#Prohibition without Inhibition

[outrageousmenshair]

Another turn of the cent gent, mix-matching Victorian style chin wear with 20’s Prohibition era hair.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 27, 2023

🐢 - Why did the 90-year-old tortoise become a father? Because he finally came out of his shell!

1. New Mexico governor signs bill ending juvenile life sentences without parole

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a bill into law that prevents juvenile offenders from receiving life sentences without eligibility for parole. The bill, known as the No Life Sentences for Juveniles Act, allows offenders who committed crimes under the age of 18 and received life sentences to be eligible for parole hearings 15 to 25 years into their sentences.

This legislation also applies to juveniles found guilty of first-degree murder, even if they were tried as adults. The move puts New Mexico in a group of at least 24 other states and Washington, DC, that have enacted similar measures following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling.

2. Promising pill completely eliminates cancer in 18 leukaemia patients

An experimental pill called revumenib has shown promise in curing terminal leukemia patients who were not responding to treatment in a long-awaited clinical trial in the United States. The drug works by inhibiting a specific protein called menin, which is involved in the machinery that gets hijacked by leukemia cells and causes normal blood cells to turn into cancerous ones.

The pill targets the most common mutation in acute myeloid leukemia, a gene called NPM1, and a less common fusion called KMT2A. The US Food and Drug Administration granted revumenib "breakthrough therapy designation" to fast-track its development and regulatory review based on the promising results of the trial.

3. Spain passes law against domestic animal abuse

Spain has passed a new law on animal welfare, accompanied by a reform of the penal code that increases prison sentences for those mistreating animals. The law will make compulsory training for dog owners, and will prohibit them from leaving their dogs alone for more than 24 hours.

It also mandates the sterilisation of cats, with exceptions for farms, and increases the penalties for mistreatment of animals to up to two years in prison, or three years in the event of aggravating circumstances.

4. Bravery medals for women who raced into 'rough, crazy' surf to save drowning girls

Elyse Partridge (far left) and Bella Broadley (far right) raced into dangerous surf to save Chloe and Violet from drowning.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)

Bella Broadley and Elyse Partridge saved two 11-year-old girls from drowning at Angels Beach near Ballina, an unpatrolled beach in Australia. The younger girls, Chloe and Violet, became trapped in a rip and overwhelmed by waves and the current. Bella and Elyse jumped into action, using an esky lid as a flotation device to help them swim to the girls. Elyse helped Chloe back to shore while Bella swam further out to help Violet.

Elyse and Bella were on Wednesday named on the Governor General's Australian Bravery Decorations Honours List, which recognised 66 Australians for acts of bravery.

5. Almost every cat featured in viral Tik Tok posted by Kansas City animal shelter adopted

Let's find homes for the rest

6. A 90-year-old tortoise named Mr. Pickles just became a father of 3. It's a big 'dill'

These critically endangered tortoises are native to Madagascar and have seen their numbers decline due to over-collection for illegal sales on the black market. Captive breeding programs have helped produce new radiated tortoises, but the species still faces extinction in the wild.

That's why the arrival of these hatchlings, born to 90-year-old Mr. Pickles and his 53-year-old partner Mrs. Pickles, is such great news. Mr. Pickles is considered the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, and the births represent a significant contribution to the survival of the species.

7. EU strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions

The European Parliament and EU ministers have agreed on a new law to cut emissions in the maritime sector. The law aims to reduce ship emissions by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050, covering greenhouse gas, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.

The European Commission will review the law in 2028 and will decide whether to place carbon-cutting requirements on smaller ships. The agreement will also require containerships and passenger ships docking at major EU ports to plug into the on-shore power supply as of 2030. Penalties collected from those that fail to meet the targets will be allocated to projects focused on decarbonising the maritime sector.

- - - -

That's it for this week :)

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[eugenedebs1920]

In their last term, The Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS), mainly the men, but occasionally Barrett showed the American people how little we are worth to them. They made it blatantly obvious that we are nothing more than serfs, subjugated, whose purpose is to pay taxes and STFU.

This was also made apparent with the reversal of Roe. The 2023-24 term had its share of long term dire consequences yet to be felt. The overturning of the Chevron doctrine was a devastating blow to the middle class/working poor. Its reversal will, at one time or another, affect the lives of 98% of Americans (the middle class, upper middle and working poor).

The right wing apparatus will tell you that regulations, protections, and limitations prohibit productivity which leads to less profits and in turn, a cooling of economic prosperity. What they aren’t divulging is the massive amounts of wealth they have amassed over the past 4 decades.

As far back as the Nixon administration, one could go back as far as the New Deal but, it’s a post, not a novel, certain restrictions, limitations, protective measures, and practices have been imposed on major corporations and industries. These regulations range from environmental protection, labor practices, safety standards, hazardous substances, banking practices, equal pay, the list goes on.

These regulatory agencies specialize in the field in which suits their skill set. Some call it the bureaucratic state. These non partisan civil servants work throughout changing administrations in their various fields without being inhibited by the views held by the party in power.

What the overturning of Chevron did is lessen the power that these agencies have. Putting the rules and regulations they enforced in peril. Now regulations created to protect the health and safety of Americans and the environment we live in, as well as the financial institutions and practices in which they can engage in, are put in peril.

The effects of this won’t be immediately noticeable. We are the frog in a warm pot of water, slowly being boiled to death. What does this have to do with Helene and future natural disasters one may ask?

Some of those regulatory agencies impacted by this reversal are, the EPA, FEMA, NOAA, the Department of Labor, OSHA, The FCC, the SEC, and so many more. Pretty much any agency that limits the exploitation these massive conglomerates and giant corporations can impose on Americans and the world they reside in.

We live in a time where the Supreme Court is rogue. With an extreme right wing MAGA majority, dead set on revoking rights as opposed to instilling them. A Supreme Court who, when scandals arose of lavish gifts coming from billionaire benefactors, rather than enforce a code of ethics they simply legalized bribery (Snyder vs the United States). A Supreme Court, so lawless and void of standards, that justices refuse to recuse themselves from constitutional crises cases, where they flew flags in support of the defendant, where the wife of another was in direct contact with the cheif of staff of a man who, while watching from the dining room of the White House, while a mob, led by his incendiary rhetoric ramshacked our capital. All the while chants of “hang Mike Pence, Hang Mike Pence” rang through the the halls of that hallowed ground. When told the mob wanted to hurt the Vice President, the defendant said, “So what”.

I’ve had tacos more supreme than this court! This November 5th, it is not a choice between a vile demented old man and a lifetime protector and prosecutor for the people, it is the direction, the safety, the environment, the lending practices, the food we eat, the wages we make, the lives our children will have that is the choice because. If Trump is elected, Alito as well as Thomas WILL retire, giving the mandarin Mussolini FIVE SCOTUS appointments. This will dictate the next 30 plus years of our lives. So please! Get out and vote! Vote the Harris Walz ticket and blue down ballot. The freedoms of women, LGBTQ rights, labor rights, environmental protections, food and drug safety, fair banking/lending practices, our federal lands, clean water, green energy for the future, so much hangs in the balance and the effects will be felt for a majority of the rest of our lives. We are one nation, indivisible, we stand for liberty and justice for all! ☮️🇺🇸

[celandinee]

.0* ..

…ABDITORY

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ n. a place into which you can disappear.

—

word count - 900

featured - miyuki

warnings - none

note - the effort really just disappeared by the end😭 anyways miyuki is a fav so i just had to write about him

—

Lunch was chaos. The headache-inducing chatter of your classmates was enough to make you avoid the cafeteria all together; finding comfort in the abode you called the school roof.

Overlooking the entirety of the school grounds and watching those that strolled by was a pastime of yours. You would lean against the brick railing that prohibited you from tumbling over, eyes following each person who walked the pathways.

You found comfort in the simplicity. The way every student that walked by acted without inhibition, acting their natural selves.

One person chased a fallen leaf that was caught in the wind; another holding hands with her boyfriend, idly chatting with a grin plastered on her face. It was them in their own world, and you were the omniscient viewer.

It was nice to think solitude was your friend at times like this; that this rooftop was your domain alone to people-watch and eat your lunch in peace. You humored the idea— until the sound of a door swinging open totally stomped it out.

Now Miyuki Kazuya’s pastime was terrorizing you. His intrusion during lunch was one of the many ways he went about it, interrupting the silence you enjoyed with that cocky laugh and a snarky comment.

“What a surprise seeing you here,” Miyuki hummed while he took the place by your side. A lopsided smirk curled on his lips.

The boy had his white sleeves rolled to his elbows as he mimicked you, leaning against the railing casually. One of his hands tugged at the maroon tie around his neck and loosened the material until he felt like he could breath again.

The tilt of tone that hung in his words forced you to look him in the eye— his deep, amber gaze making you feel small as you retorted.

“Very funny, Miyuki. As if you don’t come up here and bother me every day,” your brows furrowed and lips pursed.

What was once your secret haven was now forsaken to the wrath of the second-year.

You couldn’t even remember when he first started sneaking out onto the rooftop; you simply remembered having the place to yourself one day, then Miyuki being there the next. You remembered there being silence once, then nonstop talking in your ear next.

“Do you really have nothing better to do?” you grumbled.

Miyuki stared past his glasses and down at you. The black rimmed specs always failed to hide the way his gaze shone with a gleam you couldn’t quite place, the dancing of gold and brown flecks in his pupils.

He leaned his side closer towards your own, tipping his chin down to be at your eye level, “Not really.”

You found it impossible to look away from him, to break the eye contact. Why were you frozen? You looked like a fool staring at him with wide eyes and parted lips, air resisting to enter your lungs.

Your hands balled into fists, still resting atop the cement, scraping slightly as you turned towards the inconvenience.

“You surely have something to do. Why don’t you eat with your teammates? Aren’t you in the same class as Kuramochi?”

Miyuki remained silent for a moment, merely staring down at you with a relaxed air to him— a more genuine smile growing on his face. Before he spoke, he turned away from you and bent down, hands digging through the backpack that he had tossed at his feet earlier.

Returning back to his normal stance, he revealed what was hidden away in his bag. Two strawberry milk cartons.

Miyuki placed one of them on the railing in front of you, and the other in front of him. The act was so simple, yet so sincere.

“Kuramochi is too loud, my team is too loud,” he answered in a subdued tone. His hands fiddled with the top of the carton, bending the thick layer.

