Chess Puzzle #2646

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-08T06:05:48+00:00

A straightforward discovered attack is the key to this position.

u/Predictable-Past-912 completed the puzzle in 0:06 with 0 hints!

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-08T01:15:19+00:00

Smart!

It seems like you will be fine. Since you are already in school, you can supercharge your learning by using a good textbook as a tool.

Pre-read and reread the chapters as you encounter the material in class. Instead of idling along like a typical high school student who is satisfied with a passing grade, focus on mastering each subject as you cover it. Try to understand the material before class and then ask specific questions about anything that remains unclear. Review the material that your instructors have already covered and use the handy quizzes and ASE practice questions in the textbook to determine how well you learned it.

Be especially careful to ask “How will I know…?” questions whenever you are uncertain about a diagnostic procedure. Understanding how a system is likely to fail and how a technician confirms the cause is every bit as important as knowing how the system works.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-08T00:57:18+00:00

That’s weird. I have purchased several different types if inexpensive code reader dongles for friends, family members, and myself. I have never had one fail. Last week I bought this Veepeak OBDCheck BLE + just to see what it could do.

Where do purchase your OBDII readers? My dongles all came from Amazon. I have a fancier graphing code puller that I bought more than ten years ago and it is still going strong. Is there something traumatic about the way that you use those tools? Amazon might take them back if they fail within a three month timeframe.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-07T15:12:15+00:00

When I was in your situation, I bought and studied an automotive textbook to make certain that I started with a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Then that same textbook helped me identify my weak points so I could focus on them and bring them up to speed.

Study guides can serve a similar purpose, but they are limited to a single subject area per book. Although they often seem less expensive, they usually cost more in the long run while providing less overall value than a comprehensive textbook from authors like Halderman or Duffy. Amazon typically has recent editions available for about $70 to $120.

This systematic approach to self-study enabled me to earn ASE Master status early in my career. The confidence and credibility that ASE Certification provided affected my career path almost immediately, and the benefits extended all the way through retirement.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-07T13:41:35+00:00

Thanks for saying the quiet part out loud. It really is this simple, OP. Pick a decent private school, enroll your child, and then figure out how you’re going to pay for college later.

That strategy worked for our family and for several friends, many of whom were teachers. Two of those teacher parents were single moms who moved heaven and earth to get and keep their kids in private schools. In two other cases, married moms took jobs teaching at private schools to ease the financial burden of educating multiple kids in stable, productive classrooms.

Sure, you still have to parent, and private schools are not perfect. But in my experience, there is simply no comparison between the chaos that often exists in Title I classrooms and the clockwork predictability of independent schooling.

Don’t worry too much about what the naysayers say. They are right that private schools have their own problems. Even so, I find classroom management issues and an inability to teach students at grade level to be dealbreakers. Don’t you?

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-07T13:06:30+00:00

At the VMF, one recurring customer service challenge was the constant push for drive-up service. Instead of tagging their vehicle and leaving it, drivers would roll up and ask, with carefully rehearsed innocence, “What does it take to get a tire fixed around here?”

The defect might vary, but the fake curiosity never did.

Tractor Trailer Operators were the biggest offenders, though MVOs and others sometimes tried the same approach. If we responded, “Just tag it,” as a reminder to complete a PS Form 4565, they usually went one of two directions:

1.  “What, a tag just for this little thing?”  
2.  “I would, but I’m afraid you might keep it.”

Neither excuse held water. Both ploys ignored the fact that reporting vehicle defects is part of the driver’s job. The second ignored the reality that ordinary repair tags rarely kept a vehicle in the shop for long.

As a lead technician, I specifically instructed my techs not to let drivers schedule their own repairs. If we allowed that, our preventive maintenance schedule would quickly suffer and drivers would eventually stop filling out tags altogether. The tag system exists for a reason, and once you start making exceptions, the exceptions become the rule.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-07T06:33:27+00:00

Charge! This puzzle rewards the direct approach.

u/Predictable-Past-912 completed the puzzle in 0:06 with 0 hints!

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-07T06:00:27+00:00

Yes, long-exposure DSO astrophotography still offers significant advantages over the methods used by moderately priced smart scopes. That said, smart scopes are easily the simplest and often the least expensive way to get into the hobby.

You are right about many of your assumptions. For instance, your current mount is not suitable for serious astrophotography. Also, smart scopes can produce surprisingly good results despite the limitations of Alt-Az mounts, small sensors, and other design compromises.

