#plumbing in hawaii

[waialaeplumbingandconstruction]

Kitchen Renovation

Revamping my kitchen island paradise in Honolulu, HI! ✨✨ Get ready to be amazed as I transform my culinary sanctuary into a dreamy oasis. 🌴🍽

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[ravynfyre]

I know firefighters work long shifts, but can they take double shifts? Are there a maximum they're allowed to work? Also, what happens if there's multiple fires at once? Is there a risk of running out of fire trucks?

It really depends upon the rules of the individual departments, but, for the most part, yes, absolutely they can take a double. With a typical one-day-on-two-days-off schedule, it's often a lot easier to trade shifts with someone to get enough time off in a row for a vacation than it is to try and request a vacation day, especially when 1) you're low on seniority, and 2) you want a day in the summer or during hunting season. So a lot of guys - myself included - would just trade a shift with someone and end up working a 48 hour shift to have five days off in a row.

Heck, there was a guy on a department in california back in the early 90's, if I recall correctly, who actually lived on Hawaii, and would trade shifts every month so that he would literally work 14 days in a row, and then be off for the rest of the month, fly home to Hawaii, and be there until he had to come back! The thing is, it HAS to be the individual firefighter's decision to do so. THEY can CHOOSE to set themselves up for a 48 hour shift, but the city CANNOT assign them a 48 hour shift. That is against US Labor law. They MUST allow at least 12 hours between assigned shifts, or face severe penalties.

And I really doubt that most municipalities would allow anyone to work more than 3-4 shifts in a row these days. You cannot guarantee enough rest when on duty for a stretch like that, and sleep deprivation is as detrimental to performance and decision making ability as alcohol intoxication.

As for what happens when there's multiple fires at once... yes, it is a very real possibility of running out of trucks. It has not happened to my knowledge in my town for FIRES, but I do recall at least one shift where there was not a single available rig left in the city because we had that many fires going. At that point, local surrounding volunteer departments were alerted to be prepared to cover municipal areas, in case another emergency popped up.

HOWEVER, there HAVE been events where we ran out of available rigs, and had no ability to request mutual aid, and rigs would clear one call just to head straight to the next for several hours in a row. My town has been hit by tornadoes more than once. When that happened, all the surrounding area had their own emergencies to deal with and could not help cover the town. So for five or six hours, it was head to a call, clear the call, head to the next call, lather, rinse, repeat until caught up. So, yeah, there were folks who were literally waiting for *hours* for a firetruck to come help them.

I was actually lucky in that I was not scheduled to be on duty that night... but I DID get called in with my FEMA Disaster SAR dog, as we had missing people in town, and more potential tornadoes on the way and could not risk guys being out in that searching leveled structures and rubble piles during that incoming weather... which was EXACTLY the kind of job my dog and I were trained for.

(Funny story - the first person we were called to search for was a recuse who NEVER left his home. His house was gone. Wiped down to the concrete slab, and the only thing left standing was the plumbing riser. Everything else was just GONE, and he had not sought shelter with any of his neighbors. We knew he HAD to be in the surrounding rubble somewhere, but it was a literal city block or more that needed searched, after dark, and power for the whole city had been wiped out, so no lights except what we brought. And because of the rubble and debris, getting large lighting trucks into the area was pretty much not going to happen that night. That was when one of the other women on the job poked the battalion chief and said, "yo, hey, isn't this exactly what Ravyn and her dog do?" So we got called in, and within the first five minutes, my dog Taeryn clearly indicated to me that there was no one living to find in the area. But I was paranoid, because if I tell these guys to walk away from this site... it's 100% on ME if this guy is here and he dies.

So I made Taeryn cover the area again, and then a third time. At that point, he's like, "mother, knock this shit off. ain't no one here, not even us chickens." So, heart in throat, I tell my scene officer that, yeah, there's no one here to find. IF the guy is here, he's dead in such a way that he doesn't even smell fresh anymore. [Taeryn was a Live Find dog. He might find a body that had only been dead an hour or so, but otherwise, he was actually trained to ignore dead bodies] Officer seemed surprised that it only took 15 minutes to determine that - I didn't tell him I'd known for 10 minutes already - and trusted my call and pulled everyone back. We left and headed for the next call. That was why when the next wave of the storm came through and tore the shit even more out of that block, none of my guys were there to get hurt. It made me feel good that I kept them safe, but I was still worried about having missed the missing guy... except-

The next morning, the story about the missing man was on the front page of the paper. His obituary was on the back page. He'd died of a heart attack three days before, and none of his neighbors knew. Talk about relief)

That has happened twice. The first time, it took several hours to catch up on all the calls. The city was hugely lucky to not have a fire during that disaster. The second time it happened was less a direct hit and more a sideswipe, and it only took about an hour or so to catch up. But yes, it happens that rigs have to clear a call to go to the next call and people just have to wait for a truck to be available to come and help them.

When that happens, who goes where may not necessarily be determined by where a rig is, or how long a caller has been waiting... but how serious the call is. At least one rig during the real bad night had to respond all the way across town to an area that was about as far from their assigned area as possible, because it was the next serious call, rather than wait for the rig that covered that area to clear and be able to respond. However, if all calls sound about the same level of seriousness, then it's generally whoever called first gets served next by the rig that covers that turf. But that's how calls are run even if we *don't* have every single rig in town on a call - I've personally run through two other rigs' areas to get to a call in a third rig's area to run a medical call because all three of the closest rigs were on a call at the time. That'd happened many times in my career.

And on the really bad tornado night, as soon as at least one local volunteer department had completed clearing their response area, they did come to assist and mutual aid to the outskirts of town near their turf. When things like that happen, Dispatch is always very careful to keep those rigs as close to their own response area as possible, because it isn't fair to their own towns to have to delay a response to them because they are covering OUR town.

In a larger town like New York or Chicago, mutual aid like that is the norm, so having a day where every rig is out on a fire is pretty much impossible.

Smaller departments, especially volunteer departments that cover mostly rural areas, however, it happens much more frequently. In that case, then Dispatch will send out a call to pretty much all the nearest other agencies around to come respond. When my own house burned down many years back, there were two different departments that came to put it out, since the one that covered the area my house was i couldn't get enough bodies to fill enough trucks to be safe. That's very common.

[mangacat201]

fic stats meme! 💌

Tagged by @thewolvesof1998 who did probably not realize what they're in for with my most eclectic fandom mix. This is bound to be interesting... (I'm going only with AO3 fic since...stats, ya know?)

rules: give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words.

most hits: 13.354

The Truth Lies Beneath (15k M Fandom: Supernatural, Lie To Me): a Supernatural/ Lie to Me crossover with outsider!POV on Dean Winchester as a study in psychological basket-casery. Winchester meets law enforcement, law enforcement bites off more than they can chew.

second most kudos: 453

Surface Tension (3.2k T, Fandom: Hawaii-Five-O): Hawaii-Five-O McDanno fic, Aftermath/Coda fic from season 5, after McGarrett is taken by Wo Fat. Dealing with PTSD manly man style (i.e. not for a long time and then all at once).

third most comments: 33 threads

All-Nighter (11k M, Fandom: Mr. Queen): A 21st ct. South Korean womanizer star chef breaks his head, takes a spirit hike and lands in the body or a 19th ct. Joseon princess about to be queen. Obsessed with the king's concubines, getting back home to working indoor plumbing and trying to navigate literally cut-throat politics, they discover it's not quite as bad being married to a king than it first appears. Last part in a verse of three, soft, romantic, steamy bodyworship wrapped in DYI-therapy. Genderqueer hijinks ensue.

fourth most bookmarks: 73

Object Lessons (7.2k E, Fandom: Mr. Queen): see 'All-Nighter' -> first in a verse of three. Comedy porn, K-Drama style (like, yes it's porn, but it's also hilarious). Genderfuckery and loss of virginity go very well together, garnished with a dash of time travel.

fifth most words:

Wicked Game - Full Edition (28k E, Fandom: Supernatural): Podfic available (and very much recommended). Demon!Dean era Wincest, highly dubious consent, power struggle, Sam Winchester is a wicked witch, moral greyscale of the most delicious order, original lore-centric.

fic with the least words: excluding separate podfic posts, art/vid posts and FILKs

Battle Wounds (421 G, Fandom: Merlin BBC) hurt/comfort bingo square 'fighting' (I wrote this 2011 in Honolulu, waiting for the ball to drop on New Year's Eve, just under the wire for the bingo deadline, while everyone at home was already celebrating) - Merlin takes care of his king in the way only he knows how.

WOW, what an eclectic mix. And kinda surprising too, what came up and what didn't in the selection. Thanks for the tag, wolfie, that was fun!

No pressure tagging: @fourth-quartet, @queenklu, @cal-daisies-and-briars, @ariaste, @caranfindel, @ahhhnorealnamesallowed, @randomingoftherandomness

[talesfromsiteredacted]

List Of Resident Requests to Anomalous Enrichment

The dropbox and surveys have barely been open, and I'm swamped with ideas. Some are bad, some are good, some just make me wonder about who I work with. Here's the list so far, in no particular order. See who asked for what, if you feel brave.

A karaoke machine. Denied due to lack of vocal chords or a body 90% of the time.

Operation. Yes, the old tabletop game. Granted.

A 55 gallon fish tank, and supplies. Pending approval from Command.

An ice cream machine. (Trick entry, multiple suggestions on this one) Granted.

A huge screen tv, DVD player, and several monster movies. Denied on the grounds of encouraging bad behavior, at least the monster movies were.

