So today I was sitting on a bench, waiting for the bus to come, and two kids ride past on a bicycle, both with their phones out. My suspicions are confirmed when they stop and look at me, sizing me up, and ask “You play pokémon go?”
(note that they didn’t literally say that - we were speaking Dutch - but i’ve taken the liberty of translating)
“Yes”, I respond.
“What team are you?”, the kid on the back asks me.
“Instinct”, I say.
“Vayler rules, though!”, the one on the front shouts, pumping his fist into the air, his pronunciation exactly as terrible as you’d expect from a 12-year-old Dutch boy.
Without another word, they ride away, leaving me to contemplate whether Team “Vayler” really does rule.
Just as the captains of the fictional 24th century Starfleet blazed a trail among the stars, the space shuttle Enterprise helped pave the way for future space exploration.
Fifty years ago, Star Trek debuted with the USS Enterprise as the main space-faring vessel used in much of the Star Trek universe. As such, the vessel holds a treasured place in the hearts of Star Trek fans and is as much of a character in the show as Kirk and Spock. Over three different series and a total of 14 seasons on TV and 13 feature films, the iterations of Enterprise have captured the imaginations and provided inspiration for its fans across the globe.
This brief history of the shuttle tells the tale of humanity’s first reusable spacecraft.
Space shuttles were first built in the late 1970s and were flown in space from 1981 to 2011. Their missions ranged from helping to build the International Space Station to repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.
It’s All In The Name
The first shuttle was originally to be named Constitution, celebrating the country’s bicentennial and was to be unveiled to the public on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 1976. However, a massive letter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans prompted President Gerald Ford to suggest the change. In the above photo, we see the shuttle Enterprise rolled out in Palmdale, California, with cast members of Star Trek on Sept. 17, 1976.
To Boldly Go …
This circular red, white and blue emblem was the official insignia for the Space Shuttle Approach and
Landing Test flights and became a model for future space shuttle mission patch designs, including placing the names of the crew on the patch . The four astronauts listed on the patch are:
Fred Haise., commander of the first crew
Charles Fullerton, pilot of the first crew
Joe Engle, commander of the second
crew
Dick Truly, pilot of the second crew
First Impressions
In this image, Enterprise makes its first appearance mated to its boosters as it is slowly rolled to the huge Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center. Although she never flew in space, shuttle Enterprise underwent a series of fit and function checks on the pad in preparation for the first launch of its
sister craft, Columbia.
Not Meant To Be
Enterprise sits on Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center undergoing tests after completing its 3.5 mile journey from the VAB. Have you ever wondered why Enterprise never went into space? Converting Enterprise from a training vehicle to space-worthy one was too cost prohibitive, our engineers felt.
Engage
Commander Fred Haise and pilot Charles Fullerton are seen in the cockpit of Enterprise prior to the fifth and final Approach and
Landing Test at Dryden Flight Research Center (Armstrong Flight Research Center). The tests were performed to learn about the landing characteristics of the shuttle.
It’s Been An Honor To Serve With You
The Enterprise’s two crews pose for a photo op at the Rockwell International Space
Division’s Orbiter assembly facility at Palmdale, California. They are (left to right) Charles Fullerton, Fred Haise, Joe Engle and Dick Truly.
Fun mindscrew about Star Trek’s relationship with NASA:
The shuttle Enterprise was named in a contest. It was named after the fictional starship Enterprise from Star Trek: TOS, which was set in the 23rd Century.
Star Trek: Enterprise confirmed that the NX class of starships in the 22nd century were named after the space shuttles (NX-01 Enterprise, NX-02 Columbia, and so on and so forth). And every Enterprise since was named after NX-01.
This means the shuttle was named after the starship which was named after after another starship which was named after the shuttle.
(To be fair they also mention the Enterprise was also named for the vast number of US Navy vessels that had the name, most notably the CV-6 Enterprise, the most decorated ship of WWII and somewhat similar to the Enterprise of Star Trek fame in that it was, for a short time, our only aircraft carrier in the Pacific after all the others got sank, which meant it had to do some serious ass kicking against an entire empire, and it did exactly that.)
I think my favorite panic-fueled response to a petitioner was when someone came up to me in Union Square and said “Hi, would you care to sign our petition for LGBT rights?” and I just blurted out “I’m already gay” and the person, taken aback, said “Well, that’s… nice.” and I said “It really is. Goodbye.” and just walked into the closest store to escape.
one time I was on my way to a final and this clipboard person was aggressively trying to stand in my way and saying “excuse me sir, can you take just one minute?” and I was like “I’m sorry I’m on my way to a final” and they said “just takes a minute to save a mountain” and I panicked because clearly the truth of why I had to go wasn’t working so I just said the first thing that came to mind which was “Sorry I hate mountains”
This is maybe my favorite response to this post, holy shit.
(via )
Ruby and Sapphire: A Healthy Neurodivergent Relationship
We all know Ruby is an emotional gem that can get lost in tunnel vision, anger, and self-deprecation. People love to flanderize the pair, talking as if Ruby has no self-moderation and is utterly reliant on a calm Sapphire. Few people seem notice Ruby’s self-care or support for Sapphire. Almost nobody seems to talk about/understand that Sapphire is also neurodivergent.
Sapphire has Anxiety.
Before Ruby, her coping mechanism for futurevision/anxiety was an unhealthy detachment, to the point that she was ambivalent to her own wellbeing.
Ruby changed all that. Sapphire is no longer detached. She is invested in others and in *herself.* But she still has to manage her future vision, her anxiety. It is *always* there. She usually manages well on her own using logic, but not always.
Sapphire and Ruby do face a lot of external problems and when they tackle them with a unified front it isn’t so scary. Together they have the power to direct their own path through the present and future. Sapphire can then usually independently remind herself that she doesn’t have to worry so much.
When Ruby goes into a tunnel-vision rage over one problem, Sapphire feels like Ruby is beyond reach, beyond help, and unable to join her to tackle/change those future visions as a united front. It makes her worriesome projections seem bigger. She begins to unhealthily bottle because she doesn’t want to bother an already hurting Ruby, and she makes the self-destructive choice to be quietly overwhelmed without communicating or seeking help. And so the butterflies, the projections, the fears multiply and swarm her.
Ruby hits a point where she realizes she’s too angry about something small, isolating Sapphire. A pang of self loathing strikes her, but she independently addresses it, forgives herself, takes a deep breath, and takes proactive action to make things right. That is amazing self-management and self-care.
Sapphire, with all of those fears swirling around her, responds immediately and positively to Ruby prompting her to keep things in perspective. She gets a gentle, nonjudgmental nudge and Sapphire herself took action by independently choosing to turn away from her fears and focusing on reflecting Ruby’s positive vibes. Ruby didn’t have to drag her. That is a choice that takes great individual strength.
Their relationship is absolutely healthy, but NOT because they are neurotypical. It is a healthy relationship because they make healthy choices both independently and together. They are responsible for themselves and they communicate.
Both of them have different neurodivergent tendencies to grapple with. Both of them have to remember to understand their feelings but not be dominated by them. Both of them have to independently take a deep breath, practice self-love, and *then* meet to communicate and give equal support. Both of them are stronger if they take a moment to think of just Flexibility Love and Trust.
And that’s what makes them good role models for everybody, neurodivergent or otherwise!
