So... I found this and now it keeps coming to mind. You hear about "life-changing writing advice" all the time and usually its really not—but honestly this is it man.
I love the lawyer metaphor, because whenever I see “John knew that...” in prose writing I immediately think “how? How does he know it?” Interrogate your witnesses. Cross-examine them. Make them explain their reasoning. It pays dividends.
I submit to you that the most iconic feature of any animal is either unlikely or impossible to fossilize.
If all we had of wolves were their bones we would never guess that they howl.
If all we had of elephants were fossils with no living related species, we might infer some kind of proboscis but we'd never come up with those ears.
If all we had of chickens were bones, we wouldn't know about their combs and wattles, or that roosters crow.
We wouldn't know that lions have manes, or that zebras have stripes, or that peacocks have trains, that howler monkeys yell, that cats purr, that deer shed the velvet from their antlers, that caterpillars become butterflies, that spiders make webs, that chickadees say their name, that Canada geese are assholes, that orangutans are ginger, that dolphins echolocate, or that squid even existed.
My point here is that we don't know anything about dinosaurs. If we saw one we would not recognize it. As my evidence I submit the above, along with the fact that it took us two centuries to realize they'd been all around us the whole time.
So that people don’t need to go through the notes:
- We have fossils of spider webs
- Paleontologists have reconstructed the larynx (voice box) of extinct animals and we have a pretty good idea what vocalizations they were capable of
- Fossilized pigments have been found in a variety of taxa
- Soft tissues fossilize more often than you think; we have skin impressions for like 90% of Tyrannosaurus rex’s full body (shoulder blades and neck are the only bits missing)
If pop culture is your only window into extinct animals, then you do not remotely understand how much we know.
We know the entire lifecycle of a tyrannosaurus. We know from the sheer amount of remains we have, from every stange.
We know roughly how they sounded (as the person above me said).
We know they had remarkable vision.
We know they had the second. strongest sense of smell in history.
We know from their bones that they grew to a certain size and stayed there until about 14 or so, then absolutely ballooned up to their adult size in about three or four years.
We know they likely lived in family groups, because we have bones with certainly fatal injuries for a solitary animal (broken legs and such) that are completely healed.
We know exactly how other dinosaurs look, down to colors and patterns, because bones are not the only information that is preserved.
The Sinosauropteryx is one such dinosaur. Because pigmentation molecules were preserved in the feather impressions, we know it's colors, and it's tail rings (which one would argue would be it's "iconic feature."
(Art credit Julio Lacerda)
Microraptor is another! We know from feather impressions that it had four wings. We know from pigmentation that it was an iredecent black, like a raven.
(Art credit Vitor Silva)
This is not limited to dinosaurs, or feathers. We've found pigmentation in scales and skin. We've completely reconstructed two extinct penguins, colors and all. We've figured out the colors of some non-avian and non-feathered dinosaurs. We can identify evidence of feathers existing on animals without feather impressions.
We have feathered dinosaurs preserved in amber.
We can defer likely behavioral patterns through adaptations we see in bones, and from the environments they were found in. We can see how certain movements evolved through musculature attachments (yes, how muscles attached is often preserved). We know avian flight likely evolved by "accident" by the way early raptorforms moved their arms to strike at their prey.
We also understand behavior in extant animals and can easily speculate likely behaviors in extinct animals. (A predator running for it's life is not going to exhibit hunting behaviors)
We learn and understand way more from "rocks" than paleontologists are given credit for. And if you watch a movie like Jurassic World, which has no interest in portraying anything with any sort of accuracy, and your take away is "We can't possibly know anything about these animals," then you don't understand science.
As for shrinkwrapped reconstructions, we understand how muscles attach, and how fat works. Artists who lean into shrinkwrapping are are not generally concerned with scientific accuracy, or biology. They're only concerned with Awesombro.
If true paleoartists tried to reconstruct a hippo, while they naturally would not get every bit correct, it would certainly look like a real animal, and not that alien monster that tumblr is so fond of using as "proof" that paleontologists don't know anything (an art piece that itself was extreme and satirical, and a condemnation of the particular subset of paleoartists I mentioned earlier)
Every time paleoblr tries to show you how extinct animals actually looked, all we get is a chorus of "thanks i hate it" and "stop ruining dinosaurs!"
