#Base Oil Database

[chemanalystdata]

Base Oil Price | Prices | Pricing | News | Database | Chart

Base Oil prices play a crucial role in the global economy, influencing a wide range of industries, from automotive lubricants to manufacturing and construction. As the primary ingredient in the production of lubricants, base oils are in constant demand, and their prices fluctuate based on various factors such as crude oil prices, supply and demand, geopolitical issues, and technological advancements. Understanding the dynamics behind base oil pricing is essential for businesses that rely on lubricants to function efficiently, as well as for investors and analysts who monitor the oil and gas sector.

The price of base oil is closely tied to crude oil, as it is derived from refining crude oil or from other synthetic processes. When crude oil prices rise, the cost of base oil generally follows suit. This is due to the refining process, where the cost of raw materials is one of the major factors influencing the final product price. Conversely, when crude oil prices drop, there is often a delay in the reduction of base oil prices because of factors such as inventory levels and contracts between suppliers and buyers. This lag can be frustrating for industries that expect immediate cost relief when crude oil prices decrease. However, it is important to note that base oil prices are not solely dictated by crude oil fluctuations; other elements play a significant role as well.

Get Real Time Prices for Base Oil: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/base-oil-63

Supply and demand dynamics also have a considerable impact on base oil prices. When there is a shortage of base oil, either due to refinery outages or geopolitical events disrupting supply chains, prices tend to rise. For example, a refinery undergoing maintenance or being hit by a natural disaster can significantly reduce the availability of base oil, driving up prices as manufacturers scramble to secure sufficient supply. On the other hand, when there is an oversupply in the market, prices can drop as suppliers compete to move their products. This supply-demand imbalance can be further influenced by shifts in global consumption patterns. For instance, if economic growth in emerging markets drives up demand for industrial lubricants and automotive oils, base oil prices may increase. Alternatively, if there is a slowdown in manufacturing or transportation sectors, demand may drop, leading to downward pressure on prices.

Geopolitical factors are another key element affecting base oil prices. The global oil market is heavily influenced by political stability in oil-producing regions, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. Any disruption in the production or transportation of crude oil from these regions can have ripple effects on the base oil market. For instance, tensions in the Persian Gulf or sanctions imposed on major oil-producing nations can lead to supply shortages, pushing up prices. Additionally, decisions made by organizations like OPEC can have a profound impact on the availability of crude oil, which in turn affects base oil pricing. When OPEC countries decide to cut oil production to stabilize or increase prices, it can lead to higher base oil costs for manufacturers and end-users. These geopolitical risks make the base oil market particularly volatile, with prices often reacting swiftly to changes in the global political landscape.

Technological advancements and innovations in refining processes can also influence base oil prices. The introduction of more efficient refining technologies can lower the production costs of base oil, leading to more competitive pricing. For example, the shift towards higher-quality Group II and Group III base oils, which are more refined and offer better performance characteristics, has changed the landscape of the base oil market. These higher-quality oils tend to command a premium price, but they also offer longer service life and better performance in extreme conditions, which can reduce the overall cost for end-users in the long run. However, as demand for these higher-grade oils increases, it can put pressure on supply, leading to price fluctuations. Additionally, synthetic base oils, which are produced through chemical processes rather than crude oil refining, can also impact the market. While synthetics generally come at a higher price point, their superior performance and longer service intervals can make them more cost-effective over time for certain applications.

Another factor that can influence base oil prices is the environmental regulations imposed by governments around the world. As more countries adopt stricter environmental standards, the demand for cleaner and more efficient lubricants increases, driving up the need for high-quality base oils. Refiners may need to invest in new technologies or upgrade their existing facilities to meet these regulations, which can increase production costs and, in turn, raise the price of base oils. For instance, regulations requiring lower sulfur content in oils can lead to increased demand for Group II and Group III base oils, which have lower sulfur levels compared to Group I oils. This shift in demand can lead to price premiums for these higher-quality oils as refiners work to keep up with regulatory requirements.

Finally, the growing focus on sustainability and the shift towards renewable energy sources could have long-term implications for base oil prices. As more industries and governments commit to reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to cleaner energy, the demand for traditional oil-based products, including base oils, may decrease. This could lead to lower prices over time as the market adjusts to reduced consumption. On the other hand, the development of bio-based lubricants, which are derived from renewable sources such as plant oils, may create new opportunities and challenges for the base oil market. While these bio-based alternatives are currently more expensive than traditional base oils, advancements in production techniques and increasing environmental awareness could drive their adoption, potentially influencing the overall pricing dynamics of the market.

In conclusion, base oil prices are influenced by a complex interplay of factors including crude oil prices, supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical events, technological advancements, environmental regulations, and global economic conditions. Understanding these factors is essential for businesses and investors who need to navigate the volatile base oil market. As the world continues to evolve, the base oil industry will need to adapt to new challenges and opportunities, making price forecasting both a challenging and critical task.

Get Real Time Prices for Base Oil: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/base-oil-63

Contact Us:

ChemAnalyst

GmbH - S-01, 2.floor, Subbelrather Straße,

15a Cologne, 50823, Germany

Call: +49-221-6505-8833

Email: sales@chemanalyst.com

Website: https://www.chemanalyst.com

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 18

1. FDA to Finally Outlaw Soda Ingredient Prohibited Around The World

An ingredient once commonly used in citrus-flavored sodas to keep the tangy taste mixed thoroughly through the beverage could finally be banned for good across the US. BVO, or brominated vegetable oil, is already banned in many countries, including India, Japan, and nations of the European Union, and was outlawed in the state of California in October 2022.

2. AI makes breakthrough discovery in battle to cure prostate cancer

Scientists have used AI to reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated.

A Cancer Research UK-funded study found prostate cancer, which affects one in eight men in their lifetime, includes two subtypes. It is hoped the findings could save thousands of lives in future and revolutionise how the cancer is diagnosed and treated.

3. “Inverse vaccine” shows potential to treat multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

A new type of vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) has shown in the lab setting that it can completely reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes — all without shutting down the rest of the immune system.

4. Paris 2024 Olympics makes history with unprecedented full gender parity

In a historic move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has distributed equal quotas for female and male athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris 2024. It is the first time The Olympics will have full gender parity and is a significant milestone in the pursuit of equal representation and opportunities for women in sports.

Biased media coverage lead girls and boys to abandon sports.

5. Restored coral reefs can grow as fast as healthy reefs in just 4 years, new research shows

Planting new coral in degraded reefs can lead to rapid recovery – with restored reefs growing as fast as healthy reefs after just four years. Researchers studied these reefs to assess whether coral restoration can bring back the important ecosystem functions of a healthy reef.

“The speed of recovery we saw is incredible,” said lead author Dr Ines Lange, from the University of Exeter.

6. EU regulators pass the planet's first sweeping AI regulations

The EU is banning practices that it believes will threaten citizens' rights. "Biometric categorization systems based on sensitive characteristics" will be outlawed, as will the "untargeted scraping" of images of faces from CCTV footage and the web to create facial recognition databases.

Other applications that will be banned include social scoring; emotion recognition in schools and workplaces; and "AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits people’s vulnerabilities."

7. Global child deaths reach historic low in 2022 – UN report

The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022.

The report reveals that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-5 mortality rate declining by 51 per cent since 2000.

---

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

The tenth Doctor in journeys end (i think?) said a TARDIS is made to be piloted by 6 timelords, what roles would each have in the TARDIS?

What roles would six Time Lords have in piloting a TARDIS?

This is more speculative, based on the known features of a TARDIS.

Console Panels and Systems

A TARDIS console is split into six 'panels', with each panel operating a different aspect of the TARDIS' systems. When there are six pilots, each Time Lord would likely specialise in operating a specific panel and system. Although the console layout may change with each TARDIS's 'desktop theme,' the six fundamental panels remain the same.

