#contract maintenance software

[instacoolacrepairs]

How Regular AC Maintenance Can Save You Money in Dubai

Preventing Costly Repairs Through Early Detection

Regular air conditioning maintenance is one of the smartest investments a homeowner or business in Dubai can make. In a city where the AC runs for the better part of the year due to extreme heat, units are subjected to continuous wear and tear. Without routine servicing, minor issues that could have been resolved early often evolve into major, expensive repairs. Maintenance appointments give technicians the chance to detect potential problems such as refrigerant leaks, electrical faults, or worn-out components before they escalate. Catching these problems early means less downtime, fewer emergency calls, and significantly lower repair bills in the long run.

Improving Energy Efficiency to Lower Monthly Bills

One of the most direct ways that regular AC maintenance saves money is through improved energy efficiency. When an air conditioner is not cleaned or tuned properly, it has to work much harder to cool your space. Dirty filters, clogged coils, and low refrigerant levels can force the system to consume more electricity, leading to higher utility bills. In contrast, a well-maintained AC system runs smoothly, with optimal airflow and performance. Over time, the savings on energy bills can be substantial, especially in a place like Dubai, where cooling costs often make up a large portion of a household’s or office’s energy expenses.

Extending the Lifespan of Your AC System

Another financial benefit of regular O-general Service Center is the extension of the unit’s lifespan. Air conditioning systems are not cheap, and premature replacement due to neglect can be a heavy blow to your budget. Scheduled tune-ups keep all moving parts lubricated, filters clean, and components in good condition, which collectively reduce the strain on the system. With proper maintenance, an AC unit can function efficiently for many years beyond its expected service life. This means fewer replacements over time and a higher return on your original investment.

Ensuring Optimal Cooling Performance During Harsh Summers

Dubai’s intense summer heat makes a well-functioning AC unit a necessity, not a luxury. Regular maintenance ensures that your system is always ready to perform at its best during peak heat seasons. Without it, you may find yourself dealing with inadequate cooling, hot spots in your home, or even a complete system failure during the worst part of the summer. These disruptions not only cause discomfort but also result in emergency repair charges, which are typically much higher. Consistent servicing avoids these last-minute expenses and ensures consistent comfort throughout the year.

Reducing the Risk of Emergency Breakdowns

Emergency AC failures can be both inconvenient and expensive. In Dubai’s scorching climate, a broken AC unit can make living conditions unbearable, leading to urgent calls for repair services, which often come with premium charges. Regular maintenance significantly reduces the likelihood of these breakdowns by keeping the system in check and functioning reliably. A small investment in regular upkeep can prevent the need for high-cost, urgent repairs, allowing you to plan and budget your AC expenses more effectively.

Maintaining Indoor Air Quality and Health

Poorly maintained AC units often circulate dust, allergens, and even mold spores throughout your home or office. This not only affects your health but also can lead to the need for additional cleaning services or medical expenses, especially for those with allergies or respiratory conditions. Regular cleaning of filters and ductwork during maintenance visits ensures healthier indoor air. Better air quality reduces the chances of sickness and promotes a more productive and comfortable indoor environment, saving you money on both health-related costs and cleaning expenses over time.

Conclusion: A Smart Choice for Long-Term Savings

In a city like Dubai, where air conditioning is a daily necessity, regular AC maintenance is not just a preventative measure—it’s a cost-saving strategy. From reducing energy bills and avoiding emergency repairs to extending equipment lifespan and preserving indoor air quality, the benefits are both immediate and long-term. Investing in scheduled maintenance pays off by keeping your system running efficiently, reliably, and affordably throughout the year.

Contact Us

“Samsung AC Service Center — Instacool

Barsha Business Square — Al Barsha — Al Barsha 1 — Dubai — United Arab Emirates

Instacool — Samsung AC Service Center

Z9 Plot C1 — Mohamed Bin Zayed City — Abu Dhabi — United Arab Emirates”

“Land Line: 043797947

Mobile: 0505059055″

info@instacool.ae

[jxnc]

From service delivered with expertise and speed, to preventative maintenance plans and system monitoring, Instacool is committed to helping you get the most out of your VRF system.

Contact Us

"Samsung AC Service Center - Instacool

Barsha Business Square - Al Barsha - Al Barsha 1 - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Instacool - Samsung AC Service Center

Z9 Plot C1 - Mohamed Bin Zayed City - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates"

"Land Line: 043797947

Mobile: 0505059055"

info@instacool.ae

[mythalism]

i know everyone is really excited for the oblivion remake because i was too. oblivion was the first real video game i ever played when i was a kid, and is literally the reason i am a gamer today, but BDS has called for a microsoft boycott, and that includes anything made by bethesda.

this isn't just a "oh they have some obscure business partnerships in isr*el" or "oh they donate to this or that lobby" sort of boycott either, although those are important too. my tone is not meant to be flippant about them, but rather i want to emphasize the gravity of how microsoft directly and deliberately contributes to the palestinian death toll daily, in a way that is uniquely cruel and complicit.

microsoft has had a $35 million dollar contract with the isr*eli military since 2002. they provide cloud storage for surveillance data of gazan civillians, and an artificial intelligence program called a "mass assassination factory" to assist in planning and targeting their attacks, many of which are on civilians or involve mass civilian casualties.

microsoft's service agreements with the isr*eli military also includes the CPU responsible for the military's tech infrastructure, military intelligence units that develop spy technology used against palestinians and lebanese, the maintenance of the palestinian population registry that tracks and (illegally) limits the movement of palestinains in the west bank and gaza, their air force targeting database, and much more. they work closely with isr*eli military intelligence agencies on surveillance systems used to monitor palestians, provide specialized consulting, technical and engineering support, hosts training software for the IOF, provide financial support to organizations based in the illegally occupied west bank, and have repeatedly invested in isr*eli start ups specializing in war technology.

in 2020, internal and external pressure forced microsoft to pull out of its 74 million dollar investment in an isr*eli company that violated international law due to its use of facial recognition technology for military surveillance.

in 2021, microsoft signed a new, 3-year contract with the isr*eli ministry of defense worth $133 million dollars. the isr*eli military is microsoft's second largest military customer. the first? the united states.

you can read more (w/ sources) about microsoft's complicity here.

BDS asks us to boycott microsoft products whenever possible.

microsoft is directly complicit in countless isr*eli war crimes, and the money you provide them will further proliferate this violence. i know the oblivion remake was exciting, but please, consider the lives of palestinians above your own nostalgia. no one is free until everyone is free.

