They just don't make 'em like they used to.

I love the old Max and Dave Fleischer cartoons, especially the gritty, trippy older ones like this. They invented the technique of rotoscoping, or animating on top of live actors, along with developing the first sound cartoons (four years prior to Disney's famous Steamboat Willy). The Fleischers' early sound efforts didn't get as much notice and success because most theatres weren't equipped with the speaker systems to support their earliest "talkie" or "talkartoon" efforts. But with characters like Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman, they enjoyed quite a bit of notoriety and success throughout the years.

And come on, who doesn't like Cab Calloway? Huh? No one, that's who. Even Danny Elfman is a fan of this cartoon.

All my bags are packed...I'm ready to go.

Farewell to Rapid City, just in time for the holidays. There's no place like home for the holidays.

And on that note...the "Shrine of Democracy". Finally got around to seeing it. On that note, I'm off to Denver, and then back east...time to get back to where I once belonged. Get back, Jo Jo.

Just trying to see how many stupid song quotes I can use in one post...^_^

Cheers everyone, I hope you've enjoyed my rantings on my time in South Dakota. More updates to come. Shine on.

I had a really nice day today, got to head on up to Hill City again and meet with Pete Larson. He gave me sort of the grand tour and I got to meet a lot of his crew. Very nice folks, and very nice fossils and replicas. These are from a subadult T. rex.


Dinosaur skin! From an edmontosaur.

Fun times. I also got me a rock hammer, yay.

These boots are made for walkin'.

Standing beneath a full-sized Columbian mammoth...and I didn't even feel a bit scared. Just thinking about these animals wandering around, right here...it's a pretty awesome feeling.

Welcome to Hot Springs. Only two weeks left here, which is kind of sad. It's been quite a ride. And it ain't over yet! ^_^

Just some light snow.



Snoooow on the moooountains....FIRE IN THE SKYYY...not really...

Today.

I met.

Dr. Robert Bakker.

I am officially rendered speechless.

For good.


That is all.

No blog of mine could be complete without...dinosaur footprints! (*dramatic chord*)

These are pieces of, as labelled, the "Zerbst Trackway", which is a from the Lance Creek Formation, Upper Cretaceous (65 mya) . Trackway A was made by a Struthiomimid dinosaur ("ostrich mimic"), and Trackway D (up top) has Oviraptorid and avian (bird) tracks, as well as Tyrannosauroid tracks of some sort. Parts B and C had evidence of Edmontosaur-like prints (a herbivorous, hadrosaurian "duck-billed" dinosaur) and its accompanying "tail-drag" mark. Not to say that these animals were dragging their tails all the time, but the tip of a tail can easily scratch the ground, if the animal's crouching. The trackways are housed at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in Hill City.

And now, the weather.

Tomorrow (Monday): Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 71F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies early giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 39F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Tuesday: A mixture of rain and snow showers. Cold. High 39F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 40%.

What the heck!

So a bit of an update. Last week I was in the bonebed!

Doing something other than vacuuming! This is me, working with the Elderhostel group that came to the site. Fun fun fun.

The guy on the very bottom is the most complete Columbian mammoth at the site, around 90% complete--his nickname is "Napoleon Bone-apart"...har, har. Above him is "Beauty", the best-preserved skull.

Another one of those doomsday sunsets.

Pretty, though.

Something I never got around to posting--one of the pictures from the Black Hills Powwow (He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate).

Until next time.

Trip #2 to the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc.

This greets you as you walk in:

Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, Tyrannosaurus rex, Edmontosaurus annectens, Struthiomimus altus.



Tyrannosaurus rex, Deinocheirus manus (?), Mammuthus sp., Diatryma...also H. sapiens. He's just some guy, you know?

Mainly some dromaeosaurs, dinosaur eggs and another one of those pesky Homo sapiens...

Velociraptor mongoliensis, "Ingenia" yanshini. V. mongoliensis is from the Djadotchta Formation, Mongolia.




