alcorandmizar
Hi! Midwesterner, USA. Physics PhD nerd. Astronomy geek. Crafty. TV lover: Supernatural. J2. Orphan Black. Game of Thrones. Doctor Who. Sherlock. The Middle. Jane the Virgin. The Good Wife. iZombie.
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Latest Posts by alcorandmizar
In case people were wondering…
Reblog this if you like Supernatural. No questions, just do. It'll make sense later.
reblogging so I can find it again
yall look at this shit ad*be is tryna pull now on ppl who have outdated software:
(note for context: i’m all for piracy, but in this case my copy of CS6 was downloaded years ago when they were giving it away to students. i got it totally legally.)
These two replies punched me in the face, I’ve never thought about it from this perspective. Imagine how many lives our government endangers just cause they hate poor people
when it was clear, they’d park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars for hours, without saying a word
What if Harry Potter, the chosen one, had turned out to be a squib, how do you think history would have turned out differently?
It was Mrs. Figg who suspected first.
She noticed many things, sitting on her side of her fence with her cats chasing butterflies and nuzzling her ankles, Mundungus and the other watchers dropping by for tea now and then.
Mrs. Figg noticed that Petunia was a nosy bit of work with insecurities hanging from her every harsh angle. She noticed when Dudley learned the word MINE– the whole neighborhood noticed that one. She noticed that Vernon glared at owls.
She noticed that when Petunia gave Harry a truly horrendous haircut one year, it grew back in at a normal rate. Harry was uneven and weird-looking for ages, hiding under beanies when he could.
When Mrs. Figg had Harry over for carefully miserable afternoons of babysitting, she noticed nothing moved that shouldn’t. He didn’t accidentally make flowers out of fallen leaves, or levitate anything during tantrums, or turn toys funny colors.
Mrs. Figg called up her mother, interrupting the wizarding bridge game she was winning against the nursing home staff, and asked her how she had known, decades back, that her youngest daughter was a squib.
When Albus Dumbledore received Mrs. Figg’s letter he wrote back a polite thank you and then went to talk with Minerva McGonagall, who inhaled sharply in horror when he told her the news.
Finally, McGonagall gave a gathered sigh. “I suppose we can ask one of the wizarding families to homeschool him,” she said. “We can’t have the Boy Who Lived not knowing about his own world.”
“No, he’ll come to Hogwarts,” said Dumbledore.
“Hogwarts is not a place for–” Her voice fell. “–squibs, Albus.”
Dumbledore shook his head. “Harry must be taught.”
“Be taught what, Albus?”
But Dumbledore just sighed and offered her a lemon drop.
Years later, the owls and the letters came to 4 Privet Drive. The Dursleys ran, dragging Harry with them, and the letters and one stubborn gamekeeper followed– none of this would change with a magicless Harry.
When Hagrid asked Harry in that little cabin on that little rock in the middle of the sea if weird things always happened around him, Harry couldn’t tell him about vanishing glass and setting captive snakes free, about ending up somehow on the school roof, or growing his hair out overnight.
“Strange things always happen around you, don’ they?”
“Um,” said Harry, racking his brain. “Well… I live in a cupboard under the stairs…”
Harry could tell him about how snakes sometimes talked back, because that had never been Harry’s magic, but when he did Hagrid just blanched and changed the subject.
Hagrid held out hope, even against Dumbledore’s quiet warning explanations, until they made it to Ollivander’s Wands. Harry marveled at Diagon Alley, got his hands shaken in the Leaky, pressed his nose up against shop windows. Hagrid watched the scant boy– looked at James’s messy hair, Lily’s eyes, Harry’s own wandering gaze– and he wondered how this boy could be anything but magical.
In the wand shop, Ollivander said, “James Potter, yes… mahogany, eleven inches. Pliable. A powerful wand for Transfiguration.” He said, “And your mother, Lily… strong in Charms work, ten and… yes, ten and a quarter, willow, swishy.”
Harry picked up stick after wooden stick. They remained just that– wood with bits of feather or scale or hair. Harry wondered if the creatures who gave these offerings were still alive– if they were given or taken. What did it do to your wand when they died? He waved a maplewood wand (unicorn hair, eleven inches) and a gust from the door opening blew some receipts off the counter.
“Well, said Ollivander. “I think that’s as close as we’re likely to get.”
He sent them out with the maplewood. Hagrid bought Harry a snowy owl and a fudge sundae and tried not make it too obvious that these were condolence gifts. The next day the Prophet’s headlines read: The Boy Who Lived– A Squib? Various magical medical experts weighed in on how it might have happened. Fingers were pointed at childhood trauma, at his upbringing, at his family lineage.
