#mars 1956

[chicinsilk]

Ligne "Flèche"

Christian Dior Haute Couture Collection Spring/Summer 1956. Paris, March 1956; Simone in a white organdy dress. The dress is connected by white grosgrain ribbons, showing the high Empire chest and the new “bolero” line.

Christian Dior Collection Haute Couture Printemps/Été 1956. Paris, mars 1956; Simone dans une robe en organdi blanc. La robe est reliée par des rubans gros-grain blancs, montrant la poitrine haute Empire et la nouvelle ligne « boléro »

Photo Emile Savitry

[itsfullofstars]

[comic-covers]

(1956)

[dandyads]

Mars Bar, 1956

[pearcaico]

Ressacas de Agosto, Destruindo Casas na Praia dos Milagres Em Olinda, Agosto de 1956.

Revista Manchete.

[andersunmenschlich]

Two cakes!

The Martian by Andy Weir (2011) and First on Mars by Rex Gordon (1956).

image description below the cut

Back cover of The Martian:

A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man's struggle to survive.

Six days ago astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars's surface, with no way to signal Earth that he's alive. And even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, Mark won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

Armed with nothing but his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength—Mark embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

—

Back cover of First on Mars:

One man ALONE [all caps] on an alien world

He crash-landed on Mars fifteen years ahead of any other Earth expedition. He was without communication, without supplies, and with nothing but the wreck of an experimental rocket for resources. What is more it was the planet Mars as astronomers know it really to be—not just a fictional fantasy background for glamorous adventure. It was barren, cold, more grimly inhospitable than the top of Mount Everest. And if it had inhabitants, they were conspicuous by their absence.

The story of how one determined man set out to survive on a world whose very air he couldn't safely breathe is an astounding science-fiction saga of the most grippingly realistic type . . . a novel to be remembered.

[mostlymarvelsstuff]

Too Close to Saying Goodbye

Summary: Tav gets injured fighting the Absolute, and its too close of a call for everyone but especially Karlach

Warnings: typical in game violence, somewhat graphic depictions of blood/injury, near death experience, angst(happy end!)

Authors note: my first time writing for BG3 and Karlach, so go easy on me please if its not the greatest

Word count: 1956

Karlach Masterlist BG3 Masterlist

What you currently stand in was once, no doubt, a beautiful open field near the forest. Now however, it has become a shell of its former self. The once green grass is now a dull brown, and it's marred by trails of upturned dirt that lead off into the distance towards a camp of Absolute forces that have clearly been stationed here a while.

   In the distance you notice a few pillars of smoke rising into the sky, showing you exactly where the enemy is camped down at. With the hours growing late, you assume the fires mean that they've decided to settle in for the evening. You wager this means only a few will be out and about on their regular patrols, which would be easy enough to deal with if needed, so it should be the most opportune time to take your companions closer in order to observe and see just what you're dealing with.

   This however, proves to be the wrong decision. For some reason, a small squad had been out on a patrol. And unfortunately for you, they had spotted you snooping nearly at once. There isn’t time for your party to hide or retreat, making a fight the only option. It truly isn't ideal with how they outnumber you, but you trust in the strength and strategy of your companions.

   As the battle commences everything seems to be going smoothly. You’ve watched all your friends land a multitude of blows against the enemy, even managing to down a handful of the cultists despite being outnumbered. But, as all things with your little group, nothing can ever be as easy as it initially seems.

   You had just managed to take down a rather large Orc, and were wrenching your blade free from his flesh when a Drow decided to take advantage of the situation and charged at you. You'd managed to spot him in your peripheral area in time to block the first blow with your bracers, but without a weapon you were not so lucky when the second blow came. And with a sickening squelch, the blade plunges into your shoulder.

   Your yell echoes across the area, and Karlachs eyes frantically begin searching for you. Relief floods her when she finds you, but that relief is short lived when she notices the precarious situation you're in. 

   “NO!” she shouts, quickly felling the cultist in front of her before dashing in your direction. The drow pulls his blade free, causing blood to start pouring from the wound in a manner that has panic flaring within her, especially when she watches your knees give out as you crumble to the ground.

   Worried that any time wasted fighting could prove fatal to you she summons all her strength and when she strikes, she easily cleaves the cultist responsible for your pain in two. His body falls to the ground not far from where you lay, and her bloodied ax clatters down next seconds before her arms are pulling you into her lap, “No, no, no. Tav!?”

