Welcome back to...

Mug's 2023 Art Review!!! (Part 3!)

Check out Part 1 and Part 2!!

I think all I have left is the past three months??

September, October, December

okay past four because I didn't draw in November ;; I got hit with the train that is BEING SO BUSY

(Flash warning for a video!!)

Here we go!!

September

This was the major work of September that I never posted :[

Why? O.o?

because the tear drop portion literally killed it for me, I hated it despised it even

I genuinely thought I did great (maybe even fantastic) work on Yuno herself and the background, but fuck that tear drop section literally hurts me

I adore this so much, wish I didn't think the tear drop part ruined it (it really wasn't the finest work)

BUT IT'S OUT NOW!! maybe I'll put it in a separate post?

to be honest I don't actually remember if I posted this lol

October

Holy SHIT did I draw MILGRAMTOBER I love you forever

Here are some highlights!!

THE BACKGROUND sobs THE FACES crying

I HAD SO MUCH FUN IN MILGRAMTOBER!! look at my art improve HOORAYYY

Shading got significantly better AND poses??? REAL??? chibis as well!! love them ever.. . .

December

Holt FUCK

There are so many drawings I can't show due to them being related to MUGRAM (I decided to just show the thumbnail for ome of the prisoners because the head scene was already shown so might as well lol)

BUT HOLY FUCK

I did really well this past month, even after taking a break! I fucking love my shading now and I got better with faces

also poses!! We ball still :D!!!!!

Thank you so much for checking out this review of my art in 2023!! I can't wait for next year :D

FANE MASTER POST

[Status December 1st 2023. Issue 1 now available in digital and print-on-demand formats! www.FANEmag.com | Currently accepting submissions of all kinds for Issue 2.]

{Contributors/contributions per category for next issue: Art (0), Photography (0), Interviews (0), Music Reviews (0), Print (0), Articles (0), Random (0), Letters (0)}

FANE is a digital & print zine with the intent to lift up artists of all kinds and expose them to new audiences. In every issue I hope to feature Musicians, Photographers, Illustrators, Poets, Painters, etc., along with life testimonials from marginalized peoples (are you a gender non conforming POC in the Crust Punk scene? I wanna know what that’s like. Are you transitioning in a rural area and want to share your experience? I want to help you do that. Do you love transgressive writing and like picking it apart? I wanna read those book reviews.). I am actively seeking out creatives in the LGBTQIA+ community who make the kinds of works that don’t get the attention or respect of mainstream queer culture. That said, FANE is all encompassing and we welcome submissions from peoples of all different walks of life (from CisHet to TransQueer, and everything before, in between, and after).

FANE is 100% volunteer. Everyone involved is donating their time and content. The digital version of the zine is available completely free. The print version will full color A4 Print-on-Demand by Lulu.com Any kind of profits made or donations received will go towards building an online presence, securing future hosting/domain related fees, etc.

Examples of what we’re looking for:

Music Reviews, Live Show Reports, Photography, Painting, interviews (both interviewers and those willing to be interviewed), indie film makers, queer activists/artists, anything that defies convention, short stories, poetry, anyone willing to share honestly their struggles with mental health or other health issues, anyone into body modification, anyone with an unconventional body structure comfortable showing their body and discussing it, anyone willing to share terrifying personal experiences they’ve overcome, comedic works as prose or illustration, sex workers willing to share what their lives are like. Anything & anyone who deserves their “15 minutes” currently denied by surface culture. Contributions don’t have to be small, and you don’t have to do any page layout/framing (we can set up the pages from your content/files). ‪Aesthetic: glitchy, dark, dusty, ash, noise, industrial, goth, experimental electronics, metal, punk, esoterica…‬

Examples of what we’re NOT looking for:

Pornography, edgelord shit for the sake of edgelord shit, right wing/conservative bullshit, Racists, animal cruelty, white nationalist propaganda, Nazi sympathizers, homophobes, transphobes, sexists, and other generally shitty human garbage. This doesn’t mean journalistic articles about such things can’t find inclusion, just that I don’t want to print the actual things themselves. ‪For legal reasons, we’re also not accepting fandom art, fan fiction, etc. We respect those of you who create such things, it’s just they’re not a good fit for us.‬

All submissions to FANE must be your original work or works you have the legal right to use. When submitting, you give FANE the right to reproduce your material in perpetuity within the context of magazine print runs, website/blog postings, publishing collected editions of the zine, etc. (we’re not going to sell your works as prints or shirts or mugs or any kind of similar shenanigans). You are NOT giving us exclusive rights to anything, and your works will always be yours to do with as you wish outside of the zine.

