Looking for a mobile repair service in the Bay Area ca preferably San Jose ca that use the window removal tool “ WRD ORANGE BAT” have a 00 civic si trying to keep my oem window with out braking them

Hello just joined the group hopefully a certified tech here or perhaps a mobile mechanic could lend me a hand for a min. Have an 08 gsxr 750 I'm the sole owner, so i know exactly what has and hasn't been done to the bike. Issue a few years back 1 of my 3 headlights blew I forget what side exactly, I replaced the left an right bulbs didn't touch them at all during installation so no greasy finger stuff on them. Not to long after this while riding going roughly 90-150 or so the radiator blew, local dealership wanted an crazy price of 600 for a radiator so I went with an aftermarket one. After installing it and running the bike I noticed the bike still ran hotter then normal or hotter then when before the radiator blew to begin with. Normal was the bike would get to 220 degrees the fan would kick on an almost cool the water back down to 208 or 209 even though the fan already turned off at 210. My next 3 assumptions were exactly that without any change, I figured maybe the thermostat went bad so replaced it, ran the bike same issue still ran hot. Next round was is it possible the water pump impeller or bearing went bad, replaced an still same bike ran hot. I said maybe the fan somehow got moved away from the radiator or maybe wasn't as snug as the factory radiator after the swap so bent the brackets to move it as close as possible to suck as much air as possible through the radiator to better cool the liquid ice that's already in the system. An yes that was kinda my 4th attempt swapping from reg alum safe antifreeze to engine ice cause it was supposed to lower the temp instantly. Well none of that worked. Also with all that being said after each time, I did said repair an exposed the open system to the element I did rock the bike back an fourth an low as I possibly could without dropping it to burp the system as well as run the bike an open the purge screw on the side of the case to bleed any excess air out. Again no change an the bike still runs hott rpughly in the 230 mark, I'm sorry this is a bit of a read. To get to the question since I now think I discovered the problem which is, I noticed one day while my bike was warming up that I had the headlight switch on the high beam position. Although the lights were working as should soon as I flipped the switch from high to low I heard the rpm's of the fan ramp up an the bike start to cool off better. So I guess really the question is, has anyone here ever had a similar issue? If so or not opinions if you think it's the headlight bulbs I replaced or the switch it's self to turn the lights from high to low or the pass button.

