#Ginseng Extract

[chevvy-ryder]

I gotta say, since I started drinking vitamin B12 (+ B6) vials and taking magnesum powder predominatly bc of the vacation to feel more fit as I always struggle with tiredness in the morning I now feel less tired and surprisingly more concentrated than in a whole while.

I guess I must have had a huge deficit before that. I also read the B6 can improve the attention. In fact I feel I have more concentration to do things such as writing and getting other stuff done from my to do list.

Next weeks will tell if it continues to stay or it is just because I had 2 weeks off from work. I would love that my current state stays though, as I feel better with it now.

[cedarstoneindustry10]

Benefits of Using High Shear Mixers in Industrial Processes

In industrial processes, achieving uniform and high-quality products efficiently is paramount. High shear mixers have become indispensable tools across various industries due to their exceptional ability to enhance product consistency, reduce processing times, and improve overall mixing efficiency. This blog will explore the major benefits of high shear mixers and provide examples of industries that significantly benefit from their use.

Enhanced Product Consistency

One of the primary advantages of high shear mixers is their ability to produce consistently uniform products. These mixers operate by applying intense mechanical and hydraulic shear forces to the materials, breaking down particles and disseminating them evenly throughout the mixture. This results in a homogeneous product with fine, evenly distributed particles.

In the cosmetics industry, the consistency and texture of products like creams, lotions, and gels are critical. High shear mixers ensure that all ingredients, including active compounds, emulsifiers, and thickeners, are thoroughly blended to achieve a smooth, stable, and aesthetically pleasing final product. This uniformity is essential for consumer satisfaction and product efficacy.

Reduced Processing Times

High shear mixers are known for their ability to significantly cut down processing times. The intense shear forces they generate accelerate the breakdown and dispersion of materials, allowing for faster mixing and achieving the desired consistency in a shorter time frame compared to traditional mixers.

In the food and beverage industry, time is of the essence. High shear mixers are used to rapidly mix ingredients such as sauces, dressings, and dairy products. For instance, when making salad dressings, a high shear mixer can quickly emulsify oil and water-based ingredients, creating a stable and smooth emulsion in a fraction of the time required by conventional methods. This not only boosts production efficiency but also ensures the freshness and quality of the product.

Improved Mixing Efficiency

The design and operation of high shear mixers contribute to their superior mixing efficiency. These mixers are equipped with rotor-stator assemblies that create high-velocity gradients, promoting rapid mixing and ensuring that even the most challenging ingredients are thoroughly combined. The result is a product with enhanced properties and performance.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the precise and efficient mixing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with excipients is crucial for producing effective and safe medications. High shear mixers are used to blend powders and create uniform granules, ensuring that each dose of the medication contains the correct amount of API. This level of mixing efficiency is vital for maintaining the therapeutic efficacy and quality of pharmaceutical products.

Industries That Benefit from High Shear Mixers

Pharmaceuticals: High shear mixers are extensively used in the pharmaceutical industry for processes such as wet granulation, emulsification, and homogenization. They ensure uniform particle size distribution and consistent mixing of APIs with other ingredients, crucial for producing high-quality medications.

Food and Beverage: In the food and beverage industry, high shear mixers are employed to create smooth and stable emulsions, suspensions, and dispersions. They are used in the production of sauces, dressings, dairy products, beverages, and more, where consistency and texture are key to product success.

Cosmetics: The cosmetics industry relies on high shear mixers to achieve uniform texture and stability in products like creams, lotions, gels, and shampoos. These mixers ensure that all ingredients, including oils, water, and active compounds, are thoroughly blended, resulting in high-quality and effective cosmetic products.

Chemicals: High shear mixers are also used in the chemical industry for processes such as polymerization, emulsification, and dispersion. They help achieve uniform particle size distribution and consistent mixing of raw materials, leading to high-quality chemical products.

Conclusion

High shear mixers have revolutionized industrial mixing processes by offering enhanced product consistency, reduced processing times, and improved mixing efficiency. These advantages are particularly beneficial in industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, cosmetics, and chemicals, where product quality and process efficiency are critical. By incorporating high shear mixers into their operations, businesses can achieve superior product performance, streamline production processes, and maintain maximum standards of quality and consistency.

[theambitiouswoman]

Supplements & Vitamins

Here's a list of some of the most commonly used supplements and their benefits. Please remember that while supplements can be beneficial for certain people, everyones nutritional needs are different. It's always a good idea to consult with a specialist before adding any new supplements to your routine, as individual needs may vary.

Multivitamin: Provides a range of essential vitamins and minerals to support overall health and fill potential nutrient gaps in your diet.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Promote heart health, brain function, and reduce inflammation. Typically derived from fish oil or algae.

Vitamin D: Supports bone health, immune function, and may have a positive impact on mood. It's commonly obtained through sun exposure, but supplements can be useful, especially in winter or for those with limited sun exposure.

Probiotics: Help promote a healthy gut microbiome, aiding digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function.

Magnesium: Important for muscle and nerve function, bone health, and energy production. It may also help with relaxation and sleep.

B vitamins: Help convert food into energy, support brain function, and maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Vitamin C: Boosts immune function, acts as an antioxidant, supports collagen production, and aids in iron absorption.

Zinc: Essential for immune function, wound healing, and cell division. It also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Iron: Required for red blood cell production and oxygen transport. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia and fatigue, but it's essential to get iron levels checked before supplementing.

