#energy performance certificate

[southernassessors24]

Enhance energy efficiency for your building with expert non-domestic energy assessments. Serving at Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorset regions. Southern Assessors

[energyperformancesolutionsuk]

EPC London

If you are looking for EPC London, then you are exactly in the right place. Energy Performance Solutions (EPS) is a leading provider of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and related services in London. The company specialises in helping property owners and landlords comply with the UK's energy efficiency regulations by conducting thorough EPC assessments. We are delivering accurate and reliable energy performance reports, offering practical advice on enhancing a building's energy efficiency, and providing guidance on meeting legislative requirements. With a team of qualified and experienced domestic energy assessors, EPS is committed to promoting sustainability and helping clients make informed decisions to reduce their properties' environmental impact. 

[jcmarchi]

Testing hypersonic materials in Arc-jet wind tunnel - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/testing-hypersonic-materials-in-arc-jet-wind-tunnel-technology-org/

Testing hypersonic materials in Arc-jet wind tunnel - Technology Org

Aerospace engineers at The University of Texas at Arlington are teaming with researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to understand how to reproduce flight-relevant hypersonic conditions best.

Luca Maddalena, professor of aerospace engineering and director of UTA’s Aerodynamics Research Center (ARC), and Vijay Gopal, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, will receive $700,000 of the total $2.1 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to perform tests in the University’s arc-jet wind tunnel. 

The University of Arizona, which is the lead institution on the grant, has developed advanced thermal protection materials (TPS) for use on hypersonic vehicles that the three universities will test using different methodologies:

The UTA team will test the materials with an arc jet, in which gases are heated to extremely hot temperatures and expanded to produce supersonic/hypersonic speeds by a continuous electrical arc between electrodes. This process can create gas temperatures exceeding the surface temperature of the sun, around 10,000 degrees Kelvin. Arc-jet testing is required to test the materials at levels necessary for certification for use in hypersonic vehicles.

The Arizona scientists will use an oxy-acetylene torch, which is similar to a welding torch and is a technique widely used for screening materials at the early development stage.

The Illinois team will test the TPS materials with a plasmatron, which concentrates microwave energy to a specific point.

At each level of testing, the team will look for trends, similarities and differences that could signal if a material’s performance is promising, consistent and suitable for use at hypersonic speeds.

“The Navy really wants us to help understand the TPS materials’ response, trends and differences among the various testing methods that are progressively used throughout the development of new TPS materials, starting from the early screening stage up to the arc-jet testing and qualification,” Maddalena said. “This knowledge will contribute to faster development of new critical materials for hypersonic applications anchoring various levels of ground testing to relevant hypersonic flight.”

UTA possesses the only university-operated, large-scale, arc-heated wind tunnel in the country capable of simulating high-impact pressures and high shear. Arc-heated wind tunnel facilities provide the only ground-based means of simulating hypersonic heating rates during entry, re-entry and hypersonic cruise in a reacting flow environment under flight-relevant durations.

“The future of aerospace is in hypersonics, and through this collaboration, Dr. Maddalena and the ARC are once again using our unique facilities to contribute to the development of materials that can withstand the extreme conditions of hypersonic flight and atmospheric re-entry to ensure the safety and reliability of hypersonic vehicles,” said Erian Armanios, professor and chair of UTA’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

Source: University of Texas at Arlington

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[mapgubbins]

17,455 Energy Performance Certificates for properties in England and Wales are withheld from public access

Post: 24 March 2024

New blog post on my website:

17,455 Energy Performance Certificates for properties in England and Wales are withheld from public access

[energyperformancesolutions]

Energy Performance Certificates In London

Energy Performance Certificates In London

 At Energy Performance Solutions, we try to achieve the best possible rating for your property. We can provide the standard EPC certificate where you can see the energy efficiency recommendations, which are automatically set by the software that we energy assessors use. However, we can also offer a consultancy service where we assess your property and then provide energy efficiency improvements outside the ones stated in the EPC certificate. These extra recommendations cost much less to implement as the aim is to achieve a minimum of C rating, avoiding costly improvements such as wall insulation or double glazing. Whether it is a full property refurbishment or just a few adjustments, this service is highly recommended for who needs a C rating minimum at lower costs. Given the new regulations that will come into force in 2025, requiring properties to achieve a minimum of C rating, it is wise to always to consult with a specialist before making any changes to the property.

What We Do Energy Performance Solutions is a company with several years of experience in the energy performance sector. Our energy assessors provide high quality and accurate energy performance certificates. We focus on residential properties, and have vast experience with a variety of clients ranging from landlords letting their first property to property investment companies with large portfolios. We adopt a consultative approach to the energy performance assessment, by which we can provide the standard EPC report, but also an energy performance consultancy service that aims to ensure the most cost-effective way to improve the epc rating.

