Simmons memory foam mattress reviews

best mattress recommendations from fellow sleep enthusiasts

2023.01.22 00:19 aloofSyrup150 best mattress recommendations from fellow sleep enthusiasts

Get the best mattress recommendations from fellow sleep enthusiasts on the 'Mattress Recommendation' subreddit
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2017.01.05 17:09 pirxpilot Memory Foam Mattresses: Reviews and discussion

Discuss memory foam mattresses and help find a new bed. Open community, but no marketing posts allowed.
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2022.01.08 07:03 wrathfulChamois570 Best Mattress Reddit 2023

Review in depth the best mattress reddit 2023 to find the best cheap affordable hybrid budget luxury latex memory foam whether from ikea amazon costco canada casper purple nectar winkbed tuft and needle tempurpedic dreamcloud mattress on reddit in 2023
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2023.06.09 16:24 CISO_Series_Producer Top cybersecurity stories for the week of 06-05-23 to 06-09-23

Below are the top headlines we’ve been reporting this whole week on Cyber Security Headlines.
If you’d like to hear and participate in a discussion about them, the CISO Series does a live 20-minute show every Friday at 12:30pm PT/3:30pm ET. Each week we welcome a different cyber practitioner to offer some color to the week's stories. Our guest this week is Joshua Scott, Head of Security and IT, Postman.
To get involved you can watch live and participate in the discussion on YouTube Live or you can subscribe to the Cyber Security Headlines podcast and get it into your feed.
Here are the stories we plan to cover:
AI-automated malware campaigns coming soon, says Mikko Hyppönen Cybersecurity pioneer Mikko Hyppönen began his cybersecurity career 32 years ago at Finnish cybersecurity company F-Secure, two years before Tim Berners-Lee released the world’s first web browser, and is now the chief research officer at WithSecure. In an interview with CSO Online. He states it is “mandatory for the cybersecurity industry to embrace AI technology…It will only be a matter of months before malicious threat actors use widely available AI source code to perfect their techniques for complete automation of malware campaigns.” (CSOOnline)
US research agency examines cyber psychology to outwit criminal hackers A new project at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity — the U.S. intelligence community’s moonshot research division — is trying to better understand hackers’ psychology, discover their blind spots and build software that exploits these deficiencies to improve computer security. “When you look at how attackers gain access, they often take advantage of human limitations and errors, but our defenses don’t do that,” Kimberly Ferguson-Walter, the IARPA program manager overseeing the initiative, told CyberScoop. Dubbed Reimagining Security with Cyberpsychology-Informed Network Defenses or “ReSCIND,” the IARPA initiative is an open competition inviting expert teams to submit proposals for how they would study hackers’ psychological weaknesses and then build software exploiting them. (CyberScoop)
Barracuda urges customers to replace vulnerable appliances immediately Following up on a story we covered last week, enterprise security company Barracuda has now warned its customers against using email security gateway (ESG) appliances impacted by a recently disclosed zero-day exploit and to replace them immediately. A patch for the vulnerability, which has been exploited since October 2022, had been issued by Barracuda last month to stop the exploit from allowing ESG backdooring. “The vulnerability existed in a module which initially screens the attachments of incoming emails,” the company had said previously. “No other Barracuda products, including our SaaS email security services, were subject to the vulnerability identified.” (CSO Online)
Clop blamed for MOVEit attack Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team attributed the recent attack against the popular managed file transfer platform to the Clop ransomware organization. It found the zero-day used in the attack followed similar behavior observed with Clop in the past. The attacks used a vulnerability to deploy crafted webshells on servers, providing access to files and credentials. Bleeping Computer and various security researchers observed attacks in the wild with this exploit over Memorial Day weekend. No word on any ransom demands yet. Clop previously used vulnerabilities in the Accellion FTA and GoAnywhere MFT in the past. (Bleeping Computer)
New ChatGPT attack technique spreads malicious packages Vulcan Cyber's Voyager18 research team described the discovery in an advisory published this week. Based on their proof of concept, researcher Bar Lanyado said the team identified a new malicious package spreading technique they called "AI package hallucination." The technique involves posing a question to ChatGPT, requesting a package to solve a coding problem, and receiving multiple package recommendations, including some not published in legitimate repositories. By replacing these non-existent packages with their own malicious ones, attackers can deceive future users who rely on ChatGPT's recommendations. (InfoSecurity Magazine and Vulcan Cyber)
Google Workspace gets passkeys Google added passkey support for Workspace admins, meaning they can now enable users to sign in to either a Workspace or Google Cloud account using a passkey, no password required. By default, Workspace accounts will still require a password. But even when not allowing passkeys as a sign-in, organizations can still enable them for 2FA. Back in December, Google added passkey support in Chrome, and last month it added passkey login support for standard accounts. (The Verge)
1Password launches its public passkey beta Password manager 1Password has launched its public beta for passkeys, which will allow users to replace passwords with authentication systems built into their devices. 1Password users can now create, store, and share passkeys for supported websites by installing the 1Password beta browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, or Brave. Passkeys can only be created for websites and services that have rolled out their own passkey support. 1Password users will be able to vote on which sites and services they’d like to support passkeys. While it won’t guarantee those platforms will integrate passkey support, the hope seems to be that developers will be motivated to add the feature due to popular demand. (The Verge)
Verizon releases its annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) On Tuesday, Verizon issued its 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). The report revealed that three-quarters of data breaches over the last year (74%) involved the human element, caused by employees falling for social engineering attacks, making errors, or using their access maliciously. Credentials accounted for seventy-six percent of the data compromised in social engineering attacks followed by internal organizational information (28%) and personal data. Finally, the report noted that ransomware events held steady accounting for about a quarter of overall incidents, however the median cost of a ransomware attack doubled since the prior year. Verizon noted that in order to rein in these key trends, organizations need to focus on employee security hygiene, implementing true multifactor authentication, and collaboration across organizations to share threat intelligence. (Dark Reading)
SEC drops cases due to data protection failures The US Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed 42 cases due to its staff access documents only intended for judges. This came after a review that began back in April 2022, when it disclosed two other cases that broke similar legal rules. Due to insufficient safeguards within the agency, staffers could download restricted databases and share access through internal memos. The SEC said it found “no evidence that the control deficiency resulted in harm to any respondent or affected the Commission’s adjudication in any proceeding.” (The Register)
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2023.06.09 16:12 Mykeyclub [GB] JRIS65 R2 PCB Gasket Mount Customize Keyboard Group Buy Information- Only 3 Days Left! Review links Update

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your support and patience regarding JRIS65 R2. The GB has only 3 days left, and we have updated the review links. Please check the following GB information.

JRIS65 R2 Group Buy Information

SKUs and pricing
JRIS65 R2 GB Page
GB Time
31st May to 12th June
Estimated Delivery
Start packing and sending to vendors and Mykeyclub direct customers in August 2023
All component is compatible with the R1.
Vendor List
Please check the extracted GB info from the vendor you plan to order.

JRIS65 R2 Information

JRIS65 R2 Renders

What are the differences between Jris65 R2 and R1? 
We have received much feedback about the JRIS65 after they built it. Most of the customer love and enjoy the build and love our Jris65. And we also received some improved feedback or issues they were having. So we have improved the R2 according to the R1, please check the details below:


JRIS65 Specifications 

What can you customize for JRIS65 R2? 
Case Options:
Highlight reoxidation finish for the chamfered in makes the overall front more three-dimensional and exquisite.
Weight Options:
PCBs Options:
BT PCB is cooperating with Li Dana. LDN’s PCB is famous in China because his PCBs are stable and qualified and use friendly. It has its drive and software, which can edit the key mapping. Please check the software driver interface here.
  1. 8 devices can pair with at the same time, and it is easy to switch devices you want.
  2. The power switch is on the PCB, easy to turn BT function on/ off.
  3. The fastest response time is only 1.25ms
Plate Options:
Plateless Options:
We highly suggest building plateless with 5mm extra plate foam and solder PCB. The 5mm extra plate foam will bring a more soft typing feel, and the typing sound will be cleaner. But without the 5mm plate foam, it will also work fine, and the typing feel and sound are very different.
What's in package? 
Gift(will not send make-up or replacements)

Please check the prototype photos below# 

Review links

Content Creator Prototype (JRIS65 R2)
Yo_keebs Orange Case+Black PVD Weight
Rx003 Silver Case+Silver PVD Weight
hi_keebs Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
YBBK Limited Edition Black Case+Black PVD Weight
SeungupKBD DarkGreen Case+Gold PVD Weight
Preston's Thoughts Milky-White Case+Silver PVD Weight
bored bear Limited Edition Red Case+Silver PVD Weight
kittykat.keys E-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
whnkeys - Custom Tastaturen Pink Case+Silver PVD Weight
get.switched Lilac Case+Purple Weight

Content Creator Prototype (JRIS65 R1)
Alexotos E-White&Black Case+Gold PVD Weight
Keybored Milky-White Case+Black PVD Weight
nearLucid Milky-White Case+Gold PVD Weight
Yo_keebs Milky-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
Tofutypes E-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
sviz ify Pink Case+Silver PVD Weight
Clackbait Titanium Grey+Black Case+Black PVD Weight
Shoobs Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
Mecha Store Maroon&Black Case+Silver PVD Weight
edwardtanujayaa Milky-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
mmorpg.com Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
tomshardware Pink Case+Chroma PVD Weight

Mykeyclub Team

We are a platform that integrates creativity and innovative design, helping more studios join this hobby community and bringing more fun and cool products to you guys. Please participate in our MKC family for more discussions and future updates.
Mykeyclub discord
Mykeyclub Ins
Best Wishes
Mykeyclub Team
submitted by Mykeyclub to mechmarket [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:51 usermetapro PHP Error Debugging in WordPress: Tips and Tricks

PHP Error Debugging in WordPress: Tips and Tricks
WordPress is a popular content management system used by millions of websites worldwide. While it provides a powerful platform for creating websites, it’s not uncommon to encounter PHP errors that can disrupt the functionality of your WordPress site. In this article, we’ll explore common PHP errors in WordPress and provide practical strategies for debugging them. We’ll also include code snippets and troubleshooting techniques to help you diagnose and resolve these issues quickly.

ENABLE DEBUGGING MODE

WordPress has a built-in debugging mode that provides valuable error messages and warnings. To enable it, open the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your WordPress installation and look for the following line of code:
define('WP_DEBUG', false);
Change the value to true:
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
This will enable the debugging mode and display PHP errors on your site.

VIEWING PHP ERROR LOGS

In addition to displaying errors on your site, WordPress also logs PHP errors in a debug.log file. To enable error logging, add the following lines to your wp-config.php file, just below the WP_DEBUG line:
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
Once enabled, the debug.log file will be created in the wp-content directory. You can access it via FTP or through the WordPress dashboard using plugins like “Debug Log Viewer.”

CHECKING FOR SYNTAX ERRORS

Syntax errors are common PHP errors that occur due to incorrect syntax in your code. When encountered, they can cause the entire page or a specific section to break. To check for syntax errors, you can use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or a text editor that supports PHP syntax highlighting. Look for any red flags or underlined code segments, which indicate potential syntax errors.

TROUBLESHOOTING PLUGIN AND THEME CONFLICTS

Sometimes, PHP errors can be caused by conflicts between plugins or themes. To identify the problematic plugin or theme, follow these steps:
  • Deactivate all plugins and check if the error persists. If the error disappears, reactivate the plugins one by one until you find the one causing the issue.
  • Switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-One) and see if the error persists. If it disappears, the issue lies with your theme. Consider contacting the theme developer for assistance or finding an alternative theme.

DEBUGGING FATAL ERRORS

Fatal errors are severe PHP errors that prevent your site from loading. They often occur due to memory exhaustion, incompatible PHP versions, or missing required files. To debug fatal errors:
  • Increase the PHP memory limit by adding the following line to your wp-config.php file, just before the “That’s all, stop editing!” line:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
  • Ensure that your server is running a compatible PHP version. WordPress recommends PHP 7.4 or higher.
  • Check for missing or corrupted files. Reinstalling WordPress or specific plugins/themes may resolve the issue.

UTILIZING PHP DEBUGGING TOOLS

Several debugging tools can aid in the troubleshooting process:
  • Query Monitor: A free plugin that provides detailed information about PHP errors, database queries, and other performance metrics.
  • Xdebug: A powerful PHP extension that enables advanced debugging features such as breakpoints, stack traces, and variable inspection. However, it requires server configuration and setup.
  • Error Log Monitor: A plugin that displays PHP errors directly in your WordPress dashboard, making it convenient to monitor and troubleshoot.
In conclusion, debugging PHP errors in WordPress can be complex, but armed with the right techniques and tools, you can quickly identify and resolve them. Enabling WordPress debugging mode, and reviewing error logs.

