#nasa handshake

[ryusuisloveinterest]

hey girl!! it's been a while,

I've been having massive stanley brainrot, so may I request Stanley x Reader where reader is one of the scientists in the DARPA expo and was also one of the ones who revived by themselves. Reader and Xeno are like close colleagues and Stanley falls for reader??

Also, how do u feel abt dr stone season 4 coming out next year?! I'm sooo excited honestly!!

I’m so this took so long!!!! I’m loving season 4 so far and Stanley is cooking every time he’s on screen😩 I hope you like it and thank you for your patience bestie💕💕💕💕

Stanley x DARPA scientist reader💝

You’ve worked with Xeno countless times, on different assignments, experiments, and whatever else people at NASA do

Though it still took awhile for you to meet Stanley

I believe Xeno would keep his personal life to himself, keeping the line between his life and work very bolded

But one day he invited you to his house to work on some thing together or because he’s let you cross that line 

You both chat for a while with some tea and treats when some grumpyass soldier barges through the front door 

“Guess what they’re doin now Xeno??? They’re cutting down spending for my branch!! Not only that but my men are leaving left and right! That’s some utter bull-“ 

Stanley pauses when he sees you, his eyes in complete awe at the sight of you 

“Oh um pardon me…” he reaches his hand out for a handshake, “Lieutenant Stanley Snyder, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for that outburst.”

You giggle and introduce yourself as well, “it’s ok Lieutenant Snyder, the government doesn’t treat us that nicely at NASA either”

“Please, just call me Stanley”

Xeno gets the vibe REAL QUICK

He’ll quickly say something like, “oh I need to use the restroom,” or “I’ll go prepare more tea” and just leaves you with Stanley 

After that you’ll see Stanley appear around the office more and more

“Oh sorry y/n I didn’t mean to bug you. Xeno’s office is right around the corner so I thought I’d come say hi”

Xeno’s office is halfway across the building💀

That brings us to the DARPA meeting

Everyone’s discussing the birds and stone and idk what else they talked about lol

But a small break is held

Stanley gives you a drink while you two talk about random things

“Say y/n, maybe after all this shit is over, me and you can go have a little drink together, my treat. What do you think?”

“You better be the one paying, since you’re asking me out~”

A smile breaks out of the soldier

BUT THEN A MYSTERIOUS BIG GREEN LIGHT POPS OUT OF NOWHERE AND EVERYONE GETS TURNED TO STONE😛

3700 years pass when you’re randomly awakened 

You walk around and immediately get a gun to your back

Without fear, you giggle and say, “is this your idea of a first date Stanley?”

His cool helmet falls off and you see the man you’ve waited 3700 years for

He kisses your forehead

“I’ll be sure to make it up to you with much better dates doll~”

You two waste no time in starting to date

Ofc Xeno still need a help working to rebuild, so during the day everyone focuses on working and rebuilding the modern world 

But as soon as the day’s over or works all done, yours his and his ONLY

Like I’m talking bodies constantly touching (whether it’s hand holding, sitting on his lap, cuddling, other things👀)

Always talking to each other, whether it’s deep or not is up to you two

Tries to take you on whatever dates you can in the stone world (dinners, stargazing, crafts, etc.)

While he might cut Xeno off on some of his science rants, but he’d never do that to you 

“Sorry if I’m talking a lot Stanley, I’ll stop it you-“

“No I like your voice, way better than Xeno’s.”

Overall 1000/10 would recommend 

[irrealisms]

the three worst girls since eve - we know the devil collages

[sources under cut]

jupiter

NASA - NASA - NASA and Seán Doran - wktd artbook - fakeyouth - creophagy, angelica alzona - nebula stories, paul juno - handshake, gabalut - shutterstock stock image - HANDS SPEAK SECRETS, sunsbleeding - chacoco - 10 am is when you come to me, louise bourgeois - hand sketch, magsmunroe - wuukasch - neon praying hands, alison ullman - life's anecdote, claine - kirkurada - birds hover the trampled field, richard siken - wasted, marya hornbatcher

venus

nebulous 12, tara andris - broken mirror/evening sky, bing wright - wktd artbook - aurora, jacob böhme - untitled eyes, shawn barber - sandalphon and metatron in their chrysalis, ultrainfinitepit - and the angel said, “DO NOT BE AFRAID.”, katz ripley - frommoon2moon - pinterest - effie lealand - ascending athena, amy judd - pinterest - soapstore - untitled (gabriel's wing), robert longo - pinterest - all EYES on YOU, elena kulikova - wikipedia page for lucifer

neptune

giorgio trovato - wktd artbook - contact, mé - swimming pool iv, margot olde loohuis - rorschach blot 02, wikimedia commons - dendritic drainage pattern, wikimedia commons - julia kadel - unsplash - brush elegy, robert motherwell - pinterest - rough seas near lobster point, robert henri - the great wave off kanagawa, katsushika hokusai - sol tenebrarum: the occult study of melancholy, asenath mason - dripping paint - pinterest - delectable-collectables

[linafinsterwald192]

This Soyuz-Apollo romance has me in shambles. SHAMBLES. It all starts with Sergei challenging Margo with the whole "No, that's not astronaut 3 and 4, that is cosmonaut 1 and 2." and "I suggest Soyuz-Apollo. For convenience." and "Soyuz will be the active part." He's such a cunt with it but he is also right. He needs to be doing this because otherwise, the Russian involvement in it will always just be an accessory. An afterthought. Also frankly I think it was funny for him to be a little shit. I hope it was funny to Sergei too.