His mood hadn’t totally changed, per se, it seemed to have shifted. The cheeky grin and confident aura moved to a tender smile and comfortable sense.

Only now did you observe the specimen in front of you. The sun caught on his glasses—the gentle breeze played with his thick, ruffled hair. Tanned skin from baseball tried to hide the mild blush that dusted his cheeks.

You snapped out of your musing to grab the milk he gave you. “So you assumed I like strawberry?” you playfully nudged his shoulder with your own.

Maybe you shouldn’t be too hard on Miyuki. Yes, his presence often made you bite your tongue, but he also made little efforts that had you second-guessing your opinion on him.

“I saw you drinking this the other day,” he opened his own drink, tearing the miniature straw’s packaging.

Miyuki Kazuya, the ever observant, calculated catcher he was, of course saw you drinking this.

Perhaps lunches wouldn’t be that terrible with the second-year at your side. Sharing your rooftop wouldn’t be too difficult.

You rolled your eyes as you felt your face heat up, opening the milk as well.

“You’re such a stalker.”

A smooth laugh escaped his lips. His shoulders shook with amusement and leaned down to prod your own as you had done before.

“Maybe.”

—

[ashe-sv]

Seeleverse: Headcanons 2/9

• Bad Sanses Edition.

◊ Killer

♦ 1m57, or 5,1 feet.

♦ He is the first member of the Bad Sanses and the elder of the group. He’s around forty. At the end of Seeletale, he’s about 43 y/o.

♦ It’s been fifteen yrs since he joined NM and became his most loyal subordinate. Killer is known as his right-hand man. 

♦ His Chara disappeared without a trace, while he was in Killertale. It was during this period of solitude that NM offered him a deal: being under his command and helping him facing Ink.

♦ He had the capacity to Save-Reset-Load, when he was at Killertale and still had the motivation to continue his genocides. Once Chara was gone, his Determination gradually deteriorated, until it became corruption. Since this moment, he cannot influence the save files anymore. 

♦ The corruption which escapes from his orbits is the result of the huge quantity of Determination produced in his body. The fact that he constantly leaves it out is a way in order to avoid turning into dust or becoming an Amalgamate. 

♦ He is agile and vivacious in hand-to-hand fights. Killer frequently uses his red knife, which comes from his originary universe. His magic is quite powerful, even if he doesn’t use it a lot: only his Blaster stands out because of its striking power. With Cross, he’s considered as the most skillful during missions. 

♦ Killer has a big collection of knives and daggers coming from the four corners of the Seeleverse. He is used to bringing it during his missions and some of them are gifts from his colleagues. The first one he received was a gift from NM, to celebrate his arrival at Dreamtale. It is a little dagger, thin and discreet, with a width of 4 cm. He always keeps it with him, settled against his seventh sternal rib. 

♦ He is submitted to multiple phases, like Canon!Killer. However, he rarely changes states: no food, colors or faces bring back memories. Killer is quite lucid about his past and he has no shame to criticize others Sans’, who lived the same situation or ones who never had to plunge into the Determination. His soul is constantly in target form, lightly inhibiting his feelings. 

♦ 8 yrs ago, Killer had an outbreak, something that happened frequently when he arrived at Dreamtale (hallucinations and a massive production of corruption). It occurred when he woke up, after a night full of nightmares. NM managed to calm him down, absorbing a part of his negative feelings -pain, discomfort, guilt, rage and fear- and a part of his corruption. This time, Dust and Horror had to fight him, for ten hours, to tire him. NM took care of him -his aura would have aggravated his condition if he approached him- and Killer stayed unconscious for a week. Since this day, he remains stable, even if this episode has brought the three skeletons closer than before. 

♦ He kinda sees himself as the big bro of the Bad Sanses: Killer looks after Dust and Horror, even if they don’t see it. Only Cross keeps his distance from him, but when they work together, we can notice an alchemy between them. They also arrive to have long and friendly conversations.

♦ Still has a little soft spot for ketchup, even if he doesn’t eat it as much as before.

♦ When he has a day off, Killer goes to Ccino’s coffee shop and spends all his day petting cats -pets are strictly prohibited in the manor, NM’s decision-.

Stats: LOVE: [20 ; 999 999] BUG. HP: 99. ATK: 99. DEF: 46.

------------------------------------------------------------

Killer belongs to @rahaf-wabas.

[onwesterlywinds]

PROMPT #2: Bark

This piece is set roughly two years before XIV 2.0 and reflects part of the aftermath of the 2020 prompt #30 Splinter.

The night before the imperial audit was due to the capital, the 9th Bureau offices of the IVth Legion resembled the aftermath of an explosion - a comparison with which Alma was intimately familiar. Sheafs of paper obscured most of the great meeting room table in Hyur-tall columns that might once have held some deeper organizational purpose but was now more a testament to the workings of imperial procedure than any meaningful function. The air, too, was thick with sweat and breath; the confidentiality of their task prohibited them from opening a window, and the odors that had gathered throughout the evening served only to inhibit concentration. Dona eir Quinta had retreated to the veranda for a smoke break, Sadr rem Albeleo was attending to a security breach elsewhere in the building, and many of the other staff with whom Alma was much less familiar had collapsed after pushing far past their twenty-bell shifts.

As such, when the legatus strode in to the office, only she and Menenius sas Lanatus were there to greet him.

"How fare the preparations?" said Noah van Gabranth by way of greeting.

Menenius bowed his head with much more certainty than Alma had seen from him only a few minutes prior. "Proceeding apace, my lord."

"Good." But he paid no mind to the carnage of bureaucracy transpiring around him. "Velius. With me, if you would."

Her pulse quickened, as it always did whenever he addressed her directly. She stood from the page she had been annotating - a note on the damage done to Dalmasca's historical sites during the bombings under Livia sas Junius - and made to present herself at attention.

"And bring a writing pad," the legatus added.

Menenius raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between the both of them with unabashed curiosity. Whether out of unflagging obedience or abject fatigue, he simply nodded, and he left Alma to follow behind his superior when the latter made a quick exit.

"The prisoner is a collaborator of the Dalmascan Resistance," said Gabranth as they walked the halls of Nalbina Fortress to reach the keep. "A powerful mage with connections to the void."

She understood then why Gabranth had not simply done away with the prisoner: void mages were rare - those with enough scruples to land them in Nalbina, much more so.

"She has rejected multiple offers of friendship over the decades; nevertheless, we believe non-violent interrogation may yield insightful results. For her records, copy down our conversation in full, without shorthand. Make note of her expressions and any movements of her limbs."

"Yes, ser." The instructions were basic orders for an interrogation of any sort. What she could not yet grasp was why this task proved just as crucial as a half-completed audit that needed to be aboard an airship bound for the capital by the time the sun rose.

That question remained even as the legatus opened the door to the oubliette. The woman within the cage beyond was greatly diminished; Alma would have to inquire later how long her imprisonment had lasted thus far, given that she had been made to hang. All the same, her features were striking: long waves of purple hair cascaded down over her brown skin, and her tired eyes still shone bright amid the single candle that cast its light around the door.

"Ah," said the prisoner. One of her ears gave a twitch, one that Alma supposed was more out of instinct than any true emotion. "The imperial hound returns, now with a shadow in tow."

After serving in the IVth Legion for more than three years, Alma had seen firsthand how Noah van Gabranth was a man willing to tolerate a great deal of uncouth behavior, even rudeness, so long as they came from a place of loyalty. The Viera voidmage's jokes were nothing Alma had not heard before, even from within the 9th Bureau's own ranks - but to hear them from a prisoner was something far different.

But Gabranth did not react to her impudence with anger or amusement. Instead, he raised both hands to his helmet and lifted it from his head to hold it at his side.

It was the first time Alma had ever seen his face - though she recognized it from countless lithographs she had seen of Basch. There, in the dim light of the fortress, he might have passed for his father's ghost.

"State your name, for the record," said Gabranth.

Only then, with the invocation of her role, did Alma remember that she had been brought here for a definitive purpose.

Again the prisoner's ear twitched, this time in the direction of Alma's pen scratching upon the paper. Her eyes were locked with Gabranth's in a way she had never seen before, not even from his officers.

"Hrjt - that's H-R-J-T - of the Graylands. Called 'Brotin' in the Viera tongue. And I would humbly request, for the record, an acknowledgement that the legatus remains unable to pronounce my name, even after nearly thirty years of our dalliances." Here, she inclined her head as deeply as she was able to Alma. "And what is your name, dear scribe?"

"She is of no consequence," Gabranth interjected, and Alma found herself grateful for the words. "But you, Miss Brotin-"

"It may help if you think of it as containing a D, as the R is what is known as a 'flipped' R. 'HED-yet.'"

"-you may yet rise above your name." Alma could not help but abbreviate nearly every word that came through, could not hope to capture in full the crosstalk flying fast between the longstanding adversaries. "To do so, I would present you with this."

A brightness emerged from Gabranth's side, even before Alma glanced up from her furious scrawling. From a pocket inside his armor, he withdrew a piece of auracite.

Hrjt went still in her chains. She took in a deep breath of the putrid dungeon air, deep enough for Alma to make note of it upon the page - and then, in a mere instant, her eyes reflected the selfsame stygian light.

"Dark and cold is this lover's embrace," she intoned. Her voice had dropped several octaves in mere moments. "I lie among the boundless detritus, piled high atop the ruins of the outcasts - a feast for those who cannot sink lower. Look upon me! Partake of me!"

Alma wrote faster than she had ever written before, heedless of all but the need to capture the words as they came to her. Then Hrjt coughed, and murky saltwater poured from her mouth, all down the front of her ragged and stained shift.

"I am here," she whispered. She now spoke as a Dalmascan man would speak, using masculine-gendered grammar. Alma could barely speak Dalmascan, though she knew enough of it from listening to Rabanastran radios for bells on end.

And Hrjt's speech conveyed only desire in its simplest form - words simple enough to piece together through the fervency with which they were conveyed.

"Where are you, my love? I feel you, yet you are not with me. Our son, you-" She turned, then, to Alma. "My son. Do not bring him here. He would only drown in these depths."

"Your son?" asked Gabranth. His voice was both hard and dangerously sweet - a horrific sort of invitation. "Who is your son?"

Hrjt did not reply; she merely coughed again and vomited even more water from some unfathomable depth. When she righted her head, it was with the great fatigue that one would expect of a prisoner who had been hanging by her wrists for nigh on a week.

