tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49808548094634085782024-03-18T22:03:08.327-07:00The Paleo Geek!Paleontology, Video Games, and the Occasional unfunny joke!Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-17223598066686122282010-03-27T08:41:00.000-07:002010-03-27T08:41:53.205-07:00Things to Do...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Its been a busy couple of weeks, but a lot has happened. For one thing, it was my BIRTHDAY! I didn't get too much, but what I got... ohhh man.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">God of War 3</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="File:God of War III not final art.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/God_of_War_III_not_final_art.jpg" /> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I got it, and boy, it was pretty sweet. The Gameplay mechanics were perfect, with combat, platforming, and puzzles placed just right so as not to make it feel repetitive. The scenes are just epic, and often times I thought I was watching a CG cutscene. Nothing tops that first scene with Poseidon and Gaia. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Speaking of Gaia, I wasn't too happy with how the story turned out, but I guess it fit the games purpose of giving an ending to Greek mythology and the trilogy. The weapons are pretty awesome (except for the Claws of Hades, those were just... meh), my personal favorite being the Nemesis Whip (!). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The God Delusion</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><img src="http://howgoodisthat.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/god-delusion-728768.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yeah, I read it, and Dawkins actually makes a pretty good case for atheism (although his constant use of the term Darwinism is rather annoying...) He doesn't do a thorough dissection of miracles, which somewhat irks me, but his discussion about cargo cults and such was very enlightening. For better or worse, this book definitely estranged me from religion even more.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dinosaur Discoveries</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I luv William Stout's art. I always have, ever since I was but a wee lad. He just makes his dinos look so primal, and yet so modernized at the same time. There were, of course, some minor inaccuracies (pronated hands, anyone?), but those are forgivable for some pwnsome (yes, yes I did just say that) illustrations.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> BTW, my love for William Stout's art probably stems from the fact that his art appeared on the cover of those wonderfully cheesy dino documentaries of the late 80s and early 90s. You know what I'm talking about, the ones with Gary Owens and that jazzy beat. Videosaurus is what I believe they were called. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thats enough for now. I'm tired and have B-Day party to go to in about an hour. Happy days, everybody!</span></div>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-81383497167812042642010-03-05T16:08:00.000-08:002010-03-05T16:08:42.509-08:00Time is Short, but Here's a lil' Snippet of What's to come...giggity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dailydemotivators.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/zombies-480x384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://www.dailydemotivators.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/zombies-480x384.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Been swamped with stuff (high school, yadda yadda). I know this doesn't look good this early on in my blogging career, but bear with me. As for the undead brain-eater warning above, speculate on what it'll be, my few readers!</span>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-34276621499422057892010-02-27T08:26:00.000-08:002010-02-27T08:26:23.076-08:00Apologies, Raptor Jesus, and thoughts on Creationist /b/tards....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 4:The Downfall of Man</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;">Raptor Jesus was happy in his creationism, and had many sexes with the man and woman. But one day, Satan appeared as snake. The snake proceeded to kidnap the man and have many sexes with him. After threatening the man with more raep, the Satanic Serpent told him to steal RaptorJesus' apple. The Raptor Jesus was nowhere at the moment, but he came as soon as he heard what happened. He banished the man and woman from the Garden of Eden (which had yet to be mentioned) using his pwnsome fire sword.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 5: The Flood</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;">Today was a good day on earth. Raptor Jesus was happy, and aminals and sidewalks frolicked throughout the land. Howevar, man had become sinful,and even though he didn't care, Raptor Jesus didn't do anything. Rpator Jesus than met his friend Noah at the Bar and grill. Raptor Jesus was disatisfied at Noah's...stuff, idunnolol. So Raptor Jesus promptly killed Noah. Raptor Jesus proceeded to steal Noah's wife and children. He then built a boat. The boat sat there and was never used. Raptor Jesus' many mutant offspring were dumpedin Africa and adopted by the (now defunct) band Brangelina. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Apologies for the lack of posting, life has been very busy with school and whatnot. Onto a topic I've wanted to cover for some time now...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> If you've looked closely at my posts, or have previously conversed with me, you will know my disdain for Creationism (Young Earth Creationism, to be presice). The fact that this belief actively encourages ignorance of Scientific principles and, y'know, reality in general is justification enough to at least makea rebuttal, if not despisethe belief.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I know people who are creationists personally, and they don't know shit about Evolution and biology in general. But they are good and well-meaning people, but misguided. One friend was convinced there are no transitional fossils because she had read Ken Ham's (*shivers*) "The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved". Oh goody, a book full of half witted reasoning and misrepresentations of actual Scientific findings. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> Another person, my grandmother actually, was confounded on how one could believe in Evolution and the Bible at the same time. I rrecall how I had to meticulously explain to her, over the course of several weeks, what evolution says, and what Genesis says, and how to reconcile the two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> The point I'mtrying to make is, creationism can affect one's ways of thinking. It can make one delusional and give them a false sense of justification for their faith. It is dangerous, not because it threatens science and the facts, but it pours biggotry upon the world's flocks of Christian sheep, who will willingly soak up like a sponge what the man up on the podium is shouting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I'm no atheist (nor agnostic) and though I do have an open, skeptical mind, I love the faith tradition I've grown up in and its community (Catholicism), and though I don't accept half of what the Church throws out there, I do believe in some form of supernatural (whatever that means...) being.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">*Consider this a cursory introduction to future post on IDiocy*</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-58134837089026250822010-02-19T13:55:00.000-08:002010-02-19T15:17:08.744-08:00Your Friday-ly Dose of... Raptor Jesus!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Quacker1/poster_raptorjesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Quacker1/poster_raptorjesus.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Genesis 1: In the beginning, there was nothing, and then Raptor Jesus </span></span><s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">roundhouse kicked that nothing and told it to get a job</span></span></s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> created the Earth. Just the Earth.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raptor Jesus than worked his buttocks off for </span></span><s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7</span></span></s><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 6 days and made a bunch of lulzy stuff like aminals and aminal crackers and humans and Young Earth Creationists (they're not human) and sidewalks. Raptor Jesus saw that it was good, but even though he thought it was good, he thought he'd do the same thing again, but different this time, in Genesis 2.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Genesis 2: In the beginning, Raptor Jesus, made the Earth (just the Earth) again. Raptor Jesus felt like ribs, so he took one of the man's ribs, and somehow the first woman was made, i dunno. Raptor Jesus was happy this time, and was content in his splendiferous creation.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, this will be a regular thing. Feedback is appreciated!</span>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-36673863016348583752010-02-16T14:31:00.000-08:002010-02-19T15:17:33.336-08:00Why I don't (or do?) buy the Magically Transforming Triceratops<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Jack Horner and I do not have a good history. True, he discovered the <i>Maiasaura</i> nesting colony and was one of the brave pioneers during the Dinosaur Renaissance, but he's gone fairly strange in the past couple of years.</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> No doubt everyone remembers the horrid <i>Tyrannosaurus</i> scavenging fiasco that happened way back in 200-something. I won't go into that right now because a) that's not what this post is about, and b) there are far too many flaws in it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span>Horner's come up with two new hypotheses as of late. One (the one that has actually been published) deals with the synonymization of Pachycehaplosaurus, Stygimoloch, and Dracorex (best name EVAR). This one, having read the paper, sounds right to me. But his other idea... oh boy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Everyone knows <i>Torosaurus </i>and <i>Triceratops</i> are closely related. Horner took it a step further, and suggested that Toro is simply the final growth stage of Trike. I'm skeptical, as one could surmise by reading the title.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 1. <i>Torosaurus</i> averages out at about 25 feet, while <i>Triceratops</i> rounds out to approximately 30 ft. Okay, so Trikes grew huge, and then shrunk 5 feet?*</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> 2. <i>Triceratops</i> must have gone through an awfully big change very late in life...I mean, the horns straightened out, the skull elongated and holes grew in, and all the epoccipital shrunk in.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> However, I did notice some odd looking skulls that have features of both Trike and Toro...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Triceratops_AMNH_01.jpg/713px-Triceratops_AMNH_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Triceratops_AMNH_01.jpg/713px-Triceratops_AMNH_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From the <i>Triceratops </i>Wikipedia page</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.museumoftherockies.org/Portals/0/images/Triceratops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.museumoftherockies.org/Portals/0/images/Triceratops.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From the Museum of the Rockies' Website</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> As you can see the first is the classic specimen on display at AMNH. If it weren't for the solid skull, no doubt this would have been reclassified as <i>Torosaurus</i> (or not, whatever. Taxonomy is confusing), and the second looks much more like a Trike, but has small holes developing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In conclusion: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I DUNNO LOL.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">1. PRONATED HANDS!?! DO NOT WANT! Seriously, it can't be that hard to get a theropod's hands right. Although the bit about Tyrannosaurs using the forelimbs to support the body is still plausible IMO.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">2. They seemed awfully concerned about how "big" the dinosaurs were. Not that isn't something to contemplate, but was it really necessary to provide detailed diagrams? Perhaps this is just me being a teenager, but come on!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">3. Wrong Sauropod feet. For like the 40 th time. But this is forgivable, since they're not making a documentary about dinosaur feet, now are they?