Calcium: Crucial for bone health and muscle function. It's often combined with vitamin D for better absorption.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): Plays a vital role in energy production within cells and acts as an antioxidant. It may benefit heart health and cellular energy metabolism.

Curcumin (Turmeric extract): Possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, potentially supporting joint health and cognitive function.

Ashwagandha: An adaptogenic herb that may help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and support cognitive function.

Green Tea Extract: Contains antioxidants and may support cardiovascular health, weight management, and cognitive function.

Glucosamine: Commonly used for joint health and may help alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Chondroitin: Often taken alongside glucosamine, it may help reduce joint pain and improve joint mobility.

Probiotics for Gut Health: Certain strains of probiotics can help restore and maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria, supporting digestion and immune function.

Melatonin: A hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, melatonin supplements can help with insomnia or jet lag.

Vitamin E: An antioxidant that supports immune function and may help protect against cellular damage.

Ginseng: An adaptogenic herb that may help increase energy, reduce stress, and support cognitive function.

Prebiotics: These are non-digestible fibers that promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, supporting gut health and digestion.

Magnesium: In addition to its previous benefits, magnesium may help reduce muscle cramps, improve mood, and promote relaxation.

Probiotics for Vaginal Health: Certain strains of probiotics can help maintain a healthy balance of vaginal flora, reducing the risk of infections.

Cranberry Extract: Often used for urinary tract health, cranberry extract may help prevent urinary tract infections.

Resveratrol: Found in grapes and berries, resveratrol has antioxidant properties and may support heart health and longevity.

L-theanine: An amino acid commonly found in green tea, L-theanine may promote relaxation, improve focus, and reduce anxiety.

[witchpassing]

a request written for a kind patron, under the prompt "catgirl seeks help in the practice of Stillness, as she wants to part time as a maneki-neko".

The shop bell jingles as Jun shoulders in, shaking snow from her cloak, huffing against the cold. “Welcome to the Golden Coil Medicine Shop, young miss! How may this one serve - oh, it’s you. Hi, Jun.” The doll running the counter slides out of its ramrod posture with an inelegant little yawn. 

Jun snorts, hooking her hat onto the stand. “Aw, Ginseng, you’re not going to take my coat? I’m nearly a fully-certified witch now, y’know. You should keep it up with the young miss stuff, get yourself into the habit.” 

Ginseng sticks out a teal-blue tongue in answer. “The usual, it assumes,” it says, turning to the dark wall of lacquered drawers behind the counter, each one’s contents labelled in print-perfect doll handwriting. 

“The usual.” While Ginseng goes through the monthly routine, stepladder and scales and brown paper bag with label and seal, Jun’s eye wanders about the shop. Ginseng is always changing something or other about the decor in here - pre-Becoming, it was probably an interior designer or something - but the new addition this time is… really something. A poured-gold statue of a beckoning cat, the full shape and scale of a felinid woman kneeling upon a cushioned pedestal. Its upraised paw swings almost hypnotically, as if to the beat of an unheard metronome. 

A folded paper bag is pushed across the counter by finely jointed fingertips. “Crushed extract-of-venus, five grams. Enriched black cohosh, ten grams. Thank you for your custom, young miss.” Ginseng curtseys just slightly too deep to be sincere, the sarcasm of gesture that dolls do best, and Jun snorts. 

“See, now you’re getting it.” She folds the package into the witch-pocket beneath her coat, but she just - can’t take her eyes off that cat statue. “Hey, uh - what’s with the maneki-neko? It’s a bit, I don’t know…” 

“Striking?” Ginseng says, hopefully. 

“... Gaudy?” 

“Hey!” says the statue, and Jun jumps about a foot in the air. “Rude!” Its tail switches about the base of its pedestal, aggrieved. In motion, the glinting gold of its skin reveals itself to be… a considerable amount of fur-safe paint?

“Oh, what the fffff –” a witch must never swear, “- Cleo?” 

“Yes! Cleo!” says Cleo. “Aw, fuck, Jun, you really think I look gaudy?” 

“Uh - no, no, you look - gold’s a good colour on you. What’s going on?” 

“Oh, you two know each other?” Ginseng leans its elbows on the counter. “How droll. Jun, she’s the new part-timer. It’s really nothing to get worked up about.”

“Uh... huh. Cleo, I know you’re not getting the kind of money out of Ginseng that makes sitting on a pedestal all day worth it. What are you actually in this for?” A roll of glass eyes, as if Jun, having helped out here once or twice a week back before her workload got too heavy to manage, isn’t entirely qualified to opine on how Ginseng pays its shop’s part-timers.

“Well, y’see. I’m lucky now,” Cleo says, as if that explains it completely. Jun waits for some sort of elaboration on the thought, but she just takes advantage of the lapse in kayfabe to start preening her fur. 

"The customers have been petting her," Ginseng supplies. 

"Yeah! That too!” Cleo chirps.” C'mon, c'mon, you know you wannaaa-" 

As she tilts forward on her knees, head seeking Jun’s touch, the silver-chased bell hung upon her neck ribbon stirs into a chime; a high, pure tone that is somehow, for the two seconds for which it hangs in the air, the most important thing in the shop. When the sound fades, Cleo has rocked back into her luck-beckoning pose, swishing tail and twitching ears statue-steady, her eyes cloudy with the kind of deep, thought-ending calm that freewilled creatures do not attain without magical intervention.  

"I thought that bell looked familiar," Jun says. 

"Then - then you know as well as this one does that it's perfectly harmless!" Ginseng says, detecting the baleful note of consequences in the junior witch’s voice.

