#and this is geology which is the kind of science that i'm most interested in i guess. i mean i like rocks conceptually??

[macroglossus]

mannnn i just do not really care about science at all :/ like i understand theoretical importance genuinely but trying to read an article is like trying to shove through a crowd that actively doesn't want me moving forward like i have to read every couple words eight times before they vaguely materialize into something that makes some sense and then all knowledge of the concept immediately flies from my mind and vanishes forever

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Can you talk a little bit about how you became a paleontologist? (like school and stuff).

I went to college wanting to major in paleontology and everybody told me I could major in geology but that being a paleontologist just really wasn't possible.

I did major in geology/archaeology combo major (offered at my college, it's actually a BA, not a BS, which was disappointing), but it's not paleontology and i've been out of school for a awhile and i'm just really discouraged.

ugh welcome to my life. the reason my story is complicated is because of crap like that.

so, I'm going to get very, very, very real here. that means I'm going to reveal some personal details about myself. I'm okay with it. I want to share this. Content Warnings for Parental Abuse, Mental Illness, Physical Disability, and Trauma. Phew. Here we go.

first thing we have to acknowledge: I grew up poor. my mom was a stay at home mom because of mental illness (majorly agoraphobic and huge social anxiety, plus largely untreated OCD). my dad rarely held on a job for very long because of severe untreated ADHD. my parents' primary concern, at all times, was that their six kids (my mom loves kids) would have gainful, steady employment. they are communists, and it was always about how we can't help others effectively if we're not secure in the rest of our lives.

I wanted to be a paleontologist from the moment I could have such a want. But my parents never, never, thought that was a good idea. They wanted me to be a scientist, because they could see my potential, but they didn't think being a paleontologist was a safe career. And, to be fair, they had a point. But I didn't want to be anything else. In fact, the very idea would make me start sobbing. So while I was little, they didn't really do anything about it. Occasionally they planted seeds of "you might not be a paleontologist", but it never went well.

fast forward to me going to college. now they were serious. we were constantly fighting over whether I should be a paleontologist or a medical researcher (MDPhD. you know, the insane degree that insane people get.) (I'm insane, but not that way). because they were paying for, well, some of it (I got a lot of scholarships, b''h), and I was in general dependant on them like most college students are, they picked my classes. I was forced to major in biology (though I probably would have picked that anyway), and I never took any geology classes (well, I took half of one, but had to drop it because of my stupid premed classes).

I got to do paleontology research, but it was kind of in secret - I technically had two different research jobs, one in evolutionary biology, one in paleontology. I took tons of medical related classes, and was forced to take the MCAT twice. I wasn't good at it. Memorizing things isn't my forte, I'm much better at problem solving and finding/evaluating information. I also just wasn't interested in it - I can remember countless dinosaur genera, but ask me to remember really specific medical details and my mind draws a blank.

I did not do well on the MCAT, but I was still forced to apply to MDPhD programs. I also applied to evolutionary biology and paleontology PhD programs on my own. But paleontology is extremely competitive, and I didn't hear back from any of those. I also didn't get anywhere with any of those medical programs. In fact, I ended up getting accepted to a grad program for evolutionary developmental biology, because that was the only thing that had an opening. Rather than go home and be forced to apply to medical school again, I took the out.

I was miserable. But I tried to convince myself it was better this way. That I would have gainful employment, and be able to do science. Meanwhile, I was running this blog, building a community, and constantly thinking about paleontology instead of my actual thesis. Even though paleontology doesn't require field work, I'd convinced myself I could never do it because field work is inaccessible to me - I have had chronically dislocated knees since I was 16, and a few different physical conditions that make me exceptionally heat sensitive. I couldn't do field work, so I couldn't be a paleontologist. I also am fat, because of those disabilities, and there just aren't a lot of fat AFAB paleontologists, so I thought I wouldn't be able to get far for that reason.

