#solar film review

[scarevalue]

Beware of children born during today's big solar eclipse. Heed the warnings of 1981's Bloody Birthday

[astroamorsworld]

Astrology Observations #26

If you guys would like to show your support, you can buy me a coffee here :)

I’m starting to compile a list of reviews for readings on my masterlist so check it out if you’d like😊

If you guys would like a reading, feel free to DM me or fill out my Google form here

Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t. Enjoy!

Please do not copy my work.

🍿Someone I know has a Scorpio ruled 7th house and through their past relationships have been victims of witchcraft because of it. Whether it was their partners paying people to do spells on them or someone their partners were previously involved with or someone their partners were close with, its been a somewhat common occurrence for this person unfortunately☹️

(And i don’t think having a neptune there helped either…😕)

🍿Those of you who have your Moon in the 8th house, do you like horror films? Like it’s something i’ve noticed with a few people i know and i personally dislike a lot of them👎

🍿As a girl with a Gemini Juno, funny guys are my absolute weakness😩😩 Gemini Sun men also. In fact just all men with Gemini placements. Does this apply to you guys with your Juno placement?

🍿Aquarius risings are so cool, love them😚

🍿Since the 12th house rules bed pleasures, how many of your 12th housers like really and i mean REALLY like your bed. Like in fact do you guys ever like leaving your house?

🍿If you have Uranus in the 4th house, if you’d like to, tell me what your family does that you think no other family does🤔

🍿Everytime I have my Moon in the 8th house in my lunar return chart, something always comes to an end. Do you guys notice the same thing with your lunar return charts or nah

🍿Not an observation but I have Pluto in the 8th house at 29 degrees for my solar return chart this year and I am a little frightened icl… have any of you guys had this placement in your sr charts? If so, what happened that year?

🍿Living on your Saturn MC line is soooo tough😩feeling like life is harder for you than most ppl is NOT it😭😭

🍿Leo Risings, do your relationships ever stem from a friends to lovers type situation or nah?

🍿Now i know i’ve mentioned this before in a previous post but I just wanna say again that having a Moon-Chiron conjunction in your sr chart absolutely sucks. A year where you can really be going through it😖😖😖

🍿I currently have Neptune in the 1st opposite mars AND mercury in the 7th house in my sr chart and i can tell you that the daydreaming about being in a relationship has gone into overdrive…😔

🍿I also have my 5th house ruler conjunct chiron in my sr chart and heartbreak has occurred… so if you have it in your sr chart you may wanna brace yourself😫

(I thought my sr chart was gonna be really good but I was unfortunately blind to every other placement in my chart but my major 7th house stellium… REMEMBER GUYS A 7TH HOUSE STELLIUM CAN INDICATE GAINING BEST FRIENDS AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU A RELATIONSHIP😭😭

🍿A more straightforward observation but having Chiron in the 11th house of a SR chart can indicate losing some friends… like not necessarily in the typical way where you guys fall out, but it could be a scenario where they move away, or you guys can’t see each other as often for whatever reason.

🍿I feel like living on your Saturn MC line can also indicate getting into more problems with authority figures and more so them starting problems with you… they can turn into absolute f***ing b****rds out of nowhere… sorry i just have some trauma with members of authority😭😭

🍿I have my sun at 10 degrees and a 10th house stellium… I wonder if thats why i’ve always felt like i had an old soul… this is probably why my family always says to me that i’m a grandma😭😭

🍿7th house ruler in the 10th house of a sr chart can indicate meeting someone at work

🍿In a few months Jupiter will conjunct my natal Juno… I wonder what’ll happen then?🤔

🍿I feel like Gemini Mercury’s multitask a lot. Like A LOT. It’s almost tiring to watch them do it tbh😭

🍿I feel like having a Leo ruled 5th house can indicate attracting partners who worship you.

This was different from my other observations but I hope you guys still enjoyed it😭

Check my pinned for more💖

next post

[twig-tea]

East Palace, West Palace in ep5 of Blue Canvas of Youthful Days

I have been punched in the solar plexus by Blue Canvas of Youthful Days episode 5. So much happens in that episode that is overwhelming, from Qi Lu setting up a Netflix-and-chill date with the clear intention of making a move, to his putting on the famous film East Palace, West Palace (1996), to Qi Lu hiding Qin Xiao in the closet, to Qi Lu's panic at his father realizing he's been lied to, to the devastatingly practiced way Teacher Liu steps to Qi Lu being abused and handles his father, to the way Qi Lu shuts down, to the way QIn Xiao keeps sending mixed signals and Qi Lu calls him on it directly. And nobody else in this episode let me rest either; Tan Fan trying to ask Teacher Liu to wait for him and Liu brushing him off AGAIN, and Turtle trying to call out

@lurkingshan was already more coherent than I can be right now about what happened in the episode in her post.

So instead I want to focus on some queer cinema history that this episode evoked by using East Palace, West Palace as the film that Qi Lu shows to QIn Xiao.

For those who don't know, EPWP is considered to be the first realistic depiction of a gay man in film by a mainland Chinese production. It is to my knowledge the first time a gay man says "I love you" to another man on screen. It was made before being gay was decriminalized in China (1997), and it was filmed by an independent production company and smuggled out of China to France in order to be finished and distributed. It ended up at the Cannes festival in 1997, but the director's passport was seized and he was placed under house arrest to prevent him from attending. Despite pressure to pull the film, it still aired that year. In 1998, the Film Law was passed to prevent anyone from making films outside of the studio system (and therefore censorship review), effectively preventing anything like EPWP from being made in the future.

The film is about a gay man who cruises in the notorious bathrooms in the parks on either side of Tiananmen Square getting harassed by police officers (a situation extremely familiar to the historical queer experience in Canada [where I'm from] as well) and playing what I'd describe as a psychological game with one of them; A Lan kisses the cop, runs, and then gets caught a second time, and uses the second police confession as an excuse to tell his life's story in the public record, all while pushing the police officer a little further into deviance. As far as I'm aware, this film has been banned in China since being made and never shown (please correct me if I'm wrong about that!).