Somehow it feels like tumblr is accidentally the perfect social media site, because none of the things that I love about it make sense as features the way we use them. Tags are for organization, but we also use them to have our little thoughts in without raising them to the status of main text. The queue makes sense for keeping a steady stream of Content going if you're trying to Build a Social Media Presence, but really we use it just to bank posts we want to reblog without flooding everyone else's dash. You can't see how many followers anyone else has, which I just have to assume was an oversight because it flies in the face of everything about social media, and it's great because you can never quantify anyone's Influence so everyone's essentially on the same level. There's no way they planned for giffing to become such a Thing, because before tumblr, gifs were practically relics of the early internet days, a novelty, usually kind of tacky, and now they've become a sort of folk art form. You can reblog an entire conversation, not just a single post, so there's a whole genre of humor that exists here that can't really propagate like that on any other social platform. Honestly this website is just a little freak of nature that cannot possibly have been intended, and that's why no media company has been able to figure out what to do with it, because it makes no sense within the larger social media ecosystem. I love it.
sometimes i read my older writing and think to myself ‘wow i could write pretty well for a sixteen year old’ and sometimes i read my older writing and think to myself ‘wow i sure was sixteen when i wrote this’
i can’t believe chadwick boseman did all that training and filming for Black Panther while battling cancer. that’s some insane strength. an absolute king.
chadwickboseman It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman.
Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.
A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.
It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.
The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
@lupitanyongo“No, but speaking of vehicular sex, perhaps you can explain to me how this cheap Kmart hair extension got into the back seat of your car.” – Dionne Davenport #Halloween #Cluelesslupitanyongo
Lupita Nyong’o as Dionne Davenport for Halloween 2018
Hi everyone! It’s been a very long time since I wrote on Tumblr and my first time writing on this blog. The last time I wrote on a personal blog was for One Direction when I was in high school (Ack!). I did not like posting my writing to my personal and made many blogs for my writing (I wonder how many of you will recognize my style :O) I vowed I would never write on a personal blog again...then I saw a few interviews with Noah Centineo. He has such an interesting personality for an actor and I was inspired to write a story about him.
It’s gonna be a long one, so I’ll put it under a read more for all my fellow silent scrollers. However, I’ll leave the synopsis up top so you know if you’re interested!
~Rina xoxo
Plot: You are an aspiring screenwriter who currently manages a computer repair store in Hollywood with your stepbrother, Xavier, an aspiring composer. By chance, you meet Noah Centineo in a coffee shop. Not recognizing him at first, you think nothing about your acquaintance, until Xavier realizes that Noah could be both of your tickets to fame. Suddenly, your writing has a real chance, and that appeals to you, just a much as getting an adorable and kind boyfriend in Noah. However, you highly doubts Noah would agree. But, what if he doesn’t know?
You were running late...which was kind of the usual lately. Ever since you moved out of your brother’s apartment, you had yet to come to work on time. Xavier, who was technically your stepbrother, but you only made the distinction when you did not want to be associated with him, used it as proof that you couldn’t take care of yourself. However, you both knew that you were one of the most responsible people either of you knew, as long as you followed the schedule you programmed in your phone.
You dashed through the double doors of the computer repair shop, panting. Xavier shook his head with a “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” as he watched you stash your stuff in the back and run behind the counter.
“You know you’re late, right?” Xavier emphasized. “So, you know what that means...”
“Oh come on!” You complained, smoothing your hair to make it more into your usual style. “You totally came in early because you know I’m still getting used to the commute.”
“And?” Xavier questioned, “A deal is a deal, kiddo. The last person in buys everyone coffee.”
“Ugh, you only came up with that rule to spite me for moving out.” You complained. “We should not even be wasting money on coffee when we could just make it at home.”
“Don’t forget my whip,” Xavier said as he tended to a fried PC. That was your signal that the conversation was over.
“That’s not healthy...” You muttered as you went into the back room to fish out your wallet. “What would your mother say?”
“That you should be on time to work!” He retorted and you rolled your eyes as you walked to the coffee shop across the street.
You and Xavier were pretty close, when you weren’t fighting over lateness. Your dad married his mom when you were both around 13 years of age. Both of you lost a parent young, and were only children until meeting each other. Your Brady Bunch family came together well, and you two grew closely together.
Xavier was the first to decide he wanted to do showbiz. He would practice piano and guitar daily, writing new tunes for his performance at the local bookstore talent show ever week. You were more quiet about your aspirations as a writer, but he broke you out of your shell after college. While you both studied computer science, you both also also concentrated in your passions, English Language and Music respectively. You both moved to LA and through a series of lucky breaks and connections were able to manage a computer repair shop. You hoped that by being in Hollywood you could hone your craft and make your dreams come true.
