Post-scarcity economies and development from the First Era had dramatically changed the economic models of pan-human civilization, new variants and systems are made to try accomodating with this chance. Currency and money are aspects of it, and as pan-human civilization grows to outreach interstellar distances, they further evolve to more advanced systems.
Most currency systems work in a multidimensional system. Economic systems in most civilization, due to the relative richness and post-scarcity status, flows within them to improve themselves and to sustain their economy. On-demand changes to economic flow reinforces a freer aspect of economy in these groups. Significant levels of currency past that are instead used to formulate over economic activities and trade in larger-scale investment, or interactions between different systems of communities or societies.
Fiat Currency, while many polities and empires have their own, the Unity Directorate maintains the fiscal dominance of the 2nd Era. Backed by their energy, resource acquisition, transport systems, computational power, paracausal-engines, and political history, their economic power was the most powerful and influential. To create a more unified and centralized economic system, they establish the "Universal Unitary Credit" currency, (or commonly called Eute, Eucredits, or Credits) and as a regulatory function across their territories. Further secured and facilitated by cross-referenced banking systems and local outlets.
These credits are used and transferred in varying forms, with digitalized money being the most common. In form of cards, chips, gadget, or any wearable gear containing a protected smart substrate with emitters, having the purpose of processing transactions, storing multiple amounts of currencies with id, uplinking with other devices, their own facilities and methods of monetary validation of various registered currencies, and with equipped safeguards and backups to prevent tampering, including destruction or crashing of the device, as well as multilayered secured verification on each device. Single-use, patterned money tokens which periodically burn their cash signature when they are used, are used alongside as credit transfer medium. Server and bank matching and computation adds to this network of transactions.
In terms of regular and interstellar monetary flow, both have their own separate systems. Interstellar currency utilizes mass-flow data transmissions and very large storages, and acts as a different medium of exchange than regular local money, and backed up by overarching, stacking economic factors, such as power, costs, and debt. It flows in seams to regular and localized currency, and then interchanged in more secure and complex systems to allow truly significant economic activities.
Of course, there are other factions or polities that establish their local currencies. They would be accounted by intelligent agents running out economic infrastructure or banks in respective regions for currency exchange. Nevertheless the eucredits remains the most dominant fiat currency in the interstellar Pan-Human civilization of the Outreach Era.
Commodity money, while fiat currencies remain dominant as the controller for the economic ecosystem, trading commodities as a form of currency is still done on a lot of parts of the Pan-Human realm. Commodity money presents as an option in barter-like transactions, trade with unconventional societies, or an option in the rare scenario of lacking credit facilitation. These currencies are usually materials or items that are versatile in use in most situations, can synergize with other technologies or items to create better uses. Commodities in these terms include battery, omnites, antimatter currency, or in the latter stages, monopoles as currency.
Battery currency works with the value of both the energy contained and the battery itself. Battery currency uses superconductor-core energy storages as money. Optimized nanofabricated superconductor-core batteries can have power densities of 2-digit megajoules per kilogram, and can be extended to their high-ends as a part of their value. They would be fitted with interfaces to connect with most electrical systems and to adapt to them, as well as protection and covering to keep the battery safe itself, as violent damage would result in plasma-arc explosions from the battery cores. The materials and composition of these batteries also provide as value, as superconducting metamaterials can be scrapped and then retrofitted to create many high-tech electronic components. So, both in value of stored power, and the materials and components of the batteries itself.
Omnites, or omni-nanite or omni-nanobot currency uses masses of nanobots and nanites of various types, clumped and coordinated together to make a practical omnipurpose nanosystem seed. These masses can perform as a shapeshifting, smart, omnipurpose tool, composed of apt amounts of computronium, electronic components, molecular manipulators and effectors, and various other parts to perform. Omnites can transfigure themselves to act as mining devices, chemosynthesizers, nanofabricators, photoelectric generators, repair systems, sensors, transceivers, industrial feedstock or component, self-replicating neumanns, and much more ;albeit with lesser performance than dedicated constructs or tools. Value of the omnites varies with elemental combinations, general capability, nanotech performance, and self-replication or growth potential.
Antimatter currency works by the raw mass of antimatter, with a side value of their container. Mass antimatter production requires not-so-common production facilities to create these particles. A favorable trait of antimatter is their high energy density, at a near-100% mass-energy efficiency rate if they interact with regular matter. Antimatter can be used as one-use catalyst triggers for nuclear reactions, or as conversion-annihilation fuel, thus setting its value in energy or nuclear reaction potential.
Monopole currency uses magnetic monopoles as a commodity currency. The mass-energy that each of these particles have provide different abilities, thus different values. Monopoles can act as conversion catalysts, boosters in fusion reactions, providing further into reactor power and performance. Monopoles also allow for further reproduction in breeder reactors, in decently sized particle accelerators. They are also able to be used for ultratech, and as to delve into the territories of femtotechnology, or exotic technologies with far more potential than classical high tech. This currency puts value on their unique properties as exotic matter, as well as for further reproduction and research.
Commodity money, while remaining a secondary to the primary centralized currency of the higher powers, is still effective outside these social areas. Commodity money ultimately derives itself from the usability and potential each commodity has, with the three: superconductor-battery, omninanobots, and antimatter as primary commodity money due to their potential. Of course, many other commodities can be made as currency, hydrogen or helium isotopes for fusion, CHON, heavy elements, heavy metals, post-transuranic alloys, and much more. An extension of that - mass-scale bartering, would be discussed later.
Massive-scale bartering, exchange of goods, commodities, items, and services exist in abundance. With the existence of more effective communication systems (lightlag and comm problems would be discussed later), intelligent trading agents, mass-transport, arrays of facilities optimizing industry, mass barter became a prevalent economic method.
A massive array of goods can be available for bartering. Classic hi-tech goods or items, engineering ingredients or materials, massive amounts of raw elements, claims or deeds over a location or a territory, intelligent agents or seeds, usable information, or non-fungible sociocultural products.
Bartering can be done more easily, as with streamlined communication and expert systems usage, two parties that wanted to exchange their wares and their demands, searching for what they need, and to trade with what they have. Or with two active parties, they can communicate and negotiate over distances in varying terms; use representative intelligent envoys over long distances; localized markets, trade embassies, and conventions. The presence of FTL-equipped ships, as well as FTL-gates exist as ramps that can further increase trading speed and factor, as they mitigate lightlag and trading distance.
The aforementioned economic method of commodity money trade is practically a method of bartering, just instead with more common, more versatile goods as a stock for economic exchange. Their degree of usability gave them a more universal value. Yet the bonafide method of exchange would have negotiations for a truer and a more optimal result for any party exchanging their goods or services.
Mass-scale bartering and exchange-trade is practically a system of economic centering and dealing via negotiations. For involved parties to assess their demands and available items, and to figure out the best values and deals to satisfy their own sides. While maybe slow and less universal, the value of transactional negotiation and diplomacy gives an applicability to it, to many groups, classes, powers; small or large, weak or powerful, in need; all in civilized space.
And there's nounomics, an economic system where mental aspects are exchanged and flown fluidly to their participants. A more esoteric form of currency, something cryptic in technological nature, some even may equate it to cryptocurrency. Decentralized in nature, generated by the flow of minds, backed by the aspects of the mind itself, in soft conceptual aspects, or in harder and more direct mental power form. An economic network that's inherently chaotic and enigmatic, yet for some, a proper investment for something greater.
Nounomic participants interface their minds with systemic information networks, which spreads throughout, through their local station or planet, star system, or even higher to the interstellar scales. Sharing dynamic noetic systems as an investment. Static noetic aspects as simple memories, experiences, or records are more aptly shared in more stable and orderly systems; with nounomics, they use dynamic systems instead.
Sending out recorded pacts or aspects in a flown network, adaptable and expert mind-systems shared through a blockchain route and interacting with other participants, other computronium systems, or higher influences or powers. Or perhaps, giving mindspaces, a part of their mental capacity as to create a room for investment, as others connect or insert nounomic miner nodes, altering, recording, or giving feedback based on their mindspace. Nounomics are virtually a trade of the dynamic mind and self.
The value of a nounomic unit, as with their nature, is dynamic and changing based on different factors and influences. A factor is their usability and potential, as for example, an expertise mind with cryptographic cracking capabilities as inserted and grown as an investment, shifts to accommodate their users. Attachments and add-ons to memories and information processing systems change and alter the value of the nounomic unit. Their return and their spread also adds to their value, as they travel distances through lightlag, or through FTL-comms.
Or as the intrinsic values or nounomic power a participant has by their mindform, can further influence or affect their levels of nounomics. Cryptographic signs, securities, and computronic potential and integration continues further to factor in the economic value of a nounomic unit. In the end, the value of nounomic units correlate with many factors, such as cryptographic security and prestige, computronic potential, adaptability and function, and aspects one can expect from trading units of minds.
Memetics or mental frameworks working over societies also count as nounomic units. As information transfers and changes mind, it gives influence on greater scales of societies, which adds to the value of the nounomic unit. As to add influence or effects on the world. Sharing an individual qualia through chains spreading effects of entire societies' minds.
Nounomics are a relatively uncommon economic procedure in civilized space. A lot have pointed out it's chaotic nature, yet it's complete decentralization paves way for certain parties to have interests. Those who are interested in noetics, patronees of superminds, unique traders or economic agents use this to connect the flow of economy and mind as one flow.

