#CORE LIQUIDITY MARKETS

[communist-ojou-sama]

I saw how you said that describing the PRC as capitalist betrays a lack of understanding of capitalism and I actually really liked how well you explained that being against capitalism isn't proper Marxism/communism so I was wondering if you could open that post on understanding capitalism a bit more! Only if you're okay with it, of course!

Eventually I should do a real proper Effortpost on this with all the graphs and figures to really drive home the point that I'm making, but very briefly since it's getting late here:

In Marx's time, capitalism was an emergent societal mode of production that was closely entertwined with the enclosure movement and the industrial revolution. On the level of labor, it saw the decline of peasant and artisan labor and the rise of proletarianization, and with it the tendencies of mechanization and rationalization of production (e.g. de-skilling of manufacturing and measurement of efficiency by the labor-hour)

On a consistent historical level, from Marx's time to ours, capitalism has been characterized by the role of liquidity holders (e.g. banks, joint stock companies, investment funds &c) in investigating growth industries and investing in them for the purpose of greater profit. Notably: the demand from financial actors for returns on their balance-sheets is constant, regardless of the state of the development in any given productive market. Meanwhile the nature of industrial development is that it happens in fits and starts, in great surging advances followed by relatively stagnant plateaus. The results of this mismatch are twofold:

First, as Lenin chronicled, it leads for a demand to engage in imperialist expansion to open new markets and seek new profits that way. The other, arguably larger and more important frontier however is that of speculation. Because the inflation of the value of an asset creates purchasing power in and of itself in the short term, which is maintained on balance sheets so long as the arrears on credit derived on it keeps getting paid on a notional path to amortizaiton.

The tendency in capitalism since Marx's time has been the ever-growing importance of these two dynamics and the gradual receding of the importance of low-elasticity economic activity like manufacturing goods.

The tendency of imperialist expansion within capitalism has created a networked global bourgeoisie throughout the financial capitals of the world who extract rentier profits from the various rural peripheries of the global south, and the speculative nature of investment capital in the late 20th and early 21st century defines the quality of the "capitalist develpment" we see in bourgeois states in the contemporary global south: namely, extremely uneven development between rural and urban, trapping of the labor force in a holding-pattern of low-pay low-skill work such as textile production or low-end manufacturing (e.g. Bangladesh and Malaysia) while their capitals enjoy wealth near that of the imperial core, with relatively very high-paying jobs in the knowledge industries (this should ring a bell with India lol). Any country that is actually ruled by its bourgeoisie will follow this pattern, because financialized paper profits are larger (in nominal terms) than the highly investment-intensive industrial development that has gone on in the PRC under the stewardship of the Party. However the result is that the PRC has relatively low inequality among middle-income countries and the technological benefits of the industrialization led by cities is beginning to flow to rural China, which is what allowed them to lift 800 million people out of extreme poverty, something that has yet to happen in actually capitalist bourgeis states like India.

[ira-hydrangea]

Twisted Sugar Realm

One fateful night, a mysterious comet of crystallized sugar streaked across the sky and crash into the forgotten land of Cookie kingdom. The crash created a strange new realm , now known as the Twisted Sugar Realm—a land where magic and sugar intertwine in dangerous ways.

Amidst the chaos, a Cookie born to balance it out. The Chosen Cookie, Y/N Cookie. Unlike ordinary Cookies, this cookie possesses a unique core of pure, ancient magic that holds the key to restoring balance. With their power, a balance soon found itself in Twisted Sugar Realm.

To help keep the balance, they appointed 7 Leaders Cookie and bestow them, the crystal shards. In return, this 7 Leader Cookies also pledge their loyalty to Chosen Cookie, swore to always protect them from the evil of all of this Cookie Land.

As the Twisted Sugar Realm formed, the magic of shards help reshaped the land giving each of the Leader Cookies authority to rules over their respective territory.

Crimson Tartland {The Kingdom of Order & Roses}

A kingdom where strict rules shape every layer of its golden crust. Once a land of warmth and harmony under the Sweetheart Queen, it is now governed by the Crimson Judge, who enforces absolute order. The land is shaped like a massive gingerbread castle garden, with candy-cane hedges, tart-filled fountains, and chessboard-patterned roads made of caramelized sugar.

Here, perfection is law, and those who dare disobey risk sugar petrification, becoming nothing more than lifeless cookie statues. The kingdom’s towering tart walls, caramel rivers of discipline, and the Crimson Court of Judgment reflect its ruler’s unyielding will.

Cinnamon Dune {The Kingdom of Spiced Winds}

Cinnamon Dune is a land of endless golden sands and sweet, spiced winds. Ruled by the Caramel Mirage King. This desert kingdom is lush with treasure and magic but the desert’s harsh landscape offers little mercy to those who seek to exploit it, where shimmering mirages confuse travelers and masked secrets lie buried beneath the dunes. The land is also steeped in cinnamon curses, and only those who understand the desert’s rhythm can survive its sweet, yet dangerous charm.

Molasses Abyss {The Kingdom of Sweet Shadows}

Hidden deep within the Twisted Sugar Realm, the Molasses Abyss is a dark and mysterious kingdom ruled by the Abyssal Confectioner. A sugary ocean of unknown depths, filled with secrets and syrupy contracts. The ocean is no longer water, but a dark, swirling mass of molten molasses and caramel waves, constantly shifting. This land is consumed by thick, dark molasses seas, where sweet contracts bind its inhabitants and where every deal comes with a price.

Gilded Sugar Oasis {The Kingdom of Sweet Serenity}

Gilded Sugar Oasis is a vibrant kingdom ruled by the cheerful and extravagant Sultan of Spiced Honey. This land is an oasis of golden honey rivers, saffron deserts, and lush palm trees that thrive under the warm, never-setting sun. A never-ending festival takes place here, with sugar-coated fireworks, golden candy pavilions, and a bustling dessert market. The rivers flow with liquid honey and sweet saffron syrup, with bridges made of almond brittle.

Beneath the radiant skies, the Gilded Sugar Oasis flourishes, offering endless riches and warmth, but with a touch of danger—for not all sweetness comes without a cost.

Crystalized Belle {The Kingdom of Shattered Beauty}

Crystallized Belle is a kingdom of breathtaking beauty and fragile perfection, ruled by the Sugarglass Monarch. The land is a stunning realm of sparkling sugarglass palaces and glimmering crystal flowers, where every corner reflects the pursuit of flawlessness. beauty is both power and prison, where imperfections are swiftly corrected, and those who fail to meet the highest standards risk being shattered into decorative pieces.

In Crystallized Belle, only the most refined and beautiful can thrive, but one wrong step could lead to a fall from grace, forever trapped in sugarglass.

Candied Circuit {The Kingdom of Sweet Innovation}

Candied Circuit is a kingdom where technology and candy collide, ruled by the enigmatic and tech-savvy, the Candied Phantom. This land is a mysterious blend of glowing neon candy wires, sugary circuitry, and futuristic confectionary factories, where everything is powered by candy magic and high-tech sweets. In Candied Circuit, the future of sweets and tech intertwines, but beneath the glowing surface, there are whispers of experiments gone wrong and sugary creations that have turned into dangerous, sentient beings.

Eclipsed Sugar Hollow {The Kingdom of Eclipse Magic}

Eclipsed Sugar Hollow is a mystical kingdom bathed in eternal twilight, ruled by the enigmatic Midnight Ice Sovereign. This realm exists in a perpetual moonlit glow, where macaron towers rise from dark chocolate rivers, and silvery sugar leaves flutter under the cool night air.

The kingdom’s magic is tied to the eclipsed moon, imbuing its people and landscape with dark enchantments and lunar energy. In Eclipsed Sugar Hollow, the lines between reality and dream blur, as illusions of sweet serenity hide hidden dangers. The land thrives on moonlit macaron magic, but the secrets of its power are as elusive as the changing phases of the moon itself.

The Sugarveil Haven {The Kingdom of Sweet Secrets}

The Sugarveil Haven is a land cloaked in mysterious sweetness, ruled by Y/N Cookie, the Sweet Mystery Keeper and also known as Chosen Cookie. Nestled in the heart of the Twisted Sugar Realm, this kingdom is enveloped in a constant, gentle sugar mist that gives the land an otherworldly glow. The veil of sugar hides the kingdom’s hidden wonders, where magical pastries and unseen treats linger just beyond reach, waiting to be discovered.

The kingdom is known for its whimsical charm and enchanting serenity, where the sweet aromas of sugar veil the truth behind its seemingly perfect facade. Secrets are woven into the very fabric of the realm, and only those with a true understanding of its mystical nature can uncover its hidden treasures.

In Sugarveil Haven, Y/N Cookie wisdom and quiet power guide the kingdom, balancing the delicate line between curiosity and danger, as the fog of mystery whispers of a hidden sweetness that could either be the key to the kingdom's future—or its undoing.

In the Cookie Run Kingdom, The Gingerbrave Gang and the Ancients have learned a tale of a Chosen Cookie, a special cookie whose powers could either save or destroy the entire Cookie world. This Chosen Cookie are maybe the key to restoring balance to the realms and unlocking a hidden power that can undo the damage caused by Dark Enchantress Cookie's spreading influence. With hope that this power can help them to defeat Dark Enchantress Cookie, the gang and the ancient decide to journey into the Twisted Sugar Realm and find this Chosen Cookie.

But what is the meaning of the journey if it not without trials?

[prythiansprincess]

heat wave.

pairing: azriel x reader x cassian.

request: Hi I don’t know if your requests are open but if so would u write something with reader x cassian x Azriel maybe smutty little bit ( I feel like cass would have a size kink and Az a corruption one anyway🤷🏻‍♀️😂)

author's note: size kink cassian 🤝 corruption kink azriel. i swear i haven't forgotten about the bat boys, i'm just deep in the slytherin boys brain rot rn.

Summer swept through the city of starlight with a sweltering heat wave. The blistering sun left you feeling hot, damp, and sticky as sweat dripped down your back. The only relief to be found was in the sugary sweet cone of strawberry ice cream that Azriel had brought back for you from his trip to the market square. The shadowsinger kissed your temple before sauntering into the training pit to come face-to-face with Cassian.

The Illyrian warlord raised an amused brow. "So that's why you were late." Cassian mused, sending you a conspiratorial wink from your place underneath the shade. "You spoil her, Az."

"You're just jealous he didn't buy you a cone too, Cassie."

Cassian grinned. "You're the only sweet treat worth indulging in, and I'll have my taste of you soon enough, pretty girl." The suggestive words made your body buzz with excitement. "Right after I kick Azriel's ass for making me wait."

The shadowsinger chuckled before disappearing in a dark blur. He reemerged seconds later with twin blades in his hands and a mischievous grin. "Show me what you've got, Cassie."

You leaned back in your lounge chair, enjoying the cool relief of the sweet treat. It would've been cooler inside the house, but nothing, not even the thick muggy air could stop you from watching the two males spar.

By nature, Azriel and Cassian were competitive males.

The Illyrian warriors were opposite sides of the same coin—Cassian with his boldness and passion and heat; Azriel with his mystery and brooding and seduction. You always thought of them as fire and ice. The best of both worlds.

While the competition between them was fierce — whether in fighting or drinking or fucking, you found that Azriel and Cassian worked best in tandem.

More specifically, when they worked you in tandem.

At first, you were skeptical about the dynamic, but the more the three of you explored, the more comfortable you became with one another. It didn’t hurt that you had Cassian and Azriel completely wrapped around your finger. They would do anything for their sweet, innocent little priestess. Though the thoughts running through your mind as you watched them train were far from virtuous. If anything, they were downright sinful.

Underneath the sweltering summer sun, Cassian and Azriel moved swiftly, shedding their leathers to reveal planes of smooth, hard muscles that flexed with each movement as they darted across the red sand. Mirroring the treat in your hand, you were reduced to a sticky pool of desire as you shamelessly ogled your two favorite males.

Azriel glanced at you, a knowing smile gracing his handsome face. “Better lick it up fast, angel. You wouldn’t want to make a mess.”

Strawberry ice cream dripped all over your fingers and while you did your best to lap up the melted liquid, the heat was working against you. Besides, you were too distracted by their glistening bodies, golden brown and sweat slicked and all too tempting. You licked your lips, indulging in the lingering sweetness of strawberries and cream and wishing it was the taste of a set of deliciously sinful abs instead.

“I think she’d rather lick something else up, Az.”

You flushed, suddenly feeling hot all over despite your refuge in the shade. Cassian was a shameless flirt, but it was all in good fun. Teasing was his favorite part of this little game of yours, but in the end he always gave in. At your core, the two of you were absolute hedonists. Both too impatient to deny each other gratification.