But I couldn't finish that PhD. I didn't care enough about it, and I was constantly hitting roadblocks. I wanted the focus to be more evolution based, my advisor told me no. I wanted to pursue a specific question, my advisor advised against it. My wasps kept dying, and I didn't know why. I couldn't get my assays to work. My advisor was always focused on his other students and never me. It was a nightmare. All the while, my blog was exploding in popularity, and I was even going to paleontology conferences on my own dollar and networking there, presenting research about using the internet as an educational tool. And I felt at home. I was with *my people*.

Then the pandemic happened. I was already estranged from my parents for other reasons, that I'd rather not get into (no, it's not cause I'm queer). Everyone was frustrated with my lack of progress at my first program. My spouse, the infinite well of support that he is (url @plokool), gave me the push I needed to drop out with a master's degree (which I had earned at that point). I then was seriously considering becoming a rabbi, because I didn't think I could hack being a scientist at all after that experience.

But, everything felt wrong when I wasn't engaged with paleo. ADAD had gone on hiatus because my artists were persuing other opportunities (and I'm so proud of them!). I just felt empty and lost without paleontology in my life. So I went to the virtual SVP that was being held in 2020, since it was cheaper than usual and online.

And I met my current advisor. We clicked *right* away. We had the same questions about bird evolution and talked for hours. He encouraged me to apply, so I did - just for paleontology programs. I knew if I didn't do paleo, there wasn't a point. Nothing else would hold my interest enough for me to get a doctoral degree. I also talked to the wonderful friends I had made here on Palaeoblr, ones who were also actually pursuing paleo, and they promised me I could do it - that they believed in me. The one thing no one but my spouse had ever really indicated to me. It gave me the push I needed, and when I was accepted to this program, I took it. It also helped that I finally had working ADHD medication, for the first time in my life.

Even though it meant moving from Chicago - nice, at least sometimes chilly Chicago, my home for my whole life - to fucking southern new mexico. I am so hot. All the time now. My feet never return to their proper color. But it was worth the risk.

But I'm not doing field work! I've had to take a lot of remedial geology classes, but all my work has been computer and lab based. And I've done so much already! I've published a new bird, I've done excellent in my classes and teaching, and I'm currently compiling my own database of Paleogene bird fossils. Last year was a little rough because of trauma things, and the gd-damned adderall shortage, but I'm moving forward. I am hoping to go into museum work, because I love museums, and I believe in them and their ability to educate people (I also want to help the museum field decolonize itself, but that's a different discussion.) I've even made a design for an evolution of dinosaurs exhibit that my professor wants me to make into a real thing someday.

So... yeah. I became a paleontologist by being the world's most stubborn mother fucker alive. I decided I wanted to be as a kid, and I never could let it go, even when it would have been better for me to. But I'm glad I didn't, because now I'm here, and I'm doing well. When i can focus, at any rate. Because I'm only at peace when I'm around dinosaurs.

(P.S. I've even repaired my relationship with my parents, and they support me as a paleontologist now! just took 30 years for them to realize they couldn't fight me on this, I guess... or they're old and tired of fighting. one of the two.)

[ukfrislandembassy]

Well, that is one way of looking at it, and certainly there's a lot of linguistics which is boringly analytical in this sense.

On the other hand, linguistics has an inherent advantage over many of the sciences in that language is part of everyone's everyday lived experience, in a way that geology or astronomy simply aren't. So when I talk to lay people, I find that what they are most interested in are the things that many more theoretical linguists, particularly of the generative tradition, consider to be somewhat 'ephemeral', i.e. lexical items and etymology, as well as anything they are able to note about the differences between languages they know about, so e.g. phonetics (like being able to confidently pronounce the lateral fricative in Welsh words is a good way to impress English people).

And I do mean it when I say that this is particularly a problem for generative linguistics, because what that school basically says is 'oh yeah, this Language thing that we're surrounded with everyday, that isn't anything to do with anything you directly experience around you. No, you're just like a computer, generating sentences in this abstract structure with this language organ that we can't actually point to on a chart of a brain, we can't show you it. Of course the interesting thing is this bunch of lines we've drawn to show the structure and no don't walk away!...' Getting people interested in language structure isn't no a problem for functionalists as well, but at least we can turn around and say 'you see this thing here? yeah we can tell you why that is and it's for X, Y and Z things you already know a thing or two about'.

