#287: Under Inspection
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gintama-polls · 11 months ago
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One last call for nominations for the next long tournament, a favorite episode tourney.
Under the cut is the current list of entries, taken from the Gintama THE FINAL-related survey. If there's an episode not in the list below that you want included, feel free to nominate it using the above form by this Saturday, the 20th.
Entries:
1: You bastards!! Do you even have a silver soul?
3: Nobody with Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad9: Fighting should be done properly
20: Beware of conveyor belt
25: The hot-pot is a microcosm of life
32: Life Moves on like a Conveyor Belt
38: Only Children Play in the Snow
48: The More You're Alike, the More You Fight
61: On a Moonless Night, Insects Are Drawn to the Light
65: Youngsters learn the value of life from rhinoceros beetles
77: Yesterday's Enemy, After All Is Said And Done, Is Still The Enemy
87: Perform A German Suplex On A Woman Who Asks If She Or The Job Is More Important
99: Life And Video Games Are Full Of Bugs
103: There's A Thin Line Between Strengths And Weaknesses
105: It's All About The Beat And Timing
111: There's Almost A 100% Chance You'll Forget Your Umbrella And Hate Yourself For It
119: Within Each Box Of Cigarettes, Are One Or Two Cigarettes That Smell Like Horse Dung
142: Life Is A Series Of Choices
153: Sleep Helps A Child Grow
166: Two Is Better Than One. Two People Are Better Than One
175: People Of All Ages Hate The Dentist!
180: The More Precious The Burden, The Heavier And More Difficult It Is To Shoulder It
184: Popularity Polls Can…
187: It's Goodbye Once A Flag Is Set
201: Everybody's A Santa
203: Everyone Looks Pretty Grown up after Summer Break
204: Use a Calligraphy Pen for New Year's Cards
205: Meals Should Be Balanced
211: Ghosts Aren't the Only Ones Who Run Wild around Graveyards
214: Tis an Honor!
215: Odds or Even
216: I Can't Remember a Damn Thing about the Factory Tour
217: What Happens Twice Can Happen Thrice
220: The Bathhouse, Where You're Naked in Body and Soul"
230: It Would Take Too Much Effort to Make This Title Sound like a Text Message Subject
231: When You Go to a Funeral for the First Time, You're Surprised by How Happy the People Are
237: Please Take Me Skiing
241: We Are All Hosts, in Capital Letters
246: Festival of Thornies
247: Letter from Thorny
256: The Meaning of a Main Character
260: Pinky Swear
261: Unsetting Moon
264: Liquor and Gasoline, Smiles and Tears
265: Dog Food Doesn't Have As Much Flavor As You'd Think
268: An Inspector's Love Begins with an Inspection
272: A Reunion Also Brings to the Surface Things You Don't Want to Remember
273: When Compared to Time in Heaven, Fifty Years of Human Life Resembles Nothing but Dreams and Lottery Tickets
275: 9 + 1 = Yagyuu Jyuubei
282: A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes Over and Over
287: He's the Sweet Tooth, and I'm the Mayo Guy
296: Take the Initial Premise Lightly, and It'll Cost You
297: Keep Your Farewells Short
301: Ninja Village
304: Those Who Protect Against All Odds
305: Sworn Enemy
311: Jailbreak
315: Nobume
316: Farewell, Shinsengumi
320: Zura
322: Ten Years
323: Paths
326: Siblings
330: My Bald Dad, My Light-Haired Dad and My Dad`s Glasses
333: All the Answers Can Be Found in the Field
335: The Super Sadist and the Super Sadist
341: Guardian Spirits Are Also a Part of the Soul
342: Try As You Might to Make a Natural Perm Go Away, It Will Always Return
346: Geezers Carve the Things They Shouldn't Forget into Their Wrinkles
355: Rabbits Leap Higher on Moonlit Nights
356: Making a Dull World Interesting
361: The Creatures Known as Humanity
364: Two in Girl Years Is Equal to Ten in Man Years
366: Dun Dun
367: Gintama Final Ending Scamming Trial
Gintama: A New Retelling Benizakura Arc
Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya
Gintama The Final
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stevenkostelny · 11 months ago
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Recognizing the Value of Your Local Roofing Contractor
Your home is likely one of your most significant investments. This is why it's essential to take preventive measures and ensure that every aspect, especially the roof, is in excellent condition. Keeping your family safe and comfortable should be a priority, so when you require the services of a roofing contractor in your area, be informed about what they can offer.
On-the-Go Assistance with Local Contractors
The advantage of working with a local roofing contractor near me is their proximity and easy accessibility. When storm damage occurs or critical roof repairs are required without delay, having a locally based expert can make all the difference. Response time during emergencies becomes faster, which could potentially prevent further degradation and cost escalation.
Deep Understanding of Climate Concerns
Roofing contractors within our area have an extensive familiarity with regional climate conditions. They understand how different weather patterns impact various types of roofs. Therefore, local contractors are adept at choosing materials that can best withstand the often unpredictable wrath of Mother Nature.
Roof Repair Expertise
When leaks occur or tiles break away due to severe storms or other factors, local roofing contractors shine through their expertise in roof repair. The skilled assessment they provide helps determine whether minor fixes will suffice or if massive replacements are necessary - to ensure optimal integrity for your structure's uppermost protective layer.
Essential Integrity Assessment
An integral part of maintaining a healthy roof system involves regular inspections by experienced professionals under diverse weather conditions over several years. Roofing contractors know how to identify potential problem areas before significant damages occur – saving both time and money down the line.
Prioritizing Customer Satisfaction
Contractors who have honed their skills within their community value customer satisfaction deeply because reputation matters locally more than anywhere else. Their professional relationships rarely end after the project completion; instead, they transform into long-term engagements, with consistent follow-ups and routine maintenance checks.
Support for Local Economy
Hiring local contractors not only guarantees prompt response and expert roof repair services. It also aids in stimulating the local economy. Your payments help maintain their business, provide income for employees living within the community, and circulate funds in your neighborhood, creating a thriving local sector.
In conclusion, seeking “a roofing contractor near me” offers multiple advantages. They are familiar with local building codes, providing assurance that all work performed will adhere to regional regulations. Considering the broader perspective of utilizing their service - quicker response times during emergencies, deep knowledge about the area's climate concerns on roofing issues, skilled roof repairs when needed and impeccable customer service – it truly makes sense to rely on these home-town heroes for safeguarding your investment and keeping your family secure under a carefully maintained roof.
1 OAK Roofing
258 S Tennessee St, Cartersville, GA, 30120
470-287-7663
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automatichologramhologram · 2 years ago
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Building Inspections & Reports
We are very pleased with the detailed report and availability to debate the findings within the report. The inspector was quite educated and explained issues in layman language that we could perceive. We would recommend his services or use him once more if the need arose. Whether you're shopping for a household home or an investment property, a building inspection will ensure you're making the right choice as a fully-informed buyer.
What must be included in a site inspection report?
The date of the inspection.
The name and contact info of the inspector.
The name and make contact with information of the person who requested the inspection.
The scope of the inspection.
A description of the location conditions.
From July 2021 to December 2022, a complete of 2592 properties (under construction) had been inspected, where waterproofing and weatherproofing components were assessed for compliance1. Of these inspections, 467 (17 per cent) recognized a minimal of one compliance threat associated to stopping water injury to buildings from internal wet areas (bathrooms and laundries) and from exterior above floor membranes (balconies). These inspections have been spread across fifty four municipalities, 287 builders and 77 building surveyors. Now certainly one of Australia’s largest building inspection companies, Jim’s Building Inspections conduct over 5000 building inspections every month and service all areas of Australia and New Zealand. Jim’s Building Inspections remains committed to excellent customer support and environment friendly reporting, the very foundation of the businesses success. Thank you on your nice service and friendly customer method.
What Does A Great Building Report Include?
After the home inspection has been completed, the customer will go through the property inspection report and evaluation its findings with the building inspector. From there the customer can strategy the agent with certainly one of a quantity of scenarios. If you’re planning on buying an old house, you want to pay consideration to the building inspection report to make certain that asbestos and other dangerous substances are not present. A building inspection report is different from a property report, which supplies an entire profile of a property with details corresponding to its gross sales and listing history.
"As sellers, we have paid for reports to be accomplished for the convenience, but https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=building structure defects additionally because we then it allowed us to see which potential buyers have been serious, as they would have to pay a fee to download the complete report.
Following the Building Inspection we obtained a cellphone name from the disgruntled vendor threatening various types of action because of our report subsequently contributing to pre purchase building inspection the termination of the sale.
The roof is an important exterior structure of a building as it shields the interior from the weather.
Do not purchase any house, current or old and not using a very thorough pest and building inspection.
Neville's report for inspection was received inside a couple of hours. Every BIS building inspector is an accredited building marketing consultant and experienced licensed builders. We have over 15 years of expertise finishing pre-purchase building inspections in Sydney, Australia. Master Building Inspectors provides detailed building inspection stories on a property’s situation on the time of inspection. A building inspection report is an usually prolonged document that the inspector prepares after a visible inspection and evaluation of the property, together with its main methods. The inspector conducts a radical property analysis from top-to-bottom.
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Pest / Termite Inspection
A good inspector will do extra than simply walk by way of the property. They will rise up on the roof, within the roof and beneath the floor to completely inspect the property for defects, structural issues and any indicators of pest activity. They should also use specialist tools, together with moisture meters, infrared cameras and instruments to check wood for the presence of termites. Booking Nathan to examine our potential properties was the best decision I have ever made. He has a wealth of knowledge of the Ipswich space and has always supplied to help above and past normal inspection duties. Even the promoting agent commented that she has never met a more thorough inspector!
If this was the real world, the notion of relying upon Pre-Sale Building Inspection Reports would make sense. If you want a building report done on a property that you simply are wanting to purchase, you in all probability need the report in your palms as quickly as potential. So when you’re in search of someone to do your building report ask them how soon they'll come and inspect the property and the way shortly they will provide the report. Most reputable building inspectors will be ready to inspect the property within 24 hours and supply the report inside a day. If an inspector you are talking to can’t do this it could be an indication that you should talk to another person.
Very comprehensive and your inspector was very helpful to speak to. The inspector was wonderful in explaining his findings to me by cellphone. I even have been saved some huge cash however not proceeding with the purchase of the property because of these findings. For further clarification or questions, our clients are welcome to debate the report with our inspectors. If you've a building dispute that is impending and has not been resolved between you and your Builder or Contractor, we have the expertise & knowledge to get you thru the process.
Houspect Building Inspections In Sydney Book Your Skilled Building Inspector Now For The New South Wales Area
With our reports, we will inform you whether or not your investment is price it. With in depth knowledge in construction and the ABS, our registered building practitioners inspect your property with data & integrity. Our in depth industry expertise means we’ve seen all of it earlier than – the dodgy cover-ups, shoddy work and of course the structural points and problems that develop additional time. So you can be assured that we are going to pick up any points with the property you’re looking at. And, not like many different building inspectors, we go beneath the floor to totally verify everything.
How do I present an inspection report?
Don't rush it.
Know your report writing template.
Cater each report back to the property.
Stick to the details.
Be concise and understandable.
Take LOTS of photos.
Manage your risk.
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phandotcom-blog · 8 years ago
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#287: Under Inspection
Chapter 1
Summary: The year is 2245, Humanity is at it’s last leg, being propped up by the use of Androids. Dan Howell is fast becoming one of the leading lab technicians in The Republic. But what happens when his solid future is threatened by an Android who acts more human than Humanity?
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Romance.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2625
A/N: Aish, hi guys! This is my very first phanfic, so I hope you enjoy! Feel to send me prompts on anything else you might want me to write!
“Mr. Howell, you are requested to appear before Director Nakamura in exactly five minutes.” The melodic but yet empty voice filters into Dan’s ears, forcing him to look up from the lab report he so desperately wanted to finish. The android stared at him endlessly, waiting for some affirmation or approval of the task it had completed.
It had always shocked Dan, even now as a well-adjusted and experienced lab technician, how human they looked. Their heads held the intelligence, their bodies carried the muscle, but their eyes lacked the humanity. Something which always made Dan feel horrendously uncomfortable.
It isn’t until his computer beeps with another irrelevant pop-up warning did he realise that he was daydreaming again. Dan’s eyes lock onto the bridge of the android’s nose, “Thank you #345, you are excused.” The humanoid seems to spark to life, and it takes off contentedly down the hallway.
Dan shifts uncomfortably in his chair; a meeting with the director was never a good sign. The last time he was called up to the Director’s office was because he installed the wrong bio-technic software into one of the androids, and it wouldn’t stop speaking backwards and punching people when they got too close. Of course, that was a good few years ago now, back when Dan was still a trainee at the company fresh out of The University.
Ah, those were the days, Nakamura Robotics was still a relatively new company but it was growing at an expediential rate. After The Black War, humanity was at its lowest point in centuries. Half the population was killed, most of it stemming from the after effects of The War; disease, famine, radiation, lack of resources, crime, etc. Dan had heard stories of people being killed for their vital organs, people found a market for that type of thing and used the money to get clothes or food. The sheer destitution of people meant that cannibalism and torture were common place; humanity had lost it meant to be human. Humanity eventually conjugated into what is now called The Republic of The United Nations, situated in what apparently used to be South East Asia. People were getting stronger, living longer, and society was finally taking shape; this was known as “The Restart”. But the after effects of The War meant things like Global Warming were no longer just distant worries, but was now a legitimate threat to humanity.
That was when Nakamura Akihiko came forward with his ingenious plan. Society was functioning but not at the pace that the Government would like, and the solution? Artificial Intelligence. If humanity could master Artificial Intelligence then we could begin to grow at a much larger rate, our natural and technological resources would be paramount, the androids would work for free and would not need to have the same treatments as other human beings because they wouldn’t feel anything anyway – well, that’s what Nakamura promised anyway.
But they had a problem; since The Restart education has been at the most basic level it had been in centuries, what with the lack of resources, so how were they meant to make A.I. if they didn’t have anyone alive who was smart enough to make it? Thus The University was born. Founded by Nakamura himself, The University’s sole purpose is to train people in the skills of programming androids, assimilating them into society, making sure they are efficient and safe all the while.
That was 15 years ago now, and mankind has never been stronger. The androids lived up to everything Nakamura promised and more, technology is more advanced than it has ever been, air pollution and radiation is at an all-time low and society is thriving. Ever since he listened to that story as a boy, Dan new he wanted to be part of it. He dreamed of being part of something bigger than himself, something that would be imprinted on mankind’s history. The heroism of Nakamura prompted Dan seek guidance under The University, he quickly became a very well-acclaimed student, gaining top in his class in all fields apart from one: Termination.
As a student, you are trained in all aspects of producing an android. The Assembling, The Programming, The Training, and if need be The Termination. For reasons he could himself unfathom, Dan could not terminate an android. Perhaps it was the humanoid exterior, or their well-mannered nature, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him to pull the plug. Needless to say, he failed that part of the course, but when you come top in the rest of your classes, it really only is a slight blip in the road.