"You have attached a category-four cursed object to our mutual friend - which I loaned you, from my mistress’ collection - so that she can part-time at your master’s shop as a good luck charm." 

“She was so eager to start! And, and she’s been a huge hit with the customers, and you can’t expect a cat to master Stillness on her own overnight-”

“I’m telling your Miss.” 

“Noooo, Juuun.” 

“I am. You’re not wheedling me out of this, you wretch.” 

“C’mooonnn, it’s fine, she likes it…”

“I should kick your ass myself! Another shift’s worth of this and she’ll Become right here in the middle of the shop, and then what are you going to do, huh, tell your Lady she just walked in and did that–"

[mooredanxieties]

Chinese Herbal Silkie Chicken Soup

A popular immune-boosting elixir

Most often, a main ingredient of this soup is the Chinese Yam, a recommendation substitute for potatoes (a Nightshade vegetable) for those with autoimmune disorders because of its anti-inflammatory properties

Hannibal notably left out this ingredient in the soup he gave Will.

Treatments for Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis:

Immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive therapies

Anti-seizure medication

Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP): a diet tailored to reduce inflammation, pain, and other symptoms caused by autoimmune diseases

Of the 5 ingredients Hannibal listed, 4 of them are potentially harmful for those with autoimmune disorders:

Wolf berries ("Goji Berries") - A 'Nightshade Vegetable', recommended to avoid if you have an autoimmune disorder

Red Dates ("Chinese Dates" or "Jujube") - The extract has been found to interact with some seizure medications

Ginseng ("Ginseng Root") - Studies have shown it can boost the immune system and exacerbate autoimmune diseases at the same time

Star Anise - Recommended against, according to the official AIP diet for people with autoimmune conditions

Hannibal enjoys creating situations where Will feels compelled to seek comfort (whether physical or emotional) from him, because he enjoys when Will needs him. He enjoys providing Will comfort, and he feels no guilt causing Will to need that comfort.

His actions are always multifaceted.

Giving Will a comfort food that often holds friendly/familial/romantic connotations and ALSO causes Will to be more dependent on him is a 'killing two birds with one stone' plan.

Sweet and cruel in equal measure

[zhaliacain]

Huntikmas day 11- Making mental health kits for the team

Zhalia:

Mental health activity: See below but also some mental health reminder cards. I'm sure she doesn't like hearing it but reading it on a card might be better than being told by someone else what to do. She also gets a weighted blanket.

activity: Journalling, obviously this is something Zhalia does routinely in the show and I think that's an important ritual or habit for her to process things. Additionally drawing, that's a big part of this fandom but I think technical drawings of the things she's seen or places she's been will help her process her thoughts more logically.

fidget toy: I don't know what theyre called but those spiky pad things for pain stim. We see in show Zhalia displaying anxious habits such as biting her lips or holding one arm (I've got a whole head canon thing she has nerve damage from childhood that's a whole other story) so I think redirecting that into a stimulus that isn't actually harmful would be ideal.

drink: hot chocolate, trying to keep her away from the caffeine which can be detrimental during mental health episodes but it still provides an energy boost and dopamine hit. We've gone for instant sachets because I don't think she would want to take the time to sort something like that but this way its no hassle.

watching: Okay probably should have done this one after the huntikmas team and their niche special interests but in short, Zhalia likes nature documentaries. It's all just science and she knows it which is comforting, in particular for Zhalia fish. She has tropical fish in Vienna and I feel like documentaries on weird deep sea fish would be relaxing for her. Disturbing for everyone else, but comforting for her.

Dante:

Mental health activity: Right so we know for a fact that Dante forgets to take care of himself when he's worried, therefore for Dante I propose a self care checklist or workbook. These are there to help him remember to take care of himself physically and mentally. He also gets a weighted blanket because Coat Theory TM.

activity: Okay I wasn't sure for Dante because they always describe him as an extreme sportsman, so I've brought up a couple of points. 1. he canonically plays guitar, and I think taking some time to practice and play for himself will help relax him. 2. There's no way he has a TV that big just to look at Guggenheims face a couple of times a week. He's either a movie buff or plays video games so I've gone with the latter as a good way to help him unwind.

fidget toy: I don't know what they're called, I have some and best I can describe them is finger nunchucks. Point is they're small and look cool but also skill based. The motion would be familiar and help Dante when he's restless without distracting him too much.

drink: Right so rather unfortunately given the country I live in I don't massively like tea and I'm not an expert. But Dante is having decaffeinated and calming teas like chamomile (?). In the show we know he drinks things like ginseng extract which acts like caffeine and helps with fatigue. Obviously Dante is trying to do as much as possible but he needs to stop and rest before he ends up collapsing on a dessert island.

watching: I've gone for X-files because I HC that as a favourite of his and one he's watched many times before but I've also given him headphones because I think he'd find listening to music calming.

Sophie:

Mental health activity: Affirmation cards, Sophie needs to remember that just because she isn't perfect, doesn't mean she's failed. Instead affirming and validating herself regardless of the outcome in important for her.

activity: Reading journals, this feels fairly productive but also gets her away from her books and gives her the opportunity to practice reflecting. Additionally, I think some mindful colouring would be ideal for her.

fidget toy: Stress ball, we can see Sophie getting visibly irritated when she's stressed so I think throwing or squishing something would be good way to get that initial energy stress out of her system

drink: I'm not sure, I suspect there's something Leblanche makes her when she's stressed but I don't know if its a specific tea or hot chocolate. But there's definitely a warm drink that's made with love that makes Sophie feel better.

watching: Classic movies, I think the calmer colour tones and less overstimulating plots from old movies would help relax her as well as provide a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. But also audiobooks of her childhood favourites.

