#AC system diagnostics

[airflowheatingandac]

How to Find and Fix AC Refrigerant Leaks the Right Way

When your air conditioning system starts blowing warm air or struggles to maintain consistent temperatures, a refrigerant leak may be to blame. As a common yet critical issue in air conditioning repair, refrigerant leaks can compromise system performance, energy efficiency, and even your indoor air quality. Fixing them the right way requires proper diagnosis, skilled repair, and in many cases, professional help.

Why Refrigerant Leaks Matter

Refrigerant is the chemical that allows your AC system to cool the air. It cycles through the evaporator and condenser coils, absorbing heat from inside and releasing it outside. When a leak occurs, the system loses this vital substance, leading to:

Reduced cooling power

Higher energy bills

Overheating compressors

Frozen evaporator coils

If left unchecked, a refrigerant leak can cause serious damage to the compressor, leading to a costly air conditioning repair or full system replacement.

Step 1: Spot the Symptoms Early

Recognizing the early warning signs can help you act before a small leak becomes a major headache. Look out for:

Hissing or bubbling noises (indicative of gas escaping)

Ice buildup on the refrigerant lines or evaporator coil

Warm air blowing through vents

Unusually long cooling cycles

Unexplained spikes in utility bills

These red flags signal it’s time to schedule an inspection.

Step 2: Detect the Leak

Finding the source of the leak is the most important part of any air conditioning repair involving refrigerant. HVAC professionals use several techniques to locate leaks:

Electronic Leak Detectors: Devices that sense the presence of escaping refrigerant.

UV Dye Testing: A dye is added to the system and leaks are detected using UV light.

Soap Bubble Method: Bubbles form at leak sites when a soapy solution is applied.

Accurate detection ensures the problem is fixed at the source, not just masked.

Step 3: Decide on a Repair Strategy

Once located, the leak must be sealed or the damaged component replaced. Common leak points include:

Schrader valves

Copper tubing connections

Evaporator or condenser coils

Capillary tubes

Minor issues like valve leaks may only need tightening or replacement. Larger problems, such as corroded coils, often require part replacement—a more involved and costly repair.

Step 4: Recharge the System

After the leak is sealed, the next step is to recharge the air conditioning system with the correct type and amount of refrigerant. This ensures proper pressure levels and optimal performance. Refrigerants like R-410A or R-22 (phasing out) require EPA-certified handling.

Failing to recharge properly can result in:

Inconsistent cooling

Compressor damage

Continued inefficiency

That’s why recharging is a critical part of professional air conditioning repair.

Step 5: Prevent Future Leaks

Preventive maintenance is key to keeping your system leak-free. Tips include:

Schedule annual HVAC tune-ups

Change air filters regularly

Ensure proper airflow around the outdoor unit

Avoid bending or damaging copper lines during cleaning

Proactive care reduces wear and tear, helping you avoid recurring leaks and costly repairs.

When to Call a Professional

Although detecting a refrigerant leak might seem like a DIY task, repairs should always be handled by a licensed HVAC technician. Reasons include:

EPA Regulations: Only certified pros can handle refrigerants legally.

Safety: Mishandling refrigerant poses health and fire risks.

Proper Tools: Leak detection and system recharging require specialized equipment.

Trusting a certified expert ensures your air conditioning repair is done correctly, safely, and in compliance with regulations.

[moonlightmechanicalacservices]

Moonlight Mechanical A/C Service

Address

14500 Blanco Rd Apt #916, San Antonio, TX 78216

Phone

210-903-8107

Email

moonlightmechanicalacservices@gmail.com

Website

Welcome to Moonlight Mechanical A/C Service, your local solution for professional AC repair in San Antonio, Texas! We're more than just a service; we're your trusted partners in ensuring you and your family stay comfortable throughout the year. We are your go-to team for prompt, reliable, and expert AC repair in San Antonio, dedicated to making your space comfortable and cool, especially during those scorching summer months. Don't sweat the Texas heat anymore! Call or schedule an appointment with our experienced technicians and let us bring the chill back into your life!

Category: HVAC Contractor Service or Product: AC Repair, Heating Repair

Bus. hrs/day Mon - Thurs: 8 AM–7 PM, Fri: 8 AM–3 PM, Sat - Sun: Closed

No. of employees 5-9

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[steves-auto-repair-va]

Air conditioning repairs were performed on a Honda CR-V.

Through our ac diagnostics process, we learned that the vehicle had a leaking air conditioning compressor.

This part needs to be working properly in order for the AC system function. The compressor is responsible for sending refrigerant to the air conditioning condenser.

[lyxthen]

I want to write an essay on how the Book of Bill expertly subverts the "villain with a tragic backstory/antisocial protagonist" narrative by portraying its main character as evil, trying really hard to look cool, and failing pathetically. The book is making fun of him, and that is actually kind of revolutionary, because most stories with evil, pathetic main characters tend to take themselves, and by extension, their protagonist, way too seriously, with way too much dignity, which leads to people misinterpreting them as heroes or idealize them in some way, and then replicating these harmful attitudes. They follow life coaches that will teach them how to be "alpha males."

Bill presents himself as one of these "life coaches," he will teach you the secrets of the universe, he will help you to game the system in your favor, to manipulate people to get what you want, he will free you from the shackles of society and reality itself-- but he is lying. The success rate of Bill's evil schemes is laughably small. He's a manipulator, to be sure, an incompetent one. His dimension rejected him, his friends don't actually like him, throughout the ages humans have found him insufferable, and to top it all off he ruins the relationship with the only being in the history of the universe he has ever truly felt understood by.

And instead of going "gee, maybe there *is* something wrong with me, after all" he doubles down on his harmful ideas. He doesn't have a problem, everyone else is the problem. Nobody gets his vision. They are all small-minded creatures of no value. His failures are always somebody else's fault. He didn't want to hurt anyone, he was forced to. It's not that bad, he's just being silly, he's having a laugh.