"No more," she said. "I've had enough of your barking for now, Your Honor. Permit me to go, and I will let you live to howl another day."

Gabranth, inexplicably, thrust the glowing stone back into his pocket.

Hrjt breathed in a quiet, steadying breath - and in an instant, a wreath of dark aether enveloped and subsumed her. By the time Alma blinked to confirm what she was seeing, Hrjt had vanished without so much as a single trace.

"Again," Gabranth mused. "Ah well. We will find her again. She always returns to Valnain."

Alma knew better than to ask more questions about this woman, or to speak of the stone that had been brought to subdue her; and so she followed the legatus back to the office and returned to her work.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Club Fics Masterlist

All Those Dirty Thoughts Of Me - grooveyle

Summary: Dan and Phil are together but they have dark secrets that they don’t want the other to know. Phil is a cheater and Dan is a prostitute. Phil goes to a different strip club than his usual and it’s actually Dan’s work place.

be still my foolish heart (ao3) - t_hens

Summary: Phil is a bartender in a jazz club during the Prohibition and he’s doing his best to live a plain, but safe life - that all goes out the window when a new jazz band is hired and the drummer, Dan, starts to capture Phil’s heart.

Come What May (ao3) - PhantasticFiction

Summary: (tw) Phil Lester usually wasn’t one to go to strip clubs. But after being coaxed into it by a couple of his friends he meets the ever hypnotizing Greyson Bear (Dan Howell). Easily falling in love with him Phil works to save Dan from the underworld of prostitution.

Company Policy (ao3) - watergator

Summary: dan works in a bakery-by-day, gay club-by-night bar. phil owns said bar. things happen.

dressed up 1999 versace (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan and Phil go to a gay club.

Give Me A Try - danfanciesphil

Summary: Dan, a bartender at ‘Habenero’, Brighton’s hottest gay club, has been obsessed with AmazingPhil, the openly gay Instagram model for a long time. In all the fantasy meet-cute scenarios Dan has imagined for he and his semi-celeb crush, none of them involved him being at work, being soaked in various liquids, or being halfway through a Saturday night hell-shift. Sometimes, life doesn’t wait around for your plans.

inhibitions (ao3) - CapriciousCrab

Summary: Looks can be deceiving and Dan gets more than he bargains for when he picks up a guy at the club.

Lantern In Your Heart - botanistlester

Summary: Phil is bicurious, so to help him figure out his sexuality, he ends up at a gay club. There, he meets Dan, who helps him out in more ways than one.

Lydian (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: When Phil needs to accurately depict a jazz club in one of his films, it only makes sense to experience one in real life.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This (ao3) - phandomsub

Summary: Phil Lester stumbles into a strip club with nothing to lose but his last forty pounds.

rainbow on your skin, glitter in your veins (ao3) - watergator (orphan_account)

Summary: dan and phil go to a gay club in america

Saturday Night Fever (ao3) - TheUKAmazingDan

Summary: It’s the 1970s, and Phil is just looking to have a little fun.

shine on, diamond (ao3) - deathlytireddan

Summary: Dan and Phil going to a gay club.

The Birdcage (ao3) - sadlybunny

Summary: Phil Lester is the owner of the popular drag club, The Birdcage. Dan Howell, his long term partner, is the headlining queen “Amethyst Star”. But when Phil’s son comes to them with important news, their relationship is threatened by the promise of new in-laws who might not know that Phil is gay.

we break the dawn (ao3) - templeofshame

Summary: The last time Dan was here without a tour hanging over his head, he wasn’t even watching Drag Race, let alone ready to be spotted in the crowd at a drag show. Tonight, if someone recognizes them, asks for a photo, even takes a creepshot… they can knock themselves out. There’s no limit to how queer Dan and Phil can be in public, not anymore.

Wishing I Could Make this Mine - melancholymango 

Summary: Phil has been recovering from his last break-up for a very long time, to the point that it’s more about not wanting to put himself out there again than it’s about wanting to go back to what he had before. His friends pick up on this and he ends up being dragged to a strip club, only to run into his childhood best friend (and lifelong crush) Dan Howell, at the bar. Dan Howell, the bashful and shy teen he’s been out of contact with for years now, who then proceeds to prance onto the stage and strip with all the confidence in the world. 

[dieletztepanzerhexe]

annihllated by my pottery teacher today. she said that my fear of destroying the piece i was working on certainly extends into other areas of my life (true) and that pottery class is a great place to work through inhibitions that prohibit me from doing things without worry. she said it's a controlled environement that can be used to practice different skills and deal with issues preventing me from living, literally word for word what they say in group therapy xD

[renthony]

[ID: a comment left by tumblr user msexcelfractal, which reads "Cool post OP, now do Birth of a Nation. End ID.]

Content warning: antiblackness, antisemitism, sinophobia, general discussion of bigotry and oppression

You really want to try and go there as if that's some kind of gotcha on the subject of dark fiction? Fine. Let's go there. I've got sources and free time.

Birth of a Nation is a horrific hate crime of a film. It is flagrantly racist and was connected to a surge in KKK membership. Nobody should watch that film for enjoyment. It's horrific. Nobody should be forced to watch it, either. You don't have to watch the film, and I don't recommend you do, unless you're actively involved in studying it for whatever reason. It's a bad, hateful movie.

I have not watched it in its entirety and I don't really ever intend to. There are Black scholars who have already broken it down and discussed it at length, and I don't feel I'm going to get anything out of the film that they haven't already covered. If I need to study Birth of a Nation in more depth for whatever reason, I'm going to defer to Black scholarship on the subject.

But if you tried to ban the film altogether? If you tried to erase it from existence? I would ask what the fuck is wrong with you. Banning Birth of a Nation does absolutely nothing to combat the racism that created it. It wouldn't stop racists from making racist art. It wouldn't erase the damage done by the film. It wouldn't go back in time and make it retroactively never made.

You know what banning it would do, though? It would strip film scholars of the ability to discuss it. It would prohibit people from talking about exactly why it was bad. It would inhibit honest conversations about what the film was and who it affected.

You know what you do with horrific bigoted art like Birth of a Nation? You have content warnings, like the one I put at the beginning of this reply. You don't spring it on people who don't want to discuss it. You don't put it on for people to watch without warning. You don't tell everyone you know to go and watch it and give it money.

You do things like what Warner Brothers did with their Tom and Jerry disclaimer:

“These animated shorts are products of their time. Some of them may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these animated shorts are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.” 

You damn sure don't erase it from history and pretend that ignoring it will solve bigotry. Censorship is not the answer, because censorship is always enforced harder on marginalized artists. You ban racism in film, you ban films by Black artists who are exploring the topic from their own perspective.

When the Hays Code banned "offense to other nations," you know what happened? It didn't stop racism in film, that's for damn sure. It instead gave bigoted censors a perfectly legal and easy way to shut down art by marginalized people, which they did gladly.

The rise of the Nazi Party in Germany resulted in the Reichsfilmkammer demanding the removal of all Jewish workers from Hollywood's European locations. American films began receiving heavy censorship and bans in Germany, and so American studios complied with the Reichsfilmkammer's demands in order to avoid legal trouble in Germany.

Despite the Nazi party's outright hostility toward Hollywood, the MPPDA office discouraged any negative depiction of Germany or the Nazi party. Germany had been such a huge market for American cinema that the Reichsfilmkammer's censorship codes for German films began impacting American-made cinema. Jewish representation in cinema all but disappeared overnight. Joseph Breen, the head of the censor board, was an open antisemite, going on open tirades against Jewish people. His censorship policies were flagrantly bigoted and only served to reinforce that bigotry on a systemic level.

In 1933, Herman J. Mankiewicz and Sam Jaffe tried and failed to make an anti-Hitler film titled "The Mad Dog of Europe." The Hays Code was used to deny the film's production. On July 17, 1933, Will Hays himself ordered the filmmakers to cease and desist, all in the name of "not offending Germany."

Said Joseph Breen, "It is to be remembered that there is strong pro-German and anti-Semitic feeling in this country, and, while those who are likely to approve of an anti-Hitler picture may think well of such an enterprise, they should keep in mind that millions of Americans might think otherwise.”

Variety said about the subject, “American attitude on the matter is that American companies cannot afford to lose the German market no matter what the inconvenience of personnel shifts."

Anna May Wong, a Chinese-American actress, lost out on a leading role in the film "The Good Earth," due to the Code's explicit ban on interracial relationships. The leading man had already been cast with a white man wearing yellowface, meaning that Wong was unable to be cast as the leading lady and love interest, even though the characters were supposed to both be Chinese. The role instead went to a German-American actress wearing yellowface, who went on to win an Oscar for the role.

Censorship doesn't help anyone. Censorship does not protect anyone. Censorship does not prevent bigotry, and in fact only serves to reinforce it.

Anyone who read this far and learned something: being an independent media censorship researcher doesn't exactly pay the bills, so check out my Ko-Fi or Patreon if you learned something and feel generous.

My main sources for this post are:

Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema, 1930-1934, by Thomas Doherty

The Dame in the Kimono: Hollywood, Censorship, and the Production Code, by Leonard J. Leff and Jerold L. Simmons

The Encyclopedia of Censorship, by Jonathon Green & Nicholas J. Karolides

Morality and Entertainment: The Origins of the Motion Picture Production Code - Stephen Vaughn

Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood, by Mark A. Vieira

Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934), When Sin Ruled the Movies, by Mark A. Vieira

Hollywood's Censor: Joseph I. Breen & the Production Code Administration, by Thomas Doherty

And since you made me talk about Birth of a fucking Nation, here are some additional resources for people who are actually interested in Black media history:

Birth of an Industry: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Rise of American Animation, by Nicholas Sammond

Archival Rediscovery and the Production of History: Solving the Mystery of Something Good - Negro Kiss (1898), by Allyson Nadia Field

Humor and Ethnic Stereotypes in Vaudeville and Burlesque, by Lawrence E. Mintz

The Original Blues: The Emergence of the blues in African American Vaudeville, by Lynn Abbott and Doug Seroff

Waltzing in the Dark: African American Vaudeville and Race Politics in the Swing Era, by Brenda Dixon Gottschild

Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy from Slavery to Hip-Hop, by Yuval Taylor and Jake Austen

Love & Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class, by Eric Lott

The Prettiest Girl on Stage is a Man: Race and Gender Benders in American Vaudeville, by Prof. Kathleen B. Casey

Dancing Down the Barricades: Sammy Davis, Jr. And the Long Civil Rights Era, by Matthew Frye Jacobson

Blackface, Whiteface, Insult and Imitation in American Popular Culture, by John Strausbaugh

A Change in the Weather: Modernist Imagination, African American Imaginary, by Geoffrey Jacques

Hollywood Black: The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers by Donald Bogle

The Blackface Minstrel Show in Mass Media: 20th Century Performances on Radio, Records, Film, and Television, by Tim Brooks

Oscar Micheaux and His Circle: African-American Filmmaking and Race Cinema of the Silent Era, by Pearl Bowser, Jane Gaines, and Charles Musser

America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality at the Movies, by Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin

White: Essays on Race and culture, by Richard Dyer

Black American Cinema, edited by Manthia Diawara

Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, by Wil Haygood

Framing Blackness: The African American Image in Film, by Ed Guerrero

Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films, by Donald Bogle

White Screens, Black Images: Hollywood From the Dark Side, by James Snead

Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, by Nancy Wang Yuen

The Hollywood Jim Crow: the Racial Politics of the Movie Industry, by Maryann Erigha

Your personal triggers and squicks do not get to determine what kind of art other people make.

