#it would impact their ability to sell cars!

[qqueenofhades]

Why is infrastructure and public transportation so horrible in america compared to the rest of the world?

Capitalism!

[ornii]

I don't know if you have a romance planned for My Bitter Half but I really hope it's Enid.

Hear me out: Y/N Addams is crushing hardcore in Enid but, like his sister, does not really speak from his mind or his heart. So all he can do is be happy as Enid chases after Ajax even though it's painful to paint a smile on his face because she's his best friend and he has to he happy for her regardless of how he feels.

I did plan on Enid ending up being the hall of sunshine in (Y/n)’s dark world, but yes much like his sister his ability to speak his feelings is, lacking.

My Better Bitter half, Part 4

“So, you two have aspirations correct? An author? And actor?” She says, Wednesdays novel seems to be fast growing, and (Y/n)‘a infamous career of acting has head him to be a prodigy of the stage.

“I understand you've written three novels about a teen girl detective, Viper De La Muerte.” Kinbott says

“Can you tell me about her?”

“Viper is smart, perceptive, chronically misunderstood.” Wednesday said.

“Any luck getting your work published?”

“Editors are short-sighted, fear-based life forms. One once described my writing as gratuitously morbid, and suggested I seek psychiatric help.”

“Hmm.” Kinbott notes the info and jots it down.

“Ironic, isn't it?” You say.

“How did you take that?” Kinbott said.

“I sent her a "thank you." I've always been open to constructive criticism.” Wednesday said, only god knows what fate had ended for the citric.

“I'm glad to hear that.” Kinbott said, “And (Y/n), your performance as the star actor of “Hamlet” and “Death of a Salesman.” Were amazingly well received.” Kinbott says, “But your… Performances We’re always a bit, overwhelming in energy.”

“I see that as an absolute win.” You say.

“Good Because I was sent manuscripts and videos as part of both of your psych evaluations.

The relationship I found most intriguing was that of Viper and her Brother, Asriel.” Kinbott Said, you slowly turn to Wednesday, who’s eyes quickly divert from your gaze. “And (Y/n), I watched a Stellar performance of yours in “The Piano Lesson.” Which tells the story of a Brother trying to convince his sister of selling a piano, and it seems your performance was, very impactful.” She says, the siblings grow uncomfortably quiet.

“Why don't we dig into that? Part of this journey requires us going to uncomfortable places emotionally.”

“I don't travel well.” Wednesday begins.

“I get car sick.” You say.

“Would you mind if I use the powder room first?” Wednesday says, and Kinbott nods, Wednesday leaves to the room and he and the therapist are alone.

“Now, (Y/n), I noticed that the play was heavily impacted by your performance. Perhaps you and Boy Willie have more in common?”

“He’s a character I play, nothing more.”

“Are you sure? You both might be older brothers trying to create a better future for your siblings, but fail short, and feel that you have to be perfect in every way, to feel that you’re worthy to be called a “Brother.” She says, (Y/n) stares coldly at her, trying not to show any emotion. He quickly stands up.

“A question, does that Bathroom have a window?” He asks.

“Yes?” Kinbott replies and (Y/n) growls a bit, he storms over to the door and grabs the handle.

“Uh.. (Y/n), your sister is—“

“No, she isn’t.” (Y/n) opens the door to show Kinbott that his sister has escaped, (Y/n) storms off to the door without another word. Exiting the building (Y/n)’s eyes search like an owl, his head twists around to search. The only thing he notices was a coffee place, and saw a shadowy figure enter the facility.

“You little—“ (Y/n) angrily walks over, after sharply bursting into the cafe his eyes quickly lock into his sister, who sits calmly at a booth. The two stare each other down and he slowly slithers over and sits across from her. They say absolutely nothing to each other for what seems to be an eternity.

“(Y/n)—“

“Silence.” He said, “i told you what I said at the entrance, your attempts to escape end here. If I have to watch you while you sleep so be it, but you will not step out of this school.”

“As amusing as it would be for you to try and stop me, I have more important things to do than Argue with an impudent child. It is my decision that you cannot make for me.”

The tension between the two grows more and more intense.

“Take one step out of Nevermore and I will Drag you back.”

“I’d loathe to see you try.”

The two are ready to burn Jericho to the ground in their squabble, luckily a trio of teenagers, dressed as pilgrims decide to draw the ire of the twins.

“Hey, boys, check it out.” One says, they finish their argument and turn to the three.

“What's a pair of Nevermore freaks doing out in the wild?” One says, “ This is our booth.” Another chimes in, rather take them seriously the duo do what they do best.

“Why are you dressed like religious fanatics?” Wednesday asks.

“We're pilgrims.”

“Same thing, murderous crusaders.” You say and Wednesday chimes in.

“Potato, Po-ta-to.” She says.

“We work at Pilgrim World.” One boy says. Annoyed.

“It takes a special kind of stupid to devote an entire theme park to zealots responsible for mass genocide.” Wednesday hardly jabs at them.

“My dad owns Pilgrim World.” One says.

“Wow. Making a theme part based off of Genocidal egomaniacs, that’s just stupid.” You say.,

“Are you calling is stupid?” One said.

“We’re you Not here for the first part of this conversation?” You respond. The trio slowly turn to you and you rise out of your booth.

“So tell me, freak... your sister ever been with a normie? Or is she all yours like all weirdos?” They laugh and (Y/n) folds his arms.

“Sorry i don’t participate in the same chromosome adding rituals that your parents did. Not my forte.” (Y/n) responds, and one boy has finally had enough. He swings with a punch which was caught effortlessly by (Y/n), who twists his arms. He kicks another halfway across the room. He slides along the ground and he hurls the other away. One leaps and puts him in the choke hold, (Y/n) hits him with an elbow straight im the rib cage, he begins to elbow him over and over, he lurches over, gasping for air and (Y/n) calmly slams his head into the table where Wednesday said, slightly enjoying the carnage. The three lie on the ground, spiraled.

“Good Talk everyone.” You say and sit back down across from Wednesday. “As I was saying, I will drag you back to Nevermore if you won’t go willingly.” (Y/n) says, before the doors open and is greeted by a middle aged man, the sheriff of these parts possibly.

“Dad!” The barista working there rushes over, and the sheriff turns to him.

“Tyler, the hell's going on in here?”

“They were harassing a customer, and he put them in their place.” Tyler says.

“This scrawny thing took down three boys?” The sheriff said.

“I don’t need help.” You say as you turn to The sheriff, suddenly Weems enters as well, seeing the mess.

“Apologies, Sheriff. These two slipped away from me.

Come on, Addams, time to go.” She says and the twins rise to leave.

“Wait a minute, hang on. You're both Addams? Don't tell me Gomez Addams is your father? That man belongs behind bars for murder. Guessin' the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm gonna keep my eye on you two.” He says, the twins seem unbothered by this and leave with Weems. The drive back to Nevermore was a bit, colder.

“Your first day and you're already on Sheriff Galpin's radar. Wish I could say I was surprised.” Weems says.

“What did he mean about my father?” Wednesday asks.

“A Murderer, dear sister. It seems Nevermore has more hidden, wouldn’t you agree Principal Weems?” You say, and she seemingly acts oblivious.

“I have no idea, but a word of advice. Stop making enemies and start making a few friends. You're going to need them.” Weems said, their drive was halted by an accident further up, a crashed truck.

“Looks like an accident. I hope the driver's okay.” Weems said, peering further ahead, but an ominous energy radiates though the truck.

“He's dead. Broke his neck.” Wednesday said, almost sure of it, they finally drive by, seeing how scarily right she was. (Y/n) turned to his sister.

“How did you know? It wasn’t a lucky guess.” You say, and Wednesday simply turns her head back forward.

“There is Something i must Tell you, Brother.”

[redwinterroses]

OC and Mudlark meandering under the cut :)

So.

In Mudlark, my MC is a ~19-20yo girl named Jade Stellato, who grew up in a threadweaver colony on a planet called Keris, a relatively backwater world that hadn't even been settled for very long so things were pretty low-tech.

(Think 1930s/1940s in terms of how much technology impacts every-day life, but the technology that DOES exist is still futuristic. Like, farmers probably still often use draft animals to plow and harvest, but everyone's got the equivalent of a smartphone. Long-distance travel is more or less out of the question, but you've got satellite internet. Every teenage gearhead has posters of spaceships and hover cars on their bedroom walls, but the planet doesn't have interstates. They have the technology, just not the infrastructure for heavy machinery, etc.)