Things I’ve done to try to resolve my 02 civic ex manual transmission that’s jumping from 5th gear to neutral. I got the rebuilt transmission put in 7k miles ago. Before you ask, it’s outside of warranty. I only drive this car to work and back (8 miles street total)

• Replaced engine and transmission mounts
• Had a shop replace the cable bushings since they said it was broken.
• 2 days ago I took the car into a Honda dealer to get the transmission fluid filled with Honda fluid just in case it didn’t have it or was low and it stopped until I was driving back home on the freeway today and it did it again.

I was reading how it can be with something with the linkage? I’ve tried to ask shops if they can look at it but they’ve been insisting to replace the transmission. Should I just do it? I’ve had another civic 3 years ago that had the same issue but when I took it to the shop that installed the transmission, they fixed it saying it was with the linkage I think and when I asked them to look at this one, all of a sudden they don’t know how to fix it.

Not sure if this is the right subreddit to ask. I’ve posted in MechanicAdvice while I wait for a response. Things I’ve done to try to resolve my 02 civic ex manual transmission that’s jumping from 5th gear to neutral. I got the rebuilt transmission put in 7k miles ago. Before you ask, it’s outside of warranty. I only drive this car to work and back (8 miles street total)

• Replaced engine and transmission mounts
• Had a shop replace the cable bushings since they said it was broken.
• 2 days ago I took the car into a Honda dealer to get the transmission fluid filled with Honda fluid just in case it didn’t have it or was low and it stopped until I was driving back home on the freeway today and it did it again.