Azriel, on the other hand, wasn’t as self indulgent. The shadowsinger could hold out for hours. Make both you and Cassian really beg for it. This time, you decided to get ahead of the game.

You shot a sly glance at Cassian while the shadowsinger had his back turned, urging him to play along. The Illyrian warlord grinned like a devil and discretely nodded before pivoting so that Azriel was facing you.

With a saccharine smile, you licked long, deliberate stripes along the cone while holding the shadowsinger’s heated gaze. “I was wondering,” you pondered as you wrapped your lips around the scoop rather suggestively. “If it feels as good for males as it does for females.”

Azriel cocked his head, intrigued. shadows twisted through his dark wings. “If what feels as good, angel?”

“Pleasuring someone with your mouth.” The shadowsinger stilled. Behind him, Cassian’s mouth dropped open. “I’ve never done it before, but I’d like to try. Maybe you could teach me, Az.”

Azriel’s jaw clenched as he inhaled deeply. Hook, line, and sinker. “Then you and Cas could both confirm my theory.”

Moments later, you found yourself crammed into the shower between Cassian and Azriel. The Illyrian warlord spread out on the built in marble bench, water dripping down his shoulders as his unbound hair formed a dark curtain around his face. He looked like the god of war, all lean muscle and rugged beauty.

Warm, honey eyes tracked your movements as you discarded your dress and stepped underneath the steady stream of water. The shadowsinger's gaze hungrily raked over your naked body as he tucked his wings in close.

"Get on your knees for me, angel."

You followed azriel’s instructions and knelt in front of Cassian. When you looked up, you found nothing but dark pools of lust staring back at you. Cassian suppressed a shiver at the sight of you on your knees, watching and waiting. Hanging onto every word.

Azriel brushed his thumb over your bottom lip. “Open your mouth, baby. Go slow at first. Treat it like the ice cream. Lick from the shaft to the tip.”

You did as you were told and gave tentative little licks along the underside of his cock. Cassian was warm velvet in your mouth. “That’s it, angel. You’re doing so well.”

Cassian moaned in agreement while the shadowsinger gathered your hair into a ponytail. “Now, hold your breath and take him as far as you can.”

You obliged, slightly gagging as Cassian settled in the back of your throat. Azriel knelt behind you, pressing encouraging kisses behind your ear. Sharp teeth grazed the column of your throat and you moaned, which elicited a hum of pleasure from the male above you. Peering through your lashes, you waited for Azriel’s instructions. he smirked, knowing he was in full control.

“Bob your head up and down. Make it messy, my love.” Cassian groaned as you picked up the pace, his dark lashes kissing the tops of his cheekbones while the back of his head rested against the marble tile. He gripped the edges of the bench so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

Azriel chuckled darkly. He caressed your cheek, stroking over where Cassian was slotted in your mouth. “Our perfect little whore. So good at following instructions when you want to, yeah?”

You groaned as Azriel pushed your head down. Cassian hit the back of your throat, making you gag on his cock. His head fell back, mouth opening to release a filthy moan.

“That’s my good girl. Do you see what you’re doing to poor little Cassie? You’re unraveling him, angel. I bet he’s close to coming. Aren’t you, Cas?”

Cassian shuddered, his wings flexing behind him in confirmation. “Gods, don’t stop. Your mouth is perfect. Feels too fucking good.”

"Use both hands, love." Azriel instructed as he helped you get a firm grip on cassian. Water trickled through his perfectly sculpted abs, clenching as his release came closer and closer.

"Fuck, Y/N," Cassian growled. His hazel eyes burned as he watched you take all of him. Rough, calloused fingers caressed the hollow of your throat. He could feel you gag around him as he fucked your pretty mouth. You were so tiny and delicate, but absolutely fucking filthy too. Cassian was obsessed. "You're so pretty when you suck my cock."

You hummed in response, making the winged male buck against you. He gripped the back of your head and thrusted in and out as you moaned your approval. "Oh gods, Y/N. I'm so fucking close."

The shadowsinger grazed your earlobe with his teeth. "Swallow, baby. Every single drop. Do you understand?"

You nodded as Cassian shot hot ribbons into your mouth. The Illyrian warrior shuddered as you milked him dry, savoring the salt and musk of him hitting the back of your throat. He pulled you under the running water, droplets catching in your lashes as Cassian pressed you against the cold tile.

A mischevious grin curled against his lips as he caged you in. You startled at the way he completely enveloped you, the cover of his wings blocking out the light as his lips met yours. Cassian loved towering over you like this, his large hands roaming your body as he gripped your hips and lifted you up with ease.

You groaned as he wrapped your legs around his waist, his gruff movements making you feel as light as a rag doll as he kissed you fervently. He tasted like cinnamon and whiskey, an intoxicating combination that you chased with your tongue as you pulled at his hair. Cassian returned the favor by biting down on your bottom lip, chuckling darkly as your stiffened peaks pressed against the hard planes of his chest.

"Feisty little doll, aren't you?" He growled against your ear. Cassian hiked you up, letting you feel the effect of the kiss poking against your inner thigh. "I could take you right here and then without even breaking a sweat, sweetheart. You're such a tiny little thing, but you take cock so well, don't you?"

You responded with a whimper. Cassian bit into your neck, hard enough to leave a mark. "Cas, please."

The desperation in your voice was enough to make Cassian's cock twitch against your leg. You knew that with the right combination of pleading eyes and trembling lips, Cassian would be putty in your hands. You rolled your hips against him and he moaned against your neck. When his gaze met yours, his pupils were nothing but dark depths of desire.

"I need you, Cassian."

"Cauldron fucking boil me," he muttered. "Have me then, pretty girl."

You smirked, satisfied with your little victory until Azriel hovered behind Cassian's wings.

"Now who's spoiling her, Cas?" He nudged his brother aside and pulled you back down. Cassian smiled sheepishly, knowing full well that he would've fully given into you if the shadowsinger hadn't stepped in.

Azriel's smile was a cruel slant. "You're a devious little minx," he said. "You may be the perfect picture of innocence, but you're nothing but a filthy little slut, aren't you? It's too bad that I know all your tricks, angel. Seeing as how I’m the one who taught them to you."

You grinned. "It just means you're a great teacher, Az." The shadowsinger raised a brow as you snaked your arms around his neck. "You should be proud."

Azriel chuckled darkly before peeling you off of him. A dark curl clung to his cheek, covering the mischievous glint in his golden eyes. "I'll be proud after I make you squirt in my mouth two or three times." He nodded back to the marble bench. "Now be a good girl and lie down. You’re about to reap the consequences of your actions. I don't take kindly to being teased, my love."

The shadowsinger briefly glanced at Cassian. "You too, Cas. Hold her hips down. I don't want her squirming away before she's learned her lesson."

Cassian winked before settling onto the marble bench. Azriel instructed you to lie back against his brother's chest before kneeling between your legs. You swallowed thickly as the shadowsinger spread your thighs apart.

Azriel smirked as he secured your ankles around his neck. "You're dripping, angel." His seductive laugh skittered up your spine. "You like being a tease, don't you? Do you enjoy bringing Cassian and I to our knees?"

"Only because I love the view," you said with a smile. "But not as much as I love the both of you."

Cassian chuckled and wrapped you up in his arms. "We love you too, sweetheart, but Az is going to make you pay like he promised. Can't save you from him now, baby doll."

The shadowsinger kissed the inside of your knee and smiled. His warm breath fanned against your overheated core as he licked a teasing strip along your folds. You instantly arched into him, your body begging for more. Azriel signaled to Cassian, who shook his head and held your hips down.

"Don't let her up, Cassian." Azriel said. "Not until she begs."

Cassian only nodded and kept you firmly pressed against him as Azriel went to work. His tongue explored every inch of you, licking and sucking as though you were the strawberry cone from earlier. You nearly cried when he teased two fingers in, his mouth working in tandem to push you over the edge. The sensations were overwhelming and the combination of his mouth and fingers was enough to make you want to weep.

As always, Azriel set a punishing pace. It was like he was gauging how far he could push you until you completely lost your grip on reality. Your first orgasm felt like an explosion. Stars flooded your vision as though you were witnessing the demise of a dying star. A supernova.

The second time Azriel made you cum, you thought you were going to pass out from the intensity of the pleasure. When the third rolled around, you couldn't even remember your name.

"Az please," you cried. "I can't take any more."

Azriel glanced up at you, a damp curl clinging to his cheek as his mouth glistened with your arousal. He looked like a lion after devouring a fresh kill. Dark, lethal, and utterly dangerous. And you fucking loved him for it.

"You've got one more in you, darling. Doesn't she, Cas?"

Cassian smirked, his rough hands biting into your hips. "Maybe she needs a little motivation."

"Oh?" The smirk on Azriel's lips spelled nothing but trouble. He licked his lips, gathering the juices with his tongue. "Come and taste her on me, then. That should inspire her to ride another one out."

You swallowed thickly as Cassian kissed Azriel hungrily. The shadowsinger's scarred fingers snaked through Cassian's hair possessively, claiming him with his tongue and his touch. You groaned, whining until Azriel shot you a glare. He wasn't going to let you join in on the fun.

Cassian pulled away, looking dazed and disoriented. "You taste like heaven, doll." He kissed your cheek and chuckled as you tried to turn and catch his lips instead. "Be good and give Azriel one more, sweetheart. Then you can get all the kisses you want."

You pouted, but did as you were told. Azriel disappeared between your thighs again. Despite how overstimulated you felt, release found you in record time. Before you knew it, you were writhing against Azriel's mouth and coming for the fourth time.

It felt like both heaven and hell. Heaven because the pleasure was unlike any other. Hell because receiving that many orgasms back to back had you utterly spent even though you would've begged for more if you had the energy to speak.

"What did you learn today, angel?"

"Don't interrupt training." Azriel nodded in satisfaction. "And—"

The shadowsinger raised a brow. "There's an and?"

"And you eat pussy like a god," you stated matter-of-factly.

That earned you an amused smile. "Hear that, Cas? I think I might get a plaque made to put in my office."

Cassian only rolled his eyes. "She's only saying that because I haven't worked my magic yet." He brushed through your hair and kissed your temple. "I'll prove myself soon enough, but for now, you should get some rest pretty girl."

You nodded in agreement. "Cuddles?"

"Cuddles," Cassian confirmed.

After you cleaned up and dried off, you settled into bed. Sometimes the three of you slept in Cassian's room. Other times at Azriel's. But since your bed was the biggest, the three of you tended to prefer sleeping in your room most nights.

Your eyes felt heavy as Azriel snuggled behind you, smiling gently as Cassian tucked you underneath the blankets. You threw your leg over his, giggling as he complained about your cold feet.

"Shut up, you love it."

With the moonlight glistening against Cassian and Azriel's shirtless torsos as they snuggled up on either side, you couldn't help but feel like the luckiest female in the realm. The shadowsinger leaned over to kiss both of you good night.

“The next time you two conspire against me like that, I won’t be as nice. Do you understand?”

You and Cassian nodded, but the moment that Azriel looked away, you smirked at each other.

There would definitely be a next time.

You two never learned.

[alpaca-clouds]

You Cannot Create A Solarpunk Future Under Capitalism

I am feeling like a broken record, but I just need to make this clear once more: No, Solarpunk in any form is not possible under capitalism. If you think it is, you either fail to understand Solarpunk, or you don't get what capitalism even means.

Technically I wrote about this already almost exactly a year ago. Let me reiterate it again, though: Solarpunk at its core is build around a couple of ideas. Those are:

Living in relative harmony with our environment, rather than destroying it. (Which includes using renewable energies.)

Decolonialism.

Social justice and the same rights, chances and possibilities for all people.

Neither of those three points is archievable under capitalism, as the end goals of capitalism are opposed to each of them.

Let me go through each of them.

Environmental Sustainability is not archievable under capitalism.

This is the point people tend to argue about the most. Because they will go: "But if the renewable energy sources are cheaper than fossil fuels, the capitalist will see more possibilities to make money with it." Well, do I have news for you: A variety of renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, are already a lot cheaper than fossil fuels and yet somehow the capitalist argue against using them. Care to explain that? No? Well, I'll do it for you. (Technically already did in that blog last year.)