Harry still met Ron on the train– Ron was still smudge-nosed and Harry still bought enough candy to share. When Molly had helped him through the platform entrance, her voice had been a little softer, a little more pitying– but it was still better than the laughter that had been in his aunt and uncle’s voices when they dropped him here to find a platform they didn’t think existed.
Hermione Granger dropped by their compartment, looking for Neville’s toad, but got distracted when she spotted Harry. “I’ve read about you! In my books, and in the paper,” she said. “You’re the Boy Who Lived, and you’re a squib.”
Harry sank down in his seat. Ron hid Scabbers under a candy wrapper.
“Squibs have never been allowed in Hogwarts,” Hermione announced. “According to Hogwarts, A History, squibs try to sneak in now and then– the furthest anyone’s ever gotten is to the Sorting Hat before they got found out.” At eleven, Hermione still believed in expulsion being worse than death. Her voice was thrumming with sympathetic horror.
“But they already found out about me,” Harry said, alarmed.
“It’s alright, mate,” said Ron. “You’re Harry Potter. Oy, Granger,” he added. “What’s this Hat? Fred and George were trying to sell me some story about having to fight a mountain troll to get your House…”
Harry sat back and watched the countryside rush by. Yes, he was Harry Potter– his aunt’s useless sister’s useless child, the boy in the lumpy hand-me-down sweaters who named the spiders who lived in his cupboard. And here, in new world, he was apparently useless too.
When they got to Hogwarts, Harry clenched his fists and stood in line with the other first years. He barely twitched at the ghosts or Peeves, just stared ahead and thought about how far he would get before they turned him around and sent him back to Vernon and Petunia.
They opened the Great Hall doors. They called the first years one by one. Harry clenched his teeth and walked up to the Hat when they called his name.
As he turned to sit down on the stool, he really caught sight of the Hall for the first time– the hovering candles, the big wooden tables, the black robes that swallowed the light. Translucent ghosts gossiped with the students beside them. The paintings on the far walls– were they moving?
Harry’s jaw had unclenched, falling open. His fists curled open, curving around the stool’s seat as he leaned forward to stare. If this was it, if this was as far as he’d get in this world, then he wanted to drink it all in. The candles were floating, in mid-air.
The Hat dropped down over his eyes and blocked out the light.
Well, said the dry voice that had been hollering House placements all night. What do we have here?
Ron had been begging for not-Slytherin. Draco from the robes shop had been scornful of Hufflepuff, desperate in his disdain. Neville had begged for Hufflepuff, sure he was not brave enough for Gryffindor.
Please, thought Harry. Don’t send me back.
Keep reading
They Put a Flag on the Moon
It’s 1969 and Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are the first humans to land on the Moon. In now iconic footage, Aldrin and Armstrong carefully assemble and maneuver an American flag to place on the lunar surface. The fabric unfurls, staying suspended without any wind to animate the stars and stripes. The flagpole sways precariously as the crew work to anchor it in the Moon’s low gravity at just 1/6th that of Earth’s. How did this moment come about? On Flag Day, let’s dive behind-the-scenes of what led to getting the American flag on the Moon 50 years ago.
Image: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 11 mission.
Seeking to empower the nation, President John F. Kennedy gave us a grand charge. The human spaceflight program of the early 1960s was challenged to work on missions that sent humans to the surface of another world. Following President Kennedy’s death in 1963, President Richard Nixon stressed a more international perspective to the Apollo missions. To reconcile the need for global diplomacy with national interests, we appointed the Committee on Symbolic Activities for the First Lunar Landing.
Image: NASA Administrator Thomas Paine and President Richard Nixon are seen aboard the USS Hornet, Apollo 11’s splashdown recovery vessel.
The committee, and the U.S. at large, wanted to avoid violating the United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which prohibited any nation from taking possession of a celestial body. After some debate, they recommended that the flag only appear during the Apollo 11 spacewalk. A plaque would accompany it, explaining that the flag was meant to stand for peaceful exploration, not conquest.
Image: The plaque reads “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all of mankind.” Under the text are signatures by President Nixon, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins.
A team of engineers at Johnson Space Center had three months to resolve several issues regarding the flag’s assembly. First, was the Moon’s lack of atmosphere. The flag, quite literally, could not fly the way it does on Earth. To address this, a horizontal crossbar was added to support the flag’s weight and give the illusion of it waving.
Image: NASA technician David L. McCraw shows the flag next to a Lunar Module mockup.
