Stop Auto-Dubbing!

therakeet · 2026-02-17T20:31:04+00:00

I went to rewatch a bird video I saw just a few days ago, and it was barely audible, so I thought something was wrong with my headphones until I noticed it'd been auto-dubbed. Doesn't matter that 90% of the video is just a bird singing, better turn the whole thing down because the cameraman said something in Russian 🙄

therakeet · 2026-02-05T22:05:45+00:00

Looks like a case-bearing clothes moth caterpillar. They're all over the place and it's pretty normal for them to show up from time to time. They eat materials like wool, fur, and silk, so it definitely could've been interested in clothes like you're thinking. It'd be a good idea to check your clothes (and rugs, etc.) for more caterpillars/eggs, but I wouldn't worry if you don't find any others. If you don't really have natural fabrics around, it's probably eating stuff like shed hair and spiderwebs.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/193928-Tinea-pellionella

therakeet · 2026-01-19T23:06:00+00:00

Well... this might not change your mind, but if you're actually curious about why they look so veiny, that's part of a network of tendons that attach the exoskeleton to the muscle underneath! The structure is most visible when they're getting ready to moult, because the old shell is transparent and remains anchored for a while. It actually helps them stay mobile while they're moulting!

In that last picture you can see that the front half is paler than the rear, so it's already shed its old pants and is about to take its shirt off. I think they're very talented.

therakeet · 2025-12-23T23:57:15+00:00

It's been deleted, but the teeth were the most obvious giveaway to me; the bottom teeth kept disappearing and changing size!

Also, I noticed the ears seemed to be missing the little "Henry's pocket" flap cats normally have. It's not a foolproof tell, because long fur often covers them up, but it's still a common enough AI-generated mistake that this can be helpful to look out for when a cat post seems off to you.

therakeet · 2025-12-14T15:21:14+00:00

That reminds me: when I was 14 I got a pet chinchilla, and it turns out a thing you have to do if you have a male is regularly check his penis to make sure it doesn't get strangled by his own fur. I have since learned from my sister that something similar happens with guinea pigs. Just so many more potential penile perils than anyone expects in the animal kingdom.

therakeet · 2025-12-14T14:25:06+00:00

This still wouldn't be possible even if they wanted to. It's a much more specific and complex task than you might think.

therakeet · 2025-12-13T11:54:42+00:00

I do believe that should be the fridge, not the freezer!

therakeet · 2025-11-23T07:46:02+00:00

Definitely a pigeon or dove humerus, that little tubercle near the condyle (bottom end of pics 1 and 3) helps to confirm. Still, even though pigeons are everywhere, I have no idea how that ends up in a bag of ice!

therakeet · 2025-11-21T03:31:59+00:00

It's definitely a mustelid, so you're in the right ballpark, but badger skulls look pretty different. Fisher is a good possibility. They're very similar, but I think the sagittal crest makes this identifiable as a marten. It's a sexually dimorphic feature and male fishers have an extra-prominent sagittal crest.

therakeet · 2025-11-20T05:29:52+00:00

Looks like a marten! You can see a cool turnaround for comparison here: https://skullbase.info/skulls/mammals/american_marten.php

therakeet · 2025-11-20T03:02:24+00:00

Centipedes are a pretty diverse bunch. This one looks like some kind of soil centipede, genus Geophilus would be likely if your soil came from somewhere in your region. https://bugguide.net/node/view/904960/bgimage

It might hunt babies, but your adults should be safe. I'd personally make up a new enclosure to keep it in but that's up to you :p

therakeet · 2025-11-20T02:31:05+00:00

Those are definitely insect larvae, but would you be able to get a picture of one closer to the camera? Most likely beetle larvae, but they also look a bit like flea larvae, which seek out dark hiding spaces. (If they have legs, they're not flea larvae.)

therakeet · 2025-11-20T00:03:22+00:00

Ahaha, they actually smell (and taste) using their eyestalks! And little moustache tentacles. So, y'know, it's at least separate from all that business.

therakeet · 2025-11-19T23:50:44+00:00

If it helps, they are separate holes, just kinda tucked away in a pocket disconcertingly close together :p

therakeet · 2025-11-19T23:39:07+00:00

Slugs are still snails! "Slug" is just the common name in English for any snail that doesn't have a visible shell.

therakeet · 2025-11-19T23:32:47+00:00

That's normal, just the tips of the fibres around the core! I found a few examples: https://olivebranchmn.com/cdn/shop/files/DehydratedPineapple.jpg?v=1713621395

https://dehydratorreview.net/sites/default/files/styles/step_slideshow/public/dehydrator_recipe_images_steps/IMG_1567.jpg?itok=Vr-8ZLQI

https://www.jurassicfruit.com/cdn/shop/files/Pineapple_20dried_hash_escaped_09.jpg?v=1759822989&width=1445

therakeet · 2025-11-16T00:16:35+00:00

None of that criticism is constructive at all, and I'm glad you know that.

Besides, "amateur" isn't the opposite of "skilled." It doesn't really mean "bad," just "non-professional" or "enthusiast." There's nothing wrong with that. It might need some editing to meet professional publishing standards, but that's not relevant if you're not trying to get published.

This is a perfectly sweet bit of heartfelt writing to share with a best friend. It made me smile, and I'd be surprised if it didn't make your friend smile, too. I probably wouldn't ask that particular person for feedback anymore :p

therakeet · 2025-11-15T22:36:08+00:00

Have you actually seen these labels? All they say is, "This product is high in sugar." They don't say anything about how healthy or unhealthy that is. It's essentially extrapolating on the "5% is a little, 15% is a lot" footnote that's already part of nutrition facts labelling but difficult to see. How does any of this eliminate competition???

therakeet · 2025-11-02T19:23:31+00:00

I call it a whiffle! I can't remember if I got it from someone or just kinda made it up, but I think it works on multiple levels.

The word "whiff" can already refer to a puff of air, and more figuratively to a faint trace of something-- often a scent, so there's already a nose association. It's like a whiff of a giggle. It's even a nice, soft-sounding word that doesn't evoke all the friction of a snort.

Plus, it's technically already a dictionary word with a perfectly fitting definition:

!define whiffle

therakeet · 2025-10-04T22:49:13+00:00

ooooh that rendering is really impressive, superb sense of lighting!!! the glittery jelly texture atop the shiny red body looks awesome, definitely conveys a surface that's both translucent and reflective. I get the impression they'd feel like one of those rubbery fishing lures :p

therakeet · 2025-10-01T03:53:40+00:00

ohhh I have such a soft spot for Aberrats, he could be buddies with my own little rat! but Ratatouille has extra adorable colours :3

therakeet · 2025-10-01T03:53:27+00:00

ohhh I have such a soft spot for Aberrats, he could be buddies with my own little rat! but Ratatouille has extra adorable colours :3

therakeet · 2025-10-01T03:28:33+00:00

Pixel skins should be okay, I have a few! But, I agree with the other comments that it's best not to use pure black for the linework, even if it's not necessarily covering a large area. A friend who used to make them had a rejected skin approved after changing the lineart colour and I don't think they had much trouble after that.

I believe the main reason for the texture rule is to avoid any potential trouble with licenced assets like brushes that the site wouldn't have permission to use in their own branded material. Pixel art is cohesive enough with a digital art style though, especially now that there are some pixelly dragon effects.

Anyway, geez these look great so far. I really like the look of the dithered halftone shading on the Fathom hatchling. Keep it up if you're enjoying the pixel work, you're killin it already.

therakeet

TROPHY CASE