[Image ID: On the left is a top-down diagram of the 9th and 10th Doctor's coral theme TARDIS, divided into six panel sections. Each section is labelled from 1-6 clockwise starting from the 12 o'clock position. On the right is a text list of the panels and their names: Panel 1: Mechanical and Master Control, Panel 2: Diagnostic and Internal Ship Systems, Panel 3: Fabrication and Information Systems, Panel 4: Navigation, Panel 5: Helm and Dematerialisation Systems, Panel 6: Communications and Exterior Monitor./.End ID]

See this page on the TARDIS Technical Index for more variations on desktop themes.

👨‍✈️ Roles and Responsibilities

Here's a breakdown of each potential role and their responsibilities:

🔧 Panel 1: Mechanical and Master Control

Role: Chief Engineer

Responsibilities: The chief engineer monitors the TARDIS's overall operation. They ensure that all the mechanical systems and master controls are working properly. If anything goes wrong, they step in and fix it.

🛠️ Panel 2: Diagnostic and Internal Ship Systems

Role: Systems Analyst

Responsibilities: This person is all about the internals. They monitor life support, environmental controls, and the internal power grid. Basically, they make sure everything inside the TARDIS is working as it should.

🖥️ Panel 3: Fabrication and Information Systems

Role: Data Specialist

Responsibilities: Managing the TARDIS’s databases and info systems, and handling any fabrication needs. Whether it’s creating new tools, repairing old ones, or just making sure the information systems are up-to-date, they’ve got it covered.

🧭 Panel 4: Navigation

Role: Navigator

Responsibilities: Plotting courses through time and space. The Navigator makes sure the TARDIS lands where it’s supposed to, calculating all those tricky temporal vectors and spatial positions. They work closely with the Pilot to make sure the journey is smooth and safe.

🚀 Panel 5: Helm and Dematerialisation Systems

Role: Pilot

Responsibilities: This is the person at the helm, controlling take-off, landing, and in-flight manoeuvres. They handle the dematerialisation and rematerialisation of the TARDIS, making sure it takes off and lands without a hitch.

📡 Panel 6: Communications and Exterior Monitor

Role: Communications Officer

Responsibilities: They handle all external communications and keep an eye on what’s going on outside, involving sending or receiving messages or watching out for any threats or anomalies.

🏫 So...

Potentially, each Time Lord on the TARDIS would have a specialised role associated with a specific panel. Ideally, they're probably all working together like a well-oiled machine. However, poor old solo pilots have to jump around like madmen trying to cover all the controls at once.

Related:

Do we have any info on TARDIS biology?: Overview of TARDIS biological aspects.

Can a non-Gallifreyan benefit from a symbiotic bond with a TARDIS?: Non-Gallifreyan symbiosis with a TARDIS.

How to locate a TARDIS pilot: Guide for locating a pilot or other crew members using the TARDIS.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[commodorez]

What kind of work can be done on a commodore 64 or those other old computers? The tech back then was extremely limited but I keep seeing portable IBMs and such for office guys.

I asked a handful of friends for good examples, and while this isn't an exhaustive list, it should give you a taste.

I'll lean into the Commodore 64 as a baseline for what era to hone in one, let's take a look at 1982 +/-5 years.

A C64 can do home finances, spreadsheets, word processing, some math programming, and all sorts of other other basic productivity work. Games were the big thing you bought a C64 for, but we're not talking about games here -- we're talking about work. I bought one that someone used to write and maintain a local user group newsletter on both a C64C and C128D for years, printing labels and letters with their own home equipment, mailing floppies full of software around, that sorta thing.

IBM PCs eventually became capable of handling computer aided design (CAD) work, along with a bunch of other standard productivity software. The famous AutoCAD was mostly used on this platform, but it began life on S-100 based systems from the 1970s.

Spreadsheets were a really big deal for some platforms. Visicalc was the killer app that the Apple II can credit its initial success with. Many other platforms had clones of Visicalc (and eventually ports) because it was groundbreaking to do that sort of list-based mathematical work so quickly, and so error-free. I can't forget to mention Lotus 1-2-3 on the IBM PC compatibles, a staple of offices for a long time before Microsoft Office dominance.

CP/M machines like Kaypro luggables were an inexpensive way of making a "portable" productivity box, handling some of the lighter tasks mentioned above (as they had no graphics functionality).

The TRS-80 Model 100 was able to do alot of computing (mostly word processing) on nothing but a few AA batteries. They were a staple of field correspondence for newspaper journalists because they had an integrated modem. They're little slabs of computer, but they're awesomely portable, and great for writing on the go. Everyone you hear going nuts over cyberdecks gets that because of the Model 100.

Centurion minicomputers were mostly doing finances and general ledger work for oil companies out of Texas, but were used for all sorts of other comparable work. They were multi-user systems, running several terminals and atleast one printer on one central database. These were not high-performance machines, but entire offices were built around them.

Tandy, Panasonic, Sharp, and other brands of pocket computers were used for things like portable math, credit, loan, etc. calculation for car dealerships. Aircraft calculations, replacing slide rules were one other application available on cassette. These went beyond what a standard pocket calculator could do without a whole lot of extra work.

Even something like the IBM 5340 with an incredibly limited amount of RAM but it could handle tracking a general ledger, accounts receivable, inventory management, storing service orders for your company. Small bank branches uses them because they had peripherals that could handle automatic reading of the magnetic ink used on checks. Boring stuff, but important stuff.

I haven't even mentioned Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, or a dozen other manufacturers.

I'm curious which portable IBM you were referring to initially.

All of these examples are limited by today's standards, but these were considered standard or even top of the line machines at the time. If you write software to take advantage of the hardware you have, however limited, you can do a surprising amount of work on a computer of that era.

[plantify]

TOONTOWN HEADCANON/LORE POSTING

This post is based around TTCC, and is entirely about headcanons I have about Suits/Cogs, mostly about their physiology, how they're created, etc. I might write more at some point. (Also I am sorry if this is extremely long and incoherent, I tried to at least break it up into sections with big titles and colored text)

What are Suits?

Suits are a “race” or “species” of robotic beings within the world of Toontown. 

The ones seen within the game are Cogs, which is simply what employees of C.O.G.S. Inc. are called. Other businesses may have a similar naming formula, a different one, or none at all. (e.g: S.C.R.E.W. Ltd calling their employees Screws)

Considering that the world that Toontown is in, is in fact a cartoon/cartoonish world, this would by technicality make Suits a type of Toon. (I believe the term "Toon" to just be the characters that exist within that cartoony world or whatever) Therefore. they are still bound to the same wacky physics that Toons are, though they do not always interact with it in the same way. Think of it as two different kinds of cartoons interacting and living in the same world.

Toons would be more akin to rubberhose ish/Mickey Mouse/Ducktales style compared to whatever the Suits would be like, though that doesn’t mean the Suits don’t have some of those properties as well.

Most Suits probably wouldn’t even know what a Toon is, since they are scarce throughout the world, and the ones seen in the game are isolated within the area they live in. 

Life Details (Organs, Sustenance, Etc)

Suits are very much like humans (which do not exist in this world). They have distinct lives, personalities, traits, desires, etc. 

Unlike humans, they do not typically die of old age, though they can begin to weaken and die because of SIDE EFFECTS of ageing without maintenance that is usually easily attainable. Because of this, many Suits live for a long, long time. There is still a bit of a limit though.

Suits cannot catch viral or bacterial illnesses, (I mean obviously they're robots) but can get sick from overexertion, overexposure to temperatures they aren’t built to withstand, or physical damage. In very rare cases, malware can be an issue.

They have “organs” within their bodies, and require sustenance to survive. They CAN eat “normal” food, though more often than not their food would be stuff like coal, oil, paper, metal, etc. Stuff that vaguely resembles human food but is made of stuff like what I mentioned.

Their “blood” (if they have any) would likely be some form of fluid, or pure electricity in some cases. Nearly all would not cry or sweat the same fluid as their “blood”, as the human parallel would be crying or sweating blood, and that's just no. (Think how people sometimes draw robots as having oil blood, yet also crying that same oil) Much like how the human body has more fluids within it rather than just blood.

