Okay, so I have seen that cat-paw x-ray a few times, and always assumed it was fake, but before posting to say that, I did some digging, and I am super glad I did, because the truth turns out to be way more interesting!

Here's an actual paw of an adult cat:

You can easily find a lot of images like this in a simple google image search for "cat paw x-ray." (A lot of them are contrasting the normal paw with a declawed paw.) This particular one is from the imaging anatomy website at the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine, which is a study tool for students to review normal anatomy.

That same Google search also shows a lot of social media posts using this image or one like it to "debunk" the ridiculously fake-looking x-ray at the top of the post. But I noticed that I wasn't seeing anything like that that was coming from something more reliable than Just Some Guy--no news articles, and no social media posts from veterinarians/students, or organizations, or well-known public science education accounts, etc.--and no one was going into any depth about it. Just random users pointing at the obvious fake and yelling "fake."

So I kept looking, and eventually found some places where the top image was posted with context, and it turned out--surprisingly! I was surprised!--not to be a fake, but an x-ray of a very young kitten, where the bones are not fully developed, and therefore don't show up well on the x-ray. This veterinary reference source has x-ray images of a neonatal puppy, including this one:

If I'm reading the article correctly, it sounds like this image--and probably the kitten one--was done at a very low power, to minimize radiation exposure to such a tiny patient, which results in a lower-quality image with less detail, contributing to the cartoony appearance.

The kitten x-ray has also been cropped to leave out the forearm bones, which--being bigger--show up with more detail in the image and therefore make the whole thing look less ridiculously fake:

(The article has a couple of paragraphs of technical detail about equipment settings and techniques to improve sensitivity and get more detail; if the person taking the kitten x-ray wasn't able to use all of those tricks, that would probably explain why the puppy one is a bit more realistic-looking.)

So there you go! Turns out teeny-tiny kittens actually are mostly fluff with cartoony little bones! Now we know.

I recently received a request about posting something regarding being well spoken.

Something you need to realise is that you’re not going to become well-spoken overnight. You need to practice on people. You need to SPEAK.

I used to stutter so badly that I could barely speak a whole sentence.

Flash forward a few years. I pitched my start up in front of a crowd, I joined Model United Nations in high school and college, I’ve been invited to speak on my entrepreneurial experience by some top universities in my country. It’s taken a lot to get here. And I’m still not where I want to be.

1. Apps to track progress and help you get better at public speaking

An app that you can use: “Speeko.”

I used to use this, it is beginner friendly and you can improve your public speaking skills as well.

2. Use topic generators

Go online and look up a topic generator. Generate a random topic, video yourself speaking on that topic. Don’t give yourself time to prepare anything - read the topic and start speaking. Set a time limit - you’ll realise that speaking for even 2 minutes can be quite difficult at times.

Not only does this make you realise that you may have limited language skills, but it will also make you realise exactly where you’re falling behind. Note down things in a journal.

- is grammar the issue?

- Lack of vocabulary?

- Too many filler sounds?

- Knowledge gap?

This is also a great idea if you’re at an intermediate level of learning a language/ polishing a language. Do this everyday and maintain a diary on your improvement.

3. Reading out loud

Select a news article or any article. Read out loud, slowly and steadily. Pronounce every syllable calmly.

A two minute read should take 5 minutes to read out loud. That’s how slow you should go. Not more than 4-5 words per breath.

Your tongue needs to get used to different syllables and sounds. Practice will help.

4. Talk in real life

Talk to anyone and everyone whenever you can.

Ask your barista how their day is going.

Ask your work or university security if they’ve had a good day and if they ate today.

Chat with your taxi driver about their life. I always start with asking them if they are from the city we’re travelling in. Even if you’re from that city, act like a tourist. Where are the best eateries? The conversation eventually goes to personal questions. How many children do they have, and what do they do? What do they like about the city?

You’ll learn the art of small talk only through practice. No book or guide can actually prepare you. You have to practice, practice and practice.

5. Diaphragm breathing

Diaphragm breathing is very important. Look up some YouTube videos for reference. You essentially breathe from your tummy (stomach goes in and out; not chest going up and down). This is a great calming exercise too.

6. Stuttering tongue/ jaw exercise videos

These are great because they really do prep your jaw and tongue well. The videos could include tongue stretches, placing your tongue on your palette correctly, etc. Search on YouTube.

7. Body posture

You really need to work on your posture too. Sit up straight. Back, STRAIGHT. Chin up, shoulders relaxed. Something as simple as posture can change your level of confidence.

8. Pranayama

A yoga exercise for breathing. You can find a guided video on YouTube for sure.

9. Vocabulary

Invest your time in expanding your vocabulary. There’s enough apps and games that can help you with that, if you aren’t fond of reading. A sign of being well spoken is having great vocabulary.

Start by looking up the synonyms of everyday words.

“I’m upset”

- how many different words can you find for upset?

“I had a crazy day today”

- one can easily use “hectic”, “chaotic” “lively” instead

10. Idioms

Idioms, phrases, sayings - look up common idioms in your language of choice. Aim to use at least 3 new idioms on 3 separate occasions in a week while you speak. You need to understand when and where you can use the idioms in your vocabulary.

11. Knowing when to switch

You can’t talk like a 50 year old heiress to a 10 year old child; you need to get down to their level.

If someone is clearly not a native speaker and is struggling to put words together, don’t use difficult words around them.

If you’re meeting with someone high profile, refrain from using slang.

The best speakers know when to switch their level of language.

You can’t use one singular type of speaking with everyone. You need to understand that there is a time and place for everything - and you’ll be able to switch like a pro only when you actually speak and start gaining experience.

ho ho holy shit it’s december first (1st)

IM STILL IN SCHOOL BUT ILL TAKE THE EMPLOYMENT JELLY FOR THE FUTURE

Jess and Nick in S1E3: Wedding (New Girl 2011-2018)

My iron deficiency anemia has me like...

[image description in alt text]

a little bunny looking at the stars in case you're having a bad day.

　　 　　˚ 　　　 . ✧

✧. ★ ˚

★ ☄︎

˚ ✧ ˚　

*. ⋆

༘ * 🔭🐇

Imagine this. Living in Paris. Sitting on your pretty balcony while wearing an oversized rope and sipping red wine. Fresh greens. Green tea. Big white silk bed sheets. Facemasks. Handsome men in suits. Facetiming your friends late at night. Dark chocolate. Smiling at strangers. Hot baths. Inner peace. Healthy face.

There was a lot of room for us to make up stuff. So we did. And I remember myself making up and being like what if we said One, two, three, four, JFK! And the other people said FDR!…That was me -Zooey Deschanel 

Instagram credit: myphotography_com

Poster Reposteris

"The Reblogger"

Genus: Poster

The Poster genus is an incredibly diverse one, encompassing a healthy proportion of Tumblr’s extant fauna. They populate the undergrowth and the overstory, the tagged regions and presumably the untagged as well.

Species: Reposteris

Tumblr’s reblog feature affords this hugely populous species its means of subsistence. Indiscriminate omnivores, the Reblogger spends its time seeking out posts to reblog. Gif sets, text posts, graphics, videos, memes—anything and everything is fair game. They are an essential part of the ecosystem, forming the bulk of the notes on any healthy post. Glimpsing a Reblogger’s home territory is like seeing the landscape of Tumblr in miniature.

Behaviors: