#Best Animation Schools In India

[the-rsace]

RSACE is one of the best animation schools in India, offers best animation certificate courses Call or visit now at RSACE

[kathybluecaller]

when I give up on fully drawing Strive so my boy despawns for a solid 6 frames

(don’t mind the animation rant in the tags that I may continue on a later date)

[no1heyyyyyyyy]

Sevika's tastes

Sevika is an old lady and she just wants to be left alone. She likes to look good but when it comes to clothes, Miss thing just doesn’t care that much. She always has practicality in mind. So, no dresses, nothing flowy, has to have natural fabrics so that her skin can breathe, and she requires that things are comfortable. Her shoes are always made for hardware with a strong sole and often reinforced. In the modern world, I see her working in metal working (specifically welding), so she has to have clothes that are multipurpose. Though, if she was forced to wear anything really nice, it would be a simple well-cut blazer and a button down with jeans or slacks that conform to her legs nicely. She prefers earthy colors, nothing too flashy. I think she’d really appreciate a nice dark green, or perhaps brown. I also feel that she would enjoy a nice flannel regularly.

With food, I’m afraid her palette is as unrefined as her clothing choices. She genuinely does not care what she eats, though she really likes chicken- loves hot wings, spicy food is her love. But, her comfort food will always be the food native to what part of India her family is from. I don’t think she’s the best cook, but she has a few family recipes that she knows so well (aloo gobi, chai, samosa, tikka masala, saag paneer). And, I think that on nights where she’s feeling really sad or lonely she always craves those foods. She’d love to cook with or for her partner, it’d be the best way to get to know her honestly. Because it allows for her to show vulnerability through actions and without words. She loves to take care of people and I think in modern times she’d mother her friends just a bit, always making sure they’re eating well, drinking their water, and sleeping right (if not she’ll give them some chai). She doesn’t eat beef or dark meats in general, and she isn’t the biggest fan of seafood or turkey. So, she sticks with her chicken and her paneer. She’ll eat tofu but it needs to be in curry or something similar.

This woman would love 80s hair metal, music is something that I genuinely believe she’d love so much. She’d play drums as a teenager, dead set on becoming the drummer of the next Metallica. She’d also love the old school heavy metal bands, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Pantera. She’d love them all. I think she’d like some old school 90s rap too, but none of the new-age mumble rap that’s going on. She wouldn’t really like Taylor Swift’s music, just because it didn’t vibe with her, but she respected Taylor’s ability to get a bag. She has had a huge crush on Adele ever since she heard the album 25 when it came out. She liked some of her music, but thought Adele was drop dead gorgeous and all mature and soulful and shit, hit her in the feels and made her whipped for this woman she didn’t even know.

For movies she loves shitty 80s slasher horror, nothing that makes her think. She’d sit back in her old recliner in her pajamas and house slippers whilst watching Slumber Party Massacre for the third time, and then put on Golden Girls because she feels that Dorothy Zbornak is her spirit animal. She likes a good sitcom too and a ridiculous drama (she loves Desperate Housewives), she likes the camp, the over the top acting and dumb plots, it makes her laugh and feel care free in a way she hasn’t been in a long time. She just wants to curl up with her pets (she would have many) and watch teen-based tv shows that revolve around crime or secrets (Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale, Vampire Diaries, even Buffy etc.). She likes how bad they are, but she gets so invested it’s ridiculous.

For personal scents she’d like more woody, alluring scents that are also kind of sweet. Think Amber by Rag n’ Bone (it smells so good), she doesn’t spray much, just a spritz, it wafts around her just slightly, just enough for women to fall at her feet. Her individual smell wouldn't be overpowering but it would definitely be clear. It’s grounding and soothing. Her sweat stinks though, every time she comes back from the gym, she goes straight to the showers because her own dogs don’t want to come near her b.o.

In general, Sevika is an old woman who couldn’t give less of a shit. She wants to be left alone with her life and her people and chill. Which is why, I feel like she isn’t that opinionated on much unless it’s boundaries or causes she cares about. She just doesn’t have the energy to be bothered with trivial things like which movie to choose for the night, or which restaurant to go to. She is tired and all she wants to do is eat good food with her partner and her pets in a little cottage in the middle of nowhere. She doesn’t like neighbors and she doesn’t like people in her business. She doesn’t need a perfect life, just one that’s hers.

for whatever reason the letters are being weird, it is killing me. Please ignore it.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 20, 2023

🌱 - Okra to the Rescue and Other News You Can't 'Lettuce' Miss This Week

1. 4 day work week being pushed in Congress

Progressive Democrats, led by Rep. Mark Takano of California, are pushing for a four-day workweek to give Americans more time for leisure outside of work. The proposed Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require overtime pay for any employee working more than 32 hours in a week at a rate of time and a half.

More than 70 British companies have started to test a four-day workweek, and halfway through the six-month trial, most respondents reported there has been no loss in productivity.

2. Governor Walz signs universal school meals bill into Minnesota law

Minnesota just became the fourth state in the US to provide breakfasts and lunches at no charge to students at participating schools! The bill was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on Friday, and it's set to ease the burden on parents who struggle to provide meals for their children.

The new legislation will cover the cost of meals for all students, regardless of household income. This means that families who don't qualify for free and reduced meals but who struggle to pay for food will also be covered. The bill is also meant to prevent "lunch shaming" practices, where children are denied food or given substitutes that indicate their family is struggling financially.

3. Texas Researchers Use Okra to Remove Microplastics from Wastewater

Researchers from Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, Texas discovered that food-grade plant extracts from okra have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater. Polysaccharide extracts from plants like fenugreek, cactus, aloe vera, tamarind, and okra were found to be effective non-toxic flocculant alternatives to remove microplastics from water.

Polysaccharides from okra and fenugreek were best for removing microplastics from ocean water, while a combination of okra and tamarind worked best for freshwater. Furthermore, plant-based flocculants can be easily implemented in existing water treatment facilities.

4. In the northern California snow, stranded cows are getting emergency hay drops

The recent wave of unprecedented snowfall in California has left cattle stranded and starving. When rancher Robert Puga ran out of hay, neighboring Humboldt County officials put together an emergency rescue operation called "Operation Hay Drop." State, federal, and local officials airdropped stranded cattle bales of hay to feed them.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal went to the Coast Guard with the idea of a helicopter rescue, and by midday Sunday, March 5, Operation Hay Drop was underway. So far, Operation Hay Drop has been a success, said rancher Puga. The mission covers about 2,500 head of cattle over several miles.

5. Make-A-Wish Foundation no longer considers Cystic Fibrosis to be automatically qualifying due to improvements in life outcomes for patients

Given the ongoing life-changing advances in cystic fibrosis, beginning in January 2024, cystic fibrosis will no longer automatically qualify for a wish.

6. 1st woman given stem cell transplant to cure HIV is still virus-free 5 years later

In 2017, a woman known as the "New York patient" underwent a stem cell transplant to treat both her cancer and HIV. Now, about 30 months later, she has been virus-free and off her HIV medication, leading some researchers to suggest that she may have been cured of HIV.

The New York patient, received stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood that also had the HIV-resistance genes. However, it's important to note that there is no official distinction between being cured and being in long-term remission, and the medical team is waiting for longer-term follow-up before making any definitive statements.

