The truth is like sunlight @countryduckherder - Tumblr Blog

daily reminder to not kidnap baby birds

It’s that time of year again! Somebody just showed up in my office with a baby bird.

Turns out this “injured bird”, which is actually a baby northern mockingbird, was found right by a mockingbird nest I’ve been monitoring, where the chicks just recently hopped out of the nest. So this story had a happy ending, luckily: baby and family reunited!

But yes, it’s the time of year when you’ll see birds who are fluttering awkwardly, or just sitting still (FYI, a baby bird’s innate predator defense is to crouch down and stay quiet! If he’s not running away from you, that means he’s just hoping you won’t see him!!!!!! Give him what he wants and pretend you didn’t see him!!!!!!!). But fear not: they’re just dumb babies awaiting their next grub.

Put Him Back!

solid-snakes

my name is Snek,

and if i cud

(becus my eyes

is not so gud)

stik out my tung -

ples dont be scare!

i taste to smel.

i lik the air.

micdotcom

People are turning Mitch McConnell’s dig against Elizabeth Warren into a feminist rallying cry

stormphyre

And women will keep persisting and we will keep winning!

animatorzee

People will tell you that emotional abuse isn’t real and what you’re dealing with isn’t that big a deal and you’re just exaggerating, but let me tell you something.

If you’ve ever been wary of everyone you know, even people you trust, because you’re expecting them to get angry with you over literally anything, make fun of you, or start making threats, something’s wrong.

If you’ve ever had to plan things in anticipation of a potential tantrum that you fear will be taken out on you, something’s wrong.

If you succumb to someone’s demands because you’re never sure if their threats are empty or legit and you just want to play it on the safe side, something’s wrong.

If you find yourself jumping at smaller noises in anticipation that they’re a warning sign for a tantrum, something’s wrong.

If you hide things - especially things that make you happy - because you’re so afraid that they’ll make fun of you for liking them, scold you for liking something they don’t, take them away, destroy them, or that they’ll defile them and ruin that love you have for them, something’s wrong.

If you find yourself being silent in the face of mild disagreements or thinly-veiled insults, rather than standing up for yourself because you just don’t want to start an argument and make things worse, something’s wrong.

If that very lack of standing up for yourself eventually leads to you never offering your opinion in any sort of discussion out of fear of ridicule or being scolded because that’s what you’re so used to, something’s wrong.

If you end up spending a lot of your time in your room keeping to yourself and keeping any trip outside of your room to an absolute minimum because you don’t want to risk putting one toe out of line and setting off a tantrum, yet you’re also aware that hiding out will also cause an issue and you’re probably just minimizing the risk instead of erasing it entirely, something’s wrong.

If you ever habitually glance outside the window to keep watch for your supposed abuser’s car to return from their work, errand or trip, and then heading to your room or other hiding place to keep out of their way, erasing any obvious signs that you’ve been out and about in the rest of your living space, something’s wrong.

If one of your greatest fantasies involves not a dream career or winning the lottery but instead an escape plan succeeding, something’s wrong.

If you could basically summarize your life as living in constant, subtle fear, Something. Is. Wrong.

Emotional abuse is very, very real, and it has lasting consequences that can affect people’s relationships, their jobs, and their lives all-around.

Don’t you dare tell me it isn’t real.

delcat177

Okay but seriously please reblog because if I had seen this as a teenager maybe I would have booked it outta That Relationship instead of putting up with 14 years of hell and before the abuse escalated

thank you

zelvuk

It took me YEARS to overcome all the scars emotional abuse left. I don’t care how fake people say it is, it’s REAL.

Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

coopaer

Just about all of these apply to me……

countryduckherder

This almost perfectly describes my current job, tbh.

Election bullshit

Tfw your friend laughs at your reasons for voting for a particular candidate, but then says, "They're evil," as their reasoning for voting against that candidate and expects you to respect it.

zizicat

catsindoors

This isn’t cat-related but I’m hoping some of my fellow animal lovers here will understand my frustrations. I’m so tired of people abusing fish because their kid wants one but they don’t want to take care of it.