“Ready to make history, baby?”
I looked over toward Sheila as she stood on the gangplank leading up to The Burger. I still couldn’t believe she named our research ship ‘The Burger’... emotional relevance be damned.
“It's not exactly history,” I corrected.
“Oh come on! If your survey is right, this trench might run even deeper than the Challenger Deep, and you’re gonna be the first person to explore it! How is that not exciting?”
“Might be deeper, we only have a limited amount of topological data. And even if it is deeper, we’re talking only a few hundred feet at most, it’s really not that im-”
Sheila silenced me with a kiss.
“Nerd.” She teased, and I found myself too flustered to reply. After five years of marriage, she still could leave me speechless with just a kiss. God… how did someone like me end up with a woman like that?
Then again, how did someone like me end up where I was in general? It was honestly a little overwhelming. Standing on the dock, getting ready to board that ship and join the ranks of Jacques Piccard and James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) as one of the few people to take a manned submersible down to the deepest parts of the ocean. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared too. Diving down that deep could easily be a one way trip if even the slightest thing went wrong. My submarine would be experiencing between 600 to 1100 atmospheres of pressure and while we’d tested it over and over again to make sure it would actually be up for the challenge, there was still a lingering iota of doubt in the back of my mind. All that needed to go wrong was one little thing, and that would be it for me.
The scariest part is that I probably wouldn’t even know what had happened… I’d simply be gone… and Sheila would be alone. The thought of that caused a momentary spike of panic in my chest that almost made me want to call this whole thing off.
Almost.
But, then I felt her hand close around mine. I looked up into her bright blue eyes, and saw her gentle smile.
“You’re gonna be okay, hun,” She promised. “You and your team have been running the numbers, right? It’s gonna go just fine!”
I nodded slowly.
“It’s gonna go fine…” I repeated, before she leaned in to kiss me, and gently pulled me by the wrist up onto the deck of the Burger.
She was probably right.
It probably would be fine.
Probably…
The trench I’d be exploring was a fairly recent discovery, located south of Greenland, in a vast stretch of water situated directly between Newfoundland and Iceland. It’d been uncovered during a topological survey in the area, and my team had taken an interest in investigating it further. At minimum, it was believed to descend to about 35,000 feet deep (over 10,000 meters), although the current theory was that it might have run even deeper. Determining the exact depth of the yet unnamed chasm was just one of the intents of our dive. The rest was studying the organisms that might be found down there, and how they might have differed from the ones found in other deep ocean trenches (some variation being expected given the isolated environment they were developing in.)
I had to admit, it would be exciting to see what new life might have developed in a place such as this, especially if it ran even deeper than our predictions… and that excitement was enough to make me chase the fear of the risks out of my mind, even if it was only briefly. While Sheila went to make sure we were ready to embark, I caught myself wandering out toward the rear of the ship where my submarine, The Tempura, waited for me. Did this submarine deserve a better name than The Tempura? Probably. But, this was my project, so I got to name it and since Burger was already taken, Tempura was the next best name I had. I liked to think that the subs namesake might approve… if she hadn’t died fifteen years ago. Shrimp don’t live very long.
As the ship began to depart, I caught myself reminiscing on how I’d ended up here… it really was all because of those damn shrimp, wasn’t it? Well… maybe not all because of the shrimp. But they were certainly part of it. Back when I was a lot younger, I never really gave much of a shit about anything at all. I guess I did have a thing for the ocean… the great, romantic vastness of it. The sense of adventure that it beckoned with. The endless mysteries that lay within its dark depths. I used to read about it all the time when I was a kid and I especially loved the classic adventures: Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Melville’s Moby Dick… but that love was just confined to my books. I didn’t really have any interest in actually going out and seeing the ocean. Hell, the idea of going to a beach and standing in the sun with my toes in the sand seemed miserable to me. I was happier (although calling myself happy might’ve been a little disingenuous) alone in my room, enjoying the company of books as opposed to people.
Then came the shrimp.
One of my online friends kept them as a hobby. He used to post pictures of his tanks all the time, and I always thought they looked kinda cool. He said that if I was interested in them, I should try keeping some for myself, and during a particularly bad bout of depression, I figured that maybe it might be worth a shot. So, I bought a cheap tank and some cheap decorations, bought myself some shrimp… and promptly watched them die over the next few weeks. That… that bothered me. I don’t know why but… it really bothered me. I’m still not entirely sure how to describe what it was that I was feeling. Guilt? Defeat? Shame? Here I was, trying to set up a habitat for these creatures just to have something to do to keep the suicidal ideation at bay, and I’d failed almost right out of the gate.
Was I just that bad? Was I just that much of a failure? Was this just going to go to shit just like everything else in my life did, because I was just such an abysmal piece of shit who barely deserved the life she had? Had I just not tried hard enough? Was I too apathetic? What had happened? What went wrong?
It bothered me.
It bothered me enough that I made up my mind to just dump the remaining shrimp down the toilet and toss everything. Forget about it. Move on. End of story. But… that wasn’t fair, was it? The shrimp didn’t all deserve to die just because I couldn’t be bothered, did they? Sure, they were just shrimp, but they were alive too, just like me. They deserved to be alive.
I owed it to them to try and keep them alive, didn’t I?
So… I didn’t dump the shrimp.
Instead, I started doing some reading. Started looking into what I was doing wrong and how to do it all better. I actually got really into it and a few months later, I had a nice planted tank. Looking back, it was amateur shit… but it made me happy. I’d even picked out names for my two favorite shrimp. Burger and Tempura. They’d been the last survivors of my original batch, and they were the ones I ended up caring about the most. Caring for Burger and Tempura gave me a purpose. It became an obsession… and that little obsession drove me to finally start turning my life around.
Like I said, shrimp don’t live for very long. Burger and Tempura were long dead by the time I graduated with a degree in Marine Biology. But they were the ones who inspired me to finally get my life in order. Hell, the shrimp were half the reason that I met Sheila. She was something of an aquarium fanatic too… we’d met on a forum, and gotten to talking. I found out that she just so happened to be studying Marine Biology at another school, and we bonded pretty quickly after that. After graduation, I moved to California to be with her and after that, the rest is history. She was my rock. She was the one who always pushed me to be the best possible version of myself… and I loved her more than I ever knew I could love someone.
A glance back at the shore, fading into the distance tore me out of my reminiscing, and I shifted my focus to the present, going over The Tempura to perform some quick checks. My colleagues and I would be checking and rechecking the submarine over the next two days as we made our way toward the dive spot. Considering the danger that descending that deep posed, I didn’t want to take a single unnecessary risk.
I had too much to live for, after all.
***
The day of the dive, I couldn’t notice how excited the rest of the crew seemed… well… Sheila’s usual crew seemed excited. I guess to them, this was just another research expedition, no different than the ones Sheila usually took this ship out on. Lately her research had been focused on the analysis and study of whale calls. Her recent voyages had involved following their pods, recording their calls and playing them back to see how the whales reacted. It was fascinating stuff, but my research was admittedly a lot different than that.
My obsession had drawn me to the denizens of the deep sea. I’d used The Burger for expeditions before, although none of them had been on quite the same scale as this one. Up until today, the most ambitious thing I’d done was send down unmanned submersibles with cameras. Those submersibles had typically returned. We had lost a few early on due to technical glitches, but the past few years had been blissfully uneventful. Logically, this dive would probably be uneventful as well. But it was still hard to get the jitters out of my head.
My team and I did the final checks necessary to make sure that The Tempura was good to go, before setting up the crane to begin lifting it up. In less than an hour, I’d be inside of that thing, descending to the darkest depths of the ocean.
It didn’t feel real.
I felt Sheila’s hand on my shoulder, and looked over at her.
“Moment of truth, huh?” She asked. She probably meant it to sound encouraging, but it just sounded ominous.
“Moment of truth…” I replied.
“You’re gonna be okay, honey. I know you will.”
She reached out to gently squeeze my hand and gave me a reassuring smile that I meekly returned.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be okay,” I agreed, although there was an element of a lie in it. Statistically, yes. It probably WOULD be okay. But there was that lingering anxiety in the back of my mind that just wouldn’t go away. I looked quietly out at the submarine before me and couldn’t shake the thought that it sort of looked like a giant coffin. Unconsciously, I found myself squeezing Sheila’s hand tighter than normal. She just held me close and pressed a kiss to the top of my head, before gently rubbing my back.
“You’ll be okay,” She promised.
“Dr. Jenner, we’re ready for you.” I heard one of my colleagues say.
Moment of truth.
I took one last look at Sheila, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips for luck. She smiled at me, and I smiled back anxiously at her before heading over toward the submarine.
The crew helped me enter the cockpit and get myself situated inside. The cockpit of the Tempura was fairly cramped and not particularly comfortable. Space and comfort aren’t really luxuries you can afford in a submarine like this. The instruments I needed took up a lot of space, leaving little room for me in there… and I am not a very big person.
Once I was inside, they sealed the hatch. Then the diagnostics checks began.
“Grayson, can you hear us in there?” I heard Sheila say through the radio.
“Loud and clear,” I replied.
“Great. We’ll keep in constant radio contact, just to monitor the signal. In the meanwhile, how’s everything looking in there?”
“Green across the board so far,” I said, although I hadn’t finished running all my final checks yet. Ultimately, nothing was out of place.
This submarine was as good to go as it was going to get.
“I’m all good in here,” I said once I was done. “You can drop me when you’re ready.”
“You got it, honey. Let’s get you in the water, run one final round of tests and start lowering you down.”
A short while later, I felt the submarine begin to move as the crane lifted it off the deck and lowered it into the water. The Tempura honestly resembled its namesake in a way, being long and cigar shaped, only vertically oriented instead of horizontally oriented. We’d admittedly taken more than a few design cues from James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenger. Why fix what isn’t broken, after all?
Once I was in the water, a 1000 pound releasable ballast weight would cause the submarine to sink. Releasing that weight was also my ticket back to the surface, and I could either trigger it from inside the cockpit, or, in the event that the release failed for any reason, it would trigger automatically after roughly 12 hours of exposure to salt water.
Ideally, this would be the first of a number of dives I’d be undertaking… and if all went according to plan, the Tempura could be the first of many similar submarines that would allow other researchers to safely and effectively descend to extreme depths. If all went well, this could be a massive leap forward for researchers like me, allowing us to better explore the deepest depths of the Hadal Zone and learn all we could about the ecosystems down there via direct observation.
If all went well.
If.
Through the viewport, I watched as I was lowered into the ocean. A few of the other crew members had donned diving gear to escort me down, and after they did their final checks and I did mine, we were fully ready to go.
“All’s green across the board,” I said into the radio. “You can start my descent.”
“I hear you, honey,” Sheila replied. “We’re letting you go. Have fun down there.”
“Yeah, I’ll try…” I said quietly as finally, my submarine began its descent.
I took a deep breath, and told myself again that everything would go fine. We had checked everything on this submarine. We’d tested it rigorously. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to set foot inside of it if I hadn’t personally assured that it was safe. But anxiety never really goes away, does it? The crew couldn’t accompany me far. After only a few meters, they fell behind me as I sank deeper and deeper into the infinite, empty blue of the ocean. Soon after, the tether was released.
I was officially on my own.
“60 feet,” I heard Sheila say over the radio. “How are you doing in there?”
“Good,” I replied. “Doing… doing good.”
The submarine continued to descend. Through the viewport, I could see a few stray fish, but nothing particularly eye catching. I almost felt alone down there… almost…
“120 feet…” Sheila said.
“Still doing good,” I replied.
The descent continued, as the waters slowly grew darker and darker.
“400 feet…”
Everything around me just kept getting darker and darker. Only a fraction of the light from the sun ever reached these depths… and I’d be lying if I said that darkness didn’t feel a little… oppressive.
“800 feet… still feeling good?”
“Yeah, still feeling good…” I said, although it was a bit of a lie. If anything, I was second guessing all of this, but I wasn’t about to say that out loud.
“1000 feet… still good?”
“Still good…” I murmured. “I hear you loud and clear.”
Deeper… deeper… deeper.
“1500 feet…”
Three miles. I was three miles away from home. Three miles away from Sheila.
“2000 feet…”
Still a ways to go.
“3000 feet…”
By this point, it was fully dark outside of my cockpit. Outside, all I could see was inky darkness. Even the submarine’s lights didn’t really cut through it. And the kicker? Relatively speaking, I wasn’t that deep. Fishing trawlers reached deeper than this. Better to conserve power until I was at the bottom. My descent continued.
“6000 feet… still good?”
“Still good…”
The check ins were becoming less frequent. My descent still continued… deeper… deeper… deeper. By now, I’d entered the Hadal Zone. But there was still so much deeper o go.
“8000 feet…”
This was past the depths that most whales would dive to… and I still had a ways to go.
“10,000 feet.”
This was close to where the ocean floor usually bottomed out… and yet there was still so much further to go. No. I was really only a third of the way there. How long had it been?Not much had happened beyond my descent and a few sightings out of my viewport, but time had been passing. A glance at my watch confirmed it’d been almost an hour since I’d started to sink… and I knew I wasn’t even close to the bottom yet. The submarine continued to descend, sinking ever deeper as I dropped into an infinite darkness that few had ever dared to witness.
“15,000 feet.”
This check in came later than the others. At this point, Sheila and the crew must have figured that no news was good news, and they were right. I just continued to sink peacefully, down into the crushing depths of the ocean.
These were the depths that one might normally find deep sea fish… and yet I was going somewhere even deeper than that.
“20,000 feet…”
So close…
I continued to sink.
“25,000 feet.”
Soon… and finally…
“30,000 feet. You still doing alright, honey?”
“Yeah… yeah, I’m doing good,” I assured her. I was so close…
By this point, my real work had begun. I’d engaged the lights and begun documenting what little I could see using the on board cameras. Granted, there wasn’t much life at these depths and what little there was, was scarcely documented. Most of what was down here consisted of invertebrates and microscopic life that seemed to float past my viewport.
The light seemed to draw a few creatures in search of food. Small, hardy things that resembled shrimp.
“How’s it looking, Grayson?”
“Dark,” I said, half joking. “We’ve got some life… shrimp. They’re translucent. Can’t get a great look at them… but we’ll see what the cameras pick up.”
“They’ve recognized you as a friend,” Sheila said. I could almost see the smile on her lips as she said it.
“Yeah…” I replied, “Tempura sent them a message, told them I’d be down. How am I looking on depth?”
“35,000 feet… you seeing a bottom yet?”
“No… not that I would until I was there.”
“Damn… how deep does this go?”
“It can’t go that deep…” I murmured, although I really wasn’t so sure about that.
The submarine continued to sink…
36,000 feet…
37,000 feet…
38,000 feet… and then finally, just past the 39,000 foot mark, I finally saw solid ground below me.
Looking through my viewport, I could see a familiar dark brown diatomaceous sludge, covering the seafloor. Microscopic life, likely similar to what had been observed in other deep sea trenches, such as the Challenger Deep.
I needed to gather a sample.
As my submarine reached the bottom, I extended the mechanical arms, pressed flat against the surface of the Tempura, and opened the collection port near the bottom of the ship. Slowly, I sifted some of the sludge into the port. My disturbance of the seafloor kicked up a cloud of the microbial colony, and I could’ve sworn I saw something wiggling through the debris. A pale, white thing, perhaps some sort of sea cucumber? I hastily angled my submarines camera to try and catch a glimpse of it, before returning to my collection. Even in this forlorn place, there was still so much to see! And here I was… completely forgetting my fear as the excitement took hold of me! Few people had ever been down to these unfathomable depths… and yet here I was.
It didn’t feel real but it was! I had reached the deepest part of the ocean!
“How’s it going down there?” I heard Sheila ask. Her voice was a little garbled. The connection down here was faltering.
“It’s beautiful…” I said. “I can’t wait for you to see it!”
“I’ll bet…”
“I’m going to do a sweep of the area, see what samples I can gather,” I said. “What’s my time right now?”
“Three hours. You’ve got nine before your connection to the weight deteriorates and you start to ascend.”
“I’ll make the most of it,” I said. The plan was only to stay down there for six hours, and I didn’t want to push that limit. Life support would only last me for so long, and one little error was all it would take for the ungodly pressure down here to crush me.
I began to move the submarine. Mobility was limited. This thing wasn’t built to travel far. But I still had some limited movement. I recorded all that I could, filming the shrimp that investigated my light, and the things that slithered and crawled through the muck, likely feeding on the carpet of single celled organisms that populated these depths.
The first two hours were… well… I hesitate to call them uneventful, they were actually very fascinating, but little of note happened beyond my recording of a few specimens.
Midway through the third hour though, as I was reaching one of the rock walls of the abyss, I noticed something just above the edge of my viewport swimming away from the light. I could’ve sworn I saw slender, pale tentacles of some sort. Was that a squid? Were there squid down this deep? I wasn’t aware of any species of known squid who could reach these depths… but in this unknown place, what use was the known?
I moved my light and my camera to try and catch another glimpse of it, but whatever it was, it seemed to be gone. Maybe I’d see another one. I still had plenty of time.
“You made a noise. What’d you see?” Sheila asked.
“Something big… I think,” I said.
“Down there? Like a fish?”
“Squid. You wouldn’t find any vertebrates down this deep… the pressure would crush their bones.”
“Jeez…”
I didn’t reply to that, still searching for the thing I’d seen. I shone my light up along the walls of the chasm and angled my camera up as far as it would go. I could see a few volcanic vents, spewing dark clouds into the darkness, and more diatoms. But not much else. Strange invertebrates crawled along the walls. Small creatures, no bigger than an inch long. Related to isopods, perhaps? If I could collect one as a sample, I would have… although taking any of those back to the surface would surely kill them. They were built to live under the impossible pressure of these depths. Taking them to the surface would rip them apart.
I went back to my research, and it wasn’t long until I saw something in the darkness, just on the edge of where my flashlight reached. Trailing white tendrils, snaking their way through the darkness. My eyes narrowed as I moved the submarine forward, trying to catch whatever it was in the light. I saw the shape move, its body turning… I saw its tendrils unfurling. Whatever this was, it was big. It was almost as big as The Tempura… although it was also slender. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought I was looking at some sort of floating debris, but this far down? No. And debris wouldn’t move like that.
This had to be a deepsea squid… or perhaps some other type of cephalopod? Something that preyed upon the various invertebrates down here, perhaps? It seemed to float, just out of sight for a bit, as I tried to get closer. I angled up my light to get a better look at it. The light seemed to shine through it, like some sort of ghost… but I did manage to get a look at it.
Although that look…
That single look made me freeze up.
This things slender tendrils certainly resembled a cephalopod of some sort, but the rest of it… the rest of it looked like something else entirely. Its body was thin, emaciated and translucent, yet despite that it still had characteristics that almost seemed… human. It wasn’t human! Not by any stretch of imagination, but the resemblance was there. It almost reminded me of an exhibit I’d seen in a museum once, depicting a preserved, fully removed human nervous system. I could see a similar shape in its translucent body. Its head seemed almost human as well… albeit with no eyes, and a lamprey like mouth I could only describe as fleshy yet crablike.
Still, despite having no eyes I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was looking at me. And that was when I felt something hit the submarine.
I felt a sudden jolt of panic in my chest. For a moment, I thought that the pressure had started to crush me, but no… no, everything was still fine. Something had just hit me. But what? It didn’t take long before I got my answer.
Another pale creature floated past my viewport, swirling gracefully in the cold dark waters. I watched it for a moment with wide eyes, before noticing its ‘head’ turning slightly toward me. Then, almost instantly, it launched itself at the submarine, darting toward me with blinding speed.
I heard a distinct THUD as its body collided with me, and I could see its pale tendrils pressing against the viewport, twisting and writhing violently. It was trying to attack me. The first creature that I’d seen lunged as well, pounding on my submarine with another THUD. And moments later, I could hear more impacts against the hull. There were more of them… and they did not like having me down there.
“What’s going on?” Sheila asked.
“Somebody doesn’t like me…” I said. “One of the animals down here… some kind of squid, it’s just started attacking the hull.”
“How bad is the damage?”
“Not sure… could be nothing, could be-”
I felt the submarine shake as I tried to move it. The thrusters that pushed me forward weren't responding. Had something gotten caught in it? One of the creatures perhaps?
“Grayson?!” Sheila asked.
“Lost propulsion…” I said. “Fuck… I can’t move.”
“Then drop the weight and come up!”
“No, it’s fine, there’s no other damage, I can still use the port and starboard thrusters to-”
“Grayson!”
I paused. There was genuine panic in her voice… enough to make me realize that even if these things stood little chance of actually breaching the hull, taking the risk would be a fatal mistake.
“I’m on my way up…” I finally said, before reaching out to disengage the ballast weights.
Immediately, I felt myself beginning to rise, although the tentacles clinging to my viewport didn’t disappear.
“We’ve got you…” Sheila said. “Rising up to 38,000 feet.”
The submarine continued to rise, but the creatures clinging to me went nowhere. In fact… I was sure I could see more of them. More pale shapes coming up through the darkness, and these ones filled me with dread. I thought I had been looking at some sort of eerie undiscovered life. But seeing what was coming up toward me now… I knew that I was looking at so much more. The creatures swimming up toward me through the darkness carried weapons… makeshift stone spears and daggers. Primitive tools… but tools all the same.
Signs that these were more than just undiscovered animals.
Much. Much more.
The word: ‘Mermaids’ crossed through my mind, but these were something far different than the ones I’d heard of in folklore. These looked like they’d swam out of the depths of hell itself. Boneless pale tendrils reached for me… and they were getting closer. The pale shapes reached my submarine as I rose higher. I kept praying to whatever God may be listening that the dropping pressure would force them off. The air in a submarine is pressurized, so during normal operation, there should have been no danger of decompression sickness for me.
For them… well… normally I’d feel a little guilty about subjecting an undiscovered species of deep sea mermaids to the horrors of the Bends. But given my circumstances, I didn’t have a lot of other options.
They didn’t let go, though.
They should have. But they didn’t.
What were these things?
I saw a splayed hand press against my viewport. Or… it somewhat resembled a hand. It had suckers on it, like a tentacle and the ‘fingers’ curled open like tentacles. The creature crawled over my viewport, clinging to The Tempura as it rose, and I could see the folds of its crablike mouth opening and pressing against the glass. I could see some sort of bile rising up through its translucent throat, before it secreted it all over my viewport. Was it trying to digest me? Was that how these things fed? How strong were its stomach acids? Were they strong enough to-
The window cracked.
My heart skipped a beat.
“No… no, no no…”
“Grayson, what’s wrong?!”
“They cracked the window… S-Sheila they… oh God… oh fuck, they just…”
“THEY DID WHAT?”
“It’s secreting some sort of enzyme… it’s on the window, it’s… FUCK… I’m gonna die… I’m gonna die… I’m gonna die…”
“You’re not gonna die, baby! Just… just keep ascending, okay? You’re at 30,000 feet… just keep going…”
I nodded, and kept on rising, although the question of whether or not the rest of the creatures were trying to digest the other parts of my submarine floated through my mind. How much damage could The Tempura take before it imploded? How much longer did I have? The submarine still continued to rise… 25,000 feet… almost halfway home… almost… almost.
The creature outside of my viewport slithered along the glass, searching for a better area to try and digest. Past him, I noticed a few of his companions dropping off. Maybe the change in pressure finally was getting to them?
From the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed a flashing light. A warning. The hydraulics on one of the Tempura’s arms were shot… what else was damaged?
I checked my oxygen levels. 32%.
I should’ve had at least 14 hours of air. I’d only been down there for about 6 hours… I shouldn’t have been this low.
31%.
No… no, no, no, no… they’d damaged the air tanks!
30%.
29%
“20,000 feet!” Sheila said. “You still with me, baby?”
“Y-yeah…” I said. I didn’t mention my air situation. I didn’t need to worry her further.
The submarine continued its ascent.
15,000 feet.
24%. I was running out of time.
The creatures still clung to the Tempura. How had the pressure change not killed them yet? My oxygen was dropping faster than before. I was hemorrhaging air. Another crack formed across my viewport. I let out a little, involuntary gasp before trying to force myself to stop hyperventilating.
“Grayson, what was that?”
“I-it’s fine…” I stammered, “It’s fine!”
“Grayson what the hell is going on down there?!”
“They’re still on the submarine… they’re still…” I paused, looking at my oxygen levels. “19%...”
“19% of what? Grayson what’s going on!”
I paused.
18%.
“Air… I’m… I’m losing air…”
“That’s fine, you’re going to make it!” She said, although I heard her voice cracking a little. “You’re gonna make it!”
I didn’t answer.
12,000 feet.
11,000 feet…
My oxygen level continued to drop.
15%.
14%.
12%.
9,000 feet.
The creatures still clung to me, as the submarine continued to rise. The one on my viewport was still there, slowly crawling along the glass again. I stared into its eyeless face and swore I was looking at the face of my killer.
7,000 feet…
Oxygen had dropped to 9%. It dropped to 8% before I even got to 6,000 feet. I was going to die here…
The viewport cracked again and I squeezed my eyes shut. The submarine rocked. I was sure one of the thrusters had been damaged. My ascent slowed.
“Grayson, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry Sheila…”
Another crack spread across my viewport.
“I’m… I’m not making it back up…”
“YES YOU ARE!”
“I’m sorry…” The tears started to come as the reality of my death became clearer and clearer… this was it.
“YOU’RE COMING BACK UP, YOU HEAR ME! GODDAMNIT, I’LL BRING YOU BACK UP!”
“I love you…”
That creatures face pressed against the glass. It vomited more of its stomach acid onto the cracked glass, and I wondered if this might finally be what broke it. Part of me hoped it would be… the one good thing about dying this deep was that at least I’d die quickly. My suffering would be over. Then, the creature suddenly pulled back, twisting and writhing violently. I saw other shapes moving past it in the water, other ‘mermaids’ that had been clinging to the submarine.
Something was agitating them.
Something was scaring them off.
Then I heard it, over the radio… whale songs.
“What the hell…?”
“Grayson, are you still there?!”
“I… they’re finally breaking off. Sheila, what did you do?”
“I’m broadcasting some of the orca recordings we’ve been using. Are they still clinging to you?”
“No! They’re backing off! I… whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!”
The submarine kept rising.
5,000 feet.
4,000 feet.
4% oxygen.
I could still do this, right?
The submarine continued to rise.
3%.
3,000 feet.
2,000 feet.
2%.
1,000 feet… so close… I was so close…
I could almost see the surface through my viewport, rushing up toward me. I tried not to breathe. Tried not to move. All I did was hope.
500 feet.
I closed my eyes.
“Grayson we have your signal, we’re coming to pick you up!”
Sheila’s voice sounded so far away as my submarine finally breached the surface of the water… and with the last of my strength, I pulled the emergency release on the hatch, and threw it open, taking in lungful after lungful of fresh salty air.
I didn’t dare so much as touch the water beneath me… but I was topside again, and in the distance, I could see The Burger!
“We see you!” Sheila said, “We’ve got you baby… we’ve got you…”
“I see you too…” I said through the tears. “Thank you… thank you…” I didn’t have any words left in me after that.
As soon as I was back on the ship, I collapsed into Sheila’s arms, breaking down into tears as I clung to her, terrified that at any moment, some sort of unspoken other shoe would drop and I’d lose her all over again.
“Shh… it’s alright baby… I’ve got you… you’re safe… you’re safe…” I felt her fingers running through my air and I knew that what she said was true.
I was home.
I was safe.
***
I left my colleagues to review the data that the Tempura gathered during its short expedition. As far as I know, they haven’t published anything. I have a few ideas as to why, but I’ll keep those to myself. Let’s just say that some people would rather this information not become public.
I have a feeling that the Tempura may not be diving again for some time, if ever. I will confess that I do consider that a bit of a shame. Despite everything… I would consider it a success. It endured far more stressful conditions than I had expected, and from what I heard, required fewer repairs than I’d thought it would. But, even if it was approved for another dive, it wouldn’t be me piloting it. No. I will never be setting foot inside of that machine again, nor will I ever be returning to what my colleagues have been quietly referring to as ‘The Jenner Trench’.
I can’t.
Every night, I wake up crying after dreaming of pale shapes outside of my cracked viewport, clinging to Sheila and sobbing. I can’t put myself in that situation again.
I can’t.
Instead, I think I’m going to spend the next few years on solid ground. There’s a teaching position available at a local university. I think that might be the best place for me right now. Who knows, maybe I can help some other deadbeat discover a passion for marine biology.
After everything, my love for the sea remains unchanged… I’m just a little more wary of it, these days.