This is hitting me hard because of the much more recent history of Blue Canvas of Youthful Days itself. As most of you know, but I'll capture here for posterity, episodes 1-4 of this show aired on iQIYI (a China-based app) on August 6, and within 24 hours they were pulled from the app with no information about the future episodes being shown. When I watched episode 5 today, after waiting for it for 3 months, I was immediately hit with a wave of anger that this gorgeous, emotionally moving and powerful episode had been held back from public consumption for months, for the same reasons that the film being shown within the episode had been withheld from viewing in its own country.

Censorship is such an ugly thing, it's hard to articulate but the emotions around it are so strong because we know, when they pull or refuse to show media that depicts our lives, it's because they don't want our lives to be real; they don't want us to exist. It's a very real threat. And to have this episode--which is all about an abused boy who is in very real danger but so bravely insisting that he shoot his shot and take his best chance at love and happiness anyway, using the iconic confession scene from one of the most famous banned films in Chinese queer cinema history to do it--to have this episode be the one that was prevented from airing......I am overwhelmed.

In the scenes they watch in episode 5, A Lan tries to prevent the officer from uncuffing him, and then the officer lets him go, but A Lan doesn't go far and comes back. He declares his love to the officer's face, and demands that his love be acknowledged and not dismissed. And the officer does not know what to do with it and reacts with violence, which is partially what A Lan has been angling at all along. The show really played with this by having all three of the couples in the show stymied by having their overtures dismissed this episode, but we almost didn't get to see it.

I'm so grateful this got distribution now, and on multiple platforms. Blue Canvas of Youthful Days is airing Saturdays and Sundays on GagaOOLala and Youtube (note, as per @thisonelikesaliens's excellent language posts, the subs on Gaga are much better), and on Mondays on Viki. I know there is an avalanche of content right now, but this show is so good and worked so hard to make it to us, please give it some love!

[llamaisllama777]

THE DAILY*/WEEKLY* LAES,TSAMS,EAPS REVIEW SHOW!!!

Off the bat with an amazing episode.

I LOVED this episode. We're finally getting into all the trauma Moon has faced. Everything he's ever done. Everything he ever did. It's all coming back, and he's really not doing well. He was too afraid of Nexus to help Sun.

Moon was afraid. MOON. WAS. AFRAID.

I never thought I'd hear those words.

This episode also made me realize that Moon's sacrifice really did mean nothing! Moon died for nothing. Killcode got to live for a bit, but he still died. Moon's death led to the creation of New Moon/Nexus. If Moon had just accepted his killcode instead of trying to get rid of it, none of this would have happened. Moon's death really did do more harm than good.

Earth really came in clutch here. This was basically a pseudo-therapy episode. (I miss those episodes. Those episodes were always neat)

Earth, you say you may not know what to say sometimes or you don't know what to do but when you do you really do!

I'm also glad Earth and Monty are being more honest with the other cause they are really cute, and I want these characters to be happy.

NEXT EPISODE...

Jack and Sun? Hanging out? YYYYEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this episode a lot, too. It's nice to Jack and Sun finally getting a chance to bond while Solar, Moon, and Monty battle the little barbershop of horrors plant outside. Sun and Jack actually make decent friends. I hope we get more of them hanging out and their dynamic. I loved how Jack finally was able to tell Sun that he felt threatened by Sun's friendship with Dazzle. I was hoping they would eventually talk that out, and I'm so glad it happened!

Things I learned in today's episode

1. Jack doesn't like ranged weapons like guns. (He likes throwing knives, though)

2. Jack has seen every James Bond film. Jack is a Bond fan.

3. Jack can kill a man with a pencil

4. Monty can build anything out of anything

Also, I really hope someone draws a picture of Jack dressed as V from V for Vendetta! Please, someone, draw that! I beg of the!

Also, I thought that scene where Jack was singing Walk the Moon's "Shut up and dance with me" when they were watching the ballroom fight scene from one John Wick movies

And lastly...

Welp. I'm glad they're friends. Shame it took the death of a kid for them to do so.

Jake was nice. He seemed so innocent. I actually felt super sad and worried when they said he died. I was like, "Oh no! Did the killer get to him?!" But no. He just passed..... I honestly think that's sadder for some reason.

Moon, Sun, and Eclipse are working through that loss, and I'm glad to see F.C. and Andrew are working through their own thing.

Yep, as I suspected F.C. is traumatized by what he saw. Seriously, Eclipse, a heads up would have been nice. I'm happy to see F.C. and Andrew get along. They have come a long way since well everything. I also thought it was funny when F.C. said he hated Andrew. I genuinely expected Andrew to be the one to hate F.C. not the other way around.

WE GOT A CLUE ON WHO THE KILLER COULD BE!!!

When F.c. and Andrew was leaving parts and service. Andrew found an open spray can of yellow paint.... the same yellow as the bunny suit the killer wore. The killer is indeed an employee or The Mimic (I will die on that hill till proven otherwise), so the Killer's suit isn't actually yellow, and he has access to the parts and service room. The Killer's identity is closer to being revealed! I. CAN'T. WAIT!

I loved today's episodes. Especially TLAES one.

