#Community Counterfeits

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I finally feel like I have something useful to say regarding recasts.

I'm poor. I originally considered buying recasts (and I was NOT popular for those opinions of mine, let me tell you lmao) because I'm poor. Instead, I worked and saved what little money I could for the dolls I own. Within 7 years, I was able to buy two limited dolls from V0lks and the head of my grail. Altogether, I would say they're maybe worth about $2100 (if I'm rounding their numbers to an even $700)? Again, I spent 7 years working and saving to get my three girls.

I am still poor. I still struggle every day with food and rent and having a healthy work-life balance. But I still have three legit dolls.

So being poor isn't an excuse to buy recasts. Dolls are not a requirement for human survival. You can save up for a legit, and even buy dolls you miss out on secondhand.

~Anonymous

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Raphael Gasson - The Challenging Counterfeit - Logos International - 1979

[unseendeity]

so i got my (very much legit) tarot cards (from barnes and noble) in the mail today!!

[seizerofdarkness]

Accurate depiction of an AI trying to reconstitute an image as with today's technology.

i don’t think people talk about how The Mimics costume is supposed to be a Gregory disguise

(elaboration under cut)

[sohaibsmart]

Amazon Prime Day occasion begins, gross sales up 12% in first 7 hours: Report | Firm Information

Prime Day can function a bellwether for the vacation procuring season. 3 min learn Final Up to date : Jul 17 2024 | 12:10 AM IST Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Day gross sales rose virtually 12 per cent within the first seven hours of the occasion in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months, based on Momentum Commerce, which manages 50 manufacturers in a wide range of product…

[startrailsiv]

"Blood Money" by Peter Schweizer

This book needs to go viral. The survival of the United States depends on it. The ugly truth is revealed masterfully through Schweizer’s gold standard of investigative journalism. He has put together an amazing expose of corruption that involves not only how China is trying to undermine our country, culture, and democracy, but the public figures who are not only allowing, but facilitating it,…

[independentjournalism]

Indianapolis Police Warn Against Counterfeit $100 Bill Scheme Across Central Indiana

🚨 Alert! 🚨 Detectives in Indianapolis are sounding the alarm about counterfeit $100 bills making the rounds. Businesses, residents, and employees, take note! Learn how to spot fake currency and protect your hard-earned money. 💵

By JTP, of Independent Journalism and Media Published on March 27, 2024 Indianapolis, Indiana – Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) have issued a warning to business owners, employees, and residents about an ongoing counterfeit $100 bill scheme in central Indiana. The perpetrators have been using fake $100 bills for various transactions, including purchasing…

[hollowwhisperings]

I will remind the Fandom that Nie Huaisang very pointedly made it a point to never wear a saber (in public), to Loudly Complain when forced to, & that he did not go around "Swordless" in an Active Warzone.

Wei Wuxian, in contrast, spent most of his life wearing a sword & that, as First Disciple of the Yumeng Jiang, teaching swordforms was part of his job.

In xianxia settings, it is generally assumed that, by default of being cultivators, a Cultivator is always "Armed". At public events, cultivators give each other the "courtesy" of showing where that weapon is and, in turn, their hosts do not ask them to set said weapons aside.

So if Wei Wuxian, Famous Prodigy of the Jiang Sect & Current Military Powerhouse, is Not Visibly Armed? It means he is Non-Visibly Armed.

Wuxian Tried to Follow Courtesy via wearing his dizi in his sword's place: while sound in principle, this fails because no one believes a dizi is Wei Wuxian's "real" weapon.

This paranoia is then "justified" via WWX taking a Tiger Seal of all things out, mid-battle, from his robes and using that as his Weapon.

Of course Rule Abiders like Jiang Wanyin, Nie Mingjue & Jin Zixuan Challenge Wei Wuxian's breaching protocol by Not Wearing His Sword: if WWX is not openly wearing a sword, he is Actively Concealing his Weapon(s) and that, if challenged, he won't be using a sword. Given that they were in 1) an active warzone and then 2) the politically tense state of "we were just at war" (where WWX kept Pulling Random New Objects of Mass Destruction seemingly out of nowhere)? People want the "comfort" of seeing WWX wearing a sword: they know he's Dangerous but if he's wearing a sword, they can believe that he'll go for his sword first (and not, say, a stamp containing the souls of the damned to destroy them all).

