#Disaster Report 4 Plus

[glowettee]

✧・゜: how i organize my google drive for maximum efficiency :・゜✧:・゜✧

hey lovelies! ✨

i use google drive to organize mostly everything, and the truth is, my google drive used to be an absolute disaster zone, we're talking hundreds of "untitled document" files and random screenshots saved who knows when. but after one particularly stressful finals week where i lost a paper for three hours, i completely overhauled my system. here's exactly how i organize everything now!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the folder structure that changed everything ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

first things first, i use a simple top-level organization system:

📁 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴: all school-related files

📁 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭: journals, goal tracking, finances, etc.

📁 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦: blog drafts, design projects, photos

📁 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦: completed classes and old projects

📁 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: templates, reference materials, guides

the key is keeping your top level super simple, i used to have 20+ folders here and it was overwhelming! now i can find anything within seconds because i know exactly which category it falls under.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my academic folder system ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

this is the most detailed section of my drive! inside my academics folder:

📁 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳

📁 class 1

📁 class 2

📁 class 3

📁 class 4

📄 semester schedule

📄 assignment tracker

inside each class folder:

📁 notes

📁 assignments

📁 readings

📁 projects

📄 syllabus

i color-code each class folder to match my physical notebooks and planner tabs, this visual consistency helps my brain switch between subjects more easily!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ file naming conventions that save me ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the absolute game-changer was developing a consistent naming system:

for class notes: DATE_CLASS_TOPIC example: 06.10_psych101_memory_systems

for assignments: CLASS_ASSIGNMENT_STATUS example: econ202_midterm_essay_final

for group projects: CLASS_PROJECT_MYPART_VERSION example: marketing300_campaign_research_v2

this might seem excessive, but it means i never have to open files to figure out what they are! plus, sorting by name automatically puts everything in chronological order.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my favorite google drive hacks ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

these little tricks make everything run even smoother:

𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: i star current project files so they always appear at the top of my drive

𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨: right-click folders to give them colors that match your physical organization system

𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺: i keep a "templates" folder with pre-formatted docs for essays, lab reports, notes, etc.

𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴: i set important folders to be available offline (has saved me during wifi emergencies!)

𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴: using "type:pdf" or "after:2023-09-01" in the search bar to filter results

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ maintenance routines ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

even the best system falls apart without regular maintenance! here's my schedule:

𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘱 (15 min): every friday afternoon, i sort any stray files into their proper folders and rename anything with default names

𝘮𝘪𝘥-𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘵 (30 min): halfway through each semester, i check that everything is where it should be and create any new folders needed

𝘦𝘯𝘥-𝘰𝘧-𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 (1 hour): i move completed classes to my archive folder and set up the next semester's structure

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ sharing & collaboration settings ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

as someone who works on lots of group projects, getting these settings right is crucial:

𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴: i create specific shared folders for each group project rather than sharing individual files

𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴: i'm careful about giving "edit" vs "comment" access depending on the project

𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: i always disable "anyone with the link can edit" to avoid accidental changes

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my best google drive tips ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

create a "quick access" document with links to your most-used files

use google drive's "workspaces" feature to group project files temporarily

download the desktop app to easily drag and drop files

set up automatic google photos backup for screenshots and images

use keyboard shortcuts (shift + n for new folder is my favorite!)

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ final thoughts ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

remember that the perfect organization system is one that works for your brain! mine has evolved over years of trial and error, and i still tweak it each semester. the key is consistency, whatever system you choose, stick with it long enough to make it habit.

xoxo, mindy 🤍

[notwiselybuttoowell]

Climate whiplash is already hitting major cities around the world, bringing deadly swings between extreme wet and dry weather as the climate crisis intensifies, a report has revealed.

Dozens more cities, including Lucknow, Madrid and Riyadh have suffered a climate “flip” in the last 20 years, switching from dry to wet extremes, or vice versa. The report analysed the 100 most populous cities, plus 12 selected ones, and found that 95% of them showed a distinct trend towards wetter or drier weather.

The changing climate of cities can hit citizens with worsened floods and droughts, destroy access to clean water, sanitation and food, displace communities and spread disease. Cities where the water infrastructure is already poor, such as Karachi and Khartoum, suffer the most.

Cities across the world are affected but the data shows some regional trends, with drying hitting Europe, the already-parched Arabian peninsula and much of the US, while cities in south and south-east Asia are experiencing bigger downpours.

The analysis illustrates the climate chaos being brought to urban areas by human-caused global heating. Too little or too much water is the cause of 90% of climate disasters. More than 4.4 billion people live in cities and the climate crisis was already known to be supercharging individual extreme weather disasters across the planet.

Rising temperatures, driven by fossil fuel pollution, can exacerbate both floods and droughts because warmer air can take up more water vapour. This means the air can suck more water from the ground during hot, dry periods but also release more intense downpours when the rains come.

“Our study shows that climate change is dramatically different around the world,” said Prof Katerina Michaelides, at the University of Bristol, UK. Her co-author, Prof Michael Singer at Cardiff University, described the pattern as “global weirding”.

“Most places we looked at are changing in some way, but in ways that are not always predictable,” Singer said. “And given that we’re looking at the world’s largest cities, there are really significant numbers of people involved.”

Coping with climate whiplash and flips in cities is extremely hard, said Michaelides. Many cities already face water supply, sewage and flood protection problems as their populations rapidly swell. But global heating supercharges this, with the often ageing infrastructure in rich nations designed for a climate that no longer exists, and more climate extremes making the establishment of much-needed infrastructure even harder in low income nations.

The researchers have worked in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the cities suffering climate whiplash. “People were struggling with no water, failed crops, dead livestock, with drought really impacting their livelihoods and lives for multiple years,” Michaelides said. “Then the next thing that happens is too much rain, and everything’s flooded, they lose more livestock, the city infrastructure gets overwhelmed, water gets contaminated, and then people get sick.”

Sol Oyuela, executive director at NGO WaterAid, which commissioned the analysis, said: “The threat of a global ‘day zero’ looms large – what happens when the 4 billion people already facing water scarcity reach that breaking point, and the food, health, energy, nature, economies, and security that depend on water are pushed to the brink?”

[lumi-nescentt]

Rumor Has It

Part 1 - Someone Like You

Pairing: Jenson Button x Reader / Mark Webber x Reader

Warnings: none

Words: 3.4k

Summary: Catching the attention of an F1 driver is already rare but catching the attention of two very close friends in the paddock can only be a recipe for disaster. Especially when they're both devilishly handsome and have their mind set on winning your affections.

A/N: This was supposed to be a oneshot but I got carried away so it's now a four parter

Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Mark and Jenson were close friends, that was a fact. The two drivers were always joking with each other. Despite their competitiveness on track, they always knew that leaving any argument they had on track was the wisest decision. 

It was almost an unspoken rule that any disagreement was to be left to deal with on track and for years they never argued about anything because they knew better. Plus, they never had something to argue over that required more than what racing solved. That was until you came along, you and your bright smile that made Jenson stutter for the first time when giving an interview. Mark was just as affected as his British friend but he chose not to show it  to you initially. 

Jenson had been on his way to tell Mark about this gorgeous and funny reporter that he had immediately been attracted to but before he could say anything, the Australian was already talking about you. All Jenson could do was nod and laugh as Mark described how beautiful you were and how you had smiled so brightly at him while asking him questions.

Part of him wanted to shut Mark up, to tell him that you had also smiled at him and that he wasn’t special but that meant admitting that he was just as ordinary as the Australian and Jenson hoped the spark between you hadn’t been one sided. 

For months the two men tried to get your attention, each with their own method but the same motivation behind it. Mark always spent as much time as possible with you in the media pen, sticking around until you were done to have a quick discussion until he was forced to join his team briefing. The usually quite grumpy Australian seemed to soften around you, smiling softly and always finding something interesting to say to you even when he DNFed. He was really trying to show his softer side in hopes that you’d like him back someday.

Where Mark was putting his hopes of getting with you on a subtler approach, Jenson was the complete opposite. The Brit was trying every trick in the book to get you to notice him, shamelessly flirting with you on or off camera. His smug smile never left his face whenever he knew he had your undivided attention. 

He got high on it, trying to find how to rile you up, how to get you to respond to his taunts. When it worked, the rare times you caved in and teased him back, Jenson beamed with pride.

With how close the two drivers were, they were well aware that they liked you both and that if you ever decided to reciprocate their feelings, one of them would be left behind and forced to let you go. Each of them hoped their antics would work, bragging about how well they knew you and how you would like them back someday.

Neither of them dared to say they’d get you explicitly. First, they didn’t want to jinx it by saying out loud a wish that hadn’t happened yet. Second, they knew better than to be douchebags and they respected you too much to treat you like some prize to be won. No matter how this whole flirting game felt like a competition between them, you weren’t an object to own.

By the end of the 2008 season, you still hadn’t reciprocated any of their feelings but neither of them was ready to give up. For an unknown reason, you had their undivided attention and there was nothing you or they could do about it. 

At first, you had thought they were indeed flirting with you and it felt good to be wanted. It wasn’t everyday that two gorgeous men got out of their way to have your attention. But then when Seb, who you knew had a girlfriend he loved to death, had started to flirt with you too, you started doubting the whole thing. 

Without knowing it, Seb’s need to tease his teammate and his friend had ruined most of their efforts. Jenson was known to be a playboy anyway so it was easy to convince yourself that he was just being his usual charming self and that you had overanalyzed every interaction you had with him. 

Convincing yourself that Mark was just being friendly was harder because the change in personality was evident. Your colleagues relentlessly teased you about your capacity of turning the intimidating Australian into some sort of lovesick puppy.

Even with how hard he was trying, Jenson could tell you were pulled towards Mark by a force bigger than him. Maybe it was the age difference between him and the Australian that pulled you towards his friend. Mark was in his thirties and despite not having changed on track, the Brit could tell his friend was in another stage of his life than him. 