A close family member was in a car accident where they were hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light.
They suffered a number of injuries. The primary one I am writing regarding is a fractured pelvis. There were two breaks, one weight bearing and one non-weight bearing. The former was been repaired this morning. They are still healing from their other injuries.
I am trying to get a perspective on what the future holds. Are life expectancies following a feature pelvis similar to hip features? Is it possible that they will eventually be able to return home? Prior to the accident, they were independent, and fully mobile. Looking for some perspectives from folks who have seen multiple people experience similar injuries.
Thanks for any insight.

First Previous Wiki
Ezeonwha was walking down a long hallway. The dry and plain painted walls and the pure white lighting of the lower levels of the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office helped to frame the dingy realities of those who could only afford these floors. Not even capable of having windows, these were for those who were the cheapest of the cheap or those who mingled with them. He'd passed several Guides on the way in, their claws echoing in the halls as a sign of authority in this lawless land.
Here, mediocrity was king, and he was a loyal servant. He drew his cloak closer about his neck, unwilling to reveal himself to those who weren't already equipped to see through it all. He was famous enough to be an abduction target if he let his guard down. This place was no exception, though Justicar tried to make them such. Too much security on the higher levels and too little on the lower levels. That was the way of things.
Another hallway, this one marked with bullet holes. Two contractors and a Guide were discussing the pricing of the fix project when he turned the corner. Their voices quieted to nothing, the stillness pressing down upon them with the same intensity as the false lighting. Ezeonwha clacked his jaws, giving them a low bow before continuing on his way. He saw the Guide's eyes light up with the sign of his implants getting a reading. It was another impromptu way of tracking via facial recognition, but it was an ancient practice.
Nothing was new about what the Guides did; only how many of them seemed to be on general patrol. Had Justicar hired more of them or actually done full conversions for all of them? Those arm cannons surely weren't cheap or ethical to insert into unwilling participants. And giving a victim a gun they couldn't be disarmed of was a very bad idea, even for Elders. And Justicar was better than most Elders when it came to abject stupidity. He'd likely only been dropped a few hundred times as a child versus the more likely Elder average of a few thousand.
Ezeonwha chuckled at his internal joke, heading deeper underground into the complex. He was going to a certain meeting, and it would be best not to be late. Even if the Guides tracked him, it wouldn't be negative. The group he had been approached by a few days ago wasn't a terror group. He'd looked them up. They dealt in 'freedom and liberation from all chains.'
The Eyes Of Liberty had focused upon Penny as their latest propaganda target and perhaps as a valuable ally in their fight against all tyranny. Though such a flowery message was likely steeped in idealism for the lower ranks, with more pragmatic and likely richer inner circle elites and leaders ensuring the pot would always simmer but never boil or grow cold. That was the way movements such as these managed to skirt the line between inaction and terrorism.
It was a dangerous thing to do. But these were dangerous times. If Penny left, he'd die. Someone with a grudge would kill him. It was a given, and he'd made peace with it now. He needed to get to work, to help others like him and those worse off, with just a small piece of the meager time he had left.
He was in the system as a friend of Penny, so little scrutiny would fall on him as he came and went. He had a new friend, one who was very interested in connecting to Penny.
The offer had come through his communicator, and he'd answered it given its interesting title. After a lengthy discussion about their goals for him and Penny, he'd agreed to at least have a meeting. He didn't tell them that he had a tracker from Phoebe, which would 'be impossible to miss' if things went badly. He knew the value he had, which was why one of the androids was also accompanying him under the guise of being a Sprilnav.
The android was 'walking' on all fours, its mechanical motion entirely silent. It was obscured by a wave of holograms and hard light holograms that would ensure that it wouldn't be considered suspicious beside him. His only guard was a capable one, and Phoebe had all the confidence of an AI who knew that the destruction of her android would only be an inconvenience for her.
Ezeonwha came to an unmarked door with a well-worn door frame. One knock. One pause. Two knocks. Another pause. Four knocks. He waited, and the door swung open. Eight Sprilnav greeted him warily but warmly, their eyes shifting to Phoebe.
The inside of the room was a dull red, coming from a pair of lights in the center of the ceiling that cast dark shadows near the edges. The whole room felt dark and dangerous, and the walls were lined with guns, computers, and several drones. Shelves and drawers were neatly stacked against the wall, as well as five couches and four double beds with ladder access to the top portions.
Bags of food rested atop a trash compactor unit, and the room service button on the inner side of the wall that Ezeonwha could see in the mirror was worn down to the raw metal. No paint jobs here, only grit and business. The room faintly smelled of body odor and assorted foods. Not entirely unpleasant, but also not what he'd expected from a group with sich a flamboyant name. Perhaps they worked in cell-based units. And that was another thing.
Minds were visible in the distance of the mindscape, but the people here were huddled together mentally. They appeared to be haphazard, but Ezeonwha recognized an old army-type defensive formation a mere step from each of their positions. They were more than they appeared. Though based on how their room looked, they probably weren't veterans, just decently trained.
As they walked through the doorway, a scanner activated. One of the Sprilnav, wearing a headset with numbers and letters swirling on the inner side of the visor, called out: "Phoebe android. Commando variant. Risk assessment: Certain Death. Ezeonwha. Carrying two pistols, one hidden in the pack on his left, and the other tucked inside a strap near the lower bottom of his chest."
That made them all pause, sizing each other up. Ezeonwha smiled nervously, failing terribly to break the building tension once again. His nerves started to get to him, but finally, Phoebe spoke. "Well, friends. I, for one, am happy to talk of the business of liberty. Tell us, what do you have in mind for my friend Ezeonwha?"
"It is not about him, AI. It is about the freedom all sentient beings deserve, and which we shall bring to the galaxy no matter if we are alive or dead."
"An honorable goal to strive toward," Phoebe said.
"Thank you. Your words are quite kind for your type."
"I didn't know I had one," Phoebe replied. "But thank you."
Ezeonwha turned his head toward the Sprilnav with all the fancy equipment.
"What is the best way for me and Penny to help in the fight?"
"The best way would be for you to start killing the gang leaders you come across. Barring that, have Penny ignore the graveyards, and continue freeing the slaves as she ought to. The dead have their freedom; the living need her work more."
"I agree with my companion," another of them said. "So far, Penny has done more for the fight for justice than any other on Justicar in generations, so it is a terrible thing to ask more, but we must ask. Even knowing the terrible toll it would have if she loses the Judgment, Sprilnav are at stake."
"People are at stake, you mean," Ezeonwha said. "There is no need to bring species into this."
"There would not be, but it is still a clear factor," another of them said, a female who looked more shifty in her gaze and demeanor. The Eyes of Liberty seemed like one of those groups with too much division.
"Do you disagree with each other often?" Ezeonwha asked innocently.
"Here and there," the tech guy said. "Not often enough to be a problem, and not when what matters is at stake."
"But that is the thing. How can you agree on when something that matters is a stake?"
"Is this a test?"
"Why would it be? Think of it as a genuine concern," Ezeonwha said. "To associate with your group, I have to be certain it will be resilient to change and risks escalating in the future. If the gangs cannot strike at Penny, they will pick the next best targets. Currently, that is me. If I associate with you in a way they can find out, and I assure you they will find out eventually, you all may be at risk as well. And your group's seemingly cell-based design also means large scale mobilization is difficult, ineffective, and risks severe coordination issues which cannot be quickly or safely remedied without changing core security features of it."
"You deduced all of that from context? You are smart, Ezeonwha. And have a good brain in your head. Everlasting knows we need one of those between all of us."
They all shared a laugh.
"I am not as young as I may look," Ezeonwha said. "Penny is not properly learned of the danger that faces us here. I am. The Underground will kill me when this is over. Do you want to die alongside me, all for your beliefs?"
Silence descended again. Ezeonwha kept the pressure on them when one of them stepped forward. "For freedom and liberty? Yes. I would die for that."
"As would I."
"And I."
They all declared the rest in orders that followed the patterns Ezeonwha was noticing. There were variances in their levels of belief and faith in their purpose. Each person had a different level of value difference, which meant that their lives would be worth more or less comparatively.
Cohesion was weaker, too. Not a full defector team, but likely pieces of several. Was that by design from a higher up leader, or was that just circumstance? Another thing to figure out later, that wasn't critical yet, but he would know before he truly went on any missions with them, if he did at all.
He suspected running messages to Penny would be the majority of their tasks. The quality of intelligence the Eyes of Liberty had offered was substantial. Perhaps enough for Penny to turn herself from a major annoyance to the gangs into an actual existential threat. With Justicar's swarming protection of the Fort Court and the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office, there was a limited amount of things that even the gangs could do. And if the rumors were correct, a Progenitor would be partaking in the trial.
"To be clear, if I join up with you, Phoebe would come too."
"Why would we let an AI join us?"
Phoebe smiled. "Without me, you'll die in this fight. You have trained for around 2000 days. You're acceptable combatants, as is Ezeonwha. But you are fighting in a city, and underneath it. You need to know how to keep a low profile. You need to know how to move through a crowd, get in and out. And you need to keep collateral damage to a zero, or the gangs will use you like they have others who had your purpose and were less careful to justify their 'protection' continuing. If you march in there and kill 50 slavers, if you kill a few slaves or a single bystander in the process, your credibility will be smeared. And frankly, with me on your team, you won't get blown up by an IED when you try clearing your first room in a fortress."
"IED?" One of them asked, while the rest digested her statement, going through various levels of offended looks.
"Your translator is too cheap. Improvised explosive device. Here, that can be old engines, reused oil, cracked plastic, frictional fuel bombs, circuit extruders, sodium splash grenades, as well as the more military style attacks they can pack, from small micro rockets all the way up to lower level fission or fusion bombs. Though if you're in a fight with those things involved, you're already dead."
"Why?"
"Because unless you're Elders, or holograms, a nuke will kill you whether you're right next to it or just inside the same shield. They concentrate the thermal pulse, so your bones would be ash before the pain hit your eyes."
"And what protection could you bring against that?"
"Telling you it's there before you start the attack. That is, if you listen to me. I value your lives over that of this android, but also I value Ezeonwha over all of you combined. I will not prevent him from doing this, but I will have you all know the risks involved."
"We are prepared, Phoebe. We have done much of the training you say, though we do not believe the gangs would plant explosive devices in their own fortresses. There is too much risk around that, with betrayals so common. However, the minefields we have scouted are easy to defeat with the right tactics. Perhaps you can give us a briefing on those, too?"
A challenge.
"I can, depending on how long you wish to do this for. But I have the stamina for either hours or weeks, depending on which you choose."
"What of your batteries?"
"They are of sufficient quality," Phoebe assured.
"I hope so."
Their tech guy nodded, more numbers flashing on his visor. Ezeonwha hoped he had a different way of display, like through an implant or something, for the missions in darker areas. The Underground was, by its name, not a place where much natural light was to be found. And the gangs controlled all the power systems in their territory. It was another part of the racket.
"Why aren't you guarding Penny?"
Phoebe's back straightened, a subconscious posture change to make her seem more confident. Ezeonwha caught the tactic for what it was, though without extensive knowledge of bipedal forms, it was less likely the surrounding Sprilnav knew it.
"Penny proved before a trillion eyes she's capable of fighting Elders, Progenitors, and a Dreadnaught Captain. Not to mention her immense power. I can shoot bullets, but she can literally snatch them out of the air and eat them. She has her own way of doing things, and it is a good way."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Penny landed in the rubble and headed for the Vaquah with a trail of survivors behind her. Many of them, she could recognize the marks of slavery on, with numbers or brands on their skin or just the trauma crouching in their eyes dulled by the pain of a long life in a work camp. Penny went through the wreckage to the shield surrounding the rubble and the defining line between the rest of the city and the destruction. Several news drones flew above her.
More were arriving from various directions. The soft footsteps grew into a constant drumming sound, like a beating heart of doom. Penny marched with them, heading to the spaceport. A large medical operation there quickly rerouted many of its various branches to the most injured freed slaves.
Penny pressed her considerable psychic energy on the entire group, accelerating their healing, slowing bleeding, and generally repairing their bodies and cells from the trauma they'd suffered. But the cloud over their heads did not brighten. The atmosphere remained tense and mournful. Many of them had lost friends, family, and more. She had no right to ask them to feel any different.
She had freed them, that was all. They were not her servants. She was not their ruler.
Several of them came up to her, offering thanks in the small ways they could. Kind words. Attempts at hugs. Even offers of devout prayer and worship, which Penny respectfully declined. She knew, as did most of them, that veneration for her deeds was inevitable. She didn't want to be seen encouraging it at all, since this was a public place where many eyes were upon her.
She knew that it would be misconstrued as a threat if she did. Religions were some of the most major threats entrenched powers could face if not properly co-opted by the state to suit their needs. And here, the 'state' was a military dictatorship billions of years old, ripened with corruption, money, and the immortality of Elders sporting technology beyond any other in the galaxy.
The sky was blue with shields overhead. The Vaquah hung in the distance, its thrusters gently burning to keep it aloft. A trail of shuttles linked the massive ship with several spaceports, including this one. Penny watched the freed Sprilnav get on it one by one, promising themselves to a new life aboard her ship. Technically, they were citizens of the Autonomous Peoples' Stars.
That protection, Penny knew, was why the Vaquah and its innocent inhabitants were still intact. Elders already had hired mercenaries to attack it. They'd failed, thanks to Rimiaha and Penny, but also the defenses of Kashaunta's Grand Fleet when it was in higher orbit. Kashaunta, despite her willingness to use Penny as she would, also had a certain intelligence and empathy. It was highly selective, and only money and power seemed to flip that switch.
But Penny needed the Elder, and Kashaunta only had use for her as an asset. She palmed the new communicator Kashaunta had issued her after the last one's destruction. Kashaunta's hologram appeared. It looked around, noticing the news drones in the air.
"Not here."
"Where?"
"You will know."
In the mindscape, a Sprilnav appeared on Penny's layer. They felt odd to her, almost like the minds of certain humans high up in the hivemind's network. Penny greeted the Sprilnav warmly.
"Hello."
"Queen and Elder Kashaunta requests your presence on her flagship."
"Very well."
In reality, Penny looked around at the crowd. She waited until it dwindled to nothing, and then spoke.
"Displace."
Conceptual energy twisted, and she stood on Kashaunta's flagship, though nearer to the edge than she'd expected. The Elder was waiting for her in an outfit that looked much like pajamas, though they were under a few armor pieces that appeared anything but decorative. Now that Penny noticed it, it was the same sort of armor that Yasihaut had worn to their last encounter, which interfered with conceptual energy. The Sprilnav were highly advanced. She wondered just how far their technology could go. She'd heard mentions of some ships having artificial gravity, and of nanites and programmable matter. But nothing certain.
"Hmm," Kashaunta said, giving Penny a once over. "You have come back. Shall I assume you are still my ally?"
"Nervous, are we?"
"Nervous is what you should be, Penny. The Judgment is coming. Ten days. Indrafabar and Justicar will both be on the court as High Judges. That is not good for us at all. So I figured a bit of prudence was in order. I have thought long and hard about this, and with the great battles of our time so fast approaching, I figure it is time to mend our relationship before the chasm grows any wider."
