#buy hard drive pcb and parts

[work-data]

Hdd Donor is a hard drive refurbishing company, which specializes in retailing hard drives, hard drive circuit boards, hard drive parts, data recovery tools, and other hard drive diagnostic equipment and accessories. We offer a large selection of rare, outdated, discontinued, and modern hard drives and PCBs. 

https://hdddonor.in/

[hdddonor86]

[hdddonor]

Hdd Donor – Donor Hard Drive | Data Recovery Tools

Donor Hard Drives ; HDD donor pcb. Buy Hard Drive Circuit Boards to Recover Data from your Drive. Shop now ; tools & accessories. Buy Data Recovery Accessories from our website.

[donorharddrive]

Hdd Donor – Donor Hard Drive | Data Recovery Tools

Donor Hard Drives ; HDD donor pcb. Buy Hard Drive Circuit Boards to Recover Data from your Drive. Shop now ; tools & accessories. Buy Data Recovery Accessories from our website.

[leam1983]

The Dark Side

I hate Hewlett-Packard's PC division. I hate it with the fury of a thousand suns.

Long vent post. Logorrhea below. Clicky.

My go-to portable is 2022's edition of the Razer Blade 14. It's small, reasonably lightweight, it has an admitted paucity of ports, but at least two of them are USB-A 3.0. It's not terribly modular, but the hard drive is easily accessible and replaceable with any commodity M.2 or NVME solution you could think of. Thankfully, all the vendors that served as sources for the hardware are covered by Windows Update for drivers. The keyboard's the perfect size for someone like me who tends to stick his hands in one position near the Home row and that occasionally shifts up and down, and the Chicklet keys feel clicky, tactile and responsive. I can feel my typos as they happen, so I don't typically miss a lot of 'em.

Compare and contrast with what happens when a Boomer decides to buy a slab on the cheap. The HP CN000x "notebook" is a heaving monster that claims to be portable but that has the form factor of a Desktop Replacement, with seventeen inches of screen that more or less scream overkill for anything clerical. The keycaps are mushy and massive, they're spaced too far apart from one another to allow for comfortable muscle-memory typing or for sniping around your home row without looking down - and the Power button is somehow wedged between the F7 and F8 keys, all but guaranteeing that you're going to put your machine to sleep inadvertantly.

All of the above amounts to annoyances, however. What really gets me is what the vendor assumes to be entreprise-grade hardware and security features, when in fact it all amounts to a collection of bloatware and generally inexplicable features crammed at an entry-level price point.

Hardware-level encryption on top of the base TPM layer? She's gonna be fetching emails from her ISP's server and watching cat videos. Entreprise-grade offsite storage shoved in your face upon boot-up? I wouldn't give this shitty keyboard to anyone Corporate even if I actively hated a suit. Dedicated hybrid SSDs? We're in 2023, memory is dirt fucking cheap; there's no real excuse to be pushing spinning rust on someone who has about zero mass storage needs.

Then, there's the kicker: this is an HP laptop, and you cannot, in fact, simply flash a new OS on there and just expect it to recognize everything. You cannot, because the Live media you'll create also needs to receive driver packages specifically from HP in order for the rig to recognize its own hard-mounted and unremovable hard drives.

The only problem? Each fucking SKU has its own driver solution. You need to hit up HP's Support site, let it scan your hardware (rootkits, ew) and then narrow down its fuckjillion "matches" to the one missing driver file it has in its database. A driver file that doesn't, in fact, relate to those drives you're trying to format. A driver that relates to the equally-useless FC reader and that somehow also allows the hybrid drive to show up on the Drives list in a new Windows 11 install.

So, I found the driver, installed it, crossed my fingers... and it still didn't work.

Hunting online got me to see that while HP had shipped this particular line of 17-inch laptops with Windows 11, not all of the hardware was compliant with Windows installs that start at 22H2.

So, knowing I have some spare SSDs that won't throw a fit, I add one in. Zippo. This particular model only accepts proprietary parts. That's without mentioning how the four plus-sized Philips screws that held up the bottom plate were a lie, more or less promising some degree of accessibility only to expose a fucking moron's take on Apple's own closed-sourced engineering.

I mean, I have to hand this to Apple, at least - its hardware plans are graceful. Every PCB goes where it's supposed to and its connectors aren't unnaturally long in order to account for some oversight in general placement. There's no globs, no wasted space - and even if you're not supposed to, you get the sense that any sane person with a screwdriver can at least disassemble and reassemble your average iDevice without making too much of a mess.

HP? Fuck, HP is so concerned with being "helpful" that it buries base components you'd want to easily access - like the SSD or RAM - under a mess of daughterboards.

By this point, I'm on the verge of hunting down who sold that poor lady this hunk of junk and braining them with it. My one and only option is to submit to HP's in-built Recovery partition, which probably runs on the Devil's idea of soldered-on EMMC.

Flashing the SSD portion of a hybrid drive, on the 25th of July, 2023, on a reasonably modern processor and 16 GBs of RAM, took all of eight hours. Eight hours of waiting while Walt swallowed flies, as HP opted, in its infinite wisdom, to hack up Windows 11's installation wizard with a bevy of paid offers that obviously had to include a fucking McAffee antivirus trial. After digging, I realized I'd dodged about ten gigs' worth of bloatware.

Windows is running and so am I, as I'm the abomination's temporary Administrator, while I sort everything out. The second part of my woes is going to unfold tomorrow, as I have to explain to a senior citizen that Microsoft actually wanting to text its userbase to authenticate them at common access portals is actually normal. Couple that with the fact that she's so concerned with security that she's set in passwords consisting of Complete fucking sentences she hasn't bothered to note down anywhere, and restoring her accounts is going to be such a PITA I'm going to stop for schwarma after two hours.

Be a good Admin, if you can, and take a blowtorch to anything HP-branded that isn't a printer or a flat-bed scanner. Oh, and don't be afraid to remind tech-averse Boomers that if you aren't going to be taking this particular machine online and only need to fetch codecs and word processor downloads, then there's nothing wrong with having "123456" as an account password. They're not going to remember anything else anyway, and expecting them to make sense of alphanumerics or special characters in a password is a fool's fucking errand. They won't note it down properly and then they'll call you six months to a year later, complaining that their system is bricked.

Hewlett-Packard computers are bloated and heaving paperweights.

That is all.

