#i think we all need to unionize

[pandor-pandorkful]

Anyway if you wanna help me on my continuing journey to make a freakin buck somehow, please feel free to follow my twitch account: https://twitch.tv/pandorkful

(I just need 27 more followers until I can get paid some pennies for all my dozens of hours of work!!)

I stream art/mad science experiments on Wednesdays and games on Sat&Sun, gonna be playing Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory 1 and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete starting this weekend. :3

#i think we all need to unionize #all streamers videomakers and bloggers and everyone on social media #we need to unionize

[theotherrichardpapen]

...because any moment may be our last. everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.

#looking through my drafts and seeing this post unfinished and knowing in my core I'll probably never actually finish it . #but strangley enough i don't hate the way it looks with only those 2 panels ? beauty in simplicity or something idk #woe unfinished post be upon ye #honestly probably wouldnt even bother posting it were it not for the fact i was hit by a sudden wave of sadness #by being reminded out of the blue that alex really does just . lose nigel that night #enough deep level analysis my brain is all out i think . but just the simple fact that nigel dies that night #and alex has to go on for the rest of his life post-ending carrying that grief and loss with him #i know we talk about how nigel isn't truly 'gone' in the sense that they're one now and jack is supposed to be an amalgamation of the two #a product of their union and 'consummation' that night at the yard #but he's still gone . no matter how much alex might try and follow in nigel's footsteps #no matter how hard alex tries to tread that same path nigel did to feel close to him #he's gone . they will never have that moment beneath the house ever again . and alex has to go on living with that #anyway . normal again . imagine dropping a song rec like i used to. aha . go listen to sick like me by in this moment. #like minds #murderous intent #nigel colbie #alex forbes #nigel colbie x alex forbes #edit : THEY'LL NEVER HAVE THE MOMENT UNDER THE HOUSE AGAIN !!!!! #thinking about the moment where nigel sits across from alex after he shoots john #and the contrast to the scene in the crawlspace . nigel is trying to connect he is trying to get alex to see to understand #but now alex is closed off. something may be irreparable broken between them #do you think it was the moment where nigel starts to despair . to plead . realise that he needs to find a way to make alex truly see #i need to get some sleep

[orcelito]

I think I cried harder today over my dad's jackets than I did at his deathbed. That was a miserable time of course, a memory that will likely be seared into my brain until I die, but I cried... I think a normal amount, all things considered. More than I ever usually do of course, but I typically don't cry At All. All this free crying is certainly surreal.

The jackets, though. I was put in charge of doing his laundry, because we don't want to pack up dirty clothes. I was expecting it to be unpleasant bc my dad's dirty clothes - gross. But really, it was much more unpleasant in that... those were his. It felt wrong to touch them. Felt wrong to treat his jackets as gross. Because they were just his jackets. They weren't even in the hamper. And then I was remembering him wearing them, and then I was crying. Again. And again. Weeping over these damn jackets.

Then I found a shirt on his bed that still smelled like him. It smelled like a Hug From Dad. And that set me off crying even harder.

In total, I think I cried like 6 times within 40 minutes. It took me that long to finish sorting the damn clothes bc I just. Was a wreck. Like, what are you supposed to do when you're living life like normal, vaguely hopeful bc you're taking steps to secure your own happiness, and then 4 days later you're sorting your dad's laundry because he fucking died. Suddenly. Without a goodbye.

And you have to worry about his lack of a will (even under an ideal situation, only 2 heirs and no conflicts between us, probate's a fucking Bitch), and arranging the funeral, and prepping his obituary, and picking out pictures, and writing a speech bc you want to talk at his funeral, of Course you want to talk at his funeral, but even just thinking about anecdotes you could share has you crying yet again.