Lok:

Mental health activity: Lok's mental health task is to write positive things about himself, I think its easy to become overwhelmed: is he doing enough to find his dad, is he a good team leader, is he a good seeker. We don't want all those moments of self doubt so Lok needs to write positive things about himself, his successes and where he's tried hard.

activity: Puzzle books, specifically escape room books because they have a bit more of a plot and narrative to keep him focussed. He also gets stickers because he deserves them.

fidget toy: Infinity cubes and magic cubes, I think they have the same kind of feel in your hands as a puzzle which is ideal muscle memory for him.

drink: Water, I think when things start to get on top of Lok's he can forget certain basics like hydrate before you diedrate

watching: Indiana Jones, we're going for comfort shows that he's very familiar with.

Cherit:

Mental health activity: I think as a titan Cherit doesn't have a lot of control over his life. He can only go public places people take him in bags otherwise keeping to the shadows, he's probably not getting paid, moving in with Dante was probably the first time he'd lived outside of a HQ in years. So instead, Cherit's mental health priority is to look at the things he can control, and make positive changes for himself. Part of CBT is the whole reasonable arguments stuff so although he needs to consider that fact he's a living gargoyle, there are ways in which he can change his own circumstances, stand up for himself and acknowledge control.

activity: Origami, he's tiny I think he'd be good at those small folds that the people on social media use tweezers for.

fidget toy: These magnetic thingies give Cherit the chance to be creative in his fidgeting, plus they're small enough for him to use.

drink: Right so I don't know how caffeine and sugar affect titans in comparison to humans but he is tiny and I am concerned for him so we're aiming for healthy squashes. I don't know anything about the brands they're just pictures but we want something natural like water with a bit of pizzaz.

watching: daytime television for Cherit, I think he would enjoy seeing some of the things humans come up with. In particular friendly competitions like the bake off and those auction shows and stuff, still keeping it wholesome for his mental health (he's seen enough bad things from humans).

Harrison:

Join a cult.

I'm joking, I'm joking.

Mental health activity: I mean they all need therapy but I think some cult deprogramming therapy wouldn’t hurt specifically for Harrison. He’s just got the whole mental health workbook because I don’t even know where to start

activity: chill video games, apart from being in a cult we don’t get a lot about Harrison’s interests but I think calming repetitive games with farming elements can teach him good practises.

fidget toy:yo-yo, like Dante its skill based but repetitive which can help him focus and direct his feelings. Also the sugar cube, he can squish them out of shape but there’s resistance and enforces patience as it takes longer to reshape than a stress ball

drink: I think ice cubes would help, they pull you out of immediate negative thought cycles and as a bonus hydrate you in the process.

watching: who knows, not true crime that’s for sure

Den:

Mental health activity: grounding cards, kind of like we’ve seen before. Den often gets frustrated in the show and I think it’s important for him to have something external reminding him of the facts and keeping him in the present rather than spiralling about the future or the past. This will also help him with recognising things he can’t control and how he can control his own actions to create a better environment for himself.

activity: I think Den would like these sticker books that make a whole picture, it’s relaxing, it’s got the nostalgia of childhood sticker books and you’ve got some really nice art to be proud of at the end. Like Harrison he’s got calming and cosy games because I think any game with a plot, combat or puzzles would add to his frustration. From what I hear about animal crossing I think that would be a good fit because he has the opportunity to show off and really customise it to himself.

fidget toy: fidget spinner, please can some just give this kid a fidget spinner. Bonus points if he can work out how to use shadow point on them.

drink: den deserves to treat himself, I think part of his mental health is learning that he needs to prioritise and take care of his own health too, so going out of his way to have an extra special drink with all the toppings is a good self care

watching: any kind of action comedy, I think it needs to be heavily action packed and fast paced but also have a happy outcome so he doesn’t spiral with the negativity and unfairness in the world

[beautyisararething]

Scents and Sensibility

From Details Magazine, July 1992, by Brian Eno

I started thinking about smell in 1965. At art college, a friend and I made a little collection of evocative aromas, housed in about fifty small bottles. There was rubber, naptha, motorcycle dope, cuir de russe (used to make leather smell like leather rather than dead animals), gasoline, ammonia, juniper wood. In 1978, in a neglected and unlikely part of London, I discovered an old pharmacy that was crammed with oils and absolutes.

Their beautiful names - styrax, patchouli, franipani, amber, myrrh, geraniol, opoponax, heliotrope - and their familiar/strange aromas attracted my curiosity, and I bought over a hundred bottles. Soon I found myself actively collecting the primary materials of perfumery - in Madrid I found a crumbling apothecary's with dozens of mysteriously labeled phials; in San Francisco I discovered the strage olfactory world of Chinatown, of five spices and jasmine and ginseng; a woman I met in Ibiza gave me a minute bottle containing just one drop of an utterly heavenly material called nardo (I later came to think that this was probably spikenard oil, extracted from a shrub growing at between six and eight thousand feet on the Himalayas and used by wealthy Indian ladies as a prelude to lovemaking).