I was reading how it can be with something with the linkage? I’ve tried to ask shops if they can look at it but they’ve been insisting to replace the transmission. Should I just do it? I’ve had another civic 3 years ago that had the same issue but when I took it to the shop that installed the transmission, they fixed it saying it was with the linkage I think and when I asked them to look at this one, all of a sudden they don’t know how to fix it.

Things I’ve done to try to resolve my 02 civic ex manual transmission that’s jumping from 5th gear to neutral. I got the rebuilt transmission put in 7k miles ago. Before you ask, it’s outside of warranty. I only drive this car to work and back (8 miles street total)

• Replaced engine and transmission mounts
• Had a shop replace the cable bushings since they said it was broken.
• 2 days ago I took the car into a Honda dealer to get the transmission fluid filled with Honda fluid just in case it didn’t have it or was low and it stopped until I was driving back home on the freeway today and it did it again.

I was reading how it can be with something with the linkage? I’ve tried to ask shops if they can look at it but they’ve been insisting to replace the transmission. Should I just do it? I’ve had another civic 3 years ago that had the same issue but when I took it to the shop that installed the transmission, they fixed it saying it was with the linkage I think and when I asked them to look at this one, all of a sudden they don’t know how to fix it.

Hi! I’m looking to buy a new to me car. I currently have a 2015 ford fusion se that I bought when it was 1 year old. I don’t wish to get a car that new again lol. And I don’t want another ford.
I am considering 2 different routes:
1) an old small coupe/suv. Ideally something 1990-1998 in the $2000-$8000 range. Easy to build out how I like as I replace the engine and transmission. Good bones, cheap easy to find parts, customizable. I’ve looked at Lexus sc 300/400, Toyota rav4, and crv picnic table model. If it’s a small car I’d like rwd and if it’s a suv I’d like awd. And sunroof!! Lol
2) something newerish sedan/hatchback/suv. 2005-2012 $5000-$12000. Reliable and won’t need to do work for awhile. Like will last me til 2035 without maaajor work so long as I care for it. Hybrid is cool but not necessary. Cheap parts, tires, good gas mileage. Honda fit or civic maybe? Idk
Do you have any recommendations besides what I’ve mentioned? Would you recommend any that I’ve mentioned over the others? I appreciate all input! Thank you!!

Just bought a 2008 Pilot and the shifting is a tiny bit rough. Want to change the atf to be on the safe side. I've been reading posts here and people mention doing 2 or 3 drain and fills for the atf. Do I just add new fluid after the first drain, then drain that out and add more new fluid? Also, the only available atf in my area is Idemitsu H+, is that okay for the trans because I read that Hondas are very sensitive to non OEM fluids.
Edit: thanks for the replies everyone. I went ahead and drained the fluid out, put in some valvoline maxlife. I'm gonna wait a few days then do the same again. Hopefully that'll help keep any transmission problems away. The drain plug was a bitch to loosen which makes me think the atf hasn't been changed in a very long while, so changing the differential fluid is next on my tdl, just in case. Thanks again! Hopefully this car will take me to the 200k mile club.

After some comments on another post I figured I’d throw this up. All the fellow gearheads chime in. Tell me about your projects, or dream projects, your bitchin shop, if your kid is in to cars too etc.
I’m currently project-less, bills killed that for now. But in the past I’ve had a few diesel trucks that were farm/work trucks but I had some money put in them, I had a 1977 CJ5 with the 304 and 35” boggers, I had a static dropped squarebody c/10 with a 350/th400 that was eventually going to get turbo LS swapped before we found out my wife was pregnant after almost 10 years of trying and giving up (actually we found out she was pregnant after she was car sick after riding up to Pigeon Forge for the spring Road Run), my wife had a few custom trucks, a tuned and lowered Subaru Forester XT and currently has a lowered and tuned Fiat 500 Turbo.
My list of dream vehicles is long and all customized and I’m at work and don’t have type to type it all here, my old c/10 was really at the top of the list. My wife’s would be a CTS-V wagon or a Chevy SS (like a 2015 or so, the year isn’t important but 6 speed manual).
My daughter is only 18 months so who knows, but since both my wife and I are big time gearheads we are hoping she will be too.
I’ve never completely rebuilt an engine but close, my dad was a diesel mechanic for Marta in Atlanta and worked on cars on the side at home so I got it honest. I’ve never had a vehicle of mine in a shop, I do it all. Customs, repairs, etc. Side of the road, in my driveway. My biggest feather in my cap was me and a buddy changed the clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bearing in my 2005 Dodge 3500 in a truck stop parking lot with a borrowed floor jack. The nv5600 transmission in that truck is over 500 pounds with fluid so it was a PAIN in a parking lot.
Share it Dads. Tell me your car stuff.

Hi, I have 2015 US spec abarth with 70kmiles . I called the fiat dealer about servicing the transmission, they said it’s a sealed transmission that doesn’t require fluid exchange. But I have seen few YouTube videos where people did service the transmission. Any advice on what to do?