I've cried more times in the past 3 days than likely the entirety of last YEAR. And that's WITH my cat, and uncle, and family friend dying. Those all hurt, my uncle most of all, & I was real fucked up over it. But this? This was my Dad. Likely the person I'd have named 2nd closest to me in my life, second only to my sister. He wasn't perfect, but he did so much for me throughout my entire life. All he wanted was to raise us to be happy and independent. And he accomplished it, we're getting by without him, but we still wanted several more decades with him. He was only 57. We should've gotten several more decades with him.

But here we are now. Playing investigators to his life, digging into all his shit, trying to find documents and take inventory of all his things, and learning Many things about him in the process. In his lockbox of sensitive documents, like his SSN and birth certificate and all that stuff, we found an old letter. About a decade old now, written in my hand. Right at the very top, we found that he'd kept the letter I wrote to him telling him frankly about my struggles and the things I wanted him to do better. He kept it. He tried to take it to heart. He looked at it again, sometime more recently than all the rest of the documents. That was on top.

His love for us is evident everywhere. The pictures he has hanging up all over the place, majority of them with us in them. The old fathers day cards placed on display in his bedroom bookshelf. The gifts we gave him, even stupid little knick knacks, placed around his apartment with pride. I wish we'd taken more videos of him. I don't want to forget the sound of his voice. I don't want to forget his smell either, the smell of a Hug From Dad, but I still tossed that shirt into the wash even though it felt like saying yet another goodbye.

It's the suddenness that hurts the most, I think. We were planning on having him help me finally get my license this year. My final words to him, the last thing he would've seen from me, were messages asking up on whether he'd called his car insurance company to make sure there wouldn't be problems. I should've called him more. I don't know if I'm going to learn from this.

I cut my 2 weeks off early to have time to grieve and to work on things for the funeral and settling the estate. The last thing I'd wanna do right now is selling fucking bubble tea in a job I already decided to leave. So here I am without a job, though with potentially two life insurance policy payouts to come. Inheriting half his 401k. Inheriting couches, knickknacks, keepsakes, paintings, art pieces, maybe even his guitar and other furniture if we can figure out what to do about space (I don't have room for this furniture, I don't know if I even have room for the couches, but God do I want to keep so much of this furniture). It has me even considering keeping one of his guns, just one. A tiny little revolver, it sits so comfortably in my hand. I don't even want to use it for anything. I just want to have it, keep it stored in a drawer with its ammo kept separate. I don't like guns, but this is a part of him. He loved collecting guns. He was about as responsible with them as someone can be, keeping them locked in a lockbox and impressing upon his children the importance of gun safety (I've known the basic gun safety rules ever since I was a little kid. Of course, of course, of course.) It reminds me of him. It's horrifically easy to have a gun in Indiana. I apparently don't even need a permit to carry anymore. (I have no intention to ever carry this in public.)

It's all a cycle. Business, grief, thoughts about my future. Round and round, like the most nauseating carousel in existence. I don't know how I'm still so functional. My skills with compartmentalization have been my lifesaver.

And im just thinking about the story my dad's best friend shared today. About a friend of theirs who lost her father. She reached out after hearing about my dad to share his words with her: "it's okay to grieve, but don't make his death your life".

He explicitly referenced himself in this, saying if he were to die suddenly that he wouldn't want us to define ourselves by it. Grief is expected, but he wants us to be able to move on. He's always wanted us to establish ourselves and make ourselves happy. He wouldn't want to be a weight holding us back from that.

So every time I start to feel guilty for thinking about having nicer furniture or using his life insurance payout to fund the rest of my college, I remind myself of that. Thinking about the material isn't a bad thing. I'm only human. And in the end, he'd Want me to be thinking about it. He never intended to die, certainly not without warning like this, so he would've only encouraged me being pragmatic about it all.

He only ever wanted us to be happy. So I need to do what I can to live up to that.

I love him. I miss him already.