I started mixing things together. I was fascinated by the synergies of combinations, how two quite familiar smells carefully combined could create new and unrecognizable sensation. Perfumery has a lot to do with this process of courting the edges of unrecognizability, of evoking sensations that don't have names, or of mixing up sensations that don't belong together. Some materials are in themselves schizophrenic (or is it oxymoronic?) in that they have two rather contradictory natures. Methyl octane carbonate, for example, evokes the smell of violets and motorcycles; Dior's Farenheit uses a lot of it. Orris butter, a complex derivative of the roots of iris, is vaguely floral in small amounts but almost obscenely fleshy (like the smell beneath a breast or between buttocks) in quantity. Civet, from the anal gland of the civet cat, is intensely disagreeable as soon as it is recognizable, but amazingly sexy in subliminal doses (it features in Guerlain's Jicky, probably the oldest extant perfume, and one whose market has changed over the hundred years of its existence - it now has a following among gay men). Courmarin, the primary ingredient in Cacharel's Lou Lou, has the characteristic smell of late summer, from whose flowers and grassses it is derived, but then it carries strange overtones of powder, boudoirs, bedrooms...

You don't have to dabble for very long to begin to realize that the world of smell has no reliable maps, no single language, no comprehensible metaphorical structure within which we might comprehend it and navigate our way around it. It seems to compare poorly, for example, with the world of sight. If we want to think about color, we can use words like hue and brightess and saturation. We can visualize a particular sightly milky green, imagine where it falls on a spectrum chart, look at its neighbours and complemetaries, and the finally say that it is, say, "eau de nil" or "pale turquoise" or "jade." These are relatively precise numerically, in angstroms, for example, or (if you want to paint your house in it) as "British Standard paintshade number something-or-other." Similarly with shape: We use measurement and geometry and, of course, drawings, to communicate that type of information.

But the best we seem to be able to do with smells is to evoke comparisons. We can say that karanal is "like striking a flint," that the aldehyde C14 is "like latex." As far as I know there is not even the beginning of a usable system of realting these to one another. Where does karanal stand in relation to tuberose? Or sandalwood to sage? Don't ask me.

Like others who've played with perfumes, I found this somewhat unsatisfactory. I wanted a system, a map. I briefly thought I might be able to make one myself, but this plan foundered as I jotted down the resemblance between strawberries and egg yolk, between breweries and certain types of horsehair bedding. I just knew I didn't have enough stamina to collect, let alone collate, all those sensations. I'd also noticed to my confusion that the substances "coriander" and "vetiver" were never quite the same twice. The vetiver I bought in the Walworth Road in London was distinctly different from what I got from the labs of Quest International in Paris, and the French coriander I found in 1988 was different from the French coriander I bought a year later. Even the names, it turned out, didn't describe anything stable. So, still lost, I abandoned the classification project (what a relief!) and decided to continue pleasurably stumbling around in the gloaming, rubbing bits of thei and that on anyone kind enough to loan me a patch of their skin, then sniffing to test the effects (it turned out to be a great way of getting to know people...).

It took me a long time to begin to realize that this was the way things were likely to continue. Just like with everything else, there was probably never going to be a time when I "knew what I was doing," when I had in mind some final, logical picture of the whole world of smell. The Linnaeus of smell was not to be, or not to be me.

It's strange how you arrive at ideas, how thoughts consolidate themselves out of the most disparate and unlikely beginnings, and how often those beginnings are realizations from experience that something isn't possible (or alternately is possible but not interesting). This is one such roundabout story.

During my dabbling with perfumes, I'd also been dabbling with other things, including music. Whenever I talked about sound, I stressed the inadequacy of the classical languages that composers had used to describe it. I said that the evolution of the electronic instruments and recording processes had created a situation where the whole question of timbre - the physical quality of sound - had been opened up wide and had become a major focus of compositional attention. Modern composers and producers working in recording studios were experimenting with sound itself and were quite content to use largely traditional "received" forms (such as "the blues") upon which to hang their experiments. It struck me that this had been completely missed by classically trained musicologists, who were always looking for innovation in places where it wasn't happening. They were expecting that any music that deserved the title "new" would be making breakthroughs in harmony, in melody, in compositional structure; but here they were faced with a music that, in those respects, had barely made it past the turn of the century.

When they failed to notice, or at least attach any importance to, was that their language, the language of classical written composition, simply didn't have any terms to describe Jimi Hendrix's guitar sound on "Voodoo Chile" or Phil Spector's production of "Da Doo Ron Ron" - arguably the most interesting features of those works. Rock music, I kept saying, was a music of timbre and texture, of the physical experience of sound, in a way that no other music had ever been or could have ever been. It dealt with a potentially infinite sonic pallette, a palette whose gradations and combinations would never adequately be described, and where the attempt at description must always lag behind the infinites of permutation.

So while I was happy to accept and exploit this wonderfully fluid situation in music, I was worried about finding myself in the same place vis-à-vis perfume. The inconsistency of these positions finally filtered through to me while I was delivering a talk to a group of businessmen in Brussels. My talk was called "The Future of Culture in Europe," and in it I tried to sketch out the breakdown of the classical view of Culture and art history in favor of a more contemporary one. Until quite recently, I said, Culture had been viewed as a field of hurman behaviors and artifacts that could be organized in some ideal way, the assumption being that, if only we sat down and talked about it for long enough, we would all agree that, say, Dante, Shakespeare, Beethoven, Goethe, Wagner, and a few other big names were the real kingpins of Culture, and that, say, chocolate-box designers, popular balladeers, walking-stick carvers, hairdressers, clothes designers, and Little Richard were all relatively marginal. The history of the history of art is really the story of people trying to make a claim form one orthodoxy in favor of any other, asserting that the particular line that they drew through the field of all the events we refer to as Culture had some special validity and the proximity to that line was a measure of originality, profundity, longevity: in short, of value.