Margo had absolutely no say in falling for him. But I also think that she puts an incredible amount of love into the people around her. Purposefully. She let Wernher close to her, and made herself vulnerable by asking how much he knew, and I think she was trying to find something that negates all the harm Wernher has done. Something that excuses his actions even a little bit. One can see how much she cares about basically everyone who is up in space at any point. She is so hopeful and scared when things go wrong. She made herself incredibly vulnerable with Aleida. She met up with her several times, knowing she needed it. Needed Margo as a parental figure in her life. She asked her to join NASA, knowing it was a risk, knowing that Aleida might slam the door into her face and hope it breaks her nose. Knowing Aleida might fuck it up big time and ruin Margo's reputation as she vouched for her. And Margo kept at it, until Aleida could stand on her own two feet. Despite how often she got hurt, she always keeps loving. Despite the constant paranoia and hatred towards Russia/Russians from the people around her, Margo and Sergei bantered over Apollo-Soyuz vs Soyuz-Apollo after Margo invited him to one of the places she never shows someone else. One of the sides she hides from everyone around her because that's HER space. it's her. Despite the revelations about Wernher, she trusts that Sergei won't be like him, even though it could very well be plausible for Sergei to have dark secrets as well.

She is so silly when she is with Sergei at first. She allows herself to just relax and be silly when she has to constantly be so fucking serious. The little paper ships docking. Them being stuck in the handshake tube thing. Margo never lets people get physically close to her like this. She isn't uncomfy. She is very comfy in there, despite being stuck and being super close to Sergei, despite Sergei clearly finding this amazing and hilarious, and MISSING THE COIN FLIP- Margo pushes him away because she has to. She doesn't want to push him away. She is MAD when he talks about work after they made out. Margo "I am always professional and this is not a place for feelings" Madison is livid this is interfering with literally anything - and livid that anyone would threaten Sergei like this.

She cares about him so much. She promises to keep him AND his family safe and it's clear she will do everything to achieve it. She doesn't shove him away going "this is fucking dangerous and I'm not risking everything I am and have for you". She goes "I'll get you and your family out of here." She KNOWS this might be the worst heartbreak she will ever go through. She KNOWS she might end up being tortured or killed or being seen as a traitor, a coward, a defector - And she does it anyway. She didn't stumble into any of this. She fucking ran praying to be fast enough.

That scene of her screaming into the pillow? fucking gold star. What I love so fucking much about this romance is that it's not a "it's too dnagerous to love me" shtick. it's "well FUCK. well FUCK. i love you and i can't do anything about it. so what do we do? how do we keep everyone safe, and be together? and be together.

It hurt her so much to constantly dismiss Aleida's efforts of finding out who gave away the engine design. And it scared her because she knows Aleida doesn't give up. And that is such a good thing.

Margo for sure wanted to run away with Sergei. But she couldn't promise him anything. And then, she didn't get to. She never got to say "I'll run with you." she never got to say "I love you." But everything she did conveyed just that. Everything she did was such a pure form of admiration, dedication, love, vulnerability, fear-

She was READY to rip Irina into pieces. She was. all she could say was "You knew him for years!" She couldn't SAY "I loved him and you know that." She couldn't SAY "he was always in a good mood, always happy, always loving, always caring, he was the best of the best, he was selfless and gorgeous and amazing" - she could only appeal to Sergei's supposed loyalty to the Russians. That was all the leverage she had. I WISH we knew what Irina thought in this moment. How much she knew. If she knew after Margo crying CRYING in a full room of silent people, in front of IRINA, maybe being aware that this might reveal her love for Sergei- And it hurt her so much that Aleida got pulled into this. Aleida was right, it had to be her typing the code. And it broke Margo that there was nothing she could do against it. Only for her to take the blame. Irina was in that room. Eli was there. Aleida was there.