Threadweavers are people who can interact with and manipulate the "threads" that make up reality (uhhhh atomic theory plus laylines. mm-hm. Sanderson's spren minus the personification aspects. Something like that) and depending on where you are, you're either considered a skilled worker and valuable to society, or potentially a witch or a terrorist. It just depends. Keris is spread-out and colonial enough that every area kinda makes its own rules, but generally is considered weaver-friendly so there are a lot of threadweaver settlements there. The particular colony Jade grew up in was pretty strict on gender rules for what sort of threadweaving was appropriate. Women were supposed to stick to things like medicine and agriculture -- "natural" elements, while men were led more into manipulating inorganic things like stone, metals, etc.

So Jade is in training to go into the medical field, and she's not bad at it, but she really doesn't enjoy it. And one of the things she regularly gets in trouble for is doing things with metals -- shaping little tin dishes for her kiddie kitchen, making beads and stuff, etc. Then she discovers engines and machinery and it becomes a whole THING.

All of which is brought to a messy and screeching halt when the As Yet Unnamed Experimental Corporate Cultists swoop in on her settlement, steal every threadweaver they can subdue and murder the rest. She loses both parents and her brother in the chaos and only survives because she was out in some farmer's back pasture up to her elbows in a tractor engine.

She and the other few refugees get shipped back to the intersystem planets and pawned off from agency to agency until she's had enough and strikes off on her own, ending up scraping together a living as a "mudlarker" -- someone who trawls riverbeds and beaches for valuable scrap to sell to pawnbroker types. The city she's in at the time is pretty unfriendly to threadweavers and it's illegal without a license, so she keeps under the radar and only uses her ability to manipulate metal when she's sure no one is watching (but it does come in handy to find more valuable items in the silt and sand of the river.)

Jade is tall and stocky, and strongly-muscled, with thick freckles over every inch of her skin and dark brown hair that would be wavy if she let it grow longer than a few inches. (She cut it at the first refugee center and has kept it short ever since out of convenience.) She whistles absently whenever she's deeply engrossed in a project, has a fascination with birds (Keris had no avian species), and realized at about age sixteen (when a classmate tried to kiss her at a harvest bonfire) that she's ace.

She deeply, deeply misses her parents and her older brother, Quin. She hopes they might be alive somewhere, but half hopes that they're not -- no one knows exactly what the As Yet Unnamed Experimental Corporate Cultists do with the people they take, but no one ever sees them again, and the AYUECC is powerful enough to be above the law of any planetary system. Conspiracies about brain transplants, human experimentation, and an attempt to breed an army of unstoppable threadweavers come up any time they're discussed.

Jade's story is going to open with her learning of a place simply known as Haven -- a planet hidden from the AYUECC and beyond the claim of any multi-planet confederation, where threadweavers are protected. And there are supposedly two guys at a dive bar two neighborhoods over who can take her there.

So! That's my protagonist. <3 ty for reading, if you got this far!

[bvsyhead]

BASICS full name; clementine bennett / nicknames; clem, tbd / age; 24 / gender; cis-female / pronouns; she/her / sexuality; pansexual / species; banshee / martial status; single / occupation; none

PERSONALITY the label; the paracosmist / positive traits; selfless, gentle / negative traits; paranoid, brazen / sign; pisces

FAMILY biological mother; erin last name unknown / biological father; marcus last name unknown

ABILITIES death wail, divination, premonitions, astral premonitions, psychometry, hallucination induction, clairaudience

BACKGROUND

tw; death, abuse, drugs, addiction, anxiety, depression

-eleanor was born to a fairly normal family, her mother worked as a teacher and her father a truck driver. they were a normal middle class family that seemed to get along. until one day when they got into a car accident, the only one safe was her since she was in a car seat, only 3. this changed the course of her entire life, the doctors gave both her parents pain medicine and from there they were hooked.

-they tried really hard to take care of her and also get their fix, but the system only lasted for so long. one day they left her at home alone and the neighbor found her, she was 6 years old and unable to care for herself fully. from there she was placed in the foster system.

-she managed to thrive in the local orphanage, having a resilient energy that grew from her time with her parents. however she was mute for the first half of her stay. they sent her to school and she grew to love english the most, wanting to read everything possible once having access to a library.

-at the age of 8, she was adopted by a loving family who also had other kids. for a few years, it felt as if this was the life she was meant to have. a loving family who cared for her emotions and personal growth. they helped her learn how to not be so nervous to speak to others.

-at the age of 12, she began to experience terrible nightmares. unaware that they were visions, of what was to come a year later. the premonition, was of her adopted parents dying in a car accident on a stormy night. despite her best efforts, she was not able to stop it from happening. experiencing her very first death wail in her home as the others perished.

-this accident filled her grief, causing her to go mute again. but instead of being placed in foster care, she and the other children were sent to live with their aunt. someone who also cared deeply for them and managed to help get clementine back on track.

-as a teen, she did well in school, keeping close to her adoptive family and spending her time reading. people viewed her as an odd book worm, but since she was kind and pretty they didn't bully her too much. yet she didn't have many friends, that was until college.

-in her freshman year of college, she flourished, learning to find her voice and with the encouragement of friends and teachers, began to write a memoir. the whole thing was meant to be published until her tragic death. after a night out with friends, they decided it would be fun to walk over the bridge, instead of calling a cab. with all of them intoxicated, not from drinks but weed, clementine lost her balance and ended up falling into the water and dying instantly from impact.

-her death took the world by surprise, a lot of people had been banking on her memoir to be released. clem made national headlines but not for the things she had wanted. the publishing company decided to wait with selling the book, wanting to give the public time to grief.

-a few months later, inadu brought her back. the publishing company decided to release the book right after the news of her being newly alive. causing clementine to become even more disoriented with her newfound heart beat. yet there was no time to really worry about the world reading her story, as inadu had other plans for her.

-more to come

[qvissvmi]

I reincarnated as a side character in my favourite novel to prevent the villain’s death!

Chapter 1

Cicilia and I wandered through the busy streets. The lanterns were decorated with festive flowers, traders announced their goods every time we walked by and cheerful folks danced on the market place. It was the kingdom’s founder day when the king blessed this land with freedom and independence. This celebration lasted for a whole week.

„Stay close to me, sweetie.“

„Okay.“

We stopped at a small shop in a deserted back alley. Who would ever find this? The owner should seriously consider moving the location if he wants to make profit.

„I have some business here with the shop owner. Can you wait here for me?“

„No problem.“

„It won’t take long!“ Cicilia shouted from the back as she followed the owner.

I inspected the shop out of boredom. Some necklaces with colourful stones, several jars with preserved monster limbs and bones and lots of potions in display. It seemed like this shop sells magical items.

Suddenly I heard shouting from the outside.

„Leave me alone! I don’t have your belongings!“

„Don’t fucking lie, you little brat! I’ll make you pay with your body, when I get you!“

„Someone…please-!“

My blood pumped faster as I heard the panicked steps and angered stomps rushing by the door. I scanned the shop for anything helpful. In the end I grabbed some potion bottles and leave in a hurry. There was no time to think. My body moved on its own. I swore to myself that I will live this life without regrets so this is what I want to do right now.

„Give me back the diamond of omnipotence!“

„I tell you I don’t have it! Please listen to me!“

Diamond of omnipotence? I’ve heard that before.

„Kyah!“

„Finally caught you, thief!“

The girl tried to free herself from the man’s grip to no avail.

„I wonder if you hid it under your clothes…“

„Don’t touch me!“

Wait a minute, I recognize this scene. But this is not the time for that!

„Hey! Over here, catch!“

„What?“

As the man turned around, a potion bottle broke on impact with his face making him scream in pain and stumble back. I took the girl’s hand and run away with her.

___________________________________________________________

I was on the way to work until a reckless idiot rammed into my car. Surprisingly, it was a painless, quick death. I don’t remember much of it. To my surprise, it didn’t end there. I woke up in another woman’s arms. Even though I was already looking forward to finally rest from all the stress… is that how the afterlife works? Maybe this dream is a great opportunity for me to do all the things I never had time to in my life. But I’ll really miss my phone, hah…

I’ve been looking forward to read the manga version of my favourite romance novel. It’s about the cheerful heroine Hanna Sapphiere who caught the attention of the duke Marius Hartner with her peculiar but precious behaviour. However, it turns out that she is hiding her curse of her ancestors which prevents her from reciprocating the duke’s feelings. She will pursue love someday, but she and her partner will suffer a tragic end. The curse will continue with their child without fail.

The one who casted this curse was a powerful, resentful dragon who loved a human woman. The dragon was hunted for his blood and its healing abilities. The woman who was Hanna’s ancestor took care of that dragon because of her genuine kindness. But that dragon couldn’t accept the fact that she didn’t love him back. He punished her and her whole bloodline for that „betrayal“.