A Ninja Warrior training course. Approved, merely for exercise purposes.

One of those stupid inflatable clown punching bag things. Granted.

A surfing trip to Hawaii. Granted, as entity is a Safe class.

An ice cream social for the kids and sentient non violent anomalies. Granted, locating supplies.

A shooting gallery, for bow shooting. Granted, with non lethal arrows.

Golf clubs. Granted. But... why?

Giant bounce house. Where the hells would we inflate it safely here? Denied.

Treasure hunt. Granted.

Glitter. Denied. Nice try, though.

A rubber chicken with squeaker. Granted.

A half dozen live ducks. Pending.

A flock of sheep, a pasture to graze them in, a nice little quiet hut nearby. Pending, but... sounds good to me, man.

Twelve dozen donuts. Granted, but not in one sitting.

Dance lessons. Granted, and I might just sign up too.

A literal buttload of red wine. Denied due to the no alcohol policy. Sorry. Besides, over 1300 gallons might be a bit much in one go.

Drawing tablet. Granted.

A rabbit. Granted.

A catnip mouse, new plush bed, and window perch. Granted, with laser pointer bonus.

A dartboard. Pending. Not sure we can trust the recipient with pointy objects, but... with good behavior it is possible.

Queen sized four post bed with curtains. Do they even make those still? Pending.

Giant chocolate donkey. Not sure where to even find a mold for that.

Rats. Denied.

An idiot from the Chaos Insurgency. Pending, next raid I promise.

Five minutes alone with Dr. Clef's ukulele. Denied, not worth the risk of 4 gage slug to my head. Sorry.

A cricket bat. Granted.

Wild strawberry plants. Granted, there's a ton around here.

Huge Snorlax plushie. Granted.

Full set of kitchen pots and pans, new kitchen, and "ingredients" for a gourmet dinner. Denied due to choice of protein.

Massive smoking apparatus in the guise of the Grim Reaper. Denied, but it looked badass. Policy is policy. Sorry.

Deep red corset dress. Granted, but... why? Corsets are painful.

Patent leather platform boots, blackest black. Granted. Nice choice.

A hammock. Granted.

A rock hammer. Denied to to weapon policy.

5 kites. Granted, go ahead and pick designs.

Cast iron clawfoot tub. Granted, pending plumbing install.

[happydoors0]

Exploring the Services Offered by Oahu Property Management Companies

Owning a property in Oahu is a dream for many, whether for residential living or rental income. However, managing a property, especially in a vibrant location like Oahu, requires time, expertise, and dedication. This is where Oahu property management companies come into play. These companies offer a wide range of services designed to simplify property ownership and ensure both landlords and tenants have a seamless experience.

Tenant Screening and Placement

One of the most critical services provided by Oahu property management companies is tenant screening and placement. Selecting the right tenant is crucial to minimize potential issues like late payments or property damage. Property management companies use advanced screening methods, including credit checks, employment verification, and background checks, to ensure tenants meet stringent criteria.

Marketing and Advertising

Vacant properties can be costly for landlords. Property management companies in Oahu employ professional marketing strategies to minimize vacancy times. They list properties on popular rental platforms, use high-quality photography, and craft compelling property descriptions to attract potential tenants quickly.

Rent Collection and Financial Management

Collecting rent is one of the most time-consuming aspects of property ownership. Oahu property management companies streamline this process with secure online payment systems. They also handle financial management tasks, including providing detailed monthly and yearly statements, ensuring landlords have a clear view of their income and expenses.

Property Maintenance and Repairs

Maintaining a property’s condition is essential for retaining tenants and preserving its value. Property management companies in Oahu have access to a network of trusted vendors and contractors, allowing them to address maintenance issues promptly. From routine inspections to emergency repairs, they ensure the property remains in top-notch condition.

Legal Compliance and Risk Management

Oahu has specific rental laws and regulations that landlords must adhere to, including eviction processes and tenant rights. Property management companies ensure compliance with local and state laws, reducing the risk of legal issues. They also handle eviction proceedings if necessary, saving landlords from potential stress and legal complications.

Lease Agreements and Renewals

Creating and renewing lease agreements can be a complex task. Oahu property management companies draft comprehensive lease agreements that protect the interests of both parties while adhering to Hawaii’s rental laws. They also manage lease renewals, ensuring that tenants who are a good fit can continue renting without interruption.

Vacation Rental Management

Given Oahu’s popularity as a tourist destination, many property owners opt to rent their properties as short-term vacation rentals. Property management companies offer tailored vacation rental management services, including guest communication, bookings, and turnover cleaning, ensuring a hassle-free experience for property owners.

Emergency Response

Unexpected emergencies, such as plumbing issues or electrical failures, can arise at any time. Oahu property management companies provide 24/7 emergency response services to address such situations promptly. This ensures tenant satisfaction and protects the property from further damage.

Market Analysis and Rent Optimization

Determining the right rental price is crucial for attracting tenants while maximizing income. Property management companies conduct market analysis to ensure competitive yet profitable rental rates. They consider factors like location, property size, and current market trends to set the best possible price.

Why Work with Oahu Property Management Companies?

Hiring a property management company in Oahu offers numerous benefits, including:

Time Savings: Property owners can focus on other priorities while professionals handle day-to-day management tasks.

Tenant Retention: Happy tenants lead to fewer turnovers, and management companies work hard to keep tenants satisfied.

Increased ROI: Proper maintenance, timely rent collection, and strategic marketing all contribute to better returns on investment.

Conclusion

Whether you own a residential, commercial, or vacation rental property, Oahu property management companies provide the expertise and support needed to manage your investment effectively. Their comprehensive services save time, reduce stress, and ensure a steady income stream.

If you're looking to explore more about property management services in Oahu, visit Happy Doors Property Management for tailored solutions to meet your needs.

[iffoundreturntosea]

October 10, Day 283/284

Day 283 2015

My shark at Dachshund Days 😃

#niece #smile #shark #park #goodtimes #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 284 2016

Sparkles!!!

#halloweendecor #halloween #pumpkin #sparkle #purple #green #orange #shadesofspooky #october #picoftheday #project365 #day284

Day 283 2017

Guilty of something!

#kitty #cat #guiltylook #outdoors #explore #catsofinstagram #catober #october #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 283 2018

This guy rode most of the way across town on my windshield tonight.

#moth #insect #saplicker #nature #outdoors #inmycar #fromunderneath #powerlines #wings #popart #inspiration #wildwarhol #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 283 2019

Not ashamed at all that I need help and I'm not afraid to ask for it especially from these guys 💕

#horse #donkey #equine #equinetherapy #therapy #animals #intuitive #love #goinginternational #worldsmentalhealthday #october #october10 #2019 #nationalday #nationaldaycalendar #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 284 2020

Remember when you could go places? That was nice

#brick #wall #brickwall #hawaii #kauai #kauaihawaii #waimeacanyon #nature #outdoors #breakthrough #theotherside #october #october10 #2020 #picoftheday #project365 #day284

Day 283 2021

Leo is my snuggle buddy, my fur baby, my emotional support animal. He purrs me better. He's also a great source of good natured laughter. He's so goofy. I'm lucky to have him.

#leo #kitty #cat #furbaby #snugglebudyy #worldmentalhealthday #october #october10 #2021 #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 283 2022

💖💖💖

#niece #aunt #auntlifeisthebestlife. #smile #love #october #october10 #2022 #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 283 2023

Watching the storm clouds 🌧

#onespot #seawall #stairs #beach #sand #water #ocean #pier #clouds #rain #october #october10 #2023 #picoftheday #project365 #day283

Day 284 2024

Bruce is such a sweet boy 😻

#sweet #dailytheme #bruce #kitty #cat #whiskers #October #october10 #2024 #picoftheday #project365 #day284

Bruce was found in a ditch as a kitten COVERED in ring worm and with a leg injury. My stepsister brought him to my stepdad and that's were he stayed while he and I took care of him. Unfortunately I wasn't in a place to take on a new kitty but my other sister did. He went from being half dead, covered in ringworm to a plumb and loved cat. Such a lucky boy!

[hometechpoint]

The Top Plumbing Company on Oahu!

The Top Plumbing Company on Oahu! Pineapple Plumbing - Honolulu is your complete solution to any home plumbing issues. We service all of Oahu Hawaii so whether you're in Honolulu, Hawaii Kai, Mililani, Pearl City, Ewa Beach, Waipahu or anywhere else on the island we can help. We do drain cleaning, pipe replacement and repair, leak detection, water heater services, toilet repair and installation, and more! Call for a free and fair estimate! Street address: 1207 Hopaka St, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States Phone: (808) 202-2939 Category: Plumber Website: https://honoluluplumbing.co/ GMB CID URL: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=17211779213825640832

[consumerguide]

The Rise in Popularity of Porta Potties in Hawaii

Hawaii, known for its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and bustling tourism industry, has seen a notable rise in the use of porta potties. These portable sanitation solutions are not just a temporary convenience; they have become an integral part of various activities and events across the islands. Let’s delve into why porta potties are becoming increasingly popular in the Aloha State.

A Boon for the Tourism Industry

Hawaii’s tourism industry is one of the most robust in the world, drawing millions of visitors annually. From the pristine beaches of Waikiki to the volcanic landscapes of the Big Island, Hawaii offers a plethora of outdoor attractions. Porta potties are essential in these settings, providing much-needed facilities for tourists exploring remote or less developed areas where permanent restrooms are scarce.

