#Natural Rubber Market

[industrynewsupdates]

Uncovering Opportunities in Natural Rubber Procurement Intelligence 2024 - 2030

Implementing efficient procurement practices can help companies reduce costs related to sourcing natural rubber. The global market size was estimated at USD 19.73 billion in 2023. The market is driven by rising demand for the category derived from certified sustainable plantations and a shift in consumer preferences toward sustainable products. The increasing applications of this commodity in non-automotive sectors, such as footwear, consumer goods, healthcare, and construction sectors, are also driving the growth.

It is estimated that the total global production of this commodity in 2023 and 2022 was 14.5 million tons each year, compared to 13.8 million tons in 2021. On the other hand, world consumption of rubber (natural and synthetic total) decreased by 2.4% in 2023. In 2023, consumption dropped to 28.8 million tons compared to 29.5 million tons in 2022.

The industry is highly fragmented and competitive. Due to the ease with which buyers can switch suppliers, the latter has limited power to dictate terms or prices. The production and supply chain is dispersed across various regions and countries, especially in parts of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The presence of multiple smallholder farmers further contributes to fragmentation. There are more than 6 million smallholder farmers for natural rubbers worldwide. These farmers sell their production to about 100,000 dealers who then forward it to more than 500 factories.

Order your copy of the Natural Rubber Procurement Intelligence Report, 2024 - 2030, published by Grand View Research, to get more details regarding day one, quick wins, portfolio analysis, key negotiation strategies of key suppliers, and low-cost/best-cost sourcing analysis

Raw material sourcing, labor, processing (machinery, energy, chemicals and facilities), storage and transportation and others are the major cost elements associated with the production of this commodity. Transportation costs are incurred when raw latex is moved from plantations to processing facilities and finished rubber products are transported to distribution centers or customers. The costs can vary based on the distance traveled, infrastructure, and mode of transportation (rail, road, sea, or air).

In Q4 2023, rubber prices increased in the North American region due to heightened demand from the Asian market. This increase encouraged downstream sectors to spike their prices, particularly in anticipation of the winter season. This, in turn, caused an uptick in domestic inquiries for the product. At the same time, rising raw materials prices have caused a positive outlook for this commodity. Companies actively stocked up their inventories through sufficient order placements, resulting in a robust market. At the end of the last quarter of 2023, natural latex rubber (DRC 60% H.A.) prices reached USD 1,770 /MT in the North American region. Compared to Q3 2023, this was a nominal increase of 0.88%.

The top manufacturing countries are Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and China. In 2023, the top three exporters of "technically specified rubber (TSR)" were Malaysia (trade value of USD 775,783K), Belgium (trade value of USD 228,398K), and Ghana (trade value of USD 105,760K). As part of their procurement strategies, companies evaluate suppliers on multiple parameters, such as international standards (ISO and ASTM), sustainability practices, and certifications.

Natural Rubber Sourcing Intelligence Highlights

• The market is highly fragmented. Most of the fragmentation occurs from these specific regions - Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

• The bargaining power of suppliers is low due to the increased fragmentation. In recent years, the category has become increasingly commoditized, with very little differences between products offered by different suppliers.

• The threat of new entrants is low in this industry since the cultivation of natural rubber requires access to suitable lands or plantation zones for harvesting, high capital investment for processing facilities and a network of distribution vendors.

• Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and China are some of the ideal countries for procurement. 

Browse through Grand View Research’s collection of procurement intelligence studies:

• Lab Chemicals Procurement Intelligence Report, 2023 - 2030 (Revenue Forecast, Supplier Ranking & Matrix, Emerging Technologies, Pricing Models, Cost Structure, Engagement & Operating Model, Competitive Landscape)

• Air Freight Services Procurement Intelligence Report, 2023 - 2030 (Revenue Forecast, Supplier Ranking & Matrix, Emerging Technologies, Pricing Models, Cost Structure, Engagement & Operating Model, Competitive Landscape)

Natural Rubber - Key Suppliers 

• Vietnam Rubber Industry Group

• Hevea-Tec (Pirelli & C. S.p.A)

• Thai Hua Rubber Company Limited (Guangdong Guangken Rubber Group)

• Sri Trang Agro-Industry Plc

• Tong Thai Rubber Co., Ltd.

• Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad

• Thai Rubber Latex Group Public Company Limited

• Hainan Natural Rubber Industry Group Co., Ltd.

• Feltex Co., Ltd

• Enghuat Industries Limited

• Southland Holding Company

• Von Bundit Co., Ltd.

Natural Rubber Procurement Intelligence Report Scope

• Growth Rate: CAGR of 5.09% from 2024 to 2030

• Pricing Growth Outlook: 3%-8% (Annual)

• Pricing Models: Spot pricing, long term contract pricing, cost plus pricing, market based or competitive pricing model

• Supplier Selection Scope: Cost and pricing, past engagements, productivity, geographical presence

• Supplier Selection Criteria: Type of natural rubber, production capacity, grades offered, technical specifications, and other operational and functional capabilities

• Report Coverage: Revenue forecast, supplier ranking, supplier matrix, emerging technology, pricing models, cost structure, competitive landscape, growth factors, trends, engagement, and operating model

Brief about Pipeline by Grand View Research:

A smart and effective supply chain is essential for growth in any organization. Pipeline division at Grand View Research provides detailed insights on every aspect of supply chain, which helps in efficient procurement decisions.

Our services include (not limited to):

• Market Intelligence involving – market size and forecast, growth factors, and driving trends

• Price and Cost Intelligence – pricing models adopted for the category, total cost of ownerships

• Supplier Intelligence – rich insight on supplier landscape, and identifies suppliers who are dominating, emerging, lounging, and specializing

• Sourcing / Procurement Intelligence – best practices followed in the industry, identifying standard KPIs and SLAs, peer analysis, negotiation strategies to be utilized with the suppliers, and best suited countries for sourcing to minimize supply chain disruptions

[chemanalystdata]

Natural Rubber (TSR) Prices | Pricing | Trend | News | Database | Chart | Forecast

 Natural Rubber (TSR) Prices commonly referred to as Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), plays a vital role in global industries, especially the automotive and manufacturing sectors. The price of natural rubber fluctuates based on a variety of factors, including supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical influences, currency fluctuations, and climatic conditions. Understanding these elements and their effects on natural rubber prices is crucial for industries that rely heavily on rubber as a raw material. In this article, we explore the factors influencing TSR prices and provide insights into current market trends.

One of the primary factors that affects natural rubber prices is supply and demand. The majority of the world’s natural rubber is produced in tropical regions such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These countries, with their favorable climates for rubber cultivation, account for a significant portion of global rubber production. When supply exceeds demand, prices tend to drop, and vice versa. However, supply is not always steady due to several challenges faced by rubber-producing countries. Weather patterns play a significant role in determining output. For instance, rubber production is highly sensitive to changes in weather conditions, with heavy rainfall, droughts, or natural disasters impacting rubber plantations, which can lead to reduced production and supply shortages. These supply shocks, in turn, push natural rubber prices higher.

Get Real Time Prices for Natural Rubber (TSR): https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/natural-rubber-1327

Another factor that influences natural rubber prices is currency exchange rates, particularly the strength of the U.S. dollar. Most international trade, including rubber, is conducted in U.S. dollars. When the dollar strengthens, it tends to make commodities like rubber more expensive for buyers in countries that use other currencies, thus impacting demand. Conversely, when the dollar weakens, rubber prices may become more attractive, which could spur greater demand. As such, fluctuations in the currency market add an additional layer of complexity to the pricing of natural rubber, with many stakeholders in the industry keeping a close eye on exchange rate movements to anticipate changes in prices.

In addition to natural weather and currency factors, geopolitical tensions can also play a role in natural rubber price fluctuations. Political instability in rubber-producing countries can affect production and exports, causing uncertainty in the global supply chain. This uncertainty often results in price volatility as buyers attempt to secure supplies ahead of any potential disruption. Moreover, trade agreements and tariffs imposed by major economies can also influence rubber prices. For instance, if a major consumer country like China or the United States imposes tariffs on imported rubber, it could lead to reduced demand or shifts in trade flows, thereby affecting prices.