7. Cheetahs Back in Wild in India After Seven Decades

Namibian cheetahs have been successfully reintroduced to India after the world's fastest land animal was declared extinct in the South Asian country more than 70 years ago. Two cheetahs, Obaan and Asha, were released into the wild of Kuno National Park after being brought to India last September.

The species is being reintroduced on an experimental basis as part of a major prestige project for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India aims to bring in about 100 of the big cats over the next decade. The African cheetah is a different subspecies from the extinct Asiatic cheetah, which once roamed the sub-continent in great numbers.

Lastly, I recently opened a Youtube channel. Subscribe for a weekly compilation of feel good videos.

- - -

That's it for this week :) If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Let's carry the positivity into next week and keep spreading the good news!

[bluetomorrows]

Clone High: It's About the Contrast

Something I've seen a lot of is Clone High S2 redesigns. People taking the new characters of S2 of Clone High and changing the designs, usually cause they don't like what we did get. Some of these are neat. I saw one that tries to combine their new designs with their S1 designs from when these characters were incidentals. A lot of them seem to take the personality out of the design. Most of them look hard to animate, but that isn't the point I'm trying to make.

People seem to really dislike these new designs. There are valid design reasons (some are a bit overdesigned, and they definitely clash with the S1 designs) but it just seems people are mad at them in concept. Especially Harriet Tubman. How could they turn Harriet Tubman into... this?

It's outrageous! And yeah, it is. It's supposed to be. That's the joke. In the 20 years since Season 1, the Clone High Fandom has grown and shipped and gossiped and a lot of people have forgotten that the incongruity of the characters is part of the joke. Joan of Arc was not in fact a goth girl who constantly thirsts over tall men. The same goes for several other characters.

Harriet Tubman isn't Harriet Tubman. She shares her DNA but she is decidedly a different person. That's the point of Clone High, the show is less about historical figures interacting in a high school setting and more about how these people might be if they were raised under different circumstances. Ideologically, Clone High is an argument against great man theory.

Gandhi changed the world. But when he isn't born and raised in British controlled India under very specific circumstances, he's just some guy. The same goes for Cleopatra, JFK, Joan of Arc,, Jesus Christ, and yes, even Confucius, Frida Kahlo, and Harriet Tubman. It's circumstances that create people, not people making the circumstances.

Imagine if you had the chance to have a conversation with the real Harriet Tubman. What do you think she would say? How would she act? I'm sure she'd probably be an interesting and nice person, but she wouldn't be a character fit for a wacky animated sitcom. You don't really expect former slaves to be bubbly like that.

It both literally and metaphorically takes the basic DNA of these figures and subverts and modifies their existence through modern society, or rather the tropes of teen dramas. Not just asking what would happen if these people were in high school but if they were ordinary people. Instead of being a hero whose life is in danger, Harriet Tubman is a girl who gossips and whose biggest worry is becoming a basic bitch.

Look at the S2 finale. The board of shadowy figures have assembled their great men and put them in competition. They'll weed out the best of the best to become the great men of the future. And out of about 100 clones, only one actually makes it to the end. Everyone else fails. The one clone who does make it, Joan, is born again into extreme circumstances. Being left for dead by her friends and suffering a psychic break. There is no such thing as great men, just extraordinary situations.

I think this theme of subverting these legendary figures is something that should be kept in mind when talking about the show. It isn't really a show about historical figures, just historically-themed characters. And that's okay. It's very funny when done well! It's a cartoon and it really acts like it. It was never asking to be taken as a serious drama and definitely wasn't asking to be a commentary on historical figures. It simply parodied its contemporary teen dramas a little too well and we got invested in joke characters and everything changed. The S2 writers were in a very unenviable place, and I applaud them for taking things in bold new directions. If you haven't watched S2 or even just watched a few episodes, I'd recommend giving it another chance. It's not perfect but it gets better as it continues. It has its own distinct feel and style while still understanding what "the point" of the original was.

Also Kahlopatra for life ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

[was-theoretically-theo]

Twenty questions that he has to answer.

How is your sleep schedule like? Don't mess with Theodore's. I annoyed him for a year about it and finally he got it right. Tho I am sure he got it right because of someone else. (Aka you) 😏

What are your friends like? Explain in brief. Treat this like a three marks question.

What is your ideal way to spend weekends? Will you take Theodore to museums or not? Will you stay in and cancel your plans if Theodore doesn't feel like going? Without blaming him?

Do you know your love language? Do you know how to convey it? (You don't have to tell me what it is just say yes or no)

What's your favourite thing about dating my best friend? Treat this like a three marks question too.

What are some things you and him have in common?

Will you give all your chocolates to him if he asks?

What's your favourite movie?

Favourite way to relax?

Will you say sorry after an argument even if it wasn't exactly your fault? I believe that saying sorry doesn't mean that you are wrong it just means that you care enough to keep your ego aside and take accountability.

Do you like Spiderman/Percy Jackson? (Very important question)

Hobbies?

Any new hobbies you want to pick up?

Will you read a book just because it is Theodore's favourite?

Favourite poet, if any?

Will you get Theodore roses?

Will you help/ask whether you can help Theodore with his chores without him having to ask you?

Extroverted or introverted?

Most played song on your playlist?

If you could master any instrument than which one?

That's it. I guess. Hope you have a wonderful day, take care of yourself and him. Also, nice to meet you, I am Eleanor. Theodore is my best friend, I am his casual friend. I am from India. Eleanor is not my real name but that is what you can refer to me, for now. Any queries? Message me. Take care of my best friend for me. Give him hugs from my side. Time to time, lots of hugs. Theodore, give him a handshake from my side. Thank you.

passing the phone to him

Shalom!! Eleanor (can I call you Ellie?  Oo or even Elea ~pronounced Ella??~ if not that’s groovy too)

I’m very excited I’ve heard lots about you! All good don’t worry babes)

I try to sleep about seven hours a night but sometimes I sleep 8 but I couldn’t do anything less unless absolutely necessary I physically could not lose a day of beauty rest of it would ruin me

Friends….all pretty diverse actually and there are several different personalities.. I’ll give you my ride or dies so okay we All went to an alternative school not because we had disciplinary problems but because we had different problems that made normal schools challenging. Like I for example have dyslexia and ADD. Anyway my best friends and I sorta bonded over this and I’ve been friends with Elton since grade five and we still keep in touch even now but he decided to go to college and I did not he’s a literal fashion icon and the sweetest smartest cinnamon roll you could meet but if he’s not doing his work you need to get on him because he procrastinates like crazy. So now we only see each other on weekends. Kaleb on the other hand went overseas and we FaceTime every morning except Sundays because of church and she’s really into anime and I can’t tell you much about that stuff except the seven deadly sins is better than demon slayer and bleach is something Kaleb rewatchs every few weeks so you best expect that it’s going to be playing when you visit but my life really doesn’t have interesting drama thank goodness. (No offence starshine👀)

I love to spend my weekends exploring I used to hike a lot but Arc is not a fan of the outdoors though we’ve found he has a knack for gardening and does very good on the family farm he just really doesn’t see the point and I don’t really blame him I suppose it’s not for everyone and I know Arc is more of a moon person. Yes actually we do go to museums and no I wouldn’t ever get mad at him for that we all have our off days

Yes and yes but ours is not the same so it’s good to keep of communication in our relationship so we stay afloat. We really haven’t had any problems though as words of affirmation is something Arc is good at unknowingly because of his poetry addiction and I’ve always been a really touchy person

My favorite thing about dating Arc is his ability to express himself though body language for example we’re at a party I don’t have a ask in front of everyone if he’s tired from all the human interaction he just shows it with expressions or posture..or whatever he chooses to convey but I never have to ask. This can be a problem on the small occasion that I can’t see him because I cannot rely on him to tell me because I usually know.

