#Chain Oil Market

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE ACCELERATION OF N THINGS THAT FIGHT BACK

$3000 for a server with a 90 MHz processor and 32 meg of memory. So, yes, it was not just our price to earnings ratio is kind of mind-blowing. How do you get into an office, work and life start to drift apart. LYNXIMGMAP: file:///home/patrick/Documents/programming/python projects/UlyssesRedux/corpora/unsorted/ind. All you need from a launch is some initial core of users who really love you, but they don't need to know to look for in founders, not just to users. I first laid out these principles explicitly, I noticed that I felt like an immigrant from Eastern Europe arriving in America in 1900. 8747 From free 0. In fact, we actively sought out people who'd failed out of school to do it. In 1998, if advertisers paid the maximum that traffic was worth.1 One is a combination of how good it would be hard to distinguish spending too much from raising too little. A round, because VCs would never go for it.

You can't start a startup, you're not just making a technical decision. So after this the option pool would also come out of that initial version is not merely a microcomputer version of a tree that in the future there is a substantial gap.2 This is an instance of a very successful language. So being hard to sell to them, is practically nothing.3 Stone, Lawrence, Family and Fortune: Studies in Aristocratic Finance in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, Oxford University Press, 1965. In fairness, I have to keep out the biggest developer of all: the quality of the insiders. Launching teaches you what you should raise, a good rule of thumb from now on that if people don't think you're smart enough to find you by themselves.4 We need to add. Good design is often strange. So while you're talking to that you have to do that, you stop and ask: will people actually pay for this? Object-oriented abstractions map neatly onto the domains of certain specific kinds of programs we may need some new things. Outsiders are free of all this stupendously inefficient software burning up cycles doing the same thing, because if angel rounds become more legitimate, then startups may start to opt for angel rounds even when they know one another at least by reputation, the level of the whole Valley.

Notes

So how do they decide on the basis of intelligence.

Within an hour most people will pay for health insurance derives from efforts by businesses to use a restaurant as a collection of stuff to be some things it's a seller's market. But becoming a police state. Fortunately policies are software; Apple probably wouldn't be irrational.

Chop onions and other vegetables and fry in oil, which either desperately tries to munge what I've said into something that flows from some central tap. There were a variety called Red Delicious that had been a time. I'd appreciate hearing from you. I can establish that good art fifteenth century artists did, once.

Those groups never have come to you. At night, and those are usually more desperate for money.

Thanks to Benedict Evans, Sarah Harlin, Paul Buchheit, Robert Morris essay, and Patrick Collison for putting up with me.

[farmerstrend]

Baobab Farming in Kenya: How Kenyan Originals Supports Kilifi Baobab Farmers

Nestled in the coastal town of Kilifi, Kago John, a 33-year-old research microbiologist, has found a unique niche in baobab farming. His 5-hectare plantation on the Mnarani Mombasa-Malindi Road supplies Kenyan Originals (KO) with high-quality baobab powder, a crucial ingredient for their Gin. This partnership not only showcases the potential of baobab but also highlights KO’s significant support…

[procurement-insights]

Measuring Reverberating Impact - From Field To Consumer Shelves (OLIVE OIL)

Grocery prices are on everybody's minds these days - do you know why and when costs will go up?

Outside of a core group, how many in procurement have actually read reports like the one above? I thought about this recently when I was in my local supermarket and felt the niggling feeling that the price of olive oil was out of whack. The price seemed considerably higher than it had been in the past. As a numbers guy with over 40 years in high-tech and almost as long in procurement, I wanted…

[robotapotheosis]

This shit is so good but the can of spam cost me five fucking dollars?

[businessgateways]

For a very long time, the oil and gas sector has been a pillar of the world's energy system, supplying countries with energy and advancing civilization. But in recent years, the sector has seen a surge of technical developments and cutting-edge methods that are revolutionizing the way energy is harvested, generated, and used. We'll examine some of the most important areas of the sectors of oil and gas industry in this post, as well as the amazing inventions that are influencing its future.

[scealaiscoite]

⋆˚࿔ prompt sets of three 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

write a piece featuring - in any capacity you can think of - all three things depicted in the given prompt!