Some Suits may use “alternative” sustenance, such as plugging themselves into outlets or using other means to absorb pure electricity, though not every Suit can do this. Suits who can do this are rare, and a special kind of physiology is needed for this to be done without short circuiting themselves/otherwise hurting themselves.

Suits do not produce waste in the way humans do, other than sweat and tears.

Their brains are like processor chips. Though most Suits have to learn information like how humans do, some Suits have the special ability to simply upload and download data like a traditional computer. Suits who can do this are also rare, for similar reasons as the chargeable ones.

 Despite this, all Suits can have everything stored in their chips stored in real time to databases in the event that they perish or are irreparably destroyed, to be transferred into a new body. Despite this, it may not be the most common technology, and may be costly, so Suits still try to preserve their lives and bodies. The Cogs have this technology. How they're able to keep it up for so many Suits is a bit of a mystery. Something fishy's going on, probably...

Sleep/Rest

Most Suits have to sleep in a way similar to how humans do. They must get a healthy amount of rest. Stuff like insomnia and restlessness still exists for most Suits. It is necessary in order to preserve energy, prevent exhaustion, the wearing down of their parts, as well as being a quick way to cool off.

Just like humans, it is not necessary to have a bed to sleep, but it has the same benefits for Suits as it does for humans, though it's a bit more likely to see Suits falling asleep on the floor/standing up than it would be for humans.

While asleep, a Suit is merely unconscious, but they still function, much like humans. Same thing with comas and being unconscious. 

If their processes are completely stopped, they will die. However, Suits can last a lot longer with their processes completely stopped, compared to humans, as they aren’t biological, and won’t rot or whatever if that happens to them. If they can be reactivated, and their vitals weren’t excessively damaged, they can be resuscitated.

Suits that can absorb electricity do not NEED to sleep, as they can merely be charged back to full power. These Suits may or may not choose to sleep anyways, and may gain the other benefit from it, aside from energy regeneration. 

Injuries

Suits have to be maintained to keep themselves functional and clean. Especially when they get injured. They are unable to naturally heal in the way humans can. (Maybe some can with nanotech or whatever but that's getting into extremely sci-fi ish territory which isnt bad but I don't wanna go too in depth/thoughtful about that kind of thing, especially since a lot of things are possible in a cartoon world like this one)

Minor injuries like small cuts, scratches and dents are easy to repair, to the point where it can be done manually. 

Sort of like how first aid kits/bandages/etc are sold at pharmacies. Literally just patch yourself up with polishing kits/anti dent/spare parts or whatever

They can't go through healing processes like how humans do, but they're lucky since if a bone is broken or whatever, all they have to do is get it repaired and then they’re fine. (I wish it was like that for US!!!)

More severe injuries may require healthcare and/or more surgical reparations. Severe injuries are able to debilitate or even kill Suits if they’re bad enough. Injuries like gashes are still easy to fix, but stuff like loss of limbs is harder. In the case of limb loss, a replacement can be made to fit that Suit, typically within a few days. 

Internal injuries and extreme damage to inside circuitry and vitals may take longer to fix, but are still way easier to fix than with humans, for obvious reasons. Too much will kill the Suit, though :/

Life Details (Physique)

They are more often than not humanoid in appearance, though some Suits may have extra limbs or proportions less akin to those of humans. Some may not even be humanoid at all, like being centaurs or whatever, though said Suits are extremely rare. Some may be semi-humanoid, like the Cog Bosses. Suits may receive surgery of sorts to change body type, though it would be difficult to change a 10 cm tall Suit into a 20 ft tall Suit, for instance. There are limits, and crossing them adds extra risk of dying/ending up with psychological damage.

While most Suits have a discernible face, mouth, eyes, and have the usual set of limbs, some may not have a face, or have a face that does not vaguely resemble that of a human’s. (Like how Cogs in-game range from having human-like faces, to object heads, to animal heads, etc) Some may have entirely different limbs, other than just arms and legs. 

A Suit can have their face/entire head modified/changed, as well as the rest of their bodies. Some may want to get entirely new heads, though many tend to get attached to the one they already have. Think of it sort of like plastic surgery and actual surgery, except to a more extreme degree. Despite this, there are still limits, and extensive surgery may damage a Suit physically and/or mentally.

The most common type of Suits tend to range from anywhere as short as a few centimetres, to as tall as nearly 20 ft tall, though most fall within the range of 4-9 ft tall. Obviously there's height diversity among all Suits

Some Suits may be built to be specially resistant towards things compared to others. One Suit may be built to resist extremely high temperatures, while another might legitimately just start to melt in those same temperatures.

Life Details (Psyche)

Suits are not evil by nature. The reason why such a high number of them are very pro-industrialism, pollutive, toxic towards fun, etc, is because they were conditioned to be that way because of the way their society is structured, and the needs that they need to survive. 

Despite this, there are still Suits that may enjoy fun or even be Toony in nature. Some may enjoy nature, and dislike the pollutive, industrial nature their world is so full of. Toons tend to be very ignorant to Suit culture and the personality differences between Suits, and understandably so considering what it must be like from their perspective, being invaded and all. Still ain't great to be that way for obvious reasons, though. Many assume all Suits are evil and the same.

There would still be entertainment within Suitopia and other Suit cities/society, much like the many kinds that humans are familiar with. 

How are Suits created?

Suits are created, most commonly within factories, though some Suits may be skilled enough, either through innate knowledge or through learned skill, to create another Suit on their own, making them the “parent”.

When a Suit is created, they awaken already having some base level knowledge of themselves and the world around them, under most circumstances. As a byproduct, “child” Suits are not really a thing. They can exist, they just typically don't. (Being born into the world as an adult must suck)

Suits can be made without a specific purpose, and that is how many are created. They will find one on their own.

Those that are made for a specific purpose will usually already know how to fulfil said purpose. For instance, being built for a specific type of job will generally cause you to be naturally skilled at it. Meanwhile, Suits who are hired for that same job without being created for it may have to learn it. They typically have a form of fondness for fulfilling said job, but may lose it over time, or not have it to begin with, which may result in wishing to pursue something else.

What are these factories like?

It depends. There are many kinds. Some factories may build the base model of the Suit, some may build only the skeleton, some may even build the entire individual, appearance and all. Some Suits are built with the purpose of serving the owner of the factory. Big variety in purpose for these factories and whatnot.

Many factories are automated, run without owners, with the sole purpose of creating new Suit life. Other factories may be owned by a company or force, such as those run by C.O.G.S. Inc. 

What about all the clones of Cogs we see?

All the “Standard” Cogs (e.g: Pencil Pusher, Flunky, Cold Caller, Money Bags) are clones created with the sole purpose of serving C.O.G.S. Inc. Despite this, they are all created with their own individuality and personalities, and are all different.

They mostly identical while working for C.O.G.S. Inc. as it is a “dress code” of sorts within the company to dress and appear that way.

Their facial and body appearances may have slight/moderate differences between one another, whether it be a quirk with how they were built, or a change they chose to make. The Cogs seen in the game are all 1:1 identical because of limitations. Same goes for Skelecog skulls. (For skelecogs, an example I think of a lot is how I wish Two-Face skelecog heads were two faced as well) They typically fit the face.

They are allowed to change their appearances so long as it does not violate the “dress code”. (Still have to be able to tell what Cog they are. A Big Cheese can't get a head that is not in fact a big cheese. A Glad Hander can't make themselves look TOO much like a Hollywood, etc.)

(Speaking of Hollywoods, they're referred to as “Mr. Hollywood(s)” ingame, though they can go by Mr, Ms, Mrs, Mx, and more if they choose, or forgo having that title at all.)

Standard Cog models that appear very feminine/masculine (e.g: Mingler, Glad Hander, Corporate Raider, Name Dropper) can be the opposite gender of ““what their model would suggest””. Yes, we can have Minglers that are men, enbies, etc. They may or may not choose to slightly alter their appearance to match this.

It is possible for these creations to stop serving their creators and direct their own life. It would be inhumane (or whatever Suits call it) to create mindless drones, and not give them these opportunities. 

A Cog like this could end up changing their appearance or getting an entirely new head/body to compensate for the lack of restrictions to conform to.

