Things I simply *must* have.

They will be Mine. Oh yes...

I have a very real problem of falling down the rabbit hole of dinosaur themed shopping. It always starts so innocent...a seemingly harmless visit to a paleontology Facebook page or stopping in to visit r/dinosaurs on Reddit. I see something mildly interesting so I click....then follow that link...then another...and another...

Then suddenly I have an entire catalog of shit I must have in my life.

I decided the best way to cope with the fact that I have a crazy obsession with dinosaur themed anything, is to share and possibly infect others with this adorable virus. 

Since my list is very long, I've picked out some of my top favorites to share. It goes without saying that literally any Papo or Shielch dinosaur toy that's out there must be mine, so I'll skip posting a long list of all those that exist.

Instead, this is the more fun or truly amazing items I've come across during my late night Etsy and collector site binge-fests.

Sorry in advance for the expensive crap you're about to want. 

PS: I've saved the best one for last.

The List

1.) Inflatable T-rex costume ---- $100

How is this not the best one, you ask? Because this one is something that will eventually be mine in the future. I have a goal of owning this wondrous creation in 2016, either for A-Kon or for Halloween.

These awesome suits have become something of an Internet sensation, and I have yet to get sick of seeing them. People don these amazing costumes and do the most insane things, from ice skating, to pole dancing to competing in American Ninja Warrior. 

They're so incredibly doofy and cute that it's hard not to just adore the hell out of them. 

Plus, not only are they license from Jurassic World, they're WAY cheaper than the realistic Walking with Dinosaur style suits that cost well into the thousands.

It's the best of both worlds: silly and you get to be a dinosaur. This is kind of a life goal of mine, and what I've wanted to grow up as since I was five.

2.) DinoStoreus Skulls, Skeletons and Full Flesh Models ---- $44 - $350

I wanted to start with the basics: awesome collectible statues. I think these are something every dinosaur fan would want/need, and they are as pretty as they are reasonable in price. 

You've got a couple options when it comes to these guys: skull, full skeleton and fully fleshed models. They're perfect desk pieces and I've seen these in paleontologists offices. Honestly, I was trying to pick my favorites, but I'd really love any of these pieces. They're all SO cool.

3.)  Regaliceratops bust from BlueDino ---- $179

I think I've gushed about my love for this Ceratopsian in the past, but it's worth mentioning again how freaking cool it looks.

This bust is really gorgeous. It's hand sculpted and painted by the artist, and I would kill a man to have it in my grubby hands. It does have the option to come unpainted for a little cheaper, but I'm pretty sure I'd botch any type of paint job. I have zero skill in that department. It'd end up looking like a toddler scribbled on  very nice piece of art and I'd probably have to kill myself.

I'm a pro at pining for stunning works of art though. 

I love how detailed it is, especially the frill, and how he kept the red theme from Julius Csotonyi's painting. Simply amazing.

4.) Trilobite Plushie from PaleoGirl Crafts ---- $43

HOW ADORABLE IS THIS GUY??

I cannot get over how fluffy and sweet his little face is. Yes, ok...this isn't a dinosaur but good lord do I love Trilobites. 

As soon as this brilliant woman is taking commissions again, we're having a conversation about a Tiktaalic....

5.) These ridiculous as fuck dinosaur heels  ---- $260

Because I'm a lady with refined taste and class.

Plus, those are totally the same T-rex toys I have and their jaws open and close. That's just fancy.

6.) Custom Baby Raptor Sculpture ---- $70

This is so beyond cute. Not only can this sweet little dude look however you want, but he is all curled up like he's fresh from his egg. I want to snuggle him! 

It's always cool to see dinosaurs in different poses besides roaring, fighting or charging. Don't get me wrong, those are all awesome, but I do love seeing babies and sleeping dinosaurs too.

It makes them feel like real animals, which they were, and not mythical monster-beasts.

Either way, this guy is fantastic and I need an orange one in my life one day.

Side note, I wish they had feathers. :C

7.) Baby Raptor Blind Box by Rebor -- ~$5 for one or ~$40 for the full set

Two baby raptor things!? So neat, right?!

I don't think these guys are available stateside. The only place I could find them is at everythingdinosaur.com, and everything is in Euros. 

They're cute as hell little blind boxes that come in different colors. I really adore all of them and per Rebor style, always pretty and well detailed. I really hope they come across the pond and pop up at something local.

Looking at you, GameStop and ThinkGeek. Don't fail me.

8.)  Dimorphodon Judy and Punch by Rebor ---- ~$45

Yet another amazing find and correct...they're also not dinosaurs.