Margo knew Sergei would be SO PROUD and SO PISSED if he had the chance of learning about this. Margo was stripped of the last tidbits of her honor, she was stripped of her diplomatic immunity - for all she knows, she could be kidnapped by the KGB and tortured for however long her body holds up. Especially if Irina pieced it together somewhere along the way. And she still went for it. And she let Aleida hug her in front of everyone because she knew that this was more important than the shit Aleida could catch for it. AND AFTER THIS. AFTER HER FEELINGS HAVE BROUGHT HER SO MUCH FUCKING PAIN AND MISERY, AFTER SERGEI ESSENTIALLY GOT KILLED FOR HAVING FEELINGS AND BEING IN LOVE, she says that feelings are a good thing. "Your honor, I was always told we shouldn't let personal feelings cloud our search for the truth. I don't think that's right. Feelings might not always be convenient," WELL . YOUR FEELINGS CERTAINLY WERE NEVER CONVENIENT- GOD- FUCK- THIS WOMAN. "they may even slow our progress, but they are also the only way to truly begin to understand the world around us. And the new worlds that await us." She EMBRACES it all. She might be in American prison from the sounds of it but this absolute powerhouse is looking forward to new worlds. She embraces that she felt all these feeings. She once thought she was like WERNHER VON BRAUN because of things she did. LIKE WERNHER VON FUCKING BRAUN- and now she is like "I did that." Also frankly I think she feels a little proud of herself when she gets escorted out of the mission control room. She does look a little smug, right? So anyway I will be reading all Margo Sergei fics I can find and post a thousand posts about them and I think Apollo-Soyuz should be a synonym for top Margo bottom Sergei and the other way around and I will now continue to scream into the void. thank you for your understanding. thank you for coming by on such notice.

[ancient-wanderer]

1986 – Debate Prep, Houston

She feels untouchable.

Sharp as the crease in her blazer. Grounded in data, polling, policy. Respected. Her team moves around her with purpose, briefing her on energy subsidies, agricultural exports, education. Topics she could speak on in her sleep. They trust her. Believe in her. And why shouldn’t they?

She’s Ellen Wilson. Former astronaut. NASA Administrator. The girl who caught the tank and the woman who helped prevent World War III with the go ahead for a handshake in orbit.

This Senate race is hers to win.

She’s halfway through rehearsing her closing remarks when a volunteer walks in and sets a fresh mug of coffee beside her. A woman, mid-thirties, maybe. Professional but not stiff, confident in that rare way that doesn’t try to take up more space than it needs. She thanks her softly and steps back, out of the way.

Ellen offers a polite smile. Doesn’t mean to do more than that. But something in the woman’s ease, the unflinching way she holds Ellen’s gaze before moving on, hits wrong. Or right. Or… familiar.

It’s gone as quickly as it comes.

The woman turns back to the conversation unfolding near the maps, and Ellen lowers her eyes to her notes. But the words don’t land the same way they did five minutes ago.

It wasn’t attraction. Not entirely. It was the way confidence can soften around the edges. The way someone can look at you like they’re not impressed by your resume, just curious about who you are underneath it. The way it made her feel unexpectedly seen.

And that feeling… that’s the one that lingers.

Because for one breathless second, it reminded her of Pam.

She stares at the mug of coffee. She knows better than to chase the feeling. That version of her, the one who could lean in and allow herself even a moment of wanting, doesn’t fit this campaign. It doesn’t fit this life.

But the ache is there all the same.

Quiet. Incurable.

No, it wasn't desire. It was grief.

Because she knows now, without any confusion or hope left in her, exactly the kind of person she’s drawn to.

And she also knows she’ll never reach for it again.

She flips to a clean page in her notes, writes the word Education, and underlines it twice.

She has work to do.

But she’s not as untouchable as she thought.

[dianadeadwing]

This is from a scrapped sketch for @roudiseshipweek I decided to go a different direction with one of the prompts but I still had this fully complete sketch so it was easy enough to ink and color. So this is a hype piece I guess? Participate in #roudiseweek2023 !

It’s aged up Rudy and Louise. Probably about teenagers. Rudy became a tall boy who likes engineering and vehicles thus the cozy NASA sweater and acid wash jeans. Louise stayed “small and bossy” and exclusively shops in hot topic’s anime section. They’re going in for a completely platonic hand shake.

-

[ID:

Digital fan art on an aged-up Rudy Stieblitz and Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers. Louise stands in front of Rudy and looks up at him fondly with one hand outstretched for a handshake and her other arm at her side. She wears a large lime green sweater with a large light-colored outline of Kuchi Kopi on the right and Kuchi Kopi written in hiragana on the left. She also wears a knee length skirt with waves in different shakes of blue and green tentacles meant to be reminiscent of akkoro kamui. Rudy is dressed in a classic gray NASA sweat shirt with a white dress shirt underneath. He is also wearing acid wash jeans in a looser cut. He stands at about a head taller than Louise and looks down at her with a smile. He has a hand outstretched towards her palm down as if to either hold her hand or shake it.

/end ID]

[toaarcan]

One of my favourite spaceflight facts is that, due to some heavy technicalities on what the universally accepted definition of an astronaut is, and the intense secrecy surrounding the Soviet Union at the time, the entire Vostok program, AKA the thing that first took humans into space, technically doesn't count and everyone just agrees to ignore that.

Submitting my claim that Vostok is actually the cutest spacecraft ever, which is an entirely normal statement.

When they sat down and defined what counts as a successful manned flight, part of the requirements included the astronaut(s) landing in the vehicle. But Vostok didn't do that. Instead, the Vostok cosmonauts ejected from the vehicle after re-entry and parachuted to the ground separately. This continued until the later Voskhod missions, where they ripped out the ejector seat so they could fit more guys inside (and on the second one, one guy and an inflatable airlock so one of them could do the first spacewalk), and put in a rollcage so that landing inside the vehicle wouldn't turn them to goo.