Deinosuchus, Sarcosuchus, Crocodilus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus....and there's that H. sapiens again, damn it!

Of course, I couldn't escape the footprints. There were a few nice Cretaceous footprint specimens there. I also got to meet Mr. Peter Larson, the BHIGR's president (and incidentally the guy who did time for the whole Sue controversy). Very nice guy, offered to give me the grand tour backstage one of these weekdays, gave me his card...I wouldn't have met him if Barb hadn't grabbed one of the employees, apparently they were filming a documentary of some kind behind closed doors. Super cool day.

And then, later on, I went to the 20th annual Black Hills Powwow (He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate), which was also a lot of fun and interesting to see.

Trip #2 to Hill City.

This time, we actually got to go INSIDE the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc.

One of the most incredible displays of material I've ever seen.

Here, just...have a look:

Triceratops horridus, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, Edmontosaurus annectens, and the rear half of a Bison antiquus.

An incredible, incredible display of Liaoning specimens, including this Liaoxiornis sp. Note the clawless hands. The province of Liaoning in China has a few really superb Early Cretaceous (122 million years before present (MYBP)) deposits--the Chaomidianzi and the Yixian Formations. It's a prime example of a Lagerstatten, or fossil "deposit place" with particularly well-preserved specimens.

Oh...when I saw that this was real, I was speechless. This is the beautiful Confusciusornis sanctus, complete with feather impressions and long tail feathers (an indication that this individual was male?) Also in the picture (clockwise from the Confusciusornis) are hatchling diapsid reptiles (Hyphalosaurus (Sinohydrosaurus) lingyuanensis), a fossil spider and a fossil dragonfly and nymph of indeterminate species (at least, unknown to me). Absolutely astounding preservation.

Ammonites, ammonites, ammonites. Left to right along the bottom: Splenodiscus splendens, unknown, Toxochelys sp. (the turtle), something greylocki complexus, Pachydiscus, unknown. Also Dunkleosteus telleri and Xiphactinus audax (the two big mean fish), what look to me like belemnites, life-models of nautiloids and ammonites, and a nifty plesiosaur.

"Stan", one of the most complete tyrannosaurs yet found.

Praise whatever higher power there might be...even if it IS a pan-dimensional big red eye machine bent on universal chaos and destruction...

Today I met some very nice folks from Connecticut.

They bought some Mammoth Site t-shirts.

The mom then proceeded to put the new shirts on them.

I WISH I had gotten a good look at the second shirt the kids had been originally wearing (not the Mammoth Site t-shirts), because the first one was just pure gold.

http://tjwc.ytmnd.com/

(there is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle music, huzzah...just a heads up in case your volume is cranked...)

I had to stare down at the t-shirt and keep talking because I wanted to read it and not look like I was reading it, so I just kept staring down at the desk for a good ten seconds after she took the shirts away, still talking to them after a kind of "uhhhh" moment...oh, such things as these truly make my day...and also at the same time they kind of make me cringe...so young, so impressionable...so likely to be closed-minded...such a cheesy phrase...but, to each his own...it makes only the third Christianity alert so far in my time here, and it's not like the nice folks were pushing it onto me or directly asking me about it...but still.

The other two times were asking MY personal opinion...and I had to give a disclaimer that this is MY opinion, NOT the museum's, and that the museum is limited to scientific discovery ONLY...and that technically I'm not allowed to talk about it...but that of course everyone's opinions are completely respected...and basically tell them in so many words that I'm agnostic and find evolution to be an undeniable FACT...in a nice way. Or, if you like, maybe "God" created evolution, huh? I swear. It gets me a little flustered, like, oh crap, don't say what they might not want to hear...especially as an employee in the business of informing and treating tourists with hospitality and respect...

I guess I wish people wouldn't bring it up, if they're going to bring it up on the religious aspect of things. At least not until I'm off the clock and don't have my work nametag on. A science museum just isn't the place to debate personal, spiritual opinions, and it's no one's business but mine what I believe.

