#electrical panel components

[bmpmp3]

BIBI with Rosie (he has a one sided rivalry with Rosie not for any rational reason but just ‘cause rosie freaks him out. what is that weird dog) and also with what Lia’s magical girl merch could look like. merchandiseable logos....

[trinitytouch]

[mindblowingscience]

We urgently need to move away from fossil fuels, but electric vehicles and other green technology can put their own pressures on the environment. That pressure could be eased with a new magnet design, free from rare-earth metals, that was built with AI in just three months. Rare-earth metals are essential components in modern-day gadgets and electric tech – including cars, wind turbines, and solar panels – but getting them out of the ground costs a lot in terms of money, energy, and environmental impact. As a result, technology that doesn't use these metals can help us transition towards a greener future more quickly. Enter UK company Materials Nexus, which has used its bespoke AI platform to create MagNex, a permanent magnet requiring no rare-earth metals.

Continue Reading.

[apas-95]

all the fearmongering about nuclear is fucking insane if literally any of the alternatives are looked at. ignoring the fact that, in the real world, stopping nuclear expansion literally only leads to more coal plants being built, the only other alternative is 'renewables', which, in order to provide enough energy to actually power the world, would entail a 400% increase in global resource extraction to supply the rare earth metals for electrical components, basic materials for construction of millions upon millions of turbines and panels, and etc for their infrastructure. 'nuclear requires resource extraction' - so does literally everything, and nuclear requires far less of it than any alternative.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

A way to recover silver from dead solar panels with 98% efficiency

A multi-institutional team of chemists, metallurgists and engineers has developed a highly efficient way to retrieve silver from dead solar panels. Their paper is published in Environmental Technology & Innovation. As climate change progresses, scientists seek to replace fossil fuels with renewable resources, including solar power. But the development of these technologies has led to new environmental problems, such as what to do with solar panels after their useful life expires. Prior research has shown that some solar panel components are relatively easy to recycle, including the iron, steel and aluminum used to make brackets, racks and other support systems. Unfortunately, other components are more challenging to recover, such as the silver used in electrical circuits—it must be separated from the circuitry and the copper that is almost always present. Thus, these materials are seldom recycled. In this new study, a team in Italy developed a relatively inexpensive way to recover the silver used in solar panels.

Read more.

[zvaigzdelasas]

[TIME is US Media]

U.S. and European officials are growing increasingly concerned about China’s accelerated push into the production of older-generation semiconductors and are debating new strategies to contain the country’s expansion. President Joe Biden implemented broad controls over China’s ability to secure the kind of advanced chips that power artificial-intelligence models and military applications. But Beijing responded by pouring billions into factories for the so-called legacy chips that haven’t been banned. Such chips are still essential throughout the global economy, critical components for everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware.

That’s sparked fresh fears about China’s potential influence and triggered talks of further reining in the Asian nation, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The U.S. is determined to prevent chips from becoming a point of leverage for China, the people said.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo alluded to the problem during a panel discussion last week at the American Enterprise Institute. “The amount of money that China is pouring into subsidizing what will be an excess capacity of mature chips and legacy chips—that’s a problem that we need to be thinking about and working with our allies to get ahead of,” she said.[...]

Legacy chips are typically considered those made with 28-nm equipment or above, technology introduced more than a decade ago. Senior E.U. and U.S. officials are concerned about Beijing’s drive to dominate this market for both economic and security reasons, the people said. They worry Chinese companies could dump their legacy chips on global markets in the future, driving foreign rivals out of business like in the solar industry, they said.[...]

domestic producers may be reluctant to invest in facilities that will have to compete with heavily subsidized Chinese plants. [...]

“The United States and its partners should be on guard to mitigate nonmarket behavior by China’s emerging semiconductor firms,”

While the U.S. rules introduced last October slowed down China’s development of advanced chipmaking capabilities, they left largely untouched [sic] the country’s ability to use techniques older than 14-nanometers. That has led Chinese firms to construct new plants faster than anywhere else in the world. They are forecast to build 26 fabs through 2026 that use 200-millimeter and 300-mm wafers, according to the trade group SEMI. That compares with 16 fabs for the Americas.

So what's the problem? is it that you suck at manufacturing & want more neoliberalism? That's what it seems like to me [31 Jul 23]

[murderbot-fanimation-project]

SPOTLIGHT ON: Murderbot Fanimation Project Backgrounds!