But by the time Voskhod 1 blasted off from Baikonur, all of the Mercury flights had already been flown, so this means that, according to the rules, America technically completed the first manned space flights.

Another technicality was added to the list a couple of years back, when the guys that make the rules futzed with said rules in order to deny Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson astronaut status, because fuck 'em. Now, in order to be an astronaut, you have to actually do something on the flight, otherwise you're just a passenger. And many of the Vostok flights were indeed more like passengers than crew. The Vostok spacecraft is pretty much a big satellite with a passenger compartment and a re-entry module, and it's fully automated.

So why didn't these technicalities get called out? The USA and USSR were never shy about trying to embarrass each other, or make each other look foolish on the world stage. One of the biggest reasons why we know the Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory is total stupidity is that the USSR congratulated NASA on the successful landing, because if it had been recorded on a soundstage in Area 51, the Soviets would've been the first to call bullshit.

Well, part of it is just that the Americans didn't know about the specifics of the Vostok program at the time. Whereas the American space program was a very public affair with cheering crowds showing up to watch every launch, the Soviets were much, much more clandestine than that. Baikonur is in the middle of the Kazakh desert, and the Soviets were keen to lie about anything that went wrong.

When their attempt at a moon rocket, the N1, endured four successive failures on launch, mostly caused by the Soviets lacking the funding and the facilities to properly test the thing, and instead just had to launch fully built rockets and hope they worked, the Soviets simply scrapped the last two and declared that they'd never intended to go to the Moon and were all about Earth orbit instead.

The N1 was actually more powerful than the Saturn V, but because it never reached operational status and the Soviets preferred to pretend it didn't exist, the Saturn V remained the world's most powerful rocket until Artemis 1 flew last year. A similar situation is happening now, with SpaceX's Superheavy being more powerful than the SLS, but also being basically a giant bomb at the moment.

Most Americans had no idea how Vostok worked, and didn't even know what it looked like. They didn't get to see what a Soviet spacecraft actually looked like up close until the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975.

Behold, the setting for the most expensive handshake in history.

By the time the full details came out, the world had known that the Soviets did it first for decades, and challenging that doesn't really do much for anyone besides the people that want to go "Um, ackchully" about everything.

Additionally, the rules weren't even written yet at the time, so there's even less reason to start changing shit up now. Vostok might be technically breaking the rules, but nobody cares, and downplaying the immense technical achievements of Sergei Korolev, Yuri Gagarin, and everyone else that worked on the early Soviet spaceflights on account of a rules quirk that wasn't even written yet is just kinda dumb.

(Random sidenote, Korolev was the chief designer of much of the USSR's early spacecraft, including the R7 rocket that carried both Sputnik and Vostok into space, and still carries some of the Soyuz flights to this day. And, like pretty much every major achievement of the USSR, he wasn't Russian. He was, in fact, Ukrainian.)

[notwiselybuttoowell]

The prospect of an even more ideologically driven Trump administration slashing budgets and mass-firing federal staff has given America’s scientific community a sort of collective anxiety attack. “We all feel like we have a target on our backs,” said one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist, who added that agency staff are already seeking to “pivot” by replacing mentions of the climate crisis with more acceptable terms such as “air quality”.

“My god, it’s so depressing,” said another federal scientist about the incoming administration. A doctoral candidate, when asked about entering the workforce under Trump, simply puffed her cheeks and groaned. “If someone offered me a departmental position now, I’d jump,” said one Nasa researcher. “It’s hard, particularly for younger people. Hopefully we will survive it all.”

Trump – through his alteration of hurricane maps with a Sharpie pen, staring with uncovered eyes at a solar eclipse and suggestion that disinfectant injections could cure Covid-19 – is seen by many here at the meeting as a catalyst of scientific contrarianism.

This has been underscored by the nomination of Robert F Kennedy, who holds an array of conspiracy theories about vaccines, wind farms and chemtrails, as the nominee for the US’s new health secretary, as well as Trump’s promise this week to cast aside environmental reviews for “any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America”.

But scientists in the US face a broader crisis beyond the next president, amid a swirl of misinformation and declining trust in the profession among the American public. Overall trust in scientists has fallen by 10% since the pandemic, Pew polling has shown, with a growing partisan gap emerging in how science is viewed; nearly four in 10 Republicans now say they have little to no confidence in scientists acting in the public’s best interests.

“When we get that kind of polling data, it is concerning,” acknowledged Lisa Graumlich, a paleoclimatologist and the current AGU president. Gone, it seems, are the halcyon days of celebrity 19th-century scientists such as Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt, or even the reception to the polio vaccine in the 1950s, which was greeted with ringing church bells, with its inventor, Jonas Salk, routinely being greeted with applause and handshakes when he was seen in public.

By contrast, Anthony Fauci, the face of the US response to the Covid pandemic, requires round-the-clock security protection due to ongoing death threats, even after his retirement. Climate scientists and meteorologists, too, have faced threats and harassment.

“The conspiracy theories are out there, the misinformation is there,” said Graumlich. “Social media engines and the algorithms can take a person that isn’t necessarily prone to a conspiracy mindset and have them end up in this rabbit hole of misinformation.”

Some researchers think scientists should adapt to this hyper-partisan environment by sticking to unadorned facts, rather than anything that could be seen as campaigning. “We have been come to be seen as just another partisan lobbying group,” said Ken Caldeira, a climate scientist.

“I want us to get back to a point where scientists are seen as the establishers of facts rather than arguing for policy. We need to get back to a situation where we have a shared set of facts.”

Others are determined to press the case for science to guide decisions, if not in the White House then with Congress, which previously thwarted major Trump-demanded cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and Nasa’s Earth science work.

Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist at Arizona State University who has come to AGU meetings since 1989, attended this year’s event to reveal terrifying findings about the loss of available freshwater around the world, due to the climate crisis and agricultural practices.

“People like me who are experts need to step up and say, ‘I think this should be done,’” said Famiglietti, who has tangled with a family member about Trump and has even taken to switching Fox News off from the TVs in his local gym.

“I mean I am not going to chain myself to a wellhead but I’m going to make sure the right people in Congress, in Washington, know about it,” he said. “Some people might want to jump off a bridge if they think about the next few years but I don’t think we need to go into a shell or be overly careful. We need to choose our words well, know our audience, but I’m very much in support of full speed ahead.”

[jefferson-earthbound]

Jefe, Jeff, Jefferson! It's so good to meet you sir! Oh- Not one for handshakes. Alright. So! [clap2.sfx] We have a few questions over here at the station, we're studying the multitude of universes and what everyone is doing. I'm from another universe, so hopefully you don't mind my rather unappealing look, but what do you think your plans for the future might be? Any major projects? Perhaps attempts of visiting these said other universes? Or! Or just settling a stable life here without work?

-Unnamed Reporter (@tanejineri)

Hello! Glad you asked, currently I’m studying astronomy and going for a major in astrophysics in college. As a hobby, I fix broken gadgets and build Gundam model kits. I would love to visit another universe and have been doing lots of research of how to get to them, the whole topic just fascinates me so much! Sorry I tend to ramble on about topics that interest me a lot. I’m also hoping to work at NASA one day in their research team. Thank you for visiting this universe and I hope I didn’t go on too much about topics..

-Jefferson

[sinisterjelly]

Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (in foreground) and Cosmonaut Alexey A. Leonov make their historic handshake in space on July 17, 1975.

Credits: NASA

Happy Apollo-Soyuz docking day!

[cantsayidont]

Recent hateration and holleration:

BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F (2024): Geriatric latter-day revival of Eddie Murphy's action-comedy franchise is the best of the three COP sequels (no great achievement), but there's no reason for it to exist other than money, and it's so determined to replicate the beats of the 1984 movie that it even reuses several of its hit songs. Eddie Murphy returns to the streetwise wiseass humor that originally made him a star, but it now feels pretty stale, he's too old for this kind of thing, and the inevitable appearances of his original costars (Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot, though curiously not Ronny Cox) are further reminders that the elements that made the original entertaining were, shall we say, of their time. Taylour Paige is appealing as Axel's estranged daughter Jane, but an already flaccid story is further deflated by the casting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, dreary as Jane's cop ex-boyfriend. Why Gordon-Levitt's character is in this movie at all is unclear; it felt like much of the role might have originally been written for Reinhold (who's absent through much of the story), but was split into a separate character because the producers got nervous about not having at least one male lead under 60. Gordon-Levitt isn't much of an action star, he has no flair for this kind of comedy, his chemistry with Murphy is nonexistent, and his supposed romantic chemistry with Paige barely rises to the "awkward handshake" level. Kevin Bacon, playing a villainous corrupt cop, is the only one who seems to be having fun, but the movie gives him precious little to work with. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Nah. VERDICT: Not unbearably awful as these things go, but the stench of desperation is hard to ignore. If you're tempted, just watch the original.

SPACE CADET (2024): Charmingly silly comedy, written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, about plucky Florida bartender and sometimes alligator wrestler Rex Simpson (Emma Roberts), who never got to go to college, scamming her way into the NASA astronaut candidacy program with the help of her friend Nadine (Poppy Liu) — who also pretends to be all of Rex's references, baffling the program's hunky deputy director Logan O'Leary (Tom Hopper), who's becoming a little sweet on Rex. Along the way, Rex and nerdy fellow AsCan Violet (Kuho Verma) help each other out, and Rex finds she might have a real flair for it after all. The story doesn't always pay off its amusing setups as well as it might, and credibility is obviously not a high point, but it's cute and funny, and Roberts is a delight. CONTAINS LESBIANS? There's a throwaway line or two suggesting that Violet is bisexual, but that's about it. VERDICT: Contrived but appealing, a movie I would have adored when I was about 12.

[designaldohas]

Imagery – Visual Storytelling Without Saying a Word

From jaw-dropping photography to charming illustrations and punchy icons, imagery is the part of your design that grabs people before they even know what it’s about. If typography whispers the message, imagery yells it across the street (politely, of course).

So let’s get visual!

📸 What Counts as Imagery?

Imagery includes:

Photos (stock, original, product shots)

Illustrations (hand-drawn, vector, 3D, etc.)

Icons & Symbols

Textures & Patterns

Infographics & Data Visuals

Basically, anything that isn’t text qualifies. But here’s the kicker: not all images are created equal.

🎯 Why Imagery Matters

Sets the tone: A moody black-and-white photo vs. a playful cartoon completely changes perception.

Enhances communication: Especially when explaining abstract or complex ideas.

Increases retention: People remember 65% of visual info 3 days later vs. only 10% of text.

Engages emotions: The right image connects to viewers on a gut level.

Breaks monotony: A wall of text without visuals is a digital sedative.

🔍 Choosing the Right Image

Don’t just slap a photo into your layout because there’s empty space. You need images with:

1. Relevance

Every image should have a purpose. If it doesn’t enhance the message, delete it.

2. Consistency

Keep a consistent style (color tone, lighting, format). Mismatched visuals = chaotic vibes.

3. Authenticity

Skip cliché stock photos (handshake in front of a skyline, we’re looking at you). Look for images that feel genuine, or better yet—create your own.

4. Quality

Resolution matters. Grainy, pixelated images will tank your credibility. Aim for 300 DPI for print, 72 DPI for web.

🧑‍🎨 Photography vs Illustration: What’s the Difference?

Photography

Feels realistic, grounded

Great for products, people, events

Can be expensive or require gear

Illustration

Offers flexibility and control

Ideal for abstract ideas, brand storytelling, or when photography isn’t practical

Comes in many styles (flat, isometric, 3D, hand-drawn)

Pro tip: Combining both can work wonders—but only if they harmonize stylistically.

🛠️ Editing & Enhancing Visuals

You don’t always need to use images as-is. Here's how to elevate them:

Crop with purpose (think about the focal point)

Adjust brightness/contrast for clarity

Apply filters to unify aesthetics

Use overlays (a tinted color block) to make text readable over photos

Masking to blend or create dynamic shapes

Tools like Photoshop, Canva, or Figma let you tweak images without needing a photography degree.

🧩 Icons, Textures & Patterns: The Spice of Design

Icons

Minimal, symbolic graphics to represent actions or ideas.

Use icon libraries like Feather, FontAwesome, or Heroicons.

Keep the stroke weight and style consistent!

Textures & Patterns

Can add depth and tactility.

Subtle is key—grunge textures, noise, gradients, or repeating motifs.

Use sparingly to avoid sensory overload.

🧠 Unique Fact of the Day

NASA photos were once hand-retouched. Before digital editing, NASA’s moon landing photos were manually edited using paintbrushes and dyes. Yes, someone literally painted over cosmic dust. That’s dedication.

Also, the infamous "Distracted Boyfriend" meme? It’s from a stock photo shoot, and the model’s name is Mario. He became accidentally iconic—proving that even the most generic imagery can become unforgettable with the right (or wrong) context.

https://letterhanna.com/imagery-visual-storytelling-without-saying-a-word/

[enterprisewired]

Astronaut Plays Alien Prank as SpaceX Crew Arrives at ISS

Source: the-sun.com

Humor found its way into space when NASA’s Crew-10 astronauts were met with an unexpected surprise upon arriving at the International Space Station (ISS). As the newly arrived crew members floated into the station early Sunday morning, they were greeted not just by their fellow astronauts but also by what appeared to be an “alien.”

Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner decided to have some fun with the new arrivals by wearing an alien mask. The moment unfolded just after the four Crew-10 astronauts docked their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule at 12:04 a.m., nearly 29 hours after their launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As preparations were underway to open the capsule, Vagner was seen floating around in an alien mask, a hoodie, pants, and socks, adding an element of lightheartedness to the serious environment of the space station.

A Warm Welcome Aboard

Shortly after the hatch was opened at 1:35 a.m. EDT, the new arrivals—NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—entered the International Space Station. They were greeted with handshakes, hugs, and smiles from the Expedition 72 crew. The welcoming ceremony was marked by a longstanding tradition: astronaut Suni Williams rang the ship’s bell as the new team floated into the station.

Despite the practical joke, the mood remained warm and celebratory. Williams later expressed her excitement over the arrival, describing the day as a wonderful experience and emphasizing how great it was to see friends joining the mission. Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are expected to guide the newcomers through the station’s operations before finally heading back to Earth.

Also read: SpaceX’s Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Sparks Safety Concerns

Extended Stay for Returning Astronauts

Williams and Wilmore have spent an unexpectedly long time aboard the ISS. Initially scheduled to stay for just a week after the launch of Boeing’s first astronaut flight, they ended up spending nine months in space due to technical issues that forced NASA to bring the Boeing Starliner back to Earth without them. Now, with the arrival of Crew-10, their return home is finally within reach.