Kashaunta motioned to a special looking sword sheath on her back. Slowly, she drew a sword. A Soul Blade. Penny began to draw up her armor.
"Oh, I am not wishing for a fight, Penny. I know the damage you could do, even in my sanctum in the sky. Tell me, do you know how Soul Blades are forged?"
"No."
"Good. And tell me, do you know why they draw so much power to swing, even for Elders and beings as capable as us?"
"I have a few theories."
"I am sure you do," Kashaunta said. "But here is the thing. Soul Blades are typically weapons assigned to highly promising Elders, or even Progenitors. Filnatra, undisputed sword master that she is, can wield them as easily as breathing. If I were to swing this blade, there would be no drawback. Why?"
"Because you own that Soul Blade."
"Because this Soul Blade is mine. It is not just something I own. I own around seven or so more Soul Blades, with some weapons nearing their quality lying in my various vaults even now. You did not detect them, because I willed that not to be. I need you to understand this, Penny. You have power. You have might. But you are not invincible. My Soul Blade, if it struck you, would not cutely separate Nilnacrawla or Cardinality from you. Nor would your speeding space entity be able to block this blade with his flesh. If this cut you, it would release unending agony upon you before you exploded in a burst of burnt gore."
Penny sighed. "There is no need to threaten me. Allies do not threaten each other."
"But you do not see me as an ally. You see me as your means to get through the Judgment. You believe I see you as nothing more but a linear singularity maker, and perhaps a passing curiosity I'm backing on a whim. You neglect to imagine that there might be firmer reasons why I back you, and why more Elders are getting drawn into this conflict. You believe I am comfortable with showing you my more pragmatic and ruthless sides because I am comfortable with the fact that you cannot harm me. That you would not dare to do so, when you need my assistance so badly. That I might even be aiming to normalize my 'new' self with you."
"That is hardly my belief alone."
"Is it now."
Kashaunta grinned. There was no warmth in her gaze.
"Nilnacrawla," Kashaunta said. "Cardinality. Exile. Come out and show yourselves. You are being rude as guests."
Exile detached from Penny's head. He grew into the shifting array of fractals and shapes she was more familiar with. What had once grated on her eyes did so no longer. Kashaunta stared at the speeding space entity for ten seconds, then looked back up at Penny.
"He will not work on us. I will cover his form with holograms if he walks through my ship out of courtesy for my workers and crew, if he cannot."
"I am capable, Queen Kashaunta."
"You are quite knowledgable, aren't you?" Kashaunta mused, looking at him hungrily. "Oh, how I wonder what secrets you have in your head. How many of ours do you know?"
"I will not be taken as a hostage," Exile said.
"You will not because I decide not to," Kashaunta said. "Formally, our species are still at war. There is no treaty."
"The Sp'rkial'nova no longer exist."
"Yes, they do," Kashaunta said. "The name was discontinued for use regarding the lesser specimens we created. But I can assure you, Exile, if you wish to go by that name here, that we still do exist. I am a Sp'rkial'nova in the flesh. In the blood. In the mind. In the soul."
"Say what you will, Sprilnav. It changes nothing."
"On that I agree. Though our views on how things are may differ, and yours is wrong, your opinion is not valuable enough to matter."
She turned to Penny. She would have defended Exile, but he gave her a simple shake of his head area.
Nilnacrawla formed out of psychic energy in front of Penny. Cardi did the same beside her. Kashaunta tapped a claw on the ground. Tables and chairs appeared. A chef brought in food that looked passable and a few decent attempts at human cuisine.
"We do not have to eat, though I would expect that all of you at least sit at the table. We will discuss our grievances, and how to solve them before we proceed with the future. We shall first go to the matter of the Alliance. Penny, many in their number wish to establish contact with you. Do you agree to this? If so, I will add their communicator numbers to the translation program I have reserved for your personal use, in case your own device needs another sudden replacement."
"I agree."
"Good. A first step of diplomacy, I would say. Agreement. Now, Nilnacrawla, you look like you have something to say to me. What is it?"
"Free Meridia."
"Meridia was detonated by planet cracker during the 139th Sector 9 Border War. I am sorry more could not be done."
A cold draft of air rushed out of Nilnacrawla's nose. He glared at her. "You let them die."
"I did not. A Grand Fleet was defending that star system, and three came to lay siege. I am many things. A tactician, a queen, an Elder. But I am not a god. I cannot perform miracles. I evacuated 30 billion people from that world and its surrounding stations before the planet crackers hit it. 4 trillion more souls died in that blast. The best I can do is to offer an apology."
"That will never be enough for what you did. If you had never established your nation, they would still be alive."
"They would be slaves. Chattel slaves, not that cute little 'wage slavery' concept privileged people throw around. Perhaps I should remind you just how much darker that reality would have been for your female descendents, specifically. I am a brutal warlord, a dictator with an iron fist. But my claws do not squeeze nearly as tightly as I could. Metrics say that I could extract at least 370% more profit from my people if I simply enslaved them. But despite the shock this may bring to you all, I do have principles. The Autonomous Peoples' Stars are my people. My nation. My empire, if you think I'm imperialist. But I protect them as best I can."
Nilnacrawla's cold anger didn't lessen. Penny placed a calming hand on his front left thigh. He blinked. He let out a long, pained sigh. And he bowed his head to her. Not to Kashaunta, but to Penny.
"There is no need to be cruel."
"My language was accurate, Penny. He is a strong Elder. Everlasting knows he's stronger than most of these fools. Nilnacrawla was and is a hero of the Source war. I respect him enough not to mince words, or to give platitudes. Coddling is for babies. Nilnacrawla is far more mature."
Kashaunta turned to Cardi. "You have been remarkably silent in this, concept."
"I have."
"A wonderfully succinct statement. Perhaps you can shorten it further. But nevertheless, you and I will be working together with Penny much more in the near future. Rest assured, if you refuse to become more independent, you will be nothing more than a crutch for her to rely on before leaving her to fall when you are ripped away."
"When, Elder? I would like to think your protection is sufficient."
"I am sure the truth is quite the opposite, dear. I will now get to the point. Penny needs to move faster, and needs to break out of her shell. She needs to be pushed to do more. She has signed a binding treaty, which shows she is capable of more than barbarian aliens, as some Elders would call her. You, Cardinality, will help her be a high achiever. To do this, you need to learn more about your own history.
That is the theme of the year, after all. History. My history, Penny's history, Sprilnav history, and even Gaia's history, it would seem."
"Gaia? What do they have to do with all of this?" Penny asked.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that."
"Excuse me? You don't get to decide that, Kashaunta. You will tell me. I refuse to be coddled, like you say. I demand the respect I am owed."
"You forget yourself, Penny."
"I remember myself, actually. I am all I need to be. I can become all I need if I must. You can hold your backing against me all you want, but you won't withdraw it. As you said, more binds you and I than mere money and ideology."
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then I've doomed my species and my nation to war, and this planet to the full power of my wrath."
"Wrath, Penny. Wrath. The Sprilnav have many words for anger, rage, hatred. There is the desire for vengeance, in varying degrees. There is that for justice, which does differ. And that for belonging. I know you believe you are standing up to me as a way to assert your own authority in this relationship of ours. You believe I see you as inferior, and will pull back my help when it is profitable for me. I will not offer you the consequences of what your words could mean.
You already know them, and that argument is as stale as your view on us Elders. I will say this once, Penny. You are the Champion of Humanity. The apex predator of your planet, the only one mostly in charge of an Alliance that does more than merely dream of overthrowing us. It is easy for me to say you are not a threat, though I do not ignore the threat you and your nation are trying to become. Gaia will be a part of your movement, but even my information is not entirely complete. I will not mislead you by claiming I know Gaia's link to this, just that there likely is one.
And I am not unreasonably petty. I am willing to put all our animosity behind us and start anew. Even if you are not willing to do the same, I am willing to make this work for us. You have more people to care for than just the Alliance, now. Do not forget them."
"A lot of words that mean nothing."
"Because you heard, but did not listen. Perhaps it will be easier this way, Penny. I want you to win."
"Explain."
"You wish to overthrow the current Sprilnav led order of the galaxy. Your path to that will likely be through mass slave revolt. A viable strategy that I could spread far beyond just this planet. And I actually agree with you. This Judgment, this utter insanity around the Alliance and your species has shown me the truth. The Elders as a class and a species cannot be trusted to rule any longer. We need new leaders. Better leaders."
"And yourself?"
"As the hypocrite that I am, and the power-hungry ruler of the Sprilnav, I would obviously exclude myself from that number. Let's be realistic. The Sprilnav will never accept a non-Elder ruler. If you wish to see what our insurgencies would be like, imagine the 2090s Struggles of Asia. Expand that to billions of planets, large and small. Countless ships and space stations. We have more collective ships than you have people. And as your military planners know, there is no such thing as an unarmed ship. Without us, without me, your plans are stillborn. Your galactic Alliance or whatever you make will fall to pieces without proper counseling. In essence, my offer to you, and you alone, is this. The galaxy, for the Sprilnav."
"Who backs your offer, with the power to give it?"
Progenitors Lecalicus and Nova appeared in the room.
"I back Kashaunta," Lecalicus wheezed.
"I observe her offer, and wish it a proper outcome," Nova said.
"Thank you, esteemed Progenitors," Kashaunta said, standing just to bow to them. Penny stared at Nova, balling her fists.
"There will be time for battle later," he said. "But not now. Hear out her request. She does not make it lightly."
The Progenitors disappeared.
"If I accept your offer, it will be on a written record."
"No. It will not be, because if that record is written, my nation will be facing war on all sides. A better idea would be for us to keep this under wraps."
"Perfect for betrayal," Nilnacrawla muttered.
"It would be, yes. But consider the second part of this situation, Nilncrawla. If word of this galactic offer, not just the Pact, were to get out, which is why two Progenitors who know the price of interference were called here, it would mean the deaths of Penny and all her kind. Or do you forget what rapidly approaches us?"
Nilnacrawla frowned. "I did. I apologize, Penny."
Kashaunta spoke up again.
"Penny. You believe I will betray you. So I make an offer of collateral. An offer so unbelievably sacred for us Elders that many would recoil at the mere thought of it. Now that you have signed a backed treaty, you are fully qualified."
Kashaunta grabbed her Soul Blade and presented it to Penny.
"What does this mean?"
"Nilnacrawla, tell her," Kashaunta said. "She will trust your mouth more than mine."
"Bonded Soul Blades are priceless artifacts," Nilnacrawla said. "To offer one to another is the ultimate gesture of trust and respect among many martial Sprilnav cultures. It can also allow for a mind bridge, a soul pact, or a proposal for marriage between two great houses, martial families, or Elders of great wealth and power. To offer this to a human... to anyone... is an ultimate sign of backing, and one of trust.
It is a sacrosanct honor, the absolute agreement of speaking truth and respect. The words I can use in any human language are insufficient to describe the weight of this honor. This gesture is one of absolute truth. Family lines with hatred going back millions of years would never dare to violate this honor."
"Only one Elder in history did so, one who once led a group known as the Stannic Resistance. He does so no longer. Penny Balica, Champion of Humanity... if there is nothing else I can give you to prove that I do really back you, there is this."
"...Just how low are my chances in the Judgment for you to resort to this?" Penny asked.
"They are not zero, but your battle with be incredibly difficult even with this boon of mine. The future of the galaxy, I now realize, hinges on the outcome of this. If we do not have enough trust, they will sniff it out, and we will fail."
So she had no choice. But as Nilncrawla continued to explain in her mind, Kashaunta was getting the worse side of the deal. Which meant she was throwing her backing behind Penny for real, beyond all reproach and retraction. Kashaunta, the most powerful Elder in the galaxy.
"And if I reject this gift, or your reasons for it?"
"Circumstances would demand that I kill you and then myself using this blade as a way to cut apart the dishonor, before my remains are dumped into a black hole to be forgotten forever. I would not do this."
"A dark and archaic custom," Penny said. She would have said more, but she looked at Nilnacrawla's face. He was clearly deeply uncomfortable. Her five words had shaken him more than anything she'd ever said to him before.
"You do not understand," Nilnacrawla said. "This is not something to joke or lie about. With a Soul Blade Pact in play, all else must cease. Right now, there is you, and there is her. Accept or decline. The choice, your only choice, is yours."
"How will this look to the Elders in the court? To the Sprilnav, and the people who back me?"
She could see how it would be a boon and a curse.
"You, and I," Kashaunta said. "The whole of the universe between us right now is you and I. No others exist until this one act is done. There will be trust or there will be death. No in between. No middle ground. The nature of this bond will be a Pact of Blades."
Conceptual energy swirled between them. Penny's natural translation, as part of the hivemind, failed for the first time ever. Her communicator likewise did not translate the words Kashaunta spoke.
"Eis nama kaste Penny Balica, sun lanci Dorima Kashaunta. Ko'ri, lanci nupa bes na Dorima'Pecunyanova. Sp'rkial'nova. Sun. Homo Sapiens."
The air grew thick with tension. It was not just emotional, either. Psychic and conceptual energy gathered. The mindscape started to distort as more and more eyes began to view Kashaunta and Penny. But all of them were Sprilnav eyes. All of them were Progenitors. Nova's appeared brightest and largest, nearly six times the size of the next largest pair. They stared at her, sending psychic and conceptual energy down upon her in waves that forced her and Kashaunta to kneel to the ground.
"I apologize for my earlier words," Penny said. "I should not have denigrated this."
Penny stood for an hour, deeply contemplating the Pact. If it was as Nilnacrawla was describing to her, it was a promise that Kashaunta would not break. If she was offering it at all, especially to Penny, it meant she had a level of trust in Penny's capability far above what Penny had previously thought. Apparently, there were even higher agreements than this that were possible, with this Pact being the lowest level of bond and considered unbreakable with the enforcement of consequences coming from the Progenitors themselves.
She thought of her place in Justicar and the wider universe. Hours passed like water. And then, by the end of it, after nearly 19 hours, Penny finally had decided. She gave a short nod to Kashaunta, who had been kneeling to Nova all this time.
Kashaunta gestured at the sword. "Tol, nopa shikai."
Nilnacrawla fed her a few suggestions on what she would need to say.
"I come to this Pact seeking peace, justice, and hope," Penny said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery."
Nilnacrawla translated Kashaunta's next words to her.
"I come to this seeking trust, understanding, respect, and peace," Kashaunta said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery. I make this Pact before the gods, those who equal them, and those who surpass them. I bind them to an oath of silence regarding this event, until I directly instruct them otherwise, in a state of a sound mind, body, and soul. Here, we shall step into a future that needs both of us, casting aside that which is unimportant to focus on the ultimate goals we have. I offer my Blade to Penny Balica, of species Homo Sapiens. In this way, we forge a new future, and walk a new path. I accept the Pact."
"I accept the Pact."
Nova and a hundred Progenitors descended. Nova grew larger, and Kashaunta knelt to him. Penny remained standing. His sharp teeth glittered in the light. He pressed his claws to Penny's chest, and to Kashaunta's chest.
"The Pact of Blades is made before the Progenitors. We agree to your vow of silence. The penalty of breaking it will be dismemberment and disposal into a black hole. Penny Balica, Engineer Kashaunta. To break this Pact without mutual agreement is to call down our collective wrath upon yourselves. You both have agreed, and are of sound mind, body, and soul. The Pact is forged. By sword, by word, by action. I, Nova, Everlasting, Lord of the Progenitors, King of all Sp'rkial'nova, Heir to the Mantle of Power, Heir to Narvravarana, Progenitor, Elder, and Sprilnav, declare the deed done, etched in time, space, and Reality."
They winked out of existence one by one, leaving Penny and Kashaunta alone, to ponder the future. Penny's thoughts turned to the Judgment, and her confidence she could win it began to waver. How much worse was this Judgment going to be than before?
Penny stared at Kashaunta's Soul Blade. With careful fingers, she took it. Kashaunta sat up, satisfied.
"Now we can begin. I shall compile all the news about you I can find, and we shall see how to address the questions the High Judges will ask. Now that you trust me, I cannot betray you."