   You hiss in pain as something presses against your wound, but recognizing the warmth that now encompasses you, you call out, “Karlach”

   “I’m here” she replies, pulling you even closer as tears cloud her vision, “I’ve got you”

   You smile, but it lacks your usual warmth and doesn't quite meet your eyes. This makes her stomach drop even further and her eyes frantically start searching the battle again, this time for signs of the raven haired Cleric, or even one of the druids. But to her frustration she can currently spot none of them.

   “I'm sorry” you mumble, effectively getting her gaze back on you, “I really did wanna explore the city with you….”

   She shakes her head, “Don't talk like that. We'll make it to Baldur's Gate. Together.”

   “Karlach…” 

    “I'm the one that's got limited time, remember, not you. So, you're gonna be just fine” She responds, clearly in denial of just how bad the situation is, “Just need some healing and rest. That's all”

   The smell of your blood being spilled had brought another of your companions to your side, and though he's used to the sight of the coppery smelling liquid, when he sees the sheer amount of yours that's soaking into the grass, even he became queasy 

   “Karlach, is Tav…are they…?”

   “Astarion, they need healing! Please get help!” she responds in such a panicked tone that he knows the situation is as serious as it seems, if not worse

   He sprints off in a blur to where he had last seen the Cleric, he'd be damned if he was going to fail you now. No, not after all you've done for him, or for the others. No, you were truly too good of a traveling companion and friend to die so soon, and like this. He’d get you help. You would be fine.

   As his footsteps fade into the sounds of the battle that still surrounds you, you become all too aware of just how bad the situation is. The dizziness and black edges to your vision tell you that you're losing too much blood far too quickly, and even if Astarion does find Shadowheart, with all the chaos going on there's no guarantee that she’ll even be in a position to come to aid you. 

   So despite the pain you're currently in, you're determined to offer some comfort to your beloved tiefling who cradles you in her embrace. You somehow manage to lift a hand to her cheek, and your thumb wipes at her tears, “You are truly incredible Karlach. How lucky I am….to have gotten to spend the time that I have with you….”

   “Please, just stay with me love. Help will be her, it will”

  You exhale shakily, “I’m not sure I can…

   The way your voice is so small, so unlike you, has her bottom lip trembling and her grip on you becomes impossibly tighter, “Please, you can’t go yet…”

   When Astarion spots Shadowheart a twinge of hope twists in his chest, and he wastes no time in running up to her and grabbing ahold of her forearm, “You're needed!”

   “I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment, in case that's gone without notice!” she reptiles, pulling her arm free to cast a firebolt at an advancing goblin

   “I don’t care how bloody busy you are! Tavs dying, damn it!!” he snaps, “Go tend to them and leave these bastards to me!”

   Her eyes widen for a brief second before determination takes over her features. She nods to the pale elf in understanding before darting off in the direction he had come from. Astarion swallows the lump of anxiety in his throat before turning to face the few goblins that she had been dealing with.

   By the time Shadowheart reaches you she's almost afraid that she's too late, but the slight raise of your chest calms her fears, if only temporarily. A blue-green glow encompasses her hands as she kneels next to you, opposite Karlach.

   “Tell me you can fix them Fringe, I can’t fucking lose them”

   The Cleric takes a deep breath as she looks down at your wound. Normally something this bad wouldn’t be a problem, it would exhaust her but she could manage. But after using up as much energy fighting the cultists as she has…she's worried she may not be able to fully mend you.

   “I…I can only try my best Karlach”

    Though she nods in an attempt to remain stoic, a small sob does escape her, and it successfully breaks the half elfs heart. Shadowheart focusses her all on your shoulder then, letting the mending magic flow from her hands and onto your shoulder. The wound begins to close up and your breathing remains steady, which are both good signs. All that's left to worry about is the bloodloss. 

   The feeling of your flesh stitching itself back together is definitely strange, but what's even stranger is how it doesn’t seem to be helping your faint feeling. Your lover must be able to sense your confusion, or at least the fact that something is still off.

   “What is it? What's wrong?”

   Your brows furrow and you choke on your words before going limp in her hold. Panic completely overtakes her then, “Tav?!”

