#Industrial Food Preparation Market

[mmarketdbmr]

Food Service Equipment Market Growth Drivers: Share, Value, Size, and Insights

"Food Service Equipment Market Size And Forecast by 2030

According to Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the Global Food Service Equipment Market which was USD 36.88 Million in 2022 is expected to reach USD 47.49 Billion by 2030 and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 3.21% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2030

Food Service Equipment Market is making significant strides in the industry with its latest advancements and strategic expansions. As a leading player, Food Service Equipment Market continues to revolutionize the sector with cutting-edge solutions and a commitment to excellence. The company’s recent initiatives have strengthened Commercial Kitchen Equipment Market position in the global market, driving growth and innovation. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, Hospitality Food Machinery Market has introduced new products and services designed to meet the evolving demands of consumers. By leveraging advanced technologies, Restaurant Equipment Market is set to redefine industry standards and enhance its competitive edge.

Food Service Equipment Market remains dedicated to sustainability and market leadership through innovative approaches. The company has expanded its operations, ensuring Catering Equipment Market footprint grows across multiple regions. With increasing demand, Food Service Equipment Market is investing in research and development to drive continuous improvement. The latest reports highlight Food Service Equipment Market impressive performance, reinforcing its role as a market leader. Moving forward, Professional Cooking Appliances Market aims to strengthen its impact through sustainable and customer-centric solutions.

Our comprehensive Food Service Equipment Market report is ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-food-service-equipment-market

**Segments**

- By Product Type: - Cooking Equipment - Storage & Handling Equipment - Warewashing Equipment - Food & Drink Preparation Equipment - Serving Equipment

- By End-User: - Full-Service Restaurants - Quick Service Restaurants - Hotels & Hospitality - Hospitals - Educational Institutions

- By Sales Channel: - Direct Sales - Distributor Sales - Online Sales

- By Geography: - North America - Europe - Asia-Pacific - South America - Middle East & Africa

The global food service equipment market is segmented based on product type, end-user, sales channel, and geography. Cooking equipment, including ovens, fryers, and grills, holds a significant market share due to the high demand for these products in commercial kitchens. Storage & handling equipment, such as refrigerators and food storage containers, is also a key segment as restaurants and foodservice establishments require proper storage solutions to maintain food quality. Warewashing equipment, essential for maintaining hygiene standards, is another important segment in the market. Food & drink preparation equipment and serving equipment are also vital components of the industry, catering to the diverse needs of foodservice establishments. In terms of end-users, full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and educational institutions are the primary consumers of food service equipment. The sales channels include direct sales, distributor sales, and online sales, with each playing a crucial role in reaching customers effectively. Geographically, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa are key regions driving the market growth.

**Market Players**

- Rational AG - Middleby Corporation - Ali Group S.r.l. a Socio Unico - Welbilt, Inc. - Dover Corporation - Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd. - Fujimak Corporation - Duke Manufacturing Co. Inc. - Electrolux - Dover Corporation

The global food service equipment market is highly competitive, with key players striving to enhance their product offerings and expand their market presence. Rational AG, a leading player known for its innovative cooking solutions, focuses on technology-driven products to cater to the evolving needs of the foodservice industry. Middleby Corporation, another major player, emphasizes acquisition strategies to broaden its product portfolio and geographic reach. Ali Group S.r.l. a Socio Unico is renowned for its comprehensive range of foodservice equipment tailored for various applications. Welbilt, Inc., a key player in the market, emphasizes sustainability and efficiency in its equipment designs. The market also features prominent players like Dover Corporation, Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd., Fujimak Corporation, Duke Manufacturing Co. Inc., Electrolux, and Dover Corporation, each contributing significantly to the overall market dynamics.

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-food-service-equipment-market The global food service equipment market is witnessing continuous growth and evolution, driven by the increasing demand for efficient and advanced equipment in the foodservice industry. One of the key trends shaping the market is the rising adoption of smart technology in food service equipment. Manufacturers are incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, automation, and data analytics in their equipment to enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and provide real-time monitoring and control. This trend is particularly evident in cooking equipment, where smart ovens and fryers are becoming popular choices for commercial kitchens looking to streamline their operations.

Another significant trend in the food service equipment market is the growing emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency. With increasing environmental concerns and regulatory pressure for greener practices, manufacturers are developing equipment that consumes less energy, reduces water usage, and minimizes wastage. Energy-efficient refrigeration systems, eco-friendly cooking appliances, and water-saving warewashing equipment are gaining traction among foodservice establishments aiming to align with sustainable practices and reduce their carbon footprint.

Furthermore, customization and personalization are emerging as key factors influencing purchasing decisions in the food service equipment market. End-users such as restaurants, hotels, and institutions are looking for equipment that can be tailored to their specific requirements, space constraints, and operational needs. Manufacturers are responding to this demand by offering customizable solutions, modular equipment designs, and flexible configurations to meet the diverse needs of different foodservice establishments. This trend is particularly significant in the storage & handling equipment segment, where businesses seek efficient and space-saving solutions for optimal organization and workflow.

Moreover, the rise of online sales channels is transforming the distribution landscape of food service equipment. E-commerce platforms have become a convenient and efficient way for manufacturers to reach a wider audience, especially in the current digital age. Online sales offer greater accessibility, a wider product range, competitive pricing, and enhanced customer experience. With the increasing trend of online shopping and the ease of comparing products and prices, food service equipment manufacturers are leveraging online channels to strengthen their market presence and engage with a broader customer base.

In conclusion, the global food service equipment market is witnessing significant advancements and transformations driven by technology, sustainability, customization, and online sales channels. Manufacturers are continuously innovating to meet the evolving demands of the foodservice industry and maintain a competitive edge in the market. As the market continues to expand and diversify, players need to adapt to these trends and challenges to capitalize on growth opportunities and stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic and competitive landscape.One of the emerging trends in the global food service equipment market is the increasing focus on health and sanitation standards. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of hygiene and safety in food establishments, there is a growing demand for equipment that can help maintain cleanliness and prevent contamination. Manufacturers are incorporating features such as touchless technology, antimicrobial surfaces, and easy-to-clean designs in their equipment to meet the stringent requirements of the current health crisis. Furthermore, UV-C sterilization systems and air purification technologies are being integrated into equipment to ensure a safer and healthier foodservice environment for both staff and customers.

Additionally, there is a rising trend towards smaller footprint and space-saving equipment in the food service industry. With urbanization leading to limited space availability, food establishments are seeking compact and efficient equipment solutions that can maximize productivity within constrained areas. Manufacturers are focusing on developing space-efficient designs without compromising on performance or capacity to cater to the needs of restaurants, cafes, and other foodservice outlets operating in urban settings. This trend is particularly prevalent in densely populated regions such as Asia-Pacific and Europe, where space optimization is a critical consideration for businesses.

Another key trend influencing the food service equipment market is the shift towards cloud-based and connected solutions. As the industry embraces digital transformation, equipment manufacturers are introducing smart, connected devices that can be monitored and controlled remotely via cloud-based platforms. This connectivity enables real-time data tracking, predictive maintenance, and operational insights, allowing foodservice operators to enhance efficiency, reduce downtime, and make informed decisions to optimize their workflow. Cloud-based solutions also offer scalability and flexibility, enabling businesses to adapt to changing demands and scale their operations accordingly.

Moreover, sustainability continues to be a driving force in shaping the food service equipment market landscape. Consumers are increasingly eco-conscious, and businesses are under pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices across their operations. In response, equipment manufacturers are developing energy-efficient appliances, recyclable materials, and renewable energy solutions to minimize the environmental impact of their products. Sustainable practices such as water recycling systems, waste reduction features, and biodegradable packaging options are gaining traction among foodservice establishments looking to reduce their carbon footprint and showcase their commitment to sustainability.

Furthermore, the increasing demand for multi-functional and versatile equipment is driving innovation in the market. Foodservice operators are seeking equipment that can perform multiple tasks, optimize space utilization, and improve operational efficiency. Manufacturers are introducing customizable and modular equipment solutions that offer flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use to meet the diverse needs of different types of establishments. By offering versatile equipment that can streamline workflows, reduce labor costs, and enhance productivity, manufacturers are catering to the evolving requirements of the food service industry and providing solutions that deliver value and efficiency to their customers.

Overall, the global food service equipment market is experiencing dynamic shifts and innovations driven by technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and industry trends. Manufacturers are focusing on developing solutions that prioritize health and safety, space optimization, connectivity, sustainability, and versatility to meet the evolving demands of the foodservice sector. By aligning with these key trends and leveraging opportunities for innovation, players in the market can position themselves for growth, competitiveness, and success in a rapidly evolving and challenging landscape.

The market is highly fragmented, with a mix of global and regional players competing for market share. To Learn More About the Global Trends Impacting the Future of Top 10 Companies in Food Service Equipment Market :   https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-food-service-equipment-market/companies

Key Questions Answered by the Global Food Service Equipment Market Report:

What is the current state of the Food Service Equipment Market, and how has it evolved?

What are the key drivers behind the growth of the Food Service Equipment Market?

What challenges and barriers do businesses in the Food Service Equipment Market face?

How are technological innovations impacting the Food Service Equipment Market?

What emerging trends and opportunities should businesses be aware of in the Food Service Equipment Market?

Browse More Reports:

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-location-based-mapping-markethttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-telescope-boxes-markethttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-liver-fibrosis-markethttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-plant-based-omega-3-supplements-markethttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/north-america-lidar-market

Data Bridge Market Research:

☎ Contact Us:

Data Bridge Market Research

US: +1 614 591 3140

UK: +44 845 154 9652

APAC: +653 1251 1004

✉ Email: corporatesales@databridgemarketresearch.com"

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #28

July 19-26 2024

The EPA announced the award of $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. The grants support community-driven solutions to fight climate change, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The grants will go to 25 projects across 30 states, and one tribal community. When combined the projects will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of CO2, roughly the output of 5 million American homes over 25 years. Major projects include $396 million for Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection as it tries to curb greenhouse gas emissions from industrial production, and $500 million for transportation and freight decarbonization at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a plan to phase out the federal government's use of single use plastics. The plan calls for the federal government to stop using single use plastics in food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035. The US government is the single largest employer in the country and the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services. Its move away from plastics will redefine the global market.

The White House hosted a summit on super pollutants with the goals of better measuring them and dramatically reducing them. Roughly half of today's climate change is caused by so called super pollutants, methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Public-private partnerships between NOAA and United Airlines, The State Department and NASA, and the non-profit Carbon Mapper Coalition will all help collect important data on these pollutants. While private firms announced with the White House plans that by early next year will reduce overall U.S. industrial emissions of nitrous oxide by over 50% from 2020 numbers. The summit also highlighted the EPA's new rule to reduce methane from oil and gas by 80%.

The EPA announced $325 million in grants for climate justice. The Community Change Grants Program, powered by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act will ultimately bring $2 billion dollars to disadvantaged communities and help them combat climate change. Some of the projects funded in this first round of grant were: $20 million for Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, which will help weatherize and energy efficiency upgrade homes for 35 tribes in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, $14 million to install onsite wastewater treatment systems throughout 17 Black Belt counties in Alabama, and $14 million to urban forestry, expanding tree canopy in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The Department of Interior approved 3 new solar projects on public land. The 3 projects, two in Nevada and one in Arizona, once finished could generate enough to power 2 million homes. This comes on top of DoI already having beaten its goal of 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects by the end of 2025, in April 2024. This is all part of President Biden’s goal of creating a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035. 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged $667 million to global Pandemic Fund. The fund set up in 2022 seeks to support Pandemic prevention, and readiness in low income nations who can't do it on their own. At the G20 meeting Yellen pushed other nations of the 20 largest economies to double their pledges to the $2 billion dollar fund. Yellen highlighted the importance of the fund by saying "President Biden and I believe that a fully-resourced Pandemic Fund will enable us to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics – protecting Americans and people around the world from the devastating human and economic costs of infectious disease threats,"

The Departments of the Interior and Commerce today announced a $240 million investment in tribal fisheries in the Pacific Northwest. This is in line with an Executive Order President Biden signed in 2023 during the White House Tribal Nations Summit to mpower Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. An initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization will be made available for 27 tribes in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The rest will be invested in longer term fishery projects in the coming years.