If you made it this far and actually read the entire thing (without scrolling by to get to the bottom instantly) I profusely apologize for putting you through this. If this catches on and you're interested, I'm open to hear your thoughts on the lore, and suggestions, whether it also be for the lore, or for a better way to format this.

[icedbatik]

I always breathe easier when Geno's back in the U.S. ...

From TH, September 5, 2023

The KHL is setting a scary precedent with the handling of Russian prospects who were drafted by NHL teams.

A timeline, to catch you up:

June 2015: Flyers draft goalie Ivan Fedotov in the seventh round. Fedotov develops into one of the top non-NHL goalies in the world.

2021-22 season: Fedotov signs for a year with the KHL club CSKA. CSKA is owned by a Russian state-run oil company.

February 2022: Fedotov says publicly in interview at Olympics that he intends on moving to the NHL

May 7, 2022:  Fedotov signs one-year deal with Flyers

Early June 2022: Fedotov arrested by Russian law enforcement for suspicion of evading military service and sent to remote military base in eastern part of the country

July 1, 2022: Fedotov becomes sick and rushed to hospital. His lawyer said that Fedotov had been given some kind of injections on the base, and that he and Fedotov's family weren't allowed to see him in the hospital. Fedotov is released from the hospital after a couple of days, but misses the entire 2022-23 season while at the military base. His contract with the Flyers slides a year to 2023-24.

July 8, 2023: Fedotov's KHL club CSKA signs him to a two-year extension, giving him two competing and active contracts.

Aug. 14, 2023: The IIHF completes its investigation of the competing contracts and rules in favor of the Flyers, saying that the CSKA contract is invalid. The IIHF gives CSKA a one-year ban on signing  players for international transfers. Fedotov is also suspended from international competitions for four months, which is irrelevant given that Russia isn't competing in national tournaments anytime soon. The IIHF suspended Russia from international play after the invasion of Ukraine. The IIHF suspension of Fedotov doesn't affect his ability to play in the NHL.

Sept. 1, 2023: CSKA has its regular season opener ... and starts Fedotov. KHL president and former Penguin Alexei Morozov releases a statement essentially saying that because they disagree with the IIHF ruling, they're going to do what they want: “The KHL accepted this roster in accordance with our central database, therefore Fedotov can play. Neither the KHL nor the club agree with the IIHF’s decision, which infringes the constitutional rights of a Russian citizen to work. Russia’s prosecutor general spoke in defense of the player, and sent a message to the Russian Hockey Federation, the club and the league about the consequences of violating his right to work and insisting that Fedotov be allowed to take part in the championship.”

Fedotov allowed five goals in a loss in the opener.

That same day, the IIHF fined CSKA 5,000 Swiss Francs (roughly the equivalent $5,600 USD) for playing Fedotov, and says that if Fedotov continues to play, CSKA will be subject to further sanctions. 

Since then, CSKA has played two games. Fedotov has been dressed and listed as the backup for both. Those are still violations, even though he didn't start.

To sum things up: The KHL is going rogue and setting a dangerous precedent. This is the first time the league has totally disobeyed the IIHF, and it'll be interesting to see how the IIHF moves forward here.

The Penguins have three prospects in Russia: Goaltender Sergei Murashov, drafted in the fourth round in 2022 and the Russian junior league's top goaltender last season; forward Kirill Tankov, drafted in the seventh round in 2021 and playing in the Russian second league after missing all of last season with a broken neck; and forward Mikhail Ilyin, drafted in the fifth round this summer and starting the year in the KHL.

NHL signing rights don't expire for players drafted out of Russia because of the lack of a formal transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia. The Penguins hold onto their NHL rights indefinitely.

Russian teams playing dirty to try to keep their top players isn't new. Evgeni Malkin had to escape to get to Pittsburgh in 2006. His club Magnitogorsk convinced him to play one more year in Russia after he was drafted by the Penguins to show his loyalty to the city and country. He did that, but the next summer team officials followed him to his home and coerced him into signing a one-year deal. The team had his passport, so he couldn't leave on his own. Magnitogorsk had an August tournament in Finland to start the year, so Malkin had his passport, and he hid in Finland for a few days until he could get a U.S. visa and flight to Los Angeles.

With Russian teams and the national teams not playing in other countries now because of the bans due to the invasion of Ukraine, prospects like Fedotov don't have the same opportunity to escape while in another country.

As an aside, this whole situation shows why the hope some fans had to ban Russian players from the NHL because of the invasion of Ukraine is totally misguided. ... You have the league and its government-owned teams doing all they can to keep one guy sticking around at home, even sending him to a military base in Siberia for a year. Giving the KHL all their top players back would be a dream for Russia and the KHL.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this article from Jacobin:

In Canada, false environmental claims are now illegal. Under legislation passed in June, companies may be penalized for making representations to the public about their products’ ability to mitigate climate change without being based on an “adequate and proper test.” It was a success for environmental groups who spent a year and half working on the antigreenwashing law.

The legislation is just one moment in a much wider “disinformation turn” in the climate movement: the US Congress has been holding high-profile hearings with titles like “Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak: Big Oil’s Evolving Efforts to Avoid Accountability for Climate Change.” Academics are convening conferences on “climate obstruction” with multiple days of deep dives from the network of scholars that meticulously track corporate climate misinformation. Environmental NGOs are making disinformation databases with lists of individuals and scientists and leading programs on climate disinformation. And think tanks that work on disinformation are now moving into climate, with reports like the Center for Countering Digital Hate’s The New Climate Denial.

Disinformation is a curious focus for the climate movement at this moment, however, at least from a US standpoint. This is because we actually have some funds for climate action on the ground. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) unleashed a trillion dollars to use to address the climate crisis. But much of the public is unaware of this massive investment — and local governments, tribes, and organizations often struggle to navigate accessing the new funding.

These material victories would make it the perfect time for a climate movement to focus on things like explaining to people what heat pumps are, campaigning to expedite transmission lines, and helping communities understand the labyrinth of federal funding. Indeed, many regional government organizations, municipal planners, and volunteer committees who work on climate action have their hands full with these activities. They are engaged with the ground game of mitigation and adaptation.

Yet the nationwide connective tissue and broader narrative about climate action feels absent. If there is a role for “climate intellectuals” — for the online climate commentariat, the journalists and national NGO leaders who tell us the story of climate action — it would be to focus on the new opportunities for action on the ground, and knit together those people in Peoria or Altoona who are trying to talk to people about resilience, connecting them in a broader story that fuels their motivation. Instead, the intellectual wing of the climate movement has decided to wage an information war focused on uncovering what Big Oil knew and policing speech.

Given that funding and public attention is limited, this climate-disinformation obsession is a missed opportunity and a strategic dead-end — part of a larger liberal tendency to make disinformation a bogeyman we can blame for our major political problems.

[moosemonstrous]

Ghost Rider Pacific Rim AU - and the wheel keeps turning

Guero has a reputation in the barracks. He knows people, and people know him, partially because he’s been running around the base since early Cat-3s and partially because he made it his business. He made sure the mid-level folks on the support side know to come to him when they need something from the dome without the fuss of the paperwork. He made sure the quartermaster always gives him and his first pick at the list if he doesn’t want his city activities exposed to the higher-ups. He made sure to drop in by the techs’ break room every other day for literal years and feed them whatever it is they aren’t getting through the official channels, in return for a little of the same. The Shatterdome machine rolls smoothly with a little grease, and Guero holds the oil canister.

It means he’s a busy man, and it means that he doesn’t like to waste his time if he can help it. When he reached out to the new guy, it was mostly because someone getting into the academy outside of a recruitment drive usually means they’ve got interesting friends. Reyes certainly turned out to have those, if not in the way Guero suspected.

“Decommissioned, my ass,” he mutters, watching the EPLS deliver an arc reactor to Hell Charger’s bay. Word in the hangar has it that Stark is personally overseeing installation, too. Some very interesting friends indeed.

“What do you even want with the jaegers, anyway,” Pavel groans, bored. “Didn’t you say there’s money in working the ground?”