Dan now works as the lab assistant to one of the top A.I. researchers on the planet Dr. Jane Prowett, in the department of Assimilation and Development. And generally Dan enjoys his job, sure it can get slightly lonely but what can you expect from a career focusing on dead-inside manifestations of human-kind.
Ah shit. I’m ten minutes late! Fuck! Why do I always fucking do this?! Dan springs out of his chair, and bolts down the hallway. The glass walls reflect his dishevelled reflection as he rushes towards the elevator at the end of it. Why do you do this to yourself? You fucking idiot! You good for nothing, piece of shi-
“Ow! Shit!” Dan clutches his finger to his chest as it throbs maniacally at the abusive push he just gave the UP button. The lights at the top of the doors blink numbers indicating the level the elevator is currently passing. It’s never this slow is it? It had a whole plethora of days where it can choose to move at a snails pace, but it just happens to choose right now. Bloody fucking death-trap.
When the doors finally open, Dan shoves himself inside and screams “DIRECTORS OFFICE!” into the intercom. The doors immediately shut, and the contraption shoots upwards. Dan breathes a sigh of relief that he’s at least in the elevator now, knowing he can’t possibly be more late.
When the doors open again, Dan faces a sterile white corridor with large double doors at the end of it. Before he reaches the door, he takes a second to attempt to straighten in curled, disorganised hair and wrinkled lab coat. Placing his thumb onto the fingerprint scanner provided, the doors open, revealing Director Nakamura’s office.
Windows stretch from floor to ceiling, straight across the room, giving Dan a beautiful view of The City skyline. A large circular desk sits at the other end of the room, mirrored whilst it’s offline but comes alive with holographic projections when in use. Behind said desk is the man himself, the man who some say holds more power than the President herself, Nakamura Akihiko. He sits there idly, head facing downwards as he observes what appears to be a small clock attached to a chain. Dan’s face contorts in confusion as he takes in the weird invention.
“Mister Howell, I do believe I requested your presence in my office a solid 21 minutes and fifteen seconds ago. I did not get to where I am today by waiting for others, you understand?” His eyes are now on Dan’s, staring agitatedly at him, his right eyebrow rising in irritation. Dan’s sarcastic retort begins to bloom in his chest, but he keeps his mouth shut; his cheek still hurts from the last time he spoke out of turn. Nakamura smirks knowingly and urges Dan over to his desk.
Once he is comfortably sat across of Nakamura, he begins. “Do you know what this is?” Nakamura reaches over and taps something on the screen, and instantaneously a blue holographic 3D image emerges, floating at the centre of the desk. It’s a male android. Inky black hair swept to the side and porcelain white skin, his eyes are closed but Dan suspects they’re bright. Tall in height, slim but toned – for android, he’s rather beautiful.
“That’s an android, sir.” Does Nakamura take him for an idiot? Has he set his standards so low that now he begins to question the basic observation skills of his staff in his own robotics company? Dan feels the need to bite his nails in irritation, a habit he picked up as a child, but supresses it; he won’t Nakamura the satisfaction.
“I’m very much aware of that, Mister Howell,” patronising bastard, “to be specific, this is #287. He was created on the 30th January 2245, and has not moved passed the Development Stage.” What? Dan’s face twists with confusion; an android spending more than a month in the Development Stage was practically unheard of, but three months? That was just plain impossible. Nakamura must have caught Dan’s confusion, because he smirked and continued, “I know. We have tried every method we know how; reprogramming, reassembling, even directly cloning bio-technic software from another android, but nothing seems to work. #287 has gone Independent.”
Now, if spending more than a month in the Development Stage was unheard of, an android becoming Independent? That was hypothetical. That was worse-case scenario. That was a legend between students at school. Dan feels like all the blood in his body has been drained from him, his ears begin to ring and hands start to sweat. Is this the beginning of the end? A new generation of Independent androids? It’ll end mankind as it stands. Does the President know? Does anyone know? What if they can’t stop it? What if it infects the rest of the programming? Nakamura’s voice droned on, “Now, I’m sure you are aware what this means, but just in case you don’t; this means that #287 has gained a sense of free-will. It does not respond to human command, and insists that it has emotions. It claims it is sentient, so to speak. It even asks to call it a name, says that ‘#287’ is too inhumane. Anyway, the android says it has gained enough understanding of our programme to assimilate this sense of free-will into other androids and is threatening to do so unless we co-operate. This is where you come in,” Dan doesn’t miss the gleeful little smile upon Nakamura’s face as he continues, “I’ve read your trainee reports, Mister Howell. Very impressive.”
At this, images of hand-written documents start levitating around #287’s body, “But it has been said, that you have expressed a certain amount of empathy towards our creations, making it difficult for you complete the Termination part of your course.” Where in the fuck could he possibly be going with this? Dan can start to feel the ambiguity of the situation start to irritate him, but the embarrassment of his failings as a student hides it.
“I believe this exhibition of empathy could be finally used in our favour., I am assigning #287 under your care. I am giving you six months to befriend him, to gain his trust, to win him over to our side of things. After all the android could be an extremely valuable asset. However, if you fail your task then the android will be terminated by your own hand, in addition, you will be assigned Assembly Floor duty for two months. Any questions?”
Any questions? Dan’s mind was swimming with questions. His felt filled to the brim of information that he’s surprised to not find it leaking out his ears.
“How come you’ve waited to terminate him? Why not just do it when he first started showing signs of being an Independent?” Dan’s mouth makes the question, before his brain allowed him to say it. But nevertheless, the question still burned on his tongue.
“Because as I’ve said before, he could be a valuable asset and so I want to exhaust all options. Plus, they’re not cheap to make, that would be a large investment to throw down the drain. Anything else?”
“You mentioned there was a name he liked to be called, what is it?” If his goal was to ensure the trust of the android, he best avoid irking him as soon as he opens his mouth.
“Oh, something out of a book or something,” Nakamura makes a dismissive gesture with his hand, “Fredrick Derr, no, Frank Gerr, no,”
“Phillippe Kerr? The crime novelist?” Kerr’s works were on the database to make sure that all androids had maximum intellect on a wide range of subjects, including 20th Century literature, but androids all look at the literature objectively, they don’t start naming themselves after the bloody authors!
Nakamura’s eyes flash with recognition, “yes, that’s it! Philippe. It said something like the author’s genre intrigued him or some of other nonsense.”
Nonsense. Of course it was nonsense. Androids don’t get intrigued, they don’t get curious, they listen to their instructions and carry them out, even if means self-destruction. Yes, it was complete nonsense. Humans are the only beings with the emotional range and compassionate depth to truly understand literature and all its hidden meanings. Androids would never put themselves in danger in order to save another of its kind, androids would never listen to a grieving mother and feel the overwhelming sadness and anger at the mere thought of the pain she is subjected to, androids would never look at a painting and be able to hear it whisper 1000 different words into the viewer’s ear. Complete, utter nonsense. So, why did that comment make Dan feel even more uncomfortable than he already was?
“I’ll send you #287’s records, including any software or programming changes. You will meet the android four days a week for a two hour session at a disclosed location within the building. Gain his trust, appeal to his ‘humanity’,” he laughs readily at his own joke, “just don’t forget where you stand and where the android does. It is nothing more than metal, wires, and coding. It is not human, and it never will be. Now go back to your duties, Mr Howell. I would hate for you to keep Ms. Prowett waiting, I dare say she’s more impatient than I am,” says Nakamura smirking.
Dan wobbles to his feet, feeling the burden of his task weighing down upon him already. He tries to act functionally as he makes his way out of the office, but his thoughts are going so quickly, that thinking straight would be an impossible feat. He’s always dreamt of being part of something bigger, doing a service to mankind, being remembered after he was gone. But for some reason, this doesn’t feel like the opportunity of a life time. The scientist within him is itching to meet this creation, to study his behaviour and correlate it to human behaviour. But his gut keeps telling him that Nakamura is riding on the fact that he will fail this task. That this beautiful anomaly will have to be terminated, and the blame will be put on him.
At this thought, Dan holds his head a little higher and stands a little straighter. I’ll bloody show him. I’ve never pulled the plug on an android before and I’m not gonna bloody start now. So as the elevator doors shut again, Dan welcomes the burden he feels on his shoulders. He lets it sink deep through his muscle, letting it course throughout his veins; he lets his heart beat a bit harder to work off the extra weight. He will need to get used to this heavy feeling, his muscle will have to get used to carrying him through the day, because he will not try to shift it. It is a reminder of the importance of his task, of the responsibility placed upon him. And he will not let Nakamura get the last word.
Even if it threatens everything he has ever known.
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thefantasygirl3 · 4 years ago
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Negaverse stories: You're gonna have a bed time
Genre/warnings: Comedy, Slice of life, Action.
Word count: 5 287
Summary:  The Darkwing Ducks are having a bit of a family dispute, with half of the team refusing to sleep at a proper time. An argument breaks out but is quickly interrupted by a villain attack. Now they will have to fight crime with only two heroes on top of their game.
Notes:  I decided to continue writing some fun little adventures for my negaverse boys, because I refuse to let this hyper fixation go. I hope it’s a fun little read for you all. Edit: Gonna link my fanfiction.net as well, which might make it easier for some to find my stories.
Night was falling over all of st. Canard as people were already tucked in tight to sleep. Midnight was getting closer and closer. Quackerjack was fast asleep on the couch, snoring and drooling as he laid sprawled out cartoonishly. But as he was snoring loudly, a loud noise suddenly woke him up and he rolled off the couch and face planted on the floor. He let out a low groan and pushed himself up off the ground, his attention directed towards where the noise was heard, which happened to be the workshop. The duck headed over to the door and peeked inside. He saw Megavolt, sitting by the workshop table with the dismantled stereo he had started working on getting fixed earlier that day. Quacks gave away a soft yawn as he entered the room, walking up to the distracted man and stood beside him. "Hey, Sparky. How long have you been working on this?" He asked as he tilted forward to get a peek at his work. Megavolt gave his wrist watch a quick glance before he answered with "since 6 I think". "What?! You've been working for 6 hours?! When were you planning to go to bed?!" He huffed angrily and leaned in close to the rat, making him move away so he could see what he was doing again. He got angry that the stubborn rat just ignored him and kept working. "Sparkyyyy! You can't keep doing this! You need to go to bed at a reasonable hour and actually SLEEP!" He scolded him while he took the tools out of his hands and put them back into his tool box. "Hey! I'm busy, ok!? If I get into the zone, I can't just break my concentration! I need to finish it before I can stop!" He responded frustrated as he tried to take the tool box back, but Quacks moved it out of the way. "No! You need to go to bed! Now!" He demanded and put the tool box on top of his work shelf. "I'm not a kid! You can't make me!" He growled as he walked over and took it back down. "Wanna bet?" Quacks said with an annoyed squint, grabbing a hold of the box as well. 
Meanwhile Bushroot was laying in his bed, sleeping soundly. Until he woke up, muttering under his breath "... I'm thirsty". He pushed himself up from his bed and wandered out into the hallway so he could grab a glass of water. That was until he noticed some light escaping the bottom of Liquidator's door. He cocked his head a bit and decided to take a peek inside to see what was going on. Liquidator was sitting by his computer, editing some ad he was tasked to make. Bushroot slipped inside and walked up beside him. "Hey. Bud. What… um… are you doing there?" He asked him softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. The dog turned his head around and gave him a tired smile. "Ah. Hey Reginald. I'm just finishing this ad before I call it a day" He explained as he looked back at the screen to continue his work. "You know it's almost midnight, right?" The plant asked and looked at him curiously. "... oh. Oops" He muttered as he saw the time in the corner of the screen. 
Bushroot sighed and crossed his arms, shaking his head and muttering "Oh bud. We've discussed this!". "It was a mistake! I swear!" Liquidator tried to excuse himself as he turned around to the other man. "Liste bud. I know how you feel. You want to make sure it's perfect. You want to impress the rest of the guys so they will respect you. It's a totally legit feeling to have. But overworking yourself and tiring yourself out isn't going to solve anything" he told him as he put his hands on the other's shoulders reassuringly. "But… it needs to be good. I can't send in something bad" the water man replied with a frown. "You won't! You're too self critical. It was good the way it was, doesn't need 10 reworks" Bushroot sighed and gave his shoulder a light pat. Liquidator gave a small smile and muttered "you're right. Maybe I should get some rest". "There we go. Now, save your work and get to bed" the other man said with a grin and watched as his friend started turning off the computer, before he quickly added on "Oh! And I'll be taking the power cord". "WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" He suddenly yelled as he turned around to face the still calm plant. "It's just to ensure you don't turn it back on in the middle of the night. And don't use the 'what if I need to start early' excuse. You're the only one who's putting that stress on yourself" he told him off with a stern voice, as if speaking to a kid. But they were then interrupted by a loud sound from downstairs. 
The two rushed over to the stairs and saw the other half of the Darkwing Ducks pulling and tugging at a screwdriver. "LET GO OF IT! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME SLEEP!" Megavolt yelled as he struggled to pull the tool loose. "Oh yes I can, if I knock you out cold!" Quackerjack replied as he tightened his grip on it. Then the two noticed the other men by the end of the stairs, staring surprised. "... workaholic refuses to sleep?" Bushroot asked with one raised eyebrow. "Overgrown baby throwing a tantrum" The other duck answered as he got distracted enough for Megavolt to take the screwdriver back, making him give the rat a hard glare. "Alright guys. This is getting ridiculous! You two need to get a hold of yourselves and get working on a proper sleep schedule! These sleeping problems are going to affect our work!" He groaned and put a hand to his face, letting out a big sigh. "Yeah. I agree. You guys can't pull more all-nighters. You need-" before Bushroot could finish, a small alarm went off, signalling that something bad was happening in town. The dog and rat grinned and ran over to the couch that would get them to their secret hideout, taking the opportunity to escape the discussion. "Sorry! No time to discuss this! Justice awaits, chuckles!" Megavolt said with a satisfied grin, plopping himself down onto the couch beside Liquidator. The other two just sighed and walked over to sit down with them, pulling the lever that was disguised as a statue which spun the couch and transported the four to their base.
They emerged from a secret entrance, already dawning their hero outfits as they landed stylishly. Megavolt rushed over to the computer and started to tap away at it. "According to the drones, there is a big collection of police around the tool shop. Though on closer inspection, most of the officers have been knocked out cold. And there appears to be some sort of white smoke coming out of the entrance and windows" he informed the others as he tapped away at the keyboard. "I think those are clouds" Bushroot added as he walked over to get a better look. "Aha! That's it! This must be the work of King Dreamland! He's putting all those cops and security to sleep so he can rob the store undisturbed!" Quackerjack announced as he pointed at the light, soft looking clouds, already rushing towards the van so they could get going to stop the crazed criminal. Liquidator let out a yawn and dragged himself over to the van and hopped into the back, muttering "right. Then let's get dangerous!". Bushroot groaned as he stepped inside it as well, grumbling annoyed about how neither he or the rodent should be doing anything dangerous in their state. Megavolt sat down in the passenger seat beside the clown, glancing over as he got the car started. "You know I can still drive. You don't gotta-" as he tried to convince him he was perfectly fine to drive, the duck gripped the wheel tightly and hissed like an angry cat, shutting up any further argument. He then hit the gas and they drove off downtown. 