#speculation nation #negative/ #this got really long on accident. but i think typing this out was really helpful for me. #getting the thoughts out. processing. the works. #nearly cried several times just from writing this. #...and honestly i might reference this again when i start seriously writing my eulogy. #things suck a Lot right now. and i really wish they were different. #feels like i picked a bad choice in a video game and am now seeing the Bad Ending or whatever #all i need to do is reload a previous save. it's all still there. perfectly preserved in my memories. #but... that's all gone. as suddenly and unfair as it is ive been thrust into a new chapter of my life so thoroughly. #it's not all bad though. he wasnt prepared for dying so it's been hell to prepare for him #we dont know if we'll even be able to get into his fucking iphone. stupid piece of shit. #but he had life insurance. he had a union job. and That comes with benefits #(something about a year's salary going to the family. aka half a year's salary to Me. and isnt That mind boggling.) #as much as it hurts im going to be realistic about it. im going to do what i need to finish my education. #and im going to use it as a springboard for finally becoming a 'proper adult'. #the kind who could own a nice kitchen fridge. one with an ice machine on the front of the door #and freezers in the drawers. #maybe then i could think about getting motorcyle lessons. not from my dad as i originally wanted #but i wanna keep the family biker spirit alive. i wanted it even before he died. and now i want it even more. #ive had so so many thoughts. it's only been 3 days. ive had to emotionally numb myself several times just to Get Through It. #everything is exacerbated. my mom wants to go to the funeral. we will have to fight her on this. my dad Hated her. #and i certainly dont fucking want her around either. not then. not when im talking about my dad. #(my dad. my Dad. i saw him die. i felt him cold. i do not regret it. it still hurts me.) #it's overwhelming. i loved him so fucking much. even with his flaws he was truly an amazing father. #i'll... shut up now. if you read this far. well. hug your loved ones a little tighter. you never know when youll lose them.

[athymelyreply]

ain’t nothin more tumblr than willingly giving yourself psychic damage to make stupid cursed fandom worldbuilding posts

#i need a talking tag #This is regarding my #ferengi findom speculation adventures #WHYYYYYY ITS SOOOO BADDDDD *feels self taking damage as I continue* so anyways do we think there are specific sub-kinks regarding various #types of financial interactions and systems? Do you think some of them have kinks about governments taking all their money? Do you #think some of them get off on being shamed by some guy with more capital than them? Are there union busting kinks? WHY CANT I STOP ASKING #THESE QUESTIONS

[comradekatara]

gonna say smth that might be controversial but ykw i need to speak my truth. ideally, for me, kataang is like. bffs to middle school boyfriend girlfriend to amicable exes to friends w benefits to coparents of 2 great kids (bumi doesn’t exist bc he’s annoying) while they’re each in different parts of the world doing their own thing but also they see each other all the time and are always hanging out and traveling and chilling together because at the end of the day they are, fundamentally, best friends who love each other more than anything, and always will be, forever. peace & love & light; mwah <33

#aang&katara #postwargaang #sorry but bumi is in the military. and that doesn’t make sense at all #anyway. they are just best friends who are in love and make out sometimes but they haven’t put a label on it since they were kids #bc they don’t need to! #just a big pronponent of ‘none of these bitches are gonna be trapped in a momogamous heterosexual union if I can help it!’ #katara has deep seated monogamous heterosexual instincts ofc #but I think she’s monogamous in like. a staccato way #she has a constant rotation of men. revolving doors if u will #aang and haru are constants #but sometimes she needs a break from guys who are kind and understanding and good for her #and she needs to date a hot piece of shit instead #and that’s valid and we support her #and sometimes aang needs to hook up w ty lees little sister and that’s also valid!!! #Free Them from the shackles of torturous monogamous unions #they’re too cool and enlightened for that. honestly #u can be in deep gorgeous cosmic love w/out being married since middle school #I promise that’s possible and ok actually #anyway. here is my fwb kataang agenda take it or leave it

[lacnunga]

