#green mobility solutions

[townpostin]

Ranchi Hosts Consultation on Sustainable Urban Development

Experts discuss strategies for climate-resilient cities and green infrastructure A consultation on ‘Just Transition for Sustainable Urban Habitat’ highlights the need for strategic interventions to manage rapid urbanization impacts in Jharkhand. RANCHI – Ranchi hosted a consultation on sustainable urban development, emphasizing the need for climate-resilient cities and green infrastructure amid…

[techninja]

Revolutionizing Public Transport: The Future of Fuel Cell Buses

Introduction

The fuel cell buses market is rapidly gaining traction worldwide. As cities seek sustainable and efficient public transport solutions, fuel cell technology offers a promising alternative to traditional diesel-powered buses. This article explores the benefits, technological advancements, and market trends in the fuel cell bus industry.

Benefits of Fuel Cell Buses

Fuel cell buses present numerous advantages over their diesel counterparts. Firstly, they produce zero emissions, significantly reducing urban air pollution. This contributes to healthier cities and mitigates the impact of climate change. Moreover, these buses are quieter, enhancing the urban environment by reducing noise pollution.

Secondly, fuel cell buses have a longer range compared to battery electric buses. This makes them ideal for long routes and minimizes the need for frequent recharging. Consequently, cities can maintain their public transport schedules more effectively.

Technological Advancements in Fuel Cell Buses

Recent years have seen significant technological advancements in the fuel cell buses market. Improvements in hydrogen storage and fuel cell efficiency have made these buses more viable. Enhanced fuel cells now provide higher energy density, translating to better performance and longer operational ranges.

Additionally, innovations in hydrogen production and distribution have lowered costs. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy sources, has become more accessible. This not only makes fuel cell buses more economically feasible but also ensures the entire process remains environmentally friendly.

Market Trends and Growth

The global market for fuel cell buses is on an upward trajectory. Governments worldwide are implementing policies to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Subsidies, grants, and favorable regulations are driving the adoption of fuel cell buses. For instance, several European countries have launched initiatives to replace old diesel buses with fuel cell alternatives.

Asia-Pacific is emerging as a key player in this market. Countries like China, Japan, and South Korea are investing heavily in hydrogen infrastructure. These nations aim to lead the world in hydrogen technology and fuel cell bus deployment. Their investments are likely to spur market growth and technological advancements globally.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite the promising outlook, the fuel cell bus market faces several challenges. High initial costs and limited hydrogen refueling infrastructure are significant barriers. However, ongoing research and development efforts aim to overcome these hurdles. As technology advances and production scales up, costs are expected to decrease.

On the other hand, there are ample opportunities for growth. The increasing focus on sustainability and the push for greener urban mobility create a favorable environment for fuel cell buses. Collaborations between governments, manufacturers, and energy providers can accelerate market expansion and infrastructure development.

Conclusion

The fuel cell buses market represents a transformative shift in public transportation. With their environmental benefits, technological advancements, and supportive market trends, fuel cell buses are poised to revolutionize urban mobility. Overcoming current challenges will be crucial, but the future looks promising for this innovative mode of transport. As cities and nations strive for sustainable solutions, fuel cell buses will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of public transit.

[techdriveplay]

The Impact of Autonomous Automobiles on the Future of Driving 

Explore the profound impact of autonomous automobiles on driving's future, from safety enhancements to urban mobility transformation.

The advent of autonomous automobiles is poised to revolutionize the way we perceive and engage with personal and public transportation. This technological leap forward promises to reshape the urban landscape, redefine our commuting habits, and even transform the underlying economics of transportation. In this article, we explore the multifaceted impact of autonomous automobiles on the future of…

[greenthestral]

The Green Revolution: Exploring the Disruptive Technologies Shaping the Future of the Green Economy

In today's rapidly evolving world, the urgency to address climate change and environmental degradation has propelled the concept of a green economy to the forefront of global discussions. As businesses, governments, and individuals recognize the need for sustainable solutions, disruptive technologies have emerged as key drivers of change. These groundbreaking innovations are reshaping traditional industries, revolutionizing energy production and consumption, transforming resource management, and paving the way for a more sustainable future.

The green economy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy, waste management, sustainable agriculture, and green transportation. Within each of these sectors, disruptive technologies are playing a pivotal role in disrupting existing practices and opening up new possibilities.

One of the most significant areas where disruptive technologies are making an impact is renewable energy. Solar power, wind energy, and hydropower have long been recognized as viable sources of clean energy. However, recent advancements have propelled these technologies to new heights of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The development of highly efficient solar panels, innovative wind turbine designs, and sophisticated energy storage systems has significantly enhanced the feasibility of renewable energy sources. Moreover, emerging technologies such as tidal and geothermal energy hold great promise in harnessing previously untapped sources of renewable power.

The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources has traditionally been a challenge for their widespread adoption. However, disruptive technologies are addressing this limitation through energy storage solutions. Advancements in energy storage technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries, and hydrogen storage systems, are unlocking the full potential of renewables. These technologies not only enhance grid stability but also enable the integration of renewable energy into existing infrastructure, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to a greener energy mix.

The transformation of energy management and distribution is another area where disruptive technologies are reshaping the green economy. Smart grids equipped with advanced sensors, communication networks, and automation allow for real-time monitoring and control of electricity supply and demand. By optimizing energy distribution, reducing transmission losses, and integrating decentralized renewable energy sources, smart grids enhance the overall efficiency and reliability of energy systems. Furthermore, the emergence of blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector by enabling peer-to-peer energy trading, ensuring transparency and trust in transactions, and empowering energy consumers to actively participate in the market.

In the realm of sustainable agriculture, disruptive technologies are revolutionizing the way we grow food. Vertical farming, hydroponics, and aeroponics are transforming traditional farming methods, making agriculture more resource-efficient and less dependent on large land areas. These innovative approaches enable year-round crop cultivation, minimize water usage, and maximize productivity. Additionally, precision agriculture techniques, such as remote sensing, drones, and AI-powered analytics, optimize resource allocation, reduce environmental impact, and enhance overall crop yield.

The concept of a circular economy, where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are continuously recycled, is gaining momentum with the help of disruptive technologies. Advanced recycling technologies, including chemical recycling and waste-to-energy conversion, are enabling the recovery of valuable resources from waste streams. This not only reduces the strain on natural resources but also mitigates environmental pollution. Furthermore, innovations like 3D printing, which utilizes recycled materials, are revolutionizing traditional manufacturing practices, reducing waste generation, and promoting decentralized production.

Transportation, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, is also undergoing a transformation driven by disruptive technologies. Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained significant traction, thanks to advancements in battery technology, increased range, and the establishment of robust charging infrastructure. The rise of autonomous vehicles and shared mobility services is revolutionizing urban transportation, reducing congestion, and optimizing energy consumption. Furthermore, the development of biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells holds promise for greener alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-based transportation.

Disruptive technologies are catalyzing a profound transformation within the green economy. From renewable energy and energy storage to sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green transportation, these innovative solutions are reshaping industries, driving economic growth, and addressing pressing global challenges. Embracing these technologies is not only an opportunity but a necessity as we strive to create a more sustainable and resilient future. By investing in and harnessing the transformative potential of disruptive technologies, we can accelerate the transition towards a greener, more sustainable world for generations to come.

The Rise of Disruptive Technology in the Green Economy

The green economy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy, waste management, sustainable agriculture, and green transportation. Within each of these sectors, disruptive technologies are emerging as catalysts for change. These technologies are characterized by their ability to create significant shifts in existing markets, transform business models, and disrupt traditional practices. Their impact extends beyond economic considerations to encompass environmental sustainability and social progress.

Renewable Energy: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future

Renewable energy is one of the key areas where disruptive technologies are reshaping the green economy. Solar power, wind energy, and hydropower have long been established sources of renewable energy. However, recent advancements in solar panel efficiency, wind turbine design, and energy storage systems have dramatically improved the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of these technologies. Additionally, emerging technologies like tidal and geothermal energy are showing promise in harnessing previously untapped sources of renewable power.

Energy Storage: Unlocking the Full Potential of Renewables

The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources poses a challenge to their widespread adoption. However, energy storage technologies are rapidly evolving to address this limitation. Innovations such as lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries, and hydrogen storage systems are paving the way for efficient and scalable energy storage solutions. These technologies not only enhance grid stability but also facilitate the integration of renewable energy into existing infrastructure, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting a greener future.