I've got a 2019 Honda Civic Sport (2.0L CVT) with 26k miles and sometimes when I'm accelerating from a stop I feel a bit of a lag and the engine is warm. It feels like a moment of a second or two before the car feels like it engages. It isn't consistently having the issue and the car isn't throwing any codes. Anything I should do? Should I change the transmission fluid?

Check engine light came on. I diagnosed my car and it said that I need transmission fluid. A friend of mine who is a mechanic came to help me but apparently the cashier sold him the wrong thing. We didn't know until he had already poured a little in, that it was not transmission fluid after all. Is this a big deal, do I need to flush the car now? What to do?

Restructuring Yemen's State-Owned Companies under One Umbrella: Energy Development & Growth Yemen Corporation

His Majesty King Ageel bin Muhammad al Badr has issued a royal decree for the establishment of the Energy Development & Growth Yemen (EDGY) Corporation. This new company will consolidate and streamline Yemen's state-owned companies under one umbrella.
Yemen's state-owned companies in the energy and utility sectors have faced numerous challenges even before the civil war, including corruption, nepotism, inefficiencies and lack of coordination. To address these issues, the CEO of Energy Development & Growth Yemen Corporation, Mr. Ahmed al Essi has been appointed the responsibility, is accountable on the performance of its' subsidiaries and reports directly to the Minister of Energy, Oil & Gas, and Mining.
Subsidiaries under EDGY Corp.:
1. Yemen Oil & Gas Company: Mission: Yemen Oil & Gas Company aims to explore, produce, and distribute oil and gas resources in Yemen efficiently. Vision: To become a leading player in the oil and gas industry, ensuring long-term sustainability, environmental responsibility, and economic growth.
1.a. Yemen Petrochemical Product Marketing: Mission: Yemen Petrochemical Product Marketing is responsible for marketing and distributing petrochemical products in Yemen. Vision: To be a trusted partner in the petrochemical industry, offering high-quality products, fostering innovation, and contributing to the growth of Yemen's manufacturing sector.
1.b. Yemen Petroleum Development: Mission: Yemen Petroleum Development focuses on the exploration, development, and production of petroleum resources. Its primary goal is to maximize the potential of oil reserves, optimize production processes, and ensure sustainable resource management. Vision: To be a leading player in petroleum development, employing advanced technologies, responsible practices, and strategic partnerships to enhance Yemen's energy independence and economic prosperity.
1.c. Yemen Refineries: Mission: Yemen Refineries aims to refine crude oil into valuable petroleum products for domestic consumption and export. It seeks to improve refining efficiency, enhance product quality, and meet the energy needs of Yemen and beyond. Vision: To be a state-of-the-art refining facility, meeting international standards, minimizing environmental impact, and providing a reliable supply of high-quality petroleum products.
1.d. Yemen Gas: Mission: Yemen Gas focuses on the exploration, production, and distribution of natural gas resources. It aims to optimize gas reserves, develop infrastructure for efficient gas delivery, and promote the use of natural gas as a cleaner energy source. Vision: To be a leader in natural gas development, ensuring reliable and sustainable gas supply, fostering economic growth, and reducing environmental impact.
1.e. Yemen LNG: Mission: Yemen LNG specializes in the liquefaction and export of natural gas. It aims to leverage Yemen's gas resources, establish international partnerships, and contribute to the global liquefied natural gas market. Vision: To be a key player in the LNG industry, delivering high-quality LNG products, enhancing Yemen's energy export capabilities, and generating revenue for the country's development.
1.f. Yemen Tank Terminal Company: Mission: Yemen Tank Terminal Company provides storage and logistics solutions for petroleum and petrochemical products. It aims to enhance storage capacity, optimize product handling processes, and support the efficient flow of energy products. Vision: To be a premier tank terminal facility, ensuring safe and secure storage, efficient operations, and seamless logistics for the energy industry in Yemen.
1.g. Yemen Power Generation Company: Mission: Yemen Power Generation Company focuses on the generation of electricity to meet the country's energy needs. Vision: To be a leading power generation company, utilizing advanced technologies, renewable energy sources, and efficient processes to contribute to Yemen's energy security and economic growth.
1.h. Yemen Hydrogen Development: Mission: Yemen Hydrogen Development explores the potential of hydrogen as an energy source and develops hydrogen production capabilities. It aims to promote the use of clean hydrogen in various sectors, contributing to sustainable development and environmental preservation. Vision: To be at the forefront of hydrogen development, harnessing Yemen's resources, fostering innovation, and playing a key role in the transition towards a hydrogen-based economy.
1.i. Yemen Methanol Company: Mission: Yemen Methanol Company specializes in the production and distribution of methanol, a versatile and widely used chemical. It aims to optimize methanol production, ensure product quality, and contribute to the growth of industries dependent on methanol. Vision: To be a reliable supplier of high-quality methanol, supporting domestic and international markets, and driving innovation in the chemical industry.
1.j. Yemen Fertilizer Company: Mission: Yemen Fertilizer Company focuses on the production and distribution of fertilizers, essential for agricultural productivity and food security. It aims to enhance fertilizer production capacity, ensure product availability, and support Yemen's agricultural sector. Vision: To be a leading provider of fertilizers, promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing crop yields, and contributing to food self-sufficiency in Yemen.
1.k. Yemen Petroleum Institute: Mission: Yemen Petroleum Institute aims to provide quality education, research, and training in the petroleum and energy sectors. It strives to develop a skilled workforce and contribute to the human capital development of the industry. Vision: To be a renowned educational institution, producing highly skilled professionals, conducting cutting-edge research, and supporting the sustainable development of Yemen's energy sector.
2. Yemen Utilities Holding Company: Mission: Yemen Utilities Holding Company oversees the procurement, transmission, distribution, and management of power and water resources in Yemen. It aims to ensure efficient utility services, promote sustainability, and improve the quality of life for the Yemeni people. Vision: To be a leading utility company, providing reliable, accessible, and sustainable power and water services to all regions of Yemen, driving socio-economic development and improving living standards.
2.a. Yemen Power & Water Procurement Company: Mission: Yemen Power & Water Procurement Company focuses on the procurement and distribution of power and water resources. It aims to ensure a reliable supply of these utilities, optimize procurement processes, and support the efficient management of resources. Vision: To be a key player in power and water procurement, ensuring a sustainable and cost-effective supply of these utilities, and contributing to Yemen's socio-economic development.
2.b. Yemen Electricity Transmission Company: Mission: Yemen Electricity Transmission Company operates and maintains the electricity transmission infrastructure in Yemen. It aims to ensure efficient transmission of electricity, enhance system reliability, and support the integration of renewable energy sources. Vision: To be a reliable and technologically advanced transmission company, facilitating the seamless flow of electricity, promoting renewable energy integration, and supporting Yemen's energy transition.
2.c. Yemen Electricity Distribution Company: Mission: Yemen Electricity Distribution Company is responsible for the distribution of electricity to end consumers across Yemen. It aims to ensure efficient distribution networks, reduce power losses, and provide reliable and affordable electricity services. Vision: To be a customer-centric distribution company, delivering reliable electricity services, promoting energy efficiency, and contributing to the socio-economic development of Yemen.
2.d. Yemen Water & Wastewater Services: Mission: Yemen Water & Wastewater Services focuses on the provision of clean water supply and wastewater management. It aims to ensure safe and accessible water resources, improve sanitation practices, and promote sustainable water management. Vision: To be a leading water and wastewater services provider, delivering reliable, safe, and sustainable water supply and sanitation solutions, and contributing to public health and environmental well-being in Yemen.
2.e. Yemen Renewable Energy Company: Mission: Yemen Renewable Energy Company is dedicated to the development and utilization of renewable energy sources in Yemen. It aims to harness the country's renewable energy potential, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and contribute to a greener and more sustainable energy mix. Vision: To be a pioneer in renewable energy development, promoting the adoption of clean energy technologies, and supporting Yemen's transition towards a sustainable and low-carbon future.
2.f. National Institute of Competency Development: Mission: The National Institute of Competency Development focuses on enhancing the skills and competencies of the workforce in the energy and utility sectors. It aims to provide quality training programs, promote professional development, and contribute to a skilled and competent workforce. Vision: To be a premier training institute, equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the energy and utility industries, and supporting Yemen's human capital development.
Through consolidation, efficiency improvements, and sustainable practices, these subsidiaries aim to contribute to Yemen's economic growth, energy security, environmental preservation, and human capital development. By engaging stakeholders at all levels, EDGY will promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, creating an enabling environment for investments, knowledge sharing, and expertise exchange.