12/10 👍👏

[psychicpinenut]

netflix atla review

i decided that i wanted to see it through anyway so i finished the netflix atla. here are the things that made me want to hurl rocks at my tv (i might not remember a lot of things because i stopped watching after ep 4 and only continued this week so this might get rambly as i try to recall things)

let me start on the cast. no offense to these kids but my god. one of the things i hate the most is when you can tell an actor is acting. the whole time you could see that they walk up to their mark, stop there and recite the lines like they're in a high school play. and i get that they're young and probably don't have too much experience but i just keep thinking about the original voice cast who were children as well at the time of recording and they're some of the most talented actors i've ever heard. but then again i know they had to not only find people who resemble the characters but can do martial arts and act. so whatever, i hope they'll grow more during this. the only actor i liked was dallas liu who is the oldest of the main cast (i believe he was around 20 when they filmed this) which is probably why he doesn't have a chronic case of child acting.

constantly making up and/or changing lore:

why can aang only speak to past avatars in their shrines?

roku is sidelined in favor of kyoshi (who for some reason is extremely aggressive towards him) who can see into the future apparently because she gave aang a vision of the northern water tribe being destroyed instead of sozin's comet coming.

aang somehow being "lost" to the ocean spirit at the end which is ???

sokka and katara can enter the spirit world with aang

koh keeping his victims like some fucking spider and only gives them back after aang gave some stupid totem back. they also brought him so forward that he doesn't tell aang about tui and la which was the entire fucking point of looking him up in the first place

yue is a fox? in the spirit world?

wan shi tong is there also in the spirit world

i'm guessing they're already abandoning the ancient library storyline because they already intoduced wan shi tong and zhao was shown that he found out about tui and la from the fire sages in roku's temple. which is going to be interesting because that's where sokka finds out about the solar eclipse but i guess they'll come up with some other solution like toph can sense the moon moving through her feet or some shit

tui and la becoming mortals for only one night?

zuko having extensive research on the avatars should mean he knows that roku is his great grandfather but we're either leaving that one out or he's just not good at research

they took out sokka's sexism, thus eliminating any chance of character development, in favor of putting in actual sexism perpetrated by the show itself. suki is made into this small town girl, rapunzel type of character who needs sokka, the man, to bring the world to her and expand her mind. and then instead of sokka being grateful to suki for teaching him, she's the one that's thankful for ... going there? and bringing the world to her? because strong women mean they can punch right?

constant references to book 2 in the first season

they made so that aang didn't actually run away from his responsibility as the avatar - which is a pretty important part of his arc as that guilt follows him through the entire series - but that he only took a little trip to clear his head. which makes everyone accusing him of disappearing seem dumb and unfair

which leads me to bumi. why the fuck would bumi be so pissed at him? the whole episode he's antagonizing him and yelling at him to go do his job as the avatar meanwhile he's holding him hostage and making him do his challenges. like let him go so he can do his job maybe?? stupid

the entire ep 3-4. they really just shoved like 5 episodes together into one which i get because they don't have time to do everything but they did it so badly and the messages from each episode disappeared in favor of the CGI fight scenes.

like what do you mean sokka barely even got to interact with jet? that's the episode where sokka is proven to have good instincts and leadership because he saw jet for what he was.

why are teo and his dad here? what about aang's massive grief over the industrialization of his wiped out culture?

why would jet try to kill bumi? they completely obliterated the moral dilemma of jet wiping out a fire nation village because he sees that as justified even though he's killing civilians who happen to be fire nation.

for some reason they had sokka and katara go through the secret tunnel which is kind of fucking weird. i don't mind if they cut the kaang romance line but it is going to be interesting once it comes to the earthly attachments and some plotlines that revolve around aang having a major crush on katara. also what do you mean the badger moles sense "emotions"? toph is about to sense people's emotions in her feet and learn bending that way

they mary sue'd katara. she's bad at waterbending until she isn't and suddenly she's a master just from self taught basic waterbending she learned from the scroll gran gran gave her?? which is another thing they robbed us of because katara going to great lengths to steal the scroll shows how determined she is and desperate to learn waterbending but here she just gets handed the scroll. she's timid and lukewarm the entire season, the only time i can recall her even raising her voice is when she's arguing with sokka over jet. she gets mad at pakku for not letting her fight which is stupid because girl who is gonna stop you? go and fight?? you should be getting mad at pakku for not even trying to teach you waterbending. then she brings the entire untrained female population to the fight because girl power™. despite all of this, she's proclaimed a master without any actual training and beats zuko's ass purely because she's So Good. like at this point she shouldn't be able to hold her own against zuko without the full moon's help because as soon as the sun comes up zuko easily overpowers her ("you rise with the moon i rise with the sun"). which didn't happen here because she's a self proclaimed master now apparently

aang didn't bend a single waterdrop the entire season. it's book 1: water. it's called water. where's the bending aang? too busy doing another stupid walk and talk

stripped of iroh telling zuko he thinks of him as his son

stripped of one of the rawest lines i've ever heard on television: "my father says she was born lucky, he says i was lucky to be born"

which leads me into azula's character. they brought her in earlier just so her role in the whole season can be her groveling at ozai's feet, seeking his approval, trying to outdo zuko. which is insane cause she already outdoes zuko by a mile. she's a prodigy. they make it look like ozai favors zuko over azula which is so fucking insaaaane it made me so mad. she already knows she's better than zuko, she doesn't need her father's approval. also why isn't her fire blue.

iroh being the one who kills zhao. this one pissed me off so badly because in the original, as the ocean spirit takes hold of him zuko reaches out to zhao to try to save him.... that man tried to have him KILLED. and zuko still tried to save him. but zhao's arrogance didn't let him take his hand and that was his demise. that single act tells us so much about zuko and they just??? took that out??? so iroh can just murder him?? instead of it being the ocean spirit's revenge for killing its partner? instead of giving us that glimpse into who zuko is as a person? i'm going insane

don't even mention the fact that zuko fought back against ozai during the agni kai. he was literally banished because he refused to fight him. he got the scar because he refused to fight him. that's who zuko is!!!! and then they show us that he, a 13 year old boy who is still fairly inexperienced at bending, could have defeated ozai but he chose not to?? i'm sorry???

during the meeting where he spoke out against their plan, they made it look like he only spoke up because the general taunted him and not because he thought what they wanted to do was morally wrong.

now tell me which line hits harder: "compassion is a sign of weakness" or "you will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher". yeah...

yue bringing sokka to the spirit oasis to heal momo?? it was so fucking stupid and unserious that they were cradling a cgi lemur that i was in tears of pain. i almost gave up there

sokka constantly talking about wanting to be a better warrior and bossing katara around but doing absolutely fuck all to prove himself was insane. sokka was just standing around the whole season making bad jokes (cause wow they made sokka unfunny somehow) and flirting with women.