No matter what you’re submitting, we ask everyone for a photo of themselves in the portrait orientation. If you are uncomfortable sharing a photo of yourself, we can go with an artistic interpretation or simply a “No Photo Available” generic pic. There’s also a short questionnaire. Any question you don’t want to answer, you can put “No Comment” or something sassy, etc. The Bio bit should only be about a paragraph (2-5 sentences).

Name:

Age:

Pronouns:

Gender:

Location:

Primary Medium:

Other Mediums:

Bio:

Links:

For each visual artist that has contributed so far, I’ve created a Bio page for the issue. I don’t know how that will translate to written works (would make sense for poetry submissions, or long journalistic works, but probably not for short reviews, know what I mean?), but better to have the info/pic and not need it than the other way around.

Please make sure to include a direct link, or links, to your work. You can also send files via email, but keep in mind we’re not touching anything that looks shady (Archives, Executables, etc). Also be sure to tell us what it is we should be looking at, and what your contribution idea is (Example: Photographer who provides links to their photos and states they want to share new works for the zine.)

Questions? Suggestions? Contributions? You can contact me here on tumblr or use FANEmag at gmail. I’m working on other communication methods as well, but I’m an Elder Millennial so please be patient with me :)

Feel free to reblog/spread far & wide.

Here are some visuals from Issue 1 to give you an idea of what the overall “vibe” of the zine is. The full issue can be downloaded for free from FANEmag.com

Asked & Answered:

* Hey! What does the name FANE mean/stand for?

It’s a noun. It means a church or temple. I’m not a religious person, but the most spiritual I feel is when I’m submersed in the arts, hence the name choice. Major world religions aren’t exactly friendly to the LGBTQIA+ community, so the zine, in my head at least, is an alternate experience where people can find community, inspiration, and acceptance.

I’m a self deprecating sarcastic asshat too, so the fact it rhymes with “feign” as in “to feign interest in this boring zine” is absolutely intentional. As is the fact that it’s a four letter “F” word :)

* Who are you?

Hi, my name’s Rob, and I’m an alcoholic (recovering). I’m a married cisgendered gay white male who uses he/him pronouns living on the East Coast USA. I’m medicated for anxiety and depression, and I believe I may have undiagnosed ADHD and/or ASD. I’m an amateur creative that’s been doing the best I can for the last 30 or so years with zero professional training. I’ve put out a good chunk of experimental music, some of which is still available online (“Vermilion Sky” is my best if you go looking). I’ve also collaborated with other musicians, labels, etc. I’m currently working on histological and minimal photography, as well as graphic design and illustration (digital).

FANE MASTER POST

(Original post about this permalink here)

[Status August 3rd 2023: I have roughly 39 pages in various states of design/completeness.]

{Contributors/contributions per category for current issue: Art (2), Photography (0), Interviews (1), Music (1), Print (0), Articles (0), Random (1), Letters (0)}

FANE is a digital & print zine with the intent to lift up artists of all kinds and expose them to new audiences. In every issue I hope to feature Musicians, Photographers, Illustrators, Poets, Painters, etc., along with life testimonials from marginalized peoples (are you a gender non conforming POC in the Crust Punk scene? I wanna know what that’s like. Are you transitioning in a rural area and want to share your experience? I want to help you do that. Do you love transgressive writing and like picking it apart? I wanna read those book reviews.). I am actively seeking out creatives in the LGBTQIA+ community who make the kinds of works that don’t get the attention or respect of mainstream queer culture. That said, FANE is all encompassing and we welcome submissions from peoples of all different walks of life (from CisHet to TransQueer, and everything before, in between, and after).

FANE is 100% volunteer. Everyone involved is donating their time and content. The digital version of the zine will be available completely free. The print version will be a lo-fi print-on-demand option priced to cover cost. Any kind of profits made or donations received will go towards building an online presence for the zine and further promoting the zine.

Examples of what we’re looking for:

Music Reviews, Live Show Reports, Photography, Painting, interviews (both interviewers and those willing to be interviewed), indie film makers, queer activists/artists, anything that defies convention, short stories, poetry, anyone willing to share honestly their struggles with mental health or other health issues, anyone into body modification, anyone with an unconventional body structure comfortable showing their body and discussing it, anyone willing to share terrifying personal experiences they’ve overcome, comedic works as prose or illustration, sex workers willing to share what their lives are like. Anything & anyone who deserves their “15 minutes” currently denied by surface culture. Contributions don’t have to be small, and you don’t have to do any page layout/framing (we can set up the pages from your content/files).