[foone]

Have you heard about the Polish Train company, Newag, and the bullshit it turns out they got up to?

So, the regional rail operator Koleje Dolnośląskie bought some Newag Impuls back in 2016 . In late 2021, some of them need to have major maintenance done, as they've been in service a while. So the company SPS (Serwis Pojazdów Szynowych) gets the contract to fix them. They basically take the train apart, replace a bunch of it, following all the rules in the documentation Newag gave them, and... it won't move. The train says everything is fine, the brakes are off, there's plenty of power, but you push the throttle up and it won't move.

SPS spends a while trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong, with no luck. So they hire some hackers from the Polish security group Dragon Sector. Dragon Sector figures out how to get into the code of the computer system that runs the train, and OH MY GOD.

So it turns out there's a secret train-lock system. If it's on, the train won't move. This will be triggered in some situations you might think are normal: the clocks are wrong, the serial numbers of the various parts have changed, and a firmware mismatch between the main computer and the power system. Now, the fact that it makes sense to not run the train in these situations until someone can check it? that doesn't extend to the fact the train uses a SECRET lock system, rather than just popping up an error message telling you what's wrong. There's also the problem that while these are all potential error problems, they can't be cleared by anyone with the technical manuals, which are supposed to cover everything about how to run these trains. Only Newag themselves can reset this system.

Which, you know, keeps SPS from properly fixing them. Only Newag can fix them now, but not because SPS lacks any technical ability, but because Newag sabotaged their own trains. But don't worry: it gets worse.

So now that Dragon Sector knows what's happening, they get to look at other trains. It turns out the trains aren't all running the same software, and there are other tricks in there.

One of them is a "how long has the train been stopped?" check. If the train hasn't hit 60 km/h in 10 days, the train locks itself and won't move until Newag can clear it. So, like, if a train is ever out of service, like it's going to a repair place... it'll break itself. Unless the repair place is owned by Newag.

But two of the trains go further: See, these trains have GPS built in, right? You may be able to guess where this is going...

THEY JUST MAKE THE TRAIN CHECK IF IT IS PARKED AT THEIR COMPETITORS' REPAIR YARD AND BREAK ITSELF IF IT WAS.

The sheer audacity of this move. This is frighteningly bullshit anti-competition self-sabotage.

This has, obviously, made some parts of the Polish government to start investigating this. Newag may be (and hopefully will be) in a lot of trouble.

For more info, there's a great video of a presentation by the three people from Dragon Sector who did the hacking, which was presented at the 37th Chaos Communication Congress in Germany.

Ars Technica also has an article on it, but it predates the presentation so it doesn't have some of the later details.

Anyway, the good news is that in the end the hackers at Dragon Sector were able to unlock most of the trains: A few had additional trickery that they didn't want to hack around, because it might break the train's certification. For the others, they discovered undocumented "cheat codes" in the software that they could use to bypass the secret lockouts... presumably the same ones that Newag would have used when they "repaired" trains.

[elodieunderglass]

Hello Elodie! If you'd still like questions about Killie, can we hear about his relationship with O Holy Thunder? Does Killie avoid getting his fingers chomped off, and if so, how?

Toxic? Problematic? Worthy of cancellation. Violent? Don’t Normalise This. They’d eat each other if they could. (Thunder’s tried to.) Recognition of the self through the other?

Killie the jockey OC has a psychic horse connection preternatural power, like all good horsegirls. (It is a real thing and one of the genuine magics of the Earth.)

(Like: horses and boats, man, horses and boats. Humans are the Exploration Species, and those are our most ancient exploration methods. We build boats, but you have to make a wild grass-eating alien be your friend first.)

Those thousands-upon-thousands of years of close working relationships between humanity and our noble allies are reflected in a very dark mirror with Whatever The Fuck is Going On With Killie and Thunder.

They hate each other. Thunder weighs over ten times what Killie does, and his head is the size of Killie’s torso; but Killie is also the only way that Thunder gets to do his horse-job, and jumping over fences in a bid to psychologically destroy the competition is the only pleasure Thunder has in life.

Killie is the human here - technically - and that carries the burden of the ancient responsibility to be the goddamn adult, but the thing about Thunder is he’s the one who started it when you do the psychic-plugging-in-thing with him, he makes you a slightly worse person, and Killie’s already awful.

Normally jockeys don’t get very involved with handling mounts, and their fingers aren’t anywhere near racehorse mouths. Jockeys are the pilots - they’re literally referred to as ‘piloting’ the animals - and the ‘mechanics’ who do the ground stuff and maintenance are a separate class of grooms, valets, stable hands, stall managers, and other staff, depending on the size of the stable. The jockey is the other athlete in the equation, and they have a separate life about that - but in terms of horse handling, they’re just the lightweight bit of software you chuck on top just before throwing the horse out the gate.

But Killie’s retained on contract and Thunder makes a lot of money, and they share a particularly eccentric owner - so Killie has more than usual contact with Thunder. And Thunder, who really is very badly behaved, has gone for him. But Killie will be the first to defend him from finger-eating allegations. That’s nonsense. Horses don’t eat fingers. Killie still has them, look! It was just a bite. They weren’t fully severed, and Thunder didn’t swallow them, and it’s important to be accurate about this stuff, people should say what they mean.

And then they race. And then they are one thing, a union that is extraordinary.

(This is of course unacceptable and fictional, and Thunder should be gelded, or more realistically, minced. But oh shit, it’s characters who are “monstrous yet loveable” again.)

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Products & Services Worth The Splurge

Fashion:

A great couple of bras in black/nude (your best skin-toned shade)

Comfortable, breathable, and seamless underwear

Outerwear (Coats, jackets, blazers)

The perfect pair of jeans

An LBD that works from day to night

Comfortable, sturdy, sleek, and timeless footwear (a versatile black boot, a black heel, white sneaker, and a black flat/loafer/sandal)

A timeless and versatile crossbody or shoulder bag (a larger one for the daytime/work or school and a smaller one for nighttime/events)

One or two well-made classic jewelry item(s)

A conversation-starting item or accessory

Beauty:

Sunscreen

Any skincare/skin cosmetic products that are game-changers for you

A quality hair brush, comb, and hair towel

Your signature scent

A quality razor/hair removal product

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Reliable hair tools and sturdy nail tools

A quality hair heat protectant/scalp cleansing or conditioning spray

Makeup brushes and beauty tool cleaners

Home:

Lamps/lighting

Couch/desk chair

Everything for your bed: Bed frame, mattress/sheets/pillows, etc.

