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#did i really struggle with the school provided photoshop program for an hour trying to make this stupid meme
howwnowbrowncoww · 3 years
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Literally every time
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Week 16 - Alex - Dénouement
--- Opening Thoughts:
Here we reach the end of the story of this project; the final knot, which took so many threads to tie, yet seemed not long ago to be little more than a tangled mess.  This week, our group achieved more than what seemed achievable, given the time constrains and pressure. And although so much could have gone wrong, this was truly a very ‘right’ conclusion to an epic semester-long project. I’m so very, very thankful, and proud, of each and every member of our our group - without whom this film would never have been possible. And I’m honored to have been a part of what may very well be one of the finest films produced here in ACM Animation since its inception. I also would like to give a huge thanks to all the colorists who made the production pipeline go so much smoother and faster - sacrificing their own time and effort to be a part of something amazing! I also would like congratulate our terrific voice actor Justin Bendo, for his incredible work as the voice of Angel. And to our composer Joshua Namba, who breathed life and vigor into our film through his music.
--- Weekly Deliverables
For my work this past week, a lot has happened, as most of our group can probably agree to. It’s difficult to bring to memory every individual thing, but the core tasks were these: Coloring Sq13s6, a shot I originally roughed for. Although the final version would go on to have some major alterations to Angel, I’m happy to see it least one rough of Phantom I did pretty much stuck all the way to final:
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Colored Sq13s16; took a heck of a long time even using pre-programmed inputs for the coloring process. But it turned out good, and due to me needing to use base layers for the characters, Gavin came up with an interesting blending mode for the Old Man which we can see in the final film:
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For the next two shots I finished line from last week, plus color and shading for this week. They turned out pretty good I’d say:
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We ran into some technical issues when it came to rendering out certain files, and one in particular that comes to mind is Sq9s16, as imaged below.
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I don’t know how it was possible to even work on a file this large on Photoshop, with the hardware we have. It was so big that most of our group’s computers couldn’t even open it. Mine struggled big time to load it, let alone render it as an uncompressed .mov. I had to clear almost all my ram, and even then it crashed before finally managing to render it, which only took around 10 minutes (for one shot mind you,) and then uploading it which took a solid three and a half hours. 
This one file almost stopped our whole production. It was amazing, kind of hilarious, and a bit scary, but we managed to pull through. I added a clipping mask to the fire’s lineart to make it orange.
The next thing which ate up a lot of time and energy this week was sound. Basically, I expected have sound done in maybe 5 or 6 hours over the weekend. Turned out it required almost two full days to finalize. Me and Gavin met up to discuss corrections and adjustments, and after some last minute feedback, all the retiming work was done, and we got an incredible audio track. Even though it was a heavy tax on my very tight finals week schedule, I think having those two days to work on it really raised the fluidity and creativity to provide something almost of a remaster to the animatic audio track we’ve been using up to this point. The premiere file itself is kind of a convoluted mess:
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Nevertheless, it gets the job done, and taught me a whole lot about sound editing and design over the course of the semester (except organizational skills.)
--- Last Reflections
This semester has been such a momentous one for so many reasons. If 320 taught me “how to work on animation,” then 420 taught me how to work on animation for real. The jump is so tangible, not necessarily in a “workload” sense (although that may be part of it) but more so as an appreciation for the art of animation itself as a collaborative medium, and a visually exploratory one.  I am much more aware now of every element that goes into a piece of work, and I think I can see the great value in attempting to discerning the purpose behind everything we see in Animation, as with any art piece. While it was easy to get away with seemingly arbitrary choices of shape, color, motion and such in the past, it has become especially necessary now to be deliberate in making choice, since the workload falls on someone else’s shoulders.