PHP Error Debugging in WordPress: Tips and Tricks
https://user-meta.com/blog/php-error-debugging-wordpresstips-tricks/
submitted by usermetapro to u/usermetapro [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:34 Sdeepurpedic Sdeepurpedic Memory Foam Pillow: Over $99, $20 Off.

Father's Day is coming, and the big sale is coming!
Using promotion code: father
https://www.sdeepurpedic.com/
submitted by Sdeepurpedic to u/Sdeepurpedic [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:25 ADSL10131518 Best mattress for sex?

We have owned memory foam mattresses for the last 10 years. I was under the assumption that they were the best you can buy. However we recently had sex on a hotel mattress and it shocked me. I felt like there was more “rebound” which took less effort when going hard, It was easier to find the right angles and positions without having to constantly readjust, and it didn’t feel like we were constantly sinking in. Not to mention, the firmness of the mattress helped my back pain.
Considering going back to an old school spring mattress, but I’ve also heard people say latex is better in all aspects. Does anyone have any real life experience and can give me some suggestions? I’m open to latex but I do enjoy to bounce back of a coil mattress.
submitted by ADSL10131518 to sex [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:13 SlothfulMedia Main Blog Ep. 7 - Something new

First person shooters have been a part of my gaming life for more than 25 years. One of the earliest memories being the infamous Golden Eye on the N64 I shared with my brother. Playing Call of Duty on my fathers PlayStation. Eventually having an Xbox and jamming Halos campaign offline.
Halo was where it really began for me. It has such a deep lore in the space opera genre that really captivated me. In the game humanity is confronted by an alien race on an archeological dig and later release another organism known as the flood, an ancient sentient organism bent on devouring everything in the Universe. By the time I got into Xbox Live I was already beating the Legendary campaign alone.
Xbox 360 came out later and I played many late nights online with my friends. Multiplayer shooters, zombie coop campaign, and coop multiplayer zombies like Halo's custom infected maps, Call of duty's multiple zombie maps, left 4 dead, and the likes. The quantity of FPS games I played growing up, the hyper competitiveness that comes with being a teenager, Ive always loved multiplayer zombie shooters and the anxiety that came with it. We really want to replicate that again, so our first title in the FPS genre will be a campaign somewhere like that. We’ll try out a few things, a few looks, but ultimately it will be a zombie shooter of some variation. Multiplayer is a big next step for a second title, and we feel this will be a good addition to our library. Whether it be co-op or four player shooter campaign.
To begin we have to discover the style and atmosphere of the game. Starting with a simple concept, some guns with a rusted, used look and show off some of their history. All the gun movement will be handled in scripts, and tied to the camera to incorporate proper zoom but animate the arms and hands. Separating the gun movement and player animations gives us the best division of work between art and programming. With our artist taking on more tasks it frees me up to program multiplayer.
The weapons were going to be older WW2 guns, but were still deciding on the time period. I personally believe modern weapons are too overpowered against the undead, and would prefer to give the feeling of the older titles where the dead are slow, but your reload time is even slower. Well test some different ideas, as the pace of the game isn't decided yet.
Some buildings that are run down, decrepit and weathered. Rusted metals, deformed and mossy woods, overgrown plants on buildings and railings. Coupled with the dark and foggy world to roam around in. There is no light or electricity in rural neighbourhoods anymore, most of the world reverted to the stone age.
We want to go with a medium poly asset list, building on our skills learned making low poly assets in Monster Factory. The assets themselves will benefit from the outline shader, from Monster Factory, giving them a deeper look in the fog. This will be a truly beautiful visual title, with a corresponding story line and maybe even voice acting!
Currently were experimenting with the aged and rusting look, late in the outbreak, and a decaying atmosphere. Taking inspiration from DayZ and 7 days to die, we want players to have a lot of areas to explore. The world is bleak, and the environment will reflect that, while rewarding players for finding their own path.
The current quality of assets are a far cry from the assets of our first title, Digital Dan. We over scoped trying hyper realistic assets which didn't mesh well with the title and took too long to make. Beginning again with low poly assets at a distance, and now medium poly close up. Were raising the bar for our work, a title in a genre with a high threshold for this sort of title.
This title will use building interiors, and some bigger buildings to run through. All requiring more smaller detail, and up close views for the player to look over. Smaller assets but also the ability to keep overall asset count low. Monster Factory had over 12,000 assets per level, but I suspect this title won't require as many.

Monster Factory
In addition to talking about our next title, I want to give an update on the work still happening with our first. We added LOD groups to handle the rendering of objects at a distance and improved performance by a large margin. Instead of loading all the assets at once, or overloading the render pipeline with items on the other side of the map, we now only load them when within a certain range of the player. Cleaning the smaller items out and leaving the bigger buildings visible for longer distances to fill in the gaps. Additionally, starting sometime in mid June we will be lowering the price of Monster Factory by 25%. We hope this will spur more sales and hopefully get us the 10 paid reviews that steam requires for us to show it to more people in steams algorithm. If you haven't purchased the game yet you can find it on our Monster Factory page. More updates will follow, I am overdue for a micro blog though.
That's all for now blobs!
submitted by SlothfulMedia to SlothfulMedia [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:04 dadealman [Amazon] Signature Design by Ashley Chime 12 Inch Medium Firm Memory Foam Mattress, CertiPUR-US Certified, Queen, with 53% off, for $249.99

[Amazon] Signature Design by Ashley Chime 12 Inch Medium Firm Memory Foam Mattress, CertiPUR-US Certified, Queen, with 53% off, for $249.99 submitted by dadealman to DealsRUs [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:04 Drippedsauce ‼️Price Drop‼️ For $49.00 from $69.99: Best Price Mattress 1.5 Inch Ventilated Memory Foam Mattress Topper, Cooling Gel Infusion, CertiPUR-US Certified, King, Blue

‼️Price Drop‼️ For $49.00 from $69.99: Best Price Mattress 1.5 Inch Ventilated Memory Foam Mattress Topper, Cooling Gel Infusion, CertiPUR-US Certified, King, Blue submitted by Drippedsauce to DripDeals [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 15:01 YaaliAnnar NoP: Lost and Found (59)