Ah well. It's the weekend.

Also, I might be staying here longer in order to get actual lab prep experience, which makes me happy...for the most part. I guess I wish that I could've gotten that experience within the allotted time, since it would save me a little anxiety and a $100 United Airlines service charge. December 17th. I'll keep everyone updated.

Also also, it's a full moon tonight, and 12% larger than usual. (It's near its perigee, the point at which it's closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit.) Shine on, harvest moon. Sorry to all those werewolves out there.

Part II of today: Dinosaur Park in Rapid City! This is Anatotitan! (Slightly inaccurate, shhhh!...don't insult him...)

Apatosaurus

Rapid City and the Black Hills

Me, right in the middle of that Charles Knight painting. You know the one.

http://search.eb.com/dinosaurs/dinosaurs/images/otricer002p4.jpg

That one. Yeahhh.

I LOVE YOU TRICERATOPS HORRIDUS!

How was my day today?

Yup, that's right. Went up to Hill City with one of my coworkers named Barb, wandered around (since almost everything was closed, it being Sunday) and just enjoyed the country music blaring in the streets. Definitely one of the best towns ever. Only around 700 people, really just one single street...hardly a 'city', but still, just plain awesome. And of course, we attempted to visit the Black Hills Geological Institute (and "Everything Prehistoric")...

Yes, that is a Pteranodon ingens skeleton perched atop that building.

There was a very friendly half-of-a-Tyrannosaurus skull replica stuck to the side of the building.

Next stop, the 1880 train in Hill City...no time for a ride, just time to take a picture of the best sign ever. That's right, we can read your thoughts.

The Hill City 1880 Train.

I love Hill City. Honestly, greatest town ever.

My favorite "word" ever is Welsh.

Llanfairpwyllgwyngyllgogerychgwyndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

It's a train station stop (and extention of the town name Llanfair PG) that means "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

Pronunciation here:

http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/soundfiles/llandad4.wav

Best sunset evarrrr.

"Tomorrow's another day! Oh fiddle-dee-dee Miss Scarlet! I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies!"

Yes, these are deer walking around downtown. I just can't get over the damn deer.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

It's another Dakota sunrise, staring slowly across the sky...said goodbyeee...

You know....The Eagles??!

Got stood up today by second graders. Class at the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill was postponed to next Wednesday on account of rain. That means more dirt vacuuming for me! Whee! Covered in dirt!

On the bright side I got up real early and took a picture and made a dumb Eagles joke ^_^

This was taken at sunset. I want to mess around with it in Photoshop to get my other arm in there...maybe put in some six-gun holsters...because right now it looks kinda silly (hey, my right hand is taking the damn picture, what do you want from me?!)...too bad I don't have freakin' Photoshop! Grrr expensive! Who pays like 600 bucks for Photoshop? What the hell!

I have conquered the hill.

With shaking hands I took these pictures, on my way down.

Here's the view from the bottom. I had to run down it...walked around town, and I was fine, but I had to run back up it again. Haha, I am so neurotic sometimes. And man...let me tell you, running up this hill at all is rough in and of itself...let alone in the middle of a panic attack! But, I did it. And I can do it again. It's just a hill! Jesus. The only way to get over it is to just keep doing it.

It really doesn't look so bad, from the picture. But little victories are victories nonetheless, and they are so sweet.

The little Hot Brook at the bottom, fed by the hot springs.

Some of the sandstone architecture of downtown Hot Springs. I felt much better by this point, barring the thought of having to run back up that hill...! XD;

After walking back home (stopping in the local laundromat to catch my breath and joke with the cashier about trying to get back in shape, ha...) I saw some more deer. What a surprise. There were two here, what I imagine are a mother and fawn...this is the fawn, I suppose. The mother walked off. Is this a mule deer? Anyone who knows about deer, answer this for me ^_^

That's all for now folks. Until next time.