- Adjustments to the Process in the Future:
Not all of this is necessarily in my control, nor should this be held against anyone or any part of the film making process here, since after all we’re learning and exploring how to work in teams with new techniques. That being said, one thing I would aim to sharpen in the future is the pre-production estimates of workload times/levels, as well as the overall film length. I think I speak for most of us when I say that the film’s scope grew a lot over the course of the semester. And I’m not saying having a large or ambitious idea is bad - that’s my favorite kind of project! But it can become a bit of an issue when it grows to such a scope that we are having to recruit outside helpers and dedicate most or all of the 24 hours we have in a day to be able to manage finishing on time. Basically, just have a more rigid plan from the start, and be very cautious towards anything that adds unnecessary levels of complexity. That’s something that can be addressed at the animatic stage. Beyond that, being more cautious with the estimates of time and energy requirements per shot would help. I noticed that some (or maybe most) of the shots required quite a bit more time than originally intended to be roughed, lined, colored, and shaded. That’s not taking into consideration all the revisions they may go through as they are reviewed, given feedback, and trade hands between group members. Production schedule-wise, it’s much better to undershoot I think, and have a lot of extra time to hammer out details, maybe refine shots, and properly apply feedback versus feeling the dread of being behind schedule and cutting years from your life due to the amount of sleep lost to try and catch up. A general rule of thumb is that specificity helps. Despite how meticulously we planned, we would still occasionally run into issues such as what color a prop might be, or how the shading might change between environments. Or another example might be how a character’s physical attributes such as stretchiness might change or remain consistent throughout the film. Although these were minor things that got addressed in the end, baring those details in mind in the future would be of great help I think.
- Words of Advice to Future 420 Students
You have three options: either become a cyborg, learn to hate sleep, or adapt to being powered by copious amounts of coffee every day. As for me, I took something from all three of those this semester. Joking aside, these are some general pointers I would give to incoming 420 students: -Choose your story and teammates carefully: This semester can be as fun (or unfun) as you make it to be. No matter what though, the people you have at your side are the people you’re stuck with. Hopefully by this point in the major you would be familiar with your teammates and their individual strengths and quirks, so if you’re having trouble picking a team in the beginning, go with the people you feel are the most self-determined, hard working, and whom you can adapt to their mold (not necessarily vice versa.) If you hate your team, you will hate your semester. But if you love your team, it doesn’t matter how tough the work gets, because you can still come to class with a smile (a very dead inside smile.)
-Come in with a strong concept: Even if your idea doesn’t get picked, being able to receive other people’s ideas and represent them faithfully is vital to the overall success of the production. The better you understand the idea you are working on, the better prepared you will be to make it a reality. Also, simple designs and ideas tend to get picked more often. Keep that in mind when developing your idea.
-Diversity is a strength: Having a broad skillset on your crew is incredibly important. Ideally, everyone can functionally perform any given task on the production. But having specialists assigned certain specific tasks is very helpful. It serves to balance the workload more or less equally among members based on their strengths, and the result is a product where you have good work reflected in all aspects of the film.
-Be prepared to change your schedule: Unless your group’s idea is ridiculously simple, chances are you will be losing sleep, possible questioning your choice of major, and being forced to change both when and how you are available to people and things you care about in the world outside the borders of your computer screen. It is not a joke to say that this course can affect your health, your diet, and maybe even the way you view other people - or even yourself! If done properly, this class should challenge you in the way you live and handle work. It should force you to adapt to an animator’s lifestyle. Not that you need to forsake life to be an animator necessarily, but to give you a taste of what the industry may demand of you through certain seasons of life.
-Be able to take a joke: By the end of the project, you’re going to be throwing shots at each other left and right. It is a crazy, whacky time - and you may find yourself forgetting this is all for a school project. Learn to enjoy acknowledging your own weaknesses, and have fun pointing out the flaws in others, when its appropriate. This makes the experience not only more enjoyable, but in a strange, ironic way it makes us become comfortable with our shortcomings, and enables/pushes each other to genuinely improve our skills, and ultimately create a better product.
-Communication is key: You need to keep up with your group. Period. If you are our of the loop for even a day, it can throw things off big time. Setup a chat group via text, setup a Discord server, or find some other means to talk to one another that is reliable. Even if you don’t always feel like chatting, just be ready when somebody needs you (which will happen quite a lot.) Also, having a system of file sharing such as Google Drive is indispensable. You may find yourself keeping certain tabs open and rarely closing them, just to check for updates and be able to send/receive files when you need them. 