Smart Grids and Energy Management: Revolutionizing the Power Sector

Disruptive technologies are also revolutionizing the way energy is managed and distributed. Smart grid systems, equipped with advanced sensors, communication networks, and automation, enable real-time monitoring and control of electricity supply and demand. This enables more efficient energy distribution, reduces transmission losses, and enables effective integration of decentralized renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the advent of blockchain technology has the potential to transform the energy sector by enabling peer-to-peer energy trading and ensuring transparency and trust in transactions.

Sustainable Agriculture: Growing Food for the Future

The agricultural sector is undergoing a transformation with the help of disruptive technologies. Vertical farming, hydroponics, and aeroponics are revolutionizing the way we grow crops, making agriculture more resource-efficient and less dependent on traditional farming methods. These technologies allow for year-round crop cultivation, reduce water usage, and eliminate the need for large land areas. Moreover, precision agriculture techniques, such as remote sensing, drones, and AI-powered analytics, optimize resource allocation, enhance productivity, and minimize environmental impact.

Circular Economy and Waste Management: Closing the Loop

Disruptive technologies play a pivotal role in promoting a circular economy, where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are continuously recycled. Advanced recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling and waste-to-energy conversion, are enabling the recovery of valuable resources from waste streams. Additionally, innovative approaches like 3D printing, which utilizes recycled materials, are reducing waste generation and enabling decentralized manufacturing. These technologies are reshaping traditional waste management practices, transforming waste into a valuable resource for creating new products and reducing environmental pollution.

Green Transportation: Journeying Towards Sustainable Mobility

The transportation sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Disruptive technologies are tackling this challenge by promoting sustainable modes of transportation. Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining momentum with advancements in battery technology, charging infrastructure, and increased range. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles and shared mobility services are revolutionizing urban transportation, reducing congestion, and optimizing energy consumption. Additionally, developments in biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells offer potential alternatives to fossil fuel-based transportation, paving the way for a greener mobility revolution.

Conclusion

The disruptive technologies within the green economy are transforming industries, economies, and societies. From renewable energy and energy storage to sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green transportation, these innovations are redefining traditional practices and offering sustainable solutions to pressing global challenges. As the urgency to address climate change intensifies, embracing and investing in these disruptive technologies is not just an opportunity but a necessity. By harnessing their transformative potential, we can accelerate the transition towards a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.

[industowerfanclub]

Expert Green Technology Solutions | Indus Towers

Explore our innovative Green Technology Solutions at Indus Towers. We are committed to sustainability and eco-friendly practices. Discover how we incorporate cutting-edge green technology in our offerings to reduce carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future. Take a step towards sustainability with Indus Towers' Green Technology Solutions.

[vivekguptahal]

Moving to a Net Zero World With Energy & Transport Decarbonization

Transitioning to a net-zero world is one of the greatest challenges we are facing now. It calls for a complete transformation of how we produce, consume, and move about. As emissions continue to rise, it is becoming indispensable to keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C -  to reach net zero by 2050^. For this, nations must make pledges and implement policies to encourage compliance and the onus is on us to achieve the goal. Achieving carbon neutrality must now be a priority for all corporations – by devising technological innovations to enable decarbonization.

Primary focus: decarbonization strategies in the transportation and energy sector

Most greenhouse gas emissions emanate from transportation and energy production. Accordingly, organizations operating at the intersection of energy and transportation will bear much of the responsibility to devise ways to achieve carbon neutrality.

These industries face significant challenges in the decarbonization journey like the need for the transportation industry to electrify most vehicles. Already, California and Texas have been forced to request that residents restrict the charging of electric vehicles (EVs).^^

Hitachi’s role in decarbonization and sustainability

Hitachi, the climate change innovator, is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by minimizing carbon emissions. We have focused on reducing energy consumption and emissions from our factories and facilities, and from suppliers that provide goods, services, and materials to Hitachi.

Hitachi’s efforts in the transition to carbon-neutral focus on three main areas:

1. Digital technologies like advanced data science, artificial intelligence, and IoT.

2. Green technologies like renewables, nuclear, and EVs.

3. Social innovation solutions applied to energy, transportation, and other industries.

We’re using the knowledge we gained from our journey to carbon neutrality to help ease and speed up decarbonization for global organizations.

Early progress leads to future success

Recently, Hitachi partnered with Snohomish County Public Utility District (SnoPUD) to put its decarbonization expertise to work. Together, Hitachi and SnoPUD built a next-generation microgrid that provides reliable power, utilizes vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power for resiliency, and powers the utility’s operations exclusively with renewable energy.

Projects such as the Hitachi-SnoPUD partnership blaze the trail to sustainability, proving the concepts and technologies that must be deployed worldwide in achieving the 2050 goal of carbon neutrality. They also illustrate the value of strategic partnership in the global transition from fossil fuels to sustainable, clean forms of energy.

Decarbonization of energy – finding opportunities

By deploying the right strategies and technologies, organizations can contribute to the global drive toward decarbonization while profiting greatly from their efforts. But many corporations struggle to make this vision a reality. A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group found that while two-thirds of surveyed companies consider climate and sustainability to be a top priority, only 20% of them are positioned to make real progress in achieving their decarbonization goals.^^^

If your organization faces similar challenges, Hitachi is here to assist you in achieving sustainability transformation and contributing to the global push to 2050.

Discover how Hitachi is driving social innovation and digital transformation in Transportation:

Discover how Hitachi is driving social innovation and digital transformation in Energy:

---------------------------------------------------- Sources

^ https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050

^^ Livia Albeck-Ripka, “Amid Heat Wave, California Asks Electric Vehicle Owners to Limit Charging,” New York Times, September 1, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/us/california-heat-wave-flex-alert-ac-ev-charging.html

^^^ Justin Manly, Michael Ringel, et al., ”Are You Ready for Green Growth?,“   https://www.bcg.com/publications/2022/innovation-in-climate-and-sustainability-will-lead-to-green-growth

[neverinsignificant]

How I Am Getting Myself Out of A Funk

This past month, I’ve been in a very terrible funk that has left me with overwhelming stress, an unregulated nervous system, feelings of discomfort (hopelessness, worthlessness, etc…), bloating and a bad case of imposter syndrome. I realize I’ve been wallowing in my own self pity and not taking care of myself the way I should, so I am being honest and admitting that I am scared as to what road my life may take if I do not improve where I know I can by taking the necessary steps. Here’s how I’m getting myself out of this funk:

• Taking my iron medication

I was prescribed medication for my iron deficiency anemia years ago and I haven’t been taking them due to my fear of swallowing pills. I use to let them dissolve in orange juice, but I grew to hate the taste and realized I wasn’t getting the full benefits by doing it this way. I have a complicated history with pills and I would like to get over it by learning & possibly speaking with a specialist who can help me get over my fear as iron has many benefits that would be beneficial to my body.

• Growing comfortable with my therapist

I recently started therapy and as much as I like my therapist, it has been hard to open up to them as much as I’d like. I know it’s because this is a new experience, but once I grow the courage to discuss some of the things I really want, I know my stress levels will decrease and mental health improve because I won’t have to worry about them anymore.

• Cultivating gratitude

I complain…. A lot because if it ain’t one thing, it’s another but by cultivating gratitude, I can practice to be more thankful of what I have and lessen my desire for more and negative thoughts. It will also lead me back to the path of my spiritual journey, which I seem to have slightly abandoned.

• Consume more water

I made a Habits I’m Not Waiting Until January to Implement post back in December where I said this same thing and I wasn’t consistent, but it’s never too late to do so now.

• Working out with positive intentions

Usually when I workout it has been with the intention to develop a certain body type, which lead to me closely examining and prodding at my body in the mirror, but as someone that comes from a family with people who develop physical health issues as they age, it’s important for me to workout simply to remain healthy, especially as I am still young with an able body. Develop stronger knees; hip mobility; straight posture, strength building.

• Breathwork + thought-stopping

This will go hand in hand with meditation. Simply saying “stop” to negative thinking doesn’t usually work for me, but what does is reframing the thoughts I’m having by making a positive light out of it or actively listing solutions. I don’t tend to be consistent with this, but I’ll try.

• Focus on my gut health

Lymphatic drainage by dry brushing, drinking peppermint tea, eating cleaner based foods, consume more fiber-rich foods, cut out gluten, eating more with smaller portions.

