#but his ass does NOT understand aeronautics

[veinsfullofstars]

🛸 Unidentified friend-shaped object🛸 

(ID: Kirby series fanart of Shadow Kirby interacting with Doc. Top left - SK wearing the Spark hat, giving off arcs of electricity and running for his life as Doc chases after him in his UFO, a metal claw grabber extended from the front, a thought bubble over his head showing a Charge Tank. Top right - SK flying away in Doc’s UFO, sticking his tongue out and waving cheekily down at the bespectacled rat, who hops up and down in steaming anger. Bottom right - Doc hovering in his UFO, a flexible metal arm with a gloved hand at the end extending from the underside and reaching for SK, in his own gold-and-gray UFO form, who looks up at the hand in surprise. Bottom left - Doc standing professorially in front of a projection screen covered in scribbles and simplified images of his UFO, blabbering on while SK, sitting in front of him, rubs his head in clear confusion. END ID.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 (you’re here!) | Part 6 | Part 7 | Compilation

Sketch started btw 12/23 - 05/24, render started 05/28/24, finished 05/31/24, updated for color correction 11/02/24.

[illidanstr]

 i did the hike i kicked ass on the hike

i did the rock climbing i got a cheapass comb and travel hairspray and fixed my hair in the rock gym bathroom and i kicked ass at rock climbing and i don’t feel uncomfortable anymore at dates like okay i was on a lot of shit but i took it all at 8 am this morning so it feels fair to assume it had worn off by 7 pm

haha i know my pharmacology doesn’t work that way.  i metabolize slowly.  i am improved and better yes but this was not all-natural

i felt.. like the climbing chemistry was good.  like we synched well that way.  and she is kind, and considerate.  like i tried a route too hard for me and she kept the line really fucking tight and helped me cheat my pained way up step by agonizing step.  and i did the same for her. 

after she said “see you around” and I took that negatively and felt like shit

i went out for a beer

there was a dude making a scene.  he seemed to know the bartender pretty well and was talking about workout shit and dirt bike shit.  he did some very loud cursing and gesticulating and in general people were intimidated and moved away from him.  i was sitting nearby so his attention went to me, and he parsed me as a nerd (slim fit clothing?  being slim as fuck?  I don’t know) 

he (unintentionallyish) condescended / talked to me in that way of being nice to the nerd who doesn’t ride dirt bikes

we got in each other’s face with some deep honesty and we shook the fuck out of each other’s hands with a lot of force and his dad is in aeronautics and he doesn’t live up to his dad’s expectations and his parents hate each other and yell at each other and he respects the fuck out of his dad and loves his mom and does everything he can for her and his dad set up a birthday party and didn’t tell anyone really her birthday party is coming up and doesn’t understand that that was necessary and his brother is going out to play poker that day and he is very upset with him for not caring enough to not do that and sometimes he gets very very drunk and calls up his parents and screams and they wonder if he is okay but he really wonders if they are okay 

the button on his pants broke, like they were in the right position and nothing was visible but they were not.. latched, and he used this as an example of things people are concerned by which he was not 

and he likes dirt bikes, more than anything, and all his money goes into making his dirt bike work and he likes doing real work that involves actually doing things and he likes fixing them and riding and there’s a wall that goes straight up and sometimes he wants to ride up it and have the bike fall down the other side and keep going on that other trail and one of the early things he said is that he’s going riding tomorrow morning and he doesn’t give a fuck about me and he expressed in a convoluted way that he has trouble with the question of meaning, he feels guilty for caring so much about riding and not about me when i am another human being

later in the conversation he became very upset that he had forgotten my name 

and he thinks i am cool because (my theory) i got into his face physically and emotionally and i give 0 fucks about the fact he can bench and squat 300 and i’m a lot stronger than he thought i was and i have absolutely no problem getting into deep honesty with him face to face and i can give him a metaphorical fuck off and respect him at the same time and I don’t look down on him for having had a bunch of concussions and being who he is

