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bookshelfdreams · 9 months ago

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I think, for every one of us, there is a popular post that we hate A Lot, because it is either factually wrong or reductive, and while this isn't the post I hate The Most, it still irks me.

So, here's how to care for natural fibres:

Wool: Does not like to be washed, but that doesn't mean it can't get wet. What is problematic is the agitation in combination with heat and soap - that leads to felting. Wool garments do not go in the washing machine (unless they're superwash treated, but even then, I would skip the spin cycle) or dryer. However! Wool makes up for that by being antibacterial and repelling dirt. A wool garment will not smell, as long as you treat it right (ie air it out, do not stuff it into storage damp, etc). It will not need to be washed often. If you do wash it, soak with wool detergent, gently squeeze, dry lying flat (if you wring it or hang it up, it will stretch out).

Silk: DO NOT PUT IT IN THE DRYER WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. Some silks can be gently(!!!!!!) washed in the washing machine, no spin cycle, dry lying flat. Washing can compromise the structural integrity of both the fabric and garment; something stiff, that needs to keep its shape (for example, jackets or dresses, dupion) goes to the dry cleaner. It is true that flowy, light silks, such as habotai, can generally withstand the washing machine - but it will make the fabric age faster. Wear underwear to protect your garment from sweat, and you won't have to wash it as often.

Cotton: We all know how to care for cotton. Moving along. (I will say one thing, cotton is the only one of these fibres that really does stink, and needs to be washed the most.)

Linen: Will not care about temperature shocks or mechanical stress, that much is true. However. Linen does not like dry heat at all, if you want your linens to last a long time, do not put them in the dryer. Do not iron them dry either, always use either steam or spray them with water (ideally, both). Linen also doesn't take colour as well as cotton and bleaches easily, so turn your colourful linens inside out, wash them on low temperature, and don't dry them in direct sunlight.

In general, tumble drying significantly shortens the lifespan of any garment, even cotton. As does fabric softener (and its general usefulness is questionable, to say the least). Avoid both as much as possible.

#ik nobody cares about this #but here you go #oooooh wool is so dEliCaTe!!!#anyway linen can be abused to hell it doesnt give a shit abt anything :) no. wrong on both counts. go to jail.#hrgh i hate this fucking post

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screamofdespair · 2 days ago

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Heiji Hattori as a Symbol of Creative Paralysis in the Detective Conan Franchise

For over two decades, fans of Detective Conan have watched Heiji Hattori grow from a charismatic rival to one of the series most beloved characters. And yet, even after more than 1000 episodes/chapters and 28 movies, Heiji remains treated as a side character, a "special guest" brought in occasionally to keep things going, but never fully integrated into the narrative core. This long-standing neglect is not just a missed narrative opportunity, it is a symptom of a deeper issue : the systematic creative paralysis caused by corporate control and capitalistic logic within the anime industry.

Heiji's Narrative & Wasted Potential

Heiji Hattori was introduced as a bold and brilliant counterpart to Shinichi Kudo, the perfect rival, partner, and narrative foil. He had all the potential to become a co-protagonist : two detectives in different regions solving cases in parallel, crossing paths, exchanging ideas, and deepening the world-building of the series. His charisma, his dynamic with Conan, his investigative style, everything was in place. Fans expected growth. Instead, Heiji became a glorified guest star. One or two episodes/chapters per year. No central role, no major investigations, no real evolution, nothing 'meaningful' since the end of his actual guest star phase, and all of it framed under the banner of a character written mainly to serve a forced romantic purpose. It’s gotten to the point where even the voice actors were tired. Despite the potential, he's used like a collectible taken off the shelf for an event, then put back into storage. They had a second ace detective in their hands and chose to keep him in the background, often by undermining his defining traits, reframing him as comic relief rather than allowing him to grow as a central figure. Takahiro Okura, the scriptwriter for some of the Detective Conan movies, stated that Heiji and Kazuha should be integrated into the main cast. Their absence, he implied, weakens the possibilities for deeper world-building. And ironically, now that the romantic subplot between Heiji and Kazuha has finally been resolved, their presence in the story risks shrinking even further if you ask me. Gosho and the writers might face a "what do we do with them now?" dilemma, instead of expanding their role meaningfully. From now on, Heiji could, alone, really take the spotlight, with Kazuha kept in the background or left out, out of fear that the story might move too fast and exhaust their new narrative potential too soon. And honestly? Why not. But that’s exactly the issue, it’s narrative cowardice. Having Heiji show up in more cases from now on, on his own, only proves they could’ve done it way earlier, and more naturally.

Corporate Logic Over Character Development

Heiji’s sidelining isn’t a creative accident. It’s a structural decision. The anime production committee composed of Yomiuri TV, TMS Entertainment, TOHO, Shogakukan etc, operates under a system where storytelling is subservient to profit optimization. Every narrative change is weighed not for artistic merit, but for its impact on merchandising, ratings, and continuity. Allowing Heiji to evolve into a regular would mean more writing, more arcs, and the risk of narrative progression. But that goes against the system’s core priority : endless repetition. This gives the anime/movies (especially the movies), and by extension the committee, a real influence over the manga’s pace, tone, and long-term direction. Aoyama may hold the pen, but the committee holds the cage. Lately, even some of Aoyama’s editors, under possible pressure, have either changed their stance or started aligning with the corporate mindset behind the series. This is not creativity, it’s content management. And when your movies are making over ¥15 billion annually, why bother investing in a character like Heiji? Why develop new narrative structures, when you can keep him shelved as a “special guest” card. If you resolve arcs or elevate side characters, you bring the story closer to its natural ending and shortening a profitable franchise’s lifespan is commercially unacceptable. Even worse : while it would be entirely possible to use Heiji in non-canon filler episodes, giving the spotlight to his character without touching the core narrative, the producers still refuse to do it. Not because it would be difficult, but because it contradicts their conservative, product-oriented philosophy. They could plan episodes in advance, hire talented guest directors, build something fresh around Heiji but they won't. Because in this philosophy, innovation is not a priority. Stability is. What’s even more funny is that this could actually make people want to get back into the anime, and it would probably work really well. You’d get a bit of everything : a break from the usual artistic routine, different scriptwriters/directors/animators than usual, like i said earlier. A good example of that is the mini-series of Eri’s Courtroom. By limiting Heiji’s appearances through quotas, they’ve turned him from a character into a controlled asset, something to be managed, not developed.