The IRS announced that thanks to funding from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, it'll be able to digitize much of its operations. This means tax payers will be able to retrieve all their tax related information from one source, including Wage & Income, Account, Record of Account, and Return transcripts, using on-line Individual Online Account.

The IRS also announced that New Jersey will be joining the direct file program in 2025. The direct file program ran as a pilot in 12 states in 2024, allowing tax-payers in those states to file simple tax returns using a free online filing tool directly with the IRS. In 2024 140,000 Americans were able to file this way, they collectively saved $5.6 million in tax preparation fees, claiming $90 million in returns. The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes. More than a million people in New Jersey alone will qualify for direct file next year. Oregon opted to join last month. Republicans in Congress lead by Congressmen Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Chuck Edwards of North Carolina have put forward legislation to do away with direct file.

Bonus: American law enforcement arrested co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. El Mayo co-founded the cartel in the 1980s along side Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Since El Chapo's incarceration in the United States in 2019, El Mayo has been sole head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Authorities also arrested El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. The Sinaloa Cartel has been a major player in the cross border drug trade, and has often used extreme violence to further their aims.

[enhypencores]

Eat The Rich

Jay X Y/N

Genre: Romance/Angst/ Fluff

Word Count: 4K+

Warning: extremely suggestive, profanity, hatred against the rich, discusses the male gaze, violence and possession.

Synopsis: As your boyfriend, Park Jongseong, takes you to one of his high-stakes business events, you find yourself enduring the pretentious, cutthroat atmosphere of the dinner. You're determined to maintain his reputation, especially since he's trying to win the favour of a powerful chaebol. But things become hazy when the blonde chaebol's gaze lingers on you for too long.

<3<3<3<3

The large dining hall was illuminated with ambient candles and dim yellow chandeliers, an aura of sophistication and formality enveloping the expanse. Blue orchids occupied every table followed by a bottle of champagne, wine glasses and plates full of rich seafood such as smoked salmon with caviar and potato pancakes. The air was disturbingly thick with branded scents wafting off people, mixing with the smell of fish and flowers.

The massive hall suffocated you, making you clench your purse tighter.

High-society events had always sounded uncomfortable, but nothing could have prepared you for this trainwreck. It felt like a battle of the wealthy: women draped in brands you'd never heard of, exchanging fake laughs and snide remarks as they clung to their cashmere shawls, beaded with pleated gold—at least, that’s what you were told. If you had the choice, you’d never again breathe near these oblivious, high-nosed women, flaunting their lavish lifestyles, all thanks to their hardworking husbands.

They seemed untouchable, speaking the language of arrogance. They reminded you of your felines—aloof and haughty, exuding an air of superiority but ultimately ignorant.

As you sat there, dolled up in your tight-fitted dress, the thought of eating the rich lingered in your mind. You'd come across the phrase on social media and analyzed it through the lens of an unbiased journalist, but now, you couldn’t help but draw drastic conclusions.

Their world felt grotesquely split—luxury on the surface, emptiness beneath. They wore their generational wealth like a costume, but without it, they were nothing more than overgrown children in oversized suits, throwing around big words with small minds. Theatrical, pretentious, drowning in self-importance. Strip away the pretence, and they were exposed—hollow, unremarkable, and utterly unaware of how insignificant they truly were.

You desperately avoided these events. So what if your boyfriend, Park Jongseong, is one of the businessmen, featured in Times magazine as the hottest emerging entrepreneur in South Korea? A mere student of journalism, unfamiliar with the highs and lows of elitist culture, surely adds nothing to such obnoxious events.

But this time, he dragged your misfit ass to accompany him and formally introduce yourself to the crowds.

Jay was required to attend such events and ever since he told you about the women throwing themselves at him, you couldn’t help slip into an elegant dress and rush to join his side.

You paused, lips thin against the rim of your glass as you caught sight of your boyfriend in a black suit, wearing a blank expression on his face as a domineering aura surrounded him. You could tell he liked the gathering just as much as you did with the way his gaze was stoic and lips sealed.

This was the first time you had agreed to join him in such an event and you were glad you did.

He looked awfully handsome, his chocolate eyes brimming glowing in the hall's darkness. Sharp jawline set in a stiff smile and lips pink and wet from his drink as he nodded at his seatmate’s words. He was the centre of attention, not just because of his appearance but also his charming character.

Park Jongseong was the sole owner of X company, a name now included in the world’s largest food industries. Jay worked his way up the ladder despite having zero connections to big shots in the marketing industry. He worked with integrity and preserved quality in his brand. It was hard to access bigger doors in this dog-eat-dog world, but your boyfriend’s dedication to his craft and refusal to compromise on ethics bore the seeds of success.

Whilst most companies undermined him, the public seemed to appreciate his rigidity and soon he was opening up branches all over the world. Garnering praise from overseas magazines, every businessman was wary of his character. He had started at the bottom of the chain and earned his way up, struggle after struggle.

You were so proud to call him yours.

“My husband wanted to donate to the local NGO, but I was against it because we already paid for the church reconstruction. We take part in various charitable events, you see.”

How were the two situations remotely related? You wanted to voice out your distaste. Instead, you bit your tongue and smiled bitterly.

You searched for your boyfriend on the other table and noticed his curious gaze already trained on you. He carefully read your expression and immediately caught onto your discomfort, rising from his seat to approach you.

You watched narrowly as he crossed the large expanse, grabbed your hand and tugged you towards him. The five ladies on the table quickly quietened, jaw parting in disbelief as they greeted Jay in coy and shy voices. They sounded sugary sweet as if they weren’t already married; it made you want to smack them in the face with their Hermes bags.

Jay wrapped his arm around your waist, nodding at the ladies but never sparing them a glance as he led you away. You almost flipped off the flustered women but restrained yourself, knowing you couldn’t afford to smear Jay’s reputation by falling into a girly scuffle.

“You gotta pay me back for saving your ass back there,” he whispered against your ear, and chills quickly ran along your spine. You laughed at the smirk developing on his face.

“I didn’t need any saving,” you huffed, your challenging gaze daring him to say otherwise. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a soft smile, “We’ll see about that at home.”

Your stomach flipped.

Jay casually pulled you to his table and sat you down beside him, securing an arm behind your chair.

You instantly tensed up, surveying the intimidating circle of important looking people staring your way. Jay was currently sitting around huge business tycoons and their spouses.

A blonde man sitting opposite Jay caught your eye, and you froze. One of the most important men of the night, an old chaebol sat across from you, the man Jay was bidding on for future collaborations to invest in his dream project. Though nepotism was widespread, like an infectious disease in today’s world, these dinners were held to offer a chance for rising stars to socialize and build connections.

You straightened up your spine and flashed a soft smile.

“This is my girlfriend, Y/N.”

“Oh, young love!” One of the older couples gleefully chimed, and you smiled bashfully. “Aren’t they adorable?” Jay held the woman’s softened gaze.

“How wonderful to have such a young charming man all to yourself,” a middle-aged lady, sat beside her husband, covered in an expensive leopard fur coat claimed, an envious smile straining her wrinkles.

You nodded, but Jay shook his head dismissively.

“I’ve always been the lucky one.”

You felt a wave of emotions hurl up in your chest.

Jay spent long, struggling for every minuscule opportunity, and he deserved every ounce of the success. You were merely fortunate enough to love him through it all. For him to blatantly praise you before such a crowd, it tugged at your heart and made you want to cover him in kisses.

Since you’d met him, you were certain that nothing was unattainable when a man as keen and passionate as Park Jongseong stood by your side. You were definitely the luckier one.

You wanted to throw away everything to make him happy.

“How beautiful.”

Caught off guard, you spun to the origin of the voice. The chaebol, was staring—gawking at you.

With complacency in his tone and a sickening smirk on his lips, you suddenly felt under the spotlight.

“Are you currently studying?” He slurred, his accent becoming thicker with intent.

You felt chills run down your spine as you noticed his pupils wandering to your cleavage. You shifted in your seat, feeling regretful at your choice of dressing. It wasn’t even obscene, a casual midi dress with a silver of collarbone and the tiniest hint of cleavage. Nothing newsworthy. Yet you felt putrid.

You never wanted anyone to stare at you like that. It made your insides crawl. It made you feel insignificant, demoralized and inferior.

You knew his intentions were foul, but you refrained from showing a slight hint of it in your demeanour. It didn’t matter. You wouldn’t see him ever again after tonight, and this was Jay’s only chance at securing a life-changing deal, forming a once-in-a-lifetime connection.

You gulped and smiled indifferently.

“Journalism,” you responded dryly and blinked away.

You noticed Jay’s hand clench into a fist under the table and panic rippled in your chest. You quickly rubbed at his knuckles, fear racking your head as you flashed a nervous smile.

You knew better than to tick him off. Jay would singlehandedly destroy anyone who looked at you with ill intentions. You were a witness to it once at a party.

Wasted after a university gathering, a man tried to take you home despite your continuous rejection. Your friends saw your discomfort and dialled up your boyfriend’s number, who immediately took off with Heeseung’s motorbike and arrived like a thunderstorm, knocking the man’s front tooth out. With bloodied knuckles and a scowling face, you remembered him screaming in the alleyway as the cops came to the man’s rescue.

Poor Heeseung was left stranded in the middle of a worksite drenched in pouring rain. When you asked Jay why he opted for a bike instead of his car, he said the traffic was at its worst and had he taken his car, he’d have a hit-and-run case on his back trying to get to you.

“Jay,” you muttered, your mind going blank as you noticed the awakening demon in his eyes; his predatory stare trained at the man, his jaw clenched.

You suddenly wanted to evaporate. You tried to appease him as you stroked his knuckles, your soft skin gliding against his callous one. He gripped your hand tightly but kept his drilling gaze trained on the blonde man.

“Journalism? A beauty with brains.” His eyes were hazy and tone lousy due to heavy alcohol consumption.

His eyes again feasted at your exposed skin and you shrunk into your chair, your heart clashing against your chest.

“Lower your gaze.”

Dead silence.

The smiles dropped like a domino effect as men shifted in their seats, discomfort straining their wrinkled features. The males were used to the chaebol’s indecent behaviour… some even welcomed it— what’s a few demeaning remarks towards their women if they’ll win the favour of the world’s richest man?

The blatant call out and Jay’s scornful gaze had everyone sweating in their formal suits. The tension grew thick, and your throat tightened in alarm. Your hold on Jay’s hand grew tighter, forcing him to look at you.

“I’m fine, don’t do anything rash.”

But it seemed like your plea went through him, unheard.

His tense fist and determined stare directed at the chaebol made you realize that another word from the blonde would get Jay spiralling. You had to get out of here before it was too late.

You gave his hand another squeeze.

“Excuse me, I’m heading to the washroom,” you hurriedly announced, flashing Jay a complacent smile.

You didn’t look back as you hurried to the washrooms. You planned on spending the rest of the night in the lavatory since the party was awfully disappointing.