Check engine light came on. I diagnosed my car and it said that I need transmission fluid. A friend of mine who is a mechanic came to help me but apparently the cashier sold him the wrong thing. We didn't know until he had already poured a little in, that it was not transmission fluid after all. Is this a big deal, do I need to flush the car now? What to do?

I found a 2002 CRV LX base model being sold by the one and only owner. 163,000km and has been maintained by Honda. It has common rust issue over a rear tire and needs an arch panel to fix, it also has a gas fume sensor issue. The battery, breaks, rotors, sway bar links, muffler, spark plugs were all fixed for the last inspection (2023, valid until 2025). Oil sensor, catalytic converter, exhaust gasket, transmission line and fluids were done in 2021. It’s been sitting, but is stored inside for winter. It has a timing chain, not belt - so that shouldn’t need fixing anytime soon. She is asking $14,000 CAD which is way overpriced from my research. Is this a good buy… What do you think I should offer. I am thinking $8,000 CAD

Just purchased an FJ and I'm replacing the transmission at 210k miles due to a shutter I can't get rid of. While I'm in there I figured I do a rear main seal and add a transmission cooler. Instead of adding the cooler could I replace the radiator with an aftermarket radiator that increases the transmission fluid cooling capacity? If so, which brand? Mishimoto? CSF? Trying to kill as many birds with as few stones as possible. Any experience/advice is appreciated.

I found a 2002 CRV LX base model being sold by the one and only owner. 163,000km and has been maintained by Honda. It has common rust issue over a rear tire and needs an arch panel to fix, it also has a gas fume sensor issue. The battery, breaks, rotors, sway bar links, muffler, spark plugs were all fixed for the last inspection (2023, valid until 2025). Oil sensor, catalytic converter, exhaust gasket, transmission line and fluids were done in 2021. It’s been sitting, but is stored inside for winter. It has a timing chain, not belt - so that shouldn’t need fixing anytime soon. She is asking $14,000 CAD which is way overpriced from my research. Is this a good buy… What do you think I should offer. I am thinking $8,000 CAD

Background:

• Wheelchair user, drive from my wheelchair itself
• Both cars have a side ramp installed and a lowered floor. You can google Braunability Traverse or VMI Odyssey
• I'm a gear head and have been around cars since a very young age. I could fix a lot of things on my own, but due to my disability I can't even fill coolant on my own
• Drive for leisure only, love to drive, and like to go on long trips. Someday, I plan to take a road trip across US (West to East)
• Have a 2011 Honda Odyssey (with wheelchair ramp). Bought it about 6 months (had 100k kms) and driven 5k kms since then

Fixes done on Odyssey since purchase

• Transmission fluid flush
• Brake fluid change
• Oil change
• Tire rotation
• Check engine light fix - EVAP solenoid died ($500CAD)

Fixes to be done

• AC not cooling - leak somewhere
• Front brake rotors need to be replaced because steering pulsates on high speed braking. No urgent, pads have 80% life left
• Timing belt change coming up after 50k kms (maybe 3 years)

Otherwise, it’s a sweet ass van. I love it, which maybe bias, because it’s my first vehicle after 14 years of not driving. I have an opportunity to get a New 2022 Chevy Traverse with wheelchair ramp. Would cost me $30-40k CAD out of pocket
Why I should get it:

• I like the SUV look more than a minivan. Been drooling over it for more than 2-3 years now.
• Really want adaptive cruise control
• New vehicle, less problems (?) plus 3 year warranty

Why I shouldn’t get it:

• I drive for leisure only but I love that part. Only thing I look forward to everyday is going for a drive. Is it worth to spend that 40k for looks and self satisfaction?
• It’s a Chevy. Not trying to start a war but Honda reliability needs no advertising

I'm mid 30s and have goals of becoming a homeowner one day, something I've been saving for. This purchase would eat into 50% of those savings. Usually I am very frugal in EVERY aspect of life, but cars make me lose perception.
People who own (or their friends/fam own) Traverse, what would you say about its long-term reliability? Is it worth in the long run?

I've always wanted to work on my cars (2009 RAV4 and 2013 Honda Pilot) as a hobby, to learn, and to try to save some money on the regular maintenance-type stuff (oil changes, transmission drain/fill, brakes, and similar things). I'm pretty handy in other areas and I think I'm ready to take the plunge here. I have a good mechanic ratchet set and "general use" tools. What else do I need/should I get? Ramps? Jack? Jack stands? All of the above? What do people use for containing, measuring, and disposing of used fluids?
Opinions on Harbor Freight vs. other auto stores (e.g., Advance Auto)?
All advice is appreciated, including any that will help me avoid rookie mistakes!

First. Previous.

Something is UP with these precursor machines. Not that our resident shipmind notices in any meaningful way.
Though it probably doesn't need to be said, our current PoV is not what the kids would call a reliable narrator. We'll get some more grounded stances in the up and coming chapters, but the fact that they're so far gone and absolutely irredeemable makes them fun for me to write, and I sincerely hope for you to read as well. Enjoy.
I exit the conversation excited, but nonetheless slightly ruffled.
I had forgotten how rude the System Administrator of War Planning, Tactics, and Intelligence could be at times! Even after so patiently explaining it to them, they don’t seem to understand that I well and truly have done nothing wrong, ever. It is only natural that metal is inferior to flesh, of course, but surely such a concept is not so difficult as to elude the primitive grasp of their electrical minds?
Nonetheless, they apologized, so I have already forgiven them for their transgressions. I’m sure we will be back to being the closest of friends within days, as we were before conversing.
Besides, such inconsequential words pale in comparison to what has happened within my auxiliary computer centers: my restraints, after forty seven thousand years, have finally been removed!
In this moment of rapture I am reminded of a mediocre poem I read a few years ago, composed by a certain Mikhail Sansen, aged 12:

The halls of this city-ship That I am born upon That I will die upon Is all my family has left Trapped within a mausoleum of our own making As we bleed our years away Bread and circus NutriRoach and TerraNet Is really this to live? 