And this is what informs my attitudes to 'linguistic fun facts'. I used to be one of those people that devoured that kind of trivia, and to some extent I still am as a typologist, but as I came to delve deeper and understand the nuances and asterisks associated with these, I realised that those weren't what mattered to me, nor to most other people in any kind of substantial way. What's the point of going 'Hixkaryana has this weird word order' when the people you're talking to have 1) never heard of this language and 2) are never going to even visit that corner of South America, much less encounter any native speakers. Far better, as far as I'm concerned, to talk first about what's interesting to people about their own language, how an understanding of language can help them understand e.g. history more fully (something plenty of people already appreciate), and then you can talk about how those same insights can be used to understand languages they might be unfamiliar with.

What *are* some crazy linguistics facts? The ones for which pretending it's just a normal feature of a language is coping?

Well there are some rare linguistic features, like for instance (claimed) presence of a voiceless bidental fricative in some dialects of Adyghe or the (claimed) OVS word order of Hixkaryana, but many of these are (1) actually somewhat complex or ambiguous in their attestation, and (2) only "crazy" to linguists who already know that they're rare. Like a priori there's no reason that a bidental fricative is crazy other than that is in fact very rare.

There are other things too, you know, sometimes a language will demonstrate some really ridiculous series of historical sound changes or something. But these are often even higher-context in their "craziness".

Language is frankly sort of boring unless you are a little bit autistic about it. People want to draw many social or philosophical or whatever conclusions from it, but the reality is that most facts about particular languages are incidental historical accidents with no broader implications (or, broader implications that come only in the form of providing evidence for ancient population movements or hinting at as-yet-indecipherable and therefore useless arcana of the human mind). But if you're into it it's really fun to learn about all the little intricacies. Gunpla type of academic field.

[magnetothemagnificent]

I've been reading "Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology" by Kenneth L. Feder, and in the introduction to the book he lists a very helpful checklist of sorts to help discern between genuine science and plain hoax or pseudoscience. I think this list is very helpful in the age of the internet, especially with the prevalence of fake news spreading very easily on this site. I urge everyone to utilize this checklist, not just with archeology, but with science claims in general.

--Does the source of the archaeological claim cite "experts" in support of his or her claim, who make polite, innocuous, but otherwise meaningless statements about the artifact or site in question? Just because scientists say a claim is "interesting" and wish the claimant luck in his or her research is not an affirmation of that research. They are just being polite.

--Does the source cite "experts" but exaggerate their own credentials?; for example, is the PhD only honorary or from no known, accredited institution? That's s easy enough to check online.

--Does the source cite "experts" whose credentials are unrelated to the claims being made? Einstein was brilliant, but his fields were math and physics. He is not a relevant expert for claims made about geology or archaeology. Citing Einstein or other well-known scientists in support of claims outside their fields of expertise is problematic. Some people consider me an expert in archaeology. Even if I am, it that does not mean I have any meaningful insights to provide about brain surgery, opera, or automobile repair.

--Does the source cite "experts" whose previous extreme claims are not mentioned or cited?

--Does the source make what appear to be definitive statements about the age of an artifact or site without any supporting data, never telling you how he or she came up with the proposed date?

--Does the source make what appear to be definitive statements about the cultural affiliation of an artifact or site without any supporting data, never telling you how he or she came up with the identity of the makers of the artifact or the residents of a site?

--Does the source claim that the artifact would have taken too much time or there are too many of them to be forgeries? There is no logical reason to be lieve that merely because an artifact was well made, would have taken a lot of time to make, or exists in large quantities it must be genuine. Forgers are often diligent, talented, and hard-working. Don't underestimate them.

--Does the source make assertions about the appearance of an artifact that bears very little relationship to what's actually there? Simply put, if you have to be told that a piece of rock art, a sculpture, or a ceramic pot bears the image of a spaceship, extraterrestrial alien, or dinosaur-if you didn't see that with out that prompting-then in all likelihood there is no image of a spaceship.. extraterrestrial alien, or dinosaur. Trust your own eyes and brain and not the word of someone trying to sell you a bill of goods.