“I did, and there is. But it’s risky, and I don’t have a good contact in the Bone Slums yet.” He has to be extra careful, talking to Hannibal Chau’s people. He isn’t willing to sell anything actually important. “Think about it, the rangers go anywhere they want. Even the brass doesn’t want to piss them off.”

“Isn’t it good, then, that Reyes made it in?”

Guero loves his friends dearly, but he’s painfully aware they’d be all doomed to the front lines if any of them was behind the wheel. Sometimes it’s like trying to keep a bunch of puppies from jumping into the lagoon. “Reyes is a lying piece of shit.”

“Eh,” Pavel shrugs. He’s more interested in watching the beastie fights on his phone than anything going on in the hangar. “No offence, man, but you give him too much credit. Lena said the blood lab all think the whole solo drift is bullshit. He’s gonna get a stroke the first time he goes out for real.”

Maybe. The D-Sci people know their odds. But so do the techs, and they have been surprisingly tight-lipped on the matter. Rumour has it that Stark has been trying to get his mini-armour program off the ground since he took over R&D – and suddenly a long-lost heir to The Charger turns up to pilot the damn thing solo? Guero likes to think he can read people pretty well, and Reyes didn’t strike him as a complete idiot. Naïve and in over his head, but not necessarily a patsy – even Brooks thought he was cheating on the sims. Someone who, with a bit of guidance, could help Guero get his foot in the damn door.

Besides, he did a little digging. Reyes Senior was easy – his photos are in the news reports from the time, and there was an obituary and everything. It even mentions a wife and children, even if no further detail. It’s his co-pilot that doesn’t show up in any searches. Probably a brother, because most rangers were related or married before Mk-3s, but everything about him has been scrubbed out from any database Guero managed to get his hands on. All he has is the old Filipino down in electrics ranting about a missing friend before his shift leader told Guero to scram, and several extremely vague recollections of an asshole nobody wanted to be around anyway. Which is just another piece of this puzzle that makes no sense – the rangers do everything in pairs, it’s their whole thing. The Romeo Blue brothers are said to be constantly at each other’s throats, but you can’t mention one without the other. All the other dead rangers have their dedicated entries on the memorial wall in the main hall. He checked both names around Alberto Reyes, and then the whole list from that year – every other one could be linked to a tech, or a janitor, or a soldier. Nobody unaccounted for, nobody ‘unassigned’, save for a girl who was only six years old and died a couple of months before Daggerblight anyway.

It's weird. It doesn’t follow what Guero has always understood as the way the Shatterdome operates. Rangers are damn near revered around here – this little information about the first ones to die from the corruption is just– maddening.

Guero Valdez doesn’t suffer being made a fool lightly. He’s going to figure this out if he has to beat the answers out of Reyes himself.

###

(ugh genuinely is he going too hard too quickly? I've had a Day so people making logical decisions as according to their internal compasses is a somewhat alien concept rn)

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Measuring moon dust to fight air pollution

Moon dust, or regolith, isn't like the particles on Earth that collect on bookshelves or tabletops—it's abrasive and it clings to everything. Throughout NASA's Apollo missions to the moon, regolith posed a challenge to astronauts and valuable space hardware.

During the Apollo 17 mission, astronaut Harrison Schmitt described his reaction to breathing in the dust as "lunar hay fever," experiencing sneezing, watery eyes, and a sore throat. The symptoms went away, but concern for human health is a driving force behind NASA's extensive research into all forms of lunar soil.

The need to manage the dust to protect astronaut health and critical technology is already beneficial on Earth in the fight against air pollution.

Working as a contributor on a habitat for NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program, Lunar Outpost Inc. developed an air-quality sensor system to detect and measure the amount of lunar soil in the air that also detects pollutants on Earth.

Originally based in Denver, the Golden, Colorado-based company developed an air-quality sensor called the Space Canary and offered the sensor to Lockheed Martin Space for its NextSTEP lunar orbit habitat prototype. After the device was integrated into the habitat's environmental control system, it provided distinct advantages over traditional equipment.

Rebranded as Canary-S (Solar), the sensor is now meeting a need for low-cost, wireless air-quality and meteorological monitoring on Earth. The self-contained unit, powered by solar energy and a battery, transmits data using cellular technology.

It can measure a variety of pollutants, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, among others. The device sends a message up to a secure cloud every minute, where it's routed to either Lunar Outpost's web-based dashboard or a customer's database for viewing and analysis.

The oil and gas industry uses the Canary-S sensors to provide continuous, real-time monitoring of fugitive gas emissions, and the U.S. Forest Service uses them to monitor forest-fire emissions.

"Firefighters have been exhibiting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning for decades. They thought it was just part of the job," explained Julian Cyrus, chief operating officer of Lunar Outpost. "But the sensors revealed where and when carbon monoxide levels were sky high, making it possible to issue warnings for firefighters to take precautions."

The Canary-S sensors exemplify the life-saving technologies that can come from the collaboration of NASA and industry innovations.

IMAGE: While astronaut Gene Cernan was on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission, his spacesuit collected loads of lunar dust. The gray, powdery substance stuck to the fabric and entered the capsule causing eye, nose, and throat irritation dubbed "lunar hay fever." Credit: NASA

[sims4t2bb]

weekly update - part 2

Hello, happy Sunday, and welcome back for part two of this weekly update (find part one here)! For all who celebrate, we wish you a very happy Easter! 🐰🐣🥚

The second part of the updates can be found underneath the cut. From us, as always, happy Simming — onwards and upwards! ✨

— Database

You may have noticed a lot of the page icons were broken around the database. This was due to server issues with our previous image host. We've taken the opportunity to replace all of the broken page icons with high-quality versions in the same style, so all icons match across the database. It's all in the details 💅🏻

— Base Game

Buy Mode

Princess Cordelia's Galleon Bed, Princess Cordelia's Single Bed, Soothing Sleeper Double Bed, and Soothing Sleeper Single Bed conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

Monster Potty Partner, Practice Potty, and Refined Potty Chair conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

Build Mode

Spanish Inquisition recolors by @kayleigh-83 have been added.

Debug Mode

Alabaster, Amethyst, "Consummate Gem Connoisseur", Citrine, Crystal Palace, Diamond, Emerald, Fire Opal, Hematite, Jet, and more conversions by @tvickiesims have been added.

— Expansion Packs

Get To Work

Crandestine, Crandestine Deposit, and Nitelite conversions by @tvickiesims have been added.

Corporate Fridge Raider Revenue Generating Cooler, Cautionary Tale Door, and Door de la Sass conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

City Living

Space Blanket Bed conversion by ePSYlord has been added.

Cats & Dogs

Modern Colonial Bed conversion by ePSYlord has been added.

Get Famous

Royal Valance and Drapery (Wide), Boots and Cats Sound Mixer, Cart of Video Equipment, and Medieval Castle Chandelier conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

Discover University

Dorm Room Door, Librarian's Door, Waggledorf Window, and Summerschool Window conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

Snowy Escape

Monster Free Bed and Beakers and Baubles Science Set conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

High School Years

Drawers for my Drawers conversion by @platinumaspiration has been added.

Growing Together

If it Ain't Broke... Potty and Potty-Time Buddy conversions by @platinumaspiration have been added.

— Game Packs

Vampires

Debug Garlic Braid, Garlic Wreath, and Gourmet Garlic Garland conversions by @tony-veis have been added.

Jungle Adventure

Cama de Ensueno and Camita de Ensueno conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

Alexandrite conversion by @tvickiesims has been addedd.

Realm of Magic

Mystical Crystal Cluster, Mystical Crystal Cluster (Horizontal), Mystical Crystal Cluster (Slightly Leaning), and Mystical Crystal Cluster (Tall) conversions by @tvickiesims have been added.

Journey to Batuu

Kyber Crystal conversion by @tvickiesims has been added.

— Stuff Packs

Vintage Glamour

Maleficent Bedstead, Tufted & Tucked, and Art Doorco Double Door conversions by ePSYlord have been added.

