#self reblob

[tyrograph]

Happy Birthday to the Earth!*

*according to Good Omens: Oct 21 4004BCE, 9:15am

.

I'm still too artblocked and chronically fatigued to make the bday card I wanted, but pls accept this repost of an illustration I did for the Nice and Ineffable Fanzine

[llama-of-pangea]

Staying healthy & helping others in this weird time we live in

(updated March 31, 2020 for more up-to-date links and information)

I’m not normally one for serious posts, but I did want to make a post about the present situation (mostly in the US, but elsewhere too!) -- because it’s important to stay informed about COVID-19/novel coronavirus, especially when there’s so much misinformation out there:

Wash your hands. I know everyone keeps saying this, but it really is one of the most effective things you can do for reducing the spread of disease. Wash your hands with soap, often, for at least 20 seconds. Soap breaks up oil, destroys the cells of many viruses and bacteria, and gloms on to other particles on your hands, helping to get them really clean. It’s worth doing. Social distancing, not touching your face, staying home as much as possible, changing and washing clothes right away when you do come home, and disinfecting commonly-used spaces and surfaces in your home as often as possible are other things you can and should do. [source: CDC guidelines]

Be mindful of others. Many of us on tumblr here are young and so are less likely to suffer a serious case of COVID-19. But just because you’re not experiencing symptoms, or have mild symptoms, does not mean you should not be thinking of others’ wellbeing. Grandparents, older parents, the immune-comprimised (such as those with cancer or other immune-deficiencies), and those with certain health conditions are at risk more than the rest of us. So protect them as much as you can. Practice those good health tips always, but especially in spaces you may share with those who may be at greater risk. And also, be considerate of those with jobs that don’t allow them to isolate, like grocery store employees and bus drivers; this is extra hard for them, so do what you can to be kind, courteous, and considerate to them for all they’re doing for the rest of us [source: CDC at-risk statement].

Be responsible when shopping. If you can, have some food and necessities at home -- ideally enough to get through a week or two. Don’t panic-buy, and don’t hoard. A package of disinfectant wipes or spray, and some soap, will get you through; if you’re unable to find these items, you can often find soaps for refillable bottles at natural stores or online. Don’t fill your cart with toilet paper or sanitizer, which just denies others these items and stops them from protecting the community. And practice good health practices while in the store (remember, this is a common area! be considerate of hardworking employees, and other shoppers).

Help as much as you can. The elderly and people with weakened immune systems may be scared right now. You might be scared. Your parents or siblings or friends or coworkers might be scared. Stay in touch with people -- find ways to connect remotely so you and those you care about don’t feel isolated. Be supportive of those who are struggling to handle this. Donate blood through the Red Cross, or supplies like masks and gloves to hospitals, if you’re able to. And if you can, help those who need it; do a grocery run for someone who’s at risk, help them disinfect, or just call someone who may need cheering up. And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Don’t panic. But also, don’t ignore the situation. Try to stay up to date with things, and be aware of your local situation. There’s so much misinformation out there, so be critical of what you see. Avoid falling into pitfalls of prejudice. And take care, and be kind! Everything’s going to be okay if we all look after ourselves and one another.

Check under the cut for links to helpful health & safety advice, news, and discussions about COVID-19:

Where to find updates and well-sourced information:

updates from the CDC and WHO

for those in the US and Canada, this website has done an incredible job of monitoring cases, news, school closings, and other information in real-time

Helpful discussions with reliable information:

reporting by Last Week Tonight -- part 1 || part 2 || part 3

the Sawbones podcast (hosted by Dr. Sydney McElroy & Justin McElroy) has 3 really good episodes discussing the origin of the virus, the role of quarantine in containing the spread of illnesses, and the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 22nd

tips for talking to your kids about COVID-19

---------------------------

How to determine if something is bullshit (a short guide): ask the following questions: 

(1) Are there sources included with the statement? (2) Are the sources credible (namely, are they from a primary source, such as a research group, recognized health agency, or other medical institution)? (3) Can I find more than one account of the information? (4) Is the statement objective (meaning ‘based on fact’, rather than subjective or ‘based on emotion or feeling’, which creates a bias)?