For many reasons this idea of intrinsic, given value becomes less and less tenable. We don't expect to write books now called "The History of Painting" (as if there were only one), and only a dwindling band of fundamentalists (about 5.9 billion at the last count) still believe in "the True Nature" of anything. We become more and more comfortable with the idea that there are all sorts of ways of describing and organizing phenomena, that there are descriptive languages that don't translate into one another, that there is no absolute basis upon which to decide between one language and the other, and that anyway, "the same set of phenomena" is a shifting field of energies that we choose to give the same name to until it gets so confusing that we have to find another.

So, just as we might come to accept that "coriander" is a name for a fuzzy, not very clearly defined space in the whole of our smell experience, we also start to think about other words in the same way. Big Ideas (Freedom, Truth, Beauty, Love, Reality, Art, God, America, Socialism) start to lose their capital letters, cease being so absolute and reliable, and become names for spaces in our psyches. We find ourselves having to frequently reassess or even reconstruct them completely. We are, in short, increasingly uncentered, unmoored, lost, living day to day, engaged in and ongoing attempt to cobble together a credible, at least workable, set of values, ready to shed it and work out another when the situation demands.

And I love it: I love watching us all become dilettante perfume blenders, poking inquisitive fingers through a great library of ingredients and seeing which combinations make sense for us, gathering experience - the possibility of better guesses - without certainty.

Perhaps our sense of this, the sense of belonging to a world held together by networks of ephemeral confidences (such as philosophies and stock markets) rather than permanent certainties, predisposes us to embrace the pleasures of our most primitive and unlangued sense. Being mystified doesn't frighten us as much as it used to. And the point for me is not to expect perfumery to take its place in some nice, reliable, rational world order, but to expect everything else to become like perfume.

[pure-ablution]

Please can you share your recipe for focus tea?

It’s a base of weak yerba mate plus equal parts gingko, centella asiatica, rosemary, ashwagandha, holy basil, and peppermint. I add in ginseng extract, too.

[idontknowwhatnametouseyet]

Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Glucose, Syrup, Acid (Citric Acid), Flavourings, Taurine (0.4%), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrates), Panax Ginseng Root Extract (0.08%), L-Carnitite L-Tartrate (0.04%), Preservatives (Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid), Caffeine (0.03%), Colour (Anthocyanins), Vitamins (B3, B6, B2, B12), Sweetener (Sucralose), Sodium Chloride, D-Glucuronolatone, Guarana Seed Extract, (0.002%), Insitol, Maltodextrin.

why is there still four hours left of the day

[art-of-healing]

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[wellnessway25]

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[skinthesis]

Korean skincare

okay guys so Korean skincare has been my obsession lately, it has taken the beauty world to a different level, so Korean skincare mainly focuses on maintaining healthy skin rather than just covering flaws with makeup which I love that they think this, their innovative ingredients like niacinamide, snail mucin, fermented extracts, ginseng and rice water, their products are lightweight and designed to be layered for maximum hydration without clogging pores, it's affordable and with a wide variety of products.

One of my favorite brands is "Beauty of Joseon" it's a really great brand they combine traditional Korean ingredients with modern formulations, other great brands are COSRX which is great for acne, Innisfree, Laneige, Anua, and Dr. Jart+ these are some Korean brands that I know of.

Korean skincare has its iconic 10-step skincare routine that consists of an oil-based cleanser, water-based cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, serum, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer, and lastly, sunscreen.

So far I've liked the Korean skincare line some of my favorite products are their sunscreen, toner, serums, and moisturizer, perhaps you would like to share your favorite Korean skincare products I would love to try them! :)

[alectoperdita]

WIP Snippet Sunday

Finally wrote something sfw that can be shared. 😂 From the next chapter of In bed with the mob.

---

Without tearing his eyes off his monitor, he groped for another stick of ginseng extract. When his fingers grasped empty air, he glanced into the container and groaned. He was out.

For a second, he considered checking to see if any of the other associates were currently around and raiding their supply. But every other office was dark, empty, and locked.

It wasn't even ten yet. Slackers.

He peered into the fridge in the breakroom. It was accepted that anything left inside after nine was fair game.

Just as empty as the rest of the office.

There was always coffee in this dire circumstance, even if it was the instant crap. As he stirred his mug and contemplated the empty breakroom's blank walls, his phone buzzed in his waistcoat pocket. He fished it out without much thought, expecting another email notification since he stepped away from his desk.

It wasn't.

Jounouchi miss ya lemme know youre still alive and kicking

Longing kicked Seto in the chest with the force of a bucking stallion.

He had been so busy that he barely exchange more than a handful of messages with the man since the trial started. Only five days ago and yet it felt like an eternity. But it had been even longer since he last saw Jounouchi.

---

Seto's chugging these. Totally based on the lawyers in OMG, Your Honour lol. Guess product placement does work.

[here-am-i-sitting-in-a-tin-can]

you don’t fw ginseng extract like i do

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

2. A sprig of fresh mint.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Next, you'll need to combine the base ingredient with an appropriate vehicle.

3. Mash it into a paste with some aloe vera extract.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?

A few pomegranate seeds.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - The mint and aloe vera make this poultice ideal for soothing inflammation and minor burns. It won't do anything for your hangover, though.

+5 XP

ENDURANCE [Medium: Success] - Be that as it may, it might have been useful to have such a thing for the trials you'll soon be facing. It's a shame you can't get your hands on these ingredients.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Would you like to try again?

