, it’s clear that they share a genuine friendship. Their camaraderie is palpable, adding an extra layer of authenticity to their on-screen chemistry. Their behind-the-scenes antics and playful banter in candid posts have become fan fodder, launching thousands of TikTok videos and memes.

Mile says: “We’ve only become better friends in these past two-and-a-half years. We’ve become more synchronised, and our mindsets and energies are moving at the same pace. I can look at Apo and more or less understand what’s going on in his mind. We have small conflicts, of course – it’s normal among friends – but it’s usually something so minor, we can resolve it quickly.”

The best part of their friendship? Their shared love of dad jokes – that genre of silly, cheesy jokes with predictable punchlines that fathers supposedly love to tell their kids.

But Mile confesses: “I don’t tell dad jokes because I like them, to be honest. What I really, really want to tell are smart jokes, witty jokes… But I’m so bad at making jokes that they always come across as dad jokes, no matter how hard I try.”

Apo interjects: “Do you wanna hear a good dad joke?” Then, switching from Thai to halting English, he says slowly: “Hey you… watch where you walk… or you will… fall… into… my heart.”

#mileapo #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #the buisness times #interview

[hezuart]

Why did you switch from animation to reviews? Also, do you still plan on doing CGI like you mentioned multiple times?

oH BOY..... you may need to sit down for this one

So it all started back in 2012. I was around 14 years old and just saw Rise of the Guardians and Wreck it Ralph. The stories, the characters, the world-building, the animation... now I never really went to movie theaters as a kid, but as a teen I started going and I instantly fell in love.

I went to community college for a few years and made some amazing friends. Loved some of my teachers and we participated in fun events like the 24-hour challenge and Campus Movie Fest. I had gotten in the top picks for Campus Movie Fest at some point and was supposed to go to the Cannes Film Festival in France to showcase my short film, but then the pandemic hit and it got canceled indefinitely.

So get this, for community college, I got a certification in 3D Animation and Video Game development. It's basically an AA degree but without general ed. (Why do you need general ed to get a degree in something? Math and PE have nothing to do with Animation. College is ridiculous. People have to pay you more simply because you were forced to spend more money in college. Wild.) Out of the 20 classes I had taken to get this certification, only 3 of those courses were hands-on 3D animation. And only one of those courses was hands-on video game development and I dropped out of that class because it was PC only and I only had a Mac at the time. I applied to the class without realizing it was accommodating only to PCs. So even my certification is barely reaching the basics for the title of it, but I did take another online course or two for 3D animation which I have a different certification for.

Now even with my 3D animation, I was never taught the physics engine. I was never taught hair or cloth simulation, but I do have modeling, rigging, animating, and texturing experience. For gaming, I have very little experience. I've only modeled things and found my way around Unity, but otherwise, I suck at coding. I hate coding with a passion. Making a video game without coding isn't really possible.

Now, when the pandemic hit, a lot of things were shutting down. I had no idea where I wanted to go next. People kept asking me where I was going for my higher education, but I kept getting warned not to waste money on college if you're trying to become an artist, especially at University. It's a money pit, and competition is so high, you're not guaranteed a job, you're just gonna be in debt. Even colleges like Cal Arts, who charge over $1K per class, I've been told are a "Pay to get in" kind of place. Where the money is used to nab professionals from their work to teach students or talk about their company or programs, and through that, you get a bigger chance to get your foot in the door because you know someone. I've unfortunately been told that's the more realistic way to get into animation: networking. If you're a shy introvert who doesn't know any famous people, you need to be extremely talented and unique to stand out to get the chance of being noticed. I don't really want to suck up to people nor do I want to waste thousands of dollars and 5 more years on college that I may not even need (let alone be able to afford) especially if there are online classes that may be even more valuable.

Now after I got out of college and started applying a few places, I discovered a LOT of unfortunate information.

Most animation these days is done overseas. South Korea, India, Japan, and Canada are the big ones.

Invader Zim, Steven Universe, Miraculous Ladybug, The Simpsons, OK KO, Star vs the Forces of Evil, Kipo and the Age of the Wonder Beasts, Adventure Time, Twelve Forever, and the Powerpuff Girls Reboot were animated in South Korea. The Ghost and Molly Mcgee is animated in Canada.

(The first four seasons of the Simpsons were animated in America until it switched to South Korea and India.)

2D traditional animation is no longer viable. Puppetry is the industry standard because it's the cheapest. Luckily, Toon Boom Harmony has allowed us to push the boundaries of 2D puppetry. Puppetry these days, if done well, can look really great, like Tangled the Series, but if you don't have Toon Boom Harmony, you're probably not gonna be hired.

Not even all 3D is made in the USA. If it's Disney, Dreamworks, or Pixar, then it's usually USA. But streaming service movies, like Sea Beast, Kid Cosmic, The Willoughbys, and Klaus, while they claim to be a "Netflix Original" that "Netflix Animation" animated, that's a lie. Klaus was animated by Yowza! Animation in Canada. The Willoughbys: Bron Animation, Canada. Kid Cosmic: Mercury Filmworks, Canada. Sea Beast: Sony Pictures Image Works, Canada. (X)

Go Go Cory Carson is written and storyboarded in America, but the animation is shipped out to be done in France. Sonic Boom is also French Animated.

Even Sony Pictures? Open Season, Surf's Up, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, SMurfs, Hotel Transylvania, Over the Moon, The Angry Birds Movie, Sea Beast? Sony Pictures Imageworks is based in Canada. They're doing all the animation for them. It's not animated in America, it's merely funded by them.

I should also clarify: I only want to participate in stylized animated media. I don't want to do CGI for hyper-realistic films, which eliminates most of the animation jobs out there these days. It's just not my thing. The insane amount of details and uncanny valley are just so unappealing, I can't do it.

The closest animation studios are still far away. Most companies are located in LA. I'm over 7+ hours away from there. LA also has a high poverty rate, terrible air quality, is overcrowded, and is just generally not a good place to live, especially if you're low middle class. You're not gonna survive there.