   The sound of feet padding against the dirt nearby is the first thing that your senses register, the next thing is the small stuffed bear tucked under the arm that had been uninjured in battle. You smile softly before opening up your eyes, it takes a moment to adjust to the dimly lit surroundings but once your eyes adjust you can see the silhouettes of everyone sitting around the campfire in the distance. Well, everyone except Scratch and the Owlbear cub who are laying at your feet, standing guard. And Karlach of course, whose pacing was the source of the sound that had likely made you stir.

   “Karlach” you croke out, grabbing her attention immediately 

    She's beside you in a second, her warm hands gently cupping your face and caressing your healed injury, “Oh thank the Gods”

   “I think thanking Shadowheart may be more appropriate”

   A smirk crosses her features, “Oh believe me, I’ll get to that. But right now…Right no I just want to look at you. And hold you.”

   You nod your approval and she gently scoops you into her arms. You return her hug and feel your heart clench in your chest as she nuzzles against your neck, letting her tears land against your bare skin, “Oh, love…”

   She shakes slightly with a sob, “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me? You had me scared, so fucking scared, soldier.”

   “I’m sorry love, I’ll be more careful in the future.”

   “Damn right you will be. You won’t be allowed to fight more than an arm's length away from me, and I mean that!” she clarifies, snaking her tail around your waist, “I can’t lose you. Not after everything.”

   You hum and run a hand through her hair, trying your best to ignore that pit in your stomach that tells you that all too soon you’ll be the one in her shoes. Begging her to stay, begging for more time and cursing the unfairness of it all.

   “I’m not going anywhere, not while I have you”

   After a few more seconds of soaking in your presence she pulls away to rest her forehead against yours, “We should go see the others, they we worried about you too”

   You lean forward and press your lips against hers briefly, “Alright, let's show them all I’m alright”

   She helps you get to your feet, but when she sees how wobbly you still are she opts to just carry you over to everyone, “Look who's awake!”

   Everyone's heads turn to look at the tiefling carrying you, and the look of relief on their faces as Karlach holds you brings a smile to your face. It truly warms your heart to see just how close this group of misfits has become.

   “Glad to see you're alright, I wouldn’t have known how to comfort any of these weirdos if you weren’t” Astarion quips, but you see the real amount of care and worry in his eyes

   “Well, I can’t leave you in that situation now, can I? Guess I’ll need to be more careful so I can stick around”

   “That would be preferred, yes” the Cleric agrees, offering you a small smile which you return

   Gale passes you and Karlach both bowls of stew, “I agree, we all would be quite lost without you to guide us. But let's stop being melancholy and enjoy this night together”

   You smile and glance back at your lover, “Yes, lets”

[humanoidhistory]

Chesley Bonestell artwork from The Exploration of Mars, 1956.

[oakendesk]

Master Detective Mar 1956

Barye Phillips

Amazing Stories Mar 1956

Edward Valigursky

[antonio-m]

“Fontaine du Soleil” (detail: Saturn with bull, Mars with horse), 1956, by sculptor Alfred Janniot (1889–1969). French sculptor. Fontaine features Apollo surrounded by Earth, Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Mars. Nice, FR. bronze

[lynettethemadscientist]

Free Elvis Film Resource Masterlist (WIP)

I'm watching the films in chronological order. I'll update this as I go.

Love Me Tender (1956): YouTube

Loving You (1957): YouTube

Jailhouse Rock (1957): Dailymotion

King Creole (1958): Dailymotion

GI Blues (1960): LookMovie

Flaming Star (1960): LookMovie

Wild in the Country (1961): Dailymotion

Blue Hawaii (1961): Dailymotion

Follow That Dream (1962): LookMovie

Kid Galahad (1962): LookMovie

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962): LookMovie

It Happened at the World's Fair (1963): LookMovie

Fun in Acapulco (1963): Dailymotion

Kissin' Cousins (1964): LookMovie

Viva Las Vegas (1964): Dailymotion

Roustabout (1964): Dailymotion

Girl Happy (1965): Soap2Day

Tickle Me (1965): Dailymotion

Harum Scarum (1965): Soap2Day

Frankie and Johnny (1966): Dailymotion

Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966): Dailymotion

Spinout (1966): LookMovie

Easy Come, Easy Go (1967): Soap2Day

Double Trouble (1967): LookMovie

Clambake (1967): Dailymotion

Stay Away, Joe (1968)

