#Windows 10 Battery Issues

[techtalkcentral12]

Are you struggling with excessive battery drain on your Windows 10 device?

Discover the simple and effective methods to fix this issue using easy settings. "Windows 10 battery drain fix - Step-by-step guide using easy settings to optimize power usage and extend battery life. Say goodbye to battery drain problems with our expert tips! #Windows10 #BatteryDrainFix #WindowsTips"

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[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

got a new laptop on sale yayy 😎 hopefully a zoom meeting will no longer threaten to wipe out my whole machine

[jjeremysstash]

Fixing Windows 11 - A Masterpost

Windows 11 is absolute crap for a good bunch of stuff so yeah, have a masterpost with most of the things I've found around to fix it haha (they're not all here because I did stuff around and I don't remember what)

YES, I KNOW at this point Linux would be a better alternative, however some here can't use Linux due to some proprietary programs that are not on Linux. This Masterpost is for the people in the same situation as I, aka those who have to have Windows or they can't do their job.

I am currently unemployed and haven't worked enough for the government to help me. I have a ko-fi if ever you want to help.

Stopping W11 from making you create an account/setting up your computer without internet (with a way to create gpedit.msc if your version doesn't have it)

Fixing the Taskbar (in case you also don't like the grouped Battery/internet/sound or the way the windows look)(there's more to it, check the settings)

There is the chance that Windows can't update because of this, you just have to uninstall it and reinstall it afterwards. They also completely nuked the Windows 10 look in the 24H2 update, so use the "Windows 10 (Explorer Patcher)" option instead of the plain "Windows 10".

Removing the rounded windows (since ExplorerPatcher doesn't do it anymore on 24H2)

https://github.com/valinet/Win11DisableRoundedCorners

How to move the volume and luminosity pop ups (so you can finally see those sweet sweet subtitles)

In case ModernFlyouts doesn't automatically start up, possible solution

Fixing the Start Menu (ExplorerPatcher can do that too, btw)

How to show all options right away

A way to bring back the Calendar

https://github.com/matej137/OutlookRemover

MICROSOFT FULLY NUKED THE CALENDAR!!! Possible fix is to downgrade the app (which is fine if you don't use the Mail), but do use the OutlookRemover to stop the automatic installation of the new version.

https://github.com/matej137/OutlookRemover/issues/15

Your Bluetooth suddenly doesn't work???

It happens sometimes for no clear reasons so here are a few things you can do:

Check if the icon is in the Taskbar. If not, verify if it is available in the pop up menu (the one from the gear icon)

If it's not here, check your parameter to see if you have the option to turn it on.

If it's still not here, reboot your PC.

If it's STILL not working, update your Bluetooth driver. You can do so by looking for "driver" in the menu and opening the Device Manager, then right click on the right Bluetooth component and update its driver.

If Windows says that the driver is up to date, try checking out this helper: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-bluetooth-problems-in-windows-723e092f-03fa-858b-5c80-131ec3fba75c

If really nothing help, download and install a recent Bluetooth Driver. Be careful of what you download and from where.

Someone who stumbled on this post fixed it by downloading the Bluetooth Driver 5.0.1.1500 from Softonic (https://www.softonic.nl/download/bluetooth-driver/windows).

How to remove Copilot if you have it (I don't, but it might be because I'm in Europe??)

Archive

Apparently Copilot is being forced on people so hummm

Other stuff not specifically related to the shit W11 did

Changing the size of the scroll bars

How to fully remove Cortana

Website with tools to fix W10 and W11

[felixcloud6288]

It's Hurricane Season so I'd like to share some advice as a life-long Floridian who's experienced a few things. This is going to be directed primarily to people living in areas at risk of blackouts which could last several days.

Preparations

Aside from food, water, and gas, some things you'll want to make sure you have are flashlights and batteries. Make sure to refill any medications you might need.

From @dea-certe: Fill up all vehicles and maybe a few gas containers now. Firstly because it will be more expensive in the storm aftermath, but also because it will be harder to find. I went to five different gas stations to find fuel at one point and was kicking myself because I had used so much has keeping the phones charged and keeping the heat going.

Get raincoats in case you need to go outside cause the wind will destroy any umbrellas.. If you can't get one, take a garbage bag and tear a face hole into it and use that.

Also, get bug repellent, especially mosquito repellent. Mosquitos breed around still water and there will be a lot of still water.

And if you have an infant, make sure to stock up on diapers, baby wipes, etc. Even if you don't have an infant, baby wipes can be useful to help keep yourself clean.

You might want to buy some gardening gloves as well to make the post-storm cleanup safer.

SUPER IMPORTANT FOR SANITY AND SANITATION: get caught up on laundry and dishes. No power means no running water. Don't make things worse by not having clean dishes or clean clothes to use. While you're cleaning, change your bed sheets as well. Once you have power, change your sheets again.

Also, download any games, ebooks, shows, etc you can onto any battery-charged electronic devices you have. It will help your sanity when all you can do is wait.

From @metadata-uber-alles: My recommendation re: radio is to make sure you have an actual AM/FM radio, one that can run on batteries. You can probably thrift it if you don't have one already. Most radio stations stream online too, but if the power goes out you'll be rationing your phone battery and may not have internet.

Finally, while you should ideally board up your windows to protect them from debris, make sure at the minimum that all your windows are closed. Wind pressures are going to suck air out of any openings in your home.

Food and Water

First and most important: DO NOT BE A HOARDER!!

Even if your home has no power, that doesn't mean your local grocery store has no power. You can expect some reduced supply due to damaged supply lines and a spike in demand, but you shouldn't be worrying about empty shelves. At worst, have the amount of supplies you might need for 10 days. If you normally go to the grocery store every 2 weeks or longer, just stock up the amount you normally would.

Buy more items that are less likely to spoil and don't need refrigeration. When you have no power, prioritize eating anything which requires refrigeration (milk, cheese, meats) or has a short shelf life (bread).

Demand will be higher in preparation, and supply will be diminished for a bit, but supply issues only become unbearable when people start hoarding.

As for water, you'll need a surplus since you need water for so much. I cannot stress this particular part enough:

You need water to flush your toilet.

If there's somewhere with running water you can go when you need to poop, use that whenever possible, but you need water available at home to refill your toilet's cistern if you don't have that option (either time, distance, etc).

Make sure you have a supply of drinking water. Don't go buying every water bottle you can find (See the bit about hoarding), but you should buy more than you might normally use. Instead, gather water through things like your sink or from a hose into any sealable containers you might have . If you have a bathtub, fill it up just before the hurricane. If you have a pool, that's another source of water. If no debris got in the pool, you can use it for bathing. If you have empty buckets, you can get some additional water during the hurricane by filling them with large rocks or bricks and leaving them out in the open to collect the rain water.

Different water sources will be used for different purposes:

bottled, canned, or other store-bought water: Drinking, cooking, and refrigeration (explained later)

Water in unsealed containers: refill the toilet cistern

Water in a sealed containers: bathing and cleaning (Can also be used for the toilet)

As mentioned with food, supplies at your grocer will be reduced but not necessarily empty. You should be able to buy enough additional drinking water and be able to also use it for cleaning, giving you more water for the toilet. The tip about gathering rain water will only work once. There will likely be no rain for at least a week afterward.

In case you need to evacuate

Keep tabs on whatever emergency alerts are available. Check what your local radio channel is or what sites to check online. Make sure you know how to get to your local shelter, including alternate paths in case a road is inaccessible.

Load your vehicle with anything you might need to bring with you before the storm so you don't have to spend time looking for them and double checking when every minute could count. Pack some pillows, blankets, and extra clothes just in case. Also include anything you cannot risk losing for school or work like laptops.