Pixar is located in Emeryville, a few minutes north of San Fransisco city. Emeryville is the most crime-ridden city in that area. They tell you not to walk home alone at night. You're more likely to get robbed there than anywhere else according to the population ratio there. There are a lot of gangs that hide up there, and there's a lot of poverty there, even outside of San Fransisco. It's basically a trash pit. Not an ideal place to live, and commuting through 3-hour SF city traffic is also not gonna work. (X)

I have also been informed some people who work at Pixar are petty that the interns use their facility. Pixar has a heated pool, soccer field, gymnasium, and a few other nice things on their property. I was informed there was a person or two who got mad that an intern was using their basketball court.... when the intern was on break. As though they weren't part of Pixar, as though they had no right to touch the property. Apparently, they also used to make the interns push around little tea carts to serve refreshments as a way to "talk to the fellow animators" to probably get them interacting, but hearing that the interns were basically chored with butler duty to bother the animators hard at work seems like such a forced thing. That makes me uncomfortable. Of course, the person who told me these stories has been working with Pixar for over a decade or two now, so things could be very different as the years went on. Pixar itself on the inside of the animator building is gorgeous. They all decorate their office spaces in crazy ways, it looks like a movie set. But they have a bar and "whiskey club". They're apparently allowed to drink at work and have often had parties that got a little out of hand. There's also an old chain smoker room where the founders used to play poker and spy on people outside of their room with hidden cameras; I've even been inside. I don't think they use it anymore, though I'm not totally sure. Some of this info was fascinating, but the drinking made me uncomfortable. I kinda want to work with sober people here.

The sex ratio in the animation industry is also interesting and unfavorable. 70% of the animation and art school ratio is women, but only 34% of the actual animation workforce is women. 34% female to 66% male. More women study animation than men, but more men get hired and hold positions than women. Animation, ironically, has always been a male-dominated workplace. This unfortunately contributes to the "you have to know someone" or "be rich" to get-in situation. Men know a lot more men and not as many women. So the 30 to 40-year-old guys hire the other guys they know rather than a young poor girl with a passion. This makes it even more difficult for me to get in. (X)

20th Century, Netflix Animation, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Bento Box, Vanguard Animation, Universal Studios, Titmouse, 6 Point Harness, ShadowMachine- all LA / South California.

There are a few places I could apply to, but what they do, I just don't care for. Niantic(Pokemon Go), Lucasfilm(Effects), Whiteboard Animation(Marketing), Sharpeyeanimation (Marketing), EA games (Mass Effect, Battlefield, Dragon Age 2, all those hyper-realistic war, sports, or fantasy games.)

So whether it's outside of the USA or within the USA, I need to move. I don't have the money for that yet.

Just find a company that does remote work, right? It should be easy, especially in pandemic times! Wrong. Most animation companies don't permit remote work. It's probably a security issue. But I've done research on this. The only big animation company I've found (so far) that allows remote work (or is HIRING for remote work) is Mainframe Studios in Canada. They have a 3D animation job list, and I guess they focus on animating Barbie movies(???). (X) But that's about it. And even if you're a remote worker, there's a high likely hood you still need a Visa to be allowed to work for a company belonging to another country. So that's a whole other legal process to deal with.

Disney is becoming a huge corporate monopoly over American animation. They bought Blue Sky only to kill them off. (Disney also just recently laid off 7,000 people due to their stock price drop and failed movies they released the past year with deliberately bad marketing for political reasons. (X) Disney also bought Pixar and is pushing for sequels because weird or bad, sequels and terrible live actions make them a LOT of money. Did you know Disney's terrible Lion King CGI remake is amongst the top 10 highest-grossing movies ever made? It's criminal. (X)

Because Disney is such a big name in the USA, there's a huge association of animation = children's media, which is not true. Animation at the Oscars also has its own category, when it's not a genre, is a medium. Disney often wins at the Oscars too because no one sees the other animations. Granted, Disney has an insane marketing budget in comparison, but it's clear no one cares to seek out animation outside of heavy CGI live-action these days. No small-time studios, no limited releases, no anime. The fact that Disney also now OWNS the Oscars is SUS as hell. (The fact that Disney-owned ABC threatened the Oscars, forcing them to cut 8 categories or else there wouldn't be a show that year is wild. There isn't even an oscar for stuntmen. What the fuck, Hollywood?) (X)

Dreamworks nearly went bankrupt and sold itself to Comcast back in 2013. Comcast also owns Illumination. Dreamworks has been focusing on making bad tv show adaptions of their IPs. So yes people, Jack would sooner meet the Minions than meet Elsa. Disney is the biggest corporate monopoly, but it's definitely not the only one. The animation industry in America is snuffing out its competition by buying it out for itself. It's insane the kind of power they have.

Competition is HIGH. Because of this, the only ways to get in? If you're rich or you know someone. Pixar gets over 3,000 intern applications every summer. Less than 100 are seen by actual hiring managers. The most interns Pixar has ever taken in a single year were 12. The least they ever took in a single year was two. A 12 to 3,000 ratio is not favorable. That's a 3% chance to get into a big-shot animation company.

And again, because remote work isn't permissible to new hires, you need to live in the area to commute to the campuses. This is one of the reasons why LA is so crowded.

If you get into an animation company purely remote and maybe even for a different country? You are the luckiest person alive.

Programs are expensive. The animation industry is very strict on what programs they use. The industry standard for 2D puppetry is Toon Boom Harmony; the industry standard for 3D animation is Maya, and the industry standard for video game development isn't as clear but Unity is one of them.

Some of these programs are free, as long as you are a student. If you are attending college or a certain online program, you can use your school-issued email through them to apply to get the program for free for about a year. Otherwise, if you're using it to make your own animations solo?

Autodesk Maya: $225 a month or $1,785 a year (X)

and guess what? Maya removed its free render service. Arnold is now built in by default, however, if you want to BATCH render (Meaning render a full scene or several slides) it will slap it's ugly watermark over it.