[nahaskids]

Hp smart array p410i controller self test failure

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE LICENSE KEY

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE SERIAL

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE FULL

Note in the picture below, the ‘+’ symbol adjacent to the red wire, this is important to get right! Simply solder the new battery leads to the gold plated pads. A small 3mm hole was drilled in the side of the old cell holder to feed the wires in and through to where the PCB fits. We now purchased a small AAA battery holder for 4 cells and a PP3 style clip with flying leads (all from Maplin if you have one handy). The original cells we had were Varta V500HT 500mAh cells which are standard Ni-MH 1.2V cells attached 4 in series. Now the cells can be removed from the case. Pull this clear and you can see the battery is just held against two gold plated pads. The PCB simply unclips from the small cutout in the middle. Take care with the cells as they could still have some power in them, even if the server disagrees! Lever them out until they are just attached with the leads to the small PCB. The cells are held in with silicone gunk and double sided tape so its fairly easy to prise the lid off and the cells out of their home. Starting in the middle of the long sides is a good place as shown above. Prise a small screwdriver into the edge of the plastic, until you’ve made a hole and then trace around the edge to reveal the cells, but be careful not to go to far in or puncture the cells or insulation. Our first task is to force our way into the cell compartment and remove the plastic lid, this is where it gets destructive, don’t proceed unless you have no further use for the battery pack! Prise open the old battery casing and toss out the old cells, wire in a new lead to some standard Ni-MH AAA cells, and your ready to go… OK, some pictures might help :)īelow then is the item were discussing – its HP part number is 381573-001 or 398648-001 or one of the other vast number of variants, they may have slightly different power ratings, the important one for us is 4.8V Ni-MH, that tells us there are 4 cells internally.Īt first appearance the block is sealed and there is no obvious way to get to the cells, in fact its glued together and covered with a thin plastic sheet. So here is our cheapskates way around futureproofing our older Proliant D元85’s. And everyone knows a P410 without Battery Backed Write Cache (BBWC) is seriously compromised! Support for greater than 2TB in a single logical drive.HP Proliant servers that use the P410 Smartarray controller use batteries that are supposed to last around 3 years, but on some hardware that’s getting on a bit now, they are a serious concern, as they still cost about £60 each or £120 if you buy them from HP.Online RAID Level Migration & Online Stripe Size Migration.512 MB DDR2-800 battery-backed cache provides up to 4.2 GB/s maximum bandwidth.x8 PCI Express gen 2 host interface technology delivers high performance and data bandwidth up to 2 GB/s maximum bandwidth.

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE FULL

6Gb/s SAS technology delivers high performance and data bandwidth and contains full compatibility with 3Gb/s SATA technology.

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE SERIAL

HP Smart Array P410 is HP's 6G Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and 3G SATA PCI Express (PCIe) RAID controller + 512MB Cache + Battery 462834-B21 S.M.A.R.T.: Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology first developed at HP detects possible hard disk failure before it occurs, allowing replacement of the hard drive before a real failure occurs.

HP SMART ARRAY P410I CONTROLLER SELF TEST FAILURE LICENSE KEY

It can be be upgraded with Smart Array Advanced Pack license key for RAID 6 (ADG), & 6+0. The P410 is ideal for RAID 0, 1, 1+0, 5, 5+0 with 512MB cache module, battery kit (for BBWC). The tall profile card has 8 ports and utilizes DDR2-800 memory. The HP Smart Array P410 is HP's PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0 Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) RAID controller.

[skyjohny-blog]

LG home appliance service center

In the event that you have any issue with your environment control structure, by then fundamentally settle on a decision to us we will fix a wide degree of contraptions like AC for all models we can give the fixes. Our LG Service Center in Pune. Pros will give the lively reaction to the Customers. They will fix your machine anticipating basically zero effort of cost. Our specialists are open in all spots. We outfit 100% veritable extra parts with 3 months guarantee. We give telephone numbers and regions to progress toward us. On the off chance that you have any issues in cooling you can interface with us through the telephone numbers given. Our master will settle the issue inside 4 hours. If you have any issue with your constrained air framework, by then just hunt us on location LG Service Center Pune. Furthermore, get the best fix organization to your AC.

Innovation is making in our regular daily existence people are reliant on machines moreover, diminishing their concern by keeping pressure on machines. One of the machines people use step by step is garments washer, people have no time in their clamoring schedule to wash their own articles of clothing. So people are depending upon machines to complete their nuclear family works. People buy the machines for their nuclear family reason yet most of them don't have the foggiest thought how to fix it when there is any trouble in the machine for this contact LG Customer Care Pune.

LG Toll Free Number Pune are unapproved sellers for fix and administration for clothes washers, coolers, microwaves and Air Conditioners, we give entryway step administration to Home apparatuses. The organization charges are excessively more affordable than other assistance network. Our specialists will in like manner supersede the main spare parts which furthermore given assurance. They in like manner explain what is the issue upsetting in the machine and give the standards not to happen it once more.

In any case, client care specialists will take grumblings from the client. Through the online by visiting our site LG Washing Machine Repair Pune in the event that client may be spellbound to take our associations, by then essentially call our telephone numbers which are there in underneath in the page of website then our client care authority will give all the data to the client and take subtleties like name, issue of the thing, private region, precise accomplishment zone at whatever point fight are accepted then constantly this activity sheet number will be asked by our client care individuals to understand the requests of the client.

LG Washing Machine has more favorable circumstances. It is the best home apparatus at home these days they are planning different sorts of garments washers like the blend of the washer similarly as the dryer in one machine figuratively speaking. In this machine, we should not to keep more articles of clothing consistently. Since the washer dryer combo can't modify the more weights. This machine has the spinner which washes the articles of clothing by turning the spinner. Garments washer doesn't hurt the articles of clothing and it keeps the articles of clothing advantageously and moreover new. Garments washer needs less water similarly as less force. On account of brands of Washing Machine Samsung is the best and it has the least models and we have the LG Washing Machine Service Center Pune.

It is apparently hard for the workers or washerwomen or house makers. So the usage of garments washer made it basic. There is a significant great situation of using garments washer i.e., numerous articles of clothing can washed on the double. Garments washers save imperativeness, chemical, and furthermore the most critical time. It the time is insufficient in the lives of various people. Cleaning your apparel with the help of garments washer makes easier especially for the people who can't give their time for nuclear family things. In case your garments washer is going up against any trouble call, LG Washing Machine Customer Care Pune, our expert will explain the issues.

In Refrigerator a shine siphon is found its work is to get heat far from the cooler. Inside it a cooler is accessible which freezes things and is colder. Over the long haul various models of the cooler are made with front line highlights and models. A tremendous piece of the impelled coolers is accessible with various highlights, shades, and models. There is a noteworthy extraordinary position that there are wide. The extent of models of coolers are accessible in the market. So fridges are likewise orchestrated in various sizes. It relies on your family with the sort of cooler required by the relatives. On the distant chance that you are the proprietor of Samsung cooler who is checking. For the association, we are isolated as best at LG Refrigerator Repair Pune.

Over the long haul various models of the cooler are made with cutting edge highlights and models. A colossal aspect of the pushed coolers is accessible with various highlights, conceals, and furthermore models. In addition, there is a huge extraordinary position that there is a wide extent of models of coolers that are open in the market. So fridges additionally orchestrated in various sizes. It relies on your family with sort of cooler required by the relatives. On the slim chance that you are the proprietor of Samsung cooler who searching for an association, consequently we isolated as best at LG Refrigerator Service Center Pune.

It is phenomenal contrasted with other home machines which help us taking care of the food things. We can similarly get cool water from the cooler. The refrigerator in like manner has some fundamental issues which happen a significant part of the time. They are condenser not working, weakness in PCB, blower not working, and cooler not cooling, etc. Right when the above issue occurs, the refrigerator won't work suitably. To clear those issues contact LG Refrigerator Customer Care Pune. We respond to you inside a call.