Yesterday someone told me they hope the common goldfish their daughter won at a carnival dies soon because they don’t want to deal with a big fish. It’s in an unfiltered, tiny bowl.

Today I told someone Betta do better in 2.5g+ tank (really, 5g+ but I’m not pushing my luck) and they were like “Well, it’s just for him [their son],” as if that makes the tiny ass tank okay? It doesn’t even have a filter or heater!

Another customer had a heated 5g so I suggested a Betta, but his son “really wanted to pick out some fish,” so they wound up getting 2 guppies or minnows (I can’t remember which) instead, although both those are schooling fish that need a minimum 10g or 15g tank with more than two of them.

Another woman and her son, who seemed concerned and understanding but apparently not enough so to not get the fish, bought a fancy goldfish to put in their 10g with 7 other common goldfish.

A lot of animals at the store get the shit end of the stick, but the fish are by far the worse victims. It’s unspeakable what little respect people have for these living beings, they’re not decorations or toys!

jayce-space

People often think I work at petstores just because I drop my hints, hoping one animal will get a better chance. I’m subtle about it but it’s been enough before. “Hey you know these guys get over a foot long? My aunt has had them in her pond for 15 years now! I hate seeing them sold as feeders… They’re not even nutritional…” “I’m so glad I got that filter, it was stressing my fish out cleaning out the tank daily. Now I only have to do a partial once a week and their colors have come back!” “I hate flakes, pellets are so much cleaner. My fish really like these ones - grabs bug bites or omega one-” A lot of people will ask after. I totally agree though… Fish are way abused and it sucks.

countryduckherder

I think people shouldn't buy animals for their young children if they intend to have the children be the sole caretakers. Animals are a responsibility, not a gift. It should be a joint effort.

boredpanda

Artist Illustrates Everyday Life With Her Boyfriend, Shows That Love Is In The Small Things

end0skeletal

A leaf-tailed gecko shedding and eating his skin by AngiWallace

kaijutegu

take off your clothes and scream at the heavens

paintedreptile

I was working upstairs when I hear one of our baby leopard geckos start screaming. Normally they only scream when threatened, but this particular guy screams at almost everything. Turns out there was a small fly in his cage that was bothering him.

Yes the fly was removed afterwards.

conceptblogfromaconcepthuman

son-of-drogo

tbh that’s me when I see a spider.

jadeseadragon

Some Self Portraits by Women Artists:

Sofonisba Anguissola (Italian, 1530-1625), Self Portrait at the Easel Painting a Devotional Panel, 1556

Judith Leyster (Dutch, 1609-1660), Self Portrait, ca. 1630

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755-1842), Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, after 1782

Marie-Gabrielle Capet (French, 1761-1818), Self Portrait, c. 1783

Zinaida Serebriakova (Russian, 1884-1967), At the Dressing Table - Self Portrait, 1909

Nasta Rojc (Croatian, 1883-1964), Self Portrait, 1912

Tamara de Lempicka (Polish, 1898-1980), Self Portrait in the Green Bugatti, 1925

Leonor Fini (Argentine-French, 1908-1996), Self Portrait with Scorpion, 1938

Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907-1954), Self Portrait, 1945

Yana Movchan (b. in Kiev, Ukraine, 1971), Beautiful Me (Self Portrait), 2014

culturenlifestyle

Real Leaves And Flowers Used As Stencils To Create Delicate And Realistic Tattoos

Ukrainian artist Rita “Rit Kit” Zolotukhina creates unique “botanical fingerprint” tattoos that recreate the delicate natural silhouette of flowers and leaves. The minimalist tattoos invoke an experimental tattoo technique mastered by the artist.

Keep reading

maa-iingan

I NEED

roachpatrol

hhngfh LOVE THIS

aesthesiamag

Incredible Traditional Chinese Ceramic Clothes

Li Xiaofeng is the incredible artist who dresses us in porcelain : native of Beijing, he uses Chinese traditional ceramic, which he found on archeological sites. We find pieces of bowls as well as other objects of the big dynasties of his country, which he assembles minutely for create unique and sublime pieces. Recently, he realizes himself chinas that he painted, sewed, and which paraded for Lacoste and Alexandre McQueen.

