#ugh this is so cheesy

[ilovecoelacanths]

This is a story about a book that changed my life.

It's also about how amazing libraries and authors and people who care about sharing cool things with curious kids are. Also, fish (especially fish). It's kind of different than what I usually post but it's been bouncing around in my head basically since I started this blog so here you go, I hope you like it. This is the reason I love coelacanths so much, and why I think everyone should know about how amazing they are.

When I was little, I loved going to the library. My little brother and I would pick out way too many books and the librarians always had to come over to override the 30 book limit at the checkout stand (they pretty much knew us on sight and were ready to override it as soon as we started heading over to check out). After we finished getting our library books, our mom also let us look through the free pile that was in the foyer on the way out. It was mostly old library books that the librarians just needed to clean out, but there were a lot of books that people brought when they cleaned out their personal collections too (especially teachers, and there were a bunch of books with old school library stamps inside). The free pile didn't usually have a lot of things that interested me, but one day when I was poking through it I found a book called Fossil Fish Found Alive: Discovering the Coelacanth, by Sally M. Walker.

I loved it. I had never even heard of coelacanths before, but this book fascinated me. It told the story of an incredible animal, long thought to be extinct, that had somehow survived for millions of years! It was nothing like any fish I had ever learned about before. I already had a casual interest in marine biology that I can thank PBS Kids and Wild Kratts for (particularly their episode on sperm whales and giant squid, I loved that episode), but this book took it to a new level. I wanted to be a marine biologist so I could learn more about coelacanths.

Like a lot of things when you're 7, that was a phase. Unlike a lot of phases, this one I came back to. After taking a break from my dreams of being a marine biologist to experience the hell that is middle school, one day I pulled a book off my shelf. I hadn't read it in a while. When I picked it up again, I remembered how incredible this animal was, and how much it had inspired me when I was younger, and those thoughts of becoming a marine biologist started to return. I'm in college now studying marine science, and I brought the book with me to school, where it sits next to two other science books that have inspired me (My Friends the Wild Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall and The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson).

Earlier this year, I was thinking about how much this one book had changed my life and I wondered if I could find Ms. Walker and thank her. I knew she had many other science books for younger audiences, and even another book about coelacanths, so I was sure she had a website of some kind, and I was right. So I found her contact page and wrote her an email explaining the impact her book had had on my life, and thanking her for it. And to my surprise, she responded! She was very kind and we sent a few emails back and forth. She gave me some excellent advice and even told me about some of the people she contacted while researching her book, including Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer herself, the person who rediscovered the coelacanth when it was thought to be extinct! I'll never forget how she took the time to respond to me and how encouraging she was.

But Ms. Walker isn't the only one I have to thank for pointing me toward the path I'm on right now. If I hadn't already loved reading, if I hadn't seen any show or video to make me interested in marine biology, if the library didn't have a pile of books for anyone to take home, if I had lost that book during one of our many moves as a kid, I don't know what I'd be doing right now. There were a lot of things that happened to make it so that I found this book, but I'm glad for every single one of them. They led to me learning about an incredible animal and changed the course of my life. And now, I love coelacanths.

[cementcornfield]

some bonus comments i enjoyed from ja'marr lmao

[puppyeared]

a shadow that loves light

anton belongs to @poicyss, inspired by this hehe ^^

[comatosebunny09]

Merchant!reader employs Atreus’ help with gathering supplies for a spell. Kratos discovers his son scavenging for lavender in the woods and decides to assist. The pair return to Y/N’s shop, and when asked by Kratos what all these items are for, Y/N turns into a stammering mess. Later on, when the topic comes up in passing with Freya, she reveals that the supplies were the fixings for a love spell. Kratos inwardly wonders who it was intended for.

[spideyhexx]

To not kill him would be dumb asf - I think they’ll just show that his death was not in vain and hopefully that’s what they mean and how it’s impacted the culture?? To feed into a conspiracy would be lousy writing. I hope they don’t dress it up either and make it this dramatic affair - it was a dirty unfair death anyway, surely it would be more impactful to just have him shot in the back of the head and it’s just this gut wrenching clip of him laid out while the blood leaks out and his eyes are still open as he gazes into the camera or soMETHING. Like of all the things, I think it’s vital that they are as accurate as they can be with his death.

