#Premium Item

[arcadiaberger]

If only this item were still available , , , ,

#Memories #Premium Item #Mad Magazine #Straight Jacket #Actually Just A Sweater #The Correct Spelling Is "Straitjacket", Of Course

[ghostclowning]

[floorpancakes]

CLAMP exhibition goodies came in the mail today! preordered as much as i could reasonably afford at the time but there was still quite a bit i wanted but didn't get lol. very happy with the midnight chocolate cake? mug. the blind bags are reused art which i usually don't reach for but the art is incredible and they had a BIG range for characters and illustrations for them so i was rly hoping for a lot of variety. they're rly high quality and cute but i got a dupe within 5 pulls and didn't get a single meki (or other character for that matter 😭) which is a shame cause non watanuki or yuuko characters tend to get fuckall and the resale market for holic goods is a bit fucked cause most of it is limited edition from events and stuff. if i see anyone selling them cheap later i want to acquire lots of mekis and to acquire merch of more characters in general tbh but that's a financial task for later. anyway themmmmmm ~

[haunthouse]

picrews are OUT spending several hours designing what your ocs would look like if they were neopets is IN

[20dollarlolita]

A customer comes up to me with a wide roll of Floriani Wet n' Gone Tacky embroidery stabilizer.

Customer: "Is this really $76?" Me: "Unfortunately, yes." Customer: "I can get some offbrand stuff on Amazon for $45 for twice as much!" Me, who has made that decision before: "I did that, actually. I got some offbrand stuff for $45, and I can't use it. There's three big problems with it." Customer: "What are they?" Me: "Well, first one is that it's not tacky, so I have to still baste it down anyway. The second one is that when you get it wet, it doesn't n'gone."

[lesbianfakir]

I ❤️ stealing from Disney

[sunspinecity]

50$ to print 10 of the same skin has always been so insane to me. you're telling me it's 50$ to print....only 10.....of a single skin....and that's normal. And not only is that normal, that's what's required for a skin shop. where ppl may not even sign up for 10 runs. and then you're left in the shitter with at minimum 1-4 skins nobody wanted (not to mention if some people decide not to pay afterward) that you have to just pray someone finds & buys on the auction house. And it's 50$. Uhuh. And then that's just the artist's issue and fault and we're gonna blame them instead of the fact that a 10 print run costs as much as groceries.

[happigreens]

Fair Trade

By going beyond accreditation practices, consumers and companies can reach those at the bottom of the global social production ladder. Nonetheless, these efforts require purchasers to take personal responsibility for their impact, rather than relying solely on certifications. Simply by being more thoughtful and ethical in our sourcing practices, we have a huge opportunity to create brighter futures for all people and their families throughout the supply chain.

https://borgenproject.org/fair-trade-product-markets/

Despite many well-intentioned consumer attitudes, fair trade product markets frequently feature marketing strategies that conjure up imperialistic images [...]

[...] In products marked as fair trade, the certification might only apply to the product’s raw materials, rather than the full process of production. [...] A 2014 study theorizes that these practices are somewhat effective, “although on a comparatively modest scale relative to the size of national economies"

Social Media conversations about Fair Trade Practices:

[From user seriousxdelirium] - Like almost all other labels for coffee, it's absolutely useless. It only applies to growers large enough to afford the fees, and is not regulated well enough to make meaningful impact on the industry. If you really care about this sort of thing, do some research and develop an understanding of what you think a fair price is for farmers, and ask roasters what they paid for that coffee. Most good roasters are willing to be transparent about that sort of thing, and even publish transparency reports where you get a breakdown of the entire transaction.

From user Ramakrishna Surathu:

[...] Here are some reasons why fair trade may not always be as fair as it seems [...]

1. Market Access and Power Imbalances: Fair trade initiatives often focus on small-scale producers in developing countries, who may face challenges in accessing global markets and negotiating fair prices. Power imbalances within supply chains, influenced by factors such as geography, politics, and market dynamics, can limit the ability of producers to fully benefit from fair trade practices.

2. Certification Costs and Barriers: Obtaining fair trade certification can be costly and time-consuming for producers, particularly small-scale farmers and artisans with limited resources. Certification fees, auditing expenses, and compliance with standards may pose financial barriers and administrative burdens, leading some producers to forego certification altogether.

3. Limited Impact on Poverty Alleviation: While fair trade aims to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods, its impact may be limited by systemic barriers and structural inequalities. Addressing poverty requires broader social, economic, and political interventions beyond the scope of fair trade alone, such as access to education, healthcare, land rights, and infrastructure.

4. Market Volatility and Price Instability: Fair trade prices are often based on predetermined minimums, which may not fully reflect fluctuations in global market prices. Producers may be exposed to market volatility and fluctuations in demand, which can impact their income and livelihoods, particularly in commodity markets subject to price instability.

