Still Piratemaxxing ‘n I Ain’t Sorry, I Ain’t!

Just found out it's International Asexuality day.

I raise a glass to all you people who are confident in the knowledge that you're just not into sex. You rock.

I'd tip my hat, but I'm indoors.

Credit to Jurassic Park as a fictional work, they at least added the DNA from an unrelated species to the existing DNA, regardless of how unrelated it was.

I mean, it's stupid to use frog DNA but at least they STARTED with the original creature.

I've thought since the late 2010s, start with what you have, see how it can be combined to create the most complete sample and extrapolate the rest to try and create a decent approximation of enough genetic data to grow the sex cells.

People who have a better grasp of biology could certainly improve on this rough idea, I don't know how to create the conditions to grow the egg and I'm not convinced doing so in a live surrogate as with cloning is entirely possible for a long-extinct mammal.

To anyone who follows me, I don't care about nor trust Colossal Biosciences anymore (The people behind the "Wooly Mice"). They have proven themselves to be headline-chasing grifters after this latest stunt. They are claiming to have de-extincted *Aenocyon dirus*, aka the Dire Wolf, by editing just 20 genes from the the DNA of a Grey Wolf (*Canis lupus*) to make this thing:

If it wasn't clear from their scientific names, Grey Wolves and Dire Wolves aren't remotely related to one another aside from being Canids, despite what pop culture like Game of Thrones would have you believe. If they did look like each other, it would have had to be via convergent evolution, as they only shared a common ancestor over 5 million years ago.

This distinction, however, isn't found in the publicized articles about this so-called resurrected Dire Wolf and makes their claim that they brought the Dire Wolf back by simply editing *20* genes from the genome of a Grey Wolf laughable. A Dire Wolf would have shared more in common genetically with a Maned Wolf (*Chrysocyon brachyurus*) or Bush Dog (*Speothos venaticus*) than it would with a Grey Wolf.

Bottom line, don't fall for whatever this company is trying to tell you. If the Dire Wolf were to be brought back, it wouldn't be via something like this, and certainly wouldn't *look* like this. If you want an idea as to how a real Dire Wolf would look like in life, here is some fantastic paleoart by artist Mauricio Antón:

Addendum: I seem to have partially miscalculated Dire Wolf genetics. They were not closer to Maned Wolves or Bush Dogs, but they were still not closely related to Grey Wolves. They were basal members of Canini, related to canids like Jackals (genus Lupulella) but distinct from them. I am sorry for this misinformation in my attempt to correct other misinformation. My main point, however, is still correct.

I'm going to say this as kindly as I can, but it's already gone too far. For at least the past week--since filming on GO 3 started, but even before then--there has been a nonstop demand for hair dye pics from fans. In particular, I have seen comments on Georgia and Anna's dedicated posts on Insta over and over harassing them about hair dye pictures. (This is not even including comments on stories, which we can't see publicly unless they share them, and how many of those likely involve requests for hair dye pictures.)

All of this in the wake of the Vulture article being published, and the sudden disappearance of discourse around Neil's actions in tandem with a resurgence of discourse around GO 3 filming. And what I have not seen is any consideration or discussion of how this could be affecting Georgia and Anna. They knew Neil, albeit in a different capacity than David and Michael. They worked with Neil on that Dream of a Thousand Cats bonus episode of Sandman, and had at least a professional relationship with him. Yet everyone expects them to jump enthusiastically into GO 3, regardless of whether they've had time to process or grieve, or how they might actually feel about the show themselves.

I genuinely do not think that Georgia or Anna are "teasing" the fans or "playing" with us, at least not in the way people seem to think. I think they are fed up at this point (and rightfully so) and truly don't care if fans are upset about not having hair dye pictures. And I think the difficulty that some fans have with seeing this stems from an inability to see Georgia and Anna as individuals/judge them by their own actions, but instead as extensions of David and Michael. All four of these people might (and likely do) have vastly different feelings about Good Omens/this entire situation, and this behavior from the fandom has a good chance of making Georgia and Anna resent the show and the fans more than anything else.

When it comes down to it--and as difficult as it might be to accept--we are just not going to get the behind the scenes tidbits or posts that we got for the first two seasons. The circumstances now are much more complex, and there are many more reasons for everyone involved to stay quiet/on the down low regarding production--especially given that legally speaking, there are likely major restrictions on what can/can't be shared on social media. And if/when the day comes that something can be shared, hopefully it will be from the guys themselves, when they are ready and able to do so. Until then, and unless the goal is to make them stop engaging with the fandom for good, let's please leave Georgia and Anna alone...

women who use tiktok i am talking to you directly. yall gotta stop engaging in this girl math women shouldn’t vote shit. it’s not a silly ironic joke men mean that and they are making fun of you. listen to me. call them out when you see it happen. show the kids who use that bastard app that it’s not okay to make jokes like that. stop being part of the problem and stand up for yourselves

really i think the key difference between david tennant and peter capaldi as fans of the show they were in is that david tennant's childhood obsession shows through when he comes face to face with elisabeth sladen in school reunion with all the joy of someone who was in love with the show as a kid in the 70s. you know, like a normal person. (by doctor who standards.) whereas peter capaldi's childhood obsession shows through when he comes face to face with creepy mummy-like cybermen based off a partly-lost william hartnell serial which is deeply deeply disturbing on a psychological level with all the glee of someone who was disturbed on a psychological level by the show as a kid in the 60s

He is on the council of many arms, but still not a master.

Frankly, being 21 and attending high school sounds pretty darn weird unless you're a member of staff.

“No? Why? Because I’m a vampire?” “No… Actually, pretending you’re 21 and attending high school for eighty years is a little weird, man.”

EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP SCIENTISTS AT THE SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE HAVE FOOTAGE OF A LIVE COLOSSAL SQUID FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑‼️🦑

Nobby is not allowed to do, hence nobody can know what Nobby does, and I most certainly hope that Nobby doesn't.

Does anyone in Discworld have Sex?

Ok let's clarify:

Moist fucks. Moist definitely fucks, and fucks severely.

Nanny also fucks. Or at least did fuck. Ridcully would fuck but he's celibate.

Vimes and Carrot obviously make love. Mort probably also makes love. Magrat definitely "makes love," which is very different from making love without quotation marks.

Neither Susan nor Vetinari would ever be caught doing anything as uncouth as having sex.

Colon et al procreate. Nobody is allowed to know what Nobby does

Lead candidate for people who have sex are Detritus and Tiffany Aching.

thinking non-stop about the Terry Pratchett Method of Deconstruction (TM) and how it works

[...] the wages of sin is death, but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays. (Witches Abroad)

Take a common concept, metaphor, idiom, trope etc. "The wages of sin is death."

Invert, reverse or subvert it to highlight the inconsistency or issue. "But so is the salary of virtue." (Well, actually, everybody dies, right?)

While everybody's contemplating the philosophy revealed, overextend the metaphor and whack them in the back of the head with the joke like a comedic quintain while they aren't expecting it. "At least the evil get to go home early on Fridays."

He does it quite often and I love it every time.