Professionally-Recorded Performances

Dorsey Brothers Stage Show (1956) - Jan 28: Shake Rattle & Roll and Flip, Flop & Fly fragment [YouTube] (missing: I Got A Woman) - Feb 4: Tutti Frutti fragment [YouTube] (missing: Baby Lets Play House) - Feb 11: Blue Suede Shoes fragment [YouTube], Heartbreak Hotel fragment [YouTube] - Feb 18: (missing: Tutti Frutti, I Was The One) - Mar 17: Heartbreak Hotel fragment [YouTube] (missing: Blue Suede Shoes) - Mar 24: Money Honey fragment [YouTube] (missing: Heartbreak Hotel)

Milton Berle Show (1956) - Apr 3: full episode [YouTube] (Elvis' portion starts at 17:15 and ends at 25:26) - Jun 5: I Want You I Need You I Love You fragment [YouTube], Hound Dog fragment [YouTube]

Steve Allen Show (1956): full episode [YouTube] (Elvis' portion starts at 42:24 and ends when the video does)

Ed Sullivan Show (1956-7) - Sept 9: full Elvis portion [YouTube] - Oct 28: Love Me Tender segment [YouTube], Love Me segment [YouTube], Hound Dog segment [YouTube] (missing: Don't Be Cruel) - Jan 6: full Elvis portion [YouTube]

Tupelo's Own (1956): YouTube

Frank Sinatra Timex Show - Welcome Home Elvis (1960): Dailymotion

Comeback Special (1968): broadcast version [Internet Archive]

That's The Way It Is (1970): Soap2Day

Elvis On Tour (1972)

Aloha from Hawaii (1974): YouTube

Elvis in Concert (1977)

Interviews

Teenage Dance Party (1956): YouTube

Hy Gardner Calling (1956): YouTube

Press Conference at Graceland (1960): ElvisToday

New York Press Conference (1972): YouTube

Aloha from Hawaii Announcement and Press Conference (1972): YouTube

For comprehensive lists of interviews including available audio and transcripts: 50s, 60s, 70s [KeithFlynn]

[itsfullofstars]

[derangedrhythms]

Sylvia is born the 27th October, has Mars in 24 of Leo, and the last degree of Aquarius rising, with Saturn in 29 of [Capricorn], on the cusp of the twelfth, which is suicidal, – especially opposite Mars in the 6th. All correct. She has the moon in Libra, & [Jupiter, Venus, &  Neptune] in the 7th house.

Ted Hughes, from ‘Letters of Ted Hughes’ ⁠— Olwyn Hughes, October 1956

[blackswaneuroparedux]

The badge was meant to be a flaming ‘Excalibur’ - recalling the Lewes bomb that contained both plastic explosive and inflammable thermite with time pencils. I knew that, but most of us called the stylised badge a ‘winged dagger’ and it made a better title for a book than ‘Flaming Sword’ ‘Who Dares Wins’ etc. the sword looks more like a commando knife and was certainly not meant to be a ‘Sword of Damocles’.

Roy Farran, ‘Winged Dagger’ (1948)

The badge of the Special Air Service was created by Corporal Bob Tait in October 1941, who would survive the war and die in retirement in 1975.

Robert ‘Bob’ Duncan Tait was a founding member of ‘L Detachment’, later the SAS, and is credited with the design of the most coveted military badge in the world: the SAS winged dagger. Tait was part of 11 Commando before he was invited to join L Detachment under the direction of Col. Stirling while fighting in North Africa in World War Two.

He survived the regiment’s first disastrous operation: a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive in Libya in November 1941. It proved to be an unmitigated disaster when 22 men out of 60 were either killed or captured by the Germans.

The second was far more successful and saw Bob Tait as one of five commandos who snuck into a German aerodrome deep behind enemy lines and laid explosives that destroyed 37 aircraft. The raid secured the future of the SAS as it convinced military chiefs a specially trained unit that could operate behind enemy lines was needed.

In between the raids, the members of the newly formed unit held an informal competition to design the insignia for the regiment. Tait’s design of King Arthur’s Excalibur sword - not a dagger as commonly thought - with light blue wings either side of it was voted the best by the rest of the men and is the cap badge still in use today.

The SAS insignia represents King Arthur’s flaming sword Excalibur - not the dagger as it came to seen as.  Indeed the name ‘the Winged Dagger’ appears to have first been published in a SHAEF communique of 1944 which was then quoted in the Sunday Times and Observer newspapers.

Having already been awarded a Military Cross and Bar with the 3rd Hussars, Roy Farran joined 2nd SAS in 1943. Although not serving with the Regiment when the insignia were developed, his book, ‘Winged Dagger’ was truly the first book to shed light on the SAS when it was published in 1948. The image of the ‘winged dagger’ stuck in the public consciousness.