They soon reached the store, parking right behind the cluster of police cars and unconscious cops, floating around on soft, fluffy clouds. "Definitely the work of King Dreamland" Megavolt remarked as he watched a sleeping officer drift by the car. "And it seems his work is almost done!" Bushroot exclaimed as he pointed at the figure inside with a big bulky bag of things in his hands. This caused the Darkwing Ducks to hop out of the van and rush the building while pushing clouds out of the way. 
As they got inside, they spotted the hazmat suit wearing villain with cute cartoon stickers of clouds and stars on it, still loading up the bag with wire cutters and a sledge hammer. "We are the terrors that flap in the night! We are the alarm clock that wakes you up one hour late!" Liquidator started talking as purple smoke began to fill the store, causing him to swing around and stared at the cloud of smoke. "Ah! Darkwing Ducks!" King Dreamland yelled in surprise as he backed up from the voice. "Aw come on! At least let us finish our intro!" He groaned frustrated as he reeled back and launched his fist towards the villain, knocking him back into a shelf of nuts and bolts. Quackerjack quickly grabbed a hold of his toy wind-up teeth and threw them at him, causing them to bite down onto the suit sleeve and pinning it to the shelf. He started tugging harshly at the captured sleeve, grunting as he couldn't get it loose. "How dare you?! I'll have your heads for this!" He yelled while using his other hand to pull as hard as he could. "Zip It, snore fest!" Megavolt mumbled as he aimed his finger at him. His view suddenly got a little blurry and he let out a soft groan, feeling a bit of tiredness take over for a short moment until he shook himself back to reality and fired a bolt of lightning. Dreamland gasped and covered his face, but took a peek after he heard the bolt miss him, bounce off of a circle saw and shoot right back at the group and knock Bushroot to the floor. "GHA!" He yelled as he hurt his back upon landing. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, leafy!" The rat exclaimed in shock as he ran over to help him up. 
King Dreamland took this opportunity, while the hero team was distracted and reached back to his backpack tank and grabbed the hose nozzle on the side. He pointed it at the befuddled green man and whispered "night night" before he fired a white puff of cloud at him. Megavolt heard the noise behind him and suddenly shouted "Watch out!" And pushed his friend out of the way. The cloud then completely engulfed him, making him disappear within it. Quackerjack gasped and covered his beak in disbelief, shouting a weak "No! Megsy!". He soon came back out from the cloud, lying lazily on top of it with a big, relaxed smile. "Hey… this is… pretty nice" He mumbled with a soft yawn. "You terrible tired tyrant! Hope you enjoy the prison beds!" Liquidator growled and ran at the suited man, hardening his hand so it would give him a hard smash. But the villain noticed how slow he was seemingly going and swiftly redirected the punch towards the teeth holding him stuck. As soon as he was freed from the shelf, he hopped back and pointed the nozzle at him. "You seem tired, doggy! Isn't it past your bedtime?" He said in a cocky voice before he fired another cloud at Liquidator, capturing him as well. "Well this has been fun, but I gotta get going. The night is still young!" The villain yelled back as he ran out the door and left the remaining two heroes with their friends now out of commission.
Bushroot ran over to Liquidator and gave him a light shake. While laying on his stomach on the cloud, he curled up into a ball and murmured "just five more minutes please, Reginald". "No! Liquidator! We need to catch that guy! Don't give in to your sleepiness!" The duck yelled while trying to shake him awake. Quackerjack, on the other hand, gave the rat a curious look. "... how are you feeling, smart guy?" He asked with a twist of satisfaction to his voice. "Sooooo… good… I think I'll take a little power nap" he answered his friend as he closed his tired eyes and let his leg dangle lazily over the edge of the cloud.
"Quackerjack! We have to get them off of these clouds! Come on! You've got to have something in your pockets that will help!" Bushroot ran over and shook the jester's shoulders violently. "Oooor! We don't do that! Think about it for a sec, spuds! These two finally WANT to go to sleep! We just got our little domestic issue solved for us! King Dreamland just did us a favour!" He said with a smug grin on his face, removing the leaf hands off of him.
Bushroot lit up from that realization and glanced between the two sleeping heroes. "You're right! They're sleeping like babies! But… what now? How are we going to stop King Dreamland?" He asked with a worried expression. "Pfffff! We've taken down villains separately before! The two of us can take on this one weirdo!" Quackerjack said confidently and put an arm around his fellow duck. "Yeah! You're right! Let the sleepyheads rest while we handle the hard work!" The plant nodded and chuckled, grabbing his friend's arm and pulling him out of the shop, in the general direction of the villain.
King Dreamland was walking down the street, cackling to himself as he flung the bag of tools over his shoulder. "Wow! Those guys were having an off night!" He mused to himself while speeding up his pace. But he was soon caught off guard by a tree branch suddenly appearing in his way and knocking him over. "Good job, tree friend! Now, you better stop whatever you're planning to do with those tools right now!" Bushroot yelled as he and Quackerjack were rounding the corner, starting to approach him. The villain pushed himself up from the ground and rubbed his head, quickly reaching for his nozzle and firing it at the two. The clown duck pushed his friend back and pulled out a gun from his endless supply of toys, firing it at the cloud. It caused an umbrella to pop out of the barrel, blocking the white puff from consuming them whole. "Darn!" Dreamland yelled as he turned right around and escaped the two while they were distracted. "He's getting away! After him!" Jacky said as soon as the umbrella was closed, pulling his co-hero along to give chase.
King Dreamland ran as fast as he could from the heroes, making a sharp turn into the mall. The two chasing him were slowly catching up, spotting him as he dashed into the mall and quickly following after. As they got inside, they scanned the area to determine where he went. "... There!" Quackerjack yelled and pointed at the bad guy, just entering into a sports shop. They ran inside and started looking around for him. They didn't spot him immediately, so they searched around the place. After a second of looking, Bushroot bumped into him. He screamed in fear and began to run. The plant man yelped surprised and started to run after him. "What are you planning to do with those things, you fellon?!" he yelled after him as he was right on his heels. "You'll see! Once my scheme is put into action! Ahahaha!" he laughed diabolically and held up the bag triumphantly. "OOOH! When I catch up, you'll pay for what you did to my friends!" Bushroot growled angrily as he just kept running, starting to pant a bit as he was getting exhausted from running. Quackerjack just stood beside them both, giving a quizzical glance between them. "What are you doing?" he asked as the other two looked at him confused. They then glanced down and saw that they were just running on a treadmill. "Oh. Well that's embarrassing. Anyways, I'm off!" King Dreamland jumped off the treadmill and ran out the shop again. "We got to catch him!" Jacky said and pointed towards the door. "Get me off of this thing first!" his friend yelled as he was still running and panting. "Oh. Right" he muttered and reached over to push the first button he saw, hoping it would turn it off. It just sped the treadmill up and shot Bushroot back into a wall of jump ropes. He was dizzy for a second, until the other duck pulled him up off the ground and dragged him along. 
They ran into the next store, which was a music store, and saw the villain trying to sneak out the back door. Bushroot extended his arms and grabbed a hold of an electric guitar, slamming it into the hazard suited man and launching him into a drum set. He emerged with a big, broken drum around himself. Quackerjack started laughing and pointing at him, finding the slapstick hilarious. Dreamland growled angrily at being humiliated. It was then he spotted where the hero was standing, right underneath a hanging piano. How cliché, but perfect. While bushroot approached to apprehend him, he wriggled his arm loose and sprinted over to the violins, grabbing one of the bows and using it to cut the rope holding the piano and sending it plummeting down onto the jester's head. Bushroot gasped in horror and stared at the broken mess of a musical instrument. The suited man took this opportunity to bolt out the front door with his bag and ran as fast as he could. "Quackerjack?! Are you ok?!" the duck ran over to the piano and asked worriedly, rummaging through the debris until he found him. He sat up straight and swayed slightly, spitting out some piano keys before he could crawl out of the wreck. "Just fine" he muttered before heading out with his friend and pursuing the villain again.
They were soon walking through a hobby store, looking through the isles to find the bad guy. They headed down an isle with different types of paint lining the shelves while darting their eyes all around them. They kept completely quiet as to be able to hear him. It made the entire place eerily silent, like a ghost house. King Dreamland was spying on them from the other side of the shelf, watching them draw closer and closer to his position. As soon as they were near, he gave the shelf a hard shove and made it topple over towards the two. Bushroot looked up at the falling shelf and gasped in shock, giving Quackerjack a push out of the way before he was buried in pain bottles. The other duck yelped surprised before he gave away a growl and looked up at the villain, who ran away and started climbing a shelf. He bolted after him, pulling out a yo-yo from his pants and swinging it around as he got ready to attack. As soon as he reached the bottom of the shelf, Dreamland had already made it up there and picked up a big jug of pink paint, dropping it right down on top of his head. It made a painful indent into his noggin and he fell back onto the floor, getting a thunk on his beak by his own yo-yo, just for some salt in the wounds. "Ha ha ha! Wow! You guys suck! Guess you're nothing without all your team! You better just give up, I can see the bags under your eyes from here! I'm off to blow off some steam… all over town! See ya!" He taunted the two, blowing a raspberry at them, which stained his visor with spit before he hopped down and rushed out the back.
Bushroot managed to wriggle himself out from under the shelf, being completely covered in different splashes of color. He rushed over to Quacks and helped him up off the ground concernedly, looking at the jug that was still lodged into his head. The jester pulled it off of himself and straightened himself out with a proper tug on his hat tails. He then looked over at the plant man, starting to giggle quietly. "Wow. You're looking even more colorful than Megavolt during June!" He joked and snorted into his hands at the rainbow colored duck, who just rolled his eyes and pulled his friend off the floor. "Come on, Quackerjack! We gotta go and find where he went!" He grumbled and rushed both of them out the mall. "But where would he go to "blow of steam", huh?" The other asked as he got no chance to even put back the jug of paint before they were off. "Blow of steam… hmm… all over town! He's going to release his clouds all over town! Probably from a wind turbine! We got to hurry!" Bushroot realized quickly as he pointed towards the nearest wind turbine and headed towards it at top speed.
They arrived at their destination after a bit, immediately noticing that the lock on the door had been cut. "So that's why he got tools!" Bushroot growled angrily and stared at the wide open door, thinking over what their plan of attack was. His head was a little cluttered at that moment, having received a real beating earlier and been running around a lot, so he just shook his head and tried his best to focus. Quacks, on the other hand, just walked right inside. But he then saw the long stairwell leading up to the top and stopped right in his tracks. "... UUUUUUGH! Why STAIRS!? I'm tireeeeed!" He whined and leaned back in defeat. "Come on. We'll make it up there. We need to. For our friends!" The other duck sighed exhausted and began climbing up the stairs, determined to get the bad guy.
A few minutes later, they had reached the top. They were both huffing and puffing heavily, eyes bulging out of their heads as they stopped to catch their breaths. "After this… I'm removing the top floor… of our house!" Jacky groaned and hunched over while leaning on his knees. Bushroot leaned back against the door behind him to rest his tired legs, but was surprised as it started to slowly slide open and make him fall backwards out of the doorway. He looked up with a surprised look until he saw their target a bit away, carrying and setting up a smoke machine. "Hey! Stop right there!" The jester yelled and hopped out beside his friend, pointing at their enemy with a pissed look, mostly because of the pain he had caused them. 
King Dreamland turned around and looked at the two weary heroes, grumbling a flippant "geez, do you guys ever give up?". He then set down the smoke machine and pulled the nozzle from his backpack, aiming it at them both. "Alright. You found out my plan. So now what? What are you planning to do to stop me? I mean look at yourselves! You're going to pass out any second" he spoke casually to them as he lightly waved his weapon around, showing how nonchalant he was about all of it, clearly not taking the whole situation seriously. "Don't underestimate my stubbornness-" "determination" "DETERMINATION! We'll put a stop to you right now!" Quackerjack yelled at him and pointed a firm finger while glaring irritated. "Alright. Put a stop to this" he shrugged and shot a big cloud at them. The jester gave away a shriek and covered his face, preparing for the collision. Bushroot shot up from the floor and extended his arms, wrapping them around the other's waist and janking him out of the way. 
King Dreamland growled in rage and stomped his foot. "Why won't you lay down and die?!" He shouted as he glared at the two with absolute fury. Quackerjack looked down at his pockets and started rummaging through them to find something he could use to stop the villain on a rampage. He then felt something in his pockets that he didn't expect to have. It gave him an idea and he looked over at the plant holding onto him. "You have to toss me!" he told him hurriedly. "Huh?" he just responded to the cooky duck's request, not sure he heard him right. "THROW MY BODY AT HIM!!!" he then shouted, startling his friend into just doing as told and throwing him as hard as he could. Quackerjack flew straight at the villain and before he could fire another cloud, he was tackled and had a crazy clown climbing and scuttling all over his body, like a racoon who was also an expert climber. He stumbled around while he was being jerked left and right from the whirlwind of a hero. "Get… OFF ME YOU TIRED LOON!!!" He shouted as he finally managed to rip him off and toss him towards his co-hero, knocking him to the ground. 
Bushroot quickly pushed Quacks off and got up to rush at the king, ready to whoop his butt. He picked up a sledgehammer from the ground that his enemy brought and swung it at him. But he dodged out of the way and backed out of yet another swing at him, avoiding every attempt at knocking him down. "Man. You guys really suck at this! Can't even land a punch!" He chuckled and grabbed a hold of the hammer, janking it out of his hands and aiming the hose in his face. "Time to visit dreamland."
He shot him right in the face. But he was not greeted by a soft, fluffy, sleep inviting cloud. He was instead splattered in the face by a load of pink. "H-HUH!?!" Dreamland exclaimed, bewildered as he looked into the nozzle and only saw pink. He then looked towards his back to see what went wrong, to discover that his usual tank had been replaced by a jug of pink paint. He then looked up at the other hero and saw him holding up the actual container, giving them both a thumbs up. Dreamland stared at him in shock, unable to believe he was outsmarted by two extremely exhausted dummies. This was unbelievable! He couldn't accept this! But as he was starting to have a breakdown of rage, bushroot looked over at Jacky and yelled "Rubber band!", Which he was tossed quickly and snapped it around the villain, finally capturing him. They both walked up to each other and jumped up and down in joy, cheering about their victory until the tiredness finally started to set in and they fell over onto the ground. "... Let's just get the other two." "Yeah. Let's go" they concluded while laying limply on the ground.