You wanted to be with Jay but not under the current circumstances. The blonde pervert was the most influential in this field and this country, and you wanted to do nothing that sabotaged your boyfriend’s future goals.

You locked yourself in one of the stalls and sat down annoyedly.

It was supposed to be a fun night out with your boyfriend.

You didn’t know a rich party full of influential businessmen was just a pathetic battle of the egos. To think, you skipped catching up with your favourite anime for this bullshit party. You grumbled spitefully, massaging your forehead in slow circles, hoping to ease the building ache.

“Excuse me,” you heard a shrill voice call out as someone knocked from outside.

You sat up alarmed.

“Yes?” You replied unsurely.

“I think your boyfriend is outside waiting for you.”

You jumped up, your eyes zeroing as you whipped the door open.

A brunette-haired woman you recognized as the server stood before you. “You’re Mr. Park’s girlfriend, right? He asked me to check inside for you,” she smiled and stepped to the sink, resuming to wash her hands.

You rushed for the door and yanked it open.

As expected, your boyfriend was stationed against the wall, his eyes already on yours, needy and impatient. He pulled you close to him, his fingers grazing your exposed neckline as he breathed you in.

“We’re going home,” he announced against your neck.

You nodded hesitantly, aware of his turmoil. You knew your boyfriend’s instincts were borderline predatory when he suspected your discomfort; it must have taken everything in him to not stalk over to the chaebol and smack him in the face.

Jay grabbed your hand and marched out to the hall.

The hall grew painfully silent like a funeral as you made your way down the carpet. Confusedly, you looked around, noticing everyone staring. Thick, suffocating tension persisted in the air as if a fire was brewing. It seemed like everyone had something to say but they were holding back. You looked back at your boyfriend, but he marched ahead, unaffected.

Anyone you passed, you heard a brief gasp escape their chest. You wondered what had happened for everyone to be so horrified and meek around him.

Your gaze fearfully drifted to the table with the chaebol and your heart dropped in your stomach. A dark red bruise circled the chaebol’s right eye, his pupil dilated and trembling with fear.

When you both were in the car park, you pulled at his arm, a gasp ringing loud.

“Jay, what the fuck? How could you attack him?” You gasped, finding it hard to process what you had just seen. He didn’t respond, keeping a moderate pace towards the car.

“Jay, I’m talking to you!” You shrieked, voice trembling with horror.

He finally halted in his tracks and turned towards you, his eyes burning with seething anger, his fists still clenched, a bluish bruise starting to form on his right knuckles.

“We need to get out of here before I do something much worse,” he spat, staring at you like a madman, running a hand through his gelled hair, voice thick with anguish.

You felt frustration building in your chest and your eyes burned with tears.

“That deal…” Your voice trembled. “Do you think he’ll let this go? He won’t—!” You cried, your head pounding.

You clung to his arm. “Let’s go back inside and apologise—”

Jay jerked his arm free, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. “Apologise? Have you lost your mind?” His voice boomed across the empty lot, his gaze piercing through you like poison.

“You’ve worked so hard Jay!”

Jay was adamant about establishing himself. Never losing sight of his goals, he spent a year giving his all to his startup.

He earned investments after sacrificing sleep, lunch, date nights and family dinners. His whole universe revolved around his dream; most nights, he didn’t even sleep in the comfort of his bed because of the calls he’d get from investors demanding more insight.

You loved him so much, so much that you were always supportive. His absence made you lonely, but you restrained those urges because it was best not to bother him.

You internally ached for him.

Slowly, the ache started to disappear when he came back.

After successfully earning a huge investment, everything evolved. It was like his pot of love flooded and spilt everywhere, unable to be contained. He stopped working excessively. He dropped everything to come pick you up after your lecture, sometimes even accompanying you to the library for long study sessions. He became so clingy, so needy for your presence, it drove you insane—in the best way.

“Why are you crying?” He grimaced, his gaze softening as he watched tears flow down your cheeks.

“Because!” You croaked, tone flaring with temper.

“How could you ruin this?” You screeched, your face beat red and wet as you emptied out your heart. You were so angry and frustrated; you wanted to physically shake Jay into oblivion. “After this deal, you would’ve been unbeatable!” You threw your hands in despair.

Jay huffed, his eyes wide and crazed, pinning you down, holding you captive. “You care about my fucking investments right now?” He sounded hurt as well, his voice so quiet, you could tell he was boiling.

“Yes!” You cried. “After you’ve worked so hard for it… sacrificed so much of our time for it!” As soon as you said the words, the darkness in his eyes grew tumultuous.

Jay stepped close and before you could register it, he grabbed your wrist and slammed you to the car, his arms immediately cushioning the hit, protecting you from the impact. A loud clash echoed as he pinned you beneath him, his breathing heavy, his eyes glazed.

“I’ve worked so hard, day after day, so you can stand next to me without shame.”

Thoughts racing through you suddenly grew dull… silent like a breeze in the abyss. The silence stretched until you could hear his harsh breaths echo through your frame.

He gulped down a flood of things he must’ve wanted to say, instead he cupped your jaw, caressing your face.

“You deserved someone strong and I was so pathetic back then.” His words felt like acid flowing through your ears.

“Working shifts at the grill and serving bars in the night,” his voice cracked as his hold on your jaw tightened. “It was pathetic…” he reiterated, browns in his eyes becoming liquid.

Each word pained you more than you could imagine. Your heart broke as he reminisced about your early years at university when he working minimum wage to pay for his tuition. It was around the time you were enthralled by him, the studious senior, always sat alone, at the far end of the library with his nose in some business book.

Sleep-deprived eyes, a languid smile and a date to his workplace were enough to get you head over heels in love with the man.

“Jay, I was never ashamed—how could you even think—” You felt choked up. Words seemed to have failed you.

Jay blinked back his tears. “I was unworthy, and it made my blood boil.” He traced your bottom lip with his thumb. “Heeseung hyung said I should give you up. It was an easy way out… but the thought of that kept me up at night.”

Your jaw dropped—Heeseung had told him to let you go, and he'd kept it from you.

“The fact that he even mentioned that made me sick—gave me nightmares. It was a reality check,” he growled, his breaths strained as he thought back to the memory. “That night, I decided to be worthy of you. I decided no one on this fucking planet will ever think of separating us.”

“Because you’re mine. I can give up this entire world but never you,” he whispered, and his mouth lowered, finding your neck.

“Jay, you were never any of that—you were everything I needed,” you gasped as he kissed down your neckline.

“W—Why didn’t you ever tell me?” You bit your lips, restraining the adulterous sounds as Jay’s lips pressed a trail of wet kisses before he bit into a sensitive region. His tongue slickly traced the bite mark across the neckline as he tasted you to his fulfilment.

“Because you don’t need to worry about it,” he rasped, his heavy pants taking over your mind, making you twitch and shudder in his hold.

“I’ve achieved enough to protect you,” he whispered against your skin and dropped wet kisses down to your cleavage.

“I want to rip his filthy eyes out for looking at you,” he snarled, the bitterness and rage returning. His eyes remained on yours, watching you throw your head back as he painted you a darker shade of red.

His kisses grew desperate and needy—his grip on your waist tight.

Your body reacted on its own, curling into his heated frame.

He finally leaned up and connected his mouth with yours. It was unlike any other. He was usually gentle with your mouth, calling your lips two pretty petals, but in the darkness of his anger, he was swallowing you whole. He invaded through the gap and sucked at your tongue, his neck craning to the side as he meticulously drained your mouth.

Everything felt hot, from his heavy breath to the hand digging in your waist to his intense gaze harbouring a storm; it was everything.

You felt guilty for letting him do this in a public car park where anyone could walk in and watch a show. But it also felt so euphoric, to have him feasting on you like his last meal.

Jealous and angry Jay made your stomach pool.

“You’re gorgeous for me—how dare that fucking crook stare?” His saliva pooled down your neck as he dug his teeth into your breast. A dry gasp escaped your mouth, your eyes falling shut in pleasure.

“Jay,” you breathed, your body aching with want.

Your breathy words were enough to send him spiralling. He started to push himself into you, sucking your flesh like honey would melt on his tongue.

You felt him.

He was so brutally turned on; your legs felt weak as his masculine scent assaulted your senses. He supported your waist, digging his nose into your hair, inhaling you.

You were so heated that when you heard a heel clicking against the marble floor, your mind was elsewhere, refusing to comprehend it. You were completely overwhelmed by the woody scent of his cologne, the heat of his mouth and hard centre pushing into your pelvis. It would be embarrassing to get caught, but you were overwhelmed, so overwhelmed with him.

Suddenly, you were knocked out of your trance as Jay jerked back, his gaze pained and hazy with longing. His limbs shook as his chest heaved, his body so rigid, afraid to move or he would fall to the ground.

He clenched at his hair and swore under his breath.

“Get in the car. No one sees you like this,” he ushered.

What was he insinuating? You didn’t have time to ask as he threw an impatient glare. You obediently ran to the passenger seat and jumped inside, your heart clashing against your chest rampantly.

As you caught sight of the front mirror, you realised why your boyfriend had been so adamant. He didn’t want anyone to see your messy hair, hooded gaze, flushed and painted red; you looked lustrous, turned on and oozing with desire.

Jay was beside you the next second, his forehead covered in a thick sheen of sweat and his black strands a sultry mess.

“I can’t drive. I literally can’t feel my legs.”

You threw your head back, bursting out laughing as he glared at you, his pupils dilated and still buzzing with need.

“Shut up before I fuck you in the backseat,” he threatened.

Shut up, you did.

You knew him too well to know that he would actually comply.

You watched him as he sat inhaling and exhaling, a meditating exercise he sometimes used to recover.

After a couple more painful minutes, he finally drove home and you had never seen him drive so fast, breaking all the traffic laws in the rulebook.

“Jay…” You called out as you noted the familiar apartment gate appear.

“Hm?” He nibbled on his lip, steering the wheel as he reversed the car into the garage.

“I will crash Heeseung’s motorbike the next time I see him.” And as he came to a stop, you saw him laugh into oblivion as he hauled you in his arms and hastened towards your flat.

After getting pushed into the bedsheets with a persistent boyfriend devouring you through the night, you laid on his bare chest, drowsy and exhausted, smiling into oblivion.

He looked down curiously, kissing down your spine.

“What’s got you so happy goofball?”

“I have the title for my final.”