Consider Madam Yu & Zidian: Yu-Furen wears a sword and is Pointedly Open about her Ring doubling as a Spiritual Whip. That said whip in ring-form "flashed" according to her Mood was, I suspect, Purposeful: it declared that Zidian was a secondary weapon, one she was just as willing to use as her sword.

While classism is a Genuine Theme within MDZS, Wei Wuxian's not following protocol as "First Disciple of Yumeng Jiang, Founder of [necromancy] & One-Man Army" by Not Showing His [Weapons] Openly was dangerous: Nie Huaisang "frivolous second son" & "lifelong noncombatant" was, in contrast, just "an embarassment" to everyone around him.

That WWX's detractors defaulted to [classism] was more reflective of the Nature Of His Wrongdoing than of his being "lowborn" (though that plays a part): WWX's breaching etiquette "proves" he lacks Respect for his Elders (held responsible for teaching Etiquette) &/or that his Elders are Not Respectable.

That second part is the Greater Slight, not really to WWX's Dead Parents but to Yumeng Jiang.

More specifically, WWX's going around with [concealed weapons] & sans his sword is an insult to: Jiang Fengmian & Yu-Furen, his foster-parents & formative teachers in sword cultivation; Lan Qiren, renowned master of Ettiquette & WWX's last known teacher... and Shijie (though only WWX & Jiang Wanyin really consider her as such).

Classism comes in but WWX's suddenly not wearing his sword anymore, during & after a war he actively fought in, has Much Higher Stakes than NHS going without a saber in public his entire life, a Known & Ridiculed "Non-Combatant". NHS worked very, very consistently to make himself as non-threatening as possible: WWX was terrifying when he was just a "genius" showing up Young Masters in public. Since the War & WWX's sword being nowhere in sight, a dizi "mockingly" in its place, it was Assumed that WWX was going around Secretly Armed with the Tiger Seal, something small enough for him to use at anytime with no one the wiser until it was too late.

I like how Nie Huaisang straight up refuses to cultivate and carry a sword and no one has anything to say about that because he’s a sect heir but when Wei Wuxian, son of a servant, does it suddenly it’s a problem.

[raps-hellion]

six of crows in pjo:

kaz brekker — son of mercury (roman)

powers:

ability to manipulate locks, deadbolts, touch/face identification on devices, etc. can also correctly guess pin numbers, security questions, captchas, etc.

money is drawn to him — loose change, wallets, credit cards, etc. he can also create small amounts of legitimate-looking counterfeit currency from any country from a provided example.

is gifted at persuasion and deception, and can haggle/bargain effectively to achieve his desired outcome.

inej ghafa — daughter of nemesis (roman)

powers:

opponents are also similarly injured when attacking/striking her (ie. arrow ricochets back into its shooter, sword shatters and cuts its wielder, etc.). the severity of the retributive attack is always equal to what inej receives initially

ability to alter someone's luck/fortune — can change good luck to bad and vice-versa, but only if they deserve it

always has perfect balance, whether it be in battle, on a high-wire, upside-down in a handstand, etc.

jesper fahey — son of apollo (greek)

powers:

perfect aim when shooting a firearm, bow, crossbow, slingshot, etc.

can put curses in the form of disease or sickness on his ammunition. whoever is shot will be plagued by the disease until the sun sets

can 'see' into the immediate future for certain minor outcomes (he would describe it as more of a 'divine hunch'), such as in blackjack, three card monty, roulette, rolling a dice, flipping a coin, etc.

nina zenik — daughter of hecate (greek)

powers:

can manipulate the mist to cast glamours/illusions upon people to make them appear different and trick both mortal and non-mortals alike

has the innate ability for magic and can cast any spell she's capable of; the power and effectiveness of the spell depends on her confidence and health

can control and summon certain types of dead, such as spirits, ghosts, or souls of the damned (necrokinesis)

matthias helvar — son of mars (roman)

powers:

higher stamina, speed, and strength than the average demigod. has faster reflexes and can dodge/parry otherwise lethal attacks that would kill/injure anyone else.

able to perfectly wield any weapon he chooses.

can bond and commune with wolves, mars's sacred animal.

