Well I got PCR results back and what do they tell me? Well I tested positive. So like, almost certain I have Covid. I think I'm making progress though, but I still feel a bit sick. Still working on getting a doctor's note for me missing work.
Brain fog is still around, still a bit lethargic, small amounts of chest pain, driving abililty impeded (I drove to get a PCR test), but I guess just slightly better? Still not enough to get back working in the post office.
Did a self home test, tested positive for covid, twice.
Suspected I have some sort of illness because I got headaches, cough, tightness of chest, runny nose, and lethargic, though some of the symptoms such as lethargy and muscle pain are from the job.
Going to see a doctor to get some sort of note but yeah the sickness is pretty mild right now thankfully.
You know the main reason Parakarry is considered to be the slowest mailman around? It's not because he's incompetent or clumsy, it's because of his route. His route is so beastly, it takes him through the entire godforsaken Mushroom Kingdom all the way out into that bloody desert at the very least. Not only does he personally have to fly through like treacherous terrain all by himself, but he has to CASE every single mail he gets in proper order and put every single piece of mail Mushroom Kingdom gets into that satch of his. He doesn't drop mail because he's clumsy, he drops them because he has to carry a ridiculous volume of them all by himself, any competent carrier will probably end up losing mail too if they had to deliver through harsh deserts and frigid snow.
Parakarry doesn't even technically wear his satch right since that's not enough time for him to take it off and protect himself against Chain Chomps and Poochy unless he has pepper spray for them but we'll let that slide because he has wings and he can simply fly away.
Oh by the way, he probably has to fill out a ludicrous PS 3996 form for his overtime, though I think the Postmaster is willing to accept "Bowser invaded kingdom and kidnapped the Princess and I must help Mario out" as a valid reason. Still, Parakarry isn't wearing the proper shoes but at least he has wings.
Dark Light uses a Dark-Light Device to light up a dark portrait of Ray Trace, who had a light snack before entering the ghosts' dark room. Unfortunately, the dark chocolate gave light to the gruesome ghost, who was saving it for a light picnic in the dark.
I've seen the internet react to AI art (especially those that win art contests), saying it's not "real" art + modern art "sucks" and all I'm saying is that we're just seeing a repeat of when emerging new technology threatens the old and reignites those arguments again. Back then, when photography was new, it threatened traditional realistic painting and people were very terrified that it would eventually replace actual artists. This eventually gave arise to more abstract art such as impressionism, dadaism, surrealism, but almost single art movement in history spurred from a reaction to either emergent technologies or as a reaction to established art (ie academy art). The same thing happened when computers arose and so did digital art, as well as 3D modeling. People have argued about intent and how all you do is push buttons on a prompt to generate an image, which means all human manipulation is gone, but it really isn't much different than back then in 1917 where Marcel Duchampe plastered up a urinal and called it a sculpture or when an artist defecated into a can and made a piece called "Artist's Shit", or when Jackson Pollock splattered paint all over a canvas, or when John Chamberlain glued car pieces together with welding techniques and insisted that there is no deeper meaning other than they are just car pieces glued together. Even earlier before the rise of realism, when gritty realism of common life was new, that caused an uproar when it challenged the romanticism (ie perfect venuses and idealized aristocracy) of academy art.
All I'm saying is that I think the dismissal of AI art because it doesn't follow our traditional mindset of what art is is (such as arbitrary boundaries intent...which is debatable because AI art does have an intent or the extent of the human element into an image) just par of the course for general art for whenever there is a new art direction. I do think the ethical concerns of it are valid when money is involved (it's practically automation vs humans argument) and corporations will probably try to replace human artists with robots, but I simply don't agree that AI art isn't "real" art. I don't necessarily like "modern" art (such as shock art or taping a banana on a wall) but it's still very fascinating to see where that notion all came from and usually, artists who do shock art are very likely very good at traditional art but are just rebelling against the system. In fact, I'd argue that because AI art stoked the "what is art" argument pretty passionately, I think it should join the ranks of impressionism, Van "I was never popular when I was alive and everyone hated my art" Gogh's post-impressionism, surrealism, Dada, modernism, etc. as art because it fulfills the criteria of "causing uproar among people on what is art".
Not going to defend all AI art. Some people do it because they think they're smug and more self-important than they really are. And I understand the controversy behind it winning art contests against other genres. But AI art isn't going away and I think the controversy it generates will likely just give rise to a new art movement of some sort, and I think we'll learn to eventually accept it, just as we did with photography and we learned photography is a legit art when time went on, AI art will likely develop similar techniques of human manipulation under its belt.
BTW, I know nothing about musical history but I'll guarantee you that electronic instruments and MiDi very likely caused an uproar with musicians too.
I'd personally like to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for taking the free time to draw/render my characters for this fantastic awards show. I adore seeing other people's interpretations of them and how it's viewed through the lens of another person always fascinates me.
I'd also like to thank the community for voting Ray Trace as the third most popular community character (he is third in command of the Protectors after all, and his trophy is the bronzest, shiniest, most third place of all trophies), he's been my passion design and it really means a lot to me to see him have a good reception in this community.
I legit love the stuff, especially for a chronic soda drinker such as myself. It's a way I can enjoy fizzy, sweet beverages without having to worry much about extreme sugar counts. Plus diabetic people can enjoy it without ill consequences.