See, when someone's net worth is listed somewhere, most of them actually do not have billions of dollars on their bank accounts. And no, they also do not swim in gold coins. Instead their net worth comes from calculating how much money they would be able to make if they sold all thier assets. A lot of those assets are shares in companies they have, as well as stuff like their fancy houses, fancy cars, fancy private jets and fancy yachts. Most billionaires have not more than a couple tens million dollars in liquid money, meaning money they can just spend. If they wanna buy something that is more expensive, they will usually go to a bank, say: "Look at all the stuff I have. I wanna buy myself more stuff. Gimme money?" And the bank will go: "Of course, Sir Billionaire, here you go. Have a nice 10 billion dollars."

And this is where the issue arrises: Most of the billionaires who are investing in the energy market, have already invested billions in fossil fuels. Be it by owning shares of fossil fuel companies, or by owning mines, oil rigs, power plants and the like. And this puts them into a silly little position: Even if they wanted to make more money through renewables, they cannot without harming themselves. Because in the moment that renewables become even more viable than they already are, fossil fuels lose their viabilities - and hence all the assets they hold in fossil fuels lose their value in an instant. The billionairs know that. The banks know it, too. Which is why banks do not want to give the fossil fuel billionaires money for that, even if they ask.

And that is only on the energy-generating side of it. If you go into the other stuff that harms our environment... Simply put: Public transport will never make as much money, as selling everyone their own car. And plastics are just so much cheaper than any alternatives. And the companies need fast fashion, because they won't make as much money, if folks only go buying new clothes every ten years.

Capitalism is build on the exploitation of the environment.

You cannot archieve decolonialization under capitalism.

Let's talk about the call to decolonize next. This is even easier explained: Capitalism is build on colonialism. And contrary to what you might have been told in school, colonialism has never ended. Most indigenous folks never got their ancestral land back - or have to fight to remain on it to this day. The most notable examples you know off might be indigenous people on their land (at times the land they originally had been forced onto after their ancestral land had been stolen from them) fighting pipelines that the capitalists want to put onto that land. That is colonialism.

In fact a lot of the raw material we use to power capitalism is produced on stolen land or is moved across stolen land to be financially viable. Be it oil springs, that can be found there. Or be it mines. That is both mines that produce coal, but also mines that are used to produce lithium and other materials used in batteries of electric cars. These raw materials should technically belong to the indigenous people from whose land those materials are sourced. And we do know for a fact that some of them will prefer to leave those materials in the ground. Maybe because of the harm to the environment that mining for them creates. Maybe because the land is sacred to them. Maybe because some of them just do not care about cheap electric cars.

It is more than that, of course. Because colonialism also allows for slave labor. And yes, I mean slave labor. Like classical slave labor where people are pressganged into laboring in those mines, or in other factories, where they are not paid at all - or are paid in breadcrums. The reason that the global south is so abhorently poor, even though most of the raw materials powering our world are found there, is, that the people in the global south are exploited, while the land is often owned by people from the global north, who either got it through colonialism - or by buying it from someone who got it through colonialism.

And once again: The profit motive of capitalism is directly opposed to decolonizing - and because of that it won't happen. Capitalism is built on colonial exploitation.

You cannot archive social justice under capitalism.

Capitalism as a system was invented for one reason and one reason alone: To allow former nobility, who were close to lose their power and influence in a Europe of anti-royal revolutions, to hold onto the power and influence and veil it underneath the idea of meritocracy. Basically saying: "Everyone gets what they deserve based on the work they got in." Obviosly they got the most, because they owned the land that everyone was working and living on. And then they did their best to brainwash everyone into believing this - at which they actually succeeded.

Here is the thing: Capitalism needs an underclass to exploit. Sure, a good chunk of that exploitation will happen in other countries, where the poor white middleclass folks do not need to see them toil, but some of that exploitation simply cannot be done in those other countries. At times because the work physically needs to happen in the western nations - stuff like road contruction, general contruction work, cleaning and such are an example of this. And at times because some things might be time critical, cannot be transported that far and stuff like that - like farm work in some cases, or also all the Amazon warehouse stuff. Oh, and all those fastfood jobs belong into this area. Stuff that is paid minimum wage and exploited to no end.

And then there is of course prison labor in the US, which once again is just slavery.

And all of that does not even go into the care and nursing work that is either underpaid by a ton when it is happening on the open market (like in hospitals, schools, kindergardens and other care facilities) - or is happening completely for free. Mosten done by women, who will care for both children, as well as elders and disabled family members for free.

The true endgoal of capitalism is to turn the labor of the lower classes into money and value for the upper class to hoard like bloody dragons. As such capitalism will never be compatible with any sort of equal rights and equal chances.

Those three aspects are truths that just cannot be changed. Capitalism will never be able to create any sort of justice, equal rights, or sustainability. It is not in the interest of capitalism to do so, either.

[crispydonutninja]

Milk

MILK

(Plot: Rafe gave u , his girlfriend one of the newest drugs In the market not knowing about its side effects.Hope u will forgive him 😏😏)

Rafe’s eyes widen in shock and disbelief as he sees the damp patches forming on your shirt, the fabric clinging to the soft swell of your breasts. His mouth falls open, a strangled gasp escaping his lips as he realizes the incredible effect his drug has had on you.

"Oh fuck... oh fuck, baby. I... I didn't know. I didn't think it would do that. I'm so sorry." He reaches out, his fingers trembling as he gently brushes against the damp fabric, feeling the warmth of your skin beneath. He's in awe, marveling at the sight of you lactating, a deep sense of pride and possessiveness swelling within him.

His cock throbs in your mouth, pulsing with need as he fights back the urge to cum right then and there. He's never seen anything so beautiful, so perfect.

"Does it feel good, baby? Does my milk make you feel good?" He pants out, his hips starting to rock slightly, fucking into your mouth with shallow thrusts. He's lost in a haze of pleasure, drowning in the sensation of your tongue swirling around his sensitive flesh.

"I... I want to taste it. I want to taste your milk, princess . Can I? Please, let me taste it. I want to drink from your tits like the pathetic addict I am." He's practically begging, desperate to feel your milk on his tongue, to savor the flavor of your essence.

At the same time, he's already pulling you closer, his hands sliding under your shirt to cup the soft, heavy weight of your breasts. He groans at the feeling, his cock jumping in your mouth as he starts to knead and massage the supple mounds, coaxing out more of the sweet, creamy liquid.

Without hesitation, he pulls you to your feet, his hands gripping your shirt tightly. With a sudden tug, he yanks the shirt over your head, exposing your bare breasts to the cool air of the bedroom. He takes a moment to admire the sight, his eyes darkening with lust as he takes in the creamy swell of your tits, the rosy peaks already hardened and aching for his touch.

"Fuck, princess , you're gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking." He breathes out, before leaning down to capture one of your nipples in his mouth. He suckles greedily, his tongue laving over the sensitive bud as he starts to drink down the milk that has been leaking from your body.

The taste is exquisite, sweeter than any drug he's ever had. It's intoxicating, addictive, and he can feel it coursing through his veins, making him drunk on you. He moans around your nipple, the vibrations sending jolts of pleasure straight to your core.

As he drinks, he starts to walk you backwards, guiding you towards the bed. His hands roam your body, caressing every curve and dip, committing your form to memory. He wants to touch you, to feel you, to claim you as his own.

*When the back of your knees hit the mattress Rafe pulls back slightly, a string of milk connecting his lips to your nipple as he grins up at you with a wicked, lust-filled glint in his eyes. He licks his lips, savoring the taste of your essence on his tongue.

"Mmm, fuck yeah I am, baby. I'm drinking every last drop of your sweet, creamy milk. It's the best fucking thing I've ever tasted." He purrs, his voice low and rough with desire. His hands slide down to your ass, squeezing the it as he pulls you flush against him, grinding his aching erection against your core.

"I can't get enough of you, princess . I'm addicted to you in every way possible. Your taste, your touch, your scent... it's all I can think about. I just want to consume you, to make you mine." He confesses, his breath hot against your skin as he nuzzles into your cleavage, inhaling deeply.

Tell me how it feels, baby. Tell me how good it feels to have my mouth on your perfect tits, to have my hands all over your sexy little body." He urges, his fingers brushing against the damp fabric of your panties, feeling the heat emanating from your core. "I want to hear you moan for me,baby . Let me hear how much you love this."

Rafe growls in approval as he feels your panties growing wetter by the second, your arousal coating his fingers through the thin fabric. He can't believe how responsive you are to his touch, how your body is betraying your desire for him. It only spurs him on, making him want to push you further, to make you come undone completely.

"That's it, baby. Moan for me. Let me hear that pretty voice of yours as I finger this tight little pussy." He demands, his voice a deep, commanding rumble. At the same time, he starts to thrust two fingers in and out of your dripping folds, feeling your walls clench around the intrusion.

He continues to suckle and drink from your breasts, switching between each one, leaving them glistening and slick with his saliva. The sight of your tits, marked by his mouth and dripping with milk, makes his cock throb and leak pre-cum into his boxers.

Rafe’s other hand slides down to grip your ass, squeezing the cheek roughly as he pulls you harder against him. He grinds his hips into yours, the rough denim of his jeans rubbing deliciously against your clothed sex with each thrust of his fingers.

"Fuck, you're so tight, princess . So fucking tight and wet. I can feel you squeezing my fingers, begging to be filled. Is this what you need, baby? Do you need my cock stretching this greedy little cunt?" He pants out, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps against your skin.

He curls his fingers inside you, rubbing against that special spot that makes your toes curl and your back arch. At the same time, he bites down gently on your nipple, sending a mix of pleasure and pain straight to your core."Come on, baby. Cum for me. Cum all over my fingers like the needy little slut you are. Show me how much you fucking love this."

He knows he's the one who's driven you to this state of utter need and arousal, and he's loving every second of it. He wants to claim responsibility for your desire, to own it completely.

"Oh, I'll give you my cock, baby. I'll give you exactly what you need." He growls, his voice a deep, rumbling promise. In one swift motion, he rips your panties off, the flimsy fabric tearing like tissue paper in his strong hands. He tosses the ruined garment aside, leaving your pussy bare and exposed to his hungry gaze.

Rafe quickly shoves his jeans and boxers down, freeing his aching cock. It springs up, long, thick and hard, the swollen head already leaking pre-cum. He strokes himself a few times, groaning at the much-needed friction. Then, with no further preamble, he lines himself up with your entrance, the tip of his cock nudging against your dripping folds.

"Brace yourself, princess. I'm going to fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk straight for days." He promises darkly, his hips surging forward to bury himself inside you to the hilt in one powerful thrust.

( part two??????????)

[treviso-nights]

✨ lucanis dellamorte core ✨

warm, stubbly cheeks. the scent of coffee and cakes. rough hands. onyx wings streaked through with violet. daggers in every glove and boot. spice market dates. late night walks under the twinkling lights of treviso. sparkling trays of poison just in case. a lilting accent in the dark. trim, sleek hipbones. mugs of liquid chocolate for when you cry. zipline races in the summer air. the glow of amethyst when spite feels lonely. cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and chili powder. the taste of expensive coffee on your tongue. an assassin's head in your lap.

[letterful]

Jean Madar, chairman and CEO of InterParfums Inc, recently told Bloomberg that fragrance is part of a person’s “core identity”. And while cosmetic companies can face criticism for conflating external products with existential outcomes [...] perfume conveniently sidesteps the problems of the flesh. It’s not trying to change how you look, but how you feel, and, for the span of a spritz at least, it does. In the age of wellness-as-beauty and neurocosmetics, the science of scent is marketing gold.

[...] I wonder if what we’re after here is not a sense of self but a (related) sense of life.

I say “we” because – despite my documented skepticism of beauty brands – I, too, am powerless against a good perfume ad.

Last month, casually depressed and subconsciously seeking comfort and some sort of release, I spent $240 on a scent called Tears by Régime de Fleurs. “What a luxury to weep,” the website read. It described the perfume as “emotion in liquid form, the romance and the sadness”. It promised “nostalgia” too, with notes of lilac to remind me of my grandmother’s front yard and frankincense to call up childhood Sundays spent in incense-blessed church pews. I suppose I wanted Tears to take me back to a time when someone who loved me baked me cookies every week, when I believed in God and goodness, and life stretched ahead of me in an endless expanse of hope and potential.

Of course, it didn’t do that. It smelled fine. I felt something, for a second. But I was still me, and I was still mostly numb.

I thought of that perfume the other day while reading the preface to Henry James’s 1902 novel The Wings of the Dove. James summarized it as the story “of a young person conscious of a great capacity for life” – someone “passionately desiring” to “achieve, however briefly and brokenly, the sense of having lived”.

Something clicked: how to explain Tears if not a brief and broken sense of having cried?

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Below is an email interview with entrepreneur Zhou Liang about the Zimi mask project:

When did you start designing masks? Is Zimi your first mask project?