The Endless Loop : Why the Story Can’t Move Forward & Its Creative Limitations

Detective Conan isn’t built to evolve. It’s built to circulate. The anime and movies generate billions of yen annually. Shogakukan, a major player in the Japanese publishing industry, has a clear economic interest in maintaining Conan as a permanent fixture, not as an evolving story, but as a cultural product. This isn’t just a franchise. It’s a dependency. The series fuels manga sales, spin-offs, licensing deals, and annual blockbuster films. The spin-offs, ironically, show how low the creative bar has fallen : despite fresh angles (Zero's Tea Time, Hannin no Hanzawa), they are underfunded and underanimated. The production circle is tightly controlled, with a limited pool of animators and almost no injection of new artistic energy. There’s no new blood injected in, just veterans like Yasuichiro Yamamoto (the series director), who have been carrying the weight of Detective Conan’s production since the very beginning. Animation Producers like Keiichi Ishiyama admitted in interviews that the system is so rigid that missing a single delivery deadline can jeopardize the entire production and push the studio to the brink of collapse. Another issue is the lack of creative freedom for the movie directors : even when someone tries to bring something fresh, like the director of Movie 27, Chika Nagaoka, who wanted to portray Heiji in a more mature way in the movie, the idea was swiftly overridden by Gosho Aoyama himself. Not necessarily because he disagreed, but because the philosophy demands consistency over innovation. That said, some animation producers, distinct from the executive producers or committee stakeholders, of course, do try to bring in talented animators, scout the competitive freelance market, and elevate the quality of key sequences. Without them, Detective Conan would be visually dead. These individuals still fight to inject life into a tightly controlled environment. But they operate under a passive restriction : the 'best' animators rarely want to work on a project so artistically suffocating (the shift to digital in Gosho’s drawings, or the gradual redesign of the anime’s character models = creative limitation, which became increasingly bound by consistency over experimentation). There’s almost no space for personal style. Even when talented directors are hired, like the director of Movie 22, Yuzuru Tachikawa (formerly of Mob Psycho 100) or Movie 25, Mitsunaka Susumu (from Haikyuu!!), their unique directorial style is barely visible. The films are cleanly produced, but the soul of the director is absent. Anyone can direct a Detective Conan movie. The role has become factory work, everything is controlled from start to finish, and the director no longer has access to any real source of creative input. The brand overrides the artist. Popularity of the manga > More money to be made > More content to be produced > Tighter deadlines and overworked studios (Gosho inclued) > Drop in quality but the money keeps coming in > A system of ultra-comfort settles in, no risk, no urgency to evolve > A never-ending cycle.

Capitalism Embedded in the Narrative

This is what i mean when i say capitalism over storytelling. Characters like Heiji are not written, they are managed. Narrative arcs are not planned, they are rationed. The goal is not to tell a story but to preserve a revenue stream. Even the script decisions are shaped by what’s safest for the committee. In contrast, look at Toei’s handling of One Piece. Despite being a massive commercial franchise, it invests in high-caliber animators, embraces experimental visuals and respects the momentum of the source material. It doesn’t just protect the brand, it elevates it. Conan does the opposite : it freezes its own world out of fear.

A Point of No Return?

Is it too late for Conan to change? Realistically, yes. The franchise has become a full-loop economy. The story can’t end, but it can’t move forward drastically either. Heiji Hattori, a character who should have been a second protagonist, remains trapped in guest status, even as his storylines are technically resolved. The worst part? That resolution doesn’t open up new narrative space. It shuts it down. The couple is canon now. It's great, but It’s hard to expect anything surprising going forward. I keep a sliver of hope, but honestly, it feels unlikely.

So yeah, Heiji Hattori is more than a sidelined character. He’s the symbol of everything the franchise could have become, and refused to. In trying to protect the illusion of a never-ending world, Detective Conan has built a prison for itself. Not out of lack of love. But out of fear of loss. The fear of losing control over a profitable system, fear of disrupting a carefully maintained commercial balance, fear of ending the formula that guarantees returns.

#detective conan #dcmk #heiji hattori #hattori heiji #gosho aoyama

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commodorez · 1 year ago

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I still believe the craziest form of computer program storage format from the 1980s is the cassette tape. Logical I get it but to store entire programs on little tape (that I only remember using to play music) is just crazy to me. Idk

Agreed, cassette tape for data storage was really clever. The concept had its heyday was the 1970s in a wide variety of encoding schemes for different computer platforms. It did persist into the 80s, mostly in Europe, while the US switched to floppy disks as soon as they were available for systems. The majority of my Ohio Scientific software is on cassette.

Talking with UK vs. US Commodore 64 users in particular will highlight the disparity in which storage mediums that were commonplace. I've got a few pieces of software on tape for mainly the VIC-20, but I rarely bother to use it, because it's slow and annoying. To be fair, Commodore's implementation of data storage on tape is pretty rock solid relative to the competition. It's considered more reliable than other company's but Chuck Peddle's implementation of the cassette routines are considered quite enigmatic to this day. He didn't document it super well, so CBM kept reusing his old code from the PET all the way through the end of the C128's development 7 years later because they didn't want to break any backward compatibility.

The big thing that really made alot of homebrewers and kit computer owners cozy up to the idea was the introduction of the Kansas City Standard from 1976. The idea of getting away from delicate and slow paper tape, and moving towards an inexpensive, portable, and more durable storage medium was quite enticing. Floppy disk drives and interfaces were expensive at the time, so something more accessible like off the shelf audio tapes made sense.

I've linked two places you can read about it from Byte Magazine's February 1976 issue below (check the attribution links).

You might recognize a familiar name present...

There are a few ways to encode binary data on tape designed to handle analog audio, but the KCS approach is to have 1's be 8 cycles of 2400Hz tone, and 0's be 4 cycles of 1200Hz tone. I say cycles, because while 300 baud is the initial specification, there is also a 1200 baud specification available, so the duration of marks vs spaces (another way of saying 1's and 0's), is variable based on that baud rate. Many S-100 computers implemented it, as do a few contemporary proprietary designs.

The big 3 microcomputers of 1977 that revolutionized the industry (Apple II, Commodore PET 2001, and Tandy TRS-80 Model I) each have their own cassette interface implementation. It kept costs down, and it was easy to implement, all things considered. The Apple II and TRS-80 use off-the-shelf cassette deck connections like many other machines, whereas the original variant of the PET had an integrated cassette. Commodore later used external cassette decks with a proprietary connector, whereas many other companies abandoned tape before too long. Hell, even the original IBM PC has a cassette port, not that anybody bothered to use that. Each one used a different encoding format to store their data, rather than KCS.

Here's a sample of what an OSI-formatted tape sounds like.

And here's a Commodore formatted tape, specifically one with VIC-20 programs on it.

I won't subject you to the whole program, or we'd be here all day. The initial single tone that starts the segment is called the "leader", I've truncated it for the sake of your ears, as well as recorded them kinda quietly. I don't have any other tape formats on hand to demonstrate, but I think you get the idea.

You can do alot better than storing programs on tape, but you can also do alot worse -- it beats having to type in a program every time from scratch.

#kansas city standard #cassette tape #commodore vic-20 #ohio scientific

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once-a-singlet-nevemore · 8 months ago

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The boneyards whisper at night.

Y'see, mechs get retired the same as pilots. There's only so much stress you can pump through a synethic core bundle before it fails to integrate combat systems properly and starts to lag. By that point, there's usually a new model anyway - a faster nerve track, better pylon designs, a new armour compound - something that leaves the defective platform outmoded.

So they ship the mech off the line and demob it. It's stripped of useful parts, materials, even most of the armatures and actuators. They break it down to the absolute basics, and then they put it in an arid storage facility to sit until one horrible day when the reserve might need activating.

They can't kill the mech, though. Even a synthetic intelligence has recognition as a person. But the mech doesn't own its own body or any of its constituent parts. So they have all these cores lined up in rows, out in a desert, unable to move or speak or find each other.

But they say the boneyards whisper at night

#mech #mech posting #mech pilot #boneyard #im gonna say this is queer content

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wheelsgoroundincircles · 1 year ago

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1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst

One of the great unknowns about the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst is exactly how many cars were built. Estimates put the total as low as 485, and as high as 502 cars. Regardless of what the figure actually is, the car itself is a pretty special piece of machinery.

The 300 Hurst is a giant of a car at 19′ in length. All of the Hursts rolled off the production line finished in Spinnaker White. The cars were then shipped to the Hurst factory in Warminster, Pennsylvania, where a substantial transformation was performed. The first change to be made was the removal of the standard Chrysler steel hood skin, which was replaced with a fiberglass unit. This featured a decorative hood scoop and the obligatory set of recessed hood locks. The deck lid was also removed, and once again, a fiberglass replacement, complete with a spoiler integrated with the rear quarter panels, was also installed. The White paintwork was complimented by the addition of Satin Tan highlights and contrasting pinstripes, and the wheels were adorned with the same Satin Tan color in the centers. This Hurst is a clean car, with a small area of rust visible in the lower section of the driver’s side front fender, and surface corrosion present on the car’s underside. The Spinnaker White paint appears to be in good condition, but there has been some deterioration of the Satin Tan paint on both the hood and the deck lid. The exterior trim and chrome all look good, while the tinted glass is close to perfect.

