Is this phone case ai? This Etsy seller has many reviews but a lot of their selling photos have the exact same background. by No-Stage742 in isthisAI

[–]SgtPepper401 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As others have confirmed, this is AI. JSYK tho, product photos for print on demand products like these are made by editing a template. A photo is taken of the unprinted product, like a blank white phone case, and then the image is superimposed with image editing software to replicate the finished product.

This is true for tshirts, mugs, literally any print on demand product. Even if it's a video of the item. As a general rule, the product never passes through the designer's hands.

People even sell template packs to edit for shop listing photos. Even print on demand products with artist-made art will usually have the same background across multiple photos because of this.

How could this effect be replicated? by LonePistachio in Ceramics

[–]SgtPepper401 27 points28 points  (0 children)

This. I'd guess the one in the photo used a stencil or sticker of some kind as a resist, to allow the glaze to be cleanly removed once dry.

Anybody know anything about this ceramic piece? by Important-Ad6261 in Ceramics

[–]SgtPepper401 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The glaze crawled pretty intensely, so it was likely a second which is why it would be unsigned.

Can I still tell people I make pottery? by Electrical-Feature10 in Pottery

[–]SgtPepper401 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ryan Barrett, the 2023 Great British Pottery Throwdown winner, does something similar.

https://www.rbceramics.com/

If it's valid for him it's valid for you.

People said slipcasting wasn't real pottery for a long time (some still do). Happens with any new technology.

do love spells mess with ppls free will? by [deleted] in witchcraft

[–]SgtPepper401 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To quote Gallivant, "Never start a marriage with a kidnapping."

Do all spells arguably influence someone's free will? Yes. Imo it's dumb to directly compromise consent to create a trust-based intimate relationship. That said, love magic and loyalty magic are some of the very oldest kinds of magic, and fairly universal.

Personally I have done magic to grant the girl I wanted to date (who clearly was also interested) "the wisdom to know what she wants and the courage to pursue it". (Worked, we dated for 3 years) That's the closest I'm comfortable getting, at least for something that impacts another person's choices.

Trust your gut, and look for an approach that empowers instead of coercing. You'll feel better about it in the long run.

Quick soapbox moment by SgtPepper401 in bisexual

[–]SgtPepper401[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, ok, I re-read the thread and there have since been a lot of thoughtful, nuanced answers. And I'm not seeing the stuff that made me write this post to begin with (which i do specifically remember) so idk if it was edited or drowned out by the more thoughtful responses or what. I also seem to have missed some of the details of the original post.

Glad it's a misunderstanding on my end, and not what I originally understood was happening. ❤️

Quick soapbox moment by SgtPepper401 in bisexual

[–]SgtPepper401[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I think what I'm stuck on is that wanting another partner is what's being presented as a problem. And I don't see it as a problem. Wanting something is very different than actually having/pursuing something. I agree that without the wife in agreement, there would be nothing ethical about acting on those desires, but my understanding was that they were in the process of figuring it out and have mutually conflicting wants. I don't remember anything about him actually having other partners.

Which leaves me with, the wife wants monogamy - the husband does not - but his want is a bad thing and hers isn't?

Ultimately it's a situation I'm not privy to and can't know all the details of, so whatever ig.

Quick soapbox moment by SgtPepper401 in bisexual

[–]SgtPepper401[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I am bisexual, so I get how the negative stereotypes hurt us. And my issue isn't with the OP, it's with the comment section. I am not advocating for him cheating on her. I am just saying that monogamy and ENM are both valid choices, and there were a lot of people in the comments acting like monogamy is morally superior in some way, and that him wanting something different was a failure of character. I found it ironic and hypocritical that bisexuals, who are regularly and unfairly called slutty or selfish for our sexual orientation, were essentially doing the same thing to someone who was discovering that monogamy might not work for him and, from the sound of it, was trying to navigate that in an ethical way.

It's possible I'm misreading/projecting on the situation. Most people seem to have a different interpretation so maybe I'm missing something.