(Part 3 of 3) (Jump to part [1] [2])

They may be the literal background of the finished product, but the backgrounds done for the Murderbot Diaries Fanimation Project deserve their time in the spotlight!

Part of what makes the Fanimation stand out as much as it does is the love, care, and attention to detail that the artists poured into the backgrounds. The team stuck closely to the source texts when designing the spaces, producing some beautiful pieces of art that deserve appreciation on their own.

You can watch the Murderbot Diaries Fanimation Project here.

In this final part, we look at some of the backgrounds that we animated to give them that extra wow factor. Some of the shots in the Murderbot Fanimation have backgrounds completely made in 3D - the opening shot and the post-credits scene, for example. But the shots in this post are mostly 2D imagery, with some 3D components and clever editing that bring them to life.

Deltfall Habitat - Background art and motion editing by @broken-risk-assessment-module , habitat model created by TechnicalToad and rendered by @theash0

"I climbed the ladder up to the roof hatch and popped it. The armor’s boots have magnetized climbing clamps, and I used them to cross over the curving roofs to the third habitat and then around to the second."

Milu Storm - 3D model of the corridor by TechnicalToad, storm effect created by @theash0 using, among many other elements, an effect created by @chimaerakitten

"Swirling, towering clouds, filled with electrical discharges, obscured any view of the surface. [...] It was immense, and wrong, and terrible and beautiful all at the same time. I stood there for what I later clocked as twenty-two seconds, just staring."

Docking Bay Door - Background, foreground, and door textures illustrated by Vanessa. 3D door composited and animated by @theash0

"Gurathin knelt beside an open maintenance floor panel next to the gate, tools scattered around, and Ratthi held a light for him. The panel was painted with an emergency feed marker label that in a selection of different languages read 'Manual Release.'"

Docking Bay Corridor - Illustrated by @nirelaz , motion editing by @theash0

"Our shuttle slot was six locks down, glowing emergency lighting showing me Mensah standing beside it holding a small energy weapon."

Bonus higher-quality stills of those last two to appreciate the detail:

(Docking Bay Door by Vanessa)

(Docking Bay Corridor by @nirelaz - you can find more of the backgrounds Nirelaz did for this project here)

[reasonsforhope]

[In February, 2023], a small warehouse in the English city of Nottingham received the crucial final components for a project that leverages the power of used EV batteries to create a new kind of circular economy.

Inside, city authorities have installed 40 two-way electric vehicle chargers that are connected to solar panels and a pioneering battery energy storage system, which will together power a number of on-site facilities and a fleet of 200 municipal vehicles while simultaneously helping to decarbonize the UK’s electrical grid.

Each day Nottingham will send a combination of solar-generated energy — and whatever is left in the vehicles after the day’s use — from its storage devices into the national grid.  The so-called “vehicle to grid” chargers deliver this energy just when it’s needed most, during peak evening demand, when people are home cooking, using hot water or watching TV. Later, the same chargers pull energy from the grid to recharge the vehicles in the wee hours of the night, when folks are sleeping and electricity is cheaper and plentiful.

“We are trying to create a virtual power station,” says Steve Cornes, Nottingham City Council’s Technical Lead. “The solar power and battery storage will help us operate independently and outside of peak times, making our system more resilient and reducing stress on the national grid. We could even make a profit.” ...

After around a decade, an EV battery no longer provides sufficient performance for car journeys. However, they still can retain up to 80 percent of their original capacity, and with this great remaining power comes great reusability.

“As the batteries degrade, they lose their usefulness for vehicles,” says Matthew Lumsden, chairman of Connected Energy. “But batteries can be used for so many other things, and to not do so results in waste and more mining of natural resources.”

The E-STOR hubs come in the form of 20-foot modular containers, each one packed with 24 repurposed EV batteries from Renault cars. Each hub can provide up to 300kW of power, enough to provide energy to dozens of homes. One study by Lancaster University, commissioned by Connected Energy, calculated that a second life battery system saved 450 tons of CO2 per MWh over its lifetime...