Examples of what we’re NOT looking for:

Pornography, edgelord shit for the sake of edgelord shit, right wing/conservative bullshit, Racists, animal cruelty, white nationalist propaganda, Nazi sympathizers, homophobes, transphobes, sexists, and other generally shitty human garbage. This doesn’t mean journalistic articles about such things can’t find inclusion, just that I don’t want to print the actual things themselves.

All submissions to FANE must be your original work or works you have the legal right to use. When submitting, you give FANE the right to reproduce your material in perpetuity within the context of zine print runs, website/blog postings, publishing collected editions of the zine, etc. (we’re not going to sell your works as prints or shirts or mugs or any kind of similar shenanigans). You are NOT giving us exclusive rights to anything, and your works will always be yours to do with as you wish outside of the zine.

As of writing this, the print edition will be black & white only (to keep price as low as possible, and honor xerox culture), but the digital edition will be full color. Please keep this in mind when choosing any visuals you may want to include. I think I can get the price down to $4 for b&w, but color would be $8 or $9 just in cost which I feel is a lot to ask (maybe I’m wrong). The goal here is simply to make it as accessible as possible.

Questions? Suggestions? Contributions? You can contact me here on tumblr or use FANEmag at gmail. I’m working on other communication methods as well, but I’m an Elder Millennial so please be patient with me :)

Feel free to reblog/spread far & wide.

Here are some visuals to give you an idea of what the overall “vibe” of the zine is. Nothing here is final… it’s all in progress/template/mock-up type stuff. I will update this post with changes, additions, etc.

I’m again tagging creatives at random. Don’t feel obligated to participate, but obviously I’d love to have ya:

@annaxmalina @ad-wills @blaue3 @conkerart @equinoxes @ericpenington @florian-93 @ghostribbons @jogoraz @justizpalast @rnarccus @rmtrl @st-nothing

Asked & Answered

Hey! What does the name FANE mean/stand for?

It’s a noun. It means a church or temple. I’m not a religious person, but the most spiritual I feel is when I’m submersed in the arts, hence the name choice. Major world religions aren’t exactly friendly to the LGBTQAI+ community, so the zine, in my head at least, is an alternate experience where people can find community, inspiration, and acceptance.

I’m a self deprecating sarcastic asshat too, so the fact it rhymes with “feign” as in “to feign interest in this boring zine” is absolutely intentional. As is the fact that it’s a four letter “F” word :)

2023 Meme review

-polls

-tumblr sexyman contest and #cecilsweep

-Bowuigi

- vanilla extract

-Barbie movie posters

-that one across the spiderverse clip of miles running away and Miguel chasing him

-Trump getting arrested and the following crab raves

-hyperspecific polls

- The Twitter blue checkmark removal

-corronation of 'King' Charles

-barbie police lineup meme

-oceangate and the titan wreck

-'its pride month, you know what that means.' 'what. do you want us to make gay ____?' comic

-Twitters 600 post limit

-grimice smoothie(?)

-Barbenhiemer -The Twitter to X transition

-DJ crazy times /planet of the bass

-spiderverse art style portraits trend - that one video of that cop getting wrecked by a slide - 'what ____ is the person you RB this from?' polls - 'nuh uh' '....fym 'nuh uh'?' - Zepotha - Donald trump mug shot

-desktop pirate clown - Mole interest - Gay sex Ai cat image _ 'I'm _____ and I'm _____ - we're the ______ siblings' - smash or pass polls - 'Kill the with kindness, WRONG _______'

-They should've been at the club

-my dealer "I've got this new strain called ______, it'll_______"

-The purple Jon Hutchinson whistle video -'_______ save me. ________. Save me ______' -I think we're going to have to kill this guy [Insert character from popular piece of media]