--Does the source preface most claims with phrases like "maybe," "if," "imagine," "could be," or "perhaps" and then present detailed scenarios about an tiquity, all of which require acceptance of the original speculation, which is never tested or proven?

--Beware of the question, "But isn't it possible?" On a broad, philosophical, in finite multiple universe kind of sense, hypothetically, anything is possible. So what? Is it possible that ancient aliens built the pyramids? Well, okay, sure. But it's also possible that in the next five minutes monkeys will fly out of your butt. However, let me assure you that you really don't need to worry too much about possible simian excretions. And the likelihood that aliens built the pyramids is about the same.

--Does the source demand, "Hey, if I'm wrong, let the scientists prove me wrong"? This is a fundamental misapprehension of the scientific method. The burden of proof always falls on those making claims. And, as Carl Sagan phrased it, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." In fact, I don't have to prove that ancient aliens did not build the pyramids. If you think they did, it's on you to prove that they did, and the evidence bar is going to be very high.

--I love Wikipedia. I often consult Wikipedia as a first step in exploring a topic. Then I check out the bibliographies of those Wikipedia entries to track down the original sources on which the Wikipedia article was based. For example, I am cited in a bunch of Wikipedia entries related to topics I address in this book. That's great, but don't rely on those Wikipedia summaries of what I've said. Scroll down to the bottom of those summaries and check out the origi nal publications on which they are based. Finally, if the source of an extreme claim in archaeology uses nothing but Wikipedia sources, you can safely ignore the claim.

[hollow-constellations]

Hey

I'm not really sure exactly how to start this but I guess I'm just putting it out there that I'm looking for everyone.

Here's some of what I remember:

• I was super awkward, still am, it feels like not much has changed about me really.

• I don't remember many specific conversations with people, none of my kin memories really flood in like that, but I do remember the environment

• The shack smelled kind of musty. Had that old man smell. My bed was never really made and had tons of blankets sitting on it. My hat was hung up on the bedframe.

• I remember bill and mabel the most. For some reason bill's whole mini apocalypse is a blur but I remember sitting on the roof, alone, sobbing after I was possessed.

• Mabel was always pretty loud, shocker I know. She owned a lot of scrunchies.

• I remember the sodas stan always had in the house. They were peach I think.

• Me and mabel would be allowed into town alone, we'd wonder through the convenience store for fun. Even though there were like tons of monsters we still managed to get bored.

Who I'm looking for:

• Anyone really

• Mabel and bill specifically since I remember them. Even if my memories with bill specifically were bad I can't help but want to spark up a friendship. I have no idea why I just do.

What's stayed the same/changed about me:

• I look almost identical to how I used to, just no more weird birthmark

• Ironically I've been wearing the same hat everyday just out of habit. it wasn't a conscious choice it just sort of started happening.

• Fashion sense is also largely the same.

• I have a replica of my old hat and journal which is kind of funny. Has absolutely nothing to do with anything kin related but it's nice having some items from my old life.

• I'm still an insomniac, I still have my nervous tics I had back then, I still have the blanket pile, still very bad at conversation

• I still like cryptids and mysteries and science (chemistry + geology) and such but I've also gained some new interests

• I'm different with how closed off I get. I'm either super social and too hyper/loud or I never want to talk to anyone ever again, I don't know what that says about me other than I'm less stable in that regard.

• My speech patterns feel different

okay this post is way too long uh sourcemates hit me up

[askyaboionicole]

Scianon] like Zhura, I also have an account that I used to interact with your blog off of anon, it may be incredibly obvious if you knew which one. That's why I limit what I say then to like 3 sentences tops.

I'm a certified clinical medical assistant so I know more about body stuff than say geology, although I do know a little on that. (I'm also a trained engineer but I choked so I didn't get the certification on that one) I could tell you that you actually can't control your actions while drowning; free will is a myth only the wishful and the uninformed believe in. My brain just really likes learning (since I can't taste, I think it's compensating) but mostly science stuff, the only thing it's interested in knowing is how stuff happens. Like why are these things happening? It's nice to understand, of course humanity doesn't have all the answers yet, but I wouldn't mind helping them find out. Being an unknown may be a contributing factor, ha.

