(instagram: Myfairesttreasure)

 via  Gridllr.com   —  take back control of your Likes!

They Put a Flag on the Moon

It’s 1969 and Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are the first humans to land on the Moon. In now iconic footage, Aldrin and Armstrong carefully assemble and maneuver an American flag to place on the lunar surface. The fabric unfurls, staying suspended without any wind to animate the stars and stripes. The flagpole sways precariously as the crew work to anchor it in the Moon’s low gravity at just 1/6th that of Earth’s. How did this moment come about? On Flag Day, let’s dive behind-the-scenes of what led to getting the American flag on the Moon 50 years ago.

Image: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 11 mission.

Seeking to empower the nation, President John F. Kennedy gave us a grand charge. The human spaceflight program of the early 1960s was challenged to work on missions that sent humans to the surface of another world. Following President Kennedy’s death in 1963, President Richard Nixon stressed a more international perspective to the Apollo missions. To reconcile the need for global diplomacy with national interests, we appointed the Committee on Symbolic Activities for the First Lunar Landing.

Image: NASA Administrator Thomas Paine and President Richard Nixon are seen aboard the USS Hornet, Apollo 11’s splashdown recovery vessel.

The committee, and the U.S. at large, wanted to avoid violating the United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which prohibited any nation from taking possession of a celestial body. After some debate, they recommended that the flag only appear during the Apollo 11 spacewalk. A plaque would accompany it, explaining that the flag was meant to stand for peaceful exploration, not conquest. 

Image: The plaque reads “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all of mankind.” Under the text are signatures by President Nixon, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins.

A team of engineers at Johnson Space Center had three months to resolve several issues regarding the flag’s assembly. First, was the Moon’s lack of atmosphere. The flag, quite literally, could not fly the way it does on Earth. To address this, a horizontal crossbar was added to support the flag’s weight and give the illusion of it waving.

Image: NASA technician David L. McCraw shows the flag next to a Lunar Module mockup.

Second was the flag’s assembly, which had to be as lightweight and compact as possible so as not to take up limited storage space. The completed package, which was attached to Lunar Module’s ladder, weighed just under ten pounds. It received an outer case made of steel, aluminum, and Thermoflex insulation and blanketing to shield the flag from the 2,000 degree Fahrenheit spike from the Eagle’s descent engine.

Image: Component pieces of the flag assembly.

The last issue was mobility. Bulky spacesuits significantly restricted the astronauts’ range of motion, and suit pressurization limited how much force they could apply. To accommodate these limits, the team included telescoping components to minimize the need to reach and maneuver the poles. A red painted ring on the flagpole indicated how far into the ground it should be driven. Hinges and catches would lock into place once the pieces were fully extended.

Image: Diagram from the 1969 Apollo 11 press release illustrating astronaut spacesuit reach capabilities and ideal working height.

Fifty years after Apollo 11, the flag we planted on the lunar surface has likely faded but its presence looms large in United States history as a symbol of American progress and innovation.

Image: A close-up view of the U.S. flag deployed on the Moon at the Taurus-by the crew of Apollo 17, the most recent lunar landing mission.

The story doesn’t stop here. Anne Platoff’s article “Where No Flag Has Gone Before” sheds more light on the context and technical process of putting the United States flag on the Moon. You can also check out Johnson Space Center’s recent feature story that details its presence in later missions. Happy Flag Day!  Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

 via  Gridllr.com   —  easy reblogging from your Likes!

Dark Academia Playlist

a little dark, a little whimsical, tunes to make you feel like the main character in a film.

roslyn — bon iver, st. vincent

the secret history — the chamber orchestra of london

les mémoires blessées — dark sanctuary

into dust — mazzy star

clair de lune, l. 32 — claude debussy

show me how — men i trust

eyes on fire — blue foundation

over the moon — the marías

falling asleep with a book on your chest — lullatone

solo — five mile town

tchaikovsky: swan lake — pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky

altogether — slowdive

cigar & a 78 — five mile town

visions of gideon — sufjan stevens

thinking of you — cosmic child

headache — grouper

if i’m asleep — five mile town

dark — daffodils

Script Format: Action/Description

In a screenplay, the action/description sets the scene, describes the setting, introduces characters, and set the stage for your story.

Example: excerpt from the unproduced draft of Seven (1992)

Format: -Action appears after the scene heading. It is left aligned, single spaced, and mixed case. -It is written in present tense, active voice, and in as few words as possible. -Action should be no longer than 4-5 lines at a time. -When introducing a speaking character for the first time, put the name in all caps. -Capitalize specific sounds in the action. (Radio, door slam, shouting, etc.)