10 Gadgets For Your Christmas Wishlist

10 Gadgets For Your Christmas Wishlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vWsZTL42IA 10 Gadgets For Your Christmas Wishlist It's time to upgrade your gadgets and stay ahead in the technology game! Check out these 10 state-of-the-art gadgets that will make the perfect gift for your loved ones this holiday season. From the mesmerizing Galaxy Ball to the Flying Orb Ball Toy, there's something for everyone on this list. Don't miss out on the chance to bring joy and excitement this Christmas - subscribe now! Products: =================================== ================================= 🔔 Join Galore Techs to watch more content on innovative Ideas and Technology: https://www.youtube.com/@galoretechs ✅ Stay Connected With Us. ============================= Time Stamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:24 - Galaxy Ball 1:10 - Muama Enence 2:02 - Crosley C6 Turntable 2:51 - Magic Kick 3:35 - JBL Flip 6 4:31 - Starscope 5:24 - Snapshot Shellfystand 360 6:22 - Ember Smart Mug 2 7:05 - Turbo Twist RC Car 7:51 - Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas ============================= 👉Facebook: https://ift.tt/0EtAGC4 👉Instagram: https://ift.tt/4QJ1VdT 👉Tiktok: https://ift.tt/5bV0Ou6 ✅ For Business Inquiries: [email protected] ============================= ✅ Music Credits: Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name: Christmas Eve [Holidays Music] by MokkaMusic / Christmas Eve  • Video Music provided by "MokkaMusic" channel and https://inaudio.org Track: Good Times - Ason ID [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • • Good Times - Ason ID |... Free Download / Stream: https://ift.tt/tT6cp1B ✅ Recommended Playlists 👉Movies Tech Reviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIz67rSO6VqKMpli3v483CbwEY_PeFPmt 👉List of New Technologies: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIz67rSO6VqLiHMsSI028gKBiOtXgiF-C ✅ Other Videos You Might Be Interested In Watching: 👉The Future of Creativity: Understanding the Rise of Generative AI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbJw8GWdjk 👉The Secrets Behind Creed III: Unveiling the Hidden Tech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY4rkDoE-oI 👉TOP 12 Emerging Tech Trends of 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSQlYg9TXxk 👉A Vivid Multidimensional Film: Is Across the Spider-Verse the FUTURE of Animated Movies? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxdmahh3WQ ============================= ✅ About Galore Techs. Galore Techs does its best to present you with new gadgets, tech ideas, and technological advancements to look out for in the upcoming future. This channel is meant to be educational and informative about how these new technologies will change the world as we know it. “The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past.” -Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web. Are you curious about science and technology? Want to learn more about the technology of the past, present, and future? Subscribe to our channel. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: [email protected] 🔔Subscribe for more videos on new gadgets, tech ideas, and technological advancements: https://www.youtube.com/@galoretechs ================================= #GaloreTechs #Technology #Innovation #innovativegadgets #mindblowingtech #futuristicinnovations #emergingtech #aiadvancements #techideas Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your own research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are the property of Galore Techs. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our Youtube Channel is provided. © Galore Techs via Galore Techs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTyjV2lcEUMfTz4lxuB1ukg December 18, 2023 at 08:49PM

ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS - easy tutorial PACKED with MUST-HAVE WATERCOLOR TIPS to save you time

Today we’re painting together to create some essential items for the Christmas holidays - name tags to separate his gift from hers to make sure the right thing lands in the right lap! These cute paintings are definite treasures sure to become keepsakes and mementos for years to come. So why not crack open your set of watercolors and join me for half an hour of relaxing watercolor painting!

Check out our 2023 Christmas mug here (this is the one that's shown in the video, which was actually fulfilled by Printful not Spring!): https://dianeantone.com/product/christmas-2023-three-robins-mug/

Materials MEEDEN Large Artists Ceramic Palette (this is the one which has a big lid I use as a palette for my Kuretake pans https://tinyurl.com/meeden-large-palette

MEEDEN 10X7" Watercolor Paper Block 20 Sheets https://tinyurl.com/meeden-watercolor-block

Princeton Aqua Elite Synthetic Kolinsky Brush, Round, 8 https://amzn.to/42P6whE

Artistro White Paint Pens https://amzn.to/3qjSxCe Winsor and Newton fineliner https://amzn.to/3MFkGL9

Kuretake Gansai Tambi set of 36 colors https://amzn.to/3KXuWxB Kuretake Gansai Tambi Art Nouveau set https://amzn.to/3KkQxRl Kuretake Gainsai Tambi 48 Color Set  https://amzn.to/3zZX8Kn Pentel White Hybrid Gel Grip DX Gel pen https://amzn.to/435GarU

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:16 Product Review - Paper, Palette and Paper Knife 04:00 Preparing Paper by masking 05:40 Our Christmas Mug 10:36 Meeden Paints 13:10 Today’s Materials 15:00 Starting the painting 19:00 Spattering and final touches 27:30 Outlining in gold 29:30 Cutting out tags 32:00 Final painting