People make shit. It's what we do. We make shit to explore, to inspire, to explain, to understand, but also to cope, to process, to educate, to warn, to go, "hey, wouldn't that be fucked up? Wild, right?"

Yes, sure, there are things that should be handled with care if they are used at all. But plenty more things are subjective. Some things are just not going to be to your tastes. So go find something that is to your tastes and stop worrying so much about what other people are doing and trying to dictate universal moral precepts about art based on your personal triggers and squicks.

I find possession stories super fucking triggering if I encounter them without warning, especially if they function as a sexual abuse metaphor. I'm not over here campaigning for every horror artist to stop writing possession stories because they make me feel shaky and dissociated. I just check Does The Dog Die before watching certain genres, and I have my husband or roommate preview anything I think might upset me so they can give me more detail. And if I genuinely don't think I can't handle it, I don't watch it. It's that simple.

[dailyanarchistposts]

[Special thanks goes out to Co-op America, and responsibleshopper.org, whose publications aided in the research of this chapter.]

Section I: Abuse of the Worker (Modern)

The nation of Burma is currently under the control of an illegal military junta. It has been under this control since 1988. Under the force of the military, men, women, children, and the elderly are forced to labor without compensation. Sometimes they work to complete agricultural or industrial projects, other times they work for the military carrying supplies and ammunition. Most of the money the regime makes is through the natural resources that are exported. By purchasing their commodities, one is supporting the regime. However, businesses that are still doing business with Burma include 3M, American Express, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke), Citigroup, Inc., Glaxosmith Kline, Halliburton, Hewlett-Packard Co., Hyundai, Lucent Technologies, Saks Incorporated, [511] Chevron Texaco Corp., Hyundai, Mitsubishi Motors of America, Inc., Nestle USA, Nissan Motor, Sony Corp., Toshiba Corp., Unocal [512] Federated Department Stores, [513] TJX, and Kohl’s. [514]

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the use of outsourcing among American industries had become a popular trend, only becoming more and more used. Outsourcing is when American industries move capital to foreign territory, where production costs are lower. Why are they lower? They’re lower because they’re capable of getting away with lower wages, more hours, and fewer jobs. With the passage of NAFTA, this only increased. In Mexico, American industries import from maquiladoras, Mexican factories where laborers are paid poorly and forced to work overtime. Though passed with the intention of helping the world, NAFTA has meant fewer jobs with more hours and less pay. Businesses using Mexican maquiladoras include BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke), Canon Inc., DaimlerChrysler, Eli Lilly, Ford Motor, General Electric Company, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard Co., Hitachi American, Ltd., Honda Motor, Honeywell, Hyundai, IBM, Mattel Inc., Mitsubishi Motors of America, Inc., Motorola, Nissan Motor, Sanya Electric Co., Ltd., Sara Lee Corp., Sony Corp., Toshiba Corp., Volkswagon AG, and Xerox. [515]

Some apparel sold at Dillard’s is made in Excel Apparel Exports, a Haitian factory. Workers here earn $1.33 a day. [516] Caribou Coffee sells products that are not Tarnsfar certified Fair Trade, meaning that the coffee farmers are paid lowly and work in poor conditions. Carribou Coffee owns 160 locations throughout the United States. [517] Gap and Nike brand clothing are made at BJ&B sweatshop in the Dominican Republic. Violating even that nation’s labor laws, women are paid less than men, workers are hit, touched inappropriately, and belittled, and conditions are unsanitary. Out of the $20 retail cost of a brand cap, $0.08 is given to the workers, who earn about $40 after 56 hours of work. [518] Both Circuit City and JCPenny employment contracts prohibit their workers from litigating against their employer. This disallows employees from filing suit for sexual harassment, abuse, or violation of labor laws. [519] Hasbro, the child toy company, subcontracts factories in Asia, using cheap labor and lack of enforcement of labor laws. Such labor laws prevent unsanitary and unsafe conditions, as well as protecting wages. [520] In a Nabisco food processing plant in Oxnard, California, female employees were denied the right to take bathroom breaks, while males were allowed this privilege. The employer even padlocked the female bathroom between breaks. [521] In a National Semiconductor facility in Greenock, Scotland, women workers are suffering serious occupational health problems, including miscarriages, reproductive cancers, vision problems, and respiratory ailments. The ability to unionize is illegal, thus inhibiting workers from organizing against the unsanitary conditions. [522]

Nike was the recipient of the National Labor Committees’ First Annual Golden Grinch Awards. It was received because the company had outstanding sweatshop abuses and starvation wages. In one Dominican Republic factory, workers were given 6.6 minutes to sew one children’s sweatshirt. They earn $0.08 for each $22.99 Nike sweatshirt they sew, less than 3/10ths of 1% of retail price. [523] In Guatemala, a Phillips-Van Heusen employee work force organized a union according to Guatemalan law, but the company refuses to recognize the validity of it. [524] In Saipan, 40,000 garment workers brought suit against Polo Ralph Lauren, because workers faced harassment, abuse, and poor working conditions. [525] Shirts and pants sold at Wal-Mart stores are made by workers at the Beximco Factory, Bangladesh, where employees work 12 hour days, seven days a week, and receive between 9 and 20 cents an hour. [526] A New Orleans worker at the Winn-Dixie grocery store was fired because he was a crossdresser, when not at work. [527]

In June of 1995, JCPenny fired 186 workers at an El Salvador plant because they organized in a union. This was after being subject to excessive overtime and undue punishment. [528] Since 1996, Darden Restaurants has been charged with four separate accounts of anti-gay discrimination. [529] From 1996 to 1997, Halliburton aided in construction in Burma, knowing of the forced labor, or literal slavery, that was used to build it. [530] Mitsubishi has been mishandling sexual and racial harassment allegations from 1996 and earlier. Some women were set back in careers for not giving in to sexual harassment. [531] In 1997, Fruit of the Loom slashed 7,700 U.S. jobs in shifting production to the Caribbean, ultimately offering fewer jobs, for longer hours, with less pay. [532] Home Depot paid $104 million to settle a class-action discrimination suit, involving 25,000 employees. [533] Kmart, Limited Brands Inc., and May Department Stores, was named as one of the companies that used sweatshop labor most often in 1997. [534]

In a 1997 report, teenage girls and women working in the Keyhinge factory in Vietnam were forced to work 9 to 10 hours a day, seven days a week, often earning just six cents an hour. They were producing promotional toys for happy meals. In February of that year, 200 workers fell ill, 25 collapsed, and three were hospitalized, because of chemical exposure. [535] On March 8 of 1997, Carmelita Alonza died after spending 11 days in the hospital. The cause of death was related to her 14 hour workdays and eight hours of overtime every Sunday. She worked in a factory that supplied Eddie Bauer, Federated Department Stores, Gap, Jones Apparel, Liz Claiborne Inc., May Department Stores, and Polo Ralph Lauren. [536] On June of 1997, a British judge noted in a sidenote that McDonald’s pays low wages, helping to depress wages in the catering trade. [537] Reebok shoe factories in China employ workers as young as 13, paid below legal minimum, and forced overtime, according to a September 1997 report. [538] In October of 1997, First Union settled an age discrimination suit against 239 former employees, by paying $58.5 million. Old workers were fired and replaced with younger, less-qualified workers. [539] In an Associated Press report for November of 1997, Nicaraguans who make garments sold at Kmart work in appalling conditions and are paid extremely little. The report also noted Hondurans who were forced to work in similar conditions for the Kathie Lee Gifford line. There was physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. The factories were surrounded by barbed wire, guarded with armed soldiers, and employed children as young as 15, some forced to work 13 hours a day, seven days a week, without overtime pay. [540] In December of 1997, five garment workers in El Paso, Texas, were awarded $10.6 million in court, when the Levi Strauss company violated their privacy rights. The violation occurred as retaliation, when the workers sought work comp benefits for injuries incurred at the plant. [541]

Arlen Benjamin-Gomez traveled to Honduras in 1998, where she interviewed workers for two weeks. These workers were paid $3.50 a day and forced to work long hours of overtime without pay. Ventilation was poor in the factories, the managers treated them badly, and they had limited use use of the bathrooms. Workers who tried to unionize were blacklisted and fired. [542] Also in 1998, Gap clothing and clothing by the Sara Lee Corp. was manufactured in a Thai factory. It underpaid workers, denied payment of overtime, required forced overtime, and provided no working welfare, violating the law in Thailand. Work shifts were 12 hours each with limited bathroom use. Women workers were sexually harassed and violated. Unionizing workers were fired. [543] McDonald’s has been allowed by the government to put restaurants in public hospitals, guaranteeing a monopoly — however, such restaurants are anti-union. [544] In maquiladoras in Mexico, Sanyo performed pregnancy tests and fired all pregnant women. [545] A 1998 report detailed 53 cases of pregnancy discrimination at 50 factories along the U.S.-Mexico border and in Baja, California. These factories are operated by Tyco International, which requires mandatory pregnancy testing during the hiring process. [546] Also in 1998, Tyson Foods cheated workers out of 30 minutes of overtime pay everyday. [547]