Refrigeration

Without power, your fridge is now just a giant cooler and a ticking bomb to being a biohazard. Fill it up as much as possible. Cold air escapes easily when you open it and heat disperses fastest throw the air. Remember how I said you should buy extra water? A fridge filled with cold water will stay cooler longer. Any liquid will do. Fill your fridge with water bottles, soda cans, beer, fruit juice, whatever. As long as it doesn't spoil at room temperature. Milk can technically help too, but since it spoils you shouldn't keep much of it and should use it quickly.

Additional things like fruits and veggies will also help. What matters is you want to reduce the amount of empty space and fill it with anything which can keep the temperature down. Put a frozen block of iron in for all I care. Just don't have a super empty fridge.

If you have a generator

Good for you. You're not completely without power now. But you need to set priorities on what to use it for. Generators can only supply so much power at a time so you can't just hook everything to it and expect things to work out.

Top priority is the fridge. Twice a day, morning and evening, plug the fridge to the generator and let it run for two hours to cool things down. Don't hook up the fridge when you don't expect to open it (like when everyone is asleep).

Second priority should be charging cell phones, laptops, and anything else like that. Depending on your circumstances, you can charge them at work, from your car, etc so only hook them up when batteries are low.

Third, comfort. I understand this will be stressful, but hooking up your tv and gaming computer isn't the best idea. If you've done what I suggested earlier, you'll at least have something to watch or do without needing to hook it to your generator. Like with the above electronics, you might be able to find other ways to charge them, but only attach them to your generator when you don't need to worry about necessities.

Finally for the love of god, DO NOT HOOK AN AC TO THE GENERATOR!!. Air conditioners draw a lot of power, especially once the room is hot. But your generator can only do so much. The AC will kill your power supply really quickly. Use a fan or the AC in your vehicle if you need to cool down.

Also worth noting, if you have an electric vehicle, that could potentially be used as well. I don't know specifics, but look into that if you own one.

Final notes

This is not comprehensive and I may be wrong about some things.

Please refer to actual expert sources for comprehensive help.

This is just suggestions from someone who has to deal with this every year and has figured out how to deal with the aftermath. Your living conditions may be different so please check how to handle any concerns unique to you.

Stay safe and do not give up hope.

[blurreynights]

I think the biggest culture shock I experienced in Finland so far is around friendships, as well as the area where I learned a lot of valuable things about myself. I might not be entirely right about this as I've only been here for a short time, but those are my main take-aways:

(under the cut to not block ur tags w my english rambling)

Trying to build real friendships takes time, much longer than in my home country. It is relatively easy to get in contact with Germans in my experience, especially if you live in a bigger city and speak the language, ESPECIALLY if you are a student and just starting out in a new phase of your life. You will naturally hang out frequently if you match well and spend a lot of time together. It might take a few meetings before people will invite u to their home, but generally there's not much distance as soon as the ice is broken.

Here I feel like people are much slower and more reluctant to open up. But that doesn't equal rejection, it's simply a slower process and you will still be able to tell the difference between being rejected and being on the path of friendship. In Germany, it's usually a lot more fast paced and there is a small window you have to catch to get into tight friendgroups. If you miss it, no chance of ever going back, vibe gone chance gone. Also people who might have found you interesting could lose interest if you wait for too long (meaning usually a month or so) to get back to them.

I actually realized that this way of socializing stresses me tf out. I much prefer a more laid back approach where you can get to know each other without time limitations (of course prerequisite is that you have the time). It is a much more sustainable, thoughtful and respectful approach to someone elses time. You're not treated as disposable, but rather as a person someone actively chooses to get to know.

Likewise, if people feel like they either do not vibe with you or if they already have a very busy social life or life in general, they will let you know and don't pretend to have time or like you. This was quite a new thing to me and felt a bit cold, but I actually really appreciate it now, as it's saving you from stressful, draining interpersonal connections. It also made me respect some people immensely, because they know their own self worth and boundaries quite well.

It made me reflect upon my tendency to be a people pleaser, and the strong yearning I have to treat my own relationships the same way as I've experienced it here. I've grown so tired of superficial connections that are placeholders for true, fulfilling friendships. I used to think being lonely was the worst thing in the world. It kind of is still awful, but what's worse is being surrounded by a bunch of people you don't really click with or can rely on, which leaves you lonely as well. I do think letting go of this is something that will slowly seep over into my own life, as it is so freeing.

I also intend on staying, or rather coming back when I've finished up all my business back in Germany (I am not really rooted to the city I live in). People who I've told about this recent development were very worried if I would be able to be happy in a country that is (generally) much more reserved when it comes to social interaction, as I need social interaction regularly. I don't really think it's that big of an issue, as I think I can balance out people's passive approach with my more active one in the beginning. I have a high social battery, so I'm fine with interacting with a few more people, before people get truly comfortable to hang out on the regular. Yet I also prefer quality interactions over a bunch of small talk meetups I don't care about. I also still have my core friends who I talk to regularly on the phone, and this has been a tradition for years already before I came here.

What I am immensely struggling with right now is trying to make sense of all the connections I made in the past 10 years. This is the 6th city I lived in the last decade, and the 8th move. All my relationships feel so spread out and scattered. I am holding on to some solely because those people were there when I moved somewhere new and I didn't have anyone else. Like back in school, when I was friends with people because they were the only ones there. It's all a bit confusing and painful right now, as my values and perspectives are changing. I think there are a lot of people moving from the friends to acquaintance category right now. I'm completely redefining friendships for me at the moment.

[ranchstoryblog]

Ranch Story's PC Review for Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

Hello everyone! Welcome to Ranch Story’s review for the Steam release of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma! Here we will go through the graphical settings, how the game runs on the devices I ran the game on (including the Steam Deck), My personal thoughts about the game, and finally a list of Steam features that are included for this release!

Graphical Settings

The graphical settings to the Steam release of Guardians of Azuma are extremely customizable, and I was very surprised to see the Super Resolution and Frame Generation options. I have not seen those options on previous pc versions of previous Rune Factory or Story of Season games!

 Specifically, the bottom half of the Graphical Settings menu are the settings that are changed depending on what Graphical preset you use.

High Preset

* This was captured with a machine using a NVIDIA GPU. AMD GPU users will have FSR instead of DLSS.

Medium Preset

Low Preset

While playing on the medium preset on the Steam Deck, I noticed some detail pop-in specifically with the LOD of 3D models. When I was testing on other devices, I noticed it was specifically happening with the Medium and Low presets.

I found out that it was the Mesh Quality setting and turning that from medium to high disables the pop-in if that bothers you, but that may cause performance issues depending on your hardware, but for me the performance decline was not too noticeable! I will go into more detail in a later section but this game is very optimized!

Devices

Desktop: CPU: AMD Ryzen 7-Series 3700X

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060

Memory: 16 GB

Operating System: Windows 10 Home

I decided that I wanted to see this game in the best possible way I could. So I used my main machine. I am very glad I did because I was amazed at everything shown! Everything impressed me; from the textures, 3D models, and even how smooth and snappy the animations were. These are amazing features in general, but it even furthered the gaming experience seeing it all come together at max graphics with no visibly noticeable slowdowns! 

Steam Deck:

Model: LED 512 GB

Operating System: SteamOS

I was very happy when I tried out Guardians of Azuma on my Steam Deck. I chose to keep the settings on the default Medium and the game is just as pretty as it was on my desktop. I had no issues with Proton running this game, and there was nothing special I had to do to get the game to run. One thing I did have some issues with was during some demanding cutscenes, the game’s framerate would drop noticeably lower, but it does not happen for all cutscenes, and honestly on a handheld computer I expect these things to happen, other than the demanding cutscenes, the frame rate stays around 50~60 fps.  Personally, I would not notice if I didn't have the fps overlay on while playing! Another thing I would like to say is that the battery while playing lasts 1:30~2:00 hours with the fps uncapped and/or capped at 60 fps, using the in game settings to cap at 30 fps or setting the frame limit to 40 fps using SteamOS’s performance settings. I ended up being very happy with how Steam Deck ran the game on medium plus the convenience of laying down while playing means that for the majority of my playthrough I ended up playing mostly on the Steam Deck.