Fun fact, this very rendered watermark can be seen accidentally in a single frame for the Kingdom Hearts Frozen cutscene

Well, you need to batch render if you're trying to animate so let's see what Arnold costs- $50 monthly to $380 annually.... are you kidding me?! The rendering PLUG-IN BUNDLED TO MAYA COSTS MORE TO USE THAN THE OWN PROGRAM?! (X)

Now, there are other rendering plug-ins you can probably use with Maya. But they all have their ups and downs and their own costs as well. (X) Pixar's Renderman is $595 per license. I can't seem to get info on Octane. V-ray solo is $39 monthly while premium is around $60 monthly.

Now there IS Blender, an alternative to Maya. It is free and I have it. That is ideal to work in for people like me. I tried it a while back, but I hated the interface windows. It was hard to work on it when you can't close them properly. It's possible they've fixed this in an update, but I haven't touched the program in over three years so I wouldn't know. It's different from Maya a little, so it has ups and downs in comparison too. But Blender is a savior to 3D artists everywhere.

Toon Boom Harmony isn't as bad but still high: Lowest price is $27 monthly / $220 annual and the highest is $124 monthly / $1,100 annual (X)

Unity has a basic version that is free, but Unity Plus is $399 yearly while Unity Pro is $2,040 (X)

So some programs are clearly more viable than others. But imagine you're trying to model, texture, rig, animate, simulate, and render a short film all by yourself in Maya. That's gonna take you over a year or two, and you'll have several thousand dollars out of your pocket by the time your free trial ends. And might I say, for an industry-standard program, Maya sucks. It's almost unusable without those plug-ins for not only rendering but also for the models to even be able to SELECT their BONE rigs.

Do you want to practice on your own when school is out of session? Fuck you! Fuck subscription services! Welcome to capitalist hell, baby!

Again, using Blender is more viable, but you're still going to be basically doing everything yourself. That's gonna take years. Do you have the patience for that? Do I?

Because of the pandemic, movies aren't even hitting theaters anymore. They're going straight to streaming services. Streaming services of which, gain sole rights to and can take media off their platforms at any time without warning. Thanks, Discovery+ ! Does everyone remember the HBO Max Animation & DC purge? It could happen to other streaming services too. Piracy will save the future of animation at this point. (X)

And again, Streaming services like Netflix will purchase films and claim they made them by slapping their logo over it; but no, they either bought the distribution rights or produced them through funding and maybe storyboarding. Often times from a Canadian film studio. (Link again X)

Even stop motion companies like LAIKA are losing money and may have to shut down or be bought out in the future, especially considering how much work and money they put into their films vs. how much money they actually make. (X)

All of this? Naturally made me fall into a depression. My god, the layers of hopelessness. My animation and modeling is pretty average too. I'm decent. I can maybe make a good shot. But I can't blow people away like James Baxter can. I mean, I shouldn't compare myself to people. If I worked really hard, maybe I could get into a good company. But again, I have to move! A part of me gave up. I don't really do 3D animation anymore, though part of me misses it.

I still 2D animate. I'm trying to make a short film and though my college friends who were working on it with me have given up, I have done my best to keep going. Even if it has been produced at a snail's pace for the past three years, I still intend to finish this animation. It's gonna be beautiful when it comes out, and it will be a wonderful portfolio piece regardless.

So with nothing else to do and no other kind of job experience really under my belt(plus my family is prone to covid so getting a job in the pandemic was just kind of out of the question) I decided to go to youtube. I heard some people can make a little money on there, but the truth is I had actually wanted to become a youtuber for a few years prior. I've always looked up to animators and reviewers on youtube, I've loved the stories they tell and their incredibly detailed analysis essays on movies, tv series, books, etc. I wanted to be one of them. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd do, so I just followed the Youtube Partnership program set up which took a few months, and then jumped in! I found I only had the time to upload once every month or two. I had a ton of audio issues and I'm not outputting at the proper 1920 x 1080 quality that I should be doing either. It's a huge learning process that I still haven't perfected, but I'm taking notes to try and get better.

Even though Youtube is fun, I only make $300 a month, and that isn't even consistent. With patreon, I make maybe another $80 or $100 on top of that, so overall $400 a month average. That's really nice and pretty cool! But it's not enough to survive.

Now I work part-time at a coffee shop. My mental health is a lot better and I love my coworkers. I make roughly $400 a week in comparison to the $400 a month. It's still not enough to live off of (the cheapest rent around is over $1,000 a month, not ) and it's still a temporary job in the long run. I intend to work here for maybe another two years to save up money.

But what do I do now?

Am I welcome in animation spaces anymore?

As a critic of popular media, it could be likely that they could fire me or deny my application because of my critique of their past films or tv series. They could see my youtube persona and assume I'm a raging untrustworthy nitpick instead of a passionate, kind person.

Vivziepop's Spindlehorse company? What Viv was doing was a dream. I was so inspired by her. She made her own company, made a super successful pilot, and was even creating more jobs for traditional, high-quality animation. However, for Hazbin Hotel, she required more funding, which is why she sold it off to A24, who now has corporate say in the show. A24 is known for letting creators be more lenient, but otherwise, Viv won't have full control over it anymore unless she managed to get them to sign something over to her; but with the rumors of her being kicked off season 1? I don't know anymore.

Her own company Spindlehorse; they rely on youtube revenue and/or merch sales to fund Helluva Boss. That's a tricky business practice, but it's kept them afloat so far.

However, Spindlehorse is hiring a lot of people as of late. This could be a bad sign; that people might be leaving the company due to potential mistreatment or unhappiness. With the way the show is going, I don't really want to be part of that company regardless, but maybe before season 2 of Helluva Boss, I would have considered applying. Had I made any critique videos prior, there's no way they'd accept me. "Aren't you that one YouTuber that said my writing is bad for season 2 episode 2?" And you expect me to hire you?" Like yeah, that application process would go down well. Not. By critiquing artists' work, some of them are very sensitive. I'd be kicked out for a lot of things, when really, we artists should be critiquing each other all the time, trying to improve. That's how the writer's room always is, ahaha... hours of fighting goes down in those meetings. It's intense, but fun.