wylan van eck — son of hephaestus (greek)

powers:

can create small sparks and explosions with his hands like lit gunpowder or firecrackers/fireworks

can detonate explosives such as grenades, landmines, bombs etc. from a range of 1500-2000 feet by reaching out through a form of telekinesis and triggering them. can similarly disarm any explosive

innate understanding of mechanics and electronics.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

@ People who are worried about buying secondhand because it isn't directly giving money to a doll company: buying secondhand is actually a huge help to the community! Supporting other people buying dolls, finding homes for dolls that would otherwise be neglected... have you seen how often people talk about how even decently priced dolls are slow to sell secondhand? YOU can help with that! A healthy secondhand market supports the BJD community just as much as buying new, if not more. People may very well be less likely to buy a specific doll from the company if they worry about difficulties selling it if they don't bond with it or it otherwise isn't to their tastes when it arrives. But a healthy secondhand market means that people can be more confident buy a doll new in the first place! It's like symbiosis or something. Idk. But I do think it's silly to act like buying secondhand harms companies as much as, say, buying a recast. Supporting a flourishing legit BJD community will help everyone in it!

~Anonymous

[pnchinbeez]

I think one of the funniest things about the natm community is that people argue over jeds hair color. Some are like "HES BLONDE IN THE LIVE ACTION, ITS STUPID THEY CHANGED IT!!", others are fine with the ginger hair, but, guys, historically he's a brunette.

(While looking through a few documents on him I also found out that HE WAS FUCKING FRIENDS WITH CLARK, LIKE LEWIS AND CLARK CLARK)

But anyway he's got brown hair , styled like a emo from trying to cover it up after being mauled by a grizzly bear and he's not actually southern, he's from New York and was raised in Pennsylvania after his father got found out for counterfeit money.

[liveyun]

an unknown library.

⊹ liveyun reads of 2023 so far !! joon and seokjin version.

man 😮💨 i really should've made this earlier to avoid the pile-up. there are so MANY golden fics from many underrated authors here which deserve so much more. i’ve been reading for over three years and sadly, the fics compiled here would be the ones which i managed to find in the brink of time ㅠㅠ

there unfortunately have been MANY blogs who've either deactivated, or are inactive since a long time. it personally saddens me a lot, whether they're still into bangtan, whether they're still writing, whether they're all okay.. and more, but above all, i really hope that they're doing well. this is optional, obviously, but leaving a feedback to content really boosts up spirits a lot <3 whether it's an inactive blog or an active one, if it's possible, try communicating or atleast reblogging. it helps a lot :)

most of these fics are rated M, and abiding by the author's wishes, you have to be 18+ in order to read them. however, i’m not responsible for the content you consume online, hence, reader's discretion is adviced.

[ ★ ] : favorites | [ f ] : fluff [ a ] : angst | [ s ] : smut

[ ♪ ] : series

—ꗃ kim namjoon

⊹ bloom by @hobidreams ( a, f, s , 20.7k ) ★★★

⊹ cien anos by @icedmatchatae ( a , 15.1k ) ★★★

⊹ how to not train your dragon by @almostkoo ( f, 2.1k )

⊹ brightside by @lavienjin ( a, f, 8k+ )

⊹ you set my heart on fire by @hayjeon ( a, f , s , 21k ) ★

⊹ out of the woods by @angelicyoongie ( a, f, s , 26.7k) ★

⊹ forever rain by @ddaenggtan ( a, f, s , 18.8k )

⊹ moonstruck by @jeonbunnie ( f, s , a , 4.1k)

⊹ the bodyguard by @rmnamjoons ( f, s, a, 62.9k )

⊹ mr and mrs kim by @jjkeverlast ( s , action, 4.6k )

—ꗃ kim seokjin

⊹ the obsidian pearl by @angelicyoongie ( a, s , 16k ) ★★★★

⊹ 9 months to fall in love by @floralseokjin ( f, s, a, 100k+) ★♪

⊹ the light of the dead stars by @ahundredtimesover ( f, s , a, 150k ) ★♪

⊹ take you down by @lookingforluna ( f, s , 3.5k )

⊹ sunday by @here2bbtstrash ( s , 5k )

⊹ counterfeit culture by @ggukcangetit ( comedy, f, s , 29k )

⊹ to kill a king by @foxymoxynoona ( a, f , s, 70k + ) ♪

⊹ met him last night by @dollfaceksj ( s , 10k)

[nonbinary-gaydonweaver]

oh my god he's so fucking cute I love this 🥹

Posting this while watching a Hivemind premiere >:)

[decamarks]

I kept forgetting to post this... But! Here's some of the stuff I've made for my game so far! It's called CLIENT: Automatic Investigator, and it's a goofy mystery visual novel. (Essentially: Ace Attorney but with robots and gods.)