They had finally made it back to where they first had fought King Dreamland and helped the cops wake up before they handed him over to them. They then went inside and spotted their friends, peacefully floating around and sleeping soundly still. They looked so much better than they did earlier, well rested and happy, having these relaxed smiles spread out on their faces. "Ha… They must have had a nice nap" Quackerjack muttered with a fatigued smile as he stared at the sleeping Megavolt, then made the cloud disappear with this tool he took from Dreamland, causing the rat to fall down onto the floor with a thud. "Huh?! Whu?!" he suddenly woke up and looked all around him confused, not sure what had just happened. Quacks handed over the tool to Bushroot, who used it to get rid of the cloud from under Liquidator. But unlike the other duck, he gently caught the dog before he fell onto the floor. "Huh? Hey! How dare you?! I- Uh… Wait. Where did he go?!" he asked puzzled as he looked around, helped back onto his feet by the guy holding him. Megavolt got back up again and rubbed his neck a bit. "Hey… I'm feeling pretty refreshed! Huh!" he pointed out and stretched his arms, letting out a small groan. "Glad to hear it, sparks" Quackerjack grumbled and patted his shoulder. As the rat turned around to him to say something, he immediately stopped himself and looked shocked at his friend. He looked HORRIBLE! Baggy eyes, tired expression, slouchier posture than usual. He was looking absolutely EXHAUSTED! Liquidator thought the same as he got a good look at Bushroot. "Uh… hey… Reginald… Feeling ok?" he asked nervously and put a hand on his shoulder. "You two look like trash!" Megavolt just said, pointing at them both. "Well I was trying to be nice about it, Elmo" he grumbled at the straight forward remark. 
"It's ok! We're fine! We captured King Dreamland and everything is good now!" Bushroot told them while trying to look like he wasn't currently dying. "Yeah! We are totally fine!" Quacks added on and grinned at their friends. "... Clearly you're not. You're zombies!" Megavolt sighed and walked over to them, starting to lead them outside towards the van. "Yeah. You two need to go to bed immediately!" Liquidator added in and opened the back of the van for his friend to hop in. Quackerjack opened the driver side door to get inside, but was pushed to the side by the rat, who sat down in the seat. "No. You are not driving like that. Get in the passenger side!" he demanded, pointing to the other side of the car. The duck grumbled angrily and walked around to the other side. He got in and sat down while glaring at his friend. Bushroot looked at Liquidator and muttered "It seems the sun is starting to rise… I'm worried I won't be able to go back to sleep." "Yeah! I don't even feel that tired! It's so early anyways now, so I probably won't be able to fall asleep anyways!" the jester noted to Megavolt, but was completely ignored by him so he could drive.
As they made it back home, Quackerjack was fast asleep in the passenger seat, snoring and drooling onto his shoulder. Liquidator looked over at Bushroot, who looked like he was about to faint as well. "Hey. We're home. Let me help you inside" he spoke softly as he gently put his arm around his shoulders, helping him out into the garage. Megavolt walked around to the passenger side and opened it up, picking the sleeping duck up and just carrying him inside without complaint or snarky comment. Gosalyn was just walking down the stairs, hearing someone coming home. She was in her pyjamas, holding onto Mr. Banana Brain and rubbing her eyes. "Another mission?" she mumbled sleepily, then noticed her two dads, one half asleep and one completely knocked out. The dog hushed her softly, nodding a little towards Quacks. He let out another gentle snore and leaned his head into Megavolt's chest. She nodded and smiled, walking over to him and laying the doll into his lap. "Night daddy" she whispered to him before she turned around to Bushroot and whispered "Night papa" to him. "Good night, my little apple seed" he murmured sleepily. Liquidator and Megavolt both grinned and started heading upstairs to put both the dorks to bed, finally. 
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sammiakter78259 · 6 years ago
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Five Things Have To See Attractions in San Francisco
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If you are preparing to take a trip to San Francisco as well as wish to check out the leading vacationer attractions, below are the five need to see websites you need to consist of in your travel plan.
1) Alcatraz: This notorious jail attributes daily excursions and also video clips with meetings from previous guards. Learn more about several of one of the most well-known occupants along with several of one of the boldest runs away. It's finest to acquire your tickets ahead of time as scenic tours fill out quick.
2) Chinatown: San Francisco has the second biggest Chinese populace in the UNITED STATE (alongside New York City.) Visit the streets, see the celebrations, and also munch on some conventional Chinese food. Go throughout the day; there is very little to see when it obtains dark, and even the stores close early.
3) Golden Gateway Bridge: You can drive over it, or you can walk over it; however do not miss out on seeing this outstanding framework that made San Francisco well-known. When it was constructed it was the lengthiest bridge on the planet; today it rates at # 9, however, is still a fantastic website to see.
4) Cord Cars: Whether you wish to utilize cable cars as an alternating means to navigate the city, or want to ride one for enjoyable, do not lose out on this electrifying experience. Youngsters aged 4 and also under trip free of cost.
5) Angler's Jetty: This is a profoundly historical location and also one you can not miss out on. Have a fantastic fish and shellfish supper at one of the many dining establishments or take place a watercraft cruise ship. Purchase keepsakes or walk as well as delight in the sight. Even if you merely saw this attraction, you would certainly obtain a shared sense of what San Francisco is everything about.
Whatever you choose to see or do, keep in mind to bring your electronic camera along, as you will undoubtedly wish to take great deals of photos. It's additionally crucial to clothe for the weather condition; it can obtain cold in the evening also in the summer season, so load a light coat or sweatshirt. Ask your traveling representative if any one of the scenic tours or attractions can be consisted of in an all-comprehensive bundle. Or else, inspect online; you can generally acquire tickets beforehand and also check the hrs of the procedure.
San Francisco uses an abundant, varied society that comes alive with lots of occasions, trips, ceremonies and also attractions. It makes sure to turn into one of your much-loved holiday locations as well as you will certainly intend to maintain returning every year.
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lokirupaul · 3 years ago
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Lokiru Paul : The Life and Suspicious Death of Cachou the Bear
The Life and Suspicious Death of Cachou the Bear
Cachou the brown bear was found dead on the mountains just above the village of Les, in the Aran Valley.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
Conservationists saw the 6-year-old brown bear as a symbol of hope. Villagers saw him as a menace. Then he turned up dead.
By Laura Millan Lombrana for 
Bloomberg
July 8, 2021, 7:01 AM GMT+3
Para leer el reportaje en español.
Ivan Afonso checked his computer one last time before picking up the phone. It was April 2020, and like most of Spain, Afonso was stuck at home under a strict Covid lockdown. But his mind was in the mountains.
An environmental scientist, Afonso also served as head of the environmental division in the Aran Valley, a tiny area of the Pyrenees mountain range that forms a dent along Spain’s border with France. For the past three years, his duties had included monitoring the movements of Cachou, a 6-year-old, 130-kilo (287-pound) brown bear. The bear was a local celebrity, one of the few males born in the wild in the Pyrenees and living proof that conservationists’ efforts to rejuvenate the region’s struggling brown bear colony were working.
The task had been a nightmare from the start. Cachou was young and fiery, and—to the dismay of conservationists and farmers—prone to wreaking havoc. Like most bears, Cachou had a sweet tooth. He’d started with assaulting bee farms, but by 2019, he’d learned to hunt horses many times his size. Eventually, authorities put a tracker on him, but even that didn’t work. At one point he was blamed for four attacks within two weeks.
Aran Valley
Source: USGS, EarthExplorer
Cachou had given Afonso and horse breeders in the valley some rest during winter. But the tracker showed the bear had come out of hibernation earlier than usual. He’d been in France in March, but a more recent ping put him somewhere in the mountains above Les, a tiny village of fewer than 1,000 people. After that he’d ventured deeper into the forest, close to a trail—and then stopped. The next 24 pings were all in the same spot. Afonso couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Either the tracker had dropped, or he was dead,” he thought. 
The Garona river, seen here from the village of Bossost, is born high on the Pyrenees and flows into the Atlantic Ocean in France.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
In light of the vast extinction event currently underway on Earth, the death of a single bear might seem less than significant. And yet, on the morning of April 9, 2020, Afonso decided it was time to do something. He called the head of Aran Valley’s government first, then dialed the valley’s ranger corps and requested two trustworthy agents who could discreetly hike to the place the pings were coming from.
Finally, he dialed the head of Catalonia’s park ranger corps in the Northern Pyrenees, Anna Servent. Spry in her early 40s, with a resolute expression and brown hair cut short on one side, Servent heads a small, semi-secret team of investigators who specialize in animal poisonings. Their methods are unconventional. While most rangers focus on analyzing animal remains, the people on Servent’s team spend years building networks of local informers. They wear plainclothes, change vehicles often, and tend to visit their sources in the middle of the night to avoid drawing attention.
By the turn of the 21st century, brown bears were almost extinct here after decades of indiscriminate hunting and poisoning. In 1996, just three survived in the entire 430-kilometer (267-mile) mountain range. While the population has recovered after several European Union-sponsored conservation projects, it remains Europe’s smallest colony, with a count of 64 bears as of 2020. The lower Aran Valley, with its thick forests covered in old beech, oak, and chestnut trees and a milder climate, has become a breeding ground for the endangered predators.
But what conservationists consider a victory, many who’ve grown up in the mountains see as a declaration of war. “Naturally, when you reintroduce a species that has been previously eliminated on purpose, you’ll run again into similar conflicts that caused the reduction in numbers in the first place,” says Elisabeth Pötzelsberger, head of the resilience program at the European Forest Institute, an EU research center. “It would be quite naive to think everyone will be happy and clapping hands.”
Anna Servent heads a small, semi-secret team of investigators who specialize in animal poisonings.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
After talking to Afonso, Servent and one of her investigators—whose identity can’t be revealed to avoid compromising ongoing cases—jumped in a car and drove fast through deserted, meandering roads into the Aran Valley. The view on the way in is bucolic, with rocky peaks covered in snow and slopes so steep one fears they might collapse onto the bright green pastures below. The stone towers and slate roofs of Romanic churches dot the expanse, which is split in two by the Garona river. Those who live there still speak a modern version of Occitan, a romance language troubadours used for songs and poems before the Renaissance. They’re proud of their rural roots and tend to look suspiciously at anyone coming from south of the Pyrenees. 
The Aran Valley community is so tight, Servent’s rangers hadn’t been able to groom informants in the area, so she hoped their car would go unnoticed as she and her teammate neared Les. They headed up the mountain trail, climbed through the steep forest, and reached Cachou’s body at roughly the same time as the local rangers.
Joan Vazquez, founder of environmental organization Ipcena, holds a picture of a book showing Cachou’s body in the forest where it was found.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
The bear was lying belly up at the bottom of a 40-meter rocky cliff, a single canine sticking out of his half-open mouth. There were signs he’d been there for a long time, but that the death was quite recent, indicating that he could have lay there suffering for a long time, which happens sometimes in poisoning cases.
Servent speaks in a low voice and a calm tone as she details their inspection of the body and the surrounding area, but her face is serious behind a blue surgical mask. “We didn’t see any signs of poisoning initially,” she says. That made them even more restless. Before they left, Afonso had told them: “If you don’t find an obvious cause of death, look for antifreeze.” 
Ivan Afonso likes to think of himself as a man between two worlds. He was born of the Pyrenees, but not of the Aran Valley, and completed his university degree in cosmopolitan Barcelona. At 47 years old, he still feels more at ease in the mountains looking for endangered birds or scouring remote ponds for rare frogs than he does in his small office in the Aran government’s headquarters.
Born in the Pyrenees and educated in Barcelona, Ivan Afonso likes to think of himself as a man between two worlds.
Photographer:Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
It pained Afonso not to be able to go out into the mountains to find Cachou, but he had reason to believe that they’d be walking into a crime scene, which meant that the fewer people there disturbing evidence, the better. Twice during 2019, he told Servent’s rangers, he’d overheard a man from Les talk about using antifreeze against bears, according to court documents seen by Bloomberg Green—once during a private meeting, and once during a public speech. This same man had once headed the Aran Valley Land Department, and was partially responsible for overseeing 2.4 million euros ($2.8 million) of EU funds intended for brown bear conservation in the Pyrenees.
“I didn’t pay attention to him at that time. Maybe it was a mistake, but I was skeptical,” Afonso says. “There are rumors about killing bears all the time. People boast about having killed a bear and the next day we see it appear on a surveillance camera.
“Even if I had paid attention,” he goes on, “what could have I done? Everyone in the valley has antifreeze. I’ve got two bottles at home.” 
A rusty trap used to catch bears is kept on a storage room on the basement of the Catalan rangers’ headquarters in Tremp (left). Aldicarb (right) is a pesticide now banned in Europe. A small quantity is enough to kill a wild boar.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
Antifreeze is a ranger’s worst nightmare. Used to prevent car engines from freezing and therefore widely available in shops and petrol stations, it goes undetected in common post mortem tests and vanishes from corpses within days, if not hours. It can only be found if the body is fresh, and if pathologists are specifically looking for it. 
A few hundred miles from where Cachou’s body was found, wildlife pathologist Roser Velarde was sitting in in her office at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, surrounded by microscopes and deer skulls, when she got a call from Afonso, telling her that the bear would be on her operating table by the next day. With 20 years of practice behind her, Velarde didn’t flinch—Cachou’s would hardly be her first animal autopsy, and certainly not her most challenging. Once, much to the amusement of her students and colleagues, she performed a necropsy on a whale on the patio outside because the animal wouldn’t fit inside her lab. 
During Cachou’s necropsy, Velarde spoke in the same patient, explanatory tone she uses with her students. The body had no bullet wounds, no broken bones, cuts, or major signs of violence. Some superficial teeth marks on the side of his head suggested that an animal, most likely another bear, had bit him, but that was ruled out as the cause of death. As she opened him up, she also ruled out death by common poisons, as most cause massive internal bleeding. Velarde spent four hours cutting, weighing, measuring, gathering samples, and taking pictures, but she found nothing. It wasn’t until after all that that Servent’s investigator, who attended the necropsy, told Velarde about Afonso’s antifreeze suspicion.
A professor at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Roser Velarde has been performing necropsies, mostly on wild animals, for 20 years.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
Back in her office, Velarde processed samples of urine and brain tissue. Three days later, the university’s head of wildlife eco-pathology confirmed that the samples contained crystals of calcium oxalate, which are consistent with the presence of ethylene glycol, the chemical that comprises between 90 and 95% of antifreeze. 
About 12 hours after ingesting the antifreeze, Cachou’s neurological system would have started to malfunction. He would have felt severe stomach irritation and possibly slipped into a coma. His lungs and heart would have started to shut down within hours, but he could have stayed alive for as long as nine days later, until his kidneys finally failed. 
“Cachou the bear suffered a slow and very painful agony that went on for days—until he died,” Velarde concluded in her report, according to court documents. That, combined with the signals from the tracking device, meant Cachou was poisoned on or around March 26. 
“The first thing we did was to request the judge to keep the investigation secret,” Servent says—something typically only done in highly sensitive cases such as those involving drug trafficking and political corruption, and never before for the suspected murder of a wild animal. “It terrified us that people would find out and start getting ideas—and obviously we didn’t want the poisoner to know we knew.” Her request was granted. As a result, details of the investigation haven’t been made public.
