#competent electric motor

[hope-for-the-planet]

This is What the World's First All-EV Car Market Looks Like

Image and text from this Bloomberg article:

In Norway, Toyota Motor Corp. is going from one electric-powered model to five to better compete with Tesla Inc., fuel stations are ripping out pumps to make space for chargers, and even nursing homes in the rural interior have switched to battery-powered cars despite months of arctic cold. All are signs of the dramatic shift that has put the Nordic country on the cusp of becoming the first market in the world to all but eliminate sales of new combustion-powered cars. “It’s cold here, there are mountains, long distances to drive,” Yngve Slyngstad, the former head of Norway’s $1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund, said on the way to his electric car in downtown Oslo. “There are so many reasons EVs shouldn’t have been a success here, and yet we’ve done it.” It’s a transition that happened with remarkable speed. While there have long been incentives to encourage EV purchases — mainly to promote short-lived domestic upstarts — adoption only started to accelerate in recent years, as a greater variety of cars became available. Once an inflection point was reached, the ramp-up was rapid.

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck Concept, 2024. An electric SuperTruck that will compete at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 23. The powertrain uses 3 motors to produce more than 1,400hp. It will be driven by Romain Dumas

[nonclassyparty]

sweet and right and merciful (c.s)

summary:

(A STARRING ROLE SPIN-OFF) Choi San deals with the mortifying ordeal of falling in love.

playlist (tba) // my main masterlist // moodboard (tba)//click to donate to Palestine

notes; i bet you thought you'd seen the last of both me and sr!san well you're wrong! tell me if you want to be added to the taglist

snippet;

As he didn't have a disgustingly large amount of generational wealth to back him up nor parents who dabbled in political meddling and occasional blackmail like some of his peers, San always knew that he would have to fight tooth and nail for his spot in the world.

This would seem fairly overdramatic if all he was seeking out of life was a stable job and paid bills, of course: he was, after all, the son of a middle school teacher and a man that had several jobs which he never did right because hey, they never had much so San should've been satisfied with anything. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one would look at it), Choi San was too ambitious for his own good. Having been born and raised in the small town of Namhae which was nothing more than an old supermarket some (nobody under the age of fifty) considered a shopping mall and a small beach - the moment he left for college, he swore that he'd never be back there again for nothing more but the holidays. And simply leaving Namhae wasn't enough, no, you see San's goal was money, more money than he would ever need. Bitterness could be considered a man's biggest motivator to get something done and spending his childhood and early adolescence watching his mother work day and night to make sure the bills are paid just for no money to be left spare sure did make San bitter. Call him shallow and materialistic but to San, money most definitely could buy some happiness.

And so, with that thought in mind (placed by no-one else but himself) since the tender age of twelve when he first visited Seoul for a football game and saw what exactly he's been missing out on living in Namhae, San poured everything he had into his studies until he landed a scholarship for Seoul National University in the field of Electrical Engineering. He had been strategic in his choice of career. Electrical engineering required just enough work and brains for it to be considered a lucrative degree and used just enough engineering principles to keep him interested in the job.

And San was excellent at his job. He was quick and efficient, precise and absolutely never wrong. Getting hired to work at one of South Korea's most renowned automobile manufacturing companies not long after he got his degree didn't come as a surprise to no-one. He was competent. The problem with competence and climbing the business ladder though was that it was rewarded with increasingly complex projects almost every month.

And so, our opening scene: A Thursday morning, sometime in January. Amidst the white cubicles on the third floor of Zenith Motor Company, Mr. Kim was doling out new projects to his top engineers with a vengeance.

"Jung, this ones for you," He smacks Jaehyun over the head with the folder before dropping it unceremoniously on his desk, "And try not to get doughnut smudges all over this one."

"Byun, you're continuing the testing from last month." Jaebum nods his head, eyes barely moving from the computer screen in front of him. Mr. Kim continues with an eye roll, "Lim, new model that needs surveillance."

He continues down the room throwing down casefiles as he goes until he stops by San's desk with a smile, "Choi, since you did so well on the Genesis project I'll let you choose." 

"What are my options?" San asks, leaning back in his chair as two files are thrown onto his desk.

Mr. Kim looks down onto his clipboard. "Mr. Jinyoung needs help with the 3D design for-"

Mr. Jinyoung is one of San's bosses.

"-the new model that we're ready to turn in for production. You could send him an e-mail but I wouldn't, he's a bit...difficult to be around these days."

Mr. Jinyoung is also the husband of one Son Danbi, the thirty-four year old woman that San got...very familiar with for a groundbreaking six times at his apartment before he learned that Danbi is a bit too clingy and his job actually might be at stake if she keeps calling the office asking for San instead of her husband. Three times in a row.

She didn't handle San deciding it's best to stop seeing each other very well.

Getting fired for sleeping with his boss' wife and probably getting his nose broken (for the second time over a woman) when his boss' wife inevitably has a meltdown and exposes how San fucked her into his mattress six times once San refuses to meet up with her out of newfound respect for the man she's married to (read: he's scared that he'll get sacked) or literally anything else. The choice was quite obvious.

"I'll take the second option." San quips with ease as he flips over the folder.

"Research and development for a new model! I was hoping you'd pick that one and am not disappointed, you never back down from a challenge." Mr. Kim comments with a grin that San returns because he's been kissing his ass too long to stop now. "You're working with another engineer from the second floor."

San nods and, as Mr. Kim keeps going down to the next cubicle, his eyes sweep over the file and stop at the bottom of the page where one out of two people tasked has already signed their name. In neat handwriting;

Y/L Y/N

He bites back a groan, eyes falling shut and he can hear the Head of the office keep rattling off assignments somewhere in the background.