Eat The Rich, a tedious trip into the small minds of the land’s biggest chaebols

[astrosky33]

The Best Career for you: Asteroid Industria

◉ Industria is an asteroid in astrology that can represent the long term career industry you will work in. Based on the readings I’ve done this asteroid is very accurate in predicting your long term career

◉ Asteroid Code: 389 -> How to find asteroids

House Meanings

Asteroid Industria in the 1st house

Your career will be a major part of your identity (more so than others careers would). Your career may change or constantly be testing your outlook/view on life. This career will be something you’re very passionate and ambitious about. You may use lots of mannerisms in this career. It most likely is going to involve your physical body, fighting, beauty, confidence, and/or individuality

Ex: Athlete, Model, Makeup Artist, Fighter

Asteroid Industria in the 2nd house

Your career will be a major source of stability (not just financially but also emotionally) for you in your life and your career may boost your self esteem/self worth. It is going to revolve around material items. It most likely is going to involve either your singing voice, finances, cooking, giving, receiving, and/or material resources

Ex: Singer, Banker, Accountant, Chef, Product Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 3rd house

In your career you will use your voice to spread an important message. You will express many of your ideas to others. It most likely will involve communication, literature, teaching, transportation, influencing, social media, the mind, and/or phones

Ex: Author/Writer, Social Media Influencer, Driver, Teacher

Asteroid Industria in the 4th house

Your career will be in an industry where you’re using lots of emotion toward your work and/or caring for others. It won’t be a job far out of your comfort zone. It likely will involve houses, home related things, food, and/or self-care

Ex: Real Estate Agent, Nurse, Baker, Home Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 5th house

Your career may revolve around you and be in an industry where a lot of spotlight/attention is on you. You’re going to work in an industry where you use your talents. It’s going to be a career you really enjoy and that makes you happy! It likely will involve entertainment, romance, events (such as a festival or concert), children, talents, and/or drama

Ex: Actor, Event Planner, Child Psychiatrist, Talent Agent

Asteroid Industria in the 6th house

Your career will have a set schedule and steady income. In this career industry you’ll constantly be working on self improvement. It likely will involve health, fitness, hygiene, your analytic nature, animals/pets, and/or giving service to others somehow

Ex: Doctor, Nutritionist, Fitness Trainor, Dentist, Vet

Asteroid Industria in the 7th house

Your career will be one that’s based around equality or partnership. You’re going to be working towards harmony or peace in this career. It will likely involve commitment, marriage, attractiveness/attraction, contracts, conflicts, negotiations, and/or equality/sharing

Ex: Wedding Planner, Lawyer, Model, Fashion Designer

Asteroid Industria in the 8th house

Your career will be one that’s based around a lot of transformation, power, or mystery. In this career industry you’ll constantly be working on changing for the better. It will likely involve crime, death, taxes, psychology, surgery, investments, the stock market, business, loans, secrets, your inheritance, reproduction, and/or spiritual transformation

Ex: Detective, Psychologist, Tax Preparer, Surgeon

Asteroid Industria in the 9th house

Your career will be one that helps you grow a lot as a person. In this career industry you will learn a lot more than most people do in their career. It will likely involve travel in general, air travel, exploration, television, media, teaching, higher education (college/uni), religion, beliefs, ideologies, philosophy, interviews, courts, law, cultures, ethics, viewpoints, and/or languages

Ex: College Professor, Pilot, Newscaster, Photographer

Asteroid Industria in the 10th house

You are more likely than others to be very successful when having this placement in your chart. Your career will teach you how to set long term goals for yourself and succeed. It will likely involve being in charge/a boss, business, peoples reputations/images, sense of mission, responsibilities, being famous, and/or status

Ex: Manager (anywhere), Publicist, Movie Director

Asteroid Industria in the 11th house

You’re more likely to gain wealth from your career with this placement since the 11th house represents financial gains -> read more here. Your career will be one that introduces new ideas to the world and may be a more unique career compared to most peoples. It will likely involve technology, film, politics, science, inventions, chaos, sudden change, friendship, groups, desires, manifestations, hopes/wishes, humanitarianism, social networking, clubs, and/or parties

Ex: Engineer, Scientist, Film Producer, Politician

Asteroid Industria in the 12th house

Your career is one that will transform you spiritually. In this career industry you will heal others. It will likely involve spirituality, hypnotism, isolation, music, karma/karmic debts, hidden enemies, the subconscious mind, subconscious memory, sleep, dreams (the ones you have when you sleep), old age/people, mental health, fears, losses, endings, impersonations, closure, self-undoing, bed pleasures, intuition, illusions, and/or the afterlife

Ex: Therapist, Song-Writer, Astrologer, Psychic

➠ [READ] the examples listed aren’t the only possible careers for each house only some, so there can be more interpretations than the ones listed

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚! 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗢𝗡 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

© 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

[transmutationisms]

any thoughts on the obsession with "hyperprocessed foods"? is there even such a thing and if so how much of the stuff around it is fake?

such a flawed useless categorisation lmao; this phrase comes from the nova scale, according to which an "ultra-processed food" is identified by a lack of sufficient "intact" food and the presence of "sources of energy and nutrients not normally used in culinary preparations" and additives specifically "used to initate or enhance the sensory qualities of food or to disguise unplatable aspects of the final product" (other additives, such as preservatives, antioxidants, and stabilisers, only qualify a food as group 3, "processed"). ultra-processing is defined as "a multitude of sequences of processing [...] includ[ing] several with no domestic equivalents," and ultra-processed foods are "usually packaged attractively and marketed intensely."

......so ok, first of all, this is very obviously reliant on a lot of assumptions about what 'normal' cooking and cooking equipment means, lmao. i do all kinds of shit in the kitchen that would have been inaccessible to someone in the mid nineteenth century; has the food become 'less processed' because i can make it at home now? if i obtained the equipment to hydrogenate oils myself would they magically not be ultra-processed simply because they came from my kitchen and not from an industrial setting?

this is just quasi-scientific language to express a fundamental distrust of food produced in ways that currently can't be replicated in [researchers' definitions of] a [normal] home kitchen. it's barely more sophisticated than platitudes like michael pollan's command to "eat only foods your grandmother would recognise". using the nova classifications to make assumptions about the healthfulness or danger of a food is just silly; the presumption is that the dietary and medical effects are not due to the food itself but to how it's produced, an idea that has led researchers to conclude that "the NOVA system suffers from a lack of biological plausibility so the assertion that ultra-processed foods are intrinsically unhealthful is largely unproven."

fundamentally the only evidence that nutritional scientists have been able to produce is observational studies showing a correlation between certain ill health outcomes and consumption of 'ultra-processed food'.

But the observational studies also have limitations, said Lauren O’Connor, a nutrition scientist and epidemiologist who formerly worked at the Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. It’s true that there is a correlation between these foods and chronic diseases, she said, but that doesn’t mean that UPFs directly cause poor health.

Dr. O’Connor questioned whether it’s helpful to group such “starkly different” foods — like Twinkies and breakfast cereals — into one category.

[...]

Clinical trials are needed to test if UPFs directly cause health problems, Dr. O’Connor said. Only one such study, which was small and had some limitations, has been done, she said.

ie, when evaluating the healthfulness of foods you have to actually look at what they are and what the human body does with them, and not just make a bunch of wild assumptions based on fears about their lack of proximity to 'naturalness' or propensity to be advertised (unlike, i guess, other more intact foods, which are not commodities. who knew!)

and there are like a million trillion other reasons why this correlation might hold: off the top of my head, for instance, people who rely more on the convenience of ready-made foods likely to be categorised as 'ultra-processed' are likely to be people who can't cook because they don't have time because they're working. so as usual nutrition and health science does a dogshit job distinguishing between the health effects of socioeconomic status and those of whatever some dickwad wants to publish a splashy study about.

there are certainly 'ultra-processed' foods that we can be extremely confident are harmful to human health---for example, trans fats. but the categorisation as a whole is so conceptually flawed as to be useless for any purpose besides as a term that 'scientises' culturally held beliefs about the wholesomeness and healthfulness of home food preparation, and the corresponding danger and artificiality of industrial production and methods.

[a-d-nox]

economic advice and timely buying tips: 2025 transits

as of late, social media has many discussions about what to buy - or avoid buying - over the next few years, largely in response to the political climate in the united states. across europe, many regions are actively preparing their populations for potential crises (sweden's seems to be the most popularly discussed - link). due to the urgency and pressure to act, as if the world might change tomorrow (and it could though i believe we still have time in many places), i’ve decided to analyze the astrological transits for 2025. in this post i provide practical economic advice and guidance on how much time astrology suggests you have to make these purchases everyone is urging you to prioritize. if it seems to intrigue people i’ll explore future years as well.

things the world needs to prepare for in 2025 in my opinion and why my advice is what it is: the rise of ai / automation of jobs, job loss, geopolitical tensions, war, extreme weather, inflation, tariffs - a potential trade war, a movement of using digital currency, the outbreak of another illness, etc.

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

uranus goes direct in taurus (jan 30, 2025)

advice

diversify investments: avoid putting all your money in one asset type. mix stocks, bonds, index funds, and, if you feel comfortable, look into sustainable investments or new technologies.

digital finance: familiarize yourself with digital currencies/platforms or blockchain technology.

build an emergency fund: extra savings can shield you from sudden economic instability. aim for 3-6 months’ worth of expenses.

reevaluate subscriptions and spending: find creative ways to reduce spending or repurpose what you have. cancel subscriptions that don't align with needs/beliefs, cook at home, or diy where possible.

invest in skills / side hustles: take a course/invest in tools that can help you create multiple income streams.

by this date stock up on

non-perishable food items like canned goods, grains, and dried beans. household essentials like soap, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies. basic medical supplies. multi-tools. durable, high-quality items over disposable ones (the economy is changing, buy something that will last because prices will go up). LED bulbs, solar-powered chargers, or energy-efficient appliances. stock up on sustainable products, like reusable bags and water bottles. blankets. teas. quality skincare.

jupiter goes direct in gemini (feb 4, 2025)

advice

invest in knowledge: take courses, buy books (potential bans?), and/or attend workshops to expand your skill set. focus on topics like communication, writing, marketing, and/or technology. online certifications could boost your career prospects during this time.

leverage your network: attending professional events, joining forums, and/or expanding your LinkedIn presence.

diversify income streams: explore side hustles, freelance gigs, and/or monetize hobbies.

beware of overspending on small pleasures: overspending on gadgets, books, or entertainment will not be good at this point in time (tariffs already heavy hitting?).

by this date stock up on

books / journals. subscriptions to learning platforms like Skillshare, MasterClass, or Coursera. good-quality laptop, smartphone, and/or noise-canceling headphones. travel bags - get your bug out bag in order. portable chargers. language-learning apps. professional attire. teas. aromatherapy.

neptune enters aries (march 30, 2025)

advice

invest: look into industries poised for breakthrough developments, such as renewable energy, space exploration, and/or tech.

save for risks: build a financial cushion to balance your adventurous pursuits with practical security.

diversify your income: consider side hustles or freelancing in fields aligned with your passions and talents.

