#thesis chat

[bearberrythief]

Oh god they're voting

[bearberrythief]

Also: dinosaurs being birdy isn't as new as people seem to think it is! Huxley proposed an evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and birds in 1869! For some birdyness in Knight's non-avian dinosaurs I found this super interesting publication from 1905 where H.F. Osborn directly compares theropod dinosaurs to birds using illustrations by Knight:

Henry Fairfield Osborn “Fossil Wonders of the West: The Dinosaurs of the Bone-Cabin Quarry,” in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine 68, no. 5 (September 1904): 688-689. (internet archive link to source) the discussion of the theory is on pages 690-693.

The caption on the vulture reads "Vulture feeding in the New York Zoölogical Park to show the manner in which the carnivorous dinosaur probably tore his food."

The Allosaurus on the opposite page is an extremely outdated restoration, but it's very interesting to get a glimpse at how paleontologists and paleoartists were drawing from living dinosaurs to understand extinct dinosaurs. In 1904!

And the next page has a very naked Ornithilestes catching an archaeopteryx.

I'm an art historian and I just finished a thesis on Charles Knight's art for the AMNH at the turn of the nineteenth century. My thesis was basically about how Knight used visual conventions from natural history illustrations of animals made for a lay audience to depict non-avian dinosaurs as animals that were once alive rather than monsters. (I say were once alive because of fossilization as well as bc the evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs wasn't accepted at that point in time, though as a side note, E.D. Cope commissioned some paintings of fairly birdy non-avian dinosaurs from Knight) It's wild to me that over a century later lots of people still don't fully accept that dinosaurs are animals that can be studied like any other animal.

You've talked about people seeing dinosaurs as movie monsters before, and through reading conversations on this blog and my own historical research, it really struck me how paleontologists have been struggling to convince people to accept dinosaurs as animals for as long as the discipline has existed. Something about the perceived rigidity of categories and the lasting power of the great chain of being combined with a lack of scientific literacy and anti-science beliefs.

Anyways, you have my sympathy that you're dealing with so many assholes. Birds are dinosaurs and dinosaurs are animals, etc, etc, Have a lovely day :)

Y u p to alllll of this

there's a reason I still love the Knight paintings even if they're very outdated now

well, two reasons. I did grow up in chicago and those gorgeous illustrations are all over the field museum. but also because they're an honest attempt to depict prehistoric animals as animals.

[myrmica]

eclipse federation is girls

[camcorderrevival]

amy pond: on beauty, ageing and birth ( part two here )

[ all text with grey background is from the lovely @amelia​​​​ <3 the most accomplished amy scholar of our time || the eleventh hour, flesh and stone, meanwhile in the tardis, amy’s choice, S5 draft of the doctor’s wife ]

[xxplastic-cubexx]

need a hardened respectful fujo to sit down with james mcavoy and discuss cherik with him insteada this peanut gallery cause if i have to hear people laugh about a gay ship one more time i just might eat rocks

[thunderc1an]

what is your thesis about?

runs around happily! This is my simplified version of what my argument is about

TLDR: that Angel under god in the creation of Adam? Yeah that’s St. Michael

[the-kr8tor]

Well I just finished formatting the pages of BDAS (still needs the front pages and back pages) and... well...

427 pages.

OMFG WHAT?!!!! IM WOOZY I CANNOT BELIEVE I WROTE THAT MUCH

(tell me when u need that signature sent ��)

[clowningcrows]

the way that so many people are willing to literally destroy the earth just “talk” to their favorite fictional character. or to not have to write their own damn paper. or their own email

[f0point5]

Doing this completely anon cause I'm genuinely scared of the backlash that may occur - This is controversial and also contradictory so im willing to be shat on for this hot take.