Battery repurposing and recycling is set to play a massive role over the coming years as the automobile industry attempts to decarbonize and the world more broadly attempts to fight waste. The production of EVs, which use lithium-ion batteries, is accelerating. Tesla, for example, is aiming to sell 20 million EVs per year by 2030 — more than 13 times the current level. In turn, 12 million tons of EV batteries could become available for reuse by 2030, according to one estimate.

“Over the next decade we are going to see this gigantic wave,” says Jessica Dunn, a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Companies are recognizing this is a necessary industry. They need to ramp up infrastructure for recycling and reuse.”

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, March 13, 2023

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - February 13, 2023

Hello there! Welcome to another edition of ‘Feel Good Newsletter’. I'm so glad you're here. Every week, I scour the web for the most uplifting and heartwarming stories to bring you a little bit of joy and inspiration. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive in!

1. Minnesota House passes "universal" school meals, providing free breakfast, lunch to students

The Minnesota House of Representatives is considering a bill that would provide universal school meals to all students in the state, regardless of their families' ability to pay. The goal of the bill is to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals and are better equipped to learn in the classroom.

If the bill is approved, Minnesota would become the second state in the country, after California, to offer universal school meals. The bill has the support of education and anti-hunger advocates, who argue that it would help to address food insecurity and improve student health and academic performance.

2. Ukraine succeeds in bringing back 128 children forcibly removed to Russia

Ukraine has succeeded in bringing back 128 children forcibly taken by the invaders to Russia.

Source: Yuliia Usenko, Head of the Department for the Protection of the Interests of Children and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, quoted by Ukrinform

Quote: "We have managed to bring 128 children back to Ukraine. More than 50 of them, together with their parents or guardians, are currently in EU countries.

3. Putting solar panels in grazing fields is good for sheep

A study found that installing solar panels in grazing fields is beneficial for sheep. The study was conducted in the UK and found that sheep were more likely to spend time in areas with solar panels than in areas without. This is because the panels provide shade and shelter from the sun, wind, and rain.

The researchers believe that this could help to improve the welfare of sheep, as they are more likely to seek out shade in hot weather, which can reduce the risk of heat stress. The study also found that the solar panels had little impact on the growth and health of the grass, which is important for the sheep's diet.

4. Dad takes toddler son for a manicure after teacher says it's 'only for girls'

The father and son were at a "Daddy and Me" event, where fathers were encouraged to spend time with their children doing various activities. The father chose to take his son to get a manicure, but was told by the teacher in charge of the activity that it was only for girls. The father was reportedly surprised and upset by the teacher's statement, as he felt that it was important for his son to be able to express himself however he wants, without gender stereotypes getting in the way.

The article notes that the incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender stereotypes and the importance of promoting gender equality and inclusivity, especially in children's activities.

4. More than half of new U.S. electric-generating capacity in 2023 will be solar, and only 14% will be using fossil fuels

Information Administration (EIA), energy production in the country increased for the fourth consecutive week. The EIA data showed that the output of oil, natural gas, and coal rose by 1.6%, 2.2%, and 3.2% respectively. The increase in energy production is due to a combination of factors, including improved drilling techniques, favorable weather conditions, and rising global demand for energy.

5. Deforestation in Brazil falls by 60% in first month under Lula

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil fell for the first time this year, according to a report by Reuters. The decrease is attributed to increased enforcement of environmental regulations and increased monitoring of illegal logging activities. The Brazilian government has implemented several measures to reduce deforestation and preserve the Amazon rainforest, which is a critical component of the global ecosystem.

6. Cat returned to NJ shelter for being 'too affectionate' now happy in his new home

A cat named Bruno surrendered to a shelter in New Jersey and was eventually adopted by a new family. Bruno, who was described as a friendly and affectionate cat, is now happily settling into his new home. The story of Bruno's adoption serves as a reminder of the importance of animal shelters and the work they do to find loving homes for abandoned pets.

7. A doggy day care was on fire. Neighbors helped save all 115 dogs inside.

A fire broke out at a doggy daycare and resort in Seattle, causing significant damage to the building. No dogs or employees were injured in the fire, but several dogs had to be temporarily relocated to other facilities. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the resort is working to make repairs and get back to serving the community's four-legged friends as soon as possible.

- - -

That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

[titanomancy]

Part deux of the Ash Wastes terrain focus is up, and since now I'm paranoid that anything I don't control directly is likely to be disappeared off the internet, I've elected to simply archive it in its entirety below the fold.