As late as March of 1998, Federated Department Stores and Polo Ralph Lauren were selling clothing made in China, under illegal working conditions and violating internationally recognized workers rights. [548] A March 1998 visit to Reebok factories had discovered that wages and monitoring were inadequate, and that virtually little to no progress had been made in allowing workers the right to unionize. Also, the actual wages had decreased in purchasing power by 60%. [549] In March of 1998, a female worker suffered sexual harassment, verbal and physical, by workers of Tyson Foods corporation, and her complaints to management were completely ignored. [550] One woman was demoted from State Street Corp. after taking a maternity leave. Investor’s Business Daily stated that the complaint claimed, “women were targets of profanity and were underpaid relative to their male counterparts; that another woman was fired because she missed work while attending court after having been the victim of domestic abuse; and that an employee played a compact disc of a woman having an orgasm over speakers located in the equity trading room.” [551] In June of 1998, an explosion linked to outdated equipment at the Pennzoil-Quaker State Company killed 5 workers. Pennzoil paid a $1.5 million fine in April of 1996 for violating OSHA’s safety management rules and materials handling rules. [552] In 1998 of August, CIGNA Corporation withheld raises from their employees unless the employees signed over their right to sue over age, sex, and racial discrimination, any form of harassment, or wrongful hiring. [553] In 1991, Whole Foods fired an employee for her union activity in the United States. In November of 1997, Whole Foods also fired 70 union workers with 70 non-union workers. At another Whole Foods, one worker was fired for trying to represent the work force and bring up concerns of the workers. [554] In October of 1998, a female worker of the Dana Corporation was subjected to sexual harassment by a male supervisor. Her claim was backed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The harassment went on for several years. [555] Time Warner Inc. denied health and pension benefits to hundreds of eligible workers, by claiming they were independent contractors. [556] In 1998, the Valero Energy Corp. finally gave compensation to a widow of a worker at its’ Armarillo, Texas refinery, who was killed in a 1996 gas explosion. A jury determined the company was guilty of gross negligence. [557]

The year 1999 was not much different than others. In an Indonesian oil facility, owned by Chevron Texaco Corp., 8,000 workers face labor and human rights violations. [558] In a 1999 report, General Motors was found to be performing pregnancy tests and discrimination against pregnant females. [559] A group of black employees working for Merk were being treated unfairly and not given the same promotion opportunities as white employees. [560] In January of 1999, HoltraChem Manufacturing was fined by the NC Occupational Safety and Health Administration for health and safety violations, including overexposure of mercury to employees, frequent hydrogen fires, and lack of protective clothing for dangerous chemicals. [561] In the same month, Warnaco and seventeen other clothing manufacturers were accused of using indentured labor to produce clothing, failure to pay overtime, and intolerable work conditions in Saipan, a United States territory. [562] In February of 1999, Airborne Inc. was sued because their policy of randomly searching workers violates their civil rights and the collective bargaining agreement. [563] In early 1999, Tyson Foods tried to take away 21 benefits from workers when contracts came up for renewal. [564] In March of 1999, a white supervisor for Airborne Inc. accelerated the disciplinary process of seven African Americans and Hispanics, as well as screaming obscenities at them and physically threatening them. [565] Kohl’s, owned by Great Atlantic and Pacific, was accused in 1998 of practicing wage discrimination, by giving only high paying positions to male employees. By 1999 of March, 1,500 females have joined in a suit against the company. [566] A report from March of 1999 reported that more than half of the clothing sold by Lands’ End was being purchased from overseas, where sweatshop conditions are prevalent [567] In April of 1999, Bellsouth was accused of discriminating against 300 employees, who were denied promotions and pay raises because of age and gender. [568] A May 1999 report identified Cooper Tire & Rubber as one of 12,500 workplaces with notably high occupational injury and illness. [569] When Mexican workers at a maquiladora voted to be represented by an independent union in May of 1999, Hyundai refused their request. [570]

According to a June, 1999 report, Boise Cascade has been charged with 350 willful negligence violations of worker safety since 1988. [571] According to another June, 1999 report, Phillips-Van Heusen shut down a factory that had been granted independent monitoring and moved to a non-unionized, poverty-wage sweatshops. [572] In July of 1999, 13 current and former employees of Winn-Dixie were awarded $120,000 each by a federal court for race and sex discrimination. [573] Federal Express Corp. in Maryland were accused of male managers sexually assaulting and molesting five women. [574] Rockwell International plead guilty to three felony counts, in which it was accused of the deaths of two employees due to lack of safety regulations. [575] In September of 1999, one MBNA telemarketer filed discrimination charges against the company, on physical disabilities and age. [576] The University of Arkansas purchases its school clothing from overseas nations where sweatshop conditions flourish. [577] In October of 1999, Fruit of the Loom paid $7.3 million in a settlement agreement because they had refused to pay wages to workers. [578] In late 1999, one female employee of MBNA was sexually harassed and assaulted by a male coworker, whom the company had refused to do anything to help. The harassment was so intense that it went to the point of physical collapse. [579] In October of 1999, Phillips-Van Heusen and four other clothing manufacturers agreed to settle a class-action suit because of their sweatshop conditions in the United States. [580] Sales staffers at Quaker Oats had lost their jobs in 1994 because of age discrimination, were finally paid settlement in late 1999 . [581] Seoney’s Inc. paid out $18 million in settlement fees because of unfair wage and labor practices. [582] Amazon.com’s work conditions include four people sharing one cubicle, low wages, and poor management. [583] In September of 1999, a former employee of AutoNation filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against his employer, because he was fired on religious grounds. [584] A Nigeria-American employee of Autonation was harassed at a dealership, calling him “ebola” and “ebola virus” over four months. [585] Norman Pawlowski was fired from Hewlett-Packard, when he brought up environmental and safety violations that threatened the safety of other employees. [586] In December of 1999, 8,000 Indonesian workers held violent protests demanding higher wages from Nike’s starvation wages. [587] Seven workers were killed at Tyson Foods facilities throughout 1999, when no other poultry company has reported any fatalities in that or the next year. [588]

In January of 2000, Dana Corporation was found to be hiding microphones in security cameras to eavesdrop on employees. [589] Georgia Pacific refused to pay 6,000 seasonal farm workers the minimum wage in the United States. The same thing happened with employees of International Paper Co.. [590] Whole Foods routinely failed to pay overtime to employees who worked more than 40 hours a week over a two-year period. [591] K-tel International Inc., and 11 other companies, were making bootlegs of slain rapper Tupac Shakur’s music, without compensation. [592] Goodyear Tire & Rubber has been engaging in anti-union activities in March of 2000, including firing 48 production employees at its Guatemala plant. [593] Eighteen retailers, including Jones Apparel, Liz Claiborne Inc., and May Department Stores, in March of 2000 agreed to compensate underpaid and overworked employees in sweatshop conditions in Saipan, a U.S. territory. [594] A massive explosion at a petroleum plastics plant in Texas, March 2000, killed one person and injured 74 others. It was the third fatal accident in 11 years, and fourth explosion in one year. The company had failed to meet safety regulations. [595] An Arabic-Syrian employee of Federated Department stores was mocked for her ethnicity and then fired for actions that, when other workers engaged in them, there was no disciplinary action. [596] Forty five employees of IBM in April of 2000 were exposed to cancer-causing agents within an IBM plant that failed to meet safety regulations. [597] JCPenny is one of several U.S. corporations employing 40 thousand factory workers in Jordan, where workers earn $3.50 a day. JCPenny and several other companies contracted sweatshop labor in Saipan. In December of 2000, JCPenny contracted Daewoosa clothing factory in American Samoa, where workers sometimes were refused food for days, as a form of punishment against workers, refused to pay wages, and engaged in physical assaults on their workers by the bosses. A San Francisco garment plant operated by JCPenny was shut down because it refused to pay $850,000 in wages. Also, JCPenny operates assembly plants in Haiti, paying less than that nation’s minimum wage. [598] Louisiana-Pacific violated six safety standards in an explosion that killed a worker and hospitalized another at its Olathe plant in October 1999. [599]

In May of 2000, CIGNA Corp. shortchanged doctors on insurance policies, by refusing to pay for certain services that were covered in the contracts. [600] Foot Locker Inc. has been paying its Canadian employees only 65% of minimum wage in Toronto, some being paid as low as $2.50 an hour, forced to work up to 12 hours without overtime pay. [601] Kohl’s was given one of the National Labor Committee’s First Annual Golden Grinch Awards, for outstanding sweatshop abuses and starvation wages. Their labor is contracted in sweatshops in Nicaragua. [602] Limited Brands Inc., as well as 17 other clothing manufacturers, used indentured labor to produce clothing. They failed to pay overtime and minimum wage, while advertising their garments as “Sweatshop Free.” 50,000 workers were harmed from their activities. [603] Toyota forced one employee to work 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for years. Japan’s legal system forced the company to compensate the widow. [604] United Airlines (UAL Corporation) was ruled to pay discrimination damages, when they had stricter weight standards for female employees than male employees. [605] In July of 2000, Northwest Airlines fired a number of employees that were organized in union activity. They also used spyware to monitor the employees opinion of the company. [606] In August of 2000, American Airlines (AMR) had to pay 1.7 million to 99 disabled people who were denied jobs with the carrier. [607] Federal Express was fined by the FAA for failure to apply legal safety procedures in transporting chemical oxygen generators. One improperly placed oxygen generator was the cause of a crash that killed 110 people. [608] Interstate Bakers was ordered to pay $11 in damages to 21 black workers, because they were denied promotions, subject to racist comments, and given the worst shifts. [609] Fox TV illegal fired Jane Akre, a reporter who refused to run a false report claiming that Monsanto’s bovine growth hormone was safe. Strong evidence linked the growth hormone to cancer in humans. Monsanto warned Fox of “dire consequences” unless the television station lied to the public about the safety of the growth hormone. [610]