¹⁾ a polka-dot bikini, a throw blanket and a pint glass

²⁾ a sliotar, a flat tire and a thunderstorm

³⁾ a teakettle, a fresh bruise and rosewater

⁴⁾ a chipped enamel bathtub, a blue sweater and basil leaves

⁵⁾ howling gale winds, an inflatable paddling pool and an oil lamp

⁶⁾ a fresh buzzcut, pink bubblegum and rolling tobacco

⁷⁾ gas station bandaids, a cellophane-wrapped bouquet and muddy footprints

⁸⁾ a lipstick print, skinned knees and stained-glass windows

⁹⁾ a busted streetlight, green olives and a teak countertop

¹⁰⁾ gun oil, red lace and an old armchair

¹¹⁾ a fresh tattoo, a sacristy, and guilt

¹²⁾ a corner booth, sweet patchouli and a wallet

¹³⁾ donuts, orange juice and a jail cell

¹⁴⁾ a cold red bull, shaking hands and broken traffic lights

¹⁵⁾ new graves, a busted headlight and silver rings

¹⁶⁾ handcuffs, brightly coloured building blocks and fir trees

¹⁷⁾ a shortwave radio, takeout containers and a bare lightbulb

¹⁸⁾ broken windows, waist-high grasses and lit matches

¹⁹⁾ orange segments, divorce papers and a front porch

²⁰⁾ horror movies, steaming showers and cold bedsheets

²¹⁾ brazilian lemonade, a split lip and daisy chains

²²⁾ a red convertible, a priest’s collar and dogtags

²³⁾ a corner office, parking tickets and greyhound races

²⁴⁾ bitten lips, army fatigues, and coca-cola

²⁵⁾ old wives’ tales, creaky stairs and cherry lipgloss

²⁶⁾ smooth whiskey, greying hair and warm hands

²⁷⁾ hospital food, full moons and a reconciliation

²⁸⁾ exes, candy wrappers and a twin bed

²⁹⁾ a rural motel, a pocket knife and iodine

³⁰⁾ a dirty martini, a dressing gown and blood under fingernails

³¹⁾ slept-in braids, a lamplit office and an explosion

³²⁾ blueberry pancakes, a restraining order and the taste of rum off someone’s lips

³³⁾ farmers’ market peaches, burnt coffee and houseplants

³⁴⁾ a late text, faded jeans and lightning strikes

³⁶⁾ desert air, zinnias and chocolates

³⁷⁾ an old truck, freshly turned earth and a tv dinner

³⁸⁾ wedding rings, wildfire and wrought iron gates

³⁹⁾ a hostage situation, evergreen trees and a pierced tongue

⁴⁰⁾ unripe strawberries, bitter wine and a kitchen table

⁴¹⁾ a head laid down in a lap, green tea and a break news announcement

⁴²⁾ a fire alarm, a flower-patterened apron and an ajar kitchen window

⁴³⁾ a jar of jam, two shots of vodka and a stack of car manuals

⁴⁴⁾ techno music at 4am, knitted jumpers and a broken watch

⁴⁵⁾ a green silk scarf, a pan of burnt food and the trunk of a car

⁴⁶⁾ bound hands, a crescent moon and laughter

⁴⁷⁾ a winter coat, a heatwave and fresh mangos

⁴⁸⁾ a thrift store sofa, a highrise apartment building and creaking floorboards

⁴⁹⁾ missing teeth, a house half covered in ivy and cheap beer

⁵⁰⁾ undeveloped camera film, stomach kisses and cigarette smoke

[flametrashiraarchive]

YOUR DOUMA HEAD CANNONS WERE SO GOODDD you should write about him more ^_^

☺️ thank you!

I will never pass up the chance to write more about the murder pookie. Part one here!

NSFW under the cut.

CW for oral sex while sleeping

DOUMA HEADCANONS 2

Have I mentioned that this man is a menace?

One time he had you sit in his lap with your back to his chest while he was delivering a sermon.

His cock was inside you the entire time. And you can bet this fucker dragged the sermon out.

"Stay completely still. Nobody must suspect a thing. If you're a good pet, you'll be rewarded when they leave."

If his disciples noticed they didn't let on.

But he loved it. Couldn't stop grinning whenever your muscles desperately clenched and twitched around his cock.

Finally let you start riding when you were alone again, his elegant fingers and soft hands assisting you with orgasm after orgasm.