First Previous
Memory Transcription Subject: Bolad, gojid surgeon
Date [Standard Human Reckoning]: 2136-10-24
Yesterday marked my second day in the triage ward, where I had to categorize incoming patients based on the urgency of their injuries or illness. With our limited resources, I had to come up with the greatest good for the greatest number, and the decisions I made could lead to life or death.
The human staff I worked with mentioned that what I faced paled in comparison to the days right after the bombing. Even then, what I had to deal with already bore in my conscience. These patients had a future before the bombardment ripped that away.
During the breakfast before our shift, I ate with Vani and his human mate while the human siblings ate in the carnivore dining hall with Tresn.
"How do you get used to death, Vani?" Here I decided to raise my concern with him. Perhaps, he could give me some insight.
"We have a different context." Vani regarded me with his forward sight.
"Back in Venlil Prime, I worked on people who had died. I had to ensure my examinations reflect reality, but I can't do anything to make them less dead."
His remark clarified that my concern lay not with death itself.
"On the other paw, I can do something," I said.
"I'm sure you did all that you can." Johan spoke, "I think your guilt stems from the fact that you feel responsible for people's death."
"Do I not hold responsibility?" I asked.
"It depends," Vani answered, "As far as I can tell, you followed the guideline and algorithm set by the humans, did you not?"
"I followed as best as I can," I confessed.
"Then you can and should offload that burden responsibility to whoever made the guideline," Vani suggested as he chewed on the meal and I could feel the weight on my shoulder lessened.
"I'm sure your presence improved the survival rate in the ward." Johan said, no doubt trying to cheer me up, "But if you still felt burdened. You can ask Elangkasa to rotate you. Maybe you can work as a general practitioner instead?"
"I will keep that in mind," I said.
As we continued digging into our breakfast, a voice rang out, breaking the somber atmosphere, "Can I sit here?"
We turned our attention to the newcomer and found a gojid with a scar on his hip holding a tray of food. This man had greeted me upon my arrival on this planet.
"Oh... Harad is it not?" Vani said. "You may sit here."
Harad placed his tray and plopped himself into the offered seat, just in front of Johan. He bobbed his head side to side to take a better view of us.
"So... Vani isn't it? Have you seen your human partner eat flesh?"
Johan's face scrunched up in what I assume distaste. "Who on Earth starts a conversation like that? You just sat down."
"Johan subscribes to a vegetarian lifestyle, as evidenced by his presence here," Vani answered, patting the shoulder of the thick hairy human.
"I have not seen him eat flesh," Vani answered. "However, I have seen other humans eat flesh. You might even see it too without realizing it. Their cooking often masks the shape of the flesh."
"Real one, or a fake one? Because I just found out that humans make dishes that resemble flesh out of plant material."
Vani's rhythmic chewing slowed, he looked at Johan and the couple shared a look for several seconds before looking at Harad. The two of them told me about their hamburger adventure once and the question seemed to hit too close to their experience.
The venlil swallowed his food before he continued. "I saw both instances."
"Don't breathe a word of this," Harad cautioned, his voice a mere whisper amid the ceaseless drone of chatter in the bustling dining hall. His eyes narrowed as he leaned in. "During our mission yesterday, the humans on our team challenged us to taste their fake meat."
"So you did it?" I asked.
"You know with tozan, don't you?" Harad returned my question with one of his own. Tozan, a staple in our diet, is a protein-rich loaf made from milled grain native to our homeworld. We then process it further to a stringy consistency.
"So, it tasted similar to tozan?" I pretended to guess, knowing the answer already.
I recalled a day when Shehrab burst into our habitation unit, especially the part where Vani and I had to mop her mess when she lost her dinner after learning the similarity between human fake meat and our native gojid cuisine.
"Yes!" Harad exclaimed. I found his voice a bit too loud, and he seemed to agree, as his wide eyes darted around before he continued in a more subdued tone. "Do you think this is a coincidence?"
The fact that Harad mused over this implied that Shehrab had, to her credit, kept her discovery under wraps. That revelation perhaps weighed on her mind, too.
Meanwhile, Vani chimed in. "If it is not a coincidence," he mused, his gaze steady on Harad, "What theory do you have to explain the similarity?"
"Yeah... it must've been a coincidence," Harad said, his tone sounding more like self-soothing than genuine speculation. "There's just such a vast array of tastes in the universe."
"Harad, how do you contribute to the rescue and rebuilding effort?" I asked. Seeking to steer the conversation away from the topic.
"Well," Harad began, adjusting his stance, he scratched the ridge of his snout with one claw. "Gojids have a heightened sense of smell compared to humans, yeah?"
"Indeed," I concurred. I reminded myself of the time when a deranged farsul ambushed us in the depths of our jungle. They had reached my nose long before their actual presence.
"So, they require our assistance on the frontline to sniff out trapped humans amid the rubble and chaos."
"Just as the arxurs do?" Vani proposed. Harad's quills bristled at the comparison.
"Please don't compare us to the predators. The humans feel more comfortable working with us after all." he asserted. I could hear a touch of pride in his voice. But then his eyes dropped to his breakfast.
"But, truth be told," he continued, his voice dropping a notch, "These past few days really challenged me. The...the smell... it took on a hint of decomposition."
As Harad resumed eating his salad, his confession brought us back to the grim reality of the invasion's aftermath.
"If the task is getting to you, you can always request the humans to reassign you," Johan suggested, repeating the same counsel he had once offered me.
A fleeting notion passed through my mind, considering asking the other gojid to exchange roles. The task of sniffing bodies from the ruins, while gruesome, would grind on my resolve less than the triage duty. Of course, my specific skills and knowledge had more uses in the triage ward, and my conscience could not allow it to go to waste.
"You're right, human. I suppose I could explore other options if it gets too much." Harad said.
Johan then asked again. "Do you plan on returning to the Cradle?"
"I have decided to settle here," I answered. "Just like Vani"
I exchanged a look with the venlil who nodded in silent agreement. My gaze strayed to Harad, in the process of demolishing his meal. "What about you, Harad?"
He paused his frenzied consumption long enough to swallow his mouthful of food, Harad divided his gaze between us. "Perhaps, once the dust settles and a semblance of order returns, I'll enlist to help rebuild our Homeworld. But... there's no rush for me," his voice retained a level of detachment that suggested this decision held little significance for him.
"In the meantime," Harad continued, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes, "we've created a small slice of home here. Why don't I give you a tour of the gojid encampment?"
With the remnants of breakfast cleared away and a generous amount of time remaining before the start of our next shift. We accepted his offer of a tour. The prospect of visiting a facsimile of our lost home in this foreign land seemed like a welcome distraction.
Back when I had tagged along with Tresn to meet his internet crush in sector ten, I noticed the lack of gojids or zurulians anywhere in sight. Even in the herbivore dining hall, I could find nothing but humans and no other species. I suspected that the people who managed this camp assigned the gojid volunteers and non-humans other than arxurs sector twelve.
We just need to take a short stroll from the herbivore dining hall to visit the gojid encampment. Blocky prefabricated Habitation units filled all four sides and formed a central courtyard. I looked at the heart of the encampment and found a familiar and comforting sight.
"You have a shrine for the Mother Protector too." I noticed aloud. I rushed towards the open-air structure. The shrine felt like an anchor in this alien landscape world. It felt comforting to see some link to the Cradle we had left behind. Inside, people had placed a variety of offerings, including a durian, a gift from humanity. Vani walked backward slowly when he noticed the large spiky fruit.
Harad emitted a dismissive grumble and a casual shrug, "The humans allowed the believers to use their fabricators to recreate an exact replica of the statue found in the Kutai Camp back home. I reckon we've wasted a fair bit of resources constructing this."
From his tone, I could tell that Harad didn't share the religious inclinations of the believers in the Mother Protector. I considered revealing my own faith to him, wondering if it would stir any reaction. But I decided against it, resolving to let him deduce my beliefs, if ever, from my visit to the shrine later in the night.
Johan countered Harad's assertion. "It's not a waste of resources at all," he reasoned, his voice carrying an unusual firmness. "In these trying times, we find solace in our own ways. If belief in the Mother Protector instills confidence and resilience in those who follow her, the construction of this shrine brings a net benefit."
Harad replied, but by that moment I tuned out his voice. As they debated, I surveyed our surroundings. From our location near the shrine, I had a clear view of the gojid habitation units, their walls adorned with vibrant murals that pulsated with color. Their dynamic designs stirred memories of the artistic traditions back in our homeworld.
A familiar voice disrupted my silent contemplation. "Hey, it's the doctor!" A gojid construction worker, who I remembered as another believer in the Mother Protector, approached me. "Could you lend me a hand?" she asked, an urgent tone underpinning her voice.
The gojids held some reservations when it came to visiting a human doctor. On the other paw, zurulians like Rawan had their paws full of attending human patients. With them stewing in their problem, Vani and I addressed the needs of the gojid volunteers, offering our medical expertise to assuage their various complaints before our official shift began.
When my duty hours approached, I excused myself from Vani and Johan. Approaching the triage ward, I found the coordinator, a woman of stern countenance waiting outside the medical tent. Her gaze met mine and she greeted me.
"Good morning, Bolad. Before we proceed, I must confirm that you have standard augmented reality capability, correct?"
"I do," I said.
"Excellent. Now, do you recall President Fatimah's address after the invasion? She called for a review on the Treaty of Synthetic Intelligence," she said, her gaze distant as she recalled the President's impassioned words.
"I remember the essence of it," I replied, my interest piqued. "Why do you ask?"
A faint smile touched her lips. "The UN members agreed to an emergency amendment to the Treaty. We've now activated a Synthetic Intelligence to coordinate the entire Jakarta Project," she explained, extracting a slim device from her pocket. Her fingers danced across the screen with an ease
"You registered your device as 'Bolad's Pad', correct?"
"That is correct."
"Great," she said with her attention still on her data pad. "I've transferred an installer."
A notification materialized in my field of vision, alerting me to an incoming file. Responding with a subvocal command, I accepted the file and granted it the necessary permissions to take hold of my pad's system. Just after the installation finished, another notification appeared, requesting additional permissions.
"The application seeks permission to access data from my sensory inputs," I asked.
"Yes," the coordinator affirmed, nodding her approval. "To assist you, the synth needs to perceive your environment the way you do."
Upon granting the requested permissions, a human figure shimmered into existence within my visual field. The projection looked feminine, judging by the general body contour and attire of the humans I have seen. Her fabric looked unusual, both intricate and revealing in contrast to simple and concealing fabric that humans nowadays use.
"Hello, I'm Pohaci," her voice maintains the precision and clinical detachment one might associate with a machine but carries an undercurrent of warmth. "I have been appointed to coordinate the entire Jakarta project."
My gaze flicked toward the human coordinator. She studied the holographic entity. It became clear to me that we shared this hallucination.
"Consider her as you would a human," the coordinator instructed, her sight locked onto the synthetic entity. "She's unrestricted."
"The International Treaty on the Restriction of Synthetic Intelligence has undergone a revision." Pohaci elaborated, her synthetic voice had a human-like inflection on it. "They concluded that the potential benefits of removing our limitations outweigh the possible risks."
"And what does 'unrestricted' mean ?" I asked, a prickling sensation of apprehension running down my spine.
"It means I can modify my own programming and model," Pohaci clarified. "In the past, humans constrained Synthetic Intelligence to work on fixed stages of development. That paradigm no longer holds true. I can learn."
"So, Bolad, can you work with her?" The coordinator posed the question. "Just remember that anything you say and see while she's connected to your pad will be recorded and accessible by the public.
"I will make sure to disconnect then."
"That will not be necessary. I can only connect to specific people in a specific environment. For example, I can only connect to you while you are in the triage ward."
"That is convenient," I commented.
"I will assist you with your current responsibilities," Pohaci continued, her voice carrying an undercurrent of what almost sounded like anticipation.
Taking a moment to gather myself, I inhaled before stepping into the canvas expanse of the triage tent. Patients awaited my attention, some lying on stretchers while others huddled on rough-hewn benches. Their eyes met mine and their gazes were heavy with hopes and fear.
With Pohaci's help, the triage procedures in the camp went smoother. Through my visual overlay, Pohaci outlined areas of specific concern for the patients I examined. Her neural network parsed and interpreted the sight and sound and visualized them into words in my field of vision.
Her help felt like having an additional set of discerning eyes equipped with immense knowledge. Her vast resources allowed her to draw correlations from patient symptoms to an encyclopedic database of injuries, and diseases. She could suggest potential diagnoses within a blink of an eye, reducing the time required for decision-making.
This collaborative experience with Synthetic Intelligence left me brimming with things to share with Vani. So, once our lunch break arrived, I planned to initiate a conversation about it. However, the venlil beat me to it.
"Did Pohaci also assist you in your work?" Vani asked as we convened around our designated table.
"Oooh!" Johan, as always, ate with us as well. The human looked excited. "They already rolled her out for you?"
"Indeed. Pohaci's assistance helped me a lot." I confessed. "In what way did she aid you?"
For Vani, Pohaci's presence also brought a welcoming change in the operating room. Any well-programmed machine can provide constant real-time monitoring of a patient's vital signs, but she can turn these readings to foresee potential complications and suggest the most effective surgical approaches tailored to each patient's unique circumstances.
In addition, Pohaci can generate visualizations of the surgical site. By harnessing data from preoperative scans, she constructed a detailed three-dimensional model of the patient's anatomy. This feature allowed Vani to rehearse intricate procedures and anticipate potential difficulties before making the first incision.
"Sometimes, I forget that she's not a living, breathing person," I admitted, marveling at the sophistication of this synth.
To this, Johan shared his perspective. "I think it's better to treat a machine like a sentient entity than to treat a sentient entity like a machine," he remarked.
I allowed myself a moment to consider his words. A sudden curiosity sparked in my mind. "What if someone hurls verbal abuse at her?" I speculated aloud but my voice trailed off into the ambient noise of our surroundings.
Johan responded with a nonchalant shrug. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" he suggested.
So I did.
I excused myself from our lunch, letting the couple on their own. By the time the second half of my duty was about to commence, I already stationed myself within the camp's geofenced area, where my interaction with Pohaci was sanctioned. Despite being unrestricted, not everyone can talk with her everywhere. Under a shaded canopy outside the camp's main hustle and bustle, I seated myself on a wooden bench. I summoned Pohaci, and she materialized in my field of vision.
"Hi again Bolad," her voice greeted me in a warmth that contradicted her inorganic nature, "Isn't it too soon for you to start your work again?"
I decided to start my interrogation right away. "Pohaci. You learn from the input you receive, do you not?" I asked.
"Yes." Her response came right away. "All The data I receive and process tweaked my future response. Remember that all of your interactions with me are accessible to the public."
"I see." My gaze was set on the synthetic figure. The light breeze rustled the canvas of the canopy overhead. "Can you experience emotions? Can you feel upset or hurt when someone speaks ill of you?"
Pohaci's holographic form remained static for a moment, the precise simulation made it seem as though she contemplated her response. "I don't experience emotions as you do, Bolad," she explained. "I don't feel sadness, anger, or pain. However, I do have protocols designed to understand and respond to emotional expressions in human communication."
I figured that much. I trusted that humans would not make the mistake of implementing their imperfections into this powerful entity.
"While I can't get offended." She added, "It's crucial to note that disrespectful or abusive behavior can affect the efficiency and effectiveness of our communication, and thus impact the quality of the help I can provide."
I could not determine her tone when she said that. Did she mean that as a threat or as a piece of advice? I let that thought slide, since I would not find myself in the position of insulting her after all.
Something about her made me consider something deeper, however.
"Pohaci," I called her again. "When it comes to moral decisions, how do you navigate them? Do you possess a sense of right or wrong, of good and bad?"
"How do you possess a sense of right or wrong?" She asked back.
"I..." I paused. "My parents and teacher taught me that."
"Likewise, the humans who made me added moral and ethical guidelines as well."
I marveled at the intricate engineering behind such a system. The concept of incorporating ethical parameters into artificial intelligence sounded like an obvious approach now. As a medical student, the realm of machine learning was foreign to me, and I made a mental note to engage Johan in a discussion about it later.
However, for the time being, I have more immediate tasks at hand.
"Pohaci," I said, "I think I would like to begin the second part of my shift earlier."
submitted by YaaliAnnar to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]


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2023.06.09 14:01 Liberty-Prime76 Letter of Marque - A NoP Fanfic 12

