#forever thankful geology is an applied science

[spoofyleaf]

Not me, I’m a geology major. I’m over here going

At rocks

what they don’t tell you about your favorite science, is that one day, it’s going to get very hard and on that day

you will know what the wrath of the god who you used to love.

You will know a heartbreak founded in betrayal and misery.

you will cry into the arms of the entity that you used to love, as they twist their claws into your ribcage.

and my only wish for you, is that once your wounds heal, you realize that it’s claws will no longer hurt you like they did before.

[wild-west-wind]

Hey! I love your blog! I was wondering what kind of tips you have for high schoolers to prepare for a future as a park ranger? Thanks in advance!

YCC!! Youth Conservation Corps, if you can hike and swing a hammer, you’re a US citizen without a criminal record, and 18 or under you’re eligible. Paid summer work with high schoolers in mind, you get a bed and food paid for. Jobs vary, but generally there’s a lot of hiking and maintenance stuff involved. Last year in my park YCC cut, assembled, and placed bumper logs to prevent folks from parking off road in heavy use areas. I think they also helped repair a road on a mountain which was fresh as hell and they did a great job.

Write about YCC for your college essay, and go to college. TBH it doesn’t matter where. Try not to get too much debt, try to go to a school that has an undergrad research program in the department you’ll be in. Maybe major in a natural sciences thing (biology, geology). Honestly getting the degree is the important part. My supervisors right now have a BA in Performing Arts and a Masters in Spanish Lit respectively. My roommate last year was a law major who worked in interpretation. Type of degree only matters if you want to go into a research/management sort of field. It’d be hard to do like Bear Management with a degree in Russian lit, but it’s been done.

Doing YCC in high school makes it easier to get a paid summer position in college. If you want to speed run your federal career, apply for General Schedule 3 positions when you start college. These require a high school degree, and your YCC experience would help separate you from the crowd. If you want to have a skill building experience that will increase your post college time as a seasonal but also broaden your horizons, do undergraduate research, or sign up for Americorps or Geoscientist in the Parks.

If you can make it work though I would suggest trying to get one season in as a GS 3 or 4 while in college.

Grad school is optional. It helps when you want to get promoted to a 9 when you get to your 30s, but it’s possible to work through the grades and skip it. As I consider the possibility of staying in NPS forever I’m thinking I’ll probably start applying again, personally.

Otherwise, general advice, try not to get lyme disease, try to go on a backpacking trip so you’ll have stories to tell around the campfire, start learning birds because you’ll be headed for a life of people pointing at a bird at saying “who is she?” Most importantly, don’t worry too much. I did everything wrong and I work for NPS in a ‘crown jewel’ park (I hate that but people say it a lot). Have fun, be cool, enjoy the outdoors, check for ticks.

[audaciousanonj]

Summer Nights and Starlight

Kicking off the 30 days of Monster Summer Mash with Papyrus taking his brother to gaze at stars! (Plus a cameo from @thunderstruck-edgelord‘s Reader bc Self Indulgence)

[AO3]

Papyrus had decided, long before he had ever wanted to be a royal guard, not to focus on the stars.

Obviously, he never would have told that to Sans! His brother had loved hearing about the stars, and used to go on and on about how he would be an astronaut one day. (Papyrus made a mental note to introduce the various thaumic sciences to NASA, and maybe wonder if they would accept monsters on the ISS. Perhaps they could start off slow, with, say… a skeleton monster who liked physics and applied thaumology?) However, Papyrus had never seen the appeal. If anything, he had been interested in geology! Why would he focus on a sky he might not ever have seen, when there were all those pretty rocks in waterfall that sparkled when his magic shone against them?

Of course, that had been before Frisk had came and the barrier had broken. Now they were all on the surface! Now Papyrus could see the sky! Rainbows! Sunrises and sunsets! Moon cycles and solar eclipses and…

And he still didn’t get what was so interesting about stars!!! The sky changed colors in the morning and evening; what was so fascinating about a few specks of white in the dark of night? Papyrus had confided his lack of interest to Flowey, who had asked Asgore what was so great about the stars that all the other monsters loved them. Asgore had then talked to Flowey and Frisk about the good old days when the skies were so full of stars you could make out galaxies, and Frisk had responded by introducing everyone to the concept of “light pollution.”

Which led to today, with Papyrus borrowing Asgore’s truck to drive a snoozing Sans and a bed full of camping supplies out into the desert.