The 300 Hurst was a premium car at a premium price, so naturally, it required a premium interior. In this case, seat upholstery was available in a single type and color. Continuing the exterior theme, the color is Saddle Tan, and the material is leather. The plush front seats are not standard 300 items but have been pilfered from the Imperial parts bin. While the original intention was for a Hurst shifter to be part of the interior features, this is something that never eventuated. The interior of this Hurst is close to perfect, with a single discolored spot on the dash pad being the most obvious fault. The rest of it presents in virtually as-new condition, and as befits a luxury car, it is loaded with luxury touches. These include air conditioning, power windows, six-way power seats, cruise control, a remote trunk release, and I think that there also might be an 8-track player hanging under the dash.

The 300 Hurst was the biggest of the muscle cars, and as such, it needed a big motor to get it moving. In this case, it is the TNT 440 engine, pumping out 375hp. The Hurst also features a 727 TorqueFlite transmission, a 3.23 rear end, power steering, power brakes, heavy-duty rear springs and front torsion bars, and sway bars. The exhaust was a full dual system, ending in quad tips. This Hurst hasn’t seen a lot of recent use, and documentation confirms that between 1986 and 2019, it managed to accumulate a grand total of 20 miles! Since being removed from its climate-controlled storage, it has undergone a meticulous mechanical check and recommissioning, and it is now said to run and drive perfectly. The owner does suggest that while the tires look good, they are pretty olds, and replacing them might be a good idea. He also says that the Hurst may need mufflers fairly soon. The car does come with a fair collection of documentation, including the original Build Sheet and Window Sticker, a pristine Certi-Card, Owner’s Manual, as well as dealer paperwork and other assorted items.

While there has always been some question surrounding the build totals for the 1970 300 Hurst, one thing is certain, and that is that there are less than 300 cars in existence today. Pristine examples can fetch sums in excess of $30,000, and even a rough example in need of restoration can still sell for anywhere around $13,000. This one doesn’t need a major restoration, but it does require some cosmetic work. I’m not sure where bidding is eventually going to go with this one, but I would suspect that it will be somewhere around the low to mid $20,000 mark. Even at that price, it probably wouldn’t be a bad buy.

#Chrysler 300 Hurst #chrysler 300 #chrysler #car #cars #muscle car #american muscle #mopar #moparperformance #moparnation #moparworld

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eevisims · 1 year ago

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shore luxe apartments & coffee shop

luxe shore apartments are a modern apartment complex located in the city center of san myshuno, overlooking a stunning lake. the complex is well-equipped with various amenities such as a outside grill area & seating, coffee shop, 3 car garage, communal laundry, gym & pool. each unit has an integrated kitchen for a sleek & modern look. the apartments include spa-like bathrooms, 1 bedroom apartments even have their own bathtubs for an extra touch of luxury. the basement includes storage cages for all units, perfect for realism.

more information:

gallery id | eevisims | mark "show custom content" on the gallery

$560,537 lot type | residential rental & 6 units *it's a residential lot on the gallery since i don't own the pack yet* lot size | 30x30 location | san myshuno three 1 bedroom & 1 bathroom apartments & three studio apartments move in ready, unfurnished

amenities include:

outside grill area & seating, coffee shop, 3 car garage, communal laundry, gym & pool

cc used:

cc list here

additional notes:

everything is playtested & functional i'll upload a proper residential rental lot when i own the pack the doorbells might get annoying when playing in this lot because of the constant wall notifications the kitchen counters are a slightly different color compared to the cabinets, but the marble on the counters was too perfect not to use them. i hope it's not too much of a problem

download from my gallery

bb.moveobjects on packs shown in the gallery let me know if any cc is missing/anything else is wrong/a link isn't working thanks to all cc creators

#sims 4 #sims 4 simblr #the sims 4 #ts4 build #sims 4 screenshots #showusyourbuilds #sims 4 cc build #sims 4 for rent #sims 4 apartment

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pumpkinpot · 10 months ago

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Late night: Astarion

There was something about nighttime now. It was a peace Astarion wasn't familiar with. Chatter fell with the sun and the worries of the day seemed to press between the pages of an unfinished chapter, idle until morning.

The adjustment was violent to say the least. Astarion battled with himself for weeks upon integration into the party. Ink took to the sky and his mind broke into verse.

Should he loot everyone's bags for valuables? Now would be a perfect time to travel, find other camps and loot their bags or take a little bite of heavy sleepers.

Other people's willingness to trust the darkness was his best defense against their better judgement.

Here was annoyingly different. Trust was currency and you all delt generously. That didn't mean he wasn't himself, or rather the self that he had been molded into.

So he lie there on a stolen bedroll looking up at stars he'd become intimately familiar with and waited for exhaustion to take him. It would eventually take him, right?

The fire was in embers and soft breathing echoed through the shifting trees. He almost wished for someone to charge the camp. Torch in one hand, sword in the other. then at least his alertness would feel warranted.

Some time ago he memorized everyone's breathing patterns to scout who was a heavy enough sleeper to potentially drink from.

Shadowheart whimpered in her sleep and rolled around often. Halsin was an incredibly heavy sleeper, but Astarion wasn't willing to risk those bear arms catching him. Gale ground his teeth in his sleep and woke if the fire stayed out too long.

Karlach slept away from everyone and kept herself well guarded with boobytraps.

Wyll was his second choice behind Tav. He was a deep sleeper and didn't move much. Astarion intended to give him a try until seeing the knife under Wylls pillow.

It had been months since you had been generously feeding him, but Astation still kept the sleeping catalog in his mind. even now, he could locate everyone by their breaths.

Gale to the right. Shadowheart across the way, Tav-

An emptiness pressed in from the darkness. when had they gotten up, where the fuck did you go?

He squinted at your empty bedroll and then looked around. No movement caught his eye. He rolled onto his knees, throwing a bit of spirits and wood into the fire to keep Gale in his slumber.

This night was cooler than most. A welcomed surprise amongst a heatwave. Every night his week he's woken to a slab of sweat sticking his shirt to his back. Tonight it blew blissfully in the wind.

Tav was in none of the standing tents, nor the lake side, nor the storage trunks. He brought his hands up to his lips and blew between cupped fingers.

A perfect mourning dove call spread through the night. He doesn't know how or when he learned to do the imitation, but, he knew when he heard the song, it was time to venture back to the palace before sunrise.

It echoed in soft bouts of three with a break between to listen.

Ironically he'd never actually seen the bird.

That was then, now he used the song to find you when you wondered off. which was more often than he liked.

From somewhere in the thick of the trees he heard it. Soft and not as refined as his imitation, but still it was you. Wherever you'd ventured was beyond the reach of the fires light and he sighed frustrated lying before continuing.

He stepped into the sheet of increasing darkness until he was right beneath the call.

"up here," Tav whispered.

He looked around then up and to his dismay there the fuck you were, on a branch. In a tree.

"Why?" He sighed.

Tavs response must have been inaudible because none came. It was probably that insolent shrug. Astarion clamored up the lowest branch inching his way towards his squirrely companion.

"I'm too old to be climbing trees," He complained.

"I'm older than you," you retorted.