"scam likely": avoid “get-rich-quick” schemes or ventures that seem too good to be true.

adopt sustainable habits: focus on sustainability in your spending, like buying high-quality, long-lasting items instead of cheap, disposable ones.

by this date stock up on

emergency kits with essentials like water, food, and first-aid supplies. multi-tools, solar chargers, or portable power banks. art supplies. tarot or astrology books (bans?). workout gear, resistance bands, or weights. nutritional supplements. high-quality clothing or shoes.

saturn conjunct nn in pisces (april 14, 2025)

advice

save for the long term: create a savings plan or revisit your budget to ensure stability.

avoid escapism spending: avoid unnecessary debt.

watch for financial scams: be cautious with contracts, investments, or loans. research thoroughly and avoid “too good to be true” offers.

focus on debt management: saturn demands accountability. work toward paying down debts to free yourself from unnecessary burdens.

build a career plan: seek roles / opportunities that balance financial security with fulfillment, such as careers in wellness, education, creative arts, or nonprofits.

by this date stock up on

invest in durable, sustainable items for your home or wardrobe that offer long-term value. vitamins or supplements. herbal teas or whole grains. blankets. candles. non-perishable food. first-aid kits. water. energy-efficient devices.

pluto rx in aquarius (may 4, 2025 - oct 13, 2025)

advice

preform an audit: reflect on how your money habits and your long-term goals.

make sustainable investments: support industries tied to innovation, like renewable energy, ethical tech, or sustainable goods.

expect changes: could disrupt collective systems, so build an emergency fund. plan for potential shifts in tech-based industries or automation. AI is going to take over the workforce...

reevaluate subscriptions and digital spending: cut unnecessary costs and ensure your money supports productivity. netflix is not necessary, your groceries are.

diversify income streams: brainstorm side hustles or entrepreneurial ideas.

by this date stock up on

external hard drives. cybersecurity software. portable chargers. solar panels. energy-efficient gadgets. non-perishable food. clean water supplies. basic first-aid kits and medications. portable generators. books on technology and coding. reusable items like water bottles, bags, and food storage. gardening supplies to grow your own food. VPN subscriptions or identity theft protection.

saturn enters aries (may 24, 2025)

advice

prioritize self-reliance: build financial independence. create a budget, eliminate debt, and establish a safety net to support personal ambitions. avoid over-reliance on others for financial stability/decision-making.

entrepreneurship: consider starting a side hustle / investing in yourself.

save for big goals: plan for major life changes, such as buying property, starting a business, etc. make a high yield saving account for these long-term goals.

by this date stock up on

ergonomic office equipment. home gym equipment. non-perishable foods and water supplies for potential unexpected disruptions. self-protection; consider basic tools or training for safety. high-protein snacks, energy bars, or hydration supplies. supplements like magnesium, B-complex vitamins, etc. stock up on materials for DIY projects, hobbies, or entrepreneurial ventures.

jupiter enters cancer (june 9, 2025)

advice

invest in your home: renovating what needs renovating. saving for a down payment on a house.

focus on security: start or increase your emergency savings. consider life insurance or estate planning to ensure long-term security for your family/loved ones.

embrace conservative financial growth: cancer prefers security over risk. opt for conservative investments, like bonds, real estate, and/or mutual funds with steady returns.

focus on food and comfort: spend wisely on food, cooking tools, or skills that promote a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle (maybe this an RFK thing for my fellow american readers or this could be about the fast food industry suffering from inflation).

by this date stock up on

furniture upgrades if you need them. high-quality cookware or tools. stockpile your pantry staples. first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, and home security systems. water and canned goods for emergencies. paint, tools, or materials for DIY projects. energy-efficient appliances or upgrades to reduce utility costs.

neptune rx in aries/pisces (july 4, 2025 - dec 10, 2025)

advice

avoid financial conflicts: be mindful of shared finances or joint ventures during this time.

avoid escapist spending: stick to a budget.

by this date stock up on

first-aid kits, tools, and essentials for unforeseen events. water filter / waterproof containers. non-perishables and emergency water supplies.

uranus rx in gemini/taurus (july 7, 2025 - feb 3, 2026)

advice

evaluate technology investments: make sure you’re spending money wisely on tech tools, gadgets, or subscriptions. avoid impulsively purchasing the latest gadgets; instead, upgrade only what’s necessary.

diversify streams of income: explore side hustles or gig work to expand your income sources. focus on digital platforms or innovative fields for additional opportunities.

reassess contracts and agreements: take time to revisit financial contracts or business partnerships. ensure all terms are clear and aligned with your goals.

prioritize financial stability: uranus often brings surprises, so focus on strengthening your savings and emergency fund.

avoid major financial risks: uranus retrograde can disrupt markets. avoid speculative ventures and focus on stable, low-risk options.

by this date stock up on

lightweight travel gear or items for local trips. radios, power banks, or portable hotspots in case of disruptions in digital connectivity. stockpile food, water, and household goods to maintain stability during potential disruptions. invest in high-quality, long-lasting items like tools, clothing, or cookware.

saturn rx in aries/pisces (july 13, 2025 - nov 27, 2025)

advice

review career: assess whether your current job or entrepreneurial efforts align with your long-term aspirations (especially considering the state of the world). adjust plans if needed.

strengthen emergency funds: aries energy thrives on readiness. use this time to build/bolster a financial safety net for unforeseen events.

prepare for uncertainty: build a cushion for unexpected financial changes, especially if you work in creative, spiritual, or service-oriented fields.

by this date stock up on

health products that support long-term well-being. essential supplies like first-aid kits, multi-tools, or non-perishables. bath products. teas. art supplies. drinking water or water filtration tools.

jupiter rx in cancer (nov 11, 2025 - march 10, 2026)

advice

strengthen financial foundations: building an emergency fund or reassessing your savings strategy. ensure everything is well-organized and sustainable.

by this date stock up on

quality kitchenware, tools, or cleaning supplies. pantry staples and emergency food supplies.

have ideas for new content? please use my “suggest a post topic” button!

return to nox's guide to metaphysics

return to the masterlist of transits

© a-d-nox 2024 all rights reserved

[humming-fly]

North Carolina Relief Masterlist

One of my close friends is currently living in North Carolina and took the time to put together this really nicely organized list of organizations currently taking donations after Hurricane Helene, and I thought it'd be nice to share it on tumblr as well since I know some folks like these kinds of organized lists! All links and descriptions come from her and her experiences with the orgs below. 👍

Foundation

The Community Foundation of WNC - Read no further if you want a catch-all, one stop donation spot for WNC long-term Helene response. CFWNC is a permanent pool of charitable capital for the 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary (land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). They are an amazing source of consistent support to many WNC nonprofits via grant opportunities. They have financially supported so many of the non-profits I have encountered or worked with. Donate to the cause of your choice via CFWNC (including the Helene response specifically) here.

Food Security, Farm Support & More

Bounty & Soul (Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain, and Asheville) - decade-old non-profit currently typically focused on health and food insecurity now working in partnership with World Central Kitchen, MANNA, Hearts with Hands, and many others to distribute food, hot meals, and supplies. They are also working to resume purchasing and distributing fresh produce from farmers in WNC who still have crops to harvest and sell. Donate to their disaster relief here.

Annie’s Culinary Garden - I often frequent this small but mighty Black Mountain restaurant, which is closely partnered with Bounty & Soul. Annie’s was already embedded in health and food justice work pre-Helene but the last 2 weeks, Annie and her team have been working around the clock (using a generator to power their restaurant) to provide free vegan, vegetarian, and other diet-specific hot meals to retirement homes, distribution hubs, and also to feed the staff and volunteers at these hubs. This has been a huge need expressed to me by community members because much of the food available at distribution sites is not able to be eaten by those requiring special diets. Donate to their effort here.

Haywood Christian Ministry (Waynesville) - WNC’s largest food pantry has partnered with MANNA (WNC's largest food bank?) and is distributing food on the ground and requesting donations to help with the emergency disaster response. They are also directly purchasing from WNC farms to distribute fresh foods for folks cooking bulk hot meals and for families who can cook at home. For info and to donate, go here. 

Food Connection(Asheville-based) - I first encountered this org at a food waste solutions summit and thought their concept was brilliant. They rescue high-quality, chef-prepared meals and deliver them to neighbors in need (often those who can’t afford to participate regularly in Asheville’s expensive foodie culture). I have since seen them out in Asheville and beyond to rural communities doing exactly what they do best and delivering delicious, no-cost hot meals to Helene victims. Donate to them here.

Foothills Food Hub (McDowell County) - McDowell was hit really hard and this hub is working to source water and shelf-stable goods to distribute. They will continue to feed vulnerable populations and to support farmers with direct purchasing and a reliable market. Requesting monetary donations, which can be made online here.

TRACTOR Food & Farms (Spruce Pine*, Mitchell County) - In another hard-hit county, this hub is also working, much like the Foothills Food Hub, on connecting local farmers with folks in a system of equitable healthy food access in rural communities. Donate to this local food hub here.

*Interesting aside: Spruce Pine and its quartz mines were extremely damaged by flooding and this threatens the global tech industry. This rural town is home to one of the world’s only sources of high-purity quartz. The mines are currently trying to re-open.

MANNA FoodBank (Asheville) - This very large organization is still doing what they do best and distributing food, water, and more, despite having their warehouse/headquarters were destroyed in the flooding along the Swannanoa River. Donate online here.

Farmer Support & Advocacy

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) (WNC) - this wide-reaching farmer advocacy org is currently reestablishing communications with WNC farmers and getting aid to them. They also have healthy food programs that, once operating again, will serve tangentially in the relief effort. I have worked adjacent to this org for the last year and am a dogged cheerleader of them and their work. Donations can be made here.

Center for Environmental Farming Systems (Qualla Boundry and WNC) -  CEFS works closely with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, NC State, extension services and more to support food and farm initiatives across WNC. I previously worked adjacent to this org and was extremely impressed by their commitment and effectiveness. Donate (ideally to “Friends of CEFS” for more flexible funding) here. 

Tierra Fértil Coop (Hendersonville) - social and economic farmer cooperative formed by a group of Hispanic community members living in Henderson County that grows and provides culturally-specific foods but also has community programs to support the Latinx community in Henderson county. I have attended some of their educational events and have worked adjacent to them. I am ever impressed by their work. Donate to them by emailing tierrafertilcoophv@gmail.com.

Economic Justice & More

Pisgah Legal Services (all over WNC) - these folks do just about everything “life admin” for WNC's most vulnerable populations and have done so for over forty years. They provide pro bono civil legal aid, health insurance enrollment, and more. I have worked adjacent to them over the last year and could not be more impressed by their broad scope of bi-lingual legal work that maintains incredible efficiency and effectiveness. Donate to them here. 

Just Economics (WNC) - JE works on shaping the economic development of WNC in a way that benefits everyone and promotes a sustainable future. I have attended some of their workshops and found them to be powerfully educational. I am also grateful for their political advocacy for living wages for all in WNC. They are not directly working on the Helene response (as far as I know), but the road to recovery is long and their economic justice advocacy will be especially crucial as WNC rebuilds. Donate to JE here. 

BeLoved (Asheville) - Org working on improving the well-being and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities through our focus areas of Home, Health, Equity, and Opportunity. On-the-ground volunteers are currently collecting and distributing a wide array of supplies and BeLoved will continue to play a significant long-term role in housing and more. Donate to BeLoved here.

Health Services & Equity

Blue Ridge Health (WNC) - Blue Ridge Health is a federally qualified health center that is continuing to provide accessible & affordable medical care and mental health care to vulnerable populations (now including Helene victims) with their sites around the region and mobile clinics. Donate here.

Vecinos (WNC) - This rapidly growing org provides direct healthcare services to underserved, uninsured communities with a focus on WNC's farmworkers at their clinics and with mobile clinics on site at farms. Donate to their continuing services here. 

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (Asheville based) - The ABCCM helps run and provide shelter in Asheville and is partnered with the Red Cross. Donations help pay for motel and food vouchers for local residents and long-term support for those displaced. A personal aside: ABCCM also has an awesome medical clinic serving uninsured folks and they were the only medical service I could find that would treat a tick born illness that I had when I first arrived in the US from Canada (I did not yet have health insurance). To donate to their Helene response, go here.

Schools & Youth

FernLeaf Community Charter School (Fletcher) - FernLeaf was partially destroyed by Helene (one of the school buildings was entirely lifted off of its foundation then dropped several feet away in a truly remarkable display of the power of water from a small nearby creek). Donate to FernLeaf here. 

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County - The local United Way typically works on youth/child food security, educational support, and physical and mental health care services. The org is helping with immediate natural disaster response and long-term support for flood victims. Donations can be made online here.

Other

Blue Ridge Public Radio - obviously these NPR folks have been working around the clock to keep people informed in the old-fashioned way, over the airwaves. You can support them here.

[lolazoel]

Merthur reincarnation idea/ snippet

Déjà-vu – the knowledge you have without knowing how you acquired it

Going to the same college as Merlin was weird. He had stumbled into Arthur and some of his friends tossing a ball around. Maybe they were a bit mean in their teasing but it hadn't been extreme yet Merlin had acted as if they were working the other first year who wanted to join the footie team to exhaustion.