Mark was done with meaningless flings and was looking for something real now. He still liked to party but there was something more serious about him. A steadiness and surety emanated from him. Jenson was well aware that he lacked that in appearance.

He was still enjoying life like there was no tomorrow and despite getting close to thirty, the Brit was still acting as if he was in his early twenties. He just thought life was easier that way. No one expected anything for you if you didn’t give them a reason too and it was the only way Jenson knew to avoid disappointing the people around him. You can’t really fail to meet expectations if the bar is on the floor. 

Maybe that was Jenson’s biggest flaw, his deep-rooted fear of disappointment had made him create this wall around him. This persona of Jenson Button, the ladies’ man, professional playboy, slag of the F1 paddock, he had heard it all and basked in it. Sometimes even using it to his advantage to get what he wanted because he was after all just a man with needs and there was only so long he could resist when presented with a good time.

As both of them kept trying to make you fall for them, the months passed and with that the 2009’s season with it. With how well his career was going, Jenson was putting his everything into whatever bond the two of you shared. He swore he could touch everything he ever wanted at the tip of his fingers: his dream of being a world champion and his dream girl, miraculously in the same place. 

In a moment of euphoria after he won the championship, Jenson had asked you to come to the afterparty to celebrate with him and all the drivers. You had planned to go out to celebrate your well-deserved break anyway so you agreed, thinking he’d be too busy to notice if you ever decided to show up or not. 

Seb was the first one to notice you in the packed club, smiling at you before nudging his teammate who smiled at you fondly, the alcohol letting him show his emotions more freely. You watched as he closed the distance between you, navigating between the mass of drunk people with ease before stopping in front of you with the same drunken smile. 

-“ Hey Mark” 

-“ Nobody told me you’d be coming, if I had known I’d have drank less.” Mark apologised

-“ Why, scared you’ll share your deepest secrets with me ?” 

-“ I have nothing to hide from you, I just want to be sure I remember every moment spent with you.” he smiled fondly 

-“ That’s very sweet but don’t worry about the alcohol, I plan on drinking as well so I’ll catch up with you soon enough.” you laughed 

-“ I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk. I wonder what kind of person you are then…”

-“ What do you think I am ?” 

-“ You don’t strike me as an emotional or loud drunk. I’m hoping you’re either a flirty drunk or a very honest one.” 

-“ Oh yeah ? Why is that ?” you asked, trying not to let a smirk creep on your face

-“ Because then I can ask you if you like me back and either you’ll flirt back or you’ll tell me the truth and I’ll know for sure how you feel about me.” 

-“ So you really like me ?” 

-“ I thought I made it obvious sweetheart but yes, I like you y/n.” Mark said, the pet name rolling off his tongue naturally

-“ Ok ok, just making sure.” 

-“ So you’re not going to tell me if you like me back or not ?” 

-“ I think you’ll have to wait until I’m a little drunk to get that answer, Mark.” you teased him

-“ Then can I go buy you a drink ?”

-“ If you insist, I’ll have a rum and coke please.” you said moving towards the bar to accompany him

-“ Go to the VIP area, I’ll bring the drink to you once you’re sitting down.” Mark smiled, motioning to the corner of the club you had seen him before he made his way to you

You nodded watching as his tall figure disappeared in the sea of people. You could still feel how warm your cheeks were from indulging in his game but you didn’t regret it. You felt good, the season was over and all you wanted to do was relax and enjoy yourself. 

You started to try and navigate the crowd to reach where you were supposed to wait for Mark but before you could make any real progress, a very drunk Jenson arrived right in front of you. 

-“ Y/n ! You really came ?” Jenson happily slurred, pulling you into a hug 

-“ Of course, I did. Congratulations on your win Jenson. It’s well deserved.” you said with your head resting on his shoulder

-“ Thank you, love. I’m really glad you’re here.” he muttered before stepping away from the hug

-“ It’s not like we see each other at every race, you know ?” you teased him

-“ It’s not the same. I can’t really be the way I want with you because of work…”

-“ And what way is that, Mister World Champion ?”

-“ I can’t ask you out properly at work, this is the first time I did.” 

-“ You were asking me out ?” 

-“ Of course I was. You’re gorgeous, funny, incredibly intelligent and you drive me up the wall. What’s there not to like ?”

-“ Jenson. You flirt with everyone, how am I supposed to believe you really like me ?” you deadpanned 

-“ I don’t flirt with anyone like I flirt with you, love. I don’t want to be with anyone like I want to be with you. I thought I had made it pretty obvious but I’ll do better”

-“ What do you mea–” you try to answer

Before you could finish your sentence, Jenson cupped your face with his hands and crashed his lips on yours. Taken aback at first, you stayed frozen not expecting the kiss. Once you fully realised what was happening, your lips moved on their own, returning it. 

Jenson’s lip tasted like champagne and what could only be described as pure victory. You could feel him smile when he felt your hand sneaking on the back of his neck. The kiss was tame at first until Jenson playfully bit your lower lip, giving him access to your mouth. From there the kiss turned heated and it was a clash of teeth and tongue. Jenson’s hands snuck around your waist, pulling you flush against him. 

When you finally separated from each other to breathe, Jenson looked like he had won the greatest prize of all. You tried to keep staring at him but his hungry eyes made you blush and you looked elsewhere, bringing your fingertips to your mouth, still not sure the kiss had really happened. 

When you looked back at him, Jenson seemed like he wanted to say something but it was his turn to get stopped. This time it was by Alonso who wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder before shoving a glass in his hands, unaware of the moment he had just ruined. 

Jenson thanked his Spanish friend before turning his attention back on you but Mark was back next to you. You offered a small smile to the Brit as Mark led you to the VIP corner, his hand proudly resting on the small of your back. All Jenson could do was stare longingly at the pair of you as you slowly disappeared in the crowd, leaving him still troubled by the passionate moment you had just shared. 

Part of him wanted to follow the two of you so that you and Mark weren’t alone but he hoped that the kiss would have been enough to convince you to choose him. He had made his affection clear so now all he could do was wait for you to come to him. Plus, it was his party, it would be a shame not to enjoy himself so he downed the glass Alonso had given him before following the Spaniard on the packed dance floor.

The night kept going and after drinking what Mark bought you, you decided to go dancing a little with Hanna who had joined Seb for the last race of the season. The two of you danced until your feet hurt because of the heels you were both wearing so when the pain became unbearable, you went back to the VIP area to sit down for a bit.

Jenson was still nowhere to be seen so you sat between Mark and Seb while Hanna sat between her boyfriend and Kimi. At first the boys were too deep into their conversations to pay attention to you but soon enough Mark looked at you with a smile, nudging your shoulder with his playfully.

-“ You looked good out there.” 

-“ Did I ? I didn’t realise you were looking at me.” 

-“ I mean you always look good but this dress looks insane on you sweetheart. It’s hard not to stare when you’re looking this pretty. ” Mark winked

-“ You don’t look so bad yourself. Your shirt suits you. It’s nice to see you in something other than your racing suit although fireproofs look crazy good with your body.” you blurted, the alcohol letting you say whatever came to your mind

-“ You’re definitely drunk.” 

-“ What gave it away, Sherlock Holmes ?” 

-“ You never complimented me when you were sober.” 

-“ I did ! I told you you had made a nice move on Seb in Spa.”

-“ Sweetheart, I’m not talking about racing compliments.”

-“ Oh… Well you always look good in whatever you’re wearing so there’s a compliment.”

-“ Do you know what else I’d look good in ?”

-“ Tell me.”

-“ I’ve been told I look pretty good wearing nothing at all.” Mark teased, bringing his face closer to yours

-“ Mark ! There’s people around, don’t tease.” you whisper-shouted as you blushed, his face even closer now

-“ Can I kiss you ?”

As soon as you nodded, Mark’s hand raised your chin and he delicately pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was nothing like the one you had shared with Jenson. For starters, Mark’s lips didn’t really taste of anything other than just Mark. That wasn’t a bad thing, it was just different. Mark was also a lot less aggressive when he kissed. While you and Jenson had been battling each other for dominance in your kiss, Mark was more than happy to slowly and languidly kiss you, following whatever lead you took. 

His other hand was resting on your thigh, rubbing circles absentmindedly with his thumb while yours were tangled in his hair. This didn’t feel like making out. You were just kissing because you wanted to. With Jenson it had felt like you needed to kiss in order for your heart to beat, in order to stay alive. 

With Mark, kissing him felt like being in the eye of the hurricane. You knew everything around was chaos but the kiss gave you a little breathing room. It gave you a temporary shelter to whatever was unfolding around you. 

When you pulled away from the kiss to breathe, Mark’s thumb was stroking your cheek. He pecked your lips before sliding closer to you on the couch you were sitting on. Now that the moment was pretty much over, Seb slapped a hand on Mark’s thighs to congratulate him for finally making a move on you.

-“ He’s been pining for you for so long, it was starting to get a little sad.” Seb joked

-“ It wasn’t sad Seb, shut up. I just know what I want, that's all.” 

-“ Are you going to tell Jense about it or should I break the news to him ?” 

-“ I’ll do it, just not tonight. It’s his night, let’s not ruin it.”

-“ Oh my God ! Jenson !” you muttered, making all the heads snap back towards you

-“ What is it sweetheart ?” 

-“ It’s actually a funny story but hum Jenson, well I did too I suppose so, Jenson and I kissed a few hours ago.” you admitted, scared of how Mark was going to react

-“ Oh, Jenson gets a little touch deprived when he’s drunk. He’d kiss anyone he can..” Mark reassured you

-“ Earlier this year he even tried to kiss me.” Seb remembered with a laugh

-“ So don’t worry about it. Chances are, he won’t even remember it tomorrow. That’s usually what happens when he kisses someone at random without feelings.” Mark affirmed, trying to be convincing enough for you to forget about it

You were too focused on Mark to notice the look exchanged between the two other drivers. Seb looked uncomfortable at the statement and asked Hanna if she wanted to dance, using the excuse to leave. Kimi was glaring at Mark menacingly. It’s not like it was his business or that he cared but even he knew that Jenson’s feelings about you were genuine. So in his book, Mark’s comment wasn’t one of a good friend but a very manipulative one which he didn’t really like so he just stood up and left.