Source:fubiz ceramic, chinese, clothes, Fashion, , porcelain, sculpture,

americanphotobullterrier

Cat people please

People have a lot of arguments as to why their cat should be allowed to maul the local ecosystem unchecked but the two that make the least sense are “they’re basically wild animals/it’s nature” and “my cat would be bored inside the house all day so it’s cruelty/torture/some other gross exaggeration to not let it outside”. I…what? If you want to approach outdoor cats with the same considerations as a wild animal then congratulations, It’s an invasive species that’s highly injurious and therefore should definitely not be allowed to roam freely outdoors in the same way you (legally/ethically) aren’t supposed to freely release non-indigenous wildlife. Cats shouldn’t get a free pass that other animals don’t get because of what ultimately boils down to no reason further than “I find this animal cuter than this other animal”. And to this end if your cat gets maimed by a larger predator/killed because it hopped your neighbor’s fence and got eaten by the dog/shot/hit by car etc then you have no one else to blame but yourself.

And while I can sorta kinda understand the thought process behind the first reason the second one makes even less sense. Your cat isn’t bored in the house versus outside because outside brings out some kind of personal zen that can only be achieved by being outside, your cat is bored inside the house because your methods of stimulation and enrichment, if they’re even present, aren’t up to par with your cat’s personal needs. If you didn’t want to deal with an animal’s needs, why even get it?

catsindoors

This whole post is great but I want to emphasize this part. I’d just bold it but I’m on mobile so…

“If you want to approach outdoor cats with the same considerations as a wild animal then congratulations, It’s an invasive species that’s highly injurious and therefore should definitely not be allowed to roam freely outdoors in the same way you (legally/ethically) aren’t supposed to freely release non-indigenous wildlife.”

This part is also super great, so…

“Your cat is bored inside the house because your methods of stimulation and enrichment, if they’re even present, aren’t up to par with your cat’s personal needs.”

floweryfirst

okay or don’t be dumb and put a collar on your cat with a bell?

scares off any prey so they don’t murder everything, has your contact information so if they get lost they can be returned, and they get to live outside as they’re actually supposed to!!!

americanphotobullterrier

Cat bells don’t really work all that well, and cats can learn to adjust their movements while stalking to not make any noise. Furthermore, even if it did work in that it made noise, it doesn’t deter cats from killing younger birds or small animals who don’t yet quite know what to look out for and can’t remove themselves from the situation fast enough, such as nestlings or fledglings.

It can also serve to make your cat more visible to larger predators, such as dogs, foxes, large birds of prey and coyotes, all who have no problems seeing a cat as an easy meal or in the dog’s instance, something fun to chase and/or kill.

Also there’s really no evidence anywhere that a cat is supposed to be outside, especially since the average life expectancy of indoor cats versus one of an outdoor or even indoor/outdoor cat is higher on average and cats that live indoors face less health issues and chances to be harmed by virtue of simply not being outside unsupervised and without containment. All of a cat’s biological needs can be met indoors by a dedicated and responsible owner, and for cats that enjoy being outside as part of their enrichment there is the option of catios and.or leash training.

followthebluebell

You know what? I usually ignore these ‘LET YOUR CAT LIVE OUTSIDE WHERE IT’S SUPPOSED TO’ nonsense posts, but I’m emotional at the moment.

See, I spent the 19th burying two cats. Last week, I almost had to bury a third.

I work at a cat shelter. We take in many critically ill cats that other places can’t handle or can’t afford to treat.

This is Quattro. He was found with a leg so severely broken that I thought it would have to be amputated. He was probably hit either by a car or a baseball bat going by how the bone is absolutely shattered. Tell me, would a bell have protected him from human cruelty? Or a car?

This is Caruso. He almost died this week because of an infection from an animal bite. Going by the wound, it’s likely from another cat, as Caruso isn’t neutered. Would a bell have helped?

Sutter is FIV+. He also wandered into the wrong yard and was attacked by a terrier. He sustained a total of fifteen bites. The dog was unharmed. Here’s the thing about pet cats: they KNOW they belong in houses. A lost cat will find a house and think, “YES THIS IS HOME, I AM HOME”. Sutter never even considered the possibility of being attacked.