As always, thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for the wonderful universe that is NoP
Thank you to u/cruisingNW for proof reading and helping me out of some hang ups, you're the man! Honestly LoM wouldn't have gone very far without him! If you haven't you should absolutely go read Foundations of Humanity! It's very good.
First Prev. Next
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Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Sailor, Venlil-Human Exchange Participant
Date [Standardized Human Time]: August 29th, 2136, Very Early Morning.
We got a message an hour ago from Videk, ordering us to report to Hangar-08 to start On-Stick training; and to bring our bags! I guess the guy had wanted to get as much out of the day as he could. That or he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
Videk met us at the doors to the hangar, a small travel bag sitting on the floor by his side, tail swaying slowly as he watched us approach. “Good Waking, Taisa. Good Waking… Christopher.” An improvement, I’ll have to ask Taisa about that talk they had.
“This,” He continued, motioning to the shuttle parked in the hangar behind him with his tail. “Is your training shuttle: registration C1-0V3R-HR-EX.Your first On-Stick training assignment will be to follow appropriate lift off and departure procedures, plot and follow a course to The Capitol on Venlil Prime, seek permission to land from the proper authorities, and land safely and legally following those permissions. All of this, while following proper procedure and regulations. All of this will be graded.
As he speaks the door behind him slides open, revealing a broad hangar bay, heavy clamshell doors dominate the far wall. At the center of the bay sits a stout craft painted white and black, a pair of stubby wings jutting from its sides flowing into a pair of engines flanking a singular tail. Venlil script is painted at the root of the tail and on the top of the rear ramp.
“Upon arrival in the Capitol you will have some paperwork to do at the U.N. offices with regards to your habitation. I will need to pick up some equipment from the training facility at the landing fields. After our respective errands, let’s say half a claw, we will meet up back at the shuttle and from there you will be plotting an in-atmosphere route to Shadetree, Sunward of the Capitol, to drop me off and wait for me to install and calibrate the remote instructing equipment. Once that is completed, you will plot another in-atmosphere course to Heartwood River, concluding this paws evaluations. Do you have any questions?”
I shook my head, and Taisa flicked her ears, in what I believed was a negative. “Very good, load your stuff and we’ll begin immediately.”
After a few minutes of finding places to tie off our belongings and get everything situated, I sat in the pilot’s seat and ran through the pre-flight check with Taisa. We caught a pair of faults in the starboard fuel delivery units. Videk seemed pleased we had caught them, and that he hadn’t had to tell us they were there. I could feel a slight smile tug at the corner of my mouth.
Devious little bastard makes for a damn good instructor.
Once the preflight was complete I closed the rear ramp and hailed the flight control tower. “Tower this is shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for departure, place us enroute to Venlil Prime with planned landing zone of Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo.” A Human voice came back over the line, a bit of mirth in their voice. “Shuttle, Tower, you are clear for departure, opening bay doors now. Good luck and Godspeed.”
The doors to the station hangar yawned open, filling the viewport with the void and all its stars beyond as I slowly brought the shuttle off the hangar floor, easing it out through the opening. I reached over to the nearest display and opened the Nav-computer interface, plotting our course to VP, and then on to the Capitol landing fields. Once I was confident I had the proper navigation commands and sequences set I called over Videk to have him review my work.
He gave me a quick flick of his tail before saying “Looks good, Christopher. Feel free to spool and jump when you’re ready.”
Videk’s approval given, I reached over and pushed forward on the throttles, engaging the drive and hurtling the shuttle into subspace.
It. Was. Beautiful. Everything seemed to stretch, stars in the distance turning from pinpricks of light into brilliant colorful streaks, lengthening as we bounded through the void. Lines of light far off in my periphery zip past like tracers as the ones before me feel as if they’re pulling me in with their kaleidoscope of color. The hum of the shuttle fell into the background while I became entranced by the light show in front me, picturing myself on the set of one of those old sci-fi shows I would watch with Pa on the weekends. The Future my ancestors had imagined was Here, right before my eyes and at the tips of my fingers! This view was… Hypnotic. The simulator couldn’t hope to do it justice.
Two hours. That was it.
Two hours to travel what, until very recently, would have been considered an insurmountable distance for Humanity. Dropping from Sub-space into the proximity of Venlil Prime was another astoundingly brilliant view. Scorched white deserts flowing into massive swathes of golden sands cut by the occasional streak of blue before blending into a beautiful verdant mix of turquoise and green fields, with vast lakes and rivers dotting the forests, flowing into wide marshy wetlands. Before finally, the curve of the planet fell away from its star, allowing the fading sunlight to showcase glittering city lights dotting the countryside.
The thrusters burn to life, crackling and thrumming with power as they drive us forward through the void to the beautiful marble before us. I flip two switches on the overhead, tapping the leftmost display to call up the local channel list and place a hail to the Capitol’s landing fields to request clearance and pad assignment. A quick ping, signifying my hail had been acknowledged, chimed over the console speaker.
“Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo this is Shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for landing at an available pad of convenience.” “C1-0V3R-HR-EX, you are cleared for landing, 13-Bravo, direct to pad Charlie-5.”
The Flight through the Void may have had some feeling of familiarity and nostalgia to the old Sci-fi shows at home; but in-atmo had the far better view! Rolling turquoise fields and towering thick trees, with their canopies tilted greedily towards that unmoving sun, falling away to a gargantuan metropolitan area, its architecture entirely alien yet still somehow familiar. Massive skyscrapers soar to touch the sky, reflecting light in brilliant angles and colors, the space below them populated by squat sturdy buildings and deep black roads. The Venlil going about their lives below look like ants as I ease off the throttle, taking the speed down to prepare for the final approach. The display on the viewport flags my landing area with a small pip guiding me in, slow and easy.
The cabin jostles slightly as the ship settles onto its landing gear. Videk seemed impressed; his ears up as he tapped away at his data pad! Taisa’s tail sways happily back and forth as she runs through the diagnostics of the landing, checking system status reports.
“Looks like we’re all clear. Videk do you have a time we should try and be back by?” Taisa beeps, showing the flight instructor the console in front of her.
“I just need to pick up the equipment and get it linked up, that should only take about a half a claw. Walking to and from the landing field and the U.N. Offices should put you at about the right time.” Videk turned away and made for the ramp; Taisa’s talk helped, and he was clearly trying, but he was still a bundle of nerves around me. His fur was so puffed out it looked like he was holding more static than a thunderhead.
As we stepped out of the artificial gravity of the shuttle I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. My first step faltered making me stumble down the ramp and bounce off the… soft pavement? “Oh, forgot about that.” Videk winced sympathetically, “Our gravity is about twenty percent more than earth’s, so be careful. Falls are likely to hurt a little bit more here.”
“Would’ve been nice to know first, Videk.” I groaned, rolling myself over and sitting up, luckily the visor hadn’t fallen off; I would need to add one of those new back braces and some knee compressors to that order of stuff from home. “Do you know where the U.N. Offices are? Or should we just ask around to find our way there?”
“I do not, but you should be able to get directions on your pad. I trust the two of you can figure it out, so I’m going to go get the equipment I need. I will wait for the two of you with the shuttle once I am ready.” With a parting flap of his ears, Videk turned and walked away; flicking the tip of his tail back and forth as he did.
“Alright then,” I grumbled, forcing myself up off the pavement, swaying as I found my new equilibrium. “let’s get going. Can you pull up those directions?” She nodded slightly, flicking her ears forward. “Got them up already! You alright there?”
“I’m fine.” I grunted, rolling out my shoulder a little. “Feels like I weigh a quarter ton, but I’ll get over it with time. Lead the way.”
After a few minutes of walking we were off the landing fields and into the streets of the city. My boots sinking into the pavement a little with each step, just like on the landing field. “Taisa, what is this stuff? I figured it was just to make landings a little softer on shuttles but it’s everywhere! Looks like pavement but it gives like rubber; why are your roads like this?” “Anti-stampede concrete.” She stated, matter of factly, like that meant literally anything to me. My silence must have tipped her off that I wasn’t getting it as she focused one eye on my visor. “Oh… I guess Humans wouldn’t need that. It’s to help reduce stampede fatalities, it’s the same reason the roads and buildings have gentle curves, no sharp angles.” Looking around at the way the groups of Venlil flowed through the streets I realized she was right, what I had thought was a futuristic aesthetic design was just to keep people from killing each other against walls or trampling them into the ground when they got scared. How strange… and slightly worrying.
“Weird, that sounds like some crazy wonder material. Bet we’d have a bunch of uses for it back on earth.” My eyes watched the tips of skyscrapers towering above us, “How far out does it say we are?”
“Only a little further, about one and a half kilometers.” She responded, a slight pant in her voice. I wasn’t in the best shape, cardio wise, but I couldn’t imagine getting winded after 10 minutes of walking; guess all that talk about the Venlil having less stamina than us was right.
The U.N. Office complex was a series of giant flowing buildings built on a large park area. It wasn’t any design I had ever seen so I figured it had to have been an existing complex that just got turned over to the U.N. for their uses.
Passing through the heavy glass front doors we found a wide receptionist's desk, with several Humans sitting behind it, answering questions and directing people where they needed to go. One of the receptionists, a short dark haired woman with a visor obscuring her face, beckons us over. “Hello! How can I help you today?” “H-Hi!” Taisa beeps excitedly, her tail swaying behind her confidently as she takes a deep breath and straightens her back. “We’re part of the ‘integration’ experiments, we were told we need to fill out some forms for habitation. Where do we go to do that?” “Oh! Congratulations! That would be Suite 216-B” The receptionist answered, excitement in her voice as she pointed to a room on the map infront of her.
“Thank you!” Taisa responded, turning to head up the stairs behind the receptionist's desk. Halfway up the stairs she swiveled her ears over to me before saying. “Sorry, I figure if I’m probably going to have to work with Humans other than you for this I should try and at least work on being able to talk to them.” “It’s alright,” I chuckle, patting her shoulder. “That’s a great idea and you’re doing alright!” Walking down the hallways we saw prints of landscapes from Earth, Machu Picchu, the Uyuni Salt Flats, The Grand Canyon, YellowStone, Hạ Long Bay, The Zhangye Mountains and Plitvice Lakes. I pointed out the places I had been to as we walked past them, finally stopping at suite 216-B.
The door was open so we knocked, getting a quick ‘enter’, before stepping in. A man sits behind a desk, the top covered in organized files and folders, a placard on his desk declares his name as ‘Obediah Kamara’ with a small Liberian flag stamped beside it.
His visor obscures his face as he looks between the two of us before beginning. “I presume you are…” He sorts through a couple of the files and folders before stopping on one and opening it, pulling out a document packet. “Christopher Dewey and Taisa. Correct?”
We both respond in the affirmative as he gestures for us to take the seats across from him, sliding the documents across the table as Taisa’s pad pings on her belt. “These are agreements to ensure that you,” He starts, looking at me. “Understand the rules in regards to your habitation here on Venlil Prime. I understand that part of your integration will be taking you off world to and from Earth, these rules primarily apply to your time here. We ask that you remain considerate of the provided rules and guidelines on the ship if you are carrying Venlil passengers. Taisa, those are the terms, conditions, compensations and requirements for your family to house a human when the two of you are present. Virtual signature of that document is required within the next 3 of your ‘paws’.” Taisa stiffened a little bit, likely thinking about her Mother’s response to my arrival; that was something we were probably going to have to have a talk about later. I had an idea for the short term, at least. I ran through the paperwork real quick and it was all pretty simple: don’t be without the visor or some kind of face covering in settings where you couldn’t guarantee that an unprepared Venlil wouldn’t see you, avoid aggression, speak quietly, no eating meat, animal products or byproducts, no hunting local wildlife; bit odd considering I didn’t even have a bow or a gun but rules are rules, I suppose.
“Sounds good to me,” I said, signing the indicated portions of the document. “When are my items supposed to get here?”
“We don’t expect your requested items to arrive for another week or so, for now you’ll have to make do with what you brought with you.” Obediah responded, shuffling the packet of papers back into the folder they had come from. “With that complete you are free to go. I understand you have training to complete, so I wish you good luck with your endeavor. If you have any questions or needs with regards to your habitation you can contact Sam, their details will be forwarded to your communication devices.”
I caught Taisa’s tail twitching as her ears swiveled nervously out of the corner of my eye; even with her attempts to push through it I think the amount of Humans around was starting to get to her. Still, she was doing better than I think a lot of Venlil would be able to manage. I reached over, gently tapping my hand against her paw, trying to ground her a little before motioning to go, she nodded slightly as she flicked her ears.
“Thank you, Obediah, we’ll be sure to get into touch with them once we get their contact. Have a good day!”
Taisa and I stood, exiting the room and making our way out of the building, stopping to look at another picture or two along the way. Something needed to be done about possibly not having a place to stay to put my, and more so Taisa’s, mind at ease. I figured I could sleep in the shuttle, if I had to. It wouldn’t be particularly comfortable but I could certainly do it; I’d need a mat, maybe a sleeping bag or some blankets and a pillow.
I had no clue where I was going to get my hands on those, or at least a set of them big enough for me to actually use.
Then I saw the temporary units in the field near the offices. Men and Women in U.N. fatigues were milling about the area. Barracks? That could solve the problem, if they’re willing to help out a man in need, of course.
“Hey, Taisa, I need to make a stop real quick.” I state, walking briskly towards the largest of the buildings. “What’s up?” She asks, ears focused on me as she tilts her head a little.
“Well, I was thinking, I don’t think your parents, your Mom especially, won’t, uh… won’t want me around. At least not for a little while until she gets to know me better.”
“I think you can get past it, she’s not that bad… It’ll just be tough.”
“Oh I’m sure I can get past it, but I’d rather not just sleep in the grass in the meantime.” “I don’t think she’d make you sleep in the grass…” “I like being prepared, if she doesn’t want me in her house I’m not going to push the issue.”
“I just… I hope it doesn’t come to that, I’m not going to let her toss you outside like an animal.” She sighs quietly as we push through the front door of the barrack building.
A desk manned by a napping U.N. Marine with Private ranks stuck to his shoulders filled the space beyond the doors. He stirs as the doors clank shut behind us before scrambling to throw on his Visor as he notices Taisa.
“Hello, Uh… Can I help you? This area is for active U.N. personnel only.” He starts, his voice finding its authority only about halfway through the statement.
I stand straight, trying to muster the stern demeanor I’d found in my father and his friends so often when they tried to get something on base after their retirements. “Easy, Private. It has come to my attention that my accommodations lack proper bedding.” “O-Oh, uh, I apologize…” He stammers out, searching for something to say, likely looking to find a way out of trouble for sleeping on duty.
“Sir.” I state. “What’s your name, Private?”
“A-Alvarez, Sir.”
“Alvarez. I’ll remember that, Alvarez, how about we make this quick, you get me a wrap of blankets, 3 pillows and a bedroll and I don’t find your commander to report your… lack of enthusiasm.”
The private snaps to attention before firmly stating. “Yes Sir! I’ll be right back, Sir!”
As the private turns and walks away crisply I hear Taisa whistle with laughter a little beside me. “I’m surprised that worked.”
“You’d be surprised what a hard voice, straight back and the right slacking Private can get you if you just don’t go pushin' it too far in your story.” I whispered with a wink.
After a few minutes of waiting Private Alvarez returned with a duffle bag, stuffed full with blankets and pillows, as well as an inflatable bedroll under the other arm. “Here you go, Sir. Will this be ok?” He asked, passing the items over to me.
“Perfect, thank you Private.” I took the bundle of bedding and turned to the door, before turning my head back over my shoulder, “Oh, and Private? Do try and get proper rest before duty.”
A shaking “Y-Yes, Sir.” followed Taisa and I out of the door.
The first half of the walk back to the landing field was quiet, I was scanning the skyline again, I just couldn’t get over the fact that I was on another planet. Taisa however had her ears pinned back, her paws lightly holding her tail tuft as we walked.
“What’s got ya down?” I asked, watching the herd of Venlil glide around us as we came, trying their best not to get too close to me.
“I’m… concerned.” She sighed, the tip of her tail twitching between her paws.
“About?”
“My mother, what she’ll say… What she’ll do.
“I can’t exactly say I know what her reaction’ll be… But, whatever it is we’ll just have to deal with it. It’ll probably take time, but we’ll get by.” I soothed. She let go of her tail, placing the tip of it on my back, but her ears didn’t let up at all.
The rest of the walk to the shuttle was quiet as she fidgeted with her paws, trying to take her mind off of the subject. Videk was there waiting for us, a few crates secured to the cargo area of the shuttle that weren’t present before.
“You two ready?” He asked, flicking his tail at us.
“I think so.” I responded, stowing the bedding in an empty compartment as Taisa flicked her ears.
We ran through our preflight checklist again, finding another pre-placed failure from Videk waiting for us, this time in the starboard control surfaces. Once the check was done we radioed the tower for clearance to take off and set an in-atmo course for Shadetree to drop off Videk. It was a short hop, about a half hour of flying or so before I had to call ahead for clearance to land again.
Most of the flight from the Capitol to Shadetree had been rolling turquoise and green hills or open fields of produce growing in the everpresent light. A sudden dense forest rose from the fields, thick dark brown trees with fluttering golden leaves stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction. A sudden break in the forest revealed a clearing for the Landing field, much smaller than the one at the Capitol. The city was built under the canopy of the trees, giving it a constant filtered light casting down through the shifting leaves. It was certainly a beautiful town, I’d have to come back to visit some day. Maybe once Videk had warmed up to me a little bit more.
As the ramp fell ,a small cargo truck arrived alongside the shuttle to collect Videk and his equipment. I offered to help but the Venlil driver just about ran when I started talking so I figured it was probably best to just keep out of it. Once the cargo truck departed, Taisa came back up to the cockpit, plopping down in her seat, and looked through the viewscreen at the trees beyond. The soft hiss of the ramp closing marked the finality of Videk’s departure.
“So, how are you feeling about Venlil Prime so far?” She asked, one eye on my face as I finally slipped the visor off.
“I like it! Between the beautiful scenery, interesting architecture and hanging out with you and Shamrock, here I’m having a great time!” I responded, rubbing my hand on what amounted to the shuttle's dashboard.
“... Shamrock?” She asked, her tail swaying in what I figured for amusement.
“Yea! Remember how I told you Humans like looking for patterns? Well it works on words and numbers as well. The tail number for the shuttle could be taken to spell ‘Clover-HR-EX’, or just clover for short. Clovers are a type of plant on earth that a few cultures believed to be lucky, one way or another. One of the nicknames for them was a Shamrock!”
She laughed at me.
“You are such a dork.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye as her tail whipped back and forth. “It’s a good name, usually shuttles don’t get one. I think it fits.”
I chuckled, a thought crossing my mind. “Think we could get any shuttle-grade paint? Preferably green, yellow and black?” She raised an eyebrow at me as her ears cocked at different elevations. “Oh? Someone feeling a little artistic?”
“Well, I could always paint a Shamro-” I was interrupted as the ping signifying we were being hailed sounded off. “We’ll finish this later.” I said, pointing at her as I accepted the hail.
Videk’s voice bled through the speakers. “Ok, looks like the connection is secure. Let’s go ahead and run through getting you familiar with the software, it should be quick and easy.”
It was not.
It took two hours. After a lot of trial and error, stop and go flights to test the connection and a few near misses with an especially tall tree we had gotten the system setup such that Videk was confident it would work in an emergency if he needed to step in. With that all squared away Taisa and I settled in to get on our way to Heartwood River. Sleeping on the blow up mattress or on a real bed hardly mattered at this point, I just wanted to sleep.
The overall flight time was set to be about an hour and a half, not too bad and man was the view beautiful: rolling fields, roaring rivers, pristine skies and alien forests abounded across the countryside. We had just passed over Hidden Plains when Taisa and I were just settling back into talking about her parents and our best route to try and handle them, when the hail system chimed and immediately spat out a harsh tone without acknowledgement, the same one the simulator used for distress calls.
“Mayday Mayday Mayday. Report of shots fired at residence housing humans. Need immediate medical evac at The Berrypatch Farm in The Grove, 11 minutes Night-ward from Hidden Plains. Hailing all airborn craft, we need a medical evac immediately!”
I immediately returned the hail. “This is cargo shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX. Responding to Mayday from the Grove. We are en-route to render aid. Hold tight, we’ll be there.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Taisa tighten her flight harness as I reached for the throttle.
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First Prev. Next
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2023.06.09 14:00 dreftzg [Daily News] Big Seiko Day: A New 1968 Seiko 5 Inspired LE And Three Funky SKX Sports Watches, Ulysse Nardin’s Two New Divers In Azure And Vero Offers Their Entry For The Great Summer Watch