We’re people pleasers and that’s one of things we sorta bonded over when we first met we feel horrible égéen if the thing wasn’t our problem or responsibility because it made whoever upset. We don’t have very good people skills I’m overbearing and him not enough which has lead a lot of people to sorta stay away unless of course you’re also like us. I’ve found that we both share an appreciation of art mine is more in fashion design and makeup while his is writing and visual sorta stuff

Without hesitation(I’m not a huge fan of chocolate)

Geek charming (I’m not sorry)

Meditation.

Yes because I will feel bad for making him upset though he’s probably right anyway as he’s more logical than me…but one cannot always choose mind over morals so maybe I might be right on the off occasion

Not really l…sorry..but I think wonder woman is cool if that’s the same fandom? 

Crocheting, sewing, working out, and I love to sing but I’m not very good at it despite what Arc says but I do want to get into photography 

I would if he asked me but I don’t really read them because he likes to tell me about them and I love hearing about them…he also probably wound be very happy at my reading for him because he knows reading is a struggle for me

Oh this is a good one! Probably the Edgar guy I like when Arc recites them especially Anabel Lee

No because he prefers Aster white aster to be exact..

Of course! Most our chores are mutual so we don’t have it set on who does what but if he’s doing something I’d definitely help him finish whatever it is

Extroverted

Teenage dirtbag by weetus I honestly have no Idea how I’m not tied of it yet and a close second is  in this shirt by the irrépressibles which I listen to while designing 

Definitely guitar it’s just so pretty but Theodore might get me into piano he plays like a dream

I do Hope your next three days go spectacularly well and this was really fun I definitely might consider this app or the website at the very least thank you.

[camillasgirl]

Queen Camilla’s Patronages

The Brooke Hospital for Animals (President from 01.11.2006)

Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of horses, donkeys and mules which give people in the developing world the opportunity to work their way out of poverty. We believe that animal suffering is preventable and that good animal welfare protects human livelihoods. For 600 million people in some of the poorest places in the world, 100 million of these animals are the backbone of communities and their best means of making a living. Without healthy working horses, donkeys and mules, they wouldn’t be able to put food on their tables, send their children to school or build better futures for themselves and their families. We work with owners, communities and policy makers to bring about lasting improvements to the lives of working animals. Brooke works hard to deliver significant and lasting change, even in some of the world’s most challenging areas. We use our expertise to train and support owners of horses, donkeys and mules, local vets, farriers, harness makers and animal traders to improve standards of care. 

“As President of this unique charity, I am proud to tell you that the Brooke reaches more working horses, donkeys and mules than any other animal welfare charity. For over 80 years, the Brooke has been sharing its experience and expertise to improve the welfare of working equines around the world. I have witnessed the Brooke’s work for myself in Petra, Jordan and in 2013 I was able to meet and personally thank Brooke staff in India for their role in Uttarakhand, where the Brooke India team provided emergency relief to stranded equines in various pockets of the flooding disaster affected area.” - Queen Camilla

[damodar-hd]

Painting Works inHyderabad

Home Decode : Home-Decode - Home Painting works at Hyderabad. Matte finish, Textured Painting, Satin paint finishing, Eggshell designer painting, Semi-gloss or High-gloss finish painting. Customised colours and accurate painting with best prices in Hyderabad. India is a land of vibrant colors and diverse cultures. The country is known for its beautiful handicrafts, art, and paintings. Home wall paintings are one of the most popular art forms in India, which have been practiced for centuries. School Painting Works in Hyderabad These paintings not only add a touch of elegance to the walls of homes but also reflect the rich cultural heritage of the country. Indian home wall paintings are available in various styles and designs. Some of the most popular styles include Madhubani, Warli, Rajasthani, Home Painting Works Center in Kukatpally and Tanjore. Each style has its unique characteristics, which make it stand out from the others. Madhubani paintings originated in the Mithila region of Bihar and are known for their bright colors and intricate designs. The paintings often depict nature, animals, and Hindu deities. Warli paintings, on the other hand, originated in Maharashtra and are known for their simple designs, which often depict scenes from daily life. Rajasthani paintings are known for their bold and vibrant colors, which are used to depict the royal lifestyle of Rajasthan.

The paintings often depict kings, queens, and their palaces. Tanjore paintings originated in Tamil Nadu and are known for their intricate gold foil work. These paintings often depict Hindu deities and are considered as sacred art in many households. Indian home wall paintings are created using a variety of materials such as natural dyes, vegetable colors, and acrylic paints. The paintings are created on a variety of surfaces such as cloth, paper, and canvas. Traditional Indian home wall paintings are often created using natural dyes and vegetable colors, which are eco-friendly and non-toxic. In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in traditional Indian home wall paintings. Many artists are now using traditional techniques and materials to create modern interpretations of these paintings. These modern interpretations are often bold and vibrant, with a contemporary twist. Indian home wall paintings are not only beautiful but also have cultural significance. They reflect the rich cultural heritage of the country and are often used to decorate homes during festivals and celebrations. They are also considered as a form of expression and are used to convey ideas, emotions, and beliefs.

All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind:

Indian home wall paintings are a beautiful and important art form. They reflect the rich cultural heritage of the country and are a form of expression. With their bold colors and intricate designs, these paintings add a touch of elegance to the walls of homes and are a testament to India's artistic legacy.

[learnwithmearticles]

Conservation Misconceptions

In trying to be environmentally conscious, many people struggle to find ways to really make a difference. This makes misinformation easy to fall for, especially when it leaves out the nuance of trying to be environmentally friendly.

Leather

“Vegan clothing” reached popularity as early as the 1970s. Its sleek, shiny, and stretchy look make it ideal for many fashion icons. In November of 2023, reality TV star Kylie Jenner released a line of twelve “faux leather” or ‘pleather’ outfits. In the first hour, it had reached one million dollars in sales.

The appeal of vegan clothing is understandable. Many people in the U.S. hear about the horrors of the cattle industry before entering high school. Many people sympathize with animals and seek ways to reduce their consumption of animal products.

Contradictorily, faux leather is significantly harmful to the environment. Most pleather consists of polyurethane, which is plastic. It is unsustainable on the basic factor of the oil from which it originates being nonrenewable. Additionally, manufacturing this material includes high levels of toxic chemicals like dimethylformamide which is linked to cancers and birth defects. Polyurethane pleather can also take one thousand years to break down in a landfill.

Leather, from the hides of cow, sheep, goat, deer, and many other animals, is organic. It breaks down at the end of its life, usually over ten to fifty years in landfills. 

Interestingly, plastic clothing in a landfill takes a long time to degrade while leather breaks down quicker. Yet during its use, plastic is prone to scuffs, tears, and showing more wear while leather clothing can last years without significant damage.