Nothing registers because suddenly, San remembers honey skin, judging eyes and a sharp tongue and wonders if getting his nose broken a second time right before getting fired by Mr. Jinyoung and losing his entire career would've been the wiser option.

[seat-safety-switch]

Storage is the defining problem of our age. Two hundred years ago, our ancestors had fifteen or twenty things in their houses, max. And one of them was "bed." Now, we have a lot of clutter. Sure, it's down from the peak of the 1970s, when we needed thirty-six different pieces of electrical equipment just to listen to racist people in our general area, but we still have too much stuff.

Self-storage companies have exploded. Not literally, although that did happen to the one near me from some dude cooking shatter, but they are immensely profitable. If you receive a bunch of heirloom furniture from Crazy Aunt Ethel, you won't have enough room for it in your single bedroom basement apartment. You shove all of it into a self-storage bay, and keep paying the monthly bills, waiting until you can have a house big enough to place some heirloom furniture in.

The storage companies know this. They'll give you a low "sucker" rate at the start, and then start cranking up the fees. And you'll keep paying them. It's cheaper to kick in $5 more a month, than it is to ask your friend Ted to borrow his pickup truck so that you can drive all your shit across town to a competing storage unit, who will do the exact same thing.

How do you fight back, ideally without having to throw away a bunch of coffee tables from 1953 and incurring the eternal wrath of Aunt Ethel's shade? You have to let the storage unit make money for you. The obvious way is electricity. With electricity, you can run all kinds of things, from a seedy cryptocurrency mining operation, to an illegal online betting parlour. And the storage folks know this, which is why they don't provide power to your unit, and wrap the unit's lightbulb in an impenetrable steel cage. They are used to dealing with your average, run-of-the-mill cheap scumbag.

Don't let that stop you: despite what your neurochemistry is telling you, you are an exceptional cheap scumbag. You don't need their electricity; you can generate your own. The answer? Rats love running on little hamster wheels. You can make thirty, forty cents a month, per wheel. That's money in your pocket, and all it will cost you is a bit of expired cheese and a lot of old Subaru blower motors. Sure, it's not going to be great for any couches or clothing that you leave in the unit, but who ever heard of a heirloom sofa bed? Throw that shit out, ideally by leaving it in a unit and no longer paying the bill. You don't need to cling to memories: you're rich now, atop your rodent power empire.

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

My Unofficial Mario Character Bio

This is a going to be the first in a series of posts I will be making for unofficial character bios I made for the Mario cast, using official information to craft them. These are intended to help people better grasp these characters and I hope y'all like them.

Mario the is the iconic hero of the Mushroom Kingdom who is always willing to stand up to the Turtle Tribe when they step out of line. Brought to his parents in the Mushroom Kingdom he would grow up with his younger twin brother Luigi, and even attended kindergarten with a Baby Peach. Eventually the Bros. moved to Big City now New Donk City where they could go through many jobs until they eventually became construction plumbers, which has been Mario’s profession ever since. Mario is also a jack-of-all-trades, having even become a doctor researching viruses at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital's virus research lab. He is a trusted friend of Princess Peach and heavily implied to be dating her. His masterful jumping abilities which he uses in all his adventures have made him very athletic, and have allowed him to excel in all types of sports, and have even helped him out in the Olympics. His jumping skills are what make him popular, and in New Donk City he was given the title Jumpman. He is also famous for his moustache. He has many rivals from the Donkey Kongs to Wario, but neither hold a candle to his arch-rival King Bowser Koopa. Between the Bros. Mario is regarded as the one with the brawn between the two, and while he is strong he is not as strong as his rivals Wario and Donkey Kong. Speaking of rivalry Mario and Luigi have had a friendly rivalry since they were little, when they play sports, race karts, and even in the Olympics which they partake in. They can get into heated contests to the point they will even compete to see who gets the most medals. That being said both of the brothers do care about each other very much where they will defend each other, and in Mario’s case has even hallucinated seeing Luigi when they were apart. They also seem to have a twin sense. Both him and Luigi are famous around the world, though characters can be surprised to see this is the Mushroom Kingdom’s hero, and Mario is more likely to be recognized more for his heroics than Luigi is. Mario is bright, merry, and very cheerful with an indomitable spirit and is an all-around guy who is always ready to help out a friend.. He is meant to represent the perpetual underdog. Mario doesn’t aim to kill his opponents though that doesn’t mean he won’t if he needs to in some cases. In addition, due to adventures like the one he took with Bowser, Geno, Peach, and Mallow he knows there is more to Bowser. This is why he has helped Bowser Junior return Bowser back to normal in one game, and comforted Bowser in another. But he also isn’t going to let Bowser kidnap Peach and force her to marry him, let alone conquer other lands. Mario, also has experienced several opponents who have turned over a new leaf and villains who have been reformed which may also influence how he treats Bowser. He also doesn't punch Yoshies or drop Yoshies into pits, and the same goes for the rest of his friends who ride Yoshies. Let alone his loyal adventuring buddy Yoshi who is a good friend of his. Toad is also one of Mario’s loyal friends. Mario has provided a lot for the Mario Kart Grand Prixs through Mario Motors , Mario Work Gear, and Mario Electrical Support.

[grogumaximus]

According to information from auto motor und sport, Mercedes will probably find it difficult to compete in 2026. Verstappen's camp says that the hottest stock on the transfer market will still be in the Red Bull cockpit. The reasons for this seem logical: the new regulations will come into force in 2026, and the power units will play a more important role again. The electric power of the hybrid will increase significantly. Almost half of the power will be generated electrically. Verstappen first wants to see which manufacturer will be best able to master the new regulations.