Laptop:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7-Series 3750

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

Memory: 8 GB

Operating System: Windows 10

I went back and forth on trying Guardians of Azuma on my laptop, but ended up trying it out for a bit and was pleasantly surprised? The laptop is slightly below the minimum requirements with the “GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER” being the minimum requirement for GPU but it was such a small difference that I might as well try it out! I noticed boot up and post load would get really laggy and models would take a second to pop up, but once things loaded the game was mostly smooth at a 40-50 but sometimes when the character was still and nothing really going on at 60 FPS. The performance was almost the same when unplugged, which I couldn't really say the same for some games previously.

General Thoughts

Alright alright, enough with the technical for now!

I could go on and on about it for quite a bit of time, but there is so much more to the game than how it runs and it deserves to be spoken about too! It’s a spin-off from the mainline Rune Factory titles, and honestly as someone who grew up with only playing Frontier and Tides of Destiny before getting into the numbered titles, it feels faithful to its preceding spin-offs. I am so happy this is the case. Spin-offs are wonderful, and I really love it when they experiment with new concepts and try new things but in such a familiar way. Farming is a bit different and can even be a bit more hands off with the town management sim part of the game, but also its bare mechanics are very familiar where you do not have to learn a whole new system just to make sure your plants grow. Another thing I really love about Guardians of Azuma is the cast of characters.

To put it straight to the point, I love how human they are. (Even the non-humans) They all have things that they love and hate, things that they are scared of, and their own personal things they have to go through. And this all affects how the social interaction choices work too, you have to think “would they actually like this topic” or “is this a place they would enjoy visiting” and each interaction could be positive or negative, depending on the character.

And if I may get a little technical again to tie things off here, I really really love that no matter which device I ran this game off of, it worked. Of course there will be limits and you should probably pay attention to the minimum requirements, but the game itself runs rock solid and the settings allow you to tweak things if you would like things to be more easy to run on your hardware. I feel like it's very important that games are able to run natively on all sorts of hardware old and new, weak or powerful in the current era of very expensive hardware, and I am glad that Marvelous thought about this when developing the game.

Fun Steam Stuff

The Steam release of Rune Factory includes various classic Steam features like 

Cloud Saves

Controller Support

81 Achievements (Holy Moly 👀)

7 Badges

15 Trading Cards

Final Thoughts

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma has been a very pleasant and fun adventure, and the Steam release has been such a great experience that I can recommend with all my heart. Even with all of the unique features, I feel like with this title Rune Factory is returning to its roots and everything feels like such a nice change of pace but yet so familiar. It was my pleasure to be able to make this review, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

[delta-orionis]

tell me abt your fucked up laptop

Oh god where do I even begin.

It looks normal at first glance, but this thing has been through hell.

I've easily had this laptop for over a decade at this point. I can't remember when I got it- 2014 or 2015 I think. When I first got it it was pretty beefy for the time but it's definitely showing its age now. It's pretty heavy and sturdy- I've definitely dropped it once or twice.

This thing got me through all of college. It worked well for a while, but in 2018 the hard drive died. To this day I'm convinced that a Windows update is what bricked it. Thankfully I was able to get the hard drive replaced on very short notice because I was literally leaving for an internship the next week. It behaved for the duration of the internship.

At some point the screen started to malfunction- it behaved for the picture I took, but it likes to randomly flicker and even cut out entirely. It eventually got so bad that I stopped taking it places with me, and I just hooked it up to an external monitor and keyboard on my desk.

I eventually had to replace both the power cable and battery because it was neither charging nor holding charge. That worked well for a while, but eventually that battery died as well. It currently has no battery, and is directly hooked up to wall power. If I unplug it, it instantly dies.

At some point during all this, Windows forced an update to Windows 10, which absolutely throttled this poor thing's performance. I think it might have actually shipped with Windows 7 but it's been ten years and I honestly cannot even remember. Either way, it was already chugging on Windows 8, and 10 wasn't much better. I think updating this laptop to Windows 11 will actually kill it.

At this point it permanently lives on my desk as a glorified desktop computer. I don't even keep the lid open anymore. The few times I've tried to lift or move it while it's turned on, it will decide to randomly freeze or shut down, so I try not to touch it.

I'm absolutely terrified that the hard drive will randomly die again, so I also have this laptop permanently hooked up to an external hard drive that backs up the entire computer on a regular basis.

Oh, and among all of these other issues, a few weeks ago it randomly started making some very loud and concerning noises upon startup. They eventually die down though so I'm ignoring it.

TL;DR, my laptop is actively dying and is basically hooked up to permanent life support. I refuse to let it die, at least until I can afford a new computer.

I have a second low-spec laptop that was given to me a while ago for free because it basically didn't work- it was trying to run Windows 10 and literally took more than 45 minutes to boot up. That's not an exaggeration. When it did boot up, it ran so slowly that it was basically unusable. I couldn't even use it to check my email. So basically I was allowed to keep it if I could even get it to work in the first place, it was going to be thrown out otherwise.

I was able to revive it by wiping it and installing Linux (Lubuntu, a lightweight version of Ubuntu, to be specific) on it, and now it works perfectly fine. When I actually need a portable laptop for something I just use my Linux laptop instead.

When I finally get a proper PC I fully intend to wipe my Windows laptop and install Linux on it the exact same way, just to squeeze a few more years out of it if possible. I will not allow this thing to die on my watch.

(P.S. Before anyone asks, I use Stylus for my custom tumblr dashboard theme. I use the Old Tumblr Dashboard and Custom Background themes.)

[minrathian]

escapism thy name is tashur (or viperquin, or what have you)-- fanwork recs

Hey listen. It was a shit week and I am about as optimistic as Tarquin about the year ahead. So, as I head into the weekend, I am protecting my peace by metaphorically pulling the covers over my head and building a blanket fort out of fanworks About Them. If you also hate it here and want to go to secret gardens in your mind, here in no particular order is my annotated list of the Tarquin x Ashur/Tashur/Viperquin fanworks that are getting me out of my head, lately.

Obligatory disclaimers: YMMV, there are so many good works in this fandom and this list is not exhaustive/will be updated periodically, mind the ratings, enjoy responsibly, &c.  And, thanks to everyone who's creating things for this pairing and folks who are reading/reblogging stuff about them, too. I'm way out of practice at fandom and mostly lurk, but it's a really lovely little creative community to be a part of even in a low-key way.

Kiss me when you’re done (series– explicit), thismission I haven’t had a single thought in my head any of the approximately 20 times I have read this modern AU series. It feels like your own personal bodyguard has taken you by the hand and is leading you around at a party: your brain is turned off and you are just trusting the process. It’s hot and it’s also such a deeply interesting character exploration of what these people might be like here and now, but without making me actually think many thoughts about the here and now really at all. And, bonus, it really captures the  “get the fuck out of here with these feelings I’m not thinking about” Tarquin vibe and the “oh my god he’s so hot I’m immediately obsessed with him” Ashur vibe, which *I* am personally devoted to for this ship. Anyway I’m obsessed with this.

Most Holy, magemance This is my phone lockscreen and wallpaper and the day I made that decision was not only a good day, but also marks the day I noticed my phone battery was draining faster for some reason? Looking at this never fails to make me smile and so I stare at this and make chinhands and kick my little feet for hours out of a day.  I’m sure that’s no connection to the phone battery issue. Probably. 