Anyone have a recommendation for paintless dent repair? Doesn't have to be the cheapest, just solid, honest work. Mobile or not is fine. I'm in Torrance but South Bay in general is good. TIA

Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 both allow us to craft our own bases. While 76's C.A.M.P. is a mobile base establishment, Fallout 4's settlements were a mixed bag.
On one hand, you got to build multiple towns of your own and settle the Commonwealth. On the other hand however...

• There were 37 Settlements for Fallout 4, which is honestly beyond a few too many.
• Plenty of settlements had sub-par build areas or locations that were not great for people to actually settle in as a moderately safe place to live.
• The constant management of these many settlements was admittedly overwhelming.

I think that if Fallout 5 were to bring this system back, there would need to be some changes. For starters, reducing the number of Settlements down in the base game from 30 down to a much more manageable number of 15.
By making less settlements across the map, you increase the actual challenge of the game a tad while also allowing the devs to focus on making sure that each Settlement is actually satisfactory and ideal for the construction of structures with ease. An issue that Fallout 4 faced was that since there were so many settlements, well over half of them were on terrible terrain or were placed in locations that left a lot to be desired. Mods had to be employed to ensure that just about every settlement was actually to a likeable state of being. With a focus on only 15 settlements in the base-game, it will allow these player-made towns to be more scattered across the map evenly and ensure that each one is designed with quality in mind. No one wants another Hangman's Alley settlement.
Secondly, I think that there should be another restriction put in place. Allow the player to freely explore the landscape and establish 10 settlements without the need of joining a faction - 5 of which will be freely given to the player for exploration and 5 of which will be available to players after completing a simple quest.
However, by siding with a faction; there will be a settlement unlocked in which they want you to venture out and scout a location for them. Say for example, you side with the Brotherhood of Steel. They want you to secure for them a foundry so that they can smelt metal from scrap in order to more easily forge materials for repairs and production. In turn, the collapsed warehouse nearby becomes an ideal location to establish a small town of sorts for the BoS to have commerce while you get a settlement out of the deal.
Don't get me wrong, I am not asking for faction-specific settlements. Merely I am asking for there to be a faction-war system of sorts. After securing the Foundry for the BoS; you can then take up quests to wrest control from the other factions in the wasteland and gain the remainder of the settlements. For example - If I were to side with the local Coalition of Organized Survivors (CoS), I would have been instructed to capture a Parking Garage in order to convert it to be a prison for the raiders and bandits that have wracked havoc on the region. Or by siding with the BoS, they want me to then take this Parking Garage as their second major establishment and turn it into a barracks for them. Either faction I settle with, the player will get the rooftop level of the parking garage to make an easily defendable settlement out of.
Ergo, there are 5 settlements that are faction quest locked from the player. It doesn't really matter what faction you side with in order to settle the place. BUT choosing factions will net you new design aesthetics to build your towns with and some actual bonuses. For example - a BoS settlement will have someone always dressed in Power Armor on the defense of the settlement and weapons shops will net you a discount on energy weapons and repairs. Siding with Raiders will net the player with Raider aesthetics to build the settlement with, unusual chems to purchase, and cause Raiders in the wild to be less likely to aggro to the player unless from a rival raider gang.
Bonus. Recall the player-housing at the Home Plate of Diamond City? Why not replicate that at the 'capital' towns of every faction you can join? Do some favors for the BoS and you earn a deluxe bunk of your own at their HQ. Help out the local Coalition and receive a luxuary house that is surprisingly intact despite the bombs falling. Be a key part in helping the Ghouls clear hostile mutants out of a few places they can call home and they point you to a lead-lined bunker in their capital for you to call home.
I think this would be the best way to improve the settlement system for use in Fallout 5.

• Give us fewer settlements but guarantee the quality of said settlement locations.
  • 5 Freely Given Settlements
  • 5 Quest Reward Settlements
  • 5 Settlements that require the joining of a major faction to utilize
  • 5 Small-to-Medium Player Homes at the pre-established cities.
• Factions we team up with will provide some bonuses and new design aesthetics for settlement building.
• Factions will utilize the settlement locations in different ways, making the world feel more dynamic as repeat playthroughs will alter the very places we call home.

This is how I think Fallout 5 should improve upon the Settlement System at a basic level. Sure, there are other things that need to be addressed but if Fallout 5 brings back Settlements, they really need to get rid of the factor of many locations being disappointments.

Guide to Troubleshooting and Repair of Marine
Embarking on a maritime voyage is an exhilarating experience, but encountering technical issues with your marine radio can quickly dampen the spirits of any sailor. Fear not, as understanding the basics of troubleshooting and repair can help you navigate through these challenges and ensure smooth sailing ahead. In this user-friendly guide, we’ll dive into the world of troubleshooting and repair of marine radios, empowering you to overcome common issues and keep your communication lifeline afloat.

Common Marine Radio Issues

Before delving into troubleshooting and repair techniques, let’s identify some common issues that may arise with marine radios:

1. No Power: If your marine radio fails to power on, check the power source, fuse, and connections to ensure proper electrical supply.
2. Poor Reception: Weak or intermittent reception may be caused by antenna issues, such as a loose connection or corrosion. Inspect the antenna and connections for any signs of damage.
3. Audio Distortion: Distorted or garbled audio may indicate a problem with the speaker, microphone, or audio circuitry. Check these components for any visible damage or loose connections.
4. DSC Malfunction: If your DSC-equipped radio fails to transmit distress alerts or position reports, verify that the DSC function is enabled and properly configured.

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Troubleshooting Techniques

When troubleshooting marine radio issues, follow these step-by-step techniques to identify and resolve the problem:

1. Check Power Supply: Ensure that the radio is receiving power from the appropriate source, such as the onboard battery or external power supply. Check the fuse and connections for any signs of damage or corrosion.
2. Inspect Antenna: Examine the antenna and connections for any physical damage, corrosion, or loose connections. Clean the antenna contacts and ensure proper grounding to improve reception.
3. Test Audio Components: Verify that the speaker, microphone, and audio circuitry are functioning correctly by conducting audio tests. Listen for any distortion, static, or lack of sound output.
4. Review Settings and Configuration: Check the radio’s settings and configuration menu to ensure that important features, such as DSC and channel settings, are properly configured.

Repair and Maintenance Tips

While some marine radio issues can be resolved through troubleshooting, others may require professional repair or maintenance. Here are some tips to keep your marine radio in optimal condition:

• Regular Inspection: Perform routine inspections of your marine radio equipment, including antennas, connections, and internal components, to detect and address issues early.
• Cleaning and Maintenance: Clean the radio, antenna, and connections regularly to remove dirt, salt residue, and corrosion. Use a soft brush, compressed air, and corrosion-resistant lubricants for maintenance.
• Professional Service: For complex issues or repairs beyond your expertise, seek assistance from qualified marine electronics technicians or authorized service centers.

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1. Real Life Application of Marine Radios
2. Marine Radio Accessorizing
3. Safety Practice for Marine Radios
4. Features of Marine Radio
5. Power of Marine Radios
6. Marine Radio Repairs and Guide
7. Marine Radios Terminology and Guide
8. Marine Radios Safety and Regulations
9. Choosing a Marine Radio
10. Repairing Marine Radios
11. Decoding the Waves
12. SOS
13. Brands and Features
14. Purchasing a Boat Radio Tips
15. Navigating the Waves
16. Boat Speakers

Conclusion

Troubleshooting and repairing marine radios can be a daunting task, but with the right knowledge and techniques, you can overcome challenges and ensure reliable communication at sea. By understanding common issues, following systematic troubleshooting methods, and practicing preventive maintenance, you can keep your marine radio in shipshape condition for all your maritime adventures. Remember, clear and effective communication is essential for safety and coordination on the water, so don’t let technical issues stand in the way of smooth sailing. With perseverance and a little know-how, you’ll be back on course in no time. Fair winds and following seas!

Importance of choosing the right locations for vending machines

Choosing the right locations for vending machines is of paramount importance in ensuring the success of your vending business. The location plays a crucial role in determining the visibility and accessibility of your machines, as well as the potential customer base. A well-chosen location can attract a steady flow of customers, increase sales, and maximize profits. On the other hand, a poorly chosen location can result in low foot traffic, limited customer reach, and ultimately, a decline in revenue. Therefore, it is essential to carefully evaluate various factors such as foot traffic, target audience, competition, and proximity to complementary businesses when selecting the best locations for your vending machines. By doing so, you can position your vending machines strategically and optimize your chances of achieving long-term success in the vending industry.

Factors to consider when selecting vending machine locations

When selecting vending machine locations, there are several factors to consider. One important factor is the responsiveness of the website design. A responsive website design ensures that the vending machine is easily accessible and user-friendly for customers. This is crucial in attracting and retaining customers, as a poorly designed website can lead to frustration and deter potential buyers. By investing in a responsive website design, vending machine owners can enhance the overall customer experience and increase the likelihood of successful transactions.

Benefits of strategic placement of vending machines

Strategic placement of vending machines offers numerous benefits for businesses. Firstly, it increases visibility and accessibility, allowing potential customers to easily find and access the products. This can lead to higher sales and revenue. Secondly, strategic placement can target specific customer demographics, such as office buildings or schools, increasing the likelihood of attracting the right target audience. Additionally, vending machines placed in strategic locations can provide convenience to customers, allowing them to satisfy their cravings or purchase essential items without having to travel far. Lastly, strategic placement can also help businesses build brand awareness and loyalty, as customers associate the convenience and accessibility of the vending machines with the brand itself. Overall, the strategic placement of vending machines can greatly enhance a business's profitability and customer satisfaction.

Researching Potential Locations

Identifying high-traffic areas

Identifying high-traffic areas is crucial when choosing the best locations for your vending machines. These areas are characterized by a constant flow of people, ensuring a steady stream of potential customers for your business. One key factor to consider when identifying high-traffic areas is the proximity to healthcare facilities. With the healthcare staffing business launch in a few weeks, it is essential to target locations near hospitals, clinics, and medical centers. This strategic placement will allow healthcare professionals and patients to conveniently access your vending machines, providing them with quick and convenient refreshments during their busy schedules. By catering to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients, your vending machines can become a valuable resource in these high-traffic areas.

Analyzing target demographics

Analyzing target demographics is a crucial step in choosing the best locations for your vending machines. By understanding the characteristics and preferences of your potential customers, you can strategically place your machines in areas where they are most likely to generate high sales. This analysis involves gathering data on factors such as age, gender, income level, and lifestyle choices. By considering these demographic factors, you can tailor your product offerings and marketing strategies to effectively meet the needs and desires of your target audience. Additionally, analyzing target demographics allows you to identify untapped market segments and explore new opportunities for expansion. Overall, a thorough analysis of target demographics is essential for making informed decisions and maximizing the profitability of your vending machine business.

Assessing competition in the area

Assessing competition in the area is a crucial step in determining the best locations for your vending machines. By thoroughly researching and analyzing the existing vending machine landscape, you can gain valuable insights into the market saturation, customer preferences, and potential opportunities. This assessment allows you to identify areas with high demand and low competition, ensuring that your vending machines have a higher chance of success. Additionally, understanding the competition helps you tailor your product offerings and marketing strategies to stand out and attract customers. By taking the time to assess the competition in the area, you can make informed decisions that will maximize the profitability and long-term viability of your vending machine business.

Negotiating with Property Owners

Approaching property owners or managers

When approaching property owners or managers to secure locations for your vending machines, it is important to maintain a professional and respectful demeanor. Start by researching the property and its target audience to ensure that it aligns with your vending machine offerings. Once you have identified a potential location, reach out to the property owner or manager through a formal letter or email. Clearly state the purpose of your communication and explain the benefits of having a vending machine on their property. Highlight how your vending machines can provide convenience and a wide range of products to their customers or employees. Additionally, emphasize any unique features or services your vending machines offer, such as accepting contactless payments or providing healthy snack options. By presenting a well-thought-out proposal and demonstrating the value your vending machines can bring, you increase your chances of securing a favorable location for your business.

Negotiating lease terms and conditions

Negotiating lease terms and conditions is a crucial step for entrepreneurs looking to establish their vending machine business. The success of your venture greatly depends on the location of your machines, as it directly impacts the foot traffic and potential customers. By carefully negotiating lease terms, you can secure prime locations that are likely to experience high footfall and attract a diverse range of customers. Additionally, negotiating lease terms allows you to adapt to changes in the market and make adjustments to your vending machine locations as needed. As an entrepreneur, it is essential to stay agile and be open to change in order to maximize the profitability of your vending machine business.

Understanding legal requirements and permits

Understanding legal requirements and permits is crucial when it comes to setting up vending machines. Before you start placing your machines in various locations, it is important to research and comply with the legal regulations in your area. This includes obtaining the necessary permits and licenses to operate vending machines. Failure to do so can result in fines or even the closure of your business. Additionally, understanding the legal requirements ensures that you are operating within the boundaries of the law and maintaining a professional image. By following the proper procedures, you can avoid potential legal issues and create a successful vending machine business.