But yeah, it's such a shame. Even small companies need to sell out to corporate to survive. Either that or be HEAVILY crowd-funded, which again, can be a slippery slope.

I see a ton of small projects on Twitter looking to hire people, or looking to become a big studio to release a pilot or game. I've joined a few of them, but most are unpaid because of COURSE they are, and then these projects?? Just don't go anywhere. Because it's unpaid. Because we can't afford to work on a project for free. IRL comes first. Some of these projects seem so great but they don't go anywhere, and it's hard to have faith in start-up studios anymore. (Game creators might have a chance, but tv series or films? Good luck, folks.)

At that point, should I just make my own company? I don't have the money or knowledge for such a thing! It's insanely expensive to start a business and get licensing. So much paperwork, so much everything! And the USA Government is so behind in understanding technology. If you want to create a remote business and/or copyright something, you're still required to put an advertisement in a local newspaper about it, even if your business isn't selling to locals. 💀 The number of fees and ridiculous legal hoops you need to jump through... it's a ridiculous waste of time and money. But you need to do it. The question is, am I willing to do it? Am I willing to tackle such an insane thing by myself?

I want to keep my internet persona and IRL persona separate, but can I? I value having a private, quieter life away from the screen. I worry about getting doxxed one day because of the nature of the internet. I worry about people finding my IRL resumes or profiles for work I want to do outside of youtube for security's sake. My art style is unique and very recognizable. I don't have a lot of private art that is worthy of being in a portfolio. But for absolute safety, I'd need to password-protect my websites or portfolios so the public doesn't have free access to them; only companies I'm applying to. But at that point, does password-protecting my resume and portfolio make it less likely I'd be hired due to the inconvenience? Due to the private, hard-to-find nature of my work? Being a YouTuber with great story skills and art skills with a fanbase could be a big plus to getting hired somewhere, but it could also be a horrible disadvantage that would get me fired. It's a double-edged sword that I cannot work around and I don't know what to do.

I've considered the video game industry, but even that isn't ideal. A lot of the indie ones I adore aren't made in the USA. Gris and Monster Camp were made in Spain. Ori and the Blind Forest: Austria. Hollow Knight: Australia. Little Nightmares and Raft: Sweden. LIMBO & INSIDE: Denmark. Outlast, Don't Starve, Spirit Farer, Bendy and the Ink Machine: Canada.

SuperGiant Games did Hades, Transistor and Bastion and is located in SF, but they're not hiring. Janimation, a multi-media company located in Texas isn't hiring. Frederator in New York isn't hiring.

I don't want to work for a studio that does nothing but first-person shooters or sports games. If I want to get into the gaming industry, I probably need to crowdfund and make a company to make a game myself.

If I make my own game, which I've wanted to do for a long time now and still want to... I can't code. I guess I could try to hire someone that could? But a game to the extent I want... I'd need to start small. I'd need to practice. It's several years of work. Will it even be worth it? I don't think I can do it alone. I'd need crowdfunding and workers; which again, here comes the "make my own studio" issue...

Do I even want to animate anymore? I prefer traditional animation in comparison to puppetry. I prefer 2D animation to 3D animation simply because it is more accessible. But even then, I'm finding myself drawn more and more to writing, storyboarding, and character design. If I were a 3D animator, this is mostly what I'd be working with all day: Naked models in an empty room. I'd do none of the physics simulation or texturing or lighting.

Animating naked & bald people all day... I don't know... 3D Animation kind of lost its appeal. You only work on such a small portion of a film, you almost never have the bigger picture. You won't see the final result until the film is done. As an animator, you're almost kept in the dark. Maybe that's how they want it anyway, since leaks are a huge issue they keep quiet under strict NDA.

But yeah, anyway... I'm an artistic digital generalist. I can do almost anything. 3D animation, storyboarding, writing, photo editing, illustration, rendering, modeling and so much more. It's hard to choose what you really want to be in this industry. I feel like Barry Benson dfklgjdflkjg

I don't know what I'm gonna do anymore. There's gotta be a solution to this but I just can't figure it out. I don't want to give up my youtube channel so I can be an animator. I don't want to give up a safer, quiet countryside house to be able to survive financially. Am I even willing or able to move countries? Is my career more important than friends and family?

I think I'm thinking too much about everything. I should start small. Move less than an hour away first and move in with roommates to get a feel for independence instead of jumping into it immediately. Get a job at a small time company, maybe not for what I want at first, but it'll get me some experience and maybe I'll learn some things along the way to understand where I can go next. Take it slow and don't panic too much over trying to be a young big shot. Take things one day at a time? That's my current goal, I suppose.

So you know... to answer your question... why did I switch to youtube for a current career? Because of a classic existential & career crisis in my 20s. Will I ever go back to 3D animation? Maybe. Maybe one day.

#ask #personal #3D animation #career #youtube #long post #i should also say because im a fan artist #i dont have a lot of original work to add to a portfolio which is a HUGE issue #Pixar doesnt even want to look at a portfolio if it has copyrighted material #they want to avoid lawsuits if they see material owned by a different company #you need to be so careful what you put in a portfolio #i mean especially if i use my 2D stuff or illustrations #my illustrations especially #animation #the animation industry #CGI #rant

[devitalise]

omg imo I could've sworn there was at least one full week left of november for some reason but dec 1 is on friday BYE locking myself up to finish my books 🏃‍♀️ HOW WAS YOUR NOVEMBER READING!! are you already in the holiday spirit are you planning on reading/watching some holiday related things to get you there? this one's rando, but do you have any favorite holiday foods/desserts/drinks you're excited to indulge in during this last month o 2023 ☃️

november being 30 days always goes by SO quickly she knows we're ready for the main event. november was a very good reading month for me let's get into the

november book wrap up

Small Island by Andrea Levy

i finished this pretty early on in novembr, my thoughts are along the same lines as my goodreads review: Great piece of historical fiction. I found parts of this so funny and I'm not sure if that was the original intention but I did have a giggle! The humour was found moreso in Gilbert and Hortense who are just so, so different to each other and Hortense's wilful misunderstanding and naivete as she tries to be a Model Minority was just so funny it was a much needed brevity compared to the heaviness of the rest of the story. Such foul racist thoughts that can be burdensome after a while, though. Yeah! I don't need to read the POV of a white British man stationed in India in the second world war ever again, actually! I enjoyed reading though.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

reread this because I hadn't picked up a high fantasy book I'd actually enjoyed in a little while. Great! I love ASOIAF as a series love returning to a known entity. I can't find my copies of A Storm of Swords or A Clash of Kings so continuing my reread is on pause until those unearth themselves.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Brilliant! So, so atmospheric. Incredible translation to me, obviously I won't know for sure until there ever comes a day where I can read Polish, but I got so much of the story out of this. It was just so cool and not what I expected at all going into it. I've never read anything like it before so getting to grips with all of the quirks of the style, subject and character was its on experience.