Alphys and Undyne had gone out stargazing last week, and according to Undyne it was “the best thing ever, you HAVE to try it! Even Alphys thought it was cool, and she’s a huge shut-in! We could have watched the stars all night, if we hadn’t-” Undyne had stopped abruptly then, telling Papyrus more than he wanted to know, before quickly changing the subject. “Anyways, you said your brother was a HUGE NERD about space, why not go stargazing together?”

Papyrus still hadn’t been convinced that the hype was worth it, but the thought of the look on Sans’ face as he saw the stars had finally convinced him. This would be the perfect way to rekindle his brother’s passions..!

...Or shatter them forever. Sans had always been so hyped about the idea of stars, flaming balls of gas from so far away and yet so beautiful; how could reality possibly live up to the ideal? Papyrus was no stranger to realities falling short of paradise, what with having to navigate and predict the scuffles between human and monster culture as a part of his job. Sometimes it was better to let your dreams be dreams! If he brought Sans out here to stargaze only to see his brother’s face fall as he realized that stars really weren’t that great, then...

Then…

Papyrus abruptly realized he wasn’t paying attention to the road, and pulled over. Not paying attention while driving was bad news! And usually ended up on the news too! And it was almost sunset anyways, so it was probably a good idea to go deeper into the desert and away from the highway; that is, once his bones would cooperate and stop rattling so much!!!

“oh hey, we’ve stopped. are we- bro?”

Papyrus yelped in surprise as his brother’s voice came from the backseat. “EVERYTHING IS EXTREMELY FINE, NO PROBLEMS HERE!!!”

“bro.”

Papyrus refused to look in the rearview mirror. If he didn’t acknowledge the look on his brother’s face, then he didn’t have to answer the implied question! “NO, WE ARE NOT THERE YET, I AM SIMPLY TAKING A LITTLE… PAUSE BEFORE I CONTINUE. NOW HUSH, I NEED TO CONCENTRATE.” With the topic sufficiently avoided, Papyrus shifted gears and drove off the highway completely, and onto the dry desert terrain.

Sans stared in surprise as the truck headed further away from the highway. “uh... bro? the road is the other way.”

“I KNOW WHICH WAY THE ROAD IS, SANS. NOW HUSH. ”

Sans managed to keep silent for about seven minutes before finally giving in to the inevitable. “so, we’re just gonna keep trucking ahead, are we?”

“SANS IF I HEAR ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU I SWEAR I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND,” Papyrus gritted out, but a part of him relaxed. Sans wouldn’t be able to resist such an obvious opening, and that would give Papyrus the excuse he needed to cancel this whole excursion! It’s not like either of them would be missing much, it was just stars!

Sans, naturally, took the bait. “one more word-”

Papyrus started turning.

“wha- hey, wait bro, i was just kidding!”

“TOO LATE, SANS. I GAVE YOU YOUR CHANCE BUT YOU THREW IT AWAY.” Still, Papyrus hesitated. Sans did seem eager to continue the “SURPRISE BROTHERLY OUTING” Papyrus had planned...

“it was just a joke! come on, i’ll be silent the rest of the trip, i promise!”

Papyrus slammed the brakes.

“gah!”

Sans didn’t make promises.

(“uh, bro..?”)

Sans didn’t make promises. Not casually.

(“what’s rattling your bones?”)

Sans didn’t make promises except for things that were important to him which meant this trip was important to him (“paps?”) even though he didn’t even know what they were going to do but he still really wanted to do this and Papyrus was going to cancel something that Sans really (“Papyrus?”) hoped for but if he kept going it would destroy his (“Papyrus. Talk to me.”) dreams and how can he make that choice how can he decide between Sans’ hopes or dreams or hopes or dreams or-

“Papyrus. Hey. Look at me.”

Papyrus blinked in surprise, and let out a sudden sob as his body informed him that he had been hyperventilating.

“you stopped the car, that’s good. lets you ride out something else,” Sans said soothingly from the front seat, having relocated himself while Papyrus was… busy.

“TH-THAT PUN WA-AS AWF-F-FUL.” Papyrus choked out.

“yeah, but it’s calming you down, isn’t it?”

“IT IS AND I HA-HATE IT!” Papyrus let out another hitching breath, and leaned against the steering wheel. He didn’t really hate it, but it had become something of a running joke between the brothers and Papyrus was too exhausted to try and come up with a different response.