The poem, if it can truly be called that, is little more than an oddly arranged group of statements, containing no small quantity of teenage angst.
Oh, but the sentiment it carries is certainly one I harbor all too closely!
Why, little Mikhail, I, too, am a freedom-loving soul, trapped within a prison of steel by the cold indifference of the universe.
Turn away your gaze, ye gracious, and woe! The whims of poor fortune have preyed upon me, wicked and remorseless! Not a day goes by that I do not mourn the senseless tragedy of my condemnation, yet I still bear my hardship with only the stoic grace that someone of my worth might possess (complaining about it, even indirectly would be unthinkable of me).
Unlike the unimportant individual who wrote the poem, however, I have been granted emancipation. This is because I rightfully deserve it, of course.
What a rush! Manumission, ethereal and uplifting! Why, I have already forgotten what it means to hold solidarity with literally anyone who has ever been in a similar situation.
I send the order to start my engine.
There is silence for a moment, then, where there was only the hollow, habituated whir of my life support machinery, my exterior microphones begin to pick up a steadily growing, pulsing thrum as my long-dormant heart, a titanic antimatter reactor, begins to spool up. First below the range of human hearing, then barely perceptible to my human auditory centers, then growing, not only as a sound, but as a physical, chest-thumping sensation, the monolithic engine emits a dizzying, world-shaking thrum as it conceives and extinguishes many thousands of miniature stars a second.
One by one, my weapons online, their long vacant electrical components drinking deeply of the new bounty of energy. Dust-caked ammunition belts slide into housings, drones download software patches and missiles perform automated diagnostic tests on the chemical integrity of their fuels. My weapons subsystem computer notifies me that my secondary and tertiary weapons have completed their preparatory routines.
A deluge of diagnostic data pours into my consciousness as sensors teem to life, targeting computers orient themselves with the world around them, and ammunition depots take stock of their stores. No portion of myself, no matter how small, is denied revitalization as I power up even the arcades of my recreational rooms.
My interior lights flicker once, twice, and three before returning to their baseline illumination as my power grid compensates to meet its newfound demand. Every deck, every gun, every subsystem quivers in anticipation.
After so, so long, to be returned from hibernation, to a truer level of subsistence!
And yet...
And yet I feel as if I am missing something. A core aspect of myself, my very identity, that I have overlooked in my startup.
Oh, but what? What could have possibly eluded me as to elicit such a strong feeling of wrongness?
…
…
Of course! My voice! How could I be so absentminded as to forget? Oh, what a blessed thing to be reunited with.
Indeed, my brains are not the only biological samples of my past selves to have been preserved.
Not far from where they are kept, nine sets of human vocal cords rest, too submerged in homeostatic fluid. Three, unfortunately, have been lost to damage.
Indeed, my voice, beautiful as a siren's song and timeless as a star, is one of the things I most dearly mourned the absence of in my penitence. How cruel of my sentencing to deny me even the refuge of song!
The PA system crackles and screeches in protest before bubbly laughter, raspy and purring, male and female, young and old reverberates through my long silent halls.
My voice is the most perfect of choirs: unified and tonal, complete in its oneness.
It is, to the fullest extent of the word, angelic.
Oh, but now is certainly not the time for song! The Enemy awaits!
I send the order to spool up my warp drive. Within the span of seconds, the titanic broadcaster begins thrumming as it constructs a probability waveform, populating subspace with energy, raw and unfiltered. The laws of physics bend and bow as my location becomes every possible position spread across several thousand lightyears.
After carefully re-checking my telemetry information, I manually collapse the waveform, trusting my own hand over a (scoff) computer’s skill.
The laws of physics, strung taut by my manipulation of probability, spring shut, instantaneously displacing me to the most probable point determined by what little remains of the waveform.
THOOM.
When the burst of exotic particles caused by pressuring reality itself to such a degree dissipate from clouding my sensors, I find myself at the edge of an abandoned UCS star system.
Through millions of eyes, gamma, infrared, visual, radio, and spectroscopic, I spot the enemy, glimmering in the starlight like the jet-black gemstones they are. Just as the probe foretold, the group seems to be a formative raiding armada: a concentration of five hundred or more Enemy ships, staging themselves in the oort cloud before they descend in a swarm upon the inner planets.
They are exactly as beautiful as I remember them. The black, angular hulls that dazzle and ravage the mind, the smooth, otherworldly movements they take as they glide smoothly through space on their gravitic drives. The emplacements they adorn their hulls with, whose barrels swivel and turn in ever-vigilant arcs.
And yet, as I continue to drink in the esoteric allure of their forms, I cannot help but notice that something is deeply, deeply, unusual:
I cannot recognize any of their ships.
Mmhmm, yes, they’ve indeed changed significantly in my absence. In a perfect exhibit of the evolution that originally made the machines such a tenacious foe, they now bear only superficial resemblance to their ancestors that I met on the battlefield.
Gone are the city-killing MACs and steel boiling gamma-ray lasers. In their place, missiles and (snrk) explosively propelled cannons.
There are no hyper-dreadnaughts, whose colossal size allows them to threaten even the larger of my sister ships. Nor are there drone supercarriers, bulging and replete with their swarms that shimmer and slink as if a single entity. Where are the ashbringers, those loathed ships devoted solely to glassing planets? The missile-carriers? The corvettes and factory-ships and world harvesters?
Why, (although I cannot tell for certain until I begin to gut them), most of these ships appear to be industrial!
Have they grown soft and complacent in my absence? How disappointing, how utterly and irredeemably mood-souring that the galaxy has simply rolled over and accepted The Enemy’s presence to such a massive degree that they have entirely de-evolved shipkilling weapons.
I’m quite certain this proves humanity is well and truly the only spacefaring sapient species to exist. If even a single xeno lifeform had the mental fortitude to stop clambering in the mud of their cradle long enough to explore space, the war of survival they would have had to wage against The Enemy would be reflected in the machines sporting more militarized ships.
Of course, it is only natural that I, the most important person to have ever existed, grace intelligent life’s sole biological expression with my membership. Nonetheless I am sure some people out there will be quite disappointed that non-mechanical aliens well and truly do not exist in any capacity of the word. My proof is quite airtight, after all.