Now left alone again, you and Mark used the opportunity to talk some more, really getting to know one another out of a professional context. Mark was pretty funny and kissing him every once in a while made you feel pretty giddy so your smile never left your face that night. 

When you finally decided to go back to your hotel, Mark insisted on walking you back which you accepted. You had wanted to say goodnight to Jenson but when your eyes fell on the Brit, he was hugging someone with long hair rather closely so you let Mark drag you away toward the exit. 

If only you had stayed a second later, you’d have realised that the person hugging Jenson was none other than Fernando who was trying his best to hold his drunk friend up while Jenson’s body wanted nothing more than to touch the floor and lay there forever. 

Now convinced that Jenson wasn’t serious about you, you invited Mark back into your room without remorse. If Jenson could have fun, so could you. This night turned into regular meetings at your hotel every race until Mark properly took you on a date and asked you out. Since the two of you had fun together and liked each other, you agreed to date him but kept your relationship private.

After his night of partying, Jenson remembered the kiss very clearly and he knew you had been sober so he came to the conclusion you hadn't enjoyed the kiss as much as he had. Or maybe you simply didn’t like him back. With that in mind, Jenson slowed down on the flirting during your interviews, not wanting to make you uncomfortable. 

Little did he know that by doing that, he was just convincing you that he didn’t like you like that and had just acted because of the alcohol. This whole situation just pushed you further into Mark’s arms and when you were finally ready, you made your relationship public. 

Seeing you and Mark kiss for the first time was like a punch in the gut for Jenson. He had known there had been a chance of losing you to Mark but up until then, he was convinced neither of them managed to seduce you. Knowing that he no longer had a chance with you broke his heart but like the good friend he was, the Brit congratulated the both of you and only expressed how happy he was for you. 

He wanted you to be happy more than anything. It was just a shame you had found happiness in Mark’s arms instead of his but he’d live with that as long as the smile on your face stayed there.

[carionto]

"It's perfect" a Human said about a Deathworld

Continuing with this trio

Gieverne exclaimed upon reading the latest report on the atmospheric and soil and vegetation conditions of a new batch of surveyed planets. One particular planet read: 43% oxygen, 56% nitrogen, 0.03 carbon dioxide, and lesser traces of other gasses. Lows of 16 and highs of 33 degrees C at mid-latitudes, plus/minus 4 at the equator/poles.

From pictures taken by a survey drone, it was completely covered in kilometers high verdant green ferns and trees. Even the few oceans, or, more appropriately - land-locked seas, also had a greenish-purple algae coating still half a meter thick furthest from any coastline. Indications of extensive microbial lifeforms, but no traces of any macroscopic creatures.

He quickly rushed to his colleagues, and upon hearing the news, Everie was ecstatic, while Henrietta pondered something:

"It's a good start, but we'll first have to introduce smaller herbivores better suited to digesting such dense plants. I'll call up the girls on the Bountiful Kaleidoscope, I suspect the gliding mammals they're working with would serve as better initial prey animals, and all we introduce will have to be tree climbers and nest builders or the lack of sunlight on the ground will just kill them."

There was a short discussion about the best starting species and locations, when Everie suddenly looked as if he had experience a Eureka:

"What if we cleared a spot from orbit first, see how fast it regrows? If it's slow enough, we'll have more options and the ecosystem could better adapt to their new friends without killing them."

The other two thought for a second, then enthusiastically nodded in agreement. After a few more short discussions and consultations with other relevant groups of scientists and natural disaster response experts, they adjourned, with Gieverne concluding the meeting:

"Then it's decided, I'll file the necessary paperwork, and this station should be on its way to our new orbital home by the end of the month."

[pandemichub]

More hurricane relief

Go Fund Me campaign screenshot.

Image of chlorine gas plume coming from facility in the distance. Photo taken from highway. Cars on road driving by.

Act Now! Gas Mask Fundraiser for Conyers Residents

$3,575 raised of $10,000 goal. 92 donations

We're past 3.5k! Let's keep it going folks! https://t.co/2JP1eY8jX7

pic.twitter.com/Rap7KhOG1D

GoFundMe campaign screenshot

— Jay Byrd 🌈 (@jadafulcher) October 5, 2024

Lots of types of 3,560 N95s & KN95s plus 352 RAT tests headed up to WNC for #HurricaneHelene relief today!

These are needed for both illness and cleanup efforts!

pic.twitter.com/87CY3jIeMD

Open trunk packed to the top with supplies.

— Charlotte Mask Bloc (@CLT_Mask_Bloc) October 5, 2024

Please help us restock since we're running low on Auras!!https://t.co/bWaFH1Sx23

— Charlotte Mask Bloc (@CLT_Mask_Bloc) October 5, 2024

Also a warning, another storm may be brewing!

If you are able to evacuate, please make a plan and get out before the outer rain bands start.

If you are unable to evacuate, please get provisions to shelter in place for days or longer. https://t.co/Ml9km4zDyD

— Sara Anne Willette ♿️🌈👩🏻‍💻𓅆 (@amethystarlight) October 5, 2024

Quoted tweet

Another billion dollar disaster on the way. The time to prepare is now. pic.twitter.com/zt1WrPu6iU

— Ryan Hall, Y’all (@ryanhallyall) October 5, 2024

Just don't turn north and hit Appalachia again. https://t.co/1e270BA7XE

— Sara Anne Willette ♿️🌈👩🏻‍💻𓅆 (@amethystarlight) October 5, 2024

Quoted tweet

NEW: Tropical Storm Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida as a major Category 3 hurricane, NHC says

pic.twitter.com/7TxfOVbiJt

— BNO News (@BNONews) October 5, 2024

⚠️ #Milton is now forecast to become a Category 3 Major Hurricane before striking the west coast of the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday.

pic.twitter.com/Mqu1VwODmO

— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) October 5, 2024

ID: Map, forecast and meteorological data constructed video Hurricane Milton, and the area of Texas, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

ID: NOAA hurricane forecast graphic. Shows Gulf of Mexico and path of hurricane Milton with time and day of week stamps from Sunday to Tuesday (October 8th) just before it makes landfall (Wednesday October 9th).

Officials and reports state this hurricane is a set to be highly destructive and is not survivable. Please seek safety, and help anyone who is struggling to leave, especially without assistance.

Don't forget the disability and disaster hotline!

800-626-4959

[eyeofnewtblog]

So, my dad does a bridge school at the university he teaches at (his is held in January and is a 4 day refresher course for professionals) but honestly, any one young who is interested in civil engineering…making popsicle stick bridges is where it starts.

The number one question is always “how much stupidity/natural disaster can you build against with the budget you’ve been given” and then the construction workers get to the design and go “oh fuck this engineer, he’s never spent a single day on the job site”

One, female engineers are always eager and encouraged early on, but then they run into the Good Old Boys Club. My dad is in the Club, kind of, but he literally married a female engineer back in the 80’s and is pretty upset when women drop out of the major or (like my mom) constantly run into issues where misogyny is a major factor (screaming tantrums out of a 50+ man) in upper management.

Two, construction workers who are handed the materials list and the blueprint are 90% of the time complaining about the fact that while they’re given the most “efficient” design for structural integrity and materials, they’re going to be labor intensive to either maintain, install, or repair.

Take the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle. What fucking engineer decided to put the steering fluid pump line OVER the timing belt? It DOES make the engine more compact. It does. It also requires, as part of regular maintenance, that you UNPLUG a line that is an absolute bitch to reconnect, and should only require maintenance or repair once every two years, to be disconnected JUST so that you can replace a belt that needs to be replaced “as needed” which really just means once a year if you buy the cheapest replacement.

And engineers DO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS. Their job is to weigh costs of maintenance, repair, sustainability.

But the reality is that if they get paid big bucks to come up with “the most efficient design” they’ll also, as part of their licensing, be required to report the drawbacks of said design.

To be fair, some inefficient aspects only pop up after manufacturing the product. But the fact remains that corporations deliberately ignore stated engineering concerns or warnings based on aesthetic, planned obsolescence, etc. That, or manufacturing costs cause corporations to deliberately ignore engineering manufacturing requirements for a design from the very start.

Or! Plus, there really is a more efficient design and the market hasn’t caught on yet! This happens with aftermarket car parts a lot.

I guess long story short, I’m very happy that these girls are getting to test out legit bridge designs and that they have the same experiences my dad gave me and my sisters (every single science experiment issued by a teacher was met with “do you wanna build bridges or test concrete? A shrug is not a choice, here’s a quarter, heads for concrete tails for bridges.”) and while I have absolutely zero interest in building bridges or testing the strength of concrete as a living, I’m really glad that someone is making it an interesting group project for young people. I’m also glad that I was raised by engineers and am capable of thinking logically about structural integrity and cost management.

[houseofbrat]

Is there actually a #Wales Kid Number Four or is that a metaphor for something else? What am I missing here? I don’t understand. Stephen Colbert jokes on live TV that William knocked up her mistress. Is that it? Does Wales kid number 4 have a different mother? And is that what caused Kate’s nervous breakdown? What wrong decision did William make that he can’t admit to?

As I posted a few things on William's past this weekend, let's remember that William a) has a temper, b) has a big ego, and c) is thin-skinned.

William's reputation as being a "good" king-in-waiting solely rests on statements and pr games his mother played thirty years ago during the War of the Waleses. His cult of fans love him because he was hot twenty years ago; although, some still think he's hot now. I'll leave it to you to decide.