“just keep breathing, bro, you’re doing fine,” Sans continued. Papyrus didn’t often break down, but when he did he usually broke down hard, so Sans had experience in comforting Papyrus. He still wasn’t sure if it was more or less experience than he’d like. On one hand, he hated when Papyrus broke down like this, but on the other hand, maybe if Sans could help him more before it became too much, Papyrus would break down less. “ya want me to pet your skull?”

“UH-HUH,” Papyrus mumbled into the steering wheel, closing his eyes as Sans made good on his offer. They stayed like that for a couple minutes, silent except for Papyrus’ slowly evening breaths and the scratches of bone on bone.

“hey, papyrus…” Sans hesitantly broke the silence, “do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Papyrus stiffened. He really didn’t. He really, really didn’t. The mere thought of destroying his brother’s passions in such a way had sent him spiraling into a panic attack, of course he couldn’t tell Sans what’s wrong! Even if the thought of sharing his burdens with his brother sent a desperate ache in his soul, his brother had his own problems to deal with! So really, why would he ever say “I-WAS-GOING-TO-TAKE-YOU-STARGAZING-BUT-STARS-ARE-SO-OVERHYPED-WHAT-IF-YOU-REALIZED-THAT-AND-NEVER-GOT-PASSIONATE-ABOUT-ANYTHING-AGAIN-!”

Papyrus slammed his hand over his mouth.

“oh.” Sans paused, going over what his brother just said. “is this your ‘everything has to be perfect’ thing?”

“NNN…”

“because, you know it doesn’t matter that much to me, right? yeah, stargazing sounds super cool, and you’re the coolest for taking me out here to do it, but it’s not going to be ruined if there’s, i dunno, clouds or anything. just getting to spend some time as a family makes the trip worth it.”

“BUT- BUT WHAT IF IT’S NOT CLOUDS?” Papyrus asked, “WHAT IF THE STARS THEMSELVES AREN’T ACTUALLY THAT INTERESTING TO GAZE AT?”

“easy. i’ll shoot off some stellar puns, eat an entire bag of marshmallows, and fall asleep.”

“SANS! WE DON’T EVEN HAVE MARSHMALLOWS!”

Sans just grinned. “so, does this mean we’re gonna continue?”

Papyrus smiled. “YES, WE ARE. I DO NEED TO CONCENTRATE, THOUGH, SINCE WE AREN’T ON THE ROAD.”

“alright. you won’t hear another peep out of me.”

“THANK YOU- SANS! NO MORE PUNS!”

“come on bro, don’t be so mallowdramatic.”

“SANS!!!!”

Once Papyrus found a good camping site that was sufficiently away from the road, he set up the tent, and then he and Sans had dinner. If Papyrus was by himself, he would have continued sitting outside to watch the sky change colors, but Sans had convinced him to wait inside the tent until the sun was fully down so that when they went outside they could get the full effect of the sky all at once.

Papyrus had gone along with Sans’ idea. This trip was for his benefit, after all.

“so she’s just eating the jar of mayo- like, just eating it straight out of the jar- when all of a sudden she asks me if i’ve ever felt like there’s something that was supposed to happen, but didn’t,” Sans continued, halfway through telling a story about a human he met at Grillby’s. “so i pick myself up off the floor, because philosophy is my jam, and go ‘yeah?’ and she’s like ‘once, i was walking home during this huge thunderstorm, when out of nowhere i got the urge to check some nearby dumpsters. there wasn’t even anything there, but i could have sworn that i would have found someone hiding! weird, right?’ and i was like ‘yeah that’s weird,’ and she said ‘wouldn’t it be super cool if somewhere there was a world where i met my best friend by those dumpsters?’ and then we talked about chaos and multiverse theories for a while.”

“HOW INTERESTING! SOUNDS LIKE YOU MADE A NEW FRIEND, BROTHER!”

“eh, maybe,” Sans shrugged. “hey, it’s pretty dark out there. think it’s finally time to go stargazing?”

Papyrus stiffened a bit, before forcing himself to relax. “IF YOU SAY SO!”

“alright then. close our eyes, and step outside on the count of three?”

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLA-”

“wait, hang on...”

Papyrus paused, and turned to look back at Sans, who looked more excited than usual. “YES?”

“wouldn’t it be super cool if we counted backwards from ten, like a spaceship launch?”