The microwave or consider it the be-all-end-all machines for present-day kitchen. Microwaves were basically used to get ready direct dinner and warm extra. In any case, with time, careful modifications in their arrangement enabled more state-of-the-art microwaves to fire sear. A microwave is a for the most part little, boxlike oven that raises the temperature of food by presenting it to a high repeat electromagnetic field. Microwaves make radiation of a repeat of around 2,450 megahertz by techniques for a magneto which is such an electron tube. Since the warming occurs by an observation technique microwaves ovens will by and large cook certain sustenance unevenly or at different rates. Any issue is happened just connect with us from our site LG Microwave Oven Repair Pune.

These days it is hard to place greater imperativeness in cooking considering nonappearance of time. Individuals rely on machines to complete their works. One of the mechanical assemblies which utilize most by a long shot of the individuals is microwave. The decision reason behind the microwave is to design food. The term microwave in any case called a scaled down scale grill. We can prepare different food things in it. It is a victor among another home machine which spares our time in setting up the food. Individuals who associated with their included life, the microwave is the decision for them. LG Microwave Oven Service Center Pune, it will free any sort from issue if your contraption is at genuine danger. We have talented authorities who can fix a wide extent of microwaves.

Individuals need to complete their food quick and delightful. In any case, now and again it in addition makes late because of the issues that happened in it. The issues by and large happened in the microwave were shines in it, plate not turning, microwave not starting, insufficiency in diode and enormity, and touchpad issue. There is a reaction for each issue; equally LG Microwave Oven Customer Care Pune is open any place all through the city to free any sort from the issue in microwave easily of cost. We also issue authentic additional parts by giving an assurance to it.

An enormous part of the individuals utilizes AC in summers because of protecting themselves from heat which is starting from the sun. The reason behind the AC is to decrease the room temperature and cool the living zone. We use AC for the most part in summer seasons it will cool the zone where it is set and changes the room into a cooling zone. On hot days we need to live in a cool zone, to clear the difficulty we use AC. As we talked about each machine will trouble when it is utilized more, to fix the mechanical gatherings we have various assistance conditions in the market. To get the best administrations to your machines contact LG AC Repair Pune.

A climate control system a framework or a machine that treats air in a characterized, typically encased zone through a refrigerant cycle in which warm air is taken out and supplanted with cooler air. In development, a total HVAC whether in homes, workplaces, or vehicles, its motivation is to give comfort by modifying the properties of the air generally by cooling the air inside the fundamental capacity of the climate control system is to change antagonistic temperature. In other words, the forced air system is a cycle of eliminating air and dampness from the inside of an involved the essential idea driving the climate control system is said to have applied in old Egypt where reed hung in. in the event that you have any issue with your climate control system, at that point simply reach us from our site LG AC Service Center Pune and get proficient support of the climate control system

The atmosphere control framework is to utilize engineered mixtures to change over gas into the liquid. In the past age, the Old’s people used fans and various techniques to keep cool themselves in the mid-year season. Directly a day constrained air framework transforms into the primary source to keep nature cool. It gives us the estimation of cunningness and comfort. There is more differentiation between atmosphere control frameworks and fans. In case your atmosphere control framework makes any issue, by then you can simply take the help of our organization network. LG AC Customer Care Pune is our organization place.

TO CONTACT US: 9494157710

[alabamagirlinagreatbigworld]

Saltwater Taffy & Boiled Peanuts

Sitting on the beach today, I caught myself watching these three young teenage girls switch roles between model and photographer. Coaching one another, stopping to look at the photos before trying again, and again. They were innocent photos, standing in the ocean in a cute little straw hat. I looked at my mom and said, "I'm so happy the world was different when we were young, no phones with cameras, no pressure for the perfect bikini picture." And, just as quick as I said it, nostalgia came crashing in, stronger than the waves in front of me.

You see, we're staying in a condo right next to the one we stayed in when I was growing up. Most of the time with my late best friend's family. The pool where she pined over the lifeguard who was much too old for her, and interested in my older sister. The game room where she inherited a new nickname after one of the many guys we met throughout the years pretended to throw the cue ball at someone and accidentally threw it, sending her to the ER for stitches. The beach we walked up and down, up and down, cruising for cute boys. The laughs, the secrets, the memories, the friendships. They all seem to live right here on Thomas Drive.

Looking at a bag saltwater taffy, I could smell it. Taste it. Hear her voice asking for a bag. I considered buying it, just because I knew she would want it. Or, she would have back in the 80s & 90s. But, I sat it back on the shelf, laughed, fought back tears, and wished we could just go back.

Later that night, I stood on the balcony, overlooking the pool that once felt like home. Glancing up & down, side to side, trying to remember which specific condos we had stayed in. We were young, carefree, & assumed we'd live forever. The best days of my life.

As I watched the jet skis out in the ocean, I could hear her begging her daddy to rent one for us. We both knew he'd say yes, but the begging was required. I could hear him talking to us about safety, sounding like the teacher in Charlie Brown, because in our heads we were already speeding away in the water.

There was also the summer the oversized ocean tricycles were popular and she begged to rent one of those too. And, he caved once again, this time living to regret it as he swam about a mile out into the ocean to retrieve the unmanned tricycle. It was way too hot out on the water, and peddling was way too hard in the waves so we jumped ship, leaving the oversized toddler toy to find its own way back to shore. I can hear him now, cussing under his breath at our thoughtless actions. I can also hear the laughter later as our dads joked about his unplanned swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you've never driven south to PCB, along the way there are Boiled Peanuts (or boiled pnuts) signs everywhere. Like clockwork, the sighting of the first sign began the pleas to stop from the back seat floorboards, where we often sat eating cake decorating sugar shapes & letters. If you haven't realized it yet, she always had her daddy wrapped around her little finger. And he would stop. Every single time. Every single trip.

If I closed my eyes, I could see tween me, standing by the pool in one of those now-back-in-style one pieces with the stomach & back cut out. A Hard Rock Cafe shirt over it. And bright blue Zinc under my eyes because that was the the cool thing. Or so I thought. And just like that little girl, I longed for her best friend. Only this time she wouldn't return.

The memories are never-ending. The tears seem to be so as well. Nostalgia is an odd duck, leaving you smiling, laughing, crying, feeling happy, sad, vulnerable all at the same time.

Before February 27, 2018, I did not know life without my best friend. And, I'm not a fan of life without her. I cry at some point just about every day. A single tear. Ugly crying. Bargaining with God to bring her back. They are as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth or setting my alarm for work.

If you knew her, you knew her spirit. Her servant's heart. Her lust for life. Her genuine smile. Her hugs. Her laughter. She was simply the best.

I stil don't know how I'll make it through the remainder of my time on earth without her. Each day is a struggle. Each day is lonely. But, if there is one thing I know, without a doubt, I wouldn't trade those 39 years of our friendship to rid myself of the intense sadness & grief that came with losing her. Way too soon.

[buttermybooks]

10 road trip tips to try on your next big escape!  