Charles cannot seriously be hoping to win races and be a world champion. I've got no proof just my own absurd theories but I seriously cannot see him becoming a wc. Lando is the same. They both are so alike. One bad race or bad moment and they shit on themselves and lose control and take a week to bounce back from it. I as much as I have love for them and am starting to think they genuinely believe they will win a dc. Oscar and Carlos are the only ones who could on either team as it currently stands. Unlike merc where George could in the team even tho he is lewis' teamate he actually could. But Charles and lando can't unless they change their mindset and team. And tbh to some extent I see both Charles and lando not nearly serious enough about f1 at the moment. And I know 'social media is fake and only shows so much blah blah blah we dont know them personally' but if they gave a fuck they'd risk the money and try and get into redbull. They'd risk thier paychecks and get the money invested into the team. And again I know I don't know what is happening behind the scenes and I'm whatever for saying this but Charles won't win a dc and neither will lando. Max is by far the most authentic, marketable, talented and most relatable driver and I'm a lewis girl (well more lance than lewis but just showing my bias that typically happens with lewis fans).

- Charles isn't dedicated (I believe)

- lando isn't either

- neither will win a wdc

- this celebrity branding thats going on is fucking ridiculous, lewis and max (although he's not nearly as willing to want the title) are the only ones who truly deserve it

- Daniel while yes is charismatic isn't all that talented anymore and would do better in another series. (I included Daniel cause I thought of the celeb status and him)

- and also drivers can only be so relatable and likeable as long as they stay grounded and don't seem so big for their boots and tbh again as a lewis fan (initally) I'm just not really caring for him and the va va voom of him anymore (that was wierd admitting) and when Charles is getting more 'celeb-like' he becomes more unlikable same with lando...

This was long and I apologise 😭🫶🏻

WOAH. Okay we about to get trashed for this but ya know what, idc, I partially agree with you.

I don’t think Charles, or Lando, will ever win a WDC. I think of the two of them Charles is the one with the real shot, because I think he has a much stronger mentality than Lando. I don’t think the pressure gets to him for pressure’s sake the way it does with Lando. I think where Charles knows he doesn’t have the equipment he gets desperate, and mistakes happen. Whereas Lando just can’t seem to hold it together over a weekend, and I think a lot of what affects Lando happens outside the car, which is why he would crumble in a title fight. That said, I think time will run out for Charles, George, Carlos, Lando, etc. Those teams won’t catch up to Red Bull before ‘26 and by then Oscar, and whoever else has come in from the next generation will be younger and hungrier, and the next cycle will start. For me, they will miss their window. I won’t say for sure but that’s my feeling, and if by the end of next season the Ferrari team is not operating like Red Bull (meaning they have a clear #1 driver, and their strategy and pit stops are where they need to be) it will be clear that not even Fred can change the tide and they are an unserious team where Charles will waste his talent.

I disagree that it would be a smart idea to get into Red Bull. Tbh I don’t think Red Bull would want Charles, but that’s another issue. That team is Max’s and it will be until he leaves (or suddenly can’t drive a car anymore but that won’t happen). As a driver, you have to think you’re the best driver, but I don’t think either Charles or Lando is delulu enough to think that they could beat Max in Max’s Red Bull (and this is not me saying they build the car for Max, I’m saying that when Newey hands you a car and Max is saying “make it faster” and everything you do to the car to make it driveable only makes it slower…you are fighting a losing battle). Red Bull would not only be a waste of time for them, but yes, probably a big financial loss, because they both benefit from marketing themselves as #1 drivers at the moment.

I have to say, I agree that it doesn’t seem to me that Charles is as committed to being WDC as he could be. Disclaimer - this is purely based off vibes, I don’t know the guy. I’m not saying he’s not doing his job, he absolutely is, but the self promotion levels, at a time when the results are not resulting…signals to me he’s branching out. I talked a lot last season about how I think he’s transitioning out of the “Il Predestinato” image, and how I felt part of that is because it is becoming less likely that he will win a WDC. I think it’s clever of him to think about doing other things though, because so much of what it takes to get a dc is out of his control, and he doesn’t even have the bare bones of a team or a car that will let him challenge for a title. There is no point in him waiting around for Ferrari to get it together, if they get it together he can revisit but right now…I think it’s in his best interest to get his bag.