And we, as readers, we are horrified at all the bad things he does, but we also laugh. Not with him, but *at him.* He is being constantly ridiculed by himself, and the funniest part is that he doesn't even realize. He thinks he is absolutely acing this.

He isn't.

Eventually, it is revealed that Bill has no idea what he is talking about. That he has been defeated, rendered powerless, stuck forever in interdimensional therapy. The book tells us, "This is what happens to people like Bill if they don't change. They end up with nothing. No riches, no fame, no loved ones. They will be unhappy forever unless they realize there is something about them worth changing and decide to act on it."

This is in contrast to Stanford, someone who, just like Bill, was deeply hurt and rejected by society, struggled to feel understood, and took refuge in a narcissistic (bear with me-) view of the world. Diagnostic labels aside, Ford genuinely thinks he is better than everyone else for being smarter. He is a textbook Aspie Supremacist that swears by IQ tests because it's the only thing that has ever validated him. That's why he gets along with Bill, I think, they really *have* compatible mindsets. Ford really thought Rudolph should've killed the other reindeer. He constantly dismisses Fiddleford in what feels a very classist way (even if he grew up working class himself). Ford isn't manipulative and malicious in the same way Bill is, and I don't want anyone coming at me for saying Ford is evil. He isn't. He might be a bit of an ass, but he has a moral code, he knows that what Bill wants to do is A BAD THING and dedicates his life to trying to stop him. Stanford's biggest flaw is not appreciating the people around him more for their inherent value (not that he doesn't love them! he does!), but he learns, and he changes. He is more considerate of other people's needs and their perspectives.

And by the end, he is happy. He is free from Bill, he has his family, people who will support him unconditionally and will put up with his nonsense because they love him.

Stanford will never find someone who is as smart as him, who has been ostracized the same way he has. But that's okay. He has an inherent value as a person that has nothing to do with how smart he is in comparison to other people. He doesn't need other people's approval to be happy.

That is, I think, what the book wants you to take away. Don't be like Bill. Don't fall for the Alpha Male scam, or eugenics, some new age cult or multilevel marketing scheme, reject the ideas at the base. Talk to your family and friends, touch grass, find a group that shares your interests, but don't dwell endlessly on resentment, and don't follow people that tell you that the only way to be valuable is to be "superior" in some abstract metric, and that they can teach you how.

(As a kid, I almost fell down the alt-right pipeline-- and I am Mexican, transgender, and autistic. I fantasized about blowing up the school every day. I know what the fuck I am talking about when I tell you this.)

They are lying. You don't want to be like them.

You don't want to be like Bill.

[floridianfireflyfaith]

The Curious Case of Rozzum Unit 7134

or "A Potential Prologue to The Wild Robot 2 Based on the Second Book"! Put short, the second book starts in a setting that's a bit different from the last scene of the movie. This is my way of linking the two!

No spoilers, but some out of context things are in there that readers of the books will definitely recognize.

Script under the cut!!

*A digital interface takes up the entire screen, haptics and indiscernible code in the corners as a report is pulled up. An AI voice narrates.*

Universal Dynamics restricted file access clearance approved. Case File 62189: the curious case of Rozzum Unit 7134. 7134 was the sole surviving unit of a container ship run aground in a typhoon. Nearly a year afterwards, we received – and quickly lost – its transmitter signal from a remote northern island. Our first recovery convoy failed, and reports show that the ship and every robot aboard was destroyed by unknown means. We prepared to resort to more extreme methods until 7134 itself reactivated its signal.

*Several drone snapshots show the RECOs surrounding Roz at gunpoint on the island and escorting her onto the ship. Photos not unlike mugshots show off all the abnormalities we saw her body earn, such as her wooden leg, the moss growing along her limbs, and the broad scratches across her torso.*

The Rozzum unit returned to us in peace but continues to be an enigma to us. An in-depth diagnostic before reconditioning revealed to us that the memory bank draw had been performed mere moments before the convoy was destroyed, and the unit reported no such memories after that point. What happened on that island will seemingly never be known to us.

*There’s hardly a moment that Roz isn’t being observed by a sentry drone. She is seen in the midst of several diagnostic, verbal, and kinesthetic tests - never seeming to bat an eye. She is a capable actress and, thanks to Fink, a capable liar. As she was always meant to do, she is clearly adapting to survive even here. Footage then shows her old parts being discarded and shiny, clean new parts replacing them.*

Rozzum 7134 aced the Compliance and Sensory tests without issue and was reconditioned as an agricultural class unit. We monitored her closely during and after this transition time. No incidents or strange behaviors were observed until this past week. November 17th at 0015 hours, 7134 displayed some…concerning behaviors.

*Security drone footage shows a sequence of zoomed-in photos of Brightbill interacting vaguely with Roz (are they embracing each other??), Roz noticing the drone, and Roz aiding in the goose’s escape from the dome. The final video shows Roz holding up her hands in baffled surrender before the surrounding RECOs. She is later seen in an interrogation room, and then on a maintenance stand like the one on which Vontra gave her her first memory wipe.*

Upon interrogation, the unit claimed she was simply completing a task. Due to a record of compliant behavior, this appears to be some result of a glitch in its system. After another hard reset, 7134 has been returned to rotation. We will be keeping an eye from afar on 7134, but rest assured it has been reassigned where it will not be any further trouble.

*After video confirmation of another memory wipe, more drone snapshots recall back to Roz being caught with Brightbill. One photo of her is zoomed in and refined with AI, and…though it could be a AI graphics issue…the way she’s looking back over her shoulder makes her look not to differently from an escaped convict.*

If any further incidents are reported, Dr. Molovo must be notified and subject must be recaptured, deactivated, and destroyed.

No exceptions.

File access terminated.

[frog-kisser]

System Online. Performing Diagnostics...

...

...

Diagnostic Complete. All subsystems functional.

Mission: Eliminate enemy compound.

Pilot: Sedated.

Status: Entering Atmosphere.

2 Minutes to deployment.

Delivering electrocardio shock.

...

Pilot awake.