Friendship is based on many things, in my case some of those things are boys, bands, boys in bands, and boybands, but along with all of that – Most of my friendships are founded on a love of travel. We all want to explore the world. Not in an ordinary “Oh! Let’s go to PCB on spring break and get wasted” kind of travel, but an inherent need to see and experience as much as we possibly can - together. Since we live so far from each other we have to actually TRAVEL just to hang out like normal friends. So with all of the road tripping we have done together - you could say that we have it down to a science.

That being said, this year we have some amazing trips planned and although we will be with different people seeing completely different parts of the world, I can guarantee that we will all be using some of the tips we have discovered to make sure our trips go off without a hitch.

Packing can be a chore. It is my second least favorite part of any trip. Unpacking being my LEAST favorite, but I have come up with a few tips over the years that have made it a little less of a hassle.

1. Pack a spare tooth brush and some toothpaste into a Ziploc bag and put it in your suitcase and LEAVE IT THERE. I learned this the hard way because I am the queen of “OH MY GOD CAN I BORROW YOUR TOOTHPASTE, I TOTALLY FORGOT MINE?!” I have a gallon size Ziploc bag with all of my bathroom necessities that I never take out of my suitcase, even after I get home. It might seem like a silly thing to do, but I promise it will make packing much easier.

2. When traveling with friends, share products and tools!!! I don’t mean that you should necessarily share hair brushes, but most definitely share hair tools and products. If you know that you will all need a blow dryer, flat iron, and curling wand - decide who will bring which. There is no need to have several of each when you can all use the same one. Do the same with hairspray, leave in conditioner, sea salt spray, bobby pins, etc.

Road trips are my favorite trips, but there are a few things that make them easier on everyone.

3. Make gas money envelopes. This one seems kind of obvious - but I had never thought of it until a friend made some for a road trip a couple of years ago and we have never stopped using them. Be sure to include a little extra $$ to cover tolls and unexpected parking expenses!

4. Research roadside attractions along your route. I can assure you that you will not remember all of the naps that you took in the car during your 15+ hour road trip - but you will remember stopping to see Dinosaurs in Kentucky, The world’s largest rocking chair in Missouri, and a bright blue whale in Oklahoma.

Getting to your destination is fun, but when you arrive - that’s when the real adventure begins.

5. Talk to everyone. I know that your mother probably told you not to talk to strangers but meeting new people is SO FUN. Even if you are just asking your waitress what you should put on your to-do list while in town, you can guarantee that she will be able to give you the best tips on how to experience the town like the locals do. And THAT, my friends, is not something that TripAdvisor can do. 

6. Don’t sleep.  No really, just don’t sleep. Okay, maybe you can sleep if there is nothing better to do, but there is ALWAYS something better to do.

7. Always eat local cuisine. I know more than anyone how easy it is choose a place to eat just because it’s cheap, but everyone should try and find a -local-non chain- restaurant to eat at during their trip. If we hadn’t done that, how else would I have discovered the Chili Queso Burger at The Brook in Tulsa, Oklahoma or gotten *free pistachio macarons in NYC? (*#5 scored us free desserts!)

Leaving is always the hardest part. You’re tired, you’ve spent all your money, and you still have to drive ALL the way home. Luckily, we have a few ways that always seem to make our trip home a little less terrible.

8. Buy a pack of disposable cameras. If several people are going on a trip - buy a pack of disposable cameras and split the cost. Put them in a central place every night and when you are ready to explore have everyone grab a random camera and snap lots of pics. This way all of the pictures are completely random on every camera. At the end of the trip - take them to a Walgreens and have all of the pictures developed. The pictures are an awesome way to remind you of everything you did and it’s fun to take pictures without immediately looking back through them on a digital camera or your phone! The pics will definitely keep you entertained on your ride home.

9. Make a wonderfully bad playlist. I don’t care if you are a music snob or someone who only listens to top 40 - everyone loves to loudly scream the words of the best/worst songs of the 90’s. My recommendations are Faded - Soul Decision, Digital Getdown - N*sync, Quit Playin’ Games (with my heart) - Backstreet boys, and a recent favorite Push - Matchbox Twenty.

10. Bring a few books along for the ride. There is no better way to pass the time than having a good book to keep you company. Long drives home are often filled with a little more silence than the ride to the destination because everyone is tired and wishing they could teleport home, but with a book in hand you might not be able to apparate to your bed but you can disappear into another world. You know what they say, “always bring a book.”

Now that you have seen my list of tips - do you have any that I didn’t post? If you do, share them in the comments below to help out your fellow nomads!

[racingtoaredlight]

Marshall Amps

This is Slayer’s backdrop for some recent tour of theirs.

If you’ve followed rock music at all, the “wall of Marshalls” is so iconic, it’s hard to separate the subject of the imagery from the backdrop of Marshall speakers.  Jimmy Page, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Eric Clapton...to name a few...but the man who made Marshalls the “greatest amps of all time” is none other than you know who...

So what is it with Marshalls?  Why did they become the “greatest amps of all time” yet seemingly don’t have a place in today’s guitar world?

***

What defines Marshall amps?

They have “Marshall” written on them.

Kidding aside, you will never hear about Marshall amps being called “versatile.”  “Clean” is something they do out of necessity, not design.  They are stupidly heavy.  They are a pain in the ass to maintain.  They only sound good at volumes that would peel the enamel off your teeth...and that’s just the 50w models, let alone the big boys.

Marshall amps really do one thing well...overdrive.  If you’re in a band that plays loud, plays dirty and plays aggressive, then Marshalls are likely right in your wheelhouse.  Bonus points if someone else is carrying your gear.

Any level of dirt...from bluesy hair on the note to full out metal grind...a Marshall is right at home.  When you overdrive the tubes in a Marshall and they start to produce those beautiful overtones and harmonics, it’s truly a sound of beauty that prickles the hair on the back of your neck.

***

Historical Context Part 1

To define Marshall amps, we need to start with their history.

Remember how when I used to actually write, I’d talk about putting things in historical context?  Lets go back to the early 60′s.  There is ONE amp company doing business on both sides of the Atlantic, Fender.  And, despite being primitive and archaic, those early Tweed Fender amps are still today some of the best sounding amps money can buy, which is even more impressive considering that a 10 year old who can use a soldering iron could build one.

But in America, it’s easy to source parts for an American company’s amp like Fender.  It’s right there in the country, stupid.  But for a company...shit, that’s not even accurate given they weren’t a company yet...for a Brit like Jim Marshall, you had to get creative.

Marshalls, at their very, foundational core, are almost a direct plagiarism of the Fender Bassman amp.  I mean, it’s exactly the same amplifier except for one key difference...the tubes.  The Atlantic Ocean thing mentioned earlier is a big deal...the 6v6 and 6L6 power tubes that Leo Fender used, nothing more than run of the mill military-spec electrical tubes, weren’t available.  Tubes might not be the lifeblood of an amp (the circuit is), but different tubes have a hugely variable presence in practical settings.

Given that most tube amps are powered by tubes that came from either the US, UK or Russian military industrial complexes...and there not being the internet or a secondary market for any of this shit...Marshall used, first, KT66 Russian tubes, and later British EL34 (big bottles) and EL84 (little bottles), depending on use.