It's nice to see how mathematical the universe is, hexagonal prism form from stone from natural causes bc of how efficient the shape is. Bubbles stick together at angles of 120° (and others really depends on how crowded it is, but 120° is the most efficient- the same angle that repeats in a perfect hexagon).

With an untrained eye, the universe looks like a chaotic place with no order or structure. After learning more and more, you realize it kind of is, but that's just because too many things are happening at once. Yet things are predictable, reactions are calculable, everything is in constant motion except for you Crab Nebula keep being you, man, it's quite a sight to behold.

If you asked me about space, I could tell you all kinds of crazy things about it. It's fascinating. I'm such a nerd.

Every day my sense of reality breaks a little more realizing anons I talk to are actually people I know. I am heckin bamboozled.

You knowledge on the universe brings some comfort, but fear at the same time. Knowledge scares me.

[a-woman-apart]

Watch "I'M BACK! WHY I LEFT YOUTUBE FOR TWO YEARS!" on YouTube

This scared me so badly, because this is EXACTLY what happened in my life, except it was all in The Reverse.

I graduated with an Associate Degree in Music Performance in 2018, but instead of running TOWARDS my dream/calling I ran hardcore AWAY from it. My pride in graduating only lasted a month before I declared myself Utterly Unmarketable and sought to go after a "real degree" and get a Big Girl career.

Between 2018 and 2020 I had major life changes.

My dad died of stomach cancer

I broke up with my neglectful boyfriend

I turned down a Full Ride to a major college

I hospitalized myself for Suicidal Ideation (Sept 2019)

I quit my job of 5 years

I started working for my best friend and became her Office Manager

I started dating the Love of my Life

I lost my friend group and peer support

I lost my mind and left college due to COVID-19 (but not before making one of my best decisions in taking a Screenwriting class because I WANTED not NEEDED it)

Started distancing myself from the toxic women in my life and definining Womanhood/Adulthood for myself

Visited my brother's grave after over a decade of waiting and got closure

Fully acknowledged my childhood trauma/abuse

Rediscovered my sexuality

Was disowned by who I erroneously thought was a close friend of 17 years over my political views

Joined and exited Unity2020

Turned in my car for repossession

Spent a week in the hospital after having a severe, paranoid psychotic break, but came out completely free of the vice of self-consciousness I was living under

You know what is nuts? I feel in many ways, I have completely reverted to who I was in the summer of 2011. I was off my meds, and it WAS mania, but personality-wise, the tempestuous, gum-chewing, cigarette-puffing, flirtatious, humorous, free-spirited ball of fire that drove all the way to Colorado on a whim wasn't rebellious, SHE WAS ME.

I just wasn't Me around the right people, and it wasn't the Right Time.

My inner Sagittarius moon would remain in a dormant state for almost a full decade. I would spend the next 9 years heavily sedated, sleepwalking through life, only alive at The Sound of Music.

It was Torture to feel so much but be afraid to express myself. I had to Hide while doing a major that demanded that I Command Attention. I am by nature "dramatic", "theatrical", "emotional", "expressive" but that part of me was so suppresed that I was frequently told I sang with excellence but without emotion.

Aside: During my 2011 manic episode, I spoke a lot about Doppelgangers. Without going into excessive detail, this is a German word that means "Double" and it is considered bad luck to encounter yours.

In the past 2 weeks, I have encountered people that look/sound like me (Josephine is Nigerian-Canadian and I am Nigerian-American and I kept thinking about her work even though I initially disagreed with her lot) and a woman with my name (different spelling) who was NOTHING like me and I also think might've had malice in mind for me.

I was DEFINITELY an agnostic atheist when I started this year, but as a result of undergoing so much weird shit I almost certainly believe in God, and yes, "God is a Woman." (More on that later)

Also, I realized that I really DID, as many teenage girls, "lose interest in math and science" but that was because of the terrible, unfactual way it was presented in my homeschool curriculum and by my mom, who was a Math major but whose disinterested detachment made every algebra lesson an excercise in torture.