Bees in the Aran Valley were among the first victims of Cachou’s attacks—like many bears, he had a sweet tooth.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
With no reliable sources in the area, Servent knew her team’s usual methods wouldn’t work, so she put in a call to the Catalan police, also known as Mossos d’Esquadra. 
Deputy inspector Cesar Jou tried to hide his surprise as the voice on the other side of the line told him about his next case. After 25 years as a policeman, most of them on the Mossos’ crime unit in the Pyrenees, he was used to homicides, drug trafficking, and organized violence. But Cachou was his first bear victim. “I was surprised when they asked me to investigate the death of a bear, but we treated it as if it was a homicide. It was a challenge,” he says.
Jou’s first move was to go to Les with his agents and ask locals if they’d seen anything strange in the days around when Cachou was poisoned. In places where everyone knows each other, crime is often seen as an attack on the community as a whole, Jou says. With the country on a strict lockdown, surely someone would have noticed something, he thought. 
He was wrong. “No one knew anything, no one had seen anything,” Jou says. Cachou’s killer was perceived as the savior of the village. “There was a sense of angst among the ranchers.”
Anti-bear sentiment in the region goes back generations. “Living with the bear is an obligation, something we haven’t decided,” says Frances Bruna, the current head of the Land Department in the Aran Valley government. A horse-breeder himself, Bruna talks dearly about his mares and explains that he, too, has suffered bear attacks in the past. “They’ll give us subsidies, aid, they’ll pay back whenever there are attacks. But inside us there will always be that feeling.”
Bruna’s various responsibilities are often at odds with each other. He’s charged with leading environmental and bear conservation initiatives in the valley, but he also looks after the wellbeing of farmers and their animals. Catalan authorities have spent years trying to mediate between these two worlds. The regional government now compensates ranchers for each animal killed by a bear, and last year spent 84,500 euros to install fences and pay for shepherds and mastiff dogs to watch over sheep and cattle in the Pyrenees during the summer months. It also pays for the animals’ insurance and has hired an external company that acts as a mediator between farmers and the administration.
“Bears were something imposed from Europe, paid with European funds that I guess someone was very happy to collect,” says Marc Cuny, the president of the Association of the Pyrenees Catalan Horse in the Aran Valley. “No one asked for our opinion, they just told us it would be the panacea—and it wasn’t.”
Marc Cuny feeds two of his mares at a field near Vielha. Breeders’ bond with their animals is emotional and goes back generations.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
It isn’t a matter of money, says Cuny. Standing in his field next to Ines, Monica, and Nera, three of his 16 mares, he keeps a close eye on a filly born just hours ago that his young daughter has named Peppa Pig. Horses are an important part of the valley’s traditions, and breeders’ bond with them is emotional, he says.
“Poisoning the bear was a mistake, and whoever did it wasn’t thinking about the consequences,” Cuny says. “But when a beast kills 12 or 13 horses and is not removed from the mountain, you can understand that someone decided to do it themselves.”
Two Mossos d’Esquadra agents hike across the steep slopes of the Pyrenees to the place where Cachou’s body was found.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
With no cooperation from locals, the investigation into Cachou’s death advanced slowly. Eventually, police identified five potential subjects, including the official who had talked publicly about poisoning bears; a local ranger who was part of the bear restoration program and had access to Cachou’s positioning data; two people whose phone signals showed they had been in the area around the date of the killing; and one who’d installed a surveillance camera near the place where the body was found.
Still, the investigation bore no real clues until the end of June. After weeks of fruitless interrogations, one witness—a ranger with the Aran Valley government—finally broke the code of silence, divulging the existence of a WhatsApp group called, bluntly, the Anti-Bear Platform, according to court documents. All the messages in the chat had been deleted, but Jou’s investigators could see that the group had over 140 members. Among the administrators was the official who’d talked about poisoning bears.  
Jou’s agents had already begun tapping the phones of the suspects they’d identified, but the Anti-Bear Platform gave them the key they needed to begin deciphering how the group operated. In the latter half of 2020, however, the investigation took an unexpected turn. The taps showed a network of people who were changing phone numbers frequently, working in tight shifts in a house in the valley. Some of them had Colombian accents.
On March 29, Jou’s team arrested 12 people suspected of belonging to a cocaine trafficking ring. Agents seized almost 2 kilos of pure cocaine worth about 200,000 euros, an unprecedented amount in an area where no one had previously suspected of drug-dealing activity of this magnitude. The Aran Valley is famous for the high-end resort of Baqueira, which attracts jet set skiers and mountain hikers from both sides of the border, including the Spanish royal family, and many now suspect the traffickers were serving its rich patrons.
“We thought it was Cachou’s way of saying ‘thank you’ for having investigated his death,” says Jou jokingly before getting serious again. “It’s been the most important cocaine operation for Mossos d’Esquadra in the Aran Valley for several years.” 
More than a year after Cachou’s murder, the investigation is almost complete. 
In November, police arrested two of their original five suspects, including the ranger who had access to Cachou’s positioning data and had been caught on a tapped phone discussing the position of a different bear entering the valley. The ranger denied the charges—which included the commission of a crime against fauna, revelation of secrets, and perversion of justice—and refused to give a statement. He was eventually released and remains a member of the Aran Valley rangers, although he’s no longer involved in bear-monitoring activities, according to the local government. The judge also summoned the official who’d boasted about antifreeze-soaked sponges, but he, too, refused to give a statement. 
Finally, in early June, police arrested the ranger who’d disclosed the existence of the Anti-Bear chat. His statements to the police were full of contradictions, and in tapped phone conversations with the other arrested ranger, he’d discussed deleting possibly incriminating messages. He also refused to give a statement and was freed on the same day.
The inquiry into Cachou’s death is the first criminal investigation into the death of a wild animal in Spain, and possibly anywhere else in Europe, environmental groups say. But it’s unlikely to be the last. The EU has made the conservation and restoration of natural habitats, including increasing biodiversity and expanding forests, an essential part in its fight against climate change, wildfires, and disease outbreaks.
Wolves, lynx and bears play a key role in that plan. These super-predators are known as umbrella species; because they’re at the top of the food chain, they can only thrive if every other animal and plant below them is healthy too. Their success or failure is therefore seen as a proxy for the state of conservation and biodiversity efforts, on which the bloc plans to spend 20 billion euros ($24 billion) a year over the next decade. 
A police agent looks down at the exact place where Cachou was found, deep inside the forest at the bottom of a rocky cliff.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
The trial could also bring further scrutiny to how European conservation funds are spent. In addition to the former Land official who was once in charge of administering this money in the Aran Valley, the ranger who allegedly leaked Cachou’s location was paid entirely by EU conservation funding.
“Aid must come with conditions,” says Joan Vazquez, founder of conservation organization Ipcena, which will appear as an individual prosecutor in the trial. “States are not watching how that money is spent, they just send reports to the EU saying everything’s going perfect. And the EU believes it unless there are cases like Cachou’s proving the contrary.”
This is not an isolated case of dubious oversight. A recent report by European nonprofit Bankwatch Network documented biodiversity plans by several Eastern European countries. Analysts found that some, including Bulgaria and Poland, directly infringe current laws, while others engage in greenwashing or other deceptive practices, all while receiving EU funding and applying for more.
In this harsher, more bureaucratic light, Cachou wasn’t just a bear, he was a bellwether. The fact that he was wearing a tracking device—and that Afonso moved fast to locate him—meant rangers got to the scene before his body deteriorated, which allowed Velarde to prove the cause of death in a way that would stand up in court. Because of Cachou’s fame and the existing tension between the Aran Valley’s bears and humans, the judge encouraged investigators on the case, include Servent and Jou, to use all means necessary to find the killer.
The judge in Vielha, the capital of the Aran Valley, is expected to formally charge the ranger, the public official, and potentially others when she closes the investigation, likely within the next few months. At that point, a different judge will bring the case to trial sometime next year in the city of Lleida, about 160 kilometers south of the valley. The mystery of Cachou’s death has raised so much attention that authorities fear Vielha’s tiny courthouse won’t be big enough to hold all the interested spectators.
Back in Les, locals await the start of the trial with a mix of uneasiness and indifference. On a foggy morning in April, a few of them read the paper and eat breakfast at an old cafe, casually chatting about whether the end of the lockdown would bring French tourists back. On the wall hang black and white pictures of dead bears and smiling hunters.
“I remember old people in the villages telling us stories about bears,” says Bruna, the current head of the Land Department. “Whoever arrived to the village with a dead bear was hailed as a hero and everyone wanted to be in the picture with them.”
Frances Bruna, the current head of the Land Department in the Aran Valley government, remembers the times when bear hunters were hailed as heroes.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
The investigation of Cachou’s murder has done nothing to erase those decades-old lines, Afonso says. Locals who either sympathized with the bears or who didn’t care either way have since turned against them after being summoned to testify, realizing their phones were tapped, or seeing the names friends and relatives written about as suspects in the local press. If anything, it’s made the community even more wary of strangers.
At base, the case is a clash between two ways of seeing the environment, Afonso says: the Araneses’ pragmatic view of nature as a profitable resource, and the outsider’s more romanticized view of humanity’s duty to protect and preserve.
“The most extreme examples of these two worlds are represented in this case,” Afonso says. “Very zealous justice and police systems that acted as if a person had been killed, and a wise guy who decided to take matters into his own hands.”
Servent thinks it will be a turning point in how authorities treat wildlife deaths. About 40 bears have died since 1996, some in circumstances that have never been properly investigated, according to Ipcena. Mysterious bear deaths include that of Cachou’s father, Balou, who according to reports by French authorities was hit by lightning and fell off a cliff.
“Everyone who has participated in this has taken it very seriously so it wouldn’t end in nothing,” Servent says. “Everyone has seen that the death of a bear can’t go unnoticed.”
The Pyrenees mountain range acts as a natural wall that isolates the Aran Valley from the rest of Spain. Its inhabitants are proud of their distinct identity and speak a modern version of Occitan.
Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
As for Cachou’s killer, there are different views of who did it. The police and rangers think it was someone from the area who had access to Cachou’s confidential positioning data, knows the forests well, and knows how to use poison. The perpetrator has also likely suffered bear attacks, they say, possibly at the teeth and paws of Cachou himself.
Afonso has a different guess. He suspects someone has been killing bears for a while, but that Cachou wasn’t necessarily the target. The area where his body was found is a route frequently used by bears, and at a time when sightings are increasing everywhere on the Pyrenees, they’re falling precisely in that place.
“If I was the poisoner, I wouldn’t kill the only bear that’s wearing a tracking device,” he says. “That person was unlucky that Cachou passed by. I’m quite sure of that.”
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heartslogos · 7 years ago
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newfragile yellows [287]
Evelyn finds the Iron Bull sitting by himself at the bar of the Herald’s rest, large form leaning against the well tended wood as he drinks from a very large tankard of ale.
“If you’re looking for Wolf she isn’t here,” he says when she tries to subtly look around him for a sign of the mage, “We aren’t actually attached at the hip. She doesn’t like it when I drink during the day. I think she’s probably poking around the merchant caravans by the main gates.”
“I know you aren’t,” Evelyn says, taking a seat next to him. “Oh, no - I don’t - “
Evelyn is about to say that she doesn’t want a drink at this particular moment but the Flyssa has already put a much more moderate sized goblet in front of her.
“You look like you need it, ma’am,” Flyssa says and then walks away before Evelyn can protest.
“If she’s saying it then it must be true,” Bull says, nudging her goblet with his tankard, “Bottoms up.”
“Right then,” Evelyn says, “She doesn’t like it when you drink?”
“During the day,” The Iron Bull stresses, “She doesn’t like a lot of shit that I do. Wolf doesn’t like it when I drink during the day, she doesn’t like me walking around shirtless, she doesn’t like me flirting with other people…”
Evelyn turns the words over in her mind because it wouldn’t make sense for the two of them to be so close if one of them was constantly picking at what seems to make up vast portions of the other’s character.
“Why?” Evelyn asks and the Iron Bull grins around the lip of his tankard. “Why doesn’t she like those things?”
Evelyn knows that if there is something Ellana doesn’t like, the Iron Bull doesn’t do it. Ellana asked the Iron Bull to stop trying to rip Dorian open like a hang-nail to the root and he did. Ellana asked the Iron Bull to attempt patience with Cole even though he’s unnerved by demons and he did it. Ellana probably asked the Iron Bull to join the Inquisition - Qun and all aside, Evelyn is pretty sure that the Iron Bull would have come just for her.
“Knew there was a reason why Wolf liked you aside from all that magic theory stuff,” the Iron Bull says. “She doesn’t like me flirting with other people in front of her because she thinks it’s  unfair to the person I’m flirting with. It puts them in an awkward position. Even if they know that she doesn’t care if I’m sleeping with other people. She doesn’t like me walking around shirtless during the winter because usually she ends up being the one taking care of me if I get sick and in her words I turn into a philosophical nightmare that’s best avoided at all costs.”
Evelyn can’t really imagine the Iron Bull as a philosophical nightmare, but then again Evelyn doesn’t really talk to the Iron Bull that much regarding anything like philosophy or figurative matters.
“And the drinking?”
“Well, she usually has stuff to do during the day that she can’t do if she’s got a buzz going. Alcohol and magic don’t mix, right?” Bull shrugs a shoulder. “You know, I’m going to tell her you asked and she’s going to like you even more. Wolf likes people who dig deep.”
“About that,” Evelyn leans closer to him and lowers her voice, “Is there a reason why you call her Wolf? Isn’t that…sacrilege?”
Bull blinks at her and then laughs, body pushing back from the bar table as he throws his head back. “Relax, Inquisitor. Everyone on my team’s got nicknames. Stitches stitches people up, Grim’s quieter than dirt, you know? And Dalish was taken, so she gets Wolf. No article in front. We’re good.”
Evelyn turns the words over in her head. Because she’s found that things are rarely so topical when you’re dealing with a Qunari spy.
“There are other things to call her,” Evelyn prods, “Aside from the obvious reasons, why Wolf?”
“You mean aside from the many wolf skins she wears?” The Iron Bull responds dryly.
“Aside from those.” Though they are very impressive and intimidating. As is the staff.
The Iron Bull hums, turning his tankard on the bar with slow steady movements of his fingers.
“She’s Wolf because if I called her Ataashi then she would have run and I’d have never gotten her back,” He says with a gentleness that Evelyn didn’t know he ever really chose to use. “And it’s just stuck since then.”
“Oh,” Evelyn says. “You like her.”
“Yeah, I mean. I hired her.”
“No, I mean. You like her.”
The Iron Bull actually turns around in his stool to look at her, “Are you asking me if I like, like her like we’re eleven year olds? Yes, Trevelyan, I like-like her the same way you like-like your Commander, except neither of us wants to go at it like the two of you do.”
Evelyn sputters and the Iron Bull’s smile is a touch sharp but also genuinely amused as he roughly pats her shoulder and stands up. “You should finish that. Take some time to relax. Breathe. I think Pentaghast was looking for you to complain about Varric.”