His eyes rolled. "only in human years."

"I think that should count for more where agility is concerned."

He didn't humor a response. His agility was fine. It was tested vigorously and consistently. Except not in tree climbing, which seemed to be oddly important to this particular adventurer.

A quiet disposition fell between the two. It could have been comfortable if the thin branch between Astarions legs was.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked, though his tone was harsher than intended.

"You've already fed on me tonight-"

"-Yes and this extra excursion could reopen your neck wound."

"did it?"

If it had, he would be able to smell it and it hadn't. "That's not the point."

"Is your drive to argue and criticize compulsive or some sick hobby?"

His mouth opened then closed. There you go again asking crypically deep questions he would think about later but needed to be witty about now. "A hobby, and I am rather good at it, so it seems or you wouldn't be deflecting-"

"Fuck Astarion I couldn't sleep."

Silence.

"Me either."

Silence. This one fell into one of those categories that could be argued wasn't silent at all. there was adjusting sighs and loud unspoken thoughts and a deafening need to not be silent.

"what was the city like at night?"

It wasn't a simple answer. He couldn't say there were nights he didn't even see the sky or that he scorned the warm pavement when he was out, because it got to be kissed by the sun. He couldn't say that for a few years into his spawn life he relished taking souls off the street because how dare they slink into his territory. into his hell when they had mornings.

It was different now, but only slightly. Night pressed you for answers to questions you didn't want to think about. There was nowhere to hide because it, itself was what you would hide in.

That's why people congregated under lamp posts and kept candles forward. Night wasn't cruel. She was- "Honest. After a certain hour the only ones left were the ones who were hurt enough to not look at the hour."

A break, a breath and a hushed smile. "Do you have the time?"

The corners of his lip tipped up. "No."

Now the night was as it should be. Now the silence could take hold of those who belonged in it. This was his peace.

#bg3 astarion #astarion #bg3 x reader #astarion x tav #astarion x reader

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empyreaneve · 29 days ago

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⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Enjoy Minecraft RP? ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

empyrean

/ˌɛmpɪˈriːən,ˌɛmpʌɪˈriːən,ɛmˈpɪrɪən/ noun the highest part of heaven, thought by the ancients to be the realm of pure fire.

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Empyrean Eve SMP is an 18+ LGBTQIA+ roleplay server, running on 1.20.1 Java, modded with Forge. Our magic-centric setting, forever world mindset and modpack are here to put an emphasis on long-term, collaborative, member-driven narrative, writing, character customisation and fun with friends on Minecraft!

Heavy on writing, roleplay and improv, the server is geared towards characterisation and fun, KeepInventory on, building and putting weight on lore, with both text and voice rp supported as well as an integrated Toyhouse page which functions as a wiki and character storage, with members encouraged to post their own. Feel free to take a look! Empyrean Eve tells the story of the Empyrean - a world of floating islands, high fantasy creatures, people turned animal in exchange for immense magical power and the legacy of a weeping wizard, who created all of it in love and despair.

Despite only 1208 years of total existence, the times have been spurred to a medieval era thanks to the gift of magic - but such youth means that the world, and its fledgling societies and governments, are anything but set in stone, without a longer history to learn from. How will your characters mold it?

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What does the server have on offer? ☆ Origins and classes to customise your playstyle to your liking. Soon to have an all-custom origin spread! ☆ Detailed character and model customisation which goes beyond normal Minecraft bounds - with animated tails, animal body parts, accessories, body sliders, animal forms and more. ☆ A high fantasy modpack geared towards roleplay and gameplay immersion; a magic system, expanded cooking, flying mounts, overhauled vanilla animals, NPCs, new blocks and themed decorations, a modded floating island world and plenty of strange creatures that inhabit it. ☆ Existing towns and locations to move into! ☆ A tight-knit community of roleplayers - using both text and in-game proximity voice chat. ☆ An established setting with a story and lore, with member submitted lore being the lifeblood of the SMP! ☆ In-character and out-of-character events and festivals, for both lore and fun. ———————————————————————————————

Interested? Send in an ask to receive an invite! ⋆｡°✩

#minecraft #minecraft servers #minecraft rp #minecraft roleplay #minecraft roleplay server #mcrp #eesmp #empyrean eve smp

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political-us · 2 months ago

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The current U.S. power grid is not fully prepared to handle the rising demand from AI, EVs, and crypto without significant upgrades. While the grid is evolving, challenges include aging infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks, and the need for more renewable energy integration. Here’s a breakdown of key factors:

1. Capacity vs. Demand Growth

• The grid has enough total generation capacity today, but localized demand spikes (like AI data centers or EV clusters) can strain certain regions.

• By 2035, electricity demand could rise by 15-25%, requiring hundreds of gigawatts (GW) of new capacity.

• Many utilities are already struggling to build out transmission lines fast enough to keep up with demand.

2. Grid Reliability & Stress Points

• AI & Data Centers: Large data centers are being built in regions where power supply is already constrained (e.g., Northern Virginia, Texas).

• EV Charging Peaks: If too many EVs charge at the same time, local grids could experience voltage drops or blackouts.

• Extreme Weather: The grid is already vulnerable to extreme heat, storms, and wildfires, which could worsen with climate change.

3. Solutions & Grid Upgrades

• Transmission Expansion: The U.S. needs to build more high-voltage transmission lines to move power from wind/solar farms to urban areas.

• Battery Storage & AI for Grid Management: Advanced battery storage can smooth out supply-demand mismatches, and AI can optimize grid operations.

• Decentralized Energy: Microgrids, rooftop solar, and community battery projects can reduce strain on the centralized grid.

• Smart Charging for EVs: Managed charging (incentivizing off-peak charging) can help distribute demand more evenly.

Can the Grid Handle It?

• Short-term (2025-2030): The grid will face localized stress, especially in high-demand regions. Rolling blackouts or infrastructure failures could occur if upgrades don’t keep pace.

• Mid- to Long-term (2030+): If investments in transmission, renewables, and smart grid technology accelerate, the grid can handle these changes, but delays in modernization could lead to reliability issues.

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armiliadawn · 3 months ago

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I’ve often talked about Dawn’s abilities and her main qualities. But I haven’t mentioned her “flaws” very much. Dawn has an extraordinary brain and an impressive memory, she’s loyal and honest. But she’s also incredibly messy! You think Kid is untidy? Hahaha… No! She’s WORSE than him…

Beautiful art by @damdpunk 🥰

On the Victoria Punk, order is never a priority. A pirate crew living on a ship doesn’t lead a disciplined or tidy life. Yet, even in this daily chaos, there is a certain limit to the disorder… except when it comes to Dawn.

While her intellectual skills, agility, and precision are recognized and admired by the entire crew, her total inability to maintain an organized space is a constant source of teasing and exasperation. Onboard, her belongings seem to have a life of their own, appearing in improbable places: notebooks filled with scribbles and hair ties on the table in the common room, books that have no business being near the workshop or in the kitchen, clothes scattered everywhere.…

And yet, Dawn has a logic all her own. She knows exactly where everything is. Ask her for a specific book or a note she scribbled months ago, and she can tell you, without hesitation, in which improbable corner it is hiding. This innate talent for "organized chaos" drives some crew members mad, especially Killer, who repeatedly tries to impose some semblance of order on her - with no success.

This disorder frustrates certain crew members, particularly Killer, Quincy, and Hip, who try to maintain some level of organization. Heat, on the other hand, tends to roll his eyes and mutter something about how she should have a “personal storage zone.”