Crystal Creations

A Gemifiend's Dream Bureau, All Star Tool Rack, Astral Attunement Rug, Athenaeum Bookcase, Athenaeum Ladder Bookcase, Burning the Midnight Oil Lamp, Classically Cool Sales Table, Classic Compact Console Table, Cordelia's Bust, Crystal Chronical Poster and more conversions by @tvickiesims have been added.

Jade and Crystal Tree conversions by @tvickiesims has been added.

Every item in this stuff pack (excluding the debug items) has been converted, marking it as complete! ✔️

— Kits

Little Campers

Conversions of all kit items by @lordcrumps have been added.

This kit is now fully converted! ✔️

Pastel Pop

Conversions of all kit items by @lordcrumps have been added. ✔️

[chemanalystdata]

Base Oil Prices | Pricing | Price | News | Database | Chart | Forecast

 Base oil prices play a critical role in the global economy, influencing a wide range of industries and products. Base oils are the primary ingredients in lubricants, which are essential for the smooth operation of machinery and engines in various sectors, including automotive, industrial, marine, and aviation. Understanding the dynamics of base oil prices requires a comprehensive look at several key factors, including crude oil prices, supply and demand balances, production processes, and geopolitical influences.

The price of crude oil is a fundamental driver of base oil prices. Crude oil is the raw material from which base oils are derived, and its cost significantly impacts the overall production expenses. When crude oil prices rise, the cost of producing base oils typically follows suit. Conversely, a decline in crude oil prices can lead to lower base oil costs. However, the relationship between crude oil and base oil prices is not always straightforward. Other factors, such as refining capacity, technological advancements, and environmental regulations, also play vital roles.

Supply and demand dynamics are another crucial aspect of base oil pricing. The balance between the availability of base oils and the demand from various industries determines market prices. For instance, during periods of economic growth, the demand for lubricants increases, leading to higher base oil prices. On the other hand, during economic downturns, demand may decrease, resulting in lower prices. Additionally, the global supply of base oils can be affected by production disruptions, natural disasters, and changes in production levels by key suppliers.

Get Real Time Prices for Base oil: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/base-oil-63

Production processes and refining capacity are significant determinants of base oil prices. The complexity and efficiency of the refining process can influence the cost of base oil production. Modern refineries with advanced technologies are capable of producing higher quality base oils at lower costs. In contrast, older and less efficient refineries may have higher production costs, which can be reflected in the prices of their base oils. Moreover, the availability of refining capacity can affect the supply of base oils in the market. If there is limited refining capacity, it can lead to supply constraints and higher prices.

Geopolitical factors also have a profound impact on base oil prices. Political instability in oil-producing regions, trade disputes, and sanctions can disrupt the supply chain and lead to price volatility. For example, conflicts in the Middle East, a major oil-producing region, can cause uncertainty and lead to spikes in crude oil and base oil prices. Additionally, international trade policies and agreements can influence the flow of base oils between countries, affecting their availability and cost.

Environmental regulations are increasingly influencing base oil prices. Governments around the world are implementing stricter environmental standards to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. These regulations can affect the production and formulation of base oils. Refineries may need to invest in cleaner technologies and processes to comply with environmental standards, potentially increasing production costs. Additionally, the shift towards more environmentally friendly lubricants, such as synthetic and bio-based oils, can impact the demand and pricing of traditional mineral-based base oils.

Technological advancements are playing a pivotal role in shaping the base oil market. Innovations in refining processes and the development of new base oil formulations are contributing to changes in pricing dynamics. For instance, the production of Group III and Group IV base oils, which offer superior performance characteristics, requires advanced technologies and investments. These higher-quality base oils often command premium prices compared to Group I base oils, which are produced using older technologies. As the demand for high-performance lubricants grows, the pricing structure of base oils is likely to evolve accordingly.

The global economic landscape and market sentiment also influence base oil prices. Economic indicators, such as GDP growth, industrial production, and consumer spending, can affect the demand for base oils. Positive economic trends usually correlate with higher demand and prices, while economic downturns can lead to reduced demand and lower prices. Additionally, market sentiment, driven by factors such as investor confidence and speculative activities, can contribute to short-term price fluctuations.

Base oil prices are also impacted by transportation and logistics costs. The cost of transporting base oils from refineries to end-users can vary depending on factors such as distance, transportation modes, and fuel prices. For instance, higher fuel costs can increase shipping expenses, which can be passed on to consumers in the form of higher base oil prices. Additionally, logistical challenges, such as port congestion and supply chain disruptions, can affect the timely delivery of base oils and influence their market prices.

In conclusion, base oil prices are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including crude oil prices, supply and demand dynamics, production processes, geopolitical influences, environmental regulations, technological advancements, economic conditions, and transportation costs. Understanding these factors is essential for stakeholders in the lubricant industry to make informed decisions and navigate the market effectively. As the global economy and technological landscape continue to evolve, the base oil market is likely to experience ongoing changes, presenting both challenges and opportunities for industry participants.

Get Real Time Prices for Base oil: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/base-oil-63

Contact Us:

ChemAnalyst

GmbH - S-01, 2.floor, Subbelrather Straße,

15a Cologne, 50823, Germany

Call: +49-221-6505-8833

Email: sales@chemanalyst.com

Website: https://www.chemanalyst.com

[20dollarlolita]

Hey Pink,

so I went to a flea market today and scored a old singer machine for 10€! Now I'd like to know when it was made and probably where but I'm completely lost, maybe you could shed a little light on it?

I cleaned the serial number plate as best I could. I suppose it reads: G67875 (2 or Z, I cannot tell)

Thank you so much!

It's a Model 15!

Here's some more information on the Model 15. Note that they're calling theirs the "15K", but the K just indicates that it was made in Scotland. Yours is likely a 15 and not a 15k, unless it says it was made in Great Brittan in the text along the top.

If you're ever unsure about the date on a Singer machine, I recommend this taxonomic key, and the Ismacs serial number database.

We can tell from the bobbin threading path on the front that this is a very early Model 15. According to the serial number, it's likely one of a lot of 50,000 made in January of 1910.

I believe the decal style on that is called Tiffany or Gingerbread. The first thing that I noticed about that is the absolutely exceptional state of those decals. Usually, machines of this age have a lot of the decal work worn off. If you want to clean them, be careful about damaging them.

The best advice I've found for cleaning and restoring old machines is from Doug at treadleon.net. Here's an excerpt from one of his articles:

Now let's talk about appearance. Some folks like to see an old machine shine like new. If the basic decoration, paint and decals, is good enough, that can be done. Most machines we find in sales aren't quite that good, or may actually be very bad. I like to let old machines show their age and usefulness. To clean a machine's surface, I use first a gentle mix of diluted dish soap and water, rubbing small areas at a time with a soft cloth. Often there is old dried oil or shellac on the surface. The earlier cleaning with kerosene may have loosened a lot of that up and it will rub off, too. Often it can be scraped off with a fingernail. Don't use hard scrapers, you'll scratch the enamel. Once I have the plain dirt off, I wipe with sewing machine oil several times over a period of days, then wipe off all the oil and wax. I use Turtle Wax. Other folks have had good luck with ArmorAll.

There are folks who favor various cleaning compounds, such as Simple Green, 409, Windex, etc. Great care must be exercised here. Many of the chemicals in these compounds, especially ammonia, will destroy the gold in the decals, leaving you with silver decals, or no decals. Since the decal content and manufacturing varied over the years and between manufacturers, the fact that a product did a great job on one machine does not mean it will not damage another. Always start by cleaning a small area in back of the pillar to see what is going to happen.

I've also found that liquid wrench spray penetrating oil can get through some really nasty dirt on the machines and it pretty decal-safe. It's become my main "clean now or else" tool for when dish soap is not doing the job fast enough.