Outdoor events, such as the Aloha Festivals, Honolulu Marathon, and various music and cultural festivals, also rely heavily on porta potties. These events often draw large crowds, and adequate sanitation is crucial for maintaining hygiene and comfort. The flexibility of porta potties allows event organizers to strategically place units where they are most needed, ensuring attendees have access to clean and convenient restroom facilities.

Supporting the Construction Boom

Hawaii is experiencing a construction boom, with numerous projects ranging from residential developments to infrastructure upgrades. Construction sites typically lack permanent restrooms, making porta potties an indispensable part of the daily operations. They ensure that workers have access to clean and convenient facilities, which is not only a matter of convenience but also a health and safety requirement.

The construction industry’s reliance on porta potties underscores their importance in supporting the state’s growth and development. By providing essential sanitation facilities, porta potties help maintain worker productivity and project timelines.

Enhancing the Outdoor Experience

Hawaii’s natural beauty is one of its greatest assets. The state’s parks, hiking trails, and beaches are frequented by both locals and tourists. In many of these natural settings, permanent restrooms are either unavailable or insufficient to handle the high volume of visitors. Porta potties fill this gap, ensuring that people can enjoy outdoor activities without compromising on basic sanitation needs.

For instance, popular hiking destinations like the Diamond Head State Monument or the Kalalau Trail on Kauai see thousands of visitors each year. Porta potties at trailheads and along the trails help protect the environment by providing designated sanitation areas, reducing the risk of pollution in these pristine landscapes.

Environmental and Practical Considerations

Porta potties are not only practical but also environmentally friendly. Modern porta potties are designed to minimize water usage and contain waste effectively, reducing the environmental impact compared to traditional restrooms. This is particularly important in Hawaii, where preserving the natural environment is a top priority.

Additionally, the flexibility of porta potties allows them to be placed in locations where traditional plumbing is not feasible. This makes them ideal for temporary events, remote locations, and sites where infrastructure development is limited.

Conclusion

The popularity of porta potties in Hawaii is a testament to their versatility and necessity. From supporting the bustling tourism and construction industries to enhancing the outdoor experience and protecting the environment, porta potties play a crucial role in maintaining the state’s hygiene standards and overall quality of life. As Hawaii continues to grow and attract visitors from around the world, the demand for these portable sanitation solutions is likely to remain strong. Among the many providers, PortaPottyPro stands out as one of the best porta potty companies in Hawaii, known for their reliable service and commitment to quality. This ensures that everyone can enjoy the beauty and hospitality of the Aloha State without compromising on comfort and cleanliness.

[smartplumbinghawaii]

SINKS AND FAUCETS, SHOWERS AND TUBS, TOILETS AND URINALS

Sinks and Faucets, Showers and Tubs, Toilets, and Urinals are essential elements of any bathroom or kitchen settings. These words are fundamental to the plumbing industry and are widely searched by people when looking to buy or remodel their homes or commercial spaces. In this article, we will discuss the significance of these keywords and how they relate to the plumbing services.

Sinks and Faucets:

Sinks and Faucets are highly searched keywords in the plumbing industry. People often search for the best quality, design, and material of sinks and faucets while renovating or building their homes or commercial spaces. The sink and faucet combination plays a significant role in enhancing the look and feel of the bathroom or kitchen space. The latest trends include integrating smart technology in faucets to control the flow rate, temperature, and lighting. Choosing the right sink and faucet requires considering several factors such as size, material, style, and water efficiency.

Showers and Tubs:

Showers and Tubs are vital keywords in the plumbing industry. People often search for versatile and stylish options when it comes to showers and tubs. These fixtures are essential as they impact the overall user experience of the bathroom. The use of smart technology in showers and tubs is becoming increasingly popular. People are looking for showers and tubs that can adjust the temperature, flow rate, and lighting. The latest trend is using materials that can regulate the water temperature, such as smart tiles in showers and tubs. Choosing the right shower or tub requires considering several factors such as size, material, and style and keeping in mind water efficiency.

Toilets and Urinals:

Toilets and Urinals are essential fixtures in any bathroom or commercial space. The keywords of toilets and urinals are often searched by people who want to improve their bathroom's functionality and efficiency. The latest trend is to install high-efficiency toilets that consume less water while maintaining higher performance. People are also looking for toilets that have touchless activation, odor control, and antimicrobial surfaces. Waterless urinals are becoming increasingly popular as they reduce water consumption and maintenance costs. Choosing the right toilet or urinal requires considering several factors such as size, style, and water efficiency.

In conclusion, Sinks and Faucets, Showers and Tubs, Toilets, and Urinals are essential in the plumbing industry. People often search for the latest trends and designs in order to improve the functionality and aesthetic appeal of their bathroom or kitchen space. It is crucial to choose the fixtures that satisfy all the necessary functional, stylistic, and technological specifications while also taking into account the element of water efficiency. When searching for quality plumbing fixtures, it's always advisable to consult a professional plumbing expert who can provide guidance and recommend the best and most efficient solutions.

[seabreeze2022]

Oahu hikes and beaches.

This is about the most photogenic tree on the island. It is 3/4 of the way up the east side towards the “north shore.”

Morning beach walk Kuai.

Bishop Museum near Honolulu. Hawaiians love spam! Stuffed spam dolls and cookbooks sold in the gift shop.

Wahiawa Botanical garden walk. Top left: Jade vine, Flame tree,

Nancy learned how to make a “Lai” from Ti (Tee) leaves. Each Memorial day 38,000 Lai’s are placed on US Servicemen’s graves in Hawaii. The one Nancy made will be among them. Nancy’s father served in Pearl Harbor after WWII started.

Nancy with her first “Shave Ice”. These little shops are everywhere. About 50 choices of toppings. This was on the North Shore and the best we had.

This is Maunawila Heiau (Hey-now) is 300 feet above Hauula Bay seen in the photo below. Very possible that 3 of Capt. Vancover’s crew were sacrificed in 1792 on the alter here.

Hauula Bay from the Heiau.

Visited the famous Banzai Pipeline on the north shore. Known for huge waves in the winter for surfers. This waves were timid, thought we were going to see a couple out of shape plumb tourists get swept out to sea while taking photos.

These are containers of flowers to make Lais, priced at $32. Found in all major grocery stores.

All travel books on Hawaii say, “beware of having your vehicle broken into. Check for broken glass in the parking lot.” So I took a sneaky photo of the guy and his license plate. Every beach parking lot had broken glass!

These traps were all over the island. Hawaii has a real problem with invasive species getting a toe hold here without any thing to hold them in check. This is to trap the “coconut rhinoceros beetle.”

Speaking of non-native species running amok. Mongoose were brought in to kill the rats, which were eating the sugarcane. Mongoose are thick on the island. We saw at least 5. There are no other native mammal species on the island. No rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, or deer. Just a little strange when looking around the woods and trails.

Another invasive species is the Giant African Snail. We saw a couple of these.

On to part 2……

[happyvacationshawaii0]

Unlocking Success: The Ro Property Manager in Oahu

Are you a property owner in Oahu seeking professional assistance to manage your investments effectively? Look no further than a reputable Property Manager Oahu. In the bustling real estate market of Oahu, managing properties can be a complex and time-consuming task. From finding reliable tenants to ensuring timely maintenance and rent collection, the responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming. That's where a skilled Property Manager Oahu comes into play, offering expertise and support to streamline operations and maximize returns.

Oahu, known as "The Gathering Place," is not only the most populous island in Hawaii but also a hotspot for real estate investment. With its stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and thriving economy, Oahu attracts a diverse range of residents and visitors alike. From luxury condos in Waikiki to charming homes in Kailua, the island offers a variety of investment opportunities for savvy property owners. However, navigating the complexities of property management in Oahu requires local knowledge and experience.

A professional Property Manager Oahu serves as a trusted partner for property owners, handling all aspects of property management with efficiency and expertise. Whether you own a single-family home, a vacation rental, or a multi-unit complex, a skilled property manager can help you navigate the unique challenges of the Oahu market while maximizing the potential of your investment.

One of the primary responsibilities of a Property Manager Oahu is tenant management. From marketing vacancies to screening potential tenants and handling lease agreements, a property manager ensures that your property is occupied by reliable and responsible tenants. By conducting thorough background checks and reference screenings, they help minimize the risk of late payments, property damage, and eviction proceedings, providing peace of mind for property owners.

In addition to tenant management, a Property Manager Oahu oversees property maintenance and repairs to ensure that your investment remains in optimal condition. They have a network of trusted contractors and service providers who can promptly address any issues that arise, from plumbing emergencies to landscaping needs. By conducting regular inspections and preventative maintenance, they help preserve the value of your property and enhance tenant satisfaction.

Financial management is another crucial aspect of property management in Oahu, and a skilled Property Manager Oahu can handle all financial aspects of property ownership with precision and transparency. From rent collection and accounting to budgeting and reporting, they keep track of income and expenses, ensuring that your investment remains financially viable and profitable.

When it comes to choosing a Property Manager Oahu, it's essential to select a company with a proven track record of success and a deep understanding of the local market. One such company is Happy Vacations Hawaii. As a leading property management firm in Oahu, Happy Vacations Hawaii offers a comprehensive range of services to meet the diverse needs of property owners. From vacation rental management to long-term leasing, their team of experienced professionals is dedicated to maximizing returns while providing exceptional service to both owners and tenants.