-Practice makes perfect: I don’t care how good or bad you think you are at animating up till this point; if you do your best in this class, you will grow. You may find yourself drawing in a different art style than you’re used to, and implementing work methods and software that you’ve never used before. And that’s wonderful! Be open to experimenting and exploring new styles of work. I’ve found that is a big part of what makes animation enjoyable and inexhaustible. Just when you feel like you’re set in your ways, the moment you step into something new, it’s a whole other world, and you just might find something you like about it.That opens the door to not only other ways of being creative, but on a practical level, makes you a much more viable component to a team when being considered for hiring. Don’t let the early hardships bog you down; with time and practice, there’s nothing you can’t do. -- Well that pretty much wraps up this last blog post and the semester for 420. The experience has been life altering, no joke. I have no regrets, and I’m so thankful to have had the chance to work so closely with everyone. In my experience, this class has been the difference between being an animation student and becoming a professional animator. Even though it was as a real challenge emotionally and physically, I would take the class again if I could, and I very much look forward to working with you all - my fellow animators - in our continuing classes, as well as our careers beyond. You all have been my family here while I’ve been without one since moving all the way out here for school.
Thanks to Brittany for teaching our wonderful class! And to everyone who has fought through this semester together and made it something special, right up until the very end. Until next time my friends, this is the Undercover Animator signing out.
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dorothydelgadillo · 5 years
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WebDev Chat: Lessons for Marketers & Complex Web Elements
One of my favorite "perks" of working at IMPACT is that I am privileged to work alongside some of the smartest people -- who are genuinely experts in what they do -- every single day.
But how often do I go out of my way to learn more about what others do? Not very often.
That's why I've set a challenge myself to learn more about the area of expertise under the IMPACT roof that is the most foreign to me -- web development. To achieve this goal, I'm going to sit down with IMPACT Senior Front-end Developer Tim Ostheimer once a month to talk to him about what he does and why, and what us marketers can learn from his background and experience. 
Because, for two groups of people that need to work together a lot -- marketers and developers -- I think we could do a much better job bridging the divide between us. 
Enjoy!
Can you tell me about your background and how you got into web development as a career?
Tim: I have a bachelor's degree in Interactive Digital Design from Quinnipiac -- that's what they called it -- which was mostly digital graphic design using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign -- pretty much all of the Adobe tools. We studied typography. We did some animation and 3-D modeling. We did print design, and we did some web development.
I enjoyed all of the classes I took at Quinnipiac, but within the first few semesters it quickly became clear that there wasn't a specific medium or direction that the major focused on. Instead, it was more of an opportunity for students to experiment and come to their own conclusion of what they wanted to gain from it.
This was the perfect environment for me to learn in.
I started experimenting with image editing and HTML when I was young, but it wasn't until around 9th grade that I started challenging myself to learn more and take the hobby seriously. I spent a lot of time building websites about video games I was obsessed with and I wouldn't stop working on them until I was satisfied with the way they looked and functioned, even if the only person who would ever use them was myself.
We had a few elective classes in high school so I made sure that I took every class that had anything to do with computer science, photography, graphic design, and web design. These were very introductory classes, but it was a time in my life when I was starting to think about college and further education and these helped reassure me that some kind of digitally-focused career would be appropriate for me to pursue.
At that time, I was too inexperienced to know what kind of options there were. I knew that I enjoyed working with websites and code but I also had a lot of interest in everything related to design and I didn't want to pick a major that focused too heavily on one thing.
While looking at colleges and majors, I had a lot of trouble finding one I was confident about. I ended up specifically ruling out art schools because I still needed time to explore my options and wanted a more well-rounded experience. Quinnipiac's program was appealing to me because it had just that -- a little bit of everything.
I started with what I thought I wanted. I chose Quinnipiac and began my first semester with a predeclared minor in Computer Science. Unfortunately, I didn't really know what I was getting into. The course focused heavily on object-oriented programming which was different from anything I was familiar with and I struggled with every assignment and learning the material. So, I decided to drop the minor after completing the second course in the curriculum.
Instead of choosing a new minor, I decided that I was going approach my education in the same way that had gotten me to that point.
I filled my elective courses entirely with classes in related subjects that I'd be able to use to support my major. That way I'd have a better understanding of the processes and would be able to apply that knowledge regardless of the industry I ended up in.
I took classes with the film students and learned a lot about something I knew nothing about. In addition to filming, each of the courses focused on video editing, motion graphics, special effects, and/or sound design, and all of it was interesting and exciting to me.
So, I didn't stop there. I took classes in game design and development, and learned about mechanics and all of the different roles that are involved in the industry -- from the world-building aspect of the storytelling to the specific code that's written for the interface to ensure the experience is immersive.
Sometimes there might be an entire company that's focusing on just one piece, and that realization helped me to understand that it was okay to not be talented in every area of the design process.