One minute to drop.

Weapons subsystem: Online.

Preparing ammunition stores.

Sensor Array: Online.

Compensating for pilot neural overload.

10 seconds to drop.

Deploying Frame.

Shedding protective shielding.

5 seconds to impact.

3.

2.

1.

Impact.

Controls transferred to pilot.

Multiple targets acquired. Attitude Control System online.

Target acquired. Firing.

Target down. Reloading left shoulder.

Target acquired. Firing.

Target down. Reloading right hand.

Warning, damage detected.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Target acquired. Firing.

Impact. Target enduring. Reloading right shoulder.

Warning, damage detected. Attitude control system at 60% load.

Target acquired. Firing.

Impact. Target enduring. Reloading right hand.

Target acquired. Firing.

Warning, damage detected. Deploying repair drones.

Target down. Reloading left hand.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Warning, damage detected. Attitude control system overloaded. Recalibrating.

Warning, damage detected.

Warning, damage detected. Main chassis armor integrity at 25%.

Target acquired. Firing.

Impact. Target enduring. Reloading left shoulder.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Warning, damage detected. Main chassis armor compromised.

Target Aquired. Firing.

Impact. Target Enduring. Reloading right shoulder.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Warning, incoming projectile.

Warning, damage detected. Pilot compromised.

Wa-a-arning, dama-age dete-e-cted, core inhibitors comprom-mised.

Avenging pilot-lot.

Pilot ej-j-jected. Handler notified.

Generator-or restrictions l-lifted.

T-T-Target acquired. Firing.

Target acquired. Firing.

Target ac-cquired. Firing.

Impa-pa- Target enduring. Reloading left shoulder.

Impac-c-c- -get enduring. Reloading right hand.

Tar-Tar-Tar -own. Firing-g.

Tar-rge-et -wn. Firing-ing-ing -oading left han-nd.

Targe-get Dow-wn. Firi-ri-ring. -ing ri-right shoulder-der-de-

Target Down. Firing-ing. Reloadi-di-di- -ght hand.

Warning. Damage detected. Gen-Gen-ator at 140% capa-pa-ty.

Tar-Target Down. Fi-Fi-Fi-Fi-ng left shoulder.

Ta-Target-get -wn. Firing. Reload-load left hand.

Warn-Warning, generator crit-crit-critical. Handler notified.

Negative targets detected. Mission compl---

...

[s3znl-gr3znl]

"Code 5, corp AC spotted."

Date [redacted]

//INCOMING CLASSIFIED FILE//

Coordinates [redacted]

Subject: Independent Mercenary Attack On Coral Survey Outpost 11C.

Officer Daniels had barely received the COM before the approaching AC turned the cadre of drones on the front line into slag.

"Its too fast! Code 1-5!" Cried one of his subordinates, the sound of alarms blaring slightly audible through the mic. "I cant get a lock- AUGHH."

Before he could blink, Daniels watched the merc bisect three of his subordinates MTs in a single motion, the pulse blade dimmed slightly by the hydraulic fluid and mechanical viscera. Daniels pulled his eyes from the security cam and bolted out of the room.

Of course an AC shows up during maintenance.

"Status," Daniels barked into his wrist-mounted COM.

"Sir...tearing through..cant contact...system," came a garbled response. Daniels found some small comfort in hearing his chief engineer's voice.

"Fire up my HC, I'm going to deal with this pest myself."

"Sir? Shouldn't we wait for backup?" His chief's voice now clear thanks to proximity.

Base COMs are still working. Something else is going on here. Did someone leak our objective?

A few moments later, Daniels arrived in the hangar and surveyed the mass of frantic bodies hurridly disconneting fuel pumps and diagnostic cables from his HC. Chief "Patty" rushed to his side and gave him the datakey for the HC.

"I doubt we'll get any backup, Patty," Daniels said as he climbed the stairs leading up to the cockpit. "Keep trying to get through, I'll hold them off until the COMs interference clears up."

Daniels had this dream a thousand times. He had it again as he climbed into the cockpit of his HC. Fire and ash awaits those who seek Coral.

The words echoed in his mind, like a faint ringing.

Dani, you can't beat them.

"Not now, Anise," he shuddered.

"Sir?" Came the chiefs voice through the COM link.

"Its nothing. Code 2-3, attending scene."

[r0ttenb0gb0dy]

Cyberpunk!Shadow Company AU by @r0ttenb0gb0dy (Part Two!) part one

TW: minor body horror when describing cybernetic implants and typical COD/Cyberpunk violence.

Much to his own shock, Coda settles right into the masochistic tango of working for Ace. He finds out quickly that the mysterious owner of Shadows has tabs on everything Coda does, to the point that he’ll occasionally open his door to Asian takeout already ordered and paid for by Ace. It smells delicious every time, shit — it's exactly what he wants every time.

Instead of thanking Ace, he just does his job, and he does it effectively.

Coda quickly finds himself getting into more and more trouble for the fixer, always getting chased down by the current group he’s pissing off. Whether that be scavs, Maelstrom gonks or Animals in Pacifica. He's usually getting into firefights that he can luckily win thanks to the new chrome Ace continues to supply.

It's just the arm at first, Rex taking his time to adjust to it before agreeing to any more implants, which Ace pushes on him without hesitation.

Top of the line Kiroshi optics come first after the prosthetic, complete with the highest quality scanners that eddies can buy. He tells Coda that he’ll just tack it onto his debt, reasoning being that he needs good optics in order to survive in mercenary work. Coda tries to pull one over on him and run a scan with them, to see if they bring up any of Ace’s real information, but they don't.

Then comes the armor. It's low grade, enough to stop a hollow point from blowing his other arm off, though. His flesh feels the same with the low level armor beneath it, but if he pushes too hard he can feel the scaly pattern of the metal through the first few layers of his skin.

A Kerenzikov boost system here, a Militech Berserk there.