I did not trade phone numbers like he wanted.  he is not someone i want to be around for a lot of reasons including the practical and the fact that we are very much not alike.  i can translate i can interface in the right mood but it is projected effort.

the date was.. good, relative to older dates.  i felt like trash afterwards.  i felt judged, not good enough.  i wonder how much of that is me.  i am.. very certain, though, if i expressed myself as openly and honestly as i did with him it would definitely not have gone well. and I did express myself really openly and honestly.  and she is a 97% match and likes spirited away and emmylou harris and is open to an open relationship and wants kindness and honesty. she.. doesn’t feel like someone my mind can connect to like with a friend.  yet.  maybe that would/could change.  I feel inferior because of the perception that she doesn’t like or want me.    

but i felt better after talking to this person who by almost anyone’s standards is an utter asshole who people were visibly afraid to be around in public.  it was good. 

he paid for my beer.  I tried to pay for his but it didn’t show up on my check.  dammit.  i’m still angry about that. 

[douxreviews]

Farscape - ‘Premiere’ Review

Meet Commander John Crichton. Crichton is an Earth astronaut who gets hit by an electromagnetic wave while testing his own theory that it is possible to overcome atmospheric friction and use a planet’s gravity to slingshot away at exponentially higher speeds. Said wave turns out to be a wormhole that hurtles him to the far side of the Universe and deposits him in the middle of an attempted prison break. Much to his and our amazement, he soon finds himself onboard a living ship with a diverse group of hostile aliens who are trying to escape an interstellar “peacekeeper” force. He’s threatened, probed, insulted, beat down several times, and imprisoned, but after discovering he accidentally killed a Peacekeeper commander’s brother, Crichton soon comes to realize that he’s better off joining the escaped prisoners in the uncharted corners of the Universe. And thus begins Farscape ...

I’ve always remembered Farscape as one of those shows I love that had a subpar pilot episode. But, even though ‘Premiere’ is a bit clunky at times, overall it is actually a pretty effective pilot. It defines this strange new world, gives us a pretty good introduction to the main characters, and clearly establishes the basic premise and the situation going forward. It was action-packed and exhilarating, and gives us an instantly likeable hero in John Crichton.

Ben Browder is simply wonderful as Crichton. In addition to being very easy on the eyes, he brings such a genuine and relatable quality to a character in an incredible situation. He is fully able to fully convey the terror, confusion, and wonder of Crichton’s predicament. I love his look of almost giddy joy when he first sees D’Argo and Zhaan on Moya’s bridge, as well as his befuddlement and outrage when Rygel spits on him. “What is the matter with you ... people?!” He can also can deliver borderline cheesy dialogue like “It’s not who you are, Dad. I love who you are. It’s being son of who you are ...” with such ease and believability that you can’t help but like the guy. Plus, Ben’s got some serious comic chops.

The show also gives us a pretty dynamic array of aliens, including Officer Aeryn Sun, a pilot and infantry soldier from the human-looking Peacekeepers; Ka D’Argo, a tall and tentacled Luxan warrior; Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan, a bald and blue Delvian priestess; Dominar Rygel XVI, a deposed Hynerian royal who’s sort of a cross between Yoda and a slug; Moya, a Leviathan, or living ship; and her Pilot, who’s like a hybrid of a crab, a spider, and a turtle. Rygel and Pilot are animatronic puppets from Jim Henson’s creature shop. I may be biased, as a fan of The Dark Crystal and The Muppet Show, but I think Jim Henson’s people do superlative puppetry work, creating fully believable characters. Rygel and Pilot feel like real and equal characters from the get go. Rygel, in particular, is a fantastic little “slug” with incredibly expressive eyes. I love the final look he gives Crichton as he delivers his “Are you a sound sleeper?” line before chuckling and zipping away at the end of the episode.