-
“So there’s a elf underneath all that wolf after all,” The Iron Bull muses, standing over Ellana and Dalish as they hurriedly rip apart fabric and start arranging things to be re-sewn together. Ellana ignores him as he sits down next to her, watching her work.
It’s summer and Ellana has just gotten back from visiting her clan. Ellana’s normally kept herself to the North during the summer - Orlesian summers are wretched and wet and muggy and the heat is a tangible weight on her chest that makes her feel sluggish and tired.
She’s shed her furs and thrown them into the back of one of the caravans along with the rest of her belongings. She’s also changed out of her normal traveling attire and into a light cotton dress that her cousin had given her when she was up with them. Dalish is wearing one similar and the two of them are working on sewing together pants and tunics with light padding to fight in.
Ellana is not going to be wasting mana on constant cooling and temperature regulating spells in the middle of a fight. That’s ridiculous.
“You seriously do this every year?” Ellana says to Dalish as the woman arranges panels of leather that she had Ellana bring back. No one tans leather like the Dalish masters do.
“I’m not carrying summer gear around all year when we spend most of our time in the mountains or Ferelden,” Dalish replies, “Besides, by the end of the summer this will all be worn down anyway. Watch, you’ll be having to patch something after the next fight and it’ll only go downhill from there.”
“You wanna make me some?” Krem asks.
Ellana and Dalish cast annoyed looks at him.
“You’re the actual professional tailor,” Dalish says, waspish as she turns back to the work in front of her, “You could help us.”
“Nah,” Even Krem’s switched to a short-sleeved shirt and light trousers.
Ellana shoves her hair out of her face and there’s a light tap on her shoulder. Ellana turns her head to see Skinner handing her a leather thong to tie her hair as the other woman presents Dalish with the measurements from the others.
“Not much change since last summer,” Skinner says, “Thank June. A few of our other Dalish members also got materials back from their clan. I think we’ll be able to make it with what we have. We just can’t make mistakes. I’ll start cutting. I’ve got some of the others ready to go.”
“You actually sew a summer set for every single person?” Ellana asks, baffled. “Ridiculous. What happens after summer?”
“After summer we scrap it to pad our winter gear. You know we need it. Besides, we wear them into the ground, summer is a big season for us. No bad weather so everyone wants to go to war and shit or adventuring or doing dumb stunts in stupid dangerous places,” Krem says, “I’ll consider helping if you make the Chief’s out of plaid weave.”
“We don’t have plaid weave,” Ellana says.
“Thank fuck,” the Iron Bull says under his breath. The Iron Bull is the only one among them who doesn’t seem to suffer from the oppressive heat. Ellana’s envious.
She tugs at the collar of her dress, trying to get some air as she scans the measurements with Dalish. This would be the perfect time for the Wolf to show up and drag her on some sort of quest to inspect a rock or dig up some ancient scrap. Which of course means he won’t show up. Though she feels that she’s due for a visit soon, she hasn’t seen the Wolf since before she left the Chargers to visit her clan.
“Here,” the Iron Bull touches her arm with something and Ellana turns, accepting the water skin gratefully. “Can’t have you passing out before the actual work starts.”
“I regret ever letting anyone see me mending my leggings,” Ellana says.
“You’re Dalish, you’d be dead if you can’t sew,” Skinner replies, “It’s part of the package. Sewing, hunting, trapping, dancing, doing stupid stunts with animals.”
“I feel like I ought to be offended but it’s all very true.”
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apollotrans-blog · 5 years ago
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1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. 2016 GMC Truck Acadia AWD V6-3.6L Technical Service Bulletin # 04-08-50-006D Date: 100909
1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. 2016 GMC Truck Acadia AWD V6-3.6L Technical Service Bulletin # 04-08-50-006D Date: 100909
Interior - Seat Cover Wrinkle/Crease/Burn Info
INFORMATION
Bulletin No.: 04-08-50-006D
Date: September 09, 2010
Subject: Minor Wrinkles/Creases, Discoloration, Cigarette Burns and Customer Induced Cuts and Stains on Front and Rear Driver and Passenger
Seats with Leather, Vinyl or Cloth Seat Covers
Models:
2011 and Prior GM Passenger Cars and Light Duty Trucks
2009 and Prior HUMMER H2
2010 and Prior HUMMER H3
2009 and Prior Saab 9-7X
2010 and Prior Saturn
Supercede:
This bulletin is being revised to add a model year. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 04-08-50-006C (Section 08 - Body and Accessories).
If a customer comes in to your dealership due to certain conditions of the seat covers (splits, wrinkles, loose stitching, etc.), you must examine the
seat cover in order to determine the validity of the customer claim. Some components from the above listed vehicles have been returned to the
Warranty Parts Center (WPC) and analysis of these parts showed "customer induced damage" or No Trouble Found (NTF).
2016 GMC Truck Acadia AWD V6-3.6L Page 287
The dealer should pay particular attention to the following conditions:
- Cigarette burns
- Customer induced cuts (knife cuts, cut by customer tools, etc.)
- Paint stains (customer should have cleaned paint stains while paint was still wet)
- Coffee stains and other removable dirt
These should be cleaned as described in the Owner's Manual under Appearance Care. Also, refer to Corporate Bulletin Number
06-00-89-029A or later.
- Evidence of chemicals used for cleaning, other than those specified in the Owner's Manual
- Other chemical spills
- Minor and normal leather wrinkles as a result of use
- Other defects to the seat cover not detected during the pre-delivery inspection (PDI).
Inform the customer that the above issues were not present when the vehicle was purchased and cannot be replaced under warranty. The
covers, however, may be repaired or replaced at the customer's expense.
2016 GMC Truck Acadia AWD V6-3.6L Page 288
The following conditions are not caused by the customer and should be covered by warranty:
- Split seams
- Wear/cracking/peeling
- Discoloration/dye transfer from customer clothing (if discoloration/dye transfer is not removed after using GM Leather and Vinyl Plastic
Cleaner, P/N 88861401 (in Canada, P/N 88861409), replace the covers.)
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gintama-polls · 11 months ago
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The nomination form was left active a little longer than was planned, but it is now closed and the episode tourney will soon start.
Out of 367 episodes, three movies, and several specials and OVAs, 89 of them are a part of this tourney. You can see the full list of entries under the cut.
Which is your favorite? The polling will begin on Thursday.
Entries:
1: You bastards!! Do you even have a silver soul?
3: Nobody with Naturally Wavy Hair Can Be That Bad
9: Fighting should be done properly
13:If you are going to cosplay, put your heart into it! 
20: Beware of conveyor belts
25: The hot-pot is a microcosm of life
32: Life Moves on like a Conveyor Belt
34: Love Doesn’t Require a Manual
35: You Can't Judge a Person by His Appearance, Either
38: Only Children Play in the Snow
48: The More You're Alike, the More You Fight61: On a Moonless Night, Insects Are Drawn to the Light
65: Youngsters learn the value of life from rhinoceros beetles
77: Yesterday's Enemy, After All Is Said And Done, Is Still The Enemy
79: Four Heads Are Better Than One
81: A Woman's Best Make Up Is Her Smile
83: Rank Has Nothing To Do With Luck
87: Perform A German Suplex On A Woman Who Asks If She Or The Job Is More Important
96: If You're A Man, Don't Give Up
99: Life And Video Games Are Full Of Bugs
103: There's A Thin Line Between Strengths And Weaknesses
105: It's All About The Beat And Timing
111: There's Almost A 100% Chance You'll Forget Your Umbrella And Hate Yourself For It
119: Within Each Box Of Cigarettes, Are One Or Two Cigarettes That Smell Like Horse Dung
142: Life Is A Series Of Choices
153: Sleep Helps A Child Grow
156: It Takes A Bit Of Courage To Enter A Street Vendor's Stand
166: Two Is Better Than One. Two People Are Better Than One
175: People Of All Ages Hate The Dentist!
180: The More Precious The Burden, The Heavier And More Difficult It Is To Shoulder It
184: Popularity Polls Can…
187: It's Goodbye Once A Flag Is Set
201: Everybody's A Santa
203: Everyone Looks Pretty Grown up after Summer Break
204: Use a Calligraphy Pen for New Year's Cards
205: Meals Should Be Balanced
206: It's Too Confusing When Talking about the Poster Girl for a Poster Store, So Call Her a Sandwich Board
211: Ghosts Aren't the Only Ones Who Run Wild around Graveyards
214: Tis an Honor!
215: Odds or Even
216: I Can't Remember a Damn Thing about the Factory Tour
217: What Happens Twice Can Happen Thrice
220: The Bathhouse, Where You're Naked in Body and Soul"
230: It Would Take Too Much Effort to Make This Title Sound like a Text Message Subject
231: When You Go to a Funeral for the First Time, You're Surprised by How Happy the People Are
237: Please Take Me Skiing
239: Even at year-end parties, there are some things you shouldn't forget.
240: People Can Only Live by Forgetting the Bad
241: We Are All Hosts, in Capital Letters
246: Festival of Thornies
247: Letter from Thorny
256: The Meaning of a Main Character
260: Pinky Swear
261: Unsetting Moon
264: Liquor and Gasoline, Smiles and Tears
265: Dog Food Doesn't Have As Much Flavor As You'd Think
268: An Inspector's Love Begins with an Inspection
272: A Reunion Also Brings to the Surface Things You Don't Want to Remember
273: When Compared to Time in Heaven, Fifty Years of Human Life Resembles Nothing but Dreams and Lottery Tickets
275: 9 + 1 = Yagyuu Jyuubei
282: A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes Over and Over
287: He's the Sweet Tooth, and I'm the Mayo Guy
296: Take the Initial Premise Lightly, and It'll Cost You
297: Keep Your Farewells Short
301: Ninja Village
304: Those Who Protect Against All Odds
305: Sworn Enemy
311: Jailbreak
315: Nobume
316: Farewell, Shinsengumi
320: Zura
322: Ten Years
323: Paths
326: Siblings
330: My Bald Dad, My Light-Haired Dad and My Dad`s Glasses
333: All the Answers Can Be Found in the Field
335: The Super Sadist and the Super Sadist
341: Guardian Spirits Are Also a Part of the Soul
342: Try As You Might to Make a Natural Perm Go Away, It Will Always Return
346: Geezers Carve the Things They Shouldn't Forget into Their Wrinkles
355: Rabbits Leap Higher on Moonlit Nights
356: Making a Dull World Interesting
361: The Creatures Known as Humanity
364: Two in Girl Years Is Equal to Ten in Man Years
366: Dun Dun
367: Gintama Final Ending Scamming Trial
Gintama: A New Retelling Benizakura Arc
Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya
Gintama The Final
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redcardquotes · 4 years ago
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United States, Annual Reports of the War Department, 1905
Page 98: Certificates of vaccination by physicians. — The card certificates of the United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service, a coordinate branch of the Government, showing that the holder has been successfully vaccinated, will be inspected by vaccinators, and the same applies to the certificates of successful vaccination signed by licensed medical practitioners. Such certificates will not be taken up, nor will the holder be ordinarily subjected to vaccination within two years after the date of their issue. Record must be made, however, of all the facts in the case required to be entered on the district vaccination records, and the entry will be made therein that vaccination of the person named was not made because of the certification of successful vaccination by a surgeon of the United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service or by a licensed medical practitioner. In such cases the red card (performance of vaccination) will be filled out and filed in the card index of the sanitary station. Certificates that vaccination has been performed, but not certifying to the success of the operation, issued by the above persons, will not be taken up, but under such circumstances the holders of the same will be treated as if vaccination in their case had not been performed.
Page 99: Certificate of performance of vaccination. — After accomplishing vaccination, vaccinators will immediately sign and issue to the person vaccinated a red card of the proscribed form. This card will show the sanitary station from which issued and a number corresponding to the entry in the vaccination record of such sanitary station pertaining to the person so vaccinated. It all also give the name and address, sex and age, of the person so vaccinated and will give the date on which vaccination was performed.
This card will be retained by the person vaccinated until after examination by an inspector of vaccination, by whom it will be taken up and a white or blue card, as required, issued in lieu thereof. The red card will later be compared at the district station with the corresponding entry in the district vaccination record, after which the card will be filed in the station for possible future reference by name. Filing will be done in alphabetical sequence on the basis of the family name. By referring to the name card and ascertaining the record number therefrom, the data in respect to any person vaccinated and inspected can thus readily be looked up subsequently in the district vaccination record.
Page 105: 41. Certificates of vaccination by physicians. — The card certificates of the United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service, showing that the holder has been successfully vaccinated, will be respected by vaccinators, and the same applies to the certificates of successful vaccinations signed by licensed medical practitioners. Such certificates will not be taken up nor will the holder be ordinarily subjected to vaccination within two years after the date of their issue. Record must be made, however, of all the facts in the case required to be entered on the municipal vaccination records, and the entry will be made therein that vaccination of the person named was not made because of the certification of successful vaccination by a surgeon of the United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service or by a licensed medical practitioner. In such cases, the red card (performance of vaccination) will be filled out and filed in the card index of the municipal board of health, or in the absence of such a body, with the municipal secretary. Certificates that vaccination has been performed, but not certifying to the success of the operation, issued by the above persons will not be taken up, but under such circumstances the holders of same will be treated as if vaccination in their case had not been performed.
42. Certificates of performance of vaccination. — After accomplishing vaccination the vaccinator will immediately sign and issue to the person vaccinated a red card of the prescribed form.This card will show the name of the province and of the municipality from which issued and the number corresponding to the entry in the vaccination record of the municipality pertaining to the person so vaccinated. It will also give the name, sex, and age of the person so vaccinated, the location of the vaccination, and the date on which such vaccination was performed.
43. This card will be retained by the person vaccinated until after examination by an inspector of vaccination, by whom it will be taken up and a white card or blue card, as required, issued in lieu thereof. The red card thus taken up will later be compared with the corresponding entry in the municipal vaccination record, after which the card will be filed with the president of the municipal board of health, if there be one, or with the municipal secretary for possible future reference by name. Filing will be done in alphabetical sequence on the basis of the family name. By referring to the name card, and ascertaining the record number therefrom, the data in respect to any person vaccinated and inspected can thus readily be looked up subsequently in the municipal vaccination record.
Page 284: An administrative detail that was of great assistance from the standpoint of efficiency and as a timesaving device was the issuing of cards to all persons vaccinated. A red card, which, among other things, included the individual’s name and the date of the vaccination, was used for the first vaccination; a white card for a second vaccination, and a blue card if the vaccination was successful. The cards were numbered consecutively. Starting with a definite number of cards, it therefore required only a few minutes’ work to arrive at the number of vaccinations performed, and with what result. The greatest timesaving was effected, however, at the inspection. The crews were mustered, All holding blue cards were immediately dismissed. Thus there was no confusion, and the remaining ones were rapidly dealt with. After the work was well underway the various shipping firms were requested to employ only persons holding blue cards. This had an excellent effect, and acted as a direct stimulant for seafaring people to be vaccinated and obtain the blue cards in order that they might be eligible in this respect for such positions as they desired.
