I suppose this is an outlet for the mindless inanity regularly going on through my head, as well as random shit I find on the internet.
Barrette Manifesto
HEY GIRLS, DID YOU HEAR the news? It’s just been scientifically proven that barrettes are dangerous! So are bracelets and bric-a-brac. It’s a fact. And don’t be fooled by thick-necked macho men who pretend that “girl stuff’ is boring or frivolous, because that’s just an act. Because as soon as you ask that guy to hold your purse for a minute, he will start to squirm, as if your handbag were full of worms, as he holds it as far away from his rugged body as possible. Because “girl stuff” is made with the gender equivalent of Kryptonite!
That’s right, just watch fathers in Sanrio stores standing like petrified trees, like deer caught in Hello Kitty’s headlights. Or teenage boys buying their girlfriends flowers, acting as disinterested as possible as they ask the florist for a dozen “whatever”s. That’s why they always buy roses, that’s why engagement rings are always diamonds. These things are not romantic, they are just clichés the only types of flowers and jewelry that most men will admit to knowing the names of. And god forbid you were to ask your husband to pick you up a box of tampons. (And men, it’s true, the cashier really does think you’re buying them for yourselves.)
“Girl stuff’ is dangerous, and I should know because I’m a secret double agent. See, I lived as a boy for most of my life and I have insider information straight out of men’s locker rooms and college dorms. Hell, I even went to a bachelor party once, so I know this stuff firsthand. And I have a battle plan for absolute sexual equality, but you have to trust me on this. See, feminists have made it okay for girls to explore what used to be an exclusively boy world. But true equality won’t come until boys learn to embrace girl stuff as well.
So here’s the deal: If you want your boyfriend to treat you with respect, then tell him that you won’t sleep with him until he starts putting barrettes in his hair. And I’m not talking about secret bedroom kinky shit. Make him wear them to work! The next time he buys a pair of shoes, make sure they’re Mary Janes (and don’t forget the white lacy anklets to go with them). Because as soon as he realizes the pure bliss of wearing a frilly, pink, poofy party dress, maybe he’ll finally relax a bit and loosen up that uptight male swagger. And maybe once he lets his guard down, he’ll look around and realize that the world doesn’t revolve around him.
You may think this is funny, but it’s no joke. “Girl stuff’ is dangerous, so let’s use it to our advantage. We truly can change the world! Because if construction workers were man enough to wear skirts and heels, they wouldn’t whistle at women who walk by. And if misogynistic rockers and rappers were man enough to cry while watching tearjerkers, they wouldn’t need to masturbate all over the mic. And if presidents and generals were man enough to wear lip gloss and mascara, they wouldn’t have to prove their penis size by going to war all the time. Because male pride is not really about pride. It’s about fear—the fear of being seen as feminine. And that’s why “girl stuff’ is so dangerous. And as long as most men remain deathly afraid of it, they’ll continue to take it out on the rest of us.
"And I got misgendered in the most magnificent way while using what I thought was my man voice that I used to use because the bills are still in my old name. Here’s the conversation I had.
Nice older-sounding customer representative internet lady: So what is the name on the account then?
Me: Uhhhh **old-ass very stereotypically masculine name**
Nice internet lady: Okay and what is your name then?
Me: Uhhh I am **old-ass very stereotypically masculine name**
Nice internet lady: Ummmmm ooooookkkaaaayyyy
Nice internet lady: So umm
Nice internet lady: When would like to disconnect your internet service then Ma’am? —- oh uhh sorry, Sir?
Me: **With the Widest shit eating grin you’ve ever seen** Oh that’s okay! Can we do this friday?
I’m guessing I probably slipped into my normal girl voice just out of force of habit because I had just got off the phone with my gas company too. Still though, that was a “Fuck Yes” moment that just made my day considering I go by female pronouns all the time.
someone beat me to it. Ah well
SCIENCE BUDDIES!! 8D
“Finally, Someone that speaks english.”
Tony and Bruce. Best parts of the entire movie.