Yeah, let's try again.

No, this stuff is all a bunch of hooey anyway. (Close the book.)

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Very well. First, choose a base ingredient.

Ginger root.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Next, you'll need to combine the base ingredient with an appropriate vehicle.

2. Boil it with a tea made from birch bark.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?

3. Some wild ginseng root.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - The ginger root will help with the nausea and the birch bark tea will help you flush out the toxins. The ginseng should give you more energy, as a nice bonus.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - The very thought of this tea causes your muscles to relax and your mind to clear. You're more present and in control than you were a moment ago.

+1 Morale

Mmmm. (Savour the feeling a moment longer.)

Alright, time to get back to work. (Close the book.)

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - A tingle rushes down your spine and you feel your toes uncurl. If only it could always be like this.

2. I think I just want some general health advice.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Have you taken any walks through the pale recently?

Yes, twice a week.

Maybe?

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - And on your walks, do you stop to meditate on the nature of your being?

Totally. Every time.

No, I don't.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - You need to do that. It's important for opening up your agiogenous zones.

At the Remote Viewers Division we're trained to keep our agiogenous zones maximally dilated.

What are agiogenous zones?

Okay, that's enough. (Close the book.)

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Remote Viewers Division? What kind of woo-woo shit is that?

This book contains serious ancient wisdom, not whacko conspiracy theories. If you don't respect it, it will never reveal its secrets.

2. What are agiogenous zones?

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - They're a series of psychic nodes located throughout your body. Unfortunately, the stresses of modern life often cause us to close off our agiogenous zones, which can result in all manner of physical and psychic ailments...

Regular meditation in the pale, however, can help to open up these zones, permitting the freeflow of psychic energy throughout the body.

Oh… then I do, very much so. I meditate *all the time*.

That's just ridiculous. (Close the book.)

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Good. And when you meditate, are you in the nude?

Oh, yeah. Buck naked.

What? No.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Nudity is the most important part. Of the many ways modern society prevents our true selves from manifesting, clothing may be the most repressive...

You probably can't even take off your pants, can you?

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - Nor should you. Nudity is *shameful*. No officer of the law should ever be caught *sans pantalones*.

Oh god, you're right. I *can't* take my pants off!

I could, I just don't feel like it.

I could, but Kim's here.

MEDICINAL PURPOSES OF THE PALE - Your partner is even more repressed than you are. It would do you both a world of good to spend a little more time getting in touch with your bodies.

KIM KITSURAGI - You glance over at the lieutenant, who is standing, as usual, with his hands neatly folded behind his back. What he's thinking about, if he's thinking about anything at all, is absolutely opaque to you.

3. [Put the book away.]

Alright. Now there really *is* nothing left for us to do but go to the island.

ROO A72 MOTOR SKIFF - A skiff with a small steering engine in the back floats on the calm mirror of the sea. Its two seats are empty.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Legendary: Success] - The boat's belly is a shiny yellow colour, industrial paint over fresh tar. You see it reflect off the water, along with the factory number: A72.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - Once you get in, that's it -- one pull of the starter handle and you're off into the bay. A strange trepidation comes over you: are you sure you want to go *now*?

SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - Have you made all the necessary preparations? Closed all your accounts?

LOGIC [Trivial: Success] - Remember what the Net Picker said: It's a small tank. You won't be going back and forth on this.

We're ready.

"You take the engine, Kim. I'll hold the boombox."

Get in and ride to the island.

(I'm not ready yet.) [Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "What?"

"What 'what'? How else do we blast *Sad FM* on our way to the island?"

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself."

Say nothing.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Fine." He gives you resigned shrug. "Let's *blast* Sad FM then."

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - Sad FM is a radio station specializing in sad, slow rock songs. You seem to know its frequency by heart.

2. Get in and ride to the island.

🎵 Burn, Baby, Burn

ROO A72 MOTOR SKIFF - The boat comes to a slow stop. You turn the engine off -- then there's silence.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - In the silence -- a sputter of wings. A flock of quails takes off in the distance...

SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - There is very little wind here today. The ghost is standing still. You look at your arms, then the cliffs above you...

KIM KITSURAGI - "Let's go." He whispers.

Task complete: Go to the island

+10 XP

[Climb out.]

🎵 Sea Fort

A makeshift bridge. The bombs were powerful enough to break the foundation.

The rusted chain trails off into the ocean...

INTERFACING - The chain trails off into the ocean, connecting the island to the supply depot on the coast.

(Point to it.) "This leads to the depot in Land's End."

[Finish thought.]

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant looks at the mechanism overhead. "Ah, yes... so it seems."

"What do you think it was used for?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "For bringing munitions to the island, maybe? And supplies. You could also *lock* the bay, when you raise the chain."

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - As a defensive measure locking off that side of the bay.

3. "Lock it from whom?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "From enemies." He looks up ahead. "Enemies of the Commune of Revachol. This seafort was a revolutionary fortification, I believe..."

+5 XP

4. [Finish thought.]

These tyres are falling apart. They're at least 50 years old.

That's as far as we can get this way. Let's go up the stairs.

These stairs feel ancient... soldiers' feet ran up them long ago.

There's a lingering trace of mazut in the air.

"ATTENTION - INFLAMMABLE"

Some fuel has leaked out of the barrel. Black, viscous.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - The dry grass crackles under your feet as you stop. Far away birds' wings touch the still surface of the sea...

What is that flutter?

[Stop listening.]