Leather is not all perfect, of course. Animal cruelty is a large factor for people turning to faux leather, and those concerns are well-founded. Animal cruelty in the leather and meat industries is well-evidenced.

Aside from animal cruelty, tanning hides also produces chemical contamination. While chromium used in leather tanning is less toxic now than earlier solutions, it is still hazardous. Other hazardous materials in leather tanning include nitrosamines, benzidine-based dyes, and formaldehyde. Being exposed to the former two in high levels can increase the risk of cancers, while formaldehyde causes skin irritation, nausea, and respiratory difficulties.

Addressing fashion industry pollution is not as easy as switching entirely to different materials. A more effective alternative to fake leather is addressing the waste of the fashion industry. In 2023, the fashion industry produced 97 million tons of waste, including 18 million tons from textiles and 2.5 million tons in chemical waste.

Additionally, there are vegan clothing options from plant alternatives. One example, calotropis, is sometimes considered wool without the need for sheep. Calotropis plants grown in India need little in regard to water, attention, and pesticides. Cactus leather is another example which requires less water and produces less plastic. When industries turn to plants, the supply chain and issues of fair trade continue to require attention, but these avenues of sustainability are possible.

Turning to leather entirely is not the ideal choice while the farming industry retains its wealth of problems, but pleather is not a suitable replacement. Those seeking to be environmentally conscientious with clothing choices can try non-synthetic materials like colatropis, cactus leather, and linen.

Honey

Veganism is a diet people adopt for a variety of reasons. Some have biological restrictions that a vegan diet works best with, helping them to avoid foods they can’t eat. Others do it in an effort to consume fewer calories, and some use it in an effort to reduce the waste and mistreatment in the farming industry.

In a strict vegan diet, one avoids all animal products, usually summed up as milk and eggs. Strictly speaking, honey would be included in those animal products. But for those eating a vegan diet for ethical reasons, avoiding honey can do more harm than good.

Honey alternatives include maple syrup, molasses, and more. Maple syrup and molasses contain important nutrients, but some dieters find them to contain too much sugar.

Another popular honey alternative, with lower amounts of sugar, is agave syrup. Agave syrup also contains vitamins and other nutrients, and comes from the agave plant, which is grown around the world but native to Mexico and the southwest U.S.A.

Agave farming faces multiple problems. One is that agave plants are fragile, and will have trouble surviving in the rapid climate changes the world is experiencing. While agave does well in desert conditions, climate change might cause desert-like conditions for some months or some years and without warning flip in the opposite direction. Similarly, demand for agave is growing but could shift rapidly. For a plant that can take seven years to grow before harvesting, farmers can have a difficult time planning their supply in a way that’s sustainable to them and consumers.

Agave is also often grown as a monocrop, which is unsustainable for long-term agriculture, and carries risks of run-off, blight, and increased need for fertilizers and pesticides. Harvesting blue agave specifically also depletes a vital food resource for the lesser-nosed bat species.

Perhaps the most important consideration with agave plants is the inequity associated with it. Slave labor, underpaid labor, and child labour are dire problems across the agricultural industry. Fair trade certification exists for some agave-related brands, but cannot be assured for all of them. In 2021, data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics registered 1.8 million children involved in child labor, with 45.9 percent of them in the occupations of operating agricultural machinery, and of processing tobacco, agave, and sugar cane.

Ethical alternatives to honey are not necessary. Responsible beekeeping hurts no honeybees. It is a symbiotic relationship. Bees gain protection and a good hive place, with the freedom to leave if conditions are poor. Beekeepers harvest excess honey that the hive does not need to sustain itself. It is a sustainable, beneficial practice that produces a sweetener which very few humans are allergic to.

Alternatives to products we use in our daily lives can become trendy and take some time to see the true impact of. While vying for a more environmentally friendly life, we can be misled or mistaken about the true sustainability of products. It is important to continue to learn about and educate ourselves on the products we’re using.

Additional Resources

1. Faux Leather Unsustainability

2. Fashion Industry Waste

3. Sustainability of Leather

4. Comparing Leather and Faux Leather

5. Problems with Leather

6. Ethics and Fashion

7.Vegan_leather_An_eco-friendly_material_for_sustainable_fashion_towards_environmental_awareness

8. Leather Tanning

9.  Plant-based Alternatives

10. Agave Climate Change

11. Agave and Bats

12. Beekeeping Sustainability

[the-rsace]

Best Animation Schools in India | Course in Animation Film Making

Certificate Course in Animation Film Making Duration – 11 Months

No of Sessions – 126 Sessions

Total Hours – Total 252 hours(2 hrs. Per session)

Sessions – Weekly -3 Sessions

Why RSACE

The program (Animation) also includes basics of filmmaking. Students will learn to develop Animation with characters and story. Faculty mentoring & guidance to develop your own portfolio & showreel & resume Opportunity to attend master classes with prominent & celebrity industry professionals as and when scheduled even after the completion of course upto three months. Workshops,seminars and various engagement activities. Access to the lab for practice on prior booking upto one year from the completion of course. Placement assistance available. ELIGIBILITY

Candidates should have a minimum of 45% marks in his/her 10th standard or equivalent. Objectives of the course

The objective of the animation certificate courses is to prepare students for the field of animation and visual arts and equip them with all the necessary tools that this field requires. Hollywood is a booming industry with various job openings in the full length animation movies, television, advertising, web series etc. A full-length animation requires almost 500 animators to work on it. Apart from films and television the services of 2D animators are required in other fields like business, marketing, advertisement, engineering and education, fashion designing, interior designing, and even medical, legal and insurance sectors require animations for their presentations and models. This program focuses more on creating computer graphic artists who can perform at any level and are capable of even creating content on their own.

Program Overview

The aim of this program is to make the students self-reliant and equip them with the artistic approach, technical knowledge, mastering of the tools as well as the concepts of animation so they can make a mark in the global world of animation. Our programme starts with art and design, Pencil &paper which is a student’s canvas to produce frames that define a sequence which is then moved at different speeds that create an illusion of movement. Then we introduce various software & techniques to master the skills of animation.After completion of the course student can work as a 2D animator with AD agencies, film studios and many other sectors as mentioned above or work as a freelancer.

Syllabus

Sem I

Introduction to media & Film Art Basics of Sketching & Digital Art Art and Design Digital Art (Photoshop) Advanced Sketching for Animation 2D Animation Project & assignment On the successful completion of sem I, students who wish to leave will be awarded a certificate in Animation Film making by Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema & Entertainment & MESC.