Knives

Dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe dishes & cups you love

A full-length mirror

Vacuum

Storage solutions/cedar blocks or moth balls

Quality holders for everything: Paper towels, shower storage, hooks, mailbox/key bowls

Name brand paper products/household cleaners

Electric toothbrush & Waterpik

Sound-proof headphones/Airpods

MacBook Air

Health & Wellness:

High-quality lettuce and/or sprouts

Organic frozen fruits and vegetables (if fresh is too pricey)

BPA-free canned goods

Potassium bromate & glyphosate-free grain products

Snacks free of artificial colors

Quality coffee

An at-home massage tool/heating pad

Fur products for skin/hair removal

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Quality running shoes

Anything that goes near your vulva or into the vagina: Sex toys, lube, condoms, toy cleaners, pads/tampons/menstrual cups, cleansing wipes, etc.

A yoga mat, resistance band, and a pair of small ankle weights

Spotify subscription

Books and audiobooks

Services:

Therapy

A top-tier haircut

House cleaning (even if it's only once every couple of months)

Top-tier hair removal/brow maintenance services of your choice

Best doctors, dentists, OB/GYN, and dermatologists you can get

At least one personal training/styling session in your life

Professional/Social:

Ownership of the domain for your full legal/professional name and/or business name

A CPA/bookkeeper/fiduciary financial advisor

Automation workflow/content management system software

A lawyer for contract review/LLC services

Personalized stationery/"Thank You" cards

Memorable client gifting for the holidays/milestone successes

Niche skill-based certifications (Google, AWS, Hubspot, etc.) or courses made by trusted professionals in your field

Subscriptions in world-leading and industry-authority digital publications

[medicine-san]

savanaclaw android [ au belongs to @ceruleancattail ]

[ okay I've felt better now, and as promised here full story with 🍩 and 🐺. unfortunately most context were lost because I tried too hard to keep it short ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ I do not speak english, I don't know how to write, this is purely me being dedicated to murphy's law. ]

tw: fluff jack fluff jack fluff jack

leona who funnily enough was bought not to be a miracle as what people originally intended him to be, but a kindergarten teacher.

who would've thought such high maintenance android would end up getting his hands wiping some kid's piss and puke off the floor, his rumoured high intelligence are nought but just for teaching mere children's knowledge. not like he can do anything, his owner need his help. it's in the contract. letting these tiny creatures pestering him, their tiny hands all over him or his tail or his ears. or having them fight to sit on his uncomfortably hard thighs when it's lunch time.

what an insult to his creation.

but recently, he began to experience an unexplainable series of lagging in his speech pattern. his eyes begin to blur at times. simple tasks beginning to feel like a burden as his head would dangerously overheat, even the kids could see the strain he's baring from how much he's scrunching his brows.

the sound, he'd say, the sound. it's annoying.

a sound of something stirring. everytime he heard the sound, his eye would hurt so bad as if it's scratching to come out of his eye socket. his students would just childishly claim it was a migraine, telling him he should rest more. "I could not have migraine you stupid cubs", is what he'd say if not because of the strict filter for his speech.

popup notifications begin to emerge, warning him of a foreign third party running his system. multiple non permitable access to his memory drive, he just now noticed that there are viruses corrupting his system. how could this be possible? he never turned his antivirus software off. is there a malpractice happening without him knowing?

and it doesn't take long for him to figure out the problem.

his eyes are the problem.

the images, the videos, continuously sent to a certain someone he could not mention as that will breach the TOS. even thinking this is already straining his thought process to the point of overheating.

his eyes are the reason.

and with that same eyes, he continues to stare at the messy mess. nonchalantly showing off his bloodied hand with bits of what could be assumed as remnants of skin and flesh to the watching eyes behind the screen. it is a bit dark, but they are not stupid.

especially not after the screen went temporarily blocked before it shows the face of a certain android, specks of blood can be seen on his face.

don't you think delivery guys got away quite easily?

you can be one of those annoying old men who think the whole world is their enemy and will not hesitate to shoot you for wanting to get your ball that accidentally got into his lawn, but will let his gate open for limited access to his front door if you're his delivery guy. well, as long as they keep their bloodthirsty dogs on leash at least. humans are not to be trusted.

maybe it's not the greatest job, but it's one that he enjoys doing. the rush to get everything on time, the competition to stay on top, the joy that comes with being able to see new places and faces. ruggie enjoys it all. can machines even feel joy? he may have no answer to that, but it is something akin to that, if he could describe it.

or at least, that's what the old lady told him. truly, how could she describe human emotion on him, a robot? do humans really have to push their human perspective on everything? that's why they keep getting themselves in stupid situation for being too emotionally attached to objects. but then that's why those heartslabyul ai software is all the hit right now.

because they are lonely.

the old lady is kind. really! she always greet him whenever he came to the area for deliveries. asking him about his day, about the weather, if he's working too hard. such young man shouldn't get his skin burned by the sun! she'd say. grandma, don't you think your concern is misplaced? worry about yourself first, instead of this young roaring machine. I'm still full of energy, and carefully oiled. my gears won't rust away anytime soon, and I'm not getting busted that easily. not while there's still people who need his service.

like this shaky hand that's reaching out of the crack of the door.

the wide, soulless eye staring at him, pleading for that magical key to the world of happiness. to see such unhappiness, and him having the power to change it, oh how thrilling! he couldn't control the grin from widening!

he loves this job, it helps more people to be happy.

for a guard dog, jack model is certainly quite a character. not in a bad way, it's just funny to see this over 190cm android tensing up for his monthly checkups. even while sitting down, he still manage to tower over the mechanic's smaller figure. his ears flatten whenever their hands reaching the inside of him for any loose bolts, quietly whimpering to himself whenever they bumped his circuits with their fragile fingers while checking him up. his sensory should've been turned off, so it's certainly not "pain" he's experiencing.

"calm down, puppy,"

"you're making this difficult for me."

it's difficult for him too. human, can't you see? the way you're talking to him, the way you're handling him, how you'd rub circles around his knuckles whenever he'd had a nasty fight with aggressors, or when you'd aggressively scratch his head and ears after every patch ups with them, cooing him with "good boy"s and "good job"s. all while smelling like oil and chemical, the clinking sound of equipments softly echoing in the workshop, his ears catching up lowly moans of other androids under their care, the buzzing noise of fading life all around the two of them.

how romantic, hell he could imagine himself getting a kiss too from how much his brain is replaying all the romantic scenarios on tv dramas he'd play BEFORE coming here. oh please do, just a peck on my head is all I want. touch my cheeks and pull them lightly, what I'd do just to feel you gracing me with your marks on me. those damned lines play by itself on his mind as he's staring directly at their face. taking notes of how their face scrunched when he's not staying still to their liking, or at how their shadowed figure igniting a certain scene that got his eyes drooping. his tail lightly drumming the chair he's sitting on, the artificial fur sweeping their pants tenderly.

sickeningly sweet.

as if he didn't just had a romantic awakening in the middle of what can be considered a butcher's shop of his kind.