there was no goofiness or lightheartedness to aang. he took everything so fucking seriously it actually hurt to watch because they blew things out of proportion that didn't need to be. why was he so afraid of his normal bending power? not even his avatar state power but just his airbending. constantly angsting over his responsibility and how he's failing as the avatar. jesus fucking christ.

since zuko never stole katara's necklace, june had to use some fuckin random fabric she found on one of the trees that could've belonged to anybody??

zuko was able to capture aang after june found him instead of getting his ass whooped and paralysed so when zhao basically forces him to hand aang over to him, it's easier to guess who the blue spirit is as zuko makes a whole scene about it earlier

truly the one thing i really liked was the addition that the 41st division was the crew he protected at the war meeting

circling back to the first episode where we start out in the past and we get to see the whole genocide of the air nomads instead of finding out along with aang. we also get to see how he ends up in the iceberg so we don't get his story paralleled with zuko's backstory like in the storm. i mean whatever but the aang and zuko parallels were always dear to me.

hated zhao's actor. instead of him being intimidating and scary, he was acting like a frat boy and talked like tom cruise's character in magnolia. just simply annoying

jet telling katara to just stop being sad about her mom and she stops being sad and suddenly she can bend again. and later when he tells her she can bend because he helped her, she straight up denies it because it was "all her" like i gotta disagree there cause no, it was definitely him who helped you.

icing on the cake was when zuko walks into a bar and the patrons there reference like 4 storylines that they skipped over

so anyway... that's all i could think of at the top of my head and i hope they fuck up less in the upcoming seasons god willing

[poemiloallen]

10/9/24 - film studies - treasure planet.

Above is the review I did in class and a picture from the movie.

Below is more of my thoughts.

I had never seen this movie before but it’s amazing! I love the combo of 2d and 3d animation (although the 3d is rather dated).

Being an adaptation of treasure island all the characters names and personalities are the same but despite that the movie definitely has its own spin. The setting of space is really interesting. I like the space themed dangers. Instead of harsh waves they felt with solar flares and such.

I like the character designs. Having aliens in it the creators got to go pretty wild with the designs and do almost whatever they want. I think my favourite designs are long john silver and captain Amelia. (See below)

All in all this is an underrated Disney movie and definitely deserves to be more popular than it is.

[todaysdocument]

This edition of the Marshall Star from 1973, a newsletter of the George C. Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama, features an article titled “Anita, Job Done, Dies Aboard Skylab.” 

The article goes on to explain that Anita was the back-up spider in the Web Formation Experiment.  The primary spider, Arabella, was still alive at the time of the newsletter. Arabella’s current whereabouts are unknown.

Record Group 255: Records of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSeries: Marshall StarFile Unit: Marshall Star Volume 14

Marshall Star Vol. 14, No. 2 . NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center -- Huntsville, Ala. 35812 . September, 1973 Final EVA Saturday Skylab 3 Crew Prepares For Next Week's 'Splash' Skylab's second manned crew, prvoding a bonanza of scientific data to investigators on Earth. has begun preparations for splashdown and recovery scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 25. As they head into the home stretch, Astronauts Alan Bean, Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma are operating ahead of experiment timelines. Flight directors estimate they will exceed 100 percent of their planned activity in all scientific disciplines. The crew is scheduled to conduct its third and final EVA Saturday. Exposed film cannisters will be removed from the Apollo Telescope Mount's instruments for stowage inside the Command and Service Module and return to Earth. For the EVA, the crew is to awaken at 2 a.m. Hatch opening is expected about four hours later. Monday the crew becan changing the rhythm of their sleep-work cycle by arising at 4 a.m. after goint to bed two hours early. This schedule was to be followed Tuesday. Today the crew planned to arise at 2 a.m. after beginning their sleep period at 6 p.m. last night. Purpose of the new sleep-work cycle is to prepare the astronauts for splashdown day when they will be required to arise early for a full day's activity. The crew was given the go- ahead last week for continuation to the end of the 59-day mission. This approval for a fourth incremental extension beyond 28 days followed review of the inflight medical data and the recommendation of the NASA director for life sciences, Dr. Charles A. Berry. The crew's health and spirits are excellent. The body weight of each has been relatively constant (See SKYLAB on Page 4) SOLAR ERUPTION -- A mammoth solar eruption is seen in this photo taken by the White Light Coronagraph about Sklyab. The eruption expanded into space at a speed of about one million miles per hour. When photographed it was approximately 220 times the diameter of Earth. Solar eruptions are a result of the interaction between solar material and magnetic fields around the Sun. Combined Federal Campaign 'Kickoff' Scheduled Monday MSFC's 1974 Combined Federal Campaign gets underway Monday with a "kickoff" in Morris Auditorium. The annual campaign combines the monetary needs of many health, welfare and recreational agencies into one drive. Rober G. Sheppard, executive chairman, stated the drive officially begins with the 10:45 a.m. kickoff and will end November 2. He explained that the 1974 goal is to do as well as in 1973 when MSFC employees contributed $194,712. Monday's kickoff ceremonies will feature and address by Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, director. He will be joined by several distinguished guests, including Mrs. Ruth Ferrari, International Services Agencies; Tom Horton, Jr., National Health Agencies; and Mrs. Jerri McLain, Huntsville/ Madison County United Way. MSFC lab and office directors, campaign mangers and solicitors are expected to attend the opening ceremonies. Music will be provided by the 55th U.S. Army Band. The Rev. Hugh Chambliss, presi- (See 'KICKOFF' on Page 4) 

Anita, Job Done, Dies Aboard Skylab One of Skylab's two "spider astronauts" --who never were intended to be brought back to Earth--has now finished her job in space and is dead. Anita, the backup spider for the Web Formation Experiment, ED52, apparently died sometime over the weekend. The report of Anita's death came from science pilot Owen Garriott early Monday. Although NASA had no plans to bring back the spiders, it was announced several weeks ago that they would be returned if they could be kept alive. Arabella, the prime spider for the experiment, is still doing fine. Garriott explained from the (See ANITA on Page 4)

[jangidsolar]

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Before diving into your solar panel journey, keep these factors in mind:

Energy Needs: How much power do you consume?