Thankfully, dogs are afraid of bells an— oh wait. They’re not at all.

Jonah wandered around with a broken leg for YEARS in the outdoors. He’s likely another victim of a car.

All of these cats were once pets. They’re all way too friendly to be true ferals. At some point, they had owners and then they got outside. Cats don’t have very good homing instincts. When they get hurt, they panic. They hide.

And, if they’re very likely, they get found by organizations like the place I work. Or they’re microchipped and reunited with owners.

If they’re not so lucky, they die in the wild. When you let your cat into the wild, you’re risking that it’ll die there too.

One day, they will not come home.

vampire-punk-deactivated2017051

Boy Scout: Sir, the lads and I found a snake is it poisonous?

Me: No this snake is not poisonous at all.

*one of them picks up the snake which bites them. They begin to spasm and foam at the mouth*

Me: However this snake is venomous. Venom is always injected, poison is ingested or absorbed through the skin. Lets get it right next time lads.

geoclaire

One of my university lecturers used to say “everything is edible, it’s just a matter of how many times. For example, once.”

browsedankmemes

plotsjotsandespressoshots-deact

Remember in 1993 when Jurassic Park was like…the end all, be all of special effects?

suicunesrider

not gonna lie that still looks intimately real

drtanner-dickery

I’m still somewhat convinced that someone sold their soul to create the special effects in Jurassic Park because that shit is over 20 years old and it still really, really holds up, better than the stuff in a lot of current movies, even.

Fucking witchcraft, man.

fanboyingoverdemigods

fucking look at this shit though

mauridianhallow

Literally see this post flying around with a few different responses added to the bottom each time so I’ll say it for this one myself:

THEY ACTUALLY BUILT A GIANT MASSIVELY DETAILED FUCKING ANIMATRONIC T-REX FOR ALL OF THIS THAT’S WHY THE EFFECTS ARE SO GOOD. CAUSE IT AIN’T CGI. AND IT AIN’T GUY IN A COSTUME. IT’S A BIG FUCKING ROBOT DINOSAUR. AND EVERY PART IS DESIGNED TO MOVE. IT COST LIKE HALF THE BUDGET OF THE FILM.

mizushimo

amazing

shadowthorne

And they had the film it in small increments, especially in the outdoor scenes, because the rain fall kept soaking into the ‘skin’ of the rex and would slow down and mess up its movements. So they would stop filming and have a crew out there drying off this massive, fake dinosaur, and then they’d start filming again until it was too wet. Repeat until the end of the scene.

mad-dyspunktional

They used animatronics and detailed costumes for most if not all of the dinosaurs in the first movie.

The triceratops for instance, was also animatronic.

And the raptors were dudes in suits. I shit you not.

datneeks

One of my favorite anecdotes I’ve read on tumblr is how the t-rex robot from Jurassic park would malfunction while it was drying out. How did it malfunction, you might wonder?

Motherfucker randomly started moving.

So apparently if you were on the jp set you would sometimes hear people screaming bloody murder even though they were all well aware that it was a giant animatronic puppet and wouldn’t actually, you know, eat them.

muck-raker-deactivated20181222

(link to said post about malfunctioning t-rex)

alessariel

Did not know this, had to reblog for awesome movie history insights.

brainsforbabyjesus

So, I knew about the animatronics bit but I did not know the raptors were guys in suits and the malfunctioning t-rex sounds terrifying.

And i just googled malfunctioning t-rex and was not disappointed. Apparently in order to put the skin on over the steel frame a guy had to crawl inside the t-rex while it was turned on and glue the skin down. And if somebody turned the t-rex off or the power went out the guy in the t-rex stood a very real chance of getting mangled and killed by the hydraulics.

So of course, the power goes out.

And this guy is still in there gluing the skin down.

Apparently the way to survive getting sheered to death by huge sheets of metal while you’re inside a giant t-rex robot is to curl into a ball and hope for the best.

And this guy hoped for the best and got it.

Some other people on stage pried open the t-rex jaws and glue guy crawled out of its mouth and was totally okay.

alessariel

This is getting better and better.