Oh No! I’ve Been Hit By Evil Cultist Blood Magic! (explicit), knight0fcups This is immersive, there’s so many little details from Ashur’s POV that it’s just really easy to fall into and live there for a bit. This is sex pollen/fuck-or-die done SO well– I don’t seek out those tropes most of the time but I’m so glad this exists because it is fucking delightful from start to finish, snappy and clever and funny as fuck. There is a line that Tarquin says in this fic that made me laugh so loudly,  I startled my dog. I won’t tell you what it is because you deserve to discover it for yourself. It is perfect, 15/10 no notes. Well, some notes. These notes, that I wrote. You get it.

moments we stole from the blight, rookfeathers One of the first pieces of Tashur art that lured me back to tumblr/fandom, this one has a special place in my heart for that alone, but– WALL KISSES. THE HANDS. THE DESPERATION IS PALPABLE but in a GOOD way.

Won’t you stay with me, my darling, (when my walls start burning down),(explicit), decant This is just. It’s just!!! So good! This hurts in such a particularly good way. It’s the “I’ve escaped to a MORE tragic timeline” kind of escapism. The level of despair is just…pervasive and perfect for blighted Minrathous, and Tarquin dealing with blighted Minrathous and the certainty of losing Ashur. AND YET. There’s just enough of something not-quite-hopeful filtering through the whole thing to really round it out. I don’t necessarily want to escape to blighted Minrathous (a lateral fuckin move in these times TBH) but I do love briefly visiting via this story.

Midnight rendezvous, J0ypatron (joy-jpg) Ahhhh I take one look at this and I am immediately blasting “Come to my window” by Melissa Etheridge. Just, immediately. That, and thinking of the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet, only with a grumpy wet cat of a man yelling “Fuck off,” but like, in a loving way, at his boyfriend, who also happens to be the Imperial Divine.  

Courting Traditions of the Oblivious Soporatus, (teen and up), bendingwind Look, I am super biased about this one because I have so many thoughts about courting traditions in Tevinter, and Z wrote this incredibly rich story that somehow made all my Soporati courting tradition dreams come true??? Miracles happen. It’s SO DELIGHTFUL. Screaming, crying, clutching my face with joy. Also: the strawberries??? Pls.

tarquin sees ashur’s face for the first time, fadesense I love everything about this. The name of the dog. The way Tarquin’s hair looks. Tarquin’s face and general disposition. Ashur knowing it was Tarquin. Ashur petting the dog. I am transported to a world where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. 

Holy matrimony, hesketh This is so fucking fun and also so sweet and those are two things that instantly send me to another planet in the best way. The pace is great and the banter is top tier 110/10 no notes and it also has bonus!Dorian being a delightful, handsome menace, as he is wont to be. Perfection.

Ashur and Tarquin fighting together, archfey-edda Like the artist, I ALSO just wanted to see them kicking ass together in the game, and this is SO COOL. Love love love a little glimpse of Ashur being a badass mage and the thought! Of him fighting back to back with Tarquin! I have ascended.  The movement and the light in this is also just stunning, I could stare at it for hours.

Gnosis, asyouwes You wouldn’t think a story that makes me reflect on my own fraught relationship with organized religion would be on an escapism list but here we are– sometimes it’s easier to engage with those feelings at arm’s length, through someone else’s eyes. And, I’m a big fan of stories that capture a very particular mood or feeling and this one really does that well. 

i have shed my skin, look at me now, (mature) frigid Nothing gets you out of your own head quite like a good werewolf/vampire AU. Really loving the overlay of cryptid stuff with the Shadow Dragons and everything going on in Tevinter.

Quick tashur doodle, loustica-lucia The LEANING. The FOREHEAD TOUCHING. The way Tarquin’s exhale LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE HEART. I live here now. Forward my mail here. You will not be hearing from me, but you can forward my mail here anyway.

Like sweet dreams, (explicit), greygerbil  The absolute best morning-after-we-hooked-up kind of story, where they’re both kinda nervous but then it’s all fine because of course these feelings are reciprocated. Reading this is like one long exhale: my shoulders aren’t pressed up against my ears, that pesky knot of tension in every single one of my muscles has momentarily vanished, everything is fine and lovely. 

Constant Like Cicadas in the Summertime, goldenringboy A little bit of wine drunk, a lot of grade A++++ pining, lovely visuals. Did I mention the pining??? The pining.

Two Heads are Better than One (explicit), thismission Clonefucking. That's it, that's the summary. I-- just read it, ok?

Flirt, bendingwind Fake dating because Ashur gazes at Tarquin too much and all the Shadows assume they're together...until they are? Please. I am WEAK.

Servus Servorum Creatoris (explicit), Anon Religious imagery in PWP??? It's more likely than you might think. And just as delicious.

digital paintings of the Viper and Tarquin, goldenringboy THEM BUT CLASSICAL PAINTING STYLE. GO GAZE AT THEM. GO DREAM OF HANGING THESE PORTRAITS ON YOUR WALL IN RIDICULOUSLY ORNATE FRAMES AND PRETENDING YOU LIVE IN A TASHUR ART MUSEUM. (I am a normal person with normal hobbies that I am so normal about.) The texture and the light is just. so good!!!

Bonus (it’s not art of both of them but it’s a delight to me): Modern Tarquin in a t-shirt being ineffably, perfectly Tarquin, rookfeathers. 

[glitter-stained]

Okay so I got a wonderful ask that I started to respond to and I saved it in the drafts to look up the English translation of a word and now the ask is gone because tumblr hates me, hope you see this anyway anon. Here are the bullet points from the essay I just lost :

> being a HS dropout doesn't make you ignorant! I didn't know of the study you mentioned it sounds super interesting

> I'm not a bio/medicine student, what I do know about malnutrition I know from anorexia in children, there are probably nuances between the two I don't have access to

> size, like most stuff, is determined by the interaction between your genes and your environment.

> malnutrition absolutely stunts growth, basically the body goes into battery saving mode to preserve what resources it has and goes "well i'm not gonna grow up/develop until you start feeding me again". (This is why BMI is a fucking stupid tool to diagnose anorexia especially in children, it's so dumb.)

> can you play catch-up with growth ? Yes and no. There's something called "chronotopic constraints" which means that there are things in a person's development that need to happen at a specific given time for other stuff to happen later, like a chain reaction. This is true for embryo development, for cognitive abilities (that's why ADHD symptoms change over time) and for physical development like growth. So basically, whether or not a child who has been starved can catch up on growth depends, amongst other stuff, on their base metabolism, the amount of food they were eating, for how long they were starving and at what time window they were starving. And because of the domino effect I mentioned, you can catch up "partially": picture a child who, upon getting food, starts growing again, goes through late puberty, and ends up much tinier as an adult than both his parents were but still bigger than he was as a teenager.

> So how can we know that stuff ? You're very right that we can't separate twin babies, starve one and feed the other, it's not very ethical. But we can run stuff like correlational studies where we take a group of a whole lot of kids who have suffered from malnutrition measure their height at 6, at 8, at 10, at 15, 18 and 20 (this is called a longitudinal study) and say "hey, children who were starved tend to, on average, be way smaller than the average child their age, and they don't all fully catch up on their growth, and this catch-up depends on specific time windows" etc. As I said, a lot of my knowledge comes from the study of anorexia in children, so there are also a lot of case studies of children who didn't eat at specific time periods and had their growth stunted potentially forever (as well as a lot of other stuff).