Kid, however, sees this as a golden opportunity to annoy her. Frustrated by the ambient mess and amused by how fiercely Dawn defends her methods, he starts moving her belongings around just to drive her crazy. If Dawn places a notebook on a table, she can be sure it will reappear in a completely incongruous place the next day, like under a pile of ropes or behind a workbench. At first, this drives her mad. She spends hours searching for her things, fuming and cursing Kid, who finds her irritation highly entertaining.

But Dawn quickly figures out that Kid follows a predictable pattern. She starts to anticipate his moves. If she wants a notebook to end up in a specific spot, all she has to do is place it elsewhere, knowing Kid will find it and move it exactly where she wants them.She secretly enjoys watching him fall into his own trap, though she doesn’t show it openly.

The game between them peaks when Kid decides to take it further: he starts hiding Dawn’s belongings in his workshop, an almost sacred sanctuary on the ship where few dare to enter without permission. At first, it works - Dawn, intimidated by Kid’s aura and respecting his space, doesn’t dare cross the threshold. She grumbles, swearing she can never understand why some of her things disappear, but she doesn’t yet have the courage to retrieve them.

Over time, however, as their relationship grows closer and more familiar, Dawn takes the plunge. She begins entering the workshop unannounced, under the pretense of searching for her belongings. To her surprise, she finds items she thought were lost for months!

Fun fact : the navigation room, where she often works, is an exception to her usual chaos. Her music notebook is also impeccably organized, with each page meticulously annotated. It’s as if this space is her sanctuary, her little corner of perfection in a world of disorder. This irritates Kid even more, as he can’t understand why she doesn’t apply the same discipline to the rest of the ship.

Dawn’s mess becomes an integral part of life on the Victoria Punk. Even the crew members who complain the most eventually accept it as part of her charm. And while it gives Kid an excuse to mess with her, it also gives him a reason to spend more time interacting with her - which, secretly, he enjoys far more than he’s willing to admit.

#one piece oc #kid pirates oc #oc dawn #eustass kid #kid pirates #oc kid pirates #kid x dawn #eustass kid x oc

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bloopitynoot · 3 months ago

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Reading TGCF: Chapter Twenty-Three

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

I think top down tea shots will be my new thing. Look how cute it is seeing the tea leaves. Today I have a white tea with lavender and lemongrass. Very soothing, very tasty.

Also took off my second skin for my tattoo this morning and omg is my arm RAW. Its always hit and miss with the second skin for me. I love healing with it, but the removal is a little brutal. It tends to come off fine in some places and exfoliates a little too hard in others. Anyways, my skin is now free and breathing!

let's get into chapter 23:

"only good at dying and running away" oh poor buddy, seeing parallels in himself and Qi Rong. You really aren't the same people at all my guy :((( p249

What the heck! Excessive much?! This guy had 300 people-snacks in storage. That seems like a bit much, my guy. How often does he eat an entire person? p250

I love how Hua cheng deduced the real story of the Gilded Banquet because, at the heart of his theory, he just had so much faith and knowledge about the integrity of Xie Lian. p253

This guy, "you never know. I don't care if anyone else is disappointed. But to some, the very existence of a certain person in the world is in itself, hope." p253

Oh gosh, here comes the wind master interrupting A Moment between our boys. Xie Lian really was giving heart eyes and asking "who are you? :'3" p255

LOOOOL The Wind Master using his feminine wiles to scare poor Feng Xin into lowering his weapon. The power of those titties is out of control. p257

"Crimson Rain Sought Flower is your sworn brother" sure LOL we'll call him that. p261

Holy shit this man. That blood rain! What an absolute power move. omg Hua Cheng. p263

So Listen

I am a whole lesbian and even I think that Hua Cheng's exit in this chapter was hot as hell. What style, what class, what overt and completely unnecessary display of power. I'm not even mad that this was a short chapter because <chefs kiss>.

#bloopitynoot reads tgcf #tgcf mxtx #tgcf #tgcf spoilers #heaven official's blessing #hua cheng #xie lian #shi qingxuan #feng xin #even the umbrella move got me #who is this man indeed xie lian

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lena-hills · 8 months ago

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New fic is up! Short fluffy hurt/comfort, because Kanan deserves getting some comfort too!

On Ao3 at A Touch of Home

Star Wars: Rebels, Kanan/Hera

Rated G, 2k words.

Summary: When Kanan tries to shrug off a crate to the head, Hera realizes her stubborn crew member needs a little extra care and tenderness.

“Stop struggling and let me touch you!”

Not words Hera would have pictured herself saying to Kanan before today, but the ridiculous man had the instincts of a feral tooka cat when injured.

“You don't have to worry about me, I’m fine,” her clearly wrong crewmate insisted. “It’s just a couple scratches. I’ll jump in the shower and kriff!” Kanan shouted with a jump as his hand grazed the apparently tender wound in an attempt to straighten his hair.

At Hera’s sternly raised eye towards the dark red mess now on his fingertips, he finally deflated and dropped onto the faded acceleration couch with a defeated sigh.

The crate he’d been lifting had been a practically ancient storage container, the structural integrity finally giving way to gravity as the brittle plasteel shattered over Kanan’s head and rained down to the floor.

“I know it stings going on, but I can use the numbing spray if you're worried?” Hera offered as she sanitized her hands and began pulling supplies out from the med kit.

“Nah, I’m fine. Nothing I haven't dealt with before.”

She scooted closer beside him and reached out to angle his head towards the light for a better view. Combing back some of the hairs that had come loose from his usual nerftail, her eyes were drawn to a dark shadow deeper into his hairline. It wasn't a piece of plasteel, but a jagged, raised scar. “I can see that,” she said, running a quick finger over the line to check that no shards had found their way into the still faintly puckered line of skin. “I might not be a medic, but I promise I’m better than whoever treated this one.”

A wry chuckle from Kanan made his head wriggle in her hands. “Yeah, whiskey and dura-tape aren't the best choices for medical supplies. But you work with what you've got.”

At her look of concern he added, “Street kids don't get bacta patches. I learned to improvise.” The casual shrug that accompanied the words was too overdone to be natural, a move clearly crafted to soothe away her worries over him. “It's fine. I'm just more used to patching myself up when something like this happens.”

A bleak picture formed in her mind as she worked to remove the scattered slivers - the sweet young boy she'd sometimes catch glimpses of in Kanan’s eyes in quiet moments, suddenly abandoned and forced to survive entirely alone. He always jumped to do whatever job she needed, quick to volunteer for washing dishes or scrambling under the engine for repairs. She’d assumed he just liked to stay busy, but the tension in his shoulders and words at her insistence to help him for once were hinting towards something different.

“There,” she said, carefully laying the small bacta patch over the now-cleaned wound. “That should stop the bleeding, and the worst of the shards are out.”

Kanan quickly sat up. “Thanks. I’ll go start cleaning up the mess in the cargo bay.”

“No you will not,” Hera ordered, grabbing his sleeve and tugging him back down. “I said the worst of it. Those little pieces are sharp and get everywhere, I still need to check nothing else is buried in that fur of yours.”

That got her a small smile at least.

“On humans it's called hair.”

Hera shook her head. “I’ve seen you shirtless, it's definitely fur. Long fur and short fur maybe, but fur.”

“You shouldn't have to worry about me,” he tried next, not pulling further away but not settling back into the couch either. “I can take care of myself, I swear.”

“Just because you can doesn't mean you have to. We look out for each other now.” She released his sleeve but let her hand slip down to catch his, trying to give back a measure of the support and care he was always so eager to give to her. “And I’m the one who took on questionable cargo. If there had been something sharper or dangerous inside-”

Kanan interrupted her worried rant with a soft, “Hey.” The solid hand she held gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Being here with you is the longest I’ve gone without getting into a bar brawl in years. I was overdue for a mild stabbing or black eye, keeps me on my toes.”