Another significant factor influencing natural rubber prices is the cost of synthetic rubber, which is made from petroleum-based materials. The two types of rubber—natural and synthetic—are often used interchangeably in various industries, especially in tire manufacturing. When the price of crude oil rises, the cost of producing synthetic rubber also increases, potentially leading to greater demand for natural rubber as a cheaper alternative. On the other hand, when oil prices fall, synthetic rubber may become more attractive to manufacturers, reducing demand for natural rubber. This delicate balance between natural and synthetic rubber prices is an important consideration for industries that rely on both types of materials.

Natural rubber prices are also influenced by the overall global economic environment. In times of economic growth, demand for rubber products such as tires, automotive components, and industrial goods tends to rise, which can lead to increased demand for natural rubber and upward pressure on prices. Conversely, during economic downturns or recessions, demand for these products may decrease, leading to a decline in natural rubber prices. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, caused disruptions in global supply chains and significantly reduced demand for rubber-based products, resulting in a temporary decline in natural rubber prices. As economies recover and industrial activities pick up, demand for natural rubber is expected to increase, which could push prices higher in the future.

Technological advancements and sustainability trends are also shaping the natural rubber market. In recent years, there has been growing interest in finding sustainable alternatives to natural rubber, especially in industries that are heavily reliant on it. This has led to research into synthetic rubber alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and less dependent on volatile supply chains. At the same time, innovations in the natural rubber industry, such as improved harvesting techniques and better tree management practices, are helping to increase yield and stabilize supply. These developments may help to mitigate some of the price volatility that has historically characterized the natural rubber market.

Looking ahead, natural rubber prices are expected to remain subject to the same factors that have influenced them in the past, such as weather conditions, geopolitical events, currency fluctuations, and economic growth. However, with the growing focus on sustainability and technological innovation, there may be new trends emerging in the natural rubber market that could have a significant impact on prices. For instance, increased investment in sustainable rubber production methods could lead to more stable supplies, while advancements in synthetic alternatives could reduce reliance on natural rubber, potentially affecting demand and prices.

In conclusion, the price of natural rubber (TSR) is shaped by a complex interplay of factors, including supply and demand dynamics, weather patterns, currency exchange rates, geopolitical tensions, and the relative cost of synthetic rubber. As industries that rely on natural rubber continue to evolve, these factors will likely remain critical in determining the future trajectory of natural rubber prices. Additionally, emerging trends in sustainability and technology may introduce new variables into the equation, further adding to the complexity of predicting natural rubber price movements. Industries that depend on natural rubber will need to remain vigilant and adaptable to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the global rubber market.

Get Real Time Prices for Natural Rubber (TSR): https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/natural-rubber-1327

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[jassicaleo318]

Natural Rubber Market: Insights into Production, Consumption, and Global Trends

Natural rubber, derived primarily from the latex of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), plays a pivotal role in various industries worldwide. From automotive tires to healthcare products, its versatility and unique properties make it indispensable in modern manufacturing. This article explores the dynamics of the natural rubber market, encompassing production processes, consumption patterns, key players, challenges, and future prospects.

Understanding Natural Rubber

Natural rubber is a biopolymer consisting of long-chain molecules called polymers, primarily composed of isoprene units. It is harvested from rubber trees primarily grown in tropical regions such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The milky latex is extracted through tapping the bark of rubber trees, a process that involves careful management to ensure sustainable production.

Applications Across Industries

Natural rubber finds applications in a wide range of industries:

Automotive: The largest consumer of natural rubber, the automotive industry uses it predominantly in tire manufacturing due to its excellent elasticity, durability, and resistance to abrasion. It also contributes to other automotive components such as hoses, belts, and seals.

Consumer Goods: Rubber products such as gloves, footwear, rubber bands, and latex balloons rely heavily on natural rubber for its elasticity and resilience.

Medical and Healthcare: Latex from natural rubber is crucial in medical gloves, catheters, and various medical devices due to its hypoallergenic properties and biocompatibility.

Industrial Applications: Natural rubber is used in industrial hoses, conveyor belts, seals, gaskets, and molded rubber products for its flexibility and resistance to chemicals and abrasion.

Construction: Sealants, adhesives, and insulation materials often incorporate natural rubber for its adhesive properties and durability.

Global Production and Market Dynamics

The natural rubber market is influenced by several key factors:

Geographical Concentration: The majority of natural rubber production comes from Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which together account for a significant portion of global supply.

Supply Chain Challenges: Natural rubber production is susceptible to environmental factors, diseases affecting rubber trees (e.g., South American leaf blight), and fluctuations in market prices, which impact global supply and prices.

Demand Drivers: Increasing automotive production, growth in the healthcare sector, and expanding construction activities in emerging economies drive demand for natural rubber.

Challenges and Sustainability Considerations

Despite its widespread use, the natural rubber industry faces several challenges:

Environmental Impact: Deforestation and habitat loss associated with rubber plantation expansion raise concerns about biodiversity conservation and ecosystem degradation.

Labor Issues: Working conditions, fair wages, and labor rights in rubber-producing regions are critical considerations for sustainable development and ethical sourcing.

Price Volatility: Fluctuations in natural rubber prices due to supply-demand imbalances, currency fluctuations, and global economic conditions pose challenges for producers and consumers alike.

Technological Advancements and Innovation

The natural rubber industry is adapting to meet sustainability goals and consumer demands through innovation:

Sustainable Practices: Initiatives promoting sustainable rubber cultivation, such as the adoption of agroforestry practices and certification schemes (e.g., Forest Stewardship Council), aim to minimize environmental impacts and support responsible sourcing.

Biotechnology: Research in biotechnology focuses on developing disease-resistant rubber tree varieties and improving latex yield and quality through genetic enhancement and breeding programs.

Future Outlook and Market Trends

Looking ahead, the natural rubber market is poised for growth driven by:

Emerging Market Opportunities: Increasing demand from emerging economies for automobiles, consumer goods, and infrastructure development is expected to boost natural rubber consumption.

Shift Towards Synthetic Alternatives: Growing interest in sustainable alternatives and advances in synthetic rubber technologies may impact the demand dynamics for natural rubber in the long term.

Regulatory Developments: Regulations promoting sustainable practices and environmental stewardship in rubber production could influence market dynamics and consumer preferences.

[alwaysbewoke]

Ota Benga was born around 1883, in what is now the Republic of Congo. Theirs was a hunter-gatherer society. When he became a man, his teeth were chipped into sharp points, part of his tribal customs. His world came crashing down when King Leopold II of Belgium (The butcher of Congo) established a colony in the Congo to exploit its valuable resources. The demand for rubber was increasing around the world and Leopold wanted to corner the market. He subdued the native population to force them into laboring on the rubber plantations. In Belgium Congo, women were held hostage until their men returned with enough rubber for the colonizer King Leopold. Some had their hands chopped off for not meeting rubber quotas. Ota was out on a hunting expedition when his village was attacked by the slavers. Whether they were Force Publique or an African group working to collect people to sell to them varies from story to story. He was taken captive. On the other side of the globe, a man named Samuel Verner was preparing exhibits for the 1904 World's Fair. The fair's organizers wanted to do an exhibit showing the progress of mankind “from the dark prime to the highest enlightenment, from savagery to civic organisation" He was given a hefty budget to collect living "specimens" of people from Africa to represent the "savage depths" from which mankind had sprung. The experience of young African men at the 'fair' aka Human Zoo, was not a pleasant one. Billed as cannibals, they shook spears at the crowd and grimaced with their filed teeth, modeling their "war dances" Verner sent Ota to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. In 1906, Verner found a new home for Ota: The Bronx Zoo. Ota was put as an "exhibit" A plaque was erected, describing him in the same way an animal would be described and put into a cage in the monkey house. The Minneapolis Journal declared Ota to be the "missing link" between chimps and humans. On March 19, 1916, he stole a revolver gun and shot himself through the heart.

x

[essentiallyleaf]

day 24. car sex. with. ningning.

1286 words.

tags.

kinktober ‘23, idol x male reader, car sex, Z O O M I N, deepthroating, semi-public sex, a bit of classic existential dread.

notes.

it is so fucking late i gotta go. speedily, leaf.

It’s at times like these that you want to treasure the most precious resource you have. The sun just sank down the horizon of Alpha-Earth, giving the sky this vibrant, electric aura, from the golden and pastel blue West to the indigo East. Hundreds of headlights leave long trails of yellowish white and rusty red all along the highway, almost as if the lines were already there, and the cars just following their predetermined paths. Your right foot pushes down, getting closer and closer to the asphalt. They can call you old-fashioned, but you love the growl of the rear combustion engine, the sound of rubber on tarmac. Time. They say it gets slower as you approach light speed, you’re far from it, but it’s almost like the clock’s hands move slower as the speedometer needle reaches new peaks. Nothing feels as close to God as this. The car takes a life of its own, and you wish you could simply close your eyes and, feel. The thrill you get when you’re on top of a tall building, and part of you wants to take a step. Those are also just passing moments, you think as you lift and return to cruise speed.