Who Needs Energy Performance Certificates: Since the introduction of the EU Directive on performance of buildings in 2007, it is a legal requirement to have a valid EPC when selling or renting a property. By law, prospective tenants or buyers must have access to a valid EPC; therefore, it is important to have a valid EPC before advertising a property. There are cases however where a property is exempt from the EPC requirements. To find out about these exemptions, please follow the link:  A guide to energy performance certificates for the marketing, sale and let of dwellings (publishing.service.gov.uk) epc london

What is an EPC: The EPC certificate consists of the assessment of the energy efficiency of the property. The property is attributed a rating which varies from A to G - the most efficient is A and the least efficient is G. The survey takes into account the building's age, type of fabric, thickness of the walls, level of insulation, type of windows, heating system and its controls. The survey does not take into account your appliances, such as washing machines, microwaves or any heater that is not fixed.

[certificatelabuk]

The Certificate Lab

The Certificate Lab offers complete convenience to landlords and solicitors who need quick certificates to sale or lease any domestic or commercial building. We are able to offer the full suite of certificates to clients in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and across Central Scotland. EPCs, Legionella Risk, PAT Testing, EICR, Fire Risk Assessment, Gas Safety, Drone Surveys and more.

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10 years of experience delivering solutions to landlords, business owners and solicitors

We are specialists in all things certification and compliance and offer the complete package

Fully operated CRM system with all renewal dates for certificates logged so no missed deadlines

Ongoing customer service. We are here for the long term to assist you

drone surveys Glasgow

Contact Us

The Certificate Lab Clyde Offices, 48 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1BP United Kingdom 07929 281508

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[mpoweredpelvichealth06]

Energy Performance Certificates In London

Energy Performance Certificates In London

At Energy Performance Solutions, we try to achieve the best possible rating for your property. We can provide the standard EPC certificate where you can see the energy efficiency recommendations, which are automatically set by the software that we energy assessors use. However, we can also offer a consultancy service where we assess your property and then provide energy efficiency improvements outside the ones stated in the EPC certificate. These extra recommendations cost much less to implement as the aim is to achieve a minimum of C rating, avoiding costly improvements such as wall insulation or double glazing. Whether it is a full property refurbishment or just a few adjustments, this service is highly recommended for who needs a C rating minimum at lower costs. Given the new regulations that will come into force in 2025, requiring properties to achieve a minimum of C rating, it is wise to always to consult with a specialist before making any changes to the property.

What We Do Energy Performance Solutions is a company with several years of experience in the energy performance sector. Our energy assessors provide high quality and accurate energy performance certificates. We focus on residential properties, and have vast experience with a variety of clients ranging from landlords letting their first property to property investment companies with large portfolios. We adopt a consultative approach to the energy performance assessment, by which we can provide the standard EPC report, but also an energy performance consultancy service that aims to ensure the most cost-effective way to improve the epc rating.

Who Needs Energy Performance Certificates: Since the introduction of the EU Directive on performance of buildings in 2007, it is a legal requirement to have a valid EPC when selling or renting a property. By law, prospective tenants or buyers must have access to a valid EPC; therefore, it is important to have a valid EPC before advertising a property. There are cases however where a property is exempt from the EPC requirements. To find out about these exemptions, please follow the link:  A guide to energy performance certificates for the marketing, sale and let of dwellings (publishing.service.gov.uk) epc london

What is an EPC: The EPC certificate consists of the assessment of the energy efficiency of the property. The property is attributed a rating which varies from A to G - the most efficient is A and the least efficient is G. The survey takes into account the building's age, type of fabric, thickness of the walls, level of insulation, type of windows, heating system and its controls. The survey does not take into account your appliances, such as washing machines, microwaves or any heater that is not fixed.

[global-compliance]

Fixed Wire Testing

Fixed wire testing is a process that is used to test electrical systems and components. It is a very important process because it can help to identify problems early and fix them before they become bigger problems.

Fixed wire testing is a process that uses a variety of tools to test electrical systems. These tools can include voltmeters, ammeters, ohmmeters, and test probes. They can also include electronic test equipment like multimeters.

Fixed wire testing is a process that uses a variety of tools to test electrical systems. These tools can include voltmeters, ammeters, ohmmeters, and test probes. For more information visit us today.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

(X men Evolution) Platonic Yandere Trio Wanda, Quicksilver and Magneto and Magneto's youngest child reader from a one night stand who has Technopathy and who's mom was killed protecting her from anti mutant groups and the social worker contacted Magneto because his name is in the birth certificate and asked him if he wanted custody of them.

Ooooo! Thank you for specifying which X-Men media you wanted! (But I only do gender neutral Readers, okay?) I'll see what I can do:

It was hard, not having your mom around anymore.

She died protecting you, doing everything in her power to keep you safe, to let you have a chance at a normal childhood, and how was she repayed? The people of your old town killed her. They had meant to kill you, but she took the bullet for you. You were lucky to be alive, lucky to have been moved to a safe place...

But...

Now you were moving in with someone you'd never met before.