As Marshall’s blew up (and it happened quickly), and musicians started playing bigger and bigger halls, Marshall took that Bassman ripoff and housed it in larger cabinets allowing him to add more tubes, and therefore, more power.  It was the perfect storm...

***

Historical Context Part II...the important stuff

So I linked to a bunch of pics above...famous dudes standing in front of walls of Marshalls.  The one I really want to hit on is the Eric Clapton one...

I just mentioned this a couple paragraphs above, but it bears repeating...there was no secondary market for things like tubes, caps, speakers, etc.  That pic of Clapton?  In each of those cabinets housing four speakers, maybe one was fully operational with half of another adding a bunch of fizz.  During Cream’s final show at Royal Albert Hall, he had only one speaker installed in the entire cabinet...the rest were just empty.

Now, that’s not to say there wasn’t any sonic benefit from having cabinets project sound waves with four speakers.  Rather, if one went down, at least you could still play.

Which leads us to the important stuff...

Primitive PA systems were not only garbage to begin with, but they were typically operated by burnouts who didn’t have the first clue of how to properly EQ a room.  This was true as late as the mid 80′s.  As shitty as those PA systems were though, guess what?  That’s still how Cream’s sound got shot through Royal Albert Hall.

Given the choice though, guitarists would rather have a slew of speakers doing the work rather than mic’ing up smaller amps.  Even with this option though, there’s a long history of...behind those walls of Marshall speaker cabs...there being a single half stack with just one speaker being mic’d.

Here’s a dirty little secret...Eddie Van Halen has not just endorsed multiple amps from multiple companies, but been heavily involved in the design of a lot of those as well.  BUT, when you hear him in the studio or live, you’re not hearing any of those amps...you’re hearing this.

Despite all the noise and propaganda regarding Van Halen’s wizardry with guitar and amp parts, the sound he’s most famous for and has relied on his entire career is produced by a relatively stock Marshall 1959SLP, known as the Super Lead.  The “Brown Tone” he’s famous for isn’t due to anything special in the amp itself, rather using something called the Variax to run the 100w amp at 90w, thereby making it warmer and more efficient (Marshall’s imported to the US still made to run at 110 volts despite most American outlets being 120 volts...the Variax reduced the electrical load to the amp, while also being an accidental signal buffer, allowing him to use time-based effects like flangers and delays, where running them into the front of a Marshall would cancel out those signals).

Jesus Christ that was a long aside...there was a point here though.

***

What was that point?

When PA systems and quality mic’s and sound guys became the norm, the necessity for stacks of Marshalls really started to go to shit.  Even before the internet boom, the jokes about wannabes hauling Marshall half stacks to tiny bars with no audience were already essentially canon.

I said this above...unless you are a touring artist in a hard rock band with logistical support and no front of house...Marshalls are completely impractical.  We’re not even going to touch on declines in quality (new Marshalls built on PCB have more in common with your phone than a 1987x, even if you buy a “reissue” of a 1987x), questionable marketing and oversaturating their own market...the fact of the matter is extremely simple.  Big iron is obsolete, no matter who makes it.

Marshall themselves know this, and released the “studio” line...which might as well be called the “shit we better make smaller stuff because our sales are getting FUCKED” line.  If you’ve ever had to pack a car full of gear yourself, it takes one gig before you’re looking for smaller, lighter amps.  Those 100w Marshalls?  They sound AMAZING cranked.

But unless you play them cranked, they sound like shit.  Think about it like driving a Ferrari at 25mph all the time...

For regular working musicians like myself, a great sounding tube combo can be found under 50 lbs.  Or I could ditch all that and go with a modeler, go straight into the PA and never need an amp again (PREDICTION...you will not see amplifiers on stage outside of Nashville and niche acts in 10 years).  That’s for a working musician.

For a touring musician, you can save tens of thousands of dollars per year by not having to hire logistical staff.  You might have scoffed at my prediction above...but these days, the majority of guitar sounds you hear are made digitally by a session guitarist sitting either at home or in the control room of a studio.  That 1987x is a digital patch rather than two trips to the car and ringing ears.

Point being...amps are already obsolete.  And if your amp weighs more than 50 lbs. and has more power than say 40w, it’s remarkably obsolete, no matter how cool it is.

***

Competition

I don’t have to tell you that Marshalls’ legacy was formed in the harder forms of rock.  Take one look at those monsters and you can tell they roar.  “Roar” is an interesting concept though...

Marshalls were made before hard rock really existed.  Guitarists almost ubiquitously came from a “clean” learning point, and even what we consider small amounts of dirt like this (and during the instrumental part of Ramblin’ Man) back then were FULL-THROATED.

Personally, that’s my ideal of the Marshall sound.  That Tweedy breakup that puts a shaggy head of hair on each note.  But to just about 90% of the music-enjoying public, this is the sound that immediately comes to mind when you think of Marshalls.

Definitely more dirty than Duane Allman’s version no doubt, but if you really listen to the guitar, the edge is more due to phrasing and Slash’s ballsy attitude than the guitar tone itself.  It’s still something I’d describe as more crunchy than full on distorted.

Which brings us to the clones.  Now, what better product to copy than a style that’s been obsolete for like two decades now!

We talked about Van Halen’s supposedly modded (but really quite stock) Marshall above...well, here comes one of his amp tech buddies Michael Soldano bringing a hot-rodded Marshall to the masses.  Then Bogner follows right behind.

Slash’s tone might not be that distorted, but plenty of metal guys absolutely were, and Marshall JCM’s were their weapon of choice.  But the time the calendar turned to 1990 though, Mesa Boogie’s rectifiers were already kings of the metal scene.  Almost as much as the Telecaster dominates country music, the Mesa Boogie Rectifiers own metal.

What was the common denominator in the competition?  MORE, sure.  More dirt, more quality, blah blah blah.  The biggest reason was Marshall, the company.  Unlike Fender, Marshall never got bought by bigger companies.  While that might keep them more “genuine” you have to realize that this guy was making amps in a tiny drum shop still when he was making stuff for Hendrix and Pete Townshend.

***

While Fender’s soul got twisted in a series of corporate takeovers, what it also eventually received was outside guidance from people with business AND music knowledge.  Fender was always forward thinking, from the day Leo Fender started the company.  Jim Marshall didn’t have that same type of vision.  The idea of a Fender amp being built on PCB is something Leo Fender would have embraced.  But to Marshall, it’s killing the amp’s soul.  Fenders never were BIG IRON...i.e. huge transformers fed by big bottle tubes...they never got into the size game.

To begin with, Marshalls were a stolen design.  That might sound harsh, but it’s not being unfair either.  They were never known for quality, rather known for quirks and unreliability.  They weren’t even that unique of a sound...you can get a very similar sound from a Fender Tweed cranked...you just cant take a Tweed to a huge hall and project the sound.

We can do that today.  Easily.  Like an $80 mic and a mic cable easy.  And now you have a true, pretty much genuine Marshall roar in a 30 lb. package.