"If she ever dares to love anyone besides me, they will suffer the consequences!"

Hanna doesn’t want her child to suffer like she did. To break the spell, the heroine seeks out a famous mage named Orion and eventually becomes good friends with him. Until then, she will abstain from catching feelings for the duke. However, little did she know that Orion who was willing to help actually possesses the dragon’s blood and is also falling in love with her. The strong emotions of the dragon in his blood will slowly overtake him which forces Hanna and Marius to kill their best friend before he loses his control over his powers. I could never get over this ending and cried several nights.

„My poor babies didn’t deserve that! They were such a nice trio. Orion was even willing to give up his love for Hanna for the happiness of his beloved friends. It’s just too cruel, huhu…“

There were other plot points about the kingdom’s politics and more, but honestly I was only interested in the trio’s dynamic.

„Now that I live inside my favourite novel’s universe, I should have paid more attention to it…“, I thought to myself after saving the girl from the creep. After we ran, my adoptive mother Cicilia already was looking for me.

„Renee!“

I live with her in a forest cottage outside the capital. She is incredibly knowledgeable in medicine and herbs which she has been teaching me since I was little. Literature and simple algebra were also a part of it. Although some things are outdated for me because I knew better from my previous life. She disliked it when I tried to correct her, but still listened when I did. Sometimes I forgot that a child can’t and isn’t supposed to do some things adults do, so Cicilia scolded me pretty often.

„Why didn’t you call for me?? You could have gotten hurt!“

As always, her scolding was pretty intense but she didn’t take as long as she usually does. Perhaps it’s because the girl shaking right beside me was still holding my hand tightly.

Cicilia sighs. „Anyway, I’m glad you’re both safe. Are you okay, sweetheart? What is your name?“

„My n-name is…Hanna. Hanna Sapphiere“

There was no doubt about it. In that moment the heroine of my most loved novel was at my side. In the original plot she would get assaulted by that man which would explain her fear of touch later. That scene was also a flashback introducing the „diamond of omnipotence“ that will be an important plot point for breaking Hanna‘s curse.

“T-thank you for saving me…”

Hanna then bursted out in tears, maybe from relief or shock. I smiled softly at her in hopes of calming down her nerves.

“I only did what I thought was right.”

I never liked that scene. It only made my blood boil so I feel proud preventing it. I wondered how much this would affect the future though…

“My rascal can be pretty reckless but I admit that she did well.”

Yes, please acknowledge my good deed!

“But no need to ride on your high horses now.”

I pouted.

“This was very dangerous. Please leave this to the adults next time, okay?”

“Okaaay.”

“How should I pay you back? Those potions seem expensive….”

Hanna who has calmed down a bit fiddled with her fingers looking at the ground.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart! I explained the situation to the shop owner already. Just let us escort you back home.”

“Oh…that’s not necessary, Lady Cicilia. I don’t want to inconvenience you any further.”

What Hanna actually meant was that her home was an orphanage and didn’t want to admit that to us. Her background story always hurt to read. Now that it became a reality it’s even more heartbreaking.

“If you want to return the favor…then why not be friends with my daughter Renee?”

“Eh?”, puzzled I look at Cicilia.

“We live in the woods away from the nearest town so she doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to make friends. It doesn’t help that she’s a bit different from her peers either.”

“I am fine the way I am, thank you very much.”

“Yes, yes. Anyway, what do you say, Hanna? Can you do this for us?”

“Um…I’m not sure if i’m good enough…”

Cicilia gave Hanna her best puppy eyes expression.

“…but if Renee is fine with it…”

“I don’t mind.”

“Huh? A-are you sure?”

“As long as you treat me right, you can be my friend.”

In truth, I knew that Hanna in the novel is the nicest person you could meet. Although I wasn't sure how much of the novel translates to this dream. It was better to observe the events unfold without bias. It’s possible that I might have changed the course of the plot already too. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be friends with the person you have always looked up to? I won’t let this opportunity pass!

“You can come to our cottage sometime! I could show you some cool things you can do in the woods!”

Amused and surprised by my enthusiasm she responded, “Hihi, okay then. I look forward to it.”

There it is; her warm smile just like the novel described. It could melt away all your worries at one glance. A desire to hug her dwelled up inside of me. But I barely managed to hold back. Ah, I hope I can keep her safe this time.

[karasbroken]

I feel very strongly about third places. I love cafes and I have the money now to be in them whenever I want, but they're not a substitute for free places to be in the world. I spent my twenties and a good part of my 30s LARPing on city streets, sometimes quite elaborately with props and costumes. We used to get the cops called on us regularly, but we were old enough to know how to handle cops, and explain what we were doing and why it wasn't bothering anyone. Mostly it went fine.

I'm not so sure it would in a less nerdy and liberal area, or if we had all been younger, or weren't mostly white and white-passing, or if we'd started up today for the first time rather than being practically urban legends for the local cops at this point.

I have an almost teen, and she often hangs out with a friend on the way home or just sits by herself, on a planter in the center of a traffic circle. It's between home and school in a quiet suburban neighborhood. (The circles were created because the neighborhood was planned with streets twice as wide as they needed to be, so the circles were added to slow traffic down.)

We live in a streetcar suburb, more dense and mixed use than a typical American suburb. But there isn't a park between her school and home, and not anywhere else to really sit and chat. They've removed a lot of street furniture or made it uncomfortable, to discourage the unhoused from sleeping there, and in general there's just not another good place to hang out. I hope she's never hassled about it. I'm not unaware that she has less chance of getting the cops called because she's white with an unthreatening build.

We do still have libraries with teen rooms and there are some other park spaces she could divert to. Being close to city center is helpful. Lots of kids meet at the Starbucks. But folks just don't prioritize places for teens anymore, especially younger ones with no money to spend. We need more micro parks with swings made for adults and more community centers. More 24 hour diners. More tiny malls with indoor food courts and stores that don't just sell luxury brands. More neighborhood schools with playgrounds open after hours and game stores with tables for pick games and coffee shops with board games. (I do think there's a place for retail third spaces but retail needs to embrace teens not fear them.)

It's undeniable that some of the hostility to young people existing in public is due to them becoming more destructive. Teens have always caused trouble (my mom is of the era when they made driving around in cars illegal--cruising laws were only eased in my city in the last couple years). But the ability to organize on the Internet has made some kinds of trouble more extreme and pernicious (and made rumors about bad behavior more ubiquitous and scary too).

Rising economic inequality has made some kinds of property crime more intense and forced retail to be more wary. The pandemic caused a lot of kids to have fewer opportunities for socializing and other kids to have a lot less supervision and together that has made a micro-generation that doesn't have a lot of emotional maturity or regulation. The Internet in general has impacted our tolerance for difference because it's so easy to find our tribes and then hide everyone else (she says on a site dedicated for curating extremely specific fandom communities).

More third spaces open to all with free and low cost options for socializing and doing activities would help with so many of society's woes. Kids learn to be helpful and productive citizens being around mature adults who aren't their parents but can still give them guidance and model pro-social behavior. Giving young people places to be where their energy and their existence isn't criminalized is so much better than excluding teens and then locking them up for behaving badly. Teens behave better when they have work to do (not just paid work or school work, but chosen work, learning skills that interest them and participating in their community and doing personal projects together with peers) and aren't just pushed to the outside to wait, bored, and restless to turn 18 and finally be allowed to exist in public.

It's like people have forgotten we're trying to have a society here. Don't even get me started on the people who don't think parents should be allowed to bring their babies and small children into public either. More third spaces for parents too please!

[ecostardisposal]

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[ultraguardindia]

Top 5 Benefits of Installing Paint Protection Film on Your Vehicle

A car speaks more about its owner than merely being a means of transport. Other than being a source of pride, a car is also an investment. Nonetheless, despite the reason for having the vehicle being normally perceived as pleasing, exposure to various factors, road hazards, and the normal wear and tear of the vehicle leads to deterioration of the vehicle’s surface. Herein lies the usefulness of Paint Protection Film PPF. PPF is a transparent and tough, thermo plastic urethane film applied on the external surfaces of the car to protect the paint from damages. In case you are looking for ways to safeguard the appearance of your car, here are the five most rewarding paint protection film archival strategies.

 1. Excellent Scratch and Chip Protection

PPF is popular because of its ability to fend off scratches, rock chips and other debris that could harm the paintwork. All vehicle exteriors are under constant attack by various elements such as gravel, sand and other materials that can harm the automotive coatings. PPF protects the paint by providing a tough sacrificial layer that withstands impacts so that small gashes and nicks do not spoil the luster of the paint job.