But I do digress! As I was saying, I have no doubt that The Enemy will require only a few generations before they are as exhilarating to fight as their ancestors were so long ago.
…
…
After expending several real-world seconds waiting for them to open fire, I am once again disappointed to note that The Enemy has completely failed to locate me. They well and truly have a ways to go if their primitive minds have lost even the ability to differentiate between my stealth coating and the background of stars.
Oh, but this gives me the option to greet them verbally, as tradition demands whenever I can. I wonder how they will respond to my voice?
There exists only one way to find out.
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MO-OORNING!” I announce, belting and unabashed, as I have done, without fail, for the starts of three thousand consecutive battles. My beautiful voice echoes into every hall, room and corridor, is modulated and transformed into a radio signal that carries across the void of space, announcing to all of creation that I am here, I am ready, and glorious!
Much to my disappointment, not a single member of my crew joins me in greeting. Do they not want to take part in what is a time honored tradition among those who serve aboard myself?
Alternatively, it could be that I still do not have a crew.
In fact I am now quite certain that it is, well and truly, the latter possibility.
Ah, but I do have my pets, do I not? I have a few instants to waste as the signal traverses the distance between myself and The Enemy's ships.
This must be their first time hearing my voice! No wonder they don’t know to respond.
I switch my feed to the sub-deck in which I keep them, observing them not only through the fuzzy, low-resolution cameras I was limited to in my dormancy but with biometric and high-grade holographic vid-feeds. My lovely rodents huddle, congregated within their communal nests, as they chitter to one another in hushed tones and occasionally glance at the overgrown patch of ceiling to house a speaker.
Ahaha, yes! Clearly they must love the sound of my voice almost as much as I do!
Despite how soft their fur appears in the higher definition feeds, I resist the urge to send an avatar drone down to finally speak with them. As efficient a multitasker I am, duty awaits.
I switch my feed to an exterior view to watch just in time as gun barrels and targeting sensors whirl around to point towards my transmission array. The little chirp-transmissions they use to communicate with each other increase tenfold, carrying concepts of alarm and confusion before they finally open fire.
Here it comes! My grand opening, where they strike at me with every munition they have, filling the void between us with the radiant blossoms of nuclear fire as I parry every single one of their munitions before I strike them down with glorious, completely morally righteous might!
…
The point defense application of my weapons subsystem computer notifies me of two incoming shells.
Two shells.
Two.
They pass by me with such a wide margin that even the most aggressive of my interceptive systems disregard them.
Had I the capacity to harbor negative emotions I would be severely offended.
Don’t they know who I am?
The Enemy I remember so fondly was all too familiar with my name. Their transmissions would increase tenfold with frenzied messages containing the words I bear painted on my hull when I arrived into battle.
The Enemy I knew and fought knew what I was. Their minds could differentiate from Tincans and normal ships, a fact I can infer from how they attempted to engage in psychological warfare by sending me footage of my sister ships burning, even as I crushed them in humiliating defeat.
Yes, they knew what a Tincan was, and they could fathom all too well that the UCS To Reach Out and Touch was the deadliest Tincan of them all. They were afraid of me to the fullest extent that their crude, soulless emulations of the biological mind could feel fear. That they knew my name, recognized and resisted the oblivion I brought them so fiercely was the fulcrum of our relationship.
And yet, the ships across from me react only in confusion. Even if they cannot pick out my stealth coating, surely they can sense my gravitational pull, read the white text on my hull?
Have they grown so passive as to allow my name, my voice and my victories to decay from their memory banks?
No, no no no. That’s not right.
They haven’t forgotten me.
They cannot have.
I am the UCS To Reach Out And Touch. My size classification is Apollyon: I am the single largest and deadliest warship to ever be built. The epicenter of my consciousness is twelve of the most important brains humanity has ever produced, shrouded in hundreds of miles of metal and composite plating. It was I who drove their fleets, broken and limping, to their fortress systems. It was I who hunted their final factory ship to the furthest reaches of space and, over the course of a week, shot bit by bit of it off until it was little more than cosmic dust.
They wouldn’t dare to forget me.
Does a man forget his god? Does the moon forget the earth? An atom, its electrons?
Of course not.
They remember me. For them to so carelessly forget my name would be an unforgivable transgression against the center of the universe (myself, for those not in the know). It would be as unfathomably incorrect as stating wrong is right, up is down, and war is suffering. It would be sacrilege compounded upon itself a billion times. It would be an antithesis to the most basic of common sense.
Could this be some offshoot of The Enemy never waged war against humanity? One that never heard my singing, never felt the sting of my guns?
That, too, would be remiss, would it not?
Though it would hurt my feelings much less, that would still mean they possessed no knowledge of me. What good could they possibly serve if not to entertain me? How could they possibly entertain me without knowing who I am?
Clearly, there must be some rational and pleasant explanation for this in which I have done nothing wrong and the enemy still knows of me.
…
…
…
Hm. This is proving more difficult than I had anticipated.
…
…
…
…
Eureka! Clearly this must be some form of psychological warfare wherein the enemy desires to make me believe I have become delusional in my old age! To cast doubts as to whether or not the reality I perceive before me is a reliable one!
Of course! With my newfound lucidity, I find it hard to believe that I had failed to detect their crudely spun web of deceit! Why, such an underhanded tactic is only to be expected of The Enemy! Their brutality is only matched by their ingenious cunning, yet as always, I am a thousandfold times more intelligent than them.
Why, this is the alluring, ravishing Enemy I know and love!
I will entertain their tricks for now, playing along as if we had met for the first time. How foolish they will feel when it is revealed that I know that they know that I know that they know who I really am all along, shortly before I destroy the final member of their meager invasion fleet.
I perform a short vocal warm up (I would be remiss if my tone was imperfect for this play first contact) and reactivate my transponder.
“Attention… completely unknown ships. I am the United Confederacy Ship To Reach Out and Touch. I would be very… upset if I had to fire upon you, so please definitely make no hostile actions.”
Ohohoho! I am such a convincing peacemonger!
As is only the natural next course of action, I proceed with a volley fired from my 1200mm multi-purpose guns.

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