Each of these courses gave me a different perspective on visual design and enabled me to apply what I had learned in everything I created from that point on.
During my third year of college, while I was taking courses in game design and animation, I ended up revisiting object-oriented programming. I had decided that I wanted to create a functioning game as a combined final project for these two classes but I couldn't do it without learning some new code. I spent countless hours outside of class and on weekends to learn the very thing that I struggled with the most.
But this time, it didn't feel overwhelming. Instead, there was a point where suddenly everything made sense and I became passionate about it in the same way I was about everything else I had learned.
The code now had a purpose, and it encouraged me to spend time learning what I wasn't able to understand the first time. I ended up spending more than 50 hours on this one assignment and combined all of the knowledge I had learned from my classes in different majors.
I wrote an elaborate story on which my game was based, drew every frame of every character's animation and the world around them, designed an interface which supported my theme, and coded all of the functions that were needed to make it all work.
The result was an amateur game and my favorite portfolio piece from college that I will forever be proud of. I still occasionally dig through my folder of creative work every few months just to play it for a few minutes to appreciate and remind myself of how much I learned from it.
In case you're curious, this is what it looked like:
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Because I had so much fun building that one, I ended up taking part in a challenge called Global Game Jam that same year. The task was to design and build a game using any medium within the span of a two-day period based on the theme "heartbeat."
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Before Quinnipiac I didn't realize there was a development side to design. I didn't think much about that fact that most people specialize in one part of the process and the designer of something like a website or a game is usually different from its developer.
What interested me the most was how each of these roles overlap and contribute to combine their work into a single unified experience. Rather than being concerned with the fact that I may not be pursuing the same career path as other students, I challenged myself to learn from every major that had anything to do with design and the various forms of digital media -- and it was the best decision I've ever made.
In the end, I decided that web development was the most appropriate career for me and that choice ended up leading me to work at IMPACT building great experiences for our clients and the users of their websites, but I can confidently say that working with students with entirely different career goals ended up teaching some of the most useful lessons I've ever learned.
Are there challenges to people not understanding what it is you do as a web developer or your processes -- how they're built or why they're structured a certain way?
Tim: Yes, we see a lot of confusion regarding development concepts or specific functionality, just because it's so technical.
With design, a marketer who's not a trained designer can still talk about specific elements of a design and understand their purpose. There may be things that they may not know are best practice -- like some of the principles of typography or user accessibility. But, for the most part, they can look at something like a Photoshop mockup and envision that as a page. When it comes to the intricate parts of functionality, determining how difficult something might be to build, potential drawbacks of an adjustment to a design, or the technical side of how their website gets built, however, those are things that marketers have a lot of trouble talking about.
This matters a lot when scoping a website redesign project for a client because it's difficult to try estimate something like timelines or effort involved for a particular task without knowing the full context. Without having a design available where we can specifically reference an exact example, it's hard for us to estimate how long something might take, because it usually comes down to understanding all of the individual parts that are combined to build it.
If I look at a design, I can tell you about how long it might take me to build it. But it's really hard for me to provide general guidelines that always apply for scoping because even a minor change to a design could drastically change the way it has to be built. 
Moving something over just a couple pixels could sometimes require an entirely different code structure, and adding in one small feature might mean that the rest of a page has to be built so it doesn't interfere with it. Sometimes a small request can end up being a lot of work, and it can be hard to identify those even if you are a developer.
What would you say are some of the most common tasks or website elements that, may seem to someone like me that would take a short amount of time but, actually take a lot time?
Tim: In certain situations, one would be changing things on mobile.
Developers don't determine what content is written on a page, so we have to balance flexibility with structure. Depending on the way the page needs to adapt for different screen sizes, it can be very difficult to ensure the layout is indestructible without infringing on the marketer's freedom.
Usually, for a responsive site, you want to adjust the layout at different screen sizes to ensure the page always looks great.
If it's a very important page -- like a homepage or pricing page -- it's worth spending as much time as you need on mobile because it's a very important user experience. Even if that means the template can't be structured in an intuitive way because the marketer managing the content will be using the page less than their end users will.
But, for other pages, completely changing something on mobile just for a minor adjustment could end up taking a lot of time if it doesn't share the same content structure as it does on desktop.
Sometimes it can also result in a poorer experience for the marketer if the template can't be structured in an intuitive way. Keep in mind, developers are building templates for both the users who view the page, as well as the marketer managing the content.