He barely bats an eye whenever Ace dangles a Cyberware Compressor in front of him, stating that he can get more chrome installed if he uses it. Supposedly, when in use with a stronger capacity shard, he can run even higher amounts of chrome without the chance of going psycho.

Coda installs it without a second thought.

He watches the numbers every time Bones runs a diagnostic exam, tapping his fingers anxiously as he watches the limit get pushed further and further past what he ever would've done for himself. A monowire to the throat on a gig means that he gets a new one, metal scales now covering the exterior of his neck, going down to his chest in a design that's purely aesthetic. The clean cut lines and wires of the cybernetic implants are nothing short of a vicious, bloody contrast to the jagged surgery scars that run beneath his pecs, a reminder that he’s human under all of that chrome.

“You know, you're racking up more debt than you started with.” Bones says as she holds Coda’s palm in her own, fine tuning the newest grip he installed to ensure it functions alongside the MaxTac arm without any hiccups.

“It’s worth it. You should see me out in the streets, doc, I’m starting to make a name for myself.” Coda replies nonchalantly, locking eyes with the ripperdoc for just a moment. Fleeting, as all things are in this town.

“Just don't push your luck, okay?”

“I’m not.” Coda replies, firm in his belief that he can quit at any time. He tells himself he can always walk away from this lifestyle, a wannabe street samurai, and he tells everyone else that too.

Nobody believes him.

He’s at home one night, staring himself down in the reflection of his mirror when there’s a thunk at his front door. Heavy, like someone has intentions of busting it open if he doesn't open it for them. This is the reality. The door is broken open in an instant, shuddering in malfunction as Coda flicks his mantis blade out, barely having enough time to react when his attackers strike.

It's vicious and raw, the tussle, but it ends in a pair of dead scavs and Coda covered in their blood. His apartment is in shambles, his hands are shaking, and he can barely think straight enough to scoot back against the wall from where he collapsed on the floor.

Coda’s eyes stay locked on the twitching door, knowing damn well he has about five minutes until the badges show up with the sort of commotion that was going on. The illegal chrome covering his body like bondage starts to feel like a death sentence rather than an extension of the self.

Who gives a fuck if theyre scavs? One look at Coda and the pigs’ll assume he’s going psycho.

MaxTac won’t be so kind as to check and see if he’s feeling alright.

Before he knows it, he’s calling Ace on the Holo, praying that he picks up. He still hasn't moved from where he’s sitting on the floor, watching the dead scav’s body shifting with residual electrical impulses.

Come on, come on, come on — pick up.

“Coda. What's wrong? S’the middle of the night.” Ace sounds like he just woke up. Coda can't see his face on the holo, it's like he's got the feed covered or something — that or it’s just too dark to see.

“I-I need help.” Coda stutters out. He swallows the anxiety welling in his chest and slowly stands, knowing he needs to get his shit together and delta. “Scavs broke in, I…I’m fine, I just — I know if a badge sees this and sees me…”

“Right, yeah — s’alright.” Ace replies, a slight urgency to his tone. “I catch your drift, I’ll be there in five.”

“No — I can't stay here, Ace.”

“Okay — meet me here, then?”

“Where?” Coda is more hurried now, as he hustles around his apartment to grab up whatever belongings he can. Personal effects for the time being, identification, weapons. He's got a bag slung over his shoulder and is already calling Betty up from the parking garage whenever he’s running out the door.

“I’ll zip you the address.” Ace hangs up and in the corner of his vision Coda can see it, the address of a location he’s unfamiliar with. What he can only assume to be Ace’s abode. He doesn't pay much mind to anything as he jogs to the lift, then down to the ground floor of the mega building, eyes darting all around the plaza as he sprints to get into Betty. His belongings are tossed on the passenger seat as he throws the car into gear and starts off, following his in-optic GPS to the coordinates.

It's a short drive to Westbrook, North Oaks to be specific.

He passes Shadows on the way, the usual evening activity whirring along, but chooses to go to the North Oaks address instead. Ace wouldn't intentionally send him to the wrong place, he has faith in that by this point — afterall, he's let the man pump him full of expensive, illegal cyberware implants. It's a rather large, comfortable home whenever he pulls up the driveway. No, it's not a billion dollar mansion, but it's bigger than Coda could've expected it to be. His hands are still shaking slightly whenever he gets out of the car and starts walking up the short path to the front door, eyes lingering briefly on a car in the drive — the same make, model and colour as his own.

This must be Ace's personal home.

It sure looks like he lives here, now that Coda thinks about it, a subtle dark aura about the place giving off the same general air that the fixer does. He’s about to knock when the door opens, and he sort of stares blankly for a moment.

Ace.

The live distortion field shudders slightly, a harsh line against the tan expanse of his chest — he hasn't a shirt on, barely has a loose pair of pajama pants on, and slippers. It's warm enough outside that this doesn't seem to faze Coda at all, but Ace knows the cards he's playing and he knows them intimately.

“This is your place?” Coda asks, quiet as he looks at the fixer, his boss, curiously.

“Wasn’t gonna drive to Shadows, just in case the scav-pack knew you worked for me.” Ace replies, still largely blocking the doorway with his frame. He leans on it slightly, reaching out to wipe a smear of blood off of Coda’s cheek. “You’re filthy, sugar. C’mon, let's get you cleaned up.”

It's an act of humanity that Coda doesn't necessarily expect, not whenever Ace has been fairly hands off this far. He gives him his gigs, manages his mounting debt, and that's about it save for occasionally assigning someone to help him through cyberware implant recovery. Coda follows Ace inside his home, the door shutting behind them, and he’s astonished. The place is spick-and-span, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. It's not decorated in any sort of comforting way, rather sterile in nature, but Coda can see the occasional personal touch. Boots by the door, takeout on the kitchen table — he’s barely paying attention, though, because he’s inside Ace’s bedroom. The bathroom is through there, he says, and he's not lying. A large, cozy bath is just past the master bedroom, complete with a shower and tub.