I don’t think there’s many similarities between Charles and Lando’s path here, Lando is a wholeeee other essay 😂

But I disagree that the branding is ridiculous, I think it’s a logical thing to do. Yes these guys make good money from their teams but that won’t last forever, they have pretty short careers. It’s good for them to use their platform to build income streams for themselves that will go beyond their F1 career. Charles previously hadn’t been able to do that and now he is, which is definitely a positive. I will give Max and his team props here because I think he’s sneakily got the best alternative income streams of anyone. Verstappen.com must absolutely be raking it in with those grandstand deals, the merch is consistent, his brand deals are minimal but they’re big and they stick with him. My point is, drivers do need alternative income streams, especially when their brand can’t just be “I win”.

Lewis a master at this, I will admit, I just don’t like his brand. But it is consistent and he has managed to transcend F1 as his own brand which will keep him comfortable for the rest of his life, so good for him. I don’t buy into the brand but the brand is branding, I have to recognise.

I don’t really get Charles’s brand identity yet lol so I can’t tell if how likeable it will be. I mean, currently he is very liked, it’s possible it will stay that way. I really couldn’t say. I think Lando is about to have an unlikeable season but I also think his “babygirl brat” thing is pretty amusing and won’t ultimately alienate his fan base.

It was long but it was fun. The villagers will come for us with pitchforks for this opinion though.

[bearberrythief]

Thesis defense tomorrow I'm sweating

[sleepymarimo]

I saw someone say Toji would never get over his wife dead and would never fall in love again, what do you think about that?

anon!! thank you so much for the message and i'm sorry for the delay, it took me forever to get my thoughts into words. it's a bit of a jumbled mess. i might even go back and add something i forgot lol.

so, i'll break down what i think about this question…

also like mild disclaimer but this is just how i see toji's character! he can be whoever you want 🫡

tldr: i don't think it's impossible, but he's not gonna make it easy for you!

wc: a little over 1k-ish?

so, according to mr. gege, toji gave himself to megumi-mama wholly. he was undoubtedly in love with her and i believe that he fell for her first. given his history with the zen'in clan, one can maybe assume that megumi-mama was just unlike anyone else he'd ever met. to me, it makes sense that toji would fall for her first, whether it was her kindness or other aspect of her character.

minor side note here, but i feel like we don't truly know much about megumi-mama's character. all we know is that she significantly impacted toji's life and honestly, i love her character. if she has no fans, i am dead </3 it's a classic case of real recognizing real, and toji would not be the man he is without her. i

anyway…

following the death of his late wife, plus the time toji momentarily spent as a somewhat proper husband and father, i'd say he's self-aware to the point that he won't allow himself the chance to fall in love again.

that said, impossible is a strong word. i think, given the right person and conditions, he can get himself to fall in love again.

the 'who falls in love first' question is hard to answer. he falls first, he might protect himself and dip before things get too deep. you fall first, start to ask him for commitments, he'll feel like he's suffocating.

if you fall first:

due to his freeloading tendencies and overall lifestyle at this point in the story, he's not above taking what you willingly give him. truly, to me, there's a very sensitive balance that must be maintained when it comes to handling the sorcerer killer.

to hand everything to him on a silver platter would be his dream. he'll stick around, he might even pretend to care. he's not above taking the easy street while keeping his options open. you're good and great, but if someone is offering more, he's off.

while toji has no respect for himself or others, i believe he has a thing for people who can hold their own ground and respect themselves.

remember when todo asks megumi what his type is and megumi's answer was a person with an unshakable character? a person with a moral compass that isn't easily swayed? yeah, i believe he gets that from his dad.

sticking to your guns, not being a complete pushover, catches toji's attention.

if you were to fall in love first, but keep some solid boundaries and don't let him walk all over you, that's a plus. he might try to push a little (since he'd catch on pretty quick if you were crushing on him), but if you hold your ground and don't let him take, take, take… that earns you points.

i like to think of keeping a loose leash, keeping him in your orbit and allowing him to do his thing. he might not even realize that he comes to your place first, that he stops entertaining others. yet, the second you start tugging, shortening that leash, he'll flail and bail.

if he falls first:

if toji gets the feeling that he's, well, feeling things for you, nothing is stopping him from severing the connection right then and there. he can find other beds to crash, other scraps to eat. whether he acknowledges it or not, he's a runner. there's no need to make things complicated when he can simply leave it all behind.