[galaxygolfergirl]

Watcher's Expenses

I didn't major in accounting: I took three classes and it grinded my brain to a fine powder. However, after graduating with a business admin degree, being a former eager fan of their videos, and from a cursory glance over their socials, there's a lot to consider in their spending behavior that really could start racking up costs. Some of these things we've already noticed, but there are other things I'd like to highlight, and I'll try to break it down into the different categories of accounting expenses (if I get something wrong, let me know. I was more concentrated in marketing 🤷‍♀️). I'm not going to hypothesize numbers either, as that would take out more time than I'm willing to afford-- you can assume how much everything costs. Anyways, here's my attempt at being a layman forensic accountant:

Note: All of this is assuming they're operating above board and not engaging in any illegal practices such as money laundering, tax evasion, not paying rent, etc.

Operating Expenses

Payroll: 25+ staff salaries and insurance

Overhead Expenses

CEO/founder salaries

Office space leasing or rent (In L.A, one of the most expensive cities in the US)

Utilities (water, electricity, heating, sanitation, etc.)

Insurance

Advertising Costs

Telephone & Internet service

Cloud Storage or mainframe

Office equipment (furniture, computers, printers, etc.)

Office supplies (paper, pens, printer ink, etc.)

Marketing costs (Social media marketing on Instagram, Youtube, SEO for search engines, Twitter, etc. Designing merchandise and posters, art, etc. )

Human Resources (not sure how equipped they are)

Accounting fees

Property taxes

Legal fees

Licensing fees

Website maintenance (For Watchertv.com, Watcherstuff.com, & Watcherentertainment.com)

Expenses regarding merchandising (whoever they contract or outsource for that)

Inventory costs

Potentially maintenance of company vehicles

Subsequent gas mileage for road trips

Depreciation (pertains to tangible assets like buildings and equipment)

Amortization (intangible assets such as patents and trademarks)

Overhead Travel and Entertainment Costs (I think one of the biggest culprits, evident in their videos and posts)

The travel expenses (flights, train trips, rental cars, etc. For main team and scouts)

Hotel expenses for 7-8 people at least, or potentially more

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners with the crew (whether that's fully on their dime or not, I don't know; Ryan stated they like to cover that for the most part)

Recreational activities (vacation destinations, amusement parks, sporting activities etc.)

The location fees

Extraneous Overhead costs (not sure exactly where these fall under, but another culprit, evident in videos and posts)

Paying for guest appearances

Expensive filming & recording equipment (Cameras, sound equipment, editing software subscriptions, etc.)

The overelaborate sets for Ghost files, Mystery Files, Puppet History, Podcasts etc. (Set dressing: Vintage memorabilia, antiquated tech, vintage furniture, props, etc.)

Kitchen & Cooking supplies/equipment

Office food supply; expensive food and drink purchases for videos

Novelty items or miscellaneous purchases (ex. Ghost hunting equipment, outfits, toys, etc.)

Non-Operating Expenses

These are those expenses that cannot be linked back to operating revenue. One of the most common examples of non-operating expenses is interest expense. This is because while interest is the cost of borrowing money from a creditor or a bank, they are not generating any operating income. This makes interest payments a part of non-operating expenses.

Financial Expenses

Potential loan payments, borrowing from creditors or lenders, bank loans, etc.

Variable Expenses

Hiring a large amount of freelancers, overtime expenditure, commissions, etc.

PR consultations (Not sure if they had this before the scandal)

Extraordinary Expenses

Expenses incurred outside your company’s regular business activities and during a large one-time event or transactions. For example, selling land, disposal of a significant asset, laying off of your employees, unexpected machine repairing or replacement, etc.

Accrued Expenses

When your business has incurred an expense but not yet paid for it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(If there's anything else I'm missing, please feel free to add or correct things)

To a novice or a young entrepreneur, this can be very intimidating if you don't have the education or the support to manage it properly. I know it intimidates the hell out of me and I'm still having to fill in the gaps (again, if I've mislabeled or gotten anything wrong here, please let me know). For the artistic or creative entrepreneur, it can be even harder to reconcile the extent of your creative passions with your ability to operate and scale your business at a sustainable rate. That can lead to irresponsible, selfish, and impulsive decisions that could irreparably harm your brand, which is a whole other beast of its own.

My guess at this point is that their overhead and operation expenses are woefully mismanaged; they've made way too many extraneous purchases, and that they had too much confidence in their audience of formerly 2.93 million to make up for the expenses they failed to cover.

It almost seems as if their internal logic was, "If we make more money, we can keep living the expensive lifestyle that we want and make whatever we want without anyone telling us we can't, and we want to do it NOW, sooner rather than later because we don't want wait and compromise our vision." But as you can see, the reality of fulfilling those ambitions is already compromised by the responsibility of running a business.

And I wrote this in another post here, but I'll state it again: Running a business means you need to be educated on how a business can successfully and efficiently operate. Accounting, marketing, social media marketing, public relations, production, etc; these resources and internet of things is available and at your disposal. If they had invested more time in educating themselves on those aspects and not made this decision based on artistic passion (and/or greed), they would have not gotten the response they got.

Being a graphic designer, I know the creative/passionate side of things but I also got a degree/got educated in business because I wanted to understand how to start a company and run it successfully. If they’re having trouble handling the responsibility of doing that, managing production costs, managing overhead expenses, and especially with compensating their 25+ employees, then they should hire professionals that are sympathetic to their creative interests, but have the education and experience to reign in bad decisions like these.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. What a shitshow this has been.

[usafphantom2]

Updated B-52 electronic warfare suite will be tested in flight in 2024

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/29/2024 - 10:36 in Military

Flying through the skies since the 1950s, the B-52 Stratofortress is a U.S. Air Force (USAF) workhorse and a lasting symbol of American military power. The eight-engine giant has unique capabilities unparalleled to any other American warplane - which is why, after more than 70 years of service, it continues to play a vital role in the defense and national security strategy of the U.S. And thanks to a collaboration between L3Harris and USAF, this iconic aircraft is prepared to remain ready for the mission against highly sophisticated emerging threats in the coming decades.