5. Complexity of Supply Chains: Fair trade supply chains can be complex and challenging to navigate, especially in regions with limited infrastructure and logistical challenges. Ensuring compliance with fair trade standards, maintaining transparency, and traceability throughout the supply chain can require significant investment in monitoring and management systems.

[...] Some manufacturers also use tricks. For example, some products do not explain exactly which part of a product was produced fairly. Another trick is to increase the percentage of "fair" ingredients by subtracting out the water content. The credibility is of course "fair watered".

[...] The statement here should not be that fair trade is useless, but one should always question things or understand them better and not just be blindly guided by seals in the purchase decision. Since this works so well, manufacturers like to use such seals or make one up themselves.

[...] rather than cutting out the middle man, and offering farmers a more direct compensation for their work, Fair Trade still facilitates a level of bureaucracy that supports an uneven distribution of revenue.

[...] The price point that separates Fair Trade produce from the rest of the market is often significant enough that lower-income households cannot afford to budget for it. This means that Fair Trade cannot reach mass markets in a way that would really effect wide-scale change, and instead serves as a token gesture to alleviate the guilt of middle-class consumers.

[...] [premium pricing coffee] is a worthy move if the coffee is of a high quality, but if it is not of sufficient quality to merit this price tag, then it risks turning consumers away from Fair Trade produce, and further impeding its reach to mass markets [...]

Fair Trade is a concept worth embracing, but first it must prioritize effective and transparent processes of production and distribution. What Fair Trade aims to achieve is admirable, but what it could potentially achieve is far greater [...]

[manaretailoutletusa]

MANA Retail, A Global retail arm of Soul Trading Company LLC

[anartificialsatellite]

Not to harp on the fandomification of conflict and performative but useless "spreading awareness" thing, but I play a stupid little Sanrio fashion game and multiple people have had their greeting message when you come to their room as "free Palestine" and it's...

I feel like often when this is brought up, the common refrain is, "They're raising awareness! It's important! What's it hurting?" But it feels boooorderline disrespectful to the cause of fighting this suffering to put your little "raising awareness" notice in a kawaii fashion gacha game and think you've done fucking anything. It wouldn't be a problem, I guess, if there wasn't such a tendency to go for low effort "raising awareness" (to people who are almost certainly already aware) in lieu of meaningful productive action? But there is and it's tone deaf at the very least.

[gothdamask]

Premium Fine Art | Hand

Art Print (Digital)

Framed (Physical) | 3 Size Options Available

[fr-thrice]

YOOOOOOOO

[asimfamilystory]

Sunset Valley is a busy town, a protest going on in front of city hall as the locals felt like the politicians weren't hearing them.

One of the buildings that were under construction opened to reveal a brand new restaurant, to which Don became the owner of after taking out a loan and purchasing the property.

At work today LaShawn asked Don if he would be willing to repair her stereo, and considering it isn't the first time and it earns him a little extra money Don had no reason to say no, plus he likes working on electronics so he ended up enjoying himself while earning some coin.

Erin keeps a distance while Don works, not wanting to get shocked.

Don had gone out and purchased a tabcast, that way he could be learning one skill while working on another one. While working out to the stereo he was listening to a tabcast on cooking as he has been wanting to improve that skill to improve the meal quality he makes.

After listening to the tabcast and watching the cooking channel, Don decided he wanted to try cooking a new dish called Goopy Carbonara and was quite proud of himself with how well it turned out, though he only made enough for himself as it was his first time making it and if he burned it then it was only him who'd have to force it down.

Earning a promotion to Wingman Don and his wife decided now would be a good time to try for a second child. They wanted Oakes and a possible new baby to be close in age so that they could get along better and have a strong bond together as only siblings could, although both Don and Erin had been only children so this was more a guess on their part in hopes that they would end up being good friends, and in a pinch perhaps Oakes would be able to watch his little sibling too.

Milton Tong asked Erin if she could repair his stereo. At first she was going to decline but Erin decided she would master her fear, if she wanted to get far in her career she couldn't keep being afraid.

Even with them trying for a second child Don still loves spoiling and spending time with his first son so that he wouldn't think that a younger sibling would take away his parents attention. Don knew that having another child could make things a little tighter but the Weglein family was doing pretty good financially and after discussing it the two of them were certain that they were in a good enough place that expanding their family is a good idea.

[fortyflightower]

YES new dappervolk monthlies. YESSSSSSS.

[bobby-rising]

MOTH CAPE!!!!!!

[magpiemalarkey]

A couple of different premium clothing sets for avatars at Tattered World. These are both for the cozy, but riddled with icy danger, Snow Globe remnant world.