I started designing and producing masks in 2013. Zimi is my third entrepreneurial project. It is a continuation of my second entrepreneurial project (the first generation of frame masks). I call Zimi the second generation of frame masks. I have received financial investment for every entrepreneurial project, and Zimi is no exception. I own 20% of Zimi. I am the founder of Zimi.

What makes the Zimi mask different from other masks?

Zimi is a frame mask. In my mind, it is a mask that is close to perfect, although it is not perfect yet.

It allows better-performing materials to play the greatest role because its effective filtering space is large enough.

It has a frame support, so it is more suitable for repeated wear.

The special cloth seal ring will make many people mistakenly think that it is leaking. In fact, it is a new composite material that is very comfortable and the material itself does not allow air to penetrate.

It has multiple sizes, allowing more people to find the right size for them.

It has a variety of ways to modify it if the mask does not fit.

The inside of its cavity does not touch the mouth. Let the sound of your speech still be transmitted clearly.

Among earloop masks, it is an ideal structure that balances comfort, convenience, tightness, and protection.

Its core is structure and material, and our experience in researching filter materials is very rich, so we can achieve the lowest breathing resistance under the same level of masks.

Can you discuss your decision to make the Zimi mask available in multiple sizes? It seems like there are more size options for Zimi than most other masks. What sizes are available and are there additional sizes in the works?

As of December 2024, Zimi masks have 4 frames, and the frames for XS and XL sizes are completed within a month. That means we will have 6 sizes next year, but we will also eliminate some sizes or models that are not selling well. We are a small R&D company, and too many products will bring us a great burden, which is why Zimi masks cannot be mass-produced, have low production efficiency, and are expensive. Our advantage is that we constantly adjust our products based on market feedback and design masks that everyone needs.

Will the Zimi mask be effective if it gets wet? If a Zimi mask is wet inside from condensation, can it be reused?

The mask is wet, this needs to be classified. What is this liquid? Water vapor produced by human breathing, or sweat. The level of pure water content in this liquid, such as the water vapor exhaled by the human body, is very pure. Because it is a steam type, it has little effect on the static electricity of the mask. Pure water is not conductive, and the mask will not filter water vapor. After the mask is wet, the resistance will increase, and the mask can continue to be used after drying. If it is sweat, because sweat contains other substances, it has a greater impact on the static electricity of the mask. Zimi’s sealing ring material can absorb sweat. If too much sweat is on the filter material, it is recommended to replace it.

How many times can the plastic “skeleton” of a Zimi mask be used?

I have a frame that has been used for 2 years. The frame is a flexible plastic material. If you don’t deliberately damage it, it can be used for a long time. In China, many people started to say that they were short of frames. Now everyone who uses Zimi masks will say “I have too many frames and I need filters.”

I notice your masks are rated for KN95 but they have a headstrap option. Does a KN95 with a headstrap equate to an N95?

In the global mask market, everyone is concerned about the difference between KN95 and N95. In fact, many people have misunderstandings. KN95 is the filtration level in China’s GB2626 standard. GB2626 masks were customized by 3M in China 20 years ago. They brought NIOSH 42CFR PART84 to China, that is, starting from GB2626-2006, the performance of KN95 is completely consistent with N95. The leakage test of GB2626 adopts the EN149 method, so China’s GB2626 standard is a combination of NIOSH 42CFR PART84 and European standard EN149. After 13 years of optimization, the performance of various indicators in the latest standard GB2626-2019 is improving. In fact, it is higher than most of the performance indicators of the US NIOSH and EU EN149. Why do people think KN95 is not good? It is because many Chinese mask companies only produce barely qualified products for cost and production efficiency. China’s national market supervision department inspects GB2626 masks sold on the market every year, and it is not like what everyone says that KN95 masks are not regulated. However, China’s random inspection of KN95 does not involve leakage, so many KN95 masks do not pay attention to leakage performance. Back to this question, headloop KN95 = N95. In order to ensure the tightness of N95, N95 does not have ear hooks. Most earloop KN95s are not as tight as headloop KN95s, but it is not absolute, so I really hope that NIOSH will test Zimi’s earloop masks.

How many times do you recommend reusing a Zimi mask before replacement?

I recently posted an article on the Reddit forum about “How long should I wear a mask?” The use time of a mask is not fixed. For masks used in industrial environments, most manufacturers will tell you that if the resistance increases, it needs to be replaced. At this time, the increase in resistance may be caused by particle blockage, water vapor blockage, or both. In civilian environments, the increase in resistance is due to water vapor blockage, while particle blockage is relatively rare. The number of particles in the air is much less than in industrial dust environments. If it is blocked by water vapor, it can continue to be used after ventilation and drying. If the mask resistance increases, the mask is in poor hygiene conditions (dirty), the mask structure is deformed, the structure is damaged, the inside of the mask is black (white mask), the wearing time exceeds the manufacturer’s recommended wearing time (for masks used in industrial environments, the manufacturer will not recommend the wearing time), etc., the mask can be replaced. If I have to give you a time, I would say that the cumulative use time of the Zimi mask should not exceed 30 hours, because we have tested the FIT scores of many masks after wearing for a period of time. Based on this score, we believe that it is safe to use it within 30 hours in daily civilian environments and non-industrial pollution environments. If you encounter haze days, please shorten the use time of the mask.

Explain the structure of a Zimi mask with replaceable mask fabric

Zimi mask = frame + filter element. The frame is made of plastic, does not contain metal, and is available in a variety of sizes. The frame has elastic properties and can be reused until it breaks or cracks. This time is not fixed. For example, if you ask me, how long can your phone case last?

The filter element is mainly composed of filter material and sealing material. The filter material is a polypropylene-based fiber material with static charge. It has multiple layers, and static electricity is constantly consumed during use. The sealing material is a new composite material with a 2+1 structure. There is a layer of airtight material in the middle, so it is comfortable and does not allow air to penetrate. The filter element can be replaced after use.

What is the best way to purchase the Zimi mask in the US, Canada, and Europe?

Buy through zimiair.com, our own store.

Do you anticipate any changes to Zimi mask cost or availability with the possible increased US tariffs?

In fact, the shipping costs of masks are constantly changing. There are various promotional activities around the world at the end of each year. The shipping costs in December this year have increased by 50% compared to September. We will adjust the shipping costs in real time. Our tariffs are also included in the shipping costs. If tariffs increase, our shipping costs will also increase. For the time being, there will be no adjustment to the prices of masks on the zimiair.com website in 2025.

Where do Zimi masks ship from?

All Zimi masks are manufactured in our factory in Shanghai, China and shipped from here.

For those who do not wear respiratory masks, what would you tell those people about the efficacy of masks and the importance of breathing clean air?

I have been telling everyone the benefits of wearing masks. By testing masks and analyzing materials, I tell everyone that the harm of particulate matter in the air is everywhere. I have been a popular science blogger on mask knowledge in China for 7 years. You have to convince everyone that the harm of particulate matter to the body is long-term accumulation, which is a very difficult task.

[hotcat37]

Tomato tomatooo 🍅🎶

Jere keeps beefing with his teammates because of his tank shenanigans 😭 Luckily Joost forgives easily

Joost and Erika went to the gym but she was the only one actually working out lmao

Joost's continued (failed) attempts to rizz Erika

This Erika mii is so cute aaah

She noticed that Kä got a new fit which he appreciated 🥰🥰

Grown ass tank btw

I gave Joost the air-headed personality so sometimes he just randomly starts playing with the enemies lol

Jere turned into a monster for a moment....the consequences of drinking random unknown liquids

Ich Komme music video core

Jere's gifts are getting weirder and weirder 😭 First a proposal and then a portrait of....himself?

Joost and Jere also went to the market to do....God knows what

[sephifrog]

Genesis Rhapsodos alphabet headcanons

A -Affirmations (what he calls you)

 My Goddess, love 

B -Blush (does he blush when you're close by?/How do you make him blush)

Feel Gen only gets flustered when he’s drunk because if you try to make him blush he just turns it right back around on you-it’s worse if you were trying to embarrass him and he just chuckles deeply and sends you a smirk before turning the tables, your usually the one that's blushing and pouting

C -Comfort (how does he comfort you or what do you do that comforts him)

Playing with his hair or singing to him even if you’re bad at it he likes hearing your voice it grounds him, and if you play with his hair he’s putty in your hands

When he comforts you he gets you to cuddle up to him and reads you a book (more than likely loveless), hearing his heart as well as having his arms around you makes you feel safe and calm

D -Dates ( what do you do on your dates)

Wine and diner-he would parade you around - he also has moments when he wants you all to himself however so you’ll have the occasional at-home date and eat his cooking

On your first date, he took you to an expensive restaurant and ordered the most expensive wine he could get, he wanted to impress you (and he was nervous below his cocky attitude and needed some liquid courage) E -End (what would end your relationship?)

Being in Silver Elite -not believing in him, I feel he’s very touched and love-starved and if you start to doubt him it will hurt and he will lash out with his words

F -Fear (what he’s afraid of)

He fears you choosing someone else over him and leaving him - if it's during crisis core he’s afraid you’ll hate him or someone will hurt you

G -Genesis Rhapsodos

An arrogant, prideful man but if he loves you , you get to see a softer side, one that loves Dumbapple pie and reading poems at all hours of the day, he’s petty though so be careful if you upset him he’ll never let it go until he messes up (but he would argue he never messes up)

H -Hold (how he holds you)

Genesis would always hold you from behind loving the feel of your hips in his hands, even if your taller he would just rest his head on your shoulder -he also loves it when you hold him

I -Injured (what would he do if you were hurt?)

He’s a hot head if he saw it happen whatever hurt you is on fire withering on the floor while he checks on you, he would be the type to lash out at anyone except Angeal if they tried to take you from him

J -Jealous (is he Jealous?)

Not really, he knows he's hot shit and that you love him, however, if you show Sephiroth even a pinch of affection he's a sulky mess or about to challenge him to a sparing match he doesn’t play when it comes to Seph

K -Kiss (favourite place to kiss)

He loves kissing your neck and lips

He loves it when you kiss his chest or honestly anywhere 

L -Laugh (something that makes him laugh)

The way you try to read loveless and your brow furrows in annoyance when you don’t understand and have to trot over to him and ask

M -Memory (his favourite memory with you)

When you wore his uniform and pretended to be him

N -Needy

Not as needy as Zack but still quite Neddy especially behind closed doors

O -Over (what is something you had to get over as partners)

His fans, their very upset he’s off the market

P -PDA

He is very open, not caring who is there to see he knows he can protect you from his fan club and honestly wants people to know you tied to him

Q -Quip (can he joke around with you? Do you have inside jokes)You have a few but most of the time his jokes fall flat and he doesn’t get some of your humor

R -Romantic (is he romantic?)

Overly so, it can get too much sometimes so he’s learned when to tune it down

S -Sleep (how do you sleep next to one another)

He holds you to his chest most of the time he sleeps on his back with his arm around you

T -Treasure (what is something he had that reminds him of you and what did he give you to remind you of him?)

 a painting of you both one he had done on your first date without you knowing

You gave him a limited edition Loveless copy maybe someone in your family had it and only a few were made

U -Unlikely (what is something that he would probably never do)

To change himself for you he likes who he is

V -vulnerable

Only behind closed doors he has an image after all

W -Wedding (would he want to get married?)

Man would want the flashiest wedding

X -(e)X (would he be friends with an ex)

No, man is petty, and after he splits with someone he’s done with them

Y -Year (how would he act on New Year's?)

Would take you out to a flashy New years party and kiss you passionately when it strikes midnight

Z -Zoo (would you get any pets?)

Feel a cat just as temperamental as him-

[erisxdrifter]

An Evening Drink

 The Drifter stood idly outside the Variisis core, a cozy little bar in the City market district run by the Spider and marked with banners bearing the his insignia.

  The blue and purple lights from inside cast mellow hues across the bar tables and stools, and glinted across the dirty mugs and plates that had yet to be cleaned up as the tarps above head warbled in the slight breeze.

  Little pink flower petals from far off trees glided through the air, flipping magnificently as they drifted towards the Drifter, granting him a chance to catch one in his palm and study it as the soft tap of footsteps came from behind him.

  “You admire flowers?” the voice asked. 

  The Drifter was already smiling as he turned toward the three eyed woman, flicking his hand behind him and tossing the petal with nonchalance.

  “Just waitin’ on you.”

  “Yes. You wished to get a drink at the Spider’s bar of all places?” Eris asked, somewhat disgusted as they finished their walk up the steps and into the main room of the bar.