He was supposedly your dad. Or at least who your mom claimed was. She'd never really mentioned him before, save when she needed to give you hope for a better future, when you'd be safe to use your powers and not be attacked for it.

His name was supposedly Magnus, and it turned out he had two other kids: Wanda and Pietro, twins.

They hadn't been mean or jealous (what was there to be jealous about? you're a younger sibling with trauma), but they did act... stange? In a way. Always hovering nearby, trying to keep the other Brotherhood teens from being near you or talking with you.

You think your first bonding moment with them was when you and the group had gone to an arcade for fun. The machines hummed with life, with energy... And you had just the game you enjoyed just waiting to be played.

The claw machine.

The poor thing hadn't been able to give a reward for all the money it was given, but you were just the person to make it right. With a few quarters, and a quick snap of electricity, you had the machine buzzing with your commands. The first stuffed animal was a hummingbird, with bright blue wings and a white stomach. The second was an owl with bright red eyes. Soon to follow were more and more little animals, until the entire plushie receptacle was filled to the brim with your rewards.

You shocked the poor guy behind the ticket counter, who looked tired and flabbergasted. And it seemed you'd surprised your siblings, too...

"Take it. They look like you," you pushed as you shoved the two birds into their arms. You'd already packed the rest of the stuffies into large plastic bags, hopefully to send to the local children's hospital.

"How does this look like me?" Pietro asked, looking over the hummingbird in blurred movements. "Couldn't it have been, like, a falcon, or something?"

"... Why an owl?" Wanda asks.

"You're fast and can perform any trick in the book. So can hummingbirds! Can you see a falcon flying backwards? Also, an owl because you've got the whole witch aesthetic, and it looks like you! It even has black and red feathers!"

"... Tch... Fine..."

"... It will be my familiar..."

"Yay! Now, let's go give the others their's!"

"Wait, you got them some too?!"

After that, the twins were just-

Everywhere.

And if they couldn't be there, one of the other Brotherhood teens was instead. It only became a problem when someone tried to bully you.

Safe to say...

"Mess with them again and you won't live to make the same mistake again!"

"Let's see how well you do in basketball now, loser!"

The guy who'd try to pick on you now earned the full ire of Wanda AND Pietro, who made his life h*ll. And what those two decreed, the others followed.

People left you alone after that.

Of course, when you wanted to hide from everyone or hide your tracks...

You messed with the computers and lights.

"Ah man, I can't see like this!"

"Is it a power outage?"

"Someone get the janitor!"

Being in control of technology was pretty awesome.

It wasn't so fun when your dad found out.

"Reader... perhaps you would like to join my Acolytes? We would have much need of your mutation."

You took one look at the people your... dad, had on his elite team... And decided:

"Um... I'm good, sir..."

"Very well... And you may call me 'father'."

"Erm... okay... Father..."

What you didn't see happening in the shadows was your father having his Acolytes preparing a space for you anyway, so one day you could be with them. What you didn't see was Wanda giving nightmares and accidents to your bully, sending them into a chaotic spiral. What you didn't see was Pietro following you wherever you went, spying from as far or near as he liked, and telling Wanda and Magneto everything he saw.

You may have thought you were being given some control, but in honesty... That control was only an illusion.

If you ever tried to leave or go to the X-Men, you'd just find yourself kept captive, bound in metal chains where no one would ever find you, save for your loving family... They wouldn't risk losing their little technopath, the one member of their small family who can temper their personalities... So don't try to run, or they'll cut off any small control you have for good.

[southernassessors24]

Enhance energy efficiency for your business with expert non-domestic energy assessments. Serving Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorset regions. Southern Assessors.

[beefromanoff]

Project Mockingbird Ch. 1

summary: Natasha identifies a girl who needs their help and makes a case to the rest of the team. the problem? the girl who needs the help was genetically engineered to oppose their friend.

pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC

chapter list

________________________________________

Three Months Earlier

The team filed into the conference room at The Avengers’ Compound in their usual order: Steve and Vision (fifteen minutes early), Peter, Bruce, Wanda, and Sam right on time, and Tony striding in five minutes late. 

“I have to admit, when I heard you wanted to see me, I was hoping for more of a one-on-one situation.” Sam joked as he plopped down in his chair. 

“Keep dreaming, Wilson.” She shot him a side-eyed glance, a shadow of a smile on her face. 

The room held a strange energy, remaining unusually quiet as everyone waited for Natasha to explain the reason for calling the meeting. Steve and Tony had historically been the only ones to call official team briefings. 

“I found a girl.” Natasha slid a stack of folders across the table. 

“Hey, love is love. As long as I can watch.” Tony grinned. 

“Shut up.” She ignored him and clicked a button on her computer, bringing a set video footage to life on the screen behind her. “Her name is Charlotte Julianna Rossi. She’s 21 years old, according to her Drivers’ License. According to her birth certificate, she’s closer to 100.” 