In conclusion, partnering with a skilled Property Manager Oahu is essential for success in the competitive real estate market of Oahu. Whether you're a local homeowner or an off-island investor, a property manager can help you navigate the complexities of property ownership while maximizing returns and minimizing stress. So why wait? Take the first step towards hassle-free property management in Oahu today with Happy Vacations Hawaii!

[indeedseo1]

Adaptive and Profitable: Plumbing SEO Expertise

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[writer59january13]

Daylight Savings Time Ends – November 5th 2023 means...

discombobulated, harried, and lobotomized state of body, mind, and spirit triage. Onset of dark shadows signalling edge of night occurs earlier as the world turns beckoning, hinting, robbing passage regarding days of our lives, where the young and the restless,

plus the bold and the beautiful

exhibit variations on a theme

titled one life to live. Within my figurative neck of woods boughs bend forming roods, where all across the United States except Arizona and Hawaii troubadoors festooned nsync with generational matriarchs wearing hoods remaining incognito as identity guard of their broods mare uncannily decked, and tricked out as an old man, usually in a white robe, having a white beard, and carrying a scythe signify turning the clock one hour at 2:00 AM eastern standard time, hence birthing following reasonable ridiculous rhyme. Hour hands clock get set back

sixty minutes of Autumn

round about this same of month

every year, what a bum

er, and inconvenient truth

diverged from this chum

purposelessly manipulating a hold over, sans yesteryear doth drum

a sensation of jet lag

(with earth in the balance)

as if watching Monty Python's flying circus within time machine

at warp speed from

this station, where bumpy ride

invariably finds me feeling a bit ticked off and glum and in no mood to rhyme,

nor be leer re: cull juiced barely tantamount

to gather scattered wits sin tide, and express mood as hoe hum

fortunate, this chronological seismic shift

nada wide, ah assume,

nevertheless mein kampf cerebral hemispheric plate tectonics comb pluck hated off jangling black keys helplessly boom fancifully drifting and boring into quick ribald sand trap doom ming an inducement for emergency convoy, when pitched from

sea to figurative shining seven sea – gram ma mother earth glum, where live yik yak viewed thru Tik Tok wired vanguard trulia tried optimism to hum

nevertheless, swallowed (Old Rotten Gotham) sliding down into behavioral sink analogous to cremated ashes of late mother once boxed, but long since scattered into eternity

like talcum powder went – me mum

bling bloviation, once worth matchless peerage, now pitched numb lee into morass of temporary confusion, where existence not peachy keen plumb line delineating circadian rhythm offset, when athwart Jane Pilots' rum

man strait ting and bickering

with Lilliputians slum

bring within islets of langerhans

defiantly, haughtily and laughably thumb ming nose, where

body, mind & soul Weeknd viz a bully did cower, hence (principal at Methacton Junior High School) Mister Clock, who got hijacked 3600 seconds per hour experienced head, thorax

and abdomen diminishing in power wrought indistinguishable Whitsuntide as sour grapes of wrath imposing ill fitting sea legs, which folded like a faulty tower crumbling skeletal carapace,

resoundingly surrendered, and back slid vis a vis space/time continuum did devour. Black hole event horizon indeed kept bottled up cosmic genie good Lord and Taylor (swift) lock step

as das joint mill on the floss hoard

sucker punched the band Reo SpeedWagon of father time, whose riffs a silent chord nsync with atomic fractional second bored quirky shenanigans toying with chronometers counter point of view shifted to oppose this minute accord.

[waterchef]

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Lead: Old pipes and plumbing fixtures can leach lead into your tap water, posing serious health risks. Regular testing and potentially replacing old pipes are essential steps to mitigate this issue.

Bacteria and Viruses: Microbial contaminants like E. coli and Cryptosporidium can sometimes make their way into water supplies. Boiling water or using UV filters can effectively eliminate these risks.

Arsenic: High levels of arsenic in water can lead to health problems. Installing a filtration system designed to remove arsenic is a wise choice if your area is prone to this contaminant.

Pesticides and Herbicides: Agricultural runoff can introduce pesticides and herbicides into water sources. Activated carbon filters can help reduce the presence of these chemicals.

Heavy Metals: Apart from lead, other heavy metals like mercury and cadmium can also be found in tap water. Specialized filters designed for heavy metal removal can be beneficial.

Regular water testing and investing in a quality water filtration system can help ensure that the tap water in your Hawaii home is free from these common contaminants, providing you and your family with safe and clean drinking water.

[noxshade]

For the Record.

This is about my fanfiction, so I don't know why I feel weirdly anxious about this.

So I just posted chapter 32 of Things You Cannot Forget, and it had some issues. I sort of swerved into this super-fanservicey crossover territory that made no sense in the story, but satisfied the nerd in me.

I sort of knew going in that it would be a leap from the rest of the story, but the real problem is that it was done mostly to amuse me. Which is fine, it is just fanfiction, but I want to make a cohesive story that flows naturally. The fic itself is already a crossover of two different series, it doesn't need me hinging major plot points on references to further other works.

So surprise, surprise, it was not a terrific chapter. It's not a piece of writing I'm not proud of, but it's also I realized I had made some pretty big writing errors and just introduced shit that was of no consequence to fill time when I should be moving towards the conclusion of this story. After getting feedback from a few different sources, I decided to totally re-write the offending scenes. Not all of it is different (the intro and outro scenes are almost untouched), but the middle parts where I dump SMT and Lovecraft lore with little-to-no explanation was Not Great.

All in all, I do like the new chapter much better. It flows better, it focuses on the right things, and it feels more in tone with the rest of the fic. I do want to keep the old chapter up somewhere, and a random ass Tumblr post is as good a repository for this as any. So below the break is the original version of chapter 32, titled Sand Dune.

After a day to recover, the Phantom Thieves reconvened at Leblanc, with the intent of exploring the bottom of Mementos.  Makoto, ever the stickler for efficiency, pointed out that there were a few requests they could handle while they plumbed the depths.

“I’m surprised that there’re any requests at all,” Ryuji said, scrolling through the Phansite.  “Figure’d Maruki would have gotten all these desires sorted.”

“There are some things even he can’t fix,” Sumire said, her tone worried as she also scrolled through the page. “But these requests are really dire.”

“Some of it might actually precipitate from Maruki’s perfect world,” Akechi commented. “This mother who abandoned her child might be fulfilling her ideal life.  Or perhaps Maruki’s brainwashing just missed a detail or got a wire crossed in her mind.”

“Do you send calling cards for these little missions?” Rin asked, standing behind the counter and staring up at the jars of coffee beans.

“No,” Haru explained. “Futaba-chan usually just messages the target in the real world.  We found that method simpler and just as effective, provided they don’t have a Palace.”

“Then Chika was right,” Rin said, turning back to the group.

“Your friend?” Yusuke asked.

Rin nodded. “She said that a bunch of people claimed they got a calling card after posting on the internet.  She didn’t believe any of them.”

“Wait…” Ryuji said, leaning back in the booth, staring at the ceiling. “Does this Chika go to Kosei?”  

“Yes,” Rin answered. “She’s a super-Phangirl.  Runs the school newspaper.  Or maybe she did.  I haven’t been able to check in Maruki's world.”

“Is she datin’ a Shujin boy with short black hair?” Ryuji asked.

Rin thought for a moment. “Yes.  They met in Hawaii.”

“Huh.  And here I thought Mishima was just lyin’,” Ryuji said, then explained: “He said he had a girlfriend he was spendin’ Christmas with when I texted him, and I called him out, but he said she was a Kosei student, and a Phangirl.  I just kinda figured he made’er up.  I was going to ask Yusuke about it, but then we got all caught up in this bullshit.”

“Mishima with a girlfriend…” Ann mused. “I guess the world is just full of surprises.”

“I think we should get going, if you’re all quite done gossiping,” Akechi said, a familiar venom in his voice.  Akira reluctantly agreed, and they gathered their things and took the train to Shibuya, then passed into the Metaverse and down into Mementos proper.  They all gave Rin and Sumire a run-down of Mementos, and answered the odd question that followed.  Akira gave a nod to Lavenza, who stood by the door to the Velvet Room, still invisible to the others.  They noted the gray, metallic strands that snaked across the ceiling, so similar to what they had seen in Maruki’s lab.

“That has to be the good doctor’s work,” Yusuke said, gesturing up as they all sorted out items and equipment.

“It’s certainly new,” Haru commented. “Oracle, can you scan it?”

Futaba looked all across the pattern of material, her goggles humming slightly.  “Nothing special.  Whatever he’s doing with this, we’re so far away that my Persona can’t pick up anything.  If we follow them deeper, we might get some clues.”

“Well, they will probably lead back to the Prison, if what he told Witch is true,” Ann said.

They finished their preparations, and Morgana was eager to show the two newcomers his amazing transformation, but when he bounced to the ground in van form, neither seemed that surprised or enthused.

“Really?  Nothing?” Morgana whined at Sumire’s quiet ‘Oh,’ and Rin’s stone-faced reaction.

“With everything that’s happened, and everything we’ve seen, I guess a talking cat turning into a talking automobile just isn’t surprising,” Sumire admitted.  Morgana moaned his disappointment.

Rin was quiet, her eyes squinting behind her mask.  “Does the air conditioning smell like cat breath?” she asked, finally.

“Wha- No!” Morgana protested.

“A little bit, if we drive for too long,” Makoto added.

“Are the seat cat fur or cat tongue texture?” Rin continued.

The headlights that served as Van-gana’s eyes bulged, and the purring engine seemed to sputter before he responded.  “Gross!  They’re fine leather, I’ll have you know.”