Page 287: [Circular letter.] Office Chief Quarantine Officer for the Philippine Islands, Manila, P.I., September 26, 1903. Sir: Owing to the continued presence of smallpox throughout the islands, and to reduce the possibility of the infection being conveyed by ships, it has been decided to vaccinate the crews and foreign steerage passengers of vessels which enter the ports under the control of this Service.
In order to facilitate the work, and that the records of the same may be of value, a number of cards have been printed, a supply being sent you herewith.
Upon vaccinating a member of a crew you are directed to hand the person a red card properly filled out. The next time this individual comes under observation, you will examine the vaccination, and if it has been successful you will destroy the red card and supply a blue one instead. The presentation of this latter card will exempt the individual from further vaccination. Whenever a red card is presented, and there is no evidence of a successful vaccination, the person presenting the same should be revaccinated, the red card destroyed, and a white one supplied. An individual who presents saw white card and shows evidence of having been twice vaccinated by you, whether successfully or not, should have the white card destroyed and a blue one supplied.
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lovelyfantasticfart · 4 years ago
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2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Technical Service Bulletin # 841503 Date: 100401
2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Technical Service Bulletin # 841503 Date: 100401 BMW Assist(R) - Initialization Of Services SI B 84 15 03 Communication Systems April 2010 Technical Service This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B84 15 03 dated May 2008. [NEW] designates changes to this revision 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 284 SUBJECT Initialization of BMW Assist Services MODEL-CDMA (VERIZON WIRELESS) E60, E61 (5 Series) from SOP to 3/08 E63, E64 (6 Series) from SOP to 3/08 E65, E66 (7 Series) from 3/05 production E70 (X5) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from SOP to 4/08 E71 (X6) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from SOP to 4/08 E82, E88 (1 Series) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from SOP to 3/08 E90, E91, E92, E93 (3 Series) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from SOP to 3/08 MODEL-GSM (AT&T WIRELESS) E60, E61 (5 Series) from 3/08 E63, E64 (6 Series) from 3/08 E70 (X5) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from 4/08 E71 (X6) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from 4/08 E82, E88 (1 Series) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from 3/08 E90, E91, E92, E93 (3 Series) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA639 (BMW Assist) from 3/08 E89 (Z4) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA 639 (BMW Assist) from SOP F01, F02 (7 Series) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA 639 (BMW Assist) from SOP F07 (5 Series Gran Turismo) vehicles equipped with ZPP (Premium Package) or SA 639 (BMW Assist) SOP SITUATION In order for BMW Assist services to function properly, an initialization procedure must be performed to activate these functions on the vehicle. Important Information: Starting with March 2008 production vehicles (E70 and E71 4/08) except for the E65, E66, E83 and E85, the CDMA based Telematics Control Unit (TCU) will migrate to a GSM-based control unit. The wireless carrier for the GSM-based module is AT&T Wireless. ^ CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access uses the Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) as a back up. As of February 18, 2008, Verizon Wireless decommissioned its AMPS service, as allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). ^ GSM = Global System for Mobile communications Starting from April 1, 2005, all eligible vehicles processed at the Vehicle Processing Centers have BMW Assist already initialized before they reach your BMW center. Therefore it is no longer necessary to perform this procedure during the QC1 on these vehicles. However, initialization will still be necessary in cases with the following scenarios: ^ If the TCU is replaced on any vehicle (except pre-3/05 production E65 and E66 vehicles); ^ E65, E66, E90, and E91 vehicles from 3/05 to 8/05 production if the TCU is programmed; ^ E60, E61, E63, and E64 vehicles from 7/03 to 8/05 production if the TCU is programmed; ^ If BMW Assist services are reactivated (except pre-3/05 production E65 and E66 vehicles); and E70 (X5) vehicles not delivered with BMW Assist services initialized. E70 (X5) vehicles built prior to 4/2/2007 production may have been delivered to your center without the BMW Assist services initialized. All E70 (X5) vehicles built prior to 4/2/2007 production must have the status of BMW Assist initialization checked as part of the Quality Certification (QC1) on all E70 vehicles. Refer to SI B84 63 06 for additional information. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 285 Note: All X5 vehicles produced after April 2, 2007 have BMW Assist initialized at the plant. It is NOT necessary to check the status of BMW Assist on any X5 produced after April 2, 2007. BMW ASSIST CUSTOMER CARE BMW Assist Customer care is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM CT, and on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM CT. The Telematics Analyst at BMW NA handles escalated issues and can be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM ET. WARRANTY INFORMATION Procedure PROCEDURE Before this procedure can be performed, the following preconditions must be met: ^ The BMW Handover Inspection must be carried out to ensure that the proper phone numbers are entered into the Telematics Control Unit (TCU). Refer to SI B84 14 01. ^ The vehicle must be parked outside, with the key on and an unrestricted line of sight to the sky for proper Global Positioning System (GPS) reception. GPS signal acquisition may take up to 15 minutes. ^ After programming and/or coding of the vehicle, turn the key off and let the vehicle enter sleep mode (4 minutes). If the optional CPT9000 handset has been installed, remove the handset from the eject box before turning the vehicle off. ^ Transport mode deactivated. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 286 ^ No vehicle should be displayed or sold, nor the "SOS" button be pressed, until this procedure is successfully completed as described below. ^ A vehicle that has not been provisioned will not make a 911 call (since 3/04) and does not have e-911 permission. ^ Non-provisioned e-calls are directed to a hotline number at the service provider. If the SOS button is pressed without the system being initialized, the call will be initiated but the vehicle will not transmit any vehicle data. ^ Non-provisioned e-calls are voice-only without data transmission. Enabling/Initializing BMW Assist/Roadside Assistance/SOS Call ENABLING/INITIALIZING BMW ASSIST ^ E60 and E61 (5 Series) ^ E63 and E64 (6 Series) ^ E70 (X5) ^ E71 (X6) ^ E82 and E88 (1 Series) with CCC ^ E90, E91, E92, and E93 (3 Series) with CCC 1. Press the "Menu" button and ensure that the Central Information Display (CID) is set to the basic menu screen. 2. Press down briefly on the controller to enter the "Settings" menu. 3. Scroll down to "Communication Interface" and select. 4. The "Assist Settings" menu will then be displayed. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 287 5. Select "BMW service settings". 6. Select "Service Status". 7. Select "Enable services" ("Update services" if this is a second attempt to initialize). Note: "Terminate Services" is not an option and will NOT be displayed on vehicles equipped with a GSM TCU. 8. A box will then be displayed on the CID with a bar graph and the following messages: ^ "Establishing connection" ^ "Data exchange active" ^ "Data exchange completed" 9. Data exchange can take 3-8 minutes. 10. Do not turn off the ignition. 11. Please wait until the initialization process has been completed successfully. 12. If the message "Data transmission failure. Call BMW Customer Relations" appears, do not call Customer Relations; instead, refer to the "Troubleshooting" section of this Service Information bulletin. 13. After successful initialization, please check the following: ^ On CCC-equipped vehicles, the "Service status" screen is displayed with the services checked (minimum requirement for QC1 completion). The "Update services" selection is displayed. ^ The "Terminate Services" selection is displayed. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 288 ^ As of March 1, 2004, all of the services will be checked off when performing the initialization. Note: Terminate Services" is not an option and will NOT be displayed on vehicles equipped with a GSM TCU. 14. After successful initialization, please check the following: ^ On M-ASK and CHAMP-equipped vehicles, the "Service Status" screen is displayed with all the available Assist services listed (minimum requirement for QC1 completion). ^ As of March 1, 2004, all of the available services will be listed when performing the initialization. 15. On vehicles equipped with CCC (Car Communication Computer), there may be extra settings in the "Service Status" menu that will not be used at this time. These may include: ^ Traffic Info ^ My Info ^ Where to go? ^ Floating Car Data FCD ENABLING/INITIALIZING BMW ASSIST ^ E82 and E88 (1 Series) without CCC ^ E90, E91, E92, and E93 (3 Series) without CCC 1. Press the "MENU" button above the radio rotary knob. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 289 2. Rotate the rotary knob until "ASSIST" is highlighted, and press the rotary knob briefly. 3. Once within the BMW Assist menu, press the button under "SET". 4. Turn the rotary knob until "SETUP" is highlighted, and press the rotary knob briefly to start the initialization. 5. The display will now show the % (progress) of the initialization. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 290 6. The initialization process will take approximately 2 minutes. The process is complete when "complete" is displayed. 7. The word "complete" will only be displayed for about 5 seconds after the initialization is finished. 8. Once the initialization is completed (100%), the display will show the various functions enabled by BMW Assist. 9. If an error message is displayed and BMW Assist cannot be initialized, follow the troubleshooting section of this Service Information bulletin. ENABLING/INITIALIZING BMW ASSIST FOR THE E65 AND E66 (7 SERIES) FROM 3/05 1. Press the "MENU" button and ensure that the Control Display is set to the basic menu screen. 2. Starting from the basic menu, slide the controller towards "BMW Assist". 3. Rotate the controller to select "Status" and push the controller down. 4. Rotate the controller to select "BMW Assist" and push the controller down. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 291 5. Rotate the controller to select "INITIALIZE" and push down on the controller. 6. The message "Initializing, please wait....50%" will be shown (progress is shown in increments of 10%). 7. Please do not turn off the ignition while the initialization/update process is running! 8. The functions which are enabled have the boxes checked off. This serves as a confirmation that BMW Assist has been successfully initialized. 9. If the message "An error has occurred during the initializing. Would you like to call the operator?" is displayed, follow the troubleshooting section of this Service Information Bulletin. [NEW] ENABLING/INITIALIZING BMW ASSIST ^ 2009 and later 1 Series (E82, E88) with iDrive ^ 2009 and later 3 Series (E90, E91, E92, E93) with iDrive ^ 2010 and later 5 Series (E60, E61) ^ 2010 and later 6 Series (E63, E64) 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 292 ^ 2009 and later 7 Series (F01, F02) ^ 2010 and later 5 series 550 GT (F07) ^ 2009 and later Z4 (E89) with iDrive ^ 2010 and later X5 and X6 with iDrive 1. Accept the Disclaimer message if it is displayed. 2. If the "Main menu" is not displayed, press the "MENU" button next to the iDrive. 3. Scroll down and select "BMW Assist". 4. Select "Activate BMW Assist". 5. "Transferring data" will be displayed as BMW Assist services are initialized. 6. Note: If the message appears "Data Exchange Not Enabled", do not call Customer Relations, but instead refer to the "Troubleshooting" section of this VDC Bulletin. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 293 7. Note: his most likely occurs if there is a break in the signal or the automatic data transmission call. 8. Once BMW Assist is initialized, "BMW Assist active" will be displayed. 9. Follow supplemental laptop procedure to put TCU to "Sleep". 10. Disconnect the laptop. 11. The vehicle can either be moved, or the battery main Switch can be activated. Test the BMW Assist service for proper operation by placing a test call (press the SOS button or via the iDrive in the BMW Assist menu). Make sure that the BMW Assist Response Center has received the correct MIN/MDN, VIN and location of the vehicle. Have the representative update his or her records as needed. Roadside Assistance call ^ Go back to the Main menu by pressing the "Menu" button. ^ Select the "Communications" menu. ^ Select "BMW Assist". ^ Select "Roadside Assistance" and then select "Start service". ^ Once a connection has been established, speak to the representative, identify yourself and tell the representative, "This is a BMW test call". ^ Verify that the correct MIN/MDN, VIN and location of the vehicle have been transmitted to the representative. Verify that the audio to and from the representative is OK (you can hear the representative and the representative can hear you). Once this is verified, ask the representative to end the call. Do not turn off or leave the car until the message "End call successful" appears. "SOS" call ^ Press the "SOS" button in the overhead console to place a test emergency call. ^ Once the connection has been established, please identify yourself and tell the representative "This is a BMW test call." Verify that the correct MIN/MDN, VIN and location of the vehicle have been transmitted to the representative. Verify that the audio to and from the representative is OK (you can hear the representative and the representative can hear you). Once this is verified, ask the representative to end the call. Do not turn off or leave the car until the message "End call successful" appears. ^ Do not press the "SOS" button and leave the vehicle, since local emergency services will be dispatched if voice communication is not established. If no voice communication is established, call BMW Assist Customer Care immediately at (888) 333-6118, option 4, to cancel the dispatch. Disabling BMW Assist/Troubleshooting DISABLING BMW ASSIST If the customer does not want BMW Assist and has completed a BMW Assist Waiver Form with the client advisor, then BMW Assist may be coded out of the vehicle. 1. The Telematics functionality of the TCU must be deactivated via Progman. 2. Refer to the retrofits section of SI B09 05 01 and select "Active/Deactivate Telematics". This will add "+TELD" to the vehicle order. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete this procedure. 3. This will eliminate BMW Assist as a selectable option in the radio, Control Display (CD) or Central Information Display (CID). This means the option "Enable Services" will no longer be a selectable option. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 294 TROUBLESHOOTING 1. If the initialization procedure has been successfully completed, but the transmitted data is different than the data on file at the BMW Assist Response Center: ^ CDMA: Obtain the Mobile Identification Number (MIN), Mobile Device Number (MDN) and Electronic Serial Number (ESN). Refer to the "Obtaining ESN, MIN and MDN or IMEI and ICC-ID " section of this bulletin for the procedure. ^ Contact BMW Assist by calling. The BMW Assist Customer Care representative will reconcile the transmitted data against the data on file. Please wait one hour before attempting re-initialization. ^ GSM: Obtain the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and the Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICC-ID). Refer to the "Obtaining ESN, MIN and MDN or IMEI and ICC-ID " section of this bulletin for the procedure. ^ Contact BMW Assist by calling. The BMW Assist Customer Care representative will reconcile the transmitted data against the data on file. Please wait one hour before attempting re-initialization. 2. If the initialization procedure has failed and the message "Data transmission fault, Call Customer Relations" is displayed, check and perform the following: ^ Turn the ignition off for 16 minutes and allow the vehicle to enter sleep mode. Then turn the ignition on and try initializing BMW Assist services again. ^ Note: If the vehicle is equipped with an optional CPT9000 handset or a snap-in adaptor for a Bluetooth(R) handset, remove the handset from the cradle. ^ Ensure that the vehicle has been parked outside, with the key on, and has an unobstructed line of sight to the sky in order to receive a proper GPS signal. GPS signal acquisition may take up to 5 minutes. ^ The ability to view the signal strength of the BMW Assist Network Access Device (NAD), either in the radio or Central Information Display (CID), was eliminated on vehicles from 09/05 production. Refer to SI B84 05 07 (Checking NAD Signal Strength for BMW Assist). If necessary, drive the vehicle to a location with adequate cellular reception. ^ If all the above items are OK, try parking the vehicle in a different location. Let the vehicle enter sleep mode and repeat the initialization procedure. ^ If the procedure still fails, the problem may be that the BMW Assist coding bit in the Telematics Control Module (TCU) is not correct. Code the TCU using the latest version of Progman. Then repeat the initialization procedure. ^ If the procedure still fails, use DIS/GT1 to enter the TCU "Control Module Functions"; select "Component Activation" and select "Control Unit reset". Make sure the results screen shows the reset procedure as being activated. Turn the vehicle off for 16 minutes and let the vehicle enter sleep mode. Repeat the initialization procedure. ^ If the procedure still fails, using BMW Diagnostic Tools obtain the information below: ^ CDMA vehicles: Electronic Serial Number (ESN), Mobile Identification Number (MIN) and Mobile Device Number (MDN). Refer to the "Obtaining ESN, MIN and MDN or IMEI and ICC-ID " section of this bulletin for the procedure. ^ GSM Vehicles: International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and the Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICC-ID). Refer to the "Obtaining ESN, MIN and MDN or IMEI and ICC-ID" section of this bulletin for the procedure. 