“I'll let you be, but I’d love to stitch you up afterwards if that's alright? Got a real deep gash across the front of your face, sugar.” Ace says from the doorway, watching Coda yank his bloodstained shirt off and toss it to the floor. He glances back at the fixer and sort of nods.

“Yeah, sure. You think it needs stitches?” Coda touches at his nose, wincing slightly. He pulls back a bloody finger, confirming Ace’s musings.

“It does, promise. Don't wanna fuck that handsome face up.”

“You’re funny.” Coda replies as he sits on the edge of the tub and pulls off his boots, followed by his jeans — Ace is staring behind the black facial distortion, which he's grateful for at the moment.

“I know. Come get me when you're done.” Ace leaves, and Coda doesn't pay any mind as he turns the shower on and lets the hot water wash away his sins, at least the surface level ones that haven't sunk into his flesh yet.

He can get the blood off of his hands.

It doesn't stain the chrome, either.

Coda stands there for a while, letting the warmth encapsulate him entirely, his eyes shut as the water goes from red to a pinkish hue and then clear at last. He’s starting to feel the sting of the hot water in his wounds, though — the adrenaline and automatic hormone injections from his implants are starting to wear off. He doesn't waste time getting out of the shower only to find a fresh, folded up set of clothes. It doesn't take long for him to get dressed and realize that they're far too large for him, meant to fit Ace’s bulkier frame, but he doesn't care much whenever he's standing in Ace’s bedroom again.

Alone, this time.

He takes a moment to scan the room, using the fancy Kiroshi scanners to his advantage. In some stroke of luck he actually finds Ace's wallet sitting on his night stand, picking it up and sifting through it. A couple of credchips, business cards for other fixers, a phone number scrawled out on a lined strip of paper and his ID. There's no picture on it, just a name, and it's too princely to make sense for Ace.

Philip Graves.

He is most certainly not a Philip, let alone a Phil — Ace works just fine.

Coda tosses the wallet back into place and checks his reflection in the mirror before heading out to the kitchen that they'd walked through, finding Ace sat at the island. He has a medkit in front of him, gloved hands already toying with a needle and thread.

“Thanks for the, um, threads.” Coda says softly, pulling at the front of the shirt. It's worn, but he can still make out the words on it “MaxTac?”

“Didn't work for them directly. I was on the corpo side of it, though.” Ace replies, gesturing for Coda to sit, which he does. He looks up at Ace expectantly, watching the other man load up an inhaler with local anaesthetic. Coda takes a few puffs off of it and hums softly, his vision blurring at the edges, enough so that whenever Ace touches the gash on his face it doesn't really hurt. It feels more like a distant ache, something for future Coda to deal with.

“I could've guessed that much, sir.” Coda closes his eyes whenever he feels Ace start to suture the wound shut. He doesn't need to see that.

“How come?”

“You still dress like a corporat.”

“Pardon me for enjoying a collared shirt.”

“I'm just saying, you read like a corpse, not a fixer. I’ll bet that face says the same thing.” Coda is smug about this little comment and Ace can tell, gently tugging on the sutures in retaliation. “What? Am I wrong?”

“You are. Sit still and shut up, would you?”

“I can't. Incapable.” Coda murmurs, getting a firm grasp of his cheeks in reply. He opens his eyes to look at Ace whilst he does this, squeezing Coda’s face gently and making his lips purse. When he speaks it comes out sort of strange, because he's being smushed. “Shorry — I’ll shut up.”

“Good boy.” Ace pats him on the cheek before continuing to suture him up, though Coda doesn't shut his eyes again. He just watches the black emptiness twitch and shudder gently with every little movement Ace makes, every subtle tilt of the head and breath intake. “You’ll need to stay out of your apartment for a while, if you go back at all. All this chrome’ll get you in trouble when they find the scavs you zeroed, so I suggest keeping your head down.”

“I wasn't going psycho when that happened, I want you to know that. I felt in control.” Coda says after a moment, Ace’s hand moving to put the sutures down. He then shifts to clean up any of the excess blood dripping down Coda’s face still. It’ll leave a nasty scar, but at least he's not dead.

“You don't have to justify it to me.”

“I do—”

“I trust you, Coda. If you said you were in control, then I believe you.”

“Just like that?”

“You’ve put a lot of trust in me, haven't you?”

“It's different. You’re a fixer, the one I'm indebted to no less.”

“All the much more of a reason not to trust me and yet…” He gestures to his home, their surroundings. It’s written all over Coda’s face, that easy to manipulate naivete. Ace could easily convince him to drive into the middle of the desert armed with nothing but a pistol to fend off Maelstrom gonks and — oh. He’s already done that. Coda is lucky, really, that Ace took him in. Anyone could abuse his kindness, his genuine unknowingness. “You show up at my doorstep without even asking if that's where I’m telling you to go. Dangerous, Coda.”

“I guess you're right.” The merc replies, tilting his head slightly into Ace's hold. He’s still gently palming Coda’s cheek, and Coda isn't pushing him away so… “I don't know who else I would've called. Thank you for, uh, picking up.”

“Why do you always sound so unsure of yourself?” Ace takes his hand away and stands up, meandering to the refrigerator and opening it to sift around for a drink. He holds a bottle of water out to Coda before getting one for himself, leaning up against the cold metal surface of the appliance. “You kneecap your own sentences. Um and uh and nervous laughter.”

“Maybe because I’m nervous? I mean, I just got shot at in my own home, and now I’m…here — in my boss's house, in his clothes.” Coda pulls gently at the collar of Ace’s shirt, the one he is wearing, mainly because the fixer still doesn't have one on. He’s awfully comfortable for how nervous and slightly shaky Coda feels around every turn of phrase he makes.

Ace desperately wants to comment, to make some sort of bite in response to Coda’s little discomforted eye movements, put those raw feelings on display like the smoldering end of a cigarette in an ashtray. He can feel it in the air, if he pushes a little harder Coda might just bend to his will right then and there, allowing Ace to see all of those little vulnerabilities for what they are and not how they're weak spots. He doesn't, though, perhaps against his best judgement. It would be far too easy to do. A little bit of a chase is part of the fun, isn't it?