I KNOW, CALM DOWN.

But c'mon...these come as a pair and they have names. I love them so much, and I love that Judy is in flight while Punch looks up lovingly at her. I'm not usually big on the flying reptiles -- I mean, I do think they're really neat, but they've never been my top favorites. These little dudes are just too cool and they'd look so good in the collection.

I guess I should give pterosaurs more love.

I think most people will recognize those pterosaurs from Jurassic World as the "trex head flying dinosaur hybrid", to which I say, get the fuck off my blog you filthy peasant they're actually real animals and not hybrid.

I had a conversation with a coworker a couple months ago involving this creature, and it amazed me that he thought they were one of the genetic experiments. In looking up the information about it, because I'm not as well depth in pterosaurs, Dimorphodons are commonly searched for as "the trex flying dino from Jurassic World". 

To be fair, I only knew about them because I watch a lot of dinosaur documentaries and I remembered them from one of of the many that were on Netflix (grumble, grumble), so I'm not acting like I'm so snooty jerk.

Well...I kinda am. More people should watch dinosaur stuff, damnit!!

9.) Feathered T-rex toy from Collecta --- $25 (though I've seen it go for like $70)

That's right! Finally a feathered T-rex!! 

This toy just came out and my god I want it. You don't see not naked T-rex toys ever, so when this one hit the market, it started to sell out right away. 

I love the color pallet of this dinosaur and the feathers looks so cool. I'm glad to see model companies starting to embrace scientifically accurate dinosaurs these days. 

It warms my heart. 

10.) New Papo dinosaurs: Baryonyx and feathered Velociraptor ---- ~$26/each

MOAR FEATHERS!!

I just recently learned abut Baryonyx, and this dinosaur is so strangely cool looking that he's slowly becoming a new favorite. I'm also just tickled as hell about the raptor having feathers, because I'm yet again being a snobby asshole about things.

I really like the Papo line and I think they're going to stay at the top of my list. All of their toys are so incredibly detailed and often in the coolest poses. Very lifelike in the smallest details, and they pick the coolest dinosaurs to make toys out of. 

I only have the one Papo toy, my beloved Dimetrodon, and I always loved how his skin folds a little where his body is turning. 

It's the little thing that makes this toy company so damn good. That and they're fairly cheap and stateside, which is nice. 

Side note, the raptor isn't out yet, but the Baryonyx is. 

11.) Dinosaur Hair Clips from ThinkGeek --- $15

Because, again, I'm a lady with sophisticated class and taste. 

Cute, colorful, and sticking with the classics. You can't go wrong!

Plus, they'll go great with those freaking heels and the next item too.

12.) Double sided velociraptor necklace --- $22

Cause....cause orange and skeleton. :3

13.) T-rex shower head --- $20

Nothing says shower time quite like a roaring dinosaur skull vomiting steaming hot water at your face.

You can pick the color you want, which means it'll fit any theme for your bathroom and guys let's face it...can you really go back to your normal, not T-rex shower head now that you know this exists?

No. No you can't.

And the grand finale: 

14.) Raptor Body Pillow --- $50

Your wifu got nothing on my raptor. 

I need this guy to live next to my Souji Okita and I need to snuggle with it SO BAD. This is just too ridiculous not to have. I love that he's on the bed sheet background, I love that he's smiling, I love that he has feathers.

I just. Plain. Love it.

- M

Easter Dinosaur!

Cuter than the Easter bunnie

Since today is Easter, I figured it was totally relevant to post about one of my favorite weird looking dinosaurs who's name is very fitting for the occasion.
Originally found in the Gobi desert during one of Roy Chapman Andrew's expeditions in 1924, this odd looking beak face was thought to have been found fossilized during the act of stealing Protoceratops eggs from a nest.
Oviraptor, or "egg thief" was named after this apparent crime, and it wasn't until 1993 when the eggs it was "stealing" were actually Oviraptor eggs! Poor guy had a bad wrap for a really long time.

Side note, I plan on doing a full post about Roy Chapman Andrews in the future, because this guy is one of the most interesting people I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. I learned about him in a paleontology course a couple years back, and was described to me as a "real life Indiana Jones", so naturally it sparked a curiosity. I ended up picking up his autobiography Under a Lucky Star not too soon after that and enjoyed the hell out of it.
In a nutshell, this guy traveled across the Gobi desert in a caravan when the desert was still a bandit infested wasteland. It was like Mad Max but with 1920's explorers and rifles.
Pretty damn cool.