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Stoner was one of my top 2022 reads, so I saved this knowing that I'd like it. Rachel Cusk coded. It didn't blow me away like Stoner did, but I appreciate these are two very different books with completely different approaches. Where Stoner is so insular, things are kind of bursting in Butcher's Crossing. William isn't a complete active character, but he's participating in his life. Really cool setting, one of the most tense books I've read which I find can fall short in books with more action but the way tension builds and builds and builds in these fraught interactions between the four men on the mountain is fucking incredible. Immediately watched the film after this, and I love Nicolas Cage as much as the next person, but it fell short for me as an adaptation and as a film, sadly! Will be reading Augustus very soon as the last novel Williams' acknowledges as his own work.

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Another Western! Apparently I couldn't get enough! Not long finished this, so bear with for complete thoughts. Realised that I haven't read a book with such a sinister character in a while. Phil is sinister and strange and he's complicated, and I just really liked this book! Took me a while to get through because it is so dense at parts, but I think playing the long game definitely paid off. I love books that can make life so dramatic, all of the small stuff builds up to this big moment kind of thing. Netflix removed this film??? Will be making time to watch it this weekend for sure!

Outlawed by Anna North

3/3 with Western's which is so out of left field for me I feel. Finished it today, but on my top 2023 shelf, for sure. I think reading these back-to-back has made me appreciate the difference in style and storytelling so much more. I was a bit nervous because I've found previous Reese Witherspoon book club picks really juvenile, and whilst this is way more accessible than BC or TPotD, there's still a lot of complexity that I was able to enjoy. I love communities and found families, and it just really got me reading this book about these "women" ostracized from society making something of their own at risk of imprisonment and hanging. Thought it was really neat :)

December Reads

I'm on the Kindle through to the end of the year (10 days to New York!) so I'll be getting a couple new titles to diversify my options more. I don't have anything set in stone but I did download pdf's of The Hunger Games series which I've never read before so I might do those.

My Christmas mood started on November 1st! Multiple plays of Ariana Grande's Christmas & Chill, and I've already watched a few Christmas films. I watched The Holiday for the first time recently and found it boring :( I'm not a Jude Law enjoyer sorry.

Oh I love a hot cider! Ferrero Rocher's, stuffing, anything Christmassy really! I'm also so excited for a Christmas in New York! I have an itinerary going and many pictures to take!

#book talk #djservo

[gyuyoungarchives]

📰 Focus People: Gucci Global Ambassador, Actress Park Gyuyoung... A Chameleon Who Blends into Characters

[Sisun News - Reporter Yang Wonmin] Actress Park Gyuyoung and the 'face genius' Cha Eunwoo's drama 'A Good Day to be a Dog' continues to be a hit worldwide. After ranking number one on Korea's Netflix TV series, it consistently remains within the top three, and it also ranked first in drama on Japan's OTT platform U-NEXT. Additionally, on the global OTT platform Rakuten Viki, it debuted in first place in 93 countries including the United States, Brazil, and India during its opening week, showcasing the prestige of K-dramas.

Park Gyuyoung, who has become a trendsetting actress, did not always dream of acting. She attended Busan Foreign Language High School and then entered Yonsei University, majoring in Clothing and Textiles. Park's foray into the entertainment industry came about by chance. While at university, she modelled for the cover of "College Tomorrow," and JYP Entertainment approached her with a casting offer after seeing her work. Although such a sudden career change could have been met with parental opposition, she instead received their strong support and embarked on this path.

Later, Park Gyuyoung made her debut as the leading lady in the music video for singer Jo Kwon's song "Crosswalk," garnering attention. Even before the music video's release, there was curiosity about who would be the female lead opposite EXO's Suho, whose participation was already known. Park Gyuyoung, who was an actor trainee at JYP Entertainment at the time, left a strong impression with her calm and poignant portrayal of a breakup, marked by her characteristically soft ambiance.

After a series of special appearances and minor roles, Park Gyuyoung began taking on main and supporting roles. She built her recognition through web dramas and then through appearances in tvN's "Bring It On Ghost," JTBC's "Just Between Lovers," "The Third Charm," and SBS's "Nokdu Flower." She then received acclaim for her acting skills in the 2020 tvN drama "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," where she played the role of a psychiatric nurse named Nam Juri.

In 2021, she starred as the protagonist 'Kim Dali' in KBS2's "Dali and Gamjatang." With her confirmed appearance in "Dali and Gamjatang" alongside actor Kim Minjae, many people anticipated 'the chemistry of the most attention-grabbing trending actors,' and it turned out to be a great success. The drama helped to revive KBS's Wednesday-Thursday slot with an average viewership in the 5% range and concluded on a high note. At the end of that year, Park Gyuyoung received the Best New Actress award at the KBS Drama Awards, along with the Best Couple Award with Kim Minjae.

Park Gyuyoung has notably appeared in many Netflix dramas, to the extent that she's been dubbed 'Netflix's daughter' due to her continuous presence in Netflix series. She captivated a global audience with her role as Yoon Jisoo, wielding a baseball bat against monsters in "Sweet Home," and took on a solo lead role in "Celebrity." With her expected appearance in "Squid Game" Season 2, Park Gyuyoung has firmly established herself as one of Netflix's beloved actors.