Ningning is beside you like she, sometimes is. Her hand falls on your pants-clad dick and starts rubbing like it does almost every single one of those times; the other times you’re already naked. Not the first time this happens in the car, even at high speed, so you simply turn auto-pilot on (they forced everyone to install it even on cars built before 2035) and let your head fall back in pleasure as she reaches inside your underwear to caress your bare length. Your right hand naturally goes to her almost naked back, needing to feel her skin under your finger pads.

She doesn’t dress to impress; sometimes she doesn’t dress at all. And the navy skintight rags she’s wearing today, well, those almost qualify as the latter. You’re in your usual attire, combat boots, cargo pants, the ones that tighten at the ankle, a close-fitting long sleeve shirt and a windbreaker. She needs your help to lower your pants and underwear, then goes back to stroking your cock, spitting on it for lubrication and reaching down to fondle your scrotum from time to time, causing you to moan up towards the roof of the car.

“Mmmh- Ning?”

“Huh?”

“Mind speeding the process up a little?”

Ningning likes to take her time, you learned that long ago. To make you look at her as she pulls the little lever on the side of your seat to move it backwards, positions herself between your legs, and stamps one long wet kiss on your tip. Or to observe people strolling at the night market, mothers buying their sons balloons, couples eating tanghulu (“You can tell if they’re good kissers just by looking at that” “Want to try with me?” “There’s a more hands-on way”; that was your first shared kiss, and it was more than just hands, on one another’s bodies after that). Right now her blue-tinted eyes are on yours, as her mouth surrounds more and more of your cock and she starts to feel her eyes watering and her lungs lacking air. She resists for almost fifty seconds this time - a good one, though not in her top five - drawing more than a groan from you before she has to back out and seek for oxygen.

“Are you okay?” She nods quickly, her hands cleaning up some of the drool that has accumulated on the sides of her mouth. “I need you right now, Ning.”

Ningning smiles and snorts lightly like she has you in the palm of her hand, and at the same time she has to concede this one to you. You stare at her open-mouthed as she somehow rids herself of her clothes, revealing her supple breasts and thick outer lips to you, and only thanks to your tinted windows not to any car around yours. She straddles your lap and wraps her arms around your neck to kiss you deeply while you grab onto one of her plump thighs with one hand and align your shaft with her already wet slit with the other. Her eyes are finally closed as she focuses on the feeling of your tip swiping up and down her vulva, brushing on her clit at every passage.

She’d been looking outside for almost all the trip, scrutinizing every detail of the gray and neon skyline of Nu-Seoul. Ningning has always had her own, unique wide-angle lens on the world. She has a little plant shelf right below her window in her apartment. It’s in one of those old, gray, samey buildings they were plopping one next to the other back when a growing world population wasn’t just a myth; the place is small and the plaster falling apart. One day she was sitting in front of the window, staring at the new little blossoms on the orchid, or at the bland, shiny neons on the skyscraper behind it, you couldn't really tell.

“Do you ever feel like the world is moving too fast for you?” She asked, sounding dispirited.

“I try to stay on pace”

“I feel… impotent. Like there’s nothing I can do, to change it”

“Do you think it’s on you to change it?”

“I think it’s on me to try.” She turns her gaze towards you, you let out a little sigh.

“When it’s just the two of us,” You sit beside her and wrap your arm around her back. “We can make what we want of our time. Make it speed up, slow down… It’s just ours. No one will ever take that away from us”

What you’re making of it now is pumping your dick in and out of her pussy while gripping onto her full asscheeks while she whimpers in your mouth at the sensation of her hole being stretched. She loves that feeling like she loves the feeling of wet grass on her feet when it’s raining, though meadows are but a distant memory in a city eaten by cement and desolation. Her soft, tight walls squeezing you in a humid embrace. You were wrong; this is what makes you feel like you’re touching the Infinite, reaching Eternity. Ningning moaning in bliss on your lips, on the crook of your neck, on the headrest of the driver’s seat. Her hands not finding rest, switching between your pecs, your jaw, your hips, and her own heat, digits circling at frenzied pace on her clit. You speed your thrusts up, time slows down. It’s a race ending in a photo finish; you can see the end, it’s close for both parties, but you never seem to reach it. Take a look at her pleasured state, savor the moment. Savor her tits as well, feast on them, then slap her ass once, twice. She wasn’t expecting it, her instinctive reaction is to drag her pelvis forwards towards you, giving you a different angle to attack. Exploit that to hit every crevice, every little patch you weren’t able to before, and as she contracts around you in one long, then multiple short and rhythmic flexes of her lower abdomen, each accompanied by a scream that fills the entire cockpit, you have your own release. Spill cups and cups of milky substance into her womb, every spurt coinciding with an upwards thrust and a small bite on her shoulder, as you continuously groan in complete bliss. Then it’s silence, a second, or an eternity, it doesn’t matter anymore, before she talks again.

“Back seat for round two? I want it from behind”

-

footnotes.

now i can’t unsee the asthma periods. you cursed me @erospandemos. gaspingly, leaf.

[wintersongstress]

— mornings ;

In the time of spring when the bark of trees and the flat of pavements were washed with rain, Simon liked to visit the farmer’s market after his morning run. He had left you today in your shared bed, doubtlessly still dreaming as the sun dithered behind the veil of clouds, and shrugged on a hoodie, getting his trainers out from a rack in the closet. His route was dewy with a gentle mist, not enough to keep people from going about their day, but it was the good kind that cleaned the city air and sweetened the long brooms of blossoms hanging over the sidewalks.

The canopy over a flower stall dripped onto his hood as Simon stepped underneath it. Bundles of flowers were arranged in buckets with chalkboard plates sticking out, the signs advertising 3 for £10, and he browsed for a bit, thinking of you.

There was a time when all Simon knew about flowers was the memory of a window box in his childhood kitchen. Long gone, he remembers his mother potting red and pink flowers and relishing the process—the fulfilling feeling of dirt beneath her fingernails and the satisfaction of roots tenderly planted. One day a hummingbird flitted to the window while he ate his toast before school, and it was a still moment of wonder as the tiny bird prodded the ruby petals before zipping on, quick as light.

Now he was in love with his own hummingbird. A love rare and fleeting, one that, when you don’t catch it in your hands and earn every moment of keeping it, would flutter away and never return. Love could speak in flowers, he decided, when he first began to visit your flat and admire the fresh bouquet you kept on your table every time he came. I like them, you had said simply, and he smoothed a petal between his two fingers. And though he saw himself as a brute with hands better suited for violence than caresses, he wanted to learn about the gentler things in life he once thought could never be part of his.

Simon frees his nose from his face mask to smell a strange spire of green, bell-shaped flowers he had never seen before.

“Those are called Bells of Ireland,” the aproned shop lady pipes up from behind her booth. He glances over and finds she isn’t put off by his tall, dark, and out-of-place presence in the least.

“I’ll take them,” he replies. Their scent was light and earthy, like mint and lavender mingled, and their bells resemble leaves with their vein-like texture. Rare and exquisite, and perfectly you. He also picks out a cluster of mauve roses and peachy ranunculus, thinking about the way you smiled with your eyes closed when you smell his bouquets, your lips still curved when you kiss him afterwards, and lays them all on the counter.

“What a lucky girl,” the woman comments, gathering his selections and bundling them in wax paper secured with a rubber band. Simon wasn’t so sure. He always thought you could do better than him, but you would never let him catch himself thinking like that out loud. No matter what he believed of his nature, he vowed to fight like hell to be the kind of man you did deserve. So he pays the woman and bids her good day, heading on to the next stall with you on his mind as he picks out fresh strawberries and bread for the beginning ingredients of a wholesome breakfast. 

At home, Simon fills a vase with the tap and trims the flower stems, arranging each fragrant bloom in harmony with the other. He brews one of your favorite teas and sets out the honey, tending to a sizzling pan in between, then decides to open your bedroom window to gently wake you.