Meanwhile, as Crew-10 settles in, Crew-9 commander Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are preparing for their departure. Their return to Earth is scheduled for Wednesday as early as 4 a.m., with a planned splashdown off the coast of Florida.

A Touch of Humor in Space

Life on the International Space Station is filled with scientific research, critical experiments, and daily maintenance tasks, but moments like this remind us that astronauts, despite their demanding roles, find ways to keep morale high. The unexpected alien encounter not only made for a memorable welcome but also highlighted the camaraderie and playful spirit shared among astronauts from different space agencies.

As Crew-10 embarks on its mission aboard the ISS, the lighthearted start to its journey serves as a reminder that even in the vastness of space, a little humor can go a long way.

[nayakb]

Sunita Williams’ Return: A Warm Welcome in Space as Crew-10

In a touching moment of friendship and teamwork, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her crewmates on the International Space Station (ISS) recently greeted the new Crew-10 mission with hugs and handshakes. This heartwarming reunion, set against the backdrop of space, showed the strong bond between astronauts and the spirit of exploration that brings them together. A Delayed but Joyful…

[booksandwords]

Realigned by Becca Seymour

Series: Coming Home #1 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: Heat spread over every inch of my skin. Wicked tongue. My brain had short-circuited at some point in the last thirty minutes or so. I didn’t know if it had started when he admitted his feelings for me or at the mention of seduction. I knew one thing for sure, though: my addled brain could not shake the thought of his tongue. — Shaun O'Ryan

Warnings: None. Just a rock-loving scientist and his selfless idiot.

Realigned is Shaun's story. Shaun O'Ryan is an Australian country boy, a geologist employed by NASA. He's been living in America for 8 years not coming home in all that time, talking to his family by phone and occasional visits by them. Now he's in Australia for a two-week stay. The first event in the book is Shaun getting pulled over for speeding... a joke by his lifelong friend Sergeant Mitch Harris. It is kinda funny and is a perfect example of their relationship dynamic.

The novellas epigraph is Take risks.. This sets the tone for the whole story. Shaun is being headhunted by a big company, his family (especially his mum) wants him to stay in Australia for good, taking the offer and coming home. They decide to use Mitch as a weapon knowing full well that Shaun and Mitch have had a thing for each other for a decade. Honestly, it's simple enough. It is Shaun saying I can't have sex involved if I'm going to make a logical decision here. It's a premise a liked and I appreciated that Becca choose to use a single narrator to tell her story. Sometimes having both spoils the surprise for some events.

Have some of the long quotes I liked.

Since it was midweek, there were only a handful of patrons propping up the bar. I greeted every one of them with a handshake when they declared the astronaut had returned. I simply smiled and indicated to Mitch to hurry the hell up with our drinks. There was no point even attempting to explain I wasn’t an astronaut. Yeah, I was lucky enough to work for NASA, but I was all about geology and research. It didn’t matter in a small town like this though. Six hours from civilisation in the arse of the outback, most of the residents heard NASA and decided for themselves I would be travelling the solar system at some point in the future. Who was I to spoil their fun? — I have nothing to add to this really. It just feels like he is the ultimate hometown boy made good. This quote almost said more about him than anything else we got early on. (Shaun)

Apparently everyone knew whatever it was Mum was failing to act coy about. Even my brothers-in-law looked prepped for a reveal. I took a few moments to try to figure out what was going on before returning my attention to Mum. This time her expression was more relaxed, just too much so considering everyone else’s reaction. — Oh the pure joy of this level of this family dynamic. I love it so much. Meddling mothers are the best. (Shaun)

“Not quite sure yet.” I indicated Mitch with a chin lift. “That’s a question for Sarge.” I looked over at him and threw him a wink. “God help us all.” Lorna chuckled, and I glanced back to see her watching the two of us, an amused smile on her lips and a gentleness in her eyes. “You boys back together again.” She shook her head. “Not sure if it’s a good or bad thing Mitch here is now the sarge. Does that mean you’ll get away with even more, rather than not getting up to any crazy stunts?” With her brows raised high, she studied Mitch then clucked. I had no idea what she’d read on his face, but by the time I looked at him, his face was a picture of innocence. I rolled my eyes, not at all convinced. — There are several reasons I like small-town romance, particularly back home after a long-time romance, moments like this are one of them. The people who knew them as kids, the trouble making them, get the whole oh help us all vibe. It's fun and funny. (Shaun and Lorna)

"I’m happy with weird if it means you keep looking at me the way you do.” “What way is that?” I squeaked. “Like you want me to be yours and you don’t want me to ever let you go.” I was done. It was time to stick a damn fork in me. — I just love that last line. I know this is a fairly common quote but somehow it feels like home to me. I can't explain it. I also like the set-up here. (Mitch and Shaun)

I like Becca Seymour for her Australian romance. They have some angst, a whole lot of sweetness and Australian linguistics. Realigned is no exception to this. Better yet it is free on both amazon and Prolific Works (likely other platforms as well), giving this broad access option if a reader wants to try her writing for the first time. I'm giving this 4 rather than 3⭐ because it is free, yes it is short. But it is a HFN, not a HEA and I'm more than okay with that. This does have a follow-up Amalgamated, I will be reading that as well I think. It follows the same sort of ideas.