Recently, there has been another piece of good news for Park Gyuyoung. In September, she was selected as a global ambassador for the Italian luxury brand Gucci. Her popularity, bolstered by consecutive hits on Netflix, led to Gucci choosing to partner with her. Park expressed her honour at being a global ambassador for Gucci, hoping to showcase her individuality, passion, and confidence through various activities with the brand.

The drama "A Good Day to be a Dog" in which Park is currently starring is based on a webtoon that has enjoyed immense popularity and support, especially among teenage and twenty-something women, and has been published as a book series. Authored by Lee Hye, a popular webtoon creator, "A Good Day to be a Dog" is her third work and has been a huge success in the webtoon community due to its solid storyline built from previous experiences and fantasy elements. The news of the drama adaptation piqued interest in casting, and with the confirmation of Park Gyuyoung, Cha Eunwoo, and Lee Hyunwoo as the leads, expectations were high even before its broadcast due to the 'perfect casting' narrative.

Park Gyuyoung is an actress who shows different atmospheres and images in each work, seamlessly blending into her roles. Known for her intelligence as well, she is quickly learning and steadily growing. With a sense of responsibility to not let down the directors and production crew she works with, there's anticipation for what new facets Park Gyuyoung will show in future works.

Full Article: http://www.sisunnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=202662

#park gyu young #park gyuyoung #actress #kdrama #korean drama #naver article

[stackumbrellayamini]

Malika Arora is the Ultimate Fashion Diva of Bollywood, know why?

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With her gorgeous looks and perfect body, Malika Arora has proved that age is just a number. This chaiya chaiya beauty has the boldest and most significant style statement. Her fashion choice is what makes her stand out among all the other Bollywood actresses.

She has always been the inspiration of style and elegance for many upcoming models. Malika Arora has also been part of India’s next top model as a  judge. This bold beauty is never shy to flaunt her beauty with extremely stylish hot fashion choices.

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This 49-year-old Indian actress is still slaying and always amazing her fans. With extreme popularity in the fashion world, here are some of the recent best-worn outfits by Malika Arora. Also, pick these 10 Malika outfits for any occasion.

Malika Arora’s Instagram fashionable post

Malika’s Instagram is truly a fashion junction. Her curvy bodycon gown and slaying outfits are what prove that she is the ultimate fashion diva of Bollywood.

Recently, Malika make people’s heads turn with a stunning Instagram post in a beautiful white gown. The gown was designed by Gaurav Gupta and styled by Maneka Harisinghani. She pulled the outfit with braid and smoky eyes. With some gorgeous poses, Malika truly enhances the beauty of this lovely outfit.

 With showing off her lady boss avatar, Malika picked a classy three-piece white suit. She chose the outfit from Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khannas’ wardrobe. The sequin silver top was completely enhancing the look of this pantsuit. She completed her look with glowy makeup.

Malla’s fashion choices are always top-notch. In this Instagram post, she wore a beautiful sleeve royal blue slit gown. The outfit was from club London. She chooses to complete her look with a beautiful royal neckpiece from the collection of Sunita Shekhawat.

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Malika Arora looks stylish in Naeem khan’s multi-colored tassel dress. Showing off her funky side, this fashionista poses with a long smile. Malla pulled the look with 2 sets of rings in each hand.

Malika Arora stole the spotlight with Naeem khan’s stunning full sleeved shiny short dress. She flaunted her cleavage boldly which makes the outfit extremely sassy. Malla completes her look with black heels and black stockings. Get to know about three yoga asanas that Malika follows for staying fit.

#Malika Arora #bollywood #Fashion Diva #so hot 🔥🔥🔥

[topmodelcentral]

Rachel Varghese for Harper's Bazaar India

~ India (Get Gorgeous 4) ~

by Sushant Chabria

#Rachel Varghese #INTM #India's Next Top Model #Get Gorgeous #season 4 #model #fashion #winner #Harper's Bazaar India #editorial #Sushant Chabria #portrait #pretty #stunning #beautiful #gorgeous #fierce #simple #fresh #hair #long hair #regal #beige

[sakshisingh06]

Best Soundbar Under 20000

Top 5 Best Soundbar Under 20000 in India

Introduction

Soundbars are a great way to enjoy the best sound quality from your TV without investing in bulky and expensive speakers. With the advancement of technology, they’ve become more accessible and affordable as well, with some high-end models even being available for under Rs. 20,000 in India. In this article, we will be looking at five of the best soundbars you can purchase for Best Soundbar under Rs. 20,000 so that you can get the most bang for your buck. We will be discussing their features, pros and cons, and more so that you can make an informed decision while shopping for a soundbar. So let’s dive right in!

LG SJ8 4.1 Channel Soundbar

If you are looking for the best soundbar under Rs. 10,000, then the LG SJ8 4.1 Channel Soundbar is the perfect choice for you. This soundbar features 4.1 channel output and comes with a wireless subwoofer, which makes it ideal for movies and music lovers. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can easily connect it to your smartphone or tablet and enjoy your favorite tunes wirelessly. Additionally, the LG SJ8 4.1 Channel Soundbar comes with a remote control, so you can easily control the sound settings from the comfort of your couch.

Sony HT-RT5 600W 5.1ch Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Soundbar

Are you looking for a soundbar that will take your home theater to the next level? If so, you may want to consider the Sony HT-RT5 600W 5.1ch Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Soundbar. This soundbar is packed with features that will improve your home theater experience, including 600 watts of power, 5.1 channel surround sound, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD sound technology, and a wireless subwoofer.

The Sony HT-RT5 has enough power to fill a large room with rich, detailed sound. The 5.1 channel surround sound creates a realistic listening experience that will make you feel like you're in the middle of the action. The Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD sound technology ensures that you'll hear every detail of the movie or game you're watching. And the wireless subwoofer gives you deep, powerful bass without the need for extra wires.

If you're looking for a soundbar that will take your home theater to the next level, the Sony HT-RT5 is an excellent choice.