> so if it depends/catch up is possible, why do you think the Pit is what "cured" Jason's malnutrition:

Well, the issue with Jason is we don't have access to for how long he was in a situation of food scarcity for. We know his parents were poor, but how about before Willis went to jail: if I understood correctly the man was in and out, so there probably was an uneven source of revenue in that side. And how about when Catherine got sick? Medical care costs a lot of money, not to mention heroin; he was probably in food scarcity at least once Willis got caught and sent to jail and he had to take care of his mom himself, before he even ended up in the streets. In the streets, Jason calls himself his own man and steals to survive, so he doesn't have like zero access to food, but no, seeing where Jason lives and that his income source at some point is "stealing from batman" i'd bet on pretty severe food scarcity. Not starving enough to die and not starving/not suffering from malnutrition are pretty different goals after all. Then Jason ends up with Batman and hey! Regular food intake. Though looking at his workout in the six months following his adoption is a little concerning, it's comic book science, let's just assume he's getting enough food and robin gives him enough magic that it's not a problem for his growth. Yippee, Jay can start growing again! Except when he dies, he's still tiny. Not as small as when he got adopted, but like, tiny (4"6 I believe? At 15.) This, along with how big Willis was and if we consider Jason's height in UTH, suggests that his growth is still stunted after three years of consistent adequate nutrition.

Obviously he doesn't grow when he's dead, but there's no reason he wouldn't grow in his coma, he's being fed and basically sleeping so no scarcity at that moment (though some level of muscle atrophy is to be expected). And then he's back to the streets, deeply dissociated, suffering from mysterious (as in hare to evaluate) brain damage and with muscle atrophy, for around a year -he's seen finding food, but again, he's most definitely not eating enough at that time. And then, he's in the league, where he definitely gets enough food, Talia isn't gonna starve that kid. So, through his childhood and teenagehood,Jason goes through several periods of long starvation. Though I don't know the intricacies of critical periods and chronotopic constraints in physical growth, the probability of him not receiving food during some of these periods is very high imo. And then of course there's the fact that not only does he go through intense stress/trauma/adverse childhood experiences for most of his childhood and teenagehood, which as you pointed out also stunts growth, but since he's still a teenager/growing in Lost Days and UTH and considering his mental state in these stories, this could also effect his growth. And also, even if Jason would have caught up eventually, catching up on growth takes time!

So those are all the arguments that lead me to conclude: while it's technically possible for Jason to have been this big in UTH without the Pit influence, I don't find it very probable. And also of course a question of taste: they could have made Jason tiny in UTH, and they didn't. Cowards.

[sunshine-theseus]

Cyclones | Christine Sinclair x Reader

Words: 3k

Summary: cyclones and cancelled flights eventually lead to good things.

Warnings: natural disaster?, fake injury. Let me know if I missed anything

“Are you sure you’re okay?” the voice crackles through my phone speaker, the shotty connection barely giving me time to talk to my best friend.

“I have my candles and torches, the tub and my water bottles are full, everything is inside or tied down. The only devasting loss so far is my leftover curry I had to throw out.” The torrential rain hasn’t let up since it arrived last night, but it isn’t helping the sweltering heat that will only worsen with no power. The second of which I fear I may lose any moment.

“This isn’t my first rodeo Chris, I’ll be okay.”

“But what if this is the one time you aren’t? I can’t spend my retirement vacation without my best friend. I’ll end up mourning you instead.”

“Why the fuck would y-” my phone dies and everything else in my house goes with it. I didn’t realise I had such little charge, but the newly found lack of airflow through my house is my number one issue.

A cyclone hasn’t hit my little coastal town in years, but the universe has conveniently chosen the day I’m supposed to fly out to join Christine, to hit. The Australian heat is wasting no time and as the rain carries on, I lay down on the tiles to find relief. I originally planned to turn my generator on, but eventually decide to keep everything off, it’s been a while since I’ve properly disconnected.

I gather books I’m yet to read, candles and snacks from the cupboard and sit down at my desk. I’m an hour into reading The Iliad when my cat jumps up and starts meowing and pawing at the pictures that are carefully placed on or around my desk. The main focus seems to be the two polaroid images in the same frame, of Christine and I from when we first played each other at the 2003 world cup, and from her retirement match a month ago.

We’d never met before 2003, but both sported the number 12 and thought a jersey swap would be cool. We became close friends rather quickly but only played each other at big tournaments until we both signed for the Portland Thorns in 2013.

I think that’s when I first knew I had a crush on her, but 10 years into a friendship is a rather odd time to confess to your best friend you like them, so I never mentioned it. We’ve both dated multiple people since then, but nothing ever sticks.

Then, 4 years ago, I retired after one too many ACL injuries. At 34 it was probably time for me anyway, and I always knew I’d never play for as long as Christine. After my official retirement, I moved back to Cairns, now a professional sports psychologist. I love being home, but it was missing something, or someone. Within the first month I put up every memento, gift or picture I had that reminds me of Chris, who Scout has also grown to love.

“I miss her too buddy. Maybe she should come visit us so she can see you huh?” I scratch her chin as she leans into my hand affectionately.

I spend the rest of the day and the next, reading and playing around on my violin. The doors and window are all shut to keep the rain from flying in but I’m so desperate to open them to feel some sort of relief from the sauna I’ve created.

It’s around 4pm on the 3rd day that the rain slows, and another few hours until fans begin to spin again and lights flicker on. I scramble for my aircon remote before rushing to plug in my phone, desperate to speak to someone other than my cat.

It takes a few minutes, the battery slowly whirring to life, but I can’t even swipe to put in my password before a rather excessive amount of notification begin to make their way through. There are messages from friends and family asking if I’m safe, others are simple social media notifications, but the majority seem to be made up by a certain, newly retired striker.

13 missed calls

58 messages

I can’t suppress the smile that slides onto my face and the red tint that warms my cheeks as I think about how worried she was. That’s what friends do right? Worry when you might get eaten up by a natural disaster.

And I quickly figure I should call her and let her know I have power again and am in fact not dead. And I do just that.

“YOU’RE OKAY. YOU’RE BACK.” I move the phone aware from my ear as she screams down the line, but I laugh none the less.

“I’m alive, nothing is damaged, the rain has stopped, everything is back in business.”

“I can’t wait to see you. Get your ass on the next plane I swear.”

“I don’t think there’ll be a plane on a route to Canada for at least a few days. The world hates us Sincy.” A groan I’ve grown familiar with sounds over the speaker, and I can picture her falling back dramatically in her chair.

“I promise as soon as I can I’ll be on that flight out of here. Scout will be chilling with my neighbours, and we’ll be chilling on the beach with some gin.”

“Good. First flight out, I expect you on it.”

~~~~~

The first flight route heading to Vancouver turns out to be 4 days after the cyclone passed. So far two of those days have gone and I’m trying to fill my time, Christine seemed to drop off everyone’s radar and that left me with very little to do.

I’m loading up The Sims 4 for the first time in months when a knock rattles against my door. While confused, not expecting anyone or anything, I sneak toward the door, peaking my head around the wall to get a glance of who it could be. That’s when I see a very familiar face, looking around in a stupor.

“Christine?” I stand in the doorway looking quite the mess with a dumbfound look on my face. My hair in a knotty bun, glasses resting crookedly on my nose, shirt 3 sizes too big (perhaps one of Christine’s I stole a few visits ago) and bike shorts. Anything more and I’d be dying from the heat.

“Surprise! No flights were leaving for a while but some were coming in, so I thought why not go to the ultimate vacation destination.” Despite what would be nearly a full 24-hours of travel, she looks rather adorable. Her own hoodie must be a few sizes bigger and her curls rest over her shoulders, a rare sight. Her headphones rest around her neck and her bags are almost toppling over behind her.

I shake off my surprise and start running, jumping into her arms and nearly tackle her to the ground.

“I can’t believe you’re here! What the fuck, oh my god, holy shit. There’s so much to show you, very little to do. I don’t have a spare room. I’ll sleep on the couch, take my room. Oh, let’s get your bags in, you’re probably exhausted.” I squeeze between her and the lattice work that makes the short hallway outside my door and grab her rather large duffle bag and suitcase.

I take them to my bedroom, which thankfully had been tidied up recently, and tuck them neatly in the corner. Her footsteps signal that she’s following me and I quickly wipe my sweaty palms on my shirt before turning toward her.

“It gets super hot so the aircon remote is on the bedside table, or you can open the window, but Scout likes to jump out of it sometimes. Speaking of, she’s here somewhere, you’ll hear her before you see her. Also free-range of like the kitchen and stuff. There’s an ensui-” Christine cuts my rambling off with a tap to the back of my knee with her foot. Said knee buckles and I fall forward, into her arms.

“What the fuck Sincy?”

“You’re rambling.”

“Sorry. It’s just the first time you’ve been here. In my house. In my hometown. Ever.”

“And I’m excited. I’m sorry for springing it on you, I don’t actually have to stay here I can get a hotel.”

“No! No I want you to stay here. It’s just I’m usually the one making the trip, I’m not a very good host.”

“You’ll be fine. I’m down for anything and everything. After a very long nap.”