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Top Solar Panel Manufacturers and Brands

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Customer Reviews and Feedback: Verifying Quality and Service

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Price Comparison and Value Assessment

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Key Takeaways: Summarizing the Decision-Making Process

Choosing the best solar panels requires assessing energy needs, roof suitability, and panel types. Research brands and understand financing options.

Next Steps: Initiating the Solar Panel Installation Process

Ready to go solar? Consult with Jangid Solar Energy to design your system and start the installation process.

Resources for Further Research: Government and Industry Links

Explore additional resources for more information. Government websites and Jangid Solar Energy provide valuable insights to help you make informed decisions.

[cloudycaffeinatedcryptid]

9 ppl to get to know better

thank you for the tag @ghostradiodylan it has been such a long time since I've done a tag for anything & i desperately need a break from the writing/editing nightmare

1. three ships: Max Brinly/Laura Kearney own my soul, it's not even funny. i wish them every happiness forever. i'm also a firm believer in Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth & i will never stop rotating them in my brain. let's go with Steven Universe/Connie Maheswaren bc i love them & if i keep thinking about ships i like, it will completely derail me

2. first ever ship: Ryan & Chad from high school musical. please don't ask me to elaborate

3. last song: "Weirdest Science" by Mo Mo O'brien which is an absolute banger that i stand by 100% (altho i could put together a whole playlist on songs i want everyone to hear) but an honorable mention to Mothica bc i have been looping their albums for a few days

4. last film: i forced my cousins to watch "Aliens in the Attic" bc it was one of my favorite films as a kid & neither of them had heard of it so i needed to enlighten them. that movie is insane & nonsensical & i love it so much

5. currently reading: i've been, admittedly pretty bad about reading full, published books lately & i alwasy pull back from reading when i'm on a writing craze. i was knee-deep in "Solar Lunacy" by bamsara before i had to break for writing (highly recommend for any fnaf fans who somehow haven't seen it) but in my free time, i've been rereading "Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone which was my favorite book in high school & not just bc the girl i was in love with recommended it & loaned me her copy. that's uhhhhh unrelated

6. currently watching: at the moment of typing this, i'm watching one of Danny Gonzalez's reviews of a disney movie. in general, my cousin & i have been rewatching some criminal minds but other than that, i'm between shows

7. currently consuming: seaweed bc i'm cursed with the desire for the Salty Ocean Leaf. it's actually rlly good

8. currently craving: cotton camdy miwlkshake 🤤

tag 9 ppl - @geniusbuilttm @girlypear @insertlovelyperson @adangersandwich @cjthestoryteller @pileontheyears @torchmlp @solarmoonecilpse @deepseawave

sorry for anyone i tagged who was ready tagged or doesn't want to - no pressure & also im sorry 😩 hope y'all are having a good night

[windowtintingservice]

Why Get Residential Privacy Window Tinting in Houston

Are you looking for a simple way to make your home more private, comfortable, and energy-efficient? Residential privacy window tinting service in Houston can help! This service adds a protective film to your windows, giving you privacy and many other benefits.

Let’s explore why window tinting is a smart choice for your home and how to get started.

What Is Residential Privacy Window Tinting Service?

Residential window tinting involves applying a thin layer of film to your windows. This film blocks the view from outside while still letting you see out. It’s a great way to enjoy natural light without sacrificing privacy.

In a sunny city like Houston, window tinting also helps block harmful UV rays and reduces the heat that enters your home.

Benefits of Residential Privacy Window Tinting Service

1. Privacy

With window tinting, you can enjoy more privacy in your home. Neighbors or people walking by won’t be able to see in, but you can still see out. It makes your home feel safer and more comfortable.

2. Lower Energy Bills

Houston gets hot! Window tinting helps keep your home cooler by reflecting heat away from your windows. It means your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard, saving you money on energy bills.

3. Protect Your Furniture

Sunlight can fade your furniture, carpets, and walls over time. Window tinting blocks harmful UV rays, keeping your home looking fresh and protecting your belongings.

4. Comfort

Window tinting reduces glare, making watching TV, working on your computer, or relaxing easier. It also helps keep the temperature inside your home more even.

5. Added Security

Some window films make glass more challenging to break. It can help protect your home from break-ins and reduce the risk of injury if the glass shatters.

6. Style

Window films come in different colors, patterns, and designs. You can pick one that fits your home’s look, adding style while enjoying all the benefits.

Why Houston Homes Need Window Tinting

Houston’s hot weather and busy neighborhoods make window tinting a great choice. Here’s why:

Hot Summers: Tinted windows can keep your home cool and comfortable.

Urban Living: If you live in a crowded area, window tinting gives you more privacy.

Energy Savings: With high energy costs, tinting helps reduce your monthly bills.

Types of Window Films\

There are different kinds of window films, so you can choose one that fits your needs:

1. Reflective Films

These create a mirror effect on the outside, so people can’t see. They’re great for homes with large windows.

2. Frosted Films

These give your windows a soft, frosted look. They block the view both ways but still let light in. Frosted films are perfect for bathrooms or front doors.

3. Solar Films

Solar films focus on reducing heat and blocking UV rays. They also offer some privacy, depending on the shade you choose.

4. Blackout Films

Blackout films block entirely light and visibility. They’re ideal for bedrooms or home theatres.

How to Choose a Residential Privacy Window Tinting Service in Houston

To get the best results, you need a reliable window tinting service. Here’s what to look for:

1. Experience

Choose a company with experience in residential window tinting. They’ll know how to install the film correctly for long-lasting results.

2. Variety

A good service will offer different types of films so that you can pick the best one.