[H3] LADDERS, HATCHES AND RAILINGS

As any good ganger will tell you, a good vantage point is key to getting the drop on your rivals. To help fighters clamber around your Habs and gantries, the Thatos Pattern kits come with a host of extras - including a versatile set of ladders.

These ladders are modular, to allow for alternate strut heights. They're separated into a top section, plus short and long middle sections that allow any combination. They also can hang freely on the bars of the platforms, allowing you to combine them with whatever terrain configuration you have gone with.

These curved railings, vital for any sniper lurking near the edge of a significant drop, are also very easy to add to any build. These can be attached without glue, and will sit on the curved bar on the platforms.

Want to add some additional details to the underside of your platforms? Both of the platforms and the Hab have fittings on the underside to attach accessories from the Sector Mechanicus terrain kits – such as cables, chains, and ladders – further adding to the variety of build options on offer.

The platforms are also the same thickness as Sector Mechanicus floors, which allows for the Sector Mechanicus railings to be used on them.

For that little bit of extra detail – not to mention more cover – the underside of the roof has fittings for a long ladder section (D39, for those of you checking your construction guides) to glue into, giving gangers easy access to the roof.

Speaking of extra detail, each Hab comes with four tension cables that attach to slots on the central strut. These can be assembled in two ways – down to the base, or up to the Hab. Or if your strut is tall enough, and you’ve got cables spare… both!

Need to clamber up a stack of Habs? You can add a ladder attachment (D40) to the bottom of a ladder. This allows it to neatly and gluelessly join two curved bars, giving you an easy way to access a roof, a second Hab, or a mounted platform.

The Habs were designed to allow for easy movement of models – the roof sections don’t need glue, so you can easily take them on and off, and there are plenty of wide openings in the sides of the Habs. The kit also comes with panels, however, allowing you to fill some of these openings in. Combined with the careful placement of ladders, this can make for an interesting battlefield where fighters must climb and dodge their way through a maze of modules and walkways.

Need to keep the sun off your face… not to mention that pesky rain of radioactive dust? The awning can be built in 2 ways. It can attach to a balcony piece (A18), or you can attach two parts (D13 & D14) Which will let it attach to the curved bar.

The Hab walls have fittings for aerials, a hanging lamp, or an anemometer… which is useful to let you know when a storm is on the horizon!

The kit also comes with a shelf of stowage, and an electrical box, which can be glued onto the blank wall or blank panel. These kinds of details are great for marking out some Habs as workshops, armouries, or Rogue Doc chop shops.

There are several separate components, such as aerials, a searchlight, and radar, which can be glued on the corresponding fittings found on several other parts. Much like the stowage, these can mark out a vox-equipped Hab, or a full comms centre.

Need an ash wastes objective or just an interesting piece of terrain? The strut top made from D15 and D16 has the same fittings as the Hab, to allow for two of the aerials to attach to it and create a communications array.

Strut D17 actually has six fittings to attach aerial accessories to, allowing for plenty of customisation and stacking.  

There are two aerial features (D33 and D34) – a wind gauge and a communication emitter – that will both fit onto the top of the vertical aerials.

Want to connect a Hab roof to a Sector Mechanicus walkway or Zone Mortalis level? Like the platforms, a Hab roof has curved bars – and with the Hab being the same height (to the curved bar) as a Zone Mortalis column, this means it is the correct height to place floors.

A Zone Mortalis walkway will sit onto the vertical bars on the platforms and the Hab roofs. With these being curved, they can pivot and tilt at different angles.

Like the railings from Sector Mechanicus, Zone Mortalis and the Gang Stronghold, the railings will fit onto both of the other terrain set floors and vice versa.

The walkways fit the same gap as Sector Mechanicus floors. Use C15 (not C16) to attach the two together – this allows for several walkways to join two Habs or platforms.

That’s all for now – hopefully, these articles have given some insight into the versatility of the Thatos Pattern terrain sets, and inspired you to plan your very own ash wastes outposts!

[mindblowingscience]

New research has found that 4,642 species of vertebrates are threatened by mineral extraction around the world through mining and quarrying, and drilling for oil and gas. Mining activity coincides with the world's most valuable biodiversity hotspots, which contain a hyper-diversity of species and unique habitats found nowhere else on Earth. The biggest risk to species comes from mining for materials fundamental to our transition to clean energy, such as lithium and cobalt—both essential components of solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars.