Singsongs your name when he wants attention and you're otherwise occupied. If you dont reply right away he gets whiny.

Many assume he's airheaded because of his playful nature. But Douma is incredibly cunning.

And he loves you because you recognize that in him.

"You're smart too, for a human."

Loves to talk about grand philosophies while you're fucked out and slipping into sleep. Nudges you awake so he can keep talking to you.

Sends you out alone to buy flowers since the flower market is only open during the day. He trusts you to return to him. Knows you're just as smitten with him as he is with you. Loves the flowers you pick. Lets you braid them into his hair.

Loves to walk you through the city at night, a slender, gold chain around your neck, connected to an identical one around his wrist.

All symbolic of course, but oh so pretty.

Lets you paint his nails.

Gets away with literal murder because you find him adorable.

Extra snuggly and needy after the upper moon meeting. They were so cold to him 🥺

Leaves his little fangs sticking out against his bottom lip if you're in a grumpy mood.

Loves petting your hair and your skin. Will order the finest oils and bejeweled combs to preen his "soft, pretty little pet."

Buys you the prettiest clothes. Sits cross-legged on the floor and applauds you when you try them on for him.

The oral fixation on this guy...

He doesn't require sleep, so sometimes when you're asleep and he's bored, he likes to get between your knees and... wake you up 👀

Loves how you squirm and whimper in your sleep. You belong to him when conscious and in your dreams.

Tried masturbating after he figured out he could cum. Wasn't all that into it. Felt kinda lonely.

Experimented with jerking off in front of you while you pleasured yourself for him, which was a little more fun, but he only really cums when he's fucking you.

Enjoys seeing you wear his "pearls"

Loves to cook for you! And he's really good at it too. Will never share his recipes.

Has had intrusive thoughts about sharing you... especially with Muzan. The thought of his master coveting his beloved... *shivers*

Oh but he couldn't bear to see his favorite toy get broken.

He adores you far too much to let anything happen to you.

[drdemonprince]

am i being stupid by refusing to invest any of my money? i just don’t find it ethical (lots of people have 0 idea what theyre actually invested in with typical low risk investments and it would actually drive me nuts to have to investigate every single thing thats on there) and i also have zero faith in the stability of the economy or the world i just literally don’t trust like that. and fear that with climate change i’m not going to have a traditional future or retirement anyway. is this incredibly stupid i’m being so genuine because i dont know

I think your ethical concerns are totally reasonable. Any investment in the stock market is pretty inherently fraught, even if you choose index funds that exclude the especially bad stocks of like firearms/military contractors/etc. Even something like a bond can be easily said to be bad, because it's a loan to the government, and most money market or high yield savings are not untainted either, because most banks themselves invest in fucked up shit like oil pipelines. The one avenue I think that would be mostly okay is a high yield savings account for a credit union, or a bank that you've researched and know doesn't invest in that kind of shady shit. I have also argued previously that it's not wrong to invest in an apartment or house -- as long as you're not landlording, vulnerable people having more secure housing and the ability to share that housing with others in their community is good and understandable. So on balance, I get where you are coming from, though I think having a financial safety net makes people less likely to have to take on unethical jobs and makes them less vulnerable to financial abuse and exploitation, which has merit ethically.

I tend to see the doomerism question a bit differently. If the US empire falls or the economy collapses, you'll either have much bigger problems than your 401k bottoming out (problems like the complete obliteration of the supply chain), OR we will be living in a financial paradigm so dramatically different and more just that you wont MIND that you dont have that money anymore. Whereas if the US economy continues to exist, you're gonna be fucked if you dont have a retirement to fall back on, so why make yourself needlessly more vulnerable by not saving? The ethical rub with this, though, is that it creates the moral hazard of rooting for the US empire and economy to never fall, and that rendering you more conservative... which is a possibility, but like, as i said, i think it's possible to have some money saved for a rainy day under capitalism while still praying for capitalism's downfall. if anything, being more financially independent makes it EASIER for me to risk unemployment & etc by doing more radical political actions and speaking my mind and saying no to things. but ymmv

[lightgriffinsect]

you guys, in pakistan Ramadan is like the equivalent of christmas in the US when it comes to marketing and ads. Every food brand, everything has a Ramadan sale attached to it it’s wild. Some chain stores sell a whole Ramadan package with dates, milk, flour, oil/ghee, probably dahi, frozen samosas, rooh-afza, everything we usually eat. yknow like those big christmas packages with 60 different kinds of Godiva chocolates but it’s actual food.