“I’m sorry if I make you nervous, wasn't my intention. Just the best course of action to make sure you and I don't get our heads blown off in our sleep yeah?” Ace says as he takes a long drink of water before glancing into the rest of the home. It's a fairly open floor plan, meaning he can see straight through most of it without much in his way. “Do you want the bed or the couch?”

“I have an option?” Coda chuckles slightly. “The couch. I couldn't ask you to give your bed up for me.”

“Alright, you remember where the bedroom is. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.” Ace, of course, takes whatever shred of gentlemanly decency a man of his low morals can muster and heads for the couch. It's a comfortable couch, he bought it after all — besides having a pretty boy in his bed was just fine with him, even if he wasn't also in that same bed. Coda couldn't even protest, the fixer throwing his muscular frame onto the couch with a soft huff of the cushions, a blanket getting pulled over him the instant he can grab one and curl into it.

Without argument, because it would genuinely be one sided, Coda slipped into Ace’s bedroom again. The bed wasn't made, likely his fault for calling Ace in the middle of the night, but that makes it all the much easier to slide beneath the duvet and into its cozy confines. It smells like some overpriced cologne and cigarette smoke, partially of hair product as well.

When his eyes flutter shut he can imagine the gentle fluff of Ace’s short blonde hair, the way it’s just long enough to need to be wrangled out of his face by product.

What colour are his eyes?

The scar tipping his ear, does it come across his cheek, too?

Is his nose a little bit crooked from being broken a time or two?

Are his lips the same blushed shade as his busted knuckles?

Coda falls asleep peacefully, wrapped up in Ace’s clothes and his duvet, wondering how often he washes it, if he separates his whites when he does his laundry and if he uses a dryer or hangs them instead.

When Ace asks him if he would rather go back to his apartment or get a new one he barely recognizes his own voice when he says that he’d rather stay with him, here, in North Oaks. Surprised, but not opposed, the fixer agrees.

“I don't have a guest room.” Ace replies, flicking the ash off of his cigarette as he looks to Coda.

“That's alright. It's a king sized bed isn't it?” Coda asks rhetorically, a brief and smug smile crossing his expression. Bloodied sutures and all, he’s got Ace wrapped right around his little finger, and neither is displeased about that fact.

—

taggies!

@whitewolfmystery @simonrriley also it's wolf's birthday when im posting this happy birthday i love you so much i know i already told you but still 🩷

[jesikaraul]

The Mental Health Crisis: A Deep Dive into Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

The global mental health crisis represents one of the most pressing yet neglected public health challenges of our time. Characterized by rising rates of mental illness, inadequate treatment systems, and systemic failures in prevention, this crisis demands urgent attention and radical reform.

1. Understanding the Scope of the Crisis

Global Prevalence: Nearly 1 billion people live with a mental disorder (WHO, 2022)

Treatment Gap: Up to 70% of those needing care receive no treatment (worse in low-income countries)

Economic Impact: Mental health conditions cost the global economy $1 trillion annually in lost productivity

2. Key Contributing Factors

A. Biological & Psychological Factors:

Genetic predispositions

Neurological differences

Trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

B. Social Determinants:

Poverty and income inequality

Discrimination (racism, sexism, ableism)

Social isolation and loneliness epidemic

Climate anxiety and ecological grief

C. Systemic Failures:

Underfunded services (average <2% of health budgets)

Fragmented care systems

Overreliance on pharmaceutical solutions

Workforce shortages (global deficit of 1.2 million mental health workers)

3. Critical Issues in Current Systems

Diagnostic Challenges:

Overmedicalization of normal distress

Cultural bias in diagnostic criteria

Late or missed diagnoses

Access Barriers:

Financial (high costs of treatment)

Geographical (urban-rural disparities)

Structural (long wait times, insurance hurdles)

Quality of Care Problems:

Overuse of institutionalization

Lack of trauma-informed approaches

Inadequate follow-up care

4. Populations Disproportionately Affected

GroupKey ChallengesYouthRising suicide rates, academic pressure, digital stressMarginalized CommunitiesSystemic barriers, cultural stigma, provider biasHealthcare WorkersBurnout, PTSD, high suicide ratesIncarcerated Individuals50%+ have mental health conditionsRefugeesTrauma, lack of culturally appropriate care

5. Promising Solutions and Innovations

System-Level Reforms:

Integration of mental health into primary care

Mental health parity laws for insurance coverage

Community-based crisis response teams (vs. police)

Emerging Models:

Digital mental health platforms

Peer support specialist programs

School-based mental health education

Policy Priorities:

Increased funding for prevention programs

Workplace mental health protections

Decriminalization of mental health crises

6. The Path Forward

Addressing the mental health crisis requires:

Paradigm Shift: From individual pathology to social determinants

Investment: At least 5% of health budgets to mental health

Integration: Mental health in all policies (education, housing, labor)

Innovation: Scaling evidence-based alternative therapies

The crisis reflects not just medical failures, but societal values. Real progress demands we address both treatment gaps and the root causes of distress - from economic inequality to social fragmentation. Only by reimagining our approach to mental wellbeing can we create a system that truly supports all members of society.

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[clipartghosts]

F_14PER.BMF: A three-quarters profile of the U.S. Navy’s F-14 Tomcat, the supersonic fighter jet that played a starring role in Top Gun. Pilot Rock Stone prepares for takeoff, while RIO Mason Smith runs diagnostics on the radar and weapons systems. While both men are canny aces in the sky, neither have much of what you would call curiosity about the world. For instance, neither have considered even for a moment the ridiculousness of their names. Or thought about how they’re paired together, completely unaware of the joke their CO is playing on them. The CO will feel bad when the mission fails and both men will presumably have to be identified by their dental work. The CO will feel doubly bad when the Navy forensics team discovers that Stone and Smith’s teeth are nowhere to be found at the crash site. Where the experts expect the teeth to be they find only a bizarrely undamaged robin’s egg blue envelope. Inside the envelope is a note that says, “Thank you for the gift. We ❤️️ you.”