My least favorite part of ‘Premiere’ is probably the stuff on Earth before the wormhole accident. It felt rather slow and clunky, with dialogue that was a bit cheesy and predictable. Once Crichton emerges from the wormhole, however, things kick into overdrive. The story really goes from “ho hum” to wide-eyed wonder and amazement. Even the slow moments like Zhaan and D’Argo getting acquainted --- painfully awkward semi-flirting, notwithstanding --- help to define the characters and build the world. And I can even accept the somewhat tired plot device of Crais unjustly persecuting Crichton over his brother’s very clear accidental death, because it is the necessary evil that forces Crichton and Aeryn to go on the run with Moya and her crew.

Other Thoughts

For some reason, I really like that the first episode is called ‘Premiere’ instead of ‘Pilot.’

When re-watching, I was really impressed with the special effects. They’ve held up pretty well. They may not be as clean as the effects on the new Battlestar Galactica, but they also don’t look as dated as the Babylon 5 special effects. Ultimately, it is the sets, costumes, makeup, and Henson creatures that really sell this world, but the CGI effects aren’t too shabby either.

The theme music, on the other hand, is some of the craziest I’ve ever heard. I love how it opens with the drums and male chanting, but then the dissonant, high-pitched female voices start and the whole thing becomes insanely over the top!

Crichton works for ‘I.A.S.A.’ Is that the “International” Aeronautics and Space Administration? Crichton’s module and uniform have United States markings, and the test launch is being run out of Cape Canaveral. So where does the “International” part come in?

Crichton and Aeryn have quite the “meet cute,” when she kicks his ass, then straddles him and demands to know his rank and regiment. Despite that very sexually charged position, I’m not detecting a whole lot of sexual tension between them at this point. She doesn’t seem interested in him in the slightest, and his insistence on bringing her back to Moya seems more motivated by concern or guilt than by attraction. He simply doesn’t want her to lose her life for attempting to defend him to Crais (even if she did so by denigrating his bravery and intelligence).

I had completely forgotten about Rygel’s gas issue. What an unexpectedly hilarious scene!

[All in high-pitched voices.] Rygel: “It’s a perfectly natural bodily function. And it’s odorless.” D’Argo: “So you’re loyal subjects tell you.” Crichton: “You fart helium?!” Rygel: “Sometimes. When I’m nervous. Or angry.”

I also completely forgot about the DRD’s. How the heck could I forget about the DRD’s? I love the sound they make and the scene in which Crichton fixes the broken antenna on the one he first encounters. It’s going to be fun experiencing this series all over again!

D’Argo’s tongue maneuver is awesome!

Some world-building notes: translator microbes are an excellent device to explain why everyone can understand each other; those food cubes looked seriously unappetizing; the Peacekeeper commandos in full gear remind me of the Kull warriors from the Stargate universe.

I was amused when they tapped into alien abduction lore by having Crichton wake up naked and Rygel telling him they “examined” him while he was unconscious.

It's kind of surprising that Zhaan’s, D’Argo’s, and Rygel’s possessions were still around. They’ve all been in custody a long time. Zhaan and D’Argo did time in a forced labor camp since their incarceration. Why would the Peacekeepers even hold on to the possessions of prisoners, especially ones bound for a lifers colony?

I was amused by John’s complete awe at standing on what he clearly thought was an amazing alien planet, followed by Aeryn calling it a “waste hole of a planet.” Eye of the beholder and all that.

I loved that Crichton got to prove his atmospheric friction theory with Moya. It made for a very exciting escape sequence, and the visual of Moya streaking across the atmosphere was impressive.

Quotes

Crichton’s Dad: “Each man gets a chance to be his own kind of hero.” Ugh! So cheesy and portentous.

Crichton: “Oh please, let it all be a dream. A very bad, very ... twisted dream.”

Zhaan: “It’s time for us to eat.” Crichton (nervously): “Eat what?”

D’Argo (re: Crichton): “This one is some kind of higher brain function deficient.”

Crichton: “Boy, was Spielberg ever wrong. Close Encounters, my ass.”

Aeryn: “Compassion? What is compassion?”