Oviraptor is a weird looking therapod dinosaur that reminds me of a mutated ostrich. It's beak is a oddly shaped, which reinforced it's egg eating habits during it's original discovery. Because of it's odd curve, paleontologists at the time thought it used it to crack eggs.
Most of the artist depictions of Oviraptor show it with feathers, so I did some digging on what exactly has been found as far as feathers on these creatures. I don't see any concrete findings on feather imprints being found for this animal, but the leading theory is that Oviraptor would have "brooded"

over its nest like how modern birds do.
The nest found with the fossil remains of the creature was kind of like a dug out pit with the eggs in the middle. They think Oviraptor sat on the eggs and covered it with it's body and arm feathers to keep them warm and protected. I would assume, and this is based on my own guess here, that these creatures probably paired like how modern birds do, one to sit on the eggs while the other went for food.
There was only one skeleton found with this nest cache through, so that's not very certain. Though there was an article posted in Time talks about a pair of Oviraptor skeletons who died together from a what was probably a landslide, that apparently seem to be a set of male and female. They've been nicknamed "Romeo and Juliet", which is sweet I guess, but there were no eggs found with them. I assume they were paired together and not fighting or something.
It makes sense they'd pair, because if those eggs were left out like that, actual egg thieves would come by and snag them in a quick hurry.
Since it's theorized that Oviratpr had feathers, most of the art found for Oviraptor shows it as a colorful peacock with awesome feathers splayed across its long tail. I love it!

Oviraptor lived during the late Cretaceous, about 75 million years ago in what is now Mongolia. This big bird like dinosaur stood about 5 feet tall and weighed probably about 100 pounds. Big but not giant by any means.
It also had a cool crest on top of its head which was probably used for mating displays or warding off predators. Again, that's my own guess, but typically when crested dinosaurs that's the running theory, as that's what modern birds use theirs for.

These odd looking birdy dinosaurs are  a niche favorite with a couple toys and products available, which are totally going on my dinosaur wishlist. I'm still in the process of putting a very epic product list together for a big post. I'll have to snag one of these damn plushies soon, because it's kind of the most adorable things.

You can get this cutie at everythingdinosaur.com!

I hope you're having a great Easter and found a new favorite dinosaur to admire. I'm going to stop in on my way to work and find some discounted chocolate bunnies or Reese's Eggs to munch on.

Happy egg day!

-M

Richard Dawkins turns 75!

Happy Birthday Richard Dawkins!

I wanted to make a post about Richard Dawkins, because not only is he one of my heroes, he's also a brilliant evolutionary biologist who does amazing work in science communication and helping the general public understand a very complicated concept. 

I've put together a list of my favorite books of his with a link to buy them, some links to my favorite clips and shows with Dawkins and a link to his foundation as well.

I ended up going on a bit of a ride in talking about how I found Dawkins's work and why I like it, so I'll put that at the bottom if anyone cares to read my word vomit.

Go learn something new today! You get bonus points if you use the phrase, "Science works, bitches" at least once today. :D

Books by Richard Dawkins:

• An Appetite for Wonder
• On sale for Kindle for $1.99!! 
• The Greatest Show on Earth: Evidence for Evolution **my personal favorite
• Magic of Reality ** also a favorite
• The Selfish Gene
• Ancestor's Tale
• Out of Eden
• The Blind Watchmaker
• God Delusion

Amazon link to his works.

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science

From the website:

Dear Friend,

The mission of the Richard Dawkins Foundation is to promote scientific literacy and a secular worldview. Some might see this as two distinct missions: 1) Teaching the value of science, and 2) Advancing secularism.

Yes, those are my foundation’s goals. You will not be surprised to learn that my personal priority is science as one of the highest and most aesthetically rewarding achievements of the human spirit.

But permit me to trace the connection between science and the other preoccupation of my foundation, the advancement of secularism. I see those goals as interrelated and mutually reinforcing.

You are well familiar with the existential challenges of global climate change and unsustainable population growth facing mankind and the planet. Of all the forces opposing an evidence-based response, religion is the most active — and it is especially strong in America.

Religious extremism not only interferes with the advance of science but with personal freedoms and human dignity, and not only in places where jihadists hold sway but in America as well, in areas such as access to contraception, LGBTQ rights and women’s equality.

Critical thinking is the real saviour of humankind. My foundation promotes respect for people who hold critical thinking as a cherished personal value and use it in day-to-day life.