A warm and pleasant wind sways the curtains. Amidst their wispy movements you lay on your back, breathing deep and slow, until the song of church bells and finches twittering from the chimney tops flutters your lashes to take in the tranquil morning. Simon draws his knuckles across your forehead and follows your cheek. With sleep soft in your pretty eyes, this was his favorite view of you.

“There she is, my everything,” he murmurs.

“Hmm. I was dreaming.” With a brush of his thumb over your smiling lips, you open your eyes and gaze at him warmly, happily, holding his hand there.

Funny…he muses.

You kiss his caressing hand. “You smell like oranges.”

“I made breakfast.”

And with that you’re throwing the comforter back, springing to your feet and wrapping a sweater around your nightgown-clad form.

“It’s not going anywhere, love,” he chuckles. These mornings were you had the whole day together were his favorite. You sat out on the balcony, taking in the trees with their sprouting green tips and cutting into your French toast, planning your day together with your bare foot resting over his socked one. The sunshine of your presence fills the depths of his chest to the brim with contentment, and he wants it to last forever.

[saltedsnailstudio]

Hi! I just found your page, love your work! I do a bit of lino printing and really enjoy it. I want to start printing on fabric but not sure how to transition.. What inks do I need, do I need to start using wood blocks, and how do I go about that, etc?

Any info or tips would be so appreciated :)

Hey, thanks!

Absolutely I can offer some tips for fabric printing! I also answered an ask about fabric printing a while back and there might be some info in there that you’ll find useful - https://www.tumblr.com/saltedsnailstudio/729384076745850882/how-do-you-print-your-linocuts-so-beautifully-on

So first off I would say don’t bother switching to wood for fabric printing. Linoleum does great! And, honestly, so does rubber. I don’t personally work with rubber/ez-cut style blocks often because I prefer unmounted battle ship grey lino, but it has been my experience that soft rubber blocks are easier to print onto fabric if you’re printing by hand. I recommend sticking with whatever blocks you like & are comfortable working with!

Since you asked about ink specifically: There’s a lot of different inks on the market you can use to make relief prints on fabric that’ll stand up to washing. Speedball has an ink made for fabric printing that some of my print friends swear by, but I personally despise it because I hate the texture of it and find it difficult to work with because it doesn’t have a very long open time. I use cranfield caligo safe wash relief inks for all my printing, both paper and fabric. I love the way it rolls out and it’s works really well for me because it’s oil based but it's water soluble before it dries, so it doesn't require wild solvents or anything to clean up like some other oil based inks do - just vegetable oil and a rag will do to get it off stuff. (careful using vegetable oil on the speedball beige/tan brayers, though, because it'll start to break down their material and make them go tacky if you dont adquately wash them and apply some cornstarch after!!) After the cranfield ink dries, it's no longer water soluble so it'll stay on fabric after washing. Keep in mind though that oil inks take ages to dry - I just hang my fabric prints up and leave them alone for a good two weeks, which might be overkill. When they're dry, I hit them with a hot clothes iron to help heat set them a bit before I wash them in cold water. I don't know if this actually does anything or is the placebo effect, but it really feels like I get less fading with fabric prints that I've heat set. You don't have to use the same ink I do, though I love it so much that I'll prostheletize it for ages, but make sure you do use an ink that's suitable for fabric printing because theres no heartbreak worse than putting all that work in only to watch it wash away.

In my experience, you'll need more ink on your block for printing on fabric than you would if you were printing on thin printmaking papers. You still don't want to just gob it on the block in one go - apply many thin layers to build up the ink on the block rather than trying to go in with a single thick layer.

Now that ink's handled, let's talk about the most important element of fabric printing: the fabric. A lot of folks have ratios of how much natural fibers vs synthetic whatever should be in the fabric you're choosing for relief printing. I'm sure those methods work for choosing good printing fabric, but I'm at a point of having failed enough times to know by look & touch if a fabric will probably work well or not. I really suggest just trying shit out, seeing if it works. I'm lucky enough to have a creative reuse center near me, but if you don't then I suggest snagging garments with fabric you like from thrift stores and cutting them apart if you're trying to make patches. You're looking for something with a nice smooth surface and a closed weave, no gaps showing through the threads. I really like tightly woven linen-y blends, personally. I've also played around on wool felt and have found it to print beautifully. When I first started printing on fabric, I went to the fabric store and got a half yard of duck canvas because that felt sturdy and very "punk" for patches. It was a miserable failure - the weave was too chunky to get really clean prints. Play around, don't spend too much money on fabric, and know that screwing up is a part of the process.

When it comes to actual printing method, I'm limited in my scope of advice for hand printing on fabric because I'm very spoiled and have a lever press from woodzilla that makes the process a lot easier for me. I'm not sure how you burnish your paper prints, but the spoon technique won't work with fabric since it'll move too much. I like to print my paper prints with the paper on top of the block and I reverse that for my fabric prints - the block lies face down on top of the fabric. I've seen folks get great results from laying down their fabric, laying their inked block on top, and then stepping on them to get more pressure than they could get from just pressing with their hands. You need a lot of pressure to get clean fabric prints and that pressure needs to go straight down - you need to be extra careful not to let the block slip, lest it smudge the image. You could try laying a wooden board down on the block before stepping on that if the print is large enough to require it. I've also seen some really ingenious ways of creating book binding/flower pressing style wooden vices on a budget to get the even pressure needed for a print, but this feels rather labor intensive and time consuming to me. Whatever the method, be patient and apply firm downward pressure.

Screw up, rejoice, have fun. If you end up needing any help trouble shooting specific problems as you experiment on fabric, feel free to send me another ask/pics and I'll try to help sus it out!!

[scotianostra]

On June 17th 1823 Charles Macintosh patented the waterproof cloth he was using to make raincoats.

Mackintosh rubberized coats were not immediately successful. Although they were waterproof, they had a strong smell which most wearers found unpleasant. It was not until a fellow chemist, Thomas Hancock, invented a process involving vulcanized rubber that the problem was solved. Hancock became a partner in Macintosh’s business in 1834. This marked the real start of the iconic Mackintosh brand.

In 1824 an Arctic exploration team trialled rubber coated waterproof canvas bags, air-beds and pillows made by the Macintosh patented process. In 1841 the British army ordered waterproof clothing for all its troops. The rubberized coats and capes were functional and hard wearing and they soon became standard army issue.

After the death of Charles Macintosh in 1843, the company had a period of decline. But in 1851 the Mackintosh coat was shown at The Grand Exhibition at Crystal Palace, London. And the rest is history.

Of course just because you patent something it does not mean you actually were the first to invent it, controversy has followed the invention of the telephone since Alexander Graham Bell patented it, other inventions were questioned, the tyre, the television and the bicycle, all connected to Scotland and all have earlier versions that were thought of, or made beforehand, the “Mac” is no different.

James Syme, a surgeon and chemist based in Edinburgh, had discovered a derivative of coal tar (naphtha) could dissolve rubber and published his findings in Thomson's Annals of Philosophy five years before Macintosh came up with his idea.

It was the same process used by Macintosh following his own chemistry experiments with waste from Glasgow’s coal-gas works, and it has been claimed that the inventor had read Syme’s work before developing it for his own uses.

While Syme, uninterested in commercial matters, failed to patent his valuable discovery and continued to build a noteworthy career in surgery, Macintosh stamped his name on the idea in 1823, had Syme done so you might be calling the coats Symes.....it doesn’t have the same ring does it? Syme’s paper had not detailed the crucial sandwich-type construction employed by Macintosh, although this too was not completely new.

Spanish scientists previously used the method to make leak-proof containers for mercury, and renowned British balloonist Charles Green made a balloon envelope that applied the same principle in 1821.

French scientists also made balloons gas-tight and impermeable by impregnating fabric with rubber dissolved in turpentine and the use of rubber to waterproof fabric dates back to the Aztecs, who used natural latex.

But what made Macintosh’s invention revolutionary was its ease of manufacture and wear, seeing him swiftly launching into the production of cloth to be converted into coats and other garments by tailors in Glasgow.

Some of you might have picked up on the different spelling of the names in the first two paragraphs? Others will now be scrolling back to see what I mean! Well when As news of his invention spread, the repeated misspelling of the inventor’s name is thought to have popularised the description of the resulting coat as a “Mackintosh” – a name that has stuck to the present day.

Macintosh was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society for his contributions to chemistry and enjoyed considerable success before his death in 1843, aged 76.

First sold in 1824, his coat remains on the market in numerous forms across the world, it is now primarily a luxury brand still bearing its inventor’s name, even though it is spelled wrong!