Content: -The action describes what can be seen on screen. Do not describe thoughts or what happened off screen unless it can be shown. (For example:You can’t say a character arrives home after a lunch out with friends. You need to show it via visuals, action, or dialogue. The character could be holding leftover food from a restaurant or tell another character about the lunch.) -You can use the action to describe a new setting or character. -Describe what is important in a scene, nothing more. Call attention to important details that give the setting or characters personality. For example:

“THOMAS (34), stands in the middle of the pristine, unfurnished foyer in muddy jeans and a tattered shirt.”

“Gabby (8) sinks into her seat in the back of the classroom. All eyes are on her bright purple Mohawk.”

-You can get fancy by having the action transition to another scene. You could say, for example:

“Suddenly, Maya bolts from behind her desk and runs out into:

INT. DRISKILL HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY”

-Avoid putting dialogue in the action. You can put generalizations about crowds (such as “Rosa pushes her way past a jeering crowd”) but specific dialogue should not be in the action. -Do NOT write camera angles or shots unless absolutely necessary! It’s the directors’ and cinematographers’ jobs to visually interpret the script.

*Note: There are definitely screenwriters (especially famous ones) out there that break these content “rules.” But they can afford to break the rules. When starting out, you should follow the rules until you can prove to people you know your stuff.

2021 really said yes to books with:

sports sapphics,

time traveling wlw,

murderous sapphics + dorian gray

bi women dating soft boys,

fake dating desi lesbians,

great gatsby retellings with queer asian girls,

f/f slavic enemies to lovers,

gay women + peter pan retellings,

grumpy/sunshine + lesbians of color,

bisexual con artists & trauma recovery,

queer tsoa inspired fantsay set in china

(plus some more I found in the reblogs!)

Big mood

some playlists i’ve curated

when you want to be slutty but catholicism has repressed your sexuality (okay YEAH half of it is hozier and sufjan stevens, is anyone surprised?)

i’m sad and i need to fucking cry because i’ve been repressing my emotions my entire life 

i’m so emotionally drained and i need a breath of fresh air. all about that healing, luv 

i’m dealing with a toxic breakup and BOY OH BOY do i need to process it

the perfect playlist to slow-dance to in an open, empty field

i don’t regret loving you, but wow do i ever fucking miss you. you are my musical leitmotif; everything reminds me of you… of us.

I’M SO AFRAID OF COMMITMENT 

summer fling turned sour (it’s entirely in french, though)

i miss you and i promise i won’t ever forget you. (basically if shakespeare’s sonnet no. 55 was ever made into a playlist)

feelin’ absolutely BUCK-WILD tonight! the sun is gone, it’s pitch black, and all i want to do is scream in exhilaration! wow, i’m really feeling that night-time rush. is this how teens in movies feel?

a comprehensive wlw playlist featuring soft, yearning emotions, to anger, to sadness… truly an entire spectrum

Bad Bitch Bangerz

i’m gay and i’m in love with my roommate, but he’s sending me mixed signals and i don’t know what to do (truly any mlm who’s loved a confusing boy will be able to relate to it)

imagine how things could have been if we were still together and i didn’t run away

bitch, i’m a CRAB

things are changing and i’m alright with that

is it simply that the stresses and strains of a long-distance relationship are taking their toll?

I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!

stuck in a painting 

they’re best listened to in order since i’m a nerd and i like it when my playlists make sense, sonically and in terms of narrative. also every image in my spotify were all taken by me! (yes, i have rainbow finger hands,,,,,,) 

LGBTQ+ Movies of 2016: Part 1

First Girl I Loved

Seventeen-year-old Anne just fell in love with Sasha, the most popular girl at her LA public high school. But when Anne tells her best friend Clifton - who has always harbored a secret crush - he does his best to get in the way.

Heartstone (Hjartasteinn)

A remote fishing village in Iceland. Teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer as one tries to win the heart of a girl while the other discovers new feelings toward his best friend. When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood.

Teenage Kicks

Seventeen year old Miklós Varga’s plans to escape his migrant family and run away with his best friend Dan are crushed by the accidental death of his older brother Tomi. Only Mik knows the events that led to this tragedy, and he is suddenly forced to navigate his guilt and explosive sexuality to find the man he can become.

The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi)

1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.

Being 17 (Quand on a 17 ans)

Damien lives with his mother Marianne, a doctor, while his father is on a tour of duty abroad. He is bullied by Thomas, whose mother is ill. The boys find themselves living together when Marianne invites Thomas to come and stay with them.

Don’t Call Me Son (Mãe Só Há Uma)

After discovering the truth about being stolen by the woman he thought was his mother as a child, Pierre (AKA Felipe) must deal with the consequences of his mother’s actions and must try to cope with his biological family.

I Love Her

A young street musician girl must conquer her own fears and ghosts from the past, including the social influences of Ukraine, where she has grown up, in order to admit her feelings for a beautiful deaf-mute girl.

Moonlight

A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5