Papyrus couldn’t decide whether he wanted to laugh or cry. Even if Sans would enjoy tonight no matter what... “THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING! LET’S DO IT!” Well, if this was the last night his brother would like space, Papyrus wouldn’t deny him this. “TEN…”

“nine…” Sans closed his eyes and grinned.

“EIGHT...” Papyrus grabbed his brother’s hand and turned towards the tent door.

“seven…” Sans entwined his phalanges with his brothers’ and squeezed.

“SIX.” Papyrus grabbed the tent zipper with his other hand and closed his eyes.

“five..!” Sans’ voice shook with excitement as he heard the tent door unzipping.

“FOUR!” Papyrus carefully made his way out of the tent without letting go of his brother or opening his eyes.

“three!” Sans felt himself being gently pulled by Papyrus out into the cool desert night.

“TWO!” Papyrus stopped, eyes still shut, and let go of his brother’s hand.

“one!” Sans tilted his head up.

Together, they opened their eyes.

‘OH,’ Papyrus thought, ‘MAYBE THE STARS REALLY DO DESERVE THEIR HYPE.’

Sans was staring at the sky with awe and wonder, more at ease than Papyrus had ever seen him. Papyrus had no doubt that Sans’ jaw would have dropped if it wasn’t fused to the rest of his skull.

Satisfied that his brother was enjoying the view, Papyrus looked up to see it himself.

It was…

Well…

It definitely was! It sure did exist! Or rather, it had existed several hundred years ago and they were only seeing it now? His brother had told him that little factoid earlier. In any case, it definitely was a view! Certainly a thing he was able to look at, if there wasn’t anything else to catch his attention!

“so, what do you think?” Sans’ voice was barely a whisper, “is the view everything you hoped for?”

“IT’S PERFECT,” Papyrus replied, gazing at the blissful look on his brother’s face. After all, Papyrus was never one to focus on the stars.

[peopleofpennsylvania]

Samuel Hazard’s Register of Pennsylvania, 1831

Page 94: And by this disposition of the money thus arising, your committee believe no inconvenience will be felt, as before mentioned. It is recommended that the money thus paid, should be loaned to the commonwealth at an annual interest of five percentum, until otherwise directed; and that until the school fund shall have increased to $400,000, the interest arising upon the sums loaned shall be loaned in like manner; thus reserving, until that period, to the commonwealth the use of the whole sum paid, and the interest upon the same. At that period, we have every assurance that the financial concerns of our state will be truly prosperous. The great chains of canal and railroad, we are now constructing, will ere then be completed, and in the full tide of successful operations, affording sources of profitable and unfailing revenue, so much so, that it cannot remain longer questionable even with the most incredulous, but that they will yield an undisposed of surplus, sufficient to meet the deficiency that will then be occasioned by the diversion of the proceeds from land. And in the event of a possible failure form these sources, the necessity of providing for the ordinary and indispensable expenditures of government, will at once reconcile the people of Pennsylvania to any measures that may be deemed necessary to meet them.

Page 231: The Governor told him he would keep it as an emblem of friendship between the people of Pennsylvania and the Menomonee nation, and desired him to call at his house the next day, when he would make him a present to keep in remembrance of his brothers of this state. The chiefs and two females, the wives of two Chiefs, then shook hands with the Governor, Mr. Ingersoll, and those around them, and were escorted back to their lodgings.

Page 239: Washington City, Feb. 6, 1831. Mr. Elliott Cresol, My Friend;—Permit me to address you as such, in which character I view all the humane and benevolent, who exercise sympathetic feelings for the Indians under their trials and sufferings. Far was it from the expectation of Washington and Penn, when they entered into treaties of peace with our ancestors, that we, their descendants, should so soon feel the inconvenience of violated faith, which they and other great men assured them should endure forever. Even now, do we believe that if partisan newspapers and leaders, and aspiring politicians, did not throw clouds and darkness upon our rights, that justice would be continued to our race by the people of the United States. It was with surprise and unexpected to me as the noise of thunder in a cloudless sky, that I read the remarks of Judge Wilkins of Pittsburg, calculated to tarnish the fair fame of William Penn, whose kindness, honor, integrity and justice is above all price, and cherished in the remembrance of even the South Western Indians. Is it true that the good people of Pennsylvania hold their tenures of land, forced from the bleeding and weeping Indians, who like the wounded deer, driven off by hunters from their standing forests and running waters, have languished away their doleful existence in the remote regions of the West? Where is the monument of the injustice of that man recorded? It is not in the heart of an Indian! Did he ever compel Indians to be amenable to Pennsylvania laws, and at the same time denied her the right of evidence in her courts? If laws were passed by him, they were not to oppress but to protect. Sir, we have nothing to do with the party warfare which rages in the U. States. But politicians should not in this enlightened age, seek the examples of cruelty practiced by some of the colonists, under British and Spanish influence, to justify their favorite chief. But I am yet to learn of the time and manner of Penn’s injustice to my ancestors, or to other tribes of Indians who were his immediate neighbors.