The room fell quiet, Steve and Natasha exchanging a sobering gaze. The screen on the wall showed several clips at once, all featuring a pretty young girl. Her hair was different colors across all of the clips, some showing her with long, blonde locks and some showing a cropped dark haircut with severe bangs, others showing varying shades of red. 

“She’s hardly been on the radar until the past two years. In that time period, she’s been hospitalized seventeen times for injuries consistent with overuse and extreme fatigue. Rhabdomyolysis, kidney damage, severe muscle strain, dehydration, the list goes on. Every single time, she’s admitted in a critical state but checks herself out against medical advice less than 24 hours later.” 

As the team shuffled through the documents in front of them, putting pieces together, Natasha continued. 

“I found her because she made headlines earlier this year after getting kicked out of Team USA Olympic trials for women’s gymnastics. They tried to cover it up, didn’t want to get any questions they didn’t have an answer for. From what I was able to gather, she came out of nowhere, competed at the last National Championship meet as an unaffiliated gymnast, and won every event with a perfect score. The entire gymnastics community was up in arms about it. They tried to figure out where she came from, where she trained, but there was nothing. No record. Of course, Team USA begged her to come to the tryout, she blew them away. Somehow, one of the families of the gymnasts at risk of losing their spot got her kicked off for use of performance enhancing drugs. The thing is, there’s no record of her ever even being tested.”

“No offense, Nat, but we aren’t exactly looking to start a Cirque Du Soleil Troupe here.” 

“Tony, shut the fuck up and let me finish.” She gave him an austere look as he put his hands up defensively. 

“Since then, she’s won a dozen amateur MMA matches, three boxing matches, and won fifteen straight games of poker before being banned from the majority of Vegas casinos. She’s making her money drifting, picking up random things and kicking everyone’s ass at them. Clearly, it’s not without a toll, if you look at her hospital records.”

She clicked a button and the screen shifted, sending a chill down everyone’s spine. A grainy document had been scanned in, the HYDRA symbol emblazoned on the top of the letterhead. 

“Project Mockingbird. It was pioneered two years after the Winter Soldier project. Specifically, it was initiated only ten days after a record seventeen HYDRA agents were critically injured trying to contain their primary test subject during an attempted escape.” 

Wanda spoke slowly. “You mean…”

“Bucky.” Steve breathed out. 

“Right.” Natasha was solemn. “I didn’t want to leave him out of this, but I didn’t know how he’d handle it. I figured it was better to tell him once we have more information.” 

Steve nodded, brow knit together in concern. 

“Okay, so I think I’m tracking all of this, but if you could - just so I’m clear, what exactly does all of this mean?” Peter leaned forward nervously. 

Taking a deep breath, Natasha answered. “This is just a hypothesis, but I don’t see much wiggle room. It appears that when HYDRA was working on the Winter Soldier project, on Bucky…they had difficulties containing him. Controlling him. When it became apparent that ordinary agents couldn’t do it, they took to experimenting on others. Orphans, mainly. People no one would miss. Trying to create something…someone to be able to stand against him.”

She pulled out a chair and sat for the first time, regarding all of them seriously. “They had dozens of test subjects. The majority of them didn’t survive the initial round of experimentation. A few others suffered complications in cryo. She’s the only one left.”

“Forgive me for being so forward,” Vision spoke up. “But, if I’m understanding correctly, we have reason to believe that Ms. Ross, she was created to oppose Sergeant Barnes.” 

“Yes.” Natasha avoided Steve’s eyes like her life depended on it. “I believe that Charlotte Julianna Rossi was enhanced by HYDRA as a sentient weapon with the primary purpose being containment and control of The Winter Soldier.” 

Present Day

“Thank you.” Natasha gave a polite smile to the driver as he opened the car door for her to step out. They’d arrived at the Wynn, one of - if not the nicest hotels on the Las Vegas strip. 

She’d wasted no time after the mission was approved, spending the majority of the flight putting on full glam and finishing it off with the perfect red lip. Black cocktail dress, gold heels that caught and reflected all the Vegas lights, studded clutch purse with cash, lipstick, and a pistol. Tony had offered to book her a hotel room through his connections, but she’d waved him off. 

They’d be back in New York by sunrise. 

It didn’t take long for her to locate Charlotte. Though 8pm was early by Vegas accounts, the casino was lively. Natasha dodged several attempted pick-up attempts by drunken gamblers as she wove through the tables to her end destination: the high stakes room. A sultry smile paired with her low cut dress made quick work of gaining entry. It wasn’t unusual for beautiful women to be welcomed into the high stakes room. The only thing rich men loved more than blowing money was doing it in front of a pretty audience. Nat slipped into the intimate room, the air full of cigar smoke and jazz music. 

