the_itsb (she/her)

the younger generations have more empathy

Some, but not all. My mid-20s niece and her husband are racist. My kid is in high school and is friends with a pack of awesome kids who give me tremendous hope for the future, but there are lots of Tate fans, Trump fans, and other shitheads there too.

Kids are just younger people, they come in all different kinds just like adults - and just like adults, some of them are assholes.

Not saying we should write them off, just saying we shouldn’t be complacent about the inherent goodness and decency of youth, because it’s fictitious. They learn everything from watching us, and sometimes those lessons suck.

My kid is in high school, and they communicate about emergencies through text, email, and automated calls. There are lots of jobs, especially low-paying ones, that will not let you check your phone during your shift, and they’re certainly not going to be okay with you leaving early to go pick up your kid. If the choice is “leave to pick up kid (who you know is safe with teachers), get fired,” versus “leave kid (who you know is safe with teachers), keep job,” it’s pretty simple math.

That sounds like a really good plan, thank you!

the_itsb = the Ill-Tempered Sea Bass, and though it’s a batfish and not a sea bass, I’ve always thought this guy conveys the ill-tempered part beautifully.

Who I actually am as a person is a little more like some kind of crab. There’s the strawberry crab, who is “small, brightly-colored … known to be quite toxic,” which sounds just like me without medication. 😂 And then there’s the black-eyed hermit crab, who “often inhabits shells left by massive moon snails … often covered with colorful pink anemone-like hydroids, making this critter even cuter.”

I’ve been wanting to do a pi lab myself someday, and your post is so encouraging! Were there any guides or other things you used to get going that you found particularly helpful?

The original Rice Krispies Treats cereal was the best. The current is a pale imitation and lacks the depth of flavor the original had - it wasn’t overly sweet, and it had a perfect balance of vanilla and puffed rice flavor that is hard to explain.

Can you even imagine how anyone involved felt?!? The exultation and relief of the researchers when they not only didn’t accidentally kill their patient but fixed him, the mind-blowing reality that he can move again as it sinks into the patient’s brain… !!! I cry about every overwhelming emotion, good or bad, and I don’t think I’d be able to stop crying for weeks.