Continue Reading.

[oftenwantedafton]

Vent - Steve Raglan/William Afton/Springtrap x Female Reader

Chapters 18-20

Rating - Explicit

Warning for sexual content

Also available on AO3 Chapter 18 | 19 | 20

Chapter 18 ~ deja vu ~

The spring rains in Hurricane have begun in earnest.

Ten steps from your front porch and down the driveway bring you to Steve Raglan’s car. There is no longer any debate about how you will reach your destination. You just accept that he will be there each afternoon, ferrying you to your fate.

It’s pouring today and the water sits on your cheeks, sinks into your hair, douses your lips. Your work shirt clings to you, the white material plastering to the flesh beneath. Your fingers press into the stitching on the seams of the seat your body sinks into. Cherry licorice today, you can smell the artificial scent. His palm cups your cheek and his thumb approaches the shallow divot at the center of your bottom lip and you automatically reach for it, sucking it into the warm wetness of the cavern just behind. You’ve been trained for this. You’re good at it. You listen to the sharp intake of breath and let the older man drink the rainwater from your mouth. The sky weeps onto the sedan. The windshield wipers squeak gently as the blades streak across the glass.

Your employer brings you to the establishment.

***

“Where’s Bonnie?”

You notice the absence of the blue rabbit as soon as you enter the dining area, the main stage now only displaying two animatronics.

“Transferred for repairs. That’s what we’ll be working on this afternoon.”

You follow him to the workroom. You’re still damp from the inclement weather outside. Wetter still in other places the rain cannot touch.

Your boss has not escaped the deluge. You watch him remove his glasses, tugging a corner of the hem of the tucked dress shirt free to polish the lenses. They smear and he sighs and sets them on the closest free surface. He depresses some hidden panel and a section of the robot’s shoulder lifts, then shines a pen light into the darkened space. “There. You see it?”

You lean closer. The wires look frayed, the electrical components charred. Almost as if it’s been struck by lightning, receiving too much current.

Raglan clutches the light between his teeth, rummaging among the tools he’d selected when you’d first entered the workshop. You feel like you’re assisting a surgeon as you watch him remove the damaged parts carefully, handing him the requested items, holding the light steady, participating in the removal when he indicates for you to.

“How was school today?” So casually asked. As if he hadn’t just spent long moments letting his mouth wander over you inside his car. You long to be back within the confines of that steel beast. Steve on his knees outside the car with you draped across the back seat, parted legs near the edge and that sinful mouth you’re constantly craving between them. You knew he didn’t care about the rain pummeling his spine or the puddle soaking through his work pants or the fact that it was still daylight when he’d pulled off the road. Your mind lingers on the way he always watches you watching him when he takes you apart.

“I got an A on my Calculus test.” You see a faint smile on the bearded man’s face. He’s pleased with you. “The yearbook committee went around asking people to submit photos and gave us pages to fill out for our entries. And the prom tickets went on sale.” You struggle to dig a ruined circuit board from the joint, hissing in satisfaction when you succeed.

“Good. Are you going to prom?” He pries the frayed wiring loose, glancing at you.

“No, of course not.”

“Why ‘of course not’?”

“Because I have no one to go with. I can’t dance. It would be awkward,” you protest. “Did you go to yours?”

He nods. “It was terrible. But it’s one of those things. A rite of passage. You shouldn’t miss out on.”

“And stand in the corner all night? No thanks.”

He uncoils fresh wire from the spool, sheathing it in electrical tape. The copper glints in the illumination from the penlight you’re still holding to assist your boss.

“Someone would still ask you to dance.”

“No one would notice me. No one ever does.”

His hands still and he looks at you. “I did.” His eyes are dark gray today, matching the storm outside.

“Yes, you did,” you agree quietly. You think about the open door behind you. What a shame he hasn’t locked it today.

***

There’s a party that night at the restaurant. Nothing formal, just a little taste testing event to confirm choices for the upcoming menu, a little reward for how well everything’s been progressing. It will be opening day soon.