PPF also, reduces the chances of such damage occurring even in extreme situations like parking lots, where doors open and close and bumpers touch. PPF obviates such concerns bringing peace of mind to owners whose cars are often driven on rough terrain or high ways for long periods. This protects the car’s body and helps it stay looking perfect for a long time.

2. Protection from Ultraviolet rays and Deterioration

There comes a time when prolonged exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation results in insidious and gradual fading of the paint of your motor vehicle. The ultraviolet radiation is responsible goes into the chemistries of the paint and degrades it, hence making it look normal. The process may take longer than anticipated in regions that receive high concentrations of sunlight.

Due to its UV resistance, paint protection film protects the paint of your car from fading besides helping when it comes to cosmetic issues. With PPF, the sun’s rays are blocked from directly touching the paint surface, keeping the factory finish for a longer time. This particular advantage is great especially if you are inquisitive about keeping the car for quite some time or if you stay in areas with areas that are prone to UV rays.

3. Self-Healing Properties

The latest paint protection films have a great feature: Never fret they will be scratched. Swirl patterns, scuffs and scratches are bound to happen sooner or later, especially after much cleaning or washing. Thankfully, PPF has self-healing technology that allows the film to fix itself.

Whether it is the heat from the sun or hot water used for washing the car, over some time the imperfections of the PPF surface can ‘heal’ and fade away. This implies that the outer part of your car can be kept in a much cleaner state inducing less alteration or attention to detailing.

4. Maintenance of Resale Values

For the defacto definition of a vehicle and car owners, resale value is paramount. Just the way a car has an impact on certain factors i.e, price, and the car exterior which has been well kept will also enhance the price when you decide to sell or trade your car. Paint protection film helps in maintaining the quality standard of the paint finish thus almost the same clean appearance is achieved as to what the car has always had from the dealership.

There’s a correlation between a beautifully painted vehicle with little to no paint damage and the buyers’ inclination in purchasing the automobile at any price. Moreover, by protecting the hood, bumper, and side mirrors, which wear out heavily, there is protection against damage that would require expensive repainting or repair work in the future. When it comes to the resale of the vehicle, PPF remains a worthwhile investment as the car’s market value is retained.

5. Improved Look and Simple Upkeep

It is a common myth that car protective films make a car look bulky or unattractive. However, PPF is completely clear and is intended for aesthetic purposes. After installation, it becomes invisible and does not alter the smoothness of the car’s exterior paint. There is always that fresh out of the dealer vehicle look whether it is an expensive automobile or a general use car thanks to the PPF.

Furthermore, the need for maintenance is also reduced with the use of a PPF. The smooth finish tends to hold dirt, dust and other particles for a shorter period of time allowing the vehicle to be cleaner for longer. It takes lesser time and energy to wash and polish the automobile. This film also favours people who do not like to spend so much of their time in car maintenance.

Conclusion

Applying paint protective film in your vehicle is a wise decision as it offers numerous advantages for a long time. Protection from marring, UV rays, increasing the salable price and reducing maintenance are some of the advantages provided by the PPF that helps to protect the automobile. Whether the roads are lined with buildings or vegetation, Paint Protection film guarantees that the exterior of the automobile is smooth and clean for as long as possible, assisting in maintaining the appliance’s beauty and its worth sooner or later.

With this preventive measure in place, you will be able to relax knowing that your vehicle is protected from assault on a daily basis and is still able to look exactly as when it was bought. Installing PPF to all surfaces of your vehicle should be one of the first options if your plan is to keep the pristine look of your car’s body and implement measures for its long-term preservation.

[assenavlp]

Oprah and AI

I watched this primetime ABC propaganda sh¡tshow so you all don't have to.

AI AND THE FUTURE OF US AN OPRAH WINFREY SPECIAL

I hadn't heard or seen any press for this show, and just happened to see the listing as I was trying to find something to watch, a few nights ago, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to watch it or not - lol - so I scheduled it to record, just in case. Finally bit the bullet, yesterday.

The recording caught the last bit of a political ad, before the show began. It warned that "Biden & Harris want to force you to buy an electric car". LMAO And awayyyy we go…

The show (and segment one, of five) cynically begins with a group of everymen/women expressing confusion, doubt, ambivalence, and suspicion. All the better to commence giving you the soft sell, my dears…

THE AGENDA

Oprah: "I was Bedazzled, Fascinated, Curious, and also Concerned. But there is no doubt, it is Here."

She began by breezing through a very basic timeline of the notion and progress of AI, over the last 70 years, and promised, a couple of times, that the show would be "not so technical".

It should be noted that in this hour and four minute-long programme, at no time do they speak of the mass theft of art, music, or literary works (let alone personal data and images shared on social media). 'Cuz who cares about them highfalutin artistic types? Gatekeeping snobs and weirdos, man. 'Ah don't know anything about art, but Ah know what Ah like.' They don't even touch on the issue of likeness theft. They do speak of it, in regards to fraud, later on, but not in regards to creative works, for which there was that whole actor's strike. I see you going to the SAG Awards, Ms. Winfrey. [Buh Gok!] Nor do they speak on the mass of false advertising. They also don't get into the massively detrimental environmental impact. Shocking.

Meta admits scraping every adult Australian’s public post to train AI, no opt-out https://www.diyphotography.net/meta-admits-scraping-every-adult-australians-public-post-to-train-ai-no-opt-out/

Without further ado, the woman who brought us all such greats [chuckle] as Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and the book, "A Million Little Pieces", now brings (to the general public) the so-called Effective Altruist*, OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman.

At about 7 minutes in, in the most earnest, pandering tone, he says, "the most important thing that will happen here is, everyone in the world will be able to create at a level that is still hard for us to imagine. This is gonna be an enabler of human ability to create, to flourish, to make new things, to create new companies and services like we've never seen, and we want eeeeverybody to get to do that, not just the white dudes", as he stares directly at Oprah. LOL

Oh, the sweet, sweet 'democratization of art', you bad, bad, racist and ableist anti-AI folks. [rolling eyes]

Of course they allow him to express concern as he pays lip service to safety and regulations, as fellow sociopaths Elon, Jeff, and Mark, all grace our screens, and he speaks of regularly working with the Executive Branch. Mm hmmm. The folks who love their corporate donors. Okay. Go on.

Oprah: "How do we know we can trust you?"

Sam: "The bar on this is clearly extremely high, um, the best thing that we can do is to put this technology in the hands of people, talk about what it is capable of, what it's not, what we think is gonna come, what we think might come, give our best advice about how society should decide to use this. Um, say when we think it's important to not release something, which we also might get wrong, and build up that trust over time. But it is clear that this is going to be a very impactful technology, and I think a lot of scrutiny is thus super warranted."

Oprah: "I actually saw a headline, that said you were the most powerful, and perhaps most dangerous man on the planet, and I'm wondering how that sits with you."

Sam (holding back tears - really): "I…. It's definitely strange to hear you say that. It doesn't… I don't feel like the most powerful person or anything even close to that, uh, like I feel the opportunity, the responsibility in a positive way to get to nudge this in a direction that I think can be really good for people. And that is, like, that's like a serious… exciting, somewhat nerve-racking thing, um, but it's something that I feel very deeply, and I, and I, and I, and I realise how I'll never get to touch anything this important again."

We really needed some violins, here.

Oprah goes on to express her "concern" over the "nefarious" ways some have already used the technology, but then goes on to gush how "calllm" and "relatablllle" he is, and thus, "it seems like everything is okay"…. And he, in turn, replies that he doesn't want to give anyone "a false sense of security", that "there will be bad, too", and that they'll "mitigate, as much as we can" [whewwww, lol] acknowledging full well that "this technology will be misused"… Then he quickly slips in another one for everyone's AI-Bro Bingo card: "like every technology before it…"

Oh, how they love that canard.

*Effective Altruism: letting billionaires amass their fortunes, untaxed and unregulated, so that they can 'benefit' society the way THEY, alone, see fit. Yeah, no.

Then there's a commercial break and they bring back the common folks, for segment two, gushing about their kids using AI to "draw" (yeah, no) dinosaurs, and using the simplified AI filters on TikTok (See? Folks are already using AI, no biggie, lol), using it to generate 'reference' material for sermons, but "never" actually using the raw product (no, of coooourse not), and their fears, shock of all shocks, are slowly being allayed. Apprehensions of "how it will eat you alive" now gone, by "talking to it". Who could have seen this miraculous reversal coming? LOL

HOLY S*** (Their asterisks, not mine.)

Next on the docket is Marques Brownlee, YouTube tech-expert, displaying the exponential improvement of fake videos, in just the past year - of course to Oprah's shock and disbelief - explaining how they're generated by referencing millions of photos. He did explain that "there really isn't any good set of rules" despite some embedding watermarks or meta data so that those who know how to look deeper will know it's fake. i.e. maybe 5% of the people looking at this crap, and at the moment, those folks can tell just by looking anyway.