• Say “Girl, fuck you”

To people, emotions, circumstances. Simply dismissing the issue has sometimes helped, especially if they’re minor. Living in delusion isn’t always bad.

I’m not a “clean,” health and wellness guru, goop using (whatever tf that is), green juice drinking everyday girl and that’s okay. This is fairly new to me and I didn’t notice the severity of my health until I felt a sharp pain in my chest from stressing. I won’t fully immerge myself in this “aesthetic” as it isn’t in my interest to do so, but I will incorporate some of the habits to my benefits.

“Everyday the sun won’t shine, but that’s why I love tomorrow!” 🌟 -Glorilla

[rideboomindia]

Based on the search results, here are some innovative technologies that RideBoom could implement to enhance the user experience and stay ahead of ONDC:

Enhanced Safety Measures: RideBoom has already implemented additional safety measures, including enhanced driver background checks, real-time trip monitoring, and improved emergency response protocols. [1] To stay ahead, they could further enhance safety by integrating advanced telematics and AI-powered driver monitoring systems to ensure safe driving behavior.

Personalized and Customizable Services: RideBoom could introduce a more personalized user experience by leveraging data analytics and machine learning to understand individual preferences and offer tailored services. This could include features like customizable ride preferences, personalized recommendations, and the ability to save preferred routes or driver profiles. [1]

Seamless Multimodal Integration: To provide a more comprehensive transportation solution, RideBoom could integrate with other modes of transportation, such as public transit, bike-sharing, or micro-mobility options. This would allow users to plan and book their entire journey seamlessly through the RideBoom app, enhancing the overall user experience. [1]

Sustainable and Eco-friendly Initiatives: RideBoom has already started introducing electric and hybrid vehicles to its fleet, but they could further expand their green initiatives. This could include offering incentives for eco-friendly ride choices, partnering with renewable energy providers, and implementing carbon offset programs to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. [1]

Innovative Payment and Loyalty Solutions: To stay competitive with ONDC's zero-commission model, RideBoom could explore innovative payment options, such as integrated digital wallets, subscription-based services, or loyalty programs that offer rewards and discounts to frequent users. This could help attract and retain customers by providing more value-added services. [2]

Robust Data Analytics and Predictive Capabilities: RideBoom could leverage advanced data analytics and predictive modeling to optimize their operations, anticipate demand patterns, and proactively address user needs. This could include features like dynamic pricing, intelligent routing, and personalized recommendations to enhance the overall user experience. [1]

By implementing these innovative technologies, RideBoom can differentiate itself from ONDC, provide a more seamless and personalized user experience, and stay ahead of the competition in the on-demand transportation market.

[lets-talk-gundam]

The ORX-005 Gaplant

With more incursions on Earth itself by Zeon remnant factions and other militant groups, the Federation sought a solution to the issue of MS mobility under gravity. While any mobile suit could make use of a sub-flight unit - such as the Dodai or Base Jabber - they were generally unreliable in combat situations, with rapid maneuvering potentially causing riders to lose balance.

Federation engineers began doing what they do best, and eventually produced the RX-78E Gundam GT-FOUR to serve as a proof of concept.

The machine - while plagued with issues - proved the viability of variable mobile suits, and was considered a success. With this success, the team was given the green light to continue development of variable machines.

The ORX-003 Domingo was one such machine, and would serve as the basis for development going forward. The Domingo stood at an impressive 25 meters in order to accommodate its transformation mechanism. It boasted an impressive mobile suit to mobile armor transformation time of under five seconds, but needed almost a full ten seconds to transform back.

The ORX-005 Gaplant saw its first deployment in UC 0085 as a joint project between the Augusta and Oakland research labs, incorporating lessons learned from the Domingo.

While the issue of unassisted flight was unimportant in space, the Gaplant was developed with space use in mind. Its MA mode was able to make use of the Active Mass Balance Auto-Control (AMBAC) system almost as efficiently as the MS mode, affording it extreme maneuverability.

However, this maneuverability came at a steep cost, and most pilots were unable to handle the intense g-force exerted on them in combat maneuvers. The Gaplant could only be handled by so-called Cyber-Newtypes, thanks to their enhanced bodies.

The Gaplant saw use during the Gryps conflict, where it was fielded by the Titans. At least two standard units are known to have existed at the time - piloted by Rosamia Badam and Yazan Gable respectively, with an unknown number of modified and/ or experimental units.

The Gaplant was also extensively experimented with by the Titans Test Team, resulting in a number of unconventional units, with some eventually falling into the hands of Zeon remnant groups. Recovered Gaplant prototypes were even modified and fielded by groups such as Karaba and the AEUG.

In UC 105, a group of hijackers used a Gaplant to approach and board Haunzen flight 356.

Known sightings of the Gaplant later on are rare. Notably, in U.C. 203, the wreckage of a Gaplant inspires Afranche Char to fight the Federation when it washes up on the shore of his home island.

The ORX-005 Gaplant was originally designed by Kazumi Fujita for the 1985 anime Moblie Suit Zeta Gundam.

This post was a request! Requests are always welcome!

[blogtaculous]

I really want to give a shout-out to the Mobile Frame Zero community for the really, really cool work they’ve done since the following work was made possible by their efforts.

So, I watched all of Evangelion and was like “wow, mechs vs monsters is so sick like for real”

So my next Lego project is going to be mechs vs monsters in a micro city, thus continuing my trend of projects that stretch my collection instead of building on it.

While Brikwars shenanigans continue I have been building the mechs.

Here they are, a handsome little collection.

I wanted to write this post to expand on the lore of each machine but also to give credit to the excellent mech and frame builders I copied from. I think I have a real talent for castles and landscapes but machines and space builds still don’t feel right, so I’m thankful for others who have paved the way.

From left to right:

—

W-024 “Ancient Ode” is one of the original War Class mechs before the expansion of their battlefield roles, and is now one of the last to operate. It owes its longevity to numerous upgrades given its stellar combat record across conflicts and operators. It keeps its original colors, an homage to the Army it used to serve.

This one is based on principles from Josh's Super Chub Marines, though I've multiplied the legs and made some significant changes to the arms and shoulders. This mech was originally going to be a melee focused machine, but the super chub legs have some balance problems when posing, and I was frustrated by the lack of articulation in the ankles.

The solution came to me in a dream (Armored Core VI). I doubled the legs for a quadrupedal design, inspired by the success I had using them against Sea Spider. Now it stays upright effortlessly and I could also use more sand green (one of the best Lego colors). In general, the four legs allow for beefier body parts and the back-mounted rocket launcher.

“W-class” refers to a time when mechs were first used for warfare instead of construction or manufacturing. Today, Ancient Ode would be referred to a BL-Class (Battleline), but owing to its service record the original classification sticks. Ancient Ode is the Ma Deuce of battle mechs. I enhanced the build with stickers from the Avatar sets, though I was disappointed when the sand green on the stickers clashes with the brick color.

—

A-094 "Distant Oath" was one of the first artillery class mechs produced, as such the it was outfitted with a now-obsolete shoulder-mounted heavy cannon. While heavy cannon mounted in this manner such as the LM-15 Ultra Sonic have gone out of fashion in favor of much larger cannon or shorter range missile pods (a precursor of which is mounted on the right shoulder), it has been impractical to repurpose A-class mechs like Distant Oath.

Distant Oath is heavily based on the MF0 frame Uhlan Marine by skroberto on Flickr. I had to figure out most of it from his photos and other resources on the MF0 Facebook page. It's a great frame, but I made some internal changes to make it suitable for physical construction. Unfortunately, it is the least stable mech in the collection because the “knee” joint is a round tile using opposite anti-studs to hold the legs together.

Given the stability problems and its size I decided it would be an artillery piece. I added some stickers from a Mindstorms set, and the “A” in “A-class” was derived from the stickers. The cannon has one that says “Ultra Sonic” so that’s the name of the cannon. Distant Oath was almost a shade of blue, but I was using Orange while I designed it and decided I loved it too much to change.

—

S-62-2 “Wild Eyes” is a strike/support class mech designed for air superiority missions. These machines are among the newest frames produced, with boosted legs for softer landings and a lighter exoskeleton to let the booster engines really shine. They are useful for sustained flight and boosting directly into engagements.

This is a combination of concepts from -SuspendedAnimation-'s Rigel II and Andromeda MFO frames that use their X-11 core.

