Dear Men Writers

How are penguins not extinct?

People can’t anticipate how much they’ll miss the natural world until they are deprived of it. I have read about submarine crewmen who haunt the sonar room, listening to whale songs and colonies of snapping shrimp. Submarine captains dispense “periscope liberty” - a chance to gaze at clouds and birds and coastlines - and remind themselves that the natural world still exists. I once met a man who told me that after landing in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a winter at the South Pole research station, he and his companions spent a couple of days just wandering around staring in awe at flowers and trees. At one point, one of them spotted a woman pushing a stroller. “A baby!” he shouted, and they all rushed across the street to see. The woman turned the stroller and ran. Nothing tops space as a barren, unnatural environment. Astronauts who had no prior interest in gardening spend hours tending experimental greenhouses. “They are our love,” said cosmonaut Vladislav Volkov of the tiny flax plants - with which they shared the confines of Salyut 1, the first Soviet space station. At least in orbit, you can look out the window and see the natural world below. On a Mars mission, once astronauts lose sight of Earth, they’ll be nothing to see outside the window. “You’ll be bathed in permanent sunlight, so you won’t eve see any stars,” astronaut Andy Thomas explained to me. “All you’ll see is black.”

Mary Roach. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. 

This is a really interesting read - it’s got a lot of information that I would never have thought to think of (such as - will astronauts eyeballs become different shapes without gravity - weird), but it also has really good chapters about the psychology of space. 

(via psycholar)

This is my kitty cat. This is his kitty fat. It goes PAT-PAT-PAT.

Frick...

What football will look like in the future

Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong. Something is terribly wrong.

Everyone do yourselves a favor and click on this link to have a transformative media-based experience

‘There are no women in video games!’

‘Women in video games are always sexualized!’

‘If their main outfit isn’t sexualized, their alternate costumes are!’

‘Women in sports games never wear appropriate clothes! They just wear sexy outfits!’

‘Women are always damsels in distress and never know how to fight!’

‘Women in games are never allowed to be feminine!’

‘Women can never be main characters in games!’

‘And if they are, the ratings are never good!’

‘Women in games can only be masculine, they can’t use feminine attributes to their advantage!’

‘Women are never valuable party members!’

‘Women in video games are only interested in male partners or friends!’

‘Women in video games always dress as men, but men in video games never dress as women!’

‘No one ever likes a woman in a video game!’

‘Women in video games -’

Princess Peach has got you covered.

Watch: Nyle DiMarco reminds voters what’s at stake on election day for people with disabilities

[Nyle DiMarco signing] You can keep this ad muted if you want and keep scrolling past it. But if you’re still listening to my voice, please know that there are a lot of people out there without one. Among the 50 million Americans living with a disability, many don’t have the ability to work, to travel, or to do countless other things you might take for granted. So this November, please consider voting for the only candidate with a plan to change that.

Natural Eye Color Chart

•MY FATHER’S REACTION TO SOME OF THE CHARACTERS FROM YURI!!! ON ICE• Above are the exact photos I showed him—

(1/?)

1) Yuuri Katsuki Dad, confidently: “Oh, I know him. That’s Yuri.” Me: “Age? Country?” Dad: “Japan…um…17?”

2) Viktor Nikiforov Dad, while laughing: “Umm…Yuri??” Me: “Ok, (laughing) age and country?” Dad: “Kasakstahn…19”

3) Yurio Plisetsky Dad: “That’s a…that’s a Jill. Jill’s 14” Me: “He’s a guy…they’re all guys…”

At this point, my sister, who had also seen yoi, and I are laughing hysterically.

Dad: “No way…ok, um…Jerome?” Me: “…sure, dad” Dad: “He’s got a big attitude…that’s and Australian. He’s thinking about throwing a shrimp on the barbie right now”

4) Otabek Altin Dad: “That’s-uh…Miguel” Me: “Ok lol where’s he from” Dad: “…Spain…he’s 19”

5) Jean-Jacques Leroy Dad: “That’s Spain’s(referring to otabek) brother…that’s Juan” Me: “Country?” Dad: “England” Me: “Age?” Dad, without hesitation: “37”

6) Chris Giacometti Dad:“Whoa, Justing Beiber 2008” Me: “Name and age?” Dad: “That’s-uh…that’s Justin, he’s 20. Like, tomorrow’s his 21st birthday and he’s planning to get VERY drunk. He’s gonna get…lit.” Me, dying of laughter: “And where’s he from” Dad: “That’s a Canadian if i’ve ever seen one…Mr…frosted tips…”

7) Phichit Chulanont Me: “Name, age, country?” Dad: “…Dora from Venezuela…he’s 13. And those are his hamsters, ee-nie, mee-nie, and mine-nie.”

Overall—

Me: “So, Dad, bonus points if you can tell me if they are gay or straight” Dad: “I’m gonna give you a little spoiler…they’re all gay…they’re figure skaters.” Me: “Ok, you have a point, but still…”

Yuuri- “gay” Viktor- “Gay” Yurio- “oh it’s jill, well i guess she’s straight” Otabek- “gay” JJ- “gay” Chris- “SCREAMING GAY…THE GAYEST OF GAY” Phichit- “…gay furry”

Me: “Ok, Dad, final and most important question. Are you ready?” Dad: “I’ve never been more ready” Me: “Two of the characters that are gay are actually in a relationship. Which characters?” Dad: “Yuuri…and…um, Viktor???” Me: “YES! YOU GOT IT!” Dad: “BOOM! NAILED IT! that’s worth 98% right there”

I think it’s pretty safe to assume that my Father has very little knowledge of Yuri!!! On Ice. If he got it right, it’s most likely because of him hearing my rants😂