In September of 2000, Kmart, Kohl’s, and four others engaged in aggressive anti-union activity. All union workers were fired. Union leaders were charged with serious criminal offenses. All employees who complained about verbal and physical abuse were also fired. [611] Marriott International was accused of over 80 violations of labor law during its four years of contract talks with 9,000 of its workers. [612] In October of 2000, Albertson’s failed to pay final wages on time when employees left the company. [613] Proctor and Gamble Co. uses non-union talent in commercials produced. [614] A lawyer suing Publix Super Markets said, “It’s clear that for years, Publix has engaged in a pattern and practice of channeling women into low-paying jobs and preventing them from moving from part-time to full-time work, which has affected their opportunities for advances and benefits.” [615] In October of 2000, Publix Super Markets discriminated against six Hispanic employees, by refusing them promotions. [616] In November of 2000, Amazon.com posted anti-union materials on its internal website, providing managers with “warning signs” of possible union organizing activities. [617] Louise Lopman spent three months at an El Salvador factory that produced for Fruit of the Loom and other companies. Women were frequently denied bathroom access, given polluted water to drink, forced to stand 12 to 14 hours per day, and paid 43 cents per hour. Lopman said, “In the sweatshops of El Salvador, I saw young women working in very inhumane conditions... experiencing severe violations of dignity, of self-esteem, and of human rights.” [618] One doctor for Humana was fired when he argued against policies that would hurt patient care. [619] Kmart, for four years according to labor leaders, has been opposing the formation of unions in its stores while offering benefits and wages that are insufficient. [620] Louisiana-Pacific has been discovered to have eight serious safety violations involving 42 separate occurrences, where there was a “substantial probability” of death or physical harm. [621] The EEOC said it had found evidence of a “pattern and practice of discrimination” against women at Morgan Stanley Dean Whitter. [622] In December of 2000, 49 agents for Allstate are suing because the company refused to pay overtime. [623] The Great Atlantic and Pacific corporation paid its deliverymen $2 an hour over the course of six years. This was the employment of over 110 people in Harlem. [624] A black, homosexual man for Morgan Stanley Dean Whitter was fired on accounts of photos of him appearing in a gay pornographic magazine. [625] 15,000 African Americans were fired or refused promotion because of their race from 1993 to 2000, for the company Publix Super Markets. [626]

In 2001, female employees at USAirways complained, claiming “male coworkers frequently came to work intoxicated and were permitted to watch pornographic videos in an employee lounge.” Those who complained were fired. [627] In January of 2001, two women from Chicago plants were sexually harassed, and they claimed that sexual harassment was widely accepted and complaints went ignored. [628] Two IBM workers were exposed to toxic fumes at the company’s facility in Fishkill, NY, causing birth defects. [629] A Mexican plant for Nike employed children, forced striking workers to work at gunpoint, and allowed rancid food to its employees. [630] In January of 2001, U-Haul classified 480 employees as managers to deny them overtime, but a Los Angeles court ordered the company to pay over $10 million in overtime pay. [631] In February of 2001, Hewlett-Packard reneged on its promise to provide lifetime discounts on its products to over 3,800 Hewlett-Packard retirees. [632] It was discovered in February of 2001, that as many as 13,000 workers from Mattell Inc. may have been exposed to toxic levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) from 1951 to 1980. TCE has an association with anemia, arthritis, cancer, birth defects, and liver damage. [633] In February of 2001, nine current and former Microsoft employees suffered racial discrimination at their workplace, where they were passed over for promotions, paid less than co-workers, experienced a hostile work place, and subject to retaliation. [634] Global Alliance published a report, claiming that “Indonesian workers [at nine different factories] making Nike clothes and shoes are being sexually and verbally abused, have limited access to health care and are forced to work overtime.” [635]

A lawsuit against Wal-mart claims that the company set up a system of frequently paying its female workers less than male counterparts and bypassing women for promotions. Another lawsuit alleges that Walmart “denied women promotions, paid them less than men and forced them to visit strip clubs on business.” The National Organization for Women are boycotting Wal-Mart, claiming unequal pay between the sexes, denying promotion to female employees, exclusion of contraception in health benefits, and refusal to sell the “morning-after pill” (Preven) for women, but still selling Viagra for men. According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 72% of Wal-mart’s staff is women, but only a third of them make it to management, ranking it below rivals’ levels of 25 years ago. In California, another boycott was called against the Wal-Mart company, for using racial slurs against its Mexican workers. The EEOC would issue its 17th lawsuit against Wal-mart in August of 2001 for discriminating against job applicants who are disabled. Another EEOC lawsuit claims that a Wal-Mart “greeter” was fired after the company refused to let her sit down occasionally, due to her knee problems. In another EEOC lawsuit, Walmart failed to provide qualified interpreters for deaf applicants and employees. [636] 400 Florida farm workers for Taco Bell are paid 40 to 45 cents for every 32 pounds of tomatoes they pick — a yearly average of $7,500 with no benefits. In May of 2001, Pizza Hut (of Yum! Brands) paid $10 million in a lawsuit for backpay. In February of 2000, they paid $9 million to 3,000 California employees who were not given overtime. [637]

In March of 2001, an engineer for Consolidated Edison warned that the nuclear power plant was faulty, and resigned in protest. A security guard was forced to his sixth straight day of 12 hour shifts, and was fired for complaining. [638] The DaimlerChrysler company was sued in March of 2001, for disallowing his disabled workers from transferring from plant to plant, but allowing transfers for non-disabled workers. [639] American Airlines was accused of violation the Americans with Disabilities Act for the second time by the EEOC in March of 2001. [640] Disney, Sony Corp., and Time Warner Inc., failed to pay 25,000 discharged workers on time of their last paycheck in March of 2001. [641] In February of 2001, Ford’s new evaluation process was designed to weed out older workers. [642] Kohl’s has been selling clothing made in El Salvador, where women are given mandatory pregnancy tests (and fired if positive), obligatory overtime of 6 days a week with 13 hour shifts, and paid as little as 60 cents an hour, less than a third of the cost of living. [643] In March of 2001, Mitsubishi Motors of America agreed to pay $1.4 million to a group of minority workers, because the company “denied blacks promotions and transfers, and ignored racial incidents in the workplace, such the use of slurs, graffiti with the letters ‘KKK’ and, in once instance, the hanging of a noose in a break area.” [644] Starbucks has refused to implement human rights monitors on its coffee plantations, where some of the worst human rights violations have been recorded. [645] A class-action discrimination suit is against Sunoco, Inc., because, as one black workers claims, “The majority of blacks that have been employed by Sunoco are limited to staff positions and denied key management positions that instead go to whites,” as well as hosting a hostile a hostile environment. [646]

In April of 2003, Target and 21 other companies had to pay $20 million at a court order for sweatshop labor in Saipan, a U.S. territory. More than 13,000 workers worked 12-hour days regularly, seven days a week, without overtime pay. It also required workers to sign contracts waiving basic human rights. Target has been employing 40,000 workers in Jordan, where workers earn $3.50 a day. In March of 2001, Target was selling clothing produced in El Salvador, with mandatory pregnancy tests, six working days a week, thirteen hour shifts, and wages as low as sixty cents an hour. [647] 21 workers for U-Haul were immediately fired for trying to join the Teamsters Union. [648] Ten black Xerox workers filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming they were disallowed job advancement or promotion. [649] In April of 2001, 12 employees of Albertson’s filed a racial discrimination against their company, for being routinely passed over for promotions — even workers who have been with the company for 31 years. [650] Amazon.com’s working conditions it April 2001 included “poor pay, poor conditions, poor communications and poor management,” as well as harassment and intimidation. [651] American Airlines’ health plan does not cover reproductive care for women, but provides Viagra for men. [652] General Electric Company, General Motors, Honeywell, Sony Corp., and McDonald’s, was named as a violator of workers rights’ in U.S., Canada, and Mexico, by the Human Rights Watch. [653] In April of 2001, a federal discrimination lawsuit (by the EEOC) was filed against Kroger for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, by harassing mentally retarded workers into quitting their jobs. A minor was also threatened with arrest if he refused to quit his job. [654] In April of 2001, Georgia-Pacific settled a racial harassment suit, because its African-American employees were exposed to racial slurs, jokes, and graffiti at the facility, and one employee was fired for complaining about harassment from the manager. [655] Marriott International has been refusing to unionize its hotels for years, with labor leaders and government officials declaring a boycott against Marriott. [656]

Daimler Chrysler in June 2001 refused to hire disabled mechanics at its Detroit Axle Plant. [657] An employee of Bellsouth was fired from the company after being subjected to anti-Semitic harassment and complaining about it, in June of 2001. [658] A 27-year veteran of Dupont was refused a promotion because of his disabilities. [659] Ford Motor, in response to many of these discrimination suits, went with reverse discriminations: it refused to promote white managers, in favor of women and minorities. [660] Ford Motor in June of 2001 ignored complaints of six of its employees for sexual harassment, including “Grabbing the salesmen’s genitals and buttocks, asking for sexual favors and making inappropriate comments of a sexual nature.” [661] Jefferson Smurfit Group plc admitted to failing to ensure worker safety, causing the death of one of its workers in. The investigation found that it has had previous worker fatalities in the past, that were only met with fines. [662]

[allyorganicme]

Exploring the Benefits of Organic Citric Acid 50% Solution in Sustainable Manufacturing

Organic citric acid has gained significant attention in recent years as a key player in sustainable manufacturing processes. This naturally occurring organic acid, primarily derived from citrus fruits, is not only versatile but also environmentally friendly. Among its various forms, the 50% solution of organic citric acid stands out for its effectiveness in numerous industrial applications. This article delves into the benefits of using organic citric acid 50% solution in sustainable manufacturing, highlighting its role in promoting eco-friendly practices, enhancing product quality, and contributing to overall sustainability.

What is Organic Citric Acid 50% Solution?

Organic citric acid is a weak organic acid with the chemical formula C6H8O7. It is characterized by its sour taste and is widely recognized for its applications in food preservation, cleaning, and various industrial processes. The 50% solution refers to a concentrated liquid form that contains 50% citric acid by weight. This concentration is particularly useful in industrial settings where potency and efficacy are essential.

Production Process

The production of organic citric acid typically involves fermentation processes utilizing specific strains of the mold Aspergillus niger. The fermentation begins with a carbohydrate source, often derived from renewable resources like corn or sugarcane. The resulting citric acid is then concentrated to create the 50% solution, ensuring that it retains its organic certification by adhering to strict agricultural standards that prohibit synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

Benefits of Organic Citric Acid 50% Solution in Sustainable Manufacturing

1. Eco-Friendly Alternative

One of the most compelling advantages of organic citric acid is its eco-friendly nature. As industries increasingly prioritize sustainability, organic citric acid 50% solution serves as a natural alternative to synthetic chemicals commonly used in manufacturing processes.

Biodegradability: Organic citric acid is biodegradable, meaning it breaks down naturally without harming the environment. This characteristic is crucial for companies aiming to minimize their ecological footprint.