Some people really do assume nobody under 40 works in factories huh

#if youre in your 20s obvs you only work at tiktok fast food places or stocking shelves #who cares about factory unions or factory worker healthcare or anything bc its all filled with robots now right #i dont know why so many ppl seem to think factory work in the west ended in the victorian era or some shit #im just...angery about it. a little. #not for me precisely. but for a lot of ppl my age i know who also arent gtting these things or the support for this industry #its just frustrating. we do need improvement in factory worker conditions in 'first world countries' too #bc its not an automated industry. its not just full of people aging out of it. theres still young people going into it #who need support to prevent exploitation and health problems #and insurance for their future employment against robots #that kinda stuff

[archiephd]

man if you're voting for biden just to vote against trump, just say that. we have got to get over this harm reduction shit when what we really mean is harm reduced for us, me, mr american and literally nobody else on this bitch of an earth. if the only and most emphasized thing we do to reduce the harm our president and their platform does to the living is vote, we are reducing nothing. for anyone or ourselves, because voting alone doesn't challenge the trajectory of anything. it buys 4 more years before we have to do it all again, if that. thinking this way is what promises having to think this way again, and again, and again and again. in 2024, who american leftists vote for 1 day of the year matters little compared to what we do the other 364.

#j.txt #once again talking to me here there is a constant wailing alarm in my head like 24/7 #we aren't taught the other ways we can facilitate change on purpose #there is power in the polls but unfortunately in america it is very little compared to the power in. the union..... lol #i'm not hardcore judging scared minorities in america if they wanna vote for biden out of fear for trump this election cycle #but i am hardcore judging if it's proclaimed as the morally superior thing to do when it's just not #like at all #which is also by design! #would you like blue poison or red poison don't you love living in a country that lets you choose! #i also just hate the narrative that this is our only way out of trump's america #like if he wins it's over like people who've been organizing and agitating and fighting and being arrested won't be doing the same shit #before and after #we gotta stop seeing voting as activism let alone a meaningful challenge to facism #not that i know everything either #just. even the few history books i've opened don't hold instances of voting being the way out of a tide of facism man #we can multitask guys vote for who we think we need to but if that's all we're doing to change things um. #we will be stopping nothing and we will be here forever #these shitheads have power here in and outside of office and they will do whatever they can wherever they can do it regardless #like they tried storming the capital literally last election. like #and that's just. here in our own country #why should we expect them to act any different this go around. genuinely. i would like to be able to expect different #all that said i feel like i am going crazy every day 👍 #2024 elections

[sensitivegoblin]

For those that get their period; does orgasming help?

Maybe it's cus of my pcos but I feel like the periods I m*sterbate through are easier than the ones where I don't (pls feel free to add your two cents!)

#tw: period talk #I've got a meaty thick undercarriage #and I think I'm general my bodies muscles are tight n hard like rocks #so I feel like the act of cmming opens me up and pushes shit out #I get sick sometimes cus it all gets trapped inside of me #and I'm like an extremely heavy bleeder #it's kinda the same feeling as throwing up or di*rrhea #it's gross and unpleasant but also it feels good cus you can feel the bad things leaving you???? #i probably sound weird I'm SORRY I don't have a therapist 😭 #yknow the scooper from the FNAF series? I feel like I scoop my insides every time I c-m #aggsdfffff tmi but sorry😭 #feel free to leave your experiences/advice/opinions etc if you get a period #it's gross but we need to talk to each other kinda like finding out y'all get paid differently before y'all decide on a union #I'm sorry I high and lonely aggssffffff #anyway let's discuss periods cus I never had that safe place in my life #scenario: my partner gives me forced O s to make my cramps feel better and they shush my sobs with my favorite chocolate #i don't feel like a woman🙃 #like...I feel so seperate from the concept todsy #God wouldn't give me these feelings pre weed if they didn't mean something #some days gebder is really hard and I want people to see -real name- not my gender :/ #like I'm one of those people who'd use my name as pronouns #I'm just a lil fella #the plots of muppets in space has been my entire life #I feel like it'd be eaiser if I was fully trans cus like #that sounds more legit than 'sometimes I feel different genders' #it sounds like I smoked at least I can see my dad thinking that #I wouldn't even make my dad or family use different pronouns or even involve them in that part of my identity #but I feel like by them not knowing it's a big lie and I really hate lying :( #that's what made me come out as gay even tho I was single #I just...I don't like hiding or lying I wanna share the real me

[wild-at-mind]

No offence, but ffs the general strike for Palestine thing being circulated for action this week is literally coming with caveats saying 'if you can't do anything else just don't post on social media about anything but Palestine'.....????????

#at some point it's not a strike any more when people are presenting it to you as not a strike. #look- i think a general strike supporting a ceasefire could make an impact but any kind of strike requires centralised support #e.g. if a community organiser in london who has been planning the large marches put out very clear instructions well in advance #contacted unions etc- maybe are large number of people in the country would actually do it- people here clearly care about Palestine #but literally all of this just ends up being about social media AGAIN. #did we not learn from the BLM black square saga???? social media and especially tumblr is not very useful! #btw the reason why strikes work best through workplaces if because you NEED close social support in order to do them effectively #internet support just isn't the same and it's no wonder so many people are openly saying 'I can't' #i wouldn't either! there would be no point! Sorry to be so blunt #i will 100000% take part in a strike that i am fully prepared for though but i think people should consider how last minute this has been #it's worth noting that there is a lot of guilt here: people feel they cannot do nothing but they cannot afford to strike #(might they have been able to if this was planned in advance? possibly more would have...) #so someone in the west who is not the Palestinian activist who called for the strike added the weird 'just do social media' caveats #they are literally watering down what should have been a very powerful gesture #but they HAVE to do that because they know 99% of people reading will not be equipped to actually strike meaningfully! #and it's the only way to avoid everyone guilt spiralling

[metanarrates]

basically: not using the aromantic label cause I don’t think it’s crazy applicable to my life (i feel like my weird relationship to romance is more easily chalked up to me being autistic polyam and a lesbian) but I believe in their beliefs

#narrates #obv people can use the aro label for those reasons. i just don't rly think it matters to me whether I do or not #but aro people I am shaking your hands so fucking hard. we need to unionize to destroy society #we need to destroy societal enshrining of Love as the most important subjective human experience #it's like implicitly cisgender heterosexual monogamous love of course #but expanding that definition of Love and still treating it as all important isn't good either. #having that be the expected norm is always gonna be cruel and alienating and is always gonna force people into boxes they don't want! #so yeah. we can do without it being the most important human thing thank u

[a-flickering-soul]

I really like hearing what you have to say about spg bc I like their music but I'm very much a Causal Enjoyer so it's cool to hear some Lore. Any other spg related things you've been wanting to talk about?

Ohhhhh anon this is the best and worst ask you could have possibly sent me because there are So Many Things that are insane to me about SPG lore that I would love to talk about but literally each of them requires like two paragraphs MINIMUM of explanation and context beforehand. But I WILL tell you what's on my mind right now and that's the fact that the Spine canonically has a credit card. This is hilarious to me for many reasons, those being that he has obtained a credit card either through:

A) having a Social Security Number

B) having an Individual Taxpayer Identity Number

or C) Peter Walter VI going with him to their local bank branch and sitting there with him as the poor financial advisor has to come very quickly to terms with the fact that this tall silver man and this other man with a keyhole for a face want to open a new credit card under the name of this silver man who is not technically a human being.

All of these answers are very compelling to me for different reasons, but through process of elimination, we can get rid of B, since that's exclusively for US nonresidents and the Spine was built in the US. I'm personally eliminating C because I don't think it's the funniest option. So conclusively: yes, I think the Spine has an SSN, and furthermore, I think he pays taxes.