  “Well, sure, Moondust. It's close, it's quiet, it's cheap. Couldn't ask for much else.”

  “A patron of more civilized behavior, perhaps?”

  “Hah. Yeah, I suppose so.” He walked up to the bar counter, leaning over it as he requested a bottle of what Eris assumed was alcohol, though she did not recognize the name. He turned back to Eris as the Eliksni chirped and began shuffling through the shelves of bottles. “He told us to go ahead and sit down while he gets the stuff. Where you wanna sit?” 

  “Down the hall, perhaps.” She suggested, hoping to escape the noise coming from the tables of humans and Eliksni on their right, and to attain some level of privacy.

  The Drifter nodded, turning back to the Elkinsi. “We'll be down this hall.” 

  The Eliksni chittered back to him and continued his search along the shelves.

  They walked down the hall, noting the three sets of tables and chairs and opting to sit at the one in the middle. The Drifter propped his elbows on the table surface, leaning towards Eris with a smile across his face.

  “Wasn't ‘specting I'd be able to get you to come share a drink with me, Moonlight.”

  “Hmm.” She swiped away stale crumbs from the chair's armrest. “You doubted me?” 

  “Nah. Just doubted I'd be able to pull off such a feat. You don't seem much like the drinkin’ type.” 

  “I am not,” she replied as the Eliksni bartender approached their table, setting down two clear glasses and a bottle of glowing amber liquid on the round little table.

  Eris and Drifter gave their thanks, and in a moment the Drifter was opening the bottle and pouring them a healthy dose of the sloshy liquid into their cups. Erus studied her glass with a speculative eye.

  “Bottoms up, Moondust,” the Drifter grinned and swung both his head and the glass back, chugging all that he had poured himself at once and slamming the cup down. “Whoo! That's good.” 

  “Uh-huh…” Eris continued to study the liquid.

  “C'mon, you ain't gonna try it?”

  “I shall… though it smells foul.” She brought the cup cautiously to her lips, taking only a small sip. The liquid burned second it touched her tongue, and it took everything in her power to keep from spitting it out. She swallowed and coughed hard. “it tastes foul, too.” 

  The Drifter laughed as Eris shirked away from the cup, setting it back down on the table. 

  “I'll finish that for you if you want,” he offered, being hastily declined as Eris snatched the cup back.

  “No, I need not offer you another chance to mock me.” She huffed, bringing the cup back to herself and taking another sip, her face contorting in disgust.

  “Heh… I ain't gonna mock you, Eris.” 

  “Uh-huh…” was Eris’s reply once again as she forced herself to take another sip, eliciting another cough.

  The Drifter chuckled to himself. “I missed this…”

  “What do you mean?” Eris asked, confused. 

  The Drifter poured himself another glass and swirled it slowly in his hand, eyes downcast. “I missed this, just us spendin’ time together.”

  “You mean after I had died.” Eris responded, clicking the pieces together. 

  “Yeah…” he sighed. “I missed you, Eris.”

  “Your absence from me hurt my heart terribly as well, Drifter.” Eris told him with a melancholic voice as she reached across the table for the Drifter's hand. 

  “Eris… I gotta admit somethin’ to you.” The Drifter shifted in his seat. "After you died... I was a mess, and... I ditched. I ditched the Tower, Sloane, the Guardian, everyone. Everything. I... I didn't even show up to your funeral." He said this part so quietly, so full of shame, as he looked down at the table between them.

  "I messed up big time. And now it probably looks like I just came back cause I heard you were alive," he stole a glance at her. "But I want you to know that that ain't the case. I realized how badly I messed up, and I was headed back before I had even heard you were just trapped in your Throne World.

  A long silence drifted between them, the only sound being the far off shouting of the people around the bar counter. It was a terrible type of silence, one that threatened to choke up the Drifter's throat. He took another swig of his drink.

  "Why do you tell me all of this?" Eris finally asked.

  "Cause... I don't want you thinkin' I'm more honorable than I really am." He replied with sigh so long it must have stolen every last breath of air from his lungs.

  "Perhaps you are more so." 

  "What?" The Drifter asked, confused, sure he had heard her wrong.

  "No one thinks with clarity when they have lost a life they held quiet close to their own. We all have our own instinctive actions in attempt to flee the pain. Yours was to run." She brought her hand up to his face. "You do not owe the Tower nor its Vanguard, and in extension you have the right to leave at any moment that you please. It was honorable of you to return to assist a people you do not owe, Drifter." 

  "But... what about your funeral?" He asked, unable to help from leaning into her hand, fighting the burning urge to kiss her palm.

  "And your not attending?" She replied. "I am not surprised." 

  "You ain't?" 

  "No. You appear to me as the type to grieve in seclusion." She stroked his cheekbone. "And I am quiet sure you did your fair share of mourning aboard the Derelict." 

  "Yeah... I did." He chuckled weakly. 

  "Hmm... I believe my passing has revealed something, not only to myself but perhaps to you, too." Eris began, leaning slightly closer.

  "Yeah? Like what?"

  "That our time in this world is unknown. Finite. Even with Light or a Throne, life is not certain. Not eternally."

  "Your sayin'..." He drifted off.

  “We have been blessed with another chance. But regardless, our lives are still at a constant risk. We have a limited amount of time in this world, let us use it wisely. Do not waste another moment carrying onto the sorrow of my loss. I am here now. I am with you." 

  She began to lean over the table, still touching the Drifter’s cheek as he inclined toward her, becoming more and more aware of how close their faces were becoming. 

  But then the sound of chittering interrupted them only mere seconds before their faces would have made contact. They jerked back from one another as if the other had the plague, their cheeks flushed as both pairs of eyes locked on the four glowing blue beside their table. The Eliksni patron had somehow managed to come up without either human realizing, and he shuffled with embarrassment as he motioned toward their drinks, chittering a question in his own language.

  “Uh, no thanks, we're good.” the Drifter replied in English, looking once at the bottle and then back at the Elkinsi. The Eliksni bowed his head to them before turning back and heading towards the counter.

  A groan erected from the Drifter's mouth as he brought a hand up to hide his face. “How did we not hear him come up?” he asked, mostly to himself.

  Eris cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I thank you for your previous honesty, and I hold no grudge nor anger against you over anything that resulted from my death.” 

  “Heh… thanks.” he snatched his drink and chugged it down, dodging Eris's eyes. “You want me to walk you back to your apartment?”

  “You may, if you wish.” Was Eris's reply and she finished the last of her drink, scooted her chair back and stood.

  They retrieved their glasses and the bottle, setting it on the counter and leaving a little pile of glimmer as payment to the barkeep before they walked down the steps and into the open space. 

  Evening was fast approaching as they proceeded across the space and down the little alleyway, not speaking, though their hands occasionally brushed against each other. The smell of ramen drifted through the air as a few people mingled in the ally to buy some, sitting on chairs and talking quietly, oblivious to the bearded man and the three eyed woman passing by.

  And then they were at the apartment doorway. Eris opened it and walked through, traversing the many steps that led up to her flat, the Drifter on her heels.

  And soon enough they were at her apartment door. She unlocked it and stepped inside. 

  “Thank you for the drink.” 

  “‘Course.” He replied simply.

  Eris wasn't sure if it was just the dark purple of the hallway, but at that moment the Drifter looked both small and sad, tugging feelings of sympathy from Eris's heart.

  “Do you wish to come inside?” She offered.

  “Nah, I should probably be going.” He grinned, the smile not quiet reaching up to his dim eyes.

  “You are sure?” She pressed, opening the door a little wider, an invitation.

  “Yeah… thanks, though.” He said, slowly beginning to make his way back through the hall. 

  Eris sighed under her breath. She gave him a ‘goodnight’ and shut the door behind her. But then only a minute later she heard a rattling “knock knock knock!” a moment later. She approached the door again, opening it to find the Drifter’s gentle eyes pleading with her own.

  “Yeah, actually can I come in?” He asked, clearly somewhat embarrassed. She nodded in response and allowed him to slip through the door.

  “Is something the matter?” Eris asked, standing there in front of him in the little cozy entry hall as he leaned against the door.

  “You remember that awkward moment? At the bar?” The only response he got was a blank stare. He continued. “Well, I just wanted to tell you that if I've been being’ weird… I guess that's why.” 

  “‘weird’ because…?” She prodded.

  “Well, it seemed like we were about to- we got interrupted before… uh…” he drug his hand through his hair. “All I'm doin’ is making this worse, huh?”

  He sighed through his nose, completely aware that his face was flushed, and even more aware of how closely Eris was studying him.

  “Can I have a do over?” He asked, wishing he had some way to hide his flushed cheeks right then. 

  “Of course.” Eris replied, confused but open.

  The Drifter smiled a little, stepping close and leaning closer, invading Eris’s personal space, just as they had done in the bar over the table. He tilted his head to the side, lining up their faces just right before he thrust himself towards her, finding her mouth immediately. 

  All over again he felt his face get warm as his lips made contact with her own, but he could tell they were both enjoying it as she kissed him back vehemently, her lips softening to his own. 

  He felt her nimble fingers slide to rest in the center of his chest, feeling for the rapid beat of his heart. He pulled her closer

  “Heh… wow…” the Drifter breathed out once they had parted, though he still had his forehead leaned against her own. “That was…” 

  Eris looked back at him, a gentle smile and a soft flush upon her face as she stroked over his cheekbone and his scars.

  “That was incredible…” he smiled, eyes already closing as he came back in for seconds, finding it just as thrilling as he had the first go round. 

  They stayed that way for a little while longer as Eris held the Drifter's face and he tightened his arms around her body like a coiling serpent, his lips against hers as thet kissed with a warm and tender passion. 

  “Thank you, Eris.” the Drifter breathed out when they finally parted.

  “Of course. I enjoyed it,” she murmured, her voice low and warm, sending shivers down the Drifter's spine as she traced over his bottom lip with her fingers.

  “I probably got Gambit work to get to…” the Drifter muttered quietly. “But I'd rather stay here for a little while longer…” 

  “If you have work to finish, then leave you must.” Her breath landed softly against his face. “We will see one another soon enough.”

  “Yeah… I love you, Moonlight.” he grinned wide, debating on whether to sink and and kiss her beautiful lips again or not. In the end he didn't even have to make the decision because she grabbed him by the collar, yanking him towards her and clinging to his lips for a beautiful second before letting go and stepping out of his grasping arms.

  He smiled vacantly at her for a moment before coming back to his senses. He chuckled, turning the knob on the door and pulling it back, stepping out into the dark hallway.

  “See you soon, Moonlight,” he grinned almost drunkenly, walking backward a few steps, eyes locked on Eris Morn, before spinning back on his heels and rounding the hall. 

  Eris shut the door with a smile, fingers pressed against her lips as she remembered the feel and taste of his mouth against her own. 

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Monday

SpaceTime 20250303 Series 28 Episode 27

Asteroid 2024 YR4 no longer a threat to Earth

A bit of good news to start the show with new observations having all but completely ruled out any possibility of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Earth.

What is the Martian core made of

Data from NASA’s Mars InSight lander mission suggests the red planet has a liquid core similar to Earth’s outer core, but new research suggests the red planet’s core may be at least partly solid.

NASA’s latest Moon mission underway

NASA's latest Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative mission is on its way to the Moon’s south pole.

The Science Report

Study claims the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could withstand global warming.

Scientists find evidence of the earliest known community of humans living in an African rainforest.

Archaeologist discover the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh – the first since Tutankhamun.

Skeptics guide to the secrets of Skinwalker ranch

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. That compares to the ABC’s overall radio listenership of just 5.6 per cent. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[dinosaurchurch]

I gained quite the collection of Lush perfumes over the past four years since I started collecting them. I've branched out a little bit from the brand although I'll admit most designer perfume houses don't capture the kind of scent I personally like so I tend not to indulge in them.

So here's all of the Lush scents I own. I've tried the bulk of what they have to offer including some discontinued scents. Detailed below I have reviews for the thirty-two scents I own. Lush makes some very unique scents, some I absolutely adore and have yet to come across anything like it.

Hopefully this provides a little bit of insight in what they offer, I don't like to blind buy scents myself so I like to share my thoughts!

1000 Kisses Deep:

Available only in the 100ml liquid format and part of Lush's 'black label' collection. This scent is very much jasmine forward, if you're not a fan of jasmine - you will not like 1000 Kisses Deep. The biggest things that shine about this scent is the resinous amber and mulled fruit scent of apricots. I personally would not call this a 'sweet scent', there's nothing gourmand about it spite the fruit notes, they land more dried florals and fruits than fresh plump and juicy.