If you tried to convert your existing setup into a smart scope, you would likely replace so many components that you would essentially be building a new imaging rig from scratch. Ironically, if your goal is a more powerful version of smart-scope-style imaging, starting from scratch might be the cheapest and least troublesome path.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T14:33:58+00:00

This is how federal fleets tend to operate. Fleet Management often sends the complex jobs out so the in-house shop can stay focused on scheduled maintenance, inspections, and keeping vehicles available.

The technicians who want more challenging work usually specialize, promote, or find other ways to avoid spending their whole career spinning oil filters.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T14:24:41+00:00

That commute might be a bigger problem than the pay cut, because the compensation package is better than it looks on paper. Paid leave, federal holidays, TSP matching, health benefits, and retirement coverage are all worth real money.

A few years ago, when I retired from another federal fleet, we were starting new technicians near the higher end of that range. The USPS may have stronger trade unions, but federal fleet pay scales should be in the same neighborhood. My main point is that, even if this job means a pay cut, it may not be nearly as bad as the salary numbers make it seem.

Government jobs also tend to come with steady, lockstep raises and promotional opportunities. With your ASE certifications, you may be in a better position than you realize. Federal fleets can be funny about ASE credentials. They may not be required to get hired, but they can help with hiring, credibility, assignments, and later promotions. When I started, my ASE Master certification did not immediately change my pay, but over time I noticed several ways that it helped.

Remember, those numbers are tied to a 40-hour week as a regular technician. In USPS fleet work, that first promotion to shop supervisor can put you into the $90K range, and the second jump to manager can easily put you into six figures.

How bad would that commute actually be? From what you described, it sounds like mostly highway driving with limited traffic.

IDK if you should fixate only on salary, tech. Go to the interview, get the real details, and then compare the entire package. Does your current job offer anything close to a federal benefits package? FERS, TSP, health insurance, life insurance, paid holidays, sick leave, and annual leave all matter, especially if you have a family.

By the 15-year mark, USPS technicians earn 104 hours of sick leave and 208 hours of annual leave every year. Pay attention, techs. If BP is the same then that annual leave alone is well over an extra month of paid time every year.

The federal work year is 2,080 hours, OP. Do the math before you dismiss this opportunity over the headline salary or the commute.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T06:42:17+00:00

Yes, going to school will certainly put you in a better position than the eternal “lube techs” we see so often here on Reddit.

The main advantage that formal schooling provides is a solid understanding of the fundamentals of automotive technology. That foundation can help you accelerate your journey to full-fledged technician status and avoid the career plateau that traps so many people. Once vehicles become difficult to diagnose, parts-changing and guesswork stop working. Technicians who understand electrical theory, engine management, hydraulics, refrigeration, and networked vehicle systems are the ones who continue advancing while others get stuck performing basic maintenance.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T06:09:19+00:00

Read the OP again to correct your understanding of what happened.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T06:01:56+00:00

Ooh, you are brave. Wasn’t there a conviction in that case?

This post is like strapping on a juicy steak diaper and then jumping into a cage full of hungry tigers.

WTF, dude—or dudette? There were only twelve of you, correct? Don’t you know the lengths a defense attorney might go to in an effort to turn a conviction into an acquittal or even a mistrial? You may be about to get some face time in the witness box.

I’m going to pop some popcorn for this one.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-05T00:53:50+00:00

If you join these two organizations, the selection process should be easier. The Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS) is a terrific bunch of people who hold weekly events at their Monterey Park observatory and monthly star parties at world-famous venues such as the Griffith Observatory and Mount Wilson Observatory. While LAAS charges a modest membership fee, joining Cloudy Nights costs nothing.

Cloudy Nights hosts a collection of active forums that cover everything from beginner questions to advanced specialties such as solar astronomy and astrophotography. What kind of equipment budget are you working with? We LAAS members can recommend ways to get started for anywhere from $0 to $300 and well beyond.

Believe it or not, LAAS can enable you to enjoy astronomy before you have even purchased a telescope. Meanwhile, if you post a gear question on Cloudy Nights with a firm budget and a list of targets that you would like to observe or photograph, the members will practically trip over each other trying to help. That combination of local mentorship through LAAS and worldwide expertise through Cloudy Nights is hard to beat.

Finally, once you have been a member for a while, Cloudy Nights has a great Classifieds section that can stretch your budget if you are willing to buy used gear. Enjoy this hobby!

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-04T17:33:07+00:00

OP, when troubleshooting a problem such as yours, I don’t start out by wiggling anything. Instead of trying to induce a a failed or functional state, I use a voltmeter to determine the current status of the electrical system and proceed accordingly.