“It’s not fine at all,” Yusuke commented. “It's passable, at best.”

Rin didn’t seem to notice, and continued her barrage of questions: “Do you have to eat or fuel up?  How does your exhaust work?”

“It just works, okay?!” Morgana shouted back, becoming increasingly flustered.

“Do you get hairballs in your engine?” Sumire asked, joining the inquiry.

“Just get in!” Morgana huffed, rearing up back, then back down on his front tires, as if putting a foot down. “Jeez.”

They all piled in, only to find it cramped with their two new members.  Eventually, Makoto opted to step out of the van, and ride on her Persona, which was newly awakened into the vehicle Agnes.  Akira took Morgana’s wheel, and the two of them descended into the depths.  

After a few minutes of driving and some light banter made awkward by the cramped interior, the Thieves arrived at the entrance to what used to be the Prison of Regression.  The gray metallic threads had been woven into the fabric of Mementos, and they had grown thicker as they descended, eventually looking more like roots of a plant.  They passed the enormous black stone slabs that marked the beginning of the Prison and disembarked from their modes of transport.  The area beyond the entrance was no longer an overwhelming red, but a pale blue color; not at all dissimilar to Maruki’s laboratory.  They found the panopticon-like temple not far from the entrance.  Instead of the veins of red desire and a enormous red chalice, the space was now filled with cables and wires; with massive lenses and blue floodlights.

“I think we can safely assume Doctor Maruki is behind this change,” Makoto said as she gazed about at the lines of neon cyan and reflective metal that criss-crossed the space.  Akira looked up the thread of gold woven into sheets of wires and fiber-optics that held camera lenses the size of large trucks above them, each shifting its internal mechanism in a way that made Akira feel distinctly… observed.

They scaled the root-tentacle-cables down the space, past the now-empty cells and down to the floor of the space.  A massive pillar of neon cables rose from the floor, then split apart into separate, glowing streams of energy, bounced between hexagonal plates and leading away from the entrance, to a new hallway at the back.

“This is almost certainly the ‘lynchpin’ Lady Elizabeth mentioned,” Morgana said as they approached.

Akira looked at the structure that had been created… or perhaps grown?  It struck him that this was a particularly powerful location: the nexus of thought in Tokyo.  From what Elizabeth had said, they were not the first to fight a mysteriously powerful cognitive being.  This space had either been created by the Holy Grail or had created the Grail in turn, and now Maruki had been drawn to it by his own Persona, if Rin had interpreted his words correctly.  What other beings might it draw from the Sea of Souls or beyond?

“So all the threads he wove through Mementos are anchored here?” Yusuke asked, glancing about.  Akira was also shocked by the transformation the space had endured.  He recognized most of it, including the plaques on the ground with the Latin names of the deadly sins on them.  They had fought the Holy Grail here. They had defeated Yaldabaoth here, in a way.

“Not quite, Inari,” Futaba corrected, scanning the mass of cables and metallic mesh. “It’s the other way around.  They don’t converge here; this is where they begin: the stuff we’ve seen all around Mementos starts here and spreads like roots.”

“This must be what he made on Christmas,” Rin said, staring up at the space, her eyes lazily following the glowing lines of the cables.

Ryuji wandered closer and gave the cables a smack with his bat, to no effect. “Doesn’t seem like we can cut it off here,” he said.

“It all looks really similar to his Persona,” Ann said. “If he created this, it makes sense.”

“Meaning we probably have to deal with Maruki to get rid of it and separate the two dimensions,” Akechi added.

“It seems that he may have expanded the space since we were last here,” Haru said, having walked to the side.  She gestured to the hole in the wall where the lines of energy were directed out, there were a series of escalators out of the space now. They all circled the central structure with her and approached the dark moving stairs.  “I doubt the escalators were something the Holy Grail decided to include.”

“You never know,” Rin said, as they stepped on the moving stairs and traveled beyond the panopticon.  The area behind that looked like another floor of Mementos, but… infused with Maruki’s Palace.  The subtle white glow, the posters talking about happiness, the blue-veined metal roots burrowed into the ceiling.  The Metanav buzzed in Akira’s pocket and notified him of the new area they had uncovered as they did, and a massive new section appeared on the map, one that had them ascending, but on a new path, parallel to the original descent.

“And having reached the bottom of the Inferno, we must climb our way to Purgatorio,” Akechi commented.  From the looks other Thieves gave, it seemed only Makoto, Yusuke and Akira had understood his reference to Dante’s work, but Akira’s rebuttal was cut off as a toy car honked its way up the escalator, trailing balloons.  The tiny Jose waved at each of them, driving his one-child car.

“Hello, Jose,” Ann greeted with a wave.

“Oh, hello,” he commented to the Thieves. “Are you exploring this new area too?”

“We have some business here,” Akira said, glancing over to see Sumire utterly lost, and Rin tilting her head. “Have you been following us, Jose?”

“No, but I thought it might be a good idea to try this area’s new flowers,” he said. “I’ll see you later!”  He honked the car’s toy-like horn again, then sped off down the train tracks.

“Anything else I need to know about this crazy place?” Sumire asked. “This is so weird, it’s like Alice and Wonderland,”

“Alice in Wonderland,” Akechi corrected. “The mental world is bound to not make sense from our rational perspective.  That child is no stranger than any Shadow.”

“Why does he have yellow eyes like Elizabeth and Margaret?” Rin asked, to which Akira simply shrugged.

“I don’t really think it’s any of our business,” Akira said.  Rin seemed to accept that, and they set off into the new layer of Mementos that the Metanav had labeled the “Path of Da’at.”

They found the targets of the requests with relative ease and handled them.  As they ascended the floors of the path, the Shadows grew more and more powerful, each battle chipping away at their resources.  New, strange Shadows appeared; not just the ones from Maruki’s Palace and the Qliphoth World, but others; ones that had no interest in negotiation.  There were pairs of Obsidian Gargoyles with unnaturally long arms and no faces that hovered in midair, along with bright red crustaceans with wings that Al Azif called Crimson Fungoides.  They each had odd, bizarrely powerful attacks that caught the Thieves off-guard, but the hardest fight was the pack of five dog-like Shadows they fought close to the top, each called Canine of Corners.   They were oddly immaterial creatures, each with a long, bladed tongue and their solid outlines trailing away into geometric, fractal smoke.

They stopped to rest on an empty floor right before the end.  Akira passed out snacks, coffee and medical supplies.  The climb had been pretty taxing.

“What’s with these new Shadows that don’t wanna talk?” Ann asked as she helped Rin with an energy drink.

“They all feel like those bizarre things we fought in the warehouse,” Haru commented.  Akira shared a brief glance with Rin, neither wanting to bring up that they had discussed this exact scenario.  

They packed their snacks and moved on.  The further they moved into the Path of Da’at, the more Mementos resembled Maruki’s lab.  Eventually, following one final set of escalators, the Thieves found themselves in a large, metallic room.  Glowing cables snaked back and forth across the floor, all feeding into a large glass tube that rose all the way to the extremely high ceiling.  There were futuristic workstations all around, each with a holographic screen that showed some part of Mementos.  The group surmised that they had reached the heart of Maruki’s data-gathering effort.  Futaba moved to try and see what could be done about it, but from behind them, they heard someone walking in.  They turned to see a human figure approaching.  Yusuke and Ryuji readied their weapons, and Akira even caught Makoto pulling the hammer back on her revolver, but when they could see who it was, they were all surprised.

“Lady Lavenza?” Morgana asked.  The small girl approached them with a smile on her face, her expression calm. 

“I thought you could use some assistance in this matter Trickster,” she said, bowing slightly.  Her yellow eyes flicked between the different members of the Thieves. “This place has become exceedingly dangerous, after all.”

“I thought…” Akira began. “What changed?  I thought this world was too taxing for you and your siblings to manifest.  Why-”

“It’s not her,” Rin said, taking a step forward.  Lavenza stopped short, her smile dropping to worry.

“Your confusion and distrust is expected, but-” Lavenza began.

“Witch is right,” Futaba cut her off, her goggles glowing a faint red as she scanned the short figure. “It’s not Lavenza.  She and her sister registered like Mona.  This is some kind of Shadow.”

‘Lavenza’ dropped all pretense, the emotion sliding right off of her face.  Her kind yellow eyes suddenly looked dead, and her voice changed to one of an indeterminate gender, but with a Shadow’s distortion.  “You all continue to surprise me.  I settled on this form after much debate as the most trustworthy and the least suspicious, and you still saw through it.”

A dark haze began to gather around the thing that looked like Lavenza.  In a blur, its form changed to Sojiro with yellow eyes, then to Sae, then to Wakaba, then finally to Maruki in his old lab coat and sandals.  The Shadow stared at them from behind his glasses and flop of curly hair.

“Good thing we’re not that stupid,” Akechi said, drawing his serrated blade. “I assume you’re some security measure Maruki put here to try to protect this area?”

“You are very wrong, distorted echo,” the Shadow said.  Akira raised an eyebrow at the term it used for Akechi, but pushed past it. “I am here of my own free will, as the doctor’s goals and mine align.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed and she shifted in place, brushing her combat sandals on the metal floor.  “If you’re here to stop us, then you’re too late,” she said.

“Far from it,” it replied. “You are too late to stop the world that is to come.”   It darkened, abandoning the shape of a human, growing to monstrous size and adopting a new form.