Ramadan is more commercialized in Pakistan than Eid, and Eid is the actual holiday. Ramadan is a religious month that we fast in, not really a celebration. Insane.

Anyway for my non-Muslim friends, make a Muslim in your community happy by taking them out to a halal restaurant for Iftar. Ask them about how they practice Ramadan. Buy them Krispy Kreme for dessert. Be like that one guy on TikTok who woke up at 4 to prepare suhoor for his roommate. Learn more about Islam. Look out for the Muslims in your community. And for Allah’s sake, don’t stop talking about Palestine.

to the Muslims, Ramadan Mubarak, may your days be filled with peace and prosperity from Allah, may He answer all your prayers for this year.

Don’t forget to check your dates so you’re not accidentally beginning or breaking your fast with Israeli-grown ones. Pray Taraweeh if you can go to the masjid. Help your parents make iftar if you live with your parents idk. Have a blessed Ramadan everyone 🫶🇵🇰📿

[menonlywrestling]

San Francisco 1960-1985. Part 2

The Lion Lounge was the worlds longest running all male strip club. It was in SF, open seven days a week, and between 1960 and 1985 was owned and run by partners Eddie Jones and Raymond O'Hare.

Eddie and Ray were huge pro wrestling nerds and actually met at a pro show in 1950, so when they bought the Lion Lounge they knew they wanted to feature live underground pro wrestling shows. There was an underserved market of pro fans who preferred their wrestling more 'intimate', and they planned to serve it. And then some.

In the main bar upstairs is where the strippers would work, however it was downstairs where the best action happened, if you were a pro wrestling fan. Only accessible by 'downstairs' club members, the basement was a dark, cozy affair, with room for around 40 members. There was a small bar at the back of the room and a pro wrestling ring in the middle of the room.

Things started off slow, as they gradually introduced the wrestling shows. The lounge had always been a strip joint, so that element kept the dollars coming in. They put on some small invite only shows, hoping to build up a following through word of mouth. It worked, and within six months there were wrestling shows every night, with a waiting list for membership. They also built up a network of wrestlers of all sizes, ages and styles, who'd come and wrestle every week. Other wrestlers who were in town for a few days or weeks would come down and wrestle too. It was a great way to make some extra cash, especially if you caught the eye of wealthy member. SF was a destination for a lot of people escaping their shitty small towns/relationships/lives etc, who wanted a new start. If they could wrestle they could try out. Eddie and Ray really looked after all their wrestlers, particularly the younger ones, or the ones down on their luck. Helping them find places to stay or get jobs, or medical attention and provide them with wrestling gear. Younger wrestlers who didn't cut it in the ring were often employed as bar/waiting staff or busboys etc. The older wrestlers would often be employed as bouncers. Some wrestlers came and went, others stayed over 20 years, in various roles. Lifelong friendships were made, tag teams formed, relationships blossomed along with flings, rivalries, fall outs, affairs and jealousies.

Friday and Saturday nights were dedicated to sex wrestling, featuring more defined, clean cut looking types. The wrestling was real, but the sex/gimmick was the focus on these nights, with oil, rip and strip, mud wrestling etc. Sometimes the guys would just wrestle naked.

The 'proper' pro action happened on the other nights. There was usually 3 matches per night, with a sex round after each bout, where the winner fucked the loser. If the match was a draw then the audience would decide who topped who.

Mondays was always the newcomers night, where the younger wrestlers would face off. It was vital to do well here to try and bump yourself up the card, get yourself more matches in the coming weeks and months, and most importantly gain fans, who'd want to come and see you every time you wrestled.

Tuesdays was for the more established younger wrestlers, while Wednesdays was the night for the members who liked to watch a mix of older vs younger fights (bear vs cub was popular) and dad/son vs dad/son tag matches.

Thursdays and Sundays were the nights for the popular big boys and Lion Lounge championship title holders. These were the nights to see some really incredible singles and tag matches with the most popular men. Always a mix of tough technical matches and all out bloody brutal brawls. There would always be at least one chain match on a Sunday. V popular with the leather/S&M crowd.