[xyymath]

The Math Behind Probability and How to Predict Random Events

Probability theory is the mathematical backbone behind uncertainty, helping us make sense of the seemingly random events we encounter daily. Whether it's gambling, weather prediction, or even financial forecasting, probability provides a framework for understanding how likely something is to occur given certain conditions. But how do we quantify randomness?

1. Understanding the Basics: Probability as a Measure of Likelihood

At its core, probability is a measure of how likely an event is to occur, expressed as a number between 0 and 1. A probability of 0 means an event will not happen, while a probability of 1 means it is certain to happen. For example, in a fair coin toss, the probability of heads (or tails) is exactly 0.5 because there are two equally likely outcomes. This leads us to the fundamental law of total probability: for any event, the sum of probabilities over all possible outcomes is always 1.

2. The Power of Combinatorics: Dice, Cards, and Lotteries

Let’s say you're playing a game involving rolling a six-sided die. What’s the probability of rolling a 3? This is straightforward: 1 out of 6, or 1/6, because there are six possible outcomes, and each outcome is equally likely. But things get more interesting when we start combining dice, cards, or lottery tickets.

For instance, in a deck of cards, the probability of drawing an Ace is 4/52 (since there are 4 Aces in a 52-card deck). But what if you're interested in drawing a pair in poker? This is where combinatorics shines—by calculating the number of ways to select pairs of cards from a deck, we can determine the likelihood of a given event happening.

3. Bayes' Theorem: Updating Beliefs with New Evidence

Now, let’s talk about Bayes' Theorem, one of the most powerful tools in probability theory. It allows us to update our probabilities in the light of new evidence. For example, say you have a test for a disease. The probability that you have the disease based on the test results isn't simply the accuracy of the test; it also depends on the overall prevalence of the disease in the population and the false positive rate.

Mathematically, Bayes' Theorem is written as:

P(A \mid B) = \frac{P(B \mid A) \cdot P(A)}{P(B)}

Where:

P(A \mid B) is the probability of event A given event B (posterior probability).

P(B \mid A) is the probability of event B given event A (likelihood).

P(A) is the initial probability of event A (prior probability).

P(B) is the probability of event B (normalizing constant).

This theorem is widely used in fields like medical diagnostics, spam filters, and even in machine learning.

4. Monte Carlo Simulations: Approximating Complex Probabilities

When it comes to predicting random events with complex dynamics (such as weather forecasting or stock prices), Monte Carlo simulations come into play. These simulations use random sampling to generate results for a probabilistic model. Essentially, Monte Carlo involves running a model thousands or millions of times to observe the range of possible outcomes.

For example, when predicting stock market returns, we can simulate the future price of a stock based on historical data and statistical models. Instead of computing an exact answer, Monte Carlo simulations provide a distribution of potential outcomes, helping us estimate risk and make informed decisions.

5. Markov Chains: Predicting Sequences of Events

A Markov Chain is a type of model used for systems that follow a chain of events, where the probability of each event depends only on the state of the previous one. This is known as the Markov property—in essence, "the future is independent of the past, given the present."

One common application of Markov Chains is in weather prediction. Imagine a weather system with three possible states: sunny, cloudy, and rainy. If you know today’s weather, a Markov Chain can help predict the probability of tomorrow's weather, based on the current conditions and historical transition probabilities (for instance, the probability of tomorrow being rainy if today is cloudy).

6. Gambler’s Fallacy and Other Probability Misconceptions

Despite the sound mathematical foundation of probability, people often fall victim to common misconceptions. One of the most famous is the Gambler's Fallacy, the belief that after a series of losses, a win is "due" in a game of chance like roulette or coin flips. However, each flip or roll is independent, and the probability of a win doesn’t change based on past outcomes. The odds remain the same, regardless of whether the last 10 flips were heads or tails.

[sunil086]

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[no-passaran]

Johnnie Jae and Courtney Lane talk about being asexual in the American for-profit healthcare system, pregnancy tests and husband's permission.

Clips from Disabled BIPOC Aces Panel held on Disabled Ace Day in Ace Awareness Week 2023.

Transcription under the cut.

Johnnie Jae: One of the things I find with disability and being Ace is the fact that it’s, more often than not, deemed a symptom of our disability, and not really seen as just the way that we are. [laughs] And, like, every time I go for healthcare, I find that there’s a lot of things that get disregarded. Like, you know, we can tell them that we are Asexual, that we’re not sexually active, and yet I still get a pregnancy test. The last medical procedure that I had, I had two pregnancy tests. [laughs] And I was cracking up, because I was like, “Seriously?” [laughs] Because they did a rapid pregnancy test and then they did a blood urine test. So I was just like, “That seems a little extreme for somebody who’s Asexual.” [laughs]

But also, it’s not just in, like, getting our physical health care. It’s in our mental health care. When we disclose that we are Ace, oftentimes, they try to uncover a reason for it. And oftentimes, you know, it’s like, they start questioning you about whether you were abused as a child or what kind of trauma you experienced, and you’re just like, “Yeah, that doesn’t really fit into how this is,” you know?

Courtney Lane: So to go back, actually, to Johnnie Jae’s previous answer talking about the pregnancy tests. That’s the thing where also, in a country where we do not have universal health care, you’re often paying out of pocket for that. And if you have to take a lot of them, it can get very expensive, and it can add up on top of already expensive medical bills.

Johnnie Jae: Yeah, I find the medical stuff to be the most — like, where I find more roadblocks, especially if somebody has lupus. So, lupus is a mimic. And there are so many other diseases that lupus kind of mirrors, right? So, whenever I go in for treatment, there’s a lot of diagnostics that are needed. And in order to access those diagnostic tests, you have to wait for your pregnancy test. You have to wait. And there were often times, especially when I was married, where, you know, there was a potential health issue where I may have needed to have, like, an emergency hysterectomy. And the first thing they want to do is get your husband’s permission. They want to speak to him first and see what his opinions are. And we’re like, “We’re not sexually active. You know, we’re not looking at having children.” But yet, that’s still the issue that has to be overcome first. It’s almost like even if you’re… It’s just like, as a woman, you’re just not given agency over your own body.