Reduced Chemical Load: By replacing harsher chemicals with organic citric acid, manufacturers can reduce the overall chemical load in their processes, contributing to cleaner production methods.

2. Versatility Across Industries

Organic citric acid 50% solution is renowned for its versatility, making it applicable across a wide range of industries:

Food and Beverage: In food manufacturing, citric acid acts as an acidulant, flavor enhancer, and preservative. It helps maintain product quality by preventing spoilage and enhancing taste. Its ability to lower pH levels inhibits microbial growth, extending shelf life without the need for synthetic preservatives.

Pharmaceuticals: In the pharmaceutical industry, organic citric acid is used as a buffering agent. It helps maintain optimal pH levels in formulations, ensuring the stability and efficacy of active ingredients. Additionally, it enhances the solubility of certain compounds, improving drug absorption in the body.

Cosmetics and Personal Care: Citric acid is commonly used in cosmetics for pH adjustment and as a natural exfoliant. Its inclusion in skincare products helps to improve texture and effectiveness while aligning with the consumer demand for clean beauty.

3. Cost-Effectiveness

The use of organic citric acid 50% solution can lead to cost savings for manufacturers in several ways:

Concentration Efficiency: As a concentrated solution, organic citric acid requires smaller quantities to achieve desired results compared to less concentrated alternatives. This efficiency not only reduces raw material costs but also minimizes storage and handling expenses.

Extended Shelf Life: By utilizing citric acid as a preservative, manufacturers can extend the shelf life of their products, reducing waste and losses associated with spoilage.

4. Enhancing Product Quality

In sustainable manufacturing, product quality is paramount. Organic citric acid 50% solution contributes to improved quality in various ways:

Flavor Enhancement: In the food and beverage industry, citric acid enhances the flavor profile of products, providing a refreshing tartness that balances sweetness. This improves the overall sensory experience for consumers.

Stability and Safety: In pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, citric acid helps stabilize formulations, ensuring that products remain effective throughout their shelf life. Its antimicrobial properties also enhance product safety by inhibiting harmful bacteria.

5. Supporting Sustainable Practices

The adoption of organic citric acid 50% solution aligns with broader sustainability goals in manufacturing:

Sustainable Sourcing: Organic citric acid is typically sourced from renewable agricultural practices, supporting local farmers and promoting sustainable agriculture. This commitment to sourcing reflects positively on a brand’s social responsibility.

Circular Economy: By incorporating biodegradable ingredients like organic citric acid, manufacturers can contribute to a circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled, minimizing waste and environmental impact.

Application Examples in Sustainable Manufacturing

1. Food Preservation

In food manufacturing, organic citric acid 50% solution is used to preserve a variety of products, including sauces, dressings, and beverages. By lowering the pH, it inhibits the growth of spoilage organisms, allowing products to remain fresh for longer periods. This not only reduces food waste but also ensures that consumers receive high-quality products.

2. Pharmaceutical Formulations

In the pharmaceutical sector, organic citric acid is integral to the formulation of effervescent tablets and syrups. Its buffering capacity helps to maintain the desired pH, enhancing the stability and efficacy of active ingredients. This is particularly important for medications that require precise pH levels for optimal absorption.

3. Cleaning Products

The cleaning industry has embraced organic citric acid as a natural alternative to harsh chemicals. In formulations for household and industrial cleaners, citric acid effectively removes mineral deposits, limescale, and stains. Its safety profile makes it suitable for use in environments where chemical exposure must be minimized.

4. Cosmetic Formulations

In cosmetics, organic citric acid is often found in exfoliating products, toners, and creams. It helps to balance pH and enhance the performance of active ingredients, aligning with the growing trend towards clean and effective beauty solutions.

Safety and Handling

While organic citric acid 50% solution is generally safe to use, proper handling is essential to ensure safety:

Protective Equipment: When handling concentrated citric acid, it is advisable to wear appropriate protective equipment, such as gloves and goggles, to prevent skin and eye irritation.

Storage Guidelines: Organic citric acid should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from incompatible materials. Proper labeling and containment are crucial to avoid accidental exposure.

Dilution: In many applications, it is necessary to dilute the 50% solution to achieve the desired concentration. Care should be taken to follow guidelines for safe dilution practices.

The Future of Organic Citric Acid in Sustainable Manufacturing

As the demand for sustainable practices continues to grow, the role of organic citric acid 50% solution is expected to expand. Innovations in production methods, such as utilizing agricultural waste for fermentation, may enhance its sustainability profile even further.

Moreover, ongoing research into the health benefits and potential applications of citric acid will likely lead to new uses across various industries. As consumers increasingly prioritize natural and organic products, the market for organic citric acid is poised for significant growth.

Conclusion

Organic citric acid 50% solution represents a powerful tool for manufacturers seeking to implement sustainable practices while enhancing product quality. Its versatility across food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and cleaning industries showcases its effectiveness as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals. By adopting organic citric acid, manufacturers can not only improve their processes but also contribute to a more sustainable future.

As a brand dedicated to quality and sustainability, AllyOrganics is committed to providing high-quality organic citric acid solutions that meet the needs of modern industries. By embracing the benefits of organic citric acid 50% solution, businesses can foster innovation, support environmental stewardship, and align with the growing consumer demand for sustainable products. The future of manufacturing is green, and organic citric acid is at the forefront of this important shift.

[jim-fetter-illustrations]

Bee Venom Cancer Cure?

Can HoneyBee Venom Be Used as Anticancer Agent?

New scientific medical studies in PubMedCentraal medical journal, article #10378503 are looking at the mechanisms of anticancer activity of bee venom. Research shows strong 'anti-cancer' potential of both crude bee venom and its main constituent, "melittin", by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the cell cycle without significantly affecting physiological cells.

Which means the Melittin in Bee Venom stops the cancer cells from growing, starving them to death while letting normal healthy cells reproduce.

Like the bee venom only affects the cancer cells!

There are many reports in the literature on the pharmacological properties of bee venom and/or its main components, e.g., anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial or neuroprotective properties. In addition, both crude venom and melittin exhibit cytotoxic activity against a wide range of tumor cells, with significant anti-metastatic activity in pre-clinical studies.

Ya see,... Over the centuries, secondary metabolites from bacteria, fungi, insects or terrestrial plants have played an essential role in traditional medicine, but bee products have greatly distinguished themselves in chemical biodiversity, providing not only an efficient, but also a widely available and renewable source of therapeutic substances.

We have seen various types of products produced by bees known for their health-promoting properties since ancient times. Natural bee products used in the treatment and prevention of various diseases include honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, beeswax, as well as bee venom (BV) also known as apitoxin since 1000-3000 BC.

Bee Venom is a secretion from the venom gland of worker bees that is supposed to have a defensive function against predators. It is an odorless and colorless liquid consisting of 88% water and only 0.1 μg of dry matter, and we now know this because of Microbiology,.... the study of the biology at microscopic levels.

Microbiology started in 1857, but significant advances in the field have occurred in the last three years because of new technology with Centrifuges, Microscopes, Colony Counters, and Spectrophotometers.

Which have opened a whole new era with Bee Venom being realized as a rich source of secondary metabolites, such as: peptides, including melittin, apamin, mast cell degranulating peptide (MCD) or adolapin, enzymes such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and hyaluronidase, as well as amino acids and volatile compounds. And this new information tells us Bee Venom has all the components to not only cure cancers, but prohibit them from starting by taking supplements before you get cancer,..... like when we put sunscreen on our skin so the sun's ultraviolet and UV rays won't damaging the skin's melanin causing damage to skin cells we call sunburn.

Don't get this wrong, we have been studying Bee Venom since the 1950's, but it wasn't until the 1980 that anyone thought Bee Venom had anti-cancer properties. And from 2013 to 2023 we have actually seen how it works to starve-out and kill cancer cells in the laboratory.

The list of types of cancer Bee Venom is being tested for is long, but a few are breast Cancer, Leukemia, TNBC, Lung Cancer, Glioblastoma, Pancreatic cancer, Colon cancer, Cervical cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Gastric cancer, Hodgkin Lymphoma, Malignant melanoma, ........ and on, and on, and on.

Are Honey bees going to turn out to be humanities saviours?

Will Bee products be the new cure-all for human beings?

Will we realize this before we wipe out the honey bee with global warming?

Your Votes can make a change, because the Green party is the only political party that wants to further investigate the Honey Bee and it's cures for humanity. Not the republicans, and not the democrats, because their support is on treatments side of cancer, not cures, because treatments bring in much more money,........ once you are cured they lose money!

It's your government they tell you, so vote to push the human race forward, and vote independent Green Party.

[beyondsmokeshops]

On Kratom

Originating from the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Southeast Asia, Kratom has been a staple in herbal medicine since the 19th century, offering opiate-like and stimulant effects. It can be chewed, smoked or consumed as a tea; and it is available in various forms such as dried powdered leaves, enriched extracts, resins, tinctures, capsules and edibles.

With diverse strains like the pain-relieving Red Vein, stimulating White Vein, and balanced Green Vein, kratom holds cultural significance in its regions of origin and sparks contemporary debates on legality and public health. In this article, we delve into gratom's history, uses, strains, and the nuanced discussions surrounding its regulation, unraveling the complex narrative of this botanical substance.

Indigenous to Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea, kratom has been utilized in herbal medicine since the 19th century. Traditionally consumed for pain relief and mild stimulation in Southeast Asia, millions of Americans use kratom, citing its efficacy in alleviating chronic pain and addiction symptoms - a critical tool, amid rising drug overdose deaths.

There are several types of kratom strains, each touted for their efficacy in different areas. Red vein kratom is known for pain relief, sedation, stress relief, and relaxation, this strain offers temporary relief for chronic pain or anxiety. White vein kratom is renowned for its stimulating effects; this strain supports focus, alertness, concentration, and productivity without the jitters commonly associated with stimulant use, often leading to feelings of euphoria. Green vein kratom is the most popular strain; combining stimulation and soothing benefits, offering mental clarity, focus, and calmness for everyday use, ideal for managing daily stress. Gold kratom is a blend of different kratom strains, providing a broad spectrum of positive effects without specifying vein coloration. Most commercially available Gold kratom is a blend of white and green vein kratom. Black Kratom remains a bit of a mystery - subject to varying definitions, it usually refers to red vein kratom that has been fermented multiple times and/or roasted, resulting in a darker color and strong sedative effects reminiscent of a powerful red vein strain.