They really weren't doing that.

Yet Merlin stepped up, took the ball they were playing with, and told them off.

Arthur had walked over, trying to reclaim the ball, an arrogant retort on his tongue, when blue eyes caught his and the prepared words dried up unspoken.

"Arthur. Of course I'd meet you here."

He knew he had a bit of a reputation on campus but not enough for the first semester kids to recognise him on sight.

"Do I know you?"

His friends -although they suddenly felt less like friends and more like lackeys begging for Arthur's scraps, taking advantage of his position- snickered behind them.

Merlin smiled sadly. "Not yet. I'm Merlin. I think we could be friends one day, if you learn to be less of an arse."

Arthur blue screened for a second. That wasn't the expected answer. The expected answer had been a full rejection, something he could counter with words to a dialogue he already knew. But now... "Isn't that a bit of a quick judgement? Determining i'm an arse without a single conversation with me?"

Merlin had blinked at him, equally thrown off kilter for a moment.

It's how it all began, interactions that they both knew and somehow slightly subverted. Merlin studied physiotherapy and soon sat in on Arthur's football matches to help out in medical issues. Quickly his presence extended to the training as well, then celebratory pub nights, post work out fast food splurges and alike. When Merlin needed to practice techniques on people Arthur volunteered to the torture that left him sore for the rest of the day but with a clear head for his economics classes.

Merlin also made quick friends with people in other departments, Gwen who did nursing and was friends with Morgana (who talked Uther into psychology instead of suffering alongside Arthur) became a staple of the group not long after Merlin, then came Lancelot (social work), Gwaine (Marketing), Elyan (Engineering), and Percival (Teaching). They joined the football team after Merlin talked them into it, sure, they watched a few games and practices themselves but Merlin talked them into joining. Merlin also brought Leon closer to them, turning the politics student with a stick up his arse into a guy they could joke around with.

The members of the group always seemed to look up to Arthur, waiting on his judgement, but Arthur knew it was Merlin that had found them and wielded them together. Merlin was their greatest connector. Even when he tried to stand on the side, disappearing into the shadows, Arthur saw him, saw how Merlin smiled at them with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

The only thing Merlin's presence prevented were discussions about him. And everyone wanted to talk about it. In the locker rooms and on nights Merlin left early they came together and talked about it. How Merlin had found them, knew who they were without an introduction, knew how to appeal to them, how they all felt like Merlin knew them. How they all knew to trust Merlin without question.

During one of those discussions Gwen had cuddled into Lance's side. "Sometimes i'm a bit afraid of disappointing him. He... he seems to have these expectations of us, beyond how he knows us better than we know ourselves sometimes. He just... knows. He told me I should look into the political part of the nursing industry more, inform myself about the lobby and all. I did look it up but... i feel like he wants me to do more with it, more than he told me. And that's not the only thing..."

It baffled Arthur how his friends were afraid of Merlin's expectations when Arthur felt understood with Merlin for the first time in his life. Like Merlin would call him out for being an idiot but never abandon him. Like his friendship had no conditions.

And with that realization came another one. That Arthur didn't want an unconditional friendship. He wanted more.

He suppressed those thoughts of course. Merlin was his closest friend, he couldn't just risk that.

And then came the alcohol.

It was a post game party held in the small flat Arthur shared with Leon and Lance since the start of the semester. They had won without the Essetir team even having a chance.

So when Merlin and Arthur had stepped into the hallway for a moment of calm, Arthur stopped listening to Merlin talking about how annoyed he was with a tape glue, his eyes fixed on Merlin's face, taking in every detail.

"-and I swear, Arthur, the edges never stick down properly. And I can't get the clinic grade stuff for my kit because it's too expensive, but the next time Kay comes to me with knee pains I will steal from Gaius..." Merlin ranted.

"Merlin?"

Arthur knew interrupting people was rude but he was very very drunk and Merlin looked very very kissable.

"Huh?"

"I want to do something."

"Uh-huh."

"It's probably stupid"

"Probably."

"Shut up."

Merlin giggled and Arthur felt slightly light headed with happiness.

"I need you to tell me to stop if i am crossing boundaries, because I am not sober enough to talk properly, but if I don't at least try I'll never be brave enough and... Merlin? Promise to stop me if i'm stupid?"

Arthur had come closer to Merlin without even properly realising.

Merlin swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing like an invite to bite... "I promise." His breath tickled over Arthur's skin.

And Arthur surged forward, one of his hands cradling Merlin's jaw as the other pulled his hips towards Arthur. Their lips met in a crash of urgency before softening, answering to needy pressure.

And suddely Arthur knew this was new.

It was better than this imagination.

A longing seemingly centuries old loosened in his chest.

He drew Merlin in closer, unwilling to let go, now that he could hold him, keep him.

[elbiotipo]

Was watching some playthroughs of Manor Lords and it's so adictive to just WATCH playthroughs it's cutting on my productivity, I can't imagine how it will be to play it yet. Anyways.

Thinking about "cozy" farming sims and the like. Manor Lords isn't aimed at that kind of stuff at least not explictly, you ARE a feudal lord (you can even walk in first person as one) and those people ARE your serfs. I guess there will be some people who interpret it as that, and let's be honest, the game is so pretty and intuitive, it's just so relaxing to see the forests change seasons, the houses being built, the flowers swaying on the wind. Working like a serf all day, not so much. No doubt peasants in the Middle Ages and all over the world had their moments of rest and respite and joy, but it was (and still is) a hardworking, exploited existence like we are not usually used to.

I think Manor Lords really GETS what a subsistence farming economy was like, at least at the very beginning. and this is really important in my opinion because it was the lifestyle of no less than 90% of the world's population until very recently. And it wasn't like in Stardew Valley where one farmer had a variety of crops all growing in the same tiny farm. In Manor Lords you usually build a small hamlet or village, every home with its own little backyard plot with vegetables, chickens, but it is actual fields what truly feeds and clothes people. The distribution and managing of these fields, and how big they are, is something that changes from society to society, but it's not like there is a single household that is able to feed itself and is able to do everything that a human needs to eat, to get clothed, to be warm in winter and more. They need to have big open fields (or pastures) to do that, where the community puts most of its time and effort maintaining.

So when you think about subsistence farming, you shouldn't think about it as peasants (wherever in the world where they are, as they still exist, why do you think we Latin Americans talk so much about the campesino struggle) owning one small plot of land and feeding their household with it. You should think of them as communities where the main and sometimes only activity is farming, and they do not farm to sell it to a market (though campesino communities can and do produce excess they can sell) but to sustain themselves and their family. They do not especialize in a single crop or industry, nor they have the time or ability to. They plant whatever helps them feed and clothe their family, that is, subsist.

In Manor Lords, you can also "cheat" a bit and get goods by trade, or survive by gathering berries (EXCESSIVELY OP) or hunting. The first was impossible in very remote areas, and the second was impossible in high-density areas. Which means that you can't sustain a community by just gathering berries or having home gardens. Vegetables and fruit CAN and do supplement the diet of people and they make life infinitely more enjoyable (some places like tropical and subtropical America are very blessed in that respect and their crops are very diverse), and indeed most people have those, but it isn't enough to feed you every day. You have to farm to it. And it's a way of life tied to the land and the seasons. You gotta have enough food and firewood before winter (Manor Lords is tied to the European temperate seasons of course, but every region in the world has its own), you gotta prepare the fields, mill the grain and bake the bread, it's all work, work, work, neverending work. There is a reason why some have said agriculture is kind of a "trap" to humanity, it allows you to feed yourself and your family at the cost of being tied to your land forever, and this didn't change until very recently. And again, while of course it's also a life that has its moments of rest (harvest festivals! and all those church days in Europe, but again, every region has its own traditions), it's still work, work, and work more.

I think this is an interesting contrast with other "cozy farming sims" of which are there are a ton, with a single character being able to produce the whole spectrum of human food and a bit more. Manor Lords to me is very interesting because by having its resource and city building in such a small scale as individual families, it captures in a rather realistic (if not completely so) way how subsistence agriculture is, which is the way virtually most of our ancestors (no matter where you are from) lived. To me that's way more interesting than the combat system.

(yes, I've said I didn't play it yet, but I've watched and analyzed so much of it I might as well have 120 hours logged on it)

[canonsinthehead]

A Naruto Headcanon - The Culinary History of the Ninja World.

i'm back and not so bare with me. this headcanons is related to a story telling how chouji and karui's marriage went down. ill post it eventually.

EACH COUNTRY’S CULINARY HISTORY

Konohagakure (Country of Fire) Konohagakure aka the land of the free. Many things make up the uniqueness of the cuisine of the country of fire. First, they are the king of importation, so their diet is really diverse and touched all sectors evenly. They grow all kind of vegetables to meet the need of its residents. While there are not has much native plants from the area in their current diet contrary to other villages like Suna and Kiri.

Konoha being built on a vast forest, their main fruit consumption comes from small fruit trees and fruit trees like apples, pears, and pomegranate. Anything that grows on a tree is often easily available since it takes its roots in Konoha’s founder Hashirama Senju.

The country are the main producer and consumer of eggs and meat especially pork (which they export all over the ninja world) this where you get the whole BBQ concept and omelets. Another downfall of the cuisine from Konoha is the heavy presence of processed goods in everyday cooking preparation. The current culture is far more removed from its traditional cooking methods. Referred to as the Senju Diet is almost getting lost and seen has a flower from the past. Many (often older individuals) resist the hard change that came trough time and tries to uphold the consumption of the way ninjas ate in the past.

Lotus Root is a staple of the Senju Diet

Even Naruto can testify to this and noticed how it hard for him maintain the same diet as when he was a child (aside eating ramen), the way fast foods chains have almost came out of nowhere and took over the market deeply concerns him (especially how its taking hold of this younger generation). The deliberate effort towards modernization and proving the country is the first in everything, can reach everything, can eat everything, can win against anyone basically walking like they are the goat of the ninja world has affected negatively old traditions in subtle ways and in other more obvious ways. Like how the Konoha can keep escape the threat of famine by stealing other nations resources.

At the same time, the combination of different culinary practice gave birth to various more dishes with various diverse ingredients and interesting like Takoyaki, okonomiyaki & dango

Like mentioned before, industrialization gave birth to many processed who are a staple in those dishes. products who are often only found in the country of fire like fish cakes & narutomaki. The land of fire is the soup & noodles master, it’s like their national food for being convenient and versatile with they make the infamous ramen but other dishes like stir-frys Yes, it a generous filling cuisine to overflow your stomach

Classic/Staple Konoha Meal=Shoyu Miso/Pork Ramen with Narutomaki, Apple Salad, Dango, Sushi, Takoyaki, pickled radish, Beef BBQ

Sunagakure (Country of Wind) The cuisine from Suna is unique. Not only emerging from a desertic land, but it was also able to survive the test of time and stay true to its original roots. Based on the high temperatures and sandy soil of the land of wind, the residents have access to interesting crops who cannot be found elsewhere in the ninja world. Suna is the homeland of dates, they are the main intake of sugar in its diet. They are used in countless recipes like sweet & pastries. they are used to sweetened teas since tea drinking is a big thing. Offering tea is a tradition when receiving guests and tea was used by nomads who made long trip in the desert in order to stay hydrated.

In Sunagakure, they go hard on sweets. Especially dates since the are the only producer of them. They have countless of pastries, candies and date-bases recipes because it was once use as a method of survival in the long windy season in the desert or to have the sugar necessary to be transformed in a energy source to endure long trip in the desert. They are a national pride since most nuts in the ninja world grows in the country of wind; almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc. they also showcase delicate and unique culinary practices when it comes to pastries who set Suna apart from other nations. It is the only place to find citrus, olive & argan trees used to make oils mostly made for exportation & their lucrative citrus production industry.