it's an interesting thing because yes, he can be selfish and indulgent, but ultimately he's protecting himself. in my opinion, one of the reasons he's wary about falling in love again is because it requires him to make himself vulnerable. and by being vulnerable, he has to give up control.

he's been vulnerable all his life, whether it was being the zen'in's punching bag or falling in love only to have megumi-mama die, and has been hurt physically, emotionally, mentally, etc.

to fall in love again and have that kind of connection is... a lot. it's easier to brush attachments off, to stay in control and enjoy the fleeting pleasures of life.

but, like i said, nothing is impossible.

under the right conditions, i think toji can be tempted to stick around. not that he has to be forced to see you, but having a link to you makes it a little more difficult for him to leave. some fun scenarios to think about would be:

a reader who works at his favorite food joint. why would he give up the best offal in town?

a reader who is a secretary for one of his clients, maybe a client themselves, someone he frequently does business with

a reader who also dapples in underground work, maybe an informant, etc.

a reader who works at a race track, or somewhere he usually goes to place bets

get the gist? if he just knows you as an acquaintance with no other link, it's easier for him to leave. associate yourself with a place or person that he can't quite walk away from, and it's just a bit harder to walk away.

should this be the case, then i think it would be more likely for him to fall first, depending on your interactions of course.

unlike with megumi-mama, who he gave himself to wholly, he'll give you bit and pieces of him, like a puzzle. even if he starts to get attached, he's hesitant to put all of his eggs in one basket. so over the period of time that he knows you, he'll start revealing more or doing more, and he watches your reactions.

it's not the most healthy, mature thing in the world, but i feel that he'd totally 'test' you.

it's like he's waiting for you to walk away, to confirm the bias he already has that he can't do love again. you'll either pass his tests or confront him about his behavior, both which i think can potentially work in your favor.

eventually, as i mentioned before, he'll start to come around more and see less women until you're the only person he's with.

once he's in, he's in.

i'm just gonna go off topic a bit here but..

will it be different? yes. will he compare to megumi-mama? probably. she will cross his mind, maybe things he used to do with her, he'll do with you and he has to learn how to separate those things. will he feel guilty? there's a good chance. like i said, it's something he has to learn to accept.

like i said, off topic, but imo this man really needs a partner who is emotionally mature. hell, if you're able to talk to him about his late wife, maybe even convince him to go to visit her grave, it would heal him in ways that he didn't even know he needed.

well… i hope that answered your question anon! if you have any more, pls let me know! it means a lot that you asked me and trust my opinion 😭

like i said before, this is just my opinion on toji and how i view his character while writing :P

[nottsangel]

hi hello loves goodmorninggggg ^_^

[nikosasaki]

I think oc fanfiction should fall into either one of two categories (with no finite borders, aspects of them can obviously coexist);

a) the fix, where the bare bones of the story/some characters are valuable but the narrative is lacking in some way and the oc and the changes that come with said oc exist to improve or 'fix' these perceived flaws,

b) the expansion, where the existing story is already solid (in the eyes of the oc creator) and a desire exists to expand the universe through the eyes of a character who might offer a new or different perspective.

b demands some if not complete respect for the original story while a demands almost none, but both require some sort of love for what is originally there, and a desire to engage with it. oc fanfiction should, then, always be a labor of love.

[thunderc1an]

Today I wanted to focus on research for my thesis, I’m so eepy, I just read so much from 12pm to 4:15pm but wow I feel great by how much I did today! But so eepy

[liefdesleven]

just got invited to a housewarming in JUNE. which is literally 1.5 months away but to me it feels like such a far future. yeah sure I'm not doing anything then yet. I'm sure by then we'll have flying cars so I can come no sweat

[todayisafridaynight]

re: last anon i definitely think it comes from the uhhh whole threatened thingy. Since most of y3 is. Well. Uhm. Daigo Coma Hours we spend a lot of time w/ that guy in a threatened state. Hence the more “violent” interpretations bc. Well. his sillyguy’s in a coma. Though I’ve definitely seen Mine’s more… stressed (for lack of better words) state being misinterpreted as his natural state and I can see how that would lead to more frequent violent kirinmine takes etc. (Hopefully this is coherent I am soooooooooo tired rn)

for Last Anon