thegingergrizzly-blog

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A Timeline

1850s: Some scientists notice the connection between dinosaurs & birds and think birds might have evolved from dinosaurs, given similarity between Archaeopteryx and many dinosaurs, as well as between dinosaurs and living birds  

1960s: Deinonychus is discovered. Scientists starting to realize birds did evolve from dinosaurs; other ideas become fringe hypotheses 

1970s: More dinosaurs are discovered that point to dinosaur behavior being more like birds than reptiles 

1980s: Scientists begin using evolutionary relationships (ie, cladistics) to classify life, rather than Linnean Taxonomy (Kingdom-Phylum-Class etc.), especially for extinct creatures, because it really doesn’t apply to extinct life like, at all. Coelophysis, an early dinosaur, is speculatively depicted with feathers. Some very bird-like dinosaurs are debated on whether they are birds or dinosaurs. 

1993: Birds are straight-up called dinosaurs in the famous film “Jurassic Park,” which is one of the first pieces of media to depict dinosaurs as extremely birdlike; changes public perception of dinosaurs dramatically  

1996: Sinosauropteryx, the first feathered non-avian dinosaur, is revealed to the public. Birds determined to have evolved from dinosaurs, full stop; BANDits (birds-are-not-dinosaurs scientists) now a backwards, on-par-with creationists group. Since we classify dinosaurs based on their evolutionary relationships, we start calling birds dinosaurs, because they evolved from dinosaurs. 

1999: Sinornithosaurus, the first raptor (ie, cousin of Velociraptor) dinosaur found with feathers, is described. Many other feathered dinosaurs are described as well, from all over the group closely related to birds. The Walking With Dinosaurs landmark documentary series calls birds dinosaurs. 

2000: Microraptor, a raptor dinosaur with full wings on its arms and legs, is described 

2001: Velociraptor is given… “feathers” in Jurassic Park III. Velociraptor also portrayed as more bird-like than ever. When Dinosaurs Roamed America, another groundbreaking dinosaur documentary, shows all members of the group closely related to birds (except T. rex) with feathers, including Deinonychus, all over their bodies. Also calls birds dinosaurs. 

2002: A specimen of Psittacosaurus, a dinosaur about as far away from birds as you can get, is described with quills on its tail very similar to feathers 

2004: Dilong, a small relative of T. rex, is found with feathers and display structures like modern birds 

2007: Many feathered dinosaurs are now known from the group most closely related to birds. A specimen of Velociraptor with feather attachment sites on the arms for wing feathers is now known. Velociraptor now known to be definitely, no question, feathered 

2009: Tianyulong, another dinosaur from a group very far from birds, is found with fluffy quills covering all over its back 

2012: Feathered dinosaurs now coming out many times a year. Yutyrannus, a large and closer relative to T. rex, found with shaggy feathers all over its body 

2014: Kulindadromeus, another dinosaur from the group very far from birds, is named. It has fluffy covering like that of Sinosauropteryx all over its body, rather than quills. Feathers determined to be mostly likely ancestral to all dinosaurs and lost secondarily in larger species (especially if fluff known on closest relatives, pterosaurs, is also feathers - see below). 

2015: Zhenyuanlong, a close relative of Velociraptor the same size as Velociraptor, is found with extremely large wings. Raptor dinosaurs inferred to have large wing feathers unless anatomy indicates otherwise (such as having short wings). Jurassic World comes out, making dinosaurs less bird-like than in the original Jurassic Park - with lizard-like tails and behavior, and no feathers at all. Essentially, a huge step backwards. 

2018: Branched fluffy covering very similar to feathers described now on multiple pterosaurs, the group most closely related to dinosaurs (think Pterodactyls). Fluffy covering considered ancestral to all members of the Pterosaur-Dinosaur group, if not all animals more closely related to birds than to crocodilians. 

We have known birds are dinosaurs since before many people reading this were born - since before I was born. We have known dinosaurs had feathers since the mid-1990s. We have known Velociraptor was fluffy and had wings since the mid-2000s. This isn’t news. This isn’t up for debate. Please grow up. Thank you! 

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I still blame myself though

And so it took some time to understand what the hell happened to us. We once were inseparable, two souls made out of the same stardust. Our atoms destined to connect. I don’t know when I stopped making you happy. When the parts of me that made you fall in love were no longer reasons to stay. But finally I know this was never what you wanted to happen. I don’t blame you anymore and most importantly I no longer blame myself.

4am

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Nobody cares

So it has become painfully obvious that nobody actually cares about me. The cries for help are there and nobody listens. Everyone is a fucking liar. You all don't actually care. You say so that way you can feel better about yourself. What about when my blood is on your hands? What about when I'm not around for you to ignore anymore? Will you care then?

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Anxiety

I know I'm an anxious over-thinking mess. I spend an awful lot of my time wondering if you've been with someone else since me. If they're better than me. If you've forgotten all about the way it used to feel when we were together. I like awake at night sometimes wondering. Wondering if I was ever as special to you as you once said. If I am still the best you've ever had. If you actually still care about me. Or if it is all just words forced from your mouth in a futile attempt to make me feel better.

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Secrets

Sometimes I think you're hiding things from me. Even though you promised you wouldn't.

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via @extramadness

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When your family doesn't feel like family anymore

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Why wasn't I good enough?

You ever sit back and notice that what someone had with you is exactly what they are looking for now? Like, why wasn't I good enough?

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Marvel and The Walt Disney Company salute the life and career of Stan Lee and offer our undying gratitude for his unmatchable accomplishments within our halls. Every time you open a Marvel comic, Stan will be there. Please join us in remembering Stan “The Man” Lee.

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Why the hell do I still get so jealous over you?

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I would sell my soul to feel your skin against mine again.

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Not gonna eat anymore

If I were skinny, would my words matter more? If I were skinny, would I not be so alone? If I were skinny, would somebody hole me close? If I were skinny, would you still love me?

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Platonic love is real love and shouldnt be treated like less becuase it isnt romantic. Defining love as only romantic is a terrible concept. You should be able to love people in a platonic way as much as romantic way and not be seen as less

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I was never very outgoing when I was younger. I guess I'm still not. I got into a relationship with a woman 10 years my senior when I was 21. She was a divorcee with 3 kids. I immediately moved out of my parent's house and in with her all the while hiding the relationship from them. After several years we got married. I was 25 years old when I became a step-father. There was never a chance for my wife and me to have a child of our own. She had her tubes tied before we met. All I ever wanted was to be a dad. I told myself that this was good enough. I never got to go out and enjoy my 20s like everyone else. I didn't get to go to wild parties or go bar hopping until the sun came up. I missed out on all the experiences that everyone calls up as normal for people in their 20s. I told myself it was ok. That what I was doing meant so much more. Yes, I regret not having these experiences. I regret not giving myself the opportunity and forcing myself to grow up so fast. I love my wife and kids. I just wish I could have lived a little before giving it all up.