For now, you settled for fixing broken computers and fetching your brother’s coffee. At least you could buy a chai for yourself to relax too.
When you got to the coffee shop, it was clear that you missed the early morning rush. You walked straight to the menu next to a guy who was several heads taller than you. He had long, unruly brown hair, a scruffy beard and wore the baggiest t-shirt with the tightest jeans. He glanced at you, feeling your presence and he gave you a gorgeous smile. You gave him a coy smile back, trying not to fall for his chocolate-y brown orbs. You cleared your throat and looked at the menu.
There was someone ahead of him who was taking awhile to order, and you could see him stealing glances at you from the corner of your eye. You were definitely flattered. This guy was pretty cute. With his tan skin and athletic frame, he looked like that lovable sweetheart who would skate to your house just because he was in the neighborhood. Whenever you would look in his direction, he always pretended to look away. However, he would do it in an obvious manner. He would look you directly in your eyes and then look at the ceiling, and then back to your eyes and then down at the floor. Back and forth his eyes and neck would move in this circular motion until he got a laugh out of you.
“Finally!” He cheered as you laughed, causing you to laugh more. “I really wanted to make you laugh. Have a great day, beautiful.” He flashed you a bright smile and then stepped up to make his order.
You couldn’t help, but blush. It was always nice to be acknowledged by a cute guy. You wished he stayed longer to make a move. He finished his order and didn’t look back as he picked up his coffee from the counter. You were bummed he did not have to wait for his drink, as you hoped you could chat some more, but settled for your bit of luck that he even noticed you.
“Hi,” You said with a smile to the cashier. “Can I get a small chai and a medium iced mocha latte with extra whip and caramel drizzle?”
The cashier smiled. “Is this for Xavier?” It was embarrassing how much your brother frequented this place.
You laughed, “Yup. I was late again!” You snapped your fingers and wagged your fist, pretending to be upset. You handed the cashier your card and he shook his head.
“That guy ahead of you paid for your order. He had me write down his name and telephone number for you to reach out.” The cashier pulled out a slip of paper and your jaw dropped.
Noah
213-xxx-xxxx
“Wow, okay.” You weren’t sure what to say. This only happened in movies. You made a mental note to add this to your list of romantic gestures for your next romcom screenplay. You slipped the note into your wallet and closed it to put it back in your bag. You took the drinks and sauntered happily back to the repair shop.
Xavier was running a scan on another computer when you walked in. You handed him his drink as you sipped yours happily. He narrowed his eyes at you,
“Why are you humming?” He rolled his eyes. “You didn’t spit in this, right?’
“Gosh!” You huffed. “Can’t a girl be happy and not be judged?”
“Any other girl, of course. You, no way!” Xavier laughed, “You’re always in a crappy mood when you lose bets. Why is today any different?”
“A really cute guy bought our drinks!” You cooed. “And he left his phone number.”
“Oh my god!” Xavier imitated your high pitch voice. Then his voice dropped back to a disinterested tone as he added, “Well that’s great, I hope he can pay for both of our rent too.”
“Why can’t you just be happy for me?” You sighed. “I’m going to text him.”
Xavier shrugged as he focused on removing the hard drive of the computer. “Do what you want...”
You pondered what to text him and then smiled to yourself as you wrote your message.
Y/N: Hey, this is Y/N from the coffee shop. Thanks for the free drinks! I hope to repay the favor some time soon.
It wasn’t much longer before you received a reply.
Noah: Hey, Y/N! Gorgeous name, by the way ;) Absolutely! How about tomorrow afternoon, let’s get a coffee after work?
Y/N: Works for me!
You continued to text lightly throughout the day. It was clear that you both had busy schedules, but you would try to continue the conversation as much as you could during breaks. You were pleased to see how friendly and genuine he seemed. You were impressed by his passion for acting, and relayed your love of writing. He was supportive and encouraged you to try to get published. You were too shy to admit that was the goal, and instead insisted that he was being too kind.
“Have you been texting that guy all day?” Xavier asked as he closed up shop.
“Yeah,” You said absentmindedly as you read the article Noah just sent you.
“Well, make sure he’s not a serial killer.” He warned. “Have you googled the guy?”