“I prefer to use intermediaries for this kind of base violence,” it said, its voice deepening and growing in volume. “But you have defeated the other roadblocks I created.  So I shall show you all the truth.”   Its form resolved into a massive, three-legged monster.  Its head was nothing but a mouth, shrouded by tendrils and contorted into a permanent scream, its head a wriggling, serpentine tentacle.  Blue orbs dotted its black body as its green-tinted hands dripped with dark oil.

The entirety of the Phantom Thieves lined up against the creature Futaba’s Persona labeled the Moon Howler.  Cornered as they were, it would be hard to not use the whole group in battle.

Looking back on what Akira would remember of this battle later, he would pinpoint that as their mistake.  

“Hahaha!  Perhaps the time for pawns has not yet passed after all!” it boomed, then raised its hands and unleashed a deep magenta pulse of energy from its gaping mouth, its shroud of tentacles parting.  Akira recognized a status effect attack, but his fears were soon exceeded as Ryuji turned and swung at Akira with his mace.  It was a brainwash attack.

“No!  It got Skull!” Futaba shouted over their mental link from within her Persona.  “And Queen, Noir and Fox!”

Ryuji branshied his weapon again, trying to bring it down on Akira’s head.  Akira blocked with his dagger as he saw the entire team descending into chaos.  Ann was desperately dodging a series of ax swings from Haru, Morgana and Sumire were trying to restrain Makoto as she thrashed about wildly, and Akechi squared off with Yusuke in careful sword duel.  Akira looked back into Ryuji’s eyes, only to find nothing there, just a dark void.

“Skull!” Akira shouted, trying to hold back Ryuji’s attack.  “It’s me!  Snap out of it!  It’s just another trick!”

Rin ran full-tilt at Ryuji, tackling him off Akira, and quickly putting him on a kind of leg-lock where she held both his arms behind his back with her legs.  Akira was momentarily impressed by her ingenuity, but looking over the internal battle tearing his team apart refocused him on the threat: the Shadow.

“I’m working on something to help, Joker,” Futaba said. “But… It's fighting back.  This isn’t just another Brain Jack.  This Shadow, it’s different.”

Akira summoned his metallic angel Persona Sandalphon to blast the Moon Howler with a bless attack, but it just laughed at him.

“You face me alone, Akira Kurusu?” it asked.  Joker reeled back.  How on Earth did this Shadow know his name?  “Yes, I know you.  I am the darkness of the human heart.  I know all humanity, and I know your soul.  Nothing you will do here can possibly matter.  Free will is an illusion.  You think you have escaped the doctor’s prison, but there is no freedom, only larger and smaller cages.”

“You’re wrong!” Akira shouted. “I know we can make a difference.  We can’t… we can’t…”

“Fail?” it said, completing his thought. “Hahaha!  You already have.  I have seen it.  This world is one of many, and I have seen the world where you fall.  In this, and all others.  Nothing you do can ever matter, because in the future of another world, you have already made the opposite choice.  There is no hope!”

“That’s bullshit!” he and Futaba shouted together. 

“Don’t hit us with that ‘multiverse’ crap, you overgrown tripod!” Futaba said.

“I don’t care about other timelines- I’m still here, and I’m still going to stop you!” Akira shouted.  He swapped Personas over to the robed and spear-wielding Odin, who called down lighting on the Shadow.  It seemed to injure it, but only a tiny fraction.

“No, you can’t,” the Moon Howler taunted. “Your mind already cracked when it touched oblivion.  Let me show you the futility of your actions.”

The Shadow raised its hand at Akira, and suddenly his mind was assaulted again.  He screamed and doubled over as images and sensations crashed through his mind.  He felt burning heat, smelled decay, and could taste the void.  He saw Tokyo.  A dozen different Tokyos; each with something terribly wrong with them.  The red-veined Mementos Fusion they had averted was there, but then there were more.  One where a yellow fog shrouded the entire city as a multi-colored eye gazed down as the citizens slowly disintegrated into mist, then one where the people on the street were replaced with crystal coffins as the moon grew larger and larger in the green-blue sky.

He tried to shut them out, keep his wits about him and remember the techniques for mental control that Maruki had taught him, but the screams of an entire city dying filled his ears.  He saw Tokyo turned inside out, the souls of its inhabitants consumed to birth a new god as angels and demons warred over the sand-blasted hellscape that the city had become.  Then a chillingly un-fantastical vision of Tokyo: missiles raining down and vaporizing the city in a mushroom cloud.

Each of these visions were compressed with dozens more, like individual frames of a film that made no sense, but played so loud as to drown out all else.

“This is no time to keel over, Joker!” he heard Akechi say at the same time he saw the world end.  Vision, after vision, after vision cascaded over him.  He wanted to scream; he might already have been screaming, but he couldn't hear his own voice over the thousands of lives being ended as Maruki smiled at him and the world faded away into the roar of the void.

“Joker!” he almost heard Futaba shout. “Something happening… I can’t see… I can’t…”

The rest of what she said was lost as Akira’s entire world became the thrumming laughter of a malicious god.

---

Futaba Sakura looked around herself.  She was supposed to be at the bottom of Mementos, supporting her team, but she wasn’t.  Instead, she was standing at the top of a ruined building, in a lifeless, ruined Tokyo that was buried by sand.

Her mind raced as she looked around.  Her goggles were gone, but she was still in her Metaverse outfit, with its skin tight bodysuit and neon green lines.  She gazed out over the city around here.  There wasn’t a single living thing in sight.  The building she was on was slightly askew, leaned up against a massive hill of sand that was so tall that the top of it spilled over onto the roof, just a bit.  All around her were the sand-blasted ruins of Tokyo.  Gone was the sea, gone was the horizon, like the city now existed in a permanent sandstorm.  She could see the Tokyo Skytree past another row of office buildings, partially destroyed.  

She tried to think back.  She’d been trying to support her teammates after several of them had succumbed to a powerful brainwashing spell.  She had just prepared a special cleansing effect, but then her vision had begun to dim, and Al Azif had warned about… what was that warning it had given her? “Dimensional…” something.  Futaba swore, not used to not remembering something.  And now here she was, trapped in some kind of dream or hallucination.  She was still not quite over spending a week with her dead mother, and now whenever the hell this Shadow was had trapped her in another illusion.  Al Azif had given it another name beyond Moon Howler, something Egyptian-sounding.  Was that related to the sandy expanse before her?  There were no pyramids here, just her memories of her own tomb, and a blazing, dry heat.

Was there anything here?  It felt like a post-apocalyptic landscape, like those Australian action movies with the cool cars.  Was this nothing more than a figment of her dying imagination?  Or had she been-

“Hello, Oracle.”

Futaba spun around to see a person on the roof with her, where there had been no one else moments ago.  He looked to be a man of perhaps twenty or thirty.  He was tall, with an slender, almost androgynous figure and well-coiffed blond hair that was carefully slicked, but feathered in the back.  He was dressed in an immaculately tailored double-breasted black business blazer, with an orange tie and spotless black dress pants and shoes.  Everything about him was far too clean and slick to fit in with the sandy surroundings.  Futaba focused on his eyes, and saw that he was heterochromatic: his left eye was a deep red, and his right was a rich blue.

“Who are you?” Futaba found herself almost shouting.  “Where am I?  Are my friends… Did you do this to me?”

“You have so many questions, but only some of them are relevant,” he replied, his voice smooth and even.  He was unnaturally calm.  Futaba knew instantly that he wasn’t human.  He couldn’t be.  If she was even still alive.

If any of this was even real.

“My name… well, I suppose you can call me Louis,” the man said, scratching his chin with a ringed finger. “As for where you are, it’s Tokyo.  But not your Tokyo, in either the past or the future.  You might call it a… possible Tokyo.”

“I know what a parallel universe is,” Futaba responded, slightly annoyed. “I’ve seen movies before.  You dragged me to some apocalyptic timeline… for what?”

Louis smiled. “To save you,” he said, turning and walking down the slope of sand piled against the building.  Futaba was annoyed, but hurried after him, sliding past him down the bank of sand.

“Are my friends safe?” Futaba asked as Louis finished walking down the slope, the sand sliding right off his dress shoes.

“That depends on a great many things, Oracle,” he said. “They were attacking each other, and at the mercy of an Outer God, so I would say no, but you were preparing to aid them.  So perhaps the answer is yes.”  Futaba was quickly burning though what little patience she had.  This cryptic super-being was more annoying than any Shadow they had faced, but she had to go along with him if she wanted answers.

“What do you want?” Futaba asked.

“I want a certainty of outcomes,” Louis said as he passed Futaba and kept walking.  Futaba followed after him.

“What outcome do you want to make certain of?” she asked.

“Your victory,” Louis said. “Your world is one I have always treasured, because He was unable to influence it.  And even though He is unable to directly affect your world, His design and intentions can still manifest.  Patterns propagate, regardless of intent.  You handily defeated His shadow in the Grail, but now this doctor with the Idiot God in his heart is trying to carry on a dream that will bring about a vision of the world very close to His.”  Louis stopped and looked back at Futaba.  “Too close.”

“Can you just skip to the part where you help me?” Futaba asked, frustrated by his rambling.

“My, the children are impatient these days,” he said, snorting a small laugh. “I had to convince Stephen to help me contact you like this, in this imaginary pocket space, and you just can’t wait to leave.”