Their eating style is different since it is not uncommon to eat with your hands. For a long time, families were large so the habit of having a large plate to share with many emerge from that condition

Due to frequent drought, the country of wind has specialized themselves in the production of survival crops like grains like millet, sorghum & wheat who are also a staple in the cuisine of Suna. they most of the time milled to make flour to produce various types of bread crepe and flat breads (also see as more convenient since they don’t require yeast to be cooked). Alongside that, the consumption of legumes like lentils and different kinds of beans is the main source of protein and prized as all around superfood. They are cooked in paste and stew often eaten with bread.

Staple/Classic Suna Meal=Large plate of various pastes/creamy sauces made of beans & lentils, grilled eggplant, hummus, flat bread, millet crepe, spinach, citrus tea,

Kirigakure (Country of Water) The main meal is Kiri is grilled fish.

Unfortunately, Kirigakure has the reputation of eating ANYTHING that swims, crawls, run or fly in the ocean. First and firmly base on their location and how the practice of fishing is part of so many residents lives.

Also, it comes from the lack of access to goods from importation of other nations. For very long time, Kiri and the surrounded regions were left on their own when a bad harvest happened, or if the climate hindered the quantity of fish collected. In those cases, the villager learned to make anything of every single thing they found (in the ocean). Due to their different economical system (mostly based on exchange of goods), it took a long time for Kiri to join the market of importation and exportation. Now they are the main exporter of seafood of various types and fish (a staple in their diet). The land of fire became the main consumers of seafood above the country of water itself. The never-ending high demand for sea product (including fish) has opened the door for illegal activity to create non-approved fish farms and illegal fishing. The country of wind is guilty, while having no access to water yet desiring sea products (which is recent because they try to follow after the country of fire and the whole globalization narrative).The Country of Fire being the biggest culprit due to their insatiable desire to reach all and taste all (even without permission).

Their known cultural theft has implication in the problem since a traditional dish named サメの目 (Same no Me written Samenome meaning Shark Eyes) which consist of thin layers of fish rolled and stuffed with black wild rice and bitter herbs (it is name like this since it resemble the pupils of sharks) was ‘’discovered’’ by ninja scientist from Konohagakure during early invasion of the country of water by various bigger nations for natural resources in this case being clay who was abundant along any body of water (used to make pots and tolls before the emergence of various metals) also to take control and harvest the almost infinite amount of fresh water. The devastation of natural habitat and the disruption of the ecosystem cause a destruction that couldn’t be healed instead it changed the nature of the environment. Since then, most bodies of water in the land of water turned into seawater, the once flourishing pastures of green leafy galore died and the remaining surviving plants gave birth to what we know today as bitter herbs (ex: dandelion, wormwood, chamomille, peppermint, etc) and they are a staeple in the cuisine of Kiri, for some their main intake of green plants. They are also valued for their medicinal values (you know them plants Haku was collecting in the woods)

Learn more about bitter herbs here: https://dirthappy.com/bitter-herbs/

(Going back to what we were talking about)The discovery of Samenome was then taken back to the country of fire and after being merged and modified with the local crops and different culinary practices became what we know today as sushi; the captain of Konoha’s cuisine along side with Ramen. The seaweed paper also originally comes from Kiri, they were not used as food but fertilizers for growing crops. The practice of harvesting seaweed became popular in the southern part of the country of fire after the nori seaweed was discovered in its waters. Meanwhile they still import wakame from the country of water since it’s a staple for various soups and side dishes.

In The Country of Water, they consumed more the wild varieties of different crops like wild black rice, quinoa & amaranth as a main source of carbs.

In Kiri, they seasoned everything with pepper, everything; rice, bitter herbs, fish & seafood, grains. Some regions of the country of water house the spiciest pepper you can find in the warm months of the summer and the most frost resistant cabbages during the cold months. Now, they import a lot of pepper product from The country of lightning during the most of the year. Most of the seasoning is onion-based but the access to salt from the waters allowed the spectrum of seasoning to widen but also utilize is in order to ferment or pickle foods for the winter making pickled goods a staple in the cuisine of Kiri even for pickled fish.

Staple/Classic Kiri meal= Grilled fish, Samenome, spicy pickled cabbage, amaranth crepe of fritters, bitter herbs, pepper sauce

Kumogakure (Country of Lightning) The cuisine of Kumogakure is different than typical meals you would find in other nations. Like Suna the uniqueness reveals itself in their cuisine since its most popular dishes are made of ingredients that can only be found in the country of lightning. Cuisine of Kumogakure follows various principals making their reputation.

Beef is a luxury food. Due to its location, residents of the country of lightning were consuming other animals like sheep and goat who are abundant in rocky areas. The first wild buffalos were in fact imported from neighbor countries and are domesticated for food in small quantities because most green pasture (outside of main cities) are already occupied by sheeps. Many attempts were made to grow the bovine population but failed due to competition for food and access to grass.

Meat is more regarded as side dishes since their protein source mostly come from green vegetable and beans. Like in Suna, where legumes are praised for their high nutritional value but in the country of wind they eat lentils & chickpeas, meanwhile in Kumo they are eating kidney beans, black eyes peas and their infamous black beans. Each nation has a particular legume/bean/pulse they cherish in their cuisine. The Country of fire is house to all types of sprouts like of mung bean and edamame/soy beans. Interestingly, the practice of making tofu comes from Amegakure and has spread to neighboring nations. In Kiri, they eat beans in their original form, simple steamed and sometimes raw so they prefer yardlong beans and peas of different kinds.

· The land of lightning is famous for their abundance of herbs & spice. Hence why they weren’t as enthusiast to rush into meat consumption since they can make many vegetables taste amazing by seasoning it right. Plants like ginger, turmeric, various varieties of peppers, allspice, paprika, star anise & parsley are native to the area. the exception is garlic since it can be found abundantly across the ninja world.

· The cuisine of Kumo could be defined as quick and simple. Hence why they are numerous meals in bites sizes like fried dough (a popular street food), samoussa, meat/bean patties, dried sweet potatoes chips (chouji’s favorite). Unfortunately, frying/pan-frying is a prominent method of cooking so to balance the diet the preparation of vegetables filled stews and soups comes in the picture and they don’t eat foods like white rice. First, because it does not grow in the region at all, instead it’s the rare place where eating brown rice is thing and meals like fermented pureed yam are often use as a substitute for rice along many sauces and stews (after white rice became popular across the ninja world.). In Suna, they sticked to basmati rice and Kiri to black rice but white rice & sweet rice (hybridized in the country of fire) has always been one of the first food to be distributed is smaller nations in food crisis and for daily consumption because of how easily it is to massively produce and for their poorer nutritional value.

(ex: meat/beans patties, sweet potatoes chips, deep fried dough (bottom pic above) called ふわふわ/Fuwa Fuwa meaning Fluffy since the yeast used to make them creates a treat light and airy/fluffy like clouds & samoussa)

· SAUCE, SAUCE, SAUCE. Again, we said people from the Cloud love when it’s simple (hence why many dishes from Konoha like Takoyaki seems like an equation of calculus to them but those who could taste it enjoyed it actually). Its ‘’we dump all in the pot and let it cook’’ cooking style. If your meal doesn’t have a sauce of any kind, its not from Kumo. Many of them contained some form of peanut butter (a national pride food). The country of lightning is the biggest producer of peanuts and use it in various dishes

(exemples: peanut soup, fermented cassava pulp, cassava leave sauce, callaloo/amaranth soup, spinach peanut butter sauce )

· Did you know that Kumo’s peanut brittle’s distant cousin is the Nougat from Suna? It’s the Raikage’s favorite snack. Like the menu of the wedding feature the country most prized, popular, and fancy meals, most of them are the raikage’s favorites.

(from left to right, Nougat (from Suna) & Peanut Brittle also called 稲妻バー/Inazuma bars meaning Lightning Bars) because when you prepare them it is tradition to punch the plate in the middle to break it into smaller portions, it looks like the food got hit by lightning.

Many exotic tropical grows outside of big cities like mangos, pineapples & papayas making fruit the main sugar intake in the Kumo diet.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Pre-sliced Bread

On 7 July 1928, a revolutionary innovation changed the way people consumed bread: the introduction of pre-sliced bread.

Otto Frederick Rohwedder (1880-1960), an inventor from Missouri, perfected the machine that would forever alter the baking industry.

Working with the Chillicothe Baking Company, Rohwedder’s patented slicing and wrapping machine allowed for bread to be sliced uniformly and packaged for easy consumption.

The first loaf, branded as "Kleen Maid sliced bread," was marketed as a groundbreaking advancement, being hailed as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped."

The path to this invention’s success was not without its struggles. Rohwedder faced numerous hurdles in designing his machine and in securing the necessary funding.

His key supporter was baker Frank Bench, who believed in the potential of pre-sliced bread.

Despite skepticism from some quarters about the practicality of the product, once it hit the market, its convenience won over the public.

The ability to buy neatly sliced bread revolutionized daily life, making it easier for families to prepare meals without the hassle of slicing each loaf.

By 1933, pre-sliced bread had captured a dominant share of the market, with 80% of bread sales in the United States coming from pre-sliced loaves.

This invention not only changed the baking industry but also became a part of the cultural lexicon, inspiring the famous idiom "the greatest thing since sliced bread."

Rohwedder’s creation left an indelible mark on history, shaping the way we enjoy one of the most fundamental foods in the world.

© Historical Photos

[piro-piroooooo]

I was thinking of doing a Miku for the cultural Miku trend... but I'm already quite late and I've been thinking of some things...

I'm Mexican (hehe <3), but I don't see any point in drawing another adelita Miku, or a Miku dressed in any Mexican indigenous attire. I'm not part of any indigenous group, I don't understand those attires. I grew up and live in a poor small industrial city. Of course there is culture in here, but it doesn't look pretty. It isn't pretty colorful dresses, dances, rituals or an ancestral connection to our land and the gods that inhabit it. That can be found in the rural towns that surround my city, the ones that get tourists.

There is no specific cultural attire I can claim or use to represent my cultural experience. What should I dress my Miku in? The local soccer team shirt? The vests the local politicians are often seen wearing? Sure, I could do that I guess.

I'm not saying any of this to complain. Actually, quite the opposite. I love my ugly city. I love my ugly-looking culture. My culture looks like make-shift tents that house weekly farmer's markets. Children making memories of school in classrooms with cement floors and decades old equipment. Neighborhoods coming together to make anniversary parties for holes in the streets. It's showering with a bucket of water you heated on the stove and a recycled yogurt container because the government refuses to do anything about the water shortages. And there's a lot of happiness that can be found in this kind of life.

I used to be very bitter about the way my culture came to be. My way of life was created by a history filled with violence, colonization, and death. Me and the people around me are the result of europeans mixing with the native population. Our poverty and lack of indigenous cultural identity was caused by the explotation of this land and its resources.

Today the independence of my country is celebrated. I have a lot of feelings about it and at the same time I feel nothing. Of course, I'm bitter and angry about the history of my country and its current state. But also, today I went out to buy some groceries we needed to prepare pambazos and passed by a festival. People were eating good food, smiling, creating happy memories. There's joy to be found in this ugly small industrial city.

Maybe I will just draw Miku in my middle school uniform. Carrying that backpack too big for her, y una torta de buebito para comerse en el recreo.