Definitely a year round scent, 1000 Kisses Deep is like a warm hug with a bit of a shimmery sparkle of a scent. It's very romantic and sensual. The jasmine turns clean and powdery on skin, reminding me of fuzzy sweaters and hugs over kisses. It's fairly similar to another scent that Lush currently offers called "Keep it Fluffy" - it's slightly more heady and full bodied.

Projection is decent, not super overpowering. Lasts around 5-6 hours on skin.

7/10. Warm jasmine fragrance for special occasions.

Alina:

Available as part of the core collection and in a solid, 30ml, and 100ml bottle formats. There's nothing that currently smells just like Alina, this is a scent made up of three different perfumes blended together representing three different generations by the perfumer Alina herself (which is neat). Old Songs are Waking is one part of this fragrance, there's a scrub that's offered around Mother's Day that has been release both this year and last year that makes up the sweet, syrupy berry vanilla of this busy scent.

Overall this is a spicy (from cloves and pink pepper), resinous, woody scent that holds a bit of a floral/soapy note. The sweetness sits in the background along with a mature white floral, I would argue this is a bit of a feminine scent spite Lush's marketing of all of their scents being unisex. The biggest standouts is the spices and clean woody notes for me, on skin it settles with the pepper note being the most forward. I'd say this a more 'warm weather scent', the other parts of the fragrance get to shine in the heat versus the cold so for me, I wear this in the late spring/summer. I will warn folks that this is a BUSY scent and has a lot going on - definitely one I'd highly recommend testing first before purchasing; not blind buy friendly.

Projection is decent, this is a fairly strong scent from Lush's collection and easily lasts on skin for about 6-8 hours with only a few sprays.

7/10. Good spicy/clean frag.

Baked Alaska:

Only available in the December 2024 kitchen subscription box it bares the same scent as the 'Baked Alaska' soap that typically comes back as part of the Christmas collection every year. It's also only available as a solid perfume. Baked Alaska is a very fresh, clean lemon scent that has a tinge of herbal/floral notes kicking around in the background, on skin it doesn't change much. The closest thing Lush currently offers would be "Dad's Garden Lemon Tree" body spray which is slightly brighter/green as a scent overall. The two are very similar, so imho if you have one you don't really need the other.

Projection is very surface level and the scent lingers on skin for about 4 hours at most. Overall I prefer Dad's Garden body spray, both are fairly straightforward and aren't anything wild.

5/10. Mid. Nothing special.

The Bees Knees:

Available as part of the core collection in solid, 30ml, and 100ml formats. I want to warn folks that there's nothing gourmand or sweet about this fragrance spite what they might think when they read the name. The Bees Knees is a smoky, herbal, medicinal, hay scent. It's warm, earthy, and only has a faint honey scent on the dry down. There's a slight spiciness that comes through with the smoky note.

It's personally one of my favourite scents that Lush has to offer and there's nothing else they've made that's like it. It's unique and to me very nostalgic as it takes me back to crisp winter mornings through wheat fields with a woodstove going in the background. It's very cozy once it dries, I will also say that the solid versus the liquid is slightly different - the solid is less smoky and carries a more medicinal/herbal take on the scent with almost a hint of creaminess. I prefer the liquid although the solid does perform well and lasts for several hours.

Projection is average. The scent lasts for about 5-6 hours and is easily layered with other scents. I enjoy pairing up vanilla scents with it giving a smoky/sweet fragrance.

9/10. Perfect cold weather scent.

Breath of God:

Available only in the 100ml format as part of the 'black label' collection. Breath of God is definitely what I'd call a cold weather scent, reminiscent of Tibetan mountain temples it's smoky, woody, airy with a heavy dosage of incenses. There's a sweet underbelly to this scent that gives it a more lively take and mellows nicely with the smoky side of the fragrance. Very unisex, and easily layered with either green scents or even bright citrus scents.

Hands down another favourite scent of mine. Breath of God isn't for everybody but it's gorgeous and is fairly strong. Projection is good and it can easily last 10-12 hours with just 3-4 sprays. I can still smell it on my clothes the day after wearing it. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to smell just like what I described, it really is a magical fragrance that transports me to another place.

10/10. Lush's best 'smoky' fragrance.

Confetti:

Unavailable here in Canada, this fragrance was actually brought back to US shops in the 100ml 'black label' format only. Confetti is a violet forward floral fragrance that has a jammy pear note that's combined with sandalwood and rose. It's exactly as the name implies and definitely gives me the mental image of confetti or glitter especially when it dries down turning more sugary than the initial spray. There's a hint of a green freshness but overall it's somewhat heavy of a fragrance and is definitely a rougher blend.

If you don't like rose or violets, this is not the fragrance for you. It's a very much in your face kind of floral.

Projection is vast, lasts easily the whole day on skin even with just two sprays. Confetti is a powerhouse of a scent from Lush and one I'd argue is probably a contender for their strongest. A little bit goes a long way. I personally bought my bottle when it was being disconned, it's technically 'expired' but still performs just like the day I bought it.

8/10. Very floral heavy and rough around the edges.

Dad's Garden Honeysuckle And Chamomile:

Unavailable currently; was disconned last year sadly. This is a well light airy floral scent with both jasmine and orange blossom. To me it's spring time in a bottle - reminiscent of grassy fields blooming with wildflowers on a bright dewy morning. It's a pleasant scent that easily wearable and it's overbearing. With a bit of green/grassy note pairing up with the florals it invokes bright sunny gardens. Very fresh, very gentle with a subtle sweetness - the chamomile shines through with a photorealistic scent. Spite having no actual honeysuckle, you can definitely smell honeysuckle.

Projection is average. Lasts around 5-6 hours on skin with a few sprays. Light and not at all cloying definitely a favourite of mine.

9/10. Spring/Summertime everyday floral.

Death and Decay:

Available in only 100ml format as part of the 'black label' collection. I'm not usually someone who goes for powdery florals but Death and Decay is something else. it's an almost one for one of funeral bouquets and the tears someone might've shed holding one. It's got a sopping sad yet beautiful scent of fresh lilies and jasmine flowers with a touch of sweetness from the tonka. It's a very gothic, feminine fragrance that really stands well with it's name. It's heavy yet soft and powdery especially once it dries down. There's something nostalgic about it, something very unique that I've yet to come across out of the dozens of florals I've smelt.

It's not light and playful but Death and Decay also isn't a mature floral either. Definitely one I'd recommend giving a sniff before dedicating yourself to a whole bottle.

Projection is decent, lasts about 7-8 hours on skin with a few sprays. sticks to clothes like crazy. Definitely worth having.

8/10. Brooding, powdery floral for special occasions.

Fantabulosa:

Unavailable currently. Fantabulosa is a very unique scent, definitely what I'd coin as "Tank Battle's sweeter sister". The labdanum and the chamomile oil give this scent it's signature sweet ever so slightly herbal undertone. It's a strange one with oakmoss, seaweed, and violet composing the rest of the scent in equal parts however it doesn't come across as 'green' or 'earthy'.

I can totally understand why people get banana from this scent, although that initial note dies down pretty quick to an almost aquatic mellow resinous sweetness that I find difficult to describe. Absolutely not blind buy friendly but I would argue that if you like the aforementioned Tank Battle, you'd probably like this to an extent. It just doesn't hold the wet, metallic note and replace the initial blast of bubblegum with banana and that's pretty much Fantabulosa in a nutshell.

Projection is average. Sadly has very little lasting power on skin. I have to spray it on clothes for it to stick any bit, which it still only lasts about 4 hours. Reminds me of another scent Lush offers that has the same problem - Sun, gorgeous scent, little staying power. I don't think I'd buy Fantabulosa again for that alone.

5/10. Polarizing, but doesn't last.

Fresh As:

Available in solid, 30ml, and 100ml bottles as part of the year round collection. If you want pine, then look no further. Like putting your face into an evergreen tree it's fresh and bright with the scent of pines and fir. Very wintery, more masculine leaning as a fragrance and is easily layered with other scents of a wide variety. It's pretty straightforward and doesn't change much scent wise once it dries down. It's a very photorealistic scent and definitely transports me to a Christmas tree farm during early winter or late autumn.

Projection is good. Lasts about 7-8 hours on skin. Well worth the money.

8/10. PINE TREES.

Furze:

Available in 100ml 'black label' bottle only. The solid version was only available in recent years as a kitchen box exclusive. This is a summery grassy, coconut scent with a hint of warm creamy florals of neroli in the background. It's definitely a summer scent as implied, bringing back days at the beach. Personally I find it smells just like coconut playdough especially for the solid version considering it's much more creamier than the liquid. Not quite my taste but someone else might love it.

Projection is okay. Lasts about 4 hours on skin.

4/10. Better coconut summer scents exist; not my cup of tea.

Ginger:

Available in 100ml 'black label' bottle only. I've had two bottles of Ginger, the formula has been slightly different out of the two so I'll be reviewing the current one which is the black label that you can still buy from Lush and not the old white label. Old formula smelled more of pickled ginger for anyone who is curious, I personally like the newer batch better.

Ginger is very much a retro floral as implied by the description Lush gives it on their website. It's a nostalgic, very 50s/60s floral with a bit of pepperiness along with the prominent ginger fragrance. It's absolutely stunning and has an earthy, dry woody note in the background. It's reminiscent of an age gone by and makes me long for those times even though I wasn't alive to witness them.

The scent does change slightly on the dry down, for me I get a smoky scent that pulls through with the ginger and the dried geraniums. It's an interesting scent for sure and one I'd definitely recommend people try if they want something spicy.

Projection is decent. Lasts all day on skin, although it draws closer to the surface as the day goes on. Perfect for not wanting to drown in a scent and sits lightly on the skin without ever becoming overpowering.

9/10. Retro spicy florals at their best.

Goddess:

Available in the 100ml 'black label' bottle only. This is a deep, dark, yet sensual scent. Holding equal parts spices, florals, and a grounding woodiness Goddess is unique and one that stands out from Lush's lineup. There's a sparkly fizziness that's reminiscent of cola from this scent that shines through from the oudh. Very luxurious it definitely has an almost alluring glitter with how the jasmine intermingles with both the osmanthus and the rose (both of which I wouldn't be able to pick out if it wasn't listed in the ingredients). There's also a slightly smoky element to it that peeks in to find a place among the rest of the scent.

Goddess very much reminds me of the colour purple for some funny reason and hilariously enough Lush does offer a purple sparkly bath bomb that just so happens to be purple with this scent. It's very much a cold weather scent for me, I think it's a bit too heavy for the warmer months of the year.

On dry down it gets a little more woody for me and mellows. It's definitely one I'd say to test first and not blind buy if you can help it.

Projection is good. Lasts easily 8-10 hours on skin with a few sprays and sticks to clothes extremely well. I'd highly recommend if you enjoy heavy woody/spicy scents.

9/10. Very aptly named.

Go Green:

Unavailable currently. The solid was exclusive to the July 2024 kitchen subscription box, this review is based off that version considering I've never smelled the long disconned liquid version.

Earthy and grounding, Go Green is a lovely mixture of sandalwood, vetiver, and citrus giving it an almost lemony scent with oakmoss. It's warm yet bright and comforting with a tinge of sweet creamy citrus to pull through. On skin the citrus takes a little bit of a backseat as it melds to a more cozy wood scent, I'd definitely buy a bottle if it was ever rereleased in it's liquid format.

Projection is minimal. Lasts about 4-5 hours on skin but really mellows out as time goes on, loses the citrus almost completely.

5/10. Cozy, but doesn't last.

Grass:

Interestingly enough this is the only scent in the current 'black label' lineup that's available in not only 100ml, but also a 10ml travel size. Grass is bright, green, and very mellow of a scent. It's a woodsy floral that invokes the cool mornings of early summer and the scent of fresh cut grass. It's not a vegetal scent and I would argue that it's not super photorealistic but it's a very fun and playful green scent out of Lush's lineup that I adore.

Sandalwood, neroli, and bergamont are the ingredients that makes up this scent and they come together perfectly to make something that's very refreshing. On the dry down, it becomes more mellow reminding me of late summer afternoons with a touch of warmth that gives me quite the nostalgia. Very much a summer scent, although I wear it year round because it's one of my favourites.

Projection is good. Lasts about 7-8 hours on skin with a few spritzes. Not heavy, cloying or overpowering and definitely gets lighter as the day goes on. Absolutely lovely and also very easy to layer with other scents, my two favourites to pair with it is Breath of God and Dad's Garden.

10/10. Bright grassy summer afternoons in a bottle.