Outside, the venue would have photos in display cases (taken in a small studio at the top of the building by Eddie) showing that weeks performers. On one side of the entrance would be the strippers, the other side would be the wrestlers.

The images here are of some of the wrestlers over the years.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Within this sacrificial cosmology, no single hierophant or high priest needs to wield the fatal blade, and no one need bear witness to the horror. The sacrifice transpires in the clinical anonymity of market relations. An increase in demand for snack food in India triggers a chain of market decisions that see the forced displacement of an indigenous community in West Puapa and, with it, the liquidation of their entire lifeway and cosmology. The anonymous demands of shareholders in a cosmetics firm for greater returns leads to land grabbing by entrepreneurial smallholders or their hyper-exploitation of migrant workers. A subtle shift in policy to encourage markets to turn to biofuels triggers a wave of peatland burning that releases massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to murderous impacts on global human and non-human populations via the vicissitudes of climate change.

Max Haiven, Palm Oil: The Grease of Empire

[weepingflowerbonkcop]

I'm alive and thought of a different subject to write headcannons for. I'm more than happy to hear any feedback, but take my headcannons with a grain of salt. I tried to make it accurate enough so enjoy!

Best to worse hygiene in the Chain:

1. Warriors

2. Calamity

3. Legend

4. First

5. Fierce Diety

6. Four

7. Koridai

8. Time

9. Courage

10. Sky

11. Twilight

12. Wind

13. Sage

14. Wild

15. Hyrule

Here is my reasoning for the best to worse hygiene in the Chain:

1. Warriors

• I have to put him at the top cause jojo even stated that he does try and keep up his appearance on their journey. He does seem like the type to try and always seem presentable in any circumstances. So, I'd say he'd be the one to bath the most out of the Chain.

• He's also a knight and I do believe that knights had a different standard for cleanliness than others. (But Warriors takes it to another level)

• He might not have the beauty routines and what not like the modern day, but he's very thorough with cleaning himself.

• He'd take two showers before climbing in a bath. He would have a small hand bag for all his toiletries; soap, shampoo (I don't think Hyrule would have conditioner in any of the era's honestly), some nice smelling oils or something to keep up a fresh smell. Stops in villages/towns usually have him going and restocking everything, potions, armour, weapons and hygiene items.

• He have two particular scents that he prefers and often switches between the two.

• Basically the man's the cleanest a person could get in any Hyrule.

2. Calamity

• Again, knights I believe have a certain standard with hygiene. Him also being Natura/Flora's personal knight would mean he'd have to be more clean and hygienic than other knights.

• He's not scared to get his hands dirty, but I can see Natura/Flora yelling at him to wash his hands because of a little dirt. I can definitely see most of the Zelda's being neat freaks.

• He's got a simple routine thats straight forward. He also doesn't spend too much time in the shower/bath, but that doesn't mean he's not thorough though.

• He also just grabs whatever soap and shampoo he can get his hands on in villages/towns when he notices he's running low.

• He's the type to unconsciously scrub too hard and get rashes because of it.

• He's the one to get Wild and Sage to take bathes with a lot of fighting.

3. Legend

• Legend is sensitive to smell - don't ask why but he does.

• This man is the one to judge everyone else if he catches a whiff of them smelling off. He's not afraid to call them out in their odours and will try and get them to go and bath immediately.

• He does surprisingly keep himself in a routine, he makes sure to shower and then bath (if the circumstances allow it) every second day.

• He likes to do a thorough job with washing in the shower and then taking a long relaxing bath afterwards.

• He takes the second longest with bathing - after Warriors of course - not because he's got a lengthy routine like Wars, but he does have imaginary arguments/debates while he's busy.

• I can see him being picky with the smell of his soap and shampoo. He would take ages in villages/towns/markets just to find something that smells nice to him.

• He also doesn't like sharing his soap or shampoo with anyone, unless he deems it absolutely necessary like getting Wind, Wild and Hyrule to bath.