I have always loved biolology and anatomy and I remember so much more chemistry than I thought. Geology class in community college was amazing and also helped me understand-- even more than the Theory of Evolution-- why young earth creationism was completely impossible.

As for math, I spent 15 years thinking it was my greatest weakness when I have had to use arithmetic in cashiering, my managerial work, and my monthly budget for the last 7 years. Also, as annoying as it was to hear constantly, my mom parroting "What you have to do to one side, you have to do to the other" (but in reverse) gave me the ability to do Algebra quickly and (mostly) effortlessly. I could never get A's, but I got a B in Quantitative Mathematics with no real help aside from occasional teacher input and the "Help me solve this" function of MyMathLab.

Here is where it Gets Weird. I am a Creative. I have been writing stories since I was 6 years old. I have loved Story all my life. My parents were in math and science fields and they completely lacked any creativity. COMPLETELY. It was part of why they were so religiously rigid, authoritarian, and draconian. There was no room for spontaneity or childish imaginativeness.

Looking back, I had major sensory and processing issues. I was likely speech delayed, I learned to read late, and I recently confirmed that when I am stressed my dyscalculia kicks in bad (it IS real). Numbers and symbols get really interchangeable (like an 8 and infinity symbol become kinda the same) which is why I had to recite phone numbers out loud to remember them or write them on colorful backgrounds so I can see them in my head as an image. Also explains my aversion to math but my ease with fractions (1/2 is half a sandwich, etc).

My spatial awareness is also shit when stressed. Before I turned in our car, I had earned the nickname "U-turn" from my boyfriend because on that Floating Death Machine left and right got completely crossed, frequently.

By the way, I struggled with right and left until I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. I literally didn't understand the concept of a mirror and 3D space, meaning that the basic understanding that my right is someone else's left didn't come into play until I had an argument with my [now-deceased] brother about it.

What is so weird, is that because of years of correcting for these issues, my sense of direction, ON FOOT is good, if not better than most people. Also, once I realized that, given the opportunity, I very much do whatever I can with my left-hand, and that my hearing is MUCH better than I even thought, I am far less clumsy. Depth perception is still crap, but that is probably also because I was forced to spend years without the glasses I needed (and got earlier this year after living with chronic eye strain)

When I talk about these "issues" it is in line with female autism, but you know what? If really do have adult autism, then I am a Complete Boss because I have pwned that ho.

After being rehospitalized, a kind nurse suggested I may have PTSD and suggested medicine for insomnia and nightmares. It was extremely helpful. I had been looking into C-PTSD for a while, because I didn't think I had "suffered enough" to have "real" PTSD. But that isn't how diagnoses work.

Btw, I still have Bipolar I, Psychotic Features. Another kind nurse told me I don't need anti-psychotics, and no, I don't. I was given Zyprexa by a bitch nurse and it was like getting drunk. I stumbled the halls, almost fell over (possibly did) and woke up with a neon "Fall Risk" bracelet. Anti-psychotics also fucked up my menstrual cycle for years and I have had lingering hormonal isssues. Haha no thanks.

Anyway, I digress. Of course I am fucked up. I lived under family members who questioned my reality, attempted to crush my dreams, threatened me with physical punishment any time I behaved in non-neurotypical ways, violated my rights and interfered with my treatment even though I was a full legal adult, undermined my relationships, tortured and socially isolated me, etc., all under the guise "of knowing best."

In minority cultures, our darkness hides in plain sight, and ESPECIALLY in the Bible Belt, with its supeestition and idolization of familial hierarchy/patriarchy, victims of financial, spiritual, emotional, and physical abuse have no where safe to turn. The Long Arm of the Law is often Short when it comes to "breaking up the family", and women and children are victimized openly with little to no intervention.

On top of doing my Creative Work, I plan to create legislation to make sure that what happened to me and my siblings isn't allowed to go unpunished. We lost my older brother, and I almost died, too, but Enough is Enough.

The Time is Now.