The logical counter to religious extremism is people who rely on evidence to make decisions. Yet the voice of secular people is maligned in this country. Forty-five percent of Americans think you have to believe in God to be moral. Secular voices are considered immoral. They are not listened to on that basis.

We must counter this baseless hostility to allow the contributions of secular people in vital national debates to count. Making secular views and people welcome in politics and policy-making will advance human safety, security, health, achievement, prosperity and most of all, science.

Please accept my personal thanks for your interest in the foundation. If you agree with our mission, please consider becoming one of us. If you are already a member and supporter, thank you for standing with me.

My greatest hope is that together we can change society for the better.

Warmly,

Richard Dawkins

Shows, clips and various other fun things:

• Interviews & Discussions:
• Dawkins and the giraffe laryneal nerve
• this is a dissection of a giraffe, so not for the faint of heart!
• totally one of my favorite videos!
• Interview with Neil DeGrasse Tyson
• Seth Andrews interview
• Darwin Day 2015 -- Dawkins answers questions about evolution
• Discussion with Lawrence Krauss
• Richard Dawkins Foundation YouTube Page

• Being a smart ass
• Science works...bitches
• What if you're wrong?
• Dawkins reading hate mail: Part 1 & Part 2

• Documentaries:
• The Genius of Charles Darwin
• The God Delusion 
• Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life

Word Vomit:

I was always one of those kids who was really into old dead stuff and ancient cultures. I always adored dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, mummies of all variety, fossils, and biology. I don't really remember if the theory of evolution was taught in biology or not, since I went to a Texas school there's a good chance it was lightly brushed over.

What I do know is that when I got the itch to learn more about Charles Darwin and evolution, it started a life long obsession. It didn't take long to realize how much yelling was coming from the other side, a very misinformed and delusional side of anti-science ignorance. I learned about "creationism" and people who took their religious texts as actual literal words from god and not stories. 

I had honestly never heard of that until I started looking into evolution. It blew my mind.

Naturally, this pushed me away from religion, which I didn't have a firm grasp on anyway. We were hardly a religious family, dad is a self proclaimed Catholic though he does not really practice it at all, and mom is just the vanilla "Christian" with no real labels attached. I think through my entire childhood, we went to church maybe five times.

Reading about the nonsense coming from the extreme end of the religious spectrum only widened the canyon between me and faith and pushed me closer to reason. Since it was evolution that drove me to question the shaky grounds of a belief in god, I started looking into just that: science vs religion. Naturally, you don't have to wade far into that ocean without bumping into Richard Dawkins and his work.

I remember getting my copy of The God Delusion as a gift from my then boyfriend now husband for Christmas several years later. I had been happily dancing on the heathen side of life as an anthropology major in college, diving head first into human evolution. I was no longer religious, but still had questions about the grand scheme of things. 

Now I can happily say, "I don't know" with extreme confidence. I am a proud atheist.

While Dawkins is best known for his hard stance against religion, (honestly a stance I share at this point, but that's a post for a different time) he is truly a brilliant evolutionary biology first an foremost. Beyond The God Delusion, his book The Greatest Show on Earth: Evidence for Evolution is one of my favorites. It's bright, colorful, lots of amazing pictures and easy to understand and witty dialog about just how and why evolution is true and all around us. I bought it day one, and it's still one of my treasures.

I own a copy of almost all of his work in one format or another, the newest addition being An Appetite for Wonder, which I snagged on sale. I've still yet to finish The Blind Watchmaker, as I remember it being a tad overwhelming at the time. So far, all the books I've read have been amazing works. Always informative and laced with that witty British charm we all know and love about Dr. Dawkins.

I doubt very highly that the 75 year old scientist will ever be in Texas, but I really hope one day he makes another round of book signing. He's recently had a stroke, so I know it's not going to be for some time, but I'll be heart broken if I never get to meet him.
Though, last time I met someone I admired, I didn't say a damn word. It'll probably be the same scenario if he ever was to come to my neck of the woods. I'd smile, mute, and just hold out a book to be signed. Maybe squeak out a timid "thank you" as I shuffle away.
I'm hopeless in front of my heroes. Star-struck is hardly the word. I loose all brain function.
I'm practically a blinking vegetable.

I was going to go on a bit longer, but I have to get ready for work so I'll wrap it up. If you've read through this and you're still hanging in there with me, you're probably one of my best friends who reads this as one of two of my only subscribers. Look at you being awesome.
I think my next post I'm going to talk about all the super cool dinosaur toys and models I've been pining for over the last couple months. Some really cool stuff has been released and I need a place to vent about how much I covet them.

Until then.

-M