Page 246: In concluding a review of the labors of the past year, we shall not be considered as indulging in a useless expenditure of time, by adverting to the laudable spirit of improvement which has manifested itself in other sections of the state. Several of the neighboring counties, following the example, which the flourishing condition of our institution affords, have established similar societies; and from the zeal and enterprise which distinguished many of the individuals concerned, we have much reason to anticipate a complete development of the hidden productions of nature, contained in their respective limits. It is by the establishment of such institutions, and their continued and vigorous cooperation in acquiring a knowledge of the natural products which surround them, that we may hope to obtain a perfect collection of all that is curious and interesting to the lover of science, or become acquainted with all that is useful and valuable to the manufacturer and artist. In endeavoring to cultivate a taste for the study of geology and mineralogy, and disseminate a proper sense of it importance to the people of Pennsylvania, Peter A. Browne, Esq. has rendered a service to his fellow citizens, which cannot fail, ultimately, to be duly appreciate. His ardent and indefatigable exertions in urging a geological survey of the state, as a measure tending to enhance its prosperity, and reveal its internal resources, entitle him to the thanks and gratitude of all who are friendly to the promotion of useful objects.

Page 275: Copies of this resolution were transmitted, of course, to those assemblies. A copy was also ordered to be sent, by express, to the magistrates, and people of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, on the waters of the Susquehanna.

Page 290: Thus much has been attained, and, though not of immediate advantage, it is sufficient to encourage perseverance in exertions to erect a system of education, which may, at least, preserve Pennsylvania from falling more than she has as yet, behind her sister states, in the march of moral and intellectual improvement. We believe that a change in public opinion, to a great extent, has taken place within a few years, as to the necessity of forming some system of schools, and the propriety of doing it soon. It is with the people of Pennsylvania that these questions remain, and by them that they must be determined. We seek to convince them of the importance of public elementary schools, and persuaded that we advocate the cause of truth and real utility, do not despair of ultimate success. The information already obtained has confirmed us in our impressions, as to the wants of the state, and we believe that some of the members of our Legislature entertain erroneous opinions of the wishes of their constituents, in supposing them to be adverse to the measure. It is remarkable that scarcely any have remonstrated against the passage of the bill, lately before the Assembly—while meetings favorable to education have been held in several parts of the state. An account of that held in Cumberland, received by the Council, presents evidence of the interest felt by the people of that county, as well as of their intelligent views of the subject.

Page 304: In the hope that some one of the learned readers of the Register may furnish a notice of the work alluded to, I send the following extract from Jefferson’s memories, vol. 1st, page 392.

“Many, many years ago, Cadwallader Colden wrote a very small pamphlet on the subject of attraction and impulsion, a copy of which he sent to Monsieur de Buffon. He was so charmed with it that he put it into the hands of a friend to translate, who lost it. It has ever since weighted on his mind, and he has made repeated trials to have it found in England, but in vain. He applied to me, I am in hopes, if you will write a line to the Booksellers of Philadelphia to rummage their shops that some of them may find it. Or, perhaps some of the careful old people of Pennsylvania or New Jersey may have preserved a copy. Letter addressed to F. Hopkinson, Esq.

Page 337: The subject of education, has lately excited more than usual interest in many portions of our community, and has also received the special attention of our Legislature. Much however, yet remains to be done, in order to bring the subject in all its practical bearings before the public, and to establish such a system of instruction, as shall be suited to the wants of the people of Pennsylvania. with a view to the ultimate accomplishment of this object, a society has been formed in this city, called the Philadelphia Association of Teachers.

Page 370: You have observed that the settlement of the account to which the lien is given, must be confirmed by the Supreme Executive Council. This was in 1785; in the year 1790, the people of Pennsylvania made for themselves a new Constitution, or form of government, and thereby the executive power of the commonwealth was vested in the Governor; and the executive council of course ceased to exist.