“I will when I go home, just chill, okay?” You shrugged it off, but you were moderately concerned. This guy was kind, charming and a great listener. He was either perfect for you or an ax murderer...hopefully not both.
The next day, you met Noah for coffee dressed in your favorite outfit. You waved at him as he walked in and he gave you the widest grin. You had been texting all night and up until this morning, so when he pulled you into an embrace, it felt natural.
“Get whatever you like!” You offered.
“I’ll probably just get my usual coffee and maybe some sweets to share?” Noah smiled, “Since I only paid for drinks, I’ll contribute to the sweets as well.”
“No!” You insisted. “My brother’s drink was also covered, so I think it is only fair.”
You argued about it for awhile until it was decided that he would buy one sweet and you would buy another and the two drinks. You tried to ignore the fact that the one sweet he bought was the same price as the two drinks combined.
“So, this is going to be really dumb...” You warned, “But I never did get your last name...”
“Oh,” Noah chuckled. “It’s Centineo. Yours?”
“Y/L/N...” You responded as you sent the text to your brother. Just in case he was going to kill you, you wanted Xavier to trace it back. You were pretty sure you spelled his name wrong, but you hoped it would be enough. You put your phone in your bag and then gave him a smile.
“Now that we have been formally introduced, let’s eat!” You said, picking up a fork and digging into the mini-cheesecake first.
You two exchanged ideas on your favorite books, popular films, and making it in Hollywood. You were surprised at how much Noah knew about showbiz. He said he was on a few tv shows and in a couple movies, but you did not expect him to be so wise. It made you a bit self conscious. You had just been working on scripts in your downtime. Maybe you should get training by going to workshops...
“Oh man, you seem sad.” Noah pouted. “What did I say?”
“Ah, no.” You shook your head. “It’s not you! I just feel a little overwhelmed, maybe? You just seem so together. I’m just starting out.”
“I mean, I’m only 22.” Noah laughed. “I’m still learning too.”
You grunted as you sipped your chai. He was a bit younger than you. It was less than a year, but still, you felt envious.
“However...” Noah bit his lip. “...you’re quite a distraction for me. I realize that if I don’t get my daily dose of Y/N, I may lose track of my goals permanently.”
You coughed to hide your snort of laughter. “Is this your way of saying you want to hang out more?”
“Absolutely.” Noah grinned at you and you returned it. “I’m going to this pool party on Saturday. Would you like to come? You can bring your brother and a few friends...”
“Sure,” You nodded. “There’s a few dudes and dudettes that work part-time at the shop. If it’s after hours, I can bring them too.”
“Yeah, it starts at like 8pm and goes to like 5 in the morning. It’s supposed to be a dance party slash pool party slash cocktail extravaganza.” Noah laughed. “Plus, I heard a few really cool people might be there like the cast of my last film. It would be great to introduce you.”
“Are you sure you want a girl like me on your arm?” You teased.
“I wouldn’t want anyone else...” Noah leaned over, lifted your hand and kissed it.
You could feel yourself swooning and knew in an instant that he were falling for him.
When you returned to the store, you were greeted by a very excited Xavier. He was almost ready to jump up and down when you entered the store. You made a weird face as you waited for him to explain.
“That Noah guy recently got mega famous. He was cast in two Netflix films and is basically the white hottie of Instagram.”
“Oh wow,” You nodded to yourself. “No wonder he’s so knowledgeable.”
“Y/N, don’t you know what this means?” Xavier looked like he wanted to scream. “If you get with this guy, we’ll be in the in-crowd! This will be our big break.”
“Woah, woah, woah.” You said quickly. “That sounds like I’m using him. Xav, he’s a great guy. I really like him.”
“Do you not want to be published? Recognized? Rewarded? Think about the looks on our parents faces when they see that sending us to Hollywood was not for naught.” Xavier used hand gestures to show the grandiosity of his ideas.
You made a deep sigh. “Of course, I do! I just...I really like him.”
“Even better,” Xavier said with a smile as he put his arm around you. “Then you’re just networking...that’s all.”
“Networking...not using...is that what you’re saying?” You repeated it to yourself. “I guess...”
“That’s my girl!” Xavier snapped his fingers happily. “Now, when do we meet him...”
You hesitated to tell him about the party on Saturday. However, the more you thought about it, the less worried you felt. You did have feelings for Noah, it did not hurt to take advantage of his connections.
Noah met you, Xavier and one of your other co-workers, Andrea, outside. He was in baggy swim trunks that were low enough to show his chiseled hips and impressive core. You tried not to drool, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed by your monokini under your see-through cover up. Noah greeted you warmly, putting an arm around you.