He kept walking, and Futaba was forced to follow him as he made his way around the ruined city.  “Your world is important to me, Oracle.  More than you could ever know.  But I can see that you are concerned for your friends, so I will keep this brief.”  They arrived at a clearing, what might have been the Shibuya crosswalk, buried under sand.  It was hard to tell where they were with so many landmarks eroded.  “The location you are fighting at in your world is one of immense significance.  It can empower lesser, banished Shadows like the unwelcome guest currently making a mess of your group, but it can also allow those outside your world to cross over, if they are powerful or interested.  And I am both of those things.”

“Then you can help us fight that… thing?” she asked, remembering the other name her Persona had assigned it. “That… ‘Nyarlathotep’?”

Louis shook his head, his blond hair fluttering slightly.  “Each transgression across borders invites a reaction and reprisal.  Even I dare not interfere beyond this chat.  But this fact can be used against your foe, for he is an interloper.  He should not be there.  If you can attract the attention of higher powers, then the reprisal he deserves will deal with him and remove him from your world.”

“So I… call his bosses and tell them to come deal with it?” Futaba asked.  It couldn’t be that simple, could it?

“If it is helpful to think of it that way,” Louis said. “I can give you a phrase that will summon a being that will ‘deal’ with him.  Though it will only work once, and only at your current location, as that is the only location where such a summoning can occur.”

“And you’re sure you can’t come back and help more?” Futaba asked. “You’re clearly some kind of big-shot metaphysical super-boss.”

Louis smiled and chuckled. “My aid and power is available in your world to those who have cultivated the power of the Star.  Your Joker can call upon me, but he has chosen to avoid summoning me, as he is frightened of what my power may represent.  If you make it out of this mess, tell him this from me: it is not the effect of great power he should be concerned about, but what those with power will do to those without.”

Futaba swallowed hard.  That particular sentence felt ominous.  The wind picked up and pelted her with sand; she felt it was time to go, but she had one last question to ask.

“Why me?” she said. “Why not tell this right to Joker if you know him?”

“Because I want to minimize my involvement,” Louis said, reaching into the pocket of his blazer. “And you hold the tome of forbidden knowledge in your world, so you are much easier to contact.”  He withdrew a small, rigid rectangle of black paper: a business card.  He extended it towards Futaba, between his index and middle finger.

Futaba reached a hand out, but felt herself recoil with doubt. “And there are no catches for this help?  No fine print?”

“Normally, there would be,” Louis said. “But in this, I offer only knowledge, and I offer it freely.  Our objectives align.”

Futaba reached forward again, and tentatively took the black business card from his fingers.

And before she could form another thought, she was gone.

---

Akira’s head felt exceedingly empty.  The visions had stopped, as had the screaming from his party.  He stood, shaky at first, but was helped to his feet by Ryuji and Yusuke, who had apparently been cured of their brainwash-effect.  He looked around, and saw four of the Thieves lined up against the Moon Howler.   Morgana, Akechi, Sumire and Ann held the line against a wave of Almighty attacks from the Shadow.

“You feelin’ better, bro?” Ryuji said as he steadied Akira and helped him stand.  Rin, Haru and Makoto were a few feet away, hiding behind a computer console and patching each other up with their medical supplies. 

Akira was about to respond, when he looked up and noticed that Futaba’s Persona was glowing with… unusual colors.  The runes on the underside of the triangle shifted and changed, and Akira could have sworn he heard… chanting?  What was happening?

“Oracle, what are you doing?” Akira asked, his throat sore like he had been screaming.  (Had he been screaming?  He couldn’t remember.)

There was no response as the droning, chanting sound from her Persona and shifting lights reached a fevered pitch.  Then, without warning, the metallic triangle stopped and a noiseless pulse of sound emanated from her Persona.  Everything in the room stumbled at the sudden lack of noise, even the Shadow.  It seemed to look around, its green tentacles writhing.  It seemed… shock?  Anxious?  Akira could hardly be said to be an expert in its body language.

“No!” it shouted. “No human has had that knowledge in a century!” Akira looked back up at Futaba’s hovering Persona, but something else caught his eyes instead: an eye.

On the impossibly high ceiling of the cavernous room they were in, was an eye.  A human eye had opened, and it was the size of the entire room.  Akira blinked, and it wasn’t an eye anymore, it was a glowing, luminous ball of energy.  Akira blinked again, trying to make sense of it, and the ball had multiplied, and not instead of giving off light, they looked like bubbles filled with swirling nebulae and stars.  Akira glanced down at his teammates, only to find each of them also staring up at the sight unfolding above them.  Akira looked back up only to see even more spheres, but instead of bubbles they now resembled spheres of flesh and blood, with fibrous tendons holding them together and black ichor flowing across their surfaces, dripping upwards.

At that moment, Akira knew what it meant to see something your mind could not comprehend.

The spheres grew and multiplied downward, each time shifting and changing, until the entire space some ten meters above them was occupied by human eyeballs, each wildly swinging about.  

Then, each eye turned on the Moon Howler.

The Shadow seemed to shrink under the pressure of the many-eyed gaze.  “Guardian-Gate, I-”

You have transgressed beyond your role, Crawling Chaos.

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere.  It was a deafening silence that reverberated in every fiber of Akira’s being.  

You can not remain where you are not permitted.

“All-in-One, no!” the Shadow protested. “If this world ends then, our kind may be free again.  I have aligned the stars, you need only let me fulfill-”

You will not remain where you are not permitted.

Akira glanced down from the unblinking eyes to see the Moon Howler be rent apart, shredded by invisible forces down the green and black dust.

It didn’t even have time to scream.

The eyes turned to look at the Phantom Thieves.  They all tried to prepare themselves for whatever might come next, but Akira still felt exhausted.  Instead of any attack or another thunderously quiet voice, the orbs shifted again, rapidly shrinking and multiplying until there was nothing but a sea of light brown specks suspended above them.  It was sand, he realized; an inverted sand dune.  The sand began to fall in a narrow column in front of all of them, like it was the top of hourglass.  The frontline backed away, but they were all too exhausted to put up any real defense if whatever this thing was turned out to be hostile.

The falling sand reshaped itself into a human figure.  Tall, but completely obscured by a pure white shroud.  As it emerged, Akira noticed Futaba touch down on the ground next to him, her Persona recalled.  

“Greeting, children of men,” the white-robed figure said to them, his voice strangely accented, but smooth and pleasant.

“Who are you?” Makoto asked, standing up from behind the console.

“Do you mean to harm us?” Yusuke asked.

“I am called ’Umr At-Tawil by some,” the figure said. “And I mean you no harm.  The Crawling Chaos was banished from this world, and as a relation from the other side of what you understand as the Sea of Souls, I was bound to hold him to the law.”

“So that thing is gone?” Akechi said, his sword still drawn.

“And you’re not going to harvest our eyes or anything?” Rin added.

“The Crawling Chaos can no longer access your minds, or the minds of mankind,” the figure said.  It made some indecipherable gesture beneath its shroud.  “Your destinies are your own to shape.”

And with that, the figure vanished in white mist.  

“That was fucked up,” Ryuji said.

Akira agreed.  They all wanted to talk, but no-one had much to say.  They were all injured from the battle, and Akira could feel that most of them just wanted to get this over with.  Futaba hacked the system controlling how Maruki gathered data, which cleared a path forward back in the Palace.

On their way out of Mementos, Futaba slipped Akira a small black business card.  There were dark gray characters that looked like Arabic on one side, but it was what was on the other side that shocked him.  In silver letters he saw a name:

LOUIS CYPHER The Morning Star

Akira recognized the pseudonym.  He swallowed hard and looked back at Futaba, who shrugged at him. “Where did you get this?” he whispered to her.

“I think my Persona gave it to me?” she said, her brow creasing in confusion. “I don’t really know what happened.  It’s hard to remember…  But something tells me you should have it.  Like the star Jose gave us: it feels like it’s for you.”

Akira wondered what force could possibly evade Futaba’s near-eidetic memory, and felt a chill roll down his spine considering that question.  He still felt sick from the Shadow’s assault.  They’d have to take some time to recuperate.  Hopefully things would be smoother for them in Maruki’s Palace.

---

Nyarlathotep is ejected from the Metaverse.  His no-quite corporal form that he projects from his exile is spat out on a rooftop in Tokyo, one that overlooks Shibuya.  His disguise is failing, so he reverts to an older form: the man with long gray hair and a red suit, the one with the monocle.

How dare that brat call upon the All-in-One?  How dare the One-in-All banish him?  This is their only chance to return.  There is no other way.  The Crawling Chaos seethes, rapidly pacing on the deserted rooftop, trying to put together a new plan.  He overstepped his bounds, directly confronting Persona-users like that, but he needed to stop them soon.  It was a calculated risk, and the math is rapidly changing now.  The odds of them being able to overcome the doctor and his expression of Azathoth are too slim.  But he needs to hurry.  This transgression will attract the attention of his opposite, and in his weakened state, he is no match for Philemon’s tools.  If he-

“There you are.”

Nyarlathotep stops as he hears the voice behind him.  No, no, this is not the end.  Even those who rule over power can be tempted, after all.  He turns to see which of them has tracked him down.  The man suddenly sharing the rooftop with him is tall, with platinum hair slicked back under a blue cap.  He is dressed in a blue outfit reminiscent of an elevator attendant’s, a thick tome with a mauve cover held in his arm.

“You evaded us for some time,” he says, his yellow eyes staring into Nyarlathotep’s illusory ones. “But you must leave.  You were defeated and banished.  Your interference is unwelcome.”

“You’re not looking at this right, attendant,” Nyarlathotep says.  “You’re not thinking of the possibilities.”

“There are no possi-” the man begins, waving a hand.