Under a 10-year contract worth $947 million granted in 2021, L3Harris is upgrading and improving the AN/ALQ-172 electronic war self-protection system (EW), which protects the B-52 and air crews from a wide range of electronic threats. Our current work is based on decades of experience in providing critical technology as a Manufacturer of Original Equipment of the AN/ALQ-172 systems for the B-52 fleet. And combined with other ongoing modernization efforts, these updates will increase the relevance and reliability of the B-52 by the 2050s.

L3 Harris AN/ALQ-172 systems.

"Our opponents continue to evolve, facing advanced and far-reaching threats that challenge our ability to operate in contested environments," says Robert "Trip" Raymond, USAF's Program Leader for EW Technology Development at L3Harris. "It is essential that we provide our B-52 crew with the necessary tools to keep the B-52 relevant, lethal and survivable as the backbone of the strategic bomber force of the United States."

The effort of modernization and support - ALQ-172 Maintenance and Reliability System (MARS) - intends to do exactly that, increasing the average time between failures due to its modular design, while further improving the performance, maintenance capacity and reliability of the system. Thanks to an integrated and improved radio frequency system, crews will be able to simultaneously combat multiple radar threats that interfere with aircraft operations. And by replacing analog systems with more economical software solutions, USAF will be able to reduce the size of B-52 crews from 5 to 4. This frees up resources for additional mission-critical activities.

Ultimately, the updates will further help USAF in its Global Attack Mission and strengthen the effectiveness of the B-52 in modern warfare, while making future upgrades cheaper and easier.

"We are implementing affordable solutions that not only reduce costs, but also provide crews with more advanced protection against the most sophisticated threats detected by radar," said Jimmy Mercado, Program Director at L3Harris. "All this results in a more modern, efficient and effective aircraft, ready to dominate the future struggle."

USAF plans to conduct a test flight with the new electronic warfare capabilities of the B-52 in 2024.

Tags: Military AviationBoeing B-52H StratofortressEW - ELECTRONIC WARL3HarrisUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[strangegutz]

Hey what’s up, it’s just about midnight, here’s some information on CompanDroids and Eddie under the cut.

HEADS UP! Some mature/NSFW subject matter

Broad scope:

-CompanDroids were manufactured by Ramirez Robotics 83 years ago.

-They were created to be companions and caretakers, making them strong, soft, reliable, and people pleasers.

-There is a model for each letter of the alphabet, 13 male models and 13 females, alternating. For example, Eddie is a model E, his female counterpart would be the model F. Each pair “matches”

-Each model is based on a different celebrity, from actors, to models, to TV show hosts. For example, Eddie’s face-sake was a Mexican heartthrob actor, Navarro Riviera, and model F was a Mexican Miss Universe contestant.

-There were different cosmetic changes available for a handful of models in the form of hair colors or styles, particularly for those based on actors, styled after their various roles.

-ComDro’s were available in “Standard” and “Deluxe,” Deluxe packages allowed for more functionality, like eating, drinking, smoking, and for a few select models, sex.

-The contracts for these celebrities were murky, and many didn’t realize the full scope of how the androids would function or be used.

-Ramirez Robotics went under 20 years after the release of the CompanDroids (63 years before current)

-CompanDroids are extremely rare, as they were already very expensive, and now vintage.

-CompanDroids, as they are now, are more or less integrated into society as independent people, and mostly seen as an unusual novelty, though the greater public tends to only remember more salacious details about their functionality.

-They remain one of the most high tech inventions of all time.

Looking in:

-ComDro’s have their power bank located at the top of their spine. They run on electricity, and need to charge themselves via a port located on the back of their neck. Eddie has had himself outfitted with a nuclear battery, and has spares.

-They can get drunk or high, internal sensors detect the chemical composition of various substances and adjust function accordingly.

-They have a simulated heartbeat in the form of a faint vibration in the chest.

-A diagnostic panel is located in the left forearm, which has a screen, small keyboard, a few ports, and their serial number.

-The visible seam lines on their bodies are cosmetic, there are many more seams for access that are flush and hard to see.

-Standard models can upgrade to Deluxe models with a kit.

-Certain “involuntary” bodily functions, like becoming intoxicated, sweating, blushing, or arousal, can be manually controlled, or turned off all together by the android themself.

Eddie himself:

-Eddie was a pre-order, specifically picked to look like Navarro Riviera’s character, Sheriff DeLeon, in a romantic drama western.

-Eddie was originally a standard CompanDroid, but worked for and paid for his own upgrade kit as a free bot.

-Eddie’s serial number is E-013, he named himself after how his number would have read as a deluxe edition, ED-013

-He painted his eyes black the night he was “let go,” but didn’t swap to LED light eyes until later

-CompanDroids have feeling in their internal mechanics, Eddie finds the sensation pleasurable and erotic, though is very selective about who can touch his internals in any context.

-To avoid any uncomfortable situations, he toggles his “arousal” routines off during repairs or maintenance, but prefers to feel all sensations naturally otherwise.

-Being an old computer, Eddie is a bit “off” in the software, he is twitchy and violent, but is loyal and can be a great caregiver and people pleaser to his friends.

-Eddie’s CPU being overloaded will cause his voice to hitch and stutter like a computer’s audio would, as well as his eye LEDs flickering slightly. This would happen in an extreme stress situation, downloading large files of information, but most often when he climaxes in bed.

-Eddie has a very skewed sense of age, as he doesn’t age at all. He tends to always think of people having the same age and capabilities as when he met them, like continuing to see Zeki as a naive 23 year old.

I did not include every single one of my thoughts here but this is good enough for now I think! And if you have any explicit questions take them over to @strangeorganz !

[sstechsystemofficial]

Trusted outsource software development teams - SSTech System

Outsource software development is the practice of relinquishing software-related duties to outside singularities or organizations. Outsourcing is used by firms to acquire software services and products from outside firms that do not have direct employees or employees under contract to the business entity that is outsourcing.

Infect, the outsourcing market worldwide is projected to grow by 8.28% (2025-2029) resulting in a market volume of US$812.70bn in 2029. This model is highly versatile and suits businesses of all sizes.

Start-ups often use outsourcing to develop MVPs quickly, while established companies might seek custom software development services or AI outsourcing services to address complex challenges. Outsourcing can include working with offshore development teams, global software development partners, or local experts like Australian software development experts for specific projects.

