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A translation of British sayings, what non-British people think they mean, and their actual meaning.

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ALERT MEDICAL, IT'S DAY 5!

Check out our prompt list for the full week.

When posting your works to tumblr, use the tag #mckirkweek2025 and/or tag us @mckirkevents. Late posts will be reblogged too! There is also an AO3 collection HERE for any of you posting on AO3.

The week continues!

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Zero Gravity Indicators: Plushies in Space!

What are zero gravity indicators?

Did you know that some astronauts bring stuffed animals with them on their journeys to space? A zero gravity indicator (ZGI) is a plushie that is brought aboard spacecraft to demonstrate when the astronauts have reached the weightlessness of space. Even though the astronauts are strapped in their seats, the plushie will float — and viewers of the livestream will know they’ve reached space! Read on to learn about some of the plushies astronauts have taken with them to space.

Giraffiti

NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman brought a very special ZGI to the International Space Station: a toy giraffe named Giraffiti. Wiseman’s mother gifted Giraffiti to his oldest daughter when she was born. When Wiseman embarked on his first mission to space, his kids gave him Giraffiti to take with him to space.

Dinosaur

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg made a stuffed dinosaur toy by sewing together scraps of food-packaging liners and a T-shirt. Although this dinosaur toy was not an official zero gravity indicator that didn’t stop it from floating around the International Space Station and being very cute for the cameras!

8-Ball

NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch brought a plush 8-ball toy with her during her stay aboard the International Space Station in 2019. The toy represented the Astronaut Class of 2013, which was affectionately called the “8-balls” because of its eight members. Both NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Jessica Meir, pictured here, were members of this class.

Crane

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission astronauts chose a plush origami crane as their zero gravity indicator because they are all pilots and grew up building paper airplanes. The crane is also a symbol of peace.

Cheburashka and Chimpo

English captions are available for the video.

When NASA astronaut Frank Rubio flew to the International Space Station in 2022, his cosmonaut crewmates brought aboard a stuffed animal named Cheburashka. Rubio also carried a small stuffed animal in his pocket named Chimpo. Chimpo was a stuffed animal that Rubio’s children had for almost 20 years before giving it to Rubio for him to bring aboard his flight.

Snoopy

Snoopy hitched a ride around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis I mission in 2022. Although this mission didn’t have astronauts, Snoopy was joined by a manikin named Moonikin Campos who was used to measure vibrations inside the capsule. NASA has shared an association with Snoopy since the Apollo era, when Charles M. Schulz Schulz created comic strips of Snoopy on the Moon, capturing public excitement about America’s achievements in space.

What would you take with you to space?

Now it’s your turn! People of all ages from all over the world have the opportunity to design the zero gravity indicator for the Artemis II mission around the Moon. Should the astronauts’ plush companion have wings? Scales? What would you like to see floating around the Orion spacecraft? Check out the Moon Mascot challenge to learn more! Submissions are due June 16, 2025.

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I wish there was a website where you could input a character's description (height, weight, sex, medical conditions, etc.) And a situation (car crash, falls, stabbing, etc.) And it would calculate for you from most to least likely the injuries that character would receive, potential complications, and how long it would take recover. This would make writing injuries SO MICH EASIER if I wasn't guessing at everything

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20 Compelling Positive-Negative Trait Pairs

Here are 20 positive and negative trait pairs that can create compelling character dynamics in storytelling:

1. Bravery - Recklessness: A character is courageous in the face of danger but often takes unnecessary risks.

2. Intelligence - Arrogance: A character is exceptionally smart but looks down on others.

3. Compassion - Naivety: A character is deeply caring but easily deceived due to their trusting nature.

4. Determination - Stubbornness: A character is persistent in their goals but unwilling to adapt or compromise.

5. Charisma - Manipulativeness: A character is charming and persuasive but often uses these traits to exploit others.

6. Resourcefulness - Opportunism: A character is adept at finding solutions but is also quick to exploit situations for personal gain.

7. Loyalty - Blind Obedience: A character is fiercely loyal but follows orders without question, even when they're wrong.

8. Optimism - Denial: A character remains hopeful in difficult times but often ignores harsh realities.

9. Humor - Inappropriateness: A character lightens the mood with jokes but often crosses the line with their humor.

10. Generosity - Lack of Boundaries: A character is giving and selfless but often neglects their own needs and well-being.

11. Patience - Passivity: A character is calm and tolerant but sometimes fails to take action when needed.

12. Wisdom - Cynicism: A character has deep understanding and insight but is often pessimistic about the world.

13. Confidence - Overconfidence: A character believes in their abilities but sometimes underestimates challenges.

14. Honesty - Bluntness: A character is truthful and straightforward but often insensitive in their delivery.

15. Self-discipline - Rigidity: A character maintains strong control over their actions but is inflexible and resistant to change.

