Nature and Nerdom @looney-unicorn - Tumblr Blog

I'm very proud of my countrymen for introducing America to the world of the proper football chant.

None of this cheerleader stuff for soccer, oh no sireee, I mean, no disrespect to cheerleaders who put a LOT of work and effort into their performances, but somehow "Rah-Rah! We're the best" from peppily gymnastic young things can't quite match the sheer power of entire stadiums of grown up fans yelling at the top of their lungs things like....

It's unclear if this one originated with the English of Scottish games (spelling of "old" as "auld" notwithstanding), but either way, well done.

And it's striking home too! :D

Sportsball holds no interest for me, but that doesn't mean I can't respect the participation aspects sometimes.

#omg am I feeling national pride?!#the way I can hear the tune of these #absolutely excellent export well done

fixaidea

Hear ye hear ye art prints for sale! Get yer art prints from Inprnt here!

#THE VERSATILITY

libraford

Googled something about quick hydration and it suggested big jug of water, couple tbsp pickle juice, dash of lime juice.

Its surprisingly tasty????

libraford

Pleased to report that after a day of this i am not longer craving caper brine and my mouth is not dry as usual. There's some good suggestions in the notes too that I want to try.

-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)

-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt

-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint

-Agua pepino: water, cucumbers, lime, sugar, optional mint.

libraford

I have been reminded of:

-shrub: vinegar, sida water, elderberry (or other berry), sugar.

libraford

I have now been informed of

-sekanjabin: honey, vinegar, mint, water.

libraford

"Wow, I wonder why this post was popular this week."

-sees the reports of the heatwave in Europe-

"... ah."

#electrolytes!

thatlittleegyptologist

It’s too hot to give a fuck that the prime minister resigned…again

latis-ali

This is almost better than finding out new info through the supernatural meme

thatlittleegyptologist

sorry about that 🫠

#I am so fed up of having no stability with the UK government

minipliny

A taxi ride

Dear stranger, who drove me from the station to my home (by the second streetlight on the left), thank you for the gift you gave me, of taking those two years I thought I'd wasted, sweating over monographs, the grey dust of site reports for the golden dust of your home, and receiving my half-baked formulations with such joy and pride. For your offer to show me the real valleys and their real castles, one day; the places where the legions stopped; where ivory and silver and red carnelian were finely worked, in the hard-won shade of grape and fig and olive, and read their silent tongue through your living one. Let that day come, and may those years wasted in pursuit of death, by so many people, end, so that we can spend our time on memory and beauty. Dear stranger, you are right, and were here always. Let us remember together how the desert bloomed for mile on mile.

have-you-been-here

A Medieval Castle, Europe

(pictured: Conwy Castle, Wales)

Have you been here?

I have been here

I have not been here

Voting ended onJun 28

#I miss being walking distance from here #North Wales is so beautiful 😭

transsexualgriffith

i love sibling estrangement as horror. Only one person in the entire world has been through what youve been through and they deny it . Awesome

#Haaaaaaa #my reality with my sibling #it sucks

sometiktoksarevalid

spookberry

lowkey kinda hate how all the pride flags are just stripes, can we get some shapes up in here pls

OK bisexual (czech)

Hell yeah 🤙

Biczechual

Some of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies

The Mallow Fairy, 1934 and The Harebell Fairy, 1925

The Rose Fairy and the Forget Me Not fairy, 1925

1926

The Snowdrop Fairy and the Blackthorn Fairy 1925

1944

The Willow Fairy and the Laburnum Fairy, 1940

The Silver Birch Fairy and the Almond Blossom Fairy, 1940

The Guelder Rose Fairies (1940) and The Greater Celandine Fairy (1948)

1948

thanksbrunette

orivu

apoemaday

A Word on Statistics

by Wisława Szymborska tr. Joanna Trzeciak

Out of every hundred people

those who always know better: fifty-two.

Unsure of every step: almost all the rest.

Ready to help, if it doesn't take long: forty-nine.

Always good, because they cannot be otherwise: four — well, maybe five.

Able to admire without envy: eighteen.

Led to error by youth (which passes): sixty, plus or minus.

Those not to be messed with: forty and four.

Living in constant fear of someone or something: seventy-seven.

Capable of happiness: twenty-some-odd at most.

Harmless alone, turning savage in crowds: more than half, for sure.

Cruel when forced by circumstances: it's better not to know, not even approximately.

Wise in hindsight: not many more than wise in foresight.

Getting nothing out of life except things: thirty (though I would like to be wrong).

Doubled over in pain and without a flashlight in the dark: eighty-three, sooner or later.

Those who are just: quite a few at thirty-five.

But if it takes effort to understand: three.

Worthy of empathy: ninety-nine.