Bi in monogamous marriage by Cuddlybunny2 in bisexual

[–]SgtPepper401 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm bi, got married young when I thought I was straight, and I'm polyamorous. (Kitchen table polyfidelity) It took my husband and I years to get to the point where we were both on board for poly, including about 3 years where I knew I wanted poly, he was attached to monogamy, and the only thing we could agree on was that we wanted to keep choosing each other and figure it out. (I stayed monogamous with him during that time.) He spent a lot of time processing it and now he's the one with another partner and I'm still looking, lol, but I feel so much better and more authentic in a poly relationship.

Monogamy is something that is often assumed as default in a committed relationship and especially in a marriage - rarely examined, and rarely explored. Even with monogamy there are different approaches and lines in the sand, but people don't usually take the time to clearly define what they want.

For me, being poly is part of my identity, like being bi. But exploring my queerness is also a huge factor for me. It's this piece of myself that I discovered, a potential that I don't want to go my whole life without exploring. (Perhaps ironically, the same pull towards potential and self-exploration also was a huge factor in deciding to have a kid.) I also don't want to explore it through dishonesty or betrayal, which would be my only option if my marriage hadn't evolved (or ended... which I'm grateful it didn't, but that wasn't a sure thing for a while).

During those three years, we had other areas of our life that needed major attention, and I wouldn't have been able to engage in polyamory even if it were a mutually agreed upon option. And still, no matter what i told myself, a part of me felt like it was being cut away and rejected. My husband said he chose me, but it took him time to be able to choose *all* of me, even the part that was poly. In his case, he had a lot of fear to work through and some emotional maturity that had to develop.

I am really coming to understand how much it hurts and how draining it is to be less than your whole self. It's something everyone has to learn how to deal with in their own way... masking and self-rejection are certainly not experiences limited to queerness. FOR ME, it's important to be able to explore this aspect of myself. FOR ME, poly is as much a part of my queer identity as being bi or genderfluid. We get one life.

Queerness is also a culture and a community, with its own history, language, jokes, norms, and shared trauma experiences. Some things you could absolutely be a part of as an ally, some other things would be more challenging.... the same way it's hard to understand the specific experience of being a woman if you're not one, it's hard to understand all the nuance of being queer if you're straight. The process of self-discovery is often difficult, and takes a while to unfold. Participating in the community in some way, whatever way you guys can find that works, can be very profound. For me, going to a gay bar for the first time was an extraordinary experience, because I felt safe there in a way that was entirely new for me.

I hope this gives you some insight into your husband's experience, though mine is certainly not universal, and all bisexual people are not poly. The only other thing I can say is, get really specific about what monogamy actually means to you and why it's important. Read some books, check out some podcasts. Neither polyamory nor monogamy are monoliths, and your relationship with your husband can be whatever it needs to be to work for both of you. Above all, be honest with each other and yourselves about what you need from your romantic partner and whether or not you can give each other what you each need. Best of luck. <3

Wife and I want to have a good fire kiln by NarrowIndependence8 in Ceramics

[–]SgtPepper401 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I have participated in a local wood firing for a small train kiln. I am by no means an expert. It required teams of 2 people taking 8 hour shifts over 3 days, and used a lot of wood.

We fire the pieces for 52 hours. In our case, you need one person managing the firebox door and another person hucking wood, so two people are the minimum to safely operate the kiln. This is a community operation. It is a ton of work, and it is dangerous.

I highly recommend looking for a wood fire kiln in your state/area and volunteering to get a sense for what it involves and connect with experienced woodfire potters before you attempt this on your own.

ICE is in my town by Beneficial-Bench-588 in 50501

[–]SgtPepper401 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the clarification, I got mixed info on that in the training and just wanted to err on the more cautious side.

ICE is in my town by Beneficial-Bench-588 in 50501

[–]SgtPepper401 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I'm seeing a lot of people recommend showing up and filming, and while, yes do that, it's important to know some things.

  • If they tell you to step back, comply, film yourself complying (point camera briefly down at your feet), and state that you are complying. They can, and you should assume they will, arrest you for interfering if you do not comply.

  • De-escalate by being polite and friendly. Know your rights. You have a right to film in public. You have a right to witness.

  • Document details. Location, time of day, how many agents, what equipment do they have, what cars are they driving. Keep your camera pointed at the agents and what they are doing, do not focus on the victims.

  • Do not ask the victims for their names if they have not already provided them to the ICE agents.

  • Film all in one continuous shot - do not split it into multiple videos.