I would say the other thing is sliders and things that move.
An example of a website slider built by Tim.
It's rare that any two are the same. We have a couple that are somewhat standardized and we'll use those in situations where a custom one isn't required because we're able to make some adjustments to their design.
But, often, a custom slider is needed to achieve a desired layout or functionality. The content organization may be different, or the slider controls may be in a different spot, or it's full-width instead of within the grid. Maybe the amount of slides per active state changes at various screen sizes.
Maybe on desktop it's not a slider at all.
Maybe you have three columns but on mobile it becomes a slider, where there are three slides that you have to swipe across. That actually takes a lot of work because we tend to avoid using unnecessary code when possible, even if prewritten code or a plugin has the options we need.
Another example would be sliders that look like they're on an infinite loop -- where it appears that you can just keep swiping forever. Even if looks like there are only three slides, there's usually not just three slides.
For this kind of design, usually what has to be done is duplicate the first two and last two slides and then put them on the ends of the slider. Then, when a user gets to the point where the slider would loop, we actually just move them all the way back to the clone of the last slide and then transition forward. This all happens in a single frame.
So, what's specifically happening is we're temporarily disabling the animation, moving the slider to the clone of the last slide, enabling the animation, and then moving you forward to the first slide in the group. The result is that it looks like you have transitioned seamlessly and the slider never ends.
Because we want them to be perfect, sliders can take a lot of time to build just because there are so many moving parts and we'll often have to code them by hand. 
If you could give marketers and business leaders one piece of advice that would transform any conversation they have with a web developer going forward, so they're more productive and positive, what would it be and why?
Tim: This isn't a simple response, but the answer is learning basic HTML and CSS. You have to understand what a website is and how it works. If you can even just right-click on your page and click on "inspect element" and understand mostly what it is that you're looking at, or at least be able to identify what it is that you don't understand, that can help a lot with any conversations with a developer. It will also help give you the foundation you need to learn more over time, even if you aren't building anything yourself.
It'll start to make sense how pages are structured and how that structure is determined by a design. If you at least understand that part, you can begin to predict what might be involved in changing a page to fit a certain type of content or allow for a more flexible layout.
Well, even if someone like me doesn't take the time to learn HTML deeply, just looking at the complexity of it and understanding that something that seems very simple on the surface has thousands of moving pieces, and pieces of code that you have never seen before.
It sounds like that's, at the very least, a first step toward bridging the divide and being able to acknowledge -- as a marketer -- "I don't know what I don't know, and my web developer isn't trying to ruin my life when he's telling me that something's going to take longer than I originally anticipated." 
Tim: Yes, absolutely, and another benefit of it is that you then also start to understand the technical SEO part of your site.  Because, for the most part, it's not the developer actually doing the technical SEO implementation -- it's most likely going to be the marketer. There are certain best practices that the developer definitely needs to adhere to. But when it comes to the marketing side of SEO -- meta descriptions, titles, headings, proper formatting, etc. -- there's only so much that a developer can ensure is done properly if they aren't the ones entering in the content themselves.
If you know some HTML, it will help a lot when you're trying to either troubleshoot or fill in that information and that you're not breaking your site -- or you at least you'll know what to look for if something goes wrong or seems wrong.
Just knowing a little basic HTML will help a lot, even if you never have to write it yourself. It will help give you a better perspective of what your webpage is doing. You'll start to understand the behavior of your templates, what the robots from search engines are seeing, what technical SEO is, and how to use the page to its full potential.
And, most importantly, you'll be able to have better conversations and continuously learn from the people around you.