One really cool fact about the Model 15 is that any time you're looking at sewing machine parts and you see the number 15, it's likely because it was a part first used in this machine. They use our standard needle, which is the needle family 15x1. If you go out and buy a standard sewing machine needle today, it will be a 15x1. When you go buy the standard bobbin for most Singer/Janome/Baby Lock/Brother/Bernette machines (plus some Pfaffs and Vikings), it's called the Class 15 bobbin. That's because the first machine to use these needles and these bobbins was the Singer Model 15. It's that influential.

The Model 15 sits flat on a table even without a bottom case, though you can buy some really nice bottom case reproductions on etsy or get a generic flatbed machine case from SewingPartsOnline if you do want a base for it. Note that if you use a generic case, you'll have to take the hand crank off when you store it with the lid on it. That said, I have my hand crank machine in a cheap generic flat bed case and it's always quite an enjoyment when someone opens it up and expects a mid-1990's machine and SURPRISE! It's an antique!!

Anyway, excellent find! The Model 15 was hugely influential. Pretty much any time that you find a modern sewing machine thing with the number 15 on it, it's because the item was first used on the Model 15. The needle family that all non-industrial sewing machines use today is the 15x1 needle family. That needle was first used on the Model 15. If you buy bobbins for almost any Janome/Brother/Baby Lock/Bernette and many Pfaffs and Vikings, it's called the Class 15 bobbin. That bobbin style was made for the Model 15 machine. I just think it's so cool that this machine became the standard so effectively that you can just go down to your local big box craft store and buy needles and bobbins for it!

PS if anyone wants a sewing-related rabbit hole to go down, Japanese Model 15 clones that are actually improvements on the Model 15 is a good one to check out. It was cloned long after Singer discontinued the Model 15.

[attollogame]

OC Kiss Week 5—Soothing

Vasilisa—Soothing(1.3k; NSFW continued on Patreon later today)

Murderers blocking date nights, par usual

“It isn’t him.”

You don’t need to look over at Vasilisa to know that her expression drops at those words. The informant carelessly drops the picture back down onto the table and grimaces. At least he has the heart to look sympathetic about it all, despite just telling Vasilisa that the lead she’s been working with is nothing short of bullshit. “I wish I could tell you otherwise, but yeah. He was at High Tower when you said this happened, and this is by Lacheln. His powers aren’t teleportation—as you know..” 

“Fuck,” Vasilisa breathes, picking up the picture and pocketing it again. Recently, you’ve been swept up in accompanying her to hunt down a hematokinetic gone rogue who’s been making a name for themselves with a series of rather grim killings the past few months. You know that murder is a pretty awful thing, but you didn’t realize that murder via superpowers could be so much worse. 

Not that you’ve been privy to all of the gory details, of course. You’ve been tagging along as an unofficial ‘analyst’, according to Vasilisa, because your perspective as an outsider might be useful. You’ve even got a little card on a lanyard to boot. 

“I could ask around the Under City and see if anyone has heard anything else about this person?” The informant shoves his hands into his pockets before casting a glance over his shoulder. He’s been talking to you both longer than usual, and it seems like this is starting to make him antsy. 

Vasilisa nods before pulling out her phone. “That’s fine. I’ll have the department send you over your pay for the information you’ve given so far, and if you dig up anything in the Under City that we can use, then just give me a call.” 

At this, the informant turns and begins walking back around the corner of the restaurant alley you’ve all decided to meet in. The smell of cooking oil and fries is making your stomach ache, and you glance wistfully at the restaurant's doors before looking back to Vasilisa. “What now?” 

“What now, indeed,” she mumbles, pocketing her phone again before gesturing for you to follow. The two of you both leave the alley after enough time has passed to ensure that the informant is far out of sight, lest someone be watching the exchange. She doesn’t give you a direct answer the entire time you’re walking, instead letting a weighted silence hang over you both as she retains a troubled look. 

It’s when you finally get back into the car that you decide enough is enough. 

“Lis,” you begin, and she sucks in a breath before leaning back against her seat. “I know this is shitty,”

“That doesn’t even begin to cover this. I have to go back and reevaluate everything that I have to figure out who it could possibly be next. It was a juvenile mistake to pin so much hope onto one person.” She rubs her face with her hands before dropping them to her lap and staring woefully through the windshield ahead. “Fuck me.” 

You chew the inside of your cheek a bit before reaching out and brushing a few stray hairs away from her cheek. You can tell by the flush on her neck just how frustrated she’s feeling about going back to base one, but this also isn’t necessarily the first time she’s needed to do so. “You’ve hit roadblocks like this before, yeah? And you’ve worked through them. I mean, just look at The Atlas Killer. You’re making more progress on that than anyone else who’s worked on the case for a decade.”

“That’s because there was already pre-existing material on him.” She shifts in her seat to face you with a skeptical look. “The people who worked on it before it was shunted onto me already almost had a full profile of him.” 

“But you were the one that finished that profile, no? And the one he’s currently contacting, which means you have him on an edge, no?” You nod your head with each comment as Vasilisa bites her lip. “This is just a small hiccup. Go back, look at the database to see who’s a hematokinetic or whatever, and start from there.” 

You actually have no idea how any of the investigations in Attollo work, but you feel like what you said was pretty close to being on the money. Vasilisa looks back towards the windshield with a frown, and in response, you reach out to cup her cheek, gently urging her to look back your way. “Lis.”

“Yes?” She grumbles, leaning into your touch with her brow still furrowed. You can’t help but admire her passion about the work—a passion that extends into other aspects of her life as well, if you have anything to say about it. You lean in and capture her lips in a light kiss, more one of reassurance than anything else. Then you withdraw enough to rest your forehead against hers as you sigh. 

“I’d say call it a night, but I already have a feeling you’re heading back to get started on this right away, yeah?” 

Vasilisa hums as she leans in to steal another kiss from you. You taste the faint flavor of coffee on her lips—likely from Ruthie's, which she’s been pounding back like shots for the entire day—before she shifts and presses her forehead against your shoulder. 

“Will you hate me if I say yes?” Although it comes out mildly muffled by your coat, you do catch hints of the apologetic tone she’s using. The two of you haven’t really had enough time to be alone together, with her constantly running around trying to clean everyone else’s messes up, and you trying to stabilize yourself in this city—a feat in itself, truly. Despite your understanding of the circumstances, there is a lingering ache of want in you that’s hard to ignore when you’re this close to each other, alone, with heightened emotions already present. 

Still, you let out a chuckle at her comment, causing her to pull back and look at you with a frown. “Why would I hate you for doing your job? Some guy’s out there killing people, and we have no idea why. I can’t be mad at you for trying to put an end to that.” 

Vasilisa taps her fingers on her thigh as she continues to stare at you, before her eyes narrow slightly as she seems to lock on to some idea. “Are you doing anything tonight?” 

Tonight? “How late tonight are we talking?” 

“Past ten. Maybe closer to ten thirty.” She replies, leaning back again to start up the car. You appreciate the blast of warmth—and 80’s pop music, a staple of Attollo—that accompanies this gesture as curiosity encroaches on your thoughts. 

“Mm, not really, no. Why?” 

“Do you still have the spare key to my place?” 

Oh. Oh. You do like where this suggestion is going, and you can’t help but let a sly smile curl itself on your lips as you look at her. “Ms. Solovieva, what exactly are you suggesting here?” 

Vasilisa snorts as she pulls out of the parking spot and back onto the road, likely to drop you off before heading back to work. “Nothing at all. I’m simply saying that I will be leaving work around ten, which means I’ll be back at home. At ten thirty. With the rest of the night free. And a really great need to de-stress somehow.” 

She gives you a side eye, which you return with one of your own as an unspoken understanding passes between you both. De-stressing, yes. You are very very skilled at helping her do that, indeed. You chuckle again at the coy way this arrangement was made before leaning back in your seat and looking to the road ahead. 

“I’ll pick up stuff for breakfast, then.”