3. Customer Reviews

Read reviews from other customers to see if the company delivers quality work.

4. Warranty

Make sure the company offers a warranty. It protects you if there are any installation or film issues.

5. Customization

Some companies offer custom designs or solutions for unique needs. It can be a great option if you want something special.

How to Get Started

Ready to add privacy and comfort to your home? Here’s how to get started:

Schedule a Consultation: Contact a window tinting company in Houston to discuss your needs.

Choose Your Film: Pick a film that fits your privacy and energy-saving goals.

Get a Quote: Ask for a detailed estimate of the costs.

Installation: Let the professionals handle the installation for a smooth and bubble-free finish.

Enjoy: Relax and enjoy the benefits of your newly tinted windows!

Final Thoughts

Residential privacy window tinting service in Houston is a simple and affordable way to improve your home. It gives you more privacy, lowers energy bills, and protects your furniture—all while adding style.

If you’re ready to make your home more comfortable and secure, reach out to a trusted window tinting service in Houston today. You’ll love the difference it makes!

[pandorasboxofhorrors]

2024-#1: Weirdness in Review 2024

It is time for the annual weirdness report! This is all about science developments from the last twelve months. And there have been more news stories about the three topics of focus: new scientific knowledge for planet Earth, our solar system, and the universe beyond. This is all based on real news stories of scientific fact and astronomical observation. It’s the real deal - no fake news - the real McCoy - the genuine article - the straight hot poop!

The most important knowledge gained for this planet in the last year continues to involve global warming. The ice caps were captured water and energy frozen for eons. As they melt, all that water and energy is released, for eons. As it gets worse, the effects are more severe and obvious. The warming continues to accelerate as the enormous Thwaites Glacier speeds up melting. Right now we are on track for permanent flooding in areas requiring migration within 30 years, probably much sooner. There is so much extra water now that the core of the planet is spinning slower. This extra water and heat in the atmosphere results in heat waves, deluges of rain and flooding, as well as more frequent and violent storms. There is now pretty much a permanent hurricane season with Florida being hit every other week. It was odd watching the sequel to the tornado film, Twisters, when I live in an area that has started to have a day a year with 10 or more tornadoes on the ground. The film seemed already out of date - and needed many more tornadoes!

Since humanity has neglected its one planet, other places in the solar system are in the news for potential visits. The moon had a cave discovered in the last year which could shelter astronauts and be the location for a moon base to be built. This probably is a bad idea since the moon is more brittle than thought. When the moon was first landed on, moonquakes started due to the heat from the landing module. One large vibration could probably break the whole moon into dust. Also involving the moon, in September Earth picked up a temporary mini-moon named, 2024 PT5. This mini moon is a 30 foot long asteroid that will fly away in November and has nothing to do with being a disguised alien probe scanning our planet. It can truly be said that Earth is being mooned since there are two objects now.

Another location in the solar system with new science news is Mars. The good news is now that a spacecraft can be built which will take only two months to get to Mars. The bad news is that kidney damage is a likelihood for that much space travel – and for any extended space travel until new drugs are developed. On Mars in the last year, water was seen in the form of frost on an extinct volcano. A pit was also found on the surface of Mars, a shaft going down into possible cavern systems. This shaft is another target for a landing, since astronauts would be protected from natural radiation underground. Sending some super advanced AI robots instead of people would be much more efficient. Sometime down the road, such a visit should be followed up by an automated orbiting seeding station so Mars is habitable in a few hundred years.

At the edge of the solar system there have been new discoveries. Our solar system is now thought to be larger than expected with a second outer or an extended Kuiper Belt. There is not much there other than kuipers, as far as we know, but they are already searching for that elusive missing tenth planet. Other news about our solar system includes an expected star to be entering the solar system! The star, Gliese 710, is expected to pass through our solar system! But it is not expected to cause a massive upheaval of orbits or doom of the planets. But it will be the biggest spectacle in this solar system, perhaps ever. Mark your calendars since this is scheduled in about one million years.

There have been some new astronomical discoveries external to the solar system in the last year. Just a few days ago there was another claim that Barnard’s Star has planets. This star is close, only 6 light years away, and Earthlings could get there one day…. Since our solar system is now thought to be bigger with invisible boundaries, it is now also believed that galaxies also extend much further. Our galaxy now supposed to be larger than expected and is now understood to be already touching the Andromedra Galaxy. The two galaxies are already colliding!

A fascinating discovery was recently made about the star R Doradus which is 175 light years away. This is a red giant star 375 times larger than our Sun. Images show that it is a giant lava light sun, with bubbles on its surface the size of 50 of our suns. I wonder if those huge bubbles radiate sounds into outer space and what they might sound like.

In the last year, the Webb telescope shows more galaxies that formed about 500 million years after the Big Bang. So is the date of the Big Bang wrong? Was the Big Bang not the start of the universe, just a piddly pow, a minor explosion within a much older universe that started with something much more violent? Some of these early galaxies are very similar and glow red. These mysterious red galaxies have many stars and most have a supermassive black hole, but they are much smaller than current galaxies, like 99% smaller. So the stars were packed in, probably why they were red hot. These small red galaxies started up in a time when the universe was dark, when light did not travel due to the laws of science, the age of darkness. It is believed that they deionized themselves over time, allowing light to travel within them. Eventually they deionized the entire universe, letting there be light. Available images and theories are starting to point towards the Big Bang being the second explosion that created the known universe. After enough Webb telescope images are collected, some theories as to the nature of the universe, how it started, and where it’s going, should be soon to follow. There is already a revival of the old Tired Light theory that the light we are observing has deteriorated making distances between galaxies appear much further than what they really are.

Hopefully one day we will learn if we are holograms, in the Matrix, or just microbes stuck in some automated meaningless solar factory continuum without an operator or reason. If the secret of the universe is that there are other dimensions we cannot see, then maybe objects like stars exist differently in those dimensions, appearing more like enormous crystal cities, and black holes are glowing energy lakes. Maybe the realm we dwell in shows us only a tiny fraction of reality, like Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, with all we know being merely shadows of existence.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Why are we so fascinated with aliens?