“Hello kiss?” He asked sweetly, making you smile.
You extended your cheek in response and he gave you a light peck. Then he turned to your group as you introduced them. You walked into the party, and started to see the familiar faces of the cast of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. After Xavier told you Noah was famous, you decided to look him up, and the guest list of the party was like all of the related actors on Noah’s Google Search.
He introduced you to Lana and her boyfriend first and you were in awe of her beauty. She was so down-to-earth, but she also had this respectable air about her. You pointed out your brother and Andrea for her to meet as Noah pulled you to meet the rest of his friends and co-workers.
At one point, Noah pulls you to the bar and offers to get you a drink. You pick something light, deciding not to get sloppy drunk in front of the guy you liked. He got a beer and you both turned to watch the party. You were a bit away from the speakers which allowed you to talk a bit more.
Suddenly, Noah pulls out his phone and reads a text message that makes his brows furrow. He excuses himself and runs over to Lana. She clearly looked upset and was gesturing towards you and also towards Xavier and Andrea.
Oh no... You thought as you pulled out your phone and texted Xavier.
Y/N: Tell me you didn’t do something stupid!!!!!
Xavier: Nope! I was just talking to Lana about my music....
Y/N: She looks pissed. You didn’t ask her for anything, right?
Xavier: Oh man...I had a few shots and I think I might have mentioned how glad I was that you’re dating up by dating Noah...
Y/N: WHAT?!
Before you could chastise Xavier further, Noah and Lana walked up to you.
Lana spoke first.
“Can I just say I’m really disappointed? You seem like such a nice girl, but clearly if you and your brother and his friend are here to use Noah, you are not as nice as you seem...” Lana’s lips were tight with anger.
“Stepbrother...” You said sheepishly. “Look, I’m not proud of what Xavier said, but he means well.”
“Does he?” Lana asked. “Does he know what it’s like to grind and hope and work and pray for an opportunity only to have people try to attain the same success on your coat tails? It’s one thing to come to a function like this for that, but to toy with Noah’s heart...that is unforgivable.”
“Lana, you have every right to be upset. I’m sorry.” You looked at Noah who was looking at you sadly this whole time. “Noah, can we talk, please?”
He nodded and you apologized to Lana again before he pulled you inside of the house that was hosting the party. He pulled you into a small bedroom after a few failed attempts at finding your own space. Clearly, the house was meant for hooking up not break-up-before-you-even-started-chats. At this point, you were crying and once you were inside the room, you struggled to compose yourself
“Noah...” You exhaled a shaky breath. “I swear, when I contacted you I had no idea who you were. When we talked all this week, through text and on the phone and on our dates, I was not trying to use you. Even after I knew you were famous, I was convinced that if I really liked you, then it wouldn’t be a problem if Xavier and I tried to network. Although it was Xavier who planted the idea in my head I need to own up to it and--”
Noah lurched forward and hugged you tightly. You were so shocked and overwhelmed that you began to weep. He rubbed your back as you let it out before he stepped back.
“I know.” Noah nodded. “Lana means well. She knows how much I like you and really doesn’t want me to get hurt. At the same time, she knows that I’m not an idiot. If I tell her that I trust you, then she will trust you too.”
“You believe me?” You asked with a sniffle.
“Of course, Y/N. Look, I can tell that you’re into me. I’m into you too and I want us to continue to date.” Noah smiled, “And for the record, I am happy to support your and your brother’s dreams. Just be honest with me! I’ll read your scripts, and if I think they are good, which I am sure they are, I’ll connect you with some people who maybe interested. Hell, I might even audition for a role or two if you’ll have me...”
“I’d love that!” You said excitedly. “But even if you don’t do that...I want to work hard in my own right to earn being by your side.”
“You are already too good to stand by my side.” Noah grinned. “Let’s grow together, okay?”
“Okay...” You leaned in and looked at him with sultry eyes. “So, uh, since we’re in this private room...”
“Yeah?” Noah asked, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close.
“Well, I guess that was technically our first fight so we need to make up, right?” You suggested.
“I like where this is going.” Noah smirked.
“Then kiss me.” You said as your lips were almost at his lips.
And he did. He lifted you in his arms and kissed you like his life depended on it. You would reprimand Xavier and make it up to Lana later...right now, all you could think about was Noah and his soft kisses.