Seated at a small table was a pretty brunette, eyes dark with smudged shadow and lips glossy. A martini sat in front of her, completely untouched, judging by the lack of a gloss print on the rim. Charlotte tapped the table in front of her, signaling for the dealer to give her another card. She already showed a nineteen, meaning standard play said she shouldn’t hit. The crowd murmured, exchanging glances. In the betting circle was a stack of $1,000 chips that Natasha estimated to be around $20,000. 

To the shock of everyone but Natasha and Charlotte, the dealer flipped a third card to reveal a two of diamonds. Blackjack. 

Charlotte grinned, leaning back and relishing in the applause as the dealer paled and began counting out chips to pay her. Nat cracked a smile but immediately felt a jolt in her stomach. The dealer had given a nod to the guard at the front, who was now touching his earpiece and speaking softly. She couldn’t hear him over the music, but his lips read clear as day: She must be counting. 

Acting quickly, Nat stepped to the table, making herself wobbly and heavy lidded.

“Ohmygod, THERE you are,” she put a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, who immediately tensed. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, c’mon, the girls are waiting with the Uber,”

She squeezed Charlotte’s shoulder and briefly broke character to give an urgent look, hoping she’d pick up on the fact that the drunk persona was intentional.

“Oh, look at the time,” She said in mock surprise. “It’s been fun, don’t have too much fun without me!” Her manicured hands slid stacks of chips into her purse, a few falling to the floor with wide-eyed spectators locked onto them. 

“Get yourself something nice, Gary.” She flicked a purple $1,000 chip to the dealer who fumbled to catch it. Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha saw two men approaching them from across the casino floor. She elbowed Charlotte, who tracked her gaze and clocked them immediately. 

Waving her arm, Natasha knocked the still-full martini glass onto the felt of the Blackjack table. The gin spewed across the cards and glass splintered on contact. “Oh, jeez, I’m so sorry, I really shouldn’t have taken that last shot,” She called the apology over her shoulder into the chaos that descended over the mess, linking her arm through Charlotte’s as she fumbled to close her small bag around the massive amount of chips. 

They slid out the door under the cover of the bachelorette party walking past, slipping right into the middle of the drunken parade. 

“What’s going on?” The brunette hissed through a fake smile, keeping the facade up. 

“You were about to get busted. I thought I’d help a girl out.” Nat said through her own plastered smile, eyes darting around the room in search of their next problem. 

“I know what I’m doing.” 

“I know. That’s why I’m here in the first place.” 

Charlotte side-eyed her as they walked through the casino, still covered by the herd of pink boas and giggles. 

“Stark sent you.” 

“No.”

“I’m not stupid, I-”

“He’s the stupid one. I wanted to come in the first place, it was him who thought the testosterone brigade was the way to go. We can get into that later, but right now we’ve gotta move. There’s two coming up -”

“Yeah, six o’clock. Two more probably waiting around the corner up ahead. If we cut through the floor, we can make it to the cashier before they get to us.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow, impressed at how they jumped to the same wavelength. “You still want to cash out?”

Charlotte grinned, a wild gleam in her eye. “Duh.” 

A few minutes later, they’d steered the group of girls to the cashier and fanned them out so that each of the six windows had two girls standing in front of it. Each of them with roughly $4,000 worth of chips in their hands. They got through the exchanges in record time, leaving the bachelorettes in a flurry of drunken “iloveyou’s” with a stack of bills to show their appreciation for the help. 

“That should cover the rest of their weekend.” Nat smirked as they strode quickly to the lobby, positioning her body slightly in front of Charlotte so as not to draw attention to the thick wads of cash she was zipping into her bag. 

“I don’t know, I can blow three grand pretty quickly on my own, let alone with ten of my closest friends.” 

“I don’t think I want ten friends.” 

Charlotte matched her pace, the bag finally zipped. “I don’t even know ten people, I just thought it sounded good.” 

They reached the front doors, nodding at the valet who held the door open for them. 

“I have a driver, this way.” Natasha cocked her head to the front of the valet line, full of sports cars and sleek SUVs. Glancing over her shoulder at the casino, the men seemed to have lost them in the crowd. Charlotte weighed her options quickly, deciding that taking a getaway car with the Avenger was preferable to whatever awaited her if she stayed.

They slid into the backseat of the black sedan, breathing quickly from adrenaline. 

“You’re back so soon, Ms. Romanoff.” The driver called from the front seat. 

“It was getting stale, figured I could find something more fun.” 

The driver’s eyes crinkled in a knowing smile in the rearview mirror. Charlotte had a feeling he knew much more than he should, choosing to live in ignorance. 

“You hungry?” the redhead asked nonchalantly. 

“Starving.” 

_________________

The duo sat in a secluded corner booth of a dark bar. The remnants of two burgers sat strewn across the plates, a few leftover fries getting cold. Natasha signaled to the bartender for another round of martinis, extra dirty. 

“Who knew the best burgers in Vegas would come from a strip club?” Charlotte downed the remnants of her drink to make room for the new one. 

“Hey, I’m no stranger to Vegas.” 