Wild Eyes is a strike/support class because I’ve decided that machines that are smaller and more mobile can have so many different roles that it would be impractical to classify them all different. The color chosen for the only soft blue that includes the chest piece and the shoulder bricks. Wild Eyes is a little lanky after I modified the arms to be more posable and it looked very “flight” to me so I gave them a real set of boost engines designed to fly around and harass.

I used more mindstorms stickers since they are transparent, but I was able to find some for the fund that say “Danger, Jet Blast” in a Marvel jet I could cut apart to fit.

—

S-973 No Survivors is a strike/support class mech designed for sustained ground operations. It's outfitted with stronger than standard armor and a booster engine for mobility to offset the additional weight. Additionally, it's equipped with a utility launcher for tactical munitions or a short range pile driver. Often, this style of S-class mechs carries a melee weapon, and No Survivors wields an RES (Rapid Energy Sword).

This one is a modified version of -SuspendedAnimation-'s Comanche core. I changed the shoulder and elbow assembly because I don't like how fragile modified tiles and taps are, something I also did for Wild Eyes and Ancient Ode. The rifle is their design as well.

Once again, the mech’s numerical designation is derived from the stickers. This one uses several unmodified from a Marvel jet. Like Distant Oath, No Survivors has last resort munitions in the chest. The RES isn’t a static blade like a lot of other mech settings, as that would be impractical when trying to fight in between buildings. It operates a little bit like a lightsaber, activating when necessary, and the energy isn’t all that stable. It explodes out from the handle and is closer to a giant lighter than a true sword.

—

I’m excited to get the city built for the mechs to romp around in. I have a few buildings mocked up already, but I don’t have space for more until I can block out the roadways. I love how AC6 cities are laid out and will be taking lots of inspiration from there. I also want to do some retractable structures like Tokyo-3.

Anyway, have a good day, thanks for checking out my work.

[darlingillustrations]

Fight Food Deserts with Community Gardening

“Gardening is fun!” When I talked with David Thompson, founder of Food is Free Washington, that’s why he said he started doing it. It was so much fun, in fact, that he grew too much produce in his 2,000 sf garden to use it all himself, so he started giving it away. He went on, “The thing that became more fun than growing my own food was sharing it. It’s the joy of giving stuff away.” That is the heart of the Food is Free movement: building community by sharing food independence.

Read more about the real life gardener who inspired Chapter 3 of Calico Jill and the Search for Cheese!

What Food is Free Does

Food is Free Washington is a non-profit co-run by David and Ursula Thompson in Tacoma, WA. The goal of Food is Free is to take care of our planet and take care of each other in the process by feeding people. The Thompsons seek to reduce food waste by getting food into the hands of local people who need it. They also educate people on how to grow their own food so that our community is more self reliant and less dependent on outside forces.

Food deserts stretch across many of Tacoma’s communities, but especially so in downtown Tacoma, east Tacoma and south Tacoma. A food desert is an area where local residents do not have access to fresh and healthy foods. Food is Free focuses in particular on these communities in need.

While a food bank might serve 50-100 people, Food is Free serves on average 220 people with each food giveaway. Food banks are great resources for gathering food and giving it to those in need, and they even supply Food is Free with donations through the Emergency Food Network and Feeding Feasible Feasts, but Food is Free is so much more effective in its distribution for two reasons: it goes into the heart of communities where there is food insecurity, and there is no requirement to show an ID or prove income. Anyone who shows up gets food. It’s as simple as that.

Food Is Free Sharing Tables

Ursula and David’s solution to the food deserts that stretch across Tacoma is gardening. Food is Free has planted 3,000 square feet of community garden space across the city. They started setting up tables next to these garden plots, and they would set out food for anyone to take.

They encouraged others to follow suit. At the height of the pandemic, there were 97 of these sharing tables scattered around Tacoma which became a sort of mobile food pantry. During a time of social isolation and social distancing, people formed a sense of community around sharing food surplus with each other within their local communities.

These tables were popular for a time, but there were obstacles. Even though the Thompsons would post instructions on accepted and restricted items, there wasn’t enough education about proper food storage. People started dropping off things like chicken breasts and milk, things that would spoil if left on a table.

These days, the total number of food tables is around 10-12, and they are run independently.

Food Accessibility in 2023

One thing the Thompsons are particularly excited about is the Gleaning Project, a program that is run through Harvest Pierce County in which people can sign up to have the fruit trees in their backyards harvested. Last year, 27,000 pounds of produce was harvested thanks to this program and shared with local hunger relief organizations.

Food banks are getting fewer donations than they used to. EBT benefits were cut in March. With rising food inflation, fewer people want to make donations. Add to these factors the job insecurities that we’ve all faced thanks to the pandemic, and more and more people are turning to feeding themselves with their own gardens.

Food is Free Washington is supporting these burgeoning green thumbs with seeds, plant starters and resources. Ursula explained, “You can grow an extra row. You can grow an extra plant. We just want people to do it with us. All of us gardeners together, we can help feed our community.”

Food Is Free Drop Offs

If you live in Tacoma, you can pick up food on Tuesdays in the extra parking lot across from (west of) Hope Point (formerly Calvary Baptist) Church. Address: 6511 South C Street. Follow @tacomaurbanfarmer on instagram to stay abreast what is available from week to week.

Resources:

Food is Free Washington: https://foodisfreewashington.org/ Emergency Food Network: https://www.efoodnet.org/ Feeding Feasible Feasts: https://feedingfeasiblefeastsllc.org/ Harvest Pierce County: https://piercecd.org/190/Urban-Agriculture and the Gleaning Project (where you can register your fruit trees!): https://piercecountygleaningproject.org/

Calico Jill and the Community Garden

You can read Calico Jill's story on tumblr at the following links. (The Community Garden is Chapter 3):

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Patreon

The artwork is this post is a painting of mine titled Put A Little Spring In Your Step. It is Watercolor and Ink on 8×10 inch hot press watercolor paper.

[synthetictorii]

We Don't Sleep At Night ✧ Hitoshi Shinso

Pairing: Hitoshi Shinso x reader Genre: fluff Summary: You can't sleep and neither can your friend. Your nightly walk takes a turn that changes your relationship. Word count: 5.1k A/N: ...obligatory old and cringey fic ahead warning...

     You tossed and turned in your bed, blanket long discarded on the floor. Your window was opened wide, letting the fresh air and noise from the street below into your room. You were currently counting stars, before that you counted all windows you could see, imagined yourself jumping from one roof to another and briefly wondered if it was possible to go insane with boredom. Nothing felt satisfying, no stupid mobile game could entertain you neither could songs, funny vine compilations or fanfictions. Was this how psychopaths are made? You tugged at your hair and rubbed your face roughly. You felt your sanity slowly slipping through your fingers. Maybe you should at least wave it goodbye.

  That’s when your phone buzzed on the floor where you had threw it after you found out that it didn’t contain magical solution to your insomnia. Well, doesn’t matter, you can keep your sanity for a while longer you decided. With a sigh you rolled over and reached to the floor, grabbing your phone. Green light flickered on top of it signalling an unread message. You smirked contently, already guessing who the one texting you would be. The screen lit up after you pushed the button and sure enough, there it was – a message. You opened it with bated breath.

From: Frickin’ Savior

Text: You up?

  Your grin only got wider. No one but you would know who the text was from, which was exactly the purpose of the nickname. Nobody would guess that the savior in this case was Shinsō Hitoshi, the mysterious boy from general studies who never spoke to anyone. Or at least that was how it seemed. And it was super important to keep it that way. Well, to him at least. You wouldn’t actually mind if others knew about your friendship. Though it sure was more romantic like this; like a forbidden romance bloomed between you or something. This part was actually a secret to Hitoshi too. But shhhh, he mustn’t know.

To: Frickin’ Savior

Text: Very much! I’m about to claw my eyes out! What are you up to?!

  Your fingers speeded across the keyboard and hit send. It was a little routine of yours – if one of you couldn’t fall asleep, and it happened more often than could be considered healthy, you’d text the other to see if they were up as well and then something happen. Something also meaning potentially nothing in case that the other was asleep somehow. But it also could mean night adventure, phone call led in whisper so you wouldn’t wake your parents or sending each other shitposts or random thoughts you had. You treasured every single one of those sessions you had over the last six months. If it wasn’t for him, you’d probably have jumped out the window long time ago just to stop the never ending cycle of exhaustion and staring into the ceiling. If you wake up at a different time in a different place, could you wake up as a different person? You remembered the famous Fight Club quote. Yeah, one night you and Hitoshi watched Fight Club together – each in your own home and room but facetiming the whole time. It was super romantic. Your phone buzzed again.