Philips Fidelio B5/98WF 2.1 Wireless Blu-ray Home Theater System

The Philips Fidelio B5/98WF 2.1 Wireless Blu-ray Home Theater System is one of the top best soundbars under in India. It has a sleek and stylish design that will complement any home theater setup. The soundbar itself is made from high-quality materials and offers superior sound quality. The wireless subwoofer provides deep, powerful bass that brings movies and music to life. The Bluetooth connectivity allows you to stream audio from your mobile device or other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The system also includes an HDMI input for connecting to your TV or other HD sources.

Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV Sound Bar

Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV Sound Bar is one of the top best soundbars under in India. It offers an immersive sound experience with its powerful Dolby Digital decoding and advanced audio technologies. The Polk Audio Signa S2 also has a sleek and slim design that makes it a great addition to any home theater setup.

Conclusion

Soundbars are a great way to upgrade the audio quality in your home theater without breaking the bank. We've gone ahead and rounded up some of the best soundbar under 20000 available in India, so you have an easier time making an informed decision when buying one. All these models offer superior sound quality and features that will definitely give your home entertainment experience a boost for less money. Make sure you check out our list before making any purchase decisions!

#Best Soundbar Under 20000 #Best Soundbar Under 20000 In India #Best Soundbar #soundbar #music #bass music

[indianleathermanufacturer]

Best Indian Leather Manufacturer Worldwide

ILM (INDIAN LEATHER MANUFACTURER) is a manufacturer of leather products. We use full-grain and top-grain leather to make our products.

The ultimate goal is to provide you with quality made products that you can be proud of. Full-grain and top-grain leather are the best materials for this type of work because they contain more natural fibers compared to other types of leather, which makes them more durable and supple with a distinctive "pull-up" effect.

Leather bag manufacturing requires strict excellent control at several phases of production. The process of making leather bags is very extensive and complex.

The whole process starts with selecting the right animal skin that should be thoroughly cured before it can be made into a leather bag. The procedure also includes selecting the right tanning agent, grading the leather, and cutting to size. The leather is then dried, embossed or dyed, depending on what kind of products are made from it. The next step is to sew together the pieces with heavy-duty commercial sewing machines. Finally, the final touch such as handles, straps or belts are attached before it can be shipped for sale to customers.

We always aim for perfection in making our products, so we take great care in selecting the right type of premium quality materials. In order to keep the natural look and feel, we mostly use vegetable-based dyes which don't require adding any harsh chemicals or toxic substances during the production process.

The process of designing and developing leather products is a meticulous, step-by-step process. From the initial design to the final cut, it takes a lot of careful planning and preparation to produce an exemplary product.

ILM leather is a custom leather manufacturer that also provides private label services. They have been in the industry for more than 25 years and are leading in their field.

There are a number of reasons why people still like to buy products from ILM. These reasons include:

-Customer Service

-Price and Quality

-On-Time Delivery

-Designer Collaborations

-Lifetime New & Replacement Policy

ILM provides leather manufacturing services for many industries like Automotive, Furniture, Medical, Sporting Goods, and more.

There is a vast and growing demand for leather products in the global market. We, Noble Leather Manufacturing Company, are renowned for our experience in manufacturing premium quality leather products for the last three decades.

We supply a product range that includes horse saddles, luggage and travel accessories, gun covers, rifle cases, handbags and accessories, belts, and more. Our clients find us trustworthy when it comes to meeting the demands of their customers with our wide range of leather products.

ILM is one of the biggest leather manufacturers in India. It produces all kinds of leather products from footwear to handbags and home furniture.

ILM has become a leather factory in the domestic and international markets. They not only produce leather products for their home country but also for many countries all around the world including Europe, America, Australia, China, etc.

ILM is the only Indian company that exports to Europe and America because they have an export-oriented business model.

#leather #leather jackets #leather products #leather goods #leather shirt #leather pants #leather clothes

[argus-news]

Deepika Padukone

Born: January 5, 1986

Deepika Padukone is one of the most well-known and well-liked Indian actresses, having appeared in a number of films. As a child, Deepika Padukone aspired to follow in her father Prakash Padukone's footsteps and become a world-class badminton player. Modeling supplanted her aspirations of pursuing an athletic career. After starring in a Kingfisher calendar and a few advertisements, Deepika Padukone, India's reigning supermodel, decided to branch out into acting. 'Aishwariya' was her first Kannada film, but her first Hindi film, 'Om Shanti Om,' launched her to fame. Movies like "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani," "Goliyon Ki Raasleela," "Piku," and "Bajirao Mastani" have helped her rise to the top of the Hindi film industry throughout the years. With 'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage,' she has made her first foray into the world of Hollywood action films. Actresses earning more than $1 million a year are few and far between.

Early Life

An international badminton player named Prakash Padukone and his wife Ujjala were the proud parents of the actress Deepika Padukone. Her father used to be a well-known badminton player back in his younger days. The youngest of the two sisters, Anisha, is a professional golfer who participates in tournaments around the United States. As a year-old child, Deepika's family migrated to the city of Bangalore in India. Mount Carmel College and Sophia High School were Deepika's two preparatory institutions of choice. For the sake of her modeling profession, she dropped out of IGNOU's Bachelor of Sociology program.

Education

She completed her secondary school at Bangalore's Sophia High School before transferring to Mount Carmel College for her pre-university studies. In order to avoid schedule issues with her modeling profession, she eventually enrolled at the Indira Gandhi National Open University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, but she left out before finishing the program.

Career

Deepika Padukone's career has been very straightforward, in contrast to many models who struggle to get into the industry. In 2005, she made her runway debut at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, marking the beginning of her fashion career. Next to that, she was included in the Kingfisher Calendar for the following year. Her meteoric ascent to fame started with her appearance in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song "Naam Hai Tera," which was released in 2008. Since then, she has been in a number of other music videos. The video was released in 2008 and featured her singing. Soon after, she started to get offers for film roles in other productions. Instead of jumping into anything headfirst, she enrolled in an acting school at the Anupam Kher Film Academy in order to better prepare herself for the role of the director.Read more on..