(Source: sekra)
So, I thought I needed some motivation for writing the exposé for my bachelor subject… This is not working like I imagined it! Now I’m staring at my desktop instead of working! :D
(Source: terrymalloysnose)
Hyrule map from Zelda: A Link to the Past. Art vs. in-game graphics.
(Source: kagitsune)
Humon giving us a better Biology class
Loki dolling up Thor by *humon
Brother… why… why did I ever listen to you…
Arctic fox. View of an arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) in snow. This fox is in its white phase, which it displays during the winter. In summer months its fur turns darker, becoming grey/blue. The white fur acts as camouflage in the snow. Arctic foxes live on the ice and tundra surrounding the North Pole. They eat small animals such as rodents and birds, although when food is low they will eat practically anything, including carrion, reindeer dung and plant material. They are mainly solitary animals, although pairs formed during the breeding season sometimes stay together after this time. Arctic foxes may reach a length of up to 70 centimetres, and weigh over 5 kilograms.
IEEE 802.15.6-2012 specifies a short range, low power, and reliable wireless communication protocol for use in close proximity to, or inside a human body. Data rates, up to 10 Mbps, are offered to serve a wide and evolutionary set of personal entertainment and healthcare services The standard helps support the combination of security, reliability quality of service, low power, data rate and interference protection needed to address the breadth of unique body area network applications not supplied by other wireless communications standards
The Art in Biomedical Research
1. Muscle Stem Cell Factories
Credit: FASEB 2012 Bio-Art Winner - Douglas B. Cowan
This micrograph shows cells called myoblasts attached to spherical microcarriers, which allow the growth of adult stem cells that have been isolated from skeletal muscle. The stem cells are shown in green. By combining these cells in a bioreactor, the muscle stem cells can be greatly increased in number and then separated from the myoblast “feeder” cells. The image was produced in the course of studies aimed at creating artificial “stem cell factories” and was supported by NIH funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
2. Scaffold for Cartilage Regeneration
Credit: FASEB 2012 Bio-Art Winner - Frank Moutos and Farshid Guilak
Due to a lack of blood vessels and other characteristics, cartilage heals very slowly. One way to accelerate natural cartilage repair and growth is to use tissue engineering, or the artificially-stimulated production of functional replacement tissue. The image shows a three-dimensionally woven biomaterial scaffold. The scaffold consists of multiple layers of resorbable fiber bundles that have been woven into a porous structure. The scaffold is then seeded with cells that grow to become new tissue as the fibers are resorbed. The fibers provide stiffness and strength in a manner that mimics native collagenous tissues such as cartilage. This work to use tissue engineering to generate replacement cartilage is supported by NIH funding from the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
3. Production of New Neurons
Credit: FASEB 2012 Bio-Art Winner - Grigori Enikolopov and Ann-Shyn Chiang
New neurons are produced from neural stem cells in several areas of the adult brain. One such area is in the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for cognitive function. The number of neural stem cells in the hippocampus decreases over time, possibly contributing to the cognitive impairment associated with aging. When activated by extrinsic stimuli, stem cells divide and generate progenitor cells, which eventually mature into neurons and migrate into the layers above, whereas stem cells themselves undergo additional rounds of rapid divisions and convert into astrocytes, thus leaving the stem cell pool. The image depicts stem cells (green) and neuronal nuclei (red). This research to understand how the brain produces new neurons is supported by NIH through the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Aging.
4. Brain, Heart, and Lung Communication
Credit: FASEB 2012 Bio-Art Winner - Li-Hsien Lin
Both glutamate and nitric oxide play an important role in transmitting cardiovascular and respiratory signals between the brain, heart, and lung. This butterfly shaped figure is an image of a rat spinal cord showing the distribution of three types of glutamate and nitric oxide synthesizing enzymes. Understanding the action and interaction of glutamate and nitric oxide in the nervous system could lead to better treatments for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure. This work is supported by NIH funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
(Source: lol-i-hate-people)