Then Oprah plays at being the everyman, too, by expressing real concern, especially after he demonstrates a voice generator with his own voice, but of course, she gives him the opportunity to allay those fears; going back down the well-worn 'we've seen this before with new technology' trail that every tech-bro loves to travel, including Sam, in the previous segment. Am I sensing a pattern?

Marques: "I'll say I've seen this story before. Cars, in general, went through this; smartphones, of course, went through this; computers went through this; the Internet went through this; where at their very formative years, they're really, really confusing and potentially amazing but potentially horrible, and eventually, you know, humans sort themselves out, to lay the rules down in a way that we can actually trust that will be better than it is bad. So I've seen this story before and I'm hoping it plays out the way it's played out before."

Oh, that makes me feel so much better, because this all-encompassing technology is absolutely no different than any other technological advance we've seen throughout all of recorded history. No, not at all. [cough]

Next up are Tristan Harris, Technology Ethicist, and Aza Raskin, creator of the Infinite Scroll, talking about the incredible speed of the tech, the ills of "social media addiction, doom-scrolling, and polarization", and how he, Aza, "learned the hard way" that his "good intentions as an inventor just wasn't enough". Ya don't say. He did challenge the aforementioned "every tech" narrative by pointing out that the various problems of cars (eg. seatbelts) took decades to resolve. Of course he doesn't mention that cars, even still, are killing us every day, from their planned obsolescent over-production and resultant waste, to the continued fossil fuel dependency and pollution (or all the rare earth mineral mining devastation that electric alternatives will incur)….

Aza: "Once AI can do anything, people start to use it to do everything."

Tristan: "That's what's so confusing about AI, is it's going to give us all these benefits at the same time that it's undermining the foundations that we depend on, and you can't separate the promise from the peril, so I think instead of getting caught up in the question, "is AI gonna be good or is it gonna be bad", it's about, "is it happening at a pace that our society can respond appropriately."

Oprah: "But guys, it's here. It's why I started this programme by saying it is here."

Tristan: "Open AI's stated goal is to be able to build systems of AI that are even smarter than humans because there's trillions of dollars to be made on the other side…."

Oprah: "What do you want to see happen, now?"

Tristan: "OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, they need to be held accountable for the harms that they would create so that they're all incentivized to pull back, and go at the pace that they can help society be prepared and not be overwhelmed."

Oprah: "And who is holding them accountable?"

Tristan: "We need laws."

HA!

Back with some more everyfolks, segment three begins with the spectre of real life scams and the harm they cause.

BAD GUYS

FBI director Christopher Wray is trundled out to talk more about deepfakes and scams, and ch¡ldp0rn and sext0rt¡on using faked images.

Oprah: "Do you think we have the laws or regulations in place, now, to keep Americans safe from all that's coming, all the AI threats?"

Christopher: "I would probably leave legislating to the legislators, but what I will tell you from an FBI director's perspective, um, is that this is a type of technology that we see manifesting itself in more and more situations, more and more types of crimes, more and more types of threats, uh, and there's a degree to which, overall, our laws haven't kept pace with the technology."

Oprah: "Does that frustrate you?"

Christopher: "Sure, yeah, sure. What I worry about is the day, which is coming, it's not here but it's coming faster than we would like, where those, um, elite bad guys will find AI sophisticated enough to take their game to a-whole-nother level."

Oprah: "And the elite bad guys are doing what?"

Christopher: "So the elite bad guys are the ones, you know, for example, conducting the most sophisticated cyber intrusions. To me no country, no country represents a broader, more severe, more comprehensive threat to American innovation, American ideas, to our Economic Security, and ultimately our national security, than the Chinese government. China has a bigger hacking programme, already, than that of every major nation combined, and has stolen more of Americans' personal and corporate data than every nation, big or small combined. The scale of the threat is significant. If you took the FBI's programme, and just said forget Russia, forget Iran, just do nothing but China, the Chinese government's hacking programme, they would outnumber us 50 to 1.

Oprah: "We've got an election coming. Do you think this election cycle will be compromised by disinformation?"

Christopher: "I fully expect to see, um, disinformation by foreign adversaries. We are finding, all too often, that something on social media that looks like Bill from Topeka or Mary from Dayton is actually, you know, some Russian or Chinese intelligence officer on the outskirts of Beijing or Moscow."

Don't worry about the homegrown stuff. [shhhh]

Oprah: "What should we be on the lookout for?"

Christopher: "All Americans should try to be, you know, more discerning consumers of information. It is incumbent on everyone in America to bring an intensified sense of focus and caution to the use of AI, and how AI can be used by bad guys against all of us, but not to panic I don't think this is a time for panic."

So, in sum: Chinese and Russian AI, baaaaad. [furrows brow] American AI, goooood. [thumbs up] Nothing to see, here!

Back to the everypeople, and the fear of job losses, immediately followed by the old 'but there will be newwww jobs' cliché, and then the folks who were suspicious but they looove it, now, and the folks who aren't worried because they're "irreplaceable".

HEALTH, EDUCATION & JOBS

Oh! Bill Gates! Quell surprise.

Microsoft's Hypocrisy on AI https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/09/microsoft-ai-oil-contracts/679804/

Long story short: medicine is going to be sooo much better. And education, too!

Bill: "We can see it's already working pretty well."

Oh, really?

Kids who use ChatGPT as a study assistant do worse on tests Researchers compare math progress of almost 1,000 high school students. https://www.popsci.com/technology/kids-who-use-chatgpt-as-a-study-assistant-do-worse-on-tests/

And robots can do the blue collar jobs, too! (Including fruit-picking, on all that farmland he's been buying up.) Yayyyy, replicants! [facepalm]

Oprah: "What are the jobs that you believe are going to be undisturbed? What skills are going to persist in these, in this new world?"

Bill: "Yeah, that's very hard to make a prediction. I mean there'll be aspects of creativity, there'll be aspects of appreciating, uh, people [said as if under duress, lol], you know, social work, the teacher really engaging that student in the rich way. Even then I can't guarantee that software won't eventually get good at that, but you know, for the next generation, the more human, the more engaged you are with other people [so, not artists], that is a skillset that is in such short supply, whether it's mental health or education, that we can never have enough of that."

I dread to imagine what his visions for future mental health services are.

Oprah: "I mean I've expressed several of my concerns, but do you have none, do you have no…"

Bill: "I have significant fears about the risks. This is the first technology that is happening faster than even the insiders expected."

Oprah: "It's happening faster than you guys thought?"

Bill: "Absolutely."

Oprah: "Do you think that your company, that, that Microsoft, and other companies that are gonna make a lot of money off of AI have an obligation to help us manage and navigate through this change?"

Bill: "Absolutely. The fact that there will have to be regulation, that the way we think about taxes will have to change quite a bit. If the companies are working with the government, then at least we can craft something that's, that's not just profit-driven."

Regulations that you and your lobbyists craft? [chortle]

Oprah: "But what did we miss with the Internet and social media that we can use to apply now, to this moment of AI?"

Bill: "Well, I, I would say, speaking for myself, personally, and, I think, many others, that we were a bit naïve."

Ya don't say.

Stephen Fry: Musk and Zuckerberg have 'polluted culture' ""I’m the chump who thought social media could change the world," he told his audience at the Digital Futures Institute." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq5q3jlnz3o

Bill: "We thought the Internet, the availability of information would make us all a lot more factual. The fact that people would seek out kind of a niche of misinformation, we were a bit naïve."

Okay, then.

Back to the everyones… and what it is to be "human". HA! "As a religious person, one of the things that I reflect on is "be careful about comfort because too much comfort is actually going to make your life worse, not better, because it'll decrease your over all capacity." (An actual good point.)

IRREPLACEABLE HUMANS

The final guest, Marilynne Robinson, novelist, is the lone 'creative' on the show.

Marilynne: "The impulse behind it seems to be to eliminate the human hand, the human eye in the making of the reality that we inhabit to the farthest extent possible. With the effect of, of, um, concentrating power in the sense of the control of this strange fantasy, uh, within very few people's hands and consolidating masses of capital, and masses of natural resources devoted to this very dubious project. It's just a human impulse to escape from its humanity, which is something that happens over and over again, historically. The impulse to say, uh, that there's nothing intrinsic about a human person, that cannot, in theory, be replicated by something that, frankly, works cheaper, works faster. I don't know why it is but it's part of our human lot to be uncomfortable with our humanity, and to mechanize it, you know, out of existence in some way. We're not enough in love with our own existence, and we're not enough in love with everyone else's existence, and I think that's very dangerous." [chef's kiss]

The same reason transhumanists are so obsessed with living longer and more artificially. They don't love - or respect - the time they have here. They want more, more, more.