Second was the flag’s assembly, which had to be as lightweight and compact as possible so as not to take up limited storage space. The completed package, which was attached to Lunar Module’s ladder, weighed just under ten pounds. It received an outer case made of steel, aluminum, and Thermoflex insulation and blanketing to shield the flag from the 2,000 degree Fahrenheit spike from the Eagle’s descent engine.
Image: Component pieces of the flag assembly.
The last issue was mobility. Bulky spacesuits significantly restricted the astronauts’ range of motion, and suit pressurization limited how much force they could apply. To accommodate these limits, the team included telescoping components to minimize the need to reach and maneuver the poles. A red painted ring on the flagpole indicated how far into the ground it should be driven. Hinges and catches would lock into place once the pieces were fully extended.
Image: Diagram from the 1969 Apollo 11 press release illustrating astronaut spacesuit reach capabilities and ideal working height.
Fifty years after Apollo 11, the flag we planted on the lunar surface has likely faded but its presence looms large in United States history as a symbol of American progress and innovation.
Image: A close-up view of the U.S. flag deployed on the Moon at the Taurus-by the crew of Apollo 17, the most recent lunar landing mission.
The story doesn’t stop here. Anne Platoff’s article “Where No Flag Has Gone Before” sheds more light on the context and technical process of putting the United States flag on the Moon. You can also check out Johnson Space Center’s recent feature story that details its presence in later missions. Happy Flag Day! Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
im putting together a couple of scottish folk mixes bc that’s what i do and im honestly curious if anyone in my country has ever been unequivocally happy about anything ever
Dayton, Ohio Tornadoes
National Weather Service Preliminary Map of Area with Tornado Activity last night (May 27, 2019) :
(image credit: https://www.weather.gov/iln/20190527_prelim?fbclid=IwAR3ojM0sTUPdKOvB9QlbUbYHP7kjaGElHaMlI4XekCJTiTwZA2Zqam9DPQw . Image shows map of greater Dayton area showing tracks of 5 possible tornadoes.)
ODOT Cameras Captured Images of the Tornadoes:
(Image shows shadowy image of tornado taken by traffic camera looking North at I-75 and 3rd Street.)
Hara Arena ripped apart after strong tornadoes touch down in Dayton area :
(Image shows large convention center with destroyed roof and structure damage.)
Humans Are Weird
So there has been a bit of “what if humans were the weird ones?” going around tumblr at the moment and Earth Day got me thinking. Earth is a wonky place, the axis tilts, the orbit wobbles, and the ground spews molten rock for goodness sakes. What if what makes humans weird is just our capacity to survive? What if all the other life bearing planets are these mild, Mediterranean climates with no seasons, no tectonic plates, and no intense weather?
What if several species (including humans) land on a world and the humans are all “SCORE! Earth like world! Let’s get exploring before we get out competed!” And the planet starts offing the other aliens right and left, electric storms, hypothermia, tornadoes and the humans are just … there… counting seconds between flashes, having snowball fights, and just surviving.
R E B L O G T H E P I G E O N .
me, last night, at work
#me
The Star Wars Wiki says, “While C-3PO underwent a memory wipe, R2-D2 was allowed to preserve his memories.” And I am delighted, because 1) I was pretty sure this was the case, but couldn’t remember exactly (R2 is a conniving sneak and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t have worked even if anyone had been foolish enough to try), and 2) this means one of my favorite Star Wars headcanons is actually canon.
It means that during that one scene in Empire Strikes Back, these two assholes know EXACTLY who the other one is.
You are decorated war veterans, you absolute trolls.
“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
8.28.17
some ways to help your fellow american citizens in puerto rico
over the last few days i have received many messages asking where and how to help those in need in puerto rico. as always, i went to my go-to person for more information on all things relating to my homeland: my father - who is not only a pillar of the puerto rican community, but also a dedicated philanthropist whose specific focus has been to support charitable organizations with low overheads, administrative transparency, and a commitment to insuring that donations make their way to those who need in the fastest and most efficient way.
we would also truly appreciate your sharing this post!
if you are interested in giving to help rescue and rebuilding efforts in puerto rico, here are some organizations that we believe will work diligently to make sure you make a difference:
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE ROTARY CLUB (La Jolla) As a family with four generations of Rotarians (my father is a former president of this chapter) we know and trust this organization - not to mention that there are multiple Rotary Clubs on the island whose volunteers are standing by to help. Here is the Golden Triangle Rotary Club’s statement:
“All our fundraising will result in donations that will benefit people in Puerto Rico. Every penny of your donation will go from our Rotary Club directly to Rotarians in Puerto Rico who will convey to victims of the hurricane the food, drinking water, clothing, and other supplies they may need. There is no overhead, the work is all carried out by Rotarian volunteers on site in Puerto Rico; there are no intermediaries; there are no costs, fees, overhead. Rotary International has set up a Puerto Rico Donor Advised Fund (DAF-PR) initially funded at $1 million by an anonymous donor. The Rotary District Governor for Switzerland has been contacted by one of our members and has indicated that they are already sending 1,000 Shelter Boxes to the island. More and more good things are happening every day. We are here to help mankind, to make a difference.”