Mortal: one hundred out of one hundred — a figure that has never varied yet.

keyfili

STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE / faceless 1977 • dir. George Lucas

#<3

myalgicencephalomyelitiscfstom

Pre-chopped fruits and veggies make it possible for so many people with various disabilities to prepare healthy meals and maintain their energy.

gwydionmisha

Thank you, OP.

I stopped being able to slice or grate cheese in any quantity a decade and a half ago. Too hard on my hands, my spine, my hips, plus the clean up. I can make an entire warm sandwich in 5-7 minutes with pre-sliced cheese. I can prep all kinds of things in a few minutes with pre-grated cheese.

Quality pre-prepped cheese is huge for me.

I'm not lazy: my hands don't work well; I'm in pain.

kriatyrr

It saves time and effort, which is sometimes in short supply.

Sometimes it doesn't even cost significantly more than buying the labor intensive version, and even if it does, I sometimes find it a fair trade. I'm not by any means rich, but I'm well enough off that I don't have to buy the cheapest version of every food I want to eat.

#hard agree #very helpful during bad mental health times #or people just short on time man

linddzz

I feel a sudden need to bring some important, clarifying information to people. Mostly artists who love drawing murder shrimp.

There are two kinds of crustaceans that are called "shrimp" that use concussive force via cavitation bubbles as a weapon.

These are Pistol Shrimp, a group of actual shrimp, and Mantis Shrimp, which are not actually shrimp but they are the ones you probably think of when you hear "murder shrimp" and "shrimp colors" (specifically the Peacock Mantis, bc there's a lot of species for both.)

I'm not annoying enough to grumble about the mantis being called a murder shrimp, because "murder stomatopod" is objectively a less fun combination of words.

HOWEVER!! People keep drawing mantis murder shrimp with pistol shrimp claws. They are not the same claws!! They are not used the same way!!! I will explain!!!!

Pistol shrimp: A number of shrimp species which have one big megachad claw and one dinky normal one.

The dactyl, or movable part of the large claw, is snapped shut with so much force that it shoots a cavitation bubble out with a very loud snap that can stun prey or scare off predators. It's very fucking cool.

As cool as that is, there is a reason that the mantis shrimp is what most people think of when they read "murder shrimp."

This is the Peacock Mantis Shrimp. Which is not a shrimp, but a stomatopod.

(In a lot of pictures it appears like they're staring intently at the camera. They probably are, because they are alarmingly intelligent.)

Note that it doesn't seem to have the big classic claws, and that's becaus it doesnt. Please stop drawing a shrimp claw on them. Their "claw" appendages are kept tucked up, praying mantis style.

These are a raptorial appendage that do have a sharp bit, but that sharp point has adapted to add support to the club end. They use the club to punch the shit out of things. They do punch so hard that they create a cavitation bubble, but the punch is the main deal.

If you look up a mantis shrimp puncher you may find this image, but they rarely if ever fold out fully past the punching part.

The second common mistake on mantis drawings is from mixing up two types of mantis shrimp. There are punchers, which includes the peacock mantis, and stabbers. You can guess what they do.

Fun fact! The peacock mantis is the largest puncher species, maxing out at 6-7 inches. Some of the stabber species, such as a zebra mantis can get 11 inches. This is because the peacock mantis is as big as it can get before it would shatter itself with the force of its punch!

This has been the marine biologist PSA.

Please stop putting the wrong claw on a peacock mantis.

linddzz

@robowarrior-god this is good and valid to suggest!

but also. in my very unscientific, pure vibes, anthropomorphizing opinion. Peacock mantis shrimp would be totally honored to be called a "murder shrimp" and they super super deserve it.

idk about other mantis species (there are LOTS of various sizes) but having worked with a few peacock mantis' every single one has had a distinct "punch first, ask questions later" approach to life. It never seems aggressive or defensive, to be clear. It's like. Part of their curiosity. So many I've worked with will see a new thing - like say, a scrubber or hose or tongs - approach it, examine it with their antennae/normal legs.

and as part of their examination they just. fucking punch it. like part of their exam method is "what will happen if I Do Violence upon it?"

I always, with pure fondness, said of the last mantis I had; "if he knew what war crimes were he would do war crimes."

linddzz

PISTOL SHRIMP, however, are adorable delights who are the exemplary image of good neighbors!

They have fish roommates!! It's very cute!!!

This is what's called a mutualistic relationship between various species of pistol shrimp and various species of watchman gobies. The shrimp is good at making a burrow and is good at snapping at things. The goby is not as good at burrow making, but it has much better eyesight and field of vision. When they team up the shrimp will often keep an antennae touching the goby whenever it (the shrimp) is out of the burrow so that it can be alerted more easily to danger.

This happens with multiple species of pistol (aka snapping shrimp) and watchman gobies, and often they'll pair up with a species of similar size. And lots of them do very well in home aquariums with other animals! They're very polite. Absolutely lovely.