~~~~~

I waited until a reasonable hour to wake Christine up the next day.

“What the fuck is this? Do you put tar on your toast?”

“You’re telling me, all the times you’ve visited Australia, even during the world cup, you’ve never tried Vegemite? Christine… come on.” I push the plate toward her.

“No. You can’t make me eat that.” She pushes it away.

“Please, just one bite. You’re staying with me you gotta try stuff. You’re on vacation, you’re trying new things.”

“If you even try to bring a shoe with beer near me, I’m hopping on the next flight out.”

“I promise a shoey is completely off limits. That shit is nasty. But I’m going to take you to a cricket game and snorkelling on the reef, and Harley’s Crocodile Farm. The point is I have a list. Now try the ‘mite Chris.” The plate slides back toward her and she hesitantly takes a bite. A pleasantly surprised look flashes across her face.

“I’ll give you the point. This is good.”

“Oh! Mary, Mary Fowler that is, is back  for Christmas. Do you want to have a beach day with her and her family? Play beach cricket and soccer?”

“For sure.”

“Oh make sure to have thongs. Your feet will thank me.”

“If you said that sentence to me 20 years ago, I possibly would have slapped you.” I giggle but make my way to grab togs and pack a beach bag.

When we arrive, the promised burning sand is what greets us, rather than the young Australian who I’ve grown somewhat close with. The sun beams down, in great comparison to the previous week, and I make sure to push more sunscreen into Christine’s hands.

“Dude how do you survive here.” A bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face and I just smile, slip my thongs off and lead the way to try and find the Fowlers.

When we do eventually find them, Christine is desperate to slip into the water, and I set up our towels beside Mary, who watches over her own family’s things as she soaks up the sun.

“In all my years of knowing you, and that is almost all my life, you’ve never been this happy. And you won’t even admit your feelings to the person who makes you this happy. You giggled when you called telling me she surprised you. Giggled Y/n.”

“I- I don’t know what to do Maz. I know I like her; I have for years. I just always figured it’d go away once I moved after retiring and seeing her significantly less but if anything, it’s worse.” I flop back against the towel covered sand and Mary joins me, resting a hand on my arm.

“Maybe you should just confess. I can’t say I know she likes you back, but the chances are high.” I glance toward the water and let a soft smile grace my lips as I watch Christine play with Louise and Ciara. Maybe confessing wouldn’t be such a terrible idea.

~~~~~

A few hours later, the sun is lower in the sky and the water laps at my feet as I retrieve the soccer ball. I throw it back into play and run along the sand. The ball ends up at my feet and I begin the run back to my team’s goal, I’m about to make a pass to Caoimhin when Christine makes a tackle and takes my feet out from underneath me.

I let out a scream and clutch my knee. The sand sticks to my skin as I writhe in pain, and I feel a hand gently touch my shoulder.

“Fuck fuck fuck it hurts.”

“Holy shit I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make a tackle. Oh god we need to call the ambulance.” Christine rolls me onto my back, and I scrunch my eyes in pain. She stands up to grab her phone when I stick my leg out and trip her, making her fall beside me.

“What the fuck!?.” I start to giggle as I watch Christine’s face morph from fear to shock.

“You little shit! You faked it?”

“Uhh yeah, you were playing dirty Sinclair.” I poke her in the side as I stand and offer her a hand. As she stands back up, I remember how much she towers over me and blush.

Not long after, Mary and her family head back home, and before the sun begins to set, I get some fish and chips for Chris and me to share. As I sit back on the sand, the sun begins dipping below the horizon, casting pinks and oranges across the sky. The light shines on Chris and for a moment I forget I’m staring. Her blue eyes are clouded by the golden hues but still as beautiful as they have always been. Her hair is wet from the salty water, curling as it dries.

I only stop when she bumps her shoulder against mine, holding a chip toward me expectantly.

“You’re staring.”

“Sorry.” The now familiar heat spreads over my cheeks as I tuck my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on them.

“What’s running through that pretty little head of yours?” I take a moment to contemplate if I should tell her the truth.

“I… I’ve just missed playing, especially with you. I haven’t felt anything close to how I felt on the pitch, and I was forced out because of a stupid ACL injury. It’s been so long.” She wraps an arm around me and pulls me into her side. My head falls to her shoulder and her’s falls on top of mine.

“You deserved a better ending.” We both reach for the chips, hands grazing against each other. I drop the chip and rest my hand on my lap, palm facing upward. Christine’s fingers trace the lines on my palm before slipping her fingers between mine and interlocking our hands.

Nothing is said as we watch the sun rest behind the water. The sound of waves crashing on the sand nearly lulls me to sleep but Christine slowly slips from beside me and stands up. I follow suit, grabbing the fish and chips and heading to the car.

“I’d say this was a rather successful first day. Wouldn’t you?” I ask as I sit on the edge of the bed, drying off my freshly washed hair.

It’s silent for a moment and I turn to look at the Canadian.

“Chris?” her vacant stare refocuses, and she smiles.

“Absolutely.” I smile back and stand up, about to head out to go to sleep.

“Wait.” I stop at the door and wait for her to continue.

“Do you want to sleep here? I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want. Or we can put like pillows between us or something. Or-” I run and jump onto the bed, rolling onto my side to face Christine.

“Thank you for coming. I’m excited to show you everything I love. Today is only one of many.”

“I’d do anything for you. And I was thinking… what if I made this stay a little more… permanent? Well not permanent maybe just extended. Or permanent if you want. Or neither at all.”

“Yes! Yes, yes absolutely 100% I want that definitely. Please stay.” I only now notice how close together we are. I can feel her breath against my cheek, her leg brushing against my own.

Her fingers brush against my forehead and cheek as she moves a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I inch closer, eyes flickering between her own eyes and her lips.

“Are you going to kiss me or do I have to kiss you.” Her lips ghost mine as she jokes, but I don’t allow myself to overthink it as I close the gap between us.

Her lips are as soft as expected, and sweet. I can feel her smile as she kisses me back and I wind an arm around her waist.

“I’ve wanted to do that for 10 years.” I whisper.

“Do not tell me I wasted 10 years of my life thinking you didn’t like me back.” I let out a rather pathetic laugh and my head falls forward, forehead resting against Christine’s.

“Well now is as good a time as any to make up for all the lost time.”

~~~~~

Our hands swing between us as I lead her down the esplanade. The bright rainbow lights of the ferris wheel that never left, reflect off every surface as we approach. The carriages lurch to a stop and we’re ushered on by the teenager at the counter.

“This is possibly the cheesiest thing you’ve done. If we stop at the top, I will start laughing.”

“No! Stop, it’s going to be cute, okay? And a little cliché.” I knock my foot against her’s as we stare out the window, looking out across the water and the mountains, in awe of the stars that twinkle above us.

