Category Archives: R Outlook

by the beautiful Sea

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Ms. Mary Anning (b.1799) and her family made a modest living selling fossils which they found along the English coast. They prowled the shore, gathering a remarkable selection of marine specimens. Despite having no formal education, she had a gift for comparative anatomy, and became renowned for her insights.

Ms. Anning is known as the ‘Princess of Paleontology’ for providing the first complete fossil of an Ichthyosaur (see above), as well as fossil Plesiosaurs, and a range of other critters. Being a working-class woman, she suffered a lack of acknowledgement, but today is listed among the 10 most influential women in the history of British Science.

A big Your Inner Rhino salute to Ms. Anning!!

 

a Veil of Rock

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66 Million years is a long time, so We are told. Still, it supposedly shows how long ago the dinosaurs made their exit. It is as long ago for Rhinos as it is for our Readers. We may have been here 50 Million years longer than Humans, but there is still enough “say What?” to share.

As with everything in the Mysterious Past, there’s debate about how and why, but there is agreement that something went very wrong. (When dealing with Paleontology, We take any agreement We can get.)

Ignorance is hard to combat successfully. Every Answer has a dozen implicit Questions tossing in its wake. Paleontology must be about the balance between Frustration and Aggravation… and Euphoria.

Urban Visionary

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Ms. Florine Stettheimer (b.1871) was a painter in the early 20th Century, establishing an aesthetic reflecting her personal view of the deluxe New York society among whom she moved. She was progressive in many ways, politically as well as artistically.  A ‘Your Inner Rhino’ kind of girl.

What Rhinos find intriguing is her singular version of the essence of city life and the languid nature of the privileged.

Ms. Stettheimer makes her world available to the viewer. That is all any artist can do, right?

Is Hindsight 20/20?

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Life is supposed to have Turning Points, Crucial Choices made and directions taken that made each Rhino come out just so. We Rhinos have to confess that, given So Many Choices about So Many Byways, Every Single Day, We would be jiggered if We could figure out which Turn happened when or why and what the Upshot was when it happened if it happened and what?!

Ya know?

Abricadab

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When Rhinos discuss Magic, We realize pretty quickly that We’d have to believe We understand what’s wrong with the way things are. Yes, We might like a new egg-beater, or less creaky joints, or glitter on our cereal, but these are delights without much staying power.

We contemplate the “Three Wishes Formula”, but can’t come up with anything genuinely satisfying. The TWF is a system with some serious shortcomings; too many ifs, ands, and buts. It doesn’t seem quite fair.

Happily, it isn’t an issue on a frequent basis.

Under Consideration

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However matters may work for our Readers, for Rhinos 98% of our conversational time is spent with ourselves, each pondering what is what, given the mental resources available.

Rhino ideas and concepts and beliefs are expressed and experienced via our ears or our noses, or both. However incomprehensible that may seem, it works for Us. Then We juggle those ideas and come up with a thought, sometimes.

All those “voices” in our heads, or wherever, each making a contribution. But that is the party line We listen to almost all the time. No point in asking if We like it; We live with it.

 

Hm-Hmm?

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Just because Rhinos are worldly, does not mean We know Everything. Occasionally We will run into a plant We do not recognize.

Our Policy is to nibble a tiny corner and discover what the newcomer has to offer.

Our other Policy is to gobble it whole, figuring that Nature wouldn’t make it tempting if Rhinos were meant to pass it up.

Organized Thinking

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Rhinos have many outstanding Ideas going forward in our heads, almost all the time. Unfortunately, these Ideas must compete with one another for our Undivided Attention.

Ideas do not like to wait in line for Attention; they jostle for Preferential Treatment. However, Rhinos have short attention spans, so shortly We will refocus; next it could be any Idea’s turn.

And all of this goes on while We chew. Amazing, right?!