Anyhow, cut to September 2022 when William became the heir to the throne, The Duke of Cornwall, and The Prince of Wales. After that, William no longer had to depend on his father to bankroll him and his office. Before September 2022, William's (& Kate's) office reported up to Clarence House, office of the previous Prince of Wales, Charles.

Since then, William has proceeded to fuck plenty of things up, even though his über fans view everything with rose-colored glasses. Let's review some of those fuckups & weird shit:

There was the fuckup at Boston in 2022 when William issued a statement throwing his godmother under the bus when all he had to say was “This is an issue for Buckingham Palace.” Except he didn’t.

No foreign tours since becoming The Prince & Princess of Wales.

There was the bizarre photo op of Andrew being driven to church by William last August (2023), when everyone with a functional, long-term memory knows that William has never kowtowed to his father.

Kate’s stretch of wearing thirteen pantsuits in a row, ‘cause she was all about “the work.” Somehow, she didn’t go on a crusade about wearing pantsuits when she was only The Duchess of Cambridge.

Announcing Kate had “planned abdominal surgery” the day after said planned abdominal surgery. If it was “planned,” then wouldn’t they have said something at least the day of rather than the day after?

The entire pr fuck up of not having Kate photographed leaving The London Clinic after being discharged, which in turn led to more fuckups.

Then there’s the timeline of fuckery that’s happened from Christmas until 09 March 2024 that I collated before The 2024 Mother’s Day Photo Disaster.

William is an emotionally damaged, thin skinned, control freak with a privacy fetish.

Due to his natural, control-freak-plus-privacy-fetish state, he fucked up Kate's whole pr when she left the hospital. The entire controversy regarding "Where is Kate?" would never have even happened had he handled it properly.

All he had to do was allow her to be photographed leaving the hospital. She didn't even have to walk out of the hospital. He could have just driven her out the same way he himself was photographed leaving The London Clinic.

Except he didn't do that.

Because he's an emotionally damaged, thin skinned, control freak with a privacy fetish. Again, his über fans who view everything he does with rose-colored glasses because they're parked up his rectum, will write odes and songs as to how William "protected" Kate's "privacy."

Ah, yes, the same "privacy protecting" moves that have garnered comments like this from the UK press:

“I think the thing we’ve actually seen pretty consistently about Kensington Palace since the Prince of Wales took over as it were, isn’t actually–they aren’t very good at communicating with the public. They had that visit which didn’t go very well. They’re doing whatever’s going on with here. I think clearly there’s a problem.”

“The pr machine that can handle Megxit can surely handle the princess getting surgery, and it has–just as Stephen says–spun out into these wild, wild rumors. Most of which are pretty crazy, ultimately stemming from the fact that something doesn’t feel quite right about this in a story with multiple witnesses and no photos. But, you know, let’s see, maybe, in the next 12 hours some photos do emerge. That would be a fascinating development.”

Note that these two comments recognize the before and after William became the heir to the throne. For some reason, the Kensington Palace press office could handle the shitshow of Megxit in 2020 when they were under the auspices of Clarence House. Except today that is no longer the case.

Because the Kensington Palace of today is the one that helps The Daily Show write their script for the evening.

Because they've become an INTERNATIONAL JOKE!

And it's the current Kensington Palace that picked a fight with the British Army over Kate's picture at The Colonel's Review almost two weeks ago.

Because, again, William is an emotionally damaged, thin skinned, control freak with a privacy fetish.

William is a few fries short of a Happy Meal, one beer short of a six-pack, one egg short of an omlet, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, etc.

And yes, there is unquestionably more crazy shit coming our way after William goes on vacation for several weeks.

Again.

[ao3feed-blakeyang]

RNJR Volume 4

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/u7X29jc by ReaverArklight001 RNJR enters it's 4th Volume and it's Original Starting Point! Remnant Hangs by a Knife's Edge, the Kingdom of Atlas is poised to War with its own Sister City, Whitecliffe over matters of Ideology and Power Struggle. Ozpin has fallen, Beacon has collapsed and Team RNJR has been missing for Two Years. Lost within the SDC occupied Sayuna Valley. Cinder Fall, once a Menace has had seeds of doubt planted deep within her Psyche and must now report that she has failed to Acquire the Vale Relic at a most Critical Time in the War. Blake's Black Fang Rebellion is in full swing in collaboration with Weiss Schnee whom together they waged a Successful but protracted two Year Campaign against the SDC. Finally, The Kingdom of Mistral itself is bordering disaster, with City State Seceding the Failing Kingdom, Haven losing most of it's Fighting force and the Kingdom's very own, Mistral Guard Struggling to pick up the Pace. A desperate Covert Mission must be conducted by Team RNJR, to Pass hundreds of miles of Hostile Territory, Riddled with Horrors, Bandits and Private Armies in the hopes of Reaching Haven before Disaster can strike. Find out the Fate of Haven, and The Kingdom of Mistral, Within RNJR's Volume 4 Words: 62922, Chapters: 20/21, Language: English Series: Part 1 of RNJR: RWBY Plus (Alternate) Fandoms: RWBY Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: Multi Characters: Ruby Rose (RWBY), Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Nolan Porfirio, Cinder Fall, Neopolitan (RWBY), Pyrrha Nikos, Adam Taurus, Qrow Branwen, Raven Branwen, Yang Xiao Long, James Ironwood, Salem (RWBY), Tyrian Callows, Original Characters, Arthur Watts, Leonardo Lionheart, Ozpin (RWBY), Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, Brawnz Ni Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc/Blake Belladonna, Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Pyrrha Nikos/Ruby Rose, Brawnz Ni/Nolan Porfirio, Adam - Relationship Additional Tags: Trans Ruby Rose (RWBY), Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Volume 4 (RWBY), Fall Maiden Pyrrha Nikos, Good Cinder Fall, Cinder Fall Redemption, Cinder Fall Backstory, Ozpin (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Oscar Pine Needs a Hug, James Ironwood Being an Asshole, War, Horror, Psychological Horror, Alternate Universe - Horror, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Violence, Gun Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Death, Temporary Character Death, Past Character Death, Original Character Death(s), Sad with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Dystopia, Disasters, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Semblance (RWBY), Alternate Universe - Military, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, Terrorism, Night Terrors read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/u7X29jc

[ramenliker]

Ramen Report #1: Disaster-addled Tonkotsu

Howdy! This marks the first post in my ramen making journey. For those unaware, I am on the grind to become a ramen chef. I have a background in restaurants so I’ve always been cooking, but ramen is so far out of my usual comfort zone that in spite of loving it so much I’ve never really been able to nail it.

With that short introduction out of the way, I present what I like to call my “Disaster-addled Tonkotsu”, a pork bone broth with a rich soy sauce base.

So to build flavor in a bone broth, you typically want to boil it for long periods of time, as in 8-12 hours. With this recipe (an amalgamation of Joshua Weissman’s Tonkotsu broth with Keizo Shimamoto’s shoyu tare), I elected to go for 12 hours. In the beginning, it calls for the pork bones to boil alone for 10 minutes in order to remove all the scum that comes out of them. In my infinite wisdom, I thought that I could just put the bones in before the water started boiling. When the scum started to release from the bones after a few min of simmering in hot water, I thought “oh, that should be fine. that’s a lot of scum, it’s not like it will release even more.” So I drained the gunk water and put the bones back in the pot with fresh water. Then, I added the vegetables. As it came to a boil, I walked away for a bit, confident that I was ready to begin the very long passive boil part of the cooking.

Unfortunately this ended up not being the case, as when I returned, the vegetables were coated in scum.

Panicking, I removed everything and put it in a fresh pot, water and all. This ended up being my second mistake - the first of which I learned 12 hours later after tasting the broth that I added too much water when I refilled the pot. Since the vegetables had already released some of their flavor into the first batch of water, and with the excessive amount of water in the second, there was too little flavor to infuse amidst a vessel far too vast. I started to feel the pressure mount - I had promised my entire household that I would have ramen ready for them later that day (I finished boiling at 7 in the morning) and I didn’t have the means nor the money to get the ingredients I needed on short notice, nor the time to start over.

Although the situation seemed hopeless, I had a rescue plan for the broth. Since it still had that signature tonkotsu broth flavor - albeit very watered down - it could still be salvaged with some clever cooking techniques. Here’s what my rescue operation looked like:

1) fry ground pork in a large nonstick sauce pot with salt, grated garlic, grated ginger, and the whites of a green onion until pork releases its juices into the pot.

2) stir in a healthy helping of miso paste (I used white miso) until the fat and miso make a sort of slurry. Let miso toast for 2-3 minutes.

3) pour in the light pork broth slowly, mixing in the miso.

4) warm the broth until it starts to boil.

With the ground pork and miso base in the pot imparting its flavor into the 12-hour Disaster Broth, it helped to enhance and bring forward the more unintentionally subtle taste of the broth in a short time frame, making it taste much closer to what a tonkotsu broth should (although a bit miso-y). By the skin of my teeth, I had managed to avoid disaster. Tasting the broth, I audibly went “mmm!” because I did not expect it to be anywhere as good as it was. It tasted just shy of restaurant quality. My roommates seemed to agree with me; they loved it! I don’t think I ever received that much collective praise at any other point in my life… haha… 😂 💀

Well, with all that being said - although it’s my chimera of a recipe, it’s very much other people’s work (plus my salvage efforts). Because of that I don’t feel comfortable taking credit for the recipe, nor sharing the instructions. Instead, I’ll just ask that all of you check out these very talented chefs on youtube, as their videos contain all the necessary steps and knowledge. Thanks for sitting through this ramble!

Long story short, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!!