Crichton: “Yeah, well how do I know I can trust you?” Aeryn: “You don’t. That’s just another thing you don’t know.”

Aeryn: “Sir, he claims to be a human, from a planet called Earp.”

Aeryn: “... I believe him when he says that what happened to your brother was an accident. I don’t believe that he is brave enough or intelligent enough to attack one of our prowlers intentionally.”

Crichton: “Don’t move! Or I’ll fill you full of … little yellow bolts of light.”

D’Argo: “Now unlock me!” Aeryn: “No! He is a criminal!” Crichton: “We all are.”

Aeryn: “No. I will not come with you.” Crichton: “You’ve been irreversibly contaminated. Remember?” D’Argo: “It means death.” Aeryn: “It is my duty, my breeding. Since birth! It’s what I am.” Crichton: “You can be more.”

Aeryn: “Crais thinks you killed his brother. In such a case, would you obey jurisdictional boundaries?”

Crichton (to tape recorder): “And there’s life out here, Dad. Weird, amazing, ... psychotic life. And death. In Technicolor.”

Final Analysis: A pretty solid pilot episode, which effectively introduces the characters, the world, and the basic premise. It certainly left me wanting to see what would come next.

Jess Lynde is a highly engaged television viewer. Probably a bit too engaged.

[bentonpena]

An airline pilot reveals the meanings of 23 code words passengers don't understand

An airline pilot reveals the meanings of 23 code words passengers don't understand http://bit.ly/2oNKk99

  Patrick Smith is an author, aviation blogger, and commercial airline pilot.

He compiled a list of commonly misunderstood airline terms for his site, AskThePilot.

We've selected 23 of the most common, words you may have heard during a recent flight without knowing exactly what the pilot meant. Read on to find out.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For most of us, flying is still an inherently mysterious activity.

To shed some light on the world of commercial air travel, Business Insider turned to Patrick Smith for some answers. Smith is not only an author and aviation blogger, but he is also a long-time commercial airline pilot flying Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 jets.

Smith, who wrote "Cockpit Confidential," compiled a glossary of commonly misunderstood airline jargon on his website, AskThePilot.

According to Smith, some of the terms are highly technological while others are quite humorous and even a bit absurd. Here's a selection of entries:

This article was originally published by Benjamin Zhang in April 2017. It was updated by David Slotnick in October 2019.

SEE ALSO: How Airbus became Boeing's greatest rival

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

"Doors to arrival and crosscheck."

Used in a sample sentence: "Flight attendants, doors to arrival and crosscheck."

Definition: The announcement, usually made by the lead flight attendant as the plane is approaching the gate, is to verify that the emergency escape slides attached to each door have been disarmed — otherwise the slide will deploy automatically as soon as the door is opened. 

  "All-call."

Used in a sample sentence: "Flight attendants, doors to arrival, crosscheck and all-call."

Definition: According to Smith, all-call is usually part of the door arming/disarming procedure. "This is a request that each flight attendant report via intercom from his or her station — a sort of flight attendant conference call," he wrote.

"Holding pattern."

Definition: "A racetrack-shaped course flown during weather or traffic delays," Smith wrote. "Published holding patterns are depicted on aeronautical charts, but one can be improvised almost anywhere."

"At this time."

Used in a sample sentence: "At this time, we ask that you please put away all electronic devices."

Definition: Now.  Smith calls this phrase "air travel's signature euphemism."

"Flight level."

Used in a sample sentence: "We’ve now reached our cruising altitude of flight level three-three-zero. I’ll go ahead and turn off the seatbelt sign."

Definition: "There’s a technical definition of flight level, but I’m not going to bore you with it," Smith wrote.

According to the long-time airline pilot, flight level is simply a fancy way of saying how many thousands of feet the plane is above sea level.

"Just add a couple of zeroes. Flight level three-three zero is 33,000 feet," he explained.