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - The flock of quail departs; now more than a hundred metres away... a hundred and two... a hundred and five...

Underneath the flutter...

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - On the islet? There is almost no wind, just snow quietly falling on the reeds. Bulrushes swaying on the waterline, long dried leaves chafing against each other.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Like a silent orchestra tuning -- at the beginning of some major work.

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - Of great importance to the few who attend.

To the west...

To the east...

Beyond that... further north...

"Kim..."

[Open your eyes, stop listening.]

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - A silent hiss, sea air moving through the needles of a pine tree.

2. To the east...

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - The far away roar of the city, distant like today's dream. Before it, the sound of sand. The low tide filtered through its grains... a bird tending to its feathers.

Snow falls on the water, melting away without even a whisper.

3. Ahead…

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - A low hum. The air slowly moves through a concrete box -- through its ancient slits and cracks. Resonating. Hollow. A big building.

4. Beyond that… further north…

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - Air flows out of a pillbox window. There is very little there. The air cossets flowers on a meadow? Absolute silence. Reeds motionless. Bulrushes motionless.

A flake of snow falls on an extinguished camp-fire. Hiss…

5. Below the silence?

PERCEPTION (HEARING) - Col Do Ma Ma Daqua.

+5 XP

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - We are way out now... Way out in the West.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - No, it's just your imagination. You can't hear such things.

6. "Kim..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes?"

"It's pretty silent on this island."

"Have you noticed how quiet it is?"

"It's really fucking silent on this island."

KIM KITSURAGI - "I have -- is that why we're stopping?"

"Sorry. Let's move." [Leave.]

"Mhm. Wait. I have to listen to one more thing."

Warm air -- from the inside of the building. It's warmer there than out here.

This barrel says: ICM. You see a star with little specks on it.

No way to get up there. The stairs are gone.

The little birch from the coin operated viewer. Still holding on.

Only way forward is into the fort.

🔊 Low Drone

This was once an armament rest.

Twin cannons were attached here. Medium distance, large calibre.

Careful. These stairs have collapsed.

Books. Mostly *fantastique* and historical fiction.

Dishes stained with sauce and fire. A survivor's kitchen.

You see candles planted on a broken rangefinder.

A moth-bitten bed sheet keeps the wind out.

FALN "ARROWER" SHIRT

+1 Hand/Eye Coordination: Sleeveless aim

This FALN training shirt has seen one wash too many. It retains its unusual design -- one sleeve short, the other long -- but little of its original colours. A giant 'F' swooshes across its chest, now in grey.

Hey, that's the full FALN set. Let's put it on.

COMPOSURE - O glorious Falnier! You wear the full set like a true-born hero. The *ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE* of FALN flows in you.

I feel... so *dynamic*.

I look so *futuristic*.

It's like I can do anything. *ANYTHING*!

COMPOSURE - You are the most *Ultra* of men. Peak performance!

Go on! The fucking sunset awaits, FALN rider!

ARMY SURPLUS WINTER SCARF

+2 Empathy: Plight of the underclass -1 Composure: Sucks to be poor

This towy old scarf itches when wrapped around the neck. It has *humanitarian aid* written all over it. Yet you know that thousands all over the isola are suffering the same fate as you -- the fate of uncomfortable army surplus scarves.

READING MATERIALS - Books and magazines lie scattered on the floor and on a makeshift cupboard. They are not particularly well organized.

Sift through them.

[Leave.]

READING MATERIALS - Most are softcovers: serialized *fantastique* and detective stories from the Twenties and Thirties. This disparate digest includes the classic 'Animal Adventures'.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Popular depictions of man-versus-nature by amateur naturalists T. and T. Harpin (husband and wife). Widely read by people from all walks of life. Who doesn't like nature? Who doesn't want to *survive*?

READING MATERIALS - Among what is mostly commercial fiction and serialized stories, you find a 'Magazine Cathodique' for electrical engineering. Then it's back to pulp: light erotica, an international thriller about circuit benders...

KIM KITSURAGI - "Someone's made themselves a home." The lieutenant inspects a softcover.

[Conceptualization - Heroic 15] Does anything stand out as unusual?

[Leave.]

+1 All things communist.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Heroic: Failure] - Not that you can tell. This is a digest of someone who's dead bored. Most of it is for entertainment purposes, fittingly right next to the *radiola* on the floor.

Nothing? Nothing out of the ordinary?

Okay.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Maybe it's a little old-fashioned? There's a nude mag? More than that, you can't say.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - Hmm... the print in some of these is pretty small though. This person has good eyesight.

Damn, and our Conceptualization is maxed out, so we can't try again. ...maybe I can get more bonuses?

RHETORIC - This hat is so soft, so warm. It wraps around your head... and your mind tingles with all manner of socio-economic theory.

This is an *ushanka*, right? (Pat the hat.)

Oops, it's a fashion faux pas! [Discard the thought -- and the hat.]

RHETORIC - Kras Mazov would have worn this ushanka. Mazov knew where to cook those thoughts, that's why it bears a Mazovian logo.

Glory to the Revolution, comrade! Whether you like it or not, wearing this hat has made you more communist.

+1 Communism

[Conceptualization - Heroic 15] Does anything stand out as unusual?

+1 All things communist. +2 Dresscode: Winter revolutionary.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Heroic: Success] - Oh yes. Under the bed, there is a rather extensive collection of *critical theory* -- that is: dour, life-non-affirming left wing literature -- published by small imprints such as Abattoir Firm and Ousia. It's not exactly light reading.