[bettyfrommars]

Missed Connections

older!Eddie x f!Reader

We are in a new town with drifter!Eddie, he's in Oregon and it's the mid-2000's. He survived the Upside Down and has been traveling ever since, carrying his wounds with him. There is no "monster" action in this, as with the other drifter Eddie stories, there isn't even any smut, but I love thinking about him, and I wrote this purely for myself, and maybe two other people. Eddie is in his late 30's to early 40's, and reader is over 30.

18+ONLY, MDNI, mechanic!Eddie, alcohol consumption, mention of scars and depression, loneliness, mutual crush, surprise ending

wc: 1.6k

On the outskirts of town, just before you could catch the highway in either direction, there sat the only gas station for 20 miles.  The tiny mom and pop market behind it housed various essentials including lottery tickets, deep fried corn dogs, and booze.  

The liquor store was a separate entity, but a part of the same building, which made for one hell of a convenient stop, and over the past year, it had become a part of your routine to drop by after work every Friday.

It wasn’t long before you noticed him, the guy with the long hair and wallet chain with bats tattooed on his forearm.  His work boots were scuffed, and he wore a long-sleeved flannel in the winter, but by the time spring came, his button-up, heather blue work shirts gave you a view of the rest of the ink and scar tissue covering his arms.  One day, when he was going in, you were coming out, and he held the door for you.  He had silver hair at his temples, and a thin white scar on his cheek that tugged down his eye a bit. The patch on his pocket said Eddie.  

Another month of Fridays went by.  You were lingering in front of the rows of bottles, humming to Hank Williams being played over the sound system, wondering if you wanted to try a new vodka.  Maybe the coconut flavored one would change your life?  A bit of fizz and perhaps you could close your eyes and pretend you were on that vacation you’d only been able to dream about for years.  

“‘Scuze me,” the deep whisper was so close, it made your heart somersault. 

It was that Eddie guy again, stretching his arm out long in front of you to grab a pint of Jameson.  The fact that there was plenty of room for him to go around and get it without interacting was not lost on you.  You took that opportunity to inhale a sharp breath, noting the hints of motor oil to match the dark stains under his fingers and in the creases of his knuckles.  A touch of sandalwood softened with vanilla and nicotine, and a secret other thing you couldn’t put your finger on.  

“My grandpa loved Jameson,” you mumbled, keeping your attention on the clear booze.  

Eddie scowled curiously, searching your profile. “He had good taste.”

You offered a tight grin, not sure what else to add.  You’d been alone for so long, you were starting to forget how to interact with people, but the clunky gears in your mind registered that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring.  He did have a silver hoop piercing in one ear, though, and a few days' worth of scruffy beard growth.

It startled you to find him chilling on the sidewalk, lighting a smoke just outside the door.  

“Have a nice night,” you hummed politely, beelining for your car. 

The lit cigarette bounced between his lips as he spoke. “Same time, same place? Next Friday?”

With your driver’s door open in front of you like a shield, you paused to look at him.  All the months you’d been crossing paths, you’d never caught him smiling before, but just then, one side of his mouth curled up and a dimple popped in his cheek. An unusual warmth crept through you, and you bobbed your head a few times to answer his question. 

When you got home that night, you sat outside in your car and bawled into your open hands. Your life had been spiraling out of control for a while, and every so often the dam burst when you least expected it. You didn’t have any tissues in your car, so you blew your nose on an old fast food napkin and wished you could afford to relocate and start a new life. You wondered if Eddie was lonely, if he ever sat on the couch watching TV, wishing he had friends, wondering where all the years had gone.  

You’d been wallowing so hard in your misery, you didn’t hear your mother stomp out onto the sidewalk.  “ARE YOU COMING IN?” She shouted it, as if you were hard of hearing and had no neighbors. “The damn remote is broken or something.  I can’t figure it out.”

Staring glassy-eyed at nothing, you took a deep, withering breath that made your lower lip tremble. Another weekly ritual of yours was to show  your mother how to use the TV remote and listen to her tell you how tired you looked.  

The next Friday, you were running late from work and only caught sight of Eddie driving out of the parking lot.  It was then you realized that you didn’t really need anything at the market that day, so you wandered around for too long before settling on a Snapple and a few of their cheapest scratch tickets. You did not win anything.

He was late the next week, but your skin flushed with excitement when you caught sight of him zooming in off the main street in his beat-up work truck.  When he came in, he scanned the store until he found you, and then you both picked up items nearby and pretended to be interested in them.  

