Matt Fossen

If I have to explain to you why it's a bad idea to use a machine that makes shit up 15-80% of the time AND destroys the environment AND contributes to rising fascism and genocide AND puts brilliant skillful creatives out of work by stealing their work, then we're already speaking different languages

What do you use to clean up tiny specimens like this?

Tanta Bobo has to go see Uncle Reconstructive Urologist...

Apparently a lot of you need to hear this, but bugs aren't jerks, they're not evil, they're not vindictive, mean or anything else. They're simply bugs, trying to live and will defend their nests and lives when necessary. They don't give enough shit about you to be a jerk to you in particular.

Same, pretty much.

@jfruh.bsky.social We just visited the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, which currently houses the most terrifying room in the known universe.

Entomologist.

Looks like tobacco budworm to me. They always try to destroy my geraniums!

YouTube video by MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 MST3K: The Sword And The Dragon - A Joke By Ingmar Bergman

Literally a long walk off a short pier.

God, I love #MST3K.

Watch The Amazing Rando construct skeets with his very mind!

Where does steam damage fit in?

HE'S EVIL!

It's such a good show.

The reward for toil is more toil. Decreases in compensation will continue until morale improves.

Funny how you can have a couple of very productive days at work and have that good feeling negated by one email at the end of the day. Finding out your lack of promised pay raise is going to turn into an actual pay CUT will do that, I guess. Not feeling motivated to be productive tomorrow, for sure.

Everyone is fully-clothed... More like ZaPRUDEr film.

If anyone knows a way to monetize taking amateur-grade photos of insect specimens, let me know.

two pages from our been book, lots of of images and a bit of text for each bee genera

cover of our Bees of Pennsylvania book with photo of green sweat bee

Our guide to bees of Pennsylvania is available for free now, you can order print copy (just have to pay shipping) and/or download PDF from Penn State Extension page: extension.psu.edu/bees-of-penn...

For every one of the 47 bee genera we have beautiful photo(s) and natural history facts

Rage-napping (napping while enraged).

Got home and did some rage-dishwashing. I need to find some more rage-activities because that wasn't enough.

My job only requires a bachelor's degree, which helps explain why it tops out so soon. Regardless, there aren't any scientist positions that require more than that so the system is built to keep you at a low level regardless of education or experience.

Kind of regretting my career and educational choices this evening.

I could be conducting entomology at my current level/capacity having taken a handful of undergrad courses and pursued degrees that would actually open doors instead of slamming them in my face because I didn't publish.

Kids, don't choose science as a career unless you intend to find other ways to supplement your income to actually achieve a living wage.*

* May not be applicable outside the USA.

"Where old-world charm meets modern convenience"

"That means no hamburgers"

Yep!

Those, and the "are not found here", "are desperately needed" riffs.

"A CENTURY AGO!"

And no, giving us an extra 5 hours of leave/month doesn't cut it. I already have hundreds of hours of leave that I can't use because I have too much damn work to do; I need a damn pay raise so I can pay my fucking bills.

Remember how California scientists finally got a contract with some minor raises after many years of nothing? Today CalHR proposed to:
- defer our 2026 raise to 2027
- eliminate our 2025 raise entirely

What's the point of a union when the state can just tell them that their contract doesn't matter?

My current Unreal Editor hell:

- Creating a material that applies a wavy effect to UI text: easy.
- Applying the same material to a UI image: blood sacrifice and summoning rituals required.

Agreed!