Back in the day you couldn’t demand flawless point-to-point wiring, proper voltage and ohm specs, and wide-sweeping EQ bands.  Soldano and Mesa Boogie offered these as stock parts of their offerings at the same price points.  If you were a lead guy, Soldano was your choice...if you were a metal guy, it was Mesa...and in the two niches of the guitar world Marshall absolutely dominated, they were now second class citizens.

Or maybe even worse...new poor.

***

“Marshall” is a descriptor these days.  It’s describing the sound of a tube amp with a good-sized transformer being fed by British tubes, typically EL34′s.

If you want a “Marshall,” Marshall is probably the fourth or fifth company I’d recommend.  There’s a lot of debate about this, but I do not believe amps built on PCB are worth more than $1k...shit, that’s generous because I would not personally buy an amplifier using PCB.

This is the power amp section for a new Marshall JCM.

For all you IT guys out there, you probably know that PCB ain’t exactly the most receptive thing to changes in temperature.  Hey!  I got a great idea!  Lets put power and preamp tubes, that heat the fuck up, straight on some cheap ass PCB with janky copper wiring and automated solders!

Literally the only people who will tell you PCB is fine are people who build amps for a living.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t give a shit about making your job easier when you’re still charging me full price and plus some.  The only people saying that there’s no reason to do a point-to-point amp are those who are too lazy to, because there’s a big boutique market for this very thing.

Lets do a real apples to apples comparison here...

The top pic is a restored 1972 Marshall 1987x.  You can buy these used for under $2k...but let’s use $2k...plus $200 restoration (just the guts, who cares about how an amp looks).  We’re at $2,200.  And this electric shit is so simple a vacuum repair shop could do it.

The bottom pic is a brand spakin’ new Marshall 1987x reissue, modeled after...you guessed it...the 1972 Marshall 1987x.  That’s some clean wiring on that particle board!  But...wait...why am I paying MORE for a less desirable model, that took exponentially less work on Marshall’s end?  Why would I subsidize their profit margins for an inferior product with less resale value?

Furthermore...the 1987x is a one-channel, stupid simple amp.  Why do you need PCB to begin with?  I get it for a Soldano or Rectifier that’s multi-channel, with huge sweeping EQ sections, reverb, etc...but this is a plug-n-play.

Marshall...the company...has been doing that to their customer base for decades.  Back in the day, you knew what you were getting...a thunderous machine that likely would fail at some point, necessitating multiple amp purchases.  Literally the instant better, higher quality alternatives hit the market, it ripped into Marshall’s market share.

Today, if I were recommending a Marshall, the first place I’d recommend is George Metropoluos.  Second would be Friedman.  I’m currently deeply in love with a Friedman amp that’s a single-channel, point-to-point 40w amp that’s essentially a Tweed Bassman with EL84′s and a switchable gain stage...adorably named the Dirty Shirley.

***

Conclusion

Despite all that, I have a romantic love of Marshalls that overrides anything to do with quality or practicality.  It’s kind of like my love for the Gibson Les Paul grotesquely compounded...

You might think that I have a negative opinion of Marshalls based on everything I’ve just written.  Not true.  All of that stuff, it’s nothing in comparison to just how fucking incredible these things sound in person.  Again, neither of these instruments are in my wheelhouse, but if you asked me what the platonic ideal sound an electric guitar makes, it’d be a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall 1987x.

And even if you’re not into this kinda shit, trust me you’ve heard more than your fair share of Marshalls in the past.  They’re that great.  So great, it doesn’t matter how shitty they may or may not be.

PS...I wrote this in 3 different sessions, didn’t edit or re-read, and just posted away because something is better than nothing.

[rachelcarsoncenter]

Guest post by Kriss Kevorkian

*Featured image: Jill Hein

Twenty years ago, when I first coined the term environmental grief—the grief reaction stemming from the environmental loss of ecosystems caused by either natural or human-made events—I thought I was the only one grieving the destruction and ecocide I saw taking place around me. Fortunately, a few well-respected scientists told me that I had put a name to a vague feeling people had but couldn’t identify. Environmental grief was exactly what scientists, conservationists, and even science reporters were reacting to as they continued to observe species after species declining in front of their eyes. At a conference at Oxford University in 2006, I presented my research to a group of environmental scientists. When I talked to them, it was as though a light bulb had gone off. They too had experienced something for which, until that moment, they hadn’t been able to give a name to. But, at the time, there were also those who didn’t seem to understand environmental grief at all. At a second conference, several people asked me, “Why would you grieve about the environment?”

There is another form of grief that I coined around the same time as environmental grief and that is ecological grief, the grief reaction stemming from the disconnection, and relational loss, from our natural world. This form of grief speaks to the relationships we have with nature. Many images these days highlight this disconnection with nature—the selfies people take with wild animals comes to mind. There have been instances where a person has gotten too close, not respecting an animal and its space, and the animal has attacked. Other images include people jumping on the backs of sea turtles that are trying to get back to the water, only to be harassed. The worst image I’ve seen was of a group of people who had grabbed a baby dolphin from the sea, holding it up to take pictures. A few years ago, photos emerged of boaters driving over our Southern Resident Orcas (SROs) and disrupting their habitat—a perfect illustration of the lack of understanding or awareness of our relationship with nature .

Sonar Technicians monitoring equipment during a training initiative. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

I first joined forces with the Orca Network—which has long been involved in efforts to save the SROs—after they learned about my research on environmental grief, which in fact originally focused on Southern Resident Orcas (Orcinus Orca). These creatures spend most of their time in the Salish Sea, which borders British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, United States. But you’d be hard-pressed to see one today, given that the population has plummeted to just 75. The reasons for this startling decline are all directly related to human activity: Humans have poisoned the Salish Sea with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxins from oil, gas, and pesticides from aquaculture; the Navy practices sonar exercises in this area, wreaking havoc on the SROs and their habitat; and boaters eager to see the SROs ignore the legal 200-yard limit. Furthermore, Chinook salmon, the orcas’ preferred source of food, is endangered, which has pushed the J,K, and L pods to the point of starvation.

Those who have been observing the SROs, whether scientist or layperson, are profoundly involved in their lives and know each one’s name and number. For example, everyone knew that J-50 was Scarlet, who died of starvation recently, a little shy of four years old. Prior to her death, we watched Tahlequah, J-35, carry her dead calf for 17 days. The world watched day after day as Tahlequah kept pushing her calf to the surface to breathe, but there was no response. Other members of the pod joined her, offering what to human onlookers might have been considered support.

With these terrible losses and increasing evidence of the damaging impact of human activities on the planet, it is becoming more common today to see scholars, the media, and the public talking about terms like climate grief and eco-despair. The fact that these terms have made their way into the public consciousness and become part of mainstream environmental language is encouraging, because it speaks to an attempt to identify the loss that humankind is facing and feeling, and to reestablish our connection with the natural world.

Tahlequah (J-35) holding up her dead calf. Photo courtesy of the Center for Whale Research.

Scarlet (J-50). Photo courtesy of the Center for Whale Research.

But how are we to deal with this grief? People might react with despair, sadness, frustration, lack of control, hopelessness, and even apathy. It’s understandable, given the enormity of the destruction taking place. It’s understandable to feel powerless when faced with the news of another whale dying, another forest being decimated, or another oil spill. But though it’s important to acknowledge our ecological grief, we also need to use that grief to take action, to get laws changed.