SOURCES:

Joshua Weissman’s tonkotsu ramen (broth) https://youtu.be/uPqzY8rZLZM?si=VO8_la2uvroaHsc6

Way of Ramen’s video of Keizo Shimamoto’s shoyu ramen (agenegi and tare) https://youtu.be/5e5UYxESO-E?si=EsroVpmQAuPb-oIT

[foundtherightwords]

All Our Yesterdays - Chapter 12

Pairing: Ralph (Timewasters) x OFC

Summary: Thu, a museum archivist, only wants to escape her dull life in 21st-century Hanoi. The last thing she expects is to end up in 1929 Indochina via a time-traveling elevator and cross paths with Ralph, an Englishman on the run from the French Foreign Legion. Romance blossoms between them, but in a colonized country, unrest is always looming on the horizon, and Thu must decide if she wants to stay with Ralph in the past or return to the safety of the future.

Warnings: outdated/period-typical attitudes about women, mentions of war, mentions of pregnancy and abortion (involving a supporting character), some angst, some smut (non-explicit)

Chapter warnings: mentions of war, angst, smut (non-explicit)

Chapter word count: 4.5k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Thu told the office that Mai had acute appendicitis and had to go to the hospital for an emergency operation on New Year's Eve. The other women tut-tutted and fussed and wanted to visit Mai in the hospital, but Thu insisted that the girl was very tired and shouldn't be disturbed. It was such a clumsy lie that she was sure nobody believed her, least of all Madame Phuong, but the editor-in-chief seemed to have other things on her mind. She only said, "Poor girl, her parents are not going to be happy with me," and repaid Thu for the hospital bills out of her own pocket.

"But Madame Phuong, this is too much," Thu said, looking at the money.

"No, that's for after she is discharged. I'm going to be—quite busy in the next few weeks, and the house will be in disarray. It's no place for her to recover. Could you find her a nice boarding house and put her up there for a while? I'll pay you for your trouble."

Thu narrowed her eyes. Did Madame Phuong suspect something and want Mai out of her house to avoid a scandal? Was she afraid Mai's parents were going to blame her for not keeping a closer watch on their daughter? Still, Thu had to admit, whatever the reason was, it was best for Mai to be somewhere else. In the end, she brought the girl to her old boarding house. She figured she owed the landlady as much after moving out so abruptly; plus its closeness to Ralph's studio made it more convenient for her to check on Mai.

Mai recovered physically, though she remained low-spirited. Thu hoped that once she was well enough to go back to work, the girl could put this whole episode behind her. As for herself, Thu couldn't quite shake that feeling of vague unease that had settled on her after the Lunar New Year. She felt tense all the time, but unlike the fluttery, pleasant tension between her and Ralph before they got together, this was heavy, menacing, like the air before a storm. She could forget it for a while in Ralph's cheerful and calming company, only to feel it churning in her stomach again. Despite telling herself that war was fifteen years away, she couldn't shake the sensation that disaster was looming on the horizon.

***

About ten days after the Lunar New Year break, Thu went into the office as usual to find the women all huddled around a newspaper—not their own, but Hanoi Noon Report. There was fear on their faces, and they whispered to each other in low, serious tones. She felt cold all over. Had something happened?

"What's going on?" she asked Lien.

"There was a mutiny in a garrison up north," Lien replied, showing her the paper. "In Yên Bái."

The Yên Bái mutiny. Of course! That was in 1930. She'd completely forgotten about it. "The Vietnamese Nationalist Party was behind it, right?" Thu said, before she could stop herself.

Lien glanced at her sharply. "Why did you say that?"

Shit. Perhaps they don't know yet. Thu scanned the article to avoid Lien's scrutiny. It only stated that some Vietnamese soldiers turned on their French officers, killing two and wounding several others. It made no mention of the Nationalist Party. She had to be more careful letting things like that slip.

Over the next two weeks, the true scope of the mutiny was gradually revealed. It wasn't just a few disgruntled Vietnamese soldiers turning on their French officers. Though nobody dared talk about it, everyone knew it had clearly been an organized attempt by the Nationalist Party to overthrow the French government. The tension Thu had been feeling seemed to spill out all over the city and its people. The streets were full of soldiers; checkpoints were set up; arrests were made; raids were conducted. Firebombs were thrown into some public buildings, though no one was hurt. A 10 PM curfew was imposed, but as soon as it got dark, most streets were already deserted as people hurried back to the safety of their homes.

Everybody at the office was on edge; Madame Phuong seemed a lot more irritable than usual, and more than once, a reporter threw down her work in disgust, asking "Why are we writing about such frivolous things, when there are much more important matters going on?"

Thu spent most nights pacing around the studio, wondering if she should leave, but then she would catch Ralph looking at her, his eyes tugging at her heart, and her resolution would wane again. Could she ask him to come back with her? He would say yes, probably. But it would be difficult for him to stay there, much more difficult than it had been for her to stay here. Perhaps she could just wait until this all blew over. It wouldn't take long, if she remembered her history lessons well.

But it didn't blow over. If anything, it blew up, and Thu finally realized, it was one thing to learn about history. It was another to actually live in it.

On a cold, wet afternoon in late February, two weeks after the mutiny, Thu was coming back to the office after an errand when she saw a crowd outside the office. There were shouts and screams from within. Her heart dropped. Elbowing her way through the rubberneckers, she found her way inside and was greeted with a scene of pandemonium—several Vietnamese police constables were turning the office upside down under the watchful eye of a French officer, while the women huddled in a corner, looking at them with a mixture of fear and hatred. Only Madame Phuong stood alone, tall and motionless, her face deathly pale like a marble statue.

One of the constables emerged from the corner office, brandishing a stack of papers triumphantly and handing it to the French officer. Thu saw a slight waver in Madame Phuong's calm gaze.

The officer threw the papers in front of Madame Phuong and asked her something. She gave a short reply. More questions. Thu had no idea what they were saying, but she caught the words Parti nationaliste vietnamien and could feel the fear from the women around her rise like a wave of cold, clammy air. Then the officer nodded to the constables, and Madame Phuong put her arms out in front of her with a resigned look, accepting the iron cuffs that a constable clinched around her wrists.

"No!" Lien cried out and ran forward, but shrank back in front of the menacing glare of the French officer. The constable yanked at the cuffs, and Madame Phuong was all but dragged outside, bundled into a waiting black car, and taken away.

Once the police were gone, the crowd slowly dispersed as well, leaving only the shell-shocked women behind. They tried in vain to clean up their destroyed office, but all looked dazed. Some went home. Others sat at their desks, burying their faces in their handkerchiefs.  

"What was that all about?" Thu asked. "Why did they arrest Madame Phuong?"

"She is a member of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party," Lien said, picking up the scattered papers on the floor.

Thu remembered the New Year's Eve party, the heated discussion, the furtive looks. Had they been discussing the mutiny?

"They're arresting anyone with a connection to the Party now, in case they're connected to the mutiny," Lien continued. Then, remembering something, she looked up at Thu. "You mentioned the Nationalist Party when the news of the mutiny first broke," she said. "How did you know that they were involved?"

"I—I didn't. It just sounded like—like the type of thing they would do," Thu said lamely.

But Lien was not convinced. She stood up, her usual gentleness gone, replaced by fierce anger as her eyes bored into Thu's face with needle-like sharpness. "And how would you know what 'type of things' they usually do, then?" she asked. "I've been watching you, you're a strange one. Nobody knows where you come from, who your family is. Always going around with that photographer, sticking your nose into who knows what." Lien's voice rose. "Did you sell Madame Phuong out to the police? Are you a police spy?"

Lien's accusations were getting the attention of the rest of the staff. They all turned to Thu with suspicious eyes. If Mai were here, she would tell them how silly they were, and that they should focus on straightening up the office and getting some work done. But Mai was still on sick leave, and Thu could only stammer, "No, I'm not—you know I'm not—", before turning on her heel and running away, like the coward she was.

***

She ran back to the studio and sought comfort in Ralph's arms. But it was no good. The guilt she'd felt over Mai was back, only increased tenfold. She knew about the mutiny; she knew would be crushed; she had heard hints of their preparations at the New Year's Eve party; she could've warned Madame Phuong.

"But you can't have known that," Ralph said. "And what if you warned her and it led to some terrible consequences in the future? Like robots taking over?"

She knew he was trying to make her laugh, but this was too big a disaster for her to shake off. Her heart ached when she thought about Madame Phuong's beautiful villa in the modern day, all broken up and in disrepair, and her children. What was going to happen to them?

"They dragged her away like some common criminal," she said. "But she only believes that we should have independence, that we should be free to decide our own affairs. How is that a crime?"

"It's not, but she shouldn't align herself with violent radicals..."

His words stung. She sat up to face him, her nostrils flaring from anger. "And what is she supposed to do? We can't all be Gandhi. France is not Britain. Who do they think they are anyway, coming here and acting like they own the place? Like they own us?"

"I'm sorry," Ralph said quietly.

He looked so apologetic that Thu felt her heart softening. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

"But I worked for them."

"You left, didn't you?"

Ralph pulled her to him again, rubbing her back. "Is there anything we can do to help Madame Phuong?"

"I don't think so. The rest of us were lucky to not get arrested ourselves. She's going to die in jail, I know it." Thu knew Madame Phuong was going to be imprisoned in Maison Centrale, known locally as Hỏa Lò Prison. The name, which simply meant "stove" in Vietnamese, came from the nearby street which sold wood and coal stoves, but it also meant "Hellhole". It was an apt nickname. Thu knew all of its horror stories, though in her time, only the gatehouse remained as a museum. She buried her face in her hands and shuddered. "I can't stay here, Ralph."

Ralph's hand stiffened on her back. "What do you mean?"

All the romance and beauty and glamor of this time were only an illusion, a veil to hide the darkness underneath. She knew that now. Now the veil had lifted, the illusion gone. "I can't stay here," she repeated. "I've just been kidding myself. I can't live in a place where a girl could die just because she fell in love with the wrong man. I can't live in a place where you can go to jail for fighting for your own country. I have to go back to my time. It's not perfect, but at least we're free."