From: Frickin’ Savior

Text: Brown in five.

  You clenched the phone in your hands, grinning like a maniac. You jumped from your bed and took your night attire off, changing into your most beloved pair of jeans with holes that looked like wild animal tore them and [f/c] t-shirt with graffiti pattern on it. It was summer and nights were hot enough to wear just this. You quietly sneaked out of your room and took your favourite pair of shoes and your keys. Then you went back to your room again and put on the shoes. You climbed to the tree right next to your window and then down. Your parents absolutely mustn’t know that you sneaked out again. At least not until you left the house. Then they couldn’t do much but scold you again when you returned. So now you were safe. You let out a content sigh and ran excitedly to the meeting point. It was a small fountain in the middle of crossroad, not much far from your house neither the U.A. dorms he lived in, with a sculpture of demon and angel fighting in the middle. You once said that it reminded you of Dan Brown’s novel Angles & Demons and the name Brown just stuck with it. You were lucky to find another bookworm and befriend him, although your friendship was a secret.

  It wasn’t that Hitoshi or you would be ashamed of the relation but your relative classes, him being in 1-C and you in 1-D, were cruel to you as it was since you both had a quirk that would be perfect for a villain or so they said. Your quirk was The Lie, you could tell a lie and the victim or victims would believe you whole-heartedly, the only catch being that something about your appearance would change slightly. The effect disappeared when someone pointed that little change out. And as was the case with Hitoshi’s quirk, it would also be a great quirk for a hero but wasn’t good enough against robots on the U.A. hero class exams. So this little agreement you had between each other was to protect yourselves from more teasing and bullying. That was actually how you two met in the first place.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

  It was second or third week of school, late afternoon. You were just about to head home when two huge guys pinned you against the lockers, hand already covering your mouth – since “You don’t wanna do this” is also a lie. You were smart, no doubt about that, but not strong. It was fairly easy for them to shove you into janitor’s room. You put up a fight though, biting fingers of one of the boys hard, which got you nowhere but he made sure to leave nasty purple bruises on your arms in return. You didn’t have enough time to march back to the door and bang them when they swung open and unknown indigo haired boy made the same messy entrance as you a while ago, they pushed him backwards and slammed the door close. “We caught the bad guys, yeah!” One of the guys outside shouted. “Yeah! But aren’t we too nice to them, giving them seven minutes in heaven,” the whole group bursting into laughter. “Hey! Let us out!” The boy screamed back and kicked the door. But there was no response, only the laughter got quieter as the guys walked away. “Damnit,” he cursed and banged his head against the door. “It’s easier to bruise your arms y’know? It’d still match your hair,” you said while examining the marks on your own arms, startling the boy who didn’t notice your presence. “Ah, sorry, I thought you’d get the seven minutes reference,” you smirked at his surprised expression. He scoffed and scratched his nape. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you,” he looked away and sighed. “Think they’ll let us out?” He asked and sat down with his back leaning against the door. You simply shrugged. “Maybe?” With only about a meter separating you from him you got a clear view of his features, his sharp jawline and high cheekbones, purple eyes with dark bags under them. His hair created somewhat messy crown on his head. He was very attractive and whoever dared to say otherwise was lying.

  He didn’t seem to be much of a talker, simply sitting on his spot and staring to the side. You however were bored and liked talking to people, especially if the person was a pretty boy. “So I guess you’re a villain of your class too?” You asked and his response was almost immediate. “Too?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Ah, you didn’t hear. I’m [l/n] [y/n], the main villain of the class 1-D, nice to meet you. Nobody would talk to me because I can make other believe anything I say and they’re too stupid to figure out how to see through it,” you made a little bow with a smile. “And you?” You tried, the boy looking away again. “Why would I tell you that? You lost a huge advantage by telling me that,” he murmured emotionlessly. “Well, I’m not going to use my ability on fellow student and villain, am I?” You shrugged again. The boy was silent for a while, then sighed. “Shinsō Hitoshi, 1-C, if you answer me I can force you to do anything,” he looked at you from the corner of his eyes. Your jaw dropped in awe. “That’s so cool!” You grinned and then you suddenly froze, unable to move your body. Your senses were intact though so you saw the illegally handsome smirk the boy’s lips curled into. And then everything returned to normal. “Well, that’s what I call a missed chance. You’re locked here with me away from everyone and this is all you do?” You teased, hoping to make the boy talk. Spoiler: it worked. He let out a breathy laugh. “Everyone is super wary to talk to me and you just say this? Are you stupid or what?” He seemed to be super socially awkward but you didn’t mind. After all you had all the time until someone let you out to teach him. “I just thought it was interesting decision for someone as bad as they think,” you gave him a small smile and there it was again, the inability to control your body. This time though he let you go quicker. “See! I bet deep down you’re a sweetheart,” you smiled cheerfully. “I’ll do it until you stay quiet,” he warned you with a hint of mischievous glint in his eyes. You decided that if it will bring out more emotions of him, it’s worth it. “I always have a lot to say, so good luck,” as the last word rolled off your tongue, your motion froze. “And what if I just leave you like this?” This time you counted the time until he let you go: 13 seconds. “Challenge accepted!” You beamed and made sure to make the most stupid face you could pull off – and it worked, you lost control just as you finished the masterpiece. His stoic face changed completely, he actually burst out laughing even if just for a second or two. Even after that there was a small hint of smile on his lips. 7 seconds. “What the hell was that?” He asked, chuckle escaping him. “I just thought that if you were to look at my frozen face I might as well make it worth it,” you explained with a happy grin and lost control. “Now I could actually handle looking at you,” he smirked. 15 seconds. “Are you calling me pretty?” You gasped.

“I still didn’t take back that ‘stupid’, so I’m calling you that.” 10 seconds. “Now that is really mean.” Pout.

“I’m a villain after all, ain’t I?” 20 seconds. “You almost scared me there.” Relieved breath.

“Almost?” 25 seconds. “You’d get bored without me so I figured you’d let me go eventually.” Grin.

“I prefer silence, so why should I get bored?” 40 seconds. “Because you must be really nice when you stop with this jerkish act and want someone to talk to you without fear.” Friendly smile.

“What if I really am not?” Full minute and thirty seconds. “Well, then I’d get to look at your handsome face so I’d still win.” Wink.

0 seconds.

  You looked at him confusedly, little sad that your little playtime was over. The hint of pink on his cheeks and sheepish look full of doubt he shot you made up for it perfectly though so you didn’t mind. “That wasn’t a lie by the way, as you can see, nothing about me changed,” you finger gunned him with another wink. “So that’s your secret?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Please don’t tell anyone, I kinda enjoy them being afraid of me,” you were the one to look away this time. The count started. “Ha! I got ya!” He smirked and stretched. You cursed yourself mentally for not being able to see the movement of his muscles. “Now I have no reason to let you go, do I? Oh I forgot, you can’t talk.” He clicked his tongue. 32 seconds. “See, there’s a reason - you’d miss my voice! I don’t blame you, I know it’s highly addictive,” you sighed under the huge burden, making him roll his eyes. But he didn’t make you freeze. “Seriously, why shouldn’t I tell anyone? Give me one good reason,” he leaned his head on the door as well. “I’ll be your best friend if you don’t. And I’m really good at it!” He gave you amused look. “Hey, it’s true! You can call me anytime and I’ll pick up! If not, the insomnia probably got me and I’m dead, but that just happens,” you sighed dramatically. Something in his look changed though, most notably his direction, now away from you. “Well, insomnia buddy could be nice,” he muttered almost inaudibly. Your face beamed with happiness. “Then we have a deal!” You shouted excitedly and shifted closer to him, extending a hand for him to shake. Instead of taking it he looked at the bruises now dark purple in color. “They did this to you?” He frowned and made a move to touch your arm, stopping after realizing it would probably hurt you. “Yeah, I bit the guys hand so this is only fair, I guess?” You mused. “It looks painful, they didn’t left any mark on me and I fought back too,” his voice was monotone but it still seemed to you like he was concerned. “Not hard enough then,” you teased, getting an eye-roll again. That’s when the janitor finally came, not too happy to find two teenagers in his room.