Rights have been given to people, corporations, and even ships. More recently, the concept of legal personhood has been extended to rivers, mountains, national parks, and forests. The entire planet should have the right to live, thrive, and be healthy, which is exactly why we are working towards achieving these same rights for the SROs. We’ve been fortunate to work with groups like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which has helped other communities get rights for various ecosystems including Lake Erie—people in Toledo, Ohio, united for this cause and won. Once we partnered with the Earth Law Center and Dam Sense, we gained momentum, allowing us to build a coalition of concerned citizens who, together, composed a Declaration that we will present to politicians both in the United States and Canada.

Harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie, which has just been granted rights. Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory [CC BY-SA 2.0].

So far, in Washington, Governor Jay Inslee called for an Orca Recovery Task Force to look into possible solutions to save our SROs. Unfortunately, those on the task force came from very different backgrounds and there were those who tried to promote their own business interests, putting profit over planet. The biggest issue was that no one was there to speak for the SROs themselves. Many people, including various Native American Tribes, tried but were dismissed.

The task force recommendations included limiting whale-watching boats, which would lessen the boat traffic that SROs have to contend with. Thankfully our legislature recently voted that whale watching would continue. Many of these whale-watch boat captains keep an eye on the recreational boaters, who might not be aware of the laws to stay 400 yards away from the SROs. The whale-watch captains help police the area and educate those who come to see the SROs in their natural habitat. Scientifically, we’re told that the whale-watching boats themselves really aren’t disruptive to SROs. It’s the amount of vessel traffic that is an issue, and the task force wants to limit that traffic, but there’s no mention of limiting the Naval sonar exercises that cause massive harm to the SROs. Another recommendation has been to kill sea lions that eat the Chinook salmon that SROs prefer. The only problem is that the Northern Resident Orca eat sea lions so the recommendation takes food away from another orca species. With the ineffectiveness of these methods, it seems that the rights of nature is the most reasonable course to follow.

In 2014, Mayor Joan House, of Malibu, CA, passed a resolution stating that dolphins and whales deserve the “rights to their own freedom and lives.” The proclamation included a statement about cetacean rights: “whales and dolphins are known to be highly intelligent and emotional creatures…and therefore deserve the right to their own freedom and lives.” 

It’s easy for us to live our lives in blissful ignorance as we eat animals, spill oil in the driveway, use toxins to clean the house, flush medication down the toilet, and throw away old clothing. Many people rarely consider what happens to any of those things. In reality, our fish are filled with antidepressants and toxins thanks to the everyday products we buy and dispose of without a thought, and that clothing often ends up in a landfill that only continues to grow. Regaining our relationship with nature by fighting to afford it rights would do much to curb the pollution and destruction that we have unwittingly (and sometimes very consciously) wrought on our planet. Continuing to pursue rights for the environment and its inhabitants is an important step in making sure that we preserve our ecosystem.

  Environmental Grief and the Fight for Nature’s Rights Guest post by Kriss Kevorkian *Featured image: Jill Hein Twenty years ago, when I first coined the term…

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[bisexualshrug]

You did not have to go that hard on the evaluation of Charlotte’s heel turn and Charlynch! I thought it was pretty interesting but what would you write for Becky’s point of view.

Long ass explanation of Becky’s POV under the cut. I got emotional again.

Becky was in love with Charlotte first. Way back. Before Charlotte even considered it. Becky fell in love with Charlotte while they were in PCB. And Charlotte she was…amazing to Becky. In every way. When Becky watched her in the ring, on the mic, it was just overwhelming. Her strength and skill. Her raw talent. For the thing Becky loves more than anything else in the world. It was captivating. And Becky fell so in love with her.

But she never told Charlotte. Because Charlotte was so far above her. So much better than Becky could ever be. Charlotte was destined for great things. Becky was just lucky to be here. And they were friends, but Becky could never be worthy of her. Charlotte deserved so much more. And Becky? Well, she didn’t have enough to offer.

So, she never told Charlotte. And Charlotte betrayed her. Stabbed Becky in the back and tossed her to the side. And Becky was furious and indignant. And fought back because the Irish in her runs strong and would never let her turn down a fight. But, deep down, she hears Charlotte’s voice at night. Hears all of Becky’s insecurities spewed at her. “You’re pathetic.” Dream Charlotte says. “You’re going to fail.” She says. “You could never be good enough.” She says. The “for me” goes unspoken.

And Becky loses. And she’s sent to Smackdown. And half of her is relieved. Distance will help her move on. Distance will help her forget. But a small part of her still misses Charlotte anyways.

The time on Smackdown helps her grow. She wins the Smackdown title. Becky is the first ever champion. And when that gold is placed in her hands? Charlotte doesn’t even cross her mind. Finally, she thinks a few days later, I’ve moved on. Becky’s confidence grows. She starts to feel better. Maybe like she’s enough. Not for Charlotte. But for herself. And that’s all she really needs.

Becky starts to believe. Hard works pays off. If you work hard enough, for long enough, then it will pay off. You can have everything you want. And finally, her hard work has paid off. She’s been ignored and forgotten for years, but now? Smackdown is HER spotlight. These are HER arenas. This is HER home.

But then…Alexa Bliss shows up. And all of that disappears. The title. The growth. The confidence. Alexa dismantles every part of it and tosses Becky back into the shadows. And Becky fights and fights but she gets nowhere. And she’s so tired. So tired of working hard and losing anyway.

Alexa Bliss is drafted to Raw. And Becky thinks, “This is my chance. My moment. My opportunity.” Then, Charlotte’s drafted to Smackdown. And it flips Becky’s world upside down. Becky is prepared for the fight of her life. Charlotte is back. And Becky won’t be run over again. She won’t be bullied or demeaned. She’s moved on from Charlotte. Becky’s not the doe-eyed girl in PCB anymore. She’ll fight Charlotte, and she’ll win this time.

But then….then Charlotte is different. She’s.. Charlie. Becky’s best friend. And Becky is guarded at first. Doesn’t trust her. But Charlotte proves herself again and again. And, one night, they are driving together on the highway. And Becky makes some absolutely stupid pun. And Charlotte snorts and laughs for what feels like minutes. And god, Becky is in love with her all over again.

But, somehow, things get even better. Because Charlotte wants to be with her. She wants Becky in every way that Becky has wanted her for years. And it’s life-changing and world-altering. And beautiful. Charlotte is so beautiful.

They are happy. Happier than Becky has ever been in her life. And Becky thinks maybe this is my reward for hard work. Maybe she’s my reward. Maybe she’s the only reward I’ll ever need.

But it still stings sometimes to see Becky’s title on Charlotte’s shoulder. Becky made that title. Carried the Smackdown brand in its infancy after the split. And, as much as she loves and supports her girlfriend, it stings. Because this is Becky’s job too. It is Becky’s dream too. She works hard too. But, just like in PCB, the spotlight was never on Becky.