You play as CLIENT, a computerized detective from ≈ 2002 CE. Its plasticine shell survived billions of years worth of apocalyptic events — until, in the year 2.00291732614102e+23, it finally wakes up from sleep mode. CLIENT is one of the few remaining non-sentient robots in the world. For investigative purposes, CLIENT is equipped with lie detectors, psyche sensors, and the ability to record anything said to it. Since it lacks vocal synthesizers, CLIENT must use hard evidence alone in its investigations. It communicates through what it collects — and through carefully selected audio recordings. (When given a microphone and silence, it turns out most people have a LOT to say.) In 2.00291732614102e+23, Earth's population is all sentient machines and undying deities. Since murder isn't possible (and the world is mostly utopian), CLIENT is left to solve inconsequential cases of counterfeiting, copyright infringement, and the occasional act of arson.

Everyone here is part of the game's first case (OPERATION: AMBROSIA). There will be four cases total, each released individually. Everything is still really early in development, but I'm excited! It's a super silly game & lots of fun to work on.

[youryurigoddess]

Aziraphale’s wine

It is a truth universally acknowledged in the Good Omens fandom that an angel in need of a drink turns to his secret stash of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the back room. He picked up a dozen cases in 1921, and a whole century later there's still some left… for special occasions.

Just to put things in perspective, a standard case contains 12 750ml bottles, for a total of 9 liters of wine. A dozen cases equals 144 bottles, or 108 liters of wine. That’s quite a lot for a single purchase, so Aziraphale — the established sherry and sweet drinks connoisseur — must have had a good reason for it.

One potential explanation is the aura of grandeur around this particular wine. The papal connection, rich history of the region, and recognition of high quality products give Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines a very luxurious status, considerably influencing their price tags. And Aziraphale is known to have standards.

Another one is the way in which their taste differs from Aziraphale’s usual choices: Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds are often described as earthy with gamey flavors that have hints of tar and leather. The wines are considered tough and tannic in their youth, but maintain their rich spiciness as they age.

Since everything in Good Omens has a meaning, it never hurts to run through a quick Strong’s Concordance search whenever a date pops up in a dialogue or, even more importantly, somewhere on screen. More often than not the result seems to match the researched topic, as it’s the case here:

1921: to know exactly, to recognize.

Provided examples: I come to know by directing my attention to him or it, I perceive, discern, recognize; I found out. The general usage of the word usually refers to knowing someone aptly, properly, thoroughly, even biblically. Which might be either a wishful thinking on Aziraphale’s part or just another layer of subtext in this already romantically charged scene. The table dressing, multiple candles, and focus on the lamps with Auguste Moreau’s Young Lovers statues in the background seem to successfully communicate what the angel left unsaid.

Too bad that Crowley remained so adorably oblivious for the next eighty years. At least when he finally came to the realization, he responded with an attempted temptation to another vintage red wine @vidavalor already analyzed.

But back to Aziraphale’s wine. To be exact, it’s a 1921 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the domaine de Baban. An actual French vineyard from the Rhône region that still exists to this day, even though a few decades ago it got merged with another estate into what is now known as domaine Riché-Baban. According to the local guides, the 11 hectares on the estate are located in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape designation area in the Bois Lauzon and Mourre de Baud districts. At the moment 90% of the wines produced there are sent to wine dealers.

1920s were quite an interesting time for this region, but not because of the flapper cabarets or drag shows usually associated with the era on the Old Continent. To the horror of European oenophiles, right after World War I the whole of France found itself awash with fake wine. One of the worst outrages was the use of lead that magically transformed cheap, acid wine into something deceptively rich and sweet on the outside and one of the most powerful neurotoxins on the inside. People were already well aware of its effects — the poisoning from drinking sweetened wine probably made Handel go blind and Beethoven go deaf, but it shows how desperate for sweetness they were before sugar became available to the masses.