3. If further technical support is needed, create a PuMA for further assistance. When creating a PuMA case, advise the technical support representative whether this is a single vehicle or if multiple vehicles at the center are experiencing the same error(s). Obtaining The ESN, MIN, And MDN Or IMEI And ICC-ID OBTAINING THE ESN, MIN AND MDN OR IMEI AND ICC-ID Use the path below within BMW Diagnostic Tools with DIS V53 or higher to obtain the ESN, MIN and MDN or IMEI and ICC-ID numbers. 1. Perform a Short Test. 2. Function Selection 3. Complete vehicle 4. Body 5. Audio, video, navigation (MOST) 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 295 6. Telecommunication/Telephone 7. Fixed Installation (This selection is omitted on 3 Series vehicles without CCC.) 8. Telematic Control Module (US) Note: This step is deleted in DIS V46 on some models. 9. Overview, telephone data 10. Select the test module (Overview, telephone data B8400_10002). 11. Select "Concise". 12. Print the screen to record the ESN, MIN & MDN (CDMA) or IMEI and ICC-ID (GSM). ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION 1. For further troubleshooting, refer to the attached Troubleshooting Guide. 2. Refer to the attached list of BMW centers that are outside the Verizon Wireless Network. 3. BMW Assist relies on the Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless networks for communication between the vehicle and the BMW Assist response center. Occasionally there may be network problems which prevent the vehicle from being properly initialized. A DCS message will be released when there is an extended outage, to keep you informed. 2010-2020 BMW 328Cic Convertible (E93) L6-3.0L (N51) Page 296 VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK ^ The vehicle must be in the Verizon Wireless Network for the initialization procedure to work properly. If the vehicle is not in the Verizon Wireless Network, perform the outlined procedure and then follow these additional steps. For a complete list of BMW centers outside of the Verizon Wireless network, refer to the attachment B841503_Centers_Outside_of_Verizon_Coverage. ^ Create a PuMA case to receive TCU shipping authorization. ^ Remove the TCU from the vehicle. ^ Send the TCU and a copy of the PuMA case via FedEx to: BMW of North America, LLC Attn: Body Electrical Group (BMW Assist Initialization B84 15 03) ^ BMW of North America, LLC will initialize the TCU and ship it out on the same business day that it was received. ^ After receiving the TCU from BMW of North America, reinstall the TCU and place a BMW Assist call. ^ All shipping charges (both ways) are to be billed to the dealer's FedEx account. On the warranty claim, submit the FedEx shipping charges (double the amount provided to you in the PuMA case to cover shipment both ways) in the sublet section (using sublet code 4). from Blogger https://ift.tt/3jCdXCr
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thewizardosz · 5 years ago
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Vanessa Guillen: Soldier’s mom says a sergeant sexually harassed daughter before she vanished, calls for FBI to take over case
“I feel there is a break in trust because me being her mother, I deserve to know, but they refuse to give me any details because it’s an ongoing investigation. What I don’t understand is how some information still reaches me but by word of mouth by soldiers. It’s not fair that they know and I don’t.”Gloria is now pushing for the case to be given “fully to the FBI.” Currently, the Army Criminal Investigation Command leads the investigation.“It’s long nights of agony and sadness to think that she’s suffering so much being kept away from her family,” Gloria added.Where is Vanessa Guillen?Mayra, who visited her sister twice at Fort Hood before she vanished, previously told CrimeOnline’s Nancy Grace that she had to go through a security gate and visitor’s center before she could enter the base. She also had to undergo a background check and provide fingerprints. She said that her car was inspected each time for additional passengers.While it’s unclear if any additional visitors met Guillen on base before she vanished, Mayra said there should be a record of visitors who enter Fort Hood.Fort Hood spokesperson Tom Rheinlander previously said in a statement that around 500 soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment had searched for Guillen throughout the base. Search teams eventually became smaller as groups formed to search targeted areas.Rheinlander reportedly claimed that the Army CID was in contact with the family and kept them informed about the investigation. He admitted that since the case is ongoing, however, that officials have not released a lot of information, to “safeguard the process,” according to Stripes.Guillen, who was born and raised in the Houston area, is described as a Hispanic female who stands 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 126 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She has three tattoos: a cross with a flower and a flower, both on her left arm, and a mountain on her upper left shoulder. She also has a mole on the left side of her chin.An eyewitness reportedly saw Vanessa near her barracks on the day she disappeared. She was wearing black Nike shoes, a black Nike shirt and purple leggings.Family members said that Guillen not only loved to jog but has always been avid about sports and learning. She graduated in the top 15% of her high school class, where she played soccer and remained active with other physical activities.Guillen had always dreamed of serving and protecting her country.The U.S. Army CID is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for credible tips that lead to Guillen. Anyone with any information on the missing soldier’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Army CID Special Agents at 254-495-7767 or the Military Police Desk at 254-287-4001.Meanwhile, the family created a GoFundMe page to help raise money to hire a private investigator.Check back for updates.For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most – your children.[Feature Photo: Vanessa Guillen/Handout] ShareTweet Ads by RevcontentSPONSORED CONTENT30 Items Turn Dangerous The Moment They ExpireUnpuzzle FinanceHe Cut Down Old Tree and Had to Call AuthoritiesUnpuzzle FinanceHow To Empty Your Bowels Every Morning - Top Surgeon Explains HowGuthealthwellnessTop Doctor: One Method To Lower Blood Sugar (Genius!)WeeklyPenny12x Better Than Solar Panels? Prepper's Invention Takes Country by Storm!Daily Trend ClubMD: If You Have Toenail Fungus, Do This Immediately (Watch)Clear Nail PlusMORE CRIMEMURDER‘Suspect down’: Manhunt ends for suspect who allegedly killed 1 man, wounded at least 4 police officersMURDERManhunt under way for suspect who allegedly shot California deputy in the face, killed homeless manATTEMPTED MURDERMom who bought casket for starved teen son who weighed 51 pounds proclaims her innocence in new TV seriesMURDER‘I don’t regret what I did’: Resident says he killed sex offender neighbor after seeing him eyeing children [Reports]AMBER ALERTAMBER Alert: 5-month-old boy abducted in central GeorgiaNewsletter SignupDo you want to read more articles like this?UPDATESEmail AddressSign Up NowGuillen also told her mother that felt that the base was “evil,” and had trouble sleeping at night, something that never happened to her before. Guillen’s fear at the base was one of the reasons she didn’t want her mother to report the sergeant. She felt getting her mother too involved would lead to trouble for Gloria.“She [Guillen] told her [Gloria] she wanted to take care of it. Well, now look at happened,” Mayra Guillen added, referencing her sister’s disappearance.Gloria added that she doesn’t trust the military investigators assigned to the case, who have allegedly refused to answer her questions.As the desperate search continues for missing Fort Hood soldier, Vanessa Guillen, her mother is hoping confidential information her daughter shared with her will lead to answers.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Guillen, 20 was reportedly last seen on April 22 at around 1 p.m. at the parking lot of the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, in Fort Hood, Texas. Guillen left behind her car keys, barracks room key, identification card, and wallet in the Arms room, where she works.
It’s True Justice Month on Fox Nation, and “Crimes Stories with Nancy Grace” is available now! Sign up today and get your first month for only 99cents!
Despite exhaustive searches between family members, volunteers, and soldiers, Guillen is still missing, and her family says military investigators are not providing details into the investigation.
CrimeOnline spoke with Guillen’s mother, Gloria Guillen, who said that her daughter confided in her before she disappeared. Guillen apparently didn’t feel safe at Fort Hood, in part due to a sergeant who Guillen said had been sexually harassing her.
“[Guillen] said it was stalking and verbal harassment. He would look at her some type of way that would make any woman feel uncomfortable,” Gloria Guillen, who speaks Spanish, said through her daughter, Mayra Guillen, who translated on her behalf.
Guillen told her mother that the unnamed sergeant would also follow her when she went jogging, something she did routinely to stay active. Gloria pushed for the sergeant’s name and wanted to report the incident but held off when Guillen promised her she would take care of it. A few weeks later, Guillen disappeared.
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asrarblog · 5 years ago
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Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #287. Pharma Veterans shares the wealth of knowledge and wisdom of Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. If you wish to share your stories, ideas and thoughts, please email to [email protected] for publishing your contributions here.
Continued from Previous……
We looked at the Pharma Industry working in the previous blog. We already know that Pharma is a highly regulated business. Let us look at the regulatory structure and environment.
There are two tiers of regulatory structure; federal and provincial. The 18th Amendment created a chaos temporarily which was cleared later.
Federal organization is Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) whose headquarter is located in Islamabad. DRAP has offices in all provincial capitals. Prior to the formation of DRAP, the Drug Control Organization (DCO) within the Ministry of Health (MoH) had a Director General (DG) as its head. The provincial offices are headed by Deputy Director General (DDG). DRAP at the center has replaced DG with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO); provinces still have DDGs. Under the DDG are Federal Inspectors of Drugs (FIDs). In the DCO, there used to be a Drug Controller (DC) in Islamabad. It is not there anymore; it has been replaced by the Directors. However, Assistant Drug Controllers (ADCs) are still working in provincial offices. The DDG, FIDs and ADCs represent the federal regulator, DRAP.
DRAP is responsible mainly for the Pharma manufacturing activity. It approves new units, issues licenses, grants product registrations, issues GMP certificates, conducts inspections at home and abroad, renews licenses and registrations. The FIDs regulate Pharma manufacturers at provincial level. The ADCs and FIDs also control import of related materials and export of finished Pharma products.
At the province level, there is a Director Health Services who heads the provincial health structure. The old District Health Officers (DHOs) were replaced by Executive District Officers (EDOs) during Musharraf regime. EDOs control the health units, District/Divisional Headquarters Hospitals (DHQ), Rural Health Centers (RHCs) and Basic Health Units (BHUs). The purchase of medicines and other items and equipment for hospitals is routed through this structure. The purchase process has gone through various models and is currently regulated by Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
There is a Chief Drug Inspector who heads the panel of inspectors located at District and Tehsil levels. The Provincial Drug Inspectors (DIs) regulate the retail pharmacy sales. Health department issues Drug Sales Licenses to Distributors, Wholesalers, and retailers. The DIs keep visiting the premises of all license holders in order to see if any irregularity is taking place.
Another activity done by Provincial DIs is to collect products from outlets randomly. In such event, the samples of the products are: 1) sent to Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL); 2) sent to the manufacturer for information and record; 3) given to the outlet for keeping as record; 4) and kept with the DI for reference. If DTL passes the product, all is well. If the test fails, the matter is referred to the Provincial Quality Control Board (PQCB). PQCB sends notices to manufacturer to appear and explain their position. PQCB reviews the entire process and may drop the case, or close the case after giving written warning, or refer the case to Islamabad with the recommendation to file criminal charges. If criminal charges are filed, the case goes to Drug Court for hearing. It could be sentencing or acquittal, depending upon the quality of handling.
I know there are many non-pharma, regular readers of my blogs, and I understand this is too much information. My apologies. The purpose is to show that a highly elaborate structure is in place to regulate manufacturing and sales of drugs.
Our highly respected satire writer, Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi, in his book ‘Zarguzasht’ wrote about some lady. “She knew seven languages, but did not have the capability to say No in any language”
You know what I am hinting at. We do have a seven-tier regulatory structure, but it is not capable of saying No to fake/spurious drugs. One reason is corruption which runs through the arteries and veins of our entire society. How do we expect one segment of the society to act judiciously and honestly and selflessly? These guys also come from the same stock. As a society, we live, eat, drink, breathe, act and talk corruption in some way. We should have no illusion of fairness anywhere.
Other reasons, we shall take up next.
Continued……
The Case of ‘Ja’alee’ (spurious) Drugs – Drug Regulatory Structure in Pakistan – Blog Post #287 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #287. Pharma Veterans shares the wealth of knowledge and wisdom of Veterans for the benefit of Community at large.
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commercialretrofit-blog1 · 5 years ago
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Everything You Need to Know About Earthquake Retrofitting Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles recently passed Ordinance 183893, which requires the retrofit of pre-1978 wood-frame soft-story buildings and non-ductile concrete buildings. The goal of the mandatory retrofit programs, under the ordinance, is to reduce these structural deficiencies and improve the performance of these buildings during earthquakes. Without proper strengthening, these vulnerable buildings may be subjected to structural failure during and/or after an earthquake
If you own any commercial buildings in the Los Angeles, California, area, then you know earthquakes are a natural occurrence. In order to keep your tenants, or employees, safe, you may need to have a seismic retrofit done to your building. This includes apartment complexes, hotels, or office buildings. There are a number of companies in the Los Angeles area, but which one is right for you? Here are four steps you should follow to help you answer that question.
1. Come Up With a Short List
It can be tempting to perform a Google search and commit to working with the first result on the page, but more research is necessary to find earthquake retrofitting contractors who meet your commercial building needs. Make a list, but keep it short, of the companies that interest you the most. Keeping your list small will help to find the best company for your building, too many options often becomes overwhelming.
2. Ask about Experience
While there are not formal credentials in seismic retrofitting, your earthquake retrofitting contractors should have extensive experience and training, with deep knowledge of the process, materials, and local regulations involved in a commercial retrofit.
3. Get Some Recommendations or Find Reviews
The best way to find out how good a company is, is by asking your friends or colleagues. Talking to other commercial building owners about which contractors they worked with and what their experience was like can be an excellent way to identify the best option for your needs. Be sure to find out what other customer’s experience was like or what they thought of the work that was done.
4. Think ROI, Not Price Tag
This type of construction project is expensive, there is no getting around that. But, don’t dwell on the initial out-of-pocket costs, think of the retrofit as in investment in your future. While it may be tempting to hire the company with the cheapest bid, that doesn’t always mean they will do the best job. The whole idea behind the earthquake retrofit is to ensure your building will remain standing during the next, or future, earthquakes, without costing you a fortune in repairs, or even in lawsuits from one of your tenants or employees being injured or killed. During your initial phone calls be sure to find out everything that is included in the quote.
To get started today or for more information, contact us today to schedule a FREE on-site inspection by our team of soft-story experts or call us now at (818)287-8002.
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