Although Mercedes dominated the first part of the hybrid era (2014 to 2021), there is no guarantee that it will have an advantage on the drive side from 2026 onwards. However, the clear upward trend on the chassis side could be a plus point for Mercedes. After almost three years of the ground effect era, the team has finally managed to get back to the top. At the moment, Verstappen could fight for victories in the W15.

Red Bull will develop its own power unit for the first time in 2026. The team from Milton Keynes will receive support from Ford, who will use their knowledge to contribute to the electric part of the hybrid. If Red Bull finds the holy grail here and Mercedes doesn't, a Verstappen move would be obsolete. Conversely, the 26-year-old could then decide to leave for Mercedes with a clear conscience.

Toto Wolff will have to continue to be patient. The Austrian still has super talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli in reserve. The 17-year-old Mercedes junior is getting better and better after initial difficulties in Formula 2 and is set to become George Russell's team-mate in 2025.

If, contrary to our information, Wolff is able to sign Verstappen for 2026, the team boss would have a luxury problem: Russell or Antonelli would have to look for another cockpit. It would be a hard blow to send the young Italian out after just one year in the premier class. The same goes for Russell. The Englishman has proven his class in just under three years at Mercedes and has also more than held his own against superstar Lewis Hamilton.

[mychlapci]

Could you give us more filthy ass spice on the rescue bots with their human partners? I imagine that these last ones will end up just as freaky as their bot partners (and only with them), but will never admit it....obviously, everyone would make a collective effort to make sure Cody doesn't find out about the adult activities (he´s a sweet angel and needs to be protected lol)

Basically, "you fucked me so good my own species no longer gets me going" and "I fucked you so good my own species no longer gets me going". According to you, what would be the kinks each both and human would be into, and mutual kinks for each pairing?

okay, the rescue team and the rescue bots completely rewiring each other into becoming alien fuckers is good. lots of funny potential, but also, kind of fucked up. I want Kade to be getting it on with Hayley and half-way through realizing that he’s missing the sound of a rumbling engine, the feel of hard metal under his hands, the sensation of combing wires between his fingers. I want Dani to be getting it on with that crush of hers and she realizes that she doesn’t like the feel of flesh anymore, that when she touches him she expects hard steel and the flutter of helicopter wings. I want Graham to be casually fixing a small electric motor or a motherboard or whatever and popping a boner. Chief Burns never really looked at women all that much because most of his focus was on his kids and on his job but now he’s lost all interest, all the warmth he needs is that of Chase’s cabin. 

And the bots too. They’ll interface to release tension after a long day of working and it’s fine but they all kind of wish a human was involved, missing the soft flesh and the squirming, small hands pressing up against the chassis, the gush of organic fluids and the feeling of their little bodies overheating in such a peculiar manner… Uh oh. They’ve all trained themselves to be attracted to an alien species. 

but then again, funny potential. people asking chief Burns why doesn’t he find someone now that his kids are mostly grown up, and he has to spin some story about how his job is important and how Cody is still small and it wouldn’t be fair to him. Meanwhile Chase is behind him revving his engine because he’s feeling jealous. People ask Kade why he broke up with his dream girl and he kind of stumbles around before making a “joke” about how he’s only faithful to his job. 

and as for kinks... i think Graham and Boulder are big into Plug ’n’ play. Graham is interested in the construction of the cybertronian physique and Boulder is happy to indulge him. They like a little bit of electroshock play. These two probably have the most healthy sexual relationship, lots of safety precautions and consent.

The two who are competely unsafe and fucked up are Heatwave and Kade, who don’t take proper safety precautions, meaning that Kade will limp around for a week, or Heatwave will be painstankigly cleaning out semen out of his valve for hours. They like to do a little dom/sub play, though of course both of them is convinced they’re the dom.

mhmmm I think Blades has a little bit of a force-fem kink. He likes it when Dani calls him a pretty girl, plays with his valve and calls it a pussy. He would wear a dress or lingerie for her if they made any in his size. Dani is definitely into it. She wasn’t really at first, but she wuickly found ou that she likes it when her partner is a little bit of an anxious wreck.

Chief Burns and Chase have the weirdest relationship yet. Chase is very communicative, in his own way, and Charlie is humiliated but tries to be recoprocative. They keep everything very down low and calm, enjoying each other’s company most of the time. But wwhen they get kinky, they get kinky. Chase loves listening to orders, after all, and fulfilling them only makes him feel happy. Intense Dom/Sub play with these two.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 20, 2024

Brain-imaging evidence for compression of binary sound sequences in human memory. Al Roumi, F., Planton, S., Wang, L., & Dehaene, S. (2023). eLife, 12, e84376.

Awake responses suggest inefficient dense coding in the mouse retina. Boissonnet, T., Tripodi, M., & Asari, H. (2023). eLife, 12, e78005.

Competing neural representations of choice shape evidence accumulation in humans. Bond, K., Rasero, J., Madan, R., Bahuguna, J., Rubin, J., & Verstynen, T. (2023). eLife, 12, e85223.

Overestimation in angular path integration precedes Alzheimer’s dementia. Castegnaro, A., Ji, Z., Rudzka, K., Chan, D., & Burgess, N. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4650-4661.e7.

Predictive learning by a burst-dependent learning rule. Chapman, G. W., & Hasselmo, M. E. (2023). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 205, 107826.

Motor actions are spatially organized in motor and dorsal premotor cortex. Chehade, N. G., & Gharbawie, O. A. (2023). eLife, 12, e83196.