Evaluating Foot Traffic

Measuring foot traffic patterns

Measuring foot traffic patterns is a crucial step in determining the best locations for your vending machines. By analyzing the flow of people in specific areas, you can identify high-traffic zones and strategically place your machines for maximum visibility and accessibility. This data-driven approach ensures that your corporation service company can reach a larger customer base and generate higher profits. Understanding foot traffic patterns also allows you to make informed decisions when it comes to expanding your vending machine business, as you can target areas with the highest potential for success. By investing time and resources into measuring foot traffic patterns, you can optimize the placement of your vending machines and increase the chances of attracting customers to your corporation service company.

Determining peak hours and days

Determining peak hours and days is crucial for the success of your vending machine business. By analyzing customer traffic and sales data, you can identify the specific times and days when your target audience is most likely to visit your vending machines. This information allows you to strategically plan your operations, ensuring that your machines are fully stocked and ready to meet the demand during peak hours. Additionally, understanding peak hours and days can help you optimize your marketing efforts. For example, if you have a vending machine that sells sarees, you can use this data to schedule advertising campaigns during the times when potential customers are more likely to be in the area. By doing so, you can effectively reach your target audience and increase the visibility of your saree business. With the right timing and strategic advertising, you can maximize the profitability of your vending machines and attract more customers to your business.

Considering seasonal variations

Considering seasonal variations is crucial when choosing the best locations for your vending machines. By analyzing the fluctuations in consumer demand throughout the year, you can strategically place your machines in areas that are likely to experience high foot traffic during specific seasons. This approach can greatly contribute to improving business profitability. By capitalizing on seasonal trends and offering products that align with the needs and preferences of customers during different times of the year, you can maximize sales and revenue. Furthermore, understanding seasonal variations allows you to make informed decisions regarding inventory management, ensuring that your machines are always stocked with popular items during peak seasons. By carefully considering the impact of seasonal variations, you can position your vending machines for success and enhance your overall business performance.

Assessing Potential Profitability

Estimating sales potential

Estimating sales potential is a crucial step in determining the success of your vending machine business. By analyzing various factors such as foot traffic, demographics, and competition, you can make informed decisions about the best locations for your machines. One important consideration is the presence of vector icons, which can greatly enhance the visibility and appeal of your vending machines. Vector icons are highly versatile and can be easily customized to match your brand and attract customers. With their clean lines and scalable nature, vector icons make your machines stand out in any location. Incorporating vector icons into your vending machine design not only adds a touch of professionalism but also helps in creating a visually appealing and user-friendly experience for your customers. By strategically placing your vending machines in areas with vector icons, you can maximize your sales potential and increase customer engagement.

Calculating operating costs

Calculating operating costs is a crucial step in determining the profitability of your vending machine business. By accurately estimating the expenses associated with running your machines, you can make informed decisions about pricing, location selection, and overall business strategy. To calculate operating costs, you need to consider factors such as machine maintenance, inventory replenishment, electricity usage, and any additional expenses like insurance or licensing fees. By carefully analyzing these costs, you can ensure that your vending machines are positioned in the most profitable locations, maximizing your revenue potential.

Analyzing return on investment

Analyzing return on investment is a crucial step in determining the success of your vending machine business. It involves evaluating the profitability of different locations and making informed decisions based on the potential return on investment. One important factor to consider is the bank account for taquería. By analyzing the financial performance of your vending machines in different taquerías, you can identify the most profitable locations and allocate your resources accordingly. This analysis allows you to optimize your business strategy and maximize your profits. With a formal tone, it is essential to approach this process with diligence and attention to detail, ensuring that your vending machines are placed in the best locations to generate a significant return on investment.

Conclusion

Importance of thorough research and analysis

Thorough research and analysis are of paramount importance when it comes to choosing the best locations for your vending machines. This crucial step ensures that you make informed decisions based on data and insights rather than mere intuition. By conducting thorough research, you can identify the target market, understand consumer behavior, and evaluate the potential profitability of each location. Additionally, analysis allows you to assess the competition, consider the proximity to your suppliers, and factor in any local regulations or restrictions. By taking the time to gather and analyze relevant information, you can significantly increase the chances of success for your vending machine business.

Maximizing profitability through strategic location selection

Maximizing profitability through strategic location selection is crucial for the success of any vending machine business. By carefully considering the target market and tailoring the service to their needs, vending machine owners can ensure that their machines are placed in high-traffic areas where they will attract the most customers. Additionally, offering a variety of convenient payment methods, such as cash, credit cards, and mobile payments, can further enhance profitability by accommodating the preferences of different customers. By combining a strategic location selection with a diverse range of payment options, vending machine businesses can optimize their revenue potential and maximize their profitability.

Continuous monitoring and adaptation for optimal results

Continuous monitoring and adaptation for optimal results is crucial when it comes to choosing the best locations for your vending machines. One important aspect of this process is the rate sheet for construction services. This rate sheet provides detailed information about the costs and services associated with constructing vending machine locations. By referring to the rate sheet, vending machine operators can make informed decisions about the most cost-effective locations to set up their machines. Additionally, continuous monitoring allows operators to track the performance of each location and make necessary adaptations to maximize profitability. With a comprehensive understanding of the rate sheet for construction services and a commitment to continuous monitoring and adaptation, vending machine operators can ensure that they choose the best locations for their machines, leading to optimal results.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right knowledge and resources, you can easily get started today. If you're interested in learning more about how to start a vending machine business, visit our website [How to Start a Vending Machine Business 2023 [ step by step ] #vending - YouTube] for step-by-step guides and valuable tips. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business in the vending machine industry!

Introduction to energy consumption in vending machines

Vending machines have become an integral part of our daily lives, providing convenient access to a wide range of products. However, the energy consumption of these machines is a growing concern. In this article, we will explore the various factors that contribute to the energy consumption of vending machines and discuss strategies to optimize their energy usage. By understanding the impact of energy consumption in vending machines, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and efficient future.

Importance of optimizing energy consumption

Optimizing energy consumption in vending machines is of utmost importance in today's world. With the increasing focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, it is crucial to minimize the energy usage of vending machines. By doing so, we can reduce the environmental impact and contribute to a greener future. Additionally, optimizing energy consumption can lead to significant cost savings for businesses. Lower energy consumption means lower electricity bills, allowing companies to allocate their resources more efficiently. Moreover, by optimizing energy consumption, vending machines can operate more effectively, ensuring a seamless experience for customers. Overall, the importance of optimizing energy consumption in vending machines cannot be overstated, as it brings both environmental and economic benefits.

Benefits of reducing energy usage in vending machines

Reducing energy usage in vending machines offers several benefits. Firstly, it helps in maximizing return on construction services. By optimizing energy consumption, vending machines can operate more efficiently, resulting in reduced energy costs and increased profitability. Additionally, reducing energy usage contributes to environmental sustainability, as it reduces the carbon footprint associated with vending machine operations. This not only aligns with corporate social responsibility goals but also enhances the brand image by showcasing a commitment to energy conservation. Moreover, by minimizing energy consumption, vending machine owners can extend the lifespan of their machines, reducing maintenance and replacement costs. Overall, the benefits of reducing energy usage in vending machines are multifaceted, encompassing financial savings, environmental impact, and operational efficiency.

Understanding Energy Consumption in Vending Machines

Factors contributing to energy consumption

Factors contributing to energy consumption in vending machines include the type of refrigeration system used, the age and condition of the machine, and the location where it is placed. Additionally, the design and functionality of the machine's user interface can also impact energy usage. One important factor to consider is the implementation of a mobile-friendly website design. This allows customers to conveniently access information about the vending machine, such as product availability and nutritional information, through their mobile devices. By incorporating mobile-friendly website design, vending machine operators can enhance the user experience and reduce the need for physical interaction with the machine, ultimately optimizing energy consumption.

Types of energy used in vending machines

Vending machines are powered by various types of energy sources to operate efficiently. The most commonly used energy sources in vending machines include electricity, batteries, and solar power. Electricity is the primary energy source for most vending machines, as it provides a reliable and constant power supply. Batteries are often used as a backup power source in case of power outages or to ensure continuous operation in remote locations. In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards using solar power in vending machines, as it is a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source. Solar-powered vending machines not only reduce energy consumption but also contribute to reducing carbon emissions. The choice of energy source in vending machines plays a crucial role in optimizing energy consumption and minimizing the environmental impact.

Measuring energy consumption in vending machines

Measuring energy consumption in vending machines is a crucial step towards optimizing their efficiency and reducing their environmental impact. By accurately measuring the energy consumed by these machines, companies can identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to minimize energy waste. One key aspect to consider when measuring energy consumption is the impact of custom advertisements. These advertisements, when displayed on vending machines, can significantly affect energy usage. By analyzing the energy consumption patterns during the display of custom advertisements, companies can make informed decisions on how to optimize energy usage without compromising the effectiveness of these promotional materials.

Strategies for Optimizing Energy Consumption

Implementing energy-efficient lighting systems

Implementing energy-efficient lighting systems is crucial in optimizing the energy consumption of vending machines. By using advanced lighting technologies such as LED lights, vending machine operators can significantly reduce energy usage without compromising on the quality of illumination. LED lights are known for their long lifespan, low energy consumption, and high efficiency, making them an ideal choice for energy-conscious businesses. Furthermore, implementing motion sensors and timers can further enhance energy efficiency by automatically adjusting the lighting levels based on the presence of customers. Overall, integrating energy-efficient lighting systems into vending machines not only helps in reducing energy costs but also contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly operation.

Utilizing motion sensors to control power usage

Motion sensors can play a crucial role in optimizing the energy consumption of vending machines. By utilizing motion sensors to control power usage, vending machines can automatically detect when there is no activity and enter a low-power mode. This not only reduces energy waste but also extends the lifespan of the machine. Additionally, motion sensors can be used to trigger the machine to power up when someone approaches, ensuring that energy is only consumed when necessary. By incorporating motion sensors into vending machines, businesses can significantly reduce their energy costs and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Optimizing temperature settings for refrigeration

Optimizing temperature settings for refrigeration is a crucial step in reducing energy consumption of vending machines. By carefully adjusting the temperature settings, operators can ensure that the refrigeration units are running efficiently without unnecessary energy waste. It is recommended to set the temperature at the minimum level required to maintain the freshness and quality of the products. Regular monitoring and maintenance of the refrigeration systems can also help identify any potential issues that may be causing excessive energy usage. Implementing these optimization strategies can not only save energy but also contribute to the overall sustainability goals of the vending machine industry.

Monitoring and Analyzing Energy Usage

Using smart meters to track energy consumption

Using smart meters to track energy consumption is an effective way to optimize the energy usage of vending machines. By installing smart meters, vending machine operators can monitor and analyze the energy consumption patterns in real-time. This data can then be used to identify areas of high energy usage and develop strategies to reduce energy waste. One of the key benefits of using smart meters is the ability to tailor service payments based on actual energy consumption. This allows vending machine operators to accurately bill customers for the energy used, promoting fairness and encouraging energy-efficient practices. By implementing smart metering technology, vending machine operators can take proactive steps towards optimizing energy consumption and reducing their environmental impact.

Analyzing data to identify energy-saving opportunities

Analyzing data to identify energy-saving opportunities is a crucial step in optimizing the energy consumption of vending machines. By carefully examining the data collected from various sources, such as energy usage logs and machine performance metrics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their vending machine operations. These insights can then be used to identify areas where energy consumption can be reduced, leading to cost savings and a more sustainable business model. Implementing data-driven strategies and technologies, such as smart sensors and machine learning algorithms, can further enhance the energy efficiency of vending machines. By leveraging data analysis techniques and adopting energy-saving measures, businesses can not only reduce their environmental impact but also improve their bottom line.

Implementing energy management software

Implementing energy management software is a crucial step in optimizing the energy consumption of vending machines. By utilizing advanced software solutions, vending machine operators can gain better control over the energy usage of their machines, resulting in significant cost savings and environmental benefits. Energy management software allows for real-time monitoring of energy consumption, enabling operators to identify inefficiencies and implement corrective measures promptly. Additionally, this software provides valuable insights into usage patterns and trends, facilitating the development of targeted energy-saving strategies. With the implementation of energy management software, vending machine operators can contribute to a more sustainable future while also improving their bottom line.

Best Practices for Energy Efficiency

Regular maintenance and cleaning of vending machines

Regular maintenance and cleaning of vending machines is crucial for optimizing energy consumption. By conducting regular maintenance checks, vending machine operators can identify and address any issues that may be causing excessive energy usage. This includes inspecting and cleaning the cooling systems, ensuring proper insulation, and monitoring the power consumption of individual components. Additionally, implementing effective cleaning practices, such as regularly wiping down surfaces and removing debris, can help maintain the efficiency of the machines. By prioritizing regular maintenance and cleaning, vending machine operators can reduce energy waste and improve the overall performance of their machines.

Educating users on energy-saving practices

Educating users on energy-saving practices is crucial for optimizing energy consumption of vending machines. By providing entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge and tools, they can make informed decisions that promote energy efficiency and contribute to positive change. It is important to educate users on the benefits of energy-saving practices and the impact they can have on the environment and their own businesses. By implementing energy-saving measures, entrepreneurs can not only reduce their operating costs but also demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, which can attract environmentally conscious customers. Emphasizing the importance of energy-saving practices and encouraging users to adopt them can create a culture of responsible energy consumption and drive positive change in the vending machine industry.

Collaborating with suppliers to source energy-efficient equipment

Collaborating with suppliers to source energy-efficient equipment is a crucial step in optimizing the energy consumption of vending machines. By working closely with suppliers, businesses can ensure that the equipment they acquire meets the highest energy efficiency standards. This collaboration allows for the identification and selection of energy-efficient vending machines that not only reduce energy consumption but also contribute to cost savings. Furthermore, by partnering with suppliers who prioritize sustainability, businesses can align their values with suppliers who share a commitment to reducing environmental impact. This collaboration also provides an opportunity for businesses to explore innovative technologies and solutions that can further enhance energy efficiency in vending machines. By actively engaging with suppliers, businesses can establish a sustainable and energy-efficient business formation that benefits both the environment and the bottom line.

Conclusion

Summary of key points

The summary of key points is an essential section that provides a concise overview of the main ideas discussed in the article. In the article titled 'How to Optimize Energy Consumption of Vending Machines', several key points were highlighted. Firstly, it is crucial to understand the importance of energy optimization in vending machines to reduce operational costs and environmental impact. Secondly, implementing energy-efficient technologies such as LED lighting and smart sensors can significantly contribute to energy savings. Additionally, regular maintenance and cleaning of vending machines can help ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency. Lastly, monitoring energy consumption through data analysis and implementing energy-saving strategies can further optimize energy usage in vending machines. By following these key points, vending machine operators can effectively optimize energy consumption and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Importance of ongoing energy optimization efforts

Energy optimization is a crucial aspect that should not be overlooked when it comes to vending machines. The ongoing efforts to optimize energy consumption play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact and operational costs associated with these machines. By implementing efficient energy management strategies, vending machine owners can not only contribute to a greener and more sustainable future but also improve their bottom line. It is imperative for businesses to prioritize ongoing energy optimization efforts to ensure maximum efficiency and minimize wastage. By doing so, they can not only reduce their carbon footprint but also enhance their reputation as environmentally responsible entities.