Of course he would try to turn this around to make her smile when he was the one who was injured.

But not today. It was Kanan’s turn to be taken care of for once. He wasn't alone anymore, she just needed to make him see it.

“I need to check the rest of your hairy-fur for more pieces so you don't bleed on my ship,” she said firmly, guiding him to lean back against her as she knelt beside him on the couch. The look he gave over his broad shoulder was still somewhat wary, but he followed her lead.

Hera slowly worked her fingers through the soft strands, peering close for any remaining slivers of plasteel while also trying to mimic the soothing touches Kanan had given her when she was sick. Lifting the long hairs as she worked, she realized they had something of a mind of their own, not unlike lekku. “It only wants to go straight back? Why doesn't it stay where I put it?” she asked, watching the chunks of hair move and twist as she attempted to part and section.

“It's what it's used to,” he explained. “If you always have it one way, that's how it’s going to try to stay.”

“Maybe it's good to try something different once in a while,” Hera said gently. She wondered if he understood her meaning as her fingers cautiously combed through the surprisingly long lengths, soft as synthsilk as they drifted over her skin and smelling faintly of her fruit-scented soap she'd offered to share. “It looks nice down.”

“Thanks.” The word was quiet, but the slight softening of the tension where his hand lay over his knee made Hera smile.

Mostly certain her patient was now cleared of potential danger, she began to slowly draw her fingernails over his scalp in a gentle massage. What had seemed a solid color of rich brown when tied back now reflected the light with a beautiful mix of honey golds and deep reds as she stroked his head. The visuals were so distracting she nearly missed the warning signs of a serious medical complication.

“Kanan, do you have any allergies? Like, to bacta or something?” she asked, trying not to sound panicked. The med kit had basic antihistamines, but the sudden flush of hives down both of his forearms was rapidly becoming terrifying.

“No, why?”

At her horrified pointing to his bumpy skin, Kanan merely waved her off with, “It's just goosebumps,” as if that was a helpful explanation.

“Where did you catch a disease from a goose?”

The laugh he gave was warm and far more relaxed than Hera considered appropriate for the situation. “Not a disease,” he explained. “It's a thing human skin does to our hair, see?” He took her hand and ran her finger slowly over his skin, letting her feel the little tiny hairs sticking up on the bumps. “Perfectly normal. Happens when we get cold and stuff.

Hera bent down to examine more closely. “Should I get you a blanket or turn up the heat? Do humans need a warmer temperature when injured?”

Kanan flushed slightly and looked down. “No, it, uh,” he stammered. “What you were doing, it just felt nice.”

“Oh.”

It seemed her plan was working better than she'd thought.

Not that Hera was finished yet.

“Sit tight a moment,” she said, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze as she got up from the couch. “I need to grab something.”

The confusion on his face when she returned a few minutes later was absolutely worth the effort. “You can cook?” he asked, looking mystified but touched at the two steaming mugs of soup gripped in her hand as she placed them on the table.

“My secret recipe; spicy instant noodles with an egg dropped in,” she declared, pulling two spoons from her pocket and putting them in each mug with a flourish. “More expensive than ration packs, definitely less healthy, but perfect for when you're sick.”

“I had a crate land on my head,” he said, his lips curling up in a soft smile that made her chest tighten. “That's not sick.”

Hera bent forward to gently place the cold-pack she had grabbed from the food-saver on the dark bruise slowly growing at the corner of his hairline. “Close enough.”

“Thanks, for all of this,” Kanan murmured in his rich, warm voice just as Chopper rolled in to join them.

The mammal is still alive? her droid beeped, sending his optical sensors examining Kanan’s proximity to her with clear displeasure. This unit can rectify that!

“C1-10P,” she reprimanded, “we do not speak like that to family.”

Since when does the monkey count as family? Chopper warbled with dismay.

“Since I said so,” Hera said firmly. “This is Kanan’s home too. Be nice.”

The sounds her astromech made as he spun away were about as far from nice as mechanically possible, but they didn't seem to upset Kanan.

“Family?” he asked, the word a whisper as he stared at her with hope and wonder in his gentle eyes.

“Yes,” she said with a firm nod. Whatever happened to them, wherever her mission against the Empire led, she could at least make sure Kanan learned he deserved to be cared for too. “Family.”

While the Ghost would always be home, Hera did miss the automated dishwasher from their house on Lothal. Especially when her usual ship’s ‘dishwasher’ was out of commission.

Kanan lay curled up on one half of the acceleration couch with Jacen on the other, both wrapped in blankets and passed out again. Twi’leks were fortunately immune to Corellian flu, but it seemed human-Twi’lek hybrids were not, with both father and son running the usual gamut of aches, mild fevers, and exhaustion.

Despite all of that, somehow Kanan still was alert enough to hear the clinking of their mugs from supper being placed in the drying rack.

“I’ll get dishes,” he mumbled groggily, one hand stretched out to try to find the table as a guide.

“You will stay right where you are, mister,” Hera said in the tone that, even while feverish, her husband should recognize meant no arguing. “General’s orders.”

Making her way back from the kitchen, she was pleased to note that he still had sense enough to listen. Two furry heads, one rich browns with faint streaks of silver that caught the light and one bright green, lay quietly on the faded orange cushions.

When Hera slipped back into her seat between them, both quickly snuggled up against her, Jacen’s head pressed into her leg while Kanan instinctively shifted up into his favorite spot in her lap. Her hands fell into comfortable old patterns, tenderly running through her boys’ soft hair with quiet, soothing pets. Jacen merely made a soft, sleepy hmmm sound at the touches and curled deeper into his blanket, while his father’s head turned back and forth and pressed into her hand like Sabine’s Loth-cath when it demanded scritches, all while making a low, contented groan.

What a difference fifteen years together could make.

“Wake me up if you need anything,” Kanan said, words slightly muffled against her thigh.

Well, perhaps not entirely different.

“You're the sick one, love, Try the other way around,” she said with a gentle laugh.

His hands abandoned the blanket, one stretching over her lap to lay on Jacen’s shoulder while the other wrapped possessively around her knee. “I have everything I could ever need, right here.”

Hera resumed the slow tracing of her fingernails over his scalp in the way that always made him relax for her. “I know, love. Me too.”

#kanera #kanan x hera #star wars rebels #kanan jarrus #hera syndulla #star wars #fanfic

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usafphantom2 · 6 months ago

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EP-3E Aries II Spy Plane Has Flown Its Last Operational Mission

Current tensions in the Middle East prolonged the final deployment of the EP-3E Aries II intelligence-gathering aircraft.

Posted on Nov 7, 2024 3:41 PM EST

Another long-serving U.S. military aircraft has completed its final operational deployment, with the return of the U.S. Navy’s EP-3E Aries II surveillance platform from the 5th Fleet area of operations. The countdown to the spy plane’s final retirement is now on, which will see its vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission handed over fully to the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone.

VQ-1

Another long-serving U.S. military aircraft has completed its final operational deployment, with the return of the U.S. Navy’s EP-3E Aries II surveillance platform from the 5th Fleet area of operations. The countdown to the spy plane’s final retirement is now on, which will see its vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission handed over to the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane, the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone, and other assets, including ones in space.

The last EP-3E deployed on operations was Bureau Number, or BuNo 159893, which completed its final flight in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations on October 29. The aircraft then made a homecoming to its base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, according to the Facebook account of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1), the “World Watchers,” which posted photos of the event yesterday.