  After that it went pretty fast. You’d often chat throughout the night and when you came from school. He was the one who suggested that you save each other’s number under a nickname just in case that they’d take your phones. They changed a lot from then but were just as meaningful. The teasing continued, your classes shipping you and mocking you for it but it wasn’t anything that actually bothered you as you knew would be the case if they knew you actually talked to each other.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

  And now you were rushing to meet the boy again. Just one more turn and there he was. Sitting on the edge of fountain, looking up. He wore black tight jeans with dark violet shirt with blue stripes and black leather jacket. Handsome as always. At the sound of your footsteps he turned his head, some if his hairs falling to his face. Your heart skipped a beat as it often did in his presence. “Hey,” you smiled and rushed to him, giving him a friendly hug that you enjoyed more than you should have. He kept saying that he doesn’t like physical affection and people touching him in general but you soon noticed that when you touched or hugged him, he hesitated before pulling away. That was why you were already close to confessing your feelings about ten times. “Hey,” he offered a welcome as well. You could tell something was off already. His voice was never this soft unless something happened. “Tell me,” you said simply. It was comfortable knowing each other so well, not having to explain things. “I just,” he sighed and let his head fall, “I met some kids on the street and they followed me the whole way home and picked at me ‘cause of my quirk.” It didn’t happen quite as often now, the Sports Festival long in the past. It only hit Hitoshi more because of this fact. “I’m just afraid I’ll forever be known as the kid who’d be a perfect villain,” he shrugged and tried to laugh it off. You knew him well enough to know this was just a façade. “You don’t have to embarrassed,” you said gently, bumping your shoulder together as you sat next to him on the cold surface. You didn’t nag at him more about that though, your only intention being to remind him of that. “And you definitely don’t need to worry either, they’re just kids. Kids are mean,” you made a face, getting a weak chuckle from him. “Besides my parents will always remember you as ‘that purple bastard’ so don’t sweat it, not everyone will remember you like that.” Now he laughed in earnest. “Are they still mad?” You nodded with a shrug.

Why would parents be mad at the boy with whom their only child ran away in the middle of the night on basically weekly basis… you didn’t understand at all. It wasn’t like you didn’t come back – and if you didn’t, you at least sent them a message.

  A comfortable silence enveloped you. Your mind was swirling with all kinds of thoughts, from boring ones about school, controversies you saw online, to fantasizing about what your first date with Hitoshi would be like. You were swinging your legs as you did. It was nice to just be together with him like this. He looked troubled but you didn’t say anything, knowing full well that he needed to think through whatever was worrying him. You didn’t mind. He was the only person you didn’t mind being quiet around. He seemed to appreciate that, in return trying to talk more than he usually would. “Quick! What was the last thing you thought about,” he asked suddenly. It was your favourite inside game. “I remembered the guy who had the Twin Towers with ‘Inside job’ tattooed on his back, it’s so tacky, you?” You answered with a grin, internally cringing at the memory. “That the blond guy from 1-B is freakin’ creepy.” He didn’t need to explain more, you knew exactly who was he talking about. “Yeah, I hate passing him in the hallway.” You shivered, that empty eyed look always gave you the creeps. “I mean, why does everyone hate on us? He’s the real evil,” you giggled, not noticing the little smile on Hitoshi’s lips.

  You stretched and yawned, looking around. Your muscles were getting stiff from the sitting and it was such a beautiful night. “Wanna go for a walk? We haven’t done that in a while!” You suggested excitedly, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. To your surprise you didn’t get the usual eye-roll but a silent nod instead. If the laziest person you knew after Aizawa-sensei didn’t protest a walk, something was sure wrong. “Those kids got you bad, huh?” You smiled sadly letting go of the fabric. He simply looked away but it was enough for you. “I’m just tired of hearing it all the time, that’s all. And…,” he bit his lip – unbeknownst to him you’ve wanted to do just it since the day one – obviously pondering something. “Keep this to yourself, okay?” He sighed in the end and you nodded with a smile. You wondered if he could hear your heart trying to escape your ribcage. You always got all mushy inside when he opened up to you. “I’d really like to make good impression on kids, it really matters to me a lot,” he confessed quietly with a gentle smile you almost never saw. “But how am I supposed to do it if everyone only sees a villain in me?” He got bitter again, his precious gentle side disappearing. You laid your head on his shoulder, feeling him stiffen under you before relaxing. He was used to this level of skinship by now, you trained him well. You were the one who initiated it for the most part, but sometimes, when you were feeling down or he was in extremely good mood, he’d touch you on his own. It never failed to make your knees weak. For other’s it probably didn’t seem like much – a gentle brush of hands, a quick hug or leaning on someone. It was after all what all friends did, right? Not when it came to Hitoshi, and you knew it. That’s why it was so special to you. “You remember our seven minutes in heaven?” You asked, getting a confused look. “I didn’t think for a moment that you are a bad person, the thought that you may be evil never occurred to me,” you noticed him smile a bit from the corner of your eye. “Even when you had a control over my body for full freakin’ minute,” you pouted. He simply leaned his head to side to touch yours in response. You closed your eyes and carved the feeling into your brain. His hair were so soft they were like a pillow and nice warmth radiated from him. Combined with the smell of his cologne, it was a perfect attack on your ability to think straight.

  “And,” the light bulb went off above your head as you straightened up, suddenly getting an idea what might help him, “look at the proof.” You raised a finger to signal him to wait as you fished around in your pocket for your phone. You unlocked it and showed him messages of your conversation with him. “See? There’s nothing like ‘Stain’s kin’,” you pointed to the nickname you had saved him under. Frickin’ Savior. “You’re really amazing, Hitoshi, it’s a shame that not many people know that.” You watched as his walls fell down, his expression soft. He looked at you with his beautiful purple eyes, stars reflecting in them and you swore it was the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen. “So… yeah, don’t worry about it,” you let out a breathy chuckle. Your cheeks were pink after showing him the embarrassing nickname you gave him. But it did lift his mood so you’d survive. “May I ask for something?” His politeness took you by surprise, but still you nodded without a word. It was the first time he spoke to you like this. You tried to find the reason for the sudden change in his eyes but they were dark, as they after all always were if he was serious about something. His body language though wasn’t guarded like it usually was. He looked anxious, his hand would be trembling for sure if they were balled into fists on his knees. “Is it really okay?” He asked again, a hint of concern in his voice. Now that made you nervous. “Just tell me what it is.” You frowned. Well known feeling overtook you, creeping up your spine. You didn’t try to move, knowing that it would be to naught. “I-I’m really sorry that I do it this way, but I’d chicken out otherwise and I don’t want to hold back anymore,” he apologized, worrying his lower lip between his lip. Then he looked at you and took your breath away as well. There was no hint of the walls he built over the years, all of them down, those few he kept up even around you were no exception. And this unguarded face of his was riddled with fear and uncertainty, he was at his most vulnerable and you couldn’t move to protect him. “Kiss me,” he whispered so faintly you wouldn’t understand if you didn’t read his lips. Right then and there the hold of his quirk crashed.

  But that didn’t matter. What did was that your heart officially outpaced the speed of light. Your lungs wouldn’t co-operate, every single muscle tense and ready for run-or-fight situations, brain pumping endorphins into your blood stream at neck-breaking pace. He wants you to kiss him. And he wants it bad enough to order you, as if he couldn’t take no for an answer. He said it himself, right? Your mind screamed in ecstasy. After all the months of surviving on strictly innocent touches, finally came a moment you were waiting for. You looked into his eyes now that you could move and it finally hit him. His face contorted in a grimace of pure horror. He shrieked a high pitched noise and took off, sprinting away.

  But oh boy, were you not having any of this shit.

  You chased him street after street, alley after another, finally pinning him against a wall of some shop. You were both breathless, yet he still tried to find a way to continue his escape. You stepped closer to him, invading his closest personal space, chests and noses only millimeters apart. “Let me go,” he pleaded quietly, avoiding your eyes. “No way,” you frowned before suddenly having to squat down overcome by a fit of coughs you always got after running for a long time. Only annoyed and angered this time by the opening it created for Hitoshi to run away. He however mimicked your pose instead and soothingly rubbed your back up and down. You smiled in between the coughs.