The benefits of outsourcing software development

Outsourcing has become a cornerstone for modern businesses due to its numerous advantages. Here’s a closer look at the key benefits:

1. Cost efficiency

Perhaps the biggest incentive for sourcing solutions from outsourcing service providers is the cost cutting factor. For instance, offshore software development in India provides expertise services at comparatively lower cost than that of in-house developed services in Western countries. This efficiency enable the enactments of cost savings in some other strategic sectors of the organization.

2. Access to global talent

Outsourcing can help to discover the wealth of new talents as well as the skills of professionals from other countries. No matter Whether it’s AI and machine learning integration, web application development in Australia, or outsourced healthcare software development, businesses can find experts in virtually any domain.

3. Scalability and flexibility

Outsourcing offers flexibility that is unparalleled in many organizations today. This is because; firms are able to expand and contract particular teams depending on the specific demand in projects. For example, outsourced IT solutions help business organizations prepare for different conditions while not having to employ permanent workers.

4. Faster time-to-market

With reliable software development teams in Australia or offshore development teams in India, businesses can speed up their project timelines. This helps innovations to make it through to the market early enough, which is useful for companies.

5. Focus on core activities

By delegating tasks like software maintenance and support or cloud software development in Australia to outsourcing partners, businesses can focus on their core competencies and strategic goals.

6. Reduced risk

In-house staff and trained outsourcing partners come with best practices, methods and procedures which when implemented reduce the chances of project hitch. Working with the top-rated IT outsourcing companies in Australia gives you confidence that your project is in safe hands.

Choosing the right outsourced software development partner

In the period from 2023 to 2027, the revenue of software outsourcing is forecasted to thrive at a CAGR of 7.54%. So, outsourcing partner selection is one of the most vital components since it determines the success of a given venture. Here are essential factors to consider:

1. Technical expertise

Check the partner’s competency and his knowledge of the field.  For instance, SSTech System Outsourcing offers comprehensive solutions, from AI development services in India to mobile app development outsourcing in Australia.

2. Proven track record

Look for partners with a strong portfolio and positive client testimonials. A proven track record in delivering custom software development services or managing outsourcing software development contracts is a good indicator of reliability.

3. Effective communication

Effective and open communication is extremely important if the project is to be successful. Work with people who give frequent reports and employ efficient media to overcome the differences in time areas.

4. Cultural compatibility

There has to be a cultural match or at least appreciation for each other’s customs for there to be harmony in the working relationship. As such, staffed with proficient Australia software development experts or offshore development teams, whose experience is to work on global markets can coordinate and blend well with your work culture.

5. Security and compliance

You have to make sure that your partner complies with the standards and the policies that are in the industry. This is especially substantial for all information-sensitive projects such as outsourced healthcare software development or cloud software development in Australia.

6. Scalable infrastructure

Choose a partner capable of scaling their resources and infrastructure to meet your project’s evolving needs. This is crucial for long-term collaborations, especially with global software development partners.

AI-powered tools for outsourced development teams

According to a report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, software development ranks among the most sought-after professions. Hence, AI is at the forefront of reshaping the outsourcing industry. Therefore, the implementation of artificial intelligence will add value to business processes, make workflow easier, and boost the results of projects. Here are some examples:

1. Automated code reviews

Tools like DeepCode and SonarQube assist outsourced teams in detecting whether errors reside in the code line or not, and whether code needs to be enriched or not. This is particularly accurate concerning AI outsourcing and in-house development industries.

2. Predictive analytics

Automated analytics tools can predict such things as the time it will take to complete the project, how much money it will cost, and what risks are possible in a software development outsourcing scenario.

3. Smart project management

Tools and platforms such as Jira and Monday.com, when empowered with AI, allow the coordination of tasks and the tracking of progress and resource allocation.

4. AI collaboration tools

Communication and collaboration with internal members and offshore software development Australia partners get facilitated through applications that include, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and zoom with integrated AI functions.

5. Natural Language Processing (NLP)

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants simplify communication and issue resolution, making them valuable for managing outsourced IT solutions.

Best practices for managing outsourced development teams

Outsourced teams should be mandated and coordinated following a number of recommendations to ensure the efficiency of the entirety of the outsourcing process.

Here are the best practices to ensure your project’s success:

1. Set clear objectives

Make it clear to your project team, stakeholders, and other relevant parties what the parameters of the project are, what it is that you expect out of it, and what you expect to get from it in return. This fostaines consistency between your team and the outsourcing partner to increase efficiency in service delivery.

2. Choose the right tools

Use project tracking and collaboration software approaches to track and evaluate progress and meet regular informality and collaboration targets.

3. Foster a collaborative environment

It is worthy of note that constant communication is key to ensuring that your outsourcing team is on the same page with you. Fresh produce and feedback mechanisms need to be provided in order for there to be trust as is needed in project management.

4. Draft comprehensive contracts

There should be a comprehensive outsourcing software development contract. It should address issues to do with confidentiality, ownership of ideas and concepts, plea structure and mode of handling disputes.

5. Focus on long-term relationships

Building a long-term partnership with trusted providers like SSTech System Solutions can lead to consistent quality and better project outcomes.

Conclusion

To keep up with technology, outsourcing software development offers businesses solutions and support that can enable the creation of complex solutions out of mere ideas. Outsourcing has the benefits of minute overhead cost and is also a rich source of globally talented employees, and it offers the advantage of early time to market. Whether you’re looking for mobile app development outsourcing in Australia or seeking offshore software development in India or opting for AI outsourcing services, the potential is huge.

Such companies can only benefit from opting for reliable outsourcing companies such as SSTech System Outsourcing and embracing industry best practices to promote the success of business project implementations while enhancing market relevance. As technologies like AI and cloud computing are still changing the face of the outsourcing market, software development outsourcing will still be important for any company that wants to survive in a digital world.

Take the first step today—partner with global software development partners and unlock the full potential of your ideas with the power of outsourcing.