You tuck yourself into the edge of the kitchen, watching Steve help the staff prepare the meal. For all his protests about not cooking that he'd made on your first night in his car, he clearly knows his way around a kitchen. You can envision him in a smaller space at home cooking, back when he’d had a family. Helping the kids with their homework until it was time to start getting a meal ready. The counter a mess by the time whatever dish or pot is simmering on the stove or placed in the oven to bake. Stacks of dishes in the sink. Sneaking a piece of cheese, licking a stray bit of tomato sauce from knuckles. Wife coming home, sighing at the mess good naturedly. Standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Positions reversed. She’s been waiting for him to get home from the restaurant. He asks her if she wants to go out. The kids are staying at their grandparent’s house. The wife now wears your face, suggesting they stay inside instead. The counter is cleared with one broad sweep of a scarred arm. His mouth is on your throat and his cock is driving into your pussy. This is what you dream about, in the quiet dark of your room. You draw his face and his hands and the patterns of his scars. Your journals remain blank. They’ve been that way for weeks. You cannot fill the pages because you’ve given all your words to him.

“Hey. Are you alright?” Raglan sees your far away look, perhaps notices how rapid your breathing has gotten. You nod. “Try this.” An appetizer is brought to your mouth. You accept it hastily, burning your tongue in the process. Something fried, cheesy, dipped in marinara. It’s delicious. His thumb lingers a heartbeat too long against your lips. One of the servers—a girl from your high school, a cheerleader, popular—glowers nearby. He’s too bold. Of course people must be talking about how the two of you are always together. They see you arrive as a pair, know you’re the last two leaving. As unremarkable and unnoticed as you think you are, they’ll still figure it out.

The girl says as much minutes later, backing you into a corner, arms folded beneath her breasts. She’s nearly got all the details right, save she assumes you’re already having intercourse. You haven’t gone that far yet, but that result is inevitable. You deny that he favors you, that you’re making more money than the rest of the staff. Steve sees your predicament. He tells her to leave, dismissing her threats to expose your relationship.

“Get the fuck out of my restaurant.” His voice is low and dangerous. He’s still holding a kitchen knife in one hand. The girl opens her mouth to protest, swallows the sound instead, and disappears into the deluge outdoors. Your eyes dart again to the blade. A sense of deja vu floods over you.

Chapter 19 ~ want ~

You’ve grown to enjoy some of the cassettes Steve Raglan plays in the car during your commute together.

You’re as familiar with the melodies and the lyrics as intimately as the older man is with your body. Sometimes he pulls the car over, fingers thrusting inside relentlessly until you’ve become lost in the rapture once, twice, and another for good measure. Sometimes he doesn’t even stop and touches you while he’s driving. An artist that’s perfected his craft. A musician plucking your insides until he creates the symphony of your pleasure.

“Do people still make mix tapes?” His fingers slip beneath the waistband of your panties. It’s one of those nights when he’s multitasking, still driving. One finger probes inside your entrance, finding it already drooling.

“Um…yeah except they burn the songs on a CD instead…fuck…”

“I’ll make you one.” He adds a second finger. Curls the pair. Rubs that secret space inside you. You clutch his forearm, feeling the taut muscles there, your hips writhing in ecstasy. He removes his fingers when you’ve had your fill and sucks them. “My favorite candy.” You reach for the fly of his pants.

***

It’s late at night. and the restaurant still slumbers, not yet ready for customers. You and Steve are the only people inside, seated at one of the booths. You finish the last college application and the older man sets it onto the pile. You’ve decided on a career in engineering, still debating about the exact branch you’d like to focus on.

“Tonight was your prom night, wasn’t it?”

This again. You don’t understand his preoccupation with it. “Yes.”

“Would you mind running down to my office and grabbing something for me? There’s a package on my desk I need to mail.”

You nod, shoving at the employees only doors. The route is familiar to you now, the misgivings long buried. You still think of the yellow rabbit from time to time, but rarely. There is just too much of Steve to fill the spaces.

The manager’s door swings open and you pause, realizing there is no box on his desk. Instead there’s an evening dress, sheathed in a clear plastic garment bag hanging on the coat rack tucked into the corner. It’s dark navy, the scrolled embroidery on the bodice and skirt glinting where the embedded silver threads catch the light. Matching low heeled pumps sit nearby.