“So I can tell.” She shifted to sit up straighter. “Do you wanna get into your sales pitch now, or should we wait for the drinks?”

Natasha remained casual, leaning against the pristine leather of the booth. “There’s no sales pitch. Just an offer. Take it or leave it.” 

“And the offer is…?” 

“Come with me. Back to New York. Live at the compound. Be around people like you.”

Charlotte shook her head. “There are no people like me.” 

“Spare me the pity party bullshit.” Nat leaned in. “I don’t know the specifics of your story, but I know enough to tell you that we are like you.”

Taken aback by her forcefulness, the brunette narrowed her eyes. 

“Enhanced individual? Pretty much all of us. Dark, twisty past? We’ve got ‘em. Done things we aren’t proud of? Goes without saying. No friends, no family? We have a very dysfunctional Thanksgiving of our own.” She gave a small smile. “Experimented on, dehumanized, controlled, stripped of autonomy? Specifically by one particular Nazi rogue science division?” Natasha changed her tone, speaking gently. “One of my very best friends knows a little something about that, too.” 

Charlotte tensed, eyes glazed as she stared into the dark room in front of them. “James Barnes.” It wasn’t a question. 

“We call him Bucky.” 

Chewing her lower lip, Charlotte seemed lost in her thoughts. A cocktail waitress interrupted with two fresh drinks, setting them down with a smile. Eyes still defocused, she reached out to sip the drink slowly. 

“I don’t think it’s smart.” 

“Why?” Natasha took a sip of her own. “There’s nowhere safer for you. The Compound is literally the most secure place on Earth, except maybe Wakanda, and before you say you’re worried about hurting someone there - don’t. We live with Dr. Banner, who you probably know as the Hulk. I’m sure you’re a force to be reckoned with, but I can assure you that even on your worst day you wouldn’t be putting us at risk.”

She spun the wooden stick adorned with olives between her fingers, thinking. “I don’t want to be an Avengers. I’m not a hero. I don’t want to fight.” 

“Then don’t.” Natasha shrugged. “I’m not a military recruiter. I just remember what it was like to be alone, scared. Unsure where to go or who to trust. I’m offering you a home and a group of people you can count on. Anything else is up to you.” 

Charlotte smirked. “You’re much better at this than the last three.” 

“Story of my life.” She rolled her eyes.

“So, what would happen if I said yes? Hypothetically.” 

“Well, hypothetically, I have a jet waiting at the private airfield. We’d go to whichever hotel you’re renting the penthouse out of, get your stuff, and fly back tonight.” 

“Why do you assume I’m renting out a penthouse?” 

Natasha grinned, biting an olive off the stick. “It’s what I would do.” 

Narrowing her eyes, Charlotte cocked her jaw. “I’m at the Cosmo.”

“Great choice.” She held her martini up, signaling for a toast. “How about this, we go out tonight. Do Vegas right. Do it big. If you have fun, you come back with me and try living with us. If you don’t have a good time, I’ll accept that I’m no better than the guys and go back on my own. We won’t bug you anymore, but the offer will always stand.”

“You know, a bet predicated on having fun in Las Vegas seems like a very unfair advantage.” She raised her own glass.

“I’ve never been much of a gambler.” 

“That makes one of us.” Charlotte grinned. “You’re on.” 

_________________

It was just after 4:00am when their dutiful driver opened the door on the tarmac. Heels in hand, two sets of bare feet walked up the steps into the sleek jet, Stark Industries emblazoned on the side. 

“I still can’t believe they kicked us out.” Charlotte rubbed her temples as she sunk into the white leather seat. 

“Well they don’t really encourage doing backflips off of the craps table.” Natasha sat down across from her. 

“Here I thought Vegas was the one place where anything goes.” She dropped her purse on the table in front of them, the thud echoing in the empty cabin. “At least we made out alright.” 

“I expect a cut for saving your ass.” 

“I’ll consider it.” 

“You like pancakes?” Natasha punched a few buttons on a screen embedded in the wall.

“Um, who doesn’t?” 

Grinning, the redhead slid her feet onto the seat, getting comfortable. “They’ll be ready in fifteen. Probably best if we get something in our stomachs besides tequila.”

“If I knew you were offering private jets and pancakes at four in the morning, I might have been an easier sell.” 

“What are you talking about? You hardly put up a fight.” She winked. 

“Whatever, you won fair and square. I’m just holding up my end of the deal.” Charlotte tucked her knees under her, relaxing into the chair as the plane ascended.

“We’ve got a couple hours back to New York. Eat, rest, and we’ll be there before you know it. If you aren’t up for meeting people when we land, I’ll sneak you to your room. You can socialize when you’re not coming off of an all-night bender.” 

“What, you don’t think I’d make a good first impression right now?” She joked, fully aware of her smeared eye makeup and tousled hair. 

“Au contraire, I think you’d make too good of an impression. I’m just trying to give the guys a fighting chance here.”