16. Adventurousness - Impulsiveness: A character loves exploring and trying new things but often acts without thinking.

17. Empathy - Overwhelm: A character deeply understands and feels others' emotions but can become overwhelmed by them.

18. Ambition - Ruthlessness: A character is driven to achieve great things but willing to do anything, even unethical, to succeed.

19. Resilience - Emotional Detachment: A character can endure hardships without breaking but often seems emotionally distant.

20. Strategic - Calculative: A character excels at planning and foresight but can be cold and overly pragmatic in their decisions.

These pairs create complex, multi-dimensional characters that can drive rich, dynamic storytelling.

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Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

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We have 30 days until the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) laws are rescinded. This is the 50-year bedrock of American conservation. Normally, these actions take years but the administration has provided 30 days for public comment gutting clean water and clean air. Drop what you’re doing, before you make any more calls or read any more social media posts, please populate the Federal Register with dissent.

A. Go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/25/2025-03014/removal-of-national-environmental-policy-act-implementing-regulations

B. Click on the green rectangle in the upper right corner ("SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT") .

C. Fill in your comment, and info at the bottom, and SUBMIT COMMENT.

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Dracula and Jonathan’s Tango - from The Polish National Opera production of ‘Dracula’.

With Choreography by Krzysztof Pastor and Music by Wojciech Kilar.

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Here is my contribution to the current political discourse. This whole phrase has been going through my head since January. I made this on procreate with..... tooo .... many frames. It is a little shaky here since I had to put it into another video production software to make the thing work correctly.

On style choices, this is based off of the Bauhaus styling that was later outlawed and disbanded by the Nazis during WWII. I hand wrote the text based off of the Bailey Method of Penmanship, circum 1929. I wanted something that was somewhat time period appropriate. I decided to not use the Kurrent cursive because it is hard to read, and I felt it wouldn't really translate well into English.

In strange news, I realized that there is a max number of about 135 layers can be possible in a procreate file.

Please share this around for those that need a little bit of a reminder from the past. I would really love for this one to escape the tumblr verse into the main stream.

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Hi, Everyone. I want to start better promoting my art.

Later this month, I will be starting up my marketing consultant business specializing in helping artist and fellow creators build their branding, marketing strategy, and overall business strategy.

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A Betazoid character who isn't in a nurturing profession, but is a tactical officer.

"Captain, I sense they know they're about to get their asses handed to them"

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Live Long and Pinup! @livelongandpinup

A sexy January 2025 Spock for our collaborative calendar and zine :) I worked with @hellofromvulcan, who wrote a fanfic inspired by my piece!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61947661

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WRITING PROMPTS - Dessert

The birthday cake must be entirely eaten by the birthday-person, including the still-lit candles.

"You're a good kisser but a shitty baker."

An ice-cream cart has sprinkles that show you your future.

"I think... I used salt instead of sugar."

Revenge is a dish best served as cake.

"You're the secret ingredient in my pies, darling. Haven't you wondered why you're always in such pain?"

Once upon a time, a baker fell in love with a princess...

"This cake is filled with revenge, bitch."

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Archives Recipes: A Culinary Journey Through the Catalog! 🍒🍰🍝🧀

Welcome to a culinary tour of the White House, where history is served one dish at a time! Ever wondered what's simmering in the presidential kitchen while policies are being hashed out in the Oval Office? This collection brings together a selection of recipes favored by U.S. Presidents and First Ladies, as documented in the National Archives and Presidential Libraries. From Eisenhower's hearty soups to Rosalynn Carter's sweet treats, prepare to indulge in dishes that have tickled the taste buds of America's leaders. So tie on your apron—it's time to cook up a little history!

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my absolute favourite thing about the kirk and spock dynamic is that the whole time you’re watching the show spock is gaslighting you into thinking that kirk is this loose canon and spock is paragon of logic keeping his captain on the straight and narrow when its very clearly the other way round. aside from being turned on by everyone and fighting like an old-timey boxer…. kirk is just like.. quite a logical, stable guy. like yeah he rules with his emotions but he’s rarely reckless or erratic, even in situations of immense pressure he’s always calm and measured. sure kirk is unhinged and insane, but we knew that right off the bat. spock on the other hand tries to hide how insanely balls to the walls crazy he is by standing next to jim and hiding all his derangement with logic. i think the reason bones beefs with spock so much because he is the only one who has noticed that spock is an absolutely unhinged individual. (jim is too busy doodling <3 mr jim spock <3 all over his briefings to notice)