You gather the items in your arms and enter the restroom nearby, dragging your tshirt over your head and shrugging out of your jeans and sneakers. The dress fits you like a glove, draping neatly over your frame. You have no idea how he’d known your size, the shoes also a perfect fit. You wish you had makeup, something to style your hair with.

“Stunning,” the man greets you when you return to the dining room. The first two buttons of his dress shirt are undone, his tie coiled neatly, resting next to the car keys on the table and a CD that you think must be the promised mix tape, your suspicions confirmed when you recognize the first song that plays moments later when he’s slotted it into the player.

“This is… you didn’t have to…thank you,” you whisper.

He grins and offers you a hand, pulling you tightly against him. You laugh and he spins you around. He’s dimmed the lights. Your fingers weave together. His dark eyes devour you and his mouth covers yours.

You’re in the back seat of his car, dress hiked up, the dark fabric gathered above your hips. You feel him through his clothes grinding hard against your crotch. Lace panties today. You won’t wear anything else. They’re his favorite.

You kiss the scars that mark his collarbones, peeling the folds of the collar back to have better access. You love the noises he makes; love that it’s you making him create them. You’ve never had a friend before him. You’ve waited your entire life for this.

“I want…” he begins, the words hot against your ear.

You want, too.

Chapter 20 ~ jekyll and hyde ~

Steve Raglan’s house is a well maintained brick Tudor with curls of ivy wrapped around the iron gates bordering the front yard.

You wait for him to fumble the key to the front door in the lock. His smile is as unsteady as his hands.

There’s a living room with a fireplace to greet you when you first walk in. A row of built in bookshelves filled top to bottom. Your fingers run over the spines, tugging a copy of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde free. You’ve read this before. You envision the older man tucked into the recliner in the corner with this book cradled in his hands, those long, deft fingers turning the pages.

He drags you against him and the book falls to the floor.

Past the kitchen and bathroom you’re led inside his bedroom. Tidy walnut dresser and matching nightstands and a platform bed with storage beneath it. You wonder what he might keep in those drawers. A free standing full length mirror occupies one corner of the room.

You see your reflection in it as stands behind you, helping to pull the dress over your head. He takes his time removing your undergarments, his fingers calmly skimming over your still damp skin, but you know better. His eyes betray him every time. They meet yours in the mirror.

You turn, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. You’ve never seen him undressed. The scars extend over every inch of his now exposed torso. You lick along the line of one, hear the air whistle sharply as it’s dragged into his lungs. You’re pushed onto the bed. Firm mattress, firm pillows, soft comforter beneath you. He unfastens his pants, lets them drop to the carpet. More scars tattoo the skin there, your gaze lingering on the ones that extend promisingly down from his abdomen. Briefs pulled from hips and there they are, running down over the wings of bone, spilling down his thighs. There is no end to the patterns that you can see.

He climbs into bed, his long frame hovering over you. Still the deceptive calm before the storm, every movement slow and deliberate. Your heart is racing. His lips press into your hairline, graze your nose. Finally on your mouth. You clutch his neck, dig your nails into his bicep. One hand finds the space between your thighs and his fingers fill the hollow wetness. His mouth leaves yours as he straightens, on his knees, tugging your legs up and apart. Pressure when he’s positioned there, just slight, still poised, waiting. Those eyes on yours again. There’s no going back from this. It’s your final lesson. One moment still virgin, the next not and oh, the stretch of it as he pushes. It’s beyond what his fingers have teased for so many weeks. You feel yourself tearing, a sharp burning pain. You bite your lip and whimper. He’s barely begun. There’s so much more of his cock to take into you. Your throat knows this lesson only too well.

Another couple inches buried. Your hands squeeze the duvet beneath you. The fingers on your thighs dig into your skin. Deeper still. The absolute ache of it. You wonder what it feels like to him, to be clenched in that narrow space. You’re tugged against him, the distance closed in one impatient burst. Another high pitched whine escapes. Fully inside you, pausing before withdrawing partly. Pushed back in. The process repeats. Again. In. Out. In. Out.

Raglan’s body shifts. He’s bent over you again, still seated inside your body, your knees hugging his ribs. His mouth melts in yours. Still fucking your raw pussy open slowly. Reaching your cervix. A new ache when he strikes that place.