'Behind the Curtain' reflections - Day 850

Days keep adding up. Today, 4/30/2023, marks eight hundred and fifty days, since 'flipping-the-switch' on UniqueDestinations.org - going LIVE to the planet, on the last, possible day, of '2020' - envisioning'. Announcements were made 12/31/2020, sharing via Twitter: a B/W image; a 5-word cutline; and Domain name, with: 74 News agencies; 10 Specialty organizations (like Smithsonian, and Nat. Geo); and 63 billionaires, (or their Foundational, Twitter handles.) When the website went LIVE,... the website Header, Footer, aaannd, Copywrite,... were MISPELLED! 'Enterprize', not, 'Enterprise'!!! It was ONLY on Day 580, that recognition dawned within the mind! 580 days!!! -(This illumines a drawback, that may be found in very-small business entities,... by a single person, 'wearing many hats',... it makes work 'reviews' - 'near impossible'.) For 580 days, (for FREE, in 104 languages and voice) We had shared novel material with the whole planet, and 63 of the super-elite! - But shared it, with a 'big' flaw, attached! (It is ONLY because, of the nature of the intellectual property, remaining solid, that leaves me - comfortable - in my skin. This global faux-pas, did not cause me to flee, run, or scurry - back into into my cave. 'Yes', it was, 'highly undesired', to appear 'questionable', but,... with 'all', that was managed to be 'presented',... some slack, should be given,... I am human,... and humans, err. 580 days! (It still - 'sticks-in-the-craw', that it took so long to notice, but,... corrections, and improvements, have been made.) Today marks Day 850 of Presentation! 270 days since We learned to spell Our name correctly and chew gum,... We have high hopes for 'Tomorrow'! As things go today,... there is NOW, a RARE OPPORTUNITY! CALLING ALL ART COLLECTORS! Would YOU LIKE to OWN a MOST UNIQUE thing, the aesthetically-abstracted image, 'Abstracting Enigma'? UniqueDestinations.org is hosting the sale of this image, to fund the initial expenses for merchandise, the first being Our mysterious mug. THE ART AUCTION IS LIVE! ALL who register to participate in the Art auction, shall receive one (1) coupon for one (1) discounted-price mug! @arimelber @neildegrassetysonofficial Thought you might find this interesting.

some 2023 games i'd like to play!

made this list on twitter, but better safe than sorry so-

Granblue Fantasy: Relink! since i have been a fan of granblue's chara design for a while, despite only tipping my toe in once upon a time ,:D i even own one of the art books! so definitely will try to get my hands on this when it comes!

Infinity Nikki! yup you read that right. it seems to be a nikki maker's attempt at a genshin-like game, and i'm. weirdly drawn in. we shall see if 1) it comes out in 2023 2) what reviews say before i can make promises but! crossing my fingers!

DokeV! another "may or may not come out in 2023" game but! haven't forgotten how charmed i was when i saw the trailer in -21 so! it basically looks pokemon x "relive your childhood via rose-colored glasses", which i am here for.

Tiny Glade! basically just "go nuts and make a cute enviroment". which is all i need sometimes, so def keeping an eye on it

Blue Protocol! amazon games' attempt at anime mmo. could be anything from a trash fire to good. and as someone who likes to poke at all the free trials for all the mmos; heck yeah we trying this one!

Rift of the NecroDancer! IT'S MORE NECRODANCER, DO I NEED TO SAY MORE!! (except that i'm not sure if it's gonna come out this year-)

Bits and Bops! another rhythm game that looks adore as heck. that's all. that's all it needs to be.

Witchbrook! another game that might not come out this year, but! BUT!! I CAN DREAM OKAY?! it's cute pixel game. where you go to magic school. and i need it in my hands ASAP.

The Plucky Squire! was charmed at first glance! it's a tiny hero's journey through all sorts of things on a child's table, from books to mugs and beyond!

Exhausted Man! a spaghetti-like man, trying to get through his day while tired. it looks cute, and i relate to it too much.

Spirit Swap! i have too many hours on bejeweled 3, so of course cute as heck game with match-3 and good music is gotta be on my list!!!

aaaaand that's it for now! will add more into another post later!