[fatehbaz]

British presence in the Straits Settlements […] (Penang, Singapore and Melaka) as a whole opened the way […]. Governor Andrew Clarke [...] clearly intended that economic botany should follow the quest for tin. Hardly three months after the [signing of the treaty legitimising British control in Malaya] [...] the Governor pressed Lord Carnarvon, Secretary of State for the Colonies, himself a keen botanist and collector, for the services of a ‘scientific botanist’. [...] Intimate plant knowledge among local [people] [...] assisted the discovery of many [plants valuable to European empire] [...] and the absorption of a number of vernacular names such as kempas (Koompassia), pandan (Pandanus) and nipah (Nypa) into scientific nomenclature. Equally, indigenous names for timbers, pre-eminently meranti and cengal, attained the status of trade names on the international market. Malay knowledge [...] proved also invaluable for commerce and [...] industries.

The Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, which displayed representative samples of colonial resources, was a microcosm of empire. Empire [...] co-sponsored the surveying, mapping and inventorying of people, lands and products for the ends of imperial power. Tropical nature, once a source [...] of wonderment, was brought to the domestic market place.

High on the imperial economic agenda were the Malayan territories, the source of gutta percha (from Palaquium gutta). Ingeniously adapted by the Malays [...], the plastic qualities of gutta percha were investigated for medical and industrial use by the [English East India] Company surgeons, T. Mongtomerie (1819-43) and T. Oxley (1846-57). [...] At the same time Oxley successfully pioneered the use of gutta percha for plastering fractures and preserving vaccine, the latter hitherto unable to be kept even for a few days. When a Prussian artillery Officer [...] then perfected its use for insulating telegraph cables, the product immediately gained strategic importance for the empire. Similar adaptations of other indigenous uses of plants paid dividends to industry and agriculture. [...]

---

The emergence of Hevea rubber in the Peninsula, superseding gutta percha as an industrial product was, again, the result of scientific exchange within the close-knit colonial botanical network [...] [following] [t]he illegal exportation by Kew [Royal Botanic Gardens in London] of the seedlings from South America to Ceylon and the Singapore Botanic Gardens [...]. Out of the seedlings sent in 1877 to Singapore, seven were planted by Hugh Low in the Perak Residency Garden. These and those raised in the Botanic Gardens furnished the seeds for the first plantations.

Though an introduced species, indigenous knowledge [...] of a wide variety of gums and exudates [...] benefited the plantation industry.

This [...] scored a major triumph for the colonial plantation industry. [...]

Large areas of Melaka had already been laid to waste by [...] a fast-growing variety of Brazilian cassava introduced in 1886 by Cantley.

The same cultivators soon turned the Imperata grasslands to rubber, but its rapid spread meant that a number of native plant species either became very rare or were entirely exterminated. The wild ancestor of the domestic mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a likely example. [...] During his visit to Singapore in 1854 Wallace identified, within just a square mile, some 700 species of beetles [...].

---

All text above by: Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells. "Peninsular Malaysia in the context of natural history and colonial science." New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies Volume 11 Number 1. 2009. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[itsm3m00n]

highlights from my trip to new york

a woman who wore her sunglasses upside down

the cat sitting in a window two stories above where i was walking that was flaunting the toe beans

the two guys who were in shitty spiderman and deadpool costumes who started pretend(?) making out in Times Square

jerry.

the blue sheep thing i found in a bookstore at the Plaza Hotel, which i named Dooph.

a random man who made the friendpilled lookmaxxer face at me

that one moment in Six when Anne of Cleves took of her cool bejeweled skimpy outfit to reveal an even cooler bejeweled skimpy outfit

jerry.

a cashier at a sandwich shop who greeted me by going "hey (n word)! what can i getcha?" then proceeded to make me the best sandwich i have ever eaten in my life.

the bug guy at the American Museum of Natural History who tried to hand my mother a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. @snekthedemonnoodle lmao (my mother hates cockroaches with a burning passion)

the rubber Chicken Purse i found at Chelsea Market that i almost bought but didnt even though i have a friend who would've loved it

jerry.

[chemanalystdata]

Natural Rubber (TSR) Prices Trend | Pricing | Database | Index | News | Chart

 Natural Rubber (TSR) Prices, also known as Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), plays a crucial role in the global economy, influencing a vast array of industries. The prices of natural rubber are subject to various dynamic factors, making the market both complex and intriguing. Understanding the price trends and the influencing factors can provide valuable insights for stakeholders ranging from producers to investors.

The primary determinant of natural rubber prices is the balance between supply and demand. The supply side is heavily influenced by the production levels in major rubber-producing countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These countries together account for over 70% of the world's natural rubber production. Any fluctuation in their output due to climatic conditions, pest infestations, or government policies can significantly impact the global supply. For instance, prolonged rainy seasons or droughts can affect the yield of rubber trees, leading to a reduction in supply and consequently driving up prices.

On the demand side, the automotive industry is the largest consumer of natural rubber, using it predominantly for tire manufacturing. Hence, the health of the automotive sector directly affects rubber prices. Economic conditions in major markets like the United States, China, and Europe influence car production and sales, thereby impacting rubber demand. A booming automotive industry generally leads to higher natural rubber prices, while a slowdown in car manufacturing can have the opposite effect.

 Get Real Time Prices for Natural Rubber (TSR): https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/natural-rubber-1327

Global economic trends also play a vital role in shaping natural rubber prices. During periods of economic growth, industrial activity tends to increase, boosting demand for rubber products beyond just the automotive sector. Conversely, economic downturns can suppress demand, leading to lower prices. Additionally, currency exchange rates can affect rubber prices. Since natural rubber is often traded in US dollars, a strong dollar can make rubber more expensive for buyers using other currencies, potentially reducing demand and lowering prices.

Another significant factor influencing natural rubber prices is the level of inventory held by consuming countries and companies. High inventory levels can buffer against supply disruptions, thereby stabilizing prices. Conversely, low inventory levels can exacerbate price volatility, especially during supply shortages. Market sentiment and speculative activities also contribute to price fluctuations. Traders' perceptions about future supply and demand conditions can lead to speculative buying or selling, which can cause short-term price movements.

The cost of production is another critical aspect affecting natural rubber prices. Labor costs, energy prices, and the cost of raw materials needed for rubber plantation maintenance can influence the overall cost of producing rubber. Higher production costs can lead to higher prices, while lower costs can have a downward pressure on prices. Technological advancements in rubber tapping and processing can also impact production efficiency and costs, thereby affecting market prices.

Government policies and interventions in major producing and consuming countries can significantly influence natural rubber prices. Export restrictions, subsidies, import tariffs, and environmental regulations can alter the supply-demand dynamics. For example, measures taken by the Thai government to reduce rubber exports to support domestic prices can lead to a tightening of global supply and a subsequent rise in prices. Similarly, policies promoting domestic rubber consumption in large markets can boost demand and drive up prices.

The natural rubber market is also influenced by the availability and price of synthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber, derived from petroleum, is a substitute for natural rubber. The prices of synthetic rubber are closely linked to crude oil prices. When oil prices are high, the cost of synthetic rubber increases, making natural rubber a more attractive alternative, thereby boosting its demand and price. Conversely, low oil prices can reduce the demand for natural rubber as synthetic rubber becomes cheaper.

Environmental concerns and sustainability initiatives are increasingly shaping the natural rubber market. Efforts to ensure sustainable rubber production, including initiatives to avoid deforestation and promote fair labor practices, can impact production costs and supply. Consumers and companies are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of rubber production, which can influence their purchasing decisions and, in turn, affect market prices.

In conclusion, natural rubber prices are influenced by a complex interplay of factors including supply-demand dynamics, global economic conditions, currency exchange rates, inventory levels, production costs, government policies, the relative price of synthetic rubber, and sustainability considerations. Keeping abreast of these factors is crucial for anyone involved in the natural rubber market, from producers and traders to investors and policymakers. By understanding these variables, stakeholders can better anticipate market movements and make informed decisions. The natural rubber market remains a vital yet volatile component of the global economy, reflecting broader economic trends and specific industry dynamics.

 Get Real Time Prices for Natural Rubber (TSR): https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/natural-rubber-1327

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[herrlindemann]

Musik Express - September 1997, Interview with Till and Richard

Thanks to Ramjohn for the scans!

Opinions are divided on this band - demonized by some, loved by many as passionately as the fire on their stage. An interview by Peter von Stahl.