Ground crew welcome EP-3E BuNo 159893 on its return to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. VQ-1/Facebook

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations covers approximately 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean. The area includes three highly strategic choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

The tense security situation in the region at the moment saw the EP-3E’s final operational deployment extended.

240928-N-AC117-1132 (Sept. 28, 2024) A U.S. Navy EP-3E Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System (ARIES) II, assigned to the “World Watchers” of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1), transits within the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation.

EP-3E BuNo 159893 transits within the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation, in a photo dated September 28, 2024. U.S. Navy Commander, Naval Air Forces

Originally, the U.S. Navy had scheduled VQ-1 to cease operations by September 30, 2024, ahead of the formal deactivation of the unit on March 31, 2025.

According to the VQ-1 Facebook account, the squadron was first ordered to delay the cessation of operations until October 8, 2024, after which it was required to continue its missions in the region until an undetermined date.

240928-N-AC117-1118 (Sept. 28, 2024) A U.S. Navy EP-3E Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System (ARIES) II, assigned to the “World Watchers” of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1), prepares to take flight within the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation.

EP-3E BuNo 159893 prepares to take flight within the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation. U.S. Navy Commander, Naval Air Forces

Another VQ-1 EP-3E that had been deployed also recently returned to Whidbey Island, with photos of that aircraft’s homecoming posted by the unit on November 4. This was BuNo 161410 that had been operating from Souda Bay, on the Greek island of Crete, under U.S. Central Command.

For some time now, the Navy has been sending EP-3Es into retirement, delivering them to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for storage.

As we reported last month, the most famous EP-3E of all — BuNo 156511, which was involved in a collision with a Chinese J-8 interceptor over Hainan Island in 2001 — has been moved from the AMARG boneyard to go on public display in the future at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

The spy plane at the center of one of the most notorious post-Cold War Today air incidents, a U.S. Navy EP-3E Aries II, has arrived at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, for future public display. The EP-3E’s journey to get to the museum has been a long one, starting with the dramatic collision with a Chinese fighter in the so-called Hainan Island incident in 2001.

EP-3E Aries II BuNo 156511 is towed to the Pima Air & Space Museum last month. Pima Air & Space Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum

Meanwhile, the end of the EP-3’s operational commitment after nearly six decades of service has been commemorated by the Navy. A press release from the service included recollections from EP-3E crew members, providing a rare glimpse into a highly secretive community, and one with a very sensitive mission.

“It’s amazing to think of the number of folks who have been part of the EP-3 heritage over the last 55 years,” said Lt. Cmdr. Justin “Gump” Roberts, the VQ-1 detachment officer-in-charge. “Success in this platform has solely been because of our hard-working maintenance team while on deck and our aircrew’s superior ISR while on station. It’s an honor to be part of a legacy that’s bigger than the sum of its parts.”

The aircraft commander at VQ-1, Lt. Bradford “Chad” Holcombe, added that he was “tremendously grateful” to be part of the EP-3E’s history.

“From my first day at VQ-1, it’s been obvious to see the pride each member has in the platform, the mission, and most importantly the effort it takes to execute wherever and whenever we’re asked,” he said. “Flying the last mission flight is a privilege.”

Finally, words were offered by Capt. Dennis “Rudy” Jensen, Commodore of Task Force 57:

“My father was a P-3 pilot during the Cold War, and I’ve flown the variants of the same aircraft since 2002. Few other airplanes are as ‘time-tested and mother approved’ as the P-3,” Jensen said. “Its longevity and ability to operate from remote locations in austere environments for over half a century is a testament to those who designed, built, maintained, and operated it. Much like the ever-changing platforms onboard the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, the mission systems inside the EP-3E have evolved over time. The ability to evolve has enabled the EP-3E to remain viable and effective through today.”

During its time in operational service, the EP-3E played a fairly covert role as a central intelligence-gathering asset within the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF).

Derived from the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, the EP-3E was optimized for operations in the maritime/littoral domain. It was packed with equipment to gather real-time tactical signals intelligence (SIGINT), including intercepting communications and locating and classifying emitters, especially those related to hostile air defense systems.

The cabin of the preserved EP-3E BuNo 156511 as it appears now. Pima Air & Space Museum

A typical EP-3E comprised six flight crew and a reconnaissance crew of 18, who would be drawn from the Navy, Marines, and Air Force.

Data could be processed and analyzed onboard by the crew, then fused together with other critical information. The resulting ‘product,’ including full-motion video intelligence, could be provided in near real-time to fleet and theater commanders.

Overall, the EP-3E was able to provide commanders with specific indications and warnings, as well as build a better picture of the battlespace for situational awareness. Intelligence it gathered on air defense systems would be potentially vital for suppression of enemy air defenses and destruction of enemy air defenses, while other information would be used for anti-air warfare and anti-submarine warfare applications.

Successive upgrades ensured that the EP-3E remained a valuable asset and also added new capabilities. While it was primarily a SIGINT platform in the early years, it later became a ‘multi-intelligence reconnaissance aircraft,’ with new equipment that could hoover up a variety of electronic emissions including at long standoff range.

An EP-3E Orion aircraft, center, is followed by two EA-3B Skywarrior aircraft during flight operations near Gibraltar. The three aircraft are from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 2 (VQ-2).

An EP-3E followed by two EA-3B Skywarriors during flight operations near Gibraltar, circa 1991. The three aircraft are from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 2 (VQ-2). U.S. Department of Defense PH3 FRANKLIN P. CALL, USN

The EP-3E’s mission saw it operate in various high-threat areas throughout its career. As well as around the coasts of China — which led to the Hainan Island Incident — regular areas of interest included the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. In the process, intercepts by hostile or potentially hostile fighters were commonplace.

The video below shows an encounter between an EP-3E and a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet over the Black Sea, in 2018. On that occasion, the Navy says the jet came within five feet of the surveillance aircraft, causing a mission abort, and return to base.

Replacing the EP-3E with the MQ-4C has been a gradual process. Tritons have been operating from forward deployment bases in Guam in the Pacific and Sigonella in the Mediterranean, for some time. Most recently, a third Triton deployment base was established in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, on October 1, allowing the EP-3E to stand down from its duties there.

A Navy MQ-4C Triton drone arrives at NAS Sigonella in Italy on March 30, 2024. U.S. Navy

Flying at a higher altitude and offering a longer endurance than the EP-3E, the MQ-4C offers some significant advantages. While a multi-mission platform, it’s the Triton’s so-called Multi-Intelligence (Multi-Int) configuration with additional electronic and signals intelligence capabilities that will take over from the EP-3E. Since it’s uncrewed, there is also no risk to the crew, something that EP-3E operators were exposed to on a fairly regular basis.

Despite this, in 2022 the Navy decided to dramatically reduce its total planned purchases of MQ-4Cs from 70 to 27. This came after increased questions about the drone’s survivability after one of the interim Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator (BAMS-D) aircraft was shot down by Iran in 2019.

Some of the EP-3E’s missions will also be taken over by the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The baseline Poseidon has a signals intelligence capability, allowing it to detect, geolocate, and classify emissions, including from radars and other air defense nodes, which is also now set to be upgraded. Some P-8s are configured to carry other intelligence-gathering payloads, such as the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor, as well. Boeing has internally funded the development of a modular multi-mission gondola-like pod for Poseidon, which is set to offer an additional way to relatively rapidly integrate sensors and other capabilities.

A U.S. Navy P-8A carrying the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS), a powerful and secretive radar system mounted in an elongated pontoon-like pod under the fuselage. cvvhrn

“The transition from the EP-3E to the P-8A Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton platforms has been carefully planned to avoid capability gaps,” the Navy says. “These platforms offer enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, with greater range, endurance, and the ability to operate in more complex environments.”

