I’ve been ignoring chain mail for years and I haven’t been killed even a single time. what a ripoff

what armour r u wearing

wait

Here’s your reminder that relationships are extremely difficult. the delusion that you are going to find that person who you move into a small apartment with and read books all day and cook naked and cuddle with and play footsie under the table with is a gross romanticization of reality.

You’re going to have great times in a relationship. You’re going to go on fun dates and have great sex and hot make out sessions. But you’re also going to fight. You’re going to be in that weird stage where you like them more than they like you or vice versa and that’s going to hurt. You’re going to have to deal with jealousy and insecurity. You will have to deal with boredom in the relationship. You’re going to be too busy for them or accidentally hurt them. And you are going to have to deal with a few break ups before you find that right one.

A relationship is not going to solve all of your problems. It’s not going to suddenly make you happy. It isn’t easy. They are much harder than being single. Relationships are an unbelievable amount of work and effort and compromise and it’s not always going to be perfect. But the effort you put into it is what make it worth it. Because you fought and worked hard for this person and hopefully they did the same for you. So remember that.

scooby: it’s rover raggy, I rave the high ground shaggy: you like, underestimate my power scoob

i dont play overwatch but congratulations on your lesbian i’m very happy for you

thanks she’s fast and we love her

10 Cats That Just Want To Help You Wrap Christmas Gifts

“I can do it! Let me help you! I can do it!”

(All photos via Flickr with Creative Commons licenses. Please click on each one for source.)

Sealed shrimp tanks/ecosystems: Maybe Don’t

Hey guys! It’s the holiday season and I am seeing it pop up in my various social media feeds that folks are asking for / receiving these neat sealed ecosystems for shrimp.

I remember seeing these at the mall in a big city, in the 80’s, before household internet was a thing, and being smitten! How AMAZING, these glass containers, with a perfectly balanced ecosystem of shrimp and algae inside! The only reason I never got one was the cost. We were not very well off. So I would stare at them when we’d go to the city, once a year or so. So cool! They do seem very neat. There is some science there: the species of shrimp used are Opae Ula (Halocaridina rubra), a very unique and amazing species endemic to the Hawaiian islands (I find it curious that the company that makes these does not specify what species they use; are they worried people will find out more about them and stop buying the product? I digress…). This brackish water species is incredible, as it can tolerate truly abysmal conditions, especially if it is slowly acclimated to them. Notice I said “tolerate” and not “thrive”. The sealed tanks are “perfectly balanced” to grow algae and microscopic life, which feeds the shrimp. The shrimp’s waste then feeds the algae and bacterial growth. It really does sound legitimate, and the sealed tanks may well start out that way (I’d have to bust one open and do some water testing to really know). However, if we delve into the science a bit, and learn some chemistry, we realize that this slowly becomes their death trap. Anyone that has cycled an aquarium might know of the nitrogen cycle, and that in a sealed environment with living organisms, things do not stay “in balance” indefinitely. Even with bacteria and algae converting ammonia and nitrites, over time these accumulate regardless in these sealed environments with no gas exchange. The Opae Ula are extremely resilient; moreso than any other shrimp species commonly kept in captivity, and so they do survive this for a while. But over a year or three, they gradually starve and the toxins build up, and they perish. They don’t breed. The idea of a “zero care” pet is attractive, but ultimately a bit misleading. This is a shame. Though 2-3 years sounds like a long time for a shrimp to live, this species has been known to live for anywhere from 12-20 years (one anecdotal experience from a keeper was that a shrimp purchased in a sealed sphere was “broken free” and lived an additional 16 years after).

Dang these guys are CUTE. (Photo source)

It’s especially a shame since the sealed spheres are an expensive gimmick; one can easily set up a small tank at home where the shrimps will not only live, but thrive and breed, in a setup that costs less than one of the small sealed units (and honestly they can look way cooler when you do it yourself). I have long loved shrimp and keep a few freshwater species. I researched Opae Ula after a friend visited them in their native habitats in Hawaii, and put together a setup for far less than one of those sealed units. My shrimp are very active, healthy, and breeding like whoa. After initial setup, their care requires less attention than a houseplant. I feed them a tiny amount once to twice a month, and top off their water when necessary with distilled water. They do not require filtered water (actually the water movement can be harmful especially in smaller tanks), and your room temperatures should be between 55-85°F. You can easily keep them with no electricity, unlike other tanks. My houseplants take more time and are more fussy than that!

I know some of you are thinking, “lawd, this person is so worried about some dang water bugs! I eat shrimp for lunch with cocktail sauce! How stupid! Who cares!” That’s fair. What you care about is up to you! But I know many friends and acquaintances prefer not to buy into gimmicky and potentially cruel products when much happier alternatives exist. I just wanted to put this info out there because the sealed spheres DO seem REALLY COOL, and exciting, especially to my fellow nerdy people. I just wanted to let folks know that it’s possible to be smitten with these tiny amazing shrimp AND keep them in conditions that they will thrive in! If you are interested in learning more, please do some research into their needs, and source responsibly! Mine are breeding so well that I will probably need to find new homes for some in the spring when the temperatures increase. It’s very possible to find captive bred shrimps, at least here in the USA. According to researcher, Scott R. Santos, of the Department of Biological Sciences and Cell & Molecular Biosciences Peak Program, at Auburn University in Alabama, “Commercial harvesting, coupled with habitat destruction as well as strong regional endemism, could lead to the depletion and/or extinction of unique Halocaridina populations or genetic groups.” (source)

MORE INFO (I’m not affiliated with any of these people just FYI): Pet Shrimp “Supershrimp” page: http://www.petshrimp.com/hawaiianredshrimp.php

An Opae Ula Forum (yes for reals): http://www.petshrimp.com/discussions/viewforum.php?f=16&sid=266367326b022bd9fac3b2de45fc7587

Another page about Opae Ula: http://www.fukubonsai.com/m-l2e.html An EXCELLENT video on youtube that goes over all the basics!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOtnZ8bEKz0 So there you have it! Sealed shrimp tanks: you can do better, with only a tiny bit more effort! Buy an Ecosphere… or not… the choice is yours. At least now you know more about it!

straight people will try so hard to erase anything gay you can have two boys rolling around in the grass and they gotta explain it like:

Just bros being grass inspectors.

Hey guys, as you already know I had the honor to do an illustration for this awesome project, “Enough Space for Everyone Else”, a comic anthology about non-imperialistic sci fi stories!

>>>>KICKSTARTER <<<<

Sadly we are struggling to get funded, so we need all the help we can get to spread the word about this anthology and to get people to pledge! So please, if you can, maybe donate a little, and follow the official social media accounts, reblog and retweet their posts, talk about it on your blog, tell your friends about it!

Official tumblr

Official twitter

Kickstarter

Thank you so much for helping us getting this amazing project rolling, and thank you for all of those who already pledged and supported us!

@william-snekspeare

@plenty-harmonium

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WHO LEAKED THIS NEWS!?!?!?!

One Punch Man is Heading to Toonami July 16th. 

Booyah Loving Saitamas voice