Giggles subsiding, Charlotte looked out the window at the pinpricks of light shrinking beneath them. The smell of pancakes and overly sweet syrup filled the air as a stewardess wheeled the food out towards them. 

“Natasha?” 

“Hm?”

“I’m glad you came.” 

She smiled, warmth extending to her eyes. 

“Me too.”  

[doberbutts]

what do the "titles" in your bio mean? apologies if theyre something else

SD: Service Dog - not a title, just a designation

Matterhorn: the breeder that produced her

Trial By Fire: what I named her, according to her breeder's litter theme

CGCA: the second level of the CGC, which is not included because it is implied that if she has her CGCA she already has her CGC. The Canine Good Citizen test has 3 levels of difficulty proving obedience and public/street skills in pet dogs.

CGCU: the third level of the CGC, it is not necessary to do the CGCA to get the U.

TKN: Trick Dog Novice, because she had her CGC at the time she performed 5 additional tricks and received this title

Other titles my collective dogs have had:

WAC: Working Aptitude Certificate, which comes from the Working Aptitude Test, which is a doberman-specific temperament test that the American Temperament Test Society based their ATTS on. There are 10 stations of increasing stresaful difficulty, and the dog must aggress an aggressive stranger who attempts to attack the owner. There are no bites in this test- the stranger stops about 10 feet away.

ATT: Adult Temperament Test, another doberman-specific temperament test, this time offered by the United Doberman Club. There are fewer stations, but still no bites. The aggressive stranger stops about 10 feet away and fires a gun.

PTT: Puppy Temperament Test, another doberman-specific temperament test, similar to the ATT but scaled down in difficulty due to age. No aggressive stranger- just friendly strangers, a dropped clipboard, and a crowd. In my opinion all puppies of all breeds should be capable of passing this no problem and if they can't there's a major temperament issue.

RN: Sushi does not have this yet but does have two of three legs towards it. Rally Novice, a basic obedience test in which there are scores and placements. She will get the title when she completes her third leg with a passing score if I ever have time and money and energy to enter again lmao

[ferie-anon]

🪐Random - Kpop survival show trainees and astrology placements - thoughts🪐

- Including my insights of trainees from this kpop survival show called boys planet I have been watching and finding their astrology placements, may not include all of their big 6 -

Boys planet is a kpop survival show that has 93 trainees and there will missions of performances and elimination rounds to determine the final lineup for the group. It consists of korean trainees and global trainees (different nationalities). I kinda got invested and decided to dissect the trainees that are my favorite or eye catching.

July 25. 2000 Zhang hao - leo sun, taurus moon, cancer mercury, cancer mars

- altho he’s not the oldest trainee in the show, he has good leadership and is reliable when he lead his group for their audition song for the ranking test

- with his cancer mercury and cancer mars, he is very passionate about dancing and music, he rlly feels the music or able to understand and express it

- Idk why but taurus placements always have something to do with music, whether singing or playing an instrument, in his case he does both lol he plays the violin professionally and apparently had a certificate as a singing teacher

June 13. 2001 Sung hanbin - gemini sun, pisces moon, gemini mercury, sag mars

- geminis and being multitalented beings, he’s well rounded in singing, dancing and rap (potentially). The song he chose was able to showcase his experience in dancing, his moves were very sharp and clean and on beat, his vocals were able to transition from head voice to chest voice to avoid a voice crack. He also rapped briefly in his chosen audition song.

- He also has stage presence and nice facial expression, very center material -> gemini sun + pisces moon make for such expressive and creative individuals 😭

- No surprise he has sag mars, bro loves to dance and even said he had spent 2 years learning different dance such as wacking and locking moves I think.

May 28. 2002 Seok Mathew - Gemini sun, capricorn moon, gemini mercury, cancer stellium with cancer venus, mars, and jupiter

- omg he has a cancer stellium??? No wonder everyone adores his energy, saying that his smile can put a smile on their face 😭 literally his nickname is “happy virus” cancer stellium energy 🤝 making everyone comfortable and warm

- Adorable and friendly, he’s also a very good singer, and has good dance to back it up. Gemini mercuries slaying raps or quick paced songs, becuz he sang a song with quick beats to it and was super stable even when dancing.

- Capricorn moon makes him quite hardworking and levelheaded, and considering he trained for 1 year and 6 months his skills are pretty good.

March 8. 2001 Jay chang - Pisces sun, leo moon, aquarius mercury, sag mars (surprise surprise)

- Pisces suns 🤝 singing/entertainment industry

- He’s a very good vocalist and a groovy dancer (cough sag mars), I notice his tone is also husky-like or rough in a good way when singing, its very dynamic - aquarius mercuries tend to have unique tones when speaking or singing.

March 6. 2001 Wang zihao - Pisces sun, cancer moon, aquarius mercury, sag mars (they just keep showing up)

- (sag mars 🤝 main dancer potential) Dancing is his forte, he also learned how to krump, a type of technique, from a professional dancer who’s a krump master.