Future trends in energy-efficient vending machines

Future trends in energy-efficient vending machines are crucial for the entrepreneurial success of businesses. As technology continues to advance, there is a growing demand for vending machines that consume less energy while still providing efficient service. Companies are investing in research and development to create vending machines that are equipped with energy-saving features such as LED lighting, smart sensors, and power management systems. These advancements not only reduce energy consumption but also contribute to cost savings for businesses. By embracing these future trends in energy-efficient vending machines, entrepreneurs can enhance their sustainability efforts and create a positive impact on the environment.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right strategies and a solid plan, you can tap into a market that is constantly growing. If you want to learn more about how to start a vending machine business in 2023, check out our website. We provide step-by-step guides and valuable resources to help you get started. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business in the vending machine industry. Visit our website today and take the first step towards financial freedom.

My (F25) husband (27M) got drunk and slept with a work friend after we had a fight. We've been together six years and married for four. We have always been very happy together and very much in love but my father passed away at 50 years old after being sick for a year and we both changed careers within a short period of time and our marriage suffered.
I started feeling like he was pulling away when he stopped commuting home and acting indifferent. Well, he had an affair. When I found out I almost left him but he was such a mess I didn't feel it was safe to leave to him alone and well I stayed. It took us about a month to sort out that we wanted to work through it.
Due to the nature of his job he's been home for a couple of weeks and we agreed to take this time to travel and "reset." Well, he was immediately cold and disconnected again, he stopped talking about travel, he's not home when I get off work, when we go out and do things we've always enjoyed doing together- it's like I'm not even there. He's asked me for patience and understanding but when I try telling him this isn't right and I need a little more effort/to be shown love, he is completely apathetic, maybe even annoyed.
I've been absolutely miserable waiting for him to show me he wants this and I finally broke down and told him I can't do it but he convinces me he loves me and to stay, that he'll step up. But then the next he thinks I'm unreasonable for asking him to block/unfollow the woman he slept with on social media because "she's just a friend and [he] doesn't even talk to her anymore."
He's simply not taking any steps to repair the damage and I'm praying in time he will because I love him and this marriage so much and know if he does we can get through and be happy. But when do I need to just give up? I believe in him but I'm starting to wonder why because of the inconsistency and now I feel trapped between wanting to be set free and wanting to be with him. I can't decide and just feel like either way it's going to suck.
(I apologize for errors, I'm using mobile and I'm emotionally distressed, thank you to anyone who gives this a glance)

So I have run sfc/scannow on a machine with a freshly installed copy of windows and lo-and-behold I got aroud 1800 error messages (after filtering them with a python script from a sfcdetails.txt file). I'm certain sfc/scannow didn't repair them (it in fact said it couldn't). So how f*ed am I? Below is a list of the filtered error messages and the files/modules they are referring to (I deleted all redundant references and been left with around 250 files/modules). I don't know what "Cannot verify component files" means, is it due to how I ran the command on cmd promt(I was in admin mode)?
From what I could gather from this, .NET framework is gone, but I already figured as much and tried to install a windows tool to repair (although that didn't seem to do anything). Is there a way to repair these files without reinstalling windows? Is there even a need to repair them if I was able to install programms just fine on the pc?
cannotRepair
n: 1
ErrorMessage: "pkt {} in the store, hash mismatch"
[l:38]'SystemSettingsThresholdAdminFlowUI.dll' of Microsoft-Windows-SystemSettingsThreshold-AdminFlows
repairedFiles
n: 0
repairingFiles
n: 0
cannotVerify
n: 245
ErrorMessage: "Cannot verify component files for" // "manifest is damaged (true)"
.NET Framework
Accessibility
AspNetMMCExt
CustomMarshalers
DataSvcUtil
IEExec
IEExecRemote
IEHost
IIEHost
ISymWrapper
InstallUtil
MSBuild
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 - Core
Microsoft-Windows-NETFX35CDFComp
Microsoft-Windows-NETFX35LinqComp
Microsoft-Windows-NETFX35WPFComp
Microsoft-Windows-NETFXCoreComp
Microsoft-Windows-NetFx2-Deployment
Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-Core
Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-Deployment
Microsoft-Windows-WPFCoreComp
Microsoft-Windows-WWFCoreComp
Microsoft.Build.Conversion.v3.5
Microsoft.Build.Engine
Microsoft.Build.Framework
Microsoft.Build.Tasks
Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v3.5
Microsoft.Build.Utilities
Microsoft.Build.Utilities.v3.5
Microsoft.JScript
Microsoft.VisualBasic
Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility
Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility.Data
Microsoft.VisualBasic.Vsa
Microsoft.VisualC
Microsoft.Vsa
Microsoft.Vsa.Vb.CodeDOMProcessor
Microsoft_VsaVb
NetFx-ADO_NET_DIAG
NetFx-APPLAUNCH_EXE
NetFx-ASPNET_APPDATA
NetFx-ASPNET_COMMON_SQL
NetFx-ASPNET_CONFIG
NetFx-ASPNET_DEFWSDLHLPGEN
NetFx-ASPNET_FILTER_DLL
NetFx-ASPNET_INSTALLPERSISTSQL
NetFx-ASPNET_INSTALLSQLSTATETEMP
NetFx-ASPNET_ISAPI_DLL
NetFx-ASPNET_MEMBERSHIP_SQL
NetFx-ASPNET_MMC_ASP_EXT_DLL
NetFx-ASPNET_PERF_DLL
NetFx-ASPNET_PERF_H
NetFx-ASPNET_PERF_INI
NetFx-ASPNET_PERSONALIZATION_SQL
NetFx-ASPNET_PG_PERSNLIZATION_SQL
NetFx-ASPNET_RC_DLL_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_REGBROWSER_FILES
NetFx-ASPNET_REGIIS_EXE
NetFx-ASPNET_REGSQL_CFG
NetFx-ASPNET_ROLES_SQL
NetFx-ASPNET_STATE_EXE
NetFx-ASPNET_STATE_PERF_H
NetFx-ASPNET_STATE_PERF_INI
NetFx-ASPNET_SYSTEM_WEB_TBL
NetFx-ASPNET_UNINSTALLPERSISTSQL
NetFx-ASPNET_UNINSTALLSQLSTATETEM
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_APPCFG_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_APPCONFIG
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_CODE
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_HELP
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_IMAGES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_LOCRES_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_PERMISSIONS
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_PERM_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_PROVIDERS
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_PROV_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_RES_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_ROLES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_ROLES_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_SECURITY
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_SECUR_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_USERS
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_USERS_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_WIZARD
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBADMIN_WIZARD_RES
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBEVENT_SQLPROV
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBMEDTRUST_CFG_DFLT
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBMEDTRUST_CONFIG
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBMINTRUST_CFG_DFLT
NetFx-ASPNET_WEBMINTRUST_CONFIG
NetFx-ASPNET_WEB_CONFIG
NetFx-ASSEMBLYLIST_XML
NetFx-AspNetEnforceViewStateMac
NetFx-CLR_ILASM_EXE
NetFx-CLR_MOF
NetFx-CLR_SYS_ENTSERVCS_THUNK_DLL
NetFx-CORPERFMONEXT_DLL
NetFx-CSC_EXE_Config
NetFx-CSharpCompilerMsg
NetFx-CSharp_Compiler_csc
NetFx-CSharp_Compiler_cscomp
NetFx-CVTRESUI_DLL
NetFx-Culture_DLL
NetFx-DFDLL_DLL
NetFx-DV_ASPNETMMC_CHM_RES
NetFx-DW
NetFx-Debugging_msdia70
NetFx-EVENTLOGMESSAGES_DLL
NetFx-FUSION_DLL
NetFx-INSTALLSQLSTATE_SQL
NetFx-INSTALLUTILLIB_DLL
NetFx-LH_Shared_dll_keys
NetFx-MACHINE_CONFIG_OCM
NetFx-MSBuild_Commontypes_Schema
NetFx-MSBuild_Core_Schema_
NetFx-MSBuild_Data_Files
NetFx-MSBuild_Schema
NetFx-MSBuild_Targetfiles
NetFx-MSBuild_rsp
NetFx-MSCORDBC_DLL
NetFx-MSCORDBI_DLL
NetFx-MSCOREE_TLB
NetFx-MSCORIE_DLL
NetFx-MSCORJIT_DLL
NetFx-MSCORLD_DLL
NetFx-MSCORLIB_TLB2
NetFx-MSCORPE_DLL
NetFx-MSCORRC_RES_DLL
NetFx-MSCORSECR_DLL
NetFx-MSCORSEC_DLL
NetFx-MSCORSN_DLL
NetFx-MSCORSVC__DLL
NetFx-MSCORSVW_EXE
NetFx-MSCORTIM_DLL
NetFx-Microsoft_VSA_tlb
NetFx-NETFXSBS10_EXE
NetFx-NETFXSBS12_HKF
NetFx-NGEN_EXE
NetFx-NORMALIZATION_DLL
NetFx-PERFCOUNTER_DLL
NetFx-Redist_Config_Files
NetFx-SBS_IEHOST_DLL
NetFx-SBS_VSAVB7RT_DLL
NetFx-SHARED_NETFX_20_MSCORLIB
NetFx-SHFUSION_DLL
NetFx-SHFUSION_RES_DLL
NetFx-SHFUSION__CHM
NetFx-SYSTEM_DRAWING_TLB
NetFx-SYSTEM_TLB
NetFx-SYS_ENTERPRISESERVICES_TLB
NetFx-SYS_WINDOWS_FORMS_TLB
NetFx-Scripting_Engine_TLB
NetFx-System.Drawing
NetFx-System.Management
NetFx-System.Messaging
NetFx-System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap
NetFx-System.ServiceProcess
NetFx-System.Web.Mobile
NetFx-System.Web.Services
NetFx-System.Windows.Forms
NetFx-System.Xml
NetFx-TLBREF_DLL
NetFx-UNINSTALLSQLSTATE_SQL
NetFx-VBC_EXE_Config
NetFx-VB_Compiler
NetFx-VB_Compiler_UI
NetFx-VSA_CodeDOM_TLB
NetFx-WEBHIGHTRUST_CONFIG
NetFx-WEBHIGHTRUST_CONFIG_DEFAULT
NetFx-WEBLOWTRUST_CONFIG
NetFx-WEBLOWTRUST_CONFIG_DEFAULT
NetFx-WMINET_UTILS_DLL
NetFx-XPTHEMES_MANIFEST
NetFx-_VsaVb7rt
NetFx-_VsaVb7rtUI
NetFx-_vc_Assembly_Linker_Messages
NetFx-_vc_Assembly_Linker_dll
NetFx-cvtres_for_VC_and_VB
NetFx-mscorsvw
NetFx-peverify_dll
NetFx35 - CDF
NetFx35 - Linq
NetFx35 - WPF
NetFx35CDF-CDF_GenericCommands
PresentationBuildTasks
PresentationUI
RegAsm
RegSvcs
System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations
System.Configuration.Install
System.Core
System.Data.DataSetExtensions
System.Data.Entity
System.Data.Entity.Design
System.Data.Linq
System.Data.OracleClient
System.Data.Services
System.Data.Services.Client
System.Data.Services.Design
System.Data.SqlXml
System.Deployment
System.Design
System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement
System.DirectoryServices.Protocols
System.Drawing
System.Drawing.Design
System.EnterpriseServices
System.Management
System.Management.Instrumentation
System.Messaging
System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap
System.ServiceModel.Web
System.ServiceProcess
System.Speech
System.Transactions
System.Web.Abstractions
System.Web.DynamicData
System.Web.DynamicData.Design
System.Web.Entity
System.Web.Entity.Design
System.Web.Extensions.Design
System.Web.Mobile
System.Web.Routing
System.Web.Services
System.Windows.Forms
System.Windows.Presentation
System.WorkflowServices
System.Xml
UIAutomationClient
UIAutomationClientsideProviders
UIAutomationProvider
UIAutomationTypes
WPF-Deployment
Windows Presentation Foundation
Windows Workflow Foundation
WindowsFormsIntegration
aspnet_compiler
aspnet_regbrowsers
aspnet_regsql
caspol
cscompmgd
dfsvc
jsc
sysglobl
couldNotReproject
n: 1
Error: "source file in store is also corrupted"
\??\C:\Windows\System32\\SystemSettingsThresholdAdminFlowUI.dll; source file in store is also corrupted
componentReferences
n: 1
Error: "This component was referenced by"
[l:126]'Microsoft-Windows-Client-Desktop-Required-Package
P.S.: I deleted the codes for the pkt on "cannotRepair" and for the Microsoft-Windows-Client-Desktop-Required-Package because I don't what they are, better be safe than sorry on the internet. If those are need I'll post them in the comments

So I was thinking buying Factorio for my birthday but is expensive af in my country (never spent more then 15 euro for a game) and I wanna put some questions about the game.

1. Is the game forgiving?

I know the game is hard and I don't mind it but when I make a mistake I can repair it in time? I don't want to make a mistake and realize I have to restart the run. On short I don't like FOMO. I want so I can play the game on my pace, to take things slow and learn the game.

1. Are the bugs a big problem?

I like building things and thinking a better way to do things. I don't want to have to deal with too many bugs. I don't mind the idea but I don't want to be a tower defence game more then a factory game.

1. How is the game difficulty?

I know is hard but how hard it gets? It gets harder the further you go or is harder at the start and get easier the more you play? I've heard the game helps you improving your coding skill, is it true?

1. How many hours can you spend on the game?

I know infinite but lets say how many it takes to experience everything in the game? No mods just vanilla. And just curios tell me how many hours you guys have in the game.

1. How are the multiplayer servers?

Worth playing? There are many trolls? How is the community of the game in general? They will hate me for not being a pro at the game?

1. Is the game still getting updates or is finished?

Just curios not rly a deal breaker if is not bcs the game is very big and complex and have many mods.

1. How many fps Factorio gets?

I've played the demo and it runs perfectly but in demo you don't get to make a very big factory. How the game runs when you have a big factory? I have an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (laptop), CPU Intel i5-9300H 2.40 GHz, 16 Gb RAM.

1. How are the mods?

Not only the mod that adds gameplay but how about the visual mods? Maybe it sounds silly but Id like to play Factorio while being an Among Us character or some goofy character.
I think that's all I wanted to ask. Ty for everyone reading this and for everyone who took time to comment. I've played the demo and I liked it, I had a very trashy factory and I have much more to learn.
Sorry if there are too many question but I wanna make sure on what to expect when I spend 32 euro on a game.