Amid record opioid-related overdose deaths, kratom has gained attention as an alternative for chronic pain, with millions relying on it. However, federal agencies, particularly the FDA, have attempted to ban kratom, threatening potential consequences such as criminalizing users and hindering research on its effects. Critics argue that the FDA's stance lacks nuance and overstates risks, citing low poison control calls related to kratom compared to common household products. While some deaths have been reported while kratom is present in the system, a clear causal link is absent. Advocates stress the need for regulation to ensure safe production rather than outright prohibition. Research into kratom has been inhibited by the attempts of powerful entities to ban its production and use, but the anecdotal evidence to support its usefulness is overwhelming. In addition, despite some evidence to suggest that kratom use comes with the risk of addiction, any dose under 2 grams is considered a microdose when using kratom, and most commercially produced capsules weigh in at only 750 mg, well below the microdose line.

The FDA's arguments against kratom face scrutiny, with experts highlighting weaknesses in methodologies like the PHASE model. Some speculate that the FDA's resistance to kratom may be influenced by pharmaceutical interests commercializing synthetic versions, as there are many officials involved who would potentially benefit financially from kratom prohibition. Recall that cannabis was legal in the United States prior to 1952, and the motivating factors behind its prohibition were rooted in racism and capitalist interests, not medical or scientific fact. 

When purchasing kratom, it is important to visit a retailer who sources their products from safe and reliable manufacturers. It is also beneficial to purchase from a retailer that employs staff who are experienced and knowledgeable about the products they’re selling. Here at beyond smoke, our staff have experience using kratom recreationally or to treat common ailments. For more information on kratom and to learn if kratom is right for you, stop by and visit us.

[datadiscoveriesdaily]

Generative AI Media Software Market Manufacturers, Suppliers, Vendors Sales, Revenue, Market Share 2023 to 2030

The Generative AI Media Software Market is experiencing a rapid surge in growth, reshaping the landscape of media production and creative industries. This innovative technology is revolutionizing content creation by leveraging artificial intelligence to generate multimedia content, ranging from images and videos to music and written pieces. The market's growth is propelled by several key factors that are reshaping the way media is produced and consumed.

At its core, Generative AI Media Software utilizes advanced algorithms to autonomously produce creative content. This technology is particularly attractive to industries seeking efficient and cost-effective ways to generate high-quality media. The ability to automate aspects of content creation reduces the reliance on human labor and streamlines workflows, leading to increased productivity and faster time-to-market.

One of the primary drivers behind the growth of the Generative AI Media Software Market is the increasing demand for personalized and engaging content. As consumers become more discerning, businesses are challenged to create content that resonates with their target audience. Generative AI allows for the customization of media content on a massive scale, tailoring it to individual preferences and delivering a more immersive and personalized user experience.

Furthermore, the market is bolstered by the ongoing advancements in deep learning and neural networks, which enhance the capabilities of generative AI algorithms. These technologies enable the software to understand and mimic complex patterns, resulting in more sophisticated and realistic content generation. As the algorithms continue to evolve, the potential applications of Generative AI Media Software expand, encompassing diverse industries such as advertising, entertainment, and marketing.

However, the market is not without its challenges and restraints. Concerns related to data privacy and ethical considerations surrounding AI-generated content have emerged as significant hurdles. As Generative AI Media Software relies heavily on vast datasets to learn and generate content, ensuring the responsible and ethical use of this technology becomes paramount. Striking the right balance between innovation and ethical considerations is crucial for the sustained growth of the market.

Moreover, the complexity and computational requirements of Generative AI Media Software pose challenges for smaller enterprises with limited resources. The initial investment in infrastructure and talent needed to implement and maintain this technology can be prohibitive for some businesses. As a result, market growth may be inhibited by the barriers to entry and the need for extensive technical expertise.

Despite these challenges, the Generative AI Media Software Market is poised for significant expansion due to its transformative impact on the media and creative industries. The growth is further fueled by the increasing adoption of AI-driven solutions across various sectors. As businesses recognize the potential benefits of automating content creation processes, the demand for Generative AI Media Software is expected to rise, creating new opportunities for vendors in the market.

In conclusion, the Generative AI Media Software Market is undergoing a period of dynamic growth, driven by factors such as the demand for personalized content, advancements in AI technologies, and the need for increased efficiency in content creation. While challenges related to ethical considerations and accessibility persist, the market's trajectory indicates a promising future, with the potential to reshape the way media is produced and consumed across industries.

𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭@ https://www.sanglobalresearch.com/enquiry/generative-ai-media-software-market

Market segment by players, this report covers

    OpenAI

    Google

    Jasper

    Tiama

    IBM

    iFlyTek

    Brainasoft

    Brighterion

    Alibaba

    Tiktok

    Tencent

    Baidu

    Perfect World

    Kingsoft Office

    Visual China Group

    KunLun

Market segmentation

Generative AI Media Software market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2018-2029, the growth among segments provide accurate calculations and forecasts for consumption value by Type and by Application. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.

Market segment by Type

    Voice Media

    Text Media

    Image Media

Market segment by Application

    Personal Media

    Corporate Media

    Government Media

Market segment by regions, regional analysis covers

    North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

    Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)

    Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia and Rest of Asia-Pacific)

    South America (Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America)

    Middle East & Africa (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Rest of Middle East & Africa)

Our More Reports:

Marketing Automation Market: https://sanglobalresearch.com/report/marketing-automation-market/3032 

Automotive Artificial Intelligence Market: https://sanglobalresearch.com/report/automotive-artificial-intelligence-market/3028

Artificial Intelligence in Construction Market: https://sanglobalresearch.com/report/artificial-intelligence-in-construction-market/3026

Artificial Intelligence Market: https://sanglobalresearch.com/report/artificial-intelligence-market/3027

Thank you for reading the report. The report can be customized as per the requirements of the clients. For further information or query about customization, please reach out to us, and we will offer you the report best suited for your needs.

About Us:

At San Global Research Report, we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality and accuracy. Our team of experienced researchers utilizes a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure that our findings are both accurate and reliable. With a strong emphasis on responsiveness, transparency, and collaboration, we work closely with our clients to understand their objectives and deliver actionable insights. Learn more about our research approach and how it can benefit your business.

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[chemicalresearchupdates]

Non-halogenated Flame Retardants Market Forecast: A Deep Dive into Future Industry Projections

The Non-Halogenated Flame Retardant Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 4.2 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Market Overview:

Non-halogenated flame retardants are compounds that are added to plastics, textiles, coatings and other materials to inhibit, suppress or delay the production of flames to prevent the spread of fire. They do not contain bromine or chlorine and are environment friendly. Aluminum trihydroxide, organophosphorus compounds and nitrogen compounds are some of the common types of non-halogenated flame retardants. They provide effective flame retardancy while also meeting stringent environmental and health standards. Market Key Trends:

One of the key trends driving the non-halogenated flame retardant market growth is the increasing demand from end-use industries such as construction, electronics, automotive and textiles. Several developed countries are banning the use of halogenated flame retardants due to environmental and health concerns. This is boosting the demand for environment-friendly and safer non-halogenated flame retardants from various industries. Additionally, the growing electronics and automotive industries in Asia Pacific are also fueling the consumption of non-halogenated flame retardants. The stringent fire safety regulations worldwide related to industries utilizing flammable plastic materials is further propelling the market growth.

Porter’s Analysis

Threat of new entrants: The threat of new entrants in the non-halogenated flame retardant market is moderate due to the high capital required for manufacturing facilities and technology. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is high due to the availability of a variety of alternatives. Buyers can negotiate on prices by leveraging competitive rivalry in the industry. Bargaining power of suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is low because raw material required are widely available from numerous suppliers. Threat of new substitutes: The threat of new substitutes is moderate as ongoing R&D is exploring substitutes without compromising on safety. Competitive rivalry: Intense.

SWOT Analysis

Strength: Non-halogenated flame retardants are eco-friendly and can be used across various applications without harming the environment.

Weakness: High production cost compared to their halogenated counterparts. Lack of consistency in meeting stringent flame retardancy standards.

Opportunity: Growing preference for sustainable and non-toxic materials across industries. Increasing regulations prohibiting halogenated flame retardants will boost demand.

Threats: Availability of cheaper halogenated flame retardants restricts volume growth potential. Stringent safety norms associated with production and use.

Key Takeaways

The global non-halogenated flame retardant market is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period, due to increasing stringent regulations prohibiting usage of toxic halogenated flame retardants across various industries. Regionally, the Asia Pacific non-halogenated flame retardant market accounted for the largest market share in 2023 owing to the growth of industries like construction, electronics, and automotive in China, India and other developing nations. Europe and North America are also expected to register significant growth due to increasing demand for sustainable and non-toxic materials. Key players operating in the non-halogenated flame retardant market are Clariant International Limited, Albemarle Corporation, Israel Chemical Limited, Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A, Chemtura Corporation, Nabaltec AG, FRX Polymer Inc, Huber Engineered Material, Amfine Chemical Corporation, and THOR Group Ltd. Manufacturers are focusing on developing innovative and high performance products to strengthen their position in the market.

[female-malice]

Prohibition is not feminist. It's fine to be against alcohol but it's not a feminist thing. Women in the late 1800s and early 1900s wanted to believe it was alcohol making men violent. That's such a simple answer with a simple solution so of course that idea was popular.

But it doesn't work. Alcohol doesn't make men violent. It just lowers inhibitions. Without alcohol, men are still just as violent. Maybe the timing is different, but the same exact amount of violence gets committed. The presence or absence of alcohol doesn't have any positive or negative effect on the presence or absence of patriarchy

See: Islam

Wait are you actually a Prohibitionist???

Alcohol is bad for you. It's also bad for the people around you. Drinking alcohol has no benefits to society, and many serious drawbacks to everybody. While it has a large cultural reputation as something necessary to have a good time or be an adult, the reality is that you don't need it, and neither does anybody else. It's a hazard in a similar way to tobacco, though the 'second hand' risk is more complex, things like car crashes and other accidents, as well as more subtle social issues from impaired judgement, or addiction.

I don't know how to remove it from society, but I believe it should not be here.

As of the moment, I'm in favor of a voluntary movement encouraging individuals to reduce their drinking, stop drinking entirely, or (for young adults) to never start drinking. You may be just one person, but you may inspire somebody else. And you'll even save some money and be healthier too.

It may sound extreme, to some, but I think an alcohol-free future is a brighter one for everybody.