But Becky can deal with that. She can push it to the side. She can concentrate on the other parts of her that are so proud of Charlotte. So in awe of her. And she can watch Charlotte defend that title against everyone on the roster except her. And be happy for her. Because Charlotte is Becky’s person. The love of her life. Becky knows how amazing she is. Knows how much Charlotte deserves it.

She pushes away the part of her that screams Becky deserves it just as much.

And then Charlotte loses the title. And guilt consumes Becky. Because a tiny part of Becky whispers “your chance. Your moment.” But a larger part of her just wants to comfort her girlfriend. And then Charlotte needs surgery. And every thought about matches or a title fly out of her mind. Her only concern is Charlotte. Her only worry.

But Charlotte tells her everything will be fine. Tells Becky to fight for Charlotte while she’s gone. Tells Becky to snatch the title right out of Carmella’s hands. Charlotte tells Becky this is her moment. Her chance.

And Becky thinks, ‘Hard work pays off.’ So, she laces up her boots and puts in the work. With everything inside her, she scratches and fights and claws her way to the top. Proves herself again and again. Shows the world this is still HER brand. HER show. And that’s HER title.

And she’s got a shot. She’s got the match. Becky v Carmella at Summerslam. Finally after years of watching Charlotte then Alexa then Charlotte again, BECKY’S moment is here. She’s gonna show the world. She’s going to prove to everyone that she’s just as good as anyone on this roster. Becky’s hard work is about to pay off.

But then Charlotte’s back. And Becky is so happy. Reunited with her girlfriend. Mere weeks away from finally having her title back in her hands. Everything is finally how it should be.

Then, Charlotte’s in the match. And Charlotte’s elated to be in the match. And Becky tries so hard to be happy for her because Becky loves Charlotte. But what about Charlotte saying it’s Becky’s moment? That this was Becky’s time. Did that mean nothing? Was it a lie? Does Charlotte care at all how hard it’s been for Becky to watch from the sidelines their entire relationship? Would Charlotte do that for Becky?

And doubts and worries are flying around in her head. But she pushes it all to the side. She can beat Charlotte. She will beat Charlotte. And then everything will be perfect. Charlotte by her side. Title on her shoulder. God, Becky would have everything in the world. And Becky’s confidence has grown so she knows she deserves it. Knows she works hard.

But hard work wasn’t enough. She loses to Charlotte. She’s pinned. Charlotte is holding onto her tightly but Becky’s head is pounding. ‘This is your moment.’ Charlotte had said. ‘Your spotlight.’ She told Becky. ‘Your time to shine.’ She declared. ‘You just have to take it. Don’t let them push you to the side anymore, Bex.’

Okay.

She explodes. Attacks Charlotte. Charlotte said this was HER moment. HER spotlight. HER time. And Charlotte TOOK it from her. And she never said sorry. Did it without regret. She doesn’t care about Becky. Not really. BECKY loved Charlotte. Becky SACRIFICED for Charlotte. She gave up EVERYTHING for her. And Charlotte couldn’t give her ONE moment?

Charlotte took her trust away when she betrayed her on Raw. She came to a Smackdown and she took Becky’s heart. Then she took Becky’s title. And her show. And. And. She WONT take it again. No one will EVER take ANYTHING from Becky again.

She leaves Charlotte beaten outside the ring and doesn’t look back. She rushes back to their hotel room. Packs her things and buys another room. She sets her stuff down. She sits down on the bed and stares at her empty hands. This is the last time. This is the last time she will stare down at empty hands after a title match. Next time, she will have her title back. And if it means losing Charlotte?

Becky closes the door to her heart that night. She locks it behind her. And leaves Charlotte on the outside.

Hard work. It doesn’t pay off. If Becky wants something, she has to TAKE it.

So, she does.

[leam1983]

On Weird Narrative Choices

TechTubers might not think of themselves as creating stories, but the modding and homebrew scenes absolutely love walking a third party through the minutia of sticking a Raspberry Pi Pico or custom-ordered breadboard or PCB into Ye Olde Video Game Console for the sake of re-enabling features or expanding on a "reduced" model. Case in point, Macho Nacho Productions' soldering of SD and Memory Card slots onto a Wii Mini's motherboard, in order to re-enable features lost in Nintendo's shot at reduflation.

What's reduflation, you ask? It's a portmanteau of reduction and inflation, in which you take a given object, strip it down and then sell it either for the same price as the original design, or at a discount that's not really representative of the features lost. It's a design trend that inspires everything between "jumbo size" bags of chips being of the same exact size as last year's Regular-size bags, to electronics manufacturers portioning out a section of their inventory for a pared-down, supposedly "budget" version of their main offering.

Take the PS3, for instance, and its total of three instances, from the fat front-loader to a motor-operated top-loader and finally to the old reliable Push Button and latch-based slim top loader. The practice fits, but Sony's earning brownie points here, seeing as the PS3 Slim's two models are not just the object of cost cuts, but also of design improvements. This isn't quite the case with the Wii Mini. The red-rimmed console has the exact same board as its bigger cousin, the controller ports and memory card readers simply aren't soldered in. You can see the spot where there'd be joins on the PCB; there's simply nothing there.

Now, my gripe is with content creators who say that "for some reason", Nintendo would've chosen to do this. If you're going to tell a story, at least be thorough and mention that the early two-thousands saw a small electronics-related market crunch, which made some of the components needed to assemble and solder GameCube ports and Memory Card slots pricier than usual. Nintendo simply decided to pivot and to dedicate a measure of its inventory to a second-tier selection that wouldn't be affected by these increased costs, thereby maintaining the Wii lineup's profit margin.

In effect, the Wii Mini was made in the same kind of bull market that made GPUs very difficult to buy at MSRP, up until fairly recently. It wasn't drummed up "for some reason" - executives are far too money-hungry to not see the benefit of a costs-to-benefits adjustment.

Things are slightly different, nowadays. Microsoft is going to keep dividing its XBOX offering into incremental tiers to maintain the core offering's supposedly-premium status, Sony's more than likely exploring revised-cost editions of the PS5, and Nintendo's already broken through with the Switch Lite.

As for the opposite - trumping up a Deluxe build with artificial scarcity - Nintendo's smart about not pushing its OLED Switch too hard, or in not really quashing fan speculation about a Switch Two, Switch Pro, Switch Super or what have you. What they want is to create a situation where the Big Box retailer of your choice is left free to pout at you and say "Aw, shucks - sorry about your Super Mega Console Edition; we're not expecting new stock for the next three weeks. I can put you on a wait list; or maybe hit you up with a perfectly-serviceable Core model, with which That Game You Want is already fully compatible..."

That Gamer Envy model you want so much exists solely to drive up sales of the core model you were perfectly content with until the Company announced a slight uptick in processor speeds or an OLED screen that gives you barely darker blacks with no real upticks in performance.

In other words, they want you to make the stupidest choice you could make for the sake of firing off those dopamine and serotonin receptors - and saying that some stock management-related decisions are part of some cryptic and unknowable process we can't ascertain further propagates the notion that consumers of a market as volatile as the gaming culture's are at the mercy of its suppliers.

We aren't. Educate your viewers, don't make publishers and manufacturers pass for the Wizard of Oz. Lift the fucking curtain.