Oprah: "What is the thing that concerns you the most?"

Marilynne: "I'm afraid that there will be so much investment of every kind into this project, that it will have its consequences before it really deserves them, and so there will be all kinds of cutting back on all kinds of employment and so on, anticipating this insurgence of, of AI, and then it will turn out that it's a, it's a bad project, you know, that it's more dangerous than it is valuable, and so on, and so we will have a disrupted economy on the one hand, and an unusable technology on the other."

Mic drop!

Oprah, ignoring the words of the preacher before the segment, persists…

Oprah: "But it's also going to, no question about it, it's going to make life a lot easier for a lot of people, so what's wrong with that?"

Marilynne: "American schools ask for a lot of written work from students, and that's a very good thing. It's an autonomy-creating exercise, you know. But what we don't do, we don't tell them that this is a discipline, like an athletic discipline that they have undertaken to strengthen themselves, not just to bring themselves over some arbitrary line of sufficiency."

Never mind the physical process of writing, learning cursive, etc., which too many deemed unnecessary, despite all the literature demonstrating otherwise.

Oprah: "That it's the discipline of doing the work and the thinking process."

Marilynne: "Exactly. And students say writing is difficult, which of course it is."

Oprah: "It is."

Marilynne: "But difficulty is the point."

Oprah: "And so if you were in charge of this whole AI movement, what would you be doing or what would you advise?"

Marilynne: "I would advise that it be used for, you know, the kind of research that produces drugs and immunizations and so on."

Sure. With MUCH oversight. But then again…

Revolution, interrupted One of the promises of machine learning was better drugs, faster. A decade in, AI has failed to live up to the hype https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-artificial-intelligence-drug-research-hype/

Marilynne: "I would, uh, I would make a fantastic library. I would use it very, very judiciously to replace work that is drudgery without the arrogance of replacing the work of people who, you know, who are of very great value, you know, just because they are the substance of our ordinary interactions with the world."

Oof. There's MY personal sticking point. "Eliminating the drudgery." She was careful to make a distinction but I fear that nuance will be lost on most of the people already sharing that hackneyed meme. Everyone wants a replicant to do the stuff they think they're above doing. Doesn't end well.

Oprah was still desperately trying to make the case, though, retreating to the same old "fear of the new" and "nostalgia" arguments, asking how this time is different. Sometimes I thought, maybe she's just playing Devil's Advocate, with some of these questions? It was interesting that she gave the final word to someone who had the most philosophical viewpoint. But nahhh. Marilynne then compared it to The Manhattan Project. HA! Another mic drop.

And then Oprah's final thoughts, on this peak Boomer TV:

"A special thank you to everyone who spoke with us, tonight. I hope that they have left you with a clearer picture of what is coming. Artificial intelligence is still beyond our control, and to a great extent our understanding, but it is here. We're going to be living with technology that can be our ally as well as our rival. It is something that no other generation has ever experienced. This moment requires a different level of alertness, awareness, about who we are, and where we're going, what's real, and what's not, what's artificial intelligence and what is human wisdom, authentic intelligence earned through study and experience. We are this planet's most adaptable creatures. We will adapt again but keep your eyes on what's real. The stakes for all of us could not…..

And then the recording cuts out. [GUFFAW]

-30-

[thebatteryadvisor-01]

Can You Get Your Car Battery Installed at Costco? Here’s the Answer

Costco is a trusted name for a wide variety of products, including car batteries. However, a common question among customers is, "Does Costco install car batteries?" Unfortunately, the answer is no. Costco sells car batteries but does not provide installation services. Let’s dive into why this is and what your options are after purchasing a battery from Costco.

Why Doesn’t Costco Install Car Batteries?

Costco’s primary focus is on offering high-quality products at the lowest possible prices. To achieve this, they limit their services and concentrate on product sales rather than additional offerings like car battery installation. Installing car batteries would require specialized tools, trained staff, and extra space in their stores, all of which could increase costs and impact their ability to offer competitive prices.

Moreover, car battery installation involves a level of risk, and any mistakes could lead to damage or injury. By not offering this service, Costco avoids potential liability and ensures they can continue to provide great value to their customers.

What Should You Do After Buying a Battery from Costco?

Once you’ve purchased a battery from Costco, your next step is to get it installed. If you’re handy with tools and have some experience with car maintenance, you might consider installing the battery yourself. It’s a relatively straightforward process, but it’s important to follow all safety guidelines to avoid any mishaps.

If DIY isn’t your style, you can take your new battery to an auto repair shop or a retailer like AutoZone, which offers installation services. While some shops might install a battery for free if it’s purchased there, expect to pay a fee if you bring in a battery from another retailer like Costco. Even with the installation fee, the overall cost is often still lower than buying both the battery and installation elsewhere.

Is Buying a Car Battery from Costco a Good Idea?

Yes, buying a car battery from Costco is still a good idea, even though they don’t offer installation. Costco’s prices are generally lower than those at other retailers, and the batteries they sell are of high quality. Moreover, Costco’s warranty provides additional assurance that you’re making a wise purchase.

Final Thoughts

To answer the question, "Does Costco install car batteries?"—no, they do not. However, the affordability and quality of the batteries they offer make Costco a great place to buy, even if you need to arrange for installation elsewhere. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional, you can trust that you’re getting a good deal at Costco.

[monsterkong]

Why Your Deed Transfer Might Be a Bad Idea: A Real Estate Attorney’s Perspective

Divorce is tough, and dealing with real estate matters during a divorce can make it even tougher. 😓 Hi, I’m ABI from ABI Legal in Pearland, Texas, and today I want to talk about something that’s been popping up a lot in my practice: the deed transfer. More specifically, I want to warn you about the potential pitfalls of rushing into a deed transfer without thinking through all the financial implications.

The Hidden Dangers of a Deed Transfer

When you’re in the middle of a divorce, your family law attorney might suggest a deed transfer to remove your name from the property. On the surface, this seems like a logical step—after all, you’re separating your life from your ex, so why not separate your property too? But here’s the catch: If your name is still on the mortgage, you’re still financially responsible for those payments. 😬

This is a critical point that often gets overlooked. Your divorce decree might say you’re not responsible for the mortgage anymore, but that doesn’t mean the bank agrees. If your ex-spouse stops paying the mortgage, your credit score is going to take a hit. And in today’s financial landscape, a bad credit score can haunt you for a long time, affecting everything from buying a car to securing a new place to live.

Why You Need a Real Estate Attorney

This is why it’s so important to consult with a real estate attorney before you make any decisions about transferring property. 🚨 As someone who deals with these issues regularly, I can tell you that a rushed deed transfer can lead to a lot of headaches down the road.

For instance, once your name is off the property, you lose the ability to file for partition. This means you have no legal standing to force the sale of the property if things go south. Your only option would be to go back to family court to enforce the divorce decree—a process that can be long, expensive, and not always effective.

Instead, consider keeping your name on the property until you can address the mortgage. Whether that means refinancing, selling the property, or coming up with another solution, the goal is to ensure that you’re not left holding the bag if your ex decides to stop paying.

Protecting Your Financial Future

So, what should you do? Here are some tips to help you navigate this tricky situation:

Don’t Rush the Deed Transfer: Take your time and think through all the financial implications. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Consult a Real Estate Attorney: A real estate attorney can help you understand the full impact of transferring property and can work with your family law attorney to create a comprehensive plan.

Handle the Mortgage First: Make sure there’s a plan in place for the mortgage before you remove your name from the deed. This could involve refinancing or selling the property.

Keep Communication Open: Make sure everyone involved understands the plan, including your ex-spouse and any financial institutions. Clear communication can prevent a lot of problems down the line.

Final Thoughts: Stay in Control

Divorce is already difficult enough without adding unnecessary financial stress. By taking a strategic approach to your real estate matters, you can protect yourself from future headaches and ensure that you’re making the best decisions for your financial future. 🛡️

Remember, it’s not just about removing your name from the property; it’s about making sure that you’re not left with a financial burden that could haunt you for years to come. So, take your time, consult with professionals, and make sure you’re making informed decisions.

#LegalEagle #JusticePrevails #LegalMind

[nerafris]

You are so, so right. If there’s a thing that I hate, it's seeing people being mean towards others. It's completely unnecessary and can have a real negative impact on someone's day, or even their mental health. Taking a moment to consider the impact of our words can make all the difference. Venting is natural, but it should never come at the cost of someone's well-being. There are so many better ways to handle frustration (*naughty*)

WoW It's like LOL but with a storyline?