"But... how are you going to go back?"

She took a deep breath. "I actually found Homeless Pete a while ago," she said, not looking at Ralph. "When you got dengue fever, remember? I found him at the War Memorial. He's still there now."

Ralph took a while to respond. "You found him, but you... stayed?"

She nodded.

"To be with me?"

She hesitated and nodded again. He exhaled, as if his whole being depended on that confirmation.

"So stay now," he said. "Stay with me."

His eyes were fixed on her, squeezing her heart, making it hard to breathe. She looked down again to avoid those blazing eyes. "I can't," she said. "In about ten years, all this is going up in flames. Almost literally."

"We don't have to stay here. We'll go to England, or America, or anywhere..."

She hated to throw cold water over his optimism, the thing she loved most about him, but she had to. "You don't understand. Nowhere is safe." She couldn't imagine being an Asian woman in America after Pearl Harbor. Everywhere she turned, there was just more violence and destruction.

"Why? What's going to happen?"

"... Another world war. Longer and much worse than the last one. And once that's over, Vietnam gets another thirty years of war."

"Thirty years?!"

"Yeah. We didn't have peace until 1975." And decades of austerity and reconstruction afterward, that somehow were even worse than the wars. How many times had she heard those stories from her parents and grandparents?

"My God."

Ralph sat back, his arms slipping off of her waist to hang at his side.

"Come back with me," Thu said, suddenly emboldened.

Ralph was taken aback. "What?"

"Come back to 2023 with me." She had been turning this proposal over in her mind for a while, but now, when faced with the ugliness of the past, it didn't seem so absurd anymore.

"You mean... to stay?"

"Yes!"

"But—"

"Come on, what do you have here? You're wanted for desertion, your parents are gone, your sister doesn't care, the girl you love hates you—"

"God, I hope not."

Thu stared at him. He looked back with a sad little smile, and her breath caught when she realized he wasn't talking about Lauren.

"It seems I have a very specific type, don't I?" he continued, still with that sad little smile that broke her heart. "Girl from the future who wants nothing to do with me. That's my type."

"No, Ralph, that's not true." She took his hands, pressing them to her lips. "I want everything to do with you! That's why I'm asking you to come with me."

"How am I going to live there? What am I going to do for a living?"

"You can teach English. You can become a photographer. You can start a vintage photo studio, it'll be all the rage—there are lots of things you can do!"

"But how, when I'm some sort of persona non grata? You said it yourself, they have all these strict rules about ID and paperwork. How are you going to explain a man just appearing out of nowhere?"

"I don't know," she said, with wild abandonment. "We'll figure something out."

Ralph gazed at her for a long time, beseeching, searching for something only he knew. Then the fire in his eyes went out, and he looked away.

"... I'm sorry, I can't."

Thu dropped his hand. She had been so sure that he would say yes; she'd never expected to have to convince him. "Where's your sense of adventure?" she asked.

"I once ran away because of a girl, and look how it turned out for me."

His refusal cut her to the quick. Was he still that hung up on Lauren? Did he really think she would reject him in the same brutal way or abandon him to his fate? Did the past months mean nothing to him?

"So it's OK for me to stay here and brave war and famine for you, but you can't face paperwork for me?" she snapped.

As he kept looking away from her and saying nothing, her heartbreak turned into anger. She knew she was being unfair, but she couldn't help it. What did he know about war and suffering anyway? He was just a boy playing soldier.

But at least he's lived through a world war, that annoying voice at the back of her mind piped up again. All you've got is what you've read in books. If there's one that doesn't know real war and suffering, it's you. And at the first sign of danger, you're running away.

Ignoring that voice, she got up, went into the bedroom, pulled out her backpack, and started throwing her clothes into it haphazardly, careless of the soft silk and the smooth velvet. Ralph ran after her, seized her arms, and pulled her toward him. She pushed him away, but he held on. "I'm sorry," he said, over and over again. "Please—please don't go."

Somehow she was in his arms again, her face pressed into his chest, hot tears running down her face. "I can't," she sobbed. "It's impossible." That precarious bridge they were on had collapsed, and now they were floundering in the void of time, not belonging anywhere. How long could they stay like this before being consumed by that void?

"I'm not asking you to stay forever," he whispered. "Just for tonight."

"Why?" she asked, but made no attempt to move away. "Why draw it out and hurt ourselves?"

"So I can have some memories to carry with me."

She wanted to leave. Her mind was screaming at her to leave. As soon as she said no, she knew he would let her go. But her body wanted to stay. Her heart wanted to stay.

So she stayed. Just for one night.

"Okay," she said, and crushed his lips with hers.

This wasn't like their first time together, with those tentative kisses, those languorous touches, as they explored each other's body. Now they were desperately clinging to each other, holding on to each other so tight it almost hurt, taking each other in with every one of their five senses, filling every second they had with as much of each other as possible, knowing that there would be no more after this, that it would be goodbye. His frantic thrusts seemed to reach to the very center of her, sending through her an ache that was equal parts pain and pleasure, pushing her close, closer to the edge—

"Wait—" she panted, "slow down—I don't want it to be over yet—"

And he immediately did, easing his pace, keeping his forehead pressed to hers so their eyes never left each other's, while his hands and his lips stroked and caressed, drawing out that exquisite ache into a glow that left her gasping and burning for more.

But nothing could last forever, and soon, too soon, the heat blazed once more, and the slow rhythm now turned wilder, more frenzied as they were pulled helplessly into that fire, consumed by it.

"No—!" she cried out, trying to hold on to the moment, but it was gone, slipped away.

She didn't know how long they remained locked in an embrace afterward. They didn't talk. They didn't sleep. These moments were too precious to be wasted in sleep. She lay as motionlessly as possible, as if by doing so she could halt the flow of time. Keeping her mind blank, she tried to memorize everything about him, his face, the way his curls dropped over his forehead, the feel of him still inside her, his breath, hot and uneven, against her neck, and his hands, gripping hers so closely, afraid she would vanish into the night if he let go.

The cry of a bread vendor eventually roused her. That cry of "Hot bread! Hot bread fresh out of the oven!", still used by bread vendors in her time, reminded her of her old life, of what she had to do. With an enormous effort, she extracted herself from Ralph's arms, got out of bed, and put on her modern clothes, shivering in the early morning air. He made no move to stop her, simply followed her with his eyes, eyes that were no longer desperate but had grown sad with acceptance.

She went back to packing, taking more care with the áo dài this time. Unable to fit all of them into her backpack, she only took her two favorites—a pale green silk, and the burgundy velvet. The rest she folded into a neat pile. "Will you give these to Mai, please?" she asked Ralph. She wouldn't have time to say goodbye to the girl as well. "They're a bit long for her, but I hate for them to go to waste. Tell her—tell her I've gone back to Hong Kong or something."

He nodded. There was nothing else to say.

When he saw her take out the album he'd given her and put it on his bedside table, Ralph sat up. "What are you doing?" he asked. "That's yours!"

"But those are the only photos you have of me," she said. "I want you to have them, to remember me by."

"I can always print more." She hadn't thought of that. Seeing her hesitate, he jumped out of bed. "Dammit, I can take one of you right now!"

"In this getup, after that sleepless night?" she said with a rueful grin. "Not on your life."

"You always look beautiful to me."

He reached for her, but she pulled back slightly, shaking her head. "Don't," she said, and he dropped his hand, looking crushed.

"What about you?" he asked. "What do you have to remember me by?"

His pleading tone broke her resolve. She went to him, took his face between her hands, and kissed him, hard. "Do you honestly think I'm in any danger of forgetting, after all this?" she asked, once they drew apart for a breath.

"...Yes," he whispered, "and that's why I have to keep reminding you"—he pulled her back for another kiss, and another, and another, until she steeled her heart and turned away.

She then took an envelope out of the inner pocket of her backpack, where she had hidden all the money she had saved. She kept back a few bills and coins as mementos, and handed the rest to him.

"I believe it's enough for a steamship ticket out of Indochina," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I can't take this," he said.

"I have no use for it." She pressed the envelope into his hand. "Please, Ralph. Take it and go... somewhere. Stay out of the war. I'll feel better if I know you're safe."

"But how would you know?"

Thu thought about Doc Brown sending Marty a letter from the Wild West at the end of Back to the Future II. That wouldn't work here; there was no business reliable enough that was still operating after decades of wars and reconstruction. What still stood in her time that was accessible? Then she remembered. "You remember that cotton tree by the archaeology school?"

"Yes."

"It still stands in my time. If you do go home, leave me some sort of sign there, OK? I'll know that way."

He clutched at both the envelope and her hand for a moment, before letting go.

"Look me up on that goggle thing when you get back, will you?" he said.

Despite the lump in her throat, Thu had to smile. "Google," she corrected him.

"OK, Google. Maybe I will have become a famous photographer or something."

The forced cheerfulness of his voice, which contrasted with the look in his eyes, was unbearable. She nodded, knowing she would break into tears if she opened her mouth. Hoisting the backpack onto her shoulder, she turned, opened the door, and fled into the freezing winter morning.

***

She didn't remember how she'd found Homeless Pete. She must have gone to Robin Park, put the chocolate into his hand, and dragged him back to the IDEO Printing House with her, because the next thing she knew, she was back in the elevator as it shook and disintegrated and reassembled around her. When she opened her eyes again, the light was back on and Homeless Pete had disappeared once more.

She stepped out of the elevator. A gust of air-conditioned wind blasted her in the face, along with the smells of coffee and pastries. She looked around. She was back in the French Institute, standing in front of the boulangerie that took up the right-hand side of its entrance hall. People were hurrying back and forth, nobody paying her an ounce of attention.

She grabbed a woman walking past. "Excuse me, what's today's date?" she asked.

"First of September," the woman replied.

"What year?"

The woman shot her a curious look, but answered anyway, "2023."