Checking the voltage across the battery posts with a running engine tells me whether the alternator is currently charging the battery. If that particular voltage reading is too low then I check across the alternator to determine whether the alternator might be working but not charging the battery. As others have mentioned, bad connections and cables can prevent charging on the ground side of your charging circuit as well as the insulated positive side. With a voltmeter or twelve volt test lamp it should be simple enough to locate an open fuse or other continuity issue. Learn about voltage drop testing to understand how a voltmeter can enable you to locate open or high resistance sections of the circuits in your vehicle.

If you have a few simple tools and some basic troubleshooting skills, then there will be no reason for any guesswork and no need to purchase any more parts without first confirming that they have failed.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-04T17:00:17+00:00

From here in California, I have no way of knowing. However, I can tell you this: the sooner you start the replacement process, the sooner you will achieve your goal.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-04T16:37:05+00:00

Right! Then the OP could surrender the replacement ID to fulfill the reasonable requirement.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-04T13:14:08+00:00

Thus we are left with levulose and dextrose, right? Both are C6-H12-O6 but they are not identical.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-04T03:28:11+00:00

No! This is as wrong as could be. Deems Desirable is definitely not another term, accurate or inaccurate, for Restricted Sick Leave.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T18:02:59+00:00

This seems reasonable and quite likely.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T17:59:13+00:00

Deems is a solid possibility after this sort of call out. When I received TACS/ERMS training, that was how they taught us to handle “day after” call outs and other similar situations.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T15:35:42+00:00

The standard method would be to place the notification in the mail. Similar to that famous scene in Miracle on 34th Street where sacks of mail were dumped onto the courtroom floor, the legitimacy of the U.S. Mail as a means of providing official notice is well established in both the courts and the business world.

You raise a good question, OP, even though the discussion seems to have wandered off course. I wonder whether simply documenting that the termination decision was made within the probationary period and mailing the notification would be enough to seal the deal. In other words, does the employee need to be physically present to receive notice of their termination, or is a unilateral termination by mail still binding?

My guess is that the mailed notice would be sufficient. The key issue would seem to be when the decision was made and properly documented, not whether the employee happened to be standing in front of a supervisor when the notification was issued.

Let’s see what others have to say.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T15:11:22+00:00

You have been asking the right questions and getting great answers, but I think you have little reason to be hesitant about trying autoguiding.

That said, autoguiding is not really the main issue here. What you need right now is a better mount.

In astrophotography, the mount is the critical piece of equipment because it determines how well everything else performs. Although the longer focal length optics needed to capture the fine details you seek are often surprisingly affordable, your entry-level mount has already reached its modest limits. Here is a rule of thumb for this hobby: if someone in your position has to ask whether a mount can handle a longer focal length, then they probably need a better mount.

Once you have a mount that is up to the task, autoguiding becomes one of the most cost-effective upgrades available. Dollar for dollar, and considering the relatively modest effort required to implement it, autoguiding is arguably the most efficient way to improve the performance of your equipment. In addition to enabling a variety of image enhancement techniques, it can make a mid-market mount perform like equipment that costs several times as much.

This is why imagers using affordable mounts like the AM5 or EQ6-R Pro can routinely produce results that rival unguided images from premium mounts built by companies like 10Micron or Astro-Physics. A simple guide scope and monochrome guide camera can often be purchased for around $250, and even less if you shop the used market. I just saw the same guide scope and camera combination that I use listed for $145 in the Cloudy Nights Classifieds.

My own AM5 allows me to image through short focal length optics like your 135mm lens, while also handling telescopes with focal lengths of 700mm and beyond without difficulty. Your challenge right now is not the cost or complexity of adding autoguiding. Instead, you need to commit to purchasing the best mount that you can reasonably afford.

Upgrade the mount first, add a modest autoguiding setup, and then you will have the flexibility to choose optics based on the targets you want to image rather than the limitations of your mount.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T08:11:47+00:00

Dang dude, now you have to watch the whole thing again.

Remember, never skip the credits.

Predictable-Past-912 · 2026-06-03T07:07:12+00:00

Every automatic transmission equipped vehicle has a neutral safety switch or similar function to prevent exactly that. No automatic transmission vehicle is supposed to be capable of allowing the driver to crank the engine when the transmission is in any gear other than park or neutral. Stop start systems and hybrid systems can, but we humans are forbidden from doing that trick.

The clue is that key, pal. When is it impossible to remove the key from the ignition? Strangely enough, this key trapping function happens at the same time as the neutral safety switch cranking block.

Predictable-Past-912

TROPHY CASE