A complete reconstruction of the early visual system of an adult insect. Chua, N. J., Makarova, A. A., Gunn, P., Villani, S., Cohen, B., Thasin, M., … Chklovskii, D. B. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4611-4623.e4.

Longitudinal evidence that infants develop their imitation abilities by being imitated. Essler, S., Becher, T., Pletti, C., Gniewosz, B., & Paulus, M. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4674-4678.e3.

How associations become behavior. Ghirlanda, S., & Enquist, M. (2023). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 205, 107833.

Emotion regulation during encoding reduces negative and enhances neutral mnemonic discrimination in individuals with depressive symptoms. Hayes, B. K., Harikumar, A., Ferguson, L. A., Dicker, E. E., Denny, B. T., & Leal, S. L. (2023). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 205, 107824.

Representations of tactile object location in the retrosplenial cortex. Lande, A. S., Garvert, A. C., Ebbesen, N. C., Jordbræk, S. V., & Vervaeke, K. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4599-4610.e7.

Informational feedback accelerates learning in multi-alternative perceptual judgements of orientation. Liu, J., Lu, Z.-L., & Dosher, B. (2023). Vision Research, 213, 108318.

History information emerges in the cortex during learning. Marmor, O., Pollak, Y., Doron, C., Helmchen, F., & Gilad, A. (2023). eLife, 12, e83702.

Mega-scale movie-fields in the mouse visuo-hippocampal network. Purandare, C., & Mehta, M. (2023). eLife, 12, e85069.3.

Theta-band phase locking during encoding leads to coordinated entorhinal-hippocampal replay. Santos-Pata, D., Barry, C., & Ólafsdóttir, H. F. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4570-4581.e5.

Using multi-modal neuroimaging to characterise social brain specialisation in infants. Siddiqui, M., Pinti, P., Brigadoi, S., Lloyd-Fox, S., Elwell, C. E., Johnson, M. H., … Jones, E. J. (2023). eLife, 12, e84122.

Non-invasive temporal interference electrical stimulation of the human hippocampus. Violante, I. R., Alania, K., Cassarà, A. M., Neufeld, E., Acerbo, E., Carron, R., … Grossman, N. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(11), 1994–2004.

Information search processing affects social decisions. Wei, Z., Liang, Y., Liang, C., & Liu, H. (2023). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 36(5), e2352.

Noninvasive theta-burst stimulation of the human striatum enhances striatal activity and motor skill learning. Wessel, M. J., Beanato, E., Popa, T., Windel, F., Vassiliadis, P., Menoud, P., … Hummel, F. C. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(11), 2005–2016.

The locus coeruleus directs sensory-motor reflex amplitude across environmental contexts. Witts, E. C., Mathews, M. A., & Murray, A. J. (2023). Current Biology, 33(21), 4679-4688.e3.

[trillscienceofficer]

I think Star Trek: Voyager is (as always) wishy-washy on assigning specific roles and competences to the engineering crew but it's interesting to consider the role of chief engineer specifically as a systems engineer, ie someone who has to make sure everything plays nice together, both on a human(oid) side and a technology side. Many systems engineers think of themselves as jacks of all trades, who know enough about every system in a project to be aware of how they communicate with each other and how they can be optimized, but who usually leave the actual process of optimization to the people who have the specific role and knowledge to do that. And as a result, you also have to be able to listen to, talk to, and direct people.

Thinking specifically about B'Elanna, I think "Parallax" makes the case that Chakotay pushed her forward for the role of chief engineer mainly because her technical knowledge and abilities. B'Elanna is absolutely a jack of all trades, sometimes even too good at everything to be believable, but honestly I don't begrudge this as the usual lazy Trek approach to anything regarding science and technology. There are people out there, even now, who can jump from disassembling and reassembling car engines to repairing delicate electronics to writing code from scratch for functional drones. Space travel is obviously much more intricate and complex than internal combustion engines or three-phase electric motors, with so many more systems that need to solve specific issues, but I can definitely suspend my disbelief enough to imagine a world where spaceships are as commonplace as electric cars are nowadays. Anyway, my point is: B'Elanna is that type of guy who can do everything and do it well, Chakotay obviously knew this because he'd seen it firsthand, so she is the obvious choice for THEE system engineer on the USS Voyager.

A systems engineer has to interact and guide people a lot too, though, and I don't think Chakotay would've imposed an ultimatum on Janeway if he'd had doubts on B'Elanna's people skills. Thinking about Chakotay knowing this about her, it makes me somewhat understand the tough attitude he has towards her sometimes (ie "I know you can be so much better than this and it's pissing me off that you're choosing to go low now"), though I don't necessarily love how often it happens. He must've known that with a bit of patience and understanding B'Elanna can fill in a leadership role and do it well, despite her not always displaying good judgment (eg with Dreadnought). He was right that Janeway just needed to give her a chance. I'm sure Chakotay had gone through a similar process of getting to understand how B'Elanna operates (and how to best utilize her skills) in the Maquis.