For more information - https://rsace.edu.in/course/certificate-course-in-animation-film-making/

[cleave-and-plough]

you just don't understand an adult's fashion sense

ah, a big flashing neon light in the darkness. time again for one of nanami's funhouse episodes, and though this one is just as silly as the curry episode, it reveals a bit more about nanami and her place in the show's evolving world than her trip to india.

fashion takes center stage in this episode, as nanami has thrown a party to unveil her newest pendant. however, her adolescent insecurities and competitiveness are activated by the arrival of the school's most prominent fashionista, juri. wearing a necklace given to her by one of the designers she's modeled for, juri immediately appears as the more mature, experienced young woman. yet, before nanami can be fully upstaged and forced to reveal her now-insufficiently impressive pendant, a gift arrives. identified by miki as a piece by the famed designer sebastian dior, nanami sees her chance to make good on the party's promise. the case shines with an otherworldly golden glow, stunning the audience both before and after they realize what nanami has donned: a silver cowbell.

as is often the case, once given a reason or justification, nanami becomes invincible. as the school buzzes about the strangeness of her cowbell, she hears only that she has become the center of attention, the school's fashion icon. the mix of tones of these conversations is striking: some give credit to her boldness, others decry her stubbornness. i wonder to what extent nanami is aware of these differing interpretations and choosing to filter them as general admiration - all press is good press, as it were.

of course, there are those who worry for her. utena and miki debate whether they should say anything, while tsuwabuki does his best to counsel his adoptive older sister. at this, nanami brings everything into focus. she tells tsuwabuki that he's simply too young to understand, and brings this episode fully into conversation with the arc as a whole. as students, the cast generally only has to worry about their uniforms, but nanami now stretches her reach into the world of ~*adult fashion*~. this stands neatly alongside the other recent episodes' more adult themes of getting along with one's in-laws, interviewing for life after high school, and building a new dynamic with a sibling after a childhood schism. to actively engage with fashion, much less set trends, is to risk and construct one's own identity, a challenge that the students of ohtori haven't needed to consider outside of the occasional school dances. it's here that nanami's stubbornness and boldness resonate most strongly - as controversial as her look is, many admit that she's owning it, and thus she draws real security and confidence from her outfit.

of course, it wouldn't be a nanami episode without some animal hijinx and angst over touga, so things start to go off the rails as nanami dreams of being sold and turned into a steak. honestly, it's not an inaccurate representation of touga's manipulation and callous use of her for his own gain. following this, the episode enters b-movie horror mode, as nanami's behavior becomes more and more bovine, as if she were a werecow. even then, it's not difficult to see parallels to her coming of age and changing physicality - like many pubescent teens, her appetite and energy levels change, she loses motivation in her schoolwork, and, as is most common for people this age, she turns into a cow.

[utena bullfighting ensues]

as ever, nanami's true antagonist is anthy and her love of animals. it was all a misunderstanding, as anthy had ordered the cowbell for her pet cow late at night, and the courier must have gotten confused because anthy's cow is also named... nanami... anthy is never beating the passive aggressive subterfuge allegations, huh? (finishing that red sweater just in time for nanami's transformation, eh? real slick...)

meanwhile, juri tuts over nanami's pitiable obsession with brand names while gesturing with a jewel-covered hand, suggesting no lessons have been learned. just another day in the life of kiryuu nanami.

stray observations:

it might be a stretch, but the silhouette routines shifting from a puppet theater to news bulletins also feels like a reinforcement of this arc's transition to themes of adulthood and growing up. additionally, tsuwabuki is able to respond to the silhouettes as well. deeper and deeper into the mystery of their existence...

i always love how obviously callous touga is in nanami's fantasies of him. whether he's celebrating the fact that he's finally killed her and able to date anthy freely, or saying "farewell, nanami" in the most apathetic voice possible after sending her to the abattoir, he never seems to look as good as she pictures him, even in her dreams.

cow-stian dior, huh? how'd you miss that one, miki?

it really doesn't sound like a neutral (or positive) term but i'm interested to know more about the word nanami calls utena during their argument. the subtitles translated it as "boy-girl," though i'm sure that could have been softened from its original tone.

next episode preview: AGH

[no2ticonderoga]

Well, my friends, we come to the end of 2023. And It sucked on a lot of levels. And 2024 doesn’t look like it’s shaping up much better for a lot of us. There is a lot of bad shit in the world, and a lot of it is out of our control, and that can make us feel helpless and lost. But as we turn the corner into a new year, remember that there are things we can do.

Take care of yourself. Drink water. Go for a walk. Absorb some sunshine. Take a shower. Put down your phone for an afternoon, turn off the TV, and enjoy the people around you. Even if it’s just sitting in a coffee shop with a book. Even if enjoying the people around you simply means people watching and not interacting. There is still a lot of good in the world, and social media is not always the best way to see that. Spend time with your hobbies. Spend some time doing things for you.

Don’t get caught in a outrage vortex. There’s plenty of things to be outraged about, no doubt. But don’t guilt yourself into believing you need to wallow in it. Don’t fall for the argument that enjoying things is a privilege and you shouldn’t be allowed to do it just because there are people in the world who can’t. That will always be the case, and as sad as it is, you can’t go on a downward spiral forever. That way lies madness. You do what you can for who you can, and when you can, no question. But you still need to live.

Do what you can, but don’t guilt yourself for not doing more than you’re able. There are great causes to donate your money and/or time to. Both abroad and at home. The Red Cross/Crescent/Sheild is a great place to help get medical aid to those who need it regardless of where you are. Doctors Without Borders. Your local food banks, clothing swaps, and community organizations, for a more locally targeted aid. In the US, there’s a group called End 68 Hours of Hunger, which gets food to kids who might not get a meal from school lunch on Friday to breakfast Monday morning, and is amazing cause. There are so many kids who need help, and they’re doing what they can. Can’t give money? Give some time at a local animal shelter, or donate your old ratty towels. They’re always looking for them for the animals. But if you can’t do any of that…don’t beat yourself up. Do even simpler things. Hold the door for the person behind you. Even if you can’t give to the unhoused person on the street corner, smile at them. Treat them like a human. There are things that cost nothing, and have an impact far beyond you can known.

VOTE. It costs literally nothing, and is virtually the biggest thing you can do to change the world. There are a lot of countries that are holding elections this year beyond the US. Mexico will elect a new president. India is voting. The UK is closing in on election. Take the time to educate yourself. Cast your vote wisely, to protect women, children, the environment. And don’t let the perfect be the enemy of good. Look, is Joe Biden a great president? No, probably not. But he’s done some good things that he doesn’t get a lot of credit for. But really, the question is, is he 100000% better than Trump’s second term? Yes. Is it worth withholding your vote, to take that risk, because you’re unhappy about something he did. ABSOLUETLEY NOT. Is the Labour Party in the UK perfect? No, they’ve got some issues. Is it worth risking more years under Conservative Rule. Hell no. It the anti-Modi coalition perfect in India? Probably not. But are they better than the alternative? You have to understand voting is the only way to get the change you want. And to prevent changes you don’t want. Staying home accomplishes NOTHING. It’s not a protest. It’s not symbolic. It’s not a message. Staying home is allowing people and policies you don’t want to win. It’s a simple as that. DO NOT STAY HOME. DO NOT LET PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD.

This got longer than I intended, people, but I hope you all can take something out of my rambles. And I’ll be back tomorrow my “2024 New Year Fic Resolutions” for all of you to see and to bug me about this year. I’ll be putting them out into the universe to manifest them.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - April 3, 2023

Kentucky Legalizes Medical Marijuana in Bipartisan Vote After Decade of Failed Attempts

The state of Kentucky has legalized the use of medical marijuana. The bill received final passage on Thursday. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed it into law Friday morning after a decade of failed attempts in the state legislature.

The news makes Kentucky at least the 38th state in the U.S. to legalize medical marijuana.

