are you too manly to say "pretty"?

so i just had the greatest conversation on facebook.
thank you, clinton jamison.

his status said "clinton jamison is writing a report on diatoms."
and this, of course, set my nerdy side a-tingling
and i get all excited--why? ultimate nerdiness here: i absolutely LOVE diatoms. like, really. i love them. they're so amazing. if you dont know what they are, here's a little summary from my friend wiki:

"Diatoms are a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons (e.g. Fragillaria), fans (Meridion), zigzags (Tabellaria), or stellate colonies (Asterionella). Diatoms are producers. A characteristic feature of diatom cells is that they are encased within a unique cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide) called a frustule. These frustules show a wide diversity in form, some quite beautiful and ornate, but usually consist of two asymmetrical sides with a split between them, hence the group name. Diatom communities are a popular tool for monitoring environmental conditions, past and present, and are commonly used in studies of water quality."

so its long. but how could i resist an oppourtunity to teach!? they're wayy cool. but they say a picture is worth a thousand words, & even though i could give you a thousand words instead, here they are:

arent they pretty??
but anyway, back to my story.
i facebook chatted him. and our conversation goes a little like this.
me: "ps. i love diatoms"
him: "you are one of the few. nah. they're okay"
me: "they're amazing!"
him: "well what makes them really cool is their ability to withstand pressure and [insert some smart comment here, it escapes my feeble memory]"
me: "and they're pretty. dont forget they're pretty"
him: "yeah i guess they look cool"
me: "too manly to say pretty? its okay, i get it. ahahhah"
him: "fine they're pretty. happy now?"
me: "very:"
him: "as long as i made your day..lol"
me: "yessir, you did indeed"

little did he know i was going to write an entire blog about it!
so yes, my geeky bio nerd side comes out every so often. but when people say things like diatoms, i am powerless to resist.