All in all...not a bad day. Had its ups and downs, its moments of complete abject terror, and some nice relaxation time as well. But it is Saturday after all, and Saturdays can never be too terrible. I...guess.

Those of you who know me probably know that I have panic disorder with agoraphobia, have since I was 12 years old. So, today I wandered around town, decided I was sick of staying in the house all morning. So I walked down past the laundromats, about a ten minute walk, and attempted to walk down this crazy hill to the downtown area with all the shops and stuff.

THIS IS IT. THE HILL OF DOOM. Oh, it looks small and unassuming now. Click on it. Do you see that car? See the buildings down at the bottom? IT'S FAR. See the little yellow sign that says "hey, trucks, yer screwed!" Yeah. The kind of hill Stephen King has nightmares about. So I started walking down here, and my feet just froze up. Could not move. Mouth dry, sweaty palms, heat aching, heart pounding, couldn't swallow the water I had without feeling like it was a clod of dirt I'd choke on.

All because of this hill.

Luckily the hospital clinic (one of them) is off to the left, so I wandered down there, even found another route down the hill (a gigantic, mind-numbingly dizzy staircase straight out of Mordor) but I resigned to calling home and then turning around (thanks mum+dad) in defeat. The hill has defeated me.

For now.

To make my anxiety-ridden mind feel even worse, there's a little bridge at the bottom and this complete feeling of openness on either side, all three of the things (heights, bridges, openness and aloneness)--four! four of the things that the Spanish Inquis--I mean that I am terribly afraid of for irrational reasons known only to my neurotransmitters. All at once. So, I trudged back in a panic-induced stupor of hyperventilating and teeth gnashing and forced-back tears, complaining to my mum and dad the whole way about how alone I was and oh the drama. In all seriousness, it was very scary.

But I went back to my house, ordered some take-out Chinese, had the local cab take me down that very same hill (little did he know my terror!) and got to see a bit more of the town at the same time. The Chinese food restaurant folks were really nice, the owners' little grandson even gave me a crabapple!

How cute is that! It was good to find some friendly folks downtown and that made me feel a bit more at ease.

I will conquer that hill. I will explore downtown Hot Springs by foot. I may be nervous, I may not be, but you know what, I got on a plane out here alone, and I've done that four times now, and deep down I really vant to be left alone (I love the open expanses that paleontology so often provides)...so damnit I ain't going to Californy. Or letting my anxiety stop me, either way.

Signing off, for now.

Went down to sunny (read: rainy and FREEZING) Crawford, Nebraska today, to the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill site, where I really winged it and both saw the site for the first time and started teaching kids about it (but more about archaeology and paleontology), all within ten minutes. It was really a great day, though, I didn't have to go outside and freeze my tail off throwing atlatls at a foam rubber bison.



A pretty place. Except it was really, really cold and rainy, so the chance to stay inside was more than welcome. I'm glad to have gotten some more experience teaching science (impromptu as it was) to kids, and I got to see Nebraska for the first time.

The bunch of us that went stopped at a little Old Western cafe/mini-old-fashioned-town/cottages and I had an Indian Taco and some Sarsparilla ("The Grandfather of All Root Beer")...the brand is Sioux City (it was pointed out that, of course, the brand is bottled in New York...but, the illusion was tempting)...and cowboy hats and friendly smiles abounded. Wow, that was kind of poetic......not really. But the owners were real nice and the whole place smelled nicely of a wood stove and had lots of western eclectia (bison skulls, animal hides, old gas lamps, old farm tools and horse bits, that sorta stuff). The food was great, too, if I hadn't been so full I would've tried their coconut cream or sour cream and raisin pie. Mmmm yum. Hopefully I can return there, soon.

When I got back I found to my great delight (and surprise) that a visitor had filled out a "Governor's Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Hospitality" and I had received ten bucks (good anywhere in Hot Springs) and a Certificate of Employee Excellence. That really made my day, even more! Times like these I'm so glad I came out here.