Now Indiana is surrounded by weed states. The encirclement is complete 😂

2. The Maryland House of Delegates voted Saturday to approve the Trans Health Equity Act

The Maryland House of Delegates voted Saturday to approve the Trans Health Equity Act — a bill that just a year ago disappeared from the chamber’s agenda ahead of a floor vote.

The bill would require Maryland Medicaid, beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, to provide coverage for additional gender-affirming treatments, which are currently disallowed in the state’s plan but commonly covered by private insurance. The expanded treatments include hormone therapy, hair alteration, voice therapy, physical alterations to the body, and fertility preservation.

3. FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan. Here's what it means

The approved nasal spray is the best-known form of naloxone. It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.

Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis. Effects begin within two minutes when given intravenously, and within five minutes when injected into a muscle. The medicine can also be administered by spraying it into a person's nose.

4. Boston expands tuition-free community college program to all residents

Boston has expanded its tuition-free community college program to include all city residents regardless of age, income or immigration status.

Starting this fall, any city resident will be eligible to pursue an associate’s degree or certificate at one of six partnering local institutions without paying to attend. The program also includes a $250 stipend for incidental expenses each semester for up to three years, and up to $2,500 of debt relief for students whose account balances are keeping them from re-enrolling.

5. First cheetah cubs born in India since extinction 70 years ago

India has welcomed the birth of four cheetah cubs - more than 70 years after the animals were declared officially extinct there.India's environment minister announced the good news, calling it a "momentous event".

The country has been trying to reintroduce the big cats for decades, and last year brought eight cheetahs over from Namibia as part of the plan. Another 12 cheetahs were brought to India from South Africa last month.

6. BBC education show in Afghanistan helps children banned from school

The BBC has launched a new education programme for children in Afghanistan who are banned from school.It is aimed at children aged 11 to 16, including girls whose secondary education has been stopped by the ruling Taliban.

The weekly programme is called Dars, which means lesson in Dari and Pashto, Afghanistan's official languages. It is hosted by BBC Afghan female journalists who were evacuated from Kabul during the 2021 Taliban takeover.

Each new weekly half-hour episode of Dars will air four times a day, Saturday to Friday, on the newly launched BBC News Afghanistan channel.

7. A Trans Creator Has Raised Over 1.5 Million for Trans Healthcare on TikTok Live

Transgender TikTokers are celebrating Trans Day of Visibility by raising over $1.5 million for gender-affirming care around the world.

Mercury Stardust — a DIY TikToker and trans advocate who calls herself the “Trans Handy Ma’am” — raised $120,000 last year in a livestream for the mutual aid nonprofit Point of Pride, which maintains funds for surgeries, hormone therapy, and free binders and gaffs. This year, Stardust and cohost Jory, a.k.a. AlluringSkull, set themselves a goal of raising $1 million in a planned 30-hour live stream…and then smashed that milestone less than six hours after starting the stream Thursday evening.

----

I have started a Youtube channel with wholesome videos I can find on the internet. Check it out :)

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog

[megwritesnstuff]

hi I'm alive though barely.

Winter was rough, thought things were getting a bit better around mid-February but then I got another really huge depressive episode so. L. But anyway.

I'm doing better now although pollen is killing me, also I've gotten really really into Genshin Impact, if you can't tell by the fanart reblogs, lol.

I'm doing my best to avoid spoilers, even though I know I'm waaay late to the scene. I've finally gotten to Sumeru after suffering for eternity in Inazuma.

(Ha, get it? Get it? Ok Megs shut up)

Anyway, Inazuma felt like. A real pain in the ass of an area. Exploration there and the world mechanics introduced in that area def werent my fave but thats ok! I'm loving Sumeru so far. Its very fun.

It really bothers me, though, that for an area that seems to be primarily based off of India/Southeast Asia, with some middle eastern and northern african cultures thrown in as well, that everyone is so... pale?

Like. I get it. Chinese game made by Chinese people, based on a heavy Japanese anime art style, like... maybe they didnt want to include a lot of brown people because it "doesn't fit with the style" like a lot of people in my middle school used to say? But like... Bruh. It feels sus as hell.

Like yeah, theres Deyha, but like... Idk. It just feels like. There should be a lot more. Brown ppl.

Like Deyha doesn't have much difference in her complexion than Kaeya? And from what I know so far (No spoilers PLEASE) Kaeya doesn't have any connections to Sumeru, and may even be from [REDACTED]? So liiiike?

Anyway. Love the game so far, super fun, getting really into the lore. I love Kaeya, Diluc, and Razor. I love Razor. SO MUCH.

I really am enjoying the game, the characters, and most of the exploration a lot, but it does feel very... intentional, that all of the characters from this area are just. White.

Anyway, I'm only part way through the Sumeru Archon quest, but if anyone wants to chat Genshin stuff please feel free! It's becoming a new special interest just like Elder Scrolls and dolls for me so

hfghkldfhgkldfhgkdhgfkd

I have a LOT I want to talk about with anyone willing to listem :D

[xtruss]

The Comic-Book Aesthetic Comes of Age in “Across the Spider-Verse”

The Spider-Man sequel might be the first superhero film to take full advantage of what comic-book art can achieve onscreen.

— By Stephanie Burt | June 14, 2023

Each of the Spiders in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” brings not just an art style but a personality and a backstory.Art work by Aymeric Kevin / Courtesy Sony Pictures

The latest comic-book movie associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” certainly knows what kind of film it is. Most of the movie follows Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, two animated teen-aged Spider-People, but, for the sake of the fandom, live actors from live-action blockbusters make surprise cameos. Gwen quips at one point that Doctor Strange—last seen in the M.C.U.’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”—should not practice medicine. Miles’s high-school roommate references another audience favorite, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), when he tells Miles, “I’m not your guy in the chair.” Inevitably, there is a meme-inspired scene of Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man. This is the kind of self-aware fan fodder that, in lesser films, might feel tired.

And yet “Across the Spider-Verse,” which came out on June 2nd, does something that no live-action superhero movie has done before—or can do. It leans hard into, and emulates onscreen, the storytelling devices and the visual flair that make comic books special. Even more than its predecessor, “Into the Spider-Verse” (2018), the film feels designed to show young people, many of whom were raised on superhero movies, why they might care about the comics that launched these characters. It does this so well that, at a time when some Marvel movies haven’t been doing so hot at the box office, “Across the Spider-Verse” has already raked in nearly four hundred million dollars. At 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night, with local schools still in session, my seventh grader and I found most of the seats in our suburban multiplex full.

The first scene in the movie reintroduces us to Miles’s long-distance best friend, Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, a.k.a. Spider-Gwen (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld). Her world looks painterly, as if rendered by brushes and pastels; she often appears in Expressionist shades of blue and pink. That’s how the rest of the film will roll: each Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, or Spider-Villain, and each new Earth on which they live, has its own eye-popping art style. Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore), a Black Puerto Rican physics star who draws in all his notebooks, inhabits a world that evokes hip-hop album covers and graffiti. Miguel O’Hara, or Spider-Man 2099, comes with clean lines, techno details, and RoboCop vibes. Spider-Byte appears as a glowing avatar like the nineteen-eighties film “Tron.” Pavitr Prabhakar, a.k.a. Spider-Man India, swings through his home city of Mumbattan, all tropical colors and curvy architecture. (When characters move between dimensions, they pass through a portal made of hexagons—a basic geometric unit of Hollywood animation.)