Early examples were made up by Cairo tailors and many variants can be seen.

By March 1944, the 1st and 2nd SAS Regiments returned to the United Kingdom and joined a newly formed SAS Brigade, a component of 1st Airborne Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning, with Brigadier Roderick McLeod in charge of the SAS.  Many more badges would be required, and it was essential that a standardised design was agreed upon - see top right.

In March 1951 the Malayan Scouts adopted the maroon beret and the badge of the Special Air Service and this was worn by the members of 21 SAS who formed the new B Squadron - see centre left. The instruction that brought the Malayan Scouts into the British Army Order of Battle as 22 SAS Regiment dates from 16th July 1952.

The central badge was worn by 21 SAS on the right arm when it was formed in 1947. At that stage they wore the Mars and Minerva cap badge of the Artists Rifles on their maroon berets which was of similar design. However, in 1956, these were swapped, and the design of the beret badge was published in that year (rather curiously on a crudely cut out backing)

The 1956 badge was worn throughout the 1960s - see bottom left. But this had become somewhat anaemic by the early 1980s. The current pattern is shown bottom right.

[pearcaico]

Ressacas de Agosto, Destruindo Casas na Praia dos Milagres Em Olinda, Agosto de 1956.

Revista Manchete.

[quasi-normalcy]

A while ago while I was in tumblr jail, you posted that you had a masters in science fiction literature (unless you didn't, I have been known to be mistaken), and I am wondering, what do you consider 'important' works of science fiction? Like the science fiction literary canon? I am so curious. Feel free to ignore, I will not harass you.

Yes! I do. I can tell you the ones that I was assigned (I'm afraid that the list skews extremely male and (especially) white).

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818)

Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men (1930) and Star Maker (1937) [You can probably add Odd John (1935) to this list]

Jules Verne, Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) [You can probably add From the Earth to the Moon (1865)]

H.G. Wells, The Time Machine (1895) and War of the Worlds (1897) [Though you can probably go ahead and add The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The First Men in the Moon (1901)]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland (1915)

Catherine Burdekin (writing as Murray Constantine), Swastika Night (1937)

Karel Čapek, R.U.R. (1920)

Isaac Asimov, I, Robot (1950) [You can probably add the first three Foundation novels here as well]

Yevgeny Zamyatin, We (1921)

George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1967) and Rendezvous with Rama (1973) [Add: Childhood's End (1953) and The Fountains of Paradise (1979)

John Wyndham, Day of the Triffids (1951) [add: The Chrysalids (1955) and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957)]

H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu" (1926) [add The Shadow over Innsmouth (1931)]

Richard Matheson, I Am Legend (1954)

Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination (1956)

Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers (1959) [Probably Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) too, depending on, you know, how much of Heinlein's bullshit you can take]

J.G. Ballard, The Drowned World (1962) [Also, The Burning World (1964) and The Crystal World (1966)]

Phillip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle (1962) [Also Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) and several of his short stories]

Frank Herbert, Dune (1965)

Michael Moorcock, Behold the Man (1969)

Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-5 (1969)

Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed (1974) [Also The Lathe of Heaven (1971) and The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)]

Brian Aldiss, Supertoys series

William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)

Kim Stanley Robinson, Red Mars (1992) [Also Green Mars and Blue Mars]

They also included Iain M. Banks's The Algebraist (2004), but I personally think you'd be better off reading some of his Culture novels

Other ones that I might add (not necessarily my favourite, just what I would consider the most influential):

Joe Haldeman, The Forever War (1974)

Matsamune Shiro, Ghost in the Shell (1989-91)

Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira (1982-1990)

Octavia Butler, Lilith's Brood (1987-89) and Parable of the Sower (1993)

Poul Anderson, Operation Chaos (1971)

Hector Garman Oesterheld & Francisco Solano Lopez, The Eternaut (1957-59)

Liu Cixin, The Three-Body Problem (2008)

Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus! Trilogy (1975)

William Hope Hodgson, The House on the Borderland (1908)

Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (1992)

Joanna Russ, The Female Man (1975)

Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game (1985) [Please take this one from a library]

Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars (1912)

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale (1985) and Oryx and Crake (2003)

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (1932)

Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy (1952-68)

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time (1962)

Walter M. Miller, A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959)

Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)