In the press, adjectives such as 'controversial', 'fascistoid' or 'glorifying violence' can still be read in Rammstein stories. Is life good with this image?

Richard: We only depict violence in our shows and address it in our lyrics. We strictly reject using or propagating violence. Every kind of music serves a cliché in the mind of a journalist. Rammstein has this heaviness, these metal guitars. The right clichés immediately pop up in your head: long hair, short pants, American metal. And then comes a band that doesn't serve all of that anymore, that has a completely different, very own appearance - and then they need a new drawer. And it probably says 'controversial' on it.

Every artist says that in an interview — no one wants to fit into a drawer. Your music isn't that revolutionary.

Richard: But bands like Krupps or Front 242 are different. Rammstein is just unique. There is no band that sounds like Rammstein.

Till: I just have to listen to our neighboring rehearsal rooms: on the left it sounds like Pearl Jam, on the right like something else that you've known for a long time. You try to make it easy for yourself.

Richard: Maybe they just never got the hang of it because they only ever wanted to serve one market. Even more extreme in the West than here in the East. There was no market to serve.

Till: After the reunification, I drove over to the west and used my mountain greeting money to stuff my stomach with rubber animals, yoghurt and all that stuff. But that's about it. It was the same with music: there was so much. But soon it was noticed that the water is not boiled any hotter there than it is here. We used to look forward to a concert for weeks, today you can see 30 to 40 things in Berlin every evening.

The German media have a hard time with hard, German-sounding music. Record buyers and concert goers don't seem to have a problem with you.

Till: The media's problem with us also has something to do with a lack of musical tradition and history, because we don't want anything to do with understandable German history either. After the war, Americans and the English brought rock, and apart from German hits, there was never anything that had its roots here.

This is also a question of phonetics. Till rolls the 'R' deeply and evocatively - and everyone thinks of the sound of an original shellac with Göbbels speeches.

Till: The rolling 'R' didn't even come about on purpose. It came naturally because in that low pitch you sing like that automatically. I'm not actually a musician. I have absolutely no knowledge of the instruments. But I can give good support to our music with my voice and the lyrics. It's a matter of illustration, tone color, phonetics. We didn't want to create a fascist attitude, for God's sake. Only later, when we were asked about it in interviews, did we have to deal with it.

And yet it is certainly no coincidence that you provide music for David Lynch and not for Walt Disney. Because of his preference for the narrow bridge between 'reason and instinct' (from the Rammstein song 'Du riechst so gut'), Lynch films were basically never anything other than filmed Rammstein subjects - only he just makes films and no music.

Richard: First of all, he's an American. We couldn't have a Lynch. The only one I can think of is Werner Herzog — I sometimes see Rammstein pictures there.

Till: The Germans only have a problem with things in Germany. As soon as a thing finds international recognition, it also becomes socially acceptable here in Germany. We noticed that through the David Lynch film: German cars, German soccer, German tennis, Formula One — no problem at all. But as long as it stays in the country, there will be unlikely friction.

'Bravo' has no problems with you - there you operate as a 'heavy band with Feuerteufel as a singer'.

Till: That was great for me. My daughter is only twelve years old and she has never understood why I travel so often, drive away so often. Now she can finally read the reason why in her newspaper.

Does your daughter listen to Rammstein or rather boy bands?

Till: No, she listen to something else. She doesn't like boy bands that much, she prefers electronic stuff with a melody.

As a single father, how do you balance work and family?

Till: It wasn't that bad before, I played drums in a punk band and we practically had our rehearsal room in the house where I lived. I had them alone for seven years, but now I share parenthood with my daughter's mother again, because I'm on the road with the band half the year.

How does your daughter actually react to the hard Rammstein texts?

Till: She always giggles. She doesn't understand the extreme things yet.

Children watch movies and TV news on these topics without understanding them. The younger fans will feel the same about your lyrics.

Till: We never intended to make music for 13 or 14 year olds. This has only recently developed through 'Bravo', 'Viva' and so on. But when I see what's on the afternoon TV program, in the news, what's in the newspaper - they have to deal with that too. With their idols Tic Tac Toe they have to deal with prostitution, with drugs. Or with tampon ads on TV, where they see small, hidden gestures at dinner - how are we supposed to leave children disturbed?

After all, the menstrual fluid is kept in a friendly light blue in the advertising. With you, blood is still blood—deep red.

Till: First and foremost we make our music for ourselves. And the images it projects in people are very different. For some, the lyrics are totally incomprehensible, but they might like the music and just let it flow. On the other hand, a girl recently told me that she walked in a performance as the hooker that appears in our song 'Seemann' — the hooker who stands by the lantern.

Which of course is never mentioned in the text...

Till: Shall I explain that it's not about a whore, but about this and that? It's her picture, her story about the song.

When you sing about SM phenomena in songs like 'Bück dich' or 'Betraf mich' on the new record, the images are more clearly defined.

Richard: Just yesterday we were with some friends and discussed Rammstein. There was also a young evangelical pastor who was terribly upset about Rammstein and especially about the text of 'Bück dich'. He complained that more and more people in his youth community were listening to Rammstein and were therefore taking the wrong path. The evening grew longer and longer, they drank more and more - and at some point it turned out that the pastor himself was the only one in the group who really lived this 'bend over' sex and that he had a different woman almost every night drives in this way.

The church, especially the Catholic one, has enough internal institutions that deal intensively with Rammstein topics: incest, sin and punishment, the devil. In contrast, the anti-authoritarian educational models of the post-1968ers, the evangelical discussion groups, seem to have failed, also because of the denial of the existence of evil. How do you feel about raising your own children?

Till: One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. I try to separate Rammstein and my private life as much as possible. That's exactly how it is with the fire effects on our stage. I'm not a pyromaniac. I never light a cigarette privately. Just as Richard procures state-of-the-art musical equipment, it's my job to take care of the pyro effects for the show. We're a band that just does its job. Anyone who knows us privately cannot believe that we are so nice. We are quite normal, we do our job like fishermen who leave their hut in the morning, kiss their children, go out to sea, fetch the fish with the nets from the depths and return to the hut in the evening. Their children go out with them from time to time, and our children sometimes go to concerts too. But when they watch their father kill fish and gut them, they quickly realize that this is father's job. If they grow up with that, they're fine with that because they keep the two things separate.

In any case better than hiding from the child that the schnitzel on the plate was once a live pig that was slaughtered.

Richard: Just like the child of a sex performer or actress might at some point see their mother in a sex scene on TV and wonder where dad is. You will learn how to deal with that.

If every artist would live their madness of whatever kind in private, then there would almost certainly only be sick people in the charts. But: Do your lyrics at least help in your private fight against your very own, hidden demons?

Till: That happens. For me, solitude always gives me a creative boost — you have another glass of wine and you feel even more shitty. Art cannot do without suffering. Art is also there to compensate for suffering.

As one of the most successful metal acts in Germany, you will probably soon suffer too little to be able to continue to nurture your art.

Richard: Above all, we have no time to suffer. Except in the lonely hours after the concerts.

Till: It makes you feel like shit. You play a concert in Berlin in front of 16,000 people, then you cycle home from the rehearsal room because the after-show parties might not be the real thing either, you sit alone in your booth and have to come down again. It's like a hangover.

At this moment, your single father support group seems to be failing you.

Richard: If you sit on each other constantly for two years, you know the whole whining by heart.

Hartmut Engler from Pur says he still wants to put the whole feeling into his lyrics at the 67th gig.

Till: Sure — he always cries. Nonsense! Everybody is saying it! Maybe at the beginning, at the first two concerts. At some point it will become operational blindness. When 'Seemann' was still very fresh, I often felt a shiver. Later on, you tend to make sure that the intonation is right.

In many of your songs you can hear borrowings from the soundtracks of old spaghetti westerns. Who is actually the inveterate Ennio Morricone fan with you?

Richard: That's me.

Till: He's a fan of old cowboy music and movies.

In this sense, Rammstein is like Karl May - you don't have to murder, desecrate and humiliate yourself to be able to write lyrics about mauling, child abuse and incest.