Robert Smith is convinced the aliens have won. "The invasion has happened—it's all over," says the University of Alberta space historian who teaches a course on the history of extraterrestrials.

It's not so much that Smith believes in their literal existence, only that aliens have staked their claim in the human imagination.

"Look at the TV listings on any given night, and it's clear they are everywhere," he says. "The number of programs with extraterrestrials is striking."

Just last month, the seventh film of the Alien franchise, "Alien Romulus," was released in theaters worldwide. The series has gripped the collective imagination since 1979 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Romulus has grossed more than $225 million worldwide so far, making it the third-highest-grossing film in the series.

When he isn't tracking every detail of the James Webb telescope, launched in December of 2021, for an upcoming book on the subject, Smith is reviewing his notes for a senior seminar called "The History of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate." According to him, it's the only course in the world that probes "the existence, nature and possible significance of extraterrestrial life from the ancient world to today."

Smith contends aliens have been invading our imagination at least since the ancients. The Greek philosopher Epicurus—who first came up with the idea that the universe is made up of atoms—speculated about other worlds, as did the Roman poet Lucretius.

In the second century CE, Lucian of Samosata wrote what is considered the first work of science fiction, a satire called "A True Story" about inhabitants of the sun and the moon fighting over the colonization of Venus.

"There's always been this fascination with what you could call the other, often very similar to us but sometimes different or even wildly different," says Smith.

"The extraterrestrial becomes a kind of mirror, and by trying to understand how people see extraterrestrials, we're also learning about what people think it is to be human."

Even the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages considered the possibility of aliens as a manifestation of God's power, says Smith.

"If you attended a medieval university … one of the topics you would likely have examined would have been other worlds, because if you said there were no other worlds, it was regarded as limiting God's power."

The popular fascination with aliens took off with the publication of "Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds," by French author Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle in 1686, says Smith. Considered the first scientific blockbuster in publishing history, it was read by many people at the time and is still in print today after almost 100 editions.

The best English translation of the text, according to Smith, was done by a former U of A English professor and science fiction writer, H.A. Hargreaves, in 1990.

Considered one of the first major works of the Enlightenment, it was partly inspired by Copernicus' revolutionary discovery that Earth revolved around the sun, rather than the other way around. That shift in cosmology allowed for the possibility of other solar systems, and therefore other worlds.

By the 18th century, "The great majority of educated people probably believed in life on other worlds," says Smith.

The popularity of "Conversations" and the idea of extraterrestrial life increased well into the 19th century, fueling a hot debate between two major intellects of the age—scientist David Brewster and Anglican minister and philosopher of science William Whewell. That debate "spawned a huge body of literature," says Smith, including perhaps the most famous alien invasion tale of all time: H.G. Wells' 1897 "War of the Worlds," which left its indelible mark well into the 20th century.

Wells' novel was widely seen as a reflection of anxiety over British imperialism. The author once said the story was prompted by a discussion with his brother about the brutal British colonization of Tasmania; he wondered what would happen if Martians treated England the same way.

War of the Worlds tapped into a fundamental human fear, famously manifested when the 1938 CBS Radio version narrated by Orson Welles reportedly caused panic among some listeners who didn't realize it was fiction.

For the most part, says Smith, interest in aliens dropped off slightly in the first half of the 20th century as astronomers surmised that solar systems were relatively rare. But the mania picked up again with the space race of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

"As soon as we sent a spacecraft into space, we were thinking about the implications of that," says Smith. "Remember, the Americans actually celebrated their bicentennial in part by looking for life on Mars (with the launch of Viking 1 in 1976)."

Since then, interest in aliens has been relentless and pervasive, with a flood of movies attesting to our fascination with all things extraterrestrial, from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Star Trek" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" to "Alien," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The X-Files" and "Dr. Who." And that barely scratches the surface.

After taking the long view, does Smith believe in the existence of extraterrestrials? He prefers to defer to the great science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. "Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."

IMAGE: "Alien: Romulus" — the seventh film in the long-running franchise — is the latest example of how humans depict extraterrestrials as objects of both fascination and dread. Credit: Disney

[sleepycelestialprincess]

Vintage Camera Review

The Argus C3 Match-Matic

from 1958–1966

I was at a local thrift store and I saw an Argus camera in the showcase, I asked to see it. It had a tag saying it had been put out just the day before and was marked for $7.50. It's a pretty cool looking camera! Argus was a local to Ann Arbor camera company so its pretty well known in the area. There is even an Argus museum near downtown that's worth a visit.

It's a hefty camera, it's shaped like a small brick and weighs almost as much. It's a range-finder, completely mechanical except for the detachable light meter that doesn't even use a battery. The light meter is probably the most impressive aspect of the camera, with no battery, it has a solar cell that generates electricity. That electricity is measured to tell you how much light is in the scene and how to set the exposure. Its pretty common for cameras of this era but interesting none-the-less.

The camera it's self it pretty typical to start; a 50mm ƒ3.5 lens, it has a shutter dial, a frame counter, film winder and re-winder knobs, instant/bulb switch, cold shoe, and a very old style flash connector.

But then I notice the apertures and shutter speeds are not labeled as usual. The apertures count 3½, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I looked this up and they are equal to ƒ3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16. The shutters are labeled 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 which are equal to ⅟10, ⅟30, ⅟60, ⅟125, ⅟300th. Ok, weird, I know scales weren't standardized for a while but I was surprised that a camera of this era wasn't, but I can get past that. Also, the shutter dial indicates that it should only be turned in one direction. If you turned it the other way, it may not change the exposure. I haven't tested enough to know for sure.