from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/web-development-for-marketers-misconceptions
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movietvtechgeeks · 7 years
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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/lordes-melodrama-andrew-garfields-gay-talk-backfires-amber-rose/
Lorde's Melodrama, Andrew Garfield's gay talk backfires, Amber Rose
With the recent release of her latest album Melodrama, New Zealand-born songstress Lorde is busy promoting and performing her new songs. While the album has only been out a few weeks now, it already has produced several hits, including the songs “Greenlight” and “Perfect Places.” On Wednesday (July 5th), the 20-year-old talent took the stage in Sydney, Australia. While performing for a crowd at Nova’s Red Room on Cockatoo Island, Lorde spoke candidly about the experiences that influenced her new album. In between songs, Lorde told the audience, “it’s all of the most intense saddest that you’ve ever been, or the happiest you’ve ever been. Or it’s feeling as lonely as you can possibly imagine, sitting in your living room touching your own cheek just to feel like someone’s there. That’s Melodrama.” Previously, the star talked to magazine publication Vanity Fair about the inspiration behind her latest album, as well as what prompted her to give it the name “Melodrama.” In an exclusive interview, Lorde told Vanity Fair, “It’s a nod to the types of emotions you experience when you’re 19 or 20. I had such an intense two years, and everything I was feeling—whether it was crying or laughing or dancing or in love—each of them felt like the most concentrated version of that emotion. I also have a love of theater, and I love drawing a parallel with Greek tragedies. But there’s definitely an element of tongue-in-cheek; it’s very funny to title your record Melodrama.” You can now listen to Melodrama, in full, on most music streaming platforms. While she may be on one of TV’s most popular and beloved shows (i.e. AMC’s The Walking Dead), actress Christian Serratos is not immune to Internet trolls and their hate. Just recently, Christian shared a photo of her breastfeeding her newborn while showing off a glitzy custom necklace at the same time. Unfortunately, like many female stars before her, Christian received ample backlash from her followers who did not feel the photo (or, more specifically, her displaying herself breastfeeding) was appropriate. Along with hundreds of other comments, Christian received posts from users in response to the image like, “Oh stop looking for attention…yes you can feed your baby in public, who cares? But, why purposely draw attention to it?” Admirably, Christian decided to stand up to her haters and speak out against their misplaced judgment. In response, the brunette beauty posted another picture to her Instagram, which also featured her breastfeeding. Alongside the response post, Christian captioned, “This is my body and my page. So I will post what I want, when I want. Those who disapprove can suck my left t**.” Christian Serratos, Instagram post: Back in March, Christian announced that she was expecting her first child with her husband David Boyd. In May, on Mother’s Day, the star gave birth to her new family addition. Needless to say, Christian is just as fierce and outspoken as her character on The Walking Dead (note: Christian plays Rosita Espinosa on the show). Andrew Garfield was roundly mocked on Thursday for saying during a panel discussion that — after preparing for a role as a gay man in the play “Angels in America” by watching “every series of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ ” — he is a “gay man right now just without the physical act.” Later in the conversation, he clarified, “As far as I know, I am not a gay man.” He went on, “Maybe I’ll have an awakening later in my life, which I’m sure will be wonderful, and I’ll get to explore that part of the garden, but right now I’m secluded to my area, which is wonderful as well. I adore it, but a big concern was what right do I have to play this wonderful gay role?” On Twitter, one user sneered, “Hey did you know that if you marathon ‘Drag Race’ you are a gay man? That’s all it takes. Who knew,” while another withered, “Andrew Garfield is ‘gay without the physical act because he watches ‘RuPaul’ — Rich Straight White Men Try To Be Interesting Vol. 53.” https://twitter.com/fariharoisin/status/882801016579776512 A third said, “Speaking of, I am rich without the act.” https://twitter.com/Adam86Valentine/status/882928920068096000 https://twitter.com/tommybravos/status/883041050562002946 But LGBTQ activist and Savage Lovecast host Dan Savage was more sanguine. “With the world on fire . . . I’m having a hard time getting worked up over Andrew Garfield,” he wrote. Many have said that the funny thing is, is that if Andrew Garfield actually did come out, no would be surprised in the least, or really care. A Fox Business Network host has been suspended after a contributor reportedly accused him of sexual harassment. The network said Thursday it suspended "Making Money" host Charles Payne pending an investigation, but didn't provide any details. The Los Angeles Times, citing two anonymous sources, reported that Payne had been accused of harassment by a female political analyst who appeared on Fox Business. "We take issues of this nature extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy for any professional misconduct," a Fox Business Network representative said in a statement. "This matter is being thoroughly investigated and we are taking all of the appropriate steps to reach a resolution in a timely manner." An attorney for Payne didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. Attorney Neal Korval told the Los Angeles Times his client denies any act of