For all that the show forgets very often about the source of B'Elanna's prickliness, I think her "worst" interpersonal trait is that she can't suffer fools, and that makes her irrational and immature in the eyes of many, because of course women of color setting high standards is tantamount to anathema and cannot last. It's pattern that imho repeats in her relationship with Tom, where B'Elanna obvious affection for him and willingness to bridge any gaps to continue being with him erodes any standards she might've had, bit by bit. But this only shows that, again as a pattern that repeats in her personal life, she is actually very willing to sacrifice her ego in order for the boat to not rock too hard and keep sailing, and especially in order to keep people from leaving. So I've been wondering for a long time if also being a chief engineer on the USS Voyager, a systems engineer that has to make everything work together as smoothly as possible, also didn't mean for B'Elanna a slow erosion of her sense of self, subsumed entirely by the need to keep everything running or else everyone dies. Don't get me wrong, I still think Chakotay was right and this is a role that B'Elanna was meant to assume, and she fulfills it incredibly well. That being said, I think neither Chakotay nor B'Elanna realized the personal cost it would impose on her. Obviously being lost at sea is a particularly fraught condition in which to assume that much responsibility, but I think B'Elanna also has trouble separating her identity from any role she occupies, be it chief engineer or girlfriend etc. This is... I don't know, maybe something that's expected of (fictional) women, "nurturing" and all, but honestly it's not a trait that I would consider at all positive though the show seems to think that B'Elanna should be more like this for some fucking reason.

So I wonder, what is left of her obvious passion and enthusiasm for technology once back in the Alpha Quadrant? What would it mean for her to keep working for Starfleet afterwards, part of an even larger and much more impersonal (without any equivalent to Janeway's or Chakotay's approval) machine? I don't think that without either her former passion or a deeply personal component B'Elanna could be happy in such an environment, to be honest.

[yay855]

I need you people to try this game- it's an open-source survival sci-fi traditional roguelike called Cataclysm Bright Nights. It's a fork based off of Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead, but designed to be more focused on fun than punishing realism- though it's still plenty realistic, at least given what kind of game it is.

For those who don't know, Cataclysm is an old game, from 2010, that has been developed over time and has since forked off into two competing versions. You play as the survivor of the Cataclysm, and now have to figure out how to keep surviving in the face of an ever-evolving threat.

Grab the game from the release section of the github; the game's full description (and my gushing) is below the cut.

You may be asking, "that description is kind of vague, what exactly was this apocalypse?", well the answer is all of them. Every single human is infected with a parasitic interdimensional organism known as The Blob, which mutates its host in response to certain things. Every living human, and many animals, that dies will come back as a zombie, and the longer the Cataclysm goes on, the more the zombies and wildlife will mutate further. There are also crazed humans who fight alongside the undead, bandits, alien invaders known as Mi-Go, demons rising from the netherrealms, hostile military robots and cyborgs and turrets dot the landscape, and there's even a fungal hive mind trying to infect all other life out of a twisted benevolence.

The game also has one of the most indepth crafting systems I've ever seen. Instead of simply being able to build with a workbench or your bare hands, most crafting recipes require the proper tools- and if you don't have them, you can make some. Pick some flowers to turn their stems into cordage, grab some rocks, and make a stone hammer and knife; build a basic screwdriver out of scrap metal and wood, and a makeshift crowbar out of a pipe you flattened on one end. Carve a wooden or bone needle and learn to sew a gambeson. Disassemble a lawnmower and tie the blade to a long stick to make a makeshift polearm. Construct a full forging setup and make yourself a sword and metal armor. Add an electric motor and a motorcycle battery to a bicycle to make it run that much faster. Take the turret mount off of a firetruck, weld it to the hood of the car you stole, and install a handmade laser rifle you built from disassembled electronics and camera lenses to run off of the car's battery, allowing you to gun down the undead hordes in relative safety. Disassemble .308 ammo to hand-load the spent 5.56 shells you used gunning down enemies. Delve into ruined laboratories whose experiments have run amok to find high-tech weapons and learn to craft your own targeted mutagens.

You can also learn martial arts, strengthening your abilities with melee weapons. Everyone learns basic brawling once they know how to hit something, but brawling takes higher skill to gain the basic techniques; proper fighting styles have to be carefully found, but are worth it. Use Eskrima and an extendable baton or a dagger to smack and dice your enemies apart, use fencing to effortlessly parry enemy attacks with a rapier, use ninjutsu to silently take down foes, learn drunken boxing to sway and counterattack every single enemy blow, or even learn biojutsu to slice your enemies apart with implanted metal claws or blades.

The game is also unique in that it lets you use mutations and cybernetics hand in hand. You mutating a pair of venomous fangs doesn't stop you from installing smoke and poison resistant cybernetic lungs, you mutating hooves doesn't stop you from installing high-tech alloy plating onto your legs. And you can loot cybernetics from hospitals and augmentation clinics and labs, but you can also dissect zombies for them, using your first aid skill to carefully extract bionics from the undead- you can even build a handheld device to identify bionics in corpses. Generally, mutations are less reliable but cost hunger at most, while cybernetics are more reliable but harder to power and gain.

All in all, it's one of the best roguelikes I've ever played. There's so much to it, there's daily updates, grab the Catapult launcher to try all four forks, just try it out! There's a discord server linked in the github!

[beardedmrbean]

Big taxes will be imposed on imports of electric vehicles from China to the EU after the majority of member states backed the plans.

The move to introduce tariffs aims to protect the European car industry from being undermined by what EU politicians believe are unfair Chinese-state subsidies on its own cars.

Tariffs on electric cars made in China are set to rise from 10% to up to 45% for the next five years, but there have been concerns such a move could raise electric vehicle (EV) prices for buyers.

The decision, which split EU member states such as France and Germany, risks sparking a trade war between Brussels and Beijing, which has condemned the tariffs as protectionist.

China has been counting on high-tech products to help revive its flagging economy and the EU is the largest overseas market for the country's electric car industry.

Its domestic car industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades and its brands, such as BYD, have begun moving into international markets, prompting fears from the likes of the EU that its own companies will be unable to compete with the cheaper prices.