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">4. Stegosaurus' plates were probably unable to change color, at least according to Tom Holtz's authoritative 2007 "Dinosaurs". I quote pg 233 "The problem with these two hypotheses (plate-color changing and blood vessel warming) is that the plates, like spikes and all thyreophoran osteoderms, would not have been covered with skin. Instead, there would have been a layer of living tissue and then a layer of horny keratin covering them. And keratin, as dead tissue, would not be full of blood vessels. So a stegosaur plate couldn't gain heat, loose heat, or change color quickly."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">*BTW, I demand a second addition of Holtz's book, <b>DEMAND IT!</b>*</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">5. Am I the only one who hates it when generic terms like "titanosaur" are used over and over again, and the audience doesn't know <i>what</i> titanosaur they're talking about? Granted, it can be inferred that the titanosaur of which they speak is <i>Alamosaurus</i>, but they could at least make it easier on us (me?).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">And know, behold the glory that is <b>TYRANNOSAURUS SEX!</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><b><br />
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<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/3527633782_54d138b112.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/3527633782_54d138b112.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 500px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 461px;" /></a><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Copyright Raul Martin</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">NSFW or not? You decide.</span></span></span></span></b></div>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-58325966474276604472010-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:002010-02-19T15:18:11.119-08:00Tyrannosaurus....SEX?!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">That's right! Discovery Channel's finally done it. Full blown archosaurian pr0n.</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">lol, Not really. The new program, <i>Tyrannosaurus Sex</i> airs tonight at 10 pm. Let's hope this redeems the horror show that <i>Clash of the Dinosaurs </i>was.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Links ahoy:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/tyrannosaurus-sex-titanosaur-mating.html">Discovery Channel's videos</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/02/09/tyrannosaurus-sex-yes-sex-premieres-on-discovery-february-14-at-10p/41494">Random News Article on the Program</a></span></div><div><br />
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</span></div>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4980854809463408578.post-60328965432726310362010-02-13T17:33:00.000-08:002010-02-15T16:05:46.413-08:00Yeah...Pretty Much<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is the start of my blog "Paleo-Nerdness!". The title, I know, is neither inventive nor is it interesting. Just pulled it out of my buttocks there, so yeah... pretty much.</span><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This, I hope, will be my own little corner of the internetz in which I can post my own commentary on science (specifically those sciences considering Evolution), various forms of media (books, movies, games, ect.), and any news bit that I deem worthy of my attention.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I present to you, on my very first blog post.... NOTHING, dun dun dun DUUUN!<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No, not really. Just to do some catching up, here are few short blurbs:<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Spinosaurids were Semi-Aquatic: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Long suspected by dino-fans and paleontologists alike, oxygen isotope ratios in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Spinosaurus</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> show that the animal was spending a fair amount of time in water. (Please note: this is the part where I speculate like there's no scientific method) This really opens up possibilities for what niche Spino exploited. While there are common comparisons to bears and herons, the fact that it was IN the water more than wading in it, methinks it probably, being huge (estimates vary, I'm going to guess 10 tons) just sat there in wait, akin to a very bird-like alligator snapping turtle. Or maybe it hunted in deep waters and rose up to snatch wandering crocs and fish? This is all baseless speculation, but it is worth some thought....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.webme.com/pic/s/spinosauridae/aquaspino.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 778px; height: 507px;" src="http://img.webme.com/pic/s/spinosauridae/aquaspino.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Copyright Jason Poole</span><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>Transformers: War for Cybertron Announced:</b> I'm no big Transfan (lol), but this game looks pretty cool! The movies were okay (the second was a bit too long and ridiculous in some parts), and <i>Animated</i>, despite the questionable animation, managed to have a deep and engaging storyline. I've played Gears of War 2 (this game supposedly takes major props from it), and although a major n00b at it (I was killed in approximately 30 seconds), I quite enjoyed the gameplay. That, coupled with how much reverence the developers seem to treat it with, means we're probably going to get a good package!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><b>The Technicolor Mesozoic(!): </b>Just in case you live under a rock or a scientific illiterate, for the first time the full color pattern of a non-avian (whatever that means) dinosaur has been deciphered! Anchiornis, the little creature that caused BANDits (Birds Are Not Dinosaurs) to receive a pounding headache last year, was the luck winner. Looking at the melanosomes preserved in feathered dinosaurs, we can reconstruct that specimens pigment! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhVORwwRJyiTJ_EGCiXk8EhgnFTS-3EBg0kEfdvMC3AnwQhICfufiVLhnHC0-HoRj5ErnCrvijgO4A8esV1eVZHPBX18OUz5XodIqSF8zInHLzTH45UJM4ao6bt-KrJC22b4upau0e6oX/s320/Anchiornis.jpg" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Copyright Michael DiGiorgio/Yale</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That's all for now! Hopefully I'll be able to make blogging a regular thing, although posts may not be as substantial as this one. Enjoy!</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Al Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08638724381651799536noreply@blogger.com2