P.S. If Josephine is an Air Nomad I identify as a Water Bender. I basically have no water in my astrological chart, but water signs bring me great comfort in times of need (and make bad romantic partners for me obviously)

Also, this is one Bad Biyatch.

I also found out I am an ISFJ, not INFJ. Yep. Gonna be a Playwright and Director. I want to be a part of the action, not just writing about it.

[lyowyn]

"The voice you're hearing is Richard Kiley. We spared no expense."

Remember that line from Jurassic Park, when they're getting into the Jeeps for the dino tour? Remember wondering who Richard Kylie is, and why his voice work was so expensive? Well, this is a story about my daughter, Jurassic Park, and David Attenborough...

My daughter has always had an intense interest in life sciences: biology, geology, archeology, Paleontology, etc... I try to encourage this, because, "Yay Science!" She has a big collection of rocks, minerals, fossils, and any kind of field guide she can get her hands on. She likes learning about animals and plants. She's also four, so sometimes this interest manifests in strange ways.

She also has eclectic, and somewhat random taste in movies and television. She loves musicals, animal movies, and adventure movies with kids in them from the 80s. Some favorites? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Doctor Dolittle (1967), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Beethoven, Goonies, The Sandlot, Jumanji, Jaws, The Princess Bride, and Tremors. Her absolute favorite movie is Jurassic Park. Now you might think that some of these are a bit scary for a four-year-old (actually she was 3 the first time she watched most of these) and you might be right, but she doesn't seem to notice. Except for Labyrinth, which is one of my personal favorites, and she thinks is absolutely TERRIFYING.

I was a little hesitant to let her watch Jaws the first time, actually, because my parents live on a lake (we're in Minnesota-- a lot of people live on lakes) and I was worried that she'd be afraid to go in the water. She wanted to watch it so badly, and I had this long conversation ready about the difference between freshwater and saltwater. I was ready to look up facts about shark attacks, and whatever other information she would need to assuage her fears. None of this turned out to be neccessary... she looked at me with wide eyes after the shark was exploded, and asked, "why did that mean woman hurt the shark?" (Context: my daughter calls all adults "woman", regardless of correction or preferred pronouns. She's four, and also gives random genders to our pets. Including our dog, Toby, who is both a boy and a girl, according to her. She isn't a progressive activist, or anything, she's just four.)

What does all of this have to do with Jurassic Park and David Attenborough? I'm getting there...

So, she likes animals, obviously. Television nature programs are the go-to for when I need a bit of peace and quiet to get things done. Right? Well... sort of. She loves Wild America. Marty Stouffer is her hero. (He has a beard!) There are a few other shows that get some regular play time, but we don't branch out a whole lot. We have to be careful. Why, you ask? There's all kinds of great animal documentaries out there, why limit yourself?

Well, because my daughter HATES David Attenborough.

I have no idea why. I assume that she just doesn't like his voice, but when I ask her, she just says, "I just don't like that guy." (She does use "guy" for both genders, just never "man")

Anyway, you can see how this might limit our options when it comes to nature documentaries-- since David Attenborough presents, well, ALL OF THEM.

What does that have to do with Jurassic Park?

John Hammond (you know the crazy, rich guy, who thought it was a good idea to make a theme park filled with carnivorous dinosaurs) is played by Richard Attenborough. That's right, David Attenborough's big brother. And, he's her favorite character. She LOVES Richard Attenborough. I mean, she's four, as far as she understands it, he's a guy with a cool beard and a magic mosquito cane that he used to make DINOSAURS! He's obviously the coolest woman ever.

He was also in Doctor Dolittle-- where he runs a circus and sings an awesome song about a push-me-pull-you, so Richard Attenborough can do no wrong in her book.

So, back to the Jeeps and Richard Kylie, and the reason I suddenly burst out laughing last night when we were watching Jurassic Park for the thousandth time. In the book, it was Richard Kylie narrating the safari tour also, but really if you're going to hire someone to narrate your fancy zoo tour, and you're "sparing no expense" your go-to-guy has to be David Attenborough, right?