The EU imposed import tariffs of varying levels on different Chinese manufacturers in the summer, but Friday's vote was to decide if they were implemented for the next five years.

The charges were calculated based on estimates of how much Chinese state aid each manufacturer has received following an EU investigation. The European Commission set individual duties on three major Chinese EV brands - SAIC, BYD and Geely.

EU members were divided on tariffs. Germany, whose car manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on exports to China, was against them. Many EU members abstained in the vote.

German carmakers have been vocal in opposition. Volkswagen says tariffs are "the wrong approach".

However, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland were reported to have backed the import taxes. The tariffs proposal could only have been blocked if a qualified majority of 15 members voted against it.

Germany's top industry association, BDI, called on the European Union and China to continue trade talks over tariffs to avoid an "escalating trade conflict".

The European Commission, which held the vote, said the EU and China would "work hard to explore an alternative solution" to the import taxes to address what it called "injurious subsidisation" of Chinese electric vehicles.

China's Commerce Ministry called the decision to impose tariffs "unfair" and "unreasonable", but added the issue could be resolved through negotiations.

The dispute has raised fears among industry groups outside the car sector that they could face retaliatory tariffs from China.

A trade body for the French cognac industry said the French authorities "have abandoned us".

"We do not understand why our sector is being sacrificed in this way."

It said a negotiated solution needed to be found that would "prevent our products from facing a surtax that could exclude them from the Chinese market".

'Serious concerns' over UK sales

Figures show that in August this year, EU registrations of battery-electric cars fell by 43.9% from a year earlier.

In the UK, demand for new electric vehicles hit a new record in September, but orders were mostly driven by commercial deals and by big manufacturer discounts, according to the industry trade body.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said firms had "serious concerns as the market is not growing quickly enough to meet mandated targets".

The industry has warned that drivers need better incentives to buy electric to help manufacturers ahead of the planned ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Under the Conservative government the deadline for this ban was pushed back to 2035 from 2030, but Labour has pledged to bring it back to 2030.

Car makers are required to meet electric vehicle sales targets. Under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, at least 22% of vehicles sold this year must be zero-emission, with the target expected to hit 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Manufacturers that fail to hit quotas could be fined £15,000 per car.

The bosses of several car companies, including BMW, Ford and Nissan, wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Friday saying the industry was likely to miss these targets.

They said economic factors such as higher energy and material costs and interest rates had meant electric cars remained "stubbornly more expensive and consumers are wary of investing". The average cost to buy an electric car in the UK is around £48,000.

They said a "lack of confidence" in the UK’s charging infrastructure was another barrier to encourage people to switch to electric.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

The federal government will grant car and auto parts factories in eight states $1.7 billion to begin producing electric vehicles and other clean energy technology, the Biden administration announced on Thursday.

Among the 11 recipients will be a Jeep factory in Belvidere, Ill., that the brand’s parent company Stellantis closed last year. The money will allow the plant to reopen and produce electric vehicles, officials said, restoring almost 1,450 jobs.

Other beneficiaries include a factory in Georgia that plans to make Blue Bird electric school buses, a General Motors factory in Michigan that will shift production from gasoline to electric vehicles, and a Harley-Davidson factory in Pennsylvania that will increase production of electric motorcycles.

The funding helps to address fears that electric vehicles will endanger jobs at factories that make gasoline-powered vehicles or parts for internal combustion engines as the industry shifts to E.V.s. To qualify for the money, companies had to commit to retraining their existing workers.

Employees at all of the factories chosen are represented by unions. Officials said they gave priority to communities that suffered disproportionately from pollution or lack of investment.

Several of the factories are in Pennsylvania, Michigan or Georgia, states where narrow margins will determine the outcome of the presidential election. President Biden, in a statement, sought to contrast his industrial policies with those of former President Donald J. Trump.

The funds will preserve 15,000 jobs and create almost 3,000 new ones, Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. In a reference to China, she said the money will allow the United States to “compete with other countries who were subsidizing their auto industries.”

The awards will draw on funds allocated by the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats in Congress in 2022. The legislation provided subsidies that have fed a boom in construction of electric vehicle factories and battery plants.

[scotianostra]

On November 16th 1956 the last of the original trams ran in Edinburgh.

Sixty five years ago this evening, thousands turned out to wave an emotional goodbye to the city’s original tram system before it was scrapped.

Trams had been falling out of favour across the country since the end of the Second World War. Cities were expanding, and the rail-and-wire-bound trams of yesteryear could not compete with the flexibility and cost-­effectiveness of the modern motor bus. Municipal tramways up and down the country faced the heavy axe of progress.

The decision to decommission Edinburgh’s tram network arose in 1952, its 47 miles taking just four years to dismantle.

In the last week, a special service painted handsomely in white and gold livery was laid on to tour what was left of the old network.

All ordinary tram passengers were issued with a bright yellow “Last Tram Week” ticket; a masterstroke by Edinburgh Corporation which did a “roaring trade” in the final seven days.

The last hurrah arrived on Friday, November 16; a suitably cold, grey and miserable day. That evening, a procession of tramcars made its way from the Braids terminus to Shrubhill depot, taking in much of the original 1871 route. Ten trams were laid on due to the demand – one car containing the very city councillors who had consigned the trams to the history books in the first place.

It seemed that the entire city was out in force that night; throngs of people lined the pavements and eager spectators hung out of tenement windows to catch a glimpse of the historic procession.

Motor cars and buses added to the atmosphere by tooting their horns.

At the Mound and Hanover Street, an enormous crowd reaching 60 or 70 yards up the road gathered to wave goodbye to the last cars.