The Factory Must Grow!!

Hello! This week I'm running Chariot of the Gods. This is my first Alien game and at the same time first experience as a GM in any TTRPG. I've gone through several YT videos for tips, this subreddit and whatever I could find, like GM map for the ship, summaries, etc. Honestly, I'm still a bit nervous since the rules are sometimes a bit unclear and the scenario book sometimes doesn't help either. I've read both multiple times and still feel a bit unprepared.
I have some questions and would appreciate your answers or tips in general.

1. Can players just go from A-1 junction to other floors? It looks like they can, so basically most of the ship is opened for exploration since the beginning?
   
2. How does the air scrubber repair work? Can they repair it from just one floor of the ship? The other players just roam the ship in a meanwhile? Won't that just be quite boring for the repairer?
   
3. How do you count turns for the consumables purposes? Do you do it arbitrarily? In general I'm a bit lost with how to track time, do you have any tips?
   
4. If I get it correctly, the Event for auto destruction of Montero happens automatically. Is there any reason for Wilson to do anything?
   
5. I honestly have a bit of a trouble with Stealth system - one of the weird examples for me is the Abomination in Reactor room. The Room description says that if players move there quietly they might not wake it up (Mobility roll). Do I get it correctly that the player would specifically say "Hey, I'm going there STEALTHILY" then roll and if rolls badly, then go to Panic? It feels so weird, when even the rulebook says that you should roll sporadically
   

Thanks a lot for your answers, if you have any other tips I'd appreciate it!

https://archive.is/eRCLe
Relying on public transit systems to get from point A to point B in Massachusetts can run the gamut from, "I’ll just hop on the T,” to “never can I ever get there from here,” depending on a traveler’s location within the state.
A new report on regional transit funding by the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts, paid for by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, found the state’s public transportation system, particularly the regional transit authorities, to be fragmented and underfunded. They do not meet the needs of residents, especially those in more rural communities, the report states.
The report referred to the 15 regional transit authorities that cover routes outside of the greater Boston metropolitan area serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as a “patchwork system," including the Worcester Regional Transit Authority. The report calls for a more sustainable system and for greater equity in allocation of services as well as funding.
The transit authorities outside of metro Boston, according to the report, lack a dedicated and sustained source of state revenue and rely more heavily on subsidies from the municipalities they service. Communities lacking an extensive property tax base, due to lack of business and industry and more remote housing, pay a larger share for the transportation services.
Municipalities subsidize an average of 32% of regional transit authorities' operating costs, as opposed to 12% of the MBTA’s operating costs.
The report found that state funding is stagnant, based mostly on past allocations without consideration for increasing allotments for capital expenses including repairs, expansion of services, seeking to attract new riders to increase ridership or for electrification of its fleets.
The report also notes that the MBTA serving the greater Boston metropolitan area gets the lion’s share of state money. It also has a dedicated funding source; a portion of the state’s sales tax is directed to support the extensive underground and bus system.
The report also found holes in the state where communities are outside all regional transit authority service areas; those blank spots occur in both the state’s western rural reaches as well as sections close to the Connecticut border and even densely populated South Shore municipalities. The report also found that there is no linkage, no connections, between transit authorities serving adjacent communities.
“We must do more to eliminate transportation deserts, and to ensure that urban and rural residents alike have access to public transit, not only within each region but across a more connected system across the state,” said Dr. Amie Shei, president and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.
“Transportation is a public good and we must invest in it today so we can achieve the commonwealth’s climate, economic development health and housing goals tomorrow.”
In announcing the Senate fiscal 2025 budget last week, state Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, said the proposed investment in regional authorities from the Fair Share Amendment, the Millionaire’s Tax passed by voters in 2022, reaches $120 million for operating assistance. The tax adds a 4% surcharge to all household income reported over $1 million.
The Fair Share funding is in addition to line items included in the body of the budget and brings the total investment in regional transit authorities to $214 million.
“The $214 million reflects a significant increase from Fair Share funds over our last budget,” Rodrigues said. The funds include $40 million to support fare-free initiatives throughout the systems as well as $10 million to enhance connectivity between services.
“The plan is to increase interconnectivity between RTAs; now you can’t get from Fall River to Brockton on the RTA,” Rodrigues said. The report noted that there is little coordination between the different regional transit authorities; little integration with each other. It’s not a unified system, does not span the entire state and does not run consistently and without service interruptions depending on the day of the week and anticipated ridership.
Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury, is one of the senators supporting the increased funding included in the body’s proposed budget. “With a record funding level of $214 million for FY25, if passed, this budget will represent an enormous investment in our regional transit authorities that allow us to offer expanded service, increased frequency and fare-free transit service,” Moore said. “By investing in our RTAs we’re choosing to bring more transportation options to individuals outside the MBTA system — something everyone should want.”
Ensuring transportation options for residents will enable greater economic development, an investment in bringing housing and jobs to areas outside of Boston, according to the report.
Regional transit authorities welcomed a program launched in fiscal 2024 that distributed $15 million for expansion and enhancement of existing services, to support connectivity between regional transit authorities and even support electrification projects. However, the report said there is no indication of continued funding.
The report concludes the state must provide a sustainable and constant funding source to regional transit authorities and foment cooperation between agencies.
The study was commissioned by the Quaboag Connector, a micro-transit initiative serving the residents of 10 rural communities west of Worcester and funded through a Synergy Initiative grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. The Quaboag Connector is led by the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation and the Town of Ware. It has provided some 66,000 rides in the past years, serving as a “lifeline for local residents,” according to the report.
“Where residents live in Massachusetts should not determine their mobility or access to opportunity,” said Melissa Fales, executive director of the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation. “This report underscores the critical need to incentivize connectivity across RTA service areas, particularly in rural areas and to identify dedicated funding streams to support independent micro-transit efforts that are working to fill the gaps in transit across the commonwealth.”

Hi Everyone Wanted to share my experience dealing with joystick drift on my xbox controller.
So my original controller which came with the Series S started showing signs of joystick drift around 1 year after the purchase. Initially I bared it, but it became a pain when playing games such as overcooked 2.
Spending 5k more on buying a controller didn't seem to make a lot of sense since I had one more controller, the only issue was with couch co-op games.
So I first tried to call up local repair shops and they quoted me insanely high numbers to replace the joystick - roughly 2k. I live in Hyd, these prices might be lower in places such as Delhi.
Then the engineer in me got an itch, and I thought why not replace it myself. Searching on amazon I found this - TCOS TECH Xbox Series X/S Analog 3D Analog Joystick Replacement for Xbox Series S Xbox Series X Wireless Controller : Amazon.in: Video Games (not sponsored or affiliated in any way)
I thought it should just be a simple soldering job and I ordered a soldering kit with this.
Then I started, and oh my, it was a really scary experience.
So the difference between soldering normally, and removing solders made by hand is generally very easy. But in things such as the controller, the soldering is done using automated machines on the PCB.
Removing these solders is not possible using normal soldering guns you might have for hobbies etc. They require significantly more heat to remove.
So yeah, I spent a long time trying to heat and remove the solder to no avail, the PCB almost changed a bit of it's colour, and I was like I have anyways messed this up.
Then I started exploring more on youtube to see more simpler techniques, there were techniques around just breaking the potentiometers/joystick instead of the solder, and then just move it back and forth to break the solder.
I thought I'll do this on the whole joystick, but just doing it on one of the potentiometers was too much effort and scary. Scary in terms of breaking the whole thing up.
Then I ended up only breaking 1 potentiometer (the front-back one which had the drift) and then replacing it with a potentiometer from the one I had purchased. After much more effort and abusing the PVC very badly with heat, solder and the hole from where I removed the older potentiometer, it looked like a complete mess. I was worried if it would even turn on.
Luckily after few minor adjustments, the joystick was working perfectly. I can honestly say, I felt super happy!
Fast forward to 2months since this, now the joystick has a different kind of problem, where it randomly gets stuck in top direction, hopefully might be fixable with minor tweaks.
All in all it was a very scary experience (of destroying my whole controller), and I won't recommend it to anyone if you don't have advanced soldering skills and equipment.
Better approach would be to buy a stick like this online and then maybe go to a mobile repair shop and pay them some money to help with soldering.

Hi Everyone Wanted to share my experience dealing with joystick drift on my xbox controller.
So my original controller which came with the Series S started showing signs of joystick drift around 1 year after the purchase. Initially I bared it, but it became a pain when playing games such as overcooked 2.
Spending 5k more on buying a controller didn't seem to make a lot of sense since I had one more controller, the only issue was with couch co-op games.
So I first tried to call up local repair shops and they quoted me insanely high numbers to replace the joystick - roughly 2k. I live in Hyd, these prices might be lower in places such as Delhi.
Then the engineer in me got an itch, and I thought why not replace it myself. Searching on amazon I found this - TCOS TECH Xbox Series X/S Analog 3D Analog Joystick Replacement for Xbox Series S Xbox Series X Wireless Controller : Amazon.in: Video Games (not sponsored or affiliated in any way)
I thought it should just be a simple soldering job and I ordered a soldering kit with this.
Then I started, and oh my, it was a really scary experience.
So the difference between soldering normally, and removing solders made by hand is generally very easy. But in things such as the controller, the soldering is done using automated machines on the PCB.
Removing these solders is not possible using normal soldering guns you might have for hobbies etc. They require significantly more heat to remove.
So yeah, I spent a long time trying to heat and remove the solder to no avail, the PCB almost changed a bit of it's colour, and I was like I have anyways messed this up.
Then I started exploring more on youtube to see more simpler techniques, there were techniques around just breaking the potentiometers/joystick instead of the solder, and then just move it back and forth to break the solder.
I thought I'll do this on the whole joystick, but just doing it on one of the potentiometers was too much effort and scary. Scary in terms of breaking the whole thing up.
Then I ended up only breaking 1 potentiometer (the front-back one which had the drift) and then replacing it with a potentiometer from the one I had purchased. After much more effort and abusing the PVC very badly with heat, solder and the hole from where I removed the older potentiometer, it looked like a complete mess. I was worried if it would even turn on.
Luckily after few minor adjustments, the joystick was working perfectly. I can honestly say, I felt super happy!
Fast forward to 2months since this, now the joystick has a different kind of problem, where it randomly gets stuck in top direction, hopefully might be fixable with minor tweaks.
All in all it was a very scary experience (of destroying my whole controller), and I won't recommend it to anyone if you don't have advanced soldering skills and equipment.
Better approach would be to buy a stick like this online and then maybe go to a mobile repair shop and pay them some money to help with soldering.

First time poster - on mobile
My sister (32F) got this tidbit from mom (61F) on Mother’s Day.( I (33F) live across the state and will be celebrating with her over Memorial Day weekend)
My dad (61M) has been wanting a new tattoo. He had been speaking to this artist (who is a female) and he goes to this tattoo appointment and they are chit chatting. The story is, she asks why he picked her while making small talk and my dad goes “because I didn’t want a homo doing it.”
Cue crickets. Turns out after this, the tattoo artist asked him to leave and did not do his tattoo at all.
For context, I am lesbian and am in a relationship and been out for around 8 years.
My dad comes home and tells mom what happened. I’m not sure if he thought she would agree with him but she told him you can’t just say that. Of course he went into a rant about how he was raised and what not.
My dad can be a disappointment in a lot of ways, but he has always claimed to support my sexuality. this came at a time where I was working up to finally trying to repair our relationship after we had a major falling out around 1-1/2 years ago. I’m not sure I’m ready anymore because it hurt so much even if it’s not how he thinks, he still said it.
My sister thinks he just didn’t want to talk to a guy/look at a guy while he was getting his tattoo done and would rather look at a pretty girl and her breasts. I also can agree with this POV. He can be creepy and his fidelity is definitely in question.
I do know one thing, he will be the running joke for the next week at that tattoo studio.
Edit: just really needed to vent about my trump loving father “but not the bad stuff” my dad is just a dumb boomer

Hi there,
I have a 2017 BMW 330i and it has become a money pit. So, I will be trying to sell it as soon as it's in sellable shape. But, last week I got a message on my screen that said "top off coolant. engine could overheat." I called BMW because I just paid $500 for a flush and coolant in July. He said to bring it or tow it in. There were no other signs of overheating, just the message. The temp on the dash was normal.
I attempted to drive the 10 minutes to dealership (I honestly thought this was a sensor thing or something bc it had just come on and I didnt think it could go from a message to overheating in a day/3 miles). On the way, I got a similar message on screen but it was red and said "engine overheating." So, I pulled over on side of hwy and had it towed to BMW.
The BMW tech provided my invoice, stating: TECHNICIAN PULLED CAR IN AND NOTICED THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT WAS ON. TECH REMOVED COOLANT RESERVOIR CAP TO INSPECT COOLANT AND FOUND NO COOLANT WAS PRESENT IN THE SYSTEM. TECHNICIAN FILLED SYSTEM WITH WATER TO PRESSURE TEST THE COOLING SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT THE OIL FILTER HOUSING FAILING RESULTING IN A MASSIVE LOSS OF COOLANT. NECESSARY TO REPLACE OIL FILTER HOUSING AND PRESSURE TEST SYSTEM TO ENSURE NO MORE LEAKS.
The cost for this was quoted at $3103. I looked up the part and it's like $700-800. The tech called and told me yes, the part is $750 but it will take them 11 hours to fix. This seems extreme and so does the $200/hour labor charge. But, maybe that is normal. The time seems extensive.
The invoice also called for "attention soon" on RIGHT FRONT OUT CV AXLE BOOT WAS BEGINNING TO LEAK GREASE. RECOMMEND REPLACING BOTH INNER AND OUTER CV BOOTS. This was quoted at $1375. I have no idea what this is for and haven't looked into it yet, been more concerned about the above.
So, I'm not going to pay $4k for a car that's worth maybe $15k. So, I'm looking into BMW trade-in offer or I don't even know what because that's a lot of $$.
I reached out to a repair shop for a quote to do the work. They quoted me $850 for the Oil Filter Housing part and labor, which is a $2200 discrepancy from BMW. This seems extreme, way to big of a discrepancy. It's a pay up front, flat fee and they have awesome reviews. It's a mobile car shop, so no actual shop. I gave them the exact wording from the invoice on what needed to be done (above).
SO....
1) Do you think this is really an 11 hour job? 2) Does $850 seem too inexpensive, like they don't understand the whole job and it could be a lot more? Or do you think BMW is just charging crazy for labor? 3) Anyone know anything about CV axle boot leaking grease? does $1375 sound right for that (from BMW). 4) Related but different note: Anyone have any thoughts on the DEALERSHIP buying back car versus me getting it fixed and selling on my own?
Any thoughts are welcomed! (except - please do not ream me for being a BMW owner. As I said, it's a money pit and I'm getting rid of it.)
Thank you!

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[Req] ($300)-(#Tucker,Ga,Usa), (05/29/2024), (CashApp)

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Needing a loan til next payday. Will pay back 320-340.. needing my car repaired to pay mechanic. Kindly dm me for more info plz and thank you. 🙏🏼