You forgot to mention that Unravel isn’t free ahahah

Where are you from?

I know this might not have much value bc we don’t know each other and I’m anonymous, but you seem to be the type of person that is great to have around. You are smart – you literally seem to be able to talk about anything; you have emotional intelligence – this is such a great quality to have; you are sweet, and you seem like a caring girl. I know it’s rough, but I hope you recognize you’re worth fighting for. The world needs more people like you.   

A lit bit of text, bbbbbbbut I do like to read what you have to say

Exactly, there's way healthier ways to deal with frustration, and more fun ones yeah. And way more productive things to do with one's time than to "offer feedback" to random strangers that neither want it, nor will be seen again. People that want to learn will seek that knowledge out in environments way more conducive to learning, and people that don't have a right to that stance - it's completely okay to not care about the same thing to the same degree, people often forget that.

God now i feel old, forgetting not every1's familiar with WoW ^^ It's uhh significantly different from League :P The gist of it is - you make a character that you then take on adventures in a world that you share with other players, who you team up with for group challenges. It does have a storyline tho honestly it's *far* from the selling point. I uh honestly didn't think to mention that, guess that shows a decent bit of privilege there ^^ Anyway if you're particularly keen on trying the games out i'm pretty sure they're included in the EA Play library, which can be accessed for $6/month, or the PC Game Pass thingy which includes more stuff at $10/month. So grabbing one of those for a month can get you a lot of mileage. Tho i understand avoiding that and sticking with f2p if gaming doesn't figure that much into your free time :) Unfortunately i don't really have good recommendations for games there, the only recent ones i've played are the honkai games (same company as genshin), and idk if i'd wanna recommend those :P Lovely little country - Serbia, where everything is at least mildly fucked. It's not a terrible place to be but it's also not particularly good either. Now again, thank you for the kind words, tho having the space and time to think through and formulate responses to the best of my ability does make me seem way better at communicating than i am when i gotta do it on the fly. And also it's easy to seem like i can talk about anything if the said anything are topics i'm interested in ^^ I'll put my best effort in regardless, it is only polite after all and you can always learn sth new, but if someone starts talking cars or most sports i'm falling asleep or leaving that room instantly. I recognize on like a philosophical level that everyone is worth fighting for, the issue is that i can't fathom why any1 would wanna do that for me - there's way better options available.

[tkfinancegroup]

Why You Need a Mortgage Professional When Buying a Home

When a person buys a home, they need a mortgage professional to help them with the home loan process. They work with individuals on submitting all the right documentation, helping them understand their different mortgage options and addressing any complications.

They also help people find a lender willing to offer them a professional mortgage loan, for example, one that allows for a flexible debt-to-income ratio and excludes deferred student loans.

1.        They’re unbiased

You wouldn’t invest in stock without talking to a financial professional, and you shouldn’t buy a home without first speaking to your mortgage broker. They’re an invaluable source of information for homebuyers, especially since mortgage criteria has tightened in recent years.

A good mortgage professional will explain all your options and be able to find the best mortgage for you. They will also be up to date on any new changes in the industry, which could save you money.

It’s important to find a mortgage professional who works independently. If they’re working with a lender, they might be encouraged to cross-sell other bank products like credit cards, insurance and RRSPs. A true independent mortgage broker will only offer mortgage advice and won’t be distracted by incentives to sell you something other than what’s best for you. This is why it’s best to search online reviews and ask for referrals from real estate agents and other trusted sources.

2.        They’re knowledgeable

Mortgage professionals are a big part of making real estate transactions work for consumers. They help homeowners investment property navigate the complexities of mortgage financing, offering guidance and advice on how to improve credit scores, save money for a down payment, secure mortgage pre-approval and more.

A trusted mortgage professional will have a deep understanding of the housing market, mortgage regulations and loan options. They’ll be able to provide borrowers with information on a variety of lenders and loans that might meet their needs, and they’ll take the time to explain the various costs associated with each option.

Mortgage brokers also have the ability to offer borrowers more choices because they are independent financial professionals with access to multiple lenders. This gives them the ability to provide borrowers with more competitive quotes and may result in impactful australian finance group savings through fee waivers or better loan rates.

3.        They’re responsive

Mortgage professionals need to be responsive in order to build trust with their clients and demonstrate that they understand and respect the home-buying process. They should be punctual with responses and always follow up on their promises. This can be difficult when the industry is busy, but it’s necessary to meet client expectations and ensure that they have a positive experience.

Mortgage pros should also be proactive in managing their online reputation. They should fill out their business profiles on review sites, and they should also encourage happy customers to leave reviews. This can help them stand out in a competitive market.

Lastly, mortgage professional should use email campaigns to stay in touch with potential leads and share valuable information about the mortgage industry. They can also send personalized messages to their list of prospects based on their location, interests and homebuying stage. This can help them grow their business and improve the chances that they convert leads into satisfied clients.

4.        They have a good reputation

You wouldn’t invest in a new car without talking to an auto dealer, so why would you get a mortgage without consulting a mortgage professional? Mortgage professionals have a deep understanding of the market and regulations, and offer tailored advice for your unique situation. They can guide you through the process, from finding the right lender to structuring your loan solution. They can also help you avoid pitfalls, such as costly mistakes like paying off debt too quickly or taking out a loan that exceeds your income limits.

Mortgage professionals rely on reviews and testimonials to build their reputation, attract new clients, and grow their business. They can control their online image by monitoring review sites, search engine rankings, and social media to respond to positive and negative feedback promptly and professionally.

They can also stay connected with their audience by sharing useful content on social media and in email campaigns. This shows that they are experts and helps them stand out from their competitors.

[13thpythagoras]

yes, to this good solarpunk angel-fae vibe... I have more of a solarpunk-villainous-tiger's vibe as you can see below...

in staying true to the anti-fascist roots of the punk movement, I hope it's in every solarpunk's vocabulary to be able to identify petrofascism where you see it.

By hijacking our ability to store energy, and monopolizing it in the form of unburnt fossil fuel on tankers and in pipelines, today's fascism launders its financing through oil and gas, and this leads us to a world where we store-in-batteries less than 1% of electricity generated for the grid, because batteries for grid storage compete directly with this petrofascist control; some nations are struggling up towards 5% grid-storage capacity, with good energy storage initiatives, but in the USA / most of the world, the grid's power is either lost forever or used in the moment.

This is like a soup kitchen using fascist tactics to make sure no one else can sell food, yet also insisting that the only way they can serve soup is via a giant indoor soup-fountain-waterfall, that flows into a big drain to the sewer and when soup is ordered, they dip a ladle into the soup fountain and serve what the ladle catches. But if you try to start a rival food operation they come after you with underhanded tactics and break your kneecaps with goons.

I met a guy in the USA who took his suburban home off-grid fully, with solar and batteries only, type of situation where the batteries don't go below 85% day to day (it was also in a very sunny climate; solar's indeed solid in clouds too but supplemental energy generation may be needed from wind in cloudier climates); but the local electric utility was stalking and harassing him, even vandalizing his property- it sounded like a big ongoing struggle.

Anti-petrofascism has got to be out in the vocabulary- we have protests blocking all kinds of highways and roads happening these days, which is excellent initiative and seizing of space and power, but from what I've seen, unfortunately often these are only affecting working class traffic / people, and seem often out of touch with the goals of anti-petrofascism.

Why block a road to a hippie festival when you can block a road to an oil and gas investor-billionaire's home-neighborhood or corporate headquarters during their quarterly earnings report?

I mean, Burning Man didn't kill the electric car in the 1990s, that was GM, who got bailed out by Obama in 2008 but we call this a "free market." The USA got modest interest on the loan from Obama to GM, but the balance sheets didn't catch the L when we kept a monopolist-fascist entity intact rather than letting it die due to internal rot and corruption.

Instead of letting new trees grow in the forest, like the now-defunct-due-to-lack-of-investor-attention EV Motive Kestrel, that showed so much promise with a hemp-plastic carbon fiber chassis that was far more impact resistant than steel...

Instead of the Motive Kestrel we're seeing a ton more GM gas guzzlers and the EV movement is running out of momentum.

It's complete garbage to block roads of the working class, when oil and gas financiers and petrofascists get to have comfy lives while they choose to destroy the planet. We need to up the game and if a group has nerve to block roads, let it be for these places of financing-decision-making for oil and gas / petrofascism, like look at Warren Buffet, America's most beloved billionaire, basically capitalist Santa Claus, best personal PR on the planet, I'm basically a villain for even suggesting this part, but Warren Buffet is the biggest single investor in oil and gas, by my research, I dare anyone to find a bigger single person financing oil and gas... (at least in the USA)

Without Buffet's investments, Chevron would lose 1/4 of its investment capital overnight. But he lives a happy quiet life while the working class get our roads blocked for something we have no control over, because most Americans lick Warren Buffets boots all the time in the New York Times etc., while he is singlehandedly contributing most to the financing of the oil and gas industry (find me people who contribute more, I dare you! It's a big list to know).