#Biography #Deepika Padukone #Bollywood

[ashukumar]

The 3 Best Luxury Cars That Are Available For Self-drive Rental In Jaipur

Self-drive rental has become the new craze in India and for good reason! With a rental car, you can go on road trips to explore the beautiful backroads of any city or country. Most people don’t have the luxury of renting a car while they are staying somewhere outside their hometowns, so renting self-drive cars is the next best thing. Thanks to some recent developments in car rental services, now there are many more options for renting self-drive cars in Jaipur than there were even just a few years ago. Here are the 3 best luxury cars that are available for self-drive rental in Jaipur.

1. Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV

Mercedes-Benz has long been a luxury car royalty, and the GLE SUV is their most luxurious SUV to date. This car has the perfect blend of advanced technologies and luxury aesthetics. This car is available for self-drive rental in Jaipur and is one of the most eco-friendly cars for self-drive rental in Jaipur. This SUV is also very easy to drive and is a top choice for city driving. You can choose from 2 petrol variants, both of which are diesel-foolproof. The SUV has all the creature comforts you would come to expect from a luxury SUV like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, park assist, a fully digital instrument cluster and a host of other features.

2. Audi A8 Luxury Sedan

Another top luxury car that is available for self-drive rental in Jaipur is the Audi A8 Luxury Sedan. This German sedan is one of the most luxurious sedans to drive in the world. The A8 is also very easy to drive, and Audi has fitted this sedan with a very advanced and sophisticated driver assistance system. This car has a very comfortable and spacious interior and is one of the best luxury cars for driving long distances. Audi A8 is also available for self-drive rental in Jaipur, and you can go on long trips in this sedan.

3. Maybach Exelero Luxury Long-wheelbase SUV

When it comes to luxury and self-drive cars, nothing beats the Maybach Exelero Luxury Long-wheelbase SUV. This SUV is not only one of the most luxurious SUVs on the roads today, but it is also one of the easiest SUVs to drive on public roads. The Exelero is also one of the top 4 SUVs for self-drive rental in Jaipur. This car has all the modern luxuries that make traveling pleasant, and it is also the most fuel-efficient SUV available for self-drive rental in Jaipur.

Conclusion

The luxury car rental trend has caught on in India, and there are many top-notch luxury cars that are available for self-drive rental in Jaipur. You can choose from models like the Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV, and the Maybach Exelero. Each of these cars is a perfect fit for self-drive rental in Jaipur, and they are all very fuel-efficient. The best part is that each of these cars is also very easy to drive, so you can easily explore the backroads of any city or country with these luxury cars for self-drive rental in Jaipur.

#cars #caronrental #selfdrive #self drive car #jaipurcar

[usafphantom2]

Super Hornet conducts ski-jump launch tests in India

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 06/01/2022 - 12:00 PM in Military

The Indian Navy is looking for a new fighter for its aircraft carriers. With the Dassault Rafale M and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, two types are in the final selection. The latter is currently having to prove in Goa that he can handle ski-jumps, a crucial requirement.

Since 2013, the Indian Navy has had its own aircraft carrier, the 283-meter "Vikramaditya", which was acquired by Russia. Soon, this will be complemented by the aircraft carrier "Vikrant", which is widely built by India itself. The new aircraft carrier, which is about 250 meters long, is currently being tested. The "Vishal" is the third planned aircraft carrier of the same class as the Vikrant that should be developed in the future.

The aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

What unites the three ships is the construction of the deck that is designed according to the "Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery" principle (STOBAR). Conveyor aircraft do not start, as in U.S. aircraft carriers, with the help of a catapult - but through a ramp on the bow of the ship, or ski-jump. Braking at landing is conventionally done with safety cables.

MiG-29K on board the INS Vikramaditya.

With the MiG-29K purchased from Russia, the Indian Navy has a fighter model that can handle STOBAR decks very well. But in the past, MiGs have stood out mainly with their low operational readiness. Several planes were even lost in accidents. This led the Indian government to look for a Western counterpart. The focus is now on the Dassault Rafale M from France and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from the USA. According to reports, there are about 26 aircraft that India wants to acquire. But only one type of jet will be chosen.

Super Hornet tests with ski-jump on Patuxent River.

The most important prerequisite for the victory of both candidates is proof that they are suitable for the STOBAR procedure. Boeing risked the first ramp takeoff with the Super Hornet in the fall of 2020 on Patuxent River (Maryland). Dassault brought Rafale M to India in late January 2022 to demonstrate the STOBAR capabilities of live hunting to Indian decision makers. Now, the U.S. competitor is in India, when last week two F/A-18E borrowed from the Navy began testing under the strict observation of Indian authorities, at the ground testing facilities (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa and will last more than a week.

Arrival of the two Super Hornets fighters in India.

In the next tests, the Super Hornets should take off in ski-jump tests, initially without payload and then with two Harpoon inert missiles under the wings. At the same time, Boeing wants to use discussions and comparisons to explain to Indians why the U.S. product would be a better choice for the Indian Navy than the Rafale M.

Although the choice of the Rafale may seem the most advantageous, as it was also bought by the Indian Air Force, rumors say that the Super Hornet is at the top thanks to the less space it needs to park. Compared to the F/A-18, the Rafale does not have the ability to bend its wings.

According to the North American manufacturer, the F/A-18E can also carry more weapons than its French competitor. Another positive point is interoperability with other American equipment that India owns or has ordered - such as the Boeing P-8I Neptune or the Sikorsky MH-60 Romeo. In addition, the two-seater F/A-18F should also be suitable for ramp launches and aircraft carrier missions, while France uses only its ground-based two-seater Rafale B with the French Air and Space Force. The talks should also include the participation of the Indian arms industry in the project.

According to its manufacturers, the Super Hornet engine has a thrust of 97.9kN against Rafale's 70kN (values for a single post-combustor engine). The F414 engine will also be installed on India's next LCA MK-2 fighter. However, as history has shown, political considerations and the reliability of defense partners can make or break Indian defense agreements.

Boeing had also previously offered the opportunity to manufacture Super Hornets in India, if its aircraft were chosen.

Tags: Military AviationboeingF/A-18E/F Super HornetIndian Navy

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation

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