Police, mounted and on foot, kept the mass of spectators from pressing against the vehicles. Souvenir-hungry “boys and youths” armed with screwdrivers were reported aboard the final convoy, keen to secure their own little bit of history from the inside of the cabins.

Regardless of whether you lamented their passing or were glad to see them vanish, it was certainly the end of an era. From the earliest horse-drawn trams and cable cars of the turn of the century, to the electric system implemented in the 1920s, tramcars had been present in the Capital, in one form or another, for generations.

Eighty-five years of municipal tram history, which at its height had carried around 200 million passengers a year on routes covering Corstorphine to Levenhall, and just about everywhere in between, had been consigned for good to the great catenary wire in the sky... or so we all thought.

[pearllemon-classics]

Cruising Through Dreams: Bucket List Classic Car Events Around the World

Fasten your seatbelts, my fellow motor enthusiasts! We’re about to embark on an exhilarating adventure through the globe’s most iconic classic car events. From the heart-pounding roar of engines on Europe’s legendary circuits to California’s sun-kissed streets, these must-attend events are guaranteed to fuel your passion for vintage motoring. Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado or just daydreaming about owning a classic car one day, these events offer a sneak peek into the very essence of automotive history. So, don your driving gloves and join us as we journey through the ultimate classic car experiences worldwide!

1. Goodwood Festival of Speed

West Sussex, England

Tucked away in the undulating landscapes of West Sussex, England, lies the Goodwood Festival of Speed — a paradise for car lovers. This annual spectacle presents a breathtaking collection of classic cars, from timeless racers to contemporary supercars, all vying for glory on the legendary Hillclimb course. Goodwood seamlessly weaves together nostalgia and exhilaration, promising an indelible experience for devotees across generations. Picture yourself delving into the rich legacy and sophistication of classic automobiles at events like this one. Pearl Lemon Classics crafts bespoke experiential tours that transport enthusiasts on immersive journeys through the magnificence of classic cars and iconic racing events throughout the UK and Europe. Embrace this opportunity to live your passion!

2. Monterey Car Week

Monterey, California, USA

Every August, the charming coastal town of Monterey, California, transforms into a grand stage for one of the world’s most esteemed classic car events. Monterey Car Week is not just an event; it’s a week-long celebration of automotive brilliance that captures hearts worldwide. From prestigious concours d’elegance to heart-pounding races at Laguna Seca and awe-inspiring auctions where vintage gems find new homes, every moment is steeped in excitement and elegance. Whether you’re marvelling at rare Ferraris on the Pebble Beach Golf Links or embarking on a nostalgic journey along 17-Mile Drive in your own classic car, Monterey Car Week is an absolute must for any car aficionado. With Pearl Lemon Classics, you can immerse yourself in this glamourous spectacle through tailor-made tour packages that promise more than just experiences — they create timeless memories filled with history, sophistication and thrill!

3. Le Mans Classic

Le Mans, France

For those whose hearts beat faster at the thought of endurance racing, there’s no event that compares to the Le Mans Classic. Held every two years on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in France, this event is a magnificent homage to motorsport’s golden age. It showcases a captivating collection of vintage race cars, each competing for honour on a track steeped in history and tales of triumph and tragedy. Whether you’re basking in the thunderous symphony of classic prototypes from the grandstands or soaking up the electric atmosphere in the bustling paddock, Le Mans Classic is an adventure that every racing enthusiast should experience. Picture yourself standing amidst history at Circuit de la Sarthe, where Pearl Lemon Classics offers exclusive insights and access to private collections — ensuring an immersive experience at events like Le Mans Classic that truly encapsulate vintage motoring’s timeless allure.

4. Woodward Dream Cruise

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Heralded as the globe’s grandest one-day car festival, the Woodward Dream Cruise is an unparalleled homage to American automotive heritage. Each August, a cavalcade of classic cars invades Detroit’s historic Woodward Avenue, morphing it into a dynamic exhibition of motoring milestones. From brawny muscle cars to sizzling hot rods, and from vintage trucks to bespoke cruisers — the Dream Cruise is a visual and auditory banquet. It offers live music, culinary delights and boundless chances for reminiscing with fellow aficionados. Immerse yourself in exhilarating events like the Woodward Dream Cruise with Pearl Lemon Classics — nurturing a community of passionate enthusiasts and crafting unforgettable experiences within the pulsating realm of retro motoring.

5. Classic Days Schloss Dyck

Jüchen, Germany

Imagine being enveloped by the serene beauty of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where Schloss Dyck stands majestically as the stage for one of Europe’s most esteemed classic car events. Classic Days Schloss Dyck is more than a weekend event; it’s a jubilant celebration of automotive history that captivates and thrills. From admiring the timeless elegance of pre-war classics to experiencing the heart-pounding excitement of vintage race cars in action, Schloss Dyck offers an all-encompassing journey into automotive heritage for enthusiasts across generations. Picture yourself at Classic Days Schloss Dyck, where Pearl Lemon Classics nurtures a passionate community and provides personalised attention, crafting indelible memories in the enchanting realm of vintage motoring.

As we draw the curtain on our thrilling journey through the world’s most coveted classic car events, it becomes resoundingly evident that the fervour for vintage motoring is a universal phenomenon. Whether you’re meticulously planning your next escapade or simply harbouring dreams of one day possessing a classic beauty, remember that an exhilarating world of vintage motoring stands ready to set your passion ablaze and fuel your aspirations. With organisations like Pearl Lemon Classics offering bespoke tours tailored to enthusiasts craving immersive experiences amidst majestic classic cars and iconic racing events, the opportunities are boundless. So come along! Let’s revel in the timeless legacy of classic cars and salute the vibrant community of enthusiasts who keep the flame of vintage motoring burning brightly!