Coming 2023 So many may have been wondering why I keep saying I will do a stream and keep failing. As things have been I have been living out of my car and my phone connection … well sucks. And as we have a bigger interest in Aye appearing then my aging real life mug, it’s a good idea to wait to improve things. But now as we head into 2023 there are some things good to state. First off. We are returning to art and streaming (maybe mid to late January to mid February for the relaunch date) mainly this is due to trying to find a place to work from that isn’t on wheels. The art may start sooner. New schedule for streams and new / suggested games. In 2023 when streaming returns we will host streams Wednesday - Sundays likely around 6 Pm EST for games on Friday, and Sunday. And 8 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for art, chat, Lesser Look Live (Thursday) and Mania Manga review (a new comic / manga read suggestions by you). On Wednesday we will be chatting and doing manga as we draw from our own creations and comics. While Saturday will be 3 hours of Dining and Doodles, with our normal 2 hour block for requests and the final hour drawing something original. Most streams will last three to four hours with hard out times. Planed games will be More Stardew Valley (mods) danganronpa One Piece: Odyssey Breath of the Wild 2 And more New Art and writing 2023 will see the return of weekly Demon Blade pages, a new (name yet to be revealed) Webtoons series. And new novels / novelettes from us including a planned hard cover release of 11 Kingdoms hopefully by Summer. To say 2022 was a rough one for me would be a understatement, but with it we hit number 1 in Stardew Valley streaming, one of the rising art streams and a quickly growing audience in all avenues we released last year. You all the fans and supporters had helped me so much in this past year. But we are starting 2023 with a new job. Eventually (soon) a new home. My health still being a problem but finding better ways to deal with and move forward with it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2OU2zP-OV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

JAN MOIR: Surely not another coffee shop clogging up the high street

Someone please make it stop. It was revealed this week that four new coffee shops open in Britain every day, with another 6,500 scheduled to open by 2023.

This effectively means that in four years’ time there will be more than 32,000 coffee shops clogging up UK streets, most of them faceless outposts of the international chains. And you won’t get a halfway decent cup of coffee in most of them.

What seems to be the problem, ma’am? Only that despite their ubiquity, the offerings from the majority of coffee chains veer from the bland and forgettable to the downright bad or unpleasant.

It was revealed this week that four new coffee shops open in Britain every day, with another 6,500 scheduled to open by 2023 – most of which are big chains like Cafe Nero

And please, barista, make sure the water is scalding hot so that it peels the skin off my hand when spilled, thank you kindly. Any chance of a stale blueberry muffin, an inferior sandwich assembled at some far distant central facility, or a factory-made, microwaved croissant that tastes like a buttery floor cloth? Well, don’t mind if I don’t.

I used to buy a coffee on my way to work most mornings, sometimes from a chain, occasionally from a fancy but glum independent which sells cinnamon buns for a fiver and a tiny latte for £3.

‘With not very good latte art,’ someone moaned on a review website recently. As if that were the deal breaker, instead of the adventurous pricing, the double depresso service and the grim coffees that make the whole process such a cheerless, expensive waste of time.

Now I have fresh coffee at home, instant at work and have cut the chains out of my life. Cry freedom from the tyranny of the frappuccino fiends! I might buy myself a small Cessna jet with the money saved.

Yet despite the lack of quality on offer, coffee shops are now everywhere. And, sadly, their unstoppable proliferation — along with vaping shops, tattoo parlours, charity shops and shops that sell covers for your mobile phone — is turning British High Streets into windblown tundras, bereft of the tiniest waft of culture or beauty.

The Starbucks Venti is just a pint of coffee in a charmless mug or a cardboard coffin, Moir writes

And there is still little end in sight to the expansion of chains such as Caffe Nero, Costa, Greggs, Pret A Manger (actually, I love Pret) and Starbucks, to name a few. Obviously, selling 11 grams of coffee and a shot of hot milk for £2 plus is a lucrative business for all involved.

Today, coffee chains are like burger chains, complete with lots of advertising campaigns, central sites and huge rents to pay. In prime positions in every High Street, they are the most visible representation of our changing culture and they continue to boom as pubs go bust. Why? Younger people are drinking less, while Britain’s mix of ethnicities and religions has also had an effect — especially when one considers 56 per cent of non-whites declare themselves teetotal, compared to only 16 per cent of whites.

Beer duty and business rates have also taken their toll on pubs, where demanding customers now want craft beers, silly gins, food and their ghastly children to be admitted.

So coffee has surged into this vacuum, and who could blame it?

I pass eight coffee outlets on my walk to work, including Danish chain Joe & The Juice. What the heck is that all about? Joe seems to be full of silent young people tapping away on phones and laptops.

Bonhomie and conversational skills have been washed away by technology, amid the atmosphere of a trendy morgue.

Their advertising campaign suggests the ideal Joe customer is an attractive Nordic skateboarder with a lizard tattoo. All the better to raise your glass of Sex Me Up juice (please, no) along with your avo wrap and turmeric shots.

Perhaps it’s not them, it’s me? Yet there is still a place in my heart for the good, independent coffee shop. When I first moved to London, how I loved those Italian coffee places with their hissing machines and great walls of sandwiches in glass cabinets, generously stuffed with about three inches of egg mayonnaise or crammed with ham.