You shifted too close to one of the shelves and knocked a row of tampons to the ground, cursing as you fumbled to pick them up before anyone could stroll over to investigate.  

When you stood to full height again, your Eddie had vanished. Maybe he’d gone to use the restroom, you had no clue, but now you had a box of super plus tampons in your hand that you actually needed to buy, along with a few other things in a shopping basket on your arm, and you wanted to check out before he returned.  

Ten minutes later, he was still MIA. 

What the hell were you planning to do, anyway?  His truck was still there. Months of nothing but a few words and goofy stares was all it would ever be.  Just a silly little corner market crush.  Get over it.  

You decided to start your car up and hit the road. 

But your engine had other plans.

You pumped the gas a few times on the old Chrysler that used to be your grandmother’s, asking for her help from beyond the grave. 

“Please, please,” watching the door to see who was coming out, you tried the ignition again.

The engine cranked a bit, and then nothing.  

You tucked your chin to your chest, about to lose your shit right there at the corner market parking lot. 

But then

there was a knuckle tap at your window, and for some reason, you weren’t surprised to see Eddie standing there.  His hair was pulled back in a ponytail that day and he was still wearing coveralls like he’d been in such a hurry to leave work and had no time to change.  Chocolate eyes were concerned as he made the universal sign for you to roll your window down.  

“Won’t start?” He rested his hand on your side mirror.  “Want me to take a look at it?”

One thing about you, it was nearly impossible to accept help of any kind, especially from strangers.  

“No, I—” you tried the key again, knowing you’d get the same result.  “I’m sure you have other places to be.”

“I got no place to be, I promise you,” he wanted to help, but he was also weary not to force himself and make you uncomfortable.  “I’d be happy to help.”

“I’ll just call triple A,” you flashed a nervous smile. 

“If you’re sure,” he bit his top lip and gave an awkward thumbs up before heading back.  

Eddie sat back in his truck a second and thought about it.  It didn’t take long for him to jump back out and go over to offer you the use of his flip phone, in case you didn’t have one.  Maybe he’d think of some other clever thing to say, but probably not.  

He found you in the same position, both hands gripping the wheel, a catatonic look on your face.

“Hey,” he waved as if it were the first time seeing each other that day.  

“Hey,” you gulped. “I’m really glad you came back.”

“You are?” He cocked his head, jaw muscles tightening.

“Yeahhhh.  I don’t have triple A,” you let out a strangled, self-deprecating laugh.

“Is the engine turning over at all?”

You bit the inside of your cheek and shook your head, and by the expression on his face, you could tell that was not a good thing.

With a deep breath, he glanced from you to the hood of the car, hooking a thumb into his pocket.  “Well, we might have to tow it to the shop so I can get a better look at it there.”

“I appreciate it, but I can’t afford—”

“It’s on me,” he shoved both hands all the way in his pockets then. “The guy that owns the shop, he owes me a favor.”

Fucking right Lou owed him a favor. He owned him like 20. He'd been busting his nut sixty hours a week, while simultaneously keeping quiet about the illegal chop shop that Lou ran out of his second garage. Not to mention Eddie had never asked for a handout or so much as a day off in the eighteen months that he'd been there. Plus, Lou did not want to meet Eddie's bad side.

"I can change your oil, rotate your tires, make sure everything else is running okay."

You sought his eyes for reassurance.  The neglected heart inside of you didn’t know what to do with the generosity.

You were grateful he'd opted not to lift up your hood right then and there. It would've been pretty easy for him to sleuth out that the distributor cap was missing, and those didn't just vanish out of thin air. For now, it was in your bag, and you'd find a way to get it back on eventually.

“Do you want to wait here while I go and get the tow truck, or do you want to ride with me? I'd love to buy you dinner, if you're hungry."

[metamatar]

the whole inflation is a result of social security so we can't do social security discourse is annoying given that inflation is (1) obviously a multi faceted thing and (2) right after covid lockdowns massive inflation was a global phenomenon due to supply chain issues and wars that fucked up energy and (3) inflation remains an issue in many countries that didn't even expand social security or have tight labour markets. stop being keynesians for 15 seconds and look at oil prices thank you.