We know canonically already that not only does the Spine know how to do taxes, but he loves doing them and he's very good at them (he will, in fact, quadruple your return).

I posit now that the Spine pays taxes because he wants to do them for two main reasons: that he feels deeply and strongly this proves to the US government that he's a living being with feelings and rights just like any other taxpaying American, and that he is an old, old man who loves looking at things and asking if his taxpayer dollars really went towards this.

I do not, however, think Rabbit, Zer0, Hatchworth, or any other robots care this much over human financial systems because they are very old and dumb and they are also wise and blasé enough over how they're viewed by US legislation to understand that the less of their limited income they have to fork over to Uncle Sam, the better.

#spg #steam powered giraffe #answered #anonymous #i need you all to know i've been literally thinking abt this the whole day and have roped in my bestie my sister AND my father to discuss #i was looking at the paperwork to apply for an SSN today and nearly DIED laughing like he was BUILT what's he gonna DO #SUBMIT HIS BLUEPRINTS??? he was born before social security was INVENTED #we had a REAL debate over whether or not the spine can vote and he probably can't UNLESS. he took the citizenship test. #which that in and of itself is its own discussion #the real question is if they have financial independence or not. like an allowance? sure. maybe. but they HAVE to be dependents right??? #a very near runner-up to this ask topic btw was the walter robotics union which they HAVE. #flicker's meta

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

re: Mono’s khux gameplay post - I feel like we should make a real life timeline of khux main plot updates because it truly was a unique kh experience having to wait for long periods of time for the story to progress, and the way the story was paced actually made some parts a lot more impactful as opposed to if you had just watched the cutscenes one after the other

#newer fans these days have it so good with all the cutscene compilations out there #but I really think a big part of khux’s unique charm came from being episodic in nature #and the fact that this story was told over a period of 8 years is something I think we need to acknowledge more #anyways on a lighter note everyone who went through that whole year without a main plot (union leaders) update deserves a veterans discount #my posts

[kdsburneraccount]

Wow okay anyways

#re: Lamar contract situation i don’t think it’s that deep #kinda weird that a bunch of teams are coming out and saying they aren’t interested but i don’t think it’s intentional collusion #more just ppl looking at the watson contract and going 'that's stupid! let's not act like the browns' #and trying to get the market value lower so they can get a franchise qb at a bargain #like w the falcons it would've been nice to acquire him but we are so far away from competing in the nfc that it feels like a bit much 😭 #would rather let other stuff develop before deciding to go all in w multiple picks and a big contract #i think the conflict is more representative of a larger player v owner thing when it comes to guaranteed contracts #does seem like the nflpa would advocate for guaranteed contracts bc they rep like the 99% that won't make generational wealth #but if its normalized for the star players well idk how normal guys will have guaranteed contracts #players union trying to have their cake and eat it or something #anyways the ravens tagged him and i'd be surprised if he was traded #players do love him it seems #i do think when its all said and done he will have a bigger contract than the guy referenced in the tweet #idk if those shots were needed to be taken tho but at least they're being honest #nfl

[kazoologist]

i cant fucking believe i have to write two papers and still have two exams to take and someone i knew fucking died yesterday. 

#i need to get these things done but i just. if i think about anything im going to think about him. we werent close friends but fuck i knew #him #he was younger than me by at least two years. #and i have all these late papers to do. #fuck this week. fuck this week. #i dont even think its fully sunk in that he's fucking gone. the last time i saw him was probably february. #i was telling a story about a passover seder we went to last year on sunday #jesus fuck. i have to graduate saturday afternoon and now he wont #fuck. #may his memory be a blessing. i guess. i might talk to the jewish student union if we should/could do anything.

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

.