In prime positions in every High Street, the chains are expanding exponentially and replacing pubs because younger people are drinking less

In Cornwall, imaginative independents thrive, such as the Honey Pot in Penzance and the Cook Book Cafe in St Just, where the owner makes heavenly sandwiches with bacon from her own pigs.

To walk into any of the Bettys Tea Rooms in Yorkshire is to be assailed with the aromas from another age: fresh baking, savoury toast, roasted coffee beans. And, oh, the civility could make you weep. Tablecloths, milk jugs, sugar tongs, a smile.

There is no comparison between a lovely coffee served in a perfect china cup and saucer at Brasserie Zedel in Central London and a monstrosity such as the Starbucks Venti — over a pint of coffee in a charmless mug or a cardboard coffin.

So, hello darkness my old friend. I’ve come to drink you up again. Although not in a chain, never in a chain, even as they become increasingly hard to avoid.

Don’t shed a tear for evergreen Eva

Eva Green revealed she feels insecure about reaching her 40s next year because acting ‘depends on the desire’ of others

Eva Green is an exquisite beauty. However, at the age of 38, the actress (pictured) is worried about the ageing process.

Eva, a word. Only when one gets older — much, much older — will you truly understand what a perfect age 38 is and how lucky you are to be perched there, on the cliff face of life. Most of the early angst is over, but you are still pre-40 watershed. Make the most of it!

Yet Eva feels insecure about reaching her 40s next year because acting ‘depends on the desire’ of others. ‘Will people still like me?’ she frets.

Possibly not, if you carry on like this, darling.

But let us not mock Eva, for I honestly believe the ageing process is so much harder on the beautiful and the damned.

If you have been used to the warm and appreciative male gaze all your life, it must feel very chilly when it begins to fade.

The gain of feeling no pain

You might not believe this, but there is a woman in Scotland who feels no pain and never complains. No, it’s not me.

Her chemical imbalance means that she is also always in a good mood, which means she is definitely not me and neither is she Lorraine Kelly, who admitted last week in a tax hearing that her super-cheery on-screen persona was fake. (Can I just pause here to mention that Lorraine has also just revealed that she never takes off her bra, not even when she goes to bed, which is even more shocking.)

Jo Cameron is the remarkable woman whose unusual gene mutations stop pain signals reaching her brain. For 71-year-old Jo, childbirth was a breeze; she only needed aspirin for a painful operation; she walked away from a serious car accident, and she munches on scotch bonnet peppers as if they were plums. When she was a little girl, she didn’t even notice she had broken her arm roller-skating.

Jo Cameron (left) has led a virtually pain-free life due to a rare genetic mutation that affects just one in several million

It makes you strong, but it also makes you weak. She had no indication that her hip was crumbling, or that osteoarthritis had pushed a thumb bone into her palm.

Experts believe her condition is only found once in every several million people and she is now helping medical experts explore the parameters of pain management, especially for those who suffer chronic pain after surgery. In a way, I’m glad that she discovered this at a late age — one can only imagine what medical science might have wanted her to do earlier.

What a remarkable story. She has never felt pain in her life, but I bet she still runs screaming from the room when someone mentions Brexit. Or Lorraine’s bra.

 Havana truly bizarre time

Has there ever been a more hilarious royal tour than the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s recent 12-day jaunt to the Caribbean? Every second was a joy, for us — not them.

The sprightly septuagenarians crammed more than 70 engagements into a schedule that seemed to leave rigid royal protocol behind and had the pair of them shambling around the islands like a couple of crumpled pensioners on a Saga cruise.

Highlights included Charles striding along the sand in his beach brogues, Camilla looking like a discarded sweetie wrapper at his side and about a thousand cheesy photo ops, including one in Cuba where they actually did eat actual cheese.

Prince Charles and Camilla make a mojito on their trip to Havana, Cuba, this week

There were moments when it was more like an episode of Flog It! than a royal visit. The couple tootled around in a classic car, then sat next to a statue of John Lennon, Camilla visibly wilting gently under a parasol. They learned how to make a mojito cocktail (above) and sampled their work. ‘That hit the spot,’ said Camilla, after a long gulp. Charles used a sugar cane treadle, posed with a parrot, got into a boxing ring and looked like he was having the time of his life, even if he was not.

Looking thrilled at municipal events is his superpower. He even met Lionel Richie at the Coral Reef Club Hotel in Barbados and greeted him with a line from one of his hits.