September 1st, 2023. A clock on the coffee shop's wall told her it was just past seven PM. Homeless Pete had taken her right back. She had never left at all.

Dazed, Thu left the building and walked the familiar street back to the museum, dodging traffic by instinct rather than actual awareness. She would get her motorbike, which was still in the employee's parking lot, and get home.

As she reached the museum gate, however, a tall, dark shape out of the corner of her eyes caught Thu's attention and shook some of the daze out of her. It was the ancient cotton tree, its straight trunk rising above the museum, its leaves rustling by the octagonal roof. Dusk was falling, but she could still see by the light of the street lamps. She had to check... she had to know...

But even as she pulled out her phone, another fear reared its head in her mind. What if, since she'd returned to the exact moment she left, those months with Ralph had never happened at all? What if they had never met? But no, her necklace was gone. That told her that her six-month trip in the past did happen. She turned her phone on and inevitably flinched at her lock screen, which was set to a photo of her and Ralph. Trying hard not to look at it, she switched her flashlight on and shone it over the tree trunk while she walked around its base, checking it carefully inch by inch.

Her fingers felt it first—a difference in the roughness of the bark, a slight raise. Then her eyes saw it. Carved into the trunk of the cotton tree, just a little above her eye level, was that classic shape that anyone who had ever been in love would recognize—a heart framing two letters, R+A. It had been carved a long, long time ago, and the tree had filled in the deep groove, turning it slightly bumpy, making it easier to notice. R+A. Ralph and Autumn. That was his sign. He had gone home. He was safe.

Thu leaned against the tree trunk, heedless of its scratches on her forehead, and cried, half from relief, half from sorrow.

A/N: And that's the end.

I'm totally kidding! But we only have 2 chapters left, so the end is nigh...

[babyspacebatclone]

As an example, one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation is S3E16, “The Offspring.”

Now, obviously, ST:TNG is 90% episodic anyway, a disaster of the week formula except for specific exceptions.

But S3E16 has no disaster, at least not the kind the series is used to. No risk to a ship exploding, no kidnapping of crew members, no potential planetary extinctions to prevent.

Just a man and his daughter, who contracts a fatal mental condition.

That’s the entire plot.

The man is an android, singular in his ability throughout the known galaxy.

A man who struggles with his own incomplete connection to his creator, a man his physical form mirrors but remains little more than a curiosity to him, the limitations imposed upon him because of fear, and his alien way of perceiving the world despite desperately wanting to understand humans and other sapient people.

Who creates a child, with every good intention he can compute: He allows his offspring Lal to choose a gender and species presentation, and goes out of his way to teach her as a living child.

Sadly, the fear which lead to Data having no emotions* also leads to some ranking members of Starfleet towards fear and a desire to control Lal, seeing only a threat in an “artifical” man self-replicating.

Of course, status quo, Lal dies at the end, her death convincing the man sent because he sees her and her father as mere robots to acknowledge the pair’s innate humanity.

Because Lal’s fatal failure was being overwhelmed by emotion, something her neural net was not yet designed to handle, something the physical components she had been built with could not sustain.

And despite Data leaving the episode with as much emotional expression as he began it, despite this not being something that is acknowledged in later episodes………

I’m going to flat out quote Wikipedia to give you the stats:

"The Offspring" is rated 4.6/5 on StarTrek.com.[3] Actor Michael Dorn said it was one of his two favorite episodes, the other being "The Drumhead", which was also directed by Jonathan Frakes.[4] Patrick Stewart said it was also one of his favorite episodes, along with "The Inner Light" and "In Theory" (Stewart's own directorial debut).[5][6][7]

…

In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter rated "The Offspring" the 79th best television episode of all Star Trek franchise episodes to that point, including live-action and animated series but not counting the movies.[9] In 2016, Empire ranked this the 40th best out of the top 50 episodes of the 700 plus Star Trek television episodes.[8] (emphasis added)

The entire episode is character drama. Character development. Character insight.

A commentary on “what measure is a human/sapient,” an exploration on advanced technology, and other sci fi things, true.

But primarily, a man struggling to understand his own place in the universe, with an overwhelming desire to love and share and connect, even if he himself insists he can’t.

Because, to acknowledge that footnote* above, the most logical headcanon for Data is that he is capable of emotions, but that they have been deliberately muted in expression after his older brother - well, developed a god complex.

Anyway….

Character-driven plot and episodes are wonderful.

[deepvowknight]

How Active Directory Management Tools Empower IT Teams in Modern Organizations

Managing digital identities and access rights has become one of the most critical responsibilities for IT teams across the world. At the heart of most enterprise IT environments lies Microsoft Active Directory (AD), the centralized system that controls user authentication and access. However, native tools provided by AD often fall short in complex or high-security scenarios. This is where Active Directory Management Tools become vital.

These tools allow organizations to extend the capabilities of AD, offering better automation, enhanced security, compliance tracking, and a more user-friendly interface for administrators. Whether it's onboarding a new employee or detecting suspicious login attempts, Active Directory management tools simplify and strengthen the entire process.

Why Businesses Need Active Directory Management Tools

As businesses grow, the complexity of managing user roles, group policies, and resource access increases exponentially. A single mistake in access permissions can lead to data breaches, compliance violations, or system downtimes. Active Directory Management Tools address these issues by providing:

Role-based access controls

Real-time monitoring and alerts

Automated provisioning and deprovisioning

Centralized dashboards for multiple AD forests or domains

Detailed compliance and audit-ready reporting

These features reduce the burden on IT departments and improve overall organizational security posture.

Key Capabilities of Effective AD Management Tools

1. Automated User Provisioning

Adding and configuring new user accounts manually is time-consuming. AD tools automate this process by integrating with HR systems, assigning roles based on predefined templates, and reducing human errors.

2. Secure Password Management

Features like self-service password resets, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and password policy enforcement help secure credentials while reducing support tickets.

3. Real-Time Auditing and Monitoring

Monitoring changes in real time—like password resets, permission changes, or account lockouts—helps identify potential internal threats or misconfigurations quickly.

4. Delegated Administration

IT administrators can delegate limited responsibilities to helpdesk staff or junior admins without giving them full control over AD. This minimizes risks while improving efficiency.

5. Compliance-Ready Reporting

Industries like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce must follow stringent data security laws. AD management tools offer pre-built reports that satisfy GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and more.

Top Tools in the Active Directory Management Market

There are many tools available, but some stand out due to their versatility, scalability, and ease of use:

ManageEngine ADManager Plus – Offers comprehensive AD management, automation, and reporting in a user-friendly interface.

SolarWinds Access Rights Manager – Focuses on permissions analysis and auditing to prevent unauthorized access.

Quest ActiveRoles – Provides scalable AD administration, particularly for hybrid environments using Azure AD.

Netwrix Auditor – Known for deep auditing and alerting, especially useful for compliance-heavy industries.

LepideAuditor for Active Directory – Simplifies auditing with real-time change tracking and anomaly detection.

Each tool has unique strengths and should be selected based on the size and requirements of your IT infrastructure.

Benefits Beyond User Management

While user and group management is the core, the benefits of Active Directory Management Tools extend into broader IT operations:

Reduced Downtime: Automated tasks and error reduction lead to fewer interruptions.

Improved Onboarding Experience: Employees receive access to tools and resources from day one.

Cost Efficiency: Minimizes the need for a large support staff or frequent firefighting by senior IT personnel.

Disaster Recovery: Advanced tools help in quickly recovering AD data or reversing critical changes.

Insightful Analytics: Gain visibility into login trends, permission inheritance, or unused accounts.

Modern Challenges in Active Directory Management

Despite their power, even AD management tools face new-age challenges:

Cloud Integration: As businesses adopt Azure and other cloud services, tools must support hybrid identity management.

Remote Workforce: Managing devices and users working from home or across geographies complicates access control.

Cybersecurity Threats: AD is a frequent target for ransomware and phishing attacks. Proactive monitoring is more important than ever.

Complex Group Policies: With growing user groups and dynamic roles, misconfigured group policies can result in cascading failures.

A good Active Directory Management Tool is equipped to handle these modern demands by offering cloud compatibility, AI-assisted alerts, and dynamic access controls.

Best Practices for Using Active Directory Management Tools

To fully benefit from your AD tools, follow these guidelines:

Define Access Roles Clearly: Avoid broad permissions. Assign access based on the principle of least privilege.

Schedule Regular Audits: Monitor user behavior and account activity at regular intervals.

Use Automation Wisely: While automation saves time, it should be tested thoroughly to avoid unintended actions.

Train Your Team: Ensure that IT admins and helpdesk staff are well-trained in the tools and protocols.

Monitor Unused Accounts: Dormant accounts are a major security risk. AD tools can help flag and deactivate them automatically.

Conclusion

Active Directory Management Tools are more than just convenience utilities—they are essential components of a secure, efficient, and scalable IT infrastructure. From automating everyday tasks to protecting against unauthorized access and supporting compliance, these tools empower IT teams to manage complex AD environments with confidence.

As threats become more sophisticated and infrastructure becomes more hybrid and dynamic, the need for intelligent, reliable AD tools will only grow. Investing in the right Active Directory Management Tools today will future-proof your organization’s security, reduce operational costs, and ensure smooth IT governance across all departments.

[loyallyvastanomaly]

How to Handle Insurance Claims After Storm Damage to Your Roof

Introduction

Storms can wreak havoc roofing contractors on your home, and one of the most vulnerable areas is your roof. Whether it's high winds, hail, or heavy rain, the damage can be severe and often leads to costly repairs. When faced with this situation, understanding how to handle insurance claims after storm damage to your roof becomes crucial. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of the process, ensuring you know what to do when disaster strikes.

Why Understanding Your Insurance Policy Matters

Before diving into the ins and outs of filing a claim, it’s vital to comprehend your insurance policy. Many homeowners fail to realize that not all policies are created equal. Some may cover specific types of storm damage while others might exclude them entirely.