[itsbenedict]

okay, so- the past three days have been pretty insane, hence no to-do lists. did not know hour-to-hour what in the hell i'd have to do next.

monday morning, there was a company meeting, and it was announced that we were being sold. this was not... the most surprising thing in the world, because about a month ago there was this sudden hasty push by the top to reorganize the business into distinct independent units that didn't depend on shared services. like, what else would the point of doing that be, if not to sell off pieces of the business? sure, they said that wasn't happening, but who the hell was fooled by that?

so i used to do most of my work on these projects for this one specific business unit, building and running a bunch of middleware API integrations for our learning management system. but my boss, who used to be in charge of the dev team generally, got assigned to this totally different unit- and she liked me enough that she pushed really hard to get me reassigned to her unit.

so i was already conflicted about that:

i really like my boss- she's really understanding of my need for flexibility to work on my side projects, she only cares that i get the work done (and even with many side projects, i still consistently exceed expectations and get a full-time workload done ahead of schedule), and she was pushing hard to get me a raise against upper management who'd taken to using covid austerity as an excuse to never give anyone any raises ever. and the team assigned to this unit didn't have any senior devs who could handle a big infrastructure transition, and i'd just become AWS certified, and without someone like me, my coworkers assigned to that unit would be in some hot water. plus, after the transition, maintaining a reduced suite of products would probably be easier day-to-day.

but on the other hand, all my projects in the other business unit, with the LMS- those are pretty vital, and the nature of the contracts with those clients necessitates frequent maintenance and changes. my code for those integrations is bad, for various reasons but mainly that there is no dev environment for testing changes. it's fundamentally about managing production data in databases we don't directly control, so every change has to be done very quickly and carefully, with no room for big refactors to clean things up (and risk breaking stuff). it's a mess, and no one in the other business unit is prepared to take it over. plus- i liked working directly with clients, doing work where if i did the work someone was appreciative of the work. it was motivating!

ultimately, i decided to trust my boss and follow her to the other business unit. we weren't completely splitting from the rest of the business- i'd still be able to train up someone else to take over my projects, we'd still have the shared customer accounts management software, and- crucially- i'd still have the boss who understood my needs and had no interest in squeezing value out of me.

so i went on vacation for a couple weeks right after committing to that decision- and then i came back on monday, and that day they announce we're being sold.

also that my boss is fired and being replaced by someone from the new company.

also that we have two months to completely disconnect all our products from shared service infrastructure and rebuild our own.

also no takesies-backsies, the acquisition agreement included terms that the former company not hire back any of the sold-off employees or even discuss the acquisition with them at all. no chance to react to the new information except to sign the new offer letter by close of business on Wednesday.

i was unhappy about this! can you tell???

so my first thought was- okay, this is bullshit. i still want to work for the LMS people, the LMS people still want me to work for them, there has to be a solve here. so i go to the guy in charge of that division, who also wants me to keep working there, and he says okay i'll have our lawyers look into it.

and then... he gets back to me sounding like a robot, "i am unable to discuss this further with you at this time", which is so obviously out of character for the guy that i can tell legal's thrown the book at him. i talk to legal myself- it's a dead end. they can't- they're unable to even talk about why they can't talk about it, because obviously this deal was engineered to prevent me from doing exactly what i'm trying to do here.

so i go at it from the other angle. president of the sold company, now a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary of a nonprofit organization (is that even allowed???), i explain to him, hey, this is a mistake, i'm only here because my old boss really wanted me to be on her team, surely you can let me go continue doing my actual job?

nope.

so then i start playing hardball.

the salary they're offering me is, adjusted for inflation, less than the salary i was offered two years ago, which had come with the (entirely failed) non-promise that i'd be bumped up to a certain level very quickly after some formalities re: the employment structure. i explain, in detail, how upset i am with the entire state of affairs- and i threaten to walk, which i am allowed to do. i'm not required to sign their new contract- i'd need to go job-hunting, sure, but i have money in the bank, i can afford to do it, and i could definitely get a better deal somewhere else.

this is a tense situation! my old boss knew this team needed me- but they unceremoniously fired her while she was on vacation, so her opinion doesn't mean dirt to them apparently. it's unclear how vital i really am to this- they could maybe train up one of the other devs to handle the AWS stuff.

and on my side- if i walk, that's it. all that horrible messy code for the LMS stuff- i don't get two months to train someone else up and write documentation and do some housecleaning. i'm gone! my horrific dirty laundry (and hours and hours of regular maintenance work) gets handed off to some other dev who's totally unprepared for it, and that person inevitably puts a curse on my entire family line as retribution for me leaving them holding that intolerable bag. i don't actually want to walk, because then i end up the bad guy in the eyes of people i respect and care about.

(also i'd have to do a job hunt and that shit is so god damn annoying you have no idea you probably have some idea.)

so i tell the guy, look- i can do better. i'm basically starting over doing harder work at an unfamiliar company, and if i'm doing that anyway, why not do it for someone who'll pay me? if you don't give me X amount of money, i'm walking out, and now you don't have an infrastructure guy during the two-month window you have to migrate a shit-ton of infrastructure. i am a serious dude and you can't just fuck with me!

(and inside i'm like:

because oh god i am not a serious dude i am so easily fucked with what if i'm pushing my luck too hard)

and he lets me fuckin' stew. 5:00 on wednesday i need to have either signed a contract or not signed a contract, and he hedges and goes to talk with the higher-ups and makes no promises, and i have no idea whether it's because i scared him or if he's trying to work out how to replace me or what. all this negotiation has been eating my brain for the past couple days and it's coming down to the wire-

and then a couple hours before the deadline he gets back to me with a counteroffer. it's less than i was asking, because that's how negotiations work, but it is more than i was making when i was brought on, by a good 10k.

so now it's on to round two. i'm gonna stick around for this two-month period, make this transition work, clean up my mess and take care of things with my now ex-coworkers- and then if they haven't either proven their management is tolerable or given me a crystal-clear path to advancement, we're back to the standoff- except this time, they'll have a good idea of exactly what it is they stand to lose.

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. okay. okay. yeah. so that's dealt with for the time being. i can breathe now. we'll see how it goes. fuck.

[paigelts05]

Luis Cabrera [FNAF AR, Renegade AU]

https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/Luis-Cabrera-FNAF-AR-Renegade-AU-1036953628

Published: Mar 31 2024

CK animatronic maintenance and R&D Robotics contract with Faz Ent has ended, but their stories are far from over.

Luis Cabrera and Anna Kwemto started CK animatronic maintenance in 2017. In order to fund starting out the maintenance firm, Luis got a job working in IT for Fazbear Entertainment in 2016, and his employment time overlapped with the time that the HW project was in development, so he was working there at the same time as Silver Parasol was working there. That is how the network monitoring system got onto his device.

Luis quit working at Faz Ent in 2017 to work at the maintenance firm full time. After Ness started working at the maintenance firm a year later, Luis started receiving red flag reports from her computer. Because he doesn't have that kind of tracking shit installed on any computers at work, he looked into it and found that Ness's work laptop and his work laptop had the tracking software on it, despite both of them wiping the virtual machines they installed anything they needed for their Faz Ent work on.