"Last minute paperwork."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're just finishing up some last minute paperwork and should be underway shortly…"

Definition: For many of us, this announcement is a precursor to a delay. According to Smith, this "paperwork" is usually a revision of the flight plan, something to do with the plane's weight-and-balance record, or simply waiting for the maintenance staff to get the flight's logbook in order. 

"Ground stop."

Used in a sample sentence: "Sorry folks, but there's a ground stop on all flights headed south from here."

Definition: "The point when departures to one or more destinations are curtailed by air traffic control; usually due to a traffic backlog," Smith wrote. 

    "Air pocket."

Definition: A colloquial term for a jolt of turbulence. 

"Equipment."

Used in a sample sentence: "Due to an equipment change, departure for Heathrow is delayed three hours."

Definition: The airplane. "Is there not something strange about the refusal to call the focal object of the entire industry by its real name?" Smith wrote. 

"Flightdeck."

Definition: Cockpit.

"First Officer (Co-Pilot)."

Definition: The first officer or co-pilot is the second in command of the plane and sits on the right side of the cockpit wearing three stripes on his or her shoulder.

"He or she is fully qualified to operate the aircraft in all stages of flight, including takeoffs and landings, and does so in alternating turns with the captain," Smith wrote.

"Final approach."

Used in a sample sentence: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on our final approach into Miami."

Definition: "For pilots, an airplane is on final approach when it has reached the last, straight-in segment of the landing pattern — that is, aligned with the extended centerline of the runway, requiring no additional turns or maneuvering," Smith wrote. "Flight attendants speak of final approach on their own more general terms, in reference to the latter portion of the descent."

"Deadhead."

Definition: According to Smith, a pilot or flight attendant who is deadheading onboard a flight is one that is traveling to a destination to be repositioned as part of an on-duty assignment. "This is not the same as commuting to work or engaging in personal travel," he clarified.

"Direct flight."

Definition: Whether or not a flight is "direct" has nothing to do with how many stops it makes on the way to the destination. Instead, a direct flight is defined as a routing where the flight number does not change.

"This is a carryover from the days when flights between major cities routinely made intermediate stops, sometimes several of them," Smith wrote. 

  "Nonstop flight."

Definition: A flight that doesn't make any stops along the way.

"EFC time."

Used in a sample sentence: "We've been given an EFC time of 15 minutes after the hour."

Definition: EFC time is short for expect further clearance time. It's also sometimes referred to as a release time. The EFC time "is the point at which a crew expects to be set free from a holding pattern or exempted from a ground stop," Smith said.

"Wheels-up time."

Definition: Wheels-up time "refers to the point when a ground-stopped plane is expected to be fully airborne," Smith explained.

The flight and ground crew must have the plane "at or near the runway as close to this time as possible."

"The ramp."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're sorry, your suitcase was crushed by a 747 out on the ramp."

Definition: The ramp is the area closest to the terminal where planes and vehicles are active such as the aircraft parking zones. 

Again, this is a relic from the early days of aviation. "In the early days of aviation, many aircraft were amphibious seaplanes or floatplanes. If a plane wasn't flying, it was either in the water or it was 'on the ramp,'" Smith wrote. 

"Alley."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're waiting for another plane to move out of the alley."

Definition: It's a passageway between terminals or ramps. 

"Apron."

Definition: According to Smith, the apron is pretty much any expanse of pavement that's not a taxiway or a runway. This includes areas where planes are parked or serviced. 

"Final and immediate boarding call."

Definition: "A flamboyant way of telling slow-moving passengers to get their asses in gear," Smith wrote. "It provides more urgency than just 'final call' or 'last call.'"

"Area of weather."

Used in a sample sentence: "Due to an area of weather over New Jersey, we'll be turning southbound toward Philadelphia."

Definition: According to Smith, this usually means a thunderstorm or a zone of heavy precipitation.

"The floor area."

Used in a sample sentence: "Please check the floor area around your seat for personal items."

Definition: The floor. 

Tech via SAI http://bit.ly/2ZZpEbV October 3, 2019 at 10:31AM