What Types of Roof Damage Does Insurance Cover? Wind Damage: Often caused by strong gusts during storms. Hail Damage: Can create dents and cracks in roofing materials. Water Damage: Resulting from leaks due to compromised roofing.

Understanding these specifics can help you assess whether you’re eligible for a claim before contacting licensed roofing contractors for inspections.

How to Handle Insurance Claims After Storm Damage to Your Roof

When dealing with storm damage, the first thing you'll want to do is remain calm. Stressing over potential costs won't help repair the damage—it might even make roofing services it worse! Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Assessing the Damage

Start by conducting a thorough inspection of your roof. Look for visible signs of damage such as missing shingles, dents in metal roofs, or cracks in tiles.

Key Areas to Inspect Shingles: Check for curling or missing pieces. Flashing: Ensure there are no gaps around roof edges. Ventilation Systems: Make sure vents are intact.

If you're unsure about climbing onto your roof or assessing damage yourself, hire certified roofing contractors who specialize in storm-related repairs.

2. Documenting Everything

Documentation is crucial when filing an insurance claim. Take clear photographs of any damage, including close-ups and wide shots that show context.

What To Document Date and time of the storm. Notes on how the damage occurred. Photographs showing before and after conditions.

This documentation can serve as evidence when filing your claim with an insurance company.

3. Contacting Your Insurance Company

Once you've documented everything, reach out to your insurance provider as soon as possible—don’t wait! Most policies have deadlines for reporting claims post-storm.

Questions To Ask What type of coverage do I have? Are there specific exclusions? What’s my deductible?

Having these answers will guide you throughout the claims process.

4. Hiring Qualified Roofing Contractors

Next up? Finding the best roofing contractors for repairs or inspections. You’ll want someone who has experience dealing with storm-damaged roofs specifically.

Why Choose Licensed Roofing Contractors?

They bring expertise and credibility that ensures quality work—plus they can help navigate complex insurance cla

[windsormazda]

2025 Mazda Mazda3 Sport Review

The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 Sport is considered refined and ready to go, no matter what your outlook. It is efficient in power with Skyactiv fitted with elegant interiors that fully speak of you. The safety features are highly intuitive, making the Mazda3 Sport one of the most preferred vehicles for anyone looking for a technologically advanced 4-door hatchback.

TRIMS OVERVIEW

The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 Sport has some impressive trims. The 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GX 6AT at 191 hp is a Standard automatic transmission and includes various standard features, including the Mazda Connected Services. The 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GS 6AT also includes features from the GX, but it also has heated exterior mirrors and a steering wheel. The 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GS Luxury Package AWD 6AT includes Leatherette-trimmed upholstery and a 10-way power driver’s seat, which comes with lumbar support. You can also enjoy the Power glass moonroof with interior sunshade and tilt-up ventilation.

The trims also include the 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GT 6AT, the 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GT 6MT and the 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GT AWD 6AT, which come with a Bose premium sound system with 12 speakers and an Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS). The 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport GT Turbo AWD 6AT is fitted with 18-inch black finish alloy wheels. You will also find a Turbo badge on the trunk and engine cover. Finally, the 2025 Mazda Mazda3-Sport Suna Turbo AWD 6AT includes all the features of the GT and, in addition, comes with a Zircon Sand Metallic exterior colour, Terracotta leatherette with black suede-like trimmed upholstery with stitching accents, and increased diameter exhaust outlets.

Performance

Engineered to balance all the dynamics of motoring, the Mazda Mazda3 Sport with its spirited Skyactiv-G turbo engine and i-Activ AWD system (optional) without compromising on power, control or the fun of driving. Equipped with predictive safety, the vehicle bestows ultimate peace of mind and is extremely adaptive to varied driving situations. It uses 27 sensors to monitor driving conditions at a rate of 200x per second. The i-Activ AWD system also helps transfer the torque in a traction-loss situation. Controls are taken over by the rear wheels to gather complete stability and control. With this optimal torque distribution, drivetrain energy loss is minimised, leading to better vehicle performance. Instantly responsive and giving you the power of adept handling, the robust 320 lb-ft torque, combined with 250 horsepower and the Skyactiv-G, combine to provide you with the best Mazda3 Sport you have ever seen. The G-Vectoring Control Plus takes turns to shift the vehicle’s weight, enhancing traction and giving you a smoother and more confident driving experience.

Safety Features

The new Mazda3 Sport brings the new i-Activsense, which carries a set of proactive features designed to predict hazards even before they occur. It is equipped with Lane-keep Assist, Pedestrian Detection, and Smart Brake Support, which are, incidentally, standard in the vehicle. Additionally, the brand has added fresh features such as the Private eCall, which instantly places a call to the emergency centre if your vehicle encounters an accident. For such disasters, a specially trained agent will coordinate the emergency response while detecting the location of your vehicle and informing the ambulance, fire, and police departments. Alternatively, the occupants can press the in-vehicle SOS button and place a Private eCall to initiate an emergency response.

Another interesting and handy feature is that Stolen Vehicle Assistance (SVA) assists law enforcement in case of car theft. File a report first and then use the MyMazda app to reach out to the Stolen Vehicle Assistance Centre, where the feature is initiated. Your vehicle’s VIN, the name of the police department and the police report number must be provided. Mazda will work with law enforcement directly to provide vehicle location information and assist law enforcement in the recovery of the vehicle.

Seamless Connectivity is enabled with the Mazda Connected Services, which comes with a 2-year trial. Additionally, you get your vehicle’s health report, doors lock and unlock, and more. Use the Mazda Connect next-gen infotainment to connect seamlessly to the satellite radio, navigation and other hands-free techs. An 10.25-inch wide display in colour is fitted for the infotainment system. You can connect to the Android Auto™ or use the Apple CarPlay™ to access your phone, music, messages, and Siri. The Mazda Mazda3 Sport’s sound systems are captivating. They are placed strategically around the cabin, so that you get the best of quality audio in higher and lower volumes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences between the GX, GS, GT, and Suna Turbo trims? The Suna Turbo is the most advanced of all the trims, with a turbocharged engine and distinctive styles.

Is the 2025 Mazda3 Sport available with all-wheel drive (AWD)? The 2025 Mazda Mazda3 Sport GS trim is an i-Activ AWD all-wheel drive and even comes with a luxury package.

What are the basic safety features of the 2025 Mazda3 Sport? Lane-keep Assist, Pedestrian Detection, and Smart Brake Support are standard safety features available in the vehicle.

Does the 2025 Mazda3 Sport have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? You can stay effortlessly connected with Apple CarPlay or the Android Auto to access your phone, messages and music.

Contact Us

If you want to know the Mazda Mazda3 Sport price or are looking for the Mazda Mazda3 Sport for sale, then contact a Mazda dealership near you to help you. Visit our Windsor Mazda dealership for a test drive of this stunning car.

[wat3rm370n]

AI is not inevitable.

More specifically the tech tycoon preferred implementation of AI is not inevitable.

No tech boondoggle is inevitable but the people making money on this, and leveraging power, want everyone to believe it’s inevitable and put up no fuss.

25 05 22 [#277] Generative AI is Not Inevitable Alex Hanna, Emily M. Bender "There's this inevitability narrative that we hear from the tech companies all the time and that is a bid to steal our agency." – Emily Bender

On Democracy Now, author and journalist Karen Hao describes how OpenAI and this chatbot stuff is just one type of AI that these tech tycoons saw as the most likely to sell so as to attempt to build an empire.

"Empire of AI": Karen Hao on How AI Is Threatening Democracy & Creating a New Colonial World - Democracy Now! Jun 4, 2025

I feel like it was chosen because it was the most likely to dupe people and had many of the key ingredients of social media, video games, and online gambling, and therefore could be monetized.

Sam Altman @sama 8:19 PM · Oct 24, 2023 i expect ai to be capable of superhuman persuasion well before it is superhuman at general intelligence, which may lead to some very strange outcomes

We must resist repeating this nonsense that we have no say in how this happens. This claim of "inevitable" has been used to allow powerful people to get away with atrocious things throughout history.

The Modern Luddite - What can a common person do about generative AI? 4.6.2025 1. Understand that no technology is inevitable. Technology is not a linear progression that follows a predetermined path towards "progress", like in a tech tree of a video game. Technological inventions don't magically follow from each others: people make technology. People decide what technology to research, what research to fund, what products to produce and so on. Furthermore, it can be argued that generative AI is not even primarily a technological breakthrough, but a social and economic one: the major invention of the generative AI industry was the idea that they could get away with stealing everyones stuff and raise insane amounts of money by promising to make god.

And we know that things can change because they change all the time.

“The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently.” – David Graeber

Elon Musk's job has already been automated - Musk may never be welcome in the White House again, but DOGE's AI programs sure will be. Plus: A roadmap for resisting AI, the WaPo AI editor disaster, and more in the weekly Critical AI Report Brian Merchant Jun 05, 2025 - How to resist AI in 2025 It can be a daunting question, to say the least. Big tech is all-in on AI, firms like OpenAI have amassed historic amounts of venture capital, and Silicon Valley AI products are inundating and often eroding our institutions, our workplaces, our daily lives. So how do we fight back? The AI Now Institute—where I hold a journalist in residence honorific—issued its 2025 landscape report this week, and I could not recommend spending some time with heartily enough. It does a deft job of breaking down the key harms inflicted by AI companies, and the biggest threats to society if the current trajectory Silicon Valley is taking holds. The report, parts of which I reviewed, and parts of which I contributed to, explains how AI is entrenching power for big tech and the oligarch class, speeding deregulation, dislodging human expertise and threatening workers—and how there's still time to refuse all that. It delves into the recent history of “AGI” and how it’s wielded by AI companies—a topic I investigated at length in my last AI Now report, too.