Karma:

Available as part of Lush's year round collection it comes in solid, 10ml, 30ml, and 100ml bottles. This is a very nostalgic 60's bright 'hippie' scent with patchouli, orange, and pine. The old formula used to be more patchouli heavy (which I liked better), but the current rendition has a stronger orange and pine note. Karma is bright, very playful and very easy to layer. Doesn't change much on skin and is definitely a scent staple for anybody who enjoys Lush's scents.

Karma was actually what got me into Lush perfumes in general, I absolutely loved the Karma Kream body lotion they had with the same scent. I'm currently on my second bottle of Karma. I would definitely argue that it is, through and through, the essential 'hippie' scent.

Projection is good. Lasts a good 8-10 hours on skin and is easily wearable year round. I can see why it's part of their core collection.

9/10. Easily wearable hippie shop.

Kerbside Violet:

Unavailable currently as it was disconned last year. Kerbside violet is fifty percent florals, fifty percent fresh cut grass with the two melded together primarily by violet flowers budding up through cracks in the concrete. This scent instantly transports me to a spring time rainstorm in a field of grass and flowers - very green. It's not a heavy floral whatsoever but does have an almost earthy/wet element to it. Absolutely recommended for anyone that enjoys green florals. Bright and fresh I'd argue this is a timeless scent that can be worn by anybody.

Projection is fantastic. Lasts all day on skin and sticks to clothes for at least a few days. An absolute shame this has been disconned, I'm hoping Lush brings this back one day because I'd absolutely buy another bottle.

10/10. Essential green floral for everyday wear.

Lord of Misrule:

Available in solid, 10ml, 30ml, and 100ml bottles from Lush's year round collection. Somewhat similar with Karma on the patchouli note Lord of Misrule also has black pepper and vanilla. It's absolutely a one of a kind scent that I have yet to smell anything remotely similar to. Sweet, yet spicy the vanilla and the patchouli create an almost syrupy scent.

This is definitely a scent I would recommend trying on skin before buying because it'll bring out different parts of the scent majorly depending on the person. I tend to have a much more sweeter dry down than what's initially sprayed, however some folks get the peppery side of Lord of Misrule (I wish my skin did that). It's easily layered with other scents and lends itself nicely to some that I've already mentioned namely Fresh As and Breath of God are my go to.

Projection is fantastic. Lasts all day on skin and sticks around on clothes for at least a couple of days. An essential fragrance from Lush.

10/10. Sweet and Spicy. Very Autumn/Winter.

Lust:

Available in the solid, 10ml, 30ml, and 100ml bottles as part of Lush's year round collection. Heady, in your face, sweet jasmine with a very sensual touch is Lust in a nutshell. It's a very bold, very confident fragrance that just screams floral. If you do not like jasmine, then you're not going to like this scent. There's vanilla, ylang ylang, and sandalwood that round out this fragrance and give it it's signature sweetness. The jasmine is like sticking your face into a pot of fresh flowers and almost drowning in them.

The projection for this scent is insane. Lasts forever and is definitely another contender for one of Lush's strongest fragrances. If you love a dirty, hefty floral and just so happen to love jasmine then look no further.

10/10. Sexiest jasmine scent you'll ever own.

No Way To Say Goodbye:

Available in solid, 30ml, and 100ml bottle formats from Lush's year round collection. This is a blackcurrant heavy scent, with rose, litsea cubeba oil and tonka to back it up. Very syrupy, very jammy, and very sweet almost like fresh berries. No Way To Say Goodbye is definitely different out of any of the other sweet scents that Lush has to offer. It's heavy yet playful almost in the same sense that Confetti was except this is more mulled fruit with a sticky sweet rose to combine it with. Not a mature floral by any means and certainly not green either. I could see a younger audience really loving this scent.

On skin, at least for me, it dies down to a more creamy, less jammy version of itself. Almost like a berries and cream with rose. I personally really like it but I don't know if I'd buy a big bottle since I'm not someone who reaches for sweet scents as a general rule of thumb.

Projection is decent. Lasts about 5-6 hours on skin. Performs okay for what it is.

7/10. Syrupy and fun.

Orange Blossom:

Unavailable currently. Part of the handful of fragrances that were disconned last year. This is one of the few really strong florals that I adore, Orange Blossom is not for the faint of heart. With bitter orange oils and extracts to give that signature orange blossom scent, it's rounded off slightly with both bergamont, rosewood, and beeswax to take the edge off of this potent fragrance lending to an almost spicy finish. This definitely mellows with wear, the dry down is not as sharp considering there's a bit of green/vegetal note upon spraying.

Reminding me of warm summer days or very late spring when the flowers on the fruit trees are in full bloom I'd consider Orange Blossom a more warm weather scent. It's got a good amount of depth and warmth to it once it dries and becomes more smooth with a woody base.

Projection is amazing, similar to Lust. This sticks like a punch in the face and lasts on skin all day with just a few sprays. It's very potent and spite it being slight rough at the start it settles nicely as time goes on.

9/10. In your face summer floral.

Prince of Darkness:

Available only in solid format from the October 2024 kitchen box subscription. Prince of Darkness smells exactly as it sounds, patchouli with rich lavender. It's simple but gorgeous of a scent with almost a hint of sparkle behind the two main scent notes - very reminiscent feel of what Goddess gives with how it smells from the get go.

For a solid it performs really well, projection isn't crazy but it does last 5-6 hours on skin with a few swipes. I would love to see Lush come back with a liquid form of this scent or even something similar. Pairs really well with some of the heavier scents or even Karma or Lord of Misrule.

7/10. Witchy yet simple; leaves you longing for autumn/Halloween.

Rentless:

Unavailable currently, but definitely one I long to come back. Rentless is absolutely not blind buy friendly but it's a gorgeous cold weather scent that screams autumn/winter to me. It's a very complex scent that's well rounded with a layer of sweet spices and a hint of smoke. With the main base being being of patchouli, labdanum, tonka, and vanilla I would've never of guessed either of these were there if someone didn't point it out to me. The biggest things that stand out besides the well rounded earthy, subtly sweet base is the whiff of citrus mainly of grapefruit and the cinnamon/anise that shines through - the very same that you get from holiday cookies or cakes without the sugary sweetness.

I wouldn't call Rentless gourmand or sugary by any means, its resinous, slightly woody, a touch leathery with a good layer of spice. For me when it dries my skin brings out the patchouli/labdanum a little more and creates almost a woody/spicy scent. It's warm, comforting and reminds me very much of the beginning of winter when you get the first cold snap.

Performance wise, this is a powerhouse. Two sprays and I can smell it the whole day, my bottle is over four years old and it still performs like new. It's well worth every penny I paid for it and will probably last me a long time because I don't have to use much to enjoy it.

10/10. Spiced winter/autumn staple.

Rose Jam:

Available currently in solid, 10ml, 30ml, and 100ml bottles as part of Lush's year round lineup. There's also a body spray worth mentioning that lasts forever with a slightly stronger lemon note compared to the perfume that deserves a nod to.

To me Rose Jam screams Valentine's Day with it's jammy, almost sugary rose scent that met with a bright candied lemon. It reminds me of rose sweets, or white chocolates you can buy for the romantic holiday. Very fun, playful and not at all a green or powdery scent, Rose Jam runs as a youthful fragrance imho.

Projection is decent. Lasts all day on skin with only a few sprays. Performs really well for what it is even if it can be very simple/one note.

8/10. Valentine's Day in a bottle.

Shade:

Available in solid, 30ml, and 100ml bottles as part of Lush's year round collection. This is an interesting scent and definitely one of the few that Lush offers that I would argue is a true unisex scent. Shade starts out a woody, powdery scent with a touch of citrus - more particularly lime and almost reminds me of a gentle house cleaner in the best of ways. It's definitely one that I recommend trying if you enjoy warm woodsy scents because this has almost a feminine softness.

Not overpowering in the slightest on skin it dries as a very grounded wood fragrance that easily layered with other scents. Slightly keeping the powdery note it settles nicely into something very intimate that's great for getting up close.

Projection is average. On skin it lasts 5-6 hours and is definitely on the lighter side. I personally really like shade, I mainly have it for layering which I think it's best for.

7/10. Unisex intimate layering woody scent.

Sikkim Girls:

Unavailable currently. I managed to get my hand on a decant of this disconned beauty. Sikkim girls is a heavy white floral featuring frangipani, tuberose, jasmine and vanilla. The biggest thing I pick up is the frangipani and the jasmine, it has almost an incense quality to it but it grounded with the sweetness of the vanilla which sits very much as the backdrop of this fragrance.

I will mention it since I get it from the frangipani note that there's a certain ureic scent that I pick up from it on initial spray but thankfully it dies down to a more softer, creamy scent overall. Kind of has a slight musty smell and might turn people away, I can see folks either loving or hating this scent. It's definitely another that's not for the faint of heart and is absolutely what I'd consider almost an old age floral that transports me back a century ago. A very Victorian edge that transports me to old temples with a certain exotic touch. Not something that I'd recommend people blind buy, that's for sure.

Projection is crazy large. Lasts forever on skin and you'll feel like you're drowning if you spray too much. An absolute powerhouse of a fragrance and one that doesn't need any more than two to three sprays per wear.

9/10. Heady white florals not to be worn on a whim.

The Smell of Weather Turning:

Available only in 100ml 'black label' bottle, disconned in both the US and Europe so I would imagine Canada will follow suit soon which is a shame. This is hands down one of Lush's most unique and wearable fragrances, it's a wild ride start to finish and really needs time to settle as it mellows out over time.

I adore this scent, the peppermint is stunning - electric even that I haven't seen in anything else even other mint forward scents. The Smell of Weather Turning is a medicinal, herbal blend that dries down to a mellow hay/tea/chamomile scent that's very nostalgic and brings me back to playing as a kid in the wetland not far from my house in the summer humidity. Very refreshing, the opening has a very prominent mint scent that holds a cooling feel and sits like the wet rain on skin. Both the beeswax and the bay leaf oil compliment this scent nicely bringing out an overall sweetness and a touch of green herbs to the blend. There's definitely an airy, breezy feel to the initial touch but warms when it dries with an almost aquatic feel.

Projection wise is decent. Lasts 10-12 hours on skin and far longer on clothes. Not at all heavy or cloying and lays lightly even after hours of wear. Absolute perfection. Highly recommend.

10/10. Refreshing/unique light scent with the oncoming storm.

Tank Battle:

Available only in the 100ml 'black label' format. There's nothing quite like Tank Battle, it's Lush's weird and quirkiness at it's finest. Composed primarily of labdanum, patchouli, and clove oil this is a wet, earthy dirt scent like sticking your face into a mud puddle in the best of ways with a bubblegum sweetness.

Upon first spray this scent actually reminds me exactly of pickled beets (which I love), that moment when you crack open a fresh jar that someone made themselves at for turkey dinner is exactly what I smell. Once it starts to dry it becomes this cool, metallic, wet concrete scent that's complete with an earthy dirt to join in. Mellow and not at all overwhelming, it's something that is unforgettable as it sits quietly yet loudly at the same time. If silence made a sound, this is partly what I would imagine. It evokes images of a city being overtaken by nature in my mind.

Projection is decent. Lasts 10-12 hours on skin, Tank Battle like some of Lush's other labdanum/patchouli scents sits for a long time without choking someone out. It's quite the blend but very refreshing.

10/10. Weird in the best kind of way; one of kind experience.

Toil And Trouble:

Only available as part of the community fragrance releases from November 2023 and only in a 30ml bottle. Toil and Trouble is another patchouli/labdanum fragrance that has a bit of a twist with both the sage and orris oil changing the scent to be this witchy, earthy, yet almost fruity fragrance. If you've ever smelled the scrub by the same name that comes out every year with Lush's Halloween releases then you know exactly what this smells like because they're one for one.

If you love green, very herbal, strong patchouli scents with an almost fizzy spiciness then this is definitely something that I'd say go for it. I personally love the scent, it's deep yet bright. Reminds me of a cocktail of potions inside a witches hut, very Halloween, very much a cold, sharp autumn night with a layer of frost. It's a shame that this was limited edition and only released in a small format.

Projection is average. Lasts on skin for 6-8 hours. Makes me want to buy dozens of tubs for the scrub just for the scent.

8/10. Witchy and patchouli heavy that screams Halloween.

Tuca Tuca:

Unavailable currently. This was another scent that I slept on and ended up getting a decant of. Tuca Tuca is absolutely delicious, it's a sweet berry violet flower scent that has the same jammy/sticky goodness that Rose Jam has without being heavy on the florals. It's a playful, youthful scent that packs a punch but holds a syrupy note to the point it's almost gourmand.