  “Didn’t you want to run?” You asked when your body finally calmed down and sat on the sidewalk. “I still can I guess, but I don’t want to put you through that again, I know you hate it,” he said and shifted awkwardly. “Then why did you ran in the first place?” You gave him mean look he couldn’t see since he was still avoiding your gaze. “I didn’t think you’d ran after me.” He confessed and sat too, knees pulled to his chest. “Why wouldn’t I? Do you think I’d let the opportunity to kiss you slip from my grasp so easily?” You offered a gentle smile and nudged him with your elbow. He finally looked at you, still as vulnerable and scared, now shocked too. “W-w-what? You don’t have to do it, my quirk didn’t work!” He protested, turning away but you cupped his cheek, turning his face back to look at you. “It did, but did you forget when it turns off?” You chuckled a bit at his dumbfounded expression. “You know, back then, I was really shocked because,” you took in a deep breath, “because my crush of 3 months, 2 weeks and 6 days, whom I thought would never feel anything but friendship towards me, asked me to kiss him.” You stroked his cheek with your thumb, genuinely shy smile gracing your lips. You let him process it, watching his emotions shift and change. From surprise, to disbelief, to denial, to finally, acceptance. He smiled as well, beautifully sweet smile and eyes sparkling. His whole face lit up in an instant. “May I still kiss you?” You asked but the answer never came as a pair of soft, warm lips gently crashed and melted into yours in deep kiss. Your eyes shut instinctively. The feeling was impossible to describe, pure bliss was very weak expression. His hands found their way to your hair and back and pulled you closer. You hummed happily and put your arms on his shoulders, gently pulling on his hair. He moaned quietly into your mouth and it was the only sound you needed to ever remember and hear again and again.

  Eventually though you had to pull away for oxygen, your forehead still resting against his. He looked at you sheepishly. “So… how was it?” He asked, unable to contain a smile. You leaned forward and captured his lips again, gently this time, a reassuring kiss. “Addictive,” you simply purred, your lips still touching. “Do you want more?” He smirked and you leaned in again but left him hanging, instead giving him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I do, but I also want a proper confession,” you whispered teasingly, pulling away to look at him. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “I think I was pretty straightforward though,” he tried to pull you closer again but you resisted. You knew however that he wouldn’t budge, not like this. “Nah-ah, if you want it you better confess properly,” you tapped his lips with a finger and faked a yawn, “anyway, I’m getting pretty sleepy. But don’t worry I’ll wait for you.” You stretched and stood up, walking back to your home. It was hard to ignore him and don’t turn around when he called your name so sweetly but your stupid cheesy heart needed a proper love confession, stuttering, avoiding eye contact and everything.

  You received some pretty sweet messages from your savior saying that he missed you, that he needed you to come back. It goes without saying that you didn’t sleep a bit, your heart racing with every new text. You always responded along the lines “If you want it, come and get it” but he never did. You knew he wouldn’t, he needed time to organize his thoughts and to get used to the situation. He was always awkward with words so you patiently waited the whole weekend, going back to just texting. You talked on the phone too, chatting as you normally did, except now you slipped in compliments and sweet nothings as well, always making the other one blush even if it couldn’t be seen.

  Then Monday came around finally. You walked to the school and to your class, passing Hitoshi in the hallway. You noticed he didn’t ignore you completely, shooting you a warm look that effectively made your knees weak. You weren’t able to concentrate during lessons, your mind too occupied with the indigo haired boy. How could you not think about him when your classrooms were right next to each other? During the third lesson you couldn’t take it anymore and secretly texted him.

To: Frickin’ Savior

Text: How much for 10g of the stuff?  You smiled, quite satisfied with your pun. But hey, he got you hooked so it was his fault. You were shifting nervously the whole time until the break came. Just as the bell rang there was a big fuss at the door, lot of muttering. You sat on your desk so you could see but you didn’t need to, it was the exact moment Hitoshi emerged from the group of people blocking the doors. “We don’t want any villains here!” Someone shouted after him but he paid it no mind, instead walking towards you with determined look on his face. It made your heart do flips inside your chest. You looked at him confusedly, this was a taboo! He didn’t seemed to care though as he made his way to you. One of his hands sneaked around your waist and the other cupped your cheek. He pulled you close and leaned in to kiss you, you were to shocked to protest, melting into him instead. Nothing but his lips against your mattered, definitely not the gasping and stupid remarks of your classmates. You moved in sync, both hungry for more. He pulled away reluctantly, looking into your eyes with a smirk. “Is this enough of a confession?” Corners of your mouth quirked up, you captured his lips again instead of answering. Yes, this was enough.

[dollsonmain]

Saw Harley and Ivy Barbies and thought "They're not too bad, but Ivy's outfit is terrible" and that's my full thoughts on it while my doll friends sit down and have a deep discussion about how and why they're terrible.

Green Barbies are getting easier to find with Elphaba, Vina, and Ivy. I want more other colors. The fairies had pink, purple, and blue. I wouldn't mind more purple and blue and a light green and ye... yellow might be pushing it unless she's Spongebob yellow and the pink fairy basically looked normal, and orange is just the 80's Barbies again, but you get me.

They have fairytopia and mermaids, why not fantasy skin tones?

-

Talked to a friend and he mentioned that he isn't sure if he's masking so hard that his mask is himself, now, or if he was faking being ND as a child and I was like love, that's a thing so many of my ND friends have gone through.

I'm going through the same thing right now with this job.

All these years have been like "I can't do this much physical activity because it will hurt me more than the activity is worth" and here I am walking 3+ miles every day, standing on my feet for hours, bending, lifting heavy stuff, and I'm fine. I've just been lazy and refusing to do hard work this whole time.

I say, while having obvious, glaring moments of brain fog (I'll break down Monday's chaos under a cut) and confusion while on the register, forgetting what I'm doing while I'm doing it, being so tired and sore that hobbling home takes more-than-twice as long as walking to work, falling asleep while eating, having to push myself very hard to get chores done when I'm home especially the ones that require going up and down the stairs, and being in so much pain at home that I'm barely mobile...

So Monday, a guy comes in and buys gas at the register. There's a slight price break if you pay inside, for some reason, and I'd rather it was card at the pump only but that's neither here nor there. Sometimes the card readers on the pumps hiccup and people come inside instead of fighting with them, too.

He tells me his pump number, I take the payment, he goes back out.

He comes in a little later and says there's no money on his pump. I knew the payment took and was like "Ok, I'll put $30 on the pump you're on as cash and you're good to go."

Which doesn't make sense. In hindsight, that made no sense what-so-ever. I don't know why I thought that was a solution to the problem. It made sense at the time but as soon as he walked out the door I was like "Wait... What did I just do??"

Some back and forth and we discover that he told me the wrong pump and the lady at the pump number he gave me had put in her card like normal and pumped gas not noticing the money already on there, but that was HIS money.

I couldn't figure out how to refund the man's payment to her pump and take payment from her so we could reset everything, and that didn't fix the $30 cash charge that wasn't in the register because I didn't take cash from him, I just told the register that I did.

So I had to grab Alt-Manager, tell her what happened, and after SHE tried to refund the wrong-pump card payment so we could charge both customers correctly and couldn't she asked the woman if she had any cash. The woman had a $50, so the manager broke her $50, gave the man what he was owed for the woman's gas (the woman was like "that's for me!" but no, it was for the man) and the remainder to the woman.

We charged the man again for HIS gas, which he had already taken from the pump so we had to charge him for random groceries, and they both walked out.

Then I was like "Wait, I think this means the woman didn't pay for any gas."

Which Alt-Manager was like "Oh no..... I think you're right...."

She had to go call Manager who somehow understood what had happened and broke it down for both of us, while both of us were like "what...." but.

The man will have 2 charges on his CC: Her gas and his gas. The gas station gets both. The woman paid the man in cash for her gas. Manager "refunded" the $30 in cash I'd told the register it had to zero that out.

In the end it was all square, but it was so confusing at the time.

It would have been better to refund the man the cost of the woman's gas in groceries in cash and then recharge him for his correct pump and then charge the woman in groceries for how much she was owed, but I didn't know that was an option. To refund as groceries when the issue was gas. Though doing that may have messed up the drawer count, too, because that cash was never put in the drawer in the first place, so doing it the way she did was the best way to keep the drawer count right.

Anyway, Manager is very good at understanding and managing the money side of things and being firm with vendors, customers, and employees, but bad at time management and has unrealistic expectations regarding how long it takes to complete tasks, especially when also expected to run back to the register every few moments, whereas Alt-Manager is good at the money side but a little easy to influence/push around, and very good at time management making sure that everyone is in and out at the correct time and will jump out to take the register about 5 minutes before it's time to go so employees can count their drawer and do their dishes, etc.

[skyhon]

Muddled Puddles AO3 Skin

Hey! So I have had this skin submitted for review for awhile now, but I wanted to share it in the meantime anyway. I can’t link it because it is under review and not available to the public, but I wanted to give the settings to make your own version of it if you’d want.