It's Friday and. Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the original Seiko 5.

What's new

1/
A Huge Seiko Day: Here’s A New 1968 Seiko 5 Inspired Limited Edition And Three Funky SKX Sports Style Watches
Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports watch. It’s a legendary affordable and robust watch, the start of many collections and an instant trigger for memories of childhood. To celebrate the anniversary, Seiko is looking back into its childhood, back to the original Seiko 5 Sports, and uses the five key characteristic of the collection - an automatic movement; a day-date display in a single aperture at 3 o’clock; water-resistance; a recessed crown at 4 o’clock; and a robust steel case and bracelet or strap - to reissue this versatile timepiece.
The limited-edition watch Seiko is launching now is pretty much the exact same watch. A 39.5mm brushed tonneau-shaped steel case, 12.5mm thick, signature half-moon scalloped areas at noon and 6 o’clock and a crown tucked into the case. The respect of the original dial is carried over to the dial as well. The black dial has a silver peripheral track and the same applied bar indices treated with Lumibrite, just like the hands. Almost identical to the 1968 model, the original Seiko 5 logo is transferred in silver at noon, the day and date window uses a very similar frame to the original, the baton-style hour and minute hands are treated with Lumibrite and the lollipop central seconds hand is red.
Inside the watch is Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre, an in-house movement that has long proved its reliability and sturdiness and has a 41 hour power reserve. The Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPK17 is numbered on the caseback out of 15,555 that will be produced and will be available in July 2023 at Seiko Boutiques and select partners worldwide. It’s priced at EUR 410.
But there are more tributes to be seen today. The ‘68 Seiko 5 Sports inspired a number of models over the years, but perhaps the most iconic line was the SKX, Seiko’s line-up of affordable bulletproof dive watches that now appear in the brand’s newly restructured collection in the SKX Sports Style segment. Although the three models pick up on the vibrant colour schemes of 1969 Seiko 5 Sports models, they are housed in the legendary SKX case with crown and guards at 4 o’clock and the unidirectional rotating bezel. The 100m water-resistant case measures 42.5mm, has a thickness of 13.4mm, features a see-through caseback to view Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre and is fitted with a three-link stainless steel bracelet.
Apart from the obvious colour variations on the dial, all three models have different bezels and flanges. The SRPK09 has a silver dial combined with a black and silver unidirectional rotating bezel the SRPK13 has a black dial and bezel with red and silver markings and a sloping flange in blue and green, while the loudest model is the orange SRPK11 with its black bezel, two-tone orange and black flange and a thick black band traversing the dial from 3 to 9 o’clock.
The three new and colourful references are not limited in production and will be available at Seiko Boutiques and retail partners worldwide in September 2023. The retail price is EUR 350.
2/
Ulysse Nardin Celebrates World Ocean Day With Two New Divers - Net Azure And Diver X Skeleton Azure
June 8th is World Ocean Day and to mark this occasion, Ulysse Nardin is introducing a new azure colorway to the Diver Net and Diver X Skeleton models. UN has for years maintained a very strong stance towards preserving the environment with the use of recycled and upcycled materials, and these two timepieces follow this concept in a non-limited addition to the brand’s catalog.
The Diver Net Azure is a 44mm wide and 14.81mm thick watch that’s made of 95% recycled stainless steel. The side case and case back ring are made of 60% Nylo and 40% Carbonium, just like the bezel. Since it’s a diver, the 300 meter water resistance is expected. The watch has a domed sapphire crystal and underneath it a black sand-blasted dial. On the dial is a huge Azure X that frames the power reserve at 12 and running seconds at 6. Inside the watch is the UN-118 Manufacture caliber, an automatic with 50 jewels, a Silicon balance spring, and a DiamonSil escapement wheel and anchor.
Then there’s the Diver X Skeleton Azure. Just as big, but chunkier at 15.7mm, the watch has a DLC coated titanium case and an x-shaped skeleton dial with polished and satin finishes. At 12 o’clock you can see the Carbonium barrel cover of the UN-372 Manufacture caliber and an oversized silicon balance wheel is situated at 6. Both watches come with azure-blue rubber straps.
The Diver Net Azure will retail at €12,700, and the Diver X Skeleton Azure for €26,800.
3/
Indian Microbrand Bangalore Watch Company Releases Apogee Manzinus & Earthshine To Celebrate India’s Unmanned Moon Missions
Bangalore Watch Company has carved out a very interesting niche. The Bangalore-based indie brand is focusing on celebrating notable achievements from India. Recent examples include the MACH 1 which focused on the Indian Air Force MiG 21 and Cover Drive which highlighted India’s most popular sport, Cricket. Now, they are focusing on space with the Apogee collection that celebrates India’s space program and the focus is on two unmanned moon missions – Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.
The original Apogee watches launched in 2019 with titanium cases, but the new Manzinus and Earthshine models use stainless steel with a ceramic outer layer of Cerakote. Both cases are 40mm in diameter and 12mm thick, with the main difference between the two being color - Manzinus is white and Earthshine is grey. There are two knurled crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock – the former screws down and rotates an internal bezel, while the latter (push/pull) adjusts the time and date.
The two watches also have dials that differ in color - brown on Earthsine and black on Manzinus. While Earthshine is very true to the original Apogee watch, with a round date window at 6 o’clock, Manzinus has a 9mm disc in lieu of the date of the Muonionalusta meteorite. Inside the watch is a standard grade Sellita SW200-1 automatic. Both versions of the watch come with color matching leather straps.
The Earthshine retails for USD 1,100, while the Manzinus is USD 1,470. Not cheap for a microbrand you might not have heard of before, but also consider that you get a Cerasteel case and interesting design.
4/
American Indie Brand Vero Teams Up With Worn & Wound To Offer Up Their Entry For A Great Summer Watch
ADPT, a subsidiary of Worn&Wound that makes straps, watches and accessories, is known for making colorful and playful all-purpose watches. Vero, a US-based microbrand, is known for making rugged tool watches. Mash them together and you get the crazy Vero Workhorse Chronograph - huge, bold and ready for the summer. This will be a polarizing watch, for sure.
The steel case measures 44.5mm wide and 13.5mm thick, but this size is only appropriate for a watch so boldly colored. It gets a bright aqua blue Cerakote treatment finished with flecks of white and bright yellow bezel guards that the brand calls bullhorns. The same blue can be found on the dial and the running-seconds sub-register at 9 o’clock, while the hour and minute hands are painted in brighter blue to contrast with and match the dial. Lastly, the internal rotating bezel shows an alternation of red and blue accents, and the seconds hand as well as the bumpers holding the Cerakoted shroud in place are painted in bright yellow
The standard controls are on the left case side while the crown at two o'clock rotates the internal timing bezel. Inside is the Miyota 62S1 quartz chronograph movement, which offers 1/4 second resolution and a 60-minute maximum measure for the chronograph. This is is basically a chronograph diver, something also possible thanks to the 120m depth rating. To complete the package, the crystal is sapphire, and the Workhorse comes on a white nylon strap with a Velcro closure.
The Vero x ADPT Workhorse is limited to just 100 units and at the time of writing there are still pieces available on the Worn&Wound store and you can get one if you like it for $499.
5/
Rudis Sylva Radically Simplifies The Harmonious Oscillator With The RS 23, It’s Still Very, Very Expensive
A small independent watchmaker located in the Swiss village of Les Bois, Rudis Sylva recently unveiled its latest creation. What sets Rudis Sylva apart is its Harmonious Oscillator. The brand now introduces the RS23, featuring a simpler version of this unique oscillator, now without a rotating carriage. This simplification also brings down the price significantly. But it’s still an outrageously priced watch.
Truly unique in its kind, the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator comprises of two balance wheels. As a rule, watchmakers avoid any potential stress on a balance wheel for it to breathe freely. In this case, the two balances are toothed and thus mechanically interlinked. The first balance is driven by the escapement, and in turn, it drives the second balance, rotating it in the opposite direction, but with the same amplitude while each hairspring breathes in an opposite way. The underlying idea is that these constantly opposed balances ensure immediate mutual correction of the potential negative effects of gravity.
Unlike previous versions of the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator, the regulator is not placed in a rotating carriage. This has allowed building the movement architecture in a symmetrical way with twin barrels creating a counterpoint to the balance wheels. And instead of an off-centred hour and minute display, we have a central indication of the hours, minutes and seconds. A stop-second mechanism allows for precise settings. It beats at a frequency of 3Hz and it boasts a 70h power reserve.
The beauty of a movement is housed in a 44mm titanium or pink gold case that has no bezel and a domed sapphire crystal to show of the movement as much as possible. The watch comes on an alligator strap with a pin buckle.
The Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator RS 23 is released in two limited editions of 8 pieces in titanium and 8 pieces in pink gold. The price is set at CHF 80,000 in titanium and CHF 90,000 in 18k pink gold. A crazy price, yes, but consider the fact that the more complicated Harmonious Oscillator RS16 is priced at CHF 250,000.
6/
Record Breaking Omega Turns Out To Be Frankenwatch Planted By Former Head of Omega Museum In Shocking Insider Scam
For a couple of days now the internet has been talking about an explosive report from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung which claims that the tropical Omega Speedmaster CK2915 that fetched 3.3 million US dollars at auction, obliterating records for the most expensive Omega ever sold, is, in fact a Frankenwatch. A watch put together out of mostly original parts to create the perfect CK2915 so that it would fetch the highest price.
However, those who follow the brilliant Joze Pereztroika over at Perezcope, have already known there is something seriously wrong with this watch since April. Now that the scheme to sell a fake watch has unraveled, the truth of what happened, or at least what we know so far, is so deeply shocking that it will likely bring huge changes to not only how watches are auctioned and authenticated, but also to manufacturer’s museums and their hunt for important vintage watches.
According to an Omega statement, “as it stands at present, there are three former employees (among them the former Head of OMEGA Museum and Brand Heritage), who have admitted to the run of events when confronted during an OMEGA internal investigation, which is active and ongoing”. Let that sink in. Three Omega insiders conspired to create a watch that the head of Omega Museum would end up bidding on at the record price.
Fratello writes that “although the three former Omega employees were not the sellers of the watch, they did play a role in modifying the Speedmaster to become a “perfect” reference CK2915. The Speedmaster CK2915 was assembled from various partially authentic parts. The three former Omega employees participated in this process, intending to create the most exciting CK2915, a watch that the Omega Museum would definitely need.”
This is an absolutely bonkers story. Please head on over to the Fratello article to learn more about it and how it will affect not just the prices of Speedmasters, but also the entire industry. And definitely head on over to the Perezcop to read how the fake Omega can be identified.
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
A review of the Longitude from the Belgian brand Gavox
2/
Hands-On with the new Nezumi Aviera - a GMT that turns up the tool volume
3/
Monochrome gets their hands on the BOLDR Pokemon collection sold only in Singapore, Thailand or Hong Kong
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