#okay so #i was kinda waiting for them to announce dub casting for mob season 3 because of chris niosi #only know broad details about all that mess but it seems to be well documented that he's kind of a self absorbed jerk #and I would've found it totally understandable if he was let go #(although selfishly I still have the same feelings I would if I knew nothing about any of the actors-) #(-I enjoyed reigen's dub voice acting. it's iconic and I won't lie and say I wouldn't be a little sad to lose it) #but kyle mccarley??? #never in a million years did I see that coming #and they let him go over something so stupid too #i hate it when voice actors get replaced #i do not think these idiot dubbing companies understand just how important their actors are #no. i know they don't. or the actors would be paid fairly in the first place and not need unions. #or even more likely they know but just don't care #kyle mccarley is your LEAD. he voices the PROTAGONIST. he is a GOOD VOICE ACTOR. #switch him out and chances are high you end up with a mob that sounds like he's doing an impression of kyle mccarley as mob #he has the range. the way he plays the transition from regular more timid mob to 100% mob? chills #you cannot let him go without losing something really important #there are lots of other actors out there and lots of them will do a good job I'm sure #but none of them are going to do it the same way and that sucks. because mob already has an english voice. #we already know what he sounds like. and it's kyle mccarley who's been doing this for two seasons already #pickle pontificates #immeasurably disappointed nothing but hate for crunchyroll allowed here

[deep-space-netwerk]

So Venus is my favorite planet in the solar system - everything about it is just so weird.

It has this extraordinarily dense atmosphere that by all accounts shouldn't exist - Venus is close enough to the sun (and therefore hot enough) that the atmosphere should have literally evaporated away, just like Mercury's. We think Earth manages to keep its atmosphere by virtue of our magnetic field, but Venus doesn't even have that going for it. While Venus is probably volcanically active, it definitely doesn't have an internal magnetic dynamo, so whatever form of volcanism it has going on is very different from ours. And, it spins backwards! For some reason!!

But, for as many mysteries as Venus has, the United States really hasn't spent much time investigating it. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, sent no less than 16 probes to Venus between 1961 and 1984 as part of the Venera program - most of them looked like this!

The Soviet Union had a very different approach to space than the United States. NASA missions are typically extremely risk averse, and the spacecraft we launch are generally very expensive one-offs that have only one chance to succeed or fail.

It's lead to some really amazing science, but to put it into perspective, the Mars Opportunity rover only had to survive on Mars for 90 days for the mission to be declared a complete success. That thing lasted 15 years. I love the Opportunity rover as much as any self-respecting NASA engineer, but how much extra time and money did we spend that we didn't technically "need" to for it to last 60x longer than required?

Anyway, all to say, the Soviet Union took a more incremental approach, where failures were far less devastating. The Venera 9 through 14 probes were designed to land on the surface of Venus, and survive long enough to take a picture with two cameras - not an easy task, but a fairly straightforward goal compared to NASA standards. They had…mixed results.

Venera 9 managed to take a picture with one camera, but the other one's lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 10 also managed to take a picture with one camera, but again the other lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 11 took no pictures - neither lens cap deployed this time.

Venera 12 also took no pictures - because again, neither lens cap deployed.

Lotta problems with lens caps.

For Venera 13 and 14, in addition to the cameras they sent a device to sample the Venusian "soil". Upon landing, the arm was supposed to swing down and analyze the surface it touched - it was a simple mechanism that couldn't be re-deployed or adjusted after the first go.

This time, both lens caps FINALLY ejected perfectly, and we were treated to these marvelous, eerie pictures of the Venus landscape:

However, when the Venera 14 soil sampler arm deployed, instead of sampling the Venus surface, it managed to swing down and land perfectly on….an ejected lens cap.

#space #space history #venus #NASA #Venera #spost #I will talk all day about venus #ask me about venus floating sky cities #unpopular opinion venus > mars #this is probably my favorite space history story #the surface of venus is made of lens caps #don't try to tell me the universe doesn't have a sense of humor #well #I guess its more that people have a sense of humor and we happen to live in the universe