[michaelgabrill]

Marshall Bids Farewell to Former Center Director with Retirement Ceremony

By Jessica Barnett Hundreds filled Activities Building 4316 on Sept. 21 to offer their best wishes to former NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer as she takes on her next big adventure: retirement. Marshall team members brought gifts, recorded messages, and lined up for a hug or handshake with Singer as part of […] from NASA https://ift.tt/ysrISHj

[sunshinelittlethings]

July 02, 2023 - Monday

Hello Tumblr!

Second chika ko for the last day of June! Wieeee! So okay, June 30 is the day for Annual Pinning Ceremony ng Department namin and required kaming nandoon na mga council since kami din yung magfafacilitate hihi. Maaga na naman ako nakarating don at akala ko malalate ako kasi medyo late na ako nakasakay ng bus pero sakto lang ako nakarating sa school, ako pa pinaka naunang dumating. Gutom pa naman din ako non so bumili ako ng Richoco sa may canteen at naloka ako kasi ang mahal niya don yawa 15 pesos sha huhu pero kailangan ko kumain para hindi ako magutom agad, naka white uniform din kami kasi pinagrequired kami na ayon ang suotin.

Nagsidatingan na ang mga tao sa multi purpose hall kasama ang mga magulang nila, unti unti na sila nabubuo don at kami ding mga council. Ngayon ko na lang nakita ulit yung mga classmate ko na council din and ayon tulong tulong na doon sa mph. Around 9AM nagstart na din ang program at ayon tuloy tuloy naman ang maayos na flow ng program. Pinning part na so ayon nandon kami para magbigay ng mga pins kina Ate Pres and VP Pres. After ng pinning ceremony, recognition part naman for the student council. Nakakashookt kasi nagkaroon ako ng certificate, pin, and medal din grabe hindi ko din inexpect na magkakaroon din ako non hehe. Tapos nakapag handshake pa ako sa VPAA ng school na pinapasukan ko, pati si Dean nakapag handshake din ako sa kanya. Nagspeech din si Mami (Ma'am Adviser) namin sa council and medyo naiyak ako kasi siya yung the best adviser na naranasan ko sa buong experience ko na nag council ako sa buong buhay ko. Napaka-gentle kasi ni Ma'am and mamimiss ko yung mga random mcdo treats ni Ma'am and yung mga chika namin tuwing kumakain sa mcdo :( grabeee huhu.

Next AY Council kasi iba na ang MTSC Adviser and napagdesisyunan na din namin na hindi na sasali sa council. Okay lang naman yung magiging bagong adviser pero pass na talaga ako sa council stuff, mahirap pagsabayin ang studies sa council duties.

So ayon, after the program nag-order si Ate Pres ng food sa Mcdo for our lunch---our last lunch bilang council :( that time, sobrang nahihilo na ako at nagugutom na kaya bumaba ako para bumili ng kwek kwek snacks ko lang kasi sobrang gutom na talaga ako :( e matagal tagal din ang dating ng mcdo kaya ayon. Past 1PM na din kami nakakain kaya nagsabi ako kina Mama na nasa school pa ako at kumakain pa pero uuwi na din maya maya. After non, sumama pa ako sa mga classmate ko sa faculty kasi may ipriprint sila na related pa rin sa council stuff since mga Treasurer and Auditor sila.

Naging instant photographer pa ako ng mga teachers don kasi sinurprise nila si Dean ng ice cream cake kasi parang kakabirthday lang ni Dean non hindi ko matandaan when birthday niya pero tapos na yon. Pinicturan ko sila kasi inutusan ako at ako lang naman walang ginagawa sa aming tatlo HAHAHAHAHA. After non, nagpaalam na din ako na aalis kasi uuwi na talaga ako. Pero girl, bumalik pa ako mph kasi nakalimutan ko yung certificate ko don! Kakaloka, buti nandon pa sina Ate Pres kaya nakuha ko agad.

Pagkarating ko dito sa amin dumaan na muna ako sa SM para bumili ng Coco at Candy Corner kasi wala lang HAHAHAHA. After non umuwi na ako.

Sobrang pagod ko pagkauwi ko gusto ko matulog pero nag-grocery kami nina Mama pagkauwi nila at hinintay sina Ate para makarating sa Walter.

So ayon lang po ang chika ko AHAHAHAHHA. Napaka productive po ng last two days ng June ko po at nagulat pa ako kasi naging busy pa ako sa lagay na yon. XD

Next chika ko naman ay nung nagpunta kami sa SM ni Mama hehe. Next blog na lang yon~

Song of the Day: Lucid Dream - aespa