The only conspiracy that would be fine to lean into is Billy’s alleged lover being pregnant (and in this case dulcinea) like THATS fine to do if you wanna lean into conspiracy but I agree with everything you’ve said

I think for the most part where they’ve bent history has been okay and works for the story but when it comes to his death, you need it to happen in some way.

but yeah I think what MAKES his story so important and what’s made it even relevant or part of American mythos is because he died so young AND how he died! It wasn’t some crazy shootout!

but I think since there are so many conspiracies surrounding his death it does give fictional adaptations of the story the ability to let him live and sorta get away with that interpretation but yeah. Idk I think what they’ve set up in the show and thinking about the impact of billy on the people around him…his death would be tragic but then he would be celebrated…so it’s more bittersweet than a complete tragedy

[m0thcl0wn]

*taps mic* eh-hum

kidlaw

[rodjanikov]

Sat down reading for nearly eight hours, severely dehydrated, dizzy, nauseous, sickly to finish Jane Eyre ONLY to REALIZE I cannot fucking stand happy endings anymore

[castieldelamancha]

"So yeah, we almost burned the whole house down," Dean huffs, discarding the peel of the apple in his hands and slicing it with quick and precise movements, "Bobby wasn't happy." Castiel feels the same mix of emotions he can hear in Dean's voice, amusement, a hint of sadness, a deep nostalgia.

Even if he wasn't there himself, he can still feel himself missing those moments. Because he knows Bobby tried his best to make Dean feel like a normal child. He can picture that kid Dean was, with a head full of big, and sometimes dangerous, ideas, the weight of the world on his small shoulders. He has seen the few pictures Dean has of those years, Castiel reverently touched his fingertips to his freckled face the very first time Dean showed them to him, a lump forming in his throat at the heavy look in those eyes staring back at him, reaching out through time and space, as if to ask him if they still carry the same sadness nowadays, dull green eyes despite the mischievous smile on Dean's lips as he looked at the camera.

He accepts the apple slice Dean offers him, he doesn't remind him the apple is supposed to go on the pie they are making. Dean knows he particularly enjoys apple and has probably come up with his own fair system that will asure both the pie and Castiel get the apple they require.

Dean calls it Castiel's tax, unable to pretend he feels annoyed by Castiel's newfound habit to use helping Dean cooking as an excuse to try everything. He also enjoys simply being around Dean, of course, as much as he knows Dean enjoys having him around, and as much as he enjoys listening to his stories. Castiel loves Dean's voice, the way he pauses for dramatic effect whenever he feels the story needs such a theatrical addition, how he speaks a bit faster when he is eager to tell Castiel about something, how he seems surprised Castiel is even interested in listening, how he blushes lightly when Castiel softly reminds him he wants to know everything about him, how interesting he thinks he is.

"He was way more worried than mad, got a long talk after that one huh," he hands Castiel another slice, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips, bright green eyes look into his, a spark of fondness in them, a playful smile tugging at the corners of Dean's lips, "thought you were going to help with the pie, ya know?" Castiel thinks that as human as he is, he doesn't need to bother with certain human emotions, like shame.

"I did help with the dough." Dean rolls his eyes, picking up the pie to take it to the oven, "will you tell more about that summer you and Sam spent at Bobby's?"

And there it is, that surprise again, that is gone almost as soon as it appeared, Dean nods, keeping himself busy with getting the oven ready, "of course, sweetheart."

Castiel thinks back to that child, he can't change the past, but he can reassure him he will do his best to alleviate the burden on his now broad shoulders, to keep his green eyes happy.

[werewolfsmile]

I'm in the last quarter of this Leverage music video and I'm so excited for it to be done!! It's an absolute banger, if I do say so myself ;)

[nakanotamu]

People will talk about "idol wrestling" and just mean wrestling that wants you to emotionally invest in the performers and want to see them improve as if that isn't virtually all wrestling ever and then hold up TJPW and Act Wres like they're some sort of ultra pure sports based presentation that're just ultra focused on putting on quality matches and not the most pure unadulterated attempts to copy idol frameworks since 2011 Stardom

[willkimurashat]

Hannah?👀

[cementcornfield]

Ja'Marr taking a brief break from talking to his friends to play 10 seconds of dodgeball at the 2023 pro bowl

[lil-gae-disaster]

Date Night

Coy is enjoying themselves because they ARE with the Bourgeoisieses (MJ)

That moment when you listen to music and your japanese partner starts dancing and you just watch w endearment

@ashlamsms

[bettyweir]

Okay i think the reason im like this is because the Mybabysittersavampire site doesnt work at all anymore. not even in archives. if i literally could go 2 that site the minute i got into this show I would have been normal.

[stardust-on-crustedblood]

Can I be loved in a non-platonic way for a change?

[puphoods]

bit of a redesign for aelyn what do we think