The sensations evolve as he gradually pushes into you faster. It still hurts, but there’s another feeling blossoming inside. You grow wetter. Your hips meet his. Your breathing is so harsh; his own huffed against your neck. One hand paws at your breasts. There’s none of the usual careful artistry in the touches, the strokes desperate, needy. The contact between your bodies is a feverish sequence of slapping movements. A thumb finds your clit, grinding the tender nub. Faster still. Your body knows instinctively how to move. The hair at the nape of his neck is damp beneath your fingers, moist from rainwater and perspiration. You can taste the salt of it as it beads on his forehead and slides down into your mouth.

Steve’s body tenses, rigid against yours when he cums, spilling inside of you, claiming you. He’s your first and you’re his only and that’s the thought that carries you through to your own release.

***

The older man is asleep beside you, snoring gently. You cannot join him in slumber. You’re sore inside and out, tender, raw, but it’s a good kind of ache. You’re proud of it. You slide out of bed and grab the dress shirt lying on the floor, slipping it over your shoulders. You pad barefoot down the hall to use the bathroom, then wander back to the living room. The book is still on the floor. You bend to retrieve it, thumbing through the printed text. The pages are thick, ivory colored, and smell like the public library, old paper and old ink. Vintage, like all of his other possessions. You are the newest one he owns. You reach the title page. The one opposite from it features a book plate. It looks very dated. He’s had this story for a long time.

You’re about to shut the cover when you realize it’s not Steve Raglan’s name printed there.

William Afton

Your eyes ignore the surname and focus on the first one. You stare until the pair of orbs burn, until they water. The yellow rabbit’s warning reverberates in your mind.

William. You should avoid him at all costs.

He’s using another name, but it’s him.

You should run. Get out while you still can.

Your stomach drops and the book follows, clattering to the hardwood floor.

[khalid-albeshri]

Key sectors in KSA manufacturing market:

Here’s a concise overview of the key sectors in Saudi Arabia's manufacturing market:

1. Petrochemicals

- Central to Saudi Arabia's manufacturing, leveraging vast oil and gas reserves to produce chemicals like ethylene and polypropylene.

- Major players include SABIC and Saudi Aramco.

2. Pharmaceuticals

- Rapidly expanding with a focus on local production of generics, vaccines, and biotech products.

- Supported by government initiatives to reduce import dependency.

3. Food and Beverage

- Vital for food security and economic growth, focusing on dairy, processed foods, beverages, and halal products.

- Expanding into regional and international markets.

4. Automotive

- Developing sector with a focus on assembling vehicles, manufacturing parts, and electric vehicles (EVs).

- Growing interest from global manufacturers.

5. Construction Materials

- Driven by mega-projects, producing cement, steel, aluminum, and sustainable materials.

- Key to supporting infrastructure development.

6. Metals and Mining

- Emerging sector with significant resources like gold, phosphate, and bauxite.

- Focus on extraction, processing, and downstream industries like aluminum smelting.

7. Textiles and Apparel

- Small but growing, with potential in high-quality textiles and traditional clothing.

- Opportunities in fashion and design.

8. Renewable Energy Equipment

- Focused on producing solar panels, wind turbines, and related components to support renewable energy projects.

- Significant growth potential aligned with sustainability goals.

9. Packaging

- Expanding due to growth in food, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce.

- Innovation in sustainable packaging solutions is on the rise.

10. Defense and Aerospace

- Strategic priority with efforts to localize military equipment production.

- Supported by GAMI, focusing on parts manufacturing and maintenance services.

These sectors highlight Saudi Arabia's drive toward economic diversification, with strong government support and strategic investments fostering growth across the manufacturing industry.

#KhalidAlbeshri #خالدالبشري

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have devised an efficient method of recovering high-purity silicon from expired solar panels to produce lithium-ion batteries that could help meet the increasing global demand to power electric vehicles. High-purity silicon makes up the majority of solar cells, yet they are typically discarded at the end of their operational lifespan after 25 to 30 years. It is challenging to separate the silicon from other solar cell components such as aluminium, copper, silver, lead, and plastic. Moreover, recycled silicon has impurities and defects, making it unsuitable for other silicon-based technologies. Existing methods to recover high-purity silicon are energy-intensive and involve highly toxic chemicals, making them expensive and limiting their widespread adoption among recyclers.

Read more.