- His vocal tone and voice is also unique having aquarius mercury, having a soft yet cheerful tone. His water signs for his sun-moon rlly makes him have that lovable vibe, he’s very smiley “😊” too.

February 13. 2004 Anthonny - Aquarius sun, scorpio moon, aquarius mercury (again)

- He’s lovable becuz of his quirky and creative ways, aquarius sun and mercury coming in clutch. For instance his introduction video was him dressed in a panda onesie holding a bamboo prop and acting out as a panda for the entrance.

- Not only is he lovable he also has duality, able to pull off cool charismatic concepts!

- Both Anthonny and jay have a distinct tone when singing which distinguishes their style from the others. Anthonny’s tone is more of a vibrant high-pitch tone thats has a bit of texture? To it 🥲 Idk how to explainn but its the texture of a rattleshaker in a good way 🥸

July 4. 2001 Keita - Cancer sun, sag moon, gemini mercury, sag mars (again)

- Keita is good at rapping, gemini mercuries and spitting bars or able to handle fast pace with their words fr tho

- He’s also rlly good at dancing, he’s basically well rounded with good vocal range, rap, and dance.

- He’s also helpful, empathetic, and caring (cancer sun + sag moon), noticing and helping some trainees who were struggling with the choreo.

Spot how many sag mars there are 😂😭 Also the amount of aquarius mercuries, do I have a thing for these placements? 😭😶 Ig im attracted to unique voices and funky dancers… Also the amount of geminis and pisces 😶✋🏻🤝 love leos and cancers too.

[bitesize-astrology]

The Work Behind The Artwork

Wednesday - May 1, 2024

I used to be in a choral group with a woman who was a professional ballerina. I learned from her the "gritty truth" of what it takes to be a ballerina, and to be a part of a professional troupe with a rigid schedule. Behind the beauty and pageantry of ballet is the grind of practice and rehearsal, and the wear and tear on the feet.

The creative process can be grueling, no matter it be a performance of "Swan Lake" or the most beneficial interpretation of someone's Natal Chart. There's a lot of the proverbial "blood, sweat and tears" that goes into creating something of beauty. Often times people want the "artwork" without the "work." And they fail to see that it's the loving willingness to put in the work that creates the art that others are so drawn to.

Today as Venus in Taurus squares Pluto in Aquarius at 2° you may come to see the "ugly truth" in what it's going to take to create your form of art. It might be the awareness of additional financial investments you need to make (i.e. equipment, software, staff), or that you have administrative needs (i.e. certifications, permits). You may see that your creative process is different from others in your field. Or that in order to maintain some system in your world (i.e. health, finances, your home) that it's going to require some additional time and attention.

You can tell how much you "want" something by how much time, energy and resources you are willing to in it. It truly shows if your heart is in it or not.

And today you may be surprised what your heart is going to say.

[sunmontuewrites]

Anyone with a Masters degree in materials engineering (or potentially related field) background looking for a PhD scholarship in New Zealand? I'm about to post this on my work LinkedIn...

PhD scholarship – Large format 3D printing with biocomposites

Background: We have a fully-funded PhD scholarship as part of the MBIE Endeavour project “Āmiomio Aotearoa: A Circular Economy for the Wellbeing of New Zealand”. The project is a collaboration between universities, research institutes, industry, community groups and government ministries hosted by the School of Engineering at Waikato University. It aims to pave the way through materials science, engineering, energy, economics, kaupapa Māori, business, law and regulation, social science and public policy for a more sustainable New Zealand.

As a PhD student at the University of Waikato, you would be focused on advancing sustainable manufacturing practices through the development and application of biocomposites.

The successful candidate will explore the use of biopolymers, recycled thermoplastics, and natural fibres to formulate high-performance biocomposites suitable for large format 3D printing (furniture, small structures, interior design). The research will delve into multiple aspects of these materials, including their performance, printability, design optimisation, and life cycle assessment.

This interdisciplinary project provides a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of materials science, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing technologies. We invite passionate and driven individuals to join our team and contribute to this transformative research endeavour.

Your ideal background:

MSc/ME in a related Science/Engineering discipline

experience with natural materials

familiar with CAD design and 3D printing is a plus

experience in life cycle assessment is a plus

a willingness to learn, up-skill and work in multidisciplinary group

a professional attitude, good writing and time management skills

resilience to take on the challenge of the research experience

Value: a stipend of NZ$30,000 per year, domestic tuition fees and insurance, and support for research materials.

Application documents required

CV including contact details for 2-3 referees (including at least one academic reference)

Academic transcript from previous study undertaken (and thesis if available/applicable)

A personal statement (max 1 page) describing your motivation, interests and background related to the research project

English language Certificate where English is not the first language (IELTS/TOEFL)

LINKEDIN for contact details of the guy and you can see he's got the scholarship listed as well.