Admittably, it wasn’t a new practice. Far from it — the Romans liked it so much that they even advised to pack lead pans on travels to boil local wine in them to make it sweeter, especially in colder provinces like Britannia. But Aziraphale didn’t buy twelve cases of counterfeit wine for the sake of some good memories of Rome and its many health hazards. No, the fussy angel made sure to get the actually good stuff from the other side of the English Channel.

Henry Tacussel, whose name is mentioned on his wine label, was a French viticulturalist and a close friend of Baron Pierre Le Roy of the Chateau Fortia nearby, a trained lawyer and fellow winegrower from Châteauneuf-du-Pape who established the Winegrowers' Union of the Rhône Valley. Together with the Baron he became one of the founders of Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), a labeling system intended to protect regional products and technologies that is still in use in France and serves as an inspiration to similar solutions worldwide. Their efforts were deliberately centred on Châteauneuf-du-Pape because with such a beguiling name even in comparison to other labels it seemed to attract an undue share of fraudsters at the time.

Soon after Aziraphale’s shopping spree, the local wine producers led by Le Roy and Tacussel began a very long campaign to establish legal protection for the wine from their commune. The delimited area and the method of wine production were finally awarded legal recognition after a decade, in 1933, but it wasn’t the end of the criminal activities on this front. An undercover investigation by The Sunday Times discovered that most of the “Châteauneuf” in the 1960s Britain was actually blended and bottled in Ipswich.

One question remains: was it a purely human affair, or maybe one requiring a demonic or angelic intervention?

[klonoa-at-blog]

In-depth: What is a Moo?

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Moo? Perhaps what they enjoy eating? Today, we're going to give you a close up into the lives of those Phantom Beasts we call Moo.

First, let's examine this simple illustration of each function of a Moo.

Wiggly Wobblers: These allow a Moo to hear if danger approaches. As they walk, they wiggle. If stationary, you may even see them twitch in response to sounds.

Saucers: These let them see far ahead, depending on the conditions. It also has no problem seeing in the dark.

Borbs: These let them grasp objects such as shields and lances, due to help from their Pokey Jabbers. Both borbs have a small pink pad.

Pokey Jabbers: If they are unarmed, these will suffice as defense. They appear to extend outwards at times for extra sharpness.

Flippity Flops: These let them maneuver many types of terrain such as snow and staircases. As the name suggests, they are very bendable.

Moouth: This allows them to communicate with other Moo and also eat. Communication consists of the word "Moo" but with differences in inflection to indicate mood or intent.

What do Moo eat? It hasn't been observed in action, but they appear to enjoy ingesting colorful shards known as Dream Stones. These "pieces of dreams" seem to make them larger and more imposing if a certain amount is eaten. Do they find them delicious or just enjoy the benefits they provide? We are still unclear with their diet, as it is only after their demise we've been able to see these gems spill forth.

How does a Moo live? With a quick glance, one might assume they lead simple lives. But, surprisingly, most do not. Some Moo have been observed taking leadership roles, following trends, or devoting themselves to assisting in crime and world domination plots.

Pictured: Group of Moo adopting volleyballs as one of their own (left), Moo spotted assisting with a counterfeit money scheme (right).

Where do Moo live? It is sometimes unclear, as they don't seem to settle anywhere for too long, but often appear wherever there is conflict, chaos, or competition. If one is able, they can even utilize special portals to get from one place to another. These elusive tornado-like apparitions appear and disappear so quickly, nobody has been able to study them properly. It does seem to be a unique characteristic of all Phantom Beasts though. This will require much more research in the future.

Are all Moo evil? Moo, by default, are not evil. It is just within their nature to follow others, or wander by themselves absentmindedly. Oftentimes, they will follow a single path in life, back and forth on loop.

Who is Heart Moo? As mentioned earlier, some Moo take leadership roles. So far, we've only been able to observe this behavior with one we call Heart Moo. Why is that? Because it wears a green bandana with a heart on it. Wherever it goes, be it a volleyball competition or snowboarding, other Moo will follow. Perhaps it is viewed as a good role model for all Moo.

Pictured: The enigmatic Heart Moo, presenting it's prized volleyball to a group of Moos.

Moo are still largely a mystery, like all Phantom Beast who share the same characteristics. We hope one day we will fully understand them and their admirably simple way of life.