[melyonza]

Vehicle mode ideas for future Terrans.

We know that the Terrans are a species created in the Earthspark series. Where we see the Terrans learning to choose their vehicle mode

In case new Terrans are born in the future, I started to think of some vehicle ideas that I would like to see, and in this case they are from discarded prototype cars, that is, humanity scrapped the manufacturing project. But perhaps they can serve as inspiration for the designs of the new Terrans.

They probably think that it is impossible for it to happen, but remember that Twtich based its design on a drone created by Wheeljack, that is, a vehicle mode that cannot be found anywhere else.

Here are a few examples of vehicles that could be used as inspiration for Transformers Earthspark:

L’Automodule

Created in the 70s in Europe by the French engineer Jean-Pierre Ponthieu. This is a spherical vehicle for 3 people and with 4 wheels mounted on a kind of hydraulic arms. The variable base of the tires allowed the L'Automodule to adjust its height to travel on a variety of terrains.

Considered at the time an absurd idea, today thanks to technological advances this idea could be used in the series with an improved design.

I think this form would be ideal for Jawbreaker but time will tell.

Land Glider

Scrapped by the Nissan company in 2009. It was an electric car for 2 people, with the passenger seat behind the driver. Unlike other vehicles, its steering system would be similar to that of a motorcycle.

Rinspeed X Dream

First revealed in 1999 at the Geneva Auto Show, Switzerland, this silver car is like no other. The concept is simple: it's a convertible sport pickup but it has a hydraulic crane at the rear capable of deploying a hovercraft.

While it sounds ridiculous, the hovercraft could probably be redesigned for the series to make it more modern and useful for the Terran or the Maltos, especially the kids.

Also, it wouldn't be the first time that the Transformers have that mini-vehicle design, an example is Soundwave with his cassettes. So I guess this vehicle could be used for a Terran.

Fuya-Jo

Debuting at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, the Fuya-Jo was Honda's attempt to diversify corporate-looking vehicles. It was basically designed to be a party car.

The low floor made it easy to get in, plus it was stain-proof and slip-resistant. The interior was designed with the necessary features to accommodate a DJ in the rear and the doors had huge speakers to ensure a party.

I imagine it for a party Terran and that he can compete with Soundwave using his speakers to combat the sonic waves of the decepticon.

Although I could also use him for the design of the forgotten transformer called Blaster.

Italdesign Machimoto

First shown in Turin in 1986. It was a combination between a motorcycle and a car built on the basis of a Volkswagen Golf. Passengers sit motorcycle-style and the vehicle can even be expanded to increase capacity to accommodate up to 9 people.

Its steering mode can be chosen by the driver, that is, he could choose whether to use a steering wheel or a motorcycle handlebar.

Another unique aspect of this vehicle is that it could be expanded further to have more space, that is, add more seats.

PS: This idea was shared because there is a rumor that we will see more Terrans in the series, so there are more chances of seeing new vehicle mode designs like what happened with Hashtag and Nightshade.

[rabbitcruiser]

Black Sand Shores, CA (No. 5)

In 1909, an advertisement for the Idlewild Hotel on the Little Sur River stated that the camp would be accessible by auto as soon as the "Cerro Grade", the stretch of road from the coast to the Little Sur River near Cerro Hill, was completed. In 1910, the Monterey Daily Cypress reported that Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Cooper "motored down to Mrs. Martha M. Cooper ranch at Sur, leaving Monterey at 12 midnight and arriving there at 2 a.m." But the road was still very rough, and most goods including cheese produced on the Cooper Ranch was still shipped by boat to Monterey. The Idlewild competed with the Pfeiffer Resort for guests through about 1920, when the Idlewild was forced out of business by Martha Cooper, who acquired the land. In 1904, residents extended the unpaved road from the Pfeiffer Resort to the Post Ranch, and then it was extended another 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south to Castro Canyon, near the present-day location of Deetjen's Big Sur Inn.

As late as the 1920s, only two homes in the entire region had electricity, locally generated by water wheels and windmills. Most of the population lived without power until connections to the California electric grid were established in the early 1950s. The region has always been relatively difficult to access and only the sturdiest and most self-sufficient settlers stayed.

In July 1937, the California Highways and Public Works department described the journey, "There was a narrow, winding, steep road from Carmel south ... approximately 35 miles to the Big Sur River. From that point south to San Simeon, it could only be traveled by horseback or on foot."The southern portion, which was for many years merely a foot and horse trail, became known as the "Coast Ridge Road". It used to begin near the Old Post Ranch. It is currently only accessible on foot from near the Ventana Inn. It passes through private land and connects with the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. It follows the crest of the coastal ridge south about 34 miles (55 km) to within a couple of miles of Cone Peak.  Both the Old Coast Road and the Coast Ridge Road are often unusable during and after winter storms.

The southern region of Monterey County coast was isolated from the few settlements in the north by the steep terrain. The southern homesteaders were more closely tied to the people in the interior San Antonio Valley including the Jolon and Lockwood areas than to coastal communities to the north. Those who lived in the vicinity of the Big Sur River were connected with Monterey to the north.

A horse trail connected Jolon through present-day Fort Hunter Liggett to Wagon Caves, and from there over the Santa Lucia range, from which two trails split to the coast or to the Los Burros Mining District.

The horse trail across the mountains was widened and improved into a road beginning in 1931, and completed in 1937. The road was constructed by crews composed of men from the Civilian Conservation Corp, U.S. Forest Service, and state and county relief agencies.

Source: Wikipedia