Donations can be made by check to: Pamela Russell, Treasurer La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club Foundation 7954 Auberge Circle San Diego CA 92127
Please specify “Puerto Rico” in the memo box on your check. Rotary is a 501c3 foundation - all donations over $250.00 are tax deductible. Please ask for a receipt in your correspondence.
http://lajollagtrotary.org
THE FOUNDATION FOR PUERTO RICO Mission statement:
“The Foundation for Puerto Rico, a well-respected local non-profit foundation, is dedicating all of its efforts to hurricane relief. Given the logistical challenges of moving supplies to those most in need, financial donations will support the Hurricane María Relief Fund and will directly put dollars to work for immediate relief, providing food, water, and basic needs on the ground. They will also provide recovery assistance to the small business sector that is the backbone of the local economy, and the rehabilitation of Puerto Rico’s unique natural assets.”
http://foundationforpuertorico.org
UNITED FOR PUERTO RICO An organization spearheaded by the First Lady of Puerto Rico in conjunction with local and international businesses - here is their mission statement:
“United for Puerto Rico: Together Changing Paths is a 501©3 organization, operating under the guidance of the First Lady of Puerto Rico Beatriz Rosselló, that will be providing funds for immediate emergency aid needs of citizens that are not otherwise being funded, and then eventually will be provided to help rebuild homes and local community facilities. Any and all support will be highly appreciated by the 3.4 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.”
www.unitedforpuertorico.com
Dayton, Ohio 1967- source AmeriCar The Beautiful.
“If they stop using the bunker as home base before we see them use the telescope, I’m gonna riot.”
THIS DOES NOT COUNT.
talking about Rosie The Riveter, fun fact: while the We Can Do It picture has become the most-well known depiction of her in modern times, it wasn’t really a famous image when it was made–in fact, it wasn’t even intended to be her
the most famous depiction of Rosie The Riveter during WWII was probably Norman Rockwell’s painting
note what she’s resting her foot on
Vera Rubin, the woman who discovered the first evidence of dark matter, has died at 88
Vera Rubin, the astrophysicist responsible for confirming the first existence of dark matter, died on Sunday night at the age of 88.
Carnegie Institution president Matthew Scott called Rubin “a national treasure as an accomplished astronomer and a wonderful role model for young scientist.”
Rubin and her colleagues observed galaxies in the 1970s, they learned the motion of stars is a result of a “material that does not emit light and extends beyond the optical galaxy” — also known as dark matter.
Swiss astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky proposed the idea of dark matter in 1933, but Rubin’s groundbreaking work subsequently led to the confirmation of the material.
This finding is what led to the discovery that 90% of the universe is made up of dark matter, a finding some colleagues felt was overlooked and deserving of a Nobel Prize. Read more
follow @the-future-now
how did jk manage to write ootp and not come to the conclusion that the only career w any true meaning for harry james potter was as a goddamn professor at hogwarts like how do u write the da scenes and say “nah he’d want to be a wizard cop”
So if the Democrats take the Senate, Bernie Sanders becomes head of the Senate Budget Committee? Which would make him the fourth most powerful individual in the United States.
Imagine how much we could get done with a Sanders-led Senate Budget Committee under a Democratic president who has already been forced to adopt most of his domestic policy in exchange for his endorsement.
If you really want to see the change we got behind Bernie for, get Clinton into the White House, and get Democrats into the House and Senate.
(Also keep in mind that this next president gets to decide what’s constitutional and unconstitutional for the next 30-50 years, as they will most likely get to appoint at least four Supreme Court Justices.)
R.I.P. Kenny Baker (1934 - 2016)
Kenneth George “Kenny” Baker was an English actor and musician. He was well known for portraying the character R2-D2 in the popular science-fiction movie franchise Star Wars. He passed away today at the age of 83.
It’s father’s day, and I have no real time to finish this, but I wanted all my Trekkie friends and family all around the world to have this. ANTON YELCHIN 1989-2016 mrscratch0753.tumblr.com