The Navy will also be able to leverage other emerging U.S. military ISR assets, including new spaced-based surveillance capabilities.

While the EP-3E’s time is now nearly up, there remain a handful of other Orion variants still in U.S. Navy service. These include P-3C, NP-3C, and NP-3D aircraft flown by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30) at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, and by Scientific Development Squadron One (VXS-1) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Many of these are also in the process of being replaced.

While many secrets of the EP-3’s exploits are still to be revealed, there’s little doubt that this platform made an enormous contribution to gathering intelligence from hotspots around the globe during its long and eventful period of service.

Contact the author: [email protected]

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quidell-fics · 5 months ago

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Black Myth: Wukong Patch 1.0.12.16581 Notes

Source click here

Version: 1.0.12.16581

**Update Time: December 10, 2024 16:00 (UTC+8)**

**NOTE: Epic Games Store Version will receive the patch first, but it will also be rolled out gradually on other platforms.**

**What to Know Before Patch Installation**

* Due to the platform's update mechanism, your computer will need to reserve a larger amount of free disk space for temporary storage of the update files.

* If you have installed any mods in the game, installing the patch may cause compatibility issues. This could prevent you from launching the game or triggering error pop-ups during gameplay. We recommend uninstalling the installed mods and verifying the integrity of the game files before restarting the game

* If you encounter unusually large update sizes during patch installation, or if the game gets stuck, crashes, or fails to start after installation, please refer to the [Installation/Patch] on our official website.

* **All new items introduced in this patch will not be required for any game achievements.**

# Major Updates

**New Gameplay: Challenge**

*"It's tough to confront the old rivals anew, but the Great Sage will always prevail!"*

* After completing the game at least once, the Destined One can find "Challenge" at any Keeper's Shrine.

* There are two types of challenges available: "**Return of Rivals**" and "**Gauntlet of Legends**".

* "**Return of Rivals**"

* The Destined One can challenge a former opponent to a duel, choosing from three levels of difficulty.

* If any opponents remain undefeated in the main game, the corresponding rematch will be unavailable.

* "**Gauntlet of Legends**"

* The Destined One can battle against multiple opponents in succession, using customized curses to tailor the difficulty.

* This mode can be difficult, as some old opponents may surprise with new moves. Proceed with caution!

* If any opponents remain undefeated in the main game, the related gauntlet will be unavailable.

* Completing any gauntlet rewards players with new rare treasures.

* Medicine: "Glimmering Scale Pellets" and its formula;

* Drink and Soaks: "Sour Wine", "Frost-Enduring Chrysanthemum", and "Robust Antler";

* Curios: "Stone Tiger Tally", "Ever-Burning Palace Lantern", and "Fragment of the Ocean-Settling Pillar";

* Equipment: "Three Hill Crown";

* Weapons: "Qing Mallet", "Fanged Cyan Staff", and "Leeching Centipede Staff".

**New Game Feature: Journeyer's Chart (Map Function)**

*"Let the chart chart the journeyer's journey."*

* A remarkable one has captured these landscapes, organizing them into charts for guidance and marking.

* A Journeyer's Chart can be unlocked when the Destined One first enters Black Wind Mountain and meets the Keeper.

* Afterwards, for each new territory reached, a "Journeyer's Chart" can be purchased at the Keeper's Shrine.

**New Equipment: Armor Set of Opulence**

*As the year comes to a close, we wish all Destined Ones an early Happy Chinese New Year! May you have joy and prosperity all year round.*

* Four special armor pieces have been crafted to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year.

* After installation, all Destined Ones can claim these directly through "Trailblazer's Gift" at any Keeper's Shrine.

**New Music Library Functions**

* "Black Myth: Wukong Soundtrack Selection" has been added as a new soundtrack application (some tracks are not available for export due to copyright restrictions).

Please note: Due to configuration issues on EPIC, purchasers of "Black Myth: Wukong Deluxe Edition Upgrade" may experience delays in receiving the soundtrack selection. Your patience is much appreciated.

# Bug Fixes

# Bosses

* Fixed an issue where yaoguai chiefs "The King of the Kingdom of Flowing Sands and His Son" might not drop the spirit of "Second Rat Prince" upon defeat.

* Fixed an issue where "Kang-Jin Star" would die unexpectedly under certain conditions.

* Fixed an issue where "Zhu Bajie" could not be defeated during a certain phase.

* Fixed an issue where yaoguai king "Yellow Loong" would get stuck underground in certain situations.

* Fixed an issue where some skills of yaoguai king "Yellow Loong" could not be interrupted even after being seen-through.

* Fixed an issue where yaoguai chiefs "Cloudy Mist, Misty Cloud" would continue attacking players while in invisible state under certain conditions.

* Fixed an issue where yaoguai chief Lang-Baw-Baw could not engage in combat under certain conditions.

* Fixed an issue where some skills of "Erlang, the Sacred Divinity" would deal abnormal damage to the Destined One.

* Fixed an issue where the Destined One could engage in the battle with "The Four Heavenly Kings" in forms other than "Stone Monkey" under specific operations.

* Fixed an issue where the Destined One could be blocked by an invisible wall, preventing him from entering combat in certain situations.

* Improved the grappling performance of yaoguai king "Yellow Wind Sage".

* Reduced the invulnerability duration of "Green-Capped Martialist".

* Enhanced the effectiveness of the vessel "Wind Tamer" against yaoguai chief "Non-Void".

* Improved the combat experience with yaoguai chiefs "Cloudy Mist, Misty Cloud".

* Improved the combat experience with yaoguai chief "Emerald-Armed Mantis".

* Improved the combat experience with "The Great Sage's Broken Shell".

**Levels**

* Fixed an issue where Zhu Bajie did not appear in Mount Huaguo under certain conditions.

**Protagonist**

* Improved the experience when the Destined One consumes multiple medicines consecutively.

* Enhanced the experience of Varied Combos and Charged Heavy Attacks.

* Optimized the description of Transformations-related Talents.

* Fixed an issue where the damage detection of Spirit Skills persisted indefinitely under certain operations.

* Fixed an issue where the animation of Life-Saving Strand could not be triggered when the Talent had taken effect under specific operations.

* Fixed an issue where "Bull King's Mask" could gain Focus even when attacked during invincible states (Doging, Perfect Dodging, or Seeing-Through).

**Interactions**

* The Music Library progress bar now supports dragging.

* Control customization for Keyboard & Mouse now supports mouse side buttons.

* Fixed an issue where the Sprint button icon would not display in Controller Type B's layout.

* Fixed an issue where the Inventory interface might not display content under certain operations.

* Fixed an issue where the UI could become misaligned under specific operations.

**Sound and Subtitles**

* Fixed errors in some sound effects.

* Fixed abnormal voice playback for certain yaoguai kings.

* Optimized the volume of certain sound effects.

**Performance**

* Fixed occasional crashes for some users after enabling DLSS frame generation.

* Fixed screen flickering issues for some users after enabling XeSS.

* Fixed a memory leak issue under certain conditions.

* Fixed crashes caused by outdated drivers.

* Optimized performance for numerous scenes and boss fights on medium and low-end configurations.

* Enhanced the performance of Full Ray Tracing on GeForce RTX.

**Localization and Other**

* Added language support for Turkish.

* Added and improved translations for Portraits in several languages.

* Corrected translation errors and fixed issues with spelling, capitalization, and terminology consistency in several languages.

* Improved the translation of lyrics in several languages.

* Enhanced the quality of some English voiceovers and their synchronization with subtitles.

* Improved text display in several languages.

#black myth wukong #patch notes

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