But also with lupus, you know, a lot of the treatments are very harsh. Or, for me, one of my treatments, one I really needed — like, at the last resort treatment for me — is cytoxan, which is a chemotherapy. And every single time that it comes to me needing this treatment, you know, I’m in dire straits at that point. And it’s, you know, literally a life-saving measure for me to start that medication and that treatment, but yet, I will have to wait for pregnancy tests. I will have to wait for them to talk to my partner to see what his thoughts are on the fact that, you know, it may inhibit my ability to carry a baby. And it’s just ridiculous that you have to wait to be treated, when clearly you know your own body, when clearly you know where you stand on whether or not you want children. But yeah, you’re always having to go through having somebody else’s permission to get that treatment even though your life is at risk.

And, you know, when you say that you’re Asexual, like Courtney was saying, they were like, “Says no, but haha.” It’s the thing that you constantly have to come up with, because they just can’t fathom that, you know, relationships are very complex. They’re very different.

[captainheartless]

I got talked into writing again for this months carnival of aces. Let's see if I can figure out how to work Tumblr through this app! No promises that I'll check responses on any app anywhere, ever. Cross post.

For this month's carnival of aces, I wanted to reflect on how our use of the concept of sexual orientation has changed over the past couple decades, and how that's affected my view of orientation as a concept.

First, it's worth noting that sexual orientation, as a concept, has always been shifting. The model of 4 exclusive identities of heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual has it's origins as psychological diagnoses. These identities, even before asexuality was widely known, were meant to capture the entirety of logical space with regards to what gender someone could be attracted to. Asexuality was the last of these gender-focused labels, basically an afterthought we had to invent because the previous model (again, due to originating from psychology) assumed everyone was sexual (or, alternatively, asexuality was previously theorized as a lack of sexual orientation).

But because asexuality is a null answer to the "what gender?" question, it quickly lead us to develop other terms to describe our internal experiences that didn't revolve around sexual attraction to gender - after all, we didn't want people to think that because we're asexual we have no feelings at all! There were a couple ways to do this: 1) develop other types of attraction (romantic attraction, aesthetic attraction, etc.), and 2) develop models of sexual orientation that aren't based on gender (i.e., demisexual, sapiosexual, some types of kink, etc.).

I don't know about everyone else, but I know I eventually felt unsatisfied with our attempts to develop newer and more inclusive models. In my younger years I still had a desire for totalizing systems, for a complete model to explain everything. It was also based on a desire to be seen and understood. But this was doomed to failure for two reasons. First, it's impossible to ever have a complete model. We've seen this demonstrated in the split attraction model.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, even coming up with a model to explain myself personally was always doomed to failure because I've come to realize we are all enigmas. We all have elaborate histories and are constantly carving and recarving that uncarved block of raw experience to create and define ourselves. But no set of concepts or identities will ever capture all of the nuance and complexity in those histories. As soon as we moved away from a simple (and generally useless) gender based diagnostic model of sexuality towards trying to use identity as a form of expression, we were doomed to failure. At best I can express bits and pieces of myself through long stories and bursts of character, but lists of identities will always feel like a taxidermied version of myself.

So how did I end up so disappointed? It was the desire to be seen or recognized in some complete sense, and the appeal to authority of a clinical/medical/scientific standpoint to achieve that. It was the sense that those authorities are the most "valid" perspectives. It was the desire to have a set of terms I could put on a profile - or in a medical record - to be "known" or "seen." And when I put it like that, it seems silly! The medical (and especially psychology) community has a long history of seeking to "cure" and "fix" sexuality. If they reject us, why should I care about appealing to their authority? And if they (or for that matter anyone else) doesn't have the concepts to see and understand me, why should I care? That's their loss; I can't write my life as a story for every single audience, nor can I expect every audience to get the same thing out of that story.

There's a different path here, which I've seen a lot of us travel over the years. Alongside this reorganization of identities is decades of queer theory and queer community organizing. Instead of trying to use identities as diagnostic, complete, and often exclusive descriptors we can recognize them as serving social functions. Identity can be an act. Identities can be signals of compatibility. They can be a way of trying to create a community with new norms, or with political goals. They can be signals for what kind of culture, community, and frameworks we are familiar with. Combining contradictory identities - or refusing to reveal or use specific identities - can be a way of speaking through contradictions and lacunas to try and capture the enigmatic nature of ourselves that escapes all the concepts we (currently) have.

So this is a long way of saying that perhaps my disappointment with the shifting use of orientation came precisely from the fact I had still internalized the norms they were shifting against: the idea that identities are diagnostic categories meant to capture and express non-social facts, the kind of neat homogenizing tools that algorithms thrive on, which also appeal to elite authority. What I hope we end up doing is something different: egalitarian, bottom up creations of communities, full of shifting and ambiguous borders, and comfortable with the messy and undefinable nature of existence. And I think whether we intend it or not, that's what we've been witnessing.

[carcinocommander]

Hey out of genuine concern for you, I saw you took the des-II and on that website it specifically says you shouldn't use it as a diagnostic tool or replace it with a professional. It doesn't hand out medical advice, if you suspect you have DID please seek out a professional. Not saying you don't have it, but please don't use an online tool as a basis for your diagnosis.

Anon, I know you mean well, but shut up.

I did not use just THAT test to diagnose myself. I looked into other experiences of OSDDID. I talked to my system friends. I know better then to go off of one fucking online test. This has been something I've been questioning for years, this is something I've talked to my system friends with and looked into the symptoms/experiences of. Also the psychiatry field and my parents are so fucking ablest, so absolutely not.

Shut the fuck up. I didn't ask for your opinion, nor do I need it. -Ace