As predicted, we come to a stop right at the top, and I smile as Christine starts laughing.

“I’d do anything to make you smile, including cheesy ass shit like this.” I slide across to her and she pulls me into her side.

“I love you.” I kiss each of her cheeks before kissing her lips.

“I’ll love you forever.”

“Is it odd I’m glad you retired? I just don’t know if this would have happened if you did.” She smiles and kisses me on the forehead, and we continue to watch the landscape as we make the decent.

@Y/N_Y/L

@Y/N_Y/L I will love you until the end of time. 20 years of knowing you, 1 year of getting to let you know I love you. Chris, you’ll always be my number 1 @c_sinc12.

[bonkposting]

The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Linux Workstations, a fantastic video on productive computing by No Boilerplate.

Creatives, gamers, and casual computer users alike: take a peek!

Full transcript available on GitHub.

Cute anecdote time: I switched my (somewhat tech savvy) 70-year-old grandparents over to Ubuntu Linux after the battery in their Windows 10 laptop died on them.

It’s been two years since the switch. I have received zero calls from them about software updates, strange behavior, or frustrating driver issues. They love it!

It took less than 45 minutes to back up their data, install Ubuntu on a new machine, and restore their files and applications. Add another 15 minutes of teaching them how to access settings and update software and… it’s done!

I believe most people could benefit from switching to Linux in noticeable, appreciable ways on a daily basis—not just in terms of performance, but productivity, ease of use, and peace of mind.

Gotta love free software!

[kde-plasma-official]

Guys, my workplace gifted me a macbook pro (the one I formerly forced @ubuntu-official on) and now that she's really mine forever and I don't mind any data loss, please give me some ideas on what I can do to her :3

Stats down below:

Stats: Macbook Pro 13,3 | A1707 | 2016 info_dump.txt (Pastebin) - contains all hardware info 12.7.6 Monterey. No app store, no xcode, no support from Apple.

Ubuntu barely boots, Kubuntu even less, and even then most of the time the display blacks out right away after boot or after just ONE ACTION. The system "techinically works" as there are things on the screen, but THERE IS NO SCREEN for me to see. Display dies.

I kinda wanna do things to work. Play some games with someone and have a little tinker station when I'm on the go

Poor thing is beaten and hurt, her battery is moody and her touch bar numb. One port is broken and Linux kills her wifi and ability to speak. (There is a patch to enable sound but it either that or the broken network driver made the display issue worse somehow??? Windows works up to Windows 10(needs boot camp drivers and at that point I could just use Boot Camp and debloat afterwards))

Oh yeah, and liquid damage :/

[sngl-led-auto-lights]

Why would the headlights of your car remain on after the ignition is switched off?

If your car’s headlights remain on after switching off the ignition, it could be due to several factors. Here’s a breakdown of common causes and solutions:

1. Manual Headlight Switch Left "On" • Cause: If the headlight control is set to "On" (not "Auto"), lights may stay on even when the car is off.

• Fix: Turn the switch to "Off" or "Auto." Many modern cars (e.g., Toyota, Honda) have automatic headlights that shut off with the ignition.

2. Delayed Shut-Off (Follow-Me-Home Lights) • Cause: Some cars (e.g., GM, Ford) have a "lighting delay" feature that keeps headlights on for 30–60 seconds after locking the car.

• Fix: Disable this feature via the infotainment settings (e.g., Settings → Lighting → Exit Delay).

3. Faulty Light Sensor (Automatic Headlights) • Cause: A malfunctioning ambient light sensor (e.g., dirty, damaged) may fail to detect darkness and keep lights on.

• Fix: Clean the sensor (usually on the dashboard) or have it recalibrated.

4. Stuck Relay or Wiring Short • Cause: A stuck relay or corroded wiring can keep the headlight circuit energized.

• Test: Swap the headlight relay with another identical one (e.g., horn relay) to see if the issue persists.

• Fix: Replace the relay (cost: $10–$30) or repair damaged wiring.

5. Ignition Switch Failure • Cause: A worn ignition switch may not send a "power off" signal to the headlight circuit.

• Clue: Other systems (radio, power windows) also stay active when the key is removed.

• Fix: Replace the ignition switch (cost: $150–$400).

6. Aftermarket Modifications • Cause: Poorly installed LED kits, alarms, or wiring harnesses can backfeed power to the headlights.

• Example: A miswired trailer hitch or dashcam might keep the circuit live.

• Fix: Inspect aftermarket components and consult an auto electrician.

7. Battery Saver Mode • Cause: Some cars (e.g., Ford, Hyundai) keep lights on temporarily if the battery is critically low.

• Fix: Charge or replace the battery.

8. Software Glitch • Cause: A bug in the Body Control Module (BCM) or firmware can disrupt lighting logic.

• Fix: Update the vehicle’s software at a dealership (e.g., Tesla, BMW).

Troubleshooting Steps

Check the headlight switch position.

Lock the car (many systems shut off lights upon locking).

Disconnect the battery temporarily to reset the system.

Scan for error codes with an OBD2 scanner (look for BCM codes like U0231).

Critical Risks

Dead Battery: Headlights left on overnight can drain the battery (e.g., 55W halogens draw ~5A/hour).

Legal Issues: Some states (e.g., California) prohibit leaving headlights on in parked vehicles.

When to Visit a Mechanic If basic fixes fail, suspect:

Faulty BCM ($500–$1,200 to replace).

Parasitic Drain (use a multimeter to test for >50mA draw after shutdown).

Let me know your car’s make/model for tailored advice! 🚗💡

[birdylion]

Looks like my 12 year old laptop computer is finally saying goodbye :(

The internal microphone has been broken for a long time, as has the wifi adapter (although that might be an OS issue since it 'broke' when I switches to linux because the new windows version was getting too heavy for my poor old computer, and also I was fed up with being forced to upgrade), one of the usb jacks has a loose contact, and the battery doesn't last longer than a single digit number of minutes.

Then lots of booting errors in the last few weeks, and now the LAN cable jack has stopped working.

Maybe I need to get used to the idea of replacing it... At least even if I buy the cheapest refurbished computers I can find, they're still going to have two times more RAM and processing power than what I have now, for half the price of what the notebook cost back then. It might be neat to have access to a windows computer too again, as wine never worked well for me. But then I'd surely miss linux. I like linux. Maybe I'll partition the hard drive?

I'm kind of amazed my laptop even made it that long. It does still work for stuff like writing, listening to my music, and it connects well to my printer via usb, so maybe I'll keep it around for this kind of stuff. But I do want a computer with which I can access the internet.

(My current backup computer is an even older tower pc with a minimal linux on it that I got for literally 10 € when my former institute at the uni threw their away their PCs because they were too slow for windows 7. So ... I can open 1 program at a time on that pc, and 1 website.)

[riverkvgd581]

No Time? No Money? No Problem! How You Can Get Flood Cleaning Services With A Zero-dollar Budget

Steps to Take For Hurricane Preparation in Wilmington NC-Hurricane Preparation for Wilmington, NC: Steps to Minimize Damage and Ensure Safety. Wilmington, located on the coast of North Carolina's southeast, is no stranger to hurricanes. These powerful storms bring strong winds, heavy rain, and potential destruction. As a resident or business owner in this historic port city, it's crucial to take proactive measures when hurricane season approaches. The following essay will outline the steps you need to take in order to minimize damage and ensure safety before a hurricane hits.

10 Best Facebook Pages Of All Time About Damage Restoration Service

Firstly, understanding the risks associated with hurricanes is vital. In Wilmington, storm surges and flooding are common threats due to its coastal location. It is important to know whether your home is located in an evacuation area and where higher ground may be found.

Second step: Create an emergency plan. This plan should include various scenarios, such as evacuation routes and meeting places for family members if you become separated. Make sure that all family members understand the plan and what they should do during a storm.