sexual harassment against the woman. The suspension followed a National Enquirer story Wednesday in which the tabloid said Payne acknowledged a three-year extramarital affair with a female political analyst. The Times reported Thursday that the woman contacted a law firm representing Fox to lodge a claim of sexual misconduct. She alleges she was blackballed from Fox after she ended the affair, the paper said. She was a frequent guest on Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel from 2013 to 2016, according to the Times. The paper withheld her name, citing the nature of her allegations, including a claim that she was coerced into a relationship with Payne. Payne, a former Wall Street analyst, started working as a Fox Business Network contributor in 2007, and began hosting "Making Money" in 2014. Fox Business is owned by Fox Entertainment Group, a division of 21st Century Fox. A series of sexual harassment claims has shadowed units of the media giant, including Fox News, and led to the ouster of such prominent figures as Fox News chief executive Roger Ailes and host Bill O'Reilly. Ailes died last May after a fall at his home. O'Reilly hosts his "No Spin News" podcast on his website, www.billoreilly.com, contributes to Glenn Beck's radio program on TheBlaze and continues to write books in his best-selling series of historical "Killing" books, including his upcoming release, "Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence." Bill Cosby will be retried in November on charges he drugged and molested a woman more than a decade ago after a Pennsylvania jury deadlocked on the question after deliberating over six days. Cosby, who turns 80 in July, was ordered Thursday to be ready for trial on Nov. 6. He is accused of giving women he met three pills that knocked her out before sexually assaulting her at his home near Philadelphia. Cosby did not testify at the trial, but in a deposition in the woman's civil suit called the encounter consensual. Accuser Andrea Constand testified for seven hours over two days. She said she never gave the actor and comedian consent to engage in sex acts with her. Instead, she said, she considered him a mentor. She was a 31-year-old operations director for the women's basketball team at Temple University, where he, then 66, was a TV icon and the school's most famous booster. Her lawyer said she took the deadlock "better than anybody" and is not afraid to confront Cosby in court again. "She will be absolutely ready," said Dolores Troiani, Constand's lawyer. "She wants to see justice done and she wants to see this through. She was in the courtroom (after the deadlock) comforting everyone else." Prosecutors found themselves back to square one June 17 after the judge declared a mistrial. The jury failed to reach a verdict in more than 52 hours of deliberations. Cosby, in his deposition, acknowledged giving a string of young women pills or alcohol before sexual encounters over the past 50 years. District Attorney Kevin Steele, who pursued the case after an earlier district attorney declined to press charges in 2005, is determined to put Cosby on trial again. Constand went to police in January 2005 to say Cosby had drugged and violated her a year earlier. She left Temple in March 2004 to return home to suburban Toronto. She is now a massage therapist. "In my head, I was trying to get my hands to move or my legs to move, but I was frozen," Constand, now 44-year-old, said in their long-awaited courtroom confrontation. "I wasn't able to fight in any way." Defense lawyers Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa declined to comment Thursday on whether they would be aboard for the retrial. Cosby's publicist did not immediately return a call for comment. Amber Rose left nothing to chance when she posted her now-infamous nude photo to Instagram. “I had them Photoshop out my tattoos to focus on the bush alone,” the model, 33, told Refinery 29 this week. “I feel like as women, we always feel like we need to shave or wax — and if we don’t, then we’re considered unkempt or unclean or we’re gonna smell funny. I believe that it’s natural and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it.” The photo, which was quickly deleted by Instagram, created a stir online, and that’s exactly what Rose was hoping for. “People are very uncomfortable with the female body,” she told the website. “It’s OK to leak images onto the internet, and people are like, ‘Yeah, that’s so cool.’ But if you actually do it yourself and in a way that’s owning your own sexuality, it’s almost taboo.” In addition to preaching sex positivity, the post was meant to promote her annual Slutwalk, which will be held in early October. “I go far and beyond to piss people off on purpose,” she said. “That’s what I do to bring awareness to Slutwalk and what’s going on. The fact that there are double standards, that women are not allowed to own their sexuality and their bodies. We can’t possibly be sexually confident, because then we’re whores. We’re not allowed to have a past. We’re incapable of love if we’re too beautiful or if we’re too successful. It’s all really, really f–ked up.” While Rose was applauded for the picture by a large number of her fans, she also received criticism for it from others, including Piers Morgan. But it sounds like the model couldn’t care less about his objections to the photo. “I wanted to prove a point, and of course arguing with Piers Morgan, who is such a d—k … That’s why I kept going back and forth with him. I posted a picture of Adam Levine with a woman grabbing his d–k and balls, and Piers was like, ‘You know that’s different because that was for testicular cancer’ — so that’s okay. Men feel like they can do whatever, and show their bodies off constantly, but we can’t — that’s bulls–t.”
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