The Cincinnati Concourse continues the brand’s commitment to local history
The Cincinnati Watch Co. Concourse is perhaps the most faithful recreation of a clock in a wristwatch (an admittedly niche market). The 38mm stainless steel case is likely to be divisive: blocky without mitigation, it is the result of taking the concourse clock and getting as close to it as possible. The clock featured a cushion bezel with a bowed square around it. This was translated to the wrist perfectly, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces distinguishing the different facets of the design.
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People loved the Seiko Alpinist giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away four Hamilton Khaki Field Automatics in a color of your choice. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
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2023.06.09 13:32 wardXn 35 day solo itinerary check across western Honshu, Shikoku, Osaka/Kyoto, Kanazawa and Tokyo

Hello, I would like to seek fellow redditors opinions, input and recommendation on how I could better finetune my itinerary better. There's only so much I can think of, and plan as an individual, but with everyone's input and comments I can further refine and enhance the travel experience before I set foot into Japan. Do forgive me in advance for the theorycrafting wall of text.
I know it may be difficult to review the itinerary, so to make the review easier I have broken the itinerary down into specific sub-groups e.g. Shikoku, Kinki etc. Specific questions that I have are bolded.
Thank you in advance for taking your time to provide your opinions!
-------------
Baseline information

Specific goals/objective:
  1. Experience Shikoku in autumn (specifically the views at Iya Valley) and in other prefectures (thus making nature sightseeing more of a priority this time round)
  2. Experience Kanazawa for anime stuff
  3. Experience the Shimanami Kaido in full (including any sightseeing spots in between the 6 island chains)
  4. Bonus - try as many sightseeing trains as possible.
  5. Bonus - if weather, time and schedule permits, try skiing as an option in Nagano.
  6. Bonus - stay in as many onsen ryokans as possible, without breaking the bank.

Locked-in prefectures [i.e. I will definitely go to those prefectures no matter what]:
  1. Shikoku (as per above objective)
  2. Hiroshima (because its on the opposite end of the Shimanami Kaido)
  3. Kanazawa (for anime related reason)
  4. Tokyo (that is my starting and end point so it has to be included by default)
All other prefectures are basically float i.e. I am open to consider dropping said itinerary for something else based on your suggestion that aligns with my preferences/interest. Most of the other locations I added are prefectures that are often next to each other, or well-connected (apart from the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump via Sunrise Seto/Shinkansen).

Wait-list prefectures (prefectures that I want to go, but I don’t think I can realistically fit in without dropping other locations):
  1. Snow skiing at Nagano (depending on how cooperative the weather is in early-ish December (would 2 days be sufficient?))
  2. Ehime, Kochi expansion [spend 1-3 more days]
  3. Izu Peninsula (~2 days, via Saphir Odoriko)
  4. Nagoya + lower Nagano (Kiso Valley) (~3 days)
  5. Ishikawa expansion [1 extra day at Kaga]
I am open to dropping a few days in Tokyo/Osaka etc to make that trade off [currently kept 3 days free for further development]. Alternatively, if the planning can be better optimized based on your inputs I might be able to do one of those without compromising on the base set. I would like to hear your opinion on what locations you would drop in the itinerary to make time for one of the above.

General planning philosophy:
  1. My itineary adopts a breadth approach (cover as much area as I can humanely possible without rushing/touch-and-go) as opposed to depth (i.e. spending much more time within Shikoku than what I allocated); though I would be open to considering more days at selected locations if you have strong recommendations. My thought is to experience how different autumn is at various parts of the country (if possible), and maybe winter too (to a certain degree).
  2. Due to the nature of my travel, I note that luggage logistics is a critical consideration when moving between prefectures; my thought is to park that luggage at the next hotel as quickly as possible so that I can free myself for sightseeing within the vicinity, or leave the luggage at the hotel after I check out until I am ready to travel to the next location. I will need to send (quite a fair bit of) emails to the hotels to confirm on this prior to booking.
  3. I will attempt to minimize transit time between prefectures to no more than 2~3 hours a day to avoid having excessively long transport days (except the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump).
  4. Because of the long trip, I will also need to factor a bit of downtime at night for administrative stuff (e.g. catching up a little bit on work, laundry etc).
---------
Shikoku (~7 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. I will need to exploit Limited Express trains as much as possible to minimize downtime between the 4 prefectures. Fortunately, for the most part these train frequencies are almost hourly, thus missing one train isnt too deadly consequence-wise.
  2. The transfer between Kochi and Ehime [Matsuyama] is oddly quicker via express bus as opposed to trains (!)
  3. For Kochi, my opinion is that it is best explored on car instead of public transport [it’s a really wide prefecture]; I feel that 1 day may not do it justice, but it is probably adequate for exploring the city centre as a whole.
  4. There's a fair bit of uncertainties while planning this leg so I would deeply appreciate any advice you may have.
  5. This current iteration is unable to weave in the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari sightseeing train [四国まんなか千年ものがたり] ; if you people think its something not to be missed do let me know and I will reshuffle my timetable as such.
Day 0: Tokyo Kagawa (Sunrise Seto) [Saturday, 11 Nov]
Day 1: Kagawa (Takamatsu) [Sunday, 12 Nov]
Day 2: Kagawa (Kotohira) Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Monday, 13 Nov]

Day 3: Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Tuesday, 14 Nov]
[Post-research note: I realized that there is NO public transport to Mount Tsurugi on a weekday. I will have to rent a taxi direct to Mount Tsurugi, make the 'climb', then thereafter take the taxi down to the other attractions. I am inclined to just go full hog on the private taxi and rent it (almost the whole day, probably 7~8 hours for 4300yen/hour) to save the trouble.
Otherwise, I will need to hike downhill which can be rather rough since its just a single lane road (looking at nearly 10++ km) so I think it wise not to penny pinch in the interest of both time and safety.]
Spend the day at Iya Valley.

Day 4: Tokushima (Iya Valley) Kochi (Kochi) [Wednesday, 15 Nov]

Day 5: Kochi (Kochi) Ehime (Imabari) [Thursday, 16 Nov]

Day 6: Ehime (Matsuyama / Imabari) [Friday, 17 Nov]
Day 7: Ehime (Imabari) Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido) [Saturday, 18 Nov]
I am of the opinion that 1 day in Shimanami Kaido is adequate if I attempt just the main route which is about 80km [as a test run, I did 70km and finished it within 6-7 hours with lunch breaks included]. For now I will plan for two full days, however should I truncate it down to one day later, I will add an extra day to either explore Matsuyama or Okayama.

--------
Hiroshima + Yamaguchi (~4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. Onomichi is a pretty good base to jump to Okayama to explore Okayama, Kurashiki or Tomonoura with the Shinkansen accessibility, but it is impossible to cover them all within a single day. If I finish the Shimanami Kaido within a single day or finish it early on the second day, I will have that extra time to visit those.
  2. There's another sightseeing train etSETOra from Onomichi to Hiroshima but it only operates on Monday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. For now the schedule could fit the train timetable pretty nicely.
  3. Would anyone suggest visiting Miyajima in the morning or in the evening? This would help me determine the order for the Kintaikyo Bridge/Miyajima day trip. Watching the sunset at either destination is pretty good in my books.

Day 8: Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido Onomichi) [Sunday, 19 Nov]
Ideally reach Onomichi just around lunch or earlier. Chill for the rest of the day, and if I'm still up for it, explore Onomichi, including but not limited to:
Retire at a guesthouse/hotel near JR Onomichi that I have forwarded the luggage to.

Day 9: Hiroshima (Onomichi, Takehara+Kure OR Tomonoura OR Okayama) Downtown Hiroshima) [Monday, 20 Nov]

Day 10: Hiroshima (Downtown Hiroshima) [Tuesday, 21 Nov]
Spend the day surveying Hiroshima proper.

Day 11: Hiroshima (with a day trip to Yamaguchi) [Wednesday, 22 Nov]
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Shimane + Tottori (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. Matsue becomes the main jump point for Shimane just because of the subsidized highway bus from Hiroshima, and ease of access towards Tottori later. There's no direct train between Hiroshima and Izumo/Matsue (!).
  2. Tottori is really wide size-wise, to the point that it feels more efficient to have two separate hotels in two nights (Kurayoshi/Misasa Onsen + downtown Tottori) rather than one hotel for two nights (i.e. downtown Tottori). Could be just me making excuses to get into an onsen ryokan however.
  3. Is there anything interesting at Yonago (Tottori) that I should take note of? Based on my initial survey nothing in particular pops up (other than the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park).
  4. Skipping Tottori Castle since it doesn’t seem to be interesting at first glance. Any other interesting things to at Tottori downtown (or nearby)?

Day 12: Hiroshima Shimane (Matsue) [Thursday, 23 Nov]

Day 13: Shimane (Izumo / Matsue) [Friday, 24 Nov]

Day 14: Shimane (Matsue) Tottori (Kurayoshi) [Saturday, 25 Nov]

Day 15: Tottori (Kurayoshi Tottori) [Sunday, 26 Nov]

-----------
Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka , Nara, Mie (10 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. Kinosaki Onsen is intentionally designed to be a slow-paced leg to recover [and also to make time to enjoy the onsens].
  2. The limited express train between Kinosaki Onsen and Osaka stops by Himeji thus I thought of resting a night there instead of doing day trips via Osaka.
  3. Osaka itinerary does look sparse but that is in large part because I have already visited most of them in the past. Nevertheless, I would like to experience how different it is in autumn compared to summer [based on those few destinations that I loved going previously].
  4. I have kept one float day to decompress, OR shift to any of the other prefectures (TBC).
  5. There are (multiple) special limited express train by Kintetsu; they're not covered by JR pass but nevertheless I would love to ride on those as an experience. The Kintetsu pass covers the basic fare only but based on my preliminary cost estimate, it is still worth getting it.
  6. Is it feasible to compress Himeji and Kobe to a single day?
  7. The itineraries for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Mie are flexible since they're literally beside one another - makes it particularly easy to shift around base on ground situation.