Almost all of these characters existed in comic books before they hit the screen, and, crucially, all of them have what the scholar Hillary Chute identifies as the core property of comics: they look like somebody chose to draw them. They bear the mark of their creators’ hands. The Spot, a villain who sets the movie’s main plot in motion, looks like a blank page splattered with ink; each of his splotches opens up a little wormhole, in the same way that the pen stroke of a comic can open up another world. The animators of the film owe a lot to Marvel’s comic artists: the credits thank a “Black Panther” illustrator, Brian Stelfreeze; a co-creator of Miguel O’Hara, Rick Leonardi; and the nineteen-eighties titan Bill Sienkiewicz. All three have contributed to the making of “Across the Spider-Verse.”

The film’s version of Miguel O’Hara (voiced by Oscar Isaac) behaves like a stern, bad Spider-Dad. He resolves to stop Miles from disrupting something called a Canon Event—a plot development so important that it has to happen in every parallel world, lest the entire universe be at risk. “You break enough canons,” Miguel warns, “and we could lose everything.” He sounds almost like a Marvel Comics editor, telling writers that they can’t go too far. (One writer, Grant Morrison, called their longest project at Marvel “more like a prison than a playground.”) In the tradition of print comics, the film offers explanatory notes in 2-D colored boxes; some of them, in an homage to the comics of the nineteen-seventies, are even signed “--Ed.,” for editor.

Like all the best teen superhero comics, “Across the Spider-Verse” hints, or more than hints, at real-life dual identities. The colors that tend to accompany Gwen, blue and pink, are the colors of the transgender flag. A poster in her bedroom says “protect trans kids,” and her father, a police officer who initially has no idea that she is Spider-Gwen, sports a trans-flag pin on his uniform. Gwen tells Miles that her parents “only know half of who I am.” She also wears her hair in an asymmetrical undercut—which, my seventh grader told me, is often a sign of trans or nonbinary identity among Gen Z. (It should not be confused with a half-and-half, my seventh grader added.)

Miles and Gwen both have well-intentioned cops for dads, who try hard but can’t seem to stop enforcing rules. In one scene, Miles tells his father, “Men of your generation ignore their mental health too long.” In part for this reason, Miles and Gwen feel the kind of solidarity that young people can share only with one another. When they finally get some tender alone time above a twilit Brooklyn, Gwen asks Miles, “How many people can you talk to about this stuff?” He tells her, “You don’t even know.” That’s what happens when trans people meet one another, too—something that the Internet pointed out right away. (This isn’t the sole Spider-Man film to be interpreted as an L.G.B.T.Q.+ allegory; some viewers saw Tom Holland’s Spidey as transmasculine, too.)

“Across the Spider-Verse” is a sequel, but it’s arguably the first superhero film to take such full advantage of what comic-book art can achieve. At the Guggenheim Museum, Gwen has to fight a version of an old Spidey villain, the Vulture, who looks, in her words, like a “big flying turkey from the Renaissance.” He’s drawn in the style of ink on parchment, with the scratchy, busy lines you’d expect from a goose-quill pen. He’s not just from another Earth but from a different artistic universe. Elsewhere, several Spider-People chase Miles across the body of a rocket and up what appears to be a space elevator. Theoretically, C.G.I. could help live actors imitate some of these stunts—but not in such colors, and not with such dynamism and glee. In another sequence, Miles races a moving subway train while he fights a pangolin-esque villain, who rolls up in an armored ball. In a live-action film, the scene would cost a ton and still look cheesy. With animation this artful, it’s all part of the fun.

Comics are at their core a visual medium. “Everyone’s first response to your work will be to the visual aspect,” Brian Michael Bendis, the co-creator of Miles Morales, wrote, in his 2014 book about creating comics, “Words for Pictures.” In a comic, the script has to serve the art, which in turn has to serve the characters. And this script does. Each of the Spiders brings not just an art style but a personality and a backstory: tragedy for Miguel, teen heartbreak for Gwen, dad jokes for Peter B. Parker, that lovable sad sack from “Into the Spider-Verse.” (There’s even a Spider-Baby.) Each character and each gadget—one is called a Go-Home Machine—says something about generational change. Today’s kids may feel that they can’t live up to adult expectations and still be themselves. Where, if anywhere, can they find heroes?

Maybe Gen Z could find them in superhero comics, but it’s not clear that they’re reading many. The best-selling U.S. single-issue comic book of all time remains “X-Men No. 1,” published in 1991, which moved more than eight million units; in the past ten years, the best-selling superhero comics have tallied half a million instead. “The captive audiences of the pandemic era are out doing other things,” the comics journalist Heidi MacDonald wrote this year. When Zoomers read comics, it’s often via online platforms such as Tapas and Webtoon, which span genres from high fantasy to romance, or else in all-ages, slice-of-life graphic novels. (“Guts,” by Raina Telgemeier, was America’s most-purchased book—not comic book, book—one week in September, 2019.) “Across the Spider-Verse” could help to boost printed comics. Marvel has leaned hard on movies to promote Spider- titles, including the made-for-mobile online comic “Spider-Verse Unlimited.” Viewers who want to read stories that look like the Spider-Verse might also check out recent issues of “New Mutants,” by Vita Ayala and Rod Reis, in which feelings are more important than fisticuffs, and the expressive art fits the strong emotions.

“Across the Spider-Verse” is full of astonishing action, but a quiet scene midway through, when Miles and Gwen finally get a moment together above Brooklyn, might be the most affecting in the film. It lets viewers—including my rapt seventh grader—contemplate what young people want from one another, what they can never get from adults. Perhaps it’s a budding romance. Perhaps it’s trans bonding. These moments set up the conflict that comes later, when Miguel O’Hara tells Miles what he must do for the multiverse, and Miles, facing a superhero-level trolley problem, just says no. And the whole thing takes place, beautifully, with Brooklyn inverted: Miles and Gwen, using their tenderness, and also their powers, conduct the whole conversation upside down. ♦

[justforbooks]

Although she was born in London, and retained a classic English poise all her life, Angela Lansbury, who has died aged 96, was a Hollywood and Broadway star for more than seven decades, and one who was completely unclassifiable. On her film debut, she played Ingrid Bergman’s cockney maid in George Cukor’s Gaslight (1944) and was promptly nominated for an Oscar, though she was never to win one. She graduated to play Laurence Harvey’s evil, possibly incestuous, mother – although she was only three years older than Harvey – in John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and then a dotty amateur witch in Disney’s follow-up to Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

This versatility, allied to her natural grace, vitality and chastely appealing features – her eyes were full, blue and unblinking, her face almost perfectly round, her mouth a cupid’s bow from the studio era – propelled her to stage stardom in Jerry Herman’s Mame (1966) and, in London at the Piccadilly theatre in 1973, as the show-stopping Mama Rose in Gypsy, by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents.

Lansbury had been initially reluctant to assume Ethel Merman’s mantle in Gypsy but, like Merman, she gave the performance of her life, full of steel and tenderness in equal measure. Her performance was more nuanced and needy than Merman’s; the critic Robert Cushman described “a slow steady build towards magnificence”.