When CK animatronic maintenance received a contract from Faz Ent, things begun to get concerning. The circuit boards that were sent through to be scanned and catalogued let Adelaide sneak into the system and it started with the animatronics sometimes attacking. When the attacks started, Luis had noticed Steve walk into storage, slightly dazed but he was going to get something, and followed him to make sure he was ok and able to get what he needed from storage, only to see Foxy rush at Steve. Luis pushed Steve out of the way in time, but wound up with a gash in his arm in the process of defending him from this would-have-been animatronic assailant.

And whilst Adelaide was chaos enough, William had also been able to slip into the systems using Ness herself as his attack vector.

Luis and Ness wete not present for the Adelaide Incident's main event. William had demanded that Ness check in at an abandoned HQ so he could get an official update on why she hasn't killed anyone yet, and Luis had gone with her in order to preserve her cover story. It wound up being for the best that Ness hadn't been near the maintenance firm at the time, as who knew what William might have done.

When Ness fell mysteriously ill in the aftermath, something nagged at the back of Luis's mind more than usual. Ness's first day had been delayed by a day though due to a hiking incident caused by a flood that got both CK animatronic maintenance and Ness stranded in the woods the night before, but he - despite Ness saving his life that night - didn't know that the lady in the woods was Ness: he couldn't remember due to his injuries, but he was too terrified to ask as being saved my a mysterious lady in the woods reminded him too much of the Yuki-onna folktale, and the last thing he wanted was for William to take inspiration from that slight similarity and pull out all the stops to control Ness to either kidnap her or make her kill him of he dared mention it. After Ness's illness was revealed to be just William himself taking over entirely, it made him not want to mention it even more, as it was perfectly plausible that William would do exactly what Luis feared he would.

When things seemed to be going well after Ness was rescued from William turning her into a shut in and she had moved in with Luis, and when Ness finally seemed to have everything under control, he told her about the hiking incident.

That night, William decided to strike: he took over Ness's body and spirited her away to the megaplex.

Luis immediately reported Ness as missing.

Luis went practically insane trying to track Ness down himself, as everyone mobilised at once to try and figure out what was going on, but progress was too slow for Luis's liking. Sylvia, Ness's sister, had taken a job at the megaplex all the way across the country in advance as a just-in-case measure, and with her having to privately contact Mike directly about any goings on, someone at the megaplex was clearly forcing her into silence. Then when Mike took the rest of the paranormal department to hurricane, it was pretty obvious where Ness was being held: the only thing between Mike and saving Ness was how impossible it would be to get a warrant.

So Luis went in himself, using the account Faz Ent still had for him in order to instate himself as a technician. He found the arcades William was using, and almost freed Ness, but the third arcade didn't work. An exec tried to kill Luis for finding out about the arcades and for almost freeing 'Vanny', but Sylvia saved him by tackling the man, causing the bullet to land in Luis's shoulder instead of in his head.

Just under a week later, Ness was saved by a kid called Gregory who had used the messages Luis had left behind in order to figure out that the rabbit lady was a victim of something and that the arcades would free her. He had been able to play the last arcade as Sylvia had dealt with the other linked arcades.

Ness being freed gave Mike the evidence to get a warrant to finally investigate the megaplex, but instead of just a rescue mission, it would be a full blown raid with everyone who had ever been hurt by Faz Ent getting involved.

During the Raid, right at the end when a small task force went to try and investigate under the Raceway, Luis amongst them, Luis was kidnapped himself by Adelaide, who was able to use similar technology to the masks she used back at the Adelaide Incident in order to control him. A control that was short lived as once he was unleashed, he dispatched a bunch of Endoskeletons before turning to attack Ness, from whom a single punch broke the control modules she had put in his back enough for him to wind up out cold enough for Ness to remove the module from his chest.

After the raid whilst staying in the temporary accommodation Mike had arranged for everyone who had cone from far away to participate in the Raid, Luis thought everything was over, but then Cheryl M., Todd C., and Charles Ramirez, a trio of Faz Ent execs, broke into the flat Ness and Luis were in and kidnapped Ness. Luis tried to stop them, but wound up getting shot in the shoulder for the second time in two weeks.

He wound up hospitalised again, and was drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to help anyone. He knew that Gregory and Sylvia had been able to save Ness, and that Sylvia had gotten herself left behind in the process, and he knew when Sylvia came back with Cassie thirty eight hours after Ness and Gregory got to the hospital, but the details surrounding everything were beyond him.

Once everyone was recovered and he was home, the final hurdle was Ness becoming the warden. He was terrified that it'd fail, but thanks to Ness now being also posessed by her own dad plus with her also having access to the control bracers, it went off without a hitch, though he does worry still.

So years later, whilst from the outside looking in things look almost the same as they were back in the pre-Breach incident days, everything has actually changed, and the final results were ultimately for the better, and he hopes that himself, Ness, and now Gregory will finally be safe from the horrors Faz Ent loves to throw around.

[fractallogic]

“The legal team who wrote your severance agreement desperately needs to go back to Contract Law 101,” says dad the retired employment attorney after reading my severance agreement, containing references to Oregon employment statutes (correct), California employment statutes (incorrect but understandable, since it’s based in Palo Alto), AND Virginia employment statutes (… what the fuck?), and also noting that it tells me I have five days from my severance date, Jan 31st, to review it, and that I may not sign it before my severance date, Jan 31st, and that waiting past Jan 31st to sign them is also too late and will make the offer void

So anyway, the company I’m pretty sure will be mismanaged into the ground because the sloppy slipshoddedness goes all the way through legal/HR to the sales staff and account managers, who promise things the software isn’t actually able to do, and now there are 3-3.5 people doing the maintenance of the language models (one full time person in the role I had, the new hire who splits her time between engineering and the role I had, a college intern that changes every four months, and the manager, who has a lot on her plate to begin with since she’s in a leadership role), and it’s not like things were being maintained before, so… you know… good luck with that

Anyways also please get me a new job. Please. Please get scone a job. Also please give him the willingness to listen to me when I’m like “hey xyz needs to change to pqr on your resume/linkedin”. I just really need a job. We need to be at least a one-full-American-cost-of-living-income household. Plis.

Also if anyone has talked to an AI recruiter, please share your tips, because a firm I applied to is having me do that and I have no idea how it’s supposed to work