Till: But that's exactly the point: you're talking about 'tearing, child abuse and incest'. I wish people would approach such topics much more sensitively. My daughter is at an age when something like this could really happen to her — maybe the day after tomorrow. And so I take it upon myself to imagine what that would be like. If it were about my daughter, I would probably want to cut off an egg from a perpetrator like that, shoot him or something. On the other hand, I can also sit in a dark corner and think about what drives him to do it. And about what drives me to be able to understand such a drive. Those are the two sides of this thing: On the one hand, reason, morality, my completely normal life — for me there's no question about that. But then I sit down, close my eyes and think about how, for example, the day before yesterday I felt such a longing for this grown woman — why shouldn't someone have such a longing too, who can't even help it, because he may have been abused himself in the past. And maybe he can't appreciate what it means to transfer that desire to a child. Where do you put the value, how do you want to judge?

It's shocking how many people were abused in their childhood. On the other hand, you are accused of the fact that your texts deal less with illness and morality than with the problem of overcoming the conflict between reason and instinct.

Till: No, no. Sick is sick, there is no discussion. And if it wasn't sick by normal standards, we wouldn't need mental hospitals anymore. But more important is the question of why and how it happens. Otherwise, this is only of interest to the lawyers who dig into their clients' childhood so that they can plead insanity. I've lived in the country for quite a long time and saw a horse molester almost lynched on the village street - I really felt sorry for him.

The line between everyday life and madness is known to be fluid. After all, the worst things happen every day in most cities behind every fifth window.

Till: If that's enough. Probably behind every third. And that's why I find it sad that lyrics about things that actually happen every day can kick up so much dust. For example, we had a listening session in Malta with Petra Husemann and Tim Renner from our record company. And when he heard the line 'Couple with your own flesh and blood' from the song 'Tier', Renner immediately dismissed it - a case for the index, which in Germany includes everything about sex with animals, incest, sibling love and so on acts. I don't understand that — you can even read about the relevant extras in the 'Bild' newspaper. And yet some act as if none of this exists.

And then? What have you done? Did you soften the text at the end?

Till: Nope. We aim for it.

I was never really interested in Rammstein myself until my wife put your record on again and again. On the other hand, feminists accuse you of the worst sexism.

Richard: We keep hearing that it was women who brought their men to Rammstein. Petra Husemann, the wife of Timm Renner (Rammstein's record boss/ed.), the girlfriend of our manager Emu, many wives and girlfriends of journalists. Men seem to have more of a problem with us than women.

Maybe that's because you're a lot better looking and have a lot more muscles than most media men.

Richard: It has more to do with head and gut. Rammstein frightens many men because they recognize qualities or character traits in our texts that they carry within themselves, but which they have suppressed.

So you mean you hold something like a mirror in front of the men's faces. A mirror in which they can suddenly and suddenly see the animal in them?

Richard: The animal, sure. A lot of things. A kind of machoness when we sing about the 'Wilder im Revier'.

Till: For us, the sexism that we are accused of is more about protecting women.

I'm really sorry, but now I can't follow. I do not understand that.

Till: For us, it's about understanding the woman's feelings and then showing them as extreme as they actually are. Yesterday a journalist asked us why we don't write love songs. Love, this is just this one brief moment. But after that, that's when the work begins. The constant misery: finding each other, falling in love, sticking it out for a while, then sticking it out, and then it all starts all over again.

Do you think you know more about women than men?

Till: No, not at all.

Perhaps for this reason you cannot imagine that husband and wife can be happy together in the long term.

Till: I don't know of any intact relationships. One or two maybe, but the circumstances aren't normal there — they don't see each other very often. I'm talking about this thing: getting out of the house in the morning and putting the kids to bed at night. Where are the theater visits, who still brings flowers? Being in love, bringing flowers to your loved ones — eventually it always ends.

That's why the resolute 'no' to the female marriage wish on your new single 'Du hast'?

Till: 'until death do you part...' — that's just as unnatural as a tattoo on your arm. It won't go out for the rest of my life. At some point, as a pensioner, I’ll sit with my grandson on my lap and he’ll ask what kind of silly thing I have on my upper arm.

However, Rammstein does not seem to want to live entirely without women. After all, you've now recorded a hymn to the primary female sex organ. What do you say in the rehearsal room when you want to play this song?

Till: Sometimes we say, 'Now let's play cunt!' Isn't that what you wanted to hear?

The song title 'Kiss me, Fellfrosch' sounds a lot more tender.

Till: Fellfrosch — the word alone is a homage to this part of the body. That's a nice, childish way of looking at things: fur stands for small, furry little animals. Hamsters, guinea pigs and such. And frog or snail takes care of the second part. Fascination and disgust, both play a role.

Perhaps the disgust at the bitter aftertaste is really just a problem of overly careless personal hygiene?

Richard: Tastes change too. Much of what seemed too bitter to us in childhood tastes good to us today. On the other hand, we usually find the sweets from the past too sweet. Every fur frog tastes different. Pure question of taste. There is no judgment in the text. We're not saying it stinks.

Feminists will not see the 'fur frog' in such a differentiated way. This will cause trouble.

Till: Hopefully! That's the same topic as before: It's about something that is completely self-evident and that everyone knows. That's the most normal thing in the world. Exaggerated feminism, on the other hand, is an indictment. And when they get upset about it, that's ultimately just proof to me that they don't have a sense of humor. Just the other day someone told me a joke about a forty-centimetre cock. It was a woman.

[mode-genesis]

The Legacy of Meadham Kirchhoff

by MODE GENESIS

Known for their outrageous interloping of romanticism and rebellion, Meadham Kirchoff had become an iconic brand in the early to mid-2000s. The brand was founded by designers Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchoff, both graduates from Central Saint Martins, which gained fame through its extravagant expression of whimsicality. An interview by Glamcult with Kirchoff verbalizes how he designs from instinct in a state of “aborted happiness,” and both feel the fashion industry is “based on a repetition of ideas, often aimed at product placement.”

Their inspirations ranging from Victorian dolls to Courtney Love lookalikes in the SS 2012 show, the duo expressed a fresh approach to fashion which became one of the signatures of their brand identity.

Each show transported you into a carefully crafted almost theatrical performance with scent, visuals, light, and music accompanying. Their rebellious spirit brought new design innovation through patchwork dresses in velvet and leather, stacked glittering platform shoes, and a runway decorated with what looked like blood-dipped tampons. Each piece in their collection was carefully made through tailoring research and using techniques such as Elizabethan lacework. The handwork which came in forms of hand embroidery showed in garments in almost all seasons, and detailed construction of each piece became a standard for the brand

Although their womenswear lines achieved most of the media attention, their menswear emerged as out of the ordinary on the London scene. The collections set the direction of modern-day menswear, anticipating the arrival of gender-fluid casting and boy-meets-girl styling. One of their final shows, SS 15, was reclaimed as a celebration of different bodies, genders, and races. The use of rubber, chiffon, color, and layered drapery was an ode to the liberation they stand for. They were chosen as LVMH Young Fashion Designers but weren’t included as finalists so in their show notes they elaborated, “Fuck LVMH corporate fashion,” which is admirable considering the nature of the fashion industry, LVMH, and celebrity culture. As a Dazed article states, “Because fashion doesn’t just have to be about seasonal trends; it can, at its best, be a broader reflection of society, and like riot grrl, BodyMap, Westwood, and Leigh Bowery before them, Meadham Kirchhoff is making clothes for the people they love: the dykes, fags, slappers, and freaks.”

The brand met its demise when most of their clothes they were making weren’t sellable; the market was too niche, and production costs of garments became too high. While it was believed for Meadham Kirchoff as a whole for their clothes to be either too expensive or costume-like, critics praised them, and many designers looked at them as an inspiration. As a Dazed Article states, “They were showing detailed lace on par and on time with the wonders that Alexander McQueen was showing on its runway. Some have even likened the brand’s jackets—particularly from years ago—as foreshadowing those that made Christophe Decarnin a star at Balmain.”

Most of the brand’s pieces have been long lost, as the archive was taken by their landlord and sold in 2015, leaving only pictures and memories of what once was. Since the brand shut down, the duo has gone on separate paths. Meadham launched a new label called Blue Roses, and Kirchoff has become a stylist and menswear consultant. While Meadham Kirchoff could not have survived in the corporate fashion world, they live on as a martyr of sorts through their fun, cheeky, whimsical yet rebellious spirit, which inspires the future of the industry and may even have been ahead of its time.

References:

[16woodsequ]

Sunday Steve - Day Seven

Things that would be new or unfamiliar to Steve in the 21st century, either due to the time period he grew up in, or his social-economic status and other such factors.

