#ineffablefool original post

[ineffablefool]

I don't know who needed to hear this, but the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in Washington State has a live webcam of baby beavers.

[ineffablefool]

We just watched an educational short about dinosaurs from 1970, and when it got to the "then they all died out" bit, the narrator said something that stunned me.

"That [climate change into a drier and less food-abundant environment] may have been one reason why dinosaurs died, yet we don't know for sure."

You.

Don't.

Know??

You don't know? How does that even -- it was a fuckoff giant big meteor! It vaporized a big chunk of the Yucatan into the atmosphere and nuclear-wintered the planet! Everyone knows that!

Except actually they didn't. The first paper suggesting that there might have been a meteor that had done it, hitting somewhere, would be published a decade later in 1980. That was only a year before I was born! I grew up in a "yeah it was probably Death From Above" world, but that was a brand new lil baby of an idea at the time!

So in this educational film from 1970, yeah. No. They think maybe the world drying out as it got older was part of the problem, but. They really Didn't Know. The exact fate of the dinosaurs was kind of just mostly a mystery, and that was that.

The inexorable march of scientific progress is neat!

Science source: https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2023/04/08/an-asteroid-killed-the-dinosaurs/

I watched the short being made fun of on Rifftrax but you can watch it straight here: https://chasmosaurs.com/2022/10/05/dinozaury/

[ineffablefool]

I don't think it's a spoiler at this point that there's some contention around the ending, but here is my official stance: I have my opinion about how satisfying it was, and everyone else also has their own opinions, and we're each correct, because we each get to decide what is satisfying to us. Something can be brilliant from a media analysis standpoint but still be disappointing as hell. Something can be a tottering pile of nonsense but still be a delight. The only real way to make yourself Completely In The Wrong here is to throw hate at other people for not agreeing with you.

[ineffablefool]

Fun fact for USAians, if you have Amazon Prime then you have a prescription discount card! I was gonna have to pay $90 every 3 months for my newest prescription if I used my insurance, but paying cash with the discount card, it was $35.

This post isn't, like, me shilling for Amazon or whatever (yes, I know they're evil, but you have to accept that people may do business with them regardless, for various reasons which you don't get to pass judgement on because you aren't The Boss Of Internet Strangers). I just thought other people might be interested to learn this like I was yesterday.

[ineffablefool]

Having just spent six months glued to LinkedIn, I am really enjoying this Human-to-LinkedIn-Speak translator.

English:

"Walls have ears. Well, not walls -- trees have ears. Ducks have ears! …Do ducks have ears? Must do, it's how they hear other ducks."

LinkedIn Speak:

The saying goes "walls have ears," but in today's hyper-connected ecosystem, it's more about the environment around us. 🌳 Whether it's the trees or even the ducks—yes, ducks!—communication is everywhere. 🦆

It got me thinking about the importance of active listening in leadership. Just as ducks rely on their innate ability to hear one another to stay aligned, we as professionals must cultivate our "ears" to truly hear our teams and stakeholders. 👂

Are you listening to the subtle cues in your industry? Let's stay curious and keep the dialogue open. 🚀 #ActiveListening #LeadershipMindset #Communication #Networking #Growth

English:

"a. z. fell & co, purveyor of books to the gentry"

LinkedIn Speak:

🚀 Thrilled to announce A. Z. Fell & Co! 📚 We’re disrupting the literary space as the premier boutique purveyor of high-end curated knowledge for the gentry. 🎩 Passionate about connecting elite readers with legacy content. #ThoughtLeadership #LuxuryBooks #Networking #CurationExcellence

And my favorite...

:D

[ineffablefool]

The nice folks at the Amazon warehouse have a lot of creative ideas about how to pack shipments, but this time they've really outdone themselves.

That is exactly what I saw in the fully-sealed box when I opened it.

[ineffablefool]

OUR WORST 🎉 NEIGHBORS 🎉 ARE SELLING 🎉THEIR HOUSE 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[ineffablefool]

I didn't mention, when talking about having to wear masks to jury duty, being concerned about hydration. That is because of capitalism!

This doohickey here is a SIP valve. They're a dishwasher-safe silicone valve, which you can put that white cap on to secure if you want, and which allows drinking with a straw through probably any disposable respirator mask. You cut a hole according to a provided guide and then basically shove the silicone part through the hole. It requires a little bit of hand strength/dexterity, especially to pop the colored ring on to hold everything in place, so someone with arthritis or tremors might need assistance.

They are unfortunately fifteen ding-danged dollars apiece (USD), but you can allegedly install one unit 10 different times and use for an accumulated total of 30 days. I have not tested this. The last time I used them they were way cheaper, so I just pre-made multiple masks for my four-day trip. I feel like they're still not hugely affordable for everyday use even with the reusability, but for special (or "special") occasions, they're great.

These little babies helped make it possible for me to travel to watch the 2024 solar eclipse instead of having to wait until the next one anywhere nearby in 2044, so I have a very fond place in my heart for them.

I am receiving absolutely nothing for talking about SIP Valves! I just think they're neat.