“You could bring her back,” Nyarlathotep says. 

The man freezes.

“Oh yes, Theodore, I know about her”, he continues, sensing opportunity. “I know your sister left her duties when she lost him, but you chose to stay when you lost her.  In this world, humans’ hearts are being mended and even the dead may live again.  She could return.”  The man called Theodore takes a step closer as Nyarlathotep continues: “The barrier between desire and reality has never been weaker.  If you stay, keep this world in place, you can finally save her.”

“And what would you know about her?” Theodore asks, his voice low and dangerous.  He waves his hand, and Nyarlathotep’s human guise falls away.  Where the red-suited man with a monocle stood, now there is a thin humanoid with black, stonelike skin.  It has no hands or feet, only sharp claws at the end of its spindly limbs.  Small red wings spread out behind it, motionless as it floats just off the roof.  There is no face on its head, but black orbs set all around its head are surmounted by a golden crown made of endless spines.

“You are the darkness of the human heart manifested,” Theodore says. “You misjudged their potential when you thought humanity would destroy itself.  Because of that, you have failed to grasp why she made the choices she did, because you cannot understand sacrifice.  You are selfishness, greed, spite, nihilism and misery, given form.  Nothing more.”

“You cannot destroy me,” the mouthless creature says, its voice calmer, more accepting.  It knows what comes next. “I am undeniably part of the human heart.  I am eternal.  Where there is darkness, there are Shadows.”

“And to the shadows you shall return,” Theodore says, opening the book in his arms.  “You do not belong in this world.”  He thrusts his hand forward, and the crowned creature disappears in a flash.

His quarry finally banished back to beyond the world of humanity, Theodore sighs deeply.  He looks over the edge of the roof, to the busy street below, where humanity remains enthralled.  Shutting the Crawling Chaos out of the world won’t undo the damage he has done, but now he can do no more.

Theodore feels his arms grow weak.  This reality has already worn him down, he can’t handle much more of it.  He needs to return to his master and report.  Then he and his sisters can return to their duties.  

The fate of the world falls to a group of young Persona-users yet again.  Perhaps that is how it is meant to be.

Wearily, Theodore opens a door back to the Velvet Room, and disappears.

[bisexualvalve]

Residents of Jackson, Miss., recently experienced a week without reliable water service. And an advisory to boil any water that does flow from faucets in that capital city of 150,000 people has been in place since late July. This is just some of the alarming drinking-water-related news that has surfaced as summer winds down in the U.S. Other reports have told of arsenic in tap water in a New York City public housing complex, potentially sewage- or runoff-related Escherichia coli bacteria in West Baltimore’s water supply and a lawsuit alleging neurological issues linked to thousands of liters of jet fuel that leaked into drinking water in Hawaii last year.

In the aftermath of the drinking-water contamination crisis that hit Flint, Mich., in 2014, a growing number of similar incidents have received national attention, eroding confidence in neglected drinking-water and wastewater treatment systems that once were considered among the world’s most sophisticated and robust. Some ground will be gained as billions of dollars from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law start to flow to states for improvements to local water systems—including the replacement of dangerous lead pipes that run from public water lines to buildings’ plumbing. But money alone cannot solve larger structural and systemic issues afflicting the nation’s thousands of aging public and private water and wastewater systems, experts say.

Upmanu Lall, a hydroclimatologist at Columbia University and a luminary in his field, has co-authored and led numerous studies that document the rise of contaminated drinking water in the U.S. He and his colleagues assessed a national data set of 17,900 water utilities and other community drinking-water systems, revealing that water-quality violations of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act more than doubled between 1980 and 2015. In the latter year, drinking-water systems serving nearly 21 million people in the U.S. were cited for such water-quality violations. In other studies and projects, Lall and his colleagues also have examined rational and effective ways to build more resilient water and wastewater systems globally and to address water scarcity.

To learn more about the national context and implications of Jackson’s ailing water system, Scientific American spoke with Lall about what the future holds for U.S. water and wastewater systems—and what can be done to improve the outlook and to secure safer drinking water for coming generations.

[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]

How do the recent drinking water problems in Jackson fit into the larger landscape of U.S. water distribution systems?

Jackson is one of many cities where things like this are happening. It is perhaps one of the larger such crises. And it’s a more chronic one. The smaller water problems, unless they are something like Flint, just don’t get reported. So the larger context is that what’s happened has caught people’s attention.

How far can the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law go toward addressing problems such as those afflicting residents of Jackson?

Some of the primary water concerns that the infrastructure bill proposes to address is to replace a whole bunch of lead service lines and to put money to figuring out why PFASs—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances [often called “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment]—are present in water and what to do about it. These are good things. I don’t want to criticize them. But what they speak to is that when one particular issue becomes prominent, then Congress or other bureaucracies start paying attention to it. But the one issue that they should be paying attention to is that the whole infrastructure system with water and wastewater is failing. And many leaders and officials don’t get that because it’s too big an issue. The problem with what they’re doing is that when you focus on “Okay, we’re going to go replace a bunch of lead service lines,” money is being spent on that one issue—but it’s not addressing the basic issue across the board.

What should leaders and officials focus on instead when it comes to our water and wastewater systems?

Here’s the challenge: Water and wastewater systems can be divided into the following components. One is storage, such as reservoirs and dams. Then the second is conveyance, which is the pipes that bring the water to you or sewers that take the wastewater back, as well as the associated pumps. And finally, there is the treatment system. So these are the three components that we have to deal with. The median age of U.S. dams is around 60 years. They were designed to last for 50. And the state of maintenance or the condition of around two thirds of the dams in the country is actually unrated and unknown. Regarding conveyance, the number of water-main failures is estimated at around 850 daily in the North America. 

And then the treatment systems—we have increasing reports of pathogens in drinking water, which lead to “boil water” notices. That trend has been driving more and more people to consume bottled water or to buy filtration systems. So in totality, each of the components is aging and failing, and the reliability of service in each component is now a question mark. This is why one has to think about how they can collectively be upgraded.

Smaller communities in particular do not have the financial or technical resources to actually figure out what they should do. And so as a result, we have a systemic risk of failure.

How does climate change figure into this problem?

The systemic risk of failure is amplified by changing climate. If you have a drought, you have a lower amount of water available, a higher concentration of chemicals entering water and limited treatment capacity. At the other extreme, for example, nearly four years ago, heavy rains flooded the Highland Lakes area, which supplies water to Austin, Tex. The reservoirs filled up with sediment. The city’s treatment plant did not have the capacity to deal with so much sediment. So the city’s water utility asked residents to go a water-rationing spree and issued a boil-water advisory that lasted one week in the middle of very wet conditions.

Beyond its current regulatory and other roles, what more could the federal government do to secure safer drinking water for people in the U.S.?

There is no central planning for water investments in the U.S. Compare that with the situation for energy, where we have the Energy Information Administration and the Department of Energy. Whether they do a good job or not, there are at least some people tasked with thinking about what should be done and to put some requests for money on the table. In contrast, we have seven or eight different federal agencies with some sort of jurisdiction on water. And that structure is then replicated at the state level and at the local level. The federal government had strong investments in water infrastructure in the middle of the 20th century and up to around 1980. We were state of the art as a result. Today it is time to renew such efforts in a thoughtful way that best uses new digital technologies to assure performance.

Could the country spend its way out of this problem?

It’s a bigger issue than that. Again, I’ll make the comparison with the energy situation. The energy policy makers are seriously working on how to replace fossil fuels, how to expand transmission capacities, how to improve the reliability of the system. A lot of this is done in the private sector, but there is some facilitation by federal government sources and state sources. There is no corresponding story on water. And so the challenge is not money. It’s having some group that is actually working on what should be the 21st-century architecture for the U.S. water system. Because otherwise, what happens is that we have piecemeal approach, such as focusing on replacing lead pipes.

What types of solutions does your research point to?

Obviously, we have to think about how we replace all these aging components. But then, if we want to design a system for the 21st century, we probably want to have some digital capacity such that—when somebody turns on a faucet or uses water for flushing toilets, showering, drinking or cooking—in each case, an instrument on-site should assess the relevant chemicals of concern and indicate whether you have an issue or not.

It also turns out that 70 to 80 percent of our water systems’ expenditure in the U.S. is on conveyance: pumps, pipes and sewers. So suppose you localize treatment. Every neighborhood, or possibly every house or building, could have a treatment system. Then you could obtain immediate feedback with sensors as to whether or not that treatment was effective. Then we could have the ability to take wastewater that is locally generated and treat it to our drinking-water standards. Rainwater that falls from roofs could be captured and treated to our drinking-water standards. All that starts becoming feasible. We can start looking at a system that is still going to need wells and other water supplies. But you could probably reduce your draw of water from nature by 70 percent or so in many settings. You would have much higher service reliability and quality.

Similarly with agriculture, which is the largest water user, there are options such as agrivoltaics and shifting which crops are grown where. So you start thinking about restructuring the whole system. That is not just a question of liberating money. It’s more a question of getting some good, higher-level planning and thinking in place and then putting money behind these plans and innovations.

What happens if we do not pursue such changes to water storage, conveyance and treatment systems in the U.S.?

One big concern is the California drought. The agriculture industry there is at an extremely high risk of dying. And that will have an impact on the food supply. More generally, we will see a slowly evolving epidemic of water system failures like the one in Jackson. So it’s not going to be a sharp catastrophe, but there’s going to be something that will continue unfolding slowly until you say, “Hey, what the hell is going on?”