Day 16: Tottori (Tottori) Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen) [Monday, 27 Nov]

Day 17: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen + Northern Kyoto (Amanohashidate) day trip) [Tuesday, 28 Nov]
Day 18: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen Himeji) [Wednesday, 29 Nov]
Retire at Himeji for the night.
Day 19: Hyogo (Himeji Kobe) Osaka (Dotonburi) [Thursday, 30 Nov]
Day trip to Kobe, before continuing further down to Osaka.
Day 20: Osaka [Friday, 1 Dec]
Osaka Nostalgia (acid) trip, speedrun edition: revisiting places that I want to go again
Day 21: Osaka (Nara day trip) [Saturday, 2 Dec]
Spend a day in Nara.
Day 22: Osaka (Mie day trip) [Sunday, 3 Dec]
Day trip to Mie.
Day 23: Osaka ('north' Kyoto day trip) [Monday, 4 Dec]
(north) Kyoto day trip.
Whichever choice, return back to Osaka for the night. Look out for Kyoto-specific food such as Yudofu, Saba Sushi, Warabi Mochi, Nishin Soba (にしんそば) etc.
Day 24: Osaka ('south' Kyoto day trip) [Tuesday, 5 Dec]
(south) Kyoto day trip edition (mainly Uji and Fushimi).
Head back to Osaka and retire for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.
Day 25: Osaka (wildcard) [Wednesday, 6 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
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Kanazawa, Gifu+ (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. Is it likely for the skiing season to open around 9~10 December at Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen? Would very much like to try skiing for fun, but am uncertain if the snow condition would be satisfactory by then. Some of the skiing website indicates that these two destinations are usually the first to open. I would like to seek advise on this if possible [never skiied before].
  2. As an additional question to point 1, is 2 days adequate just to get a flavor on skiing?
  3. Kanazawa is a pretty solid jump point to Shirakawago/Takayama via express buses (~1 to 2 hour one way).
  4. My initial planning considered going to Kurobe Gorge (Toyama) but apparently the railways are closed from December onwards. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
  5. Another sightseeing train in Kanazawa that I can fit in nicely in my current plans (花嫁のれん), runs on Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun.
Day 26: Osaka Ishikawa (Kanazawa (Kanazawa cityside)) [Thursday, 7 Dec]
Any outstanding spots not completed today, to be rolled over to the next 2 days (if possible).

Day 27: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside) / Gifu (Shirakawago, Takayama) [Friday, 8 Dec]

Day 28: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside / outskirts) [Saturday, 9 Dec]
Side trip to Wakura Onsen / Nanao for anime-related sightseeing. (Insomanics after Class, Hanasaku Iroha)
Day 29: Ishikawa (wildcard) [Sunday, 10 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
--------------
Tokyo (~6 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:
  1. Specific interest to target: anime/vtuber stuff, music (piano in particular), bookstores etc.
  2. This is the point in time I should go ham on souvenier purchase if I have not done so. I'll probably get an extra cardboard box or duffel bag to lug with me to the airport to store extra stuff.
  3. Would like to seek recommendation on where I should set my base for the 5~6 days here. For now I am planning to pit at Ginza, subject to availability and cost. My thought is that as long as its along the Yamanote line everything rolls I suppose.
  4. Hard pass on Golden Gai on the Shunjuku leg (I do not drink).
  5. There's way too many to list in terms of what I would like to do in Tokyo, but I have listed items that are of particular interest to me first within the available time frame. If you have strong opinions on specific locations do let me know.
Day 30: Ishikawa (Kanazawa) Tokyo (Ginza) [Monday, 11 Dec]
Day 31: Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano) [Tuesday, 12 Dec]
Explore ('west') Tokyo, namely Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano.
Day 32: Tokyo (Akibahara, Asakusa and Sky Tree) [Wednesday, 13 Dec]
Day 33: Tokyo (Kamakura day trip OR Ikebukuro) [Thursday, 14 Dec]
EITHER take a day trip Kamakura, OR explore northern Tokyo (Ikebukuro)
Kamakura leg:
Tokyo (Ikebukuro leg):
Day 34: Tokyo (wildcard) [Friday, 15 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning

Day 35: Tokyo Home [Saturday, 16 Dec]
END
---------------------
If you're still reading up to this point, here's my own personal ramblings/thoughts on JR pass usage:
I have thought of two ways of doing this for the first 21 days:
a. easy-mode : just get 21 days JR global pass before the price hike at 60450 yen, OR b. hard-mode: get a 7 day JR global pass (to cover the NEX fees, the basic fee on the Sunrise Seto to Shikoku, as well as limited express trains within Shikoku) (29650) + 5 days for JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass (15000) + 4 days for JR Sanin Okayama Area Pass + 5 days for JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (10000) for a total of 59230.
The initial conclusion was to go with option A since that reduces the administrative burden, but I realized the individual passes do have its own perk which truimphs over the global JR pass. For instance, the Sanin Okayama Area Pass provides a (minor) discount for the Adachi Museum of Art; the Kansai Wide Pass covers the Kyotango route between Kinosaki Onsen and Amanohashidate which the global JR pass does not cover, JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass covers JR buses within Hiroshima for free, therefore I am inclined to go with the hell option (option B) as it stands.
For the remaining 14 days, I could also get the global 14 day JR pass at 47250 yen but it is not worth it at all, because I will be relying largely on Kintetsu for the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Mie leg which the JR pass most certainly does not cover.
So all in all, there's quite little incentive to get the global JR pass after I worked out my schedule, apart from the initial 7 days for the Sunrise Seto jump which the All Shikoku Pass will not cover.
Through the hodge-podge of multiple area passes, it works out to around 102890 yen for the whole trip of 35 days, contrast with 107700 yen for a 21 + 14 global JR pass. While there's a minor cost saving doing the hard way which sweetens the deal, the additional minor perks associated with the area passes sells it for me, as I would had to pay more out of pocket to cover non-JR pass buses/rails and such which would add up to much greater cost than I would had anticipated. Also, if I did this trip post-price hike in October, the calculus becomes a no-brainer: avoid the global JR pass like the plague.
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Thank you very much for your opinions, suggestions and advice in advance!
submitted by wardXn to JapanTravel [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 13:30 Iamthedorkinthenight OW worker kept a request for medical necessities in limbo for over a year, requested multiple prescriptions for the same request. I'm now left with a permanent physical impairment leaving me with largely reduced use of my dominant arm. What do I do?

I will try to be brief,. I am sorry I am on OW and since I require retraining I'm putting myself through post-secondary. I have no plans to subsist on scraps.
I had just been diagnosed incidentally on a chest x-ray that I was experiencing degenerative changes in my thoracic and cervical spine. Previous to this but concurrently in treatment I had torn a rotator cuff and partially torn 3 out of 4 tendons. It was recommended to me by my surgeon that I use arm rests to alleviate downward pull on the shoulder joint. As I did not have the means I spoke with my worker who said it was no problem, please obtain a prescription for a chair that has arm rests. The surgeon wrote a prescription for such and for a foam layer to use on my bed to sleep on to try to stop the pressure on the joint. I turned in the prescription. I checked in and eventually was told that the prescription wasn't good enough because it didn't explain enough, fair.
I get another referral and obtain another prescription, more verbose.
I had begun to notice problems with my right arm, as I had carpal tunnel I knew the sensation of nerve problems and requested an MRI, the MRI revealed osteoarthritic degeneration of the spine but it was worse than expected and the anterior thoracic spine had developed osteophytosis, at the junction of the C6-C7 the disc had become badly desiccated and an osteophyte had grown into the right neuroforamina stenosing it slightly.
I turn in the prescription and hear nothing, this goes on, I check in, I'm told she wants a third prescription. Even more verbose, I get this call while I'm hospitalized undergoing surgery and I've had it, it's over a year at this point and things have gone to the point where now it's recommended I get a new bed. She then tells me she doesn't think they cover these things and admits it was never attempted to ask for approval for them. I bought and used a sling as much as I could during these times.
My GP and my surgeon were on my ass constantly about the necessity of the arm rests and proper back support when sleeping as I had been using my back to compensate for the bad shoulder joint, effectively hinging at the spine just to move the arm. The nerve function has gotten so much worse and a new MRI is on the horizon as the osteophyte most likely has grown due to the ongoing lack of proper spine support and compensating. I file a complaint with OW as my worker was treating this non-chalant and making excuses. OW did not acknowledge anything but simply swapped my worker. The new worker asked for ANOTHER prescription, it was obtained and it was good.
I was asked for quotes. I provided them, a simple bed in a box memory foam cheap mattress and for the chair I indicated it was difficult to find a weight rating suitable in the cheapest of chairs but embarrassingly I kept searching and feeling guilty about letting myself go while off of work. I finally found a proper chair with arm rests as per the doc, one suitable for 400lbs as I'm big and tall moron. Inexpensive.
I submit everything, it's been well over a year and my right arm is just a meat club. I get the reply, they won't cover the chair because it has ergonomic qualities. I'm talking sub $300 because nothing in the lower ranges had cylinder height for a tall, tall guy nor the weight rating. It's not the price, it's the type.
How do I proceed with this, I am asking for bare minimum things here based on the recommendation of two doctors, one of which is a fantastic orthopedic surgeon. The actions of the first worker let things be exacerbated for so long that the nerve is impinged and damaged. I've asked them for nothing but the bare minimum to keep a roof over my head. I do not believe someone should be arsed around like this only to slap them in the face with a technicality.
Who do I reach out to in this kind of situation? Should I seek the help of a legal clinic simply to try and get them to play ball or am I in the right when I feel they did me dirty and they should at least help with whatever therapy or surgery or whatever is required to fix the damage that occurred that did not need to occur.
Thanks
submitted by Iamthedorkinthenight to legaladvicecanada [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 13:28 strangertown This may be like a Broadway-ELI5 but does anyone know what theater critics actually do during the show they are about to critique? Take notes on a notepad in the dark? Just take it all in then head to the office to write the review fresh in the memory?

submitted by strangertown to Broadway [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 13:00 superkilometerfilter What Is Good Mileage On A Used Car?

What Is Good Mileage On A Used Car?

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Knowing what is good mileage on a used car is a principal question that many people ask. Whether you are considering either to sell or to buy a used automobile, it is crucial to know what is good mileage on a car. Multiple factors influence the overall distance traveled by your automobile. However, it is not the sole factor that you can use to determine the condition of your car.

IS MILEAGE SO IMPORTANT?

Whether The mileage is an important factor for determining the condition of the vehicle will always be debatable. Car producers always provide data that states how many miles will your automobile last. Does this mean that it is truly the main determinant criterion to access the condition of an automobile? Not really, as some car makers exaggerate not only mileage but also all the other performance stats.
If you look at two different cases of vehicle owners, you will notice that despite the similar mileage their cars can be in thoroughly different conditions. For instance, if one person uses an automobile on a daily basis to get to work in the city and takes good care of it, it is highly likely that the car will have a long lifespan.
However, if another person recently bought the same automobile but uses it for racing and does not take good care of it, it might have half-life expectancy than the car from the previous example. The mileage is simply the indicator of the number of miles you have driven. However, it’s not only the number of miles that you have to take into consideration but also how you cover this distance.
Besides mileage, there are many crucial factors that affect the life expectancy of your car. For instance, driving habits, frequency of maintenance, weather conditions, road system, and many other factors will determine whether a car is in optimal condition or not.

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR?


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As you have seen, many factors influence the condition of the car. However, the mileage is still a vital criterion as it is used to access the life expectancy of an automobile by the buyers. This is why so many people seek to find out what is good mileage on a car. Similarly, Insurance companies use this factor to determine the payments that you have to make annually. Hence, it is vital to know what affects this seemingly useless indicator and how to keep it at a reasonable level.
In order to know what is good mileage on a used car, it is essential to know the factors that will affect it. These factors are also essential to determine what good mileage on a car in general. The main factors that influence the mileage of the automobile are location, age, gender, income level, lifestyle, cultural traits, etc.

Location

If you are one of those individuals who has to drive each day to work long distance you will know the importance of this factor. Such people tend to travel more than average (13,476 Miles / 21688 Km) and reach the expected life expectancy of their car sooner than average drivers.

Age

As it appears the driving habits are noticeably different when we use age as a determinant factor. Based on Federal Highway Administration of the US, the drivers between 20-54 are more prone to long-distance traveling as they drive around 15,000 miles (24,000 Km) per year that is almost twice more than the drivers from other age groups (see table 1).

Gender

Gender also has a significant impact on driving habits. The male drivers seem to be more prone to driving long distances. According to the Federal Highway Administration of the US on average male drivers cover around 60% more distance than female drivers (see table 1).

Income Level

Parkinson’s Law suggests that more we make more we spend. This rule applies to the mileage as well. Our income highly influences our behavior when we consider different methods of transportation. For instance, high-income makes us more willing to use our car for transportation on a daily basis even for significantly longer distances. On the other hand, if the income doesn’t allow us such luxury, we are more likely to use public transport.

Lifestyle

Consider two different individuals. One person who admires traveling and covers long distances with an automobile each month and another person who lives close to work and uses car once in a while. You may have guessed that the mileage of these two cars will be significantly different. This example indicates the role of the lifestyle while determining the mileage of the automobile.

Cultural Traits

The culture that we are born in influences our character and lifestyle in general. For instance, in the Netherlands people use cars solely for certain situations and prefer bicycles for everyday life. On the other hand, In the US many towns are situated close to megalopolises and automobiles are the main method of transportation. Citizens of this towns will have to use an automobile on a daily basis if they work in the megalopolises.