Day Seven: Deodorant

For a long time body odour was not considered a problem for men. It was considered manly, and deodorants and antiperspirants (invented in 1888 and early 1900s respectively) were marketed to women.

Some solutions to body odour before deodorant became more mainstream in 1910s were excessive washing and perfume. To protect clothes women used dress shields (cotton or rubber pads placed in armpit areas). Scented talcum powders were another popular deodorizer.

Men started to be targeted by antiperspirant companies in the 30s, targeting male body odour as negative and unemployable. "In 1938, it was estimated that 60% of women and 20% of men in the United States used a product to control underarm odour" (Link).

Early deodorant formulas had to be suspended in acid. "Formulas of early deodorants damaged clothes and irritated skin" (Link). There were some health concerns in the early 20th century but these died away by the 30s.

Deodorant came in powders. liquid, creams, and eventually sticks, roll-ons, and aerosols.

Powders were "packaged in tins with a perforated lid" and put on with puffs.

The only form of antiperspirants in the 30s was liquid. The liquid was kept in glass jars, with plastic lids (early form used corks).

“Liquid deodorants were either applied to a rag and rubbed in or poured into the palm and splashed on. [...] Men also used cologne to cover up body smells but these were generally very expensive.” (Link)

Liquid deodorants/antiperspirants could be applied with a cloth or sponge. Later forms had an applicator built into the lid.

Above: Applying Check Deodorant with a sponge applicator.

Pastes and creams were the preferred form for early deodorants. They were less irritating, although sometimes greasy, especially in the 1910s before the formula improved.

The first successful antiperspirant cream was created in 1936, but it was less effective than liquid antiperspirant. Even so, it became very popular by 1945 and creams dominated the market.

Early stick deodorants used lipstick bases, so they were much smaller and 'stick' shaped than the typical deodorant shape today. From the recipe (found here) it seems this sticks were similar to today's deodorant sticks, or maybe chapsticks. Evaporation was an issue and the sticks had to be kept in airtight containers.

Sticks began to get bigger, into what we would recognise in the 60s.

1945 Lor-Odo, a deodorant stick, sold for 50 cents.

Roll-ons appeared in 1952 and the first commercially successful roll-on deodorant was created in 1956, so Steve wouldn't know this method. Same with aerosols which came out around the 60s.

As for price, this image gives a good idea for prices of deodorant products in Steve's time.

1937 Hush Cream, Instant Hush Liquid Deodorant, Hush Stick Deodorant and Personal Deodorant Powder for sanitary pads. (Link).

This inflation calculator says 10¢ is $2.14 in today's money and 50¢ is $10.68. For comparison, the cost of a gallon of gas was 10¢, a loaf of bread was 9¢ and toothpaste was 35¢. (Link)

Wrap Up

So would Steve have used some kind of deodorant/antiperspirant? Maybe. He wouldn't have started wearing it until the 30s for sure, but he may have bought it, if he could afford it.

I am not an expert but I feel the cost of deodorant would have been a stretch (especially if we think he was using baking soda for toothpaste as per our last post).

But considering how cleanliness and body odour began to be viewed in the 30s—and considering that Bucky clearly took pride in taking care of his appearance—Steve may have bought deodorant when he could. The possibility grows later into the 30s and 40s.

If he bought deodorant he would likely be used to cream or liquid deodorants, as these were very common.

Perhaps Bucky cared more about deodorant than Steve, and Steve bought some for Bucky as a gift when he could. Or, Steve used it himself periodically to hopefully seem more presentable to employers who might overlook him just on principle.

But it is also possible that Steve didn't bother with deodorant. After all, only 20% of men used it in 1938 and it would stretch his budget.

However, he may have used it on the USO tour. I can see them deciding Captain America needs to smell nice when smoozing with investors.

Either way, the 21st century's approach to zero body odour wouldn't entirely surprise to Steve—since the roots of that were developing in the 30s, but it would still be an adjustment to learn that men almost universally use some form of deodorant nowadays.

Sunday Steve Master Post

[dangerousalpacas]

HELLO my name is Thalia and I've been casually making trend predictions on fashion and music for the past couple years, and I'm tired of being correct and having no record to show for it. I predicted the y2k resurgence two years ago and no one believes me.

So, here's my trend predictions for the next six months to a year-ish. (this means that over the course of the next 6-12 months, I think these things will gain steam, not that they will be popular for the next 6-12 months. )

What I think will be new fashion trends in mainstream culture:

Theme: early 2010s

low rise skinny jeans (I know I'm sorry)

Tank tops, specifically camis. Bonus points if they have the lace on the top, even more bonus points if they're a vibrant color.

Layered bracelets. Not charm bracelets, per se, but they can have charms on them. I think people are gonna wear a whole bunch.

Messy, full coverage makeup. I think that this'll push away from the already fading "clean girl" aesthetic, and be almost feminist at first as it toys with pushing away from the male gaze ("you look so much better with all that makeup" you voted to take away my rights shut the fuck up)

Twee moment. I don't know if theyre actually gonna call it twee, but the same vibe. There was a small resurgence about a year ago, but I think this time it'll evolve with the fashion naturally. Square, boxy glasses, earth tone floral skater dresses (that might be too specific but im going with it), messy curly buns, and I think they're gonna work in the already popular grandpa sweaters. Might be a cardigan+tanktop as well.

Shorts with tights, but that'll be more like "edgy"

Mainstream alternative fashion will be more casual and palatable. So, not like the "emocore" event that happened in 2020, more like "5 seconds of summer" or early Halsey

Things that I think will fall out of fashion:

Themes: y2k, "afflictioncore", clean girl, high glam (not as it relates to drag or performance, but more like Kardashian)

baggy pants ( :( )

chunky shoes ( :( )

The graphic tshirts are gonna stay, but I think the style is gonna change. Im honestly am not sure how yet, I'll update if I figure it out, but I think the graphic tshirt is too new in popularity to fall off completely, but I think people are gonna get sick of the skull and wing motifs that are popular right now pretty fast. I definitely think that alt culture is gonna have a spike in the "old design" of metalcore/emo tshirts, with the bright graphics, though.

Kandi, kinda. I think it's gonna stay popular in certain subcultures, but will be replaced by rubber bracelets in others. Rubber bracelets are DEFINITELY gonna come back (if not that is a massive missed market).

I think clean girl is gonna push more into a granola vibe. It's gonna keep the same "simplistic" motifs, but because the messy, bright colors are gonna start taking the wheel in major culture, it's gonna migrate.

As America gets more poor, less and less people are going to be able to afford luxury items, so I think the popularity of luxury brands is gonna shoot down. I'm not 100% sure how this is gonna translate, but I think trends based on super rich celebrities like the Kardashians will fall off, as it becomes unachievable. With this, the general populous might romanticize drugstore makeup and more accessible fashion (like jeans and a tshirt).

Visual media predictions:

unserious superhero movies (as if they have a choice)

The fall of romantasy. I think people are gonna get sick of it soon enough. The tropes are getting overhashed, and the plots are predictable. I've seen a lot of people start turning against it.

2d animation (that might be 2+ years but I def see it making a comeback soon)

Weekly release episodes

Music predictions (mainly alt music):

I think pop is gonna keep taking the wheel, and alternative genres are going to start being "true counterculture". "Gateway" genres, or genres that help people get into alt music are going to be more successful, and already alt people will start rediscovering older genres. (Example: post hardcore making a modern comeback. This would NOT surprise me, as a lot of alt people are already talking about them more.)

In the next year or two, I think we're gonna start seeing a more strict divide between folk and country. Modern country may get less popular, and folk will be more grassroots with leftist themes. Genres like indie folk will start having heavier political themes, and we might see some folk punk bands gaining more widespread popularity.

I think the potential of a MCR album will be extremely pivotal to alternative music. If they release an album that is similar to their old sound (like they don't pull a Mania and just have it be a completely different genre), I think a LOT of grassroots emo/pop punk bands are gonna come out of the woodwork.

Some bands I'm watching bc I think they might make a comeback/become more popular: Sincere Engineer, Fall of Troy, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, AFI, Chiodos (heavy on Chiodos), Sleeping with Sirens(?)

On that, I think poetic lyrics are gonna be really big in a band's success. So not lyrics like "fuck him i hate him" but more like "If i was a god I would have snapped my fingers to make him exactly what he was to me; nothing" (that was a big appeal in early pop punk and emo, like "I cast a spell over the west to make you think of me the same way I think of you"? come on man)

ANYWAY if you have critiques or anything to add go for it