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Thirdly, an emergency kit can be crucial for survival in the aftermath of a storm when resources are not readily available. Your kit should contain non-perishable foods, water (at minimum one gallon of water per person per day), medications with extra batteries, personal hygiene products, first aid supplies, copies important documents in waterproof containers and cash, since water damage company wilmington nc ATMs might not work during power failures.

Next on the list is securing your property. This includes trimming trees that may fall on your home or power lines, installing storm shutters or board up windows, securing loose objects outside such as patio furniture that could become projectiles, reinforcing garage door and ensuring proper drainage to reduce flood risks.

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Insurance checks are equally important. You can avoid financial ruin by reviewing your homeowner's policy to ensure that you have adequate coverage for wind and flood damage.

Communication plans are also necessary, as normal means of communication may not work during severe weather conditions. Install emergency alert apps on your smartphones or radios powered by batteries so you can keep track of the storm's progress.

If authorities order an evacuation of Wilmington or the surrounding area due to a hurricane, don't hesitate to leave immediately. Follow the planned route and avoid flooded roads at any cost! Remember that you can replace your belongings but not your life.

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For those who decide or need to shelter in place because they are not in immediate danger areas - prepare your home by filling bathtubs with fresh water for flushing toilets if necessary; turning refrigerators/freezers settings down to their coldest setting prior so food lasts longer during potential power outages; unplugging electrical equipment susceptible surge damages; securing exterior doors using deadbolt locks or wooden dowels sliding tracks sliding glass doors etc. ; moving valuables upper floors case flooding becomes an issue within home itself among other precautions specific each individual situation/location within Wilmington area affected by Hurricane warnings/advisories issued local state federal authorities accordingly time manner given circumstances hand respectively overall general welfare everyone involved therein thereafter henceforth forthwith hereupon thereupon thusly hereby herewith thereby wherefore whereas ergo therefore consequently pursuant thereto whence wherewithal hitherto hereafter hereinafter aforementioned premises considered...

After the storm, recovery efforts begin. Check with neighbors to see if they need help cleaning up debris or salvaging what is left. Contact insurance companies and start the claims process. The community as a whole draws closer together. Every dark cloud has a silver lining. Indeed, perseverance and resilience are hallmarks of human spirit.

In conclusion preparing hurricanes well advance goes long way towards keeping oneself loved ones property secure face natural disasters like those frequently experienced along Atlantic seaboard specifically beautiful yet occasionally beleaguered region surrounding historical cultural gem otherwise known Queen City sea herself Wilmington NC Godspeed good luck god bless!

[nieded]

Where is your hot take on Vegas and the manhole cover I need to know.

Hoo boy! Okay, so I'm going to put this all behind a cut for spoilers sake, but I have a lot of feelings about the Las Vegas GP.

Cons:

Let's talk about the fucking manhole cover. This isn't the first street race Formula 1 has ever done. I don't understand how such an oversight happened. Actually, no, I do know. They were so focused on milking Las Vegas for money that they didn't actually pay attention to the details on the track. Not only did they not secure the manhole covers, they also didn't anticipate that it would be cold in Las Vegas at midnight. They went from passing out from heat exhaustion in Qatar to worrying about needing hand warmers in their gloves and wondering if their tires would come up to temperature during qualifying in Las Vegas. Mind blowing. Imagine being the president of the FIA from Saudi Arabia which is mostly desert and not knowing that it would be cold if you decided to run qualifying at midnight. What was the issue with the drains anyway? F1 cars are designed to create downforce through aerodynamics which basically helps the car stay on the ground and not go flying when they take these corners. Las Vegas is made up of slow speed corners, but 'slow speeds' is relative. They are still going insanely fast. Most of the cars ran really low downforce so they could maximize speed down the Strip, but they still produce a ton. This creates sort of like a suction between the chassis of the car and the ground. The vacuum between the bottom of the car and the tarmac was so powerful that it ripped the drain out of the road and right into the bottom of Sainz's car. This was 100% preventable. After two instances with Ocon and Sainz's car, they had to repair 140 drains which took 5 hours! Insane. AND THEN they gave Sainz a 10 place grid penalty because he need to replace his battery outside of his allotted amount for the season after it got damaged by the drain cover. The stewards claimed that because there was no rule anticipating this issue, they were not allowed to make exceptions.

But this wasn't the only thing wrong with the Las Vegas GP. Prior to the event, they jacked ticket prices up from 2,000 to 20,000 a ticket. They also blocked out the windows of hotel rooms, casinos, and bridges so people couldn't spectate for free (not that the hotels were inexpensive either). They anticipated a huge turnout and ended up having to drop prices rapidly as the date approached because they didn't sell the way they thought they would. Kudos to the fans, though, because I hear a bunch of fans tore down the barriers and privacy screens. Love it! But imagine paying 10k for a ticket. Then you sit outside at 1:30 in the morning waiting for FP2 to start and get kicked out of the grandstands because of the repairs, and then they don't actually let you watch FP2, you know, that thing you spend thousands of dollars on to see. Formula 1 is being sued by fans, btw. Daniel Ricciardo was the most excited for Las Vegas. He claims he manifested it, and it was so exciting to know that he was going to be able to race (despite being in the draggiest car on the grid and obviously not doing well in the race), and he was pleading with F1 to not treat Las Vegas like an event just for the 1%. I really hope F1 learned something from this experience because it was extremely exclusionary. Some US citizens did the math and found out it was cheaper to fly to Monza than it was to attend Las Vegas.

Another big con was the road surface. Formula 1's calendar runs a lot longer than any other racing series, but on earlier race weekends, multiple events are going on at the same time, like F2, F3, Formula Academy, Moto GP... The road surface is usually prepared before the weekend starts, and then as all the events happen, the cars lay rubber down on the track which increases grip. Las Vegas happened after all the other series were finished, so there weren't any other cars improving the grip of the race track, which in turn made the course extremely slippery. You pair that with the cold temperatures, and it made the track unsafe to drive on. In addition, Hamilton's car spilled oil on the track, and the marshalls did not do a good enough job to clean up the spill, which caused a huge spinout between multiple drivers on Turn 1 of the race, ruining so many drivers' day.

The last con was just the time of day the event took place on, but I don't actually know how they would solve this problem. All the session took place in the middle of the night. Like I said, FP2 was supposed to start at 1:30 AM. Vegas is really the only street course where they couldn't shut down traffic for the whole weekend because the Strip is vital to the economy of the city, but again, it was really cold during all the sessions, and it fucked with the drivers and crews' sleep schedules. Oof. I don't watch the races live, so it didn't really affect me, and it probably benefited everyone in Europe who typically has to get up at 4 in the morning for any other North American event, but it was exhausting for everyone working the race.

BUT THERE WERE SOME PROS! I know I just complained a lot, but Vegas did exceed expectations in some way.

There were a lot of overtaking and the really cold track temperatures did shake things up quite a bit. Ferrari, who has struggled with overheating their tires all year, was able to keep their tires in the right temperature pocket, giving them a big advantage. Despite Red Bull winning again, there was still a big fight that it made it interesting to watch instead of Max sailing 30+ seconds ahead of everyone else. Charles had real potential to win the race until the safety car that gave Red Bull a free pit stop. Qualifying had the weirdest line up as lower performing teams excelled, like Haas. There was also a lot of worry that because the track was so narrow, there wouldn't be a lot of opportunity for overtaking, but there were at least two good spots (including the DRS zone), and we saw way more battles than anticipated.

And well, that's really the only pro. It's a big pro, though, and gives me hope for future Las Vegas GPs. It has the potential to be an excellent race, an excellent weekend, and an excellent fan experience if they can fix the very large and preventable issues from this weekend.