‘Hello,’ said the Prince. ‘It must have been you I was looking for.’

Close, but no Cuban cigar, you dear old thing.

At Reading University, food scientist Dr Stuart Farrimond claims to have discovered the recipe for the perfect toasted cheese sandwich. In his formula, two medium slices of white bread are toasted on both sides, then buttered right to the edges. 

Then he adds 50g (1.8oz) of grated medium cheese, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and places them exactly 18cm (7in) under the grill.

Is he COMPLETELY MAD? Everyone knows that you don’t use butter when making cheese on toast, and that you toast the bread on one side only, then add the cheese. 

What kind of savagery is the prof encouraging? Honestly. You simply cannot trust half-boiled eggheads to do anything properly.

Fury from the Madden crowd

Richard Madden fans are troubled. They feel that the actor has been snubbed because he didn’t receive a Bafta nomination for his performance in BBC drama Bodyguard.

Unluckily for Richard Madden, the Bafta nods this year include two of the best male turns in television drama for years, meaning he’ll miss out

His portrayal of protection officer David Budd (pictured) was compelling and one for which he has already won a Golden Globe. But, unluckily for him the Bafta nods this year include two of the best male turns in television drama for years — Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe in A Very British Scandal and Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick Melrose.

A different class, wouldn’t you say, Sergeant Budd?

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Mug's 2023 Art Review!!! (Part 2!)

Welcome back!! Check out Part 1 if you haven't already!

June (Part 2)!

I forgot to mention this in part 1 but i drew SO MUCH in June, it's crazy absbsbd

I got heavy into animating stuff this month hsbffnfn

Also, more poses!! Perspective!! good God perspective kills m

forever will love that Kotoko art . . . I thought the Weakness redraw was so cool, too :D!! The AKAA redraw never got posted because I didn't like how it looked xbncfn but I really enjoyed doing it anyway!!

faces also!! they kill me constantly and I did really well with distinguishing them this month!!

July!

This month, I started lots of MUGRAM work (which will not be shown babsjdj)

I updated a piece of fanart I did for Thermoregulation because um

i used the wrong symbol fuck

I have individual versions of the fanart as well, they're just long expanses of the art you see so ajsnsn

ALSO KAZUI SIR!!! this man kicked me back into drawing milgram fanart fucking hell CAT LITERALLY MADE DRAW AGAIN

There's so many details that are in the image and I love it a lot sjdjxnd details beloved!!

August!

(aka Yuno month because it was her birthday next month, but I DIDNT POST ANY OF THE DRAWINGS)

me when my faces changed every five seconds:

also I'm a limbus company fan (jumpscare) (I haven't played in months) (my computer is broken) (I don't want to kill my phone)

Lots of posing though!! And shading got a bit better absbsj??

also the one es photo hsjsdnxnd ERASED on Netflix you will be missed o7 (very interesting au I think?? never planned it out though abahha)

ruh roh I think I need a third post. . . CHECK IT OUT HERE!!

welcome to...

Mug's 2023 Art Review!!! (Part 1!)

Where I step back and look at what the genuine fuck was I drawing this year am I okay I think I need hel

ANYWAYS

let's go!!! This post will be in a few different parts because 10 photo limit D:

We start off with January and February!!

first photo was during the soldier, poet, king trend stuff, so yeah!!

the second photo was so when I was reminiscing on a character I played (haven't played them in a long while jesus)

I think this is when I was practicing large compositions again?? I was just trying to fill the page ajjsjd

March!!

Loads of sketch drawings and practicing of little guys (chibis wjsndjdj)

I think this is when I started to try to get a handle on faces ahshd

May!!

the hands good LORD

anyways!!! MILGRAM obsession and drawing hit HARD

Loads of dynamic poses!! hooray!! And I do slightly better shading!!

(Please note this month I discovered the existence of the reference window in Ibis

i was going to cry when I found out)

June (Part 1)

omg milgram (EXPLODES)

ANYWAYS COLORS!! SHADING!! POSING!! Much better!! I'm particularly fond of the Thermoregulation fanart and Mahiru screencap redraw :D look at them!! They look amazing!! My sillies ever!! I will cry!!!

Anyways, I actually got a handle on a bit of shading and faces!! References MY FUCKING BELOVED

Backgrounds got a little better as well!! Details!! Hooray :]

Anyways, that's all for part 1!! Check out part 2 here!!

it's crazy seeing how my art progressed through this year specifically because of milgram I think I'm going to do a Mug's 2023 Art in Review for New Year's Eve lol