It also has an Argus iconic Flash Finder / Distance dial connected with an external gear. It gives a (yet again) proprietary flash guide number to help you set your Argus flash. According to the manual, this only works when using ISO 10 film and a specific type of flash bulb. You'll have to reference the manual for the math for different films and if you have a regular flash, you'll have to reference the manual to convert flash finder numbers to standard flash guide numbers. (I hate flash anyway, but if I didn't, I'm glad we have TTL flash or at least automatic flash for the last several decades)

So I loaded a roll of Tri-X 400 into the camera... but nope, I had to look that up too. I've used quite a few old cameras and I wasn't absolutely sure I could figure out how. Once loaded, strange, but not that hard, I started to take some pictures. Focusing is a pain it the butt! It uses a two lens focusing system where it shows you two images similar to the split focus system in an SLR. This isn't so bad except it's in a separate viewfinder than your main viewfinder. So if you are focusing on a moving subject, you can't focus while keeping an eye on your framing. Maybe my almost two-year old wasn't a good test subject for this camera (haha).

Like any mechanical camera, you have to cock the shutter. The lever is in a very inconvenient location. Its right where you want to hold this (did I mention) very uncomfortable camera. Ok, there is a lever in the way, thats not the problem. If you take a picture with your finger in the way of the lever, it'll stop the shutter from moving, giving you a much longer exposure than the dial is set to! It even says this in the original manual, its not just because its old and needs lubrication.

Film winding is weird, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure I loaded the film correctly. I have checked, it is winding the film but the counter doesn't count right. (I'll update this post with more info on that later) Also, when winding to the next frame, it doesn't stop it's self, you have to look at this little button next to the counter and when it moves, you've reached the next frame. Its very easy to under or over wind unless you are paying very close attention.

Resources with more info: http://www.cameramanuals.org/argus/argus_match-matic.pdf https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Argus/Argus-C3-Matchmatic.html

Summery:

Its a cool looking, "entry level" camera for its time. It's much more difficult to use than other cameras of it's era. It's heavy and very awkward to hold. The light meter it pretty cool. I won't use this camera again. Its a display camera only.

Here are a few pictures of the camera, light meter, and viewfinder. Maybe later I'll add a photo of the inside (there is still film in it now).

In the closeup of the light meter you can see it is set to ISO 400. The outer ring rotates to let you choose a combination of aperture and shutter. If you follow the line, the needle is pointing to the 7 which is ƒ11 while the shutter is 7 which is ⅟125. The last two are looking through the viewfinder and through the focus finder. A double image as seen would be out of focus.

BTW was this interesting? Would anyone like to see reviews of other cameras I've used? Petri FT, Nikon F100 (my usual 35mm), Minolta SRT 101, Minolta XD5 (my secondary 35mm), 4x5 view camera, Sony HVC-2400 video tube camera, Kodak ADVANTiX F350 (my first camera as a kid), Polaroid Automatic 250 Land Camera?

[hildyj]

Podcast Recs: History & Culture

In Our Time is a discussion programme on BBC Radio 4 that's been going for 25 years, where a host, Melvyn Bragg, and three researchers/lecturers/professors from various UK universities discuss and illuminate their specialist topic. Very informative and wide-reaching, but can become a bit dense at times. When it's at its pinnacle, it's like attending the best university lecture you've ever experienced.

Past Present Future is a fairly new podcast, but it's already very promising. It just finished a summer season where the host goes through various influential essays in the Western canon (from Montaigne and Thoreau to James Baldwin and Susan Sontag) and enters into a sort of essay of his own, placing them within their time but also making up a sort of dialogue between them, so that the great minds can communicate and discuss ideas across centuries. It's partnered with the London Review Of Books, so it's centering its discussion of ideas on both non-fiction and fiction books.

I understand the criticisms and I've heard the jokes, but I have to admit that The British Museum is one of my favourite museums in the world, mostly because it's a testament to the magnificence of the whole of humanity, of how inventive and how creative we can be, and how we've been like that since the beginnning. Listening to A History of the World in a 100 Objects is like a trip to the museum with a knowledgable guide. The host has chosen one object found in The British Museum and uses that for fiteen minutes to illuminate a small part of human history, going from the earliest tools found in Africa to a solar-powered lamp of today. It covers the entirety of the world and all ages, as much as that can be achieved in 100 fifteen-minute episodes. It's ambitious but it pulls it off.

You Must Remember This is just the thing if you want to learn more about Old Hollywood. It covers a wide range of topics from the history of the blacklisting of suspected communists in the film industry in the 1950s, to the feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, and a thorough history of the Manson Family Murders. The seasons are all extremely well-researched and professionally presented, and it's easy to pick and choose whatever sounds the most interesting to you. A personal favourite is "Dead Blondes", which is a history of Hollywood blonde sex symbols from the 1920s to the 1980s and their often tragic ends.

[ryanhamiltonwalsh]

Potential Kubrick Collaborator Reviews 2001: A Space Odyssey

Today I learned that Stanley Kubrick asked artist/filmmaker Ed Emshwiller to help with the creation of the final sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey. E.E. declined, but later reviewed the film, which I find novel and odd! Here's his in-review mea culpa:

"At one point early in making the film, Kubrick asked me if I would assist in designing that part. I read the script he and Arthur Clarke had written. The problem obviously was to create an overwhelming alien world experience. For various reasons I did not become involved in the project, but I was intensely curious to know how he would solve the problem. As it turned out he did it beautifully, with apparent economy of means and with great visceral impact. In this sequence his sue of semi-abstractions and image modification (solarization, colour replacement, etc.) brings to the big screen techniques which once seemed the province of the avant-garde or experimentalists."

In an earlier section of the review, E.E. explains he has also been making a space film himself, but his was more of a documentary:

"I've just spent the past six months making an impressionistic film of Project Apollo and have encountered a lot of bureaucrats and spaceman types. Some I liked and some I didn't, but in all cases they were somehow more textured than their counterparts in 2001."

Wow, now that's interesting. Wanna see it? Here you go.

Ed Emshwiller was also the director of photography for the Mekas Bros. early 60's film, Hallelujah The Hills. He even makes a cameo as rival suitor, Gideon.