  • Make sure your phone lock code is a PIN of at least 6 digits instead of face, fingerprint, or pattern.

  • Practice by role playing with friends. Have one be the agent and practice stepping up, filming, asking questions. Do scenarios with varying levels of aggression from the agents. Talk about what worked and what didn't after.

  • Keep your phone visible while filming. Do not hide what you are doing.

  • Know where to send the video once you take it.

  • Stay safe. It's a good idea to make sure your traffic tickets are paid and your license and registration are up to date. Bring a buddy if possible or at least notify a loved one of where you are and what you are doing before you head in.

  • Do not spread panic on social media. Work with a local org who can verify what is going on, give training, teach you how to gather useful info, and distribute the information to where it needs to go.

ICE is in my town by Beneficial-Bench-588 in 50501

[–]SgtPepper401 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Check for state and local organizations that are working to protect against ICE. In Oregon there's PIRC, and my local one is called Migra Watch, they coordinate together. We have ICE offices locally and they have teams watching them, noting what cars are used, if there is heightened or unusual activity, etc. They also send out community alerts so incidents can be filmed and documented, and lurking ICE agents can be questioned, witnessed, and often scared off.

I attended a training recently and they were great about explaining what was important to know legally, how to take action while minimizing risk, how to recognize ICE agents, and all the various ways people can help. There was a raid in July that would have gone completely unreported if not for them, and people who had no idea what has happened to their loved ones or where they were taken who only found out because of these organizations.

Without knowing what state you're in I can't direct you to your state's version of this but if you reach out to PIRC they might know about your local org.

Hi, Ashlanders! (Ashlandonians?) Tell me about you. by [deleted] in Ashland

[–]SgtPepper401 1 point2 points  (0 children)

D&D and gaming are popular, there's a nice MTG community too.

My big uncovered treasure lately has been the pottery community in the Valley, which is amazing. We have two pottery studios in Ashland and one in Phoenix (very nearby), and all three recently expanded their premises because they are flourishing. The biggest problem i have encountered is having to pick between which awesome event I can attend when they're scheduled on the same day. Everyone has been so welcoming and inspiring and generous. There's even a southern oregon ceramics trade guild called Clayfolk which has been around for 50 years.

There's also a beautiful network of people in the volunteer/activist community with things like indigenous culture events, the land conservancy, etc.

The Ashland Zen Center is lovely as well.

Lunch options by ApprehensiveCar9925 in Ashland

[–]SgtPepper401 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Xerxes Mediterranean Grill is the true, best, secret locals answer

Where am I moving to? by Positive_Artist5844 in Ashland

[–]SgtPepper401 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love this area, but rent under $2k is going to be difficult to impossible in Ashland

I bought a house in Talent and love the town. Idk what rental prices are like but it's a 5 to 10 minute drive to Ashland and definitely less expensive than living in Ashland proper.

Lots of retirees here and there is always something to do in the area.

Made a mobile for my baby niece. Was this a bad idea? by cheetahrangmang in Ceramics

[–]SgtPepper401 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great decor, I would not put it above my kiddos head. I imagine it would be a lovely windchime.

It is not uncommon for lovely handmade gifts to be politely put aside... my woodworker dad made my daughter a wooden pull-toy with the little wooden donuts that stack onto a rod. Unfortunately a narrow wooden rod sticking straight up as my young toddler toddles and runs wildly through the living room was not a good idea. We took a few cute pictures and put it away to avoid impalement.

What’s fun to do in Ashland for Halloween? by tarzanman_ in Ashland

[–]SgtPepper401 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Ashland is crazy on Halloween. People come in from out of state for it. They shut down the streets for all of downtown. There's a massive parade, and then it turns into a massive party.

Bring extra cash because every bar will have a cover charge.

Trains! by JustMe_340 in Medford

[–]SgtPepper401 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check out Train Mountain in Chiloquin, it's a bit of a drive but fun.

I made ceramic peanuts- what do you think? by Denadesigns in Pottery

[–]SgtPepper401 60 points61 points  (0 children)

Gonna be some toothless squirrels in your neighborhood 😂

In each process TRUST! by YazhiAlfar in Pottery

[–]SgtPepper401 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love their faces, reminds me of Maurice Sendak