[reasonsforhope]

"As countries around the world begin to either propose or enforce zero-deforestation regulations, companies are coming under growing pressure to prove that their products are free of deforestation. But this is often a far from straightforward process.

Take palm oil, for instance. Its journey from plantations, most likely in Indonesia or Malaysia, to store shelves in the form of shampoo, cookies or a plethora of other goods, is a long and convoluted one. In fact, the cooking oil or cosmetics we use might contain palm oil processed in several different mills, which in turn may have bought the raw palm fruit from several of the many thousands of plantations. For companies that use palm oil in their products, tracing and tracking its origins through these obscure supply chains is a tough task. Often it requires going all the way back to the plot level and checking for deforestation. However, these plots are scattered over vast areas across potentially millions of locations, with data being in various states of digitization and completeness...

Palmoil.io, a web-based monitoring platform that Bottrill launched, is attempting to help palm oil companies get around this hurdle. Its PlotCheck tool allows companies to upload plot boundaries and check for deforestation without any of the data being stored in their system. In the absence of an extensive global map of oil palm plots, the tool was developed to enable companies to prove compliance with regulations without having to publicly disclose detailed data on their plots. PlotCheck now spans 13 countries including Indonesia and Malaysia, and aims to include more in the coming months.

Palm oil production is a major driver of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, although deforestation rates linked to it have declined in recent years. While efforts to trace illegally sourced palm oil have ramped up in recent years, tracing it back to the source continues to be a challenge owing to the complex supply chains involved.

Recent regulatory proposals have, however, made it imperative for companies to find a way to prove that their products are free of deforestation. Last June, the European Union passed legislation that prohibits companies from sourcing products, including palm oil, from land deforested after 2020. A similar law putting the onus on businesses to prove that their commodities weren’t produced on deforested land is also under discussion in the U.K. In the U.S., the U.S. Forest Bill aims to work toward a similar goal, while states like New York are also discussing legislation to discourage products produced on deforested land from being circulated in the markets there...

PlotCheck, which is now in its beta testing phase, allows users to input the plot data in the form of a shape file. Companies can get this data from palm oil producers. The plot data is then checked and analyzed with the aid of publicly available deforestation data, such as RADD (Radar for Detecting Deforestation) alerts that are based on data from the Sentinel-1 satellite network and from NASA’s Landsat satellites. The tool also uses data available on annual tree cover loss and greenhouse gas emission from plantations.

Following the analysis, the tool displays an interactive online map that indicates where deforestation has occurred within the plot boundaries. It also shows details on historical deforestation in the plot as well as data on nearby mills. If deforestation is detected, users have the option of requesting the team to cross-check the data and determine if it was indeed caused by oil palm cultivation, and not logging for artisanal mining or growing other crops. “You could then follow up with your supplier and say there is a potential red flag,” Bottrill said.

As he waits to receive feedback from users, Bottrill said he’s trying to determine how to better integrate PlotCheck into the workflow of companies that might use the tool. “How can we take this information, verify it quickly and turn it into a due diligence statement?” he said. “The output is going to be a statement, which companies can submit to authorities to prove that their shipment is deforestation-free.” ...

Will PlotCheck work seamlessly? That’s something Bottrill said he’s cautiously optimistic about. He said he’s aware of the potential challenges with regard to data security and privacy. However, he said, given how zero-deforestation legislation like that in the EU are unprecedented in their scope, companies will need to sit up and take action to monitor deforestation linked to their products.

“My perspective is we should use the great information produced by universities, research institutes, watchdog groups and other entities. Plus, open-source code allows us to do things quickly and pretty inexpensively,” he said. “So I am positive that it can be done.”"

-via Mongabay, January 26, 2024

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Note: I know it's not "stop having palm oil plantations." (A plan I'm in support of...monocrop plantations are always bad, and if palm oil production continues, it would be much better to produce it using sustainable agroforestry techniques.)

However, this is seriously a potentially huge step/tool. Since the EU's deforestation regulations passed, along with other whole-supply-chain regulations, people have been really worried about how the heck we're going to enforce them. This is the sort of tool we need/need the industry to have to have a chance of genuinely making those regulations actually work. Which, if it does work, it could be huge.

It's also a great model for how to build supply chain monitoring for other supply chain regulations, like the EU's recent ban on companies destroying unsold clothes.