[julligeorgee]

296, leaving the coastal lands largely unpopulated for the next two centuries. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. It ran Syria under emergency law from 1963 to 2011, effectively suspending constitutional protections for citizens. As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders. The Spanish faced much resistance from the Pipil and were not able to reach eastern El Salvador, the area of the Lencas. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of endangered. The country was the seventh largest producer of soybean oil in the world in 2018. In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water-cooled and with either three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front to back. This fills the holes in the black grid with their corresponding colored resists. The National University of San Marcos, founded on 12 May 1551, during the Viceroyalty of Peru, is the first officially established and the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. Currently, it has the largest off-grid solar power programme in the world, benefiting 20 million people. They can swim backward by reversing the direction of the wave. Eswatini is rich in bird life, including white-backed vultures, white-headed, lappet-faced and Cape vultures, raptors such as martial eagles, bateleurs, and long-crested eagles, and the southernmost nesting site of the marabou stork. Religion was a major dividing line between the parties before 1960, with Catholics, Jews, and southern Protestants heavily Democratic and northeastern Protestants heavily Republican. The plumage varies in colour due to environmental factors, giving the bird a natural camouflage. In 1994, Surat Huseynov, by that time the prime minister, attempted another military coup against Heydar Aliyev, but he was arrested and charged with treason. Psychiatrist Joel Paris notes that the idea that a personality is capable of splitting into independent alters is an unproven assertion that is at odds with research in cognitive psychology. The north-western part, termed as Royal Hungary, was annexed by the Habsburgs who ruled as kings of Hungary. On 13 March 1992, Tutsi coup leader Pierre Buyoya established a constitution, which provided for a multi-party political process and reflected multi-party competition. A second series of agreements covering nine areas was signed in 2004, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention. Defining a unit for resistance that is coherent with units of energy and time in effect also requires defining units for potential and current. The country is also a producer of industrial minerals, crude oil, and petroleum. When base excision repair in the cell is compromised, mutations in other genes build up, leading to cell overgrowth and possibly tumor formation. Dogs were the first species to be domesticated by hunter-gatherers over 15,000 years ago before the development of agriculture. Until 2006, this species was known only from one book about the vegetation of Montserrat. The two top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. Magellan never made it back to Europe as he was killed by natives in the Philippines in 1521. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. Some Turkish Cypriot singers, such as Ziynet Sali and Isin Karaca, have achieved fame in Turkey.

[maxsfurniturecorner]

Ground Rules on Wood Finish Terminology!

Okay! So! I talk to a lot of people about wood, and a lot of them don’t know that much about terminology and all that... and that’s okay! Here, I’m gonna lay out some basics about talking about how a piece of wood goes from raw and splintery to shiny and finished! So firstly, “Stain” is not a universal term. When something is rubbed on a piece of wood, and that piece changes color, it’s not automatically a “stain”. Taking a piece of wood and coating it in stuff / doing something to it to protect it from naturally decaying and splintering is called “Finishing” the wood, and that can be done in a ton of different ways. Stain is just one of them, but you can also coat it in various substances like wax, plastic (including epoxy), and oils. So what is wood stain, exactly? Well, wood stain is dye that’s applied to the wood that changes the color. You can buy stain in just about any color you want, from natural wood colors like walnut and cherry to completely artificial colors like blue! Notably, wood stain is sort of a sore spot for fine craftspeople, because using wood stain to disguise one piece of wood for another (staining poplar wood to look like walnut, for example) is almost always obvious to someone with experience, and it often muddies up the grain. If you want a specific color of wood, it likely exists (Check out the wood database here and search through all the possible colors for a good time!). If it doesn't exist or you cant find it in your area, consider whether available wood species would create the same effect, or if the project can be modified to fit those instead, it could lead you down some cool paths! At the end of the day though, it’s your project, so use your best judgment. What about other finishes? What else is out there? Well, there are waxes like Renaissance Wax and Odie’s Oil, which you apply to the surface and buff out, which soaks into and protects the wood, but may need to be re-applied every so often. There are also plastic products like Polyurethane, Spar Urethane, and epoxy based finishes, which usually change the color less than other finishes while offering superior protection. You can also look into using shellac, whitewash, linseed oil, and / or my personal favorite, laquer. This really just scrapes the surface though, and if you’re willing to dig for it, there’s a whole world of wood finishes out there waiting to be tried!  Thanks for hearing me out! :)

P.S: If you actually read this whole thing, reach out! I wanna know why! I need more woodworking people on here!!

[manta-bae]

Manta-Bae Masterpost

Be that bae the manta way 🌊

Manta-baes are species of anthropomorphic manta rays! They can prevail in both aquatic and terrestrial realms. They also have a tiny cute manta-baby form!!!

It’s an open species!!! Designs are very flexible!!! Make your own manta-baes and manta-babies!!!! Join the squadron!

MANTA FACT: A group of manta rays is called a squadron!

Links

(click on underscored text!)

Read below the cut to see traits and examples!

Manta-Bae Rules — Be kind! Make a splash!

Manta-Bae FAQ — Common questions about the species are answered here!

F2U Bases / Manta Base Database [soon] — Don’t want to draw your manta-bae from scratch? Snag free bases here! (Picrew soon when I feel like it)

Masterlist / MantaList [soon] — The species’ masterlist, or more properly named the MantaList is a place where you can find approved manta-baes! Approval is entirely optional! You can submit your manta-bae to be showcased in the MantaList by filling this form.

ToyHouse World / The Manta Bay [soon] — Join the squadron of manta-baes and submit your manta-baes here!

Discord / D’Manta Bay [soon] — Interact with the manta-bae community! Chat! Share art! Share manta-baes! Share adopts! Be silly! MANTA-MOJIS?! NO WAY!!!

• Basic Traits

Manta-Bae

This is the form a manta-bae could poof into once they mature into an adult! You can freely adopt ANY other trait into your manta-bae character beyond the specified basics below! Go crazy with markings and colors!

Anatomy — Manta-baes stand upright on two legs, with a human-like body structure. Their heights ranges from 100-230cm tall! Their arms are imbued within their fins, resembling the wings of a manta ray. This unique feature of theirs is called a mantle. Their mantles usually start around the sides of their head to the upper sides of their neck and diverges from their humanoid forms around their shoulder blades and armpits. They have tails that begin at the end of their mantles. On top of that, they have cephalic fins around their face or mouth and can be upright or droop downwards. Their skin has a sleek, glistening texture to aid in swimming. Nubby feet are not necessary!

Coating — A coating of slime or mucus on their skin is optional. It makes them slippery and is especially convenient for manta-baes who find themselves spending more time underwater. A manta-bae’s slime coating is much more resistant to oils than real life manta rays, so it’s fine to be touched by anyone of any skin!

MANTA FACT: The mucus coating in real life manta rays protects them by repelling bacteria. Oils from your hand could harm this mucous coating and make the manta rays more susceptible to infections or the rapid peeling of skin. So, hands off the rays!

Manta-Baby

All manta-baes have a manta-baby form but not all manta-babies have a manta-bae form. This is the form manta-baes assume before maturity. Basically a mini manta-bae. When mature, they can choose to poof into this form whenever they feel like it. You can freely adopt ANY other trait into your manta-baby character beyond the specified basics below! Go crazy with markings and colors!

Anatomy — Manta-babies, as the name suggests, is a manta-bae in baby form. I personally call it the pancake form. These forms resemble real-life manta rays but are more reminiscent of plushie manta rays than their actual living counterparts. Their disc length (this refers to the length between their mouth and the base of their tail) ranges from 10-30cm.

MANTA FACT: Rays in real life can range from 60cm (Mobula diabolis) to 700cm (Manta birostris) wide. Big girls!!!

Coating — All manta-babies possess a coating of slime in this form whether or not their manta-bae forms have it too or not.

• Example Manta-Baes

I present to you, the first manta-bae and debatably the species’ mascot: Nautica (they/she)!

By @anonymocha /// You can ask them silly questions or just ask stuff about the species here! I am well aware about how they look like a rabbid.

Lemon (they/them)

By @skal98k /// “THEY ARE THERE” -Skal

Eva (she/her) :3

By @anonymocha /// She is an established character who I turned into a manta-bae.

More will be added soon once I return to the sea to catch them :3

Thanks for reading! 🌊 Have a question or just want to chat? Contact me at @anonymocha here or Discord! You can also ask Nautica!