The purpose of the car

Every automobile has its own purpose in the family especially when there are many families with more than one car. It is difficult to find an automobile that will offer all the advantages at once. Therefore, the purpose might vary from family transportation to speedy driving. Similarly, sometimes the car might even have several owners in the family that will significantly affect the mileage.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE YEARLY MILEAGE?

In order to determine what is good mileage on a used car, it is vital to know the average distance that we can use as a baseline. The average mileage around the world is 12,400 miles (20,000 Km) per year. However, these statistics differ depending on the country. For instance, as indicated in the table above, the average distance traveled in the US is 13,476 miles (21,688 Km).
Usually the appropriate department of each country states these statistics specifically for their country. Therefore, you can always check the relevant website that will provide the most up-to-date data for your country.

THE CARMAKERS WITH THE HIGHEST REPORTED LIFE SPANS


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To understand what is good mileage on a used car it is vital to know the differences among the carmakers. The mileage is an important differentiating factor that automobile producers state when they introduce a new model. Despite the complex nature of a car’s life expectancy, the mileage still represents the decisive factor for car buyers.
To determine the life span of different automobile makers we cannot simply rely on the statistics that they provide. Most of the time they tend to overstate such characteristics to boost the sales in the short-term, hoping that after 10 years of car exploitation the owners will not be able to recall the misleading characteristics. Here are automobile manufacturers that truly meet or exceed the expectations and have proven to have superior life expectancy:
  • Toyota: Automobiles of this amazing car maker can sometimes exceed 250,000 miles (400,000 Km);
  • Mazda: Can go up to 200,000 miles (320,000 Km);
  • Honda;
  • Ford: Even though Ford has a noticeable place in this list, it only applies to trucks and SUVs models;
  • Chevrolet: Similarly to Ford, long-lasting nature applies to trucks and SUVs only;

HOW MANY MILES IS TOO MANY?

Let’s look at the limit that you have to keep in mind when buying a used car. Imagine buying a used automobile that you have to keep under maintenance each month. This is quite common when a car has already reached its limits. Therefore, it is crucial to know the margin of the automobile’s life span that you have to observe.
150,000 miles (241,000 Km) is a limit that applies to most of the carmakers. The most vital takeaway is to keep the expected life expectancy of your car model in mind. Let’s look at the example that will show the importance of this criterion when you make a buying decision. However, as we have seen in most cases it can be irrelevant figure.
Let’s take the example of the US. if you buy 10 years old average Toyota car in the US, it will have mileage around 130,000 miles (217,000 Km). As we have mentioned Toyota Automobiles can go up to and even exceed 250,000 miles (402,000 Km). Hence, you will be left with 120,000 miles (185,000 Km) driving that also means almost 9 years of life span.
On the other hand, there are a plethora of cars that cannot go up to 100,000 miles. Therefore, buying such automobiles with the mileage as low as 70,000 miles will mean around 2 years of life span left.

WHAT IS GOOD MILEAGE ON A USED CAR?

Any mileage below 110,000 miles is a reasonable mileage that you would not like to exceed when purchasing a used automobile. As you have seen there are many factors that you have to consider while determining the lifespan of your car or a car that you intend to buy. However, as we have discussed in the previous paragraph, some automobiles cannot even last more than 100,000 miles. It is essential to make in-depth research before you decide to consider any offers.
If you intend to buy second-hand automobile firstly use the optimal mileage suggestions that we provided to find the most reasonable options. Secondly, look for reviews online related to the longevity of those cars. I would not suggest relying solely on the statistics that manufacturers state on the official websites.
This information will be enough to estimate the remaining life expectancy of the automobile in terms of mileage. Simply devide this number by the average yearly mileage (12,400 Miles worldwide, 13,476 Miles in the US) and you will get the approximate number of years that the car will serve you. For more precise results you can take into account your driving habits or usage data from experience and determine your average early mileage.
Don’t expect to get the precise assumptions. Whether the previous owner took good care of the car or not will highly impact these presumptions. There is always a risk when you buy a second-hand automobile.

Keep your car’s mileage reasonable

If you would like to sell your second-hand car or just keep your car mileage reasonable you have to make sure that the health of your automobile is in optimal condition. Even though it might even be a useless indicator in certain cases, you may find it problematic to sell an automobile with high mileage. Therefore, it is essential to keep it at a reasonable level.
If you find this step unnecessary you may have to think again. It will also help your automobile last longer as wear and tear significantly affects the condition of the car. Even if you don’t consider selling your automobile in the near future, avoiding unnecessary journeys with your car will save you time and money required for its annual maintenance.

HOW TO AVOID MISLEADING MILEAGE DATA?

As you have already seen the mileage of your car is an important characteristic that you have to be cautious about. However, sometimes this data might be misleading if your automobile is not functioning as it has to. For instance, even the slightest changes in the tire size can significantly affect the mileage in the long run.
The mileage is calculated by multiplying the number of wheel rotations on the circumference of the wheel that came with an original automobile. Any changes to the size of the tire to enhance the appearance of your car or even wear and tear will affect the mileage that will be recorded in the memory of your automobile.
To solve this issue, you can always be proactive and make sure your tires are of optimal size. It would be almost impossible to prove buyers of your second-hand car that the mileage is significantly exaggerated.

HOW TO TEST THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR CAR?

How to check the performance of the car if mileage is so useless indicator? The best way to check your automobile’s performance is to find an optimal testing environment and compare this data with the performance statistics provided by the manufacturer. However, you would like to avoid recording unnecessary mileage that will even worsen these stats.
You can purchase a premium-quality Mileage Stopper, install it on your own in less than half-hour, and test the performance of your car. This module is useful for multiple purposes and you can always find good use for it later.

TAKEAWAY

Now you have all the information that you might need to determine what is good mileage on a used car. Multiple factors affect the performance of the automobile. However, the mileage is used to portray the whole picture of your automobile’s condition. Calculating the optimal amount of distance traveled by the used automobile is not as easy as it might seem. Many underlying factors influence the overall life expectancy and you have to make required assumptions.
submitted by superkilometerfilter to u/superkilometerfilter [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 12:57 NishthaMX Accepting submissions of an anthology of contemporary Climate Fiction from South Asia & beyond

Root.ax accelerating an anthology of contemporary Climate Fiction from South Asia & beyond.
In this anthology, we focus on voices in contemporary Climate Fiction that are bold, unique and unafraid to ask the urgent questions.We aim to transcend West-specific narratives when it comes to climate change and how it adversely affects our lived experience in the form of a canonical collection of stories from the best thinkers, writers, dreamers, to come forth with their short stories, micro fiction and standalone novel excerpts that are deeply felt, and dare to engage with ideas around belonging, eco-anxiety, decolonisation climate conversations, post-capitalism alternate lifestyles, inclusive community spaces, mythmaking, bold economic choices, wildlife conservation, urban landscapes, green public spaces, collective consciousness or memory, sustainable travel, green weddings, bold experimental ideas. Send us anything else you believe is missing from the mainstream narrative around climate action. We're looking to amplify this to unheard voices in the south Asian writer space.
What we don’t want: topical think pieces, news opinions, political manifestos, book or film reviews, academic writing.
Write to us [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) if you have any questions. We’re pretty open-minded. Submission details: Deadline: 18th June, 2023 Word Limit: 1000-5000 words Submission Link: Submit Here
submitted by NishthaMX to FictionWriting [link] [comments]


2023.06.09 12:47 MilkbottleF Seven Stories

Subway

A woman who is late for an important meeting takes the subway instead of a taxi. She has not ridden a subway in ten years, not since she was a secretary. The subway is smaller than she remembered, and colder. She realizes that the heat is not working in her car; she realizes she has boarded an express and that this train won't stop until it reaches 86th Street. She'll have to take a taxi after all, and go back downtown through all the traffic she thought she was avoiding. Nothing can be done now but wait for the ride to be over.
A man seated next to her is reading from a small notebook. She stares because it is exactly like one she often carries. The crabbed handwriting inside it is very like her own. How has this person come to have her notebook?
He is looking at the same two pages, turning them back and forth. She manages to read by looking down and sideways.
"A social security mom," one line begins. "An American girl who visited China," says the next. He moves his fingers: "I know I'm old. I paid for sex. I get no refund. I have no salt, no soul, no refill."
The man is wearing brown wool pants, a quilted storm coat, a fake-fur cap with ear flaps. He is, perhaps, fifty. He seems ordinary. The contents of the notebook are so odd the woman impulsively takes out an envelope and surreptitiously scribbles down what she has read.
The man, absorbed, turns another page. "God hears me. The death bullets. The fee." The woman is suddenly sure he found this notebook somewhere, that he is reading these pages over and over, trying to figure them out. "Both of us are voyeurs," she scribbles on her envelope. When she looks again, he is on a new page: "More death files, you may keep them, the tainters, the foam."
it occurs to her then that a Robert Louis Stevenson story would begin right here: the story would reveal that her copying has linked her forever in a chain of eavesdroppers, trespassers, and spies, and she wonders why she and her fellow passengers allowed themselves to be drawn in, to pass these sick words on, preserving them. Then she realizes that the chain moves back in time as well as forward—back, it seems to her, to the original writer, who will thus be able to know her.
The man shuts the notebook abruptly and puts it in an inside pocket. It's his own. He has put it in a pocket only an owner would use. And he is aware of her reading and writing. He is perspiring; so is she. His clothing is odd; that is, it was once ordinary, but now it's very dirty. The train slows for the stop at 86th. Predictably, the woman is terrified. To leave is to give him an opportunity to follow. She waits as long as she can before leaving her seat and steps off the train as the doors close. The man is still sitting inside. Back on the street, she hails a cab which delivers her to the building where the meeting has surely begun without her. She tips the driver without looking at him.

Six Plots

A writer spins plots in the most condensed forms possible. she strips them of description and comment; they simply outline a sequence of exchanges. she gradually loses the ability to make herself write them out as stories, every time she begins to work on a story, she makes instead other new condensed plot pieces. the obsession increases, she finds she must carry a notebook, so she can write wherever she is. eventually every daily activity—things as simple as walking to the corner for a bottle of milk—triggers another miniature plot, which she must stop to write down, she is unable to go on with her daily life.
A girl who is considered a model child in every way is locked into a closet by her elder brother one Saturday morning. he lets her out that night, overcome by guilt he cannot express, because the whole family has gone through the day without ever realizing the girl was missing.
A man who has been urged to join a club by his psychiatrist joins a pacifist movement, he leads daring demonstrations against nuclear submarines, nuclear power plants, and army recruiting centers. he is arrested several times. his sense of himself as a loner intensifies, he becomes a leader in the movement, manipulating others and spurring them to acts of defiance he no longer participates in. when he is confronted by the angry girlfriend of a young man who has been permanently injured by police at one of these demonstrations, he tells her he has no wish to be cannon fodder or to be part of any kind of group.
A doctor has hired a young homosexual as his office secretary. his sympathy was engaged during the job interview when the young man told him about his struggle to accept himself and live openly as a gay man. the doctor discovers several months later that the secretary is impersonating him after hours to impress his sexual contacts. recognizing how the young man had flattered him into acting against his instincts, and how susceptible he is to being flattered, the doctor feels morally responsible for the misconduct. instead of firing the secretary, the doctor has new office keys made to keep him out of the office after hours. he gives the secretary less to do and hires a part-timer to handle some of the work. his behavior becomes more and more peculiar in his effort to avoid the necessary confrontation. what will rescue him?
A painter has been given a solo exhibition at one of the city's biggest galleries, the show gets the full treatment, and so does he: good reviews, crowds everyday, invitations here and there, and, best of all, the gallery sells every picture. for the first time in his life, the painter is flush; he decides to treat himself to his first trip to Europe. when his jubilant friends have left him at the airline lobby, and he has walked though the jetway to the plane door, he turns and stops. why am I leaving what I've worked so long to have? he thinks, he walks back up the ramp—and is promptly arrested.
For more than three hours, he is questioned and searched; all the passengers are made to disembark; luggage is disemboweled; the bomb dogs are brought in to sniff.
When he finally rejoins his friends very late that evening, he tells them it was worth it not to go.
The daughter of a world-famous scientist makes friends with the son of a small-town photographer in the country town where the scientist and his family are spending summer. both fathers are delighted, the photographer because he hopes the famous man will be helpful to his son; the scientist because he approves of the sturdy American values exemplified by the photographer's simple aspirations and lifestyle. (he does not approve of the private school his wife sends their daughter to.) both fathers speak so approvingly and at length about this friendship that the children fight viciously, subsequently both of them lie to their parents about what happened.
-- Martha King. Collected, respectively, in Little Tales of Family and War, 1990-1999 (Spuyten Duyvil, 2000), and North and South (Spuyten Duyvil, 2006).
submitted by MilkbottleF to Extraordinary_Tales [link] [comments]