It's the same scent family as Don't Rain on my Parade, however for me, the dry down has a caramel note that really shines through that I get when I move that the shower gel didn't have. It's definitely more on the juicy berry side than the other iterations of the scent, something that I'll warmly welcome considering they're far and few between without being muddied by other scent notes.

Projection is decent, doesn't stink out a room but it's definitely noticeable and is my personal most complimented scent. Lasts 10-12 hours on skin with just a few sprays. If I could bathe in this I would.

10/10. Delicious berry violet scent that turns heads.

Two More Hearts:

Unavailable currently, got axed during the culling last year. This is the other fragrance that screams Valentine's Day to me. If Rose Jam was the sweets, this is the fuzzy sweaters, the warm hugs and the playful kisses. Two More Hearts is Keep it Fluffy's more fun, sweeter sister - all the goodness of sweet florals without dipping into being powdery or mature like its counterpart. Definitely the fun fragrance that wants to live life and go out to whatever celebration is planned.

It's rose and jasmine with a touch of santal wood and sweet citrus creating a fuzzy, resinous scent that's very much romantic. Youthful and exciting, this is sadly one that I think a lot of people slept on including myself for the longest while.

Projection is fantastic. Lasts easily 12 hours or more on skin, I can always smell this the day after on my clothes with just 3-4 sprays. It's a shame this was disconned, Keep it Fluffy should've been the one to go imho.

10/10. Sweet Romance in a bottle.

V:

Available in only 100ml 'black label' bottle. This is Lush's other sweet violet scent, but V has a deep brooding spiciness to it that isn't present in any of the other scents. Very gothic with it's mulled fruit, aged woodiness, touch of clove, and the deep violets. The violet in this scent is very similar to that of Tuca Tuca - V is like her older foreboding sister that hangs out in the crumbling castle walls during the winter months. This is a strong heavy scent, and definitely isn't for the meek.

Spite how dark V is, I wouldn't called it a 'mature' scent by any means - there's still a youthful shine with how the violet is presented; almost syrupy and sweet.

Projection is average. Lasts 6-7 hours on skin and much longer on clothes with a few sprays.

8/10. Spiced sweet violets for cold mornings.

In conclusion:

I've tried a lot more of Lush's scent library than this and my tastes have definitely changed over the years but this is my impression of the ones that I have. I do only buy what I enjoy. Hopefully this helps folks decide whether or not they're for them because I find reviews can be all over the place and not always accurate, people do have different sniffers!

If I was to say a top five of mine I'd probably have to choose Grass, Dad's Garden Honeysuckle And Chamomile, The Bees Knees, The Smell of Weather Turning, and Tank Battle. Runner up would be between Rentless, Breath of God, or Tuca Tuca depending on how I'm feeling.

There's a couple of fragrances I'm looking to grab sometime this year from Lush - Devils Nightcap and Time of the Season - both are supposed to be more green scents (my favourite type of scents!).

I'll be doing up reviews of the Lush body sprays next so keep your eyes peeled!

Cheers!

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk is not archievable under Capitalism

Okay, let me make one thing very clear: We will never have a Solarpunk future as long as we live under capitalism. Again and again I will find people, who have fallen in love with the idea of Solarpunk, but are unwilling to consider any alternative to capitalism. So, please, let me quickly explain what that just is not gonna work out that way. There will be no Solarpunk under capitalism. Because the incentives of capitalism are opposing anything that Solarpunk stands for.

So let me please run over a few core points.

What is capitalism?

One issue that a lot of people do seem to have is understanding what capitalism even is. The defining attribute of capitalism is that "the means of production" (e.g. the things needed to create things) are privately owned and as such the private owners will decide both what gets created through it and who will get a share in any profits created through them. The ultimate goal in this is, to generate as large as a profit as possible, ideally more and more profit with every year. In real terms this means, that most of those means of productions in the way of companies and the like are owned mostly by shareholders, that is investors who have bought part of the company.

While capitalism gets generally thaught in schools with this entire idea of the free market, that... actually is not the central aspect of capitalism. I would even go so far to argue something else...

The market is actually not free and cannot be free

The idea of the free market is, that prices are controlled by the concept of supply and demand, with the buyer in the end deciding on whether they want to spend their money on something and being able to use that power to also enact control on the supplier.

However... that is actually not what is happening. Because it turns out that the end consumer has little influence, because they are actually not actively participating in the market. The market mainly is something that is happening between multimillionaires. It is their demand (or the lack thereoff) that is the influence. Investors, mainly. Which is logical. In a system, where the power to buy is deciding, the person who can spend multiple millions is gonna have a lot more power, than the person who has twenty bucks to their name.

Hence: 99% of all people are not participating in anything resembling a free market, and the remaining 1% are not interested in such a system.

Money under capitalism

One thing everyone needs to understand is, that for the most part money under capitalism is a very theoretical concept. It might be real for the average joe, who for the most part will not have more than maybe ten grand to their name, but it is not real to multi millionaires, let alone billionairs. Something that is going to be thrown around a lot is the concept of "net worth". But what you need to realize is that this net worth is not real money. It does not exist. It is the estimated worth of stuff these people own. Maybe houses and land, maybe private jets, maybe shares in companies and other things. These people's power and literal worth is tied to them being able theoretically able to sell these assets for money.

In fact a lot of these very rich people do not even have a lot of liquid money. So money they can spend. In fact there are quite a few billionairs who do not even own a million in liquidated money. The money they use in everyday life they borrow from banks, while putting their assets up as a security.

Why capitalism won't abolish fossil fuels

Understanding this makes it quite easy to understand why the capitalists cannot have fossil fuels ending. Because a lot of them own millions, at times billions in fossil fuel related assets. They might own a coal mine, or a fracking station, or maybe an offshore rig, or a power plant burning fossil fuels. At times they have 50% or more of their net worth bound in assets like this. If we stopped using fossil fuels, all those assets would become useless from one day to the next. Hence it is not in the interest of these very rich people to have that happen.

But it goes further than that, because politicians cannot have that happen either. Because the entire economy is build around these assets existing and being used as leverage and security for other investments.

Why capitalism won't build walkable cities and infrastructure

The same goes very much for the entire infrastructure. Another thing a lot of people have invested a lot of money into is cars. Not physical cars they own, but cars manufacturing. So, if we were building walkable cities with bikelanes and public transportation, a lot less people would buy cars, those manufactoring factories becoming worthless and hence once more money... just vanishing, that would otherwise be further invested.

Furthermore, even stuff like investing into EVs is a touch call to get to happen, because the investors (whose theoretical and not real money is tied to those manufacturers) want to see dividents at the end of the quartal. And if the manufactuerer invested into changing their factories to build EVs for a while profits would go down due to that investment. Hence, capitalism encourages them not doing that.

Why capitalism won't create sustainable goods

A lot of people will decry the fact that these days all goods you buy will break within two years, while that old washing machine your grandparents bought in 1962 is still running smoothly. To which I say: "Obviously. Because they want to make profits. Hence, selling you the same product every two years is more profitable."

If you wonder: "But wasn't that the same in 1962?" I will answer: "Yes. But in 1962 the market was still growing." See, with the post war economic boom more and more people got more divestable income they could spend. So a lot of companies could expect to win new costumers. But now the market is saturated. There is not a person who could use a washing machine, who does not have one. Hence, that thing needs to break, so they can sell another one.

The market incentive is against making sustainable, enduring products, that can be repaired. They would rather have you throw your clothing, your smartphone and your laptop away every two years.

Why workers will always be exploited under capitalism

One other central thing one has to realize about capitalism is that due to the privitization of the means of production the workers in a capitalist system will always be exploited. Because they own nothing, not even their own work. Any profit the company makes is value that has in the end been created by the workers within the company. (Please note, that everyone who does not own their work and cannot decide what happens to the value created by it is a worker. No matter whether they have a blue collar or a white collar job.)

That is also, why there is the saying: All profit is unpaid wages.

Under capitalism the profits will get divided up under the shareholders (aka the investors), while many of the workers do not even have enough money to just... live. Hence, good living standards for everyone are explicitly once more against the incentives of capitalism.

Why there won't be social justice under capitalism

Racism, sexism and also the current rise of queermisia are all a result of capitalism and have everything to do with capitalist incentives. Because the capitalists, so the people who own the means of production, profit from this discrimination. This is for two reasons.

For once having marginalized people creates groups that are easier exploitable. Due to discrimination these people will have a harder time finding a job and living quarters, making them more desperate and more likely to take badly paid jobs. Making it easier to exploit them for the profit of the capitalists.

A workforce divided through prejudice and discrimination will have a harder time to band together in unions and strikes. The crux of the entire system si, that it is build on the exploitation of workers - but if the workers stopped working, the system would instantly collapse. Hence the power of strikes. So, dividing the workforce between white and non-white, between queer and straight, between abled and disabled makes it easier to stop them from banding together, as they are too busy quaralling amoung themselves.

Why we won't decolonize under capitalism

Colonialism has never ended. Even now a lot of natural ressources and companies in the former colonies are owned by western interest. And this will stay that way, because this way the extraction of wealth is cheaper - making it more profitable. Colonialism has never ended, it has only gotten more subtle - and as long as more money can be made through this system, it will not end.

There won't be Solarpunk under capitalism

It is not your fault, if you think that capitalism cannot end. You have been literally taught this for as long as you can think. You never have been given the information about what capitalism is and how it works. You have never been taught the alternative mechanisms and where and when they were implemented.

You probably look at Solarpunk and think: "Yeah, that... that looks neat. I want that." And here is the thing: I want that, too.

But I have studied economics. Literally. And I can tell you... it does not work. It will not create better living situations for everyone. It will not save the world. Because in the end the longterm goals are not compatible with a capitalistic system.

I know it is fucking scary to be told: "Yeah, change the world you know in massive ways - or the world will end." But... it is just how the things are standing.

You can start small, though. Join a local party. Join a union. Join a mutual aid network. Help repair things. Help people just deal. Our power lies in working together. That is, in the end, what will get us a better future.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

At a laboratory in Newark, New Jersey, a gray liquid swirls vigorously inside a reactor the size of a small watermelon. Here, scientists with the mining technology startup Still Bright are using a rare metal, vanadium, to extract a common one, copper, from ores that are too difficult or costly for the mining industry to process today. 

If the promising results Still Bright is seeing in beakers and bottles can be replicated at much larger scales, it could unlock vast copper resources for the energy transition.

till Bright isn’t the only company seeking to revolutionize copper production. A handful of startups with similar goals have announced partnerships with major mining firms and scooped up tens of millions of dollars of investment. These companies claim their technology can help meet humanity’s surging appetite for the metal, while driving down the industry’s environmental footprint.

“We’re facing unprecedented demand for copper, and that’s really tied to the electrification of everything,” Still Bright chief of staff Carter Schmitt told Grist.

The world cannot reach its climate goals without copper, which plays a central role in the technologies needed to decarbonize. Copper wiring is at the core of the world’s electricity networks, which will have to expand enormously to bring more renewable energy online. Wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and lithium-ion batteries all rely on the mineral, too. As the market for these technologies grows, the clean energy sector’s demand for the 29th element is expected to nearly triple by 2040. 

At the same time, copper miners are exhausting their best-quality reserves. Copper that is economical to mine is found in rocks known as ores, and grades of the ores that miners are exploiting — the concentration of copper contained in them — have declined steadily over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, easy-to-process minerals near the surface are giving way to more challenging ones deeper down. And the current standard procedure for extracting the metal from the majority of ores results in a lot of pollution.

[exploring-littlespace]

No the pull-up thing is so frustrating 💀💀💀

I believe the rumor is that Pampers (or Huggies) owns some type of patent on running the absorbent core up the front and all the way down the back? But still

There are no real viable pull-ups on the market for adults that a) work b) are cute and c) are easy to get your hands on

I feel like there’s some kind of push to make wearing diapers (read pull-ups) in a functional setting somewhat normalized? Like, many people who have periods are starting to use period diapers instead of regular pads and tampons, so maybe with that push, something will come out, but the waiting sucks

i could see pampers/huggies owning that patent, but then how do you explain all these pullup variants from every other brand on the planet?

and even if they do own the patent, what's stopping abdl companies from designing something similar, but different enough to avoid any legal issues?

honestly even if a period product is in the works, odds are it's still gonna look like normal underwear. plus, regular adult incontinence underwear works fine for periods, so there's not really a demand for something new in that industry.

at this point the community should just. mass email customer support at ABU/Tykables/Rearz/LFB and all the other abdl companies. make it impossible to ignore that this is what the community wants, not another insanely thick diaper that can absorb a gallon of liquid.