If the answer to any of those 4 questions is “no”, there’s a chance the information could be bullshit, OR, at the very least, it may be incomplete.

In health news, be skeptical of things involving very small test groups (a test on 12 people does not speak for the general public!) or made by for-profit laboratories. Big pharma can make great things, but it can also be unethical. Read the literature from sources that are not invested in the product (again, the CDC, WHO, and FDA are good places to start) to get a better sense of how reliable, safe, or effective a thing is.

---------------------------

Speaking of misinformation...:

There is not yet a vaccine or official treatment for COVID-19, though work is in progress around the world.

No, you can’t protect yourself with a detox treatment (and shame on the influencers pushing this).

No, you cannot “self-test” for COVID-19 by holding your breath. The claim that you can self-test by attempting to hold your breath for 10 seconds is a social media hoax which gained some traction when it was perpetuated on Fox News. It has been completely debunked.

Be skeptical of home tests. Produced primarily by Everlywell, they are expensive, and the chance for a false negative is very high (they require swabbing VERY far up your own nose, which is painful and difficult to do on yourself if you’re not a medical professional or someone with experience doing so). If you’re worried that you may be sick, call your doctor; there are also lots of drive-in testing locations around the country.

Hand sanitizers made with only essential oils do not work -- essential oils do not disinfect. Beware of DIY hand sanitizer, as it is easy to make an ineffective one. Soap and water are the most effective means of disinfecting your hands.

It’s unclear if ibuprofen can worsen cases of COVID-19 -- this information was circulated by the French Health Minister, but there is no scientific data to support their claim. Ibuprofen is probably still safe to take. If you have any doubts, then you can take Tylenol, paracetamol, naproxen sodium, or aspirin instead.

COVID-19 has nothing to do with beer or eating meat.

Beware of conspiracy theories in general.

Beware of phishing scams pretending to be official press releases. Many appear from fake CDC emails.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites are struggling to stop misinformation campaigns. Don’t consider these sites a reliable source of information -- look for the primary source to confirm what you see online, and do what you can to report or remove false information.

Beware articles or sources that use the current situation to excuse discrimination or prejudice. It is wrong to blame Asians and Asian culture for COVID-19 -- that’s just racism. Similarly, stories blaming migrants are just as wrongly biased.

---------------------------

*** Note: I’m not a doctor or any other type of medical professional. I am a geologist who knows a lot about source evaluation and is worried about people being misinformed

[lunadax]

Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan. 

Fort this one i used Faber Castel Pitt Pastel Pencils and soft Pastel half sticks on Canson Mi Teintes Pastel Paper in dark grey with Colour Shapers (flat chisel ad taper point).

My art tag

the “painful” process of this one under a read more, if you feel like it :-)

I was  enthusiastically asked for a Khan drawing, so here it is. I felt like seeing things in colour this time, so I went and used my pastels pencils. Now that it’s finished, i consider it a bit like a “fail” AKA a learning experience. The dark grey Canson mi teintes paper was not a good idea.

Canson Mi-Teintes is technically for pastels, but the texture is not “gritty” enough for this type of portrait where I need to put lots of layers of colours. The skin tone was hard to achieve, as he’s quite pale on the reference i used. I needed to put more layers of pastel colours to cover the grey completely and the pastel wouldnt blend as much as was necessary. Each new colour application would not lay on top and let the one under it show through a bit, it actually removed the previous colour and the grey of the paper would still show through. 

for example:  I could not add enough different shades of blue to properly mimic the texture and reflective characteristics of the coat, and the bottom lip took many, many tries (it’s still not right but i was in danger of damaging the paper at this point...)

I was more successful with this one, and this one. I used lighter coloured paper, wich made it easier to render lighter skin tones but also easy to cover with darks. A dark paper like this used for portraits (in my unprofessional self thought newbie opinion) gives definitely better results with black and white pencils, in more “expressive” works like this.

so, yeah, I still love it, and think I did a fairly good job, but it was a long and hard road.

[kooluvrexe]

[nvgrey]

Jeez, it’s been a while!  I bought a house, had a birthday, and started up a new Pathfinder game.  This is my sorcerer, Snootlord McElfears (ft. eyebrows)