I have been using this skin since I’ve made it (I also made a fire-themed one but haven’t used it) and it is really interesting how much it’s actually helped me. The tan background reduces eye strain while promoting focus, and the green highlights stand out without being intrusive. Before, when I was using the default skin, I would find it hard to focus even with my phone on the warm tone anti-blue light reading setting. I found the red accents to be a bit harsh at times. I also found it extremely jarring when moving from mobile to desktop, as my ADHD ass would fixate on the font change. I downloaded Roboto onto my computer for free (the default font on most Android phones) and then made this skin force the use of it. Now when I move from mobile to desktop it is seamless and unintrusive.

This is my solution to my grievances, and it has worked wonders for me. It took a few days to get used to, but now it’s weird to see screenshots of the default skin. It has helped me a lot and even if nobody uses it at least I put it out there. Just know that it helped someone with ADHD and mild dyslexia focus and read long swaths of text without any issues.

Even if you don’t use this exact set up, I recommend going and making your own skin! All you need is a color hex picker to figure out the colors you want. I tweaked mine several times before I got it to where I wanted it.

Copy-paste settings and screenshot reference of where to put what under the cut.

Font:

Roboto, Din, Akkurat, Trebuchet MS, sans-serif

Background color:

#e8e2d8

Text color:

#231f20

Header color:

#305631

Accent color:

#b6cbb7

[kaiyablog]

bawling my eyes out in the sunshine state: The Floria Project movie review

“This movie made no sense … It had no plot whatsoever .. the ending didn’t make any sense” (Zia’s Google Review, 2024).  

While Zia may have only rated Sean Baker’s film, “The Florida Project,” one star, her reasons are precisely what makes the film such a masterpiece. The film follows a mother (Halley, early 20’s) and daughter (Moonee, 6) through a Florida summer living at Magic Castle Inn and Suites, a  budget motel less than 20 miles from Disney world. Halley and Moonee are at the bottom of a capitalist society, with no viable means of upward mobility. Much like life, there isn’t a distinct beginning, climax, and resolution to the story and Baker doesn’t invent a happy ending for a story representing people without one. 

The movie captures the slice of life spirit, especially because it is shown from the perspective of Moonee. Baker wonderfully captures the mind of a 6-year old with quotes like: “Ooh a spider lets see if it farts,” and “I love oranges but not the lid.” But it’s not just the portrayal of kids’ play, it’s the insight into how they see objectively dysfunctional surroundings. The only way viewers know Halley turned to prostitution is because Moonee has to take a lot of baths with loud music playing and try to understand the subsequent ostracization her mother faces from neighbors. 

While the film isn’t shown from Halley’s perspective, it paints a representative picture of her situation. She relies on TANF and free food from her friends with jobs to provide for her daughter, because no matter how hard she tries, she can’t get a job anywhere. After trying everything else, Halley resorts to stripping and then prostitution. In a highly capitalist society in the shadow of Disney, the only way Halley can make money is to sell her body.  

Baker is not afraid to talk about sex in controversial ways. Sex is one of the recurring motifs of the film, with portrayals of sex work, pedophiles, boob jobs, and nudists with varying degrees of ambivalent representations.  It’s also interesting how the kids intersect with the idea of sex. The kids' most exciting summer moments are when Gloria is shirtless at the motel pool, and they can look at her “boobies.” The kids might not know what sex is, but the film reveals just how much they are influenced by a society that capitalizes on sex.

My only critique of the film is that there is almost too much unnecessary symbolism and unexplained motifs. For example, why the pedophile? There was one three minute scene about him and then never touched on again. Why were there constantly scenes of helicopters flying overhead? That said there were symbols and themes I appreciated. For example, it’s clear whether a character was important by their name. The main characters are: Moonee, Halley, Scooty, Dickie, Bobby, Jancey, and Ashley. Rainbows are a symbol of better things to come, often reliant on money (the pot of gold at the other end). The movie is characterized by bright colors in the surroundings (green nature and the motel is purple), the way characters dress and Halley’s hair and tattoos. The color is symbolic of childhood wonder and the perceived brightness of Disney World. 

The final motif that I think had the biggest impact was the appearance of the American flag at the scenes that would make any nationalist question their faith in America. The irony felt the strongest when DCF comes to take Moonee away. Even though Moonee is in a dysfunctional situation, the film makes viewers frustrated in the system. Taking Moonee away to bounce between families for 12 years is not a solution. Halley is not perfect, but she loves Moonee and would do so much more for her if she had a reliable source of money. 

The ending of the film turns the American Dream on its head. DCF tries to take Moonee but she runs and escapes. She sobs outside her best friend Jancey’s motel door. Jancey grabs her hand and together they run to Disney World and hold hands in joy together outside the real Magic Castle. (Filmed on an iPhone 6 so that Disney would not make money on the film)

One of Moonee’s quotes from the film is, “Do you know why this is my favorite tree - cuz its tipped over and it's still growing.” Despite living in one of the poorest communities in America, Moonie still finds joy in life. That said, there is no possible happy ending for Moonee as her mother is arrested and she goes away. That’s precisely why the non-sense ending that many Google Reviews complain about is so beautiful. If you want a movie that will have you sobbing and questioning everything, as well then this is the perfect film. 

Sources: 

Sean Baker explains why the ending is imaginary: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-florida-project-review-20171005-story.html

A look at the experiences of people actually living in the motels outside Disney:https://newrepublic.com/article/164335/homeless-gates-disney-world-florida-sunbelt-blues-review

[vivekguptahal]

How Digital Innovation Is Driving Sustainability and a Greener Future

Going digital for a greener future

Building innovative technology solutions and green technology has become a priority for business leaders amidst the rising climate change concern.

Digital technology solutions are helping organizations accumulate the data necessary to identify opportunities to repurpose materials and equipment, aligned with the circular economy. It helps organizations reduce waste and adopt an Earth-conscious approach to using natural resources.

At Hitachi, our goal is to leverage green digital technologies and share them with our customers to deliver environmental and social value and embrace sustainability - as we realize that a green future requires a digital future.

Sustainability begins at home: remanufacturing & breathing life into products

With accelerating social changes like global warming, new ways of working, unprecedented natural disasters, etc., companies face the challenge of responding to the needs of the market and creating a sustainable society. 

At Hitachi, our climate performance targets include achieving carbon neutrality in our operational facilities by 2030 and throughout our value chain by 2050. Therefore, we have embarked on infrastructure improvements - from transitioning to higher-efficiency HVAC units to harnessing solar power and developing a circular economy strategy – we have done it all.

From strategy to execution, our services are designed to help tackle sustainability challenges and realize the competitive advantage and impact that it brings. Our innovations at Sullair, a Hitachi subsidiary, are an indicator of how long we have been working on sustainability solutions. Although compressed air powers nearly 70% of manufacturing operations globally, Sullair is the air compressor company that offers a whole goods remanufacturing program. We produced more than 2,700 remanufactured air compressors since Sullair’s inception a decade ago.

Our remanufacturing program has helped offset over 5,000 metric tons of carbon production so far and is in the process of expanding further. This is in keeping with our goal of making remanufacturing an intrinsic element of design, give our products second and third lives and reduce our reliance on depleting natural resources.

Elevating sustainability standards via HICAM

Our climate-focused GREEN 21 team at Hitachi Computer Products America (HICAM) founded in the early 2000s, serves two purposes: to promote environmental awareness among employees and to coordinate a variety of green and socially responsible initiatives, from reducing waste and increasing recycling to making a positive impact on the communities where we do business. 

Our facility uses wind power as one of its primary sources of electricity, and part of our CO2 reduction plan is to introduce new technology to replace the current system of relying on natural gas. Additionally, our employee awareness program help them to understand their impact on the environment. Moreover, in a bid to take care of the environment, our ongoing plans include installing charging stations for employees’ use in the parking lot to encourage EV (electric vehicle) adoption.

Powering good through sustainable social innovation

At Hitachi, we co-create social innovation solutions for a sustainable future as we believe environmental stewardship is an important value for the new generation of job seekers to eradicate any negative impact that business operations have on our planet.

For more information about Hitachi’s sustainability practices, visit Sustainability at Hitachi.

Discover how Hitachi is unlocking value for society with Sustainable Social Innovation and Digital Transformation in Transportation, Manufacturing, Energy, and more https://social-innovation.hitachi/en-us/think-ahead/