Feliz día de la independencia de México :^)

[datasoong47]

Summer is here and every Marylander knows that that means two things: piles of steamed crabs and family-size tins of Old Bay. And did you know that Maryland’s favorite spice was created by a refugee? Read on for the story of Gustav Brunn, the German-Jewish immigrant who invented the spice blend in Baltimore: German-Jewish immigrant, Gustav Brunn, and his family fled Nazi Germany and settled in Baltimore in 1938. Before leaving Europe, the Brunn family ran a successful fur and rawhide business, often selling spices on the side. When the value of the German mark plummeted in 1923, the fur business became unstable, and the family turned to spices for their primary income. Their business was wholesale, selling seasonings and spices to food industries. As the Nazi Party rose to power, Wertheim, their hometown, became an unfriendly place for Jews, and the Brunns moved their shop to nearby Frankfurt, where there was a higher Jewish population. According to Gustav Brunn’s oral history, cataloged at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the family did not encounter many problems with Nazi soldiers or sympathizers, although they “had to look left and right that no Nazis were nearby and [would] hear something [they] were talking about.” That was until the night of November 10, 1938 and a massive pogrom against Jews in Germany and German-occupied lands. Because of the property destruction at synagogues and Jewish-owned property, the night became known as Kristallnacht or the “Night of Broken Glass.” That night Brunn was one of approximately 30,000 Jewish men arrested, and then Brunn was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. Fortunately, the Brunns had already applied for and received their American visas at this point. According to their son, Ralph, after 16 days in the camp, Bianca Brunn, Gustav’s wife, paid a lawyer a large sum of money to secure Gustav’s release. Ten days later, they left with their two children for New York City, and then moved to Baltimore, where Brunn already had family. With a background as a spice merchant, Brunn found work making seasonings at a sausage factory on Lombard Street in Baltimore, but that was short lived for presumably prejudice reasons. He turned to a group of Jewish men and philanthropists, which included Aaron, Meyer, and Julius Straus, who were helping refugees find jobs. One of them introduced Gustav to Charles McCormick, who was at the time very interested in breaking into the wholesale sausage spice business, an industry that Gustav knew well. McCormick hired him on the spot, but again, Gustav was let go quickly, this time attributed to his lack of facility with English. After these setbacks, Meyer Straus encouraged Gustav to set up his own shop, and Brunn did. He opened a store at 26 Market Place just across from the Baltimore Wholesale Fish Market. The business, the Baltimore Spice Company was in a good location and dealt directly with grocers and meat packers, many of whom were German or spoke Yiddish, and with these advantages, Gustav began what evolved into a profitable business. To even better his chances for success, he went to night school to learn English. The industry of World War II kept Baltimore Spice Company afloat. Pepper was nearly impossible to find during the war, so Gustav invented an imitation pepper out of buckwheat. It was incredibly popular, and the Brunn’s spent their days filling large orders for the military.

OLD BAY IS BORN It was also during the war that Old Bay was born. Crabs were typically prepared in a rich, creamy base, like crab imperial or crab bisque, and a simple steamed crab was associated with poverty. Brunn noticed that fishmongers were coming to him to buy “a pound of this and a pound of that” and creating spice blends. He decided to try his hand at developing his own and selling it. The blend became popular; according to Ralph’s oral history, “Housewives used to go to the market and say ‘How do you season this?’ And the guy behind the counter would say ‘try this product.’ She’d buy it, take it home and come back for more seafood.” Originally the blend was called “Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning,” but was shortened to “Old Bay,” taking the name from the Old Bay Line, a steamliner which sailed between Baltimore and Norfolk, VA. Some say Old Bay was responsible for a boom in the crab market in the 1940s, and it certainly popularized and elevated steamed crabs. As Gustav grew older, Ralph, took over the business. As refugees who had built their business from the ground up, the Brunns maintained this legacy by continuing to hire refugees, describing the company as “a United Nations in miniature.” For some employees, it became the launching point for their careers in America, allowing them to learn English and the necessary vocational skills to succeed. The Baltimore Spice Company was family-owned and run until Ralph Brunn retired in 1985. McCormick bought the Old Bay spice recipe, in 1990 and sells it around the world.

[twinkubus]

Instead of improved productive efficiency being used to shorten the working week so we could enjoy growing and preparing more food for ourselves, companies profit from selling us fast food and ready-cooked meals. Deprived of the leisure and facilities to make our everyday journeys by foot or bike, we are co-opted into weekend 'health walks' (with Apps to monitor them) or persuaded to buy stationary cycling and treadmill-walking sessions in the gym. We might have longer holidays, in which we could travel more slowly and experience more genuine relaxation, but meanwhile the tourist and therapy industries provide profitable mini-breaks and stress relieving services. When products are advertised and sold on the basis of their authenticity and naturalness, the market promises to salve nostalgia for the very losses inflicted by its own advances into everyday life.

Kate Soper, Post-Growth Living

[betterbemeta]

A bit ago youtube served me this video by the wall street journal about how difficult it is for meal kit companies to stay afloat

This may be a surprise to people because if you show any interest in 'food' you're probably getting dozens of ads from meal kit companies every day. But what shocked me about the video was not really what it reported; it was what it depicted by omission, or without self-awareness.

Meal kits are NOT cheaper than groceries. This is the one thing it said outright that I think people need to hear. The marketing is manipulation based on short-term discounts that will not be sustained for any length of subscription. Economies of scale are what make stuff cheap and while the largest meal kit companies can come closest, none are anywhere near a successful grocery chain's scale.

HelloFresh has a whopping 78 percent of the market shares in the meal kit business. This is presented as a neutral fact but it displays the truth that the 'competition' between corporations is a sham: once the market giant achieves sufficient size, nothing else can catch up and only tiny niches where certain privileged consumers will want to buy an 'alternative' at great expense can coexist.

Many services have pivoted from offering meal kits with ingredients to offering fully prepared meals because people who would want to buy a meal kit aren't being daunted by the 'time to go to the store' or 'knowledge of ingredients to buy' or 'portioning ingredients' or 'reading directions.' What this implies, that the video doesn't state outright, is that average people who are lured into subscribing to food delivery services need food NOW, the ACCESS TO THE FOOD is the decision-maker, not 'convenience cooking.'

this dovetails into another video I recently watched, about the disappearance of cheap food in the USA.

(uh, ignore the watch percentage bar, I went back to it to check statistics it cites.)

the issue here being that the growing dominance of car-based transportation in the USA added a giant expense to the average person's budget, supported 'affordable' housing moving farther and farther away from centralized areas where eateries that could cheaply prepare food people depended on. So people actually didn't spend less money on food in the past, they spent more... but they had more budget for food because they spent less or even nothing on gas and housing in general was also much, much cheaper. Even adjusted for inflation.

Anyway. the reason why I am bringing that second video up. is that the first one dodges the obvious conclusion. It presents the evidence. But then doesn't ask why? Why are people so desperate to sign up for something that's cheaper than groceries, that takes less time than groceries? Why is there a market for mass appeal, because to sustain revenue you need a TON of people signing up for the discounted trial, to make up for so few long-term subscribers?? Why are people looking for an alternative to our current cheapest available options, maybe cheaper than almost any point in human history? Even with disgusting price hikes?

It is because people cannot afford the price of food with how much other things reap from their budget, or the time to prepare food they can afford. Things are much worse than the forward face of our culture depicts, and even industries that pop up to exploit the needy are grubbing for pennies

[agro-carnist]

ok. References: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/23/5115

https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/vegan-diet-better-environment-mediterranean-diet

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/20/vegan-diet-cuts-environmental-damage-climate-heating-emissions-study

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/vegan-meat-alterantive-food-brands

Including books like Sustainable Living and 100 Ways to Live Sustainably.

My response under a read more since it got long

First link:

This study is not necessarily advocating for vegan or vegetarian diets, and it mentions that in the introduction. It mentions instead its evaluation of overconsumption of animal products and underconsumption of various plant sources.

The study also mentions that vegans and vegetarians tend to consume more fruits, vegetables, and legumes and in more variety, as well as fewer refined cereals, added fats and sweets, and non-water beverages. This is known as the healthy user bias. The study even mentions that "the differences in terms of health outcomes ... cannot be directly linked only to the different consumption of protein sources." Even their own analysis of various studies find that most results aren't statistically significant, and those that do have significant statistical correlation include flexitarians, pescetarians, and lacto-ovo vegetarians and exclude vegans.

Second link

This article references two different studies, "Environmental Impact of Two Plant-Based, Isocaloric and Isoproteic Diets: The Vegan Diet vs. the Mediterranean Diet" and "A Mediterranean Diet and Low-Fat Vegan Diet to Improve Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Randomized, Cross-over Trial."

For the first, this goes into one of my main complaints about dietary sustainability analysis in that the calculations are all hypothetical. It does not study if an individual's personal food choices make an impact on foods being produced. I am not arguing that livestock do not have a significant environmental impact or that agriculture does not damage the Earth. They clearly do. But I'm not a libertarian that thinks the free market will solve the ingrained issues with how food is produced.

My other issue with studies like this is that it groups all livestock together and all crops together. Cattle, chickens, fish, shellfish, goats, etc. all have a very different environmental impact. Almonds, wheat, apples, avocados, beans, rice etc. also all have very different environmental impacts. Painting agriculture with broad brushes like this is, in my opinion, not very helpful. I'm also not interested in pointing out the harmful impact of one side of agriculture while completely supporting the other side and acting like we can ignore that. I am more interested in food raised using sustainable techniques vs. industrially grown food rather than pitting animals and plants against each other as a whole. I am anti-capitalist and I do not make my food and animal activism to still be playing into capitalism. I also dislike pretending that crops and livestock are mutually exclusive industries that do not fundamentally play into each other.

As for the second study, I find this one far more interesting but I do have a few things to point out. The study does not mention what the lifestyles of the participants were before the study began, only that they were overweight. It seems to be operating under the assumption that thinner automatically means healthier, which isn't necessarily the case. But are participants normally eating tons of junk food with little fresh fruits and vegetables and then switching to more balanced diets prepared at home? Considering participants are also specifically asked to avoid sweetened drinks, processed meats and snacks, and cream and to limit cured ham and fatty cheeses, there are almost definitely other factors at play than simply meat vs plants. Second, participants attended classes taught by dieticians and physicians. Of course people would be healthier following instructions by people formally educated in health. Third, it is noted that several participants out of 52 change medications during the study, which can impact results.

Third link

See my points from link 2.

Fourth link

I like the recommendations made for vegan companies here. They suggest making some foods at home and avoiding companies that use palm oil or soy from South America as well as brands like Nestle that are famously known for damaging environments all over the world and harming people especially in poor countries. I will add though that this is harder than it looks due to brands having parents companies and Nestle owns lots and lots of companies. Which also plays into my point that personal choice is so insignificant when up against monsters like Nestle that own so much power.

In short, studies like these can provide some helpful data but they do also miss many important pieces because sustainability and nutrition are such complex topics that do not come with easy answers. I also take all studies with a grain of salt because they are all going to still work under the assumption of a capitalist world. My perspective is anti-capitalist and about an uprooting of our relationship to food and agriculture. Under a capitalist system the best we can do is harm reduction and based on trends of the food market I do not see that vegan diets make a material difference. Rather I promote choices that uplift community food, pressure changes to industry norms including legislative pressure, and socialist activism that benefits people and in turn the animals we live next to. Overproduction and overconsumption are real issues.

I'd like to offer my own studies and references but looking through these has used up all my spoons. My recommendations on books though are Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Cows Save The Planet by Judith D. Schwartz.