I like to think that Richard Attenborough had a lot of fun with that line. Like, "Take that, bro. I'm getting Richard Kylie instead. Go trudge around the Galapagos. That's as close as you're getting to reptiles of unusual size."

So, anyway, that one seemingly random line, that is maybe a little bit of an inside joke, saved my daughter's favorite movie.

Because, if David Attenborough had narrated the tour in the Jeeps, I have no idea what would have happened. My daughter's brain would probably implode when the positively charged Attenborough collided with the negatively charged Attenborough.

[allsassnoclass]

Happy happy birthday!! 🥳 Congrats on another rotation around the sun! I went to send a bday message and realized I hadn't responded to your last (idk what the term would be, response to my ask? correspondence? who knows) so i'm combining them like the rebel i am. How did your retreat go? I hope it wasn't too stressful and you were able to have a good/productive retreat. I'm sorry to hear you're also in a bad group project; it is such a frustrating situation when your group doesn't cooperate.

I didn't settle on being a geology major until last semester so it's a little new for me, but I like that it's a science that doesn't always *feel* like a science if that makes sense? Also a lot of our classes on climate change fall under the geology department and that's something I've always been interested/passionate about. Plus, plate tectonics is super wacky and neat! For writing I'm best with shorter, darker works (while I have plenty of longer ideas I do not have the ability to finish any of them lol) and also a little bit of poetry? But not a whole lot bc I think it's a hard line to walk btwn good poetry and sounding pretentious and I don't want to end up on the wrong side lol.

Anyways enough about me! How did you end up picking your major? Are you going to do anything for your birthday? I am sending loads of well wishes and good vibes your way and I hope you have a lovely birthday week -💙

hello love! thank you for the birthday message!

the retreat went well!  we had a lot of people drop during the week leading up to it so it was a really really small retreatant pool but everyone there seemed really into it.  Idk for me it was not nearly as impactful as usual, probably because I was stressed about getting everyone fed and facilitating a good retreat for my small group, but that’s okay because it seemed to be really fruitful for everyone else and the formation leading up to it was pretty good for me. as for the group project I actually got so angry about it in class today that I talked to my teacher afterwards and he’s on my side so hopefully things end up okay. I hope your group project also ends up okay!

I'm glad you’re vibing with geology! plate tectonics are super wacky and neat I agree with you there and I find it really interesting that a lot of the climate change classes fall under the geology department? I wouldn’t have expected them to be there but that’s cool that you get to study that!

I think the thing about good poetry vs pretentiousness honestly mostly has to do with the level of sincerity.  pretentiousness, by definition, includes putting more importance on something than is deserved and thinking that you’re better than others for it.  it’s performative.  if you sincerely believe in and feel what you’re writing then it’s not pretentious.  there are a lot of people out here romanticizing little things and picking apart specific, small human emotions under a magnifying glass to give them importance.  that’s not pretentious, it’s actually a good skill/mindset to have in my opinion. don’t let fear of being pretentious keep you from writing whatever poetry you want to!

I picked my major because ultimately I want to be a theatre director at a high school.  I started out as a music business major (which was super fascinating and I kind of wish I had stuck with it) but I would be most successful with that if I moved to New York, LA, or Chicago and I didn’t really want to do that. I went through a few other major combinations before landing on theatre for my only major and music and English lit for minors.  I’ll probably end up going to grad school for theatre ed so it’ll be easier for me to get my teaching certificate. but yeah basically I chose my major because I just really want to direct high school theatre and this is what my school offers that will get me close to doing that.

I did not do anything for my birthday except open the presents my parents sent me! on Friday though I'm going to have a little lunch date/study session with a friend who’s birthday was the 12th! we typically go for walks on Fridays but tbh I'm behind in homework and upset about it so he’s going to pick up lunch for us and we’re going to just do a little special meal together while still being productive.  I did also get to go to the social for our retreat today though! wasn’t sure if I'd be able to make it because I had rehearsal for theatre but I got let out early so everyone there sang happy birthday to me which was neat.

I am receiving your good vibes! holding up a mirror so some of them bounce off and go back to you, too.  how has your week been so far? what are you up to?