I totally get the punk desire to "burn it all down," but I hope that burning-down starts with the stock prices of the oil and gas industry, please spare the working class.

So You Want to be Solarpunk?

If your neighborhood has a vacant lot, get some neighbors together and turn it into a community garden.

Organize a block party.

Create a maker space enabling folks to repair, repurpose, and swap their old stuff.

Organize a bunch of plant-savvy neighbors to help folks convert their yards from resource hungry yuppie lawns into something sustainable that fits the local biome.

Get a few friends together and clean up the trash on the streets. Make sure to recycle.

Set up Little Free Libraries and Little Free Pantries.

Get tool-savvy neighbors together to help folks with needed household repairs and upgrades.

The punk in solarpunk is about resistance to the alienation and consumer culture that makes our communities unsustainable and our environments toxic.

[nickersonagency3d]

Nickerson Insurance Agency

Recent news articles have focused a lot of attention on rising auto insurance rates

Auto insurance companies in ct

Drivers in southern Connecticut are served by a multitude of insurance firms. Numerous important municipalities in Connecticut have benefited from the current housing boom. A few of these locations are Waterford, Groton, Stonington, New London, and Norwich. Connecticut is home to a diverse population of nationalities and ethnicities.

You should come early to any of the several southeast Connecticut destinations if you want to dodge the hordes of tourists. auto insurance companies in ct We want as little downtime as possible. From north to south, you may occasionally run into some difficulties when traversing the entire state. If you have the proper insurance and a dependable car, you can make the most of your trip to the breathtaking beaches and fall foliage of New England. The typical workplace is much the same as your living room when you're relaxing.

Compared to less densely populated locations, cities often have greater crime rates due to their higher population density per square mile. The increasing number of people using roads puts those who live near to them at greater risk. Not just the drivers are at risk if they fail to do their duties; everyone on the road is. Only brokers and licensed insurance agents are permitted to sell this kind of coverage. Having comprehensive auto insurance is essential. It seems like a fair price when you consider the possible cost of an ER visit due to an accident. My family and I would have the most wonderful road trips if I could only figure out a solution.

All ages and driving abilities are covered by our auto insurance at Nickerson. Please give us a call if you ever feel that you might need our assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you need help buying a car, have any questions, or would like to explore your alternatives for low-cost auto insurance. Give that person a chance and get over your nervousness. If you or a child needs to add a license or make other changes to your coverage, get in contact with your insurance agent. The inability to pay for your child's medical bills out of pocket could jeopardize the financial security of your household.

Don't worry; we'll take care of all your travel requirements. Please do not hesitate to call Nickerson Insurance if you require assistance or have any questions regarding your policy. Two Hartford providers of reasonably priced auto insurance are Easy Auto Insurance Company and Vehicle Insurance Brokers. If you think you qualify for a discount, it's quite fair to ask for one. It would be foolish to pass up chances to save money. If you think you qualify for a discount, it's quite fair to ask for one. One of the newer innovations in money is the coupon system.

Insurance agency near me

Nickerson Insurance relies heavily on its Connecticut clientele, and its Waterford location is essential to its operations. It is recommended to see an expert if you are experiencing difficulty selecting an insurance plan. We are overjoyed to have accomplished our longstanding ambition of becoming the best insurance company in Waterford, Connecticut. These two improvements have made our service unparalleled. Visitors from all across the country visit our locations in Waterford and Stonington. You can rely on us to make sure you have the minimal amount of legal auto insurance coverage. Make the most of what we have done to date in order to optimize the impact of our support. We have to complete this important stage before we can relax. Should we acknowledge the significance of our work, things would be distinct.

We appreciate your consideration of our American insurance company as a potential partner. We consistently surpass our clients' expectations, which is why they have complete faith in us. We won't stop until we're certain you're safe. We are willing to go above and beyond to be of assistance. We are willing to give up everything in order to achieve our goal because of this. We have offered you plenty of options to pick from because each driver is unique and has distinct needs. We sincerely sympathize with the families of those who lost their lives in the horrific highway tragedy yesterday. Take advantage of the chance that is currently in front of you. Get your free estimates from Nickerson Insurance Agency for insurance. We promise you won't find a more reasonably priced solution anywhere else. For trustworthy auto insurance, customers in Connecticut can rely on Nickerson Insurance Agency. We can serve the whole state of Connecticut from our convenient location in Waterford. You can proceed with the business deal without any worries now that you have this guarantee. Despite our long history here, we haven't always felt that it is imperative to actively seek out new clients. There won't be any changes made to the quality or price. Customers come from far and wide because of our store's extensive assortment, affordable rates, and convenient location.

Never provide your car key to someone you feel may have a gambling problem. Comprehensive and affordably priced car insurance packages are offered by Nickerson Insurance Agency. The conflict between the Connecticut towns of Waterford and Stonington has finally been settled. Since its founding in 1932, the insurance giant Nickerson has captivated Americans. Though it may be difficult, assistance is offered in finding inexpensive auto insurance. Please don't hesitate to provide me with the information if you require any further details.

[oliviajames1122]

Unveiling the Importance of MOT History Check: Ensuring Safety and Reliability

Motorists across the world understand the significance of a easy and steady riding revel in. To ensure that your car meets the necessary protection and environmental requirements, it's essential to carry out ordinary MOT records assessments. In this article, we delve into the bits and bobs of MOT history checks, why they are essential, and how they make contributions to ensuring the protection and reliability of your automobile.

As a car proprietor, making sure the protection and roadworthiness of your vehicle is paramount. One of the important thing gears at your disposal is the MOT history check, a complete evaluation of your car's beyond overall performance in MOT assessments.

What is an MOT History Check?

An MOT history check involves scrutinizing the records of your vehicle's past MOT tests. This includes information about whether or not the car surpassed or failed the check, any advisory notices issued, and other relevant information.

Why is MOT History Check Important?

Regular MOT records tests make a contribution substantially in your car's durability and your safety on the road. By preserving tune of your vehicle's performance through the years, you can pick out capacity issues before they increase into important problems.

Benefits of Regular MOT History Checks

1. Preventing Unexpected Breakdowns

MOT history assessments can screen underlying troubles that would result in surprising breakdowns. By addressing those troubles proactively, you can avoid being stranded at the side of the street.

2. Ensuring Compliance with Regulations

Vehicles that don't meet the desired MOT standards may be a threat to both the motive force and others on the road. Regular tests make sure that your vehicle remains compliant with safety and emissions rules.

Preserving Resale Value

When making a decision to sell your vehicle, ability customers often request its MOT history. A nicely-maintained history demonstrates that the car has been looked after, increasing its resale fee.

How to Perform an MOT History Check

Performing an MOT records check is easier than ever. You have two essential options:

1. Official Government Websites

Many governments offer online systems wherein you can input your automobile's registration range and get hold of its MOT history.

2. Online MOT Check Services

Various 1/3-birthday celebration services additionally provide MOT records exams, regularly imparting additional insights and consumer-friendly interfaces.

What Information Can You Obtain from an MOT History Check?

1. Mileage Verification

MOT history exams provide a document of your automobile's mileage over time, helping you confirm its usage.

2. Advisory and Failure Notices

You can perceive any advisory notices or disasters from previous MOT checks, providing you with a concept of recurring issues.

3. Outstanding Recalls

MOT history tests may additionally highlight any top notch recalls to your car, permitting you to cope with capability safety worries.

Factors Affecting MOT Test Results

1. Wear and Tear

Regular put on and tear on automobile additives can lead to check failures. Proper maintenance can mitigate this.

2. Environmental Factors

External elements inclusive of climate and road situations can have an impact on take a look at consequences. Regular protection allows counter those results.

Common Misconceptions about MOT Tests

1. New Vehicles Don't Need MOT Tests

Contrary to famous belief, new motors are not exempt from MOT exams. They want their first MOT after 3 years.

2. Passing the MOT Test Means the Vehicle is Flawless

Passing the MOT take a look at doesn't assure perfection. It suggests that the vehicle met the minimal requirements at the test day.

How Often Should You Perform an MOT History Check?

Regular checks ought to be performed yearly to make sure the continued safety and overall performance of your automobile.

Conclusion

In a world wherein safety and reliability are paramount, normal MOT records assessments come to be an important thing of car possession. By staying informed approximately your cars past performance, you're taking proactive steps toward a clean and secure driving revel in.