But she became best known worldwide for Murder, She Wrote, an American television series running from 1984 to 1996, with four subsequent TV films. She played the incisive and level-headed Jessica Fletcher, a retired English teacher, mystery writer and amateur sleuth in the coastal town of Cabot Cove, Maine, a sleepy location with a criminal body count as delightfully high and unlikely as in Midsomer Murders.

“It really was a fluke success,” Lansbury said, “and came at a time when that kind of family entertainment seemed needed.” She added that, of all the characters she played, Fletcher was the one most like herself: intuitive and sensitive, a voice of calm and reason in a troubled time. She gradually assumed ownership of the CBS series. Peter Shaw, whom she had married in 1949, was joint director of the production company; her son, Anthony, and stepson, David, were executive producers, her brother Bruce was supervising producer.

Family was always of paramount importance to Lansbury. She came from strong, muscular stock: her father, Edgar Lansbury, was a lumber merchant and one-time member of the Communist party and mayor of Poplar (his father was George Lansbury, a reforming leader of the Labour party); her mother, Moyna MacGill, was an Irish actor who took Angela to the Old Vic theatre in London from an early age. One of her cousins was Oliver Postgate, the British animator best known for Bagpuss.

She was educated at South Hampstead high school for girls and trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Her father died in 1934, and her mother merged her family – Angela and her younger twin brothers, Edgar and Bruce – with that of a former British Army colonel in India, Lecki Forbes, under one roof in Hampstead.

It was not a happy arrangement.

At the outbreak of war, Moyna decamped with her children to New York, and Angela continued her training for two more years at the Feagin school. While her mother toured Canada in a variety show for the troops, Angela did cabaret turns in Montreal. When Moyna’s agent sent her to Hollywood for an audition, she decided to move the children out there with her.

Nothing much happened at first, so mother and daughter took jobs as sales clerks at Bullocks Wilshire, the art deco department store in Los Angeles, while continuing to audition. Angela was still only 17 when she landed the role in Gaslight, and this set a pattern of playing older than her age. A notable exception was The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), in which she played Sibyl Vane, the chirpy music-hall singer, a role that brought her second Oscar nomination; through her co-star, Hurd Hatfield, she met her future husband, Shaw. She had been married previously, for just nine months, to the actor Richard Cromwell, who was almost twice her age.

By this point a Hollywood fixture, Lansbury played Elizabeth Taylor’s older sister in National Velvet (1944), sang Jerome Kern’s How’d You Like to Spoon With Me? in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), fooled with Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1955), peaked in glory in The Manchurian Candidate, with her third and final Oscar nomination, and joined another great cast list in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), which David Lean took over as director from George Stevens.

Lansbury took American citizenship in 1951, and made her Broadway debut opposite Bert Lahr in Feydeau’s Hotel Paradiso in 1957, following with Helen in Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey in 1960 and, most significantly, Cora Hooper Hoover, the corrupt mayor in Sondheim and Laurents’s 1964 flop Anyone Can Whistle. The show, which has since become a concert favourite, closed in a week, but Lansbury came out of it with flying colours, commended by critics for her agility and engaging personality; she was even likened to a young Bette Davis.

This led to her Mame acclaim, and her first Tony award. Lansbury played Auntie Mame, a free-spirited woman who picks herself off the floor of the stock market crash to sing Bosom Buddies (Lansbury duetted with Bea Arthur) and who ultimately recoups her fortunes by marrying a southern aristocrat. She won a second Tony in Herman’s next show, Dear World (1969), a musical based on Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman of Chaillot, in which she appeared to be dressed in “a wedding cake made of cobwebs”, according to the critic Walter Kerr.

A belated London debut followed in 1972, when she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych in Edward Albee’s All Over, playing the mistress of a dying man, locked in battle with Peggy Ashcroft as his wife. She took Gypsy back to Broadway in 1974 for a few months, winning her third Tony, then joined the National theatre at the Old Vic in 1975 to play a fairly youthful, glamorous Gertrude to Albert Finney’s thickset, plainspoken and powerful Hamlet, directed by Peter Hall; the production was part of the opening season in the National’s new home on the South Bank in 1976.

Back on Broadway, she hit another great milestone in Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd (1979), playing the gleefully cannibalistic, pie-making Nellie Lovett (and winning a fourth Tony) opposite Len Cariou’s demon barber in a dark and scintillating production by Hal Prince that played on Broadway for a year before touring the US for another 11 months.

Before Murder, She Wrote, a series of starry film roles included John Guillermin’s Death on the Nile (1978) with Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow and Maggie Smith; Guy Hamilton’s The Mirror Crack’d (1980), in which she did some sleuthing stretches by playing Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, with Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Tony Curtis and, in his penultimate movie, Rock Hudson; Wilford Leach’s rocked-up The Pirates of Penzance (1983), opposite Kevin Kline as the Pirate King; and Neil Jordan’s wonderfully weird The Company of Wolves (1984), in which she played yet another eccentric old granny figure.

She did voices for two animated movies – Beauty and the Beast (1991, for Disney) and Anastasia (1997, for 20th Century Fox) – but was not in a feature movie again until she played Great Aunt Adelaide in Kirk Jones’s Nanny McPhee (2005), starring and written by Emma Thompson. Subsequently, she was with Jim Carrey in Mr Popper’s Penguins (2011).

For many years, Lansbury kept a home in County Cork, Ireland, where she and Shaw would spend two months each year while maintaining their base in Brentwood, Los Angeles. She rented an apartment in New York in 2007 to return to Broadway in Terrence McNally’s Deuce, a specially crafted two-hander for her and Marian Seldes about former tennis partners reliving past glories while watching a match at Flushing Meadow, and switching their heads from side to side during the rallies.

The play was not a huge hit, but Lansbury was electrifying and was greatly moved by the affection with which audiences greeted her. She had not been on Broadway since a possibly ill-advised 1983 revival of Mame.

Regarded by now as a national treasure, in 2009 she won her fifth Tony as Madame Arcati in Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, wearing a bright red wig and “with a superfluity of bad jewellery, the gait of a gazelle and a repertory of poses that bring to mind Egyptian hieroglyphs”, wrote Ben Brantley of the New York Times.

At the end of the same year in New York, she appeared for six months as Madame Armfeldt in Trevor Nunn’s Menier Chocolate Factory revival of Sondheim and Wheeler’s A Little Night Music, winning plaudits for her nostalgic litany of fading qualities in Liaisons: “Where is style? Where is skill? Where is forethought? Where’s discretion of the heart? Where’s passion in the art? Where’s craft?”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences compensated for her lack of an Oscar with an award for “some of cinema’s most memorable characters” in 2013, and the following year she was made a dame, and took Madame Arcati to the Gielgud theatre in London. She was Aunt March in the BBC’s adaptation of Little Women (2017), and in 2018 she both appeared as a balloon-seller in Mary Poppins Returns, and joined up with another member of that cast, Dick Van Dyke, as guardian angels in the Christmas tale Buttons.

Shaw predeceased her in 2003, and she is survived by Anthony, David, her daughter, Deirdre, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and her brother Edgar.

🔔 Angela Brigid Lansbury, actor, born 16 October 1925; died 11 October 2022

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